Left: Anti-Israel protestors in Scotland / AP Antisemitism = Islamism - Rachel Ehrenfeld - “Antisemitism can even be found in the halls of the United Nations,” said the joint statement signed by only 40 of the 193 United Nations member states on … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – January 19-23, 2015
Iraq
Obama=Incoherence*
Left: Detainees praying at the military prison, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In any litany of the failures of policy of the Obama Administration, the question of Guantánamo ranks high on the list. The Bush Administration, in the white heat of post-9/11, … [Read more...] about Obama=Incoherence*
Old Islamists Never Die: Mohammed Haydar Zammar
On March 2014, in an Islamic-State-sponsored prisoner swap, Mohammed Haydar Zammar, the al-Qaeda operative jailed in Syria in 2001, was freed in exchange for Syrian army officers held by the IS. News articles that covered the prisoner exchange did … [Read more...] about Old Islamists Never Die: Mohammed Haydar Zammar
Weekly Briefing – January 12-16, 2015
Charlie Hebdo – A Missed Opportunity - Rachel Ehrenfeld -- In less than a week the free world seems to have lost the United States’ leadership, and the media lost its courage. The winners are the Islamists, whose ‘sensitivities’ apparently weigh more … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – January 12-16, 2015
The Mystery of the Islamic State
Over several months last year, in an effort to understand the Islamic State movement, Maj. Gen. Michael K. Nagata, commander of American Special Operations forces in the Middle East, sought the advice of Defense, intelligence and State experts, and … [Read more...] about The Mystery of the Islamic State
ISIS: Portrait of a Jihadi Terrorist Organization
1. This study examines the nature of the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS), an Islamic Salafist-jihadi terrorist organization founded a decade ago as a branch of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. It established itself during the fighting against the … [Read more...] about ISIS: Portrait of a Jihadi Terrorist Organization
Weekly Briefing – January 5-9, 2015
The Mystery of the Islamic State - Rachel Ehrenfeld -- Over several months last year, in an effort to understand the Islamic State movement, Maj. Gen. Michael K. Nagata, commander of American Special Operations forces in the Middle East, sought the … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – January 5-9, 2015
Weekly Briefing – December 28-January 2, 2014/15
Cybersecurity and the 114th Congress - Rachel Ehrenfeld - The Sony hacking served as a national reminder that cybersecurity should be taken more seriously...In May 2010, former National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander lamented, "The scale of … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – December 28-January 2, 2014/15
Weekly Briefing – December 21-27, 2014
Left: Israel - completely clear - on Christmas morning from the International Space Station. Astronaut Barry Wilmore woke up early on Christmas to reflect upon the beauty of the Earth and snap some images to share with the world. Photo credit: … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – December 21-27, 2014
The Oil Market Crossroad
Left: "The number one crude oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, has projected a $39 billion deficit in 2015. The impact of lower oil prices, along with the decision not to cut production, is putting pressure on the country’s finances." It is virtually … [Read more...] about The Oil Market Crossroad