Omar Al-Shahery

Aid flowing into Syria is intended to determine the outcome of the conflict between rebel factions and Damascus. Instead, it could perpetuate the civil war and ignite larger regional hostilities that could reshape the political geography of the Middle East. This report examines the main factors likely to contribute to or impede the spread of violence from civil war and insurgency in Syria, and then examines how they apply to neighboring states.

In 2008, RAND carried out a survey of conditions in Anbar Province, once one of Iraq's most violent areas. The resulting data on demographics, employment, income and standards of living, education, health, housing and public infrastructure, the effects of war, and agriculture should foster greater understanding of current conditions in al-Anbar and help identify areas on which to focus future assistance.