The Diplomatic Dimensions of the Syrian Conflict

The domino effect of the Arab Spring in Syria which began as a reaction against the regime of Basher Assad over the years has deteriorated into a civil war. The paper investigates the diplomatic dimensions of the Syrian conflict and pays attention to the conflict of interests amongst the major powers most especially the United States and Russia. It contends that the competitive display of power by the United States and Russia rekindled memories of the Cold War and seriously limited the possibilities of effective intervention in the Syrian war by the international community. Furthermore, the paper also seeks to explore the diverse implications of the Syrian war for international and regional politics which included the possibility of a “multipolarization†of the world as against a unipolar world dominated by the United States, alarming proliferation of arms and the threat of terrorism, gross infringement of human rights and the failure of diplomacy in the presence of cross-cutting domestic and foreign interests of the powers involved.