Rebels and jihadists have already consolidated control of Hama, the fourth-largest city in Syria, after Bashar al-Assad's forces simply abandoned their positions. According to some sources, Syrian defenses in Homs, the third-largest city in the country, located slightly to the south, are also collapsing.

In just one week, Assad has lost Aleppo, Hama, and dozens of villages and towns in the northwest of the country. If Homs falls, Assad will lose access to the Mediterranean coastline, the region where two major Russian military bases are located.

The Syrian forces of dictator Bashar…