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

Remember back to the Afghan war with Russia when the Americans stuck their oar in to help the precursor to Al Qaeda. A lot of the problems these countries are going through can be traced back to that.

Wow. I'm just cautious about feeling positive about this revolution. Like others have hinted at we don't know what the new movement really is about yet.

Turkey continues to shell Kurdish positions in Syria while the revolution happens everywhere else.

The chessboard is rather hard to read at the moment but if I had to hazard a guess, the winners here are:

1. Turkey: they have been the main backers of the dominant rebel faction
2. Israel: a strategic enemy has been defeated without a fight and another one (Iran) has been hugely weakened
3. Lebanon: there is hope now that with the malign influence of Syria casting a cloud over their country - and Hezbollah smashed to pieces by the IDF - they could reassert control over their own affairs
4. The Syrian people: TBC and it all depends what kind of new Syria rises from the ashes. Maybe the millions of refugees can return. Maybe a fair society can emerge. Maybe. In any case the dictatorship that murdered over 500,000 of its own citizens is gone.

The big losers? Russia and Iran

From what I hear from a Syrian acquaintance, originally from Latakia but currently in exile, Latakia is in chaos: the army has fled and abandoned their arms which have been seized by teenagers who are running riot. Closer perhaps to the situation with gangs in Haiti immediately after Jovenal Moise was killed than to an actual takeover by HTS. For the moment at any rate.

Considering you are pro Israeli i find your crowing is misplaced and a very odd stance to take, you're on the one hand against jihadists in Gaza but seemingly cheering them on in Syria for political point scoring. Do you really need to be reminded that The leader of HTS has praised the October 7th attacks and mourned the death of Haniyeh. Your Israeli friends don't want the likes of him as the main powerbroker in Syria that's for sure.

The last decade has been relative peace for most of the country, with ISIS being confined mostly to the desert, the Kurds owning the north east & oil fields (with US backing) and Turkish rebels to the north west.

Most of the population has been away from any conflict for years now. That is no longer the case.

Gotta love the on the ground reporting from boardsies.

The rebels advance could be measured as proportional to Russian collapse in Syria.

That's fair. Think the Iranians and Hezbollah recent problems have also had a considerable impact. The Assad regime lost a considerable amount of both their effective air support and ground forces. Even some of the neighbouring militias might have been bombed by either the US or Israelis en-route, which would certainly have an impact on the motivation.

The factors that helped save Assad's regime in 2015/16 weren't there this time or at least not in the required numbers.

Lol, some truth to this.

But, this is an absolute disaster for Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has lost their supply route from Iran

This could wobble the Iranian regime if locals back home start getting ideas. Also Iranians regional influence has been greatly diminished.

Russia has lost an invaluable port and airbase. Putin wasted unbelievable amount of resources in Syria for 10 years now with nothing to show for it. Absolute disaster for him.

I'd worry for the Syrian people. Hoping the Islamists and extremists do not take control but more moderates.

Id wonder if we'd see another round in the civil war to who comes out in top.

Think Turkey is holding all the cards here.

How condescending that they talk about peace and the UN and they are doing the opposite in Ukraine. I hope Syria emerges as a stronger better country after kicking Assad and all his scum out and helps to Support Ukraine to defeat Russia too.