Aleppo recapture deals setback to Gulf rebel backers
For Mathieu Guidere, Middle East expert at the University of Toulouse, the fall of Aleppo has more dramatic consequences for Gulf backers.
"The destiny of Syria is no longer in the hands of Gulf countries," he said, pointing to the evolving cooperation between Turkey, Russia and Iran.
The trio agreed this week to guarantee Syria peace talks and have backed expanding a ceasefire, laying down their claim as the main powerbrokers in the conflict.
Ankara and Moscow also brokered the Aleppo evacuation deal.
"After the fall of Aleppo, the challenge for the Gulf countries is not Assad himself, but the new alliance between Russia, Turkey and Iran," Guidere said.
"In a severe power imbalance situation the powerful party loses the incentive to compromise and instead becomes tempted to pursue a zero-sum war," he said.
The largest remaining rebel bastion after Aleppo is Idlib province, controlled by a coalition dominated by extremists from a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.
http://www.france24.com/en/20161223-aleppo-recapture-deals-setback-gulf-rebel-backers