12 minutes ago in response to #83793
Baldman Wrote: The rumour I heard was that Russian bases have been guaranteed by the rebels and this was partly what accelerated the end of Assad. No idea if that’s correct
Something must have been negotiated- even the Afghans didn’t collapse this quick. Not unprecedented for conscript armies to evaporate but would have expected enough to have reason enough to fight a retreat (maybe they have run to the Alawite coast).
Maybe Assad himself decided it was over and decided not to burn the country on the way out.
Or there was a sort of coup and he was told to go.
I’m not sure this is a relevant precedent to Putin, but it must be alarming for Lukashenko!