Movement After Paris

++John Kerry and Lavrov reached an agreement for a Syrian ceasefire and a deal whereby the opposition would write the new constitution, which would be followed by UN-monitored elections. 

++The agreement which was supported by 12 countries said that ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front will be attacked even during the ceasefire. Other groups could be added and that is up to Jordan to decide.

++Lavrov said afterwards that you might not agree on Assad but every country agrees that ISIS is the true enemy of everyone.

++The participants said that the Paris events pushed them to reach an agreement. 

++Meanwhile Arab states and Iran as well as opposition groups have denounced the terrorist attacks in Paris as having nothing to do with Islam and denounced them as political and criminal attacks. 

++Meanwhile in the Democratic debate,the candidates sparred over Radical islam as the enemy. The head of NATO denounced the attacks was extremists against democratic ideals and noted the cooperation in the attack on ISIS of Islamic countries. He made note of the antagonism to the attacks by the Arab states.

++Juan Cole, who lived in France, commented on the attacks today in an essay reprinted in Reader Supported News. Cole said there were three coordinated sets of cells aimed to attack areas of popular culture with the goal of having as many casualties as possible. He said that the French had stepped up their bombing of ISIS targets in Syria in September when they discovered plots against France. Cole speculated that the other goal was to intimidate France from carrying on its mission in Syria but said that Hollande and other security experts told him that this would only mean an escalation of actions.

++VoX reported that these attacks were more sophisticated and coordinated than attacks before and indicated that ISIS wanted to go international to blunt the perception that they are losing. VOX points out that they have lost 25% of their territory and have abandoned recruiting foreigners for nation-building but instead are training them for overseas missions. The difference of the Paris attack was that it was probably ordered from ISIS Central. This would mean a new development in their strategy and an increasingly dangerous one. 

++Charles Pierce woke up from the darkness of last night to say that Wikileaks indicated who funds ISIS. It is the political and financial elite of the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. He says that Hillary Clinton knew this and that international pressure should be brought against these people because they have never paid a price for terrorist acts and now they should. Pierce pointed out that no F35 to new Aircraft carrier will be able to prevent terrorists targeting soft targets like cafes and concert halls. Instead, we should make their funders pay.

++VOX pointed out that ISIS has money from oil and contraband unlike Al Qaeda and that they can fund more complex operations.

++Meanwhile the Washington Post which always wants a war thinks the Paris events will force President Obama to act more forcefully in Syria. 

++European authorities busted up a cell in Belgium meant to support the French terrorists. The Germans arrested a man with a cache of arms meant for the French terrorists and the British nailed a mail at Gatwick for trying to smuggle guns into France.