Since its redefinition
by the British Foreign Office as the Middle East and its division into more
than a dozen nation-states, complete with artificial boundaries, after the
conclusion of First World War, the region has been in turmoil mainly due to
these very geographical and social reengineering
of the region. As such, what is happening in Syria is a snapshot of what is
happening in the Middle East as a whole which due to certain historical
legacies, its geo strategic location, abundant resources and regional/global
power politics has seen crises after crises for a century or so.
These crises have been aggravated by
the onslaught of Arab Spring, Iranian ambitions for nuclear parity with Israel
and resource scramble. In the wider backdrop of rapidly shifting regional
alignments, there are several conflicts and wars going on in the Middle East
with deep rooted causes having serious implications for regional stability and
global security. What is happening in Syria should be seen in this context.
I have written a short book about the Syrian crises
which is available at Amazon (@US$ 2.99) at the following URL
After discussing the
background of the overall crises engulfing the Middle East, its historical
roots, various dimensions and the types of conflicts and wars going on in the region,
the book explains the brief socio economic and political profile of Syria
without understanding which we cannot appreciate the ground realities and
historical context of the present Syrian crises. It then traces the origins of
the present crises and enumerates the respective interests of the three global
powers namely United States of America, China and Russia in the region in
general and in these crises in particular.
Similarly, the book has a detailed
discussion about the respective interests of the regional powers namely Saudi
Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and Israel as well as those of the non-state actors.
After describing the present situation obtaining on the ground, it tries to
build three scenarios, their likelihood and ends with a set of suggestions to
ensure a long lasting peace in the region.
I shall be grateful if you could download it by
clicking the above URL and write a short review there. If you find any
shortcomings or spelling/grammar mistakes, kindly let me know at my personal
email shahidraja@hotmail.com
