Syria and Russia prepare for major showdown in Idlib

[-:Undertaker:-]

The UN is warning of "the most horrific battle of the seven-year Syria war" https://t.co/E5mrb25Wf3

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) September 6, 2018

This is the final phase of the Syrian Civil War and wider proxy war taking place there, and the man who Obama/Cameron/Hollande all demanded be gone a few years ago is about to win his victory while they've all gone. How funny the fate of history sometimes is.

Of course, had our stupid western politicians (Obama, Clinton, Cameron, Hollande etc) not armed Islamic jihadists then the war might have ended a long time ago. Indeed at one point it did look bad for Assad, but then Vlad from Russia stepped in and saved the day.

Now I argued on here a few years ago against a big majority at the time with reports of chemical attacks that would should stay out of this and that Assad was the only tolerable ruler of Syria, lest you wanted Syria to dissolve into warring ultra-Islamic jihadist states. I said the rebels were an illusion, like in Egypt, who would soon be consumed by mad extremists. Well, was I wrong? Another person who got it right, amid much criticism, was Ed Miliband who directed Labour to vote against British military action which kept us out of the war. About the only useful thing he has done but well done nevertheless.

Looking forward to the crushing of the Islamic State and the rebels, with Kurdish secession (hopefully).

Thoughts?

[FlyingJesus]

Still a huge amount of YPG control which certainly isn't going to be a quiet end if Assad wants to unite the entire country - the BEST possible outcome would be to allow them to maintain control of that area through a treaty with SDF that also stops the problems in southern Turkey, but that's a bit of a pipe dream especially since Turkey backed the rebels.

In any case, while it'd be great for the conflict to be "over" (it won't be let's be honest, there will still be insurgency pockets) I can't say I'm going to celebrate a slaughter. There's realistically not going to be anything even slightly resembling a good resolution to all of this, and there never was

[TinyFroggy]

I lived in Jordan for 6 years. The number one country receiving the biggest amount of refugees since the war. I wish people can see how those innocent refugees are barely living. How it affects people of all sex and age. How war did nothing but to add the amount of inhumanity we have.