Guest views are now limited to 12 pages. If you get an "Error" message, just sign in! If you need to create an account, click here.

Jump to content

Rayzur

Platinum VIP
  • Posts

    3,338
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    16

Everything posted by Rayzur

  1. Yeah K8, thousands upon thousands.... one report was 7000 women and girls alone from their last campaign.... And I'm not srue at what point we're going to look at the fact that they are being sold in the countries of many of our allied partners... uh huh.... Course the solution would be to keep focus on their complete elimination... and stop with the stupid degrading campaign.... You can't degrade a psychopath....
  2. I am right there with you TD!! Hands down... in the meantime, maybe someone can get a memo to the US General who keeps saying Kobane might fall.... ISIS has left the building according to most recent reports.... HOWEVER please look at doing air strikes on the ISIS supply line in Syria as they may be planning a further assault... ... Kurdish official: ISIS and their flag gone from Kobane By RUDAW 4 hours ago “YPG fighters are now searching the homes for bombs and explosives that the Islamist militants might have left behind,” Photo: AFP KOBANE—Islamist militants have been pushed out of Kobane and fighters of the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) are now in control of the town, a Kurdish official in Kobane told Rudaw. “There is no ISIS in Kobane now,” said Omar Alush, co-chair of the TEV-DEM movement in Kobane. Alush said that following the recent air strikes on positions of the Islamic State (IS) militants in Kobane, the YPG managed to drive the rest of the jihadis out of town and that they are now in control. “YPG fighters are now searching the homes for bombs and explosives that the Islamist militants might have left behind,” said Alush. IS militants laid siege to the Kurdish town of Kobane on the Turkish-Syrian border last month, pounding the town with heavy artillery and tanks. With support from US air strikes, the YPG held the town and eventually managed to turn the tide against the IS. “Kobane is quiet now and the flag of ISIS is gone,” Alush maintained. Alush said that the jihadis still hold Kani Arab and Gire Mishtanur, close to Kobane. “Fighting is still going on between the ISIS and YPG on the eastern outskirts of the town,” he said. Alush said that the air strikes were effective in pushing back the militants, however, he said, the coalition forces should cut off the ISIS supply route from other parts of Syria “because we have information that the group is preparing for another assault on Kobane. Appears we'll have continued opportunities to eliminate ISIS if we stay focused upon where they are... and then go after them accordingly..... unless of course there is some kind of whacko agenda to "stay in the ME for the next 30 years in order to deal with this" as stated by way way too many US officials..... BTW as a technical point... YPG and Kobane etc use the peace sign as their sign.... ISIS uses the extended index finger as their sign.... .
  3. From the International Business Journal: Turkey Trained ISIS Militants, Provided Satellite Data on Kobane's Kurdish Fighters - Report By Johnlee Varghese October 15, 2014 17:49 IST Turkey has reportedly been accused of not only providing strategic intel on Kurdish fighters to the Islamic State but also of being involved in training jihadi militants. An explosion in Kobane, after an ISIS suicide bomber blew up a truck near a YPG hideout. Reuters A WND report, citing sources from Jordanian intelligence, claimed that several ISIS members have been trained by NATO member Turkey for secret operations. According to the report, a senior security officer stated that 16 ISIS members were arrested recently, while trying to sneak into Jordan, via the Syria border. During the course of interrogation, the militants revealed that they were sent for conducting bomb blasts in the country. The arrested also told Jordanian authorities that several ISIS militants received their training in Turkey. The revelations come at a time when Turkey has been widely blamed for bombing the camps of Kurdish fighters and supporters in Kobane, with warplanes and artillery. According to the Wall Street Journal, Turkey bombed camps of the Kurdistan Workers' Party on Monday, marking the military's first significant offensive against the PKK since peace talks began two years ago. The move was bound to help the ISIS, which has been fighting hard to gain control of the town from Kurdish fighters for around a month. Turkey has also been blamed for providing logistics, intelligence and satellite imagery to the ISIS fighters, to aid them in their fight against the Kurds. Another report, citing an Egyptian official, noted that Turkey provided key intelligence data to the ISIS, exposing the positions of Kurdish fighters, and the locations of their weapons and ammunitions.
  4. Like Adam says.... the news is not necessarily accurate.... and apparently the General leading the US effort is not getting the recent info either..... I don't get why a General would say.....".at best Kobani itself is a stalemate, with ISIS not taking the town as quickly as predicted, but far from defeated in its latest push toward the border town".Why is he saying that when the actual people on the ground in Kobani.....the YPG commander say in his official communication ... they should have it liberated soon... and others are showing pictures and videos all over youtube?? Why would the YPG commander say in his official communication these things... if they were in fact in danger and still needed massive support, and still in trouble and their civilians still trapped etc etc... Of course there still needs to be attention on Kobani and its not officially over...And they still need to keep up air strikes to the finish... absolutely... But its as if there is still some playbook the US leaders are reading from... and Kobani forgot to "fall" according to their plan... and they are still waiting for it.... Its just all really weird that the General keeps saying this... In any event, once again, US news reports have it all bass ackward and totally disconnected with what is really happening as reported by the people there in their own news reports... .... .... Gen. Allen: ISIS Making Substantial Gains in Iraq Insists Kobani Airstrikes 'For Humanitarian Purposes'by Jason Ditz, October 16, 2014 Print This | Share This Former Afghan War commander and President Obama’s point-man on the new ISIS War, retired General John Allen continued to offer assessments on the ongoing conflict, insisting today that it was too soon to say whether or not the US is winning the war. That said, Allen conceded that ISIS is continuing to make “substantial gains” on the ground in Iraq, and still has “tactical momentum” in several areas around western Iraq. Most of ISIS territorial gains in Iraq in recent days have centered around the Anbar Province, where they are quickly mopping up the last of the Iraqi government’s territory and moving on the second largest airbase in the country. The push to Anbar’s edge leaves them only a stone’s throw from Baghdad itself. Allen went on to address the US airstrikes around Kobani, saying they were done for “humanitarian purposes” and that the US continues to maintain that the town itself has no strategic value for the US. The losses in Iraq are clearly mounting, and at best Kobani itself is a stalemate, with ISIS not taking the town as quickly as predicted, but far from defeated in its latest push toward the border town. Even the BBC got it more accurate....maybe the US General might want to tune in... The Islamic State (IS) militant group has been driven out of most of the northern Syrian town of Kobane, a Kurdish commander has told the BBC. Baharin Kandal said IS fighters had retreated from all areas, except for two pockets of resistance in the east. US-led air strikes have helped push back the militants, with another 14 conducted over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the new UN human rights commissioner has called IS a "potentially genocidal" movement. Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein described the group as the antithesis of human rights. 'Tenuous' Speaking by phone, Kurdish commander Baharin Kandal told the BBC's Kasra Naji that she hoped the city would be "liberated soon". Ms Kandal said her militia group had been receiving arms, supplies and fighters but she refused to say how, reports our correspondent, who is on the Turkish border near Kobane.
  5. In a tremendous upset, Turkey lost a contest in the United Nations General Assembly, exposing increasingly contentious frictions with some of its neighbors and world powers. Trying to become a nonpermanent member of the Security Council, Turkey lost out to Spain and New Zealand in a contest for two available seats reserved for a voting bloc called the Western European and Others Group, which includes the United States. In the past few days, according to several diplomatic sources, there was an intense campaign, led by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, against Turkey’s membership in the council. The two countries are angered by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which both are fighting at home. On Wednesday night, Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, hosted a posh party for diplomats at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, where many of the guests predicted an easy victory for Turkey. But some diplomats said after the Thursday vote they had detected an unmistakable movement away from the Turkish camp to the Spain. Syria, as well as its ally Iran and several others, are also peeved by Erdoğan’s frequent calls to unseat Syrian President Bashar Assad. Several Western countries are alarmed by recent reports of Turkish attacks on Kurds fighting ISIS in Syria. And Turkey’s traditional opponent, its neighbor Greece, is also said to have lobbied against its election to the U.N.’s most prestigious body. “It’s surprising, because I was told just days ago that Turkey received letters of support from 160 countries,” said one diplomat after the secret ballot ended in Turkey’s failure to edge out Spain. The diplomat noted, however, that Spain received 154 letters of support from the 193 General Assembly members. “This isn’t the way this should be done,” said the diplomat, referring to the habit among member states of expressing support publicly while opposing membership in secret balloting. After several rounds of voting, Turkey ended up receiving the support of only 60 General Assembly members, while Spain got 132 votes, more than enough to satisfy the necessary threshold of 128 supporters. New Zealand got elected in an earlier round. Angola, Malaysia and Venezuela ran unopposed in their regional voting blocs. The American U.N. ambassador, Samantha Power, homed in on Venezuela after the vote, saying in a statement, “Venezuela’s conduct at the U.N. has run counter to the spirit of the U.N. Charter, and its violations of human rights at home are at odds with the Charter’s letter. The United States will continue to call upon the government of Venezuela to respect the fundamental freedoms and universal human rights of its people.” The five newly elected members will replace Australia, Argentina, Luxembourg, South Korea and Rwanda on January 1 and will serve on the council for two years. Powers’s statement promises to create new tensions among council members, but perhaps not as tense had Turkey become a member.
  6. Check this out.... as we know the PYG Kurds have killed many ISIS guys... in checking the bodies for weapons etc that might be useful... they are finding lots of Visa cards.... as in the greater majority in some groups have Visa cards on them...... I'm not so sure this would be released.. and maybe a bargaining chip...but wouldn't we just love to know where those get traced to.... Where they got them... like Turkish 7/11... or some Saudi account... That's info I'd love to know... .
  7. France Jumps in Help Kobane France to supply Kurds in Kobane with "advanced weaponry" France will keep delivering arms to Kurds fighting the Islamic State group in Syria, says President Francois Hollande. French President François Hollande said the country will keep delivering arms to Kurds fighting the Islamic State group in Syria. The French government will "do everything to help" those fighting against Isis, especially the Kurds, by delivering "adapted weaponry," Mr Hollande said yesterday, according to government spokesman Stephane Le Foll. He did not specify which arms France will deliver. and now the rest of the story is starting to emerge.... And the YPG is stating they are doing the "clean-up" in Kobani..... For those who like to study battles of war... this one could well replace the historical place held by the Battle of Thermopyle....
  8. Commander Mehmud Berxwedan: "Reports of coalition airstrikes killing YPG & civilians are completely false." Re; anything you read referring to one of the Kurdish factions being on the terrorist list: , the group on the terrorist list, was on there cause of Turkey... uh huh.... and both US and Brit intelligence have been quoted as saying they can't figure out why this Kurdish faction is on such list.... Keep in mind, these lists are generated based upon some moment of time... (and I think should be reviewed or have a process of required review on some schedule.. instead of just accepting them to be true and in stone) and ISIS is likewise a very sobering game changer in terms of threat and agenda for a whole lot of people.. (except Turkey it would seem) .. Here is an article about US / Kurd Negotiations... Discussions..... And it still amazes me that world pressure is what actually brought this about... that it was not in the plan...and here it now is... .. Your voice really does matter when we all stand together for a common good.... .. WASHINGTON — The Obama administration acknowledged Thursday that a U.S. official for the first time met with a representative of a Syrian Kurdish political party that’s closely linked to a group on the U.S. terrorist list. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said a U.S. diplomat met with a counterpart from the main Kurdish political party in Syria – the Democratic Union Party, better known by its Kurdish acronym as the PYD – to discuss the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State. The PYD’s militia is engaged in fierce battles with the Islamist extremists, especially near the town of Kobani along the border with Turkey. The direct talks are a sign of the shifting alliances created by the rise of the Islamic State. In Iraq, for example, the U.S. is providing air cover for Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim militias that once targeted American forces. And now in Syria, it appears the United States is willing to work with a group that’s tied to the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers Party, which has waged a guerrilla war for Kurdish rights in Turkey for 30 years and which has been on the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations for nearly two decades. Turkey and the European Union also have blacklisted the PKK. Psaki provided no details of the meeting beyond saying that it took place over the past weekend and outside of the Middle East. Kurdish and other media reports say Charles Rivkin, the undersecretary of state for economic affairs, and PYD leader Salih Muslim met in Paris. The new face-to-face U.S. channel to the PYD is likely to rankle Turkey, which on Monday bombed PKK locations in Turkey and has battled Kurdish civilians near Kobani protesting the international response to the Islamic State assault on the town. At a joint briefing at the State Department, neither Psaki nor Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby would say whether Turkey was given a heads-up on the meeting. The PYD’s relationship with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad is controversial. The Kurds’ declaration of self-rule in what they call Rojava in 2012 was not opposed by the Assad government and in some places, such as Qamishli, a mainly Kurdish city in northern Syria, the PYD and Syrian intelligence are housed in buildings that are near one another. But the PKK also has been active in battling the Islamic State in northern Iraq and Kurdish Syria and is pressing to be removed from the U.S. terrorist list. Psaki said there were no plans to remove the PKK from the blacklist. Syria’s Kurdistan has gotten worldwide attention lately because of the bloody tug-of-war unfolding there between Kurdish fighters in the town of Kobani and the encroaching Islamic State militants who’ve tried for months to capture it. Turkey, reluctant to bail out its Kurdish foes, is watching the fight from just across the border, a stance that so infuriates the Kurds that they’ve threatened to withdraw from peace talks with Turkey. The United States, however, is helping the Kurdish forces at Kobani with dozens of airstrikes that apparently have allowed the Kurds to resist the Islamic State’s advance. Idriss Nassan, the spokesman for the local administration in Kobani, called the battlefield updates “very good,” thanks in large part to the coalition air raids. He welcomed the opening of direct talks with the Americans and said that U.S. officials also were present for negotiations in the Iraqi city of Dohuk, where Iraqi Kurdish leaders are discussing a broad Syrian Kurdish alliance. Nassan implied that further talks with the U.S. side would be in Dohuk, but he would not elaborate. He noted that Muslim, who reportedly met with the U.S. diplomat over the weekend, has previously met with European Union officials in Brussels and with Turkish officials in Turkey. Nassan said the U.S. moves to support the Kurds have won the Americans influence and gratitude among Kurds, especially in Kobani. “I know American leaders care about Kobani and the Kurdish people,” he said. Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/10/16/243690_in-policy-shift-us-opens-direct.html?&rh=1#storylink=cpy .
  9. Its so secret its on Facebook.... and yet not one news agency has picked it up.... Not to mention half the annoyance with Syria is they don't have a central bank.... and they boyz thinks its time they did.... and yet, the US central bank goes down... and no one but Facebook folk know./// I'm with WHN... it would be great news and would be fantastic... but alas, its not even a good fairly tale in its lack of detail.... ..
  10. There was a bit of a black out (by design) regarding up to the minute as it happened information coming in from Kobani, While it encouraged those holding on to hope for Kobani, unfortunately it also was getting into the hands of IS /ISIS, and compromising... or had the potential to compromise some of the missions engaged at that time.... So there was not a lot to say in the past 24 hours, however there have been dramatic changes in terms of a relationship with the US.. Specifically MAJOR POLITICAL PROGRESS for Kurdish boots on the ground... - US now talking to Kobani main Govt party - AND talks in Kurdistan for deal on military & supply co-op. See below... PYD and ENKS groups among the Kurds are reaching an agreement.... We do NOT want a no fly zone as proposed by Turkey..... ISIS is the only whacko group in the mix that doesn't have an air force (unless you count Turkey).. and everyone battling ISIS does have an air force...... So lets do the math Mr. Turkish President...... IF we establish a no fly zone..... WHO benefits..... hummm would that be you and your ISIS pals?..... I'll see if I can get anything else of significance.... and at least wanted to let you know why there was not more in the past 24 hours.... Also, you might find some of the cartoons in my gallery kind of interesting.... they are from around the world and essentially capture the sentiment regarding this most recent battle.... . .
  11. You'd think CDC would have put out a tiny little memo to all those answering phones as to protocol........ The second Dallas nurse diagnosed with Ebola, who boarded a commercial flight from Cleveland the day before she was diagnosed, called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with a slight fever but was told she could still fly, according to news reports. Amber Joy Vinson was running a slight temperature of 99.5 degrees before boarding the Dallas-bound Frontier Airlines flight on Monday. She called the CDC to check whether she should fly, but an employee at the agency checked a temperature chart and determined that Vinson was still able to fly, both CBS DFW and CNN are reporting. The 29-year-old Vinson contracted the deadly disease while caring for Liberian citizen Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian hospital. Nina Pham was the first nurse to contract Ebola after tending to Duncan, who died on Oct. 8. It was unclear early Wednesday why Vinson made the flight. “She should not have been on that plane,” said CDC director Tom Frieden at a press conference. “Although [Vinson] did not report any symptoms and she did not meet the fever threshold of 100.4, she did report at that time she took her temperature and found it to be 99.5,” Frieden added. Friedan said that given the fact that Vinson was not expelling fluids, others on the flight are at an “extremely low” risk of contracting the disease. Nevertheless, the CDC is attempting to get in contact with the 132 other passengers on the flight. “This nurse, Nurse Vinson, did in fact call the CDC several times before taking that flight and said she has a temperature, a fever of 99.5, and the person at the CDC looked at a chart and because her temperature wasn’t 100.4 or higher she didn’t officially fall into the category of high risk,” reported CBS News medical correspondent Dr. John LaPook. According to CBS DFW, Vinson was in extremely close contact with Duncan while caring for him – drawing blood, handling body fluids and inserting catheters. For nearly two days after Duncan first went to the hospital on Sept. 28, medical staff at Texas Health Presbyterian cared for Duncan as he vomited heavily and experienced diarrhea. Vinson has been flown to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta where two other Ebola victims have received care. Update: A federal health official told the New York Times that when Vinson called the CDC she was not given clear commands on whether or not to fly. “I don’t think we actually said she could fly, but they didn’t tell her she couldn’t fly,” the official told the Times. The official also admitted that the health agency was at fault. “She called us,” said the official. “I really think this one is on us.”
  12. 15 October 2014 Last updated at 17:09 ET Share this page Islamic State 'retreating' in key Syria town of Kobane The US-led coalition has stepped up air strikes against IS in and around the town of Kobane Continue reading the main story Islamic StateUp in arms Tools for the fight Turkey's crisis Social media war Islamic State militants are retreating in parts of the strategic Syrian town of Kobane, a Kurdish official has said. Idriss Nassan told the BBC IS had lost control of more than 20% of the town in recent days. US defence officials say hundreds of militants have been killed around Kobane as US-led air strikes intensify. The news came as US President Barack Obama and European leaders agreed on the need to do more to stop the IS advance in Iraq and Syria. In a video conference, Mr Obama and the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Italy agreed to step up support for an "inclusive political approach" in Iraq and training for local forces in Iraq and Syria, a statement by UK Prime Minister David Cameron's office said. 'Cleaning operations'Mr Nassan said Kurdish YPG forces in Kobane were making progress against IS. "Maybe in the few past days [islamic State] was controlling about 40% of the city of Kobane, but now... less than 20% of the city is under control of [iS]...," he said. "Today YPG started cleaning operations in the east and south-east of Kobane." US defence department spokesman John Kirby said "several hundred" militants had been killed in and around the besieged town, though "it could very well still fall" to IS. Air strikes against IS targets around Kobane have allowed Kurdish fighters to slow the jihadists' advance "ISIL has made no secret of the fact that they want that town... and so they have continued to flow fighters to Kobane," he added. John Allen, US special envoy in the fight against IS, said the strikes were designed to relieve the defenders. "There was a need for additional fire support to go in to try to relieve the defenders and to buy some white space, ultimately, for the reorganisation on the ground," he said. US-led forces carried out 18 air strikes on IS targets near the town on Tuesday and Wednesday, US Central Command said in a statement. Combat positions were destroyed and 16 buildings hit in the strikes. Kurdish fighters have been under siege in Kobane, near the Turkish border, for almost a month. The coalition has stepped up strikes in the region in recent days, in an effort to prevent IS from capturing the strategically important town. The BBC's Kasra Naji, on the border near Kobane, says there is an air of optimism among the Kurdish militia, and a belief that they could drive IS out of the town in a few days. Our correspondent says coalition aircraft now appeared to be targeting a single location, suggesting that this is probably the last neighbourhood in the town held by IS after its strength was degraded by heavy strikes on Tuesday. The battle for Kobane is regarded as a major test of whether the coalition's air campaign can push back IS in Syria. More than 160,000 people have fled the predominantly Kurdish town in the face of the IS advance. IS militants have proclaimed the creation of a caliphate in the large parts of Iraq and Syria they control 'Inherent Resolve'Five more strikes were carried out against IS militants in Iraq - four near Baiji and one near Haditha Dam, US Central Command said. Meanwhile the jihadists are said to be advancing on the Iraqi town of Amariya al-Falluja, one of the last still controlled by government forces in Anbar province and only 40km (25 miles) from the capital Baghdad. As the fighting and air strikes continued, the US military announced that it had named the operation against IS "Inherent Resolve". Mr Obama told a meeting of senior military commanders from more than 20 Western and Arab countries at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on Tuesday that air strikes would continue in both Kobane and Anbar province. Mr Obama warned that they were facing a "long-term campaign".
  13. Within the last hour (1300 PDT) 15 Oct Turkish Army arresting many Kurds who live in the village near Kobane border& some are seriously injured....Turkish Army is reported to be continuing attacks on the Kurds at the border.. There is no intervention on their behalf at this time.. Lots of incoming information that Kurds in Turkey are being arrested in large numbers across Syrian border towns... Can you spell "lets make sure and push for civil war" International movement demanding Turkey be removed as a NATO country....Plot is thickening ISIS loosing terrain in east Kobane (Kaniye Kurda), Turkish soldiers attacks civilians in Mehser.... Remember that the Turkish President Erdogan said that Kobane was falling and would fall by that evening a week ago. There is an emerging question that his latest attacks are his back plan for that not happening.... He was clearly on board for that to happen.... (he stated ISIS and YPG were the same) and appears to continue choosing ISIS. .
  14. Ya know, the next time Kerry says we're looking for reliable partners on the ground.... will someone in the audience please reach out and slap him? How does he define reliable? Those guys better get a grip and figure out that what they created is no longer what they created and has morphed into a self-determined group .... especially as the older leaders of IS are killed.... Middle East Updates / U.S. believes several hundred Islamic State fighters killed in Kobani strikes U.S. carries out strikes on Islamic State positions near Kobani and Iraq; Egypt warplanes bomb Islamist positions in Benghazi, Libya Latest updates: 10:00 P.M. U.S. believes several hundred Islamic State fighters killed in Kobani strikes The U.S. military believes it has killed several hundred Islamic State fighters in air strikes in and around the Syrian town of Kobani, a Pentagon spokesman said on Wednesday. An increased number of air strikes around the embattled town by the U.S.-led coalition in recent days can be partly attributed to an increase in militant activity in the area, but despite the strikes, the city could still fall to Islamic State fighters, Rear Admiral John Kirby said at a news briefing in Washington. (Reuters) Is it just me, or does it seem as if that's what "they" wanted and the world protest changed that? If this is true analysis, they need to get some better analysts... and then arm the peeps on the ground... doh! 9:22 P.M. U.S. special envoy for anti-Islamic State coalition says U.S. striking targets around Kobani for humanitarian purposes. U.S. air strikes around the Syrian town of Kobani are designed to relieve defenders and to buy time to try to build up forces in Syria to combat Islamic State militants, retired U.S. General John Allen said on Wednesday. "We are striking the targets around Kobani for humanitarian purposes. I'd be very reluctant to attempt to assign something, a term like 'a strategic target,' or 'a strategic outcome,'" Allen, the U.S. special envoy responsible for building the coalition against the Islamic State group, told reporters. "Clearly ... given the circumstances associated with the defense of that town, there was a need for additional fire support to go in to try to relieve the defenders and to buy some white space, ultimately, for the reorganization on the ground," he added. "We have picked up the tempo and the intensity of the air strikes in order to provide that white space." (Reuters) 9:00 P.M. Saudi Arabia convicts 22 on militant charges, sentences one to death A Saudi court sentenced one person to death and 21 others to various jail sentences after they were convicted of a range of militant crimes, including setting up training camps and identifying oil locations to hit, state news agency SPA said on Wednesday. Riyadh's concern about Islamist militants has increased over the past two years as conflicts in Syria and Iraq have attracted more of its own citizens to travel there to join groups fighting in the name of jihad. Of the 22 people convicted, the man sentenced to death was a citizen of Chad, SPA said. The rest, which included another Chadian and a someone described as Bengali, were given prison sentences of between five and 28 years. The group was convicted of embracing militant ideology, the possession of ammunition in their apartment and firing on security services during a raid on their apartment in Mecca, killing one security officer. (Reuters) 7:15 P.M. Rockets hit chemicals storage tank outside of Benghazi Rockets hit a chemicals storage tank of Libyan oil services firm al-Jouf outside the eastern Benghazi city on Wednesday, an oil official said. Planes have bombed suspected Islamists positions in the port city throughout the day, residents said. Rockets, probably from a plane, hit a storage tank of chemicals used to clean pipelines, Saad al-Fakhri, deputy head of Libya's oil workers' union, told Reuters. Civil defence teams extinguished the fire at the tank west of Benghazi. The site is at least 100 km from Zueitina oil port, the closest export terminal in the oil-rich east. 6:49 P.M. Turkish Airlines investigating Arabic inscriptions found on several plane engines Turkish Airlines said it is investigating after Arabic inscriptions found on several of its plane engines sparked panic among staff who feared a security breach by Islamist militants - only to find the inscriptions were of a prayer for abundance. The incident has raised security fears at Istanbul's Ataturk airport as no security camera footage was available to find those responsible for the mysterious blessings, airport news website Airporthaber reported. The discovery of Arabic writing on a jet engine at Europe's fifth-busiest airport on Sunday led to fears among staff who, unable to read it, feared it might be linked to Islamic State militants, Airporthaber said. Similar inscriptions were then found on the engines of three more aircraft, all of which had arrived from different destinations. (Reuters) 6:46 P.M. Egypt warplanes bomb Islamist positions in Benghazi, Libya Two Egyptian government officials say their country's warplanes are bombing positions of Islamist militias in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. The officials, who have first-hand knowledge of the operation, say the use of the aircraft is part of an Egyptian-led operation against the militiamen that involves Libyan ground troops. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Libyan lawmaker Tareq al-Jorushi confirmed to the AP that Egyptian warplanes were taking part in the ongoing operation in Benghazi, but added that they were being flown by Libyan pilots. (AP) 6:30 P.M. France will continue delivering arms to Kurds fighting Islamic State in Syria France will keep delivering arms to Kurds fighting the Islamic State group in Syria, said President Francois Hollande as battles were raging between the two groups in Kobani, near Turkey. The French government will "do everything to help" those fighting against the Islamic State group, especially the Kurds, by delivering "adapted weaponry," Hollande said Wednesday, according to government spokesman Stephane Le Foll. He didn't specify which arms France will deliver. (AP) 5:58 P.M. U.S. military carries out 18 strikes on Islamic State positions near Kobani U.S. aircraft carried out 18 strikes on Islamic State positions near the besieged Syrian border town of Kobani on Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. military's Central Command said. U.S planes also conducted five strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq, it said in a statement on Wednesday.(Reuters) 5:50 P.M. Algerian police march to president's headquarters in protest Algerian police tried to push their way into the president's headquarters Wednesday in an unprecedented protest movement prompted by violence against security forces in the south. The whereabouts of the long-ailing president were unclear. The unrest in southern Algeria and protests in the capital come amid concerns that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is too ill to rule Africa's largest country, an ally in U.S. efforts against terrorism. Bouteflika, who helped bring stability to Algeria after a decade of bloodshed, has barely been seen in public since his re-election in April. In the second day of protests in Algiers, about 300 police officers marched to the president's office, wearing their blue uniforms but apparently unarmed. Some tried to push their way past the front gate but were stopped by presidential guards. (AP) 5:04 P.M. Bahrain orders pro-democracy activist Zainab al-Khawaja detained for seven days Bahraini authorities have ordered pro-democracy activist Zainab al-Khawaja to be detained for questioning for seven days after a judge accused her of insulting King Hamad by tearing up his picture, her lawyer said on Wednesday. Zainab, daughter of jailed activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja who is on hunger strike, fell foul of the judge on Tuesday during an appeal hearing into two cases involving her that date back to 2012, her lawyer Mohammed al-Wasti said. "The judge yesterday accused Zainab of insulting the king by tearing up his picture during the trial," Wasti told Reuters. Zainab, who is pregnant and lives in Bahrain, was an activist during 2011 pro-democracy protests, where she became known for publishing news of the uprising on social media. (Reuters) 4:59 P.M. Magnitude 6 earthquake strikes western Iran A magnitude 6 earthquake struck western Iran on Wednesday at a depth of 36.7 km, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It hit 59 km (37 miles) west-northwest of Dezful, near the border with Iraq. No further details were immediately available. (Reuters) 4:40 P.M. UN refugee chief asks EU to grant legal entry to more Syrian migrants The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antףnio Guterres said on Wednesday he had asked the European Union to grant legal entry to more Syrian refugees who are risking their lives trying to reach Europe illegally by sea. Thousands of migrants, including many Syrians fleeing a three-year civil war, have drowned while crossing the Mediterranean on rickety boats operated by human traffickers. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Guterres said he had just come back "from Europe, from the European Council of Justice and Home Affairs, asking them for more Syrian refugees (to) also be able to come legally into Europe." "It breaks my heart to see Syrian families that have suffered already so much in their country to drown in the Mediterranean at the hands of smugglers," he said. (Reuters) 4:33 P.M. Malaysia detains 14 Muslims suspected of being linked to Islamic State Malaysian police said Wednesday they have detained 14 Muslims, including two women and a student, suspected of being linked to the militant Islamic State group. The detentions bring the number of people held for suspected militant links to 36 since April. National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the group was detained over the last three days in an operation in central Selangor state. They included a student, a chef, an engineer, a graphic designer and a housewife, he said. Khalid said in a statement that three were believed to be leaders of a cell responsible for recruiting, sponsoring and sending Malaysians to fight in Syria. (AP) 3:54 P.M. Kurdish fighters make small advances in Kobani following street battles against Islamic State Bolstered by intensified U.S.-led coalition airstrikes targeting militants from the Islamic State group, Kurdish militiamen fought pitched street battles Wednesday with the extremists in a Syrian Kurdish border town near Turkey, making small advances, activists and officials said. Elsewhere in Syria, in a stark reminder of the country's wider civil war, a Syrian lawmaker was gunned down in the central province of Hama — the latest assassination to target a figure linked to President Bashar Assad's government. In the border town of Kobani, members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, were advancing hours after the U.S.-led coalition stepped up airstrikes against the Islamic State group in and around the town, said Asya Abdullah, a Syrian Kurdish leader. The Pentagon said Tuesday that 21 airstrikes against Islamic State targets near Kobani overnight Monday marked the largest number there in a 24-hour period since the air campaign in Syria began last month. (AP) 3:38 P.M. At least three killed in Benghazi, Libya clashes A local Libyan commander says deadly clashes are underway between Islamist militias and forces loyal to a renegade general who has vowed to take control of the eastern city of Benghazi. The militia commander says at least three people have been killed in the fighting so far. He says his militia took a military camp and tanks from Gen. Khalifa Hifter's forces after a suicide bomber blew himself at the camp gates. A security official allied to Hifter denied the claim. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the fighting in Benghazi. (AP) 1:54 A.M. Al-Qaida and Shiite rebels clash in south Yemen Yemeni security officials say Al-Qaida Sunni militants and Shi'ite rebels are locked in fierce battles in a province south of the capital, Sanaa. They say fighting erupted late Tuesday and continued into Wednesday in the town of Raad in Baydah province. They say initial reports indicate five rebels and six Al-Qaida militants were killed in the fighting and thousands of residents have fled the town to escape the violence. The clashes followed a lightening push by the Shiite Houthi rebels who on Tuesday captured Damar province, also south of Sanaa, and a key Red Sea port city. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to media. Al-Qaida has vowed to fight the Houthis, who are suspected to be linked to predominantly Shiite Iran. (AP) 12:56 P.M. German FM: U.S. unlikely to send ground troops to Syria German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier does not expect the United States to put troops on the ground in Syria and does not see U.S. mid-term elections next month altering that, he said on Wednesday alongside his French colleague. "I don't see the Americans sending troops into Syria," he told a news conference with France's Laurent Fabius, in response to a reporter's question about whether U.S. policy might change after the Nov. 4 congressional elections. The United States is leading an allied air campaign against Islamic State militants but Washington is resisting calls from some U.S. conservatives, such as Sen. John McCain, to deploy troops to help forces fighting IS in Iraq and Syria. (Reuters) 12:41 P.M. U.S. says no talk about prolonging Iran nuclear talks World powers and Iran are not discussing extending a late November deadline for reaching an agreement over Tehran's nuclear program, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, adding there was still time to reach a deal. The State Department official spoke ahead of a meeting later on Wednesday between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Vienna. "We're not talking about extension or anything like that in the room. We're talking about getting this done by the 24th (of November)," the U.S. official said. Iran and the six major powers aim to end a decade-old dispute over Tehran's nuclear program by reaching a settlement to curb the country's atomic activities in exchange for a lifting of sanctions hurting its oil-dependent economy. (Reuters) Read the full article 11:28 A.M. Syrian lawmaker assassinated Syria's state-run news agency and a government official say gunmen have assassinated a lawmaker in the restive central province of Hama. SANA says Waris al-Younnes was gunned down while travelling on a road linking the city of Hama with the town of Salamiyeh. He represented Hama province in the parliament in Damascus. A Syrian official told AP that al-Younnes was killed on Tuesday night. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Several Syrian officials have been assassinated since Syria's crisis began in March 2011. (AP) 10:57 A.M. Saudis sentence outspoken Shi'ite cleric to death A Saudi judge on Wednesday sentenced to death an outspoken Shi'ite Muslim cleric whose arrest two years ago prompted deadly protests, the cleric's brother said on his Twitter account. Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was detained in July 2012 after backing mass protests that erupted in February 2011 in the Qatif district of eastern Saudi Arabia, which is home to many of the Sunni-ruled country's Shi'ite minority. Last year a prosecutor said he was seeking to convict Nimr for "aiding terrorists" and "waging war on God", which carry the death penalty. The former interior minister Prince Ahmed had previously accused Nimr of being "mentally unbalanced". His capture, during which he was shot and wounded by police, prompted several days of protests in which three people were killed. Protests have continued sporadically in Qatif, where more than 20 people have died in violence since 2011. (Reuters) 8:28 A.M District chief killed by Taliban in Helmand province An official in Afghanistan says Taliban gunmen have killed a district chief and his security guard in the country's southern Helmand province. Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor of Helmand, says that an insurgent ambush Tuesday night killed district chief Mohammad Anwar Khan and the guard. Zwak said Wednesday that the attack in the province's Nad Ali district also wounded six police officers. Nad Ali is one of the districts in Helmand in which Taliban have a strong presence and use as a base to launch attacks elsewhere in the province. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, but Taliban insurgents have step up their attacks against Afghan government officials across the country ahead of most foreign troops withdrawing at the end of the year. (AP) 2:44 A.M. Blast in Cairo wounds 12 A strong blast hit a busy district in central Cairo on Tuesday night, leaving 12 wounded, Egypt's official news agency reported, as a court sentenced seven Islamic militants to death over earlier terror attacks. MENA quoted a senior security official as saying that the explosion was caused by a home-made bomb placed in the vicinity of a court house. The site of the attack is a busy district and near a subway station. The agency quoted Mohammed Sultan, a health minister official as saying that the blast caused no deaths and that 12 people were injured. No further details were immediately available. Egypt has witnessed a series of suicide bombings, assassinations and attacks over the past year after the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi after demonstrations demanding his resignation. (AP) 1:40 A.M. U.S., Russia vow to renew cooperation on global security matters The United States and Russia vowed Tuesday to renew cooperation on a broad array of global security matters, including intelligence sharing on Islamic State militants, even as the two powers remained deeply at odds over the crisis in Ukraine. Although U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry didn't use the term "reset" — a relationship-mending term U.S. President Barack Obama coined in his first term to tighten U.S.-Russian ties — he employed familiar language about managing differences and forging a better partnership on matters where they agree. After meeting for more than three hours in Paris with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, Kerry said both sides need to recognize they have "major responsibilities" as world powers, from combating Islamist extremism in the Middle East to dealing with Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs. As a concrete example of their work together, he said the U.S. and Russia would start sharing intelligence on the Islamic State militants, which the U.S. and allies are fighting in Iraq and Syria. Lavrov, speaking separately, confirmed intelligence-sharing would begin and also spoke positively about improving U.S.-Russian ties. "Mr. Kerry and I don't represent warring sides," he said. The nations play a "special role" in the world, he said. "We can cooperate better together to increase the effectiveness of settling problems for larger society. That especially concerns the fight against terrorism, which has now become the main threat to the whole Mideast." (AP) 1:15 A.M. U.S. jury indicts Libyan militant over Benghazi attack involvement A U.S. federal grand jury on Tuesday issued a new indictment that includes the death penalty against Ahmed Abu Khatallah, a Libyan militant accused of involvement in the September 2012 attacks on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The indictment supersedes earlier charges brought against Khatallah in July and adds 17 new charges, including allegations that he led an extremist militia group and he conspired with others to attack the facilities and kill U.S. citizens. Khatallah was captured in Libya in June by a U.S. military and FBI team and transported to the United States aboard a U.S. Navy ship to face charges in Washington federal court. Four Americans were killed in the attack, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. (Reuters) Moshe
  15. I thought about your molecules TD... might be one of the best things out there to deal with this... I'll go check your post Nadita.... building your immune system is probably the best hedge... So... what do ya'll think about flying .... Thanksgiving is coming up... and of course I have tickets.... I so hate to be reactionary... really hate it.... Ya think anyone would notice if I wore a hazmat suit..... ..
  16. Fears of the Ebola virus deepened Wednesday with word that a second Dallas nurse caught the disease from a patient and flew across the Midwest aboard an airliner the day before she was diagnosed. President Barack Obama canceled a campaign trip to address the outbreak. It's not clear how the nurse contracted the virus, though the second case among health workers pointed to lapses beyond how one individual may have donned and removed protective garb. Authorities declined to say what type of care the nurse provided to Thomas Eric Duncan, who was diagnosed with Ebola after coming to the U.S. from Liberia. He died Oct. 8. Infected Ebola patients are not considered contagious until they have symptoms. The airplane crew said the woman had no symptoms during Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas-Fort Worth on Monday. She flew from Dallas to Cleveland on Oct. 10. The CDC said it is alerting the 132 passengers who were on the return flight "because of the proximity in time between the evening flight and first report of illness the following morning." Officials are asking them to call the health agency so they can be monitored. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the additional infection is "a serious concern." "What happened there (in Dallas), regardless of the reason, is not acceptable. It shouldn't have happened," Anthony Fauci, director of the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of NIH, said Wednesday on MSNBC. The nurse was monitoring herself for symptoms, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. She reported a fever Tuesday and was in isolation within 90 minutes, Jenkins said. "We are looking at every element of our personal protection equipment and infection control in the hospital," said Dr. Daniel Varga, chief clinical officer for Texas Health Resources, which operates Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the CDC, has acknowledged that the government was not aggressive enough in managing Ebola and containing the virus as it spread from an infected patient to a nurse at a Dallas hospital. "We could've sent a more robust hospital infection control team and been more hands-on with the hospital from day one about exactly how this should be managed," he said Tuesday. Both nurses were being cared for at the same hospital where they work. The second nurse was to be transported to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. The second case may help health officials determine where the infection-control breach is occurring and make practices safer for health workers everywhere. For example, if both health workers were involved in drawing Duncan's blood, placing an intravenous line or suctioning mucus when Duncan was on a breathing machine, that would be recognized as a particularly high-risk activity. It might also reveal which body fluids pose the greatest risk. Emergency responders in hazardous-materials suits began decontamination work before dawn Wednesday at the Dallas apartment complex where the second nurse lives. Officials said she lives alone with no pets. Notices handed out to neighbors advise that "a health care worker who lives in your area has tested positive for Ebola." Ryan Fus, 24, who lives in the same building as the blocked-off apartment, said police knocked on his door before 6 a.m. to notify him and make sure he was all right. "It's a little scary. It's a little shocking that it's right near me," he said. Its interesting that all the news is talking about the passengers of the flight with no mention of the flight crew.... who in turn comes in contact with exponentially more people..... Surely.... hopefully... they can't have missed that detail.... right?
  17. For you Nadita... and that really means something coming from you who spends hours upon hours weeks into months, posting news summary updates for us all here on DV... Thanks so much....
  18. 40% of the wounded soldiers are women: dal blog di Marco Cesario 4 ottobre 2014 18:47 commenti Syria: the Kurds who bravely fight against ISIS "If the city of Kobanê falls into the hands of ISIS, Turkey will have a huge responsability in the genocide that will follow". Jacques Berès, surgeon and co-founder of Médécins Sans Frontières, speaks after a humanitarian mission in the battle zone near Turkish-Syrian border. Tweet “I’ve been doing this job for more than forty years. But what I have actually seen in the past weeks in Syria is worse than anything I’ve ever seen in my entire life. If the Western countries do not act immediately there will be surely a genocide”. Jacques Berès, surgeon and co-founder of Médécins Sans Frontières and Médécins du Monde, returned last night from a humanitarian mission in the battle zone near Turkish-Syrian border, in Rojava territory (Western Kurdistan), where ISIS squads are besieging the city of Kobanê and other cities under YPG / YPJ control. “The war in Syria is horrific – Berès said during a press conference at the headquarters of the magazine La Règle du Jeu in Paris – I’ve seen bodies burned, torn to pieces, with no arms or legs, most of them civilians. My job, in a two-week mission, is inadequate compared to the work required. I couldn’t perform more than 7 or 8 surgical operations per day. But every attack by ISIS jihadist caused dozens of injuries.Every day there are dozens of these attacks. ” Among the fighters killed or wounded to defend Rojava (Western Kurdistan) from ISIS barbarian hordes, there are young people and many women. “The percentage of women who fight in the ranks of YPG / YPJ (People’s Protection Unit) – tells Berès – is very high. At least 40% of the fighters severly injured that I medicated are women. This is a feature unique to the region. The structures of Kurdish society are secular, women’s role is very important, at the head of every institution there are usually a man and a woman, a view which is in contraddiction with the typical misogyny of this area of the Middle East. This view also clashes with ISIS dogmatic fundamentalism. I was just a kilometer away from the battle front and I have seen women and young fighters repel the assaults of the jihadists with simple rifles and kalashnikov. Fighters are armed with courage, they often come from Turkish Kurdistan to help the resistence in Rojava. But they are equipped only with old Kalashnikovs. The issue of weapons, it’s not secondary. On one hand ISIS gangs are equipped with tanks, missile launchers, armored vehicles and heavy weapons. On the other hand Kurdish forces are equipped only with Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers. Where are the weapons the West promised to deliver ? “We haven’t seen Western weapons here – tells Berès – instead we saw not only jihadists coming from Turkey but also armored tanks passing through the Turkish border. Turkey continues to have an ambiguous behaviour because of the strategic and economic interestes involved”. The Rojava, Western Kurdistan, it’s also a land rich in oil, which attracts not only ISIS but also Turkey. “In this region – explains Berès – there are 1,173 oil fields. Most of them were operational before the civil war. More than 60% of Syrian oil came from this region. Today they are closed but the energy potential is very high. Before the civil war this region was among the most prosperous and tolerant of all Syria. Here you find mosques or synagogues. If ISIS takes the control of Rojava it will be the end of all this “. And Kobanê? “It’s now like an enclave. In the region we have seen coming the FSA (Free Syrian Army), the Al Nusra Front, now the city of Kobanê is besieged by ISIS squads. The problem is that the border with Turkey remains closed and Turkey built a wall 5 meters high. No weapons, no medecins not even a bag of rice or a liter of milk goes through the border. Turkey freezes any convoy. So the Kurds fight alone, they are trapped between Turkish soldiers and ISIS gangs and they cannot escape anywhere. But one thing is certain: if the city of Kobanê falls into the hands of ISIS, Turkey will have a huge responsability in the genocide that will follow”.
  19. :twothumbs: to both you guys... someone should be able to get good use out of them...
  20. I'd tell em the cat ate it... and the kitty litter box is in the back hall..... PS here's a free online course to study the Constitution https://online.hillsdale.edu/con101/register3?4.
  21. MURSITPINAR, Turkey (AP) — In the Turkish town of Suruc, across the border from the beleaguered Syrian town of Kobani, several hundred people gathered Tuesday at a cemetery to bury four female Kurdish fighters who died there fighting extremists from the Islamic State group. Waving colorful Kurdish flags and with many wearing traditional headscarves, they chanted slogans in support of their brethren in Kobani, where Kurdish fighters are zealously defending the town. The four coffins, draped in Kurdish flags and the flag of the main Kurdish militia fighting in Kobani — known as the YPG — were lowered into the ground as some people cried silently. Others wept more openly. Many families came to pray for other fighters who were killed in previous days and have been buried at the same cemetery. They were seen sitting by the makeshift graves of their loved ones, crying. Some placed flowers on top of graves.
  22. Well that pretty much leaves you alone on the planet in disbelief.... I posted Obama's reference to it in the Kobani Update thread here on DV... He was addressing the world military leaders.... I guess they all did believe the article.... Here is another article.... from today.. (emphasis is in article and not mine).. One administration’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. Just ask the PKK. The militant Kurdish independence group, known formally as the Kurdistan Workers Party, suffered strikes from Turkish fighter jets against its positions in southeastern Turkey — even as PKK-linked forces battle Islamic State militants in and around the Syrian town of Kobani. Turkey, whose conflict with the PKK stretches back three decades, was reportedly retaliating after shells struck a Turkish military base. Deadly riots have also broken out recently in Kurdish areas of Turkey, fueled by perceptions that the Turkish government has been colluding to undermine Kurdish factions fighting in Syria. The PKK is officially designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) by the United States. As reported previously by The Intercept, the NSA under both the Bush and Obama Administrations actively aided the Turkish military in targeting this group and has provided intelligence used to kill its members. However, in yet another ironic twist to U.S. foreign policy in the region, this ostensible terrorist organization is now an important American partner in halting the expansion of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. The PKK today in part represent the “boots on the ground” in Syria that many observers have said are necessary to any serious campaign to reverse the spread of this group. In other words, the Bush administration’s terrorist group has become the Obama administration’s freedom fighters. Despite this, and despite facing a shared danger from ISIS, the PKK and Turkey have not been able to put aside their differences. Indeed, their conflict appears to be escalating to new heights. These airstrikes represent the first major Turkish military action against the PKK in two years and are likely to generate further reprisals. Though hugely counterproductive to containing ISIS, the Turkish strikes neatly illustrate how contradictory and incomprehensible American policy in the Middle East is right now. The United States would surely prefer that Turkey not bomb the PKK right now, but how can it object to attacking a group that the U.S. itself designates as a terrorist organization? It would likewise be hard for the U.S. to publicly protect other key entities willing and able to fight ISIS, including Al-Qaeda-connected militants like Jabhat al-Nusra, paramilitary groups such as Hezbollah, or countries such as Iran, which is both the the only state to show a commitment to fighting ISIS on the ground and an official state sponsor of terrorism in the eyes of the U.S. State Department. The U.S. has shown no real resolve in turning such groups into a real anti-ISIS coalition. Whatever American politicians may say in public, official U.S. policy toward the conflict in Syria largely amounts to “everyone’s a terrorist”. Recent American airstrikes reached beyond ISIS targets to other extremist groups, helping to unite against the U.S. various factions that had beforehand been at odds. The people on the ground fighting ISIS today in Kobani are the same ones whose comrades were recently being described as terrorists and killed with the direct assistance of the NSA. Turkey’s airstrikes yesterday are simply a continuation of these policies, and the natural result of such designations. If the United States is serious about combating ISIS, it needs to look past its dated and counterproductive FTO list and start reevaluating who its real enemies are today. .
  23. Ahhhh Yeah.... see recent SOFA thread discussion for context of this recent lamenting..... Oy... .
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.