The Lebanese Shiite group, Hezbollah, is the spearhead in Syria’s fight against ISIS. The group is making gains, which seems like it would be a welcome development, from a Western perspective. But it is worrying Israel, as Hezbollah is closing in on the strategically vital Golan Heights. And that’s leading some to fear a broader regional war.
Just a few months ago, Erbil — the de-facto capital of Iraq’s northern Kurdish region — was riding high on an economic oil and gas boom. That all came to a halt when ISIS militants took over nearby Mosul. Now those half-finished buildings are home to displaced Iraqi families.
After stray shells from an ISIS attack landed in a Turkish village, Turkey deployed tanks to secure its border. The country looks set to approve further military action against ISIS, but public opinion is divided over the conflict.
In recent months, Iraqi Christians have been displaced by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Christian leaders in northern Iraq are calling upon young Christian men fight alongside the Peshmerga and Iraqi army against ISIS. While thousands are heeding the call, most remain skeptical.
At least one young man from Minnesota has died fighting with ISIS militants in Syria. But who would expect a shy, 19-year-old woman with no job and no passport to attempt the journey there? But that’s exactly what happened to one Minneapolis family.
A video has been released purportedly showing the beheading of US journalist, Steven Sotloff, at the hands of militants from the terrorist organization that refers to itself as the Islamic State. Janine di Giovanni, Middle East editor at Newsweek, a friend and colleague of Sotloff’s, remembers him from better times.