Aleppo; an attrition awaiting a settlement

Aleppo, presented to the world in the form of a red sticker with a simple but deep caption that says “Aleppo is burning”,  is under a heavy bombardment by Assad regime.

Assad regime wanted its attacks to mark the beginning of a major battle with its propaganda working to promote it as a ’battle against terrorism’, while the Iranians are preparing forces in an unprecedented way.

That was going on amid Russian cautious observance through which it practiced pressure on Assad to accept a new ceasefire in Aleppo. The ceasefire has never been observed or honored; however, the battle which the regime and Iran wanted hasn’t started yet. 

Being a strategic city, Aleppo through its geographic location and its history represents a negotiating major mark that all sides rush to control after it has become known that the international society is after a kind of settlement through which power will be divided among war lords. 

The National Coalition which is subject to huge international pressures wants Aleppo to be under the control of moderate opposition in order to enter the talks with a strong heart that backs its moral right, while Assad regime is still beating about the bush by focusing on the idea of extending Assad’s “presidency” so that Jaffari would have a push during the talks. That may explain to some degree why the heat of clashes started to rise while preparing to enter a new round of talks in Geneva.   

Neither the political atmosphere nor the economic one looks appropriate to hold a settlement since such a solution needs a deep understanding between Russia and the USA; however, it is unlikely to have such understanding in the remaining period of Obama’s presidency.

Fatima Yassin in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed 

Translated by Orient Net English