Damascus : It has been seven years since conflict arose in Syria. In these seven years, the civil war has claimed more than 500,000 lives. The number of people rendered homeless has crossed 10 million. If the war genuinely was between the Syrian government and the rebels its effects would not have been so horrible.
Powerful countries such as Russia and Iran have come forward to support President Assad and their armies are fighting for Assad in Syria. At the same time the United States, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have stood up for the rebels. The United States, Britain, France and Turkey had taken initiative to attack the terrorist organisation ISIS, wreaking havoc in Syria. It is reported that Israel has carried out hundreds of air raids targeting the Hezbollah and Iranian locations in Syria. Therefore, the Syrian conflict amounts to a power struggle between the main countries in the world. Therefore, this certainly can be assumed as the beginning of the third world war.
The conflict between the Syrian government and the rebels started in 2011. From that time till date the conflict has seen a lot of stages and turns till reaching ‘Eastern Ghouta’ near the Syrian capital Damascus. ‘Jasmine Revolution’, the organisation demanding democracy in the Middle East, had resorted to only bloodshed from the very beginning in Syria. The Syrian government was blaming this bloodshed on the rebels and the western countries lending support to them. Whereas, Syrian rebels had blamed the tyrant Syrian army for this violence.
Some have claimed that the President Assad regime will fall and the conflict will end in Syria. It looked like Assad would be thrown out of power in view of the dash given by the rebels with the help of the United States and its allies in the initial stages. But Iran jumped in to the Syrian war with Assad. The Iranian army and Hezbollah, supported strongly by Iran, began to fight for Assad.
The rebels faced strong resistance from this point onwards. Taking advantage of the conflict between the Syrian army and the rebels, the ferocious terrorist organisation, known as ISIS or IS, started spreading its wings in a few years in Syria. The Syrian rebels had considered using the IS, as they too were fighting against the Syrian government. But the United States, Britain, France and Germany were scared about the IS. The United States initiated air strikes because of the fear that the IS will take control of Syria. Britain, France and Germany joined the United States. Russia also claimed to have carried out air raids against the IS.
Syria, Iran and Russia alleged that the United States and allies attacked the Syrian army and not the IS locations. The US and allies dismissing these allegations, announced annihilation of both, the Syrian government and the IS with a claim that they are two sides of the same coin. This was not the only aspect to the Syrian war. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Turkey also wanted to dislodge Assad from power.
But now, relations between these countries have gone against each other. Initially Turkey, who had taken a clear stand against Syria, Russia and Iran has now decided to fight against the Kurdish organisations in Syria. These organisations are talking about a separate Kurdish nation and Turkey fears that they are eyeing the regions with Kurdish majority in Turkey. Whereas, Qatar has walked out of the Saudi-led Arab alliance and Turkey and Iran are helping Qatar.
Israel announced that it will not tolerate Iranian army bases in Syria and has carried out hundreds of air attacks on Syria over the last five years. All the information has not been revealed about these attacks. Now there is retaliation to Israeli attacks and only last month an Israeli fighter jet was shot down. Thereafter, angered Israel indicates planning fiercer attacks on Syria.
In view of these incidents, the multiple facets of the war such as melee between the Syrian Government and the rebels, Iran and Saudi Arabian tussle for dominance, Iran and Israel duel and the power struggle between the United States with its allies and Russia could be seen in Syria at a time. Along with this, the gruesome bloodshed by the dangerous terrorist organisations like Hezbollah and the IS is attaining alarming proportions.
Because of these reasons the world is looking at Syria as the first open battlefield of the third world war and the expanse of this battlefield is increasing day by day. The neighbouring countries have confessed that the fire of this war can engulf them. Therefore, Syria is becoming the gateway to the third world war.
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In my view, the military presence of Iranian fighters in Syria is not just to back the Assad regime. In guise of helping Assad, Iran will take over Syria and come to eye ball to eye ball contact war with Israel. With this, the global military polarization positionwill be clearly established. With Israel as common enemy, the Muslim countries will break ranks and unite and this will cause an Israel- US-West Axis in retaliation. The atmosphere of distrust will set and this is the flash point of the Third World War becoming unveiled