Airstrikes Reported in Syria Near Turkish and Iraqi Borders

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported several airstrikes in Syria near the Turkish and Iraqi borders. Witnesses said warplanes carried out raids about 20 miles west of the city of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) where an Islamic State offensive last week forced over 130,000 Syrian Kurds to flee to Turkey. Neither the United States nor its allies have confirmed the attacks near the Turkish border however the U.S. led coalition conducted over 200 strikes on Tuesday, targeting training camps and control centers. U.S. officials said they believe some leaders of the Islamic State and al Qaeda linked Khorasan group may have been killed in the strikes. U.S. military leaders said the airstrikes were the beginning of a prolonged campaign that could take years. British parliamentarians are expected to be recalled to debate Prime Minister David Cameron’s proposal to join the United States in conducting strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq, at the request of the Iraqi government. Cameron has not decided whether Britain would participate in strikes targeting militants in Syria.

Headlines

• A Jordanian court has acquitted radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada, for the second time, of terrorism charges citing "insufficient evidence," though Britain has maintained he will not be permitted to return.
• Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi called the overtaking of much of the Yemeni capital of Sanaa a "successful revolution" while President Hadi warned of a "conspiracy" that will lead to civil war.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted that 49 hostages might have been released as part of a prisoner swap after 50 Islamic State militants were also reported to have been freed.
• Libya has asked the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to remove its chemical weapons stockpile over concerns of deteriorating security.

Arguments and Analysis

‘Yemen: President Hadi’s Gamble with the Houthis‘ (Danya Greenfield, Atlantic Council)

"After a devastating week of violence claiming at least 300 lives, the Houthi movement and leadership of the major political parties signed a peace agreement on Sunday that could lead the country out of the current morass. The emphasis here is on the word could. The agreement calls for a new prime minister within three days, a new government within a month, and reinstatement of fuel subsidies, in exchange for a ceasefire and Houthi evacuation from Sana’a. Despite the signed piece of paper, there is no guarantee that the Houthis will actually implement their end of the bargain.  Sana’a waits with tension to see what comes next from the Zaydi Shia rebel group, a heavily armed militia based in the Saada province that has waged six wars against Yemeni forces over the past decade. The Houthis’ hour-long celebratory fireworks display in the capital Monday night, their continued occupation of government buildings, and subsequent intimidation of their political opponents did little to assure Yemenis that the Houthis will be satisfied with their gains."

‘The National Guard in Iraq: A Risky Strategy to Combat the Islamic State‘ (Frederic Wehrey and Ariel I. Ahram, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

"Reconstructing Iraq’s security sector is a crucial component of the new U.S. strategy to defeat the Islamic State. The failure of the Iraqi army to defend Mosul, Iraq’s second biggest city, from the militant group’s attack in the summer of 2014 was a profound indictment of the country’s entire security apparatus. Despite a decade of U.S. efforts at reequipping, reorganizing, and retraining Iraqi security forces, most units in Iraq’s army and police remained plagued by sectarian and ethnic fissures and poor leadership. Reinvigorating Iraq’s security services is essential, as ultimately U.S. airpower must be coupled with an effective ground assault if the Islamic State is to be rolled back."

— Mary Casey