Foreign correspondent Reese Erlich returns to the show to discuss his latest article “The U.S. is Permanently Occupying Northern Syria, and That’s Trouble.” Erlich dials back to the good old days—2014—when the United States assured Americans it would not be involved on the ground in Syria. Guess what? They ended up in a ground war in Syria. Erlich then details the immense factionalism in the region, and some of the myriad incentives different groups have. Erlich then discusses the role Israel is playing in Syria and how tensions between Iran and Israel are playing out in real time.

Reese Erlich is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect. Erlich’s revised edition of his book ”The Iran Agenda” will be published in 2018. In the meantime read his work at his website and follow him on Twitter.

Discussed on the show:

• “Pentagon: Mass evacuation of Yazidis in Iraq unlikely,” by Barbara Starr (CNN)
• Afrin
• Manbij
• “Russian mercenaries killed in US strike on pro-Assad forces” (The Hill)
• “Israel Backs Limited Strike Against Syria” (The New York Times)
• “Obama to Iran and Israel: ‘As President of the United States, I Don’t Bluff’,” by Jeffrey Goldberg (The Atlantic)
• Costs of War (Brown University)
• Golan Heights
• Al-Nusra Front

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

Podcast (thescotthortonshow): Play in new window | Download