1. Sectarian and Regional Conflict in the Middle East
- Author:
- Aaron Reese
- Publication Date:
- 07-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for the Study of War
- Abstract:
- The first half of 2013 has demonstrated clearly that sectarian conflict is spreading in the Middle East. This conflict is a product of developments over the course of 2012, including Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's consolidation of power and the development of an armed opposition movement in Syria. A turning point, however, came this year with the Syrian opposition's loss of the strategic town of al-Qusayr in early June to regime forces backed by Lebanese Hezbollah. The intervention of this prominent Shi'a militant group has heightened the "sectarianization" of the conflict. Sectarian narratives provide an emotional rallying point for popular mobilization, and are easily leveraged by actors involved in the conflict to achieve their goals. The rise in sectarian violence sponsored by external actors poses an existential threat to these already-fragile states.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Security, Armed Struggle, Refugee Issues, and Sectarianism
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Syria