Gazette 102114

Tuesday October 21st 2014

Islamic State: Fresh fighting in key Syrian town of Kobane

Fierce fighting has erupted in the north of the Syrian town of Kobane, after two days of relative calm.

The clashes began when Islamic State (IS) militants launched an offensive "on all fronts" against Kurdish fighters on Monday, activists said.
Meanwhile, the US-led anti-IS coalition said it carried out six air strikes around Kobane on Sunday and Monday.
Kobane, on the Turkish border, has been been under assault from IS for weeks, with most civilians forced to leave.
The new fighting came as Turkey said it would allow Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters to cross into Syria to fight IS.
The BBC's Kasra Naji on the Turkish border says the decision is a major boost for the defenders' morale, and soon for their fighting capability.
Officials in the Iraqi Kurdish region said they were ready to send forces but had so far received no orders to do so.
Turkey has faced its own Kurdish insurgency for decades and has until now barred access to Syria for Kurdish fighters, but correspondents say it is more sympathetic to Iraqi Kurds.

Iraqi officials: Bombings in Baghdad kill 9 people, latest in relentless attacks in capital

BAGHDAD –  Iraqi officials say two separate bombings have killed nine people in Baghdad, the latest victims in near-daily attacks that have targeted the country's capital.
Police officials say a bomb at an out-door market in the southern district of Abu Dashir, a mostly Shiite neighborhood, killed four people and wounded nine on Tuesday.

They say a little bit later, a bomb blast near a small restaurant in central Baghdad killed five people and wounded 12.
Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to media.
Iraq has been plunged into its worst crisis since the U.S. troops left at the end of 2011 in the wake of the blitz by the Islamic State militants this summer.

Iran's President Pledges To Back Iraq Amid String Of Bombings

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promised on Tuesday that Iran will stand by Iraq in the neighboring country's fight against the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group.
Rouhani told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Heidar al-Abadi that Iran "will remain on the path until the last day," according to a report by the official IRNA news agency.
Rouhani says Iran will continue to provide Baghdad with military advisers and weapons. He also criticized the U.S. for allegedly failing to sufficiently support Iraq against an escalating Sunni insurgency.

That insurgency continued its wave of attacks on Tuesday as a string of bombings in and near Baghdad killed 26 people. Police officials said the deadliest attack took place Tuesday afternoon when a double car bomb attack hit Habaybina restaurant in the Shiite-majority district of Talibiya in eastern Baghdad, killing 15 people and wounding 32 others.
Earlier, a bomb struck at an outdoor market in the southern district of Abu Dashir, a mostly Shiite neighborhood, killing four people and wounding nine, police officials said.
A little bit later, a bomb that went off near a small restaurant in central Baghdad killed five people and wounded 12, the officials said. Another bomb exploded at a commercial street in the town of Madian, just south of Baghdad, killing two people and wounding four.

UK to fly military drones over Syria

Government says Reaper drones will be deployed soon to gather intelligence, but insists move is not a military intervention

 

Britain is to send military drones over Syria to gather intelligence in a move that will deepen its involvement in the campaign against Islamic State (Isis), Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, has revealed.
Downing Street insisted that the flights did not amount to military intervention and said there was a clear legal case for drone surveillance in Syria under the principles of “national and collective defence”.
The Reaper drones have already been active in Iraq, after parliament gave its approval for Britain to take part in air strikes against Isis. However, this will be the first time they have ventured into Syrian territory, where David Cameron has not sought approval for military action because of fears it would be blocked by Labour and some within the prime minister’s own party.
In a written ministerial statement, Fallon said Reaper drones would be starting operations “very shortly” and would be used alongside Rivet Joint planes.
“As well as their operations over Iraq, both Reapers and Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft will be authorised to fly surveillance missions over Syria to gather intelligence as part of our efforts to protect our national security from the terrorist threat emanating from there,” he told MPs.
“Reapers are not authorised to use weapons in Syria; that would require further permission.”
Asked why parliament had not been consulted about the use of UK drones to conduct surveillance over Syria, Cameron’s deputy official spokesman said it was because it did not amount to military action.

Iraq approves Australian anti-Islamic State forces

Australia has reached an agreement with Iraq to allow 200 special forces personnel to train local troops to fight against Islamic State militants.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the military would now decide when to deploy the special forces group.
The unit has been waiting in United Arab Emirates for a month, amid a legal row between the two sides.
Australia is a major contributor to the US-led coalition against Islamic State, which controls parts of Syria and Iraq.
It has committed a total of 600 troops to the fight, including the special forces group.
Its pilots began bombing raids earlier this month.
But the special forces contingent was held up in UAE because Iraq would not give the unit the legal protection Australia demanded.

Head of Iran's influential clerical body, Mohammadreza Mahdavi Kani, dead at 83

TEHRAN, Iran –  Ayatollah Mohammadreza Mahdavi Kani, the head of Iran's most influential clerical body charged with choosing or dismissing the country's supreme leader, has died. He was 83.
Kani was the the chairman of the Assembly of Experts, a body of 86 senior clerics that monitors the supreme leader and picks a successor after his death, making it one of the most powerful institutions in Iran, though it doesn't involve itself in daily affairs of state.

Kani held the post since March 2011, after his predecessor, Iran's influential former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was forced out following a dispute with several hard-line clerics.
Kani, a former acting prime minister and interior minister in the 80s, had been in a coma since June. He was considered a moderate conservative.

Iraq Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi rules out foreign boots on the ground

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi on Monday ruled out any foreign ground intervention to assist government forces in retaking territory lost to jihadists and urged Sunnis to give up such hopes.
Abadi was speaking in the city of Najaf after a rare meeting with the most revered figure among Iraqi Shiites, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and before a trip to neighbouring Iran.
"No ground forces from any superpower, international coalition or regional power will fight here," Abadi told reporters, reiterating previous remarks on the issue.
"This is my decision, it is the decision of the Iraqi government."
Some officials and Sunni tribal leaders in areas most affected by the unrest have argued the world should step up its involvement from air strikes to a ground intervention against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.
"I am telling our brothers in Anbar and Salaheddin (Sunni majority provinces) who asked for foreign ground troops that such an appeal should not be made for two reasons," Abadi said.
"We don't need foreign combat troops. And there is no country in the world which would be willing to fight here and give you back your land even if they were asked to."
The prime minister, from Iraq's Shiite majority, had just met with Sistani, a reclusive Iranian-born cleric who is the highest Shiite religious authority in the country.
Iraqi state television said it was the first time in four years that Sistani had met a high-ranking Iraqi government official.
Abadi was due to travel to Iran later on Monday for talks on Iraq's war against IS, which has since June seized control of swathes of the country and brought it to the brink of collapse.
IS fighters hold towns just a few kilometres from the Iranian border, and the Islamic republic has been reported by senior Kurdish officials to have deployed troops inside Iraq.

Pakistan Taliban sack spokesman Shahidullah Shahid for IS vow

Pakistan Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid has been sacked after pledging allegiance to Islamic State (IS).

The militants said he had been replaced but did not name his successor. A statement reiterated support for Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
It emerged last week that Shahidullah Shahid and five other Pakistan Taliban (TTP) commanders had defected to IS which controls parts of Iraq and Syria.
Analysts say IS poses a challenge to Taliban, al-Qaeda and other militants.
The TTP statement said Shahidullah Shahid was a nom de guerre and its former spokesman's real name was Sheikh Maqbool.
BBC Urdu's Haroon Rashid in Islamabad says these are further signs of splits within the Pakistani Taliban, which is already divided.
Last week, a senior TTP leader confirmed to our correspondent that Shahidullah Shahid and the five other senior figures had left because they had doubts about the leadership of Mullah Mohammad Omar.

Total's CEO Christophe de Margerie dies in Moscow plane crash

Christophe de Margerie, the chief executive of French oil company Total, has died in an air crash in Moscow.

His corporate jet collided with a snow plough and was then engulfed in flames. All four people on board were killed.
The driver of the snow plough was drunk, according to Russian investigators.
Mr de Margerie, 63, had been chief executive of Europe's third largest oil company since 2007. He was highly regarded within the oil industry.
'Original personality' A statement from the office of French President Francois Hollande said: "Christophe de Margerie dedicated his life to French industry and to building up the Total group. He made it into one of the very top global companies
"Francois Hollande cherished Christophe de Margerie's independent character, original personality and his devotion to his country."
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences.
News agency Tass quoted a Kremlin spokesman as saying: "The President highly appreciated de Mergerie's business skills, his continued commitment to the development of not only bilateral Russian-French relations, but also on multi-faceted levels."

Swedish airspace closed as hunt for foreign vessel goes on

Sweden’s Armed Forces will keep the airspace above parts of Stockholm’s archipelago closed as the country continues its search for a foreign vessel in its waters.
The operation follows three sightings off the shores of the Swedish capital in the past week. The airspace above the area will remain closed for civilian traffic until further notice, Jesper Tengroth, a spokesman for Sweden’s armed forces, said by telephone today.
Sweden’s army has deployed more than 200 personnel on corvettes, minesweepers and helicopters to look for what it said on Oct. 19 appeared to be foreign activity below the surface of the archipelago. Local news service TT said today the army is extending its search into open waters.
“We do not comment on exactly what resources we currently deploy or how many personnel are involved, but we keep the same pace as earlier,” Tengroth said.
The 27-year old Swede who first spotted and photographed the vessel at the heart of the search told newspaper Aftonbladet there could be no doubt it was a submarine. Local media have speculated the vessel is Russian. The Swedish Armed Forces have declined to comment.
The development is the latest to remind the region of Cold War operations. Neighbouring Finland said in August it had suffered multiple airspace violations by Russian planes. The complaint was echoed by the Baltic nations which, unlike Sweden and Finland, are NATO members.

Canada PM: St-Jean-sur-Richelieu hit-and-run man 'radicalised'

A man who struck two Canadian soldiers with his car before he was shot dead by police had been "radicalised" and was known to security officials, Canada's prime minister has said.

The 25-year-old, identified in local media as Martin Couture Rouleau, was killed by officers at St-Jean-sur-Richelieu in Quebec after a car chase.
One of the soldiers died on Tuesday, the other has minor injuries.
PM Stephen Harper said Rouleau had been "radicalised".
An official familiar with the case told the Associated Press that Rouleau had been influenced by extreme Islamists.
High-speed chase On Monday, Rouleau ran down the two members of the military in a car park near a Canadian military office, police told local media. It was not immediately clear if the soldiers were in uniform.
He fled and was chased by police at high speed for about 4km (2.5 miles), until the car drove off the road and rolled over several times.
He then left the car and police opened fire, the Montreal Gazette reported. The shooting took place at St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, about 42km (26 miles) south-east of Montreal.
Rouleau was taken to hospital where he died some hours later.
Television pictures showed a large knife on the ground near the crashed car.
"The individual who struck the two [Canadian Armed Forces] members with his car is known to federal authorities, including the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team," Mr Harper's office said in a written statement on Monday evening. "Federal authorities have confirmed that there are clear indications that the individual had become radicalised."

GAO report finds thousands of government workers on paid leave, costing taxpayers millions

WASHINGTON –  Thousands of federal workers who have been put on administrative leave for more than a month have been allowed to collect a paycheck, and accrue vacation days and pension benefits, while taxpayers were forced to foot the multi-million-dollar bill, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
Some government employees who broke the rules – meaning they were cited for being untrustworthy or had ongoing issues with co-workers or their bosses -- were allowed to remain on leave for large chunks of time while they challenged their demotions, the 62-page report said.

The study, released publicly on Monday, marks the first time auditors have taken a look at the scope of administrative leave and its cost to taxpayers.
During a three-year period, more than 57,000 employees were told to go home – and stay home -- for 30 days or more, costing taxpayers $775 million in salary alone. The report found that 53,000 civilian employees were kept home for one to three months. Another 4,000 were kept off the job for three months to a year and hundreds more for one to three years.
The report also identified a disparity among how paid leaves were granted and recorded.
The report listed the Department of Defense as having the highest number of paid leaves on record. During the three fiscal years that ended in September 2013, DOD put 8,600 employees on leave for one to three months, close to 900 for three months to a full year and 123 employees for more than a year.
Federal agencies have the discretion to put employees on administrative leave for a number of different reasons, including blood donations and snow days.

Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard Arrested

Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R) was arrested on Monday and charged with 23 felony ethics charges, The Associated Press reported.
Hubbard, who chaired the Alabama Republican Party from 2007 to 2011, faces charges that include using his office for personal gain and voting for legislation with a conflict of interest, Al.com reported.
Hubbard has claimed that he did nothing wrong and called the investigation a witch hunt, according to the AP.
According to WHNT, Hubbard's indictment is part of an ongoing public corruption investigation in the state.

US midterms: Clinton campaigns in Kentucky as Democrats bring out the big guns

Former president gives Alison Lundergan Grimes a hand against Mitch McConnell, while Michelle Obama is scheduled to pop up in Iowa and Minnesota

Just a fortnight to go now until Americans cast their ballots in the crucial midterm elections. Or until around 39% of eligible voters cast their ballots, that is. Midterms are not known for heavy turnout. It’s more of an exclusive affair. Just the fancy people.
Here is the state of the race:
Gut check for Mitch: A poll released Monday evening by the estimable SurveyUSA shows would-be Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell with an eeny-weeny one-point lead in his race against Democratic trinomial Alison Lundergan Grimes. And look who’s in Kentucky today to help her:

Dem turnout effort can’t turn tide

Buzz Cut:
• Dem turnout effort can’t turn tide
• Harper’s: ‘Stop Hillary’
• Power Play: What’s pushing Pressler?
• Cruz looks beyond midterms
• He figured the other fellow wasn’t using it

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DEM TURNOUT EFFORT CAN’T TURN TIDE
The message from Democrats has been the same since the end of the primary season this summer: The Obama 2012 model is coming to midterms and it’s going to save the Senate. The Obama model for re-electing a struggling incumbent requires holding down GOP base turnout and keeping Republican-leaning swing voters at home through a barrage of negative ads. Then it’s about juicing the Democratic base with the use of sophisticated targeting and expensive voter contact efforts. But as we get to the final days before the election, fresh questions arise about the strategy – first and foremost whether the blue team succeeded in the first part of the mission. The latest polling suggests that it did not.

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