Managing news editor of Antiwar.com Jason Ditz returns to the show to discuss the war in Syria where two separate wars are taking place—against ISIS in the East and al Qaeda in the east. Ditz details all of what we don’t know thanks to increased secrecy from the Trump administration, explains what we do know about the continued fight against ISIS in Raqqa, where the U.S. air war has created lots of civilian casualties, and how the Kurds in Syria factor into the U.S. future plans. Scott and Jason then discuss how the same story seems to play out in the Middle East and why, even though the fight against ISIS appears to be drawing to a close, it portends future blowback.

Jason Ditz is the news editor of Antiwar.com. Read all of his work at news.antiwar.com and follow him on Twitter @jasonditz.

Discussed on the show:

• “After victory in Raqqa over IS, Kurds face tricky peace” (Reuters)
• Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
• Deir ez-Zor
• Mayadin
• Map of Syria
• People’s Protection Units (YPG)
• Syrian Army (SAA)
• Ayman al-Zawahiri
• Al-Nusra Front
• Astana Peace Talks
• Hama Province
• Abu Mohammad al-Julani
• Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
• “Trump Says He Won’t Recertify Iran Nuclear Deal And Tells Congress To Take Next Steps” (NPR)
• “Trump doesn’t understand Iran. He’s making policy based on a caricature.” (Washington Post)
• Scooter Libby
• “McCain sneaks across Turkey-Syria border, meets with rebels” (CBS News)
• “In Brussels, the first of the Syrian jihadis comes home to roost” (Times of Israel)
• “Clinton: Arming Syrian Rebels could help al Qaeda” (CBS News)

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