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Showing posts from August 17, 2014

British lingerie shop says sorry over Isis underwear

A British adult retailer apologised Saturday after launching a range of lingerie named Isis -- but said it did not support jihadists in Iraq and Syria and had no plans to withdraw the line. Ann Summers' Isis range includes lacy black and white bras, thongs and suspenders and is for sale online and in its shops, which number over 100 across Britain. The retailer -- which also stocks sex toys, bondage gear and fancy dress -- named the range after the ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility. But it shares its name with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the jihadist group now known as the Islamic State (IS). A spokeswoman for Ann Summers said that names for its ranges are chosen months before their launch. "We acknowledge the unfortunate timing of this product launch in our store windows, however we in no way support or condone any act of terrorism or violence," she said. "We apologise for any offence caused." She said there were no plans to pull the range f

Suicide attacks kill at least 17 in Iraq after mosque shooting

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Two suicide bombers in Iraq have killed at least 17 people in apparent revenge attacks after a major assault on a Sunni mosque heightened sectarian tensions. In Baghdad, a bomber rammed a vehicle into an intelligence headquarters, killing at least eight people, police and medical sources said. Near Tikrit, a suicide bomber driving a military Humvee packed with explosives attacked a gathering of soldiers and Shiite militias on Friday night, killing nine people. Shiite  militiamen machine-gunned 68 worshipers at a village mosque  in Diyala Province on Friday, as politicians try to form a power-sharing government capable of countering Islamic State (IS) militants. An advance by Islamic State through northern Iraq has alarmed the Baghdad government and its Western allies and drawn  US airstrikes in Iraq for the first time since the withdrawal of American troops in 2011 . Although the air campaign has caused a few setbacks for Islamic State, they do not address the far broader problem of se

US considers air strikes in Syria after murder of James Foley

'If you come after Americans, we’re going to come after you,' says White House adviser as preparations begin to target Isil fighters The US is considering escalating its assault on Islamic State and the Levant extremists with air raids, drone strikes and special forces operations inside  Syria  following the murder of James Foley, an American journalist. Barack Obama has so far resisted calls for attacks inside Syria, and justified similar operations in  Iraq  as protecting US forces or preventing the genocide of religious minorities at the hands of Sunni fundamentalists. However, the graphic video of Mr Foley’s death has brought a hardening of Washington’s position. Benjamin Rhodes, the president’s deputy national security adviser, told reporters in Martha’s Vineyard, where Mr Obama is holidaying: “If you come after Americans, we’re going to come after you, wherever you are. “We’re actively considering what’s going to be necessary to deal with that threat and we’re not going t

Jihadists killed in new push to take Syria air base

Beirut: At least 14 jihadists were killed and 150 wounded in overnight clashes with Syrian troops defending an air base in Raqa province, a monitoring group said on Saturday.  The clashes came as the Islamic State group launched a new bid to capture the Tabqa base, the government's last bastion in the northern province, the rest of which is in the hands of the jihadists.  The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack began overnight when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the base. The two sides then exchanged rocket, artillery and heavy machine gun fire and the Army deployed air strikes against the attacking jihadists, the Britain-based group said.  The air raids continued into the morning, with eight strikes against the town of Tabqa that killed 13 people, among them an additional 10 IS fighters.  Those deaths brought IS losses since it began its assault on Tabqa to at least 94, with more than 400 wounded, according to the Observatory.  IS has brought i

Anders Breivik: Norway killer's father to publish book

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21 August 2014  Last updated at 12:33 The father of jailed Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik has written a book expressing feelings of guilt and responsibility over his son's actions. Anders Breivik admitted killing 77 people when he bombed central Oslo and then went on a shooting spree at a youth camp on a nearby island in 2011. His parents separated when he was a year old and his father Jens claims to have had little contact with the boy. Entitled My Fault? A Father's Story, the book is set for release in October. "I feel some guilt and I feel some responsibility. What would have happened if I had been a better father? Would Anders have done what he did?" Jens Breivik wrote, according to an excerpt of the book released by the publisher Juritzen. A retired Norwegian diplomat living in southern France, Mr Breivik wrote the book with the help of a ghost writer and is expected to question his behaviour as a parent and his role in the life of the radical far-right k

A Ku Klux Klan Group Claims It Is Around Ferguson and Fundraising for Darren Wilson

The upheaval in  Ferguson , Missouri, following the shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown has laid bare the racial tension gripping the area. With militarized police shooting tear gas at protesters, incidences of looting, more than 100 arrests, and at least  one other death , you'd expect that the situation could get no worse — but it couldn't possibly be helped by the involvement of the Ku Klux Klan. A Klan group based in South Carolina recently announced  that its Missouri chapter would be holding a fundraiser this weekend for Darren Wilson, the police officer accused of shooting and killing Brown. The location is supposed to be somewhere in Sullivan, a town about an hour outside of Ferguson. "All money will go to the cop who did his job against the negro criminal," the announcement said. Charles Murray, the Imperial Wizard of the New Empire Knights, told VICE News that he and members of his group are in the Ferguson area in order to help protect white-owned

Alleged neo-Nazi to appear in court accused of planning cynanide attacks

An alleged British neo-Nazi accused of plotting to kill non-Aryans in a cyanide attack will face trial in December. Mark Colborne is charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006. The 36-year-old college student appeared via video link at the Old Bailey from Belmarsh prison. Dressed in a brown tracksuit, bearded Colborne spoke only to confirm his name as Mr Justice Sweeney set the date of December 8 for a trial lasting one to two weeks. Colborne was first arrested on June 3 when counter terrorism police searched the home he shares with his mother in Butts Road,  Sholing  in Southampton . He was later charged with the terror offence on July 1. The defendant was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on October 27 for a plea and case management hearing. Source  http://dailyecho.co.uk/news/11427486.Alleged_neo_Nazi_to_appear_in_court_accused_of_planning_cynanide_attacks/

German neo-Nazi killers police probe a 'fiasco'

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August 22, 2014 - 6:30AM Beate Zschaepe, centre, enters court in Munich, Germany, as part of the trial linked to the far-right National Socialist Underground terror cell. Photo: AP By  Bethan John Berlin:  A German police investigation into a neo-Nazi killing spree was a "fiasco", a report by a parliamentary committee in one of Germany's states said on Thursday. The National Socialist Underground (NSU) murdered 10 people, mostly ethnic Turks, from 2000 to 2007. "The accumulation of wrong decisions, indecision and neglect of basic standards also justify the suspicion of intended sabotage and of knowingly foiling the apprehension of the fugitives," the report said. It said the police "did not pursue information insistently" and "massively underestimated the growing violence of the militant far right". The state criminal police did not seriously follow up sightings of two NSU members and failed to apprehend one member in 1998 after discovering e

Haniyeh: We'll Continue to Fight the 'Neo-Nazi Enemy'

Hamas’s former prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, declared on Thursday evening that, despite the elimination of several of its leaders, the terror group will remain strong. "We want to emphasize that despite the pain of their deaths, Hamas's history has demonstrated more than once that it is stronger after each elimination of a senior member,” he said in a televised address from his hiding place, according to  Channel 2 News . "Once a senior member is killed, we continue on our way without hesitation," said Haniyeh, who added that the battle between Hamas and “the Zionist enemy” is a difficult one. "(The enemy) has paid a high price extracted by the fighters of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, both outside of Gaza and inside it,” he claimed. “Our brave people and our leaders are out to lift the siege on Gaza and liberate Jerusalem and Palestine from the neo-Nazi occupier that only destroys homes and kills women and children." In a veiled reference to Egypt w

Malaysia, Indonesia Officials Fear ISIS Influence, Infiltration In Region

As the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues its reign of violence, officials in Southeast Asia express growing concern about the threat of terrorism in Indonesia and Malaysia. ISIS has outlined a  5 year plan for world dominance , attempting to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state, throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Western Asia. Yesterday, seven suspected militants loyal to ISIS were arrested in Malaysia after buying bomb-making material and plotting to attack a Carlsberg brewery, according to a top Malaysian anti-terrorism official. The plan, which the official said was at a "discussion" stage, would be the first time militants inspired by the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) sought to launch a major attack in Southeast Asia. According to Sooyoung Kim of International Christian Concern (ICC), ISIS  has had influence  in Indonesia and Malaysia since 2013, and many citizens of those regions have expressed fervor for the terrorist

Syria deaths at 191,000: 'It's not a number, it's people'

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The last time the UN issued a figure on the number of fatalities was in July 2013, when it said that 100,000 people had died. This new figure is based on data from five separate organisations dedicated to collating the time and location of fatalities , and did not include detail about an estimated 52,000 other deaths that have been recorded but which don't have conclusive details. UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay's spokesman presented the report,  Everybody Counts,  and condemned the international community's "paralysis" over Syria. Ms Pillay is due to step down from her role, and  in her last address to the UN Security Council criticised the panel's indecision and said its failure to act had cost "hundreds and thousands of lives". Rupert Colville said on Friday that the increase in the death toll was so high because the new figure includes additional fatalities from earlier periods. "It is an indicative number based on very, very precis

The irrelevance of Hurriyat: Kashmir’s silent majority is cheering PM Modi

By Aasha Khosa New Delhi: The Valley’s silent majority, which does not favour Kashmir becoming part of Pakistan, is quietly cheering the Narendra Modi government's decision to cut the separatist conglomerate — the Hurriyat Conference — to size. The government has made it clear to Pakistan that there would be no further bilateral talks if it fails to disengage with the separatists. "Who are these Hurriyat people — Pakistan giving them importance is fine but why should New Delhi keep pandering to their whims and fancies," said a former Congress leader from south Kashmir. He had quit politics after his family was humiliated and threatened by the pro-Pakistan armed militants in Kashmir in early nineties. "For the first time in 20 years, I am feeling that there will be end to putting a premium on being a pro-Pakistani in Kashmir," he added. He sought anonymity for the fears of reprisals from armed militants, who, he fears, still lurk around. Many grassroots political

Hamas executes 18 in Gaza for ‘collaborating with Zionist enemy’

GAZA CITY (Palestinian Territories): Hamas gunmen executed 18 Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel in the heart of Gaza City on Friday, as the deadly war between the Islamist movement and Israel reached day 46. The Palestinian emergency services say another 75 people have died in Gaza since hostilities resumed on Tuesday following a nine-day truce. In Israel, two civilians have been wounded by direct rocket attacks. European governments, meanwhile, are seeking UN action to stop the bloodshed after frantic Egyptian diplomatic efforts failed to secure a durable ceasefire to the worst fighting in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since a 2000-05 intifada. Israel has vowed to continue its campaign of air strikes until it can guarantee the security of millions of citizens who live in daily fear of rocket attacks, and Hamas is defiant over demands that the Jewish state end an eight-year blockade on the narrow Palestinian coastal enclave it controls. At least 2,091 Palestinians ha

Hostage-Taking Central to Islamic State Strategy in Syria

The Sunni militant group calling itself the Islamic State is holding as many as 1,000 Syrians, and possible as many as 20 foreigners, in detention centers they control, say Syrian opposition activists involved in mediation efforts to release captives. The Islamic State, in its early days a reincarnation of al Qaeda in Iraq, has expanded its ranks and ambitions in the chaos of the Syrian civil war over the past two years, rounding up rivals, secular activists and others. Last year, it expanded its sights to foreign aid workers and journalists. The new spotlight on the group following the beheading of  James Foley  is revealing the extent to which their hostage-taking and killings have become central to their strategy. It isn't clear how many foreigners are being detained. But based on sightings in Syria and information passed between detainees and their families, the activists estimate between a dozen and 20, opposition activists and negotiators say. The New York-based Committee to

3 top Hamas commanders among 19 killed in Israeli strikes

Gaza/Jerusalem, Aug 21: Intensifying its targeted assassinations of militants, Israel's air force today bombed a house in Gaza killing three senior Hamas commanders among 19 Palestinians on the 45th day of the deadly conflict. The three field commanders killed, Mohammed Abu Shamala, Mohammed Barhoum and Raed al-Attar, were key to Hamas operations including smuggling, tunnel construction and also played a role in capturing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, who was later released in a swap deal. They died in the attack near the southern town of Rafah, sources in Gaza said. Attar was the most senior commander in the south and was seen taking Shalit from the car and handing him over to the Egyptians during the prisoner exchange in 2011. Shamala was the Rafah commander said to have been responsible for planning the capture of Shalit. Barhoum, a close relative of Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, was a senior local commander. The Hamas field operatives were among at least six killed, so

Naxal Gunned Down in Encounter in Chhattisgarh

A naxal was today gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Sukma district, police said. The face-off took place during a combing operation near restive Birabhati forests under Bhejji police station limits, Sukma Superintendent of Police D Shrawan told  PTI. A joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Cobra (Combat Battalion for Resolute Action), a specialised unit of CRPF and district force was carrying out search operations in the Bhejji region of south Bastar, around 500 kms from Raipur, Shrawan said. When they reached Birabhati and Jaggawaram forests, rebels opened indiscriminate firing on them following which they retaliated. After a fierce gun-battle, the ultras retreated to the core area of the forest. Later in searches, body of a slain naxal in uniform and a SLR rifle was recovered from the spot, he said. The identity of the killed naxal is yet to be ascertained, he said adding his body was being retrieved from the forests. Sourc

MKO Leader Expresses Solidarity with Jaish-ul-Adl Terrorists

Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:24 TEHRAN (FNA)- The ringleader of the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as MEK, PMOI and NCRI) expressed his solidarity with the Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group. Referring to the execution of 16 men affiliated to Jaish-Al-Adl terrorist group, Masoud Rajavi, whose whereabouts are unknown since the US invasion of Iraq, described them as their "brothers". Earlier in October 2013, Maryam Rajavi, the co-leader of the MKO, also released a statement condemning the execution of terrorists, while a group of Iranian border guards were killed in cold blood close to the Iranian border with Pakistan. Jaish-Al-Adl is a Salafi extremist group which along with a number of assassinations of Iranian border guards, abducted five Iranian border guards in Jakigour region in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan on February 6 and transferred them to the Pakistani territory. The group released four of the abductees on April 6 and announced

Haqqani Network said to sexually abuse boys

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Boys who have been recruited for suicide bombing missions tell security officials of rapes at militant training camps, a practice that has drawn Afghan and Pakistani condemnation.  Samiullah, an Afghan boy, in shown in a 2013 National Directorate of Security (NDS) video describing his molestation by Haqqani Network commanders in North Waziristan. [YouTube] By Zahir Shah  2014-07-10 PESHAWAR – Militant sexual abuse of the boys they recruit to join their cause apparently is rife in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the months after a Central Asia Online exposé about the Taliban's sexual assault of boys, Afghan and Pakistani officials have discovered instances of such abuses among other militant groups. "I was dressed in women's clothes and was raped over four nights," Samiullah, a teen victim who was recruited by the Haqqani Network, said in a video statement posted last year on YouTube. "A friend of mine named Muhammad was also raped." NDS evaluates Samiullah'

Uzbek Muslims denounce IMU extremists

An Uzbek court in July sentenced 6 Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) members to various prison terms. Uzbek Muslims are decrying the extremists, noting that they are distorting the tenets of Islam  Uzbek Muslims perform evening prayers in Tashkent July 23. Uzbek Muslims are denouncing members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) for not following the principles laid out in the Koran. [Maksim Yeniseyev] By Maksim Yeniseyev 2014-08-05 TASHKENT – Uzbekistan continues to fight efforts by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) to spread its message of extremism in the Central Asian country. A court in Qashqadaryo Oblast July 7 sentenced three male and three female IMU extremists to various prison terms. "During the past three years, the terrorists underwent training in undisclosed locations, learning skills with weapons and the theory of Islamic 'jihad,'" Uzbek Public Prosecutor's Office spokesman Arif Atajanov said. "The criminals planned to join thei