Crs Report for Congress Received through the Crs Web Syria : Political Conditions and Relations with the United States after the Iraq War Updated February 28, 2005

By Prados, Alfred B.

Book Id: WPLBN0000213609
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.3 MB
Reproduction Date: 2008

Title:	Crs Report for Congress Received through the Crs Web Syria : Political Conditions and Relations with the United States after the Iraq War Updated February 28, 2005
Author:	Prados, Alfred B.
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Government publications, Legislation., Government Printing Office (U.S.)
Collections:	Government Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Government Printing Office


Citation APA MLA Chicago B. Prado, B. A. (n.d.). Crs Report for Congress Received through the Crs Web Syria : Political Conditions and Relations with the United States after the Iraq War Updated February 28, 2005. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Excerpt
Summary: This report focuses on Syria’s internal politics and the impact of hostilities in Iraq on Syria’s stability and U.S.-Syrian relations. It outlines the development of the regime currently headed by President Bashar al-Asad and its support base; describes potential challenges to the regime; examines the effect of the Iraq war on Syrian domestic politics and U.S.-Syrian relations; and reviews U.S. policy options toward Syria. It will be updated when significant changes take place and affect these relationships. For more information on Syrian foreign policy issues, see CRS Issue Brief IB92075, Syria: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues, by Alfred B. Prados.

Table of Contents
Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Political Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Development of the Asad Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Structure of Government and Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Pillars of the Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Alawite Sect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Ba’th Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Military and Security Establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Other Support Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sunni Business Elites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Peasantry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Workers/Wage Earners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Religious Minorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Christians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Ismailis and Druze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Domestic Policy Challenges in Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Syria’s Stagnant Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 A Future Without Oil? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Reform in Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Government-Sponsored Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Internal “Reformers” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Syrian Dissidents Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Sectarianism in Syria: The Kurds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Status of Kurds in Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Influence of Iraqi Kurds in Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Islam in Syria: A Potential for Extremist Activity? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Religious Identity in Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Extremism and the Impact of the U.S. Presence in Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . 15 U.S.-Syrian Relations: Issues of Concern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Terrorism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The Iraq Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Weapons of Mass Destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Syria and the Middle East Peace Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Syrian Involvement in Lebanon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 U.S. Policy Toward Syria: Differing Approaches and Options for Congress . . . 21 Using Sanctions and Implementing the Syria Accountability Act . . . . . . . . 21 Funding Reform Initiatives in Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Working with the European Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . .