WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump vouched publicly on Tuesday for Qatar's efforts to stop the funding of terrorism, reversing his past critique and lending presidential credence to Qatari claims that it's been unfairly maligned by its Persian Gulf rivals.Less than a year ago, Trump stood in the Rose Garden and chided the tiny, gas-rich nation for historically funding terror at a "high level," as he broke with his secretary of state by siding against Qatar in its row with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other neighbors. Since then, Qatar has mounted an aggressive and well-funded campaign to rehabilitate its image in the U.S. and prove it's a reliable American partner.As Qatar's ruling emir visited the White House on Tuesday, the fruits of that labor began to show."You've now become a very big advocate, and we appreciate it," Trump told Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. "A lot of countries were funding terrorism and we're stopping it. It's getting stopped and fast … [Read more...] about Trump extols Qatar on anti-terror, reversing past critique
Terror over egypt
Egypt Army Says Eight Soldiers, 14 Jihadists Killed in Attack on Sinai Military Camp
(AFP) CAIRO — Egypt’s army said jihadists wearing explosive belts tried to storm a military camp in the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday in an assault that left eight soldiers and 14 attackers dead. The militants blew themselves up outside the camp after they were prevented by security forces from entering, an army statement said.“The armed forces were able today to foil a large terrorist operation,” the military said. Jihadists who have declared allegiance to the Islamic State group (IS) have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen in the Sinai since the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, following mass protests against him.More than 100 jihadists and at least 22 soldiers have been killed in an ongoing operation launched on February 9 against the jihadists, according to army figures. Earlier Saturday the Egyptian army said that 27 jihadists were killed over the last few days in a sweeping operation in the Sinai to quash extremists based … [Read more...] about Egypt Army Says Eight Soldiers, 14 Jihadists Killed in Attack on Sinai Military Camp
How did voters register their protest in Egypt’s presidential election?
Democracy Dies in Darkness Sections Home Subscribe Try 1 month for $1 Username Sign In Account Profile Newsletters & Alerts Gift Subscriptions Contact Us Help Desk Subscribe Account Profile Newsletters & Alerts Gift Subscriptions Contact Us Help Desk Accessibility for screenreader Monkey Cage Analysis Analysis Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events by Elizabeth R. Nugent by Elizabeth R. Nugent April 16 at 8:00 AM An Egyptian woman casts her vote March 27 at a polling station in Cairo, during the second day of the presidential election. (Amr Nabil/AP) During the last week of March, Egyptians headed to the polls to award incumbent President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi a second term. The event was an election in name only — and many Egyptians intentionally invalidated their ballots to register … [Read more...] about How did voters register their protest in Egypt’s presidential election?
Egypt’s Top Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Buying Facebook Likes
World Egypt Facebook Islam Fatwa Egypt's top authority on Islamic law has condemned the buying social media followers and likes, decrying the act as deceptive and religiously “immoral.” Shawki Allam, the North African country’s Grand Mufti, criticized the practice of purchasing engagement on Facebook as an act of “fraud,” that goes against Islamic principles. Far from going after the general use of the social media platform, however, Allam suggested permitted ways to do business on Facebook and even made the announcement via the platform itself. Read More: Mummy remains discovered inside coffin after 2,500 years Writing on the page of Dar al-Ifta, the religious institution tasked with interpreting scripture for Sunni Muslims in Egypt, Allam warned that what distinguishes improper behavior online is when a user engages in "deceptive" social media posts. Boosting content on your account to get a wider audience was … [Read more...] about Egypt’s Top Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Buying Facebook Likes
Israeli Planes Strike Dozens of Gaza Terror Targets After Projectiles Fired into Israel
The Times of Israel reports: The Israeli military struck targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in response to an early morning barrage of at least 28 mortar shells from Gaza at communities in southern Israel, with the Hamas terror group identifying one of the targets as its training facility. The military said 35 targets were struck by warplanes operating over the Strip. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said the military struck a tunnel as well as “terror targets” in a “massive and strong” retaliatory attack. “Hamas and Islamic Jihad are paying the price and we’ve only starting settling accounts,” he said in a tweet.The strikes came shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to respond “with great force” to the mortar shells, one of which landed just outside a kindergarten less than an hour before children were due to arrive. The military said the tunnel that was struck extended from Rafah in Egypt … [Read more...] about Israeli Planes Strike Dozens of Gaza Terror Targets After Projectiles Fired into Israel