British Teen Was Suicide Bomber In Iraq, Another British Person Killed In Kenya

A British teenager is among four suicide bombers alleged to be behind an attack in Iraq on Saturday that killed at least 11 people, illustrating the front-line role foreign fighters from the West are playing in the conflict in Iraq and Syria.

Saturday, the family of 17-year-old Talha Asmal, from Yorkshire in North England, said their son was one of four men that Islamic State supporters alleged were responsible, writes the Wall Street Journal.

In separate news, a senior Kenyan official told The Wall Street Journal on Monday that Kenyan authorities believe another British man, Thomas Evans, had died while fighting for the Somali militant group al-Shabaab.

Authorities are waiting for forensic confirmation that Mr. Evans was among 11 militants and two Kenyan soldiers killed in an al-Shabaab raid on an army base close to the country’s northern border with Somalia, the official said.

(Updated article)

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/15/dewsbury-in-utter-shock-at-over-talha-asmals-death-in-iraq-suicide-bombing

http://www.wsj.com/articles/british-teenager-among-four-suicide-bombers-in-iraq-1434382079

Pakistan Authorities Arrest Taliban Militants Involved In School Massacre, Give Credit To Afghanistan For Help

A Pakistani army spokesperson said Thursday that 12 local Taliban militants have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the deadly school attack last year that killed at least 148 people.

The militants were part of what is believed to be a 27-member cell, of which nine others have been killed, according to jurist.org.

Pakistan credited the cooperation of Afghanistan, where six of the militants were arrested.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan has been working closely with the Afghan government to search for the Pakistani Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah, who allegedly ordered the school attack and assigned commanders.

The Pakistani Taliban have a history of fighting against the Pakistani government and have tried to overthrow the authorities and impose Sharia. Since it is the main place of operations of the Taliban, Pakistan has been a focal point of global anti-terrorism efforts.

The Washington Post states that NATO played a role:  “At a news conference on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, the chief spokesman for the Pakistani military announced that six Taliban militants were arrested recently during a joint mission by NATO and Afghan troops in eastern Afghanistan.”

More:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/12/u-s-forces-afghan-troops-arrest-taliban-militants-wanted-for-school-massacre/

Fox Apologizes For Misinformation

Brian Stelter of CNN discusses with two guests how media outlets portray Muslims, and discuss whether the narratives are accurate.  They also look at Fox News’ recent apology regarding European “no-go zones.”

CNN

Pastor David Manning: Obama Cut Deal With Terrorists

Right Wing Watch

Right-wing Pastor James David Manning and Alex Jones speculate that the recent terrorist attacks were in France because of a secret Obama-Al Qaeda deal.

Terrorist Gets Little Notice

According to Bill Morlin of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Larry Steve McQuilliams, the man who went on a shooting spree in downtown Austin last weekend, was a member of a Christian Identity movement known as the Phineas Priesthood.

Why did this act of terrorism get so little media attention?

Secular Talk video.

Pat Robertson: LGBT Advocates Are Terrorists

It seems like some far-right pundits can mix immigration, Muslim terrorists, and Ebola.  Why not mix gays and terrorists?

Here Minister Pat Robertson mixes the two.

Secular Talk video.

Bill O’Reilly “Interviews” Bob Beckel Over Moratorium On Muslim Student Visas

Fox News has an odd habit of “interviewing” people who work for them, as opposed to people who don’t. Here O’Reilly interviews the man who plays a liberal on TV, Bob Beckel.