This is indeed a devastating setback for the long-suffering peoples of Syria and the wider region, but it is by no means the end of their liberation struggle.

The middle east has been entirely reshaped – but not in the way the US imperialists planned 12 years ago.

While Uncle Sam and co are bogged down in trying to destroy Russia via Ukraine, peoples elsewhere are getting out from under his jackboot.

Imperialist sanctions, occupation and war have hugely exacerbated the effects of the recent quake on the longsuffering Syrian people.

As history moves on, new alliances are being formed that are more in tune with the real balance of forces in the world.

Meanwhile, the Russian targets of the present war front remain unbroken and unbowed – and headed for a decisive victory.

Not only have the imperialists strengthened instead of crushing Russia, they have in the process given new confidence to independent-minded states everywhere.

Russian forces have defied imperialist narratives on every front; soon a new phase in the conflict will begin.

As war after war ends in defeat, the much-touted ‘new American century’ is turning out to be the era of imperial decline.

A Russian-brokered agreement has affirmed the central role of Moscow in securing peace on the territory of the former Soviet Union.

What is at stake in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and who stands to gain from it?

One unintended consequence of the ‘deal’ is a new impetus toward a united front of Palestinian organisations.

If Erdogan isn’t careful, he could find himself in outright confrontation not only with Syrian but also Russian armed forces.

The US imperialists have backed 21 of the 28 ‘crazy’ militias leading Turkey’s brutal invasion of northern Syria.

Will Kurdish separatists finally learn the lesson that they are entirely disposable to the imperialists?

Why has this huge step towards Syria’s total liberation been greeted with such howls of rage by those on the self-identifying ‘left’?

After eight years of bloody war aimed at shoring up its control over the middle east, the US has achieved exactly the opposite.

The overproduction crisis is taking its toll on the stability of Erdogan’s AKP government, moving it away from unquestioning support for imperialism.

And the more she advances, the harder becomes the imperialists’ task of keeping together the tissue of lies that was woven to justify their barbaric invasion.

A collective howl of rage from the liberal establishment greeted Trump’s announcement, but whether or not they manage to put the brakes on, the war in Syria is lost.