1. SYRIA – Islamic State storm one of last Syria army bases in Raqqa
A monitoring group said over 40 people were killed in multiple suicide car bombings carried out by Islamic State fighters and in ensuing clashes.
The Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot, has made rapid gains in Syria since it seized northern Iraq’s largest city, Mosul, on June 10, and declared an Islamic caliphate on adjoining territory it controls in Syria and Iraq.
Raqqa is a major stronghold of the Islamic State, which took control of the provincial capital and expelled rival Syrian rebel groups at the start of the year.
2. Galloway under investigation over Israel remarks
3. Russians seem to have taken Clinton’s “reset” seriously and dramatically changed the level of respect between the US and the former Soviet Union. I wonder of Hillary is now looking for the cheat codes on that game.
4. Catalonia to Muslims: Support Independence, Get Mega-Mosque
The tentative plan calls for the Emir of Qatar to purchase the stadium and cover all costs associated with converting the property into a mosque, which would be the third-largest in the world after those in Mecca and Medina.
The mosque would be accompanied by a towering 300-meter (985-foot) minaret which, if approved, would dominate the Barcelona skyline and overshadow the spectacularly emblematic Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic cathedral less than one kilometer away.
5. SUN TV asks some important questions about the Asunna mosque in Montreal, about which we have posted extensively and SUN TV has reported on to the extent that it deserves. Which is to say a great deal while no one else has covered the issue whatsoever, other than Radio-Canada in 2006 and then again, (I think) in 2011
6. Mali jihadi leader reappears to threaten France
The leader of a jihadist group driven from northern Mali by French troops has reappeared for the first time in 18 months with a video message calling for Muslims to rise up against France, “which detests Islam”.
Iyad Ag Ghaly, who led a Tuareg rebellion in the Sahara before setting up the armed group Ansar Dine (“Defenders of the Faith”), disappeared in January 2013 soon after France intervened to stop a column of Islamist insurgents taking Mali’s capital Bamako and toppling the government.
Thank you M., Richard, Dan F., Maria J., and many more who may have sent in material and got lost in the myriad of tabs I have open.
More people appeal for help for the Christians and the Yazidi people
VICE NEWS – The Spread of the Caliphate: The Islamic State (Part 1) ( 9:08 )
Report: U.S. airstrikes said to bomb Iraqi targets
American military forces bombed at least two targets in northern Iraq on Thursday night, according to a report from The New York Times. The strikes are aimed at routing Islamist insurgents who have trapped tens of thousands of religious minorities in Kurdish areas, according to the Times
Earlier, the White House was considering dropping humanitarian supplies by air to thousands of displaced religious minorities in northwestern Iraq who are under siege from Islamic militants, possibly in combination with U.S. airstrikes, according to U.S. defense officials and others familiar with the administration’s thinking.
The administration was also weighing military options, to include airstrikes, in the event that American interests are threatened by the Islamic State group, whose fighters who have made gains toward the Kurdish capital city of Irbil, two senior defense officials said.
more on the page :
http://www.northjersey.com/news/report-u-s-airstrikes-said-to-bomb-iraqi-targets-1.1064161
Pentagon Denies Report US Is Bombing ISIS Targets In Iraq
The Pentagon moved swiftly to shoot down a New York Times report Thursday afternoon that American military forces had bombed at least two places in northern Iraq targeting fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
“Press reports that US has conducted airstrikes in Iraq completely false. No such action taken,” Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, wrote on Twitter.
President Barack Obama is preparing to make a statement Thursday evening, the Times reported. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Times reported, citing Kurdish officials, that U.S. military forces struck at least two targets with the intention of routing ISIS fighters who have created what officials have called an urgent humanitarian situation in northern Iraq. ISIS has trapped tens of thousands of religious minorities on Mount Sinjar who belong to the Yazidi religious sect.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that U.S. airstrikes appeared underway. Anwar Haj Othman, deputy head of the Peshmerga ministry, a defense ministry for the Kurdish forces, told the Journal that U.S. jet fighters struck targets in both the Mount Sinjar plains and in a Kurdish area known as Gwair.
The situation on Mount Sinjar has given the Yazidis a near-impossible dilemma — leave and risk being killed by the militants, or stay and hope aid comes their way. UNICEF said that as of Tuesday, about 40 children had already died on the mountain from dehydration and heat exhaustion.
A senior Defense Department official told Business Insider earlier Thursday that the U.S. was considering emergency-relief airdrops of food and medicine to aid the religious minorities. Other reports indicated Obama was considering airstrikes targeting ISIS fighters at the base of the mountain.
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-bombing-isis-iraq-pentagon-denies-nyt-2014-8
White House tight lipped on possible air strikes in Iraq
Consider, consider…
#4 The Catalonias will see their independence disappear as Muslims take over Catalonia. All what they are fighting for is going to go down the drain. They have no idea the bargain they are making.
They’re all so sure they can make their deals with the devil and never be called to account. Better get that kiss of true love before the sun goes down.
Poor unfortunate souls
In pain, in need
This one longing to be thinner
That one wants to get the girl
And do I help them? Yes, indeed…
Now it’s happened once or twice
Someone couldn’t pay the price
And I’m afraid I had to rake ’em ‘cross the coals
Yes I’ve had the odd complaint
But on the whole I’ve been a saint
To those poor unfortunate souls
The various separatist movements were started by the KGB to weaken the west, the left is continuing the effort.
Iraq: ISIS bombs Kirkuk, thousands of Christians forced to flee
Iraq: Over 50,000 Christians flee ISIS onslaught
Iraq’s Yazidis under ISIS fire – BBC News
Re. Galloway:
I can’t imagine why any genuine ‘academic’ (Israeli or otherwise) interested in retaining his or her standing in Academia would want to visit Bradford University (an oxymoron if ever I heard one).
Also known as Islamabad U (West) this world renowned centre for the distribution of mickey mouse degrees in Peace Studies – I’m not kidding! – has as its Chancellor a fine upstanding fellow who just happens to be both a (ex) Pakistani cricketer and politician (Pakistan Tehreek-a-Insef Party).
It is also interesting to note that twenty two per cent of this establishment’s students are ‘foreign’ – you, dear readers, can guess where the majority of those hail from 🙂
Sounds like the perfect school to stay away from and the town where it is located should be approached with caution.