Syria and IS

Web Arab News Digest

Syria and IS

Summary: after four years of war Syria (excepting the Kurdish area) is roughly divided between the regime, IS, and al-Qa’ida. All are under US attack or sanctions, all are growing weaker, and no one can win. There is a minimalist UN plan for a ceasefire beginning in Aleppo, and a Russian proposal for a conference next month which could be a way to get Washington to accept that al-Asad has to be part of a settlement.

The civil war in Syria began almost four years ago with protests in January 2011 and shows no sign of ending (as we have already commented, the Lebanon civil war lasted fifteen years). About two hundred thousand people have been killed and a million wounded; over three million have fled Syria and over seven million have been displaced within Syria. Routine reports in the last week include barrel bombs dropped on IS-held areas by the Syrian air force loyal to the regime, air strikes by the US-led coalition, and executions by IS, all causing multiple casualties.http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=2820afb1fbae0c99e88fb6f52&id=b6fb799be0&e=672f0b89c4