The New Cold War?

     Last winter, Ukraine had a revolution known as EuroMaiden. This revolution would drastically change relations between the West and Russia and its allies.

     Protests started in Ukraine after the Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, decided to make an economic deal with Russia instead of with the European Union. Many Ukrainians were angered by this decision and camped out in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev for months protesting. 

Riots in Kiev

     Citizens occupied Kiev for months and took control of administrative buildings in Kiev as well as other cities around Ukraine. Many confrontations occurred between law enforcement and the anti-government protesters. Many anti-government groups were created to try and possibly take over the government but many of those groups were pro-Russian and fought with other anti-government groups. These pro-Russian groups called for more autonomy in Ukraine and a stronger relation with Russia, some even wanted Ukraine to be annexed by Russia. The Pro-Russian rebels took over many military and government buildings, especially in Eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian president was finally ousted after he ordered snipers to attack the protesters in Kiev.

A map of Eastern Europe showing Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, and European Union members

     Many think that Russia was helping the pro-Russian rebels and was behind their operations. This was proved when Russian soldiers occupied Crimea, the semi-autonomous peninsula in southern Ukraine. Russia had also placed 40,000 soldiers on their border with Ukraine. Crimea already had a high population of Pro-Russian citizens. Soldiers landed in an airbase in Crimea and occupied many cities, administrative buildings and military installations under the pre-text of "protecting Russian interests".  In March Crimea held a referendum to become a part of Russia. Many citizens that supported the Ukrainian government didn't vote for fear of retaliation by the pro-Russian citizens. Organizers said the vote had 97% of citizens want to be a part of Russia. On March 18, Crimea became a part of the Russian Federation. Only now had the West done anything to stop it. The EU and US had started placing sanctions on Russian government officials.
     Soon after, the Ukrainian government starts an "anti-terrorist" operation to get rid of the pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine. Fighting continued for months. On July 17, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in Eastern Ukraine. Russia and the separatists blamed the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian government and the West blamed the separatists and Russia. The investigations of the crash revealed it was Ukrainian separatists that used sophisticated anti-air missiles supplied from Russia to bring the plane down.
     The Ukrainian government had pushed the rebels back to the cities of Slovyansk and Donetsk and had besieged the two rebel cities. At this time Russian had banned all food imports from the EU, the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Russia had also demanded that they send humanitarian supplies be sent to the two cities, but the West refused. Russia had sent the humanitarian convoy in anyway, without permission from the Ukrainian government.
     As the Ukrainian government was about to crush the rebellion in Slovyansk and Donetsk, a group of Russian tanks had attacked the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Russia had also given the rebels sophisticated arms to fight the government with. Soon the rebels were able to push back the government forces from the two cities. After the government forces had retreated, the tanks went back to Russia. The West leveled more sanctions on Russia.

The aftermath of fighting outside Slovyansk.

     In September a cease-fire was signed between the government and separatists. Russia continues to send soldiers across the border and fighting has continued around the city of Donetsk.

Sources:

"Ukraine Crisis: Timeline." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

 "Crisis in Ukraine." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

   

ISIS and the Battle for Kobani

     Last June a terror group known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) launched a lightning offensive into Iraq and took control of a third of the country. ISIS started out as a small group that was once part of al Qaeda, but because of infighting with another terror group based in Syria, the al-Nusra Front, was forced to leave. ISIS has also played a major role in the Syrian civil war since they are currently the largest rebel group. They've claimed the city of Raqqa in Syria for their capital.
   
 

Map of the area that ISIS controls

     ISIS wants to create an Islamic caliphate out of Iraq, Syria and any other land they can get their hands on. This group wants everyone in their land to become Islamic and follow radical Muslim rule. When ISIS first took control of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, they said that any Christians there could live freely and without fear since there was a very large Christian population there, but a few days later ISIS announced they would either heavily tax or kill any of the Christians there. ISIS has also been hunting down smaller ethnic minorities such as the Yazidis and the Kurds. When the Yazidis tried to flee their homes in Iraq to Mount Sinjar they were besieged by ISIS for weeks but were eventually relieved with American help. The Kurds live in the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq.  The Kurdish army, the peshmerga, have been the only group to successfully combat ISIS and succeed. ISIS has been executing anyone found in their land that belongs to these ethnic groups. Currently the Kurds are in a fight against ISIS for the city of Kobani, Syria and the border of Turkey.

     The city of Kobani sits on the border of Syria and Turkey and if ISIS gains control of it they will have the entire Iraq/Syrian border. Many Kurds in Iraq want to help in the fight but they would have to go through the Turkish border, since the Iraq/Syria border is under ISIS control. Turkey does not want to help the Kurds at all. For three decades Turkey and the Kurds have been in a guerrilla war in Turkey which has just recently ended. Turkey closed off their border completely to Kurds from Iraq and Syria. 

Turkish tanks guard the Turkey/Syrian border by Kobani.

Turkey has also brought in many tank divisions to guard the border. US airstrikes and airdropped supplies have helped to relieve the Kurds in the city but isn't enough. After weeks of fighting Turkey recently decided to open their border Iraqi Kurds to let them into Kobani.

     For any statistics or information you could ever need to know about ISIS, visit this link.

Citations: Ap. "Iraqi Kurds Head to Fight Militants in Syria." USA Today. Gannett, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

"ISIS Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

Terrorism in Canada

  Canada may seem like a nice place with their special bacon, hockey, and countless moose, but as of lately Canada has seen some hard times. Over the past three days Canada has seen not one, but two acts of terrorism. On October 24 two Canadian marines were struck by a car being driven by a man that was influenced by radical Islam. A chase ensued between Canadian authorities and the driver. The driver eventually lost control of his vehicle and was shot by police. The driver could have been influenced by the terror group ISIS in the Middle East. Many people from all around the world have gone to the Middle East to fight for ISIS but others have stayed in their own country and attempted terrorist attacks on their government. 
      Only two days after that attack, Michal Zehaf-Bibeau, shot and killed a reservist Cpl. Nathan Cirillo then ran into the Canadian parliament, possibly trying to shoot more people but was taken down by authorities. This man was also influenced by radical Islam.
     Could this be a start to a new wave of terror attacks in the Western World?  

Learn more about the topic in this article from USA Today Here


Citations: Ap. "Canada: Convert to Radical Islam Ran down Soldiers." USA Today. Gannett, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Leinw, Donna, and Leger. "Canada's New Reality: Homegrown Terrorism."USA Today. Gannett, 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.