CNN’s Ben Wedeman: ‘The Smoke and the Fire Is Starting to Rise Again in Syria’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Liebermann CNN ░░░░░░░░ the Pentagon From our ░░░░░░░░ Wedeman who s followed ░░░░░░░░ latest developments and joins ░░░░░░░░ now from rome And ░░░░░░░░ I m seeing now ░░░░░░░░ syrian rebels have taken ░░░░░░░░ of most of aleppo ░░░░░░░░ And I think we ░░░░░░░░ got a video to ░░░░░░░░ they re just coming ░░░░░░░░ to CNN It s ░░░░░░░░ rebels basically taking control ░░░░░░░░ center square in aleppo ░░░░░░░░ speak to the the ░░░░░░░░ Ben of this moment ░░░░░░░░ how quickly this has ░░░░░░░░ yeah it s hugely ░░░░░░░░ Rebel offensive began just ░░░░░░░░ Wednesday and now we ░░░░░░░░ seeing for instance as ░░░░░░░░ mentioned video and still ░░░░░░░░ of rebels in saadallah ░░░░░░░░ jabiri square which is ░░░░░░░░ the more modern part ░░░░░░░░ the city and we ░░░░░░░░ also we were watching ░░░░░░░░ night a live stream ░░░░░░░░ feed by rebels at ░░░░░░░░ s ancient citadel the ░░░░░░░░ heart of the city ░░░░░░░░ this comes just it ░░░░░░░░ just hours before that ░░░░░░░░ were talking about the ░░░░░░░░ getting into some of ░░░░░░░░ western outskirts of the ░░░░░░░░ What we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ Wednesday is that they ░░░░░░░░ taken dozens and dozens ░░░░░░░░ villages in the western ░░░░░░░░ of aleppo province and ░░░░░░░░ into very little resistance ░░░░░░░░ the regime we did ░░░░░░░░ do see these reports ░░░░░░░░ Russian aircraft have carried ░░░░░░░░ airstrikes in aleppo province ░░░░░░░░ idlib province which is ░░░░░░░░ the west and southwest ░░░░░░░░ aleppo But by and ░░░░░░░░ it appears that the ░░░░░░░░ army has basically pulled ░░░░░░░░ of many of the ░░░░░░░░ of aleppo that they ░░░░░░░░ occupied since 2016 Now ░░░░░░░░ are lots of explanations ░░░░░░░░ to why this is ░░░░░░░░ now but certainly it ░░░░░░░░ appear that with Hezbollah ░░░░░░░░ was went into Syria ░░░░░░░░ the civil war to ░░░░░░░░ the regime of bashar ░░░░░░░░ assad has pulled back ░░░░░░░░ Lebanon And of course ░░░░░░░░ organization has lost much ░░░░░░░░ its top leadership as ░░░░░░░░ result of Israeli air ░░░░░░░░ So they re no ░░░░░░░░ bolstering the regime And ░░░░░░░░ know that the Iranians ░░░░░░░░ also were providing weaponry ░░░░░░░░ advisors to the syrian ░░░░░░░░ forces have also been ░░░░░░░░ repeatedly by the Israelis ░░░░░░░░ the Russians who since ░░░░░░░░ 2015 have had a ░░░░░░░░ on the ground largely ░░░░░░░░ assets They have also ░░░░░░░░ their presence in Syria ░░░░░░░░ of the war in ░░░░░░░░ So basically it s ░░░░░░░░ to the syrian regime ░░░░░░░░ to protect aleppo from ░░░░░░░░ rebels But we know ░░░░░░░░ the syrian regime forces ░░░░░░░░ largely demoralized underpaid poorly ░░░░░░░░ and the syrian army ░░░░░░░░ rife with corruption So ░░░░░░░░ haven t been able ░░░░░░░░ put up much of ░░░░░░░░ defense against this rebel ░░░░░░░░ and Ben and just ░░░░░░░░ to I mean if ░░░░░░░░ becomes should become even ░░░░░░░░ destabilized here speak to ░░░░░░░░ risks for the region ░░░░░░░░ already you know facing ░░░░░░░░ wars here on on ░░░░░░░░ fronts I should say ░░░░░░░░ I mean keep in ░░░░░░░░ of course that Syria ░░░░░░░░ regime of bashar al ░░░░░░░░ is a very important ░░░░░░░░ in the axis of ░░░░░░░░ led by Iran Which ░░░░░░░░ course includes Iran Uh ░░░░░░░░ militias in Iraq bashar ░░░░░░░░ assad s regime Hezbollah ░░░░░░░░ and the Houthis For ░░░░░░░░ for instance Syria the ░░░░░░░░ regime is critical for ░░░░░░░░ continued existence because that ░░░░░░░░ part of the strategic ░░░░░░░░ upon which Hezbollah depends ░░░░░░░░ the syrian regime is ░░░░░░░░ to be paralyzed by ░░░░░░░░ with the a renewed ░░░░░░░░ push against their forces ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ weakened after being battered ░░░░░░░░ the Israelis going back ░░░░░░░░ October of last year ░░░░░░░░ in the broader picture ░░░░░░░░ are seeing that the ░░░░░░░░ of resistance led by ░░░░░░░░ has taken you know ░░░░░░░░ after blow in recent ░░░░░░░░ And this certainly does ░░░░░░░░ another weakening of its ░░░░░░░░ around the region So ░░░░░░░░ terms of the sort ░░░░░░░░ the broader geopolitical picture ░░░░░░░░ is a very significant ░░░░░░░░ And of course keep ░░░░░░░░ mind that Syria is ░░░░░░░░ country that has been ░░░░░░░░ playground for foreign forces ░░░░░░░░ have Turkish forces American ░░░░░░░░ Russian forces Israel operating ░░░░░░░░ the air over Syria ░░░░░░░░ well Iran has forces ░░░░░░░░ still has some forces ░░░░░░░░ Syria So really it ░░░░░░░░ a tinderbox of competing ░░░░░░░░ that now of course ░░░░░░░░ seems that the smoke ░░░░░░░░ the fire is starting ░░░░░░░░ rise again in Syria.