叙利亚硬着陆[20130222].pdf

f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 P o l i c y b r i e fSyrias Hard Landingby Marc lynchThe conflict in Syria has transformed over the last year,and American policy must change with it.Syrias peaceful uprising has been almost completely overtaken by a brutal civil war,causing great human suffering and strategic instability at the heart of the Levant.Since the collapse of U.N.Special Envoy Kofi Annans mission over the summer,international diplomacy has largely stalled.Arms have flooded into a disorganized and fragmented opposition,while radical Islamist factions have risen in influence and the political opposition remains divided and ineffectual.Meanwhile,a massive humanitarian crisis unfolds with inadequate international response.1 The conflict in Syria is not only wreaking unfathomable horrors upon its people;it also threatens to undermine the stability of its neighbors.Syria has already become an arena for regional proxy war and a resurgence of jihadist mobilization.The international response to these developments has been manifestly inadequate.The debate over Syria must shift to reflect these new realities.The U.N.push for negotiations towards a transi-tion was the correct policy last year