SYRIA Syrian journalist Khaled al-Khateb writes that the Idlib province ceasefire hasn't really been much of a ceasefire so far: Turkey and Russia had concluded an agreement on Sept. 17 to establish a buffer zone between the armed opposition regions and the regime-controlled areas in Idlib. According to this agreement that entered into force Oct. 15, … Continue reading Middle East update: November 8 2018

Happy Diwali to those who are celebrating! ASIAPAKISTAN Asia Bibi, whose 2010 blasphemy conviction was tossed out in court last week, has reportedly been released from prison. Which may not be great news for her, given that she and her family have almost certainly become targets for Islamist extremists. Bibi's husband, Ashiq Masih, has been pleading … Continue reading World update: November 7 2018

Happy Diwali to those who are celebrating! SYRIA Turkish officials say their forces killed one YPG militia fighter on Wednesday after that fighter fired into Turkey from across the border in Syria's Hasakah province. Ankara says it will not stop killing YPG fighters no matter how cooperative the Trump administration decides to be on the … Continue reading Middle East update: November 7 2018

EUROPE RUSSIA The US State Department said on Tuesday that it is preparing another wave of sanctions against Russia over the Sergei Skripal attack in the United Kingdom. The Trump administration invoked the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act back in August, imposing an initial round of sanctions while giving Russia a 90 … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: November 5-6 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Unless you're rooting for the Taliban, it has not been a good couple of days in Afghanistan: In perhaps the most severe blow, insurgents captured battalion headquarters of the Afghan Border Force in Farah Province, in western Afghanistan, killing or taking prisoner nearly the entire contingent of officers, with as many as 20 … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: November 5-6 2018

SYRIA As you may have heard, the Syrian Democratic Forces operation to eradicate ISIS from its last chunk of territory east of the Euphrates River has ground to a halt, partly because of stiffer than expected resistance from ISIS but mostly because Turkey has started shelling Kurdish positions in northern Syria in preparation for another … Continue reading Middle East update: November 5-6 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN A US soldier was killed on Saturday in what appears to have been another "insider attack" in Afghanistan. Brent Taylor, the mayor of North Ogden, Utah, was killed by a member of the Afghan security forces, who was also killed. It's not clear what the motive was--these kinds of attacks can be arranged by … Continue reading World update: November 3-4 2018

SYRIA ISIS detonated a car bomb in Raqqa on Sunday. Reports have been sketchy so far but it appears at least one person was killed in the blast with many more wounded. The attack comes just a couple of days after a prominent Arab tribal leader and member of the Raqqa Civil Council was assassinated … Continue reading Middle East update: November 3-4 2018