The most important updates on the war in Syria.
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WEEKLY UPDATE
October 21, 2016
Dear Readers,Welcome to the weekly Syria Deeply newsletter. We’ve rounded up the most important stories and developments about Syria and the Syrians in order to bring you valuable news and analysis. But first, here is a brief overview of what happened this week:Brokered earlier in the week by Russia, a “humanitarian pause” began in Aleppo on Thursday that saw a halt to Syrian and Russian airstrikes in order to allow rebels and civilians to evacuate the besieged eastern side of Syria’s largest city. Russia originally announced that the pause in airstrikes would last for eight hours, despite a U.N. assessment finding that at least 12 hours were needed to carry out evacuations. Moscow later increased the halt in fighting to 11 hours. Two exit corridors were established to facilitate evacuation, but many rebels and residents said they would not leave the opposition-held side of Aleppo. Some rebel groups criticized the pause, claiming it was merely a ploy aimed at getting fighters to abandon their position and empty the city. Residents also claimed that they feared they would be arrested by pro-Syrian regime forces if they evacuated the area.As the pause began, Russia joined the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Qatar in talks in Geneva aimed at separating armed opposition groups from extremists in Aleppo. Despite this diplomatic involvement, Russia also ramped up its military presence in Syria. A Russian aircraft carrier, a battle cruiser and other support vessels were reportedly on route to the country on Friday.Weekly Highlights:

Pause in Aleppo Is Not ‘Humanitarian’ but a Means of Military Escalation

Russia’s 11-hour “humanitarian pause” to facilitate evacuations from eastern Aleppo will not allow for much-needed aid, but rather is part of an overall strategy for a military solution to the conflict, says Middle East analyst Sharif Nashashibi.
A boy sits amongst rubble in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, Syria. Syrian Civil Defense- White Helmets via AP

Green Gold: How ISIS Is Making as Much Money From Wheat as From Oil

As ISIS comes under increased attack in some of the region’s most fertile lands, Middle East agriculture researcher Eckart Woertz discusses how the militant group shrewdly chose to export a renewable resource.
Men make bread at a bakery in the old city of Aleppo, Syria. Wheat is one of Syria’s most important commodities. AP/Andoni Lubaki, File

Pixels of War: Photographing the Siege in Eastern Ghouta

In the first installment of “Pixels of War,” our diary series on Syrian journalists, Artino describes his time as a war photographer, wanted by the regime, in besieged Eastern Ghouta.
Artino

Additional Reading:

Top image: Artino taking a photo. Artino

Author: Impunity Watch Archive