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The fact that <keyword id="42104" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jayalalithaa">Jayalalithaa</keyword> left behind a successful movie career for politics is well documented. But, did you know that she also acted in a <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> film? 
 
In the midst of her successful movie career,<a href="http://The fact that Jayalalitha left behind a successful movie career for politics is well documented. But, did you know that she also acted in a Bollywood film? In the midst of her successful movie career, Jayalalitha starred opposite Dharmendra in a 1968 Hindi movie titled Izzat. The movie was directed by the popular Tamil-Telugu director T Prakash Rao who had a distinction of making several successful Hindi films in the 1960s with leading ladies from the South. His previous outings included Vyjayanthimala in College Girl, Suraj and Duniya and Padmini in Nanhya Farishta, among others. In Izzat, Dharmendra had a double role in the movie and played the roles of two sons of an arrogant Thakur, who impregnates a tribal woman on a hunting expedition. The tribal woman gives birth to a son who later falls in love with a grieving upper class woman, while the Thakur’s legitimate son falls for an outspoken, chirpy and brazen tribal girl, Jhumki, played by a young Jayalalithaa. Despite Rao’s track record of delivering b0x-office successes, Izzat however failed to make money."> Jayalalithaa</a> starred opposite <keyword id="9281" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dharmendra">Dharmendra</keyword> in a 1968 Hindi movie titled <keyword id="60737" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Izzat">Izzat</keyword>. 
 The movie was directed by the popular Tamil-Telugu director T Prakash Rao who had a distinction of making several successful Hindi films in the 1960s with leading ladies from the South. His previous outings included <keyword id="38304" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vyjayanthimala">Vyjayanthimala</keyword> in College Girl, Suraj and Duniya and Padmini in Nanhya Farishta, among others. 
 
Rao's cultural comfort in transitioning between Tamil and Hindi cinema was the reason he was given the responsibility of launching Jayalalithaa in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bollywood&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Bollywood</a>. 
 
In Izzat, Dharmendra had a double role in the movie and played the roles of two sons of an arrogant Thakur, who impregnates a tribal woman on a hunting expedition. 
 
The tribal woman gives birth to a son who later falls in love with a grieving upper class woman, while the Thakur’s legitimate son falls for an outspoken, chirpy and brazen tribal girl, Jhumki, played by a young Jayalalithaa. 
 
Despite Rao’s track record of delivering b0x-office successes, Izzat failed to make money and the movie sank without a trace. 
 
However, many remember Jayalalithaa's graceful dancing to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=lata+mangeshkar&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Lata Mangeshkar's </a> Jaagi Re Badan Mein Jaala Saiyyan Tuney Kya Kar Dala in the film.

All you need to know about the only Bollywood film Jayalalithaa acted in

The entire nation is mourning the demise of <keyword id="42104" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jayalalithaa">Jayalalithaa</keyword>, fondly known as ‘amma’, the people’s chief minister. People are pouring tributes on Twitter and Facebook, recalling what an iconic leader she was. 
 
Jayalalithaa’s life has been quite interesting and she was under constant limelight. Before entering politics, Jayalalithaa was a renowned actress and holds the record for having been the Tamil actress with maximum silver jubilee hits in her career. 
 
She had also made her debut in Bollywood with the movie ‘Izzat’. After entering politics, she proved to a stalwart leader and announced a string of initiatives for the people of Tamil Nadu. 
 
When she became the chief minister, she was given a cheque as her first salary but she denied it. She accepted a salary of Re1. 
 
Very few people know she held Guinness Book of World Records. 
 
Here are some interesting and unknown facts about her:

From holding a world record to accepting Re 1 as
salary, here are 10 unknown facts about Jayalalithaa

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>The first Olympic medalist of the 2016 Rio Games has been stripped of their prize as Kyrgystan weightlifter Izzat Artykov was penalized following his positive test for strychnine, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-kyrgyz-weightlifter-stripped-of-bronze-medal-in-doping-case-2016-8" target="_blank">according to the Associated Press</a>.The Court of Arbitration's anti-doping division announced on&#xa0;Thursday that Artykov tested positive after winning the bronze medal in the 69-kilogram division.Strychnine is a defined as a stimulant in the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances.Strychnine is a toxic drug most often associated for its use&#xa0;as a pesticide&#xa0;and for killing rodents. However, according to the AP, it also has a long history in sports doping. The drug can be used in small doses to "tighten tired muscles," and used to be common among Tour de France riders.This comes as particularly unfortunate, as Artykov's medal was the only one Kyrgystan has earned at these Olympics.Luis Javier Mosquera of Colombia will presumably be awarded&#xa0;the bronze medal after finishing in fourth place. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/olympics-chinese-cupping-therapy-massage-bruising-red-spots-marks-michael-phelps-natalie-coughlin-efimova-2016-8">Why Michael Phelps and other Olympians have big red circles all over their skin</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Y4cTY3NTE6fbyKetbS5_EXTnAMRz1nmB" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Weightlifter becomes first athlete at Rio Olympics to be stripped of a medal for failing a drug test

Jayalalithaa was laid to rest with full state honours, next to MGR memorial at Marina beach in Chennai. Jayalalithaa died of cardiac arrest on December 05 at Apollo Hospital.Hundreds of thousands of people thronged the final journey Jayalalithaa from Rajaji Hall to Marina beach. 
 
Tears welled up the eyes of supports as people bid adieu to the ‘iron lady’ of Indian politics. 
 
Earlier in the day, President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other senior leaders, came down to Chennai and paid floral tributes to Jayalalithaa. 
 
Lakhs of people poured outside Rajaji Hall, where Jayalalithaa's body lay draped in the Indian flag. 
 
Seven -day mourning has been declared in the state. Schools were shut and thousands of police deployed to prevent any untoward incidents. 
People wailed and displayed dramatic emotions, beating their chests and heads. There were loud cries of "Amma, Amma". 
 
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena also condoled her death, saying Jayalalithaa had a "towering presence in Indian politics". 
"At this time of grief, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Tamil Nadu," he added. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Thesewere-the-7-major-initiatives-taken-by-Jayalalithaa/articleshow/55814780.cms">These were the 7 major initiatives taken by Jayalalithaa</a> 
 
Jayalalithaa’s life has been under constant limelight. Before entering politics, Jayalalithaa was a renowned actress and holds the record for having been the Tamil actress with maximum silver jubilee hits in her career. 
 
She had also made her debut in Bollywood with the movie ‘Izzat’. After entering politics, she proved to a stalwart leader and announced a string of initiatives for the people of Tamil Nadu. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/From-holding-a-world-record-to-accepting-Re-1-assalary-here-are-10-unknown-facts-about-Jayalalithaa/articleshow/55829259.cms">From holding a world record to accepting Re 1 as salary, here are 10 unknown facts about Jayalalithaa</a> 
 
When she became the chief minister, she was given a cheque as her first salary but she denied it. She accepted a salary of Re1. 
 
Very few people know she held Guinness Book of World Records. 
 
Jayalalithaa was a visionary leader who was also known for her discipline, boldness and courage. 
 
She was the leader of the common man who launched a gamut of initiatives for the people. She was known as the people’s chief minister, who never minced words and kept her state before anything else. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Top-6-leadership-lessons-from-Jayalalithaa/articleshow/55834755.cms">Top 6 leadership lessons from Jayalalithaa</a>

Breaking News: Jayalalithaa laid to rest

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">Reuters Photographer/REUTERSFormer Baathist Ibrahim Izzat al-Douri has emerged from hiding and is working alongside ISIS against the central government in Iraq.</div></div>An extremist Al Qaeda offshoot is far from the only anti-government group sewing chaos in Iraq.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-captures-mosul-2014-6">wrested control</a> of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, from the Iraqi government last week. ISIS, which was actually <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-disavows-any-ties-with-radical-islamist-isis-group-in-syria-iraq/2014/02/03/2c9afc3a-8cef-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html">kicked out</a> of Al Qaeda's global network in February, was quick to claim that their success against an overwhelmingly larger force was proof of God's favor. 
In actuality, ISIS managed to achieve their blitz across Iraq by forming an unlikely coalition with upwards of <a href="http://carnegieendowment.org/sada/2014/06/17/more-than-isis-iraq-s-sunni-insurgency/hdvi">41 different armed Sunni groups</a> throughout the country. Though ideologically diverse, that had all grown tired of Baghdad's preferential treatment of the Shia majority in the country.
Among the more noteworthy of the parties aligned with ISIS is the Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order. 
The Naqshbandis, located primarily in Mosul, were formed in 2007 by former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10907319/Iraq-crisis-Red-haired-devil-of-Saddams-Iraq-back-in-the-fray.html">Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri</a>, Saddam's former deputy and the head of the Baath party following Saddam's execution in 2007, is in charge of the group.
Douri has been in hiding since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and he managed to evade capture despite a $10 million bounty for his capture or death. Douri was the <a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41010000/jpg/_41010220_izzat203bap.jpg">king of spades</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most-wanted_Iraqi_playing_cards">decks of playing cards</a> distributed to U.S. soldiers during the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Today, Douri is openly directing operations of the Naqshbandis in Mosul. 
The Naqshbandis command broad influence both within Iraq and over ISIS. The order is estimated to have thousands of soldiers, many of whom were previously members of the Iraqi army before the U.S. invasion. In some cases, like during the ISIS <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10907625/Iraq-crisis-Saddams-men-return-to-power-in-city-once-held-by-US.html">capture of Tal Afar</a>, the attacking force was actually comprised almost entirely of the former Baathists. 
The Naqshbandis have also significantly shaped the inner workings of ISIS. A former Baathist colonel was reportedly <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/18/someone-is-spilling-isis-s-secrets-on-twitter.html">behind the ascension</a> of ISIS's current leader, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, to power after his predecessor was killed in 2010. The Naqshbandis have also held direct talks with ISIS that have given the group governing power over conquered territory for the time being. 
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
the agreement involves giving leading role to the Naqashbandis because the world won't accept ISIS to rule. ISIS to have top positions later
- Hassan Hassan ??? (@hhassan140) <a href="https://twitter.com/hhassan140/statuses/477464923241738240">June 13, 2014</a></blockquote>

</center>
This alliance between ISIS and the Naqshbandis is an one that seems to be purely out of convenience. It's unlikely to last, especially as the conflict in Iraq becomes more <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brookings-expert-gives-a-sobering-prediction-about-iraq-2014-6">drawn out</a>. 
Hassan Hassan, a research associate with the Delma Institute in Abu Dhabi, told <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/18/someone-is-spilling-isis-s-secrets-on-twitter.html">The Daily Beast</a> that there is a significant gulf between the two groups as "ISIS considers that Baathists follow an un-Islamic ideology." Baathism is a nationalist philosophy that is diametrically opposed to ISIS's goal of creating a modern Islamic caliphate. 
But for now, ISIS and the Naqshbandis are finding common ground. With Iraq's sectarian crisis escalating, these two very different Sunni groups are buying into the idea that the enemy of an enemy can be a very useful friend.

Saddam Hussein's Old Party Is The Kingmaker Behind The Chaos In Iraq

What comes to your mind when I say ‘Lucknow’! Awadhi cuisine? But if your calorie-counter and fatty tissues are giving red alerts, and coming in between you and kebabs, kormas, biryani, nahari, sheermal, roomali rotis, and warqi parathas, fret not. Lucknow-based doctor-cum-chef, Dr Izzat Hussain has a solution for it. 
 

	Specialised in Awadhi cuisine, a direct descendent of the royal family of Lucknow, Dr Hussain knows the trick of preparing the aforesaid cuisine, with rich-textured gravy with minimum oil—and that too while retaining the original flavour.
 

	How he does that?
 

	He sprinkles his Yunani (traditional Islamic medicine) knowledge in his cooking for preparing healthier versions of these classic Awadhi dishes, and this certainly calls for a quick appreciation. 
 

	Here’s the secret straight from his kitchen
 

	I bet, you had never thought delicious kebabs can contain goodness of health. However, if you prepare it the way Dr Hussain does, you will be able to enjoy them without any guilt. And the best part: When the feast ends, you will not feel heaviness in stomach. 
 

	So, what’s that he does differently? 

	He adds milk to his cooking instead of water simply to cut the acidic content in the food, and thereby, aid digestion. He also adds raw papayas in kebabs as the fruit is healthy for liver and also makes the richness of the meat mild. 
 

	“People who are sick can try my kebabs. It would benefit them. The proteins of food are broken down by liver. When we add papaya to meat, it supports the liver and makes your body utilize the food value of both the meat and papaya,” says Dr Hussain.
 

	Malai Boti Kebab, which is one of his signature dishes, contains cinnamon, tea tree and cardamom. “I add these herbs because these produce digestive enzymes that benefit the alimentary system of the body,” explains Dr Hussain.
 

	Interestingly, while most chefs sauté spices in hot oil, Dr Hussain puts his ingredients in cold oil to retain the nutritional value of the spices. 
 

	So next time you fix your date with naharis and kormas, make sure they are prepared the way Dr Hussain recommends. This way, you can enjoy your date guilt-free, without running extra hours in gym to shed those extra calories.

This Doctor says even Naharis and Kormas can be healthy!

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image">REUTERSIzzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who had been the most senior aide to Saddam Hussein still on the run in Iraq, has been captured in the town of Tikrit, Iraq's defence ministry said on September 5, 2004. </div></div></div>DUBAI (Reuters) - A purported audio message from a close aide to late Iraqi dictator <a class="cite">Saddam Hussein</a> called on all Iraqis to join efforts to "liberate" the country and praised Sunni militants who led last month's dramatic offensive through <a class="cite">northern Iraq</a>.
The voice recording released on a website loyal to Saddam's ousted <a class="cite">Baath Party</a> was said to have been made by Ezzat <a class="cite">Ibrahim al-Douri</a>, the most senior member of his entourage still at large following Saddam's 2003 overthrow by a U.S.-led invasion force.
Although elderly and reported to have been in poor health, Douri is believed to lead the Baathist militant group the <a class="cite">Naqshbandi Army</a>, one of several groups which supported the al Qaeda offshoot the Islamic State in its lightning assault through Sunni provinces of north and <a class="cite">west Iraq</a> last month.
"Join the ranks of the rebels who liberated half the country," said the voice on the recording, which resembled previous tapes released in Douri's name.
"The liberation of <a class="cite">Baghdad</a> is around the corner. Everyone should contribute, to the extent of his ability, to complete the liberation of the beloved country, because there is no honor or dignity without its liberation".
The Islamist-led offensive has been largely halted for now just north of the Iraqi capital.
In the 15-minute tape, the speaker praised the "heroes and knights of al Qaeda and the Islamic State" as well as other groups fighting the "Persian, Safavid colonialization" of <a class="cite">Iraq</a>, a reference to the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister <a class="cite">Nuri al-Maliki</a>.
But he also hinted at the increasingly evident divisions among the various groups fighting Maliki's forces, saying it was important to put off their differences in the interests of unity.
Within three weeks of taking control of the northern city of <a class="cite">Mosul</a>, Islamic State militants began arresting senior ex-military officers and members of the <a class="cite">Baath Party</a>, residents and relatives said.
(Editing by Dan Grebler)

Close Aide To Saddam Praises ISIS Extremists And Calls For The Fall Of Baghdad

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Omar al-Shishani, the red-bearded Georgian ex-commando, is the most recognizable ISIS leader below Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. It was Shishani who <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/al-qaeda-offshoot-captures-american-humvees-and-transfers-them-to-syria-2014-6">posed</a> with the stolen US Humvees taken from Mosul and brought into Syria to reinforce ISIS's advances in the west. 
Shishani is also credited with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-defeating-iraqi-army-next-to-baghdad-2014-10">leading</a> ISIS's successful operations against Iraqi Security Forces in Anbar province, putting the group within striking distance of Baghdad. 
Yet, according to Will Cathcart, Cazha Tavberidze, and Nino Burchuladze of <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/27/the-secret-life-of-an-isis-warlord.html">The Daily Beast</a>, Shishani is a figurehead.
They claim that the Georgian, named Tarkhan Batirashvili at birth, is the charismatic face for the real brains behind some of ISIS's more effective battlefield operations: His older brother, Tamaz Batirashvili. 
<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/27/the-secret-life-of-an-isis-warlord.html">The Daily Beast</a>: 
If this is true, it explains why, unlike the rest of the top ISIS commanders, Tarkhan allows himself to be photographed extensively. They are creating the illusion that he is the "head of snake"-while the real architect of ISIS's Syria operation, Tamaz Batirashvili, remains in the shadows.
This preference for avoiding the spotlight mirrors the two brothers' shared history. 
Shishani had formerly served in the Georgian special forces - where he may have received training from British or American instructors - during the war against the Russians in 2008. However, Shishani was eventually <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-the-commander-responsible-for-isiss-advances-2014-10">dismissed</a> from the military with tuberculosis and arrested for 15 months for illegally harboring weapons. 
Meanwhile, Shishani's brother fought on the front lines against the Russians in Chechnya as part of the growing jihadist movement the separatist republic. Tamaz's battlefield resume made him of particular interest to the Georgian military, a small force always in need of experienced soldiers.
"Tarkhan [Shishani] was the only newbie," an unnamed Georgian military source <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/27/the-secret-life-of-an-isis-warlord.html">told</a> The Daily Beast. "We only recruited him because we were interested in his brother - Tamaz and his friends, who were 'real wolves,' experienced soldiers, and veterans of the Chechen wars."
Shishani's military style could reflect his brother's experience fighting for an insurgency. Whereas other ISIS commanders fight in a more standard way through wave attacks or frontal assaults, Shishani "is fighting like an insurgent. He's using a complex style in Anbar, relying on a very small force," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-the-commander-responsible-for-isiss-advances-2014-10">according</a> to Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Foundation for <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword> of Democracies. 
If Shishani is merely a charismatic front for his tactically brilliant brother, it highlights the difficulty US and coalition forces may have in tracking down the ISIS leadership. Little is publicly known about either Tamaz or Shisani. And perhaps even less is known about Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS's self-declared Caliphate.
One of ISIS's top leader has already managed to evade capture despite being one of Iraq's most wel-known fugitives for more than a decade. It's believed that one of the premier military commanders in ISIS is Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, Saddam Hussein's former deputy and one of the most wanted men in Iraq. Al-Douri has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/saddam-husseins-old-party-is-behind-iraq-chaos-2014-6">effectively evaded</a> US-led efforts to capture him since 2003. 
If Shishani is merely a front for the real tactical commander within ISIS, the coalition faces a serious hurdle in identifying, let alone capturing or killing, the group's leadership.

The ISIS 'Mastermind' Responsible For The Group's Advance Through Western Iraq May Be A Figurehead

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decided to go easy on ISIS so that the extremist group would kill off secular rebels of the the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/assad-policies-aided-rise-of-islamic-state-militant-group-1408739733">Maria Abi-Habib of The Wall Street Journal reports</a>.
And now that ISIS has matured into a regional force that beheaded an American journalist and threatens global interests, Assad is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/assad-offers-cooperation-with-us-and-uk-2014-8">offering</a> to cooperate with the West to fight the extremist group in Syria.
"It's a strategy to eliminate the FSA and have the two main players face each other in Syria: Assad and the Islamic State," Izzat Shahbandar, an Assad ally and former Iraqi lawmaker who was Baghdad's liaison to Damascus, told WSJ. "And now [Damascus] is asking the world to help, and the world can't say no."
Shahbandar added that the regime would sometimes provide safe passage for ISIS fighters so that they could attack the FSA and steal weapons. The regime also <a href="https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/551852-blame-assad-first-for-isis-rise">released</a> violent jihadists from prison in May 2011, and it even bought millions of dollars worth of crude oil from the group.
Syrian diplomat Bassam Barabandi, who spent several decades in the Syrian Foreign Ministry, echoed Shahbandar's comments when describing Assad's plan similarly <a href="http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/inside-assad-s-playbook-time-and-terror">in the Atlantic Council</a>.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image"><a title_source="Twitter" title_caption="A cartoon depicting Assad's basic plan." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53fb2a686bb3f7cf7cd26fa4-960/bvpxon1ieaawehc.jpg"></a>TwitterA cartoon depicting Assad's basic plan.</div></div></div>"The Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) emerged as one of those facts created to ensure Assad's survival as he and his Iranian backers seek to frame this conflict as a regional sectarian issue, with a classical choice between military powers and Sunni extremists," Barabandi wrote recently. "Now that ISIS has fully matured, the Assad regime and Iran offer themselves as partners to the United States."
Assad is no stranger to using Sunni extremists to his advantage, and he even helped predecessors of ISIS when the U.S. invaded Iraq.
"Historically, Assad has also had a complex, at times supportive, relationship with Sunni jihadi elements - including those which eventually morphed into IS," <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillipSmyth">Phillip Smyth</a>, a researcher at the University of Maryland and expert on Shia militias, told Business Insider in an email. 
"He was assisting in funneling a good number of these fighters into Iraq during the Iraq War and even caused [former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri] Maliki to call out Damascus for its activities."
Whether the West can say "No" is another matter. On Monday, Germany ruled out any cooperation with Assad, stating that his regime has "committed unbelievable injustice in every form during the civil war that has been raging for 3 1/2 years." The White House has also been adamant that they would not cooperate with a regime that has tortured and killed people <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/10-000-bodies-inside-syrian-president-bashar-al-assads-crackdown-1406315472">on an industrial scale</a>.
Barabandi, the Syrian diplomat, noted that if the West decides to work with Assad and his allies, Assad's devilishly simple plan will have worked perfectly.
"U.S. coordination with Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, or the Assad government in the fight against ISIS will play directly into the Assad plan," Barabandi concluded. "It will prove to Assad that his manipulation of time and terror has once again worked."
<h3><a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/assad-policies-aided-rise-of-islamic-state-militant-group-1408739733">Check out the full report at WSJ &gt;</a></h3>

Assad's Devilishly Simple Plan To Bring The West To His Side

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Brendan Smialowski/raqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (R) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meet at the Prime Minister's Office in Baghdad June 23, 2014.</div></div></div>U.S. secretary of State John Kerry just finished a meeting with Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad, and it was not expected to be friendly after the U.S. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/top-iraqi-cleric-criticizes-pm-maliki-2014-6">entertained</a> the idea that the Iraqi Prime Minister should resign.
A few days prior to his Middle East trip, the senior U.S. diplomat held a conference call with Sunni Arab leaders. And, according to a senior Arab diplomat briefed on the call, the U.S. contingent did not fully grasp the situation.
"We felt the Americans were greatly misinformed," a senior Arab diplomat briefed on the call <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-faces-opposing-regional-interests-in-bid-to-blunt-insurgency-in-iraq-1403480818?tesla=y">told The Wall Street Journal</a>. "The insurgency isn't just about ISIS, but Sunnis fighting back against injustice."
The bias of Sunni diplomats aside, the rebel offensive has indeed been made possible by former regime loyalists, including intelligence officers and Republican Guard soldiers, that are in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/world/middleeast/former-loyalists-of-saddam-hussein-crucial-in-helping-isis.html?partner=rss&amp;emc=rss&amp;_r=1">uneasy alliance</a> with extremist Sunni militants from Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) and Sunni tribes.
"In all of this fighting, ISIS is the front-page news, but who is actually holding the ground?" Hussein Hassan Nerman, a Kurd and former Iraqi parliamentarian, <a href="http://triblive.com/mobile/6319899-96/sunni-isis-iraq">asked</a> Pittsburgh Tribune-Review correspondent Betsy Hiel. "It is 7,000 ex-army officers from Saddam's days." 
The Iraqi "deep state" forces are led by Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, one of Saddam Hussein's most trusted deputies who fled to Syria after Saddam fell and worked with Syrian intelligence to target Americans. The goal of the Baathists and the tribes they have gathered is to oust Maliki.
"There are military plans to enter Baghdad and save all the people from the dictator … (that) will be implemented in the near future," a Sunni military commander told Hiel. "If someone asks me, 'Are you with ISIS?' I would say no. I refuse their acts. But at the same time, we won't allow Shia militias to kill us."
On Sunday in Cairo, Kerry <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAQ?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2014-06-23-05-30-25">said</a> that Iraqi leaders must rise above sectarianism and was expected to push Maliki on a more inclusive government. But all signs point to that ship having sailed.
Maliki has <a href="http://www.timesofisrael.com/marginalized-by-maliki-iraqs-sunnis-turned-violent/">actively marginalized</a> the country's Sunni minority since at least 2010. As University of Maryland Phillip Smyth <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-middle-east-will-be-on-fire-for-a-while-2014-6#ixzz35SLDi5GL">told Business Insider</a>, "Maliki's government has already crossed the line in terms of being too sectarian."
Kerry perceived ignorance is corroborated by other reports about <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/whats-going-iraq-heck-if-cia-knows-255689">America's poor understanding</a> of Iraq's deterioration. When the U.S. assessed the Iraqi security forces at the end of April, officials were shocked at the lack of leadership - as well as the amount of Sunni officers Maliki had forced out. 
The reaction was: "Whoa, what the hell happened here?" a senior U.S. official <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/secret-u-s-plan-to-aid-iraq-1403308039">told WSJ</a>. 
All in all, John Kerry may be at a significant diplomatic disadvantage if he is pressing Maliki to extend his hand to Sunnis, and vice versa, when the opposite is occurring.

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