Islamic State
Al Qaeda and ISIS go to war against each other
Maybe this is a good thing. When murderers decide to murder themselves, even though I doubt this will happen between the world’s two most powerful Islamic terrorist groups.
Al Qaeda is not taking lightly to the ISIS leader, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi‘s claim that he is the leader of Muslims worldwide. So why have they kept quiet since and what’s forcing them to speak up now?
A message, released online on Wednesday, Sept. 9, by Al Qaeda leader, Al-Zawahiri said:
“We have endured a lot of harm from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his brothers, and we preferred to respond with as little as possible, out of our concern to extinguish the fire of sedition.
“But Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his brothers did not leave us a choice, for they have demanded that all the mujahideen reject their confirmed pledges of allegiance, and to pledge allegiance to them for what they claim of a caliphate.”
Al-Baghdadi had called on the world’s Muslims to “obey” him as the head of the caliphate in a rare public speech in Mosul, Iraq last year.
He said: “I am the wali (leader) who presides over you, though I am not the best of you, so if you see that I am right, assist me.
“If you see that I am wrong, advise me and put me on the right track, and obey me as long as I obey God in you.”
Zawahiri said “everyone was surprised” by al-Baghdadi’s declaration and he had done this “without consulting the Muslims”.
A counter terrorism expert has said the move will ‘irreconcilably’ divide the two militant groups. Note that ISIS was a former affiliate of Al Qaeda but Osama Bin Laden renounced them for being to radical and non compliant.
ABC News quotes National Counter-Terrorism Center Director Matthew Olsen describing the new Zawahiri audio as an “interesting” development.
“Zawahiri until now has not been willing to openly condemn Baghdadi and ISIS. It highlights how deep the division is between al Qaeda leadership and ISIS. It suggests that the differences are irreconcilable,” he said, suggesting that U.S. intelligence operatives could take this opportunity to goad ISIS and al-Qaeda into more
gunfights and assassinations.
Other intelligence analysts quoted by ABC agreed that the split between ISIS and al-Qaeda, and perhaps a growing divide within al-Qaeda itself, should be exploited.
However, it should be noted that while Zawahiri had strong words for Baghdadi, he reiterated the willingness of al-Qaeda to fight alongside ISIS against common enemies such as the United States.
HORRIFIC ISIS EXECUTION OF TWO MEDIA ACTIVISTS
ISIS over the weekend continued with their now frequent series of executions. The terrorist group released a horrific video showing the execution of two media activists in Raqqa, for allegedly being ‘informants’, speaking against them and handing out anti-Shariah leaflets. In the video, the two men identified as Bashar Abdul Atheem and Faisal Hasan Al Habib, who were local residents in Raqqa, were first interrogated before they were tied to a tree and shot dead. ISIS says it’s a warning to other activists working
against them. More photos below:
It hurts me so much when activists loose their lives in the line of their work. They are all just trying to do the right thing and ensure the world is a better place. I pray their souls Rest in Peace despite the cruel nature of their death.
I also pray and hope that the Islamic State will meet their waterloo very soon.
BOKO HARAM: ISIS in West Africa.
I’ve once written about How ISIS and Boko Haram share similar ideologies and the other things they have in common and that post has been trending.
I also wrote about Boko Haram’s allegiance to the Islamic state and their so-called Caliph, Al Baghdadi. I wrote then that Boko Haram might have sworn their allegiance to ISIS because they were under increasing pressure from the military Joint Task Force of the West African countries it terrorizes (Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger). Boko Haram needed the support of the more powerful ISIS.
Has ISIS being directly supporting Boko Haram?
Since Boko Haram swore allegiance to the ISIS, there have been no confirmed reports that the Islamic state is sponsoring or sending weapons to Boko Haram. There have been reports of ISIS training fighters and supplying weapons to Boko Haram, however the reports are unconfirmed.
Recent activities of Boko Haram have however shown that the group is serious about its allegiance to the Islamic State and its mandate. I’m sure that the ISIS would be willing to use this opportunity to establish and expand its influence in Africa.
The Islamic State or ISIS (I use them interchangeably) called on fighters to increase attacks during Ramadan. In response to this, Boko
Haram has unleashed a wave of terror and violence in a recent spate of deadly attacks in its operational base, Maiduguri, Northern Nigeria.
The spike in violence has sparked concern that earlier victories claimed by the armies of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon against Boko Haram are being eroded.
Boko Haram fighters have waged new attacks on a series of towns and villages, killing at least 160 people.
Early on Friday morning, at least 11 men were dragged from their
homes in the village of Miringa by Boko Haram and shot for escaping forced conscription by their group, residents said.
In another set of attacks on Thursday, two girls wrapped with explosives blew themselves up at a crowded market and a military checkpoint in Malari, outside Maiduguri, killing at least 13 people.
The violence on Thursday and Friday morning came hours after Boko Haram fighters murdered around 145 worshippers in the town of Kukawa, just as they were preparing to break their fast.
Boko Haram this year became ISIS’s West African franchise.
An estimated 13,000 people killed in the 6-year-old insurgency.
Amnesty International puts the toll at 17,000 dead. Another 1.5 million people have been driven from their homes, most of them internally displaced and others living as refugees in neighbouring countries.
ISIS: The Executions Continue…
The Islamic state appears to be growing stronger by the day and it seems the world is just sitting back and watching, even though that’s most likely not the case.
I’ve written previously about the horrible, cruel, medieval style executions which the Islamic State, ISIS has been carrying out. When I wrote about it, I was hopeful that they’ll be stopped but here we are, months after and it appears that the situation is even worsening.
The ISIS is notorious for slaughtering people like animals through different methods:
√ Random shooting
√ Beheading
√ Crucifying
√ Throwing people from roof tops
√ Locking people in cages and drowning them
√ Starving people…
√ hanging people
the horrible list is endless!
You can view some of the pictures yourself:
The UK based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights puts the number of ISIS executions at 3,027 including 1,787 civilians and 74 children! Shocking!
Lest I forget, women are not left out too. Recently, reports came in that the ISIS beheaded two women and their husbands for seeking ‘non traditional’ health remedies.
The ISIS is undoubtedly growing bigger, stronger and fearless, disregarding every law of morality and humanity. The extent of even executing children! My God!
Something must be done to stop them and restore sanity to our world, to restore the dignity of humanity.
You will all agree with me that the world can not continue to appear to look on! The world must do something and that something has to be done now and it has to be done right. We have to save those vulnerable women and children fighting for their lives, just thinking of getting through everyday. I still think of those Yazidi girls, most of them raped and killed or forcefully married off! Most of them had to watch their family members die!
So, my dear readers, friends and servants of humanity, what do you think that ‘Something’ the world must do is?
Do you think the world (United Nations…) is doing the right thing, do you think they are doing enough, do you think they have to change strategy?
Written by Olisa Lotenna
What’s left of Syria?
I’ve been following the Syrian crises since its onset, since the protests turned into a crackdown and then subsequently a full blown civil war and even up until Islamic extremists hijacked the fight against the Government and now that the Islamic State is relentlessly pushing for territorial gains in the country. All these have happened in the space of over three years.
Now, the world seems to be forgetting about the Syrian Crises and moving on to other seemingly ‘more pressing issues’ amongst which is the threat of the Islamic State. Russia and the U.S now fear that the Islamic State is gaining ground in Afghanistan.
But, that’s not the aim of this post. Call it a preamble if you wish.
I want to use this post to highlight the impact of the Syrian War on the country. I don’t want to say much. This picture says so much already.
Talk about the impact on Infrastructure, Housing, Health, Education; and most importantly, the people.
I just sit down and imagine how many billions of dollars, how many years and what it will take to get Syria back to its glorious self, that’s if it is ever going to he possible. What about the children? So young, forced to live as refugees, deprived of the joy of growing up and being proud of their homeland. How can they even be patriotic?
Its hard to swallow that 36% of hospitals have been destroyed! I don’t even want to start giving the depressing figures of the casualties.
And yet, the war is not over and we can’t even see the end in sight.
What’s left of Syria now and what will be left of it when the war is over?
Written by Olisa Lotenna
Lotenna Blog 