Why Obama’s Hopes of Decapitating the Islamic State Won’t Work

Unveiling “Operation Inherent Resolve” against the Islamic State back in September, President Obama made it clear that his principal strategy would be the same as that pursued in other recent campaigns: assassination. Deploying his preferred macho euphemism, he reminded us “we took out Osama bin Laden, much of al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and leaders of al Qaeda …

How ISIS Became the Face of Evil

Twelve years after the United States invaded Iraq on March 19, 2003, it’s easy to forget that support for the war hinged on the demonization of dictator Saddam Hussein. Weapons of mass destruction may have been the motive and the September 11 attacks provided the opportunity, but it was years of media portrayals of Hussein as worse than Hitler that enabled the Bush administration …

UN condemns ‘destruction’ of ancient Iraq city of Hatra

The United Nations’ cultural body on Saturday condemned the “destruction” by the Islamic State jihadist group of Hatra, a stunning Roman period ancient fortress city in the Iraqi desert. The destruction of the UNESCO world heritage site was reported two days after the Iraqi antiquities ministry said that IS bulldozed the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, and a week after …

CIA Asset Joins Islamic State in Libya – Abdelhakim Belhadj Worked with U.S. and NATO to Overthrow Gaddafi 

Abdelhakim Belhadj has reportedly joined forces with the Islamic State, according to the journalist Sara Carter. Belhadj is a former al-Qaeda operative who was a key player in the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi. He worked directly with the U.S. and NATO. Kyle Shideler writes for The Washington Times: If Belhadj has gone over to Islamic State, it will represent a major …

Canadian Military Intelligence and NATO Knew the Intervention in Libya Would Create Chaos and Aid Al-Qaeda-aligned Islamists

Canadian military intelligence officers predicted in 2011 that Libya could descend into a lengthy civil war if foreign countries provided assistance to rebels opposing the country’s dictator Muammar Gaddafi, according to documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen. The warning, made just days before several countries, including Canada, began their March 2011 bombing campaign against Gaddafi’s regime, has unfolded as predicted. Libya …

How Psychedelics Might Transform the Human Mind and Lead Humanity Towards Intellectual and Artistic Heights

The idea of a Psychedelic Renaissance — as captured in the title of Ben Sessa’s book The Psychedelic Renaissance — is growing in the health professions, and as a Feb. 9, 2015, article in The New Yorker phrased it, current clinical research is “part of a renaissance of psychedelic research,” so we see the phrase is catching on in the general culture too. To …