Intra State Conflict and Violence Against Civilians. A Study of the Syrian Civil War and the Violence Committed by the Assad Regime Against the Syrian People

Abstract

Understanding the causes of violence and inquiring the knowledge is an absolute necessity when a peace-like situation or genuine peace is the ultimate concern, thus providing insights into the nature and causes of conflicts, as well as efforts at building peace and restoring confidence in institutions in conflict-affected societies

Exploring motivation and reasons for engaging and perpetuating in violence aimed at the civilian populace is needed to be able to better protect people caught in a conflict zone. As the protection of civilians is an integral part of most international military interventions, understanding why and how civilians are targeted is a key factor in being able to protect them.

The aim of this study is three-fold: it will provide an understanding of the motivation for harming civilians and the nature of violence towards civilians in a conflict zone. It will categorize and evaluate the different phases of the Syrian civil war, reviewing the violence civilians experience in the hands of the Assad regime, and it will explain the patterns of violence seen in Syria.