[Stratford Observer] A college lecturer who was punched and thrown into a freezing canal reasoned with his attackers by speaking Arabic.
Stratford College media lecturer Lee Skinner was jogging in Birmingham along the Acocks Green Canal at around 3pm on Sunday January 15 when he was set upon by five hooded youths.
The 38 year-old, who lives near Solihull, was punched in the face and knocked into the icy cold canal for ’being white’. One of the thugs then crouched by the side of the canal and prevented the former languages teacher from climbing out of the icy water while he battled to stay afloat.
But quick-thinking Lee tried to reason with the Asian attackers by speaking in Arabic, saying ’May God forgive you’.
He says it was only when he began making a declaration of faith and saying ’There Is No God But Allah’ that the gang panicked and ran away.
Lee was left hospitalised with damaged teeth, bruising and injuries to his cheekbones and neck muscles.
Stratford College have spoken out about the teacher, who is currently recovering from his injuries.
A spokesman said: "Mr Skinner is a very highly valued and popular member of the college team, and we’re saddened to hear he has been victim to an upsetting incident. His professionalism and approach to working with his students is exemplary, and we wish him a speedy recovery."
Police are hunting for the suspects, who are believed to be around 17 years-old.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Police were called to the Grand Union Canal in Acocks Green where a jogger was punched by a youth as he ran past him on the towpath.
#2
Moved to War on Terror. Besoeker is a soldier, and thinks of war in terms of professionals, g(r)omgoru. This was just Muslim colonist boys being boys, the "civilian" side of the War in Terror.
#6
Why do I have this skit running through my mind?
"So what did you corporal Gurung?
"I pretended to be a Muslim, Suh!"
"How did you do that, corporal?"
"I took out my kukri and cut off their heads, Suh!"
"Very well, dismissed Sergeant Gurung." .
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A group of Taliban bandidos bad boys suffered casualties in a premature bomb kaboom in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan.
According to the local security officials, the incident took place late on Saturday night in Imam Sahib district.
A front man for the 20th Pamir Division, Gen. Ghulam Hazrat Karimi, said one murderous Moslem was killed as he was planting an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Qerghiz area.
He said two other bully boyz who were assisting the murderous Moslem sustained injuries in the kaboom.
The anti-government armed murderous Moslem groups including the Taliban bandidos bad boys have not commented regarding the report so far.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A coordinated attack by the Taliban bully boyz was repulsed by the Afghan cops in eastern Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. province.
The provincial police commandment in a statement said the attack was launched late on Sunday night targeting the coordination center of the Afghan cops in Bati Kot district.
The statement further added that the attack was successfully repulsed and a Taliban murderous Moslem was killed during the clash.
According to the statement, the Taliban murderous Moslem killed during the clash has been identified as Qari Naseeb who is hailing from the ssame area.
The Talibs group has not commented regarding the report so far.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The group leader of the Taliban in Zabul province was killed in a blast triggered by a premature kaboom in this province.
The provincial police commandment said Mawlavi Hamid was a prominent Taliban leader who was in command of the hard boyz in Arghandab district.
According to the police officials, the incident took place around 12:00 pm on Sunday as a group of hard boyz were busy in making of an Improvised Explosive Device.
Mawlavi Hamidi was killed along with two other hard boyz and at least two more were maimed.
The anti-government armed hard boy groups including the Taliban hard boyz have not commented regarding the report so far.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A top Taliban leader in charge of recruiting for the group in northern Kunduz province was tossed in the calaboose Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! during an operation of the Afghan police forces.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said the detained Taliban leader has been identified as Abdullah and was held from the vicinity of Khanabad district.
MoI further added the operation was conducted by Public Order Police forces on Sunday.
Another senior Taliban leader identified as Abdul Wakil was also arrested during the same operation, MoI said, adding that an automatic rifle was confiscated from the detained krazed killers.
The anti-government armed krazed killer groups including the Taliban Lions of Islam have not commented regarding the report so far.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Garabulli municipality says that eight local residents were killed last night when gunnies from Tarhouna attacked the town, 60 kilometres east of Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... . Others were maimed, it added, and a further number were still unaccounted for.
The incident followed the killing at a Garabulli checkpoint some hours earlier of two alleged copper smugglers from Tarhouna.
According to reports, the two were stopped at the checkpoint shortly before sunset and were found to be in possession of a load of copper which they were said to be taking to Misrata. Believing it to be stolen, the checkpoint guards attempted to arrest the two. However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... they went for their guns and in the ensuing firefight were killed. Fighters from Tarhouna, a town 85kms southeast of Tripoli, then headed to Garabulli for Dire Revenge and a battle erupted.
The alleged copper smugglers and the Tarhouna fighters are said to have been members of the Kani brigade, a powerful militia that controls much of Tarhouna and the surrounding areas. However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... the Kani, said to be pro-Islamist, dispute that they were smuggling copper and claim they attacked Garabulli because of its involvement in human trafficking.
Tarhouna’s Municipal Council have echoed this, saying that criminals from Garabulli had "treacherously attacked" its forces who were involved in preventing the smuggling of drugs and people. It said that one of its people had died, naming him as Hussam Barki. However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... it put the action near Suq al-Juma, not Garabulli. It also said that it held Garabulli’s civil and military leadership responsible for what had happened.
The Kani forces in Tarhouna have previously been accused of involvement in a number of crimes in the town, including the murder of a local army colonel, rocketing one district whose residents were sympathetic to Saif al-Islam, and blowing up homes of its opponents.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Footage from the Yemeni, houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah Channel shows the Saudi Battleship being attacked by Yemeni Coastal Defence. The attack comes in response to the ongoing military aggression against the sovereign Yemeni nation, by a coalition led by Saudi-Arabia, supported by western powers, including the US.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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#1
Attack my ass, they hit it.
An attack is when you shoot at something...and miss.
[RFE/RL] Authorities say two police officers and three alleged militants have been killed in Chechnya.
Regional warlord Ramzan Kadyrov said on January 30 that the three men opened fire on police officers who asked for their identification documents. He said the exchange of gunfire took place in the central town of Shali overnight.
Kadyrov said authorities believe they were members of a militant group coordinated online by Magomed Rashidov, a Shali native who has allegedly joined Daesh militants in Syria.
Posted by: ryuge ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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The Navy SEAL killed in a raid targeting senior Al Qaeda leaders in Yemen was identified Monday as Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens.
"Ryan gave his full measure for our nation, and in performing his duty, he upheld the noblest standard of military service. The United States would not long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors," Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a statement.
At least three other U.S. service members were injured in the raid. In addition, three service members were hurt in a crash-landing of an MV-22 Osprey sent in to evacuate the wounded, the Pentagon revealed on Monday.
"A lot of female combatants" were part of the resistance the SEALs encountered on the target, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff David told reporters. "Some of the enemy killed in action were female."
Davis said the women took what he called pre-arranged fighting positions when they came under attack by the Navy SEAL assault force.
The Pentagon was "still assessing" reports of civilian casualties in the Yemen operation, Davis said. He would not confirm whether any children were killed as well.
A total of 14 fighters from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula were killed in the assault, and U.S. service members captured "information that will likely provide insight into the planning of future terror plots," according to the military. From my initial reading, this operation was a classic airborne vertical insertion not unlike the highly successful raid on terrorists in Cassinga, Angola on 4 May 1978. It is also my understanding that the raid was not surprisingly 'long on the shelf' until DJT took office. If the the news was not so cluttered with refugee stories, perhaps we could learn more. But wait !
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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#1
Odd word usage...
Reads like a HVT snatch on a family compound.
Why an Osprey?
Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) Thirty-nine fighters from Islamic State were killed on Tuesday after army forces pushed back an attack on troops at Tal Kusaiba, east of Salahuddin, according to a security source.
“By escalating its attacks against security troops in Salahuddin, the group is seeking to hinder any advancement towards Hawija, Kirkuk,” the source told Alsumaria News.
Since they drove out Islamic State militants from the region mid January 2016, security forces have been in control over Tal Kusaiba, fighting off occasional attacks by IS militants there.
Islamic State has escalated attacks across Iraqi provinces, including Salahuddin, since Iraqi government forces managed to retake a half of its largest bastion in the country, the city of Mosul, since October 2016. Observers believe the extremist group is trying to make up for daily losses in Mosul and to relieve security pressure on that front by attacking security and civilians at other cities.
The group has lost at least 3300 of its personnel in the operations at Mosul, and reports have been recurring about internal divisions and fighters’ escapes since government forces launched the offensives to retake Mosul.
Babel (IraqiNews.com) A security source in Babel Province revealed that an improvised explosive device exploded near a house in al-Iskandariyah area, north of Babel, without causing any casualties or material losses, Alsumaria News reported on Monday.
The source said, “An improvised explosive device exploded, at noon today, near a house in al-Shuhada neighborhood in al-Iskandariyah area (55 km north of Babel).”
“The explosion did not cause any human or material losses,” the source added on condition of anonymity.
The source further added that security forces rushed to the area of incident, cordoned it off and started to search for the perpetrators of the bombing.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) The Ministry of Defense’s War Media Cell announced on Monday destroying a hummer vehicle belonging to the Islamic State, as well as killing its occupants, by an air strike in Tal Afar, west of Nineveh.
The Cell said in a statement, “Iraqi Army Aviation carried out an air strike, destroying a Hummer vehicle belonging to the Islamic State group, and killing its occupants, in Tal Afar area, west of Nineveh.”
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/31/2017 07:36 ||
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Diyala (IraqiNews.com) A local source in Diyala Province revealed that an elite leader of the Islamic State was killed in Mutaibaja area by a mysterious blast on the borders with Salahuddin Province, Alsumaria News reported on Monday.
The source said, “The Islamic State group lost one of its senior leaders, known as Abu Taha al-Iraqi, in a mysterious blast in Mutaibaja area on the borders between Diyala and Salahuddin.”
“The reasons and perpetrators of the bombing that kill the leader, along with three of his aides, are unknown,” the source added on condition of anonymity.
Noteworthy, Mutaibaja area is witnessing violent acts and attacks against security forces and al-Hashd al-Shaabi from time to time.
Diyala (IraqiNews.com) The security committee of Diyala Provincial Council announced on Monday, that four members of the Islamic State were killed, while two vehicles were destroyed during two military operations, northeast of Baqubah.
Head of the Committee, Sadiq al-Hussieni, said in a press statement, “Security forces launched two military operations in the areas of Imam Wes and Hud Zolo near Naft Khana, destroying two vehicles belonging to the Islamic State and killing four members of the group.”
Earlier today, Head of Muqdadiyah District Council Adnan al-Tamimi announced launching the biggest military operation in the areas, northeast of Baqubah, from three axes.
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01/31/2017 07:36 ||
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Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) killed 35 members of the Islamic State in western Mosul on Monday, Iraq’s state TV reported in breaking news.
Al-Hashd’s media service has not yet, however, given count of the number of militants, but only said the forces eradicated a group of IS militants that had attacked PMUs at the 16th kilometer area, west of the city.
Al-Hashd al-Shaabi has been actively involved in the Iraqi government’s fight against Islamic State militants since its formation in 2014.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi military forces have imposed a curfew at districts along the eastern bank of the Tigris River in Mosul to protect civilians from bombardment from the west by Islamic State militants.
Anadolu Agency quoted Saber al-Falahi, a brigadier-general at the army’s Counter-Terrorism Forces, as saying that directives had been made to the residents at districts parallel to the eastern bank of the Tigris River to stay home between 3 pm and 6 am (Iraq’s local time). He said the measure is aimed to protect the residents from projectiles launched by the extremist group, especially during night times when U.S.-led fighter jets become less active above those areas.
Falahi said Katyusha and mortar bombardments killed 13 civilians and wounded 48 last week at liberated areas.
Falahi told the agency the curfew was the only solution to protect civilians, adding that the only means to stop the bombardment are either to ensure an around-the-clock aerial patrols or to speed up with the invasion of the western section of the city, where IS still maintains a majority of territory.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement announced on Monday, that more than 3200 displaced persons have returned back to their liberated areas in eastern Mosul, while pointed out that more displaced families will return to their areas in the coming days.
The Ministry’s IDP Camps’ Official in Khazir and Hosn Sham, Mostafa Hamed, said in a press statement, “Today, the Ministry’s IDP camps received 3,237 displaced persons who returned back to their liberated areas in eastern Mosul.”
“The Ministry allocated 26 buses, in coordination with the Ministry of Transportation, to tack the residents back to their areas, in addition to 11 vehicles provided by the Joint Operations Command to transfer their furniture and belongings,” Hamed added.
“The majority of displaced families will return back to their liberated areas in the few coming days,” Hamed further explained.
Earlier this month, Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement announced that 1200 displaced persons returned back to their areas in eastern Mosul.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/31/2017 07:36 ||
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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi police killed on Monday 5 suicide bombers at two separate regions north of Baghdad, the capital’s security command said in a statement.
A statement by the Interior Ministry’s Baghdad Operations said two bombers clad in explosive belts were killed at al-Salman area, north of Baghdad.
Another trio, also putting on explosive vests, was killed at Sheikh Hamad area after an exchange of fires with the forces, the department said. Grenades were found in their possessions and their explosive belts were defused, according to the service.
Violence surged in Iraq with the emergence of Islamic State militants who took over large areas of the country in 2014. Baghdad has been witnessing almost daily bombings targeting civilians and security personnel. IS militants have said they had been responsible for several bloody explosions that hit the capital in the past weeks, bringing the governorate municipal and security officials under critics’ fire.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said violence in the country left 19000 casualties in nine months of 2016.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) One civilian was killed and four others were wounded on Monday when a bomb blast hit an area south of Baghdad, according to police sources.
“An explosive device exploded this afternoon near a popular market in Suweib, south of Baghdad, killing a civilian and wounding four others,” police sources told Alsumaria News.
Violence surged in Iraq with the emergence of Islamic State militants who took over large areas of the country in 2014. Baghdad has been witnessing almost daily bombings targeting civilians and security personnel.
Nobody has claimed responsibility yet for the Monday bombing, but IS militants have said they had been responsible for several bloody explosions that hit the capital in the past months, bringing the governorate municipal and security officials under critics’ fire.
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01/31/2017 07:36 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Kurdish media has reported that an infamous ISIS executioner named Abu Sayyaf has been rubbed out in West djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... in northern Iraq.
"Abu Sayyaf was one of the scariest executioners in Nineveh... He was a reflection of the brutality of this terrorist group," Muhammad Yawar, an Iraqi journalist, told ARA News.
"He was known for his huge body and heavy arms. He was one of the notorious faces in the ISIS propaganda videos."
Local media activist Abdullah al-Mallah, a local media activist, has said that a group of unknown gunnies shot at Sayyaf’s car, killing him and another terrorist who accompanied him.
"He was found dead in the Dawassah district west of Mosul city in Nineveh Governorate on Sunday evening. The Isis-led Hisba Police was unable to identify the perpetrators," al-Mallah added.
Fascinating. Yesterday we had a report from Iraqi News quoting Alsumaria News that Abu Sayyaf, the famed ISIS decapitator was stabbed to death in that same location. His killers clearly took their assignment seriously.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) stationed in Tal Afar have managed to kill dozens of Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... bandidosLions of Islam as they attempted to break out into Syria’s bordering Hasakah province.
Since the outset of the Nineveh operations, the Iraqi Security Forces have managed to liberate eastern djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... alongside dozens of nearby villages. On the other side of the Tigris river, the PMU took on the formidable task of enclosing Mosul and separating it from Syria.
Within a few weeks, the PMU forces managed to capture hundreds of villages between Qayyarah Airbase and Sinjar flanking the ISIS stronghold of Tal Afar from three directions. So far, all ISIS attempts to break through the imposed belt have failed miserably choking the terrorist group in a massive butcher house.
Notably, the Iraqi high command has just granted the PMU the permission to proceed with the Tal Afar operation following a long halt due to political reasons. The liberation of Tal Afar would be a massive blow to ISIS in Iraq, which now controls less then 10% of the country’s territory.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Troops arrest 19 Paleostinian suspects, mostly for rock throwing, amid uptick in attacks on Israeli civilians, soldiers.
In raids across the West Bank, the IDF shuttered an alleged gunsmithing workshop, confiscated "inciting" materials and jugged Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! 19 Paleostinian suspects on Sunday night and early Monday morning, the army said.
The operations came amid an uptick in Paleostinian protests and attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers in the West Bank in the past week, including two drive-by shooting attacks and a failed car-ramming.
Army forces, working alongside the Shin Bet and Israel Police, closed a machine shop suspected of being used to manufacture guns in Hebron, as part of an ongoing crackdown on makeshift weapons in the West Bank.
Last week, an IDF intelligence officer told news hounds the effort was already having an effect on the market, tripling the price of Carlo-style submachine guns -- the most popular variety of makeshift firearm -- in eight months.
During 2016, the IDF closed 44 alleged gunsmithing operations and seized more than 450 weapons in the West Bank. Yet the army’s fight is far from over, the officer added, noting that the IDF estimated there to be "hundreds of thousands" of illegal guns still in circulation on West Bank streets.
Also overnight, in Ramallah, the army shut down two printing shops, which it said were publishing "materials being used for incitement to terrorism." The IDF said the two shops also had ties to the Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, terrorist organization.
Israeli political and defense officials have often cited incitement as a central motivator behind the stabbing, car-ramming and shooting attacks that have become routine in Israel and the West Bank since October 2015.
The incitement in question, in print, online and on Paleostinian television, generally glorifies bandidosholy warriors and their actions, encourages others to follow in their footsteps or spreads misinformation.
"The ’fake news’ started here in this burst of violence," the IDF intelligence officer said last week.
In all, Israeli troops arrested 19 Paleostinian suspects in arrest raids throughout the West Bank. Two of them were picked up for allegedly belonging to Hamas. The rest were brought in for so-called "popular terrorism," a catch-all term for rock throwing and violent protests.
The two suspected Hamas members were arrested in Bidu, just north of the Jerusalem, the army said.
On Monday morning, the IDF also released a video and additional information about the arrest of four Paleostinian men who are believed to have thrown Molotov cocktails at the Beit El settlement, near Ramallah, earlier this month.
According to the army, on January 12, a soldier monitoring surveillance cameras near Beit El spotted a vehicle approach the community and someone inside the car lob a Molotov cocktail at its fence. IDF troops gave chase, but to no avail, as the perpetrators abandoned the vehicle and continued on foot.
On January 15, Israeli soldiers arrested four men in the Jalazoun refugee camp, outside Ramallah, who are suspected of throwing the Molotov cocktails. They were handed over to the Israel Police for further questioning, the army said.
[Inquirer] Three Maute terrorist camps in Butig, Lanao del Sur, have been overrun by Philippine military forces. Military spokesman Restituto Padilla said the encampments were in the same areas hit by the air strike by the Philippine Air Force last week.
Padilla said the camps were harboring both local and foreign terrorists. He said 15 Maute militants were killed and eight others were injured, including its leader Isnilon Hapilon.
The neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group within six months were ordered by President Duterte to put an end to Islamic terror in the southern Philippines.
Posted by: ryuge ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[SunStar] Two children were killed and three others were injured in a roadside bombing in a remote village in Basilan province which authorities blamed on the Abu Sayyaf.
Wesmincom chief Carlito Galvez said the blast happened late Sunday morning in the village of Danapah, Al-Barka. He said the children were playing outdoors when they accidentally tripped on the improvised bomb that was placed on a frequently used trail in the area. Galvez said the victims were rushed to the hospital but two of them died. The two children that were killed were two and five years old.
Galvez said the improvised bomb was placed by Abu Sayyaf militants to spread fear among local residents. He said, "This horrendous act perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf goes beyond savagery and stressed that victimizing innocent civilians especially children is simply unacceptable."
Posted by: ryuge ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[Hurriyet Daily News] A total of 20 Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) holy warriors have been "neutralized" in northern Syria over the last 24 hours as part of the Euphrates Shield operation, the Turkish military said Jan. 30.
Turkish authorities use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the holy warriors in question were killed, captured, or otherwise incapacitated.
The Turkish Armed Forces also hit 23 ISIS targets in northern Syria, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on the 160th day of the operation.
Turkish jets destroyed two gun positions, 20 buildings, and 76 handmade explosives.
Since the beginning of the operation, Turkish security forces have defused nearly 3,500 handmade explosives and over 55 mines under controlled conditions.
The Euphrates Shield operation began in late August 2016 to tighten border security, eliminate the terror threat along Turkish borders and support opposition forces in Syria. The Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... is backed by Turkish artillery and jets as part of the operation.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Syrian forces intercepted a smuggling car loaded with armament destined for the deignated terrorist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham ...formerly al-Nusra, the current false nose and mustache of al-Qaeda in the Levant... (formerly Nusra Front) in Dara’a countryside.
The shipment consisted of five US-manufactured TOW missiles, 30 grenade launcher rounds, dozens of RPG missiles, and a large amount of rifle ammunition. According to a Syrian Army source, the military received information about this shipment and its designated destination through an anonymous rebel source (likely a rival faction).
Noticeably, there has been a spike in weapon smuggling in Damascus’s vicinity as the SAA managed to halt a series of TOW missile shipments last of which was in Barzeh district of Damascus. It is not unlikely that a foreign sponsor is invested in initiating a major battle in the capital where rebels find themselves increasingly isolated and choked with every passing day.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) was surprised in mid-January when the Syrian Arab Army launched a massive offensive in the southern countryside of al-Bab, despite the rumors of a possible government of attack on their other stronghold in east Aleppo.
In approximately 2 weeks, the Syrian Arab Army liberated a large chunk of territory from the Islamic State forces, leaving the aforementioned terrorist group wedged between the government and Turkish Armed Forces in al-Bab.
With the Turkish Armed Forces stuck in a stalemate with the Islamic State in northeast al-Bab, the Syrian Arab Army has taken the initiative to liberate this large city and put an end to the terrorist group’s presence in the area.
According to a military source in Aleppo, the Syrian Arab Army has liberated at least 25 villages since the start of their al-Bab offensive, making this assault their most successful of the year.
As they inch closer to al-Bab, the Syrian Arab Army will find the remaining Islamic State forces much more difficult to overrun due to their well-fortified positions and territorial advantage.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] According to sources in Syria, the Syrian Air Force (SYAAF) assaulted Islamist holy warriors in Homs province today. Specifically, the warplanes attacked the town of al-Rastan, targeting the Fateh al-Sham ...formerly al-Nusra, the current false nose and mustache of al-Qaeda in the Levant... ’s military positions.
Details regarding the operation are still emerging, and specifics are yet to be provided.
Fateh al-Sham was previously part of the al-Qaeda franchise, representing the international terrorist organization in Syria. They ended their ties with the group after they re-branded a few months ago.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[ALMASDARNEWS] Two Lebanese nationals from the northern city of Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... were killed in Syria last week while fighting with the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... forces against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).
The two bandidosmurderous Moslems were identified as Ali Muhammad al-Ajaj and Muhammad Abdul-Majd al-Sa’oud of Tripoli, Leb.
Both bandidosmurderous Moslems were commemorated by locals in Tripoli on Sunday for their alleged "martyrdom" against the Syrian government forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Turkish Armed Forces and their rebel allies claimed on Sunday that their fighters captured 2 hilltops from the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) holy warriors in the eastern countryside of al-Bab.
According to a statement released by the Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... (FSA) on Sunday, their forces and their Turkish allies captured Tal al-Kroum and Point 511 near the town of Baz’ah in eastern al-Bab.
This recent advance by the Turkish Army and rebel forces marks the first time since their al-Sulfaniyah operation that they have advanced in the al-Bab countryside.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) renewed their assault on the al-Sin Airbase tonight, storming this important military installation from two different flanks.
ISIS began tonight’s assault by pounding the airbase with missiles; this followed by a powerful ground attack on the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses.
In addition to the assault on the al-Sin Airbase, the Islamic State attacked the small village of al-Safa Kaziya, which is located in the Dumayr area of rural Damascus.
According to a military source, all Islamic State attacks have been repelled so far; however, they are likely to launch another attack tomorrow morning.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/31/2017 00:00 ||
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[Bloomberg] Tampa, Fla. (AP) -- On any given day at MacDill Air Force Base, web crawlers scour social media for potential recruits to the Islamic State group. Then, in a high-stakes operation to counter the extremists' propaganda, language specialists employ fictitious identities and try to sway the targets from joining IS ranks.
At least that's how the multimillion-dollar initiative is being sold to the Defense Department.
A critical national security program known as "WebOps" is part of a vast psychological operation that the Pentagon says is effectively countering an enemy that has used the internet as a devastating tool of propaganda. But an Associated Press investigation found the management behind WebOps is so beset with incompetence, cronyism and flawed data that multiple people with direct knowledge of the program say it's having little impact.
Several current and former WebOps employees cited multiple examples of civilian Arabic specialists who have little experience in counter-propaganda, cannot speak Arabic fluently and have so little understanding of Islam they are no match for the Islamic State online recruiters.
It's hard to establish rapport with a potential terror recruit when -- as one former worker told the AP -- translators repeatedly mix up the Arabic words for "salad" and "authority." That's led to open ridicule on social media about references to the "Palestinian salad."
Four current or former workers told the AP that they had personally witnessed WebOps data being manipulated to create the appearance of success and that they had discussed the problem with many other employees who had seen the same. Yet the companies carrying out the program for the military's Central Command in Tampa have dodged attempts to implement independent oversight and assessment of the data.
Central Command spokesman Andy Stephens declined repeated requests for information about WebOps and other counter-propaganda programs, which were launched under the Obama Administration. And he did not respond to detailed questions the AP sent on Jan. 10.
The AP investigation is based on Defense Department and contractor documents, emails, photographs and interviews with more than a dozen people closely involved with WebOps as well as interviews with nearly two dozen contractors. The WebOps workers requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the work and because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
The information operations division that runs WebOps is the command's epicenter for firing back at the Islamic State's online propaganda machine, using the internet to sway public opinion in a swath of the globe that stretches from Central Asia to the Horn of Africa.
Early last year, the government opened the bidding on a new counter-propaganda contract -- separate from WebOps-- that is worth as much as $500 million. Months after the AP started reporting about the bidding process, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service told the AP that it had launched an investigation. NCIS spokesman Ed Buice said the service is investigating a whistleblower's "allegations of corruption" stemming from how the contract was awarded.
The whistleblower's complaint alleges multiple conflicts of interest that include division officers being treated to lavish dinners paid for by a contractor. The complaint also alleges routine drinking at the office where classified work is conducted. The drinking was confirmed by multiple contractors, who spoke to AP and described a frat house atmosphere where happy hour started at 3 p.m.
One of the most damning accusations leveled by the whistleblower is against Army Col. Victor Garcia, who led the information operations division until July 2016, when he moved to a new assignment at Special Operations Command, also in Tampa. The whistleblower contended that Garcia successfully steered the contract to a team of vendors that included a close friend's firm. The whistleblower requested anonymity for fear of professional retribution.
#1
Army-After London based job for Vic? Any questions ?
In this screen grab of a photo from a Facebook posting, Col. Victor Garcia, left, who served as the senior officer overseeing CENTCOM’s counter-propaganda program from 2013 to mid-2016, poses on vacation with his friend Simon Bergman at Gilbert’s Resort in Key Largo, Fla. The photo was removed from Facebook shortly after it was posted on Sept. 16, 2016. Two weeks later, a $500 million contract was awarded to a team of companies that included Bergman’s firm M&C Saatchi. A whistleblower complaint filed with Central Command’s inspector general said the photo created a “clear impression and perception of impropriety.” AP Photo
#2
Colleague of mine is out of Huntsville. Says he thinks he knows the only native Arabic speaker in town and she tutors his kids. Clearly a better location for .GOV contracting than for language talent.
#3
translators repeatedly mix up the Arabic words for "salad" and "authority." That's led to open ridicule on social media about references to the "Palestinian salad."
Fred's text substitution engine should definitely steal that one.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State extremists whipped on Monday four wealthy residents of western Mosul for giving financial assistance to poorer families without the group’s permission, a military official has said.
Army lieutenant Abdul-Salam al-Jubouri was quoted as saying in a press statement that the punishment was carried out at al-Yarmouk district.
The four were found guilty of trespassing the competences of the group’s finance body, Jubouri said, adding that the militants maintained that the convicts should have approached the concerned body to distribute the money according to its discretion.
Since they took over Mosul and several other Iraqi cities in 2014, Islamic State militants have imposed extreme religious rules on Iraqi civilians, occasionally carrying out horrific executions as well as harsh punishments against violators.
IS rule, as well as battles with Iraqi forces, have forced at least 191.000 civilians to flee homes in the eastern side to refugee camps. The United Nations has recently voiced concerns for the fate of 750.000 civilians living in the IS-held west and suffering livelihood shortages besides militants abuses.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State is blocking escape routes to Syria for its fighters and have imposed new taxes on civilians in Mosul to finance its fights against security forces, according to local sources.
A local source told Alsumaria News that Islamic State militants were “surprised” to find they were being denied exit from Mosul to the group’s Syria stronghold town of Raqqa. “IS has issued a surprise decision totally halting departures by its elements from mosul to Raqqa for whatever reason,” said the source, who attributed the measure to an increase in members fleeing to Syria.
Another source told the network that the extremist group imposed new monthly taxes on cab drivers at regions under its control as means ensure extra financial resources to pay the delayed salaries of its militants group. The source revealed that violators were threatened with punishment.
Islamic State has reportedly suffered severe losses in personnel and finances over the past few months of battles, and reportedly punished delinquent fighters with either demotion or execution.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/31/2017 07:36 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[ALMASDARNEWS] Footage from the Yemeni, houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah Channel shows the Saudi Battleship being attacked by Yemeni Coastal Defence. The attack comes in response to the ongoing military aggression against the sovereign Yemeni nation, by a coalition led by Saudi-Arabia, supported by western powers, including the US.
[RFE/RL] Authorities say two police officers and three alleged militants have been killed in Chechnya.
The Navy SEAL killed in a raid targeting senior Al Qaeda leaders in Yemen was identified Monday as Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens.
[ALMASDARNEWS] Kurdish media has reported that an infamous ISIS executioner named 
[Inquirer] Three Maute terrorist camps in Butig, Lanao del Sur, have been overrun by Philippine military forces. Military spokesman Restituto Padilla said the encampments were in the same areas hit by the air strike by the Philippine Air Force last week.
[SunStar] Two children were killed and three others were injured in a roadside bombing in a remote village in Basilan province which authorities blamed on the Abu Sayyaf. 
