The city of Aleppo, the second largest in Syria, home to some 4 million residents prior to the outbreak of the war, is disappearing from the face of the earth before the very eyes of the international community. Even those among us who have grown used to the horrors in Syria, and believe that we have seen everything and that nothing can surprise us, are left with mouths agape after seeing the rebel-held neighborhoods in the city flattened. It seems once again that nothing is sacred in the Syrian civil war, and nothing is immune to strikes -- not residential neighborhoods, not commercial markets, not mosques, not hospitals and not schools. Everything is allowed and everything is possible, and there is no one like Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies to realize and internalize the message implicit in the world's deafening silence in the face of their deeds. Apparently, what is being done in Aleppo is neither new nor unusual. We have witnessed many such horrors over the six years of the war in Syria. Most of these horrors were caused by the Syrian regime and its allies, but occasionally also by its enemies -- the radical Islamist groups, especially the Islamic State group. But the unique thing about Aleppo is its size. This is not a town or a village that has suffered one or two targeted strikes, quickly forgotten by the world. This is a big city of millions of inhabitants, and the strikes, day after day, at such high frequency and force, create an unprecedented image of destruction. It appears that the Syrian regime is seeking to maximize its achievements and to use the chaotic upheaval of the last year of the war to its benefit. It is seeking accomplishments and victories, and there is nothing quite like a victory over Aleppo -- it would be a meaningful victory, rather than just a symbolic one. After all, this is the second-largest city in the country, and conquering it leads the way -- though the path is long -- toward winning the war. But what is most striking is not just the scope of the damage and destruction that Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin are bringing upon Aleppo, but the fact that the attack comes exactly a week after the collapse of the cease-fire agreement announced by the Russian and American foreign ministers. It seems that the Russians never intended to give up the hold they bought in Syria, and the same is true for their ally, Assad. However, it is the American administration that has once again proved, for the umpteenth time, its utter indifference to the tragedy in Syria. All U.S. President Barack Obama asked for was to avoid American involvement in Syria at any cost. He clarified again and again that he was ruling out the possibility of deploying American troops to fight in the country, whether with the goal of influencing the battles there or with the goal of punishing the Syrian regime for the crimes it is committing. Obama is seeking to end his term in office without becoming contaminated by the horrors of the Syrian war that would stain his legacy. Perhaps when looked at from a selfish American viewpoint, he is right. And it is possible that he also spared the blood of American soldiers. But ironically, the Syrian tragedy will make a mark on his account more so than on anyone else's. The world's silence is deafening, but that is its way. An obsession with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and silence when it comes to the tragedy in Aleppo. After all, who wants to deal with the Russians? Furthermore, Third World dictators are allowed to do anything, as long as they stay in power and win.
The disaster in Aleppo
פרופ' אייל זיסר
פרופ' אייל זיסר הוא מומחה למזה"ת ואפריקה וסגן הרקטור באוניברסיטת תל אביב
