New Books in Military History · Marshall Poe

Matthew Moran et al., "Coercing Syria on Chemical Weapons" (Oxford UP, 2025)

·38 min·3 clips

Syria's massive chemical attack killed 14,000 people, crossing Obama's red line and forcing a U.S. military response.

Professor Jeffrey Knopf discusses his book on coercive diplomacy in Syria's chemical weapons crisis, analyzing why Obama's red line deterrence failed but later compellence succeeded. He explores factors like credibility, motivations, and assurances, and compares approaches across Obama and Trump administrations.

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