Frontline Syria

When the Syrian regime used sarin and other chemical weapons against dissidents in August 2013, an estimated 1729 people were killed including 400 children. President Barack Obama warned that the use of chemical weapons would constitute a "red line", but he refused to take military action. Trump's approach has been even more disengaged and lacking in clarity. Frontline Syria highlights America's failure to prevent conflict escalation in Syria. Based on interviews with US officials involved in Syria policy, as well as UN personnel, the book draws conclusions about America's role in world affairs and its potential to prevent deadly conflict. It also highlights the role of front-line states in Syria and other countries who engaged in the Syrian conflict to advance their national interests. Covering key turning points in the Syrian civil war, including the impact of recent decisions by the Trump administration, Frontline Syria critically evaluates America's global power and provides a diplomatic and military history of the conflict. Based on this analysis, the book offers policy recommendations and makes a case for America's future role addressing peace and conflict.

David L. Phillips is Director of the Program on Peace-building and Human Rights at Columbia University's Institute for the Study of Human Rights. He has worked as a senior adviser to the United Nations Secretariat and as a foreign affairs expert and senior advisor to the U.S. Department of State. His previous publications include An Uncertain Ally: Turkey under Erdogan's Dictatorship; The Kurdish Spring and Losing Iraq. He writes regularly for publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, and Foreign Affairs.

Abbreviations and Acronyms
Glossary of Personalities
Timeline of Critical Events
About the Author
Introduction
Part I: Legacy of Repression
1.Hama Rules
2.The Damascus Spring
3.Cradle of the Revolution
Part II: Radicalization
4.The Free Syrian Army
5.Security Assistance
6.Displacement Crisis
7.The Geneva Peace Process
Part III: International Stakeholders
8.Russia
9.The Shiite Crescent
10.Turkey
Part IV: Minorities and Women
11.Kurds
12.Christians and Armenians
13.Women
14.Alawites
Part V: Grinding War
15.Idlib
16.Diminished America
17.UN Mediation
18.Betrayal
Epilogue
Annex