Oct 2, 2018
Moderate Rebels episode 26: Ben Norton speaks with Syrian analyst Ehsani about the new stages in the war in Syria. We discuss Idlib — the last "rebel"-held province and "largest al-Qaeda safe haven since 9/11," dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)— and we dissect the Idlib peace deal that was brokered by Russia and Turkey.
We also address the issue with the Syrian Kurds in the northeast, and the potential for negotiations between the Kurdish-led YPG/SDF and Damascus. And while the US plans to maintain an indefinite military occupation in Syria, Ehsani emphasizes that Iran's role has been greatly exaggerated.
TOPICS:
0:00 Intro
1:43 Idlib, Turkey, and Russia
36:01 The Kurds, YPG/SDF
55:35 US military occupation
1:02:09 Iran's exaggerated role
1:10:35 Conclusion
1:13:13 Outro