Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi
The Syrian revolution has entered its fifth year. The amount of sacrifices made by Syrians and the painful facts on the ground reveal that the process of keeping the state united will be hugely difficult. Since its independence, the state has been suffering from systematic crises, as regimes which ruled the country lacked legitimacy except for short periods of elected parliaments. Syria’s history was mainly one of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes like the majority of Arab states.
There are two bleak factors about the future of Syria — US policy in the region and Iranian ambitions. America has no clear policy on Syria and the confused administration views Middle East issues from the point of Iranian nuclear programme. Also, the US lacks any strategy on Syria and prefers to watch from the sidelines.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah is still urging youth to join the fight in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon and there is no indication that Iran will change its policy. There is direct support coming through various Iranian institutions and instruments in Lebanon and Iraq to these fighting groups. I wonder whether this support will be affected by the decline in oil prices and by the power disputes in the light of the illness of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the possibility of reaching an agreement with the US on the nuclear programme.
The worst crisis any nation could face is a loss of hope and when that happens among all segments of the society, then it means it has reached an impasse and the future of Syria today looks bleak.
The Peninsula
