War is ending in Syria; how has it fared in dealing with underlying issues?

Airstrikes and chemical weapons, one hopes, will no longer be the daily fare of future violations in Syria

Things are changing in Syria.

The Syrian government has won the war. Refugees are beginning to return. The creation of a constitutional committee will bring peace to Syria. Syria is safe.

Some of these statements are true, some are exaggerated, and others may never become real.

What all these statements have in common is the desire for a signal that the war is over, that the world can finally move on from the devastating and brutal violence that has marked the lives of millions of Syrians for the past eight years. Although active hostilities have decreased, very little progress has been made on