THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR IN THE MIDDLE EAST; CASE STUDY OF SYRIA (2009 – 2019).

Abstract

The research looks at how the Global War on Terror has Impacted the Middle Eastern Country Syria’s Socioeconomics. Using secondary data, the research identifies the forces at play in Syria and how their involvements have affected the region. The research further breaks down data in Syria from 2009 to 2019 of the economic sector, education sector, and health sector using global indexes. The indexes are statistics that show changes every year according to reports, and the period of the war in Syria showed a significant difference in Syrian society. The economic sector reflected a downslide, however, the health and education sectors changed for the better according to the indexes. Hence, the research came to the conclusion that the War on Terror did not negatively affect all sectors in Syria, especially since there are improvements in some sectors. The events in

Syria are devastating, but indexes show the facts differ from the figures.

 

Chapter One – Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

The history of the Great Wars can help us comprehend how the Middle East’s current problems stem from the region’s violent past. The Middle East encompasses the

territories around the Mediterranean Sea’s southern and eastern borders, including at least the Arabian Peninsula and, by some definitions, Iran, North Africa, and occasionally beyond. Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and the numerous nations and territories of Arabia proper were all included in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates). Historians have thoroughly documented the devastation wrought by the First World War in Europe, but many in the West are unaware of the scale of devastation and turmoil it wreaked in the Middle East. In the Middle East, the conflict not only scorched the soil and killed troops, but it also wrecked whole cultures and industries. The Middle East is more analogous to Europe’s experience during World War II. The ramifications on social, economic, and psychological levels were

extensive and terrible. (Kristina C. et al 2016).

When the Cold War ended in the 1990s, the United States of America emerged as the global hegemon, signifying the triumph of American liberal (democratic) ideology over the socialist ideology of the Soviet Union. A threat to American democracy emerged in 2001 in the form of the terrorist activity of September 11th, when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were serially attacked by Al-Qaeda. The campaign for War Against Terrorism was initiated as a retaliation to tackle all forms of insurgency and phase out security threats by the USA in the International System. The campaign led by the United States of America and its allies have targeted all states and activities they label insurgent, leading to major wars fought around the world and mainly concentrated in the Middle East and Asia. These countries have suffered different forms of regimes and terror that factions and organisations have risen to fight against intervention by the USA and its allies. Terrorism has become a new order of world politics and interaction since the terrorist attack of the Twin towers in the United States, and the war on terror campaign is

the initiative implemented to tackle it. (Martin C. et al., 2017).

Beginning in 2010 and 2011, the Arab Spring was a wave of pro-democracy rallies and revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa, challenging some of the region’s established authoritarian governments. Protests in Tunisia and Egypt overthrew their governments in rapid succession, sparking similar efforts in other Arab nations. However, the protest movement did not succeed in every nation, as protestors voicing political and economic concerns were frequently met with brutal repression by their countries’ security forces. Democratic activists in Syria launched a revolution against the country’s ruling al-Assad family, calling for the president’s resignation and democratic changes. (John et al., 2014). The uprising was “cut off” and Syria is now an arena for regional and global superpowers of different interest. The war in Syria has been raging for over eight years, and a huge part of the population have had to flee their homes. Many of them are children, and numerous are severely traumatized. (Kenneth, 2008).The war in Syria is also interesting to study from an outer scientific perspective as the world today is beset by several conflicts. In 2015, the refugee crisis peaked and became the biggest

humanitarian crises since the Second World War. (Allison, 2013).

1.2 Statement of Problem

Syria is a lower middle income nation, with a population of 22.3 million people, a per capita income of $3900 in 2009, and a land area of 185 180 km2. The statement of problem indicates that Syria’s armed crisis has wreaked havoc on its residents’ socioeconomic, educational, and health conditions, with Syrian refugees now making up the world’s fastest-growing refugee population. More than half of the population today lives in poverty, with 7.9 million people falling into poverty since the crisis began, with 4.4 million living in extreme poverty as households depleted their funds and exhausted their coping mechanisms. The education system is in the middle of a profound crisis. The school dropout rate in Syria has risen to 49%, implying that almost half of all Syrian schoolchildren are no longer receiving a formal education. (Net migration rate – The World Factbook, 2021). At the same time, damage and devastation to the educational system resulted in the closure of over 3,000 schools, with another 683 providing housing for IDPs. Thousands of teachers have joined the throng of refugees and internally displaced persons, and normal teaching staff attendance is sometimes sporadic owing to the fighting. The health-care system is likewise on the verge of collapse. By June 2013, the doctor-to-population ratio had dropped from 1:661 in 2010 to 1:4,041. 593 primary care centers, which are the major source of medications for the chronically ill, have been impacted, with 57 hospitals destroyed and 37 out of operation. There are 359 centers that are out of service, 203 that are hazardous, and 31 that are damaged. Women are particularly vulnerable due to a decrease in attended births and a lack of access to pre and postnatal treatments, while children suffer low vaccination rates, poor nutrition, and an increase in infectious disease and diarrhoea.

1.3 Research Questions

1. What are the forces at play in the Global War on Terror in Syria?
2. What are the impacts of the Global War on Terror in Syria?
3. What are the mitigating factors of the Global War on Terror in Syria?

1.4 Research Objectives

1. The research seeks to determine the forces at play in Syria.
2. To identify the impact of Global War on Terror in Syria.
3. To identify the mitigating factors of the Global War on Terror in Syria.

1.5 Research Assumptions

The research assumes that socio-economic development of Syria in its Economic, Health, and Education Sectors have been adversely dislocated due to the Syrian Conflict.

1.6 Significance of the Study.

The research is significant to the government and people of Syria, the Embassy of Syria

in Nigeria, and students that seek to understand the conflict in Syria.

1.7 Theoretical Framework

According to conflict theory, which was first presented by Karl Marx, society is always in conflict as a result of the battle for finite resources. In conflict theory, dominance and power, rather than consensus and compliance, are thought to maintain social order. People who have wealth and power, according to conflict theory, try to maintain it by whatever means necessary, including oppressing the poor and powerless. According to conflict theory, individuals and groups within society will want to expand their own wealth and power. (Conflict Theory Definition, 2020). Marx’s conception of conflict theory focused on a fight between two fundamental classes. Each class consists of a group of people who have common interests and some level of property ownership. According to Marx, the bourgeoisie is a group of people who control the majority of money and resources in society. (Camisão, 2018). The other group is the proletariat, which comprises persons who are deemed working class or impoverished. With the emergence of capitalism, Marx predicted that the bourgeoisie, a small minority in society, would exploit their power to oppress the proletariat, the majority. Uneven distribution throughout society was projected to be perpetuated by intellectual compulsion, with the bourgeoisie forcing the proletariat to accept the present situation. According to conflict theory, the elite would establish systems of laws, customs, and other societal institutions in order to strengthen their own domination while deterring others from joining them. Marx argued that when the working class and poor’s living conditions deteriorated, a collective consciousness would emerge, raising awareness of inequality and potentially

leading to insurrection.

If conditions were changed after the insurrection to favor the proletariat’s concerns, the conflict circle would ultimately reoccur, although in the other direction. The wealthy would eventually become the attacker and revolter, clamoring for the re-establishment of the systems that had previously ruled. Many features of Marx’s conflict theory were accepted by Max Weber, a German sociologist, philosopher, lawyer, and political economist, who subsequently improved some of Marx’s ideas. Weber argued that property disputes were not restricted to a single context. Rather, he felt that at every one time and in any civilization, there were several strata of conflict. Unlike Marx, who defined conflict as a dispute between owners and employees, Weber added an emotional component to his conflict theories. Weber’s views on conflict differ from Marx’s in that he believes that some types of social interaction, such as conflict, may develop beliefs and solidarity among individuals and groups within a society. As a result, an individual’s attitudes to inequality may change based on the organizations with which they are affiliated, whether or not they believe people in power are genuine, and so on. Although economic links remain a basic aspect of the disparities between groups in the many schools of conflict theory, conflict theorists of the late 20th and early 21st century have continued to broaden conflict theory beyond the narrow economic classes outlined by Marx. The theory is relevant to the subject because it reflects how the Syrian society plunged into conflict through the inequalities in the civil society. The criticism for the theory is its lack of focus on the international community and its influence on states.

1.8 Research Methodology

This work will be a case study that will be dissected with qualitative research which uses secondary sources of data. Therefore the research will include library research, published works and unpublished works, and other literary works. This report is therefore a holistic description and analysis of a single unit or a bounded system. Case study is a sort of catch-all category for research. For this study the goal is to gain an in-depth understanding of the situation and meaning for those involved. The case for this report is the Syrian conflict through the lense of conflict theory. (Conflict Theory Definition, 2020).

1.9 Scope and Limitations of the Study

This project work will mainly focus on the Syrian conflict and not on other Arab Spring countries, however, other countries within the region will be mentioned if considered relevant. The research will also identify the forces at play in Syria, while highlighting socio-economic challenges faced during the conflict from the year 2009 to 2019. The case study has been limited due lack of primary data, logistics, time and funding constraints. The data is also faulted for its lack of representativeness and its lack of rigor in the collection, construction and analysis of the empirical materials that give rise to this study.

1.10 Definition of Terms

War on Terror

The war on terror is a campaign led by the USA as a measure to counter terrorism, the incident of September 11, 2001 led to the retaliation of the USA in a campaign to curb insurgency and to promote Security, Human rights, Sovereignty, and cooperation in the International system.

Terror

Terror is violence or the threat of violence used as a weapon of intimidation or coercion, a regime that rules by terror especially; violent or destructive acts such as bombing committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands

Terrorism

Terrorism is the deliberate use of violence to create a widespread environment of fear in a

society in order to achieve a specific political goal.

Foreign Policy

Foreign policies are broad goals that drive a country’s actions and relationships with other countries. Domestic factors, other governments’ policies or behavior, and aspirations to promote certain geopolitical designs all impact the evolution of foreign policy.

Diplomacy

Diplomacy is the tool of foreign policy, and war, alliances, and international trade may all

be manifestations of it.

1.11 Research Outline

The research work begins with an introductory chapter, which presents a brief description of the Syrian conflict, Global War on Terror and introduces the forces at play in Syria. Chapter two then gives a literature review on the Global War on Terror and the forces at play in the Syrian conflict. The Literature review is followed by a Chapter three which presents data on the socio-economic aspects of the conflict, while Chapter four analyses the data provided in the previous chapter. Chapter five then concludes the research with the summary and findings, thereafter a Bibliography of sources referenced for the

research.

THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR IN THE MIDDLE EAST; CASE STUDY OF SYRIA (2009 – 2019).

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