War

When last we checked in on the battle for Ramadi, Iraqi forces had all but liberated the city, which fell to ISIS in May after what Defense Secretary Ash Carter says was a remarkable display of cowardice by the US-trained Iraqi regulars. 

The city, some 60 miles west of Baghdad, is key both strategically and psychologically. It’s the veritable “heartland” of Iraq’s Sunni community and its liberation is seen as a kind of rehearsal for a planned operation in Mosul which fell to ISIS 18 months ago. 

Daesh and al-Nusra fighters have started surrendering their heavy weapons in the southern Damascus district of Yarmouk. According to a military source, UN representatives and Syrian army engineers have begun accepting heavy weapons from Islamic militants at the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee Camp on Thursday. Sputnik reports: “The militants who have given up their weapons will be taken toward Beer al-Qasab, an eastern suburb of Damascus, with their families,” the military source told RIA Novosti.

It is incumbent on Christians and Muslims, who make up half of the world population to come together and create a safe and secure world for every human. Here is the history making start.

This new civil war chapter offers a window of opportunity for a really serious power player -- as Erdogan, foolishly, now fights on two fronts, internal (Kurds) and external (Moscow). Sooner or later Moscow's support for the YPG Syrian Kurds may translate into decisive support for the PKK inside Turkey. Erdogan's civil war strategy leads to a dead end.

The U.S. is accused of delaying an Iraqi army victory against ISIL in Ramadi and Falloujah. The delay is allegedly to help the U.S. evacuate top ISIL leaders and move them out of the area. Fars News Agency reports: A commander of volunteer forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) disclosed the US plots to evacuate ISIL leaders from the city of Ramadi as Iraqi army and popular troops are completing victory over the terrorist group.