Guests:
Kani Xulam — Commentator on the History and Politics of Kurdistan | The Kurdish Perspective on Trump's Syria Announcement
Mark Sleboda — Moscow-Based International Relations & Security Analyst | What Putin said at his Annual News Conference
Mark Frost — Economist and Professor | Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates; Markets Continue to Struggle
Whitney Webb — Staff Writer at Mint Press News | Is Trump Handing Northeastern Syria to Turkey/Erdogan?
John Kiriakou — Former CIA Officer & Co-Host of "Loud and Clear" | Who Could Replace Jim Mattis as Secretary of Defense?
President Trump's plan to withdraw forces from Syria could be seen as an unsettling move for Kurdish forces in the region. Kani Xulam, a commentator on Kurdish history and politics, joins the show to talk about the various entities who will look to take advantage of this decision and how the US can still repay the Kurds for the sacrifices that they have made in support of the US military the region.
Yesterday in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin conducted his annual year-end news conference where he spent over four hours answering questions from members of the media. International relations & security analyst Mark Sleboda returns to Fault Lines to discuss some of Putin's remarks including what he said about Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this week, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the fourth time in 2018. Economist Mark Frost joins the show to talk about the power the Federal Reserve holds over the US economy and if the stock market will continue on its downward trajectory as we move into the new year.
The announcement by President Trump to pull forces out of Syria could be seen as an opening for Turkish President Erdogan to increase his control in power and control in the area. Whitney Webb, a staff writer with MintPressNews, returns to the program for a conversation about whether Trump is handing over large swaths of territory in Syria to Erdogan & Turkey by making this decision.
For the final segment, Garland and Lee are joined in-studio by John Kiriakou, former CIA officer and co-host of the SputnikNews radio show, Loud and Clear, to discuss Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis's decision to resign and who could potentially replace him in this role. What is the current trajectory of President Trump's foreign policy and who are his most trusted advisors in this field as we move into 2019?
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