Briefing Room 21.02.26
Defections to Islamic State are testing JNIM's grip on its ranks even as it mounts unprecedented attacks in Burkina Faso. Plus: Turkey blesses SDF integration, and Petro claims he escaped assassination.
Simon Whistler • February 21, 2026
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Note: this transcript was generated by AI and may contain errors or inconsistencies.
Welcome back to The Briefing Room, the weekly show that rolls its eyes to the headlines before diving into the back page as an obscure specialist journal to find out what's really happening in the world.
I'm Simon, and what's happening this week is drama in South America, where Colombian President Gustavo Petro has claimed he was the target of an assassination attempt. Over in the Middle East, there's also been a significant shift in the makeup of the new Syria, where Turkey has apparently given its blessing to the SDF being integrated into state structures.
But first, we're going to be zooming in on the Sahel's most dangerous jihadist movement, where some recent sharp defections have thrown everything into doubt. As always, thank you so much for subscribing.
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