S8 Ep26: US Airstrikes in Iraq & Syria with Phillip Smyth

Phillip Smyth, a leading researcher of Iranian-backed militia groups, returns to Secrets and Spies to unpack the January 28th drone attack against a US military outpost in Jordan that killed three service members and the resulting round of airstrikes beginning on February 2nd targeting the militias believed to be responsible. He gives his take on the degree of Iranian control over these militias, analyzes the effectiveness of the US response thus far, and tells us what, if anything, can be done to deter future attacks.Follow Phillip on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhillipSmyth.Find Phillip’s work for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth.Explore Phillip’s Shia Militia Mapping Project: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/shia-militia-mapping-project.Support Secrets and Spies: Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpiesBuy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dgFor more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Connect with us on social media. BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.socialTWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpiesFACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspiesINSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.