Conversations at the Meetinghouse

 

Friday, February 7, 2020 

7:00PM

Unitarian Church of Sharon

4 N. Main Street, Sharon, MA

Free and Open to the Public

 

                     MILITARY AND POLITICAL REALIGNMENTS IN SYRIA TODAY

                                                   Stuart Sears, Ph.D.

 

The past year has seen the destruction of the caliphate of the Islamic State, the further marginalization of the Free Syrian Army, and the near withdrawal of the United States.  This has opened opportunities for national states in the region, as well as the Russians, to assert their influence over Syrian territory.  Syria’s future, however, continues to be in doubt.  The new configuration of forces does little to resolve the grievances underlying the Syrian civil war.  This raises the possibility for insurgencies and new conflict between the states operating in Syria.

 

Stuart Sears is a scholar of Arabic and Middle East History with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Early Islamic History.  He is co-founder of the Arabic Language Associates and previously taught at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.