The significance of Syria’s return to the Arab League

The significance of Syria’s return to the Arab League

Syria’s devastating civil war has raged for more than 12 years.

In that time, Half a million people have been killed, by some estimates. Three million have been left with a disability. And half of the country have been forced from their homes, including many now living in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

The economy has collapsed and the infrastructure has been shattered - 70 per cent of the electricity system is damaged, one in three schools is in ruins and only half of hospitals are working fully. A decade of war has cost the country over a trillion dollars.

Twelve years ago, the Arab League expelled Syria. President Bashar Al Assad was accused of starting the war with a bloody crackdown on opponents of his dynastic family rule. But now, the regional body has voted to allow Syria to return.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines Young hears from the head of the Arab League about the decision to allow Assad to return – and looks at what this means for the region and the conflict itself.

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Episoder(505)

Why has the US-Iran agreement not been enough to end the war?

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What’s at stake for foreign powers battling for influence in Syria?

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26 Jun 18min

The wins and losses of the Iran war

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The US and Iran have signed their framework agreement to end the war. It comes after more than 100 days of fighting, economic and political warfare, and a death toll in the thousands. The two countrie...

19 Jun 21min

Are the US and Israel still fighting the same war?

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More than 100 days since the US and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, the war that was supposed to eliminate its threat and reshape the region is at a crossroads. Iran's mil...

12 Jun 25min

The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup

The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup

When the US, Canada and Mexico were selected as joint hosts of the 2026 World Cup, they were supposed to be the “safe choice” for Fifa. Football’s global governing body had been criticised for previou...

5 Jun 23min

Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?

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In its first report to the UN Security Council, the Board of Peace this month said Hamas’s refusal to disarm was the main obstacle to the reconstruction of Gaza. The board's leader, Nickolay Mladenov,...

29 Mai 21min

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