Syria Will Help US Fight Terrorism, Says Walid Muallem

BBC: Syria's foreign minister has offered to help the US fight the Islamic State (IS) militant group, which has seized swathes of land in Iraq and Syria.

Walid Muallem said Syria was "the centre of the international coalition to fight Islamic State".

The US has already bombed IS fighters in Iraq and has hinted it would be willing to take action in Syria.

Western powers generally shun Syria's government, accusing it of carrying out atrocities in its three-year civil war.

But Mr Muallem warned that the US must co-ordinate with the Syrian government before launching any air strikes on its territory.

"Anything outside this is considered aggression," he said. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, August 25, 2014

West Poised to Join Forces with Assad in Face of Islamic State

THE INDEPENDENT: Covert co-operation may signal the beginning of a once unthinkable alliance

Islamist forces are fighting their way into western Syria from bases further east, bringing forward the prospect of US military intervention to stop their advance. If Isis, which styles itself Islamic State, threatens to take all or part of Aleppo, establishing complete dominance over the anti-government rebels, the US may be compelled to act publicly or secretly in concert with President Bashar al-Assad, whom it has been trying to displace. » | Patrick Cockburn | Friday, August 22, 2014

Brigitte Bardot Calls Marine Le Pen 'Modern Joan of Arc'

Brigitte Bardot has described Marine Le Pen as
"the Joan of Arc of the 21st century"

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Former actress Brigitte Bardot says she hopes the far-right leader will be the saviour of France in a Paris-Match interview before her 80th birthday

Brigitte Bardot, the 1960s icon of liberated, bikini-clad French womanhood, has described the far-right leader Marine Le Pen as "the Joan of Arc of the 21st century" in an interview with Paris-Match.

The magazine published a topless photo of the former actress, taken in 1967 when she was 33, on its cover this week as she prepares to celebrate her 80th birthday in September.

"I am a native Frenchwoman and proud of it," Bardot said. "I mourn the fact that my beautiful country has deteriorated in every way. It's criminal to submit to these depths."

Now an animal rights activist, she is an outspoken supporter of Ms Le Pen's anti-immigration Front National party, which topped the vote in European elections earlier this year amid widespread discontent with the Socialist government over record unemployment and the stagnant economy.

"I hope she [Ms Le Pen] saves France. She is the Joan of Arc of the 21st century," Bardot said. Burned at the stake for heresy in 1431, Joan of Arc is a Roman Catholic saint, sometimes referred to as the "mother of the French nation". » | David Chazan, Paris | Friday, August 22, 2014

Steven Sotloff: The American Journalist Whose Life Fanatics Say Is In Obama’s Hands

An IS militant with a man purported to be US journalist
Steven Sotloff in a still from the group's video

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Following the killing of James Foley by Islamic State militants, a second kidnapped journalist is threatened with execution

His friend Anne Marloe put it best on Twitter: “Steve Sotloff lived in Yemen for years, spoke good Arabic, deeply loved Islamic world.. for this he is threatened with beheading.”

Originally from Miami, Florida, freelance reporter Steven Joel Sotloff had been based in the Libyan city of Benghazi when he went on assignment to Syria just over a year ago.

Captured close to the Turkish border near Aleppo, he is believed to have been held in Raqqa.

Today he finds himself in the hands of Islamic State fundamentalists whose capacity for bloodshed and murder was made horrifically clear in the video released Tuesday night purportedly showing the beheading of Mr Sotloff’s fellow journalist, James Foley.

Sotloff himself appears at the end of the same video, clad in a similar orange outfit to that worn by Foley and with a knife to his throat.

Addressing the US President directly, the black-robed figure beside him warns: “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision.” » | Rosa Prince, New York | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Time to Bomb ISIS

Journalist James Wright Foley

NEW YORK POST: The time for games is over.

On Tuesday, America got a horrific wake-up call: Islamic State terrorists released a gruesome video that shows them beheading James Wright Foley, an American photojournalist held in Syria since 2012. The group also showed another US journalist held hostage, Steven Joel Sotloff, and threatened to murder him as well.

“The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision,” declares the masked terrorist as he holds Sotloff by the neck.

True, that puts President Obama in a difficult spot. But the president must do whatever it takes to counter this vicious savagery: that is, launch full-throttled airstrikes against ISIS and its “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria — until the threat is gone. » | Post Editorial Board | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Bill Maher Talks to CNN's Anderson Cooper about Islam, Terrorists and Guns

US and UK Agents Work to ID Executioner in Beheading Video

Aug. 20, 2014 - 3:16 - Executioner appears to speak in British accent

I Fear Our Panic[-]stricken Politicians Are Leading Us into Another Bloody Shambles in Iraq, Says General Sir Michael Rose

General Sir Michael Rose led the UN forces in Bosnia

DAILY MAIL: Amid the rising tide of horror stories coming from Iraq, there seems to be little constructive thought emerging from Western politicians on how to solve the political and humanitarian issues that confront the country.

Like panic-stricken rabbits caught in the headlights, our political leaders do not appear to know which way to go.

The only thing that they do know is that something must be done. But developing a viable, effective strategy against the brutal campaign of the Islamic State has, so far, clearly been beyond their competence.

Although I strongly believe that military intervention must be instigated only as a matter of last resort and I firmly opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2003, I am convinced that there is a powerful moral — and practical — case for intervening now against the Islamic State.

For what we are witnessing is the terrible consequences of the so-called Arab Spring, so naively celebrated by our leaders just a few months ago.

As I have watched and read news reports from this embattled and disintegrating region, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we must intervene to protect the lives of Iraqis and hold back the rising tide of the Islamic State. Read on and comment » | General Sir Michael Rose | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Norwegian Mass Murderer Anders Breivik's Father to Publish Book

THE GUARDIAN: Jens Breivik's My Fault? A Father's story will deal with his role in life of killer and is said to be 'self-trial' by ex-diplomat

The father of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik will publish a book entitled, My Fault? A Father's Story, on his role in the life of the killer, his publisher has announced.

In an excerpt released on Wednesday, Jens Breivik writes: "I feel some guilt and I feel some responsibility. What would have happened if I had been a better father? Would Anders have done what he did?" » | Agence France-Press in Oslo | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Glazov Gang-Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood in the American Heartland

Read the article here | Frontpagemag.com | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

‘ISIS Is Enemy No. 1 of Islam,’ Says Saudi Grand Mufti

TREND.AZ: Militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and al-Qaeda were blasted by Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh on Tuesday as "enemy number one" of Islam, Al Arabiya reported.

"The ideas of extremism, radicalism and terrorism ... have nothing to do with Islam and (their proponents) are the enemy number one of Islam," the kingdom's top cleric said in a statement[.]

He cited militants from ISIS, which has declared a "caliphate" straddling parts of Iraq and Syria, and the global al-Qaeda terror network.

Last Wednesday, Saudi Arabia donated $100 million to the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) to help combat terrorism. » | Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Caliphate of Fear: The Curse of the Islamic State

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Images of Yazidis fleeing parts of Iraq and Syria have shocked the world and the battle against the jihadists with the Islamic State has united Americans, Europeans, Kurds and Iranians. Can the Islamists be stopped?

In Raqqa, Syria, the Islamic State's "caliphate" has already become a reality. All women in the city are required to wear the niqab veil and pants are banned. Thieves have their hands hacked off and opponents are publicly crucified or beheaded, with the images of these horrific acts then posted on social networks.

The few hair salons that are still open are required to black out the pictures of women on the packaging for hair dye solutions. Weddings are only permitted to take place without music. And at livestock markets, the hindquarters of goats and sheep must be covered in order to prevent men from viewing their genitalia and having uncomely thoughts.

Any person caught out on the street during the five daily prayer times is risking his or her life.

The jihadists with the Islamic State, or IS, are acting out their fantasies of omnipotence in the name of God. They're murdering, torturing and forcing families to give their daughters away for marriage to Islamist fighters coming in from abroad. One girl whose family agreed to marry her off took her own life. » | Spiegel Staff | Tuesday, August 19, 2014

British Extremists among 'Most Vicious' in Isis, Expert Says

THE GUARDIAN: Jihadism expert says Sunni Muslims from the UK do everything from suicide bombings to executions in Syria and Iraq conflicts

British extremists are among the "most vicious and vociferous fighters" in Islamic State (Isis) ranks in Syria and Iraq, a jihadism expert has said.

Sunni Muslims from the UK are taking part in the conflicts "in every way", according to Shiraz Maher from King's College London's International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation.

That includes acting as suicide bombers and executioners, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday after a video purporting to show a US journalist being beheaded by an Isis fighter with a British accent was placed online.

The black-clothed and masked man, who spoke with traces of a London accent, threatened bloodshed in the gruesome video, accusing America of plotting against Muslims and interfering in their affairs before taking a knife to his victim's throat. » | Press Association | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Islamic State to Americans: “We Will Drown All of You in Blood”

Read the article here

Islamic State Vows to 'Break the American Cross'

YAHOO! NEWS: BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State, the Sunni militant group which seeks to establish a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, released a video on Tuesday that gave the strongest indication yet it might attempt to strike American targets.

The video with the theme "breaking of the American cross" boasts Islamic State will emerge victorious over "crusader" America. It follows a video posted on Monday warning of attacks on American targets if Washington struck against its fighters in Iraq and Syria.

The latest footage speaks of a holy war between the al-Qaeda offshoot and the United States, which occupied Iraq for nearly a dacade [sic] and faced stiff resistance from al Qaeda. » | Rueters | Reporting by Michael Georgy; editing by Ralph Boulton | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

Anti-Semitism in Britain: "Sit Up and Take Notice"

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: "There is a direct link between politicians saying things and people being emboldened to go and attack Jews." — Jonathan Arush, Vice-President, UK Board of Deputies.

It is never the person who commits these sorts of crimes that is held morally responsible by Britain's media or politicians. That honor is reserved for a nation over 2,000 miles away, Israel.

What if Christians objecting to the genocide being carried out by ISIS in Iraq, say, went around in mobs violently menacing Muslim businesses?

A striking feature of the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Britain is the silence with which the country's leaders are choosing to respond to a growing climate of hatred and intimidation, directed not only at Jews themselves, but increasingly anything remotely Jewish.

According to a report published in July by the Community Security Trust, a charity established to ensure the safety of the Jewish community in 1994, even though four out of every five anti-Semitic attacks usually take place "in the main Jewish centers of Greater London and Greater Manchester," violent assaults against Jews and symbols of Judaism are also now taking place nationwide. » | George Igler | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Mother: Jim Foley Died Trying to Expose Suffering in Syria

Aug. 20, 2014 - 5:46 - Wall Street Journal Assistant Managing Editor John Bussey reacts to Diane Foley's statement

ISIS Beheads American Journalist in Video

Aug. 20, 2014 - 2:05 - Leland Vittert reports from Washington

Hunt Begins for 'British' Islamic State Executioner of US Journalist James Foley

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Intelligence agencies try to identify masked jihadi killer of James Foley who spoke with accent believed to be from London or southern England


Intelligence agencies are trying to identify the executioner of American journalist James Foley after he spoke with what appeared to be an English accent.

The Islamic State jihadi, clad all in black with his face covered, addressed the camera during a five-minute video and delivered an anti-American rant in what appeared to be an accent from London or southern England.

It will raise fears about the role of extremists from the UK in Islamic State, which now controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq.

One tweet from an account dedicated to the "upcoming conquest of the Americas" described the man as a "foreign muhaji, British, who climbed the ranks and shook America to its knees." However, it was unclear if the author knew his identity or was simply responding to media reports.

In the video the masked man points a knife at the camera with his left hand and says: "This is James Wright Foley, an American citizen, of your country. As a government, you have been at the forefront of the aggression towards the Islamic State.

"Today, your military air force is attacking us daily in Iraq...any attempt by you, Obama, to deny the Muslims their rights of living in safety under the Islamic Caliphate will result in the bloodshed of your people." » | Nick Allen and Philip Sherwell | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Removing Kosher Food from Shelves Is Giving In to Hatred

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sainsbury’s action may have been banal, but it is part of a normalisation of anti-Semitism

Terrorism takes many forms. But whether it is Islamist extremists on the streets of London or IS beheadings in Syria and Iraq, it has one common thread – it is designed to instil such fear that a society or community changes its very way of life.

On Saturday, a branch of Sainsbury’s removed all kosher food from its shelves over fears that anti-Israel protesters picketing outside would attack the shop. Compared with the impact of the 7/7 murders, Sainsbury’s behaviour was certainly banal. But it was more than that, because in its way it was both giving in to, and colluding with, a form of terrorism.

In response to those protesters outside Sainsbury’s Holborn branch calling for a boycott of its Israeli goods, the manager ordered his staff to clear the shop of all its kosher goods. Clearly the manager is not the brightest spark in the firmament, since kosher produce – which is the only food observant Jews are allowed to eat – is not the same as Israeli produce – which is simply food produced in Israel. The kosher produce in the shop was apparently made in the UK and Poland, and had never been near Israel. » | Stephen Pollard* | Tuesday, August 19, 2014

* Stephen Pollard is editor of 'The Jewish Chronicle’