United Outrage Over Alan Henning Murder

Condemnation of Alan Henning's murder has been swift and fierce, with the Prime Minister calling the killing "repulsive" and Muslim leaders labelling it "despicable and offensive".

David Cameron said the beheading shows "just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are" and vowed to "hunt down these murderers and bring them to justice".

"My thoughts and prayers tonight are with Alan's wife Barbara, their children and all those who loved him," said Mr Cameron, who has just increased the jets targeting IS in Iraq from six to eight.

Labour leader Ed Miliband described the killing as "appalling and barbaric", while Deputy PM Nick Clegg said the UK was "resolved to defeat this evil".

RAF jets this week launched their first attacks against IS positions in Iraq after MPs voted overwhelmingly for military action.

Alan Henning went on several aid trips to Syria

They have carried out strikes against IS targets on four missions, destroying vehicles, command and control positions and machine gun posts.

Outspoken Respect MP George Galloway also took to Twitter to condemn what he described as "a depraved Satanic act committed by devils in human form".

Video: Islamic State: Audio Of Threat

President Barack Obama, who has seen two of his own citizens killed on camera by a masked IS militant, led international revulsion, condemning the "brutal murder".

"Standing together with our UK friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder - as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines - to justice."

He added: "Mr Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom,"

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1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande said he was "outraged by the heinous crime" and vowed that his country would continue their own airstrikes against IS.

Senior Muslim figures in the UK, whose direct appeals to the terror group to free Mr Henning fell on deaf ears, also hit out at the killing, labelling the group as having "no regard for Islam".

"It is quite clear that the murderers of Alan Henning have no regard ... for the Muslims around the world who pleaded for his life," said Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.

Video: Wife Pleads For Henning's Release

"Alan was a friend of Muslims, and he will be mourned by Muslims," he added.

"They are nothing but criminals," said Sughra Amed, the President of the Islamic Society of Britain.

She told Sky News: "Every Muslim I know, or have come across, or have seen commenting on this in the public eye has said exactly that."

Video: 'Another Example Of IS Brutality'

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PM Vows To 'Hunt Down' Alan Henning Murderers

David Cameron has promised to hunt down the terrorist murderers of the aid worker Alan Henning after jihadists posted video of him being beheaded online.

The Prime Minister said the murder was "brutal" and revealed "just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are".

A video lasting one minute and 11 seconds and titled Another Message To America And It's Allies, was posted on YouTube on Friday evening.

It shows Mr Henning, a taxi-driver who was captured on an aid mission in Syria in December, kneeling in front of a knife-wielding militant in a desert setting before being beheaded in front of the camera.

The masked killer, who speaks with a British accent and is believed to be the man responsible for previous beheadings, makes a direct statement to Mr Cameron: "The blood of David Haines was on your hands, Cameron. Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of the British Parliament."

Video: IS Hostage Alan Henning Beheaded

At the end of the video another hostage - a former US soldier - is paraded in front of the cameras.

The hostage is believed to be Peter Edward Kassig who had returned to the region as a charity worker, after serving in Iraq in 2007.

The militant in the video says Mr Kassig will be the next victim. 

Video: Islamic State: Audio Of Threat

Mr Cameron, who is meeting at Chequers with officials from the Foreign Office, intelligence agencies and the military, said: "The brutal murder of Alan Henning by ISIL shows just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are.

"My thoughts and prayers tonight are with Alan's wife Barbara, their children and all those who loved him.

"Alan had gone to Syria to help get aid to people of all faiths in their hour of need.

Video: Terry Waite: Beheading 'Tragic'

"The fact that he was taken hostage when trying to help others and now murdered demonstrates that there are no limits to the depravity of these ISIL terrorists.

"We will do all we can to hunt down these murderers and bring them to justice."

US President Barack Obama condemned the "brutal" murder, saying the US would bring those responsible to justice.

Video: Eccles Pastor: "It's Gut-wrenching"

"Standing together with a broad coalition of allies and partners, we will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL," he said in a statement.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg wrote on Twitter: "Barbaric actions of ISIL are held in complete contempt. We are resolved to defeat this evil."

Labour leader Ed Miliband described Mr Henning's murder as appalling and barbaric.

Video: Family Appeals 'Were Last Resort'

"He was an aid worker, helping those in need. Those who killed him have revealed only their lack of humanity and brutality.

"My thoughts and deepest condolences are with his wife Barbara, his children and all those who knew him."

"We will do everything we can to support the efforts of the Government to bring those guilty of this terrible act to justice."

Video: Alan Henning 'Was Clearly Innocent'

British Muslims also joined condemnation of the murder as a "despicable and offensive act" which showed IS had "no regard for Islam".

Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "Alan was a friend of Muslims, and he will be mourned by Muslims.

"Alan Henning's murderers have clearly gone against that spirit of Islam. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

Video: 'IS Call To Send Ground Troops'

Mr Henning was previously seen at the end of a video released last month following the beheading of fellow British captive David Haines.

Mr Haines' brother, Mike, wrote on Facebook on Friday night: "Tonight saw the death of Alan Henning at the hands of ISIL. Alan like David had a proven history of humanitarian work. Our hearts and prayers go to his family, our love too."

Meanwhile, another video has emerged purportedly showing a wounded Islamic State fighter with a British accent.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

In the video the fighter taunts Mr Cameron and other coalition leaders to send troops on the ground rather than "bomb us from the skies".

The footage has not been authenticated, and it is not clear when or where it was filmed.

:: Full coverage now on Sky News – watch Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

Video: Wife Pleaded For Henning's Release

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IS Threatens To Kill American Hostage Next

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

Islamic State (IS) has threatened to kill American hostage Peter Kassig next, after releasing a video showing the murder of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning.

The former soldier appeared at the end of a YouTube clip which showed the killing of Mr Henning by IS, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL.

An IS fighter says in the video: "Obama, you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham. So it's only right we continue to strike the necks of your people."

Speaking after the video was released, President Barack Obama said: "The United States strongly condemns the brutal murder of United Kingdom citizen Alan Henning by the terrorist group ISIL.

"Mr Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom.

"Standing together with our UK friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder - as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines - to justice.

Peter Kassig set up his own charity to deliver aid to Syrians

"Standing together with a broad coalition of allies and partners, we will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL."

Lisa Monaco, Homeland Security adviser to the White House, described Mr Henning's murder as "yet another clear example of the brutality of this group", which has previously killed two American journalists - James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Video: 'Another Example Of IS Brutality'

Mr Kassig, who is in his mid-20s and from Indiana, went to the region to volunteer in hospitals in Lebanon after serving in Iraq.

After spending time in Lebanon, Mr Kassig then set up his own charity to deliver aid to Syrians - Special Emergency Response and Assistance (SERA).

Mr Kassig was undertaking a project for SERA when he was detained on 1 October 2013 on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria.

Video: IS Hostage Alan Henning Beheaded

His family say that Mr Kassig has converted to Islam since being captured and has taken on the first name Abdul-Rahman.

Former hostages have told them that his faith has given him comfort in captivity.

In a statement his parents, Ed and Paula Kassig, said: "The Kassig family extends our concern for the family of Alan Henning.

Video: Terry Waite: Beheading 'Tragic'

"We have read about his work and his generous character with great respect and admiration.

"We ask everyone around the world to pray for the Henning family, for our son, and for the release of all innocent people being held hostage in the Middle East and around the globe."

SERA has suspended operations while efforts continue to secure Mr Kassig's release.

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Mexican Drugs Lord Caught In Seafood Restaurant

One of Mexico's most notorious drug lords has been captured by special forces as he dined at a seafood restaurant.

Hector Beltran Leyva was arrested in San Miguel de Allende, in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato.

The 49-year-old and an associate were carrying military-issue handguns but no shots were fired in the operation.

Beltran Leyva had been living in the nearby city of Queretaro where he posed as a businessman dealing in art and real estate, the government said.

His detention, after an 11-month investigation, comes months after the arrest of his arch rival Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman.

Guzman was the boss of the Sinaloa cartel, which is considered the most powerful drugs gang in Mexico.

He was caught in February after more than a decade on the run following his escape from prison.

Mexican authorities say Beltran Leyva assumed leadership of the family's cartel after his brother Arturo was killed by Mexican troops in a shoot-out late in 2009.

Joaquin Guzman is led away by police officers

Two other brothers are behind bars for their involvement in the cartel.

The gang terrorised parts of central Mexico for years, including Morelos state to the south of Mexico City.

Two federal officials told The Associated Press DNA tests were being carried out to confirm Beltran Leyva's identity, although there were no doubts the right man had been apprehended.

"This action proves the effectiveness of the public policy of security and law enforcement to achieve the Mexico at peace that we desire," President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted.

According to the US State Department, Beltran Leyva, alias "The H" and "The Engineer", was born in February 1965 in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa, a cradle of drug trafficking.

He has been indicted in courts in the District of Columbia and New York, and the US has offered a reward of up to $5m (£3.1m) or information leading to his capture.

Mexico had offered its own bounty of 30 million pesos, about $3.7m (£2.27m).

US and Mexican authorities say the Beltran Leyva gang is responsible for trafficking drugs to the United States and Europe including cocaine, marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine.

It was originally part of Guzman's cartel, but went its own way in 2008.

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Shark Bites Off Both Hands Of Surfer

A man has reportedly lost both hands after being attacked by a shark off the Western Australia coast.

The 23-year-old is believed to have been surfing at Wylie Bay Beach in the town of Esperance when he was bitten.

He lost one arm from the wrist and the other from the elbow, according to a Seven News report.

The victim also suffered serious injuries to his legs.

He was taken to hospital for treatment immediately after the attack which happened at around 11am (local time) on Thursday.

Several species of shark hunt in the waters off Australia. Pic: File

Western Australia Police said the Department of Fisheries was investigating the attack and had deployed equipment in an effort to catch the shark.

It is unknown what species of shark was involved in the attack.

Video: Sept 9: Briton Killed By Shark

It is the second shark attack in the waters off Esperance in a year.

A man was seriously injured by a suspected great white while diving for abalone off an area called Poison Creek last October.

Although sharks are common in Australian waters, the country has averaged fewer than two fatal attacks per year in recent decades.

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Hong Kong Police Threaten 'Consequences'

Hong Kong police have warned of seious consequences if pro-democracy protesters charge of surround government buildings.

The demonstrators have given Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung until the end of Thursday (local time) to step down or face a significant escalation in the standoff.

Around 200 people gathered outside his office in the early hours as 50 police officers stood guard from behind metal barriers.

Police spokesman Steve Hui said urged the protesters to remain calm and restrained.

An occupation of buildings would mark a new stage in the peaceful demonstrations, raising fears police could again use tear gas to keep control.

A large crowd closed streets outside China's London embassy

China appears to be slowly losing patience with the protesters' refusal to move from the streets since late last week.

As the protesters gathered outside Mr Leung's office, the Communist Party-run newspaper People's Daily warned of "unimaginable consequences" if activists ignored calls to go home.

Video: Hong Kong Protests: Chat App Is Key

State TV, meanwhile, urged protesters to support efforts to "deploy police enforcement decisively" and "restore the social order in Hong Kong as soon as possible".

The demonstrators involved in the so-called "umbrella revolution" are railing against an order which means they will have to choose their leader, or chief executive, from among Communist Party loyalists chosen by Beijing.

Mr Leung has reportedly said he is willing to let the protests continue for weeks if necessary - but has refused to resign.

He was booed and heckled by hundreds of people on Wednesday as he arrived for a flag-raising event to mark China's National Day. People turned their back as the ceremony began.

Video: Hong Kong: One Country, Two Systems

Protester numbers swelled to the tens of thousands on the public holiday as many more people joined the student-dominated crowds.

A network of food and drink supply stations has formed as the demonstrators seemingly dig-in for the long haul.

Many are equipped with goggles, umbrellas and plastic macs in case police again resort to tear gas and baton charges, as they did at the weekend.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said he had "high hopes" authorities would use restraint, while David Cameron told Sky News he was "deeply concerned" about the situation in the former British colony.

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1. Gallery: Peaceful Protests In Hong Kong

   Student protesters shine lights as they chant pro-democracy slogans on the streets in Hong Kong

2. Thousands of pro-democracy supporters continue to occupy the streets surrounding Hong Kong's financial district

3. Protest leaders have set a deadline for 1 October for their demands to be met and are calling for open elections and the resignation of Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying

4. The demonstrators have demanded full universal suffrage after Beijing said it would allow elections for the semi-autonomous city's next leader in 2017 but would vet the candidates, a decision branded a "fake democracy"

5. Pro-democracy demonstrators check their smartphones in the central district

6. Protesters let an ambulance go through the crowd

7. Some walk past the People's Liberation Army Garrison headquarters

8. Student protesters sleep on the streets

9. A protester covers her mouth with tape that reads "democracy"

10. A pro-democracy protester argues with a pro-Beijing demonstrator

11. Buses covered with messages of support stop at a main street at Mongkok shopping district

12. People look at messages left on a stranded bus by pro-democracy protestors

13. Hong Kong students create protest signs

14. Student pro-democracy group Scholarism organiser Joshua Wong (C) makes a gesture at the flag-raising Ceremony in Golden Bauhinia Square as part of China's National Day celebrations

15. Protesters rest on the street with placards outside the Hong Kong government complex

16. A Hong Kong student catches up with his school work during a quiet moment at the protest site

17. Protesters join hands during the National Day flag-raising ceremony attended by Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying

18. A pro-democracy protester (R) makes a gesture as a pro-Bejing supporter speaks to the public at a rally in Causeway Bay

19. Pro-democracy demonstrators gather near a ceremony marking China's 65th National Day

20. A sign announces that an Infiniti car dealership is closed temporarily "due to social unrest"

21. Hong Kong residents provide musical entertainment at the protest site

22. Umbrellas, which have come to symbolise the so-called 'Umbrella Revolution' of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, are hung up together next to the central government offices

23. A woman stands in front of a water distribution point

24. An "Umbrella Movement" sign is seen outside the Hong Kong Government Complex

25. Protesters look at placards on a fence outside the Hong Kong government complex

26. A couple take wedding photogtaphs in front of protesters

27. Demonstrators relaxing on the streets

28. Hong Kong student protesters help with the clean up recycling of the garbage during a quiet moment at the protest site

29. People walk through a highway tunnel barricaded off to traffic by pro-democracy protestors

30. Demonstrators chant slogans as they gather near National day festivities

31. People walk through the empty streets, where double decker buses and taxis usually drive by, near the venue for the National Day flag-raising ceremony

32. A Hong Kong student catches up with his school work during a quiet moment

33. Policemen stand guard as helicopters fly by displaying the Hong Kong (L) and Chinese national flag (R), near a ceremony marking China's National Day

34. A father stands next to his son as he shouts pro-democracy slogans

35. Demonstrators display placards

36. A student protester sleeps under umbrellas

37. A pro-democracy demonstrator stretches at a protest site

China has issued a stern warning to other countries not to meddle in its affairs.

"The Chinese government has very firmly and clearly stated its position. Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs," foreign minister Wang Yi told Mr Kerry ahead of talks.

Protesters also forced roads to be closed outside the Chinese embassy in London on Wednesday as a large crowd gathered peacefully to express their solidarity.

Around 5,000 people also massed in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, a renegade province in the eyes of China's government.

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Hong Kong Protests Hit China's National Day

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong have been gathering for potentially the biggest rallies of their campaign so far - as China celebrates National Day.

There was little sign of momentum flagging on the sixth day of the demonstrations against the Chinese decision to limit voters' choices in the 2017 leadership election.

This was despite fears police may use force to move crowds before the start of events marking the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The crowds have brought large sections of Hong Kong's financial hub to a standstill, disrupting businesses from banks to jewellers.

A road block set up by demonstrators in the Mongkok shopping district

Overnight thunder, lightning and heavy rain failed to dampen spirits as protesters sought shelter under covered walkways, while police in raincoats and hats looked on passively.

Beijing says the demonstrations, which began last Friday, are illegal and has called on the protesters to disperse.

Video: Hong Kong Protests Enter Fifth Day

They in turn have called on Hong Kong's chief executive Leung Chun-Ying to stand down.

Riot police used tear gas, pepper spray and baton charges at the weekend to try to quell the unrest but tensions have since eased.

Protests have spread from four main areas to Tsim Sha Tsui, one of the city's most popular shopping areas for mainland Chinese.

Video: 'We Expect Britain To Do More'

Underlining nervousness among some activists, Hong Kong University students made an online appeal not to disturb the flag-raising ceremony that began at 8am.

It went ahead peacefully, although scores of students who ringed the event in Golden Bauhinia Square booed as the national anthem was played and chanted "We want real democracy".

"We hope that all sectors of the community will work with the government in a peaceful, lawful, rational and pragmatic manner," Mr Leung said.

Video: Clegg's 'Dismay' Over Demo Handling

Oscar Lai, a spokesman for the student group Scholarism, said: "We are not celebrating the 65th anniversary of China.

"With the present political turmoil in Hong Kong and the continued persecution of human rights activists in China, I think today is not a day for celebrations, but rather a day of sadness."

Prime Minister David Cameron told Sky News he was "deeply concerned" about the situation in the former British colony and hoped it could be resolved.

Video: China Won't Change Its Mind

Deputy PM Nick Clegg summoned the Chinese ambassador in the UK to express his "dismay and alarm" about the handling of the protests.

"It is essential that the people of Hong Kong have a genuine choice of chief executive in 2017, through universal suffrage," Mr Clegg said.

China, meanwhile, has warned the international community not to "interfere".

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RAF Tornados Hit IS With Fresh Airstrikes

British jets have hit more Islamic State targets in Iraq as calls grow for further strikes against the group's Syrian strongholds.

Two RAF Tornados fired four Brimstone missiles against an armed pick-up truck and minibus west of Baghdad, the Ministry of Defence said.

It is the second time UK forces have directly engaged Islamic State (IS) since Parliament authorised involvement in the international military campaign last week.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon last night confirmed that two Tornado GR4s from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus successfully destroyed a heavy weapons post and pick-up lorry with a mounted machine gun.

The MoD released footage of the aerial raids in support of Kurdish troops who were being attacked by IS insurgents in the northwest of the country.

The UK is supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling Sunni Muslim extremists from IS, also known as ISIL and ISIS, which has taken over large parts of Iraq in recent months.

Despite IS also seizing territory in Syria, a vote in Parliament on Friday did not include the authorisation of airstrikes over the country.

More follows...

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Mexico: 43 Students Still Missing After Shootings

Fears are growing for 43 students who vanished after shootings in Mexico that left six people dead and 25 wounded.

Some 57 students initially disappeared following a bout of violence in the town of Iguala in one of the country's poorest states last Friday and Saturday - but 14 have since turned up alive.

In one of the incidents, municipal police opened fire on three buses seized by the radical students, who are known to hijack buses, and had taken them to go home after a fundraising drive. Three students were killed.

State police officers armed with assault rifles guard Iguala's hospital

Survivors - some of whom are under armed guard in hospital - have claimed local police officers took away dozens of students in police cruisers and they have not been seen since, AFP reported.

Prosecutors said they were able to connect 22 officers who were detained to the six killings after ballistics tests linked their weapons to the shootings.

The officers are being investigated over the disappearances amid concerns the violence in one of Mexico's poorest states could be linked to organised crime, said state prosecutor Inaky Blanco. 

Student Andres Martinez recovers from his injuries in hospital

"Unfortunately most of Iguala's municipal police officers have links with organised crime," said Governor Angel Aguirre following reports unidentified masked gunmen were involved in some of the shootings.

He said street surveillance cameras captured officers taking away an unspecified number of students.

Francisco Ochoa, 18, told AFP he was among 14 students who managed to escape from a fourth bus stopped by police.

Troops check IDs against the list of those still missing

The group fled after the officers began to shoot in the air, he said. After hiding on the hills and other parts of town, they found other comrades in a marketplace.

"More patrol cars arrived from the right and the left, 12 to 13 of them," he said.

"I saw with my own eyes how they took away my comrades. I saw how they put 30-40 of them in patrol cars," he said at a wake attended by hundreds of people at the Raul Isidro teacher training school in Tixtla.

Students have held protests demanding justice over the deaths

Ramon Navarette, president of Guerrero's Human Rights Commission, raised hopes the 43 missing may still be alive, saying they could be hiding like the 14 students who reappeared.

"This tactic of dispersing to avoid harm or arrest is very frequent," he said.

Witnesses described a night of terror in Iguala.

Aureliano Garca Ceron, a 35-year-old taxi driver, had two passengers in his car in the early hours of Saturday when shots suddenly rang out.

"All I could see were the sparks of the guns," he said as he recovered from a broken leg shattered by a bullet.

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Ex-IS Fighter: Airstrikes Won't Stop Militants

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

For tens of thousands of Syrians, the Kilis border crossing is the official way in and out of Turkey from Syria.

But if you're an Islamic State fighter, Kilis is not an option.

Abu Mustafa (not his real name) is a Syrian people smuggler. He says he's helped hundreds of IS fighters get into Syria.

He's also brought militants - some of them injured - back out.

He took us to the spot where the smuggling happens, he says, several times a day and it didn't take long to see it in action.  

We waited on the side of the road barely 10 minutes before we saw a white car speed across the open field towards the border.

The Kilis border crossing is the official way into Syria from Turkey

The car stopped halfway there and six men got out each holding a big bag. The car sped off and the men headed towards the fence.

We couldn't tell if they were fighters or Syrians without passports, but they were illegally crossing into Syria.

Moments later, more people appeared at the border. It looked like a family including a woman and child.

This time the military police saw them and chased one man, possibly the smuggler, along the fence. 

And the reward for taking such a risk? Abu Mustafa charges just £15 per fighter.

He said: "Last time they caught three people there were seven in total trying to get across among them Turks and Arabs.

A people smuggler talks to Sky's Sherine Tadros

"But the three that got caught were foreigners. They spoke English and the police took them away.

"They often cross with their families - their wives and children. They tell us we're coming to fight with Islamic State and live there.

"Some of them don't even know where exactly they're going, they just say, we are going to the Islamic State."

It's a common story. Abu Ahmed fought with IS for 10 months in north-western Syria.

We met him in Turkey where he agreed to speak with us as long as we covered his face and changed his name.

He joined IS at the start because they were the most effective force fighting Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

But when they turned against the Free Syrian Army (FSA) he left the group.

He explained why so many foreign fighters join the group.

"They go to Syria to be martyred, they say their former lives are over and there is no going back. Most of them rip up and throw away their passports when they arrive."

Abu Ahmed also thinks US-led airstrikes against IS are backfiring, bringing extremist groups closer together.

"After the recent strikes, more fighters are joining IS - like the Nusra Front. I know some of them who have joined," he said.

Abu Ahmed doesn't have much hope for Syria's future, or his own.

He thinks the situation is out of hand and too many players have a vested interest in keeping the war going.

"What will happen next?" he said. "Only God knows."

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Kurds Plead For Western Troops To Battle IS

'Nothing Token' About Britain's Iraq Mission

Updated: 10:31pm UK, Sunday 28 September 2014

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has rejected claims Britain's role in the fight against Islamic State (IS) is a "token" gesture, as he confirmed RAF Tornados are now flying daily over northern Iraq.

He told Sky's Murnaghan programme the United States welcomes the contribution of six aircraft to the mission.

Mr Fallon said: "There's nothing token about this. On the contrary, I spoke to the American Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel immediately after the vote and he welcomed the contribution that we're now able to make.

"They need our help, not simply with the Tornados, which are now flying daily from Cyprus, but also from the surveyance aircraft that we have overhead and very sophisticated surveyance and intelligence to add to the operations of Iraqi and Kurdish forces."

His comments come after Richard Williams, a former commanding officer of the SAS who served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote in the Independent on Sunday the deployment of RAF bombers was a "military sugar rush" that "risks looking fearful and half-cocked".

Lieutenant Colonel Williams said the sending in of RAF bombers had "taken on a military and political significance out of all proportion to their real military value".

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, a former head of the UK military who stepped down as chief of the defence staff last year, also told The Sunday Times that a campaign involving ground troops would be needed to crush IS.

The RAF carried out two sorties over Iraq on Saturday, followed by a third mission on Sunday, after Parliament cleared the way for airstrikes on IS militants in a vote on Friday.

The jets, which fly in pairs, returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at the end of their hours-long missions with their weapons payload intact.

Sky's Tom Parmenter, who is at the base, says that two Tornados flying on Sunday took off from the base at midday.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said he also wants to make the case for targeting Syria.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister revealed he would argue that targeting Syria is both legal and appropriate.

"There are complications but there aren't legal difficulties," he said.

Mr Cameron said he would respond to the challenge thrown down by Ed Miliband to seek a UN resolution supporting attacks in Syria, if only to show that his request is impossible.

"We have to demonstrate to people that we'd like a UN security council resolution but it's very difficult to get one and to demonstrate that what we propose is legal. Attempts have been made but there's the existence of a Russian veto."

Ministers had cautioned not to expect a campaign of "shock and awe" and that after weeks of US airstrikes in the area it could take time to identify new targets.

Mr Cameron insisted the involvement of RAF combat aircraft showed Britain was there to "play our part" in the international coalition being assembled against IS.

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Obama Admits US 'Underestimated' IS Threat

US intelligence agencies underestimated the threat posed by the Islamic State extremist group, Barack Obama has said.

The President also said that, conversely, the US overestimated the ability of the Iraqi army to fight the militants.

Speaking on a 60 Minutes interview on CBS, he said that militants took advantage of the "chaos of the Syrian civil war".

"And so this became ground zero for jihadists around the world."

The US Central Command released footage of airstrikes near Irbil in Iraq

Asked if the rapid rise of the group came as a surprise, Mr Obama responded: "I think, our head of the intelligence community, Jim Clapper, has acknowledged that I think they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria."

The President last week expanded US-led airstrikes, which began in Iraq in August, to Syria and he has been seeking to build a wider coalition effort to weaken IS.

The group has killed thousands and beheaded at least two US journalists and a Briton while seizing parts of Syria and northwestern Iraq.

Mr Obama outlined the military goal against IS, which is also known as ISIL or ISIS.

"We just have to push them back, and shrink their space, and go after their command and control, and their capacity, and their weapons, and their fuelling, and cut off their financing, and work to eliminate the flow of foreign fighters."

Mr Obama (R) with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi at the UN

Mr Obama said the chances of success are greater in Iraq than they are in Syria.

"I think that right now, we've got a campaign plan that has a strong chance for success in Iraq. I think Syria is a more challenging situation," he said.

In Syria, the US also faces the risk of inadvertently helping Bashar al Assad as it battles IS.

"I recognise the contradiction in a contradictory land and a contradictory circumstance," Mr Obama said.

"We are not going to stabilise Syria under the rule of Assad," whose government has committed "terrible atrocities", he said.

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Jordanians Fear IS Backlash After Airstrikes

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, in Amman

Jordan's involvement in the US-led airstrikes against Islamic State targets has led to growing concerns in the country of a potential backlash.

Reports of IS banners in areas like the eastern city of Ma'an have fuelled fears of destabilisation by a force wreaking havoc in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.

The installation of a public siren system in parts of capital Amman, days after Jordan confirmed it had carried out strikes, sparked panic on social media.

Fears the alert system was an indicator of an imminent retaliation forced authorities to reassure the public the installations were part of a long-planned programme.

Authorities say installation of new sirens are no cause for panic

Brigadier General Fareed Shariah of the Jordanian Civil Defence Authority said the sirens were part of a "comprehensive system for exceptional situations".

"We can use it to deliver all kinds of audio messages, to warn people of snow, floods or even terrorist attacks - any incident that could harm the Jordanian people," Mr Shariah said.

Information Minister Mohammed Momani also took to state television to dismiss rumours that US and French citizens were warned to avoid malls in the capital.

He said the revised travel advice notices simply called for "heightened vigilance".

Amman's tolerant atmosphere is a contrast to some areas of Jordan where more conservative attitudes prevail.

Asile Moussa says she believes airstrikes are the 'right thing to do'

The fact that it has been the target of terrorist attacks in the past, means some residents are wary it could be targeted once again.

Murad Faouri, a doctor in the city, said he believed Jordan's involvement in airstrikes made it an "obvious" focus for a potential backlash.

"We are more exposed now, to more attacks, because we just tried to attack Da'ash [Islamic State], so it's obvious they will now just be thinking how they can hit us back," he said.

However, Asile Moussa, an architecture student, said she backed her government.

"It's a good thing. After all, we're fighting terrorism, around the globe. It's attacking us now, it's near to our borders, so therefore I believe it's the right thing to do," she said.

Freed radical preacher Abu Qatada may influence opinions in Jordan

But it is not just the chaos in neighbouring Iraq and Syria that threatens the country's long-term stability.

Jordan's domestic Salafist Muslim community could also play a role in destabilisation, through its sympathies with jihadist movements.

The recent release from Jordanian prisons of radical preachers Abu Qatada and Abu Mohammed al Maqdisi may come to have a significant bearing on events.

Both have issued condemnations of IS which could stunt growth of support for the group.

But they also bitterly condemn the US-led coalition of which Jordan is a part, and support the al Qaeda-affiliated rebel group Jahbat al Nusra, fighting in Syria.

If they choose to voice their opposition to the airstrikes, more loudly than their opposition to Islamic State, their influence could yet disrupt the balance in Jordan.

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Abu Qatada Says He's Forgotten About Britain

Timeline: Qatada Legal Battle

Updated: 10:35am UK, Wednesday 24 September 2014

Abu Qatada challenged and ultimately thwarted every attempt by the Government to detain and deport him for many years.

Here is a timeline of the legal battle.

1993: Abu Qatada claims asylum when he arrives in Britain on a forged passport.

1994: Allowed to stay in Britain.

1995: Issues a "fatwa" justifying the killing of converts from Islam, their wives and children in Algeria.

1998: Applies for indefinite leave to remain in Britain.

1999: April - Convicted in his absence on terror charges in Jordan and sentenced to life imprisonment.

October - Speaks in London advocating the killing of Jews and praising attacks on Americans.

2001: February - Arrested by anti-terror police over involvement in a plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Officers find him with £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked "For the mujahedin in Chechnya".

December - Becomes one of Britain's most wanted men after going on the run from his home in west London.

2002: Arrested by police in a council house in south London and detained in Belmarsh high-security jail.

2005: Freed on conditional bail and placed on a control order but arrested again in August under immigration rules as the Government seeks to deport him to Jordan.

2008: April: Court of Appeal rules deportation would breach his human rights because evidence used against him in Jordan might have been obtained through torture.

May - Granted bail by the immigration tribunal but told he must stay inside for 22 hours a day.

June - Released from Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire and moves into a four-bedroom house in west London.

November - He is rearrested after the Home Office tells an immigration hearing of fears he plans to abscond.

December - Qatada's bail is revoked by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) after hearing secret evidence that the risk of him absconding has increased.

2009: Five Law Lords unanimously back the Government's policy of removing terror suspects from Britain on the basis of assurances from foreign governments and it is ruled he can be deported to Jordan to face a retrial on the terror charges.

He is awarded 2,800 euro (£2,500) compensation by the European Court of Human Rights after the judges rule that his detention without trial in the UK under anti-terrorism powers breached his human rights.

2012: January - European judges rule he can be sent to Jordan with diplomatic assurances but not while "there remains a real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him".

February - He is released on strict bail conditions.

April - Rearrested as the Government prepares to deport him after Jordan gives assurances it will "bend over backwards" to ensure he receives a fair trial.

March - Qatada's legal team loses its bid to have the case heard by the Europe's human rights judges, clearing the way for deportation proceedings to continue.

May and August - Siac rejects Qatada's applications for bail.

October - Siac holds appeal hearing.

November - His appeal is granted and he is granted bail.

December - Qatada is moved to a larger residence in the greater London area.

2013: March 9 - It emerges Qatada has been arrested for allegedly breaching his bail conditions. He is ordered to stay in custody and sent to Belmarsh.

March 21 - Police reveal the cleric is being investigated over extremist material.

March 27 - Home Secretary Theresa May loses her appeal over Siac's decision to allow Qatada to stay in the UK. The Home Office vows to appeal.

April 17 - The Home Office formally announces that it is seeking leave from the Court of Appeal to take the case to the Supreme Court.

April 22 - The Court of Appeal refuses permission to go to the Supreme Court, forcing the Home Office to appeal directly to the highest court in the land.

April 23 - Theresa May tells MPs she has signed a new treaty with Jordan that should pave the way to deportation, but warns it might take "many months".

May 10 - Qatada's barrister says he will go back to Jordan voluntarily if the treaty on the use of evidence obtained by torture, guaranteeing he will not be tortured, is ratified by the Jordanian parliament.

May 20 - Qatada is refused bail by the Special Immigrations Appeals Commission after "jihadist material" is found on a computer memory stick.

July 2 - The new treaty between Jordan and Britain is fully ratified, sparking claims Qatada could be on a plane within days.

July 3 - A Jordanian government official tells AFP the cleric is due back on Sunday.

July 7 - Flown from RAF Northolt to Jordan

December 10: Pleads not guilty to terrorism charges at a state security court in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

2014: June 26 - Acquitted of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism over 1998 bomb plots allegations.

September 24 - Acquitted over plot to target Western tourists over the New Year in Jordan in 2000.

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Cameron Wants To Make Case For Syria Airstrikes

A day after RAF fighter jets joined the mission to beat Islamic State in Iraq, David Cameron has said he also wants to make the case for targeting Syria.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister revealed he would argue that targeting Syria is both legal and appropriate.

"There are complications but there aren't legal difficulties," he said.

The RAF carried out two sorties over Iraq on Saturday after Parliament gave the green light for airstrikes on IS militants.

In both missions the Tornado GR4 fighter bombers did not use their weapons, although the Ministry of Defence said "invaluable intelligence" had been gathered using the planes' surveillance equipment.

The jets, who fly in pairs, returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at the end of their hours-long missions with their weapons payload intact.

Mr Cameron said he would respond to the challenge thrown down by Ed Miliband to seek a UN resolution supporting attacks in Syria, if only to show that his request is impossible.

"We have to demonstrate to people that we'd like a UN security council resolution but it's very difficult to get one and to demonstrate that what we propose is legal. Attempts have been made but there's the existence of a Russian veto."

His comments come as two former senior military commanders have questioned Mr Cameron's policy of isolated air attacks.

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, a former head of the UK military who stepped down as chief of the defence staff last year, said a campaign involving ground troops would be needed to crush IS.

"Ultimately you need a land army to achieve the objectives we've set ourselves - all air will do is destroy elements of Isis, it won't achieve our strategic goal," he told the Sunday Times.

"The only way to defeat Isis is to take back land they are occupying which means a conventional military operation. The only way to do it effectively is to use western armies but I understand the political resistance."

Richard Williams, a former commanding officer of the SAS who served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote in the Independent on Sunday the deployment of RAF bombers was a "military sugar rush" that "risks looking fearful and half-cocked".

RAF crew at the base on Saturday morning

Lieutenant Colonel Williams said the sending in of RAF bombers had "taken on a military and political significance out of all proportion to their real military value".

He wrote: "They provide us and our leaders, desperate to do something, with a military sugar rush, to be followed inevitably in six months' time with the 'war-downer' reality that things are not going as we wish them to, and that the long-term costs of our involvement are escalating, in ways that will need to be explained, or hidden, during a general election."

Ministers had cautioned not to expect a campaign of "shock and awe" and that after weeks of US airstrikes in the area it could take time to identify new targets.

A member of the aircrew prepares to depart on the first mission. Pic: MOD

Mr Cameron insisted the involvement of RAF combat aircraft showed Britain was there to "play our part" in the international coalition being assembled against IS.

"We are one part of a large international coalition," the Prime Minister said during a visit to Didcot, Oxfordshire, ahead of the Conservative Party conference.

"But the crucial part of that coalition is that it is led by the Iraqi government, the legitimate government of Iraq, and its security forces. We are there to play our part and help deal with this appalling terrorist organisation."

:: Sky's Dermot Murnaghan will be talking live to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon from 10am this morning. Watch on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

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