... need for both: according to the Pentagon, the number of IS recruits arriving in Iraq and Syria dropped more than seven-fold in the last twelve months, from 1,500 a month in April 2015 to just 200 in 2016.
Consequently, the territory controlled by the Islamic State is shrinking. According to US officials, the group has lost 47% of its territory in Iraq and 20% in Syria. Bombings in Iraq, Turkey and Saudi Arabia help the organization attract marginalized elements whose goal is not even building the illusive Caliphate but spreading jihad, which they interpret as their path towards liberation.
Islamic State Volunteers
IS and the Saudi monarchy both ...
"Daesh has a mother: the invasion of Iraq. But it also has a father: Saudi Arabia and its religious-industrial complex. Until that point is understood, battles may be won, but the war will be lost.... ... policy rules, Riyadh decided to increase its U.S. lobbying USD 3.66 billion.
EPA/YOUSSEF BADAWI
Boris Dolgov, Omar Mahmood:
The Syrian Conflict: Russian and GCC
Perspectives
The U.S. allies largely share the same needs, i.e. security guarantees plus more ...
The Syrian conflict continues to deteriorate, with estimates suggesting a death toll in ... ... comes at a time when the long-term regional role of key players such as the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, remains up in the air. This report aims to remedy this communication... ... regime and the radical opposition represents, together with the actions of the “Islamic State” (IS), the main military-political crisis in the Middle East today...