The Syria Slaughterhouse

The BBC managed to have an intrepid reporter and camera crew make their way into Aleppo, Syria. The carnage in that once glorious city is unimaginable. Neither side is blameless, but it seems that Assadists are intent on killing every man, woman, and child in the areas that rebels control. The actions of those backing Assad are not military or defensive but a grotesque collective punishment that randomly targets and terrorizes. This is not a tactical approach to winning a battle but bears all the hallmarks of a war crime. Unfortunately, the most effective force fighting Assad has a nihilistic mentality that mirrors al-Qaeda ideology and has also committed crimes against humanity against those perceived as Assad supporters but also against Syrian Christians who had no part in the fight. There is no way for outsiders to pacify Assad without leaving a force of Sunni fanatics in his place. When both sides manifest evil in their conduct and a fair peace is impossible, the best the world may achieve is to maintain the status quo which means prolonged civil war.