Thursday, November 17, 2016

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 17, 2016

A still image taken from an Islamic State (IS) video released through the group's Amaq news agency shows an unidentified militant addressing the camera. Video said to be shot in Mosul, Iraq, on October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Reuters TV via Amaq news agency/File Photo

Samia Nakhoul and Michael Georgy, Reuters: Special Report: Under siege in Mosul, Islamic State turns to executions and paranoia

A few weeks ago, a person inside Mosul began to send text messages to Iraqi military intelligence in Baghdad.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State, "has become intemperate," said the early November message, written by an informant inside the city who has contact with the group but is not a member of it.

"He has cut down on his movements and neglects his appearance," the message read. "He lives underground and has tunnels that stretch to different areas. He doesn't sleep without his suicide bomber vest so he can set it off if he's captured."

The text message, which Reuters has seen, was one of many describing what was happening inside Islamic State as Iraqi, Kurdish and American troops began their campaign to retake the group's northern Iraqi stronghold of Mosul.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 16, 2016

Trump’s America will keep on bombing Isis – but that won’t crush it -- Ranj Alaaldin, The Guardian

Germany and Merkel Are Ready for Trump -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

What does Donald Trump mean for Asia? -- Katie Hunt, CNN

Why Turkey's Islamist Leader Is So Happy About Trump -- Eli Lake, Bloomberg

Why is Russia helping the Assad regime? -- Lyse Doucet, BBC

End to Yemen War Could Soon Be Reality -- Steve Herman and Nike Ching, VOA

With Iraq And Mosul, Will Iran Become An Oil Superpower? -- Ellen R. Wald, Forbes

Deviating From the Plan in Iran -- Stratfor

Could US agents be tried for war crimes in Afghanistan? -- Ben Knight, DW

How Non-State Actors Could Cause War in South Asia -- The Diplomat

Is the India-Pakistan Cease-Fire Breaking Apart? -- Sudha Ramachandran, The Diplomat

What will President Trump do about North Korea? -- Stephen Evans, BBC

Analysis: Trump, Duterte and the Future of Philippines -- Armando J. Heredia, USNI News

In Libya 'there are no winners today' -- Zena Tahhan, Al Jazeera

Senkaku. Where and What is That? -- Todd Crowell, RCD

Why no Nobel Prize for Trump? -- Christian Whiton, FOX News

Will Trump pardon Assange after WikiLeaks election help? -- ABC News Online

Globalization’s Last Gasp -- Barry Eichengreen, Project Syndicate

1 comment:

James said...

Way to go Reuters, doesn't it occur to you that ISIS also reads your reports. Now a source in Mosul has to watch his ass. I don't want to hear any nonsense that this has been vetted for release. It's either an old and busted source or they've blown somebody.