As Aleppo burns …

“What Russia is sponsoring and doing” in the Syrian city of Aleppo “is barbarism,” U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said on Sunday. She’s right: For days, Russian and Syrian planes have rained bombs— including white phosphorus, cluster munitions and “bunker- busters” designed to penetrate basements— on the rebel- held side of the city.

It goes without saying that this warcrimesrich offensive, which Syria’s UN ambassador said is aimed at recapturing east Aleppo, has shredded the Obama administration’s attempt to win Russian and Syrian compliance with a cessation of hostilities. So naturally reporters asked senior officials as the attack was getting underway how the United States would respond. “I don’t think . . . this is the time to say where we will go from here,” one answered. Said another: “We’re waiting to see what the Russians come back with.” In other words: Hem, haw. The Putin and Bashar al- Assad regimes are well aware that the only U. S. action President Barack Obama has authorized is diplomatic, and that they are therefore under no pressure to alter their behavior. They already obtained, via John Kerry, U. S. agreement to the principle that the Assad regime should remain in power while the United States and Russia join in fighting those rebels deemed to be terrorists. The regime then took advantage of a mistaken bombing of Syrian soldiers in eastern Syria to launch the assault on Aleppo, and Russia joined in.

The losers are the civilians trapped in eastern Aleppo— 250,000 to 275,000 human beings— who are cut off from supplies of food and medicine and being bombed mercilessly. They are being offered the same choice the regime has successfully imposed on other towns across the country: surrender or starve.