ISIS

Syrian rebels reportedly break through in Aleppo

Featured image Syrian rebels say they have broken a weeks-long siege in Aleppo in northern Syria. Such a breakthrough would represent both a symbolic and a strategic victory against the Assad regime, Hezbollah, and their backers — Iran and Russia. The Assad regime denies that there has been a breakthrough. However, video and photos uploaded by rebels and opposition activists suggest that the rebels have at least temporarily broken through the siege. »

In D.C., Metro police officer accused of helping ISIS

Featured image Until today when he was fired, Nicholas Young was a transit police officer for Washington, D.C.’s Metro system which operates the city’s subway system. Today, Young was arrested and charged with providing material support to ISIS. He is said to the first police officer in the United States arrested and charged with supporting ISIS. Young’s involvement with foreign terrorists extends back to at least 2010. According to CNN: Young has »

In Normandy, ISIS “soldiers” slit priest’s throat, take nuns hostage

Featured image The Democrats declined to mention ISIS (or even terrorism) one time during the 61 speeches delivered on opening day of their convention, but the “jayvee” remains active nonetheless. Armed men (believed to be two in number) shouting “Allah Akbar” stormed a church in France during morning mass today. ISIS promptly declared that its “soldiers” carried out the attack. The church is in Normandy, near the gorgeous city Rouen — “the »

The Obama factor (9)

Featured image At a White House diplomatic corps reception yesterday afternoon that included France’s ambassador to the United States, President Obama spoke about the massacre in Nice. The White House has posted the text of his remarks. Obama’s remarks may be slightly more vacuous than yada yada. Referring to ISIS, he vowed that “we are going to destroy this vile terrorist organization.” Stirring words, followed by this: And in contrast to these »

The Obama factor (8)

Featured image After the horrifying massacre in Nice last night we are at risk of misdirecting our anger. The perpetrator seems to be another in the line of those inspired by ISIS. ISIS must be destroyed. ISIS grew in Iraq in the vacuum that followed our withdrawal. Our withdrawal is attributable directly to the deepest wishes of President Obama. He was proud of it. It was nevertheless a mistake for which he »

Terror in Nice [UPDATED: A close encounter]

Featured image A terrorist drove a truck into a crowd along Nice’s spectacular Promenade des Anglais, where thousands had gathered to watch fireworks commemorating Bastille Day. Reportedly, the terrorist also shot at the crowd before police shot and killed him. Approximately 80 people are believed to be dead, a number that likely will rise. Many others are wounded. My wife has two cousins who were in Nice today. One, an elderly woman, »

McCain Tees Off on Obama

Featured image Today John McCain told reporters that Barack Obama is “directly responsible” for Omar Mateen’s terrorist attack in Orlando: “Barack Obama is directly responsible for it, because when he pulled everybody out of Iraq, al-Qaida went to Syria, became ISIS, and ISIS is what it is today thanks to Barack Obama’s failures, utter failures, by pulling everybody out of Iraq,” a visibly angry McCain told reporters in the Capitol as the »

ISIS Testing Chemical Weapons In Iraq

Featured image From today’s Telegraph: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) is reported to have set up laboratories in built-up neighbourhoods in the heart of its so-called caliphate to avoid being targeted by coalition air strikes. Learning from the Palestinians. The terror group is known to harbour chemical and nuclear ambitions, and is trying to manufacture weapons not only for attacks within Iraq and Syria but also the West. »

“Minnesota men” go to trial (3)

Featured image After two days of voir dire involving a panel of 100 prospective jurors, we have a jury in the case of the three Somali Minnesotans charged with seeking to support ISIS and related offenses. The jury pool for federal court in Minneapolis draws on citizens in the southern part of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities but extending well beyond them to counties outstate. The prospective jurors called for this case »

Obama still clueless in Iraq

Featured image Over the weekend, protesters stormed into Baghdad’s Green Zone, chasing out Iraqi officials. The MSM has portrayed this as a huge blow to the Iraqi government, putting in doubt its prospects for surviving and putting in jeopardy the war against ISIS in Iraq. I’m not sure how reliable these assessments are. I also question whether the reporting, which treats the protests as mainly a reaction to government corruption, gets at »

Those darned “Minnesota men”

Featured image The case against four “Minnesota men” who sought to join ISIS is set for trial in Minneapolis before Judge Michael Davis on May 9. Judge Davis still has to decide pending severance motions that may affect the date in some of the cases, but trial approaches. Five of the “Minnesota men” have pleaded guilty. The government has a strong case against the four remaining defendants. The strength of the government’s »

Fifth “Minnesota man” pleads guilty

Featured image Adnan Farah is one of the ten “Minnesota men” charged with supporting ISIS and related offenses last year. On Thursday he joined four of his co-conspirators pleading guilty under a deal offered by prosecutors. Under the deal, Farah pleaded guilty to providing material support and resources to ISIS and the prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining charges against him. Farah had originally rejected the deal at the urging of then »

Follow that Muhammad

Featured image In the case of the five “Minnesota men” charged with seeking to join ISIS that is pending trial in May, prosecutors have given notice that they intend to introduce evidence that a member of the defendant Mohamed Farah’s defense team has been preaching jihad. That would be Imam Hassan Ali Mohamud, a legal assistant at the firm of P. Chinedu Nwaneri. Judge Davis ordered the parties to file their responses »

Clearing things up in Philadelphia

Featured image Philadelphia Police Officer Jesse Hartnett was shot some three times in an “attempted assassination” by one Edward Archer late last night. Archer got off approximately 12 shots from close range. Thankfully, most missed. Officer Hartnett was shot three times in the arm. He was apparently bleeding profusely when he radioed for assistance. Archer is a self-professed Muslim who sought to kill Officer Hartnett “in the name of Islam” with another »

The fall of Ramadi and the outlook in Iraq

Featured image 2015 ended on a high note when ISIS was defeated in Ramadi. The news seemed all the brighter because according to reports from U.S. commanders, Iraqi military forces retook the city without help from Shiite militias. However, the distinction between Iraqi military forces and Shiite militias may not be as sharp as these reports assume. David French cites a Newsweek report that “the security forces of the Iran-backed regime in »

“Islamophobia” in one state (4)

Featured image I greatly enjoyed talking about “Minnesota men” with John Hinderaker as he sat in for Laura Ingraham yesterday morning and with our buddy Seth Leibsohn on Phoenix KKNT/960 The Patriot’s Seth Leibsohn Show yesterday afternoon. Seth was interested in my Star Tribune column “Islam and Minnesota: Can we hear some straight talk for a change?” Below is the audio clip that Seth has posted. I also got a kick out »

“Islamophobia” in one state (3)

Featured image The Star Tribune continues with another round of letters to the editor taking issue with my column “Islam in Minnesota: Can we have some straight talk for a change?” Here are today’s letters: ISLAMOPHOBIA Why should ‘straight talk’ be all Muslim, all the time? To the commentary writer asking if he was crazy for wanting some straight talk about Islam and Minnesota, I would say no, not crazy, but certainly »