Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Attack in Oman

Several gunmen attacked a Shiite mosque successful Muscat, nan superior of Oman, sidesplitting six group and wounding astir 30 more, marking nan deadliest onslaught successful nan state successful caller memory. The Islamic State later claimed work for nan attack, though nan Sunni group did not supply evidence. (AP)

Our Take

The Islamic State—also referred to by nan acronyms IS, ISIS and ISIL—has claimed work for a number of caller high-profile attacks, astir notably successful Russia and Iran earlier this year. This shooting is yet different reminder that nan group remains a threat aft years successful which it had appeared progressively weakened.

But those appearances were not wholly deceiving. If nan Islamic State has been concentrating connected high-profile attacks successful countries that are comparatively distant from its erstwhile territorial guidelines of operations, it is because it has so mislaid its clasp connected those territories, moreover arsenic its position successful Afghanistan has been degraded.

As a result, nan Islamic State’s strategy and operations person shifted successful caller years. As Aaron Y. Zelin highlighted conscionable days agone complete astatine War connected nan Rocks, since losing overmuch of its territorial power successful Iraq and Syria, nan group has go an interconnected world organization, pinch a superstructure overseeing each of its provinces that facilitates outer attacks.

The shooting successful Oman, a quiet state that has mostly stayed retired of nan region’s governmental and sectarian divides, reflects this shift, pinch nan Islamic State taking advantage of a soft target to tie attraction to itself. That’s particularly concerning because it comes astatine a clip erstwhile nan West is shifting its ain antiterrorism attraction toward home threats from nan acold correct and its broader information strategy toward nan threats posed by Russia and China. With nan West looking elsewhere, nan Islamic State whitethorn find much opportunities for illustration nan ones it has exploited recently.

More broadly, nan Islamic State’s strategical displacement highlights nan situation of defeating a group for illustration this one. It whitethorn beryllium weakened territorially, but it tin intelligibly still inflict a batch of damage, and it is now coming successful much regions globally than it was a decade ago. At WPR alone, we’ve covered nan Islamic State’s beingness successful Mozambique, Indonesia, West Africa and elsewhere successful caller years.

It’s a reminder that while nan group’s territorial power and capabilities whitethorn beryllium degraded, nan ideology that drives nan Islamic State is simply a batch harder to eradicate.

Colombia’s authorities announced Tuesday it will extremity a cease-fire pinch nan largest faction of nan FARC-EMC, a group of fighters who refused to subordinate a 2016 bid woody betwixt nan authorities and nan Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, aliases FARC. Colombia’s defense curate said that a cease-fire pinch nan smaller of nan equipped group’s 2 factions would beryllium extended.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who took agency successful 2022, initially prioritized a “Total Peace” scheme based connected speech pinch nan country’s various equipped groups. But arsenic Joshua Collins wrote successful April, nan scheme has suffered a bid of setbacks, and nan authorities is erstwhile again relying connected subject strategies aft a number of equipped groups, including nan FARC-EMC, utilized cease-fires to consolidate their power.

Armenia launched associated subject drills pinch nan United States connected Monday, nan latest move by Yerevan to forge to forge person ties pinch nan West amid worsening relations pinch Russia.

Russia has been Armenia’s humanities information guarantor and pact state since nan illness of nan Soviet Union successful 1991. But nan narration has deteriorated quickly successful caller years, particularly arsenic Russia’s position successful nan South Caucasus region has weakened. As Emil Avdaliani wrote successful September, Russia is improbable to wholly abandon Armenia, but nan tensions betwixt nan 2 sides nevertheless awesome a overmuch wider malaise successful Russia’s location policy.

Italy’s Health Ministry placed 12 cities nether a terrible power informing Tuesday, arsenic temperatures crossed Southern Europe roseate to much than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, aliases 40 degrees Celsius. Italy has agelong been reliant connected a favorable ambiance for its world image and nan resulting soft powerfulness it enjoys, but arsenic Jakob Cansler wrote past year, nan effects of ambiance alteration could jeopardize that.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez was convicted of corruption yesterday arsenic portion of a immense world bribery scheme. Meanwhile, a deliberation vessel expert who had antecedently worked for nan CIA was charged pinch acting arsenic an supplier of South Korea’s intelligence service. Both cases item nan domiciled that overseas money plays successful Washington, arsenic we covered successful nan Daily Review earlier this year.

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