The Insane and the Melancholy
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The Battle for Al Qusayr, Syria
June 2013 The Battle for al Qusayr, Syria TRADOC G-2 Intelligence Support Activity (TRISA) Complex Operational Environment and Threat Integration Directorate (CTID) [Type the author name] United States Army 6/1/2012 Threats Integration Team Threat Report Purpose To inform the Army training community of real world example of Hybrid Threat capabilities in a dynamic operating environment To illustrate current tactics for Hybrid Threat insurgent operations To illustrate Hybrid Threat counterinsurgency operations using a current conflict To provide a short history of the conflict in the al Qusayr and the al Assi basin To describe the importance of the lines of communications from Lebanon to Syria Executive Summary The al Qusayr area of operations is a critical logistics hub for the rebel forces fighting against the Syrian government known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA). A number of external actors and international terror organizations have joined the fight in the al Assi basin on both sides of the conflict. The al Assi basin and the city of al Qusayr can be considered critical terrain and key to the future outcome of the conflict in Syria. Conventional and unconventional as well as irregular forces are all present in this area and are adapting tactics in order to achieve a decisive outcome for their cause. Cover photo: Pro Regime Leaflets Dropped on al Qusayr During the Second Offensive, 21 MAY 2013. 2 UNCLASSIFIED Threats Integration Team Threat Report Map Figure 1. The al Assi River Basin and city of al Qusayr Introduction Al Qusayr, a village in Syria’s Homs district, is a traditional transit point for personnel and goods traveling across the Lebanon/Syria border. -
Syria: Internally Displaced Persons, Returnees and Internal Mobility — 3
European Asylum Support Office Syria Internally displaced persons, returnees and internal mobility Country of Origin Information Report April 2020 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office Syria Internally displaced persons, returnees and internal mobility Country of Origin Information Report April 2020 More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). ISBN: 978-92-9485-158-1 doi: 10.2847/460038 © European Asylum Support Office (EASO) 2020 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, unless otherwise stated. For third-party materials reproduced in this publication, reference is made to the copyrights statements of the respective third parties. Cover photo: © DFID - UK Department for International Development, Syrian women and girls in an informal tented settlement in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 3 February 2017, (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/31874898573 EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REPORT SYRIA: INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, RETURNEES AND INTERNAL MOBILITY — 3 Acknowledgements EASO would like to acknowledge Sweden, Swedish Migration Agency, Country of Origin Information, Section for Information Analysis, as the drafter of this report. The following departments and organisations have reviewed the report: Denmark, Danish Immigration Service (DIS) ACCORD, the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation It must be noted that the review carried out by the mentioned departments, experts or organisations contributes to the overall quality of the report, but does not necessarily imply their formal endorsement of the final report, which is the full responsibility of EASO. 4 — EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REPORT SYRIA: INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, RETURNEES AND INTERNAL MOBILITY Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ -
Boko Haram, Iran, and Syria
SEPT 2016 Vol 2 Thr eat Tactics Report Thr eat Tactics Report Compendium Compendium BBookk oo HHaarraamm,, IIrraann,, aanndd SSyyrriiaa Includes a sampling of Threat Action Reports and Red Diamond articles TRADOC G-2 ACE Threats Integration DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Threat Tactics Report Compendium, Vol 2 Introduction TRADOC G-2 ACE Threats Integration (ACE-TI) is the source of the Threat Tactics Report (TTR) series of products. TTRs serve to explain to the Army training community how an actor fights. Elements that contribute to this understanding may include an actor’s doctrine, force structure, weapons and equipment, education, and warfighting functions. An explanation of an actor’s tactics and techniques is provided in detail along with recent examples of tactical actions, if they exist. An actor may be regular or irregular, and a TTR will have a discussion of what a particular actor’s capabilities mean to the US and its allies. An important element of any TTR is the comparison of the real-world tactics to threat doctrinal concepts and terminology. A TTR will also identify where the conditions specific to the actor are present in the Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE) and other training materials so that these conditions can easily be implemented across all training venues. Volume 2: Boko Haram, Iran, and Syria This compendium of Threat Tactics Reports, Volume 2, features the most current versions of three TTRs: Boko Haram (Version 1.0, published October 2015); Iran (Version 1.0, published June 2016); and Syria (Version 1.0, published February 2016). -
Kurdistan, the Invisible State, and Its Participatory Processes
Department of political science Chair in Political Sociology Academic Year 2019/2020 Kurdistan, the invisible state, and its participatory processes. RAPPORTEUR CANDIDATE M. Sorice Marta De Paolis IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 085632 Abstract This study will give an account of how Kurdistan developed in the participatory processes and how it uses political participation to give space to the general population. Political parties have a pivotal role in Kurdistan to organize people’s claims and demands, and there is a possible “partitocrazia,” created through inoperative institutions and especially from representative chambers. It also examines the relationship between approaches of public participation and effective deliberation; participation could occur through direct citizens participation or community representation with the help of civil society organizations, it is significant to pursue government institution to bring in more inputs and take public concern into considerations. No countries recognize Kurdistan as an official country, and it does not have representation in the United Nations and other international organizations. The expression is used to refer to the geographical and cultural regions of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. The only identified government is in Iraqi Kurdistan, and his institutional form is the Parliamentary one. A long time ago, the Kingdom of Kurdistan existed, precisely in Iraq from 1922 to 1924, but a war broke out because of the Nationalist ambitions in Iraq in the 60s. Kurdistan area is amidst traditional and dynamic territories, with a vast number of social-human capital, as to improvement pointers. The properties of these social orders in an issue; for example, races are with the end goal that decisions are a chance and a route for them to rehearse political-social. -
DIDR, Syrie : Chronologie Du Conflit Dans La Province Et La Ville De Homs
SYRIE Chronologie 5 avril 2016 Chronologie du conflit dans la province et la ville de Homs, de mars 2011 à mars 2016 Résumé Cette chronologie recense les principales offensives menées sur la ville de Homs et sa province (la plus vaste de Syrie, s’étendant de la frontière avec le Liban à celle avec l’Irak) de mars 2011 à mars 2016. Parmi celles-ci : les manifestations pacifiques débutant en 2011 ; le siège du quartier de Baba Amr dans la ville de Homs en 2012, et sa reprise aux rebelles par le régime ; ou la perte de la ville de Palmyre à l’Etat Islamique (EI) par les forces pro-régime en 2015, suivie de sa reconquête en 2016. Abstract This chronology, which does not aim to be comprehensive, compiles the key military developments in the city of Homs and its province (Syria’s largest, stretching from the Lebanese to the Iraqi borders) from March 2011 to March 2016, including: the peaceful demonstrations from 2011 onwards; the siege of the neighbourhood of Baba Amr in the city of Homs in 2012, and its reconquest by pro-regime forces; and the regime’s loss of the city of Palmyra in 2015 to Islamic State (IS), followed by its recapture by pro-regime forces in 2016. Avertissement Ce document a été élaboré par la Division de l’Information, de la Documentation et des Recherches de l’Ofpra en vue de fournir des informations utiles à l’examen des demandes de protection internationale. Il ne prétend pas faire le traitement exhaustif de la problématique, ni apporter de preuves concluantes quant au fondement d’une demande de protection internationale particulière. -
Country Profile – Syrian Arab Republic
Country profile – Syrian Arab Republic Version 2008 Recommended citation: FAO. 2008. AQUASTAT Country Profile – Syrian Arab Republic. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Rome, Italy The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licencerequest or addressed to [email protected]. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/ publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. -
Iran's Expanding Militia Army in Iraq: the New Special Groups Michael Knights Paul Cruickshank
OBJECTIVE ·· RELEVANT ·· RIGOROUS || JUNE/JULYAUGUST 2019 2018 · VOLUME · VOLUME 12, 11, ISSUE ISSUE 7 6 FEATURE ARTICLE A VIEW FROM THE CT FOXHOLE The Jihadi Threat Suzanne Iran's Expanding LTC(R) Bryan Price Militiato Indonesia Army in Iraq Raine Former Former Head, Director, U.K. Joint KirstenMichael E. Knights Schulze TerrorismCombating Terrorism Analysis CentreCenter FEATURE ARTICLE Editor in Chief 1 Iran's Expanding Militia Army in Iraq: The New Special Groups Michael Knights Paul Cruickshank Managing Editor INTERVIEW Kristina Hummel 13 A View from the CT Foxhole: Suzanne Raine, Former Head of the United Kingdom's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre EDITORIAL BOARD Raffaello Pantucci Colonel Suzanne Nielsen, Ph.D. Department Head ANALYSIS Dept. of Social Sciences (West Point) 18 Western Balkans Foreign Fighters and Homegrown Jihadis: Trends and Implications Brian Dodwell Adrian Shtuni Director, CTC 25 Returnee Foreign Fighters from Syria and Iraq: The Kosovan Experience Don Rassler Kujtim Bytyqi and Sam Mullins Director of Strategic Initiatives, CTC 31 Maduro's Revolutionary Guards: The Rise of Paramilitarism in Venezuela Ross Dayton CONTACT Combating Terrorism Center U.S. Military Academy In our feature article, Michael Knights draws on six research visits to Iraq 607 Cullum Road, Lincoln Hall in 2018 and 2019 to document the expanding footprint region-by-region West Point, NY 10996 of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq that were previously labeled “Special Groups” by the United States and in some cases designated as terrorist organizations. -
Operation Inherent Resolve Report to the United States Congress
LEAD INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE REPORT TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS JANUARY 1, 2017‒MARCH 31, 2017 LEAD INSPECTOR GENERAL MISSION The Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations coordinates among the Inspectors General specified under the law to: • develop a joint strategic plan to conduct comprehensive oversight over all aspects of the contingency operation • ensure independent and effective oversight of all programs and operations of the federal government in support of the contingency operation through either joint or individual audits, inspections, and investigations • promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness and prevent, detect, and deter fraud, waste, and abuse • perform analyses to ascertain the accuracy of information provided by federal agencies relating to obligations and expenditures, costs of programs and projects, accountability of funds, and the award and execution of major contracts, grants, and agreements • report quarterly and biannually to the Congress and the public on the contingency operation and activities of the Lead Inspector General (Pursuant to sections 2, 4, and 8L of the Inspector General Act of 1978) FOREWORD We are pleased to submit the Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) quarterly report on Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). This is our ninth quarterly report on this overseas contingency operation (OCO), discharging our individual and collective agency oversight responsibilities pursuant to sections 2, 4, and 8L of the Inspector General Act of 1978. OIR is dedicated to countering the terrorist threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq, Syria, the region, and the broader international community. The U.S. counter- ISIS strategy includes support to military operations associated with OIR, as well as diplomacy, governance, security programs and activities, and humanitarian assistance. -
Precision-Guided Missiles Present a Far Greater Scope to Operate in and Through Greater Strategic Threat Than Unguided the Country
BICOM Briefing Hezbollah’s Precision Missile Project February 2019 CONTENTS Executive Summary 1 Introduction 1 PART ONE: WHAT IS HEZBOLLAH’S PRECISION PROJECT What is Hezbollah’s ‘Precision Project’ and why is it a game changer? 3 How do GPS precision guided missiles work? 4 What does the upgrading process involve? 5 How many precision missiles does Hezbollah currently have? 6 What threat do precision missiles pose? 6 The regional threat of Iranian precision guided technology 8 PART TWO: ISRAEL’S RESPONSE TO THE PRECISION MISSILE THREAT How has Israel targeted arms convoys and factories in Syria? 9 Why has Israel used public intelligence revelations to address precision missile facilities in Lebanon? 10 Does Israel have the option of a pre-emptive strike inside Lebanon? 10 How effective are Israeli missile defences? 10 What is the significance of the IDF’s new ‘missile corps’? 11 Does Israel have the capability for jamming or spoofing of GPS guidance? 11 APPENDIX Iranian precision technology: A comparison 12 How much does the Precision Project cost? 13 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY small number of missiles could do serious damage to Israel – which is a small, densely • European countries have been critical of populated country with all its key industrial Iranian missile tests but a more urgent and and critical infrastructure sites concentrated alarming regional threat is Iran’s project to in a small number of locations. Hezbollah upgrade Hezbollah missiles into precision has already threatened to attack power guided missiles. These would enable the stations, air force bases, the Haifa oil Lebanese group to accurately target critical refinery, the nuclear reactor close to Dimona, Israeli infrastructure and constitutes a and the ‘Kirya’ Ministry of Defence and IDF significant threat to Israel’s security. -
Israel and the Emergent Western Conflict Against Iran in Syria
Israel and the Emergent Western Conflict Against Iran in Syria Jonathan Spyer Paper No. 50 October 10 2018 Friends of Israel Initiative Israel and the Emergent Western Conflict Against Iran in Syria The two wars that have been raging in Syria over recent years are currently drawing to a close. They are set to be replaced, however, not by tranquility and peace, but rather by the opening up of new conflict systems on Syrian soil. These new conflicts are driven not by internal Syrian dynamics but rather by the clash of external powers on Syrian soil. Central among these emergent conflict systems is the effort by the US and its allies to contain and roll back the Iranian influence both in Syria and across the region. Iran has emerged as the main beneficiary of the fragmentation of a number of Arab states as a result of the unrest of recent years. In Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen the methods of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have produced major gains for Teheran, leading some analysts to conclude that Teheran today effectively ‘controls’ four Arab capitals (Beirut, Baghdad, Damascus and Sana’a). While such a claim is exaggerated, it is undeniable that Teheran has significantly expanded its influence in recent years, and now stands on the cusp of achieving its goal of a ‘land corridor’ from the Iraq-Iran border to the Mediterranean. This Iranian ambition and the determination of western allies to prevent its realization, are set to form the basis for the emergent contest between Iran and the US and its allies in Syria. -
RECLAIMING HOME the Struggle for Socially Just Housing, Land and Property Rights in Syria,Iraq and Libya
RECLAIMING HOME The struggle for socially just housing, land and property rights in Syria,Iraq and Libya Edited by Hannes Baumann RECLAIMING HOME The struggle for socially just housing, land and property rights in Syria, Iraq and Libya Edited by Hannes Baumann RECLAIMING HOME The struggle for socially just housing, land and property rights in Syria, Iraq and Libya Edited by Hannes Baumann Contributors Leïla Vignal Nour Harastani and Edwar Hanna Suliman Ibrahim Javier Gonzalez Ina Rehema Jahn and Amr Shannan Sangar Youssif Salih and Kayfi Maghdid Qadr Thomas McGee Not for Sale © Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be printed, reproduced or utilized in any from by any means without prior written permission from the publishers. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the original authors. They do not necessarily represent those of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Cartographic Design: Thiago Soveral Cover Illustration: Moshtari Hillal Graphic Design: Mehdi Jelliti Published in 2019 by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Regional Project «For Socially Just Development in MENA» TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword Thomas Claes ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 05 Introduction Hannes Baumann ........................................................................................................................................................................................ -
Soleimani Is Dead: the Road Ahead for Iranian- Backed Militias in Iraq
OBJECTIVE · RELEVANT · RIGOROUS | JANUARY 2020 · VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1 FEATURE ARTICLE FEATURE ARTICLE Soleimani Is Dead: The Lessons from the Islamic Road Ahead for Iranian- State's 'Milestone' Texts Backed Militias in Iraq and Speeches Haroro J. Ingram, Craig Whiteside, Michael Knights and Charlie Winter FEATURE ARTICLES Editor in Chief 1 Soleimani Is Dead: The Road Ahead for Iranian-Backed Militias in Iraq Michael Knights Paul Cruickshank 11 Lessons from the Islamic State's 'Milestone' Texts and Speeches Managing Editor Haroro J. Ingram, Craig Whiteside, and Charlie Winter Kristina Hummel INTERVIEW EDITORIAL BOARD Colonel Suzanne Nielsen, Ph.D. 22 A View from the CT Foxhole: Rob Saale, Former Director, U.S. Hostage Department Head Recovery Fusion Cell Seth Loertscher Dept. of Social Sciences (West Point) Brian Dodwell ANALYSIS Director, CTC 28 After Soleimani: What's Next for Iran's Quds Force? Don Rassler Ariane M. Tabatabai Director of Strategic Initiatives, CTC 34 Piety Is in the Eye of the Bureaucrat: The Islamic State's Strategy of Civilian Control CONTACT Gina Vale Combating Terrorism Center U.S. Military Academy The January 3, 2020, U.S. drone strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary 607 Cullum Road, Lincoln Hall Guard Corps-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Kata’ib Hez- West Point, NY 10996 bollah leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad International Airport Phone: (845) 938-8495 will likely have consequences that reverberate across the region and beyond for years. In our first feature article, Michael Knights focuses