Jizya.

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ISIL demanding under duress that the Christians residing within the realm of the Caliph now pay the jizya. That tax "protected people" living under Islamic rule are required to pay.

Thanks to Jungle Trader and the BBC:

"Iraq"

"Iraqi Christians are fleeing Mosul after Islamist militants threatened to kill them unless they converted to Islam or paid a 'protection tax.'"

"A statement issued by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was read out at the city's mosques."

"It called on Christians to comply by midday on Saturday or face death if they did not leave the northern city."

coolbert.

MH17 & Buk.

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Some comments regarding the shoot down of the MH17.

* That this missile was fired by the Russians or forces allied with the Russians is not questioned?

* The missile was fired from Ukrainian territory or from the Russian side of the border is debatable?

* That crew manning the missile firing unit and associated equipment were active duty Russian military personnel or Ukrainian separatists is not clear.

* And who gave the order to engage in an area where high flying commercial aircraft were known to fly is also unclear.

* Insurgents deploying and using HEAVY WEAPONRY is certainly an escalation of matters.

coolbert.

Grizzly.

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That missile, a SAM [surface-air-missile] having shot down the MH17 identified tentatively as a SA-17 Grizzly. Called "Buk" by the Russian.

Originally was the SA-11 Gadfly.

Improved version the SA-17 so as to prevent confusion. But in all cases deadly.

"Malaysia plane downed by top Russian export"

"Russian-made SAM has long held the respect of the world’s militaries"

"WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The downing of a Malaysian Boeing 777 over Ukraine by suspected separatists using a Russian-made “Buk” surface-to-air missile, or SAM, is a grim reminder of a Cold War truism."

"Russian SAMs are some of the deadliest in the business."

With regard to deadly, this being so at the tactical and strategic level both. A whole panoply of such weapon systems existing, very sophisticated and deadly hardware. SAM and AAA [anti-aircraft-artillery] BOTH!

coolbert.

Resign.

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Even those associated with the Russians fed up with the shoot down of the MH17.

"Russia Today reporter resigns in protest at MH17 coverage"

"A London-based correspondent of Kremlin-funded news channel Russia Today has resigned in protest at its coverage of the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17."
. . . .

"Russia Today, which has been criticized as a propaganda mouthpiece for the Russian government, suggested Ukraine was to blame for the crash, while most media organizations have said it was shot down by a suspected Russian-made missile."

Those of you that watch RT will understand almost instantly and without reservation that RT is a "propaganda mouthpiece" for the Russian Federation. Indeed!

coolbert.

Heavy.

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ISIL now on the move in Syria and significantly so. And USING THAT CAPTURED ARMOR, HEAVY WEAPONRY AND PUTTING IN ALL TO GOOD USE.

Thanks to the tip from Steve and the article by Patrick Cockburn:

"Syria Crisis: Isis Marches Further Into Syria Tipping the Balance of Power in the Civil War"

"While international attention has been focused on the situation in Gaza, the self-styled caliphate has been spreading deeper into the country armed with tanks and artillery seized in Iraq"

"Isis fighters have captured much of eastern Syria in the past few days while international attention has been focused on the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Using tanks and artillery seized in Iraq, it has taken almost all of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province and is battling to crush the resistance of the Syrian Kurds."
. . . .

"Isis is seeking to capture the Syrian Kurdish enclave at Kobani, or Ayn al-Arab, where some 500,000 Kurds are concentrated, many of them refugees from other parts of northern Syria. 'Isis have about 5,000 fighters which have been attacking us for the past 13 days using tanks and rockets and American Humvees captured in Iraq,' Idris Naasan, a political activist in Kobani, told The Independent by telephone. 'The fighting is very heavy and we have lost three villages we are trying to regain.'”

M1 Abrams tanks, 155 mm howitzer, and Humvee with .50 caliber machine gun and grenade launcher mounted. The insurgent switching to HEAVY WEAPONRY A VERY SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT.

Bad does go to worse! AT THIS VERY MOMENT IT SEEMS ISIL IS WALKING ON WATER.

coolbert.

Libya.

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From DEBKAfile that turmoil in Libya now also out of hand, the last airport for international air travel now shut down, the nation isolated and under attack by "militants.

"Libya seeks international aid after losing last air link to world"

"A new rocket attack on Tripoli airport Monday killed one person and damaged 12 planes. The country's second-largest airport in Benghazi has been closed for two months. Misrata airport, the only remaining airport with regular international flights, was also closed on Monday."

The beat goes on and don't expect it to stop now or anytime soon.

coolbert.

Conquer & Rule.

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First conquest, then rule. ISIL rather adept and quick to adapt to dynamic change. THEY HAVE A PLAN AND A WILL AND WAY!

"In Iraq, Syria, militants try to govern as a state"

"BEIRUT (AP) — Across the broad swath of territory it controls bridging Syria and Iraq, extremist militants from the group known as the Islamic State have proven to be highly organized administrators. Flush with cash, they fix roads, police traffic, administer courts, and have even set up an export system of smuggled crude from oil fields they control."

"But the extremists — a mix of Iraqis and Syrians but also foreign fighters from Arab countries and non-Arab regions like the Caucasus — run the risk of provoking a backlash from the people they have come to rule."

Governance as harsh as it may seem but regrettably perhaps even more fair and honest than what preceded.

coolbert.