Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday that raids such as the one that killed Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler will be at the center of a revamped U.S. strategy in Iraq and Syria.

Carter told a Senate panel that more direct raids on the ground and from the air will be accompanied by renewed support for local forces to take Ramadi and Raqqa, two of the front lines in the stymied war against the Islamic State. However, he said the DOD does not support a no-fly zone to protect allied rebels in Syria from Russian bombing, despite calls for it from some lawmakers, Hillary Clinton and former Pentagon officials.

President Barack Obama’s administration is rethinking its campaign after a year of setbacks including the failure of a train-and-equip program in Syria, a lack of progress in taking back territory from the Islamic militants in Iraq, and the recent entry of Russia on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

“We won’t hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against (the Islamic State), or conducting such missions directly, whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground,” Carter said during testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

More ground raids mean higher risk for American servicemembers and will no doubt raise questions over mission creep more than one year into the new war in the Middle East.

The White House has maintained troops are not in combat in Iraq and Syria. Instead, it says the United States is running special operations, counter-terrorism, training and advisory, and humanitarian missions.

Wheeler, a special operator, was killed last week in a joint U.S.-peshmerga raid to rescue 70 Iraqi hostages who were slated for execution by the Islamic State. Special operations raids are typically secretive and the DOD acknowledgement that it will conduct more signals a more aggressive and public approach for the United States.

“The death of Master Sgt. Wheeler might not be the last death of an American servicemember in this war against (the Islamic State),” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said.

Carter confirmed the danger to troops, telling senators that the military is adapting with a more effective strategy than in the past.

“They are in harm’s way in this fight against (the Islamic State), no doubt about it,” he said.

In Raqqa, moderate Syrian allies are within 30 miles from the Islamic State’s seat of power and the United States will provide more equipment and stepped up air strikes to assist in an assault. Meanwhile, Iraq has now deployed American-made F-16 fighter jets and more capable military commanders as it works to retake Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.

“As we see more progress toward assembling capable and motivated Iraqi forces under Baghdad’s control and including Sunni elements, we are willing to continue providing more enabling capabilities and fire support to help our Iraqi partners succeed,” Carter said.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., pressed Carter on creating a no-fly zone in Syria to protect allied rebel forces on the ground that have been targeted by forces under Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A no-fly zone, similar to zones created over Iraq in the 1990’s, have been suggested by Clinton as she runs for president as well as former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and former Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus. The DOD has analyzed the possibility but believes it would inevitably draw the United States into a direct conflict with Assad — a move the Obama administration has avoided despite waging war within Syria against the Islamic State.

“What you are saying is the strongest nation in the world, the most capable, cannot establish a no-fly zone to protect people from being barreled bombed from Bashar Assad … Of course we can do it. This is an embarrassing moment for the United States,” McCain said.

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Social media has provided a powerful promotional tool for armed groups in recent years, but a UK-based charity is fighting back with an online campaign launched by the type of young people targeted for such recruitment.

The Active Change Foundation has created a new hashtag – #MessagetoISIS – to encourage opposition to the activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, following the success of its #NotInMyName initiative.

“No longer can we stand by, letting these animals hijack our faith. It is time for all of us to speak out and show them that they will be defeated,” the group’s founder, Hanif Qadir, told Al Jazeera at a workshop where participants made artwork challenging ISIL’s actions.

“This event was all about empowering young people to take a stand against extremism through the creative medium of art,” Qadir said.

“The work produced by the participants and their engagement shows [that] young people welcome an outlet to speak out against ISIS, who prohibit and destroy any form of individual expression.”

The Active Change Foundation says it is a myth that ISIL has anything to do with Islam, and it is trying to create better interfaith understanding with projects with a global outreach.

It wants people around the world to condemn ISIL’s actions – which include the killing of civilians, enslavement of war prisoners, and destruction of antiquities in places such as Palmyra, the UNESCO world heritage site in Syria.

Twitter has been working with the US’ FBI to combat pro-ISIL accounts, which aim to promote the cause of a new caliphate and lure recruits. Active Change Foundation says it is hoping to show that ISIL does not represent the vast majority of Muslims.

Its London workshop was run by artist Farah Bhoyroo, who unveiled a specially commissioned piece for the #MessageToISIS campaign.

Participants – aged 16 to 25 from a variety of religions and backgrounds – were then encouraged to draw on their own experiences and create artwork and messages to share via social media.

They produced an eclectic mix of pop art, selfies and videos with messages, such as: “Not only are you not Islamic, you’re not human”, and “Killing one person is like killing the whole of humanity”.

“Speaking out against oppression and standing up for what we believe in is something I hold very close to my heart,” Bhoyroo, 28, told Al Jazeera.

“I truly believe that we need to encourage and educate the younger generation to speak up against anything they are not happy with,” she said.

aljazeera.com

Co-president of the Democratic Union Party PYD said that the autonomous administration of Syrian Kurdistan will open diplomatic missions in Russia, Germany and France, ANF news reported.

The statement comes at the Legislative Assembly of the Jazeera (Cizire) Canton in Syrian Kurdistan, Rojava, held its 43rd meeting on Saturday.

Muslim who also attended the meeting spoke about the political developments in the region and the world.

Muslim said the Kurds are now having diplomatic talks with all the powers around the world, and attributed this success to the struggle and efforts made by the Kurdish people in political, military and diplomatic arena.

Muslim stated that Democratic Autonomous Administration of Rojava will open missions in Moscow, Berlin and Paris in the wake of talks in the mentioned places.

PYD Co-chair said this was a significant development following the opening of the first mission in Sulaimani city, the cultural capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, in August, 2015.

Syrian Kurdish PYD leaders last Wednesday held talks in Moscow with Russia’s deputy foreign minister over the conflict in the war-torn nation, including talks about further steps toward the opening of a Russian office.

Deputy minister Mikhail Bogdanov hosted the co-chair of the PYD Asya Abdullah and the head of the administration in the Kobani Canton of Syrian Kurdistan Anwar Muslim, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Earlier last week an International Kurdish Conference, organised jointly by the Union of International Kurdish Social Institutions and Russian Institute of Strategic Research (RISI) has kicked off in Moscow.

Ankara has warned Moscow and U.S. it would not tolerate Kurdish territorial gains close to its frontiers in Syrian Kurdistan.

Syrian Kurds declared their own autonomous Kurdish region (Western Kurdistan, Rojava) in November 2013.

Following Jazeera (Cizîre) and Kobanê cantons, Efrin (Afrin) has officially proclaimed the establishment of its government of Democratic Autonomy in January 2014.

Democratic autonomy declared in Gire Spi (Tel Abyad) in Syrian Kurdistan on October 21, 2015.

ekurd.net

The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), through several of its media organs, has expressed support for the deluge of Palestinian terrorist attacks currently plaguing Israel, calling for more.

A new report by the Washington, D.C.-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor argues the new outbursts of support for Palestinian terrorism is an attempt to commandeer the cause as part of its own.

ISIS considers itself the authority in political and religious matters for all Muslims, with its Caliphate backing Sunnis who fight its enemies.

ISIS regards the Muslim Brotherhood’s movements and affiliates, such as the terrorist group Hamas, as too pragmatic and not radical enough. “In much of the Islamic world, when there are various approaches, the radical one tends to trump those deemed to be weaker,” notes The Jerusalem Post.

According to a poll conducted by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, Qatar, late last year, nearly one-quarter of Palestinians had positive views of ISIS. However, “the pro-ISIS presence within the Palestinian territories should not be exaggerated. It is primarily limited to small and divided pro-IS groups in Gaza,” Middle East Forum fellow Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi told The Jerusalem Post.

That being said, ISIS “does not need to have an operational presence on the ground in Israel to be effective, as its propaganda over the Internet can serve as an incitement tool for more attacks,” declares the Post.

ISIS has embarked upon a media campaign that involves the release of a series of videos in support of the ongoing terrorist attacks in Israel and encouraging the Palestinians to carry out more lone wolf assaults, the new report by MEMRI reveals.

As he congratulates the Palestinian attackers on their recent attacks on the Jews, the narrator of a nine-minute video declares:

Oh mujahideen, we call on you to prepare yourselves spiritually and materially to strike terror and fear into the hearts of the Jews. … Know that the soldiers of Islam are fighting here in Iraq, Syria, Khorasan, and West Africa, but their sights are set on Bayt Al-Maqdis [Jerusalem].

The footage was released by ISIS’ information office in Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city. Mosul fell to ISIS in June 2014. Khorasan is an ancient name for a region that covers large parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India, and other surrounding countries.

The MEMRI report noted that “a substantial part of these videos is dedicated to ideological attacks on Hamas and Fatah.”

“Fatah has become an agent of the infidel Jews and Christians, while Hamas is doing the bidding of the Shi’ites [Iranians] and Alawites [the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad],” said the report.

The Middle East Forum’s Tamimi told the The Jerusalem Post that ISIS rhetoric in support of the deteriorating security situation on the ground in Israel fueled by the Palestinian attacks is an effective means to make headlines.

It also “fits in with [the] idea of supporting the cause of Muslims everywhere,” said Tamimi who closely monitors Islamist opposition groups in Iraq and Syria.

ISIS has established a foothold in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt, and other regions and is expanding its presence across the globe, with its affiliates pushing for power as far as its Khorasan Province–Afghanistan.

“Arab youth in the Palestinian territories and Israel are influenced by the storm waging in neighboring countries and are willing to join the call to action and seek martyrdom for the sake of their cause,” notes the Post.

“But for now, Islamic State is more of an observer to the violence waging in Israel as local groups such as Hamas have the advantage in claiming the terror as its own because of proximity and its experience waging war against Israel, not only in words,” it adds.

breitbart.com

US Army spokesperson Colonel Steve Warren has confirmed the identity of the soldier killed in Thursday’s operation which freed 69 prisoners held by Islamic State, who were said to be in danger of imminent execution.

Special operations commando Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, 39, of Roland, Oklahoma was killed by small arms fire during the operation in which the US military was providing support to the Peshmerga. He was injured at the scene, and died later at hospital in Erbil.

In an official statement, the KRG said, “We express our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the USA service member we lost in this operation and we are grateful to the counterterrorism professionals for their bravery and to the Global Coalition for providing support to this operation We are proud of the combined forces who conducted the mission to rescue these Iraqi hostages.”

It was the first time US soldiers have been involved in combat operations since the withdraw in December 2011. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that although the operation is unlikely to be a one-off, it does not signify the start of a wider-scale ‘boots on the ground’ policy.

“Our mission in Iraq is the train, advise and assist mission. When we find opportunities to do things that will effectively prosecute the campaign, we’re going to do that.”

The identities of the rescued has not yet been confirmed, although it is thought around 20 members of the Iraqi security forces were amongst them. The Kurdistan Region Security Council said in a statement on Thursday that no Kurds were among the released.

basnews.com

Israeli media circulated an online video that features the symbol of the Islamic State terror group and an armed militant, as well as vocal threats in Hebrew aimed at Israeli Jews.

The video, which surfaced online earlier this week, was described by some media as the Islamic State’s first message in Hebrew, but Army Radio reported Friday its authenticity could not be immediately confirmed.

The militant seen in the video is wearing a black balaclava which obscures his entire face, including his mouth, except for the bridge of his nose and his eyes. The video’s soundtrack consists of a man’s voice speaking colloquial and fluent Hebrew with a slight foreign accent and some minor grammatical errors, laced with Arabic religious expressions.

The Arabic spoken in the video is pronounced with guttural sounds absent from the Hebrew-language segments.

As the man stands faces the camera wearing a combat vest and strapping what appears to be an AK-47 assault rifle, the voice is heard saying: “This is a message to all the Jews, who are the Muslims’ No. 1 enemy.”

Soon, the voice promised “not a single Jew will be left in Jerusalem or across Israel and we will continue until we eradicate this disease from the world.” The voice does not name the Islamist State but does contain boasts about “our conquests in Syria and Iraq.” The voice urged Israelis “to think for just a few seconds what will happen when we come from all over the world to slaughter you.”

It adds: “We see your crimes every day and we will settle scores,” before the man pulls out a knife from his vest and cites a verse from the Koran promising victory to all Muslims.

This week’s revelation by FBI director James Comey that fewer Americans are now traveling abroad to join terror group ISIL will give US security agencies some quiet satisfaction, but it will not greatly trouble the bloody organization overrunning swathes of Iraq and Syria.

 

The number of average daily attacks carried out by ISIS worldwide jumped 42 percent over the past three months, according to new data published Thursday.

IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre recorded a total of 1,086 ISIS attacks worldwide between July 1 and Sept. 30 — and the average daily number of attacks jumped to 11.8 from 8.3 in the preceding quarter.

The true number of attacks was likely “far higher,” according to IHS, because the data only included operations claimed by the militants or definitively linked to them by governments.

The average daily death toll also jumped significantly over the reporting period, according to IHS. There were 2,978 non-militant fatalities — at an average of 32.4 per day, a 65.3 percent increase from the previous quarter.

“The group’s capacity to wage a territorial-focused insurgency in conjunction with a punitive campaign of terrorist attacks remains undiminished despite an increasingly broad spectrum of armed opposition,” IHS said.

The rate of attacks notably rose during a time period where ISIS did not manage to expand much in terms of territory, according to IHS.

“We’re probably more in a consolidation phase currently where the group is stabilizing gains its made and protecting those gains,” said Matthew Henman, head of IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Center.

That hasn’t diminished ISIS ability to cause havoc by carrying out attacks — including in areas they don’t control, he added.

“They’re able to make daily life fraught and dangerous and insecure,” Henman said.

IHS’ data showed the vast majority of attacks during the reporting period — just over 83 percent — were in Iraq and Syria, the heartland of ISIS’ self-proclaimed caliphate.

Those 902 ISIS attacks — up from 667 in the previous quarter — resulted in 1,780 non-militant fatalities, according to IHS. While those casualties represented nearly 60 percent of the deaths attributed to ISIS worldwide over the reporting period, it was only a slight increase from the previous quarter’s tally in Iraq and Syria.

“This trend largely indicated an increase in low-level violence by ISIS with the overall incidence of mass-casualty violence not rising in line with the overall increase in operational tempo,” IHS said.

However, ISIS-linked attacks outside of Iraq and Syria — like in Nigeria — were less frequent comparatively but inflicted higher death tolls.

“This underlines the nature of the group’s insurgency in Nigeria and several bordering countries, with its operations characterized by mass-casualty operations targeting the civilian population,” IHS said.

The IHS data was recorded before Russia decided to launch airstrikes over Syria. However, it reinforces previous indications that a multinational campaign has done little to blunt ISIS capability to carry out attacks in Iraq and Syria — though attempts to degrade ISIS in Iraq and Syria might soon be beside the point.

A year or 18 months ago, defeating ISIS in Iraq and Syria would have meant “game over” for the group, according to Henman. That’s changed now thanks to the group’s expansion into other countries and regions — indicating that defeating ISIS in their heartland could become a less meaningful victory.

“It becomes much more a case of: You cut one head off the hydra but there are still plenty of other heads,” he explained.

Most of what’s reported about jihadist fighters in terrorist groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda focuses on their military activities, and it’s not often that we get a look behind the scenes at other aspect of these communities.

Thomas Hegghammer, an expert on violent Islamism at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, gave a lecture at the University of St. Andrews in April about what jihadis do in their spare time.

And Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Middle East expert, tweeted that the transcript is one of the best things he’s read in months.

Hegghammer called downtime activities that knit jihadi communities together “one of the last major, unexplored frontiers of terrorism research” that could “shed important new light on how extremists think and behave.”

“I can’t quantify it, but it seems most non-military activities were orthodox devotional practices: prayer, invocations, ablution (washing yourself), Quran recitation, and the like,” Hegghammer said.

“I found no support for the claim you sometimes hear about jihadists being hypocritical opportunists who don’t really care about religion. Some of them may have been unobservant before they join, but once they’re in, they seem very meticulous about observance.”

This is supported by ISIS members’ active presence on social media. Members discuss religious practices and make frequent references to Allah.

They also talk about day-to-day life in the “caliphate,” the swath of territory ISIS (also known as the Islamic State, ISIL, and Daesh) controls in Iraq and Syria.

Female ISIS members seem to be especially active in discussing their downtime activities. They travel to the caliphate to wed fighters and produce children that ISIS is attempting to raise up as the next generation of militants.

The women of ISIS discuss their pets, shopping, cooking, driving, and doing household chores like laundry.

These tweets should be taken with a large grain of salt considering ISIS’s extensive propaganda strategy that lures people to the caliphate by painting an unrealistic and overly rosy picture of what life is like there. But Hegghammer also found examples of some of these recreational activities in his research.

“We see a broad range of practices I would call recreational (since they’re elective and aesthetics or entertainment),” he said.

“We’re talking anashid-listening (Islamic chants), video watching, storytelling, poetry reading, dream interpretation, sports, get-togethers and cooking etc. There is also a lot of attention paid to what I’d call identity markers: dress and grooming, nicknames, slogans, and particular manners.”

Others have studied the poetry of jihadis.

A Syrian-born 20-something, Ahlam al-Nasr, has earned the title of the “Poetess of the Islamic State” and is known to write using themes of radicalization, terrorist recruitment, and the glorification of violence.

In her poems, al-Nasr has celebrated ISIS victories by praising the “lions” whose “fierce struggle” had “brought liberation” to cities in the Middle East. She has also written about the struggles of living amid violence and constant upheaval, noting in one poem that bullets in Syria have “shattered our brains like an earthquake.”

Osama bin Laden, the deceased leader of al-Qaeda, was also a known jihadi poet. His poems discussed jihadi themes of struggle and political duty.

An al-Qaeda “job application” that was recently declassified even asks how their recruits like to spend their free time. Applicants are required to list “hobbies and pasttimes” on the form.

ISIS has taken some cues from al-Qaeda, but seems to recognize even more so the importance of showing the “softer” side of the terrorist group. One propaganda video was shot at a mall and amusement park in ISIS territory. Photos released by the group have shown off a “luxury hotel” in ISIS-held Mosul, Iraq.

ISIS differentiates itself from other terrorist groups like al-Qaeda by marketing itself as an Islamic utopia that can provide happiness and stability to its residents, giving outside observers a rare look into how militants spend their free time.

Ultimately, jihadi communities seem to share some of the same characteristics as less-extreme societies.

“Military life is about much more than fighting,” Hegghammer said.

“Look inside any militant group — or conventional army for that matter — and you will see lots of artistic products and social practices that serve no obvious military purpose. Think of the cadence calls of the U.S. Marines, the songs of leftist revolutionaries, or the tattoos of neo-nazis.

“Look inside jihadi groups and you’ll see bearded men with kalashnikovs reciting poetry, discussing dreams, and weeping on a regular basis. ”

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