Turkish Policy Likely Cultivating 'Very Radical' Next Generation of Kurds
New Age Islam News Bureau
6 March 2016
Photo: Turkish Policy Likely Cultivating 'Very Radical' Next Generation of Kurds
• Ghani Calls On Taliban to Choose Between War and Peace
• Libya’s Future Threatened By ‘Terrifying’ ISIS: UN Chief
• Turkish Police Fire Bullets to Disperse Newspaper Rally
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Arab World
• Turkish Policy Likely Cultivating 'Very Radical' Next Generation of Kurds
• Over 60 Terrorists Killed in Clashes with Syrian Army in Deir Ezzur
• UN: Saudi Airstrikes to Blame for Two-Thirds of Civilian Deaths in Yemen
• ISIS Air Strikes: Civilian Death Toll From Western Bombing 'Set To Reach 1,000 Within Days'
• Kurdish Fighters Liberate Over 150 Square Kilometers of Land Northeast of Syria
• Saudi Arabia says it will keep French arms bound for Lebanon
• Saudi FM reiterates: Assad must go at start of transitional process
• Saudi, France urge ‘credible Syria solution’
• Turkish Army Continues Shelling Kurds in Syria
• Syria: Senior ISIL Commander Killed in Homs Province
• ISIL Fleeing to Syrian Border as Iraqi Army Prepares to Attack Mosul
• Turkish Army Kills 9 Syrian Citizens in Border Region
• Syrian Army Drives Militants Back From More Heights Southeast of Homs Province
• Syrian Army Thwarts Militants' Attempts to Capture Hama-Aleppo Supply Route
• Syrian Army, Allies Advance Significantly against Militants at Lattakia-Idlib Border
• Rival Militants Take Control of Border Crossing from ISIL in Deir Ezzur
• ISIL's Heavy Offensive in Homs Province Repulsed
• Saudi-Turkish Trick: What Are Two Scheming in Syria?
• UN's de Mistura: Truce in Syria May Still Be Violated in Future
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South Asia
• Ghani Calls On Taliban to Choose Between War and Peace
• 52 Militants Killed In Afghan, Coalition Airstrikes in Helmand
• 26 Militants Killed, 9 Wounded In Afghan Clearance Operations
• Nearly 300 ISIS Loyalists Killed, Wounded As Operations Conclude In Nangarhar: Mod
• IS being wiped out in Afghanistan, says President Ashraf Ghani
• Taliban refuses to hold peace talks with Afghan govt
• Turkish nationals among 5 killed or wounded in Kabul shooting
• Karzai says QCG talks Afghanistan’s only hope for peace as Taliban reject talks
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Africa
• Libya’s Future Threatened By ‘Terrifying’ ISIS: UN Chief
• Little To Show In Boko Haram-IS Partnership: Analysts
• Sudan’s Bashir flies to Indonesia
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Mideast
• Turkish Police Fire Bullets to Disperse Newspaper Rally
• Petition Calls On Court to Reverse Decision on Zaman, Urges Erdogan to End Crackdown on Free Press
• Turkish PM visits Iran despite differences on Syria
• Family, friends of ex-FBI agent demand his release from Iran
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Pakistan
• Karachi Police Claim Killing Four Suspected Militants in Encounter
• Supporters Being Forced To Change Loyalty: MQM Leader
• Abdul Basit stresses on need for 'uninterrupted talks' between India, Pakistan
• MQM dissidents have been trapped, says Waseem
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India
• 10 Terrorists Have Entered Gujarat: Pakistan's NSA
• 125 Hindus from India arrive in Pakistan for Maha Shivratri
• Missing Pak man found in jail, kin to seek Sushma's help
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Southeast Asia
• 47 Malaysians Involved With ISIS in Syria, Iraq
• Maldives' Young Democracy Sliding Back To Autocracy
• Indonesia plans anti-gay ‘propaganda’ law over ‘national security’ issues
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North America
• US: ISIS ‘Losing’ As Campaign to Retake Mosul Begins
• US moves to finalise F-16 deal with Pakistan
• US National guard may join cyber offence against Islamic State: Carter
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Europe
• Syria: Russian Air Force Targets Militants' Oil Tankers in Homs Province
• Report: Putin Freezes S-300 Missile Transfer To Iran
• EU to push Turkey to take back migrants
• Slovakia election: Anti-migrant PM Fico loses majority
• Germany defends open-border refugee policy
• Refugee shot by Utah police came with family for new life
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/turkish-policy-likely-cultivating-very/d/106566
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Turkish Policy Likely Cultivating 'Very Radical' Next Generation of Kurds
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Mehmet Yuksel, a representative to the US of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, said that young Kurds of 17-18 years think that the political ways are not the solution of the Kurdish issue in Turkey.
The next generation of Turkish Kurds is likely to be much more radical, given the continuous Ankara's security forces crackdown on the minority, Mehmet Yuksel, a representative to the US of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, told Sputnik.
"If we cannot solve the Kurdish issue in democratic ways, I am sure the next generation of the Kurds will be very radical. We already see youths of old that are much more radical. They already think that the political ways are not the solution," Yuksel said.
Yuksel added that the ISIL terrorist group, outlawed in Russia and a number of other countries, is considered by Turkey a smaller threat than the Kurds.
"Turkey considers ISIS to be better than the Kurds, a smaller threat," Yuksel said.
"First threat for Turkey is the Kurds, second is Assad, third — may be ISIS," he stressed, warning of a possible civil war in the west of Turkey.
The Kurds are Turkey's largest ethnic minority and comprise some 25 percent of the country's population.
Ankara has been conducting a special operation to suppress the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the country, which has been fighting for independence of Kurdish territories from Ankara since 1984. The group, which is considered by Ankara to be a terrorist organization, seeks to create a Kurdish state in parts of Turkey and Iraq.
Turkey’s Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party is an alliance of several pro-Kurdish movements, founded in 2012, which places strong emphasis on minority rights.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001402
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Ghani calls on Taliban to choose between war and peace
By Khaama Press - Sun Mar 06 2016
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani called on Taliban militants group to choose between war and peace, insisting that the group is facing a major test to choose between the country, nation and militancy.
In his speech during the inauguration of the 6th working year of the Afghan parliament, President Ghani said the ongoing violence in the country is not having any internal roots but has been imposed on the Afghan nation.
He said Al-Qaeda is one of the elements of the ongoing violence in the country, while foreign insurgents from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and other countries also have role in the waging violence.
President Ghani also added that a consensus is available for peace and stability in the country together with a strong will, insisting that there should never be a doubt on government’s will to ensure stability in the country.
The remarks by President Ghani comes as the Taliban group refused to sit-in for direct peace talks with the Afghan government amid efforts by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) to revive the stalled talks.
According to a statement released by the group, the decision to refrain from direct negotiations was taken due to deployment of troops by US to Afghanistan, ongoing airstrikes, and expansion of military operations by Afghan government amid ongoing efforts to revive peace talks, which the group called a ‘propaganda’.
The group once reiterated on its pre-conditions to sit-in for peace talks, saying ” unless the occupation of Afghanistan is ended, black lists eliminated and innocent prisoners freed, such futile misleading negotiations will not bear any results.”
The Afghan government was expecting to meet the Taliban representatives during a direct face to face meeting to discuss the peace process in the first week of March.
Pakistan had offered to host the first round of direct talks between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives following the conclusion of the fourth round of Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) meeting late last month.
khaama.com/ghani-calls-on-taliban-to-choose-between-war-and-peace-0260
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Libya’s future threatened by ‘terrifying’ ISIS: UN chief
5 March 2016
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that the future of Libya, and the stability of the whole Sahel region, is at stake as it faces the “terrifying threat” of ISIS.
But he warned international powers not to “stoke the fires of conflict” in the country.
Ban left Mauritania on Saturday and headed to Algeria as part of a tour of West and North Africa.
While meeting Mauritanian leaders, including President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Hademine, in the capital Nouakchott on Friday he said he was “deeply concerned about the situation in Libya”.
Chaos has engulfed Libya since the 2011 NATO-backed ouster of dictator Muammar Qaddafi and rival administrations are being urged to sign up to a UN-brokered national unity government to help restore stability.
The internationally recognized government is based in the far east of the North African country.
The ISIS group and other extremist organizations have exploited the power vacuum, making gains along the oil-rich coastal regions and triggering concern among Western nations over jihadists controlling territory just 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Europe.
“There are alarming reports of widespread human rights violations, including serious abuses that may amount to war crimes,” Ban said in his comments Friday.
“All those with influence must use it to calm the situation and stop the fighting. It is utterly irresponsible for any outside player to stoke the fires,” he added.
Ban said that his special representative Martin Kobler “is facilitating talks on a national unity government” as “we face the terrifying scourge of Daesh (ISIS) expanding in Libya and beyond its borders.”
Delays would only worsen the dire humanitarian needs, he warned, adding that “Libya’s future is at stake” and “the reverberations echo far”.
Success in stabilizing Libya would also benefit the whole Sahel region and “our world” in general, he added.
The UN chief also called for Mauritania’s help in a territorial dispute between Morocco and a Western Sahara separatist group that has displaced tens of thousands in decades of fighting.
“Making progress on the situation in Western Sahara is also of importance here too,” he said, referring to Mauritania.
“Numerous refugees share the same culture and family ties with Mauritanians.”
The United Nations has been trying to oversee an independence referendum for Western Sahara since 1992 after a ceasefire was reached to end a war that broke out when Morocco sent its forces to the former Spanish territory in 1975.
Before visiting Mauritania, Ban held talks in Burkina Faso. He will spend Saturday and Sunday in Algeria.
english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/05/Libya-s-future-threatened-by-terrifying-ISIS-UN-chief-.html
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Turkish police fire bullets to disperse newspaper rally
March 6th, 2016
ISTANBUL: Turkish riot police fired on Saturday plastic bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters who gathered outside an opposition newspaper the day after it was seized by authorities in a violent raid.
“Free press cannot be silenced,” a group of demonstrators including the paper’s readers shouted outside the Istanbul premises of Zaman daily, staunchly opposed to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Police used large amounts of tear gas, water cannon and plastic bullets to disperse around 500 people clapping in protest, a photographer at the scene reported.
Before midnight on Friday, police also stepped in by using tear gas and water cannon to drive away a hundreds-strong crowd gathered outside the newspaper following a court order placing the media business under administration.
Turkey’s top-selling Zaman newspaper, closely linked to Mr Erdogan’s arch-foe, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, was ordered into administration by the court on the request of Istanbul prosecutors, local media reported.
Zaman published a defiant edition on Saturday, warning of the “darkest days” in the history of the press.
“The constitution is suspended,” it said on its front page in large font on a black background.
The newspaper, with an estimated circulation of 650,000, went to print earlier than usual on Friday evening and the number of its pages was reduced to 16 from 24, one of its journalists said.
Sevgi Akarcesme, the editor-in-chief of the paper’s English language edition Today’s Zaman, said on Twitter on Saturday: “All internet connection is cut off at the seized #zaman building by police raid.”
“We are not able to work anymore,” she wrote.
EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said he was “extremely worried” by the move “which jeopardises progress” made by Turkey in other areas.
He warned on Twitter that Turkey, which is a long-standing candidate to join the EU, needs to “respect the freedom of the media” and rights were “not negotiable”.
The US said the court order was “the latest in a series of troubling judicial and law enforcement actions taken by the Turkish government targeting media outlets and others critical of it”.
dawn.com/news/1243898/turkish-police-fire-bullets-to-disperse-newspaper-rally
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Arab World
Turkish Policy Likely Cultivating 'Very Radical' Next Generation of Kurds
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Mehmet Yuksel, a representative to the US of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, said that young Kurds of 17-18 years think that the political ways are not the solution of the Kurdish issue in Turkey.
The next generation of Turkish Kurds is likely to be much more radical, given the continuous Ankara's security forces crackdown on the minority, Mehmet Yuksel, a representative to the US of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, told Sputnik.
"If we cannot solve the Kurdish issue in democratic ways, I am sure the next generation of the Kurds will be very radical. We already see youths of old that are much more radical. They already think that the political ways are not the solution," Yuksel said.
Yuksel added that the ISIL terrorist group, outlawed in Russia and a number of other countries, is considered by Turkey a smaller threat than the Kurds.
"Turkey considers ISIS to be better than the Kurds, a smaller threat," Yuksel said.
"First threat for Turkey is the Kurds, second is Assad, third — may be ISIS," he stressed, warning of a possible civil war in the west of Turkey.
The Kurds are Turkey's largest ethnic minority and comprise some 25 percent of the country's population.
Ankara has been conducting a special operation to suppress the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the country, which has been fighting for independence of Kurdish territories from Ankara since 1984. The group, which is considered by Ankara to be a terrorist organization, seeks to create a Kurdish state in parts of Turkey and Iraq.
Turkey’s Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party is an alliance of several pro-Kurdish movements, founded in 2012, which places strong emphasis on minority rights.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001402
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Over 60 Terrorists Killed in Clashes with Syrian Army in Deir Ezzur
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Over 60 ISIL militants, including several non-Syrians, were killed after their attempts to prevail the government forces' defense lines in Deir Ezzur were thwarted by the Syrian Army.
The Syrian Army fended off the ISIL attacks in Deir Ezzur airbase in the last 48 hours, which ended in the killing of many terrorists, including foreign nationals.
The Syrian Armed Forces killed over 60 ISIL fighters in the last 48 hours at the Deir Ezzur Military Airport, and forced the ISIL to retreat from al-Alam Farms (launching point for their attack).
Terrorists from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan, and Chechnya were among the ISIL killed members in Deir Ezzur airbase. The Syrian Armed Forces are now in full control of the Deir Ezzur Military Airport’s Southern perimeter after recapturing the al-Alam Farms.
In relevant developments in the Eastern part of the country on Friday, The Syrian army, backed up by the Russian fighter jets, repelled the ISIL offensives near the strategic Deir Ezzur airbase, which ended in the killing of nearly 30 terrorists and wounding of 30 more.
The Russian warplanes did not leave any chance for the ISIL to regroup and targeted their convoy of fresh forces before reaching to the battlefield.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215000391
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UN: Saudi Airstrikes to Blame for Two-Thirds of Civilian Deaths in Yemen
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- At least 168 civilians were killed in Yemen in February 2016, with approximately two-thirds of the deaths caused by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, the UN Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) said Friday.
According to UN estimates, 3,081 civilians have been killed and 5,733 injured since the beginning of the Saudi-led bombardment in March 2015, Sputnik reported.
"During February, a total of at least 168 civilians were killed and 193 injured, around two-thirds of them by Coalition airstrikes. In the country as a whole, 117 civilians were killed and another 129 wounded as a result of airstrikes, with the largest number of casualties (99) attributed to airstrikes hitting the capital, Sanaa," OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville said.
The OHCHR pointed out that there also were "worrying allegations" that Saudi-led coalition forces had dropped cluster bombs on a mountainous area to the south of the Amran cement factory, where Ansarullah reportedly have a stronghold.
Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the former government and militants and al-Qaeda and ISIL terrorists on one side and Ansarullah (Houthi) movement and the army and popular forces on the opposite side for over a year now. Since March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes on Yemen in support of Yemen's former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
The rising death toll among the civilian population prompted the United Nations to mediate a ceasefire between the Saudi coalition and the popular forces in December for the time of the intra-Yemeni talks in Geneva, although hostilities have continued.
The bombardments have so far killed more than 8,600 people and injured more than 16,500.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001421
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ISIS air strikes: Civilian death toll from western bombing 'set to reach 1,000 within days'
Tom McTague | The Independent | Mar 6, 2016
The civilian death toll from Western air strikes against Islamic State fighters is set to pass the 1,000 mark "within days", independent monitors told The Independent on Sunday.
The revelation comes as David Cameron faces mounting pressure to honour his pledge to update Parliament on the impact of Britain's military contribution to the war.
After the vote on 2 December authorising RAF air strikes in Syria, Mr Cameron pledged "quarterly updates" to Parliament. In the three months since, the Prime Minister has left it to Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, and Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary, to inform MPs about the situation in Iraq and Syria.
MPs and peers, however, insist Mr Cameron left the clear impression that the updates would be on the UK's military campaign - including the number of air strikes and civilian casualties and the success in driving back Islamic State - rather than on the wider diplomatic or humanitarian situation in the region.
An amendment laid in the House of Lords by the Conservative peer Lord Hodgson last week would make it a statutory requirement to publish civilian casualty figures every three months. The Government insists British air strikes in Syria and Iraq have not killed a single civilian.
However, according to the independent NGO Airwars, 967 Iraqi and Syrian civilians have died as a result of air strikes by the 12 coalition states engaged in attacks on ISIS. The figure was described in Parliament last week as "credible". A source at the monitoring organisation said the figure would top 1,000 "within days".
Britain has carried out 591 air strikes in Iraq and 36 in Syria - making up around a quarter of the 2,000 attacks carried out by countries other than the US in the international coalition against ISIS. Russian air strikes are estimated to have killed up to 2,900 civilians.
But despite the figures, 11 out of 12 members of the coalition, including the UK, claim no civilian casualties have resulted from their strikes.
Lord Hodgson, a member of the all-party parliamentary committee on drones, told peers on 3 March that this would be "unprecedented in a major military engagement" and "naturally invites questions about how civilians are being classified".
The former Conservative deputy chairman said it was crucial to be transparent about the scale of civilian deaths. He said: "We need to spend a lot of time making sure we carry the country with us.
"This is a particularly important area for our minority population. I do think it needs to be done with a degree of seriousness if it is to demand confidence.
"When civilians get killed in the course of war it is a recruiter for the extremists. But when women and children are killed it also destroys the fabric of society."
The Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake, the party's foreign affairs spokesman, said it was incumbent on Mr Cameron to update MPs on the UK's military campaign.
He said: "Parliament voted to support the Prime Minister and support military action by the RAF in Syria.
"Parliament is entitled to detailed, quality reports by the Prime Minister setting out what impact that military action has had on Daesh [ISIS] fighters and Daesh finances - and also confirmation of the number of civilian casualties caused by RAF action. We are well past a quarter in terms of the number of days."
Labour's shadow Defence Secretary, Emily Thornberry, added: "As the reported toll of civilian casualties from coalition bombing in Syria continues to rise, we need answers and accountability from the Government about the role that Britain's air strikes are playing in this crisis. David Cameron promised quarterly reports to Parliament on the impact of his bombing campaign; keeping that promise is the least the British public deserve."
A spokesman for Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said he had updated MPs in two private sessions attended by between 90 and 100 MPs. He said there had also been two updates in the Commons since the December vote - first by Mr Hammond, then by Ms Greening.
The spokesman suggested it was Mr Fallon's "turn" next and that he would address the house shortly.
But Chris Woods, the director Airwars, said the gulf between military claims and credible reports from the ground "continues to grow ever wider". He added: "In downplaying its own casualties so heavily, the alliance undercuts any leverage it might command with Russia - which continues to kill scores of civilians weekly in Syria."
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/ISIS-air-strikes-Civilian-death-toll-from-western-bombing-set-to-reach-1000-within-days/articleshow/51275040.cms
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Kurdish Fighters Liberate Over 150 Square Kilometers of Land Northeast of Syria
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have pushed the ISIL terrorists back from 157 square kilometers of territories in two provinces in the Northeastern parts of the country in the recent weeks, battlefield sources said.
The Kurdish fighters have scored eye-catching victories against the ISIL militants in the Southern part of Hasaka province and in the Northern part of Raqqa province and have captured nearly 157 square kilometers in their anti-terrorism operations.
A report said on Friday that the SDF and the Kurdish “People’s Protection Units” (YPG) continued to push the ISIL terrorists back from more strongholds in the Northeastern province of Hasaka and seized full control over at least 35 kilometers of their territories.
The Kurdish fighters stormed the ISIL lines of defense in the Western side of Jabal Abdolaziz region and forced the terrorist group to retreat forces from their positions which ended in the liberation of at least 35 square kilometers of land.
The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll in the attacks.
The YPG Kurds have recently bonded with the Damascus government. The Syrian army sent several arms cargoes to the YPG troops in the Northeastern province of Hasaka and trained the first group of Kurdish volunteer forces in the provincial capital city of Hasaka last month.
The SDF that is comprised of mainly Kurdish fighters as well as a few hundred Syrian Arab dissident forces have received trainings from the US and have been provided with scanty US-coalition air support in their battles in Raqqa province in Northeastern Syria; but in Northern and Northwestern battlefronts, they have been operating alongside the YPG and received the Russian air backup in their Aleppo wars that started with the conquest of Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates early in February.
Assisted by the Syrian army - that has along with popular forces and Hezbollah conquered almost all militant-held regions in Eastern, Southern, Western and Northwestern Aleppo province - and Russian air support, the Kurdish forces fighting against the terrorists in North-Northeast Aleppo province have been making striking advances against the Al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham and ISIL terrorists in February.
In February, the YPG and SDF fighters prevailed over the terrorists in the highly strategic city of Tal Rifat in Northern Aleppo and captured the city.
The YPG, who enjoyed the Russian air backup, prevailed the terrorists' positions from the Western direction and shook hand with the Kurdish units of the SDF who entered the town from the North.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215000821
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Saudi Arabia says it will keep French arms bound for Lebanon
March 6th, 2016
PARIS: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Saturday the kingdom will keep French military supplies previously intended for Lebanon under a $3 billion aid programme, as Riyadh toughens its stance against Hezbollah.
Last month the oil-rich Gulf state halted the programme in protest against Hezbollah, the Shia militant group fighting in support of Syria’s regime — which Saudi bitterly opposes.
“We didn’t stop the contract. It’s just going to Saudi Arabia, not to Hezbollah,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a news conference in Paris.
“We have a situation where Lebanon’s decisions have been hijacked by Hezbollah. The contracts will be completed but the clients will be the Saudi military”.
On Wednesday the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council declared Hezbollah — which has lawmakers in the Lebanese parliament — a “terrorist” group in the latest step against the organisation as ties between its main backer Iran and regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia deteriorate.
Gulf monarchies had already sanctioned Hezbollah in 2013 in reprisal for its armed intervention in Syria.
Last week Riyadh upped measures against the group, freezing assets and prohibiting dealings with three Lebanese nationals and four companies.
dawn.com/news/1243837/saudi-arabia-says-it-will-keep-french-arms-bound-for-lebanon
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Saudi FM reiterates: Assad must go at start of transitional process
5 March 2016
The Saudi foreign minister said Saturday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go at the start of a transitional political process and not at its end, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.
It is not the first time Adel al-Jubeir stressed that Assad must cede power. He had also previously urged for the implementation of Geneva I peace communique, drawn up at an international conference in 2012 in the Swiss city.
While the communique does not mention Assad’s role in Syria, Damascus grudgingly accepted the principles of the document as it endorses political transition.
A UN-brokered international roadmap foresees a transitional authority by the middle of this year and elections by mid-2017.
Full report at: english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/05/Saudi-FM-Assad-must-go-at-the-start-of-transitional-process-.html
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Saudi, France urge ‘credible Syria solution’
6 March 2016
Saudi Arabia and France stressed the need for a credible political solution to the Syrian crisis as the only way to permanently restore peace and fight terrorism.
In a joint communiqué issued at the conclusion of the visit to France by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and interior minister, the two sides stressed support for the cessation of hostilities reiterating that the groups which have been named by the Security Council are the only parties excluded from the truce.
They also stressed the need for allowing unlimited and immediate humanitarian aid to help all Syrians.
The two sides discussed possible ways to strengthen international security and stability. They reaffirmed their commitment to the international coalition against ISIS and lauded all efforts to achieve stability in the region, including the formation of an anti-terrorism Islamist alliance.
Full report at: english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/06/Saudi-Arabia-France-urge-credible-Syria-solution-.html
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Turkish Army Continues Shelling Kurds in Syria
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Turkish Army again pounded the positions of the Kurdish forces in Syria's Northeastern Hasakah province on Saturday.
The Turkish army's artillery units shelled the positions of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) near the city of al-Qamishli near the border with Turkey in Northern Hasaka province.
The Kurdish community has longed been warning that the Turkish artillery is providing support for the ISIL terrorists.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001343
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Syria: Senior ISIL Commander Killed in Homs Province
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- A top ISIL commander was killed in an aerial bombardment of the Takfiri terrorist group's military positions and gathering centers in Homs province.
Amru al-Abbasi, ISIL's top commander in Homs, was killed in the airstrikes on Friday afternoon.
Al-Abbasi was appointed as ISIL's Homs commander in 2014.
No one has yet taken the credit for killing the terrorist leader.
Targets in Homs usually come under daily attacks by the Russian fighter jets that take off from Hmeimim airbase in Lattakia, but the Syrian air force also bombs specified targets in Homs province every now and then.
In a relevant development earlier today, the Russian Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes over the ISIL positions in the Eastern part of Homs province and hit several targets, including the terrorist group's oil smuggling route to Turkey.
The Russian warplanes bombed the oil transport routes used by the ISIL near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) and al-Sakhanah; these roads flow through Raqqa and Aleppo provinces before reaching the Turkish border.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001302
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ISIL Fleeing to Syrian Border as Iraqi Army Prepares to Attack Mosul
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The ISIL terrorists are escaping from the city of Mosul to the Syrian borders after the Iraqi forces' joint operations in Anbar and Salahuddin provinces and as the country's armed forces are preparing to attack Mosul, a senior lawmaker said on Saturday.
"The military operations of Iraq's joint armed forces in Anbar province and Western part of Salahuddin have caused the withdrawal of the ISIL from Mosul in Nineveh province and the terrorists fleeing toward the Syrian borders," Ahmad Al-Jabouri told FNA on Saturday.
The Iraqi lawmaker reiterated that the ISIL has lost swathes of lands due to the recent military operations of the Iraqi forces in the Western provinces of Iraq.
In relevant remarks on Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that all Iraqi armed forces, including volunteer forces, should join hands to liberate the strategic Northern city of Mosul, slamming foreign parties who oppose partnership of the popular troops in the operation.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001280
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Turkish Army Kills 9 Syrian Citizens in Border Region
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Turkish troops killed several Syrian civilians along the two countries' border, media reports said.
Nine Syrian citizens, most of them from Lattakia and Idlib provinces, were shot dead by the Turkish troops on Friday night, the Arabic-language al-Rai al-Youm reported.
The human rights activists who are stationed along the Syria-Turkey borders have released videos showing the killing of the Syrian civilians.
Turkey has been pounding regions in Lattakia, Aleppo and Hasaka in Northern Syria after terrorists were forced to retreat from these regions under the heavy attacks of the Syrian army, popular forces, Hezbollah and Kurdish troops since last month.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001240
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Syrian Army Drives Militants Back From More Heights Southeast of Homs Province
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops and their popular allies stormed the ISIL defense lines near the ancient Assyrian town of Quaryatayn and forced the militant group to pull forces back from more heights and hills.
The Syrian army, the National Defense Forces (NDF), Liwa Suqour al-Sham (Desert Hawks Brigade) and Dara’a Qalamoun (Qalamoun Shield) continued their advance towards the strategic city of Quaryatayn, striking the ISIL positions at the important hilltop of Tal Quaryatayn.
The Syrian Armed Forces were able to seize the Western perimeter of Tal Quaryatayn after an intense battle with the ISIL terrorists protecting this hilltop.
In addition to their advance at Tal Quraytayn, the Syrian Armed Forces continued their military operations at Jabal al-Mahasa in Southern Quraytayn, attacking a number of ISIL controlled hilltops along the main road to the ancient Assyrian city.
On Friday, the Syrian army and its allies imposed full control over the village of al-Bayarat after a violent battle with the ISIL militants.
Following the capture of al-Bayarat, the Syrian army men and their allies advanced to nearby al-Dawah and captured at least half of the village following an intense battle with the ISIL combatants.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215000574
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Syrian Army Thwarts Militants' Attempts to Capture Hama-Aleppo Supply Route
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The ISIL attempts to capture part of a strategic road connecting Hama to Aleppo were fended off by the Syrian Army troops.
The ISIL attacked on the positions of the Syrian army along Ithriya-Khanaser road near the village of Sheikh Hillal to capture the supplying line but they failed.
The army later closed the road and did not permit any vehicle to pass.
A few hours later the Syrian government force pushed the militants back and reopened the road.
The ISIL left behind several killed or wounded members and fled the battlefield.
The Ithriya-Khanaser road is now open and is under full control of the Syrian soldiers.
On Friday, the Syrian officials announced that the militants deployed in a number of villages across the West-Central province of Hama agreed to join the truce with the Syrian government forces.
"Over 30 villages in the Hama province have agreed to reconcile with the government after a Russian delegation facilitated a rapprochement between the fighting sides," sources said
The location and names of these villages were not announced by the Syrian officials; however, they are most likely located in Southern Hama, where the terrorist groups are still fighting the government forces.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215000913
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Syrian Army, Allies Advance Significantly against Militants at Lattakia-Idlib Border
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army and its popular allies continued to advance against the militant groups in the Northeastern part of Lattakia province after pushing back the remaining terrorists from their positions at the border with Idlib province.
The Syrian army troops, the National Defense Forces (NDF), the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) and the Syrian Marines captured a number of sites along the Aleppo-Lattakia Highway (M-4 Highway), paving the way for their soldiers to reach the final hilltops overlooking the strategic city of Jisr al-Shughour in the Southern part of Idlib province.
The Syrian Armed Forces can see the city of Jisr al-Shughour from their positions atop of Jabal al-Akrad in Northeastern Lattakia; this is the closest the government forces have been to Jisr al-Shughour since their withdrawal from Idlib province last Spring.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215000453
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Rival Militants Take Control of Border Crossing from ISIL in Deir Ezzur
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The rival militant groups took control of a border crossing with Iraq from the ISIL in Syria's Deir Ezzur province.
The ISIL had controlled al-Tanf border crossing, which is also near the Syrian-Jordanian border, since May 2015.
The rival militants who took the crossing had crossed into Syria from Jordan on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The al-Tanf border crossing is 240 km (150 miles) from Palmyra (Tadmur) in Homs province.
In late January, several insurgency sources announced that the leader of al Qaeda's Syrian wing tried unsuccessfully at a recent meeting to convince rival Takfiri factions to merge into one unit.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001136
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ISIL's Heavy Offensive in Homs Province Repulsed
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops repelled ISIL's heavy attack on an oil-rich region in the Eastern part of Homs province and forced the terrorist group to pull forces back from the battlefield.
The ISIL attempts to prevail over the government forces' line of defense in Jazal oilfield was fended off by the Syrian soldiers.
The heavy fire of the Syrian army inflicted a heavy death toll on the terrorists and forced them to retreat.
Reports said earlier today that the Syrian army troops and their popular allies stormed the ISIL defense lines near the ancient Assyrian town of Quaryatayn and forced the militant group to pull forces back from more heights and hills.
The Syrian army, the National Defense Forces (NDF), Liwa Suqour al-Sham (Desert Hawks Brigade) and Dara’a Qalamoun (Qalamoun Shield) continued their advance towards the strategic city of Quaryatayn, striking the ISIL positions at the important hilltop of Tal Quaryatayn.
The Syrian Armed Forces were able to seize the Western perimeter of Tal Quaryatayn after an intense battle with the ISIL terrorists protecting this hilltop.
In addition to their advance at Tal Quarytayn, the Syrian Armed Forces continued their military operations at Jabal al-Mahasa in Southern Quarytayn, attacking a number of ISIL controlled hilltops along the main road to the ancient Assyrian city.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001054
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Saudi-Turkish Trick: What Are Two Scheming in Syria?
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Even though both Turkey and Saudi Arabia could find themselves in a “highly combustible situation” in Syria if they decide to send in their ground troops, the two nevertheless “seem more than willing to get directly engaged.” It is definitely not about Daesh, says foreign policy expert Salman Rafi Sheikh, so what is the real reason?
“The officially and un-officially sponsored popular contention that Saudi Arabia and Turkey are aiming at sending ground troops to Syria out of the fear of Islamic State (Daesh) hitting them is merely an illusion that has no practical substance,” Salman Rafi Sheikh, research-analyst of International Relations and Pakistan’s foreign and domestic affairs writes in his article for the New Eastern Outlook website.
“The illusion of an anti-ISIL (Daesh) Saudi-Turk military intervention in Syria is, therefore, only a trick that they are using for deceiving the world generally and their public specifically into believing the ‘righteousness’ of the cause they are fighting for,” he furthermore states.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001396
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UN's de Mistura: Truce in Syria May Still Be Violated in Future
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The truce agreement in Syria may still be violated in the near future, however, Russia's and the United States' involvement will have a positive effect on its compliance, UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said Friday.
Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria on February 22. The accord took effect on February 27, with the ceasefire generally holding across the country despite reported minor violations, Sputnik reported.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215001412
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South Asia
Ghani calls on Taliban to choose between war and peace
By Khaama Press - Sun Mar 06 2016
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani called on Taliban militants group to choose between war and peace, insisting that the group is facing a major test to choose between the country, nation and militancy.
In his speech during the inauguration of the 6th working year of the Afghan parliament, President Ghani said the ongoing violence in the country is not having any internal roots but has been imposed on the Afghan nation.
He said Al-Qaeda is one of the elements of the ongoing violence in the country, while foreign insurgents from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and other countries also have role in the waging violence.
Full report at: khaama.com/ghani-calls-on-taliban-to-choose-between-war-and-peace-0260
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52 militants killed in Afghan, coalition airstrikes in Helmand
By Khaama Press - Sat Mar 05 2016
The anti-government armed militants suffered heavy casualties after staging an offensive on Afghan security posts in Sangin and Marjah districts of Helmand province.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD), said at least 52 militants were killed 45 others were wounded after the security forces responded to the offensive with close-air support by Afghan Air Force and coalition forces.
A statement by MoD said the militants launched coordinated offensive on the security posts of 215th Corps of the Afghan National Army, triggering heavy clashes as the Afghan forces responded to the offensive.
Full report at: khaama.com/52-militants-killed-in-afghan-coalition-airstrikes-in-helmand-0255
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26 militants killed, 9 wounded in Afghan clearance operations: MoD
By Khaama Press - Sat Mar 05 2016
At least twenty six militants were killed and nine others were wounded in the latest clearance operations conducted by the Afghan National security forces, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.
According to an operational update by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the operations were conducted in various parts of the country in the past 24 hours, involving security personnel of Afghan army, Afghan police and other security institutions.
Full report at: khaama.com/26-militants-killed-9-wounded-in-afghan-clearance-operations-mod-0253
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Nearly 300 ISIS loyalists killed, wounded as operations conclude in Nangarhar
By Khaama Press - Sun Mar 06 2016
The loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group suffered heavy casualties as the clearance operations against the terror group concluded in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
The provincial government media office in a statement said the operations to suppress the activities of the terror group under the name of Shaheen-18 concluded on Saturday.
The statement further added that the operations covered Achin district of Nangarhar where the loyalists of the terror group were actively operating.
The operations continued for 21 days, involving security personnel from all security institutions, including the Afghan Air Force.
Full report at: khaama.com/nearly-300-isis-loyalists-killed-wounded-as-operations-conclude-in-nangarhar-0258
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IS being wiped out in Afghanistan, says President Ashraf Ghani
Mar 5, 2016
KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says the militant Islamic State (IS) group has been defeated in eastern Afghanistan, where it had taken over some remote districts.
Speaking at the opening of parliament Sunday, Ghani said Afghan forces had dislodged IS loyalists from regions of Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan. He says Afghanistan will be a "graveyard" for IS.
IS has had a presence in Afghanistan for more than a year. Officials have said most militants calling themselves IS are disaffected Taliban fighters.
Afghan forces have claimed victory following a 21-day operation in the Achin and Shinwar districts of Nangarhar, claiming at least 200 militants killed.
dawn.com/news/1243918/is-being-wiped-out-in-afghanistan-says-president-ashraf-ghani
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Taliban refuses to hold peace talks with Afghan govt
AFP | Mar 5, 2016
KABUL: The Taliban on Saturday refused to resume long-stalled peace talks with the Afghan government, reiterating their preconditions for holding dialogue, a statement said.
"We want to repeat our stance once again that until the occupation of foreign troops ends, until Taliban names are removed from international blacklists and until our detainees are released, talks will yield no results," it said.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Taliban-refuses-to-hold-peace-talks-with-Afghan-govt/articleshow/51269135.cms
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Turkish nationals among 5 killed or wounded in Kabul shooting
By Khaama Press - Sat Mar 05 2016
At least five people including Turkish nationals have been killed or wounded in an attack by gunmen in capital Kabul earlier tonight.
The security officials in Kabul police department confirmed the incident and said a Turkish nationals was killed along with an Afghan and two others were wounded.
The officials further added that the wounded people were all Turkish citizens.
Eyewitnesses in the area said two Turkish nationals and an Afghan citizen were shot dead and two Turkish citizens were wounded.
Head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Fraidoon Obaidi, confirmed that a gunman attacked a Turkish store in Haji Yaqoob Square area of the city.
The main motive behind the incident has not been ascertained so far and the attacker managed to flee the area following the attack.
Obaidi said an investigation is underway regarding the incident and confirmed that no suspect has been arrested by police so far.
khaama.com/turkish-nationals-among-5-killed-or-wounded-in-kabul-shooting-0256
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Karzai says QCG talks Afghanistan’s only hope for peace as Taliban reject talks
By Khaama Press - Sun Mar 06 2016
The former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said the ongoing talks by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) were Afghanistan’s only hope for peace.
In interview with India’s The Hindu newspaper, Karzai said there is no other hope for peace despite the fact the talks were being held in Pakistan.
“We have no other hope for peace. Which is what forces us to accept a condition we are unhappy with (on the venue for talks in Pakistan). Of course, we aren’t happy that these talks aren’t being held in Afghanistan,” Karzai added.
Karzai made the remarks ahead of a Taliban statement released on Saturday, refusing any offer to sit-in for direct peace talks with the Afghan government.
Full report at: khaama.com/karzai-says-qcg-talks-afghanistans-only-hope-for-peace-as-taliban-reject-talks-0257
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Africa
Libya’s future threatened by ‘terrifying’ ISIS: UN chief
5 March 2016
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that the future of Libya, and the stability of the whole Sahel region, is at stake as it faces the “terrifying threat” of ISIS.
But he warned international powers not to “stoke the fires of conflict” in the country.
Ban left Mauritania on Saturday and headed to Algeria as part of a tour of West and North Africa.
While meeting Mauritanian leaders, including President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Hademine, in the capital Nouakchott on Friday he said he was “deeply concerned about the situation in Libya”.
Chaos has engulfed Libya since the 2011 NATO-backed ouster of dictator Muammar Qaddafi and rival administrations are being urged to sign up to a UN-brokered national unity government to help restore stability.
Full report at: english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/05/Libya-s-future-threatened-by-terrifying-ISIS-UN-chief-.html
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Little to show in Boko Haram-IS partnership: analysts
6 March 2016
When Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria last year, there were fears the deadly insurgency in northeast Nigeria would take on an international dimension.
The world's deadliest designated terrorist organisations -- notorious for the indiscriminate slaughter of tens of thousands of people -- were now officially linked.
Speculation and concern mounted about a potential influx of foreign fighters to the countries surrounding Lake Chad and an escalation of a previously localised conflict.
Soldiers looks at burnt houses in the village of Dalori, some 12 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, after an attack by Boko Haram insurgents left at least 85 dead
Full report at: dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3478816/Little-Boko-Haram-IS-partnership-analysts.html
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Sudan’s Bashir flies to Indonesia
5 March 2016
March 5, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan’s President Omer Hassan al-Bashir travelled to Indonesia on Saturday evening for an extraordinary Islamic summit despite an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued in Mars 2009.
A Chinese honor guard waits as a plane carrying Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015 (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Bashir will take part in the fifth extraordinary Summit of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the situation in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In April last year Bashir cancelled at the last minute his trip to Jakarta for an Asia-Africa summit.
Full report at: sudantribune.com/spip.php?article58224
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Mideast
Turkish police fire bullets to disperse newspaper rally
March 6th, 2016
ISTANBUL: Turkish riot police fired on Saturday plastic bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters who gathered outside an opposition newspaper the day after it was seized by authorities in a violent raid.
“Free press cannot be silenced,” a group of demonstrators including the paper’s readers shouted outside the Istanbul premises of Zaman daily, staunchly opposed to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Police used large amounts of tear gas, water cannon and plastic bullets to disperse around 500 people clapping in protest, a photographer at the scene reported.
Before midnight on Friday, police also stepped in by using tear gas and water cannon to drive away a hundreds-strong crowd gathered outside the newspaper following a court order placing the media business under administration.
Turkey’s top-selling Zaman newspaper, closely linked to Mr Erdogan’s arch-foe, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, was ordered into administration by the court on the request of Istanbul prosecutors, local media reported.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1243898/turkish-police-fire-bullets-to-disperse-newspaper-rally
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Petition calls on court to reverse decision on Zaman, urges Erdogan to end crackdown on free press
March 05, 2016
The Index on Censorship has launched a petition calling on an Istanbul court to reverse its decision to appoint trustees to Turkey’s largest daily, also urging President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop crackdown on free media.
“Join Index on Censorship, writers, journalists and artists from around the world to condemn the shocking seizure of Turkish independent media group, Zaman,” the change.org petition said.
"Today Turkey seized one of the country's leading newspapers. In so doing, Turkey has confirmed that it is no longer committed to a free press, which is the bedrock of any democratic society. We, the undersigned, ask the court to reverse its decision to seize Zaman and urge the international community to speak out against Turkey's repeated attempts to stifle a free and independent media," it added.
todayszaman.com/latest-news_petition-calls-on-court-to-reverse-decision-on-zaman-urges-erdogan-to-end-crackdown-on-free-press_414070.html
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Turkish PM visits Iran despite differences on Syria
AP | Mar 5, 2016
TEHRAN, Iran: Iranian state TV says Turkey's prime minister has met with Iranian officials to discuss Syria, where the two nations back opposite sides in the five-year civil war.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived on Friday on a two-day visit, the first by a Turkish official since the lifting of sanctions under a landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers in January.
Davutoglu acknowledged on Saturday that Iran and Turkey differ on Syria, but said cooperation between the two was necessary to end the bloodshed there.
Turkey is a leading backer of the rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. Iran, along with Russia, has provided crucial support to his government.
Davutoglu said Turkey and Iran hope to expand their trade to $30 billion, triple the current amount.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Turkish-PM-visits-Iran-despite-differences-on-Syria/articleshow/51271186.cms
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Family, friends of ex-FBI agent demand his release from Iran
6 March 2016
The family and colleagues of a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran nine years ago while on a CIA mission expressed anger and disappointment at a rally on Saturday that he wasn’t part of a January prisoner exchange with Tehran.
Several hundred people attended the rally for Robert Levinson, 67, who disappeared from Iran’s Kish Island in March 2007. A 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed that the married father of seven was working for the CIA on an unauthorized intelligence-gathering mission to glean information about Iran’s nuclear program.
If Levinson remains alive, he has been held captive longer than any American - longer than then-AP journalist Terry Anderson, who was held more than six years in Beirut in the 1980s. Unlike Anderson, Levinson’s whereabouts and captors remain a mystery. US officials believe the Iranian government was behind his disappearance. It has denied that.
The case drew renewed attention in January when Levinson was not part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iranian governments that freed four other Americans who had been in Iran's custody. Levinson’s family insists he is still alive, even with health issues including diabetes, gout and high blood pressure. They last received video and photos of him about five years ago.
Full report at: english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/06/Family-friends-of-ex-FBI-agent-demand-his-release-from-Iran.html
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Pakistan
Karachi police claim killing four suspected militants in encounter
March 6th, 2016
KARACHI. Police on Saturday claimed to have killed four suspected militants belonging to banned outfits during an “encounter” in the outskirts of the metropolis.
Malir SSP Rao Anwar said that suspects were allegedly involved in the killing of security personnel and members of Shia community.
The senior police official claimed that the deceased were members of banned outfits — Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.
Police acted on an information provided by the already arrested suspects and was backed by intelligence agencies, said Anwar.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1243777/karachi-police-claim-killing-four-suspected-militants-in-encounter
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Supporters being forced to change loyalty: MQM leader
March 6th, 2016
KARACHI: Senior leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Dr Farooq Sattar has claimed that families of several ‘missing’ workers of the party and those languishing in prison are being forced to change their loyalties.
Without disclosing identity of those who he claimed were approaching the families of ‘missing’ MQM workers, Dr Sattar told a press conference here on Saturday evening that the relatives of such party workers were being threatened as well as lured with temptations to change their loyalties.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1243905/supporters-being-forced-to-change-loyalty-mqm-leader
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Abdul Basit stresses on need for 'uninterrupted talks' between India, Pakistan
March 6th, 2016
JAIPUR: Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit stressed the need for uninterrupted talks between Pakistan and India for peace and regional stability, Radio Pakistan reported.
Basit, while addressing a function in Jaipur, said dialogue is the only way to improve ties between Pakistan and India.
Citing Kashmir as the root cause of all issues between the two countries, he said an environment of cooperation must persist for resolution of disputes.
Talks between foreign secretaries were to take place after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'surprise' visit to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the occasion of his granddaughter's wedding last year, but were relegated to the back burner after a siege on India's Pathankot air base in January.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1243912/abdul-basit-stresses-on-need-for-uninterrupted-talks-between-india-pakistan
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MQM dissidents have been trapped, says Waseem
March 6th, 2016
KARACHI: In a thinly veiled reference to the establishment, Muttahida Qaumi Movement mayoral nominee Waseem Akhtar has said party dissidents Mustafa Kamal and Anis Kaimkhani who have been ‘brought’ to Pakistan will realise their mistake very soon.
“They have been trapped and brought to Pakistan ... let’s see how long they will enjoy their patronage,” said Mr Akhtar, while talking to the media on the Sindh High Court premises on Saturday.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1243767/mqm-dissidents-have-been-trapped-says-waseem
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India
10 terrorists have entered Gujarat: Pakistan's NSA
TNN & Agencies | Mar 6, 2016
AHMEDABAD/PATHANKOT: Gujarat was put on a state of high alert on Saturday following an intelligence input from Pakistan's National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval that 10 terrorists had entered the state to carry out strikes.
Intelligence agencies believe this infiltration is aimed at creating disturbances on or around Shivaratri which falls on Monday. Pakistan's NSA has informed that these are fidayeen from the Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-eMuhammed cadres.
Following Doval's communication to Gujarat, security has been stepped up at sensitive installations, places of worship and public places. This is the first time that Pakistan has shared such specific intelligence.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/10-terrorists-have-entered-Gujarat-Pakistans-NSA/articleshow/51274366.cms
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125 Hindus from India arrive in Pakistan for Maha Shivratri
PTI | Mar 5, 2016
LAHORE: Over 120 Hindu pilgrims from India arrived here in this eastern Pakistani city on Saturday to participate in the Maha Shivratri festivities.
Saddiqul Farooq, chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) which looks after the temples and gurdwaras across Pakistan, and Pakistan Gurdwara Parbhandik Committee officials greeted the pilgrims at Wagah Border.
"125 Hindu pilgrims today arrived here from Wagah Border," Amir Hashmi, spokesperson of the ETPB, told PTI.
The pilgrims will stay at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore Fort before they leave for the historic Katas Raj temple in Punjab province's Chakwal distrcit, some 250 kilometres from here, on Monday to take part in the festivities.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/125-Hindus-from-India-arrive-in-Pakistan-for-Maha-Shivratri/articleshow/51270097.cms?
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Missing Pak man found in jail, kin to seek Sushma's help
Rajshekhar Jha | TNN | Mar 6, 2016
NEW DELHI: Almost three months after TOI front-paged a report about a computer engineer from Sargodha in Pakistan languishing in an Indian jail, there is some good news for his family who were told he was dead. The family in Pakistan has been contacted by the local police and embassy officials confirming Mohammed Irfan's presence in Amritsar jail.
Then 23-year-old Irfan had come to Delhi in February 2007 to make purchases for his coaching centre. He was returning home when a blast ripped through Samjhauta Express. He was since declared "missing" since nobody saw him after that day , nor did his family's DNA match any of the victims. Eight years on, his family was told of a prisoner in Punjab's jail, sentenced to four years under the Passport Act after the blasts but languishing there since, and now mentally ill. The family had written to the external affairs ministry and planned to meet minister Sushma Swaraj for help.
Full report at:
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Missing-Pak-man-found-in-jail-kin-to-seek-Sushmas-help/articleshow/51274394.cms
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Southeast Asia
47 Malaysians involved with ISIS in Syria, Iraq
6 March 2016
Kuala Lumpur: At least 47 Malaysians, including nine women and eight children, are involved with the Islamic state terror group in Syria and Iraq, a top police official has said.
Police Special Branch director Mohamad Fuzi said they comprised 30 men, nine women and eight children. "Of the 72 linked to the militant group, 18 were reportedly killed in Syria while seven others died as suicide bombers last year," Fuzi said.
"Some of those involved in militant activities were arrested and charged in court," he told Bernama news agency. Fuzi said the police has taken measures to curb the spread of ISIS ideology by collaborating with the Immigration Department, KL International Airport (KLIA) and Interpol to monitor the country's entry points.
"If they ISIS militants return to their country of origin via KLIA, they will be arrested immediately, and if they use other means, the police have the mechanism to detect them," he added. Malaysia is a multi ethnic Muslim majority country
newstodaynet.com/world/47-malaysians-involved-isis-syria-iraq
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Maldives' young democracy sliding back to autocracy
March 6, 2016
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — With most opposition leaders in jail or exile, public protests tightly controlled and courts rendering verdicts decried for lack of due process, the Maldives has nearly slid back to where it was eight years ago: an autocratic state that quashes dissent.
Since assuming power in this Indian Ocean archipelago nation of luxurious seaside resorts just over two years ago, President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has tightened his grip on this fledgling democracy with virtually no challenger.
The opposition is in disarray and freedoms have been restricted. Mohamed Nasheed, a pro-democracy activist who won the 2008 elections, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, and two defense ministers, including one of Gayoom's allies who fell out of favor, have been given long prison terms. Street protests are banned and rallies that are permitted in restricted places are poorly attended.
Full report at: dailyastorian.com/maldives-young-democracy-sliding-back-to-autocracy-da-ap-webfeeds-news-nation-worldf554191abd994f36869bd9d1a3477710
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Indonesia plans anti-gay ‘propaganda’ law over ‘national security’ issues
5th March 2016
Indonesia is believed to be drafting its own anti-gay ‘propaganda’ bill.
Following on from Russia’s 2013 bill, signed by President Putin, banning the ‘promotion of non-traditional sexual relations’, Indonesia could be getting its own.
Amid a crackdown on LGBT content on sites like Facebook and Tumblr, the Communications and Information Minister is reportedly drafting a bill to comprehensively ban LGBT “propaganda”.
gay israel kiss
Speaking to the Jakarta Post, a spokesman for the ministry, Ismail Cawidu, said it was setting up a panel to discuss the issue.
“The House commission has urged us, so we have to follow up on their proposal. However, the panel will still refer to the mechanism [to ban such websites] as stipulated in the prevailing provision,” said Cawidu on Friday.
Full report at: pinknews.co.uk/2016/03/05/indonesia-plans-anti-gay-propaganda-law-over-national-security-issues/
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North America
US: ISIS ‘losing’ as campaign to retake Mosul begins
5 March 2016
The chief of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition on Saturday announced plans to seize Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul from ISIS, which has been held by the militants since June 2014, describing the militant group as “losing.”
The operation’s current strategy is to cut the main road connecting Mosul to the ISIS-stronghold city of Raqqa in Syria, the coalition’s US special envoy Brett McGurk said at a press conference in the capital Baghdad.
The ground operation will see the participation of both the Iraqi Army forces and Peshmerga, the Kurdish forces from the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan to the north.
McGurk also said ISIS is losing a battle against forces arraigned against if from many sides in Iraq and Syria and the focus would turn to stabilizing cities seized back from them.
McGurk, however, declined to put a timeline on when the group would be defeated or when Mosul and Raqqa, the main cities under its control in Iraq and Syria respectively, would be retaken.
Full report at: english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/05/U-S-announces-operation-to-liberate-Mosul.html
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US moves to finalise F-16 deal with Pakistan
March 6th, 2016
WASHINGTON: The US government has formally notified the intended sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, taking a major step towards finalising the deal.
“This proposed sale contributes to US foreign policy objectives and national security goals by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in South Asia,” said the notification published in the US Federal Register on Friday, along with a copy of the Feb 11 letter which the Defence Security Cooperation Agency wrote to speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan.
“We are grateful to the US administration and members of Congress for their acknowledgment of Pakistan’s decisive actions against extremists and terrorists and of the effective role the F-16a play in our counter-terrorism efforts,” said Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani while commenting on the notification.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1243909/us-moves-to-finalise-f-16-deal-with-pakistan
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Us National guard may join cyber offence against Islamic State: Carter
March 6th, 2016
Defense Secretary Ash Carter (R) is briefed on the capabilities of the National Guard Cyber Unit at Joint base Lewis-McChord, Washington, March 4, 2016.
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the National Guard's cyber squadrons will play an increasingly important role in assessing the vulnerabilities of US industrial infrastructure and could be asked to join the fight against Islamic State.
The National Guard - a reserve military force that resides in the states but can be mobilized for national needs - is a key part of the military's larger effort to set up over 120 cyber squadrons to respond to cyber attacks and prevent them.
One such unit, the 262nd squadron, is a 101-person team that includes employees of Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc's Google. The unit is "famous throughout the country" for several high profile vulnerability assessments, Carter said at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington late on Friday.
Full report at: news.asiaone.com/news/world/us-national-guard-may-join-cyber-offence-against-islamic-state-carter
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Europe
Syria: Russian Air Force Targets Militants' Oil Tankers in Homs Province
Mar 6, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Russian Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes over the ISIL positions in the Eastern part of Homs province and hit several targets, including the terrorist group's oil smuggling route to Turkey.
The Russian warplanes bombed the oil transport routes used by the ISIL near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) and al-Sakhanah; these roads flow through Raqqa and Aleppo provinces before reaching the Turkish border.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941215000331
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Report: Putin freezes S-300 missile transfer to Iran
March 6th, 2016
Kuwaiti daily Al-Jarida quotes high-level source stating that Putin decided to stop the transfer based on proof he received from Israel that Iran transferred advanced Russian missile systems to Hezbollah.
Russia has decided to freeze its shipment of S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Iran, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported on Saturday.
The paper quotes a highly reliable source as saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to suspend delivery of the advanced aerial defense system because Iran failed to lived up to its promise not deliver advanced weaponry to the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Kuwaiti paper that Putin based his decision on information he received from Israel, proving that the Iranians had transferred the advanced Russian-made SA-22 surface-to-air missile system to Hezbollah more than once.
Full report at: ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4774679,00.html
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EU to push Turkey to take back migrants
AFP | Mar 6, 2016
BRUSSELS: European leaders will push Turkey at a summit on Monday to agree to "large-scale" deportations of economic migrants from Greece, as EU chief Donald Tusk says he sees the first hints of a resolution to the migrant crisis.
With a fresh surge expected in the warmer spring weather, the European Union's 28 leaders are pinning much of their hopes for reducing the chaos on new commitments from Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
The EU will also push Ankara to drastically reduce the huge flow of migrants into Europe, as Turkey is the launch pad for most of the more than one million refugees and migrants who have come to the continent since early 2015.
On Saturday, European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramapoulos said Greece -- already struggling with a buildup of 30,000 migrants -- was expected to receive "another 100,000" by the end of March.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/EU-to-push-Turkey-to-take-back-migrants/articleshow/51275109.cms
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Slovakia election: Anti-migrant PM Fico loses majority
Mar 6, 2016
Slovakia's leftist-nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico has won the general election but lost his parliamentary majority, almost complete results show.
Mr Fico will now need to find coalition partners to return for a third term.
Gains by small parties, including an extreme right one, may produce a divided parliament with no clear path to forming a majority government.
Mr Fico has vowed not to accept "one single Muslim" migrant.
Full report at: bbc.com/news/world-europe-35734947
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Germany defends open-border refugee policy
6 March 2016
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, saying it stirs up prejudice and polarizes society.
Her comments, made in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, reflect growing unease among Germany’s mainstream parties amid rising popular support for the right-wing AfD and its fierce opposition against Merkel’s refugee policy.
Merkel faces one of her toughest electoral tests in three regional elections on March 13. The AfD is set to win almost 20 percent in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt and match the ruling Social Democrats in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, according to the most recent polls.
Full report at: english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/06/Germany-s-Merkel-defends-her-refugee-policy.html
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Refugee shot by Utah police came with family for new life
March 6, 2016
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A 17-year-old Somali refugee critically wounded in a high-profile police shooting in Utah fled to the U.S. from a refugee camp where food was scarce, scorpions scurried everywhere and a toilet was a hole in the ground.
Abdi Mohamed's family settled in Salt Lake City, hoping for a better life.
But things took a turn and he began to get in trouble with police after his beloved grandfather suffered a brain injury in a car accident, his cousin Muslima Weledi said.
She remembered the family's hopeful journey from a makeshift home with sand walls at a refugee camp in Kenya to Utah where the teenager is now hospitalized — and at the center of the latest flashpoint in the nation's discussion about police use of force against minorities. Police have said that Mohamed was shot when he would not obey commands to drop a metal stick being used to beat a man.
Full report at: dailyastorian.com/refugee-shot-by-utah-police-came-with-family-for-new-life-da-ap-webfeeds-news-nation-world703d49831e0844a09608201ca828584a
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/turkish-policy-likely-cultivating-very/d/106566
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