War in Syria turns more and more against al-Assad; Economy falters, surprising economists, while stock market bubble explodes; Financial firm analyst told to shut up about over-valued assets
At least 45 female jihadists appeared in a training video at Saint Simeon Stylites, which is the world’s oldest Byzantine church, near Aleppo, Syria. The women are demanding equality with men on the battlefield.
Bashar al-Assad’s Syria army showing signs of collapse; Why do Awakening era civil wars always fizzle?; US speeds up weapons deliveries to militias in Yemen
ISIS pushes closer to Damascus through Syria’s Yarmouk refugee camp; Texts of Iran nuclear deal differ in English and Farsi versions; Kenya’s president: terrorists are ‘deeply embedded’ in Kenya
ISIS captures Yarmouk refugee camp, closes in on Damascus; Hezbollah trapped by a sense of collapse in al-Assad’s army; Turkmenistan fears jihadist invasion from Afghanistan; Palestinian Authority joins International Criminal Court
Syria’s al-Assad regime suffers major military setback in Idlib; Arab League positions harden against Houthis and Iran
File this report from the Daily Star of Lebanon under the category of “Yay … I Guess,” or perhaps “Two and a Half Cheers.” It’s good news that Islamic State (ISIS) forces have been pushed out of over 20 Syrian villages. The bad news is that Bashar al-Assad’s regime did most of the pushing, with an assist from Kurdish militia units.
The long and lonely search for a white hat posse of “moderate” Syrian rebels that could be armed by the United States and turned into a weapon against both the Assad regime and its most effective military adversaries—namely, ISIS and al-Qaeda—suffered another grievous setback over the weekend, as the first Syrian rebel force, armed with American weapons, threw in the towel and pronounced itself kaput.
Men who left the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) revealed sixteen letters from commanding officers that detail horrifying orders to bomb and murder innocent civilians. Each letter received a stamp to indicate the province it is from.
Hezbollah backs down from war with Israel; Clashes between Nusra front and Free Syrian Army spreading in Syria; Jundallah takes credit for massive mosque attack in Pakistan; Egypt’s military begins ‘wide military offensives’ in North Sinai; Greece clashes with eurogroup ‘No more bailout, no more troika!’; In Denmark you are now paid to take out a mortgage
A YouTube account believed to be affiliated with jihadist groups uploaded a video of two Italian women kidnapped by the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jabhat al-Nusra in August in Syria. The women beg their government to secure their release.
