US warnings ring hollow as it braces for Assad victory, say experts

The United States appears resigned to the likelihood of a final military victory by Syrian government forces, even as it warns Bashar al-Assad and Moscow against launching a major offensive in the rebel-held northwest, analysts say.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday accused his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov of "defending" the expected assault by Russian-backed Syrian forces on Idlib province, scene of the last rebel stronghold and home to nearly three million people."The US sees thi