The Abadi government in Iraq already has enough reasons to be pessimistic about their chances of beating ISIS and reunification of the country afterwards, since they lose seemingly every major battle against ISIS. Analysts are increasingly concerned, however, that pessimistic comments out of the US are going to really weigh on them. Testifying to the House Armed Services Committee last week, Defense Secretary Ash Carter offered a pretty negativeassessment on the Iraqi military. But the real eye-opener for some was the revelation within his comments that the Pentagon is already opening planning for the contingency that Iraq will never be reunified at all. Though the…

  SACRIFICE: A woe-is-me claim by office-seekers who lament the hardships they’re supposedly enduring – in an entirely voluntary endeavor.   Consider Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who recently made out his 2016 Republican presidential bid to be an act of self-sacrifice. In a fundraising e-mail, Cruz complained of time away from his wife and two young daughters, plus the financial burden it was imposing.   Cruz told of his sacrifice of “sleep with long nights and constant travel. And the pizza diet is a staple on the campaign trail.” He added, “The cost of campaigning back and forth across the…

دمشق ـ أ ف ب ـ اعلنت عشائر سورية الجمعة رفضها الدعم الذي اعلنه العاهل الاردني عبد الله الثاني والذي رأت فيه نية بتسليح العشائر، مؤكدة ولاءها للحكومة والجيش السوريين. وجاء هذا الموقف ردا على ما نقلته وكالة الانباء الاردنية الرسمية “بترا” الاثنين عن الملك الاردني لجهة تأكيده “واجب” الدولة الاردنية في “دعم العشائر في شرق سوريا وغرب العراق”، في اشارة واضحة الى المناطق التي يتواجد فيها تنظيم الدولة الاسلامية. وقالت العشائر السورية في رسالة وجهتها الى العاهل الاردني وتلاها شيخ قبيلة طي، محمد فارس العبد الرحمن، ْ في مؤتمر صحافي عقد في دمشق، “علمنا عبر وسائل الاعلام مضمون تصريحاتكم التي تعلنون فيها نواياكم…

Memo: Our   Winning Strategy in EuropeFrom: Russian Strategic Planning CellTo: President Vladimir Putin 1. Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on our outstanding series of strategic moves in Europe. We have consolidated our annexation of Crimea, which now finds its rightful place back as part of Mother Russia. Your series of “snap exercises” all around the periphery of our country have clearly frightened NATO. Additionally, the brilliant concept of “hybrid warfare,” combining the deployment of Spetsnaz special forces, additional Russian troops and trainers in unmarked uniforms, vigorous propaganda, information warfare, and cyberattacks has everyone’s attention. And NATOfreely admits it is not ready to…

JOHANNESBURG: Hollywood actress and UN ambassador for refugees Angelina Jolie has called on men attending the AU Summit to intensify efforts to stop the rape of women, especially in conflict-torn areas. In Africa, sexual violence was being treated as a lesser crime with greater levels of impunity, as armed groups on the continent used it as a weapon of war, Jolie noted. Sexual crimes against women were becoming the weapon of choice for armed groups all over the world because these often happened without punishment, she said. “The near total impunity that exists worldwide for crimes against women in conflict…