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'Severe blow': Al Qaeda suicide bomber takes out leadership of key ISIS brigadeHAIFA, Israel – A recent suicide bombing in southern Syria shows the rivalry between Al Qaeda and ISIS is more than just a contest to see who can kill the most infidels -- the groups are using classic terror techniques on each other. The Nov. 15 bombing came at a top-level meeting of the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, a key ISIS militia known for its bloody and vicious hold over parts of the Golan Heights. Six of the group’s top men were killed, including Muhammad "Abu Ali" al-Baridi,...

A nifty catch by Josh Rogin from today's presser. If you want to see what "Smart Power" resolve looks like in practice, here’s where we are right now with a guy whom the supposed leader of the free world has been insisting for years must step down as president of Syria. (snip) As our rotten luck would have it, Assad is interested in running again for the presidency, according to Russian diplomats who recently spoke to him. Either Obama's kidding himself about Assad "choosing not to run" or he's hinting here that there may be ways to force Assad out,...

For the better part of a year, Turkey remained on the sidelines in the "fight" against ISIS. Then, on July 20, a powerful explosion ripped through the town of Suruc. 33 people were killed including a number of Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) members who planned to assist in the rebuilding of Kobani. The attack was promptly attributed to Islamic State who took "credit" for the tragedy the next day. To be sure, the attack came at a rather convenient time for President Tayyip Erdogan. A little over a month earlier, the ruling...

Armradio - Armenian delegates have raised the issue of violation of the Armenian air space by Turkish helicopters on the sidelines of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's annual session held in Norway October 9-12. Member of the Armenian delegation Tevan Poghosyan has informed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about the incident and addressed a letter to James Appathurai, the Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia and hopes to receive a response early in November. ... If NATO really values the inviolability of borders of its member states, it would be reasonable for the Alliance to serve an...

Mr. Hakan Fidan, Turkish President's staunchest ally, condemned Russian military intervention in Syria, accusing Moscow of trying to 'smother' Syria's Islamist revolution and serious breach of United Nations law. “ISIS is a reality and we have to accept that we cannot eradicate a well-organized and popular establishment such as the Islamic State; therefore I urge my western colleagues to revise their mindset about Islamic political currents, put aside their cynical mentalité and thwart Vladimir Putin's plans to crush Syrian Islamist revolutionaries,” Anadolu News Agency quoted Mr. Fidan as saying on Sunday. Fidan further added that in order to deal with...

A hostage situation has reportedly erupted in the northern French town of Roubaix, close to the Belgian border, with medical services reporting several gunshot wounds. The town is located approximately one hour west of Brussels.

While authorities in Ankara have insisted that it shot down the Russian Su-24 bomber after the aircraft entered Turkish airspace, the Russian Defense Ministry has released video proving that the plane never left Syrian airspace. Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20151124/1030695406/mod-su-24-flight-path.html#ixzz3sS1SwBS0

Valuable vehicles and equipment are being yanked from law enforcement agencies across the country by the Obama administration in the wake of the president’s post-Ferguson order -- as sheriffs and lawmakers tell FoxNews.com the equipment is needed, and losing it could put officers and the communities they serve in danger. "These things are useful tools and the president taking them away will put more officers in jeopardy and at risk of harm or even death. I don’t know how he can sleep at night knowing his actions will have those repercussions," Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., told FoxNews.com. President Obama issued...

An emergency NATO session has been called for later today following Turkey shooting down a Russian SU-24 aircraft earlier today -- reportedly the first incident of a NATO country shooting down a Russian or Soviet plane. But following that shoot-down as Russian rescue helicopters searched for the pilots of that airplane, at least one of the helicopters was destroyed by U.S.-backed Syrian rebels using a CIA-provided TOW anti-tank missile. The rebel group posted video of the destruction of the Russian helicopter: [VIDEO] In the video, the serial number of the missile stand can clearly be seen: [SCREENSHOT] As part of...

NATO ambassadors called on Ankara to show "cool-headedness" on Tuesday following an emergency meeting in Brussels, after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border, diplomats said. Diplomats present at the meeting told Reuters that while none of the 28 NATO envoys defended Russia's actions, many expressed concern that Turkey did not escort the Russian warplane out of its airspace Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-nato-idUSKBN0TD2C620151124#m2b70EOvHYEAqM8Z.99

Moscow plans to suspend military cooperation with Ankara after the downing of a Russian bomber by Turkish air forces, Russian General Staff representatives said on Tuesday. Further measures to beef up Russian air base security in Syria will also be taken. Follow LIVE UPDATES on Russian warplane shot down at Syria-Turkey border Sergey Rudskoy, a top official with the Russian General Staff, condemned the attack on the Russian bomber in Syrian airspace by a Turkish fighter jet as “a severe violation of international law”. He stressed that the Su-24 was downed over the Syrian territory. The crash site was four...

The little-known group at the center of the Turkey-Russia crisis Updated by Jennifer Williams on November 24, 2015, 2:50 p.m. ET @jenn_ruth jennifer@vox.com Jennifer R. Williams: How do you think this incident will affect Turkish-Russian relations? Henri Barkey: Until recently, the Turks and the Russians had succeeded in compartmentalizing their differences over Syria. Because they're on opposite sides: Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, the Turks have tried to do everything they could to overthrow Assad, and Russia has done everything they could to keep Assad in power. But it didn't affect the relationship between [Turkish President Recep...

Washington (CNN) - Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter plane shouldn't lead to futher wartime escalation in the region, President Barack Obama insisted at a press conference Tuesday. But he maintained Turkey had a right to defend its airspace and charged that Russian air activity near the Turkey-Syria border has been been an "ongoing problem."

Jeremy WilsonNovember 24, 2015Following the downing of a Russian jet by the Turkish Air Force this morning, all eyes are on Turkey. It should come as no surprise that Turkey was capable of taking out a Russian jet so easily. Turkey's military uses cutting-edge equipment, including some bought in from the US and a surprising amount it builds at home. Here is some of the military hardware used by Turkey:(snip)

The United States began combat training for Ukrainian Army forces on Monday, expanding its effort to help Ukraine defeat Russian-backed separatists. Until now, U.S. trainers had worked only with Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, and officials say the shift to regular army training signals President Barack Obama's growing commitment to Ukraine's defense against the aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

If you’re worried that Turkey’s going to use Article 5 of NATO to drag the U.S. and other western nations into a hot war with Russia, don’t be. Sounds from this response like NATO will fall apart before anyone goes to the mat for the Turks. NATO ambassadors called on Ankara to show “cool-headedness” on Tuesday following an emergency meeting in Brussels, after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border, diplomats said.Diplomats present at the meeting told Reuters that while none of the 28 NATO envoys defended Russia’s actions, many expressed concern that Turkey did not...

Full Title: Turks Shoot Down Archduke Ferdinand's Jet as Obama's Abandonment of Iraq Causes More Pain in the Mideast BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Did you see where Turkey shot down a military jet of Archduke Ferdinand? Archduke Ferdinand's military jet shot down over... (interruption) It's just my way of saying what everybody thinks. You know, it is amazing to me, it really is... How? I don't know, what's the word? Unified? So you have Turkey shoots down a Russian jet, and you look at one place, you look at a hundred places and they say, "This is exactly how World War...

Matt Drudge dropped a huge claim against the U.S. government, arguing "America has been arming" the Islamic State in a cryptic tweet. No other context was immediately provided.

Following the downing of a Russian jet by the Turkish air force this morning, all eyes are on Turkey. It should come as no surprise that Turkey was capable of taking out a Russian jet so easily. Turkey's military uses cutting-edge equipment, including some brought in from the US and a surprising amount it builds at home.

US fighter jets have been deployed in Turkey to protect slower American warplanes from potential Russian or Syrian attacks, a Pentagon official says. Six F-15C warplanes are tasked with providing cover for bomber, attack and cargo aircraft from threats posed by Syrian and Russian fighters, an unnamed US defense official told USA Today on Tuesday. The US Air Force B-1 bombers, A-10 and AC-130 attack planes, which are reportedly used in US-led strikes on Daesh (ISIL) positions in Syria, all fly at slow speeds and are vulnerable to attacks from enemy pilots, the official added. He added that cargo planes...