"Officials of the United Nations describe Syria as the worst humanitarian disaster since Rwanda in 1994."1 The Syrian Civil War has gained much public support at a national and international level for various reasons depending on the interest of the groups involved. The roots of the Syrian revolution lie in the torture of the students who by declaring anti-government statements, rebelled against the Assad regime. This resulted in street protests that have gained a great deal of media attention. President Bashar al-Assad's response to these demonstrations was ruthless, evident in the number of causalities till date. Many have died due to the numerous government led massacres, while others have been displaced. The atrocities the Syrian people have faced and still continue to face have been characterized as crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law. What began as a peaceful protest swiftly turned into a malevolent bloodshed sustained by a collection of multiple foreign interferences. The international community has responded in one way or another to tackle the problems put forth by the conflicting Bashar al-Assad regime and the Syrian people. State actors such as the United States who support opposition groups and Russia who aids the Syrian government. Non-state actors such as the European Union have sent aid to opposing forces in attempts to resolve the dispute discussed earlier. Transnational groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have also played a key role in the Syrian Civil War primarily for their own interests.
The official relations between Syria and the United States first began in 1835, but today they are virtually non-existent due to the Syrian uprising. The United States along with other foreign powers also discussed further in this essay have implemented means to counteract the actions of the Assad Regime in efforts to put an end to civilian deaths and political turmoil.