The fate of up to 100,000 civilians is terrifyingly unclear

it seems both the Syria government and rebels have no incentive to fight for IS there...
where are all the NATO countries? when France got hit, isn't it our responsibility to declare war and quickly wipe out all these terrorists?
It started from invasion of Iraq, and it should be quickly ended by us, right?

The Putin Trump love fest won't last long. The conflict over the role of Iran will be only the beginning. Putin isn't going to compromise on this. He wants his oil pipeline.

TE: "The fate of up to 100,000 civilians is terrifyingly unclear"

TE continues:

brutal
massacre
blood-drenched
systematically starved, bombed and shot his own people
while bombing their hospitals, markets and schools.
bombarding neighbourhoods in the tiny rebel pocket as tanks and artillery guns Terrified residents
atrocious.
slaughter civilians
“complete meltdown of humanity”
civilians are petrified
“immeasurably terrifying toll on its people, the bloodshed, the wanton slaughter of men, women and children, the destruction—and we are nowhere near the end of this cruel conflict”
_______________________________

Compare the alarming (rightfully) language TE uses in this article to the ho-hum language on its Iraq reporting as late as 2000 regarding the more than 500,000 dead Iraqi children (as early as 1996) from US/UK sanctions & the many hundreds of thousands more who were about to die in Iraq.

TE: Pity the Children (May, 2000)

"A lot of people now conclude that a change of policy is needed"

(translation: Oh, well, if it's a lot of people, then I guess we should possibly start thinking about a change of policy...at some stage)

"The authors of this collection of essays—Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, Howard Zinn, among others—will seem irredeemably parti pris to those who still believe that sanctions must be held steady... Some of the writers do, from time to time, rant a bit. But much of it is good stuff"

(translation: yes, when they show outrage over the dead 1/2 million children, they do go on a bit, get worked up over not much really. But it does make quite exciting reading on the whole. Like an Indi Jones tale of death & destruction)

What's the difference?

Similarities: TE was in favour of toppling both Saddam & Assad. (consistent war-mongering)

Difference: If it's our doing, it's much ado about nothing. When it's our enemy's doing - even when we had an outsized roll in the destruction, we are shocked, I repeat, shocked!

What we see recently in all news, concerning war in Syria irresistibly evokes, Edward E. Baptist's book "The Half Has Never Been Told", in my mind. Giving carefully selected parts of the news interpreted in suitable wording to put the fault on the other side. Such as a white little girl, tweeting in perfect English or death bodies of women & children used to obscure U.S. & allies' desperate efforts to save their paid mercenaries & proxy terrorists. We cannot see women & children killed by Obama drones in news. The police of RTE, the de facto strong men of Turkey who appeals Russian president Putin to let his terrorist gangs out of harms way, arrested H. Mahalli, a brilliant Syrian journalist who found refuge in Turkey, for telling the truths RTE hates to hear.

That Bashar al-Assad’s forces are crushing the resistance of terrorists and rebels armed by Obama and his cronies is wonderful news, isn't it?

There's no need to reform Islam as Michael Flynn the new National security adviser is claiming nor is there a need to fight Islam philosophically as top political scientists are saying, as though facing abysms of perplexity while discussing the future challenges of warfare. There are root causes and I admit you gotta think pretty thin, know many cultures and languages and live with those problems to begin understand them. The root cause is in the present world order, and more precisely in the credit we're giving Saudi Arabia. They're financing the jihadists and they themselves provide the bulk of the chief jihadists. They promote Salafism in Europe, by financing the construction of hundreds of Salafi mosques, in France notably, perverting the French North African youth from their parent's faith (malekist Islam, as opposed to gulfic hanbalism). Instrumenting their dispair, loss of orientation and quest for identity, instrumenting their ignorance. Bring down or choke the Saudi regime, you cut the jugular vein of Salafi-jihadi financing worldwide. The philosophy would die by itself, by it's very weakness and backwardness. It lives only by the billion dollars its being given thru US and French alliance with the gulfic regimes (and mainly Saudi Arabia). Indeed, a whole new world order is needed to invert that vicious logic, that vicious world order in which America is the very masochistic, schizophrenic creator of its own foes. The new US administration is set to bring things forward in that logic, although they probably don't see clearly that the key pb is Saudi Arabia. They're moved by too much passion, and they're ignorant. But they'll go the right direction.
Come down on the Saudi regime and you'll see peace in Syria for they'll stop dropping billions to endlessly pour in mercenary recrutes for Al Qaeda the West calls moderates, for its own hegemonic interrests in the region, and to counter Russia's. A new world order is needed. Put the bulk of world oil economy in whoever hands but those ignorant sheep herders. Let America take it all in the Gulf and let the Levant to Russia. Choke Saudi Arabia dry.

The Economist seemingly joined the orchestra of misleading. In fact, Bashar doesn't have regular forces on the ground. They are all local militias, mostly Alawite. The Russian are the main and mighty power in Syria. The resistance was not crushed. It lost a battle on the long road to freedom.

BBC: "Our correspondent says he can see smoke still rising from the rebel enclave. Government sources told him that the rebels were burning documents so they could not be recovered by the security services."
Source:
http://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-middle-east-38308826
At 11:38 my timeline (yours might differ if you are not in CET) subtitle:
"Civilians 'allowed to choose whether to leave or remain' in Aleppo"

____
And this is why it would have been better to capture them. We could find out how many of them were from foreign powers on covert missions.

Ms S.Power, Syria's six year war (leading to a horrifying coda in Aleppo) is a direct result of US (UK, France, Saudi & the lot) continuous support/arming the rebels to agitate, to kill, to terrorize and fuel the endless bloodshed we're all seeing.

If US(UK,France, Saudi & the lot) stop all their support/arming Syrian rebels,the endless atrocities would have stopped long long ago.

Ms S.Power, with all due respect, you (along with Kerry and others) are war criminals to continue to support/train/arm the rebels to endlessly kill/terrorize more and more in Syria (and elsewhere).

US (UK,France, Saudi & the lot) are the ones responsible for this complete meltdown of humanity.

Ms Power, Mr.Kerry (and some others):
Are you truly incapable of shame?
Is there literally nothing that can shame you?
Is there no act of barbarism against civilians, no execution of a child that gets under your skin, that just creeps you out a little bit?
Is there nothing you will not lie about or justify?
Have the slaughter in Syria not tainted your reputations and your conscience?

I have tried to be well-researched in the Syrian Civil War, taking into review information from various sources, including main stream media or more independent news outlets that utlilize twitter and youtube.

Your sub heading: the fate of 100 000 is terrifyingly unclear triggered a nerve that few articles have before.

Prior to the civil war, Syria was a secular nation which was relatively fair and equal. There was few instances of human rights abuse and the amicable relationship between France and other western countries with Assad prior to the civil war can be a testament to the opinion that pre-civil war Syria was a decent regime.

Why does the Economist like so many mainstream media outets champion the rebels, who are disreputably non-sectarian and UN-DEMOCRATIC?

The original FSA. born from the ashes of the Arab Spring is LONG DEAD and its democratic, secular and decent values HAVE DIED WITH IT.

I urge you to stop grabbing thin air and continue to champion the rebels, who are a husk of their past.

There's no need for any news outlets to support the Assad regime, who are also tainted with the blood of a civil war. However, as a respectable and independent news outlet, why do you ignore facts that contradicts your own position in this civil war?

How has there been no reports of the SAA repeatedly offering safe transportation for the rebels to relocate to idlib province?

How about the reports of the SAA providing safe passage for civilians in recently acquired territory?

How about how the SAA opened unarmed escape points for civilians which the rebels prevented civilians from escaping form?

How about how the Rebels shot civilians who were demanding the rebels to let them enter government held areas of Aleppo city?

Of cause, there can be similar arguments in these lines against the SAA but I feel frustrated about the one sided story that has been told.

In each war, protest, ect, there are many stories that exist. Repeatedly through history, we have witnessed the dangers of valuing and telling only one side of a wider issue. It creates chaos, divisions and antipathy.

I do not know if any Economist staff reads the comment sections but please be brave and through less biased and balanced journalism that is willing to re-evaluate its own positions, earn the respect from us all.

This is all lies. Now you see this brave independent press canadian lady telling the real story in Allepo. Thanks God we finally have someone tha doesnt care of the elite agenda. ISIS will be destroyed and all of them should be beheaded. Like prophet Eliah did to the 450 witches of Jetzabel.

I don't Know Why???? TE chose to open this Tragic-Tale, with some Revisionist History!

This is NOT Hama, and it's NOT 1982!!
There is NO Hafiz, it's ONLY Bashar!!!

This is Allepo 2016, and NO it can NEVER Fall!!!!

That this Ancient-City, is about to be wholly returned to the Syrian-State, should allow US to breathe a Collective-Sigh of RELIEF!!!!!

Lord have MERCY..................

Peace, Love & Respect.

"The failure of the rest of the world to stop the slaughter in Aleppo has exposed thousands of civilians to the savagery of Mr Assad’s forces."

The Economist should perhaps add that: "The White House on Thursday 8th of December, announced a new waiver order by President Barack Obama that would lift restrictions on military support for foreign forces and others in Syria if considered "essential to the national security interests of the United States".

The link is from the White House:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/08/presidential-dete...

Not only has Washington and its allies encouraged the war in Syria by funding and arming foreign terrorists, now that Washington has lost, it seems only interested in prolonging this war and blame the legitimate Syrian government and its allies for defending and defeating these (in their majority) foreign terrorists.

I am quite surprised that a publication like The Economist notwithstanding the extremely controversial article published in the Washington Post about "Fake News", is itself persevering in the publishing of cheap propaganda.

The Economist should remember the sage saying sometimes attributed to Mr Abraham Lincoln: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool ALL of the people ALL of the time."

Perhaps this quote should be pinned on every redaction walls of every news media.

The moderate bros lamented that they are being let down by their Anglo-US and Wahhabi terrorist State Sponsors for allowing Putin to carry out the carnage in Aleppo. In fact, many last calls in U-tube had said that they would rather die fighting to go to Paradise of Allah rather than to retreat and migrate to the promised lands of their Sponsors, soon to be inaugurated as the Holy Rum Caliphate per Rumiya as published by IS. By now, these moderate bros should have realised that the tide has turned as their apostate Big bro Obama and crooked Big sis Hillary have both lost favor in Washington

So many people in the dark - so many with blinkers
The USA has freedom of speech - and so they cannot do much about it.
Putin can, and he does.
The civilians who have died would have to be in cahoots with IS - otherwise they would be dead.
and yes - the ones who did not cooperate have been killed - courtesy of IS

Just a Proxy War between
Party#1
NATO, Sunni Powers and Zionists
VS
Party # 2
Russia,West-disliked Syran president, Iran, Hezbollah and China
Where TE does its role (again) in presenting biased news on "Inocent Portesters"-
WHEN in REALITY they ARE:
Christian, Kurdish, Wowen, Children Killers and Rapists- ALL BACKED BY THE US GOVNT TURKEY, SAUDI ARABIA AND QATAR.

Nobody knows exactly the fate of a hundred thousand civilians? Unthinkable.
After Srebrenica 20 years ago, the world said "never again". After Aleppo, the world again says "never again". What for? In reality, the world actually says "ever again".

Syrians(Yazidis,Christians,Kurds,etc)are all suffering hell because US,UK,France continue to arm/train/support jihadist rebels who brutally kill people, terrorize Syria(&the region)for so many years.

If US,UK,France stop all their support/arming Syrian rebels,the endless atrocities will soon stop,giving peace a chance.

But US,UK,France continue to arm/help them to escalate it, helping the rebels to kill/terrorize even more.

We must demand immediate actions that US,UK,France to stop immediately supporting/arming jihadist rebels who have no qualms to ethnic cleansing.

US,UK, France are committing war crimes by arming these jihadist rebels to prolong the endless violence. US,UK, France must be held responsible for each casualty in these war crimes.

Though Assad is Alawite, but Syria is largely a secular country ensuring the protection of minorities (like Christians).

The West should either stay out of it or support Assad.

The quickest way to end the war is for Assad to win.

In fact, Assad must stay to defend (& win) his secular country ensuring the protection of all minorities.

Even Egypt says Russia's intervention in Syria will curtail the spread of terrorism and help deal a fatal blow to Islamic State.

US,UK,France break laws to invade/attack (Iraq,Libya,etc) illegally(which are war crimes)destabilise the region leading to more failed states convulsing in violence and killing fields with millions of innocent people (including children, women) being murdered/raped/injured/traumatized/displaced, setting fires to the whole region which have simply radicalized and created more and more terrorists... all unfolding daily and endlessly, unprecedented atrocities committed by these war criminals (Bush/Blair/Sarkozy/Cameron).

Even Tony Blair admitted that the illegal invasion of Iraq was wrong.

This refugee crisis -a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Europe and elsewhere - is the direct result of the US/NATO illegal invasions/attacks (Iraq, Libya, etc)

The U.S., UK, France have created this bad karma, these 3 countries must accept at least a million refugees in each of these 3 countries since they have created all these refugees in the first place.

Mr Kerry: Have you not learnt anything from these war criminals (Bush/Blair/Sarkozy/Cameron the lot)? Are you hell-bent to repeat the same heinous war crimes in Syria (& elsewhere) to achieve illegal regime changes? Are these people, women, children sub-humans deserve to suffer hell from your war crimes? Why are you not stopping the stupid support of these jihadist rebels who have no qualms to ethnic cleansing (Christians, Yazidis, etc)? Are you proud of these illegal invasions/ attacks (Iraq, Libya, etc.) that leave these countries to continue to suffer endless violence/ bloodshed?

All the US(UK,France) care about is oil and geopolitics, they just simply treat Iraqis, Libyans, Syrians, Yazidis, Kurds, etc. as sub-humans and sideshows while hell-bent to break laws to invade / attack illegally to achieve illegal regime changes by violence/bloodshed.

Mr Kerry: Please get get your priorities right. You must get ICC to charge/jail these war criminals (Bush/Blair/Sarkozy/Cameron) who break laws to invade / attack (Iraq, Libya, etc.) illegally, committing war crimes with millions of innocent people (including children, women) being murdered/raped/injured/traumatized/displaced/sold and resold as sex slaves...the worst war crimes in modern history. You must get ICC to charge/jail these war criminals (Bush/Blair/Sarkozy/Cameron) for life.

Mr Kerry: You must also get ICC to charge/jail the US war criminals who arm/support Saudi-led coalition's air strikes on a funeral hall in Yemen - a continue troubling series of illegal attacks striking Yemeni civilians - killed more than 140 grief mourners.

Mr Kerry: You must also get ICC to charge/jail the US war criminals who used Air Force AC-130U gunship attacking the Kunduz Trauma Centre operated by MSF in Afghanistan with at least 42 people killed and over 30 injured. MSF condemned the attack, saying all warring parties had been notified of the hospital's location ahead of time, and that the airstrike was deliberate, a breach of international humanitarian law and MSF is working on the presumption of a war crime....the list goes on and on for you to charge/jail war criminals in US,UK,France who attack/invade illegally, committing war crimes repeatedly...

The region’s governments – Syria, Saudi, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and elsewhere – have both the incentive and the means to reach mutual accommodations. What is stopping them is the belief that the US or some other outside power will deliver a decisive victory on their behalf - if you like Uncle Sam is the puppet attached to the strings manipulated by Middle-East puppeteers to do the dirty work and all this worsens/provokes more violence/bloodshed.

Very well done, Aleppo has fallen and the people will have the time to settle down and resume a more stable life for themselves and their families. The only problem that could arise is the filtering back of the rebels and terrorist.
The Regime should now go after the rebels/ terrorist who have circled two nearby towns of Assad's supporters, and who have subjected them to endless atrocities, but whose fate is ignored by the pro Western media.To them only Assad and his allies are cruel, all the western powers,and the rebels /terrorists that they support are kind in this ruthless war. It is because of Iran's intervention that 15,ooo civilians in those towns will be freed, as a condition of the rebels being allowed to leave Aleppo

This Syrian disaster proved nothing else if not that Assaad is exactly the kind of leader needed in Middle Eastern countries.