Over 100 ISIL Militants Killed in Iraqi Army Operations
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 May 2014
An Iraqi policeman stand near burning vehicles moments after one in a series of bombs hit the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City, in Baghdad, Iraq on Tuesday.
Arab World
• Over 100 ISIL Militants Killed in Iraqi Army Operations
• Car bomb attacks kill 28 people in Baghdad
• Dissolving our Nour Party better than bloodshed: Salafist leader
• Twitter gives abandoned, crippled Saudi hope
• Three imams banned for life over Muslim Brotherhood links
• Over 400 Syrian Rebels Change Front, Join Army in Damascus
• Morsi's pardons of Islamists to be reviewed: Interior minister
• Muslim Leaders Slam Boko Haram for Using Islam to Justify Schoolgirl Kidnappings
Africa
• Nigeria rejects Boko Haram offer to swap schoolgirls for prisoners
• Algerian army kills 12 Islamists: Ministry
• Suicide car bomb kills 11 in Somalia
'• Significant' Iran role in Sudan arms sector: Study
North America
• U.S. flies ‘manned’ mission to find Boko Haram girls
• Kerry, Abbas to meet after peace talks collapse
• Rice: No nuclear deal with Iran unless actions 'verifiable'
• Hollywood heavyweights take on Sultan of Brunei for imposing Sharia law
• US presence in Afghanistan to remain significant: envoy
South Asia
• Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Trial to Create Tribunal History
• Taliban leader involved in complex attacks in Kabul has been killed
• 3 policemen killed, 2 others injured in Jawzjan blast
Pakistan
• Haqqani appointed as TTP interim chief for South Waziristan
• Pakistani police charge 68 lawyers with blasphemy over protest
• Govt actions not good for dialogue process: Jamaat-e-Islami
• Out ‘criminals’ from Taliban: Mullah Omar
• MQM warns of Karachi lockdown if Altaf not issued NICOP, passport
• PTI, PML-Q discuss formation of grand alliance against PML-N govt
• Four killed in Lahore ‘shootout’
• Beware of ‘hands’ sowing rift between us: Iran to Pakistan
India
• India, Pak should ensure LoC is like border: Special envoy of Manmohan Singh
Mideast
• Hamas-Fatah unity government to be announced by end of month
• Netanyahu: If Fatah-Hamas unity deal signed, we'll hold Abbas responsible for every rocket
• Iran exhibits anti-aircraft system, drone copied from American UAV
• PM Erdoğan slams Israel, Germany, US and others while defending Turkey’s press freedom
• Al-Qaeda groups threaten Turkey's security: Foreign Minister
• Court sentences Olmert to 6 years in prison; first Israeli PM ever to go behind bars
Southeast Asia
• Indonesian man questions God, lands in prison
• Indonesian Islamic groups condemn Boko Haram
• Filipinos want ‘defective’ e-passports investigated
Europe
• Crusade against British Muslims in education
• French police arrest six suspected Syria jihadists
• World powers 'set to draft' grand compromise with Iran
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/over-100-isil-militants-killed/d/76999
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Arab World
Over 100 ISIL Militants Killed in Iraqi Army Operations
May 13, 2014
Iraqi troops launched an offensive against the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group, killing 100 militants and regaining the control of militant-held areas in the country’s Western province of al-Anbar.
On Monday, police retook the occupied areas of the city of Fallujah, in the Iraqi province of Anbar, from ISIL terrorists and seized large amount of weapons and ammunitions from the militants, Al-Alam reported.
Anbar plunged into violence in December 2013 when the army removed a militant base in the provincial capital Ramadi. Authorities said the camp was used as “headquarters for the leadership of al-Qaeda.”
Iraqi troops, backed by local tribesmen, have since been fighting al-Qaeda-affiliated militants in the region.
On April 15, the Fallujah dam was reportedly seized by militants of the ISIL in the restive province. The militants closed off the dam for days, temporarily halting the water supply to most Southern provinces. The lack of water has also resulted in extreme power cuts.
In March, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Saudi Arabia and Qatar were responsible for the security crisis and growing terrorism in his country, denouncing the Al Saud regime as a major supporter of global terrorism.
Iraq is currently witnessing a wave of attacks unprecedented in recent years. Based on official figures, over 1,000 people, mostly civilians lost their lives in attacks across Iraq in April.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930223000125
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Car bomb attacks kill 28 people in Baghdad
May 13, 2014
A wave of car bombings in mainly Shiite areas of Baghdad killed 28 people on Tuesday, officials said, the latest in a surge in violence that has been the most serious challenge to the government’s efforts to achieve stability across Iraq.
The attacks came as Iraqi Shiites were celebrating the birthday of Imam Ali, the cousin and son—in—law of the Prophet Muhammad and Shiite Islam’s most sacred martyr.
In the Baghdad neighbourhood of Sadr City, a car bomb went off in the morning hours, killing four people and wounding six, police officials said. Another car bomb elsewhere in Sadr City exploded near a cluster of homes, killing two people and wounding seven.
A short while later, a car bomb exploded in a commercial street in Baghdad’s eastern district of Jamila, killing three people and wounding 10. Police said a fourth car bomb went off near a traffic police office in eastern Baghdad, killing four people, including a traffic policeman. Seven people were wounded in that attack.
“I was wounded in my right shoulder. I went out of the car and I saw dead and wounded people on the ground. Everybody was in panic,” said Kadhum, after receiving treatment in a nearby hospital.
Also on Tuesday, a car bomb exploded at a square in downtown Baghdad, killing two people and wounding eight, police said. Another car bomb went off in a commercial street in Baghdad’s Shiite eastern district of Ur, killing five people and wounding 11.
Elsewhere in Baghdad, a car bomb exploded near an out—door market in the eastern Shiite suburb of Maamil, killing three people and wounding 14.
In the afternoon, a car bomb went off near a market in Baghdad’s southern Dora district, killing five people and wounding 12 others.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which bore the hallmarks of al—Qaeda—inspired Sunni militants who consider Shiites to be “infidels.”
Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.
According to the United Nations, 8,868 people were killed in Iraq last year, the country’s highest death toll since the peak of sectarian bloodletting in 2007 and 2008.
Earlier AP reported that 19 were killed in a series of car bombs near Baghdad city.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/car-bomb-attacks-kill-28-people-in-baghdad/article6005137.ece
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Dissolving our Nour Party better than bloodshed: Salafist leader
May 13, 2014
Egypt's Islamist Salafist Call movement, the mother-movement of the Salafist Nour Party that garnered the second-largest number of seats in Egypt's 2012 parliamentary elections, said its political party could be dissolved if the only other option was bloodshed.
Speaking at a Nour Party camp in Alexandria on Sunday, the movement's deputy head, prominent Salafist figure Yasser Borhami, said that "confrontation" wasn't an option for the movement and party.
The interest of the country and preaching about Islam is the priority, said Borhami.
He urged his audience to participate in Egypt's upcoming presidential elections – scheduled for 26-27 May – and to urge others to vote as well.
The Nour Party has announced its support of former army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's presidential hopes. The party and movement supported El-Sisi's move to oust former Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi after mass protests against him in June 2013.
The Salafist Call and Nour Party – allies of the Brotherhood during their year in power – were branded traitors by Morsi supporters.
Borhami has repeatedly defended the movement's position and voiced severe criticism of the Brotherhood since their ouster last summer.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/101017/Egypt/Politics-/Dissolving-Nour-Party-better-than-bloodshed-Salafi.aspx
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Twitter gives abandoned, crippled Saudi hope
May 13, 2014
A cry for help on Twitter has changed the life of a bedridden, lonely Saudi young man.
In fact, a single Tweet was enough to see scores of residents flock to the bedside of 24-year-old Ibrahim, who had become paralyzed in an accident a year-and-a-half ago, only to be reportedly abandoned by his family a few months later.
Thousands of citizens queued at Ibrahim’s door at King Khaled Hospital in Riyadh to offer him moral support. His family reportedly has not visited him in three months and only his sister visits him on Fridays.
Ibrahim took to the social networking site after suffering depression at the sight of other patients being taken care of by their loved ones.
“I need stem cell treatment in Germany to recover from my injury and hope for someone to visit me,” Ibrahim tweeted on Sunday. “I have become restless. My father and brothers have not visited me for three months.”
He added: “I look around and see other patients being visited by their relatives and friends,” he said in his Tweet. His Tweet was “favorited” and retweeted thousands of times , making it one of the most retweeted posts over the past 24 hours.
A hashtag was created for Ibrahim, garnering even more support from sympathetic readers.
Even businessmen expressed their solidarity with Ibrahim, keeping him company and reassuring him that he is not alone. “I saw Ibrahim’s tweet last night and personally came to see him this morning to express my sympathy with his plight,” Waddah Omran, public relations manager at McDonald’s Riyadh, told Arab News.
Students from King Saud University also visited Ibrahim. “We should be there for one another in times of need,” they said.
Many well-wishers had to wait for their turn to enter Ibrahim’s room. Messages of sympathy and support also went viral on Facebook.
Khaled Al-Ammar, a Saudi businessman, has launched a fundraising campaign on Twitter to collect SR2 million to help Ibrahim afford treatment in Germany.
Al-Ammar has urged Saudi businessmen to extend financial support to a fellow countryman in need.
Many businessmen have since come forward with messages on Twitter pledging support for Ibrahim.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/570051
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Three imams banned for life over Muslim Brotherhood links
May 13, 2014
ABHA — Three well-known imams in the Southern Province have been banned for life from delivering sermons in mosques and religious camps or leading Friday prayers after they were found to be connected to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The decision was taken by concerned government circles.
According to the circles, the three imams also maintained direct contact with the Muslim Brotherhood in a number of Arab countries.
An informed source told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the three imams are well-known in their regions.
The source said the ban was imposed on them following their excessiveness in the dawa (call) platforms and on different social media tools.
He said 76 other imams, Muslim scholars, preachers and academics were being closely watched for their alleged connection with the Muslim Brotherhood.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140513204929
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Over 400 Syrian Rebels Change Front, Join Army in Damascus
May 13, 2014
TEHRAN (FNA)- Over 400 armed rebels changed their fronts and joined the Syrian army's fight against terrorist groups.
http://english.farsnews.com/player.aspx?nn=13930222001364
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Morsi's pardons of Islamists to be reviewed: Interior minister
May 13, 2014
Egypt's Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim said the ministry formed a committee to revise presidential pardons granted to Islamist "extremists" by former Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi during his one year in office.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ibrahim said the matter would be concluded promptly.
Soon after he was sworn into office, Morsi released tens of members of hard-line Islamist groups Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya and Islamic Jihad, both of which had orchestrated acts of violence against the state in the 1990s.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/101140/Egypt/Politics-/Morsis-pardons-of-Islamists-to-be-reviewed-Interio.aspx
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Muslim Leaders Slam Boko Haram For Using Islam To Justify Schoolgirl Kidnappings
May 13, 2014
The abduction three weeks ago of hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram is now generating worldwide attention and condemnation. Muslim leaders in various countries have criticized Boko Haram's leader for using Islamic teachings as his justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery. Others have focused on what they view as a slow response by Nigeria's government to the crisis. The British and French governments announced Wednesday that they would send teams of experts to complement the U.S. team heading to Nigeria to help with the search for the girls, and Nigeria's president said China has also offered assistance.
Full report at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/08/muslim-leaders-slam-boko-haram-islam_n_5287930.html
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Africa
Nigeria rejects Boko Haram offer to swap schoolgirls for prisoners
May 13, 2014
NEW YORK – The Nigerian government on Monday rejected an offer made by Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, to exchange more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped a month ago from their school in northern Nigeria for Boko Haram prisoners held by the government.
Speaking via video Monday, Shekau made the demand in a video that also showed approximately 100 of the kidnapped girls.
Obtained by Agence France-Presse, the video shows the girls wearing veils and praying. Shekau claimed that the girls had converted to Islam.
Over the weekend Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and French President François Hollande offered their services to the Nigerian government, which announced it would accept Israel’s offer of counter-terrorism expertise.
A statement from the Nigerian president’s office in Lagos said that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had “briefed Mr. Netanyahu on actions already being taken by Nigeria’s armed forces and security agencies to locate and rescue the girls, [and said] that Nigeria would be pleased to have Israel’s globally acknowledged anti-terrorism expertise deployed to support its ongoing operations,” AFP reported.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/International/Nigeria-rejects-Boko-Haram-offer-to-swap-schoolgirls-for-prisoners-352074
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Algerian army kills 12 Islamists: Ministry
May 13, 2014
A dozen Islamists have been killed over the past week by the Algerian army in the southern Tamanrasset province near the border with strife-torn Mali, the defence ministry announced Monday.
Soldiers found the bodies of two Islamist fighters on Monday at Tin Zaouatine in Algeria's far south, after a gun battle with the army which has been hunting militants in the area since May 5.
Their deaths bring to 12 the number of Islamists killed in the operation.
The government announced last week that the military had killed 10 Islamist fighters in clashes west of Tin Zaouatine, saying they were originally from Mali, Tunisia and Libya.
The military operation allowed the army to foil "a dangerous attempt to cross the border by a heavily armed terrorist group," the defence ministry said.
A large quantity of weapons was recovered, including 12 Kalashnikov-type assault rifles, an RPG-7 rocket launcher, four anti-tank mines and ammunition.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/101119/World/Region/Algerian-army-kills--Islamists-Ministry.aspx
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Suicide car bomb kills 11 in Somalia
May 13, 2014
A police officer in Somalia says a suicide car bomber thought to be targeting a former governor detonated his explosives in the town of Baidoa, killing at least 11 people.
Mohamed Salad said at least 20 others were wounded in the Monday bombing. Salad said three soldiers were among those killed.
The bombing took place in a crowded business district in Baidoa, in southwest Somalia, where members of the militant group al—Shabab control a lot of territory.
Al—Shabab has carried out dozens of bomb attacks in Mogadishu and other cities in recent years. The militant group is under pressure from African Union troops attacking the territory it controls.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/suicide-car-bomb-kills-11-in-somalia/article6001891.ece
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'Significant' Iran role in Sudan arms sector: Study
May 13, 2014
Evidence suggests Iran has played a key role in supporting war-torn Sudan's weapons production, while Tehran has also been Khartoum's second-biggest supplier of arms, a study said on Monday.
Some of those imported arms, along with others from China, have reached rebel groups in Sudan as well as South Sudan, said the Small Arms Survey report based on more than two years of investigation.
It said that there is "emerging evidence that Iran has played a significant role in supporting Sudan's weapons manufacturing sector".
China has also reportedly provided training and technical support for Sudanese weapons production, the report said.
It cited data showing that most of Sudan's imported small arms, light weapons, ammunition, rocket and grenade launchers have come from China in recent years.
But the report also elaborates on the extent of Sudan's military links with Iran, which have repeatedly been the subject of regional concern and speculation.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/101088/World/Region/Significant-Iran-role-in-Sudan-arms-sector-Study.aspx
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North America
U.S. flies ‘manned’ mission to find Boko Haram girls
13 May 2014
The United States was Monday flying “manned” missions over Nigeria to track down more than 200 abducted schoolgirls as experts pored over a new video seeking clues to where they are being held.
“We have shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over Nigeria with the government’s permission,” a senior administration official said, asking not to be named.
It was not immediately clear what kinds of aircraft were being deployed, nor where they had come from.
But a new video released by the Boko Haram group purportedly showing about 130 of the girls was being carefully studied by American experts in the hope it might yield vital clues as to where they are being held.
“Our intelligence experts are combing through every detail of the video for clues that might help ongoing efforts to secure the release of the girls,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said earlier Monday.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/05/13/U-S-flies-manned-mission-to-find-Boko-Haram-girls-.html
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Kerry, Abbas to meet after peace talks collapse
13 May 2014
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in London this week for the first time since peace talks collapsed last month, officials said Monday.
“Secretary Kerry will meet with president Abbas in London on Thursday,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
“While the door remains open to a peace process, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss our ongoing relationship with the Palestinians,” she said.
Earlier, a Palestinian official told AFP the “meeting will discuss a possible resumption of negotiations with Israel.”
Kerry will be in London for a meeting on Thursday about the three-year conflict in Syria.
The top U.S. diplomat dragged the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table in July, ending a three-year freeze in negotiations.
But his peace efforts derailed even before an April 29 deadline, with Palestinian and Israeli leaders exchanging recriminations and reneging on commitments made during nine months of fruitless talks.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/05/13/Kerry-Abbas-to-meet-after-peace-talks-collapse-.html
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Rice: No nuclear deal with Iran unless actions 'verifiable'
By REUTERS
May 13, 2014
WASHINGTON - Iran must agree to "verifiable action" to satisfy US concerns about its nuclear program or else there will be no final deal, President Barack Obama's top national security aide said on Monday on the eve of a new round of talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna.
Addressing an Israeli Independence Day celebration in Washington, US national security adviser Susan Rice sought to reassure a pro-Israel audience that Washington would take a tough line with Tehran, despite Israeli worries that the Obama administration is giving up too much in the negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a visit to Tokyo on Monday, said Iran's nuclear program was a "clear and present danger" and Tehran cannot be allowed to get the capability to make nuclear arms.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Rice-No-nuclear-deal-with-Iran-unless-actions-verifiable-352078
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Hollywood heavyweights take on Sultan of Brunei for imposing sharia law
May 13, 2014
The City of Beverly Hills voted unanimously last week to pressure the government of Brunei to divest the Beverly Hills Hotel, the pink-hued haunt of the Hollywood set, after the small country's enactment of sharia law prompted protests.
Comedians Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno and British entrepreneur Richard Branson have been the most prominent figures to advocate shunning the hotel and its bungalows, a favored locale for the Hollywood elite since it opened a century ago.
The resolution urges Brunei to divest its ownership of the hotel, and any other properties it owns within Beverly Hills, and condemns it and other countries that operate under Islamic criminal law.
Emotions were high in the packed council chambers as scores of rank-and-file employees, as well as residents and others, expressed opposition to human rights abuses, support for the fabled property, as well as a reliance on the hotel for jobs.
"This is misguided," Robert Anderson told Reuters after the vote. "We should be against human rights violations in all countries, not just the Brunei."
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/International/WATCH-Hollywood-heavyweights-take-on-Sultan-of-Brunei-for-imposing-sharia-law-351995
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US presence in Afghanistan to remain significant: envoy
May 13, 2014
TOKYO: The US-led military presence in Afghanistan will remain “significant” despite this year's drawdown, Washington's special envoy for the country said Tuesday, as he predicted that outgoing president Hamid Karzai would continue to wield influence.
James Dobbins, the US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, told reporters in Tokyo that Washington was “still considering” the details of the withdrawal plan.
“I hope we will decide sometime in the next month or two on the exact size of (the remaining) contingent,” Dobbins told journalists in the Japanese capital, where he is attending talks on supporting Afghanistan.
“We and our allies, I think, will be prepared for a continuing advisory mission, much smaller numbers than we have there today but still significant in terms of its ability to continue to improve the quality of the Afghan security forces,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1106031/us-presence-in-afghanistan-to-remain-significant-envoy
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South Asia
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Trial to Create Tribunal History
May 13 2014
For the first time in Bangladesh history, the prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal is ready to deal with the war crimes charges levelled against the Jamaat-e-Islami for its role during the 1971 Liberation War. With this step, Bangladesh is going to reach a milestone in the war crimes trials that began in 2009.
The prosecution is now mainly concentrating on this case and the formal charges may be placed this month. The investigation officer says the journey to prepare the probe report was not so easy.
In the past, seven Nazi organisations, including the Reich Cabinet, Hitler’s paramilitary force and Gestapo, and the secret police force of the Nazis, were tried at the historic Nuremberg Tribunal in Germany for war crimes committed during World War II.
The prosecution, however, claims that the case in Bangladesh is different from the Nuremberg Trials in some ways. After facing significant initial challenges, the prosecution thinks they have brought more order to their case. They may seek stern punishment following similar patterns in other international courts.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-rights/2014/may/13/jamaat%E2%80%99s-trial-create-tribunal-history
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Taliban leader involved in complex attacks in Kabul has been killed
May 13 2014
A senior Taliban leader who was believed to be involved in complex attacks in Afghanistan including capital Kabul has been killed
in an operation by Afghan security forces.
The Taliban leader – Mullah Rehamn was killed during an operation in southern Zabul province of Afghanistan, security sources said Tuesday.
The officials further that the Mullah Rehman was senior member of the Taliban group’s Quetta Council and was involved in major
and complex attacks in Kandahar province and capital Kabul.
Taliban militants group yet to comment regarding the report.
http://www.khaama.com/taliban-leader-involved-in-complex-attacks-in-kabul-has-been-killed-8078
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3 policemen killed, 2 others injured in Jawzjan blast
May 13 2014
Explosion in Jawzjan province According to local authorities in northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, at least three policemen were killed following an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion.
Provincial police spokesman, Abdul Manan Raufi confirming the report said the incident took place on Monday evening.
Mr. Raufi further added that two policemen were also injured following the explosion.
No group has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.
The Taliban militants frequently use improvised explosive device (IED) as the weapon of their choice to target Afghan and coalition security forces.
Jawzjan is among the relatively peaceful provinces in northern Afghanistan; however the anti-government armed militants have recently increased to their insurgency activities in this province.
http://www.khaama.com/3-policemen-killed-2-others-injured-in-jawzjan-blast-8077
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Pakistan
Haqqani appointed as TTP interim chief for South Waziristan
May 13, 2014
MIRAMSHAH: In a bid to reconcile the two warring factions of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the group’s central leadership on Monday appointed Khalid Sheikh Haqqani as the new interim chief of the South Waziristan Agency.
A source within the TTP said the move aims at ending the ongoing conflict between TTP Hakimullah group led by Shehryar Mehsud and Waliur Rahman group led by Khan Syed alias Sajna. During this infighting that started in the first week of April, more than 50 from both sides have been killed.
According to the source, the TTP central chief Fazlullah has send Khalid Sheikh Haqqani as the new interim chief and directed both Sajna and Sheryar to come to the negotiating table to resolve the issue.
The source said Haqqani had taken over and the main shura of the TTP would now decide about the new chief for South Waziristan. He said a new chief, to be appointed within two months, will be accepted by both the groups.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/707686/reconciliation-bid-haqqani-appointed-as-ttp-interim-chief-for-south-waziristan/
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Pakistani police charge 68 lawyers with blasphemy over protest
Reuters | May 13, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani police have registered a case of blasphemy against 68 lawyers who made a public protest after a police officer detained one of their colleagues, officials said on Tuesday, the latest in a tidal wave of such accusations flooding the country.
Analysts say the surge in accusations is a worrying sign the nuclear-armed nation of 180 million people is becoming less tolerant as militant ideas enter mainstream politics.
The colonial-era law does not define blasphemy, but the charge carries the death penalty. Presenting evidence can be considered a new infringement, so judges are reluctant to hear cases.
Judges who free those accused of blasphemy have been attacked and two politicians who suggested reforming the law were shot dead. Those acquitted have often been lynched.
Monday's charges followed a protest in which lawyers shouted slogans against senior police officer Umar Daraz for allegedly illegally detaining a lawyer in the Jhang district of central Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistani-police-charge-68-lawyers-with-blasphemy-over-protest/articleshow/35063476.cms
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Govt actions not good for dialogue process: Jamaat-e-Islami
May 13, 2014
PESHAWAR – Jamaat-e-Islami leader and member of peace talk committee from Taliban side Prof Muhammad Ibrahim on Tuesday said that lack of coordination with the government committee is affecting ongoing dialogue process with the Tehreek-e-Taliban.
Talking to a private TV channel, the Taliban negotiator said that operation was underway in South Waziristan whereas curfew continued in different parts of North Waziristan. Due to these actions, local people in the areas were facing food shortage, he said.
He said such actions were not good omen for future of the dialogue process. He also said that the government committee has neither contacted Taliban committee nor responded to it. The peace talks had been going on since February but recently stalled again when Taliban called off a ceasefire.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/13-May-2014/govt-actions-not-good-for-dialogue-process-ibrahim
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Out ‘criminals’ from Taliban: Mullah Omar
May 13, 2014
PESHAWAR – Taliban’s spiritual leader Mullah Muhammad Omar has ordered militant group to out criminals as they are defaming the armed militia, a private TV channel reported on Tuesday.
In a letter to Taliban, Mullah Omar said that the criminals were defaming the militant group and they should be expelled from the ranks immediately, the TV channel reported. He instructed Taliban leaders to wage an open war if the offenders resist.
On the other hand, Taliban commander Ahmad Marwat also urged that the militant group should obey the command of its spiritual leader. Mullah Omar was Afghanistan's de facto 11th head of state from 1996 to late 2001, under the official title “Head of the Supreme Council.”
Mullah Omar held the title commander of the faithful (Ameer-ul-Momineen) of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which was recognised by only three nations: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/13-May-2014/out-criminals-from-taliban-mullah-omar
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MQM warns of Karachi lockdown if Altaf not issued NICOP, passport
May 13, 2014
KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) warned on Monday to lockdown the port city if the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and passport were not issued to party Chief Altaf Hussain, DawnNews reported.
MQM’s Rabita (coordination) Committee, in an official statement issued here, condemned the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) for using delay tactics in the issuance of NICOP to Altaf Hussain.
The statement said the party and its workers would stage a countrywide protest if the NICOP was not issued to the MQM chief, who is living in a self-imposed exile in London for over 20 years.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1105887/mqm-warns-of-karachi-lockdown-if-altaf-not-issued-nicop-passport
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PTI, PML-Q discuss formation of grand alliance against PML-N govt
May 13, 2014
LAHORE: An opposition coalition is in the offing as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) discussed the formation of a grand alliance against the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) government, Express News reported on Tuesday.
PTI chief Imran Khan contacted PML-Q chairperson Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q Punjab president Chaudhry Pervez Elahi via telephone.
It was reported that on May 14 a three-member PTI delegation consisting of President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Vice-Chairperson Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Central General Secretary Jehangir Tareen will meet Hussain and Elahi in Islamabad to discuss the formation of the alliance and the start of a movement against the federal government.
During the telephone conversation, the PML-Q leaders reportedly said that their party will support PTI and do anything and everything for the progress of Imran’s agenda.
Improving the relationship of the two parties was also discussed during the conversation.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/707848/pti-pml-q-discuss-formation-of-grand-alliance-against-pml-n-govt/
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Four killed in Lahore ‘shootout’
May 13, 2014
LAHORE: Four alleged criminals were gunned down in a ‘shootout’ with the CIA policemen in Badami Bagh on Monday night, police said. Sources in the CIA police claimed that the bandits were in police custody and the cops staged the shootout to close the chapter of the hardened criminals. An official requesting anonymity said that the bandits were handcuffed when they were shot dead one by one by the police in a deserted locality. According to police version, a team of the Crimes Investigation Agency along with four accused was on their way to raid a hideout when some accomplices of the bandits opened fire on police vehicles in an attempt to help free the arrested culprits. The police also retaliated. As a result, four notorious gangsters died during the crossfire. One of the bandits was identified as Imran Jhangvi, a most wanted criminal arrested by CIA police a couple of weeks ago. Police have moved the bodies to the morgue for autopsy and are investigating.
http://www.nation.com.pk/lahore/13-May-2014/four-killed-in-lahore-shootout
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Beware of ‘hands’ sowing rift between us: Iran to Pakistan
May 13, 2014
TEHRAN: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Monday lambasted the US and ‘some other states’ for their attempts to create rift between Iran and Pakistan.
“There are hands at work that intend to cause differences between the two friendly and intimate nations through different methods, including stirring insecurity at the lengthy common borders. We shouldn’t allow the big opportunity existing for the expansion of the relations between the two countries to be lost,” Khamenei told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at a meeting.
He underlined the need for further development of ties between the two countries and laid special importance on the implementation of joint ventures, like Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. He expressed the hope that practical measures will be taken on this front during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/region/13-May-2014/beware-of-hands-sowing-rift-between-us-iran-to-pakistan
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India
India, Pak should ensure LoC is like border: Special envoy of Manmohan Singh
Press Trust of India | Srinagar | May 13, 2014
There can be no redrawing of borders between India and Pakistan and any solution to Kashmir issue should ensure that Line of Control (LoC) be “like a border”, S K Lambah, Special envoy of the outgoing Prime Minister, said on Tuesday.
“After three wars and long periods of disagreements, it is essential that any agreement must ensure that the Line of Control is like a border between any two normal states. There can be no redrawing of borders,” he said addressing a seminar here.
Lambah also advocated free movement of people from Jammu and Kashmir across the Line of Control, besides steps to enhance trade between the divided parts of the state.
“In accordance with the normal acceptable behaviour between nations, it is imperative that the people of J&K on either side of the Line of Control should be able to move freely from one side to the other. This is particularly essential as on both sides of the Line of Control live not only the same ethnic groups but also divided families,” he said.
Lambah said the process of progressive removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers in specified locally produced goods has to be expedited to ensure meaningful trade between the two sides of the LoC.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-pak-should-ensure-loc-is-like-border-s-k-lambah/
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Mideast
Hamas-Fatah unity government to be announced by end of month
May 13, 2014
The new PA unity government will be announced before the end of May, Palestinian sources said on Monday.
The government will consist of 15 or 16 ministers only, the sources said, adding that the ministers would not be affiliated with any Palestinian group.
The Palestinian daily Al-Quds reported that none of the ministers currently serving in the Hamas government headed by Ismail Haniyeh would join the unity government.
The paper said that a few ministers serving in the West Bank government, headed by Rami Hamdallah, would become part of the coalition.
Fatah leader Azzam al-Ahmed is expected to travel to the Gaza Strip shortly for talks with Hamas leaders on the composition of the unity government as agreed between the two sides last month.
Al-Quds quoted PA sources as saying that Hamas has “displayed a large degree of flexibility” regarding the issue of the formation of a “national consensus government” headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Palestinians-Hamas-Fatah-unity-government-to-be-announced-by-end-of-month-352045
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Netanyahu: If Fatah-Hamas unity deal signed, we'll hold Abbas responsible for every rocket
May 13, 2014
Israel will hold Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas responsible for every rocket fired on Israel from Gaza if he goes through with his national unity pact with Hamas, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday.
Netanyahu made his comments in Tokyo before the start of a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, and two days before Abbas is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry in London.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Netanyahu-If-Fatah-Hamas-unity-deal-signed-well-hold-Abbas-responsible-for-every-rocket-352132
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Iran exhibits anti-aircraft system, drone copied from American UAV
May 13, 2014
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force unveiled an anti-aircraft system, which it claims has a multi-target tracking capability similar to the S-300 it has long sought from Russia.
The Third of Khordad air-defense system was presented on Sunday during a tour by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of the Republican Guard’s Aerospace Exhibition, where new equipment was showcased, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported.
The report claims the system was constructed completely by Iranian experts, and a Republican Guards Aerospace Force commander said it is comparable to the advanced S-300 long-range anti-aircraft missile system, and that in the future it would be increased in range to 200 km.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-exhibits-anti-aircraft-system-drone-copied-from-American-UAV-352067
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PM Erdoğan slams Israel, Germany, US and others while defending Turkey’s press freedom
May 13, 2014
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has slammed Israel, Germany, the United States and many others while defending Ankara’s press freedom record in a parliamentary group speech on May 13.
“Those who say that there is no press freedom in Turkey should just take a look at the headlines of the daily newspapers,” Erdoğan said in his address to deputies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), arguing that “a significant number of the 40 daily newspapers insult the government systematically.”
Erdoğan continued the government’s criticism of a Freedom House report released on May 1, in which Turkey was relegated from the league of “Partly Free” countries to the league of “Not Free” countries due to its violations of press freedom.
Addressing the Freedom House as “the organization,” in an apparent reference to the the government’s ally-turned-nemesis, the Gülen movement, Erdoğan slammed the counting of jailed journalists in Turkey. “Out of 44 journalists [listed by the report as in Turkish jails], 19 of them were released. Six of them are still on trial. One name is not even registered. Eighteen of them are convicted,” Erdoğan said.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/pm-erdogan-slams-israel-germany-us-and-others-while-defending-turkeys-press-freedom.aspx?pageID=238&nID=66398&NewsCatID=338
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Al-Qaeda groups threaten Turkey's security: Foreign Minister Davutoğlu
May 13, 2014
Strictly refuting claims suggesting that Turkey has been overlooking terrorist activities by al-Qaeda and affiliated groups, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu vowed no tolerance for these groups from activities of which he noted Turkey has also suffered.
“The claims of our country’s support for organizations in the region, that it has turned a blind eye to activities of these [organizations] and al-Qaeda and al-Nusra militants have the right to freely move within Turkey by no means reflect the truth,” Davutoğlu said in his recently delivered official statement, in which he responded to several motions filed by opposition lawmakers.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/al-qaeda-groups-threaten-turkeys-security-foreign-minister-davutoglu.aspx?pageID=238&nID=66374&NewsCatID=510
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Court sentences Olmert to 6 years in prison; first Israeli PM ever to go behind bars
May 13, 2014
Tel Aviv District Court Judge David Rozen on Tuesday sentenced former prime minister Ehud Olmert to six years of prison time on conviction for two counts of bribery in the Holyland trial.
The prosecution had asked for a minimum sentence of six years in prison. Olmert's spokesperson has indicated that he will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
The judge also delayed the arrest and imprisonment of all of the Holyland defendants, including Olmert until September 1.
Rozen also imposed a fine of NIS 1 million while also ordering authorities to seize NIS 500,000 in funds accumulated by the former premier.
Olmert's lawyer Eli Zohar had asked the court to give him only community service and argued that even an extreme interpretation of Supreme Court precedent could not sustain a prison sentence longer than 18 months.
Experts had been estimating that Olmert would likely get at least a few years in prison, and that his being prime minister would not get him special treatment.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Court-sentences-Olmert-to-years-prison-time-First-PM-ever-to-go-behind-bars-352083
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Southeast Asia
Indonesian man questions God, lands in prison
New York Times | Jakarta | May 13, 2014
Growing up in a conservative Muslim household in rural West Sumatra, Alexander Aan hid a dark secret beginning at age 9: He did not believe in God. His feelings only hardened as he got older and he faked his way through prayers, Islamic holidays and Ramzan.
He stopped praying in 2008, when he was 26, and he finally told his parents and three siblings that he was an atheist — a rare revelation in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. They responded with disappointment and expressions of hope that he would return to Islam.
But Aan didn’t, and he ended up in prison after running afoul of a 2008 law restricting electronic communications. He had joined an atheist Facebook group started by Indonesians living in the Netherlands, and in 2011 he began posting commentaries outlining why he did not think God existed.
“When I saw poor people, people on television caught up in war, people who were hungry or ill, it made me uncomfortable,” Aan, now 32, says. “As a Muslim, I had questioned God —what is the meaning of God?”
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-others/indonesian-man-questions-god-lands-in-prison/
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Indonesian Islamic groups condemn Boko Haram
May 13 2014
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has condemned the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria by Boko Haram and demanded the group release them.
“[Boko Haram] is not on the right path and contradicts Islamic values,” the chairman of MUI Din Syamsuddin said in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
He said that the kidnapping could not be justified as Islam is against any form of violence toward women and those who are innocent.
The MUI statement was expressed in collaboration with other Islamic organizations including Muhammadiyah, Syarikat Islam, Al-Washliyah and the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), a group notorious for hate crimes and violent raids in the name of Islam.
The Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) has also condemned the brutality.
“They have clearly violated human rights and international humanitarian law where children and women should be protected,” HRWG’s executive director Rafendi Djamin said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/05/13/indonesian-islamic-groups-condemn-boko-haram.html
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Filipinos want ‘defective’ e-passports investigated
May 13, 2014
A number of expatriate Filipino workers have expressed concern over the issuance of an estimated 10,000 e-passports that were reported to have defects.
The Philippine Department Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a statement last week attributing the defect in the e-passports to a machine “hiccup”, which is causing the covers where the electronic chip is placed to be detached. The electronic chip contains the biometric data of the owner. Recipients of the defective e-passports expressed their dismay about the situation, which they said would disrupt their travel plans and force them to undergo the bureaucratic hassle of visiting DFA offices to rectify the problem.
In Riyadh, the migrants’ rights group, Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) called on the government through its Foreign Affairs Department to conduct an investigation into the matter.
“It would be prudent on the part of the DFA to conduct an investigation over these substandard passports so that the incident will not be repeated. Filipinos deserve quality service,” said John Leonard Monterona, M-ME regional coordinator.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/570011
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Europe
Crusade against British Muslims in education
May 13, 2014
Many Muslims in Britain are convinced that there is a witch-hunt against them headed by government officials and the right-wing media; a non-Muslim friend of mine called it a “crusade”. Equally, right-wing “think-tanks” have weighed in with their comments to stir up an evil brew that threatens community relations.
Attacks include scurrilous media articles and the so-called Trojan Horse plot in Birmingham, which sees Muslim educationalists and school governors accused of plotting to “Islamise” state schools in the city. The real Trojan Horse plot is the planting of neo-conservative apparatchiks in key positions within government departments and quasi-governmental bodies. The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, is himself an avowed neoconservative.
Although nominally expressing concern about the education of Muslim children, the real motive of such attacks has nothing to do with improving the education of Muslim children, but with controlling it. In doing so, Britain’s new crusaders seek to discredit decades of hard work and sincere community efforts to improve our children’s life chances as they face the future in an increasingly hostile atmosphere.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/international/13-May-2014/crusade-against-british-muslims-in-education
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French police arrest six suspected Syria jihadists
May 13, 2014
French police arrested six people on Tuesday in north-eastern France in a roundup of suspected jihadists who recently travelled to fight in Syria’s civil war, the interior ministry said.
The sweep around dawn in Strasbourg came weeks after authorities announced a new push to prevent French militants from travelling to Syria, part of measures by many European governments to reduce the appeal of jihad.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the six were suspected of participating in a jihadist network, and recently travelled to Syria though he did not provide details.
In a brief statement at his ministry, Mr. Cazeneuve said the sweep “went down perfectly” and showed “the total determination of the government to fight with all its power against terrorism and the enlisting of youths in violent radicalization.” The suspects were in police custody.
Mr. Cazeneuve didn’t make any reference to a news report on Europe-1 radio earlier saying that the sweep involved a police investigation of 14 young men who had told their parents that they were going on vacation in December but instead went to southern Turkey and eventually to Syria.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/french-police-arrest-six-suspected-syria-jihadists/article6005027.ece
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World powers 'set to draft' grand compromise with Iran
May 13, 2014
WASHINGTON – World powers convene once again in Vienna on Tuesday, set to begin drafting a comprehensive treaty with the intention of ending international concerns over Iran’s nuclear work.
Yet just as political directors from Iran, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany arrived in Austria for the talks, a confidential United Nations report was leaked accusing Iran of expansive efforts to circumvent UN-backed sanctions.
Also preceding the talks, a meeting on Monday between Iranian officials and the International Atomic Agency – tasked with enforcing an interim deal between the parties, temporarily freezing the crisis, and any future comprehensive agreement – ended with silence from both sides.
The IAEA has demanded Iran take several practical steps before Thursday in order to demonstrate compliance with its international obligations. At the moment, the UN body seeks clarification on fast-acting detonators obtained by Iran that can have both military and civilian applications.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Iranian-Threat/News/World-powers-set-to-draft-grand-compromise-with-Iran-352035
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/over-100-isil-militants-killed/d/76999