Smart Talk: Syrian War for the “Soul of Islam?”; What lawmakers should be doing

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, December 9, 2014:

Mention the Islamic State or ISIS to most Americans and they probably will think of the graphic videotapes of hostages being beheaded. ISIS could be described as distinctive because of their brutality, the group is well financed, and unlike other terrorist organizations, they seek to acquire territory.

Middle East expert Dr. Larry Goodson may agree about ISIS, but he sees history in the making on a larger scale. Goodson says the civil war in Syria has potential to evolve into a regional conflict in the Middle East and adds it may have started already when the spread of violence in Iraq, which is spearheaded by ISIS, is taken into account.

Dr. Goodson is the General Dwight D. Eisenhower Chair of National Security and Professor of Middle East Studies at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle. He also is author of the New York Times bestseller Afghanistan’s Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics, and the Rise of the Taliban.

Dr. Goodson appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk.

Also, in just a few weeks, a group of newly elected state legislators will be sworn in. Many come to Harrisburg with high hopes and ambition to fight for change and help their constituents.

As veteran lawmakers can tell them, the reality is it doesn’t always happen that way because there are roadblocks that get in the way.

But what should legislators be doing?

On Tuesday’s program, we’ll hear from former state legislator Franklin Kury, who has written a book called Why Are You Here? A Primer for State Legislators and Citizens.