It seems the thread concerned has probably been the victim of a North Korean cyberattack, but it came on the back of the series of the ISIS beheadings we saw this autumn and was probably most notable for Grasshoppers prediction that we were only a few major incidents away now from an significant escalation. So far as we can gather the RAF have been flying little more than symbolic navigation training exercises (how often do we hear a story about a successful attack these days?), and IS remain pretty well entrenched and fully functioning. Although it's not being reported as such, the number of 'conflict' blobs on the BBC's map is actually increasing in Iraq in particular
Libya has of course deteriorated since as the criminal faction (the more appealing of the two) has lost ground. I'd be amazed if the Afghan army can hold the line once western troops withdraw
In the last week alone we've had the Sydney siege, and the Pakistan school massacre, but perhaps what might be of greater significance (from a purely selfish European view) are the first signs of mobilisation in Europe
Three separate attacks by vehicles driven into crowds in France in as many days has now prompted the government to respond with 500 armed troops (not sure that'll make much difference). Dresden has been holding anti islamic rallies now for a few months which recorded their biggest crowd this week (surely they'll grow in number as they become a focus). It's these first signs of a response that will be interesting to watch - is it that an increasingly nervous population are frankly getting fed up with government's who they're losing confidence in? If this is the case, then it doesn't take a genius to work what methods they'll turn to fill this vacuum
Further afield we've seen an attack in Canada that might very well have succeeded in killing Stephen Harper had the assailant known how close he'd gotten.
I think the 'dismal theory' is on track to be honest and can't take a particularly optimistic view of all this
Libya has of course deteriorated since as the criminal faction (the more appealing of the two) has lost ground. I'd be amazed if the Afghan army can hold the line once western troops withdraw
In the last week alone we've had the Sydney siege, and the Pakistan school massacre, but perhaps what might be of greater significance (from a purely selfish European view) are the first signs of mobilisation in Europe
Three separate attacks by vehicles driven into crowds in France in as many days has now prompted the government to respond with 500 armed troops (not sure that'll make much difference). Dresden has been holding anti islamic rallies now for a few months which recorded their biggest crowd this week (surely they'll grow in number as they become a focus). It's these first signs of a response that will be interesting to watch - is it that an increasingly nervous population are frankly getting fed up with government's who they're losing confidence in? If this is the case, then it doesn't take a genius to work what methods they'll turn to fill this vacuum
Further afield we've seen an attack in Canada that might very well have succeeded in killing Stephen Harper had the assailant known how close he'd gotten.
I think the 'dismal theory' is on track to be honest and can't take a particularly optimistic view of all this