Headlines:
- Britain Conducts First Drone Strike
- US Eyes Arctic
- Muslims Rulers abandon Ummah
Britain Conducts First Drone Strike
In a statement to Parliament, British Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed British citizens Reyaad Khan, had been identified as a terrorist threat and was killed on Aug. 21 in an operation in which two associates, including another Briton, identified as Ruhul Amin, also died in Syria. Following in the footsteps of the US, Britain crossed a significant threshold in its battle with ISIS by conducting this assassination without any trial or presentation of evidence. The British prime minster claimed he was following rule of law and due process by conducting an extrajudicial killing, without any opportunity for the victims to defend themselves. The US has been long exposed of using signature strikes rather than precession strikes where Convoys of vehicles, large groups of men, three people doing jumping jacks and any male between the ages of 20 and 40 can all be killed.
US Eyes Arctic
US president, Barack Obama recently visited Alaska to highlight the importance of this arctic region of the US. Whilst much of his speech in Alaska focused in climate change, Obama’s visit came in the context of US neglect of this region and Obama was announcing America’s entry into this region. But the US is not the only country looking to the Arctic. Several nations are trying to enhance their reach and presence in the region. Even non-Arctic states are interested, as the growing number of countries seeking permanent observer status in the Arctic Council, the intergovernmental forum dedicated to addressing issues of the Arctic Circle, attests. In May 2013 for instance, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Italy and India obtained permanent observer status in the council. What Obama did was demonstrate a desire to defend expanding US interests in the Arctic. But rather than engaging in a potentially destabilizing Arctic military race with Russia, the US is building consensus, working through bilateral agreements as well as promoting multilateral venues such as the Arctic Council to settle any disputes.
Muslims Rulers abandon Ummah
After describing migrants as swarms and economic migrants, pictures of baby Aylan, washed up on a Turkish beach has seen European nations fall over themselves to take on the people who have migrated due to the wars taking place in their countries. As many turned up onto the shores of Southern Europe, after a treacherous journey across the Mediterranean, nations such as Hungary made it very clear they did not want Muslims. But what was notably absent in the exodus was the absence of the Muslim rulers. The Gulf States and Turkey as well as Saudi Arabia, took none of the Muslims fleeing form war. Whilst Qatar spends $200 billion on football, it couldn’t find a dollar to spend on its brothers and sisters. Saudi has sent it army into Yemen, but looks the other way as the Ummah is massacred in Syria.