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President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Cairo this Saturday (September 13, 2014). He said that the US coalition to defeat the Islamist State should also combat "terrorist hotbeds" across the Middle East and Africa. Egypt, unlike many other countries in the area, has supported the United State's anti-IS military action.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Cairo this Saturday (September 13, 2014). He said that the US coalition to defeat the Islamist State should also combat "terrorist hotbeds" across the Middle East and Africa. Egypt, unlike many other countries in the area, has supported the United State's anti-IS military action.

"Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah Sunday announced that Hezbollah had covertly sent fighters to combat ISIS in Iraq, saying that his party had fought under local command and not interfered in the country's internal affairs as Saudi Arabia had in some Arab states."

This is the first indication that I got that shows that there is a separate provincial government in Northern Iraq that has almost full autonomy. They also have a stronger combat force than the Iraqi government.

Upon researching issues in women's rights, an issue involving forced marriage came up as an issue for Saudi Arabia. This link is about forced marriage in Saudi Arabia. The article starts with the story of a 15 year old girl that was forced to marry a 90 year old man who paid her parents $17,000 for her. The article then goes into detail about who is to blame and how it is perceived religiously.

France is continuing to oppose Syrian President Bashar Assad stating that his government will not be the best group to combat terrorism. They continue to side with the Syrian people and their aspiration to forma civil democratic state. 

Over the past few months, there have been dozens of articles published about how Kurdish women of the PKK have been engaged in combat against the Islamic State. In this article in the Hurriyet Daily News (a major Turkish newspaper), the author examines the PKK's claims about being an organization that practices gender equality. Rather unsurprisingly for a Turkish author, he argues that the PKK's history of terrorism, in particular its use of female suicide bombers, is ignored in recent news articles, and that the organization has a long history of abuses towards women.

Tunisia forces arrest 32 terrorists that were planning to attack targets in Tunis and other cities. Essid (prime minister) stated they are strengthening measures to combat extremism and strengthen security capabilities to confront terrorism and the protection of the democratic transition.

As Iran develops their cyber warfare tactics, Israel is looking to develop a "digital Iron dome" to combat against it. They believe they need to be on a superpower level as far as cyber space is concerned or else be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.

In another coalition of airstrikes, President Obama announced one particular ISIL leader who had direct ties to the ringleaders in the Paris attacks has been confirmed dead. Pentagon reports ISIL is losing combat power; Iraqi forces are working to rid Ramadi of ISIL presence. 10 other key leaders of ISIL were taken out as well in December.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has lambasted Western governments and praised Russia as "fundamental" to combating the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), in an interview with state news agency RIA Novosti. Assad spoke about the Syrian army's recent triumph in regaining control over the historic city of Palmyra, which was captured by ISIS in 2015.

Russia warned it will act unilaterally starting on Tuesday to end alleged violations of the "cessation of hostilities" agreement, unless Moscow and Washington urgently reach an agreement to deal with attacks. The Russian military has accused the United States of dragging its feet on responding to Moscow's proposals on rules for joint monitoring of the Syria ceasefire and response to violations, saying delays are leading to civilian casualties. The Russian Government has threatened the Syrian people who stand against the peace treaty..

Arab states have began to jump on board offering support to the coalition against ISIS. UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon have recently voiced their support. Turkey, the only Arab member of NATO has voiced their lack of support in the coalition thus far. Saudi, the home to major religious cities, feels like a direct threat to ISIS and have made it clear that they will be playing a major role in the war against the Islamic State. UAE allegedly initiated bombings from Egyptian bases on Libya due to islamic militia takeovers of major cities and institutions. Arab states along with France, Germany, and Britain have agreed to form a "coordinated military campaign." Bringing in Assad from Syria is somewhat crucial, but the coalition is hesitant due to the loss of the Assad Regime's legitimacy over the past years of civil strife. Official plans of attack are still sketchy, but are definitely in the works. The coalition of states have made it clear that in order to tackle this ISIS threat, they must band together to dynamically exterminate the Islamic State from all angles.

This author gives an analysis of where the Egyptian youth failed and succeeded in their revolution. He applauds their original motivation: overthrowing the oppressive regime and seeking political freedom. However, he criticizes the movement for not having organized goals with practical implications. Their focus was so set on overthrowing Mubarak that they did not have a plan once that was achieved. As a result, the youth allowed the military to become politicized and enforce their political ideas. The author claims this move set a dangerous precedent for the future and took away the attention of the military from places it was needed. The author claims that by endorsing the army to act militarily against the first civilian elected president of the country, the youth is undermining their original goals. He goes on to explain his suggestions for the Egyptian youth to get back on track and follow through in the remaining phases of the revolution.

This article talks about the women of ISIS and what are some factors that lead to them joining ISIS or other rebellion armies around the world. The article also speaks about how for women, gender and politics overlap in a way that is doesn't for men. Sometimes in times of conflict women have to join these group in order to survive. 

Sissi calls for internationals support on fighting Islamic power in Libya.

The Voice of America reported President Sissi's call to the US and Europe to aid the Libyan army in their fight against ISIS, saving the country from requiring intervention on the scale of Iraq and Syria. Egypt has been training anti-Islamist forced on its own soil and sending them out to fight in Libya, but they have yet to intervene directly. He calls on the international community to help prevent further Islamic insurgency for the sake of stability throughout the region as a whole.