Public Opinion and the Fear of Terrorism

Why Libya, but not Syria?

“…Furthermore, there are a variety of conflicts presently unfolding in Syria, for instance, the fight for state leadership, rivalry between the US and China/Russia, the presence of non-state extremist networks, and the quest for Kurdish autonomy (Wimmen & Asseburg, 2012). The assumption can be made that the battle against the terrorist networks affiliated with the Islamic State must be the priority for all parties involved (Hlavsová et al, 2018). However, cooperation between states has been impossible to coordinate as they each pursue their own specific interests and individually align themselves with the diverse actors in Syria.…”

“…In Syria, the US reluctance to directly engage militarily is due in part to historical animosities and a lack of public support (Hlavsová, 2018). The US, UK, and France have stated that Assad needs to relinquish his presidential role in order for any political processes to occur (Wimmen & Asseburg, 2012).…”

“…Furthermore, it can be argued that the desire to suppress the acts of terrorist groups in Syria is possibly the one decision that the five permanent members of the UNSC can all agree on. The majority of the American and European public opposed intervention in Syria until 2014, when the Islamic State began to claim large portions of Syria and coordinate numerous international terrorist attacks (Hlavsová, 2018). The National Security Strategy of the US in 2015 highlights that the US has been working to equip and train the Syrian opposition in order to counterbalance the terrorists and the Assad regime (Hlavsová, 2018).…”

“…The majority of the American and European public opposed intervention in Syria until 2014, when the Islamic State began to claim large portions of Syria and coordinate numerous international terrorist attacks (Hlavsová, 2018). The National Security Strategy of the US in 2015 highlights that the US has been working to equip and train the Syrian opposition in order to counterbalance the terrorists and the Assad regime (Hlavsová, 2018). Following the terrorist attacks in France, a resolution put forward by France in the UNSC was unanimously adopted as it called for the need to combat against ISIS, a threat to international peace and security (Gupta, 2016).…”

“…The proxy wars during the Cold War represent a time when the threat of MAD was constantly looming. Thus, the situation in Syria portrays a battleground in a proxy war between several powerful states, most notably, the US, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran (Hlavsová, 2018). This suggests that if both Russia and the US intervened militarily in Syria, this would transition the current situation from a proxy war into a war between states.…”