The Islamic State (IS, formally ISIS) terror militia and Al-Qaida affiliates were on the march in several Middle East and North African countries this week, with large battles in Iraq and Syria diverting attention from smaller but still deadly fights in Libya, Yemen, Egypt and Lebanon. In Syria, the fight in and around the Kurdish enclave of Kobani continued to be the focus of US-led airstrikes as IS fighters continued to converge on the area even as Turkey relented and allowed Iraqi Kurdish reinforcements to enter the city from its territory. But a growing campaign of car bombings in Baghdad has many analysts worried that IS has plenty of military power it can still deploy in its campaign to topple the status quo in the Middle East and resurrect the ancient Islamic caliphate in the region. Read More
