Introduction
‘Every reporter knows the first rule of journalism: never betray your source. But what if your source turns out to be unworthy of your silence? What if it’s your source who betrays you?’
Abstract: The Islamic State has recovered from its territorial defeats since 2017 to mount a strong and sustained resurgence as an insurgent force inside Iraq. A new analysis of attack metrics from the past 18 months paints a picture of an Islamic State insurgency that has regained its balance, spread out across many more areas, and reclaimed significant tactical proficiency. Now operating at the same levels it achieved in 2012, a number of factors suggest that the Islamic State could further ramp up its rural insurgency in 2020 and 2021. An input of experienced cadres from Syria, a downturn in Iraqi and coalition effectiveness, and now the disruption of a combined COVID and economic crisis will likely all feed into an escalating campaign of attrition against the Iraqi state, military, and tribes.
On May 15, thousands of Palestinians in Occupied Palestine and throughout the ‘shatat’, or diaspora, participated in the commemoration of Nakba Day, the one event that unites all Palestinians, regardless of their political differences or backgrounds.
Syrian refugees residing in Turkey have been discovered to be so desperate for money that they are selling their organs on the black market in order to pay for necessities such as rent, the US-based media channel CBS has revealed.
Forces allied with Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) have wrested control of a key military base on the outskirts of the capital Tripoli from renegade General Khalifa Haftar.
Bottom Line Up Front:
While much of the world has been struggling to respond to the fallout from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Islamic State has been quietly ramping up attacks in both Iraq and Syria.
“Leftover of the sword” (kılıç artığı in Turkish) is a commonly used insult in Turkey that often refers to the survivors of the Christian massacres that mainly targeted Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians in the Ottoman Empire and its successor, Turkey.
According to the ICC’s charter, the Court cannot investigate the conduct of non-signatory states of the 1998 Rome Statute that established the Court. Israel, like the U.S., is not a signatory of the statute.
Spanish police have arrested a man in Barcelona over a suspected ISIS terror plot.
As Iraq grapples with the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic and longstanding economic difficulties, (compounded by record-low oil prices) Islamic State’s operations continue with increasing lethality. TRAC Senior Analyst, Daniel Lebowitz has tracked Spring Islamic State activity since before the beginning of Ramadan 2020. His report reveals that IS ambushes, IEDs, and assassinations have escalated in Diyala, Kirkuk, Anbar, Dijah, and Salahuddin, Iraq. The violence places more pressure on the Iraqi government that is facing increasing public resentment coupled with the US withdrawal from key military bases, creating the perfect climate for a repeat of last season’s Hot Summer in the country’s rural areas. The more chaos and bloodshed caused, the more legitimate the new Islamic State leader appears.