Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The Bubonic Plague in Madagascar Has Infected More Than 100 People, and It Could Keep Spreading
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsBustle
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

This week, the World Health Organization warned of the quick spread of bubonic plague in Madagascar’s densely populated capital city, Antananarivo. According to Madagascar’s health ministry, the plague in Madagascar has already infected a suspected 138 people this year — 47 of whom have died. Infamous for decimating the European population during the Middle Ages in what became known as the Black Death, the bubonic plague is caused by a bacteria endemic to rodents and can spread to humans through flea bites. Today, the disease is treatable with antibiotics if caught early enough.

The first case was identified in a rural village on August 31, and the plague has since spread through the country and into the overcrowded capital. Citing the lack of a highly developed health system in Madagascar and the flea population’s growing resistance to a popular insecticide, WHO cautioned that the disease outbreak could accelerate if not controlled.

In the more common bubonic form of plague, the infected patients experience painful swellings of the lymph nodes called bubo. This version of the disease has a slower onset and responds to antibiotics.

But the WHO is also worried about the spread of a second plague — pneumonic plague, one of the most deadly infectious diseases. When the plague bacteria reaches the lungs, people develop pneumonia-like symptoms and can die within 24 hours of infection. They can also spread the disease to others by coughing alone, which increases the likelihood of passing on the bacteria.

Only two percent of Madagascar’s plague cases identified so far are pneumonic, according to WHO.

The U.N. health organization also noted that it was working with partners to advise a public-health task force on how to contain and control the plague’s spread. According to the Centers for Disease Control, health agencies should work on target rodent habitats near people and try to limit contact with fleas. The Madagascar health ministry reported disinfecting some 200 households in 2014 thus far.

At the moment, WHO does not recommend placing any travel bans or trade restrictions on the island nation.

But eliminating the plague in Madagascar, particularly in the rodent-infested slums around the major cities, will be no easy task. While the last serious outbreak of the plague in the capital city took hold 10 years ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross has continued to report an average of 500 cases of the plague in the country each year since 2009.

According to Christophe Rogier, who directs the Institut Pasteur in Madagascar — an infectious disease research center — the plague might have continued to live unabated in the rat populations for years before making the bacteria made another leap to humans. He told The Daily: 

It is possible that the plague continued to survive in Antananarivo for 10 years without touching humans, he said. Rats are a natural reservoir of the plague, and they also survive the plague.

NATO Prepares 'Spearhead' to Ward Off Russia
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsDW
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has voiced concern about Russia's "aggressive" behavior. He told a press conference that the alliance was working on a "spearhead" to deter any possible threat.

Beginning early next year NATO will have a new reaction force ready, which can be deployed more rapidly on its eastern border. This new force, called "interim spearhead," will consist of a few hundred troops from Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. Troops will rotate in terms of their state of readiness, but remain at bases in their home countries.

The new secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, announced the plan to support the Baltic members of the alliance during a press conference in Brussels at NATO headquarters.

Concerned by increased Russian military activities on land, at sea and in the air in the wake of the crisis around Ukraine, NATO decided at its summit meeting in Wales in early September to strengthen its military presence in the Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, which have a common border with either Russia or Belarus.

NATO chief diplomat Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that, in his view, Russia continues to violate international law and is shipping goods and weapons to the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. In 2016, he said, NATO intends to have a fully equipped spearhead force in place, which could be deployed to the Baltic member states in 48 hours to "deter and defend" in every possible crisis. The secretary general called on Russia to make a choice and to return to the negotiating table. "It will be an advantage for Russia, but also an advantage for NATO, if Russia chooses another path and starts to respect international law and the sovereignty of all nations and the rule-based system, we have tried to establish for so many years in Europe", said Stoltenberg.

Russia wary of 'destabilization'

The reaction from Moscow was quick. NATO was destabilizing northern Europe by holding exercises and "transferring aircraft carriers able to carry nuclear weapons to the Baltic sea", the Russian deputy ministers for foreign affairs, Alexei Meshkow, told the news agency Interfax.

However, Stoltenberg stressed the alliance would not have any direct military role in the crisis around Ukraine. The western alliance would not deliver weapons or equipment, Stoltenberg told the international press, but some NATO-member states could do that on a bilateral basis.

NATO set up several trust funds to finance military reforms and better training for the armed forces in Ukraine. "We stick to our open door policy", said Stoltenberg.

Ukraine, Georgia and other democracies can become NATO members in the future. There will be no formal or informal guarantees to Russia in that respect, underlined NATO diplomats in Brussels. Russia is opposing the possible enlargement of NATO vigorously. "My main message is that I respect the decisions taken by the Ukrainians. Ukraine decided some years ago to be a non-bloc nation. Then, I respected that. Now, I have seen that the new government is announcing that they will change that. If they do, I will of course respect that too", said Stoltenberg.

Conciliatory approach

Behind the scenes, the former Norwegian prime minister is trying to convince his Russian counterparts to again participate in the NATO-Russia-Council. This body was created to deal with all questions concerning the security of Russia and NATO, but the meetings are suspended since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis and the annexation of Crimea by Russia. Stoltenberg's rhetoric towards Moscow is less sharp than the belligerent words of his predecessor Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Although he insists that Russia's behavior towards NATO is more "aggressive" than last year, he wants to open up a new channel for dialogue, said NATO diplomats in Brussels.

NATO is about to launch its new mission "Resolute Support" in Afghanistan in January 2015. The former combat mission to fight terrorism and the Taliban is coming to a close soon. Most of the combat troops, present there for almost 13 years, have already left the country. The new support mission for the Afghan security forces will consist of 20 000 troops, mainly from the US. In many parts of the country, Taliban rebels are intensifying their attacks to put pressure on the new government of President Ashraf Ghani. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg insisted that the security situation is not deteriorating and that the new mission will not have a combat role.

"I am very much aware that there have been attacks and we also have seen casualties. But at the same time we have seen strong and capable national security forces of Afghanistan being able to be responsible for security all over the country."

Seeking Afghan stability

The Afghan security forces have now 350, 000 men and women under arms, but many experts fear they are still not able to guarantee stability in all parts of the war-torn country. President Ghani will meet the foreign ministers of NATO on Tuesday in Brussels to talk about his plans to reform the security forces. Referring to media reports, he intends to replace senior civilian and military leaders in some volatile provinces of Afghanistan to reinvigorate the fight against Taliban militants.

After four weeks in office the new secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, is not very happy about the fact that NATO is so much in the spotlight. As the year 2014 comes to a close, the challenges for NATO are much more complicated with threats creeping in from the east and the south, meaning Russia and the ISIL-Terrorists, said Stoltenberg. "The reason why NATO is more in the focus now is that we have a more dangerous world. And of course I never welcome a more dangerous world."

Let the Headlines Speak
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Guess What Happened The Last Time The Price Of Oil Crashed Like This?…

The last time this happened was during the second half of 2008, and the beginning of that oil price crash preceded the great financial collapse that happened later that year by several months. Well, now it is happening again, but this time the stakes are even higher. When the price of oil falls dramatically, that is a sign that economic activity is slowing down.  

Ohio’s Portman Opts Out of 2016 Race as Jeb Bush Hints He’s In

For months, Republicans said that Portman, who is close to former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, would not run for president if former Florida Governor Jeb Bush sought the party’s 2016 nomination. Jeb Bush said at a Wall Street Journal conference yesterday that he will make a decision soon.  

Scientists Predicting Strength of Future Earthquakes
Scientists know where earthquakes are likely to take place. But it is difficult for them to predict how strong an earthquake will be. Now, American researchers have found that it may be possible to predict the strength of future quakes.  

Louisiana Democrat: Vote Multiple Times, You Won't Be Prosecuted
Democratic officials and campaign operatives have been caught on tape encouraging illegal voting on several occasions in recent election cycles, and anti-voter ID activists have literally cheered a swing-state poll worker who was convicted of the practice.  

Pope's anti-slavery drive gets multifaith support
Pope Francis and the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, were joined Tuesday by Hindu guru Mata Amritanandamayi, as well as Jewish, Buddhist, and Shiite and Sunni Muslim representatives for a signing ceremony of a joint declaration against modern slavery.  

Earthquake Shook Mexico City
Four aftershocks of lesser intensity were registered in the Mexican capital early morning today after an earthquake of 3.4 magnitude on the Richter scale.  

Vanuatu hangings lead to fears of sorcery violence spreading across Pacific
Mass arrests in Vanuatu after village hanging of alleged sorcerers raises concerns that witchcraft mob violence may be spreading across the Pacific.  

Obama's plan to shut down Guantanamo Bay detainee facility suffers major setback
Obama’s plan to close the federal prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba hit a major snag Monday as lawmakers finalizing the annual defense policy bill rejected steps to shut down the facility. The final defense bill will not have a provision giving the president the power to transfer terror suspects to the U.S. if Congress signs off on the plan, said Sen. Carl Levin.  

Understanding Islamic Terrorism as Religious Sacrifice
Islamic terrorism is founded upon assorted fantasies of redemption through sacrifice. Today, the universal Jihadist rallying cry, "We love death," animates much of what is presented publicly as "liberation" or "self-determination,"[1] and is common to a broad variety of terrorist groups. This variegated collection includes both Sunni and Shia elements.  

U.S. to discuss possible new Russia sanctions with European allies
Kerry will talk to European allies this week about imposing further sanctions on Russia if pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine do not halt violence, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday.  

Students Urge Gov't: Recognize Abbas's Role in Munich Massacre
Over the past several years, it has been revealed on multiple occasions that Abbas was closely linked to Munich mastermind Abu Daoud. Abbas praised Abu Daoud in 2010, saying "he was one of the leading figures of Fatah and spent his life in resistance and sincere work as well as physical sacrifice for his people's just causes."  

Comparison of Pope's Joint Statement in Turkey vs Jerusalem: Jews dropped from dialogue in Turkey statement
Muslims and Christians are called to work together for the sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights of every person, especially in those regions where they once lived for centuries in peaceful coexistence  

Jeb Bush urges U.S. Republicans to lead, not just oppose Obama
Republicans need to take advantage of their majority in the U.S. Congress to pass bills rather than simply opposing Democratic President Barack Obama's priorities, potential presidential candidate Jeb Bush said on Monday.  

Lebanese Army detains wife, son of ISIS leader
A wife and a son of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi have been arrested by the Lebanese Army, Beirut security officials said. They were detained in coordination with "foreign intelligence apparatus,” reported the local press.  

Islamic State May Possess Nuclear Material Stolen From Iraq: Report
Islamic State terror group may have developed a nuclear device by using radioactive uranium stolen from Iraq's Mosul University after seizing control of the city last June, according to a British media report.  

Ebola response refined amid efforts to bring outbreak under control
Marking 60 days since the establishment of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), its chief said the set target on safe burials has been exceeded in the three worst-affected countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – while the second target on isolating patients had been reached in Liberia and Guinea, but only in some parts of Sierra Leone.  

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits seas off S. Philippines
A magnitude-6.4 earthquake jolted seas off the southern Philippine province of Sultan Kudarat at 1: 11 p.m. local time (0511 GMT) on Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported.  

US attorney general calls for end to racial profiling
US Attorney General Eric Holder has announced plans to "help end racial profiling once and for all". He was speaking in Atlanta in the wake of mass protests surrounding the shooting dead of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a white policeman. Mr Holder was speaking at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where Martin Luther King preached.  

Pope blasts Christian, Muslim fundamentalists while leaving Turkey
Pope Francis said on Sunday that equating Islam with violence was wrong and called on Muslim leaders to issue a global condemnation of terrorism to help dispel the stereotype. Francis, the leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, told reporters aboard his plane returning from a visit to Turkey that he understood why Muslims were offended by many in the West who automatically equated their religion with terrorism.  

Rise of Islamic schooling in Turkey upsets secular parents
Turkey has seen a sharp rise in religious schooling under reforms which President Tayyip Erdogan casts as a defense against moral decay, but which opponents see as an unwanted drive to shape a more Islamic nation. Almost a million students are enrolled in "imam hatip" schools this year, up from just 65,000 in 2002 when Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party first came to power, he told the opening of one of the schools in Ankara last month.  

UN envoy to request set date to establish Palestinian state in next round of peace talks
Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour said Tuesday that by the end of December, he will submit a first draft of a request to renew peace talks with Israel to the UN Security Council, which will include a set date for establishing a Palestinian state, according to Israel Radio. Mansour said that the request draft will also include a date by which the Israeli and the Palestinian delegations must come to an agreement.  

Livni: New elections are to replace extremist, provocative, paranoid government
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni on Tuesday let loose at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the impending elections will "not be over zero value added tax," but over replacing a government she accused of "extremism, provocativeness and paranoia" without knowing how to fight terror while also "upholding freedom and Zionism."  

Ebola: World Bank lowers 2014 growth for worst-hit nations
The World Bank has revised downwards its 2014 GDP growth projections for the three nations worst hit by the current Ebola outbreak - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. "The Ebola epidemic continues to cripple the economies," it said. Its report comes as bank President Jim Yong Kim begins a two-day visit to West Africa to assess the impact. The World Health Organization (WHO) says 5,987 people have died from Ebola in the three nations.  

UN suspends food aid to 1.7 million Syrian refugees
The World Food Programme (WFP) suspended food aid to more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, blaming a financing crisis caused by unhonoured cash pledges. The Rome-based UN agency said refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt risked going hungry this winter if donors do not urgently provide the $64 million (51 million euros) needed to finance the distribution of food vouchers through December.  

Putin drops South Stream gas pipeline to EU, courts Turkey
Russia on Monday scrapped the South Stream pipeline project to supply natural gas to southern Europe without crossing Ukraine, citing European Union objections, and instead named Turkey as its preferred partner for an alternative pipeline, with a promise of hefty discounts.  

US-led strikes hit IS garrison, 'electronic warfare' unit
Warplanes from the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group hit dozens of jihadist vehicles and bases, including an "electronic warfare garrison," in four days of strikes, the US military.  

Total US Debt Rises Over $18 Trillion; Up 70% Under Barack Obama
Last week, total US debt was a meager $17,963,753,617,957.26. Two days later, as updated today, on Black Friday, total outstanding US public debt just hit a new historic level which probably would be better associated with a red color: as of the last work day of November, total US public debt just surpassed $18 trillion for the first time, or $18,005,549,328,561.45 to be precise, of which debt held by the public rose to $12,922,681,725,432.94, an increase of $32 billion in one day.  

Palestinian woman stabs Israeli, shot by security forces
A Palestinian woman stabbed an Israeli in the occupied West Bank on Monday and was then shot and wounded by security forces, the military and police said.  

Unrepentant' Nazi war criminal died in Syria, source says
SS captain Alois Brunner was second-in-command to Adolf Eichmann, who called Brunner his "best man." The news of his death in 2010 at the age of 98 came from a former German secret service agent deemed reliable by the center.  

Islamic State May Possess Nuclear Material Stolen from Iraq: Report
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsNDTV
Categories: Today's Headlines;War

It is claimed the device includes uranium from a stash of 40 kilograms looted by IS.

London:  Islamic State terror group may have developed a nuclear device by using radioactive uranium stolen from Iraq's Mosul University after seizing control of the city last June, according to a British media report.

Militants boasted of the device on social media, with one even commenting on the destruction such a bomb would wreak in London, four months after the chemical went missing from Mosul University, Mirror newspaper reported.

One of the extremists making online threats to the West is British explosives expert Hamayun Tariq, who fled his home in the UK for the Middle East in 2012.

Using the alias, Muslim-al-Britani, he tweeted, "O by the way, Islamic State does have a dirty bomb. We found some radioactive material from Mosul University."

He wrote: "We'll find out what dirty bombs are and what they do. We'll also discuss what might happen if one actually went off in a public area."

A dirty bomb is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives.

It is claimed the device includes uranium from a stash of 40 kilograms looted by IS.

Iraq's UN Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim informed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the theft in a letter on July 8.

He wrote: "Terrorist groups have seized control of nuclear material at the sites that came out of the control of the state."

If the bomb does exist, militants are far more likely to use it in Syria or Iraq, rather than trying to smuggle it into a Western country, the report said.

The IS militants have captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. It is a splinter group of the al-Qaeda which has distanced itself from the outfit, chiding it for its aggressive and brutal expansion.

The IS gained international attention in August, when its fighters and those from other militant groups swept through the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, then overran swaths of territory north and west of Baghdad.

ISIS Threat Warning Issued to Military, Intel Personnel
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsCBS News
Categories: Today's Headlines;War

Iran Attacks Islamic State Targets in Iraq
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsThe Times of Israel
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

An American F-4 Phantom (photo credit: US Navy)

Iranian jets carried out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq’s Diyala Province, new video footage appears to show.

The footage first aired on Al-Jazeera on Sunday and shows F-4 jets bombing IS ground targets in support of the Iraqi forces retaking the Kurdish towns Sa’adiya and Jawlala on November 25. The American-made aircraft have been in use in Iran since the 1960s, purchased in deals between the US government and the Shah. The American air force discontinued their use in the 1990s, as did the Israeli Air Force in 2004.

The joint operation between Iraqi military and Kurdish peshmerga forces to re-take the towns near the Iranian border was Iraq’s largest offensive against the terrorist group since June.

Parts of the Al-Jazeera report included video footage of what the news channel called “Iraqi jet-fighters.” However, military analysts from Jane’s Information Group were quick to point out that the aircraft were actually Iranian F-4 Phantom II jets.

The F-4 Phantom is not in Iraqi service and is only used by two countries in the region, Iran and Turkey, according to reports. The close proximity to the Iranian border, and Turkey’s unwillingness to aid Kurdish forces militarily, indicate that the aircraft almost certainly belong to the Iranian Air Force.

Although Iran has given military aid to the Iraqi army and trained Shiite militias, the Al-Jazeera footage appears to be the first visual confirmation of Iran’s direct involvement in the conflict.

Senior Iranian military officials have indicated that Tehran would take “direct action” if the Sunni extremists attacked Baghdad or Shiite shrines in Iraq.

Hong Kong Leader Warns of 'Action' Over Clashes
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsSky News
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hong Kong's chief executive says police have been "tolerant" as protesters say they will "escalate" demands for free elections.

Gold Slaps Skeptics
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsAmerica's Markets
Categories: One World Church;Contemporary Issues

Gold futures soared 3.6% Monday, buoyed by a rebound in oil prices, a drop in the value of the U.S. dollar on international currency markets and a downgrade of Japan’s government debt.

A gold bar. (Photo credit: Lauren Gustus, Gannett)

Gold for February delivery rose $42.60, to $1,218.10 an ounce. The yellow metal has been in a protracted bear market since 2011, when it hit $1,895 an ounce.

Gold is prized as an alternative currency, because gold has been used as a currency for thousands of years. When the value of the dollar drops on the currency markets, gold rises, and vice-versa. The euro rebounded from its long slide today, rising to $1.2474, a 0.74% gain.

Gold also rises when people fear inflation, and oil’s 4.9% gain today could push inflation higher if it continues to rise. Energy is a major component of the government’s consumer price index.

Many investors may have been betting that Switzerland would vote down a law requiring the country to increase its gold reserves — which it did. Gold prices fell early Monday on the news, but snapped back, possibly the result of pessimists closing out their positions. In the futures markets, you have to buy gold to close out a bet that prices will fall — a process called short covering.

Finally, gold can rise on worries of global disruption and unrest. When Moody’s downgraded Japan’s government debt, it created uncertainty about Japan’s massive debt, currently about 200% of its gross domestic product.

Gold is an investment that rises on investors’ fears, whether or not they’re well-founded. Gold rallied in 2010 2011 largely on fears that the Federal Reserve’s bond-buying program would create inflation. It didn’t, and the gold rally stalled.

France Working on Alternate Resolution on Israel - PA Talks
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

PA's UN envoy says a draft resolution to revive peace talks will be presented to the UN Security Council by the middle of the month.

A draft resolution to revive talks on a final Israeli-Palestinian settlement is expected be presented to the UN Security Council by the middle of the month, the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) to the United Nations said Monday, according to AFP.

The representative, Riyad Mansour, said the text being shepherded by France is expected to lay out a timeframe for negotiations on a final peace deal and possibly a second deadline for Palestinian statehood.

"The French are moving more and more, trying to bring all the European colleagues together, and I think that eventually they will succeed," Mansour told AFP.

The French-led European initiative is expected to be discussed in Brussels on Tuesday when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks with European ministers during a NATO meeting.

The position of the United States, which has repeatedly vetoed UN resolutions seen as pressuring Israel, will be crucial in deciding if the latest push at the United Nations stands a chance, noted AFP.

The PA, which is being backed by the Arab League, has been pushing for a draft resolution that calls for ending the “Israeli occupation” by November 2016.

The text however ran into opposition from the United States and other members of the council, opening the way for the Europeans to try to present an alternative draft.

Mansour said he expected a new draft to be submitted to the Council "soon, possibly in the middle of the month," with a vote to quickly follow.

Any unilateral moves by the PA seeking recognition of a Palestinian state are in violation of the Oslo Accords.

In addition to threatening Israel with UN moves, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas also recently threatened to cut ties with Israel if his unilateral move at the UN fails.

He also reaffirmed on Saturday that the PA “will never recognize the Jewishness of the state of Israel” and said that the security coordination between Israel and the PA would be suspended unless peace negotiations resume.

FBI, Homeland Security Warn Vets Over ISIS Threat - in the U.S.
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;War

ISIS terrorist in Raqqa, Syria (file)

Reuters

US authorities are highly concerned that Islamic State (ISIS) is targeting its military servicemen - not only in the Middle East, but at home. 

An internal memo obtained by ABC News Monday night revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have asked veterans to carefully monitor their social media accounts in the threat's wake. 

"The FBI and DHS recommend that current and former members of the military review their online social media accounts for any information that might serve to attract the attention of ISIL [ISIS] and its supporters," the federal bulletin sent to law enforcement agencies Sunday said, advising that troops "routinely exercise operational security in their interactions online."

"The FBI recently received reporting indicating individuals overseas are spotting and assessing like-minded individuals who are willing and capable of conducting attacks against current and former U.S.-based members of the United States military," it added.

The primary concern is over "copycat attacks" similar to the October attack on the Canadian parliament. In that attack, the gunman, 32 year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, opened fire at Canada's National War Memorial and Parliament Hill, killing army reservist Cpl. Nathan Cirillo. Zehaf-Bibeau was then shot and killed by security.

Ottawa later stated that Zehaf-Bibeau was driven by "ideological" motivations - a reference to the Canadian citizen's aspirations to join ISIS and had ties to jihadists in Canada who shared his Islamist views. 

ISIS has threatened attacks in North America on more than one occasion, and has specifically addressed the videoed executions of American journalists as "messages to [US President Barack] Obama" over the US-led Western air campaign against the group in Iraq and Syria. 

But the bulletin belies the brave face put on by US Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the ISIS threat, as Kerry stated just weeks ago that Washington is "not intimidated" by the Islamists. 

"The United States does not go in search of enemies in the Middle East. There are times, however, and this is one, when enemies come in search of us," Kerry said in November. 

ISIS "leaders assume that the world will be too intimidated to oppose them," he added. "But let us be clear: We are not intimidated."

'Islamic State' Claims Responsibility for Last Week's Shooting in Saudi Arabia
Dec 2nd, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;War

Supporters of the “Islamic State” have released a video it says shows the shooting of a Danish national in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last week, the SITE Monitoring Service reported. The Dane survived the attack.

Last month the ISIS instructed its supporters in the Kingdom to attack Shi’ite Muslims, government officials and westerners, due to the country's support of strikes against the terror organization.

Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry told Reuters last month that it had already identified up to 2,000 Saudis who had left to join the fighting in Syria and Iraq, of which 600 had returned and were now under arrest, remainder having died.