Michael Rubin is dismayed over the way Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has convinced President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy Tom Barrack that he has abandoned his previous support for Al Qaeda — not so long ago the American government had a $10 million bounty on his head — and can now be trusted […]
Kurdish man: ‘We are not Islam, we are not Arabs. We are Aryan and Zoroastrian. Islam can die.’
Kurdish men: “We are not Islam, we are not Arabs. We are Aryan and Zoroastrian. Islam can die.” You have no idea what’s going on right now. Kurds are leaving Islam in extreme large numbers. Many also want to return to Yazidism. pic.twitter.com/HFqcLutlGq — Ronai Chaker (@RonaiChaker) January 31, 2026 🚨Kurds: Our religious root wasn’t […]
Syria: Druze rally for independence, don’t want to live under Sharia
Druze in southern Syria held a rally today demanding self-determination and independence from Sharaa’s Syria, whose constitution states that Sharia law is the main source of legislation and governance. Let the Druze live. pic.twitter.com/BFOCLUf5MV — Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) January 31, 2026 In the West, criticism of Sharia is de facto (and increasingly de jure) forbidden. […]
Israel and the Syrian Threat
While Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has traded his combat fatigues for a suit and tie and insists he wants peace with all of Syria’s neighbors, has clearly taken in the Americans, from Ambassador Tom Barrack to President Donald Trump, the Israelis have not been fooled. They have seen his army’s attacks on the minorities — the […]
UK quietly repatriates ISIS brides and kids, some who were detained with Shamima Begum
A reminder about UK-born former Islamic State (ISIS) bride Shamima Begum: She wore an ISIS badge on her school blazer as she tried to recruit classmates for jihad. But when it benefited her to deceive naive Britons, she wanted them to believe that she was just “a dumb kid who made one mistake.” Then her excuse became […]
US Abandons Its Kurdish Ally in Syria
The Kurds in both Syria and Iraq were our closest allies in the war against the Islamic State (ISIS). After ISIS had been defeated, the Kurdish armed force in Syria — the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — continued to fight remnants of ISIS, and also guarded camps containing some 50,000 ISIS members and their family […]
Will Anyone Come to the Aid of the Kurds?
The Kurds in Syria fighting to keep their militia, and on their call for American help, can be found here: “Kurdish commander calls on US to ‘intervene forcefully’ in Syria clashes,” Jerusalem Post, January 18, 2026: [People’s Protection Units (YPG) commander Sipan] Hamo denied that the YPG was receiving support from Iran or Russia, while […]
Besieged Kurds in Syria Ask for American Help
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Syrian leader who, having exchanged combat fatigues for a suit and tie, presented himself to Donald Trump as a “strong leader” (Trump’s admiring words), one who was no longer a supporter of Al Qaeda (the Americans once put a bounty on his head, when he was part of Al Qaeda, of $10 […]
Syria: Trump-backed government troops chant ‘Khaybar’ slogan calling for a new mass murder of Jews
ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Syria, represented by al-Jolani’s government and supported by Tom Barrack and Erdoğan, chant the slogan: “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, the army of Muhammad will return.” Jihadist ideology is now spreading in an official and governmental manner. pic.twitter.com/puvbLaONHs — Judy Berxwedan (@Judy20255) January 23, 2026 Breaking News: Wall Street Journal: The Pentagon […]
Syria: The Islamic State returns to its former capital of Raqqa
Years ago, after Obama had allowed the Islamic State (ISIS) to gain control of a territory in Iraq and Syria larger than Britain, Trump declared that he would eradicate the ISIS caliphate, and he did so. But that was ten years ago. In those days, Trump was at least to some degree aware of the […]