Kevork Almassian - The Middle East in Turmoil: Syria, Gaza, Iran | Ep 354 - Aug 17, 2024 [EP354]

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Guest:

• Kevork Almassian

Topics:

Episode 354 | Recorded: August 17, 2024

Show Notes

The Geopolitics of the Middle East

Kevork, as this is your first time on our show, would you tell us about yourself, your background, and your interests for our listeners?

Questions:

• How did you start podcasting?
• What challenges did you encounter when you moved to Germany?
  • What is the atmosphere in Germany on the issues of Palestine and Ukraine?
  • We’re sometimes seeing alarming videos of police using excessive force against protesters. Doesn’t seem like a very liberal thing to do?
• What are your keys to success in podcasting?
  • How much time do you spend preparing for podcasts?
  • What recommendations would you have for Groong?

Syria

NOTE: last minute, but we should ask him to talk about what he knows probably best, the Syrian conflict.

You said after the Iraq war, it was obvious to you…

You said it was a deliberate policy to empty the middle east of native christians. ..

Questions:

• Can you give a brief history of how it started? Who started it? Who is pursuing this policy that you’re talking about? How did the Armenian community fare?
• Erdogan says he’ll pull out troops based on conditions… What are those conditions?

War in Gaza, War in the Middle East

Let’s turn our attention to the Middle East: Israel and Gaza are in a 10 month old conflict that is constantly threatening to expand into a regional conflagration. Hamas started this with an insane attack on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing over 1,100 Israelis. Since then Netanyahu has escalated this into a full scale war on Gaza, killing around 40,000 Palestinians. They’ve hit hospitals, residential buildings, and in the past week they’ve hit schools, killing scores of children.

Since the assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran 2 weeks ago, and Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in Beirut, the specter of an Iranian response has turned the region into a short-fused powder keg.

Question:

• What’s your assessment of the current situation in the middle east?

Iran has vowed “unrestrained response” to avenge the assassinations. But back in April, when it sent waves of drones towards Israel in response to the assassination of an Iranian general in Damascus, that response was so well advertised that it resulted in very low damage. Basically it was a show.

Question:

• Are we in the same situation where the regional powers do not want to escalate the conflict and will seek a face-saving “response”? Or do they actually have a greater appetite to expand the war in Gaza into a wider conflict involving perhaps Iran, Turkey, maybe even Russia and the US?

Israel has recalled its forces stationed in Georgia and Azerbaijan home asap. Interestingly, none of these countries have ever admitted to the presence of Israeli forces in the Caucasus, but clearly some intel surfaced that led Israel to the implicit admission, for the sake of the safety of its forces.

Question:

• Do we know what threat loomed over Israeli forces in the Caucasus?
• What are these forces doing in Georgia and Azerbaijan?
• Will this de-facto admission on the part of Israel become a problem for it, and how might Iran counteract this presence?

Bibi in DC

Two events caught our attention in the past month. Netanyahu came to the US and addressed our Congress. He met with president Joe Biden, as well as former president Trump at Mar-a-Lago. He did not meet with Kamala Harris. All of this in the days directly preceding the Israeli assassinations.

Question:

• What was achieved during Netanyahu’s visit to the US?

Palestinians Unity in Beijing

The other event was a meeting of various Palestinian factions in Beijing. It generally flew under most media and public radars, but Hamas and Fatah expressed strong will towards reconciliation, and also China as the mediator was an interesting twist.

Questions:

• What are the fundamental points of disunity between these Palestinian factions?
• What was achieved in Beijing?
• Can Palestinians expect a more united government and perhaps ruling elite, to confront the genocide that Netanyahu is carrying out against them?

Armenia

Since we’re an Armenian podcast and you’re an Armenian :) we must ask you some questions, since we know you sometimes comment on this and have guests on your podcast related to Armenia.

Questions:

• Were you following the so-called “velvet revolution” in 2018? What did you think about the events at that time and since then?
• What are your thoughts on the 44 day war in Artsakh and what were your feelings as events culminated in the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh?
• What was the role of Turkey in the war?
• Do you see Pashinyan’s moves to appease Turkey (regarding the Armenian Genocide) as an attack on your own identity?
• How do you see Armenia’s relations with the Diaspora under Pashinyan?

Wrap-up

That’s our Week in Review, we hope you found it helpful. We invite your feedback and your suggestions, you can find us on most social media and podcast platforms.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

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