By Rob English

Active Warzones 

Syria 

• Began 2011 during the Arab Spring with protests against the regime of Bashir Al Assad

• Spiraled into Civil war between the Assad regime, various rebel factions, and foreign interventions

• Key Events: Protests began in March 2011, Rise of ISIS 2013, US Withdrawal and Turkish offensive into Northern Syria, October 2019 - Operation Peace Spring

• Key Players: Assad Regime backed by Russia and Iran, Turkey, ISIS,  Kurdish and Arab militias

• Refugee crisis has continuously been flowing through Turkey into Europe

Libya

• Current Civil War since 2014

• Key sections of the government and military split from the UN backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli

• Country split between the GNA backed by Turkey in the West and General Khalifa Haftar backed by Egypt in the East

• Turkish intervention saved the GNA through Spring 2020

• Egypt has provided support for Haftar. However, should the strategic port city of Sirte fall to the GNA, Egypt has announced it may intervene directly to protect Haftar’s Faction

• Refugee crisis has continued into Europe through Italy

Yemen

• Began 2015 with Houthi uprising against the government of Yemen, Houthi forces have largely taken control over the country

• Houthis have gained power and ousted the previous government, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched a devastating campaign through air strikes and blockade to attempt restoring the previous government to power

• Iranian support of the Houthi forces is widely suspected though not openly confirmed

Iraq

• ISIS Insurgency since 2013/2014

• US/Iraqi led coalition reclaimed territory seized by ISIS

• ISIS presently holds no significant territory, but continues to mount an insurgency against government and western forces

• Waved of civil unrest and widespread protests have exposed vulnerabilities in the Iraqi government’s ability to maintain control

Protests and Low-Grade Conflicts

Algeria

• Protests throughout 2019 and 2020 against authoritarian government

• Protests began in Spring, 2019 in response to President Bouteflika was nominated for a fifth term in

• office, he resigned from pressure in April, 2019

• Protests have continued demanding greater civil and political liberties and efforts to curtail

• corruption

• The Hirak (الحراك) is a decentralized movement leading the protests

Israel/Palestine

• Several wars, namely in 1948, 1967, 1973, the First and Second Intifaadas, Civil War between Hamas andFatah, and the Gaza Wars in 2008 and 2014

• Ongoing violence continues in between wars, largely driven by expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a blockade on the Gaza Strip and rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip intoIsrael

• Several attempts at a Peace Process have failed, most famously the Oslo Accords in 1993