US POLICY IN SYRIA DURING THE CIVIL WAR (2011–2024)

Abstract

The article analyzes the main directions of US policy towards Syria from the beginning of the antigovernment protest movements in Damascus in 2011 to the overthrow of the B. Assad regime at the end of 2024. As is well known, the civil war in Syria has gone beyond a regional problem and has acquired the status of an international one. The country's advantageous geopolitical location has attracted the attention of leading players in international relations. The clash of their interests led to the rapid escalation of the Syrian crisis and created a threat to regional security. It has been proven that Syria played a secondary role in the US Middle East strategy. However, the intensification of the activities of terrorist organizations on its territory forced Washington to react accordingly and make efforts to solve this problem. It is noted that the US leadership tried to destroy the centers of terrorist organizations on Syrian territory and prevent the establishment of spheres of influence of the Russian Federation and Iran there. It has been determined that the White House ruled out the possibility of active participation of American troops in resolving the Syrian crisis. At its initial stage, the Obama administration's main emphasis was on diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict between the Assad regime and opposition groups. It has been established that US efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis have been insufficiently decisive, and in some cases inconsistent and even contradictory. As a result, the Americans not only failed to achieve a peaceful transfer of power in Damascus, but also to create a strong anti-Assad coalition that would successfully counter the spread of terrorism in the country and establish stable control over the entire territory of Syria. It has been found that the overthrow of the regime of B. Assad did not solve the main task of the United States in Syria – the destruction of terrorism. It is predicted that the administration of President D. Trump will try to influence the new government in Damascus through the mediation of Turkey, with whose active support the regime of B. Assad was overthrown.