In this episode, Raymond is joined again by John Dolan a.k.a. Gary Brecher a.k.a. The War Nerd to discuss modern Russian foreign policy and the conflict in Syria.  Starting with the collapse of the Soviet Union, without any hostilities, and Vladimir Putin's rise to power.  They discuss the increasingly aggressive foreign policy of the Russian Federation, highlighting the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.  Moving on to Syria, John explains that the Sunni Revolution is a response to the historic changes of the 70s and 80s, when Hafez Assad became president of Syria, the Iranian Revolution triumphed, and Hezbollah was established.  They conclude by exploring the complex and confusing United States foreign policy in the Middle East region.

Show Reference Notes:

"The War Nerd: Everything you know about Crimea is wrong(-er)" by Gary Brecher

Podrostok Savenko (The Adolescent Savenko) by Eduard Limonov translated into English as Memoir of a Russian Punk

"Syria at War" on PBS's Frontline

Gary Brecher is The War Nerd on Pando

The War Nerd on Facebook

@TheWarNerd on Twitter

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