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Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-28

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C de Waart; CdW Intelligence to Rent [email protected] In Confidence The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. Winston Churchill CdW Intelligence to Rent Page 1 of 15 30/10/2015 Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142- Caliphate-ISIS-28 If not us, who? If not here, where? If not now, when? ISIS 'Declares War on Christians' Islamic State (ISIS) has published a new edition of the propaganda booklet Dabiq, which is again signaling its primary enemy - Christianity. the terror group's desires to conquer Rome and "break the cross." According to some Islamic traditions, the founder of Islam Mohammed predicted that the occupation of the three cities of Istanbul, Jerusalem and Rome pave the way for the appearance of the Mahdi, the Islamic Messiah. "Message to the Mujahideen in Jerusalem, Behead the Jews." ISIS releases threatening video in Hebrew, saying 'true war hasn't begun yet,' and promising 'not a single Jew will be left. In impressive Hebrew, the ISIS terrorist warns that "the true war hasn't yet started, what you've experienced until now is a child's war compared to what will happen soon." "We promise you that not a single Jew will be left in the entire country." Daesh [ISIS] is organized in such a way that children, women, civilians are being put on front lines. Its leadership is hiding in schools, mosques, hospitals, making the action of the coalition in Iraq and the action of France and other partners in Syria difficult, because we don't want civilian casualties. We pay as much attention to the targets we select as to the need to combat Daesh. “But lots of our officers joined Islamic State because of ideology,” “They [IS] took lots of people from our army to achieve their goals of expansion, to control oil regions in Syria. They attacked us with very dense fire in the Al-Bab region [Aleppo province, northern Syria], so we had to tactically retreat to other places." Spokesman of Iraq's Kata'ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Battalions) popular forces Jafar al-Hosseini disclosing that captured ISIL leaders have acknowledged receiving logistical backup and intelligence support from the US. Cees once again ISIS playing the Jews and Palestinians card is not new and a copycat of: Al Zawahir: "the road to Jerusalem passes through Cairo." What is however more interesting is the tittle of Zawahiri’s video message From Kabul to Mogadishu,” Zawahiri urges the mujahideen to attack Jews all over the world, saying “Crusader and Jewish targets are spread all over the world, and it is not for the enemy to impose on us the field, place, time and way in which we fight him; in 2009” Remember the phases of AQSL: The Second Phase "Opening Eyes" is, according to Hussein's definition, the period we are now in and should last until 2006. Hussein says the terrorists hope to make the western conspiracy aware of the "Islamic community." Hussein believes this is a phase in which al-Qaida wants an organization to develop into a movement. The network is banking on recruiting young men during this period. Iraq should become the center for all global operations, with an "army" set up there and bases established in other Arabic states. The Third Phase This is described as "Arising and Standing Up" and should last from 2007 to 2010. "There will be a focus on Syria," prophesies Hussein, based on what his sources told him. The fighting cadres are supposedly already prepared and some are in Iraq. Attacks on Turkey and -- even more
Transcript
Page 1: Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-28

C de Waart; CdW Intelligence to Rent

[email protected] In Confidence

The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.

–Winston Churchill

CdW Intelligence to Rent Page 1 of 15 30/10/2015

Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-

Caliphate-ISIS-28

If not us, who? If not here, where? If not now, when?

ISIS 'Declares War on Christians' Islamic State (ISIS) has published a new edition of the propaganda booklet Dabiq, which is again signaling its primary enemy - Christianity.

the terror group's desires to conquer Rome and "break the cross."

According to some Islamic traditions, the founder of Islam Mohammed predicted

that the occupation of the three cities of Istanbul, Jerusalem and Rome pave the way for the appearance of the Mahdi, the Islamic Messiah. "Message to the Mujahideen

in Jerusalem, Behead the Jews."

ISIS releases threatening video in Hebrew, saying 'true war hasn't begun yet,' and

promising 'not a single Jew will be left.

In impressive Hebrew, the ISIS terrorist warns that "the true war hasn't yet started,

what you've experienced until now is a child's war compared to what will happen soon."

"We promise you that not a single Jew will be left in the entire country."

Daesh [ISIS] is organized in such a way that children, women, civilians are being put on front lines. Its leadership is hiding in schools, mosques, hospitals, making

the action of the coalition in Iraq and the action of France and other partners in Syria difficult, because we don't want civilian casualties. We pay as much attention

to the targets we select as to the need to combat Daesh. “But lots of our officers joined Islamic State because of ideology,”

“They [IS] took lots of people from our army to achieve their goals of expansion, to

control oil regions in Syria. They attacked us with very dense fire in the Al-Bab region [Aleppo province, northern Syria], so we had to tactically retreat to other

places."

Spokesman of Iraq's Kata'ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Battalions) popular forces Jafar

al-Hosseini disclosing that captured ISIL leaders have acknowledged receiving logistical backup and intelligence support from the US.

Cees once again ISIS playing the Jews and Palestinians card is not new and a copycat

of: Al Zawahir: "the road to Jerusalem passes through Cairo." What is however

more interesting is the tittle of Zawahiri’s video message From Kabul to Mogadishu,” Zawahiri urges the mujahideen to attack Jews all over the world,

saying “Crusader and Jewish targets are spread all over the world, and it is not for the enemy to impose on us the field, place, time and way in which we fight him; in 2009” Remember the phases of AQSL: The Second Phase "Opening Eyes" is,

according to Hussein's definition, the period we are now in and should last until 2006. Hussein says the terrorists hope to make the western conspiracy aware of

the "Islamic community." Hussein believes this is a phase in which al-Qaida wants an organization to develop into a movement. The network is banking on recruiting young men during this period. Iraq should become the center for all global

operations, with an "army" set up there and bases established in other Arabic states. The Third Phase This is described as "Arising and Standing Up" and

should last from 2007 to 2010. "There will be a focus on Syria," prophesies Hussein, based on what his sources told him. The fighting cadres are supposedly already prepared and some are in Iraq. Attacks on Turkey and -- even more

Page 2: Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-28

C de Waart; CdW Intelligence to Rent

[email protected] In Confidence

The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.

–Winston Churchill

CdW Intelligence to Rent Page 2 of 15 30/10/2015

explosive -- in Israel are predicted. Al-Qaida's masterminds hope that attacks on

Israel will help the terrorist group become a recognized organization. The author also believes that countries neighboring Iraq, such as Jordan, are also in danger.

Al Qaeda No. 2 Again Threatens Jews Worldwide Posted: February 26, 2009 In an audio message released on February 22, 2009, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda’s second in command, calls for attacks against Jews all over the world In his latest audiotape

message, produced by Al Qaeda’s media wing Al Sahab and titled “From Kabul to Mogadishu,” Zawahiri urges the mujahideen to attack Jews all over the world, saying

“Crusader and Jewish targets are spread all over the world, and it is not for the enemy to impose on us the field, place, time and way in which we fight him.”

February 3, 2009 (GLOBAL): Al-Qa`ida second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri released a new audio message, in which he condemned Israel for its recent actions in the Gaza

Strip. Al-Zawahiri called on Muslims around the world to target U.S. interests to avenge American support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The message referenced President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech. – CNN, February 3; AP, February 3 The al Qaeda

senior leadership has generally not focused its operations on Israel, nor has it been particularly receptive to Gaza-based groups that have claimed to be affiliated with or

inspired by al Qaeda. During the December 2008-January 2009 war in Gaza, al Qaeda expressed support for Palestinian fighters and denounced Arab states for failing help them, but stopped short of backing up its words with action. A few months later, in August

2009, when a Hamas raid on a Salafi jihadi mosque in Gaza ended in a gun battle that left some 24 dead and 130 wounded, al Qaeda leaders denounced Hamas and called on Allah

"to avenge the blood of the murdered men and to destroy the Hamas state." Bin Laden and Zawahiri also called for jihad in Gaza, but al Qaeda still never recognized any of the Palestinian groups that took up its charge.On January 22, 2014 Israeli officials

announced that, several weeks before, they had disrupted what they described as an "advanced" al Qaeda terrorist plot in Israel. Although al Qaeda-inspired jihadists had

targeted Israel before (three men who had plotted an attack near Hebron were killed in a shootout with police in November), this marked the first time that senior al Qaeda senior leaders were directly involved in such plans. That might seem somewhat surprising to

casual observers, given Israel's place of pride in al Qaeda rhetoric over the years. Although the need to target Israel and Jews does feature prominently in the al Qaeda

mythos, it has rarely translated into operational missions against Israel. And that is what makes this latest plot, which was traced back to al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, so significant. Indeed, it speaks to a fear among al Qaeda's core leaders that the fight in the

Levant -- particularly in Syria -- is passing them by. Israel and the Palestinian cause have long been lightning rods for al Qaeda. In nearly every one of his public statements from

1990 to 2011

Cees press reporting indicates; The foreign-backed terrorists fighting against President

Bashar al-Assad's government have lost over one third of their militants in battles across Syria, a military expert said. "The terrorists have lost over 35 percent of their militants as

a result of the Russian airstrikes and intensified Syrian army attacks in the past four weeks," the Arabic-language al-Akhbariya TV quoted

The army and the resistance forces killed hundreds of the foreign-backed terrorists in

the battle over capturing Khan Touman The Takfiri terrorists have lost over 65 percent of their commanders and over 60

percent of their arms and ammunition depots as well as over 50 percent of their command

Page 3: Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-28

C de Waart; CdW Intelligence to Rent

[email protected] In Confidence

The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.

–Winston Churchill

CdW Intelligence to Rent Page 3 of 15 30/10/2015

and control centers," the Syrian military expert added.

Over 200 militants from Chechnya and the Central Asian countries were executed by the ISIL after they tried to defect and join the Al-Nusra Front, the Arabic-language

Russiya al-Youm quoted a former ISIL commander who recently defected the terrorist group as saying. A sum of 3,671 Chechen terrorists have been killed and 1,397 others have been missing in Syria.

Cutting the sources of the ISIL wealth is crucial to bringing peace to the region, said

Kara-Mustapha, since then the organization will not be able to fund the equipment or soldiers needed to fight. "In essence if you remove the funds, you are actually cutting off, slowly but surely, all the limbs of the ISIL. Perhaps not the head, and it’s a slow process,

but you are considerably weakening it."

ISIS 'Declares War on Christians'

Photoshopped image of ISIS flag over Vatican appears on major ISIS publication, as fears of ME Christian community disappearing intensify. Oct 14 Islamic State (ISIS) has

published a new edition of the propaganda booklet Dabiq, which is again signaling its primary enemy - Christianity. On the cover page of the booklet is a photo of the Vatican

bearing the ISIS flag, along with the terror group's desires to conquer Rome and "break the cross." According to some Islamic traditions, the founder of Islam Mohammed predicted that the occupation of the three cities of Istanbul, Jerusalem and Rome pave the way for

the appearance of the Mahdi, the Islamic Messiah. The declaration surfaces amid growing concern over the widespread persecution of

Christians in the Middle East. The cause sparked a joint conference between the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ) and the World Jewish Congress (WJC) in Jerusalem earlier this week, and an impassioned speech on regional issues by

an Israeli Christian Arab leader to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) last month. "Across the Middle East, in the last ten years, 100,000 Christians have been

murdered each year. That means that every five minutes a Christian is killed because of his faith," Father Gabriel Nadaf, who has campaigned for Christian Arab rights and for local Christians to support Israel, told the UNHRC in September.

"Those who can escape persecution at the hands of Muslim extremists have fled... Those who remain, exist as second if not third class citizens to their Muslim rulers." Some 12

million Christians were estimated to have lived in the Middle East in total, according to a July estimate in the Guardian, but that number has been thought to have decreased drastically since ISIS's summer takeover in Iraq.

The Christian community has faced dire persecution in a variety of Middle Eastern countries over the past 2-3 years, with a systemic crackdown on religious dissidents

intensifying as the region shifted more toward radical Islam. In Egypt, Coptic Christians have been targeted by violence from the Muslim Brotherhood ad Salafi groups. In Syria, Al-Qaeda linked rebels have threatened to kill Christians who do not join the fight

against President Bashar Al-Assad. Iran has persecuted Christians relentlessly as well, recently making headlines for burning the lips of a Christian man caught eating during

the Ramadan fast. ISIS in first Hebrew video: We will arrive to slaughter the Jews

ISIS releases threatening video in Hebrew, saying 'true war hasn't begun yet,' and promising 'not a single Jew will be left.' Oct 23, The brutal Islamic State (ISIS) terror

group published a threatening video in Hebrew on Friday morning, intended for the Israeli

Page 4: Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-28

C de Waart; CdW Intelligence to Rent

[email protected] In Confidence

The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.

–Winston Churchill

CdW Intelligence to Rent Page 4 of 15 30/10/2015

public in light of the wave of Arab terror sweeping the Jewish state in recent

weeks. A masked youth, possibly an Israeli Arab, speaks in fluent Hebrew addressing Israelis in

the video, reports Channel 2. YouTube removed the video for containing inappropriate content, but later it was posted again. In impressive Hebrew, the ISIS terrorist warns that "the true war hasn't yet started, what

you've experienced until now is a child's war compared to what will happen soon." "We promise you that not a single Jew will be left in the entire country." The speaker,

filmed with a weapon in his hand and with only his eyes uncovered, said, "look how you responded to a few car attacks and stabbings - you fell on your heads, you shot anyone who drives fast and anyone with something in their hand." "Think what will happen to you

when soon tens of thousands from all over the world will come to slaughter you and throw you in the trash," continued the terrorist. In conclusion, he threatened: "we aren't just

speaking hot air - we are getting closer to you from every place, from Sinai and from Damascus and more. The account between us is getting longer and longer. The account will be closed soon."

ISIS Backs Palestinian Terror Campaign

Islamic State becomes latest global terrorist group to praise attacks against Israelis, call for more. Oct 19, ISIS has become the latest Islamist terrorist group to praise the current terrorist campaign being waged by Palestinians against Israelis. The jihadist group has

released nearly a dozen videos, some of which are being promoted in Arabic on social media under the hastag #BeheadtheJew, praising attacks against Jewish Israelis and calling

for more. One particular video is entitled: "Message to the Mujahideen in Jerusalem, Behead the Jews." Apart from encouraging more knife attacks against innocent Jews, some of the videos also attack Hamas and Fatah for not being extreme enough - despite

both having encouraged and praised such attacks themselves. In one video, a young jihadi can be heard vowing that ISIS would one say "overthrow" Hamas in Gaza. Many of the

videos - seen by Arutz Sheva - feature footage of the Temple Mount, interspersed with calls for Muslims to "liberate Al Aqsa" and "wage jihad against the Jews." They also feature graphic footage of terrorist attacks against Israelis set to jihadist war songs, many

of which were caught on CCTV cameras. ISIS's endorsement of Palestinian terrorism - which recently has focused particularly on stabbing attacks - follows similar statements by

Al Qaeda and Hezbollah.

Page 5: Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-28

C de Waart; CdW Intelligence to Rent

[email protected] In Confidence

The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.

–Winston Churchill

CdW Intelligence to Rent Page 5 of 15 30/10/2015

Jihadists in Syria train for urban warfare

BY BILL ROGGIO AND CALEB WEISS | October 29, 2015 The Islamic State and its jihadist rival Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, are training forces to conduct urban warfare at camps inside Syria.

Both jihadist groups have released propaganda on social media sites over the past several days that show their personnel drilling in urban warfare tactics. The Islamic State is

training its forces inside a city under its control, while Al Nusrah is instruc ting fighters near the contested city of Aleppo. The Islamic State showcased jihadists training inside the ancient city of Palmyra (or

Tadmur in Arabic) in the Homs desert. The fighters can be seen infiltrating a segment of the city before they practice how to effectively navigate the streets in combat. The

trainees use light-machine guns, technicals, and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG’s) as cover fire for during these exercises

Al Nusrah released a video from its Sayfullah Shishani Battalion that shows its fighters training for urban warfare inside buildings in Aleppo Province. The Sayfullah Shishani

Battalion includes a large number of fighters from the Caucasus as well as other Russian-speaking militants, and it is named after Sayfullah Shishani, a Cheche n military

commander within Al Nusrah who was killed fighting in Aleppo with the Battalion early last year. The footage shows the group’s new leader, an ethnic Uzbek, speaking to trainees before they learn how to clear buildings. The Arabic and Russian language video also

highlights the use of a US-made M240 light machine gun, which was likely obtained by Al Nusrah from fighting with US-backed rebel groups in the area.

Jihadist groups in Syria have showcased urban warfare training prior to these two propaganda releases. Jaish al Muhajireen wal Ansar and Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad have both released material showing this type of instruction in Aleppo before their merger into

Al Nusrah. The Islamic State’s Sabiri’s Jamaat, a group comprised of Dagestanis and Uzbeks, also released a video showing urban warfare training also in Aleppo early last

year.

Page 6: Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-28

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The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.

–Winston Churchill

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Jihadist training camps in Iraq and Syria Since the beginning of 2012, a total of 139 camps have been identified as being

operational inside Iraq and Syria at one point in time. Of those, 102 have been found in Syria, and 37 in Iraq; 17 are used to indoctrinate and train children. Some of the jihadist training facilities may no longer be in operation due to changes in

fortunes on the battlefield (lost territory, airstrikes, etc.). At least 16 are thought to be closed and 15 to 22 have been hit in Coalition airstrikes. It is unclear if these camps have

been destroyed or if they reopened in the same location or elsewhere. It is also very likely that there are training sites that have not been advertised. Since June 21, The Long War Journal has identified 22 new training camps. Of these,

17 are located in Syria while the other 5 are in Iraq. Ten of these camps were identified as being run by the Islamic State, with an additional camp operated by the pro-Islamic State

Liwa Shuhada al Yarmouk group in southern Syria. Three were identified as Al Nusrah Front facilities, including one camp for children run by the Saudi al Qaeda cleric Abdullah al Muhaysini. Four camps are managed by Ahrar al Sham, while the Turkistan Islamic

Party and Harakat Fajr al Sham al Islamiyya each operate one. Two camps that were run by Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad and the Crimean Jamaat have statuses that are unclear,

as both of these organizations have since joined Al Nusrah. The Islamic State has operated 68 camps in the region (35 in Iraq, 33 in Syria). The Al Nusrah Front has operated 26 camps inside Syria. Allied jihadist groups have run 45 other

camps (43 in Syria and two in Iraq); 12 of those camps are managed by jihadist groups from the Caucasus, five by Uzbek jihadist groups, three by ethnic Uighurs, and jihadists

from Gaza, Morocco, and Kazakhstan each run one camp. In the past, al Qaeda has used its network of training facilities to instruct fighters to battle in local insurgencies, identify potential recruits for attacks against the West, and support a host

of allied jihadist groups. The threat of urban warfare training was illustrated by the Charlie Hebdo attacks earlier this year in Paris. The two gunmen, who were later discovered to have

ties to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, displayed professional training during the attack. Oct 28 Washington DC - After years of pulling back from the Middle East 1, the Obama

administration's new plan to use elite American ground troops to combat ISIL is meeting with scepticism among analysts and US lawmakers. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter

announced on Tuesday the US may soon intensify air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Raqqa and Ramadi, and begin to use special forces on specific missions.

Separately, Secretary of State John Kerry informed US lawmakers behind closed doors in Washington on negotiations with Russia and Iran to begin on Thursday in Vienna.

Germany, France, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey will also participate. "We are in a dramatic free-fall situation in the Middle East," said James F Jeffrey, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former envoy to Iraq under former

President George W Bush's administration. "The president is beginning to realise that. He's beginning to take some steps. My hope is that these guys are finally waking up. After

a Pentagon re-evaluation, Carter summarised the new US strategy as focused on "the three

1 Allow me again to remind the west to AQSL plan foreseen in at least 2005: The Fifth Phase This will be

the point at which an Islamic state, or caliphate, can be declared The plan is that by this time, between 2013

and 2016, Western influence in the Islamic world will be so reduced and Israel weakened so much, that

resistance will not be feared. Al-Qaida hopes that by then the Islamic state will be able to bring about a new

world order ; their version of not the DAESH version

Page 7: Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-28

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Rs: Raqqa, Ramadi and raids". In Syria, that means the US is providing

equipment and air strikes to support a recently formed Syrian-Arab coalition that is advancing against ISIL near its capital in Raqqa. In Iraq, the US will support Iraqi forces

advancing on Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, in hopes of building momentum to eventually go forward to retake the larger city of Mosul from ISIL, Carter said. Raids simply mean US special forces will not hold back in supporting partners in opportunistic

strikes against ISIL, the defence secretary said. "We don't have a concept of operations for a no-fly zone that we are prepared to recommend," Carter said.

General Joe Dunford, the top US general who recently travelled to Iraq, said what the military campaign is designed to do is provide leverage for a political settlement of the Syrian conflict. "We are not going to do a damn thing," said Senator Lindsey Graham, a

Republican. "This is a half-assed strategy at best." Criticism also came from the president's own party. "We seem lost, confused about what to do next, unable to put any marker

down, or have a plan for success," Senator Joe Donnelly, a Democrat, said. "There was a common understanding as to what is necessary - and clearly the future of Syria does not include Assad," Senator Ben Cardin told Al Jazeera. "The Russians know there has to be a

transition." C: Who will fill the void.

'Lots of our officers joined ISIS due to ideology’ – FSA commander to RT

Published time: 28 Oct, 2015 Lots of officers from Free Syrian Army (FSA) have joined Islamic State militants, one FSA commanders told RT. That's despite the rebels' centers

repeatedly getting attacked by the extremists. “But lots of our officers joined Islamic State because of ideology,” Hussam Alawak, a

commander of the Free Syrian army, told RT. He added that some extremists from the Islamic State's (IS, formerly known as ISIS/ISIL) branch in Iraq come to FSA centers and “cause trouble for them.” “They [IS] took lots of people from our army to achieve their

goals of expansion, to control oil regions in Syria. They attacked us with very dense fire in the Al-Bab region [Aleppo province, northern Syria], so we had to tactically retreat to

other places." According to the Alawak, FSA also hopes that Russians and Syrians “can work hand-in-hand when it comes to counter terrorism and extremism in the region.” “We hope the Russian role in the Syrian crisis will be effective and Russia will be on the side of

justice, dealing with all parties in the Syrian crisis,” he added. “The Free Syrian Army is ready for dialogue with Russia. We need to organize a new meeting, so that we can

present our position and discuss our collective actions,” one of the founders of FSA and the coordinator of National Salvation Front Fahad Al-Masri told RIA Novosti. The group, however, hasn’t yet received an answer from Moscow.

Syria’s Southern Front shows signs of disintegration

The military operation in the northern suburb of Quneitra, code-named “Give Good Tidings to the Patient," is the last indication that the Southern Front is still alive and has

not breathed its last yet. All indications and information coming from the Syrian south’s capital show that this front has entered a dark era since the MOC [Military Operations Center in Jordan] washed its hands clean of it and decided to stop supporting it. As a result

of the tensions between the armed factions — which suddenly found themselves out of work — the polarization attempts of some extremist factions and reconciliation attempts

with the Syrian army, we can say that the Southern Front is witnessing the first signs of disintegration and division. It is likely that radical changes will affect the structure of its factions and the nature of its alliances soon. This new situation has had a negative effect

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on security and livelihoods in Daraa governorate, after the MOC stopped its

work. Disputes prevailed in the relations between factions and local parties supporting them. This was obvious in the increasing assassinations that claimed the lives of a

significant number of military, judicial and Sharia leaders, mainly the Dawn of Freedom Brigades’ leader Yasser al-Khalaf, House of Justice deputy leader Sheikh Bashar Kamel al-Naimi and the assassination attempt of Ansar al-Islam deputy leader Abu Bilal al-

Joulani. The conduct of some factions raised questions about their motives and reasoning. For

instance, why did Al-Mothana Islamic Movement — one of the largest factions in the south — refrain from participating in the recent military operations? This caught the attention of some activists and made them wonder about the movement’s inclinations and

the possibility that it might have secretly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Al-Mothana Islamic Movement had declared in a past statement that the allegiance pledges

that IS receives in the areas under its control are Sharia-compliant ones. A media activist told As-Safir, “After the MOC suspended its work and halted supplies, several leaders and militants withdrew from the battlefield and returned to their civil lives.

They felt frustrated, and gave up their weapons.” He asserted that “most of these leaders are seeking asylum in Europe to escape the

deteriorating security situation, and they are afraid of being targets of upcoming assassinations.” He added that “the leader of Usud al-Sunna Battalion, who is called Abu Amr Zaghloul, has reached Germany asking for asylum.” According to @saleelalmajd, a

Twitter account that is widely followed, a number of factions from the Southern Front secretly pledged allegiance to Ahrar al-Sham, but will be announced later on. For their

part, the Hawks of Houran Brigade and the Majd al-Islam Brigade announced that they joined Jaish al-Islam headed by Zahran Alloush. It is no longer a secret that the financial conditions of the factions are dire, as a result of cutting support or pledging allegiance to

this leader or that. This is not to mention the foreign influences on these allegiances, especially since some of the factions pledged allegiance after the pilgrimage called upon

by Saudi intelligence. On the other hand, some factions chose a different path, other than being assassinated or joining hard-line Islamic organizations. They chose reconciliation with the Syrian army. In this context, tens of gunmen laid down their weapons and gave in

to the authorities in Daraa on Saturday [Oct. 3]. The Syrian News Agency (SANA) said that 250 wanted men and more than 450 gunmen

have put down their light and medium weapons, including LAW rockets, PK machine guns and 332 sniper rifles, pistols and ammunition. Meanwhile, the competent authorities settled the legal situation of about 43 arrested in the framework of national reconciliations.

In the same context, the elders and activists of the movements in the city of Daraa wanted to go to the town of Izra to negotiate with the competent authorities about the

reconciliation condition. However, Ansar al-Islam militants intercepted them on their way and arrested the dignitaries. Many opponent and loyal activists have noticed the change of mood among civilians in Daraa, as many of them have become inclined

toward reconciliation with the Syrian army, and even pushing toward it regardless of the conditions, as the situations in their areas have become unbearable. The city of Ankhel is

currently most likely to push toward reconciliation, as many activists confirmed connections between the city’s dignitaries and the competent authorities about the reconciliation’s conditions and mechanism. Although the outcome of such communication

is yet to be known, the mere occurrence of negotiations is a positive step itself.

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Is IS easier to defeat than the PKK?

In an article in Radikal, a senior Turkish official explains Turkey's perspective in combating the Islamic State.

Thanks to intensified measures taken following the suicide bombings in Suruc and Ankara, we have learned that four terrorists have entered Turkey to stage attacks and that there are numerous IS safe houses in operation, especially in the country's southeastern

provinces. We know they are equipped with automatic weapons and are protecting themselves with versatile booby traps. It is up to terror experts to assess where IS stands,

but even journalists are aware that IS is not an organization that simply infiltrates Turkey — it has become a full-fledged terror network. We met a senior Turkish official and discussed Syria at length, enabling me to form new

perspectives about combating IS. This is what the source said: "We were the first to see it: You needn’t be a seer to predict that the instability in Syria

would generate such an outcome of terror and immigration. We as Turkey said from the first day that destabilization in Syria and collapse of public order there would lead to terror and immigration. We also said repeatedly that Turkey

considers this a national security issue." Threat of extremism: "We warned at the outset that steps must be taken to prevent the

tension from becoming an ethnic and sectarian conflict. We warned that such phenomenon would have regional ramifications. Unfortunately all of what we said came true."

For all to see: "The emergence of IS happened for all to see. The Syrian regime and Iran in their fight against the Free Syrian Army formed a terror organization that would

be a headache for the entire world. They set up a new body whose core was made up of convicts released from prisons, al-Qaeda adherents and former Baathists."

We warned the United States: "Actually we were the ones who recognized the new

situation and warned the world against a serious threat. We told the United States in the summer of 2013 about the growing IS. We said that IS was hoping to exploit

marginalization sentiments of about 30 million Sunnis living in Syria and Iraq and that this enmity could be trouble for the world."

At the time when, according to our source, Turkey was alerting the world, Turkey was

being strongly criticized because of its lax control of the Syrian border, for allowing foreign fighters to freely enter and leave Syria and even providing weapon and logistics

support to various groups fighting the regime. Apparently our governments of that time ignored that organizations like IS and its ilk could one day also target Turkey along with the rest of the world and did not take, or were late in taking, measures to prevent that

structure from establishing itself in Turkey. Here, it would be useful to refer to another view of our source. After claiming that Turkey has been combating IS day and night, he

added: “There is a basic difference between IS and the PKK. IS has no base here but the PKK does, a massive popular base. History has shown us that any turmoil in this region has always benefited the PKK. At the beginning we didn’t want to speak too much about

IS, especially when they had our diplomats as hostages. There was no need to publicize them. We must definitely wipe out IS. It is easier than eradicating the PKK. Many of their

militants are not emotionally attached to IS and their affiliation is weak. According to the Metropoll research company, which carried out a reliable survey on how IS is perceived in Turkey, 4% of Turks don’t find IS dangerous at all and 11.5% find it not all that

dangerous. Those sympathizing with IS make up 1.6%. This is a worrying percentage for a country of 80 million. To adopt effective measures against IS, which threatens Turkey’s

peace with its suicide bombers and cell structures from Ankara to Diyarbakir, above all

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these findings we summarized must be reviewed. We must accept the fact that IS

has now emerged as an indigenous organization.

TEHRAN (FNA 25 Oct )- Spokesman of Iraq's Kata'ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Battalions) popular forces Jafar al-Hosseini disclosing that captured ISIL leaders have acknowledged

receiving logistical backup and intelligence support from the US. "As the ISIL commanders captured in Iraqi popular forces' recent military operations have

confessed, the US supports for the terrorist groups are not limited to the dispatch of logistical support," Al-Hosseini told FNA on Sunday. He reiterated that the US has provided the ISIL with intelligence about the Iraqi forces' positions and targets.

"ISIL commanders trusted the US officials who had assured them that the Iraqi forces would not attack Fallujah because the US had urged the Iraqi government to prevent the

popular forces from entering Fallujah and raid Beiji instead; hence the terrorists left Fallujah for Beiji to stay on the alert in there," Al-Hosseini added. Al-Hosseini had also stated on Wednesday that his forces plan to win back the city of Ramadi only after

expelling the American forces from Anbar province. "Our forces have two operations underway; first seizing Ramadi from ISIL and second keeping away the American forces

from Anbar province," al-Hosseini told FNA. He underlined that preventing the US forces from getting close to Anbar province will expedite operations for winning back the province, specially after the military operations in Salahuddin province that led to the

liberation of the city of Beiji. Iraqi officials have on different occasions blasted the US and its allies for supplying the ISIL in Syria with arms and ammunition under the pretext of

fighting the Takfiri terrorist group. Earlier this month, the Iraqi army and volunteer forces discovered US-made military hardware and ammunition, including anti-armor missiles, in terrorists' positions and

trenches captured during the operations in the Fallujah region in Al-Anbar province. The Iraqi forces found a huge volume of advanced TOW-II missiles from the Takfiri terrorists

in al-Karama city of Fallujah. The missiles were brand new and the ISIL had transferred them to Fallujah to use them against the Iraqi army's armored units. On October 10, the Iraqi forces discovered US-made military hardware and ammunition

from terrorists in Beiji. "The military hardware and weapons had been airdropped by the US-led warplanes and choppers for the ISIL in the nearby areas of Beiji," military sources

told FNA. In February, an Iraqi provincial official lashed out at the western countries and their regional allies for supporting Takfiri terrorists in Iraq, revealing that the US airplanes still

continue to airdrop weapons and foodstuff for the ISIL terrorists. "The US planes have dropped weapons for the ISIL terrorists in the areas under ISIL control and even in those

areas that have been recently liberated from the ISIL control to encourage the terrorists to return to those places," Coordinator of Iraqi popular forces Jafar al-Jaberi told FNA. He noted that eyewitnesses in Al-Havijeh of Kirkuk province had witnessed the US airplanes

dropping several suspicious parcels for ISIL terrorists in the province. "Two coalition planes were also seen above the town of Al-Khas in Diyala and they carried the Takfiri

terrorists to the region that has recently been liberated from the ISIL control," Al-Jaberi said. Also in February, a senior lawmaker disclosed that Iraq's army has shot down two British

planes as they were carrying weapons for the ISIL terrorists in Al-Anbar province. "The Iraqi Parliament's National Security and Defense Committee has access to the photos of

both planes that are British and have crashed while they were carrying weapons for the ISIL," Head of the committee Hakem al-Zameli said. He said the Iraqi parliament has

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asked London for explanations in this regard.

The senior Iraqi legislator further unveiled that the government in Baghdad is receiving daily reports from people and security forces in al-Anbar province on numerous flights by

the US-led coalition planes that airdrop weapons and supplies for ISIL in terrorist-held areas. The Iraqi lawmaker further noted the cause of such western aids to the terrorist group, and explained that the US prefers a chaotic situation in Anbar Province which is

near the cities of Karbala and Baghdad as it does not want the ISIL crisis to come to an end. Also in February, a senior Iraqi provincial official lashed out at the western countries

and their regional allies for supporting Takfiri terrorists in Iraq, revealing that US and Israeli-made weapons have been discovered from the areas purged of ISIL terrorists. "We have discovered weapons made in the US, European countries and Israel from the

areas liberated from ISIL's control in Al-Baqdadi region," the Al-Ahad news website quoted Head of Al-Anbar Provincial Council Khalaf Tarmouz as saying. He noted that the

weapons made by the European countries and Israel were discovered from the terrorists in the Eastern parts of the city of Ramadi. Meantime, Head of Iraqi Parliament's National Security and Defense Committee Hakem

al-Zameli also disclosed that the anti-ISIL coalition's planes have dropped weapons and foodstuff for the ISIL in Salahuddin, Al-Anbar and Diyala provinces.

In January, al-Zameli underlined that the coalition is the main cause of ISIL's survival in Iraq. "There are proofs and evidence for the US-led coalition's military aid to ISIL terrorists through air(dropped cargoes)," he told FNA at the time. He noted that the

members of his committee have already proved that the US planes have dropped advanced weaponry, including anti-aircraft weapons, for the ISIL, and that it has set up an

investigation committee to probe into the matter. "The US drops weapons for the ISIL on the excuse of not knowing about the whereabouts of the ISIL positions and it is trying to distort the reality with its allegations. He noted that

the committee had collected the data and the evidence provided by eyewitnesses, including Iraqi army officers and the popular forces, and said, "These documents are given to the

investigation committee ... and the necessary measures will be taken to protect the Iraqi airspace." Also in January, another senior Iraqi legislator reiterated that the US-led coalition is the

main cause of ISIL's survival in Iraq. "The international coalition is only an excuse for protecting the ISIL and helping the terrorist group with equipment and weapons," Jome

Divan, who is member of the al-Sadr bloc in the Iraqi parliament, said. He said the coalition's support for the ISIL is now evident to everyone, and continued, "The coalition has not targeted ISIL's main positions in Iraq."

In Late December, Iraqi Parliamentary Security and Defense Commission MP disclosed that a US plane supplied the ISIL terrorist organization with arms and ammunition in

Salahuddin province. MP Majid al-Gharawi stated that the available information pointed out that US planes are supplying ISIL organization, not only in Salahuddin province, but also other provinces, Iraq TradeLink reported.

He added that the US and the international coalition are "not serious in fighting against the ISIL organization, because they have the technological power to determine the presence of

ISIL gunmen and destroy them in one month". Gharawi added that "the US is trying to expand the time of the war against the ISIL to get guarantees from the Iraqi government to have its bases in Mosul and Anbar provinces." Salahuddin security commission also

disclosed that "unknown planes threw arms and ammunition to the ISIL gunmen Southeast of Tikrit city".

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TEHRAN (FNA Oct 25. )- Informed sources said that the joint massive

operation of the Syrian Armed Forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah has resulted in the recapture of over 45 square kilometers of territories in the Southern parts of the Northern

city of Aleppo. The sources said that the Syrian Army’s 4th Mechanized Division, in coordination with Hezbollah, Harakat Al-Nujaba from Iraq, the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Aleppo

city, and Kataebat Al-Ba’ath (Al-Ba’ath Battalions), have advanced deep into the heart of the Aleppo Southern countryside after spending 10 days combatting the militants from the

Free Syrian Army, Harakat Nour Al-Deen Al-Zinki, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham. The success at Al-Amariyah battlefront has allowed the Syrian Armed Forces and

Lebanese Resistance increase their territorial gains in Southern Aleppo to over 45 square kilometers in just 10 days; the victories mark the largest series of gains for the Syrian

Armed Forces and Hezbollah since their 60 day long Zabadani offensive. The Syrian Army and popular forces on Friday repelled massive attacks of the al-Nusra Front to seize control over the government forces' supply route to the Northern city of

Aleppo. The al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front launched massive assaults against the positions of

government forces to take control over the Khanasser Highway, but they failed due to the strong reaction of the Syrian army troops positioned in the area. The attack began when al-Nusra conducted an assault on the Syrian army’s defense lines

to the East of Al-Si’in to cutoff the road from the strategic town of Ithriya to the Khanasser Highway; if al-Nusra was successful in this military endeavor, they would have

successfully positioned themselves to obstruct this important roadway, massdar reported. Meantime, the Syrian Army announced on Friday that its troops, backed by Hezbollah fighters and Russian air support, have recaptured two other villages in Southwest Aleppo

province, bringing the number of the villages liberated in the last two days to 14. The army said that the militant groups retreated from al-Huweiz and al-Qarasi after their

positions came under attack of the Syrian forces. Syrian army troops, backed by the Russian air force, further advanced in ISIL-controlled territories towards the strategic Kuweires military airbase in Aleppo province, pushing

back the terrorists 2 kilometers in overnight operations, while they were inching closer to the airbase for months.

The Syrian forces on Thursday entered the strategic town of Sheikh Ahamad which is located approximately 4 km away from the Syrian Army’s frontlines outside the Kuweires military airport.

Provincial officials said on Wednesday that the Syrian army and Hezbollah forces, with the Russian aerial backup, had launched a fresh series of joint operations against the

militant strongholds to recapture Wadiha al Judaydah and Sheikh Ahamad areas just three kilometers far form Kuweires airbase to end the over two-year-long siege of the airbase. On Monday, a commander of Syria's National Defense Forces said the Syrian forces

backed by Hezbollah forces have started operations in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo since two years ago in a bid to break the siege of Kuweires military airbase.

Hundreds of Syrian forces have been fully besieged at the Kuweires airport as a result of the occupation of vast areas surrounding the airport by the terrorists in the past two years. The commander said on Monday that the Syrian-Hezbollah troops were less than 6

kilometers away from the besieged airport. On Sunday, battlefield sources said that the Syrian armed forces, backed by the Russian

warplanes, were pushing back the Takfiri terrorists from areas adjacent to the airbase.

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The march towards the strategic airbase started on Saturday. Following a series

of battles, sources said on Sunday that "the army had inflicted heavy casualties on the militants in areas near the Kuweires airport, killed tens of the terrorists and wounded

dozens more". The Russian warplanes launched heavy airstrikes on ISIL positions in Al-Jaboul village on the same day to open the path for the Syrian ground forces to win back the village. The

Syrian troops killed dozens of the militants and took full control of the village which is close to the Kuweires military airbase. The ISIL Takfiri terrorists have besieged the

Kuweires airport for over 2.5 years now, but the airport itself is under the Syrian army's control. The Syrian army's helicopters supply foodstuff and other needs to the Syrian troops defending the airport.

UK Commander: World's Weak Response to 'Human Shields' Encourages

Terrorists to Use Them

by Michel Gurfinkiel PJ Media October 27, 2015 French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian recently made an essential statement

about the war against terror and the difficulties it involves for Western countries. In an interview with Europe 1 focusing on the French air strikes against the Islamic State, he

remarked: Daesh [ISIS] is organized in such a way that children, women, civilians are being put on front lines. Its leadership is hiding in schools, mosques, hospitals, making the action of the coalition in Iraq and the action of France and other partners in Syria

difficult, because we don't want civilian casualties. We pay as much attention to the targets we select as to the need to combat Daesh.

This is a frank admission of the human shield tactic practiced by Islamists and its crippling effect on Western fighting. Undoubtedly, Le Drian is aware that the United States and other Western partners in the coalition against ISIS are facing the same challenge, and that

Israel faces similar difficulties when counter-attacking organizations like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Fatah-affiliated terror groups. What remains to be seen is whether

he and the French government, now having this experience with human shields, will reconsider their foreign policy regarding Israel. We asked Colonel Richard Kemp, the former British commander in Afghanistan and an

expert about war ethics, to comment on Le Drian's no-nonsense statement. PJM: Do Le Drian's remarks come as a surprise to you?

Kemp: Not in the least. The Islamic State (ISIS) is adept at using human shields and locations protected under the Geneva Conventions. They are war criminals. The comments by Jean-Yves Le Drian are understandable and it is right that so-called collateral casualties

are avoided as far as possible; but his comments also indicate the danger of the Western response to Islamist terrorist use of human shields, which often serves to encourage

greater use of this tactic and leads to more and more civilian deaths. PJM: Is the use of human shields common practice among Islamist terrorists? Kemp: Islamist terrorists everywhere use innocent men, women, and children from their

own population as human shields. They also use protected buildings such as hospitals, mosques, and schools to shelter their fighters in, to store munitions, to locate command

centers, and to attack from. All of this is illegal under the Laws of Armed Conflict (LOAC). Islamist terrorists have no interests in LOAC except to the extent that they can exploit their enemy's — such as French, British and Israeli forces — adherence to it.

Islamist terrorists have no interest in protecting their civilian populations. They are happy to use them as human shields, to terrify them, to risk and to sacrifice their lives. Whatever

happens, the terrorist who uses human shields wins. If he deters Western forces from

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attacking his terrorists and his munitions, then he scores a tactical victory. He

can attack our troops with impunity. On the other hand, if we attack him and kill or wound his human shields, then he exploits this in the world media and there is an outcry. He has

gained a strategic victory. PJM: Did you witness such use in Afghanistan or other places? Kemp: The Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan frequently use

human shields. They drive innocent local people between NATO forces and the terrorists who are attacking them. They force them to stay in place when they know Western forces

will counter-attack into that location. They use young boys of 14 years old to throw grenades at NATO troops knowing that we will be reluctant to shoot a child. They have killed British soldiers by booby-trapping mosques and schools, and by attacking them

from protected locations and from behind human shields. PJM: The Israelis say that Hamas constantly resorted to similar tactics in Gaza in the

2009 and 2014 wars, and that most Palestinian civilian casualties were killed in such a context. Is that correct? Kemp: Hamas have become the masters of human-shield use. Many other terrorist groups

have learned from their effectiveness. Hamas know that they cannot do significant damage to Israel by firing rockets at their civilian population or by attacking them from tunnels.

These tactics, combined with extensive use of human shields, are merely designed to force an Israeli defensive response which will inevitably result in Palestinian civilian deaths. They then exploit these deaths in the media to bring international condemnation down

onto Israel. This is the only way they can inflict damage on the State of Israel — and it works. It works through the isolation of Israel in the world community, the branding of

Israeli soldiers and leaders as war criminals, pressuring international bodies such as the UN and International Criminal Court to launch damaging investigations, economic harm to Israel through the BDS movement, worldwide demonstrations against Israel, and

increased anti-Semitism around the world which hurts Israel and hurts Jews everywhere. PJM: What is the appropriate response to such tactics?

Kemp: The international community — national governments, world bodies such as the EU and UN, human rights groups and the media — all take precisely the wrong response to the use of human shields. This has been nowhere stronger or more damaging than in

relation to Israel and the Gaza conflict. Instead of condemning the use of human shields by Hamas, the international community and media condemn Israel out of hand and often

without any investigation or consideration of the reality. This plays absolutely into the hands of Hamas. And the consequence of the international community's response? To further encourage the use of human shields by Hamas and by terrorists everywhere.

Hamas increased their use of human shields after each conflict when they saw the consequences of doing so. Hezbollah has learned from Hamas's success, and has

embedded 100,000 missiles pointed at Israel in the civilian communities of southern Lebanon. By condemning and pressuring Israel rather than Hamas — who are actually responsible

for the vast majority of civilian deaths — the international community has blood on its hands. This approach ultimately results in more human misery, suffering, and death.

The proper response to human shields is strong condemnation and sanction against anyone who uses them. The international community should not allow the use of human shields to pay.

In military terms, forces should not allow themselves to be deterred by the use of human shields. To do so again plays into the hands of the terrorists and encourages their further

use of human shields, ultimately resulting in greater numbers of casualties. Of course they

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can't attack without consideration of civilian casualties and they have a duty to

minimise civilian casualties in every situation. Under LOAC they must only e ver risk inflicting civilian casualties when proportionate to the overall military gain.

If armed forces and politicians continue to allow themselves to be deterred from effective action by human shields, then their use will expand even further, and it wil l become impossible for Western forces to prosecute military conflict and to defend their countries

and their interests. This is, of course, the terrorists' objective as well as the objective of many activists and supporters in the West.

Michel Gurfinkiel, a Shillman-Ginsburg Fellow at the Middle East Forum, is the

Founder and President of the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Institute, a conservative think

thank in France.


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