The decimation of Syria after nearly 12 years of civil war has long since fallen off the public’s radar. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and northern Syria in the early hours of Monday morning has put Syria back on the map, but whether the war-torn country stays there once the initial shock and sympathy wear off is another question.
Joshua Landis, a widely respected Syria expert who heads the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, isn’t optimistic.
“The United States set as one of its goals to hinder serious reconstruction after the war until [Syrian President Bashar al-Assad] makes political concessions — until there’s a political solution,” though it’s unclear what that solution should be, he told Devex.