Say goodbye to layover woes and hello to unforgettable adventures with Turkish Airlines' Stopover Istanbul and Touristanbul programmes
There is no quick-fix solution to the war mongering in the Middle East. That was the subtle message that the top United States military general conveyed, as he made a stopover in Iraq. General Martin Dempsey, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, tried to raise the morale of more than 1,500 troops stationed in the war-weary country by saying that the ISIS is a bunch of midgets, and there is nothing to fear against them. Dempsey, who is widely known for making remarks off the battlefield, said that recent successes against the dreaded militants are an indicator that progress is being made, but warned that the struggle to exterminate them could go on for years.
Dempsey’s boys who are entrusted with the task to train and facilitate the Iraqi armed forces, however, are in a fix of sorts. The reason is quite simple: talking into account the capitulation of the Iraqi army before the marching invaders in the north, it is too difficult to say with certainty how capable they would be this time around.
Pentagon had trained the previous force, which melted away before the ISIS, and too at an exorbitant cost after staying put in the country for more than a decade. Thus, Dempsey chose political cliché, as he remarked that time is immaterial in accounting for the successes against the ISIS. That is where the general went wrong. Time management against the enemy in the battlefield is of immense importance. And as far the ISIS is concerned, the sooner it is eradicated, the better.
Views expressed in Opinion columns and articles are those of our contributors and columnists.
Say goodbye to layover woes and hello to unforgettable adventures with Turkish Airlines' Stopover Istanbul and Touristanbul programmes
It will be important to watch if the central bank nudges the South Asian currency higher as a slight downward bias is likely to persist in the market, says expert
K. Padmarajan, a 65-year-old tyre repair shop owner, began fighting elections in 1988 from Tamil Nadu state
Certificate need to be presented at check-in for inspection prior to flying from Abu Dhabi, says airline
'I do not remember the last time I broke my fast with my family,' says the officer manning Al Mizher intersection
The emerging technology stands poised to transform logistics — providing swifter, more efficient, and eco-conscious delivery options in the years to come
Among other variants of yellow metal, 22K opened at Dh246.25, 21K at Dh238.25 and 18K at Dh204.25 per gram
The incident happened before the boarding started; all affected passengers had to be rebooked on another flight