President Bashar al-Assad is determined to retake Syria’s second city Aleppo to deal a decisive blow to the rebels ahead of a possible change in US foreign policy, analysts say. For Assad’s regime, taking Aleppo would be “one of its greatest victories”, Middle East expert Mathieu Guidere says, stressing the city’s “extraordinary historical, political and geopolitical prestige”. More than 4,000 civilians fled rebel-held districts into regime-held areas this weekend in the first exodus of the kind in east Aleppo since 2012. Guidere says the regime would have the upper hand and “tend to want to negotiate even less” if it seized east Aleppo. US president-elect Donald Trump taking up office in less than two months’ time and a possible subsequent change in American foreign policy could also give Assad the advantage.

Source: Hindustan Times November 28, 2016 06:33 UTC