Publication

This paper examines the potential multi-generational impact of the Syrian Civil War, primarily by focusing on the expanding role of children as combatants in the conflict. While prohibited under international law, arming and using children in this role 1) provides a vast and relatively low-cost pool of new recruits for terrorist organizations and militia groups; 2) permits young people to be thoroughly propagandized and indoctrinated; and 3) virtually guarantees a cyclical pattern of violence and instability for Syria far into the future.