Today's Headlines and Commentary

The Islamic State is closing in on the northern Syrian town of Kobani, reports Reuters. According to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the Kurdish town located along the border is “about to fall” as ISIS militants advance into the south west of the city. Kobani has been under siege for three weeks, yet so far, Turkish authorities in Ankara have made no move to protect the city, even as the black flags of ISIS can now been seen just across the border. The lack of action has stoked concerns that long-held anxieties regarding Kurdish separatism is stopping Turkey from intervening and preventing what some fear will be a massacre. Outrage and desperation have led Kurdish minorities in Turkey and in Europe to protest the Islamic State’s assault on Kobani, resulting in clashes between protesters and security forces. Instead, the Wall Street Journal reports that Mr. Erdogan criticized the U.S.-led coalition, suggesting that air strikes were not enough while reiterating an earlier call for a no-fly zone, a parallel safety zone along the border, and increased training and arms for Syrian rebels operating on the ground. In the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg writes on the grim situation in Kobani, and the “terrible slaughter that is coming” if ISIS breaks through. According to various reports, women with no military training are being asked to defend their homes, and on Sunday, Syrian activists reported that a female Kurdish fighter blew herself up instead of surrendering to capture by the Islamic State. From another Reuters report: "We either die or win. No fighter is leaving," Esmat al-Sheikh, leader of the Kobani Defense Authority, told Reuters. "The world is watching, just watching and leaving these monsters to kill everyone, even children . . . but we will fight to the end with what weapons we have." Anwar Muslim, a coordinator in Kobani for the resistance, said that 12,000 civilians remain trapped in the town, according to the New York Times. Another security official in the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq said that as many as 9,000 ISIS fighters have converged on Kobani. Video from the front lines has shown columns of ISIS militants advancing in formation, evidently well-equipped and wearing camouflage vests. At this time, it appears that coalition air strikes are escalating around the region, with the New York Times reporting that an airstrike hit the southwest part of the city moments after Mr. Erdogan spoke, and was followed by two more strikes in the same area in less than an hour. Reports on the ground suggest that several other airstrikes hit ISIS positions Tuesday morning, with a coordinator of the Kurdish force in the city saying, “it is the first time that people have the impression that the airstrikes are effective.” However, even as NATO-member Turkey watches a potential massacre brew along its border, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance is ready to defend Turkey should violence from Syria spill over the border. The Wall Street Journal has more. In Iraq, U.S. forces have used Apache helicopters to engage ISIS militants near Fallujah. Reuters notes that while the helicopters give the U.S. troops greater capability to identify individual targets and to provide close air support, they also expose them to greater risk from ground fire. The FBI has arrested a 19-year-old male trying to leave Chicago to join ISIS, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Bureau charges that Mohammed Hamzah Khan, according to documents found at his home, supported ISIS and planned to join them in Syria. The documents include a letter explaining his decision and a hand drawn map for crossing the Turkish-Syrian border. However, would-be Islamic militants aren’t the only people heading to the battlefields of Iraq and Syria. So too are some young Americans, intent on taking the battle to ISIS in an effort to stop some of the atrocities they have watching on television. USA Today has an exclusive report on a 28-year-old American named Jordan Matson who left his home in Wisconsin to fight the Islamic State. He says that he “couldn’t just sit and watch Christians being slaughtered anymore,” so he saved for six months and chose to join the Kurdish People’s Protection Unit. Finally, CNN has a special edition report on how ISIS makes its millions, while Vanity Fair has a stunning story covering scenes from the de facto capital of the Islamic State. Elsewhere in the Middle East, the New York Times brings us news that an explosion near Parchin military base has rocked Tehran, lighting up the sky over the city and shattering windows for miles. The IAEA suspects that Iran may have conducted high-explosive experiments related to nuclear weapons research at the base in the past. It remains unclear whether the explosion was an accident or a deliberate attack, but War is Boring notes the odd timing of the explosion, which occurred in the middle of the night at the end of the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice, when few employees would be on duty. Parties in Yemen have agreed to appoint a new Prime Minister, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak,  in hopes of creating a more inclusive government that will lead to the withdrawal of Shiite Muslim fighters from the capital. Reuters has more. The Associated Press shares that warships from North and South Korea have exchanged warning shots after a DPRK ship reportedly violated the western sea boundary. The incident comes three days after a high-profile North Korean delegation made a surprise visit to South Korea and agreed to resume talks. International observers in Ukraine have received two unarmed drones meant to help monitor the existing ceasefire, which has been repeatedly violated since its signing last month. The Wall Street Journal suggests that France and Germany are also considering sending drones to ensure that the ceasefire agreement holds. Shelling along the Line of Control in Kashmir continued Monday night, with at least four civilians wounded, writes the BBC. Indian Express reports that since October 3rd, Pakistani shelling has targeted at least 40 Indian outposts in the disputed region. The attacks are the worst incursions since 2003, when the two countries agreed to a ceasefire along the standing border. On the other side of Pakistan, it looks like the drones are flying again: BBC reports that the U.S. has conducted another strike in North Waziristan, killing at least eight people. According to Reuters, there have been three drone strikes in as many days. Speaking of drone strikes, C. Christine Fair discusses some of the ethical and methodological issues of accessing the civilian impacts of drones in Pakistan in the Washington Post. U.S. District Judge John Glesson has ruled that Agron Hasbajrami can reverse his guilty plea after the U.S. government disclosed that it had used warrantless wiretapping to monitor Mr. Hasbajrami. Judge Glesson ruled that Hasbajrami was unable to question the surveillance’s constitutionality before deciding to plead guilty. The Guardian has more on the story, including that Mr. Hasbajrami’s counsel wrote in a court filing that Hasbajrami’s intention to withdraw his plea was “against the advice of counsel.” In the New York Times, Charlie Savage reports that counsel for Guantanamo Bay detainee Ahmed Mujstafa Diyab told the court yesterday that the military’s procedures for force-feeding prisoners cause “additional and gratuitous suffering.” Wells Bennett and Ben Bissell cover the first day’s proceedings in detail for Lawfare. In the Washington Post, Amrita Jayakumar explains Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security Eric Rosenbach’s recent talk on the Defense Department’s four key approaches to deterring a cyber attack. Finally, the Navy’s robotic gunboat swarm is pretty cool. Watch it at War is Boring. Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.