Saturday, November 30

Syrian rebel groups have made major progress in their largest offensive since 2020, taking control of the city of Aleppo and marking a huge step forward in the country's ongoing civil war.

The Syrian civil war began back in 2011 when massive protests began erupting across the nation, primarily due to discontentment with the leadership of the existing authoritarian government, led by dictator Bashar al-Assad. Armed rebel groups began forming in different areas, and they were given weapons by other Middle Eastern countries and anti-authoritarian groups like NATO. By mid-2012, the conflict had blown out of proportion, intensifying into a proper civil war. NATO and wealthy Middle Eastern countries are on the side of the rebels, while Iran and Russia are on the Syrian government's side.

Since then, those rebel militias have organized into several larger groups which oppose Syria's central government. The Syrian Arab Armed Forces (SAAF) represent the existing government, known as the Syrian Arab Republic. Major opposition groups to the SAAF include the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). While the SAAF controls most of Syria (around 70%), including the capital of Damascus and all of the country's small Mediterranean coastline, the AANES maintains the entire northeastern side of the country, and SIG also controls a significant portion of Syria's northern border with Turkey.

However, none of the rebel groups have made any headway into the Syrian Arab Republic's territory since 2020 until now. The area around Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo, is highly contested, and it has been for over a decade. The eastern side of the city was taken over by rebels in 2012 before Russian warplanes helped the SAAF regain control of the city in 2016. Now, the actual city is still under the control of the SAAF, but the territory to the west of the city is controlled by the SSG and the territories to the north are split between the AANES and SIG.

On Wednesday, SSG forces, known as Hayʼat Tahrir ash-Sham, began a strong offensive into Aleppo, and they quickly gained control of the city. At least a dozen villages and military bases were taken by the rebels as unprepared Syrian, Iranian, and Russian forces were quickly taken down by the insurgence, and the attack could spark yet another rise in fighting in a seemingly endless war that has been at a lull for years.

The United States has confirmed that they were not involved in the attack, as they, along with the United Nations, consider Hayʼat Tahrir ash-Sham a terrorist group. The organization was also previously affiliated with al-Qaeda, but they severed ties years ago. They are estimated to have around 6,000 to 15,000 active members.

Fierce fighting has ensued after the incident, and various forces are now battling for control over Aleppo. Russia is primarily focused on their war with Ukraine, preventing them from supplying more troops, but the rebels have been stockpiling for months in preparation for the attack. Currently, the situation inside the city is rapidly degrading-- most businesses, shops, and public services, including the airport and several hospitals, have shut down, and troops from different forces are now marching through the streets.

The Syrian civil war is in its 13th year now, and the conflict has no end in sight. Across the long war, at least half a million people have been killed, while around 6.8 million other Syrians have been displaced.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Water's density is highest at 4 degrees Celsius, so its density decreases as the temperature gets lower from that densest point. This is why lakes and ponds freeze from the top down-- while the warmer water is pushed to the bottom, the colder water is lifted to the top, where it freezes. This contrasts with other particles, like air, where warmer particles rise and colder particles sink. This is also the reason why ice floats-- the ice is less dense than the cold water beneath it, so it stays at the top.

Quote of the Day: In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.

(Albert Camus)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Obfuscate (verb)- To obfuscate something is to make it more difficult to understand. Obfuscate can also mean “to be evasive, unclear, or confusing.” 

In a Sentence: The revised wording of the rule obfuscates its meaning.