Wednesday, December 18, 2024

The Dummies Guide to the Middle East

 I'm not one of those knowledge off the top of my head type guys.  I'm more of a Captain Google tbh.  Wikipedia the Assad dynasty in Syria and you could easily go into the wee hours.  Get your brandy snifter.  Bashar al-Assad during his earlier life actually graduated medical school and then went to London to train to be an eye doctor but was recalled back to Syria after his older brother died in a car crash and he then became heir-apparent to the regime....military academy...Syrian occupation of Lebanon...Arab Spring...Syrian Civil War...war crimes...human rights violations...chemical weapons...the UN, Obama, Trump.  Turkey's Erdogan later became a kind of foe and worked behind the scenes...LOTS to go through.  Bashar al-Assad has now been ousted as we all know by rebel forces and the head of HTS an al-Qaida offshoot is practically running the new government.  Turkey is heavily involved and the new HTS-led Syrian government is trying to moderate its image.  Putin has granted al-Assad and his family political asylum in Moscow.  He may have brought a bag of gold coins with him.  He always wore nice suits and believed in climate change and even recognized the State of Israel in private.  Otherwise a brutal dictator.


There I've done my homework.  Trying to give this blog some heft.

3 comments:

  1. Pretty good summary. Z-Man geopolitical analyst. Any idea of why
    Tulsi Gabbard admires him?

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  2. She does? I'm not up to speed. Maybe it's his suit collection. Where's he shop Men's Wearhouse?

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  3. So Assad was against 9-11 and even worked with the CIA in providing intelligence which exceeded their expectations.

    Tulsi. Assad was training in London to become an ophthalmologist. Did he make a deal with her for free prescription eyewear if she ever needs it?

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