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Aleppo: Syria’s Stalingrad?

Is the struggle for control of Aleppo the key battle in Syria's long-running conflict?

The battle of Stalingrad was arguably the most important strategic battle of the Second World War. The Germans and their allies were eventually defeated by Russian forces after a long, brutal conflict and siege of the city. Aleppo has been described as Syria’s Stalingrad – the country’s largest city, its commercial and trading powerhouse – with rebel held areas under siege by government forces and much of it reduced to rubble. This week on Newshour Extra we’re devoting the programme to the city of Aleppo and its strategic significance in Syria’s long and bloody civil conflict. Join Owen Bennett Jones and his guests both from inside and outside the city, along with the politicians currently meeting in London to discuss diplomatic solutions to bring the war to an end.

Photo: Amid the rubble after an air strike on a rebel-held neighbourhood of Aleppo. Credit: Getty Images

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sat 10 Sep 2016 10:06GMT

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Contributors

Adnan Haddad - a young media activist from Aleppo who works alongside opposition forces

Lyce Doucet - the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Chief International correspondent

Eshani -Ìý a Christian from Aleppo and in the US working for a hedge fundÌý(who chooses to be identified byÌýhis pen name)

Joshua Landis - the head of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma

Abdulkafi Alhamdo - an English teacher who lives in the rebel-held east of Aleppo

Ìý

Broadcasts

  • Fri 9 Sep 2016 08:06GMT
  • Fri 9 Sep 2016 23:06GMT
  • Sat 10 Sep 2016 03:06GMT
  • Sat 10 Sep 2016 10:06GMT

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