Satellite imagery dated March 17 illustrates two simultaneous truths about Moscow’s announcement and its intentions in Syria.
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Syria remains a crucible within the geopolitical system – a place where the needs and interests of local entities, regional actors and global powers all intersect.
Heading into the week, the five-year mark of Syria’s civil war and new rounds of peace talks in Geneva were easily the items dominating much of the global news cycle. But Russia’s abrupt announcement on March 14 that it would begin drawing down its troops in Syria took even the most avid watchers by surprise. Some questioned whether Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement would even lead to action, or whether it was a rhetorical move in a game of geopolitical chess. Satellite imagery dated March 17 – obtained from Stratfor’s partners at All-Source Analysis – illustrates two simultaneous truths about Moscow’s announcement and its intentions. Find out what the photos reveal with this free analysis. We also have a large body of ongoing analysis of the Russia-Syria connection on our website. Related Content for Stratfor Subscribers: Why Russia Would Withdraw From Syria Russia Leaves Syria With Loyalists on the Offensive In Syria, Promises Will Go Only So Far For Syria’s Kurds, Gaining Ground is Only Half the Battle But the crisis in Syria is not the sole issue in the spotlight. On March 15, U.S. election primaries in five states – Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri – narrowed the field of Republican candidates to three and appeared to leave the Democratic nominee a foregone conclusion. As has been the case through most of this election cycle, GOP front-runner Donald Trump maintains a commanding presence. This week, a new contributor to our weekly Global Affairs column space, Larry Martinez, offers a view of the Trump phenomenon from the perch of a political science professional. Read it here for free. (As noted, the views of the Global Affairs columnists are their own. The backgrounds and opinions of these diverse thinkers inform and sometimes challenge the beliefs of Stratfor’s analytical staff, which we welcome in an environment governed by rigorous debate.)
Related Content for Stratfor Subscribers: The Crisis of the Well-Crafted Candidate Foreign Policy and the President’s Irrelevance Stratfor Talks podcast – January 2016 (Free!) |
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