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US military equipment being detoured for possible battle vs. ISIS

Dec. 25, 2014 - As the US war in Afghanistan was winding down, some $7 billion worth of military equipment was going to be destroyed, sold or given away. However, Air Force Maj. Gen. Rowayne “Wayne” Schatz, the director of operations and plans for U.S. Transportation Command, said that from June to December roughly 3,100 vehicles and other military gear was moved into Kuwait while plans for a massive spring offensive against ISIS is being developed.

The gear is being housed near a busy commercial port, which is now the place where -- mostly ambush-protected vehicles known as MRAPs – are parked, in addition to electronic equipment and other supplies.

The spring offensive will help Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters take back territory from the Islamic State. But Lt. Gen. James Terry would not comment on details or the timeline for the program.

Source: Fox

US sending military equipment to Iraq ahead of possible spring offensive - i24 News

Prophetic Significance of Terrorism

ISIS gets seriously barbaric with penal code

Dec. 18, 2014 -

Now, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, ISIS has published a penal code, with penalties drawn from the Quran, for offenses such as “blasphemy, adultery, sodomy, spying, slander, theft and apostasy.”

Source: WND

ISIS reportedly selling Christian artifacts, turning churches into torture chambers - Prophecy Central Persecution Section

Death toll rises to 126 in Taliban-led attack on Pakistan school

Dec. 16, 2014 -

An ongoing Taliban-led assault Tuesday on a Pakistan military-run school has left at least 126 people dead, mostly children and teenagers in grades 1-10, officials say, in the worst attack to hit the country in years.

The brutal attack is taking place in Peshawar. The militants are from the Tehreek-e-Taliban group.

Source: Fox

Realtime Coverage - Google

Realtime Coverage -USA Today

Police storm Sydney cafe where jihadist, murder suspect held hostages

Dec. 15, 2014 - A man identified as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian who was known by police for sending hate mail to the families of fallen soldiers, held a number of people captive for some 16 hours in the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney, Australia.

Police stormed the building using a variety of methods to end the standoff. A number of injured hostages were carried out on stretchers. It is unknown if any were killed.

During the ordeal Monis made hostages hold up the black "Shahada" flag of an al Qaida-linked group (Jabhat al-Nusra) that has sometimes been allied with ISIS.

In September, Islamic State group spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani issued an audio message urging so-called "lone wolf" attacks abroad, specifically mentioning Australia. Al-Adnani told Muslims to kill all "disbelievers," whether they be civilians or soldiers.

Source: Fox

Commandos end Sydney cafe siege - BBC

ISIS cites Quran to justify child rape

Dec. 9, 2014 - A pamphlet issued by ISIS to explain the concept of female sex slaves to their militant members says that Islam allows captured unbelievers to be held as sex slaves. Additionally, under certain conditions the pamphlet says it is permissible to have sex with girls that have not reached puberty. The Quran is quoted:

It is permissible to have sexual intercourse with the female captive. Allah the almighty said: (Successful are the believers) who guard their chastity, except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then they are free from blame (Quran 23:5-6).

Source: WND

Women Are 'Merely Property' in ISIS's Guide for Slave Owners - NewsMax

ISIS: Prelude to Apocalypse - Elwood McQuaid - Christian Post

Isis: The Inside Story - The terror group’s origins inside an Iraqi prison – right under the noses of their American jailers. Report by Martin Chulov - Guardian - UK

'Unconscionable': Top Republicans lash out ahead of release of CIA report

Dec. 9, 2014 - A report is to be released today about CIA interrogation techniques used on Al Qaeda suspects after the 911 attacks. Top Republicans are warning that the "unconscionable" release of the report could endanger US citizens and officials worldwide and be a recruitment tool for jihadists.

U.S. officials who have read the report say it includes disturbing new details about the CIA's use of such techniques as sleep deprivation, confinement in small spaces, humiliation and the simulated drowning process known as waterboarding.

However, the interrogation techniques did lead to valuable information. Sept. 11 attack mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed generated more than 2,000 intelligence reports.

Source: Fox

US Braces for Possible Attacks on Americans Ahead of 'Torture' Report Release - NewsMax

US posts on alert over potential backlash from CIA report, lawmaker warns of 'violence'

Dec. 8, 2014 - A Senate report is about to be released about alleged use of torture by the CIA a decade ago. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers complains that this information may be used by extremists to incite violence.

"I think this is a terrible idea," Rogers said on CNN's "State of the Union." "Foreign leaders have approached the government and said, 'You do this, this will cause violence and deaths.'"

U.S. diplomatic and military posts overseas are on alert because of the report.

Source: Fox

American hostage 'murdered' during failed rescue attempt in Yemen

Dec. 6, 2014 - The U.S. attempted a rescue of Luke Somers, the American freelance photographer kidnapped by Al Qaeda militants in Yemen in 2013. A special operations team was sent to extract him, but when they arrived on the scene he had been shot by the militants.

[Secretary of Defense Chuck] Hagel said in the statement that the rescue bid was conducted in partnership with the Yemen's government and its security forces.Ten militants were killed between the rescue attempt and the drone strike prior to the mission.

A South African hostage, Pierre Korkie, was also killed in the operation.

Source: Fox

Wife and suspected son of Islamic State leader arrested

Dec. 2, 2014 -

A wife and suspected son of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group, were arrested in Lebanon, according to reports.

They were detained near the border of Syria about 10 days ago.

Source: USA Today

Iraq denies woman detained in Lebanon is IS leader's wife - BBC

Iran attacks Islamic State targets in Iraq

Dec. 2, 2014 - Video footage shows Iran jets bombing IS ground targets to help Iraqi forces take back the Kurdish towns Sa’adiya and Jawlala on Nov. 25.

The joint operation between Iraqi military and Kurdish peshmerga forces to re-take the towns near the Iranian border was Iraq’s largest offensive against the terrorist group since June.

Source: Times of Israel

Al-Qaida plot 'to blow up airliners' before Christmas

Dec. 1, 2014 - American intelligence officers have uncovered a serious threat by Al-Qaida-linked terrorists to bomb five airliners in a spectacular attack before Christmas. The destruction would most likely be in the UK or other European countries. Officials are taking the threat so seriously that it might lead to a complete ban on all hand luggage and electronic devices in the passenger areas of planes.

The threats are related to the work of David Drugeon, a 24-year-old Frenchman enlisted by Al Qaeda to develop undetectable explosives. He was killed by a cruise missile strike earlier this month near Aleppo, Syria.

Drugeon was part of an Al Qaeda off-shoot called the the Khorasan group, and was said to be targeting US and UK airlines with non-metallic explosive devices, which could be concealed in mobile phones, computers and printer cartridges.

The fear is, that despite Drugeon's death "the genie is out of the bottle" and sleeper cells already have their instructions to carry out the attacks.

Source: Express - UK

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US, Turkey Close to Deal on Joint Action against ISIS

Dec. 1, 2014 - An article in the Wall Street Journal says that The US and Turkey are expected to agree on joint military action against the Islamic State terrorists in Syria.

Citing officials from both the U.S. and Turkey, the paper reported that the proposed deal would allow the U.S. and its coalition partners access to Turkish air bases for launching air strikes.

A no-fly zone would also be established along the border between Turkey and Syria.

Source: Israel National News

Iran threatens 'direct action' on ISIS in case of attack to Baghdad or Shiite holy shrines - ABNA

Egypt brands jihadist IS a 'terrorist group' - Space War

U.S.-Led Coalition Carries Out 30 Air Strikes Against ISIS in Syria - TIME

US airstrikes against ISIS has not weakened them, Syrian official says - Fox

ISIS threat at home: FBI warns US military about social media vulnerabilities - WCVB

ISIS to annex more Arab lands into caliphate

Nov. 19, 2014 -

In his announcement, Baghdadi said he has accepted bayah – an oath of allegiance to a leader – from jihadi groups in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and the Jund al-Khilafah in Algeria, the Majis Shura Shabab al-Islam in Libya and the Ansar Beit al-Maqdis in the Sinai.

Source: WND

Global terror attack deaths rose sharply in 2013, says report

Nov. 18, 2014 - With more than 10,000 terrorist attacks in 60 countries, and 17,958 deaths, the year 2013 experienced a 61% increase in terrorism fatalities over the previous year.

Source: BBC

Global Terrorism Index

Islamic State sets sights on Saudi Arabia

Nov. 17, 2014 -

In a 17-minute audio message, purportedly from its elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group sets its sights firmly on Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam and the world's largest oil producer and exporter.

In the video Saudi Arabia is called "the land of Haramayn", the land of the two holy places: meaning Mecca and Medina.

Saudi Arabia's grand mufti, has called IS the "greatest enemy of Islam". However, many Saudis consider IS as defenders of Sunni Islam, and more than 2,000 Saudi nationals have joined the ranks the the new Islamic State.

Source: BBC

ISIS Beheads US Hostage Peter Kassig

Nov. 16, 2014 - A video from the Islamic State claimed that they had beheaded another American and showed the mass beheading of Syrian soldiers captured by the group.

The militant was standing over a severed head, but it was not immediately possible to confirm that it was Kassig, 26, who was pictured in the video. U.S. officials said they were working to determine the video's authenticity.

Source: NewsMax

ISIS Leader al-Baghdadi Still Alive: 'Erupt Volcanoes of Jihad'

Nov. 14, 2014 - A new audio message from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, was released several days after it was thought he had been wounded in an American airstrike in Iraq. He told his surporters,

"Erupt volcanoes of jihad everywhere. Light the Earth with fire. . . America and its allies are terrified, weak, and powerless.”

Source: NBC

Iraq investigating whether Islamic State leader al-Baghdadi killed in US air strikes

Nov. 9, 2014 - Air strikes by US-led coalition warplanes may have killed Islamic State (Isil) chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. It is known that a gathering of ISIL leaders was targeted, but at this time a confirmation is not available.

The death of the elusive Baghdadi would be a major victory for the coalition of countries carrying out air strikes against Isil and aiding Iraqi forces fighting to regain large areas of Iraq that the jihadists have overrun.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. will send up to 1,500 more US troops to Iraq to advise and train the country's military forces.

Source:Telegraph - UK

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi profile: The mysterious leader of Isis – and why he is called the 'invisible sheikh' - The Independent - UK

Can ISIS maintain the ‘Caliphate’ without Baghdadi? - Al Arabiya