Tag / ISIS
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How to Debate Non-Interventionists
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard people say “the U.S. should mind its own business” or “we should leave the Middle East alone” or “alliances with none, trade with all.” Every time I do, I cringe a bit; not only because I disagree, but also because points like that are quite difficult to…
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ISIS’ Destruction of Art As A Function Of State Building
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has proclaimed itself the next worldwide Muslim caliphate, acquiring territory in northern Iraq and Syria to secure its legitimacy. Aside from carrying out gruesome physical attacks, ISIS has engaged in the destruction of antiquities and ancient sites. For example, in August, ISIS destroyed “the pearl of Palmyra”: the…
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ISIL: Explained
BY JOE LENOFF I’ve heard them referred to as ISIL, ISIS, and IS. Which is it? ISIL is short for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. ISIS is short for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and IS is short for the Islamic State. The difference, of course, is in the words…
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Crises of Nationalism
BY JOE LENOFF In the aftermath of the First World War, the European states dismantled the Ottoman Empire and designed a system by which the Middle East would be carved into separate states ruled by people the Europeans themselves hand-picked. Although there were a series of agreements between the Europeans, such as the Sykes-Picot Agreement…
