Terrorism Watch

Many western commentators have been raving about Barack Obama’s twin foreign policy triumphs in the last lap of his presidency. The best take came from Maureen Dowd of the New York Times. Having trashed him in June as the ‘lame duck whose chickens have come home to roost’ for his inaction in the face of mounting challenges including those on the Middle East front, Dowd now suggests that Obama may be a lame duck, but his bolder side, the one that got him elected, is rising.  By striking the nuclear pact with Iran and the once unthinkable rapprochement with Cuba’s last commies, Obama may have succeeded in saving his legacy just in time. While the normalization of ties with Cuba after nearly six decades of hostilities was perhaps inevitable considering the irrepressible Fidel Castro is out of action, the import of what Obama has delivered on the Iran front in the face of resistance from Israel and genuine concerns of Arab allies is overwhelming to fathom. With one stroke of pen, he has ch

KABUL, Afghanistan: Gunbattles between rival Taliban factions left at least five dead in southern Afghanistan, a top official with the insurgent group said Saturday as its members meet in Pakistan to resolve a leadership crisis following the death of its former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. It was the first confirmed report of deadly Taliban infighting after an announcement last month that Mullah Omar had been dead for more than two years. Mullah Omar’s family objected after his former deputy, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, was named the new Taliban leader and rivalries have spilled into violence, said Ahmad Rabbani, head of a committee trying to reunify the group. Rabbani spoke from the Pakistani city of Quetta, where hundreds of Taliban loyalists are meeting in an effort to resolve the split. The five deaths came after Taliban commander Mullah Mansoor Dadullah, loyal to Mullah Omar’s family, led hundreds of gunmen against Mansoor supporters in the southern Afghan province of Zabul, where the

Rebels accuse govt troops of launching attacks on their forces just days after a ceasefire pact on Wednesday Juba:  South Sudan’s rebels accused government troops on Saturday of launching attacks on their forces in the north of the country after a ceasefire that is part of a peace deal came into effect, a charge the government denied. It was the latest exchange of accusations since President Salva Kiir signed a pact on Wednesday that aims to end 20 months of conflict in the world’s newest nation. The UN Security Council on Friday welcomed the agreement but warned that it remained ready to impose an arms embargo if the deal collapsed. Even as he signed the agreement on Wednesday, Kiir said rebels were attacking government forces, while rebels have made counter charges. Since fighting erupted in December 2013, several ceasefire deals have been agreed upon and swiftly fallen apart. Rebel leader Riek Machar’s forces said on Saturday that their positions in Adok, a Nile river port in oil-ri

To the editor:  While I applaud your coverage of University of Alabama criminologist Adam Lankford's research on mass shootings, scrutiny of such events risks overshadowing larger societal problems. Mass shootings pale in comparison with ordinary homicides. (" Why the U.S. is No. 1 -- in mass shootings ," Aug. 24) More than 10,000 Americans die violently each year, but only a small fraction of these horrible crimes are mass shootings. Among industrialized societies, ours is remarkably violent. While gun ownership does affect the frequency of mass shootings, it has little impact on the much more important problem of overall homicide rates. What, then, makes our society so violent? Research indicates that a principal driver is income inequality. In addition to being among the most violent of industrialized nations, ours is among the most unequal, with wealth being concentrated in the hands of a few. Despite widespread recognition that income inequality has grown dramaticall

Some witnesses have identified one out of four arrestees accused in connection with blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay murder, police said.  DB Deputy Commissioner (east) Mahbub Alam, supervising Niloy murder case probe, confirmed about the matter to the Dhaka Tribune.  Terming it as a progress on Niloy murder case, the official said: “Among the witnesses, some identified one arrestee as they saw him in the crime spot.  We will send four arrestees for DNA tests for further development on the issue.”  However, the DB official did not disclose the name of the killer who was identified by some witnesses saying it as confidential and could hamper the progress of the case.   Source http://www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2015/aug/29/niloy-murder-witnesses-identify-one-killers

Pakistan has banned the Islamic State militant group that has overrun vast stretches of Iraq and Syria after repeatedly denying the dreaded outfit's presence within its territory. "The Islamic State or Daesh has been banned in Pakistan," an Interior Ministry official said on Saturday. The decision was taken on recommendation of the Foreign Office, which regularly updates the  Pakistan  government about international militant groups banned by the United Nations. Banners and graffiti in support of Islamic State (IS), also known as Daesh in Arabic, have often appeared in Pakistan but the government has until now rejected its presence inside the country. However, the official said the outfit has been declared a proscribed entity. The group -- which is banned under a UN sanctions regime -- is believed to have gained a foothold in the border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The brutal organisation has made major inroads into Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan, ove

BBC Science Correspondent The temple is reduced to a pile of rubble in this picture taken just a few days ago A French satellite system has imaged the destroyed Temple of Baalshamin at Palmyra in Syria. The ancient building, which dates to the 1st Century AD, was blown up by Islamic State militants. The "before" image was acquired on 22 May by the Pléiades Earth-observation system, which is managed by Airbus Defence and Space. The "after" view comes from 25 August. Even with the slight difference in angle, it is clear the temple has gone. The UN training and research agency (Unitar) said its satellite system had also confirmed the destruction of the temple. Advertisement "It has been flattened," spokesman Einar Bjorgo told AFP news agency. IS took control of Palmyra in May, sparking fears for the Unesco World Heritage site. The group's fighters had previously levelled a number of ancient monuments in Iraq. Baalshamin stands proud in this Pléiades image

Tributes have been left close to where 71 migrants' bodies were discovered in a lorry in Austria The UN has said "much more is required" to prevent the deaths of migrants fleeing to Europe after hundreds were reported dead in recent days. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a "collective political response" to avert "a crisis of solidarity". He called on states involved to "expand safe and legal channels of migration". On Thursday 71 people, thought to be Syrians, were found dead in a lorry in Austria. Some 200 others are feared dead after two boats sank off Libya. Mr Ban said he was "horrified and heartbroken" at the latest loss of life. Advertisement "A large majority of people undertaking these arduous and dangerous journeys are refugees fleeing from places such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. "The international community must also show greater determination in resolving conflicts and other problems

Western intelligence agencies risk being overwhelmed by the number of people who may pose a threat The failed attack against the Amsterdam-Paris Thalys train on Friday is a clear reminder for all of us: jihadist terrorism is the biggest security threat Europe has faced for decades. But it is also a sign that something is wrong with counter-terrorism, argues former French intelligence agent Claude Moniquet. One of the main characteristics of attacks since the  Mohamed Merah case in March 2012  is that the perpetrators were all "well known" to the intelligence services. And in France, some were the subject of a special file kept when a person is considered to be a threat to the security of the state. Obviously, the fact that people known to be potentially dangerous were able to commit terrorist attacks is worrying. Especially when you realise that about half the Europeans who went to Syria or Iraq were not known to these same services before being "spotted" in the fie

Police in Bangkok say they have arrested a man in connection with a bomb that killed 20 people in the Thai capital nearly two weeks ago.  The man, a foreigner, was arrested in Nong Jok on the outskirts of Bangkok, a police spokesman said. Bomb-making materials were found at the apartment along with 10 passports, said the spokesman, Prawut Thavornsiri. The bomb tore through the crowded Erawan Shrine on 17 August injuring more than 100, mostly tourists. Police found bomb making materials such as detonators and a metal pipe with lids, Mr Thavornsiri said in a televised statement. Advertisement He said the 28-year-old man is not believed to have been the bomber but is suspected of involvement in the attack. 'Bomb-making materials' Deputy national police chief General Chaktip Chaijinda confirmed in a live TV broadcast that police had "detained one person". "We have found components of bomb-making materials in his apartment and I am confident that he is likely involved

The truck near the Slovakia and Hungary boorder that was found with dead bodies of refugees.  Hungary has said it had  arrested four people over the discovery of the decomposing bodies of 71 refugees, believed to be Syrian, in an abandoned truck in Austria. Hungarian police said on Friday three of the suspects held over the latest grim tragedy involving  refugees  seeking refuge in  Europe were Bulgarians and one was Afghan. Thursday's grisly discovery of the truck on a motorway near the  Slovakia  and  Hungary  borders - a rare occurrence on land, with most refugee deaths taking place at sea - sent shock waves through Europe. The news of the arrests came as Libyan rescue workers recovered 76 bodies from yet another  capsized boat in the Mediterranean  crammed with people fleeing conflict and hardship in the Middle East and Africa. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said as many as 200 people on two boats were feared dead near the western port of Zuwara. Many of the victims

The insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has called for a dialogue to resolve border tensions between Colombia and Venezuela, a media report said on Sayurday. "It is best to seek, through constructive and sincere dialogue, the normalisation of the situation along the border," said rebel spokesman Jesus Santrich, reading a statement shortly before the start of another round of negotiations between the FARC and the government of President Juan Manuel Santos. The Venezuelan government ordered last week the temporary closure of two major border crossings with Colombia after a clash with smugglers resulted in serious injury to Venezuelan soldiers. "As brotherly people, we must unite by closing off chances for warmongering...above all, by those who seek, through economic means and other conspiracies to destabilize the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro," Santrich said. The spokesman called for "the sovereignty of the Bolivarian Repub

As news of the powerful bomb blast in downtown Bangkok broke over local television on the night of Aug 17, a small group of villagers in Phayao province, some 700km away in northern Thailand, reacted with concern - but not alarm. "It's another bomb," said Mr Charoen Boontha, deputy head of the village of Huay Khao Kam, before he went back to enjoying his Mekong whisky after a hard day's work constructing a house. For Thais far away from the site, a bomb is hardly news. Bangkok and other cities have been hit by bombs before, even though they were of far lower intensity, and there are almost daily news of improvised explosive devices killing soldiers and civilians in the southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. The blast at the Erawan Shrine, however, was not just another bomb - it was the most intense in memory, killing 20 and injuring over 100. Twelve of those killed were foreigners, including from Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Britain, Indonesia and Mal

August 29, 2015 (NEW YORK) – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has on Friday, 28 August, tabled for adoption a strong worded statement by Council’s president, urging the parties to the peace deal in South Sudan to fully implement the agreement “without exception” or face arms embargo and sanctions targeting individuals seen to be obstructing the implementation of the accord. The UN Security Council votes unanimously to impose sanctions on those blocking peace in South Sudan  Earlier on 25 August, the Security Council urged president Salva Kiir to follow suit and sign the peace agreement as already inked by the rebel leader, Riek Machar, on 17 August, warning of a wide range of sanctions against Juba by 1 September if Kiir refused to sign the agreement or sign it with reservations. President Kiir backed down reluctantly and signed the peace deal on 26 August, but with reservations. It is not clear whether the Security Council, also scheduled to meet on 1 September, will discuss

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to governments to step up their response to Europe's migrant crisis  following more drownings at sea and the discovery of migrant bodies in an abandoned truck in Austria. Mr Ban praised leaders and communities who were taking action to cope with the flow of migrants, but added: "Much more is required." "I appeal to all governments involved to provide comprehensive responses, expand safe and legal channels of migration and act with humanity, compassion and in accordance with their international obligations," he said. The UN chief said he was "horrified and heartbroken" by the loss of lives in the Mediterranean and the grim discovery of more than 70 bodies crammed inside a truck that was abandoned near the Austrian border with Hungary. Indications are that many of the victims were Syrian refugees, including children. Rescuers pulled 76 bodies from the Mediterranean after two boats carrying 500 migrants sank,

The London-based NGO said that at least 40 opposition fighters from Syrian Islamist factions were killed, while 12 IS members were also killed in the clashes in Aleppo.  At least 52 people were killed in clashes on Thursday between several Islamist factions and Islamic State (IS) in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The London-based NGO said that at least 40 opposition fighters from Syrian Islamist factions were killed, while 12 IS members were also killed in the clashes in Aleppo. Meanwhile, IS detonated a car bomb on the outskirts of the Syrian city of Mare, in northern Aleppo, on Thursday morning, according to SOHR. Clashes were ongoing in Mare and around the villages of Harjala and Dalha, also in Aleppo. IS fighters carried out the attacks coinciding with an offensive launched in Mare on Thursday morning, where they were able to conquer the towns of Sandaf and al-Harbal.  Source http://www.greaterkashmir.com/mobi/ne