The Syrian Peace Process is a “Sham”

Dr. Harold Rhode of the Gatestone Institute was Frank Gaffney’s guest on Secure Freedom Radio yesterday and the focus of their discussion was Syria, where Russian troops have begun to withdraw in what’s being described as the beginning of the peace process.  Gaffney asked Rhode for his estimation:

“The Peace process is a sham. It doesn’t exist. It makes people like Kerry or Obama feel good that they can say that everybody’s talking so they’re all playing games like that. Putin as far as I’m concerned is just one more. He’s getting credit for pulling out. He’s not pulling out, he’s leaving missile defense system there, he’s still going to have his bases there, along the coast.”

Gaffney agreed that Putin will continue to operate in the region behind the scenes much like he’s done in Ukraine. He then asked Rhode for his take on what’s happening in Turkey with regard to the recent bombing in Ankara. Rhode said that Turkey immediately blamed the Kurds but that there’s no truth to that:

“So what is the truth here? There’s no evidence we have on who’s responsible for the bombings. Now the PKK, this is the Kurdish terrorist group in Turkey that everyone hates so much, they have no history of bombing in cities and using the type of bombs that went off in Ankara and Istanbul and a few other places so it’s sort of odd.”

Gaffney suggests that what’s really in play here is an effort on the part of Turkish president Erdogan to consolidate power. Rhode offered his assessment:

“He’s on a cliff, he’s on a precipice. He could easily fall. He’s got so many people, so many forces within Turkey who loathe him and what does it mean to keep himself in power? Look, his son was just arrested in Italy and managed to… the Saudis bailed him out and they gave him a Saudi diplomatic passport to get out of the country, they took him out of the country… His son and one of his daughters are involved in making money off of ISIS oil that’s sent out of the country and the Erdogan family gets its cut. It’s a joke, it’s not a country. It’s a fiefdom of Islamic fundamentalists.”

Rhode then pointed out that even Obama, who has spoken fondly of Erdogan in the past, doesn’t want to see him visit the United States.

“He’s got plenty of cause, we, the United States have plenty of cause not to think fondly of Erdogan, that’s for sure.” Gaffney responded.