Dershowitz: Obama Playing Checkers, Putin Playing Chess

President Barack Obama is being outmaneuvered by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Syria and other parts of the Middle East, Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz tells "Newsmax TV." 

"What else is new? Everybody has been outmaneuvering President Obama and this administration on every issue relating to a foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East," Dershowitz told "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayward on Monday.

"We're playing checkers against the people who invented chess, and they're beating us at every move," he said.

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The United States is creating vacuums in Syria that are being filled by Russia and Iran, who are becoming major power brokers in the Middle East, Dershowitz said.

"Since Obama came to power we have lost leverage in the Middle East, we have lost leverage in many, many other parts of the world," he said. "This is just another example of how we've been outmaneuvered by our opponents, whether it be Iran and the Iran deal or Russia in its attempt to have greater influence in Syria and in the Middle East."

Clare Lopez, intelligence and national defense expert and vice president for research and analysis at the Center for Security Policy, said it wouldn't be a surprise if the Unied States joined an alliance with Moscow, Baghdad, Damascus, Tehran and Lebanon.

That would be dangerous for Israel, Dershowitz said, since the United States and Israel are the only reliable friends the other has in the region.

"That seems to be fraying somewhat," he said. "I hope it doesn't fray but the Obama administration has lost friends all over the Middle East."

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