CIA chief says ISIS has 'snowballed'

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CIA Director John Brennan said Friday that the Islamic State had “snowballed” beyond Iraq and Syria, expanding its presence in more than 90 countries.

Brennan’s statement marks a change from the narrative the Obama administration has been pushing on the success of the fight against ISIS.

“Left unchecked, the group would pose a serious danger not only to Syria and Iraq, but to the wider region and beyond, including the threat of attacks in the homelands of the United States and our partners,” Brennan told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

He added that ISIS takes advantage of new technology to “coordinate operations, attract new recruits, disseminate propaganda and inspire sympathizers across the globe to act in their name.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/14/reports-success-against-isis-overinflated/

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1. Taub and the world's triple crisis

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Caste struggle, or one caste overthrowing the established caste, always results in chaos and mayhem. Today, we see not only the struggle between the Worker Caste and the remnants of the Merchant Caste, we are also witnessing the rise of the Religious-Spiritual Caste.

The starting shot, as Taub so remarkably predicted, was the religious revolution in Iran. If the 20th century was defined by the struggle between the Merchant Caste and the Worker Caste, the 21st century will be defined by the struggle between the Worker Caste and the new Religious-Spiritual Caste.

Like the other three castes, the Religious-Spiritual Caste Age has its own world view, a ruling elite (religious and spiritual leaders), social ideals (self-knowledge), source of power (self-knowledge), etc. Skeptics will wonder how Iran, not to mention religious extremists with their indiscriminate violence, can be the avant garde of a Spiritual-Religious Age, which after all suggests peace.

As Taub explains in his book, fundamentalists and extremists are always the "shock troop" at the start of a new caste struggle. The Dutch "Sea Beggars" (Watergeuzen) were the brutal and merciless shock troops for the rising, Amsterdam-based Merchant Caste fighting the occupying Warrior Caste from Spain. Likewise, the Russian Bolsheviks acted as shock troops of the Worker Caste against the Merchant Caste. The current jihadis are the shock troops of the now emerging Religious-Spiritual Caste. And, as in previous caste revolution, the Islamist firebrands will ultimately be subdued once victory is achieved.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-130315.html

Edit: the piece by Krikke is worth reading in its own right, all the way through, but ought not be taken as the "laws of history" or anything like that. One is reminded of "Coming of the Age of Aquarius" babble from 40 years ago too.

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2. That was really interesting.

You should post it on its own.

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3. Yeah, I'll put it in Good Reads, see what happens. nt

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4. The West’s Historical Amnesia, Moral Collapse, and Criminal Culpability in Syria

Today the Guardian in its trademark handwringing fashion is marking the fourth anniversary of the Syrian conflict: 200,000 dead, 3.5 million refugees.

The Guardian should also commemorate three and a half years of bloodshed, destruction, and misery inflicted upon Syria by the United States, the EU, and the GCC—make that murder, war crimes, and collective punishment IMO--much of it enthusiastically endorsed by the Guardian and its media brethren.

Think I’m exaggerating? But first read the piece (reproduced below) that I wrote in November 2011, when it was clear that the domestic uprising was headed for defeat and the West and GCC faced the crucial choice whether to let Assad cobble together some reconciliatory process…or try to bring him down with a foreign-supported insurrection.

We all know—or should know—what choice was made.

http://chinamatters.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-wests-historical-amnesia-moral.html