The Middle East has experienced a plethora of issues over the years; the uprisings in the Arab Spring have led to an abundance of problems especially in Syria. The Syrian Civil War has been a result from the uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, whose family has been in power since 1971. The Syrian civilians have taken an active role in demanding democratic reform and an end of repression in Syria, an act that has since elicited a forceful reaction from the Assad regime and its supporters. Bashar al- Assad has been in control over Syria since June 10, 2000 and represents a continuation of power and authority over the Syrian civilians succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad. Bashad views himself as a legitimate ruler and continues to fight for his right to rule regardless of the evident opposition groups that are attempting to remove him from power. .
Army defectors originally organized the armed rebellion against Assad in 2011, setting up the Free Syrian Army, one of the many groups attempting to get Assad out of power. The vast majority of Syria's opposition forces aim to create a democratic Syria, however, the numerous opposition groups share a small number of similarities other than removing the Assad regime. They struggle at centralizing their opposition and have not seen considerable success. The uprisings and opposition against the Assad regime have resulted in the death of at least 30,000 innocent civilians, creating a huge movement of Syrians seeking refuge to neighboring countries. This humanitarian crisis places a strain on the countries taking in refugees and a considerable burden on those countries that wish to see the mistreatment of refugees and the Assad regime come to an end.
As the National Security Advisor of the United States, I have reviewed the current situation regarding Syrian refugees and am proposing three policies in order to improve the status of the existing humanitarian crisis.