Chicago-Area Cousins Indicted in Alleged Terrorist Plot

CHICAGO — Two suburban Chicago cousins have been indicted on charges of conspiring to help the Islamic State, with one allegedly planning to attack an Illinois military facility and the other allegedly planning to go overseas, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
Hasan Edmonds, a 22-year-old member of the Illinois Army National Guard, and his cousin, Jonas Edmonds, 29, were charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq. The indictment was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court. Prosecutors say the two men will be arraigned April 8.
The men, who are U.S. citizens and residents of Aurora, were represented at a previous hearing by attorneys from the federal public defender's office who were unavailable to comment Friday on the indictment.
Conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Prosecutors allege that Hasan Edmonds planned to travel abroad to join Islamic State fighters while his older cousin attacked a military installation in northern Illinois.
Hasan Edmonds was member of Golf Company 634th Brigade Support Battalion, based in Joliet, according to the Illinois National Guard Lt. Col. Brad Leighton. He reported to the Joliet base one weekend a month.
Jonas Edmonds allegedly communicated to an undercover agent that it might be difficult for him to get travel documents. Therefore, he said he would stage attacks in the U.S., prosecutors allege.

Posted by military.com

TNI Berhasil Evakuasi 110 WNI dari Yaman

Pesawat TNI Boeing 737-400 berhasil mengevakuasi 110 Warga Negara Indonesia, baik dewasa maupun anak-anak yang berada di Jizan.

 

Salalah - Pesawat TNI Boeing 737-400 A-7305 dari Skadron 17 yang diberangkatkan dari Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma Jakarta pada hari Kamis 2 April 2015 untuk mengevakuasi warga negara Indonesia (WNI) dari Yaman telah tiba di Kota Salalah, Oman pada Jumat 3 April 2015.

Tim satgas penyelamatan untuk pengangkutan WNI yang berjumlah 22 personel tersebut terdiri dari 12 orang kru pesawat, 4 orang dari Satuan Bravo Paskhas, 2 orang Penerangan, 3 dari Kemenlu dan 1 Supervisi dari Mabes TNI, yang dipimpin oleh Letkol Penerbang I.G. Putu Setiadi.

Pada Sabtu 4 April kemarin, Pesawat TNI Boeing 737-400 berhasil mengevakuasi 110 Warga Negara Indonesia, baik dewasa maupun anak-anak yang berada di Jizan, Arab Saudi untuk diterbangkan menuju Bandara Muskat, Oman.

Pesawat TNI Boeing 737-400 yang dipiloti oleh Letkol Penerbang I.G. Putu Setiadi bertolak dari Bandara Salalah, Oman menuju Bandara Abdullah Bin King Abdul Azis kota Jizan Arab Saudi menempuh waktu selama 2 jam 30 menit.

Setelah tiba di Bandara Muskat, Oman pada pukul 11.36 waktu setempat, rombongan disambut secara langsung oleh Duta Besar (Dubes) RI untuk Yaman Bapak Wazid Fauzy beserta Atase Pertahanan.

Dalam kesempatan tersebut, Dubes RI untuk Yaman Bapak Wazid Fauzy menyampaikan ucapan selamat kepada para WNI yang telah berhasil dievakuasi. "Ini merupakan bentuk perhatian pemerintah kepada warganya, dan kenapa menggunakan pesawat TNI agar kalian juga dapat merasakan bahwa TNI adalah bagian dari rakyat kita, sehingga diharapkan kalian semakin mencintai  Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia dan Tentara Nasional Indonesia," ujarnya dalam keterangan tertulis dari Kadispenum Puspen TNI, Kolonel Inf Bernardus Robert kepada Liputan6.com di Jakarta, Minggu (5/4/2015).

Para WNI yang telah tiba di Muskat segera diterbangkan ke tanah air dengan penerbangan komersial sampai tujuan di daerah masing-masing. WNI yang dibawa dari Jizan ke Muskat transit beberapa jam di Bandara Muskat untuk menunggu jadwal pesawat ke Tanah Air. Biaya pesawat komersil ini sepenuhnya ditanggung oleh negara. Para WNI yang sempat terjebak dalam situasi perang di Yaman tiba di Bandara Soekarno-Hatta, Cengkareng, pada hari Minggu, 5 April 2015.

Posted by liputan6.com
 

Iran military chief hails nuclear success

Tehran (AFP) - Iran's military chief has hailed the success of his country's negotiators in talks with world powers that secured a framework for a deal on its long-disputed nuclear programme.

The remarks by General Hassan Firouzabadi -- a close ally of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has yet to comment on the agreement -- were published Sunday on the Revolutionary Guards' sepanews.com website.

Firouzabadi congratulated the Iranian leader on the "success of the team of Iranian negotiators and thanked the president" Hassan Rouhani and officials involved led by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Opinions in Iran have been split on the agreement since it was reached in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Thursday

Other officials have also expressed support for the agreement, which heralds the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran's economy if it sticks to the terms of the deal.

"There is no reason to party," ultra-conservative lawmaker Hamid Ressaie said on Sunday as the Iranian parliament resumed its work.
Speaker Ali Larijani, a conservative, described as "positive" the framework agreement, according to a report by ISNA news agency, as other members cautiously welcomed the deal.
Zarif asked the sceptics to be patient.

"Criticism is useful, but we are in the middle of negotiations and it is not good to expose all the details," he told state television in an interview aired on Saturday night.

"Trust us because we are also concerned. Let us negotiate for three months," he said in reference to the June 30 deadline for the conclusion of a final agreement.

Posted by yahoo.com

Ukraine’s neo-Nazi leader becomes top military adviser, legalizes fighters

Ukraine’s Interpol-wanted leader of extremist group Right Sector, Dmitry Yarosh, has been appointed as an adviser to the country’s Chief of General Staff. He has agreed to legalize thousands of fighters as an assault team subordinate to the regular army.
“Colonel General Viktor Muzhenko, Chief of General Staff, and Dmytro Yarosh agreed the format of cooperation between ‘Pravy Sector’ [Right Sector] and the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Ukraine’s defense ministry said in a statement.
The appointment apparently comes after successful negotiations took place between the so-called Ukrainian Volunteer Corps (DUK Right Sector) and Ukraine’s top military command regarding possible options of incorporating the armed gangs inside the defense ministry’s structure of command.
The Right Sector’s armed paramilitary battalions agreed to be “subordinated to military leaders,” the ministry said. According to the statement, Muzhenko and Yarosh stressed the need for “unity”, confirming fighters’ readiness to obey Kiev’s central command.
“DUK is ready to perform common tasks with the Army, ready to obey the army leadership in matters relating to national defense against an external enemy, which enables every patriot to protect Ukraine,” Yarosh said.


Yarosh, who was one of the main figureheads of the violence-seeped coup last year, is wanted by Interpol for incitement of terrorism, and extremist activities. He was placed on the international wanted list at the request of Russian authorities. Despite his notoriety, Yarosh is an elected member of the Ukrainian parliament heading the Right Sector political party, which is banned in Russia as an extremist organization
Over the weekend Yarosh announced that he plans to legalize private military companies in Ukraine, and will soon introduce new legislation into the Parliament.
"I think it could be a good option for people, who can’t get back from war inside their heads," the extremist leader claimed. “This will provide jobs to many people, and stability in the country, after all.”

The legalization comes after Yarosh offered to reform his Volunteer Corps into a professional assault team, in response to Kiev’s demands for all paramilitary units to surrender their arms or join the country’s official armed forces. Right Sector initially refused to obey the ultimatum, calling them “traitorous” and claiming that “volunteers and patriots” will only lay down arms after Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty is restored.
The so-called volunteer, as well as territorial defense and other types of privately formed and sponsored battalions, have been fighting alongside Ukraine’s regular army since Kiev began its “anti-terrorist operation” in the east of the country last April. Many of them have been noted for their cruelty and murderous tactics against the local population, such as Aidar and Azov being accused by international human rights associations of war crimes.
After a ceasefire agreement was reached in February, some of these armed units refused to leave the Donbass region and have regularly violated the reached agreements.

Posted by rt.com
 

UK defence cuts will have profound effect, warns US diplomat

Proposed cuts in British defence spending could not come at a worse time, says former US ambassador to the UN 

 

David Cameron has refused to make a formal commitment to maintain defence spending at the 2 per cent of GDP level

One of America’s leading diplomats has said he finds cuts to British defence spending “extremely troubling” and has called on the next government to spend two per cent of GDP on the military.

John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN and a leading Republican spokesman on foreign affairs, said any further cuts in defence spending would make Britain “far more vulnerable militarily” and send a signal to potential enemies that “there is a diminished will in the West to defend itself”.

He warned that further cuts in defence expenditure could seriously affect future coalition operations with the US.

“The decline in British defence spending is extremely troubling,” Mr Bolton said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph. “It means Britain will be far more vulnerable militarily.

“A diminished UK military strength also has a more profound effect internationally because it is a sign to our mutual enemies that there is a diminished will in the West to defend itself. It sends an extremely negative signal to our enemies.”
 
A British Challanger 2 tank (AP)

At a time when the West faced growing threats from countries such as Russia and China, as well as Islamic State (Isil) militants in the Middle East, he said it was vital that Britain retained the military strength to participate in future coalition operations with the US.
“A significant military contribution from Britain is the foundation on which joint coalitions with the US and other allies are based,” he said. “At the very least we expect a future British government to meet the Nato benchmark of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence.
“If...Britain is not able to participate in the way it has in the past, it sends a signal to others in Europe that they do not have to participate either.”
Last month General Raymond Odierno, the head of the US Army, told the Telegraph he was “very concerned” that recent defence cuts would severely limit Britain’s ability to participate in future coalition operations.
 Nimrod spy plane (PA)

David Cameron has refused to make a formal commitment to maintain defence spending at the 2 per cent of GDP level required by Britain’s membership of Nato, despite making a plea for other European member states to meet the required level of funding at last September’s Nato summit in Wales.
Recent estimates suggest defence spending could fall to 1.7 per cent by the end of the decade. Mr Cameron has said he wants to see a real-terms increase in defence spending of around 1 per cent if he stays in power.
But in an article in the Telegraph, Mr Bolton calls on Britain and its allies to increase spending. “Cuts and proposed cuts in British defence spending could not come at a worse time, politically and militarily,” he writes.
“Rather than seeking ever-deeper military budget cuts, the UK – and the United States – should be planning on sharp increases in manpower, weapons systems, and information technology.”

Posted by telegraph.co.uk
 

 

General Tanzania Composite Battalion task force Review the Indonesian Military in Darfur

EL GENEINA – After the previous week's Garuda Camp receive the arrival of Commander sector West computers, Brigadier General Blaise Nikiema, this time Garuda Camp which became a Composite Battalion task force headquarters of Indonesian Military contingent of the Garuda (the Konga Bay) XXXV-A/Computers (United Nations Mission In Darfur) in El Geneina, Darfur-Sudan, to gets honor reviewed directly by the Force Commander Lieutenant General Paul computers, Ignace Mella originating from Tanzania Indonesian Battalion at Camp, (Indobatt), computers, Western Darfur, Supercamp.

 

The arrival of General of Tanzania Paul Ignace Mella with High officials of the sector commander mission computers, the composite Battalion task force into Indonesian Miltary-A/XXXV Konga Bay computers, greeted with rows of honor by Indonesian soldiers, and received directly by the Commander of the task force (Dansatgas) Infantry Lieutenant-Colonel m. Herry Subagyo, along with the officers of task force.

Visit Force computers, along with the Commander of the Indonesian Miltary Composite Battalions in order to carry out the activities of the 27th Force Command Computers Group Meeting held in Sector West, and Composite Battalions of Indonesian troops of the Konga Bay XXXV-A/computers, as contingent who had recently joined the United Nations Mission In Darfur, is believed to favour as the organizer of the lunch together on the implementation of such activities.

On this occasion, the Force Commander Lieutenant General Paul computers, Ignace Mella says welcome and congratulations on joining the United Nations Mission In Darfur, to the soldiers of the Indonesian Miltary task force Composite Battalions of Indonesian troops of the Konga Bay XXXV-A/Computers in El Geneina. "We're all very hopeful, the Indonesia peace missions can run this well," he said.

 

"I am as Force Commander computers, very proud to be able to visit Indonesia Forces incorporated in the Composite Battalion task force of the indonesian military, I was amazed with the spirit of Indonesia's army, I believe you guys are ready to do our best for this task", said the General of Tanzania.

 

The Force Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Indobatt Dansatgas computers, Inf m. Herry Subagyo Composite Battalion task force says that indonesian military Konga Bay XXXV-A/Computers totalling 800 personnel, consisting of: 650 personnel of the army, Navy personnel and 100 50 air force personnel. In the performance of his duties, Indonesia Troops stationed at two UN Camp, the headquarters of the Battalion, along with the help and Company Company 3 Rifles in the Supercamp Secwest Computers in El Geneina and 1 company of Rifles stand alone are in the Masteri Camp with a distance of approximately 70 km from El Geneina Supercamp.

In addition to trusted to roll out lunch on 27th Force Command Group Meeting Indonesia Forces, computers, is also believed to have participated in the escort operation, safeguarding and securing vital object route for passage of activities attended throughout the elements of leadership on the peace mission in Darfur.

 

Posted by poskotanews.com

 

 

 

 

BIN make sure this area is safe from ISIS

TERNATE-State Intelligence Agency (BIN) of North Maluku, ensuring the radical groups Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has not yet entered into the area of North Maluku.

At least, it's based on the reconnaissance BIN lately. However, fixed BIN called for all citizens of North Maluku, so stay alert. Therefore, Indonesia has also become perhaps because majority of the population of ISIS, a muslim.

That is, it could be going into ISIS North Maluku, if the apparatus does not do early prevention.

"Indonesia is the largest Islamic country. So does not cover the possibility of it happening, let alone our population is quite large and disproportionate to the security apparatus, "said Chief BIN of North Maluku, First Admiral Eden Gunawan.

BIN also related the capture of a number of citizen satire in Tobelo, North Halmahera, for allegedly as ISIS.

"There has been no strong relationships, new indications, they buy the attributes of the internet, so there needs to be substantial, but so far they remain regulated," explained one star General in the Indonesian Navy.

Posted by JPNN.com