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WVU expert: Military strikes in Syria raise questions about U.S. role in Middle East conflicts

Scott Crichlow

Scott Crichlow, chair of the WVU Department of Political Science

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A foreign policy expert at West Virginia University believes the attacks against Syria raise more questions than answers about the United States’ larger global strategy.

Scott Crichlow, chair of the WVU Department of Political Science, specializes in U.S. foreign policy and Middle Eastern politics. He says that the airstrikes will dominate television news cycles, but the action leaves more questions than answers for the American public.

“What is the strategy here? What comes next? What does this mean for future U.S. military involvement in the Middle East?” Crichlow asked. “Won’t this make the fight against ISIS in the region more difficult, and put our soldiers in places like Iraq at greater risk?”

Crichlow also pointed out that the military action is an about-face for President Donald Trump, who during his campaign told voters he would rely on Russia to stabilize Syria.

The professor said arguments for and against the attack can be reasonably made. Crichlow can be reached for additional analysis and comments at scott.crichlow@mail.wvu.edu

West Virginia University experts can provide commentary, insights and opinions on various news topics. Search for an expert by name, title, area of expertise, or college/school/department in the Experts Database at WVU Today.

-WVU-

pp-ak/04/07/17

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