Jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq announced Sunday the establishment of an “caliphate”, referring to the system of rule that ended nearly 100 years ago with the fall of the Ottomans.
In an audio recording distributed online, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) declared its chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “the caliph” and “leader for Muslims everywhere”.The Raw Story
ISIS leaders declare that territory taken in Syria and Iraq is now a ‘caliphate’
Agence France-Presse
2 comments:
Interesting stuff. After Erdogan came to power, The balance of power in the regional conflicts shifted in ways that don't clearly benefit either Iran or Saudi Arabia.
Makes me wonder what sort of covert/direct involvement the Turks have in the mid-east game now. Clearly ISIS is too violent and conservative for any government to be officially associated with but maybe Erdogans neo-ottoman party is more ambitious than people suppose.
There are more than a few external players pouring gasoline on the fire.
I understand from what I have read over the years, that Turkey will never accept an independent Kurdistan?
Yet, Israel and for that matter the US would welcome a Kurdistan into existence as it represents a further degradation of Iraq proper, in the ME power equation.
ISIS may win a few battles and occupy some areas, but, they cannot be discounted as some flash in the pan.
Strangely the US has decided to fund and arm the "good rebels" of Syria, which paradoxically are for the most part the same people who comprise ISIS?
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