Assault on Aleppo

The Assad regime in Syria, backed with massive Russian air power, has been pounding the city of Aleppo, creating yet another refugee crisis. Tens of thousands of people have already fled the besieged city and Turkey has estimated that 300,000 more may follow. Assad has long argued that he has to stay in power since the alternatives to him are the likes of Islamic State and and al-Nusra. Aleppo, however, was known be controlled by moderate anti-Assad groups. If Assad is successful in eliminating the opposition in Aleppo he will have essentially created a new reality on the ground, where the only other groups left in Syria are radical militants. The assault on Aleppo is also further proof that Russia was being disingenuous when it claimed that its only motive in backing Assad was to help defeat the Islamic State. Putin is clearly trying to seek greater influence in the Middle East and has chosen to back Assad to the hilt, no matter the cost of his actions. Already, the US has been bombing Syria and Iraq in the name of defeating the IS. For Russia to join the fight will only add to the senseless violence in Syria.

The civil war in Syria has now claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and created millions of refugees. Most of the refugees are living in makeshift camps, the conditions in which are dire enough for many of these refugees to attempt to get to Europe. But sentiments against the refugees are turning ugly in an increasingly xenophobic continent. Europe is not willing to try and put an end to the war in Syria and neither is it doing enough to help the victims of that war. Peace talks were meant to be held in Geneva, which might help explain why Assad decided to bombard Aleppo. A negotiated settlement, something Assad is deeply opposed to, will not be possible if Assad ends up killing everyone on the other side. Right now it seems Assad will cling on to power but what use is that power when you have only a shell of a country to rule?