The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Newport, Wales, began on Thursday with dramatic speeches by US and UK leaders demanding a strong response to the threats posed by a resurgent Russia and the Islamic State (IS, formally ISIS) terror militia. However, whatever help might be forthcoming from NATO will be too late to save tens of thousands of people who have already fallen victim to the IS advance in Iraq and Syria, including several dozen people who were reportedly killed by car bombs and shootings in Baghdad on Thursday. Meanwhile, IS operatives were busy consolidating their hold on northeastern Syria this week, setting up various agencies to provide electricity, water and other basic services to a population which, weary after years of war and instability, appear to be passively accepting their new masters. Read More
