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Jerusalem in Buenes Aires for the first time. @elalusa Report w/Malcolm Hoenlein @conf_of_pres. @thadmccotter
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Argentina on a visit seeking to strengthen ties with the country harboring Latin America's largest Jewish community, leaving just as police investigations against him intensify and days after Israel's attorney general announced plans to indict the prime minister’s wife Sara with fraud. Netanyahu arrived Monday, marking the first visit to Latin America by an Israeli leader since the creation of the Israeli state in 1948. He is also scheduled to visit Colombia and Mexico before going to New York, where he will address the UN General Assembly on September 26. Netanyahu is expected to meet with President Mauricio Macri on Tuesday and press for answers on two unsolved terror attacks in Argentina. read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.811826 Signs of Saudi Arabia-Iran thaw
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Al Mayadeen TV on Sept. 6, “We are prepared to cooperate with Islamic countries on all issues that are important to the Islamic world. … If the Saudi government is ready to turn the page, Iran is ready for that as well." Although Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir termed Zarif’s gesture as “laughable,” there are signs that a slow thaw may be in the works, the result of a shifting regional landscape. The Iran-Saudi Arabia fault line runs deep, as they back different sides in the Syria and Yemen wars. In September 2015, Iranian officials blamed Saudi officials for mismanagement following a stampede during the hajj in Mecca that left over 2,400 dead, including more than 400 Iranians. In January 2016, Iranian crowds ransacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran following the kingdom’s execution of Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Riyadh broke ties with Iran soon after. Despite Jubeir’s reaction to Zarif, the trend lines may signal a subtle reset. First, Iran and Saudi Arabia worked out arrangements for Iranian participation in the hajj this year, after Iran banned its citizens from pilgrimage last year. Both governments have downplayed pending visits by Saudi and Iranian officials to inspect diplomatic sites. More importantly, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may be seeking to cut his losses on costly involvement in the Syria and Yemen wars. United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said Sept. 7 that the Syria war is winding down, and that “for the opposition, the message is very clear: If they were planning to win the war, facts are proving that is not the case. So now it's time to win the peace.” Saudi Arabia has continued to engage and rally the Syrian opposition to unite in support of UN-brokered discussions of a political transition. In Yemen, the kingdom is facing increased international scrutiny for airstrikes on civilian targets. The toll of the war on Yemen, including a cholera outbreak affecting over 500,000 people, more than half of them children, has been a public relations nightmare for Saudi Arabia — with no end in sight and the prospects of a chronic failed state on the Arabian Peninsula. Iran’s support for Houthi armed groups has served to prolong the conflict, but its intervention is low cost, relative to Saudi Arabia’s quagmire. Another sign of shifts in Yemen’s political winds is the role of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has attempted to patch up recent disagreements with his Houthi allies. Many believe Saleh may be playing all sides, including Saudi Arabia, in a bid to retain his decadeslong role as Yemen’s ultimate power broker. The tipping point for Saudi Arabia may eventually be buyer’s remorse on the consequences of isolating Qatar. By shattering Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) unity, Riyadh and its partners have lost their strategic depth, compelling states to cut their own deals with Iran. Not surprisingly, Qatar is first in, as we explained here last month. Oman has always preferred dialogue over confrontation. One wonders if Dubai, which has maintained solid commercial ties with Iran, may eventually influence Abu Dhabi, which has taken the lead on a much tougher line on Iran. This all came to a head last week during the visit of the emir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to Washington. The emir was quick to anticipate the crisis caused by the rupture with Qatar in June and immediately set about seeking to broker a reconciliation. During Sabah’s visit, a call brokered by US President Donald Trump between the Saudi crown prince and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani appears to have gone badly, ending in further recriminations from both sides. In retrospect, the US-Saudi-Islamic summit in May may have served as the high-water mark of an approach to regional affairs that was over before it started. Since the summit, the GCC has been facing its worse crisis ever. Meanwhile, Iran is building a network of partnerships — Iraq, Syria, Qatar, Turkey and Hamas, both Sunni and Shiite — which makes it increasingly the center of the action. The Saudi crown prince, who has set an ambitious course of economic and social modernization for his country, understands better than most the costs of declining assets. There are deep reasons for Saudi-Iranian hostility, and no turnaround happens quickly, especially in the Middle East. But the dividends of building bridges, rather than burning them, may be the lessons learned that will inform a reset in both Riyadh, Tehran and other regional capitals. Turkey weighs US, Russian reaction to next steps in Syria Mohammed al-Khatieb reports this week on the fighting between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) that is backed by Turkey on the outskirts of Aleppo. The SDF is comprised mostly of fighters drawn from the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) that Turkey claims are linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which both Ankara and Washington consider a terrorist organization. Khatieb writes that the village of Kaljibrin, which is controlled by the FSA and sits 18 miles north of Aleppo, “is subject to daily mortar shells and artillery barrage by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control the nearby village of Ayn Daqnah.” Khatieb explains, “The northern Aleppo countryside, near the contact point between the FSA and the SDF, has been the scene of recent mutual bombings, as Turkish military bases shell the SDF-controlled territories along the contact line. And in turn, the SDF retaliates by bombing FSA-controlled areas. As a result, civilian casualties are heavy on both sides. Since its entry into Syrian territory on Aug. 24, 2016, the Turkish army has established several military bases in the north of Aleppo, within the scope of Operation Euphrates Shield. The exact number of these bases is not known, but they are said to include tanks, artillery and communication centers.” The battles between the SDF and thr FSA outside of Aleppo come as Turkey weighs further military action against the YPG in northern Syria, including in Afrin, which is opposed by both the United States and Russia, Semih Idiz writes. Idiz reports, “The YPG announced Aug. 29 that Russian military observers would be deployed to Afrin and al-Shahba region in northwestern Syria ‘to coordinate with Kurdish and local forces with a view to maintaining security.’” “The Russian move in Afrin and al-Shahba region also comes at a time when the United States issued a demarche to Turkey over ‘multiple attacks’ by the FSA on US troops in northern Syria in the past few weeks,” Idiz continues. “Some of these reportedly took place as US Defense Secretary James Mattis was in Ankara for talks. Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition against IS, said later that they 'reserved the right to defend themselves.' Many took this as a warning not just to the FSA but also to Turkey. Complicating matters is the fact that Ankara is said to be working with Russia for some kind of a trade-off between Afrin and the city of Idlib, which is held in part by the FSA and in part by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a successor group to Jabhat al-Nusra that is on Washington's and Moscow’s hit lists.” Pakistani foreign minister visits Iran to discuss US Afghanistan policy Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif arrived in Tehran today to meet with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani. The talks will focus on Afghanistan following US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to send more troops to the war-torn nation. Trump’s Aug. 21 policy speech raised eyebrows in Pakistan after he accused the South Asian country of supporting “agents of chaos, violence and terrorism.” PAKISTAN: Former Al-Qaida Operatives Launch New Militant Group in Pakistan
By Noor Zahid & Fazal Aziz, Voice of America: “A new al-Qaida-inspired militant group, which has recently emerged in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi claims to act as a platform for militants who have grown disaffected with the Islamic State militant group (IS) in the country."
The next Middle East war. @jedbabbin
http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/3/the-next-war-against-israel/ Afghanistan: Two Neglected Discussions By Phil Walter, PhilWalter1058: “While debates in Washington D.C. continue as to what U.S. policy towards Afghanistan should entail, two discussions have been neglected: 1. What are U.S. core interests in Afghanistan and what are their intensity.” Fighting in Three Realms: Democratic, Autocratic, and Ideological By Stanley J. Wiechnik, Strategy Bridge: “Where possible, an adversary will seek to constrain its enemy’s diplomatic relations, sow doubt in the veracity of the nation’s leadership, or cause panic in their financial markets. Not all political systems rely on each of these elements equally. Therefore, it is worth thinking about which political systems are most vulnerable to attacks on which element of national power. ” Reading the Poetry of War By Eric M. Murphy & Linda A. Sanders, Strategy Bridge: “The poetry of war provides a record of our experience of war beyond the finite and the historical. We can play back and recall or raise up glory and ignominy, pride and shame, life and death, the transcendent and the divine.” The Army Reserve’s Troubling Little Secret
By David Harrell, Modern War Institute: “... over the last seventeen years of high-tempo deployments, with additional requirements for special operations forces opening up in locations every year from Africa to South America, active duty forces have had to rely on support from reserve civil affairs units like never before. ” ISRAEL, SYRIA: Israeli Airstrike Hits Syrian Chemical Facilities
By Thomas Joscelyn, FDD's Long War Jour.: “The airstrikes were launched less than a day after the United Nations released a report saying it has documented “25 incidents of chemical weapons use in the Syrian Arab Republic” between Mar. 2013 and Mar. 2017. Twenty of these “were perpetrated by government forces and used primarily against civilians.” Tunisia’s parliament approves reshuffled government The Tunisian parliament issued a vote of confidence for Prime Minister Youssef Chahed’s new government on Monday, allowing the Cabinet to push ahead with economic reforms. Chahed, from the secular Nidaa Tunis party, reshuffled the government last week by replacing 13 ministers. The prime minister hopes to reduce the budget deficit and cut public wages within the next three years. Tunisia unveils 'war' government
Tunisia’s Prime Minister Youssef Chahed of the secular Nidaa Tounes party reshuffled the government on Wednesday by replacing 13 ministers, including the ministers of interior, defense and finance. Chahed dubbed his new team a “war government” and tasked it with fighting "terrorism, corruption, unemployment and regional inequality.” Eleven of the newly appointed ministers had served under former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was toppled in the 2011 Arab Spring protests. Six of the 13 new ministers are Nidaa Tounes allies while three went to members of Nida Tounes’ coalition partner, the moderate Islamist party Ennahda. Chahed has also given Ennahda the portfolio on new economic reforms. The reshuffle is expected to alleviate tensions between the two parties ahead of presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December 2019. Israel hits alleged chemical weapons factory in Syria An Israeli airstrike struck a Syrian army position near the town of Masyaf in Hama province early today, killing two people, according to the Syrian military. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a watchdog group monitoring the war, reported that the strike targeted a government facility that could be used to produce chemical weapons. The Syrian army warned against the “dangerous repercussions” that such action could have on the region. Meanwhile, Israel also reportedly struck a Hezbollah weapons convoy obtained from the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which contained chemical weapons tipped missiles, according to Syrian opposition sources. Israeli authorities have not confirmed or denied either incident. Russia establishes de-confliction zone in northern Syria
Russia has unilaterally established a de-confliction zone north of the Syrian city of Aleppo “to prevent provocations and possible clashes between the Free Syrian Army in northern Syria and Kurdish militia,” senior Russian military officer Sergei Rudskoi said Wednesday. Forces loyal to Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime and Russian military police replaced Kurdish fighters in the area and erected checkpoints. According to Rudskoi, the zone set up in the Tal Rifaat district allowed about 400 Syrians to return to their homes. Separately, United Nations envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Wednesday called for a national cease-fire, saying that the Syrian opposition must accept that it did not win the years-long conflict. De Mistura noted that most countries have entered the conflict mainly to fight the Islamic State and that Syrian regime forces have nearly finished liberating Deir ez-Zor while the fall of Raqqa to the US-led coalition and Kurdish forces is imminent.
Trump’s war in Afghanistan. @jedbabbin @amspec
That conclusion is that we are the insurgents, not the Taliban, not ISIS, not al-Qaeda or the other eighteen or so terror networks operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan. An insurgency cannot succeed without the support of the populace, which we will never have until the Islamist ideology is defeated and the people of the region have something more attractive to which to attach themselves. While ignoring the necessity for ideological war, the president also passed over crucial facts that will prevent his “new” strategy from succeeding. Principal among them is CPEC: the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor by which China has established itself in Pakistan — and derivatively Afghanistan — as one of America’s enemies there. CPEC is ambitious in scope and involves the Chinese in almost every part of Pakistan’s economy and military. For example, the Chinese are building a large naval base near the port city of Gwadar. As reported by the Pakistani newspaper, Dawn, a “national fiber optic backbone” will be built for internet traffic. A “full system” of monitoring and surveillance will be built in cities from Peshawar to Karachi. Thousands of acres of agricultural land are being leased to the Chinese who will work with Pakistani farmers to grow crops for export to China. Under CPEC, China will build roads, railroads, and other infrastructure. The costs of CPEC will be paid by China and will cost tens of billions of dollars. It is a bargain for the Chinese. From CPEC they gain more in Pakistan than they could have by conquering it. Thus, Trump’s plan to induce Pakistan’s government to help fight terrorist networks by reducing or cutting off aid to Pakistan is risible. Any funds we cut off will be matched by added Chinese funding. https://spectator.org/its-trumps-war-now/
Deteriorating US-Pakistan relations:
President Donald Trump’s Afghanistan policy offers nothing new except forsaking old frontline ally Pakistan and coercing new strategic ally India to deliver, Sabena Siddiqui asserts. Having spent US$1 trillion on the 16-year battle without results, the US could not face defeat and blamed Pakistan instead. It has not been forgotten that Trump was opposed to the Afghan war during his election campaign, calling it “nonsense” and a waste of money, tweeting the refrain “Let’s get out of Afghanistan”. As the scapegoat, Pakistan was accused of sheltering “agents of chaos” and “the very terrorists” the US military had been fighting in Afghanistan, while greater Indian involvement was sought vis-a-vis containing the Taliban. However, criticizing Pakistan may have backfired on the US and a serious downgrade of US-Pakistani relations was the expected outcome. READ THE STORY HERE AMIR TAHERI REVEALS HOW SYRIAN VOTE FREES MOSCOW & HOW ASSAD USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS DOZENS OF TIMES9/7/2017 French FM tours Libya in search of political deal
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met on Monday with his Libyan counterpart in Tripoli as part of France’s efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis in Libya. Speaking at a joint press conference with Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Taher Siala, Le Drian stressed the need to unify Libya in order to impose stability. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted talks back in July between Libya’s main opponents, UN-backed Prime MinisterFayez al-Sarraj and military strongman rival Khalifa Hifter. They both agreed to a cease-fire and to hold elections in 2018. Le Drian is also expected to visit Misrata, before heading to Benghazi and Tobruk, where he will meet with Hifter and the eastern-based parliament aligned with him. Iraqi Kurdish groups line up against independence vote
Two Iraqi Kurdish parties, the Movement for Change and the Kurdistan Islamic Group, on Monday called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to postpone its planned Sept. 25 referendum on independence. "We call for the postponement of the referendum process to a more appropriate time and to be legislated by the Kurdistan Regional Parliament," the two groups said in a joint statement, stressing "the need to hold elections on time." The KRG is under increasing pressure from Baghdad, Turkey, Iran and the United States to call off the non-binding poll, which critics say would exacerbate ethnic divisions just as the Islamic State is on the back foot. INTRO: Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia
The “Arab Spring” all started when a young Tunisian fruit seller set himself on fire in protest of a government official confiscating his apples and slapping his face. The aftermath of that one personal protest grew to become the Middle East movement known as the Arab Spring—a wave of disparate events that included protests, revolutions, hopeful reform movements, and bloody civil wars. The Fires of Spring is the first book to bring the post?Arab Spring world to light in a holistic context. A narrative of author Shelly Culbertson’s journey through six countries of the Middle East, The Fires of Spring tells the story by weaving together a sense of place, insight about issues of our time, interviews with leaders, history, and personal stories. Culbertson navigates the nuances of street life and peers into ministries, mosques, and women’s worlds. She delves into what Arab Spring optimism was about, and at the same time sheds light on the pain and dysfunction that continues to plague parts of the region. The Fires of Spring blends reportage, travel memoir, and analysis in this complex and multifaceted portrait. AMAZON
Mosul destroyed by order of Baghdad & Tehran. @mppregent @hudson Institute
MOSUL, IRAQ -- “All you can hear at night is the sound of broken doors flapping in the wind,” says Abd Elaam, a 50-year-old furniture maker. “Even soldiers stay indoors after dark.” Elaam is currently one of the very few civilians living in Old Mosul, an ancient neighborhood shattered by the battle to recapture the city from Islamic State militants. Like many families that survived IS rule, he says, his resources are completely exhausted by the war and he has nowhere else to go. Other families trickle in by day, looking to repair their broken homes or recover the bodies of their dead loved ones. But even during daylight hours, the neighborhood is dangerous, riddled with bombs and an unknown number of militants hiding out in the vast network of tunnels under the tightly-packed buildings and piles of rubble. The level of destruction has been compared to World War II Dresden. https://www.voanews.com/a/returnees-to-old-mosul-find-little-besides-rubble-lingering-danger/4009939.html
Egypt's President Stands on Shifting Sands | Bennett Seftel, The Cipher Brief
Egypt has played an integral role in helping to combat the region’s terrorist threat, but is facing a daunting terrorist challenge of its own, primarily in the lawless Sinai Peninsula where ISIS’ Sinai affiliate and other militant groups roam freely and execute frequent attacks against Egyptian military and security personnel. Will Egypt’s Currency Reform Raise Risk of Revolt? | Allison McManus, Research Director, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy While they may not explain terrorism outright, economic factors do play a role in recruitment efforts, resources to sustain operations, and targeting decisions. Thus, the long-term effects of the economic crisis on Egypt’s security require a more nuanced consideration. Opportunity for ISIS as Sinai Civilians Sour on Cairo | Rob Richer, Former Associate Deputy Director of Operations, CIA "ISIS is increasing activities there because they are finding, particularly in the Sinai, that the Egyptian presence is not as strong as it used to be. ISIS has also received tribal support because the tribes in the Sinai have often felt that the Cairo government has abandoned them and hasn’t devoted resources to them."
Iran recruits Afghans to fight for Assad in Syria. @clifforddmay @elalusa Report w/Malcolm Hoenlein @conf_of_pres.
• http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/afghanistan-and-the-war-against-the-west/ •http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/bill-roggio-analysis-coalition-and-afghan-forces-must-target-taliban-after-overrunning/ •http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/thomas-joscelyn-sending-more-troops-to-afghanistan-is-a-good-start/ •http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/thomas-joscelyn-sending-more-troops-to-afghanistan-is-a-good-start/ •http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/foreign-policy/347501-trumps-right-its-time-to-end-the-timetables-for-afghanistan •http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/president-trumps-afghanistan-policy-and-the-gulf
The generals’ policy raises questions:
· 1. Was it not the US which created, or assisted the creation of the Taliban, during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-1989), and pushed the Pakistan Government and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to sustaining the Taliban? · 2. Was it not the US Government which demanded that the Pakistan Government use its military to break the historically-guaranteed boundaries of the Federally- Administered Tribal Areas (FATAs) of Pakistan in order to find al-Qaida leaders allegedly being given safe-haven there? And, as predicted by Pakistani and British officials, did this demand by the US not lead to the flooding of angry Pashtuns into the mainstream of Pakistan, contributing to the destabilization of the country? · 3. Why did the US gradually transform the Taliban in Afghanistan into the “main enemy”? Clearly, the Taliban resisted the US-led invasion of Afghanistan (and lost power there as a result), essentially transforming the Taliban into “the enemy”. But it remains significant that the Taliban itself has not, like al-Qaida and other jihadist groups, transformed itself into a global movement targeting the US. · 4. Why is the US in Afghanistan? What is the end-state desired by US policies? Does the US seek to stop Afghanistan being a haven for anti-US terrorists? [And, if so, is it not clear that the past 16 years of operations — now being repeated into the future — have not achieved that goal?] Did the US wish to preserve its post-Cold War entry up into Central Asia where it hoped to capitalize on possible alliances with Central Asian former Soviet states? And if that is the case, has not the past 16 years seen the US position in Central Asia consistently decline? · 5. How does the US expect to continue to sustain meaningful military operations in Afghanistan if it alienates Pakistan to the point that it will refuse to allow US transit access? The US suspension of $350-million in “military aid” and purchases to Pakistan in recent months, and the McMaster-Mattis speech by Trump, had resulted, by August 27, 2017, in Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif canceling the visit to the country by US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells. But the Russian and People’s Republic of China governments came to Pakistan’s defense as a result of the US speech. · 6. Is it not clear that the PRC’s major overland link to the Indian Ocean and to its African and Middle Eastern resources and markets is via the Karakoram Highway and the port of Gwadar in Pakistan? And that by attacking Pakistan, the US not only loses its logistical access through the country to Afghanistan, it drives Pakistan into consolidating its strategic ties with the PRC? This not only damages the US strategic posture, it also damages India’s chances of ever being able to work with Pakistan to have overland access to the markets and resources of Central Asia.
AEI
The policy President Trump just announced in his address to the nation is yet another change in the kaleidoscopic strategy the US has pursued in Afghanistan since 9/11, nonetheless it is largely a positive one, concludes Frederick W. Kagan in an AEIdeas blog. The new plan seeks to reverse the focus on withdrawal that characterized Obama’s approach after 2011, establish a reasonable definition of success, and begin to make available the resources necessary to achieve such a success. Read Kagan's detailed analysis of the new strategy here. A key part of the president’s new approach entails putting additional pressure on Pakistan, which is criticized for supporting terrorist groups that attack US and allied forces in neighboring Afghanistan. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Sadanand Dhume argued that this administration can be successful where others failed by implementing a strategy that includes targeted sanctions on certain Pakistani officials, sharper US public messaging to emphasize that we hold no grudges against the Pakistani people, and ultimately, a process that designates Pakistan as a state sponsor of terror. Continue here. However, could the strategy of increasing pressure on Pakistan backfire? John R. Bolton argues that putting too much pressure on Pakistan risks further destabilizing the already volatile country, tipping it into the hands of domestic radical Islamists. Not to mention that Pakistan likely possesses more than 100 nuclear weapons. Read the full piece here. Qatar accuses Saudi-led bloc of rejecting talks to end boycott
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies blockading the tiny emirate are ignoring Doha’s efforts to negotiate an end to the almost three-month-old Gulf crisis. Speaking at a joint press conference in Doha after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, al-Thani said, “Qatar maintains its position that this crisis can only be achieved through a constructive dialogue.” Kuwait and the United States have been trying to mediate the crisis since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut ties with Doha on June 5. Lavrov and al-Thani also announced their readiness to bolster bilateral trade and economic. Lavrov vowed to increase economic cooperation, especially in the energy field. Negotiating Afghanistan: The New U.S. Strategy and the Pursuit of a Deal By Michael Baskin, Modern War Institute: “A negotiation analysis of the Trump administration’s approach helps us understand what, if anything, changed in the new strategy from a negotiation perspective, and what challenges may lie ahead.” ISLAMIC STATE: Islamic State Leader Al-Baghdadi Probably Still Alive By Robert Burns, AP: “At first, Townsend said his belief stemmed from a lack of evidence he had seen — “rumor or otherwise” — that al-Baghdadi was dead. But, he then added: “There are also some indicators in intelligence channels that he’s alive.” Townsend did not elaborate on the intelligence.” Bargaining Across Levels: Divide and Conquer
By Will Selber, Strategy Bridge: “After many years of Afghanistan being on the backburner to Iraq and Syria, the war in the Hindu Kush lurched forward from the abyss of irrelevance with President Trump’s August 2017 address at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall where he outlined the new U.S. strategy.” |
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