After five years of conflict in Syria, a deal was finally struck in Geneva between Russia and the U.S. for a “cessation of hostilities” between the various rebel groups and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. The cessation was due to begin at dawn Monday, September 12, 2016. The negotiations took months to complete, but prior U.S. demands that President Assad step down may have been set aside for a more pragmatic goal; a longer-term, gradual transition of power in Damascus.
The violence in Syria has continued unabated for five years now and has left in its wake a humanitarian crisis that has seemingly defied all efforts to end it. The insurgent military effort to oust President al-Assad has resulted in the deaths of a quarter of a million people and a wave of 4.8 million refugees. Another 6.5 million have been displaced within Syria, according to the UN.
With a variety of different militias fighting for the same goal of toppling President Assad, it can be difficult distinguishing the good guys from bad guys. Deciding which group to support is further complicated by the fact that there doesn’t appear to be a clear pro-Western militia that would be supportive of Western interests in the region.
