Islamic State’s Ammunition Shown to Have Origins in US and China
Muslims offer prayers on the occasion of
Eid-ul-Zuha on Monday. (Source: Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)
North America
Islamic
State’s Ammunition Shown to Have Origins in US and China
American
Hostage ‘Scared To Die’ In ISIS Captivity
U.S.
works on Asia ties amid Mideast focus
Auburn
Islamic Centre builds mosque and relationships
Arab World
Kurds
Use New Tactic against ISIS with Female Suicide Bomber
Drones
Spot ISIS Slayer ‘Jihadi John’ In Syria
Islamic
Front kills 50 regime soldiers in Syria
28 ISIL
Terrorists Killed in Hamren, Diyala
Scores
of Terrorists Killed As They Try to Storm Baalbeck, East of Lebanon
Clashes
with Lebanese Hezbollah kill 16 insurgents
Iraqi
Troops Thwart ISIL Attack on Tikrit University, Kill 8 Terrorists
Iraqi
Forces Foil ISIL Attack Plot on Army Headquarters in Northern Tikrit, Kill 12
Syrian
Kurds vow to fight ISIL to the last man
Egypt
busts cell recruiting Syria militants
Sinai
militants say they have beheaded three
Extremism
is ‘perverse’ and must be eliminated: Saudi king
UAE says
Biden apologises for any implication it supported militants
India
Heaviest
Pakistani Shelling in Decades Devastates Hamlet in Jammu, 5 killed, 26 Hurt
Kerala
Muslims Now Sponsoring Sacrificial Animals For Needful In North India
UN
member countries must unite to wipe out terrorism: Japanese envoy
Pakistan
Next Eid
Will Be Celebrated In ‘Naya Pakistan’: Imran
Zardari
Urges Political Forces to Join Hands for Democracy
Drone
strike kills five in South Waziristan
Three
killed, two injured in Khuzdar firing
MQM Takes
Notice of Bilawal's 'Namaloom Afraad' Speech
Protesters
will condemn their own actions in future: Nawaz
Bilawal
asks Imran to learn politics from Bhutto
Karachi:
Two TTP men killed on Northern Bypass
Qadri
takes back legal notice served on Bilawal
Europe
Suicide
bomber kills four police officers in Russia's Chechnya
Bristol's
Muslim community condemn the murder of cabbie Alan Henning
NATO
says will take action to protect Turkey if needed
Rights
group demands UAE reveal whereabouts of Libyans, Emiratis
Mideast
Gazans
pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque for first time since 2007
‘IS 1 km
from Kobane, airstrikes not enough’
Israel
mulls second Al-Aqsa gate for Jewish settlers
180
jihadists traded by Turkey for hostages: report
Israel
plans $4bln privatization to enable ‘more transparency’
Cost to
rebuild Gaza? $4 billion, political will
Senior
Iranian MP Lauds Ecuador for Supporting Palestine, Syria
South Asia
China
issues white paper on Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
'Ongoing
peace brightens Bangladesh's image': Sheikh Hasina
Afghan
Air Force MD-530F helicopters to be upgraded to armed version
Southeast Asia
Indonesia
Struggles with Islamic State Recruiting
Azmin to
meet Selangor Islamic bodies over Bible impasse
We’re
monitoring social media activity on terrorism, says minister
Africa
Gaddafi-era
intelligence HQ detonated in Benghazi
Somali
troops secure key port after capture from Shebab
Niger
declares mourning for slain peacekeepers
Australia
Australia,
Belgium launch anti-ISIS missions in Iraq
Crime
and gangs: the path to battle for Australia’s Islamist radicals
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
-----------
North America
Islamic
State’s ammunition shown to have origins in US and China
CJ
Chivers, NYT News Service | Oct 6, 2014
In its
campaign across northern Syria and Iraq, the jihadist group Islamic State has
been using ammunition from the United States and other countries that have been
supporting the regional security forces fighting the group, according to new
field data gathered by a private arms-tracking organization.
The data,
part of a larger sample of captured arms and cartridges in Syria and Iraq,
carries an implicit warning for policymakers and advocates of intervention.
It
suggests that ammunition transferred into Syria and Iraq to help stabilize
governments has instead passed from the governments to the jihadists, helping
to fuel the Islamic State's rise and persistent combat power. Rifle cartridges
from the United States, the sample shows, have played a significant role.
"The
lesson learned here is that the defence and security forces that have been
supplied ammunition by external nations really don't have the capacity to
maintain custody of that ammunition," said James Bevan, director of
Conflict Armament Research, the organization that is gathering and analysing
weapons used by the Islamic State.
Providing
weapons to the regional proxies, Bevan added, is "a massive risk that is
heightened by poorly motivated security forces that are facing great
challenges."
Islamic
State fighters have proved adept at arming themselves as they have expanded
their territory. Analysts and rival rebels say the group has gathered weapons
from other anti-government groups in Syria that have joined its ranks, from
purchases from Syrian rebels who receive weapons from foreign donors, from battlefield
captures and from deals with corrupt members of the security forces in Syria
and Iraq.
One
Syrian rebel commander said the group, which is also called ISIS or ISIL, has
often picked where and when to fight by measuring the potential spoils that might
be gained in a local victory.
"When
battling against the Syrian army, ISIS chooses to fight in a specific battle on
a specific front only when the investment is appealing: there will be
warehouses to capture," said Fouad al-Ghuraibi, commander of the Kafr
Owaid's Martyrs Brigade, in northern Syria.
After
the jihadists seized a Syrian air base near Hama last year, al-Ghuraibi noted,
they needed a fleet of heavy trucks to move their haul of captured weapons and
ammunition.
He also
said that a portion of the Islamic State's ammunition had come from
black-market deals with the group's enemies, including the Syrian army, but he
added that "the numbers in these deals couldn't be high, as the officers
on the regime side have had to keep it low to keep it hidden."
Conflict
Armament Research's field survey is part of a continuing project funded by the
European Union to identify the militant group's weapons and weapon sources, and
display them transparently on a global online mapping system known as iTrace.
It appears to confirm and add layers of detail to what has been reported
anecdotally.
Its
samples included 1,730 cartridges that had been manufactured as far back as
1945 and as recently as this year. Most of the ammunition was for rifles and
machine guns, although a small fraction was for pistols, too.
The
ammunition was captured last summer by Kurdish fighters or collected by the
organization's investigators at recently abandoned Islamic State fighting
positions. Each cartridge's manufacturing provenance was then established by
documenting its markings, known as headstamps.
Once the
tallying was done, the investigators had identified 21 nations as sources of
cartridges that were once possessed by Islamic State fighters, showing that
these militants, like many rebel or insurgent groups, have diverse sources of
supply.
A deeper
look pointed to what would seem to be widespread leakage from local security
forces.
More
than 80 per cent of the ammunition was manufactured in China, the former Soviet
Union, the United States, post-Soviet Russia or Serbia. The organization's
analysis suggests that much of this ammunition was held by security forces in
the region, and then commandeered by militants.
Bevan
said that the aged Soviet ammunition appeared to match the contents of the
storehouses of the Syrian military, which has long received equipment from the
Kremlin.
Another
sizable fraction of the cartridges matched ammunition that the United States
supplied to Iraq's military and police units for nearly a decade during the occupation
after the US-led invasion in 2003.
"We
have a lot of ammunition that comes from Iraqi security forces, which was
captured on the battlefield, and a lot of ammunition that previously came from
Syrian defence forces, which would be captured on the battlefield as
well," Bevan said.
Among
Conflict Armament Research's findings were that 323 of the cartridges — nearly
19 per cent — were from the United States. These were typically 5.56-millimeter
cartridges manufactured from 2005 to 2007 at the Lake City Army Ammunition
Plant in Missouri.
The
ammunition is the standard cartridge for American M-4 and M-16 rifles, which,
along with these classes of rifles, was widely distributed by the United States
to Iraqi security forces during the latter years of the occupation.
The
sample also included 147 cartridges bearing the distinctive WOLF stamp used by
Sporting Supplies International, a US company that sells Russian-manufactured
ammunition under its own brand.
The
company has provided bulk military ammunition to the US government for
distribution to security forces under its training, raising the possibility
that an additional 8.5 per cent of the ammunition documented in the Islamic
State's possession was sent into the region by the United States.
Conflict
Armament Research's investigators also found a small sample of cartridges from
Iran in the Islamic State's possession, including ammunition manufactured as
recently as 2013.
Iran has
been a sponsor of Iraq's beleaguered Shia-led government. Ammunition from Iran,
the organization noted, if deliberately transferred to Iraq, would be a
violation of UN security council resolution 1737, which in 2006 prohibited Iran
from exporting arms.
On one
matter, Bevan said, the data pointed to a familiar puzzle: the large proportion
of Chinese ammunition — 445 cartridges or nearly 26 per cent of the total.
This was
not a surprise, Bevan noted, as "China is a massive supplier" of
military-grade ammunition around the world and the presence of its ammunition
is a common feature in modern conflicts.
The
Chinese ammunition used by the Islamic State fighters, he said, could have
originally been provided to Syrian forces, to Iraqi forces or to any number of
other countries that then retransferred Chinese-made cartridges to the region.
Determining
its routes into the conflict, he said, would require further research, as
China's ammunition exports often "are not transparent in any way".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Islamic-States-ammunition-shown-to-have-origins-in-US-and-China/articleshow/44469412.cms
-----------
American
Hostage ‘Scared To Die’ In ISIS Captivity
6
October 2014
American
hostage Peter Kassig wrote in June that he was "scared to die" at the
hands of his Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant captors, his
parents have revealed.
The
26-year-old former U.S. soldier was paraded at the end of an ISIS video
released on Friday that showed the murder of British aid worker Alan Henning.
Hostages
threatened at the end of four previous, near-identical ISIS beheading videos
have subsequently been murdered.
Kassig's
letter referred to his conversion to Islam during captivity, which his parents
Ed and Paula Kassig said took place voluntarily at some point between October
and December 2013 when he shared a cell with a devout Syrian Muslim.
But they
noted that Kassig had observed the holy fasting month of Ramadan in July-August
2013 before being taken captive and "spoke of the great impact this
spiritual practice had on him."
Kassig
also took the Muslim name Abdul-Rahman, and has been following the religion's
practices, such as praying five times a day.
"We
see this as part (of) our son's long spiritual journey," his parents said
in a statement released Saturday.
ISIS has
justified killing Western hostages as retaliation for U.S.-led air strikes on
the group over swathes of territory it has seized in Iraq and Syria.
"We
continue to pressure the government to stop its actions and continue to call on
his captors to have mercy and release him," the Kassigs said in releasing
portions of their son's June 2 letter.
The text
was edited to remove unspecified "sensitive information," though his
parents said all words were written by him.
"I
am obviously pretty scared to die but the hardest part is not knowing,
wondering, hoping and wondering if I should even hope at all. I am very sad all
this has happened and for what all of you back home are going through,"
Kassig writes in the letter.
"If
I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in
knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and
helping those in need."
Kassig
had founded an aid group through which he trained some 150 civilians to provide
medical aid to people in Syria. His group also gave food, cooking supplies,
clothing and medicine to the needy.
His
parents have said he had disappeared in Syria on October 1 last year.
"In
terms of my faith, I pray every day and I am not angry about my situation in
that sense. I am in a dogmatically complicated situation here, but I am at
peace with my belief," Kassig wrote.
The
letter ends with a simple: "I love you."
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/06/American-hostage-scared-to-die-in-ISIS-captivity.html
-----------
U.S.
works on Asia ties amid Mideast focus
06 Oct,
2014
A
military agreement with the Philippines and easing an arms embargo against
Vietnam show the Obama administration wants deeper security ties with Asia,
even as turmoil in the Mideast has undermined its hope of making Asia the heart
of its foreign policy.
The
“pivot” was intended to be President Barack Obama’s signature push in foreign
affairs. As the U.S. disentangled from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it would
devote more military and diplomatic attention to the Asia-Pacific and American
economic interests there.
The
world hasn’t turned out as planned. Washington is grappling with the chaotic
fallout of the Arab spring, a growing rivalry with Russia and the alarming rise
of the Islamic State group that is prompting the U.S. to launch airstrikes in
Iraq and Syria.
Against
this chaotic backdrop, the growing tensions in the South and East China Seas
and U.S. efforts to counter the rise of an increasingly assertive China appear
peripheral concerns. The pivot gets few people excited in Washington these
days.
Obama
didn’t even mention it in a sweeping foreign policy speech in May, and
negotiations on a trans-Pacific trade pact - the main economic prong in the
pivot - have been mired by differences between the U.S. and Japan over
agriculture and auto market access and by opposition to the pact among many of
Obama’s fellow Democrats.
But the
administration is still chipping away at its grand plan for a rebalance to Asia
that began within months of Obama taking office in 2009, when the U.S. signed a
cooperation treaty with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The U.S.
has since ended its decades-long isolation of Myanmar, also known as Burma, in
response to democratic reforms there. It has taken a more strident diplomatic
stance against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and some concrete
steps to shore up its allies’ ability to respond. In April the U.S. signed a
10-year agreement to allow thousands of U.S. troops to be temporarily based in
Philippines, 20 years after U.S. bases there were closed.
Like the
Philippines, Vietnam has been engaged in standoffs with China over disputed
reefs and islands. Tensions spiked between May and July after China deployed a
deep-sea oil rig near the Paracel Islands. The vessels of the two sides rammed
each other near the rig, and there were deadly anti-China riots in several
industrial parks in Vietnam.
On
Thursday, the State Department announced it would allow sales, on a
case-by-case basis, of lethal equipment to help the maritime security of Vietnam
- easing a ban that has been in place since communists took power at the end of
the Vietnam War in 1975.
The U.S.
won’t be rushing to Vietnam’s defense, nor does it want to be directly involved
in negotiating the territorial disputes themselves, that also involve Brunei,
Malaysia and Taiwan. But Washington says it has an interest in the maintenance
of peace and stability and equipping nations to defend themselves and deter
aggression.
Hanoi
welcomed the step, saying it would promote the U.S.-Vietnam partnership.
It was
opposed by rights activists, unpersuaded by Washington’s argument that Hanoi
has shown some improvements on human rights and would be encouraged to make
more.
John
Sifton, the Washington-based Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said
Vietnam’s changes have been superficial and contended that the U.S. is
reversing decades of policy for marginal strategic benefit.
Republican
Sen. John McCain, who is an arch critic of the Obama administration’s foreign
policy but supports the rebalance and pushed for the easing of the Vietnam ban,
said it would strengthen defense cooperation to the benefit of both countries.
But
McCain foreign policy adviser Chris Brose said the U.S. still has to convince
Asia that the rhetoric of the pivot can become reality.
“The
question is not whether America is doing something. Clearly America is,” Brose
told a Washington think tank Friday. “The question is whether what America is
doing adds up to a set of actions that’s fundamentally impacting China’s
calculus.”
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2014/10/05/U-S-works-on-Asia-ties-amid-Mideast-focus.html
---------
Auburn
Islamic Centre builds mosque and relationships
06 Oct,
2014
Walking
into the Auburn Islamic Centre on a Sunday afternoon, people can find children
scurrying around the lobby, bare feet and men preparing to pray.
The
women are already upstairs, cleansing and preparing for prayer.
The
lobby is a small, carpeted room with nine shelves on one wall, designated for
the shoes visitors remove as they enter the building.
The
shelves are stacked with a variety of footwear, from dainty, pink flip-flops to
Nike tennis shoes.
The
chairs surrounding a fold-out table by the window are plastic, and one wall is
ordained with a bulletin board with sign-up sheets for Sunday school classes
and childcare.
Mark
Dougherty, professor in the agricultural engineering department, sits in a
white, plastic chair around a table in the kitchen at the Auburn Islamic Centre
and talks about the history of the organization and the building.
Two
teenage girls wearing Hijabs and sweaters sit around the table as well.
Dougherty
serves on the board of directors at the Auburn Islamic Centre.
Dougherty
can also officiate an Islamic wedding.
One
would not know any of these things about him unless they asked, however,
because he is quick to divert attention away from himself and even quicker to
talk about the everyday happenings at the centre.
According
to Dougherty, the centre has been in Auburn for approximately 25 years, and it
was simply a community before that.
Doughtery
said the Islamic Centre had an interesting background.
“This
building used to be a fraternity house,” Dougherty said.
Dougherty
said one man, who was a student at Auburn during the days the building was a fraternity
house, spent some time there and then returned years later as a devout Muslim.
“It was
quite the experience for the man coming back,” Dougherty said.
The
building, located on Armstrong Street, can be called a mosque, but Dougherty
calls it a Masjid.
“Masjid
— it comes from the word ‘Sajda,’ which is to prostrate, which means to go down
on your head to pray, so the Masjid is the place where you prostrate,”
Dougherty said.
Dougherty
said he thinks Auburn is a great place to practice his religion.
“We’re
in a non-Muslim country, so it’s no different than any other place,” Dougherty
said. “We just take care of our business in here. If I would say anything, I’d
say it’s better here because Auburn is such a progressive place because of the
University.”
The
Masjid is open at any time for members to pray.
It is
filled on Sundays with men, women and children. The children attend Sunday
school.
Sara
Elawad, 13, spoke upstairs in one of the rooms where the women go to pray.
Elawad
wore a hijab, a head scarf, a long sweater and jeans.
“We have
Islamic studies, like learning the history and the modesty and stuff like
that,” Elawad said. “Basically, we just learn about their prophets and their
history.”
Yousra
Omer is a 14-year-old Muslim girl and attends the Masjid regularly.
Omer
attempted to brag on Dougherty and his role in the Masjid, but Dougherty
casually steered the conversation to discuss the building of a new mosque in
Auburn.
“The new
Islamic Centre, we have a plan,” Dougherty said. “We have a property of 5 acres
south of town.”
http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/25863373/article-Islamic-Center-builds-mosque-and-relationships?instance=home_news_lead_story
-----------
Arab World
Kurds
Use New Tactic against ISIS with Female Suicide Bomber
6 October
2014
Kurdish
fighters battling Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) jihadists for the
Syrian town of Kobane employed a new tactic when a female suicide bomber blew
herself up in an attack claimed to have killed dozens of militants.
The
young woman, a fulltime fighter with the Syria-based Kurdish rebel group the
People's Protection Units (YPG), killed herself in the attack on Sunday,
Kurdish sources told AFP.
Her name
in Kurdish was Dilar Gencxemis but she went under the nom-de-guerre of Arin
Mirkan, the YPG said in a statement.
She was
from the Syrian town of Afrin of Aleppo province of northern Syria, just south
of the Turkish border.
With
Kurdish fighters under increasing pressure from the ISIS jihadists seeking to
seize Kobane, this is the first time a suicide bomber has been used by Kurdish
forces in the conflict.
"I
don't know her exact age but she was above 20. She was a fighter from the
YPG," Mustafa Bali, a Kurdish official in Kobane told an AFP correspondent
in the Turkish border town of Suruc by telephone.
"She
threw many grenades at ISIS insurgents. After that, she blew herself up,"
he said, adding that dozens of ISIS fighters were killed in her assault.
The
Britain-based group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a wide
network of sources inside Syria, also confirmed the attack by the female
suicide bomber.
The YPG
issued a statement carried by the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency, extolling
Mirkan's bravery and indicating more suicide attacks were possible.
"She
killed dozens of gang members and demonstrated the YPG fighters' determined
resistance," it said.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2014/10/06/Kurds-use-new-tactic-against-ISIS-with-female-suicide-bomber.html
-----------
Drones
spot ISIS slayer ‘Jihadi John’ in Syria
5
October 2014
Drones
have managed to track the militant member of the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) known as “Jihadi John” in Syria but British Special Forces fear a
mission to either kill or capture the wanted man may end in failure, the Daily
Mail reported on Sunday.
“Jihadi
John,” believed to be behind the beheadings of two British hostages, was
spotted by reaper drones over Raqqa, the militant’s stronghold in eastern
Syria, the daily reported.
Drones
deployed over the group’s strongholds are also believed to have identified
hostages wearing orange jumpsuits, the newspaper said.
Hostages
beheaded by ISIS have all appeared in videos wearing orange jumpsuits
resembling those worn by detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The
paper said that despite the intelligence, British top brass have ruled out a
rescue operation due to ISIS defenses being too strong.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/05/Drones-spot-ISIS-slayer-Jihadi-John-in-Syria.html
-----------
Islamic
Front kills 50 regime soldiers in Syria
World
Bulletin / News Desk
06 Oct,
2014
The
Islamic Front forces killed 50 Syrian regime soldiers when they tried to enter
the Handarat region, north of Aleppo, on Sunday, spokesman for the Tawheed
Brigade of Islamic Front Salih Anadani told Anadolu Agency.
The
spokesperson said they had also injured scores of Syrian regime soldiers.
He said
that three soldiers were also captured, including one Iranian and one Afghan
national. The attack on the regime was carried out in cooperation with other
armed opposition forces, he added.
The
fighting between the Islamic Front and Syrian regime forces has been ongoing in
the region since last Friday.
Anadani
said that after intense fighting, the Islamic Front had regained control of
Handarat and El Mellehe.
More
than 190,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began early
2011, according to latest UN figures published in August.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/145711/islamic-front-kills-50-regime-soldiers-in-syria
-----------
28 ISIL
Terrorists Killed in Hamren, Diyala
06 Oct,
2014
Iraqi
security forces killed 28 terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant (ISIL) group in Diyala province.
Iraqi
army forces killed "28 ISIL militants", and destroyed a number of
their vehicles during clashes with the terrorists, which resulted in burning
the ISIL compound in Hamren, 50 km Northeast of Baqubah, Military Operations
Leader Lieutenant General Abdel Amir al-Zaydi said on Sunday.
Meanwhile,
a suicide bomber was also killed on Sunday by security forces while passing
through a security checkpoint in Northeast of Baqubah.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930714000712
-----------
Scores
of Terrorists Killed As They Try to Storm Baalbeck, East of Lebanon
06 Oct,
2014
Major
attack carried out by takfiri terrorist groups in the Eastern mount of Lebanon
at Brital barrens in East of Lebanon.
Al-Manar
TV correspondent reported on Sunday that hundreds of terrorist gunmen tried to
storm the Ein-Assa' area of Brital barrens on the Lebanese borders with Syria,
exactly located over Nabi-Sbat town South of the main city of Baalbeck.
Lebanese
army artillery in the region is involved in fighting off the attack and scores
of takfiris are left killed and wounded so far.
Clashes
are still ongoing in the meantime.
Annahar
local newspaper reported that militants of the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant' (ISIL) and Al-Qaeda-affiliate Al-Nusra Front
internationally-recognized terrorist groups have moved from the barrens of the
Eastern Lebanese town of Arsal where they are located several months ago.
Full
report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930714000460
-----------
Clashes
with Lebanese Hezbollah kill 16 insurgents
06 Oct,
2014
At least
16 Sunni Muslim insurgents from al Qaeda's Syrian wing were killed in clashes
with fighters from the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon on
Sunday, a source close to Hezbollah said.
Hundreds
of insurgents linked to al Qaeda's Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, had launched a
major offensive on Sunday on Hezbollah-controlled areas near the Lebanese town
of Arsal, close to the Syrian border.
"There
are at least 16 dead from Nusra Front," the source said, adding that
Hezbollah fighters from other parts of Lebanon had gone to defend the area.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/112420/World/Region/Clashes-with-Lebanese-Hezbollah-kill--insurgents.aspx
-----------
Iraqi
Troops Thwart ISIL Attack on Tikrit University, Kill 8 Terrorists
06 Oct,
2014
Iraqi
government troops thwarted an attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant (ISIL) terrorists on Tikrit University, killing 8 militants during the
clashes.
"The
security forces foiled an attack by the ISIL terrorists on Tikrit University,
and killed 8 of them, and burned their vehicles," an informed source said
on Sunday.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930714000554
-----------
Iraqi
Forces Foil ISIL Attack Plot on Army Headquarters in Northern Tikrit, Kill 12
06 Oct,
2014
Iraqi
government forces on Monday foiled an attack plot on the army headquarters in
Northern Tikrit by terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) group, and killed 12 of them.
"The
security forces foiled an ISIL attempt to target the headquarters of the Iraqi
army in Hamra village near Speicher Camp of Northern Tikrit, and killed 12 of
them and damaged three of their vehicles," an informed source said.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930714000884
-----------
Syrian
Kurds vow to fight ISIL to the last man
World
Bulletin / News Desk
06 Oct,
2014
Outgunned
Kurdish fighters vowed on Monday not to abandon their increasingly desperate
efforts to defend the Syrian border town of Kobani from ISIL militants pressing
in from three sides and pounding them with heavy artillery.
The al
Qaeda offshoot has been battling for more than two weeks to seize the
predominantly Kurdish town, driving 180,000 people into neighbouring Turkey.
Air
strikes by American and Gulf state warplanes have failed to halt the advance of
the fighters, who moved to the outskirts of the town over the weekend and were
battling to secure a strategic hilltop in the face of fierce resistance.
Despite
the heavy fighting, which has seen mortars rain down on residential areas in
Kobani and stray fire hit Turkish territory, a Reuters reporter saw around 30
people cross over from Turkey, apparently to help with defence of the town.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/145719/syrian-kurds-vow-to-fight-isil-to-the-last-man
-----------
Egypt
busts cell recruiting Syria militants
6
October 2014
Egyptian
security forces have arrested four suspected members of a militant cell
recruiting fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group in
Syria.
A police
official told Egypt's state news agency MENA that members of the cell have
confessed, and that the cell is comprised of eight people, four of whom are
currently in Syria.
ISIS has
attracted a following from Egyptian Islamists on social media sites, according
to Reuters news agency. Egyptian security sources estimate that up to 8,000
Egyptians are fighting abroad with militant groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda.
MENA
news agency did not reveal the names of the suspects in the cell, but added
that they were jailed pending investigation.
Egypt
recently joined a U.S.-led coalition formed to combat ISIS’ growing threat in
Syria and Iraq.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/06/Egypt-arrests-militant-cell-recruiting-for-Syria-.html
-----------
Sinai
militants say they have beheaded three
5
October 2014
Egypt's
most violent Islamist group released a video showing militants beheading three
Egyptians whom they accused of being informants for Israeli intelligence.
In a
video posted on YouTube, the Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis accused the
Egyptian government of collaborating with the Israelis to attack their fighters
in Sinai and vowed to hunt down the local informants they rely on.
"These
are your sons, continuing to harvest the spies of the Jews," a spokesman
for the group says in the video.
The
gruesome footage shows the three men confessing before being decapitated by
masked men. Their detached heads are then placed on their backs.
A fourth
man, shown confessing to being an informant for the Egyptian military, is then
mown down by bullets.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/06/Sinai-militants-say-they-have-beheaded-three-Egyptians-for-spying-for-Israel.html
-----------
Extremism
is ‘perverse’ and must be eliminated: Saudi king
06 Oct,
2014
Religious
extremism is a perversion which must be eradicated, Saudi Arabia's King
Abdullah said on Sunday, with his air force engaged in a U.S.-led campaign
against jihadist militants in Syria.
"Extremism,
which has generated terrorism, behooves us to combine our efforts to fight it
and defeat it because it has nothing to do with Islam," the king said in
an annual address to leaders of delegations from Islamic nations which performed
the annual hajj pilgrimage, the official SPA news agency reported.
Saudi
Arabia and four other Arab countries have joined an American-led coalition
which is conducting air strikes against Islamic State group rebel positions in
Syria.
The
militants, who have also seized territory in Iraq, have carried out a series of
atrocities including crucifixions and beheadings which have been condemned by
Muslims worldwide.
Extremism
"is a perverse factor which we can only remedy by eradicating," the
king said in an address delivered by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who
also holds the defense portfolio.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/05/Saudi-king-hails-security-forces-for-foiling-extremist-plots.html
-----------
UAE says
Biden apologises for any implication it supported militants
06 Oct,
2014
The
United Arab Emirates said on Oct. 5 that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden had
apologised to the Abu Dhabi crown prince for "any implications" in a
speech he made last week that the UAE had supported Islamist militants in
Syria.
The
call, confirmed by the White House, came after a day after Biden offered a
similar apology to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan..
Biden,
who is known for his occasional verbal gaffes, angered U.S. allies when he
suggested in a speech at Harvard University on Thursday that Turkey, Qatar and
the United Arab Emirates had extended "billions of dollars and tens of
thousands of tons of weapons" to Sunni fighters trying to oust Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad.
UAE
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash demanded an official
explanation for Biden's remarks, which he said had created "a negative and
untrue impression about the role of the UAE", according to state news
agency WAM.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/uae-says-biden-apologises-for-any-implication-it-supported-militants.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72582&NewsCatID=359
---------
India
Heaviest
Pakistani Shelling in Decades Devastates Hamlet in Jammu, 5 killed, 26 Hurt
PTI |
Oct 6, 2014
ARNIA
BORDER (Jammu): Blood stained beds, torn off rooftops and windows punctured by
bullets and splinters of mortar bombs are a mute testimony to the Pakistani
shelling in the border hamlet where smell of cordite and gunpowder hangs in the
air.
The
overnight attacks by Pakistani forces that has left five people dead have
triggered panic among the border villagers.
"We
have not seen such an attack of mortar bombs and heavy firing in the past
several decades, even not during the August ceasefire violations. It was the
worst attack on civilian areas", Kulbushan Kumar, a resident of Arnia
town, told PTI.
Such was
the intensity of the firing and shelling that 82mm mortar shells landed in
Mahasha da Kote and Arnia town, which is around 5km away from the international
border in Jammu district.
Carcasses
of animals killed due to splinter injuries are also seen strewn in Kaku di
Kotha and other areas.
"Arnia
town, which we considered a safe place, has also been hit by scores of mortars
that killed one person Ram Lal," Kumar said.
Most of
the houses in Mahasha Kote, Pindi, Koku di Kotha and Channa village were hit by
the bullets and splinters of mortar shells, which tore roof tops and walls of
several houses besides breaking windows and doors.
"It
is the worst attack. Five people have been killed and 26 others were injured in
firing and shelling in Arnia belt," subdivisional police officer Devender
Singh told PTI.
Singh,
who led the police rescue team and shifted the injured to the hospital even as
firing continued, said, "Such firing has not been seen in the past. We
have evacuated border villagers to safer places. Pakistan cannot be
trusted."
Bamroo
Devi, who lost four members of her family in Mahasha Kote village, is seen
weeping besides the blood stained beds in the compound of her house which was
hit by mortars.
"What
was our fault that they killed our family members?" she says.
A pall
of gloom prevails in this village with people consoling those who have lost
their near and dear ones in the firing.
"The
state and central government should learn from this tragedy and ensure
permanent relocation of the critical border villages located close to IB,"
says Sarwan Singh.
The
neighbours of Ram Paul, who was killed in the shelling by Pakistani rangers, are
still in a state of shock.
"How
can the shells reach us here as the area is 6km away from the border? It has
triggered fear among us," Hardev said.
The
bloodbath in the compound of Ram's house is now haunting the villagers, who are
mulling to shift from the area.
"We
want to now shift to safer areas," he said. Sunil Kumar, who lost a
relative, said, "Around midnight we woke up to the sound of shelling which
rattled windows and doors."
"Huddled
in one corner of the room, we watched the house being hit by all sides by
splinters and some of them pierced the windows but we all escaped unhurt,"
he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Heaviest-Pakistani-shelling-in-decades-devastates-hamlet-in-Jammu/articleshow/44501518.cms
-----------
Kerala
Muslims Now Sponsoring Sacrificial Animals For Needful In North India
06 Oct,
2014
Muslims
in Kerala are now sponsoring hundreds of sacrificial animals to their poor
brethren in North and North-Eastern states on the day of Eid.
Various
relief and service organisations of different Kerala Muslim sects collect the
fund from community members in Kerala and the amount is handed over to
co-coordinators in respective states to buy sacrificial animals.
Kerala-based
Relief and Charitable Foundation of India, promoted by prominent Sunni leader
Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar, has made arrangements to distribute
sacrificial meat to 50,000 families in 15 states.
Its
all-India coordinator Muhammed Shafi said there are Muslim families in many
North Indian villages which would not get sacrificial meat. “In Kerala, even a
mahallu with 500 families would be sacrificing 20 to 30 animals on the day of
Eid.” “Kerala Muslim families under such mahallu committees would get huge
quantity of meat. Lavishness is tangible with a family of five members,
sometimes, getting meat of 5 kg or 10 kg on the day. Hence, we thought to help
those people who are not lucky to get sacrificial meat. This time, we have
focused on flood-hit Kashmir region,’’ says Shafi. Shafi said a section of affluent
Muslims in Kerala are offering sacrificial animal in Kerala and also outside
the state. “Some are sponsoring the sacrificial animal only to our scheme. We
want to take two kg of sacrificial meat to a five-member family in the North
Indian villages, where the animals sponsored from Kerala would be sacrificed.”
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/kerala-muslims-now-sponsoring-sacrificial-meat-for-needful-in-north-india/#sthash.poYOt9pi.dpuf
--------
UN
member countries must unite to wipe out terrorism: Japanese envoy
Daniel P
George,TNN | Oct 6, 2014
CHENNAI:
Masanori Nakano, Japanese consul general in Chennai, on Monday called for a
concerted effort by all member countries of the United Nations to wipe out
terrorism.
Speaking
to reporters on the sidelines of the eighth Annual Sishya School Model United
Nations Conference (SISHMUN 2014) here, Nakano said the recent visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to Japan was to further cement ties and take the
relationship between the two countries to greater heights.
"During
this meeting, India and Japan confirmed the urgent need for a comprehensive
reform of the UN Security Council, especially its expansion in both permanent
and non-permanent categories,'' he said.
Addressing
the large gathering of students, the envoy said Japan had followed the path of
a peace loving nation and is now the second largest contributor to the regular
budget of the UN, after the US.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UN-member-countries-must-unite-to-wipe-out-terrorism-Japanese-envoy-says/articleshow/44488829.cms
-----------
Pakistan
Next Eid
will be celebrated in ‘Naya Pakistan’: Imran
06 Oct,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan said Monday that the next
Eid would be celebrated in ‘Naya Pakistan.’
Addressing
workers at the sit-in on D-Chowk, the PTI chairman said the IDPs would soon
return home. He added that the condition of IDPs and flood victims was
horrendous.
Khan
told workers that by spending their Eid at the sit-in, they had sent a message
to Pakistanis that they were willing to sacrifice their happiness for a larger
purpose.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-161847-Next-Eid-will-be-celebrated-in-Naya-Pakistan:-Imran-
-----------
Zardari
urges political forces to join hands for democracy
06 Oct,
2014
LAHORE:
Former president and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has asked all the
political forces to join hands to strengthen democracy and resolve problems
facing the country.
He was
talking to PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and senior party leader
Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, who called on him in Lahore on Sunday. Zardari said that
“we believe in politics of reconciliation”. He said an elected prime minister
cannot be forced to resign through unconstitutional means. He urged the PML-Q
leadership to play its part for strengthening the democratic system rather than
resort to the politics of agitation. Zardari has felicitated Muslims throughout
the world on the eve of Eidul Azha.
In his
message for Eid, he said, “Eidul Azha has a two-fold theme for the Muslims
throughout the world. First the willingness and readiness to offer the highest
sacrifice in the cause of Allah and second the unity of the Muslims. I greet
the Muslims throughout the world in general and of Pakistan in particular on
this auspicious occasion. “Eidul Azha should serve to remind us that we have an
obligation to our community through which we attain a higher purpose in life.
So while we celebrate and rejoice let us also pause and ponder over the plight
of our less fortunate brethren.”
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/punjab/06-Oct-2014/zardari-urges-political-forces-to-join-hands-for-democracy
-----------
Drone
strike kills five in South Waziristan
06 Oct,
2014
PESHAWAR:
A suspected US drone strike in South Waziristan tribal region's Shawal area on
Sunday killed at least five persons.
Official
sources say the drone fired two missiles on a compound in Kand Ghar area of
Shawal district, which stretches across both North and South Waziristan tribal
regions.
Some
local sources said that a high level target is among those killed in the attack
but the identity is yet to be ascertained.
The
drones reportedly hovered above the area for some time, causing panic and fear
among the locals.
These
details could not be independently verified since the media's access is
severely restricted in the troubled region.
South
Waziristan is among Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border
which are rife with homegrown insurgents and are alleged to be strongholds of
Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, among others.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1136422/drone-strike-kills-five-in-south-waziristan
-----------
Three
killed, two injured in Khuzdar firing
06 Oct,
2014
QUETTA:
At least three people were killed and two others injured in a firing incident
in the Khuzdar area of Balochistan on Monday morning.
Levies
officials told Dawn that armed men opened fire at a pickup van and killed three
people in the Zehri area of Khuzdar.
The
injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
The
assailants sped away on their motorcycles after the attack.
Levies
officials arrived at the site of incident as an investigation into the incident
went under way.
Levies
officials said that it was not yet confirmed whether the atttack was an
incident of targeted killing or the result of a tribal dispute.
Panic
prevailed in the area in the aftermath of firing incident.
Khuzdar
has been under the grip of violence for more than seven years.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1136562/three-killed-two-injured-in-khuzdar-firing
-----------
MQM
takes notice of Bilawal's 'namaloom afraad' speech
06 Oct,
2014
KARACHI:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Monday took notice of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's 'namaloon afraad' speech targeted at
the party, and has summoned meetings of its Rabita committee in Karachi and
London respectively.
Addressing
a gathering of PPP workers earlier in the day, Bilawal had said that MQM chief
Altaf Hussain should keep his 'namaloom afraad' in check, adding that if anyone
was targeted at PPP's public meeting on October 18, then he would turn to the
London Metropolitan police.
Namaloom
afraad — which in English translates to unknown persons — is a colloquial term
for miscreants.
Not even
sparing Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in his fiery speech,
Bilawal said that the cricketer-turned politician should learn politics from
the Bhutto clan, just like the latter would seek help from him on cricket if
needed.
“Politics
is not a game, Khan sahib,” the PPP leader said in a derisive tone, while
addressing a gathering of PPP workers.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1136564/mqm-takes-notice-of-bilawals-namaloom-afraad-speech
-----------
Protesters
will condemn their own actions in future: Nawaz
06 Oct,
2014
NAROWAL:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday criticized the ongoing protests by
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and claimed the
sit-ins had caused great losses to the national economy.
"The
protesting parties will condemn their own actions in future," Nawaz said
adding that, "Such actions will never get them votes." He was
addressing a gathering of flood victims in Punjab's northeastern city of
Narowal.
The
premier vowed to rebuild the infrastructure damaged by devastating floods and
resettle the displaced population.
“Pakistanis
have been and are going through the ravages of unprecedented floods that
witnessed a surge of public sympathy and sacrifice for the affected,” Nawaz
said.
“Let me
assure all Pakistanis in distress that your resolve has deeply impressed upon
us the need to hasten and increase our efforts,” he added.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1136567/protesters-will-condemn-their-own-actions-in-future-nawaz
-----------
Bilawal
asks Imran to learn politics from Bhutto
06 Oct,
2014
KARACHI:
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has asked Imran
Khan to learn politics from Bhutto, referring to his grandfather Z.A. Bhutto,
Geo News reported.
Addressing
party workers on the occasion of Eidul Azha at Bilawal House Karachi on Monday,
the PPP Chairman also criticized Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and MQM Chief
Altaf Hussain.
Bilawal
warned Altaf Hussain to control his "Namaloom Afraad," saying that
“Uncle Altaf if my workers get a scratch, forget London police I (Bilawal) will
make your life miserable.”
Bilawal
said although Nawaz Sharif went into exile but had never sacrificed even a
‘kitten,’ adding that PPP had sacrificed lives for democracy.
“We are
BB’s Jialas and born in the battle ground,” Bilawal said, adding that PPP will
continue its family politics.
Bilawal
Bhutto Zardai further said: “PPP is like a family. I am Bhutto, you and every
worker is Bhutto. Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf are also Bhutto.”
He added that the next prime minister will be 'Bhutto.'
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-161837-Bilawal-asks-Imran-to-learn-politics-from-Bhutto
-----------
Karachi:
Two TTP men killed on Northern Bypass
06 Oct,
2014
KARACHI:
The personnel of the Sectarian Cell of the Crime Investigation Department (CID)
Sindh late on Sunday night gunned down two members of the banned
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, including their Naib Karachi Ameer.
Following
a tip-off, Chief of the Sectarian Cell, Khurram Waris along with his team
raided the Northern Bypass area late on Sunday night. On seeing the police, the
accused opened fire which was retaliated and an encounter took place.
After a
brief encounter, police arrested two members of the banned outfit in an injured
condition while their associates fled.
The
alleged terrorists were shifted to a local hospital where they died. Police
also recovered 18 kilograms of explosives, two hand grenades, two launchers,
and pistols. Police sources said one of the terrorists, identified as Mufti
Jawed, was the Naib Ameer of the banned TTP from Karachi.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-161824-Karachi:-Two-TTP-men-killed-on-Northern-Bypass
-----------
Qadri
takes back legal notice served on Bilawal
06 Oct,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) took back a legal notice served on Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his comments
against PAT chief Tahirul Qadri, just a few hours after it was served.
Qadri
had served a Rs 1 billion legal notice on the PPP chief “for abusive comments
on Sunday”. The notice was served by PAT’s lawyer Ishtiaq Chaudhry on behalf of
Tahirul Qadri. It asked Bilawal to either apologise or pay Rs 1 billion within
15 days. On Saturday, while criticising Qadri, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had
called him a cartoon and said that the cleric speaks one thing one day and
something completely opposite the next. The decision of withdrawing the legal
notice was taken by Qadri, saying that Bilawal Bhutto was like his children. He
said that the notice was issued by his lawyer without taking his consent.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/06-Oct-2014/qadri-takes-back-legal-notice-served-on-bilawal
-------
Europe
Suicide
bomber kills four police officers in Russia's Chechnya
06 Oct,
2014
Four
police officers were killed and four more were wounded on Sunday when a suicide
bomber detonated explosives ahead of celebrations for a local holiday in
Russia's volatile region of Chechnya, state news agency RIA cited local police
as saying.
There
were no immediate reports of civilian deaths or injuries, RIA said.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/112409/World/International/Suicide-bomber-kills-four-police-officers-in-Russi.aspx
--------
Bristol's
muslim community condemn the murder of cabbie Alan Henning
By The
Bristol Post
October
06, 2014
BRISTOL’s
biggest mosques have spoken of their disgust at the latest atrocity committed
by the IS terror organisation in Syria.
The
beheading of taxi driver and aid worker Alan Henning has caused outrage across
the world and comes after a string of similar barbaric acts.
The
group say it committed the atrocity after Britain voted to back military action
in Syria and Iraq in a bid to flush out the terrorists.
The
47-year-old former taxi driver from Greater Manchester was captured by
militants from the extremist group Islamic State in December.
He was
shown at the end of a video last month after the murder of fellow British captive
David Haines with a warning that he would killed next.
As a
result of the murder a statement was issued by the Council of Bristol Mosques.
The
statement read: “For the many who pleaded with IS to show mercy and release
Alan Henning especially in the time of the Hajj festivities, will now be
feeling an utter disgust to know Alan Henning is no longer amongst us.
Full
report at:
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-s-muslim-community-condemn-murder-cabbie/story-23050069-detail/story.html#ixzz3FMZPw671
-----------
NATO
says will take action to protect Turkey if needed
06 Oct,
2014
The NATO
military alliance has the option of moving land troops into Turkey if that
proves necessary to protect Turkish security in the face of attacks from
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), NATO Secretary-General Jens
Stoltenberg said on Oct. 6.
Clashes
have recently intensified in the Kurdish populated Syrian town of Kobane and
rising smoke from the clashes can been seen from Suruç.
Bullets
fly from Kobane into Turkey
Dozens
of mortar shells and bullets have hit houses in Turkish border villages as militants entered the outer neighborhoods of
of Kobane.
The
Turkish military increased measures and deployed 25 tanks to a hill near
Mürşitpınar village on Oct. 6, while a senior Army commander inspected troops
positioned near the border.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/nato-says-will-take-action-to-protect-turkey-if-needed.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72600&NewsCatID=359
-----------
Rights
group demands UAE reveal whereabouts of Libyans, Emiratis
06 Oct,
2014
An
international human rights group on Sunday accused the United Arab Emirates of
secretly arresting 10 Libyan citizens and six Emiratis in August and September
and called on authorities in Abu Dhabi to reveal their whereabouts.
The UAE
made no official comment on the report but a source familiar with legal
procedures in the country said the individuals were being held in connection
with financing terrorism and facilitating arms shipments to militants.
Human
Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement the circumstances surrounding the
detentions appeared consistent with previous cases in which authorities had
detained Emirati citizens associated with a local Islamist group and foreign
nationals with alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/112416/World/Region/Rights-group-demands-UAE-reveal-whereabouts-of-Lib.aspx
-----------
Mideast
Gazans
pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque for first time since 2007
World
Bulletin / News Desk
Oct 6,
2014
Around
500 Palestinians left the Gaza Strip on Sunday en route to occupied East
Jerusalem to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the first time since 2007.
Israel
has allowed 500 Gazans to pray at the holy site as part of
"facilities" offered to Palestinians during the Muslim Eid al-Adha
feast, which started on Saturday.
A source
in the Palestinian Civil Affairs Ministry had earlier told Anadolu Agency that
Israel would allow 500 residents of the Gaza Strip to pray at the Al-Aqsa
Mosque for three days starting Sunday.
Ever
since Hamas – which Israel deems a "terrorist" organization – won
2006 Palestinian legislative polls, Israel has imposed a tight land and sea
blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Israel
tightened the blockade on Gaza further after Hamas wrested control of the
enclave from the rival Fatah movement one year later.
For
Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site.
Jews,
for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it
was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel
occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the
holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish
state – a move never recognized by the international community.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/145680/gazans-pray-at-al-aqsa-mosque-for-first-time-since-2007
-----------
‘IS 1 km
from Kobane, airstrikes not enough’
Oct 6,
2014
ANKARA:
Islamic State (IS) militants are just one kilometer from the Syrian town of
Kobane and air strikes are not enough on their own to stop them, a Syrian
Kurdish official said on Sunday.
No IS
fighters were yet inside Kobane, according to Idris Nahsen, deputy foreign
minister of the region, who spoke to AFP by phone from the besieged town.
“They
are one km away in some places and two or three kilometers in other places,” he
added.
There
have been further US-led air strikes aimed at stopping the militants but Nahsen
said they would not be enough by themselves to stop the advance of IS.
“They
are not enough to defeat terrorist groups on the ground. They (the US-led
coalition) have to help with ammunition and weaponry.
“The
strikes are helping but we need heavy weaponry, armored vehicles, cannons,
rockets. And air strikes need to be more effective,” he told AFP.
Kurdish
fighters have been battling the advance of IS militants around Kobane for the
last two weeks. Some 186,000 refugees have fled to Turkey since the fighting
began.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/640261
-----------
Israel
mulls second Al-Aqsa gate for Jewish settlers
World
Bulletin / News Desk
06 Oct,
2014
The
Israeli Tourism Ministry is considering dedicating a second gate for Jewish
settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.
According
to Israeli army radio, the ministry is studying plans to allow settlers and
tourists to enter the holy site through the Al-Qataneen gate.
Currently,
Israel allows Jewish settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque via the Magharbeh gate.
Officials
in the Jordanian-run Awqaf authority, which oversees the mosque, could not be
reached for comment.
In
recent months, groups of extremist Jewish settlers – often accompanied by
Israeli security forces – have repeatedly forced their way into East
Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/145716/israel-mulls-second-al-aqsa-gate-for-jewish-settlers
--------
180
jihadists traded by Turkey for hostages: report
06 Oct,
2014
Some 180
jihadists, including two British citizens, were handed over to the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the deal to secure the release of the
hostages abducted from Turkey’s consulate in Mosul, The Times has reported.
A total
of 49 Turkish Embassy staff were held hostage by ISIL for 101 days before being
released on Sept. 20.
The
Times reported that 18-year-old Shabazz Suleman and 26-year-old Hisham Folkard
are thought to be among the 180 jihadists returned in exchange, and are being
investigated by British counter-terrorism officers.
The
report said it has gained access to the list of the swapped jihadists, which
also includes three French citizens, two Swedish citizens, two Macedonians, one
Swiss and one Belgian.
Turkey
contacted tribes in the region and other armed groups to achieve the deal, it
added.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/180-jihadists-traded-by-turkey-for-hostages-report.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72587&NewsCatID=352
-----------
Israel
plans $4bln privatization to enable ‘more transparency’
6
October 2014
Israel
plans to fully or partly privatize a number of state-owned companies in a move
aimed at boosting efficiency, reducing the national debt and fighting corruption.
The
decision, approved by the ministerial socio-economic cabinet, was expected to
add 15 billion shekels ($4.07 billion, 3.26 billion euros) to state coffers
over the next three years, the finance ministry said Sunday.
Minority
stocks will be issued for firms "in which the state has an interest in
retaining long-term governmental control" such as Israel's electricity
corporation, aviation, trains, water, mail and natural gas industries, a
ministry statement read.
It will
also sell companies in which it has "no long-term interest", such as
the ports at Ashdod and Haifa, a modified and declassified military industry
(with the state retaining the right to determine the ownership), the Dead Sea
Works and others.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/economy/2014/10/06/Israel-plans-4bln-privatization-to-enable-more-transparency-.html
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Cost to
rebuild Gaza? $4 billion, political will
5
October 2014
More
than five weeks after the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, tens of thousands
of people whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged in the fighting still
live in classrooms, storefronts and other crowded shelters.
In some
of the hardest-hit areas, the displaced have pitched tents next to the debris
that once was their homes.
Yet despite
their pressing needs, reconstruction efforts appear stymied by a continued
Israeli-Egyptian border blockade of Gaza and an unresolved power struggle
between the Islamic militant group Hamas and Western-backed Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas.
Those
involved in rebuilding say the post-war paralysis finally will come to an end
next week, with an international pledging conference in Cairo. There, Abbas is
to ask for $4 billion for Gaza, including for the rebuilding or repair of more
than 60,000 homes and 5,000 businesses.
Once the
money is raised, a United Nations deal is to ensure that large amounts of
building materials get into Gaza, despite the blockade. Under the arrangement,
Israel would gradually ease restrictions, while Abbas - who lost Gaza to Hamas
in 2007 - is to regain some control there and make sure cement and steel meant
for reconstruction aren’t diverted.
But
James Rawley, a senior U.N. official involved in the reconstruction,
acknowledged the deal is fragile.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/10/05/Cost-to-rebuild-Gaza-4-billion-political-will.html
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Senior
Iranian MP Lauds Ecuador for Supporting Palestine, Syria
06 Oct,
2014
Chairman
of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission
Alaeddin Boroujerdi in a meeting with Ecuadorian Parliament Speaker Gabriela
Rivadeneira appreciated the Latin American state for its principled policies on
Palestine and Syria.
"Ecuador's
principled positions on Palestine and the Syrian crisis and opposition to the
foreign interference in this sensitive region are among the two countries'
(Iran and Ecuador) commonalities in area of foreign policy," Boroujerdi
said during the meeting in Quito.
He also
underlined the necessity for strengthening relations between the two countries
in all spheres, specially in parliamentary fields, and said expansion of ties
with revolutionary countries is a priority in Iran's foreign policy.
Full
report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930714000507
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South Asia
China
issues white paper on Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
06 Oct,
2014
BEIJING:
The Chinese government released a white paper Sunday detailing history and
achievements made by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) to
mark its 60th founding anniversary, highlighting its role in maintaining social
stability and enhancing border defense.
“It has
been a consistent policy of the central government to support the growth of the
XPCC,” said the white paper, published by the State Council Information Office
under the title “History and Development of the Xinjiang Production and
Construction Corps.”
At
present, Xinjiang is at a critical stage of achieving lasting social and
political stability, the white paper said.
“It has
been China’s long-term strategy to give better play to the unique role of the
XPCC in maintaining stability and safeguarding the border,” it said. “Under new
conditions, the XPCC should never be allowed to weaken, but rather be strengthened.”
The
white paper elaborated on the founding, development, responsibilities,
structure of the XPCC and its roles in promoting economic development,
safeguarding the border areas, maintaining stability, and promoting ethnic
unity in the western region.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/region/06-Oct-2014/china-issues-white-paper-on-xinjiang-production-and-construction-corps
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Afghan
Air Force MD-530F helicopters to be upgraded to armed version
06 Oct,
2014
Pentagon
has awarded MD Helicopters Inc. a maximum $44.2 million firm-fixed-price
contract to develop and provide an armament package for the MD-530F helicopters
that were already supplied to the Afghan Air Force.
Around
17 of the Afghan Air Force’s MD-530F helicpter will be upgraded under the
contract which is expected to be completed by the end of September next year.
The
delivery of MD-530F helicopters was awarded to MD Helicopters, Inc. in Mesa, in
March 2011.
Afghan
Air Force has already received 6 MD-530F helicopter and is expecting to receive
up to 54 more helicopters under the 4 year contract.
MD-530F
helicopters are designed for high altitude and/or hot weather operations, where
thinner air costs helicopters some of their lift.
Afghan
Air Force is also expecting to receive 20 A-29 Super Tucano light air support
aircraft which will replace the Mi-35 attack helicopter that reaches the end of
its service life in January 2016.
According
to reports, the first of 20 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft arrived here Sept. 26,
in preparation for the Afghanistan pilot and maintenance training mission.
The
aircrafts will be used to train 30 Afghan pilots and 90 Afghan maintainers as
part of a requirement from the International Security Assistance Force to
conduct training outside of Afghanistan.
http://www.khaama.com/afghan-air-force-md-530f-helicopters-to-be-upgraded-to-armed-version-6800
-----------
Southeast Asia
Indonesia
struggles with Islamic State recruiting
06 Oct,
2014
A
businessman who proclaims himself leader of the Indonesian chapter of the
Islamic State group says he has personally overseen the departure of scores of
fighters from this Southeast Asian nation to Syria and Iraq. Police detained
him for a night recently, but were unable to charge him with a crime. Chep
Hernawan reflects both the success IS has had in attracting support in the
region, and the challenges Indonesia faces in responding.]
The
government, home to most of the up to 200 Southeast Asians believed to be
fighting in Syria and Iraq, has forcefully spoken out against the Islamic
State, as have mainstream Muslim organizations in the country. But translating
that into stronger legal tools that could stop suspected militants from
traveling abroad, for example, will be a challenge given the fractious nature
of the next parliament and other legislative priorities, according to a recent
report into the evolution of the Islamic State group by the Institute of Policy
Analysis for Conflict.
National
Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said his force could only monitor IS
supporters.
“If they
have no record of terrorism activities then they can’t be charged under our
criminal law,” he said.
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/asia/isis-threat-indonesia-struggles-with-islamic-state-recruiting/99/#sthash.tQ26a6i9.dpuf
-----------
Azmin to
meet Selangor Islamic bodies over Bible impasse
06 Oct,
2014
elangor
Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali is still waiting for the state Islamic
authorities to explain the impasse over their seizure of Malay and Iban-language
Bibles from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).
"I
haven't received an explanation from Jais and Mais. This will be the next issue
we address as we have been focusing on the water restructuring agreement and
other matters last week," Azmin said when met at his Hari Raya Aidiladha
open house in Hulu Kelang today.
Meetings
with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and the Selangor Islamic
Council (Mais) are in the pipeline, he said, adding that he had to prioritise
which of the contentious issues inherited from his predecessor Tan Sri Abdul
Khalid Ibrahim to deal with first.
Azmin
said he would send a formal written request to the federal government to
release the Selangor water agreement from the Official Secrets Act. To date,
his administration still has not seen a copy of the agreement signed by Khalid
and Putrajaya, although they have been briefed on the documents by the state's
investment arm, Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB).
Asked
whether the Bibles were still in the custody of the religious authorities,
Azmin said he did not have that information.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/azmin-to-meet-selangor-islamic-bodies-over-bible-impasse#sthash.ZSmeApp9.dpuf
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We’re
monitoring social media activity on terrorism, says minister
06 Oct,
2014
The
Communication and Multimedia Ministry is gravely concerned about the promotion
of violence and terrorism through the internet.
"Hence,
we are monitoring activities in the social media closely," said its minister
Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek (pic).
However,
he said, it was not easy to keep track of every social website which could be
freely and indiscriminately misused as a tool or platform for undesirable
activities.
"Some
developed countries may have taken measures to enhance their effectiveness in
monitoring the goings-on in the social media.
"Even
so, it is not an easy task because social media users are in the hundreds of
thousands daily," he told reporters at an Aidiladha function at Padang
Kubu, near Kemaman in Terengganu, today.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/were-monitoring-social-media-activity-on-terrorism-says-minister-bernama#sthash.PoJoLh0O.dpuf
--------
Africa
Gaddafi-era
intelligence HQ detonated in Benghazi
World
Bulletin / News Desk
Oct 6,
2014
Unidentified
militants detonated a building belonging to late strongman Muammar Gaddafi-era
intelligence service in Libya's eastern Benghazi city on Monday.
No
casualties were reported in the blast in Benghazi's Fuwayhat district,
according to eyewitnesses.
There
has been no claim of responsibility for the blast.
Libya
has been dogged by political instability since Gaddafi's 2011 ouster and death,
with several militias holding onto their weapons following the bloody uprising.
Benghazi,
Libya's second city, has recently turned into a battlefield between troops
loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar and the Ansar al-Sharia militia, while
the Libyan government has remained largely absent from the scene.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/145713/gaddafi-era-intelligence-hq-detonated-in-benghazi
-----------
Somali
troops secure key port after capture from Shebab
06 Oct,
2014
Somali
military commanders Monday celebrated the capture of the last major port held
by Islamist Shebab insurgents, as the government secured control of the town
for the first time in over two decades.
"Al-Shebab
are no longer in Barawe," military commander Abdirisak Khalif Elmi told
hundreds of residents Monday, calling on citizens to support the government.
Tanks
and armoured vehicles patrolled the town Monday, after the Al-Qaeda linked
Shebab retreated late last week ahead of the advance.
The
capture of Barawe, with troops entering Sunday but with mopping up operations
continuing, removes a key source of revenue for the Islamist militia.
The
African Union's AMISOM force, which draws 22,000 soldiers from six nations,
said Barawe, 200 kilometres (120 miles) southwest of Mogadishu, fell without
"much resistance from the terrorist group."
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/112443/World/International/Somali-troops-secure-key-port-after-capture-from-S.aspx
-----------
Niger
declares mourning for slain peacekeepers
World
Bulletin / News Desk
06 Oct,
2014
Niger on
Sunday declared a three-day mourning period over the killing of nine
peacekeepers in neighboring Mali two days earlier.
The
Nigerien government said in a statement that flags will be flown at half-mast
during the mourning period.
Nine
Nigerien troops deployed under the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSMA were
killed Friday in an attack by gunmen in the southern Malian city of Gao.
The
Nigerien government vowed to "stand by the brotherly Malian people"
despite the attack.
Since
early September, U.N. peacekeepers deployed in northern Mali have been the
target of repeated attacks by militants.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/145695/niger-declares-mourning-for-slain-peacekeepers
-----------
Australia
Australia,
Belgium launch anti-ISIS missions in Iraq
6
October 2014
Australian
and Belgian fighter jets have flown their first armed combat mission in Iraq
against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), official sources said on
Monday.
“The
Super Hornet aircraft conducted an air interdiction and close air support
mission over northern Iraq overnight,” the Australian Defence Force said in a
statement.
“The
Super Hornets were on-call to attack targets as identified.
“On this
occasion the aircraft did not use their munitions and have returned to base to
disarm and prepare for future sorties.”
The
flights are the first since the Australian government on Friday authorized
strikes on ISIS militants in Iraq.
Canberra
is also deploying 200 soldiers to Iraq, including special forces, to advise Iraqi
and Kurdish troops but has yet to receive the final approval from the Iraqi
government.
Australia
is part of the international coalition conducting an air campaign against IS
that the United States has been building since first launching air strikes in
August.
Australian
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has spoken strongly against IS, saying the decision
to support international operations is in Australia’s national interest.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2014/10/06/Australia-Belgium-begin-anti-ISIS-missions.html
-----------
Crime
and gangs: the path to battle for Australia’s Islamist radicals
6
October 2014
The
children of refugees who fled Lebanon’s civil war for peaceful Australia in the
1970s form a majority of Australian militants fighting in the Middle East,
according to about a dozen counter-terrorism officials, security experts and
Muslim community members.
Of the
160 or so Australian militants believed to be in Iraq or Syria, several are in
senior leadership positions, they say.
But
unlike fighters from Britain, France or Germany, who experts say are mostly
jobless and alienated, a number of the Australian fighters grew up in a
tight-knit criminal gang culture, dominated by men with family ties to the
region around the Lebanese city of Tripoli, near the border with Syria.
Not
every gang member becomes an Islamic radical and the vast majority of Lebanese
Australians are not involved in crime or in radicalism of any sort. Australian
Muslims say they are unfairly targeted by law enforcement, especially after the
surge in fighting in Iraq and Syria, and that racial tensions are on the verge
of spiraling out of control.
Still,
there is a clear nexus between criminals and radicals within the immigrant
Lebanese Muslim community, New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Nick
Kaldas told Reuters.
“It is
good training,” said Kaldas, himself an immigrant from Egypt and a native
Arabic speaker.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/10/06/Crime-and-gangs-the-path-to-battle-for-Australia-s-Islamist-radicals.html
-----------