Can Putin Save Syria? Exclusive From Inside Aleppo

TMI Show Ep 31: Can Putin Save Syria? An Exclusive from Inside Aleppo

Scarcely noticed by most of the world, the Civil War in Syria has been grinding out for more than a decade. A proxy war with the central government of Bashar al-Assad, supported by its traditional ally Russia (along with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon) against an assortment of radical jihadi militias, including remnants of Al Qaeda supported by the United States under the cover of going after the terrorist group ISIS, the balance of power had remained relatively stable at the front lines despite the threat of total fragmentation as Syria's Kurds seized their own autonomous zone--until a couple of weeks ago.

Now an Al Qaeda affiliate called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies have launched an offensive that shocked the world by capturing the second largest city in Syria, Aleppo.

The TMI Show bring you an EXCLUSIVE look from directly inside HTS-occupied Aleppo with Steven Sahiounie, a Syrian national and journalist in Aleppo.

What is it like to live under HTS control? How likely are they to top all the government of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus? What would be the regional and global implications of a radical jihadi state on the border with Israel? The United States has been trying to persuade al-Assad to abandon his allies Russia and Iran, but has so far failed. Is that likely to change? Can Russia, trying to close the deal in Ukraine, divert resources to save the Syrian government?

Keywords: Syria, Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, Iran, foreign policy, civil conflict, civil war, Bahar, al-Assad, jihadis Islamic fundamentalism, Taliban, Russia, Vladimir Putin