IS Has Iraqi Towns In Lockdown As Battles Rage

Kurdish forces are struggling to defend themselves against Islamic State (IS) militants in northeast Iraq and are appealing for more international help.

There has been fighting around towns including Jalula and Sa'dya, which have been controlled by the well-armed Sunni extremists for several weeks.

The IS insurgents have seized large swathes of the country since a June offensive but have been hit by US airstrikes in some areas including around Mosul Dam.

However, Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, reporting from outside Jalula, north of Baghdad, said the Kurdish peshmerga fighters want more weaponry from the outside world and are "getting little or no air support".

Thousands of peshmerga and counter-terrorism soldiers have been deployed, including many around the town.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay outside the town of Jalula

He said the Kurds have some heavy weapons but the equipment is old, while the jihadists "have modern equipment and lots of money".

Ramsay said the two sides are fighting to control territory not the towns themselves as IS have them "under total lockdown".

The Kurds are trying to cut their supply lines and one fighter told Sky News: "We need weapons to make the battle equal."

Ramsay said: "Peshmerga front-line positions are regularly hit from far away. There are scorch marks and burning patches everywhere."

Roadside bombs laid by the extremists are also "causing more casualties than ever before," he added.

Meanwhile, eight people have been killed after a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle packed with explosives at the interior ministry's intelligence headquarters in Baghdad.

PM designate Haider al Abadi is trying to form a more inclusive government

It comes a day after a sectarian attack at a mosque killed at least 68 Sunni Muslims, plunging efforts to form a united front against the jihadists into crisis.

Officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Imam Wais mosque north of Baghdad, with Shia militiamen picking off fleeing worshippers with machine guns.

Diyala has seen heavy fighting between Iraqi troops and IS. File pic

Attacks on mosques are acutely sensitive and have in the past unleashed a deadly series of revenge killings and counter attacks in Iraq.

The attack, in Diyala province, is seen as a blow to government efforts to secure backing from Sunni groups in its battle against the extremists.

The US says the killing of James Foley was a "terrorist attack" on America

Prime Minister designate Haider al Abadi, a moderate Shia, is attempting to form a more inclusive government following the resignation of outgoing PM Nouri al Maliki.

But two influential Sunni politicians - Parliamentary Speaker Salim al Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al Mutlak - have now pulled out of talks with the main Shia political alliance after the massacre.

The US, which is carrying out airstrikes against militants, has ramped up its rhetoric over the beheading of journalist James Foley.

In Washington, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the murder "represents a terrorist attack against our country".

He said the US would not be restricted by the Iraq-Syria border when it considers further action against IS militants.

Having poured in from Syria across a desert border that it does not recognise, the Islamist movement has declared its own caliphate.

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US 'Ready To Take Action Against IS In Syria'

The US has said it will not be restricted by the Iraq-Syria border as it considers further action against Islamic State militants.

White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes the US stood ready to take action to protect American citizens as the group was more dangerous now than it was six months ago.

The US has already carried out airstrikes on the group - formerly known as ISIS or ISIL - in Iraq as it has sought to support government forces and Kurdish Peshmerga in their attempts to push back the jihadists.

However, it has so far steered clear of Syria, except for a brief special forces raid which attempted to rescue journalist James Foley and other American hostages.

Red shows areas controlled by IS, while yellow is areas of fighting

Mr Foley was beheaded by a member of the group - believed to be British - in a video released earlier this week. The black-clad militant said the journalist was killed in retaliation for US airstrikes.

"When you see somebody killed in such a horrific way, that represents a terrorist attack- that represents a terrorist attack against our country and against an American citizen," Mr Rhodes told reporters at the White House

He added that the US had done everything it could to rescue American hostages but would keep trying to get back those still held by the group.

The announcement that the US would consider acting in Syria came after the former head of the British Army said the West should consider negotiating with Syrian president Bashar al Assad to tackle IS.

Lord Dannatt told Sky News: "You have to at least consider the otherwise unpalatable thought that maybe we've got to have some kind of dialogue, whether it's under the counter or over the counter, with President Assad of Syria.

Journalist James Foley was beheaded on video by an IS militant

"The old dictum that my enemy's enemy is my friend just might have some credence in this less than satisfactory and pretty extraordinary set of times that we are in."

However, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond ruled out working with Mr Assad - who is accused of carrying out war crimes, including chemical attacks, during his country's three-year civil war.

He said Britain would help Kurdish and Iraqi forces with weapons and training once there was a credible government in place in Baghdad.

However, efforts to form a new government around Prime Minister-designate Haider al Abadi were dealt a major blow when Sunni politicians pulled out of talks following an attack on a mosque that killed at least 64 people and injured 60 others.

The mass killing at Friday prayers was initially blamed on Shia militia allied with the government but there have also been suggestions that IS fighters, who have been trying to recruit Sunni tribes in the area, could have staged the attack.

Kurdish Peshmerga are leading the fightback against IS in Iraq

Elsewhere, Kurdish forces have launched a major assault to try to retake the northeast Iraqi towns of Jalula and Sadiyah.

Sky's Alex Crawford, reporting from the outskirts of Jalula, said the operation was being carried out by the Kurdish military's elite counter-terrorism unit, backed up by peshmerga forces.

She said the towns, near the Iranian border and semi-autonomous Kurdish region, had been under IS control for more than two months.

"What is significant about this assault is that they (the Kurds) are doing this pretty much entirely on their own," she said.

"They've had very little air support. There is no evidence of any outside weaponry, military hardware to back them up."

Although US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has warned that IS is the most dangerous threat faced by America for years, the FBI on Friday said there were no specific or credible threats that the group was planning an attack on US soil.

An intelligence bulletin, issued to state and local law enforcement, said officials were concerned though that IS supporters could attack overseas targets with little warning.

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Russia Aid Trucks 'Took Ukraine Military Goods'

A Ukrainian army spokesman has accused Russia of using aid trucks to take production equipment from two military plants.

A convoy of about 200 vehicles entered the country on Friday without the permission of the Ukraine government - and left on Saturday after dropping its cargo.

However, military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the trucks had taken equipment from a factory in Luhansk that makes firearm magazines and a Topaz plant that produces radars.

The convoy's departure comes as German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Kiev for talks with Ukraine's pro-Western leaders on the ongoing conflict.

Russian aid trucks pictured upon their return to the border crossing

It had been agreed the lorries - which had waited on the Russian side of the border for a week - would only be allowed into eastern Ukraine if they were escorted by the International Red Cross.

However, the charity pulled out after not receiving enough security guarantees as fighting continues to rage.

Kiev's foreign ministry informally allowed the convoy to pass to avoid "provocations".

Russia previously let journalists look inside a handful of the lorries, which it said were carrying 1,800 tonnes of aid including food, water, medicine and electrical generators.

This was questioned by Nato's top military commander, Philip Breedlove, who claimed the trucks looked like a disguised attempt to reinforce separatist forces. Russia denies backing the rebels.

Ms Merkel will hold talks with Mr Poroshenko

The UN Security Council discussed the convoy on Friday and no country came to Russia's defence, according to British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant.

Members called it an "illegal and unilateral" action.

Following a phone call, US President Barack Obama and Ms Merkel condemned the act.

They also expressed concern that the large numbers of Russian troops on the Ukraine border and fighting in eastern parts of the country represented a "dangerous escalation".

Ms Merkel will hold talks with Ukraine's pro-European President Petro Poroshenko, three days before he meets Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and top EU officials.

A Ukrainian rebel controls an area after a shelling in Donetsk

The German leader is expected to call for a ceasefire while trying to consolidate Ukraine's relationship with the EU.

Mr Poroshenko has pledged to "talk peace" with the Russian President but insists the conflict - which has claimed more than 2,200 lives - will end only when pro-Kremlin fighters leave.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to pound rebel strongholds such as Luhansk and Donetsk, where water has been cut off and supplies are dwindling.

At least two civilians were killed by shelling on Saturday.

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Final Email From James Foley's Killers Revealed

IS Demanded Release Of Woman In Texas Jail

Updated: 11:34am UK, Friday 22 August 2014

One of the demands made by kidnappers who killed US journalist James Foley was the release of a woman once named among America's seven most wanted terrorists.

In the final email the Islamic State militant group sent to Mr Foley's parents, the jihadists claimed they offered prisoner exchanges for the journalist's freedom. The one name mentioned in the email was that of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

The US-educated, Pakistani-born scientist was arrested in the street in Afghanistan's Ghanzi province in 2008.

When local police searched her handbag they found she was carrying handwritten documents referring to a "mass casualty attack" as well as a toxic substance called sodium cyanide, US prosecutors said.

The mother of three's notes listed locations such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and the Brooklyn Bridge, according to the FBI.

There was also information on how to create a dirty bomb, destroy reconnaissance drones and use underwater bombs, and excerpts from the book "Anarchist's Arsenal", according to US prosecutors.

Upon her arrest, Siddiqui was taken by local police to a compound but, left unsecured behind a curtain, she managed to grab an M4 rifle and fire at the US team who had come to interview her, yelling "death to America", her trial heard.

She did not hit anyone, but Siddiqui herself was shot.

The 42-year-old was flown to the US and following her two-week trial in 2010, she was sentenced to 86 years in a Texas jail for trying to kill American servicemen.

No terrorism charges were filed, but prosecutors painted her as a potentially dangerous terrorist.

Siddiqui's lawyers - three of whom were paid by the Pakistani government - argued she had shot at the US officials in a panic and she was mentally ill.

She appeared in a wheelchair, looking frail, and frequently disrupted the proceedings with outbursts at her own lawyers, the jury and witnesses.

Dubbed "al Qaeda Mom" and "Lady Qaeda" by US tabloids, Siddiqui was born in Karachi, Pakistan, but moved to America in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

She trained as a neuroscientist at prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University.

US authorities claim she returned to Pakistan in 2003 after marrying a relative of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

But her disappearance for the next five years is unexplained and has caught the attention of human rights groups.

One theory is that she was detained by America after being named by Mohammed during interrogation. Her lawyers had claimed she had been held in secret US detention.

However, in 2004 US attorney general John Ashcroft listed her among the seven most wanted al Qaeda fugitives.

Her eventual detention, trial and sentencing prompted mass protests across Pakistan.

Activists poured on to the streets shouting "death to America" and burning effigies of President Barack Obama when she was sentenced.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan led one rally in Lahore, condemning her jailing as "unethical and inhuman".

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Major Operation To Retake IS-Held Towns In Iraq

Kurdish forces have started a major assault to try to retake the northeast Iraqi towns of Jalula and Sa'dya from Islamic State (IS) militants.

It comes as US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the threat posed by IS extremists, who have seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq, was "beyond anything we've seen".

The group, which beheaded American journalist James Foley in response to US airstrikes in Iraq, was "beyond just a terrorist group", Mr Hagel said.

A Kurdish peshmerga fighter

"They marry ideology, a sophistication of … military prowess," he added.

Sky's Alex Crawford, reporting from the outskirts of Jalula, said the operation was being carried out by the Kurdish military's elite counter-terrorism unit, backed up by peshmerga forces.

James Foley in Libya in 2011

She said the towns, near the Iranian border and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, had been under the control of IS insurgents for more than two months.

The Kurdish forces have already taken back a major checkpoint, which the Sunni militants had controlled.

Alex Crawford said: "What is significant about this assault is that they (the Kurds) are doing this pretty much entirely on their own.

"They've had very little air support. There is no evidence of any outside weaponry, military hardware to back them up."

A rough outline of the caliphate declared by IS militants

Meanwhile, US airstrikes in Syria - where Mr Foley disappeared in November 2012 - have not been ruled out.

When asked about that possibility, Mr Hagel said Washington was "exploring all options".

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also did not discount attacks on IS fighters in Syria.

Militants vowed to attack US targets in another video clip

"This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated," he said at a briefing.

"To your question, can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organisation which resides in Syria? The answer is no.

"That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border."

The fighter who killed James Foley

IS, which was formerly known as ISIS, declared an Islamic state, or caliphate, covering large parts of the two countries earlier this year.

Michael Scheuer, a former CIA senior officer who ran operations against al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has told Sky News defeating IS will require an "enormous" number of Western troops on the ground which would mean an "enormous bloodbath".

He said: "It's a greatly bigger problem than we've seen before, it's better armed, it's better led and certainly more vicious than al Qaeda was in the initial years."

US President Barack Obama has insisted the scope of the US strikes will remain limited, while Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain will not fight another war in Iraq.

A criminal investigation has now been opened into Mr Foley's murder, which was recorded by the militants in a video that emerged earlier this week.

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Russia Trucks Enter Ukraine In 'Direct Invasion'

Ukraine has claimed 90 trucks from a Russian aid convoy have crossed into the country without permission in a "direct invasion".

It had been agreed the lorries would only be allowed into eastern Ukraine if they were escorted by the International Red Cross.

But the charity has pulled out after not receiving enough security guarantees as fighting continues to rage.

Ukraine insisted the aid convoy entered under the auspices of the Red Cross

Kiev's foreign ministry said it had informally allowed the convoy to pass to avoid "provocations" and state security chief Valentyn Nalivaychenko said his country will not use force against it.

But he also said: "We consider this a direct invasion by Russia of Ukraine. Under the cynical guise of the Red Cross these are military vehicles."

President Poroshenko is due to meet Russia's leader next week

The vehicles are carrying water, generators and sleeping bags reportedly intended to help civilians in the city of Luhansk, where pro-Russian separatist fighters are besieged by Ukrainian government forces.

The trucks, among a 280-lorry convoy, had been held at a border crossing for a week amid suspicions by Kiev that the mission was being used as a cover for an invasion by Moscow.

But dozens of the Russian vehicles have now moved into the east of the country despite both sides in the months-long conflict ignoring pleas for a ceasefire.

Ukraine said it captured two Russian armoured vehicles

"They passed into Ukraine without clearance or participation of the International Red Cross or (Ukrainian) border guards," said military spokesman Andriy Lysenko.

Ukraine has been reluctant to let the convoy through over fears it is carrying supplies for the rebels, despite Moscow's insistence the goods were simply humanitarian aid.

The transit comes as the Ukrainian president said he would tell Russia's Vladimir Putin to rein in pro-Moscow separatists, when the two leaders meet next week.

Sources said Germany's Angela Merkel would push for a ceasefire

Petro Poroshenko said he would tell President Putin that Ukraine had "a strong country, a strong army" behind him.

He said: "In order to have solid positions in peace negotiations, we have to be strong, to have the unity of the people, a strong country, a strong army."

The 280-truck convoy departed from near Moscow more than seven days ago

"We are capable of defending our sovereignty, our independence and our territorial integrity - we are fighting for the independence of Ukraine. Together we will win for sure."

Mr Poroshenko spoke as government forces, despite taking heavy losses themselves, thrust deeper into rebel-held eastern territory, putting pressure on separatists.

After a faltering start in April, government forces' success has alarmed some Western leaders who believe Mr Putin is being boxed in a corner.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to visit Kiev on Saturday in support for Mr Poroshenko, however diplomatic sources said she will also push Ukraine for a ceasefire to prevent a Putin backlash.

Fierce fighting has continued in the East, with 16 Ukrainian special forces troops killed in fighting on Wednesday night in the town of Ilovaisk, near Donetsk.

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Gaza Airstrike Kills Senior Hamas Commanders

Three senior Hamas military commanders have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian group said.

It has named the men as Mohammed Abu Shammala, Raed al Attar and Mohammed Barhoum, saying they died along with three other people overnight.

The commanders were all killed in the bombing of a house in the southern town of Rafah, one of 20 airstrikes the Israeli military said it carried out after midnight local time on Wednesday.

Israel's security agency Shin Bet confirmed the deaths of Mr Shamaleh and Mr al Attar in an email to Associated Press, but made no mention of Mr Barhoum.

The aftermath of the airstrike that failed to kill Mohammed Deif

Palestinian health official Ashraf al Kidra said "dozens" of people were still missing, believed to be trapped in the rubble of the four-storey building hit in the Rafah airstrike.

Emergency services spokesman said four Palestinians attending a funeral in northern Gaza City were also killed when an airstrike hit a graveyard in northern Gaza City.

The Hamas deaths came after Israel apparently unsuccessfully targeted Hamas's top military commander, Mohammed Deif, on Tuesday. Instead, his wife and seven-month-old son were killed.

Palestinian officials say more than 2,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since Israel began its latest offensive in response to rocket attacks from Gaza.

Smoke billows from Gaza following an airstrike

Israel says hundreds of the dead were Palestinian militants. Sixty-four Israeli soldiers and three civilians in Israel have been killed.

Egyptian-mediated talks to end the weeks of fierce fighting in Gaza collapsed on Tuesday when violence broke out after 10 days of relative calm.

Israel said the latest airstrikes were in response to a resumption of Hamas rocket fire on Tuesday - adding that only one rocket launch had been registered since midnight, compared to more than 210 over the previous 30 hours.

In a TV address on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed little willingness to return to the negotiating table with Hamas.

"We are determined to continue the campaign with all means and as is needed," he said.

"We will not stop until we guarantee full security and quiet for the residents of the south and all citizens of Israel."

 

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Clashes As Liberia Slum Sealed Off To Curb Ebola

Liberian security forces have clashed with desperate protesters after using scrap wood and barbed wire to seal off a sprawling slum to prevent ebola from spreading.

Hundreds of angry protesters took to the streets on Wednesday to confront riot police and soldiers who reportedly fired live rounds and tear gas to disperse the stone-throwing crowd.

Residents vented their fury at the government for isolating their West Point neighbourhood in the Liberian capital Monrovia and said they were given no warning of the blockade which has prevented some 50,000 people from getting to work or buying food.

"I don't have any food and we're scared," said Alpha Barry, a resident with four children under the age of 13.

Liberia's ebola task force enforcing the quarantine

The coastguard was also in action, patrolling sewage-strewn waters offshore to ensure no one fled the area by sea.

And there was further fury when relatives of Miata Flowers, the local government representative, were escorted away from the slum by security forces.

Around four people were injured in the clashes which erupted as the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised the total death toll from the ebola epidemic to 1,350 - and warned the disease was spreading fastest in Liberia, where at least 576 people have died.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ordered a nationwide curfew - and the West Point barricades - insisting the country had been unable to control the spread of ebola.

Relatives of Miata Flowers run to an awaiting car to be taken from the slum

She blamed the rising death toll on denial, defiance of authorities and cultural burial practices.

However, residents have accused the government of being slow to remove dumped infected bodies from the streets, some of which have been left for hours and days.

On Tuesday, protesters broke into an isolation clinic housing 29 patients in West Point - 17 of whom fled and were later found.

WHO officials have warned that measures to restrict travel in heavily infected areas, including quarantines of whole villages and counties, are limiting access to food and medical supplies in many cases.

West Point is one of the capital's poorest and most densely populated neighbourhoods, with poor sanitation and overcrowding.

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US Doctor Infected With Ebola Leaving Hospital

US doctor Kent Brantly, who was infected with ebola while working in Liberia, has recovered from the disease.

Franklin Graham, president of the Samaritan's Purse charity, confirmed Dr Brantly was now well enough to leave hospital.

"Today I join all of our Samaritan's Purse team around the world in giving thanks to God as we celebrate Dr Kent Brantly's recovery from ebola and release from the hospital," he said

The charity added that Dr Brantly was treated with the experimental drug ZMapp.

He is expected to leave the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, where he has been receiving treatment.

Dr Brantly and fellow aid worker Nancy Writebol were flown out of the West African nation of Liberia earlier this month after contracting the disease.

They have been receiving treatment for the deadly disease in an isolation unit at the hospital.

Dr Brantly and Nancy Writebol contracted the disease in Liberia

They were both infected while working at a missionary clinic outside Monrovia.

Earlier this month, Dr Brantly insisted the only available dose of an experimental serum went to Ms Writebol.

It comes as World Health Organisation (WHO) officials visit two hospitals in Liberia on Thursday where authorities have sealed off entire neighbourhoods to try and stop the spread of the disease.

A nationwide curfew was brought in after clashes between protesters and security forces in the West Point area of Monrovia, which residents have been prevented from leaving.

The ebola outbreak has killed at least 1,350 people across Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria in western Africa.

It is only spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of those infected with the virus who are experiencing symptoms.

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Exclusive: US Recruits Iraq Security 'Advisers'

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor, and Pete Norman, Sky News Online

Barack Obama may have ruled out sending "boots on the ground" back to Iraq but in the face of a growing threat from the Islamic State (IS), the Pentagon appears to have hit upon a way to get them back in by the back door.

The US Army's Contracting Command has issued a tender notice for companies capable of deploying security assistance mentors and advisers in Iraq.

These individuals would be required for a 12-month contract, potentially extendable to a total of 36 months.

They are needed as consultants to the US "Office of Security Assistance in Iraq" and must be "cognisant of the goals of ... reducing tensions between Arabs and Kurds, and Sunnis and Shias".

Some 40,000 private security contractors formed a disparate mercenary army of mostly westerners during the American-led occupation of Iraq.

Private security guards may be set to return to Iraq. Pic: Pete Norman

Many had secret contracts to work with the Central Intelligence Agency and alongside US and British special forces to provide intelligence and guard forces.

Now it appears that former special forces operators and other highly skilled intelligence specialists are being recruited to return to Iraq.

Intelligence sources have told Sky News the only viable option to fight back against the spread of the IS is to restart the so-called Awakening programme which, by late 2008, had successfully mobilised Sunni tribesmen against al Qaeda.

The rump of al Qaeda fled to Syria where it became the core of what is now IS.

The new consultants would be required to conduct "force development", "training", "planning and operations" and "intelligence".

An MP5 sub-machinegun used by a security detail in Iraq. Pic: Pete Norman

They would liaise with the Iraqi Ministry of Defence, its Counter Terrorism Service and other branches of government.

The "sources sought" document was published on August 11 by the US Army on a federal website with the intent to canvas private organisations to establish whether they were capable of supplying the services.

Once this is established, the scale and fee would then be set.

The success of the Awakening campaign involved training and fighting militant tribesmen to take on al Qaeda.

Many of their leaders have indicated they would be prepared to do the same again - but would turn against IS only once Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, a Shia, steps down.

He has now indicated he is prepared to stand aside in favour of Haider al Abadi, a fellow Shia with a reputation for reaching out across the sectarian divide.

Private contractors would, inevitably, be drawn from the ranks of retired special operations troops and spies who were so integral to the Awakening campaign.

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James Foley 'Died Doing Job He Believed In'

A friend and colleague of the US journalist apparently beheaded in a video released by militants has said he died doing something "he truly believed in".

Film maker Matthew VanDyke was with James Foley in Syria just a fortnight before the 40-year-old was abducted.

And he told Sky News he had been left in "complete shock" at reports his friend had been beheaded by Islamic State forces.

"I haven't seen the video myself, but it's a complete nightmare," he said.

"James was a fun guy. He was very nice, very calm. We had good times together, good conversations. He interviewed me when I escaped prison in Libya ... and he did a great job.

"He was very kind, very good at what he did. He had a great career ahead of him."

He said Mr Foley "lived and breathed" conflict journalism.

The arrival of Islamic State fighters has changed the conflict in Syria

"It was who he was, he loved doing it," he said.

"He believed in it, believed in doing things right. What every editor would want working for them is exactly who James was.

"One thing that you can say is he died doing something he truly believed in and that he was making a difference there."

Mr VanDyke insisted Mr Foley was conscious of the dangers he faced in war-torn Syria.

"He was always aware of the risks," he said.

"He was always very serious when it came to work.

"He was not someone who did anything reckless, or cowboy things. He always checked on the security ahead of him.

"He did everything the right way, but even when you do everything the right way in Syria, things can go the wrong way."

But Mr VanDyke said the arrival of IS - previously known as ISIS - had drastically changed the nature of the conflict in Syria.

"There was always a threat of kidnapping, border strikes, airstrikes, it was always dangerous," he said.

"Ever since the arrival of ISIS in the spring of 2013, it's become a complete nightmare for journalists.

"People go there and they just disappear and they're never heard from again. It's like a black hole."

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IS Beheads US Journalist James Foley In Video

Islamic State militants have released a video that purportedly shows the beheading of a US journalist who went missing two years ago.

The footage appears to show a masked man - speaking in English with an English accent - killing James Foley, who was seized by armed men in Syria in November 2012.

In the five-minute propaganda video, posted on social media sites by Islamic State sources, the man says Mr Foley was being killed because Barack Obama had ordered airstrikes against IS positions in northern Iraq.

The journalist, dressed in an orange jumpsuit like those worn by Guantanamo inmates, is seen kneeling in the desert before he blames the US for his death, in a statement presumably prepared by his abductors.

He then says: "I wish I had more time, I wish I could have the hope of freedom and seeing my family once again, but that ship has sailed." 

He is then beheaded.

Mr Foley in Syria before he was captured. Pic: Nicole Tung

The group also claimed to be holding another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, who appears at the end of the video, and said his life depended on the US President's next move.

A statement issued by Mr Foley's mother, Diane Foley, said: "We have never been prouder of our son, Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.

"We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world.

"We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person. Please respect our privacy in the days ahead as we mourn and cherish Jim."

On Tuesday, two unnamed US officials said they believe the man in the video - which Sky News has chosen not to show - was Mr Foley.

John and Diane Foley, Mr Foley's parents

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said if the video is verified by the intelligence community, the US would be "appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist".

Mr Foley, 40, was an experienced correspondent who had covered the war in Libya before heading to Syria to follow the revolt against Bashar al Assad for the GlobalPost, AFP and other outlets.

Philip Balboni, GlobalPost chief executive and co-founder, said the firm had been informed that the FBI is evaluating the video to determine whether it was authentic.

"We ask for your prayers for Jim and his family," he said.

According to witnesses, Mr Foley was seized in the northern Syrian province of Idlib on November 22, 2012.

The car he was travelling in was stopped by four militants in a contested battle zone that both Sunni rebel fighters and government forces were trying to control.

His family has not heard from him since, despite a public campaign for information.

IS militants have captured large areas of northern Iraq and Syria

Several senior US officials with direct knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press that IS very recently threatened to kill Mr Foley to avenge the American airstrikes over the last two weeks.

The strikes targeted militants advancing on Mount Sinjar, the Mosul Dam and Kurdish capital Irbil.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the video, voiced by an IS fighter with a British accent, appeared to be genuine and was "an appalling example of the brutality of this organisation".

Mr Hammond told Sky News: "This is an evil organisation with an evil ideology."

"I reject any suggestion British foreign policy is providing any excuse for what ISIL is doing," he added.

Mr Hammond said the IS extremists posed a major threat, not only to stability in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East, but also to the UK's domestic security.

The Foreign Secretary also said he did not believe the US would be "cowed" by IS threats to kill US journalist Steven Sotloff, who they claim to be holding.

Prime Minister David Cameron returned to Downing Street from his holiday early after the beheading, which came just days after he warned Europe could be facing a "poisonous" terrorist state on its doorstep.

The release of the video comes a day after IS militants threatened to attack US targets in another video where they warned "we will drown all of you in blood".

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Airlines Warned Over Iceland Volcano Eruption

Why Volcanic Ash Is So Dangerous For Planes

Updated: 9:50am UK, Tuesday 19 August 2014

By Carole Erskine, Sky News Online

Pilots are advised never to fly though an ash cloud because of the extreme problems it can cause an aircraft.

Ingesting ash dust can cause partial or total engine power loss, and even power loss in all engines.

The ash can also damage aircraft ventilation, hydraulic, electronic and air data systems along with the plane's paint, windscreens and power plants.

Former British Airways pilot Eric Moody has first-hand experience of flying through an ash cloud.

In June 1982 he was piloting a Jumbo 747 from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, Australia when he hit an ash cloud just off Java.

"It was very frightening, all the engines stopped for 14 to 15 minutes and we didn't know what was happening," he told Sky News.

"It was dark and the effect was of St Elmo's fire around the aircraft. We were looking for the cloud that had caused it but didn't know it was a volcanic ash cloud.

"We glided the aircraft about 80 nautical miles and went down 37,000ft to about 12,000ft.

"That was when we must have come out of the bottom of the ash cloud. It was a dark old night."

As a result of Mr Moody's flight experience research into the effects of volcanic ash clouds on aircraft increased and Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres were established around the world.

"Flying into volcanic ash is as deadly as flying with ice on your aircraft," said Mr Moody.

"And everyone knows how dangerous that is."

There was huge disruption in the UK in 2010 after a massive cloud of ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland drifted into UK airspace.

A number of airports were closed and hundreds of flights cancelled.

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Iraqi Militants Threaten Revenge Attacks On US

Crucial Battle For World's Most Dangerous Dam

Updated: 5:36pm UK, Monday 18 August 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Recapturing the Mosul Dam from Islamic State (IS) militants isn't just a military and political necessity - it's an engineering imperative.

It's got feet of clay. More accurately, gypsum and limestone.

It holds 12 billion cubic metres (425 billion cubic feet) of water.

If it broke it would unleash a liquid bulldozer 10 metres (65 feet) high that would engulf Mosul downstream on the Tigris before racing south and flooding Baghdad.

Some experts have said around 500,000 people could be killed if the dam were to fail.

Because it's been built on gypsum and limestone, which are water soluble, the dam's base gets regular injections of "grout" - a messy mix of concrete and earth.

Some 200 tonnes of the emergency engineering porridge has to be poured into the base every year but sinkholes are appearing.

Iraq's government had earmarked billions to repair the dam, which is also the source of electricity for about a million people and clean water for much of northern Iraq.

And while IS has pretentions to establishing a "caliphate" over much of Syria and Iraq, it is unlikely the ranks of its militants include advanced construction engineers capable of keeping the dam from collapsing.

In 2007, the US Army Corps of Engineers surveyed the structure and concluded the dam was "the most dangerous in the world".

Kurdish peshmerga fighters, with the support of airstrikes by US warplanes, are battling for control of the dam.

It's a ginger process.

The IS fighters are battle hardened. They are also demolitions experts and have unleashed a tide of bloody religious slaughter across a third of Iraq and Syria.

They have sown the countryside around the dam with improvised explosive devices and mines.

There are fears they might have also rigged the dam for destruction.

This may be an exaggerated concern. The IS is violent and extreme but there are no signs it is idiotic.

Its recent tactical successes have been carefully orchestrated as part of a wider strategy to create a caliphate not even al Qaeda managed to establish.

Sending a wall of water crashing down the Tigris valley and drowning mostly fellow Sunni Muslims would rob the caliphate of potential supporters and guarantee the survivors would turn against its brutal interpretation of Islam.

But this doesn't mean the dam may be damaged in fighting.

Nor that it would be able to survive intact if the IS manages to hang on, or in tit-for-tat-operations the dam's relentless need for reinforcement was fatally interrupted.

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Iraq Conflict: Fighting Resumes At Mosul Dam

Fighting has resumed at Mosul Dam in northern Iraq with US jets spotted flying overhead, according to Sky sources.

Islamic State (IS) militants seized the strategically important site, which supplies water and power to millions of people down the Tigris river valley, nearly two weeks ago.

But US President Barack Obama announced on Monday that Iraqi and Kurdish forces had regained control of the hydro-electric facility with the help of American airstrikes.

However, as the Kurds were celebrating their victory at the dam, it appears there are still remnants of IS in the area who are putting up resistance.

Sky's Alex Crawford, at Mosul Dam, said: "We heard firing behind us about 1km away. The president's son said he suspected some hardened IS fighters were in the south of the dam who had not been cleared from the area."

Mosul Dam. Pic: File

She added: "They are still clearly holding out and putting up some sort of defence."

Crawford said she heard heavy machine gun fire and possibly mortar shelling as well as jets overhead.

US fighter jets and drones have been attacking IS targets as they try to help push back the Sunni extremists who have taken over large parts of the north and west since June as Iraqi troops fled.

There is also fierce fighting near the centre of Tikrit, the hometown of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

The dam and the city of Mosul are in the north of the country

Tikrit was seized by IS earlier in the year but Iraqi forces as well as Shia militias are trying to drive the insurgents out.

The violence was taking place near the main hospital, more than two miles from the town centre.

"Helicopters are pounding the bases of the terrorists to prevent them from regrouping," said an army major.

Iraqi forces were pushing from the south and also advancing slowly from the west due to landmines and roadside bombs planted by the militants, he added.

Meanwhile, the insurgents, who also seized control of the second city of Mosul in June, have threatened to respond to US airstrikes by attacking American targets, posting a video in which they warn: "We will drown all of you in blood".

The message was accompanied by photographs of beheadings.

Unlike al Qaeda, IS has, to date, focused on seizing land in Iraq and Syria for its self-proclaimed caliphate, rather than attacking Western targets.

Earlier, the group denied losing control of Mosul Dam.

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Iraq: Kurdish Forces Fight To Retake Mosul Dam

'Corpses Everywhere' After Jihadist 'Massacre'

Updated: 10:15am UK, Monday 18 August 2014

Dead bodies were found "everywhere" when Yazidi fighters arrived at a village where jihadists have been accused of carrying out a massacre, witnesses have said.

Officials believe Islamic State (IS) fighters killed around 80 people, mostly Yazidis, after arriving in the northern Iraq village of Kocho and demanding they abandon their beliefs and convert to Islam.

The militants also kidnapped women from the village in Nineveh province and took them to prisons they control, according to a senior Kurdish official.

Yazidi fighter Mohsen Tawwal told AFP by telephone that he saw a large number of bodies in the village.

"We made it into a part of Kocho village, where residents were under siege, but we were too late," he said.

"There were corpses everywhere. We only managed to get two people out alive. The rest had all been killed."

A man from a neighbouring village, who had been told what happened, added: "The Islamic State had spent five days trying to persuade villagers to convert to Islam and ... a long lecture was delivered about the subject today."

"The men were gathered and shot dead.

"The women and girls were probably taken to Tal Afar because that is where the foreign fighters are."

Senior Iraqi official Hoshyar Zebari said: "We have information from multiple sources, in the region and through intelligence, that (on Friday) afternoon, a convoy of (IS) armed men entered this village. 

"They took their revenge on its inhabitants, who happened to be mostly Yazidis who did not flee their homes.

"They committed a massacre against the people. Around 80 of them have been killed."

Thousands of Yazidis - people from a minority sect with an ancient religion - have been forced to flee their homes by the IS advance.

The extremist group, previously called ISIS, has swept across a large part of northern and central Iraq, taking Mosul and threatening Baghdad and Kurdish capital Irbil.

On Saturday, airstrikes targeted the group around Mosul Dam. It was not immediately clear if they were carried out by the Iraqi air force of the US. 

The IS seized Iraq's largest dam on August 7.

Iraq's human rights minister has said that Islamic State militants have killed at least 500 members of the Yazidi community during their offensive in the north.

Some of the victims, including women and children, were buried alive, Mohammed Shia al Sudani said.

The United Nations Security Council on Friday blacklisted six Islamist militants and threatened sanctions against anyone who helped arm or supply them.

Five members of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which operates in Syria, and Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al Adnani were included on the British-drafted resolution, which also condemned all aspects of IS's activities and beliefs.

Earlier, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to arm Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

The meeting of foreign ministers from the 28 EU nations was called by EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton and came after several European countries, including France and Germany, said they were prepared to supply weapons to the peshmerga forces.

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Cameron: 'We Are Not Going To War In Iraq'

David Cameron has insisted that Britain will not be getting involved in another war in Iraq.

He spoke out after reports Britain had briefly sent some ground troops to Irbil, to prepare the way for a rescue mission to help displaced Yazidi people.

His comments came amid reports on Iraqi state TV that Kurdish troops have retaken the strategic Mosul dam from Islamic militants.

The UK is considering arming peshmerga troops fighting IS extremists

Peshmerga fighters have been battling Islamic State fighters, with the aid of US airstrikes, after the dam was seized by the militants 10 days ago.

The Islamic State group denied they had lost control of the dam and there were reports of fierce fighting on the southern side of the facility.

Mr Cameron made his strongly worded statement this morning amid confusion over the UK's involvement in Iraq after a series of media interviews by senior ministers. 

He said: "I want to be absolutely clear to you and to families watching at home. Britain is not going to get involved in another war in Iraq.

A US airstrike against an IS position near Mosul Dam

"We are not going to be putting boots on the ground. We are not going to be sending in the British Army."

Mr Cameron has previously conceded that Britain's role will go beyond humanitarian aid and involve limited action to prevent violence spreading to British streets.

But he said: "So we are helping the Kurds, we are working with the Iraqi government to make sure it is more representative of the whole country.

"And, of course, we are working with neighbours and allies to put the maximum amount of pressure on IS and make sure it is properly dealt with.

Michael Fallon says Britain's involvement could last 'weeks and months'

"We have said that if the Kurds, the peshmerga, want to have arms from us, that is something we would consider favourably."

Mr Cameron appeared on television after Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the UK's Iraq mission would likely last "weeks and months".

Mr Fallon was addressing British troops in Cyprus as it emerged that UK soldiers have been back on the ground in Iraq for the first time since 2009.

The soldiers, from the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire regiment, were briefly sent to Irbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, to prepare the way for a Yazidi rescue mission.

Sheikh Khalah Sheikh Alyas: 'IS killed our young people'

It is understood the rescue operation would involve Chinook helicopters and the ground troops remained in the country for only 24 hours.

Sky News Political Correspondent Anushka Asthana said the UK's position on Iraq was "a little confusing" after various newspaper and TV interviews by the PM and Mr Fallon.

Asthana said some had interpreted the PM's commitment to providing more than humanitarian aid in Iraq as meaning there would be military action.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said discussions with the Kurdish regional government were focusing on what weapons to supply Kurdish troops.

Kurdish officials, will also take part in negotiations on forming a new Iraqi government, outgoing foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari said.

It paves the way for improved ties between Kurds and the central administration.

The retaking of Mosul Dam - the country's largest dam - would be considered a major victory in the fight against militants.

Army spokesman Lt Gen Qassim al-Moussawi said the dam itself was secured by peshmerga troops and Iraqi security forces.

But he said that the southern side of the complex remains contested and that fierce fighting is underway to free that area.

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Israel Blows Up Homes Of Teen Murder Suspects

Israeli troops have demolished the homes of two Palestinians accused of abducting and killing three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank in June.

Hussam Qawasmeh and Amar Abu Eisha's houses were blown up before dawn on Monday.

Police say there were 250 policemen and dozens of Israeli soldiers at the scene.

The home of a third suspect, Marwan Qawasmeh, was sealed off, the military said.

Last month, homes in the West Bank linked to Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Eisheh were also blown up.

Israel destroyed the home of Hussam Qawasmeh before dawn

Israel said the demolitions were in accordance with procedures used to deal with militants suspected of major crimes.

All three are suspected of murdering Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel, both 16, who went missing on June 12.

Israel launched a major operation in the West Bank in order to locate the teenagers - one of whom, Naftali, had American citizenship.

Their bodies were discovered by soldiers beneath a pile of rocks on June 30.

Israel has held Hamas responsible, but the militant political group has denied any involvement.

Hussam Kawasma has been in Israeli custody since July. The other two suspects remain at large.

Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrach were murdered in June

The deaths of the Israeli teens and the subsequent murder of 16-year-old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khadair heightened tensions the lead-up to the current conflict in Gaza.

Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians over the month-long war in Gaza continued on Monday as the end of a five-day truce nears.

Both sides had until 10pm (UK time) to conclude a deal before the ceasefire was due to expire.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in the Egypt-mediated talks appeared to be hardening their positions, with the Gaza blockade remaining the key stumbling block.

The mother of Arab teen Mohammed holds a photo of her son

Meanwhile, Norwegian foreign minister Boerge Brende said Norway and Egypt were planning to co-host a conference in Cairo to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza once there was an agreement in the ceasefire talks.

The Gaza conflict has killed more than 1,900 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to Palestinian and UN officials.

Israel said it lost 64 soldiers in combat. Three Israeli civilians have been killed.

Meanwhile, the UN has helped three couples wed in Gaza on Sunday as protests broke out during a wedding in Israel between a Muslim man and a Jewish-born woman who converted to Islam.

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Foreign Tourists Missing In Indonesia Sinking

Fifteen foreign tourists are missing after a boat sank while travelling between holiday islands in Indonesia.

The tourists were on a boat travelling from Lombok island to the Komodo Islands and are believed to have hit stormy weather, reports said.

Ten people have been rescued - including one Briton - but the fate of 15 people, understood to be of mixed nationalities, is not known. 

The journey between Lombok and Komodo can take three days by boat

A Foreign Office spokesman said "British nationals" may be involved in the accident.

"We are in touch with the local authorities and stand ready to offer consular assistance," the spokesman said.

An Indonesian search and rescue official said the boat was carrying 20 foreigners and five locals in total.

The boat sank at 7pm on Saturday, but the alarm was only raised with rescue teams at 8am on Sunday due to "poor communication",  the official said.

Local fishermen rescued a number of people before the rescue team arrived, he said.

The official said that of the 10 rescued people, the nationalities were known for five - two each from New Zealand and Spain, and one from Britain.

Tajudin Sam, who runs the tour company operating the boat, said it likely encountered stormy weather.

A boat ride from Lombok to Komodo can take three days.

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Missouri Shooting: Tear Gas Fired At Crowd

Police have fired smoke bombs and tear gas at protesters defying a curfew imposed in a suburb where a black teenager was shot dead by an officer.

Police in Ferguson, Missouri, were forced to admit using tear gas after initially claiming only smoke was used to disperse the crowd - many of whom complained of a burning sensation in their throats.

One man was taken to hospital and police said he "may lose his life" after he was hit by a bullet fired by someone in the crowd.

Captain Ronald Johnson said officers initially responded to concerns about people who had broken into a barbecue restaurant and taken up position on a roof overlooking police. 

The shooting of Michael Brown sparked protests across the US

He said tear gas was first used after shots were fired, including at a police car, as officers tried to get to the gun victim.

Speaking at a news conference in the early hours of the morning, he said use of the gas was a "proper response to maintain officer safety and public safety".

Seven protesters were arrested for failing to disperse, he said.

Hundreds of demonstrators had left peacefully before the midnight to 5am deadline took effect on Sunday morning.

But the remaining protesters - chanting "No justice! No curfew!" - refused to leave the area.

A protester throws a gas canister back towards police

As five armoured tactical vehicles approached the crowd, officers said through a loudspeaker: "You are in violation of a state-imposed curfew. You must disperse immediately. Failure to comply may result in arrest."

Officers put on gas masks as some of the crowd shouted back: "We have the right to assemble peacefully."

Moments later, police began firing smoke canisters into the crowd of protesters.

Speaking from the scene in Ferguson, Sky News US Correspondent Greg Milam said: "There was a hard core of about 150-200 who had said they would defy the curfew and did.

"At the time that curfew came into effect there were long lines of police with riot equipment - shields, helmets, masks and batons.

A demonstrator overcome by the effects of gas is carried away

"They stepped back, allowing SWAT teams to move in with armoured vehicles."

Michael Brown, 18, was unarmed and it has been claimed he was trying to surrender before he was shot dead by white officer Darren Wilson on August 9.

His death sparked protests across the US and scenes of armoured tanks and officers in riot gear firing tear gas on crowds in Ferguson were broadcast around the world last week as tensions in the St Louis suburb boiled over.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon imposed a state of emergency and curfew on Saturday after looters targeted a shop which police say Michael Brown may have robbed before he was killed.

The release of CCTV footage of an individual police said they believed was the 18-year-old walking out of the convenience store with a box of cigars and assaulting the owner had fuelled the anger felt by his family and protesters in the area.

It is understood Officer Wilson stopped Mr Brown for jaywalking before opening fire and had no knowledge the teen was a robbery suspect.

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Russian Missile Launchers 'Cross Into Ukraine'

A convoy of Russian military equipment, including at least three missile launchers, has crossed into Ukraine, according to officials in Kiev, as a fighter jet was shot down by pro-Moscow rebels.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said at least three Grad missile systems were among the weapons being sent to the separatists in the east of the country, who are battling a Ukrainian government offensive.

Andriy Lysenko also told journalists that Russian drones had violated Ukrainian air space on 10 occasions.

The fighter jet MiG-29 plane was shot down in the Luhansk area, where Ukrainian forces recaptured a police station on Sunday after more than three months under the control of the separatists.

Russian vehicles with containers for BUK-M1 missiles in Rostov on Saturday

The pilot ejected from the MiG-29 plane and has been found after a search, spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivsky said.

Mr Dmytrashkivsky said the plane was shot after launching an attack on rebels.

The shooting down of the plane came after Kiev and Moscow reached agreement on the passage of a Russian aid convoy into the east.

There are reports that 16 of the aid trucks left the parking lot in western Russia where the convoy has been waiting and headed for the Ukrainian border.

The plane was shot down in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine

Ukraine had been concerned the convoy of 280 white trucks could be a 'Trojan horse', allowing Russia to set up a permanent presence in rebel-held territory.

But Russia "guaranteed" the US that no military personnel were in the vehicles, which have been stuck near the border for the past few days.

Moscow says the trucks are carrying water, food and medicine for people displaced by fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Red Cross officials have been examining the contents of the lorries.

Several lorries from a Russian aid convoy are moving to the border

They say they need security guarantees from both sides before the convoy can start moving across the border.

Fighting in Ukraine has escalated since the insurgency arose in April, with government troops steadily taking back rebel-held territory in the east.

Luhansk is reportedly suffering from severe electrical outages and shortages of food and medicine.

Donetsk, the largest rebel-held city, is also suffering through frequent shelling.

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