
Almost four out of every five declared targets of Russian airstrikes in Syria are located in areas not held by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), according to an analysis of Russian Defense Ministry data by Reuters.
by Edwin Mora22 Oct 2015, 12:39 PM PST0

Libya, four years after the fall of Col. Muammar Gaddafi, finds itself without a Western-backed government after opposing factions refused to endorse an interim unity government brokered by the United Nations.
by Edwin Mora22 Oct 2015, 8:12 AM PST0

Contents: Russian troops may take control of Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan; European Union agrees to terms in exchange for Turkey’s help with refugees; Hungary closes the border with Croatia; Polls show British voters more willing to leave European Union; Turkey’s president Erdogan ridicules Europe over refugee crisis
by John J. Xenakis17 Oct 2015, 10:01 AM PST0

The U.S.-led coalition has been unable to interrupt the organized and sophisticated oil industry in areas in Iraq and Syria controlled by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), which generates an average of $1.5 million daily, reports the Financial Times (FT), citing
by Edwin Mora15 Oct 2015, 5:06 PM PST0

The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) has scored military gains as it battles the Taliban for territory in Afghanistan, securing their hold with a brutality that is considered shocking even by the standards of the Afghan insurgency, reports the New York Times (NYT).
by Edwin Mora14 Oct 2015, 9:56 PM PST0

Iranian troops, allied Hezbollah fighters, and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s army have reportedly joined forces to launch a ground offensive, backed by Russian airstrikes, to seize key areas from rebels in Syria.
by Edwin Mora14 Oct 2015, 8:57 PM PST0

An American-backed Syrian Kurdish militia has joined forces with some Arab rebels and members of an Assyrian Christian group to launch an assault against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in Raqqa, the jihadist group’s de-facto capital in Syria, according to a statement obtained by Reuters.
by Edwin Mora13 Oct 2015, 10:47 PM PST0

The leader of the al-Nusra Front, Syria’s al-Qaeda offshoot, reportedly called on jihadists to intensify attacks on Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s minority Alawite sect of Shiite Islam in retaliation for Russia’s military intervention.
by Edwin Mora13 Oct 2015, 9:48 PM PST0

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of Defense has revamped its effort to assist so-called moderate Syrian rebels on the ground, shifting its focus away from training to providing them with weapons and other equipment to fight the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).
by Edwin Mora13 Oct 2015, 9:38 PM PST0

Turkey’s prime minister suspects Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) jihadists carried out the deadly bombings at peace rally in the Turkish capital of Ankara over the weekend that killed nearly 100 people and injured another 250.
by Edwin Mora13 Oct 2015, 4:04 PM PST0

An estimated 50,000 militants are operating in Afghanistan, the bulk of whom are Taliban terrorists, but there is also a rival 2,000 to 3,000-strong Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) presence that continues to grow, according to the Russian General staff chief.
by Edwin Mora13 Oct 2015, 7:50 AM PST0

Contents: Turkey blames ISIS for Saturday’s massacre as anti-government anger grows; Turkey is seen as increasingly unstable after massacre
by John J. Xenakis13 Oct 2015, 6:24 AM PST0

Contents: Massive terror attack in Ankara called worst in Turkey’s history; Kurdish politicians in Turkey blame Erdogan government for Ankara terror attack
by John J. Xenakis11 Oct 2015, 6:49 AM PST0

Contents: Palestinian-Israeli violence continues in Gaza and West Bank; Obama administration announces an abrupt change of policy in Syria; Obama administration may be forced into greater military role
by John J. Xenakis11 Oct 2015, 6:48 AM PST0

Contents: Russia dramatically escalates Syria war launching cruise missiles from Caspian Sea; Russian Orthodox Church declares a ‘Holy War’ in Syria; Russia’s ‘Holy War’ in Syria declaration sparks calls for jihad; IMF warns of significant danger of global financial crash
by John J. Xenakis8 Oct 2015, 6:09 AM PST0

Contents: Yemen’s Houthis sign letter agreeing to peace plan; Generational frustration grows among West Bank Palestinians; Russia Ministry of Defense videos found to be deceptive; The sleazy world of loan sharking — legally
by John J. Xenakis7 Oct 2015, 6:21 AM PST0

Russia claimed Friday that its air force bombed multiple positions held by the Islamic State in Raqqa, a city known as the de facto capital of the jihadi group in Syria.
by Jordan Schachtel2 Oct 2015, 5:05 PM PST0

Contents: Mahmoud Abbas’s United Nations ‘bombshell’ something of a dud; Russia humiliates US again as it begins striking Syria
by John J. Xenakis1 Oct 2015, 6:32 AM PST0

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy officially announced his campaign to replace John Boehner (R-OH) as Speaker on Monday and laid out his foreign policy vision for the United States: a stronger, tougher America.
by Adelle Nazarian30 Sep 2015, 10:45 AM PST0

Contents: Taliban scores major strategic victory in Afghanistan, capturing Kunduz; The Afghan Taliban return to Kunduz after fourteen years; Repercussions for Central Asia
by John J. Xenakis29 Sep 2015, 6:16 AM PST0

The Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq has doubled its recruits from Australia in the past 12 months but the figure is expected to level off soon, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has revealed. Australia has been increasingly concerned about the ability
by Simon Kent28 Sep 2015, 6:50 AM PST0

Contents: Massive Russian military deployment into Syria and Iraq continues; China’s military heads for Syria, supposedly to join Russia
by John J. Xenakis26 Sep 2015, 7:05 AM PST0

Contents: Russia’s Vladimir Putin tightens grip on Tajikistan at CSTO meeting; The troubled history of the CSTO in Central Asia; Russia’s economic slowdown means financial disaster for Central Asia
by John J. Xenakis16 Sep 2015, 6:22 AM PST0

Contents: Russia opens a dangerous new chapter in Syria and the Mideast; ‘Putin’s Plan’ for Russia and Syria; How is Vladimir Putin different from Ronald Reagan?; Choosing the lesser of two evils
by John J. Xenakis13 Sep 2015, 7:42 AM PST0

Contents: Russia and Iran send more troops to Syria to back faltering al-Assad; Putin’s plan for Syria: al-Assad regime in anti-ISIS coalition with West; Assad regime and ISIS are apparently BOTH now using chemical weapons in Syria
by John J. Xenakis11 Sep 2015, 6:13 AM PST0