Reports: Syrian Military Likely Shot Down U.S. Drone
Bashar al-Assad’s military likely shot down a U.S. Predator drone in northwest Syria, U.S. officials told various news outlets.
Tag: Syria
ISIS Destroys 4th Century Mar Behnam Monastery in Iraq
The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) destroyed the 4th century Mar Behnam Catholic monastery in Iraq on Thursday. The terrorists have vowed to erase all Christian history within their territories conquered in the Middle East.
New Jersey Air Force Veteran Charged with Supporting the Islamic State
The story of Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh is disturbing, but not entirely unique, as a report from NJ.com notes. A federal indictment charges that the New Jersey man–a born-and-bred American who served four years in the Air Force–began following the Islamic State online and decided to join the jihad by arranging a “vacation” to Turkey, with an eye toward slipping across the border into Syria.
Germany Open to Talks with Assad as US Reiterates It Will ‘Never’ Negotiate with Syrian Leader
The fallout over Secretary of State John Kerry’s implication that the United States is open to potentially negotiating with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad continues, as Germany’s foreign minister now weighs in, suggesting that such negotiations may be necessary to minimize the loss of life in the ongoing Syrian Civil War and weaken the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.
World View: Beneath the Surface, Tunisia is a Terrorist Breeding Ground
Tunisia in shock after terror attack on museum in Tunis; Beneath the surface, Tunisia is a terrorist breeding ground
Backtracking: State Now Says It Will ‘Never’ Negotiate With Assad
WASHINGTON, DC — The State Department is now saying that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad will “never” be part of peace negotiations, but members of his regime could play a role in ending the bloodshed and suffering in the war-torn nation.
Wannabe Jihadists Will be Helped to Return to School and Normal Life, Council Leader Confirms
One of the would-be jihadists apprehended in Turkey over the weekend en-route to Syria has been told that he may return to school as soon as “things settle down”. The youths from Brent, London, none of whom have yet been
Venezuelan President’s Son Caught Dancing in Shower of Money at Wedding
A video surfacing online of Nicolás Maduro Guerra, son of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, dancing in a shower of dollar bills at the wedding of an elite business owner has outraged the nation. Maduro Guerra, who himself is a public official in his father’s repressive socialist government, has become a prime target of the opposition on social media over the embarrassing display.
‘Operation Mummy’s Curse’: America Returns Priceless, Stolen Artifacts to Iraq
American authorities returned around 65 stolen artifacts to Iraq after a very long investigation to retrieve the stolen items. The items were handed over at the Iraqi consulate in Washington, DC.
Report: Moderate Syrian Rebel Factions Disbanded, Joined Jihadist Groups
The moderate movement in Syria no longer exists, according to the International Business Times (IBT).
Assad: Not Interested in Talking With Kerry
Sunday, after meeting with Iranian officials in Damascus on state television, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, addressed Secretary of State John Kerry’s “offer” to negotiate the end of their civil war, saying such statements “from outside do not concern us.” Secretary
Two Thousand Attend Funeral of German Woman Who Died Fighting ISIS
A crowd estimated at 2,000 turned out for the funeral of Ivana Hoffmann in Duisburg, Germany, over the weekend. Hoffmann, 19, was killed fighting ISIS in Syria as a volunteer in the Kurdish YPG force.
Kerry: U.S. Will Have To Recognize Syrian Dictator Assad — State Dept Walks Back Assertion
Secretary of State John Kerry told CBS News that the United States is now willing to negotiate with (and accept as a legitimate ruler) Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a striking contrast from the administration’s prior insistence that regime change would be the only tolerated approach for Damascus.
Former Spanish Hostage: ISIS Built Its Own ‘Guantanamo’ for Western Captives
A former hostage of the Islamic State who was imprisoned alongside executed Westerners Alan Henning and Peter Kassig, among others, reports that the terrorist group had built a rudimentary replica of America’s Guantánamo Bay facility in Syria with the intention of filling it with Western citizens and torturing them.
UK Defections to ISIS ‘May Be More Widespread Than Thought’
Britain needs to be vigilant as many more young Muslims are travelling to Syria to join ISIS than previously realised, a senior politician has said. Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, made his comments last night following the
Kurds Claim ISIS Is Using Chemical Weapons
According to a statement from the Kurdish Regional Security Council, the Islamic State has crossed that fabled WMD “red line” by deploying chemical weapons against Kurdish peshmerga forces fighting along the Iraqi border with Syria, near the captive city of Mosul.
State Department Announces $70 Million Aid to Syrian Opposition Groups
Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken announced a plan to provide the Syrian opposition with $70 million in non-lethal aid. If Congress approves the aid, the grand total of aid to Syria in the past four years will amount to $400 million.
America is Losing the War Against Sunni Jihadists and Empowering The Shia Caliphate
With its support of the Baghdad government and the wrong rebels in Syria, the US Administration is doing the unthinkable: strengthening the spread of Tehran’s control in the Middle East and at the same time also helping the Sunni extremists to grow in power.
EU Parliament Resolves to Defend Christians, Other Minorities from ISIS
The European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday calling for the protection of Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities in the Middle East from the depredations of the Islamic State. A call for the establishment of safe havens for ethnic and religious minorities in the Nineveh Plains is part of the resolution.
ISIS Execution Video Boy Killer And His Mentor Identified as French Citizens
The Associated Press reports that the boy executioner and his adult mentor from the latest ISIS snuff film, in which the boy executes a 19-year-old Palestinian accused of being a “Mossad spy,” have been identified as French citizens. The older jihadi may be linked to a horrific attack on a Jewish school in France in 2012.
Report: ISIS Delays Release of 52 Assyrian Christian Families
The 52 Assyrian Christian families who were among hundreds of hostages captured by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) have not been released as reported, according to the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA).
Kobane Opens First School Since Kurds Defeated ISIS
The Kurdish town of Kobane opened up the first school since the town was liberated from the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in January.
Former ISIS Hostage: Jihadists Enjoy Teletubbies, Game of Thrones
Former Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) hostage Nicolas Henin, 39, spoke out recently about his ten months with the jihadist group. He told the BBC the militants enjoyed Teletubbies and Game of Thrones. He also claimed there were some who could not come to terms with the blood the group spills on an almost daily basis.
ISIS Video Recruits Deaf-Mute Jihadis Using Sign Language
NBC News reports the latest ISIS recruitment video features “two deaf and mute fighters communicating in sign language in what analysts said was an attempt to demonstrate ‘normal’ life for everyone under the brutal terrorist group’s domination.”
Monitor: About 95 People Escape From ISIS-Run Prison in Syria
An estimated 95 prisoners, including 30 Kurdish fighters, managed to escape from a prison in Syria run by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), revealed a monitoring group.
