I've been writing about politics for over 15 years and rarely have I been surprised. I must admit both Trump electoral victories surprised me; his loss in 2020 did not.

Putin's invasion of Ukraine surprised me because he had previously showed such restraint throughout his tenure atop the Russian government. He had declined to react militarily as NATO marched relentlessly towards his borders and the CIA ran color revolutions in Georgia, Ukraine (twice), and in Syria.

He only annexed Crimea as a last resort in 2014 when the newly-installed puppet government in Ukraine tried to revoke Russia's lease in Sevastopol, where its Black Sea Fleet had resided for over a century. Sevastopol is one of only two reliably ice free Russian ports on the west side of the Eurasian continent. 

In a startling coincidence, the other "humanitarian" regime change conducted by the empire at that time was in Syria, home to the other port at Tartus. Out of 180 or so countries around the world, the majority of which are home to human rights abuses, the empire just happened to take a humanitarian interest in in the two countries home to Russia's only two warm water ports besides Vladivostok in the Sea of Japan. Go figure.

There was also the question of a pipeline Assad had not allowed to be run through Syria which would have cut Russia out of the European energy market. But certainly that had nothing to do with the CIA's humanitarian interest in Syria.

When Hillary Clinton suggested in 2016 the U.S. put up a "no fly zone" over Syria, threatening to shoot down Russian warplanes patrolling the skies at Syria's invitation, I wrote an article titled, "Earth to Washington, D.C.: Russia will never give up ports in Syria and Ukraine." I have a link to it on the show notes page for Episode 189 of Tom Mullen Talks Freedom.

Well, I was surprised to learn late Saturday night/early Sunday morning that Damascus had fallen to the so-called "moderate rebels" commissioned by the CIA back in 2011. Not only had Russia not defended Syria as it had done in the past, but it evacuated its navy from the port at Tartus. 

The empire will certainly be taking a victory lap over this strategic victory and we can expect little push back or even reasonable questions from the U.S. national media. But this surprising development raises many questions and could go in a number of directions over the next several months.

Is this a permanent defeat for Russia or will they regroup and attempt to reclaim the port, either diplomatically or militarily? Did Putin make a deal with the west in which he sold out Assad in exchange for terms to end the war in Ukraine?

(NOTE: at the time of recording, there was speculation Assad's plane had been shot down as he escaped Syrian air space. It has since been reported Assad is alive and well in Russia and will receive asylum in that country).

I share my thoughts on this stunning development and what it might mean for all concerned in a special Sunday edition of Tom Mullen Talks Freedom.

Listen to Episode 189 here...

Tom Mullen is the author of It’s the Fed, Stupid and Where Do Conservatives and Liberals Come From? And What Ever Happened to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness? 

 Tom