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Terror in Europe

How To Defeat ISIS? Only A Global Coalition – And Ground Troops

NEW YORK — French President Francois Hollande pledged a “pitiless” war on ISIS after Friday’s Paris massacre. Russian President Vladimir Putin says his nation is focused on “finding and punishing the perpetrators” who downed a Russian passenger jet over Egypt. U.S. President Barack Obama says the goal is to “degrade and ultimately destroy this barbaric terrorist organization.” How? That’s the question none of these men seems willing to answer. Here’s one idea that, while not optimal militarily, might hedge the political risk: Form a broad alliance, akin to the one that pushed Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait in 1991, […]

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Society Terror in Europe

A “European Union Of Jihadists” — ISIS Has Its Own EU Army

-Analysis- PARIS — The Nov. 13 attacks that saw jihadists slaughter at least 129 people in Paris raise two crucial questions: Who ordered these attacks? And who carried them out? The answer to the first is ISIS, the so-called Islamic State that spreads terror, slaughters Muslims and non-Muslims, destroys treasured monuments inherited from centuries and […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Assad At Ease, An Exclusive Face-To-Face In A Surreal Damascus

Monica Maggioni, head of Italy’s Rai news service, recounts her meeting this week with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad inside his private Damascus villa: “He looks nothing like the defeated leaders of this era.”

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Terror In Mali, EU Talks Tighter Borders, 13th Beatles Album?

JIHADISTS ATTACK MALI HOTEL Ten gunmen screaming “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greater”) stormed the luxurious Radisson Blu Hotel this morning in the Mali capital of Bamako, initially taking at least 140 guests and 30 staff members hostage, Reuters reports. Eighty hostages have since been freed, but citing an unnamed UN official, CNN reports that at […]

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Terror in Europe

French, World Magazine Covers One Week After Paris Attacks

PARIS — One week after the Paris terrorist attacks that killed at least 129, here are some of the magazine covers from France and other countries around the world: FRANCE “How to defeat ISIS” — L’Obs “Our war” — Le Point “To souls, citizens” A reference to the French national anthem “La Marseillaise“ — Courrier […]

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Brussels Police Conduct Raids, French PM Warns Of Chemical Attack

BELGIAN POLICE RAIDS IN BRUSSELS Belgian police conducted a series of raids in Brussels today to find information related to one of the Paris suicide bombers and also arrested someone during a separate house search, Reuters reports. FRENCH PM WARNS OF POSSIBLE CHEMICAL ATTACK ISIS could attempt chemical attacks in France and other European countries, […]

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Ideas Terror in Europe

They Call Us “Generation Bataclan” – A Young French Reflection

Dismissed and wooed as so-called millennials, a young French generation supplied both the targets and perpetrators of the Paris attack. Simple answers are nowhere to be found, though maybe this label will stick.

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Ideas Syria Crisis

On Syria, The West Must Now Make A Deal With Russia And Iran

-OpEd- PARIS — A majority of historians describe the Spanish Civil War, fought from 1936 to 1939, as a dress rehearsal for what came next, World War II. Will historians of the future be saying the same about the Syrian civil war? All you need to do is replace Nazi Germany and the Italian fascists […]

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Terror in Europe

Muslims In France: How The Paris Attacks Could Backfire For ISIS

There are signs that the reaction to Friday’s massacre may unite the country, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, in a more lasting way than the Charlie Hebdo attacks did in January.

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Charlie Hebdo’s Front Page Toast After Latest Paris Attacks

Charlie Hebdo, Nov. 17, 2015 “They’ve got the guns. Screw them, we’ve got the Champagne!” reads Charlie Hebdo“s much-awaited cover four days after the latest terrorist attacks that killed at least 129 people in Paris on Nov. 13. The ever-provocative satirical weekly was targeted in the last round of Islamist attacks in Paris, when 12 […]

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Ideas Terror in Europe

France v. ISIS, What This Kind Of War Requires

French President Francois Hollande has declared that his nation is at war against jihadist terrorism. But how do those words translate into action?

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Geopolitics Ideas Migrant Lives Terror in Europe

In Paris Aftermath, Rising Fears Across All Of Europe

PARIS — As investigators follow possible leads from Syria to Greece and Belgium, Friday’s deadly and meticulously coordinated assault in Paris was no doubt very much a European attack. Governments across the continent are busy taking measures to enhance security against a growing threat of similar coordinated terror assaults. FRANCE French authorities carried out anti-terror […]

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Geopolitics Terror in Europe

Paris Terror, How The Attack Was Seen Around The World (Video)

Paris Terror, How The Attack Was Seen Around… par Worldcrunch

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Merkel Migrant U-Turn, ISIS Loses Base, Singles Day Record

SYRIAN ARMY TAKES BACK KEY AIR BASE FROM ISIS The Syrian army has regained control of the Kwairis military airbase, near the northern city of Aleppo, ending a siege that started in April 2013 and was reinforced by ISIS in the spring of 2014, the Syrian Arab News Agency reports. According to experts quoted by […]

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Iran Warns ISIS: These Are Our Red Lines

TEHRAN — Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has warned the Sunni Islamist terror group ISIS not to approach Iranian territory or the Shia shrines in Iraq. Speaking at a gathering Friday in Tabas, in eastern Iran, Fazli said that ISIS should not get closer than 40 kilometers (25 miles) to Iran’s border nor attack […]

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Egypt Restricts Rescue Flights, Rumsfeld Responds, Kangaroo Gas

EGYPT RESTRICTS UK RESCUE FLIGHTS Egyptian authorities are restricting flights sent to rescue British tourists, who were stranded at the Sharm el-Sheikh airport after Saturday’s crash of a Russian plane, the BBC reports. Some 20 flights were planned to take British tourists back home today, but it appears that only about eight will depart. According […]

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ISIS Figures In Sinai Crash, Mexico’s Legal Pot, Tinder In

ISIS MAY HAVE CAUSED SINAI CRASH AFTER ALL There is significant evidence that an ISIS affiliate in Egypt was behind a suspected bomb attack on a Russian passenger plane that killed 224 people over the Sinai Peninsula Saturday, UK, U.S. and European officials told The Guardian. But Egypt and Russia still urge caution on making […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Lebanon, Quiet Metaphor Of The Middle East On The Brink

BEIRUT — An Italian diplomat once said that “the darkest corners of a crisis can be the most illuminating in understanding geopolitical dynamics.” This is where Lebanon finds itself: One of the few Middle Eastern countries that is not at war, yet one suffering in the trenches nonetheless. These days Lebanon is far from the […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Raqqa’s Black Market Suggests Crumbling ISIS Reign

The terror group has made its Syrian headquarters in the northern city of Raqqa, where those doing business with it report mounting ISIS financial difficulties and flagging morale.

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Dilma Detested, VW Posts Losses, In Defense Of Bratwurst

U.S. TO STEP UP ANTI-ISIS FIGHT The United States may soon dramatically escalate its military campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said at a Senate hearing yesterday that the new policy could include more “strikes from the air or direct action on the ground,” The Washington Post reports. The recommendations […]

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blog

U.S. Challenges China, Taliban Urges Quake Aid, The Hugshake

U.S. SHIP CHALLENGES DISPUTED CHINA SEA A U.S. Navy ship sailed close to artificial islands built by China in the disputed South China Sea waters early today, The Washington Post quoted a U.S. defense official as saying. The move is a direct challenge to China’s territorial claims to this area, which the U.S. considers international […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, From Free Syrian Army To Allies Of ISIS

An exclusive look at the evolution of the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade through the words of members and locals in the Yarmouk Valley in southwestern Deraa.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

After Russia Enters Syria War, A Spike In Terror Threats At Home

MOSCOW — Russian intelligence services are pursuing a network of Islamic State (ISIS) militants operating in Russia as the country faces an increase in terrorist activity, in response to Moscow’s recent air campaign in Syria. Kommersant has learned that a group of terror suspects, said to be trained in Syria, were detained after a raid […]

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blog

Hillary Holds, Dilma Sinks, Sodom Found

U.S.-RUSSIA TALKS OVER SYRIA CAMPAIGNS U.S. and Russian officials are expected to meet today for a third round of talks to discuss safety procedures in their respective Syrian campaigns after what the BBC describes as a “near-miss” on Saturday. American and Russian warplanes were reportedly in visual contact and within miles of each other. According […]

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Geopolitics Ideas

Ankara Attack, The Government Must Share The Blame

Saturday’s bombings in Turkey’s capital may be the worst in the nation’s history, with a toll approaching 100 dead. Some point the finger at President Erdogan’s ruling AKP party.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Putin’s Holy War: Syrians Outraged At Russia Intervention

Moscow’s decision to enter the Syrian conflict with bombing raids may bring smiles to the Assad regime. On the ground, ordinary Syrians are paying the price.

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Israel Violence, Nobel Peace Prize, Rome Mayor Quits

ISIS KILLS TOP IRANIAN COMMANDER ISIS killed Iranian Brigadier General Hossein Hamedani outside Aleppo overnight, Iranian military news agency Sepah News reports. Hamedani was providing military advice to Syrian government forces as part of support sent by Tehran. He was reportedly in charge of the Quds Force, a special unit fighting rebels in the war-torn […]

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics Syria Crisis

The Fiasco Of U.S. “Train And Equip” Against ISIS In Syria

ISTANBUL — The program to train and equip the “moderate opposition” in Syria, as long planned by the United States alongside Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, ended in utter failure. What led to this global diplomatic fiasco that has left the future of Syria looking so grim? The chain of problems began with the most […]

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MSF Bombing “War Crime,” France Floods, First Nobel

TURKEY AIRSPACE VIOLATION AN “ERROR,” RUSSIA CLAIMS The violation of the Turkish airspace by a Russian warplane over the weekend was a “navigation error,” Moscow has told Ankara, according to Turkish military sources quoted by Hürriyet. Two Turkish F-16 jets intercepted a Russian SU-30 hundreds of meters into Turkey’s airspace, near the Syrian border, for […]

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Geopolitics Ideas

Assad Is Not The Answer: Just Say No To Putin’s Syria Solution

The bloody Syrian stalemate unites Russia and the West, in a shared urgency to defeat ISIS. But the Syrian dictator, also an ISIS foe, should not be seen as a lesser evil.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

In Central Tunisia, Birthplace Of Arab Spring Now Jihad Hotbed

SIDI ALI BEN AOUN — Ali Chadli opens his eyes wide, incredulous even now. No, he had no idea his sons were planning to leave for Syria, where they eventually died. “They were praying as usual,” he says. “I hadn’t noticed anything particular.” The aging man invites us to take a seat next to the […]

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Geopolitics Migrant Lives

Salafists In Germany Target Refugees For Recruitment

Arriving in Germany every day, Syrians who have fled civil war are now the targets of the Salafi movement, radical Muslims who include those who espouse Islamis jihad.

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Japan Flooding, Russian Aid To Assad, Nobel For Merkel?

HUNGARY TRIES TO STEM REFUGEE TIDE Hungary may be considering deploying its army to help police stem the daily arrival of thousands of refugees at its southern border with Serbia. A new razor wire is being built along the border, and the Hungarian military was also staging border protection exercises yesterday, the BBC reports. Human […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

As Tensions Rise With U.S., Russia Teams Up With Iran To Help Assad

The U.S. is actively trying to block new Russian military aid to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. Moscow sees its best alternative is to team up with Tehran.

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Merkel’s Warning, Turkey’s War, Star Wars Preview

GERMANY CAN TAKE 500,000 REFUGEES A YEAR Photo: Paul Hackett/London News Pictures/ZUMA Germany can cope with at least 500,000 asylum seekers a year for several years, Die Welt quoted German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel as saying today, as authorities there expect to receive more than 800,000 this year alone (four times the 2014 figure). TURKEY […]

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Europe’s Refugee Crisis, Palin’s Gaffe, Super Stonehenge

THE LATEST ON EUROPE’S REFUGEE CRISIS Photo: Ray Tang/Rex Shutterstock/ZUMA The Austrian government has warned it could close its border to undocumented refugees after some 15,000 crossed the border from Hungary to Austria this weekend alone, Wiener Zeitung reports. But in neighboring Germany, the government has dedicated an extra 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) to […]

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Refugee Standoff, Google’s Birthday, U.S. Open Drone

REFUGEES SQUARE OFF WITH HUNGARIAN POLICE A standoff between refugees, many of them from war-torn Syria, and Hungarian police in the town of Bickse has entered its second day, with Die Welt reporting that some 500 people spent the night in the train station and were refusing to eat or drink until being allowed to […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

When Westerners Go To Syria To Fight Against ISIS

As radical Muslims from the West head to Syria to fight for Islamist forces, other foreigners are joining the Kurdish forces against them. But how useful are these volunteers?

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Geopolitics

Exclusive: Why Turkey Arrested Two Foreign Journalists

Two British reporters for VICE news, and their translator, have been charged as supporters of Kurdish group PKK, though they were first accused of being pro-ISIS.

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blog

Chinese Stocks, U.S. Sanctions, Rolls Royce Bribes

CHINA STOCKS RESUME SLIDE AMID CRACKDOWN Chinese equities fell again today despite ending higher on Friday, following a devastating week for the country’s stock markets. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.8%, and although the Shenzhen CSI 300 ended up 0.7%, both fell by as much as 4% at one point, Reuters reports. This came […]

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