The U.S. and Russia appear to be heading for some sort of confrontation in Syria and Libya, as tensions grow in both countries and Turkey pressures the U.S. to play a larger role. On June 8, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan phoned President Trump to discuss Libya, among other issues. The Pentagon has been spotlighting Russia’s growing involvement in Libya, where a 10-year civil war once claimed the life of a U.S. ambassador, and Washington is concerned.
At the heart of this new Middle Eastern cold war may be the desire to bog down the Russians in numerous conflicts. Like most countries, Moscow still is dealing with COVID-19 at home, and its ally in the Syrian regime has failed to right a rapidly declining economy. James Jeffrey, the U.S. Special Representative for Syria, has said he wants to make Syria a “quagmire” for the Russians. That conjures up images of Afghanistan in the 1980s, made famous in the film “Charlie Wilson’s War.”
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WNU Editor: I just do not see a New Cold War happening right now. I know in Russia no one is thinking about it, and I do not see any U.S. public support for starting a new Cold War, especially over failed states like Syria and/or Libya.
