Evening NEWS DIGEST
03 Oct. 2016: 01 Muharram 1438: Vol:8, No:01
Whether BSF man killed by terrorists or had fallen
victim to 'friendly fire':Confusion over Baramulla terror attack:PTI
Srinagar:Confusion
prevailed over the terror attack at Army-BSF camp in Baramulla last night which
was described by senior para-military officials today as a 'shoot and scoot'
strike by terrorists in which one BSF personnel was killed.A sentry of 40th
battalion of BSF located at Janbazpora in the outskirts of the city located in
North Kashmir spotted some suspicious movement near the open kitchen area and
started firing apprehending that terrorists may have entered into the camp,
sources said. Firing led to panic in adjacent army camp where troops of 46
Rashtriya Rifles also started firing in the direction in which suspected
terrorists were believed to have entered. Firing continued from all sides and
it was not clear whether some terrorists had entered the campus or firing was
coming from outside. After 90 minutes of firing, illuminators were used to
light up the sky but no terrorist was found, the sources said. Security
officials said the terrorists melted into darkness. However, it was found that
BSF constables Nitin and Pulwinder were injured in the firing and they were
rushed to the hospital in Srinagar. Nitin later succumbed to his injuries. It
was not immediately known whether the BSF personnel was killed by the
terrorists or had fallen victim to 'friendly fire' as all security
establishments have been directed to be on a high alert after the Indian army
carried out surgical strikes.Udhampur-based Northern Command had tweeted a
little after midnight only that "Baramulla incident situation contained
and under control". Surprisingly, Home Ministry spokesman had claimed in
the morning that two terrorists had been shot dead but this was corroborated
neither by army, BSF or the local police.The spokesman later said that the
report of killing of 2 terrorists was a "claim" and it was being
"verified".According to BSF IG (Kashmir) Vikash Chandra, terrorists
melted into the darkness and a search operation is on.PTI
Soldier killed in Kashmir
by suspected militants:AFP
Baramulla attack: Forces
giving befitting reply to terror attacks, says Rajnath Singh
India, Pakistan troops
again trade fire along LoC
Jammu: India and Pakistan
again resorted to exchange of firing in areas along LoC in Poonch district of J&K."There
is heavy firing going on in forward areas in Shahpur sector of Poonch
district", PTI quoting a police officer said.The firing started at around
1045 hours and is going on.Rising Kashmir
#BaramullaAttack: Operation
called off, militants escape
Srinagar:Over 6-hour long
search operation against militants was called off on Monday morning as the
security forces said the attackers had failed to breach the security parameters
of the army camp in north Kashmir's Baramulla town. risingkashmir
Baramulla attackers used
‘civilians’ as shields & escaped: Police
Prove Pak's lying &
strikes took place:Kejriwal Urges Modi
New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
has urged PM Narendra Modi in a new video to expose "Pakistan's false
propaganda" about the surgical strikes that were conducted by the army
across the Line of Control last week.Pakistan has denied that the strikes took
place, and accused India of passing off cross-border firing as raids conducted
across the de facto border. Kejriwal, the CM of Delhi, all but asked the govt to release footage of the strikes which were
conducted on 7 terrorist launch pads or staging areas in PoK. Claiming that
foreign media appears to be backing Pakistan's claim, he says, "My blood
boils to see such reports".46-year-old CM made it clear in his nearly 3 minute-long
video, "I may have 100 differences with the PM, but I salute him for his
approach towards Pakistan."NDTV
Surgical strikes should not
be publicised: Kanhaiya Kumar
PM Modi, Ajit Doval
war-mongers: Digvijaya Singh
New Delhi:Accusing ruling
BJP of indulging in “chest-thumping” over Armys surgical strikes on terrorist
launch pads across the LoC, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday called PM
Narendra Modi a “war-monger”.“This kind
of strikes have taken place earlier also. The only difference is this
chest-thumping and media sort of going overboard. This never happened before
because the earlier PM thought these issues are best left to be dealt with by
the security forces,” Singh said .IANS
Pak, India NSAs agree to
reduce tension along LoC: Aziz
Islamabad: National
Security Advisors of India and Pakistan talked on Monday morning to reduce
tension between the two neighbouring nations along the Line of
Control.According to Adviser to PM on
Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan`s NSA Nasser Janjua and his Indian
counterpart Ajit Doval talked to diffuse tension between the two
countries."Both the officials stressed on the need to establish contact to
reduce tensions along the Line of Control," said Aziz. zeenews
Surgical strikes also
carried out under Manmohan, we never publicised it: Congress
Asserting that the recent
surgical strike by the Indian Army in PoK was not the first mission ever, as
several of its kind was undertaken during the UPA regime, the Congress on
Sunday took a swing at PM NarendraModi saying that his predecessor, Manmohan
Singh never 'publicised' such operations. Speaking to ANI Congress leader Rajiv
Shukla re-iterated former army chief, General Bikram Singh's statement that
such strikes have taken place before as well.'Such operations have been carried
out before, even during the time of Manmohan Singh ji but he never publicised
it and kept beating the drum about it.ANI
#Kashmir: Valley remains
calm on 87th day of shutdown
Srinagar:No restrictions
were in place on the movement of people anywhere in the Kashmir Valley Monday
where the nearly 3-month long agitation is showing signs of fatigue, PTI
reported. However, normal life continued to remain affected for the 87th
consecutive day due to the separatist sponsored strike. A police official said
security forces have been deployed at some places, including market places, to
instill a sense of security among the people so that they can carry out their
day-to-day activities without fear.The official said the situation in Kashmir
was improving with each day and there has been a significant increase in the
movement of private and public transport, except buses, in uptown areas of the
summer capital Srinagar, including in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk. However,
life in downtown city and other parts of the Valley, including district
headquarters and towns, remained affected for the 87th straight day due to the
shutdown call of the separatists, who have been spearheading the ongoing unrest
in the Valley seeking resolution of Kashmir issue. PTI
J-K govt shuts down English
daily 'Kashmir Reader' to maintain ‘public tranquillity’in the Valley
Srinagar:Jammu and Kashmir govt
on Sunday ordered closure of a prominent
English newspaper — Kashmir Reader — to maintain “public tranquillity” in the
Valley.The decision shocked Kashmiri journalists, who said this is the first
time in the 3 decades of conflict that the govt had banned a newspaper.Srinagar deputy
commissioner served a notice to the newspaper asking its printer, publisher and
owner to abstain from printing till further orders so that “disturbance of
public tranquillity is prevented”.DC said the newspaper was publishing material
that “tends to incite acts of violence and disturb public peace and
tranquillity”. The paper has been warned that it would forfeit its printing
press and other properties if the order was not followed.The paper’s editor,
Hilal Mir, said the newspaper was reporting the situation in Kashmir as it was.
“We fail to understand how we incite violence when we have been reporting like
any other media organisation except that we have tried to be more extensive in
our reportage,” Mir said.The Kashmir Reader had published many stories on the
alleged atrocities of the security forces during the unrest. It also became
very popular online for its extensive coverage of the victims of the
violence.The news of the order was shared by the paper on its Facebook page,
drawing condemnation from several quarters.“The mountain of Shame,” wrote
journalist Mir Liyaqat.“This only goes on to expose the hypocrisy and limits of
facade of democracy they deploy to hide war crimes,” said Dibyesh Anand,
professor of international relations at University of Westminster.HT
Govt bans publication of
Kashmir Reader daily, says ‘its publication can incite violence and disturb
peace’
Pakistan’s political
leadership united over Kashmir issue: Pak media
Sharif discusses security
situation along LoC with parliamentary leaders
'United Pak can counter
Indian aggression': Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Sharif's all-party meet
Bollywood Actress told
Arnab Goswami to shut up and left his show
OTHERS
10 people arrested from
Kerala, Tamil Nadu over alleged links to ISIS: Gulf News
Thiruvananthapuram: Police
in Kerala have arrested nearly 10 people on suspicion of links to ISIS (Daesh).
The arrests were made after NIA swooped down on suspected Daesh supporters in
Kannur and Kozhikode districts and from Coimbatore in neighbouring Tamil Nadu
state. The gang members were held on Sunday.Local media reported that another
Keralite was arrested on Monday from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. The suspect was
identified as a native of Thodupuzha. Police believe the alleged Daesh
supporters may be about a dozen-strong, and that a few of them may have already
gone abroad. The majority of suspects were apprehended on Sunday from
Kanakamala near Panoor in Kannur district, and from Kuttiyadi in Kozhikode
district. Based on information collected from them, NIA could apprehend their
associates based in Tamil Nadu.Reports indicated that the police team comprised
officials from Kerala, Delhi, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The arrests were the
result of continuing investigations by the NIA into the case of nearly two
dozen people from Kerala disappearing apparently after associating with
Daesh.Following the police operation against the suspects in Kannur district, a
large number of local residents got wind of the development and rushed to the
spot where the suspects were apprehended. The police vehicles could move away
with the apprehended persons only with great difficulty. gulfnews
1 more terror suspect
arrested in TN by NIA, taken to Kerala for further investigation
WhatsApp Grouped the 'ISIS
Module', claim NIA Sources
NIA arrests 7 persons
allegedly with Isis
After arresting 6 ISIS
suspects in Kerala, NIA detains one more from Tamil Nadu: Zee news
Gujarat ATS arrests Hassan
Imam from Bihar in 2002 Kolkata American Center attack case: Indian Express
Ahmedabad: Absconding for
over 14 years, a key accused in 2002 Kolkata American Center attack case has
been arrested by officials of the Gujarat ATS from Bihar’s Aurangabad district.
ATS officials on Sunday said although there was no case against accused Imam
Hasan (in his mid 40s) in Gujarat, he was a member of “Asif Raza Commando Force
(ARCF)” having links with HuJI,which had attacked the American Center in
Kolkata and killed 6 policemen.Hasan, who was arrested on Saturday, would be
brought to Ahmedabad and soon handed over to the Kolkata Police, said the
officials. Information on the whereabouts of Hasan came while the ATS was
keeping a tab on “people involved in anti-national activities, sleeper cells
and wanted accused in terror attacks in view of surgical strikes by the Indian
Army following the terror attack in Uri”. According to the ATS, Hasan, a native
of Bihar’s Gaya district, had changed his name to “Arif” and ran a small
garment shop in Aurangabad. indian express
MP: Anti-terror message:
Contractor turns translator to help Muslim body
Bhopal:A 40-year-old
contractor from Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh has taken up a key role in a
Muslim body’s fight against terrorism—translating anti-terror texts from Urdu
to English and Hindi. Mohd Zaid Khan, a PG in Mathematics, has taken a
sabbatical from his construction and fabrication business and is busy
translating texts that expose the anti-Islamic face of terror outfits like Islamic
State, Taliban, al-Qaeda and Boko Haram.A 44-page book titled ‘ISIS Daesh: Ek
Aatish Va Azmaish’ was translated from an Urdu book written by a
Hyderabad-based cleric Syed Hussain Madni and was released recently.“It is part
of a mission by the sub sect of Sunni Muslims, Ahle Hadees,” Khan said,
stressing that it was their attempt to stop the lure of extremist groups and
their false ideology among youngsters.Already 1,000 copies of the book
embodying fatwas (edicts) by Muslim clerics, have been distributed and a
thousand more are slated for distribution in Seoni. Seoni has more than 15,000
Sunni Muslims loyal to Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind, the national body of
Ahle Hadees followers.“With youngsters, particularly in neighbouring
Maharashtra, falling prey to the terror and un-Islamic ideology of terror
groups like ISIS, we’ve started a committed drive from Seoni to expose the true
face of such outfits,” Ahle Hadees’s Seoni district secretary Maulana Abdul
Qudoos ‘Umari’, said. Programmes by Ahle Hadees in public places and mosques
largely focus on telling youths that Muslim scholars across the world have
issued fatwas against ISIS.HT
BJP trying to divide
Muslims on sectarian lines by creating rift among adherents of Sunni and Ahle
Hadees sects: Mumbai Ex-Cong leader
Mumbai: Congress leader and
former state minorities’ welfare minister Anees Ahmad on Sunday criticised the
BJP govt for trying to create a rift among sects of Muslim community in the
light of Central Wakf Council (CWC)’s allegations that he and Maulana Vastanvi
acquired funds unfairly from it.Ahmad told The Asian Age that while PM Narendra Modi has said that Muslims should be
treated “as their own,” the actions of party leaders and its post holders say
otherwise. Ahmad’s tirade has been prompted after the CWC alleged that he and
Maulana Vastanvi had resorted to unfair means to get funds from the council.
Vastanvi is a cleric based in Nandurbar, Maharashtra. According to CWC, a trust
chaired by Ahmad’s wife took a loan worth Rs 1 crore from the wakf fund for a
dental college but no such college was built. Vastanvi’s trust had taken a loan
of Rs 1.1 crore without it being registered with the state wakf board.“BJP is
trying to divide the Muslims in India on sectarian lines by creating a rift
among the adherents of the Sunni and Ahle Hadees sects by resorting to
mud-slinging and maligning their leaders through their stooges,” said Ahmad.
Asian Age
Gujarat: Communal clashes
in Vadodara, tear gas shells hurled at mob: indian express
Vadodara: The communally
sensitive old city area of Vadodara witnessed a breach of peace, late on Sunday
after two communities reportedly clashed during the coinciding Navratri
celebrations and Muharram rituals. According to eye witnesses, stone pelting ensued
after a brick was hurled at a Tazia procession undertaken by local Muslims near
Koyali Faliya area of Fatehpura in the walled city. Soon, groups from both
communities came face to face and attacked each other. Several units of the
city police also rushed to the site to calm the situation. A senior officer
said, “The incident occurred after 10:30 pm when a Tazia procession was passing
close to a Hindu neighbourhood. Locals claim that a miscreant hurled a brick at
the procession and the misunderstanding led to a clash. However, due to prompt
police action and heavy rains simultaneously,crowds dispersed and the situation
was brought under control.”Commissioner of Police, E Radhakrishana, said, “We
have learnt that spontaneous stone pelting began when a Tazia procession was
passing through the area.We are examining if this procession had sought police
permission. If not, they will be booked for violating notifications. The city
is peaceful as the police has brought the situation under control. It was not
an adverse incident but a minor clash. We are analyzing the CCTV footage to
identify the miscreants.”
Mob Violence, Police Action
& Rising Communalism Haunt Alwar’s Muslim Meo community: The Wire
Alwar: Palpably nervous,
7-year-old Aslam clutched slightly-torn hem of his father’s kurta. “Let us go,
Amma is alone (at home),” he said, nudging his father, Mohammad Islam. Islam
and others had gathered around the Meo leader Nasru Khan. Khan was visiting the
Meo-dominated hamlet of Revada Bas after several houses in the village were
allegedly looted, ransacked and wrecked by a mob comprising members of the
Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and BJP after Eid. “Don’t bother me anymore, go away,” a
visibly traumatised Islam told his son. Islam’s family has been on the run ever
since police raided the village in the late hours of Sept.14 (day after Bakr
Eid) and claimed it had found the remains of 36 cows buried on the outskirts.
The cops also said that the raiding team rescued six cows from slaughter. Over
the next 2 days, the police arrested 12 people from the village and are still
looking for another 12 named in FIR. Fearful, most families fled the village
following the raid.Islam, along with a few others, decided to come back after
helplessly moving from one place to another, but only to find his home a muddle
of broken things.“They looted my house. My bed, fridge, kitchen, furniture are
all broken. When we came back, we found our grain shack (a ten-feet high
airtight container) punctured at various places, all my earnings destroyed,” he
said.“Aslam is in a state of shock. He knows his friend’s father is in prison.
He thinks if I get arrested, he and his mother will be left alone. So he always
wants me by his side, always,” Islam told the leader.
Muslims in meat industry
mull countrywide strike to protest against rising vigilantism, harassment
All-India organisation of
Quresh – a Muslim subgroup that dominates the meat industry – has called a
special general body meeting in Delhi in October to decide whether to call for
a countrywide strike in protest against rising anti-cow slaughter
vigilantism.The idea behind All-India Jamiat-ul-Quresh’s proposed strike – that
will stop the supply of all kind of meat in the country – is to convey to the
Union govt that the growing belligerence
of cow-protectionists has inflicted heavy economic losses on the Quresh community.Intimidation
and violence by cow-vigilantes has created an ambience in which local
authorities, especially the police, have taken to extorting money from those
engaged in the meat trade. The Quresh group wants both these tormentors reined
in. Jamiat-ul-Quresh believes that the BJP-led alliance at the Centre will not
respond to the angst of Muslims because of its ideology, but could be prompted
into action as the disruption in the supply of chicken and mutton will invite
the ire of those Hindus whose staple is meat.Contrary to the myth of India
being the land of vegetarians, different surveys have shown that between 60%
and 70% of Indians above age of 15 are meat-eaters. scroll.in
At root of a Hindu-Muslim
clash in Delhi's Jahangirpuri was a dispute about encroachments
A communal clash on Sept.25
in Jahangirpuri, North West Delhi, in which Muslims were accused of shouting
pro-Pakistan slogans, started with an argument over an illegal parking area,
according to two prominent local residents in the area.The altercation, in
which at least five persons were injured, began after a candlelight march that
residents held in memory of the Indian Army soldiers killed in the terror
attack on Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on Sept.18. Following this, several police
teams were sent to the spot. Later four residents of a slum in C-D Park of
Jahangirpuri were arrested on various charges, including rioting.The complaint
on the basis of which an FIR was registered said, “The altercation started
after the accused passed remarks at a woman, who participated in the
candlelight march, and when others intervened, they started raising the slogan:Hindustan
murdabaad, Pakistan zindabaad.”But Shaikh Israfil Qadri, president of the
residents’ welfare association in Jahangirpuri, and Indermani Tiwari, the
president of the body that organised the march, said that the fight started
with an argument over an illegal parking lot close to a govt school in the locality. This point, however,
finds no mention in the complaint attached with the FIR. Scroll.in
RSS plans to create space
for ideology, crack Left bastions
New Delhi: Writers,
academics and policy makers will congregate in November in Bhopal’s Bharat
Bhavan - considered a Left fortress - to discuss a plethora of issues with
‘nationalism’ existing on a continuum.A first of its kind colloquium,
‘Lokmanthan’ is being organised by the RSS backed think tank India Policy
Foundation.3-day event from Nov.12 to 14 will see the RSS reach out to thinkers
and writers from Latin American and African countries to explore themes of
western hegemony, impact of colonisation on political discourse, art and
culture. “There was a need to create space for alternate voices. Most of such
conclaves and literary fests are Left dominated and proscribe opinion that does
not match the communist ideology,” said RSS ideologue and IPF honorary director
Rakesh Sinha.
Ex-ruling classes, Marathas,
Muslims, still want OBC tag:HT
Mumbai: 2 major groups in
Maharashtra are agitating for quota in govt jobs and educational institutions.
Marathas constitute a third – in the absence of a caste census the numbers are
an estimate – of the state’s population while the Muslims are about a
ninth.There are several similarities in the two groups. Muslim and Maratha
dynasties had, between them, ruled over the territory that is now Maharashtra
for more than 7 centuries. These communities are not homogenous: among Muslims
there are sects and groups identified by their occupation, language and
origins. Marathas also have various sub-castes and some groups in these
communities already access reservations as OBC. While both groups are demanding
reservation of some kind, their demands have not been clearly laid out.Though
they want a quota in both govt jobs and
education, Muslim groups are currently pursuing a demand for 5% reservation in
educational institutions that the Bombay high court has allowed. The court had rejected
a demand for a quota in jobs. “We are only asking for what the courts have
approved. Govt of Maharashtra should allow Muslim students to get reserved
seats,” said Dr Moinuddin Raut of the Muslim Kranti Andolan which has been
holding meetings to raise public support for the demand. hindustantimes
Muslims join Marathas to
push for reservations
Why India chose UAE crown
price as its R-Day chief guest
New Delhi: The selection of
the chief day for Republic Day carries a political message. The crown prince of
Abu Dhabi will be the second leader from the Gulf to be the chief guest at the
Republic Day parade after king of Saudi Arabia in 2006.In 2013, India almost
had a chief guest from the Gulf region. But the sultan of Oman opted out on
health grounds, and king of Bhutan became the guest for the event for the
fourth time that year. Gulf is region is home to more than 7 million Indians.
During 2015-16, India’s exports to GCC countries were US $ 41.71 billion. Bilateral
trade during the period was US$ 97.46 billion. According to Moody’s investors service
report,India gets 52.1% of its remittances from the Gulf nations (the exposure
of Pakistan to the region is the highest at 61.2% of remittances). And the
region is a key source for India’s steady oil imports.HT
Women’s entry to Haji Ali:
Trust moves SC against Bombay HC order
Mumbai:Haji Ali Dargah
Trust has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court which
had allowed women in the internal portion of the dargah.On August 26, the
Bombay High Court lifted the ban imposed on women from entering the inner
sanctum of Mumbai’s Haji Ali Dargah Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of
Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), had petitioned the Bombay High Court
against the ban calling it unconstitutional.ANI
No interference in Muslim
Personal Law, Rajnath Singh assures Dy. CM of Telangana Ali
Hyderabad: Dy. CM of
Telangana State, Mohammed Mahmood Ali called on Union Home Minister, Rajnath
Singh and apprised him of the anxiety of the Muslims of the country about the
implementation of Uniform Civil Code. He requested the Home Minister not to
take any action which interferes in Muslim Personal Law. During his visit in
New Delhi, Ali briefed Rajnath Singh about the cases regarding divorce and
polygamy among Muslims. He told him that Central Govt. is trying to create an
atmosphere for the implementation of Uniform Civil Code. He apprised him of
various meetings held in Hyderabad wherein it was asserted that Muslims cannot
tolerate any change in their personal law since these are not manmade they are
according to Allah and the traditions of Prophet. Rajnath Singh gave a clear
assurance to Ali that Govt. does not have any intention to interfere in Muslim
Personal Law. He also said that Govt. is not taking any steps for the
implementation of Uniform Civil Code. He advised the Muslims not to have any
apprehensions.siasat
Muharram moon sighted,
Islamic Year 1438 Hijri begins in India, Pakistan from today
New Delhi/Islamabad: New
moon of the month of Muharram-ul-Haram was sighted in various parts of India
and Pakistan Sunday evening, corresponding to 29th of Dhul Hijjah. Accrodingly,
Monday will be the first day of the new month and the New Islamic Year 1438
Hijri. "The moon of the Islamic month of Muharram was sighted today.
Accordingly, the first day of the Islamic Year 1438 will be on Oct.03",
Khalid Rasheed farangi Mahli of Markazi Chand Committee said in a statement
released. "Youm-e-Ashura i.e. 10th of Muharram will be on Oct.12", he
said. Imarat-e-Sharia Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Phulwari Sharif, Patna also
released a statement telling the moon of the month of Muharram has been
sighted. Similar statements have also been issued by Moon Sighting Committees
in Mumbai, Nashik, New Delhi, Hyderabad and other places.Moon sighting
committees in Pakistan also confirmed sighting of Muharram moon.ummid.com
Muharram 2016: Islamic new
year begins, Muslims to recall Battle of Karbala and martyrdom of Imam Hussain
MP: Shivraj govt turns up
heat after RSS man’s arrest, transfers top cops including Muslim officer
World
Pentagon paid PR firm $540m
to make fake terrorist videos
The Pentagon paid a UK PR
firm half a billion dollars to create fake terrorist videos in Iraq in a secret
propaganda campaign exposed by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. PR firm
Bell Pottinger, known for its array of controversial clients including the
Saudi govt and Chilean dictator Augusto
Pinochet’s foundation, worked with the US military to create the propaganda in
a secretive operation. The firm reported to the CIA, the National Security
Council and the Pentagon on the project with a mandate to portray Al-Qaeda in a
negative light and track suspected sympathisers. Both the White House and
General David Petraeus, former general who shared classified information with
his mistress, signed off on the content produced by the agency. Bell Pottinger
operation started soon after the US invasion of Iraq and was tasked with
promoting the “democratic elections” for the administration before moving on to
more lucrative psychological and information operations. Former employee Martin
Wells told the Bureau how he found himself working in Iraq after being hired as
a video editor by Bell Pottinger. Within 48 hours, he was landing in Baghdad to
edit content for secret “psychological operations” at Camp Victory.The firm
created television ads showing Al-Qaeda in a negative light as well as creating
content to look as though it had come from “Arabic TV”. Crews were sent out to
film bombings with low quality video. The firm would then edit it to make it
look like news footage.They would craft scripts for Arabic soap operas where
characters would reject terrorism with happy consequences. The firm also
created fake Al-Qaeda propaganda videos, which were then planted by the
military in homes they raided.Employees were given specific instructions to
create the videos. “We need to make this style of video and we’ve got to use
Al-Qaeda’s footage,” Wells was told. “We need it to be 10 minutes long, and it
needs to be in this file format, and we need to encode it in this manner.”The
videos were created to play on Real Player which needs an internet connection
to run. The CDs were embedded with a code linking to Google Analytics which
allowed the military to track IP addresses that the videos were played
on.According to Wells, the videos were picked up in Iran, Syria and the US.“If
one, 48 hours or a week later shows up in another part of the world, then
that’s the more interesting one,” Wells explained. “And that’s what they’re
looking for more, because that gives you a trail.”Pentagon confirmed PR firm
did work for them under Information Operations Task Force (IOTF) creating
content they say was “truthful”. Firm also worked under the Joint Psychological
Operations Task Force (JPOTF). Pentagon said it could not comment on JPOTF
operations. middleeastmonitor
Syrian army advances as
'Aleppo carnage' sparks fury
Syrian forces and their
allies are pushing forwards in a major ground offensive to recapture Aleppo's
rebel-held east, as international outrage grows over the fierce bombardment on
the city's besieged areas.Dozens of Russian and Syrian govt air strikes continued pounding the devastated
city overnight, targeting battlefronts and residential neighbourhoods, according
to activists. At least 6 people were killed in the raids on Sunday morning,
activists told Al Jazeera.The ferocious air campaign "helped regime forces
to advance in the north of the city", where they reached the outskirts of
the al-Heluk district, Rami Abdel Rahman, director of Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights (SOHR) monitoring group, said. aljazeera
Syrian swimmer and her
12-year-old brother killed by shelling in Aleppo
EU announces humanitarian
initiative for Aleppo
Clinging on for dear life:
Heart-breaking moment a blood-soaked baby boy refuses to let go of a nurse
after his house was hit by an airstrike in Aleppo
Israel closes Ibrahimi
Mosque to Muslim worshipers
Head caretaker of Ibrahimi
Mosque, Hifzi Abu Sneineh, said: “Israeli authorities told us that the mosque
will be closed for Muslims for six days.”Abu Sneineh said this is a “flagrant
violation” of the freedom of practicing religious rituals for Muslims in an
Islamic place of worship. “It is a clear provocation to the Muslims’ feelings,”
he added. middleeastmonitor
Palestinians call for
Abbas’ ouster: middleeastmonitor
Thousands of Palestinians
at the Balata refugee camp in Nablus yesterday called for President Mahmoud
Abbas to step down during a funeral for a resident who was shot by Palestinian
security forces.Mourners carried the body of Diaa Marshoud from the morgue to
the Ibad Al-Rahman Mosque in the camp in order to carry out prayers on his
body.During the procession, scores of men fired shots in the air while others
chanted demanding Abbas step down along with the head of the National Security
Forces Nidal Abu Dukhan.Twenty-one-year-old Marshoud passed away on Wednesday
hours after he and three other youths were injured after security forces fired
at a vehicle they were in near the Balata refugee camp.
Ramallah court calls for
Palestine polls in W. Bank only
Germany's finance minister
presses for a "German Islam"
A veteran ally of Angela
Merkel urged Muslims in Germany on Sunday to develop a "German Islam"
based on liberalism and tolerance, saying the influx of people seeking refuge,
many of them Muslims, is a challenge for mainstream society. Minister Wolfgang
Schaeuble, stepping out of his usual finance remit, urged tolerance, saying the
arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants required a better understanding
among Germans of what is important to them and how they want to live.Almost 1
million migrants from the Middle East and Africa, came to Germany last year,
stoking social tensions and boosting support for the right-wing Alternative for
Germany party, which has said Islam is
not compatible with the constitution.Reuters
Pope pays homage to tiny
Catholic flock in Muslim Azerbaijan: Reuters
Saudi abandons Islamic
calendar for govt pay: AFP
Riyadh: Saudi govt workers
will be paid according to the Gregorian calendar instead of the Islamic Hijri
calendar, making the working month longer as part of cost-cutting measures,
newspapers reported on Monday.The change, approved by cabinet last week, brings
civil service pay in line with the govt 's January-December fiscal year, the
Arab News and Saudi Gazette reported. Reports said the latest austerity measure
took effect on Oct.1.Saudi, the world's biggest oil exporter, is cutting govt spending and re-orienting its economy after a
collapse+ over the past two years of the global oil price which provided most
of its revenue.Hijri calendar consists of 12 months of 29 or 30 days depending
on the sighting of the moon, meaning the Islamic year is several days shorter
than the Gregorian calendar, which is widely used in the world.Last week,
cabinet also cut by 20 % the salaries of
ministers and froze the wages of lower-ranked civil servants.AFP
Colombia referendum: Peace
deal with FARC rejected
Voters in Colombia's
referendum have narrowly rejected a peace accord between the govt and the Marxist group, FARC.The outcome of
Sunday's vote endangers a deal expected to end 52 years of war and allow FARC
fighters to re-enter society and form a political party. aljazeera
Jordanians reject 'stolen
gas' in Israel-Jordan deal
Jordanian activists vowed
to continue their protest against a $10bn gas deal signed by the Jordanian govt
and Israel last month.The agreement will
see US-based Noble Energy and other investors in Israel's largest gas field
supply Jordan's national electric company with 8.5 million cubic metres of gas
over 15 years.Upon announcement of the deal, thousands of protesters took to
the streets of the capital Amman on Friday chanting "The enemy's gas is
occupation" and "No to gas imports from the Zionist enemy" and
calling for the cancellation of the deal. aljazeera
Kunduz assault: Afghan
Taliban 'enter city'
Taliban fighters have
entered the strategic northern Afghan city of Kunduz, reports say.
An eyewitness told the BBC
that he had seen the Taliban advance. Fierce fighting has been going on all
day.The defence ministry has denied the city is in militant hands.Kunduz was
briefly captured by the Taliban in September 2015 - the first time the
insurgents had taken a major city - but government forces, backed by Nato,
recaptured it within days.The Taliban have published a video apparently
confirming they are once more inside the city.A member of the Kunduz provincial
council, Amruddin Wali, also told Ariana News that the Taliban had raised their
flag in a central square.The fighting comes a day before a major donors'
conference in Brussels and highlights the precarious security situation after
Nato pulled out combat forces.In southern Helmand province, militants also took
a strategically important district to the south of Lashkar Gah, killing the
local police chief, officials said earlier on Monday.bbc
Taliban launch attacks in
Afghanistan’s north and south
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:41 PM)
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