Al-Qaeda leader in Syria speaks to Al Jazeera

Al-Qaeda leader in Syria speaks to Al Jazeera – Middle East – Al Jazeera English.

Thanks to inaction by the Obama Administration and other Western leaders, Al-Qaeda now has made a pulpit and an operational base for herself in the Holy Land of Syria. Sunni Jihadis will listen and will flock to her, just as Shia Jihadis are listening to Nasrallah and are flocking to fight for Assad. But those who think that the showdown will be contained within Syria’s borders, or the region’s, are fooling themselves. Soon, the same Jihadis will realize the importance of the “external dimension” of this war and will take the fight to all corners of the world. This is a war of identity now, and the 1.5 billion Muslims on this Earth don’t all live in Syria and the Middle East. The different conditions they live under will not shield them from the fallouts, one way or another, the identity of each Muslim is at stake now. This moment in time has been long in the making. But we are here now. Welcome to the really Hot Phase of the Islamic Reformation.

U.S. inaction in Syria could be far more costly than intervention

U.S. inaction in Syria could be far more costly than intervention – The Washington Post.

I have been making this argument from the beginning, still, the Obama Administration remains impervious to this logic. In fact, they seem to see victory where everyone else sees defeat, and wisdom where most see folly. Indeed, as Orwell would have it, “Ignorance Is Strength” – perceived, but not real.

Far Right in Eastern Europe Makes Gains as Syrians Arrive

Far Right in Eastern Europe Makes Gains as Syrians Arrive – NYTimes.com.

Indeed, fascists are making a comeback in Europe, and the main drivers are economic woes and high rates of unemployment among the youth. But, in typical fashion, it’s the presence of immigrants and refugees that will be used as the convenient vehicle for venting frustration. Over the next few years, the Middle East, especially Syria, will be a major supplier of both, which makes continued dithering by European leaders on intervention in Syria rather baffling. Europe is not in a position to shield herself from meltdown in the Middle East, and yet, her leaders stood by and watched on helplessly as the genocide in Syria unfolded. Sooner rather than later, the political price for this lack of foresight and backbone on part of Europe’s leaders will be exacted, and the consequences will haunt all. Meanwhile, fascists of the world may not be uniting yet, but they are finding ways to cooperate with and support each other. That’s why they hold rallies and events in support of Assad throughout Europe, and that’s why few made them made the trip all the way to Syria to fight with his militias. While Western intelligence services will be watching all those European Jihadis after they come back home, their real security nightmares in the future might come from their native kith and kin on the far right.

Lebanon and the Long Reach of Syria’s Conflict

Lebanon and the Long Reach of Syria’s Conflict : The New Yorker.

Actually the long reach of the Syria conflict will be felt in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia and beyond soon. As to what is happening now in Lebanon, well, it’s simply an extension of the selfsame conflict that the inaction of the Obama Administration has allowed to unfold – a conflict that will engulf the region and change her boundaries forever.