Published July 20, 2012 By Erin Crandell Briefing CCPPR12SY Report available in PDF and Flash formats

The Ba’ath Party has dominated Syrian politics since its ascent to power in 1968. President Bashar al-Assad, who succeeded his father in 2000, has consolidated political and military power in the hands of the Alawite minority. Ethnic tensions between the ruling Alawites and the country’s Sunni majority have existed for generations, manifesting themselves in the 1989 Hama massacre. Syria was swept up in the Arab Spring beginning in late January, when activists began holding widespread protests against the ruling Ba’ath Party. In response to the protests, Assad briefly attempted to institute reforms similar to those attempted in the early 2000s; however, after decades of emergency rule and one-party politics, the reforms were seen as inadequate. April 2011 marked the beginning of what has been over a year of bloodshed perpetrated by government forces against the opposition movement.

Syria skyrocketed up the Failed States Index from 48th place in 2011 to 23rd in 2012, the fourth-largest year-on-year worsening in the history of the Index. As the overall situation deteriorates the country is likely to continue rising. In total, nine of the twelve indicators worsened significantly. Civilian protestors and army defectors fighting under the banner of the “Free Syria Army” have engaged the government in clashes nationwide, leading to a high number of civilian casualties. Extreme human rights abuses committed by both sides have caused a stream of refugees to flee into neighboring countries, further destabilizing the region.

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Latest Update: 2012-07 Erin Crandell

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