"ISIS hardly fits that description, and indeed, although it uses terrorism as a tactic, it is not really a terrorist organization at all. Terrorist networks, such as al Qaeda, generally have only dozens or hundreds of members, attack civilians, do not hold territory, and cannot directly confront military forces. ISIS, on the other hand, boasts some 30,000 fighters, holds territory in both Iraq and Syria, maintains extensive military capabilities, controls lines of communication, commands infrastructure, funds itself, and engages in sophisticated military operations. If ISIS is purely and simply anything, it is a pseudo-state led by a conventional army. And that is why the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies that greatly diminished the threat from al Qaeda will not work against ISIS."
Foreign Affairs: ISIS Is Not a Terrorist Group, April 2015
A summary of the task ahead in forging a deal in the Iranian nuclear talks.
President Obama removed the weapons freeze against Egypt which started two years ago after the toppling of Mohamed Morsi.
Travelling on board a container ship, this BBC essay portrays the hidden network that keeps the world running.
Pop Culture:
A first listen of the Mountain Goats' new record, Beat the Champ, and John Darnielle discusses and plays one of the songs.
