The End of Assad? Syrian Rebels enter the outskirts of Aleppo for the first time since 2016

I wouldn't be so quick to paint it like that…Big bad ISIS back in power, repeating their atrocities from the past. Whatever power structure will emerge when the fighting is finished, will have to be acceptable to the outside world, no one wants either an ISIS or Taliban state. Thats not going to work. Remember, ISIS killed thousands of Syrians too.

My guess is that they will not get a complete free pass, and just take over all of Syria, as they have been doing up to now, but we will see.

No but the Taliban did a lot of deals and just walked across Afghanistan, took over.

This deals and more reasonable behaviour is on display now but they are still shaved upper lip wild beard types, a bad combination to see

This does make a bit of sense

Yes, you are right. I had forgotten about that. That was as near to a revolution as could happen there. That was over the issue of why the Al-Saud family had complete control over the holy sites, and it failed. Be interesting if its an issue that will arise again….

For what reason are we even comparing the two. They are nothing alike.

It's like wondering why France didn't kick off when Yugoslavia did.

You obviously failed to notice the elephant in the room - the good old USA. Saudi Arabia are in the pocket of the Yanks so they are above reproach 😢 The US have been meddling in the affairs of the Middle East for decades……..for one simple reason their black gold a.k OIL They bankrolled, trained & armed Osama Bin Laden & Co. fighting with the Mujaheddin against the Russians in Afghanistan (Strange but true!) A blind man could see that they are in the background pulling the strings in the current rebel fight back in Syria - not because they love them but they share a common enemy…Russia.

Syria was no utopia under Assad but was paradise compared to what the future holds….think Islamic extremism and all that it entails.

No idea how any of that contradicts anything I said.

I think it's quite possible the US are involved behind the scenes with what's going on in Syria - although I suspect that if they are doing anything very much, Trump will take great pleasure in making that public when he gets into office. He's very pro Israel and Israel get on relatively well with Assad, so will likely be worried about what might replace him.

And I think we all know of the links between Saudi Arabia and the US.

The deal that Trump made with the Taliban, without involving the Afghan government dammed it from the start.. the only get out clause in the contract was that if the Taliban failed to keep any of the conditions they had agreed, changes could be made. Since several years before they pulled out, the US had been handing more and more of the running of the Country to the Afghan Government, while still picking up the tab. Once the Trump deal had been made, the US had steadily been reducing its military and administrative presence, so basically, it was Afghans who were running the show. When the Taliban rolled into Afghanistan, the only ones who put up any resistance were Afghan special forces, then the Government bailed out, and without the US military back-up, that finished it, and ancient Afghan clan and family connections took over, as they had for centuries and were ingrained. The US didn't lose in Afghanistan, Afghans lost Afghanistan, If the US went back there again, they would roll through it as fast as they did after 2011.

What the west held were islands in a Taliban sea.

Sounds like Assad hasn't left the country.

This is collapsing and almost a speed run rate

The family appear to have fled or taking a 'holiday' but Assad himself appears to still be in Damascus.

Well that's nearly it. Homs and Damascus are left.

Incredible the momentum of the last 24 hours. They completely out fought the regime at Hama and are now on the cusp of taking Holms. They'll cut the regime in two. I wonder will they cross the mountains to the coastal region first or take on Damascus.

Considering the Russian asset's near the coast I hope they go there first but with Daraa (population a million) falling and gains south of Damascus they might want to link up with them ASAP.

The US were there long enough and spent enough cash to completely make over Afghanstan, had the Taliban been eliminated, but they weren't. The Taliban are a product of Pakistan's Madrassa's, and behind the scenes Pakistan were always pulling the strings. How else were the Taliban not only surviving, but thriving during those 20 years exile? Pakistan doesn't want a strong successful Afghanistan as a neighbour. And as a plus, they were giving the US a poke in the eye.

As for Afghanistan itself…beautiful rugged hard Country, and with a hardy population to match. A lovely people to know and befriend. They have their own way of doing things going back through the ages, and computer age or not, they still do things the old way, especially in the rural areas. The Country is a patchwork quilt of different clans and family's, inter-connected. And it was this which allowed the Taliban to move so far and so fast, there was no coordinated or organised opposition.Everyone tbelieved that the agreement Trump signed would be kept by the Taliban.