Syria Needs a Reconstruction Plan

Syria needs an economic reconstruction program. Desperately. Yet nearly a year after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, there is still no talk of putting together a comprehensive economic reconstruction plan, whether in Damascus or among the obvious international stakeholders. Without clarity and wide-based consultation on the country’s new economic framework, there is a distinct risk that the cronyism of the Assad-era economy will reappear, undermining social equity and generating political discontent, and that violence will reemerge as “a central mechanism for the redistribution of power and wealth among competing forces,” as it did during the long civil war.

Don’t Rule Out The Return Of US Troops To Bagram Airbase

The convergence of interests between the US, Pakistan, and the Taliban means that a compromise between them to this end can’t be ruled out no matter how unlikely it might appear to be right now.

Trump’s recent reaffirmation of his plans to return US troops to Afghanistan’s Bagram Airbase was rejected by the Taliban, which was to be expected for appearance’s sake at this point while talks are reportedly underway, but another obstacle comes from Pakistan’s opposition. It recently released a joint statement with China, Iran, and Russia condemning the US’ plans. Nevertheless, since Pakistan would benefit from them and openly backs his Gaza plan, its statement shouldn’t be taken at face value.

The Taliban Claimed That The Crocus Terrorist Attack Was Orchestrated From Pakistan

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid repeated accusations that Pakistan backs ISIS-K, which was one of the reasons why the Taliban attacked along the Durand Line over the weekend, but added that attacks on Iran and Russia were also orchestrated from there: “Training centers for ISIS-K have been established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and trainees are being brought there through Karachi and Islamabad airports. Our findings show that the attacks in Iran and Moscow were orchestrated from these centers.”

How Political Leaders Are Fast-Tracking the Islamification of Europe

Manchester, England, October 2, 2025: In the most violent act of antisemitic hatred Britain has seen in years, a Muslim man rams a car into a group of Jews on a sidewalk in front of a synagogue, exits the vehicle and begins stabbing other Jews. He is shot by the police. Two Jews are killed, one by the murderer and another who was shot accidentally by police.

Jihadi fighters affiliated with al Qaeda close in on Mali’s capital, as instability grows across Sahel region

A well-armed jihadist group affiliated with al Qaeda is closing in on Bamako, the capital of Mali. The country’s military junta and their Russian partners are struggling to counter the jihadis, who now hold sway in many parts of the huge Sahelian country.

Fuel is running short in Bamako as militants belonging to a group called Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam al-Muslimin (JNIM) cut roads to the capital, attack military patrols and ambush tanker trucks.

Turkey Hosts Meeting of Leading Islamic Foreign Ministers To Discuss Future of Gaza

Latest Developments

  • ‘Palestinians Should Govern Palestinians’: Turkey convened a meeting of foreign ministers of Muslim-majority countries on November 3 to discuss the future of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave, and the proposed International Stabilization Force. “Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security, [and] the international community should support this in the best possible way — diplomatically, institutionally, and economically,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after the meeting. Attendees included ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has openly supported Hamas throughout the war in Gaza, called for Islamic nations to “play a leading role in the reconstruction of Gaza,” while accusing Israel of violating the October 10 ceasefire agreement.
  • Turkish Foreign Minister Met Hamas Delegation: The ministerial follows Fidan’s meeting with Hamas leaders, led by the terror organization’s chief Khalil al-Hayya, in Istanbul on November 1. Hamas, whose atrocities in Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered the Gaza war, is being included among eight Palestinian factions holding closed-door meetings to decide on the specific members of a post-war administration in Gaza. Despite being required to do so by the Trump administration’s 20-point plan for Gaza, Hamas has refused to disarm or relinquish control of the territory, while it continues to hold hostage the bodies of kidnapped Israelis.
  • Israel Opposed to Turkish Presence in Gaza: Israeli and U.S. leaders have disagreed on whether Turkey should have a role in the future of Gaza due to Turkey’s belligerent stance toward Israel and its support of Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed Turkey’s involvement in Gaza, stating, “Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us … [and] this is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well.” Meanwhile, the Trump administration, which involved Ankara as a mediator with Hamas to reach the ceasefire deal, has signaled that it believes “there’s a constructive role for the Turks to play” in Gaza. U.S. Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are also reportedly expressing reservations about the inclusion of Turkey as well as Qatar, which has also actively supported Hamas.

Spies, bribes and terror ties? French corporate giant Lafarge goes on trial

Decade-old allegations of spies and betrayal in the Syrian desert, involving one of the world’s biggest corporations which stands accused of crimes against humanity, are to be played out in a Paris courtroom.

French cement manufacturer Lafarge and eight former executives and middlemen go on trial on November 4 in a case expected to last six weeks.