Vladimir Putin had a strategy in Syria - the United States did not

Flanked by his foreign and his defence minister, in one of the awkwardly staged "conversations" Vladimir Putin has made his own form of theatre, Russia's president tried swapping the villainous cloak of warmonger for the white mantle of peacemaker.
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A little over a year ago, he launched his air and ground forces in a blitzkrieg against Syria's rebels to rescue his ally, Bashar al Assad, from defeat.

Assad's regime has been responsible for killing more of his fellow Syrians than any force in the country - including the death cult that calls itself the Islamic State.

Russia's tactic, to target hospitals, clinics, water pumping stations and bakeries, was intended to break the back of the revolution.
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In Aleppo it succeeded.

Now, in a televised conversation between the Russian President and his ministers, we see Putin sitting at his polished table conducting a political masque.











Video:Nightmare vision: Video shows the destruction of Aleppo

Sergei Shoigu, Russia's defence minister, says: "Sixty-two-thousand armed people and during the last two months we spent most of the time marking on maps what we're asking of our American colleagues…"

Vladimir Putin, Russia's President, asks: "So these groups represent the core, they are the main Syrian opposition forces?"

Sergei Shoigu: "Yes, the main forces of the Syrian opposition."
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(Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister, listens).

Putin: "I agree with the suggestion by the Ministry of Defence to scale down our military presence in the Syrian Republic.

"But we will definitely continue the fight against international terrorism and keep supporting the legal Syrian government in the fight against terrorism."

He goes on to say that a ceasefire has been arranged to allow for more peace talks in Kazakhstan.











Video:Last Syrian rebel convoy leaves Aleppo

Coaxed by Turkey, Syria's rebels have signed up and it is understood that Iran will even order a withdrawal of Hezbollah from the ranks of the Damascus regime while IS and the Nusra Front continue to be fair game.

This is the best hope for peace in Syria for four years.

US president Barack Obama admitted early on in the Syrian civil war that Washington lacked a strategy.

Putin never did. It was clear he would batter the revolutionaries to the point at which they sued for peace and ensure that his ally, Assad, survived - whatever the costs to Syrians.

So it would appear that the Russian strongman has pulled off a bold and manly spectacular.

But that appearance may be a coup de theatre.

The reality is that Syria is now more than ever a Russian problem.

And it is to Moscow that Syria's Sunnis will turn for revenge.

This is a Russian and Arab tragedy that is only in its second act and a horror show that may run and run.