Britain Raises Terrorism Threat Level To
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SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2014 THULQADA 4, 1435 AH No: 16270 96% of people NATO warns Djokovic, Serena, in MENA Russia over and Murray sail considering ‘illegal’ actions through on going green3 in Ukraine7 New48 York breeze Britain raises terrorism threat level to ‘severe’ Max 47º 150 Fils ‘Terrorist attack highly likely’; UK tackles radicalization Min 33º Syria refugees top 3 million Jihadists unleash terror DAMASCUS: The number of refugees from the conflict in Syria now tops three million, the United Nations said yester- day, as US President Barack Obama admitted he still has no strategy to tackle advancing jihadists. UN refugee agency chief Antonio Guterres said Syria had become the “biggest humanitarian emergency of our era,” after a million people joined the exodus in the past year alone, as Islamic State (IS) fighters seized swathes of the northeast. The jihadists have sown panic with a spate of atrocities, executing more than 160 captured Syrian soldiers and an Iraqi Kurdish fighter over the past week, following its brutal beheading of US journalist James Foley earlier this month. The scale of the crisis facing the international community was further highlighted by the seizure by rival Islamists led by Al-Qaeda of 43 UN peacekeepers on the Golan Heights. The militants also surrounded another 75 peacekeepers from the Philippines, triggering a tense standoff for the UN mission that has monitored an armistice between Syrian and Israeli troops on the strategic plateau for decades. Dampening hopes of imminent air strikes in Syria, Obama said he was still developing a comprehensive plan to defeat IS, which has also overrun large swathes of neighboring Iraq. LONDON: Armed police officers hold guns as they stand in Downing Street, in central London yesterday. British Home Secretary Theresa May said yesterday the country’s terror threat risk level was being raised to ‘severe’ due to fears over The civil war in Syria has killed some 191,000 people since the situation in Iraq and Syria. — AFP it erupted in March 2011 with President Bashar Al-Assad’s bloody effort to put down an uprising. But it has taken on LONDON: Britain raised its international terrorism threat level en steps to improve our powers and increase our capabilities another dimension as IS jihadists exploited the power vacu- to the second highest level of “severe” yesterday in response for dealing with the developing terrorist threats we face,” May um to move in, unleashing a series of atrocities that have to possible attacks being planned in Syria and Iraq, Home said yesterday. “That process will continue and the British pub- shocked the world. “We don’t have a strategy yet,” Obama Secretary (Interior Minister) Theresa May said. “That means lic should be in no doubt that we will take the strongest possi- said ahead of a meeting with security chiefs. But he said he that a terrorist attack is highly likely, but there is no intelli- ble action to protect our national security.” was dispatching Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle gence to suggest that an attack is imminent,” May said in a The national threat level was first published in August East to build support in the region against IS. statement. 2006, just over a year after four British Islamists carried out sui- “The increase in the threat level is related to developments cide bombings on London’s transport network killing 52 peo- ‘Message in blood’ in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks ple. It has twice been raised to the highest level of critical - Washington has carried out air strikes in neighboring Iraq against the West. Some of those plots are likely to involve for- meaning an attack is imminent - after a plot to blow up trans- that have helped Kurdish forces to claw back some of the ter- eign fighters who have travelled there from the UK and Atlantic airliners was thwarted in 2006 and the following year ritory they lost to a renewed offensive by the jihadists earlier Europe to take part in those conflicts.” It is the first time since following attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow. this month. The Iraqi Kurdish leadership’s military coopera- mid-2011 that Britain has been placed on this grade of alert Security chiefs say they have managed to stop at least one tion with the United States has infuriated the jihadists who following an assessment carried out by the Joint Terrorism major terrorism plot every year since the 2005 bombings, posted grisly video footage on Thursday of their execution of Analysis Centre, the body responsible for setting the national known as the 7/7 attacks, but last year an off-duty soldier was a Kurdish fighter outside a mosque. The video, titled “A mes- threat level. murdered on a London street by two British Muslim converts sage in blood to the leaders of the American-Kurdish It comes less than two weeks after a video released by in what the government described as a terrorist killing. alliance,” also shows other captive Kurdish fighters warning Islamic State (IS) showed the beheading of US journalist James Officials estimate at least 500 Britons have travelled to that they risk the same fate if the cooperation continues, the Foley, apparently by a masked knifeman speaking English with Syria or Iraq, where IS has seized large swathes of territory, SITE Intelligence Group monitoring service said. a London accent. An investigation to indentify the suspected and London’s police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe said on The prisoners were paraded in orange jumpsuits of the attacker is ongoing. Foley’s gruesome murder prompted Wednesday it was believed some 250 had since returned. A sort used at the US detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, demands for extra security measures to tackle Britons travel- day earlier, Britain’s top counter-terrorism police officer Mark Cuba where hundreds of jihadists were interned during ling to the Middle East to join militant groups after officials Rowley said there had been 69 arrests linked to fighting in Washington’s “war on terror”. The video comes hot on the again warned that some of those who had gone to Syria or Syria this year, a fivefold rise in the arrest rate compared to heels of footage of scores of bodies heaped in the desert that Iraq to fight might return to Britain to carry out attacks. last year. “The growth of dangerous individuals poses chal- IS boasted were those of Syrian soldiers it captured and killed Soon afterwards, May promised tougher new laws against lenges for policing, especially when nearly half of Syria travel- following its seizure of a key air base last weekend. — AFP Islamists to stop them going abroad and to tackle radicaliza- ers of concern were not known as terrorist risks previously,” tion among Britain’s 2.7 million Muslims. “We have already tak- he said. — Reuters LOCAL SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2014 Deputy PM visits new Police Academy KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and the Acting Minister of Awqaf During an inspection tour of a new Police Academy in Al Jewan, isfaction and appreciation to all those involved in the security and Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khalid has lauded the accompanied by the MoI Undersecretary of Sulaiman Fahd, he projects. He said that the ministry is keen on providing better security projects aimed at protecting the safety of the citizens. praised the various security agencies. Al-Khaled expressed his sat- security services for the state. Crime Report Bike accident kills 28-year-old Kuwaiti KUWAIT: A 28-year-old Kuwaiti was killed instantly when he lost control over his bike near Al-Rehab cooperative and flew off seri- ously hurting his skull, said security sources noting that the man’s skull was broken. In a similar incident, a 26-year-old Indian delivery man broke his leg in a bike accident in Farwaniya. Ethiopian maid attacked An expat working for the Interior Ministry was recently arrested for attacking his Ethiopian maid along with his rel- atives in the desert area. Security sources said that the sus- pect’s wife and their daughter also took the maid’s KD450 savings, $100 and 31 grams of gold. Case papers indicate that the suspect reported that his housemaid had been practicing sorcery and witchcraft and that she had bewitched his daughter. A case was filed and further inves- tigations are in progress. Asian found dead An Asian was found dead in Jahra, said security sources noting that detectives are conducting a wide scale investigation to determine the cause of his death. The body had traces of assault. In another similar case, a 17-year-old girl was rushed to Jahra hospital by her family. Initial examination showed that she was already dead before she was brought to the hos- pital. The girl’s body was sent to forensic experts to determine the cause of her death. Two Egyptians arrested Two Egyptians were arrested for forging work permits for Ahmadi traffic campaign KD300 each, said security sources. Also, a Moroccan was recently arrested for the possession of illicit drugs, said securi- By Hanan Al-Saadoun Mahboula. There were over 600 traffic citations. 68 vehicles ty sources. Also, a simple traffic violation led to the arrest of were also seized. The campaign was ordered by MoI’s two citizens in possession of 64 psychotropic pills and other KUWAIT: In collaboration with Ahmadi municipality, Ahmadi Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs Maj general illicit drugs in Adan. Security sources said that the suspects’ traffic police recently launched an inspection campaign in Abdullah Al-Muhanna and was supervised by Ahmadi traffic nervousness led police officers to search them.