Iraq
US media betray Kobani defenders
US media accounts of gains against ISIS at Kobani play up the role of US air-strikes and depreciate that of Kurdish fighters—or even deny the success at Kobani entirely.
Tag: Kurdistan
Iraq
Kurdish forces press gains against ISIS
Kurdish forces made further gains against ISIS at Kobani in the final days of 2014, while the Peshmerga are preparing an offensive to drive the jihadis from Kurdish lands in Iraq.
Greater Middle East
Turkey: clashes between PKK, Islamists
Three were killed in southeastern Turkish town of Cizre in clashes between Islamist militants of the Huda-Par and followers of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Iraq
Peshmerga complete liberation of Mount Sinjar
Backed by US air-strikes, Peshmerga forces liberated the last remaninig Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar. But the Yazidis' home town of Sinjar remains occupied by ISIS.
Greater Middle East
Toward Kurdish-Armenian reconciliation
The Kurdish mayor of the eastern Turkish city of Mardin, Ahmet Türk, apologized to Armenians, Assyrians and Yazidis for Kurdish collaboration in the genocide of 1915.
Greater Middle East
New Syrian rebel coalition: tilt to Turkey
Syrian rebels announced formation of a new Revolutionary Command Council at a meeting in Turkey—dominated by conservative Islamists but excluding Nusra Front and ISIS.
Iraq
Bedfellows get stranger in war on ISIS
Iran launched air-strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq, the Pentagon admitted. Meanwhile, it appears that NATO ally Turkey opened its territory to ISIS forces attacking Kobani.
Iraq
Yazidi woman speaks on ISIS genocide
Pari Ibrahim of the Free Yezidi Foundation spoke at New York's Institute for the Study of Human Rights on the ongoing genocide and sexual slavery of her people at the hands of ISIS.
Iraq
Observers: US-led Syria strikes kill over 900
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that US-led airstrikes in Syria have killed over 900—including 785 ISIS fighters, 72 Nusra Front militants and 52 civilians.
Greater Middle East
Amnesty: Syrian refugees face abuse in Turkey
Amnesty International accuses Turkey of firing on refugees at the Syrian border, and charges that the 1.6 million refugees within Turkey face destitution.
Iraq
Rojava revolution speaks in New York City
A forum at New York's City College featured a Skype link to Saleh Muslim, political leader of the Kurdish resistance at Kobani, and vividly described life in the besieged autonomous zone.
Iraq
US ground troops for Mosul assault?
Martin Dempsey, head of the US joint chiefs of staff, arrived in Baghdad, where he admitted that "we're certainly considering" sending US ground troops to assist in re-taking Mosul.