عن الدولة الإسلامية

لا، لم يأتِ إعلان داعش عن قيام الدولة الإسلامية وعن “تعيين” خليفة جديد للمسلمين جميعاً كتطور فريد من نوعه في أزمنتنا الحديثة، لكنه مع ذلك ليس بالتطور العادي، إذ من المتوقع أن يستجيب عدد لابأس به من الحركات الجهادية حول العالم لدعوة داعش لها لإعلان البيعة للخليفة البغدادي، بل لاشك عندي في أن قادتها سيسارعون إلى تقديم فروض السمع والطاعة لـ “أمير مؤمنين” عصرنا هذا، فـ “الانتصارات” التي حققتها الدولة مؤخراً في العراق وسوريا، أو بالأحرى، تلك التي نُسبت إليها، أعطتها زخماً لايُستهان به، وثروة نقدية طائلة سيتم توظيفها ولابد في شراء الولاءات، كما جرت العادة. كل هذا، والأحداث تجري تباعاً في منطقة ذات رمزية تاريخية كبيرة في ذاكرة المسلمين، لا في بقعة نائية من العالم.

مقاتلو داعش في الرقة يحتفلون بإعلان الخلافة
مقاتلو داعش في الرقة يحتفلون بإعلان الخلافة

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My American Politics

PartisanPolitics

Using my criticism of President Obama as a way to ascertain my political affiliation will not wield accurate results, as my criticism is not motivated by ideology. Indeed, the primary driving motive behind my vociferous criticism of Obama is my desire to see America live up to her values, potential and responsibilities as the world’s only superpower, and in a manner that can serve both her interests and those of the people who share her values across the world.

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Not by Listening!

Iraqi Shiite tribal fighters deploy with their weapons while chanting slogans against the Al Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Iraqi Shiite tribal fighters deploy with their weapons while chanting slogans against the Al Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

How we got here.

He didn’t listen to his point man on Syria, Frederic C. Hof; he didn’t listen to his second point man on Syria, Robert Ford; he doesn’t seem to be listening to General Petraeus long-standing point man on outreach to Sunni and Shia militias in Iraq, Col. Rick Welch; he obviously has a different crowd to which he listens, which is why he ends up whistling such a dissonant tune.

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Indifference Has a Price!

AP Photo celebrating the "new dynamic" between Obama and Netanyahu following their meeting in march 2013.
AP Photo celebrating the “new dynamic” between Obama and Netanyahu following their meeting in march 2013.

It’s not that he doesn’t care that chaos will be the main consequence of his inaction, or his extremely hesitant and minimalist actions; he seems to actually think that chaos is good. This is one point where he and Benjamin Netanyahu can agree: since their mortal enemies are busy fighting and weakening each other, they decided to give them all the leeway they need to stay at it.

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