Over the past 50 years, Syria has emerged as a pariah state on the world stage. As well as having been designated a state sponsor of terrorism, it has been under a brutal dictatorship. On top of this, its violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011 saw it widely condemned and suspended from the Arab League. However, things now seem to be changing. After a dozen years, many Arab states - including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates - are re-engaging with the country. And there have been calls for its suspension to be lifted. So, is Syria regaining international acceptance? And, if so, why? Since becoming independent from France in 1946, the Syrian Arab Republic has had a turbulent history. Over the first quarter century of its existence, it was plagued by frequent military coups. However, all this ended in late 1970 when the Minister of Defence, Hafez al-Assad, staged a takeover, becoming president the following year. For the next three decades, he managed a highly repressive state that concentrated power in the small Alawite Muslim minority. In 2000, Assad died and control was passed to his son Bashar al-Assad. But hopes that he would be a reformer were short-lived. He continued his father's repressive policies. All this came to a head in 2011 when demonstrations erupted as part of the wider Arab Spring. This soon led to a civil war. But while Syria was heavily condemned for its brutal actions, opinion now seems to be changing. MY NEW BOOK! Secession and State Creation: What Everyone Needs to Know Oxford University Press https://global.oup.com/academic/product/secession-and-state-creation-9780190494049 Amazon https://amzn.to/2MPY3W2 Audiobooks.com https://www.audiobooks.co.uk/audiobook/secession-and-state-creation-what-everyone-needs-to-know/637281 SUPPORT THE CHANNEL Hello and welcome! My name is James Ker-Lindsay, and here I take an informed look at International Relations, conflict, security, and statehood. If you like what you see, please subscribe. If you want more, including exclusive content and access to the channel Discord server, perhaps consider becoming a Channel Member, or support me through Patreon. I would greatly appreciate your support. Thank you! SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE null BECOME A CHANNEL MEMBER null JOIN MY PATREON PAGE https://www.patreon.com/JamesKerLindsay VIDEO CHAPTERS 00:00 Titles and Introduction 00:33 Syria as a Pariah State in International Relations 01:54 Syria: Location and Population 02:51 The Origins of Syria 03:42 Syrian Independence, Instability and Union with Egypt 04:54 The Rise of Hafez al-Assad 05:46 The Hafez al-Assad Regime in Syria, 1970-2000 07:11 The Rise of Bashar al-Assad 08:55 The Syrian Civil War 10:54 Growing Arab Engagement with Syria 11:58 Will Syria Regain International Acceptance? SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Syrian Foreign Ministry http://mofaex.gov.sy/ Syrian Arab News Agency https://sana.sy/en/ Arab League http://www.leagueofarabstates.net/Pages/Welcome.aspx US State Department | Syria https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/syria/ The Syrian Crisis: What Everyone Needs to Know https://amzn.to/3UZ4jMY The Battle for Syria https://amzn.to/3AlDQ2K EQUIPMENT USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO https://kit.co/JamesKerLindsay DISCLAIMERS - The contents of this video and any views expressed in it were not reviewed in advance nor determined by any outside persons or organisation. - Some of the links above are affiliate links. These pay a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps to support the channel and will be at no additional cost to you. #Syria #Conflict #PariahState #ArabLeague #Assad