Experts describe the footage obtained by Sky News of a “jihadi technical college” as an intelligence gold mine. Terror group Islamic State is employing scientists and weapons experts to train jihadists to carry out sophisticated “spectacular” attacks in Europe, while also modifying weapons systems capable of targeting passenger jets and military aircraft. From a “jihadi…
Category: Syria
ISIS Corner: ISIS Executes Journalist and Then Hacks Her Facebook to find New Targets
Islamic State militants hacked the Facebook account of a female journalist they had executed, reportedly keeping her death a secret for months so they could pose as her to trap her friends and colleagues. ISIS killed 30-year-old Ruqia Hassan in September, accusing her of spying for the Free Syrian Army, a moderate rebel group. But…
10 Conflicts to Watch in 2016
Pulling together a list of the wars most in need of international attention and support in 2016 is challenging for all the wrong reasons. For 20 years after the end of the Cold War, deadly conflict was in decline. Fewer wars were killing fewer people the world over. Five years ago, however, that positive…
Bad-Ass of the Week: He Escaped an ISIS Prison and Has a Message for BHO
With all the publicity ISIS gets, there aren’t many first-hand accounts from people they’ve taken prisoner escaping and living to tell the tale. Through Hamody Jasim, a former Sergeant Major in the Iraqi military, Independent Journal was given a rare opportunity. Jasim, the author of the Terrorist Whisperer, connected us with Master Sergeant Karam Saad, whom he served with during the…
Ankara’s Hidden Hand: Turkish Covert Ops Then and Now
To put it mildly, Turkey has been substantially involved in Syria since the eruption of the Arab Spring in 2011. After Turkish F-16s recently downed a Su-24 Russian tactical bomber over the region where Turkmen anti-Assad groups are based, Turkish President Erdogan tacitly confirmed Turkey’s covert support for Syrian rebels fighting against Damascus, stating that “anyone…
Mosul: Turkey’s Fulda Gap
With all the hoopla lately between Russia and Turkey, this is an interesting article to consider. As I have been studying the history of the Middle East this year, I have added The Fall of the Ottomans to my 2016 reading list. -SF “Our national borders pass through Antioch and span east-ward, containing Mosul,…
Crusader Corner: Islamic Countries BAN Christmas
With all the hooplah lately about Donald Trump being called a bigot and xenophobe because of his stance toward islam and muslims, I ask you, what is it called when an ENTIRE COUNTRY that is dominated by a so called “peaceful” and “tolerant” religion (islam) BANS the celebration of Christmas? I say let’s call islam…
Forged ISIS Video Praises Obama’s Backing
Is is Real or is it Memorex Folks?? An apparently forged ISIS video disseminated online Monday praised President Obama and called for joint U.S. action with the terrorist group against Russian intervention in Syria. The five-minute video also called for designating Obama as the caliph, or ruler, of ISIS. ISIS supporters on Twitter were quick…
Islam, Europe and the Tet Offensive, Take Two
Matthew Bracken is a former Navy SEAL with a BA in Russian Studies from the University of Virginia. In 1983 he led a Naval Special Warfare detachment to Beirut, Lebanon. Links to his short stories and essays can be found at EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com. More than a decade ago I wrote my first novel, Enemies Foreign and…
Crusader Corner #6: U.S. Vets Return to Iraq to fight ISIS
KIRKUK, Iraq — Some American veterans of Iraq can’t bear watching the country they fought to secure lost to the forces of ISIS. Incredibly, some are returning to Iraq as volunteer soldiers. For these former U.S. soldiers it’s a return to a deadly war zone, but this time they’re fighting alongside the Kurdish Peshmerga forces….