The rise of Isis is rooted in a mix of politics, a Sunni sense of isolation and a shakeup in Salafist doctrine. Here, an analyst whose Syrian home has seen some of its bloodiest excesses, explains its dramatic surge
4 Aug 2014: Ian Black: From Egypt to Syria, Palestine to Iraq, the hopes of the Arab spring lie in tatters. And with the latest conflict in Gaza, the Middle East is more violent, volatile and complex than ever. So where are we now?
Raised by resistance fighters during the invasion of Kuwait, Fatima Al Qadiri now makes ice-cold electronica in the US. But, she tells Sukdhev Sandhu, she is still haunted by bombs and blazing oil wells
Originally published in the Guardian on 28 February 1991: Operation Desert Storm ends after Iraqi troops retreat from Kuwait, but not before setting fire to hundreds of oil wells