Bashar Al Assad’s forces have unleashed an all-out attack on Aleppo. The world reacted in shock as images of death and destruction came out from Syria’s largest city. According to reports, the ferocity and cruelty of Assad’s air force has shocked even those who have seen the worst of this conflict. “We have had massacres on a daily basis for six or seven days. They are destroying schools and civilian targets using barrel bombs, airstrikes and machine guns,” the president of Aleppo city council, Brita Haji Hasan, told a British newspaper.
The attack wasn’t unexpected. The Syrian regime has been waiting for this, preparing for this during a truce brokered by Russia and US which had largely stayed despite sporadic violations. The planning and preparations are evident in the scale and intensity of the attacks. Since breaking the ceasefire eight days ago, Assad’s forces have launched more than 260 airstrikes, 110 artillery strikes and 18 missiles, and have dropped 68 bombs, according to the civil defence organisation known as the White Helmets. The ceasefire is now in ruins. Assad can be expected to widen his attacks in a desperate attempt to reclaim all of the territories captured by the opposition and the Islamic State. Another refugee crisis is seen as residents have started fleeing the city, and Turkey will again be forced to welcome a flood of hapless Syrians.
The UN and the rest of the world have condemned the attacks. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, decried the “monstrous disregard for civilian lives” and called for urgent de-escalation. But these condemnations will have no impact on Assad. There were calls from several countries to Russia, Assad’s key ally, to restrain Assad, but in a wanton disregard, Russia stood by Assad. “No, we are not going to put pressure on Damascus because one must understand that the situation in Aleppo is part of this fight against the terrorist threat,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov defiantly said.
The Aleppo attack sends a powerful message to the world that time is running out for a solution to the Syrian crisis. This northern city was the biggest in the country, and its commercial hub, and the fight for it has been at the heart of Syria’s civil war. If Assad’s forces succeed in capturing the city, it will make Assad many steps closer to taking complete control of the country.
The world needs go beyond condemnations and act to stop this massacre. Such an action would involve a coherent strategy and sending troops to the ground if necessary. But this is a war the world is beginning to ignore, despite the half-hearted initiatives we are witnessing.
Bashar Al Assad’s forces have unleashed an all-out attack on Aleppo. The world reacted in shock as images of death and destruction came out from Syria’s largest city. According to reports, the ferocity and cruelty of Assad’s air force has shocked even those who have seen the worst of this conflict. “We have had massacres on a daily basis for six or seven days. They are destroying schools and civilian targets using barrel bombs, airstrikes and machine guns,” the president of Aleppo city council, Brita Haji Hasan, told a British newspaper.
The attack wasn’t unexpected. The Syrian regime has been waiting for this, preparing for this during a truce brokered by Russia and US which had largely stayed despite sporadic violations. The planning and preparations are evident in the scale and intensity of the attacks. Since breaking the ceasefire eight days ago, Assad’s forces have launched more than 260 airstrikes, 110 artillery strikes and 18 missiles, and have dropped 68 bombs, according to the civil defence organisation known as the White Helmets. The ceasefire is now in ruins. Assad can be expected to widen his attacks in a desperate attempt to reclaim all of the territories captured by the opposition and the Islamic State. Another refugee crisis is seen as residents have started fleeing the city, and Turkey will again be forced to welcome a flood of hapless Syrians.
The UN and the rest of the world have condemned the attacks. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, decried the “monstrous disregard for civilian lives” and called for urgent de-escalation. But these condemnations will have no impact on Assad. There were calls from several countries to Russia, Assad’s key ally, to restrain Assad, but in a wanton disregard, Russia stood by Assad. “No, we are not going to put pressure on Damascus because one must understand that the situation in Aleppo is part of this fight against the terrorist threat,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov defiantly said.
The Aleppo attack sends a powerful message to the world that time is running out for a solution to the Syrian crisis. This northern city was the biggest in the country, and its commercial hub, and the fight for it has been at the heart of Syria’s civil war. If Assad’s forces succeed in capturing the city, it will make Assad many steps closer to taking complete control of the country.
The world needs go beyond condemnations and act to stop this massacre. Such an action would involve a coherent strategy and sending troops to the ground if necessary. But this is a war the world is beginning to ignore, despite the half-hearted initiatives we are witnessing.
