Washington, August 7
President Barack Obama has insisted that the US needs to stay on top of terrorism as violent extremism is still out there even though Washington has been successful in decimating the top Al-Qaida leadership.

Obama made these remarks during an interview to the NBC channel when asked about the US decision to shut down 19 embassies and consulates in North Africa and Middle East because of a specific threat emanating from the Al-Qaida.

"It's significant enough we're taking every precaution. We had already done a lot to bolster embassy security around the world, but especially in the Middle East and North Africa where the threats tend to be highest. And whenever we see a threat stream, we think is specific enough that we can take some specific precautions within a certain time frame, then we do so," Obama said.

"Now, it's a reminder that for all the progress we've made, getting Osama bin Laden, putting the Al-Qaida in between Afghanistan and Pakistan back on its heals, then this radical, you know, violent extremism is still out there, and we've got to stay on top of it," he said.

Meanwhile, the White House said the core of the Al-Qaida leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been severely diminished and is on the run.

"There is no question that the core Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been severely diminished, its leadership decimated, and there's no question that it's on the run," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

"For many years now, it has been less organised and less capable of directing attacks on the scale that it was able to do most notably on 9/11. And that remains the case," he said. —PTI

Beirut, August 7
Syrian government forces killed over 60 rebels today in an ambush near Damascus, a blow to opposition fighters confronting a regime offensive in the capital, activists said.

The state news agency SANA confirmed the ambush near the Damascus suburb of Adra at dawn, saying "dozens" were killed.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 62 rebels died. It did not report any government casualties.

SANA said the rebels were members of the Al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra or Nusra Front. It added that they included foreign fighters.

Syrian troops have been on the offensive in the past few months in an attempt to clear out Damascus suburbs used by opposition fighters to threaten President Bashar al-Assad's seat of power.

State-run broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya TV aired footage of bloodied dead men, some in military uniforms. It said they were killed in an ambush as they were on their way to attack an army post near Damascus. The bodies were gathered in what appeared to be a desert area.

Al-Ikhbariya TV also showed a Tunisian passport of a man who was born in 1978. The picture on the passport was of a bearded man. It also showed Islamic headbands and automatic rifles that were apparently carried by the rebels.

Mohammed Saeed, an activist who is based near Damascus, told The Associated Press that 65 rebels were on their way from the eastern suburbs of the capital to the nearby area of Qalamoun. — AP 

Cairo, August 7
Global diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing political deadlock in Egypt following the army's removal of country's first democratically elected President Mohamed Mursi have failed, the presidency said today, holding the Muslim Brotherhood "full responsibility" for the impasse.

The presidency, in a statement, said talks between Western and Arab diplomats, and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed, adding the Islamist party and its allies bear "full responsibility for the failure and what will follow".

Interim President Adly Mansour and the country's powerful army have been talking to diplomats from the US, EU, Qatar and the UAE.

Supporters of Mursi have been staging sit-ins in Cairo and Giza as well as daily rallies demanding his reinstatement. Over 250 persons have been killed in political unrest since Mursi's ouster on July 3 after mass street protests.

"Diplomatic efforts ended today. The state gave room for all necessary efforts to be exhausted in order to urge the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters to reject violence, prevent bloodshed and cease the disruption of Egyptian society by holding its future hostage," the presidency said.

Accompanied by an EU representative and Gulf foreign ministers, US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns had visited the Brotherhood's number two leader Khairat El-Shater in the high-security Tora prison on Monday. El-Shater is being detained on charges of inciting violence against protesters during Mursi's time in power.

The statement confirmed that all visits to Brotherhood members in custody took place with the permission of Egyptian authorities, and thanked the foreign countries which it described as "friends and brothers" for their efforts. — PTI