Roots of the Islamic State: The real coalition goes to war, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Russia, revenge is sweet:Middle East and Far East In Turmoil

 

 

 

 

Roots of the Islamic State, a chronology in photos A photographic timeline of conflict in Iraq and Syria over the last decade and the rise of the "Islamic State," which seized large swathes of both countries in 2014. A photographic timeline of conflict in Iraq and Syria over the last decade and the rise of the "Islamic State," which seized large swathes of both countries in 2014. In January 2014, Islamist militants seized the city of Fallujah in Iraq's Anbar province, a major flashpoint between American and Iraqi resistance forces a decade earlier. By June, the so-called "Islamic State," also known as ISIS and ISIL, had swept into Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, and beyond. According to the United Nations, over 3 million Syrians have fled the country since March 2011. From their defacto capitol of Raqqa, Syria, the Islamic State has brutally transformed on-the-ground realities in both Iraq and Syria, shattering borders set up by the British and French after World War I. The following images recount a decade of turmoil leading up to 2014's rapid expansion of the self-declared caliphate. 1 of 55 -In this Monday, June 23, 2014 file photo, militants from the Islamic State parade down a main street Mosul, Iraq, in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle. The chaos unleashed by the Arab Spring has led to the rise of powerful militias -- including many Islamic extremist groups -- across a Middle East where many central governments have been exposed as weak. Some of the groups are allied with such governments, others are fighting to topple them and some -- like the Kurdish peshmerga in northern Iraq -- are seen as vital Western allies. All could prove to be major obstacles to bringing peace or stability to the troubled region. (AP Photo, File)2 of 55 -Syrians look at the aftermath of an airstrike on a rebel area of the war-torn northern city of Aleppo on December 15, 2013. The Aleppo Media Centre, an activist network on the ground, reported several helicopter attacks on rebel areas of the city, once Syria's economic hub. MOHAMMED AL-KHATIEB/AFP/Getty Images3 of 55 -In this Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2004 file photo, a man suspected of involvement in attacks on coalition forces is questioned in the living room of his home during a raid by the 82nd Airborne Division near Fallujah, Iraq. In 2014, the city's fall to al-Qaida-linked forces has touched a nerve for the service members who fought and bled there. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)4 of 55 -A U.S. Marine of the first Division passes by a burning house in the western part of Fallujah, Iraq, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004. U.S. military officials said that U.S. Forces had now "occupied" the entire city of Fallujah. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)5 of 55 -A bullet riddled painting of Saddam Hussein on a wall on the outskirts of Baghdad April 5, 2003. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)6 of 55 -U.S. Marines of the 1st Division take position on the outskirts of Fallujah, Iraq, Monday, Nov. 8, 2004. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)7 of 55 -Moments after the attacks, a youth runs past the victims and burning debris at the site of several bomb blasts which exploded in densely-occupied areas, during the holy day of Ashoura, a Shiite festival, in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq, Tuesday, March 2, 2004. This photograph is one in a portfolio of twenty taken by eleven different Associated Press photographers throughout 2004 in Iraq. The Associated Press won a Pulitzer prize in breaking news photography for the series of pictures of bloody combat in Iraq. The award was the AP's 48th Pulitzer. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)8 of 55 -A crowd of Iraqis carry an injured man from a damaged building after a car bomb exploded in central Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, June 14, 2004. A car bomb tore through a convoy Monday in central Baghdad, killing at least 10 people, including three foreigners working to rebuild Iraq's power plants. This photograph is one in a portfolio of twenty taken by eleven different Associated Press photographers throughout 2004 in Iraq. The Associated Press won a Pulitzer prize in breaking news photography for the series of pictures of bloody combat in Iraq. The award was the AP's 48th Pulitzer. (AP Photo/Mohammed Uraibi)9 of 55 -FILE - In this file photo taken on May 26, 2004, Qais al-Khazali, then the top aide of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and leader of a militant group called Asaib Ahl al-Haq, or League of the Righteous, inspects the damage after overnight fighting against Iraqi army and US forces in Najaf, Iraq. The wave of attacks by al-Qaida and Sunni extremists that has killed thousands of Iraqis in 2013 so far, most of them Shiites, is provoking ominous calls from Shiite leaders to take up arms in self-defense. Iraqís Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, said he wants American help in quelling the violence. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed, File)10 of 55 -A U.S. soldier at a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, takes down an older image, to display the latest image purporting to show the body of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida-linked militant who led a bloody campaign of suicide bombings, kidnappings and hostage beheadings in Iraq, who was killed Wednesday in a U.S. airstrike, Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced, in this June 8, 2006, file photo. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed/FILE)11 of 55 -In this photograph taken during a U.S. Army organized media trip to the site, a U.S. 4th Infantry Division soldier walks past a crater at the scene of the recent airstrike against Abu Musab al-Zarqawi at an isolated palm grove on the outskirts of Hibhib, near Baqouba in Iraq Saturday, June 10, 2006. On Wednesday, the U.S. military tracked al-Zarqawi to a house northwest of Baghdad, and blew it up with two 500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs. (AP Photo/Joao Silva, Pool)12 of 55 -US soldiers from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team patrol the Beida neighborhood bordering Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. The soldiers are part of a surge of US troops brought to Baghdad as part of a plan to bring security to the city. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)13 of 55 -Iraqi army soldiers search a driver at a vehicle checkpoint in central Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007. Although Iraqis have seen an increase in the number of checkpoints and other security measures, there is little sign of a "surge" of troops in the streets and the U.S. officials insist the public will see a big increase soon. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)14 of 55 -In this Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009. Gen. Abboud Qanbar, center, commander of the Baghdad Operations Command inspects the site of a bomb attack near the new Finance Ministry building in Baghdad, Iraq. The angry mood after suicide bombings killed 127 people in the capital Wednesday led Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to replace Baghdad's top military commander. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)15 of 55 -A protestor burns a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a demonstration after Friday prayers on April 29, 2011 in Istanbul against the regime of al-Assad and the deadly crackdown on opposition protests. About 1,000 people demonstrated in Istanbul Friday to denounce a bloody crackdown on protests in Syria, calling for President Bashar al-Assad's departure. Following Friday prayers at an ancient mosque, the crowd, including Syrians based in Turkey's largest city, staged a march, chanting slogans against Assad and burning his portraits, an AFP reporter said. BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images16 of 55 -In this Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012 file photo, injured Syrian women arrive at a field hospital after an air strike hit their homes in the town of Azaz, on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria. More than two years into Syria's civil war, the once highly-centralized authoritarian state has effectively split into three distinct parts, each boasting its own flags, security agencies and judicial system. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)17 of 55 -Anti-government protesters gesture on the streets of Daraa, 100kms south of the capital Damascus on March 23, 2011. Three people, including an 11-year-old girl, were killed this afternoon in the volatile Syrian city of Daraa, witnesses said, as state media reported President Bashar al-Assad had fired the city's governor. ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images18 of 55 -Syrians anti and pro-Assad protesters clash after Friday prayers in Damascus, Syria, Friday, March 25, 2011. Thousands of Syrians took to the streets Friday demanding reforms and mourning dozens of protesters who were killed during a violent, week long crackdown that has brought extraordinary pressure on the country's autocratic regime, activists and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)19 of 55 -In this Sunday, March 27, 2011 file photo, a Syrian man, right, reacts as standing next to his brother who was seriously wounded during a clash between security forces and armed groups in Latakia, northwest of Damascus, Syria. The conflict, which began amid Arab Spring protests across the region, started off as protests that turned into an armed insurgency and eventually became a full-blown civil war that activists say has killed more than 140,000 people and has seen 2 million people flee the country. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)20 of 55 -Syrian refugees are seen inside a tented refugee city, in Boynuyogun, Turkey, Saturday, June 18, 2011, before a brief visit organized by Turkish authorities for the media. According to Turkish authorities more than 10,000 Syrians are now in refugee camps in the Hatay province, near Turkey's border with Syria.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)21 of 55 -U.S. soldiers begin their journey home at al-Asad airbase, west of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Nov. 1 , 2011. The U.S. has promised to withdraw from Iraq by the end of the year as required by a 2008 security agreement between Washington and Baghdad. Some 39,000 U.S. troops are scheduled to clear out along with their equipment. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)22 of 55 -In this Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 file photo, an elderly Syrian man smokes a cigarette as he stands next to a residential building destroyed in a government airstrike, in Maaret Misreen, near Idlib, Syria. A U.S.-based rights group on Thursday accused Syria of war crimes by indiscriminate and sometimes deliberate airstrikes against civilians, killing at least 4,300 people since last summer. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)23 of 55 -Two Syrian rebels take sniper positions at the heavily contested neighborhood of Karmal Jabl in central Aleppo on October 18, 2012. Violence persisted on October 19 with rebels and loyalists of President Bashar al-Assad locked in battle for the northwestern town of Maaret al-Numan on the Damascus-Aleppo highway linking Syria's two biggest cities. Javier Manzano/AFP/Getty Images24 of 55 -A man is treated for wounds after a Syrian government forces jet attacked the Karm al-Aser neighborhood in eastern Aleppo, on October 31, 2012. The unprecedented surge in air strikes carried out by Syrian forces this week is a desperate attempt by President Bashar al-Assad's regime to reverse recent gains by rebel fighters, analysts and rebels say. Javier Manzano/AFP/Getty Images25 of 55 -Members of Liwa (brigade) Hamzah, a newly formed Islamist brigade from the Syrian eastern city of Deir Ezzor stand on top of a mosque holding the flags of Jebhat al-Nusra (L) and Katiba al-Mustafa, another Islamist unit hailing from Deir Ezzor, during a rally in the centre of the city to announce their formation on February 25, 2013. Syria's opposition and foreign powers hold crucial talks in Rome with Washington suggesting it is ready to boost support to rebels in their struggle against President Bashar al-Assad. ZAC BAILLIE/AFP/Getty Images26 of 55 -AK-47 machine guns hang in a shelter for Syrian rebels in the Salaheddine district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on April 12, 2013. A major coalition of Islamist rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has denounced Al-Nusra Front's pledge of allegiance to Al-Qaeda, urging insurgents to unite behind moderate Islam. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images27 of 55 -A picture shows destruction in the Salaheddine district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on April 12, 2013. A major coalition of Islamist rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has denounced Al-Nusra Front's pledge of allegiance to Al-Qaeda, urging insurgents to unite behind moderate Islam. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images28 of 55 -Members of Liwa (brigade) Hamzah, a newly formed Islamist brigade from the Syrian eastern city of Deir Ezzor, hold flags of Jebhat al-Nusra as they take part in a rally in the centre of the city to announce their formation on February 25, 2013. Syria's opposition and foreign powers hold crucial talks in Rome with Washington suggesting it is ready to boost support to rebels in their struggle against President Bashar al-Assad. ZAC BAILLIE/AFP/Getty Images29 of 55 -In this Wednesday January 1, 2014, file photo, al-Qaida fighters patrol in a commandeered police truck passing burning police vehicles in front of the main provincial government building, in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq. With a new label - the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - the global terror network al-Qaida is positioning itself as a vanguard defending a persecuted Sunni community against Shiite-dominated governments across Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. The al-Qaida gains pose the most serious challenge to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-led government since the departure of American forces in late 2011. (AP Photo, File)30 of 55 -Iraqi men inspect the damage following shelling as clashes between Iraqi security forces and the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continue in the flashpoint city of Fallujah, west of the capital Baghdad, on January 22, 2014. Fallujah, a former insurgent bastion a short drive from Baghdad, was still under the control of Al-Qaeda with gunmen tightening their grip on the city at the expense of tribal sheikhs. Sadam el-Mehmedy/AFP/Getty Images31 of 55 -In this January 5, 2014, file photo, gunmen patrol during clashes with Iraqi security forces in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq. With a new label - the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - the global terror network al-Qaida is positioning itself as a vanguard defending a persecuted Sunni community against Shiite-dominated governments across Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. The al-Qaida gains pose the most serious challenge to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-led government since the departure of American forces in late 2011. (AP Photo, File)32 of 55 -This undated file image posted on a militant website on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 shows fighters from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marching in Raqqa, Syria. The past year, ISIL _ has taken over swaths of territory in Syria, particularly in the east. It has increasingly clashed with other factions, particularly an umbrella group called the Islamic Front and with Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Nusra Front, the group that Ayman al-Zawahri declared last year to be al-Qaidaís true representative in Syria. That fighting has accelerated the past month. (AP Photo/militant website, File)33 of 55 -Al-Qaida fighters wave al-Qaida flags as they patrol in a commandeered Iraqi military vehicle in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 30, 2014. Al-Qaida-linked fighters and their allies seized the city of Fallujah and parts of the Anbar provincial capital Ramadi in late December after authorities dismantled a protest camp. Like the camp in the northern Iraqi town of Hawija whose dismantlement in April sparked violent clashes and set off the current upsurge in killing, the Anbar camp was set up by Sunnis angry at what they consider second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government. (AP Photo)34 of 55 -A man displays Iraqi army body armour in front of an Iraqi army vehicle and other items of military kit, at the Kukjali Iraqi Army checkpoint, some 10km of east of the northern city of Mosul, on June 11, 2014, the day after Sunni militants iincluding fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) overran the city. Half a million people were estimated to have fled Iraq's second largest city, as Islamist militants tightened their grip after overrunning it and a swathe of other territory, patrolling its streets and calling for government employees to return to work. SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images35 of 55 -Refugees fleeing from Mosul head to the self-ruled northern Kurdish region in Irbil, Iraq, 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Baghdad, Thursday, June 12, 2014. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the al-Qaida breakaway group, on Monday and Tuesday took over much of Mosul in Iraq and then swept into the city of Tikrit further south. An estimated half a million residents fled Mosul, the economically important city. (AP Photo)36 of 55 -Iraqi Turkmen forces patrol a checkpoint in the northern city of Tuz Khurmatu on June 21, 2014, close to locations of jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters. Sunni militants led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant took control of an Iraq-Syria border crossing after Syrian rebels withdrew overnight, security officers and witnesses said. KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images37 of 55 -IRBIL, IRAQ - JUNE 15: A general view from the Qaysari Market to the walls of the ancient Citadel on June 15, 2014 in Erbil, Iraq. The Citadel is thought to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the World. In Iraq's capital city of Baghdad and other towns and cities effected by the recent conflict, people who can afford to do so have began to stockpile essential items of food, which has increased prices dramatically. The US dollar which is normally a relatively stable currency in Iraq, rose about 5 percent in one day making many household items more expensive. Potatoes increased approximately sixfold, to about $4.50 USD a pound. People continue to leave Iraq's second city of Mosul after it was overrun by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) militants. Many have been temporarily housed at various IDP (internally displaced persons) camps around the region including the area close to Erbil, as they hope to enter the safety of the nearby Kurdish region. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)38 of 55 -KALAK, IRAQ - JUNE 14: People arrive at a Kurdish checkpoint next to a temporary displacement camp on June 14, 2014 in Kalak, Iraq. Thousands of people have fled Iraq's second city of Mosul after it was overrun by ISAS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) militants. Many have been temporarily housed at various IDP (internally displaced persons) camps around the region including the area close to Erbil, as they hope to enter the safety of the nearby Kurdish region. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)39 of 55 -KALAK, IRAQ - JUNE 14: Families arrive at a Kurdish checkpoint at sunset next to a temporary displacement camp on June 14, 2014 in Kalak, Iraq. Thousands of people have fled Iraq's second city of Mosul after it was overrun by ISAS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) militants. Many have been temporarily housed at various IDP (internally displaced persons) camps around the region including the area close to Erbil, as they hope to enter the safety of the nearby Kurdish region. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)40 of 55 -President Barack Obama addresses the nation from the Cross Hall in the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014. In a major reversal, Obama ordered the United States into a broad military campaign to ìdegrade and ultimately destroyî militants in two volatile Middle East nations, authorizing airstrikes inside Syria for the first time, as well as an expansion of strikes in Iraq. (AP Photo/Saul Loeb, Pool)41 of 55 -From left: Sir Nicholas Houghton, of the United Kingdom, Gen. Peter Schelzig, of Germany, Gen. Yousif, of Bahrain and US Lt. Gen. Garrett sit after a meeting with US President Barack Obama at Andrews Air Force Base October 14, 2014 in Maryland. Obama and Gen. Martin Dempsey, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with foreign military leaders from 21 countries to discus solutions for dealing with the Islamic State militant threat. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images42 of 55 -Members of the Iraqi security forces mourn during the funeral procession of their comrades in Iraq's Shiite shrine city of Karbala on October 27, 2014 after a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged Humvee armoured vehicle near security forces and allied militiamen in Jurf al-Sakhr, south of Baghdad, killing over a dozen. Security forces and militia allies have fought for months to regain ground in Jurf al-Sakhr from Islamic State (IS) group fighters, which spearheaded a major militant offensive that has overrun large areas since June. MOHAMMED SAWAF/AFP/Getty Images43 of 55 -An Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighter fires at Islamic-State (IS) militant positions, from his position on the top of Mount Zardak, a strategic point taken 3 days ago, about 25 kilometres east of Mosul on September 9,2014. Kurdish forces in the north have been bolstered by US strikes and took control of Mount Zardak, a strategic site that provides a commanding view of the surrounding area, a senior US officer said. JM LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images44 of 55 -Iraqi Shiite men who have volunteered to join government forces and militias in the fight against jihadists from the Islamic State group, take part in a training session in the central city of Hillah on October 18, 2014. The Islamic State group led a sweeping offensive in June that overran much of Iraq's Sunni Arab heartland. HAIDAR HAMDANI/AFP/Getty Images45 of 55 -Syrian Kurdish fighters ride motorcycles on the outskirts of Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border, as they try to approach the border to cross into Syria to rejoin the fighting In Kobani, background, Friday, Oct. 17, 2014. The are all members of the Peopleís Protection Units, also known as YPG and is fighting against militants of the Islamic State group in Kobani, Syria. According to them, every few weeks, some of the fighters take a couple of days to cross the border into Turkey. Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab, and its surrounding areas, has been under assault by extremists of the Islamic State group since mid-September and is being defended by Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)46 of 55 -A Syrian man walks amid a street covered with dust following a reported air strike by government forces in the old city of Aleppo on July 21, 2014. Aleppo was Syria's most populous city before the conflict, but it is now a major battle zone split into areas controlled by the rebels concentrated in the east and those held by the government mainly in the west. AHMED DEEB/AFP/Getty Images47 of 55 -An elderly Syrian Kurdish refugee woman from the Kobani area, warms up by a fire at a camp in Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border Monday, Nov. 10, 2014. Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab, and its surrounding areas, has been under assault by extremists of the Islamic State group since mid-September and is being defended by Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)48 of 55 -A US Air Force B1-B bomber plane flies above the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, on October 18, 2014 as seen from the Turkish border town of Suruc. Turkey is turning a deaf ear to insistent pressure to take a more pro-active stance in the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists, adding to existing strains with the West under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Western diplomats have repeatedly made clear they want to see the key NATO member play a key role in the coalition against the militants, who are battling for the Syrian town Kobane just a few kilometers from Turkey. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images49 of 55 -SANLIURFA, TURKEY - OCTOBER 20: (TURKEY OUT) An explosion rocks Syrian city of Kobane during a reported suicide car bomb attack by the militants of Islamic State (ISIS) group on a People's Protection Unit (YPG) position in the city center of Kobani, as seen from the outskirts of Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border, October 20, 2014 in Sanliurfa province, Turkey. According to Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey will reportedly allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters to cross the Syrian border to fight Islamic State (IS) militants in the Syrian city of Kobane while the United States has sent planes to drop weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Syrian Kurdish fighters around Kobane. (Photo by Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images)50 of 55 -A militant of Islamic State (IS) is seen just after an air strike on Tilsehir hill near Turkish border on October 23, 2014, at Yumurtalik village, in Sanliurfa province. Turkey said on October 21 that Kurdish peshmerga fighters based in Iraq have yet to cross into Syria from Turkish territory, a day after announcing it was assisting their transit to join the battle for the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab. It was seen as a major switch in policy by Turkey, which until now has refused to interfere in the over month-long battle for Kobane between Syrian Kurdish fighters and Islamic State (IS) jihadists. BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images51 of 55 -People watch as smokes rises from the town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, on October 26, 2014, at the Turkish border near the southeastern village of Mursitpinar, Sanliurfa province. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the main Kurdish party in Syria of not wanting Kurdish peshmerga fighters from Iraq to help it fight Islamic State jihadists trying to overrun the town of Kobane, reports said October 26, 2014. Erdogan said that the Syrian Kurdish party the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which has been leading the defence of Kobane, fears losing its influence in northern Syria when the peshmerga arrive in the coming days. BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images52 of 55 -Kurdish boys ride a horse cart during a rainy day in Suruc, a rural district of Sanliurfa Province, on October 30, 2014. Heavily armed Kurdish peshmerga fighters were on their way by land and by air, joining militias defending the Syrian border town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, from the Islamic State group after setting off from Iraq. Kobane's Kurdish defenders have been eagerly waiting for the peshmerga since Turkey last week said it would allow them to traverse its territory to enter the town. BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images53 of 55 -A Syrian Kurdish refugee woman from Kobani, holds a baby and branches she collected for starting a fire at a refugee camp in Suruc, near the Turkey-Syria border, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014. Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab, and its surrounding areas, has been under assault by extremists of the Islamic State group since mid-September and is being defended by Kurdish fighters. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)54 of 55 -A Kurdish refugee girl stands during a rainy day at the Rojova Camp, in Suruc, a rural district of Sanliurfa Province, on October 30, 2014. Heavily armed Kurdish peshmerga fighters were on their way by land and by air, joining militias defending the Syrian border town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, from the Islamic State group after setting off from Iraq. Kobane's Kurdish defenders have been eagerly waiting for the peshmerga since Turkey last week said it would allow them to traverse its territory to enter the town. BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images55 of 55 -Syrian Kurdish refugees that fled the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, walk past tents in a refugee camp in the southeastern town of Suruc, in the Turkish Sanliurfa province, on October 16, 2014. Kurdish fighters backed by a flurry of US-led air strikes were holding out on October 16 against jihadists in Kobane, as an Islamic State (IS) offensive on the Syrian border town entered its second month. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

Vietnam launches luxury cruise to the hotly contested Spratly islands Vietnam offering 180 patriotic citizens a six-day cruise to the Spratlys An $800 promotional offer takes passengers to the contested archipelago Boat trip also includes night fishing, a lighthouse visit and fresh seafood US Beijing had placed mobile artillery systems in contested territory Vietnam is offering scores of patriotic citizens the holiday of a lifetime: a cruise to some of Asia's most contested islands, where China has been rapidly building up its military presence. In a special $800 (£525) promotional offer, 180 Vietnamese travellers will get to see parts of the disputed Spratly archipelago later this month. In a move likely to stroke its simmer dispute with Beijing over South China Sea sovereignty, the boat trip also offers passengers the chance to take part in night fishing, to visit a lighthouse and to enjoy local seafood. Scroll down for video +10 Vietnam has launched a 'sovereignty' cruise to the hotly-contested Spratly islands in the South China Sea The six-day cruise will visit two reefs and two islands in the Spratlys, or Truong Sa in Vietnamese, which is an area that the country has occupied for some time despite rival claims. High-rollers will be able to choose from VIP hotel rooms and can also fly in on their private helicopters should they so prefer, according to the Ho Chi Minh City government website. The offer makes little attempt to disguise its political flavour and comes as Vietnam pursues a bolder agenda in pushing its claims in the face of China's own growing assertiveness. 'Travelling to Truong Sa... means the big trip of your life, reviving national pride and citizens' awareness of the scared maritime sovereignty of the country,' the promotion said, reading much like a brochure for a Caribbean holiday. 'Tourists will no longer feel Truong Sa as far away, the blue Truong Sa ocean will be deep in people's hearts.' +10 The six-day cruise will visit two reefs and two islands in the Spratlys, or Truong Sa in Vietnamese +10 Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia are currently each competing for jurisdiction of the Spratlys with China +10 Such a maneouver echoes its intentions to China, against which the country is competing for jurisdiction +10 The Spratlys make up nine-tenths of the South China Sea, which is also a vital global shipping lane Concern over China's activity around the Spratly Islands Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia are currently each competing for jurisdiction of the Spratlys with China, which claims nine-tenths of the South China Sea. The Sea is a vital global shipping lane with potentially vast energy reserves. The cruise mirrors those offered by China on ships like its 'Coconut Princess', and illustrates a growing civilian presence in the South China Sea as countries vie to cement their competing claims. China has been criticised for extensive reclamation work and moves to turn submerged rocks into man-made structures. Last week, the United States said that Beijing had placed mobile artillery systems in contested territory. +10 China has been criticised for extensive reclamation work and moves to turn submerged rocks into man-made structures +10 Last week, the United States said that Beijing had placed mobile artillery systems in contested territory +10 Photos taken earlier this year, show artificial islands being built on the coral reefs in the Spratly islands +10 Southwest Cay, also known as Pugad Island, is a small piece of the Spratlys currently controlled by Vietnam +10 After territorial rows broke out again last year, Vietnam's offering will take adventurous passengers night fishing, to visit a lighthouse and to enjoy local seafood Despite close party-to-party ties with Communist neighbour China and nearly $60billion of annual trade, analysts say Vietnam has taken a harder line since a fresh territorial row erupted last year and now wants to boost diplomatic and military alliances. Its media ran news last month of the opening of a new school on the Spratlys, and Vietnamese troops stationed there joined counterparts from the Philippines in a soccer match. The cruise is a trial run ahead of Vietnam's tentative plans to put the Spratlys on its tourism map, including scheduled passenger flights, which could possibly launch this year. The real coalition goes to war, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Russia, revenge is sweet   …by Gordon Duff  and  Nahed al Husaini in Damascus This week, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that their support of Syria will be unlimited.  Over the past few weeks Iranian military leaders, both Republican Guard and the Al Quds brigade in particular, have assessed the situation on the ground.  A plan of action has been developed and is being implemented at this time. No other source has this information. Information in the press is fabrication and conjecture.  What is known and what can and will be told is here and will be nowhere else. Reinforcements from both Iran and Iraq have begun arriving in Syria and are being deployed at this time.  Only a small percentage of the initial force is in Syria thus far. Troops are being moved to fight in Idlib, near the Turkish border.  Their task will be to liberate Idlib and Jisr al Shougour.  Rumors about them being used in the defense of Damascus are false. There they are to confront forces of al Nusra and the Fateh Army. The next deployment to Syria will be from Hizbullah Iraq and the Mahdi Army.  They are currently involved in military operations near Ramadi and across Anbar Province in Iraq.  They will take part in a joint Syrian-Iraqi operation that will drive from the Iraqi border to Palmyra. This force is 70,000 strong and highly trained. Russia is supplying Syria with advanced surface-to-surface missiles and other “non export” weaponry.  Russia will not be sending technicians or troops.  Yes, Russia is selling, not giving weapons. Iranian forces are not yet deployed but are scheduled, Republican Guard and Al Quds.  No number has been given or will be given at any time. A third operation (1. Idlib 2. Palmyra) will be against Qalamoun. A fourth operation will sweep south from the suburbs of Damascus to the Jordanian border.  ISIS will be pushed into Jordan where they are expected to attempt to overthrow the government in Amman.  It is a general consensus that King Abdullah will eventually end up looking for a home in the south of France. A message is passed to the Americans and others that have spent years gloating over the suffering of the Syrian people: Damascus will fall when Tehran falls.

New York’s new skyline revealed:LA to San Francisco in half an hour moves closer

 

 

 

LA to San Francisco in half an hour moves closer: Over 100 engineers are now working on Elon Musk's 760mph supertube Musk is working with UCLA researchers to develop system Over 100 engineers have created crowdsourced firm to work on idea Hoped the system could be rolled out in cities around the world When it was launched, it seemed little more than a pipe dream. Billionaire inventor Elon Musk unveiled a futuristic plan for a new type of transport that would shoot capsules of passengers along a tube at around the speed of sound. Elon Musk, one of the brains behind the online payment system PayPal, and SpaceX claims his solar-powered 'Hyperloop' could herald a revolution in travel. +7 The Hyperloop Transportation Technologies design for Elon Musk's Hyperloop. It hopes to produce a technical feasibility study finished in mid-2015. +7 The team believes the system could link the majority of America's major cities together. Scroll down for video THE HYPERLOOP: HOW IT WORKS Inside the tubes, hyperloop pods are mounted on thin skis made out of inconel,an alloy already used by Musk's SpaceX firm that can withstand high pressure and heat. Air is pumped into the skis via small holes to make an air cushion, and each pod has air inlets at the front. An electric turbo compressor compresses air from the nose and routes it to the skis and to the cabin. Magnets on the skis, plus an electromagnetic pulse give the pod its initial thrust; reboosting motors along the route would keep the pod moving at just below the speed of sound so the system does not produce sonic booms. Musk believes it would take just 30 minutes to travel the 381 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco – half the time it takes in a plane – and likened the passenger experience to Disneyland's rocket ride Space Mountain. Now, the plans are beginning to take shape.  A new firm, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, is developing plans to makes the tubes a reality - and it has recruited experts from around the world. The crowdsourced firm has around 100 engineers on the projects, and nearly all of them have day jobs at companies like Boeing, NASA, Yahoo!, Airbus, SpaceX, and Salesforce. Dirk Ahlborn, the CEO of the new company, says it seemed the perfect way to develop the plans, with a site called JumpStartFund that aimed to crowdsource ideas. He got in touch with SpaceX, Musk's firm, and the work began. The team includes about 25 UCLA graduate architecture students at a facility in Playa Vista, although most members work remotely.  Ahlborn hopes to have a technical feasibility study finished in mid-2015, according to Wired. So far, the team has made progress in three main areas: the capsules, the stations, and the route. 'They look at this like a blank sheet of paper on which they can realize their fantasies,' UCLA professor Craig Hodgetts said. Musk's idea is based on the pneumatic tubes that fire capsules of paperwork between floors in offices. In this case, the capsules would carry people – even cars – in low-pressure tubes to minimise turbulence and maximise speed. Musk believes it would take just 30 minutes to travel the 381 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco – half the time it takes in a plane – and likened the passenger experience to Disneyland's rocket ride Space Mountain. Digital demonstration of Billionaire Elon Musk's 'Hyperloop' On top of pylons is a hovering capsule inside a low-pressurized tube, which can reach speeds of up to 760 mph. 'The only resistance would be the air in front of the capsule, which we moved to the back by using a compressor,' Hyperloop CEO Dirk Ahlborn said. At its launch, Musk described the Hyperloop design as looking like a shotgun, with the tubes running side-by-side for most of the journey, then closing at either end to form a loop. Trains of capsules would shoot through the almost air-free tube at up to 760mph, accelerated by magnets which would also keep each pod on a steady course. Each capsule would float on a cushion of air it creates as it speeds along – similar to an air hockey table. +7 So far, the team has made progress in three main areas: the capsules, the stations, and the route. +7 The proposed route of the firstHyperloop follows Interstate 5, which runs through the agriculture-richCentral Valley in California. It would take seven to ten years to build.  Capsules carrying six to eight people would depart every 30 seconds, with tickets costing around £13 each way. In his proposal released online, Musk wrote: 'Short of figuring out real teleportation, which would of course be awesome (someone please do this), the only option for super-fast travel is to build a tube over or under the ground that contains a special environment.' The proposed route of the first Hyperloop follows Interstate 5, which runs through the agriculture-rich Central Valley in California. It would take seven to ten years to build. Musk put the price tag at around £4billion but pointed out that that is around one-tenth of the projected cost of a high-speed rail system that California has been planning to build. +7 +7 The 100 person team is spread around the world +7 The tyeam has even built models in their bid to find out if Hyperloop could actually work However, transport experts received the proposal with scepticism, citing barriers, such as the threat of earthquakes in the region. Musk has said he is too focused on other projects, for example his rocket building company SpaceX, to consider building the Hyperloop, and instead is publishing a design that anyone can use or modify. Musk said he started thinking about the idea when plans for a 130mph (210km/h) high-speed train connection between LA and San Francisco were revealed, but now he has detailed his own version on Tesla's site. 'Flight' of the future: The hyperloop will travel the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco in only 30 minutes Smooth ride: 'It would have less lateral acceleration which is what tends to make people feel motion sick than a subway ride, as the pod banks against the tube like an airplane,' creator Elon Musk said 'I originally started thinking about [Hyperloop] when I read about California's high-speed rail project which was somewhat disappointing,' he told a Google Hangout with Richard Branson last week. 'It's actually worse than taking the plane. I get a little sad when things are not getting better in the future. 'Another example would be like the Concorde being retired and the fact there is no supersonic passenger transport. I think that is sad. You want the future to be better than the past, or at least I do.' The entrepreneur made his fortune with the internet payment system PayPal before switching his skills into developing the new Falcon rocket system for Nasa and the Tesla electric car. Mr Musk claims Hyperloop would be a practical solution for city pairs separated by 1,000 miles (1,600km) or less. Beyond this distance, it would be better to take a plane, he explained. Unique: Travellers would enter aluminium pods which are mounted above the ground on columns 50 to 100 yards apart Modern: This image shows how people would travel in the pods But for the shorter distance, his new concept would beat the plane, he argues, because it would not waste time ascending and descending. 'You want a transport system that is roughly twice as fast as the next best alternative, that costs less, that is safer, that is not subject to weather and is more convenient,' Mr Musk said. 'If there were such a thing, I think most people would take it. In fact, it would increase the travel between the city pairs because of the increased convenience.' Experts say Musk's track record could help the plan become a reality. 'Hyperloop is quite an old science fiction idea but Elon Musk is the sort of man who could make it work,' said physicist Martin Archer from Imperial College London. Space-like: This conceptual design of the machine shows that it will have a futuristic look Built to last: The inventor boasted that the tracks would be immune to weather and earthquakes, though it is not immediately clear how so Creature comforts: The legroom is said to give would-be passengers a disruption-free ride 'He's the guy who made electric cars go fast with Tesla, which many people didn't think would be possible; and he's the head of SpaceX which is the only commercial rocket builder that has managed to hook up with the International Space Station.' Musk says he will leave it to others to build the system initially. 'I have to focus on core Tesla business and SpaceX business, and that's more than enough,' he told investors of Tesla, his electric car firm. 'If nothing happens for a few years, with that I mean maybe it could make sense to make the halfway path with Tesla involvement,' Musk said. 'Hyperloop consists of a low pressure tube with capsules that are transported at both low and high speeds throughout the length of the tube,' Musk said in an exhaustive paper detailing the system posted online. 'The capsules are supported on a cushion of air.' Each of the capsules is pressurized, and Musk says they have an emergency braking system as well as a reserve air supply in the event of an emergency. Appealing to environmentalists: This graph shows the energy cost per passenger on different modes of transportation for the specific San Francisco-Los Angeles journey There and back: The 'loop' portion highlights the fact that there would only be two stops He admits the scheme came from a disdain for current systems. 'When the California 'high speed' rail was approved, I was quite disappointed, as I know many others were too. 'How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL – doing incredible things like indexing all the world's knowledge and putting rovers on Mars – would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world?' Musk claims the scheme can power itself through solar energy. 'By placing solar panels on top of the tube, the Hyperloop can generate far in excess of the energy needed to operate. 'This takes into account storing enough energy in battery packs to operate at night and for periods of extended cloudy weather', he claims.

New York’s new skyline revealed: The towers that will transform the city by 2030 The most obvious difference will be 57th Street, which will host the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere Named Nordstrom Tower, but referred to as 217 West 57th in the graphic, it will reach a height of 1,795 feet As well as the Nordstrom Tower, the graphic includes the Moma Tower, One Vanderbilt, and 15 Penn Plaza But it doesn't show the new World Trade Center, along with large projects in Midtown and on the Far West Side 'Billionaires' Row' is transforming New York's iconic skyline. By 2030, architectural giants such as the One World Trade Center and One57 will be overshadowed by a new crop of glistening towers in Midtown Manhattan. Now, one art studio has created a rendering of what the New York skyline will look like in 15 years once these towering behemoths make their mark on the landscape. Scroll down for video ‹ SLIDE ME › The image shows what Midtown Manhattan will look like in 2030. Slide left to view the locations of some of the iconic towers currently under construction in the city. One of the most obvious additions will be the Nordstrom Tower, which could reach 1,795 feet - around 15 stories higher than the World Trade Center. In the graphic the Nordstrom Tower is labelled as 217 West 57th Street The most obvious difference between today and 2030 will be 57th Street, which will host the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere. Dubbed Nordstrom Tower, the tower's parapet could reach 1,530 feet — 15 stories higher than the World Trade Center — and its pinnacle, roughly 1,795 feet. Previous plans had suggested the tower would be slightly smaller, at 1,775 feet. Nordstrom Tower is labelled as 217 West 57th Street. Once it is completed, the building will have a giant seven-floor Nordstrom department store on the lower levels and residences above. It will stand more than 300 feet taller than any other man-made objects in Midtown and will likely cast a few shadows on Central Park, which is near its base. Incredible views of New York from top of One World Trade   +6 A look at how the Nordstrom Tower (fifth from left), which is being constructed in New York, measures up to the world's tallest buildings NO MORE BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY? Bright lights, big city? Not so much, if a New York City council member gets his way. Councilman Donovan Richards Jr introduced a bill requiring most office high-rises to turn off the lights at night as a way to cut energy costs and help migratory birds. 'We need to be doing everything we can to conserve energy,' he said. 'This is a commonsense measure. It's not going to cost anybody a lot of money.' Seventy-one percent of New Yorkers like the idea, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of 969 registered city voters. The Moma Tower at 53 West 53rd Street is also seen, and work for that building is currently underway. The image, by VisualHouse, doesn't show the new World Trade Center along with several large projects in Midtown and on the Far West Side. It also omits 220 Central Park South and 1710 Broadway, which is currently in its initial planning stages. 'The studio has worked closely on the city's most prominent upcoming projects, including Hudson Yards, One Vanderbilt…217W 57th St' the company writes on its website. 'The still production team at VH New York engaged they're project specific knowledge to create this inspiring future cityscape image.' In terms of bulk, the new Hudson Yards will be the biggest change to the skyline, according to New York Yimby. Hudson Yards will create 17 million square feet of commercial, residential and retail development over a 28 acres with 5,000 new residences and 100 new shops It is the largest private real estate development in the U.S, with nothing done of this scale since Rockefeller Center was constructed in the 1930s. The rendering also includes One Vanderbilt and 15 Penn Plaza. Earlier today, New York City officials approved plans for One Vanderbilt after the developer made an unusual tradeoff: a promise to make sweeping upgrades to nearby Grand Central Terminal. Stunning day to night timelapse of New York skyline (related)   +6 Nordstrom Tower, whose parapet could reach 1,530 feet — 15 stories higher than the World Trade Center — and its pinnacle, roughly 1,795 feet. Once it is completed, the building will have a giant seven-floor Nordstrom department store on the lower levels and residences above +6 +6 Hudson Yards will create 17 million square feet of commercial, residential and retail development over a 28 acres with 5,000 new residences and 100 new shops. Pictured is an artist's impression of what it will look like once complete In exchange for getting more square footage, developer SL Green Realty will invest about $220 million in critical improvements to Grand Central. This would allowing more trains to run during rush hour on the clogged 4-5-6 lines, which carry more people per day than the entire transit systems of Chicago or Washington, DC. 'This is the first time we've seen vast private investment to improve mass-transit access,' said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban planning at New York University. It will transform the stodgy East Midtown area, where the average building is 75 years old and saddled with outdated structural features such as interior columns and low ceilings. Anchored by tenant TD Bank, the building is expected to house about 8,000 workers when fully occupied. The tower will house a gleaming new transit hall that will funnel workers directly into Grand Central and also provide a crucial direct link from commuter trains. +6 Earlier today, New York City officials approved plans for One Vanderbilt after the developer made an unusual tradeoff: a promise to make sweeping upgrades to nearby Grand Central Terminal. Pictured is an artists impression of the site +6 As it is now: Pictured is Downtown Manhattan and One World Trade (right) are seen from the observation level of the Empire State Building