ALEPPO, Syria — The Islamic State’s new offensive in Aleppo is in full swing, with dramatic changes on the battlefield a certainty; this will define and reshape the whole dynamics of the Syrian conflict, and may cause major players to recalculate their fundamental policies and strategies. The very survival of the rebel movement in Aleppo hangs in the balance, with serious implications should it be replaced by the terrorist Islamic State (IS).
There is also a personal element to the current offensive. The slogan of the Islamic State's latest campaign to rout the Aleppo rebels and capture their territory is called “revenge for our chaste women.” This hair-raising motto was chosen for two purposes: to put the fear of God into their opponents, and to rally their already frenzied fighters into even higher levels of brutality and blood thirst.
