Something to Know - 1 October

1.  This was "sneaked in, or was it just another event in the dry arroyo of Middle-East battle fatigue?   Yesterday, the United States entered into an agreement with Afghanistan that we would keep a presence of 10,000 military personnel through 2024 - TEN MORE YEARS.   Was this on the front page of news, or on the major news networks?  NO...nothing that I recall.   Does anyone care enough to register a peep of concern?   To me, it feels like it was as newsworthy an appendage to the weather report on page 18 of the LA Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/world/asia/afghanistan-and-us-sign-bilateral-security-agreement.html

 

2.  Roger Cohen of the NY Times attempts to explain why ISIS is what it is.  He finds no "Why" in his search, and compares the movement to other past examples:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/opinion/roger-cohen-for-isis-slaughter-is-an-end-in-itself.html?partner=rssnyt&emc

-- 

****
Juan
 

Tradition is the illusion of permanence.

-- Woody Allen