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Judging Freedom

Max Blumenthal: Turkey Invades Syria.

Dec 12, 2024
Max Blumenthal, a sharp-eyed journalist and author focusing on U.S. foreign policy, digs deep into Turkey's invasion of Syria and its chilling implications. He highlights how U.S. sanctions are devastating Syrians while aiming for regime change. The complex ties between the Syrian government and the CIA post-9/11 reveal ironic counterterrorism collaborations. Blumenthal critiques U.S. foreign policy contradictions, particularly its support for controversial figures, urging a re-evaluation of international relations amid ongoing violence in the region.
26:23

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • U.S. sanctions and military interventions have destabilized Syria, exacerbating poverty and enabling extremist factions to gain power.
  • Geopolitical interests, including Israel's collaboration with Turkey, have complicated the Syrian conflict and undermined the country's sovereignty.

Deep dives

The U.S. Role in the Syrian Conflict

The United States played a significant role in destabilizing Syria, primarily through economic sanctions and military interventions. After financing armed opposition against the Assad government, the U.S. aimed to deconstruct the Syrian state system, ultimately leading to widespread poverty among the population. By cutting off essential resources and crippling the Syrian economy, the U.S. not only impacted the Assad regime but also the lives of ordinary Syrians, causing severe inflation and social unrest. This systematic dismantling has enabled extremist factions to exploit the situation, making it easier for groups like HTS, previously linked to al-Qaeda, to gain power in the region.

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