What Hope For Peace in Syria?

In the four years since the Syrian conflict began, a quarter of a million people have been killed and 11 million people - half the country’s population - have fled their homes. Despite each new set of talks, peace seems no closer to hand and as the fighting drags on, international powers become more and more involved. Owen Bennett Jones and his panel of experts discuss what each of the players in the conflict actually want, and what would their future Syria look like? Could the country remain united, or is it more likely to resemble the Balkans, broken up into smaller parts? Can we learn any lessons from resolutions of other civil wars? Or is the Syria conflict more likely to spark a wider regional conflagration?

(Photo: A rebel fighter, reportedly belonging to the Faylaq al-Rahman brigade, looks up from his hiding spot. Credit: Amer Almohibany/Getty Images)