[Reuters] Vietnam has discreetly fortified several of its islands in the disputed South China Sea with new mobile rocket launchers capable of striking China's runways and military installations across the vital trade route, according to Western officials.
Diplomats and military officers told Reuters that intelligence shows Hanoi has shipped the launchers from the Vietnamese mainland into position on five bases in the Spratly islands in recent months, a move likely to raise tensions with Beijing.
The launchers have been hidden from aerial surveillance and they have yet to be armed, but could be made operational with rocket artillery rounds within two or three days, according to the three sources.
Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said the information was "inaccurate", without elaborating.
Deputy Defence Minister, Senior Lieutenant-General Nguyen Chi Vinh, told Reuters in Singapore in June that Hanoi had no such launchers or weapons ready in the Spratlys but reserved the right to take any such measures.
"It is within our legitimate right to self-defense to move any of our weapons to any area at any time within our sovereign territory," he said.
The move is designed to counter China's build-up on its seven reclaimed islands in the Spratlys archipelago. Vietnam's military strategists fear the building runways, radars and other military installations on those holdings have left Vietnam's southern and island defenses increasingly vulnerable.
Military analysts say it is the most significant defensive move Vietnam has made on its holdings in the South China Sea in decades.
Continued on Page 47
[Iraq Sun] Malaysia revoked the passports of 68 citizens, who were suspected of being involved 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.... (IS) terror group and threatened legal action if they returned to the country, officials said on Monday.
"They no longer have travel documents as Malaysian citizens and if they return to our country legal action in line with the Immigration Act will be initiated against them," said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid.
Zahid said the decision was taken by Prime Minister Najib Razak two weeks ago, following intelligence reports.
He added there would be no negotiations with these people as the government does not want "ideological criminals" in the country, The Malaysian Star reported.
Zahid said two Malaysian families had sold off all their property in Malaysia before moving to Syria to join the IS, which employs them as sweepers and cleaners, and now want to return to Malaysia, but the government is unwilling to entertain people who betrayed the country and will not recognise them as Malaysians.
More than 220 jihadis have been detained in Malaysia since February 2013, and 132 Malaysians are still fighting in Iraq and Syrian territory, according to the Malaysian Home Ministry.
[Iraq Sun] A Philippine 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.... affiliate has posted a video calling for the Miss Universe pageant set to take place in the Philippines to be targeted, while suggesting that an boom belt or bomb be made especially for the beauty contest, RT reports citing SITE.
Philippines jihadi Telegram channel posted a video for making an boom belt and suggested 'Create bomb for miss universe,'" the group wrote on a Telegram Messenger group called "IS Philippines supporters," according to SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks the online activity of jihadist organizations.
The post reportedly contained a video on how to assemble a suicide belt and a DIY on explosives in English.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Fred ||
08/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11130 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[UPI] Four Abu Sayyaf ...also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya, an Islamist terror group based in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, murders, head choppings, and extortion in their uniquely Islamic attempt to set up an independent Moslem province in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf forces probably number less than 300 cadres. The group is closely allied with remnants of Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiya and has loose ties with MILF and MNLF who sometimes provide cannon fodder... Lions of Islam died in a battle with members of the Moro National Liberation Front early Tuesday in the Philippines' southern province of Sulu, military officials said.
The encounter occurred on Jolo Island during ongoing talks between Abu Sayyaf and the one-time rebel group for the release of seven hostages, a military front man said.
Maj. Felimon Tan, front man of the Armed Forces of the Western Mindanao Command, said in a statement that Abu Sayyaf sub-commander Alhabsy Misaya fought with MNLF fighters in Kalingalang Caluang where some hostages are being kept.
Tan said the MNLF operation and its efforts against the Abu Sayyaf were not sanctioned by the military. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... he said, the military backs help maintaining peace in the province.
The MNLF said it killed Jennor Lahab, also known as Cmdr. Jim Dragon, and his son. Other Abu Sayyaf members have yet to be identified.
The four men's bodies were brought to the village of Punjungan for their families to claim.
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.
[Iraq Sun] A Philippine 
[UPI] Four 
