Posts

Showing posts from October 15, 2017

How Other Terrorist Organizations Could Benefit From ISIS' Loss Of Raqqa

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Ali Soufan, former FBI terrorism investigator, and author of the book  Anatomy of Terror.  They discuss reports that Al-Qaida is actively recruiting ISIS fighters. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:  For four years, the Islamic State used the Syrian city of Raqqa as its base, a de facto capital. Now, that changed this week. And among the many questions raised by the fall of Raqqa is this one. Might other terror groups profit from the Islamic State's loss? Specifically, does al-Qaida stand to gain? We've called on Ali Soufan to take on that one. Soufan investigated al-Qaida attacks back in his FBI days, and he's author of the book "Anatomy Of Terror." Ali Soufan, welcome to the show. ALI SOUFAN: Thank you. KELLY: Start with the relationship between al-Qaida and ISIS, which is complicated. How do they view each other these days - as rivals, as enemies, as frenemies, what? SOUFAN: Well, they are mostly rivals, and

Ukraine has a Nazi problem and a Western media problem

Image
Last weekend saw Ukraine’s biggest Nazi march of modern times. Yet, the Western media and its numerous correspondents in Kiev completely ignored the story, even on social networks. This is as clear an example of press bias as you will ever encounter. On Saturday night, up to 20,000 far-right radicals honored the 75th anniversary of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) – a paramilitary group led by Stepan Bandera, which actively collaborated with Hitler’s Germany. They brandished lit torches, smoke pellets, and flares as they chanted fascist slogans. And some participants openly gave Nazi salutes during the rally. The leaders of the procession included Oleg Tyahnybok, an associate of US Senators John McCain and Chris Murphy, who has  called  for Ukraine to do more to halt the  "criminal activities"  of  "organized Jewry.”  He’s also demanded Ukrainian citizens should have their ethnic origins stamped in their passports. View image on Twitter  Fol

Women and Terrorism … A Gender Reading

Image
Every now and then the stories of female members of the ISIS terrorist group and of other extremist organizations emerge. The latest of these stories is that of a 16-year old German ISIS member, who was persuaded to join the group by another member through the internet. She traveled to Turkey and later to Syria where she met with her new husband, “Abou Mohammed,” whom she had never met before. He was killed on the battlefield however soon after she married him,. The German ISIS member now finds herself on trial in Iraq. Another example is the so-called “White Widow,” former British rapper Sally Jones, who joined ISIS and was killed in a US drone strike on the Syrian-Iraqi border in June. There are several other stories of women, who have joined extremist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sharia. These stories, and many others, prompted Tunisians Dr. Amal Qourami and Monia al-Arfawi to write a book, “Women and Terrorism: A Gender Study.” Published by the M

Student shoots two dead in Brazilian school: Officials

A young student at a private school in Brazil shot dead two other children and wounded three more, emergency services said Friday. Source:  http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/10/21/539357/Brazilian-school-shooting

5 people injured in central Munich knife attack – medics

Image
An unidentified knifeman has attacked and wounded several people in central Munich, local police and firefighters reported.  Local law enforcement told residents not to leave their homes. The suspect has been described as a man in his 40s. There has been no mention of any motive for the assault so far. The suspect is also carrying a backpack, according to a police tweet. Polizeieinsatz am Rosenheimerplatz. Täter verletzt mit Messer mehrere Person. Weitere Informationen folgen.  #München — Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen)  21. Oktober 2017 Bild reported a police helicopter in the sky over the area, while police cars and ambulances are visible on the spot with many people looking on. Meanwhile, Munich police cautioned against  “unhelpful speculation”  and urged the public to wait for further statements from the authorities. According to the Munich Fire Department, five people sustained  “light injuries”  during the assault. Police say there are conflicting reports as

NGO publishes names of 2,300+ RT guests, labels them ‘useful idiots who undermine Western democracy’

Image
An NGO called the European Values Think-Tank has published a report on RT featuring an extensive list of US and European public figures who have been accused of “undermining western democracy” just by appearing in RT shows. The report, claiming to be an  “overview of RT’s editorial strategy and evidence of impact,”    comes  with an Excel list of 2,327 people who have appeared on RT over the last four years. The names are carefully arranged in seven categories, including US politicians, UK politicians, European politicians and so on, and are arranged in alphabetical order. The list mentions the shows the guests appeared on, the total number of their appearances, and gives hyperlinks to all the relevant episodes. Labeling RT a foreign agent amid ‘witch hunt’ in US may pose real threat to its staff – Moscow The report states that appearing on the network is counterproductive and makes the guest a  “useful idiot”  to a  “hostile foreign power.” Expressing one’s opinion on RT is co