PREVIEW — Jonathan Schanzer — "Darkness Visible": The Dangerous Power Vacuum and Rivalries in Syria. Schanzer characterizes contemporary Syria as chaotic "ungoverned territory" systematically attracting dangerous transnational actors including Hamas military operatives and Russian military and intelligence personnel establishing operational footprints. Schanzer documents that while the United States strategically lifts economic sanctions to encourage pragmatism and behavioral moderation from the new Syrian leadership, regional powers including Saudi Arabia and Turkey simultaneously compete for geopolitical influence over Damascus decision-making, creating overlapping and contradictory leverage efforts. Schanzer emphasizes that this fractured geopolitical landscape is further complicated by armed militia networks, Kurdish separatist forces, and foreign fighter contingents remaining throughout Syrian territory, resembling a "shattered chessboard" where multiple external powers attempt simultaneous influence operations while internal actors pursue autonomous agendas, creating a dangerously unpredictable and volatile strategic environment.
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