Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Why Qatar is Abandoning the Muslim Brotherhood - and Hamas
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

Qatar's al-Thani with Khaled Mashaal

Reuters

Hamas this morning denied claims that its Political Bureau chief, Khaled Mashaal, was being expelled from longtime ally Qatar. The initial report came just days after seven leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood were expelled from the country, having sought refuge from an Egyptian government crackdown.

That move naturally lead to speculation that Qatar might take a similar move against Hamas, which is the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood, but a Hamas spokesman dismissed reports of Mashaal's impending departure as mere attempts to "sow tension and confusion". For the time being at least, Mashaal looks set to remain in Doha.

Yet according to Professor Hillel Frisch of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) - an expert on political Islam and particularly the Muslim Brotherhood - he may not be there for much longer. 

Qatar's decision to give the Muslim Brotherhood the boot "does not bode well at all" for Hamas, he says, and adds that it's only a matter of time before Mashaal follows suit - whether he is expelled outright or simply pressured into moving. Worse still for Hamas, when that break in relations does occur the terrorist group can expect to see its pool of funding shrink considerably.

On the surface, Doha's sudden rejection of the Brotherhood is surprising, given that the Qatari government has long been the Islamist movement's top financial sponsor and political supporter. Even Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV is widely seen in the Arab world as a mouthpiece for the Brotherhood - an association which led it to be banned in Sisi's Egypt. 

So what lies behind this apparent about-turn?

Arab Spring 'counter-revolution'

Frisch describes the current crackdown on the Brotherhood across the Middle East as part of a "counter-revolution" by regional powers in reaction to the series of Arab uprisings once optimistically termed the "Arab Spring", likening it to the way in which European powers reacted to the 19th Century French Revolution. Combating the Muslim Brotherhood - "a popular movement which won elections in Egypt, the major Arab state" - is the main test for counter-revolutionary Arab governments, as it is a prime example of the way in which political Islam has ridden the waves of revolutionary fervor in the region to challenge existing regimes.

As such, recent years have seen the formation of an anti-Brotherhood alliance including nearly all of the major Arab states in the region, from secular Egypt to Wahhabi Saudi Arabia. Such counter-revolutionary efforts throughout history have seen various levels of success, but "in this case it's been very successful so far," he notes, citing the overthrow of Mohammed Morsi in Egypt and the general decline of the Islamist movement's fortunes since then.

Until now only one "recalcitrant actor" refused to join that counter-revolutionary coalition: Qatar.

It is crucial to understand why Qatar's ruling family - hardly a band of revolutionary religious zealots - chose to back the Brotherhood in the first place. Small in size and population, the gulf peninsula state has sought to project power and punch well above its weight internationally by utilizing its seemingly endless oil revenue to buy friends and influence. The Brotherhood, which until recently was clearly on the ascent and had (and still has) a presence in most Arab countries, seemed like the perfect proxy for power-projection. Indeed, apart from backing the Egyptian branch, Qatari money helped fund Muslim Brotherhood-linked rebel groups in Syria - although those groups too have recently seen their fortunes wane - and of course Hamas.

And then there is Doha's longstanding rivalry with the Saudis in particular. Qatar's attempts to assert itself in the face of its much larger and militarily superior neighbor was already evident in its decision to pursue warm relations with Iran, in defiance of Riyadh and other Arab states. So it came as no surprise that "when the Saudis decided to suppress the Brotherhood, Qatar decided to support them," Frisch says.

Nevertheless, growing pressure on Qatar appears to have finally encouraged its relatively new leader, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, to jettison the Brotherhood. 

While threats of financial sanctions would hardly have ruffled the oil-rich state, Frisch suggests a number of other ways in which Arab states might have applied pressure. Apart from cutting diplomatic relations and starving Qatar of the international influence it craves - as has already begun after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors to Doha - the Saudis and others could have threatened to expose Qatari connections to global terrorism, endangering relations with the west, he speculates.

In the face of such pressure, it is not difficult to imagine why al-Thani - who has already previously indicated his desire to scale back from his father's aggressive foreign policy anyway - finally yielded.

"Qatar couldn't care less about the Muslim Brotherhood, it means nothing to them... there is nothing sentimental in this," just cold, hard realpolitik, Frisch insists.

"They are reassessing the strategic landscape... They realize that, particularly since the recent (ISIS) beheadings, there is a growing international sentiment against Islamism, political Islam, and they don't want to find themselves on the wrong side," he adds.

Moreover, the Qataris may themselves be alarmed at the rapid gains made by Islamism in the region. Perhaps noting the Saudi experience of the early 2000's, when the jihadis they themselves nurtured turned on them, al-Thani could understandably fear becoming the next victim of a Frankenstein's monster of his own creation.

Down but not out

It is clear then that the growing public outcry over Qatar's support for terrorism is having an impact, "but whether this is permanent remains to be seen," Frisch cautions. The regime's "divorce" from the Brotherhood may be genuine, but equally could just be a temporary ruse to allay pressure.

What's more, even if its rejection by Qatar is final, "the Muslim Brotherhood is hardly finished."

"It has a permanent constituency in the Arab world. You can't simply wipe them out and I don't think anyone believes that."

But what about Hamas? While closely linked to the Brotherhood, could Mashaal's group be spared due to its status as champions of the fight against Israel and the "Palestinian cause"?

That's not likely, according to Frisch.

"I think it's all part of the same thing. If Qatar moves away from supporting the Muslim Brotherhood it's also going to move away from Hamas, for the simple reason that all the Arabs states will say: 'If you want to be pro-Palestinian you can support the Palestinian Authority.' There is an alternative."

For both Hamas and the Brotherhood the most likely place to relocate to would be Turkey, he posits. "Turkey is basically the state that is closest to reflecting the Muslim Brotherhood values and ideology."

Next stop, Turkey? Reuters

Indeed, Turkey's Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently declared he would welcome the exiled Muslim Brotherhood leadership with open arms. For Hamas, the move would be perhaps even likelier given that much of its leadership is already based in Turkey - including the notorious Salah Al-Aruri, who Israeli authorities say was involved in the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teens back in June.

It would of course be a blow to the prestige of the Brotherhood and Hamas in the eyes of their mostly Arab constituency to seek refuge in a non-Arab country such as Turkey - but far more significant would be the financial cost of relocation.

"Don't forget that there's one thing Turkey can't do: Turkey can't and won't give big money. They don't have the kind of money the Qataris have," Frisch notes.

Moreover, Turkey's banking system and status as a NATO member would make it harder to directly fund Hamas, a proscribed terrorist group in Europe, the US and much of the rest of the western world.

That would only add to the financial pressure on Hamas, which is already starved for funds after falling out with its former Iranian sponsors over the Syrian civil war.

There has of course been a partial rapprochement with Tehran, but there is no doubt that Hamas, and Mashaal, are looking increasingly isolated - and precisely at a time when funds are desperately needed to recover from an exhausting conflict with Israel.

In conclusion, says Frisch, while no killer blow, "this is all very bad news for Hamas, and good news for Israel."

The Number of Volcanic Eruptions is Increasing and That Could Lead to An Extremely Cold Winter
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Economic Collapse
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Southern Residents Flee Amid Fears of Hamas Rosh Hashana Attack
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

IDF forces at Hamas terror tunnel entrance

Flash 90

The Jewish High Holidays are fast approaching, but for many residents of the Gaza Belt in the south this Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana) will be spent away from home due to the security threats still present following Operation Protective Edge.

Just this Tuesday the ceasefire reached with the terrorist group Hamas on August 26 was breached by mortar fire, although Hamas, which has breached numerous ceasefires, denied involvement and said it arrested the perpetrators.

"There are a lot of concerns, even without connection to the (mortar) fire yesterday," Danny Cohen of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha in the region told Yedioth Aharonoth. "People are concerned about Hamas's plans...the traditional (Rosh Hashana) party we throw will be very reduced this year. If last year we had 150 people, this year there will be 60."

The concerns particularly revolve around the threat of an attack occurring on Rosh Hashana. 

Let the Headlines Speak
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Enterovirus 68 confirmed in Minnesota
Minnesota is the latest state to detect a case of a respiratory illness caused by the virus known as enterovirus 68. State health officials announced Wednesday that a case had been confirmed in a child who was hospitalized with acute symptoms. The child has since been released and is recovering at home, the agency said.  

4.0 earthquake felt across Western Washington Wednesday
People throughout the Puget Sound region received an early morning wakeup call Wednesday after a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit about 17 miles west of Bremerton. The shaking started just after 3 a.m.  

Multiple Earthquakes Shake Oklahoma Wednesday Morning
Multiple earthquakes shook some Oklahoma residents awake Wednesday morning.  

Trust in Mass Media Returns to All-Time Low
After registering slightly higher trust last year, Americans' confidence in the media's ability to report "the news fully, accurately, and fairly" has returned to its previous all-time low of 40%. Americans' trust in mass media has generally been edging downward from higher levels in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.  

Why much of what our media say is a lie
Whenever a minority masquerades as a majority, the real majority is made to feel like a minority. Too many of us today have been made to feel awkward and defensive about our lifestyles, values and morality.  

Convention Unanimously Votes to Boot Congregation for Supporting Homosexuality
The California Southern Baptist Convention Executive Board has unanimously voted to withdraw fellowship from a local Southern Baptist congregation after its minister affirmed his support for homosexuality.  

Satanists handing out religious literature at schools
The Satanic Temple of New York City has been granted permission to pass out its literature to students in public schools in the Orlando, Florida, area after district officials declined to prohibit distribution of religious materials.  

Israeli Christians' New Nationality: Aramaean, not Arab
130,000 of Israel's 160,000 Christians, hitherto registered as Arabs, are expected to re-register as Aramaeans; their leaders are ecstatic. The decision “corrects a historic injustice that wrongly defined Israel's citizens of eastern-Christian descent as 'Christian Arabs,' although other than their spoken language, they have absolutely no connection to the Arab nationality,” he wrote.  

MINOR STORM WARNING
A slow-moving CME propelled toward Earth by an erupting magnetic filament on the sun is expected to arrive today, Sept. 17th.  

German virologist says world has lost Sierra Leone and Liberia to Ebola; should focus on containing disease
the window has officially closed on containing the Ebola outbreak, apart from massive international assistance. Sierra Leone and Liberia, the two hardest-hit countries, have likely already been lost to the disease, claims Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit Speaking to Germany’s Deutsche Welle (DW), Schmidt-Chanasit anticipates a regional pandemic in West Africa, one that could very well infect nearly everybody with Ebola, killing many of them in the process.  

Judge rebukes ATF over treatment of agent who infiltrated Hells Angels
The ATF managers involved in the case happen to be the same senior officials in Arizona who mishandled the Operation Fast and Furious case -- the botched anti-gunrunning sting -- including Agent in Charge Bill Newell and his assistant George Gillett.  

Expect the Unexpected: More 9.0 Megaquakes Are Coming, Study Says
No one should be surprised if a magnitude-9 megaquake erupts off America's West Coast — or anywhere else around the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," for that matter. That's the upshot of a study in October's issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America  

4-point earthquake hits Iran’s Shahmirzad
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 points was registered in Shahmirzad (Semnan Province, Iran) at 5.09am today,  

Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Just 25 Miles From Guam
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck 25 miles northwest of Guam in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of serious damage. The quake struck at more than 100 miles deep, USGS said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center added that it was too deep to trigger a tsunami.  

Islamic State shoots down Syrian war plane: monitor group
Islamic State fighters shot down a Syrian war plane using anti-aircraft guns on Tuesday, the first time the group has downed a military jet since declaring its cross-border caliphate in June, a group monitoring the civil war said. The plane came down outside Islamic State's stronghold of Raqqa city, 400 km (250 miles) northeast of Damascus, during air strikes on territory controlled by the group, a resident said.  

DARPA testing planes with a 'Star Wars'-style laser cannon
Prepare yourself for a future filled with real-life pew pew! The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is working with Lockheed Martin to test "a new beam control turret... to give 360-degree coverage for high-energy laser weapons operating on military aircraft." In other words, it stuck a primitive (by rebel standards) "Star Wars"-style laser cannon on a fighter jet and flew it over Michigan eight times.  

China's central bank said to inject $81bn into system
China's central bank is said to be injecting 500bn yuan ($81bn; £50bn) into the five biggest state-owned banks to counter slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) is reportedly giving each bank a $100bn low-interest loan over three months. The move may be the first of several stimulus measures, analysts say.  

Syria conflict: Dozens killed in strikes on Talbiseh
Almost 50 people have been killed by Syrian government air strikes in an opposition-held town, activists say. Six children were among those who died as Talbiseh, in Homs province, was bombarded for two days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. A dozen rebel fighters were also killed, the UK-based group added.  

Chinese President Xi Jinping begins India visit
China's President Xi Jinping has begun his first official visit to India, with a focus on improving trade ties and resolving the decades-old dispute over border areas. China is one of India's top trading partners and the Asian neighbours are the world's most populous countries. The two countries disagree over the demarcation of several Himalayan border areas and fought a brief war in 1962.  

Poll: Half of Palestinians support armed intifada against Israel
A public opinion poll published on Tuesday showed that half of the Palestinian public supports an armed intifada against Israel. The poll, published by the Nablus-based An-Najah University, included 1,360 Palestinians (860 from the West Bank and 500 from the Gaza Strip) above the age of 18, was conducted during the period from 11-13 September. It has a margin of error of three percent.  

New York Could Legalize Recreational Marijuana In 2015
The state of New York could legalize marijuana for recreational use as early as 2015. State Sen. Liz Krueger (D) will reintroduce the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act during the next legislative session, which begins in January, her office confirmed to The Huffington Post on Monday.  

Obama To Send 3,000 Military Forces To Fight Ebola In West Africa
resident Barack Obama declared Tuesday that the Ebola epidemic in West Africa could threaten security around the world, and he ordered 3,000 U.S. military personnel to the region in emergency aid muscle for a crisis spiraling out of control.  

Scottish independence: Final day of campaigning ahead of vote
Both sides in the Scottish referendum debate are making their final pitch to voters on the last day of campaigning. It comes as the latest polls suggested the result remained too close to call, with a slender lead for a "No" vote. First Minister Alex Salmond has written to voters appealing to them to back independence, urging "let's do this".  

Ukraine crisis: Rebels defiant over new self-rule law
A senior Ukrainian rebel leader has told the BBC a new law granting self-rule to parts of the east will not sway the demand for independence. Andrei Purgin said there were no plans to develop any political relationship - federal or otherwise - with Ukraine.  

Separatists in Quebec, Scotland share lessons
Quebec's separatists are watching closely this week to see if the Scottish independence movement has learned from their failed attempts to break away from Canada. And it could be rejuvenated if Scotland breaks away from the United Kingdom.  

Chinese envoy says North Korea's Kim Jong Un may visit Beijing
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could go to China on his first foreign trip since taking power, China's ambassador to South Korea said on Wednesday, according to a report from South Korea's Yonhap news agency.  

Moscow warns against panic as ruble plunges to historic lows
Russian authorities told people not to panic on Tuesday as the battered ruble plunged to record lows, floored by tensions with the West over Ukraine, new sanctions and falling oil prices.  

Israeli Christians' New Nationality: Aramaean, not Arab
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Father Gabriel Nadaf - flash90

Flash 90

Interior Minister Gideon Saar has instructed the Population, Immigration and Border Authority (PIBA) to allow the registration of a new nationality – Aramaean – in the identity cards of Christian citizens who were registered as Arabs until now.

In a letter to PIBA Director Amnon Ben-Ami, Saar wrote that he has “received three opinions according to which the existence of the Aramaean nationality is clear and obvious, as required by the Supreme Court's ruling.”

"The conditions required by the ruling for proving the existence of the nationality are present – including historical heritage, religion, culture, descent and language," he determined.

Saar wrote that “the registration clerks must be instructed in accordance with the Population Registry Law that a resident who first registers in the Population Registry, and who requests to be registered as an Aramaean in the nationality detail, will be able to register thus.”

Saar's decision applies to most of the Christians currently living in Israel, or about 130,000 out of a total of 160,000. They applied as a group to the Interior Ministry in 2010 and will now finally be allowed to register as Aramaeans.

A Facebook page representing supporters of Father Gabriel Nadaf, a leader of the Aramaean minority, was ecstatic over the decision.

The decision “corrects a historic injustice that wrongly defined Israel's citizens of eastern-Christian descent as 'Christian Arabs,' although other than their spoken language, they have absolutely no connection to the Arab nationality,” he wrote.

In an emotional letter to Saar, Nadaf thanked him for Israeli society's “pluralism and its openness to absorbing religious and ethnic minorities out of love and acceptance, without any discrimination, according to the principles of democracy, individual freedom, freedom of conscience and freedom of worship.”

Father Nadaf said that the Christians wish to become “an inseparable part” of Israeli society make their voices heard “in the social, economic, academic and political sphere in the state of Israel.”

He went further and said that the decision is even more meaningful in a regional and historic perspective.

“This is the first time that a Middle Eatern state recognizes the Aramaean-Christian minority as a legitimate nationality and acts to preserve it, the teaching of its language and its absorption in society,” he wrote.

"In contrast with the region's countries, in which Christians and other minorities are systematically murdered, churches are destroyed and people are forced to hide their identities just because they are defined as Christians – while with every decade that the world progresses, the Arab countries go a decade backward – the state of Israel has made a giant lead forward.”

Nadaf is unique among Orthodox Christian leaders in that he advocates a strong connection between his community and the state – and for that he has been sanctioned by the official Greek Orthodox church, which has sought to have him defrocked.

Arab MKs have also condemned him, calling him “an agent of Zionism who seeks to divide Arabs.” Nadaf has also been threatened with violence, and even death, he told Israeli reporters. But he insists that he represents a sizable portion of the Christian Israeli community.

"We feel secure in the state of Israel,” Nadaf has said, “and we see ourselves as citizens of the state with all the attendant rights as well as obligations.”

Islamic State Magazine Dabiqs Disturbing Apocalyptic Message
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily Newsnews.com.au
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

 

Propaganda magazine Dabiq is shocking in its content and is widely available Source: Supplied

INSTRUCTIONS for invasion, boasting of killings and martyrdom, and apocalyptic predictions line the pages of Islamic State’s shocking magazine.

Named after a town in northern Syria, flagged as the location of “Armageddon”, DABIQ is a professional-looking publication, and it’s disturbingly accessible.

Three 50-page volumes of the extremist propaganda mag, used by the terror outfit to recruit and radicalise foreigners are available online and published in a number of languages, including English.

An explanation of the name of the magazine in the first issue outlines the apocalyptic message and makes sense of some of the destructive images of a world in destruction that are common across the publication’s three issues.

“This place (Dabiq) was mentioned in a hadith describing some of the events of the Malahim (what is sometimes referred to as Armageddon in English). One of the greatest battles between the Muslims and the crusaders will take place near Dabiq,” it reads.

The editorial goes on to detail the outfit’s aim, outlining a blunt terror agenda.

“The Muslims today have a loud, thundering statement, and possess heavy boots. They have a statement to make that will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism, and boots that will trample the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy, and uncover its deviant nature.”

An article in the first issue, entitled The Return of Khilafah, infers the magazine has been published by popular demand.

“After a review of some of the comments received on the first issue of Islamic State News and Islamic State Report, AlHayat Media Center decided to carry on the effort — in sha’allah — into a periodical magazine focusing on issues of tawhid, manhaj, hijrah, jihad, and jama’ah,” the foreword reads.

“It will also contain photo reports, current events, and informative articles on matters related to the Islamic State.”

The propaganda publication delivers exactly as promised, with disturbingly frank reports on IS conquests.

Chilling sections celebrating martyrdom through jihad, the destruction of democracy, stoning of women for adultery and images of dead bodies are interspersed with news about Ramadan festivities and caring for orphans.

 

There are pictures of corpses, scenes of destruction, and a feature defending the beheading of American journalist James Foley.

And of course there are instructions, direct from “a messenger of Allah”.

“You will invade the Arabian Peninsula, and Allah will enable you to conquer it. You will then invade Persia, and Allah will enable you to conquer it. You will then invade Rome, and Allah will enable you to conquer it. Then you will fight the Dajjal, and Allah will enable you to conquer him.”

Another message in the magazine’s third issue, The Flood, addresses readers’ “obligations”. “Many readers are probably asking about their obligations towards the Khilafah right now. Therefore the Dabiq team wants to convey the position of the Islamic State leadership on this important matter.”

Strong anti-US messages are illustrated with images of President Obama and Senator John McCain. The messaging casts the West as “Romans” or “crusaders”, and divides people into two camps — “the camp of Islam, and the camp of kufr (disbelief) and hypocrisy”.

Analysts say the magazine’s focus is on recruitment and state-building, and focuses on attracting young radicalised Western Muslims to Syria, rather than urging them to carry out attacks.

 

Robert Danin, an expert with the Council of Foreign Relations explains how Dabiq has harnessed this propaganda strategy.

“Employ Islamic apocalyptic tradition — with the West as the modern day Romans — to mobilise followers. Both the organisation and its new recruits understand this script, made all the more relevant and compelling by the recent debate about U.S. air strikes in Syria,” he writes.

“Other militant jihadists have used this approach before.

“This prophetic rhetoric, coupled with ISIS’s claim to establish the first Caliphate since the Ottoman Empire, aims to place the organisation as the sole legitimate representative of Muslims and the inevitable enemy of the Western world. It can be a powerful message, one that has already helped bolster ISIS’s popular support.”

Islamic State Magazine Dabiq
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily Newsnews.com.au
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

Propaganda magazine Dabiq is shocking in its content and is widely available  

INSTRUCTIONS for invasion, boasting of killings and martyrdom, and apocalyptic predictions line the pages of Islamic State’s shocking magazine.

Named after a town in northern Syria, flagged as the location of “Armageddon”, DABIQ is a professional-looking publication, and it’s disturbingly accessible.

Three 50-page volumes of the extremist propaganda mag, used by the terror outfit to recruit and radicalise foreigners are available online and published in a number of languages, including English.

An explanation of the name of the magazine in the first issue outlines the apocalyptic message and makes sense of some of the destructive images of a world in destruction that are common across the publication’s three issues.

“This place (Dabiq) was mentioned in a hadith describing some of the events of the Malahim (what is sometimes referred to as Armageddon in English). One of the greatest battles between the Muslims and the crusaders will take place near Dabiq,” it reads.

The editorial goes on to detail the outfit’s aim, outlining a blunt terror agenda.

“The Muslims today have a loud, thundering statement, and possess heavy boots. They have a statement to make that will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism, and boots that will trample the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy, and uncover its deviant nature.”

The magazine boasts apocalyptic predictions. Issue three: The Flood. Source: Supplied

An article in the first issue, entitled The Return of Khilafah, infers the magazine has been published by popular demand.

“After a review of some of the comments received on the first issue of Islamic State News and Islamic State Report, AlHayat Media Center decided to carry on the effort — in sha’allah — into a periodical magazine focusing on issues of tawhid, manhaj, hijrah, jihad, and jama’ah,” the foreword reads.

“It will also contain photo reports, current events, and informative articles on matters related to the Islamic State.”

The propaganda publication delivers exactly as promised, with disturbingly frank reports on IS conquests.

Chilling sections celebrating martyrdom through jihad, the destruction of democracy, stoning of women for adultery and images of dead bodies are interspersed with news about Ramadan festivities and caring for orphans.

 

There are pictures of corpses, scenes of destruction, and a feature defending the beheading of American journalist James Foley.

And of course there are instructions, direct from “a messenger of Allah”.

“You will invade the Arabian Peninsula, and Allah will enable you to conquer it. You will then invade Persia, and Allah will enable you to conquer it. You will then invade Rome, and Allah will enable you to conquer it. Then you will fight the Dajjal, and Allah will enable you to conquer him.”

Another message in the magazine’s third issue, The Flood, addresses readers’ “obligations”. “Many readers are probably asking about their obligations towards the Khilafah right now. Therefore the Dabiq team wants to convey the position of the Islamic State leadership on this important matter.”

Strong anti-US messages are illustrated with images of President Obama and Senator John McCain. The messaging casts the West as “Romans” or “crusaders”, and divides people into two camps — “the camp of Islam, and the camp of kufr (disbelief) and hypocrisy”.

Analysts say the magazine’s focus is on recruitment and state-building, and focuses on attracting young radicalised Western Muslims to Syria, rather than urging them to carry out attacks.

Obama and McCain feature in anti-US messaging. Source: Supplied

Robert Danin, an expert with the Council of Foreign Relations explains how Dabiq has harnessed this propaganda strategy.

“Employ Islamic apocalyptic tradition — with the West as the modern day Romans — to mobilise followers. Both the organisation and its new recruits understand this script, made all the more relevant and compelling by the recent debate about U.S. air strikes in Syria,” he writes.

“Other militant jihadists have used this approach before.

“This prophetic rhetoric, coupled with ISIS’s claim to establish the first Caliphate since the Ottoman Empire, aims to place the organisation as the sole legitimate representative of Muslims and the inevitable enemy of the Western world. It can be a powerful message, one that has already helped bolster ISIS’s popular support.”

ISIS Declares War on Obama Hollywood Style
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

You could not be faulted for mistaking the flashy new video released by the brutal Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization for a Hollywood movie trailer.

But the clip does not foreshadow any box office smash hit - rather it threatens murder and mayhem "coming soon to theaters near you," in a direct threat on the US.

On Tuesday night ISIS's Al Hayat Media Center released the 52-second-long clip entitled "Flames of War: Fighting Has Just Begun."

The video, which features crisp picture quality and advanced cinematic techniques such as freeze frame and slow motion, is a not-so-subtle threat at US President Barack Obama's declaration that he would "degrade and ultimately destroy" ISIS, and hints that he would extend airstrikes against ISIS to Syria as well.

Obama is seen in the video saying "American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq," as the White House is shown at night and clips of previous attacks against US troops in the Middle East are flashed onscreen.

The clip ends with the ominous words "Coming Soon" in English and Arabic.

The timing of the release appears to be meaningful, as just earlier on Tuesday US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey said he recommends deploying ground forces against ISIS in Iraq, in contradiction to Obama's pledges last week.

"My view at this point is that this coalition is the appropriate way forward. ...But if it fails...then I of course would go back to the president and make a recommendation that may include the use of U.S. military ground forces," said Dempsey.

Later Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest downplayed Dempsey’s comments, saying that he was referring to a "hypothetical scenario."

The ISIS video is not the first flashy propaganda film by the jihadist organization; late last month it posted a similarly polished recruitment clip in Arabic and German with English subtitles meant to gain new terrorists from the West.

Intelligence Minister Warns EU Against 'Bad Deal' on Iran
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Minister Yuval Steinitz

Flash 90

Israel's Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz on Wednesday urged the European Union (EU) not to make a "bad deal" with Iran over its nuclear program, ahead of crucial talks.

Steinitz suggested outgoing EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton may be in a rush to conclude a deal before she steps down at the end of this year.

He also said the fight against Islamist extremists in Iraq and Syria should not harm efforts to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

Iran and world powers are preparing for new talks starting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week in New York.

Western countries, including the US, accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

"We appreciate Catherine Ashton's efforts, but the Iranians might tend to believe that if somebody has to finish his job on this date, then somebody will have extra motivation to try to conclude a deal," he said.

"I hope this is not the case. I hope that Catherine Ashton can say, 'OK, I've tried but if the Iranians have shown no flexibility so far... maybe there is no deal,'" Steinitz said.

"We are deeply concerned... we feel the negotiation is going in the wrong direction," he added, without elaborating.

Israel has long threatened military action against Iran to stop it obtaining nuclear weapons capability, and slammed world powers including its US ally for opening up talks with Iran last year.

Steinitz urged world powers not to sideline the Iran issue as they concentrate on battling terrorists from the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria, echoing remarks made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last week.

"Some people think let's clean the table, let's close the Iranian file," he said.

"Israel supports the coalition against (IS) ... but not at the expense of the struggle against the Iranian nuclear project," he said.

Hamas Denies Qatar is Expelling Leader Khaled Mashaal
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Homeless Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal

Flash 90

Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal has reportedly become a persona non grata in his erstwhile home of Qatar, after the Gulf state decided to expel the terrorist group's leader due to international pressure.

However, Hamas spokesperson Ismail Radwan responded by claiming the reports were not true, and were only meant to "sow tension and confusion," distancing Hamas and Qatar. According to Radwan, Mashaal is not being expelled.

International outcry has demanded that Qatar, a key sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Gaza offshoot Hamas, distance itself from terror, and has included calls to stop Qatar from hosting the World Cup in 2022 unless it ceases its funding of terrorism.

That pressure on Saturday led Qatar to expel seven senior Muslim Brotherhood members in an effort to close ever growing gaps with Egypt; by contrast Turkey, also a leading sponsor of Hamas, said it would welcome the seven leaders.

Experts have argued in recent months that Qatar's oil resources and financial ties with the West have prevented western countries from threatening the Gulf state regarding its terror ties, even as they note Qatar hopes to be viewed as an enlightened nation by the world, making its hosting of the World Cup a key pressure point for the country.

This is in fact not the first time in recent weeks that Qatar has weighed expelling Mashaal.

Back in August during Operation Protective Edge, a senior member of the Palestinian Authority (PA) said Hamas chose to breach one of the many ceasefires with Israel due to a Qatari threat to expel Mashaal.

The source reported that Qatar had pushed Hamas to demand it play an active role in Cairo truce talks, a proposal which Egypt refused, stipulating that Qatar apologize for its policies as the leading sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatar specifically stated it would force Mashaal to leave if Hamas agreed to the Egyptian truce proposal in its structure at the time.

Indeed Hamas rejected the proposal, with Mashaal saying "we want serious negotiations that lead to an end of the aggression on Gaza and granting the Palestinian demands."

While Qatar may have finally submitted to international pressure and asked Mashaal to leave, it is worth noting that the state remains a key sponsor of the Hamas terror organization.

Reportedly Mashaal is currently considering moving to Tunisia or Turkey

FBIs Facial Recognition Technology Goes Fully Operational
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Washington Times
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The federal government's Next Generation Identification System — a biometric database that relies largely on facial-recognition technology — is now fully operational, the FBI announced Monday.

"This effort is a significant step forward for the criminal justice community in utilizing biometrics as an investigative enabler," the FBI said in a statement.

The latest advance in the technology gives users the ability to receive "ongoing status notifications" about individuals' criminal histories, the FBI said. That means if, for instance, a teacher commits an offense, law enforcement can be immediately informed — and then pass that information on to administrators.

It's to monitor criminal histories of those "in positions of trust," the FBI said.

The NGIS's Interstate Photo System gives law enforcement agencies — from police to probation and parole officers — the ability to access facial technology imagery contained in criminal databases.

But privacy and civil rights groups are alarmed.

"One of the risks here, without assessing the privacy considerations, is the prospect of mission creep with the use of biometric identifies," Jeramie Scott, national security counsel with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told the National Journal. "It's been almost two years since the FBI said they were going to do an updated privacy assessment and nothing has occurred."

FBI director James Comey told Capitol Hill lawmakers earlier this year that agents weren't trying to create a national database of Orwellian proportions; rather, they're only trying to "find bad guys by matching pictures to mugshots," National Journal reported.

Experimental Ebola Drug Showing Promise
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

An American infectious diseases expert announced that an experiment run by the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company, involving an Ebola vaccine, has not shown any unusual side effects thus far.

The experiment took place on the 2nd of September. Ten healthy people took part. Ten more healthy volunteers will receive the vaccine in the next few days.

Crowdfunding Campaign for Third Temple Close to Goal
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Prophecy

Money (illustration)

Thinkstock

A crowdfunding initiative to rebuild the Third Temple in Jerusalem has gained steam, the Temple Institute stated Wednesday, and is close to reaching its $100,000 goal. 

The indiegogo campaign has reached close to $71,000 in fifty days, according to the Institute, and is expected to surpass the target before the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) next week.

Over 700 pledges have come in from more than 25 countries worldwide, it said; the campaign page itself has received 10,000 shares on Facebook, while the promotional pitch video, which depicts a digital rendition of the Holy Temple on the modern day Temple Mount has been viewed by over 150,000 people. 

The funds raised from the Indiegogo campaign will be used to continue the research of the Institute and to commission additional architectural plans. 

The architects, the Institute says, will combine Jewish law with modern technology to prepare for a fully modern third Temple, Kosher to the letter of the law but including modifications like underground parking, heating and computerized washing stations that minimize water waste.

This is the third annual campaign the Temple Institute has launched for its project to draw up architectural plans, which began three years ago with the Chamber of Hewn Stone. An online 3D video rendition of the Chamber can be viewed below.

Rabbi Chaim Richman, International Director of the Temple Institute, explained why they chose the novel approach of fund raising through crowed funding.

"We are constantly looking for ways to include as many people as possible in our mission to rebuild the Holy Temple," Rabbi Richman said. "This is not about one group or organization; it's about bringing about a spiritual reunification of mankind, today with the help of the internet our message is resonating across the globe."

"Our decision to use Indiegogo for this campaign was an extension of our success on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter," he added. 

This year's initiative is part of its wider campaigns to train kohen-priests for Temple duties and rebuild the instruments in the priestly services. 

Crowdfunding for the blueprints ends next week, on September 25.

48% of Scots Favor Separation from Britain
Sep 17th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

48% of Scottish nationals support a separation from Britain, a poll run by the British ICM survey center found.

According to the survey, 52% of the citizens do not support separation, a 3% drop since the previous poll. The highly anticipated referendum will take place next week.