Michael Weiss

I have heard from people who, former but not so former, on the British side, we are probably not going to be giving everything, knowing some of the people who are coming in now. That is, I mean, I wish you had somebody who's worked in, say, the CIA or the NSA on the podcast next to me, because I'd love to hear their reaction to that. That is a staggering development.

And that's just the UK, which, as I say, I mean, other countries that don't have as close of a relationship with the United States are also going to feel very much the same way. I mean, I've been hearing from people in NATO intelligence services, particularly after the Gabbard appointment, you know, what the fuck is happening?

And that's just the UK, which, as I say, I mean, other countries that don't have as close of a relationship with the United States are also going to feel very much the same way. I mean, I've been hearing from people in NATO intelligence services, particularly after the Gabbard appointment, you know, what the fuck is happening?

And that's just the UK, which, as I say, I mean, other countries that don't have as close of a relationship with the United States are also going to feel very much the same way. I mean, I've been hearing from people in NATO intelligence services, particularly after the Gabbard appointment, you know, what the fuck is happening?

So let's put it this way. This did not happen... This is a very opportunistic set of events, which I think I wrote a piece with my ISIS book co-author Hassan Hassan. We call it a unique concatenation of circumstances. So let's start there. Number one, what's happened in the region over the last year? Well, Iran has... fallen apart.

So let's put it this way. This did not happen... This is a very opportunistic set of events, which I think I wrote a piece with my ISIS book co-author Hassan Hassan. We call it a unique concatenation of circumstances. So let's start there. Number one, what's happened in the region over the last year? Well, Iran has... fallen apart.

So let's put it this way. This did not happen... This is a very opportunistic set of events, which I think I wrote a piece with my ISIS book co-author Hassan Hassan. We call it a unique concatenation of circumstances. So let's start there. Number one, what's happened in the region over the last year? Well, Iran has... fallen apart.

Its regional strategic project, the so-called Ring of Fire around Israel, the projection of its power in the form of paramilitary organizations and militias, most important of which its prize asset, Hezbollah, utterly decimated. Senior leadership of Hezbollah has been wiped out, including Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.

Its regional strategic project, the so-called Ring of Fire around Israel, the projection of its power in the form of paramilitary organizations and militias, most important of which its prize asset, Hezbollah, utterly decimated. Senior leadership of Hezbollah has been wiped out, including Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.

Its regional strategic project, the so-called Ring of Fire around Israel, the projection of its power in the form of paramilitary organizations and militias, most important of which its prize asset, Hezbollah, utterly decimated. Senior leadership of Hezbollah has been wiped out, including Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.

If you believe the Israelis, they've taken out 80% of Hezbollah's arsenal of short and mid-range rockets. Hamas has been destroyed in Gaza, although that's more limited. But by and large, the IRGC has taken a pounding. And the IRGC was largely responsible as the ground army for Assad's recapture of so much territory in the last decade.

If you believe the Israelis, they've taken out 80% of Hezbollah's arsenal of short and mid-range rockets. Hamas has been destroyed in Gaza, although that's more limited. But by and large, the IRGC has taken a pounding. And the IRGC was largely responsible as the ground army for Assad's recapture of so much territory in the last decade.

If you believe the Israelis, they've taken out 80% of Hezbollah's arsenal of short and mid-range rockets. Hamas has been destroyed in Gaza, although that's more limited. But by and large, the IRGC has taken a pounding. And the IRGC was largely responsible as the ground army for Assad's recapture of so much territory in the last decade.

I mean, there was a point at which it looked fairly credible that Damascus could fall to a consortium of different rebel groups, including those backed by the CIA, backed by some Gulf Arab states, backed by Turkey, and even backed by Jordan. CIA ended its program several years ago under the first Trump administration. We have no assets in place here except in one base in southern Syria, Al-Tanf.

I mean, there was a point at which it looked fairly credible that Damascus could fall to a consortium of different rebel groups, including those backed by the CIA, backed by some Gulf Arab states, backed by Turkey, and even backed by Jordan. CIA ended its program several years ago under the first Trump administration. We have no assets in place here except in one base in southern Syria, Al-Tanf.

I mean, there was a point at which it looked fairly credible that Damascus could fall to a consortium of different rebel groups, including those backed by the CIA, backed by some Gulf Arab states, backed by Turkey, and even backed by Jordan. CIA ended its program several years ago under the first Trump administration. We have no assets in place here except in one base in southern Syria, Al-Tanf.

So former Free Syrian Army rebels we recruited and are stationed there. And mostly they're there to kind of monitor things. Iranian shenanigans in that part of Syria. But we have no skin in the game except in eastern Syria where we are there strictly in a counterterrorism capacity to fight ISIS. So we have this group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

So former Free Syrian Army rebels we recruited and are stationed there. And mostly they're there to kind of monitor things. Iranian shenanigans in that part of Syria. But we have no skin in the game except in eastern Syria where we are there strictly in a counterterrorism capacity to fight ISIS. So we have this group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

So former Free Syrian Army rebels we recruited and are stationed there. And mostly they're there to kind of monitor things. Iranian shenanigans in that part of Syria. But we have no skin in the game except in eastern Syria where we are there strictly in a counterterrorism capacity to fight ISIS. So we have this group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

They are led by Syrian Kurds that are aligned with the PKK, which is a Designated terror organization, but we like to pretend that it's not because they're really good at fighting ISIS.