Syrian Civil War Research Articles

The Practice of Friendship Balancing: Russia‐Israel Relations, 2015 to 2021

AbstractSince the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, Israel's reactions have been met with criticism from a key friend: Russia. However, Moscow's public condemnation of the humanitarian crisis has not changed its material or normative policies toward Israel in other respects. This article analyzes Russia‐Israel relations, especially concerning the Syrian conflict between 2015 and 2021. It demonstrates how the two states developed norms and structural practices—including regular meetings of elites, public statements, and other mechanisms—to mitigate disputes. These strategies created and sustained a friendship balance that prevented rivalry and escalation between the two. This process has helped them maintain their relationship during the recent spike of violence despite increasing strains.

Archive, Architecture, and the Politics of Memory in Josephus’s Jewish Antiquities 12 and Antiochus III’s Edicts for Jerusalem

Abstract The essay analyzes the edicts of Antiochus III concerning Jerusalem (Ant. 12.138–46) within two contextual horizons: Ant. 12 and Jerusalem after the Fifth Syrian War. A dichotomous understanding of resistance and collaboration is inadequate to explain the dossier’s functions. Between these poles were mediation, survival, reassembly, and redrawing of boundaries. A key to each was reshaping of political memory. In Ant. 12 the dossier contributed to an archival record of benefaction, loyalty, and respect that provided precedent and warrant for imperial grant of honor, status, and privileges to Judeans in the Roman empire. In the context of Jerusalem after the Fifth Syrian War, the edicts aimed to assert material evidence of imperial beneficence and glory in place of imperial aggression and the ravages of war. They also helped position Jerusalem within the empire’s provincial urban network and furnished a script for local agency and resilience in the wake of trauma.

Sectarianism, indiscriminate violence and displacement in the Syrian Regime’s Civil War strategy

ABSTRACT In the Syrian Civil War, external observers have often misunderstood and misrepresented the nature and significance of indiscriminate violence that drives displacement, with the result that it has been (mis)understood as being driven by primordial sectarian hatred. This is of course far from the only contemporary civil war in which sectarianism has been ascribed without due care and consideration. While this article acknowledges sectarianism as part of the conflict; however, it treats it as less of a natural ‘outgrowth’ and more as part of a calculated and deliberate ‘coercive counterinsurgency’ strategy that the Regime has applied across the country. The article suggests that indiscriminate violence, which we might otherwise be predisposed to view as an ‘excess’, should be understood as part of a strategy, and more specifically a ‘coercive counterinsurgency’. Therefore, the article identifies four population displacement strategies (bombings, blockades, starvation and massacres) that the Regime has applied in four parts of the country and brings out their strategic features in clearer detail. Ultimately, the reader will come to understand how sectarianism, indiscriminate violence, and displacement function as part of an integrated ‘coercive counterinsurgency’ strategy that the Regime has developed and applied over the course of the Civil War.

Water for Food in the Tigris–Euphrates River System

Water scarcity is an important threat to food security in the Tigris–Euphrates river system. Water scarcity is a huge worldwide problem that results from the rapid increase in water demand, which exceeds the amount of available water. The most significant problems currently affecting countries are food insecurity water scarcity. The Tigris–Euphrates river system countries suffer from different political issues, such as the Syrian war and internal civil conflicts in Iraq. In addition, this area consists of only three countries: Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, but it affects the entire Middle East. Turkey has established many irrigation projects compared to Iraq, which still suffers from the previous American invasion. Therefore, this study examines the Tigris–Euphrates river system (using two countries) to examine the relationship between water scarcity and food security from 1992 to 2020. This study will be conducted using a fixed and random regression approach over 18 years. The results show a negative relationship between water scarcity and food security in the short run, at a 10% significance level, and a long-term positive relationship of 1%. Thus, the use of research and development and the encouragement of investments will help policymakers to develop a nexus between water scarcity and food security.

Wavering theocratic ideology and the politicization of Shia identity: Iran's ideological rifts amid geopolitical maneuvers

ABSTRACT This article examines Iran's internal identity conflicts and its strategy to expand Shia influence in the Middle East. Iran's growing confidence in its regional power stems from its perceived victory in the prolonged confrontation with the United States and the belief that its constructive role will soon gain recognition. However, Iran faces internal ideological rifts as the younger generation challenges the conservative regime, exemplified by recent hijab protests. Simultaneously, Iran has been fostering Shia militant groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen to project its influence and engage in shadow warfare against Israel and Saudi Arabia. The escalating Iran-Israel conflict and Iran's involvement in the Syrian civil war highlight its geopolitical maneuvers. The study argues that there is an interplay between Iran's internal politicized identity crises and its external power projection, as the regime seeks to consolidate its legitimacy by emphasizing anti-Western and anti-Israeli sentiments. However, this strategy faces a dilemma, as resources allocated to suppressing domestic dissent and maintaining regional influence may further strain Iran's economy and exacerbate internal instability. The changing regional dynamics, such as the U.S.—Iran nuclear deal and the Arab-Israeli normalization, also pose challenges to Iran's strategic calculus.

Relations of tolerance: Syrian women, internal boundaries, and public space

ABSTRACT Since the early days of the Syrian Civil War, the presence of Syrians in Turkey has garnered considerable attention. Together with the European Union’s efforts to externalise the perceived problem of incoming Syrians and the consequential positioning of Syrians as unwanted, Turkish official policy labelling Syrians as temporary guests has had profound implications in society. Migration governance works with boundaries imposed from above – boundaries that society at large reproduces to distance itself from the apparent other. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Syrian women, this study discusses the effects of the discursive, symbolic, and social boundaries they face in Turkish society. These boundaries, rooted in relations of tolerance and deservingness, are encountered by women refugees in Turkish public spaces, shaping women’s visibility, self-expression, interactions in society, and daily lives.

Feasibility Telerehabilitation at Home on Body Composition, Anthropometric Measures and Muscular Strength After Interruption 4-5 Years of Spinal Cord Injury: Serial Cases Study on Islamic State of Iraq and Syria War Survivors in Iraq.

Introduction: The war caused huge devastation to rehabilitation centers in Mosul City, leading to a significant gap in rehabilitation services, which was further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: We sought to incorporate simple and safe clinical exercises by utilizing common household items, thereby maximizing effectiveness through a combination of psychological simulation and physical impact while ensuring safety, and evaluate its efficacy as a home telerehabilitation program (HTRP) for participants with spinal cord injury (SCI) following a 4- to 5-year rehabilitation interruption. Methods: Eighteen volunteers, including 13 with SCI (injuries sustained 53.4-55 months prior), were split into an experimental group (Exp., n = 8), a first control group (first Con., n = 5), and a second control group of healthy individuals (second Con., n = 5), averaging 21.2 years old. The HTRP focused on muscles and whole-body joints, conducted with five weekly sessions gradually increasing from 45 to 120 min, with sufficient rest. Assessments occurred every 3 months. Results: The Friedman test indicated no significant effect of HTRP on weight, body mass index, 3 of 4 anthropometric measures, and 4 of 19 muscle strength tests, p > 0.05, and small effect sizes (ES). However, significant effects were observed in pelvic strength (p < 0.001, ES = 0.73), exceeding control groups (first Con. 1.6%, second Con. 1.0%). Muscle strength in the lower extremities, head, and trunk showed significant improvements (p < 0.05, ES = 18.3-81.8%), it is indicating functional enhancement despite morphological weaknesses, particularly in individuals with SCI. Conclusion: The HTRP demonstrated weak effects on muscle morphology but strong effects on functionality, highlighting its potential for long-term management and improvement of muscle functional outcomes in individuals with SCI, even after prolonged rehabilitation interruptions.

Abstract PO5-10-11: BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AMONG DISPLACED AND HOST POPULATIONS IN NORTH-WEST SYRIA

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The protracted Syrian conflict has forcibly displaced more than half the pre-conflict population of 22 million people with 6.7 million IDPs (internally displaced people.) 80% of IDPs are women and children. Given a lack of humanitarian funding for oncology services, NGOs like the Syrian-American Medical Society (SAMS), have used private funding to establish oncology services. We sought to explore differences in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment among IDPs and host populations in SAMS oncology centre in Idlib governorate. METHODS: Charts of women seen diagnosed with breast cancer at the SAMS Oncology Centre in Idlib governorate between March 2018 and February 2021 were reviewed. Clinicopathologic data was extracted, and non-parametric statistical analyses were performed to compare citizens vs. those who were displaced. RESULTS: Data for 188 patients were available; for 108/188 (57%) details of IDP versus host status was available. 61/108 (56%) were IDPs, 47 (44%) were host. The median age at diagnosis was similar between citizens and those who were displaced. Further, the clinicopathologic features and treatment between these two groups were similar. The time between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was imilar between the host population and IDPs (median 125.5 days vs. 77 days, respectfully, p=0.255), although there was a trend towards a shorter time from diagnosis to initiation of treatment for IDPs (median 19 days vs. 14 days, p=0.051). CONCLUSION: From this cohort study, it is notable that there were no significant differences in the tumor size, node positivity or grade at diagnosis. Further, although IDPs are usually considered to have more challenging access to healthcare services compared to host populations, it was notable that there was no significant difference between the time of onset of symptoms to diagnosis between the two groups, and a trend towards a shorter time to treatment. Although this may be related to the relatively small sample size, it may also reflect other commitments of host populations (e.g., employment) that may delay care, or the work of humanitarian organizations in reaching displaced populations. Further, given that in northwest Syria, more than 65% of the 4-4.6 million people in the area are IDPs, access to care between the two groups may be similar. Further work is required to explore this. Table. Citation Format: Anees Chagpar, Aula Abbara, Alaa Alshemali, Fares Alahdab, Moahmed Hamze, Bassel Attassi, Jude Alawa, Sydney Cech, Lawrence Tang, Kaveh Khoshnood. BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AMONG DISPLACED AND HOST POPULATIONS IN NORTH-WEST SYRIA [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-10-11.

생존을 위한 아사드 정권의 ‘쓸모 있는 시리아’ 전략

One of the Assad regime’s strategies to survive is control over strategically important ‘useful Syria (suriya al-mufidah)’. For this purpose, the Assad regime forced displacement of local residents, especially Sunnis. Meanwhile, anti-government forces claim that the Assad regime and its allies are turning Sunnis into a minority group in Syria through deliberate demographic change. This study analyzes the goal of the Assad regime’s refugee strategies in ‘Useful Syria’ and examines the suspicions about the Shiaization of Syria. The debate on demographic changes in ‘Useful Syria’ suggests that the perspective distinguishes between ‘us’ and ‘the enemy’ based on sectarian identity continues to be an important factor in the Syrian civil war.

Conserving Palmyra's Ancient Heritage: Challenges, Strategies, and Innovative Solutions

The ongoing conflict in Syria has inflicted significant damage on the cultural heritage of Palmyra, with monuments, temples, and tombs severely destroyed or damaged, and valuable artifacts lost due to looting and illegal excavation. Inadequate funding, resources, and a lack of a legal framework for heritage protection exacerbate the situation. This article explores various conservation strategies to address these issues, including international cooperation, documentation and mapping of archaeological sites, community engagement, and the establishment of a legal framework for heritage protection. Case studies of successful conservation projects offer valuable insights into effective strategies for preserving cultural heritage in conflict-affected areas. Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) presents promising solutions for heritage conservation. AI technologies can assist in documenting and mapping archaeological sites, assessing damage, predicting future threats, and creating virtual reconstructions of destroyed heritage buildings. This study aims to analyze the obstacles in conserving Palmyra's heritage buildings during the Syrian conflict and propose effective strategies for conservation. The research addresses challenges such as conflict, looting, inadequate resources, and the lack of a legal framework for heritage protection. Preserving Palmyra's ancient heritage is crucial for humanity's cultural legacy. Despite these challenges, the international community, local stakeholders, and innovative technologies offer hope for restoration and preservation.

Diplomasi Indonesia dan Persoalan Migran Asal Indonesia Pasca Konflik Suriah

The repatriation of Indonesian migrants from Syria in April 2023 reminded us to the repatriation wave of Indonesian migrant from Syria after the country was torn by internal conflict since 2011. Indonesian Government has conducted series of diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety of its citizen in Syria. Indonesian Government was decided to stop sending its workers to Syria since 2011. Indonesia also categorized Syria as one of rescticted destinations for its migrant workers since 2015. Then why are there Indonesian migrants in Syria after those restrictions was applied? This fact indicates that there was illegal procedure available that enabled the workers to migrate to Syria amids the restrictions which out of sight of the government monitor. This paper addressed two issues: Indonesian diplomacy as a respon to the conflict in Suriah; and the problems faced by Indonesian Migrant Workers (IMW) because of the conflict in Syria. This paper identified two problems faced by IWM in Syria after the conflict: security threats caused by the conflict that contributes to the occurrence of illegal migration to Syria; and labour issues that wosened by intensity of illegal migration during the conflict.

Diplomasi Indonesia dan Persoalan Migran Asal Indonesia Pasca Konflik Suriah

The repatriation of Indonesian migrants from Syria in April 2023 reminded us to the repatriation wave of Indonesian migrant from Syria after the country was torn by internal conflict since 2011. Indonesian Government has conducted series of diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety of its citizen in Syria. Indonesian Government was decided to stop sending its workers to Syria since 2011. Indonesia also categorized Syria as one of rescticted destinations for its migrant workers since 2015. Then why are there Indonesian migrants in Syria after those restrictions was applied? This fact indicates that there was illegal procedure available that enabled the workers to migrate to Syria amids the restrictions which out of sight of the government monitor. This paper addressed two issues: Indonesian diplomacy as a respon to the conflict in Suriah; and the problems faced by Indonesian Migrant Workers (IMW) because of the conflict in Syria. This paper identified two problems faced by IWM in Syria after the conflict: security threats caused by the conflict that contributes to the occurrence of illegal migration to Syria; and labour issues that wosened by intensity of illegal migration during the conflict.

Uncertain futures: Memory, performance and temporality among Syrian Sufis

ABSTRACT This article analyzes how two Sufi communities in Aleppo which were deeply impacted by revolution and war in Syria were able to recreate themselves in new contexts, producing new temporalities and orientations towards the future in this process. The members of the Zawiya al-Hilaliyya used their ritual performances to recreate continuity between past and present, and to restore their capacity to anticipate to the future. The members of the Zawiya of shaykh Aminu who were scattered in exile across different countries had in the dreams and visions of their deceased shaykh a mythical temporality in which an unlikely future of return to Aleppo could be experienced in an oneiric present. The mobilizations of memory by the members of these communities create specific temporalities in which are conjured futures that are imagined, hoped and anticipated both for them and for Syria.

Spinal Cord Injuries in Iraq: A Teleassessment Survey of the Survivors from 2017 to 2018 Islamic State of Iraq and Syria War.

Introduction: The significance of comprehensive investigations specifically addressing the characteristics and implications of nervous system injuries (NSIs) and particularly war-related spinal cord injuries (SCI) remain limited. Iraq lacks comprehensive survey studies for quality of life for people after SCI. The objective of this work was to identify the number of NSIs and mortality of those injured during the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) war in Iraq and analyze events specifically as sociodemographic variables to assess quality of life healthy, psychological, and social disorders from onset of injury till the involving. Methods: A survey-based descriptive study, and analytical retrospective at community-based of Nineveh Governorate, in Iraq. The participants were 34 survivors of ISIS war with SCIs, ages between 9 and 60 years, and 7 females (20.59%) and 27 males (79.41%) as registered in Nineveh Center of Disability Rehabilitation. Data collection was conducted using Telephone Video Interviews and respondents' health information. Protocol-specific questions and some psychological and social scales (PTSD) (DSM-IV), (TAS-20), (SWLS), and (MSPSS) were also used. Results: There were 2,990 NSIs with the highest rate of injuries occurring from 2017 to 2018, and the SCIs were 267 injuries (8.93%), and (70.59%) at level T the mortalities were 57 cases, all participants suffered from physical and psychological chronic complications, while the results of the PTSD, GPC, and SWLS were at a moderate level. Conclusions: In urban warfare, there's a rise in NSIs, notably SCIs influenced by the type of weaponry. The survivors face significant physical, psychological, social, and financial burdens. More research is crucial to understanding their situations and developing strategies to alleviate their health, social, and financial challenges.

SYRIAN-ISRAELI RELATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN CRISES IN THE ARAB EAST

The purpose of the study. The article examines the positions and interests of Syria and Israel in the Syrian crisis; the problems of the impact of Israel’s new war with HAMAS on the Middle East. The current situation in the Syrian conflict and Syrian-Israeli relations are analyzed; trends and prospects for the development of relations between the SAR and Israel in the context of the escalation of the conflict. The purpose of the study is to establish and identify the role and significance of the consequences of the war between Israel and HAMAS for the Middle East, as well as its impact on Syrian-Israeli relations and their further development in the Middle East region. Conclusions. The paper presents the results of a study of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the prism of the Syrian crisis. The author of the work examined the prerequisites and causes of the Palestinian-Israeli and Syrian conflicts, as well as analyzed the internal and external actors of the conflict in Syria. This work examines the role of Palestinians and Palestinian organizations in the Syrian civil war, examines the impact of the Syrian crisis on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, determines the degree of mutual influence of the two conflicts and shows the prospects for the development of the regional situation in their context.

The prevalence and prognostic value of diabetes and hypertension in patients treated for cholera during the ongoing Syrian conflict

ObjectivesLittle work has been done investigating the prevalence and impact of comorbidities on cholera outcomes within conflict settings. We describe the clinical outcomes of patients treated for cholera in Latakia, Syria, during the 2022–2023 cholera outbreak. MethodsWe performed a single-centre retrospective observational cohort study of patients admitted to the hospital with suspected cholera between 15th December 2022 and 15th February 2023 at National Hospital, Latakia, Syria. Multivariable negative binomial regression analysis was used to investigate the variables’ relationship to hospital length of stay. ResultsThe study involved 89 patients admitted to the hospital; none were vaccinated against cholera. Cholera rapid diagnostic test was positive in 91 % of patients. Half of the patients (51 %) were male; a third (35 %) had hypertension, and a fifth (19 %) had diabetes. One patient passed away during admission. Patients who were male, had diabetes and were hypertensive tended to have longer hospital stays in univariable analysis. When these factors were added to a multivariable negative binomial model (consisting of age, gender, hypertension and diabetes), male sex (IRR: 4.1, 95 % CI: 1.28–6.2, p = 0.001), the presence of hypertension (IRR: 2.1,95 % CI: 1.14 to 4.1, p = 0.004) and diabetes (IRR: 2, 95 % CI: 1.2 to 2.7, p = 0.001) were independent predictors of longer hospital stays. ConclusionIn conflict settings, hypertension and diabetes are common in patients admitted to hospital with cholera and are associated with longer hospital stays. Mortality from cholera, however, was low. Our findings highlight the importance of comorbidity control in mitigating excess morbidity during infectious disease outbreaks within conflict areas.

Impact of Migration on Global Politics and Security

Migration has presented a very important challenge at the global level in recent years, especially with the high economic disparity between countries and regions, wars and crises, and political instability. Even though migration policies and the legal system of asylum are at a solid level for the needs of society, the dilemma is still presented as to whether the flow of migrants affects and determines global politics and security or how this impact is at specific levels, especially at the level of income or economic capacity of regions or states. This is also the basic purpose of this study, where official data from the World Bank and United Nations give concise answers to the impact of the flow of migrants on political stability and global security. It turns out that at the global level, the flow of migrants does not represent a significant challenge in global and security policies, but at lower levels, according to countries, income represents a very significant determinant in political stability as well as Military Expenditure. Generally speaking, migration determines a country’s economic, social, and security image. After the increased migration that includes both refugees and asylum seekers in the last decade as a result of political instability, poverty, Arab Spring and Syrian war and wars in the recent past and the recent war in Ukraine and Israel, the dilemma arises whether migration as a phenomenon (in terms of percentage) has an impact on political stability and security at the world level. This is the basis of this study, which, through statistically valid data from the World Bank and the United Nations, analyzes and generalizes a conclusion about the impact of migration on political stability and security at the global level.

International Framing Competition Over the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ): A Comparison Between the American and Russian Media Framings

This article analyses the framing approaches of the Voice of America and Sputnik in the context of international framing competition since these are significant public diplomacy channels for the foreign policies of the United States and Russia. The paper questions how VOA and Sputnik frame the YPJ women by considering those countries’ policy objectives in Syria. Thematic content analysis and Robert Entman’s framing approach were applied. The paper indicates that there is a connection between policies of US and Russian governments during the Syrian civil war, particularly towards ISIS and framing tendencies of those government-sponsored media outlets over the YPJ women. While there was a consensus over the responsible agent (ISIS), framing competition has seen through factors affecting problem definition, solutions to this problem and moral justifications for the solution.

Jesuit Refugee Service’s Influence on International Refugee Policy

As an organization committed to working with and standing alongside those who have been forcibly displaced from their homes, advocacy is a core element of Jesuit Refugee Service’s work around the world. With policymakers, donor governments, and host communities, JRS advocates for, and with, those who seek safety and the opportunity to rebuild a life for themselves and their families. Through a network of staff across the globe implementing programs each and every day, JRS identifies the challenges faced in meeting the basic needs of those we serve, and which policies can improve those circumstances. In this article, we share examples of three areas where JRS has exerted influence and action on such policies. This includes access to refugee education, protecting the right to asylum, and placing a spotlight on one of the world’s most forgotten crises, the conflict in Syria.

Healthcare delivery in the shadow of war: The experiences of Turkish nurses providing care to Syrian asylum‐seekers

AbstractThe Syrian civil war caused humanitarian tragedy, resulting in significant losses and massive migration movement, significantly impacting nursing services. The purpose of this study was to identify the problems and experiences of nurses who provided care for Syrian asylum seekers in Turkish border hospitals during the war. This phenomenological and qualitative research selected participants with maximum diversity sampling. Interviews were conducted with 68 nurses who provided care and treatment to asylum seekers during the peak of the war. Data analysis identified two main themes and nine sub‐themes: language differences, interpreting services, intercultural differences, complex patients, non‐compliance with hospital rules, treatment programmes and discharge issues. The nurses experienced both positive and negative emotions during the process. During the Syrian war, patient care issues were identified as being primarily caused by language and cultural differences among asylum seekers and nurses. During this process, nurses who cared for severe injuries and asylum‐seekers experienced both positive and negative emotions simultaneously.