Isis crucifies nine people in Syrian villages

Without allies against ISIS, US finds itself in the same camp as Iran, its sworn enemy
From the start of the so called Arab spring, America has time and time again initiated moves which set it at odds with its traditional allies in the Middle East, to the extent that today it can only watch impotently developments in the region. Iraq is a case in point. ISIS – the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria – is a jihadist terrorist organization that has already taken large areas in Syria and made significant gains in Iraq.

Isis crucifies nine people in Syrian villages
A man has survived being crucified by Isis in Syria, after the jihadists raided his village and nailed him to a cross for eight hours. The unnamed man from Al-Bab, near the border with Turkey, was crucified as a punishment, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. He managed to survive the ordeal.

Iraq ‘receives Russian fighter jets’ to fight rebels
Iraq says it has received the first batch of fighter jets it ordered from Russia to help it as it fights an offensive by Sunni rebels. Iraqi security officials said five second-hand Sukhoi attack aircraft would enter service within a few days, and that more were on their way.

The surprising appeal of ISIS
In trying to explain ISIS’s rapid success, alarmed observers have pointed to the extreme tactics that drew condemnation even from Al Qaeda: mass executions, beheadings, and crucifixions. Some see local conspiracies, believing Arab governments allowed the group to grow in order to justify their own heavy-handed crackdowns. 

Report: Israel, US prepared to help Jordan fight ISIS
Israel and the US may be prepared to aid Jordan as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) eyes the Jewish State’s eastern neighbor, according to US officials quoted in a report by The Daily Beast on Saturday. US officials speaking under anonymity have speculated that if ISIS were to pursue a full-on assault on Jordan, the kingdom might not be able to repel the Islamists.

Syrian rebels buckling in face of jihadis
The Syrian rebels that the U.S. now wants to support are in poor shape, on the retreat from the radical al-Qaida breakaway group that has swept over large parts of Iraq and Syria, with some rebels giving up the fight. It is not clear whether the new U.S. promise to arm them will make a difference. 

Iraq crisis: Armed US drones in use to protect advisers
Armed US drones are flying over Iraq to protect American military advisers on the ground, say officials. Their role is “force protection” of US assessment teams helping Iraqi security forces repel militants now running large parts of the country. They are supporting other manned and unmanned aircraft making 30-40 surveillance missions each day.