Ep 59 US-Backed Rebels and Al Qaeda in Southern Syria feat Sharmine Narwani

Dan and Joanne talk with Sharmine Narwani about the Southern Front -- US-backed rebels based in southern Syria -- and their affiliation with al Qaeda. We also discuss how the Syrian war is like an irregular world war and how it played a role in accelerating a global shift in power. Sharmine is a commentator and analyst of Mideast geopolitics based in Beirut, speaking to us today from the United States. She is a former senior associate at St. Antony's College, Oxford University and has been published by a wide variety of publications, including the New York Times, the Guardian, Asia Times Online, al Akhbar English, Al Jazeera and RT. Follow Sharmine @snarwani and find her work at her website mideastshuffle.com We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com Find all of our work at our website aroundtheempire.com Follow @aroundtheempire. Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow,  @joanneleon Please subscribe/follow us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook. Recorded on June 28, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Are al-Qaeda Affiliates Fighting Alongside U.S. Rebels in Syria’s South?, Sharmine Narwani, The American Conservative