Iraq on low boil in anticipation of renewed protests
The crisis in Syria has only made Iraq’s problems worse.
The agreement reached between US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a pause in the Turkish offensive in Syria got all the attention this week, but don’t take you eyes off Iraq, which remains on low boil in anticipation of another round of protests.
Before we start, we should note that the "pause," if it holds, ends Oct. 22 — the day Erdogan is to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi. Is that a coincidence? Putin has already secured a deal between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government. His next act, as we have written, is a renewed border security pact between Ankara and Damascus. Whether the cease-fire holds or not, the summit in Sochi will be the benchmark for what happens next. Russia is already coordinating with Syria and Iran, so Putin has all his cards in play. If he can move Erdogan toward a withdrawal, and an eventual end to hostilities with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, we may be at the beginning of Putin’s plan for the endgame in Syria.
