Destruction-in-Progress: Revolution, Repression and War Planning in Syria (2011 Onwards)

The infra-state conflict that has engulfed Syria since March 2011 began with a popular and peaceful mobilization calling for freedom and dignity. In 2014, after three years of heavy repression by the regime and the militarization of part of the opposition, large parts of the country are destroyed. The extent of urban destruction in Syria questions the role of the material goods in an armed conflict. Indeed, according to international humanitarian law, 'civilian objects' cannot be targeted in the absence of clearly defined and circumscribed military objectives. In Syria, the use of destruction as an instrument of warfare is documented clear and well. In other terms, and as this article tries to demonstrate, in many respects urban destruction seems to be more than a side effect of the armed confrontation. Drawing on a spatially informed analysis, the article aims to document urban destruction and offer analytical leads as to such destruction's place in the regime warfare. To do so, the scope of urban destruction, and the historical and spatial contexts in which it takes place are presented, followed by a classification of four types of urban destruction based on different spatial patterns. The typology of the different spatial patterns of destruction shows that destruction is not only a consequence of war but is central to the regime's strategy.