The danger of attacks in Germany remains high, an interior ministry spokesman said today after a spate of four attacks over the last week that have left 10 people dead and 34 injured. 
 
&quot;The danger of attack has been high for a long time and remains high,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Tobias Plate told a regular government news conference. 
 
Meanwhile, a local newspaper has reported today that Germany&#39;s federal criminal police have 410 leads on possible terrorists among refugees there. The Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung newspaper said so, compared with 369 leads in mid-May since the beginning of the migrant crisis last year. 
 
Investigations have been launched in 60 cases, the newspaper said. It cited federal BKA police as saying they did not currently have any concrete indications of attack plans. 
 
&quot;In view of continuing migration to Germany we must assume that there could be active and former members, supporters and sympathisers of terrorist organisations or Islamist-motivated war criminals among the refugees,&quot; the newspaper quoted federal police as saying. 
 
(Reuters)

A local newspaper has reported today that Germany's federal criminal police have 410 leads on possible terrorists among refugees there

The danger of attacks in Germany remains high, an interior ministry spokesman said today after a spate of four attacks over the last week that have left 10 people dead and 34 injured. "The danger of attack has been high for a long time and remains high," interior ministry spokesman Tobias Plate told a regular government news conference. Meanwhile, a local newspaper has reported today that Germany's federal criminal police have 410 leads on possible terrorists among refugees there. The Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung newspaper said so, compared with 369 leads in mid-May since the beginning of the migrant crisis last year. Investigations have been launched in 60 cases, the newspaper said. It cited federal BKA police as saying they did not currently have any concrete indications of attack plans. "In view of continuing migration to Germany we must assume that there could be active and former members, supporters and sympathisers of terrorist organisations or Islamist-motivated war criminals among the refugees," the newspaper quoted federal police as saying. (Reuters)

Danger of attack in Germany remains high, says interior ministry

The danger of attacks in Germany remains high, an interior ministry spokesman said today after a spate of four attacks over the last week that have left 10 people dead and 34 injured. 
 
&quot;The danger of attack has been high for a long time and remains high,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Tobias Plate told a regular government news conference. 
 
Germany&#39;s federal criminal police have 410 leads on possible terrorists among refugees there, a local newspaper reported today. The Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung newspaper said so, compared with 369 leads in mid-May since the beginning of the migrant crisis last year. 
 
Investigations have been launched in 60 cases, the newspaper said. It cited federal BKA police as saying they did not currently have any concrete indications of attack plans. 
 
&quot;In view of continuing migration to Germany, we must assume that there could be active and former members, supporters and sympathisers of terrorist organisations or Islamist-motivated war criminals among the refugees,&quot; the newspaper quoted federal police as saying. 
 
(Reuters)

The danger of attacks in Germany remains high, an interior ministry spokesman said today after a spate of four attacks over the last week that have left 10 people dead and 34 injured. "The danger of attack has been high for a long time and remains high," interior ministry spokesman Tobias Plate told a regular government news conference. Germany's federal criminal police have 410 leads on possible terrorists among refugees there, a local newspaper reported today. The Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung newspaper said so, compared with 369 leads in mid-May since the beginning of the migrant crisis last year. Investigations have been launched in 60 cases, the newspaper said. It cited federal BKA police as saying they did not currently have any concrete indications of attack plans. "In view of continuing migration to Germany, we must assume that there could be active and former members, supporters and sympathisers of terrorist organisations or Islamist-motivated war criminals among the refugees," the newspaper quoted federal police as saying. (Reuters)

Danger of attack in Germany remains high: Interior ministry

Increasingly frequent terrorist attacks are becoming a growing threat to the global economy, finance chiefs from the world&#39;s leading economies said today. 
 
Earlier this month, 84 people were killed in Nice when a Tunisian truck driver - suspected to be inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group - ploughed a 19-tonne vehicle through a holiday crowd. That followed Paris attacks last year which left 130 dead. 
 
Kabul mourned today after its deadliest attack for 15 years killed 80 people and left hundreds maimed the previous day, reigniting concern that Islamic State was seeking to expand its foothold in Afghanistan. 
 
Last week a German-Iranian gunman - believed not to be connected to the Islamic State group but&nbsp;&quot;obsessed&quot; with mass killers - shot dead nine people in the German city of Munich before killing himself. 
 
&quot;We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the recent terrorist attacks,&quot; G20 finance chiefs said in a communique after meeting in the Chinese city of Chengdu, adding that terrorism was one of the issues that &quot;complicate&quot; the economic environment. 
 
France&#39;s finance minister Michel Sapin said the concept of terrorism as an economic risk itself was new, but its inclusion in economic analyses was now &quot;normal&quot;. 
 
&quot;The world has already experienced terrorist attacks, the world experiences regional destabilisations,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
&quot;But today the frequency of attacks creates a new situation of uncertainty, which is at least as damaging as regional destabilisations or a regional conflict.&nbsp;That can have economic consequences that are just as important,&quot; he said. 
 
The G20 has long promoted efforts to combat financing of terrorist activities, particularly the work of the Financial Action Task Force. US treasury secretary Jacob Lew told reporters the meeting &quot;reaffirmed our solidarity and resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and wherever it occurs, and strengthening our efforts to prevent financing of terrorism&quot;. 
 
Sapin pointed out that funding for what he called &quot;low-cost terrorism&quot;, carried out domestically using methods that cost attackers relatively little, must also be addressed. 
 
In a report ahead of the G20 meeting, IMF staff cited terrorism as an &quot;ongoing concern&quot;, among others including geopolitical tensions, climate-related factors and diseases. 
 
(AFP)

The frequency of attacks has created a situation of uncertainty which is as damaging as regional conflicts, France's finance minister said

Increasingly frequent terrorist attacks are becoming a growing threat to the global economy, finance chiefs from the world's leading economies said today. Earlier this month, 84 people were killed in Nice when a Tunisian truck driver - suspected to be inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group - ploughed a 19-tonne vehicle through a holiday crowd. That followed Paris attacks last year which left 130 dead. Kabul mourned today after its deadliest attack for 15 years killed 80 people and left hundreds maimed the previous day, reigniting concern that Islamic State was seeking to expand its foothold in Afghanistan. Last week a German-Iranian gunman - believed not to be connected to the Islamic State group but "obsessed" with mass killers - shot dead nine people in the German city of Munich before killing himself. "We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the recent terrorist attacks," G20 finance chiefs said in a communique after meeting in the Chinese city of Chengdu, adding that terrorism was one of the issues that "complicate" the economic environment. France's finance minister Michel Sapin said the concept of terrorism as an economic risk itself was new, but its inclusion in economic analyses was now "normal". "The world has already experienced terrorist attacks, the world experiences regional destabilisations," he told AFP. "But today the frequency of attacks creates a new situation of uncertainty, which is at least as damaging as regional destabilisations or a regional conflict. That can have economic consequences that are just as important," he said. The G20 has long promoted efforts to combat financing of terrorist activities, particularly the work of the Financial Action Task Force. US treasury secretary Jacob Lew told reporters the meeting "reaffirmed our solidarity and resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and wherever it occurs, and strengthening our efforts to prevent financing of terrorism". Sapin pointed out that funding for what he called "low-cost terrorism", carried out domestically using methods that cost attackers relatively little, must also be addressed. In a report ahead of the G20 meeting, IMF staff cited terrorism as an "ongoing concern", among others including geopolitical tensions, climate-related factors and diseases. (AFP)

Frequent terror attacks growing threat to global economy, say G20 ministers

A video circulated on social media on Tuesday shows rebel fighters beheading a boy after capturing him, at north of Syria&#39;s second city Aleppo, a monitor said. 
 
The video shows the boy laying in the back of a truck when a fighter begins to cut off his head with a small knife. 
 
One fighter shouts &quot;we will leave no one in Handarat&quot;, which is north of Aleppo city where there has been fighting between rebels and regime forces. 
 
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the video depicts rebel fighters. 
 
In an earlier clip, the boy was sitting in the back of the truck with fighters around him accusing him with being a member of Al Quds brigade, a Palestinian group fighting with the regime forces. 
 
Earlier in July, Amnesty International issued a report saying that Islamist rebels and jihadists in Syria are guilty of war crimes, accusing them of &quot;a chilling wave of abductions, torture and summary killings&quot;. 
 
The London-based rights group named five Syrian anti-regime factions operating in northern Syria among them Nureddin Zinki. 
 
Activists accused Nurredin Zinki group of carrying out the killing, but the group issued a statement condemning a &quot;violation&quot; that was &quot;an individual mistake, that does not represent the general policy of the group&quot;. 
 
According to Rami Abdel Rahman, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief, &quot;the boy is no more than 13 years old, he was captured on Tuesday in Handarat area, but the incident took place in a rebel held area in Aleppo city, Al Mashhad neighbourhood to be exact.&quot; 
 
He could not confirm if the boy was a Palestinian or a child soldier, though he said Al Quds brigade denied that he was one of its fighters. 
 
Nureddin Zinki added that &quot;the persons who carried out this violation were arrested and handed over&quot; to a judicial committee for investigation. 
 
Syria&#39;s conflict began in 2011 with the repression of anti-government demonstrations and has evolved into a multi-front war that has left more than 280,000 dead and forced millions from their homes. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The clip showed the boy, no more than 13 years old, laying in a truck and a fighter using a small knife to hack his throat

A video circulated on social media on Tuesday shows rebel fighters beheading a boy after capturing him, at north of Syria's second city Aleppo, a monitor said. The video shows the boy laying in the back of a truck when a fighter begins to cut off his head with a small knife. One fighter shouts "we will leave no one in Handarat", which is north of Aleppo city where there has been fighting between rebels and regime forces. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the video depicts rebel fighters. In an earlier clip, the boy was sitting in the back of the truck with fighters around him accusing him with being a member of Al Quds brigade, a Palestinian group fighting with the regime forces. Earlier in July, Amnesty International issued a report saying that Islamist rebels and jihadists in Syria are guilty of war crimes, accusing them of "a chilling wave of abductions, torture and summary killings". The London-based rights group named five Syrian anti-regime factions operating in northern Syria among them Nureddin Zinki. Activists accused Nurredin Zinki group of carrying out the killing, but the group issued a statement condemning a "violation" that was "an individual mistake, that does not represent the general policy of the group". According to Rami Abdel Rahman, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief, "the boy is no more than 13 years old, he was captured on Tuesday in Handarat area, but the incident took place in a rebel held area in Aleppo city, Al Mashhad neighbourhood to be exact." He could not confirm if the boy was a Palestinian or a child soldier, though he said Al Quds brigade denied that he was one of its fighters. Nureddin Zinki added that "the persons who carried out this violation were arrested and handed over" to a judicial committee for investigation. Syria's conflict began in 2011 with the repression of anti-government demonstrations and has evolved into a multi-front war that has left more than 280,000 dead and forced millions from their homes. (AFP)

Video showing Syrian rebels beheading boy goes viral

Europe is at major risk of &quot;lone wolf&quot; terror attacks, its policing agency said today, with the latest incidents showing &quot;how difficult it is to detect and disrupt suspects&quot;. 
 
Recent incidents including Monday&#39;s attack on a German train and last week&#39;s carnage in Nice which left 84 people dead &quot;remain a favoured tactic by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda,&quot; Europol said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Both groups have repeatedly called on Muslims living in western countries to perpetrate lone actor attacks in their countries of residence,&quot; it said. 
 
In the latest incident, the Islamic State group on Tuesday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train at Wuerzburg in southern Germany, injuring five people, two critically. 
 
&quot;Although IS has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, none seem to have been planned, logistically supported or executed directly by IS,&quot; Europol said, 
 
Despite the attackers&#39; pledges of allegiance to the IS group, &quot;their actual involvement cannot be established,&quot; Europol said. 
 
The Hague-based policing organisation also released its 2015 &quot;EU Terrorism and Trend Report&quot; saying 151 people died and more than 350 others were injured in terror attacks last year in the 28-member bloc. 
 
The 55-page report only looked at 2015 and did not take into account the Nice attack or the attacks on the Brussels airport and metro stations in March in which 32 people died. 
 
&quot;In 2015 the EU (European Union) experienced a massive number of casualties caused by terrorist attacks,&quot; Europol chief Rob Wainwright said. 
 
&quot;The carefully planned attacks demonstrate the elevated threat to the EU from a fanatical minority based in the Middle East, combined with a network of people born and raised in the EU,&quot; he said. 
 
These people are &quot;often radicalised within a short space of time, (and) proven willing to act as facilitators and active accomplices in terrorism,&quot; Wainwright said. 
 
A significant number of all foreign terrorist travellers in Syria and Iraq are now female, the report said, and women have also &quot;proven to be very successful in facilitating and recruiting while still in the EU&quot;. 
 
These women are trained in the use of weapons though are probably not currently taking part in active combat, Europol added. 
 
&quot;Their roles may change in the future, which may have an effect on the nature and impact&quot; of Islamic State group operations in Europe, the policing agency warned. 
 
Last year, 687 suspects were arrested, of whom 198 were convicted of jihadist activities. 
 
Europol warned: &quot;It is a highly challenging task for the security services and law enforcement to prevent every terrorist attack by keeping track of the ever-increasing numbers of people suspected of being, in one way, or another sympathetic to IS ideology.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The Islamic State group yesterday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train

Europe is at major risk of "lone wolf" terror attacks, its policing agency said today, with the latest incidents showing "how difficult it is to detect and disrupt suspects". Recent incidents including Monday's attack on a German train and last week's carnage in Nice which left 84 people dead "remain a favoured tactic by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda," Europol said in a statement. "Both groups have repeatedly called on Muslims living in western countries to perpetrate lone actor attacks in their countries of residence," it said. In the latest incident, the Islamic State group on Tuesday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train at Wuerzburg in southern Germany, injuring five people, two critically. "Although IS has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, none seem to have been planned, logistically supported or executed directly by IS," Europol said, Despite the attackers' pledges of allegiance to the IS group, "their actual involvement cannot be established," Europol said. The Hague-based policing organisation also released its 2015 "EU Terrorism and Trend Report" saying 151 people died and more than 350 others were injured in terror attacks last year in the 28-member bloc. The 55-page report only looked at 2015 and did not take into account the Nice attack or the attacks on the Brussels airport and metro stations in March in which 32 people died. "In 2015 the EU (European Union) experienced a massive number of casualties caused by terrorist attacks," Europol chief Rob Wainwright said. "The carefully planned attacks demonstrate the elevated threat to the EU from a fanatical minority based in the Middle East, combined with a network of people born and raised in the EU," he said. These people are "often radicalised within a short space of time, (and) proven willing to act as facilitators and active accomplices in terrorism," Wainwright said. A significant number of all foreign terrorist travellers in Syria and Iraq are now female, the report said, and women have also "proven to be very successful in facilitating and recruiting while still in the EU". These women are trained in the use of weapons though are probably not currently taking part in active combat, Europol added. "Their roles may change in the future, which may have an effect on the nature and impact" of Islamic State group operations in Europe, the policing agency warned. Last year, 687 suspects were arrested, of whom 198 were convicted of jihadist activities. Europol warned: "It is a highly challenging task for the security services and law enforcement to prevent every terrorist attack by keeping track of the ever-increasing numbers of people suspected of being, in one way, or another sympathetic to IS ideology." (AFP)

Europol warns it is difficult to predict lone wolf attacks

&nbsp;A Kosovo court sent five people to prison for terms ranging from four to 13 years on terrorism charges for planning to pledge loyalty to the Islamic State and post a video of the event on the internet. 
 
&quot;Their aim was to read the oath of the terrorist organisation Islamic State and publish it on the internet to show the presence of IS in Kosovo,&quot; a judge said while reading the verdict in a Pristina court. 
 
He said an automatic rifle, masks, gloves and an IS flag were found when police arrested the defendants by an artificial lake near the capital last year. 
 
The defendants were initially suspected of contaminating the water in Lake Badovc, which supplies half of Pristina with drinking water, but those charges were dropped after authorities found the water was clean. 
 
Police say around 300 Kosovars have joined Islamic State and more than 50 have been killed. More than 100 people in Kosovo have been arrested or are under investigation for recruiting for Islamic State or fighting in Syria and Iraq.&nbsp;Authorities say that so far this year no one has gone to join Islamic State in Syria or Iraq. 
 
(Reuters)

Automatic rifle, masks, gloves and an IS flag were found when police arrested the defendants by an artificial lake near Pristina in 2015

A Kosovo court sent five people to prison for terms ranging from four to 13 years on terrorism charges for planning to pledge loyalty to the Islamic State and post a video of the event on the internet. "Their aim was to read the oath of the terrorist organisation Islamic State and publish it on the internet to show the presence of IS in Kosovo," a judge said while reading the verdict in a Pristina court. He said an automatic rifle, masks, gloves and an IS flag were found when police arrested the defendants by an artificial lake near the capital last year. The defendants were initially suspected of contaminating the water in Lake Badovc, which supplies half of Pristina with drinking water, but those charges were dropped after authorities found the water was clean. Police say around 300 Kosovars have joined Islamic State and more than 50 have been killed. More than 100 people in Kosovo have been arrested or are under investigation for recruiting for Islamic State or fighting in Syria and Iraq. Authorities say that so far this year no one has gone to join Islamic State in Syria or Iraq. (Reuters)

Kosovo arrests five for planning to pledge loyalty to IS

The former head of Afghanistan&#39;s main intelligence agency released documents on Thursday which he said showed that Pakistani intelligence services helped leaders of the Taliban and the feared Haqqani network in 2014 and 2015. 
 
Rahmatullah Nabil stepped down from the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in December last year after opposing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s efforts to improve relations with Pakistan and include Islamabad in peace talks with the Taliban. 
 
Nabil told a group of journalists in Kabul that he had released the documents to provide concrete evidence of Pakistan&#39;s collusion with the Taliban and the associated Haqqani group, which has been blamed for a series of kidnappings and high profile suicide bombings in the capital. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s foreign office and the army&#39;s media wing did not respond to several written and telephoned requests for comment in which Reuters outlined the accusations levelled against Pakistan. 
 
Neither the NDS nor the Afghan government was available for immediate comment on the letters. 
 
The Afghan Taliban insurgency has in the past said it is fighting against the government and Western allies with the support of the Afghan people, and has no need of outside help. 
 
Nabil did not say how the letters had been obtained. Reuters could not independently verify their authenticity. 
 
Since retiring from the intelligence service, Nabil has been strongly critical of Pakistan, which is routinely accused by Afghanistan of sponsoring the Afghan Taliban, a charge it has consistently denied. 
 
&quot;For the past 14 years, no one has disclosed documents of this kind. Here, I&#39;m proving it,&quot; he told reporters, to whom he released the letters. &quot;They kill us every day and commit all kinds of atrocities, we have to show them.&quot; 
 
One letter, addressed from a section of Pakistan&#39;s military intelligence service in the northwestern city of Peshawar, is headed &#39;Arrangements of Secure Houses and Protection to Afghan Taliban and Their Leadership&#39;. 
 
In the letter, dated August 2014, an official arranges for safe houses and vehicles to be provided for Afghan Taliban commanders forced out of a remote area of northern Pakistan while an army operation is conducted. 
 
Another letter, dated March 2015, requests an update on Haqqani network personnel in Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi, in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 
 
A third letter addressed from the Directorate General Military Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, dated July 2014, is headed &#39;Kabul Airport Attacks and Release of Payments&#39;. 
 
The letter says four members of the Haqqani network are to be paid 2.5 million Pakistani Rupees ($24,000) each for the &quot;successful and comprehensive execution of assault on KB AP&quot;. 
 
Victim of terrorism 
 
Authorities in Islamabad have long rejected accusations that Pakistan has provided support and sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban and its leaders, saying it has for years itself been a victim of terrorism, much of it from groups based in Afghanistan. 
 
The release of the documents comes amid worsening tensions between the neighbouring countries in recent weeks, with days of clashes last month during which troops on the border exchanged artillery fire. 
 
It also came days after Pakistan faced heavy criticism in a Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington. 
 
Afghan President Ghani sharply criticised Pakistan during a visit to a NATO summit in Warsaw last week, and has accused it of conducting an &quot;undeclared war&quot; against Afghanistan. 
 
In response, Islamabad said that Afghanistan was playing a &quot;blame game&quot; instead of cooperating effectively to stop terrorism. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s critics say that it supports Islamist militants in Afghanistan to maintain influence and counter attempts by arch-rival India to gain a foothold, effectively surrounding it. 
 
($1 = 104.7900 Pakistani Rupees) 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Rahmatullah Nabil resigned from the security agency in December after opposing the Afghan President's efforts to improve ties with Pakistan

The former head of Afghanistan's main intelligence agency released documents on Thursday which he said showed that Pakistani intelligence services helped leaders of the Taliban and the feared Haqqani network in 2014 and 2015. Rahmatullah Nabil stepped down from the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in December last year after opposing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's efforts to improve relations with Pakistan and include Islamabad in peace talks with the Taliban. Nabil told a group of journalists in Kabul that he had released the documents to provide concrete evidence of Pakistan's collusion with the Taliban and the associated Haqqani group, which has been blamed for a series of kidnappings and high profile suicide bombings in the capital. Pakistan's foreign office and the army's media wing did not respond to several written and telephoned requests for comment in which Reuters outlined the accusations levelled against Pakistan. Neither the NDS nor the Afghan government was available for immediate comment on the letters. The Afghan Taliban insurgency has in the past said it is fighting against the government and Western allies with the support of the Afghan people, and has no need of outside help. Nabil did not say how the letters had been obtained. Reuters could not independently verify their authenticity. Since retiring from the intelligence service, Nabil has been strongly critical of Pakistan, which is routinely accused by Afghanistan of sponsoring the Afghan Taliban, a charge it has consistently denied. "For the past 14 years, no one has disclosed documents of this kind. Here, I'm proving it," he told reporters, to whom he released the letters. "They kill us every day and commit all kinds of atrocities, we have to show them." One letter, addressed from a section of Pakistan's military intelligence service in the northwestern city of Peshawar, is headed 'Arrangements of Secure Houses and Protection to Afghan Taliban and Their Leadership'. In the letter, dated August 2014, an official arranges for safe houses and vehicles to be provided for Afghan Taliban commanders forced out of a remote area of northern Pakistan while an army operation is conducted. Another letter, dated March 2015, requests an update on Haqqani network personnel in Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi, in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A third letter addressed from the Directorate General Military Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, dated July 2014, is headed 'Kabul Airport Attacks and Release of Payments'. The letter says four members of the Haqqani network are to be paid 2.5 million Pakistani Rupees ($24,000) each for the "successful and comprehensive execution of assault on KB AP". Victim of terrorism Authorities in Islamabad have long rejected accusations that Pakistan has provided support and sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban and its leaders, saying it has for years itself been a victim of terrorism, much of it from groups based in Afghanistan. The release of the documents comes amid worsening tensions between the neighbouring countries in recent weeks, with days of clashes last month during which troops on the border exchanged artillery fire. It also came days after Pakistan faced heavy criticism in a Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington. Afghan President Ghani sharply criticised Pakistan during a visit to a NATO summit in Warsaw last week, and has accused it of conducting an "undeclared war" against Afghanistan. In response, Islamabad said that Afghanistan was playing a "blame game" instead of cooperating effectively to stop terrorism. Pakistan's critics say that it supports Islamist militants in Afghanistan to maintain influence and counter attempts by arch-rival India to gain a foothold, effectively surrounding it. ($1 = 104.7900 Pakistani Rupees) (Reuters)

Former Afghan spy chief says letters show Pakistan supports militants

It was early afternoon when we made a quiet exit from our hotel in Islamabad from the back door. 
 
We had an interview lined by with head of a Kashmiri terrorist group, Abdullah, whose real name is Ghulam Rasool. He had killed over a 100 people and was held in jail in Kashmir. But then he became unwell and was admitted in hospital from where he escaped. 
 
It was almost lunch time and we saw him finish his prayer. In the meanwhile, our equipment was checked and we were frisked into this small home in a poor neighbourhood. Lunch was served, a full chicken in each plate. I asked him what his ultimate goal was. When will he stop? He said that the day the whole world turned Islamic he would. I knew Ghulam Rasool was going to be doing what he is doing for the rest of his life, killing more people in what he believed was his work for his God. 
 
Impact of terrorism 
 
The sharp rise in terrorism around the globe has put the countries on edge, and it seems the more the governments are doing to tackle the menace the more the terrorists are getting bolder. Terrorism continues to remain unbeatable, at least for now. 
 
Terror claimed more than 32,600 lives in 2014, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2015. The index compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think tank, also showed a staggering 80 per cent increase in deaths caused by terrorism over the previous year. In the past one year, there have been 1,195 terrorist attacks across the globe, with Bangladesh cafe violence being the most recent one. From Pakistan to Nigeria, seven countries are locked in dangerous conflicts or full&shy;scale wars involving terrorism. 
 
What drives people to terror? 
 
Terrorist organisations may receive massive fundings from vested interests but it is surprising how they are able to deploy human resources at such sustainable levels. A few reasons can be found in the social, economic and political factors. A country has been at war for so long that the people there know nothing but only war as a way of life. 
 
Some terrorists come from poor economic backgrounds or in certain cases the would&shy; be terrorists are subjected to class differences or social discrimination leading them to join extremist organisations. The poor and illiterate, it is said, are easy to radicalise. 
 
However, in the case of the Dhaka cafe attack, there were terrorists from affluent backgrounds with good education who had joined hands with terror organisations such as the ISIS. Closer home, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Muzaffar Wani, who was killed by security forces in Kashmir on Friday, belonged to a relatively well&shy;-off family. His father is a retired school principal, and Wani himself was a good student who secured 90 per cent in his class X examination in 2010. 
 
Effects of radicalisation 
 
The impact of radicalisation is so deep that it sometimes blurs blood ties. Twin brothers in Saudi Arabia recently killed their mother after she tried to stop them from joining Islamic State in Syria. The twins were arrested trying to flee across the border to Yemen. 
 
Is education a factor? 
 
Many people around the world have been surprised by the trend of educated people getting into terrorism. The question is what drives such educated individuals to extremist organisations? Is their religion playing a role in all this? Education, per se, has nothing to do with it. There is nothing to get surprised by the fact that most of the attackers in Bangladesh massacre were educated men. In the Nazi Germany, the perpetrators of holocaust were decently educated. In India also, there is the Godmen culture, especially among the Hindus. A large chunk of the so &shy;called godmen&rsquo;s followers often comes from the upper middle class and educated families. They have complete faith in the godmen they follow. So much so that the followers of one of the godmen have preserved his body with the belief that one day he would come alive. 
 
A psychologist&rsquo;s perspective 
 
Psychologist Dr Harish Shetty says: &ldquo;Man&rsquo;s search for meaning has been a perennial quest since mankind evolved. Many found meaning in harakiri, martyrdom and other culturally sanctioned &lsquo;suicide homicide&rsquo; complex during the last few centuries. The terminologies change depending from which side one views the act. Freedom fighters or terrorists are the descriptive denominators. 
 
In an era where peace and technology have overwhelmed religious doctrines, certain sections feel threatened and are rebelling against this sweeping change in the garb of religion.&rdquo; Globalisation, Dr Shetty says, is viewed as a religious doctrine or an ideology that undermines the control of powerful religious heads. &ldquo;A small section of people falls prey to this indoctrination and finds a new meaning in life. Freedom fighters kill the oppressor and the so&shy;called terrorists today suffer from the same core belief &mdash; kill the perceived enemy or those who are the extensions. 
 
So hit out at those who are enemies and die for the cause. Martyrdom is not new and death in war is the new intoxication, going down fighting is a new high by the dominant ideologies.&rdquo; &ldquo;Dying for such a cause may be viewed with disgust in the dominant ideologies. Meaning in life is a psychosocial pursuit and an altruistic desire...as Freud described...such killings may suffer from similar intrinsic psychosocial needs,&rdquo; Dr Shetty adds. 
 
Government&rsquo;s role 
 
Maybe the governments should spend more in researching and understanding the factors that attract the common citizens towards terrorism. They should take steps to reduce the number of people being influenced by extremist thoughts. Use of force or fighting a war, for that matter, may be required to ensure a nation&rsquo;s security but it is also important to find ways to stop people from going astray. 
 
Terrorists are just terrorists 
 
Religion may not be the reason but could merely be an effective tool to turn individuals into terrorists. On another trip to Lahore, I met Syed Salahuddin, the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Kashmiri&shy; led terrorism outfit. He said he had become a terrorist after his family was killed after he challenged a political party in elections and the police did not protect him and his family. 
 
Religion seems to be a common thread in many of the global wars today but we need to go past the usual paradigm and see how some individuals may be using Islam to kill people. For us, terrorists are just terrorists. And they have to be stopped. 
&nbsp;

Combating terror : Countries need to identify factors behind terrorism to take on the scourge effectively

It was early afternoon when we made a quiet exit from our hotel in Islamabad from the back door. We had an interview lined by with head of a Kashmiri terrorist group, Abdullah, whose real name is Ghulam Rasool. He had killed over a 100 people and was held in jail in Kashmir. But then he became unwell and was admitted in hospital from where he escaped. It was almost lunch time and we saw him finish his prayer. In the meanwhile, our equipment was checked and we were frisked into this small home in a poor neighbourhood. Lunch was served, a full chicken in each plate. I asked him what his ultimate goal was. When will he stop? He said that the day the whole world turned Islamic he would. I knew Ghulam Rasool was going to be doing what he is doing for the rest of his life, killing more people in what he believed was his work for his God. Impact of terrorism The sharp rise in terrorism around the globe has put the countries on edge, and it seems the more the governments are doing to tackle the menace the more the terrorists are getting bolder. Terrorism continues to remain unbeatable, at least for now. Terror claimed more than 32,600 lives in 2014, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2015. The index compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think tank, also showed a staggering 80 per cent increase in deaths caused by terrorism over the previous year. In the past one year, there have been 1,195 terrorist attacks across the globe, with Bangladesh cafe violence being the most recent one. From Pakistan to Nigeria, seven countries are locked in dangerous conflicts or fullscale wars involving terrorism. What drives people to terror? Terrorist organisations may receive massive fundings from vested interests but it is surprising how they are able to deploy human resources at such sustainable levels. A few reasons can be found in the social, economic and political factors. A country has been at war for so long that the people there know nothing but only war as a way of life. Some terrorists come from poor economic backgrounds or in certain cases the would be terrorists are subjected to class differences or social discrimination leading them to join extremist organisations. The poor and illiterate, it is said, are easy to radicalise. However, in the case of the Dhaka cafe attack, there were terrorists from affluent backgrounds with good education who had joined hands with terror organisations such as the ISIS. Closer home, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Muzaffar Wani, who was killed by security forces in Kashmir on Friday, belonged to a relatively well-off family. His father is a retired school principal, and Wani himself was a good student who secured 90 per cent in his class X examination in 2010. Effects of radicalisation The impact of radicalisation is so deep that it sometimes blurs blood ties. Twin brothers in Saudi Arabia recently killed their mother after she tried to stop them from joining Islamic State in Syria. The twins were arrested trying to flee across the border to Yemen. Is education a factor? Many people around the world have been surprised by the trend of educated people getting into terrorism. The question is what drives such educated individuals to extremist organisations? Is their religion playing a role in all this? Education, per se, has nothing to do with it. There is nothing to get surprised by the fact that most of the attackers in Bangladesh massacre were educated men. In the Nazi Germany, the perpetrators of holocaust were decently educated. In India also, there is the Godmen culture, especially among the Hindus. A large chunk of the so called godmen’s followers often comes from the upper middle class and educated families. They have complete faith in the godmen they follow. So much so that the followers of one of the godmen have preserved his body with the belief that one day he would come alive. A psychologist’s perspective Psychologist Dr Harish Shetty says: “Man’s search for meaning has been a perennial quest since mankind evolved. Many found meaning in harakiri, martyrdom and other culturally sanctioned ‘suicide homicide’ complex during the last few centuries. The terminologies change depending from which side one views the act. Freedom fighters or terrorists are the descriptive denominators. In an era where peace and technology have overwhelmed religious doctrines, certain sections feel threatened and are rebelling against this sweeping change in the garb of religion.” Globalisation, Dr Shetty says, is viewed as a religious doctrine or an ideology that undermines the control of powerful religious heads. “A small section of people falls prey to this indoctrination and finds a new meaning in life. Freedom fighters kill the oppressor and the socalled terrorists today suffer from the same core belief — kill the perceived enemy or those who are the extensions. So hit out at those who are enemies and die for the cause. Martyrdom is not new and death in war is the new intoxication, going down fighting is a new high by the dominant ideologies.” “Dying for such a cause may be viewed with disgust in the dominant ideologies. Meaning in life is a psychosocial pursuit and an altruistic desire...as Freud described...such killings may suffer from similar intrinsic psychosocial needs,” Dr Shetty adds. Government’s role Maybe the governments should spend more in researching and understanding the factors that attract the common citizens towards terrorism. They should take steps to reduce the number of people being influenced by extremist thoughts. Use of force or fighting a war, for that matter, may be required to ensure a nation’s security but it is also important to find ways to stop people from going astray. Terrorists are just terrorists Religion may not be the reason but could merely be an effective tool to turn individuals into terrorists. On another trip to Lahore, I met Syed Salahuddin, the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Kashmiri led terrorism outfit. He said he had become a terrorist after his family was killed after he challenged a political party in elections and the police did not protect him and his family. Religion seems to be a common thread in many of the global wars today but we need to go past the usual paradigm and see how some individuals may be using Islam to kill people. For us, terrorists are just terrorists. And they have to be stopped.

Factors that drive people to take up arms

Israeli government on Sunday approved nearly $13 million in financing for the West Bank settlements of Kiryat Arba and Hebron, officials said, following a wave of Palestinian attacks in the area. 
 
The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s right-wing cabinet will see some $12.8 million allocated to &quot;strengthen&quot; the communities. 
 
&quot;Government offices, I must note, have all been recruited to assist the residents who stand heroically in the face of vicious terrorism,&quot; Netanyahu said, ahead of the approval. 
 
The money will be allocated over three years and be designated to a variety of issues, including social, education and security services, and come from the budgets of the relevant ministries. 
 
Kiryat Arba is a large settlement near Hebron, the largest Palestinian West Bank city, which is also host to several hundred Jewish settlers in a tightly guarded enclave. 
 
The Hebron area settlers have been affected by the recent wave of violence that has rocked Israel and the Palestinian territories since last October. 
 
At least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed. 
 
The army has said that around 80 of the attacks on Israelis have been carried out by Palestinians from the Hebron area. 
 
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace as they are built on land Palestinians view as part of their future state. 
 
The United States, the European Union and many others in the international community have called for a halt to settlement building. 
 
Netanyahu&#39;s government is considered to be the most right-wing in Israel&#39;s history, and key members of his cabinet are strong supporters of settlement building and opponents of a Palestinian state. 
 
A similar decision, allocating $18 million to a variety of settlements, was announced last month. Two officials said Sunday&#39;s decision was about new monies. 
 
Also on Sunday, hundreds of Israeli settlers marched between the Palestinian village of Tarama and the Israeli settlement of Otniel, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. 
 
The marchers demanded more security for settlements following a wave of deadly attacks carried out by Palestinians in the area during the past week. 
 
(AFP)

The money will be allocated over three years and be used for issues like education and security services

Israeli government on Sunday approved nearly $13 million in financing for the West Bank settlements of Kiryat Arba and Hebron, officials said, following a wave of Palestinian attacks in the area. The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing cabinet will see some $12.8 million allocated to "strengthen" the communities. "Government offices, I must note, have all been recruited to assist the residents who stand heroically in the face of vicious terrorism," Netanyahu said, ahead of the approval. The money will be allocated over three years and be designated to a variety of issues, including social, education and security services, and come from the budgets of the relevant ministries. Kiryat Arba is a large settlement near Hebron, the largest Palestinian West Bank city, which is also host to several hundred Jewish settlers in a tightly guarded enclave. The Hebron area settlers have been affected by the recent wave of violence that has rocked Israel and the Palestinian territories since last October. At least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed. The army has said that around 80 of the attacks on Israelis have been carried out by Palestinians from the Hebron area. Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace as they are built on land Palestinians view as part of their future state. The United States, the European Union and many others in the international community have called for a halt to settlement building. Netanyahu's government is considered to be the most right-wing in Israel's history, and key members of his cabinet are strong supporters of settlement building and opponents of a Palestinian state. A similar decision, allocating $18 million to a variety of settlements, was announced last month. Two officials said Sunday's decision was about new monies. Also on Sunday, hundreds of Israeli settlers marched between the Palestinian village of Tarama and the Israeli settlement of Otniel, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The marchers demanded more security for settlements following a wave of deadly attacks carried out by Palestinians in the area during the past week. (AFP)

Israel okays millions to West Bank settlements after attacks

Militant groups smuggled some of their members into Europe in the wave of migrants who have fled from Syria, German chancellor Angela said on Monday (July&nbsp;11).

&quot;In part, the refugee flow was even used to smuggle terrorists,&quot; Merkel told a rally of her Christian Democrats in the eastern German Baltic Sea resort town of Zingst.

Merkel also warned that if young people in poor parts of the world did not get &quot;a perspective,&quot; &quot;they will all try to get somewhere else and that&#39;s not good for the countries and it&#39;s of course also not good for us.&quot;

&quot;Imagine a country like Togo, a small African country where 75 per cent of the population -- so three out of four people -- are younger than 25.&quot;

&quot;All these young people might not have electricity but if they just have a little bit of money they all have a smartphone. They can all watch what the world is like elsewhere,&quot; said Merkel.

More than 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, many of them Syrians.

The German chancellor also commented again on British voters&#39; recent decision to leave the European Union.

&quot;We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy,&quot; Merkel said.

&quot;But that is why we as 27 member states must ask &#39;how should our Europe look?,&quot; she added. 
 
(Reuters)

More than 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, many of them Syrians

Militant groups smuggled some of their members into Europe in the wave of migrants who have fled from Syria, German chancellor Angela said on Monday (July 11). "In part, the refugee flow was even used to smuggle terrorists," Merkel told a rally of her Christian Democrats in the eastern German Baltic Sea resort town of Zingst. Merkel also warned that if young people in poor parts of the world did not get "a perspective," "they will all try to get somewhere else and that's not good for the countries and it's of course also not good for us." "Imagine a country like Togo, a small African country where 75 per cent of the population -- so three out of four people -- are younger than 25." "All these young people might not have electricity but if they just have a little bit of money they all have a smartphone. They can all watch what the world is like elsewhere," said Merkel. More than 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, many of them Syrians. The German chancellor also commented again on British voters' recent decision to leave the European Union. "We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy," Merkel said. "But that is why we as 27 member states must ask 'how should our Europe look?," she added. (Reuters)

Terrorists smuggled into Europe with migrants: Angela Merkel

Security forces said they shot dead separatist militant leader&nbsp;Burhan Wani&nbsp;in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, a figure well known for his calls to arms on social media.

As news of the 22-year-old&#39;s death spread, crowds pelted police with stones in Srinagar, the state&#39;s summer capital, and in some southern reaches of the state, officials said.

Authorities ordered restrictions on the movement of people and traffic in parts of Srinagar on Saturday and police said they had placed several separatist leaders under house arrest to prevent trouble.

Wani was killed, along with two others, in a shootout with police and soldiers at a house in Indian&nbsp;Kashmir&#39;s Kokernag area on Friday evening, the chief of police for Jammu and Kashmir, K&nbsp;Rajendra&nbsp;Kumar, said.

&quot;Wani&#39;s killing is a major success against militants in Kashmir.&nbsp;This year we killed 83 militants in Kashmir which is highest in recent years,&quot; Kumar added.

Wani, the son of a headmaster, was the head of Hizb-ul Mujahideen, seen as one of the main militant groups in a region that has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan&nbsp;for decades.

Video footage of him dressed in fatigues and inviting young men join him in jihad, regularly appeared on Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms.

In June, militants killed eight Indian police officials and injured 20 in an attack in Jammu and Kashmir claimed by Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The month before, militants shot and killed three Indian policemen. 
 
No internet 
 
Authorities today suspended mobile internet services in Kashmir Valley, while the cellular facility was completely snapped in south Kashmir in the wake of apprehensions of law and order problems, following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Burhan Wani, a police officer said. 
 
It has been done to maintain law and order and prevent the miscreants from spreading rumours which otherwise could lead to the situation turning violent, the official said.&nbsp;However, he said, the broadband services were working as usual. 
 
(With inputs from Reuters and PTI)&nbsp;

The young militant, a headmaster's son, cut a charismatic figure among the disaffected youth of the troubled Indian state

Security forces said they shot dead separatist militant leader Burhan Wani in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, a figure well known for his calls to arms on social media. As news of the 22-year-old's death spread, crowds pelted police with stones in Srinagar, the state's summer capital, and in some southern reaches of the state, officials said. Authorities ordered restrictions on the movement of people and traffic in parts of Srinagar on Saturday and police said they had placed several separatist leaders under house arrest to prevent trouble. Wani was killed, along with two others, in a shootout with police and soldiers at a house in Indian Kashmir's Kokernag area on Friday evening, the chief of police for Jammu and Kashmir, K Rajendra Kumar, said. "Wani's killing is a major success against militants in Kashmir. This year we killed 83 militants in Kashmir which is highest in recent years," Kumar added. Wani, the son of a headmaster, was the head of Hizb-ul Mujahideen, seen as one of the main militant groups in a region that has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan for decades. Video footage of him dressed in fatigues and inviting young men join him in jihad, regularly appeared on Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms. In June, militants killed eight Indian police officials and injured 20 in an attack in Jammu and Kashmir claimed by Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The month before, militants shot and killed three Indian policemen. No internet Authorities today suspended mobile internet services in Kashmir Valley, while the cellular facility was completely snapped in south Kashmir in the wake of apprehensions of law and order problems, following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Burhan Wani, a police officer said. It has been done to maintain law and order and prevent the miscreants from spreading rumours which otherwise could lead to the situation turning violent, the official said. However, he said, the broadband services were working as usual. (With inputs from Reuters and PTI)

Wani brought jihad to Kashmir through FB, WhatsApp

Bangladesh has been hit by a surge in Islamist attacks in the past three years that reached new heights last weekend when 20 hostages were murdered in Dhaka. 
 
The wave of attacks has been notably brutal with many of the victims, including the hostages, hacked to death with machetes. 
 
One week on from the end of the siege at an upmarket cafe in the capital, AFP looks at some of the factors that might be responsible for fuelling the attacks and at how the government is reacting: 
 
Bangladesh has been blighted by unrest since it broke from Pakistan in a war of independence in 1971 and has witnessed more than a dozen coups. 
 
Islamist groups such as Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and the newer Ansarullah Bangla Team have long posed a challenge to authorities, with the JMB killing at least 28 people in a bombing campaign in 2005. 
 
The group, blamed by the government for the Dhaka siege, was banned after the 2005 attacks and is seen as a largely spent force following the subsequent arrest and execution of its leaders. 
 
While the 2005 attacks were largely indiscriminate, the recent killings have had specific targets, including secular bloggers and gay activists. 
 
Members of minority groups such as Hindus, Christians and Sufi Muslims have also been victims, with many of them hacked to death. 
 
Although a handful of foreigners had previously been killed, last weekend&#39;s siege was by far the deadliest attack. 
 
The victims included nine Italians and seven Japanese. Experts point to several factors behind the recent violence, including the execution of top Islamists over their role in the independence war. 
 
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in 2013 to protest at the guilty verdicts handed down by a domestic tribunal that critics say was intent on neutering opposition to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 
 
The Supreme Court then barred the biggest Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami from contesting the 2014 general election, disenfranchising millions of supporters. 
 
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, allied to Jamaat, subsequently boycotted the polls. What was then effectively a one-horse race was held against the backdrop of firebombings across the country. 
 
Many observers say the lack of genuine democracy has made Bangladesh a fertile ground for extremists. 
 
&quot;There is a lot of support for the organisations (Hasina) is trying to quash,&quot; said C. Christine Fair, associate professor at Georgetown University in Washington and South Asia expert. 
 
&quot;The country is torn. She is essentially silencing, politically, half the country. &quot;Both the Islamic State (IS) organisation and the competing Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) have claimed many of the attacks. 
 
However, the government insists international jihadist networks have not got a foothold in Bangladesh and that local extremists are culpable. 
 
There is little evidence that IS trains and funds attackers in the country, although it has recruited Bangladeshis to fight in Syria.&nbsp; 
 
More likely, analysts say, is that radicalised youths are being inspired by the group and pledge allegiance -- a murky line in the age of social media. 
 
During the cafe siege, IS was sent gruesome pictures of the carnage by the attackers, which it immediately distributed via its affiliate news agency Amaq. 
 
Al-Qaeda may have more of a claim of presence in Bangladesh, with Bangladeshi fighters aiding the anti-Soviet mujahedeen in Afghanistan as far back as the 1980s. 
 
&quot;The ties to AQIS are much more credible. South Asia is Al-Qaeda territory,&quot; said Fair. The use of machetes has become a chilling hallmark of the murders and nearly all the slain hostages were attacked with sharp blades, even though their killers had automatic weapons. 
 
Some experts say a lack of access to suicide vests or car bombs explains the prevalence of machete attacks, but others see a more deliberate reason behind the brutal killing style. 
 
&quot;They wanted to show the world that they can go to any extent for jihad,&quot; said K G Suresh of New Delhi&#39;s Vivekananda International Foundation think-tank. Bangladesh is intensely politically polarised, characterised by a poisonous rivalry between Hasina and the main opposition leader Khaleda Zia that stretches back decades. 
 
Although around 90 per cent of Bangladesh&#39;s 160 million-strong population is Muslim, mostly Sunni, the nation is officially secular. 
 
Creeping popular support for fundamentalism has led to mounting calls for Islamist representation in government and public life.&nbsp; 
 
One recent study found around 47 per cent of Bangladeshis say suicide bombing is justifiable to defend Islam, higher than other Muslim-majority nation in South and Southeast Asia. 
 
(AFP)

12 hours, six terrorists and 29 dead, the Dhaka siege was one of the deadliest in a spate of violence that Bangladesh has been witnessing

Bangladesh has been hit by a surge in Islamist attacks in the past three years that reached new heights last weekend when 20 hostages were murdered in Dhaka. The wave of attacks has been notably brutal with many of the victims, including the hostages, hacked to death with machetes. One week on from the end of the siege at an upmarket cafe in the capital, AFP looks at some of the factors that might be responsible for fuelling the attacks and at how the government is reacting: Bangladesh has been blighted by unrest since it broke from Pakistan in a war of independence in 1971 and has witnessed more than a dozen coups. Islamist groups such as Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and the newer Ansarullah Bangla Team have long posed a challenge to authorities, with the JMB killing at least 28 people in a bombing campaign in 2005. The group, blamed by the government for the Dhaka siege, was banned after the 2005 attacks and is seen as a largely spent force following the subsequent arrest and execution of its leaders. While the 2005 attacks were largely indiscriminate, the recent killings have had specific targets, including secular bloggers and gay activists. Members of minority groups such as Hindus, Christians and Sufi Muslims have also been victims, with many of them hacked to death. Although a handful of foreigners had previously been killed, last weekend's siege was by far the deadliest attack. The victims included nine Italians and seven Japanese. Experts point to several factors behind the recent violence, including the execution of top Islamists over their role in the independence war. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in 2013 to protest at the guilty verdicts handed down by a domestic tribunal that critics say was intent on neutering opposition to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Supreme Court then barred the biggest Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami from contesting the 2014 general election, disenfranchising millions of supporters. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, allied to Jamaat, subsequently boycotted the polls. What was then effectively a one-horse race was held against the backdrop of firebombings across the country. Many observers say the lack of genuine democracy has made Bangladesh a fertile ground for extremists. "There is a lot of support for the organisations (Hasina) is trying to quash," said C. Christine Fair, associate professor at Georgetown University in Washington and South Asia expert. "The country is torn. She is essentially silencing, politically, half the country. "Both the Islamic State (IS) organisation and the competing Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) have claimed many of the attacks. However, the government insists international jihadist networks have not got a foothold in Bangladesh and that local extremists are culpable. There is little evidence that IS trains and funds attackers in the country, although it has recruited Bangladeshis to fight in Syria. More likely, analysts say, is that radicalised youths are being inspired by the group and pledge allegiance -- a murky line in the age of social media. During the cafe siege, IS was sent gruesome pictures of the carnage by the attackers, which it immediately distributed via its affiliate news agency Amaq. Al-Qaeda may have more of a claim of presence in Bangladesh, with Bangladeshi fighters aiding the anti-Soviet mujahedeen in Afghanistan as far back as the 1980s. "The ties to AQIS are much more credible. South Asia is Al-Qaeda territory," said Fair. The use of machetes has become a chilling hallmark of the murders and nearly all the slain hostages were attacked with sharp blades, even though their killers had automatic weapons. Some experts say a lack of access to suicide vests or car bombs explains the prevalence of machete attacks, but others see a more deliberate reason behind the brutal killing style. "They wanted to show the world that they can go to any extent for jihad," said K G Suresh of New Delhi's Vivekananda International Foundation think-tank. Bangladesh is intensely politically polarised, characterised by a poisonous rivalry between Hasina and the main opposition leader Khaleda Zia that stretches back decades. Although around 90 per cent of Bangladesh's 160 million-strong population is Muslim, mostly Sunni, the nation is officially secular. Creeping popular support for fundamentalism has led to mounting calls for Islamist representation in government and public life. One recent study found around 47 per cent of Bangladeshis say suicide bombing is justifiable to defend Islam, higher than other Muslim-majority nation in South and Southeast Asia. (AFP)

Rising violence in Bangladesh: What's behind it?

President Barack Obama&#39;s decision to withdraw roughly 1,400 US troops from Afghanistan won&#39;t adversely impact America&#39;s mission there, a top general said before arriving in Kabul on Friday, adding that some jobs could be done from abroad. 
 
Obama on Wednesday shelved his plans to cut the US force nearly in half by year&#39;s end, from 9,800 to 5,500. He opted instead for a more limited withdrawal to roughly 8,400 troops, noting that Afghan forces still needed US support battling the Taliban insurgency after nearly 15 years of war. 
 
In his first comments since Obama&#39;s announcement, General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military&#39;s Central Command, played down any impact of the looming troop withdrawal even as he acknowledged Afghan forces were suffering heavy casualties. 
 
A recent Pentagon report to Congress said casualties among Afghan forces rose 27 per cent from January 1 to November 15 last year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s difficult. They are taking a lot of casualties. That is a concern. We&#39;ll have to pay attention to that,&quot; Votel told a small group of reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;But I don&#39;t think the reductions that we are taking are going to impact the principal missions that we are doing, particularly with respect to the Afghan security forces,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion, according to recent UN estimates. 
 
The Islamic State group has also established a small presence in Afghanistan. 
 
Republican critics of Obama questioned why, given Afghanistan&#39;s security concerns, he was still intent on cutting the force at all. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said it was difficult to discern &quot;any strategic rationale&quot; for the cut. 
 
Votel noted that Obama&#39;s decision to keep 8,400 troops in the country was welcomed by allies, who are expected to broadly reaffirm their commitments to Afghanistan at a NATO summit on Warsaw on Friday and Saturday. 
 
&quot;It sends a very hopeful message here for the coalition and I think it will encourage our partners to continue to contribute,&quot; Votel said. 
 
Votel suggested the drawdown might take place gradually over coming months, with some support for the US forces in Afghanistan being drawn from outside the country. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re going to achieve those reductions by moving some capabilities out that can be conducted over the horizon - that don&rsquo;t necessarily need to be done in Afghanistan - to support the force,&quot; he said, without elaborating.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

According to recent UN estimates, Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion

President Barack Obama's decision to withdraw roughly 1,400 US troops from Afghanistan won't adversely impact America's mission there, a top general said before arriving in Kabul on Friday, adding that some jobs could be done from abroad. Obama on Wednesday shelved his plans to cut the US force nearly in half by year's end, from 9,800 to 5,500. He opted instead for a more limited withdrawal to roughly 8,400 troops, noting that Afghan forces still needed US support battling the Taliban insurgency after nearly 15 years of war. In his first comments since Obama's announcement, General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military's Central Command, played down any impact of the looming troop withdrawal even as he acknowledged Afghan forces were suffering heavy casualties. A recent Pentagon report to Congress said casualties among Afghan forces rose 27 per cent from January 1 to November 15 last year. "It's difficult. They are taking a lot of casualties. That is a concern. We'll have to pay attention to that," Votel told a small group of reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan. "But I don't think the reductions that we are taking are going to impact the principal missions that we are doing, particularly with respect to the Afghan security forces," he added. Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion, according to recent UN estimates. The Islamic State group has also established a small presence in Afghanistan. Republican critics of Obama questioned why, given Afghanistan's security concerns, he was still intent on cutting the force at all. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said it was difficult to discern "any strategic rationale" for the cut. Votel noted that Obama's decision to keep 8,400 troops in the country was welcomed by allies, who are expected to broadly reaffirm their commitments to Afghanistan at a NATO summit on Warsaw on Friday and Saturday. "It sends a very hopeful message here for the coalition and I think it will encourage our partners to continue to contribute," Votel said. Votel suggested the drawdown might take place gradually over coming months, with some support for the US forces in Afghanistan being drawn from outside the country. "We're going to achieve those reductions by moving some capabilities out that can be conducted over the horizon - that don’t necessarily need to be done in Afghanistan - to support the force," he said, without elaborating. (Reuters)

'US troop cut won't impact principal missions in Afghanistan'

President Erdogan issued an official statement on the terror attack that took place at Istanbul&#39;s Atat?rk Airport, which killed at least 41 and injured 230.&nbsp;In it he said: 
 
&ldquo;This attack once again revealed the dark face of terrorist organisations targeting innocent civilians. It is obvious that this attack does not aim to attain any results, but merely aims to produce propaganda material against our country by shedding the blood of and causing pain for innocent civilians. 
 
&ldquo;We urge governments, parliaments, media and civil society organizations around the world, especially in Western countries, to take a firm stand against terrorism.&rdquo; 
 
Erdogan emphasised the international nature of terrorism, saying that it could have happened anywhere. He called on the&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;However, I would like to remind that today&#39;s attack targeted not only 79 million Turkish citizens, but also 7.5 billion human beings around the world. Due to the treacherous nature of terrorism, the bombs that exploded in Istanbul today could have gone off at any airport in any city around the world. Make no mistake: For terrorist organisations, there is no difference between Istanbul and London, Ankara and Berlin, Izmir and Chicago or Antalya and Rome. Unless all government and the entire mankind join forces in the fight against terrorism, much worse things than what we fear to imagine today will come true.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;I hope the Ataturk Airport attack will serve as a turning point in the world, particularly for the Western countries, for a joint struggle against terror organizations.&rdquo; 
 
More updates will follow as reports from Turkey come in. 
 
(Others)

Erdogan calls on the world to band together against terrorism

President Erdogan issued an official statement on the terror attack that took place at Istanbul's Atat?rk Airport, which killed at least 41 and injured 230. In it he said: “This attack once again revealed the dark face of terrorist organisations targeting innocent civilians. It is obvious that this attack does not aim to attain any results, but merely aims to produce propaganda material against our country by shedding the blood of and causing pain for innocent civilians. “We urge governments, parliaments, media and civil society organizations around the world, especially in Western countries, to take a firm stand against terrorism.” Erdogan emphasised the international nature of terrorism, saying that it could have happened anywhere. He called on the “However, I would like to remind that today's attack targeted not only 79 million Turkish citizens, but also 7.5 billion human beings around the world. Due to the treacherous nature of terrorism, the bombs that exploded in Istanbul today could have gone off at any airport in any city around the world. Make no mistake: For terrorist organisations, there is no difference between Istanbul and London, Ankara and Berlin, Izmir and Chicago or Antalya and Rome. Unless all government and the entire mankind join forces in the fight against terrorism, much worse things than what we fear to imagine today will come true.” “I hope the Ataturk Airport attack will serve as a turning point in the world, particularly for the Western countries, for a joint struggle against terror organizations.” More updates will follow as reports from Turkey come in. (Others)

Turkey's President makes official statement after deadly airport attack

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Congressional Reception jointly hosted by Foreign Relations Committees and India Caucus in Washington DC on Wednesday. 
 
Addressing the gathering, Modi called for India-US collaboration to solve issues like global warming and climate change. 
 
&quot;Be it global problems like climate change, global warming, poverty or heath concerns, we can together find solutions for the world. We must use our skills, our intelligence, our resources and commit ourselves to move forward. I think my journey this time, my two-day visit to the United States has only reinforced this commitment,&quot; said Modi. 
 
Earlier in the day, Modi became the fifth Indian to address the joint session of US Congress. 
 
Modi called for a closer security relationship between his country and the United States as he stressed on the importance of warming ties between the two countries. 
 
He dedicated much of the speech to the importance of fighting militancy, thanking Congress for US support after a Pakistan-based military group&#39;s rampage in Mumbai killed 166 people in 2008. 
 
He leavened the speech to lawmakers, the first such address by an international leader since Pope Francis&#39; in September, with jokes about Congress&#39; bitter partisan divide and yoga. But Modi used it to make serious points about India&#39;s neighbour and arch-rival Pakistan and regional concerns about Chinese expansionism. 
 
In a 45-minute speech interrupted by cheers and at least eight standing ovations, the 65-year-old Indian leader said deeper US-Indian security cooperation should isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists. 
 
Modi is on the US leg of an international tour. On Tuesday, he met with President Barack Obama at the White House, where the two leaders said India has agreed to work toward joining the Paris Agreement on climate change this year and discussed security and cyber-security issues. 
 
The visit, two years after Modi became prime minister, capped an improving relationship between New Delhi and the United States. Before he was elected, Modi was barred from even entering the country because of concerns about his handling of 2002 riots that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. 
 
After the Congressional reception, Modi left for a day-long visit to Mexico. He will arrive in New Delhi this Friday.

Modi said that US and India should deepen their security cooperation and isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Congressional Reception jointly hosted by Foreign Relations Committees and India Caucus in Washington DC on Wednesday. Addressing the gathering, Modi called for India-US collaboration to solve issues like global warming and climate change. "Be it global problems like climate change, global warming, poverty or heath concerns, we can together find solutions for the world. We must use our skills, our intelligence, our resources and commit ourselves to move forward. I think my journey this time, my two-day visit to the United States has only reinforced this commitment," said Modi. Earlier in the day, Modi became the fifth Indian to address the joint session of US Congress. Modi called for a closer security relationship between his country and the United States as he stressed on the importance of warming ties between the two countries. He dedicated much of the speech to the importance of fighting militancy, thanking Congress for US support after a Pakistan-based military group's rampage in Mumbai killed 166 people in 2008. He leavened the speech to lawmakers, the first such address by an international leader since Pope Francis' in September, with jokes about Congress' bitter partisan divide and yoga. But Modi used it to make serious points about India's neighbour and arch-rival Pakistan and regional concerns about Chinese expansionism. In a 45-minute speech interrupted by cheers and at least eight standing ovations, the 65-year-old Indian leader said deeper US-Indian security cooperation should isolate anyone who harbours, supports or sponsors terrorists. Modi is on the US leg of an international tour. On Tuesday, he met with President Barack Obama at the White House, where the two leaders said India has agreed to work toward joining the Paris Agreement on climate change this year and discussed security and cyber-security issues. The visit, two years after Modi became prime minister, capped an improving relationship between New Delhi and the United States. Before he was elected, Modi was barred from even entering the country because of concerns about his handling of 2002 riots that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. After the Congressional reception, Modi left for a day-long visit to Mexico. He will arrive in New Delhi this Friday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends Congressional Reception in Washington DC

Saudi Arabia sentenced 14 people to death for terrorism today&nbsp;after they were convicted of attacks on police in the Shi&#39;ite Muslim minority area of Qatif in Eastern Province, scene of past anti-government protests, their lawyer said.

Another nine people were given jail sentences of three to 15 years and one was acquitted, their defence lawyer, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters.

He said the 24 defendants had been held for about three years and accused of carrying weapons and shooting at police. During 2011-14 protests, around 20 Shi&#39;ites and several police officers were killed.

A spokesman for the Saudi justice ministry could not immediately be reached for a comment on the report, first broadcast by the Dubai-based al-Arabiya TV.

Some Saudi Shi&#39;ites complain they suffer systematic discrimination in Saudi Arabia, whose majority follow a strict form of Sunni Islam that regards the minority sect as heretical. The government denies that.

On January 2 Saudi Arabia executed four Shi&#39;ites convicted of similar crimes alongside 43 Sunnis accused of carrying out attacks for al Qaeda a decade ago.

The execution of the Shi&#39;ites, including a prominent cleric, by Sunni-led Saudi Arabia pushed up tensions with its main regional rival Iran and contributed to rising sectarian anger in some neighbouring countries.

International human rights groups have criticised Saudi Arabia&#39;s justice system, which they say holds unfair trials, and have said that convictions for terrorism sometimes extend to peaceful protesters and are secured by torture.

Saudi Arabia denies this, saying its judiciary is independent and that it does not practice torture. It says it does not differentiate between Sunnis and Shi&#39;ites accused of politically motivated attacks on other citizens or the security forces.

Saudi Arabia sentence 14 people to death for attacking police in the Shi'ite Muslim minority area of Qatif.

Saudi Arabia sentenced 14 people to death for terrorism today after they were convicted of attacks on police in the Shi'ite Muslim minority area of Qatif in Eastern Province, scene of past anti-government protests, their lawyer said. Another nine people were given jail sentences of three to 15 years and one was acquitted, their defence lawyer, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters. He said the 24 defendants had been held for about three years and accused of carrying weapons and shooting at police. During 2011-14 protests, around 20 Shi'ites and several police officers were killed. A spokesman for the Saudi justice ministry could not immediately be reached for a comment on the report, first broadcast by the Dubai-based al-Arabiya TV. Some Saudi Shi'ites complain they suffer systematic discrimination in Saudi Arabia, whose majority follow a strict form of Sunni Islam that regards the minority sect as heretical. The government denies that. On January 2 Saudi Arabia executed four Shi'ites convicted of similar crimes alongside 43 Sunnis accused of carrying out attacks for al Qaeda a decade ago. The execution of the Shi'ites, including a prominent cleric, by Sunni-led Saudi Arabia pushed up tensions with its main regional rival Iran and contributed to rising sectarian anger in some neighbouring countries. International human rights groups have criticised Saudi Arabia's justice system, which they say holds unfair trials, and have said that convictions for terrorism sometimes extend to peaceful protesters and are secured by torture. Saudi Arabia denies this, saying its judiciary is independent and that it does not practice torture. It says it does not differentiate between Sunnis and Shi'ites accused of politically motivated attacks on other citizens or the security forces.

Saudi Arabia sentences 14 to death for terrorism

The Taliban killed at least 16 people and kidnapped dozens of others today after pulling them from buses in northern Afghanistan in the latest assault since the insurgents named a new leader last week, officials said. 
The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident in Aliabad district in the volatile province of Kunduz, where the insurgents briefly overran the provincial capital in a stunning military victory last year. 
&quot;The Taliban shot dead 16 passengers and they are still holding more than 30 others,&quot; said Sayed Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the governor of Kunduz province. 
Police commander Shir Aziz Kamawal gave a death toll of 17. 
&quot;They (Taliban) have released some passengers but are holding many others. None of the passengers were wearing military uniform, but some may have been former police,&quot; he said. 
The Afghan Taliban last Wednesday announced Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader, elevating a low-profile religious figure in a swift power transition after officially confirming the death of Mullah Mansour in a US drone strike.

The Taliban haven't commented on the killings so far, but the spokesman of the governor of the Kunduz province has ascertained the same.

The Taliban killed at least 16 people and kidnapped dozens of others today after pulling them from buses in northern Afghanistan in the latest assault since the insurgents named a new leader last week, officials said. The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident in Aliabad district in the volatile province of Kunduz, where the insurgents briefly overran the provincial capital in a stunning military victory last year. "The Taliban shot dead 16 passengers and they are still holding more than 30 others," said Sayed Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the governor of Kunduz province. Police commander Shir Aziz Kamawal gave a death toll of 17. "They (Taliban) have released some passengers but are holding many others. None of the passengers were wearing military uniform, but some may have been former police," he said. The Afghan Taliban last Wednesday announced Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader, elevating a low-profile religious figure in a swift power transition after officially confirming the death of Mullah Mansour in a US drone strike.

Taliban kill 16 bus passengers in northern Afghanistan

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