New Age Islam News Bureau
21
Sept 2014
The university will eliminate books and references that contain certain religious content or security issues. (Courtesy: muslimwomennews.com)
Arab World
• Saudi
University Removes Books with ‘Deviant’ Ideologies
• Kurdish
Fighters Head to Syria to Face ISIS Militants
• Syria
blasts coalition against Islamic State
• Iraq:
Dozens of ISIL Terrorists Killed in Salahuddin Province
• Egypt
army continues "anti-terrorist" operations, kills 7
• Egypt
forces shoot Palestinians infiltrating through Gaza tunnel
• Bomb
kills two near Egypt foreign ministry
• Assad to
UN Envoy: No Geneva III, Talks with Opposition Only in Damascus
• Online
abuse of spouses after separation rapped: Grand Mufti
Pakistan
• ‘London
Plan’, Hatched By Imran-Qadri Duo, a Conspiracy against the Country
• Imran-Qadri
Hatched Conspiracy in Collusion with US: Former Army Chief Gen
• Soldier,
15 terrorists killed in NWA
• Only
democracy can establish world peace: Bilawal Bhutto
• Rulers
have failed miserably, government writ invisible: Musharraf
• Imran,
Qadri know nothing about revolution: Bezenjo
• Altaf
says Imran will be MQM’s guest in Karachi
• Pakistan
welcomes power-sharing deal, new unity govt in Afghanistan
India
• Muslim Body
Welcomes PM Narendra Modi’s Statement on Community
• Top Cops
Divided On ‘Love Jihad’
• Bilawal
One Of The ‘Daydreamers’ In Pakistan: Indian Union Muslim League
• Maharashtra
cops get cracking in ISIS recruitment case
South Asia
• Afghanistan
says 51 militants killed in fresh operations
• Small
states can contribute to international community: Maldives FM
• If
banned, Jamaat to go underground: Bangladesh FM
• Afghan
presidential rivals sign unity deal
Africa
• Nigerian
Islamists kill 36 in attacks on northeast town
• Qaeda
Tunisia offshoot offers backing to IS
• S. Sudan
mediators condemns renewed fighting
Mideast
• Israel
Bans Muslims from Ibrahimi Mosque
• Tuesday's
indirect talks with Israel are 'preliminary': Palestinian negotiator
• Rise of
Islamic schools causes alarm in secular Turkey
• Captive
Turkish diplomat resisted ISIL with gun to his head
Europe
• Pope, on
trip to mainly Muslim Albania, condemns Islamist militants
• Poll:
Most who voted Likud want Netanyahu to launch diplomatic drive for Palestinian
state
• Fighting
rages in Yemen capital despite UN talk of deal
• Wife of
Alan Henning, Briton held by Islamic State, pleads for his release
• British
MPs to vote on motion calling for Palestinian state
• Report:
Goldman Sachs had 'strengthened ties' with Qaddafi's Libya fund
North America
• Obama
‘ready for Syria ground war’ as Kurds flee
• U.S.
plans boost to Egypt’s counter-terror efforts
• U.S.
says other countries willing to launch air strikes in Syria
Southeast Asia
• Islamic
State, MH17 to figure prominently at 69th UN General Assembly
• Without
Putrajaya’s help, Sabah open to Islamic State terror plot, minister warns
secessionists
• Rally
against sedition law before more arrests, Teresa Kok tells Malaysians
• Religious
Minister Said to Be Targeting Sampang Shia Resolution before Handover
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
-----------
Arab World
Saudi
University Removes Books with ‘Deviant’ Ideologies
21
September 2014
Imam
Muhammad Bin Saud University in Riyadh has begun reviewing the books in its
library to eliminate books that spew deviant and extremist ideologies, Makkah
daily reported.
The
university has set up a special committee to go through all books listed in the
library and take improper ones off the shelves so that students do not read
them, a source said.
Books
and references that contain certain religious content or security issues will
also be eliminated. The source said the university is keen to ensure that all
the books in the library do not have any ideas that encourage extremism and
factionalism.
The
university has banned the registration of any research dealing with a
personality or a society that has any form of ties with extremist groups and
organizations unless the research criticizes these groups. Students are not allowed
to summarize any audio or written files about extremist groups and persons or
distribute them to other members of the university community.
Earlier,
the university’s administration instructed all faculties to remove books
written by those who belong to extremist groups and whose names were announced
by the Interior Ministry. The university will not invite any such people to
participate in any conference, seminary, or symposia or be a member of an
arbitration panel or any academic commission. All faculty members are forbidden
from participating in any conference outside the Kingdom organized by such
persons or groups.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/09/21/Saudi-university-removes-books-with-deviant-ideologies.html
-----------
Kurdish
fighters head to Syria to face ISIS militants
AP | Sep
21, 2014
BEIRUT:
Hundreds of Kurdish fighters raced from Turkey and Iraq into neighboring Syria
on Saturday to defend a Kurdish area under attack by Islamic State militants.
As the fighting raged, more than 60,000 mostly Kurdish refugees streamed across
the dusty and barren border into Turkey, some hobbling on crutches as others
lugged bulging sacks of belongings on their backs.
The
large-scale displacement of so many and the movement of the Kurdish fighters
into Syria reflected the ferocity of the fighting in the northern Kobani area,
which borders Turkey. Militants of the extremist Islamic State group have been
barreling through the area for the past three days, prompting Kurdish leaders to
plead for international help.
Civilians
seeking safety began massing on the Turkish border on Thursday. Turkey did not
let them in at first, saying it would provide them with aid on the Syrian side
of the border instead. By Friday, it had changed its mind and started to let in
several thousand.
The
numbers grew quickly as more entry points opened, and by late Saturday
afternoon, more than 60,000 had poured across the frontier, Turkish Deputy
Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said.
Even by
the standards of Syria's bitter war, it was unusual for so many refugees to
flee in such a short time. Their numbers add to the 2.8 million Syrians who
have become refugees in the past three years, and another 6.4 million who have
been displaced within their own country— nearly half of Syria's pre-war
population of 23 million.
Many of
those who came across Saturday cradled young children or carried them on their
shoulders. Kurtulmus said some refugees were staying with relatives, while
others took shelter in schools or tents.
''Kobani
is facing the fiercest and most barbaric attack in its history,'' said official
Mohammed Saleh Muslim, head of Syria's powerful Kurdish Democratic Union. The
groups' members dominate the Syrian Kurdish group known as the YPK, which is
fighting the Islamic State militants.
''Kobani
calls on all those who defend humane and democratic values ... to stand by
Kobani and support it immediately. The coming hours are decisive,'' he said.
On
Friday, the president of Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdish region, Masoud
Barzani, warned that the militant group's attacks on the Kobani area ''threaten
the whole entirety of the Kurdish nation.''
The
battle over Kobani is part of a long-running fight between the Islamic State
group and Syria's Kurds that has raged across a band of Syrian territory
stretching along the Turkish border from the north to the far northeast, where
large numbers of Kurds live. The clashes are one aspect of Syria's broader
civil war —a multilayered conflict that the UN says has killed more than
190,000,
The YPK
is viewed with suspicion by many Syrian rebels and their Western supporters
because of perceived links to President Bashar Assad's government. That may be
changing, however, as Kurdish fighters battle alongside some Syrian rebel groups
against the Islamic State in northern and eastern Syria.
Nato
member Turkey is wary of the group, which it believes is affiliated with the
Kurdish PKK movement, a Kurdish movement that has waged a long and bloody
insurgency in southeast Turkey.
Several
hundred Kurdish fighters streamed into the Kobani area from Turkey, said the
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Kurdish official Nawaf
Khalil also confirmed the movement of fighters into Syria.
At least
some of the volunteers looked to be PKK fighters, while others appeared to be
eager civilians, according to Kurdish officials who insisted on anonymity
because they weren't authorized to speak to reporters.
Some 600
PKK fighters also crossed from Iraq into Syria, heading toward Kobani, said a
military official in Iraq's northern Kurdish region. That official also spoke
on condition his name not be used because he wasn't authorized to speak to
journalists. The PKK have a base in the Qandil mountains in the Kurdish region
of Iraq.
Ethnic
Kurds dominate a mountainous region that straddles Iran, Iraq, Syria and
Turkey.
Syrian
Kurdish fighters had been successfully fighting off the militants for the past
two years. They even clashed with the Islamic State group's fighters in
northern Iraq, carving a safe passage for thousands of embattled Iraqis of the
Yazidi minority, whom the militant group sees as apostates.
But the
tide changed in September as Islamic State group fighters began employing more
powerful weaponry they seized from Iraqi soldiers who fled the militants'
advance in June.
The US
has yet to launch any airstrikes in Syria to stem advances by Islamic State
fighters, but airstrikes in Iraq have helped Kurdish fighters there and the
Iraqi army stem attacks by Islamic State forces.
US
Central Command reported five airstrikes against militants on Friday and
Saturday, including one southwest of Baghdad that destroyed an Islamic State
group boat carrying supplies across the Euphrates River. The four other strikes
were northwest of Haditha, targeting armed vehicles, checkpoints and guard
outposts.
The US
has now conducted 183 airstrikes across Iraq since the military action began in
early August.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Kurdish-fighters-head-to-Syria-to-face-ISIS-militants/articleshow/43044235.cms
-----------
Syria
blasts coalition against Islamic State
21 Sep,
2014
Syria's
parliament speaker says the U.S. should work with Damascus in assembling a
coalition to battle the Islamic State extremist group rather than allying with
nations that support terrorism.
Mohammad
Jihad Lahham was apparently referring to Saudi Arabia and other countries that
back rebels trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Lahham
said during a parliament session Sunday that nations that "want to fight
terrorism should coordinated" with Damascus rather than Syrian rebel
groups.
President
Barack Obama is working to form a global coalition to confront the Islamic
State group, which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq.
The U.S.
has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq since
August. Obama has more recently authorized strikes against the group in Syria.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/111307/World/Region/Syria-blasts-coalition-against-Islamic-State.aspx
-----------
Iraq:
Dozens of ISIL Terrorists Killed in Salahuddin Province
21 Sep,
2014
Fighters
of the Jobour tribe killed dozens of the terrorists of the Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in Salahuddin province.
The
fighters of the Jobour tribe killed 30 of the ISIL terrorists, including Arabs,
in Dhilo’aya district in Salahuddin province, and destroyed six of their
vehicles, sources said on Saturday.
Also on
Saturday, the Iraqi air force fighter jets killed 27 terrorists of the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group in Southern Tikrit.
"The
Iraqi air force bombed the ISIL shelters in Aziz Balad area in Dhilo'aya
district of Southern Tikrit, killing 27 of them," an informed source said
on Saturday.
The
Takfiri terrorists currently control parts of Syria and Iraq. They have
threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi
Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.
Senior
Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab
states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL
has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by
the Israeli regime.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930630000923
----------
Egypt
army continues "anti-terrorist" operations, kills 7
21 Sep,
2014
Egypt's
army said on Sunday that it has killed seven "terrorists" in raids on
"militant sites" in North Sinai, Ismailiya and Daqahliya
governorates.
The
army's spokesman, Brigadier General Mohamed Samir, said in a statement on his
official Facebook page that seven "terrorists" were killed in
shootings during the raids, with 91 others arrested from 14-19 September.
He added
that forces destroyed nine cars and 65 motorcycles that were "used to
carry out terrorism operations against the army and police". Forces also
seized firearms and improvised explosive devices (IED).
Egypt's
government expanded its anti-terrorism campaign – previously mainly
concentrated in Sinai – following a spike in attacks on army and police sites
and personnel after Islamist president Mohamed Morsi's ouster.
Samir
also said on Sunday that the army destroyed five entrances to smuggling tunnels
connecting the peninsula to the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
Army forces
have targeted militant hideouts in Sinai with helicopters and ground troops,
killing hundreds in recent months, while Islamist militants have repeatedly
attacked security personnel, also killing hundreds.
Speculation has been rife on the appearance in
Sinai of the Islamic State (IS), a militant group that has overrun swathes of
Iraq and Syria. Security officials have expressed concern that the volatile
peninsula could serve as a base to export extremism across the region.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/111312/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-army-continues-antiterrorist-operations,-kil.aspx
-----------
Bomb
kills two near Egypt foreign ministry
21 September 2014
A bomb
blast killed two Egyptian policemen and wounded several others near the foreign
ministry in central Cairo on Sunday, a security official said.
State
television reported that the blast occurred along a sidewalk in the
neighbourhood of Boulaq abu Eila, which houses the foreign ministry and state
television headquarters beside the Nile.
Live
television footage showed the aftermath of the blast, which brought a tree down
on a nearby car. Policemen with sniffer dogs were scouring the area for more
bombs.
Militants
have killed scores of policemen in bombings and shootings since Egypt's military
toppled Islamist president Mohammad Mursi in July 2013.
Militants
have in the past set off several bombs in succession, to target first
responders after the initial attack.
Attacks
in the capital raise concerns over security forces, who have vowed to end
Islamist militant bloodshed that has hammered the tourism industry, a pillar of
the economy.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/09/21/Bomb-kills-four-near-Egypt-foreign-ministry.html
-----------
Egypt
forces shoot Palestinians infiltrating through Gaza tunnel
21
September 2014
Egypt
forces shoot Palestinians infiltrating through Gaza tunnel
Security
forces shot dead a Palestinian and wounded two others Saturday after they tried
to enter Egypt from Gaza through a tunnel under the border town of Rafah,
security officials said.
The men,
who were spotted by a security patrol, tried to run back into the tunnel after
being ordered to stop and were shot.
Egypt’s
army says it has destroyed more than 1,600 tunnels connecting the Sinai
Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, most of them since the ouster of Islamist
president Mohammad Mursi last year.
The
Islamist group Hamas, the main power in the blockaded Palestinian enclave, uses
the tunnels to smuggle in arms, food and money.
Cairo
has poured troops into the peninsula to counter a rising insurgency since
Mursi’s overthrow.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/21/Egypt-forces-shoot-Palestinians-infiltrating-through-Gaza-tunnel-.html
-----------
Assad to
UN Envoy: No Geneva III, Talks with Opposition Only in Damascus
21 Sep,
2014
Well-informed
western sources reported that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told UN
Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura that there will be no Geneva III, asserting
that Damascus will be the only place to host any talks with the opposition
forces if they decide to hold negotiations.
The
sources added that Staffan de Mistura did not launch any initiative during his
visit to Damascus in the shade of the US insistence on holding Geneva III and
the Russian rejection for the "wasting-time" conferences, Al-Manar
reported Saturday.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930630000556
-----------
Online
abuse of spouses after separation rapped: Grand Mufti
21 Sep,
2014
Grand
Mufti Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has warned people against defaming their spouses or
in-laws on social networking sites, saying such publicity could destroy
families, complicate court cases and create scandals.
Electronic
daily sabq.org has published the harrowing story of one divorcee. “My husband
divorced me after 20 years of marriage by pronouncing the divorce verbally
thrice,” said Umm Abdul Rahman.
“When I
moved the court, he got furious and started to defame me online, saying he
divorced Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/633316
-----------
Pakistan
‘London
Plan’, Hatched By Imran-Qadri Duo, a Conspiracy against the Country
21 Sep,
2014
LAHORE:
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited flood-affected areas of Hafizabad,
Chiniot and Multan on Saturday and inspected relief and medical camps set up
for the calamity-hit people at various places. According to a handout, the
chief minister also met with flood victims and inquired after them.
The
National Highways Authority (NHA) and other institutions have opened
Multan-Muzaffargarh Road for traffic by completing rehabilitation work in 48
hours. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the chief minister congratulated the
district administration, NHA, army and other institutions for their efforts,
which resulted in rehabilitation of Multan-Muzaffargarh Road within two days
and said that all other important roads in the province should also be
rehabilitated with the same speed and the same spirit.
Talking
to flood victims and also talking to the press, the chief minister said that the
“London Plan” was a conspiracy against 180 million people of the country
hatched by Imran-Qadri duo and the Chaudhry brothers of Gujarat, which has been
exposed.
He said
that Imran Khan has been lying about his meeting with Dr Tahir ul Qadri but
that Dr Qadri has exposed Imran Khan.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/punjab/21-Sep-2014/london-plan-a-conspiracy-against-180-million-people-says-shahbaz
-----------
Imran-Qadri
Hatched Conspiracy in Collusion with US: Former Army Chief Gen
21 Sep,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Former army chief Gen (retd) Aslam Baig has claimed that Chief of the Army
Staff General Raheel Sharif foiled a conspiracy hatched by Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahir ul
Qadri and the United States.
The
ex-army chief further claimed that the “conspirators” wanted army to seize
power but the “military leadership had all the knowledge about the conspiracy”.
Mr Baig
also asserted that the US created chaos in Pakistan in collusion with the UK,
Canada and Iran.
“Had
General Raheel got late in making decision, country would have suffered great
loss,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Army never harboured any desire to
formulate Islamabad’s foreign policy.
He said
that all those people who were standing beside Imran Khan and Qadri were the
same lot who had been rubbing shoulders with former military dictator Pervez
Musharraf.
The
former army chief said that Imran Khan and Qadri's demands were extra
constitutional.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-160397-Imran-Qadri-hatched-conspiracy-in-collusion-with-US-:-Aslam-Baig
-----------
Soldier,
15 terrorists killed in NWA
September
21, 2014
PESHAWAR
- At least 15 terrorists were killed and a naib subedar embraced Shahadat in
exchange of fire and strikes by army gunship helicopters on militant hideouts
in Boya and Ghorshtai Nulla areas of North Waziristan as part of the ongoing
Zarb-e-Azb operation.
According
to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a media wing of Pakisan Army,
during the operation, exchange of fire between militants and security forces
took place in the Boya area. As a result, three terrorists were killed while
Naib Subedar Muzammil embraced martyrdom. Similarly, at least 12 more
terrorists were killed in precise strikes by the army aviation gunship
helicopters on militants’ positions in Ghorshtai Nullah of Ghulam Khan tehsil.
During
the operation, three terrorist hideouts and four explosive-laden vehicles were
also destroyed in the airstrikes by gunships, the ISPR said. Since June 15, the
day of launching a full-scale military operation against both local and foreign
militants in North Waziristan Agency, over 1,000 local and foreign militants
have been killed more than 80 soldiers have embraced martyrdom. Dozens of
explosive-laden vehicles and hundreds of militant hideouts have also been
destroyed in the operation, the ISPR added.
Full
report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/21-Sep-2014/soldier-15-terrorists-killed-in-nwa
-----------
Only
democracy can establish world peace: Bilawal Bhutto
September
21, 2014
KARACHI-
Chairperson Pakistan People Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said a democratic
Pakistan will contribute far better and effective role in world peace hence all
the stake holders aspiring for international peace should supplement the
efforts for strengthening democracy.
In his
message on the International Day for Peace being observed across the globe on
today, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stressed on the developed world to make a pledge
that they won’t adopt the dictators of third world countries as their lap-pets.
Authoritarianism,
dictatorship and states that perpetuate inequality amongst its citizens breed
terrorism. Hence to curb terrorism and eventually eliminate it, the
international community has to help countries free themselves from perpetual
poverty and dictatorial rule. Democracy is the only weapon that can defeat
terrorism and establish world peace,” he added.
http://nation.com.pk/national/21-Sep-2014/democracy-can-only-establish-world-peace-bilawal-bhutto
-----------
Rulers
have failed miserably, government writ invisible: Musharraf
September
21, 2014
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD-
All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) chief, former president General (R) Pervez
Musharraf said today that the present government had been failed miserably and
the government writ was invisible anywhere.
Talking
to the APML secretary general Dr Amjad, Musharraf said the so-called democratic
parties and their leaders called the longest session of the Parliament, but the
concluding speech of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was extremely disappointing,
which lacked any program for the future.
The APML
chief said the Parliament session didn't come out with any solution to the
ongoing political crisis in the country. During the whole session, he said
Nawaz Sharif continued praising the PPP while the PPP returned the favors to
the prime minister.
Musharraf
said Nawaz Sharif and his aides were facing immense frustration after failing
to intimidate him through fake cases. He said those who were disturbing him so
far will soon face the same trouble. He said the political parties called the
Parliament session for a purpose but after so many days of the session all of
them took a U-turn. He said the purpose of the Parliament session was to find a
solution to the political crisis but the government and the opposition were
seen saving each other during the whole episode.
Full
report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/21-Sep-2014/rulers-have-failed-miserably-government-writ-invisible-musharraf
-----------
Imran,
Qadri know nothing about revolution: Bezenjo
September
21, 2014
ISLAMABAD
- Commenting on the claims of bringing revolution in the country by Imran Khan
and Tahirul Qadri, President of National Party Mir Hasil Bezenjo has said that
both of them know nothing about the revolution and they are just playing with
the sentiments of the people for their personal gains.
Addressing
workers convention of the party organised here at a local hotel on Saturday Mir
Hasil Bezenjo said that both PTI and PAT leaders were trying to become the
representatives of the oppressed and poor people of the country, but actually
both of them have no idea of poverty and sufferings of the people living below
the poverty line.
He was
of the view that only the oppressed and deprived segments of society can bring
real revolution in the country because they feel and know the sufferings of the
poor. Bezenjo said that unless the poor and downtrodden people would not have
the ownership of the incumbent democratic order, it would remain vulnerable to
external threats. Public at large would only adopt the system when it would
become benevolent and fruitful for them, he added.
Hasil
Bezenjo said that the slogan of bread, cloth and shelter was actually given by
his party and Pakistan Peoples Party and other revolutionary parties had
adopted it later.
Full
report at:
http://nation.com.pk/islamabad/21-Sep-2014/imran-qadri-know-nothing-about-revolution-bezenjo
-----------
Altaf
says Imran will be MQM’s guest in Karachi
21 Sep,
2014
LONDON:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain while welcoming PTI chairman Imran
Khan in Karachi, said Khan will be the guest of MQM in the port city, Geo News
reported.
Addressing
a gathering on the occasion of his 61st birth anniversary, Altaf Hussain said:
“I had also greeted Imran Khan when he entered politics”.
Altaf
said MQM is against division of Sindh, however, it wants new provinces. He
added that his party will never backtrack from its lawful demands.
He
dismissed the impression that PTI and PAT talked first about the revolution,
saying that the terminology of revolution was introduced by MQM.
MQM
chief also rejected Imran’s allegations and said PTI chief put baseless
accusations against him.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-160355-Altaf-says-Imran-will-be-MQMs-guest-in-Karachi
---------
Pakistan
welcomes power-sharing deal, new unity govt in Afghanistan
21 Sep,
2014
ISLAMABAD
– The government and the people of Pakistan welcome the agreement signed by the
two presidential candidates in Afghanistan regarding the establishment of a
government of national unity, Foreign Office said on Sunday.
“Consistent
with our support for a peaceful democratic transition, we regard the signing of
this agreement as a positive development,” said a statement issued by the
Foreign Office. It said that this outcome has been possible due to the wise and
sagacious leadership of Dr Ashraf Ghani and Dr Abdullah Abdullah.
“We
congratulate the two leaders and the brotherly people of Afghanistan and
reaffirm Pakistan’s support for all their efforts to build a peaceful, stable
and unified Afghanistan,” the statement said.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/21-Sep-2014/pakistan-welcomes-power-sharing-deal-new-unity-govt-in-afghanistan
-----------
India
Muslim Body
Welcomes PM Narendra Modi’s Statement On Community
21 Sep,
2014
A body
of Muslim intellectuals, on Sunday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
statement lauding the patriotism of Muslims in the country.
The
Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis (FMSA) on Sunday passed a resolution
stating that by acknowledging and accepting the positive contribution to the
nation by this vital segment of the country’s populace, the PM has tried to
assuage the collective hurt undergone by the Muslim community recently because
of some vitriolic utterances by some of his own party members.
The
Forum in its resolution has urged the PM to now take remedial steps for
ensuring that those of his party who are persisting with their divisive
communal agenda are not permitted to do so.
“This is
the only way that he can ensure that the country’s development plans can bear
fruit,” it said.
The
resolution stressed that Muslim community was second to none in its patriotism
and would thwart the evil designs of any external force which tries to disturb
the peace of the country.
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/muslim-body-welcomes-pm-narendra-modis-statement-on-community/#sthash.pnycwCnN.dpuf
-----------
Top Cops
Divided On ‘Love Jihad’
21 Sep,
2014
“Love
jihad” may be merely a fear fantasy of Hindutva propagandists, but the campaign
has struck a chord with several senior police officers across the country.
Such is
the traction that “love jihad”— the notion that there is a global Islamist
conspiracy to seduce Hindu women and convert them to Islam — has gained among a
section of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers that a debate on the subject on
“TopCop,” a discussion forum on Yahoo!, had to be discontinued after some
members turned vituperative against Muslims and Islam.
Serving
and retired IPS officers are members of the TopCop Internet forum and The Hindu
was allowed access by one of them who found the trend “disturbing and
alarming.”
“What is
shocking is not to know that such prejudices exist among us because we knew
that always. That IPS officers can say such things with such brazenness add
another dimension, which is new,” the officer told The Hindu.
Full
report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/top-cops-divided-on-love-jihad/article6430631.ece
-----------
Bilawal One
Of The ‘Daydreamers’ In Pakistan: Indian Union Muslim League
21 Sep,
2014
Indian
Union Muslim League Sunday dubbed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as one of the
“daydreamers” in Pakistan for his Kashmir remarks and said that every inch of
Indian territory will be protected to the last minute.
“The
utterances of Pakistan’s Opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto is nothing but to
show he is also one of the daydreamers in Pakistan when he spoke that he will
take every inch of Kashmir,” E Ahamed, the Member of Parliament and the IUML
chief, said in a statement.
Asserting
that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India, Ahamed
said: “entire India especially 170 million Muslims will defend the integrity of
the country for which last drop of blood will also be shed.”
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/bilawal-one-of-the-daydreamers-in-pakistan-iuml/#sthash.usx1gNyR.dpuf
-----------
Maharashtra
cops get cracking in ISIS recruitment case
Mateen
Hafeez,TNN | Sep 21, 2014
MUMBAI:
The state anti-terrorism squad (ATS), probing the mysterious disappearance of
four Kalyan-based youths, on Friday registered an FIR against fruit seller
Aadil Dolare, two Afghanistan nationals and a hotel manager for violating the
Foreigner's Rule. Dolare has been under the police radar for allegedly
brainwashing the four youths who went to Iraq and one of them died while
fighting for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
An FIR
was registered with the Bazarpeth police station in Kalyan under various
sections of the Foreigner's Act, Registration of Foreigner's Act and
Registration of Foreigner's Rule. Four persons mentioned as accused in the FIR
Kabul residents, Rehman Daulati (25) and Ahmed Rateb HusseinZade (35), fruit
seller Dolare and Govind Thapa, manager of a Raja Hotel at Tilak Chowk in
Kalyan. The probe has been taken over by the ATS. Dolare's name cropped up
during the investigation of four missing youth, Arif Majeed, Shaheen Tanki,
Fahad Shaikh and Aman Tandel who left India in May to visit holy places but
disappeared. They allegedly went to Mosul and then Raqqa city in Syria.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maharashtra-cops-get-cracking-in-ISIS-recruitment-case/articleshow/43045347.cms
-----------
South Asia
Afghanistan
says 51 militants killed in fresh operations
September
21, 2014
KABUL-
About 51 Taliban militants have been killed in fresh military operations across
Afghanistan within the past 24 hours, said the country's Interior Ministry
today morning.
"Afghan
National Security Forces (ANSF) carried out cleanup operations in Kandahar,
Zabul, Logar, Ghazni and Helmand provinces over the past 24 hours. As a result
51 armed Taliban members were killed, 32 wounded and five others were arrested
by the ANSF," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational
updates. The security forces also discovered and confiscated light and heavy
rounds ammunition, according to the statement. The statement did not disclose
if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.
Furthermore,
Afghan police detained four armed militants in northern Kunduz province
overnight, a police spokesman in the province told Xinhua earlier on the day,
adding the captured militants tried to attack a security checkpoint in
surrounding areas of provincial capital Kunduz city.
Meantime,
Taliban outfit in a counter-claim has rejected the ministry's statement. A
Taliban purported spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told local media that the
statement was not true. The Taliban-led violence continues in Afghanistan. Security
forces have pressed on to clear the militants in restive provinces. The Taliban
responds by bombing and armed attacks.
http://nation.com.pk/international/21-Sep-2014/afghanistan-says-51-militants-killed-in-fresh-operations
-----------
Small
states can contribute to international community: Maldives FM
By
Daniel Bosley | September 21st, 2014
Minister
of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon has told the UN General Assembly that the
Maldives journey with the body is proof small states can contribute to the international
community.
“The
story of the Maldives is the story of all small states at the United Nations.
The Maldives journey at the UN is proof that with smart ideas, small states can
successfully contribute and become significant members of the international
community,” said Dunya on the anniversary of the Maldives’ membership.
A press
release from the foreign ministry has today described the UN as a “trusted
partner and a staunch advocate” of the Maldives during the past half century.
Dunya’s
comments were in stark contrast to the previous two appearances by the
country’s leaders at the UNGA in New York, during which the Maldives was
critical of perceived attempts by the organisation to interfere in the state’s
sovereign affairs.
Speaking
at the 69th session of the UNGA this week, Dunya noted that the Maldives was
the first so-called ‘micro-state’ to seek entry to the UN, and has since been
at the forefront of the small state issues, holding the first ever conference
of small states 25-years ago and forming the first alliance of small nations.
Full
report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/maldives-un-journey-is-proof-small-states-can-contribute-to-international-community-foreign-minister-90196
-----------
If
banned, Jamaat to go underground: Bangladesh FM
21 Sep,
2014
Finance
Minister AMA Muhith today said if Jamaat-e-Islami is banned through enacting a
law, the fundamentalist party would go underground.
“They
(Jamaat) are expert in killing,” Muhith told reporters after a meeting with the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) managing board team at his secretariat office in
Dhaka.
On the
Jamaat enforced ongoing hartal to protest the Supreme Court verdict on Jamaat
leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, the finance minister said, “What have they
called the hartal for. They do not believe in Bangladesh. Jamaat-e-Islami is a
bloody party.”
When the
reporters asked the minister whether the government has entered into an entente
with Jamaat, Muhith became angry and said: “Rubbish. We discussed yesterday.
How will Jamaat have talks with us? Jamaat has been spreading this and BNP is
with them.”
On the
meeting with ADB, Muhith said it has raised the issue of giving emphasis on
private sector as the investment is low. Raising per capita income is not
enough for becoming a middle income country.
http://www.thedailystar.net/if-banned-jamaat-to-go-underground-muhith-42695
-----------
Afghan
presidential rivals sign unity deal
21 Sep,
2014
KABUL:
Afghanistan's two presidential candidates have signed a power-sharing deal for
the roles of president and chief executive three months after a disputed runoff
that threatened to plunge the country into turmoil and complicate the
withdrawal of US and other foreign troops.
Ashraf
Ghani Ahmadzai, who will become president, and Abdullah Abdullah signed the
national unity government deal as outgoing President Hamid Karzai watched.
The deal
follows weeks of negotiations on a power-sharing arrangement following
accusations of fraud in the June runoff vote.
The deal
is a victory for US Secretary of State John Kerry, who first got the candidates
to agree in principle to share power during a July visit.
The
inauguration to replace Karzai — who has been in power since late 2001 — is
expected within days.
The
final vote count is also scheduled for release, after being delayed for
last-minute talks to break a deadlock that has plunged Afghanistan into crisis
as US-led troops end their 13-year war against the Taliban.
Ashraf
Ghani — who won June's run-off vote according to preliminary results — is set
to emerge as president, with Abdullah Abdullah nominating his pick for the new
post of “chief executive officer”, possibly taking on the role himself.
Both
Ghani and Abdullah claim to have won the fraud-tainted election, and the United
Nations has pushed hard for a “national unity government” to avoid a return to
the ethnic divisions of the 1990s civil war.
“Both
candidates are expected to sign an agreement on the structure of National Unity
[Government] tomorrow,” Aimal Faizi, spokesman for outgoing President Hamid Karzai,
said on his Twitter account late Saturday.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1133382/afghan-presidential-rivals-sign-unity-deal
----------
Africa
Nigerian
Islamists kill 36 in attacks on northeast town
21 Sep,
2014
Fighters
from Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram stormed the northeastern town
of Mainok on Friday, killing at least 36 people, and were still attacking it on
Saturday, two security sources said.
Among
the dead were 23 were civilians, the security sources said, the rest being
soldiers defending the town.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/111266/World/International/Nigerian-Islamists-kill--in-attacks-on-northeast-t.aspx
-----------
Qaeda
Tunisia offshoot offers backing to IS
Sep 21,
2014
An
Al-Qaeda-linked Tunisian group has offered backing to the Islamic State
organisation that has overrun chunks of Iraq and Syria, becoming the third
jihadist group to do so this week, a US-based monitor says.
Okba Ibn
Nafaa, whose militants Tunisian armed forces have been hunting in mountains
near the Algerian border for two
years,
has identified itself with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the international
jihadist network’s North African branch.
On
Tuesday, AQIM and the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
urged jihadists in Iraq and Syria to unite against the common threat from a
US-led coalition assembled to fight IS.
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/qaeda-tunisia-offshoot-offers-backing-to-is/#sthash.WALQEzc9.dpuf
--------
S. Sudan
mediators condemns renewed fighting
21 Sep,
2014
Mediators
of the conflict in South Sudan say there is renewed fighting there between
government and rebel troops.
Seyoum
Mesfin, the chairman of the South Sudan mediation process by the regional block
IGAD, Saturday condemned the fighting in Renk County in the Upper Nile state.
He says
the fighting is a purposeful act aimed at derailing the next phase of the peace
process.
South
Sudan plunged into conflict mid-December when troops loyal to former Vice
President Riek Machar clashed with those loyal to President Salva Kiir in what
government claimed was a coup attempt.
There
has been sporadic fighting between the government and rebels despite the
signing of two peace agreements during mediation process in Ethiopia.
More
than 1 million people have fled their homes since the conflict began.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/111258/World/Region/S-Sudan-mediators-condemns-renewed-fighting.aspx
---------
Mideast
Israel
Bans Muslims from Ibrahimi Mosque
21 Sep,
2014
The
Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, West Bank, will be closed to Muslim worshipers on
Thursday and Friday on the occasion of Jewish New Year, an official said
Sunday.
"The
mosque would be open to Israeli settlers during the two days of Rosh Hashanah,
or Jewish New Year, but closed to Muslims," Hijazi Abu Sneina said, Ma'an
news agency reported.
A 1997
agreement split Hebron into areas of Palestinian and Israeli control.
More
than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East
Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930630001241
-----------
Tuesday's
indirect talks with Israel are 'preliminary': Palestinian negotiator
21 Sep,
2014
Ziad
Nakhala, Islamic Jihad's deputy secretary-general, told Ahram Online Sunday
that indirect negotiations with Israel in Egypt, due to resume Tuesday, are
"preliminary and procedural."
Speaking
from Lebanon's capital Beirut, he pointed out that the requests of both sides
will be discussed in detail in October, coinciding with a Cairo-hosted meeting
on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
The
talks, sponsored by Egypt, will involve setting the agenda of the talks,
Nakhala — a member of the Palestinian negotiating delegation — said.
He added
that the Palestinian delegation will be "limited this time" and will
meet with Egyptian officials in advance. Nakhala praised Egyptian efforts in
the talks, claiming that the main aim of the talks involves "maintaining
the state of ceasefire."
The
Palestinian official also highlighted Egypt's sponsorship of inter-Palestinian
reconciliation efforts, as the country will broker a meeting between Fatah and
Hamas officials in the coming days.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/111300/World/Region/Tuesdays-indirect-talks-with-Israel-are-preliminar.aspx
-----------
Rise of
Islamic schools causes alarm in secular Turkey
Sep 21,
2014
When
Turkish pupils received their school entry exam results after the end of last
term, textile worker and father Halil Ibrahim Beyhan received an unpleasant
surprise.
His
daughter had been assigned to a religious high school, like thousands of other
students under a new system that caught many parents off guard.
Parents,
educators and civil society groups have decried the move as another attack on
Turkey's secular principles by the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party
(AKP) co-founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing the government of
imposing religion on students.
"My
child will be forced to wear a long skirt. She will be forced to put a
headscarf on her head too. It is not mandatory for now, but who knows it won't
be one day?" said Beyhan, 49.
"I
am a practicing Muslim, I fast, I say my prayers and read the Koran, but I
still want my daughter to be educated in a normal school," he said.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/111286/World/Region/Rise-of-Islamic-schools-causes-alarm-in-secular-Tu.aspx
-----------
Captive
Turkish diplomat resisted ISIL with gun to his head
21 Sep,
2014
One of
the Turks who was freed Sept. 20 from the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL) has said Turkey's consul general in Mosul, Öztürk Yılmaz,
resisted the group's demands by risking his life.
"Our
consul general faced great difficulty. Two or three times, [the ISIL militants]
tried to force him to make a statement by putting a gun to his head. But
despite being at gunpoint, he didn't do anything they wanted," the freed
Turk told broadcaster CNNTürk on the airplane that transported the released
captives from Şanlıurfa to Ankara.
"They
were forcing us to be filmed since the first day, but our consul general said,
'You can shoot me, but I won't allow you to meddle with the pride of Turkey,'
risking his life," Derviş Öztürk told CNNTürk correspondent Gülşen Coşkun.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/captive-turkish-diplomat-resisted-isil-with-gun-to-his-head.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71962&NewsCatID=352
-----------
Europe
Pope, on
trip to mainly Muslim Albania, condemns Islamist militants
21 Sep,
2014
Pope
Francis, in his strongest criticism of Islamist militants to date, said on
Sept. 21 no religious group which used violence and oppression could claim to
be "the armour of God".
Francis
made his comments during a one-day visit to Albania, an impoverished Balkan
country hailed by the pontiff as a model of inter-faith harmony because of good
relations between its majority Muslim community and its Christian
denominations.
"Let
no one consider themselves the 'armour' of God while planning and carrying out
acts of violence and oppression," he said in the presidential palace in
Tirana, responding to an address by Albanian President Bujar Nishani, who is
Muslim.
"May
no one use religion as a pretext for actions against human dignity and against
the fundamental rights of every man and woman, above all to the right to life
and the right of everyone to religious freedom," he said.
Francis,
on his first trip as pope to a European country outside Italy, made no direct
reference to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants who have
seized territory in Syria and Iraq, but it was clear he had events in the
Middle East in mind.
About
70,000 Syrian Kurds have fled into Turkey since Friday as ISIL militants seized
dozens of villages close to the border. A Kurdish politician from Turkey said
local people had told him the militants were beheading people as they went from
village to village.
Full
report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/pope-on-trip-to-mainly-muslim-albania-condemns-islamist-militants.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71983&NewsCatID=393
-----------
Poll:
Most who voted Likud want Netanyahu to launch diplomatic drive for Palestinian
state
21 Sep,
2014
A
majority of voters who supported Likud Beytenu believe that Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu should launch a diplomatic initiative that would eventually
yield a Palestinian state alongside Israel, according to a new poll
commissioned by the Geneva Initiative.
The
survey, which was done for the Geneva Initiative by New Wave Research, found
that 53 percent of Israelis who cast their votes for the ruling party and a
majority of the general public (58 percent) believe that the government should
make a renewed push toward a settlement with the Palestinians in the wake of
the seven-week military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The
Geneva Initiative is a joint Israeli-Palestinian nongovernmental organization
that advocates a two-state solution “based on previous official negotiations,
international resolutions, the Quartet Roadmap, Clinton Parameters, Bush
Vision, and Arab Peace Initiative.”
Full
report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Poll-Most-Likud-voters-want-Netanyahu-to-launch-diplomatic-drive-for-Palestinian-state-375869
-----------
Fighting
rages in Yemen capital despite UN talk of deal
21 Sep,
2014
Fighting
raged in the Yemeni capital on Sept. 21 despite an announcement by the UN envoy
that pro-government forces and Shiite rebels were poised to sign a deal.
The
shelling and gunfire in the north of Sanaa was heard across the capital, as
Sunni Islamist militiamen battled the rebels prompting an exodus of terrified
residents, an AFP correspondent reported.
A week
of fighting between the two sides has left dozen of people dead and forced the
suspension of all flights into or out of Sanaa airport, which lies within the
battle zone.
There
was no let-up in the fighting during the night despite an after-dark curfew
ordered by Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/fighting-rages-in-yemen-capital-despite-un-talk-of-deal.aspx?pageID=238&nID=71988&NewsCatID=352
-----------
Wife of
Alan Henning, Briton held by Islamic State, pleads for his release
21 Sep, 2014
MANCHESTER
- Alan Henning, a volunteer British aid worker being held by Islamic State (IS)
militants, should be released unharmed, his wife said in a statement issued a
week after his captors threatened to murder him.
Henning,
47, was part of an aid convoy taking medical supplies to a hospital in
northwest Syria in December last year when it was stopped by gunmen and he was
abducted.
He
appeared in a video released by IS last week, which showed the murder of
another Briton, David Haines. In it, a masked man said Henning would also be
killed if British Prime Minister David Cameron kept supporting the fight
against IS.
"Alan
is a peaceful, selfless man," his wife Barbara said in a statement
released via Britain's Foreign Office late on Saturday.
"When
he was taken he was driving an ambulance full of food and water to be handed
out to anyone in need. His purpose for being there was no more and no
less."
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Wife-of-Alan-Henning-Briton-held-by-Islamic-State-pleads-for-his-release-375931
-----------
British
MPs to vote on motion calling for Palestinian state
21 Sep,
2014
LONDON –
British MPs will have an unprecedented opportunity to vote on whether there
should be a Palestinian state when the House of Commons resumes after its
current party conference break on October 13.
A group
of MPs from all major political parties, headed by Labor’s Grahame Morris –
including Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, Liberal Democrat Sir Bob Russell, and
Green Party former leader Caroline Lucas – have secured a debate under a
relatively new procedure for a full-scale, whole day’s debate in the Commons
chamber.
The
motion reads: “This House believes that the government should recognize that
state of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.’’ With those proposing the
motion appearing determined to push the issue to a vote, seasoned Westminster
observers fear a vote in favor of immediate recognition of a Palestinian state
could cause a substantial shift in public opinion and lead to added pressures
on the government to change its current policy, which favors securing an
agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians before considering granting
Palestinians recognition.
Full
report at:
http://www.jpost.com/International/British-MPs-to-vote-on-motion-calling-for-Palestinian-state-375904
-----------
Report:
Goldman Sachs had 'strengthened ties' with Qaddafi's Libya fund
21 Sep,
2014
Court
documents show that Goldman Sachs admitted to using entertainment, gifts,
occasional travel, an internship and training to strengthen ties with the
Libyan Investment Authority under deposed leader Muammar Qaddafi, the Financial
Times reported.
A $1
billion lawsuit filed in London by the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA)
revealed the methods western financial institutions used to solidify
relationships with the country’s wealth fund.
These
methods are being investigated in the United States as to whether they have
reached a status of bribery. However, the bank upholds that its actions did not
result in unusual influence and that it kept “an arm’s-length banker and client
relationship,” with the LIA, the Financial Times said, quoting the defense
filed in London’s High Court last week.
In
response to accusations that Goldman entertained high-level LIA officials using
the bank’s credit card, the defense argued that the LIA was aware of the
accommodation and entertainment provided.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/banking-and-finance/2014/09/20/Goldman-Sachs-strengthened-ties-with-Qaddafi-s-Libya-fund-.html
-----------
North America
Obama
‘ready for Syria ground war’ as Kurds flee
21 September 2014
The United
States will have to resort to sending “some troops on the ground” in Syria
should President Barack Obama aim to destroy the Islamic State or Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) group, a senior U.S. Congressman told this week’s Sunday Times.
The west
is facing a “long, hard war” against ISIS, Republican Peter King said, adding
that Obama was reviewing his refusal to send ground troops after military
advisers said they would be needed.
These
remarks come after 70,000 Syrian Kurds poured into Turkey since Friday fleeing
an offensive by ISIS militants in northeastern Syria, the U.N.'s refugee agency
said Sunday.
By
ruling out sending troops to Syria, King said Obama is sounding an “uncertain
trumpet.”
Following
General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, address to
Congress in which he said that ground intervention may be necessary; King said
the “military message is getting through” to Obama.
“The
president is going further than he ever thought he would,” he told the Sunday
Times, praising Obama’s decision to deploy 2,000 troops to Iraq.
King, a
member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and chairman of its
counterterrorism and intelligence group, also said CIA officers and Special
Forces would need to be a part of a ground invasion.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/21/U-S-congressman-Obama-ready-for-ground-war.html
-----------
U.S.
plans boost to Egypt’s counter-terror efforts
21 September 2014
U.S.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke with Egyptian Defense Minister Colonel
General Sedqi Sobhy on Saturday to confirm the United States plans to deliver
10 Apache helicopters to Egypt to support Cairo’s counter-terrorism efforts,
the Pentagon said.
The
United States originally announced in April that it had decided to lift its
hold on the delivery of the attack helicopters to Egypt, imposed last year
after the military’s ouster of President Mohamed Mursi and an ensuing crackdown
against protesters.
Pentagon
spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said at the time that the helicopters would
support Egypt’s counter-terrorism operations in the Sinai Peninsula.
On
Saturday, Kirby said Hagel had confirmed to General Sobhy that Washington
planned to deliver the helicopters, built by Boeing Co., but gave no date.
Kirby
said Hagel also thanked Egypt for its role in brokering a ceasefire to end the
latest round of Gaza fighting between Hamas and Israel.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/21/U-S-to-deliver-10-Apache-helicopters-to-Egypt-.html
-----------
U.S.
says other countries willing to launch air strikes in Syria
World
Bulletin/News Desk
Sep 21,
2014
The
United States has indications other countries are willing to launch air strikes
against ISIL militants in Syria, its U.N. ambassador said on Sunday, predicting
"we will not do the air strikes alone."
Washington
is trying to build an international military, political and financial coalition
to defeat the ISIL group that has seized swathes of Iraq and Syria.
U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power was asked on CBS' "Face
the Nation" if Washington had any indication other countries were willing
to launch air strikes in Syria.
"We
do," Power said. "But we're going to leave it to other nations to
announce for themselves what their specific commitments to the coalition are
going to be."
Power
highlighted U.S. efforts to build a coalition against ISIL on television news
shows as world leaders gathered in New York for this week's U.N. General
Assembly.
The
United States has launched air strikes against ISIL within Iraq and President
Barack Obama on Sept. 10 authorized air strikes in Syria aimed at denying ISIL
fighters safe havens in either country.
Full
report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/144868/us-says-other-countries-willing-to-launch-air-strikes-in-syria
----------
Southeast Asia
Islamic
State, MH17 to figure prominently at 69th UN General Assembly
21 Sep,
2014
NEW
YORK, Sept 21 — As the high-profiled Malaysian delegation led by Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrives to address the 69th United Nations (UN) General
Assembly session, two issues will invariably, figure prominently in much of the
debates.
The two
are the atrocities committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (also known
as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – Isil) and the downing of the
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 aircraft in eastern Ukraine on July 17.
The
downing of the MH17 aircraft, by default, will also turn attention to the
Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the threat posed by Russia-backed rebels in
eastern Ukraine.
A
sampling of these two issues was provided by Australian Foreign Minister Julie
Bishop during the UN Security Council (UNSC) ministerial debate on Iraq,
chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry, on Friday. (On that day, too,
Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman addressed the UNSC.)
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/islamic-state-mh17-to-figure-prominently-at-69th-un-general-assembly#sthash.EaTCGLib.dpuf
-----------
Without
Putrajaya’s help, Sabah open to Islamic State terror plot, minister warns
secessionists
21 Sep,
2014
KOTA
KINABALU, Sept 21 ― Sabah will be vulnerable to possible terrorist attacks from
Southern Philippine’s Islamic rebels without the protection of security forces
from the federal government, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein warned today,
warding off calls for the state to leave Malaysia.
The
Defence Minister warned pro-secessionist groups that the threat of a terrorist
takeover was very real in light of a recent statement from Southern
Philippines’s Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf,
who have pledged support for the Islamic State (IS) militant movement.
“We are
not trying to scare the people but we want to remind them (pro-secessionist
groups) not to gamble with Sabah’s future.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/without-putrajayas-help-sabah-open-to-islamic-state-terror-plot-minister-wa#sthash.0SLd6HuM.dpuf
-----------
Rally
against sedition law before more arrests, Teresa Kok tells Malaysians
21 Sep,
2014
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to fulfil his promise to repeal the Sedition
Act as promised two years ago, DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok said today.
The DAP
vice-chairman said the current sedition blitz stifled freedom of expression and
showed that Najib’s promise to repeal the act and pledge for political
reconciliation as hollow and insincere.
“How
many more people will be arrested and charged in the new crackdown which is an
obvious selective prosecution against government critics?” the Seputeh MP
asked.
She said
despite widespread criticism against the government’s move, Najib has not
stopped the crackdown.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/protest-against-sedition-law-before-more-arrests-teresa-kok-tells-malaysian#sthash.vs6usHMN.dpuf
-----------
Religious
Minister Said to Be Targeting Sampang Shia Resolution Before Handover
21 Sep,
2014
Jakarta.
Despite the fact that his tenure will soon end, the new religious affairs
minister is said to be planning to make progress in resolving a dispute in East
Java that has forced tens of Shiite families from their homes.
Albert
Hasibuan, an adviser to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on religious issues,
told the Jakarta Globe that minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin has said privately
that he aims to achieve a resolution within a month.
Albert
said that Lukman had planned to talk with the East Java governor, the Sampang
district government and representatives of Sunni and Shiite communities in
Sampang district to carry out his plan.
“He
plans to build a low-cost apartment block in Sampang for the displaced
Shiites,” Albert said. “But he still needs to finalize the plan with the
housing minister.”
Hertasning
Ichlas, a spokesman for the displaced Shiites, told the Globe on Saturday that
there were still 170 Shiites living in apartments in Sidoarjo district with the
bare minimum of facilities.
Full
report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/religious-minister-said-targeting-sampang-shia-resolution-handover/
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