A summary of Baghdadi’s new audio message, the first in a year The 55-minute statement is titled: "Give Glad Tidings to the Patient"

With Turkey closing in on Afrin, the rejection of the Russian plan now seems a miscalculation by the YPG. But is it?

I argue here that it speaks of the folly of the long-held argument the YPG would eventually hand over areas to the regime in eastern Syria thenational.ae/opinion/commen… Continuing with the Afrin updates:
• the Turkish operation has now reached its second milestone.
• chips are falling in favor of Turkey in northern Syria, whether the YPG chooses to stand & fight or not.
• contrary to consensus, I still believe Turkey won’t take the city.

Follow this thread for highlights from the (sure to be remarkable) speech by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the Trump administration’s Syria strategy: "The nature of the Assad regime, like that of its sponsor Iran, is malignant. It has promoted state terror. It has empowered groups that kill American soldiers, such as al-Qaeda in Iraq"

In his notebook, bin Laden answers a question about who would list as a religious influence: “I was committed with the Muslim Brotherhood. Their resources were limited. I read Sira (prophet’s biography). Meeting once a week, a set of pages. Religious influence wasn’t much.” ... “Were you not influenced Zindani and the Scientific Miracles of Quran? I was influenced by him in his speciality, not by him as a teacher.”

Updates from Deir Ezzor:
• Regime forces face a major loss in al-Shula after an ISIS desert counterattack, reverting recent gains.
• the battle is so far is conducted largely by the Russian airforce to pave the way for a possible second phase of Iranian-supplied ground forces *reversing