Syria is only slightly larger than Missouri, but it has become, in many ways, the center of the world.
Even before President Obama's commitment of US military force to the conflict, the Syrian civil war had become a focal point for tensions far outside its borders. Indeed, much of the world is engaged, either directly or by proxy, in the conflict. We break it down:
WHAT COUNTRIES ARE INVOLVED?
Syria
United States
Russia
Iran
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Lebanon
Turkey
The EU
Jordan
The Gulf states
THE (recent) HISTORY IN CONFLICT
Islamic Revolution in Iran
Iran-Iraq War
The Gulf War
The Iraq War
The Arab Spring
RELEVANT LAWS
Geneva Conventions