Aleppo: How and Why It Fell So Suddenly

Aleppo: The Sudden Fall That Shook Syria and the World

Just a few days before the Islamic militants of Syria streamed into the ancient town of Aleppo, SANA, the Syrian Arab News Agency, was inexplicably hacked. No one knew who shut down the agency or why. SANA, which is the voice of the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR), a secular, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic country, was silenced from covering the biggest story of the last 10 years since the Islamic State was driven out of Syria. Recently, when the news website shut down, no one had a clue that the dark and nightmarish days would return, when Turkish government-backed militants had taken violent control of Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo.

For the last 8 years, Aleppo had enjoyed some semblance of peace. The ancient city, which lies at the intersection of the spice and silk routes, was slowly limping back to normalcy when violence resurfaced. Western commentators do not believe there was real peace but rather a phase of frozen violence or a fragile ceasefire. How did it all begin without catching the attention of the Syrian Arab Army and others? This time, the resistance to the Turkish-backed militants is far less than what the world saw in July 2012, when the Aleppo province fell to them.

Compared to early 2012, when violence was sneaking into different cities of Syria, this writer saw how fear over Aleppo had turned the city into a

Aleppo: The Sudden Fall That Shook Syria and the World

Just a few days before the Islamic militants of Syria streamed into the ancient town of Aleppo, SANA, the Syrian Arab News Agency, was inexplicably hacked. No one knew who shut down the agency or why. SANA, which is the voice of the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR), a secular, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic country, was silenced from covering the biggest story of the last 10 years since the Islamic State was driven out of Syria. Recently, when the news website shut down, no one had a clue that the dark and nightmarish days would return, when Turkish government-backed militants had taken violent control of Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo.

For the last 8 years, Aleppo had enjoyed some semblance of peace. The ancient city, which lies at the intersection of the spice and silk routes, was slowly limping back to normalcy when violence resurfaced. Western commentators do not believe there was real peace but rather a phase of frozen violence or a fragile ceasefire. How did it all begin without catching the attention of the Syrian Arab Army and others? This time, the resistance to the Turkish-backed militants is far less than what the world saw in July 2012, when the Aleppo province fell to them.

Compared to early 2012, when violence was sneaking into different cities of Syria, this writer saw how fear over Aleppo had turned the city into a morgue that seemed to be waiting for its dead to arrive. Aleppo, which is at the intersection of the spice and silk routes, also nestles some of the finest architecture of the Ottoman era. It has been in continued habitation for a long time. Syria’s capital, Damascus, may be the oldest inhabited city, but Aleppo is no less. As it had not seen violence, it had preserved different guilds that sustained the city’s manufacturing prowess. Besides, there were hundreds of old serais (lodgings) that are located as they are on two historical routes. Famous for its spice market and souk, located opposite the citadel, the souk was renowned for selling the famous olive oil soap and spices that followed the spice and silk routes to travel all over the world.

Though it has been 12 years since I visited Aleppo, it seems that the war did not end even after the Syrian Arab Army threw out the Turkish-backed militants of the Syrian Democratic Forces. I remember being told by the shopkeepers at the souk that there were rumours in the countryside that the disturbance would spill over to the city, where everyone seemed to be busy with their business. Within a few days of my visit to the great city, which had a citadel from the medieval era on one of the highest elevations of the ancient city, violence broke out. As eloquently stated by the shopkeeper at the souk, the militants carrying sophisticated guns began to fire randomly. The Syrian Army was inadequately equipped to take on these militants. The ancient city of Aleppo became a battleground once again.

As has happened dramatically this time around, the militants took over the city within no time. Soon enough, reinforcements came that drove out the militants and their European advisors from Aleppo. Many Syrian government sources claim that in every standoff with the Syrian Army, there were many mercenaries and foreign advisors involved. In fact, many of those resisting the takeover by the Syrian Arab Army of Aleppo and who were allowed to leave were allegedly French Legionnaires and British commandos.

The same story, I heard in Homs, which is Syria’s 3rd largest city. At the time I visited the city, war was quite visible. A bus peppered by bullets was standing at the road to the city hospital. As expected, the roads of Homs were empty. Local people said that the city was “quiet till some militants with superior sniper rifles and guns came to the city. They shot randomly to spread fear all around.” This was the beginning of the siege of Homs, which brought this little-known city to global attention. Sources close to the local government claimed that, again, the uprising was directed by foreign military advisors. They claimed that these advisors were mostly from England and France. Visibly, the same colonial powers that were responsible for the momentous Sykes-Picot agreement that carved the region arbitrarily were involved in supporting Islamic forces to take over this region. With the support of the Iranian militia and Russia’s air power, their designs were defeated, and Syria managed to keep control of some of its big cities. Only Idlib continued to be under the sway of the Turk forces.

What Happened This Time Around

It’s common knowledge that the city of Aleppo would not have fallen if the rag-tag army of HTS did not have the support of Israel, the US, and Turkey. Apparently, no one was expecting any attack, so the Syrian army seemed to have lapsed into complacency. The only army that was battle-ready in the region was that of Israel (IDF), as they had been fighting against the Palestinians in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, close to the Syrian border. After the ceasefire was announced between Lebanon and Israel, reports suggest that the Israelis, under the rubric of HTS, crossed into Syria. Here, they were opening another front against Russia, which was engaged in a long war with Ukraine. As any military expert would know, the purpose was to distract Russia from its military objective of preserving its foothold in the Middle East and also to deplete its military strength in the European war. Russia came to Syria’s help, but there is little clarity on whether it can bring in the resolve of 2016, when it chased out Islamic State and Turkey-backed fronts.

Reports suggest that Syria is being pressured by the US to give up its ties with Iran to ensure that HTS goes back to where it came from—from nowhere. Syria would be weaker if it does that.

Manifestly, the US is working on a tight schedule to drive Russia into a corner, even if it means Syria is turned into another Gaza. What can be said with certainty is that the US deep state, which the incoming President Donald Trump keeps talking about, is apprehensive of Moscow rather than Beijing. Much could change after January 26, when Trump takes over.

This article first appeared on Sanjay Kapoor’s Substack. Here is the original link to the source. To follow Sanjay Kapoor on Substack, click here.