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Showing posts from May 15, 2016

Afghan IS Commander Guns Down 11 of His Own Fighters

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An Islamic State (IS) commander in Afghanistan killed 11 of his fellow fighters in the Achin district of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghan provincial authorities said. The Nangarhar governor’s spokesperson, Attaullah Khogyani, told reporters on Friday about the unusual killings carried out by IS commander, Zameen Jan — also known as Abubakar — but provided few details about why the commander would target his own men. Khogyani said that after the killings, the commander was wounded by Taliban fighters who were now holding him.   Local residents and a posting by the Taliban on its Facebook page claimed that Jan took revenge on his fighters after his brother, a member of the Taliban, was killed by IS fighters this week in a gunbattle. IS has not commented on the report. IS active in Achin The Islamic State group has established a footprint in a number of Nangarhar districts, including Achin.  Its fighters have launched multiple attacks on government security

The slow progress on Colombian peace

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has been a major thorn in the side of the government of Colombia since the FARC’s creation in 1964 to fight rural inequality. Over the past 52 years more than 220,000 people have been killed, 6 million internally displaced and an estimated 77,000 registered as disappeared due to armed conflict in Colombia, with the FARC as a major reason why. Furthermore, the FARC is one of the last remaining terrorist organizations designated by the U.S. State Department in the Americas — the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Colombia and Shining Path (SL) in Peru are the other two. The good news is that compared to the Taliban-Afghan peace process, Colombia and the FARC are doing considerably better. Since the Colombian government and the FARC launched the reconciliatory process in November 2012 there has been steady progress, albeit slowly. The agenda for peace has already seen some major

Pentagon Rejects Joint Strikes With Russia

PENTAGON— The Pentagon is dismissing a Russian proposal to carry out joint airstrikes against al Qaida-linked terrorists in Syria. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu floated the notion Friday during a meeting that was broadcast on Russian state television, adding that the strikes could begin as early as May 25, and would be coordinated with the government of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. “We believe the adoption of these measures will allow a transition to a peaceful process to be achieved in the entire territory of Syria," said Shoigu. “Nothing’s formally been presented to us,” Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters Friday.   “I can only tell you from where I sit, and from where we sit today that we do not collaborate or coordinate with the Russians on any operations in Syria,” Davis said. “We don’t have military-to-military relations with Russia.” The U.S. suspended all military ties with Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Balochistan minister's son kidnapped

QUETTA:  Unidentified men kidnapped Balochistan Provincial Minister for local government Sardar Mustafa Khan Tareen’s son, Asad Khan Tareen on Friday, police sources confirmed. Initial reports revealed that Asad was abducted by unidentified culprits from Pishin Cadet College area. The site has been cordoned off by Frontier Corps and police officials as further investigation is underway. Sources revealed the victim’s vehicle and cellphone were recovered from the site where the abduction took place. Separately, four Balochistan Levies personnel, who were abducted in the Awaran area of Balochistan by suspected militants, were released earlier this month. The personnel were kidnapped by armed men from Gishkor tehsil in Awaran district late Saturday night when they were patrolling in the area. “The kidnappers took their vehicle and four SMGs,” said a Balochistan Levies official. Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/1107414/balochistans-ministers-son-kidnapped-pishin-dis

Taliban Suicide Bomber Hits NATO Convoy Near Kabul

ISLAMABAD— The NATO-led military coalition in Afghanistan said a suicide bomber struck one of its vehicles north of Kabul Saturday but caused no casualties to its personnel. The attack occurred in Bagram district, which hosts the largest U.S. military airbase in Afghanistan, about 55 kilometers from the Afghan capital. “Resolute Support can confirm that one coalition vehicle was struck by a personnel borne IED (improvised explosives device) this morning in the vicinity of Bagram. Despite Taliban claims and reports in the media, there were no injuries to coalition personnel involved,” said a statement the NATO-led coalition released in Kabul. Claimed responsibility Earlier, a Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the suicide car bombing on a convoy of the “invaders,” a references the Islamist insurgency uses for U.S. and allied forces. The spokesman claimed the attack inflicted “several casualties and damage to vehicles,” tho

Malaysia's police nab 14 in anti-terror crackdown

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian authorities detained 14 people believed to have links to the Islamic State (IS) in a series of raids across several states earlier this week. The 14 - all Malaysians - are the latest to be detained by authorities who have been on a concerted campaign over the past few years to stamp out the threat of Islamist militancy in the country. Deputy inspector-general of police Noor Rashid Ibrahim said in a statement that eight of the suspects are believed to have transferred money to the IS in Syria and the Abu Sayyaf militant group in the southern Philippines. All eight are also believed to have ties with Malaysian IS recruiter Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, who police had earlier identified as having recruited several Malaysians to launch an attack in the southeast Asian nation. Three others were detained on suspicion of promoting IS ideology, while two men and one woman were arrested for allegedly planning to travel to Syria to join the terrorist group. The

White House has witnessed other breaches, odd incidents

The White House and the surrounding areas in the White House security perimeter have been the scene of security breaches, attempted intrusions and other bizarre incidents in recent years, prompting the Secret Service to consider new security measures. In the summer of 2015, sharper spikes were added to the fence surrounding the perimeter to discourage intruders. And this spring, the Secret Service proposed a new design with "intrusion detection technology." In the most recent incident, on Friday, the White House went into lockdown after what federal law enforcement agencies said was a shooting just outside the White House gate. President Obama was on a golf outing at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Md. when the shooting occurred. No White House employees were injured. One of the most frightening incidents happened on Sept. 19, 2014, when a man armed with a knife was able to scramble over the White House fence, dash across the lawn and north portico do

pak Army clears last militant stronghold in North Waziristan

SHAWAL:  Pakistan Army said on Friday it had cleared the last militant stronghold in the country’s northwestern tribal area after a three-month long operation. In February troops began the final phase of Operation Zarb-e-Arb in North Waziristan. “We have cleared the Shawal valley completely of militants,” Brigadier Shabbir Narejo told reporters at a briefing. Troops, helicopter gunships, tanks and jets were deployed in the operation, during which Taliban militants put up “stiff resistance”, Narejo said. “There were up to 2,000 trained militants in the valley, but we surprised them by launching the operation in the peak of winter in minus 12 degrees Celsius,” he said. He said that six soldiers and up to 120 militants died in the fighting. Reporters were shown weapons and missile launchers that were seized and also huge tunnels where militants had been hiding in the thick, forested valley. Narejo said some militants had fled to Afghanistan, but that troops had set

Sri Lanka grants amnesty to 540 prisoners

Colombo, May 21 (IANS) A total of 540 prisoners were released on Saturday in Sri Lanka on a presidential pardon in view of Vesak, a holy day for Buddhists all over the world. The country's prisons department said those released were serving time for minor offences and included those who had been imprisoned for their failure to pay the fines imposed by the courts, Xinhua news agency reported. Those who are above 70 in age and who had been serving their sentences for more than 10 years were also included in the pardon, it said. The department said no prisoners who had been sentenced for murder and robbery or for abusing children and women were released. --IANS py/vm Source https://in.news.yahoo.com/sri-lanka-grants-amnesty-540-prisoners-093222866.html?nhp=1

The cyberattack that changed the world

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moments that change the course of history are obvious instantly.  The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The 2003 invasion of Iraq. Broadcast live around the globe, the gruesome images of these events set the stage for the 21st century. Everyone knew it even while the cameras were rolling. Others you have likely never heard of. On a chilly Baltic spring day in 2007, a much quieter act of violence began with just an error message here, a disconnected server there. It would end by crippling the institutions of a major European capital, escalating what had been a war of words between two countries, Russia and Estonia, into something unprecedented:  Cyberwar . This surreptitious smash into Estonia's digital heart sparked a shift in the fighting stance of the world’s most powerful militaries, richest governments, and most cutting-edge private companies that continues to this day. Estonians compare the day to their own 9/11. Imagine what would happen if Wall St. fi

Hacker Steals Money from Bank and Donates $11,000 to Anti-ISIS Group

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Meet this Robin Hood Hacker: Phineas Fisher, who breached Hacking Team last year,  revealed on Reddit Wednesday that he hacked a bank and donated the money to Kurdish anti-capitalists in Rojava autonomous region in northern Syria that borders territory held by the ISIS ( Islamic State militant group ). Fisher, also known as "Hack Back" and "@GammaGroupPR," claimed responsibility for both the Hacking Team and Gamma Group data breaches. The vigilant hacker donated 25 Bitcoin (worth around US$11,000) to a crowdfunding campaign known as the Rojan Plan, which has been set up by members of the Rojava’s economic committee, described by Fisher as "one of the most inspiring revolutionary projects in the world." Also Read:  Here's How Hackers Stole $80 Million from Bangladesh Bank The funds donated to the campaign came from a bank heist, though the hacker neither revealed the name of the bank nor provided any further details of the bank heist. When de

Hindus will convert you: ISIS tells Indian Muslims in video

New Delhi, May 21: Indian Intelligence agencies are closely studying a video released by an ISIS member of Indian origin which threatens a series of attacks across the country.  The video which runs into 22 minutes was released on Friday and the prominent face in it is Abu Amir al-Hindi alias Fahad Shaikh a resident of Maharashtra.  Intelligence Bureau officials say that the video warns of attacks in India. It also speaks of seeking revenge for the Godhra riots and the Babri Masjid incident. We are studying the video closely and trying to identify the others in it who we suspect could also be Indians, the officer informed OneIndia.  We are coming back: The video has the same old propaganda strategy which is adopted by every other terrorist group wanting to carry out attacks in India. It speaks about avenging Godhra and Babri. References to Kashmir too are made in the video.  However the message that Shaikh gives out is that they are coming to India to launch attacks. Read M

8 arrested in Iran over 'un-Islamic' Instagram posts

TEHRAN: Iran has arrested eight people for working in "un-Islamic" online modelling networks, particularly on  Instagram , the head of Tehran's  cyber crimes  court said on state television.  The arrests were made under a two-year-old sting operation named "Spider II", targeting among others models who post photos online without the hijab covering the hair that is compulsory for women in public in Iran since its 1979 Islamic revolution.  It identified 170 people running online Instagram pages - 59 photographers and makeup artists, 58 models, 51 fashion salon managers and designers, and two active institutions, according to a statement from the special court.  "We found out that about 20% of the (Iranian)  Instagram  feed is run by the modelling circle," Javad Babaei said on state  television  late yesterday .  They have been "making and spreading immoral and un-Islamic culture and promiscuity", he said.  Babaei said it was the judiciary&#

ISIS Is Laughing At America, Says Donald Trump

Washington:  The ISIS is laughing at America as the political leaders in the country have no effective strategy against the terror group, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said today. "We can't afford to be so nice and so foolish anymore. Our country is in trouble, ISIS is laughing at us," Mr Trump told Fox News in an interview. Mr Trump lashed out political leaders, in particular Hillary Clinton, his potential Democratic rival in the November general elections, for not having an effective policy against ISIS. "I'm so tired of watching these politicians get up and say exactly what they're going to do with ISIS. And in the meantime, ISIS sits back, and they laugh and they go out and they prepare for it. You've got to hit people with a little surprise. There has to be some unpredictability," he said. Mr Trump said Ms Clinton's allegation that his proposal to ban Muslims is promoting terrorists is the "dumbest"

Islamic State releases video allegedly showing Indian jihadistsfighting in Syria

WASHINGTON: The dreaded terror group ISIS has launched a new propaganda video that showed off a large group of Kalashnikov-wielding  jihadists allegedly from India  fighting against the Syrian forces in the Homs province. The video is  part of ISIS propaganda campaign  on foreign fighters in their ranks, US-based private SITE Intelligence Group said yesterday. The terror group's division in Homs released the video on  Indian fighters aimed at recruiting jihadists from the country  to fight against the Syrian government forces, it said. "The interviewed ISIS fighters called on Indians to leave their country and join the 'jihad' in Syria against the 'kuffar' (infidels)," Al-Masdar News today reported, citing the video. It is not clear how many Indians are actually fighting with the ISIS inside Syria, it said. Citing Syrian Arab Army sources, it said there has been a recent surge in the number of Indian fighters killed near the ancient city of Palmyra in

Osama bin Laden poster signed by SEAL Team 6 sells for $100,000

HOUSTON: A "wanted" Osama bin Laden poster, signed by US Navy SEAL Team 6 which carried out the raid in Pakistan to kill the then al-Qaeda chief, has been auctioned for a whopping $100,000 here. Before Admiral William McRaven took over the chancellor's office at the University of Texas, he oversaw one of the most daring raids in modern military history — the assault on Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The raid, recounted in a number of books, articles and the Hollywood blockbuster "Zero Dark Thirty," saw a squad from the Navy's elite SEAL Team 6 sweep into the 9/11 mastermind's hiding place to kill the terrorist leader. The admiral's personal Osama "wanted" poster, signed by SEAL Team 6, was auctioned off for $100,000 at a Houston dinner on Tuesday. "(The photo was a) reminder to all of us that this was guy we were looking for from 2004," McRaven was quoted as saying by the Houston Chronicle. "It

EU under fire over Czech pig farm on Roma Holocaust site

PRAGUE: Czech anti-racism activists said on Tuesday they had asked the EU to halt subsidies to a pig farm built on the site of a former concentration camp where hundreds of Roma prisoners died during World War II. "The fact that European taxpayers' money is heading to (the farm) runs counter to the values on which the EU was built," said activist Miroslav Broz, a coordinator at the Konexe anti-racism association. "When you arrive at the pig farm, you can see EU logos and flags and inscriptions saying the EU is subsidising the operation and upgrades of this farm," he told AFP a day after May 16, which is the international Roma Resistance Day. Jan Michal, head of the European Commission's representation in Prague, said it was up to EU member states to decide where subsidies were paid. "The European Commission manages the common agricultural policy but it is up to the individual member states to name the recipients of the support," he said. Broz s

San Francisco's police chief quits amid racial issues

SAN FRANCISCO: San Francisco's police chief, Greg Suhr, resigned under pressure from the city's mayor on Thursday, just hours after an officer's fatal shooting a black woman sparked new outrage in a city whose storybook beauty has been overshadowed recently by high-profile police killings. The police department and Suhr have faced mounting criticism and protests for months in the wake of some police killings and a scandal over racist text messages sent by police officers. "I have previously expressed confidence in Chief Suhr because I know he agrees with and understands the need for reform," Mayor Ed Lee told reporters at a press conference in City Hall. "But following this morning's officer-involved shooting and my meeting with Chief Suhr this afternoon, today I have arrived at a different conclusion to the question of how best to move forward." San Francisco Police spokeswoman officer Grace Gatpandan said she could not comment on Suhr's resig

Woman who wanted to join Isis and marry Jihadi John is jailed forfour and a half years

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A woman who said she wanted to marry the terrorist known as "Jihadi John" has been jailed for four and a half years for spreading Isis propaganda.  Zafreen Khadam was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court after being found guilty of 10 terror offences. The North East Counter Terrorism Unit (NECTU) said the 32-year-old had openly supported Isis and had told friends she wanted to marry Mohammed Emwazi, the British militant labeled Jihadi John after he appered in several videos beheading Western hostages. The head of NECTU, Detective Chief Superintendent Clive Wain, said his officers had reviewed hundreds of hours of video and thousands of social media posts where Khadam openly expressed her admiration for Isis's extremist ideology and said she was planning to go to Syria.  He said: "It is clear from the evidence presented that Khadam openly demonstrated support for Daesh [Isis] and their ideology, using multiple social media accounts to further spread the propaganda of t

Coalition Flyers Urge Residents To Quit ISIS Syria Bastion

Beirut, Lebanon:  The US-led coalition fighting the ISIS has dropped flyers on Syria's Raqa urging residents for the first time to leave the jihadist stronghold, an activist and a monitor said Friday. "It's not the first time that coalition airplanes have dropped flyers on Raqa but it's the first time that they've addressed residents and asked them to leave," a founding member of the citizen journalist group Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) said. Flyers usually address ISIS fighters in the city, telling them "Your time is coming, your end is coming", Abu Mohammad said. On its Facebook and Twitter accounts, RBSS shared an image of what they said was the flyer dropped on the jihadists' de facto capital in Syria. "The time you have been waiting for has come, the time has come to leave Raqa," reads the top of the comic book style water-coloured sketch. It shows residents -- three men wearing backpacks, a veiled woman and a ch

Eagles of Death Metal dropped by two French festivals over Bataclancomments

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AP Jesse Hughes has become known for his outspoken views on gun control Eagles of Death Metal have been dropped from two French music festivals, after their singer reiterated his suggestion that security at the Bataclan was complicit in 2015's terror attacks. Ninety people were killed at the venue last November when gunmen opened fire during the band's set. Singer Jesse Hughes suggested in March that some security guards may have known in advance about the attacks. Despite  apologising , he repeated the statements in a US interview last week. The Bataclan venue has previously condemned his earlier remarks as defamatory. "There's no denying the terrorists were already inside, and they had to get in somehow," Hughes told Gavin McInnes in Taki's Magazine last week. "During the shooting I went outside and the backstage door was propped open. How did that happen?" Following publication of the interview, organisers of the Rock En Seine

Chibok girls: Nigerian army claims second rescue

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AFP The second Chibok schoolgirl was rescued on Thursday, the army said A second schoolgirl from the more than 200 seized in the Nigerian town of Chibok has been found, the army says. But a spokesman for the Chibok girls' parents has cast doubt on the claims, saying that the girl's name is not on the families' list of those missing. An army spokesman said she was among a group of 97 women and children rescued by troops in the north-east. Islamist militant group Boko Haram has abducted thousands of other girls in recent years, rights groups estimate. This comes two days after the rescue of the first Chibok girl. The army has previously made mistakes in its statements about the rescue of the Chibok girls - in its initial statement after the first girl was found, it used the wrong name. Africa Live: Latest news updates In all, 218 girls remain missing after their abduction by the Boko Haram Islamist group from Chibok secondary school in north-eastern  Nigeria  in 2014. The fir