Rather than coming out of nowhere, the dynamics that led to the HTS rebels' offensive in Syria have been building for a long time. The post The Rebel Offensive in Syria Was Hiding in Plain Sight appeared first on World Politics Review.

A lightning offensive in Syria last week broke a prolonged stalemate 13 years into Syria's civil war and emphasized the vulnerability of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Why it matters: Rebels last week reclaimed nearly all of Aleppo,

Syrians are generally repelled by extreme religious rhetoric. As jihadist groups came to dominate the rebellion after pro-democracy demonstrations were crushed after the first year or so of war after 2011, many Syrians either stayed neutral or sided reluctantly with the regime because they feared the murderous jihadist ideology of Islamic State.