Orientul Mijlociu

Will Transfer of ISIS Detainees Open Flood Gates to Terrorism in Iraq?

Dr. Youssef Ibrahim Saloum, an expert on jihadist groups, told TML that many Iraqis may see the move as shifting a security burden from one arena to another without addressing its root causes

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Wednesday the launch of an operation to transfer thousands of detainees affiliated with the Islamic State group (ISIS) from northeastern Syria to Iraq, aiming to strengthen detention security and prevent potential escape attempts.

Israel strikes “Hezbollah” sites between Syria and Lebanon

The Israeli army struck Lebanese “Hezbollah” positions along the Syria-Lebanon border on Wednesday, 21 January.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Israel carried out airstrikes on four crossing points in the Hermel area, between Syria and Lebanon, which he said “Hezbollah” uses to transfer weapons.

Syria’s Al Hol camp left in limbo after SDF withdrawal sparks unrest

Residents tell The National they have gone days without food, as Damascus and SDF trade blame over security vacuum at ISIS-linked site

Thick black smoke billowed from Al Hol camp in north-east Syria, the country’s largest centre housing families with alleged links to ISIS, as unrest spread among residents who said they had gone days without food, water or medication.

The State of al Qaeda and ISIS in 2023

The Salafi-jihadi threat persists across Africa, the Middle East, and into Asia. Al Qaeda– and Islamic State–affiliated groups are engaged in local conflicts and have sought ways to strengthen on the ground within popular insurgencies. Their focus on expanding in the Muslim world has not replaced aspirations to strike the West, however. Those groups that once demonstrated or sought to develop transnational attack capabilities still seek to target the United States and Europe, creating an ongoing requirement for counterterrorism activities.

Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent: Almost Forgotten

Introduction
The rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) to the forefront of the global jihadist movement challenges al Qaeda’s prominence and influence. The ISIS counter-state that does away with the Iraq-Syria border, as well as its growing presence in such places as Libya, the Sinai, and Afghanistan, are proof of the group’s power and the effectiveness of its strategy. The leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, described al Qaeda’s leadership as individuals who have become misguided and who have misled the global jihadist movement.[1] Baghdadi demands allegiance from all Muslims and claims the title, emir al mumineen, commander of the faithful, which was held for decades by Taliban leader Mullah Omar. ISIS’s growth has taken its toll on the al Qaeda network. Groups that had once been associated with al Qaeda have splintered, declaring their loyalty to Baghdadi. Al Qaeda’s name no longer carries the same recruitment power it once did.

How Syria could become a battleground for Turkey and Israel

Since the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s government just over a year ago, Syria has become an arena for an increasingly stark contest between Turkey and Israel.

Ankara and Tel Aviv’s strategic visions for Syria are fundamentally irreconcilable. Turkey seeks a unified state anchored by an Ankara-friendly central authority and preserved territorial integrity.

Israel, by contrast, favours a weakened and fragmented Syria incapable of projecting power or resisting external aggression.

A new settlement project led by a reserve soldier named after a farm in the heart of the West Bank

It is not the story of a farm or the story of a settler who loves agriculture in “Judea and Samaria”, but a focus that is cultivated in the heart of the West Bank to transform a weapon, a road and a dominance, under the cover of “holiness.” Thus began a leaflet of a settler named Yeddia Plutkin calling for a donation to what he called a “holy farm”, in soft language that concealed a more ruthless project.