PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Belgians hunt Islamic State suspect after blasts kill 30 Phuket Gazette / Reuters The blasts on Tuesday claimed by the Syrian-based militants four days after the arrest in Brussels of a prime suspect in November’s Paris attacks, sent shockwaves across Europe and around the world, with authorities racing to review security at airports and transit systems, and drawing an outpouring of solidarity. “We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world,” said U.S. President Barack Obama. Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed Obama in November’s election, suggested that suspects could be tortured to deter such attacks. Brussels police mounted an operation in the north of the city, turning up another bomb, an Islamic State flag and bomb-making chemicals in an apartment in the … [Read more...] about Belgians hunt Islamic State suspect after blasts kill 30
Islamic state
Iraq reconstruction after Islamic State ‘to cost $88 billion’
KUWAIT: Rebuilding Iraq after three years of war with Islamic State will cost $88.2 billion, with housing a particularly urgent priority, Iraqi officials told an international conference on Monday. Donors and investors have gathered in Kuwait this week to discuss efforts to rebuild Iraq’s economy and infrastructure as it emerges from a devastating conflict with the hardline militants who seized almost a third of the country.Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December, having taken back all the territory captured by the militants in 2014 and 2015.About $22 billion will be required in the short term and another $66 billion in the medium term, the director-general of the country’s planning ministry, Qusay Adulfattah, told the conference, without indicating any timeframe.“Rebuilding Iraq is restoring hope to Iraq, and restoring the stability of Iraq is stabilising the states of the region and the world,” said Planning Minister Salman al-Jumaili, adding that … [Read more...] about Iraq reconstruction after Islamic State ‘to cost $88 billion’
The tragedy of US ‘victory’ over Islamic State in Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the Islamic State (IS) on Dec 9, 2017. And while there will still be some fighting, the real war is over. Yet there were no parades, no statues pulled down, no "Mission Accomplished" moments. An event that might a few years ago have set American front pages atwitter wasn't even worth a presidential tweet. That's because in Washington there is little to celebrate. The next big milestone for Iraq will be the elections expected to take place in May. The contours of Iraq post-IS are becoming clearer. Less clear is whether the strategy to defeat the IS was successful and whether the American wars in Iraq are finally over.What stands out now is the conspicuous absence of American influence. The two main election candidates are current Prime Minister Abadi, and former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki. Both come from the same Shia Dawa party, and both have close ties to Iran. The names should be familiar. Mr Maliki was the Great American … [Read more...] about The tragedy of US ‘victory’ over Islamic State in Iraq
Malaysia arrests two men linked to Islamic State over planned attacks
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has arrested two men believed to have links with militant group Islamic State, including one who allegedly walked around its capital armed with a knife aiming to kill Buddhist monks, police said on Monday (Jan 22).The Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation has been on high alert since gunmen linked to Islamic State (IS) launched several attacks in Jakarta, the capital of neighboring Indonesia, in January 2016.The two suspects were arrested in two separate raids in December and January, on suspicion of planning to carry out acts of violence and promoting IS ideology.One of them, an Indonesian who was arrested last week, had allegedly scoured a busy district of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, in November, seeking Buddhist monks to kill, in retaliation for violence suffered by Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.“The attempt failed, and police managed to confiscate a knife during the raid,” Mohamad Fuzi Harun, the inspector-general of police, said in a … [Read more...] about Malaysia arrests two men linked to Islamic State over planned attacks
Malaysia arrests two men linked to Islamic State
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has arrested two men believed to have links with militant group Islamic State, including one who allegedly walked around its capital armed with a knife aiming to kill Buddhist monks, police said on Monday. The Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation has been on high alert since gunmen linked to Islamic State (IS) launched several attacks in Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia, in January 2016.The two suspects were arrested in two separate raids in December and January, on suspicion of planning to carry out acts of violence and promoting IS ideology.One of them, an Indonesian who was arrested last week, had allegedly scoured a busy district of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, in November, seeking Buddhist monks to kill, in retaliation for violence suffered by Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar."The attempt failed, and police managed to confiscate a knife during the raid," Mohamad Fuzi Harun, the inspector-general of police, said in a statement.He added that the … [Read more...] about Malaysia arrests two men linked to Islamic State