Syria......
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-iran-is-helping-al-qaeda-in-syria-2014-2
( So the Al Qaeda outfits armed and funded by GCC nations such as the Saudis and Qatar and previously aided by Turkey - now the story is Iran is assisting the same Al Qaeda forces fighting Assad ? Lol ..... So , is this the excuse for the collapse of the Al Qaeda option and explanation as to why Al Qaeda has fought other so called Rebel forces ? )
The U.S. Treasury Department has accused Tehran of allowing senior al Qaeda members in Iran to move Sunni fighters into Syria, Jay Soloman of The Wall Street Journal reports.
http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/197768-syria-has-become-matter-of-homeland-security?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2014/02/chechen_commander_for_al_nusra.php?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2014/02/suqour_al_sham_isis_agree_to_c.php
Afghanistan......
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/region/08-Feb-2014/us-senators-demand-say-in-afghanistan-deal
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-iran-is-helping-al-qaeda-in-syria-2014-2
( So the Al Qaeda outfits armed and funded by GCC nations such as the Saudis and Qatar and previously aided by Turkey - now the story is Iran is assisting the same Al Qaeda forces fighting Assad ? Lol ..... So , is this the excuse for the collapse of the Al Qaeda option and explanation as to why Al Qaeda has fought other so called Rebel forces ? )
US: Here's More Evidence That Iran Is Helping al Qaeda In Syria
REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
Earlier this month, U.S. officials told Al Jazeera that senior al Qaeda operative Yasin al Suri — who is suspected of moving money and operatives into Syria since 2011 — is now running operations from Iran with the tacit blessing of the government.
The latest charge by Obama administration provides further evidence that parts of the Islamic Republic's government or military have been at least indirectly enabling the rise of extremists in Syria while also serving as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's closest military and diplomatic ally.
Iran denies the allegations.
From WSJ:
The Treasury sanctioned a senior Uzbek member of al Qaeda, Jafar al-Uzbeki, for allegedly using Iran to move fighters into Syria. The U.S. said Mr. Jafar is part of an al Qaeda network operating from Iran that has also moved fighters into Pakistan and Afghanistan "and operates there with the knowledge of Iranian authorities."
The Treasury added that the network "also uses Iran as a transit point for moving funding and foreign fighters through Turkey to support al Qaeda-affiliated elements inside Syria," including the main al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.
Turkey has harbored al Qaeda financiers and allowed many extremists to pass from its territory into Syria over the course of the war.
Al Monitor reports that about a month ago, a high-ranking delegation from Iran visited met high-ranking Turkish officials, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara and "there was agreement on exchanging information and coordinating closely on the situation in Syria."
The Nusra Front and more recently Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) have been selling oil to the Assad regime. ISIS, the most extreme rebel faction in Syria, is dominated by foreigners. Activists claim that one ISIS leader who was captured in Aleppo held an Iranian passport.
http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/197768-syria-has-become-matter-of-homeland-security?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Syria has become 'matter of homeland security,' DHS Secretary Johnson says
Chechen commander for Al Nusrah Front reported killed in Aleppo
A Chechen commander known as Saifullah al Shishani is reported to have been killed during fighting in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Units from the Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, al Qaeda's official branch in Syria, and Ahrar al Sham, one of the larger units in the Islamic Front, are currently fighting Syrian forces in an effort to take control of a prison in Aleppo. The two jihadist groups teamed up in December in an effort to take the prison and an adjoining hospital.
Saifullah led the "Al-Khilafa army," or Army of the Caliphate, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It is likely that this is a reference to the Ansar al Khilafah, of Supporters of the Caliphate, an Al Nusrah Front unit that was formed in December 2012. [See LWJ report, Syrian jihadists form 'Supporters of the Khilafah' Brigade]. The Al Nusrah Front and Ansar al Khilafah seized a village near Aleppo in July 2013 and executed Syrian soldiers.
Saifullah was previously a commander in the Muhajireen Army, which is led by Chechen commander Abu Omar al Shishani (the Chechen) and who has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham. Last year, Saifullah and another Chechen commander split with Abu Omar and the ISIS.
"Saifullah al-Shishani defected with 400 of his men three months ago, followed by Sheikh Salah al-Shishani with 800 of his men," Al Akhbar reported in early January.
Al Qaeda General Command disowned the ISIS earlier this week. The denunciation took place after months of infighting between the ISIS on one side and the Al Nusrah Front and the Islamic Front on the other, as well as a very public leadership dispute between the leader of the ISIS and Al Nusrah. Al Qaeda attempted to mediate the dispute, and the ISIS's leader, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, rebuffed the efforts.
Pro-al Qaeda clerics are now calling on members of the ISIS to defect. While the move has weakened the ISIS in Syria, jihadists such as Saifullah who have been or currently are abandoning the group are largely flocking to the Al Nusrah Front.
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2014/02/suqour_al_sham_isis_agree_to_c.php
Suqour al Sham, ISIS agree to ceasefire
Suqour al Sham, one of six Islamist brigades that makes up the Islamic Front, has agreed to a ceasefire with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham. From the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights' Facebook page:
Key member of the Islamist Front signs truce with ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham]. SRF [Syrian Revolutionaries Front ] statement released today not acknowledging agreement.
The ISIS and the Suqour al-Sham islamist brigades, a main component in the Islamic Front, have signed a ceasefire yesterday. The agreement meant the immediate halt of clashes between the two militias and that neither side would support another armed group if they were clashing with them. If either side negates the agreement a joint shari'a court would be set to settle the dispute.It is important to note that clashes have taken place between the two groups, with a military commander of Suqour al-Sham, and head of one of its brigades, and 6 fighters from the brigade, were killed by an ISIS ambush in the Sha'er dessert, Hama province.On the 2nd of this month violent clashes took place between the two groups by the Sha'er oil fields, in the southwest of Hama province. The ISIS managed to besiege more than 500 fighters from Suqour al-Sham, with attempts by islamist and non-islamist rebels to break the siege.---The Syrian Revolutionaries Front issued a statement condemning the ceasefire of a prominent member of the IF with the ISIS. The statement called the ISIS a dark movement that enjoys spilling blood and has left Islam by the near unanimous fatwas, accusing it of several massacres against "Ahl al-Sunna" and even that it is working in collaboration with the regime. The Front stated that it will both battle the "Nusayri" (derogatory term for Alawi) regime and the ISIS.As for the ceasefire, the statement called it illegitimate because it stemmed from a siege. The Front called for an end to the bloodshed and the evacuation of the foreign ISIS fighters outside of Syria. They state that they are the true defenders of Islam and the revolution and called on other rebel organisations to establish a joint room of operations.
The Syrian Revolutionaries Front, an alliance of 14 rebel groups from the all but defunct Free Syrian Army, may protest the ceasefire with the ISIS, but Suqour al Sham is no longer a member of the FSA and does not recognize the Syrian National Council. Suqour al Sham joined the Islamic Front in December 2013.
The timing of the ceasefire is interesting given Al Qaeda General Command's denunciation of the ISIS earlier this week. The denunciation serves to further isolate the ISIS from the Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, as well as from allies in the Islamic Front. The ISIS has been clashing with the Islamic Front and other rebel units over the ISIS' heavy-handed treatment of competing groups.
| Renewed Syria Fighting Breaks Ceasefire in Homs |
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| Syria Says Four Red Crescent Aid Workers Wounded in Homs |
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| Aid Expected in Homs as First Civilians Evacuated From Syrian City |
Afghanistan......
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/region/08-Feb-2014/us-senators-demand-say-in-afghanistan-deal
US senators demand say in Afghanistan deal
WASHINGTON: A bipartisan group of senators demanding an end to US military involvement in Afghanistan urged President Barack Obama on Thursday to seek congressional approval if he wants to keep troops there beyond 2014.
The Obama administration is negotiating a bilateral security agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai that could keep troops in Afghanistan after the longest war in US history winds down at the end of this year, when the NATO mission ends.
“We are introducing a bipartisan resolution to say before any American soldier, sailor, airman or Marine is committed to stay in Afghanistan after 2014, Congress should vote,” Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley told reporters.
“Automatic renewal is fine for Netflix and gym memberships, but it isn’t the right approach when it comes to war.”
Conservative Senator Mike Lee and fellow Republican Senator Rand Paul have also signed on.
The resolution does not take sides on keeping troops in Afghanistan, nor does it prevent the US military from attacking al Qaeda or gathering intelligence there, Lee noted.
It simply states that “after more than a decade of war, Congress, and more importantly the American people, need to have a voice in this debate,” he said.
“The decision to sacrifice American blood and treasure in this conflict should not be made by the White House and the Pentagon alone.”
Congressional resolutions are not legally binding, but they can convey a sense of where lawmakers stand on an issue and put some pressure on the administration.
The Senate and House of Representatives both introduced similar measures last year, albeit in amendment form, but neither passed the full Congress.
The Afghanistan war, which began shortly after the 9/11 attacks of 2001, has cost more than 2,300 American lives and $600 billion, the resolution states, adding it is time for Afghans to take responsibility for governing themselves.
“This resolution basically says it all: rebuild America, not Afghanistan,” said Senator Joe Manchin, a Democratic co-sponsor who said Karzai was no Washington ally.
The Obama administration is negotiating a bilateral security agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai that could keep troops in Afghanistan after the longest war in US history winds down at the end of this year, when the NATO mission ends.
“We are introducing a bipartisan resolution to say before any American soldier, sailor, airman or Marine is committed to stay in Afghanistan after 2014, Congress should vote,” Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley told reporters.
“Automatic renewal is fine for Netflix and gym memberships, but it isn’t the right approach when it comes to war.”
Conservative Senator Mike Lee and fellow Republican Senator Rand Paul have also signed on.
The resolution does not take sides on keeping troops in Afghanistan, nor does it prevent the US military from attacking al Qaeda or gathering intelligence there, Lee noted.
It simply states that “after more than a decade of war, Congress, and more importantly the American people, need to have a voice in this debate,” he said.
“The decision to sacrifice American blood and treasure in this conflict should not be made by the White House and the Pentagon alone.”
Congressional resolutions are not legally binding, but they can convey a sense of where lawmakers stand on an issue and put some pressure on the administration.
The Senate and House of Representatives both introduced similar measures last year, albeit in amendment form, but neither passed the full Congress.
The Afghanistan war, which began shortly after the 9/11 attacks of 2001, has cost more than 2,300 American lives and $600 billion, the resolution states, adding it is time for Afghans to take responsibility for governing themselves.
“This resolution basically says it all: rebuild America, not Afghanistan,” said Senator Joe Manchin, a Democratic co-sponsor who said Karzai was no Washington ally.
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Iraq.......
Fresh Clashes, Bombings Kill 36, Wound 69 Across Iraq
by Margaret Griffis, February 08, 2014
At least 36 people were killed and 69 more were wounded in fresh attacks. Among the casualties were soldiers wounded in clashes with militants outside of Anbar province.
Anbar‘s governor, Ahmed al-Dulaimi, offered amnesty to any anti-government fighters who lay down their arms in the next week. He promised that the government would not negotiate with the ISIS/DAASH organization attempting the takeover of the province. Nine gunmen were killed in clashes and air strikes at the outskirts ofFalluja.
Clashes with ISIS/DAASH militants in Jurf al-Sakhar left 31 soldiers with injuries. Jurf al-Sakhar is south of Baghdad in Babil province, not Anbar. Gunmen also killed an army captain in a separate attack. A roadside bomb wounded five soldiers.
In Shirqat, gunmen killed three policemen. A decapitated body was found. At leastfour other beheading victims were discovered. A policeman was killed during a home invasion. Two gunmen were killed in a clash that also wounded a policeman.
A bomb in Tuz Khormato left four dead and seven wounded.
In Mosul, gunmen killed a soldier. Two policemen were wounded as they killed asuicide bomber. A suicide bomber targeting a lieutenant colonel killed two bodyguards and wounded two more. An I.E.D. killed a soldier and wounded a civilian.
A bomb in Tarmiya killed one policeman and wounded four more.
Gunmen killed a civilian and wounded another in Muqdadiya.
An old landmine near a former army base in Kirkuk wounded three civilians.
A bomb in Baquba wounded three people.
Gunmen wounded two policemen in Shura.
In Abu Garma, mortar fire wounded a policeman.
Security forces killed three gunmen in Baghdad.
At least 32 people were killed and 70 more were wounded in the latest violence. A number of the casualties occurred in Anbar, but the worst single attack took place in Tuz Khormato. Also, a man running for a post in Baghdad was assassinated.
Scores of air strikes occurred in Anbar province, while an army base in Ramadi was attacked with mortars. In Ramadi, army forces killed four suicide bombers. Five people were killed and 29 more were wounded during shelling in Falluja. It is unclear who was behind the shelling. In Garma, clashes left six gunmen dead and four Sahwa members wounded. Casualty figures from Anbar are not independently confimable.
A bomb in Tuz Khormato left five dead and at least 27 wounded.
In Mosul, gunmen killed two sheikhs. The police chief’s brother was killed in a roadside bombing. Two gunmen were killed in Mosul.
A bomb targeting an army commander in Baiji killed three bodyguards and wounded three bystanders.
Two people were killed and seven more were wounded in a bombing in Sadr City.
In Baghdad, gunmen assassinated an election candidate allied with Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Army forces raided two mosques.
Gunmen killed a civilian near Muqdadiya.
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