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Iran Involvement In Iraq 'Unacceptable'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 24 Maret 2015 | 10.52

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent, Southern Iraq

Iraq's vice president Iyad Allawi has told Sky News that Iran's involvement in his country is unacceptable and is failing to push Islamic State fighters back.

Speaking from his office in Baghdad, Mr Allawi said he was very concerned about Iran's increasing influence on the militias fighting the war against IS in Iraq.

He said: "I think the role of any regional power or any power in Iraq's affairs is unacceptable."

Mr Allawi went on to explain that Iran's role "doing what they are doing and sending officers to fight and to lead, and declaring that Baghdad is becoming the capital of the Persian empire, is unacceptable".

There are dozens of different Shia militias fighting IS in Iraq right now.

They may have the same enemy, but that doesn't make them friends. There's a history of animosity.

In a cemetery in the southern city of Najaf, more than 50 fighters are buried every day, according to gravediggers there.

Where you are buried though depends on which militia you fought with.

The graves marked with a yellow logo are for the Hezbollah Battalions, a militia active in Iraq for over a decade and on the US terror list since 2009.

In another part of the cemetery we found the white flags of the League of the Righteous. Their leader is out fighting but his grave lays here dug up as a sign that he's not afraid of death.

What many militias do have in common though is Iranian backing. Iran is providing weapons, funding and has recently carried out airstrikes to support the militias.

The strong Iranian influence in Iraq is not new but just how visible it has become is quite staggering. 

Pictures of Iran's supreme leader - Ali Khamenei - are plastered all over the country. 

There is no doubt Iranian help is key to defeating IS but many have serious concerns over what this may mean for the future.

Mr Allawi says the posters of Khamenei send chills up his spine and there will be a high price to pay for Iranian involvement.

For him, the main threat to the country's stability is the militias.

He said: "As far as I'm concerned these clusters of militias, whether Sunni or Shia, are the main threat and indeed the governments and regional powers who support these groups are the biggest threat to Iraq and to the future of Iraq." 

Mr Allawi also warned: "The failure of this country means the failure of the whole region. That's why it's very important to keep Iraq as a united, federal, democratic country and to get reconciliation on the ground and to build a viable state."

As the battle to free Iraq from IS continues, the larger war between those fighting on the ground - and their backers elsewhere - is becoming increasingly clear.

Iraq's future, and the stability of the region, hangs in the balance.


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British Special Forces Pull Out Of Yemen

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

UK Special Forces have pulled out of Yemen because of the deteriorating security situation in the country.

Sky News understands they were airlifted from the capital Sana'a over the weekend.

They had been operating in the country alongside US counterparts, who have now also been withdrawn.

US forces evacuated al Annad airbase near the southern city of al Houta, which was captured by al Qaeda militants on Friday.

Jeff Rathke, US State Department spokesman, said in a statement: "Due to the deteriorating security situation in Yemen, the US government has temporarily relocated its remaining personnel out of Yemen."

The UK Government has not commented on the withdrawal of British troops.

Last month, Washington, London and Paris closed their embassies as the country teeters on the brink of all-out civil war.

Yemen has become increasingly unstable amid a power struggle between Iranian-backed Shia rebels, known as Houthis, in the north and UN-recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Mr Hadi fled to the southern city of Aden in February after escaping from house arrest in Sana'a. 

The Houthis have taken control of the capital and six provinces.

On Friday, Islamic State affiliates claimed responsibility for two bombs at mosques in Sana'a. As many as 150 people were killed in bomb blasts in the capital last week.

If the group was behind the attacks, it would mark its first large-scale foray into the country and could raise the prospect of a bloody Shia versus Sunni conflict.

The CIA and US military have carried out drone strikes against insurgents in Yemen for many years.

A 2011 strike killed influential cleric Anwar al Awlaki, who was the motivator behind many terrorist attacks against the West and is said to have influenced the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris.


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IS Posts 'Kill List' Of US Military Personnel

Written By Unknown on Senin, 23 Maret 2015 | 10.52

A group calling itself the "hacking division" of Islamic State has published what it says are the names and addresses of 100 US military staff and urged IS supporters to kill them, a monitoring group says.

SITE Intelligence said the allegedly hacked details about members of the air force, army and navy included pictures, addresses and ranks of personnel.

The hackers said the staff had targeted IS in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and called upon its "brothers residing in America" to attack them.

The group, which referred to itself as the "Islamic State Hacking Division", said it had hacked several military servers, databases and emails and made the information public so "lone wolf" attackers can kill them.

A US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "I can't confirm the validity of the information, but we are looking into it.

"We always encourage our personnel to exercise appropriate OPSEC (operations security) and force protection procedures."

Officials from the Defense Department and the FBI told The New York Times they were aware of the threats and were investigating.

The US Marine Corps said it was visiting all staff affected, and urged caution online.

Lieutenant Colonel John Caldwell said: "Vigilance and force protection considerations remain a priority for commanders and their personnel.

"It is recommended Marines and family members check their online/social footprint, ensuring privacy settings are adjusted to limit the amount of available personal information."

Lt Col Caldwell added the threat remained "unverified".

A defence source told The New York Times that most of the information is available in public records and did not appear to have been hacked from government servers.

The newspaper quoted officials as saying the list appeared to have been drawn from people mentioned in news articles about airstrikes on IS, which controls large parts of Iraq and Syria.

NATO commander Philip Breedlove claimed it was an attempt by IS to divert attention away from military setbacks.

He said: "What we have seen across the last several months is that every time they take a defeat on the battlefield, or every time they are under great pressure on the battlefield, they come out with kind of some big splash like this.

"This caliphate, I think, is under great pressure and so they try to divert attention from what is happening on the battlefield."

IS has claimed responsibility for hacking attacks in the US in the past, including against Central Command, which oversees the air campaign against the group.

In January, the Centcom Twitter feed was hacked by a group claiming to be IS sympathisers.

Images were posted showing documents containing the contact details of current and retired military officers, including home addresses and email accounts.


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Iran Involvement In Iraq 'Unacceptable'

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent, Southern Iraq

Iraq's Vice President Iyad Allawi has told Sky News that Iran's involvement in his country is unacceptable and is failing to push Islamic State fighters back.

Speaking from his office in Baghdad, Mr Allawi said he was very concerned about Iran's increasing influence on the militias fighting the war against IS in Iraq.

He said: "I think the role of any regional power or any power in Iraq's affairs in unacceptable."

Mr Allawi went on to explain that Iran's role "doing what they are doing and sending officers to fight and to lead, and declaring that Baghdad is becoming the capital of the Persian empire, is unacceptable".

There are dozens of different Shia militias fighting IS in Iraq right now.

They may have the same enemy, but that doesn't make them friends. There's a history of animosity.

In a cemetery in the southern city of Najaf, more than 50 fighters are buried every day, according to gravediggers there.

Where you are buried though depends on which militia you fought with.

The graves marked with a yellow logo are for the Hezbollah Battalions, a militia active in Iraq for over a decade and on the US terror list since 2009.

In another part of the cemetery we found the white flags of the League of the Righteous. Their leader is out fighting but his grave lays here dug up as a sign that he's not afraid of death.

What many militias do have in common though is Iranian backing. Iran is providing weapons, funding and has recently carried out airstrikes to support the militias.

The strong Iranian influence in Iraq is not new but just how visible it has become is quite staggering. 

Pictures of Iran's supreme leader - Ali Khamenei - are plastered all over the country. 

There is no doubt Iranian help is key to defeating IS but many have serious concerns over what this may mean for the future.

Mr Allawi says the posters of Khamenei send chills up his spine and there will be a high price to pay for Iranian involvement.

For him, the main threat to the country's stability is the militias.

He said: "As far as I'm concerned these clusters of militias, whether Sunni or Shia, are the main threat and indeed the governments and regional powers who support these groups are the biggest threat to to Iraq and to the future of Iraq." 

Mr Allawi also warned: "The failure of this country means the failure of the whole region. That's why it's very important to keep Iraq as a united, federal, democratic country and to get reconciliation on the ground and to build a viable state."

As the battle to free Iraq from IS continues, the larger war between those fighting on the ground - and their backers elsewhere - is becoming increasingly clear.

Iraq's future, and the stability of the region, hangs in the balance.


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Reports: US Troops Pulling Out Of Yemen

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 22 Maret 2015 | 10.52

By Sky News US Team

Some 100 US troops, including specials forces commandos, have begun pulling out of Yemen amid worsening security concerns, according to US media reports.

The troops are the last of the US forces deployed to Yemen to conduct operations against al Qaeda and allied groups.

Yemeni military and security officials told Associated Press the American troops evacuated al Annad air base near the southern city of al Houta, which was seized by al Qaeda militants on Friday.

CNN, citing sources in the region, also reported the withdrawal.

US officials have declined to comment.

The US has been waging a drone war against al Qaeda's branch in Yemen, which Washington considers to be the terror group's most dangerous offshoot.

The country has become increasingly unstable amid a power struggle between the Iranian-backed Shia rebels, known as Houthis, in the north and UN-recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Mr Hadi fled to the southern city of Aden in February after escaping house arrest in the capital Sanaa.

On Friday, suicide bombers killed at least 142 people in attacks on two Sanaa mosques frequented by Houthis.

A previously unknown Sanaa branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombings, but the US said it was too early to confirm whether IS was involved.

That same day, al Qaeda militants killed 20 Yemeni soldiers during a brief occupation of al Houta.

Mr Hadi on Saturday gave a defiant speech challenging the Houthis, who he accused of orchestrating "a coup against constitutional legitimacy".

"We shall deliver the country to safety and raise Yemen's flag on Mount Marran in Saadeh instead of the Iranian flag," the embattled president said in his first televised speech since fleeing the capital.

The Shia rebels responded by calling for an offensive against state bodies controlled by the country's embattled president.


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Tunis Museum Terror Attack: CCTV Of Gunmen

Footage showing a militant attack carried out by two gunmen on a museum in Tunisia has been released by the country's interior ministry.

It shows the armed men walking through the Bardo national museum in the capital Tunis before they opened fire on tourists. 

The government also released two still images of the men, named as Tunisians Yassine Laabidi and Hatem Khachnaoui.

It is claimed they had trained in camps in Libya, and the Tunisian government say they have arrested more than 20 suspected militants following the attack.

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid said Laabidi had been flagged to intelligence services, although not for "anything special".

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi admitted "failures" helped facilitate the deadly attack.

"There were failures" which meant that "the police and intelligence were not systematic enough to ensure the safety of the museum", he told the Paris Match magazine.

A senior Tunisian politician said the guards supposed to be protecting the museum and the nearby parliament were having coffee at the time of the assault.

"I found out there were only four policemen on security duty around the parliament (compound), two of whom were at the cafe. The third was having a snack and the fourth hadn't turned up," deputy speaker Abdelfattah Mourou said.

Islamic State later released an online audio recording in which it claimed responsibility for the shooting last Wednesday.

Witnesses said the gunmen opened fire on tourists arriving at the museum before chasing them inside.

The two attackers were among the 23 people left dead, which included tourists from Japan, Italy, Colombia, Australia, France and Poland.

A "much-loved" British mother-of-two was also among the victims.

Newly retired Sally Adey, 57, was on holiday with her husband Robert, who was unharmed in the attack.

The Adeys, both solicitors from Shropshire, had been on the cruise ship MSC Splendida, which docked at the port in Tunis early on Wednesday.


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At Least 142 Killed In Yemen Suicide Bombings

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 Maret 2015 | 10.52

At least 142 people have been killed and hundreds more injured after four suicide bombers attacked two mosques in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

The bombers struck during Friday prayers at mosques mainly used by supporters of the Shia Muslim Houthi group which recently seized control of the government.

The attackers detonated their explosive belts inside and outside the buildings.

One witness said: "A man with a crutch and his leg covered with plaster showing the Houthi sign on the crutch entered the inside of the mosque, then we heard the explosion."

A spokesman for the country's health ministry said at least 30 of those wounded in the attacks were in a critical condition in intensive care.

In an online statement, the previously unknown Sanaa branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombings and said they were "just the tip of the iceberg".

The US condemned the attacks, but said it was too early to confirm whether IS was involved.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there is not, as yet, a "clear operational" link between Yemeni extremists and IS fighters in Syria and Iraq.

"We express our condolences to the families of the victims, we deplore the brutality of the terrorists who perpetrated today's unprovoked attack on Yemeni citizens, who were peacefully engaged in Friday prayers," he said.

Yemen is divided by a power struggle between the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in the north and UN-recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who fled to the southern city of Aden in February after escaping house arrest in the capital.

He has established a rival seat in Aden with the backing of Sunni-led Gulf Arab states but twice in the last two days unidentified aircraft have attacked his presidential palace.

A government spokesman said the President was not in the palace at the time and is unharmed.


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Shia Volunteers Lead Fightback Against IS

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

Ansar Marjaiyeh, or Soldiers Of The Religious Leadership, is a group of Shia volunteers leading the fightback against Islamic State militants near Fallujah.

IS snipers are just 200m away, and they return fire hard and fast. The volunteers are slowly pushing the militants back, but holding the territory they retake is their main challenge.

Their weapons are not impressive, but their resolve is. Dozens of these fighters have been killed so far. This is just one of several open fronts with the Islamic State group in Iraq.

More than 20,000 Shia militiamen from different groups, many backed by Iran, are involved in the fight against IS. They make up what is known as the Popular Mobilisation Force. Around 5,000 Iraqi officers and soldiers are working with them.

The men proudly show off their weapons and what they have picked up during battle.

One militia leader showed us what he said was a receipt, bearing the stamp of the Islamic State group, invoicing the Syrian government for crude oil worth thousands of dollars. The receipt said the oil was to be transferred from Mosul to Syria.

We met up with hundreds of fighters on their way to the frontline in Tikrit - the birthplace of former president Saddam Hussein, which was taken over by IS last summer.

The military operation In Tikrit is in its third week, but the militias still only control parts of the city.

Hadi al Amiri heads up the Badr Brigade, one of Iraq's most effective fighting forces.

Seen by many as Iran's man on the ground, he told Sky News that dozens of Iranian advisors are helping take back territory from IS, and that Tikrit would be retaken within days.

But he insists co-ordination with local Sunni forces has been key, and is confident his men will soon take back Anbar before recapturing the country's second city, Mosul.

He said: "We were victorious in Diyala, and we're using the same strategy here, as a result of a high degree of co-ordination between the army, the popular mobilisation forces and the police."

In Diyala, though, Sunni families returning have found their homes burned and looted. Rights groups say dozens of villages were destroyed not just by IS, but also Shia militias carrying out revenge attacks.

We spoke to people in Diyala who told us they heard about those attacks from their neighbours and friends, but did not see anything themselves.

Militia leaders insist they have strict orders not to harm locals under their control, and near Tikrit, we found Shia fighters helping hundreds of families going home.

There are also some areas where the battle was too fierce, meaning there is nothing left to come back to. Islamic State flags still litter the walls along the streets as mangled metal and charred buildings replace what used to be a vibrant neighbourhood.

For now, the momentum is with the militias and the Iraqi army.

Tikrit will be a strategic and symbolic victory before the push northwards, but that will entail Shia militias controlling Sunni and mixed villages - putting Iraq's delicate sectarian balance to the ultimate test.


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Obama Backs Two-State Plan In Netanyahu Call

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 Maret 2015 | 10.52

By Sky News US Team

President Barack Obama has pointedly reaffirmed US support for a two-state solution in the Middle East, in a call to congratulate Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on his election win.

In pre-poll comments, Mr Netanyahu worsened already-sour relations with the White House by ruling out a Palestinian state and pledging to continue building settlements on occupied land.

The White House said that in Thursday's telephone call, the President backed a plan "that results in a secure Israel alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine".

The two leaders agreed to continue discussing the "difficult path forward" on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the White House said.

Mr Obama waited two days before making the normally routine congratulatory call, following a resounding win for Mr Netanyahu's Likud party in the general election. 

On Thursday, Mr Netanyahu denied having abandoned his commitment to the eventual creation of a Palestinian state.

"I haven't changed my policy ... calling for a demilitarised Palestinian state that recognises the Jewish state," he told MSNBC.

But the White House did not appear convinced.

Shortly after Mr Netanyahu's interview was broadcast, it warned of possible "consequences" for Israel.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest signalled the Obama administration may review its Middle East diplomatic strategy.

"He walked back from commitments that Israel had previously made to a two-state solution," Mr Earnest told reporters.

"It is cause for the United States to evaluate what our path is forward."

The creation of a Palestinian state has been the cornerstone of countless rounds of Middle East peace negotiations.

Mr Netanyahu also angered the White House with a pre-election warning to conservative supporters that left-wingers were transporting Israel's minority Arab voters on buses to the polls.

"It's a pretty cynical tactic and there's no doubt it's divisive," Mr Earnest said.

The White House spokesman reaffirmed US commitment to military and intelligence co-operation with Israel.

But he noted that US policy of shielding Israel from pressure at the United Nations depended on the two-state plan.


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Bodies Of Five Babies Discovered In House

The bodies of five dead babies have been found in a house in southwestern France, according to reports.

After finding the body of a newborn in a thermal bag on Thursday morning, officers "discovered four more bodies of babies during their search" at the house in Louchats, near Bordeaux.

Reports in French media have said the four remaining bodies were found in a freezer.

The father has been taken into custody while the mother is being treated in hospital.

The couple has two daughters aged 13 and 15.

The worst case of infanticide in recent French history dates back to 2010, when a mother admitted to killing eight of her babies, smothering them immediately after they were born.

More follows...


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