DEEP DIVE — Even by the requirements of the Center East, it’s been a risky and violent yr – from Gaza to Lebanon to the unprecedented direct strikes by Iran and Israel in opposition to each other. One nation within the area the place stability appeared assured was Syria – given the robust grip Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has saved on his enemies.
That grip appears to be like immediately fragile, after a insurgent group seized Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest metropolis, on November 27. The rebels have since superior on different inhabitants facilities and entered the strategic metropolis of Hama on Thursday, threatening the regime in ways in which haven’t been seen in years.
