Idlib is Syria's final battle with terrorism if the West stays out
(Baonghean.vn) - Syrian forces are getting closer to retaking the last stronghold of terrorists, the US is boosting its military presence, and Russia is warning of a “false flag” chemical attack. RT news agency on August 30 made a preliminary assessment of the balance of forces before the battle for Idlib.
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| Syrian Army. Photo: Sputnik |
US warships, cruise missile systems, strategic bombers and other military hardware arrived in the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf earlier this week. Washington is denying any buildup is taking place, but Moscow insists the weapons and equipment are being massed in preparation for a massive attack on the Syrian government.
Russia insists that a chemical weapons provocation, staged by jihadists, will be used as a pretext for an attack, and Damascus will once again be baselessly accused of poisoning its own people. In April, a massive airstrike on Syria by the US, UK and France was triggered by what Russia claims was a staged false flag operation.
Jabhat al-Nusra and other militants have no chance against the Syrian army, which is backed by Russia and Iran, but Western intervention could give them a chance to fight back. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently asserted that the US and its allies are trying at all costs to protect the jihadist forces and use them to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
And if violence escalates in Idlib, the 2 million people in this northern Syrian province will be put in a precarious position as terrorists take civilians hostage and use them as human shields.
The Russian Reconciliation Center continues dialogue aimed at reaching a peaceful solution to the Idlib standoff. However, the militants appear unwilling to lay down their arms, making the coming days decisive for the fate of Idlib and Syria as a whole.
