He has a new book out, entitled The Jihadis Return. The work examines the phenomenon of extremist groups germinating in the chaos stretching from Damascus to Baghdad. Particular attention is paid to the group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, which made headlines over the summer.
Cockburn provides an up-to-date report on the current situation unfolding along the Syria-Iraq border, as well as connects this local development to the larger region-wide contest between the various leaderships—and the resultant Sunni-Shiite tensions that are worsening by the day. Moreover, the book includes an even broader, contextual look at the entirety of the post-9/11 experience, namely, the US-led "war on terror." As Cockburn shows, the present circumstances are very much related to US policy.
For those trying to follow and better understand the turmoil along the Euphrates, I would add Cockburn's book to your reading. For starters, the length is quite manageable at 139 pages. (As I have long maintained, more authors need to write less.) It is also clearly written; those maybe new to the subject matter should have little or no difficulty. He also strikes a nice balance between current events and historical background. And you're in the hands of a veteran correspondent who knows well the region and has been covering it for over thirty years.
