Kurdish endurance and success in the fight against ISIS terrorism in Iraq and Syria is putting the U.S., an old ally of the stateless Kurds in the Middle East, in a pickle. Moscow’s influence in the region and the Kurdish desire for self governance could pivot the alliance from the U.S. toward Russia.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has claimed credit for hindering the spread of ISIS terrorism and stopping radicals taking control of Iraq and Syria. RFE/RL reports: Hassan Rohani made his comments April 23 in Tehran at a United Nations-sponsored event. The IS group evolved in part from the remnants of Al-Qaeda’s network in Iraq after it was defeated by U.S. forces. The extremist Sunni group has slaughtered those groups it believes violate its strict interpretation of Islam, including Shi’a, who it considers to be apostates.
An ISIS insider has told U.S. prosecutors that the terrorist organisation has plans to infiltrate America by entering via the Mexican-U.S. border, allowing militants from Syria to execute attacks on U.S. soil. Gules Ali Omar, one of the men accused in Minnesota of trying to join ISIS, informed the Islamic State about the route it could take so that militants could carry out attacks on America.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Russia of firing at two Israeli military aircraft flying over Syria, and has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to address it’s coordination efforts with Israel in Syria. The Kremlin have responded by calling the Israeli regime delusional, saying “In this case, Israeli press reports are far from reality.” Yahoo News reports: But Netanyahu, in remarks published by Israeli reporters whom he briefed by phone on his talks on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said “there have been problems” regarding Israeli military freedo
Russian ‘Spetsnaz’ special forces commandos have been in Syria since 2014. But what are the deadly forces doing there? Russia Insider explains: Russia reported that a key element in the Syrian conquest of Palmyra in late March 2016 was the presence of Spetsnaz commandos with the Syrian troops. As expected the Spetsnaz served as ground controllers to call in air strikes by Russian bombers and helicopter gunships. Spetsnaz also used their reconnaissance skills to find ISIL positions and call in Syrian troops or an airstrike.