Britain launches first strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq

Britain’s Royal Air Force carried out strikes in Iraq on Tuesday, for the first time since parliament approved joining U.S.-led airstrikes. Supporting Kurdish forces in northwestern Iraq, British warplanes hit an Islamic State weaponry position. Additionally, British strikes hit vehicles west of Baghdad. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced Australian aircraft will begin support operations in Iraq, but a decision has not been made yet to participate in airstrikes. Turkey may open the door to direct involvement in the fight against Islamic State militants, as the parliament prepares to debate a proposal that would authorize sending troops into Syria and Iraq and allow foreign soldiers to use Turkish bases. U.S.-led forces conducted airstrikes Wednesday targeting Islamic State fighters besieging the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobani, near the Turkish border.

Headlines

• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet with U.S. President Obama Wednesday in Washington, where the focus is expected to be on Iran, the Gaza war, and the Islamic State group.
• Egypt has offered to train pro-government forces in Libya to fight militias, mainly from Misrata, that are associated with a rival administration set up in Tripoli.
• Kuwait has revoked citizenship for over 24 people in the past three months, raising concerns that the government is increasing repression as a means to stifle political dissent.
• Activists say the planned execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari, an Iranian woman who received the death penalty after killing a man she said was trying to sexually abuse her, has been delayed.

Arguments and Analysis

‘What Rouhani’s Week in New York Means for Nuclear Diplomacy with Iran‘ (Suzanne Maloney, The Brookings Institution)

Last week’s New York visit by Iranian president Hassan Rouhani fell short of any expectations that might have been set by his historic American debut only a year ago. While there was plenty of pageantry – prime-time interviews, gala dinners, and sober speeches before august institutions – Tehran’s annual American charm offensive fell short of the hype and historic breakthroughs that marked his September 2013 trip. Even more disappointing was the fact that the rare appearance of senior Iranian officials on American soil failed where it mattered most, in catalyzing new momentum on the stalled nuclear talks.

These dashed hopes should not overshadow what Rouhani’s New York trip did accomplish: it clarified for Americans and the world that Iran’s strategy is to play out the clock on the approaching deadline for securing a comprehensive deal and to wield its role in the intensifying regional turmoil as leverage in securing more favorable terms. This strategy, while perfectly rational from an Iranian perspective, is almost certain to produce a disastrous outcome for Iran, the region, and the world."

‘The Destruction of Mecca‘ (Ziauddin Sardar, The New York Times)

"Fifty years on, no one could possibly describe Mecca as ancient, or associate beauty with Islam’s holiest city. Pilgrims performing the hajj this week will search in vain for Mecca’s history.

The dominant architectural site in the city is not the Sacred Mosque, where the Kaaba, the symbolic focus of Muslims everywhere, is. It is the obnoxious Makkah Royal Clock Tower hotel, which, at 1,972 feet, is among the world’s tallest buildings. It is part of a mammoth development of skyscrapers that includes luxury shopping malls and hotels catering to the superrich. The skyline is no longer dominated by the rugged outline of encircling peaks. Ancient mountains have been flattened. The city is now surrounded by the brutalism of rectangular steel and concrete structures – an amalgam of Disneyland and Las Vegas."

‘The Houthis and a history of conflict in Yemen‘ (Manuel Almeida, Al Arabiya)

"Much of the blame, in my view, goes to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, ironically himself originally a Zaydi. Under Saleh’s government the Houthis’ economic and political marginalization increased dramatically. Since 2004, Saleh fought six wars against the Houthis with disastrous humanitarian consequences in the north of Yemen, particularly in the Houthis’ Sadah stronghold. This increased support for the Houthis even among Yemeni Sunnis. Saleh also partnered with Salafists and former jihadists when it suited him, allowing the seeds of extremism to grow, and never really tackled the expansion of al-Qaeda in Yemen while cashing in on international (mostly U.S.) support for counter-terrorism."

— Mary Casey