CULF 3331: "Middle Eastern Revolutions"

Czech president Milos Zeman, a leftist and anti immigrant, made a speech claiming that the integration of Muslims into the Czech Republic is impossible. He said that they are nothing like the Czech people and that incidences like in Cologne would happen. He also said that most likely Syrians would not want to remain in the Czech Republic and would probably escape to places like Germany. He also blames all the refugees on a plan by the Muslim Brotherhood to penetrate into Europe. He claims that people should not run away from Syria, but rather fight it is they want to fight.

Syria's "cessation of hostilities" is making a difference - whatever the arguments about early violations, the level of violence across the country has fallen - and with this fragile modicum of progress, the United States and Russia find themselves in harness after years in which Syria was a forum for their rivalry.

Syria's "cessation of hostilities" is making a difference - whatever the arguments about early violations, the level of violence across the country has fallen - and with this fragile modicum of progress, the United States and Russia find themselves in harness after years in which Syria was a forum for their rivalry. But privately officials are nervous, both about Russian attempts to brand any group that has ever co-operated with militant elements like the Islamic state or the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front as "terrorist" and, therefore, ineligible to take part in, or make any significant move towards moving President Assad off the political stage. For now there is an agreement to allow the PResident to stay in power and the United States is biting its tongue, hoping that the violence will slow down.

Russian warplanes are conducting airstrikes now in Syria, according to a slew of news reports. The move follows authorization by a vote in Russian parliament as well as weeks of Kremlin messaging about the importance of bolstering the Syrian regime to combat the Islamic State. These Russian airstrikes, although effective, have put United States in a bit of worry because they are unsure of who is calling in the airstrikes. Russia is known to support Assad so any chance they have they will use the strikes to help strengthen Assad, which is not what the U.S. wants. These actions were not surprising to the United States, who believe Russia is saying that they will attack terrorists when they really just want Assad to stay in power.

The U.S. Army's elite Delta Force operations to target, capture or kill top ISIS operatives have begun in Iraq, after several weeks of covert preparation. The official said the group has spent the last several weeks preparing, including setting up safe houses, establishing informant networks and coordinating operations with Iraqi and Peshmerga units. It's the same strategy that Special Operations forces have used in previous deployments to combat zones. This is a strong move shown by the United States that says ISIS is the main priority in the Syrian War. Many officers of high rank have said that this has taken weeks of planning and scouting out enemy positions so that it would be swift missions that would demand very accurate precision.

Posted March 02, 2016 01:32:49 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has described the cessation of hostilities in force since Saturday as a "glimmer of hope" while offering rebel forces "full amnesty" if they hand over their weapons. Speaking in an interview with Germany's ARD network, Mr Assad also accused the opposition of violating the agreement intended to halt nearly five years of fighting.

Saudi Arabia has acknowledged that the US-led anti-ISIS coalition has held a "political" discussion about a potential ground troop deployment in Syria. Riyadh's statements have been criticized by Damascus as destructive and a threat to regional security.

Turkey's "provocative" military buildup on the border and shelling of the Syrian territory could thwart the truce and disrupt the peace process in the Arab Republic, said the head of the Russian ceasefire monitoring center Lt. Gen. Sergey Kuralenko.

While once a popular idea, getting rid of Gaddafi now seems like it could have been more of a blunder. Hillary Clinton is widely given credit for supporting this regime change which has now led to challenges not only for Libya but for the world. ISIS has found a new base for operations against Europe and a new government has been unable to take shape. This article looks at how choices, especially those that seem appropriate at the time, may turn out to be disastrous.

As was mentioned in my bookmarks last week, fighting in some parts of Libya between ISIS militants and militia groups is an ongoing struggle. This article puts a human side to those who become trapped in places that ISIS attempts to overrun. Thankfully, one of these militia groups was able to push ISIS out of this city, allowing for a heartbreaking look at the fear of those that were for a brief moment, trapped in ISIS territory.

Regional partners and allies are going to be crucial for success in Libya, especially with the lack of one stable government and infighting between the various factions. Tunisia is becoming crucial in not only the fight against ISIS in Libya but also to the success of the Libyan government. This article looks at Tunisia allowing for the training of Libyan military forces by the Germans, inside of Tunisia, effectively giving the Libyan military forces a safe place to train.

In a sign of support from European powers, Britain is sending a small number of troops to help defend the Tunisian border from potential ISIS intrusion. Fearing Libya becoming a haven for ISIS, which it is slowly becoming without a stable government, European nations including the UK are preparing to stop ISIS from using Libya as a base for terror operations that could have a direct impact on Europe.

John Kerry has said that all alleged violations of the ceasefire in Syria will be investigated. Going forward, the US and Russia are working on ensuring that airstrikes only hit ISIS or al-Qaeda occupied areas.

President Hosni Mubarak has urged Egypt's Muslims and Christians to stand united against terrorism after a bombing outside a church in Alexandria. At least 21 people were killed and 70 hurt in the suspected suicide attack, which happened during a New Year's Eve service at the al-Qiddissin Church.

CAIRO-The Egyptian opposition's takeover of the area around the parliament this week began with a trick-the latest example of how, for more than two weeks, young activists have outwitted Egypt's feared security forces to spur an uprising many here had long thought impossible.

With terrorism dominating the news, hackers are trying to exploit people's fears by posing as Dubai law enforcement and spreading malware. Hacker attacks are a main issue and used to spread malware and terrorist messages.

Across the region, protesters took to the streets in fury threatening to re-ignite worsening sectarian tensions in Lebanon, Iraq and Bahrain. This video talks about the Middle Eastern crisis between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Rising tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia were given fresh fuel Monday with both sides issuing tit-for-tat verbal volleys. Regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran have been trading blows in an escalating war of words since Saturday following the former's move to execute prominent Shiite opposition cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Iran's Shiite leaders blasted the Sunni kingdom verbally, while protesters in Tehran stormed the Saudi Arabian embassy.

The United Arab Emirates has pledged more than $130 million for the refugees, but despite this generosity, many think the country should do more. CNN's Jon Jensen reports on this crisis.

None of this should surprise. After all, it's a presidential election year, and it would be downright un-American not to blame or criticize someone. But who or what is actually responsible for the unhappy state of affairs in the muddled Middle East? Here are some plausible possibilities.