1 Isis is not Taliban (Zahid Hussain in Dawn) The
dramatic rise of the Islamic State organisation formerly known as Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its proclamation of a so-called caliphate portend
a new and more brutal face of global jihadism. The organisation may not espouse
Al Qaeda’s global militant agenda; nevertheless, it is terribly wrong to
compare the group with the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban.
ISIS is a phenomenon in itself with an ambition of
extending its rule over the entire Muslim world.
Representing a more radical
version of Sunni Islam it seems to have already marginalised Al Qaeda at least
in the Arabian peninsula. Despite their fierce rivalry in the battle for Syria,
ISIS and Al Qaeda are not ideologically very distinct from each other. The
cadres of both militant networks are inspired by the same jihadist worldview.
In fact, the group is an offshoot of Al Qaeda.
But both groups are unlike the Taliban whose support
base is largely tribal and parochial. The ISIS fighters mostly come from urban
educated backgrounds. The network has also drawn a sizeable number of young
Muslim jihadists from the Western countries into its ranks. Some 3,000
foreigners form a large chunk of the group’s fighting force reflecting its
global jihadist appeal.
ISIS is truly committed to global jihad in contrast
with the Afghan Taliban’s narrow local agenda. In a rare public appearance last
week, ISIS leader Abu Bakar al Baghdadi (who has now declared himself ‘Caliph
Ibrahim’) called for global jihad ordering the Muslims to ‘obey’ him. “I am the
wali (leader) who presides over you,” declared Baghdadi. With its genesis
deeply rooted in the sectarian conflict in Syria and Iraq, the organisation is
essentially fighting an anti-Shia war.
The sectarian agenda of ISIS has already triggered
the process of fragmentation of Iraq, which was unthinkable a few years ago. So
the dream of uniting the Muslim world under a ‘caliphate’ is nothing more than
a wild fantasy. What is most worrisome, however, is the creation of a new
generation of global jihadists. There is genuine concern that thousands among
the foreign militants fighting in Iraq and Syria may trigger a new wave of
terrorism when they return to their home countries.
2 Brazil endure second Maracanazo (Dominic Fifield
in The Guardian) The tears were already flowing in the stands even as Sami Khedira
wheeled away to celebrate the Germans’ fourth goal in seven minutes. Júlio
César, helpless amid the chaos, screamed at the ragged ranks of team-mates as
they sank to their knees around the penalty area. Luiz Felipe Scolari propped
himself on the edge of the dugout, his shoulders hunched and all conviction
drained. This was an utter humiliation, a rout that defied belief. The present
day Seleção have endured their own Maracanazo.
That term had been coined after the nation’s defeat
by Uruguay in the 1950 final in Rio de Janeiro, an implausible 2-1 defeat that
sent shockwaves through the game, though this seemed as ludicrous a script. The
team had arrived at the stadium in a coach bearing the slogan “Brace
yourselves: the sixth is coming”, and Scolari had suggested after their
progress to this stage, maybe mischievously, that they had one hand on the
trophy. That tenuous grip was ripped away by ruthless opponents.
Brazil, five times world champions and without a
competitive defeat at home since 1975, had left at the interval numbed by the
brutality of it all. The home support hinted at a chorus of boos but even they
appeared bereft of energy to summon disgust. That may come in the days ahead.
As the chastening experience went on, so the locals’
mood grew uglier. Fred’s rare touches were booed, as was the Germans’ sixth
which was constructed and converted so simply by Philipp Lahm and André
Schürrle as to suggest no lessons were being learned. The seventh actually
prompted ironic applause. This was a team craving an escape. The Maracanazo was
a dark day in Brazil’s history. This Mineiraoazo will be just as painful.
3 Marijuana turns legal in Washington (San Francisco
Chronicle) Washington on Tuesday
became the second state to allow people to buy marijuana legally in the US
without a doctor's note as eager customers who lined up outside stores made
their purchases and savored the moment.
People began buying marijuana at 8 am at stores that
started selling the drug as soon as it was allowed under state regulations.
Several dozen people waited outside before the doors opened at a shop about
80,000 north of Seattle. Washington and Colorado stunned much of the world by
voting in November 2012 to legalize marijuana for adults over 21, and to create
state-licensed systems for growing, selling and taxing the pot. Sales began in
Colorado on Jan. 1.
It's been a bumpy ride in Washington state, with
product shortages expected as growers and sellers scramble to prepare. Pot
prices were expected to be higher than what people pay at the state's
unregulated medical marijuana dispensaries. That was largely due to the short
supply of legally produced pot in the state. Although more than 2,600 people
applied to become licensed growers, fewer than 100 have been approved - and
only about a dozen were ready to harvest by early this month.
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