Notwithstanding the US intervention Islamic State is still gaining ground in Iraq and, unless Iran intervenes on the ground soon we will see a Baghdad battle (and a spike up in oil).
Anbar province to the west is practically fallen and the jihadist arrived at 20 kms from Baghdad Airport (that it was saved by the intervention of a US Cobra Attack helicopter.
A few more car bombs have hit again Baghdad and everyone is expecting a Mumbai style attack.
In Syria Kobane has almost fallen and Syria is now shaping up in three/four failed states.
The American Airpower is designed just to degrade Islamic State. But as they Kill a few dozens Jihadist, hundreds are coming in from all over the world.
In reality only an “unholy” alliance with Iran (so also with Assad and the anti-Israeli Hezbollah) could change the game.
Meanwhile, practically media forgotten, also Lybia and Yemen are again failed states.
Anyone can see a pattern?
Egypt could be next in line….but there the military is brutally efficient and should remain intact.
With all this Middle East turmoil, oil price is very low as Saudis are flooding the market to hit Russian’s revenues on US bid (the price the US has paid is to isolateĀ Iran again).
As usual, very complex and fluid.
Why we, as Western Powers, can never defeat this Islamist threat? A lot of people would say that is impossible to defeat an idea. And they are right.
By the essence of the issue is that the real enemy that allow this threat (cannot do wars without money) are actually the otherwise best ally of the US – Saudi (and Gulf states) and Turkey. And for Western politicians having a distracting (from the economic woes) is not so bad (look at the polls if you doubt it)