eli5: Why is Assad family still ruling Syria since years now? even after all those wars and conflicts in syria, No one was able to harm him
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1. The Syrian Military remains mostly loyal. With authoritarian regimes, the main threat to the reigning ruler is the guys with tanks and guns around the palace. They chose to stick by the Assads, so the Assads can still rule.
2. Significant overseas support from Russia. Russia had, at least prior to the Ukraine War, placed significant Military assets in Syria. Which made the militants job much more difficult and reduced the threat of a coup.
3. Lack of will in western nations to remove Assad. If France, the UK, or the US really wanted Assad gone, he would be gone. Each of those nations has the ability to Project Power into the Eastern Mediterranean and enough military power to overwhelm the Syrian Armed forces. But aside from a few special forces units embedded specifically for the purpose of fighting ISIS and calling in air strikes, Western Nations haven’t committed many resources to Syria.
4. Disunity among the rebels. Unlike in movies, the Rebels in Syria aren’t some grand alliance all working to bring down the regime and install democracy. Some wish to do that. Others are fighting to install an Islamic system in the vein of Iran. Others, like the Kurdish, are Nationalists fighting to break away from Syria, or to have a legally protected Autonomous zone. And then there are the terror organizations like ISIS which was an organization that spawned off a branch of Al-Qaeda, espousing a particularly harsh and violent interpretation of the Quran. In addition to fighting Syrian government forces, they fight each other, form alliances and truces, then go back to fighting each other.
So despite the efforts of Rebel Militias to remove him, Assad remains in power, The country remains in an unending civil war, and the people continue to suffer.
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