Model United Nations International School of The Hague 21:30 | XXVIII Annual Session

Research Report | XXVIII Annual Session

Security Council

The Situation in Syria

Samuel Lack
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Wisse Cammeraat
 Model United Nations International School of The Hague 2018 | XXVIII Annual Session

Forum: Security Council

Issue: The Situation in Syria

Student Officer: Wisse Cammeraat

Position: Deputy President

Introduction

The Syrian Civil War began seven years ago as the result of peaceful protests

against the President Bashar al-Assad in regards to issues such as, high unemployment,

corruption and lack of political freedom, being silenced through use of deadly force by the

Syrian government. These demonstration favoring democracy within Syria in March of 2011

were largely inspired by the ‘Arab Spring’ which had taken place in neighboring Arab

countries. The opposition to the government quickly took arms and were met by vows from

their president for their rebellion to be crushed (BBC).

This ongoing conflict includes the involvement of several nations. It has a rising death

toll in the hundreds of thousands with a large portion of which being civilian lives. There are

divisions being made within the country by the involved parties and a prominent issue faced

by the world in terms of the acceptance of the large number of refugees caused by the

conflict (BBC).

Generally speaking the Syrian Civil War is one of a high complexity, spanning over a

significant time period with various national parties each of which having their own separate

foreign backers. As stated the conflict can be traced back to peaceful protest in 2011 and the

formation of the first armed opposing force to the government, the Free Syrian Army, later

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that year. These are the two original opponents in the conflict, the people of Syria against

their government and their army. Through the development of the conflict the involvement of

extremist Jihadists becomes more apparent with them travelling from around the world in

support of the rebellion. President al-Assad was even in support of this development so as to

complicate the possibility for foreign nations to support the rebellion (Vox).

Around a similar time also comes the informal splintering of Syrian Kurdish groups,

taking up arms against Assad’s rule in the north of Syria. As the conflict continues it becomes

a proxy war with the involvement of Iran in support of the Syrian government and the Gulf

States and Turkey in support of their opposition as well as numerous different parties

standing on different sides. It continues however with Assad’s use of chemical weapons on

civilians in 2013 leading to the instigation of the USA and later also Russia making the

conflict in Syria a global power’s dispute (Vox).

There are differing interactions between involved parties in the Syrian Civil War.

Beyond this there are also disputes within alliances on their values within the conflict. This

makes the Syrian Civil War difficult to unravel and find a clear solution to. What is clear,

however, is that there is a rising death toll within the conflict, a conflict that has left the nation

in ruins. It has led to significant consequences for the people of Syria, many of which have

chosen to leave the country. This issue has been a focal point of the Security Council for

many years and a prominent issue in world news. Strides have been made to solution

however such as under the Geneva convention as well as the momentum being gained

towards legal prosecution of the Syrian government.

Definition of Key Terms

Chemical Weapons

A toxic chemical contained in a delivery system, such as a bomb or a shell.

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Extremists

A person who holds extreme political or religious views, especially one who advocates illegal,
violent or other extreme action

Sunni Islam

A major branch of Islam consisting of the majority of the religions adherents. Sunni Muslims
regard their denomination as the traditionalist and mainstream branch of Islam.

Shia Islam

Also referred to as Shīʿite, it is a smaller division of Islam in regards to the Sunni but still one
of the two major branches.

Internally Displaced Person(s)

Internally Displaced Person (IDP) is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but
remains within his or her country’s borders. There are roughly 6.5 million IDPs in Syria.

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General Overview

History

In March of 2011, the government of President Bashar al-Assad faced the opposition

of pro-democracy protests throughout the country. The protesters were acting on the

behavior of the regime in Syria, that being in many cases oppressive to the Syrian people.

This involved the use of violence as an answer to protests, under which an already

heightened use of the Syrian army and other governmental forces (Britannica).

At this time Arabian countries, not only Syria, were seeing an increase in protest and

demonstrations. This was referred to as the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring was a streak of

anti-government protests and rebellions throughout the Middle East at the beginning of 2011.

The success of which is debated amongst Arab countries. This was, however, an inspiration

for the people of Syria to take action for themselves in their own nation. President Assad had

acknowledged the economic difficulty faced within Syria but believed that his political reform

would come in time and in support of the Syrian people due to his opposing stance towards

the USA and Israel which he believed was amongst his people’s core interests (Britannica).

The protests continued, however, proving that Assad’s control over the situation may

be more futile than he was willing to admit at the time. Assad initially carried a political

reputation that was inclined towards a further liberalization of the country but this quickly

reversed into a tyrannical form of rule. Alongside economic and political difficulties Syria also

faced environmental hardship in the form of a prolonged drought between 2006 and 2010,

this was of significance due to the social and economic impact it had on the country leading

up to the revolution. As also referenced in the key terms section the conflict had roots of

religious differences with the protesters largely belonging to the Sunni majority whilst the

family of Assad were a part of the ‘Alawite minority. These divisions became more

pronounced with the depiction created by Assad of the Sunni people as Islamic extremists

(Britannica).

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The protests only worsened and proportionally so did the government’s opposition

towards it with additional military action being taken through utilities being cut off and the use

of military vehicles such as tanks driving refugees out of the country. This escalating situation

did not go unnoticed with local and more international players splitting between pro and anti-

Assad camps. Those opposing the Assad government included the United States as well as

the European Union with heads of state, under which Barack Obama, calling for Assad to

step down as president. Syria’s longstanding allies of Russia and Iran continued their support

for the Syrian government. These big international rivalries were also reflected in the UN

security council with vetoes being made by both Russia and China preventing resolutions

involving the condemnation of Assad (Britannica).

By September of 2011 organized Militias were attacking the Syrian army regularly

turning the issue into a Civil War. The Free Syrian Army claimed the face of the rebel effort

as an overarching organization but was not always recognized by local groups. The Syrian

Civil War is not only a conflict within its own borders but also an example of failed diplomacy.

This is seen in the lack of credibility to delegations sent by the Arab League into Syria as well

as failed ceasefires early on in the conflict in April of 2012. Due to this lack of results from the

efforts of the UN and the Arab League, international assistance was called upon in a

conference organized by the UN in June of 2012. This was meant to provide clarity on the

future of negotiations with the Syrian government. With conflicting donors in the issue all out

to seek their own best interests the previous coalition representing the Syrian people, the

Syrian National Council (SNC), fell apart. In November of 2012, the formation of a new

coalition was announced by the Syrian opposition leaders named the National Coalition for

Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and received recognition by dozens of different

countries (Britannica).

The rebels saw tactical success throughout mid-2012 forcing the withdrawal of

government troops in the north and east of the country as well as having attacked Aleppo in

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July. A stalemate was seemingly underway though in early 2013 leading to the increase of

international support. This included Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar funding and arming

Syrian rebels. Along with this also came a secret order from President Barack Obama to the

CIA to train rebel groups in Syria. Opposing them remained Iran who had hundreds of

officers on the ground in Syria and incoming cargo flights to supply Assad. Complementing

this was the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, who was backed by Iran. They invaded Syria and

vowed to fight for Assad. This only led to an increase of support by the Gulf States towards

the rebels (Vox).

A significant turning point in the conflict is the first use of chemical weapons on

August 21st, 2013 in Damascus killing hundreds. Assad’s forces were blamed for the attack

however they denied any involvement. The US, Britain and France condemned the act and

announced their consideration of retaliatory strikes. Russia, China and Iran opposed the idea

of military action and Assad heavily opposed this new western involvement. These western

forces did not end up acting on their claims but an agreement was reached however on

September 14th, 2013, between Russia, Syria and the US to place all of Syria’s chemical

weapons under international control. This was then indeed carried out (Britannica).

Islamist militants did become more prominent in the conflict in 2013 with the operation

of al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria and later the formation of a new group in April through the joint

al-Qaeda forced from both Iraq and Syria using the name Islamic State in Iraq and the

Levant, ISIL (also known as ISIS). This group expanded their power of territory in both Syria

and Iraq. This led to the conflict becoming pressurized for western nations with the US

launching airstrikes on ISIS in Iraq in order to slow their advance. The group was made

famous however through their imagery spread online of decapitations of western aid workers

and their anti-western extremism causing the expansion of the American airstrike campaign

(Britannica).

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Russia’s involvement also expanded in 2015 with the deployment of troops and

equipment at their airbase. These were claimed to be targeted on ISIS but had a clear focus

on fighting against the Syrian rebel groups. After the collapse of a ceasefire in September

2016, the focus was shifted towards Aleppo which was rebel-held at the time. This included a

remorseless bombing campaign on the city with no regards towards civilian casualties and

aid workers being specifically targeted. ISIS, after a seemingly unstoppable rise, began to

diminish in 2016 through the pressure of its conflict with Kurdish forces who were backed by

the US, pro-Assad forces and a Turkish rebel coalition group. After the continuation of this

pressure, they were forced out of Dayr al-Zawr in November 2017 (Britannica). Chemical

attacks have been furthered in 2018 such as the deaths of 70 people in Douma on April 7th.

Current Issues

Following a six week operation by Syrian government forces they claimed victory in

Eastern Ghouta on April 1st of 2018 after having killed 1700 civilians. This was the last rebel

outpost on the outskirts of Damascus. Another chemical attack took place on April 7th on the

city of Douma, killing 40. Assad denied the claims made for his responsibility and Russia

vetoed the UN resolution to allow investigators access to the site. Airstrikes have been

executed by the US, France and the UK on chemical weapons facilities near Damascus in

response to the attacks on April 14th (CFR).

Foreign influence still remains of significance with the leaders of Iran, Turkey and

Russia agreeing to protect Syria’s territorial integrity and ensuring for a cease fire. This also

occurred in April of 2018. US president Donald J. Trump also announced that two thousand

US troops would remain in Syria to fight the Islamic State alongside their continued

involvement in the conflict (CFR).

As of the writing of this report more that 400,000 people have been killed or are

missing as a result of the conflict (See Appendix A). Air strikes are currently the most

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common cause for loss of life with shootings and shelling having been more common place

at the start of the Civil War (See Appendix C). More than half of the Syrian population has

been displaced since 2011 with roughly 5.6 million refugees and 6.1 million people internally

displaced. Many Syrian refugees flee to neighboring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and

Jordan but also european countries such as Germany and Sweden. Within the conflict there

have also been 492 attacks on medical facilities as well as 847 medical personnel killed

(BBC).

Major Parties Involved

Syrian Government and the Free Syrian Army

Naturally the conflict originates between the opposition of the Syrian people towards their

government. With President Bashar al-Assad having been in office since the year 2000 he is

the face of the Syrian government and their acts against the Syrian rebel groups opposing

him. Syria had become an independent republic following their french rule during WW2 in

1946. Following a series of coups and transitions in power, Hafez al-Assad declared himself

president. Following his death his son took the position. Initially inciting hope towards reform

none of these promises were met. Instead, the continuation of an authoritarian style of

government, much to the dismay of the Syrian people (Wikipedia).

The Free Syrian Army was formed on the 29th of July 2011. It was initially created by officers

of the Syrian Armed Forces. Their goal as a group was stated as being to bring down the

Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. At the start of the War it was seen as the main

representation of the rebel effort in Syria but has since dissipated in its cohesion. As of 2015

it contained 35,000 members. Their approach within the conflict was not to hold territory but

rather to spread thin the forces of the Syrian government under which the destabilization of

Damascus. The FSA is and has always been comprised of a large number of different armed

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groups. The FSA has also seen international support such as moderate provisions in arms

from the US under the Obama administration however this has since ceased after the

change in leadership. Support from different nations also includes countries such as Turkey,

Britain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany and other Gulf nations. Not all of these

nations are still allied with the FSA. There has been debate over the credibility of the FSA as

an organization however it still can be seen as the face of the rebel opposition throughout the

conflict (Wikipedia).

Iran and Russia

Since the start of the Syrian Civil War, Iran has been integrally involved in supporting

the Syrian government against their opposition and keeping president Assad in power. This

support has taken form in a variety of different ways such as the assistance of Iranian

security and intelligence agencies, the provision of military support through air transport and

Iranian support of pro-government militias in Syria. The Lebanese militia Hezbollah also has

direct support from Iran in the conflict. Iran’s strategy contains its own self interests in the

conflict but has led them to be the most important ally of Syria as well as a large fuel behind

the counter influence of the Gulf States and their support for the rebel groups (ISW).

In comparison to the more religious ties between Syria and Iran, Russia’s involvement

in Syria has a more complex reasoning. Russia has had influence in the Syrian Civil War

very early on and has been of significant help for the Syrian government. They have done

this through means such as the vetoing of crucial resolutions by the UN security council on

the topic of Syria and the sale of significant amounts of Russian arms to the Syrian

government and other forces fighting for Assad. The reasoning for their tenacity in the

conflict could be for varying reasons. They have stated that the Gulf States are in violation of

Syria’s sovereign rights through their intervention as well as the fact that they oppose the

American led humanitarian missions in Syria. Generally speaking Russia would also be

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interested in the cementing of their influence for a post-Assad Syria as well as their own

national security in the form of the threat posed by ISIS (Huffington Post).

Turkey and the Gulf States

Turkey was one of the first nations to condemn the violent actions by the Syrian

president against his own people and was one of many nations to demand his resignation as

a response for his actions. Even in the beginning of the conflict Turkey had begun training

Syrian military defectors within its own borders as well as sheltering the FSA. Similarly to its

opposing counterparts Turkey has also supplied arms to the Syrian rebels which it supports

in the conflict. The Turkish involvement only expanded as the conflict continued with leaked

invasion plans of Syria that were put on YouTube as well as a similar leak occurring in 2015.

More recently significant Turkish military operation has been taking place in Afrin, a northern

region in Syria, which has caused significant turmoil between the involved parties including

the US (Wikipedia).Significant portions of the financial aid presented to the Syrian rebellion in

the conflict was arranged by the Gulf States. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar

offered financial, logistical and political aid from the early stages of the War

United States of America

American involvement in Syria has not been a direct War waged against the Syrian

government. Significant developments in the American approach have been made however

with recent events under the Trump administration. This includes the firing of six American

tomahawk missiles directly at Syrian government backed forces, the first attack made by the

US directly on Syria and not ISIS as was their supposed strategic initiative to lead them into

Syria. The US has supported militant groups opposing the Syrian government since the

beginning of the conflict, including the FSA. Their support for the FSA has however been

concluded after Trump took office. The most significant action that has been taken by the US

in the conflict is their air strike campaign against ISIS militants. The US’s actions in Syria only

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seems to be ramping up under its new administration despite an initially more held back

stance being portrayed at the beginning of Trump’s term. This also includes the downing of a

Syrian air force jet and Iranian drone in 2018 (The National).

Timeline of Key Events

Timeline of events in reverse chronological order leading up to present day.

Date Description of Event

March 15, 2011 Anti-government protests held in several cities in Syria

March 24, 2011 Dozens of protesters killed after security forces open fire

October 4, 2011 Russia and China veto UN resolution condemning the Syrian
government’s actions against protestors

July 14, 2012 Committee of the Red Cross declares the conflict as a Civil War

August 21, 2013 Syrian government accused of having used chemical weapons on
civilians in Damascus

August 30, 2013 Obama administration declares consideration of military action in

Syria

September 14, 2013 US, Russia and Syria reach agreement to place Syrian chemical
weapons under international control

January 22, 2014 Geneva II is held but no progress is made

June 30, 2014 ISIS declares itself a caliphate

September 23, 2014 American and Arab coalition expand air campaign against Syria,
ISIS and Iraq

September 30, 2015 First airstrikes carried out by Russia in Syria

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December 22, 2016 Syrian government declares victory in Aleppo after last rebel
fighters evacuate

Relevant UN Resolutions
● Establishment of United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), 21 April
2012 (S/RES/2043)

● Resolution requiring the verification and destruction of Syria’s chemical weapon

stockpiles, 27 September 2013 (S/RES/2118)

● Resolution demanding all parties to allow humanitarian aid across conflict lines, 22
February 2014 (S/RES/2139)

● Resolution imposing obligation for member states to respond to the threat of foreign
terrorist fighters, 24 September 2014 (S/RES/2178)

● Condemned the use of toxic chemicals such as chlorine and pointed out that those
responsible should be held accountable, 6 March 2015 (S/RES/2209)

● Calls on member states to take all necessary action on the territory held by ISIS, 20
November 2015 (S/RES/2249)

● Unanimously adopted resolution demanding a cessation of hostilities in

Syria, 24 February 2018 (S/RES/2401)

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Previous Attempts to Resolve the Issue

One of the most notable attempts at solving the conflict in Syria has been the several

Geneva conferences that have taken place, bringing together the UN and involved nations to

discuss on resolving the issue. The first of which, commonly known as Geneva I, took place

in June of 2012. Notably for Geneva II was the pressure to implement the Geneva

communique (See Appendix B) on the situation in Syria which was created in the predating

conference (Wikipedia). However, the talks had collapsed during the conference as the

deadlock could not be broken between the Syrian government and their opposition. The

same went for Geneva III and IV in 2016 with the Syrian opposition even walking out in the

conference’s fourth installment. The count currently stands at VII but no significant

breakthrough can be seen in the talks on resolving the issue (Aljazeera).

Other attempts at resolution include the Astana talks between Russia, Turkey and

Iran creating dialogue between the three nations as well as the enforcement of a ceasefire

which took place in the first installment of the conference. A peace plan was proposed by

Assad in 2013 however the Syrian opposition rejected this (Aljazeera). As listed above there

have been several UN resolutions on the topic however their success has been limited with

often times resolutions being vetoed by countries such as Russia and China who disagree

with possible increase in western involvement in the issue. This western involvement in itself

is an attempt at solving the issue with for instance the American air campaign being intended

to halt the uprising of forces such as ISIS. The success of this has naturally been quite

limited as can be seen in the total lack of a political agreement in the issue.

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Possible Solutions

When looking at resolutions on the issue different priorities can be taken in terms of

what aspect of the conflict is considered to be the most urgent to solve. These aspects

include humanitarian concerns, civilian protection, the Syrian economy, political state,

infrastructure and others. One of the aspects that should be taken into consideration is the

humanitarian aid required for the civilians of Syria. Specifically, in the city of Aleppo, airdrop

aid for the citizens still remaining there is a necessity in order to provide them with sufficient

aid. This initiative is supported by a large number of British MPs as well as Syrian

humanitarian aid workers. It is also stated under international law and a UN resolution that in

the case of non-compliance aid must reach the people in the most direct way possible thus

legally binding member states to this call for help (Independent).

Not only humanitarian aid is crucial for the Syrian citizens but also protection. Syrian

civilians have been killed in the hundreds of thousands through attacks by government

troops and endless shelling on civilian homes. Many consider the implementation of no-bomb

zones to be a viable solution to providing more safety and security for the Syrian people who

remain in their own country (Independent).

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What has also already been taken into account but could be further elaborated on

during the upcoming conference is the legal prosecution of crimes against humanity that

have taken place over the span of the conflict. This can be done through international

organizations such as the ICC. It is crucial that this case is opened now and evidence is

collected to support said case in order to appoint blame and appropriate punishment, not

only to the Syrian government and Assad but also the evident war crimes committed by other

nations such as Russia. Naturally the collection of evidence would require on the ground

representatives which would have to be implemented through UN resolution to allow them to

pass conflict lines (Independent). This solution could face difficulty, however, in the

previously seen lack of collaboration between nations and international organizations.

As stated earlier in this report the Syrian refugees have been a staple point issue that

has arisen out of the conflict and one that has been on the international stage for a while

now. Clauses need to be included in the upcoming conference that address how these

refugees will be divided amongst nations currently willing to accept them, how these

refugees can safely be brought to different countries and how they can most efficiently begin

their lives in those new places. What might also need to be addressed is what will be done

with countries currently unwilling to accept refugees and how this affects the balance

between intake.

The actual military issue as well as political conversation between involved nations

needs to be addressed. How will the tactical approach towards the War and fighting off

forces such as the Syrian government and its international backers or the remains of

extremist fighting groups such as ISIS be undertaken. Also how the dialogue between

nations will become more efficient so as the avoid the lack of action being undertaken from

conferences such as in Geneva that lead to no results for de-escalating the conflict.

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Appendices

Appendix I

Visual Representation of the loss of life in the Syrian Civil War

Appendix II

Geneva Communiqué

http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Syria/FinalCommuniqueActionGroupforSyria.pdf

Appendix III

Graphs depicting the most common cause of death in different stages of the war.

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