Southeast Asia’s Female Fighters

 

Across Southeast Asia, a growing number of women are being recruited by armed groups like ISIL (ISIS).

Female fighters were involved in eight of the 11 suicide attacks carried out between May 2018 and May 2021.

Helping to recruit and finance fighting cells, women are increasingly at the centre of violent attacks.

Counterterrorism experts say it is important to understand how these women come to join violent groups and that women should be involved in the de-radicalisation process.

Why has Raqqa been ignored?

 

City in northern Syria has been freed from ISIL (ISIS) rule for five years.

It’s been five years since ISIL (ISIS) was defeated in Raqqa.

The city in northern Syria served as its base.

Is ISIL gaining a foothold in southern Africa?

 

Leaders in southern Africa are considering possible troop deployment to northern Mozambique amid a rise in attacks.

Mozambique has a seen a rise in attacks across its northern region in recent months.

Dozens of people were killed when ISIL (ISIS)-linked fighters raided a hotel in the northern town of Palma last month.

Could Cabo Delgado conflict spill outside of Mozambique?

 

Mozambique’s army has struggled to contain the fighters who have regularly beaten back the country’s security forces.

Mozambique’s military is struggling to hold back ISIL-linked groups in the northern Cabo Delgado region.

Violence has intensified in recent months, displacing at least 400,000 people.

The government has asked for help from neighbours South Africa and Tanzania, as well as the European Union.

Trump finally calls widow of fallen Army soldier — only to tell her ‘he knew what he signed up for’

After making the issue of the four soldiers who died in Niger two weeks ago all about himself Donald Trump called the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson had this truly sympathetic statement of condolence to make. (That is sarcasm)

Donald Trump on Tuesday finally called the families of four U.S. soldiers who were killed during an ambush in Niger earlier this month, only to tell the widow of U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson, “he knew what he signed up for.”

“Yes, he said it,” Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Miami Gardens) told ABC. “It’s so insensitive. He should have not have said that. He shouldn’t have said it.”

Trump called Tuesday afternoon and spoke to Johnson’s widow, who’s pregnant with her third child to the deceased Army soldier. Johnson is also survived by a 2-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter.

When asked by a reporter at a press conference on Monday Donald Trump in his usual tone deaf and insensitive manner the deaths of the four Special Operations soldiers all about himself. Rather than showing any kind of empathy for the four men who died or their families.  

Battle for Mosul begins: Iraqi and Kurdish forces launch assault on Isis stronghold

Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi orders military offensive to recapture city that has been under Islamic State control

A long-awaited offensive to seize back the Iraqi city of Mosul after two years of Isis control has begun, the country’s prime minister has announced.

In an address on state television, Iraq’s Haider al-Abadi said: “We have been battling Isis for more than two years. We started fighting Isis in the outskirts of Baghdad, and thank God we are now fighting them in the outskirts of Mosul, and God willing the decisive battle will be soon.”

After a month-long buildup, the last urban stronghold of Islamic State in Iraq has for several days been almost completely surrounded by a 30,000-strong force.

• UN prepares for aftermath 'chaos'
• Battle must navigate ethnic rivalries
• Is IS finished?

• Iraq seeks help as it sets sights on Mosul
• Inside Mosul: What's life like under IS?
• The full IS story

ISIL and the Taliban

Al Jazeera gains unprecedented access to ISIL's central leadership and explores the threat it poses to the Taliban.



Raising its black flag over the rugged mountainous regions of Afghanistan, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has emerged as a new threat to the war-ravaged country as it battles the Taliban for supremacy.


Employing violence and brutality to impose its will , Wilayat Khorasan, (the ancient name ISIL has chosen for the region made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of neighbouring countries), has emerged in seven different areas and vowed to step up operations, where the veteran fighters - the Taliban - once held sway.

Fighting to reconstitute the historical Khorasan into the so-called "caliphate" of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group says it has grand plans for the region, starting with uprooting the Taliban and the government of President Ashraf Ghani.

Hans Blix on the threat of nuclear war

We speak to the former UN chief weapons inspector, and ask Noam Chomsky about the US presidential election.




Hans Blix on nuclear threats, ISIL and climate change

North Korea raised alarm bells in January with claims that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

On Tuesday, scientists behind the world's "Doomsday Clock" announced it would remain at three minutes to midnight, saying the decision "is not good news". The clock is a metaphor for how close the world is to catastrophe owing to climate change and nuclear weapons.

So, how worried should the world be about the prospect of nuclear war? In the Headliner, Mehdi Hasan speaks to Hans Blix, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Authority.

Blix also discusses the Iran deal and the impact the US-led invasion of Iraq had on the creation of ISIL.

The Great Divide

Is anti-Islamic sentiment threatening Australia's celebrated multicultural identity?


Across Australia, the fear of violence inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has created a growing intolerance towards the nation's Muslim community.

It is fuelling a rise of ultra-nationalist groups determined to defend what they say is the Australian way of life.

But how representative is this hatred in a country known for its multiculturalism?

Did the US occupation create ISIL? Interview With Paul Bremer (video)

Paul Bremer is the former Bush administration official appointed to be the Administrator of Iraq following Americas invasion in March of 2003. In May of 2003 he ordered the disbanding of the Iraqi army and the de-Baathification of the government. All this led to chaos in the country with a breakdown of the political and security systems as the U.S. military didn't have a enough forces on the ground to fill the ensuing power vacuum. Many critics blame the implementation of these policies for the rise of Al Qaida which until the removal of Saddam Hussein didn't have a foothold in the country. Even with the so called degrading of Al Qaida terrorism continued and evolved into what today is ISIL. Given all this failure one might think Paul Bremer shouldn't be given a platform to expause his policy opinions or have them taken seriously.

Yet, here he is advocating for President Obama to deploy 10,000 American soldiers to fight ISIL in Iraq. He must assume that with this deployment the disaster created by the Bush administration will magically be cleaned up.

Why do people join ISIL?

Leading US Muslim scholar Sheikh Hamza Yusuf has been at the forefront of efforts to counter the narrative of ISIL.

As the cofounder of the only Muslim liberal arts college in the US, Yusuf has worked to stop young Muslims in the West from going to fight for ISIL.

In an interview recorded prior to the recent attacks in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad, Mehdi Hasan asks Yusuf about what is behind the allure of the group for some people and why some young people join them.

The Red States Are Afraid Of The Monster Under Their Beds

Bravo, Tucker FitzGerald. Bravo.

ISIL and the Taliban

Al Jazeera gains unprecedented access to ISIL's central leadership and explores the threat it poses to the Taliban.


Filmmakers: Najibullah Quraishi and Jamie Doran

Raising its black flag over the rugged mountainous regions of Afghanistan, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has emerged as a new threat to the war-ravaged country as it battles the Taliban for supremacy.

Employing violence and brutality to impose its will , Wilayat Khorasan, (the ancient name ISIL has chosen for the region made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of neighbouring countries), has emerged in seven different areas and vowed to step up operations, where the veteran fighters - the Taliban - once held sway.

Fighting to reconstitute the historical Khorasan into the so-called "caliphate" of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group says it has grand plans for the region, starting with uprooting the Taliban and the government of President Ashraf Ghani.

Causing friction with the regional and overall leadership of the Taliban, armed battles have increased over the past few months with dozens of Taliban fighters killed in clashes, most notably in the Taliban stronghold of Nangarhar province.

ISIL recruiting and brainwashing Afghan children

Al Jazeera gains rare access to ISIL bases where children are being trained to become suicide bombers.


The fighters say they are gaining territory from Afghanistan's largest armed group, the Taliban. And in areas under ISIL control, young children are being trained to become fighters and suicide bombers.


Yes, these "brave" fighters are willing to sacrifice the lives of children for their delusion beliefs and ideology.

Enemy of Enemies: The Rise of ISIL (Part 1)

Al Jazeera explores the origins and evolution of the world's most feared and powerful insurgent group - ISIL.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been truly devastating to those it comes in contact with and bloody to those under its control.

Its sudden rise and expansion in 2014 has perplexed many. It has humiliated its enemies, including those in Damascus, Baghdad, Tehran and Washington. Armed with extensive weaponry, boasting an international fighting force and adept in the art of digital media propaganda, the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has become the de facto authority across an area the size of Jordan.


This two-part series peels back the rhetoric to examine how a volunteer organisation managed to rise up from the ashes of post-invasion Iraq and defeat standing armies many times its size and capacity.

How did it begin? How did it grow so astonishingly quickly? And how is it being used by global and regional powers to change the geopolitical map of the Middle East?

Abdullah: Taliban are receiving support within Pakistan

The Afghan leader talks about Afghanistan's refugees in Europe, security in the country, and dealing with the Taliban.



Afghanistan was supposed to get a new start one year ago. After 13 years in power, President Hamid Karzai, who had led the country since the Taliban government was defeated after the 9/11 attacks, finally stood down.


After a contentious election in 2014, with widespread claims of ballot rigging, the two main candidates were persuaded to share power. Dr Ashraf Ghani became president and his opponent, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the chief executive.

All this happened to coinicide with the departure of many of the international forces in the country, leaving the Afghan army and police in charge of security.

Why is ISIL targeting cultural heritage?

The armed group's destruction of ancient sites in Syria and Iraq is drawing condemnation worldwide.


The latest site ISIL fighters have destroyed is the ancient temple of Baal Shamin in the Syrian city of Palmyra.

The armed group seized Palmyra from government forces in May, fuelling fears that it might destroy its priceless heritage.

It was not the first time the group targeted a cultural site. Back in February, its fighters destroyed the Mosul museum after they seized the Iraqi city last year.

Hamas in the firing line?

Fingers point at ISIL for car bomb explosions in Gaza aimed at Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement



A string of car-bomb explosions has shaken Gaza City and regional concerns about security.

The vehicles belonged to members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, which rule the Palestinian territory.

Speculation as to who was behind the attacks quickly centred on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

Hamas has been cracking down on ISIL supporters since the Syria- and Iraqi-based group threatened to topple Gaza's leaders.

A photo reportedly taken near the scene of one of the explosions appeared to show the ISIL logo.

Groups in Gaza, said to be inspired by ISIL, have been firing rockets at Israel in an apparent attempt to undermine ceasefire talks.

ISIL has accused Hamas of being soft on Israel and failing to establish Islamic rule in Gaza.

ISIL ideology: In the name of Islam?

Attacks in Tunisia and Kuwait further complicate the complex combination of religion, conflict and extremism.


The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Kuwait and Tunisia, which killed at least 65 people.

Tourists were gunned down as they relaxed on a beach, while worshipers were killed in a suicide attack on a Shia mosque.

The attacks have prompted more promises from the international community to fight what's referred to as the "scourge of terrorism".

ISIL had earlier called on followers to turn the month of Ramadan - considered holy by Muslims – into "calamities for non-believers".

But is religion at the heart of the armed group's violent ideology? Is the end game more about politics and power?

And how will this shape the fight against ISIL's message, its violence and its broader ambitions?

Inside Mosul: What's life like under Islamic State?

Exclusive footage from Iraq's second city of Mosul reveals how Islamic State wields power over people's everyday life, a year after it was captured.

Secretly-filmed videos obtained by the BBC's Ghadi Sary show mosques being blown up, abandoned schools, and women being forced to cover up their bodies.

Residents said they were living in fear of punishment according to the group's extreme interpretation of Islamic law.

They also described IS preparations for an expected government offensive.



1. Control of women

The videos, filmed over several months last year, reveal the reality of life under IS. The first series shows how women are forced to cover up, with one woman challenged for not having her hands fully covered.


2. Persecution of minorities

The footage reveals how homes belonging to Mosul's ethnic and religious minority communities have been confiscated by Islamic State. Many residential areas once popular with minorities now stand empty.

Mariam, a gynaecologist who is a Christian: "I'm known to be an avid reader and own a large collection of books. My collection kept on growing as friends and family leaving Iraq used to send me their books because they knew I wasn't going to leave and that I would take care of them.



"I was threatened and harassed [by Sunni extremists] before the capture of Mosul, but I kept on delivering babies for women from all religions and sects. I never differentiate between my patients as I believe everyone deserves equal care.

"However, I had to flee as Mosul fell. I escaped with my body unharmed, but my soul remained where I had left it: at home with my books.

"After moving to Irbil [in Iraq's Kurdistan region] I received shocking news: Islamic State had confiscated my house and marked it with the letter 'N' [for Nasrani - a word used by IS to refer to Christians]. I immediately telephoned my friends in Mosul and begged them to save my books.

"But it was too late. They called back saying my library had been emptied onto the street. However, some of my neighbours were able to rescue some precious books that remain hidden."