Islamic State uses religious texts to substantiate coming loss in Mosul

The Islamic State relies on religious precedence to absolve responsibility for the individual and group. As such, they’re finding authority to run from the battle. Nearly everything that the Islamic State does, in their view, has some kind of canonical precedent. They wish to create their own currency, based on the Quranic meaning of currency, […]

US Military says ISIS plotting new attacks against West from Syria

ISIS is planning additional “significant” external operations against the West from its de-facto capital in Raqqa, Syria, the top U.S. commander in Iraq told reporters Wednesday. “I will say that we actually aren’t sure how pressing it is, and that’s what’s worrying us,” Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend said via teleconference from Baghdad. “We know they’re […]

Women fight for survival by hiding from ISIS

The small dorm room in Kirkuk, with gray-speckled terrazzo floors and wooden cots, was home to Monaly Najeeb and six other Christian women after ISIS took hold in Mosul and they were forced to abandon college. They restarted their studies in the Kurdish-controlled city, in that humble room, where they could once again study, pray and even […]

Mosul Battle: Islamic State ‘Loses hundreds of fighters’ – US Generals

Hundreds of Islamic State militants are thought to have been killed since Iraqi forces launched an offensive to retake Mosul last week, the US military says. Two generals said the jihadist group had suffered the losses as troops and allied fighters, backed by US-led air strikes, advanced on several axes. Up to 5,000 IS fighters […]

Pentagon Chief Ash Carter visits Iraq to assess Mosul fight

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s push for Iraq to let Turkey play a role in the Mosul battle encountered resistance Saturday from Iraq’s prime minister, who said his country’s forces will oust Islamic State of Iraq and Syrian militants from the northern city. “I know that the Turks want to participate, we tell them thank […]

Iraq says it repelled IS attack on western town

The latest on developments in Iraq where Iraqi forces and their allies launched a major offensive this week to retake Mosul, the country’s second-largest city from the Islamic State group (all times local): 4:30 p.m. An Iraqi military spokesman says troops have repelled an attack by the Islamic State group on a western town, describing […]

Flee or Stay? For Mosul Residents, Both Choices Are Risky

The first thing Musar Abid did when he escaped the Islamic State this week was grab a razor. “I shaved this morning,” he said, smiling and pointing to his cheeks, smooth for the first time since jihadist enforcers began requiring long beards two years ago. “I became a young man again.” When Iraqi federal policemen […]

Is it possible to avert worsened sectarian violence in Iraq?

The battle to retake Mosul is underway and is being led by mostly Shia forces to expel ISIS. In doing so, they’ll free Sunnis – who may not like it. The sectarian violence after the battle got out of control it would spread into Syria – and vice versa. Because – the reality is – […]

UNESCO confirms ISIS funded by sale of artifacts

UNESCO confirms ISIL is partially funded by the sale of ancient Artifacts. These items, culturally significant, will enter the Black Market, robbing cultures of their own history. The funding of terrorism and its complexities is an important topic. Moreover, it’s the root of the evil – and maybe the most important aspect of terrorism. It’s […]

Suspected ISIS militants kill 6 police in Egypt’s restless Sinai

Suspected Islamic State militants in Egypt’s turbulent Sinai Peninsula ambushed a taxi in which off-duty policemen were traveling back to their units on Saturday, killing five of them before fleeing, according to security and medical officials. They said the incident took place just south of the coastal Sinai city of el-Arish. The soldiers were returning to duty […]

Islamic State fight strengthens Al-Qaeda (Al-Nusra)

Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) should be fought simultaneously. But that’s not what Al-Qaeda wants and so we’ve seen Al-Nusra cut its terror ties and re-brand. They’re waiting. We’ve got ISIS in our crosshairs and have begun a campaign to ultimately diminish their capabilities and remove them from both the Iraqi and Syrian battlespace. We’ve […]

Al-Qaeda: Why we Fight

Al-Qaeda has been a household name since 9/11. But after years of war against them, the basics of their fight is still not known. Al-Qaeda and it’s Salafi-Jihadi associates have a plan, and they’ve been fighting their war by whatever means possible for many years. Despite the conspiracy theories, Al-Qaeda was, in part, banking on […]