Has Syria’s opposition lost to Assad?
We speak to Bassma Kodmani, a member of Syria’s negotiations committee, and Mexican presidential candidate Rios Piter.
In this week’s UpFront, we speak to a senior member of the Syrian High Negotiations Committee, Bassma Kodmani, about the civil war in Syria, the deadliest conflict so far in the 21st century.
In the Reality Check, we debunk the myth that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes, or that they are an economic drain on their hosts.
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And we speak to Mexican senator and presidential candidate Armando Rios Piter about the tensions between Mexico and US President Donald Trump.
Headliner – Can Syrian rebels ever defeat Assad?
After more than six years, the civil war tearing Syria apart has resulted in thousands dead and millions driven from their homes.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, there have been countless broken ceasefires and failed peace talks.
Is there an end to the war in Syria?
On UpFront this week, we speak to a senior member of the Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee, Bassma Kodmani, who still hopes for a peaceful “political solution” to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power.
“The opposition still hopes that there will be a peaceful, negotiated, controlled transition in Syria,” says Kodmani, who is also a former Syrian National Council spokeswoman. “Otherwise, we will have a chaotic Syria and a chaotic region for the next decade or two.”
Reality Check – Why immigrants are a good thing
All around the world, the arguments against immigrants are all usually the same: They commit more crimes, accept lower wages, take jobs and steal benefits.
But is that actually the case?
In this Reality Check, we debunk the stereotypical myth that immigrants are more inclined to commit crimes and put a strain on the economy.
Can Mexico stand up to Trump?
In 2015, during the announcement of his presidential candidacy, Donald Trump made a claim that would come to be one of his most defining campaign promises.
“I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall,” Trump told a cheering crowd.
In that same speech, he even accused some Mexican immigrants of being “rapists”.
Then, as president, Trump threatened to dissolve the North American Free Trade Agreement before backing down.
Is there a way forward for Mexico with Trump north of the border?
“He has been behaving with a lot of errors and with a lot of volatility regarding his decisions,” says Mexican senator and presidential candidate Armando Rios Piter. “The wall is a hostile act. It’s an unfriendly act.
“That’s the new way of doing politics on the side of Donald Trump.”
In this interview, Rios Piter discusses his presidential hopes, violence in Mexico and whether the country is able to defend its interests when it comes to US-Mexico relations.
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