Frontline Syria

David L. Phillips is Director of the Program on Peace-building and Human Rights at Columbia University's Institute for the Study of Human Rights. He has worked as a senior adviser to the United Nations Secretariat and as a foreign affairs expert and senior advisor to the U.S. Department of State. His previous publications include An Uncertain Ally: Turkey under Erdogan's Dictatorship; The Kurdish Spring and Losing Iraq. He writes regularly for publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, and Foreign Affairs.

When the Syrian regime used sarin and other chemical weapons against dissidents in August 2013, an estimated 1729 people were killed including 400 children. President Barack Obama warned that the use of chemical weapons would constitute a "red line", but he refused to take military action. Trump's approach has been even more disengaged and lacking in clarity. Frontline Syria highlights America's failure to prevent conflict escalation in Syria. Based on interviews with US officials involved in Syria policy, as well as UN personnel, the book draws conclusions about America's role in world affairs and its potential to prevent deadly conflict. It also highlights the role of front-line states in Syria and other countries who engaged in the Syrian conflict to advance their national interests. Covering key turning points in the Syrian civil war, including the impact of recent decisions by the Trump administration, Frontline Syria critically evaluates America's global power and provides a diplomatic and military history of the conflict. Based on this analysis, the book offers policy recommendations and makes a case for America's future role addressing peace and conflict.

Examines the role of America and other external actors' failure to prevent conflict escalation in Syria since the outbreak of civil war

Exposes the failings of US policy towards Syria under the Obama and Trump administrations

Abbreviations and AcronymsGlossary of PersonalitiesTimeline of Critical EventsAbout the AuthorIntroductionPart I: Legacy of Repression1.Hama Rules2.The Damascus Spring3.Cradle of the RevolutionPart II: Radicalization4.The Free Syrian Army5.Security Assistance6.Displacement Crisis7.The Geneva Peace ProcessPart III: International Stakeholders8.Russia9.The Shiite Crescent10.TurkeyPart IV: Minorities and Women11.Kurds12.Christians and Armenians13.Women14.AlawitesPart V: Grinding War15.Idlib16.Diminished America17.UN Mediation18.BetrayalEpilogueAnnex