Samenvatting

The main question in this report -an advisory framework outlining the possibility of military intervention- is stated as follows:
The Syrian crisis: is foreign military intervention the answer?
The aim is to answer if, and when, could military intervention be an adequate and realistic answer.
"What is the Syrian crisis?" This knowledge is required to analyze how the conflict has evolved and in order to enable an effective proposal for a solution to the Syrian crisis. The circumstances resemble these of a civil war where at least two parties are fighting each other. If military intervention is considered as a realistic solution, evidence must be found that it could be effective in ending the violent conflict and enforcing democratization of Syria.
"Under what circumstances is military intervention possible?" There is still no military intervention resolution under the UN charter that passed the UNSC vote. Alternatives - examples of actors acting
without a UN mandate to prevent violations on human rights- have been rejected until now.
Military intervention is therefore not possible under the current circumstances.
"What are the options?" The aim is to compare various solutions with the option of military intervention. The explosive regio-political situation - especially the strong military powers in the region- requires a peaceful solution. Comparing the various alternatives, military intervention does not offer such a solution.
"Why should there be military intervention?" Advocates claim that there should be intervened 'to protect human rights and prevent war crimes', however recent history counters this argument. The
opponents of military intervention use many arguments: some region-political; some concerning the lack of international consensus; some concerning the lack of unity in the Syrian opposition; some concerning the follow up of military interventions in rebuilding Syria.
The last part of the research are the final conclusions. The research in this report refutes foreign military intervention as the answer to the Syrian crisis.