THE UNITED STATES MILITARY INTERVENTION TO SYRIA (2011 – 2017)

Abstract

Syria is one of the countries which is experiencing the wave of the Arab Spring, where people in Middle Eastern countries want their country's leaders to step down. This is an opportunity for the United States to be able to dominate countries in the Middle East, moreover because Bashar Al-Assad has good relations with Iran whose its power is considered a threat to the United States. The first step taken by the United States was to ask the Syrian president, Bashar Al-Assad, to step down from his position as president in 2011. The United States also seeks to change the Syrian regime by seeking military intervention. Military intervention by the United States to Syria is based on national interests which are then applied through foreign policy and defense policy. Thus, the research question is how the United States intervened militarily to Syria (2011-2017). This research is focusing on how the United States did conduct its military intervention to Syria. This study uses qualitative methods with descriptive research types. This study aims to determine the actions of the United States in carrying out military intervention in the period 2011-2017. In analyzing the issue, this research uses the theory of realism and offensive realism. This study found several concrete actions from the United States military intervention to Syria for the period 2011-2017, such as carrying out air strikes on Syria in 2014, supporting Syrian rebel groups to fight Syrian government forces and military action against ISIS along with coalition countries.