'Heroic' mission rescues desperate Yazidis from ISIS

(CNN) -- The Iraqi air force and fighters with the Kurdish peshmerga carried out a dramatic rescue mission Monday at Mount Sinjar, taking supplies to desperate Yazidis and bringing some on board the helicopter to make it safely out.

A CNN crew was on the flight that took diapers, milk, water and food to the site where thousands of people have been driven by ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State.

CNN's Ivan Watson, who was on the chopper, described the mission as "heroic."

Teams hurled out bags and boxes of food from as high as 50 feet before approaching the ground.

"We landed on several short occasions, and that's where -- amid this explosion of dust and chaos -- these desperate civilians came racing towards the helicopter, throwing their children on board the aircraft. The crew was just trying to pull up as many people as possible," Watson said.

Soon, some of the trapped families -- including babies and the elderly -- were packed into the flight.

"It was chaotic. It was crazy, but we were able to then lift off with about 20 civilians," Watson said.

Yazidis, among Iraq's smallest minorities, are of Kurdish descent, and their religion is considered a pre-Islamic sect that draws from Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.

One of the oldest religious communities in the world, they have long suffered persecution, with many Muslims referring to them as devil worshippers.

More than a week ago, they fled into the surrounding mountains when ISIS fighters stormed the town of Sinjar.

It's already too late to save dozens of children who've died of thirst. But for the 20 or so people rescued Monday, the relief was palpable.

The crowd on board the helicopter burst into tears as it took off. Gunners had to open fire at the ground in order to make it away from ISIS.

"They flew in shooting; they flew out shooting," Watson reported.

"There was not a dry eye on the aircraft."

Khalid: Sultan has consented for me to stay on

Islamic Militants Gang Rape Catholic Nurse In Libya After Beheading Construction Worker

A Christian nurse from the Philippines was allegedly abducted and gang raped by up to six men from the militant terrorist group ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, in Libya last Wednesday.

According to a report from Shoebat.com, the woman was abducted outside her home and taken to an undisclosed location where she was brutally raped by the allegedly “religious” gang of men. The Philippines’ Foreign Affairs spokesman, Charles Jose, told reporters that the victim of the rape was released by her abductors after about two hours.

The incident comes just days after a construction worker, also from the Philippines, was abducted and beheaded by ISIS because they deemed him to be a “non-Muslim.”

The International Business Times reported that as a result of the latest incidents, the government of the Philippines have called for the full evacuation of all of its 13,000 citizens living in Libya, which is in the midst of a bloody civil war following the recent entry of ISIS fighters to the country.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on Thursday to reporters that he was flying to Djerba island in Tunisia to “try to convince our people to leave [Libya] because the situation there is very dangerous.”

President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Herminio Coloma said in Manila: “We condemn these crimes that have been committed against our people.”

There seems to be no limits to the brutality that ISIS and its followers bring to places they conquer, including the public stoning to death of two women in Syria who were accused of committing adultery, as reported by The Inquisitr.

Sadly, the world media seems distracted with events in Gaza as many accuse Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people. It seems strange that the outrage just isn’t there when it comes to extremist Muslims killing and torturing everyone in their path, all in the name of Allah.

Hopefully, the world will soon wake up to the real threat that ISIS, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood pose to western democracy, and particularly to Jews and Christians.

So wicked that even Al Qaeda disowned them: Letter found at Bin Laden's hideout warned of Islamic State's extreme brutality

• 21-page letter found at the Pakistan hideout where Bin Laden was killed
• Note said Islamic State of Iraq and Syria could damage Al Qaeda's reputation
• Memo documented acts of barbarism including bombing mosques
• ISIS, now called Islamic State, has control of area larger than Great Britain

Lying among a pile of papers at the hideout in Pakistan where Osama Bin Laden was shot dead was a carefully worded 21-page letter.

It warned of the rise of a new and ruthless group of Islamic extremists capable of such extreme brutality that Al Qaeda should sever all links with them.

In fact, it claimed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or ISIS) had such complete disregard for civilian life that it could damage the reputation of Al Qaeda – if such a thing were possible for an organisation that has long traded in murderous terrorism.

Scroll down for video

The document, written by one of Bin Laden’s senior officials in 2011, went on to catalogue some of its acts of barbarism – including the use of chlorine gas as a chemical weapon, bombing mosques and a massacre in a Catholic church in Baghdad.

In essence, the letter said that ISIS was simply too extreme even for the group that killed thousands in the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

Today, ISIS, which now styles itself as simply Islamic State (IS), has become a powerful military force that has control of an area larger than Great Britain.

Living under its ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam are six million people, a population larger than that of Ireland, Denmark or Finland.

Its trademark black jihadi flag has fluttered in the background of chilling ‘promotional’ videos of executions – including crucifixions and beheadings – as the militia seizes vast areas of Iraq and Syria. In short, the ‘caliphate’ – or Islamic state – it claims to have established represents the biggest shift in the political geography of the Middle East since the borders of modern Iraq and Syria were drawn under the Sykes-Picot agreement drafted between Britain and France in 1916.

Living under its ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam are six million people, a population larger than that of Ireland, Denmark or Finland.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2721417/So-wicked-Al-Qaeda-disowned-Letter-Bin-Ladens-hideout-warned-Islamic-States-extreme-brutality.html#ixzz3A7P7kkXq

Name those who support you, Ambiga urges MB

 

Former Bar Council chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan has called on Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to name those who support him.

This is in response to Khalid's announcement that Selangor's Sultan Sharafudin Idris Shah consented to Khalid staying on as MB.

"Tan Sri, in the interests of the people of Selangor, please name those in the (state legislative) assembly whose support you say you have," she said in a tweet to Khalid.

 

"Even with PAS support is it not hung," she asked further, to the extent of asking PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad whether this is true.

Khalid had said in a press conference today that if there was any quarter which did not believe he enjoyed the majority support in the House, it could seek an audience with the Selangor sultan.

"They can report it to the sultan. But for now, the sultan has not received any report that I do not enjoy majority support," the Selangor MB said.

PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in his immediate Twitter response quizzed reports saying Khalid has majority support among Selangor assemblypersons.

PKR's Latheefa Koya (right) mocked Khalid for asking that the  exco who do not support him resign, when it was the party that had sacked him.

DAP Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng asked his followers on Twitter what should the Selangor DAP exco do - either to resign now or stay on to monitor Khalid.

PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad, said: “We will all know when the time of reckoning comes,” in response to the claim that Khalid has sufficient support from the assembly.

Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan said this was an interesting development. “Will PKR and DAP apply to "sembah derhaka" (go against the ruler)?” he asked.

Umno Supreme Council member Abdul Rahman Dahlan said since the majority of Selangor assemblypersons support Khalid, Pakatan cannot claim Khalid does not have legitimacy to be MB.

“It is Pakatan who has no legitimacy to form the government,” he held.

PAS has 15 Selangor assemblypersons while BN has 12.

DAP has 15 seats while PKR, after sacking Khalid, holds 13 seats.

Cops were judge and jury in Kugan’s case

The Court of Appeal said the police force was "on trial" and to allow them to determine what ought to be done was simply asking the wrong-doers to do their own investigation.

PUTRAJAYA: The police took on the roles of judge and jury over a complaint lodged against their behaviour in the case of luxury car theft suspect A. Kugan, who died in police custody about five years ago.

The Court of Appeal in its 51-page written judgment said this conduct missed the point completely and that it was the police force at that point in time which was “on trial”.

“And, to allow the police to determine what ought to be done was simply asking the wrong-doers to do their own investigation and determine the appropriate action.

“Common sense militates against such a course of action,” said Justice David Wong Dak Wah, in the judgment today.

He said the panel was also rather perturbed by the admission of first defendant (Khalid Abu Bakar, former Selangor police chief and current Inspector-General of Police) that he had negotiated with the attorney-general that investigation was to be confined to an offence under Section 330 of the Penal Code.

The section deals with offences of voluntarily causing hurt to extort confessions or to compel restoration of property.

Wong said this was an affront to the concept of fair play and transparency and the police had become judge and jury of a complaint made against their behaviour.

In a unanimous ruling, the panel headed by Justice Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, which also comprised Justice Mah Weng Kwai, held that where there was custodial death, the family of the deceased was entitled to know the truth as to what had happened during the detention.

“That is their intrinsic right to know. This entitlement to know can be easily understood by just asking the simple question: What if it is your 22-year-old son who had died in custody?” asked Wong.

He stressed that custodial death could not and should not happen in this country and that there should be zero tolerance for any custodial death at all remand centres.

Therefore, the panel upheld a High Court decision which found the police force, former police constable V. Navindran and the government liable for Kugan’s death while under police custody in January 2009.

However, the court reduced the amount of damages from RM801,700 to RM701,700 after setting aside RM100,000 for false imprisonment awarded by the High Court last year.

Wong said as for quantum of the exemplary damages, there was no reason to disturb the award granted by the High Court judge as it commensurated with the actions of the defendants.

High Court Judge V. T. Singham, in his decision on June 26 last year, awarded Kugan’s mother, N. Indra, RM851,700 in damages for assault and battery, false imprisonment, misfeasance, pain and suffering after finding that the plaintiff had established her claim against the defendants.

On January 13, 2012, Indra filed a civil suit against then-Selangor police chief Khalid, Navindran, former Subang Jaya police chief ACP Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar (now deceased), the then-Inspector-General of Police and the government.

Kugan, 22, died at the Taipan USJ police station on January 20, 2009.

Last year, Navindran was the only one held responsible for Kugan’s death and sentenced to three years’ jail.

– Bernama

Muhyiddin: BN Selangor will back Khalid

BN will support Khalid "without any conditions".

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional Selangor will back Khalid Ibrahim in the event of a no-confidence motion being tabled in the state assembly.

A Bernama report quotes BN deputy chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin as saying that BN supports Khalid “without any conditions”.

He also said that BN’s Selangor assemblypersons will vote for Khalid if a vote of no confidence is called against the Menteri Besar (MB).

BN has 12 assemblypersons in the Selangor legislative assembly. To command majority support, Khalid will need all 15 PAS assemblypersons to back him.

Meanwhile PKR and DAP are questioning Khalid’s claim that he had the confidence of the majority of the assemblymen.

In a joint statement today, PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and DAP Selangor chief Tony Pua said Khalid should call an emergency sitting of the state assembly for a vote of confidence to prove that he indeed had the support of PAS and Umno assemblymen.

Earlier today Khalid said the Sultan of Selangor has consented to him continuing as MB as he still commanded support of the majority of assemblymen.

Anwar, RM 3 Bilion dan 16 September

Anwar hanya memerlukan sekitar 30 orang ahli parlimen daripada Barisan Nasional untuk lompat dan menyertainya.

Edwin Michael

Sudah pelbagai analisis telah dibuat melibatkan krisis politik di negeri Selangor. Namun, persoalan yang masih gagal dijawab oleh sekutu-sekutu rapat Anwar Ibrahim ialah mengapa hanya isterinya sahaja yang layak diangkat menjadi Menteri Besar Selangor?

Tindakan ini juga dilihat membelakangkan Deklarasi Permatang Pauh yang mahukan nepotisme dihancurkan daripada politik negara ini.

Kini setiap tindakan Anwar Ibrahim dilihat terlalu terdesak dan terburu-buru seolah-olah terdapat satu agenda rahsia yang mahu direalisasikannya. Dan jelas kelihatan buat masa ini hanya DAP menyokong penuh setiap langkah Anwar Ibrahim untuk mengapai agenda rahsianya itu.

Percaturan politik Anwar ini memang adakalanya terlalu bijak namun percaturannya kali ini hanya menimbulkan pelbagai teori konspirasi.

Andaikata isterinya, Wan Azizah memegang tampuk pemerintahan kerajaan negeri Selangor, secara langsung Pemerbadanan Menteri Besar (MBI) akan berada dibawah kawalan Wan Azizah atau dalam erti kata lain akan berada dibawah kawalan Anwar Ibrahim.

Apa istimewanya MBI ini? Tentunya keistimewaan MBI ini adalah terletak pada dana yang bernilai ratusan billion ringgit. Jika dana ini dapat dikuasai oleh Anwar Ibrahim maka jalannya untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri semakin luas.

Langkah Kajang merupakan perintis kepada segala kekusutan ini. Sebaik Wan Azizah menjadi Menteri Besar, sekutu-sekutu rapat Anwar Ibrahim akan mula mengatur strategi untuk memujuk dan membeli ahli-ahli parlimen Barisan Nasional. Dalam konteks ini, Anwar hanya memerlukan sekitar 30 orang ahli parlimen daripada Barisan Nasional untuk lompat dan menyertainya.

Andaikata, jika seorang ahli parlimen ditawar sekitar RM50 juta sekali pun, kos keseluruhan hanya mencecah RM1.5 bilion. Dana MBI sememangnya kukuh untuk menanggung kos ini.

Namun, Perdana Menteri dan Barisan Nasional khasnya tidaklah sebodoh itu untuk biarkan semua ini terjadi. Maka, strategi Barisan Nasional pula adalah untuk terus menyokong penuh pentadbiran Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yang kini dituduh derhaka dan layak ke neraka oleh Parti Keadilan Rakyat itu sendiri. Andaian ini dikukuhkan kerana jelas kelihatan media regim Barisan Nasional turut memberikan sokongan penuh kepada Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. Propaganda ini menimbulkan sentimen simpati pada Menteri Besar dan kebencian pada Anwar Ibrahim.

Permainan sentimen ini pula amat penting buat regim kerana ini bakal menjadi senjata kuat mereka sekiranya DUN dibubarkan dan pilihanraya negeri diadakan. Potensi untuk Barisan Nasional merampas kembali Selangor juga tinggi apabila Najib Razak kini kelihatan lebih berkredibiliti selepas kejayaannya memujuk pemberontak puak pro Rusia untuk menyerahkan kotak hitam MH17 dan pada masa yang sama kredibiliti Anwar Ibrahim yang merudum kerana kegilaannya untuk menjadi raja nepotisme.

Jika Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim mengundur diri dan memberikan ruang kepada Wan Azizah untuk menjadi Menteri Besar, maka keseluruhan masa depan rakyat Selangor dipertaruhkan untuk memastikan langkah Kajang ini dicapai.

Persoalan terakhir mengapa Anwar perlu lakukan semua ini? Ini kerana panggilan penjara Sungai Buloh semakin dekat. Hanya satu cara sahaja untuknya melepaskan diri daripada sabitan kes mahkamahnya iaitu membeli ahli-ahli parlimen Barisan Nasional menggunakan wang rakyat Selangor dan menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia ‘pintu belakang’. Ini seterusnya merealisasikan impian 16 September yang dicetuskan oleh dirinya sendiri. Maka jelas daripada awal lagi mengapa PAS membangkang setiap langkah Anwar Ibrahim ini. Ini soal amanah rakyat. Ini soal integriti.

Apabila Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim enggan bersuhabat dengan Anwar Ibrahim, serangan moral dilancarkan oleh Rafizi Ramli. Realitinya, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim hanyalah kambing hitam kepada keseluruhan wayang kulit Anwar Ibrahim ini.

Penulis ialah pensyarah Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Perak.

Selangor MB crisis: Khalid to remain as Mentri Besar

(The Star) – Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has revealed that the palace wants him to remain as the Selangor Mentri Besar after he assured the Sultan that he commands the majority in the state assembly.

In a highly anticipated and packed press conference at the state secretariat building here, Khalid said that this was decided in an audience he had with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Monday morning.

****************************************************

KENYATAAN MEDIA

11 OGOS 2014

DYMM TUANKU SULTAN PERKENAN MENTERI BESAR SEDIA ADA TERUS MENJALAN TUGAS

Saya telah manghadap DYMM Sultan Selangor hari ini pada 11 Ogos 2014, 9 pagi untukmemaklumkan kedudukan saya sebagai Menteri Besar Selangor selepas pemecatan saya sebagaiahli Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Dalam pertemuan tersebut, saya telah sambas maklum kepada DYMM Tuanku bahawa sayatelah dipecat daripada PKR pada 9 Ogos 2014 oleh Lembaga Disiplin PKR. Lanjutan daripadapemakluman saya, DYMM Tuanku telah bertanyakan sama ada saya masih memperolehikepercayaan majoriti AHli Dewan Negeri.

Saya telah memperjelaskan bahawa disebalik pemecatan saya sebagai ahli PKR, saya masihmemperolehi kepercayaan majoriti Ahli Dewan Negeri. Justeru itu DYMM Tuanku berpuas hatidengan penjelasam yang telah disembahkan dan selanjutnya DYMM Tuanku telah perkenanuntuk saya terus memegang jawatan sebagai Menteri Besar Selangor.

Sehingga ada perkembangan baharu, saya masih kekad sebaagai menteri Besar Selangor danakan menjalankan tugas seperti biasa.

TAN SRI DATO’ SERI ABDUL KHALID BIN IBRAHIM

DATO’ MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR

With UMNO declaration of support of 12 BN Selangor Assembly representatives for Khalid, urgent and imperative for immediate clarity of stand of all 43 Selangor PR Assembly reps

By Lim Kit Siang,

With the declaration by the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that the 12 Barisan Nasional Selangor Assembly representatives will give its unconditional support to Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to continue as the Selangor Mentri Besar, it is urgent and imperative for immediate clarity of stand of all 43 Pakatan Rakyat Selangor Assembly representatives from PKR, DAP and PAS on the issue.

Time is of the essence following the rapid pace of developments of the political situation in Selangor and the country, and all processes of political decision-making have no choice but to be accelerated if Pakatan Rakyat is not to be seen as incapable of responding to fast and high-speed political changes.

Government To Continue Strengthen Malaysia's Competitiveness - Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- The government will continue to strengthen Malaysia's global competitiveness through efforts targeted at enhancing its investment environment and promoting policies, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin.

He said the move would increase trade, harness talents to achieve higher productivity growth, intensify efforts to reduce regulatory burden, as well as strengthen the country's technological capabilities.

Since the introduction of Economic Transformation Programme in 2010, Muhyiddin said, the government has put in place many initiatives to ensure that the country was on track, where business-friendly policies were introduced and implemented.

"Businesses are being assisted by bold and ambitious measures to transform our economy, which will in turn ensure that we are a more attractive and favourable investment destination," said Muhyiddin.

He said this in his keynote address at The Edge Billion Ringgit Club Gala Dinner Monday night.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and The Edge Media Group executive chairman Datuk Tong Kooi Ong.

"Improving our national competitiveness is a very important objective, and that we all have a responsibility to achieve this, individually and collectively," said Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister.

He said the government was investing and promoting new growth industries that would provide significant opportunities for the private sector to participate in developments.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia was currently undergoing a transitional stage that would determine the future of the nation.

"As we move towards developed nation status, we need to urgently transform our economy and society so as to be more competitive globally," he said.

In order to make the private sector the new engine of growth, businesses needed open, transparent and even-handed economic stewardship, he said.

Muhyiddin said the government aimed to create a more competitive environment for the private sector to thrive through greater liberalisation and deregulation.

"Therefore, it is heartening to note that in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2014, Malaysia has been recognised as the 12th most competitive economy among the 60 economies ranked," he said.

The ranking placed Malaysia ahead of developed economies like UK, Australia, Finland and Japan.

"We aim to be among the top 10 most competitive economies in the next few years," he said.

About 178 companies have succeeded in their assessment to be part of The Edge Billion Ringgit Clubb among the 900 companies listed on Bursa Malaysia, a notable increase from 144 companies in the 2013 list.

The market value of the 178 companies stood at RM1.54 trillion as of March 31, 2014, amounting to 91 per cent of the total market capitalisation of Bursa Malaysia.

At the event Muhyiddin presented The Edge Corporate Awards.