Posted on 08/26/2019 2:27:26 AM PDT by Cronos
Syrian government forces have made fresh military advances towards President Bashar al-Assad’s goal of reclaiming “every inch” of the country in an offensive that has intensified fears of a humanitarian disaster in the northern Idlib province.
Opposition fighters withdrew last week from the key town of Khan Sheikhoun, another strategic concession to Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers, who have torn up a ceasefire deal protecting the rebels’ last major pocket of territory.
As the country’s bloody civil war grinds into its ninth year, Assad is widely acknowledged to have emerged triumphant.
...Caught in the middle of the fighting, as brutal as it ever has been during this conflict, are desperate civilians. Around three million are trapped in the opposition-held province of Idlib.
The area is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaida affiliate that came to dominate the opposition after infighting and fragmentation destroyed more moderate groups.
...The Syrian authorities have opened a “humanitarian corridor” for non-combatants to leave, but it leads to government-controlled areas, and few of those trapped see it as a safe escape route. Returnees with opposition links have faced detention, conscription or worse when arriving in parts of the country ruled by Assad’s forces.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
zzzzGood luck to him. Arab Spring is a gift that keeps giving.
“these 3 million were supported of the Al Qaeda movements who wanted to kill Shia, and wanted “Christians to Lebanon, Alawites to the grave””
Agree - the ‘civilians’ there had YEARS to get out, but didn’t. Now they can explain to Assad’s people why they didn’t.
As far as Mideast rulers go, Assad was one of the best. He was fair to the Christians in his country, did not do anything to stir up things outside his country, and while not a friend of the USA was at least not an open enemy of us.
obama should have left him alone. (But of course, as obama is an enemy of the USA it was expected that he’s try to kill anyone who was not our enemy)
If this turns into battles between the military forces of Syria and Turkey, I hope Trump does not feel compelled to run to help Turkey.
Why? If we leave it alone, Russia and Erdogan will have to decide whether or not their growing accord is not going to work. Erdogan will seek for Putin to get Assad to withdraw and hold out the cancelling of his agreement to buy Russian Sam missiles as a stick at Putin. Putin will have to either press back against Assad or tell Erdogan to go fly a kite.
Either outcome has some good for the U.S., and offering help to Erdogan from the get go does not.
Correct. Putin is also playing Erdogan. Erdy has gutted his military. Putin is hoping for Turkey to collapse and then to recapture Constantinople
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