(American Interest) Walter Russell Mead - The Iranians know that their regional influence is tied to Assad, and that they must either do damage control or lend even more forward military support to the embattled Syrian regime if they don't want to see their sphere of influence shrink considerably. Turkey, in addition to having genuine counterterrorism motives, is also beginning to enjoy flexing its muscles as the presumptive new hegemon in the region. With both sides casting the other as a supporter of "terrorism," the gates are wide open for even hotter rhetoric - and possibly actions to back it up.
2012-08-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive