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‘What Is Aleppo?’ Gary Johnson Asked. Let Us Explain. ‘What Is Aleppo?’ Gary Johnson Asked. Let Us Explain.
(about 5 hours later)
Aleppo was once Syria’s most populous city, famed for its citadel and old city. Now it’s a byword for destruction, recently labeled “the apex of horror” by the top aid official at the United Nations.Aleppo was once Syria’s most populous city, famed for its citadel and old city. Now it’s a byword for destruction, recently labeled “the apex of horror” by the top aid official at the United Nations.
On Thursday, the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee, Gary Johnson, was widely mocked when he asked “What is Aleppo?” during an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. A short while later, the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was asked about the flub and laughed, saying only, “You can look on the map and find Aleppo.” On Thursday, the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee, Gary Johnson, was widely mocked when he asked “What is Aleppo?” during an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. A short while later, the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, was asked about the flub and laughed, saying only, “You can look on the map and find Aleppo.”
Some of the basics about what’s going on there, with links to some of The Times’s best recent coverage. Here are some of the basics about what is going on there.
Aleppo was Syria’s largest city and commercial capital before the war. Since 2012, it has been divided between the government, which controls the western part of the city, and rebel forces who control the east. Anne Barnard, our Beirut bureau chief who covers the Syrian war, has chronicled the suffering of civilians there — including Omran Daqneesh, the 5-year-old boy whose photo made headlines around the world last month.Aleppo was Syria’s largest city and commercial capital before the war. Since 2012, it has been divided between the government, which controls the western part of the city, and rebel forces who control the east. Anne Barnard, our Beirut bureau chief who covers the Syrian war, has chronicled the suffering of civilians there — including Omran Daqneesh, the 5-year-old boy whose photo made headlines around the world last month.
Fighting intensified over the summer, as government forces backed by Russia battled an array of rebel groups. Only the government side has air power, and intense bombardment, including regular airstrikes, barrel bombs dropped from helicopters and suspected chlorine attacks, have left much of the eastern part of the city in ruins.Fighting intensified over the summer, as government forces backed by Russia battled an array of rebel groups. Only the government side has air power, and intense bombardment, including regular airstrikes, barrel bombs dropped from helicopters and suspected chlorine attacks, have left much of the eastern part of the city in ruins.
The western, government-held side has also sustained indiscriminate attacks, with rebel mortar barrages on crowded neighborhoods. The western, government-held side has also sustained indiscriminate attacks, with rebel mortar barrages on crowded neighborhoods. Some of the most harrowing tales have come from doctors working to save the wounded. A moving essay was written by Samer Attar, an American doctor who volunteers in the field hospitals of Aleppo.
Some of the most harrowing tales have come from doctors working to save the wounded. A moving essay was written by Samer Attar, an American doctor who volunteers in the field hospitals of Aleppo. Control of supply routes in and out of the eastern part of the city have been a focal point of the conflict, as the government sought to cut off the rebel-held areas. Aid officials say about 275,000 people remain there, cut off from reliable supplies of food, water and medicine. Fighting has also limited aid deliveries to 1.5 million people in the west, where water shortages are just as frequent.
Control of supply routes in and out of the eastern part have been a focal point of the conflict, as the government sought to cut off the rebel-held parts of the city. Aid officials say about 275,000 people remain there, cut off from reliable supplies of food, water and medicine. Fighting also limited aid deliveries to 1.5 million people in the west, where water shortages are just as frequent. In July, the government, backed by Russia, encircled the eastern half of the city, succeeding in cutting off supply routes and putting it under siege. A week later, rebel fighters managed to break the siege and open the routes leading north to the border with Turkey — only to have the government reverse those gains within weeks.
In July, the government, backed by Russia, encircled the eastern half of the city, succeeding in cutting off supply routes and putting it under siege. A week later, rebel fighters managed to break the siege and open the routes leading north to the border with Turkey — only to have the government reverse their gains within weeks.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday that nearly 700 people had been killed in fighting in Aleppo since July 31, including 160 children.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday that nearly 700 people had been killed in fighting in Aleppo since July 31, including 160 children.
Our correspondent Declan Walsh visited the government-held areas in the spring and said that one of the most striking things was much of the city appears to be functioning relatively normally. “The strange part is that the backdrop to the daily bustle is a cacophony of booms,” he wrote afterward. Our correspondent Declan Walsh visited the government-held areas in the spring and said that one of the most striking things was that much of the city appeared to be functioning relatively normally. “The strange part is that the backdrop to the daily bustle is a cacophony of booms,” he wrote afterward.
Aleppo is also the name of the larger province that includes territory controlled by the Syrian government, Kurdish forces, United States-backed rebels, Qaeda-affiliated ones and ISIS. There has been intense and complicated fighting there as Turkey has moved in to clear the area of ISIS — and stop the advancement of Syrian Kurdish groups, who Washington sees as the best bet against ISIS. Aleppo is also the name of the larger province that includes territory controlled by the Syrian government, Kurdish forces, United States-backed rebels, Qaeda-affiliated groups and the Islamic State, or ISIS. There has been intense fighting there as Turkey has moved in to clear the area of ISIS — and stop the advance of Syrian Kurdish groups, who Washington sees as the best bet against ISIS.
President Obama and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia talked about brokering a cease-fire in Syria for 90 minutes on Monday at the Group of 20 meeting in China. Suffice to say, they didn’t reach an agreement. President Obama and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia talked about brokering a cease-fire in Syria for 90 minutes on Monday at the Group of 20 meeting in China. They did not reach an agreement.