Video: Patrick Cockburn 'IS did not act alone' in Iraq and Syria

[Jefferson23]

Veteran Middle East correspondent Patrick Cockburn on the IS phenomenon

Tuesday 22 July 2014 17:31 BST



The Independent's Patrick Cockburn speaks to Middle East Eye about the Islamic State (IS) phenomenon, explaining that they could not have acted without international support.

While the group is a "fighting machine" that is gaining political clout for succeeding militarily against the odds, Cockburn believes that IS' broad reaching Iraq offensive could only have gone ahead with the backing of the group's donors in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Gulf.

Since launching a large-scale offensive last month and capturing Iraq’s second city Mosul, the militant group has stirred widespread global intrigue, with the world’s analysts and policy-makers striving to find out the extent of their strength and appeal.

Before joining The Independent, Cockburn was a leading Middle East correspondent for the Financial Times and has written several books on Iraq's recent history.

in full: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/video-patrick-cockburn-did-not-act-alone-iraq-and-syria-1066782998

[Jefferson23]

1. Time runs out for Christian Iraq: Isis deadline passes with mass flight

July 20, 2014

The last Christians in northern Iraq are fleeing from places where their communities have lived for almost 2,000 years, as a deadline passed for them to either convert to Islam, pay a special tax or be killed.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) issued a decree last week offering Christians the three options accompanied by the ominous threat that, if they did not comply by midday on 19 July, “then there is nothing to give them but the sword”.

It is the greatest mass flight of Christians in the Middle East since the Armenian massacres and the expulsion of Christians from Turkey during and after the First World War. Isis, which now rules an area larger than Great Britain, has already eliminated many of the ancient Christian communities of eastern Syria, where those who had not escaped were given a similar choice between conversion, payment of a special tax or death.

Christians leaving Mosul – which was captured by Isis on 10 June – in order to seek refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan are being stripped of all their possessions.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/time-runs-out-for-christian-iraq-isis-deadline-passes-with-mass-flight-9617606.html

[KoKo]

2. Amazing and outrageous this is going on (under radar)...

while we are distracted with Israel/Gaza and Malaysian Plane crash while Ukrainian separatists are battling the new government with tensions high between US & Russia as to where to put the blame. Also...US is once again using drones to kill more in Pakistan after backing off for a few months.

[Jefferson23]

3. I feel discouraged, as many do..one day, may we have peace for all.

Lofty goal, I know.