Chicago Way w/John Kass: A chance to get things right in Syria

Chicago Way w/John Kass (12/30/24): Joining John Kass & Jeff Carlin on the last episode of 2024 is a retired American diplomat with over 30-years of experience advising the most powerful leaders in the world on Middle East security matters and who also happens to be John’s younger brother, Nicholas S. Kass. The discussion centers around what is happening in Syria as the Assad regime crumbles and world powers jockey to protect their interests. Nick breaks down why the PKK isn’t welcome in Türkiye, what challenges President-elect Donald Trump will face in Syria now that Iran & Russia have lost their influence there, and who is currently holding the keys to peace in the region.

Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, or Facebook, or on X (Twitter). Tell your friends about us. Join the great adventure. Subscribe today! And read writings from John’s brother Nick for the American Conservative here and here.

Comments 5

  1. Happy New Year John and family. We must find a way to have Peace in the World. I heard that Konstandinopoulis will be in Greek hands again. Christ is not far if that happens. Biden gave Ukraine Billion’s just to destroy Trump. Why? We do not have money to take care our Military homeless but we give Billions that we do not have to Ukraine to spite Trump? This cannot be true.

    1. Trump has very little to do with decisions to support Ukraine’s defense against Moscow’s invasion. What our government has been spent todate, without committing American lives, is a very good investment in preventing even greater human and monetary costs in the future. Romney was laughed at by Obama when he declared Russia to be our greatest threat, but when one understands Moscow’s thirst for a resurgent empire, appeasement will only lead to its realization. Americans may not remember that Ukraine gave up all of its nuclear weapons and armaments because the USA guaranteed the security of Ukrane’s borders. Had Ukraine distrusted America’s pledge and kept just a few tactical nuclear weapons, the calculating Putin would never have started this ruinous war. Also, to complete the picture, consider that most of the armaments sent to Ukraine were in disuse (Ex: 200 Viet Nam era “aluminum clad” personnel carriers) and most of the armaments produced by factories working round the clock are meant to replace old arms sent to Ukraine and to prepare for the likelyhood of Chinese aggression.

  3. Wonderful discussion by Nick about the volitile situation in Syria and what America’s posture should be. Also, I appreciated his explanation about the importance of knowing about what is going on on the ground when making decisions. Expanding on that idea, it is important to understand the motivations, both overt and covert, of the key players creating conditions on the ground. Behind it all is the history of what created these conditions on the ground, but unfortunately, our political leaders are poor students of history, so they are often whipsawed by changing conditions on the ground. Unfortunately, the colonial powers of England and France created the states and borders we see today, rewarding favored peole and punishing disfavored people withing these borders, thereby allowing them to rule from a distance. Of course, these disfavored people, like the Kurds and Arabs in Syria, never forgot and will always remember how they were and contine to be disenfranchised. The Kurdish Nation, divided among several Middle East states, will continue to be a source of instability within each state. Conflicts in the Middle East and in much of the world continue to fester because of the “divide and conquer” policies of empires, be it the British Empire, the French Empire, the Russian Empire or the American Empire.

  4. Sometimes it takes a day or so, for me at least, to be able to fully appreciate Mr. Kass and his brother Nicholas’ wisdom. I found this speech. From a Randolph cousin (distant) of mine from Virginia, whose grandfather fought for the Confederacy. And who knew a thing or to about political reconstruction. Look at what history can teach us, for God’s sake, look at IT ALL

    (page 7 – mike drop)

    https://www.marshallfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Marshall_Plan_Speech_Complete.pdf

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