About this episode
We are joined by investigative reporter Matthew Petti to talk about the recent alleged oil deal in Northern Syria, different factions in the State Department, Washington's possible desire for militiafication in the North, and what the future might portend. ---------- On the Trump/Pompeo team: nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/state-department-seeks-maximum-pressure-iran-syria-116666 On the history of rebels and Brett McGurk: nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/made-america-how-us-government-paid-turkeys-war-syria-94401 On the pencil incident: nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/exclusive-inside-state-departments-meltdown-kurds-90241 On the CIA analyst talking about an Arab SDF: nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/inside-iran-hawks-hijacking-trumps-syria-withdrawal-plan-90041 On the Bolton book the multicolored map: nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/exclusive-john-bolton-tells-how-iran-hawks-set-trump%E2%80%99s-syrian-kurdish-disaster-163062 On the oil and Assad: https://reason.com/2019/12/03/the-madcap-scheme-to-take-syrias-oil/ On Delta Crescent: nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/did-mike-pompeo-mislead-congress-about-syria%E2%80%99s-oil-166158 On Russia and the oil: nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/us-general-were-talking-russia-about-syrias-oil-166762 On the peace talks: nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/syria%E2%80%99s-kurds-we-were-cut-out-syrian-peace-negotiations-167396 plus other recommended reading The cursed photo of Rayburn and some other details on the oil by Zack Kopplin: newrepublic.com/article/158841/pompeo-trump-steal-oil-kurds-syria-iraq On the reason for being in Tanf: al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/06/us-tanf-base-syria-john-bolton-trump-troops.html On the corruption at Tanf: thedefensepost.com/2020/04/16/syria-rebels-defect-maghawir-al-thawra/ On Mazloum’s leaked message to US leaders: cnn.com/2019/10/12/politics/us-syria-meeting-doc/index.html