Former US Syria Envoy Joel Rayburn comments on Ankara’s recent diplomatic outreach to the Assad regime; on Assad’s continuing economic and political weakness; and on Assad’s narcotrafficking, which has made him the “Pablo Escobar” of the Middle East.

In an interview with Al Hadath on January 3, former US Syria Envoy Joel Rayburn was critical of Turkey’s recent diplomatic outreach to the Assad regime. Rayburn commented that other countries’ normalization initiatives with Assad have ended in failure.