Syrians' peace dreams dashed again

Coming year offers little hope for nation as powers seek to shore up interests

As one year makes way for another, people in Syria are still denied the peaceful life they have been craving for so long. Instead, they have witnessed yet more violence and bloodshed from the country's interminable conflicts that stem from a mix of decades-old power struggles and competing interests.

The Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, made remarkable military gains to reclaim most of the territory it had lost during the eight-year civil war. The authorities are now preparing to carry out postwar reconstruction.

Yet, a surprising decision by the United States to withdraw its troops from northern Syria hindered the process of Syria's reconstruction, and stirred up more tensions and turbulence in the region. That decision dragged more powers into an already complicated situation.