Syria

"[From 02:39:20 onward] They have gone underground, there are estimates that there are 10,000 ISIL fighters in Iraq and Syria. Some are foreign, some are local. There will be challenges in Iraq and Syria, of what to do with those detained, because neither country is obviously capable of managing such large loads. There are numerous internally displaced people, in Iraq it's 1,800,000 and and many of them are perceived to have links to ISIL and are not welcomed back to their community. So there are going to be enormous challenges. "

Today Programme 15/02/18

Introducing a Trauma-Informed Practice Framework to Provide Support in Conflict-Affected Countries: The Case of the Syrian White Helmets

Nicola Lester

A proposal for a ‘trauma-informed’ framework to provide training and support to the Syrian White Helmets.

"At the moment ISIS has not yet been defeated, militarily yes, things are looking good, but stabilisation operations will be going on for years to come. "

Pulling US troops from Syria is conditional, says Bolton

"“Given that Trump regularly contradicts his own leadership, most [partners] will likely wait until Trump himself confirms this latest change. And even then, he may still reverse course again, depending on what he watches on Fox News,” Karin von Hippel, the director general of the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank, told VICE News. "

The Time Frame For U.S. Troops To Exit Syria Has Gone From 30 Days To To Sometime In The Future

"Saudi and Emirati overtures have two objectives: first to reduce the Iranian footprint in Syria and second to make sure Qatar and Turkey do not get ahead of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in the pecking order of ties with Damascus. "

Why the UAE and Saudi Arabia are reaching out to Assad

The Russian Military Commitment in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean

Rod Thornton

Russia is likely to stay in the region for the long term.