@Justicar
Hmm, the problems of very low signal-to-noise ratio on truth AND it being too soon to tell makes Inductive speculation difficult.
Even then, I see almost no flaws in Krainer's analysis or speculation.
Sacrificing Syria to US/Israel in exchange for a clearer chess board & longer game-plan makes sense to me.
As ever, the eternal "We'll see" has been invoked, but my gut tells me that Syria's "fall" wasn't as much of a surprise to Russia, Iran and China as we're being led to believe.
@Justicar
Also, it's an interesting time to listen to the various Western-located 2nd-generation Iranian geopoltiical commentators.
Here they are:
1. Nima, from Dialogue Works - Brazilian-Iranian civil engineer. Don't know much about him.
2. Dr Neema Parvini, aka "Academic Agent" - Welsh-Iranian scholar, atheist, anti-Zionist & alt-right personality.
3. Daniel Haqiqatjou - Harvard educated American-Iranian (physics, philosophy). Devout Sunni Muslim, anti-Zionist.
Hearing all 3 is useful.
@Justicar
I for one do not buy that Russia, Iran, Lebanon, and especially Syria itself, had no prior intel on what was happening in Idlib, Kurd-controlled North East, or in their own army, to the extent that they were taken completely by surprise and suddenly overwhelmed.
I could be wrong, but I'm betting I'm not.