W O R L D

special to the tribune
UK plans to nail British militants in Iraq, Syria
As the British Parliament on Friday debated the merits of getting involved in another Middle East war against the Iraq-based militants of Islamic State (IS), the country's security chiefs were reviewing their options for clandestine operations in both Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Defying air strikes, IS shells Syrian Kurdish town
Beirut (Turkey), September 27
New US-led air strikes against Islamic State fighters failed to stop them from pressing their assault on a strategic Syrian town near the Turkish border on Saturday, hitting it with shell fire for the first time.

Two RAF Tornado GR4s prepare to begin a combat mission at Akrotiri, Cyprus, on Saturday. Reuters

Court orders filing of another murder case against Sharif
A Pakistani court on Saturday ordered registration of a fresh murder case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and 10 others over the death of three protestors during the anti-government demonstrations on Ausust 30.

in dock: Nawaz Sharif

special to the tribune
UK plans to nail British militants in Iraq, Syria
Shyam Bhatia in London

As the British Parliament on Friday debated the merits of getting involved in another Middle East war against the Iraq-based militants of Islamic State (IS), the country's security chiefs were reviewing their options for clandestine operations in both Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

It has been taken for granted since earlier in the week that Parliament would join the international coalition against Islamic State by approving air strikes against key militant bases in Iraq.

Less well known are the intense discussions that have been taking place within the national security agencies about how to handle those British Islamic militants who have been trained along the Iraq-Syria border and are poised to return to the UK.

Several hundred British Islamists are understood to have travelled to key militant bases in Syria where they have been further indoctrinated and trained in the use of weapons and bomb making.

While British ports and airports are on the highest possible alert to intercept these returning jihadists, it is also accepted that some may slip through the security barriers and create mayhem once they are back inside the country. Their obvious targets would include buses and metros and any other places that attract large numbers of people.

Such fears have been strengthened by the Iraqi Prime Minister's assertion in New York earlier in the week that his intelligence experts had uncovered evidence of militant plans to attack the New York and Paris metros.

"I am receiving accurate reports from Baghdad that there was arrest of few elements and there are networks planning from inside Iraq to have attacks", Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi told journalists in New York.

"They plan to have attacks in the metros of Paris and the US. From the details I have received, yes it looks credible."

In the UK where there is concern that London is just as high a priority as New York or Paris for the militants, the only issue is how best to intercept the militants in advance. One plan reportedly under discussion is to send special forces out to Syria and Iraq with the express aim of locating known militants and eliminating them before they return home to the UK.

Meanwhile, Western governments have warned their nationals to avoid travelling to many parts of the world following the beheading of a French mountain guide, Herve Gourdel, who was kidnapped and killed during a walking holiday in Algeria.

Herve Gordel's murder last Wednesday by an Al-Qaida affiliate calling itself Jund Al Khilafah followed the capture in the Philippines of two Germans, Henrike Dielen Stefan Okonek, who have been taken hostage by a local Al-Qaida affiliate called Abu Sayyaf which threatens to kill them unless Berlin withdraws from the international coalition against the IS.

Abu Sayaf are also understood to be holding one man from Holland and another from Switzerland who were captured during bird walking holidays.

Meanwhile, the US State department has urged American nationals in Algeria to be on high alert and it has further advised Americans not to travel to Yemen "due to terrorist activities and civil unrest."

In London a leading academic has called on the authorities to do more to prevent the young from being seduced by Islamic jihadists. Professor Kamaldee Bhui who led a study into what attracts potential militants to join extremist groups is quoted as saying, "As a nation we spend a great deal of time and money on counter terrorism, but virtually no attention is given to preventing radicalisation before it has a chance to take hold.

"The violence we're witnessing in Syria and Iraq is a devastating example of this, whereby seemingly ordinary British citizens have become radicalised enough to leave their lives in the UK and commit themselves to a hopeless future", Bhui added.

Countering home threat

• Several hundred British Islamists are understood to have travelled to key militant bases in Syria where they have been further indoctrinated and trained in the use of weapons and bomb making
• National security agencies are discussing plans on how to handle those British Islamic militants who have been trained along the Iraq-Syria border and are poised to return to the UK
• One plan under discussion is to send special forces out to Syria and Iraq with the express aim of locating known militants and eliminating them before they return home to the UK
• While British ports and airports are on the highest possible alert to intercept these returning jihadists, it is also accepted that some may slip through the security barriers

Defying air strikes, IS shells Syrian Kurdish town

But the monitoring group said IS was still able to shell eastern parts of Koban. It said IS fighters had killed 40 Kurdish militia in the past five days in their battle for Kobani, including some who were killed by a suicide bomber who drove into the town's outskirts in a vehicle disguised to look as though it was carrying humanitarian aid. — Reuters

IS threatens to launch attack in New York

An Islamic State (IS) militant has reportedly said in a video that the IS would soon launch attacks in New York City any day and that the group is mobilizing at the moment. A militant named Farah Shirdon said addressing the United States President Barack Obama that he hoped Obama listened to the message. Shirdon is a Canadian citizen who had gone to Iraq to fight with the IS militants.

Court orders filing of another murder case against Sharif
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