What’s Happening in Aleppo?

The Russians and the Syrian army have “granted” exit from the city for the citizens of Aleppo. How gracious of them! Assad wins again. Russian air attacks have slaughtered citizens. Why would the citizens choose to stay? The progress of the Syrian conflict now favors Assad, and the Syrian people will be back where they were before their revolt against Assad began, but much worse off.

Syria will be a Russian puppet state.

What does this mean for the politico-religious state of the people? Syria can neither be counted Islamic or Christian. The religious posture of the country as a whole is just what Putin or Assad decide. And they have no real interest in faith of any stripe. Putin certainly doesn’t care, and Assad ascribes to that peculiar species, the Alawites.  Alawites venerate Imam Ali, possibly making them a Shia derivative. But they invest Ali with divine attributes. They also believe in incarnation and the celebration of the Zoroastrian new year. What a mess! The Alawites are not Islamic.

What can the US and other Western powers do? Nothing apart from a major infusion of ground forces. It’s too late.