# The Fall of Aleppo **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 13, 2016, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595 "2016-12-13T04:36:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/21 "2016-12-13T16:47:48Z")
Civil wars are always bloody, it’s an unfortunate fact of life. Think there were no horrific war crimes in the American Civil War? The best thing one can hope for in such wars is that they are over quickly. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/22 "2016-12-13T16:53:12Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Bingo. 110% Obama’s fault, He did not give enough support when needed to overthrow Assad, while giving just enough that the regime would be unable to crush resistance (and incidentally arming ISIS in the process) leading to the shitshow stalemate we have seen, which destroyed Syria. > > Barry’s fingerprints are all over this crime scene. What would you have him do? Send troops into Syria and get drawn into a war with Russia? Do you honestly think Russia would stand idly by if the US started bombing Syrian military targets? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/23 "2016-12-13T17:05:33Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > What would you have him do? Send troops into Syria and get drawn into a war with Russia? Do you honestly think Russia would stand idly by if the US started bombing Syrian military targets? Doing nothing would have been better than doing just enough to prolong the killing and suffering without affecting the eventual outcome. ---
**Author:** ![ganthet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@ganthet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ganthet)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/24 "2016-12-13T17:12:24Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > That’s a misunderstanding. > Lots of FSA fighters are being pardoned and most Islamists are being transported out after their surrender. As was stated beforehand, the only exception are foreign Islamist fighters. No pardon for them. > > The civilians are just glad their oppresssion by the Islamists is over and they are free again. Yes, for the dead have truly seen the end of war. Can you link to the RT story that you are using to report all your facts concerning the very fair and life-protecting treatment that Assad’s forces have provided to civilians fleeing war zones? Is that why millions of Syrians have fled the country where they live in brutal, sparse conditions just to be away from the fighting and away from Assad? ---
**Author:** ![ganthet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@ganthet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ganthet)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/25 "2016-12-13T17:18:35Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Civil wars are always bloody, it’s an unfortunate fact of life. Think there were no horrific war crimes in the American Civil War? The best thing one can hope for in such wars is that they are over quickly. Right, nothing to see here. Move along, concerned citizens. Wars that involve actual fighting of any kind are generally bloody. In a civil war, if the regime in power ignores the international laws and treaties that it signed and pledged adherence to concerning not targeting civilians, not using chemical weapons, etc. then the war is going to be even bloodier. This “everybody’s bad, so I guess everybody is bad equally” attitude is nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/26 "2016-12-13T17:48:05Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Doing nothing would have been better than doing just enough to prolong the killing and suffering without affecting the eventual outcome. One could argue that arming the rebels prolonged things long enough for refugees to get out and fewer people were killed than what would have been. You could also argue that arming the rebels was a huge mistake and a quicker end to them would have resulted in less suffering, loss of life, and massive destruction of infrastructure. I guess I can’t fault either argument. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/27 "2016-12-13T18:34:13Z")
It’s reported that a ceasefire has been agreed that will allow rebel fighters to leave eastern Aleppo, although it’s unclear whether civilians also will be able to leave. Hopefully, this will limit the bloodshed to some degree. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/28 "2016-12-13T19:21:07Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > One could argue that arming the rebels prolonged things long enough for refugees to get out and fewer people were killed than what would have been. You could also argue that arming the rebels was a huge mistake and a quicker end to them would have resulted in less suffering, loss of life, and massive destruction of infrastructure. I guess I can’t fault either argument. It’s hard to argue the first point after you’ve seen video of the rebels using snipers to pick off civilians that the government troops were trying to escort out of the combat zone. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595/29 "2016-12-13T19:33:35Z")
I still remember McCain pressuring Obama to side with Al Qaeda. Yeah, it happened on Obama’s watch but we’ve got this policy that predates him of always siding with someone or anyone in these ME civil wars and uprisings thinking that _this time_ it’ll work out in our favor and we’ll get some freedom loving democracy out of it. We’ve got a huge hate-on for Assad and keep forgetting that Strong Men are apparently what the ME needs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fall-of-aleppo/774595.md?page=1)