Commentary: Prolonged civil war in Syria bitter fruit of West's interventionism

Five years after massive anti-government protests across Syria, the country is still mired in a prolonged civil war that could trace its origin to the intervention by the U.S.-led West.

Prior to the event that marked the beginning of the Syrian civil war, the United States and its Western allies had choreographed Color Revolutions in several other Arab countries, in the name of promoting democracy and freedom.

The ensuing chaos and eruption of violence in these countries should have been a reminder for the West that it may not be a good idea to impose what's best for them on others. But a proxy war against the Syrian government took place anyway.

Estimates reveal that 250,000 Syrian people have died in the five years since the war started and that more than 4 million people have fled the country.

An additional 6.5 million have been internally displaced and 13.5 million people inside the country are in dire need of humanitarian aid.

If not for the West's selfish pursuit of geopolitical advantages in the region, there would have been no refugee crisis in Europe, or at least fewer tormenting scenes related to Syria such as three-year-old toddler Aylan Kurdi lying lifeless on a Turkish beach.

For Syrian civilians, if they choose to stay home (if they are so blessed to still have a home after years of armed conflict), gunfire and bomb explosions could be a major part of their daily life. Meanwhile, for those who choose to flee the war-torn country, the journey to safety is also fraught with uncertainty, such as treacherous sea trips or border with barbed wire.

The plight of common Syrian people is only part of the bitter consequences of the U.S.-led intervention in Syria.

Taking advantage of the turbulence in Syria, the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has grown into a global security threat.

As many experts have pointed out, the West's interventionist policy in Syria has broken the delicate balance of power between different sectarian and ethnic groups in the country, and it would take many years to achieve a new equilibrium.

In a recent interview, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said if foreign factors cease to function, the Syria crisis could be resolved within a year.

It may be too late for Washington to cut itself clean from the Syria crisis. To mend its wrongdoing of instigating a war in Syria, the world's top power should at this stage focus on efforts to facilitate an inclusive political process that is steered by the Syrians themselves, rather than deciding for Syrians what's best for them. Endi