Top Army commander seeks answers behind youth being radicalised by ISIS
• Muslim institute joins war on ISIS
• Top Army commander seeks answers behind youth being radicalised by ISIS
• Head of al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent is from Uttar Pradesh
• Remarks against Prophet: Muslim outfit plans protest
• Rival Cruz cites peaceful Indian Muslims to counter Trump's ban rant
• IOCL man held for 'IS links': 'My son is a patriot, would never go against nation'
• 11 serving & retired army personnel arrested in 3 yrs for being ISI moles
• Tipu Jayanti clash: VHP activist, two others held for Muslim youth's murder in Karnataka
• Maha govt against issuing ordinance for Muslim quota in education
• Afghan govt urged to take immediate steps in halting ISIS 'Radio caliphate'
• Bangladesh to take action against Pakistani diplomat for 'promoting militancy'
• NDS detains Taliban weapon suppliers in Takhar
• ISIS loyalists have reportedly launched radio station in Nangarhar province
• NPC approves 61 contracts worth of AFG 3,470,000,000
• Afghan security worsens, casualties spike in 2015: Pentagon
• Bangladesh government careless about propaganda against 'world's best' war crimes trial: Legal expert
• Four Bangladeshis jailed in Nigeria
• MLA criticises govt for 'anti-Muslim' attitude
• Obama counters anti-Muslim rhetoric
• Clinton outlines 5-point plan to take on ISIS
• UN moves to tighten net around ISIL finances
• Republican presidential debate focuses on terror, national security
• At Mosque, Bernie Sanders Condemns 'Demagogues' Like Donald Trump
• Cops Ask Armed Citizens To Fight Terrorists. What Could Go Wrong?
• California shooters buried in quiet funeral following Islamic rituals
• US says Turkey must pull unauthorised forces from Iraq
• California shooting: 'No evidence Farook, Tashfeen were part of terrorist cell'
• US accepts Russian stance on Assad
• Pakistan confirms participation in Saudi-led anti-terror alliance
• Leaders vow revenge over school massacre
• 2 terrorists hanged in Faisalabad jail
• Protest outside Lal Masjid disrupted by police
• Dr Asim Hussain's remand in NAB custody extended for a week
• Performance report of Sindh Rangers' prepared, says Nisar in NA
• Nishan-i-Imtiaz conferred on Commander Royal Saudi Naval Forces
• Muslim Council Issues Fatwa Against Poaching
• Indonesia confronts extremists with their own brand of Islam
• Australia spy chief says 'tone down Islam criticism'
• Non-Muslim umbrella body urges suspension of NSC Bill
• Not all terrorists' wives are accomplices, minister says
• NFCorp boss: Shahrizat had to quit Cabinet for party's sake
• 26 Qatari hunters kidnapped in Iraq
• Militants Withdraw From More Lands Northeast of Syria's Lattakia
• Syrian Army, Hezbollah Launch Large-Scale Operations South of Aleppo
• Army Repels ISIL Attack on Key Deir Ezzur Village
• ISIS attack wounds 4 Turkish trainers in Iraqi camp
• Syria settlement 'should not hinge' on Assad's fate
• US defence chief reviews anti-IS war in Baghdad
• Syrian Army Strongly Denies Rumors about Fall of Marj Al-Sultan Airbase
• Saudi Arabia warns Umrah firms against shabby lodging for pilgrims
• Syrian Forces Win Back Strategic Al-Nuba Mountains North of Lattakia
• Syrian Forces Annihilate Militants' Weapons Depot in Idlib
• Kerry to chair U.N. Security Council meeting on Syria
• U.N. war crimes team will not investigate foreign air strikes in Syria
• Egypt to try 13 policemen next month over fatal beating
• Iraq Kurds repel major ISIS offensive
• DM: Iran to Continue Developing Missile Industries Irrespective of 2231 Resolution
• Turkey accuses Russia of playing up military threat
• UN's closure of probe into Iran's nuclear past is political victory: Rouhani
• Iranian commander Soleimani meets Putin
• Yemeni court sentences US citizen to ten years
• Unofficial Source: General Soleimani Visits Russia
• Iranian DM Confirms Receiving Cooperation Proposal from World Advanced Military Industries
• Iran Shows Interest in Buying Russian T90 Tanks
• Preconditions by foreign players prolonging Syria crisis: Zarif
• Iran-Algeria cooperation to allay Muslims' woes: Jahangiri
• Over 200 South African scholars join academic boycott of Israel
• Five suicide blasts rock NE Nigeria
• Libya parliament chief throws U.N. deal into doubt
• Thousands of S.Africans call for president's removal
• Amnesty calls for fair probe into Nigeria Shia clashes
• Police, protesters clash in Netherlands over plan for refugees
• After Iran missile test, U.S. senators urge more sanctions
• Brexit, refugee crisis to dominate EU summit
• Sweden refuses to supply fighter jets for ISIL fight
• Man suspected of Paris attacks link held in Austria
• Efforts to deal with migrant crises at 'a breaking point'
Compiled by New Age Islam Edit Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/new-age-islam-news-bureau/top-army-commander-seeks-answers-behind-youth-being-radicalised-isis/d/105642
Muslim institute joins war on ISIS
Mohammed Wajihuddin
Mumbai: After more than 1,000 Indian imams and clerics signed a fatwa against ISIS denouncing its jihadist extremism as "un-Islamic" and "inhuman", Anjuman-I Islam, India's largest modern Muslim institution, has joined the ideological war against ISIS or Daesh.
It has launched an anti terrorism campaign among more than one lakh students in its 98 collegesinstitutes on 14 campuses spread across Maharashtra. Though Anju man had begun counselling its students against the "vi ces" of ISIS soon after four Kalyan youths joined the terrorist group in May 2014, it is now telling teachers to closely monitor students in secondary , graduate and postgraduate courses and, look for any behavioural change and, if they find any hint of slight radicalization, immediately report it to the institution's management and the student's parents.
Dr A R Anjaria, who heads Islamic Defence Cyber Cell in Mumbai and secured the antiIS fatwa endorsed by the clerics, approached Dr Zahir Kazi of Anjuman recently with a request to start an "anti-terrorism drive" in its institutions. "We are inspired by Anjaria's commendable efforts to get the fatwa against IS. We have accepted his suggestions and begun a move to stop our students from getting influenced by the IS propaganda," said Kazi. He added that the computers at all the institutions run by Anjuman have been "firewalled"."All the jihadi sites have been blocked. This is part of our preventive measures to save our students from getting trapped by ISIS," added Kazi.
Anjaria said that he wanted Anjuman to set an examp le for other institutions."Madrassas, mosques and clerics have repeatedly denounced terrorism and called ISIS enemies of Islam and humanity . I wanted Anjuman to start a drive against ISIS in its institutions, which have more than one lakh students. I am glad they accepted my suggestion and hopefully other institutions will emulate it," said Anjaria.
Recently , Anjuman also organized an elocution competition in which one of the topics for teachers was `Jihad is not terrorism'. "We want teachers to be clear about the true meaning of jihad. Jihad is to strive, to struggle against evils and not kill innocents as the ISIS recruits are doing," said Kazi.
Founded in 1874, one year prior to Aligarh Muslim University , by the first Indian judge at Bombay High Court and third president of the Indian National Congress Justice Badruddin Tayyabji and famous philanthropist Mohammed Ali Nakhuda Roghey , An uman-i-Islam has a history of shouldering nationalist causes. One of its past presidents, Moinuddin Harris, was a freedom fighter. Thespian Dilip Kumar, former Maharashtra CM A R Antulay , actress-singer Suraiya, cricketer Wasim Jaffer and surgeon Dr A R Undre are among its alumni.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Muslim-institute-joins-war-on-ISIS/articleshow/50213876.cms
by Arun Sharma
A top Army Commander in Jammu Kashmir on Wednesday called for analyzing the reasons behind radicalization of youth by the Islamic State.
"Radicalization of youth is a matter of concern," said General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 16 Corps Lt General R R Nimbhorkar, while talking to media persons after the wreath laying ceremony organized to pay homage to the martyrs of 1971 war with Pakistan. Making clear that he is not related to any youth organization, he said that "as far as we are concerned, we have have to see reasons behind as to why this radicalization is taking place".
"And when we analyse what are the reasons for that, then we come to the conclusion of finding a solution that something has to be done," he said.
"However, I feel that the parents, the teachers, the peers and the government agencies, all have to play their role in ensuring that radicalization does not take place because, if it happens then you can see what happens in the West and the Asian countries," he added.
About the current situation along the border shared with Pakistan, he said that it has been the stated policy of our adversary that they will help terrorists. To maintain a certain level of terrorism in Jammu Kashmir, they continue effort to infiltrate over to this side.
"While this trend will continue, our concern should be that what we should do or what we are doing to check it," he said, adding that the army have taken adequate measures to stall infiltration and ensure that terrorists do not get a chance to carry out subversive activity.
"To ensure this, we have been always vigilant. Whether it is snow fall or it is normal summer activity," he said. "As far as winter is concerned, our counter infiltration grid is well in place," he said, adding that "we have thought out a well established strategy to counter infiltration…we have put various surveillance equipment and our troops are very alert".
This has been evident from various infiltration attempts foiled by troops along the LoC in the recent past, General Nimbhorkar said while referring to the killing of three Lashkar terrorists in Poonch district. When asked about visits of Mumbai blasts mastermind Hafiz Sayeed in border areas, the Corps commander said that he can say only one thing with certainty that the troops recently killed three terrorists and they were carrying vests with Jamat-ud-Dawa written on them.
About espionage racket busted by Delhi police, he said that Pakistan ISI has always been trying to get into our system to get information. "The first thing we have to do is to be very vigilant and ensure that such things do not happen. However, if one odd thing happens then we have to take corrective actions. So therefore, our procedure is always in place," he said, adding that as far as the troops are concerned he was quite sure that security apparatus and counter security apparatus was well in place and troops well geared up tackle any threat.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/top-army-commander-seeks-answers-behind-youth-being-radicalised-by-isis/
Head of al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent is from Uttar Pradesh
by Praveen Swami
The head of al-Qaeda's South Asian wing is Sanaul Haq, a one-time resident of Sambhal, in Uttar Pradesh, over 150 km from the national capital, intelligence sources have confirmed to The Indian Express. Known to the world as Maulana Asim Umar, Haq was appointed amir of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, or AQIS, by its overall chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri, last year.
Haq was identified, sources said, on the basis of the questioning of Sambhal resident Mohammad Asif and Cuttack-based cleric Abdul Rehman, who the Delhi Police said, had been tasked by Haq with setting up "AQIS recruitment networks" in India.
Rehman, 37, was arrested by a joint team of the Special Cell of Delhi Police and Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate police from his house at Paschima Kachha village under Jagatpur police station early this morning. Asif was arrested in Delhi on December 14. Rehman, who holds two PhDs in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Deoband, runs a madrasa in the Tangi area of Cuttack district.
Haq's operational deputy, sources said, has also been identified as an Indian national from Sambhal, Said Akhtar. Investigators say they have evidence that at least five Indian nationals are part of the organisation's network in Pakistan.
Haq's identification marks a breakthrough in the international hunt for the Pakistan-based AQIS chief who has never been photographed or appeared in propaganda videos without a digital mask. Last year, The Indian Express was the first to report on the speculation that newly appointed AQIS chief was suspected of being an Indian national.
Delhi Police Special Commissioner Arvind Deep said today that Asif, who had grown up along with Haq, travelled to Pakistan through Iran in 2012, along with two other Uttar Pradesh men — whose identities have been withheld — to train at a jihadist camp in Miranshah, in Pakistan's north-west. There, he said, Asif, a 37-year-old father of two, received only ideological instruction, because of ill health, before being sent home in October 2014, to recruit more Indian nationals.
For his part, Rehman is alleged to have recruited at least one Odisha resident for training with AQIS.
Earlier this year, the United States announced it had destroyed what it said was the largest al-Qaeda camp detected in Afghanistan where upwards of 150 AQIS personnel were thought to have been training. Pamphlets and videos recovered from the site threw up evidence that many of the recruits spoke Urdu and Bengali, officials said.
Educated at the famous Dar-ul-Uloom seminary at Deoband, from where he graduated in 1991, Haq became allegedly involved in jihadist circles following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992, investigators say they had been told by his alleged lieutenants whose arrest was announced today. He disappeared from Sambhal in 1995, severing contacts with his family.
Maulana Ashraf Usmani, a spokesperson for the Deoband seminary, said he could not immediately confirm or deny if Haq had been a student there and added that there were no records for many students who dropped out before completing their theological education.
From Pakistani sources familiar with the jihadi movement, though, The Indian Express learned that Haq arrived in Pakistan that year, beginning studies at the Jamia Uloom-e-Islamia-a Karachi seminary that has produced several jihadist leaders, including Maulana Masood Azhar, the leader of the Jaish-e-Muhammad; Qari Saifullah Akhtar, who headed the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, and Fazl-ur-Rehman Khalil, the leader of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
Haq, sources said, was mentored by Nizamuddin Shamzai, a cleric closely linked to the Taliban who once bragged of being treated as a "state guest" in Mullah Muhammad Omar's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
An e-mail to the Jamia Uloom-e-Islamia went unanswered. The seminary says on its website that students from sixty countries, including India, have studied there.
In the late 1990s, after finishing his studies in Karachi, Haq is believed to have joined Fazl-ur-Rehman Khalil's Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, teaching briefly at the Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania seminary in Peshawar, and serving at the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen's training camps in PoK . Following the events of 9/11, sources said, Haq moved back to Karachi, living from 2004-2006 at the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen's office in Haroonabad.
Haq's turn towards al-Qaeda began in the summer of 2007, after General Pervez Musharraf ordered the storming of Lal Masjid in Islamabad, a seminary run by Jamia Uloom-e-Islamia alumnus Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi. He made contact with Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri, a top jihadist with close links to al-Qaeda. Interestingly, jailed 26/11 perpetrator David Headley had told the FBI of a "Karachi project" run by Kashmiri, with plans to target India.
In 2013, Haq delivered the first exhortations specifically targeting Muslims in India — the first of its kind in global jihadist writing. He invoked anti-Muslim communal violence in India, saying "the Red Fort in front of the mosque cries tears of blood at your slavery and mass killing at the hands of the Hindus".
Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Rajendra Prasad Sharma said the Delhi Police got to know know of Rehman's links with the al-Qaeda group after tracking his telephone call records. The team, which landed in Bhubaneswar, yesterday raided Rehman's residence in Paschima Kachha village last night. Rehman's mobile phone, a tablet and his passport were seized.
Rehman, a father of three, was produced in a local court in Cuttack this afternoon following which the Delhi police team took him on transit remand. Sharma said that as per the FIR by Delhi police, Rehman was reportedly engaged in recruiting members for AQIS. He travelled to Pakistan, Dubai, London and Saudi Arabia. In India, he was "linked" to activities mostly in Karnataka, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Last month, he was detained briefly by Jharkhand Police after he had delivered what police said were inflammatory speeches. — with Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/head-of-al-qaeda-in-indian-subcontinent-is-from-up/
Remarks against Prophet: Muslim outfit plans protest
Tanzeemul Muslimeen-O-Baitulmal, a Muslim organisation, has condemned the alleged derogatory statement by Kamalesh Tewari, Hindu Mahasabha leader, against Prophet Mohammed.
'Take action'
Addressing at a press conference here on Wednesday, Layat Hussain Badal, president of the organisation, said that the Uttar Pradesh government should take action against Mr. Tewari immediately to ensure that the person insulting and hurting the sentiments of a particular community was punishable under law.
Mr. Badal also said that organisation will be taking out a protest rally from Gandhi Chowk to the Deputy Commissioner's office on Friday demanding action against Mr. Tewari.
Demanding capital punishment to Tewari, Samdani Musa, secretary of the organisation, who was also present, said that suitable action against the Uttar Pradesh government also be initiated for delaying action against Mr. Tewari.
Wajeed Miya-vice president of organisation, Khaji Hasan Siddiqui, Mareppa Chattarkar, Standing Committee Chairman of Yadgir CMC and others were present.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/remarks-against-prophet-muslim-outfit-plans-protest/article7998567.ece
Rival Cruz cites peaceful Indian Muslims to counter Trump's ban rant
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has cited millions of followers of Islam living in peace in India to counter front-runner Donald Trump's idea of banning Muslim immigrants to the United States.
Trump and his nearest rival Cruz may have kissed and made up on stage at the last Republican primary debate of the year, but their views on Islam remained poles apart.
"There are millions of peaceful Muslims across the world, in countries like India, where there are no problems that we are seeing in nations controlled by al-Qaida or ISIS, and we should direct at the problem, focus on the problem, and defeat radical Islamic terrorism," 44-year-old Cruz said.
Participating in the fifth Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, he said it is not a war on a faith; it's a war on a political and theocratic ideology that seeks to murder Americans.
Read| Donald Trump's rhetoric ignorant, irresponsible: Canada PM Trudeau
"America is at war. Our enemy is not violent extremism. It is not some unnamed malevolent force. It is radical Islamic terrorist. We have a President who is unwilling to utter its name," Cruz said.
A senator from Texas, Cruz's popularity in recent weeks has gained ground but is still far behind Trump, who during the debate reiterated his position of a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US.
"We're not talking about religion. We're talking about security. Our country is out of control. People are pouring across the southern border. I will build a wall. It will be a great wall. People will not come in unless they come in legally. Drugs will not pour through that wall," the 69-year-old Trump asserted.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world/rival-cruz-cites-peaceful-indian-muslims-to-counter-trump-s-ban-rant/story-C2ZSSr5xId34dGRH9USF6H.html
IOCL man held for 'IS links': 'My son is a patriot, would never go against nation'
by Mahim Pratap Singh
Minutes after he was arrested by the Rajasthan ATS for alleged Islamic State links, Mohammad Sirajuddin made a phone call to his wife Yasmeen in Bangalore to break the news.
Yasmeen, struggling with the health of her newborn baby, couldn't believe what she heard.
"He said he had been arrested and asked me to inform his parents. No one should have to hear something like this from their husband. I didn't even know what he had done," says Yasmeen.
Even as the ATS continues to interrogate Sirajuddin, a manager at the Indian Oil Corporation here, his family is in a state of shock, disbelief and denial.
According to Yasmeen, Sirajuddin is a "very religious" man, but never had any radical ideas. From helping his neighbours in Bangalore — where he was first posted — to taking a bleeding accident victim to hospital, she knows him as a kind man. "He would lend his car to neighbours to drop their children to school if it rained. You ask anyone who knew him. They will all vouch for him," she says.
"We used to watch reports on Al Jazeera about the IS. He would always condemn terrorism," she adds.
After spending Eid at Gulbarga, Yasmeen went to her parents' place in Bangalore as she was due to deliver her child. During her stay in Jaipur, too, Yasmeen never found anything suspicious about Sirajuddin.
"My baby, born just a month ago, has severe chest infection and was in the ICU till a week ago. The doctors have advised me against taking him to a colder place. That is why I haven't been able to go to Jaipur yet," she says.
"But we keep reading all sorts of things in newspapers. My heart sinks when I think about what he must be going through," she breaks down while talking.
Sirajuddin's father Mohammad Sarvar, a retired agriculture department official, had to leave for Jaipur at 2 am on Friday after being told by Yasmeen about his son's arrest. "My younger son and I left for Hyderabad and took a flight to Jaipur from there. We couldn't meet him when we were there. I just saw him from a distance," he says.
"Woh pakka watanparast hai (he is a patriot). You ask anyone here in Gulbarga or anyone who knows him. He would never go against the nation. We didn't raise him that way," says the 65-year-old.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/iocl-man-held-for-is-links-my-son-is-a-patriot-would-never-go-against-nation/
11 serving & retired army personnel arrested in 3 yrs for being ISI moles
Bharti Jain
NEW DELHI: As many as 34 persons, including 11 serving and retired armed force personnel and one serving BSF personnel, have been arrested over the past three years on charges of spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
As per statistics furnished by the home ministry in reply to a Rajya Sabha question on Wednesday, 20 civilians and two foreigners, including a Sri Lankan and a Pakistani, were placed under arrest between 2013 and 2015 for passing on information to the ISI.
Minister of state for home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told Elders that 14 persons have been arrested for alleged espionage on behalf of ISI so far this year. They include 5 serving/retired armed force personnel, 1 serving BSF personnel, 7 civilians and 1 Pakistani.
In 2014, 7 persons, including 4 serving/retired armed force personnel, two civilians and a Sri Lankan, were arrested on similar charges. The 13 persons arrested in 2013 on charges of espionage for ISI included 2 serving/retired armed force personnel and 11 civilians.
Elaborating on the recent arrest of a BSF personnel for allegedly passing on information to the Pakistani agency, Chaudhary said an FIR was registered against him on November 16, 2015, under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. "During the course of neutralization of Pak espionage modules between the period 2013-15 (till date), 34 accused have been arrested under the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/11-serving-retired-army-personnel-arrested-in-3-yrs-for-being-ISI-moles/articleshow/50207882.cms
Tipu Jayanti clash: VHP activist, two others held for Muslim youth's murder in Karnataka
by Santosh Kumar R B
Three persons, including a VHP activist, have been arrested in Karnataka's Kodagu district in connection with a Muslim youth's murder in the aftermath of communal clash over Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary celebrations.
Shahul Hameed (27) was killed on November 10 near Madikeri town, allegedly in retaliation to the death of 67-year-old VHP activist D S Kutappa during the communal clash. A probe into Kutappa's death had established that a fall, while he was trying to escape stone-pelting, killed him.
IG (southern range) B K Singh said Kaveriappa (31) of Haleri, S H Bheeshma (36) of Dechur and K R Ramesh (45) of Madikeri were arrested in Tuesday.
"Police investigations have revealed that the accused allegedly killed Hameed as an act of retaliation over the death of Kutappa. We have seized a car and .22 rifle owned by Bheeshma, which was used to commit the crime. The accused were produced before a court on Wednesday and were remanded in judicial custody," Singh said, adding that the trio had confessed to the crime.
Hameed was hit by a bullet near Neerkolli village, around six km from Madikeri, when he was returning to his Siddapura home in an open truck after the clash at Madikeri. Hameed died the next day and a murder case was lodged based on a complaint by his relative. Probe revealed that the bullet that killed him was fired a privately-owned .22 calibre firearm. With gun ownership being common in Kodagu, police used the details of weapon and gun signature on the bullet to narrow down on the suspects.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/tipu-jayanti-clash-vhp-activist-two-others-held-for-muslim-youths-murder-in-karnataka/
Maha govt against issuing ordinance for Muslim quota in education
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Wednesday ruled out bringing an ordinance to enable 5 per cent reservation for Muslims in education. "Currently, there is no provision in the existing laws to facilitate such a move," he said.
The matter demanding reservation for Muslims in education was raised by Congress-NCP members in both Houses of the state legislature. Leader of the Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal said the government should seriously consider reservation for Muslims. Since the court had upheld the reservation for Muslims in education, they said, nothing stopped the government from issuing a fresh ordinance.
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maha-govt-against-issuing-ordinance-for-muslim-quota-in-education/
Afghan govt urged to take immediate steps in halting ISIS 'Radio caliphate'
The Afghan government has been urged to take immediate steps in halting the radio station launched by the fanatics of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
A media supporting agency issued a statement shortly after reports emerged regarding the launch of the radio station by ISIS loyalists, warning that the launch of the radio station could have a serious negative impact on security situation of the country. According to NAI organization the radio station is covering widespread propaganda against the Afghan people and government in Jalalabad city and other districts of Nangarhar province.
The statement by NAI further added that the launch of media outlets aimed at spreading terror and hatred are against the enforced laws of Afghanistan, urging the Afghan government to use all technical and intelligence facilities in halting the operations of such illegal media outlets.
http://www.khaama.com/afghan-govt-urged-to-take-immediate-steps-in-halting-isis-radio-caliphate-1819
Bangladesh to take action against Pakistani diplomat for 'promoting militancy'
Bangladesh is likely to take action against a Pakistani diplomat for reportedly promoting militancy in the country.
Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said steps would be taken against Farina Arshad if allegations levelled against her were proved.
"We do not want to do anything in a rush unless we could be sure about that. If we get sure about it [Farina's militancy involvement] we will take every necessary action against her through the Foreign Ministry," the Minister told reporters.
Outside interference
On Tuesday , the Minister had accused Pakistan of "still conspiring" against Bangladesh. Ms. Arshad is a second secretary in the High Commission and her involvement came to the light during the interrogation of members of the organisation Jam'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh
The JMB's activities, according to Mr. Kamal, are under control. "But, many local and international quarters are helping them."
http://nation.com.pk/national/17-Dec-2015/bangladesh-to-take-action-against-pakistani-diplomat-for-promoting-militancy
NDS detains Taliban weapon suppliers in Takhar
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) – Afghanistan's intelligence agency has detained five weapon suppliers of Taliban in northeastern Takhar province.
A statement released by the NDS on Thursday states that Abdul Samad S/O Haji Juldish, Hasibullah S/O Haji Noor Mohammad, Mohammad Gul S/O Juma Khan, Qurban S/O Sharif and Sediqullah were arrested during separate raids.
According to the statement, the arrested terrorists were providing weapons and ammunition for the group who also had hand in planting landmines and a number of other terrorist activities.
http://www.khaama.com/nds-detain-taliban-weapon-suppliers-in-takhar-4390
ISIS loyalists have reportedly launched radio station in Nangarhar province
The loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group have reportedly launched a radio station in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
The radio station – Caliphate Radio, has been launched with an aim to encourage encouraging local youth to enroll in jihadi ranks and airing anti-government Islamic rulings, or fatwa.
The security officials have not confirmed the launch of the radio by ISIS fanatics so far, however the provincial council officials have said the broadcast has already started using a broadcast band of 90 FM.
The launch of radio station by ISIS fanatics comes amid growing concerns that the terror group is gaining foothold in Afghanistan with more militants formerly fighting for other militant groups pledging allegiance.
The commander of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan Gen. John Campbell said the loyalists of the terror group are attempting to establish a regional base in Jalalabad, the capital city of eastern Nangarhar province with foreign militants from Syria and Iraq had joining the ranks of ISIS loyalists in eastern Nangarhar province.
Gen. Campbell further added that the loyalists of the terror group in Afghanistan are also trying to consolidate links with the leadership of the terror group based in Syria and Iraq.
This comes as the United Nations late in the month of September this year, stating the terror group is making inroads in Afghanistan with the number of sympathizers and followers growing across the country.
http://www.khaama.com/isis-loyalists-have-reportedly-launched-radio-station-in-nangarhar-province-1818
NPC approves 61 contracts worth of AFG 3,470,000,000
The National Procurement Commission (NPC) has approved 61 contracts worth of AFG 3,470,000,000.
According to a statement released by the Presidential Palace "ARG", most of these contracts belong to the Ministry of Defense and in five contracts 101 million Afghanis were saved.
This year, NPC has saved more than AFG9 billion in comparison to the previous years.
The meeting on Tuesday was chaired by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and attended by second Vic-President Mohammad Sarwar Danish, Minister of Finance Eklil Hakimi, Minister of Justice Abdul Basir Anwar and Minister of Economy Abdul Sattar Murad.
President Ghani said that an independent commission would investigate the accusations made against high-ranking government officials based on a clear mechanism in order to have more transparency and accountability.
http://www.khaama.com/npc-approves-61-contracts-worth-of-afg-3470000000-4309
Afghan security worsens, casualties spike in 2015: Pentagon
Phil Stewart - Afghanistan's overall security deteriorated in the second half of this year, with Taliban militants staging more attacks and inflicting far more casualties on Afghan forces, the Pentagon said in a grim report to the US Congress released on Tuesday.
The Pentagon's assessment, offering statistics and details on attack trends, was yet more evidence of Afghanistan's struggle to blunt a resilient Taliban insurgency despite 14 years of US military engagement.
Recent setbacks include the brief fall of the northern city of Kunduz to the Taliban, a months-long struggle in Helmand province and an insurgent raid on the airport in the southern city of Kandahar last week that killed 50 civilians, police and security personnel.
In perhaps its most stark disclosure, the semiannual Pentagon report said casualties among Afghan national defense and security forces, or ANDSF, rose 27 percent from Jan. 1 to Nov. 15, compared with the same period last year.
That figure, counting personnel killed and wounded, came a year after a top US general said Afghan casualties were already unsustainable.
Although the Pentagon praised Afghan forces for regaining territory and becoming increasingly capable of staging large-scale operations, it assessed their overall performance as "uneven and mixed."
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Dec-2015/afghan-security-worsens-casualties-spike-in-2015-pentagon
Bangladesh government careless about propaganda against 'world's best' war crimes trial: Legal expert
Australia's Macquarie University Law School professor Muhammad Rafiqul Islam says Bangladesh has set an example for future trials involving crimes against humanity.
In an interview with bdnews24.com, he cites what he describes as 'double standard' being pursued by organisations and countries that have expressed doubts about the fairness of the trial process adopted in Bangladesh.
He says, having analysed the war crimes tribunal trials in Bangladesh and other countries, he feels the criticisms hurled at the Bangladesh initiative are motivated.
Islam, a Bangladeshi expatriate living abroad for decades, says, while the Jamaat-e-Islami has 'poured money' worldwide to derail the war-crime trials, the government has been found wanting in creating international public opinion in favour of the trials. Islam, who is the director of the higher degree programme (MPhil and PhD) at Macquarie University, feels Bangladesh has gained by holding the international crimes trials at home.
To back his view, he refers to the poor performance of other international crimes tribunals in other countries.
http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2015/12/17/bangladesh-government-careless-about-propaganda-against-worlds-best-war-crimes-trial-legal-expert
Four Bangladeshis jailed in Nigeria
The Nigerian Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced four Bangladeshis and five Filipinos to 20 years' imprisonment each for crude oil theft in Nigeria.
http://www.thedailystar.net/city/four-bangladeshis-jailed-nigeria-188449
MLA criticises govt for 'anti-Muslim' attitude
Dec 17, 201
AANGABAD: MIM Aurangabad MLA Imtiaz Jaleel came down heavily on the government for not taking any steps to give reservations to the Muslims.
Imtiaz said, "It is ironic that even after the Supreme Court retained the 5% education reservation for Muslims, the government is dilly dallying over the issue by not bringing out an ordinance. It's been three sessions in the last one year that the government is just trying to skip the important issue under the carpet. Look at the plight of the Muslims, what an irony that even today the slums in India are made or occupied only by the Muslims and the Dalits."
Imtiaz also slammed the previous Congress and the NCP government for "ignoring the plight of the Muslim community."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/aurangabad/MLA-criticises-govt-for-anti-Muslim-attitude/articleshow/50213313.cms
Obama counters anti-Muslim rhetoric
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama delivered a powerful message to immigrants who had just taken the oath of American citizenship during a ceremony on Tuesday: Immigration-and especially religious freedom for immigrants-is America's oldest heritage.
The speech also served as a rebuke of the calls among Republican presidential candidates to reject refugees seeking to flee the war in Syria or to hold religious tests for them, and especially to the front-runner, Donald Trump's call for banning Muslims from entering the country. "Immigration is our origin story," Obama said.
The speech, on the 224th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, was intended to counter what the White House has called hateful talk against Muslims and immigrants by prominent Republicans. Obama gave the speech at the National Archives as 31 people from 25 different countries were sworn in as American citizens.
"You may come from teaming cities or rural villages. You don't look alike. You don't worship the same way," Obama said to a group. "But here, surrounded by the very documents whose values bind us together as one people, you've raised your hand and sworn a sacred oath. I'm proud to be among the first to greet you as my fellow Americans."
The ceremony comes as 25 Republican governors have vowed to block the entry of Syrian refugees into their states, including some where large numbers of Syrians have settled in recent years. Obama has condemned such comments as contradicting American values.
The governors made their vow after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last month, and fears of terrorism have risen in the United States after the shooting this month in San Bernardino, California.
But Obama said that such fears are unfounded.
"In the Syrian seeking refuge today, we should see the Jewish refugee of World War II," Obama said. Some Jewish refugee children were turned away from the United States during the period and were later killed by the Nazis.
Obama is trying to fashion a message that reassures Americans that he is serious about battling the threat of the Islamic State and its terrorist messages while also avoiding xenophobia and alarmism. Polls suggest that many Americans believe he is not taking the threat from the Islamic State seriously enough, particularly after the deadly shooting in San Bernardino, California. Support among Republicans for banning Muslims is high.
To counter these dynamics, Obama gave a speech to the nation from the Oval Office on Dec. 6, visited the Pentagon on Monday and will visit the National Counterterrorism Center on Thursday, all to demonstrate that his administration is succeeding in its fight against terror and the Islamic State. But in each speech, Obama has yet to offer a new strategy, leaving even members of his own party grumbling.
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Dec-2015/obama-counters-anti-muslim-rhetoric
Clinton outlines 5-point plan to take on ISIS
U.S. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton on Tuesday outlined how she would stop homegrown terrorist attacks such as the San Bernardino, California, massacre.
Clinton said the United States should expect more terrorist attacks and must enlist the help of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to help identify potentially radicalized individuals on social media platforms. The married couple who shot 14 people to death in the San Bernardino rampage earlier this month have been described by authorities as self-radicalized.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/12/16/Hillary-Clinton-outlines-five-point-plan-to-take-on-ISIS.html
UN moves to tighten net around ISIL finances
The UN Security Council holds its first-ever meeting of finance ministers Thursday to adopt a wide-ranging draft resolution aimed at ramping up sanctions against the ISIL group and cutting off its revenue flows.
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew will lead the 15-member council for the vote that comes amid a major diplomatic push to end the war in Syria, where ISIL controls a large swathe of territory and have installed their de facto capital.
The draft resolution is expected to win unanimous backing from the council, including Russia, Syria's ally which is now in the third month of its air campaign in support of President Bashar Al-Assad.
The measure builds on a previous resolution setting up an Al-Qaeda blacklist, which will be renamed the "ISIL and Al-Qaeda sanctions list" to signal the UN's stronger focus on the ISIL extremists.
It calls on governments to ensure they have adopted laws that make the financing of ISIL and of foreign fighters who join its ranks a serious criminal offense.
The measure urges countries to "move vigorously and decisively to cut the flow of funds, and other financial assets and economic resources" including oil and antiquities to the ISIL group, and to "more actively" submit names to the sanctions list.
A Russian-drafted resolution on cutting off the extremists' revenue streams was adopted in February, but diplomats complain that countries have been slow to take action to choke off sources of funding.
The latest measure would require all countries to report within 120 days on steps taken to target ISIL financing.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be asked to prepare a sweeping report in 45 days on the ISIL threat and its revenue streams.
"If we can get at ISIL's wallet and its financial coffers in an intensified and even more aggressive way, that's going to have a material effect on their ability to prosecute war," US Ambassador Samantha Power said.
- Earning millions per month -
According to the London-based IHS analysis firm, the ISIL group is pulling in $80 million per month, but Russian and US coalition air strikes on oil facilities are putting a strain on its finances.
About half of ISIL revenues come from extortion and looted property, 43 percent from oil sales and the remainder from drug smuggling, electricity sales and donations, according to IHS.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/america-canada/167478/un-moves-to-tighten-net-around-isil-finances
Republican presidential debate focuses on terror, national security
WASHINGTON - Political fallout from terrorist attacks in US state of California and Paris dominated a Republican presidential debate Tuesday in Las Vegas as rivals of Donald Trump tried to dislodge the billionaire businessman from the front-runner's spot. The debate exposed a fundamental divide among the Republicans gathered on stage of a hotel about what role the US should play in the world. The candidates split, for example, over whether the American military should oust a foreign dictator, even if their interests align with the US But they did appear united on countering radicals and greater surveillance of America Muslims.
"These are the fundamental questions of our time, whether regime change is a good idea or a bad idea," Senator Rand Paul said. "It has not worked out. From regime change you have chaos."
The attacks in Paris and California, coupled with ongoing tumult overseas, have Republicans looking for a nominee who will be more assertive on the world stage. Two-thirds of Republican primary voters think the US "has not been strong enough" and allowed Russia, China and Islamic State to extend their influence, according to the Wall Street Journal poll, while roughly a quarter of those voters think policy makers should focus more on domestic concerns.
During the scrappy debate, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush clashed repeatedly with Trump over strategy to keep the nation safe from terrorism. "Donald is great at the one-liners, but he's a chaos candidate, and he'd be a chaos president," Bush said as he denounced Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US until the government gets a handle on the threat from jihadist terrorists. Trump, in turn, belittled Bush, calling his campaign "a total disaster" and defending his own proposal.
"We're not talking about religion," Trump said. "We're talking about security."
"Donald, you're not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency," Bush said. "Leadership is not about attacking people and disparaging people." Trump, 69, dismissed Bush's criticism. "With Jeb's attitude we will never be great again," Trump said, and defended his Muslim proposal.
"We're not talking about isolation; we're talking about security. We're not talking about religion; we're talking about security. Our country is out of control," Trump said.When Trump complained that the CNN moderators were trying to entice candidates into attacking him, Bush said "this is a tough business, running for president." "Oh yeah, and you're a tough guy, Bush," Trump said, noting his falling standing in the polls and his resulting move down to the end of the debate stage.
"You're moving further and further," Trump said to Bush. "Pretty soon, you're going to be off the end."
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Dec-2015/republican-presidential-debate-focuses-on-terror-national-security
At Mosque, Bernie Sanders Condemns 'Demagogues' Like Donald Trump
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) participated in an interfaith roundtable at a mosque in Washington on Wednesday to demonstrate his commitment to rejecting the anti-Muslim rhetoric espoused by his GOP counterparts.
The event was a response to businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's call to bar all Muslims from the United States after two Muslim shooters killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, on Dec. 2.
At the Masjid Muhammad, otherwise known as "The Nation's Mosque," Sanders said Republicans like Trump were preying upon people's "fears and anxieties."
"There are demagogues out there, people like Donald Trump, who once again are attempting to divide us up in xenophobic and racist ways," he said. "They want us to believe that people coming from Mexico into this country are rapists and criminals. They want us believe that the average Muslim is a terrorist, and they want us to stop Muslims from coming into this country."
The senator, who sat at a table across from Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith leaders as well as progressive Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who is Muslim, suggested that issues such as income inequality, mass incarceration, climate change and international terrorism all require "bringing people together to find real solutions."
"Our people are deeply concerned, justly so, about the threats of international terrorism. They are also worried about the state of the economy and the future of their children," Sanders said. "Do we come together, or do we allow demagogues to divide us up? That is the issue of the moment."
Both Trump and Republican rival Ben Carson have advocated for surveilling mosques -- and Trump has even called for certain mosques to be closed as a counterterrorism measure. Carson said he believes Islam is "inconsistent with the values and principles of America."
Though Republican hopeful Jeb Bush said during the GOP primary debate on Tuesday that Trump's Muslim ban "is not a serious proposal" and the United States needs "to engage with the Arab world" to defeat ISIS, he has advocated that support should be focused on Christian refugees coming from Syria rather than Muslims.
At the mosque, Sanders compared GOP candidates' stance toward Muslims, Latinos, and other groups to historical persecution against Jews, Rwandans, Bosnians, Native Americans, African-Americans, and Japanese-Americans during World War II, among others. He urged other politicians to reject such anti-Muslim rhetoric.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-muslims_5671b570e4b0dfd4bcc04103?section=india&utm_hp_ref=politics
Cops Ask Armed Citizens To Fight Terrorists. What Could Go Wrong?
A number of local sheriffs across the nation are calling on their citizens to take the fight against terror into their own hands as the world continues to try to make sense of recent terror attacks in Paris and California.
In states like New York, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas, law enforcement officials have urged people to legally take up arms and remain vigilant. But as an increasingly explicit strain of Islamophobia sweeps across the nation, some Muslims say they're worried that this sort of rhetoric will end up fueling fear and suspicion of people like them.
"In a time of increasing hate crimes, it is troubling to hear law enforcement suggest that people arm themselves to protect themselves from their fellow Americans," Madihha Ahussain, staff attorney for the program to counter anti-Muslim hate at Muslim Advocates, told The Huffington Post.
Ahussain said these kinds of comments are "part of a disturbing trend" by some public officials who are creating a dangerous environment for American Muslims and even perhaps giving tacit approval to attack members of their community.
In Carter County, Oklahoma, a largely white district with a population of about 50,000, Sheriff Milton Antony recently warned residents that "radical Islam is bringing the fight to our homeland and killing innocent citizens." Antony said in a letter posted to Facebook that while he doesn't "want to scare anyone," the times are changing and the "world is becoming more violent toward Americans."
He also told people in the area to prepare for a possible battle.
"It may come a time that you as citizens may be called upon to help defend the citizens of this county against all enemies foreign and domestic that want to do us harm or kill us," Antony wrote.
Sheriff Paul J. Van Blarcum of Ulster County, New York, used similar urgent rhetoric earlier this month, when he called on citizens who are licensed to carry a firearm to "PLEASE DO SO."
Within two weeks of going online, a Facebook post with his message was shared over 30,000 times and "liked" just about as many.
Police Chief Randy Kennedy in Hughes Springs, Texas, posted a video message to Facebook earlier this month in which he said authorities couldn't be expected to "be everywhere, all the time" and called for "law-abiding citizens" to arm themselves.
"We need to send a message to the criminal element as well to these terrorists and these jihadi who want to murder in the name of their god, and the criminal element that wants to go out, you know, and just totally destroy our way of life," Kennedy said.
Several other sheriffs, overwhelmingly from rural, majority-white areas seemingly unlikely to be the targets of large-scale terror plots, have taken to social media to express similar sentiments hinged on the fear of a possible impending threat from "terrorists" or "radical Islamic extremists."
Their comments come a time when Muslim Americans across the nation, young and old, are already feeling the hate. In the weeks following the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, there have been near-daily reports of violence and intimidation directed at Muslims in North America. Just last week, a mosque in southern California was "intentionally" set on fire and is being investigated as a possible hate crime. That same week in Florida, a woman in a hijab was shot at and nearly run off the road after leaving her mosque; in another part of the state, a man allegedly threw rocks and other objects at different woman wearing a hijab.
In Alabama, several cities have found fliers that were allegedly left by a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan and that call for citizens to "help us fight the spread of Islam in our country." And last month, about 20 members of the anti-Muslim Bureau of American-Islamic Relations held a heavily armed protest outside of a mosque in Irving, Texas, claiming -- based on no factual evidence -- that the mosque funds terrorism.
During such tense times, American Muslim communities should be able to rely on their local law enforcement officials to look out for their safety. Instead, however, some of these authorities are making statements that some say could further inflame tensions and even incite violence against Muslims in the U.S..
"We are very concerned over the strong and offensive rhetoric coming from some politicians and some media outlets because these inflammatory words has real-life consequences on the ground for us," said Khalid Hamideh, attorney and spokesman for the Islamic Association of North Texas, the Irving mosque where armed protesters demonstrated.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sheriffs-urge-citizen-to-arm-themselves_56707bede4b0fccee1705256?section=india
California shooters buried in quiet funeral following Islamic rituals
SAN FRANCISCO: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, who opened fire on a San Bernardino holiday party earlier this month, were buried Tuesday in a quiet, graveside funeral guarded by FBI agents.
Many of those who attended mosque with the couple refused to attend, two mosque members said.
US-born Farook, 28, and his Pakistani-born wife Malik, 29, killed 14 people and injured 21, in what US officials have called a terrorist attack. They died later that day in a gun battle with police.
The funeral followed traditional Islamic rituals, said an attendee. At a Muslim cemetery hours away from San Bernardino, the bodies were cleansed according to Islamic rules, wrapped in white cloth and buried.
The funeral attendee and another person familiar with the situation, both of whom asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, said it took a week to find a graveyard willing to accept the bodies.
They said the husband and wife were ultimately buried in a cemetery far from San Bernardino, after a closer facility refused to take the bodies because of fears the graves would be desecrated. Neither person would identify the cemetery where the couple was buried.
Muslims are usually buried within 24 hours of dying, but family members and community members had to wait for the bodies to be released by law enforcement officials and then for permission from a cemetery.
Neither source would say which cemetery refused to bury the couple, but a woman at the Islamic Cemetery & Masjid in Adelanto, Calif. - less than an hour from San Bernardino - confirmed the cemetery had refused to bury the bodies, in part out of a fear of backlash, but also for "other reasons". She declined to give her name.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/California-shooters-buried-in-quiet-funeral-following-Islamic-rituals/articleshow/50213899.cms
US says Turkey must pull unauthorised forces from Iraq
WASHINGTON: The United States (US) ramped up pressure Wednesday on Turkey to pull unauthorised troops from Iraq, aiming to defuse a dispute that has rankled relations between two countries central to the fight against the militant Islamic State (IS) group.
Vice President Joe Biden, in a phone call with Iraq's leader, lent credence to Iraq's claim that its neighbour violated its sovereignty by sending reinforcements to a training camp in northern Iraq.
He told Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the deployment "occurred without the prior consent of the Iraqi government," the White House said.
Iraq's government has been incensed over Turkey's move to send reinforcements to the camp in the Bashiqa region, near the IS-held city of Mosul.
Abadi has demanded that Turkish troops immediately withdraw from Iraq's territory. But Turkey has insisted the added troops were needed to protect its forces from attacks by IS – a concern that gained new relevance Wednesday when IS militants attacked the camp, killing three Iraqi Sunni fighters and wounding several Turkish trainers.
The flare-up between Iraq and Turkey has hardened into an unwelcome distraction for the US which is working to persuade Turkey to step up its fight against IS while escalating its own military efforts against the extremist group.
Biden and other US officials have been working the phones for days, urging both Abadi and Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to resolve the dispute.
Iraq's Shia-led government is under intense domestic pressure to resist the presence of foreign troops in the country, both from Sunni countries like Turkey and from the US.
Thousands of Shia militiamen and supporters have joined rallies demanding Turkey's full withdrawal, chanting, "No to occupation."
President Barack Obama's recent decision to dispatch about 50 US special forces to Iraq met a lukewarm reaction in Baghdad, even though the US insisted it coordinated all its military actions with Iraq's government.
The US has been preparing to dispatch Apache attack helicopters and more military advisers to help Iraq wrest back the city of Ramadi from IS militants. But Abadi has resisted, arguing foreign forces aren't needed to fight IS in Iraq.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1226948/us-says-turkey-must-pull-unauthorised-forces-from-iraq
California shooting: 'No evidence Farook, Tashfeen were part of terrorist cell'
NEW YORK: There is no evidence the married couple who killed 14 people in California this month were part of a terrorist cell, the head of the FBI said on Wednesday, echoing investigators' views that the pair were inspired by, rather than organised by Islamic State.
The militant group has "revolutionised" terrorism by seeking to inspire such small-scale attacks, FBI Director James Comey said, noting the group uses social media, encrypted communications and slickly produced propaganda to recruit followers around the world.
"Your parents' al Qaeda was a very different model than the threat we face today," Comey told a counterterrorism conference in New York.
However, he said that while the perpetrators of the December 2 shootings in San Bernardino, California — Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 29 — had expressed support for "jihad and martyrdom" in private communications, they never did so on social media.
Comey said the Federal Bureau of Investigation currently has "hundreds" of investigations in all 50 US states involving potential Islamic State-inspired plots.
His remarks came as Americans are jittery two weeks after the San Bernardino attack.
Comey said the group has perfected the use of social media, and Twitter in particular, to contact potential followers in the United States and elsewhere.
"Twitter works as a way to sell books, as a way to promote movies, and it works as a way to crowd-source terrorism — to sell murder," Comey said.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1226786/california-shooting-no-evidence-farook-tashfeen-were-part-of-terrorist-cell
US accepts Russian stance on Assad
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has accepted Russia's long-standing demand that President Bashar Assad's future be determined by his own people after Tuesday meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
"The United States and our partners are not seeking so-called regime change," Kerry told reporters in Moscow.
Pakistan confirms participation in Saudi-led anti-terror alliance
BAQIR SAJJAD SYED
ISLAMABAD: After initial ambiguity, the Pakistan government confirmed on Wednesday its participation in a Saudi-led military alliance for 'fighting terrorism', but said the scope of its participation would be defined after Riyadh shared the details of the coalition it was assembling.
"Pakistan… is awaiting further details to decide the extent of its participation in different activities of the alliance," a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.
Saudi Arabia had announced on Tuesday that it had forged the 34-nation alliance of Muslim countries for fighting terrorism and extremism, which included Pakistan. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir had later explained that the participating countries would themselves decide about the extent of their participation.
The coalition was envisaged to serve as a platform for security cooperation, including provision of training, equipment and troops, and involvement of religious scholars for dealing with extremism.
Senior officials at the foreign ministry initially expressed surprise at Pakistan being included in the new group, and said that Riyadh had not taken Islamabad on board. But subsequent developments revealed that Saudi Arabia had been given a secret commitment regarding joining the alliance, about which the Foreign Office was not aware.
There were speculations about who had given that assurance.
The military had started in October a new phase in the bilateral defence relationship by training Saudi special forces personnel in countering terrorism. Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif visited Saudi Arabia after the special exercises for discussions on counter-terrorism efforts.
The Foreign Office statement tried to brush off the embarrassment caused to Riyadh because of the reports that it had included Pakistan in the coalition without its prior knowledge by saying that it welcomed the formation of the counter-terrorism alliance.
It impliedly conceded that some information had been shared with it before the announcement from Riyadh, as the statement noted that it was awaiting 'further' details.
The Foreign Office said it consistently supported all efforts at fighting terrorism and a resolution adopted at the 42nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had called on members to "join regional and international efforts to fight terrorism and extremist thought".
Anwar Iqbal adds from Washington: The United States said on Wednesday that the new coalition supplemented its efforts to defeat terrorism and it had long been urging its Muslim allies to form such an alliance.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1226894/pakistan-confirms-participation-in-saudi-led-anti-terror-alliance
Leaders vow revenge over school massacre
PESHAWAR - The civil and military leaders, speaking beneath portraits of children killed by Taliban bullets, called Wednesday for vengeance as the country marked the first anniversary of a school massacre that killed 151 people in its worst-ever extremist attack.
Families of the victims along with military and political leaders attended an emotional ceremony at the army-run school in Peshawar to mark the assault, which mostly claimed the lives of schoolchildren and has been termed a "mini-9/11" for the country.
Relatives were accompanied by students bearing images of their loved ones as they spoke one by one of children with bright smiles who worried about their hair and handwriting but had dreams of being artists and engineers.
Army Chief General Raheel Sharif received the parents upon their arrival in the school and he expressed solidarity with the victim families.
To express unity with them, the participants raised from their seats to welcome the affected parents.
The surviving APS students paid rich tributes to their martyred class fellows and highlighted their exceptional qualities and attributed them too.
Many of the parents broke down on seeing students in the Army Public School uniforms.
Among other dignitaries who attended the APS function were Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Rashad Mahmood, Azad Kashmir Premier Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, chief ministers of all provinces and KP governor.
Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, PTI Chief Imran Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq and other leaders were also in attendance.
"My children, today I make this promise to you, that I will take revenge for every drop of your blood," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, addressing the victims directly.
He announced to construct APS Shuhada University and observe December 16 every year as Qaumi Azm-e-Taleem Day (day of national resolve to promote education).
But angry and distraught parents told foreign news agency, AFP, nothing could bring back their children, with many reiterating calls for a judicial inquiry into the security failings that led to the attack.
"They can't stop the tears of my wife," said Jamal Abdul Nasir, breaking down into tears himself as he remembered his son Awais.
"We want nothing, only justice.
At least a dozen families boycotted Wednesday's ceremony in protest.
Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and PTI Chairman Imran Khan also attended the ceremony.
A military official said there were some 2,500 guests including celebrities and sports stars.
"We think a lot about the students who lost their lives," Abu Bakar, a teacher who was shot three times as he threw himself in front of fleeing children during the siege, said, adding the loss was "something that cannot be described".
"This should not have happened to them.
They were innocent students," he said.
Groups in other major cities organised their own vigils, while on social media, many Pakistanis changed their profile pictures to an image depicting an APS uniform with a bloody bullet hole and a caption reading: "Some stains don't wash out".
In Peshawar residents held their own ceremonies and candlelit vigils as the area around the school was designated a red zone, with army helicopters hovering as hundreds of soldiers guarded main junctions.
The Taliban have said they carried out the attack, in which all nine gunmen died, in retaliation for an army offensive on extremists in the tribal areas.
But the attack hardened public opinion against extremism and prompted a military-led crackdown that has improved security.
This year is on course for the fewest deaths linked to extremist violence since 2007, the year the Pakistani Taliban were formed.
Teachers and students said that education was their best revenge.
"The Taliban want us to quit our studies and become ignorant like them," 13-year-old Uzair Khan said.
http://nation.com.pk/national/17-Dec-2015/leaders-vow-revenge-over-school-massacre
2 terrorists hanged in Faisalabad jail
Amraiz Khan
LAHORE - Two condemned terrorists were hanged on yesterday's anniversary of the Army Public School massacre in which Taliban gunmen killed nine teachers and 132 school children, prison officials confirmed.
They are the first of eight men to face the gallows in prisons throughout Punjab over the next two days as the country grieves over its worst ever terrorist atrocity.
The executions highlight the sharp increase in hangings since the government lifted its moratorium on capital punishment immediately following the December 16th massacre.
Since then 300 people have faced the gallows amid, 17 of whom were convicted of terrorist crimes, according to official documents The sharp increase in executions has provoked international concern - plans to hang a paraplegic convicted of murder in November were abandoned amid a public outcry.
The terrorists who faced executions had attacked military installations and security agencies.
The document also lists the names of seven other terrorists whose appeals are still pending following their convictions in military and Anti-Terrorism Courts.
They include Kamran s/o Muhammad Aslam, Ihsan Azeem s/o Muhammad Azeem, Asif Maroof s/o Muhammad Idrees, Aamir Yousaf s/o Muhammad Yousaf and Nadeem s/o Naeem Khan.
The appeals of Lance Naik Ghulam Nabi s/o Muhammad Ashraf and Abdul Malik alias Muslim s/o Aurangzeb Khan are pending in the high court.
There were more than 5500 convicted prisoners in different jails of Punjab waiting for their fate since their mercy appeals were pending with different courts of the country.
Appeals of about 4000 condemned prisoners were lying with Lahore High Court, about 1000 to 1500 such prisoners have filed appeals wit Supreme Court of Pakistan and 200 to 250 prisoners had filed their mercy petitions with President of Pakistan after rejection of appeals from different courts.
http://nation.com.pk/national/17-Dec-2015/2-terrorists-hanged-in-faisalabad-jail
Protest outside Lal Masjid disrupted by police
Tahir Niaz
islamabad - The law-enforcing agencies yesterday briefly held six persons in front of Lal Masjid (mosque) as soon as they reached there to stage a protest against, what they believed, the mosque's chief cleric's role in fanning intolerance in the society, leading to the incidents like Peshawar school massacre last year.
Around a dozen protestors were holding placards inscribing with the slogans against terrorism. They were also holding photographs of the slain Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and martyrs of APS. Human rights activist Farzana Bari was also among the protestors. They also chanted slogans against Lal Masjid chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz for his alleged support to the extremists.
A human rights activist Khurram Zaki along with his daughter Mariam Fatima and four other women was taken into custody by the law-enforcing agencies. The women were taken to the women police station while Zaki was shifted to Aabpara police station. However, they were released after two hours. The police and Rangers dispersed the few leftover people peacefully.
Talking to The Nation, Khurram Zaki said that last year's attack on the Peshawar school was the reason to protest outside the Lal Masjid. "Lal Masjid had openly supported the attack which claimed over 140 lives… An FIR was lodged against the chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz but no action was taken against him despite passage of one year," he said while narrating reasons to protest outside the mosque. The demonstrators were arrested under the threat of disturbing peace and order. Contingents of Rangers and local police were deputed to guard Lal masjid after the civil society announced protest.
http://nation.com.pk/national/17-Dec-2015/protest-outside-lal-masjid-disrupted-by-police
Dr Asim Hussain's remand in NAB custody extended for a week
ISHAQ TANOLI
KARACHI: An accountability court on Thursday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a seven-day extension in the remand of Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) leader and close Zardari aide Dr Asim Hussain. NAB's previous seven-day remand of Dr Hussain was set to expire today.
NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Amjad Ali Shah along with Investigation Officer Zameer Abbassi had earlier sought an extension in Dr Hussain's remand, saying a major development had been made in the case.
They presented documents before the court, including a memo of seizure and investigation diaries.
NAB arrested the former federal minister from the premises of Sindh High Court on Dec 11 after the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts allowed the bureau to take him into custody when police informed him that the suspect had been released under Section 497(2) of CrPC in a case relating to providing treatment and shelter to terrorists at his hospital.
Before that, Dr Hussain was placed in police custody after his 90-day preventive detention in Rangers' custody ended.
Prior to his hearing today, Dr Asim Hussain, while speaking to the media, alleged he had developed serious injuries on his legs due to which he kept falling when he tried to walk. The matter was, however, not brought up before the court.
Dr Hussain's counsel Amir Raza Naqvi opposed an extension in NAB custody, contending that the defendant was not "mentally alert" due to prolonged detention. He also said Dr Hussain's consciousness was affected by "heavy medication".
The counsel requested that Dr Hussain be admitted to Agha Khan University Hospital for treatment at his own cost.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1226954/dr-asim-hussains-remand-in-nab-custody-extended-for-a-week
Performance report of Sindh Rangers' prepared, says Nisar in NA
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali, speaking on the floor of the National Assembly (NA), on Thursday said the interior ministry had prepared a performance report on Sindh Rangers for the past two-and-a-half years.
The report has not been made public yet by the interior ministry.
The minister said his ministry had played a crucial part in coordinating efforts between the various civil security agencies and the military – an effort that had led to a significant drop in terror activities across the country.
"Intelligence agencies played a vital role in nipping terrorists' plots in the bud. The terrorists have been marginalised, but the war is not over yet," said the interior minister.
The interior minister added that some militants have fled across the border, and the security apparatus of the country will maintain their momentum in combating the scourge of terrorism.
During the address to the assembly, Nisar also shed light on the lack of human resource facing the interior ministry.
Moving onto another subject, Nisar said that the ministry did not have computerised records before, a situation that he has rectified since assuming charge of the ministry of interior.
"There were no records before for arms licenses or visas, and some records for arms licenses were burnt in a fire, about which I have serious reservations," explained Nisar.
He added that records for visas and arms licenses are now computerised, and will assist the ministry in keeping a check on the issuance of such documents.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1226958/performance-report-of-sindh-rangers-prepared-says-nisar-in-na
Nishan-i-Imtiaz conferred on Commander Royal Saudi Naval Forces
ISLAMABAD: Acting president and Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani on Wednesday conferred Nishan-i-Imtiaz (military) on Commander Royal Saudi Naval Forces Vice Admiral Abdullah S. Al-Sultan, Radio Pakistan reported.
The Nishan-i-Imtiaz or 'Order of Excellence' was awarded to Vice Admiral Abdullah in recognition of his outstanding services and contribution towards bringing the naval forces of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia closer together.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah and the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Abdullah Marzouk were also present at the ceremony.
The award was conferred just a day after Saudi Arabia announced Pakistan's inclusion in a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism.
The move was unexpected for some, as Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry on Wednesday said he was surprised to learn that Saudi Arabia had named Pakistan as part of the alliance. Another senior official also confirmed that Pakistan was not consulted before inclusion in the alliance.
After initial ambiguity, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Wednesday its participation in the Saudi-led military alliance for 'fighting terrorism', but said the scope of its participation would be defined after Riyadh shared the details of the coalition it was assembling.
"Pakistan… is awaiting further details to decide the extent of its participation in different activities of the alliance," a statement issued by the FO said.
The military had started in October a new phase in bilateral defence relationship by training Saudi special forces personnel in countering terrorism. Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif had visited Saudi Arabia after the special exercises for discussions on counter-terrorism efforts.
The FO statement tried to brush off the embarrassment caused to Riyadh because of the reports that it had included Pakistan in the coalition without its prior knowledge by saying that it welcomed the formation of the counter-terrorism alliance.
It implicitly conceded that some information had been shared with it before the announcement from Riyadh, as the statement noted that it was awaiting 'further' details.
The FO said it consistently supported all efforts at fighting terrorism and a resolution adopted at the 42nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had called on members to "join regional and international efforts to fight terrorism and extremist thought".
http://www.dawn.com/news/1226940/nishan-i-imtiaz-conferred-on-commander-royal-saudi-naval-forces
Muslim Council Issues Fatwa Against Poaching
By Jani Actman, National Geographic
If a country wants to crack down on wildlife crime, it usually focuses on strong laws, effective enforcement, and widespread public support. But if those don't work, there's another tool in the box: religion.
Enter the fatwa, or Islamic edict. In November, the fatwa council in Terengganu, a state in northeastern Malaysia, issued one that prohibits the state's approximate 970,000 Muslim residents from poaching.
Islamic clerics and scientists put the fatwa together out of concern over the fate of the vulnerable sambar deer and its predator, the critically endangered Malayan tiger, hunted for its supposed medicinal properties and in retaliation for killing villagers' livestock.
"People can escape government regulation. But they cannot escape the word of God," Hayu Prabowo, chair of the Council of Ulama, Indonesia's top Muslim clerical body, told National Geographic last March. That was after the council issued a fatwa prohibiting illegal wildlife trafficking in Indonesia, marking what's believed to be the first one invoked to protect wildlife.
Terengganu's fatwa, first reported by Malaysian newspaper New Strait Times, declares the illegal hunting of a species to extinction to be haram, or forbidden. It highlights the tenets of Islam that call on Muslims to protect Allah's creations and forbid followers from hunting any species to extinction.
We're not talking about a death sentence—a misconception spawned when Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of Salman Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses. A fatwa is actually a legal decree, applicable to all Muslims, that relates to a certain issue. People can choose whether they want to respect it.
So if it's non-binding, how can a fatwa curb poaching?
"While we don't expect poachers to change their ways overnight, we hope this fatwa will at least start to create peer pressure around them," says Gopalasamy Reuben Clements, of the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and James Cook University, who helped with the fatwa. He notes that many poachers in the state belong to practicing Muslim communities that would abide by a fatwa.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/151216-fatwa-terengganu-malaysia-poaching/
Indonesia confronts extremists with their own brand of Islam
Speaking to a traditional Javanese soundtrack, a Muslim cleric implores: "We invite others to join us in launching a mental revolution." The invitation comes in a scene from a documentary made by Indonesia's...
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asean/797232/indonesia-confronts-extremists-with-their-own-brand-of-islam
Australia spy chief says 'tone down Islam criticism'
SYDNEY: Australia's spy chief has told politicians from the ruling conservative party to tone down their criticism of Islam as it could pose a national security risk, according to reports.
Debate over anti-Muslim rhetoric in Australia has spiked after ousted prime minister Tony Abbott last week wrote in a newspaper column that "we can't remain in denial about the massive problem with Islam".
His remarks followed incendiary comments by US Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, including for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States after a shooting rampage in California.
Duncan Lewis, head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), has contacted politicians from the Liberal-National coalition requesting they soften their public remarks on Islam, The Australian newspaper said.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Thursday she supported Lewis' reported actions.
"If the director-general of ASIO has formed a view that the public debate might have the potential to put at risk the work that his organisation is undertaking in counter-terrorism, then of course he should speak out," she said in Sydney.
While Abbott regularly used strong language against the Islamic State group, routinely referring to it as the "death cult", current leader Malcolm Turnbull, who replaced him in a party coup in September, has taken a more moderate line.
Lewis' reported calls came days after an interview with Sydney's Daily Telegraph, where he stressed that fuelling tensions with the Muslim community could hurt the fight against extremism.
"I think it behoves Australia and Australians to recognise that the backlash is something that is very, very dangerous," he told the tabloid, adding that the country's security agencies were working closely with Muslim communities in the big cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
"We are to a great extent very dependent on the information that flows from them (the Muslim community)," Lewis said.
"That the estrangement, should it occur with the Muslim community here, would be very, very unfortunate for our operations… This problem is solvable. But we need to be smart."
Anti-Islam sentiment has become more prominent in Australia over the past year as concerns mount over homegrown extremism and citizens travelling to Iraq and Syria to support jihadist groups.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2015/12/17/australia-spy-chief-says-tone-down-islam-criticism/
Non-Muslim umbrella body urges suspension of NSC Bill
Echoing the concerns of the bill's growing list of critics, the council said the proposed law had serious consequences as it appeared to override certain provisions of the Federal Constitution and threatened civil liberties.
"If the bill is not suspended then it must be amended to include ministers from other Barisan Nasional component parties so that a proper National Security Policy can be formulated and followed.
"The bill must allow for a legal challenge in courts, so that any abuse could be checked. In a democracy, such vast powers without check and balance cannot be given to a body," said MCCBCHST in a statement signed by its president Datuk Seri Jit Heng, his deputy Datuk R.S. Mohan Shan, vice-presidents Sebastian Francis, Sardar Jahir Singh, Daozhang Tan Hoe Chieow and honorary secretary-general Prematilaka Serisana.
The council said the bill should have been formulated under Article 149 of the Federal Constitution, such as the Security Offences (Special Measure) Act 2012 (Sosma), as the provision concerned legislation against subversion, actions prejudicial to public order and organised violence.
It said the bill also appeared to contravene Article 150 (I) of the Federal Constitution by seemingly usurping the powers of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong on the powers to declare an emergency.
The bill proposes that the NSC, headed by the prime minister, be allowed to declare a security area.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/non-muslim-umbrella-body-urges-suspension-of-nsc-bill
Not all terrorists' wives are accomplices, minister says
BY MAYURI MEI LIN
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 ― Datuk Seri Rohani Karim urged the authorities today not to tar women married to militants as accomplices to terror acts, saying the wives should be given the chance to clear her name.
The women, family and community development minister was commenting on a Statistics Department officer who was recently sentenced to jail for helping her husband get medical attention after he was allegedly injured while battling alongside Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.
Rohani said that she was "very sure" the woman convicted had no prior knowledge of her spouse's militant activities, but was made to bear her husband's sins indirectly.
"But I really hope that the authorities don't just see her as an accomplice because it is a natural process of a wife so she's trying to say that she didn't know and such, but they should give her space for a defence," Rohani told reporters at the Putra World Trade Centre here.
She also advised husbands not to get carried away by IS ideologies as they were not just putting themselves at risk but also jeopardising their entire family.
"My advice to husbands that are pushed to get involved with IS is to think about it at length. Because it's not only you that's involved as it will involve your entire family.
She added that "there are many other ways to sympathise but there is no need to get involved with all this IS and such".
She also urged all women to come forward and inform the relevant authorities should they see family members getting influenced by IS as reporting it early on may help in "saving" them.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/not-all-terrorists-wives-are-accomplices-minister-says
NFCorp boss: Shahrizat had to quit Cabinet for party's sake
BY IDA LIM
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 ― Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was forced to quit as minister to protect Umno following PKR MP Rafizi Ramli's claims regarding the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), the company's executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail said in court today.
Mohamad Salleh disagreed that the Wanita Umno chief, who is his wife, had voluntarily stepped down, insisting that Rafizi had caused her resignation.
"No, it is because of your client's slander and great public anger that resulted in her (resignation), not voluntarily resigned. She had to go for the sake of the party," he replied Rafizi's lawyer Razlan Hadri Zulkifli in his defamation suit against the opposition politician.
While Mohamad Salleh agreed that Shahrizat's position in Cabinet was the prime minister's prerogative, he later said that "you have to ask the prime minister" on whether he could have opted to retain Shahrizat.
Mohamad Salleh was being cross-examined on his witness statement, in which he claimed that allegations spread by Rafizi and published in Malaysiakini had, among other things, caused "immense media, public and political pressure" on his wife who resigned from the Cabinet on March 11, 2012.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/nfcorp-boss-shahrizat-had-to-quit-cabinet-for-partys-sake
26 Qatari hunters kidnapped in Iraq
BAGHDAD - Gunmen kidnapped at least 26 Qatari hunters in southern Iraq, officials said on Wednesday, the second high-profile abduction of foreigners in the country in three months.
Turkey, which like Qatar is at odds with various Iraqi groups over regional issues, had 18 of its citizens abducted in Iraq in early September. They were eventually released unharmed. Dozens of gunmen "kidnapped 27 Qatari hunters... when they were in a camp near the Bassiyah area," Faleh al-Zayadi, the governor of Muthanna province where they were seized, told AFP.
"All of those kidnapped are Qatari and a number of members of the ruling family in Qatar are among them," Zayadi said, adding that the kidnappers used more than 50 vehicles mounted with machineguns. Two Iraqi officers providing security for the party were also taken but later released, he said.
Other officials put the number of people kidnapped at 26. "Twenty-six Qatari hunters were kidnapped at about 3:00 am (0000 GMT) by unknown gunmen," a police major from Muthanna said. A local council member from the province gave the same number, saying that the kidnappers were in dozens of pick-up trucks.
Qatar's foreign ministry has contacted the Iraqi government to obtain "details about the kidnapping of the Qatari citizens and to work to release them as quickly as possible", it said in a statement carried by the official QNA news agency. Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Mohammed al-Rumaihi, has been dispatched to Baghdad to coordinate with Iraqi authorities "to ensure the safety of the Qatari nationals", it said.
The hunters entered Iraq with an "official permit" from the interior ministry, the Qatari statement said.
Wealthy citizens of Gulf states venture to countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq to hunt with falcons without the bag limits and conservation measures restricting the killing of certain species that they face at home. There is significant hostility in Iraq over the Gulf countries' policies on the Syrian civil war and perceived complicity in the rise of the Islamic State group.
Qatar, which has financially backed rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is especially reviled on this front.
Iraqi militia groups, which have a major presence in Shia areas of Iraq including the south, have sent members to Syria to fight alongside Assad's regime.
The kidnappings come a little over three months after gunmen seized 18 Turks in Baghdad. Turkey, like Qatar, has close ties to Syrian rebel groups and is accused by some of not doing enough to combat IS.
The Turkish workers were later freed unharmed, two of them in the southern province of Basra and the other 16 on the road to Karbala, also south of Baghdad.
Iraqi security forces clashed with fighters from the powerful Ketaeb Hezbollah militia during the search for the kidnapped Turks.
Baghdad turned to mostly Shia volunteer forces for support as IS advanced towards the capital in June 2014. Those groups have played a key role in halting and then reversing the militants' gains. In doing so, the government empowered Shia militias, some with chequered human rights records, and spurred the creation of new ones, allowing them to act with near impunity despite the fact that officially they fall under government command.
from the sea were taking place on the Red Sea port city of Hodaida, while ground forces carried out attacks on Taiz city in southwestern Yemen and air strikes by the Arab coalition had not stopped.
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Dec-2015/26-qatari-hunters-kidnapped-in-iraq
Militants Withdraw From More Lands Northeast of Syria's Lattakia
"The militant groups were forced by the army and the NDF to retreat from Ruwaysat al-Deibat, leaving behind many dead or wounded members," the sources said.
"The Syrian government force took full control over the position of the militants in the battlefront and seized a large volume of their ammunition," the sources added.
"Some of the army soldiers sustained injuries in the attack,"
"The army is fortifying its new positions to defense possible counter-attacks of the militants," they went on to say.
The Syrian government forces have advanced against the militant groups across the mountainous regions in Northern and Northeastern parts of the coastal province, including along border with Turkey.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940925000494
Syrian Army, Hezbollah Launch Large-Scale Operations South of Aleppo
"The Syrian army's 4th Mechanized Division, Hezbollah and the Iraqi paramilitary group "Harakat Al-Nujaba" have launched their operations in from different directions," the sources said.
Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba launched their joint offensive from their positions at Burnah, Al-Zeitan, and Al-Qal'ajiyah in order to target the strategic towns of Al-Zerbeh, Khan Touman, and Al-Baraoum that are situated along the vast Aleppo-Damascus Highway.
Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba have already started this offensive, striking the Southern axis of Khan Touman, while a brigade from the 4th Mechanized Division, the National Defense Forces (NDF), and Kataebat Al-Ba'ath (Al-Ba'ath Battalions) struck the towns of Al-Zerbeh and Al-Barqoum.
Currently, there have been no reported gains by any party involved in this offensive.
The main objective for this offensive is to cut-off the enemy's main supply route along the Aleppo-Damascus Highway; if it is cut-off, the militants will be without a supply line from Idlib to Aleppo.
Army Repels ISIL Attack on Key Deir Ezzur Village
The Syrian army thwarted the ISIL attack on al-Jafre village in Deir Ezzur province, killing and injuring a group of terrorists.
On Sunday, the Syrian Army troops and the popular forces were informed about the deployment of the ISIL terrorists in the province of Deir Ezzur, and targeted them heavily.
The Syrian army and the country's National Defense Forces (NDF) clashed with the ISIL in al-Ummal neighborhood and near Pharmex pharmaceutical company in Deir Ezzur province, which claimed the lives of at least 11 terrorists.
Deir Ezzur province, as one of the most important strongholds of the ISIL, has border with Iraq and has been one of the main infiltration borders for the international terrorists to join the ISIL and fight against the government forces.
ISIS attack wounds 4 Turkish trainers in Iraqi camp
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants on Wednesday attacked a training camp in Iraq for fighters battling the extremist group, killing three Iraqi Sunni fighters and wounding 10 people, including four of their Turkish trainers, officials said.
The former governor of the northern Ninevah province, Atheel al-Nujaifi, told The Associated Press that the camp in the Bashiqa region near the ISIS-held city of Mosul came under mortar fire "for hours" on Wednesday and that the shelling was continuing.
Turkey's military said the camp was hit by Katyusha rockets fired by ISIS militants during a battle with Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga fighters. It said Turkish artillery units fired back at ISIS targets in retaliation but did not provide further details on the Turkish response.
A total of 10 people were wounded in the attack, including the Turkish soldiers, said the spokesman for the camp, Makhmoud Surchi. More than 1,000 fighters were received training at the camp when it came under attack.
The attack came days after Turkey, under intense pressure from Baghdad, was forced to pull out an unspecified number of reinforcements it had sent to the camp, citing threats from the ISIS group. Turkey had stationed trainers at Bashiqa since last year to help train the Kurdish and Sunni forces, but the arrival of the additional troops earlier this month sparked uproar in Baghdad, which demanded their immediate withdrawal.
Turkey argued that it had sent the reinforcements after receiving intelligence about possible ISIS attacks on the camp.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2015/12/16/ISIS-attack-kills-3-Iraqi-fighters-wounds-4-Turkish-trainers.html
Syria settlement 'should not hinge' on Assad's fate
Ending the crisis in Syria should not hinge on deciding the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.
Ahead of a new round of international talks on Syria in New York on Friday, Ban said disagreements on Assad's future should not stand in the way of advancing prospects for peace.
"It is unacceptable that the whole Syrian crisis and the solution to the crisis has to be dependent on the fate of one man," Ban told a news conference.
"That is unacceptable," he repeated.
Foreign ministers from 17 countries including key players Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States are meeting in New York on Friday for a third round of talks on ending Syria's nearly five-year war.
At the last round, the so-called International Syria Support Group (ISSG) agreed to U.N.-led peace talks and a ceasefire in January, and to put in motion a political transition within six months, leading to elections and a new constitution in 18 months.
Preparations for the talks and ceasefire are moving forward, but U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said "the gaps are very real" over what role, if any, Assad will play in the new transitional government.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/12/17/Syria-settlement-should-not-hinge-on-Assad-s-fate.html
US defence chief reviews anti-IS war in Baghdad
BAGHDAD - US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter held talks in Baghdad Wednesday to review progress in the war against the Islamic State group.
Carter, who on Tuesday visited a Turkish base that has become a key hub for air raids against the militants, met Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi.
They discussed means of "improving cooperation between the two countries in the fields of arming and training," a statement from Abadi's office said.
Carter and his delegation also met US partners in the international anti-IS coalition, and were due to leave later Wednesday.
US aircraft carry out daily air strikes against IS targets, most of them in the Iraqi part of the militants' self-proclaimed "caliphate", which also covers regions in Syria.
Out of the 11 strikes conducted by the coalition on Tuesday in Iraq, five were on targets in the area of Ramadi, which Iraqi forces are trying to wrest back from IS, according to a US military statement.
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Dec-2015/us-defence-chief-reviews-anti-is-war-in-baghdad
Syrian Army Strongly Denies Rumors about Fall of Marj Al-Sultan Airbase
"Such rumors have been spread by the Takfiri terrorists due to the heavy blows that they have received from the Syrian forces across Syria in recent months," the army said.
Militants had claimed that they have regained control of Marj al-Sultan military airbase in Eastern Ghouta in Damascus countryside.
"The airbase is fully under the control of government forces," the army stressed.
The Syrian army on Monday pushed back militants from the entire Marj al-Sultan town in Damascus province, that is host to a strategic airbase which was taken back from the militants last month.
Hundreds of Syrian army troops have established full security across Marj al-Sultan and its military airbase after driving out militants from the town, sources said.
After taking Marj Al-Sultan, the Syrian army has now managed to advance 1km towards Bilaliyah.
Saudi Arabia warns Umrah firms against shabby lodging for pilgrims
The Hajj Ministry has warned Umrah companies not to lodge their pilgrims in unsuitable accommodations in Makkah and Madinah and threatened violators with severe punishment.
"If the pilgrims of a certain company were found without accommodation in one of the two holy cities, the ministry will accommodate them in the available hotels and deduct the cost from the company's bank guarantee," the ministry said in a statement published by Makkah daily.
The ministry asked the companies to honor their commitments agreed upon with the ministry before the arrival of the pilgrims including due care of their accommodation and transport.
It asked the companies to link the pilgrims' data to their accommodation in Makkah and Madinah through the e-track.
"Any incorrect data will subject the companies to questioning and punishment," the ministry said.
The ministry said hotels and other buildings earmarked for accommodating pilgrims should be classified by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and have safety licenses from the Civil Defense.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/12/17/Saudi-Arabia-warns-Umrah-firms-against-shabby-lodging-for-pilgrims.html
Syrian Forces Win Back Strategic Al-Nuba Mountains North of Lattakia
The army said that the 103rd Brigade of the Republican Guard, National Defense Forces (NDF) of Qurdaha, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), and Muqawama Souri (Syrian Resistance) imposed full control over the strategic al-Nuba Mountains after a week-long battle with al-Nusra Front and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
"The Syrian Armed Forces captured all of the heights along the al-Nuba Mountains when al-Nusra's frontlines became fractured; this forced the terrorist group to retreat North and flee into the Turkey's territories to evade the swarming pro-government soldiers," the army added.
The al-Nuba Mountains are located between the Jabal al-Turkmen and Jabal Al-Akrad Mountains of Northeastern Lattakia.
The Syrian Armed Forces have made it evident that their massive Lattakia offensive is primarily to seal off both the Idlib province and Turkish borders with this province, leaving no entry for Nusra and the FSA.
The Syrian government forces have carried out many of their operations under the coverage of Russian or Syrian fighter jets.
Syrian Forces Annihilate Militants' Weapons Depot in Idlib
A military source said the army completely destroyed the terrorists' depot in Abu Makki area, East of Ma'arat al-No'man in ‪Idlib countryside.
The army also killed all the terrorists who were inside and around the warehouse.
On Tuesday, the Syrian fighter jets carried out several combat sorties over the militant strongholds in the Southeastern territories of Idlib province and hit them heavily, provincial sources said.
The militant groups' concentration centers near Saraqib in the Northwestern province of Idlib came under heavy attacks of the Syrian bombers, the sources said.
"At least eight militants were killed and some more were injured in the air attacks, the sources further added.
The pro-government forces have intensified their anti-terrorism operations in Idlib province and are waiting to remove the threats of the militant groups in the neighboring provinces of Lattakia, Hama and Aleppo to forward fresh forces to Idlib and restore security to the province.
Kerry to chair U.N. Security Council meeting on Syria
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to push efforts to end the conflict in Syria, the State Department said on Wednesday.
While in New York, Kerry will also host a meeting of the International Syria Support Group to discuss "efforts to foster a nationwide ceasefire and parallel political transition negotiations to end the conflict while intensifying the fight" against ISIS militants, State Department spokesman John Kirby said.
On Friday afternoon, Kerry will chair a Security Council meeting that aims to "reinforce efforts to accelerate an end to the conflict, including necessary formal negotiations between representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition," Kirby told reporters in a news briefing.
Kerry held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Moscow this week to pave the way for Friday's meeting of the support group.
The meeting follows talks in Vienna last month in which the U.S., Russia and European and Middle Eastern countries agreed on a plan for a political process in Syria leading to elections within two years.
Kirby said the countries invited for the talks to be held on Friday morning were those that participated in Vienna. They included Iran, another key backer of Assad. Syria did not take part.
ttps://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/12/17/Kerry-to-chair-U-N-Security-Council-meeting-on-Syria.html
U.N. war crimes team will not investigate foreign air strikes in Syria
A United Nations team of war crimes investigators will not probe air strikes by foreign countries in Syria, its chairman said on Wednesday, despite concerns that some attacks by foreign militaries could have violated the laws of war.
The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria is not intended to investigate air strikes in Syria by foreign nations, Chairman Paulo Pinheiro said.
"It is not our mandate to investigate the behavior of powers involved in the crisis of Syria," Pinheiro told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.
It would not probe potential cases of violations of international human rights law involving nations conducting military strikes in Syria, he said.
"There is no possibility that we will investigate the American air strikes or French or British or Russian," he said.
The decision reflected a desire not to meddle into the affairs of powers outside Syria as well as limited means at the group's disposal, Pinheiro added.
With the rapid expansion of territory controlled by the militant group ISIS, nations including the U.S., France, Britain and Russia have carried out air strikes on targets in Syria.
Some observers have cited instances that disproportionately hit civilians and civil infrastructure, and Pinheiro and his three co-commissioners have repeatedly cautioned powers to follow the laws of war.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/12/17/U-N-war-crimes-team-will-not-investigate-foreign-air-strikes-in-Syria.html
Egypt to try 13 policemen next month over fatal beating
Thirteen policemen will go on trial in Egypt next month after the beating to death of a man in custody in the southern city of Luxor, a judicial official said Wednesday.
Last week prosecutors ordered nine policemen, including three lieutenants and a captain, to stand trial over the death of the 47-year-old who was detained for unknown reasons in November.
The official said that four other police officers, who are free on bail, would join them in the trial which is scheduled to open on January 9.
Rights groups regularly accuse Egyptian police and members of the secret police of abusing and torturing detainees.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/12/17/Egypt-to-try-13-policemen-next-month-over-fatal-beating.html
Iraq Kurds repel major ISIS offensive
Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces repelled a multi-pronged offensive by ISIS in the northern province of Nineveh Wednesday, officials said.
One of the targeted areas included a base housing Turkish soldiers that has been at the heart of a bitter dispute between Baghdad and Ankara.
Peshmerga forces repelled coordinated attacks by ISIS in Nawaran, Bashiqa, Tal Aswad, Khazr and Zardik, the Kurdistan Regional Security Council (KRSC) said.
"This was an attempt by (ISIS) to breach Peshmerga defensive lines following significant losses in recent months," it said.
"A number of fronts, including Bashiqa and Nawaran and Khazr north and east of Mosul, were attacked by (ISIS) terrorists this evening," Jabbar Yawar, the secretary general of the ministry responsible for the Peshmerga forces, told AFP.
The extremists "used car bombs and mortars and rockets and after that launched attacks on Peshmerga sites on all of these fronts", Yawar said.
The KRSC, which is headed by de facto regional president Massud Barzani's son Masrour, claimed that more than 70 ISIS members were killed in the attacks.
That claim could not be independently verified, and the statement provided no indication of possible Peshmerga casualties.
Ankara announced earlier that four of its troops at the base were wounded in Wednesday shelling by ISIS.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/12/17/Iraq-Kurds-repel-major-ISIS-offensive.html
DM: Iran to Continue Developing Missile Industries Irrespective of 2231 Resolution
Although certain sides claim that Iran's endorsement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – on the nuclear agreement between Tehran and the six world powers clinched on July 14 – means that it has accepted certain restrictions in military areas, including its missiles, tests, operations and drilling activities, but "we have shown that despite certain limitations in the 2231 resolution, we continue research, development and production activities with all the (needed) tests and dimensions", Dehqan said in Tehran on Wednesday.
The minister reiterated that since endorsement of the deal, Iran has not stopped or postponed or changed its military development agenda. "Since day one of the endorsement of the JCPOA, our different tests have not postponed even for a single day, hour or moment; rather we have not even felt any doubt about declaring them."
In relevant remarks in August, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underlined that Iran would not allow foreign countries to interfere in its defense and military affairs and will continue arms sales and purchase irrespective of the views of third party states.
"We will purchase weapons from wherever we deem necessary and we are not waiting for anyone's permission; if we deem necessary we will sell our weapons and we will do this without paying attention to any resolution," President Rouhani said, addressing a ceremony held to commemorate the National Defense Industry Day in Iran.
The Iranian president, meantime, lauded the achievements of the Iranian experts and engineers in the defense industry sector.
"There is a high-speed movement towards self-sufficiency in the defense industry sector," President Rouhani said.
He reiterated that Iran was pursuing a defensive and deterrence strategy, and said, "We pursue the policy of détente, convergence and confidence-building with the world, yet this policy does not run counter to our defensive power and industry."
In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.
On October 11 (4 months after the nuclear deal), Iran successfully test-fired the country's new precision-guided long-range ballistic missile that can be controlled until the moment of impact. Emad carries a conventional warhead.
Turkey accuses Russia of playing up military threat
ANKARA -: Turkey accused Russia on Wednesday of playing up a military threat from Ankara that does not exist, comments likely to further strain tensions between the two after the downing of a jet over Syria last month.
Relations between Ankara and Moscow are at their worst in recent memory, with Russia imposing sanctions on Turkey. On Wednesday, Moscow's deputy foreign minister said Turkey should pay compensation for shooting down the plane near the Syrian-Turkish border.
"Russia's military elements have been acting for some time as if there is a perceived threat from Turkey, which is an exaggerated situation and has nothing to do with reality," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said at a briefing.
"Turkey is not acting in an aggressive way towards Russia's military targets and our main hope is Meanwhile, ambassador to Qatar said that Turkey will establish a military base in Qatar as part of a defence agreement aimed at helping them confront "common enemies."
Establishment of the base, part of an agreement signed in 2014 and ratified by Turkey's parliament in June, intensifies the partnership with Qatar at a time of rising instability and a perceived waning of US interest in the region.
The two countries, both economic heavyweights, have provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, backed rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and raised the alarm about creeping Iranian influence in the region. Both have condemned Russia's intervention on the side of Assad's forces fighting in Syria.
Meanwhile, Turkish security forces stepped up operations targeting Kurdish militants in southeastern towns on Wednesday, security sources said, as pro-government media detailed plans for a 10,000-strong force to restore state control in the region.
The mainly Kurdish southeast has been beset by conflict between the police and armed forces and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters since July, when a ceasefire collapsed and left in tatters a peace process launched three years ago.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pledged on Tuesday to prevent the PKK "spreading the fire" from Syria and Iraq to Turkey by imposing control in towns, like the army has done in mountainous areas where the militants are active.
One person was killed in a clash in Cizre near the Syrian border, which was placed under curfew on Monday evening, state officials said. Kurdish Firat news agency described an 11-year-old boy as being shot dead.
Turkish military also said eight Kurdish militants were killed in Cizre on Tuesday after they shot at the soldiers during an operation.
Residents of Silopi, 30 km (20 miles) away near the Iraqi border, said explosions rocked the town early on Wednesday and deputies from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said security forces had begun raiding houses.
"In Silopi, soldiers and police have started to break down doors and conduct raids on houses," HDP Sirnak deputy Aycan Irmez wrote on Twitter alongside a photo showing dozens of soldiers gathered on a pavement.
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Dec-2015/turkey-accuses-russia-of-playing-up-military-threat
UN's closure of probe into Iran's nuclear past is political victory: Rouhani
TEHRAN: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the UN watchdog's closure of investigations into Iran's past nuclear activities is a political victory for the country, lifting the main obstacle to implementing Tehran's deal with world powers.
The 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution on Tuesday ending the IAEA's 12-year-long inquiry into suspicions of "possible military dimensions" (PMD) to Iran's nuclear work.
"Now the main obstacle to implement the (July nuclear deal between Iran and six powers) is lifted..., Iran will start implementation of the nuclear deal within two or three weeks," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television.
Rouhani, a pragmatist whose election in 2013 led to a diplomatic thaw between the Islamic Republic and the West, voiced hope that sanctions on Iran would be removed in January, "delivering one of the electoral promises of the government".
The IAEA issued a report this month strongly suggesting Iran engaged in coordinated activities aimed at developing a nuclear bomb up until 2003, though it found no credible sign of weapons-related work beyond 2009.
Despite the finding, the international response to the report has been muted, reflecting a wish to press ahead with an accord that allayed fears of a wider Middle East war over Iran's nuclear ambitions, rather than dwell on its past actions.
The Tehran government on December 7 rejected the findings of the report about its programme before 2003, but declared that the document showed the peaceful nature of its atomic activities.
On Wednesday, however, a defiant note about Iran's nuclear past was sounded by parliament speaker Ali Larijani, who was chief nuclear negotiator under Rouhani's hardline predecessor.
"The UN Security Council sanctions were based on the claim that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons. Now they (IAEA) say Iran did some research on that. Such research and studies are the right of all IAEA members and there is nothing wrong with them," Larijani was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.
Iran has long denied having a nuclear weapons programme as such. The Islamic Republic is a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which bans the use of nuclear materials and know-how to develop atomic bombs.
Implementation rush
Rouhani is hurrying to carry out Iran's side of the deal so as to bring about the removal of sanctions hobbling its oil-based economy before the parliamentary election in February.
To that end, Iran is to reduce the number of installed uranium-enriching centrifuges to around 6,100 from 19,000. It must also remove the core of the Arak heavy-water reactor so that it cannot produce weapons-grade plutonium.
In a further move meant to reassure that Iran will not illicitly divert nuclear energy to bombmaking, much of its stockpile of enriched uranium is to be exchanged for a less refined form of uranium known as yellowcake.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1226855/uns-closure-of-probe-into-irans-nuclear-past-is-political-victory-rouhani
Iranian commander Soleimani meets Putin
DUBAI - The commander of foreign operations for Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards visited Russia last week and met President Vladimir Putin, Fars news agency reported on Wednesday, a sign of closer ties as their regional alliance gains momentum.
General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force, last visited in July to aid in planning the Russian military intervention in Syria. Russia and Iran support Bashar al-Assad against rebels. Backed by Russian air strikes, hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria since late September to take part in a pro-govt ground offensive, their biggest deployment in the country to date. Soleimani has been subject to an international travel ban and asset freeze by the UN Security Council since 2007 for his alleged role in illicit arms trafficking and smuggling nuclear materials.
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Dec-2015/iranian-commander-soleimani-meets-putin
Yemeni court sentences US citizen to ten years
DUBAI - A court in the Yemeni capital Sanaa sentenced a US man detained as a terrorism suspect in 2010 to 10 years in prison on Wednesday, judicial sources said, for allegedly killing a guard while trying to escape from a hospital where he was being held. "The court sentenced US national Sharif Mobley to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of killing an officer in the Yemeni intelligence," a judicial source added, saying the sentence was subject to an appeal.–Reuters
http://nation.com.pk/international/17-Dec-2015/yemeni-court-sentences-us-citizen-to-ten-years
Unofficial Source: General Soleimani Visits Russia
"General Soleimani held a meeting with President Putin and high-ranking Russian military and security officials during a three-day visit last week to pursue the issues raised during the (the late November) meeting between Putin and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei (in Tehran)," unofficial sources told FNA today.
They disclosed that General Soleimani and President Putin also discussed the latest developments in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.
According to the sources, during the meeting between Putin and his high-ranking Generals and General Soleimani, the Russian president called the IRGC Quds Force Commander as "my friend, Qassem".
Iranian DM Confirms Receiving Cooperation Proposal from World Advanced Military Industries
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has reached a point in many sectors of the defensive industries that owners of the world's advanced industries propose cooperation with Iran immediately after witnessing the country's astonishing progress or they acknowledge these valuable capabilities," Dehqan said, addressing a ceremony in Tehran on Wednesday.
He said that owners of major arms producers didn't even imagine that Iran has made such a huge progress.
Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo.
Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.
Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.
In relevant remarks in 2013, Supreme Leader's Advisor for Military Affairs General Seyed Reza Pardis said Iran is able to produce a number of weapons and military equipment which are more advanced than their western rivals.
Iran Shows Interest in Buying Russian T90 Tanks
"We have presented the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces with a proposal to buy T90 tanks from Russia," Pourdastan told reporters in the Northeastern city of Mashhad on Wednesday.
"We are trying to develop the needed defensive capacities and capabilities in ourselves proper to the atmosphere of threats (posed to Iran)," he stressed.
The T-90 is a Russian third-generation main battle tank that is essentially a modernisation of the T-72B, incorporating many features of the T-80U (it was originally to be called the T-72BU, later renamed to T-90). It is currently the most modern tank in service with the Russian Ground Forces and Naval Infantry.
Some of the T-90 tanks were deployed in Northern Syria last week in the war on terrorist groups.
Pourdastan's remarks came after Russia announced that it has begun the supplies of S-300 air defense systems to Iran.
"The contract is in action. They've begun," Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin said in reply to a question earlier this month.
Iranian ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanayee late last month said his country had received the first S-300 systems.
The head of the Rostec corporation (to which the Rosoboronexport company is affiliated) Sergey Chemezov said earlier the new contract for selling S-300 to Iran had taken effect at the beginning of November. The contract was concluded after Russian President Vladimir Putin had lifted the ban from selling this air defense system to Iran. Iran will get the S-300PMU-2 configuration.
Preconditions by foreign players prolonging Syria crisis: Zarif
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says preconditions set by certain foreign parties about Syria's political future are merely prolonging the bloodshed in the Arab country.
Zarif made the remark on Wednesday upon arrival in New York for the third round of international talks aimed at finding a solution to the Syria crisis.
The Iranian foreign minister reiterated the Syrian nation's right to decide their own fate without the meddling of outside parties.
Zarif further called on foreign powers to stop setting preconditions, which have merely caused the violence in Syria to drag on. He said Iran seeks a ceasefire and settlement of differences through dialog and the formation of a national unity government in the conflict-torn country.
The one-day gathering in New York is scheduled to kick off on Friday. Foreign ministers from 17 countries, including Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the US, will try to work out a solution for Syria's nearly five-year-long crisis.
Zarif further said although necessary preparations have not been made for this round of talks, the Islamic Republic decided to participate in the negotiations to make sure the terrorist groups that have the blood of Syrians on their hands will gain no role in the Arab county's future.
Among the main challenges hindering peace in Syria are the Daesh terror group's access to financial resources from illegal oil sales as well as the flow of foreign militants joining the ranks of Daesh on Syrian soil, according to the top Iranian diplomat. The Syrian conflict, which started in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people and displaced nearly half of the country's pre-war population of about 23 million within or out of its borders.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/12/17/442068/Iran-Zarid-New-York-Assad-Vienna-Talks-JCPOA
Iran-Algeria cooperation to allay Muslims' woes: Jahangiri
Iran's First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri has warned against the threat of Takfiri Daesh terrorist groups in Muslim countries, calling for collective efforts to assuage Muslims' woes.
"Today, the Islamic countries are suffering from an ominous phenomenon named Daesh and large-scale disasters are taking place in certain Muslim countries, including Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan," Jahangiri said in a meeting with Algerian Parliament Speaker Abdul Qadir bin Saleh in Algiers on Wednesday.
Jahangiri said that countries like Iran and Algeria can find solutions to these problems "through cooperation and extensive consultations."
The Iranian official said that the problems facing the Muslim world are the result of "meddlesome" approaches of foreign powers.
Jahangiri further pointed to the historical, religious and political commonalities between Iran and Algeria, expressing the Islamic Republic's readiness to expand bilateral cooperation between the two Muslim countries.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/12/16/442033/Iran-Jahangiri-Algeria-bin-Saleh--Muslims
Over 200 South African scholars join academic boycott of Israel
Over 200 South African scholars have released a statement announcing their support of an academic boycott of Israel.
The scholars announced that they will refrain from accepting invitations from Israeli institutions and also from attending Israeli organized or sponsored conferences, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Wednesday.
"We will maintain this position until Israel complies with international law, and respects universal principles of human rights," read the statement.
The scholars say they are "deeply disturbed by Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land, the intolerable human rights violations that it inflicts on all sections of the Palestinian people, and it's apparent determination to resist any feasible settlement."
The move follows similar measures launched by UK and US scholars over the past months.
In November, the American Anthropological Association, the largest professional organization of anthropologists in the world, approved a resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/12/17/442054/South-Africa-scholars-Israel-BDS
Five suicide blasts rock NE Nigeria
Five female bombers simultaneously attacked a security post manned by a government-backed vigilante group in northeastern Nigeria on Wednesday.
One member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and the five bombers died at Mafa, some 40 kilometers [25 miles] east of Maiduguri, Borno State's provincial capital.
Abdulkadir Ibrahim, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the northeast, said five other members of the CJTF at the post were hurt in the blasts.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/africa/167474/five-suicide-blasts-rock-ne-nigeria
Libya parliament chief throws U.N. deal into doubt
The president of the Libyan parliament that is not recognized by the international community said Wednesday that lawmakers preparing to sign a U.N.-sponsored unity government agreement in Morocco had no legitimacy.
Four years after the fall of dictator Muammar Qaddafi, world powers have been pressuring the North African nation's two rival administrations to form a unity government amid concerns about the rise of the ISIS group there.
Libyan parliamentarians are due in the Moroccan resort of Skhirat on Thursday to sign the deal in a ceremony a Moroccan diplomat said would take place at 1100 GMT.
But Nouri Abusahmein, who heads the militia-backed General National Congress in Tripoli, said the signatories would have no legitimacy.
"Whoever has not been commissioned by the GNC to sign or initial a deal on its behalf is, and will remain, without legitimacy," he said before the GNC in the capital.
A government such as that proposed by the U.N. "is not the subject of consensus and does not even guarantee the minimum required to ensure its effectiveness", he added.
Martin Kobler, the U.N. envoy to Libya, said the Moroccan ceremony would proceed as planned.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/12/17/Libya-parliament-chief-throws-U-N-deal-into-doubt.html
Thousands of S.Africans call for president's removal
Thousands of South Africans calling for the removal of President Jacob Zuma marched in cities across the country on Wednesday.
The protests came after Zuma sacked two finance ministers last week, further damaging South Africa's economy.
They follow recent student protests, as well as claims of widespread corruption and a succession struggle in the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
"The purpose of our march was to send a message to President Zuma to resign or be removed by the African National Congress Party for being reckless in his leadership," organizer Marc Heywood told Anadolu Agency.
The marches in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth had been triggered by Zuma's decision to remove respected finance minister Nhlanhla Nene and replace him with David Van Rooyen, a relatively obscure MP. Pravin Gordhan - finance minister from 2009 to 2014 - was appointed to the role on Sunday night.
The decision to sack Nene shook the markets and the rand fell to a record low.
"President Zuma ignores public opinion but now our calls are getting too loud for him to ignore," Heywood said.
Protesters used the #ZumaMustFall hashtag on social media in an echo of previous protests against university fees and a colonial-era statue.
The ANC, which has been in power since 1994 and won by a landslide in last year's general election, defended Zuma's leadership in a statement released on Tuesday.
However, Zwelinzima Vavi, the former general secretary of the powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions, told Anadolu Agency there was widespread corruption and poor leadership under Zuma.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/africa/167456/drc-at-least-175-people-were-kidnapped-in-2015
Amnesty calls for fair probe into Nigeria Shia clashes
Amnesty International has called for an impartial investigation into the weekend clashes between the Nigerian army and followers of a Shia cleric that left dozens of people dead.
Most of the people killed belonged to the Islamic Movement of Nigeria led by cleric Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakyzaky.
"An impartial investigation is urgently needed into these killings. Anyone responsible for unlawful killings should be brought to justice. Those in detention must be granted access to medical care as a matter of urgency and either charged with a recognizable criminal offence or released," Nigerian head of the rights watchdog, M.K. Ibrahim, said in a statement Wednesday.
Nigerian military on Saturday accused the Shia group of an assassination attempt on its army chief Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai in northwestern Kaduna state's Zaria city.
On Tuesday, the army admitted gunning down at least seven Shia followers of the cleric during its alleged bid to save their army chief. The Shia group contradicted the death toll and said dozens of its members had been killed. A government-owned teaching hospital in the area confirmed receiving at least 61 corpses from the incident.
"Whilst the final death toll is unclear, there is no doubt that there has been a substantial loss of life at the hands of the military," the watchdog said.
"Firearms should only be used as a last resort, if strictly unavoidable, in order to protect life. It is crucial that the authorities refrain from using excessive force and ensure that anyone responsible for unlawful killings is brought to justice in fair trials," it added.
The group also slammed what it called the history of extrajudicial killings by Nigerian security agencies, including the army, and urged for granting victims access to lawyers and giving medical care to the injured.
"Nigerian security forces have a history of carrying out unlawful killings and other human rights violations. In the course of security operations against Boko Haram, Nigerian military forces have committed serious human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity in north east Nigeria," the statement added.
Meanwhile, the United States also called on the Nigerian government to "quickly, credibly, and transparently investigate these events in Zaria and hold to account any individuals found to have committed crimes".
Police, protesters clash in Netherlands over plan for refugees
Clashes have broken out in the Netherlands between police and demonstrators protesting against government plans to house over 1,000 refugees and asylums seekers in a town in the country's west.
Violence erupted at the municipal council in the town of Geldermalsen, where a meeting aimed at discussing the accommodation of 1,500 refugees was being held late Wednesday.
Officials inside the council were forced to evacuate to higher floors after demonstrators stormed the building.
Police sources said warning shots had been fired and that at least one protester had been detained. No injuries were reported.
According to officials, some 2,000 people had taken part in the protest.
Miranda de Vries, the mayor of Geldermalsen, located about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Amsterdam, said she had been saddened by the protests against the plan, which considers housing the refugees in a local center for 10 years.
The country's Deputy Justice Minister Klaas Dijkhoff, who deals with immigration and asylum affairs, also voiced disappointment over the incident, saying it was "un-Dutch."
The development came a day after the European Union unveiled its plan to establish a new border and coast guard agency.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/12/17/442084/Europe-Netherlands-Geldermalsen
After Iran missile test, U.S. senators urge more sanctions
Dozens of U.S. Republican senators called on President Barack Obama on Wednesday not to lift sanctions on Iran, saying Tehran's recent ballistic missile testing showed "blatant disregard for its international obligations."
Thirty-six of the 54 Republican senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, signed a letter urging Obama not to lift sanctions on Iran as planned under an international nuclear agreement announced in July.
The letter, seen by Reuters, said the missile tests enhance Tehran's capability to target Israel and U.S. troops in the region. "That is why it is a mistake to treat Iran's ballistic missile program as separate from Iran's nuclear program," the letter said.
The letter was organized by Senator Kelly Ayotte, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/12/17/After-Iran-missile-test-U-S-senators-urge-more-sanctions.html
Brexit, refugee crisis to dominate EU summit
EU leaders will tackle Britain's reform demands and the refugee crisis at a summit Thursday, twin challenges that threaten the unity of the bloc as one of the toughest years in its history draws to a close.
The 28 leaders will first debate a controversial plan for a new European Union force that could shore up borders without the host country's consent, to stem a record flow of refugees from warzones like Syria.
Over dinner in Brussels, Prime Minister David Cameron will then set out his reform demands for the first time to his counterparts, aiming for a deal at the next summit in February to prevent a "Brexit" from the EU.
Cameron has vowed to "get a great deal for the British people" before holding a referendum on Britain's membership by the end of 2017, which could see it become the first country to leave the bloc.
But the debate promises to be stormy as the other 27 leaders are almost unanimously opposed to Cameron's main demand -- a four-year wait before EU refugees working in Britain can claim welfare benefits.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe's most powerful leader, warned on the eve of the summit that the EU's integration was "not up for debate", while EU president Donald Tusk said there would be "no taboos".
"We still have a serious problem and we don't know how to move forward on the welfare issue," a senior EU official said.
The official urged Cameron to be "specific and open" about his demands so that there could then be "guidance from leaders" on the next steps, including possible alternatives to the refugee plan.
The debate in Britain has also been fuelled by concerns over the migration crisis -- the worst of its kind in Europe since World War II -- which has seen nearly a million people arrive on the continent this year.
- Border guard plan -
The summit wraps up an 'annus horribilis' for the EU which has seen it confront overlapping crises -- Ukraine, Greece, migration, the Paris attacks and Britain -- that have threatened the post-war dream of a unified continent.
In many cases the root problem has been the same -- ideals of monetary and geographical union without the political architecture to back it up. But calls for "more Europe" fly in the face of an increasingly sceptical European electorate.
Amid rising populism and fears the EU's Schengen passport-free zone could collapse, a divided EU has held a string of emergency summits on the crisis this year to find a solution.
The latest scheme is a new border and coastguard force with 1,500 quick-reaction agents and the "right to intervene" in states that are not protecting their borders properly -- whether or not that country agrees.
EU leaders have urged the bloc to secure its borders, both because of the refugee crisis but also for security reasons highlighted by November's terror attacks in Paris.
But the border plan unveiled on Tuesday could cause a row at Thursday's summit, with Poland branding it "shocking" and others concerned by a loss of sovereignty to Brussels.
Other plans have been bogged down by divisions, with a deal for EU states to take in 160,000 refugees from overburdened Greece and Italy resulting in just 208 people being relocated so far, largely due to opposition from eastern Europe.
Meanwhile a three-billion-euro ($3.2 billion) EU deal with Turkey -- which is currently home to more than two million Syrian refugees -- to stop refugees coming to Europe has yet to bear fruit.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/167485/brexit-refugee-crisis-to-dominate-eu-summit
Sweden refuses to supply fighter jets for ISIL fight
Sweden has refused to send its Jas Gripen fighter aircraft to help France fight against ISIL in the Middle East.
"The main reasons are that so far this is a legal grey area. That could change if there's a very clear UN mandate. But so far it hasn't been established by international law," Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom told reporters Wednesday.
Swedish government has offered sending transport aircraft instead, Wallstrom said.
She said that France's request to use Swedish arm supplies would be evaluated next year to see if it met Swedish weapons export legislation.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/167471/ukraine-ready-to-pay-price-for-eu-deal
Man suspected of Paris attacks link held in Austria
VIENNA: Austrian authorities are investigating two men arrested days ago for possible links to last month's attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, officials said on Wednesday.
State Prosecutor Robert Holzleitner said the two – arrested during the weekend in a migrants' shelter in Salzburg – are suspected of "participation in a terrorist organisation," with investigations focused on their possible connection to the Nov 13 attacks.
Also read: At least 128 dead in Paris terror attacks, IS claims responsibility
Mr Holzleitner said the suspects arrived in Europe from the Middle East but refused to give details, saying that would jeopardise the investigation.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1226902/man-suspected-of-paris-attacks-link-held-in-austria
Efforts to deal with migrant crises at 'a breaking point'
Humanitarian organizations attempting to help the soaring numbers of people fleeing conflicts and natural disasters around the world are at "a breaking point," U.N. refugee chief Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday.
"In the last few years, we have seen a staggering escalation of displacement caused both by conflict and by natural hazards," Guterres told a conference in Geneva on the root causes of displacement.
Conflicts and serious crises are raging in 27 countries, and six of them - the Central African Republic, Burundi, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen - have spilled over to surrounding regions, bringing the total number of countries currently in peril to a staggering 37, the U.N. said earlier this month.
The conflicts have forced more than 60 million people to flee their homes worldwide, with those escaping violence in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan especially sparking Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War II.
"The fact that we are seeing so many new crises breaking out without any of the old ones getting resolved, clearly illustrates the lack of capacity and political will to end conflict, let alone prevent it," Guterres said, pointing out that the number of people forced to flee daily due to conflict and persecution nearly quadrupled between 2010 and 2014.
"The result is an alarming proliferation of unpredictability and impunity," he warned.
At the same time, the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events like floods, storms, cyclones and droughts are destroying more livelihoods and pushing even more people to migrate.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/12/17/Efforts-to-deal-with-migrant-crises-at-a-breaking-point-.html
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