This is CBS Eye on the World.

Here's John Batchel.

Mary Kissel, Executive Vice President Stevens, Inc.

Former senior advisor to the Secretary of State.

Syria, as we know right now, Damascus is under the control of HTS,

Harit, Terir al-Shab. That is al-Qaeda. And its colleagues, all the acronyms across Central Asia,

are sworn to al-Qaeda.

These are jihadists.

That doesn't have any meaning other than what you make of it.

Right now, the U.S. State Department, through the offices of the secretary, Mr. Blinken,

has given one quote.

We're in direct contact with. This may to do with an American

hostage. It may to do with recovering what they can for the people of Syria who fled these last

years. However, this story turns less than benign when you consider that we're told that Russia, the Russian

Federation at war with Ukraine, making aggressive war in all directions. Russia is now in

contact with HTS, negotiating keeping Tartouz, the major warm water sea base that they have on the port that they have,

in addition to other deployment of Russian soldiers throughout the country.

Therefore, Syria is not free as long as Russia is present.

Mary, a very good evening to you.

This is a sort of tangle that you were very much

swept up into when you served with Mr. Pompeo at State, the compromise and the conciliation

and the accommodation of bad actors. How do you see this story now? Al-Qaeda and Damascus,

...