TEHRAN, oct 23_Russia, Syria and Iran take a more prominent role in bringing a measure of stability and continuity to the Middle East as the American presence continues to diminish.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club(YJC)_" Russia, Syria and Iran take a more prominent role in bringing a measure of stability and continuity to the Middle East as the American presence continues to diminish.” James Henry Fetzer told Young Journalists Club.
James Henry Fetzer is an American philosopher of science. He is an editor at Veterans Today and co-founder of Scholars for 9/11 Truth.
The following is the full text of the interview:
Young Journalists Club: US President Donald Trump fired John Bolton, national security adviser . Democratic Senator Jack Reed said that "Bolton was wrong for this job," but added that removing him "isn't going to fix the failures plaguing this administration's dysfunctional foreign policy." He further described the White House as being "in constant turmoil." It seems that the Trump administration is in chaos. What do you think?
With John Bolton out as National Security Advisor, Donald Trump's non-interventionist proclivities--which were responsible for his having been elected President over Hillary Clinton in 2016--appear to be reasserting themselves. His decision to withdraw from Syria, for example, would have been all-but-unthinkable with the Neocon Hawk at his side. But having initiated the process, it does not appear to be reversible.
Young Journalists Club: what's behind Turkey's war in Syria?
The Kurds are forming natural alliances with the Syrians in opposition to Turkish aggression. Anxieties that have arisen from the presence of American forces in Syria are abating. A far more appropriate alignment, which ought to bring multiple benefits for Iran, likewise appears to be emerging, where Russia, Syria and Iran take a more prominent role in bringing a measure of stability and continuity to the Middle East as the American presence continues to diminish.
Young Journalists Club: Trump says he’s ending the US role in Syria. What do you think?
Trump's inclinations to withdraw forces from the Middle East are being contested at home, where the military-industrial complex continues to exert vast influence upon Congress. In this instance, even Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, ordinarily one of the President's most reliable allies, has spoken out against the withdrawal. And the Democrats have now become "The War Party", where Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schermer are denouncing President Trump for ending the war in Syria. Indeed, the House vote opposing withdrawal and for the US to protect the Kurds received an overwhelming 354-60 vote, with the majority of Republicans supporting it along with all the Democrats. The Democrats now appear to be opposing Trump ending any war, which is stunning for a party that has in the past been noted for its opposition to wars.
Young Journalists Club: What are your thoughts on the Middle East and the U.S.-China 'Trade War'?
While there can be no doubt that US influence in the Middle East is on the wane, the principal beneficiary appears to be, not China, which is having to cope with its own economic travails in dealing with Trump's trade policies featuring tariffs, but Russia, which has shown gradual but certain growing influence in the region.
Interview by Maryam Sadat Ghavami
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