This book analyzes the impact and relevance of the Syrian crisis on regional and international relations. Developing into a proxy war, the Syrian crisis has been a battleground for regional dominance. It has also created an opportunity for new states to emerge on the world affairs scene. Russia, for instance, had been keeping a low profile since the fall of the Soviet Union, but took a leading role in the Syrian crisis reasserting itself against the West regionally. The Syrian crisis has also been a catalyst in reshaping many interstate relations and allowing countries such as Russia, Iran, Turkey and China to play an increasingly important geopolitical role. There have been many international ramifications to the Syrian crisis. While the crisis led to an Iranian-Russian rapprochement, it was also a catalyst to more cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia; more importantly, it also forced states with opposing views about the crisis -- Turkey, Iran and Russia -- to forge an alliance. Further, the crisis created tensions between the US and Turkey with China on the one hand balancing its interests between the Gulf and Iran whilst focusing on its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative and trying on the other hand to contain Islamic militancy in Syria. The book looks at issues that are usually ignored when discussing Syria such as the strategic control over its hydrocarbon resources, as well as the power of propaganda in portraying realities. It features the use of non-state actors by regional competing powers and the role of local councils in stabilizing the country. The edited volume brings together contributions by authors with different backgrounds who present conflicting views reflecting the divergence between the various stakeholders about the Syrian crisis.

Dania Koleilat Khatib is an affiliated scholar at the Issam Fares Institute for public policy and international affairs at the American University of Beirut (AUB). She specializes in US-Arab relations and has a special interest in Syria. She is on the steering committee of the United Nations Economic and Social committee for West Asia, National Agenda for the Future of Syria programmeShe authored a book on the Arab lobby and the factors for success and for failure. Her upcoming book, which she co-edited, analyses the West's perception of the Arab Gulf. She regularly writes on US-Arab Gulf relations for several regional newspapers. She is a weekly columnist in the Arab News. Dania had regular appearances on a series of Middle Eastern TV stations. She has co-directed, participated, presented scholarly papers and spoken in numerous conferences and workshops. She has been a guest speaker on several high-profile platforms such as NATO, European Parliament and the Heritage Foundation. She is a member of the Arab Council of Social Studies. Dania holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Exeter and both an MBA and a BBA from AUB.