Syria

On Monday Syrian President Bashar al-Assad described US-backed forces in eastern Syria as “traitors” during a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. "When we talk about those referred to as 'the Kurds', they are in fact not just Kurds," Assad said in remarks released through official Syrian government accounts on social media. "All those who work for a foreign country, mainly those under American command... are traitors."

• Mainstream media in 2013: "Conspiracy Theorists!" 
• Mainstream media in 2017: "ISIS Got a Powerful Missile the CIA Bought!" 

Via Oriental Review,

On Monday, Vladimir Putin unexpectedly interrupted his journey to Egypt, stopping off at Russia’s Hmeymim airbase in Syria and announcing the windup of Russia’s most successful military campaign abroad.

Via GEFIRA,

For some time now Syria and Iraq have been a place where interests of many players are clashing. The region is being devastated by civil war or a war by proxy, fought by a number of participants, where the borderline between friend and foe is sharp or vague as the case may be.

Authored by A Z Mohamed via The Gatestone Institute,