Foreign Affairs Archive
13 Dec 2016
InfoMullet: When a City Dies
TLDR Up Front:Pro-Assad forces are in the final stages of securing the last territory in Aleppo, ending the Battle of Five Armies in a major immediate victory for Assad - though the future is uncertain.
11 Dec 2016
InfoMullet: Palmyra Re-deuced
TLDR Up Front: When ISIS first captured Palmyra it marked the high-water mark of its expansion in Syria. Now - significantly reduced in territory, ISIS has once again been able to gain ground in the south. Though it is nowhere near as powerful as it once was.
26 Oct 2016
InfoMullet: Dire Straits
TLDR Up Front: A Russian naval aircraft carrier group, including 40 fighter air craft, is moving into the Mediterranean. They are believed to be enroute to the eastern Mediterranean to join operations in the unrestricted and unopposed bombing of Aleppo. Spain has agreed to allow Russia to refuel its ships in Cueta, a territorial holding
17 Oct 2016
InfoMullet: We Besiege Thee, Hear Us
TLDR Upfront: The siege of Mosul has begun. This battle represents the last major offensive in Iraq to clear ISIS of holding territory in the country.
11 Aug 2016
InfoMullet: Battle of Five Armies Part III “Fatahl Attraction”
TLDR Upfront: The encirclement of Aleppo by pro-Assad forces has been broken by an unheard of coordinated assault by two rebel coalitions. In response, Iran has sent elite paramilitary units from Iraq and Lebanon into the breach while Russia conducts a sustained air campaign on rebel positions. Once again an “all-in” four-way conflict between five
08 Aug 2016
InfoMullet: Anatoldyaso
TLDR Upfront: Aside from obvious short-term civil and human rights concerns arising from Erdogan's purge, a medium-term risk looms large. Turkey's permanent exit off the pathway to European Union membership may signal an end to fifty-five year effort to integrate Turkey and the European mainland. Such a shift, especially if it included ejection from NATO
25 Nov 2015
InfoMullet: Battle of Five Armies PT II
TLDR Up Front: The Syrian government remains holding the most gains in the Aleppo battle, but a counter-offensive by the Al-Nusrah front aims to undermine those gains southwest of the city, while ISIS continues to try and contain the Syrian government's advance east of Aleppo to Kuweyenes air force base.
19 Nov 2015
InfoMullet: A (Brief) History of Salafi Takfirism
TLDR Up Front: Evaluate your news sources by applying the Eurocentric Bechdel test! In addition to the Eurocentric lead role upon which the news story will (of course!) primarily focus on, are there *at least* two named indigenous influential actors presented with their own agency, motivations and conflicts/disputes that are not tied to the Eurocentric
18 Nov 2015
InfoMullet: History of the Names of ISIS
TLDR Up Front: The Islamic State of Syria & Iraq (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) is just the latest in a series of names for a salafist takfiri group, each representing a shift in their strategy and geographic perspective, as well as efforts by opponents to portray them in a negative light (eg. Daesh); which have largely
14 Nov 2015
InfoMullet: Segmentation of Salafi Takfiri among all Muslims
TLDR Upfront: In light of the Paris attacks for those who want to (rightfully) avoid the fallacy of generalizations (1) in describing the attackers I recommend using the term "Salafist Takfiri" to *specifically* describe militant members of groups such as AQ, ISIS, AQAP, Boko Haram etc. who share a common set of behaviors and beliefs.