In The News

Muslim Pilgrims Begin Hajj Pilgrimage

October 8, 2014
Saudi Arabia has dispatched more security personnel and health workers for this year’s annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca – 85,000 security and civil defense officers and 18 aircraft and Black Hawk helicopters have been deployed, reports Agence France Presse. This security expansion is largely in response to the alarming spread of the Islamic State on the attack in Iraq and Syria and threatening...

As ISIS Take Kobane, NATO's Second Largest Army Sits on the Sidelines

Alexander Christie-Miller October 8, 2014
Most countries would swiftly intervene if a small town on the border was under attack by a vicious group that threatens to topple governments throughout the region. But Turkey, a NATO member, balks as Islamic State terrorists attack the small Syrian town of Kobane, suggesting it will help only “if there was a broader military commitment by Turkey’s allies to create a no-fly-zone in northern Syria...

Jihadists Leverage Social Media to Condemn US-Led Airstrikes

Matthew Hillburn October 3, 2014
Islamic State extremists rely on social media, specifically Twitter, to critique US airstrikes in Syria and Iraq. Tweets show graphic images of civilian deaths, exaggerate IS military success and issue threats to civilians of specific nations. Verification of the report or a reason for such deaths is impossible in the war zone. The jihadists also criticize Arab nations participating in the air...

War Against the Islamic State

Talmiz Ahmad October 1, 2014
The differences between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran seem small compared with barbaric plans for the region by Islamic State terrorists. Fast-spreading violence and a growing refugee crisis compel a coordinated response from Iran and Saudi Arabia to defend the region, argues Talmiz Ahmad, former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia and other nations in the region, for the Hindu. He calls for...

Watch Three Mideastern Developments Very Carefully

Rami G. Khouri September 29, 2014
The Middle East is under fire and dealing with the chaos encourages strange bedfellows. Violent rampages of Islamic State terrorists, alarm all and could spur new cooperation. Most players support US-led strikes in Iraq and Syria, coordinated with five Arab states, though many claim the intervention comes too late. Other critics ask how intervention can be applied without instigating more...

Europe's Muslims Stand Up to ISIS With Public Protests, Twitter Campaign

September 26, 2014
The world has more than 1 billion Muslims and the vast majority reject that the Islamic State terrorists represent their faith. “From Norway in the far north to Germany and France, Muslims have taken to the streets to denounce the IS militants controlling large areas of Iraq and Syria who they say have hijacked their religion and terminology to spread hate and breed violence,” reports Agence...

Dockyard Attackers Planned to Hijack Navy Frigate

Fahim Zaman and Naziha Syed Ali September 17, 2014
Extremists can sign up for military service and bide their time, as suggested by a September 6th attempted hijack of a navy frigate in Karachi for an unstated purpose. The Pakistani government resisted releasing details, reports Dawn, perhaps because 17 serving navy personnel, including a senior officer, allegedly participated, using rocket launchers, assault rifles and hand-grenades. The Dawn...