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fcastro2

Iraq and Syria are 'finishing schools' for foreign extremists, says UN report | World n... - 0 views

www.theguardian.com/...eign-extremists-says-un-report

syria iraq ISIS politics foreign fighters

shared by fcastro2 on 08 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • Iraq and Syria have become “international finishing schools” for extremists according to a UN report which says the number of foreign fighters joining terrorist groups has spiked to more than 25,000 from more than 100 countrie
  • monitoring UN sanctions against al-Qaida estimates the number of overseas terrorist fighters worldwide increased by 71% between mid-2014 and March 2015
  • problem had increased over the past three years and the flow of foreign fighters was “higher than it has ever been historically
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • risen sharply from a few thousand … a decade ago to more than 25,000 today
  • The report said just two countries had drawn more than 20,000 foreign fighters: Syria and Iraq. They went to fight primarily for the Islamic State group
  • ited the “high number” of foreign fighters from Tunisia, Morocco, France and Russia, the increase in fighters from the Maldives, Finland and Trinidad and Tobago, and the first fighters from some countries in sub-Saharan Africa which it did not name. The groups had also found recruits from Britain and Australia.
  • A military defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq could have the unintended consequence of scattering violent foreign terrorist fighters across the world
  • while governments are focusing on countering the threat from fighters returning home, the panel said it was possible that some may be traumatised by what they saw and need psychological help, and that others may be recruited by criminal networks.
  • The number of countries the fighters come from has also risen dramatically from a small group in the 1990s to more than 100 today — more than half the countries in the world
  • foreign fighters who travelled to Syria and Iraq were living and working in “a veritable ‘international finishing school’ for extremists”, as was the case in Afghanistan in the 199
  • an urgent global security problem” that needed to be tackled on many fronts and had no easy solution
  • With globalised travel, it said, the chance of a person from any country becoming a victim of a foreign terrorist attack was growing “particularly with attacks targeting hotels, public spaces and venues
  • It said the most effective policy was to prevent the radicalisation, recruitment and travel of would-be fighters.
  • fcastro2 on 08 Apr 15
     
    The fighting in Syria and Iraq has expanded and gained more foreign fighters from many more countries around the world. 
allieggg

Islamists Aren't the Obstacle | Foreign Affairs - 0 views

www.foreignaffairs.com/...islamists-arent-the-obstacle

middle east democracy Islamists institutions egypt politics tunisia

shared by allieggg on 28 Sep 14 - No Cached
micklethwait liked it
  • A minority of the population -- 26 percent of Tunisians and 28 percent of Egyptians -- believes that Islam should play a large role in government.
  • Both secularists and Islamists associate democracy with economic prosperity
  • Islamist parties received considerable support in both countries' recent elections -- not only because there is a broad ideological affinity for Islamism among the population but also because of Islamist parties' effective campaigning.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • When asked about the most important feature of a democracy, 69 percent of Egyptians and 32 percent of Tunisians put providing people with basic necessities or narrowing the gap between rich and poor at the top of their lists.
  • On a related note, Islamist parties have shown a remarkable ability to maintain their base.
  • Tunisia has fared better than Egypt so far in the post-Arab Spring transition, with less violence, fewer demonstrations, and greater political stability. This is in part because challenges are easier to confront in a country of only 11 million, 98 percent of whom are Sunni Muslim, compared to the more diverse and populous Egypt. But Tunisia's success is primarily a result of its stronger institutions, which provide a conduit for political debate.
  • Many onlookers claim that Egypt's more tumultuous post-revolution trajectory is because of the country's legacy of religiosity and Islamism.
  • Egyptians, in fact, are no more religious than Tunisians.
  • Egypt's institutions are weak and have been routinely undermined by entrenched interests. The countries' different geopolitical situations play a role here. Tunisia's minimal strategic importance means that foreign countries have less reason to intervene. But Egypt's proximity to Israel and the Palestinian territories, its 1979 peace treaty with Israel, and its role as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas make its political developments important to Israel and the United States. Consequently, Egypt is vulnerable to foreign interference, particularly to attempts to prop up its military. Furthermore, beyond serving as a pillar to Egypt's authoritarian regimes, the Egyptian military has significant business interests and accounts for ten to 30 percent of Egypt's gross domestic product.
  • Egypt's judicial branch, which is also more powerful than Tunisia's, has at times undermined democratic processes.
  • Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the Islamist-dominated parliament and the Constituent Assembly it elected were unconstitutional, because Islamist parties contested seats intended for independent candidates. The move polarized the country and pushed the executive branch to take extreme measures.
  • Egyptian democracy is undermined by the inability of institutions to address citizens' demands and the impulse of powerful actors to interfere, not by the divide between Islamists and secularists. Institutions in Egypt fail to provide a meaningful forum for debate. As a result, violent street protesters and extremist sheiks are gaining power.
  • U.S. policy must support institutions rather than actors, and processes rather than outcomes, in order to help Egypt and Tunisia achieve their democratic potential.
  • allieggg on 28 Sep 14
     
    The Council on Foreign Relations published an article about democratization in the middle east and the major obstacles that are present in the process. While most assume Islamists and Islamic embedded institutions are the root of the delayed democratic transition, the problems are much bigger than that. While Islamist regimes do indeed stunt the growth of democratic progress in terms of creating a stable government, Arab countries struggle with economic and social factors as well. The Arab Spring Revolutions have caused economic and social degradation across the region, resulting in a road block of political leadership. Without a reliable and capable government structure, the states are unable to progress economically. However, in order to have a stable government, social and economic institutions must be in place to create this capitalist economy that they strive for. Because most wealth resides in oil, the revenue that the states bring in isn't distributed properly throughout society and is concentrated within few business elites. The article stresses that instead of foreign aid going into the hands of an unstable leader or regime, it should be invested in institutions in order to spur economic growth and eliminate corruption. Rather than focusing on the Islamist-secularist divide, the world should be working towards the strengthening of institutions to create a stable foundation for governance. 
tdford333

Yemen expert podcast - 0 views

www.hipcast.com/HsVvZ1Ns

podcast drone attack

shared by tdford333 on 28 Jan 15 - No Cached
  • tdford333 on 28 Jan 15
     
    Adam Baron, Yemen expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations and journalist for publications including McClatchy and Foreign Policy, discusses controversial drone strike in Yemen.
kbrisba

The Arab Spring's success story: what will it take for Tunisia to unlock its full ... - 0 views

www.albawaba.com/...ts-full-economic-potential-646

shared by kbrisba on 15 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • kbrisba on 15 Feb 15
     
    Tunisia kicked off investor meetings for a Eurobond without US guarantees. Tunisia's stock market has already shown political stability. Tunis index rose more than 16 percent in 2014 and trades 10 percent below record highs hit before the Arab Spring. Tunisia has potential to reform but it is in need of foreign direct investment to drive economic growth and job creation. Tunisia signed a two year deal with the international Monetary Fund in 2013, agreeing to follow certain economic policies; keeping its deficit under control, making the foreign exchange market more flexible and structural reforms.
mcooka

The Rise of the Jewish Policy Elite: Meritocracy, Myth and Power - 0 views

www.thepeoplesvoice.org/...the-rise-of-the-jewish

policy jews israel politics war

shared by mcooka on 28 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • mcooka on 28 Mar 16
     
    This article was ignited after Obama's nomination of Garland to the Supreme Court. Garland is a Jewish which makes the Supreme Court 4 Catholics and 3 Jews. This article goes deeper into Government and looks at the statistics of Jews, WASPS, and Catholics in the Government. There is a distinct lack of Islamic or Muslim persons in the government. This article is based on how this could hurt U.S. chances with all foreign policy in the MIddle East.
ralph0

14 hard truths on Syria no one wants to admit - Vox - 0 views

www.vox.com/...syria-truths

syria policy putin war stalemate peace talks Politics

shared by ralph0 on 10 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • ralph0 on 10 Feb 16
     
    The title is pretty spot on. I liked this article because it covered a variety of topics. It addresses Russia and Iran, and then goes back to talk about US foreign policy. I found it to be a good summary and forecast of the political situation.
nicolet1189

ICSR Insight - Offering Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq a Way Out / ICSR - 0 views

icsr.info/...oreign-fighters-syria-iraq-way

shared by nicolet1189 on 29 Sep 14 - No Cached
micklethwait liked it
  • Boris Johnson proposed that all the British fighters in Syria should be presumed guilty unless proven innocent
  • dangerous and counterproductive proposal
  • increase — rather than diminish — the terrorist threat to [Britain] .
  • ...24 more annotations...
  • a database of more than 450 fighters currently in Syria and Iraq.
  • motivations for travelling to Syria are diverse
  • tougher laws and blanket punishment shouldn’t be the only approach.
  • one in nine former fighters subsequently became involved in terrorist activity
  • In many cases they are disillusioned, psychologically disturbed, or just tired.
  • ideological, vicious and bloodthirsty fighters who attract the headlines,
  • many have found the reality to be far different from what they were led to believe.
  • When he first travelled out there, he said “it was all focused on Assad,” he said. “But now it’s just Muslims fighting Muslims. We didn’t come here for this.”
  • The blanket approach taken by the government — to threaten all returnees with draconian prison sentences — Abu Mohammed says, makes him feel trapped. “We’re forced to stay and fight, what choice do we have? It’s sad,” he told us.
  • Following the defeat of the Soviet Union in the 1980s, Arab-Afghan fighters could not return to their home countries. They were stripped of their citizenship
  • regrouped in Sudan and formed a Jihadist Internationale, from which al-Qaeda emerged.
  • men were offered no opportunity to disengage from the path they had chosen.
  • Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other countries
  • deradicalisation programmes to convince jihadists to disengage
  • deradicalisation along with monitoring and surveillance.
  • would be willing to submit to such a scheme, were it available, in order to return to the UK.
  • the Channel Project.
  • More than 1000 people
  • successfully engaged through this programme.
  • Treating all foreign fighters as terrorists, however, risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.
  • This is not about being soft: it’s about being smart.
  • In prison, by contrast, they are likely to be further radicalised while potentially exposing others to a hardened ideology and worldview.
  • another friend who recently quit the fight after he couldn’t accept what he saw out there.
  • experience — they need to be heard, not locked away.
  • nicolet1189 on 29 Sep 14
     
    This was an article (originally published by the Independent, however, I found it on their website via my first article from the BBC) by the International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence of London. The article suggests, allowing fighters to return home safely and enroll in a De-radicalization program would be more beneficial than current policies of severe punishment (prison, stripping of citizenship, etc.). The authors contend current repercussions for fighters returning to their home countries leave them trapped and isolated and prison sentences often lead to further radicalization. Overall this article really captured my attention in its non-conventional proposal for governments to handle these situations.
mcooka

17 years after war - Yugoslavia again protesting NATO - Workers World - 0 views

www.workers.org/...goslavia-again-protesting-nato

war nato workers world

shared by mcooka on 24 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • Home » Global » 17 years after war — Yugoslavia again protesting NATO 17 years after war — Yugoslavia again protesting NATO By Heather Cottin posted on March 22, 2016 Share On March 24, 1999, the U.S. led its European NATO allies in a 78-day bombing campaign targeting
  • Serbia in order to destroy Yugoslavia, the last socialist country holding out in Europe. NATO planes bombed hospitals, factories, schools, trains, television stations, bridges and homes, killing thousands of Yugoslavs.
  • n 2000, the same NATO forces destabilized what remained of Yugoslavia — the republics of Serbia and Montenegr
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • ugoslavia was an independent and relatively prosperous country. With no Soviet Union after 1991, Yugoslavia was vulnerable to the powerful imperialist countries in Western Europe and the United States, which provoked and exacerbated disputes among the various Yugoslav peoples
  • NATO’s pattern for the destruction of Libya and Syria — and also of Iraq and Afghanistan, with variations
  • cialism in Yugoslavia produced artists and intellectuals, free health care, zero unemployment, free education, excellent public transportation and advanced industrial and agricultural developmen
  • After the destruction of Milosevic and his party, neoliberal forces in Serbia and the other republics privatized the health care system, sold off the mines, and closed automobile, petroleum and other industries. Now Bosnia has an unemployment rate of 43 percent, Croatia’s is 19 percent, and tiny Kosovo’s is 45 percent. Kosovo hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Balkans, Camp Bondsteel, which protects Kosovo’s criminal government and oversees NATO control in the Balkans.
  • n the U.S. in 1999-2001, the International Action Center and Workers World Party played a leading role among those who stood firm against expanding NATO’s mayhem and slaughter in Yugoslavia.
  • mcooka on 24 Mar 16
     
    This is an article about Yugoslavia which doesn't want the interference of NATO in their lives any more. NATO and Yugoslavia gets into details about foreign policy 
hkerby2

I Was Gassed by Bashar al-Assad | Foreign Policy - 0 views

foreignpolicy.com/...-was-gassed-by-bashar-al-assad

foreign policy Damascus survivor starvation

shared by hkerby2 on 15 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • hkerby2 on 15 Feb 15
     
    This article is a view of the chemical warfare in Syria from someone who survived the attacks in Damascus. The survivor writes of how joining the OPCW will do nothing in saving and protecting the Syrian people and how by taking away chemical warfare it will jut lead to Assad regimes finding new ways, such as starvation, to kill the innocent people of Syria.
atownen

GOP candidates side with Saudi Arabia over Iran in dispute - POLITICO - 1 views

www.politico.com/...icans-saudi-arabia-iran-217341

gop saudi arabia iran

shared by atownen on 21 Jan 16 - No Cached
  • atownen on 21 Jan 16
     
    Article about Saudi Arabia and Iran's tense relations. GOP candidates respond with their thoughts on foreign policy.
ccfuentez

Slavery and Forced Labor in Brazil - Foreign Policy Blogs | Foreign Policy Blogs - 0 views

foreignpolicyblogs.com/...slavery-forced-labor-brazil

forced labor slavery Brail exploited gatos

shared by ccfuentez on 22 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • Of all of the countries in the Americas, Brazil imported the most slaves from Africa and was the last to officially abolish slavery.
  • In 2002, the ILO and the Brazilian government initiated a technical cooperation project called “Combating Forced Labour”. Since then, around 50,000 workers have been freed from slave-like conditions in Brazil.
  • ccfuentez on 22 Feb 16
     
    Although slavery has been abolished for years, forced labor has since taken its place. In a recent report, 240 Brazilian companies were caught employing people in slave-like conditions between May 2013 and May 2015. The companies were associated with clothing sweatshops, farming and cattle ranching, timber and charcoal production, and construction. These people work seven days a week without pay and had no running water or toilets
ralph0

A Remote Syrian Airstrip Hints At A Growing American Military Role : Parallels : NPR - 0 views

www.npr.org/...growing-american-military-role

syria ISIS USA foreign policy obama planes airstrip

shared by ralph0 on 25 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • ralph0 on 25 Mar 16
     
    This article comments on the growing US involvement in Syria. It refers to a remote airstrip in a Kurdish-controlled town, with American planes arriving and leaving often.
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