ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Western policies in Syria, offering a different narrative to the one the Western mass media propagate. Western policies towards Syria—since 2011—inflamed the conflict and the subsequent growth of terrorism. These policies ranged from the attempt to break up Syria's civilian and military institutions to the de-legitimization of the Syrian government, through the recognition of certain figures, without a clear legal and popular mandate, as the sole representatives of the Syrian people. The chapter examines the crucial differences between the US-led campaign against ISIS and the Russian efforts against terrorism. It discusses the destructive effects of both terrorist attacks and Western uni-lateral sanctions on Syria's institutions, infrastructure, and people. The chapter also examines the effects of the terrorist groups' actions and ideologies on Syria's cultural identity, civilizational heritage, and social cohesion.
