Syria Chemical attack Caused by Third Party: Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani.

Syria Chemical attack Caused by Third Party: Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani.(IFPnews).

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani discussed the recent US military strike on Syria’s al-Shayrat airbase with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev.

The two sides conferred on the issue during a telephone conversation on Saturday, according to a Farsi report by ISNA.

During the phone call, Shamkhani underlined the need for the establishment of an independent international committee to investigate the suspicious chemical incident in Idlib.

Syria’s chemical weapons had been destroyed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in previous years, Shamkhani noted.

Therefore, he added, the Tuesday chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun was definitely launched by a third party in an attempt to create a pretext for a military attack on Syria.

He further blasted the US missile attack on the Syrian airbase on Friday, and stressed that the ‘aggressive and illegal’ move will only strengthen the terrorists and disrupt the ongoing fight against terrorism pursued by the governments of Russia, Syria, and Iran under the UN supervision.

Patrushev, for his part, strongly denounced the US military attack on Syria and described it as a blatant violation of international laws.

“The US move was a clear invasion of an independent country, and despite what the US government claims, served the interests of terrorists,” he noted.


The Russian official pointed to the US history of raising false allegations about Weapons of Mass Destruction [the claims about Iraq’s possession of WMDs], and said the recent political fuss on Syria is just aimed at disrupting the process of resolving the Syrian crisis and increasing pressures on the legitimate government of Bashar al-Assad.

Ankara should have tried to find out how chemical weapons and chemical materials were smuggled from Iraq to Idlib. https://t.co/2f2rV60sbM

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) April 8, 2017

@manny_ottawa Flashback - 2010. Al Nusra captures base who's of part of Syria’s chemical weapons program. https://t.co/eEoXvchvCf

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) April 8, 2017

@manny_ottawa Flashback 2013. Questions about alleged gas attack in #Syria . #AlNusra....Again. FDD's Long War Journal. https://t.co/Zs21rtIvs5

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) April 8, 2017

43 Jihadists Caught Pretending to be Refugees Fuel Alarm.

43 Jihadists Caught Pretending to be Refugees Fuel Alarm. (voanews).

The U.S.-based Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium (TRAC) reported this week that 41 Islamic State-linked militants and two from rival Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria, were apprehended while posing as refugees. Some of them used false passports, TRAC said in a security update for commercial clients that it shared with VOA.

Nineteen of the 43 jihadists were caught in Turkey but the rest made it into the European Union before being identified, reported TRAC, a consultancy of academics and analysts.


The documented cases of jihadists trying to sneak into Europe is adding to the alarm of European intelligence services and politicians struggling to cope with hundreds of thousands of newcomers.

Some 36,000 people – including war refugees from the Mideast as well as mainly economic migrants from Africa – entered Europe just in the first three weeks of January, according to the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian aid organization.

Last week, Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, warned that IS had set up secret training camps across Europe to prepare fighters to carry out "special forces style" attacks.


In a statement, Europol said: "In selecting what to attack, where, when and how, IS shows its capacity to strike at will, at any time and at almost any chosen target.

The Paris attacks on 13 November 2015 indicate a shift [toward] a clear international dimension of Islamic State to carry out special forces style attacks in the international environment." Hmmm........And the EU better wake up to the threat child soldiers can pose. Read the full story here.

Turkey arrests 3 ISIL terrorist, one Belgian among them, in connection with Paris attacks.

Turkey arrests 3 ISIL terrorist, one Belgian among them, in connection with Paris attacks. (TZ).

According to the private Doğan news agency, 26-year-old Ahmet Dahmani, a Belgian citizen of Moroccan origin who is suspected of having explored Paris sites attacked by ISIL, was captured in the Manavgat district on Friday where he was staying at a hotel. 

Police raided the five-star hotel and detained Dahmani. Police also detained two other ISIL militants, Ahmet Tahir and Muhammad Verd, who were reportedly set to meet with Dahmani, along the Antalya-Alanya Highway.

The two reportedly entered Turkey with fake passports to meet with Dahmani and secure his return to Syria.

The three men were later arrested by an Antalya court.

Earlier this week, Turkey said it began deporting a group of Moroccans detained at Istanbul's main airport over suspected links to ISIL on Thursday. Hmmm......When will Turkish papers learn the difference between a 'militant' and a recognized 'terrorist' group?

Video - Al-Qaeda leader in Syria thanks "moderate" rebels for supplying Jihadists with US-made TOW missiles

Source:

Al-Qaeda leader in #Syria thanks "moderate" rebels for supplying Jihadists with US-made TOW missiles https://t.co/FLNztUi97W via @YouTube

— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradoRT) November 21, 2015

R moderate separate n #Syria, "a magnet 2terrorism"? #AQ Moheisni: No #FSA r #Ahraralsham r #JN, all r 1 https://t.co/hiisI1VquN v @ornekali

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) November 21, 2015

Al-Nusra Front offers to free Lebanon troops for an ex-wife of Al Baghdadi and four other female prisoners.

Al-Nusra Front offers to free Lebanon troops for an ex-wife of Al - Baghdadi and four other female prisoners. (DunYaNews).

Al Qaeda s Syrian affiliate has offered to release three Lebanese soldiers in exchange for an ex-wife of the leader of the militant Islamic State group and four other female prisoners.

Al-Nusra Front, which along with IS has held 25 Lebanese soldiers and policemen hostage for almost a year, issued the offer in a statement aired on Lebanon s MTV television on Saturday night.

“If five of our sisters leave prison... we will hand over three soldiers in exchange,” said Abu Malek al-Shami, Al-Nusra s “emir” in the Syrian region of Qalamun bordering Lebanon.

Among the five hostages he named was Saja al-Dulaimi, who was arrested in Lebanon in December and is a former wife of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as well as a wife of an Al-Nusra leader.

Dulaimi s background is complicated as she reportedly belongs to a tribe that straddles Syria and Iraq and she was said to have been closer to Al-Nusra than her ex-husband s rival militants at the time of her arrest.

Shami s face was not shown in the interview, which MTV conducted as part of an arranged visit by family members to loved ones held by Al-Nusra in what it called “a cave in the Qalamun mountains”.

The channel showed footage of the three-hour reunion between parents, spouses and even children of the hostages, many of them unable to hold back their tears.

The hostages, all with long beards, appeared in healthy condition inside a tent.

Sixteen of the 25 Lebanese soldiers and policemen who were taken hostage near the border with Syria in August 2014 are in the hands of Al Nusra.

The rest are held by Baghdadi s Islamic State group.

Since their capture, Al-Nusra and IS have repeatedly made demands for the soldiers release, seeking the release of Islamist prisoners or the withdrawal of Lebanon s Hezbollah movement from the Syrian conflict.

The powerful Shia militia, which is backed by Iran, is fighting alongside forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that has claimed more than 230,000 lives since it erupted in 2011.

Exclusive #nusra headquarters with kidnapped #Lebanese soldiers and their families pic.twitter.com/MK01GDCVhF

— Carol Malouf (@carolmalouf) July 18, 2015

When .@carolmalouf is under ''rebel'' or Al-Nusra liberated territory vs everywhere else. pic.twitter.com/iFgs9coPt2

— IraqiSuryani (@IraqiSuryani) July 19, 2015

"Out with the 'Hitler Jugend, Make room for Islamo Nazi Jugend" - ISIS releases moms’ guidebook to raising ‘jihadi babies’

"Out with the 'Hitler Jugend, Make room for Islamo Nazi Jugend"  - ISIS releases moms’ guidebook to raising ‘jihadi babies’ (RT).

The Islamic State has released a guidebook for young mothers with “helpful tips” on how to raise a Mujahid Child, outlining techniques they believe will develop the body and jihadi spirit of the new generation of extremist fighters.

Entitled Sister’s Role in Jihad, the latest propaganda move by the extremist organization tries to convince their loyal followers that the “most important” role women can play in Jihad is to raise their kids “not only in spirit”, but also to develop their physical ability and training.

The key to success, IS argues lies in introducing these values in them while they are babies. “Don't wait until they are seven to start, for it may be too late by then!,” the handbook that recently surfaced online states.

It encourages the jihadi mothers to tell bedtime stories about extremist fighters, while completely banning TV, which the guide says results in “mental and physical loss.” The only thing it allows, is the use of multimedia that will strengthen their “jihadi spirit.”

In order to get children “interested in jihad” and encourage them to “become like Mujahideen” the handbook suggests “getting military books (preferably with pictures) and other similar books, CDs, videos, and by visiting web sites along with your children, and utilizing other internet resources.”

In addition, the handbook advises mothers to make “a makeshift enemy” or a punching bag for building the child's strength and to “control and direct their anger.”

In terms of physical training, IS encourages mothers to introduce their young ones to “target-shooting”, through toy guns and toy military sets. The Islamic State argues that darts, for instance, develops a good hand-eye coordination. Adding military games, the guidebook says, should increase the toddler’s interest in military matters and will allow practice time of mothers in front of their kids using their toys.

American Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), says the publication of the guidebook, is done to gain the West's attention.

“It is important for the West to understand that all these groups want the world to know that this indoctrination is taking place,” Steven Stalinsky, executive director of MEMRI, told the Daily Mail.

“As we move into 2015, Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, ISIS, and other jihadi groups worldwide continue to invest a lot of effort in indoctrination of the next generation of fighters.”

Stalinsky says that no matter how the US offensive against IS plays out in Syria and Iraq, “the next generation” of Muslim youth have already been “brainwashed to hate the West and to strive for jihad and martyrdom.”

“They have been trained on the battlefield and know how to create bombs and suicide belts and to behead and crucify the innocent. This is something we must be prepared for and understand,” Stalinsky says.

The authors of the textbook are unknown, but apparently, their child upbringing ideology is in full swing.

Last month, IS published photos and videos of children firing AK-47s. It also shows kids assembling weapons and standing in formation at the “Cubs of the Caliphate” training camp in Syria. Read the full story here.

"@AbdullaKhalidJH: The Cubs of the Khilafah! #IS #ISIS #ISIL #Iraq #Syria #Allah pic.twitter.com/ple7VdwdkQ" This child abuse makes me sick
— An Everyday Atheist (@JustAtheism) December 4, 2014

Video - Two female Italian aid workers who ignored their parents’ pleas, have now been kidnapped by Islamist militants

Video - Two female Italian aid workers who ignored their parents’ pleas, have now been kidnapped by Islamist militants. Read the full story at Dailymail.

Al-Nusra Source on the Latest Italian Hostages Video: Our negotiations with Italian gov. have stalled. pic.twitter.com/pmHUVAAi4P

— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) December 31, 2014

Islamic extremist Al-Nusra Front Commits Massacre in Maan, most of the victims are women and children.

Islamic extremist Al-Nusra Front Commits Massacre in Maan, most of the victims are women and children. (BBC).

Al-Nusra Front terrorist group operating in Syria against the national government has committed a massacre in the Syrian village of Maan of Hama countryside in central Syria, killing around 120 people, most of whom were women and children.

The Syrian news agency SANA pointed out that Maan massacre has been carried out on Sunday, citing the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces.

In a statement, issued Monday, the General Command reported that dozens of armed Takfiri militants stormed the village, using various types of weapons, stealing and burning houses, demolishing homes and displacing the residents out of their town.

“This criminal act was carried out as the Syrian State is exerting tireless efforts to end the suffering of the Syrian people,” the statement said, adding that the relationship between the terrorist groups operating in Syria and foreign players has become well known to everyone.

The General Command stressed that no such terrorist act will go without punishment, and that the massacre on 42 women and children and the destruction of the Maan village have merely increased the armed forces determination to eliminate terrorism and restore security and stability to the country.

The Syrian Minister of Social Affairs, Kinda al-Shamaat, stressed that most of the victims have been women and children.“It is not the first massacre of this kind,” she said.

Al-Shamaat also criticized international organizations for their silence over killings and their attempts to avert attention to regions with more calm.
Meanwhile, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed the opposition” has attacked the village and killed 25 pro-government fighters.

The MI6-funded Observatory documents the events in Syria based on Facebook, YouTube and other social media reports, many of which have been proven to be fabricated and of direct propaganda.

Syrian rebels release hundreds of inmates out of Aleppo prison.

Syrian rebels release hundreds of inmates out of Aleppo prison.(Telegraph).By Ruth Sherlock.

Syrian rebels have breached part of Aleppo’s central prison, releasing several hundred inmates in a bloody firefight with regime troops, activists have reported.

The prison, which the rebels have been laying siege to for almost a year, has become a military base for the Syrian army but still has up to 4000 prisoners languishing in their cells, disease-riven and surviving on pitiful amounts of food.

Up to 300 prisoners were released in the operation, which was led by Jabhat al-Nusra, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, and Ahrar al-Sham, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent have tried to bring food rations to the prisoners and rescue those who have finished their sentences, often having to cross front lines to do so.

One Red Crescent member, who wished to remain anonymous, last year told the news site Syria Deeply of the desperate living conditions. Prisoners, they said, are suffering from overcrowding, and lack of food. With little water available, diseases, including scabies and tuberculosis, are rife.

An unknown number of prisoners have died from disease during the course of the siege, while others have been killed in their cells as a result of the fighting between the rebels and regime troops.
Unable to take them out, the victims have reportedly been buried in a mass grave inside the prison. 

Why Is Obama's BFF Erdogan's Turkey allegedly Harboring Terrorists?

Why Is Obama's BFF Erdogan's Turkey allegedlyHarboring Terrorists?HT: NationalJournal.

Turkey's connections to Hamas and al-Qaida have been a strain on U.S.-Turkish relations.

Turkey is arguably America's most important ally on issues in the Middle East—it's a strong NATO member, it represents the interests of the United States in several area conflicts, and it's a major partner in global counterterrorism efforts. But for a country that so publicly attacks violent extremism, it has also in several instances harbored and assisted terrorists within its own borders. Suspected connections to leaders of the terrorist organization Hamas and relationships with financiers of al-Qaida have put strains on the relationship between the U.S. and Turkey, and threaten future cooperation on security issues.

There are two major examples of extremist actors given protection and access to leaders in Turkey. The first is Saleh al-Arouri, the founder of Hamas's armed wing in the West Bank, known as the Qassam Brigades. He lives in Turkey and has, according to reports, been involved in the finance and logistics for militant operations in the region.

The second is Saudi businessman Yasin al-Qadi, who according to the U.S. government, is an al-Qaida financier. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's protective detail escorted him after he entered the country recently without a passport or visa. (Erdogan previously said, "I believe in him as I believe in myself.") He also supposedly met with Erdogan's son in January. The Treasury Department has listed him as a "specially designated global terrorist" since 2001.These connections with Turkey and its leaders, including Erdogan, have some foreign policy analysts concerned.

"It looks like you've got a guy that's off the rails there," said Jonathan Schanzer, the vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "It's an important ally for the United States. They have been managing our Syria policy. They were managing our Arab Spring policy. We've got a problem that's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore."Hmmmm....Erdogan: "Democracy is like a train. We shall get out when we arrive at the station we want."Read the full story here.