Syria

Russian aircraft have conducted over 300 sorties and hit nearly 1,100 Daesh terrorist targets in Syria since the beginning of 2016, according to an announcement by the Russian General Staff on Monday. He added that terrorist groups operating in Syria continue to receive reinforcements via Turkey Sputnik reports: “With the help of the Russian aviation the Syrian Democratic Forces under the command of Ayman Flyat al-Ganim continue the advance on the Daesh capital — Raqqa. They have taken control over al-Salhiya, Rdzheman-Alaia, el-Qria and Hadriyat-Ayn-Isa,”Rudskoy said.

Submitted by Nauman Sadiq

Islamic radicalism, a consequence of Petro-imperialism:

“There are reasonable concerns about the safety and security of the citizenry of the State of Texas regarding these refugees.”

That’s a quote from federal court documents filed in connection with a lawsuit the state of Texas brought against the State Department last year in an effort to block the Obama administration’s plan to settle Syrian refugees in the Lone Star State.

On Thursday, Alabama sued the federal government as well.

On Wednesday, we took a close look at the battle for Libya’s oil.

Libya, much like Syria, is a case study in why the West would be better off not intervening in the affairs of sovereign states on the way to bringing about regime change. “Toppling dictators” sounds good in principle, but at the end of the day, it’s nearly impossible to predict what will emerge from the power vacuums the US creates when Washington destabilizes governments.

“We are helpless and not being able to do anything against this deliberate destruction to the oil installations. NOC urges all faithful and honorable people of this homeland to hurry to rescue what is left from our resources before it is too late.”

That’s from Libya’s National Oil Corp and as you might have guessed, it references the seizure of state oil assets by Islamic State, whose influence in the country has grown over the past year amid the power vacuum the West created by engineering the demise of Moammar Qaddafi.