Once more, we find ourselves facing a huge efflux of contradicting media reports, and awaiting with great anticipation what can only be described as the largest battle in the Syrian current crisis. And once more, we find ourselves facing a level of propaganda that the world has probably not seen since the Soviet War in Afghanistan in the 80s of the last century.
But who is fighting who in Aleppo, in reality? Is Aleppo a revolting city? Where did the opposition rebel fighters come from? What is the nature of these fighting groups?
Liberating a non-revolting city from its own people
proven to be loyal to the Syrian government. Analysts from all over the world have been trying to explain how Aleppo did not join the revolt against Assad, citing different economical, ethnic, and political reasons. Foreign Policy, in this article, tried to reassure readers that Aleppo will be joining the revolt, despite its silence so far. But that was on February 21st, 5 months ago, and we still have not seen the sizable demonstrations the editor talked about. Aleppo has even been mocked by the Syrian opposition, with a banner once reading “Aleppo wouldn't rise even if it took Viagra.”
Since the beginning of the crisis, Aleppo has failed opposition activists several times. These activists declared June 30, 2011 The “Aleppo Volcano Thursday”, promising they would occupy main squares in the city with protesters. This did not happen, despite getting many activists from other cities to travel to Aleppo that Thursday. Attempts to get Aleppo involved continued, using the city’s university student sometimes, and neighboring countryside areas some other times, but never succeeding in gathering sizable demonstrations, even when they succeeded in organizing ones inside the city itself...
http://www.syria-tribune.com/e/index.php/by-syria-tribune/31-aleppo-battle