OK, let's turn now to the latest in Syria where a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey is in place - well, at least in theory. Forty years ago, this was a lush rural area of farms and fruit trees. But under Assad and his father before him, the farmland was confiscated and the river water diverted to Damascus.
So it's no surprise it's been rebellious since uprisings began in People there say they are enduring airstrikes from Assad or his Russian allies. And drop a bomb nearby. In the fighting, the water supply to Damascus has been severely disrupted. The rebels blame the regime, and the regime blames the rebels. I speak to a journalist originally from the area, anonymous to protect his family who are still there. He fears the worst.
First of all, you block out the area, you bomb it harshly and then say they are terrorists, they are smugglers, they are extremists, they are ISIS. Although activists deny that, this journalist I spoke to says it's probably true. But there's also maybe a hundred-thousand civilians there. The opposition say they won't participate in peace talks till the assault stops. But their leverage is limited now, they lost their part of the city of Aleppo last month.
And their key backer, Turkey, has moved closer to Assad's Russian allies who are ascendant in the region. So the Turks are basically looking to tactically adjust to all that. And that is not necessarily a retreat, but it's something that's awfully close to that. Search Query Show Search. How To Listen. Show Search Search Query.
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