Islamic State May Have 31,500 Fighters, Says CIA

The Islamic State (IS) may have as many as 31,500 fighters in Syria and Iraq - three times higher than previously feared, the CIA believes.

A review of intelligence reports from May to August estimates the militant group can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 jihadists, up from a previous figure of 10,000, it said.

The new total reflects stronger recruitment by IS after its military successes and declaration of a caliphate in Iraq and Syria, said CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is pressing Arab states to support an expanded American military campaign against IS, including airstrikes in Syria.

On Thursday, key Arab allies promised to "do their share" to fight IS, including stopping the flow of fighters and funding to the militants, but Nato member Turkey refused to join in.

The 10 Middle East allies announced their backing for a strategy to "destroy" the group "wherever it is, including in both Iraq and Syria," following a meeting with Mr Kerry in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

John Kerry with Arab foreign ministers in Jeddah

Nearly 40 countries have agreed to contribute to what Mr Kerry said would be a worldwide fight to defeat the militants, however Germany said it would not take part in airstrikes.

"The devastating consequences of extremist hate remain fresh in the minds of all Americans, and to so many of our friends and allies around the world," said Mr Kerry on the 13th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.

"Those consequences are felt every day here in the Middle East."

Moscow said any unilateral US airstrikes in Syria would be a violation of international law.

"In the absence of an appropriate decision of the UN Security Council, such a step would become an act of aggression, a crude violation of the norms of international law," said a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry.

Turkey attended the Jeddah meeting, but did not sign the final agreement over fears for 49 Turkish citizens kidnapped from its consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul when it was overrun by IS in June.

Some Gulf states could in theory help with US airstrikes, as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar did in the aerial campaign over Libya in 2011, as well as assisting with weapons, training, intelligence and logistics.

America has launched more than 150 airstrikes in Iraq over the past month, and has sent military advisers into the country.

It also announced on Friday nearly $500m (£307m) in humanitarian aid for people and countries hit by Syria's civil war.

Some three million Syrian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, but many remain trapped by the IS onslaught, says the UN.

On Monday, officials from the US, UK, France, Russia and China, and possibly other countries including Iran, are due to hold talks in Paris on how to stabilise Iraq.

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Coalition's Plans For IS Fight Look Cowardly

America has succeeded in putting together a 37-nation coalition against the Islamic State (IS). Who does what within it is to be confirmed.

All signatories to the agreement struck in Jeddah, at the Nato summit in Wales, and in phone calls over the last fortnight are agreed on one thing - none of them will send ground troops to fight the insurgency.

This is a mistake rooted in a fetishistic hang-up that the previous US-led interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended in what looks to many like failure, and that there can never be public support for a return to war in the Islamic world.

But this is a coalition that is made up now of a huge number of Sunni Arab states that have most to lose from the spread of the IS and its ideology.

The movement poses a theoretical threat to the West. It poses an immediate danger to its neighbours.

But the Saudis, Egyptians, Jordanians, Gulf States, the Lebanon have all followed the lead set by the West, notably the US and UK, and refused to countenance sending troops to fight on the ground.

This makes the coalition look cowardly. It also means the coalition will have to rely heavily on a disorganised patchwork of militia groups spread across two nations, many of who have very different priorities.

In Syria, moderate rebels can expect more funding, training, and weapons. But their main aim is to depose the regime of Bashar al Assad.

Iraqi security forces look for IS fighters near Haditha

In Iraq, the national army has proven ineffective after tens of billions have been spent on its equipment and training.

The Kurdish pershmerga has lost some of its famed fighting spirit and cannot be relied upon to fight in the interests of an outside coalition rather than for its own territory.

Iraqi's Shia militia are being thrown into the fight - and some have proven as venal as IS - murdering Sunnis and torching their homes.

Sunni militia will be key and need to be turned against IS - but how far their loyalties would lie once they have secured their own local security is impossible to gauge.

If the IS is the threat to its neighbours and beyond that the world's leaders now say it is, it is striking that they are only prepared to fight by remote control to destroy it.

A refusal to even think about ground troops will signal decadence and weakness to the proclaimed enemy.

Over the next few days, former US General John Allen will be drawing up a plan for which states will contribute what.

He will start out a frustrated man. Only last month he issued a call to arms in an article for the website Defence One.

"IS must be destroyed and we must move quickly to pressure its entire 'nervous system,' break it up, and destroy its pieces," he thundered.

Then he added this: "The US military is not war weary and is fully capable of attacking and reducing IS throughout the depth of its holdings, and we should do it now, but supported substantially by our traditional allies and partners."

He's saying the military are not afraid - but the politicians are.

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Family Of UK Hostage Tell IS Captors: Contact Us

British Aid Worker Held By IS Militants

Updated: 6:10pm UK, Thursday 04 September 2014

David Cawthorne Haines is an aid worker with more than a decade of experience in areas including South Sudan, Libya and the former Yugoslavia.

A father-of-two, he was abducted in March 2013 at a Syrian refugee camp close to the Turkish border, according to aid workers.

The 44-year-old grew up in Perth, Scotland, but is believed to have lived in Croatia with his wife Dragana, where he was a consultant director at Astraea - a kitchen supply company.

He had previously been a security manager with the Belgium-based Nonviolent Peaceforce.

Tiffany Eastholm, of the group, confirmed Mr Haines had worked with the company for six months in 2012 in South Sudan.

She told NBC News he was "very familiar with insecure locations". She added: "He was very caring, had a good sense of humour."

Mr Haines is thought to have gone to Syria with Agency for Technical Co-operation and Development (ACTED), a French international relief agency founded in 1993.

The threat to his life came in a video which showed US hostage Steven Sotloff being killed by a masked militant.

In the video footage of Mr Sotloff's murder, a masked Islamic State (IS) militant says: "We take this opportunity to warn those governments who have entered this evil alliance with America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone."

Mr Haines, wearing an orange jumpsuit, is shown to the camera as the militant grabs his collar and a caption underneath gives his name.

He is thought to have been captured along with Italian aid worker Federico Motka, 31, who was released in May.

British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said the UK was looking at "every possible option to protect" Mr Haines after he appeared in the video.

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Ukraine 'Regrouping' Forces To Defend East

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says his forces are "regrouping" in the east of the country after provocation from Russian "terrorists".

The move does not amount to a new offensive against pro-Moscow separatists, but is simply a move to defend Ukraine's territory, he said.

Mr Poroshenko said the four-day ceasefire has been difficult to maintain because of the rebels' actions.

On Wednesday morning, he signed a law which allowed for fresh economic sanctions to be imposed on Russian individuals and companies who have been backing rebels in eastern Ukraine. 

Pro-Russian rebels at a checkpoint near the airport in Donetsk

There are also parliamentary plans for a "special status" - giving greater autonomy - for Donetsk and Luhansk within the next week.

Despite the concerns raised during a televised government meeting in Kiev, a spokesperson for the Kremlin said Russia and Ukraine are happy with how the ceasefire is holding "on the whole".

It came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that Ukraine could be facing a health emergency because its medicine supplies are dwindling.

Ukrainian refugees wait to receive food on the outskirts of Mariupol

Dorit Nitzan, the UN health agency's representative in Kiev, warned: "Ukraine has no vaccines ... they don't have any vaccines in their storage. Even before the crisis began they had low (immunisation) coverage."

The professor's main concern is that there could be an outbreak of polio, a disease which mainly affects young children, as it "usually comes in countries of turmoil".

The European Union is set to discuss when its new sanctions against Russia, which were formally agreed on Monday, should be implemented.

President Poroshenko unveiled his latest measures in a government meeting

EU President Herman van Rompuy confirmed there would be "an assessment of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace plan".

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is also planning to deploy drones in the region to monitor whether the ceasefire is holding.

Mr Poroshenko said Russia had moved 70% of its forces "back across the border" from eastern Ukraine.

"This further strengthens our hope that the peace initiatives have good prospects," he said.

There were concerns earlier this week as fighting continued in east Ukraine

Meanwhile, Amnesty International says it has evidence that both sides have committed war crimes.

At a news conference in Moscow, the group's secretary general, Salil Shetty, warned that some separatists, along with Ukraine's Aidar battalion, were responsible for human rights abuses.

"Amnesty International has called the conflict in Ukraine an international conflict, and Russia a party to that conflict," he added.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

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US Threatens Airstrikes In Syria To Fight IS

Barack Obama IS Strategy: Speech In Full

Updated: 2:20am UK, Thursday 11 September 2014

Barack Obama has outlined his strategy to defeating Islamic State in a televised address.

Here is his statement in full:

My fellow Americans - tonight, I want to speak to you about what the United States will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL. 

As Commander-in-Chief, my highest priority is the security of the American people. Over the last several years, we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists who threaten our country. We took out Osama bin Laden and much of al Qaeda's leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We've targeted al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen, and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in Somalia. We've done so while bringing more than 140,000 American troops home from Iraq, and drawing down our forces in Afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. Thanks to our military and counter-terrorism professionals, America is safer. 

Still, we continue to face a terrorist threat. We cannot erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today. That's why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge. At this moment, the greatest threats come from the Middle East and North Africa, where radical groups exploit grievances for their own gain. And one of those groups is ISIL - which calls itself the "Islamic State."

Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not "Islamic." No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognised by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organisation, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

In a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are unique in their brutality. They execute captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide. In acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two American journalists - Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff.

So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East - including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region - including to the United States. While we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies. Our intelligence community believes that thousands of foreigners - including Europeans and some Americans - have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks.

I know many Americans are concerned about these threats. Tonight, I want you to know that the United States of America is meeting them with strength and resolve. Last month, I ordered our military to take targeted action against ISIL to stop its advances. Since then, we have conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes in Iraq. These strikes have protected American personnel and facilities, killed ISIL fighters, destroyed weapons, and given space for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim key territory. These strikes have helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women and children. 

But this is not our fight alone. American power can make a decisive difference, but we cannot do for Iraqis what they must do for themselves, nor can we take the place of Arab partners in securing their region. That's why I've insisted that additional U.S. action depended upon Iraqis forming an inclusive government, which they have now done in recent days. So tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat.

Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.

First, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists. Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we're hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offence. Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven. 

Second, we will increase our support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground. In June, I deployed several hundred American service members to Iraq to assess how we can best support Iraqi Security Forces. Now that those teams have completed their work - and Iraq has formed a government - we will send an additional 475 service members to Iraq. As I have said before, these American forces will not have a combat mission - we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. We will also support Iraq's efforts to stand up National Guard Units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from ISIL control.

Across the border, in Syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the Syrian opposition. Tonight, I again call on Congress to give us additional authorities and resources to train and equip these fighters. In the fight against ISIL, we cannot rely on an Assad regime that terrorizes its people; a regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost. Instead, we must strengthen the opposition as the best counterweight to extremists like ISIL, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve Syria's crisis once and for all. 

Third, we will continue to draw on our substantial counter-terrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks. Working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding; improve our intelligence; strengthen our defences; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into - and out of - the Middle East. And in two weeks, I will chair a meeting of the UN Security Council to further mobilize the international community around this effort.

Fourth, we will continue providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organisation. This includes Sunni and Shia Muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities. We cannot allow these communities to be driven from their ancient homelands. 

This is our strategy. And in each of these four parts of our strategy, America will be joined by a broad coalition of partners. Already, allies are flying planes with us over Iraq; sending arms and assistance to Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian opposition; sharing intelligence; and providing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid. Secretary Kerry was in Iraq today meeting with the new government and supporting their efforts to promote unity, and in the coming days he will travel across the Middle East and Europe to enlist more partners in this fight, especially Arab nations who can help mobilize Sunni communities in Iraq and Syria to drive these terrorists from their lands. This is American leadership at its best: we stand with people who fight for their own freedom; and we rally other nations on behalf of our common security and common humanity. 

My Administration has also secured bipartisan support for this approach here at home. I have the authority to address the threat from ISIL. But I believe we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together. So I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.

Now, it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL. And any time we take military action, there are risks involved - especially to the servicemen and women who carry out these missions. But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years. And it is consistent with the approach I outlined earlier this year: to use force against anyone who threatens America's core interests, but to mobilise partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order. 

My fellow Americans, we live in a time of great change. Tomorrow marks 13 years since our country was attacked.  Next week marks 6 years since our economy suffered its worst setback since the Great Depression. Yet despite these shocks; through the pain we have felt and the gruelling work required to bounce back - America is better positioned today to seize the future than any other nation on Earth.

Our technology companies and universities are unmatched; our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving.  Energy independence is closer than it's been in decades.  For all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history.  Despite all the divisions and discord within our democracy, I see the grit and determination and common goodness of the American people every single day - and that makes me more confident than ever about our country's future.

Abroad, American leadership is the one constant in an uncertain world. It is America that has the capacity and the will to mobilize the world against terrorists. It is America that has rallied the world against Russian aggression, and in support of the Ukrainian peoples' right to determine their own destiny. It is America - our scientists, our doctors, our know-how - that can help contain and cure the outbreak of Ebola. It is America that helped remove and destroy Syria's declared chemical weapons so they cannot pose a threat to the Syrian people - or the world - again. And it is America that is helping Muslim communities around the world not just in the fight against terrorism, but in the fight for opportunity, tolerance, and a more hopeful future.

America, our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden. But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead. From Europe to Asia - from the far reaches of Africa to war-torn capitals of the Middle East - we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity. These are values that have guided our nation since its founding.  Tonight, I ask for your support in carrying that leadership forward. I do so as a Commander-in-Chief who could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform - pilots who bravely fly in the face of danger above the Middle East, and service-members who support our partners on the ground.

When we helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on a distant mountain, here's what one of them said. "We owe our American friends our lives. Our children will always remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people."

That is the difference we make in the world. And our own safety - our own security - depends upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation, and uphold the values that we stand for - timeless ideals that will endure long after those who offer only hate and destruction have been vanquished from the Earth.

May God bless our troops, and may God bless the United States of America.

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US Strategy Risks Pushing Sunnis Into IS Arms

US To Lead 'Broad Coalition' To Destroy IS

Updated: 9:38am UK, Thursday 11 September 2014

Barack Obama has authorised airstrikes in Syria for the first time in a major escalation of the military campaign against the Islamic State.

In a live televised address, the US President also announced expanded strikes in Iraq as part of "a steady, relentless effort" to root out IS extremists.

"We will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are," Mr Obama told Americans.

"That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq," he said, using an acronym to describe the group.

"This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven."

The prime-time address came on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 

The President said that while there was no evidence IS was plotting to strike America, "if left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the United States."

The decision to authorise airstrikes in Syria marks a turnabout for the President, who had been wary of dragging the US military into a country embroiled in a three-year civil war.

Last year, he shied away from airstrikes to punish Syrian President Bashar al Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people.

The plans also amounted to a striking shift for a President who rose to political prominence in part because of his early opposition to the Iraq war.

Mr Obama said he was dispatching nearly 500 more US troops to assist Iraqi security forces and conduct intelligence and reconnaissance flights, bringing the total number of American forces sent there this summer to more than 1,500.

But he insisted the military would not be dragged into another ground war, saying that "these American forces will not have a combat mission" and that the campaign "will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil".

The President also urged Congress to authorise a programme to train and arm Syrian rebels who are fighting both the Islamic State militants and the Assad regime.

IS has been on the warpath in Iraq and Syria, taking large swathes of territory and putting US lives at risk, according to the White House.

In the last few weeks, IS has released videos of its militants beheading kidnapped American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

"This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground.

"This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years."

On Wednesday the US announced it will provide another $48m (£29.8m) to UN agencies and other aid organisations to help ease the suffering of 1.8 million people who have been displaced by IS militants.

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Bribes Of Cash And Guns To Tackle IS Jihadis

Washington is on the move.

From dither to decision to deliberation and even direction, it's been a frustrating process to behold.

But it may, in the end, provide a map through the minefield of the Middle East that is at least navigable.

Past failures are no excuse for inaction.

The disaster of the invasion of Iraq, and the debacle of Afghanistan, have meant that Western public opinion is not disposed for more adventures in the Muslim world.

John Kerry will underline the IS threat on a trip to the Middle East

Politicians have taken refuge from addressing whether Islamic State is the threat they claim it is using the backward argument that there's no public support for action.

Now Barack Obama has been briefing his nation via the media, Congress, and in a landmark speech, of the need to take action to stop the IS spread.

His Secretary of State John Kerry is simultaneously en route to the Middle East with a very simple message: "The IS is a much bigger threat to you all than it is to us - so you'll be expected to do the heavy lifting here."

That doesn't just mean 'boots on the ground'.

Of course the US will be looking at a Yemen or Libyan-type operation in which local or regional forces provide troops, while allies do the bombing from a safe height.

The US has been carrying out airstrikes in support of Iraqi forces

But the campaign against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been slow and is far from over - mainly because while AQAP has lost many leaders it has not lost the political struggle.

Similarly, Mr Kerry's trip to Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with his hosts, Jordan, Egypt, the Lebanon and six Gulf states, will focus on the military option and a much more complex political strategy to undermine IS in the Sunni world.

Jordan is ahead of the game on this, having organised a regional gathering of Sunni tribal leaders a few weeks back.

Key will be the role of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which have been rivals for Sunni dominance.

Qatar has favoured the radical non-violence of the Muslim Brotherhood, while all other regional powers and the Gulf States see the Brotherhood as a threat to their autocracies.

There are signs IS is vulnerable amid rivalries, clashes, and power grabs

This need not get in the way, though, of reaching out to Sunni tribal leaders in Syria and Iraq to persuade them their future lies not with trying to win power on the back of IS and then turning against it.

Rather that it lies in turning against IS now and quickly ending an even more drawn out conflict.

They will need bribing with money and guns - which Arab states will be expected to come up with.

There are signs that IS is already vulnerable.

Former members of Saddam Hussein's armed forces who are inside IS are already showing signs they want more power, according to intelligence sources.

Meanwhile, the IS leadership for much of Iraq has been switched to Syria, and vice versa, to offset frictions between rival groups.

And inside Syria, sources say, several IS 'emirs' have clashed with local tribal chieftains who despise all outside attempts to rule over them, but would welcome support from fellow Arab Sunni governments.

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UK To Send Machine Guns And Ammo To Iraq

Britain is sending £1.6m of military kit, including heavy machine guns, to Iraq to help fight Islamic State militants.

Announcing the decision in a written statement, Michael Fallon, the Secretary of State for Defence, said the equipment would be used for "alleviating the humanitarian suffering of those Iraqis" targeted by IS terrorists, also known as ISIL and ISIS.

Mr Fallon said the move followed a request from the Iraq government and would include the Kurdish regional government.

"The Kurdish forces remain significantly less well equipped than ISIL and we are responding to help them defend themselves, protect citizens and push back ISIL advances," he said.

PKK fighters in Turkey last year

However, there have been concerns that the weaponry could end up in the hands of the paramilitary group the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a 30-year insurgency in neighbouring Turkey in an attempt to establish a separate Kurdish state.

The PKK is on the UK Government's proscribed list and is also considered a terrorist organisation by the US, the European Union and Nato.

Turkey's foreign minister, Mevlut Cvusolglu, said: "The weapons sent (to Iraq) should not end up in the hands of terrorist organisations. They should not end up in the hands of the PKK."

He added that Turkey had voiced its concerns during the Nato summit in Wales last week and said: "It may not be possible to control where these weapons will go."

The decades-long insurgency in the southeast of Turkey has cost 40,000 lives. 

Iraq's new Prime Minister Haider al Abadi

There had been speculation Britain could join US-led airstrikes against IS fighters in Iraq, however, David Cameron has promised a House of Commons vote before direct military intervention.

On Monday Barack Obama held talks with Iraq's new Prime Minister Haider al Abadi to discuss the fight against Islamic State militants.

Iraq's parliament has now officially named Mr al Abadi as the country's Prime Minister and approved most of his proposed candidates for cabinet roles, including members of the country's minority Sunni and Kurdish communities.

The West has been pushing Iraq for a more representative government that will ease anger among Sunnis who felt marginalised by former prime minister Nouri al Maliki and his administration.

The anger among Sunnis has helped to fuel the seizure of territory by the IS across much of north and western Iraq since June.

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Ukraine 'Regrouping' Forces To Defend East

Ukraine Turning Point Fails To Materialise

Updated: 11:27pm UK, Tuesday 09 September 2014

By Katie Stallard, Sky News Correspondent, in Mariupol

There was a sense at the time that the shooting down of a civilian airliner would be a turning point.

That the international community would finally have to confront the conflict in Ukraine. That Russia would have to distance itself from the rebels.

But nearly two months on, very little has changed.

The eastern countryside is still a network of checkpoints and armed men.

Nato, the EU, the US and the UK all say Russia is sending thousands of troops, along with tanks and artillery across the border.

The Kremlin still denies it - insisting any Russian soldiers seen in Ukraine must have crossed the border "by accident".

One of the rebel leaders says they are there "on holiday".

Moscow has been hit by sanctions, but nothing that seems to have meaningfully changed President Vladimir Putin's calculus.

The Russian economy is already in decline - sanctions will hurt - but the Kremlin has almost complete control of the Russian media, so any hardship will be presented as the fault of the hostile "West".

Sanctions come and go, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already said they can be suspended if enough progress is made.

What matters to Mr Putin is strategic interests.

That means not having Nato bases on his western border, which means denying the government full control of the east of Ukraine, or at the very least achieving regional federalisation.

He also wants to discourage his domestic electorate from aspiring to any form of revolution at home - much better if they associate the Maidan movement with chaos and civil war.

The Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko was out and about in his army fatigues on Monday rallying workers and local activists in Mariupol.

He said the city was, is, and will be Ukrainian.

But the problem for his government is that they know this: as much military force as they can muster - Russia has plenty more.

Mr Poroshenko told us openly: "The more we increase the pressure, the more Russian troops come into our territory."

Nato has made it pretty plain it is not going to be sending the cavalry, so Ukraine has a pretty limited hand to play.

Ultimately there will have to be a settlement - Russia has made it clear it will not allow the rebels to be defeated, so there will have be at the very least some form of special status afforded to the east.

The question is how much of the country the central government will have to cede to get to that point.

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Ukraine Conflict 'Impossible' To Win Militarily

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has told Sky News the conflict in his country cannot be solved by military means alone.

Speaking in the southern city of Mariupol, close to the frontline between his forces and pro-Russian rebels, he said foreign troops must be withdrawn for peace to be achieved.

"We should understand that it is impossible to win the conflict only by military means," he said.

"The more we increase the pressure, the more Russian troops come into our territory.

"If you ask me the quickest way to make stability and peace here it's very simple: withdraw foreign troops and close the border."

Mr Poroshenko speaks in the port city of Mariupol

The president met activists and civil defence volunteers during a surprise visit to Mariupol, leading workers at the city's vast metal factory in a rendition of the national anthem.

"This city was, is, and will be Ukrainian," Mr Poroshenko told the crowd, from a stage decorated with the blue and yellow colours of his country's flag.

"Mariupol proved that we won't let anybody burn our city to the ground. This workers' Mariupol protected peace and calm in the city."

He called Mariupol a "hero city", evoking the title given to Soviet cities such as Leningrad and Stalingrad after the Second World War.

A ceasefire which came into force on Friday appeared to be largely holding, despite shelling on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol overnight on both Saturday and Sunday.

A Ukrainian serviceman rides on an armoured vehicle in Kramatorsk

Mr Poroshenko denied that the ceasefire deal meant effectively ceding control of large areas in the east of his country.

"In all the documents we signed, it was especially mentioned that the question of territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of my country is not a matter of negotiation," he said.

Colonel Andriy Lysenko, Ukraine's National Security Council spokesman, said rebel forces had stopped using heavy artillery and were only using mortar and rifle fire.

He said no servicemen had been killed in the past 24 hours.

"That's a big achievement," he said.

The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that 15 Ukrainian soldiers had been released by rebel forces, as part of a prisoner exchange.

Mr Lysenko said the exchange of prisoners was "task number one" for the government during the ceasefire.

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Flight MH17 Downed By 'High-Energy Objects'

Crash investigators say flight MH17 was probably downed by "a large number of high-energy objects".

An initial report by the Dutch Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the July 17 disaster, found it likely the Malaysia Airlines plane broke up in the air as a result of "structural damage", caused by the items which "penetrated the aircraft from outside".

It said: "There are no indications that the MH17 crash was caused by a technical fault or by actions of the crew."

A memorial in Kuala Lumpur to the victims of both MH17 and MH370

All 298 passengers and crew on board the plane were killed when the aircraft, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over an area in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

The rebels in Ukraine have publicly denied responsibility for shooting down the aircraft.

Tjibbe Joustra, chairman of the Dutch Safety Board, said: "The MH17 crash has shocked the world and raised many questions.

"The Dutch Safety Board wishes to determine the cause of the crash, for the sake of the loved ones of the victims and for society at large.

"The initial results of the investigation point towards an external cause of the MH17 crash.

"More research will be necessary to determine the cause with greater precision.

"The Safety Board believes that additional evidence will become available for investigation in the period ahead."

Newcastle fans Liam Sweeney and John Alder were among the victims

Only 193 of those on board have been positively identified, including Newcastle United fans Liam Sweeney, 28, and John Alder, 63, who were travelling to New Zealand to watch their team play.

Forensic teams are still trying to identify remains found in the wreckage of the aircraft.

Most of those on board were Dutch, but there were also people from Malaysia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the UK.

The crash occurred just months after the still-unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

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Obama In Talks With Iraq Over 'Common Enemy'

Barack Obama has held talks with Iraq's new Prime Minister to discuss the country's fledgling new government's fight against Islamic State militants.

In a telephone call on Monday, the US President and Haider al Abadi spoke about the need to address grievances that have triggered violence in Iraq.

In a statement the White House said: "The President and the Prime Minister agreed on the importance of having the new government quickly take concrete steps to address the aspirations and legitimate grievances of the Iraqi people.

Barack Obama speaks with Haider al Abadi. Pic: White House/Pete Souza

"The Prime Minister expressed his commitment to work with all communities in Iraq as well as regional and international partners to strengthen Iraq's capabilities to fight against this common enemy."

Iraq's parliament officially named Mr al Abadi as the country's Prime Minister and approved most of his proposed candidates for cabinet roles, including members of the country's minority Sunni and Kurdish communities.

The West has been pushing Iraq for a more representative government that will ease anger among Sunnis who felt marginalised by former Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and his administration.

The anger among Sunnis has helped to fuel the seizure of territory by the Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS and ISIL, across much of north and western Iraq since June.

Haider al Abadi was officially named Iraq's prime minister on Monday

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the formation of a new government in Baghdad was a "major milestone" for Iraq.

He said: "Overcoming the obstacle of ethnic and sectarian divides, the Iraqi parliament approved a new and inclusive government, one that has the potential to unite all of Iraq's diverse communities for a strong Iraq, a united Iraq, and to give those communities the chance to build the future that all Iraqis desire and deserve."

Mr Kerry is set to travel to the region later to discuss the formation of a "coalition of partners around the globe to confront, degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL".

Mr Obama is expected to address the US approach against IS during his speech on Wednesday - the eve of the 13th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

On Monday an IS suicide bomber killed 16 people after he drove a explosive-filled Humvee, stolen from the Iraqi military, into a Sunni tribe meeting in Dhuluiya.

Islamic State militants have seized territory in north and west Iraq

Iraqi security forces retook the town of Barwana, northwest of Baghdad. The US military also carried out five airstrikes on Sunday and Monday, using drones and attack fighters to defend the Haditha dam and Irbil.

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Obama Vows To Defeat IS Amid New Airstrikes

President Barack Obama has vowed to defeat the Islamic State hours after the United States launched fresh airstrikes against the militant group in Iraq.

The latest aerial raids were around Haditha Dam, the first time the US has targeted the IS insurgents in that area.

The Sunni movement, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, is trying to capture the vital dam in the west of the country.

On the ground, Iraqi forces capitalised on the raids, launching an operation to drive the militants out of the Haditha area as they reportedly retook the town of Barwana.

Mr Obama said he will give a speech on Wednesday where he will set out his strategy against the jihadist group, which has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Tribal fighters fire their weapons in the town of Haditha

He said he will not announce US ground troops will be sent and wants Sunni states like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE and Turkey to "step up" and help in the fight.

He also "wants the American people to understand the nature of the threat".

Mr Obama said there was not any immediate intelligence about threats to the US homeland but IS could be a serious threat over time "if allowed to control a significant amount of territory".

He told NBC: "We are going to systematically degrade their capabilities, we're going shrink the territory that they control and ultimately we're going to defeat them."

IS fighters have also tried to take Mosul Dam in the north of the country

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the four new airstrikes had been carried out at the request of the Iraqi government.

He said: "If that dam would fall into ISIL's hands or if that dam would be destroyed, the damage that that would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant, additional and big risk into the mix in Iraq."

Sheik Ahmed Abu Risha, the leader of a pro-Iraqi government paramilitary force, said the strikes were "very accurate".

US airstrikes drove IS fighters from Mosul Dam last month

He said: "There was no collateral damage ... If Islamic State had gained control of the dam, many areas of Iraq would have been seriously threatened, even Baghdad."

It is Washington's first offensive in Anbar province since it started hitting IS forces in the north of the country in August. Since then the US has conducted more than 130 airstrikes.

IS fighters tried to capture Haditha Dam, which has six power generators located alongside the country's second largest reservoir, last month.

A F/A-18E comes in to land after striking targets in Iraq

Iraqi forces supported by Sunni tribes held them off.

IS took control of the Mosul Dam in northern Iraq last month, but US airstrikes helped to dislodge them.

IS has overrun large areas of northern Iraq and declared a cross-border Islamic caliphate (state), including territory it controls in neighbouring Syria.

Iraq's government has meanwhile welcomed Mr Obama's plan for an international coalition against the jihadists, calling it a "strong message of support".

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Fresh Fighting Threatens Ukraine Ceasefire

Residents Fearful Amid Fragile Ukraine Truce

Updated: 12:15pm UK, Sunday 07 September 2014

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Mariupol

On the outskirts of Mariupol you could see the remains of Ukrainian artillery still smouldering.

We saw them recovering another piece that had been abandoned in a field.

In the middle of the main road, east outside the city, there is a Ukrainian army tank.

It has ended up disabled in what were meant to be its own side's defences - a tank trap incongruously painted with anti-war slogans and doves of peace.

The force of the impact had flung the barrel right round and destroyed part of a huge concrete block.

On one side of the tank the crew had written "Glory" and "Death to the enemies!" On the other it said "To Moscow!"

Further up the road we found the new rebel front line - they've advanced about 15 kilometres west in three days.

They turned us around and told us to leave.

We saw a T-80 battle tank dug in to the corner of the field behind them.

The pro-Russian rebels are now just a few hundred metres outside the village of Shyrokyne.

We found Ukrainian positions above the village unmanned, the hills leading up to them pockmarked with the impact of artillery fire.

One shell had landed just outside a church - its windows were shattered by shrapnel.

Another had hit a house nearby.

Tamara Spitsa, a retired music teacher, told Sky News she had never imagined this could happen in her village.

"We were hiding in the bathroom with my husband when they started shooting, very loud explosions, shrapnel like this hit my house and broke the roof."

Another man, who gave his name as Andrei, said there was no electricity in the village now.

"Scared is not the right word," he said of his feelings during the shelling.

"[President] Poroshenko should sit right here in the cellar with Litsenko [the Ukrainian Security Council spokesman] - they should be right here and then ask them if they're scared or not?

"Everyone was hiding in their cellars."

In the next village a mortar landed in front of the school, showering the canteen with fragments.

The force sliced branches off trees in the playground.

A woman was killed nearby by a mortar outside her house. She had worked selling vegetables in the market.

Her neighbour, Viktor, blamed the Ukrainian side for firing from outside their village.

"Two Grad rockets came this way," he said, "They started shooting on the rebels' positions on the outskirts.

"As a result they started answering and here is the result - we have people who are dead and injured."

We saw them digging fresh graves in the village cemetery - they want to lay the dead to rest while the ceasefire lasts.

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Has Prostate Surgery

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is recovering in hospital after having prostate surgery, state media has said.

The country's official news agency, IRNA, described the operation which took place this morning as "routine" and said it was successful.

The 75-year-old leader was admitted to a government hospital in the capital Tehran, IRNA reported.

Mr Khamenei has the final say on all state matters in Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been Iran's top leader since 1989

Media reports on the state of his health are extremely rare.

The Ayatollah has been the country's top leader since the death in 1989 of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the Iranian revolution.

Iranian state television said that, before he went in for the surgery, Mr Khamenei told the station that there was "no room for concern".

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Residents Fearful Amid Fragile Ukraine Truce

Deep Divisions Amid Fragile Ukraine Peace

Updated: 12:27pm UK, Saturday 06 September 2014

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent in Mariupol

Ceasefire is a temporary state. It's not the same as lasting peace.

What has been agreed so far is a halt in the bloodshed - the reasons people took up arms in the first place have so far not been addressed.

The Ukrainian President sounds optimistic - a prisoner exchange could begin as soon as this weekend, a second Russian aid convoy could be allowed in.

The self-proclaimed prime minister of the separatist Luhansk People's Republic is less encouraging.

He said the status of the people's republics had not been discussed, and the ceasefire should not be taken to mean they had abandoned their plans to separate from Ukraine.

The commander of one of the pro-Ukrainian battalions outside Mariupol said they would use the time to regroup and retrain.

The divisions run deep, and not just among the militia.

Plenty of people in the east did not support the winter revolution - from their perspective what they saw was their democratically elected president overthrown, and a government now in Kiev they believe seized power in a coup d'etat.

Some want more regional autonomy, others want their region to secede and join Russia.

On the other side are the pro-Ukrainians who fought for the future of their country on the Maidan, some of whom have now joined volunteer battalions in the east.

They have already seen part of their country annexed by President Vladimir Putin, and believe the Russian army is fighting on the side of the rebels, intervening in their sovereign state.

They want their country to be united, to be allowed to move towards the European Union, and they want their land back.

Militarily we're back to relative stalemate - that in itself is quite a reversal of fortunes.

A couple of weeks ago it seemed the Ukrainian army was in the ascendant - the rebels seemed to be on the backfoot, retreating and largely restricted to the centres of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Over the course of the last fortnight, the rebels have had a sudden and mysterious resurgence - opening a new front in the south threatening the strategic port city of Mariupol, and simultaneously taking villages and towns to the east of the regional capital Donetsk.

Now it's the Ukrainian army losing ground, and the overall balance is roughly back to where it was.

Kiev says that's because Russia is sending troops and equipment across the border - not in sufficient quantities to look like an overt invasion and force the west to act, but enough to stop the rebels from being defeated.

The Kremlin insists any Russian soldiers in Ukraine are either on holiday or lost.

A return to stalemate would quite suit President Putin.

He doesn't necessarily need the rebels to win, and he doesn't seem to want to occupy, and have to defend, eastern Ukraine.

A frozen conflict, that could be thawed as and when necessary, could be just fine.

In terms of domestic Russian politics, President Putin doesn't want the Maidan revolution to be followed by success - his administration has long feared a colour revolution, in the manner of Ukraine or Georgia, fomenting outside the Kremlin walls in Moscow.

Much better that that revolution is synonymous in Russian minds with violence and chaos.

Russian state TV is pushing that narrative heavily at home.

In terms of broader geopolitics, the Kremlin doesn't want a united Ukraine leaving its sphere of influence to join the EU, and maybe one day Nato.

They don't want to find Nato bases on their western border in five years' time.

Keeping a level of control of the east, and an insurgency that has not been defeated, could give Moscow just the leverage it needs.

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Ukraine Ceasefire Threatened By New Fighting

Shelling has been heard near Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine despite a ceasefire, witnesses report.

Plumes of smoke could be seen rising above the area on Sunday morning, threatening the fragile truce.

Explosions have also been heard on the edge of the port city of Mariupol, to the south of Donetsk.

The city had already seen a serious violation of the ceasefire overnight when government forces came under artillery fire.

The Russian-backed ceasefire had largely been holding since it came into force on Friday at 4pm UK time, although there have been sporadic reports of skirmishes from both sides.

Many on the ground had expressed scepticism regarding the durability of the ceasefire, and both sides blamed each other for any violations.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he had spoken to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone earlier on Saturday to discuss ways to make the ceasefire agreement more durable.

The West and Kiev accuse Moscow of supporting the rebels by sending tanks and troops over the border, although the Kremlin has consistently denied the allegations.

Russia issued a separate statement on Saturday warning European leaders of an unspecified "reaction" if the European Union followed through with its decision to impose further sanctions.

The additional measures were agreed as world leaders met for a two-day Nato summit in Wales.

Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated they could be suspended if Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine and the ceasefire is observed.

The ceasefire includes an agreement on the release of prisoners on both sides, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the withdrawal of heavy weapons.

Mr Poroshenko said Kiev was also ready to grant a significant decentralisation of power and economic freedom to the restive eastern region.

Reuters reported that the sound of shelling in Donetsk came from territory which has been in the hands of Ukraine government forces.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Mariupol, said on Sunday morning: "A short while ago ... we heard a series of explosions coming from the east of the city and everyone had to move back a relatively safe distance.

"I can hear a tank moving very close to us. There was heavy bombardment here overnight. I've spoken to one woman who said residents were just running, trying to find shelter.

"They are just packing up their belongings and preparing to leave the city. All of this comes in what was supposed to be a ceasefire."

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Iraq: US Launches Airstrikes Around Vital Dam

The US has launched airstrikes around Haditha Dam, targeting Islamic State (IS) militants in the area for the first time.

IS, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, is trying to capture the vital dam in the west of the country.

US officials say that while Anbar Province remains in control of the Iraqis, the offensive is an effort to push back fighters who have been trying to take over dams across the country.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said: "At the request of the Government of Iraq, the U.S. military today conducted coordinated air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists in the vicinity of the Haditha Dam in Anbar province.

IS fighters have also tried to take Mosul Dam in the north of the country

"We conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam, which remains under control of Iraqi Security Forces, with support from Sunni tribes."

The four airstrikes mark Washington's first offensive in Anbar province since it started hitting IS forces in the north of the country in August.

Since then the US has conducted more than 130 airstrikes.

IS fighters tried to capture Haditha Dam, which has six power generators located alongside the country's second largest reservoir, last month.

US airstrikes drove IS fighters from Mosul Dam last month

Iraqi forces supported by Sunni tribes managed to hold them off.

IS took control of the Mosul Dam in northern Iraq last month, but US airstrikes dislodged them.

The group has overrun large areas of northern Iraq and declared a cross border Islamic caliphate, including territory it controls on neighbouring Syria.

Iraq's government has welcomed US President Barack Obama's plan for an international coalition against the jihadists, calling it a "strong message of support".

Mr Obama outlined the plan at this week's Nato summit, amid growing international concern about IS.

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