WATCH BILL MAHER ABSOLUTELY DISMANTLE HOWARD DEAN FOR DENYING ISIS IS MUSLIM
Posted on Jan 25, 2015 at 11:35 PM in Politics | 51 Comments
By soopermexican
Bill Maher just likes saying the opposite of what most everyone else is, but this time he actually nailed the truth right on the head while making Howard Dean look like a moron. Specifically he dismantled Dean sentiment that “ISIS is about as Muslim as I am.”
Watch below:
But then Maher will go back to being a jackass about everything else.
Read more: http://therightscoop.com/bill-maher-absolutely-dismantles-howard-deans/#ixzz3PxIf4cR9
Posted on Jan 25, 2015 at 11:35 PM in Politics | 51 Comments
By soopermexican
Bill Maher just likes saying the opposite of what most everyone else is, but this time he actually nailed the truth right on the head while making Howard Dean look like a moron. Specifically he dismantled Dean sentiment that “ISIS is about as Muslim as I am.”
Watch below:
But then Maher will go back to being a jackass about everything else.
Read more: http://therightscoop.com/bill-maher-absolutely-dismantles-howard-deans/#ixzz3PxIf4cR9
[h=1]Pinned down by bloodthirsty ISIS executioners and screaming for his life, campaigners in Syria release footage of latest man beheaded for disobeying their Islamist rules[/h]
Pinned face down in the middle of the street by four rag-tag militants, the condemned man struggles for his life, screaming for help that bystanders dare not give.
As an executioner looks on, his helpers finally manage to immobilise the victim - who has not even the scant comfort of a blindfold - with three on the man's body and a fourth pulling his head to expose his neck.
In an instant the executioner swings a cruel, curved blade. The struggling abruptly ends and the sandy street beneath the condemned man is stained with a burst of crimson blood.
+2
Murder: The moment before the condemned man was beheaded in the street in Al-Shadadi, north-east Syria
This was the gruesome scene that unfolded yesterday in Al-Shadadi, a town of 25,000 in north-east Syria, as Islamist militants enforced the hardline religious law of their self-styled Caliphate.
Dozens of bystanders watched the victim - whose crime is not known - as he screamed for help. But none dared intervene against the armed religious fanatics who now control their town.
The United Nations human rights watchdog last week warned that Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq had been meting out 'cruel and inhuman' punishments to victims accused of violating their interpretation of sharia law.
The group had posted photos of two men being crucified for alleged banditry, women stoned to death after accusations of adultery, and men thrown from a tall building after claims they were homosexuals, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
'Educated, professional women, particularly women who have run as candidates in elections for public office seem to be particularly at risk,' said Ravina Shamdasani of the OHCHR.
'In just the first two weeks of this year, reports indicate that three female lawyers were executed.'
+2
Struggle: The victim had screamed for help and fought the militants who pinned him down to be killed
- Gruesome video recorded in Al-Shadadi, north-east Syria, yesterday
- It comes after the UN warned of Islamic State's 'inhuman' punishments
- Public execution echoes similar scenes in Saudi Arabia last week
- Saudi Arabia is an ally in the U.S.-led coalition bombing IS-held areas
Pinned face down in the middle of the street by four rag-tag militants, the condemned man struggles for his life, screaming for help that bystanders dare not give.
As an executioner looks on, his helpers finally manage to immobilise the victim - who has not even the scant comfort of a blindfold - with three on the man's body and a fourth pulling his head to expose his neck.
In an instant the executioner swings a cruel, curved blade. The struggling abruptly ends and the sandy street beneath the condemned man is stained with a burst of crimson blood.
+2
Murder: The moment before the condemned man was beheaded in the street in Al-Shadadi, north-east Syria
This was the gruesome scene that unfolded yesterday in Al-Shadadi, a town of 25,000 in north-east Syria, as Islamist militants enforced the hardline religious law of their self-styled Caliphate.
Dozens of bystanders watched the victim - whose crime is not known - as he screamed for help. But none dared intervene against the armed religious fanatics who now control their town.
The United Nations human rights watchdog last week warned that Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq had been meting out 'cruel and inhuman' punishments to victims accused of violating their interpretation of sharia law.
The group had posted photos of two men being crucified for alleged banditry, women stoned to death after accusations of adultery, and men thrown from a tall building after claims they were homosexuals, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
'Educated, professional women, particularly women who have run as candidates in elections for public office seem to be particularly at risk,' said Ravina Shamdasani of the OHCHR.
'In just the first two weeks of this year, reports indicate that three female lawyers were executed.'
+2
Struggle: The victim had screamed for help and fought the militants who pinned him down to be killed
[You guys aren't going to believe this, but that terrorist attack in Tripoli yesterday was actually done by.... drum roll..... MUSLIMS! , not
Christians, or Hindus, or Budhhists... go figure? ]
[h=1]Libyan Group Loyal to Islamic State Claims Hotel Attack[/h] TRIPOLI, Libya — Jan 28, 2015, 7:16 AM ET
By ESAM MOHAMED Associated Press
A Libyan affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility Wednesday for an attack on a Tripoli luxury hotel that killed 10 people, including an American and four Europeans.
The group, calling itself "Islamic State in Tripoli Province," said it launched the attack Tuesday to avenge the death of Abu Anas al-Libi, who was snatched off a Tripoli street by U.S. special forces in 2013 and died in U.S. custody earlier this month due to complications from liver surgery. Al-Libi had been indicted in U.S. federal court over his alleged role in the 1998 al-Qaida bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The group identified the attackers as Abu Ibrahim al-Tunsi and Abu Suleiman al-Sudani, noms de guerre that suggest the attackers were Tunisian and Sudanese. The claim of responsibility was dated Tuesday but first appeared on jihadi forums Wednesday.
"The operation is not the last one on the lands of Tripoli... Let the enemies of God, the crusaders and their allies await what would harm them," the message read.
The affiliate previously claimed responsibility for an attack on the Algerian Embassy that wounded three guards. It also previously posted pictures of fighters touring markets and distributing pamphlets. Wednesday's posting matched previous messages posted on Twitter and social media, but it was not immediately possible to confirm the claim.
Since the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi the country has been awash in armed militias, including several Islamic extremist groups. A group of Islamist militias control Tripoli, and the internationally recognized government convenes in the far east of the vast, oil-rich country.
In addition to the foreigners, five guards were killed in the attack Tuesday on the seaside Corinthia Hotel. Two attackers were killed following an hourslong standoff that included a car bombing.
A senior U.S. State Department official confirmed that an American citizen was among those killed. Cliff Taylor, the CEO of a Virginia security company, Crucible LLC, identified the slain American as David Berry, a contractor with his company.
The online message said that those killed were American, French, South Korean and Filipino. Earlier, Essam al-Naasa, a spokesman for a Tripoli security agency, said the dead included an American, a French citizen and three others from the former Soviet Union.
AFTER ZUCKERBERG SAID ‘JE SUIS CHARLIE,’ FACEBOOK CENSORS MUHAMMAD IMAGES
AP Photo
by WARNER TODD HUSTON28 Jan 2015506
Only two weeks after Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg made a show of support for freedom of speech following a terror attack by radical Muslims in France, Facebook began censoring images of Muhammad in Turkey–including the very Charlie Hebdo images Zuckerberg claimed to support.
On January 9, Zuckerberg posted a message under his own name, taking credit for standing up to demands that Facebook censor images of Muhammad.
“Facebook has always been a place where people across the world share their views and ideas,” Zuckerberg wrote. “We follow the laws in each country, but we never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share across the world.”
He ended his post with “#JeSuisCharlie,” a show of support for the murdered members of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo who lost their lives in an attack by radical Islamists on January 7.
A week later, Zuckerberg was still defending his condemnation of the attack on the French tabloid and pledged that he and Facebook would continue to offer “a service where you can speak freely without fear of violence.”
But now, only 18 days after his initial show of bravado, Zuckerberg and Facebook have agreed to censor images of Muhammad in Turkey. In fact, Facebook is even censoring the very images from Charlie Hebdo that sparked the terror attacks early this month, the very images Zuckerberg made to support his “#JeSuisCharlie” proclamation.
Still, despite talk of free speech and touting the creation of a service where people can “speak freely,” Facebook has joined with governments all across the world in censoring certain types of speech.
In fact, Facebook has agreed to help over a dozen countries censor content. The social media giant has worked with India, Turkey, Pakistan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and a host of others to censor political and religious speech on its service.
It seems that Facebook’s interaction with the governments of the world are far more “nuanced” than its chief’s braggadocio.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not good.
:neenee:
by WARNER TODD HUSTON28 Jan 2015506
Only two weeks after Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg made a show of support for freedom of speech following a terror attack by radical Muslims in France, Facebook began censoring images of Muhammad in Turkey–including the very Charlie Hebdo images Zuckerberg claimed to support.
On January 9, Zuckerberg posted a message under his own name, taking credit for standing up to demands that Facebook censor images of Muhammad.
“Facebook has always been a place where people across the world share their views and ideas,” Zuckerberg wrote. “We follow the laws in each country, but we never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share across the world.”
He ended his post with “#JeSuisCharlie,” a show of support for the murdered members of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo who lost their lives in an attack by radical Islamists on January 7.
A week later, Zuckerberg was still defending his condemnation of the attack on the French tabloid and pledged that he and Facebook would continue to offer “a service where you can speak freely without fear of violence.”
But now, only 18 days after his initial show of bravado, Zuckerberg and Facebook have agreed to censor images of Muhammad in Turkey. In fact, Facebook is even censoring the very images from Charlie Hebdo that sparked the terror attacks early this month, the very images Zuckerberg made to support his “#JeSuisCharlie” proclamation.
Still, despite talk of free speech and touting the creation of a service where people can “speak freely,” Facebook has joined with governments all across the world in censoring certain types of speech.
In fact, Facebook has agreed to help over a dozen countries censor content. The social media giant has worked with India, Turkey, Pakistan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and a host of others to censor political and religious speech on its service.
It seems that Facebook’s interaction with the governments of the world are far more “nuanced” than its chief’s braggadocio.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not good.
:neenee:
AFTER ZUCKERBERG SAID ‘JE SUIS CHARLIE,’ FACEBOOK CENSORS MUHAMMAD IMAGES
AP Photo
by WARNER TODD HUSTON28 Jan 2015506
Only two weeks after Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg made a show of support for freedom of speech following a terror attack by radical Muslims in France, Facebook began censoring images of Muhammad in Turkey–including the very Charlie Hebdo images Zuckerberg claimed to support.
On January 9, Zuckerberg posted a message under his own name, taking credit for standing up to demands that Facebook censor images of Muhammad.
“Facebook has always been a place where people across the world share their views and ideas,” Zuckerberg wrote. “We follow the laws in each country, but we never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share across the world.”
He ended his post with “#JeSuisCharlie,” a show of support for the murdered members of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo who lost their lives in an attack by radical Islamists on January 7.
A week later, Zuckerberg was still defending his condemnation of the attack on the French tabloid and pledged that he and Facebook would continue to offer “a service where you can speak freely without fear of violence.”
But now, only 18 days after his initial show of bravado, Zuckerberg and Facebook have agreed to censor images of Muhammad in Turkey. In fact, Facebook is even censoring the very images from Charlie Hebdo that sparked the terror attacks early this month, the very images Zuckerberg made to support his “#JeSuisCharlie” proclamation.
Still, despite talk of free speech and touting the creation of a service where people can “speak freely,” Facebook has joined with governments all across the world in censoring certain types of speech.
In fact, Facebook has agreed to help over a dozen countries censor content. The social media giant has worked with India, Turkey, Pakistan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and a host of others to censor political and religious speech on its service.
It seems that Facebook’s interaction with the governments of the world are far more “nuanced” than its chief’s braggadocio.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
:neenee:
[ back to the stone age for these fuckers - can't have books and ideas... ]
[FONT=Verdana,Sans-serif]Iraqi libraries ransacked by Islamic State group in Mosul[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Sans-serif]
Jan 31, 4:19 AM (ET)
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN and SAMEER N. YACOUB
BAGHDAD (AP) — When Islamic State group militants invaded the Central Library of Mosul earlier this month, they were on a mission to destroy a familiar enemy: other people's ideas.
Residents say the extremists smashed the locks that had protected the biggest repository of learning in the northern Iraq town, and loaded around 2,000 books — including children's stories, poetry, philosophy and tomes on sports, health, culture and science — into six pickup trucks. They left only Islamic texts.
The rest?
"These books promote infidelity and call for disobeying Allah. So they will be burned," a bearded militant in traditional Afghani two-piece clothing told residents, according to one man living nearby who spoke to The Associated Press. The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared retaliation, said the Islamic State group official made his impromptu address as others stuffed books into empty flour bags.
Since the Islamic State group seized a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria, they have sought to purge society of everything that doesn't conform to their violent interpretation of Islam. They already have destroyed many archaeological relics, deeming them pagan, and even Islamic sites considered idolatrous. Increasingly books are in the firing line. Mosul, the biggest city in the Islamic State group's self-declared caliphate, boasts a relatively educated, diverse population that seeks to preserve its heritage sites and libraries. In the chaos that followed the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein, residents near the Central Library hid some of its centuries-old manuscripts in their own homes to prevent their theft or destruction by looters.
But this time, the Islamic State group has made the penalty for such actions death. Presumed destroyed are the Central Library's collection of Iraqi newspapers dating to the early 20th century, maps and books from the Ottoman Empire and book collections contributed by around 100 of Mosul's establishment families.
Days after the Central Library's ransacking, militants broke into University of Mosul's library. They made a bonfire out of hundreds of books on science and culture, destroying them in front of students.
A University of Mosul history professor, who spoke on condition he not be named because of his fear of the Islamic State group, said the extremists started wrecking the collections of other public libraries last month. He reported particularly heavy damage to the archives of a Sunni Muslim library, the library of the 265-year-old Latin Church and Monastery of the Dominican Fathers and the Mosul Museum Library with works dating back to 5000 BC.
Citing reports by the locals who live near these libraries, the professor added that the militants used to come during the night and carry the materials in refrigerated trucks with Syria-registered license plates. The fate of these old materials is still unknown, though the professor suggested some could be sold on the black market. In September, Iraqi and Syrian officials told the AP that the militants profited from the sale of ancient artifacts. The professor said Islamic State group militants appeared determined to "change the face of this city ... by erasing its iconic buildings and history."
Since routing government forces and seizing Mosul last summer, the Islamic State group has destroyed dozens of historic sites, including the centuries-old Islamic mosque shrines of the prophets Seth, Jirjis and Jonah.
An Iraqi lawmaker, Hakim al-Zamili, said the Islamic State group "considers culture, civilization and science as their fierce enemies."
Al-Zamili, who leads the parliament's Security and Defense Committee, compared the Islamic State group to raiding medieval Mongols, who in 1258 ransacked Baghdad. Libraries' ancient collections of works on history, medicine and astronomy were dumped into the Tigris River, purportedly turning the waters black from running ink.
"The only difference is that the Mongols threw the books in the Tigris River, while now Daesh is burning them," he said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. "Different method, but same mentality."
[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Sans-serif]Iraqi libraries ransacked by Islamic State group in Mosul[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Sans-serif]
Jan 31, 4:19 AM (ET)
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN and SAMEER N. YACOUB
| ||||||
|
Residents say the extremists smashed the locks that had protected the biggest repository of learning in the northern Iraq town, and loaded around 2,000 books — including children's stories, poetry, philosophy and tomes on sports, health, culture and science — into six pickup trucks. They left only Islamic texts.
The rest?
"These books promote infidelity and call for disobeying Allah. So they will be burned," a bearded militant in traditional Afghani two-piece clothing told residents, according to one man living nearby who spoke to The Associated Press. The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared retaliation, said the Islamic State group official made his impromptu address as others stuffed books into empty flour bags.
|
But this time, the Islamic State group has made the penalty for such actions death. Presumed destroyed are the Central Library's collection of Iraqi newspapers dating to the early 20th century, maps and books from the Ottoman Empire and book collections contributed by around 100 of Mosul's establishment families.
Days after the Central Library's ransacking, militants broke into University of Mosul's library. They made a bonfire out of hundreds of books on science and culture, destroying them in front of students.
A University of Mosul history professor, who spoke on condition he not be named because of his fear of the Islamic State group, said the extremists started wrecking the collections of other public libraries last month. He reported particularly heavy damage to the archives of a Sunni Muslim library, the library of the 265-year-old Latin Church and Monastery of the Dominican Fathers and the Mosul Museum Library with works dating back to 5000 BC.
|
Since routing government forces and seizing Mosul last summer, the Islamic State group has destroyed dozens of historic sites, including the centuries-old Islamic mosque shrines of the prophets Seth, Jirjis and Jonah.
An Iraqi lawmaker, Hakim al-Zamili, said the Islamic State group "considers culture, civilization and science as their fierce enemies."
Al-Zamili, who leads the parliament's Security and Defense Committee, compared the Islamic State group to raiding medieval Mongols, who in 1258 ransacked Baghdad. Libraries' ancient collections of works on history, medicine and astronomy were dumped into the Tigris River, purportedly turning the waters black from running ink.
"The only difference is that the Mongols threw the books in the Tigris River, while now Daesh is burning them," he said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. "Different method, but same mentality."
[/FONT]
[ So funny, to make fun of the Holocaust. Iran has such a nice friendly sense of humor. Funny how the whole country blesses such behavior!!! Such nice Muslims ]
[h=1]Iranian contest has cartoonists denying Holocaust[/h] By Paul Alster
Published February 02, 2015FoxNews.com
Facebook44 Twitter99 livefyre448 Email Print
This cartoon won the museum's twisted contest in 2006.
A twisted "art" contest sponsored by an Iranian museum -- with the apparent blessing of the Islamic Republic's regime -- has cartoonists competing for prizes and prestige by making fun of the Holocaust.
The Second International Holocaust Cartoons Contest -- the first was held in 2006 -- will pay the winning artist $12,000, and the image will go on public display at the Palestine Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran. Organizers claim the contest's revival was brought on as a protest of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine that was attacked by Islamist killers last month because it published cartoons of Muhammad.
“The 2nd International Holocaust Cartoons Contest has been organized in protest against French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo’s recent publication of the cartoons insulting Prophet Muhammad,” reported theTehran Times, a publication describing itself as “the voice of the Islamic Revolution.”
The contest was announced by the museum's art director, Masu Shojaei-Tabatabaii, who represented its joint organizers, Iran’s House of Cartoon, and the Sarcheshmeh Cultural Complex.
“The new Holocaust cartoon contest promoted by the Iranian authorities in response to caricatures published in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo shows once again how the current regime in Iran is thoroughly saturated with anti-Semitism,” Marisa Danson, spokesperson for the world famous Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, told FoxNews.com.
“Although the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed in Charlie Hebdo has nothing whatsoever to do with Jews or the Holocaust, the Iranian regime insists on making a distorted and direct connection between the two. The manipulative, intentional distortion of the Holocaust desecrates the memory of both victims and survivors, and suggests strongly that the Iranian regime has yet to overcome the politics of hate.”
Coming so soon after last week's 70[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Iran’s decision to promote the competition appears to once again underline the Islamic Republic’s attitude toward international Jewry. The Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews, as well as millions more from the Roma, homosexual, communist, and Catholic communities, among others, were exterminated at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators in Europe, was the defining moment of the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century for Jewish people.
“This is obviously an Iranian way of spitting in the face of the Western world,” Efraim Zuroff, internationally renowned Nazi hunter and director of the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation, told FoxNews.com. “The Iranians are showing their disdain for Western values. Attitudes toward the Holocaust have become a litmus test, because the Holocaust is now acknowledged as the paradigm of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. It underscores the systematic effort by the Iranian regime to undermine, not only the uniqueness of the Holocaust, but even its historical legitimacy.”
The Iranian leadership, in particular all-powerful Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has regularly called for the State of Israel to be wiped from the face of the map and frequently expressed skepticism that the Holocaust even occurred, or was not at least grossly exaggerated.
In 2013, then new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani -- currently involved in the ongoing controversial nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and its allies -- made international headlines when he appeared to suggest in a CNN interview that he condemned the Holocaust. But Iran’s official FARS news agency was quick to step in and accuse the American broadcaster of inaccurately translating its president’s words. FARS suggested that Rouhani said, “The aspects that you talk about, clarification of these aspects, is a duty of the historians and researchers. I am not a history scholar.”
[h=1]Iranian contest has cartoonists denying Holocaust[/h] By Paul Alster
Published February 02, 2015FoxNews.com
Facebook44 Twitter99 livefyre448 Email Print
A twisted "art" contest sponsored by an Iranian museum -- with the apparent blessing of the Islamic Republic's regime -- has cartoonists competing for prizes and prestige by making fun of the Holocaust.
The Second International Holocaust Cartoons Contest -- the first was held in 2006 -- will pay the winning artist $12,000, and the image will go on public display at the Palestine Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran. Organizers claim the contest's revival was brought on as a protest of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine that was attacked by Islamist killers last month because it published cartoons of Muhammad.
“The 2nd International Holocaust Cartoons Contest has been organized in protest against French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo’s recent publication of the cartoons insulting Prophet Muhammad,” reported theTehran Times, a publication describing itself as “the voice of the Islamic Revolution.”
The contest was announced by the museum's art director, Masu Shojaei-Tabatabaii, who represented its joint organizers, Iran’s House of Cartoon, and the Sarcheshmeh Cultural Complex.
“This is obviously an Iranian way of spitting in the face of the western world,” Efraim Zuroff, internationally renowned Nazi hunter and director of the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation- Efraim Zuroff, Simon Wiesenthal Foundation
The previous contest, in 2006, was won by a Moroccan entry showing an Israeli crane building a wall on which there was the image of the infamous Auschwitz death camp. The wall is seen blocking off the Dome of the Rock -- a holy Muslim site -- in the Old City of Jerusalem.
“The new Holocaust cartoon contest promoted by the Iranian authorities in response to caricatures published in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo shows once again how the current regime in Iran is thoroughly saturated with anti-Semitism,” Marisa Danson, spokesperson for the world famous Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, told FoxNews.com.
“Although the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed in Charlie Hebdo has nothing whatsoever to do with Jews or the Holocaust, the Iranian regime insists on making a distorted and direct connection between the two. The manipulative, intentional distortion of the Holocaust desecrates the memory of both victims and survivors, and suggests strongly that the Iranian regime has yet to overcome the politics of hate.”
Coming so soon after last week's 70[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Iran’s decision to promote the competition appears to once again underline the Islamic Republic’s attitude toward international Jewry. The Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews, as well as millions more from the Roma, homosexual, communist, and Catholic communities, among others, were exterminated at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators in Europe, was the defining moment of the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century for Jewish people.
“This is obviously an Iranian way of spitting in the face of the Western world,” Efraim Zuroff, internationally renowned Nazi hunter and director of the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation, told FoxNews.com. “The Iranians are showing their disdain for Western values. Attitudes toward the Holocaust have become a litmus test, because the Holocaust is now acknowledged as the paradigm of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. It underscores the systematic effort by the Iranian regime to undermine, not only the uniqueness of the Holocaust, but even its historical legitimacy.”
The Iranian leadership, in particular all-powerful Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has regularly called for the State of Israel to be wiped from the face of the map and frequently expressed skepticism that the Holocaust even occurred, or was not at least grossly exaggerated.
In 2013, then new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani -- currently involved in the ongoing controversial nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and its allies -- made international headlines when he appeared to suggest in a CNN interview that he condemned the Holocaust. But Iran’s official FARS news agency was quick to step in and accuse the American broadcaster of inaccurately translating its president’s words. FARS suggested that Rouhani said, “The aspects that you talk about, clarification of these aspects, is a duty of the historians and researchers. I am not a history scholar.”
[h=1]Inside the halal house of horrors: Sickening footage shows 'evil' abattoir staff 'taunting sheep before hacking them to pieces'[/h]
A worker at a halal abattoir has been sacked and three others suspended after being filmed breaking strict rules on slaughtering sheep.
The men could face prosecution for the ‘horrifying yet routine abuse’ captured by animal rights campaigners using hidden cameras.
Slaughtermen at the Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, are seen ‘hacking and sawing’ at animals’ throats in apparent contravention of Islamic practice.
Slaughterhouse horror - sheep have throats cut without stunning
+9
Sickening: A worker at a halal abattoir has been sacked and three others suspended after being filmed breaking strict rules on slaughtering sheep
+9
+9
Horrifying: The men could face prosecution for the 'routine abuse' captured by animal rights campaigners using secret cameras
+9
Slaughtermen at the Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, are allegedly seen ‘hacking and sawing’ at animals’ throats in apparent contravention of Islamic practice
Sheep were filmed being kicked, lifted and hurled, with one worker recorded standing on a conscious sheep’s neck.
Staff are also alleged to have erupted in laughter over a sheep bleeding to death with spectacles drawn around her eyes in green paint.
Slaughtermen were allegedly filmed ‘taunting and frightening’ animals by waving knives, smacking them on the head and shouting at them.
And instead of praying as the sheep were killed, the Muslim workers chatted as a radio ‘blared out Christmas songs’ and colleagues sang along.
- Slaughtermen caught on camera 'hacking and sawing' at animals' throats
- Sheep filmed being kicked, with one worker standing on an animal's neck
- Staff laughed as a sheep bled to death with spectacles painted on its face
- 'Horrifying abuse' captured by animal rights campaigners at halal abattoir
- One worker has been sacked and another three have been suspended
- The Food Standards Agency has launched an urgent investigation
A worker at a halal abattoir has been sacked and three others suspended after being filmed breaking strict rules on slaughtering sheep.
The men could face prosecution for the ‘horrifying yet routine abuse’ captured by animal rights campaigners using hidden cameras.
Slaughtermen at the Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, are seen ‘hacking and sawing’ at animals’ throats in apparent contravention of Islamic practice.
Slaughterhouse horror - sheep have throats cut without stunning
+9
Sickening: A worker at a halal abattoir has been sacked and three others suspended after being filmed breaking strict rules on slaughtering sheep
+9
+9
Horrifying: The men could face prosecution for the 'routine abuse' captured by animal rights campaigners using secret cameras
+9
Slaughtermen at the Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, are allegedly seen ‘hacking and sawing’ at animals’ throats in apparent contravention of Islamic practice
Sheep were filmed being kicked, lifted and hurled, with one worker recorded standing on a conscious sheep’s neck.
Staff are also alleged to have erupted in laughter over a sheep bleeding to death with spectacles drawn around her eyes in green paint.
Slaughtermen were allegedly filmed ‘taunting and frightening’ animals by waving knives, smacking them on the head and shouting at them.
And instead of praying as the sheep were killed, the Muslim workers chatted as a radio ‘blared out Christmas songs’ and colleagues sang along.
The footage has been released by Animal Aid campaigners and handed to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to investigate.
Secretly-placed hidden cameras were used to record practices during slaughter over a period of three days in December.
Kate Fowler, head of campaigns at Animal Aid, said: ‘The vicious attacks on defenceless, frightened animals at Bowood are inexcusable.
‘All four conveyor operators we filmed over three days abused animals to varying degrees, while the slaughterers looked on unmoved.’
+9
Slaughtermen were filmed ‘taunting and frightening’ animals by waving knives, smacking them on the head and shouting at them.
+9
Instead of praying as the sheep were killed, the Muslim workers chatted as a radio ‘blared out Christmas songs’
+9
In one horror killing, it appears that the men erupted in laughter as a sheep bled to death with green spectacles painted around its eyes
She added: ‘This is the 10th slaughterhouse in which we have filmed undercover, and it is the ninth to be caught breaking animal welfare laws.
‘None of the abuses we uncovered would have come to light without our cameras being in place, even though there is a Government-appointed vet at each slaughterhouse.’
The law requires abattoirs to stun animals before slaughter to prevent unnecessary suffering, but there are exemptions for Jewish and Muslim producers.
Under the halal code, animals are supposed to be killed quickly, with a single sweep of a surgically-sharp knife. They should not see the knife before they are slaughtered, or witness the death of other animals.
The video footage appears to show that these rules were routinely flouted at Bowood, where more than 4,000 sheep were filmed being killed.
Under UK law, slaughtered animals that have not been stunned must remain in position for at least 20 seconds after their throats are cut, to ensure loss of consciousness.
But 86 per cent of the sheep at Bowood were moved before that amount of time had elapsed, some in as little as one second, claimed Animal Aid.
It said many of the practices ‘defied expectations of what Muslims believe halal slaughter should be.’
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The law requires abattoirs to stun animals before slaughter to prevent unnecessary suffering, but there are exemptions for Jewish and Muslim producers
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Campaigners did not want to stir-up anti-Muslim feeling but felt withholding the awful footage would be a 'betrayal'
Slaughtermen wearing the traditional Muslim kufi skullcap and muttering the words 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great) were allegedly seen breaking rules in the way sheep were put down.
Campaigners said they recognised the risks of stirring up anti-Muslim feeling but ‘witholding release of the footage would be a betrayal of our key mission to expose and combat animal cruelty'.
The FSA, which regulates abattoirs, confirmed four slaughtermen have had their licences suspended and an investigation launched.
A spokesman said: ‘The Food Standards Agency takes animal welfare at abattoirs very seriously which is why we immediately suspended the licences of the slaughtermen involved.
‘There is no excuse for treating animals in the way shown on the video and we are therefore investigating the footage with a view to prosecution. We are also continuing to investigate all the circumstances around the incident to ensure proper safeguards are introduced to stop this happening in the future.’
The halal market could be worth as much as £2billion a year, with more than 100 million animals killed using the method annually.
Secretly-placed hidden cameras were used to record practices during slaughter over a period of three days in December.
Kate Fowler, head of campaigns at Animal Aid, said: ‘The vicious attacks on defenceless, frightened animals at Bowood are inexcusable.
‘All four conveyor operators we filmed over three days abused animals to varying degrees, while the slaughterers looked on unmoved.’
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Slaughtermen were filmed ‘taunting and frightening’ animals by waving knives, smacking them on the head and shouting at them.
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Instead of praying as the sheep were killed, the Muslim workers chatted as a radio ‘blared out Christmas songs’
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In one horror killing, it appears that the men erupted in laughter as a sheep bled to death with green spectacles painted around its eyes
She added: ‘This is the 10th slaughterhouse in which we have filmed undercover, and it is the ninth to be caught breaking animal welfare laws.
‘None of the abuses we uncovered would have come to light without our cameras being in place, even though there is a Government-appointed vet at each slaughterhouse.’
The law requires abattoirs to stun animals before slaughter to prevent unnecessary suffering, but there are exemptions for Jewish and Muslim producers.
Under the halal code, animals are supposed to be killed quickly, with a single sweep of a surgically-sharp knife. They should not see the knife before they are slaughtered, or witness the death of other animals.
The video footage appears to show that these rules were routinely flouted at Bowood, where more than 4,000 sheep were filmed being killed.
Under UK law, slaughtered animals that have not been stunned must remain in position for at least 20 seconds after their throats are cut, to ensure loss of consciousness.
But 86 per cent of the sheep at Bowood were moved before that amount of time had elapsed, some in as little as one second, claimed Animal Aid.
It said many of the practices ‘defied expectations of what Muslims believe halal slaughter should be.’
+9
The law requires abattoirs to stun animals before slaughter to prevent unnecessary suffering, but there are exemptions for Jewish and Muslim producers
+9
Campaigners did not want to stir-up anti-Muslim feeling but felt withholding the awful footage would be a 'betrayal'
Slaughtermen wearing the traditional Muslim kufi skullcap and muttering the words 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great) were allegedly seen breaking rules in the way sheep were put down.
Campaigners said they recognised the risks of stirring up anti-Muslim feeling but ‘witholding release of the footage would be a betrayal of our key mission to expose and combat animal cruelty'.
The FSA, which regulates abattoirs, confirmed four slaughtermen have had their licences suspended and an investigation launched.
A spokesman said: ‘The Food Standards Agency takes animal welfare at abattoirs very seriously which is why we immediately suspended the licences of the slaughtermen involved.
‘There is no excuse for treating animals in the way shown on the video and we are therefore investigating the footage with a view to prosecution. We are also continuing to investigate all the circumstances around the incident to ensure proper safeguards are introduced to stop this happening in the future.’
The halal market could be worth as much as £2billion a year, with more than 100 million animals killed using the method annually.
[h=1]Killed for 'being gay': Man blindfolded and thrown from tower block in Syria before being stoned to death when he SURVIVED the fall[/h]
A man has reportedly been blindfolded and thrown off a tower block in Syria for ‘being gay’ before being stoned to death after surviving the fall.
New images have emerged appearing to show ISIS militants hurling the man off the seven-storey building in the town of Tal Abyad in Raqqa.
The man, who was supposedly being punished for having a ‘homosexual affair’, apparently survived the fall, but was stoned to death by a waiting crowd at the foot of the tower block.
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Footage shows the man sat on a plastic chair, while blindfolded, before being thrown off the tower block
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It is believed the man was hurled from the building, at least seven storeys high, as punishment for 'being gay'
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The man appeared to survive the fall, but was reportedly stoned to death by a waiting crowd at the bottom
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists on the ground, claims the man was thrown from the building before being beaten to death.
Photographs of the incident appear to show the man - who is thought to be in his 50s - sat on a white, plastic chair while blindfolded.
He is surrounded by at least two masked militants, who are dressed in black clothing and army fatigues.
The man is then thrown from the top of the tower block and one photograph shows him falling towards the ground, head first.
It is believed a 'judgement' was read aloud before he was thrown, which condemned his sexuality and claimed he should be thrown from the highest point of the city as punishment.
After falling to the ground, the man can then be seen sat at the foot of the building, having apparently survived the fall.
One photograph shows another man, dressed in army fatigues and carrying a portable radio, seemingly checking on the man's condition.
An aerial photograph then shows the waiting crowd forming a circle around the injured man before hurling rocks and stones at him. It is understood he died from his injuries.
Shocking pictures of the execution, which were posted on Live Leak, are the latest to emerge of the horrific killing of men in Syria.
Last month, two men were hurled from the top of a tower block and two others were crucified in front of a baying crowd as part of a ‘brutal punishment’ for being gay.
And in December last year, photos emerged on social media showing a man, accused of being homosexual, being thrown to his death from a rooftop by eight ISIS fighters.
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The crowd appeared to surround the man before beating him with stones until he fell unconscious
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Aerial photographs show crowds gathering at the foot of the tower block, which the man was thrown from
During the same month, ISIS - also known as Islamic State or ISIL - released a document on social media, explaining the rules of its 'penal code', which is being brutally enforced across ISIS-held territory in Syria and Iraq.
Entitled 'Clarification [regarding] the Hudud', the document contains a list of the punishments handed out for crimes committed in the Islamic State, in accordance with the extremist group's radical interpretation of Shariah law.
All punishments are carried out after a 'trial' at an Islamic State court and, after the sentencing, the prisoner is taken into the centre of the town or city.
Men and young boys of all ages are actively encouraged to gather and watch the punishments.
An ISIS fighter then reads out the charges found against the victim before the punishment is carried out in public.
All forms of blasphemy against Islam are punished by execution, even if the accuser chooses to repent of their sins. Likewise, committing murder, spying, apostasy or sodomy is punished by immediate death.
Anyone found guilty of banditry, specifically murder and stealing, is put to death by crucifixion.
According to Islamic State's reading of Shariah law, thieves have a hand cut off. It is unclear whether the victim can choose which hand is removed.
Flogging is another common punishment carried out under Islamic State.
According to the document, 80 lashes of the whip is given to anyone who drinks alcohol or is found guilty of committing slander. Normally the whipping is not carried out on bare skin.
The punishment of stoning, where heavy rocks are thrown or piled on top of the victim, is ordered for any married man or woman who has committed adultery.
A hundreds lashes and immediate exile is given to any man or woman who has sex outside of marriage.
ISIS lead Syrian woman to her stoning over alleged adultery
- Man blindfolded and thrown off tower block by ISIS militants for 'being gay'
- Horrific pictures show man being hurled from building in Tal Abyad, Syria
- Man supposedly survived fall but was stoned to death by crowd at bottom
- Comes less than month after ISIS extremists threw two 'gay' men off block
A man has reportedly been blindfolded and thrown off a tower block in Syria for ‘being gay’ before being stoned to death after surviving the fall.
New images have emerged appearing to show ISIS militants hurling the man off the seven-storey building in the town of Tal Abyad in Raqqa.
The man, who was supposedly being punished for having a ‘homosexual affair’, apparently survived the fall, but was stoned to death by a waiting crowd at the foot of the tower block.
+5
Footage shows the man sat on a plastic chair, while blindfolded, before being thrown off the tower block
+5
It is believed the man was hurled from the building, at least seven storeys high, as punishment for 'being gay'
+5
The man appeared to survive the fall, but was reportedly stoned to death by a waiting crowd at the bottom
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists on the ground, claims the man was thrown from the building before being beaten to death.
Photographs of the incident appear to show the man - who is thought to be in his 50s - sat on a white, plastic chair while blindfolded.
He is surrounded by at least two masked militants, who are dressed in black clothing and army fatigues.
The man is then thrown from the top of the tower block and one photograph shows him falling towards the ground, head first.
It is believed a 'judgement' was read aloud before he was thrown, which condemned his sexuality and claimed he should be thrown from the highest point of the city as punishment.
After falling to the ground, the man can then be seen sat at the foot of the building, having apparently survived the fall.
One photograph shows another man, dressed in army fatigues and carrying a portable radio, seemingly checking on the man's condition.
An aerial photograph then shows the waiting crowd forming a circle around the injured man before hurling rocks and stones at him. It is understood he died from his injuries.
Shocking pictures of the execution, which were posted on Live Leak, are the latest to emerge of the horrific killing of men in Syria.
Last month, two men were hurled from the top of a tower block and two others were crucified in front of a baying crowd as part of a ‘brutal punishment’ for being gay.
And in December last year, photos emerged on social media showing a man, accused of being homosexual, being thrown to his death from a rooftop by eight ISIS fighters.
+5
The crowd appeared to surround the man before beating him with stones until he fell unconscious
+5
Aerial photographs show crowds gathering at the foot of the tower block, which the man was thrown from
During the same month, ISIS - also known as Islamic State or ISIL - released a document on social media, explaining the rules of its 'penal code', which is being brutally enforced across ISIS-held territory in Syria and Iraq.
Entitled 'Clarification [regarding] the Hudud', the document contains a list of the punishments handed out for crimes committed in the Islamic State, in accordance with the extremist group's radical interpretation of Shariah law.
All punishments are carried out after a 'trial' at an Islamic State court and, after the sentencing, the prisoner is taken into the centre of the town or city.
Men and young boys of all ages are actively encouraged to gather and watch the punishments.
An ISIS fighter then reads out the charges found against the victim before the punishment is carried out in public.
All forms of blasphemy against Islam are punished by execution, even if the accuser chooses to repent of their sins. Likewise, committing murder, spying, apostasy or sodomy is punished by immediate death.
Anyone found guilty of banditry, specifically murder and stealing, is put to death by crucifixion.
According to Islamic State's reading of Shariah law, thieves have a hand cut off. It is unclear whether the victim can choose which hand is removed.
Flogging is another common punishment carried out under Islamic State.
According to the document, 80 lashes of the whip is given to anyone who drinks alcohol or is found guilty of committing slander. Normally the whipping is not carried out on bare skin.
The punishment of stoning, where heavy rocks are thrown or piled on top of the victim, is ordered for any married man or woman who has committed adultery.
A hundreds lashes and immediate exile is given to any man or woman who has sex outside of marriage.
ISIS lead Syrian woman to her stoning over alleged adultery
[h=1]Iraqi father shoots dead seven ISIS militants in revenge for son's public online execution - before being gunned down himself[/h]
An Iraqi man has shot and killed seven ISIS militants in an act of revenge for his son who was executed by the terrorist group, local media reports.
Basil Ramadan, said to be in his 60s, used an AK-47 to gun down a group of militants at a checkpoint in Tikrit, a city northwest of Baghdad currently under ISIS control, before he was shot.
Mr Ramadan's son, Ahmed Basil, 18, was one of eight men executed by ISIS in January, accused of infiltrating the organisation and spying for the Iraqi government.
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Revenge: Basil Ramadan shot and killed seven ISIS militants in Tikrit, Iraq, in revenge for the death of his son Ahmed Basil, 18, who was one of eight men executed by ISIS in January (pictured).
ISIS released photos from a video of the execution of Ahmed Basil Ramadan and seven others, all said to be police officers, accused of informing on Islamic State for the Iraqi government.
Entitled 'the Day of Judgement', the photos from the video show eight Iraqi men dressed in orange Guantanamo Bay style jumpsuits.
Standing behind them are Islamic State's notorious security forces, known for carrying out mass public executions in broad daylight.
Several of the victims, including Mr Ramadan's son, are named in the captions and appear to have been interviewed for the video as they are seen wearing microphones.
In the video, Ahmad Basil Ramadan is accused of giving information on the location of Islamic State soldier houses.
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ISIS released photos from a video of the execution of Ahmed Basil Ramadan and seven others, all said to be police officers, accused of informing on Islamic State for the Iraqi government
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Last march: In the video, Ahmad Basil Ramadan is accused of giving information on the location of Islamic State soldier houses
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Afterwards, the security forces pose for a photograph pointing their pistols at the video camera
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Rule of terror: Islamic State's notorious security forces are known for carrying out mass public executions
The leader of the group is named as Captain Hossam Salah Bnosh. According to Islamic State media, Bnosh and seven other police officers converted to Sunni Islam and joined Islamic State.
However once they had infiltrated the Islamic State security forces, they began to secretly spy for the Iraqi government.
The group are accused of providing intelligence information to the Iraqi government, identifying targets for coalition airstrikes against Islamic State.
Another prisoner wearing a microphone is named as Marwan Habib Said, who reportedly joined Islamic State security forces but was caught giving target information to the Iraqi government.
The photos show how the eight prisoners were blindfolded and frogmarched along the edge of the river, most likely the Euphrates.
Their hands are handcuffed behind their backs and each Islamic State fighter appears to be holding their victim's neck as they march to their deaths.
They appear to have been taken to a quiet area away from the city, possibly under a motorway bridge, near the river. Forced to kneel down and unable to see, the prisoners wait as each Islamic State fighter draws their pistol and takes aim.
Each prisoner is executed with a single bullet to the head. Afterwards, the security forces pose for a photo. The squadron are shown pointing their pistols at the video camera.
UN says ISIS killings are a 'monstrous disregard for human life'
- Iraqi man opened fire on ISIS militants in revenge attack in Tikrit
- Basil Ramadan killed seven before he himself was shot dead
- Ahmed Basil Ramadan, 18, was one of eight men executed last month
- Islamic State released photographs and a video of the execution
- The victims are clearly identified and appear to have been interviewed
- The eight men are accused of spying on ISIS for the Iraqi government
An Iraqi man has shot and killed seven ISIS militants in an act of revenge for his son who was executed by the terrorist group, local media reports.
Basil Ramadan, said to be in his 60s, used an AK-47 to gun down a group of militants at a checkpoint in Tikrit, a city northwest of Baghdad currently under ISIS control, before he was shot.
Mr Ramadan's son, Ahmed Basil, 18, was one of eight men executed by ISIS in January, accused of infiltrating the organisation and spying for the Iraqi government.
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Revenge: Basil Ramadan shot and killed seven ISIS militants in Tikrit, Iraq, in revenge for the death of his son Ahmed Basil, 18, who was one of eight men executed by ISIS in January (pictured).
ISIS released photos from a video of the execution of Ahmed Basil Ramadan and seven others, all said to be police officers, accused of informing on Islamic State for the Iraqi government.
Entitled 'the Day of Judgement', the photos from the video show eight Iraqi men dressed in orange Guantanamo Bay style jumpsuits.
Standing behind them are Islamic State's notorious security forces, known for carrying out mass public executions in broad daylight.
Several of the victims, including Mr Ramadan's son, are named in the captions and appear to have been interviewed for the video as they are seen wearing microphones.
In the video, Ahmad Basil Ramadan is accused of giving information on the location of Islamic State soldier houses.
+5
ISIS released photos from a video of the execution of Ahmed Basil Ramadan and seven others, all said to be police officers, accused of informing on Islamic State for the Iraqi government
+5
Last march: In the video, Ahmad Basil Ramadan is accused of giving information on the location of Islamic State soldier houses
+5
Afterwards, the security forces pose for a photograph pointing their pistols at the video camera
+5
Rule of terror: Islamic State's notorious security forces are known for carrying out mass public executions
The leader of the group is named as Captain Hossam Salah Bnosh. According to Islamic State media, Bnosh and seven other police officers converted to Sunni Islam and joined Islamic State.
However once they had infiltrated the Islamic State security forces, they began to secretly spy for the Iraqi government.
The group are accused of providing intelligence information to the Iraqi government, identifying targets for coalition airstrikes against Islamic State.
Another prisoner wearing a microphone is named as Marwan Habib Said, who reportedly joined Islamic State security forces but was caught giving target information to the Iraqi government.
The photos show how the eight prisoners were blindfolded and frogmarched along the edge of the river, most likely the Euphrates.
Their hands are handcuffed behind their backs and each Islamic State fighter appears to be holding their victim's neck as they march to their deaths.
They appear to have been taken to a quiet area away from the city, possibly under a motorway bridge, near the river. Forced to kneel down and unable to see, the prisoners wait as each Islamic State fighter draws their pistol and takes aim.
Each prisoner is executed with a single bullet to the head. Afterwards, the security forces pose for a photo. The squadron are shown pointing their pistols at the video camera.
UN says ISIS killings are a 'monstrous disregard for human life'
[h=1]The Kill List: Half of ISIS top commanders believed to be dead… but executioner-in-chief Jihadi John is still free to commit barbaric slaughter[/h]
The Islamic State's leadership in Syria and Iraq has been decimated by months of sustained air strikes, leaving the terror group in chaos and isolating leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, it is claimed.
Allied airstrikes, including those carried out by British warplanes, have killed more than 6,000 fighters since September, including more than half the militants serving on ISIS' ruling council.
Among the dead jihadis is Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, a former Iraqi army lieutenant colonel considered Baghdadi's number two and ISIS' most senior militant in Iraq.
His death and that of as many as nine others on ISIS' 18-man leadership council have forced Baghdadi to promote local warlords to the status of regional commanders, as his inner circle of trusted advisers and battle-hardened loyalists becomes increasingly small.
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Pressure: The Islamic State's leadership in Syria and Iraq has been decimated by months of sustained air strikes, leaving the terror group in chaos and isolating leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured)
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Dead: Among the dead jihadis is Abu Muslim al-Turkmani (left), a former Iraqi army lieutenant colonel considered Baghdadi's number two and ISIS' most senior militant in Iraq. Another former member of Saddam Hussein's army turned ISIS commander, Abu Musa al-Alwani (right), has also been killed
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Terror: ISIS' leadership has been left in chaos following the deaths of many of its senior commanders
Baghdadi has not been seen in public since July and there have been numerous unconfirmed reports that he suffered serious injury or possibly even death as a result of targeted airstrikes.
The likelihood, however, is that Baghdadi has been forced deep into hiding to avoid being targeted by jets that have destroyed more than 1,000 vehicles used by terrorists over the past five months.
Other senior figures within the terror group have not been afforded that luxury and still need to travel across the vast swathes of Syria and Iraq that remain under ISIS' control.
This forces them to make a decision whether to move as part of a large military convoy and risk being spotted by warplanes overhead, or whether to use cars that reduce the likelihood of aerial detection but leave them at risk of kidnap or killing at the hands if ISIS' rivals on the ground.
Video said to show IS leader in Iraq at Friday prayers
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Targeted: Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi (left) - who had been the head of Baghdadi's four man military council - was killed by a coalition warplane last year. Another militant reportedly killed in an airstrike was Abu Hajar Al-Sufi (right) who had been one of Baghdadi's most trusted advisers on the Shura Council
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Despite the serious damage done to ISIS' leadership by the airstrikes, scores of prominent militants remain alive, including the terror group's British executioner in chief, Jihadi John
Among the ISIS leadership figures killed in airstrikes in recent months is Abu Musa al-Alwani, according to the Sun. Another former member of Saddam Hussein's army, Abu Musa - real name Waleed Jassem al-Alwani - had been a prominent member of ISIS' military council before his death.
Also killed by coalition airstrikes last year was Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi - who had been the head of Baghdadi's four man military council, having previously served on the terror leader's religious and strategic advisory body, known as the Shura Council.
Another militant reportedly killed by the first wave of coalition airstrikes in September was Abu Hajar Al-Sufi, also known as Abu Hajar al-Assafi, who had been one of Baghdadi's most trusted advisers on the Shura Council.
His death came two months before that of Abu Jurnas. real name Rathwan Talib Hussein Ismail al-Hamdani, whose official title was believed to have been Governor of 'Border Provinces'.
Abu Jurnas' role was to ensure ISIS' barbaric interpretation of Sharia law was enforced along the Syria-Iraq crossing, and to ensure that the nations' respective armies are unable to reestablish the border that was effectively wiped out by the terror group's lightning advance last summer.
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Other well-known militants still alive and operational include Abu Wahib, the terror group's 28-year-old leader in Iraq's Anbar province (right), Abu Omar al-Shishani, another 28-year-old, who is understood to be responsible for ISIS' military operations within Syria
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Abu Wahib's distinctive thick black beard has ensured he has been used prominently in ISIS propaganda
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While many local tribal leaders are in favour of a Sunni Muslim caliphate, their allegiances remain largely tribal and they are not seen as entrenched supporters of ISIS (pictured)
Baghdadi is likely to have replaced Abu Jurnas with another of his trusted lieutenants, but in less strategically important regions he is understood to have been forced to appoint local warlords to the role of senior commander as his inner circle of loyalists dwindles.
While many of these local tribal leaders are in favour of a Sunni Muslim caliphate and their opposition to the Syrian and Iraqi regimes confirmed, their allegiances remain largely tribal and they are not seen as entrenched supporters of the Baghdadi-led group.
Long-standing tensions between the tribes has also surfaced as they battle for regional prominence and advantage, causing chaos with ISIS ranks.
Despite the serious damage done to ISIS' leadership by the airstrikes, scores of prominent militants remain alive, including the terror group's British executioner in chief, Jihadi John.
Although he is unlikely to hold a senior position within the group's leadership, his death would be highly symbolic in the battle to defeat ISIS due to his in the deaths of British, American and Japanese aid workers and journalists.
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Over the weekend ISIS' British executioner in chief, Jihadi John, savagely murdered Japanese journalist Kenji Goto in a shocking filmed beheading after days of intensive negotiations through intermediaries to save him
Mr Goto joined a list of other victims, including fellow Japanese national Haruna Yukawa (left). British aid workers David Haines (centre), and Alan Henning (right) have also been murdered
US journalist James Foley (left) was the first to appear alongside Jihadi John in one of the sickening videos, followed by Steven Sotloff (centre. Aid worker Peter Kassig (right) is also dead
Other well-known militants still alive and operational include Abu Wahib, the terror group's 28-year-old leader in Iraq's Anbar province, whose distinctive thick black beard has ensured he has been used prominently in ISIS propaganda.
Another is Abu Omar al-Shishani, another 28-year-old, who is understood to be responsible for ISIS' military operations within Syria.
Before joining ISIS Georgian-born Shishani led the terror group Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar in operations against the Syrian regime, but declared his allegiance to Baghdadi last year.
He had previously been a member of the Georgian army, but left ahead of his promotion to officer.
- Allied airstrikes decimate ISIS' leadership, leaving terror group in chaos
- Terror chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi left isolated and in hiding amid chaos
- Nine out the 18 members of Baghdadi's ruling council have been killed
- These include number two Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, who had previously served as a lieutenant colonel in Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army
- But prominent killers such as Jihadi John are still free to commit atrocities
The Islamic State's leadership in Syria and Iraq has been decimated by months of sustained air strikes, leaving the terror group in chaos and isolating leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, it is claimed.
Allied airstrikes, including those carried out by British warplanes, have killed more than 6,000 fighters since September, including more than half the militants serving on ISIS' ruling council.
Among the dead jihadis is Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, a former Iraqi army lieutenant colonel considered Baghdadi's number two and ISIS' most senior militant in Iraq.
His death and that of as many as nine others on ISIS' 18-man leadership council have forced Baghdadi to promote local warlords to the status of regional commanders, as his inner circle of trusted advisers and battle-hardened loyalists becomes increasingly small.
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Pressure: The Islamic State's leadership in Syria and Iraq has been decimated by months of sustained air strikes, leaving the terror group in chaos and isolating leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured)
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Dead: Among the dead jihadis is Abu Muslim al-Turkmani (left), a former Iraqi army lieutenant colonel considered Baghdadi's number two and ISIS' most senior militant in Iraq. Another former member of Saddam Hussein's army turned ISIS commander, Abu Musa al-Alwani (right), has also been killed
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Terror: ISIS' leadership has been left in chaos following the deaths of many of its senior commanders
Baghdadi has not been seen in public since July and there have been numerous unconfirmed reports that he suffered serious injury or possibly even death as a result of targeted airstrikes.
The likelihood, however, is that Baghdadi has been forced deep into hiding to avoid being targeted by jets that have destroyed more than 1,000 vehicles used by terrorists over the past five months.
Other senior figures within the terror group have not been afforded that luxury and still need to travel across the vast swathes of Syria and Iraq that remain under ISIS' control.
This forces them to make a decision whether to move as part of a large military convoy and risk being spotted by warplanes overhead, or whether to use cars that reduce the likelihood of aerial detection but leave them at risk of kidnap or killing at the hands if ISIS' rivals on the ground.
Video said to show IS leader in Iraq at Friday prayers
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Targeted: Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi (left) - who had been the head of Baghdadi's four man military council - was killed by a coalition warplane last year. Another militant reportedly killed in an airstrike was Abu Hajar Al-Sufi (right) who had been one of Baghdadi's most trusted advisers on the Shura Council
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Despite the serious damage done to ISIS' leadership by the airstrikes, scores of prominent militants remain alive, including the terror group's British executioner in chief, Jihadi John
Among the ISIS leadership figures killed in airstrikes in recent months is Abu Musa al-Alwani, according to the Sun. Another former member of Saddam Hussein's army, Abu Musa - real name Waleed Jassem al-Alwani - had been a prominent member of ISIS' military council before his death.
Also killed by coalition airstrikes last year was Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi - who had been the head of Baghdadi's four man military council, having previously served on the terror leader's religious and strategic advisory body, known as the Shura Council.
Another militant reportedly killed by the first wave of coalition airstrikes in September was Abu Hajar Al-Sufi, also known as Abu Hajar al-Assafi, who had been one of Baghdadi's most trusted advisers on the Shura Council.
His death came two months before that of Abu Jurnas. real name Rathwan Talib Hussein Ismail al-Hamdani, whose official title was believed to have been Governor of 'Border Provinces'.
Abu Jurnas' role was to ensure ISIS' barbaric interpretation of Sharia law was enforced along the Syria-Iraq crossing, and to ensure that the nations' respective armies are unable to reestablish the border that was effectively wiped out by the terror group's lightning advance last summer.
+12
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Other well-known militants still alive and operational include Abu Wahib, the terror group's 28-year-old leader in Iraq's Anbar province (right), Abu Omar al-Shishani, another 28-year-old, who is understood to be responsible for ISIS' military operations within Syria
+12
Abu Wahib's distinctive thick black beard has ensured he has been used prominently in ISIS propaganda
+12
While many local tribal leaders are in favour of a Sunni Muslim caliphate, their allegiances remain largely tribal and they are not seen as entrenched supporters of ISIS (pictured)
Baghdadi is likely to have replaced Abu Jurnas with another of his trusted lieutenants, but in less strategically important regions he is understood to have been forced to appoint local warlords to the role of senior commander as his inner circle of loyalists dwindles.
While many of these local tribal leaders are in favour of a Sunni Muslim caliphate and their opposition to the Syrian and Iraqi regimes confirmed, their allegiances remain largely tribal and they are not seen as entrenched supporters of the Baghdadi-led group.
Long-standing tensions between the tribes has also surfaced as they battle for regional prominence and advantage, causing chaos with ISIS ranks.
Despite the serious damage done to ISIS' leadership by the airstrikes, scores of prominent militants remain alive, including the terror group's British executioner in chief, Jihadi John.
Although he is unlikely to hold a senior position within the group's leadership, his death would be highly symbolic in the battle to defeat ISIS due to his in the deaths of British, American and Japanese aid workers and journalists.
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Over the weekend ISIS' British executioner in chief, Jihadi John, savagely murdered Japanese journalist Kenji Goto in a shocking filmed beheading after days of intensive negotiations through intermediaries to save him
Mr Goto joined a list of other victims, including fellow Japanese national Haruna Yukawa (left). British aid workers David Haines (centre), and Alan Henning (right) have also been murdered
US journalist James Foley (left) was the first to appear alongside Jihadi John in one of the sickening videos, followed by Steven Sotloff (centre. Aid worker Peter Kassig (right) is also dead
Other well-known militants still alive and operational include Abu Wahib, the terror group's 28-year-old leader in Iraq's Anbar province, whose distinctive thick black beard has ensured he has been used prominently in ISIS propaganda.
Another is Abu Omar al-Shishani, another 28-year-old, who is understood to be responsible for ISIS' military operations within Syria.
Before joining ISIS Georgian-born Shishani led the terror group Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar in operations against the Syrian regime, but declared his allegiance to Baghdadi last year.
He had previously been a member of the Georgian army, but left ahead of his promotion to officer.
[h=1]Deadlier than American sniper Chris Kyle: With 173 kills, Marine is revealed as the world's deadliest[/h]
A Royal Marine has been revealed as the world’s deadliest sniper after 173 confirmed kills on Taliban targets.
Most of the hits took place during one six-month tour in Afghanistan – with 90 militants taken out in just one day.
At his most deadly, the sniper, who cannot be named for security reasons, was said to have killed a Taliban gunman every ten minutes.
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A Royal Marine, who has been revealed as the world’s deadliest sniper after 173 confirmed kills on Taliban targets
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The British sniper in action in Afghanistan, where most of his hits took place during a six month tour of duty
It is believed he was using a British-built L115A3 Long Range Rifle, the Army’s most powerful sniper weapon.
For some of his kills the Marine corporal will have been about half a mile away from the target.
His confirmed enemy kills exceed the 160 of Chris Kyle, the deadliest marksman in US military history. Kyle’s skills – which allowed him to hit targets from more than a mile away – feature in the Oscar-nominated film American Sniper.
A source close to the British marksman, a married father from the south of England, described him as ‘deadlier than the plague’.
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The exploits of US Navy SEAL commando Chris Kyle are the subject of a new film called American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper (pictured right)
Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle in American Sniper
‘Only people inside the community know about his incredible contribution – but young recruits are in awe of him,’ the source said.
‘He is one of a unique band of marksmen who have done extraordinary things.
‘He’s not the sort of man to brag. He’s very professional and humble, but with a gun in his hands this bloke is deadlier than the plague. He’s a legend, a unique breed,’ the source told the Sun.
He added that the 173 count was ‘conservative’ and unconfirmed kills would take the figure much higher.
Kyle, a member of the elite American Navy SEAL commando unit, claimed 255 kills over six years in Iraq, but only 160 of them were officially confirmed by the Pentagon.
Most of the Briton’s kills occurred during Operation Herrick V over the winter of 2006-7 when the Afghan war was at its height. He was serving with the elite Bridge Reconnaissance Force across Helmand.
[h=3]A SNIPER'S DEADLY WEAPON OF CHOICE: THE L115 A3[/h]Used by British snipers on the battlefield, the L115 A3 rifle is a long-range, large-calibre weapon, nicknamed The Silent Assassin, or The Long.
In 2008, the version used by the deadly sniper during Herrick V was replaced with a newer improved model which has twice the magnifying power of the old rifle.
It provides state-of-the art telescopic views, both day and night, to give the sniper the best possible range in any weathers.
The rifle, which weighs is designed to achieve a first-round hit at 600 metres, but has a range of up to 1,100metres, and fires an 8.59mm bullet.
It is also fixed with a silencer, and an adjustable stand so the sniper can be sure of a stable base while firing.
In November 2009, a British Army sniper set the current record for longest recorded sniper kill by killing two Taliban machine gunners south of Musa Qala in Helmand Province in Afghanistan at a range of 2,475 metres using a L115A3.
The L115A3 Alpha rifle fires a .338 calibre bullet with accuracy over ranges exceeding a kilometre. The source said the Marine was never boastful about his shooting, adding: ‘But he is not ashamed either. Every shot was judged and balanced, not indiscriminate.
He always saw the men between the cross hairs as humans, not targets. He is not interested in kill counts.
‘He has not struggled emotionally or psychologically with what has happened. He must be the most lethal sniper in the world.’
The Marine, who has served for more than a decade, returned to Afghanistan in 2010 during Operation Herrick XIII. The Ministry of Defence last night confirmed that the Marine had killed 90 Taliban in just one day.
He has completed more than five tours, from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan and Iraq – but not all as a sniper. The role of the Bridge Reconnaissance Force in Afghanistan was to surge through designated areas hunting the Taliban up and down the Helmand River.
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The Marine is said to have recorded most of his kills during Operation Herrick V, which ran from November 2006 until April 2007. Pictured are Royal Marines during the tour in northern Helmand
Before first light, they would move into a hidden positions which commanded views over large urban areas. A source added: ‘People…say he would take out sentries in spider holes, stood up to their shoulders in pits dug in the ground. Like all snipers he had to be in a place where his concentration was absolute.’
Only the Marine’s close circle of friends, comrades and officers know of his achievements.
US sniper Kyle was a veteran of four tours of Iraq. His shooting during battles in Ramadi and Fallujah earned him the nickname ‘al Shaitan’ or ‘the Devil’ among insurgents who put a bounty on his head. He was shot dead by a disturbed fellow Marine at a Texas rifle range two years ago.
American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood, has been nominated for six Oscars and has been a huge box office hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
[h=3]THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIE: AMERICAN SNIPER CHRIS KYLE [/h]
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Chris Kyle, pictured in April 2012, made 160 confirmed kills - the most in American military history. He claimed to have shot down 255
Born in April 1974 and raised in rural Texas, Chris Kyle had worked as a cowboy before joining the elite Navy SEALS unit in 1999.
After making it through the notoriously tough selection process, Kyle was deployed to Iraq in 2003 where he made his first long-distance kills even though he had not been trained as sniper.
Spotting his obvious talent, the military sent him to SEAL sniper school, where he was taught how to perform warfare's loneliest and most controversial job.
In 2004, Kyle was posted to Fallujah, west of Baghdad and a major battleground of Iraqi insurgency, and it was during the battle for that city where he first made his mark.
However, it was in 2006 in Ramadi, a city in central Iraq, that Mr Kyle gained his nickname as 'The Legend' from his fellow SEALS.
One day, while positioned on a roof, Kyle watched a moped coming down a street. Riding it were two men, one of whom dropped a backpack into a pothole.
Realising that it contained an improvised explosive, Kyle took a shot at the speeding moped from a range of 150 yards. The bullet hit one of the riders, passed through him, and hit the other.
Kyle has been credited with saving hundreds of American lives by making 160 confirmed kills, which is the most in American military history. He claimed to have shot down 255.
In 2009, after four tours of Iraq, Kyle retired and moved to Midlothian, Texas, with his wife, Taya, and two children.
He had not only shot more of the enemy than any other American sniper but had also gained himself a chestful of medals, including three Silver Stars for gallantry.
But on February 2, 2013 he and a friend, Chad Littlefield, took 25-year old Eddie Ray Routh to a remote shooting range in Glen Rose, Texas.
Before they reached the range Routh, 25, shot both men dead and stole Kyle's customised pick up truck.
Routh's family claimed he was suffering from PTSD and had mental issues. His trial on two murder charges begins on February 11.
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Father-of-two Kyle with his wife Taya. He died a year ago today after being shot at a shooting range
American Sniper, the movie based on Kyle's book of the same name, has been a box office hit, but has also divided opinion, with some criticising the film's jingoistic stance.
The Clint Eastwood directed film, which was produced by and stars Bradley Cooper, has been accused of glorifying murder and serving as war propaganda, most notably by director Michael Moore.
On the same day the film hit U.S. cinemas, Moore - director of Fahrenheit 9/11 - courted controversy by slamming snipers as 'cowards' who 'shoot you in the back'
Taking to Twitter in rage, Moore seethed: 'My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse.'
Actor Seth Rogen also caused controversy after tweeting: 'American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds.'
However, US First Lady Michelle Obama said the film 'touches on the emotions and experiences' of many military families.
- The Briton recorded most of his kills during tours of Afghanistan in 2006/7
- Unnamed Royal Marine, from southern England, has 173 confirmed kills
- Figure puts him ahead of the US Navy SEAL commando Chris Kyle, who had 160 confirmed kills
- British sniper said to have hit 90 Taliban fighters in one day at a stronghold
- Married father-of-two has completed at least five tours of duty
- He has served with the Navy's elite unit for more than a decade
A Royal Marine has been revealed as the world’s deadliest sniper after 173 confirmed kills on Taliban targets.
Most of the hits took place during one six-month tour in Afghanistan – with 90 militants taken out in just one day.
At his most deadly, the sniper, who cannot be named for security reasons, was said to have killed a Taliban gunman every ten minutes.
+6
A Royal Marine, who has been revealed as the world’s deadliest sniper after 173 confirmed kills on Taliban targets
+6
The British sniper in action in Afghanistan, where most of his hits took place during a six month tour of duty
It is believed he was using a British-built L115A3 Long Range Rifle, the Army’s most powerful sniper weapon.
For some of his kills the Marine corporal will have been about half a mile away from the target.
His confirmed enemy kills exceed the 160 of Chris Kyle, the deadliest marksman in US military history. Kyle’s skills – which allowed him to hit targets from more than a mile away – feature in the Oscar-nominated film American Sniper.
A source close to the British marksman, a married father from the south of England, described him as ‘deadlier than the plague’.
+6
The exploits of US Navy SEAL commando Chris Kyle are the subject of a new film called American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper (pictured right)
Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle in American Sniper
‘Only people inside the community know about his incredible contribution – but young recruits are in awe of him,’ the source said.
‘He is one of a unique band of marksmen who have done extraordinary things.
‘He’s not the sort of man to brag. He’s very professional and humble, but with a gun in his hands this bloke is deadlier than the plague. He’s a legend, a unique breed,’ the source told the Sun.
He added that the 173 count was ‘conservative’ and unconfirmed kills would take the figure much higher.
Kyle, a member of the elite American Navy SEAL commando unit, claimed 255 kills over six years in Iraq, but only 160 of them were officially confirmed by the Pentagon.
Most of the Briton’s kills occurred during Operation Herrick V over the winter of 2006-7 when the Afghan war was at its height. He was serving with the elite Bridge Reconnaissance Force across Helmand.
[h=3]A SNIPER'S DEADLY WEAPON OF CHOICE: THE L115 A3[/h]Used by British snipers on the battlefield, the L115 A3 rifle is a long-range, large-calibre weapon, nicknamed The Silent Assassin, or The Long.
In 2008, the version used by the deadly sniper during Herrick V was replaced with a newer improved model which has twice the magnifying power of the old rifle.
It provides state-of-the art telescopic views, both day and night, to give the sniper the best possible range in any weathers.
The rifle, which weighs is designed to achieve a first-round hit at 600 metres, but has a range of up to 1,100metres, and fires an 8.59mm bullet.
It is also fixed with a silencer, and an adjustable stand so the sniper can be sure of a stable base while firing.
In November 2009, a British Army sniper set the current record for longest recorded sniper kill by killing two Taliban machine gunners south of Musa Qala in Helmand Province in Afghanistan at a range of 2,475 metres using a L115A3.
The L115A3 Alpha rifle fires a .338 calibre bullet with accuracy over ranges exceeding a kilometre. The source said the Marine was never boastful about his shooting, adding: ‘But he is not ashamed either. Every shot was judged and balanced, not indiscriminate.
He always saw the men between the cross hairs as humans, not targets. He is not interested in kill counts.
‘He has not struggled emotionally or psychologically with what has happened. He must be the most lethal sniper in the world.’
The Marine, who has served for more than a decade, returned to Afghanistan in 2010 during Operation Herrick XIII. The Ministry of Defence last night confirmed that the Marine had killed 90 Taliban in just one day.
He has completed more than five tours, from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan and Iraq – but not all as a sniper. The role of the Bridge Reconnaissance Force in Afghanistan was to surge through designated areas hunting the Taliban up and down the Helmand River.
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The Marine is said to have recorded most of his kills during Operation Herrick V, which ran from November 2006 until April 2007. Pictured are Royal Marines during the tour in northern Helmand
Before first light, they would move into a hidden positions which commanded views over large urban areas. A source added: ‘People…say he would take out sentries in spider holes, stood up to their shoulders in pits dug in the ground. Like all snipers he had to be in a place where his concentration was absolute.’
Only the Marine’s close circle of friends, comrades and officers know of his achievements.
US sniper Kyle was a veteran of four tours of Iraq. His shooting during battles in Ramadi and Fallujah earned him the nickname ‘al Shaitan’ or ‘the Devil’ among insurgents who put a bounty on his head. He was shot dead by a disturbed fellow Marine at a Texas rifle range two years ago.
American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood, has been nominated for six Oscars and has been a huge box office hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
[h=3]THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIE: AMERICAN SNIPER CHRIS KYLE [/h]
+6
Chris Kyle, pictured in April 2012, made 160 confirmed kills - the most in American military history. He claimed to have shot down 255
Born in April 1974 and raised in rural Texas, Chris Kyle had worked as a cowboy before joining the elite Navy SEALS unit in 1999.
After making it through the notoriously tough selection process, Kyle was deployed to Iraq in 2003 where he made his first long-distance kills even though he had not been trained as sniper.
Spotting his obvious talent, the military sent him to SEAL sniper school, where he was taught how to perform warfare's loneliest and most controversial job.
In 2004, Kyle was posted to Fallujah, west of Baghdad and a major battleground of Iraqi insurgency, and it was during the battle for that city where he first made his mark.
However, it was in 2006 in Ramadi, a city in central Iraq, that Mr Kyle gained his nickname as 'The Legend' from his fellow SEALS.
One day, while positioned on a roof, Kyle watched a moped coming down a street. Riding it were two men, one of whom dropped a backpack into a pothole.
Realising that it contained an improvised explosive, Kyle took a shot at the speeding moped from a range of 150 yards. The bullet hit one of the riders, passed through him, and hit the other.
Kyle has been credited with saving hundreds of American lives by making 160 confirmed kills, which is the most in American military history. He claimed to have shot down 255.
In 2009, after four tours of Iraq, Kyle retired and moved to Midlothian, Texas, with his wife, Taya, and two children.
He had not only shot more of the enemy than any other American sniper but had also gained himself a chestful of medals, including three Silver Stars for gallantry.
But on February 2, 2013 he and a friend, Chad Littlefield, took 25-year old Eddie Ray Routh to a remote shooting range in Glen Rose, Texas.
Before they reached the range Routh, 25, shot both men dead and stole Kyle's customised pick up truck.
Routh's family claimed he was suffering from PTSD and had mental issues. His trial on two murder charges begins on February 11.
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Father-of-two Kyle with his wife Taya. He died a year ago today after being shot at a shooting range
American Sniper, the movie based on Kyle's book of the same name, has been a box office hit, but has also divided opinion, with some criticising the film's jingoistic stance.
The Clint Eastwood directed film, which was produced by and stars Bradley Cooper, has been accused of glorifying murder and serving as war propaganda, most notably by director Michael Moore.
On the same day the film hit U.S. cinemas, Moore - director of Fahrenheit 9/11 - courted controversy by slamming snipers as 'cowards' who 'shoot you in the back'
Taking to Twitter in rage, Moore seethed: 'My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse.'
Actor Seth Rogen also caused controversy after tweeting: 'American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds.'
However, US First Lady Michelle Obama said the film 'touches on the emotions and experiences' of many military families.
Artist Mohammed Sabanneh, a Muslim, said he meant no harm.
Cartoon apparently depicting the Prophet Mohammad in an official Palestinian newspaper. (photo credit
ALESTINIAN MEDIA)
RAMALLAH - Palestinian Authprity President Mahmoud Abbas has ordered an investigation into a cartoon apparently depicting the Prophet Mohammad in an official Palestinian newspaper.
The move came less than a month after Abbas joined world leaders in a march for free speech in Paris following a deadly attack by Islamist gunmen on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, which had caricatured Mohammad.
A drawing in the West Bank-based newspaper al-Hayat al-Jadidah on Sunday showed a robed man standing astride Earth and reaching into a heart-shaped pouch to sow seeds of love around the world. The caption reads: "Our Prophet Mohammad".
Artist Mohammed Sabanneh, a Muslim, said he meant no harm. The figure was not Mohammad but "a symbol of humanity enlightened by what the Prophet Muhammad brought," he wrote on Facebook.
Islam frowns on any depictions of its most revered prophet. Strict interpretations of Islamic scripture ban drawing any sentient beings, although court artists in past centuries drew Mohammad in illuminated manuscripts.
In a report late on Monday, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas had ordered "an immediate investigation."
It quoted him citing "the need to take deterrent action against those responsible for this terrible mistake, out of respect for sacred religious symbols and foremost among them the prophets".
Sabaaneh, one of the most prominent Palestinian cartoonists in a society that has long prized them as incisive critics of Israel, has faced free speech controversy before.
Imprisoned by Israel for five months and fined last year for "being in contact with hostile parties", Sabaaneh and his backers said Israel sought to silence his mordant cartoons.
No public threats have been made against Sabaaneh, who thanked his supporters online. "Despite facing a committee of inquiry, I love this country," he wrote on Tuesday.
Cartoon apparently depicting the Prophet Mohammad in an official Palestinian newspaper. (photo credit
ALESTINIAN MEDIA)RAMALLAH - Palestinian Authprity President Mahmoud Abbas has ordered an investigation into a cartoon apparently depicting the Prophet Mohammad in an official Palestinian newspaper.
The move came less than a month after Abbas joined world leaders in a march for free speech in Paris following a deadly attack by Islamist gunmen on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, which had caricatured Mohammad.
A drawing in the West Bank-based newspaper al-Hayat al-Jadidah on Sunday showed a robed man standing astride Earth and reaching into a heart-shaped pouch to sow seeds of love around the world. The caption reads: "Our Prophet Mohammad".
Artist Mohammed Sabanneh, a Muslim, said he meant no harm. The figure was not Mohammad but "a symbol of humanity enlightened by what the Prophet Muhammad brought," he wrote on Facebook.
Islam frowns on any depictions of its most revered prophet. Strict interpretations of Islamic scripture ban drawing any sentient beings, although court artists in past centuries drew Mohammad in illuminated manuscripts.
In a report late on Monday, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas had ordered "an immediate investigation."
It quoted him citing "the need to take deterrent action against those responsible for this terrible mistake, out of respect for sacred religious symbols and foremost among them the prophets".
Sabaaneh, one of the most prominent Palestinian cartoonists in a society that has long prized them as incisive critics of Israel, has faced free speech controversy before.
Imprisoned by Israel for five months and fined last year for "being in contact with hostile parties", Sabaaneh and his backers said Israel sought to silence his mordant cartoons.
No public threats have been made against Sabaaneh, who thanked his supporters online. "Despite facing a committee of inquiry, I love this country," he wrote on Tuesday.
