Ahmed Eissa
Senior Staff Writer
The United States
Summary: The United States said on Friday it has created a core coalition with NATO allies to counter Islamic State militants. The coalition lacks a consensus on a strategy but is confident that solid plans will be developed by the UN General Assembly meeting in New York this month.
The United States said on Friday that it has created a core coalition with NATO allies Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark to counter militants from the Islamic State in Iraq. The United States called for broad support from allies and world partners but ruled out committing ground forces.
“We need to attack [the Islamic State] in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own,” said US Secretary of State John Kerry at the NATO summit in Wales.
Days before the summit, Islamic State militants released a video on Tuesday showing the execution of American journalist Steven Sotloff, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2013. The militants said the executions were in response to President Obama’s arrogant foreign policy.
The United States has yet to develop a clear strategy against the Islamic State. US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said the new NATO coalition will develop solid plans by the U.N. General Assembly this month in New York.
Pakistan
Summary: The Pakistani military released a statement on Wednesday saying it has killed at least 910 suspected militants in the tribal area of North Waziristan since beginning its offensive in mid-June following the collapse of peace talks between the Taliban and the government. At least 800,000 people have been displaced a result of the military campaign.
The Pakistani military released a statement on Wednesday saying it has killed at least 910 suspected militants in the tribal area of North Waziristan. The main towns in North Waziristan, which have traditionally been a Taliban stronghold, are now under the army’s control.
The Pakistani government long avoided such a military campaign out of fear of Taliban reprisal and reluctance to negotiate. The military launched its offensive in the tribal district in mid-June after a collapse in peace talks between the Taliban and the government.
The army has not released any details on the amount of civilian casualties, but at least 800,000 residents of the tribal district have been displaced since the offensive began.
Terrorist attacks by Taliban militants inside of Pakistan have fallen sharply since mid-June.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Summary: Thirteen former Bosnian Serb police and soldiers were arrested by police on Monday on suspicion of carrying out killings of Bosnian Croats and Bosniaks in 1992. The men are charged with murder, persecution, enforced displacement and illegal detention of several hundred people.
Thirteen former Bosnian Serb police and soldiers were arrested by police on Monday on suspicion of carrying out killings of Bosnian Croats and Bosniaks in 1992.
The men are accused of murdering at least 40 people, as well as the persecution, enforced displacement and illegal detention of several hundred people. The former policemen and soldiers were detained after the cases were handed over to Bosnian authorities by the war crimes tribunal at The Hague.
Beginning in 1992, four years of war in Bosnia killed nearly 100,000 people and forced nearly two million more – about half the population – to flee their homes.
