THE ISIS UPDATE.
British PM Cameron says he will use 'all assets' against Islamic State; Turkish president demands apology from Biden; Germany plans to expand its military engagement in northern Iraq.
In this photo released by the
Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad prays
during Eid al-Adha at a mosque in Damascus, Syria, Ocober 4, 2014.
Photo by AP.
1:03 P.M.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Saturday he would use "all
the assets we have" to try to find hostages being held by Islamic
State.
Speaking in a broadcast message after the release on Friday of a video showing the decapitated body of British aid worker Alan Henning, Cameron said the whole country was mourning.
"In terms of what we will do, we will use all the assets we have ... to try and find these hostages, to try and help these hostages ... and do everything we can to defeat this organisation which is utterly ruthless, senseless and barbaric in the way it treats people." (Reuters)
12:14 P.M. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is demanding an apology from U.S. Vice President Joe Biden over comments in which he said the Turkish leader had admitted to him that Turkey had allowed foreign fighters to cross into Syria.
Erdogan denied ever saying that and told reporters Saturday that Biden "will be history for me if he has indeed used such expressions." (AP)
11:54 A.M. Syrian President Bashar Assad has made a rare public appearance at a mosque in Damascus at the start of a Muslim holiday, a photo posted on the presidency's official Twitter feed on Saturday showed.
Assad is shown seated on the floor of al-Numan bin Bashir mosque in the front row of a group of men in prayers for the Eid al-Adha celebration.
One of Assad's last public appearances was in July at the presidential palace when he was sworn in for a new term and gave a defiant speech, vowing to recover all Syria from insurgents. (Reuters)
11:53 A.M. Germany's military plans to expand its engagement in the fight against the Islamic State militant group in northern Iraq, dpa learned Saturday after a briefing of the German parliament's Defense Committee by Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
Germany is considering the establishment of a military training centre in Erbil, capital of the autonomous region of Kurdistan; participation in Iraqi military training; and the dispatch of additional military officers. The Defense Ministry confirmed the plans. (DPA)
Speaking in a broadcast message after the release on Friday of a video showing the decapitated body of British aid worker Alan Henning, Cameron said the whole country was mourning.
"In terms of what we will do, we will use all the assets we have ... to try and find these hostages, to try and help these hostages ... and do everything we can to defeat this organisation which is utterly ruthless, senseless and barbaric in the way it treats people." (Reuters)
12:14 P.M. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is demanding an apology from U.S. Vice President Joe Biden over comments in which he said the Turkish leader had admitted to him that Turkey had allowed foreign fighters to cross into Syria.
Erdogan denied ever saying that and told reporters Saturday that Biden "will be history for me if he has indeed used such expressions." (AP)
11:54 A.M. Syrian President Bashar Assad has made a rare public appearance at a mosque in Damascus at the start of a Muslim holiday, a photo posted on the presidency's official Twitter feed on Saturday showed.
Assad is shown seated on the floor of al-Numan bin Bashir mosque in the front row of a group of men in prayers for the Eid al-Adha celebration.
One of Assad's last public appearances was in July at the presidential palace when he was sworn in for a new term and gave a defiant speech, vowing to recover all Syria from insurgents. (Reuters)
11:53 A.M. Germany's military plans to expand its engagement in the fight against the Islamic State militant group in northern Iraq, dpa learned Saturday after a briefing of the German parliament's Defense Committee by Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
Germany is considering the establishment of a military training centre in Erbil, capital of the autonomous region of Kurdistan; participation in Iraqi military training; and the dispatch of additional military officers. The Defense Ministry confirmed the plans. (DPA)
