Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
While Assad and Russia were busy with Aleppo:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ian-airstrikes
Assad's forces and the Russians have never wavered from their objective of breaking the back of the Syrian rebel forces who are NOT closely affiliated with Islamic State. When that opposition is broken, Assad will be, functionally, back in power and NATO will then be forced to work with him to finish off ISIL. Russia will then actually support efforts against ISIL in Syria, but will likely not do much in Iraq, leaving NATO and the Kurds to pay the price for that portion of it.

I predict that Russia will then quietly support Erdogan's anti-Kurdistan stance (which NATO formally supports in deference to Turkey), leaving the Kurds having bled for privilege of cleaning up Western Iraq.