8/17/12- While the NATO nations' propaganda machine gears into overdrive on Syria, with nearly every major Western publication and news outlet now explicity acting on behalf of Syria's "rebels", it is high time for an objective and purely un-emotional survey of the situation in Syria as it stands today.
On the ground, the Syrian Army has managed to dislodge the terrorist groups from all of their Damascus footholds, while Aleppo has yet to be completely cleared. Sporadic clashes are occurring around Aleppo daily, particularly around the major airport. Despite their continued presence in the area, the "rebels" suffered a very heavy and demoralizing defeat in the Salah-El Din district of Aleppo, and have now been effectively scattered.
Across Syria, however, there are pockets of "rebel" control, and there is no denying that the authorities have lost day to day control over certain areas. This situation fits in with what is most likely NATO's desired scenario in Syria, which is to bring about a stalemate in which the "rebels"control some definite territory, while the government maintains control over other regions. This state of affairs would allow NATO to determine the character and objectives of the "rebels" in a manageable enclave. However, any hopes on the "rebel" side that Aleppo would be the seat of such an enclave have been resoundly dashed, as the Syrian Army has been dominant in most engagements on the ground, and of course controls the air.
With continued support from Iran in particular, the Syrian government is unlikely to fall, as they will be re-fueled, re-armed, and re-supplied at every turn. The Syrian Army is a professional, highly trained force with a solidly loyal core of capable fighters. While NATO would certainly like to see the current state of affairs perpetuate, culminating in the full realization of the above-mentioned scenario in which both sides control territory, much depends on how the fighting on the ground proceeds. If the Syrian Army can cleanse and hold Aleppo as they have done in Damascus, they will have more resources to devote to crushing the "rebels" elsewhere, and a process of consolidation may take place. However, much depends on the speed and effectiveness with which the government can fully pacify Aleppo.
