| Man shot by law enforcement in Boston was monitored by terrorism task force Posted: 02 Jun 2015 04:17 PM PDT The fatal shooting of a Muslim man on a Boston sidewalk underscores the difficulty faced by US authorities trying to counter the increasing influence of Islamic radicalization among young men and women living in the United States. Although the full details of Tuesday's encounter have not yet been released, authorities said the victim, Usaama Rahim, had been under round-the-clock surveillance by a terrorism task force that suspected he had become radicalized by the Islamic State (formerly known as ISIS). Recommended: How much do you know about the Islamic State? |
| Iraq War veteran charged with murder in deaths of relatives Posted: 02 Jun 2015 03:02 PM PDT  SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A decorated Iraq War veteran arrested in the deaths of his estranged wife's mother, stepfather and brother was charged Tuesday with three counts of premeditated first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances.
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| US-led coalition doubles down on IS group strategy Posted: 02 Jun 2015 12:54 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State is doubling down on its strategy to fight the extremists, insisting on staying the course it set last year despite the radical group's recent conquests on both sides of the border between Iraq and Syria.
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| Sudan swears in President al-Bashir as he shifts alliances Posted: 02 Jun 2015 12:46 PM PDT  CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Tuesday was sworn in for another five-year term extending his 25-year autocratic rule, a testament to his ability to survive civil wars, sanctions and an international war crimes indictment.
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| Nigeria's Boko Haram releases new video as suicide blast kills 13 Posted: 02 Jun 2015 12:16 PM PDT  Boko Haram released a new video on Tuesday rejecting claims they have been routed in a four-nation offensive, while a suicide bomber killed 13 people in the Islamists' northeast stronghold. The video published online and the bombing in the Borno state capital Maiduguri came as Nigeria's new president Muhammadu Buhari met security chiefs in Abuja after vowing to crush the uprising. The 10-minute message released on YouTube was the first video from the Islamist militants since February and did not show leader Abubakar Shekau.
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| Allies back Iraq plan against ISIS, Baghdad seeks more help Posted: 02 Jun 2015 12:15 PM PDT  By John Irish and Marine Pennetier PARIS (Reuters) - Western and Arab states carrying out air strikes on Islamic State fighters backed on Tuesday Iraq's plan to retake territory from the jihadist movement after being accused by the Iraqi premier of not doing enough to help Baghdad push back the insurgents. Around 20 coalition ministers met Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Paris, in part to persuade his Shi'ite Muslim-led government to repair relations with Iraq's Sunni minority to strengthen its campaign against the Sunni Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Despite a show of unity, Abadi appeared to reject suggestions that Baghdad was paying insufficient attention to reconciliation with Sunni.
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| Turkey's Erdogan wants editor jailed for espionage in video row: newspaper Posted: 02 Jun 2015 11:35 AM PDT  Lawyers for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan have accused a newspaper editor of espionage and want him jailed for life, the paper said on Tuesday, the latest salvo in a bitter dispute that has alarmed defenders of media freedom in Turkey. In the countdown to a June 7 parliamentary election, the Cumhuriyet newspaper infuriated Erdogan last Friday by publishing video footage it said showed the MIT state intelligence agency helping to send weapons to Syria. In an article posted on its website, Cumhuriyet - long critical of Erdogan and of Turkey's ruling AK Party - said its editor Can Dundar was now facing charges that included "crimes against the government" and "providing information concerning national security" over the video footage.
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| Congress and Obama Put the Gloves on Over Spending Posted: 02 Jun 2015 11:04 AM PDT On the same day that the House Appropriations Committee began deliberating over a $578.6 billion defense spending bill that exceeds the president's request and breaches statutory limits, Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan sent a letter to GOP leaders saying the administration won't tolerate additional defense spending unless Republicans agree to lift spending caps on domestic programs for fiscal 2016. The defense spending measure is the sixth bill drafted by House Republicans this year that would employ a double-standard of sidestepping the 2011 Budget Control Act while adhering to the law's strict spending caps. |
| 'No military solution' to Libya conflict: UN Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:57 AM PDT  "There's no military solution" in Libya, UN Support Mission in Libya chief Bernardino Leon told the US-Islamic World Forum in Qatar, saying a meeting of Libyan parties and political leaders will begin in Algeria Wednesday. Leon said he believed 75 per cent of political leaders in the strife-torn country wanted peace.
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| Poll: Hillary Clinton Weakens on Trustworthiness While Jeb Bush Slides Into GOP Free-For-All Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:50 AM PDT  Indeed, while Bush has lost ground in the contest for the GOP nomination, Clinton does less well against him in a head-to-head matchup. The gap between them has closed from 12 points to three – 47-44 percent, Clinton-Bush, among registered voters, vs. 53-41 percent two months ago. Bush, at the same time, has even greater difficulties with personal favorability than Clinton, and a far weaker home base.
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| Paris says 110 jihadists from France killed in Iraq and Syria Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:19 AM PDT  French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Tuesday that 110 jihadists who left French territory to fight with the Islamic State group had died in Iraq and Syria. "More than 860 individuals have spent time in these countries, 471 of which are still there and 110 of which are dead," Valls told the Senate as it studies an intelligence bill approved by lawmakers in May. Nine of those died in suicide bombings, said Valls.
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| Former British Lib Dem leader Kennedy dies aged 55 Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:14 AM PDT  Charles Kennedy, a former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats, has died suddenly at the age of 55 following a years-long struggle against alcoholism. "It is with great sadness, and an enormous sense of shock, that we announce the death of Charles Kennedy," his family said in a statement on Tuesday. The Scotsman became the youngest MP of the time when he won a Scottish constituency in 1983, aged 23, but he lost his seat in last month's election.
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| British actor joins Kurds fighting Islamic State group Posted: 02 Jun 2015 10:12 AM PDT  BEIRUT (AP) — A British actor who has had minor roles in Hollywood films has joined Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State group in Syria and appeared in an online video Tuesday.
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| IS closes Iraq dam gates, sparking humanitarian fears Posted: 02 Jun 2015 09:57 AM PDT  Islamic State group jihadists have closed the gates of a dam in the Iraqi city of Ramadi which they seized last month, posing a humanitarian and security threat, officials said Tuesday. IS fighters have repeatedly attempted to control dams in Iraq, in some cases reducing the flow of water to areas under government control or flooding swathes of land to impede military operations. Anbar provincial council chief Sabah Karhout said IS "closed all the gates" at a dam in Ramadi, capital of Iraq's largest province.
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| Kelly Pajak combines an Army career with a passion for sustainable development Posted: 02 Jun 2015 09:28 AM PDT Unbeknownst to her at the time, Maj. Kelly Pajak's burgeoning career in development would be inspired by how she dealt with Iraq's garbage. Attached to the US Army's Civil Affairs Unit, Major Pajak began to work closely with the city's municipality director. The Pajak, the endeavor seemed to make a lot of sense. |
| Islamic extremist killed as internal tensions hit Gaza Posted: 02 Jun 2015 09:22 AM PDT  A local Salafist leader was shot dead in Gaza City Tuesday during a confrontation with Hamas security forces as tensions mounted between the Strip's Islamist rulers and its extremist opponents. The violence came as Hamas police and security forces stepped up measures against militants belonging to Islamic extremist groups, some of whom are known as Salafists. "Security forces barricaded the house and then violent clashes erupted," they told AFP.
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| Iraq allies vow support for plan to regain ground from jihadists Posted: 02 Jun 2015 09:15 AM PDT  Iraq's allies Tuesday pledged support for Baghdad's plan to retake the city of Ramadi from Islamic State jihadists, whose advance Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described as a "failure" for the global community. The US-led coalition, which has been carrying out air strikes against IS, also called for the "speedy launch" of efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis, saying this was crucial to tackle the group rampaging through Syria and Iraq.
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| 'Boko Haram' dismisses Nigeria military claims of success Posted: 02 Jun 2015 08:57 AM PDT  Boko Haram rejected claims from Nigeria's military that it has been routed by a four-nation offensive in a video released online on Tuesday, which does not show the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau. The unidentified speaker, his face obscured by a headscarf, instead called Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, who have been battling the Islamists, "the lying coalition partners". The video bears the logo "Islamic State in West Africa" and follows the Nigerian militants' pledge of allegiance in an audio message in March to the IS group, that has overrun large parts of Syria and Iraq.
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| Syrian insurgent advances put Assad under pressure Posted: 02 Jun 2015 08:39 AM PDT  By Sylvia Westall BEIRUT (Reuters) - Steady advances by insurgents on key fronts in Syria mean President Bashar al-Assad is under more military pressure than at any point in the four-year-old war. Losses in the north, east and south to groups including al Qaeda's Syrian arm and Islamic State may test Assad's hold over western parts of the country that are the most crucial to his survival. After his loss of Palmyra, a symbolic and militarily strategic city, and nearly all of Idlib province, he appears to be circling his wagons more closely to a western region that includes Damascus, Homs, Hama and the coast.
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| Iran's Rouhani says Arabs, West miscalculated in Syria Posted: 02 Jun 2015 08:26 AM PDT  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused Arab and Western governments of miscalculating in their backing for Syrian rebels as the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group gathered in Paris Tuesday. Speaking at a reception for Syria's visiting parliament speaker Jihad al-Lahham, Rouhani renewed Tehran's longstanding accusation that it was those governments' support for armed insurgency against its Damascus ally that had led to the rise of the jihadists. "Unfortunately some countries miscalculated and thought that terrorist groups would be a means for them to achieve their objectives, whereas sooner or later they were always going to be affected by the scourge of terrorism themselves," he said.
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| Veterans Take On The Great Outdoors In Soldier Ride Colorado Springs Posted: 02 Jun 2015 07:38 AM PDT COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly 50 injured service members will embark on an inspirational, 40-mile journey through the peaks and valleys of Colorado Springs during Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® presented by USAA®. The rehabilitative cycling event returns to the Rocky Mountain State Thursday, June 25 through Saturday, June 27. Soldier Ride often serves as an introductory program to WWP veterans. The national program brings together servicemen and women for a long weekend focused on physical health, wellness, camaraderie, and healing. ... |
| Wounded Warrior Project Launching New National Mental Health Care Initiative, Warrior Care Network Posted: 02 Jun 2015 07:00 AM PDT JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is launching a first-of-its-kind medical care network, Warrior Care Network™, to connect wounded veterans and their families with world-class, individualized mental health care. Warrior Care Network will increase access to quality care for two of the most commonly experienced wounds of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). ... |
| IS claims suicide attack on Iraq police that killed 47 Posted: 02 Jun 2015 06:13 AM PDT  The Islamic State group claimed a suicide attack on an Iraqi police base north of Baghdad that officials said Tuesday had killed at least 47 people. A military intelligence officer said the Monday attack against a federal police base located between Samarra and Tharthar killed 47 -- 40 police and seven pro-government paramilitaries. The police killed were buried Tuesday in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad.
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| U.S.-led troops launch 15 air strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military Posted: 02 Jun 2015 06:07 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies launched 10 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and five in Syria since Monday morning, the U.S. military said. The strikes in Iraq hit Islamic State fighting positions, tactical units, buildings, machine guns and other targets near cities including Mosul, Sinjar, Tal Afar and Fallujah, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement Tuesday. The five strikes in Syria were concentrated near Al Hasakah and Kobani, hitting tactical units, fighting positions, a command and control facility and a weapons cache, it said. |
| Russia urges US to act in lockstep with Syria to crush IS Posted: 02 Jun 2015 04:47 AM PDT  Russia on Tuesday urged a US-led coalition fighting against the Islamic State group to coordinate their air raids with the Syrian government, warning that jihadists could go "very far" if not stopped. Lavrov spoke as the Western coalition gathered for Paris crunch talks involving Iraq to discuss the advance of IS jihadists who have declared an Islamic caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq they now control. "They already make a lot of progress in Iraq, in Syria.
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| Turkey votes in critical test for Erdogan party Posted: 02 Jun 2015 04:20 AM PDT  Turkey on Sunday votes in legislative elections with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted ruling party facing the biggest poll challenge of its 13 years in power as it seeks a mandate to change the constitution. Erdogan, who served as premier for over a decade before becoming president in August last year, wants the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that he co-founded to secure a two-thirds majority to change basic law and transform Turkey to a presidential system from a parliament-based one. The main uncertainty is whether the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) -- which also courts support from women and gays with its liberal social policies -- can overcome the tough 10 percent threshold needed to win seats in the 550-member parliament.
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| U.S. accuses Syria of backing Islamic State's Aleppo advance Posted: 02 Jun 2015 03:39 AM PDT  The United States has accused the Syrian military of carrying out air strikes to help Islamic State fighters advance around the northern city of Aleppo, messages posted on the U.S. Embassy Syria official Twitter feed said. Islamic State fighters pushed back rival insurgents north of Aleppo on Sunday near the Turkish border, threatening their supply route to the city, fighters and a group monitoring the war said. Fighters from Levant Front, a northern alliance which includes Western-backed rebels and Islamist fighters, said they were worried Islamic State was heading for the Bab al-Salam crossing between Aleppo and the Turkish province of Kilis.
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| Former UK Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy dies at 55 Posted: 02 Jun 2015 03:38 AM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Charles Kennedy was a rare thing — a genuinely popular British politician — and brought his Liberal Democrat party record success before his leadership was cut short by alcoholism.
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| Islamic State advance 'failure' for whole world: Iraq PM Posted: 02 Jun 2015 01:16 AM PDT  The advance of the Islamic State group in Iraq is a "failure" for the whole world community, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Tuesday, hours ahead of a crunch international meeting in Paris to refine strategy against the jihadist group. Abadi also urged the international community to help Iraq purchase weapons to fight the jihadists, saying the country had received "almost none.
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| At Iran anti-IS cartoon contest, pens also jab the West Posted: 01 Jun 2015 11:20 PM PDT  Caricatures of Arab and Western leaders appeared beside those of top jihadists at an Iranian cartoon contest on Islamic State group crimes that drew entries from artists around the world. Political cartoons have a long tradition in Iran, despite many restrictions in the staunchly conservative Islamic republic on taboo subjects such as the supreme leader, the clergy and military. Launched last week, the International Daesh Cartoon and Caricature Contest attracted 300 entries from more than 40 countries -- including Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia and Morocco.
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| Kerry arrives back in U.S. after breaking his leg Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:59 PM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived back in the United States on Monday aboard a special military flight from Europe after breaking his leg in a cycling accident. After landing at Boston's Logan airport at 8:50 p.m. EDT, Kerry headed to Massachusetts General Hospital in that city for further treatment, State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. Kerry had been in Geneva for negotiations on Saturday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and after the accident has had to cancel planned visits to Madrid and Paris.
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| Arizona mosque, site of anti-Islam protest, holds 'love not hate' event Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:57 PM PDT  By Deanna Dent PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona mosque where hundreds gathered last week for an anti-Islam demonstration, with counter-protesters shouting "Go home, Nazis," was the site of a "love not hate" event on Monday to promote peace and inclusiveness, participants said. The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix said it was hosting a gathering that includes a multi-faith prayer service and speakers to "show that when one of us is mistreated, our community responds with a message of Love and Not Hate." "We ask that you bring a FLOWER as a symbol of love and care," the event organizers said on Facebook. "We are better together, and together we are strong." (https://www.facebook.com/events/1648234602075105) Monday's event, organized by more than 20 groups, comes four days after an anti-Muslim event held outside the mosque drew more than 200 protesters, some armed, who berated Islam and its Prophet Mohammed.] The rally was held at the mosque in part because two Texas gunmen who opened fire outside an anti-Muslim event in Texas last month had worshipped there, said rally organizer Jon Ritzheimer, an Iraq war veteran.
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| Oil prices dip on high OPEC, U.S. production outlook Posted: 01 Jun 2015 05:52 PM PDT  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Crude oil dipped on Tuesday on expectations of rising OPEC output and a potential increase in U.S. shale production, but analysts said that strong refinery demand was preventing further price falls. "Investors remained cautious heading into the OPEC ... meeting this Friday, with Brent coming under the most selling pressure," ANZ bank said on Tuesday. This comes at a time when U.S. shale oil producers are also positioning for a resumption in output after this year's price rises," it added.
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| Tajikistan replaces IS-recruited special forces chief Posted: 01 Jun 2015 05:44 PM PDT  Tajikistan on Tuesday replaced its former special forces head who claims he skipped the country to fight for the Islamic State group and is now on Interpol's wanted list. The Central Asian country is reeling from the shock defection of 40-year-old Colonel Gulmorod Halimov, which was revealed in an apparent IS propaganda video last week. Halimov, who claimed the secular republic's anti-Islamic policies were behind his defection, was replaced by career policeman Hurshed Makhmadshoev as the head of the interior ministry's OMON special forces unit.
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