Control of territory is an essential precondition for the Islamic State’s authority in the eyes of its supporters. This map, adapted from the work of the Institute for the Study of War, shows the territory under the caliphate’s control as of January 15, along with areas it has attacked. Where it holds power, the state collects taxes, regulates prices, operates courts, and administers services ranging from health care and education to telecommunications.
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic: What ISIS Really Wants
The Islamic State is no mere collection of psychopaths. It is a religious group with carefully considered beliefs, among them that it is a key agent of the coming apocalypse. Here’s what that means for its strategy—and for how to stop it.
What is the Islamic State?
Where did it come from, and what are its intentions? The simplicity of these questions can be deceiving, and few Western leaders seem to know the answers. In December, The New York Times published confidential comments by Major General Michael K. Nagata, the Special Operations commander for the United States in the Middle East, admitting that he had hardly begun figuring out the Islamic State’s appeal. “We have not defeated the idea,” he said. “We do not even understand the idea.” In the past year, President Obama has referred to the Islamic State, variously, as “not Islamic” and as al-Qaeda’s “jayvee team,” statements that reflected confusion about the group, and may have contributed to significant strategic errors.
WNU Editor: This analysis looks at the apocalyptic ideology/version of Islam that followers of the Islamic State believe in. There is a lot to digest in this commentary .... and I will be commenting on it later tonight.
Update: As I said .... there is a lot to digest in this post, and I will need some time to formulate my own opinions and observations.But if you have a time .... for those who want to understand what is happening in the Middle East today .... this is a must read.
6 comments:
Sorry for going of topic but what in the Ukraine videoes that László Mikó shared with us, did you find distressing? Since you said that they said something distressing, do you remember what they said? (sorry for the sentence circeling if it is that it's called in english).
Here are the videoes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHtbWXog-d4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvbt75sY5z4
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCadYqseQPQ
Rhaegar .... They were talking about killing the enemy, that many of the Ukrainian soldiers that they killed were very young, in short .... they were basically talking about how they were slaughtering the enemy.
Well Publius,
Someone in the press has finally tried to say what you've been saying for a long time. You just use 1/20 of the words and and have three times the coherence. These people I swear get so excited by "discovering" something that's been right under their noses for years. The salient point this guy makes for me, is that the "West" is in a trap of it's own construction, making it an easy target for ISIS, Putin, the Chinese, etc. This stuff is not hard unless you make it so.
James .... I could not say it any better.
The atlantic article is a must read. The o administration may have reached the right strategy for the wrong reasons. We need containment with a big friggin stick.
The atlantic article is a must read. The o administration may have reached the right strategy for the wrong reasons. We need containment with a big friggin stick.
Post a Comment