So weird how ISIS-K attacked the Taliban and tried to get the US to stay in Afghanistan too. How interesting that ISIS attacks always pop up against American enemies at very convenient times for America
maybe i shouldn't be but i'm less suspicious about the ISIS-K thing there, some splinter groups aren't gonna like the taliban for local splitter reasons
Ryan Grim has been showing a bit of a power level lately. I've heard him twice in the past month or so sit across the table from chuds in discussions around US foreign policy and tell them unironically, the worst thing to happen for the world is the collapse of the Soviet Union because it allowed the US to do whatever the hell it wanted and it has all been bad. Not a radical take, but not one I hear from libs.
He's still a Warren Democrat, but he does cover many foreign policy things from a decent angle. I remember him talking about the Ratlines awhile ago for example. Seeing him go to bat so hard for Imran Khan is pretty refreshing, when the Intercept's previous editor was attempting to take it in a "progressive Democrat" direction.
Russia and Iran both provided material support to Syria in fighting ISIS, with Soleimani being one of the most individually responsible figures for the defeat of ISIS.
Reflexive US-contrarianism is not a useful framework even it if is right much more often than it is wrong.
Russia has not announced any information of the terrorists or their funders, and the FSB used Ukraine 3 times in their only official statement. I would wait before credulously swallowing the western narrative that it was ISIS all on their own. Ukraine was likely involved
That could risk an escalation in Ukraine, I think the US wants Ukraine to fizzle out so having Russian nationalists on an Islamophobia tear would help redirect regional anger.
I think Russia’s crackdown on neo-Nazism over the past 2 years have made it much harder to coordinate an attack.
Not that they have been eradicated, but clearly the flow of movement especially across borders are under much closer scrutiny than before, especially since they often couldn’t help themselves with having certain tattoos on their skins.