ABSTRACT
Introduction In spite of their relatively brief and troubled existence, some weak Middle Eastern states have generated strong pools of identity and sometimes patriotism. Identity is normally but not exclusively linked with tribes, groups or religion. Sometimes identities and loyalties have been captured and organised by elites through one-party rule, most notably the different forms of Baathism which endured for decades in Iraq and Syria. 1 The Syrian war involves a complex of factors and actors, and the country encapsulates an extreme variant of the tensions built into the fabric of most Arab states. It must be viewed against the backdrop of a shifting kaleidoscope of power, weakness and allegiances. Even if the original 2013 Geneva peace talks could have laid the principled foundation for a lasting peace by Syrians for Syrians, the chance that any ‘big deal’ could have been reached between the regime and the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) were slim then and are now non-existent. 2 Part of the problem is the lack of any mechanism or practiced habit for the peaceful transfer of power and of the necessary political pluralism to underpin such transfers. Another aspect is the intervention of outside powers. There is a complex interaction in a small space between the competing values, interests and beliefs including regional geopolitics.
