al-qaida chief ayman al-zawahiri the coordinator 2015 part 19-142-caliphate-isis-34

C de Waart; CdW Intelligence to Rent [email protected] In Confidence

Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-142-Caliphate-ISIS-34

If not us, who? If not here, where? If not now, when?

After four years of apathy and neglect, the United Nations Security Council has finally come to its senses to abandon double standard and declare war on the terrorist group of ISIL/DAESH. Since the abolition of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924, the dream of reviving the caliphate has been alive in the souls of those adopting political Islam as a doctrine.

The video, titled 'Paris Has Collapsed', features images of the Eiffel Tower falling.

What’s clear is that ISIL and its utter depravity won’t be wished away or defeated by some UN resolution or some not-so-perfect global alliance. To save themselves from further terrorist attacks, Washington and its minions are advised to abandon their handiwork altogether – with no pre-conditions and certainly no strings attached. They should also support the people of Syria and the government of Syria in this real War on Terror.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian claims that "victory over ISIS will only be achieved with the presence of forces on the ground," though he added that he is not necessarily talking about using French forces.

“But I don’t think IS will give up its focus on holding on to territory. The caliphate and the IS idea it announced in June 2014 is attracting many followers. If IS cannot hold on to the territory it controls, it can only become a landless, practically invisible entity like al-Qaeda,” he said. “That is why I don’t see the Paris attacks and other attacks that may follow as a major change of IS strategy but as tactical moves to hike up the price of the approaching war.”

“They see it as God's blessing. Such success stories will mean an easier transfer of militants from al-Qaeda and other jihadi outfits, the recruitment of more people and more generous financing.”

First, the world will have to really believe it exists — that it’s not an American conspiracy, nor a Turkish secret project, nor an Iranian-Syrian backed organization — that it’s simply the most advanced edition of global jihad resulting from 30 years of experience. It also must not be conceded that no one can win this war.”

The other element, religion, is the magnet that directly or indirectly attracts people to IS, for the group introduces itself as the guarantor for the application of God’s rule on Earth, and that the caliph is a continuation of the Prophet Muhammad’s legacy.

To defeat IS, the world needs to hit the core of the group, and this means untying the shroud of knots surrounding it and cutting blood off from IS' heart.

In the wake of the Islamic State's (IS) attacks in the Sinai Peninsula, Beirut and Paris, there is an urgent need to mobilize resources to deal with the threat,

The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.–Winston Churchill

CdW Intelligence to Rent of 14 03/05/2023

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especially resources in the Arab world. Instead, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies are devoting their resources and efforts to a floundering and expensive military campaign in Yemen.

The absence of Arab air forces creates a political — not military — void, even though Russia, France and America are fully capable of waging an air war against IS. The coalition is missing the Muslim answer to the self-proclaimed "Caliph Ibrahim." This is a waste of symbolically important resources.

Even worse is that the major beneficiaries of the war so far are al-Qaeda and Iran. Al-Qaeda has seized control of large parts of southeastern Yemen since the war began. Its black flags fly in Aden, the temporary capital of the pro-Saudi government. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has grown stronger in the months since it attacked Paris in January, not weaker. That is a disturbing portent for those now promising to defeat IS.

"Actually," the president Asad retorted, "according to what some American officials, including Hillary Clinton, have said, Al-Qaeda was created by the Americans with the help of Saudi Wahhabi money and ideology.

According to the president, only the Syrian people, via elections, can determine who they consider the real opposition. "If you want to talk about my own opinion, you can be opposition when you have Syrian grassroots, when you belong only to your country. You cannot be opposition while you are formed as a person or as an entity in the foreign ministry of another country or in an intelligence office of another country. You cannot be a puppet; you cannot be a surrogate mercenary; you can only be a real Syrian."

Asked by his interviewer whether he considered the Syrian war to be a religious war, the president made clear that this was actually a war with "people who have deviated from real religion; mainly, of course, from Islam, toward extremism, which we don't consider as part of our religion. It's a war between the real Muslims and the extremists. Of course, [the radicals] give it different titles –a war against Christians, a war against other sects…but the real issue is the war between them and the rest of the Muslims, the majority of whom are moderates."

Nov 22, Another day, another new ISIS video vowing more attacks.The barbaric Islamic State group’s latest video shows the Eiffel Tower collapsing as a fighter promises terror strikes in Paris and the U.S.“What do they expect from the nation of Islam, other than more of these strikes?” the militant says. “We bring (French President Francois) Hollande and the people around him the good tidings – as we bring Obama and the people around him the good tidings – of more of these strikes. Allah willing, we shall roast them with explosive belts and car bombs.” The video — titled “Paris Has Collapsed” – features a clip lifted from the 2009 action flick “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” showing the Eiffel Tower crashing to the ground. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/isis-threaten-paris-latest-terror-video-article-1.2442457#

Nov 23, The third suicide bomber who blew himself up outside of Paris’ Stade de France stadium last week has been identified by BBC as a man who arrived at the Greek island of Leros together with another attacker called Ahmad al




http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/isis-threaten-paris-latest-terror-video-article-1.2442457#




Mohammad. The BBC looked at the arrival papers of a man called M al Mahmod, who arrived at the Island of Leros on October 3, and discovered that the picture is identical to the photo released by the French police. Mahmod entered the EU along with another attacker supposedly named Ahmad al Mohammad, whose Syrian passport was found near the site of the attack. Mahmod left Leros accompanied by al Mohammad and other Syrian refugees. Belgium Security forces carry out raids targeting suspects connected to attacks in Paris but Salah Abdesalam remains at large. Officials said they arrested at least 16 suspects in 19 raids late on Sunday night aimed at rolling up a terrorist network which authorities believe is planning an attack similar to the one which left 130 people dead in Paris 10 days ago. No weapons or explosives were found during the raids, and the failure to capture Abdeslam will further undermine wavering confidence in the competence of Belgium’s counter-terrorist agencies.

Nov 22, The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on Russia and the US to join their efforts to combat terrorism. He told the annual East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur that terrorists and ideology extremists must be "defeated in the name of humanity."

"In that regard, we need to unite. We need to show global solidarity to address the common enemy of ISIL, Daesh, some other extremists and terrorist groups," Ki-moon said, referring to Islamic State.

The UN Secretary-General stressed that he "highly commended the leadership of the Russian Federation together with the United States to address some of the root causes of terrorism," Reuters reported. He said that the United Nations is currently assembling information and gathering ideas and experience from its member states.

Early next year, the UN is going to present a “comprehensive plan of action to defeat violence and extremism," Ban said.

"We need a consolidated anti-terrorist position of those countries that have a large Islamic community, and incidentally Russia is one of these countries," Medvedev told the annual East Asia Summit.President Barack Obama has vowed that the United States and its allies would hunt down Islamic State's top brass in an effort to cut off the group's financing. "Destroying [Islamic State] is not only a realistic goal, we're going to get it done," Obama told a news conference after the summit.

"We will destroy them. We will take back land they are currently in, take out their financing, hunt down leadership, dismantle their networks, supply lines and we will destroy them," he said.

Despite these achievements, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said Friday that Russia is not welcome to join the US-led coalition in Syria, as France has proposed, until it changes its “focus” and stops “propping up” President Bashar Assad.

LWJ 20 Nov, Secretary of State John Kerry believes that al Qaeda’s “top leadership” has been “neutralize[d]” as “an effective force.” He made the claim while discussing the administration’s strategy, or lack thereof, for combating the Islamic State, which is al Qaeda’s jihadist rival. Kerry believes that the US. and its allies can finish off the Islamic State quicker than al Qaeda. There’s just one problem: It is not true that al Qaeda or its top leaders have been “neutralize[d].”

The group’s quest for wider worldwide support in 2015 was highlighted in 2014 in its propaganda document entitled “The Islamic State, the second volume of the “The Revived Caliphate”. It stated one objective was to engage in ‘the battle of Armagedon’ with European States on their soil (European Union). The document even demonstrated how it





could purportedly launch Grad missiles at European countries such as Italy.

Berlin - Russia feels increasingly under threat from developments in the Middle East and appears to be serious about cooperating with western countries to resolve the war in Syria, Germany's war in Syria, Germany's foreign minister said on Sunday, Nov 22. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose Social Democrats (SPD) are traditionally more friendly towards Moscow than Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, also raised the prospect of welcoming Russia back into the G8 group of countries if it addressed western demands in Ukraine and cooperated in Syria.

Nov 23, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian claims that "victory over ISIS will only be achieved with the presence of forces on the ground," though he added that he is not necessarily talking about using French forces. In an interview with the Europe 1 radio station, Le Drian said that the fact that the Yazidi town of Sinjar in northern Iraq has returned to Kurdish control proves that the defeat of ISIS requires ground forces. "It takes both airstrikes and a ground incursion by forces that will restore control over the conquered territories." He added: "These can be the Kurds or the Free Syrian Army fighters, but France is not planning on a ground invasion at this time."

Is the Islamic State going global?Nov 20, for the past 15 days, the only Islamic State-related news the world was interested in was details of prospective anti-IS military operations in Iraq and Syria, especially how to field a ground force. Then the coordinated attacks in Paris on the night of Nov. 13 bitterly reminded the world that it had overlooked the question of how IS was going to defend itself. In the Al-Monitor article of Oct. 26 titled "Is Russian intervention in Syria pushing 'moderate jihadis' toward Islamic State?" I looked for





an answer to this crucial question. In that article, which cited experts and journalists who closely monitor the events, my basic conclusion was that two different schools of thought have emerged within IS:

the "localist approach" that advocates consolidating domination of Syria and Iraq, and the "globalist approach" that favors expanding the war to the Middle East and the rest of the world to avoid being easily overrun by the enemy.

The localist approach, which is generally adopted by the former Baathists and Arab nationalists of IS, emphasizes the historic and symbolic significance and geostrategic position of Raqqa and Mosul and the call for the coming war to be fought in and around these two towns. The globalist approach, generally popular with foreign militants called the “muhajiroun” who have joined IS in Iraq and Syria, calls attention to the unwarranted focus on an insignificant piece of land at Kobani in 2011 and the loss of some 2,200 fighters to capture that piece of land. Globalists demand that the same mistake will not be repeated.These localist and globalist contradictions within IS, which were ignored previously because many felt that the group confined its war to Syria and Iraq, have become much more consequential following the Paris massacre. Is IS on the verge of a split between the two schools of thought?M.O., a humanitarian worker who has been to Syria many times and who is an expert on Salafist movements, spoke to Al-Monitor in Istanbul (on condition of anonymity) and confirmed that there is such a fissure between localists and globalists within IS that is becoming increasingly perceptible. He felt the Paris attacks will add to this trend.

“But I don’t think IS will give up its focus on holding on to territory. The caliphate and the IS idea it announced in June 2014 is attracting many followers.

If IS cannot hold on to the territory it controls, it can only become a landless, practically invisible entity like al-Qaeda,” he said. “That is why I don’t see the Paris attacks and other attacks that may follow as a major change of IS strategy but as tactical moves to hike up the price of the approaching war.”O.B., who has been to Syria several times, also spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. He thinks the globalist approach may gain the upper hand in IS.

“First you must note that religious motivation may be vital for IS fighters on the ground, but I believe the War Council that determines its war strategy is not motivated by religion. It is guided by a rational, wise and pragmatic approach,” O.B. said. “After the Paris attacks, IS saw that with eight or 10 people, with expenses that will not exceed $100,000, they can paralyze a Western capital for two days and sow fear across the world. It is provoking violence against Sunni Muslims. That is why IS might opt for the pragmatic course and go for new attacks like in Paris, which it considers as a major victory.”

Can IS continue with such low-cost attacks that potentially have such major effect?Both interviewees feel that attacks such as the one in Paris may continue depending on developments in Iraq and Syria. “Look, we are debating the effect of the Paris massacre on Western countries. Did you think of its effect on IS itself? If you ask me, they see Paris as achieving the impossible, which will boost the motivation of the organization and the confidence of the ranks in its leadership,” O.B. said.

He added, “They see it as God's blessing. Such success stories will mean an easier transfer of militants from al-Qaeda and other jihadi outfits, the recruitment of more people and more generous financing.”

The next question to be addressed is whether alongside the debate over localist and globalist approaches will the stepped-up coalition airstrikes and gains on the ground of





their foes mean a split in IS.Neither M.O. nor O.B. can answer this question in the affirmative because both agree that holding on to territory in Syria and Iraq and establishing an Islamic state is the major pillar of the organization’s ideology. The next question then will be if IS-held land in Iraq and Syria, and especially in Raqqa and Mosul, is lost, will it be the end of IS?Both experts answered along similar lines, as they believe IS will defend populated locations it controls in Iraq and Syria, particularly Raqqa and Mosul, to the bitter end, village by village, neighborhood by neighborhood and even house by house.This is the true strength of IS. They wait for the enemy in villages, in streets and houses with guns in hand. Unfortunately, without a powerful ground force with effective offensive capability and support from the air, it will be very difficult to dislodge the IS militants from places they control with French air attacks against Raqqa. But let’s say they are pushed out from those places. How are these places going to be held? If successful, has anyone even begun to think of how to reconstruct these places where about 6 million people live? All these realities and pertinent questions discourage interested countries from recognizing IS as a primary threat. They still worry about their national agendas and their own interests instead of agreeing on a unified command control and an integrated strategy. Who is paying for this shortsightedness? The innocent in Ankara, Beirut and Paris.

Is defeating the Islamic State impossible? While working on a documentary about Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, I had the chance to meet Abu Omar, a former IS operative who was once an inmate in the infamous Camp Bucca facility that brought together all those who later became the ruling elite of the most notorious terrorist group in modern history. I asked Abu Omar whether there was any recipe to defeat IS, which seemed unbeatable. In response, he smiled and said,

“First, the world will have to really believe it exists — that it’s not an American conspiracy, nor a Turkish secret project, nor an Iranian-Syrian backed organization — that it’s simply the most advanced edition of global jihad resulting from 30 years of experience. It also must not be conceded that no one can win this war.” Since the abolition of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924, the dream of reviving the caliphate has been alive in the souls of those adopting political Islam as a doctrine.

Ordinary Muslims' feelings of weakness and a sense of disconnection with and lack of support from the regimes that have ruled the Arab and Muslim world grew over time and was inherited by members of the Muslim millennial generation who wanted to belong to an entity that blends power, religion and modernity. IS came with the three together. While many might debate the last point, IS is using cutting-edge technologies in many of their activities, including in the professional use of media tools that fulfill a feeling of superiority through well-crafted videos and clips. As for power, IS was able to prove its strength by creating a de facto state within the borders of Syria and Iraq, challenging the world powers and showing a high level of discipline in the areas under their control.

The other element, religion, is the magnet that directly or indirectly attracts people to IS, for the group introduces itself as the guarantor for the application of God’s rule on Earth, and that the caliph is a continuation of the Prophet Muhammad’s legacy.

The fact is that the Islamic State, as a doctrine and practice, has been an unbeatable model in the Sunni Muslim world to those seeking this blend of religion, power and modernity. Sunni and Shiite Islamists shared many similar aspirations until the 1979 Islamic





Revolution in Iran succeeded in toppling the Shah; at the time, Sunni Islamists such as Sheikh Abdullah Azzam, the co-founder of al-Qaeda with Osama bin Laden, celebrated Imam Ruhollah Khomeini’s victory in one of Amman’s mosques. Later it became clear that the revolution was more an answer to the aspirations of Shiite Islamists than Sunnis; therefore, the next stop for Azzam and his comrades was Afghanistan, and they later became what were called the Afghan Arabs.When the creation of the Islamic State was announced, one of the main strategies adopted by its leadership was social engagement. The de facto, self-styled state opened its doors to jihadi foreigners, and thousands came with their families and settled in cities under IS control; according to a UN report, more than 25,000 from over 100 nations have made it to IS territory. Some of them get married to women from tribes in the areas in order to strengthen ties and complicate any attempts to oust IS. The foreign jihadis are persona non grata in their home countries, and if IS falls, their lives and future may be endangered wherever they may be; they have no safe haven but the Islamic State and therefore will fight to the last man standing to keep it alive.

Part of its social and economic strategy was to engage the main tribes in control of the oil business; this helps not only in providing profits but also in strengthening ties with local tribes.The thinking is that IS tied several knots around its core to make it extremely difficult for enemies to target it effectively. This apparently meant that three years of ground and air operations, international and regional attempts to counter IS and direct media and public campaigns did not effectively harm the group, and now it is able to function in several countries in several continents and is capable of carrying out its tactics with effective command and control, with the multiple attacks in Paris being a strong example.

To defeat IS, the world needs to hit the core of the group, and this means untying the shroud of knots surrounding it and cutting blood off from IS' heart.

A counter model is needed to fight the IS model, a model that is powerful, modern and shows real respect and appreciation for Islam. With such a model it would be easier to deprive the terrorist entity of sympathizers who might become future operatives. As former IS operative Abu Omar told me, “IS is very clever and smart in attracting people with potential; they know how to talk to them and how to address their ambitions. They are also very smart in exploiting mistakes committed by their enemies, and use these mistakes to prove to their supporters why they are the right choice.” He said, “I was behind their walls; therefore, I understand the mentality. If you really want to finish IS, you need to address people’s concerns, let the sheikhs talk to youths and stop making big mistakes. IS is surviving as the result of the dire mistakes committed by governments of the region.”Defeating IS should not be impossible if the above is addressed and serious military and economic steps are taken to prevent the group from expanding both financially and geographically. This means doing battle on the war fronts and imposing sanctions on countries and individuals financing the group or allowing money to flow to it or buying goods, mainly oil, from territories under its control. Long-term strategic steps must be taken or IS will be here to stay and expand.

In the battle against IS, where is the Arab coalition? In the wake of the Islamic State's (IS) attacks in the Sinai Peninsula, Beirut and Paris, there is an urgent need to mobilize resources to deal with the threat, especially resources in the Arab world. Instead, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies are devoting their resources and efforts to a floundering and





expensive military campaign in Yemen. When the air campaign against IS began more than a year ago, the Royal Saudi Air Force was an early participant. But it has not flown a mission against IS targets since September, according to The New York Times. Bahrain last flew a mission against IS in February. The United Arab Emirates stopped in March — even Jordan stopped in August.There has been no formal or public announcement of the stand-down. The Arab governments all reiterate their strong opposition to IS. This week, Riyadh's skyscrapers were lit in the French colors to express solidarity with Paris. King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud told President Barack Obama in Ankara that Saudi Arabia will play a major role in Syria. But in practice, American military officials report the war in Yemen has drained Arab air power away from the fight with the terrorists in Syria and Iraq. Yemen is the priority even if some token operations occasionally are taken to strike IS targets.

The absence of Arab air forces creates a political — not military — void, even though Russia, France and America are fully capable of waging an air war against IS. The coalition is missing the Muslim answer to the self-proclaimed "Caliph Ibrahim." This is a waste of symbolically important resources.

The war is also expensive. No official estimates of the cost have been released, but it must now be running into the tens of billions in armaments, maintenance and other expenses.For example, this week the Pentagon announced the sale of $1.29 billion in air-to-ground munitions and associated equipment to restock RSAF bombs used in the Yemen campaign. The sale provides close to 20,000 new munitions to replace those used already. The United Kingdom, another major source of the RSAF's inventory of aircraft, is also replenishing Saudi stocks. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have raised questions about the use of these weapons and possible war crimes.Saudi Arabia has itself been targeted by IS repeatedly, as IS has carried out suicide bombings in both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It promises to overthrow the House of Saud and raise its black flags over Mecca. Hundreds of Saudi citizens are fighting with the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, while Jordan has been a target of IS, with one of its pilots locked in a cage and burned to death. These states have a stake in this war.But Riyadh's attention and resources are focused on Yemen as the war there has come to a stalemate. After some successes over the summer, the Saudi-led coalition had promised to capture Sanaa, Yemen's capital, this fall. That looks unlikely today. The war is also a humanitarian catastrophe for 25 million Yemenis, as the blockade prevents the supply of food and medicine.

Even worse is that the major beneficiaries of the war so far are al-Qaeda and Iran. Al-Qaeda has seized control of large parts of southeastern Yemen since the war began. Its black flags fly in Aden, the temporary capital of the pro-Saudi government. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has grown stronger in the months since it attacked Paris in January, not weaker. That is a disturbing portent for those now promising to defeat IS.

Iran is fighting to the last Houthi, laughing at the Saudis and Emiratis as they spend resources in what Tehran hopes will be an endless quagmire. Iran gains in Iraq and Syria from the Sunni forces' diversion to Yemen.Washington and Paris have both indulged Riyadh's Yemen mission, as both have hosted Saudi Defense Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the 30-year-old architect of the Yemen war — and have done far too little to bring an end to this disaster. They have the leverage, along with London, since they control the pipeline of military resupply to the RSAF and its allies, but their half-hearted attempts to start a political process need much greater urgency. Both sides have accepted UN mediation and the UN Security Council





resolution for a cease-fire, but the conflict drags on without pause.After the Charlie Hebdo massacre in January, there were promises that the terrorists in Yemen who launched the attack would face a global response. Instead, they are stronger than ever and Yemen has become another battleground in the sectarian Sunni-Shiite war that is devastating the Islamic world.

Mon Nov 23, 2015 Assad: ISIL Created by US Interventionism, Saudi Money, Wahhabi Ideology TEHRAN (FNA Nov 23)- Commenting on the origins of the Islamist terrorism plaguing the Middle East, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad noted that terror groups including Al-Qaeda and ISIL have been able to find fertile soil in Iraq as a result of US interventionism, with Saudi oil money and their poisonous Wahhabi ideology nurturing the groups and helping them grow.Interviewed by Italy's RAI UNO television, Assad was asked to respond to accusations made by some Western analysts that his government was at least partly responsible for ISIL's creation.

"Actually," the president retorted, "according to what some American officials, including Hillary Clinton, have said, Al-Qaeda was created by the Americans with the help of Saudi Wahhabi money and ideology. Of course, many other [US] officials said the same…ISIL and al-Nusra are offshoots of Al-Qaeda. Regarding ISIL, it started in Iraq; it was established in Iraq in 2006…and the leader of ISIL today – Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi – he was in American prisons, and he was put in New York in their prisons, and then he was released. So it wasn't in Syria; it didn't start in Syria. It started in Iraq, and it started before that in Afghanistan…And Tony Blair recently said that yes, the Iraq War helped to create ISIL. Their confession is the most important evidence regarding your question."

Moreover, according to Assad, ISIL has no natural incubator in Syria, given the country's long-standing ideology of secular nationalism, religious tolerance and ethnic and religious co-existence prior to the war. "If you want to talk about the strength of Daesh," the president noted, "the first thing you have to ask is how much of an incubator, a real, natural incubator, you have in a certain society. Up to this moment, I can tell you that Daesh does not have a natural incubator, a social incubator, within Syria." At the same time, Assad warned, if ISIL's poisonous ideology grows roots and becomes chronic, "this kind of ideology can change the society." In the president's words, the terrorists, who have been "supported…in different ways since the beginning of the crisis" by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, "and of course the Western policy that supported [them] in different ways since the beginning of the crisis," will lose their strength once they lose the support of their benefactors.

"They can be strong as long as they have strong support from different states, whether in the Middle East or the West," Assad suggested.

Asked to comment on the deadly attacks which took place in Paris earlier this month, the president once again sent his condolences, condemning the "horrible crime" and noting that Syrians like few others can understand the terror of seeing "innocents being killed

without any reason and for nothing….We've been suffering from that for the past five years." Assad emphasized that "we feel for the French as we feel for the Lebanese a few days before that, and for the Russians regarding the airplane that's been shot down over Sinai, and for the Yemenis." At the same time, the president





voiced his hope that the Western world would find compassion for the victims of terror from all these attacks, and not "only for the French."

Political Settlement Requires an Accurate Definition of the Opposition. Commenting on the potential for a political settlement to the Syrian crisis, the president emphasized that there could be no discussions on any timetable for settlement so long as the terrorist threat was not dealt with. Otherwise, Assad noted that a year and a half to two years would be enough to create mechanisms for a new political system, including a new constitution, and guidelines on referendums, parliamentary and presidential elections.Regarding disagreements with Western powers over who can be defined as the legitimate opposition, Assad explained that those who hold machineguns in their hand cannot be considered legitimate opposition. "That's the case in every other country. Whoever holds a machinegun and terrorizes people and destroys private or public property or kills innocents –he is not the opposition. Opposition is a political term. Opposition can be defined not through your own opinion; it can be defined only through elections –through the ballot box."

According to the president, only the Syrian people, via elections, can determine who they consider the real opposition. "If you want to talk about my own opinion, you can be opposition when you have Syrian grassroots, when you belong only to your country. You cannot be opposition while you are formed as a person or as an entity in the foreign ministry of another country or in an intelligence office of another country. You cannot be a puppet; you cannot be a surrogate mercenary; you can only be a real Syrian."

Refugee Crisis Hitting Syria Just as Hard as Its Hitting Europe Asked to comment on the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have fled Syria for Europe in recent months, Assad emphasized that "everyone who leaves this country is a loss to Syria…We feel the suffering, because every refugee in Syria has a long story of suffering within Syria, and that's what we should deal with by asking the question: 'Why did they leave?'" According to the president, Syrians leave "for many reasons. The first one [is] the direct threat by terrorists. The second is the influence of terrorists in destroying infrastructure and affecting the livelihood of those people. But the third one, which is as important as the influence of terrorists, is the Western embargo on Syria." Assad emphasized that many people would go back to Syria in a heartbeat, "but how can he go back…while the basics of his life, his livelihood, has been affected dramatically?…The Western embargo and terrorism have put these people between the devil and the deep blue sea."

Asked by his interviewer whether he considered the Syrian war to be a religious war, the president made clear that this was actually a war with "people who have deviated from real religion; mainly, of course, from Islam, toward extremism, which we don't consider as part of our religion. It's a war between the real Muslims and the extremists. Of course, [the radicals] give it different titles –a war against Christians, a war against other sects…but the real issue is the war between them and the rest of the Muslims, the majority of whom are moderates."

Sun Nov 22, 2015 Iran Leader: Takfiri Terrorists' Crimes Not Related to Islam. TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow in Tehran on Sunday underlined that the savage crimes committed by the Takfiri terrorists show that they are not Muslims.

“Islam is the religion of fraternity, kindness and benevolence to others and these crimes have nothing to do with Islam," the Iranian Supreme Leader said, deploring





the crimes committed by the Takfiri terrorists. Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated that the terrorist groups’ savage crimes, including "beheading and burning the people, display that they are total strangers to Islam" and its teachings.

"To confront the wild and violent terrorism practiced by Daesh (ISIL) and similar Takfiri terrorist groups that are doing these crimes in the name of Islam, people should be provided with the opportunity to engage in proper Islamic activities, and reinforcing moderate and logical Islamic thinking streams is the best way to block the infiltration and spread of these (Takfiri) currents," he said, and stressed the need for utilizing the abundant capacities of cooperation by Iran and Turkmenistan specially under the tense conditions prevailing over the region.Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated the need for making use of the two countries' capacities to expand bilateral relations, and said, "It is necessary to seriously take effective and practical steps to implement the bilateral agreements." Iran's Supreme Leader described the security, welfare and progress of the neighboring and Muslim countries as beneficial to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and said, "Iran-Turkmenistan borders are frontiers of peace and tranquility... and the possibility to use Iran to access the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is a valuable opportunity for Turkmenistan."The Turkmen president, for his part, voiced pleasure in his visit to Iran, and said, "Iran and Turkmenistan have always had good and historical relations." He welcomed Ayatollah Khamenei’s description of Iranian and Turkmen nations as close family members, and said paying heed to the recommendations of the wise Leader of the Islamic Revolution has brought favorable results for his country. The Turkmen president also voiced pleasure that a number of countries are interested to access free waters through Iran and Turkmenistan.

He, meantime, pointed to the regional crises and ISIL's crimes in the region, and said, "The ISIL and similar groups know nothing about Islam; unfortunately some governments feed and support them."

Earlier today, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met his Turkmen counterpart, and urged Tehran-Ashgabat cooperation in fighting terrorism and drug trafficking. "Iran and Turkmenistan can boost their cooperation to resolve the regional problems, including fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crimes," President Rouhani said.The Iranian president pointed to the status quo of Tehran-Ashgabat relations, and said, "Iran and Turkmenistan have always had historical ties in the two nations' interests."President Rouhani, meantime, said that Tehran and Ashgabat are determined to increase the volume of their trade exchanges to the level of $60 billion in the next ten years.The Turkmen president, for his part, said Turkmenistan and Iran have maintained their friendly relations for many centuries, and added, "Ashgabat-Tehran relations have taken an upward trend in all spheres in recent years." Also today, Tehran and Ashgabat signed nine memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in different economic, health and road construction areas.The MoUs were signed in a ceremony attended by Iranian President Rouhani and President Berdimuhamedow in Tehran today. These documents are mainly aimed at developing cooperation between the two countries in power swapping, road transportation, railway transportation, power industry, tourism, trade, insurance, agriculture, economy and health. The documents were signed by senior Iranian and Turkmen officials in the Iranian capital today. President Berdimuhamedow arrived in Tehran this morning for a two-day visit to attend the summit meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).In August, President Berdimuhamedow announced that Ashgabat and Tehran are planning to boost their trade and economic cooperation. "Turkmenistan and Iran will broaden their





trade and economic relations on the basis of equal rights," President Berdimuhamedow said, addressing his cabinet meeting in the Turkmen capital.He reiterated that Ashgabat and Tehran are already cooperating in the energy and transportation sectors.The Turkmen president pointed to the importance of holding trade exhibitions and conferences, and said, "By holding such exhibitions the two countries' relations will be expanded. In May, President Rouhani underlined that execution of the agreements signed between Tehran and Ashgabat will result in the two countries' economic development and will further expand the relations between the two states. "The implementation of agreements and MoUs signed by the two countries' presidents, including in road construction projects, exports of goods and services as well as energy exchanges will pave the way for regional development and enhancement of mutual cooperation," President Rouhani said in a meeting with Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister for Oil and Gas Baymyrat Hojamuhammedov in Tehran at the time. The Iranian president underlined that Iran and Turkmenistan have always enjoyed good friendly relations, and expressed the hope that the two countries' relations would be expanded in all areas.

ISIL War: The World Joins Iran, Russia and France. TEHRAN (FNA 22 Nov)- After four years of apathy and neglect, the United Nations Security Council has finally come to its senses to abandon double standard and declare war on the terrorist group of ISIL.

Though long overdue, a French-proposed resolution, which was adopted unanimously in a Security Council meeting, calls on all countries to “take the war on terrorism” to ISIL-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq and destroy its “safe haven.”

The latest development is welcome news to the long-suffering people of Syria. Now the real question is whether the United States and its allies are truly ready to stop dividing the terrorist groups into “extremists” and “moderates” and commit themselves in a concrete manner to this fight, either through joint military action with Iran, Syria and Russia, the search for political solutions, or the battle against terrorism financing.

It is important to note that ISIL’s safe haven is no longer just Iraq and Syria. The plague has spread across the globe. The Council should keep this terrible fact in mind. The safe haven we are talking about are “rat lines” and “lethal assistance” boasted by despotic regimes such as Saudi Arabia, including money, training, logistical support and the secret getaways and supply of arms on a massive scale.

This means the only way for the latest UN resolution to actually work is for the international community to stop double standard as regards the definition of “terrorism.” The international community cannot sit on its hands, or bomb ISIL targets in Iraq ad Syria while some regimes continue to cuddle the very same goons the world is so desperate to destroy. For THIS new War on Terror to work, THAT old War on Terror and its criminal complicity has to end.

The implications are clear enough: Washington and allies should stop supporting and arming a “moderate” opposition they know is dominated by extreme sectarian groups and ISIL affiliates. As US Vice-President Joe Biden acknowledged last year, Washington's regional allies are the ones that created ISIL. So they are also the ones responsible for its deadly expansion and growth.

As it happens, the calculus has changed. The terrorist group has attacked Europe and even threatened to attack the United States. Paris won’t be the last event of its kind, and America isn’t immune from such horrific scenarios. Which means the American and European habit of playing with jihadi groups has backfired. ISIL made that clear after





attacking Paris! The goons have come back to bite the West, just as Al-Qaeda did after the 1980s war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, which fostered the original Al-Qaeda under CIA tutelage.

What’s clear is that ISIL and its utter depravity won’t be wished away or defeated by some UN resolution or some not-so-perfect global alliance. To save themselves from further terrorist attacks, Washington and its minions are advised to abandon their handiwork altogether – with no pre-conditions and certainly no strings attached. They should also support the people of Syria and the government of Syria in this real War on Terror.

After all, it is the people and government of Syria AND the people and government of Iraq who can ultimately defeat the death cult, not those who created it. And the most and the best support that the US can render is stopping its allies' continued financial backup and arms shipments to the terrorists in Syria and Iraq and putting an end to its own arms supplies to the so-called moderate militants like the Free Syrian Army that received a public praise by Al-Qaeda's official branch in Syria, the Al-Nusra Front, today for its recent delivery of hundreds of TOW anti-tank missiles.

760 German citizens have joined ISIS, 200 returned home – Interior Minister. Published time: 22 Nov, 2015. Germany has become home to hundreds of potential terrorists with real battle experience, country’s Interior Minister revealed to national media. These are German citizens who joined radical Islamist groups in Iraq and Syria and are now coming home. Former militants who used to fight in the ranks of so-called Islamic State (former ISIS/ISIL) and other terrorist groups against the troops of the Syrian and Iraqi governments are now coming home, raising the threat of potential terror attacks to a new high, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told Bild am Sonntag. The number of potential attackers currently living in Germany is “higher than ever before,” de Maiziere said, estimating the number of German citizens joining terrorists at 760 people, about one-fifth of them women, who usually do not fight among jihadists, but rather “assisting” the terrorists “in other ways,” de Maiziere said. According to the minister, some 120 German citizens have died in the conflict in the Middle East; while about 200 have managed to return back home. The rest is still somewhere out there, participating in terrorist activities, he added. So far, none of the signals about certain refugees flooding into Germany being linked to terrorist activities have proven to be true, De Maiziere said. According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, there are about 25,000 foreigners among the militants of so-called Islamic State.

Egyptian host claims ISIS is 'Israel-British-American'. Egyptian TV host claims ISIS stands for Israeli Secret Intelligence Service and its leader is actually Jewish.By Ben Ariel First Publish: 11/23/2015, Conspiracy theories with regards to the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group continue to be broadcast on Arab television. In a clip released last week by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), an Egyptian cleric was seen claiming on local television that ISIS was created by the West itself.In a newly released clip by MEMRI, Egyptian host Iman Izz Al-Din claims on her Al-Hayat TV show that not only was ISIS created by Israel, the United States and Britain, it actually stands for Israeli Secret Intelligence Service.While commenting on the Paris terror attacks, Izz Al-Din further claimed that ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi is in fact a Jew called Simon Elliot, who is supported by U.S. Senator John McCain. “The Israeli Mossad was in charge of producing this entity (ISIS -ed.),” claims Izz Al-Din, who goes on to say that ISIS was created “in order to fragment,





divide and weaken other countries, so that Israel will be able to sit in comfortably in the heart of the region.” She then goes on to make her claim that Al-Baghdadi is a Jew named Simon Elliot who is supported by Senator McCain, and goes on to stress that her claims are not a theory but “the truth that by now has become as clear as day.”Izz Al-Din is not alone in her argument about ISIS. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed last year that the United States, Israel and the "wicked" British government were behind ISIS and had created the group "in order to create divisions and use them to fight against the Islamic Republic".




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