Closing in on Aleppo

After months of preparations and attacks, forces loyal to the Syrian government are close to completely encircling the rebel-held parts of Aleppo city. The battle for Aleppo will remain a focal point in the country's wide-ranging civil war, and fighting in and around the city will have an outsize influence on the evolution of the conflict. It will also feed directly into the high-level negotiations taking place among Russia, the United States and other powers with a stake in Syria's future....