In his latest book Daniel Silva talks of Daesh's long-term plan to try and get the United States to commit troops to Syria. Albeit a writing of fiction, the plot deals with a scenario where Daesh would like to create a major issue before Obama's term ends because this is the indecisive period of an American administration. And it stigmatizes the tenure.
Not just that but Daesh is losing territory and without territory you are on the back foot. In its relative despair it may try to up the stakes.
It says something for the polarization of the price on life that the blasts in Baghdad do not get the same global attention and are sort of taken as par for the course. Unless the global media begins to focus the same level of attention and bring things on an even keel where death and destruction are concerned there is always going to be less consequence for every such attack in the Middle East, be it Baghdad or Damascus. Think for a moment how much attention was paid to the 330 civilians who died in the twin blasts earlier this month and how it played in the world's media?
While comparisons are odious and there is no intent to do that the imbalance reflects a dangerous mindset in that shock and horror are proportionate to where the atrocity takes place.
This attitude is an intrinsic weakness in the fight against terror. A whole swathe where it is,ironically, most intense is downplayed.
While the western world might find it valid to up its alert levels there is a certain mind-game being played. It is a fitting reply given by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir to those threadbare accusations of Saudi funding for terrorists and this disinformation tactic does not even need an answer now. After the release of the 9/11 documentation and the fact, as the minister puts it, that Saudi Arabia is at "forefront of fighting extremism and terrorism in the region, and in the world" leaves that accusation out in the cold.
Few leaders have been so powerful in their condemnation than Al-Jubeir when he says, ""Why would we support an ideology whose objective it is to kill us? We are the target of extremists.
"[Daesh] wants access to Mecca and Medina, and so we have suffered in terms of terrorist attacks, we have suffered in terms of loss of security personnel trying to defend the innocent, we are on the forefront of fighting extremism and terrorism in the region, and in the world."
For relevance, perspective and logic it is difficult to beat. Not only is Saudi Arabia seeking out the men who pick up guns but also following the money trail. It is an easy statement to make even if it is careless and is not predicated to any evidence because there will be takers for it.
And it is these takers, falling back on false perceptions, who are doing the biggest disservice to the fight against terror.
Not just that but Daesh is losing territory and without territory you are on the back foot. In its relative despair it may try to up the stakes.
It says something for the polarization of the price on life that the blasts in Baghdad do not get the same global attention and are sort of taken as par for the course. Unless the global media begins to focus the same level of attention and bring things on an even keel where death and destruction are concerned there is always going to be less consequence for every such attack in the Middle East, be it Baghdad or Damascus. Think for a moment how much attention was paid to the 330 civilians who died in the twin blasts earlier this month and how it played in the world's media?
While comparisons are odious and there is no intent to do that the imbalance reflects a dangerous mindset in that shock and horror are proportionate to where the atrocity takes place.
This attitude is an intrinsic weakness in the fight against terror. A whole swathe where it is,ironically, most intense is downplayed.
While the western world might find it valid to up its alert levels there is a certain mind-game being played. It is a fitting reply given by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir to those threadbare accusations of Saudi funding for terrorists and this disinformation tactic does not even need an answer now. After the release of the 9/11 documentation and the fact, as the minister puts it, that Saudi Arabia is at "forefront of fighting extremism and terrorism in the region, and in the world" leaves that accusation out in the cold.
Few leaders have been so powerful in their condemnation than Al-Jubeir when he says, ""Why would we support an ideology whose objective it is to kill us? We are the target of extremists.
"[Daesh] wants access to Mecca and Medina, and so we have suffered in terms of terrorist attacks, we have suffered in terms of loss of security personnel trying to defend the innocent, we are on the forefront of fighting extremism and terrorism in the region, and in the world."
For relevance, perspective and logic it is difficult to beat. Not only is Saudi Arabia seeking out the men who pick up guns but also following the money trail. It is an easy statement to make even if it is careless and is not predicated to any evidence because there will be takers for it.
And it is these takers, falling back on false perceptions, who are doing the biggest disservice to the fight against terror.
