IS

[Terxpahseyton]

Except their actions revved up Jordanian involvement after its citizens had been pressuring it to decrease involvement and the UAE got involved again. Seems like a failed effort that ended up having the opposite effect.

Which is exactly what I'd expect. Engaging in atrocities usually only works as a deterrent when others already have to fear your power. I think the media is way to prone to paint it as some sort of evil master-plan. It looks more like chest-pumping to me.
But thanks @Borachio, it is interesting to know the justification for the burning. I wish the media more commonly would have said "they did this and here is why" instead of mostly "THEY DID THIS!".

 

[kramerfan86]

Which is exactly what I'd expect. Engaging in atrocities usually only works as a deterrent when others already have to fear your power. I think the media is way to prone to paint it as some sort of evil master-plan. It looks more like chest-pumping to me.
But thanks @Borachio, it is interesting to know the justification for the burning. I wish the media more commonly would have said "they did this and here is why" instead of mostly "THEY DID THIS!".

Eh I remember reading that exactly explanation a few days ago on either yahoo or BBC, so it is out there even if its not front page headline making news.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Which is why I said "more commonly"

 

[Borachio]

Yes, it's certainly "out there". The article I quoted was from the BBC. It's just not something I'd read until now. Not that I read much news anyway. I get most of mine from the radio.

I was amused to find my earlier speculations confirmed. And that's why I posted it.

 

[kramerfan86]

Overall I think the whole thing is going to create decreasing returns for ISIS which will long term lead to their failure. Revving up the barbarianism is trying to mine deeper into a small minority of muslims, yea in the short term it will win over recruits but for long term success ISIS really needs to start winning over the less radical of the radical end of the spectrum. Essentially to get short term recruiting gains they are steadily shrinking the potential recruitment pool

 

[Borachio]

I hope you're right. But with a current strength estimated at 37,000, I really wouldn't like to guess how this might turn out. And I don't think it's a minor problem that will be solved with bombing sorties. As if they ever solve anything.

 

[kramerfan86]

I hope you're right. But with a current strength estimated at 37,000, I really wouldn't like to guess how this might turn out. And I don't think it's a minor problem that will be solved with bombing sorties. As if they ever solve anything.

That sounds massive but in terms of a state army that is actually fairly small. The big problem for them is they have sort of run out of easy to gain territory. In Iraq they are butted up against Shiite and Kurd territory and in Syria they sort of relied on Assad's disinterest to get what they have now, to expand any more they will have to directly fight him. You need an army a lot bigger than 37,000 to accomplish any of those. I do not think the problem is going to disappear any time soon, but I dont see their territory growing either. We'll be in a holding pattern for awhile as they slowly bleed dry IMO. Still a nasty situation though, many people will die as the bleed out occurs.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Ironically, I think the fact that they will eventually crumble (totally agree with your analysis) is what at the same time will have them endure for a while. Since that gives others the luxury to only half-ass the issue or play their own political games.

 

[Phrossack]

How many Yazidis and Iraqi Christians do you think will be left when this is over?

 

[Borachio]

Well, since the vast majority of them have already left the area, is the answer: most of them?

 

[Phrossack]

Well, since the vast majority of them have already left the area, is the answer: most of them?

I wouldn't be surprised if the Middle East were emptied of them in a few decades. They'll scatter across the world and gradually assimilate until few are left.

 

[Borachio]

I heard that the Yazidis have such heavy restrictions on who they can marry, that it's not impossible for a man in a town of 20,000 Yazidis to find that he's no one he can marry there.

If there's a Yazidi diaspora, then it seems likely they'll die out culturally. Though in an internet age, who knows?

 

[GoodSarmatian]

I heard that the Yazidis have such heavy restrictions on who they can marry, that it's not impossible for a man in a town of 20,000 Yazidis to find that he's no one he can marry there.

If there's a Yazidi diaspora, then it seems likely they'll die out culturally. Though in an internet age, who knows?

Not everybody follows those restrictions, especially Yazid immigrants in other countries. I have a colleague at work with Kurdish Syrian roots, and while he still says he follows the religion, he sees the marriage restrictions as an obsolete rule that doesn't make sense outside of the historical context. According to him, many educated Yazidi share that opinion.

 

[Kyriakos]

Yazidis worship the satanic peacock*, known as Sheytan or something similar.
Isis vs Satan.
Well, why not..

*they are accused by some/many muslims of indeed worshipping satan.

 

[classical_hero]

Isis claim of beheading Egyptian Copts in Libya shows group's spread
And they said they were only a problem in Syria and Iraq. I am just wondering when people are going to wake up to the threat.

 

[r16]

I think he hates America and he's siding against the Kurds only because they're pro America.

let's say Pentagon is still extremely confident ı wouldn't dare nuking NY or LA ... Which then kinda rules out any kind of thing that the glorious US can not handle .

kurds are just like people like Americans and have the same right to prosper as much . Still their roadmap kinda implies wholesale destruction of Turks , with American blessing and aid and command and control . The whole world actually laughs at America kinda hiding behind 20 , 30 , 40 , 198876 million Kurds .

also the UAE is kinda acting unlawfully with unmarked combat aircraft . Everybody would know they would be bombing ISIL , so no point in hiding that . Their presence is more attuned to creating a fracas as soon as possible so that Syrians can be proven to liars who cowardly fire on the gloriously finest examples of mankind so that America can wake up from the stupor of skulking from the demonic Turks and take action to blow Syria sky high .

 

[r16]

the father of the Voice of Counter-revolution has died , aged 81 . It's a tradition not only in Turkey that if it's not feasible talk good of the dead , one should at least strive not to insult . As such his fans and the like are advised it's seriously possible that he alone will be saddled with the "ownership" of the oft qouted Özal phrase about betting one and winning three . Betting was the invasion of N.Iraq during Desert Storm and the three wins were massive wealth through the theft of the oilfields , increased democracy with the need to placate our long lost but newly found brothers aka the bunch of Barzanists and Islamization to avoid future trouble with the rest of our neighbours . Kinda failed , leading to remarks that it was rather the one of the three . To understand this last , have in mind an extremely exaggerated image of male anatomy . Actually this last being absolutely true ... A burning desire to kick the then ruling secular mindset out and re-create the country according to the desires of petrodollar inspired greatness , which Özal would then rule over as America's best friend . This ambition to insult the Turk , who doesn't fit in with the such , will possibly become Mahir Kaynak's only legacy , as the living will be like "NO, NO, it wasn't us" . Do not expect anything about his called patriotism even in the best of options .

 

[Borachio]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-31483631

The video of the beheadings was posted online by Libyan jihadists who pledge loyalty to IS. It was one of the first such videos to come from an IS group outside its core territory in Syria and Iraq.

The video describes the Copts as "crusaders" and refers among other things to two women, wives of Coptic priests, whose alleged conversion to Islam triggered a sectarian dispute in Egypt in 2010.

Earlier, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt had the "right to respond" against IS, whom he described as "inhuman criminal killers".

"Egypt and the whole world are in a fierce battle with extremist groups carrying extremist ideology and sharing the same goals."

Egypt has declared seven days of national mourning.

Leading international condemnation, the United States called the killings "despicable" and "cowardly".

Libya is home to a large community of both Muslim and Coptic Egyptians, with most working in the construction sector.

A construction industry, moreover, which experienced a boost when NATO bombed Libya.

In other news, I hear, Coptic Egyptians deny that they are "crusaders", having experienced "centuries of systematic persecution [from other Egyptians] without complaint".

 

[NovaKart]

Yazidi have three castes: sheikh, pir and murid. They can't marry outside of the religion or the caste. From what I've seen, this is still usually followed in Iraq but of course it would be much more difficult to maintain abroad.

There's a huge number of yazidi here now. A few weeks ago I went to a refugee camp with 4000 families and another one with 1000 families. Many of my neighbors are Yazidi too and my roommate. A lot of them want to emigrate but it's difficult.

There aren't as many Iraqi Christians in this city. I think probably most of them went to Erbil. Last week I was in Amman and I was visiting a Christian friend from Iraq who had moved there and he said most of the people in his building were Christians from Iraq so apparently many have moved to Jordan.

 

[kramerfan86]

Isis claim of beheading Egyptian Copts in Libya shows group's spread
And they said they were only a problem in Syria and Iraq. I am just wondering when people are going to wake up to the threat.

Is your country currently torn apart by a brutal civil war thereby leaving a power vacuum in which ISIS can carve out a small piece of territory? If the answer is no then likely there is no threat for you to wake up to.