France, incl. terrorism & counter-terrorism (catch all)

[davidbfpo]

Just found this article by Scott Atran and this is a key passage:

what inspires the most uncompromisingly lethal actors in the world today is not so much the Qur’an or religious teachings. It’s a thrilling cause that promises glory and esteem. Jihad is an egalitarian, equal-opportunity employer: fraternal, fast-breaking, glorious, cool – and persuasive.

(He ends with) The first step to combating Isis is to understand it. We have yet to do so. That failure costs us dear.

Link:http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...errorists-isis

[davidbfpo]

Two slightly different reports:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...s-attacks.html and http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...gium-molenbeek

[Bill Moore]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11...od-1219447939/

72 hours before Paris attacks, ISIS-linked social media account reveals 'God bless you in your mission'

Fox News has learned that four credible, ISIS-linked social media accounts began sharing messages 72 hours before the Paris attack, including images of weapons, the Eiffel tower, as well as blessings for the attackers’ mission. A military intelligence source says the social media traffic is now seen as evidence the three teams had gone operational.

The translations include “God bless you in your mission” and “Support the deployment,” as well as a reference to our “sister,” suggesting an operative, or member of the support team was a woman.

Now we hopelessly can start to cease the speculation about Russia, and focus on the real problem.

[TheCurmudgeon]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11...od-1219447939/

72 hours before Paris attacks, ISIS-linked social media account reveals 'God bless you in your mission'



Now we hopelessly can start to cease the speculation about Russia, and focus on the real problem.

Can you confirm from another source? I don't consider Fox a reputable news source.

I can't find any verification of the claims anywhere else.

[OUTLAW 09]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11...od-1219447939/

72 hours before Paris attacks, ISIS-linked social media account reveals 'God bless you in your mission'



Now we hopelessly can start to cease the speculation about Russia, and focus on the real problem.

Bill---those on the social media side I use and have deep abilities to search have not confirmed this nor do they believe it as it would totally violate the IS OPSEC which they are extremely good at.

They fully respect the abilities of the NSA and GCHQ and know that such chatter triggers immediately a response.

US IC sources talk about heavily encrypted traffic using the Sony PlayStation technology which cannot be monitored only detected--if you noticed not even comms between the three attack teams were detected and the French IC stated they have no insight into what is going on inside Belgium where the plan and attacks came from.

I still stand by the Russian trace simply because of the deep intertwining of IS and the former KGB/GRU and now FSB--the actions of Putin relating to the airliner still is a deep puzzlement for Russian SMEs who fully understand him.

Either he knew of threats against the airliner or he was involved is the only explanation for his behavior---he is a man of the streets of St. Petersburg, a majority of those killed came from St. Petersburg yet he said and did nothing for 55 hours and still has not really engaged by going there--why--totally unnormal for him--he never misses a chance to bash the US for starting IS.

Remember his GRU/SVR/FSB maintained/still maintains (1) two major intel centers in Syria and he knows nothing??

You did notice that any talk around the 22 July IS French threat video has not been really picked up on MSM--wonder why that is?

The real problem is that we have two excellent ground armies standing next to IS that are more than willing to attack IS---the SDF with the Kurds and the FSA--the FSA are dodging Russian bombs daily with not a word said by Obama and the SDF is being shot at by the Turks and are threatened with a Turkish army invasion against them.

Therein lies the core problem---we could and should attack but are afraid of our own shadows.

Robert has been always right--the IS problem is a Sunni problem---let them fight if they are willing to fight against IS and give them any support their require--but the Obama floats, dodges and ignores in order to make it to the end without unleashing a military action that would ruin his legacy. But will the Sunnis do it when faced by a very aggressive Iran in Iraq and Syria via their not so non terrorist militias.

Defeating IS military is potentially real--but the IS ideology is their power and that will take years to counter and there are many that are attracted to it.

We will still be confronted with the ongoing global Sunni Shia war that is real and will not go away---QJBR/AQI started that war and IS has driven it into a global confrontation.

[Bill Moore]

Can you confirm from another source? I don't consider Fox a reputable news source.

I can't find any verification of the claims anywhere else.

I share your concerns about Fox News, and while searching for another source to at least dual source it, I found a report that Fox reported the same thing after the gun man shot up the recruiter station in Tennessee last May. That report turned out to be false. They're well known for pushing a narrative, and have been caught reporting inaccurate information too many times not to be concerned about their credibility.

Even if ISIS didn't tweet prior to the attack, it appears more probable they conducted the attacks as the reporting unfolds. However, always wise to maintain some degree of doubt.

[OUTLAW 09]

Just found this article by Scott Atran and this is a key passage:
Link:http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...errorists-isis

David-have been saying for a super long time we never did fully understand even the Iraqi Sunni insurgency much less first QJBR then AQI and now IS.

There is that old saying know your enemies as if they are you---we have not even tried to.......

[OUTLAW 09]

I share your concerns about Fox News, and while searching for another source to at least dual source it, I found a report that Fox reported the same thing after the gun man shot up the recruiter station in Tennessee last May. That report turned out to be false. They're well known for pushing a narrative, and have been caught reporting inaccurate information too many times not to be concerned about their credibility.

Even if ISIS didn't tweet prior to the attack, it appears more probable they conducted the attacks as the reporting unfolds. However, always wise to maintain some degree of doubt.

Bill--do not get me wrong---fully believe IS behind that attacks BUT and this is the far bigger BUT---was Russia riding highside on the attack and that actually goes to the Bloomberg article carried by SWJ here today.

I have mentioned the intertwining of IS with the FSB/GRU formerly the KGB/GRU and Syria and especially the unspoken spoken cooperation between IS and Assad.

This hit social media today and confirms what I have been saying--if Russia was so into fighting IS THEN why did the FSB allow 2500-4000 fighters leave Russia for Syria AND why is not the RuAF totally bombing IS instead of fully bombing the FSA?

Why is Cyrillic on the road signs.......?

Arabic, Latin and Cyrillic script on #IS traffic signs in al-Hawl, Syria.
Images from #Hawl town liberated by Syrian Democratic Forces / ANF
http://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/imag...ocratic-forces …

[OUTLAW 09]

Bill--this is what I mean--yes Russia and Iran are doing a so called fight against IS but what role does IS play in the Russian geopolitical game for the ME.

Here is that intertwining effect--in play now......BTW--the last sentence is telling.......

The #Russia-#Iran'ian plan to undermine Saudi Arabia #KSA in #Syria
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commenta...saudi-in-syria …

Whether through war or diplomacy, Russia and Iran have been trying to finish off Ahrar al-Sham, a Saudi-sponsored Syrian rebel group that has shown resolve and resilience in fighting forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad. The group has threatened Assad’s survival and has so far proven to be an obstacle in the face of the Russo-Iranian military campaign aimed at reviving the Syrian dictatorship.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have asked for a list of “US-approved” Syrian opposition militias, presumably to spare them Russian airstrikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif has called on the Vienna Conference to identify terrorist groups in Syria.

Since the outbreak of the Syrian war, Washington has placed two armed groups on its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations: ISIS and the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra. As with its foreign policy in general, Washington’s position on Ahrar has been murky. By calling on Washington to spell out its position on Ahrar, Moscow and Tehran hope to build international consensus that the group is terrorist and should be defeated, as a prerequisite for a political solution in Syria.

Russia and Iran have consistently tried to connect Syrian rebels to terrorism, believing such a designation gives Assad a green light to eliminate them brutally. Russia, Iran and Assad believe that painting groups as terrorist might also make them toxic to their foreign sponsors.

Iran has also cited foreign sponsorship as proof of terrorism in Syrian rebel groups. Because Turkey’s government is Islamist, and because Qatar leans toward Islamists across the region, Iran has found it easy to shout Islamism, and therefore terrorism, against any Syrian opposition group with ties to either Turkey or Qatar.

Saudi Arabia has been a harder nut to crack. Riyadh has been at the forefront of combating terrorism in the region since at least 9/11. Unlike Turks and Qataris, who sided with the Islamists in Egypt, Saudi Arabia opposed Cairo’s Islamist government. As an alternative, Iranian propaganda tried to connect ‘radical Saudi Muslim teachings’ and ISIS.

But Iranian propaganda has failed. ISIS is an Iraqi organization whose leaders have inherited Saddam’s hatred of Saudi Arabia. And like Al-Qaeda, ISIS has launched attacks inside the kingdom.

Russia, for its part, arranged for Assad’s security chief, Ali Mamlouk, to visit Saudi Arabia on the premise that if Riyadh wanted to undermine Iranian influence in Syria, Mamlouk could offer such guarantees. Instead of extending such an offer, Mamlouk tried to spin the story of his Saudi meetings in the media in a bid to undermine confidence between Syrian rebel groups and Saudi Arabia.

When Russia and Iran saw it was impossible to outmaneuver the Saudis on Ahrar, Russia launched a direct military assault against the group, while Iranian propaganda went after the Saudi royal family, judging by speeches of Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and the “Death to Al Saud” chants of his supporters.

But Ahrar surprised Russia with its military performance. Meanwhile, the Saudis responded to the Vienna effort of designating Ahrar terrorist by doubling down on their military support of the Syrian group. The solution in Syria, implied Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, would not be a political settlement. “Assad will leave, whether through politics or military action,” he told reporters.

Saudi’s holding onto Syrian non-Islamist rebels like Ahrar prompted Iranians to threaten to withdraw from the Vienna meetings. Statements from unidentified senior Iranian officials in the Wall Street Journal threatened an Iranian boycott of Vienna and were especially offensive toward Saudi Arabia, echoing Nasrallah’s tone.

Russia and Iran want to help Assad beat his opponents, terrorist or not. Saudi Arabia has skillfully identified and sponsored moderate Syrian rebels who threaten Assad’s survival. Aside from Iraqi ISIS, which controls Syrian territory mostly east of the Euphrates, the war in Syria is between Assad and Ahrar. Russia and Iran are trying to enlist the US, via Vienna, to vilify Ahrar as a move towards destroying it, undermining Saudi influence in Syria and finishing off the moderate Syrian opposition.

Saudis and Americans are aware of the Russo-Iranian plan. President Obama, however, would not mind seeing Assad prevail, were it not for the Saudis, who have used their weight to neutralize America on Syria, a step that has proven adequate given Washington’s endlessly amateurish foreign policy.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain is the Washington Bureau Chief of Kuwaiti newspaper Alrai. He tweets @hahussain.

[OUTLAW 09]

Even US/UK commenters are losing the plot with Assad and IS---we simply do not need more Syrian civilians deaths--actually we need the Russians to target IS not the FSA and the Syrian civil society.......

Wow.
@TheStudyofWar suggests adjusting rules of engagement to accept civilian casualties in anti-#ISIS strikes:
https://shar.es/15BG3y

We do not need to emulate both Assad and Russia when it comes to killing Syrians.

BACK to the intertwining of IS, Russia and Iran--do not think for one moment the Israeli's do not think Hezbollah is a tennis club.......
We do not view them as a terrorist organisation"
#Russia Deputy FM Bogdanov on #Hezbollah, speaking to Interfax.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/id...Name=worldNews …

Think about the Russian statement for a moment--based on this logic that would explain just WHY Russia is not bombing IS--in Russian eyes not a terrorist organization it would appear.......?

[OUTLAW 09]

MORE Putin platitudes on IS........

Roland Oliphant @RolandOliphant
"look we are seeking to do more to focus on ISIL." Vladimir Putin, as quoted by David Cameron's staffers.

If he is really serious about more "focus" on IS THEN why have since Friday all air strikes been either in support of the IRGC and Hezbollah attacking FSA and or on FSA positions---NOT a single recorded air strike anywhere in Syria on IS by the RuAf--why is that--and there is no intertwining of IS and Russian interests........???

[OUTLAW 09]

We should be totally alert now.......Iraq had sent prior warnings of the Paris attack... and IS had released a French attack threat via video on 22 July 2015.

Now it will start getting serious.... according to Iraq another 16 kamikazes sent to Europe (24 total) https://twitter.com/ReutersWorld/sta...27636478320640 …

IS Video Warns Of More Attacks Like Paris
http://trib.al/SihODEM
pic.twitter.com/emn50GgktB

[OUTLAW 09]

Since Paris---should it not be far easy to declare a nation state---"a sponsor of terror/terrorists"?????

RU's interest in contd Syria/IS conflict:
1/softens West over Ukraine&sanctions
2/higher oilprices
3/strengthens extr.right&left EU friends

Russia is part of problem, not solution in Syria,
interested in IS destabilizing EU,
wants concessions on Ukraine

Who is a terrorist? Putin should know. He sends 1,000s of them into eastern Ukraine to kill and spread his ideology

The only difference between Islamic State and the DNR/LNR is that the West does not call them terrorists---WHY Russia supports them.

[OUTLAW 09]

Come on DC say least something that makes some sense...DC has been constantly criticized for having virtually no info war pushback concept.....many of us have been saying this for going on 18 months now........

BRENNAN: “ISIS is making great use of YouTube & social media to attract people under the false banner of religion” - @CSIS

What planet has Obama and his NSC been literally on for the last 18 months??

[OUTLAW 09]

Come on DC say least something that makes some sense...DC has been constantly criticized for having virtually no info war pushback concept.....many of us have been saying this for going on 18 months now........

BRENNAN: “ISIS is making great use of YouTube & social media to attract people under the false banner of religion” - @CSIS

What planet has Obama and his NSC been literally on for the last 18 months??

This was posted shortly before the Paris attacks by IS AND in French--and there is no connection--this is what I mean by constantly monitoring their videos ---they do converse with us --we just do not get "get it".

ISIS forum published AK-47 guide days before #ParisAttacks - @vocativ
http://voc.tv/1NV0NfJ

Brennan should know this if he heads the CIA????

[SWJ Blog]

Friday the 13th in Paris

Entry Excerpt:



--------
Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.

[omarali50]

I wrote a somewhat longish and rambling piece about Paris, ISIS, Islam and Sykes-Picot (not enought time to make is shorter or to finish with predictions) Still, it may be of interest to some.

http://brownpundits.blogspot.com/201....html?spref=tw

[OUTLAW 09]

I wrote a somewhat longish and rambling piece about Paris, ISIS, Islam and Sykes-Picot (not enought time to make is shorter or to finish with predictions) Still, it may be of interest to some.

http://brownpundits.blogspot.com/201....html?spref=tw

Actually not bad for the first pass.......

[OUTLAW 09]

Bill-----this is why the Fox comments were bascially disinformation.......

An important piece. ISIS has mastered the art of escaping surveillance, reports @sheeraf, whom nothing escapes:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/sheerafrenke...erm=.veMR04vOw …

[OUTLAW 09]

Why would Obama risk being seen as a supporter of the Shia against the Sunni--especially since Russia has already allied with the Shia via Iran.....


Putin suggests US is coming around to the idea of partnering with Russia in the fight against Islamic State.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/vladimir...ing-1447695525 …