Strategic Assessment

Throughout the Syrian civil war, a number of regional and global actors have embarked on international initiatives that seek a political solution to the conflict. These initiatives differed significantly from each other in terms of their objectives, scope, and the identity of those leading them. This article describes and compares the most prominent international initiatives, assesses the effectiveness of each, and defines the enduring obstacles facing any diplomatic solution. Much has been written about the virtues of “soft power” and one of its leading tools, diplomacy. However, this article argues that in the Syrian civil war, the distribution of “hard power” among the actors involved is what lays the foundations for the future of Syria, rather than any international peace process.