In just over a week, opposition forces in Syria have seized major cities including Aleppo, and large swathes of territory. They've faced little or no resistance from the Syrian military, apart from air strikes involving Russia. With Damascus in the opposition's sights, what's President Bashar al-Assad's strategy? In this episode: Charles Lister, Director, Syria and Counterterrorism Programs, Middle East Institute. Marie Forestier, Senior Advisor, European Institute of Peace. Sawsan Abou Zainedin, Chief Executive Officer, Madaniya. Host: James Bays Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes!