Kurdish drive around Sinjar moves ahead
Kurdish fighters from Iraq, Syria, and Turkey continue to try to take Sinjar, a key town astride the highway connecting the ISIL-controlled cities of Raqaa and Mosul. There is little unity of command in the three Kurdish forces. This will slow the campaign, though numbers are with them, as are US airstrikes. The lack of unity suggests that a unified Kurdish nation isn’t likely. Attacking Sinjar was called for here months ago.
The PKK continues its war against Turkey. The Kurds are concentrated in the country’s southeast and have intermittently waged a war for autonomy. Note that the PKK has been concentrating on military and security targets. They are trying to avoid the terrorist label. They are currently on the US State Dept list of terrorist groups and would like to get off it. They seemed on the way a few months ago when the PKK was winning points in Washington for its fight against ISIL in Syria and Iraq.
EU requires labelling for West Bank products
Products made in the occupied West Bank must bear a label apprising purchasers of that fact. This is part of a movement to protest Israel’s settlement program on the West Bank which is approaching the status of de facto annexation. PM Netanyahu blasts the labelling law as akin to the Nazis’ forcing Jews to wear Stars of David. This is the same man who said an Arab mufti gave Hitler the idea of exterminating the Jews.