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Territorial control in Syria has changed many times since the country's uprising began more than three years ago and the current conflict is characterised by fluctuating frontlines. In particular, over the last few months, fighters from Islamic State (IS) - the extremist group that grew out of al-Qaeda in Iraq - have been battling regime forces in new areas, clashing with other armed groups close to Damascus as well as invading Kurdish regions.

Saturday October 11 signalled the start of the new academic year in Egyptian universities, delayed this year by the authorities from September to mid-October to allow them time to prepare their security forces for the expected demonstrations.

This article illuminates the aftermath of Gaddafi's reign from a first person perspective of a citizen fleeing the country due to its devastating chaos. He offers a short version of the conflict and the rise in militant groups. The root of the issue is the fact that when the GNC took power, the factions funded the militant groups for their own insurance rather than working towards their disbandment. The Islamist coalition dominated parliament, and as chaos deepened when they realized they would loose the election so they just delayed having one. This is where General Khalifa Haftar chimed in, launching his offense against islamic insurgency by storming the capitol in Tripoli leading the country to slip into civil war. The Author says "We are like a class of kids where the bad teacher is suddenly dead," he said. "Now we all fight each other." When the light finally comes to a country that was for so long in the dark, its blinding. 

November 10, 2014 : By Drew Menard/Liberty University News Service Rick Santorum, the one-time presidential candidate, took the stage at Liberty University's Convocation on Monday to emphasize the important role that America plays in shaping the world. In order for this influence to continue, he added, it is imperative that Americans remain grounded in morality. How weird is that?? ^^^ So I was going to post the article that criticizes how Rick Santorum blatantly links Islam straight to violence and talks about how different they are from Christians, but its interesting to see how reframing happens in media so shamelessly. The above description is about how Santorum's speech (which took place at a conservative college) was so enlightening... even though it was totally just a political stunt because he's running for Prez in 2016 (lol other article: http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/09/29/3573218/rick-santorum-baptist-ministers-jihad/)

Egypt's 2011 uprising was often referred to as a youth revolution, but two years after longtime President Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office, many in the younger generation say that they are not represented by the Brotherhood or any other oppositional forces. The demands of the revolution the youth led have not been met. Conditions are worsening. The youth are increasingly disillusioned with the idea of political hope and feel like leaving the country may be their best option for fulfillment. The youth feel their is a large disparity between their ideas and demands and the political desires of the older generation who is favored for their wisdom, experience, and resources. Although the youth have popular support, they lack the resources to successfully run a political race and are therefore left out of the process of change. This means it is left up to the older generation of politicians to appease their demands, if only to prevent more protests.

Author J.M. Berger discusses ISIS's strategy on Twitter, comparing their highly skilled techniques on this platform to the likes of a P.R./ marketing team working for a Western corporation. Berger goes on to discuss programs that automatically post tweets to users accounts, an app they developed that provides updates, and an intricate system able to surpass Twitter's spam and security teams.

The militants who gathered on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, to torch and kill inside the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, were a who's who of the modern al Qaeda movement, newly declassified documents show.

This link is a biography of President Bashar al-Assad. Towards the end of the biography Assad's role in human rights and use of chemical weaponry is mentioned. Additionally, the link provides his early life and life in presidency which is crucial to understanding the current situation that exists in Syria.

This is a blog article that raises the question of whether the US drone war in Yemen has caused more harm than good. The author notes how the indiscriminate death of innocents in drone attacks creates hatred for the US.

Where did it come from, and what are its intentions? The simplicity of these questions can be deceiving, and few Western leaders seem to know the answers. In December, The New York Times published confidential comments by Major General Michael K.

Syrian Christians struggling in Turkey and other European countries. ISIS has not made it easy for them to live in Syria which is why they must flee the country. 

Battle in Yemen has left many displaced and in need of goods and healthcare. The blockade has made it difficult for humanitarian organizations to deliver aid to Yemen.

I enjoyed this article because it uses terminology that is not typically associated with this topic. The author compares Egyptian women to zombies, stating that they must "play-dead" or be "obliterated and shunned."

In this NY Times article, Obama fiercely defends the nuclear agreement with Iran. He doesn't understand why the Republicans are prejudging the deal and instead decides to give Congress a say in the debate.

ISIS is not only a threat to Iran, but a threat to the United States as well. Here the NY Times discusses more about why the two nations should work together against ISIS.

The loss of the intelligence networks, in addition to the escalating conflict, contributed to the Obama administration's decision to halt drone strikes in Yemen for two months, to vacate the U.S. Embassy in Sana last month and to evacuate U.S. special operations and intelligence teams from a Yemeni air base over the weekend.

Tired of being told Islam dictates their subservience to men, Muslim women are reclaiming their religion for themselves. With equality in the religious life, many women hope to regain equality in their social and professional lives as well.