Podcasts about Syrian Democratic Forces

Subscribe now for the full episode. Derek speaks with Alexander McKeever, publisher of This Week in Northern Syria, about the defeat of the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) autonomous project and its integration into the new Syrian state. They discuss the fall of the Assad regime, the March 2025 integration agreement between Damascus and the SDF, the breakdown of negotiations and January fighting in Aleppo, the rapid collapse of SDF control in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, tribal defections and grievances against the autonomous administration, and the uncertain future for Kurdish rights under the centralized Syrian government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Syria is at a pivotal moment. After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the country's new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa is working to reunify a fractured state — and the biggest test is unfolding in the northeast, where the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have operated autonomously for nearly a decade.In recent weeks, a fragile ceasefire and phased integration agreement has put Syrian Interior Ministry forces back into major cities like Hasakeh and Qamishli. On paper, the deal could mark the beginning of Syria's re-centralization. However, that fragility was exposed in early 2026, when fighting broke out between the SDF and Syrian government forces, raising fresh doubts about whether integration can hold.In this episode of The Burn Bag, A'ndre Gonawela sits down with Charles Lister, Senior Fellow and Director of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute, to provide a clear, ground-level primer on what's actually happening — and what could come next.Together, they unpack how Syria's political map shifted after Assad's fall and why the Syrian Democratic Forces remain central to the country's trajectory. The discussion breaks down what the March 2025 integration framework actually required, why talks stalled ahead of the January escalation, and what Interior Ministry deployments into Hasakeh and Qamishli signal about Damascus' return to the northeast. They also examine how Arab tribal defections reshaped eastern Syria, whether ISIS is quietly adapting, how the U.S. posture may evolve, and the most likely paths ahead — consolidation, hybrid control, or renewed conflict.Follow Charles on X @Charles_Lister and check out his other work here.

A little over a year from the start of the new government in Syria, violence returned to Aleppo. In January, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the forces of the interim Syrian government clashed in the Aleppo areas of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah.The SDF came off worse and were forced to retreat back to the northeast; and such was the scale of the defeat, they were forced into signing a deal that will see the SDF integrated into the Syrian army.For almost a year, the SDF has been resisting such a deal. This week, we look at the fighting in Aleppo, the deal that has been signed, and why, the status of the SDF and Syria's Kurds, and what these event mean for the Syria that President al-Sharaa is building.We're joined by Dr. Rahaf Aldoughli (@r_aldoughli), senior editor at Cogent Social Sciences and fellow at the Arab Reform Initiative (@ArabReform_ARI), and also, Joseph Daher (@JosephDaher19), a Syrian academic and specialist on the political economy of the Middle East.This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US military has begun to transfer up to 7000 Islamic State (IS) group detainees held in prisons in Syria to Iraq, which officials say is to prevent prisoners breaking out and regrouping. The transfer comes weeks after the US led large-scale strikes on IS group targets in Syria. The move comes after clashes between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which last week ended in a deal that would see the gradual integration of Kurdish forces and institutions into the state, and transfer control of the prisons to Damascus. Today we talk to Josh Baker, investigative journalist and host of the BBC podcast I Am Not A Monster, about the state of the IS group, and whether the country's instability could lead to a resurgence in Syria The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle Senior news editor: China Collins Mix: Travis Evans Photo: A member of the Syrian security forces stands in front of the gate of the Al-Hol camp, which houses families of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Credit: Mohammed al-Rifai/EPA/Shutterstock

The US military has begun to transfer up to 7000 Islamic State (IS) group detainees held in prisons in Syria to Iraq, which officials say is to prevent prisoners breaking out and regrouping. The transfer comes weeks after the US led large-scale strikes on IS group targets in Syria. The move comes after clashes between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which last week ended in a deal that would see the gradual integration of Kurdish forces and institutions into the state, and transfer control of the prisons to Damascus. Today we talk to Josh Baker, investigative journalist and host of the BBC podcast I Am Not A Monster, about the state of the IS group, and whether the country's instability could lead to a resurgence in Syria Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle Senior news editor: China Collins Mix: Travis Evans Photo: A member of the Syrian security forces stands in front of the gate of the Al-Hol camp, which houses families of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Credit: Mohammed al-Rifai/EPA/Shutterstock

This week, we spoke with Donna Mae, a longtime resident of Minneapolis and registered nurse working mostly with people who are unsheltered and use injection drugs. Donna lives in a neighborhood of the city that has had very heavy ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) activity and speaks for the hour about the last two months of invasion, organizing with neighbors, the legacy of the George Floyd Uprising and the aftermath of the murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, the recent General Strike and lessons for preparing in the next incursion, wherever that may be. Some links for support Fundraiser for folks in the Phillips neighborhood: https://gofund.me/0ba86917d Southside Harm Reduction Services: https://shrs.org/get-involved/donate/ Minneapolis Indian Women's Resource Center: https://miwrc.salsalabs.org/miwrcgeneraloperations/index.html Additional Links Facial Recognition Tech Used in Minneapolis to Target Protestors: in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/27/ice-facial-recognition-minnesota in Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/29/ice-tracking-tools-protesters-00755703 Rojava Updates Podcast Release Recently, armed conflict has flared between the Syrian Democratic Forces and both the Turkish-backed, so-called Syrian National Army militia and the forces aligned with the Syrian transitional government. In coming days we'll be sharing a timely podcast featuring an interview with a member of Tekoşîna Anarşîst and another with a western activist on the ground in Qamişlo to share their perspectives on the situation and updates on the changing terrain. We talk about the danger of a resurgence of ISIS, the humanitarian crisis growing due to the seige in Kobane and the fears of a renewed patriarchal governance, but also about organizing and international solidarity. This is a good time to get together with community in your area to figure out how you can support the revolution in Rojava. If you don't have a Rojava solidarity group in your area (start one), keep an ear out for calls to action via the Emergency Committee for Rojava: https://www.defendrojava.org/ In the meantime, check out this first podcast by the Youth Media project, Ronahi: https://www.ronahi.eu/2026/ronahi-podcast-episode-1/ . ... . .. Featured Track: TFSR by The Willows Whisper

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 31-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 32,095 on turnover of $9.3-billion N-T. The market smashed closing records on Monday after breaching the 32,000-point mark as buying rotated to the old economy sector. Analysts say the main board's momentum extended from the recent significant gains, as raw material suppliers attracted strong investor interest, while interest in tech stocks saw a downturn. Japanese artists to build lantern floats for Taiwan Lantern Festival Two Japanese Nebuta artists will be crafting (手工製作) the large lantern floats for this year's Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi County. Artists Makoto Suwa and Hiromi Hayashi from Japan's Aomori City were invited to create the lantern floats for the General Association of Chinese Culture. Nebuta are traditional lantern floats handmade with wood, metal wire and paper. According to the association, the two artists will create nebuta for Chiayi County's Pei Tien Temple, featuring the deities Mazu and Hu Ye, for Lantern Festival - which will be taking place from March 3 through 15. Both Suwa and Hayashi have previously visited Taiwan to exhibit their nebuta works, but this will be the first time they produce nebuta from scratch in Taiwan. The floats will be taking part in the festival parade on the evening of March 7. UN Aid Delivered to Kobani Syria A U.N. aid convoy has delivered humanitarian supplies to Kobani in northeast Syria. This marks the first aid delivery since fighting began between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces earlier this month. A ceasefire, announced Tuesday and extended Saturday, is mostly holding despite sporadic skirmishes (斷斷續續的小規模戰鬥). Kobani residents have faced electricity and water cuts and shortages of essentials (必需品). The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 24 trucks delivered supplies, including food and medical kits. The fighting has displaced over 173-thousand people. A new agreement aims to merge SDF fighters with government forces. UK and EU Countries Join Wind Power Project The UK is among ten other European countries to work on a clean energy scheme (方案) by producing more wind farms in the North sea. The aim of the project, to be agreed at a summit in Germany, is to move away from fossil fuels and strengthen energy security. Lara Bentley reports Canada Last Captive Whales May Be Exported to US Canada's last captive whales have a received a reprieve from death after the Canadian government conditionally approved a plan to export them to the United States. The country's fisheries minister met with officials from Marineland, the shuttered theme park and zoo in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to talk about its proposed plan to move the animals south. The park is in discussions with four U.S. institutions to take its 30 belugas and four dolphins. The park had said it was running out of funds and the animals would be euthanized (安樂死) if the export permits were not authorized by Jan. 30-th. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 新感覺夾心土司 多種口味隨心挑選 讓你隨時隨地都有好心情 甜蜜口感草莓夾心、顆粒層次花生夾心、濃郁滑順可可夾心 主廚監製鮪魚沙拉、精選原料金黃蛋沙拉 輕巧美味帶著走，迎接多變的每一天 7-Eleven多種口味販售中 https://sofm.pse.is/8qducm -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Iraq has tightened security along its border with Syria amid fears of an Islamic State resurgence, following the takeover by government forces of prisons previously guarded by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that hold thousands of IS fighters.

The Syrian Army has made sweeping gains against Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria, dealing a major blow to Syrian Kurdish autonomy and handing victories to both Damascus and neighbouring Turkey. With Washington abandoning its backing of the militia alliance, the Syrian Democratic Forces now face disbandment or renewed fighting. Within days, Syrian government troops swept aside the SDF and took control of vast areas of territory. The offensive followed the collapse of talks on integrating the SDF into the Syrian Army. Washington's shift proved decisive. “The game changer was the American permission, the American green light to [Syrian President] Ahmed al-Sharaa. That opened the door to Damascus launching the offensive,” said Syria expert Fabrice Balanche, of Lyon University. The SDF had been a key US ally in the fight against Islamic State and relied on American support to deter an attack by Damascus. But with Islamic State now weakened and Sharaa joining Washington's alliance against the group, the Kurds lost their leverage. “Trump viewed the relationship as temporary, not a true alliance,” said Balanche, a municipal councillor with France's rightwing Republicans party. French journalist arrested in Turkey while covering pro-Kurdish protest released US withdrawal and rapid collapse As Washington ended its support, many Arab tribes quit the Kurdish-led coalition. They aligned with Damascus, allowing government forces to advance quickly in Arab-majority areas. Several prisons holding Islamic State members fell to government control, with reports that hundreds escaped. Fears of wider instability pushed Washington to broker a ceasefire between the SDF and the Syrian government. Under the deal, SDF forces are to disband and merge into Syrian government units, a move backed by Ankara. Turkey has strongly supported the Damascus offensive. It accuses Kurdish elements within the SDF of links to the PKK, which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. “Turkey is certainly behind all these operations,” said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. “The Turkish defence minister, General Chief of Staff, has recently been in Syria. So there is probably a common action.” Turkey blocks calls for regime change in Iran as protests escalate Kurdish tensions inside Turkey The assault has triggered protests by members of Turkey's large Kurdish minority in support of Syrian Kurds. It has also coincided with talks between the pro-Kurdish Dem Party, the Turkish government and the outlawed PKK aimed at ending the conflict. The PKK declared a ceasefire and pledged to disband last year, but talks stalled months ago. Ankara has blamed the deadlock on the SDF's refusal to join the PKK's disarmament commitment. The fighting in Syria could deepen Kurdish disillusionment with the peace process, political analyst Sezin Oney, of the Politikyol news portal, warned. “They pictured this peace process as a big win for the PKK that finally all these rights, all the political rights, cultural rights, everything would be recognized, and a new era would begin," Oney said. "It's not that, and it won't be that there is nobody in Turkey on the side of the government who was envisioning such a change or anything of the sort." The Dem Party had few options left. “The only thing Dem can do is rally the Kurdish public in Turkey, and it is just going to be disbursed,” Oney added. Syrian army offensive in Aleppo draws support from Turkey Risk of wider bloodshed Turkish police have broken up many pro-SDF protests using water cannon and gas, carrying out hundreds of arrests. French journalist Raphael Boukandoura was detained and later released, in a move rights groups said was meant to intimidate foreign media. Without US intervention, Damascus would push further into Kurdish-held areas, Balanche warned. “Sharaa will seize everything." The risk of large-scale violence, he added, was growing in a region marked by tribal rivalries and years of war. “Northeastern Syria is a very tribal area. The tribal leaders who are mobilizing their groups, their fighters, and they're attacking," Balanche said. “Because of 10 years of civil war, you have a lot of vengeance that was under the table, and now everything is exploding. So it could be very bloody.”

After days of fighting, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and government troops under President Ahmad Al Shara agreed to a fragile ceasefire. But in that short time – and with each side still accusing the other of attacks – the landscape has already changed. Areas that were under SDF control, mostly in the north-east, are now in possession of the government. The Kurdish-led group was previously backed by the US in the fight against ISIS during the Syrian civil war, but that support had been fading as Washington gravitated closer to Mr Al Shara, even before the latest developments. Now many questions remain about what happens to resources in north-eastern Syria, how the new power dynamics will shape regional geopolitics, and what happens to ISIS members who had been detained in SDF facilities. Host Nada AlTaher speaks to The National's deputy foreign editor Aveen Karim to break down what led to the clashes and what comes next.

In this episode, Aaron Zelin returns to Conflicted to unpack the extraordinary collapse of the Syrian Democratic Forces' position in northeast Syria over the past week — and what the fallout could mean for Syria's fragile post-Assad order. Aaron explains: Why the March 2025 framework agreement ultimately failed Why Sunni Arab tribes abandoned the SDF — and how Damascus prepared the ground How and why fighting erupted in Kurdish neighbourhoods of Aleppo The rapid fall of SDF-held areas in Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasakah What happened at ISIS prisons and detention camps during the collapse Why claims of ‘Kurdish abandonment' by the United States are misleading The PKK factor — and the risk of a new insurgency or terrorism campaign What Syria's consolidation means for ISIS, regional stability, and the country's future Follow Aaron on X: https://x.com/azelin This episode includes BONUS MATERIAL after the credits ONLY for subscribers to the Conflicted Community. Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm  Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For over fourteen years, the Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces were central to United States (US) efforts against the IS group. Recent shifts under the Trump administration, led by envoy Tom Barrack, indicate the US is pulling back support from the Kurds and instead backing Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Shara. In an interview, with senior fellow at the New Lions Institute and former spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against IS group in Syria and Iraq, Colonel Myles Caggins lll analyses the implications of this change. - Zêdetirî 14 salan Kurdên li bakur-rojhilatê Sûriyê û Hêzên Sûriya Demokratîk di şerê li dijî DAIŞê de hevkarên sereke yê Amerîka bûn. Lê di bin serokatiya Serok Trump de, rêveberiyê - bi rêya nûner Tom Barrack - piştgiriya xwe ji Kurdan û HSDê vekişand û piştgiriya xwe guherand hukûmeta Sûriyê ya demkî di bin serokatiya Ehmed El Şera de. Myles Caggins III berdevkê berê yê hevpeymaniya bi pêşengiya Amerîkayê ji bo têkbirina DAIŞê li Sûriye û Iraqê bû. Me hevpeyvînek derbarê rewşê bi wî re pêk anî.

Donald Trump says "we will work something out" over Greenland, ahead of meetings with European leaders at the World Economic Forum. Mr Trump made the remarks at a news conference to mark the first anniversary of his second term. Also: Snapchat's parent company settles a social media addiction lawsuit. The Syrian government announces another ceasefire deal with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Relatives of anti-government protesters killed in a crackdown by the Iranian authorities struggle to identify the bodies of missing loved ones. Environmental activists are angry at plans to restart oil drilling in Nigeria. Scientists say they've developed a robotic hand that could be better than a human's. And the Swiss cow that has the ability to use tools. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Firas explains why the Atlantic is the American Mare Nostrum, where the Ukraine negotiations are, and the collapse of the Syrian Democratic Forces.

U.S. President Donald Trump says missing out on the Nobel Peace Prize means he's under no obligation to pursue peace. ChongLy Thao tells Reuters what it was like to be dragged out of his home and into the snow by ICE. The truce between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces is off to a rocky start. Hundreds protest plans for a Chinese mega embassy in London. Plus, Brooklyn Beckham breaks his silence on the family rift.  Listen to Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Find the Recommended Read here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Groong Week in Review - January 18, 2026Topics:Syria, Kurds, Turkish advanceIran unrest, war postponedTRIPP and sovereignty dispute2026 elections, foreign influenceGuest: Sergei MelkonianHosts:Hovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 508 | Recorded: January 19, 2026SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/508VIDEO: https://youtu.be/LDI5e7Tcu8k#ArmenianNews #Syria #Iran #ZangezurCorridor #TRIPP #GeopoliticsSubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

Officials say China's GDP in 2025 grew five percent, meeting the annual target (01:09). Relations between the U.S. and Europe continue to sour over the Greenland issue, with both sides considering tariffs (14:08). The Syrian interim authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces sign a new ceasefire and integration agreement (24:54).

① China's economy grew by 5% last year, meeting the country's target. We explore a series of factors underpinning China's growth in 2025. (00:51) ② China's Shenzhou-20 spacecraft has returned to Earth after spending nine months in orbit. We look at how its experience raises concerns about the danger to space travel posed by space debris? (13:38) ③ Will the US tariff threats over Greenland risk a dangerous downward spiral in transatlantic ties? (24:52) ④ The Pentagon has reportedly placed some 1,500 active-duty soldiers on standby for possible deployment to Minnesota, as protests continue against raids carried out by ICE officials. How far can President Trump push the boundaries of his power in Minnesota? (34:57) ⑤ The Syrian government has announced a ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Will it pave the way for renewed dialogue and cooperation towards a unified Syria? (45:49)

Today's HeadlinesTo disarm or not to disarm? Kurdish-led forces in Syria chose noAs regulations grow, caution shapes ministry in ChinaDespite obstacles, Mission Cry continues reaching Hong Kong

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says "Europe won't be blackmailed", as she and other European leaders continue to weigh their response to US President Donald Trump's tariff threats over Greenland. Trump says he will impose new taxes on eight European nations, including Denmark, in February if they oppose his proposed takeover of Greenland. Also on the programme: The Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have agreed an immediate ceasefire after nearly two weeks of fighting; and we hear about revolutionary treatment for people with an aggressive form of leukaemia, or blood cancer, which is being offered to patients in the UK.(Photo: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks at a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 13th of January 13, 2026. Credit: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS)

AP correspondent Donna Warder reports on the announcement of a ceasefire in Syria.

Will the Syrian army end up controlling all the country's Kurdish-held areas? The army has made significant territorial gains after intense battles with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in recent days. So, how will this play out within Syria and the wider region? In this episode: Omar Abu Laila, Syrian Affairs Analyst. Scott Lucas, Professor, US and International Politics, University College Dublin. Kamaran Palani, Kurdish Principal Investigator, PeaceRep Iraq Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science. Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Turkey is opposing calls for regime change in Iran as security forces carry out a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests. The Turkish government accuses Israel of exploiting the unrest, and is leading efforts to block any military action against Iran – warning that a collapse of the regime could destabilise the region. Since protests began across Iran almost three weeks ago, Turkey has tried to play down the scale of the unrest. It has distanced itself from Western allies calling for regime change and avoided offering explicit support for those demands. The protests began on 28 December after a currency collapse triggered demonstrations by merchants and traders in Tehran. The unrest quickly spread nationwide. Activists say more than 2,000 protesters have been killed. Alongside Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, Turkey has lobbied Washington against any military response to the killings. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said such a move would worsen the situation. “We oppose military intervention against Iran; Iran must resolve its own problems,” Fidan said. “We want the issue resolved through dialogue.” France summons Iran envoy over 'unrestrained' protest crackdown Fear of regional collapse According to The Guardian newspaper, US President Donald Trump's decision to step back from attacking Iran was influenced by Turkey and its Arab allies – who warned of regional chaos if an attack went ahead. Turkey fears that Iran could descend into civil war similar to Iraq after the collapse of its regime, said Serhan Afacan, head of the Ankara-based Center for Iranian Studies, adding the consequences would be more severe due to Iran's size and diversity. “Iran has a population of about 90 million, including many ethnic minorities such as Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis,” Afacan explained. “If a conflict erupts among these groups, it could result in a prolonged civil war. Any resulting immigration from Iran to Turkey could reach millions.” Turkey and Iran unite against Israel as regional power dynamics shift PKK security fears Turkey already hosts about three million refugees. Experts say Ankara's biggest security concern is the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has fought Turkey for an independent Kurdish state and has an Iranian affiliate, PJAK. Although the PKK announced a ceasefire last year and pledged to disband, Ankara fears unrest in Iran could give the group new opportunities, said Iranian expert Bilgehan Alagoz, of Marmara University. “Day by day, we have started to see the PKK groups in certain cities of Iran demanding some separatist demands, and this is the main concern for Turkey,” he said. Ankara also accuses Israel of exploiting the situation in Iran. “Israel has targeted all these PKK groups and tried to motivate the PKK groups inside Iran,” Alagoz said. “Any instability inside Iran can create a space for the PKK.” Fidan has also accused Israel of manipulating the protests. Turkey is already confronting another PKK-linked group in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which controls large parts of the country. Ankara accuses Israel of supporting the SDF, adding Iran to a broader Israeli-Turkish regional rivalry. France's Iranian diaspora divided over deadly protests back home Energy pressure Turkey could also clash with Washington over Iran if the protests continue. Trump has warned that countries trading with Tehran could face 25 percent tariffs. Iran supplies Turkey with about one-fifth of its gas needs, according to Atilla Yesilada, an analyst at the Global Source Partners think tank. “Iran pumps 10 billion cubic metres of gas to Turkey every year, roughly one-fifth of total consumption,” he said. That supply could theoretically be replaced by liquefied natural gas imports, but Yesilada warned that Turkey is already struggling to cut its dependence on Russia, its main energy supplier. “Combine this with increasing American and EU pressure to cut gas purchases from Russia, and Turkey is in a very difficult situation,” he said.

At least 23 civilians have died from attacks on residential neighborhoods in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Health authorities said the casualties resulted from attacks attributed to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Renewed clashes in the Syrian city of Aleppo between the army and Kurdish fighters are undermining efforts to achieve national unity. The violence erupted after a failure to implement a deal on incorporating fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces into the army. Can tension be contained this time? In this episode: Labib Nahhas, Syria analyst Omer Ozkizilcik, Nonresident fellow for the Syria Project in the Atlantic Council's Middle East Program Rob Geist Pinfold, Lecturer in International Security at King's College London Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

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/

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.

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.