Excerpts: Western Muslims against extremists.Air strikes alone not
successful re ISIS.Saudi FM: War on terror needs years. Netanyahu to refute
Palestinian 'lies' at U.N.Iraq army retook dam September 28, 2014

+++SOURCE: Jordan Times 28 Sept.’14:”Western Muslims ,troubled, rally
against extremism”, Associated Press

SUBJECT: Western Muslims against extremism

QUOTE: “moderate Muslims around the world are insisting that Islamic State
extremists don’t speak for their religion”

PARIS — In tweets, in street gatherings and in open letters, moderate
Muslims around the world are insisting that Islamic State extremists don't
speak for their religion. Many are also frustrated that anyone might think
they do, and a backlash has already begun.

Last week's videotaped beheading of a French mountaineer by militants linked
to the Islamic State group prompted heartsick fury among Muslims in France
and elsewhere in Europe, torn between anger at the atrocities committed in
the name of Islam and frustration that they have to defend themselves at
all.

Herve Gourdel was the fifth Western hostage decapitated in recent weeks by
Islamic extremists — this time, the militants said, as revenge for France's
decision to join air strikes against the Islamic State group.

The head of France's largest mosque called for Muslims to rally Friday[26
Sept,] in Paris to condemn Gourdel's slaying and show unity against
terrorism, saying Islamic State's "deadly ideology" had nothing to do with
Islam. Within hours of the call, the rector of the Bordeaux mosque, Tareq
Oubrou, said French Muslims need not demonstrate in the name of Islam — but
should be joined by everyone.

"They are doubly affected, because this crime touched one of our countrymen
and because this crime was carried out in the name of our religion," Oubrou
told RTL radio.

The same debate played out elsewhere. The hashtag campaign #notinmyname — or
#pasenmonnom in French — initiated by British Muslims who wanted to show
their opposition to extremist violence, spawned a #MuslimApologies backlash
by those who thought the sense of regret was overwrought. Tweets
"apologised" for algebra, soap and coffee.

"Nowhere does the Koran say other religions or nations must be attacked.
Cutting people's heads off is really the most despicable. If air strikes can
stop these fundamentalist, aggressive ideas from spreading, I am all for
it," said 65-year-old Enes Mustafic.

Another congregant, Omer Jamak, questioned the devotion and even sanity of
anyone who thought otherwise.

"According to Islam, nobody is allowed to be evil to others. Nobody has the
right to do such a thing. I am against everything they do down there like
every sane person is," Jamak said.

An online poll posted by France's Le Figaro newspaper, asking whether people
thought the country's Muslim community had sufficiently denounced Gourdel's
death, drew an infuriated response. Rachida Dati, the mayor of Paris' 7th
arrondissement and the daughter of Algerian immigrants, called for an end to
the "confounding of Islam and fundamentalism, as the French political class
has done for too long". The paper on Friday[26 Sept.] apologised for what it
called a "clumsy" question.

Dawud Walid, director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said headlines about the Islamic State were
often frustrating in his work. Walid said he's been speaking out against
excessive force by police after the fatal shooting of a young black man in
Ferguson, Missouri.

"I received calls and e-mails from fellow Americans who say, 'Why are you
worried about what's going in Ferguson? Stop ISIS.' That is ridiculous,"
said Walid, a black Muslim.

"My primary responsibility as an American citizen is to try to make America
more of a just place," Walid said. "People in Iraq and Syria can't even fix
their own problems. What am I supposed to be doing from Detroit?"

Still, the banner at Friday's gathering in Paris honouring Gourdel was
emblasoned with "Not in My Name" and many in the crowd of about 500 said
they were dismayed and appalled.

"We all gathered today... to tell people, you want to convert, that's very
good, but do it for your faith, because you want to convert and because you
appreciate this religion. Don't do it to go fight, to go kill people because
it is not what Islam says," said Nadir M'Sallaoui, a 27-year-old Parisian.

US Muslim leaders and scholars issued an open letter Wednesday denouncing
Islamic State militants point by point, notably on "the killing of
innocents" and jihad.

Muqtedar Khan, professor of political science at the University of Delaware
and author of "American Muslims, Bridging Faith and Freedom", said Muslim
condemnations after the 9/11 attacks failed to dent the reach of extremists.

"They are beginning to react the way they should have on September 12,
2001," Khan said. "Muslims have gotten really tired of these groups that
bring nothing, that have no positive impact at all among their societies."

Khan said whether the protests take root will depend upon what happens when
the beheadings have subsided, and Islamic State is no longer considered an
immediate threat. Muslim leaders will have difficulty coming up with a
message as attractive as the extremists' sermons to young people
disillusioned with life in countries where they feel under constant
suspicion. France's ban on face-covering veils and prohibitions on wearing
headscarves in schools, for example, are often cited as proof the country is
hostile to Muslims.

Speaking of the extremist preachers, Khan said: "Their theology becomes more
potent because their politics are right."


+++SOURCE: Al Arabiya 28 Sept.’14:”Striking ISIS is futile, says top British
general”,Staff Writer
SUBJECT:Air strikes alone not successful re ISIS
EXCERPTS:The former head of the United Kingdom military warned that air
strikes alone will not defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
militant group and that western governments are wrong to rule out deployment
of ground troops, the Sunday Times reported.

A military operation similar to the campaign that toppled Saddam Hussein in
2003 is necessary to wipe out the extremist group, General Lord Richards,
who stepped down as chief of the defense staff last year, said.

“The only way to defeat Isis (ISIS) is to take back land they are occupying
which means a conventional military operation,” he told British weekly.

Richards criticized U.S.-led air strikes, explaining that “ultimately you
need a land army to achieve the objectives we’ve set ourselves — all air
will do is destroy elements of Isis, it won’t achieve our strategic goal.”

While he said he understands that there is “political resistance” to sending
boots on the ground he maintained that the “the only way to do it
effectively is to use western armies.”. . . .

.

+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 28 Sept.’14:”Saudi FM says Mideast war on terror
needs years” –Al Arabiya
SUBJECT:Saudi FM says war on terror needs years
FULL TEXT:Saud Al-Faisal also called for more decisive policies and
decisions to fight terrorism in the region. — Reuters

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said Saturday[27 Sept.] that the war against
extremists in the Middle East may take years and must not stop before all
terrorist organizations are eliminated.

Saud Al-Faisal, whose country is one of five Arab countries taking part
alongside the United States in airstrikes targeting the Islamic State group
in Syria, also called for more decisive policies and decisions to fight
terrorism.

The Saudi official did not speak before the annual UN General Assembly of
world leaders, but his speech was distributed to the media.

"We face a very dangerous situation today. Terrorism has evolved from cells
to armies and from threatening specific spots to nations," he said.

"The war on terror requires serious and continuous work that may go on for
years, and must not stop at partial victories against limited
organizations," he said. "We must continue until all terrorist organizations
are destroyed, wherever they may be."

Al-Faisal, said any solution to Syria's three-year-old conflict must exclude
him, accusing the Syrian leader of pushing his people toward extremism with
his brutal crackdown on peaceful protests. — Al Arabiya



+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 28 Sept.’14:”Israel PM Vows to Refute
Palestinian ‘Lies’at U.N.”, Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Netanyahu to refute Palestinian ‘lies’ at U.N.
QUOTE:”Netanyahu:’I will tell the truth in behalf of Israeli citizens to the
entire world’ “
FULL TEXT:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed to New York on
Sunday[28 Sept], vowing to expose "slander and lies" laid out by Palestinian
President Mahmud Abbas in his UN speech.

In a Friday[226 Sept.] address to the U.N. General Assembly, Abbas accused
Israel of carrying out a "genocidal crime" in its 50-day war against Gaza
militants in which nearly 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed.

"In my speech to the General Assembly, I will refute the lies that are being
told about us and I will tell the truth about our state and the heroic
soldiers of the IDF, the most moral army in the world," Netanyahu said on
the tarmac at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv before boarding the plane.

Earlier, an official from Netanyahu's office called the Palestinian leader's
remarks "an inciteful hate speech full of lies," with Netanyahu pledging to
refute it along with claims laid out in the U.N. speech of Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani.

"After the Iranian president's deceptive speech and Abu Mazen's inciteful
speech, I will tell the truth on behalf of Israel's citizens to the entire
world," he said in a statement late Saturday[27 Sept.], using Abbas's
nickname.

"In my U.N. General Assembly speech and in all of my meetings I will
represent the citizens of Israel and will –- on their behalf -– refute the
slander and lies directed at our country," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu will deliver his speech to the General Assembly on Monday[29
Sept.], then will travel to Washington to meet U.S. President Barack Obama
at the White House on Wednesday[1 Oct.].


+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 28 Sept.’14:”Iraqi Army Says Retook Dam from
IS jihadists:”
SUBJECT: Iraq army retook dam
QUOTE:”IS fighters have repeatedly attempted to control dams across the
country
FULL TEXT: The Iraqi army and an alliance of Shiite militia groups on
Saturday[27 Sept.] retook a dam northeast of Baghdad after days of fighting
believed to have killed dozens, security sources said.

Fighting has been raging for days around Muqdadiyah, in Diyala province,
around 90 kilometers (55 miles) from Baghdad, between jihadists from the
Islamic State group and pro-government forces.

"We are now in full control of the dam," said an army lieutenant colonel,
adding that the final stages of the operation on Saturday[27 Sept.] had left
seven IS militants dead.

A police captain confirmed the toll.

The officers said the final push to retake Muqdadiyah dam involved Iraqi
troops and fighters from the Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Badr and Saraya al-Salam
Shiite militias.

Government sources in the area have reported high casualties among jihadist
ranks over the past few days.

The fighting has also left many dead in pro-government ranks. At least 12
members of the Saraya al-Salam militia killed in the area were buried in the
holy Shiite city of Najaf on Thursday[25 Sept.] alone.

IS fighters have repeatedly attempted to control dams across the country,
and in some cases weaponized them by either reducing the flow of water to
areas under government control or flooding swathes of land to impede army
operations.

The jihadists briefly controlled the dam in Mosul, the country's largest,
before Iraqi special forces and Kurdish peshmerga troops backed by U.S.
fighters jets retook it in early August.

SourceAgence France Presse

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Sue Lerner - Associate - IMRA