Ep 129 The Borg Freaks Out Over Syria (Swapcast)

Swapcast with Foreign Policy Focus podcast host Kyle Anzalone, on the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria and the Kurds/SDF new partnership with Syria with Russia as the guarantor.

The Turkish military continues with its "Operation Peace Spring" invasion along with its "rebel" fighter allies, some of whom are jihadis formerly backed by the US-led coalition.  President Trump ordered the withdrawal of US forces from Syria with the exception of Al Tanf. It remains to be seen how much, if not all of that territory will be reclaimed by the Syrian state.  Syrian government forces are moving rapidly into some parts of northeast Syria that had been under the control of the Kurdish-led, US-backed SDF forces. They aim to regain control of all of their territory, which might result in direct fighting between Syrian and Turkish forces.

Meanwhile the American foreign policy "Borg" (as retired Col. Pat Lang calls it or "the Blob" as President Obama called it, or the War Party as I sometimes call it) is engaged in a total freak out which Kyle and I will describe in more detail. The events of the past few days are momentous for a number of different reasons that are just as complicated and multi-faceted as this war in Syria itself. 

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Recorded on October 14, 2019. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. If We Have to Choose Between Compromise and Genocide, We Will Choose Our People, Mazloum Abdi (SDF Commander), Foreign Policy
2. "This is our reward?": After 4 years fighting ISIS, Syrian Kurds face uncertain future as US pivots to Turkey, Defense Post, January 2019
3. Democrats, Republicans to seek reversal of Trump Syria pullback, AFP