The West has ‘lost’ in Syria and is being ‘outsmarted’ by Putin and Assad
THE West has “lost the war” in Syria and is being “outsmarted” by Vladimir Putin and Bashar Assad, a former head of Britain’s Armed Forces believes.
Vladimir Putin has outsmarted the West in Syria claims former Armed Forces boss
Lord Richards said the coalition forces should now focus on winning the peace and crushing Islamic State whose HQ is in Syria.
The former chief of the defence staff said David Cameron and Westminster MPs had missed chances to stop President Assad in 2012 and again in 2013 – before Russia sent in its bombers to bolster the Damascus regime.
Lord Richards spoke out today as Russia said Assad’s forces had completed the takeover of the last rebel-held zones of Aleppo – a claim disputed by the rebels.
A bid to launch peace talks between Assad and the rebels is being brokered by Turkey and the Kremlin.
Lord Richards claims the West has been ‘outsmarted’ by Russia and the Syrian government
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Russia said Assad had completed a takeover of the last rebel held zones in Aleppo
Meanwhile, at least 40,000 people remain trapped in Aleppo after the latest attempt to evacuate thousands of civilians was scrapped after Iran demanded similar treatment for its besieged allies further south.
I am afraid we have lost the war
The UN has accused Assad and his backers of war crimes in the recapture of the city.
But Lord Richards said the West “wrings its hands” but is not ready to resolve the humanitarian crisis.
He said: “I am afraid we have lost the war, but that does not mean, if we get the right strategy, that we need to lose the peace.”