Σάββατο 23 Μαΐου 2015
Map: The Islamic State’s disturbingly successful week
Map: The Islamic State’s disturbingly successful week
Well, the Islamic State had quite a week.
After more than a year of clashes with Iraqi forces and with opposition groups in Syria, the militant group claimed two major cities, showing both the Iraqi army's weaknesses and the militant group's growing power.
The United States reacted to this by reportedly accelerating the delivery of weapons to Iraq, while organizations like the United Nations have expressed fears that the militants could destroy the ancient ruins in Palmyra, a World Heritage site.
Ramadi
The capital of the Anbar province was a major battlefield in the counterinsurgency that overtook Iraq in 2006-2007. The city's fall to the Islamic State was not only a strategic win for the group, but highlighted the Iraqi military's poor condition and the government's shortcomings.
As the Post's Hugh's Naylor writes, Ramadi's loss was a huge blow to a strategy to build an "effective Sunni fighting force" to counter militants.
The fall of Ramadi amounts to more than the loss of a major city in Iraq’s largest province, analysts say. It could undermine Sunni support for Iraq’s broader effort to drive back the Islamic State, vastly complicating the war effort.
After taking over the city, supporters of the group took to the streets, shot bullets in the air and passed out candy to crowds.
Along with chants of "Allahu Akhbar," others proclaimed, "Baghdad and Karbalah will be next."
Palmyra
Islamic State at the gates of Palmyra
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Reports indicate that militants are positioned near a famous Roman-era city in Syria.
An aerial view taken on Jan. 13, 2009, shows a part of the ancient city of Palmyra. (Christophe Charon/AFP/Getty Images)
The city, located in the heart of Syria and known for its archeological gems, has been faced with extreme violence as the jihadists descend upon the region. But another troubling factor here is the Islamic State's track record of destroying meaningful historic artifacts and sites, as they have done numerous times before in Iraq.
My colleague Ishaan Tharoor explains the significant historic value these ancient ruins have:
Palmyra, which is located in the center of Syria, was an old oasis town that turned into an influential desert crossroads for around the first century A.D., at a time of significant Roman influence in the Near East. Its architecture and artifacts reflect its place as a meeting point between civilizations and cultures. Some of Palmyra's major structures are considered to be among the best-preserved examples of Roman antiquity.
A 'march to cleanse'
Although Palmyra and Ramadi were major gains for the jihadists, they also seized villages that bordered both cities as well as a town that sits at the Syria-Iraq border, further connecting the two countries the group calls its Caliphate.
In a message translated by the the SITE Intelligence Group, the Islamic State claims that it seeks to not just control these regions, but to "cleanse" them.
Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı met inside the United Nations-controlled
Cyprus’ rival leaders take stroll through divided capital
Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci (R) and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades drink coffee during a stroll through the divided capital on May 23. (Photo: Reuters)
May 23, 2015, Saturday/ 15:39:01/ AP WITH TODAYSZAMAN.COM / NICOSIA
Rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders took a stroll together on both sides of the divided capital's medieval center on Saturday to raise the feel-good factor as talks aimed at reunifying the ethnically split island kick into gear.
It's the first time that the leaders have done so since the east Mediterranean island was split in 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened after a coup by supporters of union with Greece.
Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı met inside the United Nations-controlled buffer zone before sitting down at cafes on both sides of the divide.
A smattering of applause and shouts of "well done" greeted both leaders as they walked through the narrow, shop-lined streets on both sides of the divide. One Turkish Cypriot man strumming a mandolin-like instrument serenaded the leaders with a song appealing for peace.
"I want to send a strong message that we shall work tirelessly in order to find a peaceful solution at the earliest possible (date)," Anastasiades said.
Akıncı said the leaders must avoid yet another failure after decades of talks have led nowhere.
Akıncı said the leaders must avoid yet another failure after decades of talks have led nowhere.
"We very much would like to give the message of hope because after so many disappointments we need this hope," said Akıncı, a moderate who handily defeated the hard-line incumbent in the Turkish Cypriot presidential election last month.
"Both sides want peace and this thing has to finally end, we're all Cypriots," said Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Ekingen, the 70-year-old owner of a handicrafts shop inside the Büyük Han, a 16th century inn in the north where the leaders first sat.
In the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south, the leaders sat at a cafe in the shadow of the 19th-century Phaneromeni Greek Orthodox Church.
Greek Cypriot Miltiades Philippou, 58, said the stroll would create a positive atmosphere that will help the leaders in negotiations.
UN-facilitated peace talks resumed last week after an eight-month hiatus. The leaders said they would unveil a number of measures aimed at building trust between the two sides.
Πέμπτη 21 Μαΐου 2015
People and Power - Chad: At War With Boko Haram
Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 21 Μαΐ 2015
People & Power investigates how Chad is responding to the threat posed by Boko Haram across West Africa.
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