Air strikes have begun against the militant group. But more than a military solution will be needed
After much talk, the battle has begun.The United States and its Arab allies – a Pentagon statement said five Arab countries, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – launched air strikes against ISIL in Syria on Monday night. Most strikes appeared to target the militant group’s stronghold of Raqqa in north-eastern Syria, but there were also reports that the US had struck as far south as Deir Ezzour and as far west as Aleppo.
The drama of the event – the exhilarated language of analysts and the dramatic news footage of fighter jets taking off – should not mask either the seriousness of the endeavour or its consequences. There will be casualties among ordinary Syrians; such fatalities are almost unavoidable with ISIL embedded in civilian areas. It is as important to feel sympathy for those caught in the middle of this war as it is to feel revulsion for those who forced it upon the region.
And it is, when all is said and done, a regional war. The US has made much play of its Arab allies. It was, after all, the Arab world that was calling for something to be done about the Syrian civil war and then the growth of ISIL – and it was the US that was hesitant to act. So this is not a war imposed by the West; rather it is a war imposed by ISIL.
The importance of Arab allies should not be underestimated. For reasons of logistics and intelligence, allies such as Jordan are vital. But there are also other reasons, almost as critical, of perception.
The first is that, from the perspective of western publics, it is important that the Arab world be seen to do its part. But more vital is the perception in the wider Arab and Muslim worlds. When Saudi Arabia – whose ruler King Abdullah is, after all, the custodian of the two holiest sites in Islam – is seen to be part of the coalition, it reveals the ludicrous claim of the thugs of ISIL that they are a caliphate for what it is.
The perversion of ideology and religion that ISIL represents poses a real danger to the region. It is not an ideology that will easily be defeated. Air strikes are a first step – and, for all the pain and suffering it will bring, an essential one – but it is not the end.
Air strikes can only degrade ISIL, not destroy it. Beyond air strikes, beyond even other military power, the only solution will be political and intellectual. Political because it is only by keeping Iraq together, and repairing Syria, that the region will be made whole. Intellectual, because the cancer of ISIL’s thinking must be tackled by ideas. But for now, the first step towards removing this mutant caliphate has begun.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Company%C2%A0profile
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now