Podcasts about Syrian Democratic Forces

How will the Syrian government deal with its growing security challenges? Renewed fighting between the army and Syrian Democratic Forces is highlighting the volatility facing the country. A truce is now in place, but will it lead to an agreement to integrate the SDF militia into the army? In this episode: Haid Haid, Researcher, Chatham House. Steven Heydemann, Professor and Middle East Studies Program Director, Smith College. Omer Ozkizilcik, Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project, Atlantic Council's Middle East Program. Host: Dareen Abughaida Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Dareen Khalifa, Crisis Group's senior adviser for dialogue promotion, to discuss Syria's transition after the fall of the Assad regime and the political evolution of President Ahmed al-Sharaa. They talk about al-Sharaa's recent trip to the White House and Washington's evolving Syria policy and sanctions relief. They examine how life has changed under Syria's new leadership and the daunting task the authorities face in unifying the country's armed groups, including efforts to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the north east. They also delve into outbreaks of sectarian violence in Alawite and Druze-majority areas, concerns about the political transition's inclusiveness and Syria's complicated relations with Israel. Finally, they trace al-Sharaa's evolution from his militant past to the Syrian presidency and discuss whether domestic headwinds could derail his achievements on the world stage.For more, check out our Syria page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is growing pressure on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Aleppo. The war in Gaza continues after a series of countries recognised the state of Palestine. Israel blames migration to Europe for an increase in criticism. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: Syria's Al Shara warns of regional turmoil without Israel security deal The question of Palestine: Is recognition the answer? Isolated Israel blames Muslims for shifting Europe's stance on Gaza This episode features Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Jordan Correspondent; Nada AlTaher, Senior Foreign Reporter; and Thomas Helm, Jerusalem Correspondent. Editor's note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned of military action against the Syrian Democratic Forces over its failure to honour an agreement to merge its military with the new regime in Damascus. In a move steeped in symbolism, Turkey's leader chose recent celebrations marking the Ottoman Turks' defeat of the Byzantine Christians at the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071 to issue an ultimatum to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). "Those who turn to Ankara and Damascus will win," Erdogan bellowed to thousands of supporters on 26 August. "If the sword is unsheathed, there will be no room left for pens and words." Turkey, a strong ally of Syria, has a military presence in the country and the two governments recently signed a defence training agreement. But Turkey is unhappy with the presence of the SDF, a coalition of Kurdish and Arab forces, which controls a large swathe of Syria bordering Turkey's own predominantly Kurdish region. Peace or politics? Turkey's fragile path to ending a decades-long conflict Buying time The SDF is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has for years been fighting Turkey for greater Kurdish minority rights. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. But Ankara is engaged in a peace process with the Kurdish militants, who have committed to disbanding. However, Kurdish analyst Mesut Yegen, of the TIM think tank in Istanbul, says the disarmament process would be limited to Kurds from Turkey, and doesn't include SDF forces in Syria. Erdogan is now ramping up pressure on the SDF to honour an agreement its leader Mazloum Abdi signed in March with Syria's new President, Ahmed Al Sharaa, to merge his military forces with the new regime in Damascus. The deal is backed by the US, which has a military force in the SDF-controlled region as part of its war against the Islamic State. But, according to Fabrice Balanche from Lyon University: "The SDF has no intention of implementing the agreement made in March. Mazloum just wanted to gain time." Balanche points out that Abdi's SDF is a staunchly secular organisation and remains deeply suspicious of Sharaa's jihadist connections. Recent attacks on Syria's Druze minority by forces linked to Sharaa appear to confirm the SDF's fears over merging with the Damascus regime, says Balanche. Syria's interim president vows justice for Druze after deadly clashes 'Israel would like a weak Syria' At the same time, Erdogan is aware that the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish state on its border could be exploited by its rival Israel, which is looking for non-Arab allies in the region. Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat and an analyst for Turkey's Mediyascope news outlet, said: "Strategically, Israel would like a weak Syria, a weak Damascus, a weak Beirut and a weak Tehran." Turkey has carried out military incursions against the SDF, and its forces remain massed on the border. But Balanche says American presence there will likely deter any new Turkish military action. However, he warns that Ankara could seek to fuel Kurdish Arab rivalries within the SDF, with the fall of former ruler Bashar al-Assad last December. Turkey walks a fine line as conflict between Israel and Iran cools "It is different now, you have a Sunni leader in Damascus, and many [Arab] tribes, many people, prefer to join Damascus," he explained. "So the risk is a proxy war. Of course, for the new regime, it would be a disaster. If you have no peace, you have no investment, you have no trust." The dilemma facing Ankara is that any new conflict against the SDF would likely weaken the Sharaa regime – a key ally.

In this episode of Strategic Crossroads, host Zara Farouk sits down with journalist and analyst Wladimir van Wilgenburg to unpack the landmark March agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government. Together they explore what this deal means for Kurdish self-rule, the future of gender parity in governance, and the mounting pressures on Syrian minority communities such as the Druze. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not an official policy or position of New Lines Institute.

Today's HeadlinesTension rising between Syria's government and the Kurdish-led SDFNew AI model, Kairos, poised to reach IraniansBelievers from a Muslim background offer hope to suffering Sudan

Subscribe now for the full episode! Derek welcomes back historian Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi for a discussion about developments in Syria under the new government, which toppled that of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. They talk about the massacres of Alawites at the beginning of this year, the non-governmental militias still operating in the country, clashes between Druze and Bedouin armed groups in the southern city of Suwayda, Israeli involvement, Syrian Democratic Forces activity in the northeast of the country and Turkey's role, and whether the government under Ahmed al-Sharaa can make a “Syria for all Syrians.” Check out Aymenn's book The Conquest of al-Andalus: a Translation of Fath al-Andalus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we talk about the PKK, Turkey, and the DEM Party.We also discuss terrorism, discrimination, and stateless nations.Recommended Book: A Century of Tomorrows by Glenn AdamsonTranscriptKurdistan is a cultural region, not a country, but part of multiple countries, in the Middle East, spanning roughly the southeastern portion of Turkey, northern Iraq, the northwestern portion of Iran, and northern Syrian. Some definitions also include part of the Southern Caucasus mountains, which contains chunks of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.So this is a sprawling region that straddles multiple nations, and it's defined by the presence of the Kurdish people, the Kurds, who live all over the world, but whose culture is concentrated in this area, where it originally developed, and where, over the generations, there have periodically been very short-lived Kurdish nations of various shapes, sizes, and compositions.The original dynasties from which the Kurds claim their origin were Egyptian, and they governed parts of northeastern African and what is today Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. That was back in the 8th to 12th century, during which Saladin, who was the sultan of both Egypt and Syria, played a major historical role leading Muslim military forces against the Christian Crusader states during the Third Crusade, and leading those forces to victory in 1187, which resulted in Muslim ownership of the Levant, even though the Crusaders continued to technically hold the Kingdom of Jerusalem for another hundred years or so, until 1291.Saladin was Kurdish and kicked off a sultanate that lasted until the mid-13th century, when a diverse group of former slave-soldiers called the mamluks overthrew Saladin's family's Ayyubid sultanate and replaced it with their own.So Kurdish is a language spoken in that Kurdistan region, and the Kurds are considered to be an Iranian ethnic group, because Kurdish is part of a larger collection of languages and ethnicities, though many Kurds consider themselves to be members of a stateless nation, similar in some ways to pre-Israel Jewish people, Tibetan people under China's rule, or the Yoruba people, who primarily live in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, but who were previously oriented around a powerful city-state in that region, which served as the central loci of the Ife Empire, before the Europeans showed up and decided to forcibly move people around and draw new borders across the African continent.The Kurds are likewise often politically and culturally powerful, and that's led to a lot of pushback from leaders in the nations where they live and at times operate as cultural blocs, and it's led to some very short-lived Kurdish nations these people have managed to establish in the 20th century, including the Kingdom of Kurdistan from 1921-1924, the Republic of Ararat from 1927-1930, and the Republic of Mahabad, which was formed as a puppet state of the Soviet Union in 1946 in northwestern Iran, following a Soviet push for Kurdish nationalism in the region, which was meant to prevent the Allies from controlling the region following WWII, but which then dissolved just a few months after its official formation due to waning support from the Kurdish tribes that initially helped make it a reality.What I'd like to talk about today is the Kurdistan Worker's Party, and why their recently declared ceasefire with Turkey is being seen as a pretty big deal.—The Kurdistan Worker's Party, depending on who you ask, is a political organization or a terrorist organization. It was formed in Turkey in late-1978, and its original, founding goal was to create an independent Kurdish state, a modern Kurdistan, in what is today a small part of Turkey, but in the 1990s it shifted its stated goals to instead just get more rights for Kurds living in Turkey, including more autonomy but also just equal rights, as Kurdish people in many nations, including Turkey, have a long history of being discriminated against, in part because of their cultural distinctiveness, including their language, manner of dress, and cultural practices, and in part because, like many tight-knit ethnic groups, they often operate as a bloc, which in the age of democracy also means they often vote as a bloc, which can feel like a threat to other folks in areas with large Kurdish populations.When I say Kurdish people in Turkey have long been discriminated against, that includes things like telling them they can no longer speak Kurdish and denying that their ethnic group exists, but it also includes massacres conducted by the government against Kurdish people; at times tens of thousands of Kurds were slaughtered by the Turkish army. There was also an official ban on the words Kurds, Kurdistan, and Kurdish by the Turkish government in the 1980s, and Kurdish villages were destroyed, food headed to these villages was embargoed, and there was a long-time ban on the use of the Kurdish language in public life, and people who used it were arrested.As is often the case in such circumstances, folks who support the Kurdish Worker's Party, which is often shorthanded as the PKK, will tell you this group just pushes back against an oppressive regime, and they do what they have to to force the government to backtrack on their anti-Kurdish laws and abuses, which have been pretty widespread and violent.The PKK, in turn, has been criticized for, well, doing terrorist stuff, including using child soldiers, conducting suicide bombings, massacring groups of civilians, engaging in drug trafficking to fund their cause, and executing people on camera as a means of sowing terror.Pretty horrible stuff on both sides, if you look at this objectively, then, and both sides have historically justified their actions by pointing at the horrible things the other side has done to them and theirs.And that's the context for a recent announcement by the leader of the PKK, that the group would be disarming—and very literally so, including a symbolic burning of their weapons in a city in northern Iraq, which was shared online—and they would be shifting their efforts from that of violent militarism and revolution to that of political dialogue and attempting to change the Turkish government from the inside.Turkish President Erdogan, for his part, has seemed happy to oblige these efforts and gestures, fulfilling his role by receiving delegates from the Turkish, pro-Kurd party, the DEM Party, and smilingly shaking that delegate's hand on camera, basically showing the world, and those who have played some kind of role in the militant effort against the Turkish government, that this is the way of things now, we're not fighting physically anymore, we're moving on to wearing suits and pushing for Kurdish rights within the existing governmental structures.The founder of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, got in on the action, as well, releasing a seven-minute video from prison, which was then broadcast by the PKK's official media distribution outlet, saying that the fighting is over. This was his first appearance on camera in 26 years, and he used it to say their effort paid off, the Kurds now have an officially recognized identity, and it's time to leverage that identity politically to move things in the right direction.Erdogan's other messages on the matter, to the Kurdish people, but also those who have long lived in fear of the PKK's mass-violence, have reinforced that sentiment, saying that the Kurds are officially recognized as a political entity, and that's how things would play out from this point forward—and this will be good for everyone. And both sides are saying that, over and over, because, well, child soldiers and suicide bombings and massacres conducted by both sides are really, really not good for anyone.By all indications, this has been a very carefully orchestrated dance by those on both sides of the conflict, which again, has been ongoing since 1978, and really picked up the pace and became continuous and ultra-violent, in the 1980s.There was an attempted peace process back in the 20-teens, but the effort, which included a temporary truce between 2013 and 2015, failed, following the murder of two Turkish police officers, the PKK initially claiming responsibility, but later denying they had any involvement. That led to an uptick in military actions by both groups against the other, and the truce collapsed.This new peace process began in 2024 and really took off in late-February of 2025, when that aforementioned message was broadcast by the PKK's leader from prison after lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party worked to connect him and the Turkish government, and eventually helped negotiate the resulting mid-May of 2025 disarmament.Turkey's military leaders have said they will continue to launch strikes against PKK-affiliated groups that continue to operate in the region, and the PKK's disarmament announcement has been embraced by some such groups, while others, like the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is tied to the PKK, but not directly affiliated with them, have said this truce doesn't apply to them.Most governments, globally, have heralded this disarmament as a major victory for the world and Turkey in particular, though the response within Turkey, and in Kurdish areas in particular, has apparently been mixed, with some people assuming the Turkish government will backtrack and keep the DEM Party from accomplishing much of anything, and worrying about behind-the-scenes deals, including a reported agreement between Erdogan's government and the DEM Party to support Erdogan's desire to transform the Turkish government into a presidential system, which would grant him more direct control and power, while others are seemingly just happy to hear that the violence and fear might end.Also notable here is that a lot of Turkey's foreign policy has revolved around hobbling and hurting the PKK for decades, including Turkey's initial hindering of Sweden's accession to NATO, which was partly a means of getting other nations to give the Turkish government stuff they wanted, like upgraded military equipment, but was also a push against the Swedish government's seeming protection of people associated with the PKK, since Sweden's constitution allows people to hold all sorts of beliefs.Some analysts have speculated that this could change the geopolitics of the Middle East fundamentally, as Turkey has long been a regional power, but has been partly hobbled by its conflict with the PKK, and the easing or removal of that conflict could free them up to become more dominant, especially since Israel's recent clobbering of Iran seems to have dulled the Iranian government's shine as the de facto leader of many Muslim groups and governments in the area.It's an opportune time for Erdogan to grab more clout and influence, in other words, and that might have been part of the motivation to go along with the PKK's shift to politics: it frees him and his military up to engage in some adventurism and/or posturing further afield, which could then set Turkey up as the new center of Muslim influence, contra-the Saudis' more globalized version of the concept, militarily and economically. Turkey could become a huge center of geopolitical gravity in this part of the world, in other words, and that seems even more likely now that this disarmament has happened.It's still early days in this new seeming state of affairs, though, and there's a chance that the Turkish government's continued strikes on operating PKK affiliated groups could sever these new ties, but those involved seem to be cleaving to at least some optimism, even as many locals continue hold their breath and hope against hope that this time is different than previous attempts at peace.Show Noteshttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/heres-what-to-know-about-turkeys-decision-to-move-forward-with-swedens-bid-to-join-natohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_PKK%E2%80%93Turkey_peace_processhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80%932015_PKK%E2%80%93Turkey_peace_processhttps://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2025/05/turkey-pkk-disarm-disband-impacts?lang=enhttps://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pkk-claims-deadly-suicide-bombing-turkish-police-stationhttps://web.archive.org/web/20161016064155/https://hrwf.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Child-soldiers-in-ISIS-PKK-Boko-Haram%E2%80%A6.pdfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan_Workers%27_Partyhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2025/jul/11/kurdistan-workers-party-pkk-burn-weapons-in-disarming-ceremony-videohttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/18/turkiye-pkk-analysis-recalibrates-politicshttps://time.com/7303236/erdogan-war-peace-kurds/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/19/unidentified-drone-kills-pkk-member-injures-another-in-iraqhttps://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/unidentified-drone-kills-pkk-member-injures-another-near-iraqs-sulaymaniyah-2025-07-19/https://www.aljazeera.com/video/inside-story/2025/7/11/why-has-the-pkk-ended-its-armed-strugglehttps://archive.is/20250718061819/https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-07-17/ty-article-opinion/.premium/how-the-possible-end-to-turkeys-kurdish-problem-could-become-israels-turkey-problem/00000198-1794-dd64-abb9-bfb5dbf30000https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kurdish_dynasties_and_countrieshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Kurdish_nationalism This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

SPONSORS: 1) Brunt: Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code JULIAN at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/JULIAN #Bruntpod 2) Huel: Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF + a FREE Gift with code JULIAN at https://huel.com/JULIAN (Minimum $75 purchase). PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey (***TIMESTAMPS in Description Below) ~ Mike Benz is a former official with the U.S. Department of State and current Executive Director of the Foundation For Freedom Online, is a free speech watchdog organization dedicated to restoring the promise of a free and open Internet. MIKE's LINKS: X: https://x.com/MikeBenzCyber WEBSITE: https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/ FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey LISTEN to Julian Dorey Podcast Spotify ▶ https://open.spotify.com/show/5skaSpDzq94Kh16so3c0uz Apple ▶ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trendifier-with-julian-dorey/id1531416289 JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 – Censorship, AI Wack-a-Mole, Deep Blue, DARPA Docs 12:34 – Weapons of Mass Deletion, NetzDG, Election Control, Russiagate, USAID, Trump Hold-Ups 23:29 – USAID Origins, Sopranos Agencies, Shadow Networks, EU DSA, CIA Outsourcing 32:40 – USAID Scandals, Identity Dominance, Cuba HIV Hoax, ZunZuneo 44:32 – Social Media Control, CIA & Rap, Media Machine, Vatican–CIA–Mafia 57:12 – George Kennan, Political Warfare, Plausible Deniability, CIA in Italy 1:07:32 – USAID = Plausible Deniability, Tom Donilon 1:22:55 – Mike Donilon, Shadow Cabinet, BlackRock, Pentagon Black Hole, Congressional Favors 1:34:17 – Gorbachev Pizza Ad, Systemic Corruption, Pepsi–Allende Coup 1:42:31 – The Blob, Friedman's Free Market Lie, Empire Blindspot 1:53:15 – USAID = Bribes, Mike Benz Dual Role, Dirty Roots 1:57:40 – MAGA Blindspot, Empire Preservation 2:09:02 – USAID–Supreme Court, Norm Eisen, Bread & Corruption 2:18:19 – Opium Wars, Institute of Peace, Syrian Democratic Forces, George Foote 2:35:13 – Peace Institute Overthrows, Drug-Funded Empire, Pitchfork & Scalpel 2:44:14 – State Dept vs CIA, 1961 Reorg, Visas for Terror 3:00:57 – Elon & DOGE, ROI, Reloading Strategy 3:12:25 – Tesla vs Unions, Unions as Ops Tools OTHER JDP EPISODES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: - Episode 307 - Roya Hakakian: https://youtu.be/NQeoCeSk_Zc - Episode 303 - Martin Dugard: https://youtu.be/rcoiIUfz_N4 - Episode 97 - Andrew Bustamante: https://youtu.be/2PUs7l2jW9c - Episode 107 - Andrew Bustamante: https://youtu.be/7jNz3-WPV5I - Episode 150 - Andrew Bustamante: https://youtu.be/dUlc2d6fDzg - Episode 224 - Andrew Bustamante: https://youtu.be/Gv-YWfNWwkM - Episode 249 - John Kiriakou: https://youtu.be/5_FDZozJ9zE - Episode 250 - John Kiriakou: https://youtu.be/5HuyORiWoDM - Episode 278 - John Kiriakou: https://youtu.be/_CFWmuIgQIE - Episode 279 - John Kiriakou: https://youtu.be/scrGRKVa-Q4 CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 309 - Mike Benz Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's episode we talk with Alexis Daloumis about his documentary Belkî Sibê. The doc shows his experiences fighting in the International Freedom Battalion during 2017 as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS, and the socio-political changes in the liberated areas. We talk with Alexis about the actual real way that the revolution is being implemented on the ground, from what he could tell as an outsider. In the second part we focus on the filming and editing process of the documentary. ===== Re(Sources): Belki Sibe (2023) http://belkisibe.com/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29341560/ Alexis Daloumis https://www.instagram.com/alexisdaloumis/ https://linktr.ee/alexisdaloumis International Freedom Battalion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Freedom_Battalion Rojava Information Center (RIC) https://rojavainformationcenter.org/ Art by Grecu Music Le Daye, by Alexandros Miaris feat. Beshwar Kordy: https://youtu.be/EI8GG2Ux4jU https://www.alexandrosmiaris.com/ Punx for Rojava, by Adrestia https://youtu.be/MeUdfT1AGYU https://adrestia.bandcamp.com/

40 Jahre bewaffneter Kampf, einfach vorbei? Ende Februar forderte der seit über 20 Jahren inhaftierte Anführer der PKK, Abdullah Öcalan die Selbstauflösung der Organisation.Wenige Tage später verkündete die PKK eine einseitige Waffenruhe.Die Türkei fordert nicht nur das Ende der PKK, sondern auch die Entwaffnung aller kurdischen Gruppen, die mit ihnen in Verbindung stehen, auch im Irak und in Syrien. Während im Nordirak viele eine Annäherung an die Türkei erwarten, bleibt die Lage in Syrien selbst nach einem Abkommen zwischen den kurdisch geführten Syrian Democratic Forces und der salafistisch-islamistischen Übergangsregierung in Damaskus noch unklar.Was ist die PKK und welche Ziele verfolgt sie? Welche Entwicklungen führten zu Öcalans Statement, und was treibt beide Seiten in diesem Prozess an? Welche innen-  und außenpolitischen Dynamiken spielen eine Rolle, und was bedeuten die Vorkommnisse für die kurdische Bewegung als Ganzes? 

Congressional Democrats were split over whether to support the bill that would avert a government shutdown. In the end Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voted for the bill.A federal judge ordered several federal agencies to rehire tens of thousands of probationary employees who were fired. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff discussed Washington's ceasefire proposal to end the war in Ukraine with Moscow officials. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was "in favor" and agreed in principle to the plan but has some conditions.The government of Syria's Mohammad Al Sharaa announced a partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S. backed Kurdish rebel group. The move could be key in Syria's rebuilding.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ahmad Sharawi joins Bill for an update on Syria's ongoing conflict, including:The recent Alawite insurgency against the government led by Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani,The role of jihadist groups and involvement of the Syrian National Army and Syrian Democratic Forces,Israel's position on minority protection in Syria, andThe feasibility of military action in the region.

Three months after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Syria's interim President has been struggling to unite the country.In a landmark breakthrough, the government struck a deal to merge the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions.While Syrian Kurds celebrate the deal, residents on the northwestern coast remain wary after days of sectarian violence that killed over 1,000 people. The government blamed pro-Assad groups for instigating the violence, and said the security threats had already been neutralized, but will the fragmented country be able to achieve peace and unity after 13 years of civil war?Host Zhao Ying is joined by Wang Jin, Associate Professor with Northwest University in Xi'an, China; Joseph Siracusa, Professor of Global Futures with Curtin University; Steven Wright, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

A deal signed earlier this week by Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the commander in chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazlum Kobane, is viewed by many as a turning point for Syria's Kurds. It also comes amid escalating violence across Syria which has cast serious doubts over al-Sharaa's ability to earn the trust of his people and govern. Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Thanos Davelis to explore whether this deal is really a game changer for Syria and Syria's Kurds, and break down the roles of outside forces - particularly the US and Turkey - in this story.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Syrian Kurds celebrate deal with Damascus as coastal residents remain wary after violenceSyria's Kurds win big as Sharaa shakes hands with Kobane to save his own skinKonstantinos Tasoulas to be sworn in as president ThursdayPM eyes major cabinet shake-upThe EU wants to increase deportations and supports ‘return hubs' in third countriesEurope cracks down on migration. The far right is cheering.

The Trump administration has revoked Chevron's license to pump oil in Venezuela, accusing its president of not making progress on electoral reforms. In response, Venezuela said it will stop receiving deportees from the US. Also, a new abortion clinic opens across from the Polish parliament despite the country's strict abortion ban. And, Syria's interim government signs a deal with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish militia that controls the northeast. Plus, a London comedy club bans audience members with Botox injections after performers complain about unresponsive faces in the crowd.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Former Philippine Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is arrested, The US and Canada agree to renegotiate the USMCA trade agreement, The Syrian Democratic Forces agree to integrate with the government, The US resumes aid to Ukraine as Kyiv says its open to a 30-day ceasefire, A militant group claims to have taken 182 civilians hostage in an attack on a Pakistani train, A former Meta executive alleges that Facebook developed censorship tools for China, RFK Jr. seeks to end a ‘self-affirm' rule for food ingredient safety, A report finds that only seven countries breathe clean air, Katie Porter announces a run for California governor, and doctors confirm that Pope Francis' health is no longer in immediate danger. Sources: www.verity.news

Ukrainian and US officials are holding three days of discussions in Jeddah in an effort to end the war with Russia. A deal signed by Syria's interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces has been welcomed by Arab countries. Negotiations over a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas have resumed in Doha. This episode features Taylor Heyman, Assistant Foreign Editor and Jerusalem Correspondent Thomas Helm.

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Crisis Group experts Berkay Mandıracı, Lahib Higel and Dareen Khalifa to discuss the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)'s announcement of a ceasefire with Türkiye following imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's call for the group to disarm and dissolve. They discuss the motivations behind the Turkish initiative to end the 40-year conflict with the PKK (a group designated as terrorist by Ankara and several Western capitals). They unpack how the PKK's leadership in northern Iraq's Qandil Mountains has reacted to Öcalan's call and how the conflict has influenced Ankara's relations with Baghdad. They discuss implications for north-eastern Syria, where the PKK-linked Syrian Democratic Forces have clashed with Türkiye-backed groups, whether the efforts by Syria's new leadership to integrate the SDF into a new state structure can address Ankara's security concerns and Israel's potential support for the SDF. They also assess how the public in Türkiye has reacted to the latest initiative to end the conflict and where the process might be headed next.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our visual explainer “Türkiye's PKK Conflict: A Visual Explainer”, our latest War & Peace podcast “After Assad – Implications for Türkiye in Syria and Beyond” and our Türkiye country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa speak with Berkay Mandıracı, Crisis Group's senior Türkiye analyst, about Ankara's evolving role in Syria following the Assad regime's collapse and about the apparent progress of efforts to resolve the conflict between Türkiye and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). They examine Türkiye's relations with Hei'at Tahrir al-Sham, the new rulers in Syria, and what Ankara stands to gain from the shifting political landscape in its neighbouring country. They assess the situation in north-eastern Syria, where tensions remain high between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). They also discuss whether the latest attempts to end the decades-long conflict between Türkiye and the PKK have a real chance of success, as well as Ankara's regional ambitions amid rapidly changing security dynamics in Europe.For more, check out Berkay's latest op-ed, co-authored with colleague Dareen Khalifa, “Turkey's tightrope in post-Assad Syria”, and Crisis Group's page “Türkiye's PKK Conflict: A Visual Explainer”, and our Europe & Central Asia and Middle East regional pages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The future of American troops in Syria is in the spotlight, as Turkey and Israel push competing agendas with the Trump administration regarding the role of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in countering the Islamic State group. The United States' military presence in Syria has been called into question, as President Donald Trump faces conflicting pressure from Turkey and Israel over the 2000-strong US force supporting a Syrian Kurdish-led coalition.The US force is supporting an Arab-Kurdish coalition of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in its war against the Islamic State (IS) group.Thousands of IS militants are currently being held in SDF prisons, but the US military presence now hangs in the balance. Turkey analyst Sinan Ciddi, of the Washington-based research institute, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies says Trump is in a dilemma because he ran on this promise of putting America first. "Getting out of foreign entanglements, not committing US troops and US money to parts of the world in which the US doesn't have any interest," he tells RFI.However, Ciddi warns a quick withdrawal would not be without risk: "The dilemma for Trump is that in a theatre such as Syria, if he were to pull back 2,000 troops, then you've got this major security threat."Turkey's Erdogan sees new Trump presidency as opportunityTurkey labels SDF 'insurgents'However, a US pullout would be welcomed by its NATO ally Turkey. Ankara strongly opposes Washington's military support for the SDF, which it accuses of being linked to Kurdish insurgents fighting Turkey.International relations expert Bilgehan Alagoz, of Istanbul's Marmara University, maintains the US deployment has poisoned relations between the two allies, but says a withdrawal by Trump would offer a reset in ties."I believe that there is going to be a new ground between Turkey and the United States," Alagoz said. "And Turkey will guarantee the safety of US soldiers and a successful withdrawal from Syria. So it is all going to be a kind of new negotiation between Turkey and the United States."Until now, US soldiers in Syria have prevented the Turkish military – massed on the Syrian border – from overwhelming the SDF, but time may be running out for the Kurdish-led forces."Assuming that the US withdraws at one point from Syria ... this will mean the end of the diplomatic umbrella for the SDF that the US was able to put over them," according to Aydin Selcen, a former Turkish diplomat and now foreign policy analyst for Turkey's Medyascope independent news outlet.Selcen warns that the SDF has only a small window to secure its future: "Time is of the essence for the SDF to get their act together and join forces with Damascus... to fold their forces into the Syrian armed forces, which would also satisfy Ankara's security concerns."Turkey steps up military action against Kurds in Syria as power shiftsIsrael sees SDF as key against ISTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has close ties with Syria's new leaders, and is demanding that the SDF disband or face a Turkish assault.However, the Israeli government is voicing support for American backing for the SDF, given the risk posed by the Islamic State."We know that the SDF controls prisons in which there are around 10,000 Islamic State fighters and families," explains Gallia Lindenstrauss, a foreign policy specialist at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv."Nobody wants to see the resurgence of the Islamic State. And I think in this respect, the US understands this is a small number of troops [and] they are effective. So why pull them out?"Paris hosts global conference on shaping Syria's futureLindenstrauss told RFI: "Israel has voiced that it does want to see the West continue supporting the Kurdish presence in northeast Syria, so there will be Israeli diplomatic efforts to keep the [US] troops there."Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, recently underlined the importance of the Syrian Kurds as an ally to Israel – a message that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to have delivered to Trump during his visit to Washington this month, Ciddi believes."We've seen an increase in moves by the Israeli government to provide more formal and government support for non-state actors, such as the Syrian Kurds," he said. "Because they understand that hitherto they've been entirely reliable in thwarting some of the major security concerns that the Israelis hold close to their heart."

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center's Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Voice of America (VOA) reporter Sirwan Kajjo to assess how the emerging regime in Damascus will engage with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Northeast Syria. Sirwan, a well-known Syrian-American intellectual and journalist, works for the Extremism Watch Desk at VOA where he focuses on Islamic militancy, extremism, and conflict in the Middle East and beyond that region. Heras and Kajjo also discuss how the emerging government in Damascus will lead the process of creating a post-Assad order and whether that order can successfully incorporate all the country's different communities.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 106-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,226 on turnover of 2.4-billion N-T. The market closed marginally higher on Tuesday despite rising by over 200-points early in the session - as investor uncertainty kicked-in over Donald Trump's pending return to the White House. Analysts say Trump's possible tariffs have spooked many investors - which has led to uncertainty in the local market. Lawmakers reject Lai's justice nominees Lawmakers have rejected all seven justice nominees selected by President Lai Ching-te to fill the vacancies on the Constitutional Court. None of the seven nominees, including law professor Chang Wen-zhen and former lawmaker Yao Li-ming received the necessary 57 votes in the 113-seat Legislature for approval. Chang and Yao had also been nominated by Lai to serve as the head and deputy head of the Judicial Yuan. The K-M-T has argued that all of Lai's nominees were partisan (偏袒的). Flu epidemic expected this week And, The Centers for Disease Control says over 90,000 flu-like cases were reported last week - and influenza will enter an epidemic phase later this week. According to the C-D-C, total of 94,882 visits to emergency departments and outpatient clinics (門診) for flu-like symptoms were reported from December 15 through 21. That was a 16-per cent increase compared to the number of cases recorded the previous week. The C-D-C is saying based on predictions, the flu epidemic phase is expected to begin this week, with a peak in the number of cases likely to be seen around the Lunar New Year holiday period. Haiti Journalists Killed by Gangs in Hospital Reopening Two reporters were killed in Haiti, as authorities tried to reopen Port-au-Prince's biggest public hospital after it was shut down by gangs earlier this year. AP's Lisa Dwyer reports Kurds Launch Counteroffensive in Syria Kurdish-led fighters in Syria, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, say they have launched a counter-offensive against the Ankara-backed Syrian National Army to take back areas near Syria's northern border with Turkey. The Kurdish-led force is Washington's critical ally in Syria, targeting sleeper cells (秘密行動人員) of the extremist Islamic State group scattered across the country's east. Since the fall of Bashar Assad earlier this month, clashes have intensified (加劇的) between the U.S.-backed group and the SNA, which captured the key city of Manbij and the areas surrounding it. A Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says that since the SNA's offensive in northern Syria against the Kurds started earlier this month, dozens from both sides have been killed. Russia Baby Mammoth Remains The 50,000-year-old remains of a baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost have been unveiled to the public by researchers in Russia's Siberia region. They call it the best-preserved mammoth body ever found. The female mammoth nicknamed Yana weighs more than 100 kilograms and is 120 centimeters tall. Her remains are one of seven mammoth carcasses recovered worldwide. Yana will now be studied by scientists at Russia's North-Eastern Federal University, which called the find “exceptional” (特殊的). The university has a dedicated (專門的) mammoth research center and museum. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____.

The fall of the Assad regime in Syria has not solved the country's massive humanitarian emergency, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) insisted on Thursday, with some two million sheltering in the northwest unable to go back to villages and cities shattered by 14 years of war.In an interview with UN News's Daniel Johnson, the agency's regional chief of communications and advocacy in the Middle East, Ammar Ammar, has been describing the dramatic scenes he saw, while on mission this week to Damascus, Aleppo, Hama and Homs.He began with an update on Tishreen Dam in northern Syria, scene of clashes between Kurdish groups of the Syrian Democratic Forces and pro-Turkish elements of the Free Syrian Army.

For review:1. Israel - Hamas Potential Hostage Deal in Two Weeks.An unnamed Israeli official told the Israel Hayom daily on Sunday that a ceasefire-hostage deal will likely be completed by Hanukkah, which begins this year on the evening of December 25.2. Hezbollah leader (Naim Qassem) acknowledges that the supply route from Iran- through Syria- to Lebanon, has been cut. “Yes, Hezbollah has lost the military supply route through Syria at this stage, but this loss is a detail in the resistance's work,” Qassem said.3. Kurdish-led forces in Syria (allied with the United States), accidently shot down a US MQ-9 Drone on Monday. Troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces were conducting operations when they downed the MQ-9, a U.S. official familiar with the situation confirmed to Defense News.4. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to procure more Avante 2200 Corvettes from Spanish-firm Navantia.5. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warns European countries to prepare for war with a volatile Russia. Rutte listed a series of recent “hostile actions” by Russia against NATO allies, including cyber-attacks, assassinations, an explosion at a Czech ammunition depot, the jamming of radars in the Baltic region to disrupt air traffic, and the “weaponization” of migrants to destabilize Europe.6. Japan to Purchase T-6 Texan Trainer Aircraft. The Japanese government has selected the US-built basic trainer aircraft and associated ground equipment for its air force's pilot training program.7. Australia Test Fires Tomahawk Cruise Missile from Destroyer.On Tuesday, Australia announced that destroyer HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41) conducted a successful first firing of an RGM-109E Tomahawk cruise missile off the US West Coast.

The United Nations said on Tuesday that it rejects any aggression against Syrian sovereignty and violations of its territorial integrity, while Israel said it was establishing a "sterile defense zone" in southern Syria after carrying out more than 350 strikes in 48 hours.12月10日，联合国表示，反对任何侵犯叙利亚主权和破坏其领土完整的行为。而在48小时内实施了350多次袭击后，以色列表示正在叙利亚南部建立一个“无菌防御区”。Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at a news conference that Syria's "turning point" should not be used by its neighbors to encroach upon its territory, and should instead be used by all those in the region to support the Syrian people.联合国秘书长古特雷斯的发言人迪雅里克在新闻发布会上表示，近期局势变化是叙利亚面临的“转折点”，周边邻国不应趁机侵占叙利亚领土，而该地区的所有人应在此时支持叙利亚人民。Dujarric said they were very clear about the violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement following the Israel Defense Forces' occupation of the buffer zone. In 1967, Israel occupied most of the Golan Heights during the Middle East war and later annexed the territory. This was never recognized by the international community.迪雅里克强调，联合国非常清楚以色列国防军占领缓冲区违反了1974年签订的脱离接触协议。1967年，以色列在第三次中东战争中占领戈兰高地部分地区，后将这一被占领土兼并。国际社会不承认以色列对这一地区的主权。Meanwhile, Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday that the conflict in northeastern Syria is not over as there have been clashes between the Syrian National Army, the opposition groups and the Syrian Democratic Forces.与此同时，联合国秘书长叙利亚问题特使裴凯儒10日在瑞士日内瓦表示，叙利亚东北部的冲突尚未结束，叙利亚国民军、反对派团体和叙利亚民主力量之间持续发生冲突。"We are calling obviously for calm also in this area," Pedersen said.裴凯儒说：“我们呼吁该地区保持冷静。”In addition, Israeli troop movements into the occupied Golan Heights and bombardments "need to stop", he said. "The message from New York is just the same — that what we are seeing is a violation of the disengagement agreement in 1974."此外，裴凯儒表示，以色列军队进入被占戈兰高地并进行轰炸的行为“必须停止”。他说：“联合国发出的信息是一样的——我们所看到的是对1974年脱离接触协议的违反。”In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces reported striking most of what it claimed were the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria in 48 hours "to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorist elements".以色列国防军在社交平台X上发帖称，过去48小时内在叙利亚实施的袭击，击中了叙利亚大部分战略武器库，“以防止它们落入恐怖分子之手”。Among the actions were more than 350 airstrikes. A "wide range of targets" included antiaircraft batteries, Syrian Air Force airfields and dozens of alleged weapons production sites in Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia and Palmyra.以军的行动包括350多次空袭。袭击目标广泛，包括大马士革、霍姆斯、塔尔图斯、拉塔基亚和巴尔米拉的机场、防空炮台以及一些武器生产基地。Syria's naval operations were also targeted, including the Al-Bayda port and the Latakia port, where 15 Syrian naval vessels were hit.叙利亚海军也遭到袭击，其中包括位于米奈特贝达湾和拉塔基亚港的15艘叙利亚海军舰艇。Pedersen said Syria is still in a very "fluid" period, adding that there is a real opportunity for change, but it needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the UN and the international community.裴凯儒表示，叙利亚仍处于一个非常“不稳定”的时期。这是一个真正的变革机会，但这个机会需要叙利亚人自己把握，并得到联合国和国际社会的支持。Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani, leader of the opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that led the rebel offensive and wrested control of Syria, told CNN that their goal had been to overthrow Syria's longtime president Bashar al-Assad.领导叛军攻势并夺取叙利亚控制权的反对派组织——沙姆解放组织的领导人阿布·穆罕默德·乔拉尼告诉CNN，他们的目标是推翻长期执政的叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德的政权。Syria's caretaker Prime Minister Mohamed al-Bashir called for stability and calm amid a leadership change.叙利亚过渡政府领导人穆罕默德·巴希尔呼吁在领导层更迭之际维持稳定和平静。On Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the toppling of Assad was the result of a plan by the United States and Israel.11日，伊朗最高领袖阿亚图拉·阿里 ·哈梅内伊表示，阿萨德政权被推翻是美国和以色列共同策划的结果。"What happened in Syria was mainly planned in the command rooms of America and Israel. We have evidence of this. A neighboring government of Syria was also involved," Khamenei said in a speech reported by state media, without naming the neighboring country in question.“叙利亚发生的一切主要是在美国和以色列的指挥中心策划的。我们有证据证明这一点。叙利亚的一个邻国政府也参与其中。”哈梅内伊在伊通社报道的讲话中说，但没有点出这个邻国的名字。Dina Yulianti Sulaeman, director of the Indonesia Center for Middle East Studies, told China Daily that Israel, which is "most invested in weakening Syria" because of the latter's historically hostile stance toward it, will not allow Syria to become stable and secure.印度尼西亚中东研究中心主任迪娜·尤利安蒂·苏莱曼告诉《中国日报》，以色列“最想削弱叙利亚”，因为叙利亚历来对以色列持敌对立场，以色列不会允许叙利亚变得稳定和安全。"In recent days, Israel has bombarded Syria, destroying nearly all of Syria's military facilities, effectively leaving the country with no capacity to defend its sovereignty," she said.她表示：“最近几天，以色列轰炸了叙利亚，摧毁了叙利亚几乎所有的军事设施，实际上使叙利亚没有能力捍卫自己的主权。”"The accumulation of Israeli attacks, the collapse of infrastructure safeguarding territorial sovereignty, economic hardships, and internal chaos bring the potential for Syria's balkanization, as long envisioned in Israel's Oded Yinon Plan."“以色列持续的袭击、捍卫领土主权的基础设施的崩溃、经济困难以及内部混乱，都为叙利亚的巴尔干化带来了可能，而这正是以色列的‘伊农计划'长期以来所设想的。”The Oded Yinon Plan refers to a strategy, outlined in a 1982 article by a former Israeli official and scholar, for Israel's expansion in the Middle East and North Africa region.“伊农计划”是指以色列前官员、学者伊农在1982年发表的一篇文章中概述的以色列在中东和北非地区扩张的战略。sterileadj. 无菌的decryv. 公开反对；谴责balkanizationn. 巴尔干化；分割成小国territorial integrity领土完整

Chris Rongey is joined by Jeff McCausland to discuss the overthrow of Syria's Assad regime, analyzing the role of Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia in propping up the regime and their current distractions that have allowed rebel forces to advance. McCausland outlines the power vacuum left in Syria, with three major groups — the Syrian Democratic Forces, HTS, and the Syrian National Army — vying for control. The conversation delves into the potential for instability and future governance in Syria, as well as the broader implications for regional security.

US, Turkey Backed Groups Pushed Out Al-Assad, Takeover Damascushttps://osazuwaakonedo.news/us-turkey-backed-groups-pushed-out-al-assad-takeover-damascus/08/12/2024/#Breaking News #alAssad #Biden #Damascus #Donald #Erdogan #Iran #Joe #Russia #Syria #Trump #Turkey #Ukraine #US ©December 8th, 2024 ®December 8, 2024 6:48 am United States of America, US backed Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF and Turkey backed Islam led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, HTS have pushed out Iran and Russia backed President Bashar Al-Assad from Syria, with US President-elect, Donald Trump calling President Joe Biden and other government officials at the Whitehouse, warmongers trying to cause World War 3, distancing USA from the civil crisis in Damascus. #OsazuwaAkonedo

pWotD Episode 2775: Syrian civil war Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 186,659 views on Friday, 6 December 2024 our article of the day is Syrian civil war.The Syrian civil war is an ongoing multi-sided conflict in Syria involving various state-sponsored and non-state actors.In March 2011, popular discontent with the rule of Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring protests in the region. After months of crackdown by the government's security apparatus, various armed rebel groups such as the Free Syrian Army began forming across the country, marking the beginning of the Syrian insurgency. By mid-2012, the insurgency had escalated into a full-blown civil war.Rebel forces, receiving arms from NATO and Gulf Cooperation Council states, initially made significant advances against the government forces, who were receiving financial and military support from Iran and Russia. Rebels captured the regional capitals of Raqqa in 2013 and Idlib in 2015. Consequently, Iran and Russia launched separate military interventions in support of the Syrian government in 2014 and 2015 respectively, shifting the balance of the conflict. By late 2018, all rebel strongholds except parts of Idlib region had fallen to the government forces.In 2014, the Islamic State won many battles against both the rebel factions and the Syrian government. Combined with simultaneous success in Iraq, the group was able to seize control of large parts of Eastern Syria and Western Iraq, prompting the U. S.-led CJTF coalition to launch an aerial bombing campaign against it, while providing ground support and supplies to the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces. Culminating in the Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor offensives, the Islamic State was territorially defeated by late 2017. In August 2016, Turkey launched a multi-pronged invasion of northern Syria, in response to the creation of Rojava, while also fighting the Islamic State and government forces in the process. Between the March 2020 Idlib ceasefire and late 2024, frontline fighting mostly subsided, but was characterized by regular skirmishes. Heavy fighting renewed with a major rebel offensive in the northwest led by Tahrir al-Sham in November 2024, during which Aleppo and Hama were seized. Southern rebels who had previously reconciled with the government subsequently launched their own offensive, capturing Daraa and Suwayda.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:44 UTC on Saturday, 7 December 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Syrian civil war on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Ivy.

It took years for Bashar al-Assad's forces to take back Syria's second city. But it took only days for Islamist rebels to overrun Aleppo. Why has a conflict that has been effectively frozen for four years suddenly sprung back to life? What to make of Hezbollah, which says it won't be sending help for now as it's pinned down at home by a precarious truce with Israel? What role for Assad-backers Russia and Iran? And what role for Turkey, which backs some of the rebel groups with an eye to pushing Syrian Kurdish forces away from its border? Recep Tayyip Erdogan last summer offered a deal with Damascus, which Assad turned down on the grounds that it would mean ceding the nominal sovereignty he has over a territory never really recaptured in eleven years.Back then, it was the Arab Spring and the leader of a hereditary dynasty who looked ready to fall, but Assad proved predictions wrong. Could this time be different? If so, how?Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Ilayda Habip. 

Shiraz Maher - Co-Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) - and Charles Lister - Director of MEI's Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism Programs - speak to MEI Editor in Chief Alistair Taylor about ISIS and the detainee dilemma. What is the international community to do with the tens of thousands of foreign ISIS detainees and their families, including children, held in makeshift facilities in northeastern Syria under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces? Today's episode is the second in a several-part series looking at where the group stands today and the challenges associated with it a decade on from the founding of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. 

For years, thousands of kids with roots in Canada, the U.K., the U.S. and beyond lived under the Islamic State's so-called caliphate. Some were taken there by their parents. Others were born there. But after the war against the Islamic State was won, many of these children still remain in limbo. They wait in detention camps, run by the group which helped defeat ISIS – the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. On this week's Storylines, four years after the fall of the Islamic State, Poonam Taneja visits one of the camps in northeast Syria where some of the hundreds of children the world doesn't know how to deal with, dream of going home. This is episode 6 of the podcast Bloodlines by CBC Podcasts and BBC Sounds. Bloodlines follows Poonam Taneja's search for a two-year-old British-Canadian boy who disappeared in the final days of the war against the Islamic State. You can find the series wherever you're listening to this podcast.

Have you ever wondered what it's like preparing for a military deployment in a war-torn country? Well, this episode has all that and more, with our guest, Logan Norris, a 27-year-old about to set foot in the Air Force as a CCT Combat Controller. With an impressive military and law enforcement lineage tracing back to his grandfather, Logan's upbringing was steeped in tales of courage and duty that sparked his decision to serve in the military. Listen as he speaks candidly about his family's military history, the influence it had on him, and his decision to join the Air Force. Logan takes us on a riveting journey through the process of preparing for a National Guard deployment in Syria, detailing everything from intensive drills to the nail-biting grading process. He paints a vivid picture of the terrain in Kuwait, Arafaton, and Syria, and the challenges he and his company faced while on the lookout for IEDs. Hold your breath as he shares tales of his time in Syria's Green Village, the safety measures while driving a route clearance package, and encounters with the Syrian Democratic Forces, providing an authentic perspective into life in a combat zone. As our conversation with Logan unfolds, we delve into decisions that shape military career paths, and how personal choices, like his decision to abstain from alcohol, can influence them. Hear Logan discuss the challenges, the triumphs, and the transformation he underwent through rigorous military training. He also shares his admiration for his parents, his pillars of strength, who've been influential throughout his journey. Endearing, engaging, and eye-opening, this episode is a testament to the mettle of our military personnel and their unwavering sense of duty. Tune in as we unpack these stories of resilience and dedication. --------- EPISODE CHAPTERS --------- (0:00:01) - Joining the Air Force (0:09:34) - National Guard Deployment in Syria (0:20:46) - Combat Zone Life and Military Challenges (0:26:23) - Combat Zone and Situational Awareness (0:34:13) - Considerations for Changing Military Career Paths (0:44:43) - Military Training and Personal Resilience Overview (0:52:07) - Career Transformation With Support (1:00:10) - Family and Supportive Relationships --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/warriormindset/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/warriormindset/support

In the latest Contours episode, host Carolyn Moorman approaches the long-term ramifications of late August's clashes between local Arab tribes in Deir ez-Zour and the SDF on the long-term U.S. strategy in Syria with New Lines' Calvin Wilder and Aram Shabanian.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, July 11th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.theblaze.com/news/ban-on-transgender-surgery-for-tennessee-children-goes-into-effect Tennessee's ban on transgender surgery for kids goes into effect immediately, federal appeals court rules Tennessee can implement its ban on transgender surgery and related medical interventions for minors as a case challenging the law works its way through the court, a divided federal appeals court panel ruled Saturday. Tennessee's 44th House District Representative William Lamberth (R) wrote on Twitter Saturday: "I am thankful to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals for confirming what Tennesseans already know: Children cannot give consent to experimental medical procedures or drugs that destroy their healthy bodies," The Tennessee law now in effect, at least temporarily, prohibits surgical procedures and administration of hormones or puberty blockers for the purpose of gender transition, as Reason explains. Judge Thapar joined Sutton, concluding that the lower court had wrongly stopped the law's implementation. Judge White delivered a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. The ban, originally set to take effect July 1, will now take effect immediately. The ban was held up when a lower court sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN argued that the law interfered with parental rights and was unconstitutional, as The Hill reported. This is the first federal court to allow such a ban, with other courts unanimously blocking similar bans in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN brought the suit on behalf of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville and their 15-year-old daughter, as well as two other anonymous families and Dr. Susan N. Lac. https://dailycaller.com/2023/07/09/portland-distribute-foil-straws-snorting-kits-paraphernalia-drug-addicts/ City To Distribute Foil, Straws, Snorting Kits To Drug Addicts Health officials in Portland, Oregon announced last week they will begin handing out tin foil, straws and snorting kits to drug addicts throughout the city. As part of its “Harm Reduction Program,” the Multnomah County Health Department announced Friday that drug paraphernalia will be offered to those using fentanyl and other hard drugs, KOIN 6 reported. The rise of fentanyl has decreased the need for needle-focused “harm reduction” services, Department spokeswoman Sarah Dean told the Willamette Week. Since fentanyl is smoked rather than injected, clinic visits have dropped 60% since 2019, Dean said. The program is backed by Multnomah County’s Public Health Director, Jessica Guernsey, who says, “The new part of the program is that we’re adding supplies for people who smoke drugs.” Others are not happy with the move. “This misguided approach also results in greater risk to public safety for those who simply want to enjoy our city without walking through a cloud of toxic smoke,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “Our community would benefit more from the County using its funding to urgently increase treatment and sobering facilities rather than actively enabling this deadly epidemic.” Dean countered the mayor’s statement by claiming providing drug paraphernalia does not increase drug use but encourages addicts to visit clinics where they can get access to fentanyl test strips and the overdose antidote, Narcan, KOIN 6 reported. The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill decriminalizing the distribution of “drug paraphernalia” for harm reduction purposes, according to the Willamette Week. Similar programs have been launched in Washington and California. In New York City, vending machines with smoking kits and bubble pipes have recently been installed, the outlet reported. The Oregon bill to decriminalize distribution of drug paraphernalia sits on Governor Tina Kotek’s desk awaiting signature before going into law, the New York Post reported. https://hotair.com/karen-townsend/2023/07/09/the-winner-of-miss-netherlands-2023-is-a-man-n563401 The winner of Miss Netherlands 2023 is a man Transgender activism marches on. The newly crowned Miss Universe Netherlands is a man. The runner-up is a woman. Rikkie Valerie Kollé was crowned Miss Universe Netherlands 2023 on Saturday. Rikkie is 22 years old, a Dutch-Moluccan model and actress in Leusden. He will represent the Netherlands at the 2023 Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador. The first runner-up is Nathalie Mogbelzada, 26, from Amsterdam. The reigning Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel of Houston, Texas, was a special guest at the pageant. He makes history as the first transgender woman to win the national title. In 2018, Angele Ponce, Miss Universe Spain, was the first transgender to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. The question of having a transgender competitor in the Miss Universe pageant goes back to 2012. That is when Trump owned it and he overturned a decision by the Miss Universe organization to disqualify a Canadian model. Jenna Talackova was not being allowed to compete because “she was not a naturally born female.” Trump bowed to the laws of Canada and allowed Jenna to compete. The LGBTQ community applauded Trump. Now he’s running against a very socially conservative Republican, Ron DeSantis, among others, and Trump has flipped on the issue. The Miss America pageant is also having its share of problems. Ever since former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson came out as super woke and joined the organization, internal battles have leaked into the press. One big issue is that when Carlson joined the organization in 2018, she made the decision to ban the swimsuit segment. Now a former Miss America, Caressa Cameron, says that the pageant feels like a Ted Talk. There is a new docuseries on A&E that exposes scandals, misogyny, and racism in the Miss America competitions. Now in world news: https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-centcom-says-killed-isis-leader-syria-airstrike-no-civilian-casualties US CENTCOM says it killed ISIS leader in Syria airstrike, no civilian casualties U.S. forces killed ISIS leader Usamah al-Muhajir in an airstrike in eastern Syria on Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a Sunday statement. Al-Muhajir was killed by the same MQ-9 reaper drones that had been harassed by Russian aircraft in the region. The two incidents occurred the same day, the U.S. says, with the drones carrying out the strike after the interaction with Russian craft. "We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," said CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla. "ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond." CENTCOM clarified that there were no indications that any civilians were killed in the strike, but the U.S. and allies were assessing reports of a civilian injury. The U.S. and allied forces in the region have carried out a consistent campaign against remaining ISIS leaders operating in Syria. The U.S. killed the head of the organization, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a 2019 raid. Since then, ISIS forces have operated as cells. The MQ-9 drones used in the attack had earlier interactions with Russian SU-35 fighter jets throughout last week. The Russian craft have repeatedly flown into the path of the drones, forcing them to take evasive action to avoid a collision. "Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior Thursday, 9:30 a.m. local time, while interacting with U.S. MQ-9 drones carrying out our D-ISIS mission in Syria," said Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, 9th AF and CFACC for CENTCOM. "Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved." "This is the second instance of dangerous behaviors by Russian pilots within the past 24 hours, with the first happening Wednesday at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time," he added. The U.S. military has also urged Russian forces in Syria to "cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force, so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS," he said. The U.S. maintains a force of about 900 troops deployed in Syria. They primarily work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their struggle against Islamic State militants. Now in entertainment… https://thepostmillennial.com/cnn-discourages-viewers-from-watching-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom?utm_campaign=64487 CNN discourages viewers from watching anti-pedophile movie, Sound of Freedom In a clip from CNN, network host Abby Phillip brought on an author named Mike Rothschild to talk about the new and popular anti-child sex trafficking film, Sound of Freedom. Rothschild charged the film is created out of a "moral panic" and "QAnon concepts." Sound of Freedom is based on the adventures of Tim Ballard, who started an organization known as Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). OUR's mission is to save children from human trafficking. Rothschild wrote a book titled, "The Storm is Upon Us," which details many QAnon conspiracy theories such as the idea that the Democratic Party elites are part of a cabal of Satanic worshippers that drink the blood of children. Rothschild targeted said the film is "being marketed to either specific QAnon believers or to people who believe all of the same tenets as QAnon, but claim they don't know what it is." https://rumble.com/v2yw470-cnn-encourages-viewers-not-to-see-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom.html - Play Video CNN has had its own problems with employees being involved in child sex crimes. One former producer at the network, John Griffin, was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Griffin coerced a woman online to bring her nine-year-old daughter to Vermont to engage in illicit acts. The story depicted in the film is of Ballard, played by Caviezel, rescuing children. After much strife with working in the US government, he bumps up against bureaucracy in his position as an agent. He had to quit his job to rescue the kids in the film and did so in reality as well. This was the beginning of OUR as a non-government organization. The movie focuses on Ballard's mission to save the two children and reunite a family torn apart by child sex trafficking. At the end of the movie, Caviezel appears on screen with a special message to share and urges people to "pay it forward" and donate to allow others to see the film. Caviezel says, "Steve Jobs once said, 'The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.' Abraham Lincoln credited Harriet Stowe when she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. This powerful story inspired millions to rise up and fight against slavery. I think we can make Sound of Freedom the Uncle Tom's Cabin of modern-day slavery." "Sound of Freedom is a hero's tale, but I'm not talking about the character I play. It's the heroic brother and sister in this film that work to save each other." Caviezel added, "Together, we have a chance to make these two kids, and the countless children that they represent, the most powerful people in the world by telling their story in a way only the cinema can do." Before we wrap up today’s show, let’s talk about on this day in history! On this day in history, July 11th: 138 Antoninus Pius succeeds Hadrian as Emperor of Rome 1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch) near Kortrijk (cor-tray), Belgium: Flemish coalition defeat the French army of Philip IV 1405 Chinese fleet commander Zheng He sets sail on his first major expedition, to the Spice Islands, leading 208 vessels, including 62 treasure ships with 27,800 sailors 1533 Pope Clement VII excommunicates England's King Henry VIII On 11th July 1533, the Pope declared that Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was null and void, as was the annulment declared by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in May 1533, and he restored Catherine of Aragon to her “royal state”. He ordered the wayward king to abandon the newly crowned and pregnant Anne Boleyn and return to Catherine of Aragon. If the king refused then the Pope would issue the bull of excommunication that he had drawn up. He’d give Henry until September to sort himself out, but if he didn’t heed the Pope’s warning then he’d be excommunicated, the most severe punishment that the Church could inflict. Of course, Henry took absolutely no notice of the Pope, but he escaped excommunication until 17th December 1538 when Pope Paul III excommunicated him following his break with Rome, his persecution of those who did not accept his supremacy, the dissolution of the monasteries and Henry’s desecration of religious shrines including that of Thomas Becket. 1576 English explorer Martin Frobisher sights Greenland 1740 Jews are expelled from Little Russia by order of Tsarina Anne 1781 Thomas Hutchins designated Geographer of US By the age of 30, the remarkable Thomas Hutchins (1730?-1789) was an experienced frontiersman, a veteran of the French and Indian War, and a skilled Indian agent. He was best known, however, as a formidable surveyor, cartographer, and geographer. A native of New Jersey, the particular combination of skills made Hutchins the perfect candidate for surveying the vast western regions of the British North American empire. In 1766, he was officially assigned to duty as an engineer in the British army, gradually becoming the most respected surveyor and map maker in the colonies. From 1764 through 1768, he took part in expeditions spanning the west from the northern reaches of the Mississippi Valley to New Orleans, and in 1770, was transferred from the Illinois territory to Pensacola, where he was charged with reorganizing the provincial defenses and mapping. 1798 US Marine Corps established by an act of Congress 1801 French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons discovers his 1st comet 1882 British fleet bombards Alexandria, Egypt 1906 The Gillette-Brown murder inspires Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" 1960 "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is first published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1984 Government orders air bags or seat belts would be required in cars by 1989 1988 Mike Tyson hires Donald Trump as an advisor

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, July 11th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.theblaze.com/news/ban-on-transgender-surgery-for-tennessee-children-goes-into-effect Tennessee's ban on transgender surgery for kids goes into effect immediately, federal appeals court rules Tennessee can implement its ban on transgender surgery and related medical interventions for minors as a case challenging the law works its way through the court, a divided federal appeals court panel ruled Saturday. Tennessee's 44th House District Representative William Lamberth (R) wrote on Twitter Saturday: "I am thankful to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals for confirming what Tennesseans already know: Children cannot give consent to experimental medical procedures or drugs that destroy their healthy bodies," The Tennessee law now in effect, at least temporarily, prohibits surgical procedures and administration of hormones or puberty blockers for the purpose of gender transition, as Reason explains. Judge Thapar joined Sutton, concluding that the lower court had wrongly stopped the law's implementation. Judge White delivered a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. The ban, originally set to take effect July 1, will now take effect immediately. The ban was held up when a lower court sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN argued that the law interfered with parental rights and was unconstitutional, as The Hill reported. This is the first federal court to allow such a ban, with other courts unanimously blocking similar bans in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN brought the suit on behalf of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville and their 15-year-old daughter, as well as two other anonymous families and Dr. Susan N. Lac. https://dailycaller.com/2023/07/09/portland-distribute-foil-straws-snorting-kits-paraphernalia-drug-addicts/ City To Distribute Foil, Straws, Snorting Kits To Drug Addicts Health officials in Portland, Oregon announced last week they will begin handing out tin foil, straws and snorting kits to drug addicts throughout the city. As part of its “Harm Reduction Program,” the Multnomah County Health Department announced Friday that drug paraphernalia will be offered to those using fentanyl and other hard drugs, KOIN 6 reported. The rise of fentanyl has decreased the need for needle-focused “harm reduction” services, Department spokeswoman Sarah Dean told the Willamette Week. Since fentanyl is smoked rather than injected, clinic visits have dropped 60% since 2019, Dean said. The program is backed by Multnomah County’s Public Health Director, Jessica Guernsey, who says, “The new part of the program is that we’re adding supplies for people who smoke drugs.” Others are not happy with the move. “This misguided approach also results in greater risk to public safety for those who simply want to enjoy our city without walking through a cloud of toxic smoke,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “Our community would benefit more from the County using its funding to urgently increase treatment and sobering facilities rather than actively enabling this deadly epidemic.” Dean countered the mayor’s statement by claiming providing drug paraphernalia does not increase drug use but encourages addicts to visit clinics where they can get access to fentanyl test strips and the overdose antidote, Narcan, KOIN 6 reported. The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill decriminalizing the distribution of “drug paraphernalia” for harm reduction purposes, according to the Willamette Week. Similar programs have been launched in Washington and California. In New York City, vending machines with smoking kits and bubble pipes have recently been installed, the outlet reported. The Oregon bill to decriminalize distribution of drug paraphernalia sits on Governor Tina Kotek’s desk awaiting signature before going into law, the New York Post reported. https://hotair.com/karen-townsend/2023/07/09/the-winner-of-miss-netherlands-2023-is-a-man-n563401 The winner of Miss Netherlands 2023 is a man Transgender activism marches on. The newly crowned Miss Universe Netherlands is a man. The runner-up is a woman. Rikkie Valerie Kollé was crowned Miss Universe Netherlands 2023 on Saturday. Rikkie is 22 years old, a Dutch-Moluccan model and actress in Leusden. He will represent the Netherlands at the 2023 Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador. The first runner-up is Nathalie Mogbelzada, 26, from Amsterdam. The reigning Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel of Houston, Texas, was a special guest at the pageant. He makes history as the first transgender woman to win the national title. In 2018, Angele Ponce, Miss Universe Spain, was the first transgender to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. The question of having a transgender competitor in the Miss Universe pageant goes back to 2012. That is when Trump owned it and he overturned a decision by the Miss Universe organization to disqualify a Canadian model. Jenna Talackova was not being allowed to compete because “she was not a naturally born female.” Trump bowed to the laws of Canada and allowed Jenna to compete. The LGBTQ community applauded Trump. Now he’s running against a very socially conservative Republican, Ron DeSantis, among others, and Trump has flipped on the issue. The Miss America pageant is also having its share of problems. Ever since former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson came out as super woke and joined the organization, internal battles have leaked into the press. One big issue is that when Carlson joined the organization in 2018, she made the decision to ban the swimsuit segment. Now a former Miss America, Caressa Cameron, says that the pageant feels like a Ted Talk. There is a new docuseries on A&E that exposes scandals, misogyny, and racism in the Miss America competitions. Now in world news: https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-centcom-says-killed-isis-leader-syria-airstrike-no-civilian-casualties US CENTCOM says it killed ISIS leader in Syria airstrike, no civilian casualties U.S. forces killed ISIS leader Usamah al-Muhajir in an airstrike in eastern Syria on Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a Sunday statement. Al-Muhajir was killed by the same MQ-9 reaper drones that had been harassed by Russian aircraft in the region. The two incidents occurred the same day, the U.S. says, with the drones carrying out the strike after the interaction with Russian craft. "We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," said CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla. "ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond." CENTCOM clarified that there were no indications that any civilians were killed in the strike, but the U.S. and allies were assessing reports of a civilian injury. The U.S. and allied forces in the region have carried out a consistent campaign against remaining ISIS leaders operating in Syria. The U.S. killed the head of the organization, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a 2019 raid. Since then, ISIS forces have operated as cells. The MQ-9 drones used in the attack had earlier interactions with Russian SU-35 fighter jets throughout last week. The Russian craft have repeatedly flown into the path of the drones, forcing them to take evasive action to avoid a collision. "Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior Thursday, 9:30 a.m. local time, while interacting with U.S. MQ-9 drones carrying out our D-ISIS mission in Syria," said Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, 9th AF and CFACC for CENTCOM. "Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved." "This is the second instance of dangerous behaviors by Russian pilots within the past 24 hours, with the first happening Wednesday at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time," he added. The U.S. military has also urged Russian forces in Syria to "cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force, so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS," he said. The U.S. maintains a force of about 900 troops deployed in Syria. They primarily work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their struggle against Islamic State militants. Now in entertainment… https://thepostmillennial.com/cnn-discourages-viewers-from-watching-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom?utm_campaign=64487 CNN discourages viewers from watching anti-pedophile movie, Sound of Freedom In a clip from CNN, network host Abby Phillip brought on an author named Mike Rothschild to talk about the new and popular anti-child sex trafficking film, Sound of Freedom. Rothschild charged the film is created out of a "moral panic" and "QAnon concepts." Sound of Freedom is based on the adventures of Tim Ballard, who started an organization known as Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). OUR's mission is to save children from human trafficking. Rothschild wrote a book titled, "The Storm is Upon Us," which details many QAnon conspiracy theories such as the idea that the Democratic Party elites are part of a cabal of Satanic worshippers that drink the blood of children. Rothschild targeted said the film is "being marketed to either specific QAnon believers or to people who believe all of the same tenets as QAnon, but claim they don't know what it is." https://rumble.com/v2yw470-cnn-encourages-viewers-not-to-see-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom.html - Play Video CNN has had its own problems with employees being involved in child sex crimes. One former producer at the network, John Griffin, was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Griffin coerced a woman online to bring her nine-year-old daughter to Vermont to engage in illicit acts. The story depicted in the film is of Ballard, played by Caviezel, rescuing children. After much strife with working in the US government, he bumps up against bureaucracy in his position as an agent. He had to quit his job to rescue the kids in the film and did so in reality as well. This was the beginning of OUR as a non-government organization. The movie focuses on Ballard's mission to save the two children and reunite a family torn apart by child sex trafficking. At the end of the movie, Caviezel appears on screen with a special message to share and urges people to "pay it forward" and donate to allow others to see the film. Caviezel says, "Steve Jobs once said, 'The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.' Abraham Lincoln credited Harriet Stowe when she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. This powerful story inspired millions to rise up and fight against slavery. I think we can make Sound of Freedom the Uncle Tom's Cabin of modern-day slavery." "Sound of Freedom is a hero's tale, but I'm not talking about the character I play. It's the heroic brother and sister in this film that work to save each other." Caviezel added, "Together, we have a chance to make these two kids, and the countless children that they represent, the most powerful people in the world by telling their story in a way only the cinema can do." Before we wrap up today’s show, let’s talk about on this day in history! On this day in history, July 11th: 138 Antoninus Pius succeeds Hadrian as Emperor of Rome 1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch) near Kortrijk (cor-tray), Belgium: Flemish coalition defeat the French army of Philip IV 1405 Chinese fleet commander Zheng He sets sail on his first major expedition, to the Spice Islands, leading 208 vessels, including 62 treasure ships with 27,800 sailors 1533 Pope Clement VII excommunicates England's King Henry VIII On 11th July 1533, the Pope declared that Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was null and void, as was the annulment declared by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in May 1533, and he restored Catherine of Aragon to her “royal state”. He ordered the wayward king to abandon the newly crowned and pregnant Anne Boleyn and return to Catherine of Aragon. If the king refused then the Pope would issue the bull of excommunication that he had drawn up. He’d give Henry until September to sort himself out, but if he didn’t heed the Pope’s warning then he’d be excommunicated, the most severe punishment that the Church could inflict. Of course, Henry took absolutely no notice of the Pope, but he escaped excommunication until 17th December 1538 when Pope Paul III excommunicated him following his break with Rome, his persecution of those who did not accept his supremacy, the dissolution of the monasteries and Henry’s desecration of religious shrines including that of Thomas Becket. 1576 English explorer Martin Frobisher sights Greenland 1740 Jews are expelled from Little Russia by order of Tsarina Anne 1781 Thomas Hutchins designated Geographer of US By the age of 30, the remarkable Thomas Hutchins (1730?-1789) was an experienced frontiersman, a veteran of the French and Indian War, and a skilled Indian agent. He was best known, however, as a formidable surveyor, cartographer, and geographer. A native of New Jersey, the particular combination of skills made Hutchins the perfect candidate for surveying the vast western regions of the British North American empire. In 1766, he was officially assigned to duty as an engineer in the British army, gradually becoming the most respected surveyor and map maker in the colonies. From 1764 through 1768, he took part in expeditions spanning the west from the northern reaches of the Mississippi Valley to New Orleans, and in 1770, was transferred from the Illinois territory to Pensacola, where he was charged with reorganizing the provincial defenses and mapping. 1798 US Marine Corps established by an act of Congress 1801 French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons discovers his 1st comet 1882 British fleet bombards Alexandria, Egypt 1906 The Gillette-Brown murder inspires Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" 1960 "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is first published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1984 Government orders air bags or seat belts would be required in cars by 1989 1988 Mike Tyson hires Donald Trump as an advisor

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, July 11th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.theblaze.com/news/ban-on-transgender-surgery-for-tennessee-children-goes-into-effect Tennessee's ban on transgender surgery for kids goes into effect immediately, federal appeals court rules Tennessee can implement its ban on transgender surgery and related medical interventions for minors as a case challenging the law works its way through the court, a divided federal appeals court panel ruled Saturday. Tennessee's 44th House District Representative William Lamberth (R) wrote on Twitter Saturday: "I am thankful to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals for confirming what Tennesseans already know: Children cannot give consent to experimental medical procedures or drugs that destroy their healthy bodies," The Tennessee law now in effect, at least temporarily, prohibits surgical procedures and administration of hormones or puberty blockers for the purpose of gender transition, as Reason explains. Judge Thapar joined Sutton, concluding that the lower court had wrongly stopped the law's implementation. Judge White delivered a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. The ban, originally set to take effect July 1, will now take effect immediately. The ban was held up when a lower court sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN argued that the law interfered with parental rights and was unconstitutional, as The Hill reported. This is the first federal court to allow such a ban, with other courts unanimously blocking similar bans in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN brought the suit on behalf of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville and their 15-year-old daughter, as well as two other anonymous families and Dr. Susan N. Lac. https://dailycaller.com/2023/07/09/portland-distribute-foil-straws-snorting-kits-paraphernalia-drug-addicts/ City To Distribute Foil, Straws, Snorting Kits To Drug Addicts Health officials in Portland, Oregon announced last week they will begin handing out tin foil, straws and snorting kits to drug addicts throughout the city. As part of its “Harm Reduction Program,” the Multnomah County Health Department announced Friday that drug paraphernalia will be offered to those using fentanyl and other hard drugs, KOIN 6 reported. The rise of fentanyl has decreased the need for needle-focused “harm reduction” services, Department spokeswoman Sarah Dean told the Willamette Week. Since fentanyl is smoked rather than injected, clinic visits have dropped 60% since 2019, Dean said. The program is backed by Multnomah County’s Public Health Director, Jessica Guernsey, who says, “The new part of the program is that we’re adding supplies for people who smoke drugs.” Others are not happy with the move. “This misguided approach also results in greater risk to public safety for those who simply want to enjoy our city without walking through a cloud of toxic smoke,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “Our community would benefit more from the County using its funding to urgently increase treatment and sobering facilities rather than actively enabling this deadly epidemic.” Dean countered the mayor’s statement by claiming providing drug paraphernalia does not increase drug use but encourages addicts to visit clinics where they can get access to fentanyl test strips and the overdose antidote, Narcan, KOIN 6 reported. The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill decriminalizing the distribution of “drug paraphernalia” for harm reduction purposes, according to the Willamette Week. Similar programs have been launched in Washington and California. In New York City, vending machines with smoking kits and bubble pipes have recently been installed, the outlet reported. The Oregon bill to decriminalize distribution of drug paraphernalia sits on Governor Tina Kotek’s desk awaiting signature before going into law, the New York Post reported. https://hotair.com/karen-townsend/2023/07/09/the-winner-of-miss-netherlands-2023-is-a-man-n563401 The winner of Miss Netherlands 2023 is a man Transgender activism marches on. The newly crowned Miss Universe Netherlands is a man. The runner-up is a woman. Rikkie Valerie Kollé was crowned Miss Universe Netherlands 2023 on Saturday. Rikkie is 22 years old, a Dutch-Moluccan model and actress in Leusden. He will represent the Netherlands at the 2023 Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador. The first runner-up is Nathalie Mogbelzada, 26, from Amsterdam. The reigning Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel of Houston, Texas, was a special guest at the pageant. He makes history as the first transgender woman to win the national title. In 2018, Angele Ponce, Miss Universe Spain, was the first transgender to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. The question of having a transgender competitor in the Miss Universe pageant goes back to 2012. That is when Trump owned it and he overturned a decision by the Miss Universe organization to disqualify a Canadian model. Jenna Talackova was not being allowed to compete because “she was not a naturally born female.” Trump bowed to the laws of Canada and allowed Jenna to compete. The LGBTQ community applauded Trump. Now he’s running against a very socially conservative Republican, Ron DeSantis, among others, and Trump has flipped on the issue. The Miss America pageant is also having its share of problems. Ever since former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson came out as super woke and joined the organization, internal battles have leaked into the press. One big issue is that when Carlson joined the organization in 2018, she made the decision to ban the swimsuit segment. Now a former Miss America, Caressa Cameron, says that the pageant feels like a Ted Talk. There is a new docuseries on A&E that exposes scandals, misogyny, and racism in the Miss America competitions. Now in world news: https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-centcom-says-killed-isis-leader-syria-airstrike-no-civilian-casualties US CENTCOM says it killed ISIS leader in Syria airstrike, no civilian casualties U.S. forces killed ISIS leader Usamah al-Muhajir in an airstrike in eastern Syria on Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a Sunday statement. Al-Muhajir was killed by the same MQ-9 reaper drones that had been harassed by Russian aircraft in the region. The two incidents occurred the same day, the U.S. says, with the drones carrying out the strike after the interaction with Russian craft. "We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," said CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla. "ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond." CENTCOM clarified that there were no indications that any civilians were killed in the strike, but the U.S. and allies were assessing reports of a civilian injury. The U.S. and allied forces in the region have carried out a consistent campaign against remaining ISIS leaders operating in Syria. The U.S. killed the head of the organization, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a 2019 raid. Since then, ISIS forces have operated as cells. The MQ-9 drones used in the attack had earlier interactions with Russian SU-35 fighter jets throughout last week. The Russian craft have repeatedly flown into the path of the drones, forcing them to take evasive action to avoid a collision. "Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior Thursday, 9:30 a.m. local time, while interacting with U.S. MQ-9 drones carrying out our D-ISIS mission in Syria," said Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, 9th AF and CFACC for CENTCOM. "Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved." "This is the second instance of dangerous behaviors by Russian pilots within the past 24 hours, with the first happening Wednesday at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time," he added. The U.S. military has also urged Russian forces in Syria to "cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force, so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS," he said. The U.S. maintains a force of about 900 troops deployed in Syria. They primarily work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their struggle against Islamic State militants. Now in entertainment… https://thepostmillennial.com/cnn-discourages-viewers-from-watching-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom?utm_campaign=64487 CNN discourages viewers from watching anti-pedophile movie, Sound of Freedom In a clip from CNN, network host Abby Phillip brought on an author named Mike Rothschild to talk about the new and popular anti-child sex trafficking film, Sound of Freedom. Rothschild charged the film is created out of a "moral panic" and "QAnon concepts." Sound of Freedom is based on the adventures of Tim Ballard, who started an organization known as Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). OUR's mission is to save children from human trafficking. Rothschild wrote a book titled, "The Storm is Upon Us," which details many QAnon conspiracy theories such as the idea that the Democratic Party elites are part of a cabal of Satanic worshippers that drink the blood of children. Rothschild targeted said the film is "being marketed to either specific QAnon believers or to people who believe all of the same tenets as QAnon, but claim they don't know what it is." https://rumble.com/v2yw470-cnn-encourages-viewers-not-to-see-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom.html - Play Video CNN has had its own problems with employees being involved in child sex crimes. One former producer at the network, John Griffin, was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Griffin coerced a woman online to bring her nine-year-old daughter to Vermont to engage in illicit acts. The story depicted in the film is of Ballard, played by Caviezel, rescuing children. After much strife with working in the US government, he bumps up against bureaucracy in his position as an agent. He had to quit his job to rescue the kids in the film and did so in reality as well. This was the beginning of OUR as a non-government organization. The movie focuses on Ballard's mission to save the two children and reunite a family torn apart by child sex trafficking. At the end of the movie, Caviezel appears on screen with a special message to share and urges people to "pay it forward" and donate to allow others to see the film. Caviezel says, "Steve Jobs once said, 'The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.' Abraham Lincoln credited Harriet Stowe when she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. This powerful story inspired millions to rise up and fight against slavery. I think we can make Sound of Freedom the Uncle Tom's Cabin of modern-day slavery." "Sound of Freedom is a hero's tale, but I'm not talking about the character I play. It's the heroic brother and sister in this film that work to save each other." Caviezel added, "Together, we have a chance to make these two kids, and the countless children that they represent, the most powerful people in the world by telling their story in a way only the cinema can do." Before we wrap up today’s show, let’s talk about on this day in history! On this day in history, July 11th: 138 Antoninus Pius succeeds Hadrian as Emperor of Rome 1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch) near Kortrijk (cor-tray), Belgium: Flemish coalition defeat the French army of Philip IV 1405 Chinese fleet commander Zheng He sets sail on his first major expedition, to the Spice Islands, leading 208 vessels, including 62 treasure ships with 27,800 sailors 1533 Pope Clement VII excommunicates England's King Henry VIII On 11th July 1533, the Pope declared that Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was null and void, as was the annulment declared by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in May 1533, and he restored Catherine of Aragon to her “royal state”. He ordered the wayward king to abandon the newly crowned and pregnant Anne Boleyn and return to Catherine of Aragon. If the king refused then the Pope would issue the bull of excommunication that he had drawn up. He’d give Henry until September to sort himself out, but if he didn’t heed the Pope’s warning then he’d be excommunicated, the most severe punishment that the Church could inflict. Of course, Henry took absolutely no notice of the Pope, but he escaped excommunication until 17th December 1538 when Pope Paul III excommunicated him following his break with Rome, his persecution of those who did not accept his supremacy, the dissolution of the monasteries and Henry’s desecration of religious shrines including that of Thomas Becket. 1576 English explorer Martin Frobisher sights Greenland 1740 Jews are expelled from Little Russia by order of Tsarina Anne 1781 Thomas Hutchins designated Geographer of US By the age of 30, the remarkable Thomas Hutchins (1730?-1789) was an experienced frontiersman, a veteran of the French and Indian War, and a skilled Indian agent. He was best known, however, as a formidable surveyor, cartographer, and geographer. A native of New Jersey, the particular combination of skills made Hutchins the perfect candidate for surveying the vast western regions of the British North American empire. In 1766, he was officially assigned to duty as an engineer in the British army, gradually becoming the most respected surveyor and map maker in the colonies. From 1764 through 1768, he took part in expeditions spanning the west from the northern reaches of the Mississippi Valley to New Orleans, and in 1770, was transferred from the Illinois territory to Pensacola, where he was charged with reorganizing the provincial defenses and mapping. 1798 US Marine Corps established by an act of Congress 1801 French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons discovers his 1st comet 1882 British fleet bombards Alexandria, Egypt 1906 The Gillette-Brown murder inspires Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" 1960 "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is first published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1984 Government orders air bags or seat belts would be required in cars by 1989 1988 Mike Tyson hires Donald Trump as an advisor

The Syrian Democratic Forces have been one of the most active insurgencies in Syria. Their operations have heavily influenced Syria's contemporary political landscape, and we explore what the future of the SDF holds for the nation along with Alex McKeever, an expert researcher for the Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) organisation.

This weekend missiles from a drone nearly hit a US convoy carrying American personnel and Mazlum Kobane, a top American ally in the fight against the Islamic State and the commander in chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Kobane said he was the target of an assassination, while the Pentagon said the strikes “directly threatened the safety of US personnel” working to defeat IS. Turkey is believed to have carried out the attack. The question now is how will President Biden react? Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon official, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this latest troubling incident and explore what steps the Biden administration should take in order to signal to Erdogan that certain actions cross a red line. Read Michael Rubin's latest piece here: Turkey just tried to kill Americans. Will Biden react?You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:US-backed Syrian Kurdish leader Mazlum Kobane says Turkey's attempt on life not the first Turkish foreign minister: sovereignty of some Aegean islands ‘not determined'Dendias: Greece should be optimistic but also careful about relations with TurkeyIsrael inks $400 million sale of anti-tank missiles to GreeceIsrael signs $400 mln deal to sell Greece anti-tank missiles

Planet Poet-Words in Space – NEW PODCAST!  LISTEN to my WIOX show (originally aired March 14th, 2023) featuring two remarkable guests:  visionary humanitarian, musician and poet Elissa Montanti and writer, producer and director Michael McKinley, both here to discuss their documentary “Our Lady of Staten Island” which focuses in great part on Elissa's work helping African children with Albinism, victims of mutilation, get needed protheses.  For more information on the documentary and to view the trailer go to:  www.ourladystatenisland.com.  Michael will also discuss his book project Meta War and his recent travels to Iraq and Syria.  Elissa Montanti, visionary founder and executive director of the Staten Island-based Global Medical Relief Fund (GMRF), has brought more than 500 children of 57 countries to the U.S. for treatment, including surgery, limb prosthetics and other medical necessities. Injured children come from countries or regions able to offer only minimal medical care, poorly fitted prostheses, or none at all. Elissa's appearance on “60 Minutes” and her book “I'll Stand By You” One Woman's Mission to Heal the Children of the World” (written with Jennifer Haupt, Penguin Books, 2012) have helped spread the word about this remarkable woman and her work.  The New York Times and The Washington Post, among many print venues, have heralded her extraordinary work.  Elissa was featured in “CNN Heroes,” BBC World News, “Democracy Now” WorldVision Radio, and Voice of America.  People Magazine voted their story “the Saint of Staten Island”, as one of the five best stories of the year.  Elissa received Amnesty International ‘s Modern Day Saints Award and recognition from the Humanitarian Operating center in Kuwait for her bravery and humanitarian work in Iraq and the Shriners Humanitarian Award.  “To Walk Without Fear”, a documentary produced by Miracle Mile Films and sponsored by the UN Correspondence Association and the Prince of Jordan, premiered at the United Nations on November 16, 2006.    Elissa lives in Staten Island with her adopted son Ahmed who was blinded and lost his arm at 7 years old in Iraq while walking into crossfire.   Elissa's passions also include music, poetry and painting. Her poetry has won recognition from the American Poetry Society. Michael McKinley's first novel, The Penalty Killing, was shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award as best debut crime novel. His subsequent page-turners include, among others,  international bestseller Facetime and Willie: The Game Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player, nominated for an NAACP Image Award as best biography and one of the top twenty books of 2021. Michael‘s writing credits include the screenplay for the 1992 feature film Impolite, starring Christopher Plummer; a number of Discovery Channel docu-drama series including Perfect Disasters, Solar Storm and I Shouldn't Be Alive.  He wrote and produced award-winning films for CNN on the Vatican and on biblical archaeology in the Middle East, and The Jesus Strand for History TV. His most recent show is the 2021 three-part documentary series Epstein's Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell, which he co-created and Executive Produced for Peacock and SKY UK. Michael traveled to Iraq and Syria for projects with US Special Forces operators and Syrian Democratic Forces. Michael, educated at Oxford University, lives in New York City. He is currently directing, writing and producing, with Nancy Bell and Alice Barrett Mitchell, Our Lady of Staten Island.  

Facts & Spin for December 8, 2022 top stories: Peru's president is impeached and arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress, Raphael Warnock defeats Herschel Walker in the Georgia Senate runoff, Washington says it 'neither encouraged nor enabled' Ukraine to strike Russian territory, Germany arrests 25 people accused of plotting a coup, Argentina's vice president is sentenced to six years in prison for corruption, Turkey reportedly sets a two-week deadline for the Syrian Democratic Forces to withdraw from Northern Syria, The US Supreme Court hears arguments on congressional district maps, Twitter fires its general counsel over possible internal document suppression, China loosens more COVID restrictions, and the EU agrees that airlines should have to pay more to pollute. Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/   Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod

Facts & Spin for December 3, 2022 top stories: Arizona County certifies its election results, The Pentagon unveils its first new bomber in 30 years, Biden and Putin say they'd be open to talk under certain conditions, The EU sets a $60 price cap on Russian oil, An appeals court gives the Justice Department access to Trump's Mar-a-Lago documents, The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces announce they're halting anti-IS operations, The Democratic Republic of Congo accuses M23 rebels of killing 50 civilians, The US labor department reports job growth and wage increases for November, Pfizer says it will invest more than $2.5 billion to expand its European manufacturing, and Caltech physicists simulate a tiny “wormhole” in a lab. Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/   Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod

Britain's Prince William and Princess Catherine are in Boston on Friday to present his second annual Earthshot prize, awarded to innovators around the world working to save nature and combat global warming. And, the Syrian Democratic Forces, a majority Kurdish armed group, has announced it has ended cooperation with the US military in Syria. The announcement comes after the group said it would cease fighting ISIS following threats of a Turkish invasion in the region under their control. Also, amid a crackdown on dissent, Chinese authorities have trained their sights on banning Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, used to break past censorship. Plus, the classic Christmas song, “Carol of the Bells,” originated in Ukraine 100 years ago. Our reporting is independent, inclusive and in-depth. Best of all, it's listener supported. In other words, we wouldn't exist if it weren't for you. Will you give today to support the tireless efforts of The World's reporters and producers?

As Turkey threatens to mount a fresh ground assault against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria, America's Syrian Kurdish allies are warning that Washington and the Kremlin need to take a much firmer stance to prevent a Turkish offensive that will further undermine the battle against the Islamic State. While Washington has expressed “strong opposition” to a new Turkish military operation in Syria, sources have also indicated that Turkey is spurning all mediation efforts. Amberin Zaman, a senior correspondent reporting from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe exclusively for Al-Monitor, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the increasing likelihood of a Turkish offensive, the response from Washington and Moscow, and the options on the table for Syria's Kurds. Read Amberin Zaman's latest reports here: Syrian Kurdish commander says Kobani likely target of threatened Turkish ground offensiveSyrian Kurdish commander slams US response to Turkish attacks as US diplomats evacuated from SyriaAmerican aid volunteer David Eubank says Syrian Kurds feel even more betrayed by US in wake of Turkey's most recent attacksYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greece to get EU-funded anti-disinformation hubGreece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary agree to boost gas grid interconnections

Turkey is threatening to mount a fresh ground assault against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria after a wave of airstrikes that left 11 civilians and numerous Kurdish fighters dead. US officials say they are trying to de-escalate the situation, but their Syrian Kurdish allies say Washington's response has been weak and is unlikely to stave off another Turkish offensive. David Eubank, founder of the Free Burma Rangers, a volunteer group that assists civilians in conflict zones, came out of northeast Syria yesterday where he witnessed the devastation wreaked by Turkey's latest airstrikes. He told Al-Monitor that the sense of betrayal by the United States is even deeper than when President Donald Trump gave Turkey the green light to invade large chunks of northeast Syria in 2019. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Turkey says it plans to pursue targets in northern Syria following the blast that killed six people and injured more than 80 others in Istanbul on November 13. Ankara blames Kurdish militants for the attack and has detained a Syrian woman they believe to be the suspected bomber. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and both the Turkish PKK and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces deny any involvement. For more, we talk to Yavuz Baydar, editor-in-chief of the independent news website Ahval.

Armenian News Network - Groong Week in Review - Sep 4, 2022Topics:September 2: Artsakh Independence DaySeptember 2 is a public holiday commemorating the day 31 years ago when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic declared independence from the USSR. Before 2020, this would be a festive holiday. This year, there were protests in both Yerevan and Stepanakert as well as visits to the gravesites of fallen heroes. Developments in Geopolitics There were two major meetings this week between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On August 30, the deputy PMs met in Moscow, then on August 31, Pashinyan and Aliyev met in Brussels.“Normalization” with Turkey Next: we've read reports that the fifth meeting in the Turkish Armenian “Normalization” process will occur in September, so we'll discuss the pros and cons of that process with Prof. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan. Remembering Mikhail GorbachevAs Mikhail Gorbachev passed away this past week, we'll talk to Prof. Ara Sanjian and also Ter-Matevosyan for their recollections of the years leading up to, and following the fall of Soviet Union in 1991.Timing:00:00:06 Intro00:00:57 Topics00:02:15 September 2 & Opposition Reboot00:05:38 Geopolitics - Moscow Meeting00:14:39 Geopolitics - Brussels Meeting00:20:20 Geopolitics - Reactions to the Meetings00:31:48 Geopolitics - Cavusoglu on Syria00:41:00 Turkish Armenian “Normalization” - Vahram Ter-Matevosyan00:58:48 Remembering Gorbachev - Ara Sanjian01:11:45 Remembering Gorbachev - Vahram Ter-Matevosyan01:18:27 Personal Rants - Hovik01:20:02 End of rants and goodbyes01:20:13 Closing noteGuest:Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan - TW/@Benyamin_PoghosDr. Ara SanjianDr. Vahram Ter-MatevosyanHosts:Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevanAsbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriqEpisode 162 | Recorded: Sunday, September 4, 2022

Documentary filmmaker (and frm Congressman) Tom Garrett is in Iraq to introduce us to Mohammed Hassan, spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces (who is currently in an undisclosed location) because Turkey is ramping up attacks on them seemingly right after they put aside their objection to Sweden and Finland's admission to NATO... Did we agree to 'look the other way'?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Gordon is the author of Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State. He is currently a National Security Correspondent with The Wall Street Journal. He has covered wars and conflicts for over 35 years with The Wall Street Journal and previously with The New York Times.  In this interview, we discus the last decade of conflict against the Islamic State in which the United States applied a “by, with and through” strategy. This strategy supported Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces with U.S. advisors in the field as well as multiple intelligence and air assets. Topics covered include the following:  The conditions that allowed ISIS to capture territory in Iraq and Syria The capture of Mosul followed by the U.S. developing a strategy to respond The “By, With and Through” strategy that the U.S. employed based on a Special Forces concept to back local forces in the field of combat Where the term “Degrade and Destroy” came from and the strategic implications of how it shaped into “Operation Inherent Resolve” Michael discusses his frontline view of the conflict while embedded with Iraq's Counterterrorism Service (CTS) and Kurdish Peshmerga forces The early struggle to take back Mosul and how it led to Lieutenant General Townsend's “Tactical Directive One”  The difference between the Battle of Mosul and the Battle of Raqqa  How the U.S. and Russia faced off in Syria The current state of “Operation Inherent Resolve” and the current disposition of the Islamic State Lessons learned from “Operation Inherent Resolve” Michael Gordon Bibliography: Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama COBRA II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq The Generals' War Article: “How the War Against ISIS Was Won”  Follow and contact Michael Gordon:  Twitter: @mgordonwsj  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgordonwsj/  E-mail: Michael.gordon@wsj.com and mgwsj@protonmail.com    HELP SPREAD THE WORD! If you like the interview and want to hear others, subscribe in iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth. To request additional shows or guests, e-mail me: tim@professionalmilitaryeducation.com  Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com  

News came this week that the US backed Syrian Democratic Forces had finally liberated the city of Raqqa from the grip of ISIS. For the past three years the people trapped inside the oppressive ISIS regime suffered daily. Yet, reports of torture and assassination in the terrorized city did not come from traditional outlets. Rather, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, a band of citizen journalists led by Abdel Aziz al-Hamza, risked their lives to report the egregious conditions in a place that was notoriously difficult to enter or escape. Matthew Heineman followed this group in his new documentary, City of Ghosts. Bob speaks with Heineman and al-Hamza about their experiences in Raqqa and how these journalists found inspiration to continue their work. Also, Iraq's nine-month operation to push ISIS out of Mosul yielded bittersweet news this summer: the liberation of a starved and terrorized city. Over the previous three years, ISIS sought to completely isolate the people of Mosul by shutting off access to the internet and outside media. Radio Al-Ghad, a community radio station, defied the media blackout and risked death to give a voice to the civilian population. Brooke speaks to Al-Ghad's founder Mohammed Al-Musali about how his heroic team managed to shine a light into Mosul, win over ISIS supporters, and save countless lives. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.