Post-Assad Vacuum Has Become Shooting Range for Great Powers
The removal of Bashar al-Assad from power, a prospect once widely touted as a means of stabilizing the Middle East, has instead led to a power vacuum that is rapidly becoming a shooting gallery for the great powers of the world.
Russia has emerged as the most overt and aggressive player, throwing its weight behind the besieged Syrian government and increasingly dominating the conflict on the ground. Moscow’s motivations are twofold: to maintain its strategic ally and to demonstrate its global influence in the face of Western opposition.
China, meanwhile, has taken a more subtle approach, working behind the scenes to ensure that its interests are advanced in the region. Beijing has quietly increased its engagement with Damascus, providing a steady stream of financial support and technical assistance.
Turkey, once a vocal opponent of Assad, has reversed course and is now jostling for influence with Moscow and Beijing. Ankara has launched a series of military incursions into northwestern Syria, ostensibly aimed at driving out ISIS militants but also designed to gain leverage over the Syrian regime.
The United States, meanwhile, has become increasingly disengaged from the conflict, its efforts limited to occasional airstrikes against ISIS targets and a half-hearted attempt to broker a fragile ceasefire. Washington’s strategy of “leading from behind” has allowed its rival powers to fill the void, leaving the United States to play catch-up and salvage what remains of its influence in the region.
As the great powers compete for influence in the power vacuum left by Assad, the people of Syria continue to suffer. The once-thriving nation has been reduced to a collection of war-torn towns and cities, its people caught in the crossfire of a conflict that seems destined to drag on indefinitely.
In the absence of a coherent international strategy or meaningful diplomatic efforts to broker a lasting peace, the conflict in Syria is destined to continue, fueled by the rival ambitions of the great powers and the catastrophic consequences of their rivalries.
