Why Moderates Support Extreme Groups – It’s Not About Ideology
By Barbara F. Walter One of the big surprises since the end of the Cold War has been the growth of radical Islamist groups, especially those that adhere to Salafi […]
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai ‘We Failed Miserably’
In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai discusses the failure of the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan, the future of the war and why he would […]
Islamic State assassin: How I killed more than 100 people
Syria has been at war for seven long, deadly years. President Bashar al-Assad’s government is fighting both rebel groups and the jihadists of Islamic State. The northern city of Raqqa has been a key battleground for many factions in the conflict. This is the story of how one peaceful […]
As Syria rebels quit Douma, questions linger over detainees, activists
By AFP – Apr 14,2018 – JORDAN TIMES A vehicle carrying Jaish Al Islam fighters and their family members, evacuated from the Eastern Ghouta town of Douma, arrives at the […]
Amidst crowded battlefields, Syria’s welfare is lost
Feb 17,2018 – JORDAN TIMES – Walid M. Sadi There are at least seven discernible war fronts in Syria all occurring at the same time, but on different arenas. Of course, the warring parties are at each other’s throats and they all say they are fighting terrorists! Syria is now […]
It’s Not Islam That Drives Young Europeans to Jihad, France’s Top Terrorism Expert Explains
Olivier Roy, one of France’s top experts on Islamic terrorism, tells Haaretz how assailants like Salman Abedi in Manchester turn into ‘new radicals’ who crave death Davide Lerner (Ankara) Aug 20, 2017 This article was originally published in May 2017 following a terror attack in Manchester and […]
View from Turkey: US funds ‘Turkey’s al-Qaida’
HILAL KAPLAN @hilal_kaplan On July 21, U.S. Army Gen. Raymond Thomas, the head of Special Operations Command, said that he was the one advising the People’s Protection Units (YPG) to rebrand itself in order to produce an argument against Turkey’s rightful accusation that the U.S. is working with a […]
A Little Knowledge of Islam Is a Dangerous Thing
By Omair Ahmad on 14/09/2017 Without understanding the context of words such as Wahhabi, Salafi and Takfiri, reportage on Islamic militancy may obscure more than it reveals. Reporting on militancy in the name of Islam without understanding the context of some of the words used may obscure more than they reveal. […]
The mouse that roared: How Saudi Arabia underestimated Qatar
Catherine Shakdam is a political analyst, writer and commentator for the Middle East with a special focus on radical movements and Yemen. A regular pundit on RT and other networks her work has appeared in major publications: MintPress, the Foreign Policy Journal, Mehr News and many others.Director of Programs […]
The destruction of the al-Nuri mosque in Mosul is another example of the ‘culturecide’ we’ve become so used to
While lives are lost every day, it is destruction of cities and monuments that drives home the vicious nature of conflict throughout history Robert Fisk @indyvoices The al-Nuri mosque was blown up by Isis last week AP Over the years, I’ve almost lost count of the priceless treasures of art […]
Israel ‘giving secret aid to Syrian rebels’, report says
Source: Independent Direct funding, food, fuel and medical supplies allegedly provided by Israeli state to keep Isis and Iranian-allied forces in neighbouring civil war at bay Bethan McKernan Beirut @mck_beth […]
Israel Reportedly Providing Direct Aid, Funding to Syrian Rebels
It’s been known that Israeli hospitals have treated wounded Syrian fighters, but Wall Street Journal report uncovers direct support in cash, without which fighters say they ‘wouldn’t have survived’ Haaretz Jun 19, 2017 Israel has been secretly providing aid to Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights for years with the […]
‘Intense’ strikes pound east Damascus after opposition assault
Agence France Presse | Published — Monday 20 March 2017 An opposition fighter fires a machine gun in Jobar, on the outskirts of Damascus. (AFP) BEIRUT: Syrian warplanes hammered opposition-held neighborhoods of Damascus on Monday after regime forces pushed back a surprise assault that saw opposition try to fight their […]
58 dead, ‘dozens’ wounded in raids on Aleppo mosque
FRENCH PRESS AGENCY – AFP BEIRUT AA Photo The US military says it carried out an air strike in northern Syria against an Al-Qaeda target, but denies deliberately targeting a mosque where at least 42 people were killed according to an independent monitor. Turkey’s official Anadolu Agency reported that the […]
US Senator John McCain makes secret trip to northern Syria
DAILY SABAH ISTANBUL AA Photo United States Rep. Senator, John McCain, who met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Monday, has announced that he went to Syria before coming to Turkey. McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, reportedly visited the city of northern Syrian city […]
U.S. general wants thousands more troops to break Afghan stalemate
Reuters International FEB 9, 2017 – U.S. Army General John Nicholson, Commander of Resolute Support forces and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, speaks during a memorial ceremony to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in Kabul, Afghanistan September 11, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani (reuters_tickers) By Phil Stewart and Idrees […]
Africa’s unique vulnerability to violent extremism
Jan 14,2017 – JORDAN TIMES – Mohamed Yahya Africa bears the brunt of lives lost, economies ruined and relationships fractured by terrorism. It is the continent where Al Qaeda launched its war against the United States in 1998, by bombing the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; […]
UN cease-fire efforts for Yemen gain backing from Saudi Arabia
ARAB NEWS | Published — Tuesday 18 October 2016 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chairs the weekly Cabinet meeting in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA) RIYADH: The warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire which is to take effect shortly before midnight Wednesday, the […]
Aleppo will eventually fall, but Syrian war will go on
Aleppo’s fall would not be expected to end war in Syria By Reuters – Oct 09,2016 – JORDAN TIMES In this April 21, 2014, file photo, provided by the anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Centre, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian […]
Yemen: The ‘forgotten war’ cloaked in the shadow of Syria
By Hakim Almasmari and Angela Dewan, for CNN October 9, 2016 Tune into CNN International on Sunday at 4 p.m. CET for a full report on the Yemen war. Sanaa […]