A Family Resemblance

“Almost 30 years after the Hama massacre, Hafez’s son, Bashar, faced his own revolt when peaceful protests against his rule erupted across Syria in 2011. Some believed the softly-spoken ophthalmologist would show more restraint than his authoritarian father.” Aleppo obliterated such hopes.

+ “Aleppo has been part of human history for some five thousand years. Abraham is said to have grazed his sheep on its slopes and donated their milk to the local poor.” Today it is a demolished battleground featuring many participating world powers. Robin Wright: The Battle For Aleppo, Syria’s Stalingrad, Ends.

+ PBS Newshour: Here’s what Aleppo looked like before the shelling began.