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Syria's Shrinking Rebel Pocket in Idlib

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Fabrice Balanche - The rebel pocket in Syria's Idlib province has shrunk to half the size it was in April 2019, as Bashar al-Assad is determined to do away with what he and his allies see as "Jihadistan." The rebels now control only 3,000 square km. of Idlib, down from 7,000 last April. There are now 9,000 Turkish soldiers in Idlib, but it is not clear how much longer they will stay. Russia wants to do away with what it sees as a terrorist nest in Idlib. The jihadist groups have their backs to the wall and are ready to fight to the bitter end, at great cost to opposing forces. Assad wants to reclaim as much Syrian territory as possible, but emptied of people who oppose him. Turkey does not want more refugees. Likewise, the EU trembles at the prospect of several million new refugees heading for its borders. The writer, an associate professor at the University of Lyon 2, is an adjunct fellow with The Washington Institute.
2020-03-27 00:00:00
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