Despite Wins Throughout the Syrian Civil War, Bashar-al Assad’s Reign is a Ticking Time Bomb
By: Quinn Reynolds
Since 2011, the civil war in Syria has become one of the most devastating conflicts of the early twenty-first century. The Assad Regime has maintained its iron rule for over 50 years utilizing systemic brutality. That is, until December 8, 2024. Bashar al-Assad has inspired fear within Syrians throughout his presidency. His foundations of authoritarianism, violence, and corruption toward civilians have created cavernous divisions, causing his inevitable downfall. Assad’s savage silencing tactics have fostered widespread resistance and hatred, causing an inevitable downfall due to its authoritarian identity.
In response to his absolute rule, Syrians swarmed the New Clock Tower Square in Homs, Syria. On the morning of April 19, 2011, they paid respects to protesters who had been killed days earlier. As they waved anti-government signs throughout Syria, authorities began to shoot rounds into the growing hoard of people. Later, they loaded the 21 bodies onto dump trucks. This instance is one of many that mark the beginning of the Syrian Civil War and the end of the Arab Spring, (a series of pro-democratic protests that swept the Arab world in the 2010s). Assad’s dedicated refusal to engage in any political reforms has since transfigured these peaceful protests into a fully fledged war. The regime’s heavy hand and exaggerated reactions to these slight demonstrations have only supplemented the country’s enrage, causing a widening disparity between civilians and government, and a fracture within the regime’s control.
Assad’s control stems from corruption. The United Nations has estimated that over 90% of Syrian civilians live below the poverty margin. Instead of combating this economic disaster, Assad has used drug trading and other key industries for his own personal gain. Recent evidence displays these corrupt practices, such as the illegal production and selling of the party drug Fenethylline, more commonly known as Captagon, to funnel billions into the regimes’ own pockets. These checks are not going to the Syrians, but are being spent on torture chambers and prisons for anti-democracy protestors, further highlighting the regime’s abuse of its people. Assad’s shameful use of Syrian wealth has led to severe economic mismanagement and low employment statistics; issues that have only been exacerbated by the Syrian Civil War. The struggling, war-torn country under Assad’s iron rule was a ticking time bomb. The regimes’ repeated, violent military response to peaceful protests and lack of motivation to revamp the economy serves as evidence of Bashar-al Assad’s inevitable collapse.
The Syrian pound became worth less and less as Bashar al-Assad led his country into an economic crisis.
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