- Damascus Trade Fair and Festival of the Cross Mark the Return of Peace to Much of Syria by independent Canadian journalist Eva Bartlett who recently visited Syria. There is so much in this article--including videos and interviews--that demonstrates that something like peaceful conditions have returned to war-torn Syria that has been fighting off regime change by the US Empire and its allies (like Saudi Arabia, Israel, and earlier Turkey) for the past seven years. This was posted on Mint Press News, an independent media organization based in Minneapolis.
- Iran Maneuvers to “Contain the US” in Syria by Salman Rafi Sheikh from New Eastern Outlook.
I think the author is spot-on with his observation about Iran's exploiting the various factions of the Kurds as a weapon to undermine the US's use of the SDF (formerly the YPG, a Kurdish nationalist group that wanted their own territory inside Syria (and possibly joining the Iraqi Kurds). (By the way, the very name of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was instigated by a US Commander Raymond “Tony” Thomas of US Special Forces in Syria--see his remarks beginning at 25:10m in his talk at the Aspen Institute in July of 2017.)
Apart from building pressure on the US through a coordinated effort of Russia and Turkey, Iran can do other things as well. Not only can it exploit divisions among the Kurds, but also incite anti-American sentiments in the SDF-controlled areas and thus increase pressure on the US forces to leave the region, thus building an effective deterrent to the US plans of opening new fronts, particularly through Israel, against Iran in the Middle East.
- Here comes the 30-year trade war by Pepe Escobar from Asia Times.
