The war in Syria, explained: How Syria’s civil war became America’s problem

[moonshaz]

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On the face of it, President Trump’s decision to attack Syria doesn’t make a lot of sense. Launching 59 missiles at a single airbase, as Trump did, is not going to seriously change the outcome of a years-long civil war. So what’s the point of doing it at all

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[soleiltropiques]

Some links, in case this is helpful! :-)

They're older, but I had managed to find some good background articles in my posts on Syria:

-http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/11547880.html
-http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/11608233.html

-About the end of the campaign for Aleppo: http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/11670210.html
Also about Aleppo's recent tragedy: http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/11684812.html

-On the use of chemical weapons in Syria -this isn't exactly new, there is actually considerable evidence of this: http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/11574759.html

-On the origins of the Islamic State/IS: http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/11555053.html

Other articles:
-'Syria's civil war explained from the beginning' (at al Jazeera): http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/syria-civil-war-explained-160505084119966.html

-'Syria: The story of the conflict' (at the BBC, this is from last year so will not discuss the latest events of the war): http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868

-'The Confused Person’s Guide to the Syrian Civil War. A brief primer. (At 'The Atlantic', this is older but it is where I found a really useful summary figure for one of my posts.): https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/10/syrian-civil-war-guide-isis/410746/

'Straightforward Answers to Basic Questions About Syria’s War' (from the New York Times, from last year): https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/world/middleeast/syria-civil-war-bashar-al-assad-refugees-islamic-state.html?_r=0

-Another (more recent) background article on the war from the BBC is here, 'What's happening in Syria?':http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/16979186

-Civilian map makers have actually been charting the conflict (the article includes links to many other sources for up to date maps of the conflict): http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160408-online-mapmakers-chart-syrian-conflict/