Terrorism

By Gregory Alonso Pirio | (Informed Comment) | – – So many people are scratching their heads as they search for an explanation for the extreme acts of violence meted out by such groups as the Nigerian jihadist organization, Boko Haram, and its now allied Middle Eastern Islamic State or ISIS. Often in normal conversation, […]

As Russia Strikes, Arab Twitter Wars over call for Jihad against “occupation” of Syria

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Russian plans hit 20 targets in Syria on Tuesday according to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. Among them were a training camp for terrorists in the countryside around the city of Idlib, and another facility in the outskirts of the port city of Latakia. The […]

Iraq

Aided by Climate Change, ISIL wages Water war on Shiites of south Iraq

By Raad Salem | (Niqash.org) | Amarah | – – “Droughts, extremists’ control of water upstream and government austerity measures that are shutting pumping stations: Iraq’s already-precarious, but precious, marshes and wetlands are in danger – again.” The buffaloes that Jabbar Hassan farms moved too slowly across the marshland. They looked tired and too thin; […]

Deal with Saudis? Why does the US care if Russia bombs al-Qaeda and its Allies in Syria?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – President Obama on Friday pledged not to turn Syria into an arena for a proxy war between the US and the Russian Federation. But he went on to criticize president Vladimir Putin for attempting to prop up Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and predicted that Syria under […]

Trump Supports Putin’s Russia Policy in Syria

Erin Burnett | (CNN news video) | – – “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks with CNN’s Erin Burnett on foreign policy issues including Iran, Syria and ISIS.” CNN: “Donald Trump: ‘Let Russia fight ISIS’”

Barack Obama

Why Obama and Putin are Both Wrong on Syria

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – President Obama seemed awfully defensive in his speech at the United Nations on Monday. The reason is not far to seek. Russia’s Vladimir Putin has surprised Washington by volunteering to get militarily involved in Syria and by arguing that only by enlisting the Baath regime of […]

Counter-Terrorism

Disillusioned Daesh/ ISIL Fighters joined for ‘Adventure, Luxury & Saving Muslims’

By Sarah Marsden | (The Conversation) | – – They say disillusionment is the gap between expectation and reality. If the conclusions of a report just published by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence are anything to go by, it’s a gap that’s causing an increasing number of [so-called] Islamic […]

Syria: Is Bashar al-Assad winning the Diplomatic War? Rebels Fret