Tommy and Ben discuss Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of Syria and let Turkey begin a military campaign against the Kurds, a key US ally in the fight against ISIS. Then they try to understand why Republicans are only willing to criticize Trump’s Syria policy, explain why the NBA and Chinese government are fighting, and try to understand why Gordon Sondland, the US Ambassador to the European Union, was part of the quid pro quo with Ukraine. Finally they cover the latest on North Korea, Russia, and Boris Johnson’s Brexit. Then Washington Post Beirut bureau chief Liz Sly calls in to talk about protests in Iraq and the view from the ground in Syria.

Show notes

Syria

• WaPo: “Syrian Kurds see American betrayal and warn fight against ISIS is now in doubt” (10/7)
• WaPo: “Syria camp is at risk of falling under ISIS control, Kurdish general says”
• WaPo: “Republicans assail Trump’s decision to pull troops from northern Syria as Turkey readies offensive”

Iraq

• WaPo: “Iraqi military admits to ‘excessive force’ in crackdown against protesters”
• WaPo: “Iraqi protests broaden; violent crackdown spirals”

Russia

• NYT: “Top Secret Russian Unit Seeks to Destabilize Europe, Security Officials Say”