The Iraqi Army is intensifying its campaign against the so-called Islamic State, driving on towards the main prize, the second city of Mosul.
The campaign was given a boost this week when US Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the deployment of 560 more American troops, to add to 4,000-plus already there.
A synopsis of the various fighters in Iraq grouped by religion, culture, region, and political agendas.
Following the US military’s withdrawal from Iraq at the end of 2011, Sunni and Shia militias changed course: Some joined the political process, while others went through a period of inactivity. The ongoing conflict in Syria, however, has given a new lease on life to many of those groups.
Israel wants ‘Gaza gangs’ to manage post-war securty and reconstruction
Israel is making plans for ‘Gaza gangs’, who oppose Hamas, to lead post-war reconstruction and security efforts.
Israel is seeking to grant powers to “gangs” in Gaza accused of looting aid and other criminal activities to dominate post-war policing and reconstruction in the enclave.
On October 14, four days after Israel and Hamas agreed to phase one of US President Donald Trump’s 20-Point Ceasefire Plan for Gaza, Trump addressed the Israeli Knesset. “After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” Trump stated. However, a month after the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire, which laid out clear guidelines for the cessation of hostilities and the return of Israeli hostages, Hamas and allied terror groups have violated the agreement at least 18 times, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims.
At the Xi-Trump meeting, China paused rare-earths curbs for a year and pledged to refine detailed plans, offering a cautious sip of a bitter cup ahead.
On 10 October, a remark made by China’s former leader Deng Xiaoping was recalled around the world, becoming a focal point of commentary across Europe.
À la différence de ceux qui soutiennent l’Empire américain, les partisans de l’Empire britannique savaient qu’ils soutenaient un empire.
Ceux qui ont soutenu les massacres perpétrés par l’Empire britannique aux quatre coins du monde soutenaient la Couronne, et souhaitaient que Sa Majesté civilise les impies et transforme l’ensemble des habitants de la planète en ses sujets royaux. Ceux qui soutiennent le bellicisme de l’empire américain le font parce qu’ils ont décidé que Saddam était un despote malfaisant, que Kadhafi était un despote malfaisant, que Maduro est un despote malfaisant, que le Hamas, le Hezbollah et les Houthis sont des terroristes, etc.
Toplines
The Russian military command appears to be prioritizing the seizure of Pokrovsk over efforts to close the wider Ukrainian pocket in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad area. Russian advances in and around Pokrovsk over the last several days suggest that Russian forces in Pokrovsk are prioritizing the seizure of the settlement itself. They do not appear to be focused on supporting efforts by the 51st Combined Arms Army (CAA, formerly the 1st Donetsk People’s Republic Army Corps [DNR AC], Southern Military District [SMD]) to close the pocket from the north and northeast with a complementary attack from the south at this time.[1] Russian forces may be prioritizing the seizure of Pokrovsk for a number of reasons. Russian leadership may seek to exploit the informational effects that the town’s seizure will likely generate, or may hope that the seizure of Pokrovsk will facilitate a subsequent effort to close the pocket. Ukrainian counterattacks on the northern shoulder of the pocket and a continued Ukrainian presence within Pokrovsk are complicating Russian advances and Russia’s ability to close the pocket, but that fact should not be enough in itself to cause the Russian command to be distracted from the effort from the south. The 51st CAA has also been struggling to advance from the northeast, moving more slowly than the 2nd CAA (Central Military District [CMD]) is moving within Pokrovsk and on the western flank of the pocket.[2] The 51st CAA’s slower tempo could also be contributing to Russia’s apparent and possibly temporary prioritization of the seizure of Pokrovsk. The Russian military command is notably not pursuing the standard measures one would expect in such a battlefield configuration, namely focusing forces and means on completing the encirclement, which would normally be the fastest and least costly way to seize the entire area. The Russian military command can change its focus at any time, however.
Pakistani authorities said Friday they had arrested four suspected militants allegedly involved in a deadly suicide bombing outside a district court in Islamabad earlier this week, a rare attack in the capital that killed 12 people and wounded 28 others.
The suspects are believed to be members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. In a statement posted on social media, the government identified one of the suspects, Sajid Ullah, as the individual who handled the explosives used in Tuesday’s attack.
La visite d’Al-Sharaa à la Maison Blanche nous rappelle l’aversion de longue date de Washington pour les processus démocratiques et pour quiconque – au-delà des frontières de l’Occident et parfois même à l’intérieur de celui-ci – qui les défend.