[1] The school was built to promote American ideals and culture and to help steer Syria away from becoming a Soviet satellite.

Since 2012, due to the situation in Syria, the school has been effectively shut down.

The Damascus Community School laid its foundation with the help of Syria's former foreign minister Salah al-Bitar, who was one of the co-founders of the Baath party.

However, throughout the decades the school has seen itself become part of a political tug-of-war between the Syrian and American government whenever the relations of the two countries become sour.

The Americans defended the action as self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, citing their belief that Syria was responsible for providing "sanctuary to terrorists".