REESE ERLICH, ReeseErlich2[at]hotmail.com
Foreign correspondent and author of Inside Syria, Erlich said today: “The Assad forces have apparently taken control of opposition held areas of Aleppo after four years. It is clearly a major military victory, but does this significantly alter the political landscape? The war is likely to continue. The IS has retaken Palmyra and other rebels still control parts of the country. The Kurdish forces control a stretch of territory along the Turkish border as well as enclaves in Aleppo. Some of the defeated rebels may join the Kurdish-led coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forces.”

“The key element to watch, is whether the Trump administration will shift policy to favor Russia and Assad and whether Turkey will continue its de facto alliance with Assad. If so the political balance will shift towards Assad.”

The paperback edition of Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect (foreword by Noam Chomsky) has just come out. Erlich has reported from Syria six times and has visited all the surrounding countries. He is currently on a national book tour and is available for interviews after 8 a.m. Pacific Time.