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TERROR WARS
Netherlands to join US-led air strikes in Syria
By Nicolas DELAUNAY
The Hague (AFP) Jan 29, 2016


US Army: strike on IS cyber-fighter killed 3 civilians
Washington (AFP) Jan 29, 2016 - An American bombardment that killed an Islamic State group cyber-operative in Syria last August also killed three civilians, the US Army acknowledged on Friday.

The bombing August 24 in the IS stronghold of Raqqa, which killed cyber-combatant Junaid Hussain, was one of four incidents alleged to have caused civilian casualties that the US Central Command said it had closely analyzed.

"It was assessed three civilians in the vicinity of the strikes were killed and five more were injured," said the Central Command, which is in charge of American forces in the Middle East and North Africa.

The statement also acknowledged the death of two other civilians in a coalition air strike on September 24 near Sinjar, in northern Iraq, as well as injuries to a total of three civilians in two other attacks.

The five civilians killed would bring to 21 the number of likely civilian victims officially recognized by the coalition since it began launching air strikes against Islamic State militants in August 2014.

"We deeply regret the unintentional loss of life and injuries resulting from those strikes," the Centcom statement said.

The coalition generally acknowledges the civilian victims of its strikes only after lengthy investigations. It has been accused of underestimating their numbers.

Airwars, an NGO based in London, which compares and compiles publicly available information, estimates that actual civilian deaths could number in the hundreds, possibly even exceeding 1,000.

According to some sources, the coalition has begun accepting a greater risk of civilian casualties when bombing attacks look likely to give the coalition a significant advantage.

Junaid Hussain, who was killed in the August attack, used Twitter and social networks to incite IS sympathizers around the world to launch "lone wolf" style attacks.

American officials say he was notably implicated last spring in compiling and circulating a list of 100 American military figures to be killed.

The coalition has launched some 9,800 air strikes since the start of its campaign against the IS jihadists.

Bowing to US demands, the Dutch government announced Friday it will take part in US-led air strikes in Syria against the Islamic State group, extending its current air support mission over Iraq.

"In order to make the fight against ISIS in Iraq more efficient, it has been decided to carry out air strikes against ISIS in eastern Syria," the foreign and defence ministries said in a statement.

Late last year in the wake of the November Paris attacks, the Dutch government received a request from allies the United States and France to broaden its campaign against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group -- also known by the acronym ISIS.

"The recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Istanbul and Jakarta clearly show that ISIS is a danger for our security and our way of life," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told journalists Friday.

"We are going to deploy the F-16s above Syria, in particular to stop the pipeline leading from Syria into Iraq," he said, referring to the movements of IS fighters.

The Netherlands is already participating in the coalition by carrying out air strikes in Iraq with four F-16 aircraft specialising in close air support of ground operations by Iraqi forces.

But it had insisted in the past that it would not extend the air strikes over Syria without a UN mandate.

But Rutte said Friday: "I do believe it is important as a coalition that we are active in the whole area."

US air strikes in Iraq began in August 2014 after IS captured a swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria in a lightning offensive.

Washington and Arab allies broadened the strikes against IS in Syria a month later in September 2014, with the US also leading moves to build an international coalition of some 60 nations against the jihadists.

The F-16s "can really make an impact," Rutte insisted, saying the planes will be "more effectively deployed... particularly hitting training centres and other facilities" in Syria which are helping IS fighters in Iraq.

The four Dutch F-16 jet fighters which have been pounding IS jihadists in Iraq since October 2014 would "remain active until July 1 over the enlarged zone," the government statement said.

Dutch troops would also increase their support for training Iraqi and peshmerga forces, Rutte said.

- 'Bombs not the whole solution' -

"We are convinced that only a consistent approach can bring back stability in Iraq and Syria," said Foreign Minister Bert Koenders.

But he insisted bombing was not the whole solution in such a "complex conflict" in Syria as President Bashar al-Assad battles to stay in power, fighting both IS and moderate opposition rebels backed by the West.

After weeks of dallying, the junior partner in the ruling coalition, the Labour Party (PvdA), Tuesday finally agreed to back an extension of air strikes into Syria, paving the way for approval from parliament.

High-stakes peace talks aimed at ending the brutal, five-year-old Syrian conflict which has left over 260,000 dead and created millions of refugees were due to start later Friday in Geneva.

But there was uncertainty whether the key groups would attend, even though the Syrian government delegation had arrived in the Swiss city.

France decided to launch air strikes against IS in the wake of the November 13 attacks which left 130 people dead, targeting the IS stronghold of Raqa.

Britain also joined in late last year, while Russian planes have been flying sorties over Syria since September.


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IS planning for 'large-scale' attacks on Europe: Europol
Amsterdam (AFP) Jan 25, 2016
The Islamic State group has honed the ability to launch global attacks and is set to focus more on Europe following the Paris massacre, the chief of the EU police agency Europol said Monday. Rob Wainwright told a news conference that "the so-called Islamic State had developed a new combat style capability to carry out a campaign of large-scale terrorist attacks on a global stage - with a pa ... read more


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