FSB ISIS Recruitment in Dagestan article: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/23/russia-s-playing-a-double-game-with-islamic-terror0.html
From that article: Milashina makes her case study the village of Novosasitili in Dagestan’s Khasavyurt district. Since 2011, nearly 1 percent of the total population of Novosasitili has gone to Syria—22 out of 2,500 residents. Of that figure, five were killed and five have returned home. But they didn’t leave Russia, a country notoriously difficult to enter and exit, without outside help. The FSB established a “green corridor” to allow them to migrate first to Turkey, and then to Syria.
So, 22 people leave a village to go to Syria and that amounts to the FSB controlling ISIS?
And even the BBC is reporting it, so it must be common knowledge.
"Tragically, what has happened is that most of the Russian air strikes, as far as we have been able to see so far, have been in parts of Syria not controlled by Isil (IS) but controlled by other opponents to the regime."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34438993
Even the BBC? That paragon of independent journalism? They are reporting Cameron's comments, which are of course scornful of the Russian activity since he supports the anti-Assad rebels – even though some are affiliated to Al_Qaeda.
Look, I know you're fiercely anti-Russian, Rods, but the West has done little to sort out Syria, other than talk the talk. Now it's Russia's turn. As for Assad, he may well not be a nice person, but all faiths lived peacefully together under his rule. A post-Assad Syria would be an Islamic fundamentalist state and a breeding ground for terrorism reaching right into Europe.
Of course, one must also remember that this is Sunni vs. Shi'ite argument, too.
If you disagree with the Michael Weiss article on ISIS recruitment, write and tell him why he is wrong. They are all very amenable to fact based and independently verified corrections as their professional pride means they like to get thing right. You can contact him via Twitter at @michaeldweiss, if you are not on Twitter he is the editor in chief of
theinterpretermag.com, which is an authorative MSM newsfeed on the Ukranian and Syrian conflicts or you could always contact him through his publisher, which you should be able to get via his latest book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Isis-Inside-Terror-Michael-Weiss/dp/1941393578.
My only piece of advice is to make sure all your ducks are in a row with your factual arguments as Michael has a formidable reputation for his detailed research and getting most things right.
Yes, I am anti-Russian political class, but that also applies to all dictatorships, because of their bad outcomes for the majority of the population and their abuses of them. Democracies aren't perfect but they are in a different league of decency compared to dictators, especially the more vile ones like Putin. Most dictators have ardent support from 20% of the population, 60% are indifferent and 20% are the opposition. That is why I don't blame the majority of Russians.
Obama's foreign policy or lack of, has been a global disaster. On his own admission he has only read 37% of essential briefing papers and the other main players of Kerry and Rice have been equally useless.He was warned that a rapid drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to a political timetable rather than a strategic or tactical one would be a disaster, but him, Kerry and Rice, who have not collectively spent 1 day in the military overruled all of the local and Pentagon based general's objections. As senior staff resign he is finding it more and more difficult to find the right people to fill many poisoned chalice positions. I have personally be very vocal of his unenforced red lines on chemical weapons and his turning a blind eye to regular Assad chlorine bomb attacks which have injured and killed many Syrian civilians, but that is apparently okay where the US does not officially classify them as a chemical weapon! That must be a real consolation for those on the wrong end of them. Obama's stupidity has now got him into a very difficult situation, which I'm not sure on how they are going to extract himself and US from with any credibility left in the Middle East! Fortunately, both the US and Russia will be very careful to not get involved in any direct conflict, but expect much more arming of proxies and for things to escalate with many more deaths. Probably the best outcome at the moment is the partition of Syria as Assad's army is exhausted and running out of manpower, Russia at best will stabilize the frontlines on the areas he still controls, but the Free Syrian Army and the Kurds which control considerable parts of the country will never accept being under Assad, another vile dictator. ISIS outside of Russia and Iran have no friends.
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Topic: Russia, Syria, Rods2 (Read 3777 times)