Il “Syraq” tra “Stato Islamico” e frammentazione

The “Syraq” represents one of the main junctures of an arch of crisis stretching all over the Middle Eastern region. While the success of this geo-political term is deeply related with the emergence of the auto-proclaimed “Islamic State”, other factors contributed to the “strategic merging” of two countries whose relations have always been defined by open competition and whose destinies appeared to be – just a few years ago – completely different. A situation that has been deeply affected by what could be defined as a game of shadow played by multiple actors that are altering equilibriums that dominated the area for decades. A competition that risks to threaten the very foundation of the post-first world war order. And, with it, the lives of entire communities. The paper aims at analysing the dynamics defining the Syrian and Iraqi theatres through a multipronged approach taking in exam the evolution of IS presence in the region, the deep fragmentation of the Syrian and Iraqi polities, the critical role played by a wide array of local actors and the influence exerted by key regional and extra-regional players.