West Asia News and Discussions
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I do not know whether this is the appropriate thread. This is about Druze in middle east/west asia among arabs. They believe in reincarnation and are natural friends of hindoos. See here http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageNavigator/ ... gion_druze
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
10 dead in Al Qaeda attack on Saudi border post at Yemen border - ToI
An attempt by Al-Qaida militants to infiltrate Saudi Arabia from Yemen left five security officers dead on the two sides of the border, along with five assailants, officials said on Saturday.
The Saudi interior ministry said six assailants attacked the Wadia border post in the south of the kingdom on Friday.
After an initial clash on Yemen's side of the border that left a Yemeni soldier dead, according to a security official in Sanaa, the infiltrators in a four-wheel-drive attacked a Saudi border patrol vehicle, killing the driver.
They seized the car, sparking a chase in which two Saudi police were killed along with three of the assailants, the interior ministry said.
It said one of them was wounded and arrested, while the two others fled to the nearby Sharura district with the seized vehicle.
They took over an intelligence building where they killed a fourth member of the Saudi security services.
Pinned down and encircled by security forces for several hours, they refused to surrender and blew themselves up early on Saturday, a ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.
The Yemeni security source said the assailants were armed with machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades.
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In pictures: Isis destroys Iraq shrines
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28177841
Images posted on social media appear to show the destruction of about a dozen places of worship across northern Iraq, in areas recently taken over by extremist militants.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28177841
Images posted on social media appear to show the destruction of about a dozen places of worship across northern Iraq, in areas recently taken over by extremist militants.
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Here is a my CT response to above pictures. Something wrong with these pictures. Compared to otherwise super crowed ME pictures in which hundreds or thousands of unemployed men and women are chanting, above picture shows premises without a single AOA mafia member of Eye-sees, assuming it is a real org and not virtual. Agreed, the blasts are big and destruction has size, but still, why not show well trained bulldozer mover's face or body. So people are supposed to believe authenticity of above news, because it is coming from BeeBeeShe.
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mean-e-while.
The life of a jihadi wife: Why one Canadian woman joined ISIS's Islamic state
The life of a jihadi wife: Why one Canadian woman joined ISIS's Islamic state
****** up shit as usual.It is not clear whether Umm Haritha's marriage to Abu Ibrahim was arranged before her travel to Syria. Regardless, it only lasted five months.
On May 5, Abu Ibrahim, whose real name is Taha Shade, was in a car en route to a meeting in Deir ez-Zor with members of rival faction Jabhat al-Nusra. What was meant to be a gathering to finalize a peace treaty between ISIS and al-Nusra turned deadly when an al-Nusra fighter on a motorbike sped up to Shade’s car and detonated his explosive belt.
At the time, Shade was wearing his own explosive belt, which also went off and blew him to pieces.
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
For those who said that Chandy et al should receive credit for the rescue of nurses:
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Intelligence Bureau Director Asif Ibrahim went on secret mission to Iraq
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Intelligence Bureau Director Asif Ibrahim went on secret mission to Iraq
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
About time, considering the bombing of christian homes and schools in Serbia and support for every terrorist thug willing to murder christians in Arab land (wannabe arab lands too) by the great noble US of A. Your feelings are accepted on behalf of Modi.TSJones wrote:Let me say on behalf of all Christiandom that we are extremely grateful to Modi for rescuing Indian citizens who were just Christians onlee and may have not voted for Modi. Yes indeedy.UlanBatori wrote:And just so we don't forget or allow unohu to forget:
On other note, Indian nurses released. They have crossed border to Kurdistan, to reach Kochi tomorrow.
http://www.firstpost.com/world/iraq-liv ... 76009.html
The nurses are mostly Xtian.. From Malloostan. They would probably not have voted for NaMo to be PM.
They would have been crucified (after whatever other joys) if the ISIS got around to their fun rules for Kuffars.
So much for NaMo and his team not caring about all citjens. Keep that one in the database for future use....
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The problem is Indians are so judgemental. Unless of course Hindu is spinning the report
‘They were good at heart’
Iraq Crisis: ISIS Militants Demand Women for Marriage, Sex in Captured Town
‘They were good at heart’
Ms. Sebastian vouches for the conscience and care of the rebels, two of whom were with the Indian nurses on the bus to Mosul. “They were good at heart."
I'm sure the nurses or most of Hindu readers wouldn't read (or believe) reports like this one in the International Business Times.“Though we stayed in the same building for a few days, they never even looked at us straight on our face. They were gentle and kind,” she says. What gave us the jitters was the sight of guns and grenades.
Iraq Crisis: ISIS Militants Demand Women for Marriage, Sex in Captured Town
Sadly the Nurses are quick to pass judgement but don't realise that the hands-off treatment was due to the clout India has. They wouldn't have been so lucky if they had been Arap.ISIS fighters now have the religious right to rape woman as a Saudi-based cleric has issued a fatwa - a religious order that allows the militants to rape women in captive towns.
The invading militants warned that those who disobey the dictate are violating God's will, and hence will receive beatings or can even be killed.
Reports from Baiji - another town fully under ISIS control - state that the residents are living in fear as the militants are conducting door-to-door checks for unmarried women.
"They said that many of their mujahedin were unmarried and wanted a wife. They insisted on coming into my house to look at the women's ID cards [which in Iraq show marital status]" local resident Abu Lahid told The Independent.
Though ISIS claims its members have been asked specifically not to bother anyone in captured towns especially if they are Sunnis, the ground reality is entirely different.
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I wonder. Are the Saudis propping up ISSI as a counter to Al Qaeda which its know anti Saudi royal family stance? Taking out of the Paki book by creating "good Taleban" to counter "bad Taleban"?SSridhar wrote:10 dead in Al Qaeda attack on Saudi border post at Yemen border - ToI
The problem for both of the Pakis, as well as the Saudis, is that good or bad they will eventually come back to bite their masters. When you are on a path to purity, it's a zero sum game till pristine purity is achieved.
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Moderate Sunni mosques have been executed in Mosul from reports. One claimed the main Sunni Imam of a Mosque was executed just before Caliph Baghdadi made his first sermon.
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
Our NSA reportedly made a secret visit to Iraq and the region meeting senior leaders and intel officers to sort out the nurses hostage crisis and other related issues , which the Hindu revealed today. It shows swift decisive action on the part of the Modi govt. in dealing with the crisis.Hats off to all concerned who have successfully resolved the matter.
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Wouldn't be surprised if Shia officers and generals in the military launch a coup against Maliki. If the US can give them backing they may be able to pacify the Iranians while at the same time appeasing the gulf royals by allowing the recognition of the new jihadi state and allow them to build their pipelines through Syria to break Gazprom's hold over European energy markets. They may also give the Iranian guarantees that Assad can still keep most of his country. Iran is in a very good position. Now the Russians and West are competing to be the best friend of Iran.
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I am sure their hearts and brains are good, but in what part of their bodies are these located, one wonders...
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So who were the Kerala govt officials contacting in Iraq to secure the nurses release?
Looks like appear to be doing something.
Looks like appear to be doing something.
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Foreign combat aircraft pour into Iraq
http://www.janes.com/article/40398/fore ... -into-iraq
Apparently the Russians have already delivered five SU-25's, three Mi-28NE gunships and four Mi-35M gunships, all using An-124 transports. The Iraqis can fly the Mi-28 & Mi35 gunships (they've been operating those since 2013) but they probably don't have any trustworthy pilots capable of operating the SU-25's anymore, despite the Iraqi govt's claims to the contrary. From what I've read the only SU-25 pilots they have are Sunnis (trained under Saddam's regime) who haven't flown in over a decade.
This means Russian pilots are probably flying these newly delivered SU-25's, at least for the time being. It makes sense although I'm sure neither the Iraqis nor Russians will make it public.
http://www.janes.com/article/40398/fore ... -into-iraq
Apparently the Russians have already delivered five SU-25's, three Mi-28NE gunships and four Mi-35M gunships, all using An-124 transports. The Iraqis can fly the Mi-28 & Mi35 gunships (they've been operating those since 2013) but they probably don't have any trustworthy pilots capable of operating the SU-25's anymore, despite the Iraqi govt's claims to the contrary. From what I've read the only SU-25 pilots they have are Sunnis (trained under Saddam's regime) who haven't flown in over a decade.
This means Russian pilots are probably flying these newly delivered SU-25's, at least for the time being. It makes sense although I'm sure neither the Iraqis nor Russians will make it public.
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This 'ISIS account' surfaced somewhere:
http://www.confessionfiles.com/index.ph ... ed-of-timeThis India had a change; there was a change in government. A fanatic and extremist man had been ordained. Rather than negotiating, they have sent two bloody big naval ships. Heavily armed us? Bloody, we could have been wiped out if not acted maturely. The Indians reached here and directly they communicated us with a list, a bloody list. It was us who were supposed to send them list of our demands, but bloody they sent us list. And do you bashers have really got any idea which shits that list enlisted? No demands, but bloody addresses of hubs and locations of our units. -
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
WoW! Namo Doval!!!
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Wow, if true that is rather stupendous power projection.harbans wrote:This 'ISIS account' surfaced somewhere:
http://www.confessionfiles.com/index.ph ... ed-of-timeThis India had a change; there was a change in government. A fanatic and extremist man had been ordained. Rather than negotiating, they have sent two bloody big naval ships. Heavily armed us? Bloody, we could have been wiped out if not acted maturely. The Indians reached here and directly they communicated us with a list, a bloody list. It was us who were supposed to send them list of our demands, but bloody they sent us list. And do you bashers have really got any idea which shits that list enlisted? No demands, but bloody addresses of hubs and locations of our units. -
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
Why did you think I posted the one above you!
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At least it is superb opportunistic propaganda.
Waaay back in the 1950s there used to be "riots" by the Sinhalese against Tamils (and Indians) in Ceylon, long b4 it became "SL". Then one day there was a rumor, true or otherwise, that an Indian Navy cruiser had arrived at Colombo. The added rumor was that this was an Indian invasion.
The riots stopped as suddenly as if a switch had been thrown, and there were rarely if ever any riots against Indians after that. Against Tamils yes, but at least until well after the IG era they were a bit leery of attacking Indians.
Wonder if NaMo would actually have ordered an attack. I hope the answer is YES!
Waaay back in the 1950s there used to be "riots" by the Sinhalese against Tamils (and Indians) in Ceylon, long b4 it became "SL". Then one day there was a rumor, true or otherwise, that an Indian Navy cruiser had arrived at Colombo. The added rumor was that this was an Indian invasion.
The riots stopped as suddenly as if a switch had been thrown, and there were rarely if ever any riots against Indians after that. Against Tamils yes, but at least until well after the IG era they were a bit leery of attacking Indians.
Wonder if NaMo would actually have ordered an attack. I hope the answer is YES!
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
Bring Carriers on line ASAP!!
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
Sounds like psyops, good to hear anyway.
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^^^^^
That report is certainly psyops. If you look at the map there's no way that Indian ships, minus Vicky, could have bombarded targets in ISSI-held areas and Unkil would have had a fit if the MKIs flew from some base in Iran or the Shia-held parts of Iraq.
However, something big did drop in the area, considering the ease at which the entire operation was handled, including sending a chartered flight to pick up the affected folks. I think the ME visit by our IB director & NSA is the key. Methinks some plain talking was done which must of spooked some folks royally considering that they never expected that from India. Some thawb shivering and keffiyeh trembling happened.
I think it would be useful to see if there are some developments down the line. Maybe it would be good to keep extra special nazar on sleeper cells.
That report is certainly psyops. If you look at the map there's no way that Indian ships, minus Vicky, could have bombarded targets in ISSI-held areas and Unkil would have had a fit if the MKIs flew from some base in Iran or the Shia-held parts of Iraq.
However, something big did drop in the area, considering the ease at which the entire operation was handled, including sending a chartered flight to pick up the affected folks. I think the ME visit by our IB director & NSA is the key. Methinks some plain talking was done which must of spooked some folks royally considering that they never expected that from India. Some thawb shivering and keffiyeh trembling happened.
I think it would be useful to see if there are some developments down the line. Maybe it would be good to keep extra special nazar on sleeper cells.
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
Though the spotlight remains on isis, but in the meanwhile houthis are also knocking the doors of sanaa.
https://twitter.com/HetavRojan/status/4 ... 7189460995
Also TIFWIW the below tweet“Amran is now under the control of the Houthi rebels,” the official, whose remarks were confirmed by military sources and witnesses questioned by AFP.
Al Arabiya News Channel reported late Tuesday that the military commander Hamid Alakeshaiba head of the 310 Brigade was killed after clashes with the Houthis.
The Houthis seized all of Amran, including police stations and the headquarters of an army brigade which is based in the city, said the sources. Their fighters were in control of entry and exit points to Amran in the evening, while others patrolled the city itself, one of the sources added.
Amran, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Sanaa, is home to an estimated 120,000 people.
Shiite Houthi fighters, officially known as Ansarullah, blamed army units linked to the rival Sunni Muslim Islah party for breaking the June 23 ceasefire last week when government troops advanced on an area in al-Jouf province.
https://twitter.com/HetavRojan/status/4 ... 7189460995
#Yemen: Houthis seize 40 tanks, artillery, armored personel carriers & 800 Katyousha missiles after attack on 110 Brigade HQ in Amran.
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
Elite Saudi men go to Hyderabad to have sex with minors, both boys and girls. Perhaps, a few recordings of their sessions may have done the trick.
Overall, I think we are slowly seeing what I have heard. IB is going to play a bigger role externally and R&AW will eventually be merged with it. Please see Doval's 2007 paper on the issue as well.
Overall, I think we are slowly seeing what I have heard. IB is going to play a bigger role externally and R&AW will eventually be merged with it. Please see Doval's 2007 paper on the issue as well.
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
>>IB is going to play a bigger role externally and R&AW will eventually be merged with it.
Near zero chance of that. Some rearrangement of mandates perhaps, but merging is highly unlikely I suspect.
IB playing a bigger role externally? Of course. But who knows exactly what is IB's role
?
Near zero chance of that. Some rearrangement of mandates perhaps, but merging is highly unlikely I suspect.
IB playing a bigger role externally? Of course. But who knows exactly what is IB's role

Re: West Asia News and Discussions
RoyG, Interesting point can you x-post in the Evolution of Strategic thought so we can discuss it more?
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Put urself in the place of A Fly Ul Walli. The warships are uncorrelated with bombardment range. The warships would have been to evacuate lots of ppl.That report is certainly psyops. If you look at the map
The addresses, formation info lists simply said: "V. know. Dronacharya has Divya Drishti: u r on borrowed time". There was no need to say it at all. Nothing incredible there.
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
IB was put in charge of the covert program to nab terror suspects in nepal and bangladesh starting about a decade ago. They have extensive experience in operations in Pakistan and they already do counter intel from embassies. Doval has expressed some years ago that he believed separating R&AW and IB was unwise and has advocated that IB be given arrest powers. Whether it happens or not is up in the air. Only regurgitating what I've been told by a family friend who is presently doing sensitive work in the NE.JE Menon wrote:>>IB is going to play a bigger role externally and R&AW will eventually be merged with it.
Near zero chance of that. Some rearrangement of mandates perhaps, but merging is highly unlikely I suspect.
IB playing a bigger role externally? Of course. But who knows exactly what is IB's role?
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
Sure. Great idea.ramana wrote:RoyG, Interesting point can you x-post in the Evolution of Strategic thought so we can discuss it more?
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Wild Theory:amit wrote:^^^^^
That report is certainly psyops. If you look at the map there's no way that Indian ships, minus Vicky, could have bombarded targets in ISSI-held areas and Unkil would have had a fit if the MKIs flew from some base in Iran or the Shia-held parts of Iraq.
However, something big did drop in the area, considering the ease at which the entire operation was handled, including sending a chartered flight to pick up the affected folks. I think the ME visit by our IB director & NSA is the key. Methinks some plain talking was done which must of spooked some folks royally considering that they never expected that from India. Some thawb shivering and keffiyeh trembling happened.
I think it would be useful to see if there are some developments down the line. Maybe it would be good to keep extra special nazar on sleeper cells.
My wild bet would be that the threat of giving permissions to our Shia folks to take up arms in defense of their brothers, with our intelligence agencies supporting them in the background.
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Paki writeup.harbans wrote:This 'ISIS account' surfaced somewhere:
http://www.confessionfiles.com/index.ph ... ed-of-timeThis India had a change; there was a change in government. A fanatic and extremist man had been ordained. Rather than negotiating, they have sent two bloody big naval ships. Heavily armed us? Bloody, we could have been wiped out if not acted maturely. The Indians reached here and directly they communicated us with a list, a bloody list. It was us who were supposed to send them list of our demands, but bloody they sent us list. And do you bashers have really got any idea which shits that list enlisted? No demands, but bloody addresses of hubs and locations of our units. -
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
There has to be a pro-quid quo for this.
IB director Syed Asif Ibrahim, and NSA Ajit Doval both meeting with the ISIS folks, hmmm.
Wonder what leverage India had?
Often groups such as the ISIS will have a soft corner for foreign women, specially doctors, nurses, and when spoken to nicely with a big danda in the background, and with some pro-quid-quo, they will release these from captivity. They too recognize that the nurses are apolitical, and were there to help and serve everyone.
That write up is 400% Paki - these bozos want to direct EVERYTHING at Kashmir and India at the slightest given opportunity. With Modi at the helm, they are really itching to cause mayhem in desh.
IB director Syed Asif Ibrahim, and NSA Ajit Doval both meeting with the ISIS folks, hmmm.
Wonder what leverage India had?
Often groups such as the ISIS will have a soft corner for foreign women, specially doctors, nurses, and when spoken to nicely with a big danda in the background, and with some pro-quid-quo, they will release these from captivity. They too recognize that the nurses are apolitical, and were there to help and serve everyone.
That write up is 400% Paki - these bozos want to direct EVERYTHING at Kashmir and India at the slightest given opportunity. With Modi at the helm, they are really itching to cause mayhem in desh.
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Russia is slowly taking all of shia world under its fold. Russia is already protector for shite iran, and shite ruler Basad of Siria. Now slowly shite parts of iraq are slowly going to russia.Y. Kanan wrote:Foreign combat aircraft pour into Iraq
http://www.janes.com/article/40398/fore ... -into-iraq
Apparently the Russians have already delivered five SU-25's, three Mi-28NE gunships and four Mi-35M gunships, all using An-124 transports. The Iraqis can fly the Mi-28 & Mi35 gunships (they've been operating those since 2013) but they probably don't have any trustworthy pilots capable of operating the SU-25's anymore, despite the Iraqi govt's claims to the contrary. From what I've read the only SU-25 pilots they have are Sunnis (trained under Saddam's regime) who haven't flown in over a decade.
This means Russian pilots are probably flying these newly delivered SU-25's, at least for the time being. It makes sense although I'm sure neither the Iraqis nor Russians will make it public.
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We are all speculating here so you could well be right. However, the problem I have with this line of thinking is that such a list means diddly squat if not backed up with a demonstrated capability to take out the targets. For example, we know the exact house in which Daoud bhai has been living for many years and so?UlanBatori wrote:The addresses, formation info lists simply said: "V. know. Dronacharya has Divya Drishti: u r on borrowed time". There was no need to say it at all. Nothing incredible there.
The folks who have Dronacharya capabilities will not use it, at least not yet, because the ISSI backers in the region are their pals.
Frankly I think RoyG's Hyderabad theory could very well have come to play, sometimes honeytraps are the most effective tools of the trade.
But the point is whatever it may be, a list, honeytrap or something else, my feeling is that it resulted in considerable consternation and WTF which was why our folks were released without apparent quid pro quo. It was a blindsiding manoeuvre, kudos to Doval and Co.
IMO the thing to look out for is potential blow back once the thwab shivering stops.
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
Gagan wrote:There has to be a pro-quid quo for this.
IB director Syed Asif Ibrahim, and NSA Ajit Doval both meeting with the ISIS folks, hmmm.
Wonder what leverage India had?
Often groups such as the ISIS will have a soft corner for foreign women, specially doctors, nurses, and when spoken to nicely with a big danda in the background, and with some pro-quid-quo, they will release these from captivity. They too recognize that the nurses are apolitical, and were there to help and serve everyone.
That write up is 400% Paki - these bozos want to direct EVERYTHING at Kashmir and India at the slightest given opportunity. With Modi at the helm, they are really itching to cause mayhem in desh.
Even the vilest will be careful with medics and aide folks so it not inconceivable that with deft negotiations (and not the wild west approach Pakis love) and laying bare the worldwide consequences to hurting nurses and medics, ISIS would release them.
ISIS is pretty image conscious and would not want to be seen as killers of doctors and medics.
Can you imagine if ISIS had harmed these nurses, what the consequences might have been on their Sunni brothers in India especially given that most of these nurses were Christians - ISIS kills/holds hostage NURSES, CHRISTIAN etc.
Terrible propaganda for them.
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India can (or could have) manufacture consent in partnership with Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pukistan and challeng the so called khilafat. Christian sheets basically made us expend that card and we fell in line. This is hardly a strategic success. On the other hand, not fanning the islamic feathers in the above mentioned countries is also a goal in itself. We need to find a way to make better use of opportunities to further our interests.
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ISIL eliminates potential Iraqi rivals - Reuters
One night last week, Islamic State militants in an SUV with tinted windows pulled up at the home of a former Iraqi Army officer, one of the men they see as an obstacle to their goal of establishing a caliphate from Iraq to the Mediterranean.
As the retired major general was led away to the vehicle draped in the trademark black-and-white Islamist flag, his son and wife feared the worst.
“I have been asking the families of other officers, and no one knows why they were taken,” his son said by phone, breaking down in tears.
In the past week, Sunni militants who overran the city of Mosul last month have rounded up between 25 and 60 senior ex-military officers and members of former dictator Saddam Hussein’s banned Ba’ath Party, residents and relatives say.
The crackdown potentially signals a rift in the Sunni alliance that helped secure Islamic State fighters swift victory when they rode in from the desert to capture Mosul last month.
The northern city of around 2 million people is by far the largest to fall to the group and is a central part of its plans for an Islamist caliphate.
Iraq said in a letter circulated Tuesday at the United Nations that the Islamic State also has taken control of a vast former chemical weapons facility northwest of Baghdad, where remnants of 2,500 degraded chemical rockets filled decades ago with the deadly nerve agent sarin are stored along with other chemical warfare agents.
The U.S. government played down the threat from the takeover, saying there are no intact chemical weapons and it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to use the material for military purposes.
When the group, then known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levantv (ISIL), seized large swaths of Iraq at lightning speed last month, it was supported by other Sunni Muslim armed groups.
Tribes and former loyalists of Saddam’s Ba’ath Party were eager to hit back at Iraq’s Shi’ite leaders, even if they did not share ISIL’s vision of a caliphate ruled on medieval Islamic precepts. But now leaders of those groups are being ordered to swear allegiance to the new caliphate.
The Islamic State “wants to give the message that they are the only group in the land, that people must follow them or give up their weapons,” said provincial Gov. Atheel Nujaifi, who is in touch with residents by phone after having fled to the Kurdish-controlled city of Irbil as Mosul fell.
Shi’ite parliamentarian Haidar Abadi said the Islamic State is taking pre-emptive action to head off potential challenges. “ISIL knows very well they can’t stay if these groups move against them. They are not giving them the opportunity.”
“ISIL called on their friends who are ex-Ba’athists to cooperate, and they did. And now ISIL is kicking them out. Some will pledge allegiance. Those they don’t believe will pledge allegiance, they will execute,” he said.
An Iraqi national intelligence officer, confirming the arrest by militants of Saddam-era officers, said the motive is “to panic people, or as revenge, or in the event that they would cooperate with the Iraqi government.”
Nujaifi, the governor, estimated that around 2,000 Mosul residents had signed up to join the Islamic State as fighters since they took the city. But he said career army officers and diehard Ba’athists are unlikely to be won over to ISIL.
Among those Nujaifi said had been rounded up by the Islamists were Gen. Waad Hannoush, a Special Forces commander under Saddam, and Saifeddin al-Mashhadani, a Ba’ath Party leader featured as the three of clubs in the U.S. Army’s “Iraqi Most Wanted” playing card deck during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
The governor and some residents believe ISIL’s bold declaration of a caliphate last week had caused local discontent, possibly prompting the group to act to head off the first stirrings of resistance.
The move echoes Islamic State tactics in neighboring Syria, where the group, an offshoot of al-Qaida, entrenched itself in the rebel-held east by eliminating other opponents of President Bashar Assad.
Although ISIL, the Sunni tribes and veterans of Saddam’s Ba’ath Party emerged as allies last month, they have a history of enmity. Many of those nostalgic for Saddam teamed up with Sunni tribes to fight against the Islamic State’s predecessor, al-Qaida in Iraq, during the U.S. “surge” offensive in 2006-2007.
All the more reason for ISIL to act swiftly against potential rivals while its victory last month gives it momentum.
“With the wind at their backs, there’s an incentive to seek greater control over Mosul now rather than later,” said Ramzy Mardini, a nonresident fellow at the Washington think tank Atlantic Council.
“They’re not going to allow other insurgent groups to operate in Mosul,” he said. “They may have their sights set on consolidation and transformation of the city into the de facto capital of the caliphate.”
While Mardini said the Islamic State is strong enough to “strike, consolidate and push other groups out” for now, he sees the long-term fate of the group in Mosul as less clear.
“It’s the worst-kept secret that the other insurgent groups that represent the Sunni movement are going to eventually turn against ISIL,” he said.
Mosul has long harbored members of the Ba’athist militant group the Naqshbandi Army, believed to be headed by Saddam’s lifelong confidant Ezzat Ibrahim al-Douri — king of spades in the U.S. deck and the highest-ranking Ba’athist to evade capture.
Sunni tribesmen with far looser ties to the old regime could also pose a threat to the militants, but the Islamic state seems to be focusing for now on Ba’athists and former army officers.
Asserting Islamic State ideology so far has meant issuing a “city charter” banning tobacco, drugs and alcohol and ordering women to dress modestly and stay home.
The militants have also bulldozed and blown up ancient shrines and Shi’ite mosques in Mosul and nearby towns, home to some of Iraq’s richest cultural heritage.
Over the weekend, jihadist forums and a Twitter account associated with the group posted images of fiery blasts and plumes of smoke rising under white minarets and golden domes.
Most of the city’s minority population, including Christians and small groups like the Shabak Shi’ite Muslims, have fled.
The rejection of any power sharing or alternatives to its purist Sunni state fits the group’s vision of absolute rule.
Photos have recently surfaced on social media of men said to be in Mosul standing in line in rooms where the Islamic State’s flag is hung, with captions describing them as apostates come to repent and accept Islamic State rule.
Speaking from an ornate pulpit in the Great Mosque of al-Nouri in Mosul, a man identified by the Islamic State as its caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, echoed the words of the Prophet Mohammad, asking his followers to “advise” him if he is wrong.
The son of the 68-year-old retired major general tried that approach last week when his father was taken by the militants.
“I told them that what they are doing is not in keeping with Islam and it is exactly what (Prime Minister Nouri) al-Maliki’s forces would do,” he said. “They told me not to panic and said they would bring my father back after questioning him.”
Re: West Asia News and Discussions
81-0.No,this is not a cricket or soccer score ,but the toll from the latest round of smiting in the ancient land pf Palestine.To the Israelis retribution for sins against the Jewish state according to the Mosaic law is a paramount principle.Thus,whenever there is a Palestinian rocket attack,killing ,kidnapping,etc,leading to deaths of Israelis,the state strikes back with overwhelming force.The recent kidnapping and murder of 3 Israelis youths,was immediately followed by a revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager by Israeli extremists.
However,there is something quite sick when the Israeli retaliation is so severe that dozens of Palestinians,including children who have nothing to do with the conflict are killed in revenge by the state forces,peace will never take place in the region if such overkill becomes the norm.What is equally staggering is that the UN and global community are quite helpless and unable to stop the carnage,which if it continues will yet again embroil the ME into a wider war. Tony B.Liar,who was appointed "peacemaker" for the region has been totally exposed as being nothing more than a third rate gold-digger,the post a pay-off for his complicity in the illegal invasion of Iraq.,while he collects his lucrative "cash" payoffs from the lecture circuit.
What is deeply worrying is that for the first time the Palestinians have tried to hit the Dimona N-reactor. It is going to be inevitable that one day Israel's enemies will possess a WMD of some kind.When they do so and the dear lord forbid,attack Israel with it,the inevitable consequences of that will be most certainly a nuclear war.Can the international community stay quiet and remain impotent? What happens in the ME has an immediate impact upon us all.
Here is Fisk on his take of the current crisis.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the ... 96120.html
Hospital officials say 81 people have been killed in three days of airstrikes, with no Israeli casualties reported
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/j ... sault-gaza
However,there is something quite sick when the Israeli retaliation is so severe that dozens of Palestinians,including children who have nothing to do with the conflict are killed in revenge by the state forces,peace will never take place in the region if such overkill becomes the norm.What is equally staggering is that the UN and global community are quite helpless and unable to stop the carnage,which if it continues will yet again embroil the ME into a wider war. Tony B.Liar,who was appointed "peacemaker" for the region has been totally exposed as being nothing more than a third rate gold-digger,the post a pay-off for his complicity in the illegal invasion of Iraq.,while he collects his lucrative "cash" payoffs from the lecture circuit.
What is deeply worrying is that for the first time the Palestinians have tried to hit the Dimona N-reactor. It is going to be inevitable that one day Israel's enemies will possess a WMD of some kind.When they do so and the dear lord forbid,attack Israel with it,the inevitable consequences of that will be most certainly a nuclear war.Can the international community stay quiet and remain impotent? What happens in the ME has an immediate impact upon us all.
Here is Fisk on his take of the current crisis.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the ... 96120.html
Palestinian death toll rises as Israel escalates aerial assault on Gaza
Wednesday 9 July 2014
The true Gaza back-story that the Israelis aren’t telling this week
A future Palestine state will have no borders and be an enclave within Israel, surrounded on all sides by Israeli-held territory
OK, so by this afternoon, the exchange rate of death in two days was 40-0 in favour of Israel. But now for the Gaza story you won’t be hearing from anyone else in the next few hours.
It’s about land. The Israelis of Sederot are coming under rocket fire from the Palestinians of Gaza and now the Palestinians are getting their comeuppance. Sure. But wait, how come all those Palestinians – all 1.5 million – are crammed into Gaza in the first place? Well, their families once lived, didn’t they, in what is now called Israel? And got chucked out – or fled for their lives – when the Israeli state was created.
And – a drawing in of breath is now perhaps required – the people who lived in Sederot in early 1948 were not Israelis, but Palestinian Arabs. Their village was called Huj. Nor were they enemies of Israel. Two years earlier, these same Arabs had actually hidden Jewish Haganah fighters from the British Army. But when the Israeli army turned up at Huj on 31 May 1948, they expelled all the Arab villagers – to the Gaza Strip! Refugees, they became. David Ben Gurion (Israel’s first Prime Minister) called it an “unjust and unjustified action”. Too bad. The Palestinians of Huj were never allowed back.
And today, well over 6,000 descendants of the Palestinians from Huj – now Sederot – live in the squalor of Gaza, among the “terrorists” Israel is claiming to destroy and who are shooting at what was Huj. Interesting story.
And same again for Israel’s right to self-defence. We heard it again today. What if the people of London were being rocketed like the people of Israel? Wouldn’t they strike back? Well yes, but we Brits don’t have more than a million former inhabitants of the UK cooped up in refugee camps over a few square miles around Hastings.
The last time this specious argument was used was in 2008, when Israel invaded Gaza and killed at least 1,100 Palestinians (exchange rate: 1,100 to 13). What if Dublin was under rocket attack, the Israeli ambassador asked then? But the UK town of Crossmaglen in Northern Ireland was under rocket attack from the Irish Republic in the 1970s – yet the RAF didn’t bomb Dublin in retaliation, killing Irish women and children. In Canada in 2008, Israel’s supporters were making the same fraudulent point. What if the people of Vancouver or Toronto or Montreal were being rocket-attacked from the suburbs of their own cities? How would they feel? But the Canadians haven’t pushed the original inhabitants of Canadian territory into refugee camps.
And now let’s cross to the West Bank. First of all, Benjamin Netanyahu said he couldn’t talk to Palestinian “President” Mahmoud Abbas because he didn’t also represent Hamas. Then when Abbas formed a unity government, Netanyahu said he couldn’t talk to Abbas because he had unified himself with the “terrorist” Hamas. Now he says he can only talk to him if he breaks with Hamas – even though he won’t then represent Hamas.
Meanwhile, that great leftist Israeli philosopher Uri Avnery – 90 years old and still, thankfully, going strong – has picked up on his country’s latest obsession: the danger that Isis will storm west from its Iraqi/Syrian “caliphate” and arrive on the east bank of the Jordan river.
“And Netanyahu said,” according to Avnery, “if they are not stopped by the permanent Israeli garrison there (on the Jordan river), they will appear at the gates of Tel Aviv.” The truth, of course, is that the Israeli air force would have crushed Isis the moment it dared to cross the Jordanian border from Iraq or Syria.
The importance of this, however, is that if Israel keeps its army on the Jordan (to protect Israel from Isis), a future “Palestine” state will have no borders and will be an enclave within Israel, surrounded on all sides by Israeli-held territory.
“Much like the South African Bantustans,” says Avnery. In other words, no “viable” state of Palestine will ever exist. After all, aren’t Isis just the same as Hamas? Of course not.
But that’s not what we heard from Mark Regev, Netanyahu’s spokesman. No, what he told Al Jazeera was that Hamas was “an extremist terrorist organisation not very different from Isis in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Boko Haram…” Tosh. Hezbollah is a Shia militia now fighting to the death inside Syria against the Sunni Muslims of Isis. And Boko Haram – thousands of kilometres from Israel – is not a threat to Tel Aviv.
But you get the point. The Palestinians of Gaza – and please forget, forever, the 6,000 Palestinians whose families come from the land of Sederot – are allied to the tens of thousands of Islamists threatening Maliki of Baghdad, Assad of Damascus or President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja. Even more to the point, if Isis is heading towards the edge of the West Bank, why is the Israeli government still building colonies there – illegally, and on Arab land – for Israeli civilians?
This is not just about the foul murder of three Israelis in the occupied West Bank or the foul murder of a Palestinian in occupied East Jerusalem. Nor about the arrest of many Hamas militants and politicians in the West Bank. Nor about rockets. As usual, it’s about land.
Hospital officials say 81 people have been killed in three days of airstrikes, with no Israeli casualties reported
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/j ... sault-gaza