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LazyLion
King of de Jungle
JORDAN SAYS IS CAN BE DEFEATED; UPROAR OVER BURN VIDEO
By KARIN LAUB
Associated Press
Jordan called Wednesday for a decisive battle against the Islamic State group, declaring "this evil can and should be defeated," after the militants burned a Jordanian pilot to death in a cage and gleefully broadcast the horrific images on outdoor screens in their stronghold.
Waves of revulsion over the killing washed across the Middle East, a region long accustomed to violence. In mosques, streets and coffee shops, Muslims denounced the militants' brutality and distanced themselves from their violent version of Islam.
Even a prominent preacher with close links to jihadi groups said Islamic State militants miscalculated if they hoped the images of the pilot's agony would galvanize greater opposition to a U.S.-led military coalition that has been bombing targets of the group.
"After millions of Muslims were cursing every pilot (in the coalition), with this act, they (IS) have made the burned one into a symbol," Abdullah al-Muhaysni, a Saudi sheik, wrote on his Twitter account.
The Islamic State group, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, has killed captives in the past, posting videos of beheadings and sparking widespread condemnation. However, the killing of Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, who crashed over Syria in December, also highlighted the vulnerability of Jordan, a key Western ally in the region, to threats from extremists.
Jordan was long considered an island of relative stability in a turbulent region, but in recent years had to absorb hundreds of thousands of war refugees, first from Iraq and then Syria, at a time of a sharp economic downturn.
Jordan receives hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid a year, but grinding social problems persist, including high unemployment among young men, a reservoir of potential IS recruits.
Experts estimate Islamic State and other jihadi groups have thousands of supporters in the kingdom, with an upswing last year after the militants declared a caliphate in the areas they control.
The United States and Israel are particularly concerned about any signs of turmoil. Israel views Jordan as an important land buffer and the two countries share intelligence.
In Washington, congressional support built Wednesday for increased U.S. military assistance to the kingdom. Currently, the United States is providing Jordan with $1 billion annually in economic and military assistance.
Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Jordan's King Abdullah II - who met with lawmakers and President Barack Obama on Tuesday - must be given "all of the military equipment" he needs to combat the group. He said Abdullah did not ask for ground troops.
At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration would consider any aid package put forward by Congress, but that the White House would be looking for a specific request from Jordan's government.
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he expected his panel to swiftly approve legislation. He repeated his criticism that the Obama administration has "no strategy" for dealing with the Islamic State group, and said he hoped the video of al-Kaseasbeh's death will galvanize not only U.S. leadership but "the Arab world."
Abdullah rushed home after his Washington meetings, cutting short his U.S. trip, to rally domestic support for an even tougher line against the militants. In September, Jordan joined the U.S.-led military coalition that began bombing Islamic State group targets in Syria and Iraq.
The decision was not popular in Jordan, with the bombing campaign widely seen as serving Western, not Jordanian interests. During weeks of uncertainty about the fate of the airman, some of his relatives and supporters chanted against Jordan's role in the coalition.
On Wednesday, Hammam Saeed, the leader of Jordan's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, visited relatives of the pilot in the southern tribal town of Karak, and called on Jordan to pull out of the anti-IS coalition, saying that "we have no relations with this war."
Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani on Wednesday urged the international community to work together and deliver a decisive blow to Islamic State militants. Jordan believes that "this evil can and should be defeated," he said.
In an initial response, Jordan executed two Iraqi al-Qaida prisoners, Sajida al-Rishawi and Zaid al-Karbouly, before sunrise Wednesday.
Over the past week, Jordan had offered to trade al-Rishawi, a failed female suicide bomber, for the pilot, but insisted on proof of life it never received. Al-Momani said Wednesday that Jordan now believes the pilot was killed in early January.
Dozens more suspected Islamic State sympathizers are in detention in Jordan, most rounded up during a crackdown in recent months.
Public outrage over the pilot's death and calls for revenge against IS could help Abdullah broaden support for the coalition, said Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical analysis at Stratfor, a global intelligence and advisory firm in Austin, Texas.
"Sentiments (about the airstrikes) are going to start changing across the Middle East after people see the video, especially the Jordanian people," he said. Stewart said a similar shift occurred a decade ago in Iraq after Sunni Muslim tribes turned away from a local branch of al-Qaida, a precursor of the Islamic State group, over its brutality.
Marwan Shehadeh, a Jordanian expert on jihadi groups, said he expects the opposite outcome. "Public opinion rejected the IS behavior, but at the same time, more voices are questioning the participation of Jordan in the international coalition," he said. "The killing (of the pilot) will drive more people to question that."
The Islamic State militants appeared to be goading Jordan.
In the northern Syrian city of Raqaa, the Islamic State group's de facto capital, the militants showed graphic footage of al-Kaseasbeh's slaying on outdoor screens, with some chanting "God is great!" according to militant video posted online Wednesday that conformed to Associated Press reporting of the event.
In the 20-minute video of the killing, the pilot displayed signs of having been beaten, including a black eye. Toward the end of the clip, he stood in the outdoor cage in an orange jumpsuit and a masked militant lit a line of fuel leading to him. The AP could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video.
A senior Iraqi Kurdish official, meanwhile, echoed Jordan's appeal for a decisive campaign against the militants.
Fouad Hussein, chief of staff to Kurdish President Massoud Barzani, said U.S.-led coalition airstrikes are helpful, but "to finish ISIS ... you need to finish it on the ground," he said, using an alternate acronym for the militant group.
"And on the ground, we are most of the time alone. So we need partners," he said. "It means advisers. It means special forces. It means a collective fight against ISIS. It means equipment, it means munitions."
Though Islamic State fighters have been forced to retreat from Kobani, a strategic town on Syria's border with Turkey, the battlefield picture suggests they are far from beaten in northern Iraq, where harsh winter weather and thick mud underfoot hampers military moves.
The Kurdish peshmerga fighters have struggled for months to inch ahead, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.
Source : Sapa-AP /avb
Date : 05 Feb 2015 00:14
By KARIN LAUB
Associated Press
Jordan called Wednesday for a decisive battle against the Islamic State group, declaring "this evil can and should be defeated," after the militants burned a Jordanian pilot to death in a cage and gleefully broadcast the horrific images on outdoor screens in their stronghold.
Waves of revulsion over the killing washed across the Middle East, a region long accustomed to violence. In mosques, streets and coffee shops, Muslims denounced the militants' brutality and distanced themselves from their violent version of Islam.
Even a prominent preacher with close links to jihadi groups said Islamic State militants miscalculated if they hoped the images of the pilot's agony would galvanize greater opposition to a U.S.-led military coalition that has been bombing targets of the group.
"After millions of Muslims were cursing every pilot (in the coalition), with this act, they (IS) have made the burned one into a symbol," Abdullah al-Muhaysni, a Saudi sheik, wrote on his Twitter account.
The Islamic State group, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, has killed captives in the past, posting videos of beheadings and sparking widespread condemnation. However, the killing of Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, who crashed over Syria in December, also highlighted the vulnerability of Jordan, a key Western ally in the region, to threats from extremists.
Jordan was long considered an island of relative stability in a turbulent region, but in recent years had to absorb hundreds of thousands of war refugees, first from Iraq and then Syria, at a time of a sharp economic downturn.
Jordan receives hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid a year, but grinding social problems persist, including high unemployment among young men, a reservoir of potential IS recruits.
Experts estimate Islamic State and other jihadi groups have thousands of supporters in the kingdom, with an upswing last year after the militants declared a caliphate in the areas they control.
The United States and Israel are particularly concerned about any signs of turmoil. Israel views Jordan as an important land buffer and the two countries share intelligence.
In Washington, congressional support built Wednesday for increased U.S. military assistance to the kingdom. Currently, the United States is providing Jordan with $1 billion annually in economic and military assistance.
Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Jordan's King Abdullah II - who met with lawmakers and President Barack Obama on Tuesday - must be given "all of the military equipment" he needs to combat the group. He said Abdullah did not ask for ground troops.
At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration would consider any aid package put forward by Congress, but that the White House would be looking for a specific request from Jordan's government.
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he expected his panel to swiftly approve legislation. He repeated his criticism that the Obama administration has "no strategy" for dealing with the Islamic State group, and said he hoped the video of al-Kaseasbeh's death will galvanize not only U.S. leadership but "the Arab world."
Abdullah rushed home after his Washington meetings, cutting short his U.S. trip, to rally domestic support for an even tougher line against the militants. In September, Jordan joined the U.S.-led military coalition that began bombing Islamic State group targets in Syria and Iraq.
The decision was not popular in Jordan, with the bombing campaign widely seen as serving Western, not Jordanian interests. During weeks of uncertainty about the fate of the airman, some of his relatives and supporters chanted against Jordan's role in the coalition.
On Wednesday, Hammam Saeed, the leader of Jordan's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, visited relatives of the pilot in the southern tribal town of Karak, and called on Jordan to pull out of the anti-IS coalition, saying that "we have no relations with this war."
Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani on Wednesday urged the international community to work together and deliver a decisive blow to Islamic State militants. Jordan believes that "this evil can and should be defeated," he said.
In an initial response, Jordan executed two Iraqi al-Qaida prisoners, Sajida al-Rishawi and Zaid al-Karbouly, before sunrise Wednesday.
Over the past week, Jordan had offered to trade al-Rishawi, a failed female suicide bomber, for the pilot, but insisted on proof of life it never received. Al-Momani said Wednesday that Jordan now believes the pilot was killed in early January.
Dozens more suspected Islamic State sympathizers are in detention in Jordan, most rounded up during a crackdown in recent months.
Public outrage over the pilot's death and calls for revenge against IS could help Abdullah broaden support for the coalition, said Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical analysis at Stratfor, a global intelligence and advisory firm in Austin, Texas.
"Sentiments (about the airstrikes) are going to start changing across the Middle East after people see the video, especially the Jordanian people," he said. Stewart said a similar shift occurred a decade ago in Iraq after Sunni Muslim tribes turned away from a local branch of al-Qaida, a precursor of the Islamic State group, over its brutality.
Marwan Shehadeh, a Jordanian expert on jihadi groups, said he expects the opposite outcome. "Public opinion rejected the IS behavior, but at the same time, more voices are questioning the participation of Jordan in the international coalition," he said. "The killing (of the pilot) will drive more people to question that."
The Islamic State militants appeared to be goading Jordan.
In the northern Syrian city of Raqaa, the Islamic State group's de facto capital, the militants showed graphic footage of al-Kaseasbeh's slaying on outdoor screens, with some chanting "God is great!" according to militant video posted online Wednesday that conformed to Associated Press reporting of the event.
In the 20-minute video of the killing, the pilot displayed signs of having been beaten, including a black eye. Toward the end of the clip, he stood in the outdoor cage in an orange jumpsuit and a masked militant lit a line of fuel leading to him. The AP could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video.
A senior Iraqi Kurdish official, meanwhile, echoed Jordan's appeal for a decisive campaign against the militants.
Fouad Hussein, chief of staff to Kurdish President Massoud Barzani, said U.S.-led coalition airstrikes are helpful, but "to finish ISIS ... you need to finish it on the ground," he said, using an alternate acronym for the militant group.
"And on the ground, we are most of the time alone. So we need partners," he said. "It means advisers. It means special forces. It means a collective fight against ISIS. It means equipment, it means munitions."
Though Islamic State fighters have been forced to retreat from Kobani, a strategic town on Syria's border with Turkey, the battlefield picture suggests they are far from beaten in northern Iraq, where harsh winter weather and thick mud underfoot hampers military moves.
The Kurdish peshmerga fighters have struggled for months to inch ahead, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.
Source : Sapa-AP /avb
Date : 05 Feb 2015 00:14
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
UN: ISLAMIC STATE TORTURING, KILLING CHILDREN IN IRAQ
The United Nations says the so-called Islamic State is systematically killing, torturing and raping children and families of minority groups in Iraq, and it is calling on government forces there to do more to protect them.
In a report issued Wednesday in Geneva, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child said it has received reports of "several cases of mass executions of boys, as well as reports of beheadings, crucifixions of children and burying children alive."
Iraq's military has been struggling in its fight against the Islamic State, and the government has pleaded repeatedly for more weapons and training.
Still, the U.N. agency urged that more be done, saying Iraq needs to "take all necessary actions to ensure the safety and protection of children and their families."
Source : Sapa-AP /nsm
Date : 05 Feb 2015 11:28
The United Nations says the so-called Islamic State is systematically killing, torturing and raping children and families of minority groups in Iraq, and it is calling on government forces there to do more to protect them.
In a report issued Wednesday in Geneva, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child said it has received reports of "several cases of mass executions of boys, as well as reports of beheadings, crucifixions of children and burying children alive."
Iraq's military has been struggling in its fight against the Islamic State, and the government has pleaded repeatedly for more weapons and training.
Still, the U.N. agency urged that more be done, saying Iraq needs to "take all necessary actions to ensure the safety and protection of children and their families."
Source : Sapa-AP /nsm
Date : 05 Feb 2015 11:28
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
SYRIA SAYS IT DOESN'T NEED JORDAN'S HELP AGAINST IS
Syria's foreign minister has criticized neighboring Jordan, which recently stepped up air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, saying his country does not need outside help in battling IS militants.
Walid al-Moallem also told reporters on Monday that Damascus will not accept Jordanian or other foreign ground troops crossing into Syria to fight the Islamic State. He says any such incursion would be considered a violation of Syrian sovereignty.
There has been no mention of any international troops going into Syria to fight IS.
Jordan has, however, vowed to retaliate for the slaying of one of its pilots, who was burned alive by the Islamic State group militants last week.
Al-Moallem also accused Jordan of allowing "terrorist" - a government term for opposition fighters - to cross into Syria.
Source : Sapa-AP /ma
Date : 09 Feb 2015 14:29
Syria's foreign minister has criticized neighboring Jordan, which recently stepped up air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, saying his country does not need outside help in battling IS militants.
Walid al-Moallem also told reporters on Monday that Damascus will not accept Jordanian or other foreign ground troops crossing into Syria to fight the Islamic State. He says any such incursion would be considered a violation of Syrian sovereignty.
There has been no mention of any international troops going into Syria to fight IS.
Jordan has, however, vowed to retaliate for the slaying of one of its pilots, who was burned alive by the Islamic State group militants last week.
Al-Moallem also accused Jordan of allowing "terrorist" - a government term for opposition fighters - to cross into Syria.
Source : Sapa-AP /ma
Date : 09 Feb 2015 14:29
ChocolateBadger
Expert Member
They lost strategic military areas to is as well as weapons. I think Syria needs all the help they can get and to be honest, they aren't in the position to stop help.
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
'IS martyrs are bailing out'
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/02/10/is-martyrs-are-bailing-out
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/02/10/is-martyrs-are-bailing-out
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
Would not want to be a part of IS right now.. I think life is going to get even tougher for them.
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
ASSAD: WE GET MESSAGES FROM US-LED COALITION BATTLING IS
Syria's President Bashar Assad said in comments published Tuesday that his government has been receiving general messages from the American military about airstrikes targeting the Islamic State group inside Syria but that there is no direct cooperation.
In an interview with the BBC, Assad said the messages are conveyed through third parties, such as Iraq.
"Sometimes they convey message, general message, but there's nothing tactical," he said.
A U.S.-led coalition that includes four Arab countries is conducting airstrikes in Syria as part of an international campaign against Islamic State extremists. They share the skies with Assad's air force, which also targets the militants.
Syrian officials have maintained that they have not been consulted about the airstrikes since they started in September - only informed through third parties in the beginning.
In the interview, Assad also denied his forces have used barrel bombs. The government's use of the crude explosive devices, usually dropped by helicopters, has been widely documented by international human rights organizations and residents of opposition-held areas in Syria. The barrel bombs, which cannot be precisely targeted, have killed thousands of civilians, according to Syrian activists.
"I know about the army, they use bullets, missiles, and bombs. I haven't heard of the army using barrels, or maybe, cooking pots," Assad said, apparently making light of the allegations.
Pressed again about their use, he replied: "They're called bombs.... There is no barrel bombs, we don't have barrels."
Source : Sapa-AP /mr
Date : 10 Feb 2015 10:12
Syria's President Bashar Assad said in comments published Tuesday that his government has been receiving general messages from the American military about airstrikes targeting the Islamic State group inside Syria but that there is no direct cooperation.
In an interview with the BBC, Assad said the messages are conveyed through third parties, such as Iraq.
"Sometimes they convey message, general message, but there's nothing tactical," he said.
A U.S.-led coalition that includes four Arab countries is conducting airstrikes in Syria as part of an international campaign against Islamic State extremists. They share the skies with Assad's air force, which also targets the militants.
Syrian officials have maintained that they have not been consulted about the airstrikes since they started in September - only informed through third parties in the beginning.
In the interview, Assad also denied his forces have used barrel bombs. The government's use of the crude explosive devices, usually dropped by helicopters, has been widely documented by international human rights organizations and residents of opposition-held areas in Syria. The barrel bombs, which cannot be precisely targeted, have killed thousands of civilians, according to Syrian activists.
"I know about the army, they use bullets, missiles, and bombs. I haven't heard of the army using barrels, or maybe, cooking pots," Assad said, apparently making light of the allegations.
Pressed again about their use, he replied: "They're called bombs.... There is no barrel bombs, we don't have barrels."
Source : Sapa-AP /mr
Date : 10 Feb 2015 10:12
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
PENTAGON SAYS ISIS KILLED US HOSTAGE KAYLA JEAN MUELLER
The Pentagon says American hostage Kayla Jean Mueller died at the hands of Islamic State and not in a Jordanian airstrike targeting the militant group.
Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby was asked Tuesday if there was any doubt who killed the aid worker.
He replied: "No doubt. ISIL," using the initials the group is known by.
Kirby says U.S. officials still don't know how Mueller died. But he added that officials are certain it was not in one of the airstrikes Jordan launched in retaliation for the killing of one of its pilots.
Mueller was taken hostage in August 2013 while leaving a hospital in Syria.
ISIS said she died in the airstrike.
Her identity had been kept secret until last week out of fear for her safety.
Source : Sapa-AP /avb
Date : 11 Feb 2015 00:04
The Pentagon says American hostage Kayla Jean Mueller died at the hands of Islamic State and not in a Jordanian airstrike targeting the militant group.
Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby was asked Tuesday if there was any doubt who killed the aid worker.
He replied: "No doubt. ISIL," using the initials the group is known by.
Kirby says U.S. officials still don't know how Mueller died. But he added that officials are certain it was not in one of the airstrikes Jordan launched in retaliation for the killing of one of its pilots.
Mueller was taken hostage in August 2013 while leaving a hospital in Syria.
ISIS said she died in the airstrike.
Her identity had been kept secret until last week out of fear for her safety.
Source : Sapa-AP /avb
Date : 11 Feb 2015 00:04
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
OBAMA DEFENDS POLICY OF NOT PAYING RANSOM FOR HOSTAGES
President Barack Obama says telling families of American hostages like Kayla Mueller that the U.S. will not pay ransom for their release is "as tough as anything I do."
Still, Obama defended the U.S. government's no ransom policy hours after Mueller's family said it had received confirmation of her death from her Islamic State captors. The president says that by paying ransom, the U.S. would be strengthening terror groups and putting Americans at greater risk for future kidnappings.
The president says a rescue mission to recover Mueller and other hostages last summer probably missed them by "a day or two."
Obama called Mueller an outstanding young woman with a great spirit that "will live on." He spoke in an interview Tuesday with BuzzFeed News.
Source : Sapa-AP /avb
Date : 11 Feb 2015 01:22
President Barack Obama says telling families of American hostages like Kayla Mueller that the U.S. will not pay ransom for their release is "as tough as anything I do."
Still, Obama defended the U.S. government's no ransom policy hours after Mueller's family said it had received confirmation of her death from her Islamic State captors. The president says that by paying ransom, the U.S. would be strengthening terror groups and putting Americans at greater risk for future kidnappings.
The president says a rescue mission to recover Mueller and other hostages last summer probably missed them by "a day or two."
Obama called Mueller an outstanding young woman with a great spirit that "will live on." He spoke in an interview Tuesday with BuzzFeed News.
Source : Sapa-AP /avb
Date : 11 Feb 2015 01:22
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
US WOMAN HELD BY ISLAMIC STATE IS DEAD, FAMILY AND WHITE HOUSE SAY
BY SHABTAI GOLD AND ANNE K WALTERS, DPA
Kayla Mueller, a US aid worker held hostage by the Islamic State extremist militia in Syria, is dead, the White House and her family said on Tuesday.
The Islamic State group announced last week that Mueller, 26, was killed Friday in a Jordanian airstrike. The claim that the airstrike killed Mueller has not been confirmed and Jordan has dismissed the claim.
In a related development, US President Barack Obama said in an interview that Mueller had been among the Islamic State hostages in Syria that the US tried to rescue last summer.
The White House said it had no conclusive information about when or how Mueller died, but that intelligence had confirmed the death based on information provided to the family.
The target hit by the Jordanians was a weapons compound and there was no evidence of civilians in the area, calling into question Islamic State's claims about the cause of Mueller's death, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
"What is not possible to call into question is that ISIL, regardless of her cause of death, is responsible for it," Earnest said. "This, after all, is the organization that was holding her against her will. That means they are responsible for her safety and her well being. And they are, therefore, responsible for her death."
Mueller, held captive since August 2013, was the last known US hostage in the custody of the extremist group which has executed foreign journalists and aid workers, in addition to Syrians.
At least one other American however is being held hostage in the region, Earnest confirmed. The family of US journalist Austin Tice has been conducting a public campaign to secure his release after he was kidnapped in Syria, but it is unclear which group might be holding him.
"Our hearts are breaking for our only daughter," the Mueller family said in a statement, adding that they had been told she was killed.
Obama, who called Islamic State a "hateful and abhorrent terrorist group," pledged to bring to justice those responsible for her captivity and death.
He called the Mueller family twice in recent days, Earnest said.
In an interview with the internet website BuzzFeed, Obama said that Mueller was among those the US tried to rescue last year in Syria.
"I deployed an entire operation - at significant risk - to rescue not only her but the other individuals who had been held, and probably missed them by a day or two," Obama said in the interview.
It was revealed following the beheading in August 2014 of US journalist James Foley that the US military had tried unsuccessfully to rescue a number of hostages, but found that the hostages had been moved before the raid.
The United States refuses to pay ransom for American hostages, maintaining that paying ransom only encourages kidnappings of Americans abroad and would also fund terrorist groups.
According to an investigation by The New York Times last year, European nations have paid more than 100 million dollars to terrorists for release of their citizens. The payouts have been largely kept secret.
The governments officially deny ever making such payments.
Obama told BuzzFeed that telling hostages' families that the US will not pay ransom is "as tough as anything I do," but that the US had done everything it could to free Mueller, including the failed rescue attempt.
The US is currently conducting a review of how it deals with citizens taken hostage abroad, including how it coordinates efforts with families. Results of that review are to be released in the spring, Earnest said.
But no reconsideration is to be given to the no-ransom policy.
In a statement, Obama said: "Kayla dedicated her life to helping others in need at home and around the world."
Hr said her compassion and dedication to helping those in need "shows us that even amongst unconscionable evil, the essential decency of humanity can live on."
Source : Sapa-dpa /avb
Date : 11 Feb 2015 03:02
BY SHABTAI GOLD AND ANNE K WALTERS, DPA
Kayla Mueller, a US aid worker held hostage by the Islamic State extremist militia in Syria, is dead, the White House and her family said on Tuesday.
The Islamic State group announced last week that Mueller, 26, was killed Friday in a Jordanian airstrike. The claim that the airstrike killed Mueller has not been confirmed and Jordan has dismissed the claim.
In a related development, US President Barack Obama said in an interview that Mueller had been among the Islamic State hostages in Syria that the US tried to rescue last summer.
The White House said it had no conclusive information about when or how Mueller died, but that intelligence had confirmed the death based on information provided to the family.
The target hit by the Jordanians was a weapons compound and there was no evidence of civilians in the area, calling into question Islamic State's claims about the cause of Mueller's death, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
"What is not possible to call into question is that ISIL, regardless of her cause of death, is responsible for it," Earnest said. "This, after all, is the organization that was holding her against her will. That means they are responsible for her safety and her well being. And they are, therefore, responsible for her death."
Mueller, held captive since August 2013, was the last known US hostage in the custody of the extremist group which has executed foreign journalists and aid workers, in addition to Syrians.
At least one other American however is being held hostage in the region, Earnest confirmed. The family of US journalist Austin Tice has been conducting a public campaign to secure his release after he was kidnapped in Syria, but it is unclear which group might be holding him.
"Our hearts are breaking for our only daughter," the Mueller family said in a statement, adding that they had been told she was killed.
Obama, who called Islamic State a "hateful and abhorrent terrorist group," pledged to bring to justice those responsible for her captivity and death.
He called the Mueller family twice in recent days, Earnest said.
In an interview with the internet website BuzzFeed, Obama said that Mueller was among those the US tried to rescue last year in Syria.
"I deployed an entire operation - at significant risk - to rescue not only her but the other individuals who had been held, and probably missed them by a day or two," Obama said in the interview.
It was revealed following the beheading in August 2014 of US journalist James Foley that the US military had tried unsuccessfully to rescue a number of hostages, but found that the hostages had been moved before the raid.
The United States refuses to pay ransom for American hostages, maintaining that paying ransom only encourages kidnappings of Americans abroad and would also fund terrorist groups.
According to an investigation by The New York Times last year, European nations have paid more than 100 million dollars to terrorists for release of their citizens. The payouts have been largely kept secret.
The governments officially deny ever making such payments.
Obama told BuzzFeed that telling hostages' families that the US will not pay ransom is "as tough as anything I do," but that the US had done everything it could to free Mueller, including the failed rescue attempt.
The US is currently conducting a review of how it deals with citizens taken hostage abroad, including how it coordinates efforts with families. Results of that review are to be released in the spring, Earnest said.
But no reconsideration is to be given to the no-ransom policy.
In a statement, Obama said: "Kayla dedicated her life to helping others in need at home and around the world."
Hr said her compassion and dedication to helping those in need "shows us that even amongst unconscionable evil, the essential decency of humanity can live on."
Source : Sapa-dpa /avb
Date : 11 Feb 2015 03:02
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Pitbull
Verboten
Obama made a submission to congress so troops can/may be deployed against ISIS in the next 3 years. Will try find a source quick.
http://news.sky.com/story/1425727/obama-seeks-war-authorisation-for-is-fight
http://news.sky.com/story/1425727/obama-seeks-war-authorisation-for-is-fight
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
VIDEO CLAIMS TO SHOW ISLAMIC STATE BEHEADING 21 EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS
BY POL O GRADAIGH AND RAMADAN AL-FATASH, DPA
A video released Sunday claimed to show Islamic State militants beheading 21 Egyptian Christians abducted in Libya, drawing a vow by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi to make an "appropriate response."
In the video, masked black-suited extremists appear leading the captives in orange jumpsuits to a coastal area identified as the province of Tripoli by the Mediterranean.
The hostages are forced to kneel before they are simultaneously beheaded.
In a televised address Sunday night, al-Sissi said: "Egypt keeps for itself the right to make an appropriate response at the time it sees fit."
The Egyptian leader was to hold a crisis meeting with the National Defence Council, a body of the country's top security and cabinet officials, according to state television.
Al-Sissi also ordered a week of national mourning.
The Egyptian Coptic Church paid tribute to the slain followers.
"We realize that our great nation will not rest until the evil criminals are dully punished," the Church said in a statement.
Twenty-one Egyptian Christians, working in neighbouring Libya, were seized in the troubled country more than a month ago. Militants, who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, later claimed to have abducted them.
Several areas in Libya, including Tripoli, are controlled by Islamist-allied militias as the country is witnessing its worst violence since the ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Gaddafi in the 2011 uprising.
Egyptian media featured Sunday night phone interviews with shocked relatives of some of the captured men paraded in the video posted on a jihadist website.
"What wrong have they made?" the online edition of state-run newspaper al-Ahram quoted an Egyptian man called Maher, who said his brother, Tawadris, was among those decapitated in the video.
"He was there to earn his living. Now Tawadris is dead. Our house is in ruins. May God ruin their [mmilitants'] houses!" Maher added by phone from his hometown in the southern Egyptian province of Minya.
Christians make up around 10 per cent of Egypt's mostly Muslim population of around 88 million people.
The video is titled "A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross."
A caption then reads: "To the people of the cross, the followers of the hostile Egyptian Church."
Before the alleged executions, a knife-wielding masked militant says in English: "Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for especially if you are fighting us altogether."
The video is elaborately edited like previous footage released by Islamic State showing executions.
Earlier this month, Islamic State released a video showing a captured Jordanian pilot burned alive by its militants.
The radical jihadist militia controls territory in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
Source : Sapa-dpa /aw
Date : 16 Feb 2015 01:38
BY POL O GRADAIGH AND RAMADAN AL-FATASH, DPA
A video released Sunday claimed to show Islamic State militants beheading 21 Egyptian Christians abducted in Libya, drawing a vow by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi to make an "appropriate response."
In the video, masked black-suited extremists appear leading the captives in orange jumpsuits to a coastal area identified as the province of Tripoli by the Mediterranean.
The hostages are forced to kneel before they are simultaneously beheaded.
In a televised address Sunday night, al-Sissi said: "Egypt keeps for itself the right to make an appropriate response at the time it sees fit."
The Egyptian leader was to hold a crisis meeting with the National Defence Council, a body of the country's top security and cabinet officials, according to state television.
Al-Sissi also ordered a week of national mourning.
The Egyptian Coptic Church paid tribute to the slain followers.
"We realize that our great nation will not rest until the evil criminals are dully punished," the Church said in a statement.
Twenty-one Egyptian Christians, working in neighbouring Libya, were seized in the troubled country more than a month ago. Militants, who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, later claimed to have abducted them.
Several areas in Libya, including Tripoli, are controlled by Islamist-allied militias as the country is witnessing its worst violence since the ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Gaddafi in the 2011 uprising.
Egyptian media featured Sunday night phone interviews with shocked relatives of some of the captured men paraded in the video posted on a jihadist website.
"What wrong have they made?" the online edition of state-run newspaper al-Ahram quoted an Egyptian man called Maher, who said his brother, Tawadris, was among those decapitated in the video.
"He was there to earn his living. Now Tawadris is dead. Our house is in ruins. May God ruin their [mmilitants'] houses!" Maher added by phone from his hometown in the southern Egyptian province of Minya.
Christians make up around 10 per cent of Egypt's mostly Muslim population of around 88 million people.
The video is titled "A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross."
A caption then reads: "To the people of the cross, the followers of the hostile Egyptian Church."
Before the alleged executions, a knife-wielding masked militant says in English: "Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for especially if you are fighting us altogether."
The video is elaborately edited like previous footage released by Islamic State showing executions.
Earlier this month, Islamic State released a video showing a captured Jordanian pilot burned alive by its militants.
The radical jihadist militia controls territory in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
Source : Sapa-dpa /aw
Date : 16 Feb 2015 01:38
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
EGYPT STRIKES IS GROUP IN LIBYA AFTER VIDEO OF MASS KILLING
Egypt said Monday it has launched airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Libya after the extremist group released a grisly video showing the beheading of several Coptic Christians it had held hostage for weeks.
A spokesman for the Armed Forces General Command announced the strikes on state radio Monday, marking the first time Cairo has publicly acknowledged taking military action in neighboring Libya, where extremist groups seen as a threat to both countries have taken root in recent years.
The statement said the warplanes targeted weapons caches and training camps before returning safely. It said the strikes were "to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers."
"Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield that protects them," it said.
Libya's air force meanwhile announced it had launched strikes in the eastern city of Darna, which was taken over by an Islamic State affiliate last year. The announcement, on the Facebook page of the Air Force Chief of Staff, did not provide further details.
The video purporting to show the mass beheading of Coptic Christian hostages was released late Sunday by militants in Libya affiliated with the Islamic State group.
The killings raise the possibility that the extremist group - which controls about a third of Syria and Iraq in a self-declared caliphate -has established a direct affiliate less than 500 miles (800 kilometers) from the southern tip of Italy. One of the militants in the video makes direct reference to that possibility, saying the group now plans to "conquer Rome."
The militants had been holding 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian laborers rounded up from the city of Sirte in December and January. It was not clear from the video whether all 21 hostages were killed.
It was one of the first such beheading videos from an Islamic State group affiliate to come from outside the group's core territory in Syria and Iraq.
Source : Sapa-AP /mr
Date : 16 Feb 2015 09:27
Egypt said Monday it has launched airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Libya after the extremist group released a grisly video showing the beheading of several Coptic Christians it had held hostage for weeks.
A spokesman for the Armed Forces General Command announced the strikes on state radio Monday, marking the first time Cairo has publicly acknowledged taking military action in neighboring Libya, where extremist groups seen as a threat to both countries have taken root in recent years.
The statement said the warplanes targeted weapons caches and training camps before returning safely. It said the strikes were "to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers."
"Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield that protects them," it said.
Libya's air force meanwhile announced it had launched strikes in the eastern city of Darna, which was taken over by an Islamic State affiliate last year. The announcement, on the Facebook page of the Air Force Chief of Staff, did not provide further details.
The video purporting to show the mass beheading of Coptic Christian hostages was released late Sunday by militants in Libya affiliated with the Islamic State group.
The killings raise the possibility that the extremist group - which controls about a third of Syria and Iraq in a self-declared caliphate -has established a direct affiliate less than 500 miles (800 kilometers) from the southern tip of Italy. One of the militants in the video makes direct reference to that possibility, saying the group now plans to "conquer Rome."
The militants had been holding 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian laborers rounded up from the city of Sirte in December and January. It was not clear from the video whether all 21 hostages were killed.
It was one of the first such beheading videos from an Islamic State group affiliate to come from outside the group's core territory in Syria and Iraq.
Source : Sapa-AP /mr
Date : 16 Feb 2015 09:27
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
BAHRAIN JOINS EMIRATES IN SENDING FIGHTER PLANES TO JORDAN
The Gulf island nation of Bahrain says it has deployed fighter planes to Jordan, a day after it announced plans to send troops to the kingdom.
Bahrain's brief statement early Monday said the planes would "participate in the international efforts aiming to eliminate terrorism."
It did not provide details, and military officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and like Jordan is part of the U.S.-led coalition carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group. Gulf neighbor the United Arab Emirates previously deployed a squadron of F-16 fighters to Jordan.
Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa visited Jordan last week, and his government on Sunday announced it was sending an unspecified number of troops to help support Jordan.
Source : Sapa-AP /gf
Date : 16 Feb 2015 11:57
The Gulf island nation of Bahrain says it has deployed fighter planes to Jordan, a day after it announced plans to send troops to the kingdom.
Bahrain's brief statement early Monday said the planes would "participate in the international efforts aiming to eliminate terrorism."
It did not provide details, and military officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and like Jordan is part of the U.S.-led coalition carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group. Gulf neighbor the United Arab Emirates previously deployed a squadron of F-16 fighters to Jordan.
Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa visited Jordan last week, and his government on Sunday announced it was sending an unspecified number of troops to help support Jordan.
Source : Sapa-AP /gf
Date : 16 Feb 2015 11:57
RazedInBlack
RazedInBlack
Proof that they're still living in the dark ages.
OrbitalDawn
Ulysses Everett McGill
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
Read it earlier today.. was very very interestinf
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
JAPAN TO GIVE $15.5 MILLION FOR ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS
Japan said Tuesday it will provide $15.5 million in development aid to support anti-terrorism efforts in the Middle East and Africa.
The move comes after the recent beheadings of two Japanese hostages by militants from the Islamic State group.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the contribution, about half of which Japan had already pledged, is intended to bolster counter-terrorism capacity in the regions affected by the group and other militants.
Earlier this year, just before the hostage crisis, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced $200 million in non-military support for nations fighting against the Islamic State militants that control large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Vice-Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama will announce the aid, to be paid through international organizations, at a conference Thursday in Washington, the ministry said.
Japan, which had not directly threatened by the militants until the recent killings of the two hostages, is still in shock and is reviewing its anti-terrorism measures, eyeing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Source : Sapa-AP /mr
Date : 17 Feb 2015 08:42
Japan said Tuesday it will provide $15.5 million in development aid to support anti-terrorism efforts in the Middle East and Africa.
The move comes after the recent beheadings of two Japanese hostages by militants from the Islamic State group.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the contribution, about half of which Japan had already pledged, is intended to bolster counter-terrorism capacity in the regions affected by the group and other militants.
Earlier this year, just before the hostage crisis, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced $200 million in non-military support for nations fighting against the Islamic State militants that control large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Vice-Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama will announce the aid, to be paid through international organizations, at a conference Thursday in Washington, the ministry said.
Japan, which had not directly threatened by the militants until the recent killings of the two hostages, is still in shock and is reviewing its anti-terrorism measures, eyeing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Source : Sapa-AP /mr
Date : 17 Feb 2015 08:42