ISIS Issues Call to Action for Ramadan Attacks in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Ir
ISIS Issues Call to Action for Ramadan Attacks in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines
At home, the Canadian Armed Forces is reportedly preparing to bend the universality of service rule that says all its members must be fit and ready for deployment anywhere at any time. This rule has been key in government won human rights cases where disabled people have fought to either join or remain in the military. The courts have upheld health and fitness requirements supporting the universality of service rule that maintains military readiness. The Trudeau government’s new Defence Policy calls for the number of military personnel to increase by 5,000, and requires that, by 2026, women hold one of every four jobs in the Forces. The government says that members of the Canadian Armed Forces who no longer meet the universality of service rule will be able to continue to serve on a case-by-case basis. The Canadian Armed Forces loses about 1800 people a year due to health and fitness requirements based on the universality of service requirement or about a brigade of combat power every three years. It is very difficult to see how this change in policy will help future court cases against the government where its defense of military readiness and having a combat capable army is based on universality of service principal. This is nothing more than a disastrous political decision that will affect military readiness and combat capability well into the future.
On the Islamic terrorism front, on Monday, the Islamic State (ISIS) channel released an audio message on Telegram from the terror group’s spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer, calling for followers to launch attacks in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The US government announced sanctions Monday on two ISIS chemical weapons experts, Attallah Salman 'Abd Kafi al-Jaburi and Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi. Al-Jaburi was a senior ISIS leader who ran some of the group's improvised explosive device factories and helped develop chemical weapons in Iraq. Al-Jaburi, a former member of al-Qaeda, reportedly received chemical weapons training in Syria before returning to Iraq in 2015.
It has emerged that Khuram Shazed Butt, the leader of ISIS-inspired London Bridge terrorist was radicalized by online lectures from extremist clerics Ahmad Musa Jibril and Abu Haleema. A recent search for “Abu Haleema” on YouTube yielded almost 10,000 results, while a search for “Ahmad Musa Jibril” yielded 14,700 hits and his 130 YouTube videos have amassed more than 1.5 million views.
A new report from the Swedish security services lists eight additional areas as being “especially vulnerable" or ‘no go areas’ where it is difficult for law enforcement and other emergency services to intervene in crises. In 2015, the Swedish authorities released a report describing 53 districts throughout the country as “vulnerable" and 15 listed as “especially vulnerable." These new areas are in the cities of Boras, Gothenburg, Landskrona, Malmö, Uppsala and in the capital, Stockholm.
It was revealed that Israel’s security services hacking operations against ISIS led to the discovery that a small cell of bombmakers in Syria was planning to down passenger aircraft using sophisticated laptop bombs. The quality of the intelligence was so high that US intelligence agencies could determine how the devices would be detonated. The ISIS bombmakers had designed the explosives to by-pass airport X-ray machines by disguising the devices as laptop batteries. Ten airports across Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were placed under enhanced security measures that banned laptops and other items from passenger aircraft cabins.
In a new horror, hundreds of supporters watched as ISIS burned 19 Yazidi women to death in cages for refusing to be sex slaves for the terrorist group.
Four men reportedly stormed a movie theater in Australia and terrorized movie goers by screaming “Allahu Akbar” the ISIS battle cry associated with acts of terror.
Indonesia’s military chief, General Gatot Nurmantyo has warned that ISIS has a presence in nearly all provinces and that there are clandestine "sleeper" cells across the Indonesian archipelago. General Gatot Nurmantyo has stated that Jakarta is looking to establish joint patrols with the Philippines and Malaysia for protection against ISIS forces.
Islamic State-affiliate Maute militants holding parts of Marawi, in Philippines are reportedly killing civilians who try to flee while using others as slaves. There are up to 1,000 people still trapped in the parts of Marawi city that the militants control with up to 400 terrorist using civilians as slaves. At least 26 civilians, 58 police or soldiers and 202 militants have been killed in the fighting.
Meanwhile, in terms of international security, US Defense Secretary, Jim Mattis, warned on Monday that he was "shocked" by the poor state of the U.S. military's readiness for combat. He placed the blame on Congress for its inability to approve budgets on time or repeal a law that limits defense spending. The Trump administration has requested $639 billion for the Pentagon, including $65 billion for ongoing military operations. Led by Senator, John McCain, Republican lawmakers are pressing for upward of $30 billion more to be added to the budget to rebuild the military.
Panamanian President, Juan Carlos Varela, has announced that Panama has established formal diplomatic relations with China, breaking longstanding ties with Taiwan.
The European Union has launched legal action against member states Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic for not taking in refugees.
Turkey has sent a military delegation to Qatar to prepare for a peacekeeping troop deployment to support the Qatari government and protect it from its neighbors.
The Indian Army has announced that it will send a squadron of ten weaponized Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Dhruv Mk-IV advanced light helicopters (ALH) to Likabali, Assam in India’s northeast to counter China’s growing military presence along the Sino-Indian border. The Dhruv Mk-IV features a 20-millimeter turret gun and can carry 70-millimeter rockets, air-to-air missiles, as well as air-to-ground missiles, including anti-tank missiles. This reflects India’s recent change in Defence Policy and reinforcement of its Northern border with China.
US Defense Secretary, Jim Mattis, declared North Korea the “most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security,” before the House Armed Services Committee on Monday night. South Korea announced that they believe a North Korea drone has been monitoring the country’s US missile defense system site. In a related development, North Korea has decided to release one of four US hostages held by the Kim Jong-un regime, 22-year-old student Otto Warmbier, who it was revealed has been in a coma for a year. It is not clear if Warmbier’s release is linked to his medical condition or if it is related to the visit of US basketball star Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang. Rodman is reportedly a friend of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is a huge fan of basketball.
