Kurt

The crumbling skeleton of the Islamic State rattles on for now

It has been estimated that there are 20,000 to 30,000 Islamic State militants still in Syria and Iraq, according to the U.N.’s latest report. The group is standing on the brink of collapse as their strongholds have been lost and the influx of recruits has almost dwindled to nothing. The U.N. report estimated that in […]

Kurdistan and Iraq working together to solve the region’s water crisis

The water crisis in the country has pushed the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraqi central government to unite on the issue. Both entities are cooperating in an effort to find a scientific solution to the problem. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) director in Iraq, Louise Haxthausen stated that, “This project in […]

Prime Minister of Iraq’s visit to Iran abruptly canceled

Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi’s press office canceled a planned trip to Iran this week. Oddly enough, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied that a visit by Abadi was even scheduled to begin with. Prime Minister Abadi’s office claimed the trip was canceled “because of his busy schedule,” but Abadi is still intending to […]

Kurdish militant groups call for unification against Turkish-Iranian alliance

The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) has released a statement calling for a unified front against the Turkish and Iranian border elements. PJAK is a militant group that maintains a close relationship with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Prior to the announcement, Turkish and Iranian border officials made their intentions and “determination” to combat the two groups […]

Italian military to train Kurdistan’s military police

A total of 65 Kurdish military police officers from the Zeravani were selected to undergo a 6-week training event conducted and supervised by the Italian military. The goal of the training was to fine-tune the Zeravani’s capabilities in matters such as close protection, protest containment, and force protection operations. The Zervanai Command’s Brigadier General Dedawan Khurshid, […]

Kurdish held seats in parliament remain unchanged after recount of votes is completed

Iraq’s independent electoral body announced this week that there were no significant changes to the number of parliamentary seats following the recount of May’s election. This included those of the Kurdish political parties, which after national outcry, demanded a manual recount of the votes. Kurdish parties were up in arms claiming that fraudulent voting practices […]

United States Marine lost at sea in the Philippines

The United States Navy reported that they are currently conducting an “all-hands effort” search for a United States Marine that fell overboard while the ship he was on was conduction operations off the coast of the Philippines in the Sulu Sea. The Naval ship, the U.S.S. Essex, admitted that the Marine was still unaccounted for at […]

Australia revokes citizenship of Islamic State affiliates

This week the Australian government announced that five dual citizens were stripped of their Australian citizenship after it was discovered they had taken part in the Islamic State collective in Iraq and Syria. To date, six Australians have been stripped of their citizenship for taking part in the Islamic State’s activities. The law was changed […]

Muqtada al-Sadr and the new Iraqi government

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has had a fairly successful track record up to this point despite some serious issues the country has faced during his time in office. Muqtada al-Sadr’s spokesman, Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi, claims that Abadi’s predecessor Nouri al-Maliki stands no chance whatsoever though. Maliki’s failures led to the rise of the Islamic State through his severe transgressions against […]

Syrian Democratic Forces offer Druze villagers assistance in the face of Islamic State attack

As a prominent Druze spiritual leader, Hikmat Salman al-Hijri expressed his gratitude towards the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for offering an exchange of SDF-held Islamic State prisoners for ISIS-held Druze hostages. The Druze are an ethnoreligious group that resides primarily in Syria; their faith is centered on the teachings of Greek philosophers paired with Islamic teachings of […]

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s wife diagnosed with breast cancer

The Syrian presidential office reported this week that President Bashar al-Assad’s wife has been diagnosed and started treatment for the early stages of breast cancer. The presidential social media accounts publicly stated that, “Asma al-Assad is beginning the first stage of treatment for a malignant tumor in the breast that was discovered at an early stage.” The […]

Marine separated from the Corps for white supremacy affiliation

A lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps, identified as Vasillios Pistolis, that had previously marched alongside white supremacists and bragged about his violent exploits during his rallies has been discharged from active federal service. The actions that led to his dismissal took place during a white nationalist rally held in Charlottesville, Va. and landed the […]