Syrian Military Takes Control of Strategic Village North of Aleppo

The Syrian military seized control of Handarat, a strategic village north of partly insurgent-held Aleppo, following ten days of fighting with the Syrian al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamist brigades, Reuters reports.

The Syrian military has now increased control of an area the insurgent groups used as a supply route into Aleppo.

“Back-and-forth gains have been reported by both sides in recent weeks, after the regime launched a concerted attempt to seize areas north of Aleppo in a bid to sever the rebels’ supply line leading to the city from Turkey,” The Daily Star wrote.

Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, is at the heart of clashes between government forces and insurgents that include Jabhat al-Nusra, Islamist brigades and Western-backed rebels.

Large swathes of insurgent-held Aleppo have been razed to the ground by Syrian air force bombardment, including use of barrel bombs, and many civilians have been killed since fighting began in Aleppo in mid-2012.

U.N. envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura has been working since October to advance a proposal for local cease-fire or “incremental freeze zones” across Syria, starting with the city of Aleppo, in an attempt to halt the fighting and provide humanitarian aid to civilians.

U.S. Reassures Turkey it Seeks Negotiated Political Settlement in Syria that Excludes Assad

Top U.S. envoy John Allen reassured Turkey that the United States is still seeking a negotiated political settlement in Syria that does not include Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and its position on the Syrian leader has not changed, AFP reports.

“The United States believes that he has lost all legitimacy to govern, that conditions in Syria under his rule have led to the rise of ISIS and other terrorist groups, and that we continue to seek a negotiated political‎ outcome to the Syrian conflict that does not in the end include Assad,” a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara said. This came after Allen, the special envoy responsible for building the anti-ISIS coalition, held talks with Turkish officials.

In an interview Sunday, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry suggested that the U.S. would ultimately have to negotiate with Assad, though the State Department clarified that Kerry was not suggesting the U.S. would negotiate with Assad himself.

“By necessity, there has always been a need for representatives of the Assad regime to be a part of this process,” a State Department spokesperson, Marie Harf said.

“It has never been and would not be Assad who would negotiate – and the Secretary was not saying that,” she added.

His remarks drew strong condemnation from Turkey, a vocal opponent of the Syrian leader. Foreign minister Mevlut Çavuşoglu said there was nothing to negotiate with Assad, while Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu likened negotiating with the Syrian president to shaking hands with Adolf Hitler.

Turkey’s reluctance to take more robust action against ISIS has put a strain on relations between the two countries. The U.S. has pressured Turkey in the past for the use of its Incirlik air base in southern Turkey to facilitate U.S. airstrikes on the militant group. While the U.S. appears to prioritize battling the Islamic State before dealing with the regime in Damascus, Turkey’s priority remains the removal of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from power.

“Turkish officials say they could open the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey for use by coalition planes conducting bombing raids against ISIS only as part of a comprehensive strategy with an ultimate goal of bringing down the Assad regime,” AFP writes.

The U.S. and Turkey signed an agreement last month to train and equip thousands of moderate Syrian rebels. The U.S. has thus far screened around 1,200 potential Syrian opposition fighters to participate in the training in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to battle the Islamic State, according to the Pentagon.

On Monday, Army General Ray Odierno said that “some U.S. allies in the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria may be willing to send troops to accompany and support the Syrian opposition force the coalition is planning to train and send back to Syria,” Reuters reports.

Recommended Reads

• Reuters: Downing of U.S. Drone Suggests Syria Imposing Red Lines on Air War
• The National: The Spy Who Fooled the Assad Regime
• Al Jazeera: Inside Syria: ‘We Had a House and Lived with Dignity’
• Al Jazeera: You Probably Won’t Read This Piece About Syria
• Doctors Without Borders (MSF): MSF-Supported Hospital Treats Victims of Chlorine Gas Attack
• Foreign Policy: The Women in the Middle of the War