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1-Page Summary of After the Fall

In December 2016, the Syrian army took back Aleppo from rebel groups. The city had become a microcosm of the conflict in Syria, which has been going on for years. Western observers accuse the Syrian army and its Russian allies of targeting hospitals and civilians as they try to regain control over this important city. Supporters of Assad have portrayed their victory as a “liberation” from brutal terrorist rule. While both sides committed war crimes in Aleppo, it’s true that life under rebel rule was also abhorrent: Feuding rebel factions turned the city into an anarchic wasteland full of feuding militias that hoarded food while people starved.

The last major stronghold of the rebels was captured by government forces. This marked a turning point in the civil war, which prompted other countries to accept Assad’s rule instead of supporting the rebels. In addition, Iran and Russia had previously increased their efforts to fight against insurgents in Syria but were now vindicated after years of fighting.

The fall of Aleppo in Syria also changed the mindset of many average Syrians. They now see the Assad regime as a better alternative to rebel rule, despite its flaws and brutality. The regime is seen as defending secularism against Islamists and protecting people from looting that has become common among rebels and paramilitary groups. Meanwhile, while government officials publicly condemn this kind of theft, they privately condone it by using checkpoints for taxation purposes to pay their allies or maintain loyalty. There are no viable homegrown political alternatives to Assad’s regime because Syrian civil society had been weakened long before the start of war with police state tactics like surveillance.