What is HTS

This chapter studies the coronavirus pandemic in war conditions by analyzing the case of Syria, where a civil war has been ongoing since 2011. It reveals that COVID-19 was trouble in another trouble, impoverishing people, causing hunger and death. The research also shows that since the pandemic does not cause a high number of fatalities that can force warring parties to lay down their weapons, the Syrian regime and the two hostile opposition groups continued to fight. The study argues that the Assad regime has weaponized COVID-19 to force dissidents to kneel. Yet, opposition groups resisted the regime and tried to survive with the help of their allies. Theoretically, this study agrees that human security is not possible without state security and argues that authoritarian regimes can sacrifice the former to ensure the survival of the latter. Methodologically, besides literature review and benefiting from reports about COVID-19, interviews were made with experts.