Stephen Hickey has a unique perspective: he was sent to Syria in 2010, as the UK's deputy ambassador to Damascus back when it was thought of as a "sleepy posting." The Assad regime kicked him out of the country a year later, as the protests intensified. Now, he's the political coordinator of the UK mission to the United Nations, and he talks to Ravi and Grant about how seven brutal years of war in Syria has created a humanitarian crisis on an immense scale. The discussion covers the roots of the conflict, how the West has responded and the potential danger of military action without a long-term diplomatic strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices