Russia’s military involvement in Syria is undeniably a game-changer in the Middle East, US geopolitical analyst Eric Draitser told Sputnik, adding that Washington will definitely try to restore its shrinking positions in the region at all costs.
It is naïve to believe that Washington will eat its humble pie and admit that its decade-long policy in the Middle East has been a complete failure; it is more likely that US hawks will do whatever it takes to bolster their shrinking influence in the region.
“Although the US may be a declining power, it is certainly not an impotent one; there are many countermeasures that Washington could take in response to the ascendance of Russian and Iranian influence [in the Middle East],” US geopolitical analyst and Stopimperialism.com editor Eric Draitser told Sputnik.
Possible US-NATO Counter-Strategy
According to Draitser, first and foremost, the US will try to use Russia’s airstrikes in Syria as a wedge to drive Turkey and Russia further apart. So far, Washington will solidify Turkey as a staunch US ally, rather than as a NATO member but also Russian strategic partner, the geopolitical analyst elaborated.
“This could take many forms, from working to undermine the potential “Turk Stream” pipeline project to motivating Turkey to mobilize and invigorate the terror networks it manages in Central Asia and China’s Xinjiang province. It is well-documented the relationship between Turkish intelligence and a number of jihadi groups including al-Nusra Front and the Islamic Army of Conquest in Syria, as well as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) of Uighur terrorists in Xinjiang and Pakistan. The US understands the importance of Russian-Turkish economic cooperation which is worth tens of billions of dollars, and will likely use this as leverage against the Russians,” Draitser underscored.
Continue reading the interview here
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