PHOTO: The Hanano district of eastern Aleppo city, regained by pro-Assad forces on November 26
I spoke with Monocle 24’s The Globalist on Thursday to consider the impending victory of foreign forces and President Assad’s military in Syria’s largest city Aleppo.
Is this the end of the 68-month conflict? Far from it.
The conquest of Aleppo is an important symbolic as well as military advance, confirming that Assad — propped up by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah — will remain in the Presidency and that the regime hold most cities. However, Syria will remain a divided country — not only because the opposition holds areas such as Idlib Province in the northwest, but also because Kurdish forces and the Islamic State still claim significant territory.
Listen from 8:17:
The Syrian army is weak. Most of the fighting for the regime is carried out by foreign forces.
You have to assume that Russia and Iran will pursue total victory. That’s not a certainty.
Second, you have to assume that rebels are just going to give up. Not a certainty.
Third, you have to assume that those sides that back the rebels — like Turkey — will give way, even as Turkish-supported rebels are making gains in Aleppo Province.
