I'm John Batchel with my two colleagues, Bill Rajo, of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

I recommend the website for FD and especially Long War Journal, where you can find links between both.

The reporting by Ahmed Shirari, who joins us from FD, concentrating on Syria at the moment.

Ahmed Shara in Damascus.

My understanding is that the U.S. is talking to him

about getting access to an airbase in Syria.

Also, you've mentioned the anti-IS campaign

that the U.S. is conducting in eastern Syria.

As I recall, there were also conversations between Shara, Damascus, Ankara,

Erdogan about an air base in central Syria.

Is Shara representing all things to all people that we can have sort of matched air bases,

one for the U.S., one for Turkey?

Is that the vision here?

Well, I mean, it seems, now the Syrians have denied the report, the Reuters report,

about a U.S. base in Syria.

And I think their statements were carefully worded to make it seem as if the U.S.

will not have a base, but they will use a base in Syria that is already in operation

and is controlled by the Syrian government.

But it seems like Shadat's trying to, as you said, I think he's trying to leverage

his international partners in order to, first of all, I guess, secure his own interests in

Syria.

And he knows that having a U.S. presence while, I mean, it's not a guarantee, but it will also prevent Israel

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