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US warship arrives in Gulf with Marines, aircraft IRAQ WAR III

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March 27, 2024, 12:55:24 pm Mark says: Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked  When Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida began a speech marking the 100th day of the war in Gaza, one confounding yet eye-opening proclamation escaped the headlines. Listing the motives for the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, he accused Jews of "bringing red cows" to the Holy Land.
December 31, 2022, 10:08:58 am NilsFor1611 says: blessings
August 08, 2018, 02:38:10 am suzytr says: Hello, any good churches in the Sacto, CA area, also looking in Reno NV, thanks in advance and God Bless you Smiley
January 29, 2018, 01:21:57 am Christian40 says: It will be interesting to see what happens this year Israel being 70 years as a modern nation may 14 2018
October 17, 2017, 01:25:20 am Christian40 says: It is good to type Mark is here again!  Smiley
October 16, 2017, 03:28:18 am Christian40 says: anyone else thinking that time is accelerating now? it seems im doing days in shorter time now is time being affected in some way?
September 24, 2017, 10:45:16 pm Psalm 51:17 says: The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the league rulebook. It states: “The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem. “During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”
September 20, 2017, 04:32:32 am Christian40 says: "The most popular Hepatitis B vaccine is nothing short of a witch’s brew including aluminum, formaldehyde, yeast, amino acids, and soy. Aluminum is a known neurotoxin that destroys cellular metabolism and function. Hundreds of studies link to the ravaging effects of aluminum. The other proteins and formaldehyde serve to activate the immune system and open up the blood-brain barrier. This is NOT a good thing."
http://www.naturalnews.com/2017-08-11-new-fda-approved-hepatitis-b-vaccine-found-to-increase-heart-attack-risk-by-700.html
September 19, 2017, 03:59:21 am Christian40 says: bbc international did a video about there street preaching they are good witnesses
September 14, 2017, 08:06:04 am Psalm 51:17 says: bro Mark Hunter on YT has some good, edifying stuff too.
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« Reply #30 on: August 27, 2014, 06:59:02 am »

Top U.S. Military Officer: ISIS Has ‘Apocalyptic End-of-Days Vision’ That Must Be Defeated

During a recent press conference, America’s top military officer asserted that the Islamic terrorist group ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has an ‘apocalyptic end-of-days strategic vision’ that must be defeated by a coalition of forces.

Want proof?? Read this.. http://endtimesandcurrentevents.freesmfhosting.com/index.php/topic,2048.0.html

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the statements on Thursday as both he and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel discussed concerns about the group.

“This is an organization that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated,” he said.

Dempsey remarked that ISIS must be fought in Syria, but that various groups must join together to defeat the terrorist organization.

“[C]an they be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in Syria? The answer is no. That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a nonexistent border,” he said, referring to the Islamic group’s takeover of parts of both Syria and Iraq. “And that will come when we have a coalition in the region that takes on the task of defeating ISIS over time.”

“They marry ideology, a sophistication of strategic and tactical military prowess. They are tremendously well-funded,” Hagel added. “This is beyond anything that we’ve seen. So we must prepare for everything.”

As previously reported, Muslims believe that in the 10th century, the Islamic Mahdi—or redeemer—went into hiding, but will appear again to make all things right with the world. According to the website Answering Islam, Muslims also claim that Jesus will return as a follower of Islam and will establish the religion on the earth.

“Muslims believe that after Allah miraculously delivered Jesus from death, He was assumed into heaven alive in a similar fashion to the Biblical narrative regarding Elijah,” the site outlines. “Since then, Muslims believe, Jesus has remained with Allah and has been awaiting His opportunity to return to the earth to finish His ministry and complete His life.”

“While the Mahdi … is clearly seen as being a superior to Jesus, Jesus is still said to be a leader of the Muslim Community [upon His return],” it continues. “According to the Islamic traditions, Jesus’ primary purpose will be to oversee the institution and the enforcement of the Islamic Shariah law all over the world.”

Nadeem Walayat of the Market Oracle echoed these sentiments.

“What ISIS and virtually all Muslims anticipate is for Jesus to return on the white Eastern Minaret of Damascus (Syria) gliding in on the wings of two angels and then through much blood and carnage will convert the whole world to Islam including killing all of the Jews, break all of the crosses and live as a Muslim for 40 years, before dying and thus heralding the final countdown to Judgment Day when Muslims expect to enter paradise,” he explained.

ISIS specifically seeks to establish an Islamic State in the areas that it conquers, placing the regions under Islamic rule.

Earlier this month, VICE News released a video documentary showing Abu Mosa, a spokesman for ISIS threatening to retaliate if the U.S. interferes with its establishment of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

“I say to America that the Islamic Caliphate has been established,” he said. “Don’t be cowards and attack us with drones. Instead send your soldiers, the ones we humiliated in Iraq.”

“We will humiliate them everywhere, Allah willing, and we will raise the flag of Allah in the White House,” Mosa declared.

http://christiannews.net/2014/08/25/u-s-top-military-officer-isis-has-apocalyptic-strategic-vision-that-must-be-defeated/
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« Reply #31 on: August 27, 2014, 07:02:05 am »

Bryan Fischer: How a Christian Nation Should Respond To the ISIS Threat

ISIS continues its murderous march across Syria and Iraq, committing genocide on the Yazidis and the few Christians who are left. This week they warned America, “We will drown all of you in blood.” There is no ambiguity in that threat. They punctuated their declaration by sawing the head off infidel American journalist James Foley and posting the video for everyone in the U.S. to see. What is a Christian nation like the U.S. to do?     MORE
http://www.onenewsnow.com/perspectives/Bryan-Fischer/2014/08/20/how-a-christian-nation-should-respond-to-isis-threat


UN: Hundreds of Turkmen Muslims Slaughtered in ISIS Religious Cleansing


The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) slaughtered 700 Turkmen civilians last month, including "children, women, and old people," United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Iraq chief Marzio Babille confirmed. Babille told Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) that the massacre of members of the country’s Shiite minority occurred in the northern Iraqi village of Beshir between July 11th and 12th.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/lauretta-brown/un-hundreds-turkmen-muslims-slaughtered-isis-religious-cleansing


Why Aren’t Americans Taking the ISIS Threat ‘To Drown You All In Blood’ Seriously?


If some psychopaths were running around crucifying and beheading lots of people and then they said that they wanted to drown my family “in blood” I would be inclined to take them seriously.  But so far, most Americans seem to be completely and totally unconcerned about ISIS.  Perhaps that is because we had so many years where we were told that al-Qaeda was a major threat but nothing ever seemed to happen.  Well, the truth is...
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/why-arent-americans-taking-the-isis-threat-to-drown-all-of-you-in-blood-seriously


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« Reply #32 on: August 28, 2014, 10:02:13 am »

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« Reply #33 on: August 28, 2014, 06:46:52 pm »



Side note: At the 15:30 mark(not sure if everyone here has viewed it, but either way won't give away the spoiler) - the clip is at a Ferguson, MO "protest"...look at the sign being flashed by one of these "protesters".
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« Reply #34 on: August 29, 2014, 06:16:04 am »

'WE DON'T HAVE A STRATEGY YET' TO FIGHT ISLAMIC STATE...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/why-obama-backed-off-more-isis-strikes-his-own-team-couldn-t-agree-on-a-syria-strategy.html

well DUH!! Obama is a Muslim himself. He supports them, so does McCain...  Tongue

Man With ISIS Flag Waving From Car Leads Police On Chase Through Chicago...
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/08/28/motorist-with-isis-flag-makes-bomb-threat-against-police

Makes Bomb Threat...
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/08/28/motorist-with-isis-flag-makes-bomb-threat-against-police

ISIS strips 250 Syrian soldiers, marches them to mass execution...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2736764/Marched-deaths-Sickening-ISIS-slaughter-continues-250-soldiers-captured-Syrian-airbase-stripped-led-desert-mass-execution.html

People are so surprised, but this is Islam. Always have been, the media has lied to you about the true nature of Islam.

REPORT: President accepts invitation to George Clooney's Italy wedding...
http://adayattheracesblog.com/2014/08/28/a-terrible-idea-by-george-for-george/

Well of course he did, Clooney is marrying a MUSLIM
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« Reply #35 on: August 29, 2014, 09:41:53 am »

Quote

Yes, ISIS has potentially deeply infiltrated here in America - we shouldn't fear, per se, but this is NO joke!

FWIW, don't forget about the Emergent Church's role in pushing Islam as well in recent years.
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« Reply #36 on: August 29, 2014, 10:41:58 am »

http://news.yahoo.com/u-k-raises-terror-threat-level-severe-response-141326383.html
U.K. Raises Its Terror Threat Level to 'Severe' in Response to ISIL

8/29/14

The United Kingdom has raised its terror threat level to "severe" in response to the advances of the Islamic State, Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Friday.

Cameron, in a televised statement from London, said it was the first time in three years that the nation's threat level had been that high. It had previously been at "substantial."

A "severe" threat level means an attack is "highly likely," Cameron said, although he did not cite specific intelligence.

The change was made by Britain's Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre following ISIL's advance in Iraq and Syria and its videotaped beheading of American photojournalist James Foley earlier this month. Cameron noted the British accent of Foley's killer in the video, and he said "at least 500" people have now traveled from Britain to fight with ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

ISIL, Cameron said, presents "a greater and deeper threat to our security than we have known before."

He called the Islamic State "a poisonous ideology of Islamist extremism" that must be confronted head-on.

"We cannot appease this ideology. We have to confront it at home and abroad," Cameron said.

He said the country would impose tighter restrictions on the travel of foreign nationals, among other steps. He voiced support for the airstrikes President Obama has ordered in Iraq, but he gave no indication that the U.K. would be joining the military campaign.

"The key point is that military force is just one element of what we can do," Cameron said.

He said he believed the West would be fighting the extremist ideology of ISIL "for years and probably for decades"
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« Reply #37 on: September 05, 2014, 05:42:17 pm »

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/sep/4/islamic-state-using-edward-snowden-leaks-to-evade-/
9/4/14
Islamic State using leaked Snowden info to evade U.S. intelligence

Disclosures from classified documents help terrorist group’s militants avoid detection


A former top official at the National Security Agency says the Islamic State terrorist group has “clearly” capitalized on the voluminous leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and is exploiting the top-secret disclosures to evade U.S. intelligence.

Bottom line: Islamic State killers are harder to find because they know how to avoid detection.

SEE ALSO: Obama vows to ‘hunt down’ and ‘dismantle’ Islamic State

Chris Inglis was the NSA’s deputy director during Mr. Snowden’s flood of documents to the news media last year. Mr. Snowden disclosed how the agency eavesdrops, including spying on Internet communications such as emails and on the Web’s ubiquitous social media.

Asked by The Washington Times if the Islamic State has studied Mr. Snowden’s documents and taken action, Mr. Inglis answered, “Clearly.”

The top-secret spill has proven ready-made for the Islamic State (also referred to as ISIL or ISIS). It relies heavily on Internet channels to communicate internally and to spread propaganda.

Mr. Snowden “went way beyond disclosing things that bore on privacy concerns,” said Mr. Inglis, who retired in January. “‘Sources and methods’ is what we say inside the intelligence community — the means and methods we use to hold our adversaries at risk, and ISIL is clearly one of those.

“Having disclosed all of those methods, or at least some degree of those methods, it would be impossible to imagine that, as intelligent as they are in the use of technology, in the employment of communications for their own purposes, it’s impossible to imagine that they wouldn’t understand how they might be at risk to intelligence services around the world, not the least of which is the U.S. And they necessarily do what they think is in their best interest to defend themselves,” he said.

Another former official also bemoans the damage Mr. Snowden has done.
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« Reply #38 on: September 12, 2014, 02:30:09 pm »

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/09/breaking-turkey-refuses-obama-request-to-use-its-airbases-to-fight-isis/
Breaking: TURKEY REFUSES OBAMA REQUEST to Use Its Airbases to Fight ISIS
Posted by Jim Hoft on Thursday, September 11, 2014, 10:17 AM

Yesterday, Barack Obama stated, “Turkey needs to be involved in coalition against ISIS.”

On Thursday Turkey said it will not allow the US to use its airbases to fight ISIS.

The Daily Star reported:

    Turkey will refuse to allow a US-led coalition to attack jihadists in neighbouring Iraq and Syria from its air bases, nor will it take part in combat operations against militants, a government official told AFP Thursday.

    ” Turkey will not be involved in any armed operation but will entirely concentrate on humanitarian operations,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

    The decision echoes the country’s refusal to allow the US to station 60,000 troops in Turkey in 2003 to invade Iraq from the north, which triggered a crisis between the two allies.

    Ankara then also refused Washington permission to use its air bases to attack Saddam Hussein’s regime.

    Turkey has come under fire by some critics for indirectly encouraging the formation of ISIS because of its support of Islamist opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and its loose control of its borders.

Considering ISIS terrorists are operating across the Turkish border, this is a bold statement to Obama and the US.
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« Reply #39 on: September 13, 2014, 05:26:02 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-makes-official-us-war-220808683.html
9/12/14
White House makes it official: US "at war" with IS

Washington (AFP) - The White House declared Friday the United States was at war with Islamic State radicals, seeking to rub out another semantic flap over its Syria policy.

In a series of television interviews Secretary of State John Kerry had appeared to be reluctant to term the expansion of US operations against IS in Iraq and Syria as "war."

But pressed to clear up doubts about how President Barack Obama sees the conflict, the White House and Pentagon left little doubt.

"The United States is at war with ISIL in the same way that we are at war with Al-Qaeda and its Al-Qaeda affiliates all around the globe," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said that the US was not fighting the last Iraq war and used similar language to Earnest.

"But make no mistake, we know we are at war with ISIL in the same way we're at war and continue to be at war with Al-Qaida and its affiliates," he said.

Obama is scheduled to be in Tampa, Florida Wednesday to receive a briefing from top commanders at US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East.

In interviews on Thursday, as Kerry toured the Middle East building an anti-IS coalition, he was reluctant to use the term "war" in referring to the US campaign, telling people not to indulge in "war fever."

"We're engaged in a major counterterrorism operation, and it's going to be a long-term counterterrorism operation," Kerry told CBS News.

I think 'war' is the wrong terminology and analogy but the fact is that we are engaged in a very significant global effort to curb terrorist activity," Kerry said.

- 'Different' from last war -

The dispute over wording may seem trivial when American planes and drones have been pounding Islamic State targets in Iraq for weeks in more than 160 operations.

But it indicates the administration is skittish about using language that could alarm Americans weary of years of foreign conflict and who embraced Obama's vow to "end" the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq during two presidential election campaigns.

"The first thing that's important for people to understand is the president has made clear how the strategy that he is pursuing in Iraq and Syria to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL is different than the strategy that was pursued in the previous Iraq War," said Earnest on Friday.

Obama's new strategy, announced in a prime-time televised address on Wednesday, expands US air strikes in Iraq against IS and envisages new action against the group in Syria.

In addition, Obama plans to train "moderate" Syrian rebels to take on IS and to reconstitute the Iraqi army, parts of which fled an IS blitzkreig across northern and western Iraq.

But he has insisted that there will be no deployments of US ground troops in the operation -- especially none that would recall the vast US land armies that were targeted by insurgents in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The debate over the word "war" is only the latest verbal kerfuffle to hamper Obama's attempts to clarify his increasingly under-fire foreign policy.

Two weeks ago, the president sparked a political storm by admitting he did not "yet" have a strategy for combating IS in Syria after the beheading of two US journalists.

Critics also accused the administration of seeking to "manage" the problem of Al-Qaeda rather than seeking to decimate it.

On Wednesday, Obama said that his goal was to "destroy" IS.
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« Reply #40 on: September 13, 2014, 05:54:57 pm »

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Israel-will-fight-IS-if-group-reaches-Jordan-Israeli-official-says-375222

Israeli official: Israel will fight IS if group reaches Jordan

US airstrikes already making headway, official says.

Israel may play a frontline role in the international coalition forming against Islamic State – the jihadi group sweeping through Iraq and Syria in a bid to reinstate a new caliphate in the Middle East.

As world powers unite around a US-led plan for military action to topple the militant group, Jerusalem is signaling that if Islamic State expands to Jordan – Israel will not hesitate to act.

"We will use any means necessary," a senior Israeli official told Channel 2 television. "Let me make this clear: If Islamic State reaches Jordan we will take action."

The official praised President Barack Obama's call for action and said airstrikes are already making progress in Iraq. Thanks to the US air campaign, "Kurdish forces are able to take back Islamic State strongholds," he said.

High-level talks between Israel and the US, currently underway in Washington, are largely focusing on the terror threat. A delegation headed by Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz, which includes Mossad officials, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, and the Defense and Foreign Ministries, left for the US capital earlier this week for discussions on regional crises as well as the looming threat of Iran’s nuclear program.

The official's comments come as US intelligence upped its estimates of the number of Islamic State militants currently fighting in Iraq and Syria. It is now believed that between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters are in the ranks of Islamic State, compared to the previous estimate of about 10,000.             
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« Reply #41 on: September 14, 2014, 09:15:00 am »

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/prime-minister-tony-abbott-promises-to-send-military-to-gulf-in-response-for-help-to-fight-islamic-state/story-fni0xqrb-1227058063000?nk=3242b419ebb07c4623b50945105962fd
Prime Minister Tony Abbott promises to send military to Gulf in response for help to fight Islamic State

9/14/14

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has promised to send Australian military forces to the Persian Gulf to assist in attacks on the Islamic State.

He told media in a press conference in Darwin today that he had decided to prepare and deploy an armed force to the UAE to assist the United States in its military action against the Islamic State’s forces in Iraq and Syria.

He warned “should this extend into combat operations, it could go on for some time”

Mr Abbott said his reaction to the latest video showing the execution of British aid worker David Haines was: “Shock, horror, outrage, fury. And a steely resolve to do anything we can ...”

Mr Abbott said Australia had received a specific request from the US government to contribute forces to possible military action in Iraq.

Cabinet and the National Security Committee had met on Sunday to discuss the matter.

RELATED: Can airstrikes alone defeat 30,000 jihadists?

“The government has decided to prepare and to deploy to the United Arab Emirates a military force,” Mr Abbott told reporters in Darwin.

Australia’s contribution would include 600 personnel and up to eight Super Hornet aircraft, an early warning and control aircraft, aerial refuelling aircraft and a contingent of Special Forces troops.


The prime minister emphasised that Australia was part of an international coalition and that there was no intention for Australian forces to be engaged in independent combat operations.

UNDERSTANDING ISIS: Of knights and caliphs

He also said the deployment did not mean Australia was at war. “There are obviously further decisions to be taken before Australian forces will be committed to combat operations in Iraq,” he said.

He stressed that the deployment was “essentially a humanitarian operation to protect millions of people in Iraq”.

“Nevertheless Australia is prepared to engage in international operations to disrupt and degrade ISIL because of the threat that this murderous death cult poses not just to the people of Iraq, not just to the people of the Middle East, but to the whole world including to Australia.”

Mr Abbott said he was not aware of any Australians being held hostage by Islamic State terrorists.

“The evil and exaltation in evil that was yet again on display today, should make all of us more resolved than ever to do whatever we reasonably can to disrupt, degrade and if possible destroy this movement,” he said.

RELATED: Inside America’s failed bid to save Foley, Sotloff

He refused to the movement Islamic State, insisting it was neither Islamic nor a state.

“It is a death cult,” Mr Abbott said.

The prime minister said about 400 air personnel and about 200 military personnel would be involved in the deployment.

He said “air elements” would depart in the next week or so, while “military elements” could depart sooner.


“We think this is a balanced and proportionate contribution to what is our fight, but it is the world’s fight,” Mr Abbott said. “Australia has a long and proud tradition of doing what we can to help at home and abroad to make for a safer Australia and a safer world.”

He rejected suggestions growing involvement in Iraq would make Australia a target.

“These terrorists and would-be terrorists are not targeting us for what we have done or for what we might do, they are targeting us for who we are, they are targeting us for our freedom, our tolerance, for our compassion, for our decency,” he said.

Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, said disrupting and degrading Islamic State would take a “comprehensive and sustained effort”.

“But ... if we do nothing, the risk of allowing the shocking acts of ISIL to further destabilise the Middle East, and spread beyond the Middle East region, potentially back to Australia, is a greater risk,” he said.

STAY ALERT, NOT ALARMED

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has reassured Australians that everything possible is being done to protect them, a day after the terror alert was raised to high for the first time.

He said the decision to increase the alert level on Friday followed a spike in “chatter” detected in a sixfold increase in counter-terrorism operations during the past year.

Security will be beefed up at football finals and at so-called “soft targets” like shopping centres, but Mr Abbott stressed the terror alert upgrade does not mean an attack is imminent.


Senator Brandis said earlier today that the government was not asking people to avoid large crowds.

“In fact we’re saying the opposite,” he said.

“We’re saying that you should go to the footy finals, you should go about your ordinary life in the same way you always have, reassured that the government is aware of the threat, aware of the risk and has taken appropriate steps.”

Security and intelligence agencies are concerned about the increasing number of Australians who are fighting with terrorist groups such as Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra and al-Qaeda in Syria and Iraq.

The government knew the identity of some but not all of the 60-odd Australians fighting in the Middle East, the attorney-general said.

However, it would ensure none returned to Australia undetected. “Any foreign fighter who returns and has committed a crime by participating in the civil war in Syria and northern Iraq will be prosecuted,” he said

“People should go about their lives normally, reassured that strong arrangements are in place to detect, to prevent and to respond to terrorism,” Mr Abbott said in a statement.

“The government is ... taking considered action so that you can continue to lead your lives confident that everything, everything possible is being done to protect you.”
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« Reply #42 on: September 15, 2014, 07:22:08 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/ap-sources-first-us-strike-expanded-iraq-fight-223554320--politics.html
AP sources: First US strike in expanded Iraq fight
9/15/14

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the United States took the first step in the planned expanded fight against Islamic State militants Monday, going to the aid of Iraqi security forces south of Baghdad who were being attacked by enemy fighters.

The officials say Iraqi forces requested assistance when they came under fire from militants. Officials say the strike represents the newly broadened mission authorized by President Barack Obama to go on the offensive against the Islamic State group wherever it is.

Previous U.S. airstrikes in Iraq were conducted to protect U.S. interests and personnel, assist Iraqi refugees and secure critical infrastructure. Monday's strike was in direct support of Iraqi forces fighting the militants.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the mission publicly by name.
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« Reply #43 on: September 16, 2014, 06:12:15 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/u-says-wont-unleash-shock-awe-air-campaign-165815779.html
U.S. general says cannot rule out larger ground role in Iraq
9/16/14

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The most senior U.S. military officer raised the possibility on Tuesday that American troops might need to take on a larger role in Iraq's ground war against Islamic State militants, but the White House stressed they would not deploy on a combat mission.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there was no intention now to place American military advisers on the ground in direct combat. U.S. assistance is taking other forms, including air strikes.

Still, Dempsey outlined scenarios in which he might recommend having U.S. troops do more, potentially accompanying Iraqis during complicated offensives, such as a battle to retake the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters.

"It could very well be part of that particular mission - to provide close combat advising or accompanying for that mission," Dempsey said.

Dempsey acknowledged that Obama's "stated policy is that we will not have U.S. ground forces in direct combat."

"But he has told me as well to come back to him on a case-by-case basis," he said.

Obama said last week he would lead an alliance to defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, plunging the United States into a conflict in which nearly every country in the Middle East has a stake.

But Obama also ruled out a combat mission, saying "we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq." How exactly America's role might evolve in the open-ended conflict remains unclear, however.

Responding to Dempsey's comments, the White House said Obama’s military advisers had to plan for many possibilities and that overall policy had not changed - that Obama would not deploy U.S. troops in a combat role in Iraq or Syria.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that Dempsey was "referring to a hypothetical scenario in which there might be a future situation where he might make a tactical recommendation to the president as it relates to ground troops."

Dempsey's spokesman also issued a statement stressing that the four-star general's exchange in the Senate was not about "employing U.S. ground combat units in Iraq."

Dempsey was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, as the Obama administration makes its case to Congress for broadening operations against the Sunni militants, which would include U.S. air strikes in Syria for the first time.

NO "SHOCK AND AWE' IN SYRIA

The U.S. military's Central Command is due to brief Obama on its plans on Wednesday. Hagel said those plans envision striking the militant group's safe havens in Syria to knock out infrastructure, logistics and command capabilities.

Dempsey said the strikes would degrade the group's capabilities as broader efforts get under way, including training of more than 5,000 Syrian rebels.

"This won't look like a 'shock and awe' campaign because that's simply not how (the Islamic State militants' group) is organized. But it will be a persistent and sustainable campaign," Dempsey told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"Shock and awe" was a term popularly used to describe the initial air assault on Baghdad in the U.S. campaign to oust Saddam Hussein in 2003, and refers to use of overwhelming force to undermine an enemy's will to fight.

Congress is expected to approve this week a request from Obama for authorization to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels, one part of his program.

Still, Hagel acknowledged the number of Syrian fighters that could be trained over the course of the year would only put the opposition on a path to roll back Islamic State fighters.

"Five thousand alone is not going to be able to turn the tide. We recognize that," Hagel said.

The Senate hearing was repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protesters, shouting slogans such as, "There is no military solution." One protester was escorted out of the room while holding a sign that read: "More war = More extremism."

Senator Angus King of Maine, expressing concern that the United States would be drawn into interminable fights against extremist groups around the world from Iraq to Syria to Africa, said: "This is geopolitical Wack-a-mole."
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« Reply #44 on: September 17, 2014, 09:38:21 am »

Obama's First Defense Secretary: There Will Be Boots On The Ground If There's 'Any Hope Of Success' Against ISIS
9/17/14
http://www.businessinsider.com/robert-gates-boots-on-the-ground-with-isis-necessary-2014-9

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Wednesday said US ground troops will have to be part of the equation if there's "any hope of success" in President Barack Obama's strategy to "degrade and destroy" the extremist group ISIS (also known as ISIL or the Islamic State).

"The reality is they're not going be able to be successful against ISIS strictly from the air, or strictly depending on the Iraqi forces, or the Peshmerga, or the Sunni tribes acting on their own," Gates said in an interview on "CBS This Morning" on Wednesday.

"So there will be boots on the ground if there's to be any hope of success in the strategy. And I think that by continuing to repeat that" he won't send ground troops, Gates said, Obama "in effect traps himself."

Gates' comments come a day after the White House sought to clarify comments from the administration's top military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, who opened the door for US ground troops if the situation on the ground deteriorates.

"To be clear, if we reach the point where I believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president," Dempsey said.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest subsequently reiterated Tuesday afternoon that Obama believes US ground troops should not have a combat role in Iraq.

Gates, who served in both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, also said he was concerned about the stated objective of the US mission against ISIS — to "degrade and destroy" the group. He said that goal may be "unattainable," considering the US' lengthy engagements with other terrorist groups like al-Qaeda.

"We've been at war with al-Qaeda for 13 years. We have dealt them some terrible blows, including the killing of Osama bin Laden," Gates said.

"But I don't think anybody would say that after 13 years we've destroyed or defeated al-Qaeda. I think to promise that we're going to destroy ISIS or ISIL sets a goal that may be unattainable, as opposed to devastating it ... and dealing them terrible blows that prevent them from holding territory. Those are probably realistic goals."
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« Reply #45 on: September 17, 2014, 09:42:11 am »

http://online.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-funds-push-into-syria-and-iraq-with-labyrinthine-oil-smuggling-operation-1410826325
Islamic State Funds Push Into Syria and Iraq With Labyrinthine Oil-Smuggling Operation
West Pushes for Crackdown as Jihadists Move Fuel With Pipeline, Truck, Mule


9/16/14

The Islamic State is funding its rapid push into Syria and Iraq with a labyrinthine oil-smuggling operation that starts at seized Syrian oil fields, goes through makeshift refineries and can end up in jerrycans carried by mules into the hilly borderland of Turkey.

Amid Western pressure to squeeze the group's finances, Turkey is expanding efforts to crack down on the increasingly organized business, which is now generating an...

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« Reply #46 on: September 19, 2014, 08:09:16 am »

France Has Begun Bombing ISIS In Iraq
9/19/14
http://www.businessinsider.com/france-bombs-isis-in-iraq-2014-9

France's military conducted its first airstrike in Iraq, becoming the first foreign country in addition to the US to strike the extremist group calling itself the Islamic State (also ISIS or ISIL) in the country.

French President Francois Hollande said in a statement that the strike, which was conducted around 9:40 a.m. local time Friday, destroyed a logistics depot held by ISIS in northeastern Iraq. He promised operations would continue "in the coming days."

Rafale fighter jets "conducted a first strike against a supply depot terrorist organization Daech in northeastern Iraq. The goal was reached and destroyed," Hollande said.

"Daech" is a way the French government refers to ISIS, loosely meaning the "declaration of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria."

US President Barack Obama "welcomed" Hollande's decision to carry out airstrikes against the group in Iraq, the White House said Thursday.

"The United States welcomes the announcement today from President Hollande that France will conduct airstrikes in Iraq," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. "This is a significant contribution to the efforts of the growing international coalition to combat ISIL, and we look forward to coordinating closely with our French partners in the days to come."

US officials have said more than 40 countries have offered to contribute support to the campaign against ISIS through a variety of methods.

During a news conference on Thursday, however, Hollande said his military's efforts would be limited to Iraq and that he would not participate in the anticipated US campaign to carry out strikes against ISIS in Syria.

The US military has conducted more than 175 airstrikes in Iraq since Aug. 8, according to US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East. On Thursday, the US conducted an airstrike against an ISIS training camp for the first time. CENTCOM said the strike destroyed an "armed vehicle, two ISIL-occupied buildings, and a large ISIL ground unit."
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« Reply #47 on: September 19, 2014, 11:39:51 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/british-journalist-john-cantlie-purportedly-shown-video-144730045.html

British journalist purportedly shown in IS propaganda video

Reuters
September 18, 2014 12:38 PM

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq and Syria released a video on Thursday that they said shows British journalist John Cantlie in captivity saying he will soon reveal "facts" about the group to counter its portrayal in Western media.

The Islamic State, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq, has already beheaded two American journalists and one British aid worker in recent weeks in what it said was reprisal for U.S. air strikes against it in Iraq.

But in the new roughly three-minute video posted on social media sites, the man identified as Cantlie appears in good health and promises to "convey some facts" in a series of "programs," suggesting there would be further installments.

"Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'He's only doing this because he's a prisoner. He's got a gun at his head and he's being forced to do this.' Right?" the man in the video, wearing an orange shirt and closely-cropped hair, says.

"Well, it's true. I am a prisoner. That I cannot deny. But seeing as I've been abandoned by my government and my fate now lies in the hands of the Islamic State, I have nothing to lose."

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he had heard reports of a video on social media and said authorities would look closely at any material released online.

"These videos can be very distressing for the families of the individuals involved," he told reporters during a visit to Copenhagen.

U.S. President Barack Obama has been trying to build an international coalition to destroy Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim extremist group which has exploited the chaos of Syria and Iraq to seize swathes of territory in both countries.

The United States has already carried out scores of air strikes against the group in Iraq and Obama said in a policy speech he would not hesitate to strike it in Syria as well.

In the new video, titled "Lend Me Your Ears, Messages from the British Detainee John Cantlie," the man identified as Cantlie says he was captured by the Islamic State after arriving in Syria in November 2012.

He says he worked for newspapers and magazines in Britain including the Sunday Times, the Sun and the Sunday Telegraph.

"After two disastrous and hugely unpopular wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, why is it that our governments appear so keen to get involved in yet another unwinnable conflict?" the man says in the video.

"I'm going to show you the truth behind the systems and motivation of the Islamic State, and how the Western media, the very organization I used to work for, can twist and manipulate that truth for the public back home."

Cantlie said other Western governments have negotiated for the release of their hostages but that the British and U.S. governments chose to do things differently.

"I'll show you the truth behind what happened when many European citizens were imprisoned and later released by the Islamic State, and how the British and American governments thought they could do it differently to every other European country," the man in the video says.

"They negotiated with the Islamic State and got their people home while the British and Americans were left behind," he says.

PREVIOUS CAPTURE

The United States resumed air strikes in Iraq in August for the first time since the withdrawal of the final U.S. troops from the country in 2011.

The raids followed major gains by Islamic State fighters who have seized a third of both Iraq and Syria, declared war on the West and seek to establish a caliphate in the heart of the Middle East.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Wednesday Obama's plan to train and arm moderate Syrian rebels in a message of support for his military campaign to "degrade and destroy" Islamic State

Britain has delivered humanitarian aid, carried out surveillance, given weapons to Kurds and promised training in Iraq. On military action, Britain supports U.S. air strikes and British Prime Minister David Cameron has repeatedly said Britain has ruled nothing out except combat troops on the ground.

Cantlie had previously been taken hostage in July, 2012 along with Dutch photographer Jeroen Oerlemans while working near the Syrian border with Turkey. They were released the same month after a group of "Free Syrian Army" fighters freed them.

Cantlie told media after his release they were threatened with death unless they converted to Islam, and both were shot and slightly wounded when they attempted to escape. He was shot in the arm, Oerlemans in the leg.

At the time, Cantlie wrote in the Sunday Times that the group of about 30 militants had been made up of different nationalities, many British and none Syrian, and that the British jihadists had treated him the most cruelly in captivity.

On Saturday, Islamic State released a video showing the beheading of British aid worker David Haines. A black-clad man in the video said another hostage, identified as Alan Henning, would be killed if Cameron continued to support the fight against Islamic State.

Thursday's video made no mention of Henning.

"Maybe I will live and maybe I will die," the man identified as Cantlie says. "But I want to take this opportunity to convey some facts that you can verify. Facts that, if you contemplate, might help preserving lives."
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« Reply #48 on: September 20, 2014, 05:35:22 pm »

http://m.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/boehner-and-pelosi-unite-pass-bill-funding-planned-parenthood
Boehner and Pelosi Unite to Pass Bill Funding Planned Parenthood, Obamacare, Syrian Revolutionaries
9/17/14

(CNSNews.com) - House Speaker John Boehner (R.-Ohio) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) joined forces early Wednesday evening as the House passed a continuing resolution that will fund the government after the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, and that will permit funding for Planned Parenthood (the nation's largest abortion provider), the entirety of Obamacare, and an amendment requested by President Barack Obama "to train and equip appropriately vetted elements of the Syrian opposition."

The bill passed 319 to 108 with four members not voting. But there were not enough Republican members to pass the bill without significant support from Democrats. While Pelosi sided with the Republican leadership and voted for the bill, 53 Republicans joined with 55 Democrats in voting against it.

**Uhm...the Repubs control the House...ONLY 53 voted against it?
Roll Eyes

In addition to Pelosi, some of the other Democrats voting for the Republican leadership's bill, included Rep. John Conyers (D.-Mich.), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schlultz (D.-Fla.), Rep. Xavier Becerra (D.-Calif.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D.-Ore.), and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D.-Ill.).

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R.-Texas), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R.-Minn.), Rep. Trey Gowdy (R.-S.C.), Rep. John Fleming (R.-La.), Rep. Jim Jordan (R.-Ohio), and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R.-Calif.) were among the Republicans who voted against it.

The Syrian opposition, which is seeking to overthrow the secular authoritarian regime of Bashar al Assad, includes al Nusrah Front, the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, and the Islamic State in Iraq and al Sham (ISIS), which used to be an al Qaeda affiliate and now controls parts of Iraq and Syria.

ISIS recently beheaded two American journalists and a British aid worker.

The training and arming of Syrian rebels is aimed at combating ISIS and Islamist terrorism, so ISIS and al Nusrah Front would not be among the Syrian rebels deliberately armed and trained by the new U.S. policy authorized by this bill.

The bill will fund the government through Dec. 11, when a "lame-duck" Congress, which will include members thrown out by the voters in November, will be able to return to Washington and vote for programs and governmental actions that they may not have wanted to vote for before the election. That new funding bill will also be passed before the newly elected members of Congress will be sworn in and have a say in what the government does.

Before the inclusion of the amendment to train and arm revolutionaries in Syria, the House Appropriations Committee had described the continuing resolution as a "clean" bill that did not include riders affecting current spending programs and policies. The committee affirmed to CNSNews.com last week that the bill does not prohibit funding for Planned Parenthood or for any element of Obamacare.

Twenty-four minutes before it voted on this final spending bill, the House voted on the amendment sponsored by House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon (R.-Calif.) that added to the bill the authorization for President Obama to arm and train the Syrian revolutionaries. That amendment passed by a vote of 273 to 156, with 3 members not voting.

Pelosi and Boehner joined together to vote for the amendment to arm and train Syrian revolutionaries, as did House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R.-Calif) and House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R.-La.).

Among the 71 House Republicans standing in opposition to Pelosi and Boehner and the other Republican leaders on this amendment were Rep. Trey Gowdy (R.-S.C.), Rep. Jim Jordan (R.-Ohio), Rep. John Fleming (R.-La.),  Rep. Louie Gohmert (R.-Tex.), Rep. John Duncan (R.-Tenn.), Rep. Thomas Massie (R.-Ky.), Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R.-Calif.) and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R.-Wisc.)

“President Obama is choosing the wrong locals to support,” said Rep. Rohrabacher on the House floor. “With this vote, Congress approves the arming and training of the Free Syrian Army, which is riddled with radical Muslims. In short, we may again be arming insurgents who will end up our enemy. We are told that the Free Syrian Army has been vetted and that we can trust them. This is wishful thinking, not realistic planning.”

“The truth is that, if you look back under this president as commander in chief, we trained people in Libya,” said Rep. Gohmert. “We provided weapons to Libya that were then used against us in Benghazi. There are Americans dead because this administration felt compelled to go in and take out Qadhafi."

“Because Libya fell, so did Algeria and Tunisia," said Gohmert, "and it jump-started, as I have said before, the new Ottoman Empire, the new caliphate that the Muslim brothers and so many of the radicals are saying they are going for."

“One of the big problems, too, when we go in and train, as this President wants to do for the Syrians, they learn our tradecraft,” said Gohmert. “They use it against us, as they did at Benghazi.”

“I am opposed to the president's vague and inadequate strategy for dealing with ISIS; and, therefore, I rise in opposition to this amendment,” said Rep. Fleming.

“If we are going to degrade and destroy them [ISIS] it will not happen through an indecisive strategy that relies on unreliable and largely unknown help from Syrian rebels, whose own motivations and goals are mixed, and almost impossible to be certain of,” said Rep. Fleming.

Planned Parenthood--whose federal funding is permitted under the continuing resolution--said in its most recent annual report that it did 327,166 abortions in fiscal 2012. The same Planned Parenthood annual report said the group received $540.6 million in funding from local, state and federal governments in the year that ended on June 30, 2013. (Federal funding through Title X family planning grants cannot go to directly pay for abortions, but can pay for other Planned Parenthood activities.)

The CR also put no restriction on funding any provision of Obamacare or any regulation issued under Obamacare. That includes the preventive services regulation that requires individuals and families to purchase health insurance plans that cover contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs even if doing so violates their religious faith.

“It is a critical piece of legislation, and my committee has crafted the bill in a responsible, restrained way that should draw wide support in the House and Senate," House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R.-Ky.) said last week when his committee released the bill--before the amendment was added to arm and train Syrian revolutionaries.

"This bill is free of controversial riders, maintains current levels, and does not seek to change existing federal policies," Rogers said.

Rogers voted for the amendment to arm and train Syrian rebels and then for the overall bill.
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« Reply #49 on: September 23, 2014, 10:03:59 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-us-partners-begin-airstrikes-syria-081348596--politics.html
Airstrikes in Syria and Iraq are just the start
9/23/14

WASHINGTON (AP) — The one-two-three punch of American and Arab airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq was just the beginning, President Barack Obama and other leaders declared Tuesday. They promised a sustained campaign showcasing a rare U.S.-Arab partnership aimed at Muslim extremists.


http://news.yahoo.com/obama-on-syria-strikes--war-on-islamic-state-will--take-time-145136550.html
9/23/14
Obama on Syria strikes: War on Islamic State will 'take time'

Hours after plunging the United States into new warfare in the heart of the Middle East, President Obama insisted Tuesday that international support proved that “this is not America’s fight alone.”

Obama, speaking on the South Lawn of the White House, vowed to “take the fight” to the Islamic State and other extremists groups but braced Americans for a long and difficult conflict.

“The overall effort will take time. There will be challenges ahead, but we’re going to do what’s necessary to take the fight to this terrorist group, for the security of the country and the region and for the entire world,” he said.

The president’s remarks were notable in part for their lack of detail and their brevity — he spoke for barely three minutes, with his Marine One helicopter visible over his shoulder, and gave no details about whether the overnight operations were successful or what the next military step might be.

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« Reply #50 on: September 24, 2014, 08:36:31 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/watchdog-french-hostage-killed-extremists-152926915.html
Algerian Islamic militants behead French hostage
9/24/14

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — An Algerian splinter group from al-Qaida has beheaded a French hostage over France's airstrikes on the Islamic State group, in a sign of the possible widening of the crisis in Iraq and Syria to the rest of the region.

The killing of Herve Gourdel, a mountaineer who was kidnapped while hiking in Algeria, was a "cowardly assassination," a visibly upset French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday, but he vowed to continue the military operation.

"Herve Gourdel is dead because he is the representative of a people — ours — that defends human dignity against barbarity," Hollande said on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. "France will never cede to terrorism because it is our duty, and, more than that, because it is our honor."

On Friday, France joined the U.S. in conducting airstrikes on the Islamic State group in Iraq. Two days later, the Islamic State group called on Muslims to attack foreign targets, and the response in Algeria raised the specter of attacks on Westerners elsewhere.

Gourdel, a 55-year-old mountaineering guide from Nice, was seized Sunday night while hiking in the Djura Djura mountains of northern Algeria. His Algerian companions were released.

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« Reply #51 on: September 24, 2014, 10:14:28 pm »

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/23/world/middleeast/isis-iraq-airstrikes.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpSum&module=a-lede-package-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1
9/22/14
Weeks of U.S. Strikes Fail to Dislodge ISIS in Iraq

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and OMAR AL-JAWOSHYSEPT. 22, 2014

BAGHDAD — After six weeks of American airstrikes, the Iraqi government’s forces have scarcely budged the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State from their hold on more than a quarter of the country, in part because many critical Sunni tribes remain on the sidelines.

Although the airstrikes appear to have stopped the extremists’ march toward Baghdad, the Islamic State is still dealing humiliating blows to the Iraqi Army. On Monday, the government acknowledged that it had lost control of the small town of Sichar and lost contact with several hundred of its soldiers who had been besieged for nearly a week at a camp north of the Islamic State stronghold of Falluja, in Anbar Province.

By midday, there were reports that hundreds of soldiers had been killed there in battle or mass executions. Ali Bedairi, a lawmaker from the governing alliance, said more than 300 soldiers had died after the loss of the base, Camp Saqlawiya. The prime minister ordered the arrest of the responsible officers, although a military spokesman put the death toll at just 40 and said 68 were missing.

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« Reply #52 on: September 25, 2014, 01:13:40 pm »

http://news.msn.com/world/islamic-fighters-advance-in-syria-despite-us-strikes
Islamic fighters advance in Syria despite U.S. strikes
9/24/14

DAMASCUS/MURSITPINAR Turkey (Reuters) - U.S. planes pounded Islamic State positions in Syria for a second day on Wednesday, but the strikes did not halt the fighters' advance in a Kurdish area where fleeing refugees told of villages burnt and captives beheaded.

President Barack Obama, speaking at the United Nations, asked the world to join together to fight the militants and vowed to keep up military pressure against them.

"The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force, so the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death," Obama said in 40 minute speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

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« Reply #53 on: September 26, 2014, 12:40:06 am »

http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-director--strikes-on-al-qaeda-cell-khorasan-did-not-wipe-out-threat-against-u-s-205120420.html
FBI director: Strikes on al-Qaida cell Khorasan did not wipe out threat to U.S.
9/25/14

FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that he is “not confident” that a U.S. military strike against a Syrian-based al-Qaida cell has disrupted a plot to mount a terror attack aimed at the United States and that the group remains “at the top of my list of things that I worry about.”

U.S. officials said this week that President Obama had ordered the Monday night strike by cruise missiles and U.S. bombers against the so-called Khorasan group after concluding that it was “near the execution stage” of an attack against European and U.S. civilian aircraft. One senior administration official told reporters on a call organized by the White House that the terrorist attack had been “imminent.”

But Comey, meeting with a small group of reporters, seemed to contradict some of those claims and emphasized instead just how little U.S. intelligence actually knew about precisely what the Khorasan terrorists were planning — or when.

“This is a collection of very, very bad terrorist operatives in a safe haven that we don’t have a lot of visibility in,” he said.

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« Reply #54 on: September 26, 2014, 05:07:19 pm »

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/09/26/british-lawmakers-vote-to-approve-airstrikes-against-isis-in-iraq/
9/26/14
British Parliament approves airstrikes in Iraq; no endorsement of Syria strikes

British lawmakers voted Friday to join the U.S.-led coalition and launch airstrikes on Islamic State group militants as early as this weekend in northern Iraq, but the motion did not endorse airstrikes in Syria.

Prime Minister David Cameron described the moves as critical to national security, arguing that facing down terrorists has become a matter of urgency.

"There isn't a walk-on-by option; there isn't an option hoping it will all go away," he said.

He made a passionate plea that spelled out the consequences of inaction in drastic terms -- noting that the militants had beheaded their victims, gouged out eyes and carried out crucifixions to promote goals from the "Dark Ages."

The Independent newspaper reported that Cameron summed up ISIS fighters as, "psychopathic terrorists who want to kill us."

The vote won easily, 524-43.

Earlier in the day, Belgium and Denmark also voted to join the coalition. American warplanes and drones hit Islamic State tanks, Humvees, checkpoints and bunkers Friday with aims to roll back and ultimately crush the Islamic State group.

Denmark said it would send seven F-16 fighter jets and 250 pilots and support staff, while Belgium will contribute six F-16s that are already en route to Jordan so they can go into action as early as Saturday.

"No one should be ducking in this case," said Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt. "Everyone should contribute."

Britain is expected to deploy Tornado fighters, which are in Cyprus -- within striking distance of northern Iraq.

The debate in Britain about bombing Syria promises to be contentious. Last year, Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour Party, voted against airstrikes in Syria and said more work needs to be done.

"The point I have been making in the last few days is, in my view, when we are not talking about being invited in by a democratic state it would be better - I put it no higher than that - it would be better to seek a UN Security Council resolution," the paper quoted him as saying.
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« Reply #55 on: October 02, 2014, 08:39:52 pm »

Gaziantep, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish lawmakers voted Thursday to authorize military force against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, joining a growing international coalition against the Islamist militants as they continued to capture territory just south of Turkey's border.

The Turkish Parliament voted 298-98 to not only to let the country's military leave its borders to battle ISIS but to eliminate threats coming from any terrorist organization in Iraq and Syria, starting Saturday.

It is a big shift for Turkey, a NATO member, which until now offered only tacit support to a U.S.-led coalition of about 40 nations going after ISIS in Iraq and Syria in various capacities.

The mood of Turkey's leaders changed in recent days, with ISIS on the nation's doorstep and tens of thousands fleeing across its border. Turkey's Prime Minister asked Parliament to consider military action this week, submitting a motion declaring that Turkey was seriously threatened by the chaos in Syria and Iraq, where ISIS has captured land and is trying to establish an Islamic caliphate.

A possible threat to an ancient tomb -- located in Syria but considered a Turkish enclave -- also appeared to be a factor. Reports had emerged that ISIS surrounded the tomb of the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday dismissed reports that ISIS had surrounded the site. But the motion before Parliament mentioned increasing security risks to the white marble mausoleum.

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« Reply #56 on: October 20, 2014, 12:12:50 pm »

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/186337#.VEVa9zKvW4N
Turkey to Allow Kurdish Fighters into Syria to Battle ISIS

Ankara confirms reports it will allow Iraqi Peshmerga forces to cross into embattled Kobane; move likely the result of US pressure.

10/20/14

In a dramatic development Monday, the Turkish government has announced that it would allow Kurdish Peshmerga forces from Iraq to cross into the embattled Syrian border town of Kobane.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Tunisian counterpart, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu defended his country's role in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group and its assault on the Kurdish town.

"We never wanted Kobane to fall," Çavuşoğlu insisted, according to Turkey's Today's Zaman, as he confirmed earlier reports in Kurdish media outlets that Peshmerga fighters would be granted safe passage through his country to help their brethren in Kobane.

The announcement appears to be the result of significant US pressure, and came after the US military upped its support of Kurdish fighters inside Kobane itself, airdropping weapons and ammunition to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) despite the Turkish government's firm opposition.

The YPG is closely affiliated with the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) - a proscribed terrorist group in Turkey with whom the country fought a bloody insurgency that cost the lives of some 40,000 people.

Many Kurds have accused the Islamist government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of indirectly supporting ISIS in its efforts to take Kobane, by allowing jihadis to operate freely while stopping Kurds from crossing into Syria to help defend the town, in order to destroy the recently-declared autonomous Kurdish region in northern Syria.

The decision to allow Peshmerga fighters to cross into Syria would represent a compromise: while Turkey opposes Kurdish autonomy or independence and views the PKK as terrorists, Iraq's autonomous region is run by a rival Kurdish faction with whom Turkey does have relatively good relations.

Peshmerga forces have until now been fighting ISIS's advances in Iraq, together with Shia militias and Iraqi army forces.
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« Reply #57 on: October 22, 2014, 09:54:18 pm »

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/21/isis-video-america-s-air-dropped-weapons-now-in-our-hands.html
10/21/14
ISIS Video: America’s Air Dropped Weapons Now in Our Hands
In a new video, ISIS shows American-made weapons it says were intended for the Kurds but actually were air dropped into territory they control.
Updated 5:35 pm

At least one bundle of U.S. weapons airdropped in Syria appears to have fallen into the hands of ISIS, a dangerous misfire in the American mission to speed aid to Kurdish forces making their stand in Kobani.

An ISIS-associated YouTube account posted a new video online Tuesday entitled, “Weapons and munitions dropped by American planes and landed in the areas controlled by the Islamic State in Kobani.” The video was also posted on the Twitter account of “a3maq news,” which acts as an unofficial media arm of ISIS. The outfit has previously posted videos of ISIS fighters firing American made Howitzer cannons and seizing marijuana fields in Syria.
ISIS had broadly advertised its acquisition of a broad range of U.S.-made weapons during its rampage across Iraq. ISIS videos have showed its fighters driving U.S. tanks, MRAPs, Humvees. There are unconfirmed reports ISIS has stolen three fighter planes from Iraqi bases it conquered.

The authenticity of this latest video could not be independently confirmed, but the ISIS fighters in the video are in possession of a rich bounty of American hand grenades, rounds for small rockets, and other supplies that they will surely turn around and use on the Kurdish forces they are fighting in and around the Turkish border city.

On Monday, White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the U.S. government was confident that the emergency airdropped supplies for the Kurdish forces near Kobani were falling into the right hands.

“We feel very confident that, when we air drop support as we did into Kobani… we’ve been able to hit the target in terms of reaching the people we want to reach,” Rhodes told CNN. “What I can assure people is that, when we are delivering aid now, we focus it on the people we want to receive that assistance. Those are civilians in need. Those are forces that we’re aligned with in the fight against ISIL [the government’s preferred acronym for ISIS], and we take precautions to make sure that it’s not falling into the wrong hands.”

Rhodes was responding to questions about a Monday report in The Daily Beast that U.S. humanitarian aid was flowing into ISIS controlled areas near Kobani by truck. That aid was mostly food and medical supplies, not the kind of lethal weapons in the new ISIS video.
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« Reply #58 on: April 22, 2015, 06:42:30 am »

Obama warns US could 'penetrate' Iranian S-300 missiles if needed

US President Barack Obama warned on Tuesday that if Russia sold an advanced missile defense system to Iran, the United States could "penetrate" Tehran's stockpile if needed. Speaking on the MSNBC program "Hardball with Chris Matthews," Obama underlined that the US objected to Russia's decision to lift a ban on the sale to Iran of the S-300 air-defense missile system. 

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Obama-warns-US-could-penetrate-Iranian-S-300-missiles-if-needed-398897
 
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