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Syria, the Backstage - Episode 2
Episode 2 begins with the creation of the Free Syrian Army, a rebel militia that expects US support, which it will never receive. Behind closed doors intelligence and White House advisors warn Obama about a growing movement against Assad. They stress that many Syrians, if abandoned, could be attracted by an increasingly dangerous radical element.
Eventually it happens, Al Qaeda off-shoot Nusra Group emerges in Syria, more powerful than any other rebels on the ground. The FSA is eclipsed by more radical forces. Petraeus provides details to his strategy to arm and train moderate elements of al Qaeda, a plan that both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supported. Presidential advisor Robert Malley recalls his face-offs with Petraeus and Clinton as he tried to block the plan from being implemented in Syria, one that he believed previously failed in Iraq. Slowly, Syria becomes a typical example of a proxy war. Assad crosses “red lines” and unleashes chemical weapons to deal with the unrest. An indecisive Obama has reservations about involving the US in another war. We learn that Obama had other priorities in his broader foreign policy agenda. Namely, the Iran nuclear deal.
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