| ID | 140325 |
| Title Proper | Civil war in Syria and Canada’s containment policy |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Juneau, Thomas |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The civil war in Syria has caused the deaths of more than 230,000 civilians and combatants, has led to one of the largest refugee crises in recent memory, and has destabilized the Levant. It therefore represents an extraordinarily challenging foreign policy conundrum. A wide variety of responses—ranging from the imposition of no-fly zones to doing nothing—have been considered in Ottawa and in allied capitals since 2011. Each one, however, raises potentially significant challenges.
This article explores how Canada has considered those alternatives. As is systematically the case for a non-great power, Canada’s policy options were shaped more by deliberations in allied capitals—especially Washington—and only thereafter by actual developments in Syria. After laying out Canada’s interests relative to the war in Syria, the article describes four policy alternatives that Canada has faced since 2011, as seen through the lenses of liberal pacifism, liberal interventionism, isolationism, and containment. Among this menu of deeply flawed options, containment has steadily emerged as Canada’s de facto approach. That approach has been correct: it is the least bad course of action available since it best allows Ottawa to protect and promote its interests. Nevertheless, Canada could take additional steps to implement a more comprehensive containment framework. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Journal Vol. 70, No.3; Sep 2015: p.471-488 |
| Journal Source | International Journal Vol: 70 No 3 |
| Key Words | Syria ; National Interests ; Islamic State ; Containment ; Bashar al-Assad ; Canadian Foreign Policy |