Islamic State Vows to Reach 'Palestine' And 'Kill the Barbaric Jews'
New Age Islam News Bureau
30
Aug 2014
Pakistan's Muslim cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri
Mideast
• Islamic State Vows to Reach 'Palestine' And 'Kill the Barbaric Jews'
• Islamic Jihad Fighters Parade after Gaza War
• Turkey's Jewish intellectuals denounce being targeted over Israel's Gaza assault
• Gaza operation could present opening for diplomatic breakthrough, Netanyahu says
• Yemen meeting to focus on security: UK Middle East minister
India
• Afghanistan-Based Jihadi Group Posts Photo, Online Tribute to Mumbai Youth ‘Killed’ In Iraq
• Two Booked For Forcing Wives to Embrace Islam in MP, India
Arab World
• The ‘Bidoon’ Of Saudi Arabia: Generations of Discrimination
• Syrian Troops Kill 15 Militants near Lebanon Border
• Iraqi Airstrike Kills ISIL Military Official, 15 Aides in Eastern Tikrit
• Bombings targeting the Iraqi military kill 13 people
• Saudi king warns of terrorism threat to US, Europe
• Islamic State's appeal presents Jordan with new test
• Jordan's Muslims, Christians unite against extremism
• Gulf rivals struggle to build anti-jihadist front
• ISIL gains in Syria alarm some Assad allies
• KSA ‘Does Not Fund Or Support IS Murderers’: Ambassador To UK
• Egyptian court cancels death sentences of top Brotherhood figures
• Report: Citizens of over 81 Countries Fighting in Syria
• Firelight erupts between Syrian rebels and Philippine peacekeepers in Golan Heights
South Asia
• Taliban Leaders among 67 Killed In Afghan Operations, MoI Says
• Six killed in attack on Afghan intelligence agency
• No breakthrough in talks over Afghan unity government formation
• Afghanistan to be key issue at NATO summit in Wales
• Ethnic strife blurs Myanmar's first census in 30 years
Europe
• Netherlands Intends to Withdraw Nationality from "Jihadists"
• Al-Qaeda Publishes ‘Shopping List’ For Future Attacks
• Britain raises terrorism threat level to 'severe' in response to Iraq, Syria
• French 14-year-old detained on suspicion of planning to join Syria jihad
• UNSC urges Houthis to end hostilities against Yemen’s government
Pakistan
• Pak Court Issues Arrest Warrant against Tahir-ul-Qadri
• Nine including six Zikirs gunned down in Balochistan
• Govt on back foot as army looks to continue ‘mediation’
• Govt should pay attention to demands of protesters: MQM
• Imran announces protest demos in four major cities
• Army as ‘facilitator’ was Nisar’s brainwave
• Dialogue only option to resolve political crisis: Zardari
• Prof Ajmal says Taliban didn’t torture him
North America
• Kerry calls for global coalition to fight ISIS agenda
• Obama faces a tough sell in Congress for ISIS strategy
• Members of Jewish sect leave Guatemala village
• U.S. military mission in Iraq costs $7.5m a day: Pentagon
Africa
• African Troops in Fresh Offensive against Islamists in Somalia: Army
• FDLR rebels Generating U.S. $71 Million from Businesses with Wives of DRC Officers
• Mali: Rebel Groups Agree to End Hostilities
• Uganda Mufti Urges Muslims To Take Part In Census
Southeast Asia
• Two Muslim nations, two different levels of Maturity
• Umno still struggles to defend nation’s independence, sovereignty, says Muhiyuddin
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
-----------
Mideast
Islamic State Vows to Reach 'Palestine' And 'Kill the Barbaric Jews'
30 August 2014
Islamic State's English-language publication inspires potential recruits with graphic images and messages of jihad while vowing to strike down every "obstacle on its path to Palestine."
The organization calling itself the Islamic State has risen from the fog of war in Syria and Iraq in recent months and drawn the attention of the world with major victories on both sides of the Euphrates River that have claimed swaths of territory for its declared caliphate, or Islamic State.
Now in the organization's new English language publication, Dabiq, aimed at young Muslims in western states, the extremist organization declared, "Islamic State will do everything within its means to continue striking down every apostate who stands as an obstacle on its path towards Palestine."
Denouncing the ineffectiveness of other Arab states and organizations in carrying out the "will of Allah," the magazine vows that, "Its [Islamic State's] actions speak louder than its words and it is only a matter of time and patience before it reaches Palestine to fight the barbaric Jews and kill those of them hiding behind the gharqad trees – the trees of the Jews."
The Islamic State recently brought attention to the large and growing number of westerners in its ranks with the video of American journalist James Foley's execution, at the hands of a masked IS militant speaking English in a British accent.
The shocking video and revelation that the American hostage's killer might be a British citizen turned jihadist led a man hunt to identify the man. Assessments by Britain’s two intelligence and security agencies led to the positive identification of 23-year-old British-born Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, nicknamed “Jihadi John” by his colleagues.
Western countries are well aware of the issue. "I don't think this video changes anything. It just heightens awareness of a situation which is very grave and which we've been working on for several months." British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC.
Now the Islamic State is producing a slick new magazine in English which caters to potential recruits around the world to answer the "call to Hijrah," migration to the Islamic State.
The publication does away with the often poetic translation of Arab prose found in other jihadist propaganda and writes in plain English that young Muslims in Europe or the United States can relate to.
The publication's second issue opens by telling its readers, "The first priority is to perform Hijrah from wherever you are to the Islamic State. From the state of the infidel to the state of Islam."
Al-Qaida has an English language publication of its own titled Inspire, but the Islamic State's new periodical demonstrates the movement's prowess in creating an image for itself with graphic illustrations and a slick format. Captioned high quality pictures show Islamic State jihadists, or Mujahideen, in the field and graphically gruesome executions of the movement's enemies.
In everything it does, Islamic State's writers justify the movement's terrorist activities and militant strategy with the movement's overall aspiration to establish a caliphate, or state ruled by the movement's strict interpretation of Islamic Law.
Reuters contributed to this report.
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Islamic-State-vows-to-reach-Palestine-and-kill-the-barbaric-Jews-372796
-----------
Islamic Jihad Fighters Parade after Gaza War
30 August 2014
Thousands of Islamic Jihad fighters paraded in Gaza City Friday, in a defiant show of force three days after a ceasefire ending a bloody war between Israel and Gaza militants.
Fighters at the march wore military fatigues and carried assault rifles and other light weaponry, with some holding aloft different types of rockets fired at Israel during the 50-day conflict that ended on Tuesday.
The spokesman for Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, delivered a speech, praising backers Iran, allies Hezbollah and declaring that the group would "redouble efforts" to rearm.
Israel "cannot win in Gaza," said the spokesman, known as Abu Hamza.
"It is a state ready for extinction and defeat in the face of any army of our Ummah (Muslim nation)."
"We confirm the sanctity of the weapon of resistance, and our adherence to it," Abu Hamza added.
"We have not stopped making weapons, even during the battle, and we will redouble our efforts... to prepare for the next stage, which we hope will be the battle for freedom."
Israel wants complete demilitarisation of Gaza.
Islamic Jihad and fighters from Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza, as well as other Palestinian militants fired a total of more than 4,500 rockets at the Jewish state during the conflict, which erupted on July 8.
Many were intercepted and a large number fell on open ground, but the attacks killed six civilians on the Israeli side.
Sixty-five Israeli soldiers also died in the conflict, during which more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed.
Islamic Jihad also announced Friday that 121 of its fighters died in the conflict, and Israel says it killed at least 900 militants in total.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/08/29/Islamic-jihad-fighters-parade-after-Gaza-war.html
-----------
Turkey's Jewish intellectuals denounce being targeted over Israel's Gaza assault
30 August 2014
A group of Turkish-Jewish intellectuals have denounced being targeted over Israel’s recent operations in Gaza, describing attempts to hold them responsible for Israel’s policies as "racist."
Prominent figures such as scholar and columnist Soli Özel, leftist writer Roni Margulies, economist Cem Behar and former radio host and activist Avi Haligua, stressed their opposition to Israel’s actions in a letter released Aug. 29. However, they also added that no one should expect unity of opinion in a community of 20,000 people, and expressed their wish that their opinion not be interpreted based on their identity.
Here is the full letter:
"Israel’s latest attack on Gaza led, once again, to cries of ‘Why does the Jewish community remain silent?’ A campaign was even launched that claimed that the Jews of Turkey bear responsibility for what Israel does in Gaza.
"No citizen of this country is under any obligation to account for, interpret or comment on any event that takes place elsewhere in the world, and in which he/she has no involvement. There is no onus on the Jewish community of Turkey, therefore, to declare an opinion on any matter at all.
"It is anyway not possible for a community of 20,000 to declare a unified opinion. No human community can be monolithic and the Jewish community is not. Its members include people of all kinds, with a great variety of views.
"In the same way the people of Turkey cannot be held responsible for the barbarity of what the Islamic State [of Iraq and Levent, ISIL] does because a number of Turks are among its fighters, the Jewish community of Turkey cannot be held responsible for what the state of Israel does. It is racism to hold a whole people responsible for the actions of a state and we wish to declare that we are opposed to this.
"We, the undersigned, are children of Jewish families in Turkey. It is incumbent upon us to express an opinion on the attack on Gaza precisely to the same degree that it is on any other citizen of Turkey, no less, and certainly no more.
"None the less, we wish to declare we are opposed to the Israeli state’s policies on Gaza, not because we are of Jewish origin, but because we are human. We may not agree on all matters, some of us oppose all of Israel’s policies, some of us oppose some of them. But all of us are opposed to Israel’s aggression, militarism, expansionism and the violence it brings upon the Palestinian people.”
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-jewish-intellectuals-denounce-being-targeted-over-israels-gaza-assault.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71095&NewsCatID=341
-----------
Gaza operation could present opening for diplomatic breakthrough, Netanyahu says
30 August 2014
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Channel 10 on Friday that Operation Protective Edge “might have” presented an opportunity for a diplomatic breakthrough in the region, although it was incumbent on the Palestinian Authority to "give Hamas a divorce."
“Today there might be a new set of circumstances that enable us to act in a way that on the one hand we could advance our security interests and also launch a responsible diplomatic process on the basis of this new reality,” Netanyahu said.
The premier did caution that “it was premature to establish this with certainty, but it isn’t too early to investigate this, and I’m investigating it.”
Netanyahu told Channel 10 that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would “have to choose between peace with Israel and peace with Hamas,” meaning that he would need to dismantle the unity government in Ramallah that has Hamas’ official backing.
“If he chooses the path of peace, and I think he understands today that he needs to choose that over Hamas, which not only calls for our destruction but also wishes to topple him,” the premier said. “Hamas acted to remove him.”
When asked whether the Gaza operation persuaded Netanyahu that Abbas was the only possible partner for Israel in this region, Netanyahu replied that he hoped to cooperate with the Palestinian leader in the future.
“I very much hope that we can cooperate with Abu Mazen (Abbas’ nom de guerre) in the diplomatic process as well,” Netanyahu said.
“When I had to choose whether I wanted Hamas to enter Judea and Samaria or whether Abu Mazen and the PA enter Gaza, I chose the second option, not the first,” Netanyahu said.
“He needs to choose between peace with Israel, or Hamas,” the prime minister said. “It’s one of the two. “The PA chairman understands this. He understands that this gang (Hamas) was about to topple him, and we exposed this.”
“I can only hope” that Abbas “gives Hamas a divorce,” Netanyahu said.
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Gaza-operation-could-present-opening-for-diplomatic-breakthrough-Netanyahu-says-372786
-----------
Yemen meeting to focus on security: UK Middle East minister
30 August 2014
The next international meeting on Yemen will concentrate on setting priorities for action on security and political transition amidst growing insecurity and violence in the country.
The Friends of Yemen group will meet in New York on 24 September, Tobias Ellwood, UK Middle East minister, stated. The announcement came after the UN Security Council called for an end to violence in the north of Yemen as Houthi fighters and militants of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) fight Yemeni military and security forces.
The Friends of Yemen group was established in January 2010 by UK initiative to help bolster international political support for Yemen and assist Yemeni-led efforts to tackle the root causes of in-country instability.
The group consists of 31 foreign and regional states, including the UK, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Russia, Kuwait and Turkey.
International organisations, including the UN, the Arab League, the European Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation and the World Bank are also part of the group.
In its British-drafted statement Friday, the UN Security Council expressed its “grave concern” at the deterioration of the security situation in Yemen in light of actions taken by the Houthis and those who support them.
Last Tuesday, Jamal Benomar, the UN envoy to Yemen, expressed his concern over “probably the most serious level of unrest in Yemen since the beginning of the political transition in 2011.”
“I look forward to the next Friends of Yemen meeting in New York where we will discuss the political transition as well as economic and security reform, and agree priorities for action in the coming months,” Ellwood said.
The UK has played a lead role in coordinating international support for Interim Yemeni President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi to implement reforms and tackle instability.
In its last meeting in London on 29 April, chaired by the Saudi Arabia, the UK and Yemen, the Friends of Yemen group established a senior-level steering committee and working groups on political transition, economic reform and development, and security and justice sector reform in Yemen.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/109529/World/Region/Yemen-meeting-to-focus-on-security-UK-Middle-East-.aspx
-----------
India
Afghanistan-Based Jihadi Group Posts Photo, Online Tribute to Mumbai Youth ‘Killed’ In Iraq
Written by Zeeshan Shaikh , Praveen Swami | Mumbai | August 30, 2014
Two days after Kalyan youth Arif Ejaz Majeed was reported killed fighting alongside Islamist insurgents in Iraq, the Indian jihadist group Ansar ul-Tawhid has issued an online tribute to the 23-year-old engineering student, hailing his “martyrdom”.
In the Ansar al-Tawhid eulogy, addressed to “those who are searching for paradise”, Arif is shown dressed in an Arab Kaffiyeh, holding an assault rifle. The image, the first of Arif from the battlefield, was posted online on Twitter accounts and online fora linked to the Ansar ul-Tawhid.
The picture identifies Arif by a nom de guerre, describing him as “Shaheed Arif Majeed (Abu Ali al-Hindi) Rahmat Allah [may God’s mercy be upon him]”.
The Urdu-language poetic tribute says: “We gave meaning to the ritual of love [for God], though it hurt our hearts and cost us our lives; our sacrifice adds glory to the assembly of martyrs, attained after sacrificing many dreams.”
Arif was one of four youths in their 20s from the same neighbourhood of Maharashtra’s Thane district who were believed to have joined the Islamic State (formerly the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS), the Islamist group that has conquered large parts of Syria and Iraq.
The Ansar ul-Tawhid has been the most active of Indian jihadi groups online, posting videos of its cadres training in Pakistan’s North Waziristan and in southern Afghanistan. In recent weeks, the organisation has released Tamil, Hindi and Urdu translations of ISIS leader Ibrahim Awwad al-Badri’s claims of being the caliph of all Muslims.
Intelligence sources in New Delhi told The Indian Express that the picture on the eulogy bears out speculation that the Thane men had made contact with the Ansar ul-Tawhid, a hardline faction that broke with the Indian Mujahideen (IM), and whose cadres are now believed to be training with jihadists in the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/afghanistan-based-jihadi-group-posts-photo-online-tribute-to-mumbai-youth-killed-in-iraq/99/
-------
Two Booked For Forcing Wives to Embrace Islam in MP, India
P Naveen,TNN | Aug 30, 2014
BHOPAL: Close on the heels of a national shooter claiming she was being coerced by her husband to embrace Islam; similar allegations of forced conversions have stirred the cauldron in Madhya Pradesh's restive Chambal region.
Two dalit youths, who converted to Islam and were also forcing their wives to change their religion, have been booked under the MP Freedom of Religion Act 1968. This is the first ever FIR on forced conversions in the region. The incident was reported from the state's Shivpuri district where Maniram Jatav, 30, and Tularam Jatav, 19, have been booked under Sections 4 and 5 of the Act also known as Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantraya Adhinivam.
Police said Maniram Jatav, resident of Shivpuri's Khanidana village, embraced Islam two years ago, changed his name to Abdullah and started a small business in the area. Maniram also got his wife converted without completing any legal formalities, said police.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Two-booked-for-forcing-wives-to-embrace-Islam-in-Madhya-Pradesh/articleshow/41251910.cms
-----------
Arab World
The ‘Bidoon’ Of Saudi Arabia: Generations of Discrimination
30 August 2014
Descendants of nomadic Bedouins, the Bidoon or stateless Arabs, have lived on the margins of society for generations. With no Saudi citizenship, the Bidoon are unable to register marriages, enrol in the public education system or seek medical treatment.
Despite the discrimination that has characterized their past and present, they hold on to the hope of a better future in which they have the same rights and liberties other Saudi citizens enjoy, Al-Watan daily reported.
Nomadic Bedouins roamed the Arabian Desert for centuries, but when Arab states were formed, governments asked everyone living within newly-established borders to register for citizenship, something many nomads failed to do. Today, the Bidoon and their children live as outcasts in the only society they have ever known or lived in. Their struggles are no secret as they abide in the alleys of the Eastern and Western regions of the Kingdom.
Despite their pitiful state, the Bidoon continue to hope that the government committees and concerned parties tasked to rectify their situation will expedite the process of issuing their Saudi nationality. However, according to the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), the speed of these government procedures is too slow and more decisive action is needed.
A visitor to Hafr Al-Batin can drive a few miles away from the city center toward a rural area called Al-Ashish where the sorry state of how the Bidoon live is immediately apparent. Many families live in homes made of zinc and wood. In some cases, tents are the only protection they have from the harsh desert climate, but behind these humble homes lie untold stories.
Badr Al-Shammary has lived his entire life without a country he can call his own and now his son is in the same situation.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/08/30/The-Bidoon-of-Saudi-Arabia-Generations-of-discrimination.html
-----------
Syrian Troops Kill 15 Militants near Lebanon Border
Aug 30, 2014
The Syrian troops killed 15 rebels and injured 25 others in a rugged region Northwest of the capital Damascus, close to the Lebanese frontier.
The rebels were targeted at the Flita area in the Western side of the al-Qalamoun region, bordering Lebanon, Xinhua reported.
Meanwhile, the Syrian forces stormed the ambush of rebels on Friday in Flita, where intense battles have been raging on for days.
A rebel commander was among the ambushed rebels.
The Syrian troops have in recent months captured many rebel- held areas in al-Qalamoun region except for the Flita area and the mountainous resort of Zabadani.
The Lebanese Hezbollah fighters were reportedly backing the Syrian troops in the battles in Flita as the area is adjacent to the Lebanese town of Ersal, another hotspot where the radical militants have recently used as a conduit to move cash, weapons and fighters between Syria and Lebanon.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930608000208
-----------
Iraqi Airstrike Kills ISIL Military Official, 15 Aides in Eastern Tikrit
Aug 30, 2014
Iraq's air force fighter jets killed a ringleader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group in Samra area, East of Tikrit, in Salahuddin province.
"The Iraqi air force bombed a concentration center of ISIL terrorists in Samra area, which resulted in killing the so-called military official of ISIL along with 15 terrorists of his aides," a security source said on Friday.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930608000352
-----------
Bombings targeting the Iraqi military kill 13 people
AP | Aug 30, 2014
BAGHDAD: Two bombings targeting the Iraqi military killed 13 people, including six soldiers, south of Baghdad on Saturday, officials said.
Police officials said a suicide bomber drove his explosives-laden car into an army checkpoint in the town of Youssifiyah, killing 11 people, including four soldiers, and wounding at least 24 people. Several cars were burnt in the attack.
Youssifiyah is 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Baghdad.
Hours later, a roadside bomb targeting an army patrol killed two soldiers and wounded five others in Latifiyah, a town 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad.
Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Iraq has faced an onslaught by Sunni insurgents since early this year, as the extremist Islamic State group and allied militants have taken over large areas in the country's west and north.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Bombings-kills-13-in-Iraq/articleshow/41267811.cms
----------
Saudi king warns of terrorism threat to US, Europe
30 August 2014
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said terrorism would soon spread to Europe and the United States unless it is quickly dealt with in the Middle East, the Saudi state news agency reported late on Aug. 29.
The king made the statement during a reception for foreign ambassadors held in Jeddah.
"I ask you to convey this message to your leaders... Terrorism at this time is an evil force that must be fought with wisdom and speed," said King Abdullah. "And if neglected I'm sure after a month it will arrive in Europe and a month after that in America."
The world's top oil exporter shares an 800-kilometer border with Iraq, where Islamic State militants and other Sunni Islamist groups have seized towns and cities.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/saudi-king-warns-of-terrorism-threat-to-us-europe.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71106&NewsCatID=352
-----------
Islamic State's appeal presents Jordan with new test
By REUTERS
30 August 2014
King Abdullah, a steadfast US ally who has safeguarded his country's peace treaty with Israel, is seeking to ease concerns in Jordan about the threat posed by Islamic State.
He had a good job and a loving family, but it wasn't enough for a 25-year old Jordanian who abandoned his life of privilege in Amman to join the Islamic State group that has seized swathes of neighboring Iraq and Syria.
Handsome, courteous and highly regarded in his profession as a radiologist, the man, whose name has been withheld for security reasons, disappeared in early August after the Muslim Eid holiday. He did not tell his family where he was going.
He later called his parents from an undisclosed location to say he had "forsaken his life for the glory of Islam", said a relative. "His father is heartbroken, and his mother is in hospital from shock," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Islamic-States-appeal-presents-Jordan-with-new-test-372761
-----------
Jordan's Muslims, Christians unite against extremism
Aug 30, 2014
More than 300 Jordanian Muslims and Christians this week marched in solidarity in Amman to express their rejection of violence, killing and extremism.
As the muezzin delivered the Saturday (August 23rd) evening call to prayer and church bells rang in the area, men and women gathered at The Founding King Abdullah Mosque and the adjacent Coptic Orthodox Church to take part in the march.
Organised by the Jordan Interfaith Co-existence Research Centre (JICRC), Lebanon's Noursat satellite channel and the Global Forum for Moderation, the rally brought together diverse participants to condemn bloodshed in the region, organisers told Al-Shorfa.
Christians and Muslims reject violence, extremism and terrorism, said Islamic thinker Hamdi Mourad.
Full report at:
http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/2014/08/29/feature-02
-----------
ISIL gains in Syria alarm some Assad allies
World Bulletin/News Desk
Aug 30, 2014
A mounting death toll in President Bashar al-Assad's armed forces is causing alarm among some government loyalists who are worried about ISIL's territorial gains and are turning their anger on the authorities in Damascus.
The execution of scores of Syrian soldiers taken captive by ISIL at an air base in Raqqa province has triggered unusually harsh social media criticism of the Damascus government by people who have taken its side in the civil war.
Some, including one of Assad's cousins, have called for the resignation of the defence minister, blaming him for the loss of the Tabqa air base that represented the government's last foothold in a province otherwise controlled by ISIL.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/143380/isil-gains-in-syria-alarm-some-assad-allies
--------
Gulf rivals struggle to build anti-jihadist front
AFP | Aug 30, 2014,
DUBAI: Gulf countries, while siding with Washington against Islamic State jihadists, are struggling to build a common front because of differences within their own ranks and with non-Arab Iran.
US President Barack Obama is sending secretary of state John Kerry to the Middle East to try to build strong regional support against IS, which is rampaging through Iraq and Syria.
But "we don't have a strategy yet" to defeat the jihadists, he acknowledged on Thursday.
Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has over the past week been at the centre of diplomatic efforts to stand up to the challenge posed by IS to the status quo.
He and his counterparts from Egypt, Qatar and the Emirates held talks on Syria and "the rise of terrorist extremist ideology", according to an official statement.
They agreed on "the need to seriously work to deal with these crises and challenges to preserve security and stability in Arab countries", it said.
The Saudi minister also hosted talks with Iran's deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in a rare high-level encounter between the long-time rival states.
They discussed the situation in Iraq and "means to confront extremism and terrorism", an Iranian official said, without elaborating on how Riyadh and Tehran could cooperate against the jihadists.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Gulf-rivals-struggle-to-build-anti-jihadist-front/articleshow/41241387.cms
----------
KSA ‘Does Not Fund Or Support IS Murderers’: Ambassador To UK
30 August 2014
Saudi Arabia had not and would not support or fund criminals who have unleashed a reign of terror in many areas of the region, said Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Responding to an article by David Gardner in The Financial Times of London, entitled, “Look beyond Saudi Arabia for Sunni leadership,” Prince Mohammed said: “The writer’s extraordinary claim that Saudi Arabia is ‘exporting tanker-loads of quasi-totalitarian religious dogma and pipelines of Jihadi volunteers’ is wrong.”
He said Saudi Arabia had not and did not support or fund the murderers who have formed under the banner of the Islamic State.
“We do not and have not supported or funded ‘militant jihadism’ of any kind,” he said.
“Indeed, we have stood firmly against it and urged the international community to stand with us.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/622596
-----------
Egyptian court cancels death sentences of top Brotherhood figures
30 August 2014
Giza Criminal Court commuted the death sentences of several leading Muslim Brotherhood figures to life in prison on Saturday.
In June the court sentenced Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and 13 others defendants to death on charges of inciting murder during clashes at Al-Isteqama mosque in Giza last August, following Islamist president Mohamed Morsi's ouster.
On Saturday the court downgraded the sentences of Badie, Mohamed El-Beltagi, Essam El-Erian and five other Brotherhood figures to life in prison, and upheld the death sentences of six other defendants tried in absentia, including Islamist figure Assem Abd El-Maged, who is at large.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/109552/Egypt/Politics-/Egyptian-court-cancels-death-sentences-of-top-Brot.aspx
-----------
Report: Citizens of over 81 Countries Fighting in Syria
Aug 30, 2014
A recent intelligence report revealed that terrorists from over 81 countries are currently fighting inside Syria against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
New York-based intelligence firm, the Soufan Group, estimated in June that at least 12,000 terrorists from 81 countries, including some 3,000 European nationals, are fighting in Syria, press tv reported.
The number is said to be unprecedented in the history of armed conflicts in the modern age.
Other media accounts estimate that higher numbers of foreign mercenaries are involved in the Syrian war, including over 2000 Europeans and 100 Americans.
Syria sank into war in March 2011, when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of western and regional states.
According to reports more than 150,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the turmoil.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930608001055
--------
Firefight erupts between Syrian rebels and Philippine peacekeepers in Golan Heights
30 August 2014
A firefight erupted on Aug. 30 between a group of Philippine peacekeepers trapped in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Islamist militants who were surrounding their position, the defense chief of the Philippines said.
About 40 Philippine troops manning one of two camps on the Syrian side of the frontier, identified as camp 68, came under attack at around 6 a.m. local time, Voltaire Gazmin told reporters via a mobile phone text message.
Another defense official said all the Philippine troops were safe.
A further 35 Philippines troops were at another site, known as camp 69, about 4 km away but were not engaged in the firefight.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/firefight-erupts-between-syrian-rebels-and-philippine-peacekeepers-in-golan-heights.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71107&NewsCatID=352
-----------
South Asia
Taliban leaders among 67 killed in Afghan operations, MoI says
Aug 30, 2014
At least 67 Taliban militants were killed and 38 others were injured during military operations by Afghan national security forces in the past 24 hours.
Interior ministry following a statement said Monday that the operations were jointly conducted by Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan Intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) operatives.
The statement further added that the operations were conducted in Parwan, kandahar, Maidan Wardak, Khost, Paktia, Ghor and Helmand provinces.
At least 2 Taliban militants were also arrested during the operations, the statement by interior ministry said, adding that numerous Taliban leaders were also among those killed or injured during the operations.
Afghan security forces confiscated various types of light and heavy weapons along with explosives and 2 rounds of improvised explosive device (IED) during the operations.
Interior ministry did not disclose further information regarding the casualties of the Afghan security forces during the military operations.
The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the report so far.
http://www.khaama.com/taliban-leaders-among-67-killed-in-afghan-operations-moi-says-8526
-----------
Six killed in attack on Afghan intelligence agency
Aug 30, 2014
KABUL: At least six people were killed and dozens wounded when a suicide car bomber and Taliban gunmen attacked an office of the Afghan intelligence agency in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Saturday, officials said.
“The attack was carried out by a vehicle bomb on the Nangarhar provincial NDS office, and then some militants started attacking the office,” Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial governor, told AFP.
Nangarhar NDS (National Directorate of Security) told AFP at least three of their employees were killed in the attack.
The militants and NDS employees exchanged fire early Saturday.
The head of Nangarhar public hospital told AFP they had received six bodies.
“Six dead bodies and 46 wounded were brought to the hospital — 26 of them are admitted and the rest were discharged,” doctor Najeebullah Kamawal said, adding the injuries were due to flying glass.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1128759/six-killed-in-attack-on-afghan-intelligence-agency
---------
No breakthrough in talks over Afghan unity government formation
Aug 30, 2014
The representatives of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai met on Friday to discuss ways for the formation of the national unity government.
According to reports, the meeting on Friday ended without any breakthrough to reach an agreement.
A senior member of Dr. Abdullah’s camp confirmed that negotiations still continue between the two presidential candidates to reach an agreement on national unity government.
Syed Aqa Fazel Sancharaki, spokesman for Dr. Abdullah’s camp, said the two contenders are holding amid issues surrounding ballot recount and invalidation process.
Dr. Abdullah’s camp has criticized the vote audit and recount process and pulled out it’s observers from the process last week.
In the meantime, Dr. Ghani’s camp insist that the election results should be released as soon as possible in order to pave the way for the formation of the national unity government.
http://www.khaama.com/no-breakthrough-in-talks-over-afghan-unity-government-formation-8528
-----------
Afghanistan to be key issue at NATO summit in Wales
Aug 30, 2014
The security situation of Afghanistan and ongoing unrest in Ukraine, to be the main Issues at NATO summit next week, according to North Atlantic Territory Organization.
The Summit will also be attended by the US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who will be travelling next week to Newport, Wales.
Charles Kupchan, Senior Director for European Affairs, told reporters during an online conference, that the leaders of the NATO countries would respond to Russian actions in Ukraine by providing political and security assistance to Ukraine and by bolstering NATO’s overall reassurance efforts, both in NATO territory and beyond NATO territory.
On Afghanistan, the main issue would be discussion on resourcing the mission, making sure that that mission has the necessary financial support from member states and partners.
Kupchan said, “The main effort there is really, number one, the resources, and two, getting the warm bodies ready. And obviously, we’re in a fluid situation on the ground in Afghanistan, and we are trying to work out exactly who will be the representative of Afghanistan at the opening session, which focuses on this issue,” Kupchan said.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-to-be-key-issue-at-nato-summit-8530
-----------
Ethnic strife blurs Myanmar's first census in 30 years
World Bulletin/News Desk
Aug 30, 2014
Following an incomplete count due to ethnic conflicts in parts of the country, Myanmar said on Saturday that its first census in 30 years shows the population to be 51.4 million, some ten million less than expected.
The provisional findings of the census, taken between March-April with support from the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), was released by Minister of Immigration and Population U Khin Yi.
The census was mired in controversy from the outset, as the government and UNFPA were criticized for basing the counting on 135 officially recognised ethnic groups, a classification that critics say is outdated and inaccurate.
Ethnic groups said their political representation and claims to ethnicity would be compromised if they were undercounted.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/143427/ethnic-strife-blurs-myanmars-first-census-in-30-years
----------
Europe
Netherlands Intends to Withdraw Nationality from "Jihadists"
Aug 30, 2014
Dutch Foreign Minister Evo Opstelten announced that his country plans to withdraw the nationality from the "jihadist" fighters who have joined terrorist groups, even without prior judiciary condemnation.
The local authorities announced that around 130 Dutch Salafi Takfiri militants have joined the terrorist groups in Syria as well as Iraq and that 30 of them returned home, while 14 others were killed, Al-Manar reported.
According to the Dutch intelligence services, at least two Dutch Salafi Takfiri militants carried out suicide bombings in Syria and Iraq.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930608001100
-----------
Al-Qaeda Publishes ‘Shopping List’ For Future Attacks
30 August 2014
Al-Qaeda has allegedly published a nine-page manual on how to make homemade car bombs, the Telegraph reported Friday.
In the manual, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) reportedly also encouraged followers to bomb British targets including the Sandhurst military academy, MI5 headquarters and high-profile department stores.
The terrorist group, with whom the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was affiliated with until 2013, also suggested terror targets in the UK and the U.S. in its English-language magazine.
“My Muslim brother: we are conveying to you our military training right into your kitchen to relieve you of the difficulty of travelling to us,” it addressed its followers, according to the the Telegraph.
“If you are sincere in your intentions to serve the religion of Allah, then all what you have to do is enter your kitchen and make an explosive device that would damage the enemy if you put your trust in Allah and then use this explosive device properly,” the manual reportedly read.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2014/08/30/Al-Qaeda-publishes-shopping-list-for-future-attacks.html
-----------
Britain raises terrorism threat level to 'severe' in response to Iraq, Syria
By REUTERS
30 August 2014
Britain raised its international terrorism threat level to the second highest level of "severe" on Friday in response to possible attacks being planned in Syria and Iraq, Home Secretary (interior minister) Theresa May said.
"That means that a terrorist attack is highly likely, but there is no intelligence to suggest that an attack is imminent," May said in a statement.
"The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West. Some of those plots are likely to involve foreign fighters who have traveled there from the UK and Europe to take part in those conflicts."
It is the first time since mid-2011 that Britain has been placed on this grade of alert following an assessment carried out by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center, the body responsible for setting the national threat level.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/International/Britain-raises-terrorism-threat-level-to-severe-in-response-to-Iraq-Syria-372770
-----------
French 14-year-old detained on suspicion of planning to join Syria jihad
Aug 30, 2014
A 14-year-old French girl has been arrested on suspicion of planning to go and join Syria’s jihadi militias. She has been taken to Paris for questioning by an anti-terrorist judge in an inquiry that led to the arrest of two other teenage girls last week.
The teenager was detained in Quimper, western France, on Wednesday and later moved to Paris where she is being questioned in relation to the June disappearance of another 14-year-old girl from the Paris region.
Last week a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested for allegedly plotting terrorist activity in internet exchanges.
The younger of the two, who is believed to have been in touch with the missing 14-year-old on social networks, is suspected of planning to go to Syria and discussing terror attacks in France, sources told the AFP news agency.
Full report at:
http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20140829-french-14-year-old-detained-suspicion-planning-join-syria-jihad
-----------
UNSC urges Houthis to end hostilities against Yemen’s government
30 August 2014
The U.N. Security Council on Friday urged Yemen’s condemned the Shiite Muslim Houthis’ hostilities against the government and warned foreign countries not to interfere by encouraging instability in the impoverished Arab state.
“The Security Council condemns the actions of Houthi forces commanded by Abdullah Yahya al Hakim (Abu Ali al Hakim) who overran Amran including the Yemeni Army Brigade headquarters on 8 July,” the council said in a statement.
he Council called on the Houthis to withdraw their forces from Amran and cease all armed hostilities against the Government of Yemen.
“The Security Council expresses grave concern about the deterioration of the security situation in Yemen in light of the action taken by the Houthis, led by Abdul Malik al Houthi, and those who support them, to undermine the political transition and the security of Yemen,” the council said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/08/29/UNSC-urges-Houthis-to-end-hostilities-against-Yemen-s-government.html
-----------
Pakistan
Pak Court Issues Arrest Warrant against Tahir-ul-Qadri
August 30, 2014
A non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued for Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leader Tahir-ul-Qadri and 71 activists of his party, Dawn online reported Saturday.
Pakistan’s anti-terrorism Judge Ittefaq Abbasi Friday announced the order and asked Mr. Qadri and the activists to appear in court Sep 5.
The court had already issued an arrest warrant for Qadri Aug 22 and Aug 29, but police could not arrest him as he was leading a sit-in in Islamabad.
Mr. Qadri and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan Aug 15 began their protests for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who they accuse of rigging the 2013 general election.
Since then, there has been numerous sit-ins staged in different parts of the country that has disrupted daily life due to blockades and heavy traffic.
The police have said that the 71 PAT activists were involved in attacking police and injuring more than 76 officials during their Aug 8 march.
A case has been registered against them under the Terrorism Act.
The talks between the government and representatives of the PTI and PAT failed to break the political deadlock between the two sides Friday as the army tried to play the role of a facilitator at the behest of the government.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/pak-court-issues-arrest-warrant-against-qadri/article6364559.ece
-----------
Nine including six Zikirs gunned down in Balochistan
Aug 30, 2014
QUETTA: At least nine people were killed and eight injured in two different firing incidents in Quetta and Awaran districts of Balochistan in less than 24 hours, officials said.
Superintendent of Police (SP), Imran Qureshi told Dawn.com that armed motorcyclists opened fire at a butcher shop in Sariab Road area of the Balochistan capital. He said three people sitting inside the shop were killed.
“The incident seems to be an act of targeted killing,” Qureshi said. The assailants drove away on their motorcycle after the attack.
In another incident, six people of Zikri community were killed and eight injured in a firing incident in Balochistan's Awaran district on late Thursday night, officials said.
Armed militants opened an indiscriminate fire at a worship place of Zikri sect in Pao area of Awaran.
A levies official, who requested anonymity owing to sensitivity of the matter, told Dawn.com via telephone that four militants tiding two motorcycles attacked the Zikirs’ worshiping place.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1128575/nine-including-six-zikirs-gunned-down-in-balochistan
-----------
Govt on back foot as army looks to continue ‘mediation’
Aug 30, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Still reeling from the blowback of asking the military to step in to alleviate the prevailing political crisis, the government received another jolt on Friday evening when the Inter-Services Public Relations clarified that it was, in fact, the government that had asked Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to “facilitate” negotiations with the protesting parties — the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).
But even as politicians on both sides traded barbs all day long — each side accusing the other of inviting the army into the fray — military sources said that the army was going to continue in its role as mediator between the government and the protesting parties.
“The army’s role (as mediator) is continuing and it will certainly guarantee the implementation of any agreement that the protesting parties reach with the government,” a source privy to the hectic behind-the-scenes efforts told Dawn on Friday.
ISPR tweet contradicts PM’s claim that govt didn’t initiate contact with military; Nisar maintains govt asked for ‘facilitation’, not ‘mediation’
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1128729/govt-on-back-foot-as-army-looks-to-continue-mediation
---------
Govt should pay attention to demands of protesters: MQM
Aug 30, 2014
KARACHI: A meeting of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) held on Saturday, headed by the party’s deputy convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in Karachi's Azizabad, discussed the ongoing political crisis.
According to DawnNews, Siddiqui said it was the need of the hour that the government proceeded with prudence and took consensus from others over the prevailing political crisis, adding that the leadership of the protesting parties should also act patiently.
The meeting was attended by MQM leaders Dr Farooq Sattar, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Kanwar Naveed Jamil, Kanwar Khalid Younis, Babar Ghouri, Nasrin Jalil and some party members.
The deadlock between the government and protesters sitting in Islamabad's D-chowk was the main topic of discussion during the meeting held at the Khursheed Begum Secretariat.
Addressing the meeting, Sidiqqui said that party leader Altaf Hussain’s endeavour to uphold democracy in the current political turmoil was laudable and that he is a sincere leader who will continue to raise his voice for the oppressed.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1128769/govt-should-pay-attention-to-demands-of-protesters-mqm
-----------
Imran announces protest demos in four major cities
Aug 30, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Announcing the expansion of his protests into four major cities of the country on Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan rejected the allegations that he had a personal enmity with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
“I pray to God Almighty that Premier Nawaz Sharif be blessed with the courage to speak truth public ally,” Imran told his charged supporters in a sarcastic tone from atop his container on Friday night. Imran declared that the PTI workers will stage protest demonstrations in four cities – Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Faisalabad – on Saturday (today) against the Nawaz Sharif regime. “PTI has informed its point of view to the army chief that we will not trust the incumbent premier during the investigations of poll-rigging and match fixing in last general elections,” Imran told the crowd.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/30-Aug-2014/imran-announces-protest-demos-in-four-major-cities
-----------
Army as ‘facilitator’ was Nisar’s brainwave
Aug 30, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan spent a busy Thursday and Friday, first inviting the army to play ‘facilitator’ and then dealing with the scathing criticism that came their way.
According to government officials and PML-N insiders, this brainwave came from the interior minister and the prime minister; few others were aware of this move.
In fact, in the meetings between the prime minister and Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif over the last week, the protesters and their demands were discussed repeatedly, but the military chief did not seek any role for himself.
But these meetings and what happened there was not shared among even the larger kitchen cabinet of the League leadership.
However, to some extent, the interior minister is said to have been in the loop as he and the Punjab chief minister have always been the bridge between the party and the military leadership.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1128719/army-as-facilitator-was-nisars-brainwave
-----------
Dialogue only option to resolve political crisis: Zardari
Aug 30, 2014
SHANGHAI: Former president and Co-Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari has said that “dialogue, dialogue and only dialogue” is the best way to settle the political standoff.
Talking to different gatherings in China on Friday, he said that the PPP believes in talks and did not go to extreme in politics. “It is my wish to settle political crises through peaceful means,” he stated.
He added that people sitting in the protest sit-ins have accepted the results of general elections despite rigging. Zardari contacted Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq over telephone to discuss the latest political situation. Zardari said that ultimately the issues involved have to be resolved by the political parties themselves. According to Information Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, Haq has decided to expedite the consultative process to defuse the prevailing political crisis.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/30-Aug-2014/dialogue-only-option-to-resolve-political-crisis-zardari
-----------
Prof Ajmal says Taliban didn’t torture him
August 30, 2014
PESHAWAR- “Thanks to Almighty Allah, I have returned home. Taliban did not torture me, but being away from home is itself a torture,” Islamia College University Vice Chancellor Prof Ajmal Khan who has been recovered after four years from Taliban’s captivity said Friday. Ajmal Khan who had been kidnapped by unknown armed persons on September 7, 2010, reached home on Thursday night after the security forces secured his safe recovery from North Waziristan Agency.
Sources said the security forces and intelligence agencies had been trying to locate Ajmal Khan since his kidnapping from Peshawar while on his way from Professors Colony to the university. “I can’t explain how it is to see my children after four years,” the delighted vice chancellor said. “Taliban did not torture me, but being away from home is itself a torture,” he held. He said he could not express his feelings when he joined his family again after a long time. “I am very happy,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/editors-picks/30-Aug-2014/prof-ajmal-says-taliban-didn-t-torture-him
-----------
North America
Kerry calls for global coalition to fight ISIS agenda
30 August 2014
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Friday for a global coalition of states to combat Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants’ “genocidal agenda” in Syria and Northern Iraq.
A week ahead of a NATO summit in Wales that will gather leaders from different Western countries, Kerry advocated “a united response led by the United States and the broadest possible coalition of nations” in an op-ed published in the New York Times and Al Arabiya News.
“The goal is to enlist the broadest possible assistance,” he wrote.
The top U.S. diplomat said he and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel would “meet with our counterparts from our European allies,” on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
U.S. President Barack Obama has said he is still developing a comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS, which has taken large swathes of Iraq and Syria under its control, declaring a “caliphate” and committed a series of atrocities.
In his column, Kerry said Obama will put forward a plan for dealing with ISIS at a summit meeting of the U.N. Security Council scheduled in September, when the U.S. holds the group’s rotating presidency.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/08/30/Kerry-calls-for-coalition-of-nations-in-fighting-ISIS-.html
-----------
Obama faces a tough sell in Congress for ISIS strategy
30 August 2014
U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to consult Congress about any expanded military action against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants operating in Iraq and Syria, but support from the divided legislature is unlikely to come quickly - if at all.
Republicans are generally reluctant to vote for Obama’s policy initiatives. And many of the president’s fellow Democrats are deeply wary of any more foreign military involvement after over a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If Congress were to be asked to approve extended military action or funding, it would probably be at a politically sensitive time just weeks before the Nov. 4 congressional elections in which Republicans hope to gain seats.
If the administration decides it needs additional money for expanded operations against the Islamic State, it will need to secure quick action in Congress or wait until after the elections.
It will be easier for Obama to win support from other countries as well as the American public if he presents a united front with Congress.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2014/08/30/Obama-faces-a-tough-sell-in-Congress-for-ISIS-strategy.html
-----------
U.S. military mission in Iraq costs $7.5m a day: Pentagon
30 August 2014
The U.S. military's bombing raids and other operations in Iraq cost about $7.5 million a day, the Pentagon said Friday.
Since Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants seized territory in northern and western Iraq in June, President Barack Obama has deployed about 865 U.S. troops to Iraq to bolster security for American diplomats and advise Baghdad government forces fighting the extremists.
Both manned and unmanned U.S. aircraft have flown surveillance flights to track ISIS militants and since August 8, American warplanes have carried out more than 100 air strikes against the militants -- most of them around the strategic Mosul dam in the north.
The price tag of the U.S. military mission dating back to mid-June has "averaged $7.5 million a day," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters.
But the cost has varied day to day and "as our activities have intensified, so, too, has the cost," Kirby said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2014/08/29/U-S-military-mission-in-Iraq-costs-7-5m-a-day-Pentagon.html
-----------
Members of Jewish sect leave Guatemala village
AP | Aug 30, 2014
GUATEMALA: Members of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group were forced out of a village in western Guatemala after disputes with indigenous residents over cultural and religious differences.
Misael Santos of the Lev Tahor community says the Jewish group started leaving San Juan La Laguna on Friday after the town's Elders Council voted to kick them out.
"We decided to leave because the Council of Elders does not want us," Santos said. "It's sad to leave, and there are people who like us here because when we left there were people who cried."
Santos said that there were 230 members of the Jewish community living in the lakeside village and that some had been in the town for six years. Others arrived earlier this year from Canada, where they face a child removal case.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest-of-World/Members-of-Jewish-sect-leave-Guatemala-village/articleshow/41242743.cms
---------
Africa
African troops in fresh offensive against Islamists in Somalia: Army
30 August 2014
Somali and African Union forces have launched a long-awaited fresh offensive against Shebab Islamist fighters aimed to capture remaining ports from the extremists, army and government officials said Saturday.
"Operation Indian Ocean started late last night.... the enemy is fleeing and the forces are making successful advances so far," said Abdukadir Mohamed Nur, the governor of southern Somalia's Lower Shabelle region.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/109544/World/International/African-troops-in-fresh-offensive-against-Islamist.aspx
-----------
FDLR rebels Generating U.S. $71 Million From Businesses With Wives of DRC Officers
Aug 30, 2014
Rwandan FDLR rebels are making millions of dollars annually with help from Congolese army units in the east of the massive country, says a classified MONUSCO document sent to New York.
The militia group calling itself the democratic forces for the liberation of Rwanda or FDLR maintains a large business empire managed by ICC fugitive SylvestreMudacumura and Defence Commissioner, AugustinNsengimana.
To operate without any problems, Congolese army officers provide safe passage for goods which have been supplied to wives of the Congolese officers by FDLR contacts. The Congolese military officers are on the battle-front, but their wives are managing booming businesses.
These never-before details have been compiled in a classified investigation sent to New York last month by the UN mission in DR Congo - or MONUSCO.The MONUSCO document was prepared by the 'Joint Mission Analysis Cell' (JMAC) and titled at top in red as "STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL".
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201408290133.html
-----------
Mali: Rebel Groups Agree to End Hostilities
Aug 30, 2014
Bamako — Rebel groups from northern Mali have agreed to end hostilities and present a united front ahead of negotiations with the Malian government that begin in Algiers next week.
With peace talks between the rebels and the Bamako government around the corner, representatives from two rebel groupings have signed an agreement to end fighting and work towards a sustainable solution for northern Mali.
The agreement was signed Thursday in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou where the rebel groups - including the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, the MNLA; the High Council for the Unity of Azawad, the HCUA; and Arab Movement of Azawad, the MAA - have gathered before negotiations starts on 1 September in Algiers.
In recent months, clashes between the MNLA and the MAA have caused new displacements in the north.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201408300010.html?aa_source=mf-hdlns
-----------
Uganda mufti urges Muslims to take part in census
World Bulletin / News Desk
Aug 30, 2014
Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has appealed to his fellow Muslims to take part in a national census currently underway in the East African country.
"The census is very important because it will help establish the latest Muslim population in Uganda," he told Anadolu Agency.
"For the last 20 years, the Muslim population has been depicted as 12 percent," he said.
"Make sure you are counted so that we can know our true percentage," he urged fellow Muslims.
On Thursday, Ugandan authorities launched the country's first national census in 12 years, vowing to use the results to offer the public better social services.
The census, which will be carried out over ten days, was initially planned for August 2012 before being postponed to August 2013 – and later to August 2014 – due to funding shortfalls.
It is designed to collect a wide range of personal and household information, including demographic and social factors.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/muslim-world/143317/uganda-mufti-urges-muslims-to-take-part-in-census
------------
Southeast Asia
Two Muslim nations, two different levels of Maturity
Aug 30, 2014
The candidate has the backing of the majority of the state assembly in Malaysia's richest and most populous state to become its new chief.
The candidate is Malay – albeit with a Peranakan Straits Chinese grandfather – a plus in a country where parties are separated by race and Malays dominate.
The current chief minister has been thrown out of his party, which wants to replace him in Selangor, a prosperous state surrounding the capital territory of Kuala Lumpur.
The problem: Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is a woman. She would be the first woman to lead a Malaysian state but the ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, won't accept her nomination – the majority decision of the state's ruling coalition.
He has demanded the three main parties of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition – which is in opposition at the federal level – propose at least three candidates each.
"One cannot imagine a clearer case of a candidate commanding the confidence of the majority of the assembly. Yet, there is much disinformation clouding the matter," says Tommy Thomas, a lawyer who has defended Dr Wan Azizah’s husband, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, against sodomy charges.
Full report at:
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=349271:food-for-thought-for-pas-sgor-palace-two-muslim-nations-two-different-levels-of-maturity&Itemid=2#ixzz3BsBYSNmQ
-----------
Umno still struggles to defend nation’s independence, sovereignty, says Muhyiddin
AUGUST 30, 2014
BEAUFORT, Aug 30 — Umno today struggles towards defending the country’s independence and sovereignty, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said the independence of the country attained 57 years ago was the dignity of Malaysians being able to administer and develop the country without foreign interference.
He said independence also brought to the formulation of the national constitution to determine the rights of the people.
“It is thus important for Umno to be part of Barisan Nasional (BN) as the respective component BN parties also want Malaysia to be more developed.
“It is not easy to manage a country with various communities with different races, cultures, religions and way of life,” he said when opening Beaufort Umno division delegates’ meeting here.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/umno-still-struggles-to-defend-nations-independence-sovereignty-says-muhyid
-----------