ANALYSIS
“Taking Ghouta would enable the regime to further consolidate control around the capital and move toward its goal of ending the conflict through force rather than a political settlement,” Raja Abdulrahim writes for the Wall Street Journal.
“Many are making parallels between the current campaign in Eastern Ghouta and the one that both the government and Russia conducted in East Aleppo at the end of 2016. There are definite similarities between these and other cases: a strategy of besiegement and starvation followed by heavy bombardment,” Lina Khatib writes for Middle East Eye.
“The United States, and the international community—including Syria’s neighbors—have a responsibility to do more, but convincing Putin that the United States will actually stand up to Russia is a prerequisite for a strategic change in Russian support for Assad. And right now, Putin is unconvinced,” Samantha Vinograd writes for Just Security.
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