MONDAY

1. THEORY

2. ANALYTICS

WEDNESDAY

3. CURRENT ISSUES

4. THE WORLD THIS WEEK

5. ANALYTICAL COMMENTARY

6. TEST

Islamic Military Coalition against Terrorism
Saudi Arabia’s Phony War on Terror

VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR

KEY TERMS
commander-in-chiefthe person who exercises supreme command and control over an armed force or a military branch
primary objectivethe main and important goal intended to be attained
irrespective without regard to something else, esp. something specified;ignoring or discounting
affirmto assert positively; to express agreement with; support; uphold
deputy a person appointed to act as a substitute for another
non-alignmentnot taking sides in political matters, esp. with either one of two opposing powers or ideologies
confirmto establish the truth of; verify; to acknowledge with assurance; make certain
domain a field or area of thought, subject; area of interest
refute prove to be false or incorrect; overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
curblessen the intensity of; place restrictions on; put down by force or authority 
FOCUS WORDS
containсдерживать, удерживать, ограничивать
scourge бедствие
subjugation подчинение, покорение
pervertискажать, неправильно истолковывать
secular светский
emulateподражать, соперничать, следовать примеру
foe враг, противник, недоброжелатель
indoctrinate настраивать, внушать принципы
divertотвлекать, отводить, отклонять
spearheadбыть инициатором, возглавлять 
PREPOSITIONS
  1. view with skepticism
  2. hostility toward 
  3. from this perspective
  4. aimed at
  5. on behalf of
  6. along with
  7. align with 
  8. increase in
  9. emulated by
  10. preference for
  11. with the goal of
  12. accuse of 
  13. shortcoming of 
  14. approach to
  15. war on terror
WORDS FOR REPORT
a clear age gap on the issue
compared with a smaller share
more likely to favor
the survey explored the public’s views about 
Overall,
In regard to the negative consequences, 
substantial majorities
no statistically significant difference by age 
GRAMMAR PATTERNS

Saudi Arabia has been bankrolling Islamist terrorism since the oil-price boom of the 1970s dramatically boosted the country’s wealth. 

According to a 2013 European Parliament report, some of the $10 billion invested by Saudi Arabia for “its Wahhabi agenda” in South and Southeast Asia was “diverted” to terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. 

 In a 2009 diplomatic cable, then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton identified Saudi Arabia as “the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide.”

From this perspective, Saudi Arabia’s surprise announcement of a 34-country anti-terror alliance, with a joint operations center based in Riyadh, is a logical step, aimed at blunting growing Western criticism, while boosting Sunni influence in the Middle East.

It is as if a drug cartel claimed to be spearheading a counternarcotics campaign. 

 Listed as members of the alliance are also all of the jihadist citadels other than Afghanistan, including war-torn Libya and Yemen, both of which are not currently governed by a single authority. 

Moreover, despite being touted as an “Islamic” alliance, with members coming from “all over the Islamic world,” the group includes predominantly Christian Uganda and Gabon, but not Oman (a fellow Gulf sheikdom), Algeria (Africa’s largest country), and Indonesia (the world’s most populous Muslim country).