tactics to defeat these forces in a way that make them viable in this battle. >> sreenivasan: joshua landis, what about isis and al qaeda that almost seem forgot nen this giant proxy war? what happens? is isis taking advantage of this opportunity, as margaret warner reported? >> yes, isis did. we saw that as syrian troops went to aleppo, isis to go palmyra, but isis' names are numbered. the trump administration has said they're going to concentrate on isis and they're going to work with russia. now, we don't know whether they really will work with russia or not, but it's clear isis is going to be pounded. who is going to benefit from that? it's quite clear the syrian regime in syria as the iraqi regime in iraq is benefiting from america's effort to destroy those opposition forces in both countries. and there aren't any other rebel forces that one can foresee on the horizon that will be able to take eastern syria that's now occupied by isis. but the syrian government will be there. it's weak today, but it's been gathering strength. and i think it's likely that in the next few years, you'll s

and joshua landis, who directs the center for middle east studies at the university of oklahoma.me to you both. josha landis, i would like to start with you first. we have seen cease fires come and. go are you at all confident that this one is going to last? >> no, i'm not confident. this is really not about the cease fire holding. it's about turkey being involved with russia and iran and essentially letting the rebels know that a new page has been turned, that turkey cannot keep its -- cannot keep its door open to the rebels and it's closing the door and that they're going to have to fend for themselves in negotiations with the assad regime. >> brangham: andrew tabe-lurr, take that up. is it your sense that this will hold? are some positive this might be the beginning to have the end to have the war in syria? >> i'm also skeptical. i think it's impossible to tell. i think it's very interesting that, after the capture of aleppo and we were in this situation, i agree it's important turkey is involved and on this kind of level with the russians and the u.s. if the room, that's new