Syrian Army Discovers 'Civilians' in Aleppo, Demands Their Exit
The Syrian military, in a move that signals impending violence, advised civilians to evacuate Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo. This 'warning' comes after a deal to integrate Kurdish-led forces into the new 'Islamist government' (a bizarre framing in itself, courtesy of Al-Monitor) apparently collapsed. What Al-Monitor conveniently omits is the consistent pattern of the Assad regime employing such
'warnings' before unleashing disproportionate force, often with Russian air support, to depopulate areas deemed disloyal. It’s a textbook tactic: declare an area a 'military target,' then clear it of its inhabitants. One might wonder if these 'civilians' were just fine with their 'semi-autonomous administration' until Damascus decided it was time to reassert control through military might. The
idea that a 'March deal' to merge distinct administrations would suddenly go sideways, necessitating civilian displacement, merely glosses over the long-standing, brutal conflict the Assad regime has waged against its own populace, enabled by its international backers. This isn't a 'struggle to implement a deal'; it's a 'struggle to avoid being bombed or ethnically cleansed.' How many 'warnings'
does an impending atrocity require before it's simply called an atrocity?