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Syria - World Almanac of Islamism (2013)

2013  •  The American Foreign Policy Council's World Almanac of Islamism

ISLAMIST ACTIVITY

There are two distinct capacities into which Islamist organizations fall in Syria: state supported and opposition oriented. Syria is rather unique in this respect, as although the ruling regime under the Assad family has been stringently Ba'athist (secular) and has fiercely opposed Islamist groups like the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (SMB), it has also employed radical Salafi and Shi'a Islamist groups to promote state interests abroad.

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What makes US-Israeli intelligence co-operation 'exceptional'?
Israel and the US face shared threats in the Middle East. NSA intel-sharing is no less legitimate than with 'Five Eyes' partners

September 13, 2013  •  The Guardian

It didn't take long for media outlets to single out Israel, as a result of the cascade of secret documents released by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Certain commentators jump on board and conclude Israel's guilt first and then shape the narrative to support that claim, conveniently leaving out any evidence against the theory.

According to the Guardian's report about a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU) between the NSA and Israel's Signit agency, (ISNU), the "NSA shares raw intelligence including Americans' data with Israel". This has been interpreted as meaning that the NSA routinely shares raw intelligence data it gathers with Israel, without removing information about US citizens.

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Obama's Shot Across Syria's Bow
A half-hearted strike could do more harm than good

September 2, 2013  •  The Washington Times

Having decided upon a military response to the latest chemical-weapons attack in Syria, President Obama should take care to calibrate the mission to suit his objective. According to the parameters delineated by the president, he now seeks congressional approval to employ an expensive and empty tactic, a gesture designed to send a message rather than alter behavior or the balance of power. While there are some possible benefits to pursuing the punishment option, the limited action Mr. Obama is now considering will likely do more harm to American interests than good, while achieving none of his stated objectives.

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Chemical Weapons Attack Kills Over 1,000 in Syria

August 22, 2013 at 12:16 pm

Syrian opposition activists claim more than 1,000 people were killed after government forces launched rockets with toxic agents in the Damascus suburbs early Wednesday. While the U.S. has not independently confirmed that chemical weapons were used, Israel's minister for intelligence and strategic affairs, Yuval Steinitz, told Israel Radio that it believes the reports of the attack are credible. Videos apparently showing the graphic and disturbing aftermath of the alleged attacks on the rebel-held eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta were posted to social media but could not be independently verified. The clips showed children choking and vomiting, while adults writhed in agony, appearing not to have any visible wounds.

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Glamorizing Terrorism

August 15, 2013  •  The Times of Israel

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? The fallout continues from the Rolling Stone's decision to put the accused Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, on the cover of the August 1st, 2013 edition. But the uncomfortable truth is that the new face of jihad can be anyone—and that is a fresh realization for many Americans.

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