‘Dialogue Works’ edition of 17 December: Russia’s Strategy in Syria and Ukraine
Today’s chat with host Nima Alkhorshid centered on expectations with respect to Donald Trump. His appointment of loud-mouthed Neocons to key military and foreign policy positions leaves most everyone confused.
Is his purpose to bring these hawks together in one room where he can control them and bring them to heel? Or has he truly abandoned the peace mission that was part of his pre-electoral messaging?
These questions are foremost within the alternative media. They will be decisive for the leadership in Teheran as they decide to proceed or not on their comprehensive cooperation treaty with Moscow at the end of January, including mutual defense provisions, as opposed to waiting for the Trump administration to make an outreach to them perhaps six months from now with a view to a mutually acceptable set of terms including relaxation of sanctions.
I was given the opportunity to explain why the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria was not a loss for the Russians because you cannot lose what you never owned. As I remark, recent events have compelled me to reconsider what the Russians were doing in Syria from 2015-17 when they played a decisive role in saving the Assad government by their destruction of ISIS groupings around Syria and performance of pacification negotiations in localities throughout the country. My revised conclusion is that their action had nothing to do with saving Assad and everything to do with destroying ISIS because they saw it as a contagious ideology and movement threatening Russia’s hold on the Caucasus and its southern borders.
See Dr. Gilbert Doctorow: Russia's Strategy in Syria & Ukraine
©Gilbert Doctorow, 2024