In nearly two and a half years, the Syrian war has passed through
one savage stage after another: The initial popular uprising against
President Bashar Assad and his regime in March 2011 mutated
into an armed rebellion, then a regional conflict encompassing Iran,
Hizballah, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey and Israel.
In mid-2013, with the death toll passing the 100,000 mark, Syria is
a churning vortex sucking in global powers: A duel between the
United States and Russia by means of expanded weapons supplies and intelligence to the
warring sides crisscrosses - and at times converges - with the Muslim intercine war fast
overtaking the Syrian battlefield.
Amazing how little press this is getting here. I believe this is one reason oil prices are staying up despite rather bearish inventory reports. - Dan