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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 22-Dec-2019
22-Dec-19 World View -- Syria, Russia veto humanitarian aid to Idlib as civilian massacre escalates

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Tens of thousands flee to Turkish border as Syria-Russia massacre escalates in Idlib
Russia and China veto humanitarian aid for Idlib

Tens of thousands flee to Turkish border as Syria-Russia massacre escalates in Idlib

Displaced Syrians in Idlib carry their belongings and try to escape al-Assad's violence by fleeing to the Syria-Turkey border (AFP)

Displaced Syrians in Idlib carry their belongings and try to escape al-Assad's violence by fleeing to the Syria-Turkey border (AFP)

The assault by the Syrian regime and Russia is continuing to escalate, as I described several days ago. ( "19-Dec-19 World View -- Escalated bombing by Syria, Russia in Idlib sends tens of thousands to Turkey border")

Massive bombardments by Syrian and Russian warplanes have continued. The United Nations has condemned "a well-documented pattern of attacks against civilians and infrastructure." This pattern involves the use of powerful barrel bombs particularly targeting masses of women and children, including attacks on schools, marketplaces, maternity hospitals and other hospitals, and residential neighborhoods.

According to the UN, tens of thousands of civilians are fleeing for their lives by traveling north towards the border with Turkey. There are 3.5 million civilians in Idlib, and as the Syrian - Russian assault continues to escalate, it's expected that several hundred thousand will travel to the Turkey border, where they either be slaughtered like fish in a barrel, or else they'll force themselves into Turkey.

There's been another change in the last couple of weeks, with the introduction of Syrian regime ground forces. They've been concentrating on highway M5 in order to reopen the link between Damascus and Aleppo. This has gone on while the airstrikes have continued inside Idlib. Presumably, once the M5 highway has been fully reopened, the ground troops will move into the other civilian villages.

For two years, Syria's president Bashar al-Assad has been promising a full-scale assault to take control of Idlib, even if it means killing the 3.5 million Arab Sunni civilians, whom al-Assad considers to be loathsome cockroaches to be exterminated.

Unless something changes, we're going to see a major new humanitarian crisis. We're also going to see hundreds of thousands of civilians crowd across the border into Turkey, and from there many thousands will continue into Europe, creating a new European refugee crisis.

Russia and China veto humanitarian aid for Idlib

In a surprise on Friday in the UN Security Council, Russia and China vetoed the resolution to continue the humanitarian aid program for Idlib, and instead offered an alternative resolution that severely restricted the amount of humanitarian aid.

The reason given is that program is no longer necessary, since Bashar al-Assad now controls enough of Syria that he can provide the humanitarian aid, instead of the United Nations. This is typical of the laughable crap that we're always hearing from Russian officials and Russian trolls.

The current aid resolution expires on January 10. Until then, the United States and other diplomats are going to be negotiating with the Russians to try to get the existing program extended.

This veto makes it pretty clear that the Syrian regime and Russia are now going all out to take control of Idlib, no matter how many millions of civilians are killed. Ironically, it won't end the war, since there are still many pockets of anti-Assad Sunni Arabs across Syria. Furthermore Turkey is in control of some of Syria's territory, and the Kurds are in control of a large part of eastern Syria, as can be seen in the map in my last article on Idlib.

It's pretty clear that al-Assad is going to finish up his massive genocide and ethnic cleansing of his Sunni Arab political opponents. Does anyone care except people who are paid to care?

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(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the Generational Dynamics World View News thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (22-Dec-2019) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 22-Dec-2019 22-Dec-19 World View -- Syria, Russia veto humanitarian aid to Idlib as civilian massacre escalates

Tens of thousands flee to Turkish border as Syria-Russia massacre escalates in Idlib

Russia and China veto humanitarian aid for Idlib

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 22-Dec-2019
22-Dec-19 World View -- Syria, Russia veto humanitarian aid to Idlib as civilian massacre escalates