
Russia began airstrikes in Syria allegedly against “terrorists” today, but an unnamed U.S. official told Reuters that the planes are not targeting areas held by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).
by Mary Chastain30 Sep 2015, 10:12 AM PST0

Many of the estimated 250 Americans who have traveled overseas since 2011 to join or try to join the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) have been able to reenter the United States without being arrested or monitored, reveals a report issued by the House Homeland Security Committee.
by Edwin Mora30 Sep 2015, 6:59 AM PST0

A Pentagon official revealed that Evelyn Farkas, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, will depart at the end of October. The news comes during the UN General Assembly, where President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin had what was described as a “candid” meeting regarding their relationship.
by Mary Chastain29 Sep 2015, 8:58 PM PST0

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has officially ordered senior Department of Defense (DOD) officials to begin communicating with Russia on matters related to the Syrian conflict in an effort to avoid miscalculations and misjudgments, according to the Pentagon.
by Edwin Mora29 Sep 2015, 8:24 PM PST0

Russian President Vladimir Putin described his evening meeting with President Barack Obama as “very constructive” and “surprisingly open.” It was their first formal meeting in two years.
by Mary Chastain29 Sep 2015, 1:05 PM PST0

Western countries are turning a blind eye to the genocide that the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) is committing against Christians in Iraq and Syria, reports the U.K.’s Daily Express, citing a charity group.
by Edwin Mora29 Sep 2015, 10:21 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 (ISIS/ISIL) is expanding its presence in Afghanistan, recruiting followers in nearly 75 percent of the country’s 34 provinces, according to a United Nations report.
by Edwin Mora28 Sep 2015, 8:34 PM PST0

Nearly 30,000 foreign fighters from more than 100 countries have traveled to Iraq and Syria since 2011, mostly to join ISIS, the New York Times reported, citing anonymous intelligence and law enforcement officials.
by Edwin Mora28 Sep 2015, 6:30 PM PST0

At the UN General Assembly meeting today, Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the West for the rise of radical Islamic groups. He also demanded a global alliance to fight these groups.
by Mary Chastain28 Sep 2015, 10:58 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

The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) has executed more than 10,000 people, including women and children, in Iraq and Syria since the jihadist group declared a “global caliphate” in June 2014, reports Daily Mail Online.
by Edwin Mora25 Sep 2015, 12:09 PM PST0

Secretary of State John Kerry claims the Russian government is sending more troops and equipment to Syria in order to protect the Russian soldiers already in the country—a form of self-defense.
by Mary Chastain23 Sep 2015, 10:15 PM PST0

Al-Qaeda may pose a bigger longterm threat when compared to its rival, the Islamic State (IS/ISIS/ISIL), concludes a study prepared for the U.S. Special Operations Command Center (SOCOM) at the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
by Edwin Mora23 Sep 2015, 7:18 AM PST0

Afghan jihadists loyal to the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS) have closed down 57 schools in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province located along the Pakistan border, a known hotbed for high levels of terrorist activity.
by Edwin Mora19 Sep 2015, 8:46 AM PST0

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry phoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for the third time in the past ten days to discuss the situation in Syria. He warned Lavrov that Russia’s support of beleaguered President Bashar al-Assad “will only prolong the Syrian conflict.”
by Mary Chastain17 Sep 2015, 8:28 AM PST0

Patriarch Louis Sako, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Baghdad, is the latest Christian leader to ask Christians in the Middle East not to abandon their homelands despite threats from radical Islamic groups. He also slammed the countries who give preferential treatment to Christian refugees.
by Mary Chastain16 Sep 2015, 7:52 PM PST0

In remarks to various sympathetic pro-Russian networks, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused the West of working with the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, and claimed those not aiding his political survival were helping “terrorists.”
by Mary Chastain16 Sep 2015, 2:04 PM 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

Vladimir Putin has issued a “common sense” call to the West to join Russia and Syria in a united front to fight against Islamic State (IS). Putin was speaking at a security summit in Tajikistan when he made the appeal to the
by Sarkis Zeronian16 Sep 2015, 5:40 AM PST0

Danish teenager Lisa Borch slaughtered her mother Tina Römer Holtegaard after binging on horrific Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) beheading videos, police report. A court has convicted her and her much older Muslim boyfriend of murder.
by Mary Chastain15 Sep 2015, 7:25 PM PST0

The Russian government sent humanitarian aid to Syria over the weekend, only a few days after officials demanded U.S. cooperation to avoid “unintended consequences.”
by Mary Chastain14 Sep 2015, 7:50 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

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov mocked the U.S.’s policy on Libya while talking to reporters about Russian troops and equipment in Syria.
by Mary Chastain11 Sep 2015, 7:53 PM PST0

Jinan Badel, a young Yazidi girl who escaped the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), met with French President Francois Hollande where he offered her asylum. She politely turned down his offer so she can return to Iraqi Kurdistan.
by Mary Chastain11 Sep 2015, 4:22 PM PST0