After the death of four Americans in an ISIS attack, President Trump is proposing "safe zones" in Syria. Will agreements to de-escelate be enough to hold off conflict in the Middle East?
A much-debated plan to pull U.S. troops from Syria began with the withdrawal of supplies earlier this month. The resignation of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and his expedited exit is believed to have been prompted by disagreement over this decision.
What is the United States' strategy for managing relationships in the Middle East?
In Yemen, a years-long civil war is halted by an unsteady ceasefire. As famine threatens the country, steps towards peace are experiencing setbacks.
U.S. ties to Yemen are connected through military support of Saudi Arabia's involvement in the conflict. In response to Saudi Arabia's hand in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, U.S. Congress invoked War Powers, exercising its authority to do so for the first time since the resolution's passage in 1973. But even after the Congressional deadline, there's been no change.
How will U.S. military leadership and international envoys move forward in the coming weeks?
Guest: David Lesch, Ewing Halsell Distinguished Professor of Middle East History at Trinity University and author, including "Syria: A Modern History" and "The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A History."
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This interview aired on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.
