By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 29 March 2019
Al-Nur Mosque, Christchurch, New Zealand [image source]
Jihadist Groups Capitalize on Far-Right Terrorism in New Zealand
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Author Archives: KyleWOrton
Islamic State Spokesman Dismisses Coalition Claims of Victory
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 21 March 2019
The spokesman for the Islamic State (IS), Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, gave his a speech on 18 March 2019, entitled, “He Was True to Allah and Allah Was True to Him” (or “He Was Honest/Sincere Towards God, so God Fulfilled His Wish”). This is the sixth speech given by Abu Hassan since he was announced in December 2016 as the replacement for Taha Falaha (Abu Muhammad al-Adnani). Abu Hassan’s true identity remains mysterious. An English translation was released by IS and is reproduced below with some editions in transliteration. Continue reading
The Shah, the Cold War, and the Islamists
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 20 March 2019
Abbas Milani’s The Shah gives a portrait of Iran’s last monarch, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, and the impact that his downfall forty years ago continues to have in the Middle East, notably the emboldening of the Islamist movement. Continue reading
The Democrats and Corbynism
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 19 March 2019
When the Democratic Party faced a revolt from its ranks for daring to propose condemning anti-Semitism, the scene gave those of us in Britain deja vu. The American Left is following the same script that led to the rapid radicalization of the Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn. It’s no longer a mere talking point, a form of shorthand for journalists: The Democratic Party’s Corbynization is here, and it tacks so closely to what happened in Britain that it’s important for Americans to understand where we’ve been — and where they’re headed. Continue reading
Islamic State Says It Rejected the Disbelievers Before They Rejected Them
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 17 March 2019
In the 173rd edition of Al-Naba, the Islamic State’s weekly newsletter, published on 14 March 2019, the main editorial was entitled, “We Have Rejected You” (Kafarna Bikum), a reference to Qur’an 60:4. A translation of the article is given below.
Continue readingIslamic State Obituary for French Jihadist Fabien Clain
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 16 March 2019
Fabien Clain, Al-Naba 173, page 9
The U.S.-led Coalition against the Islamic State (IS) announced on 28 February that it had killed Fabien Clain (Abu Anas al-Firansi), a French citizen. Clain and his brother, Jean-Michel (Abu Uthman), were targeted by a Coalition airstrike in Baghuz, the final pocket of the “caliphate” in eastern Syria, on 20 February. It was unclear what happened to Jean-Michel, though the 173rd edition of IS’s newsletter, Al-Naba, published on 14 March, says (pp. 9-10) that he was killed a few days after Fabien. Continue reading
If America is to Stay in Syria, What For?
This article was published at Ahval
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 12 March 2019
The wheel turns again. After U.S. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria in December, it seemed rapprochement with Turkey was on the cards. Now that looks less likely. Continue reading
What is Turkey Doing in Syria?
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 10 March 2019
Turkish soldiers in Efrin, Syria, March 2018. (AFP)
Eight years ago, peaceful protests began against Syrian President Bashar Assad. Since then, outside powers — the Iran-Russia axis, the United States and Turkey — have become dominant in Syria.
The Iranians and Russians keeping Assad’s regime alive are clearly going nowhere. The Americans’ indecision on the point is apparently final. So, what of Turkey, which is the custodian of the remnants of the armed opposition? Continue reading
Islamic State Urges Defiance as the Caliphate Collapses, Attacks Other Islamists
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 9 March 2019
Al-Naba 172 front page
The Islamic State (IS) released the 172nd edition of Al-Naba, its newsletter, on 7 March 2019. Continue reading
Islamic State Says the West Has Admitted the Group Cannot Be Defeated
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 4 March 2019
Front page of Al-Naba 170
The 170th edition of Al-Naba, the Islamic State (IS) newsletter, was produced on 21 February 2019. Its main editorial on page 3 focused on the organisation’s apparent “inability to surrender”. Continue reading
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