Western Powers Ponder Options to Stop Syrian Violence

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In The Media

Western Powers Ponder Options to Stop Syrian Violence

A no-fly zone in Syria could risk formalizing the fragmentation and divisions in the country.

By Frederic Wehrey

Published on Jun 14, 2012

Source: CTV

With the violence in Syria continuing to spiral to dangerous levels, calls for a no-fly zone, as was imposed over Libya, have become increasingly conspicuous. Appearing on CTV, Carnegie's Frederic Wehrey noted that from a technical military perspective, there are few parallels between Libya and Syria. “The landscape of the conflict is different, there are no defined frontlines, no liberated territories and the Syrian forces are much better equipped and have better armor than the Libyan army,” said Wehrey. Implementing a no-fly zone in Syria would not only be extremely difficult, but could expand into something else, perhaps even requiring ground forces, Wehrey added. He suggested that the Obama administration is very wary of this, particularly during an election year, and is looking to avoid any sort of nation-building project at all costs. “A no-fly zone could create a Yugoslavia type situation in Syria by formalizing the fragmentation and divisions in the country,” concluded Wehrey.

About the Author

Frederic Wehrey

Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Frederic Wehrey is a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on governance, conflict, and security in Libya, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf.

Recent Work

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Parallel Climate Reckonings: Colonial Water Legacies and Indigenous Adaptation, from Morocco to the American West
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Political Reform Security Foreign Policy Middle East Syria

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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