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Jan. 1, 2025 - Judging Freedom - Judge Andrew Napolitano
11:49
Alastair Crooke : Imperial Hubris in Syria.
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They escalate.
And escalate, who knows, to nuclear war or whatever.
I'm going to save you from that.
The problem is that, you know, I don't think America's really been prepared for the sense of, if you like, that your decision to change to being a multipolar power rather than a hegemon.
And so it's tried to...
It's trying to find a way of getting victory out of a failure.
And that's not easy.
And I think that's why, you know, maybe he can conceive it and he can reconfigure it in a way which is more important.
How do we finally solve all these problems so that we actually put a World War III, that we don't walk along that precipice of potential escalation that could lead anywhere at any time?
And that's why I think the only way to do this is actually go big picture, not little picture.
And I think that maybe, you know, I think Trump has sent signals that he can do this.
I'm not sure that the people around him understand it as well.
Very interesting series of observations.
Switching over to the events in Syria at the tail end of last year.
Who or what?
Well, it's connected with what we were just talking about, because the other thing that Brzezinski produced, going back to the turmoil of the 70s in the United States when America sort of gave up its traditional values in favor of identity politics,
it was Brzezinski.
That took identitarian politics and weaponized it.
First of all, in Afghanistan, which I recall, where he tried to use Islamist, jihadist fighters to overthrow the government in Kabul and bring Russia into a quagmire in Afghanistan.
And of course, we've been using, if you like, jihadists, these Islamist identities.
Against secular states ever since.
And of course, that's just what we've done in Syria.
We've used, if you like, HTS, an ISIS rebrand, in order to create a coup d'etat in Syria.
Now, what's it all about?
You ask, what is it all about?
Well, I think it's very clear what this coup is about.
It is essentially, what do they say?
What does Jolani al-Sharah say?
He says, look, I'm open to business coming here and investing.
I'm open to oil companies, energy companies coming here.
I'm open to all of it.
And you know what?
I want to normalize with Israel.
So I think, you know, he's saying it so clearly that this is another...
That process of normalization, trying to normalize the field for Israel.
The kings, the emirs of the Gulf, normalized long ago.
They are all stuck to their Bloomberg terminals and are thoroughly, if you like, normalized.
But the resistance axis wasn't.
And so now...
Kureta has been mounted using the same tools that Brzezinski was outlining in his grand chess book, and using that to undermine it, but to create normalization.
And this has been an ongoing project, and Turkey was a part of it, but the West has been trying to find a way of creating, and what do they call it?
Technocratic Salafism.
It tells you everything.
I mean, it was part of the technocratic plan that Brzezinski was outlining for the future of America, the future, you know, to get rid of the values.
And here you have a state, the values of Syria, 5,000-year-old values on a diffuse, well-entrenched society.
And he wants to swap them out for a technocratic government that is aligned.
With corporate businesses of the world, of corporate enterprises, the oligarchs, the energy, the banking cartels.
And it's entirely in line with, if you like, that form.
And that's why I called it imperial hubris because it has a double meaning.
Yes, it's hubris by Turkey, Ottoman-esque.
Ottoman hubris, but being used by the imperial forces back in Washington.
The imperial forces are using Turkish hubris to bring about a sort of, if you like, a corporatist structure that will normalize that part of the region with Israel.
This has been planned for about 40 years from the Clean Break Strategy, how to normalize the whole of the region with Israel.
And part of this plan is unfolding with Israel pursuing what I call, you know, the Leviathan, a total war, war to destruct the Middle East and make it subservient.
To Israel.
And that is proceeding.
Now we're talking about, if you like, we're talking about Yemen, as well as Syria, as well as Lebanon, as well as Gaza, all being destroyed.
Massive destruction.
For what purpose?
The destruction is the purpose.
And that is, I think, this is on course.
It contains the seeds of its own self-destruction.
I believe, because the Leviathan is, if you like, an irrational process as such.
So that is, I think, what we're seeing unfolding in Syria and who's behind it and what is behind it.
It's the normalization of the region.
And I think one of the great dangers, as I said earlier, we were talking about Ukraine.
And how to try and allow President Trump, which he will be then, to present whatever is agreed with Putin as a triumph, as a victory that he hasn't conceded American greatness,
he hasn't conceded American leadership of the world.
Well, unfortunately, I think the only one way of balancing it out might be.
The one advocated by some of his, if you like, aides and allies, which would be to bomb Iran and show American virility by, if you like, annihilating the Iranian state.
I hope that won't happen, but it's a possibility.
This is a fascinating, fascinating analysis.
You mentioned Jelani.
We're going to play two clips.
You'll see him and hear him with an English translation, of course, looking and sounding.
Russia is an important country and is considered the second most powerful country in the world.
And there are deep strategic interests between Syria and Russia.
There are deep strategic interests between Syria and Russia.
Syrian weapons are all Russian.
Many of the power plants are Russian with Russian expertise and there are great cultural ties between Syria and Russia.
We do not want Russia to exit Syria, as some would like.
Syria cannot continue without relations with a large regional country like Iran, but they must be based on diplomatic relations Respect for the sovereignty of the two countries, non-interference in internal affairs, and only relations that are compatible with the interests of the two countries without interfering in the matters of sectarian hatreds.
We hope that the new American administration will not follow in the same approach of the previous administration in continuing these sanctions and will lift them without entering into negotiations or bargaining.
Hard to believe that three months ago he was butchering, figuratively and literally, his opponents in a public square.
Years ago, when I was quite young, and I probably still am, but I went to Washington from Afghanistan, and I gave a talk to policymakers, and I said,
watch out!
For Al-Qaeda, which is just shaping there.
And not so much Al-Qaeda.
It was Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who was the most sinister.
And I said, you've got to discriminate.
You've got to understand these groups.
Some of them are going to be very dangerous to Muslims, to other people.
And you will end up with bombs in your cities.
And I remember being taken by...
Senior American senator who sort of condescendingly put his arm around my shoulders and he said, listen, those people you warn us against, they sure kick communist ass.
And, you know, I'm sure they're saying, listen, Alistair, those people you're warning us against, the Julanes, now in a suit, now saying all the right normalization words towards Israel.
Listen, this is exactly what we want.
He's kicking out the resistance.
He's kicking the resistance backside, and he's going to normalize with Israel.
Isn't that a success?
Alistair, fascinating, fascinating stuff.
Very much appreciate you coming on with us today.
It's not your usual day.
Today seems like a Monday, but it's a Thursday.
Midweek holidays.
We'll see you next week, next Monday at your regular time and place.
Thank you very much, my dear friend.
Thank you.
Thank you, Judge.
Of course.
A pleasure.
What a pleasure to open up the new year.
With the brilliance of Alistair Crook.
Coming up later today, at 9 this morning, Professor Jeffrey Sachs.
At 10.30 this morning, Professor Gilbert Doctorow.
At 1 this afternoon, Scott Ritter.
At 3 this afternoon, Professor John Mearsheimer.
At 5 this afternoon, Max Blumenthal.
A full day for you to start off this brand new year.
Justin Napolitano for Judging Freedom.
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