{"id":25937,"date":"2019-01-02T15:24:47","date_gmt":"2019-01-02T20:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?page_id=25937"},"modified":"2020-01-09T13:09:45","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T18:09:45","slug":"landis-news-2016","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Landis in the News 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"news_archive_list\">\n<li>Browse Archive By Year<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/\">Current<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2019\/\">2019<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2018\/\">2018<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2017\/\">2017<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"active\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2016\/\">2016<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2015\/\">2015<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2014\/\">2014<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2013\/\">2013<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2012\/\">2012<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2011\/\">2011<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2010\/\">2010<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2009\/\">2009<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2008\/\">2008<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\">2007<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2006\/\">2006<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2005\/\">2005<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2004\/\">2004<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The New Yorker<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/news\/news-desk\/the-winners-and-losers-in-the-new-syrian-ceasefire?intcid=mod-latest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Winners and Losers in the New Syrian Ceasefire<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 30, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe importance of this is not whether it\u2019s a ceasefire that holds. It\u2019s that Turkey has signed on with Russia, and ultimately Assad, to close the door on the rebellion,\u201d Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, told me on Friday. \u201cTurkey is trying to get back to normal. It wants a way out of its downward spiral. It\u2019s a brutal world out there and Turkey is saying, \u2018I can\u2019t do this anymore. I gave you six years. It\u2019s too much of a load to carry.\u2019 \u201d Turkey has absorbed almost three million Syrian refugees.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Canadian TV<br \/>\n<strong>Dec 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>BBC 4 World News program<br \/>\n<strong>Dec 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>CBS National Radio news<br \/>\n<strong>Dec 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>PBS<br \/>\n<strong>Dec 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Soldier of Fortune<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sofmag.com\/turkeys-syria-intervention\/\">\u201cTurkey\u2019s Syria Intervention,\u201d<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 26, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cTurkey\u2019s Syria Intervention,\u201d by Joshua Landis Professor, IAS<br \/>\nDirector of the Center of Middle East Studies<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>PRI<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pri.org\/stories\/2016-12-21\/aleppo-s-propaganda-battle-wages\">Aleppo\u2019s propaganda battle wages on<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 21, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, said Aleppo joins the ranks of Srebrenica and Rwanda as emblematic of evil.<\/p>\n<p>But the government of Bashar al-Assad, together with its Russian and Iranian allies, tells a very different story. Of a battle of liberation against Islamic \u201cterrorists.\u201d<br \/>\nThey argue that the world has been played by a slick rebel PR machine, controlled by jihadis.<br \/>\nThere are elements of truth in both narratives.<br \/>\n\u201cIt\u2019s a very complex picture,\u201d says Joshua Landis, director of Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. There is no black and white.<br \/>\nThere were about 10,000 armed rebels in Aleppo, according to the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and about one-third of them were jihadis, close to al-Qaeda.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>KPCC AirTalk<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scpr.org\/programs\/airtalk\/2016\/12\/20\/53889\/debating-president-obamas-syria-policy-and-how-it\/\">Debating President Obama\u2019s Syria policy and how it might change under Trump<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 20, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>What does the future of U.S. policy in Syria look like under a President Trump? What have we learned about the efficacy of the Obama Administration\u2019s policy? Should the U.S. intervene in Syria or would that create more problems than it would solve?<br \/>\nGuests:<br \/>\nPhil Ewing, national security editor, NPR; he tweets @philewing<br \/>\nJoshua Landis, professor of international and area studies and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma; Landis\u2019 blog is SyriaComment.com<br \/>\nJessica Ashooh, deputy director of the Atlantic Council\u2019s Middle East Strategy Task Force; she was a senior policy planning analyst in the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a participant in the Geneva II peace talks<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Les Crises<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.les-crises.fr\/l-amerique-na-fait-que-prolonger-la-guerre-civile-en-syrie-et-destabiliser-la-region\/\">L\u2019Am\u00e9rique n\u2019a fait que prolonger la guerre civile en Syrie et d\u00e9stabiliser la r\u00e9gion, par Joshua Landis<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 19, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis est un universitaire am\u00e9ricain, expert de la Syrie, intervenant sur CNN, BBC, Charlie Rose\u2026<br \/>\nIl d\u00e9fend plut\u00f4t la vision du gouvernement syrien. Donc \u00e0 prendre comme toujours avec recul.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>wbur NPR<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wbur.org\/hereandnow\/2016\/12\/19\/obama-syria\">Assessing The Successes And Failures Of Obama&#8217;s Approach To Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 19, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Here &amp; Now&#8217;s Robin Young looks back at Obama&#8217;s Syria policy \u2014 and what might have been done differently \u2014 with Joshua Landis (@joshua_landis), director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>DW<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/global.factiva.com\/ga\/default.aspx\">Turkey and Russia walk Syria tightrope <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Turkey is concerned about the Kurds,&#8221; said Joshua Landis, an expert on Syria and Director of the Center of Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. &#8220;Turkey&#8217;s commitment to the rebels is negotiable. That is the belief of the Syrian government.&#8221;<br \/>\nThe Syrian Kurds are an expendable actor only important to Moscow in so far as they can be used to leverage its national interests. Backed by the United States, the Syrian Kurds are also viewed as a tool of Washington&#8217;s influence in the Middle East. Turkey and Syria will always be more important to Russia than a Kurdish experiment in self-governance opposed by both Ankara and Damascus.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Financial Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/global.factiva.com\/ga\/default.aspx\">The battle for Aleppo: \u2018It felt like the last goodbye\u2019 <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The Assad regime\u2019s victory in Aleppo has the potential to transform both the conflict in Syria and the balance of power in the region. \u201cI believe what we will see after the battle of Aleppo is the imposition of a new security architecture in the northern Middle East for the next several decades,\u201d says Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma. \u201cIt includes Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, all with pro-Iranian regimes and some Russian influence.\u201d<br \/>\nThe US still retains a formidable military presence in the region and has close \u2014 though increasingly testy \u2014 alliances with Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations. But Russia\u2019s intervention over the past year has grabbed the attention of every other nation in the Middle East, many of whom will now see Moscow as a more important regional player and potentially as a secondary supplier of arms after the US.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Newsweek<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/global.factiva.com\/ga\/default.aspx\">Donald Trump&#8217;s Syrian Civil War Paradox <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>This is not how the U.S. had hoped the war would end\u2014Washington once hoped that moderate rebels would take over a democratic, post-Assad Syria. That didn\u2019t happen, and much of the Sunni-dominated opposition has largely morphed into a bewildering array of radical jihadi groups. Now, the White House has run out of options to challenge Assad, and for all its condemnation of the regime\u2019s assault on Aleppo, the Obama administration has also done nothing to stop it. \u201cEssentially, U.S. policy has become to acquiescence in Assad\u2019s retaking of Syria,\u201d says Joshua Landis, the head of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that the Obama administration has decided that it cannot risk dislodging Assad from Damascus. The rebels are too Islamist, too radical.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>AFP<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/global.factiva.com\/ga\/default.aspx\">With iron will and key allies, Syria&#8217;s Assad defies expectations <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 15, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Assad advisers maintained from the beginning that they were confident of success so long as the United States Air Force did not bomb Damascus or get involved in the war,&#8221; said Joshua Landis, director of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<br \/>\nEven at the regime&#8217;s worst moment, when his forces were driven in March 2015 from Idlib province, &#8220;Assad and his advisers brushed off their defeats as limited&#8221;, Landis said.<br \/>\n&#8220;They always projected a strong sense of self-assurance in their ultimate victory.&#8221;<br \/>\nPatience was vital, analysts said, with Assad &#8212; no matter how isolated from the West &#8212; willing to hold out for as long as it took to put down the rebellion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Huffington Post<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/as-he-slaughters-civilians-in-aleppo-assad-prepares-to-make-nice-with-trump_us_58507157e4b092f086860201?d8sfjgy4quhqcl3di\">As He Slaughters Civilians In Aleppo, Bashar Assad Prepares To Make Nice With Donald Trump<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 14, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Combined with the president-elect\u2019s talk of strengthened ties with Moscow, his criticism of the humanitarian norms the Syrian regime regularly violates and his fascination with undemocratic strongmen, this kind of thinking suggests a rosier future for Assad. The Syrian ruler has long disliked Washington\u2019s talk of promoting democracy and human rights abroad, noted Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma. With Trump\u2019s election, \u201cAssad is hopeful, more hopeful than he has been in the past, because he can see that that ideology \u2026 its due date seems to be arriving,\u201d Landis said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>PBS News Hour<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/fall-aleppo-turning-point-whats-next-syrias-war%e2%80%8b\">The fall of Aleppo is a turning point. What\u2019s next for Syria\u2019s war?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 13, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>HARI SREENIVASAN:<br \/>\nJoshua Landis, what about ISIS and al-Qaida that almost seem forgotten in this giant proxy war? What happens? Is ISIS taking advantage of this opportunity, as Margaret Warner reported?<br \/>\nJOSHUA LANDIS:<br \/>\nYes, ISIS did.<br \/>\nWe saw that, as Syrian troops went to Aleppo, ISIS took Palmyra. But ISIS&#8217; days are numbered. The Trump administration has said that they&#8217;re going to concentrate on ISIS and they&#8217;re going to work with Russia. Now, we don&#8217;t know whether they really will work with Russia or not, but it&#8217;s clear that ISIS is going to be pounded.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Middle East Eye<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/news\/new-un-chief-says-syria-peace-top-concern-1945187612\">New UN chief says Syria peace is top concern<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 12, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a University of Oklahoma scholar, said Guterres\u2019s appointment comes at a turning point in the six-year-old conflict that has claimed more than 400,000 lives and uprooted more than half of Syria\u2019s 22 million people.<br \/>\n\u201cIt\u2019s a good time to have a new director in the UN, because the world is coming around to the idea that al-Assad will win this battle, either imminently or in one or two years\u2019 time,\u201d Landis, an expert on Syria, told Middle East Eye.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>wbur On Point<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wbur.org\/onpoint\/2016\/12\/08\/after-aleppo-future-of-assad-syria\">The Future Of Assad, Syria And The Region<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 8, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The suffering in Syria has been deep and long. Rebels and civilians dug in in Aleppo have captured the horrified attention of the world. But Bashar al-Assad, the ruler whose excesses sparked the rebellion, appears to be on the verge of retaking Aleppo and maybe on his way to winning \u2013 if you can say that \u2013 the civil war. This was not Washington\u2019s plan. Or the rebels&#8217;. It is Russia\u2019s. And Iran\u2019s. This hour On Point, if Assad wins. We\u2019re looking at Syria, the region, the big powers, the people. \u2014 Tom Ashbrook<br \/>\nJoshua Landis was a guest on this show.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>NPR<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/global.factiva.com\/ga\/default.aspx\">For Aleppo Residents Under Siege, A Risky Journey To Relative Safety <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Dec 2, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>JOSHUA LANDIS: The days for the rebels in Aleppo are numbered. The regime has amassed over 50,000 soldiers from all the different militias and the army and so forth. They have overwhelming force. It&#8217;s a matter of time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>PRI<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/Can the rebellion in Syria survive?\">Can the rebellion in Syria survive? <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Nov 28, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Aleppo is the last major urban center with a significant rebel presence. The rebel-held portion of the city has been isolated and cut off from outside help since summer. Affairs there now seem to have come to a crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The rebels are short of ammunition and men. Civilians are desperately short of food and fuel. Attempts to relieve the city from outside have all failed.<br \/>\nMany fear Aleppo could soon fall.<br \/>\n\u201cYes, I believe [it could fall] in the next month or two.\u201d says Josh Landis, director of Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<br \/>\n\u201cThe Syrian regime says by New Year,\u201d says Landis. \u201cPerhaps that\u2019s optimistic. But it\u2019s surrounded. They can\u2019t get reinforcements. They can\u2019t get new arms. It\u2019s only a matter of time.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Al-Jazeera<br \/>\n<strong>Nov 28, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Army.mil<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.army.mil\/article\/178527\/azerbaijan_ambassador_visits_oklahoma_looks_to_strengthen_partnerships\">Azerbaijan ambassador visits Oklahoma, looks to strengthen partnerships<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Nov 18, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok. &#8212; Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States, Elin Suleymanov, and his team made their way through the Oklahoma City this week, visiting with top Oklahoma leaders and energy research engineers in order to establish relationships and strengthen partnerships that mutually benefit both nations.<\/p>\n<p>Suleymanov met with Dr. Carol Jones, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering professor with Oklahoma State University, Maj. Gen. Robbie Asher, adjutant general for Oklahoma, Todd Lamb, lieutenant governor for Oklahoma, professors from the University of Oklahoma&#8217;s energy department, Senator James Lankford and research engineers with General Electric&#8217;s (GE) Global Research as part of the State Partnership Program (SPP). The visit focused primarily on issues each face, ways to strengthen relationships and their hopes for the future.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>SYRIA:direct<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/syriadirect.org\/news\/joshua-landis-on-syria-and-trump\u2019s-election-\u2018america-has-prolonged-the-civil-war-only-destabilized-the-region\u2019\/\">Joshua Landis on Syria and Trump\u2019s election: \u2018America has prolonged the civil war, only destabilized the region\u2019<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Nov 14, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>With two months left in Obama\u2019s presidency, Syria Direct turned to Joshua Landis, Director of the University of Oklahoma\u2019s Center of Middle Eastern Studies and author of the blog Syria Comment, to make sense of it all.<br \/>\nHere, the lightly edited conversation is the first installment in a series of reaction interviews with analysts, academics, and diplomats around the implications of a Trump presidency for US-Syria policy. Can Trump really be worse than the current administration on Syria? Will Trump hand Syria over to Putin? Does he even have that power, or is it already done? Landis, for one, offers a sharp, candid assessment of America\u2019s unyielding and unrealistic vision in Syria and the Middle East writ large.<br \/>\n\u201cPresident Obama and Hillary Clinton decided that Assad was going to fall and that they could carry out regime change smoothly in Syria without too much damage,\u201d Landis tells Syria Direct\u2019s Justin Schuster. \u201cThis was a terrible mistake.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Rudaw<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.rudaw.net\/english\/analysis\/10112016\">US balancing act between Syrian Kurds and Turkey cannot last <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Nov 11, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The US is delicately trying to balance its long-term strategic relationship with Turkey and its current ad-hoc relationship against ISIS with Syrian Kurdish forces opposed by Ankara as the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launch their offensive against the extremist group in Raqqa, according to observations from analysts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe United States needs Turkey as an ally and does not want to force it into Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s embrace by supporting the [Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party, PYD] too aggressively,\u201d Professor Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, told Rudaw English.<\/p>\n<p>This, Landis explained, has seen the US devise a plan to capture Raqqa in two phases.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/Marjan\/AppData\/Local\/Packages\/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\/TempState\/Downloads\/??????????????.pdf\">??? ???? ???? ??? ?????????? ??? ?????????-PDF<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Nov 6, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>CNN<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2016\/11\/05\/politics\/next-us-president-global-challenges\/\">The next US president faces a world of trouble<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Nov 5, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Josh Landis, who heads the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, said Syria will be a difficult test for the incoming president.<br \/>\n&#8220;We have to make some hard choices about who we are going to support in Syria,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If we support the Kurds, we alienate the Turks. If we support the Turks and rebels, we have to escalate with Russia and pull the rug out underneath the Kurds.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>FP<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/11\/01\/the-blob-is-back-the-revenge-of-the-syria-hawks\/?utm_content=buffere30d2&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer\">The Blob Is Back: The Revenge of the Syria Hawks<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Nov 1, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Some critics of a military solution in Syria see the crisis from an entirely different perspective: They believe the Obama administration did not move fast enough to cut off allied support for the rebels who are linked to extremists \u2014 including the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham \u2014 a dynamic that prolonged the war in Syria.<br \/>\n\u201cEscalation has failed to win this proxy war. It has only prolonged it and increased the death toll,\u201d said Joshua Landis, the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Red Dirt Report<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddirtreport.com\/around-world\/yemens-civil-war-another-syria-style-conflict-gestation\">Yemen&#8217;s civil war another Syria-style conflict in gestation<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Oct 21, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>NORMAN, Okla. \u2013 At the time where the civil wars in Syria and Iraq are at the forefront of the international scene, Waleed F. Mahdi, a native of Yemen and assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, talked on Yemen\u2019s own civil conflict at the Sam Noble Museum this past Monday along with the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies and OU Prof. Joshua Landis.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Klassekampen<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.klassekampen.no\/article\/20161019\/ARTICLE\/161019851\">\u2013 USA b\u00f8r la Assad vinne<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Oct 19, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2013 Hvis du ser p\u00e5 det kaldhjertet, s\u00e5 ser du etableringen av en russisk interessesf\u00e6re som g\u00e5r sammen med en sjia-akse av iransk innflytelse som g\u00e5r gjennom Irak og Syria til Libanon. Opprettelsen av den sekteriske sjia-regjeringen i Bagdad har skapt denne sjia-aksen. Iran ser overlevelsen av et sjia-regime i Damaskus som avgj\u00f8rende, for uten en sjia-makt i Damaskus vil ikke Hizbollah klare \u00e5 f\u00e5 inn forsyninger, som de n\u00e5 f\u00e5r landveien fra Damaskus. S\u00e5 iranerne er fast bestemt p\u00e5 \u00e5 vinne denne krigen. Det blir en ny sikkerhetsarkitektur i regionen, der Iran og Russland f\u00e5r mer innflytelse over den nordre aksen, fra Iran via Irak og Syria til Libanon. Og det er veldig lite USA kan gj\u00f8re med det, sier Landis.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Wilson Center<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilsoncenter.org\/event\/the-united-states-russia-and-syria-what-comes-next-after-ceasefire-talk-suspension\">The United States, Russia and Syria: What Comes Next After Ceasefire Talk Suspension<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Oct 11, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis: On the Humanitarian Catastrophe (Listen to this clip)<br \/>\nJane Harman: Are these people [in Aleppo] in their basements just pawns in a geopolitical play, or does anybody or should anybody really care about them and if somebody really cares about them, in the short term, before they starve, what are some options, meaningful options, other than just talking about it to get some medical and food relief to them?<br \/>\nJosh Landis: You know there are two ways to do that. One is to, the Assad regime way, which is to say: the rebels have to leave and we will let those people out.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Who. What. Why.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/whowhatwhy.org\/2016\/10\/08\/experts-syrian-black-hole-deepens-us-election-approaches\/\">Experts: Syrian \u2018Black Hole\u2019 Deepens As US Election Approaches<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Oct 8, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a prominent Syria expert in the US (a professor at the University of Oklahoma and the administrator of the Syria Comment blog), echoed Mizin\u2019s caution, but said the West may be slowly coming to terms with a possible Assad victory, at least in the major Syrian urban centers. Here is a transcript of his comments<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Aljazeera<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2016\/09\/syria-bashar-al-assad-power-160904081138141.html\">Why Bashar al-Assad is still in power<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Oct 4, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>As Joshua Landis, head of Middle Eastern studies at Oklahoma University, noted: &#8220;The poor and rural people were being cut off. Their standards of living collapsed &#8230; We can see the results of this because the 2011 uprising had really been an uprising of the rural areas, which had been shunted aside.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Aljazeera English<br \/>\n<strong>Oct 3, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>RTV Russian tv<br \/>\n<strong>Oct 3, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>ABC<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/7.30\/syria-expert-joshua-landis-discusses-assault-on\/7891026\">Syria expert Joshua Landis discusses assault on Aleppo<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, director of The Centre For Middle East Studies at The University Of Oklahoma, joins Hayden Cooper to discuss the ferocious assault by Russian and Syrian forces on the city of Aleppo.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>TACC<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/tass.ru\/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama\/3663171\">&#8220;????????????? ?????? ??????? ? ?????? ? ??&#8221;: ???????????? ???????? ? ???? ??? ?? ? ????? <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>????????? ???? ? (?????????????????) ????????? ???????? ????? ???????????? ???????? ??? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ???????, ?????? ???????? ? ??????????? ????????? ?????? ?????, ? ????? ?????? ??????? ? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ? ?????? ? ???????. ??????, ???? ?? ?????, ????? ??????????? ?????? ?? ????????? ????? ??????.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Intercept<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2016\/09\/28\/u-s-sanctions-are-punishing-ordinary-syrians-and-crippling-aid-work-u-n-report-reveals\/\">U.S. and EU Sanctions Are Punishing Ordinary Syrians and Crippling Aid Work, U.N. Report Reveals<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 28, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cSanctions have a terrible effect on the people more than the regime and Washington knows this from Iraq,\u201d argues Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. \u201cBut there\u2019s pressure in Washington to do something and sanctions look like you\u2019re doing something,\u201d he added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Australian Broadcasting Channel National News<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 27, 2016 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alhurra &#8220;Open Discussion&#8221; TV show<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 26, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Huffington Post<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/hillary-clinton-syria-isis_us_57e997eee4b0c2407cd8c748?4x8ker9rmpaduqh0k9\">Hillary Clinton Leaves Her Controversial ISIS-Fighting Strategy Out Of Monday\u2019s Debate<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 26, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The Obama administration has generally focused its actions in Syria on combating the threat of the so-called Islamic State, al Qaeda and other jihadist factions operating in the country. Obama officially maintains that the U.S. is seeking President Bashar Assad\u2019s ouster, but through inaction, the U.S. is effectively allowing the Syrian government to retake the country from the rebel groups that oppose it.<br \/>\n\u201cObama has figured Syria is not in America\u2019s main interest and he\u2019ll let Russia have it,\u201d said Joshua Landis, director of the University of Oklahoma\u2019s Center for Middle East Studies.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>AlAraby Channel from Qatar-TV show<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 25, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>AlArabiy TV Channel<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 22, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ripon Commonwealth Press<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.riponpress.com\/Content\/Views\/Viewpoints\/Article\/Editorial-Syria-challenges-Clinton-Trump-and-U-S-\/11\/29\/10381\">Editorial: Syria challenges Clinton, Trump and U.S.<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 21, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Ripon residents had an opportunity last week to better understand those issues, thanks to Ripon College\u2019s Center for Politics and the People. It hosted Professor Joshua Landis, one of the world\u2019s leading experts on Syria and a good friend of Ripon President Zach Messitte, who moderated the event featuring his former University of Oklahoma colleague.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Pacfic Radio- &#8220;Background Briefing&#8221; with Ian Masters<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 20, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>France 24 TV show<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 20, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>BBC News Hour<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 20, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MilitaryTimes<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2016\/09\/18\/u-s-military-commanders-are-pissed-off-about-the-mission-creep-in-syria\/\">U.S. military commanders are &#8216;pissed off&#8217; about the mission creep in Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 18, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The agreement forged by Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart could, for the first time, broaden the American-led air campaign&#8217;s target list to include al Nusra, the notorious al Qaida-linked group that is a major actor in the multi-sided Syrian civil war. Until now, the two-year-old U.S. air campaign in Syria has been limited to ISIS.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This could be massive mission creep,&#8221; said Josh Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. &#8220;The military is pissed off because they&#8217;re being asked to do two jobs now. They were asked to do one job, which is kill ISIS. Now John Kerry is asking them to do another job, which is cooperate with Russia and kill al Nusra.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>CNN newshour<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 17, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Aljazeera English<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 17, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Russian TV<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 17, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>BBC newshour<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 17, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>MilitaryTimes<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2016\/09\/16\/u-s-troops-are-now-advising-turkish-ground-forces-fighting-isis-in-syria\/\">U.S. troops are now advising Turkish ground forces fighting ISIS in Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>While the number of U.S. troops involved is minimal, putting American forces alongside Turkish troops on the ground may give the U.S. significantly more influence in the outcome of the 5-year-old Syrian civil war, said Josh Landis, the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<br \/>\n&#8220;This is an opportunity to sit with important Turkish military leaders as they make decisions about which militants they are going to ally with and promote to take over regions,&#8221; Landis said in an interview Friday.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Russian TV RTV Newshour<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Aljazeera Arabic talk show on the Syrian Ceasefire.<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Turkey TV on the Ceasefire<br \/>\n<strong>Sep 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The New Yorker<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/news\/news-desk\/even-peace-may-not-save-syria\">Even Peace May Not Save Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe C.I.A. still estimates that there are fifteen hundred opposition militias,\u201d Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, told me this week. \u201cSome are part of bigger coalitions, but if they don\u2019t like orders they just don\u2019t obey them.\u201d<br \/>\nLandis went on, \u201cThe government has the same issues. It is getting weaker. It is defaulting to strongmen in villages, who form their own militias. They are allowed to run their own roadblocks and extort money in exchange for protecting their regions. They\u2019re like mafias. They have become their own powers.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Wall Street Journal<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/syrian-government-sieges-drive-out-sunni-population-1473809473\">Syrian Government Sieges Drive Out Sunni Population<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 13, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The Syrian government is pressing a systematic effort to alter the country\u2019s demographics and tighten President Bashar al-Assad\u2019s grip on power, United Nations officials and opposition figures said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>L&#8217;Orient Le Jour<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lorientlejour.com\/article\/1005204\/syrie-les-tractations-diplomatiques-americano-russes-saccelerent.html\">Syrie : les tractations diplomatiques am\u00e9ricano-russes s\u2019acc\u00e9l\u00e8rent<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 3, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, directeur du Center for Middle East Studies et professeur \u00e0 l&#8217;Universit\u00e9 de l&#8217;Oklahoma, contact\u00e9 par L&#8217;Orient-Le Jour, estime cette information peu cr\u00e9dible. \u00ab Je ne crois pas qu&#8217;Erdogan acceptera un jour de rencontrer Assad, m\u00eame si on ne sait jamais ce qui peut se passer \u00bb, affirme l&#8217;expert, pr\u00e9cisant que ce sont les Russes qui jouent le r\u00f4le de messagers entre Ankara et Damas. Le r\u00e9gime a notamment \u00e9t\u00e9 averti du lancement de l&#8217;op\u00e9ration \u00ab Bouclier de l&#8217;Euphrate \u00bb via son alli\u00e9 russe. En attendant, hier, le Premier ministre turc a assur\u00e9 que son pays cherchait \u00e0 normaliser ses relations avec l&#8217;\u00c9gypte et la Syrie. \u00ab Nous avons normalis\u00e9 nos relations avec la Russie et Isra\u00ebl. \u00c0 pr\u00e9sent, si Dieu le veut, la Turquie a pris une initiative s\u00e9rieuse pour normaliser ses relations avec l&#8217;\u00c9gypte et la Syrie \u00bb, a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 Binali Yildirim dans un discours t\u00e9l\u00e9vis\u00e9.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Progressive<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/progressive.org\/dispatches\/yet-another-country-invades-syria-why\/\">Yet Another Country Invades Syria\u2014Why?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Sep 2, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The United States refused to politically recognize the PYD, and earlier this year acceded to Turkey\u2019s shelling the very YPG fighters that the U.S. was arming.<br \/>\nWith the recent invasion, the U.S. has aligned itself even more closely with Turkey. During a visit to that country at the end of August, Vice President Joe Biden warned the Kurds to pull back their fighters east of the Euphrates, although they currently hold towns to the west. As Biden put it:<br \/>\n\u201cThe Kurds have been stabbed in the back,\u201d Professor Joshua Landis told The Progressive. Landis is director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Kurds sacrificed hundreds of lives and worked hard to develop Syrian Arab allies, says Landis. \u201cThen they&#8217;ve been told to get out of Dodge.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Aljazeera English news<br \/>\n<strong>Aug 30, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>RTV Crosstalk &#8211; the leading weekly discussion of the news.<br \/>\n<strong>Aug 30, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Vice News<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/news.vice.com\/article\/united-states-kurds-turkey-islamic-state-northern-syria?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Military%20EBB%208-31-16&amp;utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief\">The US is pissing off everyone in northern Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 30, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>According to Ford, the Obama administration feared it would violate international law if it armed forces that would in turn attack the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. And the Kurds didn&#8217;t want to fight Assad, they wanted to fight the Islamic State \u2014 with the understanding that they could expand their own territory in the process.<br \/>\nAnd expand they did. The Kurds grew their territory by 50 percent as they drove off IS militants with help from US air support and advisors. They also lost hundreds of fighters in the process.<br \/>\nSo it must have come as a shock to the Kurds when, just a few weeks after they fought a bloody battle to evict IS from the town of Manbij at America&#8217;s request, Biden showed up in Turkey and said the Kurds would need to withdraw from the town in order to accommodate the Turks, says Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Hurriyet<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hurriyet.com.tr\/yazarlar\/verda-ozer\/turkiye-kaderini-eline-almali-40211303\">T\u00fcrkiye Kaderini Eline Almal?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Ancak ne var ki bu cephe de \u00e7at??ma riskinden azade de?il. ABD\u2019de Suriye&#8217;yi en yak?ndan takip eden uzmanlardan, Ortado?u Ara?t?rmalar? Merkezi Ba?kan? Joshua Landis\u2019le konu?uyorum. Landis\u2019e g\u00f6re, \u201cT\u00fcrkiye ve Rusya, belli bir b\u00f6lgeye girilmemesi \u00fczerinde anla?m?? g\u00f6r\u00fcn\u00fcyor.\u201d Bahsetti?i, Esad kontrol\u00fcndeki b\u00f6lgeler.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Aljazeera English<br \/>\n<strong>Aug 28, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Aljazeera English<br \/>\n<strong>Aug 25, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rudaw<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.rudaw.net\/english\/analysis\/25082016\">Would Turkey favor Assad on its borders over the PYD? <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 25, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Professor Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, doesn\u2019t rule out the possibility that Turkey might be looking into transforming Turkish relations with Iran and Russia in hopes they will move against the PYD.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that he will not accept normal relations with Damascus so long as Assad is at the helm. All the same, it is clear that Erdogan and his new Prime Minister are looking for ways to transform his relations with Iran and Russia in order to place greater pressure on the Kurds and stop their advance along Syria\u2019s border with Turkey,\u201d Landis told Rudaw English.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Lobe Log<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/lobelog.com\/does-fighting-in-hasakah-signal-a-diplomatic-realignment-on-syria\/\">Does Fighting in Hasakah Signal a Diplomatic Realignment on Syria?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 24, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>As the University of Oklahoma\u2019s Joshua Landis, who publishes the blog Syria Comment, told me, \u201cAssad used a minority strategy in the east of Syria in order to frustrate rebel insurgents there, helping to arm the Kurds and cooperating with them so that the Kurds would fight effectively against the rebels. This led to an alliance of convenience between the PYD and the Syrian government. Part of that alliance was the understanding that the Syrian government could remain in Hasakah and other places and retain its authority in some areas without being attacked.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Aljazeera English<br \/>\n<strong>Aug 24, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bloomberg<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2016-08-24\/turkish-incursion-could-prove-a-game-changer-in-syrian-civil-war\">Turkish Incursion Could Prove Game Changer in Syrian War<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 24, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Turkey\u2019s incursion into Syria reflects a shift away from its insistence that President Bashar al-Assad be removed from power in any settlement there and may start to close the gap between the international coalitions that have helped keep the country\u2019s civil war raging, analysts and diplomats say.<br \/>\nIn recent months, Turkey has indicated a readiness to accept a transitional role for Assad in any political solution, something Unal Cevikoz, a retired senior Turkish diplomat, called a major change.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The New York Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/08\/16\/world\/middleeast\/syria-aleppo-russia.html?_r=0\">Under Pressure Over Aleppo Siege, Russia Hints at Seeking Deal With U.S.<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 15, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Russian news agencies also quoted Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu as saying that Russia and the United States were close to an agreement on a joint fight against the Islamic State in Aleppo. Such an agreement, he said, could help \u201cbring peace to this long-suffering land and help people return to their homes.\u201d<br \/>\nAmerican officials had no immediate comment on his remarks, and it was unclear how such a joint effort could be undertaken.<br \/>\nPolitical analysts of the Syrian conflict said they were skeptical. \u201cI cannot see where the Russians and Americans will find common ground on Aleppo,\u201d Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma and the author of the Syria Comment blog, wrote in an email. \u201cPerhaps the Russians are simply playing for time and trying to deflect possible Western or regional backlash?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Talk Media News<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.talkmedianews.com\/world-news\/2016\/08\/09\/american-anti-war-group-heaps-praise-assad\/\">American anti-war group heaps praise on Assad<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 9, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The seven-member delegation to Syria was led by the U.S. Peace Council, a group founded in 1979 as an \u201canti-imperialist organization committed to peace, economic and social justice.\u201d The formerly Soviet-backed council has long called for the dismantling of the NATO alliance and condemned Ukraine\u2019s 2014 Euromaidan revolution as a coup d\u2019etat.<br \/>\nBut an independent analyst warned that the group was fed a bill of goods by the Syrian regime.<br \/>\n\u201cThese groups that are going to go to talk to Assad, obvious Assad is trying to play them, and get some news and get his story out,\u201d Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma who was not affiliated with the delegation, said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Foreign Policy<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/08\/04\/un-nears-deal-on-humanitarian-pause-in-aleppo-but-what-comes-next\/\">UN Nears Deal on Humanitarian Pause in Aleppo \u2014 But What Comes Next?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 4, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Experts said any breakthrough in the talks may be due to a cold calculation on the part of Moscow that if civilians are evacuated from the area, pro-Assad forces can ramp up their bombing campaign in Aleppo and takeover the entire city \u2014 a strategic stronghold of the opposition.<br \/>\n\u201cAssad would prefer for the rebels to leave and the Syrian army to occupy east Aleppo. But if the rebels will not leave and prefer to fight on, he will want the people out so he can bomb the city at will without lots of civilian casualties,\u201d said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Bundeswehr<br \/>\n<a href=\"file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/Marjan\/AppData\/Local\/Packages\/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\/TempState\/Downloads\/30_Gesamtausgabe-b.pdf\">In der Falle<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 1, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Glaubt man dem Nahost-Experten Joshua Landis von der Universit\u00e4t Oklahoma, steckt dahinter Kalk\u00fcl: \u201eDer syrische Machthaber Baschar al-Assad versucht, die Moral der Rebellen zu brechen. Dazu l\u00e4sst er auch zivile Einrichtungen wie Krankenh\u00e4user, Schulen oder B\u00e4ckereien bombardieren\u201c, so Landis,<br \/>\nder auch die US-Regierung in Syrien-Fragen ber\u00e4t. Zuletzt wurden nach Angaben von UNICEF Ende Juli vier Feldkliniken und eine Blutbank im Ostteil der Stadt bombardiert. Bei weiteren Luftangriffen auf Aleppo wurden am vergangenen Montag syrischen Aktivisten zufolge zw\u00f6lf Zivilisten get\u00f6tet.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The National<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenational.ae\/world\/al-nusra-receives-mixed-reception-from-syrian-rebels-after-split-from-al-qaeda-1.167806#full\">Al Nusra receives mixed reception from Syrian rebels after split from Al Qaeda<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Aug 1, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe rebels have little choice,\u201d said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. \u201cThey can\u2019t split from Nusra, because they\u2019re not going to find an American partner if they do. Their only choice is to try to win on the battlefield. And that means Nusra is key, because Nusra is by far the most effective fighting force out there.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>PRI<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pri.org\/stories\/2016-07-27\/bill-clinton-says-hillary-can-make-any-world-problem-better-30-days-really-what\">Bill Clinton says Hillary can make any world problem better in 30 days. Really? What about Syria?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>July 27, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, director of Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, has studied Syria for years and lived there before the civil war.<br \/>\n\u201cWell,\u201d says Landis, \u201cit would be very hard to really effect any major change in 30 days. That, I\u2019m afraid, any president could not do.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>OUDaily<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.oudaily.com\/news\/boren-suspends-study-abroad-programs-in-turkey\/article_5068a056-5356-11e6-ad51-9f9192cdd2d9.html\">Boren suspends study abroad programs in Turkey <\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Jul 27, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The decision came just as 16 OU students were preparing to leave for their \u201cJourney to Turkey\u201d \u2014 the OU in Izmir trip, which was worth six credit hours. Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies, was going to be an instructor for the program<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Rudaw<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.rudaw.net\/NewsDetails.aspx?pageid=230519\">Dealing with ISIS after the demise of the Caliphate<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Jul 17, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>In Syria ISIS may live to die another day after being forced from its Raqqa stronghold and other parts of northeast and east Syria.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cISIS will probably remain a military factor in Syria and Iraq even after losing its territory. Many fighters might migrate to other Salafist militias in the region, such as Nusra, but the national idea that ISIS has mapped out of a Sunni Caliphate remains powerful. It has many sympathizers,\u201d Syria-expert Professor Joshua Landis, of the University of Oklahoma, told Rudaw English.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Cumhuriyet<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cumhuriyet.com.tr\/haber\/dunya\/498732\/_Siyasi_cozume_karsi_kimsenin_kozu_kalmadi.html#\">\u2018Siyasi \u00e7\u00f6z\u00fcme kar?? kimsenin kozu kalmad?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Jul 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>ABD\u2019deki Suriye uzmanlar?ndan, Oklahoma \u00dcniversitesi Ortado?u B\u00f6l\u00fcm\u00fc Direkt\u00f6r\u00fc Joshua Landis de Cumhuriyet\u2019e ?unlar? s\u00f6yledi: \u201cPutin Suriye\u2019ye girdi?inde ABD ile i?birli?i yapabilece?ini umdu. Bu Esad\u2019? sava??n galibi yapmak demekti ve ABD bu oyunu oynamak istemedi. Putin \u00e7ekilme karar?yla hem Esad\u2019a \u2018her istedi?ini alamazs?n\u2019 hem de ABD\u2019ye \u2018bizimle ve Esad\u2019la i?birli?i yapmal?s?n\u2019 dedi.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>12 News Phoenix, AZ<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.12news.com\/article\/news\/nation-now\/turkeys-erdogan-pulls-through-crisis-but-faces-more-tests\/275093641\">Turkey&#8217;s Erdogan pulls through crisis but faces more tests<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Jul 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Erdogan \u201ccomes out strong in the sense that he can purge a lot of enemies,\u201d said Joshua Landis, who heads the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. \u201cBut ultimately Turkey is very weakened. Economically, it\u2019s going to hammer Turkey. Diplomatically, people are going to treat it with kit gloves. Mostly, foreign investment is going to flee.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Intelligence-PDF<br \/>\n<strong>JUL 8, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;Many minorities in Iraq are now on the verge of disappearance,&#8221; notes a new report by the Minority Rights Group NGO. &#8220;The Christian population, which before 2003 numbered as many as 1.4 million &#8230; since the [Islamic State] advance is now estimated as under 250,000,&#8221; it adds. In Syria a grim parallel process is unfolding. &#8220;In rebel controlled regions there are almost no more religious minorities,&#8221; notes Joshua Landis, who heads the University of&nbsp;Oklahoma&#8217;s Center of Middle East Studies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"highlighted-text\">The Herald<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ourherald.com\/news\/2016-06-30\/Front_Page\/No_Easy_Answers.html\">Rochester Hears From Middle East Expert<br \/>\n<\/a><strong>JUN. 30, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nBY BRIANNA HILLIER<\/p>\n<div class=\"field-item odd\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<p>American academic and <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_geo\">Syria<\/span> expert <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_undef\">Joshua Landis<\/span> visited Rochester\u2019s Pierce Hall Sunday evening to give a sobering lecture on the effects U.S. policy has had on the <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_undef\">Middle East<\/span>, the future of Syria and <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_geo\">Iraq<\/span>, and the war against <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_undef\">ISIS<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Landis is director of the Center for <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_undef\">Middle East Studies<\/span> and an associate professor at the <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_undef\">University of Oklahoma<\/span>. He came to make an argument Sunday evening about identity and nationalism, but more specifically, how these ideas have shaped the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>Landis began his presentation by making a connection between the conflicts in the Middle East and European history. After <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_undef\">World War I<\/span>, \u201cEuropeans went to the map to divide up the Middle East with a ruler,\u201d said Landis, drawing borders with no regards to the people who lived there. He claimed that before these foreign borders were drawn, the Middle East, under the <span class=\"pt_phrase_term pt_term pt_undef\">Ottoman Empire<\/span>, was a multi-ethnic, multireligious state whose people coexisted in relative stability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Politifact.com<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.politifact.com\/truth-o-meter\/statements\/2016\/jun\/15\/donald-trump\/donald-trump-suggests-barack-obama-supported-isis-\/\">Donald Trump suggests Barack Obama supported ISIS, but that&#8217;s a conspiracy theory<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>June 15, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Louis Jacobson<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, agreed. &#8220;It has never been the policy or stated goal of the Obama administration to arm or assist al-Qaida,&#8221; he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>El PAIS<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/internacional.elpais.com\/internacional\/2016\/06\/13\/actualidad\/1465769862_870086.html\">Kurdos, rebeldes y EE UU impulsan una ofensiva coordinada contra el ISIS en Siria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>June 14, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Natalia Sancha<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cEl avance de Washington y kurdos hacia Raqa ha obligado a El Asad a desviarse de sus objetivos\u201d, valora al tel\u00e9fono el especialista norteamericano Joshua Landis. \u201cAhora a El Asad no le queda m\u00e1s remedio que ir a Raqa y luchar contra el ISIS para evitar que los kurdos o rebeldes se hagan con ella. Y ello, dejando a un segundo plano su principal prioridad: el frente de Alepo y los rebeldes sun\u00edes all\u00ed afincados\u201d, a\u00f1ade. Un an\u00e1lisis que refrendan fuentes de las milicias libanesas aliadas a Damasco (Hezbol\u00e1 y el Partido Nacional Socialista Sirio) quienes aseguran que si bien la prioridad para ellos sigue siendo Alepo, \u201clos rusos han impuesto la ofensiva sobre Raqa presionados por la opini\u00f3n p\u00fablica y Washington\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Business World<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bworldonline.com\/content.php?section=World&amp;title=us-led-offensive-in-syria-aimed-at-cutting-off-is-supply-route&amp;id=128491\">US-led offensive in Syria aimed at cutting off IS supply route<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>June 2, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>But some are skeptical of the Pentagon\u2019s assurances. They suspect that despite Washington\u2019s touting the role of the Arabs, it is the Kurds who will ultimately retain control. \u201cI doubt that they are in command and they are going to have control over this territory once Kurds will have spent their blood,\u201d said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>National Post<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/news.nationalpost.com\/news\/a-history-of-violence-aleppo-has-been-fought-over-for-millennia-and-citizens-are-no-closer-to-escaping-war\">History of violence: Aleppo has been fought over for millennia and citizens are no closer to escaping war<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>May 7, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Michael Petrou<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cAleppo has become the real epicentre of this struggle,\u201d says Joshua Landis, director for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. \u201cAnd it\u2019s likely to remain an open sore.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>WBEZ&#8217;s Worldview<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/wbez-worldview\/the-battle-in-aleppo-the-coal-market-and-chicago-fair-trade\">The Battle in Aleppo<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>May 3, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nHost Jerome McDonnell<\/p>\n<p>The New York Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/04\/21\/world\/middleeast\/leader-of-syria-rescue-group-arriving-in-us-for-award-is-refused-entry.html?mwrsm=Email&amp;_r=0\">Leader of Syria Rescue Group, Arriving in U.S. for Award, Is Refused Entry<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>April 20, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Somini Sengupta and Anne Barnard<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma at Norman, called the denial of entry \u201ca scandal.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cThe White Helmets are one of the few organizations in Syria that have been above reproach,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have tried to observe strict neutrality in order to facilitate their humanitarian work and save lives. To do this they have worked along side all sorts of militias in order to get to victims of the fighting.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>USA TODAY<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/world\/2016\/04\/12\/syria-peace-talks-set-resume-amid-new-fighting\/82938018\/\">Syria peace talks set to resume amid new fighting<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>April 12, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Oren Dorell<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe cease-fire cut off some very unfinished business around Aleppo, which the regime is trying to retake,\u201d said Joshua Landis, a Syria analyst at the University of Oklahoma. Syrian government troops are trying to retake the entire border with Turkey, which is controlled in various segments by Kurdish militias, Turkey-supported rebels and Islamic State factions, Landis said.<br \/>\n\u201cThe Syrian government is more concerned about the areas it hasn\u2019t captured where other Arab militias can get arms and resupplies from Turkey,\u201d he said. \u201cSo the cease-fire was going to be broken, it was a matter of when.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>France24 English<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2_dltyvJd4Q\">&#8216;Islamic State&#8217; Conflict, Syrian army recaptures Palmyra from &#8216;IS&#8217; Group<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Recapture of Palmyra: &#8220;changed the balance of power in Syria dramatically&#8221; Joshua Landis<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>TRT World<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=R1k7L_LGImg&amp;feature=youtu.be\">Joshua Landis talks to TRT World about Syria: Fiver years of war<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 18, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To the Point<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kcrw.com\/news-culture\/shows\/to-the-point\/russia-draws-down-in-syria\">Russia Draws Down in Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 17, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Vladimir Putin surprised the world when he suddenly started bombing in Syria last September. This week, he surprised the world again when he ordered the &#8220;main part&#8221; of his military forces out of Syria. The Pentagon says the Russians aren&#8217;t going away. Long-range missiles and bombs are still falling, and Russia&#8217;s airbase and naval station are permanent fixtures. For the moment, Putin&#8217;s surprise move has kept him out of the &#8220;quagmire&#8221; predicted by President Obama, but his long-range intentions are unclear. His air assaults did enough damage to embolden President Assad to join talks in Geneva, but are Syrians any closer to ending a savage civil war?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>China News International<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/english.cri.cn\/7146\/2016\/03\/17\/3641s920807.htm\">Syria conflict: Kurds to declare federal system<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 17, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Daily Mail<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/wires\/ap\/article-3494603\/Another-group-Russian-planes-leaves-Syria-returns-home.html\">Kurds plan to declare a federal region in northern Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 16, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Associated Press<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, director of Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, said the federalist project has logic to it, but is doomed to fail under current conditions.<br \/>\n&#8220;The federal system would be the way forward if people would accept it,&#8221; Landis said, &#8220;But they won&#8217;t because they don&#8217;t like each other.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Globe and Mail<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/news\/world\/kurdish-party-announces-plans-to-declare-federal-region-in-syria\/article29258866\/\">Kurds announce plans to declare federal region in Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 16, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Zeina Karam and Philip Issa<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, director of Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, said the federalist project has logic to it, but is doomed to fail under current conditions.<br \/>\n\u201cThe federal system would be the way forward if people would accept it,\u201d Landis said, \u201cBut they won\u2019t because they don\u2019t like each other.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Washington Post<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/worldviews\/wp\/2016\/03\/16\/in-the-syria-chessgame-did-putin-outwit-obama\/\">In the Syria chess game, did Putin outwit Obama?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 16, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Ishaan Tharoor<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Assad&#8217;s people were very confident only a week ago that Russia was going to take them all the way, help them reconquer all of Syria,&#8221; Syria expert Joshua Landis told NPR. &#8220;In a sense, Russia&#8217;s saying, we don&#8217;t have to do that; we&#8217;re not necessarily going to do that.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>PRI<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wnyc.org\/story\/mission-accomplished-russia-withdraws-syria\/?utm_source=sharedUrl&amp;utm_medium=metatag&amp;utm_campaign=sharedUrl\">Mission Accomplished? Russia Withdraws from Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 15, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, joins The Takeaway to discuss what Putin&#8217;s announcement means for the situation in Syria.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>CNN<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/world\/2016\/03\/15\/exp-putin-russian-troops-out-of-syria.cnn\">Putin: Russian troops out of Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 15, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>CNNi talks to Middle East expert Joshua Landis of the Uni. of Oklahoma about the message Russian Pres. Putin is sending by ordering its troops out of Syria.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Zero Hedge<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/news\/2016-03-15\/we-can-always-come-back-video-shows-beginning-russias-withdrawal-syria\">&#8220;We Can Always Come Back&#8221;: Video Shows Beginning Of Russia&#8217;s Withdrawal From Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 15, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Tyler Durden<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cPutin is a wily guy. He is showing he\u2019s a statesman. Russia is also sending a message to Assad who has been sounding too confident.\u201d That\u2019s from Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, and a frequent commentator on Syria\u2019s five-year conflict.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Foreign Policy<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/03\/14\/russian-withdrawal-could-set-stage-for-assads-exit\/\">Russian Withdrawal Could Set Stage for Assad\u2019s Exit<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 14, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Paul Mcleary<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, said that until the past week, he had been in touch with officials close to the Assad regime in Damascus who expressed \u201ca constant drumbeat of confidence that they\u2019re going to take back every inch of Syrian soil, and Russia is their partner.\u201d But those communications abruptly fell off earlier this month. \u201cNo one was answering the phones in Damascus. That leads me to believe they were thrown for a loop.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Los Angles Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/middleeast\/la-fg-syria-peace-talks-20160314-story.html\">As Syrian peace talks near, Bashar Assad&#8217;s future remains a sticking point<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 14, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Patrick J. McDonnell<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Expecting Syrians to come to terms among themselves is not productive,&#8221; said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma. &#8220;The ideological, political differences between them are too great.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>NPR<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2016\/03\/14\/470427645\/russian-president-vladimir-putin-to-withdraw-majority-of-troops-from-syria\">Russian President Vladimir Putin To Withdraw Majority Of Troops From Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 14, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nHost Robert Siegel, All Things Considered<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Vladimir Putin says he&#8217;s withdrawing the main part of Russia&#8217;s troop deployment to Syria. What do you think he means by that?<br \/>\nLANDIS: Well, it&#8217;s not quite clear, but I &#8211; but he&#8217;s sending, in a sense, three messages, it seems to me. One, he&#8217;s establishing that he&#8217;s a statesman. He wants peace. He&#8217;s willing to meet America halfway. He&#8217;s also letting the people know at Russia &#8211; at home, mission accomplished.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>PRI<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pri.org\/stories\/2016-03-01\/heres-why-partial-truce-syria-has-astounded-even-experts\">Here&#8217;s why the partial truce in Syria has astounded even the experts<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>March 1, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Joyce Hackel<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;This is essentially a deal that was made between America and Russia, and is being pushed on the Syrians. And so far it&#8217;s working,&#8221; Landis says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The WorldPost<br \/>\nA partnership of the Huffington Post and Berggruen Institute<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/nusra-front-syria-ceasefire_us_56d22e0de4b0bf0dab32606a\">The Terror Group That Could Ruin Syria\u2019s Ceasefire Isn\u2019t ISIS<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 27, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Charlotte Alfred<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The WorldPost spoke to Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma and editor of the blog Syria Comment, about the dilemmas that Nusra Front poses for the truce deal \u2014 and for peace in Syria.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>El Pais<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/internacional.elpais.com\/internacional\/2016\/02\/23\/actualidad\/1456251705_610167.html\">Islamistas sirios, entre Occidente y Al Qaeda<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 24, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby ANDR\u00c9S MOURENZA<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cEn Siria hay muchos moderados, pero si quieres ganar la guerra s\u00f3lo tienes dos opciones: ir con el r\u00e9gimen o con los salafistas\u201d, sostiene Joshua Landis, experto en el pa\u00eds \u00e1rabe.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Here &amp; Now<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wbur.org\/hereandnow\/2016\/02\/23\/syria-ceasefire-agreement\">Syrian Government And Opposition Agree To Ceasefire<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 23, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nHost Jeremy Hobson<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>After nearly five years of civil war and more than 250,000 deaths, the warring parties in Syria say they will abide by a ceasefire that is scheduled to take effect Saturday.<br \/>\nThe United Nations says it will be a challenge to enforce the truce. That&#8217;s because the Syrian battlefield is complicated by the presence of ISIS and the al-Qaida group, al-Nusra.<br \/>\nHere &amp; Now&#8217;s Jeremy Hobson talks with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, about the prospects for peace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Sputnik News<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/military\/20160220\/1035074409\/incirlik-airbase-access-restriction.html\">Turkey Fears Alienating US by Restricting Access to Incirlik Airbase<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 20, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>University of Oklahoma Center for Middle East Studies Director Joshua Landis told Sputnik that if Turkey were to follow through on threats to limit access to Incirlik it would put the United States in a very precarious position.<br \/>\n&#8220;Incirlik remains crucial to US efforts to fight the Islamic State [Daesh],&#8221; Landis suggested. &#8220;The United States has been building an airport in northern Syria, but it is small and would not be able to repair sophisticated jets.&#8221;<br \/>\nLandis, who is also the editor of Syria Comment, observed that Washington is trying not to get in between the PYD and Ankara in their dispute because they both are vital US allies.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Foreign Policy<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/02\/18\/in-spat-between-turks-and-kurds-u-s-remains-on-the-sidelines\/\">In Spat Between Turks and Kurds, U.S. Remains on the Sidelines<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 18, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby John Hudson, Dan De Luce<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, said Washington was in a \u201cvery bad predicament here because the U.S.\u2019s only dependable ally in Syria is the Kurds.\u201d He added that YPG fighters have helped reclaim significant amounts of territory from ISIS.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Globe and Mail<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/news\/world\/ankara-bombing-underscores-border-fears-as-turkey-pushes-for-buffer-zone\/article28792159\/\">Ankara bombing underscores border fears as Turkey pushes for buffer zone<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 17, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Victor Kotsev<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cSaudi [Arabia] and Turkey are likely engaged in great theatre,\u201d Joshua Landis, a prominent Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, said in an e-mail. \u201cBoth powers, which have ambitions to lead the Sunni world, must demonstrate to their people and beyond that they are defending the Sunni rebels and not standing idly by as they are defeated by Russia and its allies.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Los Angeles Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/middleeast\/la-fg-syria-war-20160118-story.html?utm_source=The+Daily+News+Brief&amp;utm_campaign=9f9dca90da-Morning_Email1_19_2016&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_b4a0944fbd-9f9dca90da-74427813\">Backed by Russian air power, Syria&#8217;s army builds on gains<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 18, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Nabih Bulos<br \/>\n&#8220;Assad is winning. Russian air power [has] changed the entire dynamic of what&#8217;s going on, and it just gives the Syrian army an incredible boost,&#8221; said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, in a phone interview.<br \/>\nABC<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/worldtoday\/content\/2016\/s4408294.htm\">&#8216;I don&#8217;t see any way that Assad is not going to win this&#8217;: Analyst<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 17, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Eleanor Hall<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;After all, the Syrian Government &#8211; the economy has been collapsing &#8211; the Syrian Government does not have the money to feed its own people. And it would I&#8217;m sure be very interested in having tons of international aid but it will want to direct to whom it goes.&#8221; Joshua Landis<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Kent Presents<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dvjjNVuvKBg\">Understanding Islamic Extremism<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 26, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Michael Kramer, Joshua Landis and Chase Robinson parse out the facts of Islamic extremism and ISIS.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>NZZ am Sonntag<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nzz.ch\/nzzas\/nzz-am-sonntag\/syrien-der-westen-ist-spektakulaer-gescheitert-ld.5406\">Syrien \u00abDer Westen ist spektakul\u00e4r gescheitert\u00bb<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 16, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby von Anna Trechsel<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Der amerikanische Syrien-Experte und Nahost-Professor Joshua Landis rechnet im Interview damit, dass der syrische Diktator Bashar al-Asad den B\u00fcrgerkrieg gewinnt \u2013 dank der Unterst\u00fctzung Russlands.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Washington Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2016\/feb\/14\/syria-cease-fire-would-help-bashar-assad-allies-se\/\">Syria cease-fire would help Assad, allies secure control of Aleppo<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 14, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Guy Taylor<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, who heads the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, argues that the cease-fire is \u201cnecessary for Russia to finesse international outrage at the terrible human cost of its advances around Aleppo.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Sputnik<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/world\/20160213\/1034719417\/us-erdogan-syria-kurds-policy.html\">Erdogan&#8217;s Gamble in Syria Goes Bust<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 13, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Turkey is furious because it placed a big bet on backing the rebels,&#8221; Landis said. &#8220;It thought it had America behind it in destroying Assad. It looks today that Assad may reconquer the country and establish his authority. The Kurds then would then have a backer in Syria and a large degree of autonomy, and that would put Turkey in a terrible position.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Who. What. Why.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/whowhatwhy.org\/2016\/02\/12\/confused-by-the-bloody-war-in-syria-heres-the-whowhatwhy\/\">Confused by the bloody war in Syria? Here&#8217;s the whowhatwhy.<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 12, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Victor Kotsev<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThat\u2019s the same strategy that was used around [the capital] Damascus for the entire campaign, to close off the border with Lebanon,\u201d says Joshua Landis, one of the top Syria experts in the West who teaches at the University of Oklahoma. \u201cIt began in 2012 with the conquest of [the town of ] Qusayr\u2026 and they sealed the border with Lebanon, which really protected Damascus. And they\u2019ve got to do the same thing with Turkey.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Diane Rehm Show<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/thedianerehmshow.org\/audio\/#\/shows\/2016-02-11\/the-latest-on-the-military-political-and-humanitarian-crises-in-syria\/111907\/@00:00\">The Latest on the Military, Political and Humanitarian Crises in Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 11, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Russia continues airstrikes in Syria. Secretary Kerry meets with world leaders in an attempt to resolve the country\u2019s five-year civil war. A panel joins Diane to discuss the latest on the military, political and humanitarian crises facing Syria. Joshua Landis and Ambassador James Jeffrey get heated over whether U.S. should use overwhelming force in Syria or not.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Take Away<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thetakeaway.org\/story\/russian-airstrikes-syria-crush-anti-assad-rebels\/\">Syria: Time to Favor a Dictator over Democracy?<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 11, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby John Hockenberry<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 500 people\u2014including 89 civilians\u2014have been killed since the Russian-backed offensive on Aleppo province began earlier this month. Tens of thousands of people have left the area and have headed to the Turkish border, which has been sealed shut.<br \/>\nIs the U.S. letting Russia take the lead on Syria? And what does this mean for the Syrian rebels? For answers, we turn to Joshua Landis, director for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>PRI<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pri.org\/stories\/2016-02-11\/erdo-feels-us-left-turkey-lurch-syrian-conflict\">Erdogan feels the US left Turkey in the lurch with Syrian conflict<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 11, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Kenny Sokan<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cTurkey wants the United States to come in strong on Syria, stop the Russians and stop the refugee flow that\u2019s pouring out of Aleppo,\u201d says Josh Landis, director of the Center of Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. \u201cTurkey feels like it&#8217;s been left holding the bag both by the United States and Europe. &#8230; America looks like it\u2019s bowing out. It\u2019s going to let Russia try to clean up Syria or at least have its way in Syria.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>RT<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/shows\/crosstalk\/331106-syria-civil-war-power\/\">Syrian quagmire<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 3, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The talks have started, but where will they go? Ending Syria\u2019s civil war is a daunting endeavor. There are too many parties with conflicting agendas. Outside powers have been fueling this war for years. Can the same powers end it?<br \/>\nCrossTalking with Joshua Landis, Richard Murphy, and Andrew Cockburn.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>WBUR On Point with Tom Ashbrook<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/onpoint.wbur.org\/2016\/02\/03\/syrian-civil-war-isis-middle-east\">Peace Talks For Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>February 3, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Guests: Joshua Landis, Noah Bonsey and Patrick McDonnell<br \/>\nAfter all kinds of pressure from Washington and beyond, peace talks over the Syrian civil war are finally underway in Geneva. Maybe. Participants can\u2019t even agree over whether they\u2019ve started. The odds of a negotiated solution seem almost nil. But the talks are a good window through which to look at Syria and the clashing interests behind a war that has destroyed a country, spawned ISIS, flooded Europe and set the world on edge. This hour On Point, war and peace and Syria.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Foreign Policy<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2016\/01\/29\/in-confidential-memo-u-n-acknowledges-it-cant-enforce-a-syrian-peace-deal\/\">In Confidential Memo, U.N. Says It Can\u2019t Enforce a Syrian Peace Deal<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 29, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Colum Lynch<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, predicted that government forces will negotiate directly with the fighters on the battlefield. But in Geneva, he added, it\u2019s likely Damascus will denounce the opposition as terrorists. \u201cThey will do the Trump thing and tell you how bad you are,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>RT<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/news\/330658-syria-geneva-mistura-hnc\/\">Official Syrian opposition to join Geneva 3 peace talks after about-face &#8211; UN mediator<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joshua Landis, Director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma commented on the complexities of the new round of talks, which will see de Mistura shuttling between different groups and factions.<br \/>\nThere will be at least four groups sitting in four different rooms: \u201cWomen and civil society group, there is another group that the Russians put together, which includes Haytham Manna who is the co-president of the Syria Democratic Council and it represents the Kurds to a certain degree \u2026 and then there is the Syrian opposition that Riyadh has put together, and there will be Assad\u2019s team in the fourth room,\u201d Landis told RT.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Al Arabiya<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/english.alarabiya.net\/en\/webtv\/programs\/diplomatic-avenue\/2016\/02\/02\/Diplomatic-Avenue-The-humanitarian-crisis-in-Syria.html\">Diplomatic Avenue: The US relationship with the Syrian opposition<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 29, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Talal al-Haj<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Diplomatic Avenue is beamed live every month from Al Arabiya\u2019s studios in the United Nations. Presented by Talal al-Haj, the show features interviews with high-level diplomats and decision makers, with video reports focusing on recent diplomatic developments and pressing issues. The program casts a critical eye over the work of the U.N. and its agencies, not only on the political front, but also on the humanitarian, cultural and scientific levels. The show gives its audience an insight into what goes on within the halls and corridors of the U.N., with a special emphasis on issues that matter to the Arab and Islamic worlds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>TRT World<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=F8DPAmBIrmw\">The Newsmakers: Syria Peace Talks and Refugee Volunteers<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 28, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Renewed efforts to solve Syria&#8217;s war through talks. But is it possible to get all the players round the negotiating table?<br \/>\nAlso on today&#8217;s programme&#8230; What role do civilian volunteers play in the refugee crisis effort? We have a special report from Lesbos. Joshua Landis and Mohammad Alabdallah debate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>IRIN<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.irinnews.org\/analysis\/2016\/01\/28\/syrian-peace-talks-lost-fog-war\">Syrian peace talks lost in a fog of war<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 28, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Annie Slemrod<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cAssad is not going because he wants to negotiate, and not because he thinks the opposition can deliver [on unity],\u201d Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, told IRIN. \u201cHe\u2019s going because his major sponsor, Russia, has told him to.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>TRT World<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/F8DPAmBIrmw\">The Newsmakers: Syria Peace Talks and Refugee Volunteers<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 28, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Renewed efforts to solve Syria&#8217;s war through talks. But is it possible to get all the players round the negotiating table?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Sputnik News<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/sputniknews.com\/analysis\/20160127\/1033761992\/syrian-kurds-peace-talks.html#ixzz3yQ0FEwuz\">Syrian Kurds Should Attend Peace Talks Amid Dispute Over Terrorist Label<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 27, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The Syrian Kurds make-up 10 percent of the population of Syria and should be included,&#8221; University of Oklahoma Center for Middle East Studies Director Joshua Landis told Sputnik on Tuesday. &#8220;Claiming that they are terrorists is not an excuse for excluding them.&#8221;<br \/>\nLandis added that considering members of the Syrian opposition and Syrian President Bashar Assad\u2019s government have exchanged terrorist allegations to no effect, and there should not be an exception when it comes to the Kurds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Rudaw<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/rudaw.net\/english\/analysis\/26012016\">The Kurds and the Great Sorting Out<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 26, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Paul Iddon<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Professor Joshua Landis is an expert foremost on Syria. Having followed the Middle East for decades now his input on the current crisis is frequently cited and solicited. He has devised a broad theory to try and summarize what is happening across the region which he calls \u2018the great sorting out\u2019. Hence, as with Europe over the course of the century past different underlying ethno-sectarian tensions reached boiling point at a time of war and the regions different ethno-sectarian groups are being reorganized on more homogenous grounds. While this doesn\u2019t necessarily mean Iraq and Syria will permanently break-up Landis\u2019s precedent is a dire one.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>NPR<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2016\/01\/26\/464399975\/how-to-keep-isis-from-spreading-is-still-up-for-debate\">Pentagon Gets ISIS Metaphor Wrong, Critics Say<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 26, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nHost David Welna, Morning Edition<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>JOSHUA LANDIS: It makes it seem like we&#8217;re going to be able to apply our modern techniques of warfare in the same way that you would going into the hospital to fight some kind of skin cancer or something like that. It isn&#8217;t going to be so easy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Voice of America<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.voanews.com\/content\/challenges-could-derail-syria-talks\/3163506.html\">Challenges Could Derail Syria Talks<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 26, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Mohamed Elshinnawi<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>But Landis argues there is no good will to ensure any optimistic outcomes of the talks, even if all parties attended.<br \/>\n\u201cI believe the upcoming Geneva talks will be in vain as the previous efforts were, simply because neither side is willing to compromise.\u201d Landis said, \u201cIt is quite clear that Russia and Assad believe that they can achieve a conquest in the battlefield and the Syrian opposition groups still believe they can take Damascus by force.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>H\u00fcrriyet<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/sosyal.hurriyet.com.tr\/yazar\/verda-ozer_511\/turkiyeyi-sikistiran-denklem_40045126\">T\u00fcrkiye&#8217;yi S?k??t?ran Denklem<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 25, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Verda \u00d6zer<\/p>\n<p>DW<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/m.dw.com\/en\/syrian-talks-jeopardized-by-dispute-over-participants\/a-19000838\">Syrian talks jeopardized by dispute over participants<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 24, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Everybody is making these very maximalist demands, it doesn&#8217;t look good,&#8221; Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma, told DW.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Financial Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ft.com\/intl\/cms\/s\/0\/735b4746-c01f-11e5-9fdb-87b8d15baec2.html?siteedition=intl#axzz3xyjNUWxe\">Vladimir Putin asked Bashar al-Assad to step down<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 22, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Sam Jones in London, Erika Solomon in Beirut and Kathrin Hille in Kazan<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The disappearance of Abdelaziz al-Kheir, an Alawite dissident, was a striking example, said Joshua Landis, a Syria analyst from Oklahoma State University.<br \/>\nMr Al-Kheir, a leading member of the National Co-ordinating Body, a political grouping dedicated to negotiating with Mr Assad to achieve democratic change, was from a prominent family in Mr Assad\u2019s home town, said Mr Landis.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Foreign Affairs<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foreignaffairs.com\/articles\/syria\/2016-01-19\/assad-has-it-his-way\">Assad Has It His Way<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 19, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Joshua Landis and Steven Simon<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Most important to Assad has been the attitude of the United States. U.S. President Barack Obama\u2019s first reaction to Russia\u2019s entry into the war on September 30 was to state, &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to make Syria into a proxy war between the U.S. and Russia.\u201d This was consistent with the administration\u2019s long-standing reluctance to go beyond its current support for a small number of armed groups opposed to the Assad regime. Moscow has had a long and important relationship with Damascus; Washington has not.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The American Interest<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.the-american-interest.com\/2016\/01\/19\/assad-is-winning\/\">&#8220;Asad is Winning&#8221;<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 19, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Noted Syria expert Joshua Landis put it more bluntly in an interview with the LA Times: \u201cAssad is winning. Russian air power [has] changed the entire dynamic of what\u2019s going on, and it just gives the Syrian army an incredible boost. [\u2026] What I\u2019m hearing from Damascus is that it has taken time to digest the new technology, for the Russians to get well situated, get the intelligence they require and know what they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Los Angeles Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/middleeast\/la-fg-syria-war-20160118-story.html?utm_source=The+Daily+News+Brief&amp;utm_campaign=9f9dca90da-Morning_Email1_19_2016&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_b4a0944fbd-9f9dca90da-74427813\">Backed by Russian air power, Syria&#8217;s army builds on gains<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 18, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Nabih Bulos<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Assad is winning. Russian air power [has] changed the entire dynamic of what&#8217;s going on, and it just gives the Syrian army an incredible boost,&#8221; said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, in a phone interview.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>INTERNACIONAL EL PA\u00cdS<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/internacional.elpais.com\/internacional\/2016\/01\/18\/actualidad\/1453131368_816895.html#comentarios\">El ISIS trata de tomar el control total del mayor enclave sirio del \u00c9ufrates<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 18, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby NATALIE SANCHA<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Aferrado a su oasis en territorio del califato que reina en el noreste del pa\u00eds, Bachar el Asad est\u00e1 determinado a mantenerla. \u201cDeir al Zor prueba tanto que el ISIS est\u00e1 debilitado como que El Asad no se va a centrar solo en las metr\u00f3polis de su feudo sino que piensa mantener su control sobre esta capital de provincia\u201d, explica en una entrevista a este diario el experto norteamericano Joshua Landis.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Ripubblica<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.repubblica.it\/esteri\/2016\/01\/18\/news\/joshua_landis_il_califfo_perde_consensi_e_si_vendica_sui_civili_inermi_-131517354\/?ref=twhr\">Joshua Landis: &#8220;Il Califfo perde consensi e si vendica sui civili inermi&#8221;<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 18, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby FRANCISCO CAFERRI<br \/>\nFinancial Times<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ft.com\/cms\/s\/0\/69cb93de-b552-11e5-8358-9a82b43f6b2f.html#axzz3wbUaaqGj\">Russia helps shift balance against rebels in southern Syria<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 7, 2016<\/strong><br \/>\nby Erika Solomon in Beirut and John Reed in Jerusalem<\/p>\n<p>Interfaith Voices<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/interfaithradio.org\/Story_Details\/How_Middle_East_Governments_are_Exploiting_an_Ancient_Religious_Divide\">How Middle East Governments are Exploiting an Ancient Religious Divide<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>January 6, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shia theocracy of Iran have evolved into the de-facto religious superpowers of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia&#8217;s recent execution of a prominent Shia cleric sparked a new round of tension between the two rival countries. We talk with a Middle East expert to help us understand the roots of this conflict and what the latest fallout means for the region.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<ul class=\"news_archive_list\">\n<li>Browse Archive By Year<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/\">Current<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2018\/\">2018<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2017\/\">2017<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"active\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2016\/\">2016<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2015\/\">2015<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2014\/\">2014<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2013\/\">2013<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2012\/\">2012<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2011\/\">2011<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2010\/\">2010<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2009\/\">2009<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2008\/\">2008<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2007\/\">2007<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2006\/\">2006<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2005\/\">2005<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news\/landis-news-2004\/\">2004<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Browse Archive By Year Current 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 The New Yorker The Winners and Losers in the New Syrian Ceasefire Dec 30, 2016 \u201cThe importance of this is not whether it\u2019s a ceasefire that holds. It\u2019s that Turkey has signed on with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25937","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Landis in the News 2016 - Syria Comment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/landis-news-2016\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Landis in the News 2016 - Syria Comment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Browse Archive By Year Current 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 The New Yorker The Winners and Losers in the New Syrian Ceasefire Dec 30, 2016 \u201cThe importance of this is not whether it\u2019s a ceasefire that holds. 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