TONY BADRAN July 18, 2013 The Battle for Aleppo never began With the Obama administration’s Syria policy still a mystery, and as the world became preoccupied with Egypt, Syria quietly fell from the headlines following the battle of al-Qusayr in June. When Syrian regime forces, spearheaded by Hezbollah units, retook that small town a little over a month ago, the expectation was that the regime and its allies would turn to Aleppo next. Syrian officials even announced an impending “Operation Northern Storm” in early June. Consequently, rebel commanders, as well as some Western officials, sounded the alarm, fearful that the potential fall of Syria’s biggest city would deal a crushing blow to the revolution. But the offensive never came. In fact, the Aleppo operation may have been a feint all along, used by both sides to shape perceptions of the war’s trajectory. A major operation in northern Syria was never the logical move after Qusayr. The real, strategically coherent next step always was in Homs and Damascus and their countryside along the border with Lebanon. That’s precisely where the regime and Hezbollah have been operating most heavily since June. Understanding the purpose of these operations helps us identify where the regime and Hezbollah are most likely to concentrate their efforts in the months ahead. https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/the-battle-for-aleppo-never-began
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 23:06:20 +0000
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