“ISIS luring foreign students with money”, Lai Mohammed warns Nigerians.

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Staff Reporter

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The federal government has said the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) now recruits foreign students into their organisation using financial inducements.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, raised alarm over the new recruitment strategy.

He urged parents and guardians to monitor the activities of their children and wards in order to prevent them from being recruited.

The minister appealed to Nigerians, especially those who have children and wards in foreign academic institutions, to pay more attention to their activities.

He also urged schools across the country to enlighten their students on the new ISIS’ recruitment strategy.

The minister cited the recent recruitment into ISIS of 27 medical students of the University of Medical Sciences and Technology (UMST) in Sudan as an example of the new strategy being used by the organisation to recruit more members.

Quoting a report received by the Nigerian intelligence community, the minister said 22 of the 27 students, who travelled to Syria to join ISIS, are Britons.

“According to the report, the students were recruited by one Mohammed Fakhri Al-khabbas, a former UMST student from Middlesborough, United Kingdom.

“Many of the students are children of reputable doctors in the UK. Their Social Media accounts also revealed them as praising Jihadists and championing ISIS’ cause,” he said.

Source: The Cable

ISIS’ deputy commander, Ayad al-Jumaili killed in air strike

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Staff Reporter

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Ayad al-Jumaili, believed to be a deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in an air strike on Friday, an Iraqi intelligence spokesman said on Saturday.

The US-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information that was reported earlier in the day by Iraqi state-run TV.

Jumaili was killed with other Islamic State commanders in a strike carried out by the Iraqi air force in the region of al-Qaim, near the border with Syria, a military intelligence spokesman told Reuters.

“The air force’s planes executed with accuracy a strike on the headquarters of Daesh in al-Qaim .. resulting in the killing of Daesh’s second-in-command…Ayad al-Jumaili, alias Abu Yahya, the war minister,” state TV said earlier, citing a statement from the directorate of military intelligence.

Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led coalition, have been battling since October to retake the city of Mosul, Islamic State’s last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where Baghdadi declared a caliphate nearly three years ago.

Nearly 290,000 people have fled the city to escape the fighting, according to the United Nations.

US and Iraqi officials believe Baghdadi has left operational commanders with diehard followers to fight the battle of Mosul, and is now hiding out in the desert with senior commanders.

A separate battle is in preparation in Syria to drive Islamic State from its stronghold there, the city of Raqqa.

The Iraqi state TV report is the first by an official media to announce the death of Jumaili, who was an intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president toppled in the 2003 US-led invasion.

Jumaili led Islamic State’s top security agency in Iraq and Syria, known as Amniya, answers directly to Baghdadi, according to experts.

Although the loss of Mosul would effectively end Islamic State’s territorial rule in Iraq, US and Iraqi officials are preparing for the group to go underground and fight an insurgency like the one that followed the US-led invasion.

The last official report about Baghdadi was from the Iraqi military on February 13. Iraqi F-16s carried out a strike on a house where he was thought to be meeting other commanders, in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, they said in a statement.

More than 40 leading members of the group have been killed in coalition air strikes, according to experts. Baghdadi has not officially appointed a successor.

Source: The Cable

President Trump orders more air strikes in Somalia

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Staff Reporter

Seventy days into his administration, President Donald Trump has issued his first order for military operation in Africa.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump approved a mission proposal from the Pentagon which will allow the U.S. Africa Command, AFRICOM, to strike at any part of the country designated “area of active hostility.”

A one paragraph statement from Pentagon spokesperson, Jeff Davis, stated that “The president has approved a Department of Defense proposal to provide additional precision fires in support of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali security forces operations to defeat al-Shabaab in Somalia.”

This change is an uptick from the Obama administration authorisation which only allowed strikes in self-defense and in defense of AMISOM.

News outlets in the U.S. reported earlier this month that the head of AFRICOM, Thomas Waldhauser, requested additional authority to give the command more flexibility and timeliness in terms of making decisions to prosecute targets. This is generally understood to mean that the Command wants authority to strike at will, to conduct operations without recourse to the White House for each mission. It is not clear if such authority will be limited to Somalia or cover all parts of the continent that AFRICOM focuses on including Libya and North-east Nigeria.

The statement from the Pentagon did not indicate that the administration has given AFRICOM the authority to strike at will.

However, the approval for additional strikes against al-Shabaab came a day after the administration relaxed preventive rules against rampant civilian casualties. Mr. Trump signed a directive on Wednesday, that designated part of Somalia “area of active hostilities,” thereby making war-zone rules which mean less protection for civilians to be imposed on such places. This is raising alarm given recent reports of civilian casualties in Mosul, Iraq.

In a testimony before the United States Senate on March 9, Mr. Waldhauser, a general, re-stated U.S. commitment to the fight against Boko Haram.

“In West Africa, our primary focus is containing and degrading Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa,” he said.

“With forces from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, we are working with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to enable regional cooperation and expand partner capacity to ensure Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa do not further destabilise the region.”

There is no likelihood of direct operation by AFRICOM in the Lake Chad Basin in the foreseeable future. Mr. Waldhauser declared at the Senate hearing that “the MNJTF has been successful in enabling multinational cooperation and coordinating multinational operations and has placed significant pressure on Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa.”

Source: Premium Times

BREAKING: Air strike ‘kills dozens in village near Raqqa’

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Staff Reporter

At least 33 people have been killed in an air strike on a school in a village west of the Islamic State-held Syrian city of Raqqa, a monitoring group says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the building in al-Mansoura was being used as a shelter for displaced people when it was hit on Monday night.

The activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said the fate of 50 families who were there was unknown.

Both groups said the raid was carried out by the US-led coalition against IS.

There was no immediate comment from the coalition, but it has said there were 19 strikes near Raqqa on Monday, including three on what it called IS “headquarters”.

Body of German hostage beheaded by ISIS found

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Staff Reporter

The body of an elderly German hostage who was beheaded by Islamic militants has been found, the Philippine government said on Sunday.

The Abu Sayyaf, a kidnap-for-ransom network that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, murdered Jurgen Kantner, 70, last week after its demands for 30 million pesos ($600,000) were not met.

Military officials said marines found Kantner’s body on Saturday evening in the militants’ remote southern island stronghold of Sulu.

Troops have clashed with the Abu Sayyaf in recent days, leaving 29 soldiers injured and 14 militants dead, according to the military which says it has been unable to recover the bodies of slain guerrillas.

“It was not easy to find it because of the fighting with the Abu Sayyaf kidnap group that resulted in the wounding of 29 of our men and in the wounding of many of the enemy,” said Colonel Cirilito Sobejana, head of an anti-terror task force in the southern islands.

He said the government was arranging with the German embassy to repatriate Kantner’s body for burial.

Kantner’s yacht, the Rockall, was found drifting on November 7 off the southern Philippines with the body of his female companion, Sabine Merz, who had been shot. The Abu Sayyaf claimed the kidnapping.

Kantner’s remains are in a military hospital morgue in Sulu while officials prepare documentation for transporting the body, authorities said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has apologised for failing to save Kantner and said the military had stepped up operations against the militants.

The Abu Sayyaf, established with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, has been kidnapping foreigners and locals for decades and holding them for ransom.

It is believed to still hold at least 19 foreigners and six Filipino hostages.

The group, blamed for the nation’s worst terrorist attacks, has used the support of local communities, millions of dollars in ransom and collusion with corrupt local officials to defy decades of military operations.

Source: The Guardian

Islamic State readies for close combat in alleyways of west Mosul.

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Staff Reporter

Islamic State militants are developing a network of passageways and tunnels in the narrow alleys of west Mosul that will enable them to hide and fight among the civilian population when Iraqi forces launch an attack that is expected any day now.

Residents said the fighters have been opening passages in the walls between houses to allow them to move from block to block undetected, disappear after hit-and-run operations and track government troop movements.

They have also opened sniper holes in buildings overlooking the Tigris river bisecting the city into east and west, they said.

“They opened these holes and threatened us not to close them,” one resident told Reuters by telephone, asking not to be identified by name or location because Islamic State executes anyone caught communicating with the outside world.

The militants are essentially under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 650,000 civilians, after U.S.-backed forces surrounding the city dislodged them from the east in the first phase of an offensive that concluded four weeks ago.

The westward road that links the city to Syria was cut at the end of November. The militants are still in charge of the road that links Mosul to Tal Afar, a town they control 60 km (40 miles) to the west, however.

Coalition aircraft and artillery have been bombarding selected targets in the west, included workshops in the eastern industrial zone where Islamic State is thought to build car bombs and booby traps. Ground forces have paused to redeploy and build new fortifications and staging posts along Mosul’s western flank, as well as rest and repair damaged hardware.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told a meeting of the armed forces commanders on Thursday that the offensive could start “very soon”.

MORE DIFFICULT IN THE WEST

Commanders expect the battle in the west to be more difficult than in the east because, among other things, tanks and armored vehicles cannot pass through its narrow streets and alleyways.

Western Mosul contains the old city center, with its ancient souks, Grand Mosque and most government administrative buildings. The city’s airport is also located there.

“The narrow alleys and densely populated districts, along with the defensive tunnels built by Daesh — all this is definitely going to make the battle tough and complicated,” said Colonel Sattar Karim of the Iraqi army’s 9th Division, using an Arabic acronym of Islamic State.

It was from the pulpit of the Mosul Grand Mosque that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a “caliphate” over parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.

The city — Iraq’s second biggest — is the largest urban center captured by Islamic State in both countries and its de facto capital in Iraq. Raqqa is its capital in Syria.

The Sunni group imposed a radical version of Islam in Mosul, banning cigarettes, televisions and radios, and forcing men to grow beards and women to cover from head to toe. Citizens who failed to comply risked death.

Capturing the city would effectively end the militants’ ambitions for territorial rule in Iraq. They are expected to continue to wage an insurgency, however, carrying out suicide bombings and inspiring lone-wolf actions abroad.

OVERWHELMING FORCE

Islamic State was thought to have up to 6,000 fighters in Mosul when the government’s offensive started in mid-October. Of those, more than one thousand have been killed, according to Iraqi estimates.

The remainder now face a 100,000-strong force made up of Iraqi armed forces, including elite paratroopers and police, Kurdish forces and Iranian-trained Shi’ite paramilitary groups.

The United States, which has deployed more than 5,000 troops in the fighting, leads an international coalition providing critical air and ground support, including artillery fire, to the Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

In the next phase, the Iraqi military’s plan is to wear down the fighters and overwhelm them by moving on all fronts.

“Daesh will not be able to stand against thousands of attacking troops with air and artillery cover,” said federal police captain Haider Radhi.

The police’s target will be to capture the airport, located on Mosul’s southern limits, and secure it for army engineers who will quickly rehabilitate the runway and the other facilities so that it can be used as a close support base for troops, he said.

Intelligence gathering and the cooperation of the civilian population will be key for advancing troops to avoid booby traps and to find weapons caches placed across the city as part of Islamic State’s urban warfare plan, said Baghdad-based analyst and former army general Jasim al-Bahadli.

However, the narrowness of the streets will limit the militants’ ability to attack advancing troops with suicide car bombs, one of the group’s most effective weapons, along with mortar and sniper fire.

“Car bombs will be used in some areas of the western side where the streets are wide enough,” said Bahadli. “In the others, we can expect the group to send walking bombers” who will run or walk toward the troops and detonate explosive belts.

Karim, the army colonel, said the militants are using churches, schools, hospitals and homes as weapon caches to avoid airstrikes.

“The job will not be easy to determine who’s an enemy and who’s a friend,” he said.

Source: Reuters

BREAKING: Isis claims attack on Israeli port of Eilat with rockets launched from Egypt.

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Staff Reporter

Isis has claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the southern Israeli port town of Eilat.

Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system shot down three missiles fired from neighbouring Sinai late on Wednesday, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said. Up to seven are thought to have been fired in total.

The branch of the jihadist group based in the neighbouring province in Egypt is believed to have attacked Israeli targets multiple times in the past.

Erdogan, Trump agree to act jointly against ISIS in Syria – Turkish sources

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Staff Reporter

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Presidents Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Donald Trump of U.S. agreed in a phone call overnight to act jointly against Islamic State in the Syrian towns of al-Bab and Raqqa, both controlled by the militants, Turkish presidency sources said on Wednesday.

The two leaders discussed issues including a safe zone in Syria, the refugee crisis and the fight against terror, the sources said.

They also said Mr. Erdogan had urged the U. S. not to support the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units or Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (YPG) militia.

Mr. Trump spoke about the two countries’ “shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms” and welcomed Turkey’s contributions to the fight against Islamic State, the White House said in a statement, but it gave no further details.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, an alliance of U.S.-backed militias, started a new phase of its campaign against Islamic State in Raqqa on Saturday.

Turkey, a NATO ally and part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, has repeatedly said it wants to be part of the operation to liberate Raqqa but does not want the YPG, which is part of the SDF alliance, to be involved.

Mr. Erdogan’s relations with former President Barack Obama were strained by U.S. support for the YPG militia, which Ankara regards as a terrorist organisation and an extension of Kurdish militants waging an insurgency inside Turkey.

The Turkish army and Syrian rebel groups it supports are meanwhile fighting Islamic State in a separate campaign around al-Bab, northeast of the city of Aleppo.

Ankara has complained in the past about a lack of U.S. support for that campaign.

The offices of both leaders said Mr. Trump had reiterated U.S. support for Turkey “as a strategic partner and NATO ally” during the phone call on Tuesday.

The Turkish sources said new CIA Director Mike Pompeo would visit Turkey on Thursday to discuss the YPG, and battling the network of U.S.-based Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey accuses of orchestrating a July coup attempt; a charge he denies.

Turkey has been frustrated by what it sees as Washington’s reluctance to hand over Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

There was no immediate confirmation from Washington of Pompeo’s visit.

Source: Reuters

Boko Haram is out of funds, UN envoy tells Security Council.

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Staff Reporter

The Boko Haram group is currently plagued by financial difficulties, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, has said.

Mr. Feltman stated this while briefing the Security Council on the UN Secretary-General’s Fourth Report on the threat the group poses to international peace and security efforts to “check and roll it back” on Tuesday

The UN envoy also noted that Boko Haram was under intense military pressure, but warned against undermining its capacity to launch fatal attacks.

“ISIL-affiliate Boko Haram is attempting to spread its influence and commit terrorist acts beyond Nigeria.

“And Boko Haram remains a serious threat, with several thousand fighters at its disposal.

“It is, however, plagued by financial difficulties and an internal power struggle, and has split in two factions,” Mr. Feltman said.

While the previous reports on the subject had focused on South East Asia, Yemen and East Africa, Libya and Afghanistan, the fourth report focused on Europe, North Africa and West Africa.

It noted that ISIL had conducted a range of attacks in Europe since declaring in 2014 its intent to target the region.

Some of these attacks were directed and facilitated by ISIL personnel, while others were enabled by ISIL providing guidance or assistance or were inspired through its propaganda, it said.

The report stated that while the military offensive in Libya had dislodged ISIL from its stronghold Sirte, the group’s threat to Libya and neighbouring countries persists.

“Its fighters, estimated to range from several hundred to 3,000, have moved to other parts of the country.

“ISIL has increased its presence in West Africa and the Maghreb, though the group does not control significant amounts of territory in the region.

“The reported pledge of loyalty to ISIL by a splinter faction of Al-Mourabitoun led by Lehbib Ould Ali may elevate the level of the threat,” he said.

Following the increased military pressure, Mr. Feltman said ISIL is now on the defensive militarily in several regions, but was also adapting to military pressure by resorting to covert communications such as the “dark web”.

“Although its income and the territory under its control are shrinking, ISIL still appears to have sufficient funds to continue fighting,” he warned.

Mr. Feltman noted that ISIL relies mainly on income from extortion and hydrocarbon exploitation, even though resources from the latter are on the decline.

According to him, UN Member States are concerned that ISIL will try to expand other sources of income, such as kidnapping for ransom, and increase its reliance on donations.

“ISIL is adapting in several ways to military pressure, resorting to increasingly covert communication and recruitment methods, including by using the ‘dark web,’ encryption and messengers,” he warned.

The report also noted some of the measures taken by Member States and the UN, stressing the need to develop sustained and coordinated responses to the grave threat posed by ISIL and associated groups and entities.

Mr. Feltman said that there were 19 universal counter-terrorism conventions and protocols, as well as related regional instruments on international terrorism, and relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.

“But we need to do more, as Member States continue to face significant challenges to ensure effective international cooperation,” he said.

He warned that foreign terrorist fighters leaving the conflict could pose a grave risk to their homeland or to the countries they are travelling to or transiting through, such as Iraq and Syria’s neighbours, as well as countries in the Maghreb.

“Ultimately, it is the spread and consolidation of peace, security, development and human rights that will most effectively deprive terrorism of the oxygen it needs to survive,” he concluded.

Source: NAN

President Trump accuses media of ignoring ISIS terrorist attacks

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Staff Reporter

US President Donald Trump accused the media Monday of disregarding attacks perpetrated by radical jihadists, in a provocative statement for which he provided no evidence.

“ISIS is on a campaign of genocide, committing atrocities across the world. Radical Islamic terrorists are determined to strike our homeland,” the president said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

Trump, who was speaking during a visit to US Central Command in Tampa, Florida then listed a string of attacks carried out in the United States, including 9/11, the Boston Marathon bombings, the Orlando gay nightclub massacre and the San Bernardino shootings.

“And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it,” he said, in one of his customary attacks on the media.

“They have their reasons, and you understand that,” he concluded, without giving any explanation.

Asked about the president’s statement shortly thereafter, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said “we’ll provide a list later.”

“There’s several instances… There’s a lot of instances that have occurred where I don’t think they’ve gotten the coverage it deserved,” he said.

Trump will call for a Pentagon plan to hit ISIS harder, officials say.

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Staff Reporter

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The White House is drafting a presidential directive that calls on Defense Secretary James N. Mattis to devise plans to more aggressively strike the Islamic State, which could include American artillery on the ground in Syria and Army attack helicopters to support an assault on the group’s capital, Raqqa, officials said.

President Trump, who is to make his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief on Friday, will demand that the new options be presented to him within 30 days, the officials said. During the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump repeatedly said that he had a secret plan to defeat the Islamic State, but he also said that he would give his commanders a month to come up with new options.

The White House is also expected to press for a review of the United States nuclear posture — one that retains all three legs of the nuclear arsenal with weapons aboard bombers and submarines and in underground missile silos — as well as a review of how to achieve the president’s goal of fielding a “state of the art” antimissile system.

The directive to identify new ways to hasten the demise of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, has been widely anticipated by military commanders, who have begun drafting classified options to increase the pressure on the militant group, especially in Raqqa and Mosul, the stronghold in Iraq.

Work on the directive was described by several current and former officials who are close to the White House and who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the administration’s internal deliberations. The White House had no comment.

The man charged with overseeing this re-examination of American defense is Mr. Mattis, a retired Marine Corps four-star general who commanded American forces in the Middle East and will be working in partnership with Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The men have known each other for years and Mr. Mattis used to be General Dunford’s commanding officer while in the Marines.

Mr. Mattis will face multiple challenges. As an emissary to longstanding allies in Asia and Europe, he has staked out a position as the Trump administration’s reassurer-in-chief.

James Mattis, left, arrived for his first day of work at the Pentagon with Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Saturday. Credit Paul J. Richards/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

One of Mr. Mattis’s first moves as defense secretary was to phone the NATO secretary general to assure him that he strongly supported the alliance that Mr. Trump has criticized as “obsolete.” Mr. Mattis will fly to Asia next week on a trip to allay concerns in Japan and South Korea that the United States might abandon longstanding commitments to their security.

A week after that, Mr. Mattis is expected to make another reassurance trip — this one to Europe — to meet with counterparts at NATO in Brussels and then at a security conference in Munich.

Lawmakers and even some members of the military are hoping that Mr. Mattis can also serve as a counterweight on some of the new administration’s more hard-line positions. In a classified operations center at one Special Operations headquarters, a photo of Mr. Mattis is taped to a board with various captions written underneath. On Thursday morning, the caption read: “Watch over us.”

During his first visit to the Pentagon, Mr. Trump will conduct a ceremonial swearing-in of Mr. Mattis and is expected to sign the new directives and have a short meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Mattis appear to have some positive chemistry. They were seen chatting warmly on the reviewing stand during the inaugural parade. The new commander-in-chief relishes referring to “Mad Dog” Mattis at every opportunity, even though the retired general does not like that nickname and insists it is no more than a media invention.

And while they agree on the need for more military spending, some of the defense secretary’s views are at odds with his new boss, including his skepticism of Russia’s intentions, his traditional support for allies and flat opposition to the use of torture in interrogating terrorists.

The day before Mr. Mattis came to work at the Defense Department, he issued a statement to the Pentagon work force that cast the United States as a bulwark of the international order and the guardian of important alliances. In contrast to the “America First” oratory emanating from the White House, Mr. Mattis vowed that the Pentagon would work “for an America that remains a steady beacon of hope for all mankind.”

“General Mattis is prepared to give the president the best advice he can as secretary of defense even if it’s not something the president wants to hear,” said Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the senior Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, who spoke to Mr. Mattis on Tuesday. “The question is, how long can he do that if he’s not being responded to.”

Crafting a plan to step up the fight against the Islamic State is the most urgent task facing Mr. Mattis. When President Barack Obama left office, half of Mosul remained in the hands of the militants. Tens of thousands of American-backed Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters were closing in on Raqqa, but there was no agreement on which force should seize the capital itself.

The potential options include expanding the use of American Special Operations forces, raising the troop ceilings on United States forces in Iraq and Syria and having the White House delegate more authorities to the Pentagon and its commanders in the field, to speed up decision-making.

A difficult decision also confronts the Pentagon on whether to risk alienating Turkey by arming the Syrian Kurds for the Raqqa battle, or whether to cobble together a more diverse force that could include Turkish troops, Turkish backed opposition groups and perhaps even elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, as well as Apache helicopters and artillery. Turkey considers the Syrian Kurds terrorists and has been trying to forge closer ties with the Trump administration.

Expanding the American military will also pose challenges because of the soaring cost of some key weapons programs and the ambitious scope of the buildup Mr. Trump is seeking. As the steward of the Pentagon’s nearly $600 billion annual budget, Mr. Mattis will face tough choices, as it seems unlikely that the additional spending Mr. Trump plans for the armed forces can pay for all of the ambitious programs he has promised.

During the campaign, Mr. Trump called for a Navy of 350 ships, up from the current fleet of 272, and to expand the Army to 540,000 troops, an increase of about 65,000. The Air Force and Marines would also grow.

Funding such a military building would be costly. While the Pentagon has yet to outline its spending under the new administration, a paper by Senator John McCain, who heads the Armed Services Committee and is advocating a similar buildup, calls for spending $430 billion more than is currently planned, for the next five years.

Other directives in the works could affect the military. Mr. Trump told ABC News on Wednesday that he would “absolutely do safe zones” in Syria for refugees fleeing the violence there. A draft executive order obtained by The New York Times calls for Mr. Mattis, along with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, to produce a plan within 90 days for safe zones in Syria.

In the past, American military officials have warned that such a move would escalate the American involvement in the war in Syria, something the Obama administration staunchly opposed.

Military experts are looking to see who will join Mr. Mattis’s team at the Pentagon — and how many are picked by the new defense secretary himself. Mr. Mattis’s chief of staff will be Kevin M. Sweeney, a retired rear admiral whom Mr. Mattis has known for years. His senior military assistant will be Rear Adm. Craig S. Faller, who previously served as the top operations officer at Central Command when Mr. Mattis was in charge there.

ISIS Claims Responsibility For Cairo Cathedral Bombing

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Staff Reporter

So-called Islamic State say it was behind a bomb attack on a church in Cairo on Sunday in which at least 25 people were killed.

One of its fighters carried out the suicide attack on the Coptic Christian cathedral, the group said in a statement.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi had earlier named the attacker as Shafik Mahmoud Mohamed Mostafa, 22.

Mr Sisi said the attack caused “pain to all Egyptians”.

IS named the attacker as Abu Abdallah al-Masri.

President Sisi used his address at a service for victims on Monday to urge the government to amend the country’s terrorism laws, which he said were “restricting the judicial system” in its battle to prevent such attacks.

He also declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the blast.

The Christian minority in Egypt has frequently been targeted by Islamist militants.

Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by militants since 2013, when the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, an elected leader who backed the Muslim Brotherhood, and launched a crackdown against Islamists.

Some of Mr Morsi’s supporters blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow.

Credit: BBC

I Was Blinded By Love, Young ISIS Recruit Confesses

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Staff Reporter

His friends know him as “Mo.” And he is the most unlikely ISIS recruit you will ever meet.

In fact, in virtually every way Mo, whose real name is Muhammad Dakhlalla, was an ordinary and typical American college student. But he was arrested with a fellow Mississippi State University student just over a year ago, trying to board a plane to go join the notorious terrorist organization.

“Where do you want me to start exactly?” he said, laughing somewhat nervously, as he sat recently for the first extensive, tell-all interview with CNN in a federal prison.

Today, Mo, just 24, is at the start of an eight-year prison sentence for trying to join and help ISIS. But he is hardly a radical Muslim extremist. Remarkably, he said he got into this whole mess because he fell in love.

Born and raised in Mississippi, Mo is the youngest of four brothers and has both Muslim and non-Muslim friends. He dated very little and had few girlfriends until his senior year at Mississippi State. There, he met and fell for Jaelyn Young, a sophomore studying chemistry who was a one-time honors student and cheerleader.

“In the beginning of my senior year I met this lady,” Mo said, recalling his strong feelings for her.

“She was beautiful and things like that,” he said, “but also another thing that I find attractive in a woman is one who’s, you know, bright, intelligent, open-minded. And that’s how I got to know her a bit. We started hanging out. She not only was interested in me, but she had told me prior to us being together that she was interested in Islam.”

Islam is the religion in which Mo grew up. His father, Oda, is an imam, who originally hailed from Bethlehem in the West Bank before settling decades ago in Mississippi. Mo’s father, along with his mother, Lisa, a New Jersey-born woman who converted to Islam, helped found and build the Islamic Center of Mississippi in Starkville.

Not long after they became a couple, Jaelyn converted to Islam, and it was a complete surprise to Mo.

“At one point, you know, she told me that she’s very serious about Islam, and she wanted to become a Muslim,” he said. “Then on that day when she did, actually it was a big surprise for me. My parents actually found out first that she became a Muslim. I was actually at the mosque at that time, saying my prayers. And I came back to find out that she had become Muslim, and I had no idea.”

Then came another surprise, he said.

“A few weeks later, and I never said anything to her about this, or, like, tried to, you know, force her … she decided to wear the full hijab or niqab by herself. Like, it was on her own — her own choice. You know, she was wearing it from her head and full robe that you typically see of Muslim women.”

The niqab she wore covered every part of her in a black shroud, leaving only slits for her eyes visible, according to Mo’s family.

Jaelyn was changing fast, he said, becoming stricter and more conservative in all parts of her life.

“As far as, like, the rapid stages that she was going through, I may have, should have been, like, scratching my head a little bit. I should have had … a skeptical, like, analysis of, like, ‘OK, maybe we’ve gone a little too fast,’ ” he said laughing.

But, he said, he was deeply in love.

“And, you know, that love can ultimately … blind out your intelligence, your reasoning. I believe that. I mean, without that love there, I don’t believe I would be here today, with my charge and talking to you today. … I wouldn’t have even considered it at all.”

ISIS claims responsibility of Ohio varsity attack

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The media arm of the Islamic State claimed Tuesday that the Ohio State student who crashed a car into campus crowd and then lashed out with a butcher knife was a “soldier” of the terror group who heeded appeals to strike the U.S., and its allies.

The claim issued by Amaq news agency makes no suggestion that the assailant, Abdul Razak Artan, had been in direct contact with the group or was formally affiliated with the organisation, according to a transcript of the report provided by SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors radical organisations.

“The executor of the attack in the American state of Ohio is a soldier of the Islamic State and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries,” according to a translation of the Amaq report provided by SITE.

SITE Director Rita Katz immediately cast doubt on any formal affiliation between the suspect, a member of a Somali refugee family, and the terror group also known as ISIS or ISIL.

“This style of reporting by ISIS indicates it wasn’t coordinated with the group,” Katz said Tuesday, adding that the attack, however, was consistent with recent public appeals from the group to lash out using vehicles and knives as weapons.

A federal law enforcement official who was not authorized to comment publicly said it was not uncommon for the group to seek credit for such strikes, but investigators had so far found no immediate evidence to indicate that attack had been directed by the group or that Artan had been in direct contact with terror operatives.

The nation’s third-largest university resumed its regular class schedule Tuesday, while federal and local authorities continued to seek a motive for the assault.

Artan on Monday used a car to mow down a group of students and teachers. He then left the vehicle wielding a butcher knife, slashing at students before he was fatally shot by a police officer.

Investigators were sorting through recent communications linked to Artan, including an angry screed posted to Facebook shortly before the assault in which the logistics management student said he was “sick and tired’’ of seeing Muslims persecuted, said the federal law enforcement official.

In an August interview with OSU’s student newspaper, The Lantern, Artan talked of being overwhelmed and “scared” as a devout Muslim who sought a private place to engage in daily prayer on the sprawling campus.

Iraqi Christians revisit ghost town abandoned by Islamic State.

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Staff Reporter

A damaged picture of Jesus and a CD from his daughter’s wedding were pretty much all Iraqi Christian Said Shaba found when he returned to the ransacked house he had to flee when Islamic State arrived two and a half years ago.

The militants stole a safe with his savings and set the two-storey house ablaze before Iraqi forces pushed them out a month ago from the northern town of Bartella as part of a campaign to retake nearby Mosul, the group’s last stronghold in Iraq.

With the jihadists using suicide car bombers to stop an army advance on Mosul located just 20 km (12 miles) away, Bartella remains a tense ghost town.

Black army Humvees patrol the potholed streets where Islamic State fighters set homes on fire, while rows of shops and restaurants have been flattened during fighting.

But tired of living with his seven-member family in a rented house in nearby Erbil, Shaba and other Christians came to check on their houses for the first time since fleeing Bartella in 2014 when Islamic State seized Mosul and much of Iraq’s north.

“They destroyed and stole everything. They even took away our safe,” the 59-year-old said, pointing to a wardrobe in his bedroom where a safe containing $1,400 in local currency and dollars once stood.

When rumors of an Islamic State offensive in August 2014 spread, Shaba drove his family to the safety of Erbil one morning, planning to return to take cash and documents. But he never made it back as the jihadists were already in control of Bartella by the afternoon.

His petrol storage facility, the family’s main source of income, a few blocks from his modest house, was destroyed during fighting, he said.

Luckily, among the debris on the house’s floor a picture of Jesus survived though militants tore out parts of the face. His wife Nidhal kissed the painting and put it on a wall in the ransacked reception room.

A CD containing pictures of their daughter’s wedding also made it through the occupation.

“They have left nothing intact including windows, doors and walls,” said Milano Yousuf, the daughter. “This CD is more important to me than all the furniture. It is irreplaceable.”

SHI’ITES

Returning for good to Bartella and other nearby towns is not option for now for thousands of civilians — Christians and Muslims alike — as the battle for Mosul drags on.

The army has closed Bartella and other towns and villages, using them as forward base. Special forces commanders and U.S. officers, who have been backing the army campaign, met in the town on Wednesday.

The Iraqis and the Americans arriving in Humvees declined to discuss the meeting, which took place amid heightened security. Dozens of army vehicles with mounted guns were parked on an unpaved square in the town.

The army only lets in civilians selectively to inspect their houses and take some belongings, officers say. Still, many hope they can stay.

Hundreds were queuing at a checkpoint, where officers sent many back for lack of paperwork. Shaba, the Christian entrepreneur, said he got his army permit to go home only through “wasta”, or personal connections.

“We need to make sure the places are safe, that Daesh left no bombs,” said an Iraqi officer, using a derogatory Arabic term for Islamic State.

Apart from Christians, there were also many Shi’ites, seen by Islamic State as heretics, trying to head home.

“We are trying to see our house for the first time since we fled in August 2014,” said 28-year-old Ahmed Ali, a Shi’ite who escaped with his 17-member family from their Bartella home when the militants approached. His cousin was killed by the Sunni fighters, he said.

“Life has become very difficult, paying rents in Erbil with very little work,” he said, standing with a veiled relative near the checkpoint where soldiers told civilians without permits go back. “We don’t know whether our house still stands but we hope to go back soon, God willing.”

Iraqi children dump Islamic State’s books of violence.

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The school walls have a fresh coat of paint and classrooms are crammed, but it will take longer to undo the damage done to thousands of Iraqi children who lived under Islamic State for more than two years.

Although the school term began officially in September, only this week have pupils in the northern town of Qayyara been re-issued with standard Iraqi textbooks, which the militants replaced with their own in an attempt to brainwash a generation.

Students attend classes after the city was recaptured from the Islamic State militants in Qayyara, Iraq, November 17, 2016. (Photo: REUTERS/Ari Jalal/File Photo)

Islamic State was driven from the town three months ago in the early stages of a campaign to recapture the city of Mosul, which lies about 60 km (40 miles) to north and is now under assault by Iraqi security forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition.

As Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliphate is eroded, a clearer picture is emerging of the group’s project and the enduring mark left on those who lived through it.

“We are happy to be back at school,” said eight-year-old Iman, who like most of her classmates stopped attending classes after Islamic State took control. “They wanted us to come but we didn’t want to because we don’t know how to study in their language, the language of violence.”

When the militants overran the area in the summer of 2014, they allowed schools to run as normal, local people said. But later they banned subjects they considered un-Islamic such as geography, history and civic education, and used boys’ schools as a recruiting ground.

The following school year, beginning in 2015, Islamic State imposed an entirely new curriculum to inculcate children with their ideology. Maths exercises were expressed in terms of weapons and ammunition: “one bullet plus two bullets equals how many bullets?”.

At that point, most parents stopped sending their children to school, and many pupils who were old enough to make up their minds left voluntarily.

As a result, most children have been set back by two grades, and since some teachers have been displaced by the violence, there is only one teacher for roughly every 80 pupils at the girls’ school in Qayyara.

“They have forgotten their lessons… Now we are reminding them,” said their teacher Maha Nadhem Kadhem, pacing around the classroom, in which four girls are squeezed onto each bench made for two. “We don’t want them to be illiterate and ignorant.”

The headmistress, who asked to remain unnamed, said Islamic State’s vice squad known as the Hisba had made regular visits to the school to ensure compliance with the group’s strict dress code for women and girls.

Others such as Farouq Mahjoub, the assistant headmaster of a secondary school for boys in Qayyara, said he had been threatened with death unless he turned up to work, even though no pupils came to class by the end.

“The biggest impact is on children,” said Mahjoub, whose school was hit by an airstrike several months ago. “Children are malleable; you can change their opinion and beliefs quickly.”

Mahjoub said children behaved more aggressively than before, and that the games they play now are violent, estimating it would take no less than five years to reverse the damage, even if a plan to rehabilitate them was put into effect.

Missing from the classroom in the girls’ school are dozens of pupils whose male relatives were associated with Islamic State and are no longer welcome in Qayyara. Mahjoub said around 10 of his own students had joined the militants.

Behind the school are the remains of a car bomb that has yet to be removed and the sky is dark with smoke from oil wells the militants set ablaze, making it hard to breathe and turning sheep black.

On a nearby street, a group of boys coughing from the smoke described what they had seen under Islamic State, including the bodies of its opponents strung up in public places as an example to others.

Dancing and singing the same Iraqi patriotic songs blaring from passing military convoys, 11-year-old Thamer paused to describe how a local Islamic State member called Abu Suleiman had been lynched after Iraqi forces recaptured the town.

The man’s brain and heart spilled out of his body, said Thamer in a high-pitched voice: “They took revenge on him,” he said. “It was right. We were happy.”

Teenage ISIS member kills his entire family after his suicide belt accidentally goes off at home

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Staff Reporter

A teenager who had been recruited by the Islamic State in Mosul killed the whole of his six-member family when his explosive belt went off inside their home east of the city.

Three children were reportedly among those killed by the unnamed boy’s explosive device.

The boy, who belonged to the so-called ‘Cubs of the Caliphate’ squad, had been given the suicide belt by other members of the terror group, Alsumaria News reports.

He put the device on and went back to his home in the al-Wehda district of Mosul, where it later exploded, a source told the news channel.

‘The teenager’s belt exploded inside his home. It appeared later that all of his family, including three children, were killed,’ said the source, on condition of anonymity.

The man said Islamic State regularly recruits teenagers to wear explosive devices, especially in eastern Mosul.

‘It comes as part of ISIS strategy to strengthen its grip on the ground and intimidate the people,’ he added.

The extremist group has a history of recruiting underage fighters, some of whom have appeared in the group’s propaganda videos, with children even taking on the role of executioner.

ISIS has been fighting to retain control of Mosul, which the terror group took over in June 2014.

It had been declared the capital of the self-proclaimed ‘Islamic Caliphate’ but the extremist group is being pushed out of the city after Iraqi troops and US-led air forces launched an operation to liberate the city last month.

Today, Iraqi special forces said Islamic State militants battling to regain control of Mosul have fired mortar rounds on government-controlled neighborhoods in the east of the city, killing at least seven civilians.

Army medic Bashir Jabar, in charge of a field clinic run by the special forces, said IS attacked the city’s eastern Tahrir neighborhood and nearby areas as civilians were fleeing to camps sheltering displaced families.

Mr Jabar said two children were among those killed, while 35 people were wounded, including 18 children.

On a donkey-drawn wood cart, a grieving family carried the body of their 18-year-old son, wrapped in a white plastic bag.

The slain teen’s uncle, Mohammed Ismael, said his nephew was in the street when a mortar shell landed nearby, wounding him fatally in the head.

ISIS Hails Donald Trump’s Victory Claiming He Will Destroy America Himself

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Islamic State jihadis have hailed the victory of Donald Trump while claiming the billionaire “fool” will ruin America himself allowing terror groups to take control of the country.

The Republican was branded a “donkey” by militants who warned his election is “an indication of the end of the American empire”.

One ISIS jihadi said:

“What we want is their country be delivered to a donkey like Trump who will destroy it.

In the end, they are all our enemies and we will only meet them on the battlefields.

It is either them or us. We ask Allah to make their destruction caused by their own plans and their death come among themselves.

The world is going to experience a change and this change will put Islam in the leadership position as the end result.”

It comes hours after group al-Qaeda said the billionaire’s White House win will give extremists across the Middle East a common enemy, sparking fears of a major attack on US soil.

Obama unlikely to see assault on Islamic State’s Syria stronghold.

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Staff Reporter

A U.S.-backed assault on Raqqa, Islamic State’s de facto capital in Syria, is unlikely to pierce the city itself before President Barack Obama leaves office in January, denying him the chance to claim the end of the group’s “caliphate” as part of his legacy.

Although a U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian armed groups announced the kickoff of the offensive on Sunday, U.S. officials caution the fighters will first try to seal off and isolate the Islamic State stronghold, a process that could take two months or longer.

As a result, the victor of Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election almost certainly will inherit the job of routing the militants from the city from which they have run their shrinking territories in Syria and Iraq, overseen branches from West Africa to South Asia and plotted attacks in Western Europe and elsewhere.

“There is no available force capable of taking Raqqa in the near future,” said one U.S. official. Another said some of the needed Arab forces were still in training. Like seven other officials interviewed for this report, they requested anonymity to discuss the issue.

U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, the top U.S. military officer, played down the idea that seizing Raqqa would be quick or easy, saying the first job was sealing off the city.

“We always advertised that the isolation phase is going to take months,” Dunford was quoted as saying on Sunday by a U.S. defence department reporter travelling with him in Turkey.

Dunford’s visit to Ankara came as the Obama administration is enmeshed in a delicate balancing act between NATO ally Turkey and rival Syrian Kurdish forces trained and equipped by the United States.

The U.S. plan for Raqqa calls for an assault force of thousands of fighters from the Kurdish Peoples Defense Units, known as the YPG, and Arabs whose job it would be to take and hold the city itself, U.S. officials said.

However, U.S. special operations forces in northern Syria have yet to recruit enough Arabs to take and hold the Arab-dominated city, they said. Some U.S. officials and experts doubt that the United States will be able to soon field an Arab force large and strong to defeat thousands of Islamic State militants who have had months to prepare a final stand.

They pointed out that some 25,000 Iraqi troops, militiamen and Kurdish peshmerga fighters are involved in the offensive to wrest Mosul from an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 militants.

“Raqqa is every bit as infested as Mosul, perhaps even more so,” said Thomas Lynch, a National Defense University fellow and retired Army officer. “But there is an enormous investment by this administration in terms of going after Raqqa before it leaves office.”

Administration advocates of a rapid assault on Raqqa think YPG units will participate and enough Arabs will be enlisted and trained as the noose around the city tightens.

Another problem is fighting that pits the YPG against U.S.-backed Syrian Arab rebels supported by air power, artillery, armour and special forces from neighbouring NATO ally Turkey.

“HAND-HOLDING EXERCISE”

The YPG is one of America’s best allies in the fight against Islamic State. But Turkey denounces the YPG as an appendage of the PKK, a group that has fought for decades for independence for Turkey’s Kurdish minority and is on the U.S. terrorism list.

The sides are embroiled in a race to capture al Bab, a non-descript town held by Islamic State. Its fall to the Turkish-backed force could prompt the YPG to reject a role in the Raqqa offensive and alter the course of the conflict in northern Syria.

“That would be the outcome we least desire,” a second U.S. official said.

Obama spent more than two hours on the telephone in late October with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as part of an intense U.S. diplomatic drive to overcome Erdogan’s objections to YPG participation in the Raqqa offensive, U.S. officials said.

“For us, the linchpin here is for the Turks to exercise enough restraint (and) get them to resist the temptation to do anything that would spark a conflict that might get out of control,” said the second U.S. official. “It’s a hand-holding exercise on both sides of the aisle.”

But he and other U.S. officials acknowledged that crushing Islamic State is not as high a priority for Erdogan as ensuring that the YPG cannot knit Kurdish enclaves in northern Syria into a de facto state that could strengthen the PKK.

RUSSIAN COMPLICATIONS

The situation is further complicated by Russia, which intervened last year in Syria’s civil war to shore up President Bashar al-Assad. With aircraft and advisers deployed around Syria, Russia has warned Turkey against advancing more than 25 kilometres (15.5 miles) into Syria, said the second U.S. official.

For now, the Turkey-backed force has stopped short of al Bab, which is about 30 kilometres from the Turkish border, U.S. officials said.

Taking al Bab would expand a buffer zone that Turkey is establishing inside Syria to seal its border from Islamic State infiltration. Turkey’s incursion also has prevented the YPG from unifying the northern Kurdish enclaves.

Moreover, al Bab’s fall to the Turkish-backed force would expand a potential Turkish-protected “safe zone” for moderate Syrian rebels, who could base their internationally recognized government-in-exile in the area.

The rebels also could use such a zone to re-establish supply corridors from the Turkish border and open a new front aimed at relieving the Syrian regime’s siege of opposition-held eastern Aleppo, experts said.

“An eventual reopening of the Aleppo city front is an inevitability,” said Charles Lister, an expert with the Middle East Institute in Washington. “The opposition will go whether the Turks want it or not.”

US Election: ISIS orders Muslims not to cast votes but slaughter Americans.

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Islamic State Jihadist group, ISIS, has ordered Muslims not to cast a vote but to attack voters during the US election.

The threat comes as polls open for the closely-fought race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

MirrorUK reports that the new ISIS threats were made in an essay published by the terror group’s Al Hayat media centre.

The essay said: “There is no difference between the Republican and Democratic parties in the US in their policies against Islam and Muslims.

“Militants have come to slaughter you and smash your ballot boxes.”

This is coming after the FBI was reportedly probing a major terror attack planned for the day before the US elections in multiple states.

Fight to the end, ISIS boss Baghdadi urges Mosul jihadists

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The reclusive leader of the Islamic State group broke a nearly year-long silence as Iraqi forces closed in on Mosul Thursday, urging his jihadists to hold their ground.

It was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s first statement since Iraqi forces launched a massive offensive on October 17 to retake Mosul, where the IS chief declared the group’s “caliphate” two years ago.

“Do not retreat,” Baghdadi said in a purported message released by an IS-affiliated outlet. “Holding your ground with honour is a thousand times easier than retreating in shame.”

In June 2014, days after jihadist fighters swept across swathes of Iraq, he made a rare public appearance in Mosul and announced the creation of an Islamic “state” straddling Iraq and Syria.

The “caliphate” has been shrinking steadily since last year and Iraqi forces earlier this week reached the outskirts of Mosul, the jihadists’ last major stronghold in Iraq.

If authentic, the recording entitled “This is what God and his messenger have promised us”, would be Baghdadi’s first since December 2015 and a rare sign of life.

Rumours have swirled about the Iraqi jihadist leader’s health and movements but his whereabouts are unclear.

IS has fallen back when massively outnumbered in recent battles, giving up some of its emblematic bastions — such as Fallujah in Iraq and Dabiq in Syria — without following its own apocalyptic ideology of fighting to the bitter end.

– Eastern edge of Mosul –

In his latest message, which is undated but makes reference to events that are at most a few weeks old, Baghdadi also calls for attacks against Saudi Arabia — a favourite target — and Turkey.

Ankara has troops stationed at a base just outside Mosul and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s escalating rhetoric has raised fears of a unilateral Turkish intervention in Iraq.

Baghdadi also said that his followers who could not travel to Syria or Iraq should aim for Libya and urged all IS fighters to remain united in adversity.

He attempted to stir up sectarian resentment by referring to religious flags and slogans of Shiite fighters among Iraqi forces and by accusing other Sunni groups and politicians of treason.

The recapture of Mosul by Iraqi forces could spell the end of the group’s days as a land-holding force in Iraq and deal a death blow to the “caliphate”.

The US-led coalition supporting the Iraqi offensive estimates the number of IS fighters holed up in Mosul at 3,000 to 5,000 and has warned the battle for the city could be long and difficult.

Iraqi forces advancing on Mosul from three main fronts have retaken dozens of villages and towns scattered over hundreds of square miles.

Earlier this week, federal forces reached the eastern edge of Mosul and on Wednesday were clearing the most recently reconquered areas to set up a breach of the city.

Gunfire echoed across the village of Gogjali on Mosul’s eastern edge Wednesday as elite Iraqi forces worked to clear the area.

– ‘We went through hell’ –

An AFP reporter in Gogjali, on the eastern front line, saw larger than usual numbers of civilians walking to safer areas with little or no belongings.

“Some of the kids that arrive are barefoot, and they don’t have sufficient water and food,” said Alvhild Stromme, a media adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council, one of the most active aid groups in Iraq.

Some were leaving Gogjali and others the eastern Mosul neighbourhood of Samah, in what may be a rare breach for civilians trapped inside the city.

All told tales of IS brutality.

“They confiscated my tractor and then threw me in jail for six days. They beat me and when I got out I couldn’t do my work anymore,” said Yusef Fariq.

The 40-year-old farmer, speaking from his home in Gogjali and surrounded by his mother and two sons, still had the long beard IS militants forced him to grow.

“They were killing us, always asking for money, we couldn’t go anywhere. We went through hell,” his mother said.

With an assault on the city looking imminent, aid groups said they were “bracing for the worst” and warned that the fate of a million-plus civilians still believed trapped inside Mosul was in the balance.

Turkish Army kills up to 200 YPG fighters in Aleppo.

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Turkish military said its fighter jets hit Syrian Kurdish targets in northern Syria, and killed up to 200 fighters, according to state media.

The jets hit 18 targets in Maarrat Umm Hawsh, a region north of the city of Aleppo, the official news agency Anadolu said.

Quoting the army, the report claimed that between 160 and 200 fighters from the YPG (People’s Protection Units) group were killed in the raids on Wednesday night.

A Syrian-Kurdish forces leader, however, said that while Turkish jets and artillery were attacking, no more than 10 fighters had been killed so far.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said at least nine YPG fighters were confirmed killed and 26 people were injured in some 20 raids.

Anadolu said nine buildings used as YPG headquarters, meeting points, shelters and weapons depots were destroyed as well as four vehicles.

Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the death toll.

The Anadolu report said the YPG had attacked Turkish-backed Syrian rebels. However, the Observatory said it had no information on such an incident.

In August, Turkey launched a ground operation in northern Syria, targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group and the YPG, and continues to maintain a military presence in the neighbouring country.

The US considers the YPG to be a key force in the fight against ISIL in Syria.

Turkey says the group is an extension of its own outlawed Kurdish fighters – the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – who have carried out a series of deadly attacks in Turkey over the past year.

US-Turkey tensions

Tensions between Turkey and the US have increased over the YPG, but Ankara has repeatedly said it will not allow a “terror corridor” on its southern border and wants to prevent the joining of the Kurdish “cantons” of Afrin and Kobane.

Turkey entered the Syrian war to try and remove ISIL from its border – which last month Ankara said it achieved – while also aiming to halt the westward advance of the YPG.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey would not “wait for terrorist organisations to come and attack us” during a speech in Ankara.

“These organisations, wherever their activities are, wherever they are nesting, we will go [there],” he said.

ISIS urges Western Jihadis to carry out knife attacks to spread fear

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Islamic State has hatched a diabolical new tactic to spread fear in the West by ordering homegrown jihadis to become Islamist serial killers.

The fanatical hate group is urging extremists in Europe and the US to carry out multiple random knife attacks to strike terror into the hearts of civilised societies.

In its latest poisonous propaganda offering the unhinged Islamist cult urges would-be jihadis to overcome their squeamishness and use knives instead of guns, because it is easier to carry out large numbers of murders undetected.

Jihadi chiefs argue that random stabbings are almost impossible for security services to detect and stop when compared to shootings and bombings, which require coordination and the purchasing of illegal equipment.

In an article for the terror group’s glossy Rumiyah propaganda magazine they even give advice on what types of knives to use, and suggest striking in secluded places after dark to avoid detection.

Islamist commanders suggest a “campaign of knife attacks” in which lone-wolf jihadis “could dispose of his weapon after each use, finding no difficulty in acquiring another one”.

They wrote: “Many people are often squeamish of the thought of plunging a sharp object into another person’s flesh.

“It is a discomfort caused by the untamed, inherent dislike for pain and death, especially after ‘modernization’ distanced males from partaking in the slaughtering of livestock for food and the striking of the enemy in war.

“However, any such squirms and discomforts are never an excuse for abandoning jihad.

“One need not be a military expert or a martial arts master, or even own a gun or rifle in order to carry out a massacre or to kill and injure several disbelievers and terrorize an entire nation.”

Hinting that the article is one in a forthcoming series about terror tactics, the author says that knives can help potential terrorists with the “ocean of thoughts” that “might pour into one’s mind” when considering an attack.

And they even advise would-be jihadis which blades to use, saying: ”It is explicitly advised not to use kitchen knives, as their basic structure is not designed to handle the kind of vigorous application used for assassinations and slaughter.

“Avoid troublesome knives, those that can cause harm to the user because of poor manufacturing,” they add.

A footnote in the article also betrays ISIS’ sensitivity about how their actions are reported in the West, insisting that supporters should not use the term “lone wolf” to describe radicalised Westerners.

Instead they order extremists to refer to such attacks as “just terror operations” – with just in this instance referring to the sense of justice the twisted barbarians see in them.

Rumiyah, meaning Rome, is ISIS’ latest propaganda tool and is significantly shorter than its main English language publication, the hate-filled magazine Dabiq.

It is published by the group’s Al-Hayat Media Center and is published in English, Turkish, German, French, Indonesian, Russian, Arabic and Uyghur.

The hate-filled magazine has been widely distributed in PDF format online, and has been released as ISIS commanders continue to grapple with the impending defeat of their so-called Caliphate in the Middle East.

Terror experts have warned that the jihadi group will increasingly turn to inspiring attacks overseas as it tries to cement its survival in the face of military annihilation.

Meet The Iraqi Housewife Who ‘Cooked The Heads’ Of ISIS Fighters, Tops ISIS’ Most Wanted List

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Staff Reporter

“Shut up and stay still,” the woman in black fatigues and a black headscarf snapped over her shoulder at the armed men behind her as she sat down for an interview.

Immediately they went quiet, each adjusting his weapon and standing up straight as if he’d been called to attention.

This is a woman who commands respect, I thought. She keeps a Beretta 9-millimeter pistol in a holster under her left arm. The area around the trigger was silver where the paint had worn off.

The woman in question, 39-year-old Wahida Mohamed — better known as Um Hanadi — leads a force of around 70 men in the area of Shirqat, a town 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Mosul, Iraq. She and her men, part of a tribal militia, recently helped government forces drive ISIS out of the town.

In the man’s world that is rural Iraq, female fighters are a rarity. Um Hanadi is not new to this.

“I began fighting the terrorists in 2004, working with Iraqi security forces and the coalition,” she says. As a result, she attracted the wrath of what eventually became al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, which later morphed into ISIS.

“I received threats from the top leadership of ISIS, including from Abu Bakr (al-Baghdadi) himself,” she says, referring to ISIS’s self-declared caliph.

“But I refused.”

“I’m at the top of their most wanted list,” she brags, “even more than the Prime Minister.”

ISIS Monsters Executes Six Members who Fled Battle by Crushing them With BULLDOZER

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Staff Reporter

There is no limit to ISIS barbarity as the monsters crushed six of its own members to death with a bulldozer after accusing them of running from a battle.

The men, who were killed on Monday according to local reports, fled the town of Sharqat in northern Iraq.

According to Iraqi News, civilians were forced to watch the barbaric execution. The strategic town outside Mosul fell to Government forces, who have launched a major campaign to retake the northern city, which is the final ISIS stronghold in Iraq.

This follows the capture of a cross-dressing ISIS killer who tried to avoid capture disguised as a woman.

Abu Omar al-Assafi was installed by ISIS to govern Sharqat in northern Iraq after the terror group swept through the country in 2014.

But Iraqi security forces found him trying to escape the area after the town was liberated last week. He was reportedly disguised as a woman and hiding among civilians. Cowards

Writer Who Shared Cartoon Mocking ISIS Killed Outside Courthouse

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Staff Reporter

A prominent Jordanian writer facing charges for sharing a “blasphemous” anti-ISIS cartoon that outraged Muslim groups was fatally shot in Amman on Sunday, state news agency Petra reported.

Nahed Hattar, a member of the country’s Christian minority, was shot three times outside a courthouse in the capital where charges against him were being heard.

Public Security Department personnel, who were near the scene of the attack, rushed Hattar to a nearby hospital, but he died from his injuries, Petra reported.

The security forces arrested the attacker and an investigation is underway, Petra reported.

ISIS Reportedly Executes 6 Boys With Welding Rod For Playing Soccer

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Islamic State militants reportedly beat six boys to death for playing soccer in central Mosul, The Mirror newspaper reported.

It is unclear when the boys were handcuffed and beaten with welding irons in front of a crowd, but the report said ISIS claimed that the boys were part of a resistance faction in the city.

“The execution took place in Mosul in front of a large gathering,” one source told The American Herald Tribune. “This came in order to create a state of fear and panic among the people.”

President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi put the Islamic State group on notice Monday that they plan to recapture Mosul within months. If successful, the operation could mark a major turning point in the campaign to defeat the extremist group.

Neither leader glossed over the immense difficulty of the battle ahead as they met in New York on the sidelines of a U.N. summit. Still, Obama said he and Abadi were confident that Iraq’s military and the U.S.-led coalition could make progress in Mosul “fairly rapidly,” adding that he was hoping for progress by year-end.

“This is going to be hard. It’s going to be challenging. It will require resources,” Obama said. But he professed confidence that more territory can be wrested from the militants, in part because he said “the Iraqi forces are getting more confident.”

Credit: foxnews

Messages From ISIS Territory Ask For Forgiveness For Murder

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Correspondence, provided to The Intercept and Al Jazeera, was sent to a religious scholar living in Jordan who has been associated with radical groups in the past, but is critical of ISIS. The messages come from people in ISIL-held territory, both members of the group and civilians, who are seeking his religious advice. Seeking advice from religious figures is common in the Muslim world, but the recipient of these messages in particularly respected among ultra-conservative Muslims in Iraq, Syria and Jordan.

The religious figure is not named here in order to protect his legal status in Jordan.

The advice seekers are unrelated: one is an ISIS fighter in Fallujah, and the other is a Sunni Muslim civilian living in Mosul.

The correspondence took place from early June to mid August, and coincided with major events in those cities reported by international media – including the Iraqi government’s offensive to retake Fallujah and the increasing pressure on the inhabitants of Mosul in preparation for the operation.

“The battle for Fallujah was a success in that it ended with ISIS driven out and a government established that had representation from the local Sunni community,” says Nathaniel Rabkin, managing editor of the political risk publication Inside Iraq Politics.

“Having said that, there was a lot of ugliness associated with the campaign, including damage to infrastructure and allegations of abuses by Shia militia groups.”

US Says It Killed ISIS Information Minister Al-Fayad

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Staff Reporter

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The Pentagon says a US air strike has killed one of so-called Islamic State’s most senior leaders, Wa’il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, in Syria.

Also known as “Dr Wa’il”, he was minister of information for IS, and oversaw the production of propaganda videos showing executions.

The Pentagon said the strike had taken place near Raqqa on 7 September.

Fayad was a close associate of IS strategist Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, who was killed in an air strike last month.

“The removal of ISIL’s senior leaders degrades its ability to retain territory, and its ability to plan, finance, and direct attacks inside and outside of the region,” Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, using an alternative name for IS.

“We will continue to work with our coalition partners to build momentum in the campaign to deal ISIL a lasting defeat.”

Mr Cook said Fayad had also been a member of the IS leadership group, the Shura Council.

What A Christian Father Told His Wife Before He Was Beheaded By ISIS

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Among the 21 Coptic Christian workers beheaded on a beach in Libya last year by ISIS was a father who, before he went to Libya as a migrant worker, told his wife he knew it was dangerous and that if he did not make it back alive, to please teach their children “the principles of Jesus Christ.” So testified lawyer and humanitarian Jacqueline Isaac, who met in Egypt with the families of 15 of the 21 victims and told Congress about the genocide being perpetrated by the Islamic State.

Jacqueline Isaac, vice president of the humanitarian group Roads of Success, spoke at a May 13, 2015 hearing on ISIS and religious minorities held by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Despite the horrifice stories and documentation she presented to the committee along with other witnesses, none of the major news broadcast outlets covered the hearing — not ABC, CBS, or NBC.

Commenting on the genocidal actions of the Islamic State, which are producing many orphans, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) asked Isaac, “If I could ask you, where is the faith of these young people?”

Isaac said, “Congressman Smith, I went to Egypt and I met the families, 15 of the 21 families that had victims that were slaughtered in Libya. I was astonished by their faith.”

ISIS Bans Burka In Northern Iraq After Veiled Woman Kills 2 Jihadists

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Staff Reporter

In a seeming U-turn, the Islamic State (Isis) has reportedly banned women wearing the burka in northern Iraq after claiming that its fighters have been targeted by a veiled female. The hard-line faction has previously beaten and killed women for not wearing a veil covering their face and hair in public.

Now, IS (Daesh) has outlawed women wearing veils entering their security centres near their stronghold of Mosul after a number of commanders were killed by an unknown assailant. In neighbouring Syria, the feared IS al-Hisbah — or ‘religious police’ — have meted out punishments to woman who left their face uncovered.

Last week, in the occupied Saladin Governorate south of Mosul, IS put out a warning to members to beware of a veiled woman who killed two of their fighters. The attacks happened in Al-Shirqat, which has been under IS control since the extremists overran the region in June 2014.

An IS fighter was also attacked in Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq, prompting the terrorists to take precautionary measures, according to a source in the province who informed the Iraqi News network. However, claims that the extremists were “surprised” by an attack could not be verified by IBTimes UK.

Sharing details, the source said, “A veiled woman carrying a pistol killed two members of ISIS who were standing in a checkpoint in Sharqat, north of Salah al-Din. The incident surprised the organisation and forced them to issue an alert of similar attacks.”

In August, the Syrian city of Manbij was liberated from IS control and scenes of women burning the black clothes they were forced to wear and men shaving off their beards were witnessed. Around 550 women are believed to have entered IS’s self-declared caliphate.

Often thought of as “jihadi brides” some have even been used as fighters in the ‘Al-Khansaa Brigade’, an all-female police force. According to reports from Syria, the Al-Khansaa Brigade was formed “in early 2014 and charged with policing the public morality of women in Raqqa city.”

Credit: IBTimes

Isis Bans Football Referees In Syria Because They Enforce ‘Laws Of Fifa Not Sharia’

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Isis banned referees as a ‘violation of the commands of Allah’ Getty

Isis has reportedly outlawed football referees in one of its Syrian strongholds because they implement Fifa rules “in violation of the commands of Allah”.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory or Human Rights (SOHR) said commanders had also drawn up a list of rules detailing how injured players can be compensated by their opponents under Sharia law.

Monitors reported that the so-called Islamic State had declared the implementation of international football rules “illegitimate” inDeir ez-Zor governorate.

Local sources told SOHR militants told football organisers referees would be banned because their decisions “do not judge according to what Allah has revealed” and are “a violation of Allah’s command and the Sunnah”.

A system of “Qisas” for injured footballers was also brought in, referring to the retributive justice system enacted under Sharia law, where victims can claim compensation or exact revenge.

The reported ban was decided by courts established by Isis to rule on issues of Islamic jurisprudence according to its extremist ideology.

It came before the start of league matches due to take place between teams in the group’s territory around Deir ez-Zor city.

“We’re lucky because the football we play does not run using Fifa’s name – then the organisation [Isis] would have stopped games once and for all and not just refereeing,” a player told SOHR.

The account could not be verified but would be in line with several other prohibitions brought in by Isis as it seeks to impose its bloody interpretation of Sharia law.

Smoking, satellite dishes, dancing, watching foreign television and private internet access have all incurred the wrath of the so-called Islamic State.

Any alleged infractions to its exhaustive laws can be met with punishments including flogging, shooting, beheading and burning.

Isis is currently battling to maintain control Deir ez-Zor city amid an offensive by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

The group has suffered a series of significant defeats in its territories across Syria and Iraq in recent months and was dealt a new blow this week with the killing of propagan da head Abu Muhammad al-Adnani .

Source –independent.co.uk

Failed Suicide Bomber Carrying ‘ISIS Flag’ Attacks Priest After Bomb Won’t Detonate

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Person wey dem suppose give serious beating. A would-be suicide bomber’s explosives failed to detonate during an attempted attack on a packed church in Indonesia.

A teenager, reportedly carrying a drawing of the ISIS flag, attacked a priest with an axe after the failed bid.

A police spokesman said the teen left a bench and ran towards the priest at the altar, but the homemade explosives only burned without detonating.

Before he was restrained by members of the congregation, the suspect managed to take an axe from his backpack and attack Priest Albert Pandiangan, causing a slight injury to the 60-year-old’s arm.

Local chief detective Nur Fallah said: “Somebody tried to kill the priest by pretending to attend the church service and at that time tried to explode something, like a firecracker, but the firecracker didn’t explode, it only fumed.”

Police have said the motive for the attack at the Roman Catholic St. Yoseph Church in Medan, is not clear. The teenager reportedly carried a drawing of an ISIS flag and his ID card.

Rina Sari Ginting, a spokeswoman for Medan police, said: “A terrorism act was carried out on Sunday morning at the Saint Joseph catholic church.

“Police are interrogating the perpetrator… and will search his house for any bomb-making materials.”

The suspect has reportedly told police he was not working alone.

US Hostage ‘Tortured And Raped By ISIS Leader’ Speaks From Beyond The Grave

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Staff Reporter

An American aid worker taken prisoner by ISIS terrorists describes her experiences in a harrowing footage taken before she was killed in an airstrike.
Kayla Mueller was forced to marry ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi , and was reportedly tortured and constantly raped before her death last year.
In the proof of life video, which was made by ISIS and sent to her parents, who have just released it to ABC , she says:

“My name is Kayla Mueller. I need your help.” “I’ve been here too long, and I’ve been very sick. It’s, it’s very terrifying here,” she said to the camera before the footage abruptly stopped.

The .mp4 video clip was only 10 seconds.The video is believed to be the only footage of her in captivity.Her father Carl described the moment he saw it. He said:

“You just go into almost a catatonic state, I think. You can’t even stand up.”

Her mother Marsha added:

“I saw how thin she looked, I saw her eyes were clear. She was very steady so it broke my heart.But I also saw her strength.”

The 26-year-old was held captive at the home of al-Baghdadi’s deputy Abu Sayaff.The Islamic State’s second in command was allegedly killed alongside Kayla in an air strike on the property near Raqqa, Syria, in February 2015.
She was taken captive in August 2013 in Aleppo, Syria, as she left a Doctors Without Borders hospital.

After graduating from university in 2009, Kayla travelled to northern India, Palestinian territories and Israel to assist humanitarian groups.
She then went to Syria to help people whose lives had been torn apart by war, concentrating on children.
There she was kidnapped by jihadis in August 2013 following a short visit over the border from her base in Turkey.

It is believed ISIS were tipped of about her presence by a spy who informed she was there with her Syrian photographer boyfriend Omar Alkhani.
He was later released.

Iraq Executes 36 Men Convicted In Massacre Carried Out By ISIS

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Staff Reporter

On Sunday, the Iraqi government hanged 36 of those convicted of perpetrating the massacre, officials and activists said, in what was seen as the first measure of that long-sought justice, even as human rights activists raised concerns about the trials that convicted the defendants.

The mass execution was announced by Iraqi Justice Minister Haidar Zamili in a statement from the city of Nasiriya in Dhi Qar province, according to the online news outlet Arabi21. The provincial governor as well as families of those killed at Speicher were also in attendance at Nasiriya Central Prison.

“There were viewing areas for the families, the women on one side and the men on another. A man came and said, ‘I came today to tell you that the souls of the martyrs will rest,’” said Thaer Saadoun, a journalist with the local television station Ahwar who witnessed the executions.

“Some women ululated, and others immediately went on their knees and started praying right there. For the last two years, the families didn’t know where to go and to whom to complain, and they had gotten no response from the Iraqi government. The executions managed to mollify them a little,” he said in a phone interview.

Saadoun added that those executed Sunday were Iraqis, and some were from Dhi Qar.

Forty convicts were sentenced to death in February, and an appeals court this month upheld the sentences of 36. Four remain on appeal.

The massacre at Camp Speicher, a former U.S. military base outside Tikrit and roughly 100 miles northwest of Baghdad, occurred during Islamic State’s blitz offensive in June 2014 that saw the group take over wide swaths of northern and central Iraq.

ISIS Unveils First Ever Female Spokesperson In A Bid To Lure More Women

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Staff Reporter

slamic State has taken the unusual step of using a female spokesperson in one of its propaganda videos.

The terror group has broken from tradition by announcing the move in a short video entitled Foundation of the Euphrates.

But the woman’s identity is not revealed because she is wearing a burka. The video shows the female jihadi wearing full-length black clothing, which is forced on women under the group’s strict interpretation of Sharia law.
It comes after the jihadis launched a women-only magazine called Majestic which is distributed to followers online and in areas under ISIS control.

However, it is believed to be the first time the group has placed a woman in such a visual role. It is thought that the video could be an attempt to recruit more women into the organisation.

ISIS Frees Hundreds Of Abducted Civilians In North Syria

Posted on August 13, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Islamic State group has freed hundreds of civilians used by the jihadists as human shields while retreating in northern Syrian, US-backed forces and a monitor said Saturday.

A source from the Syrian Democratic Forces, which pushed IS from the city of Manbij this week with the aid of US-led air strikes, told AFP that some civilians taken by the jihadists as they fled were able to escape while “others were freed”.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor confirmed the account.

Credit: AFP

Schoolgirl Who Left UK To Join ISIS Is Killed In Airstrike

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Staff Reporter

One of the three Bethnal Green schoolgirls who left their homes to join ISIS is believed to have been killed by an airstrike in Raqqa.

Khadiza Sultana, 17, is thought to have died after her home was destroyed by a bomb that was believed to have been dropped by a Russian plane.

ITV News reveal that Sultana became disillusioned with life in the medieval terror state and was making plans to flee back to Britain.

The schoolgirl and two friends Amira Base and Shamima Begum left their families in east London

during the Easter school holidays in 2015.

Base and Begum, who were both just 15 when they fled, are believed to still be in Raqqa.

The trio became some of Britain’s most infamous ISIS recruits and shocked the nation after leaving their A-Level courses and their families to marry fighters in Syria.

Sultana ‘s family were hoping to help to get her out of Raqqa and across the border into Turkey. But it is believed Khadiza was killed before she could flee, after the property she was staying in was obliterated by the airstrike in May.

Trump Calls Clinton, Obama “Founders” Of ISIS

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Republican candidate Donald Trump roiled the US presidential campaign once again, with the jaw-dropping assertion Wednesday that Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama “founded” the IS group.

Addressing supporters at a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the real estate tycoon said the jihadist group is “honoring President Obama.”

“He is the founder of ISIS,” Trump said, using a term for IS.

“He’s the founder of ISIS, okay?” he added. “He’s the founder! He founded ISIS.”

“And I would say, the co-founder would be ‘Crooked Hillary Clinton’,” Trump shouted, over cheers and applause from the crowd.

http://guardian.ng/news/clinton-obama-are-is-groups-founders-says-trump/

ISIS Threatens To Bomb Miss Universe Competition In Philippines

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Staff Reporter

A beauty contest in the Philippines has been targeted by the jihadis in a veiled online threat.

The Miss Universe event, which is set to be staged in the Philippines next year, was mentioned on an online tutorial that explained how to make a suicide bomb.

In one of the comments underneath the video, one sick poster suggested “Create bomb for miss
universe.”

According to the Sun , the exact location of the competition has yet to be decided, but current Miss World champion Pia Wurtzbach, a Filipino-German actress, is set to attend.

This year’s winner will be crowned at the end of January 2017.

Naming Of New Boko Haram Leader Is Just Propaganda – Defence HQ

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Defence Headquarters has described the naming of a new leader for the Boko Haram group as propaganda by terrorist group, ISIL. Defence spokesman, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, said this while reacting to yesterday’s report by BBC that the Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIL) has named Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the new leader for Boko Haram.

According to Rabe, the announced change in leadership of the terrorist group would not in any way affect the military’s operations nor cause it to lose focus.

“It is the desperation of a drowning man, he gropes for even his shadow. The group knows they are on the losing side. They are using every available propaganda to remain relevant. What we have achieved is not propaganda, the reality on the ground is that they are decimated,” he said.

Update: Ansbach Bomber ‘Pledged Allegiance To ISIL’

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Staff Reporter

A Syrian man who detonated explosives outside a music festival in the German city of Ansbach, killing only himself and wounding at least 15 people, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant group before the attack, according to a senior government official.

The 27-year-old suspect, who was a refugee, blew himself up late on Sunday after being denied entry to the event.

Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria, said on Monday that video footage discovered on the suspect’s mobile phone showing him pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared leader of ISIL, also known as ISIS, makes it clear the incident was a “terrorist attack”.

He said the man, who has not been named, also “announced an act of revenge against Germans because they were standing in the way of Islam”.

Moments later, ISIL claimed responsibility for the bombing on its Amaq website, saying that the attacker was one of its “soldiers”.

Al Jazeera’s Dominic Kane, reporting from Berlin, said: “He [the suspect] came to Germany two years ago and his asylum application was rejected last year for reasons that we don’t know right at this minute.

“He had been based in Germany with the knowledge that he was not going to receive permanent asylum in this country. He had twice before tried to take his life and, at some point in the recent past, he had been receiving psychiatric help.”

German police also said on Monday that they had found enough materials to make another bomb at the suspect’s home, and several violent videos. Germany will boost its police presence at airports and train stations and carry out stop-and-search operations close to border areas, Thomas de Maiziere, Germany’s interior minister, said in Berlin on Monday after four violent attacks in less than a week.

“What seems particularly important to me at the moment is an increased police presence in public spaces.

“I have therefore ordered that the federal police visibly increase their presence at airports and railways stations and that there are random checks, which are not visible but very effective, in border areas.”

A New Jihadist Threat Rises In Syria As ISIS Recedes

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Staff Reporter

As the U.S.-led coalition has begun to gain ground against the Islamic State in Syria, officials have begun focusing attention on another jihadist group they fear may pose a more dangerous long-run threat there, the al-Qaeda affiliate known as Jabhat al-Nusra.

Jabhat al-Nusra has played a clever waiting game over the past four years, embedding itself with more moderate opposition factions and championing Sunni resistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The group has mostly avoided foreign terrorist operations and has largely escaped targeting by U.S. forces. Meanwhile, it has developed close links with rebel organizations such as Ahrar al-Sham that are backed by Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Credit: WashingtonPost

ISIS Targeting Children Through Mobile App, FG Warns

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has developed and launched a new mobile application aimed at recruiting and indoctrinating children for the purpose of furthering its Jihad course.

A statement issued by Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja on Thursday said the mobile application, tagged ‘Huroof’ (Arabic alphabets or letters), is to be used by ISIS to teach children the Arabic alphabets with the aid of guns, military tanks and cannons.

Mohammed said, “The application utilises colourful illustrations that attract and engage the attention of young children.”

The minister urged members of the public and parents in particular to be vigilant and to prevent their children and wards from being indoctrinated

The Federal Government had in 2014 issued a security alert that the ISIS had employed the services of a South African to recruit fighters for it from West Africa.

Shortly after the warning, a son of a prominent former Chief Justice of Nigeria was reported to have travelled to Syria in company with his two wives to fight for ISIS. The man was reportedly killed in Syria recently.

Islamist terror group operating in West Africa and especially in Nigeria, the Boko Haram, had also pledged allegiance to ISIS which also welcomed it to its fold.

Credit: Punch

Parents Of ‘Jihadi Jack’ Face Terror Charges

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The parents of a British Muslim accused of joining ISIS have been charged with terrorism offences.
Jack Letts, aka “Jihadi Jack”, who converted to Islam, was suspected of being the first white Briton to join the terror group after he travelled to Syria two years ago.
The 20-year-old, who reportedly goes by the name Abu Mohammed, married an Iraqi woman with whom he has a son, named Muhammed and they have been living in Raqqa, in Syria since.

Letts’ father, John Letts, an organic farmer and baker, and mother, Sally Lane, are accused of making money available for a terrorist purpose because they have been helping their son financially since he
went to Syria.

A spokesman for the South East Counter Terrorism Unit (SECTU) said Mr Letts, 55, and Ms Lane, 53, both of Chilswell Road, Oxford, have been charged under section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Mr Letts faces three counts of “entering into or becoming concerned in an arrangement to make available money, knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that it may be used for a terrorist purpose”.
Ms Lane, who is a former books editor, faces that charge and two others of attempting to provide money knowing or suspecting it might be used for terrorism.
However, both have denied their son, who ran off to Syria in 2014 aged 18, has any ties with IS.

He is thought to have told his parents he was going to study Arabic in Kuwait before secretly travelling to Syria.

His parents, Mr. Letts and Ms Lane have both been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 9 June.

Source: Sky News

No Evidence Boko Haram Gets Weapons From ISIS– Buhari

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Staff Reporter

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday that there was no credible intelligence linking Boko Haram’s source of weaponry to the Islamic State.

Boko Haram had last year pledged edged allegiance to IS, the group based in Iraq and Syria but which has carried out terror attacks in several parts of the world.

While fielding questions from journalists at the closing of the second Regional Security Summit in Abuja, Mr. Buhari said the claim that Boko Haram was getting its arms and ammunition from IS remained unsubstantiated.

He said a major source of the group’s sophisticated weaponry was from the various military and police bases attacked at the peak of the insurgency in the affected countries.

“The type of weapons they are using, I believe were the ones taken from military bases they attacked at the peak of the insurgency especially in Nigeria,” the Nigerian leader said.

“If you recall they attacked military bases and carted away weapons, they attacked police stations and broke into their armouries, that was how they got the kind of weapons they have been using to fight.

“Frankly, up till now we don’t have firm intelligence of what IS has been able to send to Boko Haram in terms of weapons or even money.

“But the fact that they said they are affiliated to IS has made many people to believe that they were getting weapons from ISIS,” he said.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Belgium Extradites Paris Terror Suspect Salah Abdeslam To France To Face Prosecution

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Staff Reporter

According to Belgian Police Authorities, Paris Terror attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam has been extradited to France to face prosecution. 26 year old Salah, who is a Belgium born French Citizen was extradited to France on Wednesday morning to face prosecution for crimes committed in France against the state in November, 2015

Abdeslam is due to appear before the investigating magistrate the same day, and would be placed in provisional custody, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

In the shoot out on March 15, prior to Salah’s arrest in Belgium, Salah injured four police officers and was charged with attempted murder over his alleged role in the shootout.

Source: CNN

U.S.-Led Coalition Blows Up $500 Million In Islamic State Cash And Cuts Its Oil Revenues

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The U.S.-led coalition air campaign blew up about $500 million of the Islamic State’s cash and cut its oil revenues by about 50%, according to a senior US defense official.
An ISIS source who asked not to be named says The Islamic State has been forced to ration fuel in some areas and cut its fighters and government officials pay in regions it controls by half.

U.S. officials have said the air campaign combined with local ground forces in Iraq and Syria have dealt the Islamic State setbacks in recent months, saying the terror group has lost 40% of the territory it once controlled in Iraq. “We’ve got the momentum,” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.

The official added that the Islamic State is struggling to replace its fighters who are now being killed at a rate of 1,500 to 2,000 a month.

Source: USA Today

ISIS Execute 250 Women For Refusing To Become Sex Slaves

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Staff Reporter

ISIS has executed 250 women in Mosul for refusing to become s3x slaves under the group’s ‘sexual jihad’.

The victims had all been ordered to accept ‘temporary marriages’ to fighters in the terror group’s northern Iraq stronghold.

But when they refused the so-called s3xual jihad, they were butchered – sometimes along with their
families, according to an official from the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

Said Mamuzini told the AhlulBayt news agency that ‘at least 250’ have so far been executed by ISIS in the city ‘for refusing to accept the practice of sexual jihad, and sometimes the families of the girls were also executed for rejecting to submit to IS’s request.’

Another official, from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, claimed women were barred from going out alone in Mosul and must be fully covered while in public.

They are also not allowed to choose their spouses.

Mosul has been under the extremists’ control since 2014.

News of the executions comes as Turkey revealed it had killed 32 suspected ISIS fighters close to the city near the Bashiqa military camp.

ISIS Vows To Invade London In Chilling Threat

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Staff Reporter

ISIS threatened unleashing a rampage of terror “everywhere” in Britain that will leave the streets of London “filled with blood”.

The sick jihadis said the attack will come “from where you don’t expect” in a sinister propaganda video comes just days after the Brussels terror attacks.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Belgian capital which struck an airport and metro station – leaving 31 dead at 300 injured.

The latest chilling video, narrated in English, claims ISIS are plotting to “invade” the capitals of Europe – including London and Berlin – “like we did in Paris before”.

The group also threatens to “rip the crosses” off every Christian church.

The sinister propaganda video concludes by showing the Eiffel Tower exploding and crashing to the ground.

However, the seemingly low-budget clip was actually ripped from a US action video game.

The video begins with a river of blood pooling and dripping off a wooden table filled with stacks of American money, guns, knives and bullets.

But, the clip features the name of video game designer with a US company carved into the wood of the animated table.

The video also includes footage of air strikes on ISIS targets and news reels of attacks they have carried out.

The narrator warned: “To you western Kafir, you that meant to fight Islam, vengeance is coming against the ‘new crusaders’.

“It will be welcomed by Allah’s permission.”

The video goes on to show ISIS members tearing down church crosses in Christian communities in the Middle East after being taken over by the terror group.

Credit: ExpressUK

Kano Gov. Stops 13 From Joining ISIS

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has confirmed the arrest of 13 persons, believed to be on the way to Libya to join the dreaded Islamic group, Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Making the allegation on Tuesday, during a police-organised press conference at Bompai Police headquarters, the governor said the suspects were not only a threat to their country of destination but, were also likely threats to neighbouring countries like Libya, including Nigeria.

He commended the police for a job well and tasked them to continue on the same note of effective policing of the state.

Speaking also, Kano State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhmmad Musa Katsina added that the arrested suspects were in possession of fake travelling passports to Libya. He expressed fear that they had the potential of joining a terrosist group once they get into Libya.

Meanwhile, a village head in Goron-Maje town in Dambatta Council of Kano State, Alhaji Usman Musa Muhammad has been suspended from office following allegations of illicit relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

The Kano Emirate Council announced his suspension and told newsmen that the suspension was to give way for proper investigation into the alleged act.

Galadima Kano, Alhaji Abbas Sanunsi , who gave details of the development to reporters said already, a committee has been raised by the council to investigate the allegations and establish the truth of the matter.

Members of the committee comprised representatives from the Emirate Council and the Kano State Hisbah Board.

The village head, it was alleged, had had carnal knowledge of the girl on several occasions.

Commander General of Kano State Hibah Board, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, indicated interest in the matter, and added that the board will invite the village head for questioning.

Credit: Sun

Prison Officer Joins ISIS After Freeing Migrant Rapist She Fell In Love With In Prison

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Hassan Kiko was jailed for raping a 15-year-old girl after seeking asylum in Switzerland in 2010.
But the Syrian was reportedly released by Swiss prison officer Angele Magdici who had fallen for him.

Her husband Vasili Magdici claimed the 32-year-old became obsessed with the Koran and became “very close” with a woman from Turkey.

He said: “She was suddenly very close with a woman from Turkey, she became her best friend and
she was learning Turkish words.

“I am worried she might try and go to Turkey, and from then on go to Syria.”

The couple married in 2014 and he revealed she was receiving text messages in Arabic about five months ago.
He said: “I was there when she got an SMS in Arabic and her best friend was asked to translate it as quickly as possible.”
The prison guard left their shared flat three months ago and Mr Magdici believed she moved in with her Turkish friend.
He added: “I loved her, and I wanted to have children with her.

“But then three months ago she told me she wanted to split. She move out of the house when I was away, and took everything with her.”
Kiko was jailed in November 2014 after he was convicted of brutally raping the teenage girl.
Ms Magdici allegedly freed Kiko at midnight when other guards were asleep.

The prison’s director, Roland Zurkirchen, said:

“As supervisors, we need to maintain a professional relationship but sometimes it is necessary to speak in confidence with inmates. “This is part of building a professional relationship and is part of everyday life. “But supervisors should also keep the proper distance, which in this case did not happen.”

Source: UK Express

Terrorism: FUT Minna Says ISIS Recruiter Did Not Register For 2015/2016 Academic Session

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The management of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, has said that the arrested recruiter for the Islamic State of Iran and Syria (ISIS) did not register for the 2015/ 2016 academic session.

This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Minna.

The statement said that the alleged Abdulsalam Yunusa was admitted into the University in 2010/ 2012 academic session.

It also said that Yunusa was a weak student who last registered in 2014/2015 academic session but absconded after the first semester.

It stated that the records showed that the alleged recruiter was in 300 level and did not register for the current session, adding that his mates were presently being mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

NAN recalls that the Department of the State Services (DSS) had on Feb. 9, announced the arrest of a 400-level student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.

He was arrested for being the operational arrowhead of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Nigeria.

(NAN)

Alleged Recruiter Of Terrorists For ISIS, Others, Arrested In Nigeria

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The State Security Service on Tuesday announced the arrest of one Abdussalam Enesi Yunusa alleged to a recruiter for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

In a statement, the SSS through a statement by one of its officials, Tony Okpuiyo, said Mr. Yunusa was arrested in Kano on January 17 after he “completed arrangements to embark on a journey to join an ISIS terrorist training camp in Libya, with other Nigerians whom he recruited for the ISIS.”

Read the SSS’ full statement below.

DSS Arrests ISIS Recruiter and Other Terrorists
… Planned Terrorists Attacks in States Aborted

In line with the Service statutory mandate to decisively and continually provide actionable intelligence as well as act to degrade persons and groups that threaten internal security in the Country, the Service initiated series of tactical operations, involving raids and enforcement actions against identified criminal and extremist kingpins and syndicates across the country.

These recent operations have significantly degraded the key extremist groups and kidnapping gangs, terrorizing innocent citizens in the Country, particularly in the South-West, North-West and Middle-Belt regions of the Federation.

On 17th January, 2016, one Abdussalam Enesi YUNUSA, a recruiter for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was arrested in Kano. His arrest was sequel to available intelligence which indicated his terrorist antecedents and covert drive to indoctrinate and recruit susceptible youths in the country.

Prior to his arrest, YUNUSA had completed arrangements to embark on a journey to join an ISIS terrorist training camp in Libya, with other Nigerians whom he recruited for the ‘Islamic State’. These recruits include the trio of one Muhammed RABI’U, Yahaya Momoh JIMOH and Zainab SUNDAY (f). YUNUSA is a 400 level undergraduate student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, where he was studying for a degree in Information and Media Technology.

He was subsequently radicalized and became a member of an extremist cell, comprising of one IBRAHIM (fnu) and Abubakar LIGALI, whom he revealed are currently undergoing terrorist training in Libya. He listed one AMINU (fnu) and Ibrahim JIHADI (Nigeriene), as other ISIS agents operating in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. The cell was being funded by one Abu-sa’ad Al Sudani, a media expert with the extremist group using Western Union money transfers to fund the terrorist cell agenda.

On 17th January, 2016, in Daura township of Daura LGA, Katsina State, another budding extremist cell affiliated to ISIS, was intercepted by the Service. One Ibrahim Mohammed DAURA, Zaharadeen SALISU and five other elements of the proscribed extremist group, Ansaru, were arrested by the Service. This group was discovered in an active stage, as its members were already co-ordinating themselves for attacks in Katsina and Kano States.

In the same vein, on 22nd January, 2016, one Obansa SALAMI, Ejide TIJANI aka Abu Uwaise II, Mohammed RABIU aka Ubida II, Zainab MOHAMMED and Abdulqadir Salisu AHMAD were arrested in Kano by this Service, while migrating to Libya, with their immediate families including infants, in a bid to join ISIS. This group was apprehended after painstaking monitoring of its network and plans.

On 29th January, 2016, the Service arrested Mohammed Aliyu NDAKO in Kwara State. NDAKO is a seventeen (17) year old undergraduate student of a tertiary institution in the State. He was arrested sequel to credible intelligence on his plans with one Abdulkadir Salisu AHMAD a.k.a Daddy Tall, another student in Kano State, to carry out coordinated lone-wolf attacks on selected populated targets in Nigeria preferably worship centres or recreation venues. Suspect had hitherto been communicating with foreign extremist elements, while sourcing online terrorist training and support.

Within the window of these tactical operations, between the month of December 2015 and February 2016, the Service, busted the network of syndicated kidnap gangs spanning different regions in the country, especially Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger, Nasarawa, FCT, Oyo and Osun States. Foremost in this line, was the arrest of a gang of five (5) kidnappers, Abubakar HASSAN, Usman MUSA, Usman ADAMU and Idrisa Babangida AHMADU at Ife junction, Osun State, on 3rd February, 2016.

On 5th February, 2016, the fifth member of the gang, Saidu ISYAKU was arrested at Ojo area, Oyo State. These kidnappers, Six (6) AK 47 rifles, five (5) magazines and about one thousand rounds of ammunition were recovered. This gang has been active in the South West axis of the country and were at advanced stages of kidnapping high value targets for huge ransom, before they were intercepted.

Another breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping was the killing of Abubakar MOHAMMED (aka BUBA), and an unidentified member of his group, on 8th February, 2016 close to Jebba Medical Centre, Jebba, Kwara State by security operatives as they tried to escape during a shootout with security operatives. MOHAMMED was a notorious kidnap kingpin known for his brutality and various acts of lawlessness. It is disheartening that this criminal and his men had terrorized, to no end, residents of the South West zone. He was also linked to the kidnap of the elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae, in Ondo State.

In the wake of deliberate vandalism of oil pipelines by criminal elements in the South-South region, the Service arrested one Nengi Samuel IKIBA aka Kockman Abula, a notorious pipeline vandal on 27th January, 2016, in Bayelsa State. IKIBA confessed to vandalizing several pipelines in the State, including the 24” Agoda/Brass Oil pipeline at Idema community in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State.

The modest success of the Service in its support to the Federal Government to achieve its desired economic objectives and stability may also be noted. To this effect, the DSS have arrested a group of fraudsters who had concluded plans to hack the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) domiciled in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in order to steal Four Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira (N4.5b) from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

The gang was led by one Sunny OKOH, a hacker who worked in collaboration with the trio of Uwem Udo EKPO, a Chief Program Analyst in the OAGF, Maxwell EKENE, a retired security operative and Dozie EGWU, based in Malaysia and who is now at large. The suspected fraudsters intended to use a software they had sourced and codes released to them by EKPO to hack Government accounts in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and defraud the Government of this huge sum.

It is instructive to note that a credibility problem would have arisen over the TSA policy if these hackers had succeeded in their plan and thus lend credence to the critics of the policy that it ought not to have been introduced and implemented. For the avoidance of doubt, the suspects have been handed over to the EFCC for further investigations and prosecution.

It is pertinent to state that these successes were recorded as a result of proactive and credible intelligence offered by members of the public, sister security agencies and other stakeholders. This Service wish to state that it will continue to deploy every means necessary within its statutory mandate, and armbit of the law to ensure the security and safety of all law-abiding residents and citizens wherever they reside.

It is also germane to urge all and sundry to be extra-vigilant, as well as report any suspicious persons/groups or activities to relevant security agencies, for the sustenance of relative peace in the country

Thank You.
Tony OPUIYO
Department of State Service
Abuja.
8th February, 2016

Credit: PremiumTimes

ISIS Terror Group Beheads Captured Libyan Soldiers

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Islamic State beheaded three Libyan soldiers they captured after an attack on an oil installations near Ras Lanuf. More photos below…

Vatican: Iran Must join Fight Against Terrorism

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Pope Francis held talks with Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, at the Vatican Tuesday, calling on Tehran to play a key role in stopping the spread of terrorism as Iran tries to improve its image in the global arena following an agreement on its nuclear program.
Hassan Rouhani made the first state visit to Europe by an Iranian president in almost two decades this week, following the lifting of sanctions against his country.

The pontiff warmly clasped the hand of President Hassan Rouhani in the first official call paid on a pontiff by an Iranian president since 1999. They held 40 minutes of private talks before Rouhani met with other top Vatican officials.

The talks “delved into the conclusion and application of the nuclear accord, and the important role that Iran is called upon to play, together with other countries of the region, was highlighted,” the Holy See said.

It added that that role should “foster adequate political solutions to the issues plaguing the Middle East, fighting the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking.”
The “cordial” talks also stressed common spiritual values, the statement said.

Usually it’s the pope who asks his audience to pray for him. This time, after the two men spoke with the help of Italian and Farsi language translators, it was the guest who asked the pope for prayers. “I ask you to pray for me,” Rouhani said.

The Vatican meeting was a key part of the Iranian effort to take a more prominent place on the world stage after the nuclear deal with Western powers.

Iran, which agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for an end to economic sanctions, is eager to carve out a bigger role in mediating Middle East conflicts. Francis’ papacy has emphasized mediation and conflict-resolution, including his role in helping Cuba and the United States to normalize their relations.

Rouhani heads to France today on his four-day European trip seeking to boost Iran’s image abroad as well as to rehabilitate economic ties with a continent that had been a big trade partner before the sanctions.

Francis gave Rouhani a medal depicting St. Martin giving his cloak to a poor man in the cold, describing the saint’s act as “a sign of unsolicited brotherhood.”
Rouhani brought a gift of a hand-made rug that he said was made in the Iranian holy city of Qom.

Before going to the Vatican, Rouhani told a forum of business leaders in Rome that “Iran is the safest and most stable country of the entire region.”
Italy also sees Iran as a potential peacemaker in Syria’s civil war, as the Italian government fears the warfare will further destabilize Libya — just across the Mediterranean from southern Italy — fuel terrorism and jeopardize energy security.

“Italy has always backed the role of Iran as a regional player in resolving tensions in the area, starting with the Syrian crisis,” Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said after meeting his Iranian counterpart, according to his office.

Rouhani has described the political talks leading to the nuclear deal as a potential blueprint for pursuing peace in the Middle East.

ISIS Throws Syrian Teenage Boy Off A Roof For Being Gay But The ISIS Chief Who Raped Him Is Spared

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) executed a teenage boy by throwing him off a roof in Syria’s eastern city of Deir ez-Zor for being gay, local sources reported on Friday.
The 15-year-old boy was arrested by ISIS militants on charges of homosexuality and he was thrown from the top of a building in central Deir ez-Zor.

“The horrific execution took place in front of a large crowd,” a local media activist and an eyewitness told ARA News in Deir ez-Zor.

An informed source reported that the victim was captured “in the house of an ISIS leader” earlier on Thursday.

“The boy was accused of being engaged in a homosexual relation with the prominent ISIS officer Abu Zaid al-Jazrawi,” media activist Sarai al-Din told ARA News.

While the boy was executed, Abu Zaid was expelled to Iraq after being deprived of his position.

“Abu Zaid was forced to leave Syria and join the fighting fronts in northwestern Iraq. The decision has been taken by the ISIS leadership,” al-Din said.

According to pro-ISIS sources, the Sharia Court in Deir ez-Zor had demanded the execution of Abu Zaid for being homosexual, but the ISIS top commanders insisted to let him join the battlefronts in Iraq instead, as the group has been recently exposed to heavy losses in battles both in Syria and Iraq.

Saudi Arabia Executes 47 Convicted Terrorists In One Day

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Saudi Arabian government has executed 47 people in one day including the prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr after convicting them of Terrorist related activities that have occurred in the last decade.

According to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interiors, the executed men believed in extremist ideology, were members of terror groups, and they were convicted of plotting and carrying out attacks against civilians going back as far at an attack on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah in 2004.

The interior ministry statement began with Koranic verses justifying the use of execution and state television showed footage of the aftermath of al-Qaida attacks in the last decade.

Saudi grand mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh appeared on television soon after to describe the executions as just.

According to the Ministry of Interior,the executions were carried out in 12 different locations and four convicts were beheaded, but no mention was made of the other methods of execution.

Islamic State Suffers Double Blow As Ramadi Falls, Leaders Killed

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

U.S.-led forces have killed 10 Islamic State leaders in air strikes, including individuals linked to the Paris attacks, a U.S. spokesman said, dealing a double blow to the militant group after Iraqi forces ousted it from the city of Ramadi.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi planted the national flag in Ramadi after the army retook the city center from Islamic State, a victory that could help vindicate his strategy for rebuilding the military after stunning defeats.

“Over the past month, we’ve killed 10 ISIL leadership figures with targeted air strikes, including several external attack planners, some of whom are linked to the Paris attacks,” said U.S. Army Colonel Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamist group also known by the acronym ISIL.

“Others had designs on further attacking the West.”

One of those killed was Abdul Qader Hakim, who facilitated the militants’ external operations and had links to the Paris attack network, Warren said. He was killed in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Dec. 26.

Two days earlier, a coalition air strike in Syria killed Charaffe al Mouadan, a Syria-based Islamic State member with a direct link to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of the coordinated bombings and shootings in Paris on Nov. 13 which killed 130 people, Warren said.

Mouadan was planning further attacks against the West, he added.

Air strikes on Islamic State’s leadership helped explain recent battlefield successes against the group, which also lost control of a dam on a strategic supply route near its de facto capital of Raqqa in Syria on Saturday.

“Part of those successes is attributable to the fact that the organization is losing its leadership,” Warren said. He warned, however: “It’s still got fangs.”

Revealed: The Only Country ISIS Fear..

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Staff Reporter

ISIS militants only truly fear one of the nations that opposes it, according to a journalist who spent time living among them., Islamic State fighters told Jürgen Todenhöfer, 75, that Israel is the one nation they are wary of.

Mr Todenhöfer, who spent 10 days in Syria in 2014, told Jewish News:

“They think they can defeat US and UK ground troops, who they say they have no experience in city guerrilla or terrorist strategies.”But they know the Israelis are very tough as far as fighting against guerrillas and terrorists.”They are not scared of the British and the Americans, they are scared of the Israelis and told me the Israeli army is the real danger.”

Germany Shuts Down Mosque For Promoting Violence

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Reinhold Gall, German’s Interior Minister of Baden-Wuerttemberg State, said a mosque in southern Germany had been shut down for promoting violence.

He said in Stuttgart (Germany), on Thursday that the Islamic Educational and Cultural Centre’s (MSM) premises were raided after authorities found it had been promoting violence and raising money for terrorist organisations.

Gall said MSM attracted a number of known Salafists, an ultra-conservative reform movement within Sunni Islam.

He said no fewer than 10 Islamists who left Germany to join jihad organisations in Iraq and Syria, were known to have passed through it.

“We will not tolerate organisations that promote violence as a means of reaching religious goals and raise money for terrorist organisations.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister, Thomas de-Maiziere, has introduced a new police unit, saying that it would be better armed and trained to combat domestic terrorism.

He said 250 officers would be added to the national police force’s special arrests unit, known as BFE.

“The new unit will be stationed at five strategic locations across the country.

de-Maiziere said Sven Lau, one of Germany’s most prominent Islamist preachers has been arrested for recruiting fighters for a militant group in Syria, as well as buying and delivering military equipment to the region.

The minister has indicated that 670 people have left the country to join Islamic State and other terrorist organisations in Syria and Iraq since 2012.

(dpa/NAN)

CAN Protests Moves To List Nigeria Among Arab Nations To Fight ISIS

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

UMBRELLA body of Christians in Nigeria, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, last night protested the attempt by the current All Progressives Congress, APC, government to subtly enlist Nigeria among Arab nations to fight ISIS.

It was reported on foreign news last night that Saudi Arabia was building a coalition of 34 Muslim/Arab countries to fight ISIS and Nigeria was named among the 34.

A statement late last night by the General Secretary of CAN, Rev. Musa Asake, said: “This singular gesture of the Buhari government betrays so much, and tends to confirm our fears that underneath everything this government is doing, there is an agenda with strong Islamic undertones, aimed at undermining Nigeria’s pluralistic character and neutrality regarding government’s affiliation to any one religion.

“While joining hands with other countries to fight ISIS is something good, our country must not be tagged as a Muslim or Arab nation. Christians must make a public statement showing their discontent on this development which portends great danger to national unity and integration.”

Something Unexpected Happened To ISIS Captives At Point Of Death

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A new ‘execution’ video features rebel Syrian fighters forcing ISIS captives to kneel in the dirt at gunpoint – only for them to do something completely unexpected.The footage opens with captives being led along a dusty road in orange jumpsuits.
The captives are then forced to kneel in the dirt while the members of the al-Shamiyya Front (a coalition of northern Aleppo-based rebel factions) proudly display their pistols.They then point the weapons at the back of the militants’ heads.

It appears the ISIS fighters are about to die in yet another harrowing execution video
Suddenly a message flashed up on the screen:

“Muslims are not criminals.”
Astonishingly, the masked men holster their weapons and walk away.
Another rebel then appears and lectures the jumpsuit clad ISIS militants on justice – powerfully showing them the mercy the terror group has denied to so many of its victims.
Sheikh Mohammed Khatib, President of the Sharia Office of al-Shamiyya, says:

“To the champions of our revolution and the hope of our people, justice will guide us, Islam needs us.” We have allowed you a way out… we do not seek any fame”If you desire to execute us, here are our swords, such executions will only consolidate our faith.Kindness is the premise of our lives”

Culled UK Mirror

Yemen’s Aden Governor Killed In Bomb Blast, As ISIL Says They Are Responsible

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The governor of Yemen’s city of Aden, Major General Jaafar Mohammed Saad, and five of his bodyguards have been killed in a car bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. The incident happened on Sunday in Aden’s Tawahi district in the country’s south.

ISIL, in a statement posted on a messaging service, said it detonated a car laden with explosives as Saad’s convoy passed by.

The group promised more operations against what it called “the heads of apostasy in Yemen”.

ISIL also posted what it said were photos of the booby-trapped vehicle as a white van carrying Saad drove past, then two other photos of a huge ball of fire which it said were taken as the bomb exploded. How sad.

Britain Is Next On ISIS Hit-List With Paris Terrorist Style Attack Imminent

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Great Britain is next on Terrorist group ISIS next-to-attack country according to a CNN senior terrorist expert who was told about the threat by a senior European terror official.

CNN Analyst Paul Cruickshank said the insider told him “there’s intelligence that has been obtained by European security agencies that ISIS in Syria and Iraq is aiming to hit the United Kingdom next”.

He said: “The intelligence suggesting that British ISIS operatives in Syria and Iraq have been tasked to return to the United Kingdom to launch an attack against the UK. “These concerns have been compounded by that vote yesterday in the British House of Commons authorising British airstrikes for the first time against ISIS in Syria.” He added:
“So real concern now about the threat to the United Kingdom. ”Concern in Europe, particularly in the UK now that what we saw in Paris, an attack like that, could play out again, perhaps in the United Kingdom, in the weeks ahead.”

The terrifying claims came just weeks after Aine Davis – an associate of Jihadi John – was arrested in Turkey last month. He was allegedly carrying specific plans to carry out a terror attack in Europe handed to him by ISIS – also known as Daesh. Fears of an attack on home soil comes after MPs voted in favour of airstrikes in Syria this week..

He also warned Britain is under threat from homegrown jihadists capable of committing similar atrocities of the Paris attacks – which left 130 people dead. There are now fears the threat of terrorism is spreading from the Middle East to Europe, with MI5 maintaining the severe terror alert threat in the UK.

Flesh-Eating Bug On The Rise In Syria Caused By ISIS Dumping Bodies In The Street

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

WAR-ravaged Syria has a new enemy – a deadly flesh-eating bug caused by ISIS dumping bodies in the street.

The bug, known as Leishmaniasis, is caused by protozoan parasites.

It is usually carried by flies but experts warn that increase in rotting flesh in the street has triggered a dramatic rise.

Records suggest that 16 months ago around 500 people were affected by the disease, but that is now believed to have soared.

Dilqash Isa, head of the Kurdish Red Crescent humanitarian organisation , said: ‘As a result of abominable acts by ISIS that included the killing of innocent people and dumping their corpses in streets, this is the leading factor behind the rapid spread of Leishmanisis disease.’

The World Health Organization has warned that Syria’s health system has collapsed under five years of war, the Metro reports.

‘We did not have knowledge about this deadly disease before,’ a Syrian Kurdish fighter told news agencies. ‘We have been fighting on the battlefield for almost four years and this disease basically generated from embattled areas of Tal Hamis, Hon and Qosa,’

Credit: AP

Turkey Will ‘More Than Once’ Regret Shooting Down Russian Plane – Putin

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Delivering his annual state of the nation address today, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia will not ignore what he described as Turkey’s “aiding of terrorists”, adding that the November shooting down of the Sukhoi Su-24 plane was a “treacherous war crime”.

He said Turkey will ‘more than once’ regret shooting down the Russian jet near the Syrian-Turkey border.

Putin also called for a broad international front against terrorism, an end to what he called double standards and halting any backing of what he called “terror groups”.
Russia have already banned importation of fruits and vegetables from Turkey and already deported several Turkish business men.

“We are not planning to engage in military sabre-rattling [with Turkey],” Putin said. “If somebody thought that after committing a treacherous war crime — the killing of our people — it would be possible to get away with mere restrictions on the trade of tomatoes, or some other restrictions … then they are grossly mistaken,” Putin said.

“We shall remind them many times about what they’ve done, and they will regret what they’ve done for a long time,” he said. “We know what needs to be done.”

It appears that Allah decided to punish the ruling clique of Turkey by depriving them of wisdom and judgment,” Putin said.

He criticised Turkey, accusing it of buying oil from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

“We are fighting for justice, happiness and the entire future of our civilisation. We have to be prepared and we have to defeat them [terrorists] before they get here that’s why we launched this operation in Syria.”

Hours After Parliament Voted To Authorize Air Strikes, Britain Bombs ISIS Source Of Revenue

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

British fighter jets today started bombing ISIS-controlled oil fields in Syria in a bid to disrupt the revenues which the jihadist group depends on to wage terror around the world, hours after Parliament voted to authorise air strikes in the country.

Seven precision-guided 500lb Paveway bombs have been dropped on the east of the country in two separate raids by Tornado jets flying out from RAF Akrotiri, in Cyprus, with the first mission setting off just 57 minutes after MPs voted in favour of military action.

The jets are pictured on the runway setting out, main image, and returning with bombs missing, inset. The MoD said that the raids appeared to be ‘successful’. This morning eight more jets, six Typhoons and two Tornados, flew out from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to join the raids on Syria in response to a request from Britain’s allies.

Turkish President ‘Erdogan’ Says Turkey Has Proof Of Russian Involvement In IS Oil Trade

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Staff Reporter

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said Turkey had proof Russia was involved in illegal oil trade with the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, countering “immoral” Russian allegations that his own family was importing oil from the jihadists. “We have the proof in our hands. We will reveal it to the world,” Erdogan said in a televised address in Ankara.

The Russian defence ministry on Wednesday accused Erdogan and his family of involvement in the illegal oil trade with IS jihadists after Ankara’s downing of one of Moscow’s warplanes last month which plunged the two countries’ relations into a crisis. “In recent days a fashion led by Russia has emerged. Actually, Russia does not believe this either,” said Erdogan, referring to the alleged oil trade with IS group.

“Look, Russia has to prove that the Turkish republic buys oil from Daesh, otherwise this is a slander,” he added, using an Arabic acronym for IS extremists. “The immoral side of this issue is involving my family in the affair,” Erdogan added. Erdogan repeated that he would resign if Moscow proved the allegation and said it was actually Russians who were involved in oil dealings.

“Who is buying oil (from IS)? Let me say it. George Haswani, holder of a Russian passport and a Syrian national, is one of the biggest merchants in this business,” Erdogan said. In November, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Haswani, who was also placed on an European Union sanctions list, for serving as a middleman for oil purchases by the Syrian regime from the IS group.

Erdogan said Thursday “a famous Russian chess player” was also involved in the oil business with IS, without giving a name. “He’s also in this race,” he said. The new US sanctions also apply to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, a wealthy Russian businessman and long-standing president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) who was formerly president of the southern Russian region of Kalmykia.

British Mother Hopes To Be ISIS First Female Suicide Bomber

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A mother-of-two from Britain who is known as ‘Mrs Terror’ has hinted she may become ISIS’ first female suicide bomber.

Muslim convert Sally Jones – whose extremist husband was killed in an American drone strike – indicated she was planning on blowing herself up after paying tribute to the first female Chechen suicide bomber.

Hussain, posted the last words of Hawa Barayev, who killed herself and 27 Russian special forces soldiers in Chechnya in 2000. According to the Sunday Times,the 47-year-old former rocker wrote

‘I know what I’m doing. Paradise has a price and I hope this will be the price for Paradise’.

She said Barayev was a ‘martyr’, and finished the post with a heart.

Jones, took her young son Jojo with her to Syria at the end of 2011.

ISIS Website Hacked And Replaced With Advert For Viagra

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Staff Reporter

An ISIS propaganda website on the dark web has been hacked and replaced with an advert for a service selling prozac and viagra tablets which told extremists to ‘calm down.’ The site for the terror group appeared on the Tor browser of the dark web last week in a bid to get extremists to join up.

However, less than a week later, the site had been hacked and visitors to the page were greeted with a message for the medication.

It read:

‘Too much ISIS. Enhance your calm. Too many people are into this ISIS-stuff. Please gaze upon
this lovely ad so we can upgrade our infrastructure to give you ISIS content you all so desperately crave.’

It is believed to be the first time that a hacking group have taken down a website on the dark web.

Teen Girl Who Fled To Join ISIS Beaten To Death After Trying To Escape

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Samra Kesinovic, 17, pictured left who fled Austria in April 2014 along with her friend Sabina Selimovic, is believed to have been beaten to death by ISIS terrorists having tried to sneak out of Raqqa.

Sabina is believed to have died in December during a period of heavy fighting. Both girls appeared in propaganda videos for ISIS soon after they arrived in Syria.Her friend who went with her was killed months earlier .

Samra Kesinovic, and her friend Sabina Selimovic(right) became ‘poster girls’ for ISIS after they
arrived in Syria in April 2014.

A number of Austrian newspapers have reported that Samra has been beaten to death for attempting to leave Raqqa.

Somalia’s Al-Qaeda Threatens To Slaughter Members Who Join ISIS

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Somalia’s Shebab fighters have warned they will “cut the throat” of members who shift allegiance from Al-Qaeda to Islamic State, amid reports some factions have already been punished for doing so.

“If anyone says he belongs to another Islamic movement, kill him on the spot,” top Shebab official Abu Abdalla, said in a radio broadcast Monday. “We will cut the throat of any one… if they undermine unity.”

Credit: AFP

US Issues Worldwide Terror Alert Over Fears Of Attack From ISIS, Al-Qaeda And Boko Haram

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Americans have been issued with a global travel alert over fears of attacks from terrorists around the world.
The US State Department has warned all citizens to be vigilant citing threats from ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and “other terrorist groups”.
They have advised everyone to take caution in public places, during holidays and at large gatherings such as sporting matches or concerts.
The alert expires on 24 February next year, the State Department said.
It comes in the wake of the Paris terror attacks last Friday which claimed the lives of 130 people.

The alert on its website reads:

“Current information suggests that ISIL (aka Da’esh), al-Qa’ida, Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics, using conventional and non-conventional weapons and targeting both official and private interests. This Travel Alert expires on February 24, 2016.

Authorities believe the likelihood of terror attacks will continue as members of ISIL/Da’esh return from Syria and Iraq. Additionally, there is a continuing threat from unaffiliated persons planning attacks inspired by major terrorist organizations but conducted on an individual basis. Extremists have targeted large sporting events, theatres, open markets, and aviation services. In the past year, there have been multiple attacks in France, Nigeria, Denmark, Turkey, and Mali. ISIL/Da’esh has claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Russian airliner in Egypt.
U.S. citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation. Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid large crowds or crowed places. Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events. U.S. citizens should monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities. Persons with specific safety concerns should contact local law enforcement authorities who are responsible for the safety and security of all visitors to their host country. U.S. citizens should:

Follow the instructions of local authorities. Monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities.

Be prepared for additional security screening and unexpected disruptions.

Stay in touch with your family members and ensure they know how to reach you in the event of an emergency.

Register in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

Foreign governments have taken action to guard against terrorist attacks, and some have made official declarations regarding heightened threat conditions. Authorities continue to conduct raids and disrupt terror plots. We continue to work closely with our allies on the threat from international terrorism. Information is routinely shared between the United States and our key partners in order to disrupt terrorist plotting, identify and take action against potential operatives, and strengthen our defenses against potential threats”.

Mali Hotel Attack: How Jihadists Killed Man For Lying About Location Of Air France Staff

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Islamic extremists who killed 19 people in a gun attack on a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital on Friday were hunting for Air France staff, a security guard has claimed.
The terrorists shot their way past a five-man security team before turning their weapons on terrified guests at the hotel in Bamako.
One security worker, Kasim Haidara, told The Telegraph that the terrorists were specifically hunting Air France staff – quizzing a man at gunpoint about their location.
He said:

“When they got up there, the terrorists asked him: ‘where are the staff of Air
France?’.”He told them that they were on the seventh floor instead, and when they realised later that he had given them wrong information, they came back down and killed him.”

Another one of the guards, Cheick Dabo, said his colleagues had just finished morning prayers and had put away their weapons – a shotgun and two pistols – when the militants struck.
He said:

“We didn’t see the jihadists until they started firing on us. We weren’t concentrating and we didn’t expect it.

Mohammed Coulibaly, a cook at the hotel.

“I was busy cooking when a waitress started screaming at the door, ‘They are attacking us, they are attacking us’,”
“I asked everyone to go into the hallway, so everyone headed in that direction. Suddenly we heard the footsteps of the jihadists behind us and there was total panic, and people were running in every direction.

Mr Coulibaly said he then hid in a bathroom with one of the guests, but one of the assailants saw him through a window and started firing, prompting him to run to the kitchen where he was nearly overwhelmed by smoke.

I realised that if I didn’t leave the kitchen the smoke would kill me. So I waited until I didn’t hear any noise and I ran from the kitchen and escaped the hotel through a window.”

Iraqi Security Forces Discover 18 Children’s Dolls Filled With Explosives

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A plan to target children from Shia community was thankfully foiled by Iraqi security forces as 18 booby-trapped dolls which were part of an ISIS bomb plot against Shia pilgrims were reportedly seized. Security forces discovered the booby-trapped bombs in al-Husseiniya-a predomnantly Shiite suburb in northeastern Baghdad.

18 explosives which were hidden inside the hollow bodies of the doll toys, before dressing them in doll clothes were later dismantled and destroyed. According to Press TV, the terror group ISIS had planed to scatter the doll-bombs on the road between Baghdad and Karbala; the same route which will be used by millions of Shia Muslims during their annual pilgrimage for Arbaeen next month. Arbaeen, a Shia religious observation that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, will be held on December 3.

Obama Places $5m Bounty On Head Of Key ISIS Terrorist In Charge Of Drafting Recruits From The US And Europe

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The US president has placed a $5million bounty on the head of a key Islamic State terrorist in charge of mobilizing foreign fighters in Syria. The man’s name is Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali and last night, the US government announced the reward for information leading to the location or identification of the terrorist also known as Tirad al-Jarba.

He’s a senior leader of ISIS and heads the moving of foreign fighters into Syria and processing the group’s new recruits there. He’s said to be the leader of ISIS immigration and logistics committee, responsible for moving foreign terrorist fighters primarily through Gaziantep, Turkey to Jarabulus, Syria, a border town the group controls.

Fugitive Jihadist Salah Abdesalam May Be Using Disguise To Evade Authorities

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Staff Reporter

French Police are circulating this image which they believe is the only surviving Paris terror attack suspect, Salah Abdesalam. Spanish media say detectives think Salah Abdesalam, 26, is disguising himself in a wig and glasses as he evades capture. Police believe he was in the same flat in which master mind Abaaoud was killed but managed to evade capture. He was the one who hired the black VW Polo used by the terrorists on Friday. It’s being claimed that he’s also fleeing ISIS commanders who are angry that he backed out of suicide attack. He didn’t fulfill his role as the 8th suicide bomber.

His friends are claiming that he’s wracked with guilt over the 129 murders and wants to surrender to French police but fears ISIS reprisals against his family.

Abdeslam was allegedly the extremist caught on CCTV shooting people outside a cafe during Friday’s attacks, but was not seen again during the murderous rampage. A friend has now claimed he backed out when he realised things had ‘gone too far’.

A source, who claimed to have seen Abdeslam in Molenbeek, Belgium, on Tuesday, told Belgium’s SudInfo: ‘He was overwhelmed by what was happening. But he could not hand himself in as this could have consequences for his family.’

The source told the journalist he feared ISIS – and wanted a message passed onto his brother Mohammad, who has urged him to hand himself in repeatedly.

They also claimed he was no longer in the area, but police were on high alert last night after he was reportedly sighted on foot in the Belgian capital.

Source: UK Daily Mail

Muslim Man’s Rant Against ISIS Goes Viral: ‘These Impostors Pray In Our Mosques, Lets Hunt Them Down’

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A Muslim electrician has found sudden online fame after his furious rant against ISIS jihadists who carried out the attacks in Paris went viral.
The video has been viewed more than four million times since it was posted on Facebook yesterday

In the video the 35-year-old electrical engineer, who calls himself Chronic 2 Bass, says it is up to Muslims to fight against ISIS terrorists and report potentially radicalised people as they share the same places of worship.He said:

“It’s up to us to hunt down these people down. It’s up to us to speak up about the
slightest hint of something fishy and to refer them to the authorities.

“It’s not snitching,”I’ve had enough of watching this b*****ks.””Let’s protect our beautiful religion. Let us rise up. Even though there is nothing to justify because the most intelligent people will know that Islam is not [violent].”It isn’t the authorities who will do the work, it’s not the spies, it’s us. All Muslims who go to the mosque.The solution can only come from us, because unfortunately these people go the same places of worship as us.

“Let’s go and hunt down these impostors who try to pass as Muslims and kill people.
“Enough is enough of these pseudo Muslims who dishonour two million Muslims.”

First Raw Footage Of Paris Attacks Shows Diners Diving For Cover As Jihadist Sprays Café With Bullets

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The images obtained by Mail Online show the merciless savagery of an Islamic State assassin and the extraordinary bravery and survival instincts of his intended victims. They also show the incredible luck of a young woman who would have died had the terrorist’s assault rifle not misfired as he held the weapon over her head, giving her a chance to run away. Police believe her to be the luckiest person to escape with their life during Friday’s psychopathic rampage which left 129 people dead and 99 critically injured. See more photos after the cut…
There is also remarkable footage of a 20 year old waitress who ducked under the bar and wrapped her arms around an older, injured woman as the Islamic State gunman sprayed the restaurant and its outdoor dining area with bullets. The gunman seen in the video is believed to be 26-year-old Belgian Salah Abdeslam (inset), who is still on the run. The Daily Mail can today reveal the horrifying footage with second-by-second commentary.

THE TIMELINE OF TERROR: Second by second, how the terrifying attack on the Paris cafe unfolded

By Richard Pendlebury

The time is 9.34pm.

It is an unseasonably pleasant evening and some of the restaurant’s customers are eating or drinking on the terrace outside. At one table, to the right of the door looking out from the restaurant bar, sits a young woman in a chic trench coat. Her name is Lucille and she is having an al fresco supper with her boyfriend Quentin and another male friend.

At the other table on the left side of the door sit the two twenty-something women. All are regulars.

Inside the pizzeria only two tables are occupied at this hour.

At one, beneath a mirror by the main door, another two women can be seen chatting and laughing over drinks. At another table next to a side door a young couple are eating pizzas. The dark haired man has put his quilted jacket over the back of his chair.

Behind the bar two members of staff chat to each other as they work.

One is Samir, a short, bald headed young barman and waiter. He is folding napkins and placing them on the counter.

The other, washing glasses, is Jasmine, the pizzeria’s 20-year-old waitress who will shortly become the heroine of this story.

She is a student and has only been in the job for a month. Jasmine is Parisian-born, but her parents hail from Morocco and Algeria; the same ethnic background as the men who even now are in the street outside and are about to shatter this relaxed and scene in a hail of indiscriminate and murderous gunfire.

9.34 and 8 secs.

From the CCTV camera above the bar you can see the people at the tables outside chatting animatedly. A man, thought to be Quentin, can be seen through the window of the side door. His head is thrown back in laughter. It is the last moment before the horror engulfs them all.

9.34 and 9secs.

The world explodes. The view in all three tapes is suddenly clouded by flying debris as the first volley of automatic fire rips into the restaurant. There is a maelstrom of shattering glass. In the next few seconds the effect of multiple bullet impacts can be seen on the back wall above the bar, close to the main CCTV camera.

Samir’s mouth falls open, he and Jasmine clutch each other and instinctively duck behind their counter, the waitress pushing her colleague’s head further into cover.

Almost immediately Samir wriggles away and flees down the stairs to the cellar kitchen, Jasmine is left alone, crouched behind the bar.

One of the women sitting at the table under the mirror stands up and cowers with her face to the wall. Her companion flinches and throws herself to the floor. The young man eating pizza has pulled back his chair and dived under his table. His female companion also disappears from sight.

9.34 and 18secs.

Seconds after Lucille, the male friend with whom she and Quentin had been dining comes hurdling over an upturned terrace chair and through the door. He is wearing a double-breasted camel coat and glasses.

More bullets can be seen impacting along its frame as he does so, missing him by inches. He is running for his life; how he has not been hit already, like the other two at his table, is a miracle.

He throws himself headlong onto the floor and huddles in a ball at the foot of the bar, in plain view from the street, before running up the stairs of the cafe.

9.34 and 20secs.

In the top left of the screen of the CCTV camera behind the bar pointing at the main door one can see the first sign of movement of the ISIS killers. It is a male dressed in pale clothes. He does not appear to be wearing body armour or a suicide vest but he is clearly carrying an AK-47 style assault rifle, carried at waist height. One can see the banana shaped magazine silhouetted against a yellow parked car. Unlike everyone else you see in the film he is calm and moving slowly from left to right across the street outside; unpanicked.

9.34 and 22secs.

The gunman turns around and raises the rifle to his shoulder. He has seen something out of shot and is taking aim.

9.34 and 24secs.

There are more flashes and flying debris as another ripple of automatic fire crashes into the pizzeria.

9.34 and 26secs.

The man thought to be Quentin can be seen through the side door raising his head from his hiding place under his table. Where have the gunmen gone? Three seconds later a woman outside can be seen standing up and fleeing up a side street. Quentin follows after her.

9.34 and 27secs.

Jasmine is examining Lucille’s wound. She puts her arm around her shoulders to comfort and protect the casualty.

9.34 and 29-30secs.

No doubt realising that the position is no hiding place but a death trap, Quentin and Lucille’s friend leap up from the restaurant floor and rush up a spiral staircase to the premises’ first floor. He takes the steps two at a time.

As he runs his hands are over his ears. While there is no audio such detail gives a vivid impression of the tremendous noise of the close quarter automatic fire in the street outside.

The young man is a regular and knows the building’s layout. That knowledge probably saves his life.

9.34 and 31secs.

The female customer who was cowering under the mirror has slid to the floor and is trying to build a pathetic barricade of furniture and her coat around herself.

For a brief moment you can see her pale, horror stricken face above the table top. She pulls another chair closer.

Ololade Ajekigbe: Paris Attacks; The Nigerian Charade

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

In what seemed like a confirmation of all the conspiracy theory surrounding the “ominous” Friday the 13th (which is widely regarded as Black Friday, an unlucky day according to Western superstition), French nationals and the rest of the world witnessed deadly multiple attacks on the Bataclan Music Center, (where ironically, the band named Eagles of Death Metal were playing) as well as the La Belle Equippe restaurant and the Le Carillion bar cafe. It was undoubtedly a weekend that the French would never forget as they were hit with the double tragedy of horrific terror attacks and a high-speed train derailment in Eckwersheim on Saturday too. Friday’s carnage was one attack too many as it was the second time in less than a year that Paris would be rocked by terrorist attacks following the French satirical weekly newspaper, Charlie Hebdo shooting in January.

To say the world practically stood still for France would not be an overstatement as monumental structures around Europe and the Americas such as the One World Trade Center in New York, the San Francisco City Hall, the Wembley Empire State building, Jerusalem’s Old City walls and Christ Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janierio were lit in red, white and blue in solidarity with France. Several world leaders, dignitaries and celebrities have also spoken up in condemnation of the dastardly act of violence and pledging their support to the city of love in these trying times, with the G20 group of the world’s most powerful countries agreeing to step up border controls and air security. Social media was certainly not left out of the espirit de corps movement. The “Pray For Paris” hashtag trended for several hours on twitter, while many Facebook profile pictures were branded with the colours of the French flag.

Down here in Nigeria, many social media users were not left out of the apparent show of oneness with France. A good number of people put up the “Pray For Paris” symbol as their display pictures, and adopted the colours of the French flag on their Facebook and Twitter profiles too. It appeared to be a classic case of following the bandwagon as we are always wont to do in this part of the world. As I read through many messages expressing sympathy with France, I couldn’t help but wonder why we are always quick to mourn, and in some cases cry more than the bereaved each time tragedy strikes anywhere in the western world, while we have become virtually immune to the hundreds of deaths that have resulted through the onslaught of the deadly Boko Haram sect in our backyard. How many times have we branded our social media profiles with the green and white colours of Nigeria in an attempt to stand with the families and friends of the often faceless ordinary citizens who lose their lives daily in the hands of insurgents, or even our fallen soldiers who have paid the ultimate price while fighting to keep the civilian majority alive?

We may argue that at the moment, France as a country is the one facing the heat, and it is only humane to mourn with those who mourn, after all we all share a common humanity with blood running through our veins regardless of race, religion or creed. And I agree. But it is worthy of note that just a day before the unfortunate Paris attacks, Beirut was bombed! A situation that left 43 dead, and 239 injured. However, I cannot recall the media giving as much publicity to the Beirut incident as have been done in the case of Paris. Even Facebook has been criticised for its decision to implement its safety check feature for the attacks in Paris, but not for the bomb blasts in Beirut, a situation that they have tried to rectify by activating the same safety check feature for last night’s bombing in Yola.

Terrorism anywhere in the world and in all forms is absolutely reprehensible, and I agree that the rest of world should sympathize and empathize with any country or region of the world experiencing any acts of terror. I am absolutely gutted by the massacre that occurred in Paris, but I also find myself as equally upset, if not more so when 147 University undergraduates are senselessly murdered in Kenya, or about 50 promising boys in Yobe are killed in their dormitories just because they dared to get an education! All I am trying to say is that all victims lives matter! The innocent souls bombed in Raqqa, Syria, murdered in Palestine, or Nigeria’s North East, as well as those killed in Paris deserve to be mourned in the same way. A western life isn’t more valuable than a Middle Eastern or African life. Any soul lost anywhere on the face of the earth especially in such tragic circumstances should affect us in the same manner.

I couldn’t bring myself to brand my social media profile with the colours of the French flag, not because I didn’t care about what had happened in Paris, but because I had never thought to grieve for the countless souls who have met their untimely death, no thanks to Islamic insurgents in similar manner. I felt it smirked of hypocrisy. The Chibok girls have been missing for almost 600 days now, yet we are content to go about our daily businesses without giving a thought to what their parents must be going through. I was privileged to be at a function last week where I saw the some of the parents of these girls, and I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me they must have seen better days. And just when we thought we had gotten a reprieve from the incessant wave of suicide bombings that had become rife in the North East, just yesterday over 30 people were killed, and not less than 80 injured in yet another heart wrenching untimely harvest of innocent souls in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

The unfortunate incident happened last night, but even as I write this, the news is yet to trend on any social media platform, just as I suspected. Over 2,000 Nigerians have died in Boko Haram attacks this year alone. Yet, some would argue that those who criticized others for “standing with Paris” are at best being petty and jealous of the attention paid to the city of love, and at worst monsters who have no shred of humanity in them. It’s absolutely laughable! What happened to the age old maxim- “Charity begins at home?” Why are we quick to wail and display our “humanity” when other countries are involved, but have no qualms about turning a blind eye to the deadly filth in our home? A clear case of insecurity, and mental slavery if you asked me.

As long as we continue to despise our own problems, while being quick to “align” with those of others, simply because they have a different skin colour, or belong to the first world then we can be sure that we will remain relegated to the background in the committee of nations. We must begin to appreciate and demonstrate love to ourselves first. It is the bitter truth.

Views expressed are solely that of author and does not represent views of www.omojuwa.com nor its associates

Woman Named “Isis” Lashes Out At Facebook For Deleting Her Account

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Facebook deleted a woman’s account because the social network ‘thought she was a terrorist’.
Isis Anchalee took to twitter to vent her fury.After some users suggested she change the name of use her initials,she fired back saying she won’t change her birth name because Jihadists use it.
She even sent Facebook a copy of her passport to prove her account was genuine.
Her story emerged after a pal asked her why an exchange of messages between the pair had been marked ‘spam’. See her tweets below:

ISIS Threatens To Attack New York City In New Video Showing Suicide Bombers Walking Into Times Square

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

ISIS has threatened to bomb New York City in a newly released video, just days after vowing to attack Washington, D.C. The video clip features shots of yellow taxis and crowds in Times Square and Herald Square in Manhattan, with vibrant French music playing in the background – a nod to the Paris terror attacks on Friday.

It then cuts to a man wrapping a bomb around his waist before walking into the crowds and pulling the trigger.

New York police have issued a statement to say they are aware of the footage.They added that there is no direct threat to the city but insist there is a ‘heightened state of vigilance’.

‘In addition, we are continuing to deploy additional Critical Response Command (CRC) teams throughout the City, out of an abundance of caution,’ Stephen Davis, a Deputy NYPD Commissioner, said in a statement on Wednesday.

He added: ‘While some of the video footage is not new, the video reaffirms the message that New York City remains a top terrorist target.’

The video, which runs for nearly six minutes, includes a scene that appears to show a suicide bomber making preparations and zipping up a leather jacket.

The clip shows a brief glimpse of Times Square and then of a suicide bomber holding what appears to be a trigger, it said.

How ISIS Punishes Residents For Drinking Beer, Talking To Women, Others Offenses

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A lengthy article in The Daily Beast tells us that ISIS will enact severe punishments on its citizens/prisoners for committing any number of sins, including drinking beer or talking to single women. Essentially, it’s like living in a country run by a homicidal and sadistic version of Dean Wormer from Animal House.

Here’s a quick rundown of punishments we found in The Daily Beast’s report:

Getting caught drinking will get you 80 lashes in a public square
If you’re an unmarried man caught talking with an unmarried woman, you’ll spend three days inside a cage out in public
If you’re caught smoking, you’ll spend a day or two in the cage
Being suspected of working for foreign intelligence agencies is a really big no-no and will result in a beheading

Interestingly, even though ISIS punishes smokers, it also depends on cigarette smugglers for revenue, as it hits them with heavy fines if it catches them.

At any rate, the entire piece is a chilling but fascinating read.

Credit: BGR

Honduras Detains Five Syrians Headed To U.S. With Stolen Greek Passports

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Honduran authorities have detained five Syrian nationals who were trying to reach the United States using stolen Greek passports, but there are no signs of any links to last week’s attacks in Paris, police said.

The Syrian men were held late on Tuesday in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, on arrival from Costa Rica, and had been planning to head to the border with neighboring Guatemala. The passports had been doctored to replace the photographs with those of the Syrians, police said.

“We received information from (fellow) police services that these five Syrians left Greece and passed through Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and San Jose in Costa Rica before finally reaching Tegucigalpa,” said Anibal Baca, spokesman for Honduras’ police. “They are normal Syrians.”

Paris Terror Plot Mastermind Is Dead

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The mastermind behind the Paris massacre, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is dead, according to two senior intelligence officials. According to Washington Post ,the 27-year-old Belgian jihadi leader is said to have been killed by French commandos when a flat was raided in the early hours of this morning. More than 100 armed officers stormed a flat in Saint-Denis believing Abaaoud was inside with six other terrorists.

Security sources said earlier today it prevented a new ISIS double terror attack on Paris.

Eyewitnesses said a blonde female suicide bomber who blew herself up during a raid by French police screamed ‘Help me, help me’ moments before detonating a device as snipers opened fire. This afternoon police were seen removing two bodies from the apartment…

Islamic State Group Says Bomb Downed Russian Plane

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Islamic State group has said it smuggled a bomb on board a Russian airliner that crashed last month, after discovering a “way to compromise the security” at an Egyptian airport.

The latest edition of its official online magazine Dabiq said IS had initially planned to down a plane belonging to a country from the US-led coalition targeting militants in Iraq and Syria.

The militants decided to instead target the Russian plane departing the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh after Moscow began an air campaign in Syria in late September, the magazine said.

2 Terrorist Suspects Killed, 7 Held After Raid In France, Officials Say

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A violent, hours-long operation in a Paris suburb ended Wednesday with two suspected terrorists dead, seven detained, new attacks potentially thwarted and further proof, according to French President Francois Hollande, that his country is “at war” with ISIS.

The Saint-Denis raid targeted the purported ringleader of last week’s bloody Paris attacks and came as the suspects were “about to move on some kind of operation,” according to police sources.

For the second time in less than a week, gunfire and explosions ripped through France on Wednesday — but this time, suspected terrorists were on the defensive, with two ending up dead and seven in custody.

Phone surveillance and testimony led authorities to believe Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of last week’s bloody Paris attacks, may have been in an apartment in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, according to Paris prosecutor Francois Molins.

Officials didn’t say immediately if Abaaoud, a Belgian ISIS member widely believed to have been in Syria recently, was among the dead or detained. Still, they lauded the efforts of the heavily armed police involved in the operation that ended, after several tense hours, shortly before noon Wednesday.

Who is the suspected ringleader?

French President Francois Hollande was among those who offered congratulations. Yet he also stressed that his country’s fight against terrorists, specifically those linked to ISIS, is anything but over. In fact, the violent nature of Wednesday’s raid in Saint-Denis is further proof that “we are at war,” Hollande said.

“What the terrorists were targeting was what France represents. This is what was attacked on the night of November 13th,” he said. “These barbarians targeted France’s diversity. It was the youth of France who were targeted simply because they represent life.”

Given this threat, Hollande said that Wednesday evening he would present the French parliament with legislation that would extend France’s state of emergency for three additional months — a measure that, among other things, gives authorities greater powers in conducting searches, holding people under house arrest and dissolving certain groups of people. The French President also said he’d appeal to world leaders — including meetings next week with U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who have been at odds on what to do in the ISIS stronghold of Syria — to go after the savage Islamist extremist group.

“This war began several years ago,” Hollande said. “We still need time.”

Man Whose Wife Was Killed In Paris Attack Writes Open Letter To ISIS

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Hélène Muyal-Leiris?, 35, was one of the 89 innocent people gunned down at the Bataclan concert hall during the Paris attacks on Friday evening. On Monday, her husband, Antoine Leiris, penned a powerful Facebook post addressed to ISIS, entitled “You Will Not Have My Hatred.” ?

In the post (the original of which is in French), Leiris says he will not give the terrorist organization the satisfaction of instilling him with anger and suspicion toward his fellow man. ?

“Friday night, you took an exceptional life — the love of my life, the mother of my son — but you will not have my hatred. I don’t know who you are and I don’t want to know, you are dead souls,” he wrote. “So, no, I will not grant you the gift of my hatred. You’re asking for it, but responding to hatred with anger is falling victim to the same ignorance that has made you what you are. You want me to be scared, to view my countrymen with mistrust, to sacrifice my liberty for my security. You lost.” ??

Credit: Cosmopolitan

Woman Blows Self Up In Paris Raid

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed Wednesday that a woman detonated an explosives vest during a police assault in the hunt for those behind the terror attacks in the city.

Three men holed up inside the apartment were arrested, while a man and woman were arrested near the location of the raid, read a statement.

Police sources said a second suspected jihadist had been killed in the raid which began just after 4:00am.

Meanwhile the prosecutor’s office said that police had released family and friends of jihadists Ismael Mostefai and Samy Amimour who blew themselves up in the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 were killed.

#ParisAttacks: Massive Police Raid In Paris Suburb Targets Terror Mastermind

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Officers hunting suspects involved in the Paris terror attacks exchanged gunfire during an apartment raid in the Saint-Denis suburb early Wednesday. Residents were asked to stay indoors.
“There were grenades. It was going, stopping. Kalashnikovs. Starting again,” Amin Guizani, a 21-year-old resident, told the AP.
Police said multiple suspects related to the Paris attacks were holed up in the apartment, including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the alleged mastermind, AFP reports. Salah Abdeslam, whom authorities have been hunting for since Saturday, is also believed to be inside the apartment.

<span class='image-component__caption' itemprop=

This undated image made available in the Islamic State's English-language magazine Dabiq, shows Abdelhamid Abaaoud. " data-pin-no-hover="true"> Credit: AP This undated image made available in the Islamic State’s English-language magazine Dabiq, shows Abdelhamid Abaaoud.

Abaaoud, 28, is a known terrorist who has been on European and Western radars for years. He is a radicalized Belgian and alleged ISIS recruiter who was, until the raid, believed to be in Syria.
Just last month, he was the target of airstrikes against the Islamic State, The New York Times reported.
Salah Abdeslam is the brother Brahim Abdeslam, who died in a suicide attack last Friday at the Boulevard Voltaire. The brothers are from Molenbeek, a poor immigrant neighborhood of Belgium now known to be a hotbed for terrorism.
After the chaos of Friday’s attacks, police accidentally let Salah, the most wanted man in Europe, slip from their grasp as he crossed the Belgian border in a car with two other men.

French National Police

Gunfire began around 4:30 a.m. local time, and was intermittent for at least three hours. The AP counted at least seven explosions heard during the standoff.
Three suspects in last week’s Paris attacks were arrested inside an apartment, a police source told Reuters. Two other suspects — a man and a woman — also died, police said. The woman perished after detonating a bomb at the scene, the French prosecutors’ office said. Two other terror suspects were seized nearby.
None of the suspects’ identities have been released.

Source: HuffPost

‘Charlie Hebdo’ Unveils Message To ISIS On Issue Cover

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Staff Reporter

French publication Charlie Hebdo has unveiled the cover of its next issue, which responds to the deadly attacks the Islamic State group, or ISIS, carried out in Paris on Friday. The upcoming issue of the French satirical publication is scheduled to hit newsstands on Wednesday.

In French, the cover reads, “They have weapons … Fuck them, we have champagne!” Some translations put that a touch more lightly, reporting that the cover reads “screw them.”

Credit: AP

ISIS Replies Anonymous, Calls Them Idiots

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

While it sounds like a mobile game you’d play to kill time, hackers vs. terrorists is sadly a real war. The hacker collective that goes by the name “Anonymous” recently posted a video on YouTube declaring war on ISIS in response to the attacks on Paris that left 129 dead and hundreds injured on Friday night. Anonymous wants to “launch the biggest operation ever” against the terrorist group, and ISIS is apparently taking notice – though the organization apparently believes Anonymous are “idiots” for even considering digital warfare.

“Anonymous from all over the world will hunt you down. We will launch the biggest operation ever against you,” a masked person said in the hackers’ video. “Expect massive cyber attacks. War is declared. Get prepared.” In response, a Telegram channel that is believed to be affiliated with ISIS hackers sent out a warning message in Arabic and English, telling others how to thwart Anonymous hacks.

“The #Anonymous hackers threatened in new video release that they will carry out a major hack operation on the Islamic state (idiots),” the statement said, according to Business Insider.

“What they gonna hack?” ISIS asked, noting that so far, hackers have only managed to hit ISIS-affiliated Twitter accounts and email addresses.

Credit: BGRnews

High On Drugs? See Inside Hotel Room Where Paris Attack Terrorists Plotted Mass Murder

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A video has been released showing inside the hotel room used by the twisted Paris attack terrorists in the lead up to the atrocity which claimed at least 129 lives on Friday night.

French newspaper Le Point released the video, claiming that it was arranged and booked by France’s ‘most wanted man’ Salah Abdeslam, using his credit card.

The hotel room, based in Alfortville, a suburb of southern Paris, is covered in pizza boxes and syringes.Forensic experts are trying to work out whether they took drugs to fuel their killing spree or to help make their explosive belts.

Evidence from one witness points to drug use after telling police that before the attack on the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people were slaughtered, the men ‘were like zombies’.

It is common practice for jihadists involved in suicide attacks to take heroin and cocaine to steel themselves.

Putin Reveals Islamic State Funding Comes From 40 Countries, Including G20 Member States

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

President Vladimir Putin says he has shared Russian intelligence data on Islamic State financing with his G20 colleagues and said the terrorists appear to be financed from 40 countries, including some G20 member states.

During the summit, “I provided examples based on our data on the financing of different Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) units by private individuals. This money, as we have established, comes from 40 countries and, there are some of the G20 members among them,” Putin told the journalists.

Putin also spoke of the urgent need to curb the illegal oil trade by IS.

“I’ve shown our colleagues photos taken from space and from aircraft which clearly demonstrate the scale of the illegal trade in oil and petroleum products,” he said.

“The motorcade of refueling vehicles stretched for dozens of kilometers, so that from a height of 4,000 to 5,000 meters they stretch beyond the horizon,” Putin added, comparing the convoy to gas and oil pipeline systems.

It’s not the right time to try and figure out which country is more and which is less effective in the battle with Islamic State, as now a united international effort is needed against the terrorist group, Putin said.

He also reiterated Russia’s readiness to support armed opposition in Syria in its efforts to fight Islamic State.

Kingsley Ohajunwa: Buhari And His Foreign Disclosures; An Issue Or Not?

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The word “independence” is defined in ordinary terms as not needing other things or people; freedom from external influence or not allowing oneself to be controlled. It has come to be associated with political governance and administration as a whole. The word has an age long history dating back to several centuries ago when very ancient cities had to engage in fierce battles to achieve self-governance. From this time on wards countries and territories that were under any sort of colonial rule sought to achieve this freedom and although in many cases such freedom came without violence but with continuous and persistent diplomatic quest for it. In very recent times however the word “independence” has now come to be associated with religious, social, economic, educational and civil organizations as a way of seeing that activities which concern them are managed by people who the outcome of such management will have direct effect on them also. In other words it is a concept which says “we want to do it ourselves” or “we don’t need your help in doing this”. While we understand how independence as a practice is now so widely effectuated, some other concepts such as democracy, legitimacy and sovereignty are after-effects of the practice of independence. Of importance to be examined here for the purpose of this piece is the word “sovereignty”.

Sovereignty is the quality of assuming self-significance; it has to do with the complete freedom and power to govern. In other words independence bestows upon leader the authority to exercise sovereignty in the interest of the governed. Let’s quickly understand that while independence in political administration is a direct consequence of freedom given by external forces, sovereignty is freedom and authority derived from within, the governed. Therefore in 1960 when Nigeria gained its independence, it was free from external rule and thereafter given the mandate of sovereignty by the people. This sovereignty is what is usually renewed during elections. By this act people choose their representatives who will assume administrative positions and bestow upon them the legal mandate to put in machinery and policies primarily designed to suit their interest. From the foregoing it is evident that democracy and sovereignty go hand-in-hand. One therefore wonders what happens in a situation of democracy without sovereignty. Indeed the two concepts connote freedom, for this reason democracy will not be complete without sovereignty. It is indeed laughable when properly considered.

The essence of properly examining the foregoing concepts is to understand a salient modus-operandi of the current Nigerian President, Gen. Mohammed Buhari (rtd.) which involves having to disclose vital issues, decisions and actions concerning the Nigerian state to foreign bodies before being known by Nigerians. In other words Nigerians in many cases have had to know of key goings-on at the federal level of administration only after such had been made known to other countries or international organizations. Of worthy to note here are three instances which are firstly Buhari’s disclosure shortly after he was sworn in as President that he was discussing with Boko Haram as a way of ending the menace of the dreaded terrorist group; secondly, while on a foreign visit he disclosed that he would appoint his ministers and other key cabinet members in September 2015 and finally an article in the Washington Post quoted how Buhari disclosed that a staggering $150 billion had been stolen from Nigeria. As meaningful as these pieces of information may be the audience or recipient may be considered misplaced. The three scenarios above are those that have gained significant clout in the Nigerian social, political and economic scene. By effect the primary bearer(s) of the outcome of any of these events are the Nigerian people. They therefore should be the first to be communicated with progress level or latest developments in managing and dealing with such events.

While we clearly understand that colonialism may have ended decades ago, a deep consideration of the above actions by the President may suggest an indirect neo-colonialist or imperialist solicitation. In this case and looking beyond Walter Rodney’s argument in How Europe underdeveloped Africawe clearly see what is seeming to be our call-out to the foreign bodies to continue their rule over us.If however anyone tries to dismiss this as being mere display of diplomacy by our dear President with the foreign bodies, can we ask ourselves how many of their policies and issues they get to discuss with us before they get to execute them. Infact Africa and most part of the world are kept in utmost secrecy when it comes to policies that concern their existence and continuous development. Al that may be know are the actions that have only become carefully orchestrated executions of policies that have been thoroughly deliberated upon within the coffers of their various countries. So much as Rodney claims that Europe under-developed Africa and while his argument may hold some water, it is high time we kept events that happened decades and centuries ago and move on. If we dwell so much on the past in terms of colonial rule and its effect on Africa till the present day, then the likes of the US should still be nursing old wounds.

The three above issues which the President first disclosed to foreigners is of paramount interest to the Nigerian state in the sense that they touch very sensitive areas of the country’s existence which are the security, political, social and economic areas. These areas account for virtually the sum-total of where the people desire intervention from the government and shortcomings in managing events that emanate from these areas may not be tolerated. So it appears a little of a neglect to the people with whom the mandate of governance truly lie- the citizens. Can’t we also understand the magnitude of significance the Nigerian people will attach to issues concerning them and the strategic steps being taken to manage such issues? In essence the people should be made to feel that they are a part of government, issues revolving around it and measures put in place for their purposeful management. We cannot keep making conscious efforts at avoiding a phenomenon and making unconscious efforts at still making that same phenomenon come towards us. The first and probably the most important step of a country’s measure of true independence and sovereignty is its ability to handle all magnitude of issues that concern it, where this is absent one cannot help but sense that such a country is incapable of handling its affairs and therefore requires foreign assistance.

It is important to understand that every country of the world will seek to advance robust and beneficial foreign policies, hence the drive for global supremacy. It will be a misnomer to believe that all a country wants to do is simply helping another without incentives or benefits to be received. Can we quickly understand that when nation-states execute policies and carry out actions such involve time, huge financial and human resources, planning and strategy, and the will-power to make such policy execution successful? Can we also understand the fact that the deployment of the above-mentioned resources will affect the economy of such a country and have a final effect on its citizens? Of course an extraction of the above resources from a country’s economy which hitherto were needed in the country will most certainly not have a positive effect on the economy. So why will a country in the first place want to engage in such “charitable” activities. Of course a country will take “solace” in the fact that it has many other things to benefit from such venture. In otherwords as with every meaningful activity the benefit should outweigh the cost. So for a nation-state to decide “helping” another after meticulous considerations, it must have seen the benefits it stands to gain. While we may consider resource mobilization and policy execution to be at the height of it, disclosure and discussion of issues as well as policy formulation may be the base of it and indeed when looked at deeply the catalyst needed for the effectuation of seemingly neoclassic and imperialist actions towards Nigeria and Africa.

Kingsley Ohajunwa is a Nigerian writer. He can be reached via email on kingsohajunwa@gmail.com

Views expressed are solely that of author and does not represent views of www.omojuwa.com nor its associates

ISIS Funded By 40 Countries Including G20 Members- Putin

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday dropped a bombshell when he alleged that the dreaded Islamic State (ISIS) is being funded by 40 countries including some members of the G20 countries.

Putin who spoke at the ongoing G20 meeting in Turkey said he had shared intelligence with the other G20 member states, which reveals that ISIS finances the majority of its terrorist activities with support from these countries and that, surprisingly, the countries include a number of G20 countries.

He said, “I provided examples based on our data on the financing of different Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) units by private individuals. This money, as we have established, comes from 40 countries and there are some of the G20 members among them.”

In addition to discussing the need to stop the flow of donor money to ISIS, Putin also reiterated the need to stop the illegal oil trade by ISIS.

“I’ve shown our colleagues photos taken from space and from aircraft which clearly demonstrate the scale of the illegal trade in oil and petroleum products. The motorcade of refuelling vehicles stretched for dozens of kilometres, so that from a height of 4,000 to 5,000 metres they stretch beyond the horizon,” Putin added.

Credit: AgencyReport

Boko Haram, ISIS Responsible For More Than Half Of World’s Deaths From Terrorism, Study Says

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The number of people killed globally in terrorist attacks jumped 80 percent last year to the highest level ever recorded, the Institute for Economics and Peace said Tuesday.

The Global Terrorism Index found that 32,658 people were killed by terrorists in 2014, up from the 18,111 fatalities of the previous year, the largest increase on record.

The study defines terrorism as “the threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation”.

Nigeria-based Boko Haram and the Islamic State group were responsible for more than half of the deaths, according to the study, which measures attacks, deaths and damage from terror attacks in 162 countries.

“Terrorism is gaining momentum at an unprecedented pace,” said Steve Killelea, the executive chairman of the Institute of Economics and Peace, which produces the study.

The increase followed a 61 percent rise in 2013.

The study found that terrorism was highly concentrated, with the five countries ofAfghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria accounting for 78 percent of deaths last year.

Iraq was the worst affected with 9,929 deaths from terrorism — suffering both the highest number of attacks and the most fatalities from terrorism ever recorded by a country.

The biggest rise in fatalities from terrorism however was in Nigeria, which saw an increase of over 300 percent in deaths to 7,512.

Credit: Vanguard

#Parisattacks: 11 Friends Die Side By Side At A Paris Cafe While Celebrating Birthday

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A group of 11 friends were killed during a 35th birthday celebration when two gunmen opened fire at La Belle Equipe café , it was reported last night.
They were celebrating the birthday of Houda Saadi, a waitress who worked at the nearby Café des Anges.
Houda had joined by her 36-year-old sister and mum-of-two Halima and her two brothers Khaled and Bashir.

Brother Khaled and Abdallah Saadi

Houda and Halima were killed and Khaled and Abdallah, who miraculously survived unharmed, fought to save their sisters’ lives.
Khaled, who also worked at the Café des Anges, began giving CPR but his attempts were in vain .
One of the sisters passed away on the blood-soaked cafe floor while the other, who had been shot in the head, died later in hospital.

Mum-of-two: Sister Halima Saadi, 36, was also killed

Hero Ludovic Boumbas who sacrificed his life for another woman in the restaurant, Chloe Clement , when he threw himself in front of a bullet.
Chloe, who is recovering in hospital, is said to be so traumatised she keeps repeating her saviour’s name.
Most of the 19 tragic victims at La Belle Equipe were from the birthday celebrations, including five members of staff from the Café des Anges and six of their friends.

Birthday girl: Houda Saadi was celebrating turning 35

Among them was Michelli Gil Jaimez, a 27-year-old Mexican who had lived in Paris for three years and worked at La Belle Equipe. She had become engagned just days before the massacre.
Others who spent their final moments celebrating with Houda Romanian Lacrimioava Pop, known as Lacri, and her partner Ciprian Calciu; Hyacinthe Koma; Djamila Houd, 41; Guillaume Le Dramp, 33; Romain Feuillade, 31; and René Bichon.

Source: Mirror Online

Paris Terror Attacks: ISIS Release Chilling Video Warning Countries Involved In Syria Airstrikes Will Suffer Same Fate

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A chilling new ISIS video has warned countries taking part in Syria airstrikes that they will suffer the same fate as France.

In the footage the terror group also threatens an attack in Washington.

“We say to the states that take part in the crusader campaign that, by God, you will have a day God willing, like France’s and by God, as we struck France in the centre of its abode in Paris, then we swear that we will strike America at its centre in Washington,” one man in the video said.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the video.

French warplanes pounded Islamic State positions in its Syrian stronghold Raqqa overnight – its biggest such strike since it started assaults as part of a U.S.-led mission launched in 2014.

Aftermath Of Paris Attacks: France Begins Major Airstrikes On ISIS In Syria

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Staff Reporter

rench jets began bombing ISIS targets in eastern Syria yesterday, according to France’s defense ministry. This comes hours after the country’s national police launched an international manhunt for a “dangerous” suspects wanted for involvement in the Paris attacks.

The French Ministry of Defense says the airstrikes is targeted at a command post and a terrorist training camp. 20 bombs have so far been dumped on ISIS’s de facto capital in Raqqah, Syria. The first target included a command post, jihadist recruiting center and a weapons warehouse, the ministry said.

ISIS Brutal Executioner, Jihadi John Reportedly Killed’ By A US Drone Strike

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Just like Boko Haram’s Shekau,ISIS’ brutal executioner nicknamed “Jihadi John’ disapeared once his identity was unmasked by intelligence forces ..
Now, intelligence forces say American forces have carried out air strikes in Syria which have reportedly ‘eviscerated’ Jihadi John.

Officials in the US are still trying to determine whether he has been killed, following the drone attacks in Raqqa, Islamic State’s capital.The British Isis militant, whose real name is Mohammed Emwazi, was reportedly ‘eviscerated’ when leaving a building and entering a vehicle.
The official told ABC News that the strike was a ‘clean hit’ with no collateral damage.Pentagon Press secretary Peter Cook said:

‘US forces conducted an airstrike in Raqqa, Syria, on November 12, 2015 targeting Mohamed Emwazi, also known as “Jihadi John”. ‘We are assessing the results of tonight’s operation and will provide additional information as and where appropriate.’

Emwazi, 27, carried out a number of beheadings of Western hostages in Syria and was top of the UK Govenrment’s ‘kill list’ of up to a dozen British radicals whom ministers want taken out with targeted drone strikes.

Russian Special Forces Foil Terror Attack

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Russian special forces have prevented an ISIS terror attack in the south of Russia after uncovering a huge bomb hidden in plastic casks on the side of the road. The terror attack was scheduled to take place in the village of Kantyshevo in south-western Russia’s Republic of Ingushetia. Russian security services said the bomb contained 3.5 tonnes of explosives.

Members of the crew that worked on the operation stated that all the terrorists that were behind the planting of the bomb have been killed. They named the terrorist leaders as Aslan Byutukaev and Beslan Mahauri, both ISIS militants.

They said they had been following the activities of the two men since they discovered they had joined ISIS in summer 2015, and were unwittingly lead to their location by one of the two wives of Beslan, who had been furious when she found he had married a second woman, although a Muslim is allowed up to 4 wives under Islamic marital law.

Security service insiders said the woman’s efforts to find out what he was up to with her love rival, and where the pair were, had led them to his location, and the bomb. The plastic casks were found buried on the side road, in total amounting to 70 separate items with the capacity of 100 litres each.

According to the security services Byutukaev and Mahauri got financial support for their illicit actions in the region directly from ISIS.

In order to prevent the possible attack, Russian special services had to blow up the casks.

US Forces Rescue 70 Iraqis Held Captive By ISIS

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

US special forces have rescued 70 Kurds held captive by Isis in an overnight raid on a militant-run prison near the northern ISIS stronghold of Hawija. One soldier was killed and several senior ISIS militants were also seized during the ‘successful’ operation, it has been reported.

Airstrikes were used to destroy roads leading to the site, to prevent militants making an escape. The raid reportedly involved American helicopters, Kurdish and American Special Operations forces and airstrikes.

Sheikh Irfan, who said his nephew was among the Kurdish peshmerga fighters held prisoner, said a peshmerga official called his family today to confirm the rescue mission. He said he was told that 70 hostages were freed, including peshmerga fighters.

ISIS Terrorist That Auctioned Off Young Christian Girls Killed In Russian Airstrike

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Staff Reporter

According to Villi Wilson, this ISIS guy that was pictured auctioning off Christian girls in a slave market – laughing and happy (pic above) – was killed in the Russian airstrike recently. Villi wrote:

“You remember the son of a bitch ISIS guy that was auctioning off christian girls…Yep…Putin got him!!” See a pic of his corpse below…

Child ISIS Jihadi Tells Obama To Submit To The ‘Caliphate’ Or Die

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A child jihadi armed with a rocket-propelled grenade has threatened to behead ‘Dog of Rome Obama’ in a chilling new video released by ISIS.

The boy, who is only about ten-years-old, tells US President Barack Obama who he calls Dog of Rome he is ‘dreaming’ if he thinks American soldiers will enter the land the terror group controls.

He warns:

‘Wake up from your sleep and pay the jiz’ yah (religious tax) in submission before the swords of the khalifah (caliphate) reach you and cut your filthy head.’If you think your soldiers will enter the land of the khilafah and pollute it with their filth, then you’re dreaming,’

ISIS Extremists Publish Address Of Navy Seal Who Killed Osama Bin Laden And Call For His Death

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A British ISIS supporter has published the name and address of the Navy Seal who killed Osama bin Laden and called on American extremists to execute him.

Mirror Online has been monitoring jihadi chat on social media and has spotted several people linking to a text file containing instructions on how to find Robert O’Neill, who claimed to have killed the al Qaeda chief. This information was shared by an unnamed British extremist, who dubbed O’Neill a “number one target” and called for his immediate death.

The address is now being shared on social media along with a sinister hashtag.

Dozens of extremists have now republished the Navy Seal’s private information.

“I leave this info of Robert O’Neill for my brothers in America and Al Qaeda in the U.S, as a number one target to eventually hunt down and kill,” the ISIS supporter wrote.

The anonymous jihadi slammed O’Neil for “traveling around America putting on seminars boasting about killing Sheikh Osama”.

He also posted a link to a story in the International Business Times in which O’Neill’s father said the family were “not afraid of ISIS”.

The Navy Seal went public with his claims in a documentary called “The Man Who Killed Osama Bin Laden”.

He is understood to have separated from his wife over security concerns.

“We’re actually looking into changing my name,” she told Esquire in 2013.

“Changing the kids’ names, taking my husband’s name off the house, paying off our cars.

“Essentially deleting him from our lives, but for safety reasons,” his wife once said.

Source: Mirror

ISIS Executes 10 In New Gruesome Video

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Staff Reporter

In a sickening video, ten Kurdish soldiers are lined up and forced to kneel moments before being brutally decapitated by the Islamic State.

Sickening video of the executions was released by the jihadists shortly after suffering heavy losses at the hands of the Peshmerga in Iraq.

The footage, shot near the terror group’s stronghold of Mosul, shows the prisoners kneeling on the floor while executioners cloaked in black stand behind them with hunting knives.

The captives, dressed in orange jumpsuits, can be heard reciting passages from the Koran while one says his final prayers of Shahada – an Islamic testimony of faith.

After the men are beheaded and their placed on their bodies, an ISIS fighter warned of the ‘inevitable fate’ of other peshmerga prisoners still being held captive, it was reported by Kurdish news outlet Kurdaw.

Read More: dailymail

Military Option Not Enough To Defeat ISIS, Boko Haram- Buhari

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that military option alone will not be enough to defeat ISIS, Boko Haram and other extremist organizations.

Buhari, who spoke in New York at the Global Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIS and Violent Extremism, said the United Nations and the international community needed to do more to contain ISIS.

“We need to take military action combined with effective border security, intelligence collection and sharing, and vigorous policing action,” the president said.

However, he said that in order to put in place the critical components of an effective approach to countering ISIS and eventually defeating it, the world must address the threat from the source.

Buhari informed his audience that the world must find a way to prevent young people from turning to terror in the first place.
“The young people that turn to violent extremism do not exist in a vacuum – they are often part of communities and families and are lured into the fold of barbaric and nihilistic organizations, somehow through a misguided appeal to their worst fears, expectations and apparent frustrations…”

Read More: thisdaylive

Why We Left ISIS, Defectors Open Up

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Almost 60 Islamic State defectors have spoken out against the caliphate and Western governments should do more to incentivize former fighters to speak out, according to a new report by the International Center for the Study for Radicalization.

According to the New York Times, about 20,000 foreigners have joined jihadist groups in the Middle East over the last two years. About a quarter of those are Europeans, and it is estimated that between 25% and 40% have gone back to Europe.

The new report says that most of the defectors have gone into hiding to escape reprisal from ISIS but also to avoid imprisonment in the countries to which they are returning. According to the report, 58 defectors from Europe and Australia have now publicly spoken about their experience.

In the reasons listed as to why they became disenchanted with the jihadist group, most defectors mention the violence toward other Muslims. Two defectors who left after finding out they had been selected to be suicide bombers told the BBC that the “brutality of IS terrifies everyone,” referring to ISIS (aka Islamic State, IS, ISIL, and Daesh).

A Syrian man who had initially joined a rebel group fighting the Assad regime joined ISIS when his whole tribe pledged allegiance. He told the BBC that the first stage of the ISIS indoctrination was a course on the Sharia.

“Not the principles of Islam, the principles of the Islamic State,” the man said. “So they teach you the Islam they want.”

He said ISIS tactics boiled down to this “If you’re against me, then you’ll be killed. If you’re with me, you work with me. You submit to my will and obey me, under my power in all matters.”

Read More: BusinessInsider

ISIS Shows New Gold/Silver Coins In New Video

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Staff Reporter

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The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has come out with plans to mint its own gold and silver coins,which it reveals in its latest video, entitled: “The Rise of the Khilafah and the Return of the Gold Dinar.”

The hour-long video, released on Saturday, which ISIS narrated in English but subtitled in Arabic, began with an extensive analysis on “the capitalist financial system of enslavement, underpinned by a piece of paper called the Federal Reserve dollar note.”

It also highlighted the corruption which it said allowed the American destruction of the monetary system intended by Allah with the production of paper money used to finance oil trade.

The Jerusalem Post, quoting the ISIS narrator regarding the new coins, said the new ISIS currency came in several denominations of silver, gold and copper.

The coins are imprinted with Islamic symbols and “are completely void of human and animal images in accordance with Shariah law.”

The reverse side of one coin shows seven wheat stalks, “representing the blessing of spending in the path of Allah,” the narrator said.

Another coin was imprinted with a map of the world, “representing the extent of territory Mohammad’s reign would reach, including Constantinople, Rome and America,” while another was imprinted with a spear and shield, “showing that the source of provision of Mohammad were from jihad in the name of Allah.”

An ISIS activist was seen on camera walking through the streets, presenting the newly minted coins to shop keepers, armed men and civilians with their smiling children.

The activists explained to the people that the gold coins were worth more than paper money in the bank.

“We are witnessing the return of days, like those during the time of the prophet,” says one shopkeeper, hugging and kissing the ISIS activist.

Read More: tribuneonlineng

Nigeria-Bound Terror Chief Was Coming On Invitation – Report

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Staff Reporter

According to a report by Daily Trust, wanted terrorist, Ahmed Al-Assir, who was arrested in Lebanon on his way to Nigeria, was coming on the invitation of a foreign company operating in the country. Sources in Nigeria’s security circles, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said the visa was issued by a Foreign Service official in Beirut based on that invitation.

According to the sources, without a letter of invitation the hate preacher’s visa application would not have been approved. Discussions within the security circles in Nigeria centred on a popular middle-eastern company operating in Nigeria as the originator of the invitation letter for the issuance of the visa. A source said allegations that a bribe of about $8,000 was paid by Al-Assir to obtain the visa has not been confirmed. Security sources however said even if a bribe that big was offered, it was highly unlikely that the official who issued the visa received such money alone. It was hinted that the intelligence report of the plans of Al-Assir to visit Nigeria was given to the Lebanese authorities by Hezbollah. He pointed out that the lack of an active Foreign Service liaison with security and intelligence organization at the Nigeria embassy in Beirut made it difficult to share such intelligence operations with Nigeria directly.

It is suspected in security circles that Al-Assir is coming to Nigeria to link up with Boko Haram leaders to lend support. Sources emphasized that Nigeria needs to improve its foreign service liaison in Beirut and other embassies abroad ´so as to obtain vital intelligence of security concerns, because apparently non-existed.”

Foreign Service officials are supposed to liaise with intelligence and security organizations of host countries and share intelligence information in the tradition of “give and take,” the sources added.

President Buhari has ordered an investigation into how the ISIS leader secured a valid Nigerian visa in Lebanon.

Source: DailyTrust

Family Confirms Son Joining ISIS

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A 25 year-old Muslim from Ghana has traveled to an Islamic State (IS) training camp, becoming the first known recruit from the West African nation to join the militant group, his family said on Tuesday.

Nazir Alema, a university graduate from Accra, had initially told his parents he was traveling to Prestea, a mining town in the country’s west.

“Two weeks later on Aug. 16, we got a message on social media from him saying he was at a training ground to join the IS group in an unknown country,” his brother, Kabiru Alema, said.

Read More: Leadership

Why “ISIS Fugitive Leader” Was Issued Visa, Foreign Affairs Official Explains

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Radical Lebanese Islamic cleric, Ahmad Al-Assir, who was arrested last week as he attempted traveling to Nigeria, got an entry visa into Nigeria because the country’s embassies do not capture applicants’ biometric data, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Biometrics cover a variety of unique identifiable attributes of people including fingerprint, iris print, hand, face, voice, gait or signatures, and are used for identification and authentication.

The foreign affairs official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said with the surge of security breaches and religious fundamentalism, biometric capturing has become a norm yet, Nigeria, currently battling Boko Haram insurgency, has failed to utilise the technology.

“While the measure tends to pre-empt influx of terrorists instead they (sic) depend on the use of stop list for potential visa applicants,” the official said.

Read More: premiumtimesng

ISIS Number Two Man Killed In US Military Drone Strikes In Iraq

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

According to spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, Ned Price, the second in command of ISIS leadership, Haji Mutazz, who also goes by the name Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, was killed in an August 18th US drone strike near Mosul, Iraq. The number two man, was said to be traveling in a car with another ISIS member named Abu Abdullah when their vehicle was hit.

Mutazz, who the US media falsely reported died in December 2014, was in charge of ISIS operations in Iraq and was also believed to prominently involved in directing ISIS’ financial operations.

“Al-Hayali’s death will adversely impact ISIL’s operations given that his influence spanned ISIL’s finance, media, operations, and logistics,” Price said.

Why ISIS Released 22 Assyrian Christians

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Islamic State has freed 22 Assyrian Christians abducted from villages in northeastern Syria. Their release marks a largely unnoticed trend in IS (also known as ISIS) – comparative safety for Christians.

Why would IS, a group known for its gruesome beheadings of civilians and its vision of a purely Islamic world, allow Christians to go free?

Graeme Wood, a political scientist at Yale University, suggests that Islamic law protects them. In The Atlantic, Mr. Wood writes it appears that Christians who don’t resist the new IS government are permitted to live as long as theypay a special tax known as “jizya.”

“The tax on Christians finds clear endorsement in the Surah Al-Tawba, the Koran’s ninth chapter, which instructs Muslims to fight Christians and Jews ‘until they pay the jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued,’ ” writes Wood.

Other scholars point out that Jews and Christians are known to many Muslims as “People of the Book,” who Mohammed instructed his followers to treat with respect.

Read More: yahoo

ISIS Frees 22 Assyrian Christians In NE Syria

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Islamic State group released 22 Assyrian Christians that it had abducted in northeastern Syria almost six months ago, activist groups said.

They were among more than 200 members of the Christian minority who were kidnapped by IS in February as it swept through the Khabur region in the northeastern Hasakeh province.

The Assyrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the fate of the minority, said the 22 hostages included 14 women.

It published photographs of the former hostages, showing several elderly women weeping as they were greeted by a priest.

The release was “the result of the tireless efforts and negotiations by the Assyrian Church of the East in the city of Hasakeh,” the group said.

A second group, the Assyrian Network for Human Rights, also reported the release, saying those freed were from two villages in Khabur, Tal Shamiram and Tal Jazira.

Director Osama Edward said negotiations were ongoing to secure the release of the additional 187 hostages being held by IS.

“There is a positive atmosphere around the negotiation,” he told AFP, adding that no additional releases could be confirmed yet.

Assyrians numbered about 30,000 among Syria’s 1.2 million Christians before the country’s conflict began. They lived mostly in 35 villages in Hasakeh.

Read More: AFP

ISIS Releases Gruesome Video Showing What They Do Best, New Execution Style

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Staff Reporter

ISIS terrorist group has released a new gruesome video showing the execution of ten Afghan tribesmen, allegedly for cooperating with the Taliban militant group and Pakistan’s intelligence agency.

The footage, claimed to be filmed in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, was released on Monday by the terror group’s members in a region, which the ISIS calls Wilayat Khorasan, comprised of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and nearby areas.

The tribesmen were accused of cooperating with the Taliban and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, and giving them information about ISIS members.

The video shows the notorious terrorists using a new way to kill their victims by digging holes in the ground and planting explosive materials in them. The victims are then forced to sit on the holes before the materials are detonated using a remote control.

Read More: presstv

Donald Trump’s Plan For ISIS: ‘Put A Ring Around It’- Report

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Monday he supported the use of U.S. ground troops to fight Islamic State in the Middle East.

Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, the billionaire businessman said it would take American soldiers to target the militant group.

“They have great money because they have oil,” Trump said. “Every place where they have oil I would knock the hell out of them.”

“I would knock out the source of their wealth, the primary sources of their wealth, which is oil. And in order to do that, you would have to put boots on the ground. I would knock the hell out of them but I’d put a ring around it and I’d take the oil for our country,” he told MSNBC.

In addition to cutting off Islamic State’s oil income, Trump said the militants’ money in the banking system would also have to be targeted, although he did not offer any details.

“You have to cut that off,” he said.

Trump’s comments follow last’s week’s first prime-time televised debate for Republican presidential candidates.

The real estate mogul and television personality leads public opinion polls, putting him at the top of the 17-person pack of Republicans heading into the 2016 election for the White House.

Credit: Reuters