Mosul; ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “Confident in Victory”

As Iraqi Counter Terrorist forces entered Mosul, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a message to boost the morale of the ISIS fighters. He also expressed his confidence in victory.

Furthermore, the jihadist leader urged his fighters to attack the neighboring country, Turkey.

“This raging battle and total war, and the great jihad that the state of Islam is fighting today only increases our firm belief, God willing, and our conviction that all this is a prelude to victory,” Baghdadi said in an audio recording.

Baghdadi also called on the people of Mosul to fight the “enemies of God”. He added that they should not “weaken in the jihad.”

He addressed the ISIS suicide fighters to “turn the nights of the unbelievers into days, to wreak havoc in their land and make their blood flow as rivers.”

The city of Mosul, home to 1.5 million people was captured by the Islamic State two years ago. They then declared it as an ISIS ‘caliphate.’

Baghdadi also instructed his fighters to “unleash the fire of their anger” on Turkish forces fighting them in Syria.

Turkey today entered your range of action and the aim of your jihad … invade it and turn its safety into fear,” he added.

Iraqi counter-terrorism forces together with Kurdish troops and some Shi’ite militias have been attacking ISIS forces for months.

Baghdadi instructed his forces to launch “attack after attack” in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, he urged them to target security forces, government officials, media news offices, and members of the Al Saud family.

Baghdadi said Saudi Arabia has sided with “infidel nations in the war on Islam and the Sunna (Sunni Muslims) in Iraq and Syria.”

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said the caliphate was not affected by the death of its 2 senior commanders named Abu Muhammad al-Adnani and Abu Muhammad al-Furqan. Both commanders were killed this year in a U.S. airstrike.

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Tensions are Rising as Calais ‘Jungle’ Refugees’ Face Demolition

Tensions are high inside as 1200 police and officials started evicting migrants in Calais “Jungle” camp.

The makeshift camp houses 7,000 migrants in squalid conditions.

The First batch of refugees have been peacefully processed and would be transferred to refugee centers across France.

Refugees refuse to go because of their hopes to get to Britain and this resulted to some clashes with police over the weekend. Complete demolition of the camp is expected to take place on Tuesday.

Officials gave the refugees 2 options; seek asylum in France or return to their country of origin.

An estimated 1,300 unaccompanied children from the camp has been permitted to enter Britain.

Migrants are being placed in groups to separate the ones with families and those who are traveling alone.

After they process the refugees, they will be placed on 450 centers in various parts of France and will be given the opportunity to claim asylum. On the other hand, those who refuse could face deportation.

There are approximately 7,500 beds available in refugee centers across France. Officials have predicted that 2,500 people will leave the Calais camp on Monday.

The camps’ converted shipping containers will be transformed into children’s houses. However, the rest of the Jungle will be dismantled.

The French interior ministry, “does not want to use force but if there are migrants who refuse to leave, or NGOs who cause trouble, the police might be forced to intervene.”

British activists from the No Borders group have traveled to the Jungle to try to disrupt the demolition process.

An Afghan refugee at the camp told AFP news agency, “They’ll have to force us to leave. We want to go to Britain.”

However, a Sudan migrant said, “I feel very happy. I’ve had enough of the Jungle.”
Refugees from Africa and the Middle-East have recently attempted to board Lorries bound for Britain. Consequently, clashes with drivers and police have occurred.

Migrants’ Haven

Migrants have been wanting to enter Britain in the hopes of finding work and asylum. Moreover, quite a number of them want to enter incognito and remain as illegal workers.

Most of these people speak English and do not know any other European language. Furthermore, some have relatives living in the UK.

Commentators believe illegal migrants see Britain as a “soft touch” for benefits and a better place to find “black economy” jobs.

The UK funded a £1.9m wall 1k long built along the main road to the port, to avoid refugees illegally riding Lorries. The wall construction started last month, which is due to finish by the end of this year.

Calais Jungle

Just a few meters away from Port of Calais and 13-miles away from the Channel Tunnel, the refugees wait and hope to cross the English Channel for a better life.

Concerns arose in the EU as migrant’s numbers rise. Last year more than one million have entered Europe.

In March, EU and Turkey struck a deal to stop refugees crossing from Greece, while Balkan nations closed their borders to them. As a result, the number of migrants entering Europe using the so-called Mediterranean route have decreased.

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Syrian Refugee Children Making Clothes for International Brands

Syrian children refugees have been making clothes for international brands, according to undercover investigation by BBC Panorama.

Panorama investigated factories in Turkey and found children illegally working for international brands such as Marks and Spencer, Zara, and Mango jeans.

These international brands however denied and reiterated that they do not tolerate the exploitation of refugees especially children.

Marks and Spencer added they didn’t find any single Syrian refugee working in its supply chain in Turkey.

However, Panorama found seven Syrian children working in one of the said retailer’s main factories. The refugee often earns little than a pound an hour, sew to survive. They were usually recruited through a middleman who paid cash on the streets.

The youngest worker was 15 years old and he is required to work more than 12 hours a day ironing clothes before they were shipped.

One of the refugees told BBC Panorama they were treated poorly at the factory; he also added, “If anything happens to a Syrian, they will throw him away like a piece of cloth.”

Marks and Spencer said all its Syrian workers were legally employed and finds the programme’s findings “extremely serious” and “unacceptable to M&S.”

M&S spokesperson said, “Ethical trading is fundamental to M&S. All of our suppliers are contractually required to comply with our Global Sourcing Principles, which cover what we expect and require of them and their treatment of workers.”

“We do not tolerate such breaches of these principles and we will do all we can to ensure that this does not happen again,” he added.

Danielle McMullan, from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre said, “It’s not enough to say we didn’t know about this, it’s not our fault.”

“They have a responsibility to monitor and to understand where their clothes are being made and what conditions they are being made in,” he added.

12 hours of work for a pound

Most international brands now manufacture clothes in Turkey because of it’s prime location to Europe. Factories in Turkey allow retailers to get new designs into shops more quickly.

However, concerns are growing about exploitation of workers, especially children, after three million Syrian refugees entered Turkey.

“They speak of pitiful wages and terrible working conditions. They know they are being exploited but they know they can do nothing about it,” according to Panorama reporter Darragh Macintyre.

Panorama’s team saw several Syrian children working hard in one workshop in Istanbul. They also saw a sample product for Asos.

Asos, online retailer said all its clothes were made in the factory. However, after their inspection, they found 11 Syrian adults and 3 Syrian children under 16 at work.

Asos said they will financially support these children so they can return to school. Further, the adult refugees will be paid minimum wage until they found legal work. An Asos spokesperson said, “We have implemented these remediation programmes despite the fact that this factory has nothing to do with Asos.”

The investigation also found refugees working 12 hours a day in a factory making Mango and Zara clothes. For this they are paid a pound each.

No basic protection for hazardous work

Most of the refugee workers don’t have basic protection such as face masks. They spray hazardous chemicals to bleach the jeans hence they are at risk.

Inditex, Zara’s parent company said its factory inspection is a “highly effective way of monitoring and improving conditions”. They already found significant non-compliance audit in June and gave the factory an ultimatum to make necessary improvements until December.

Panorama also found another Istanbul factory with Syrian refugees at work alongside Turkish children as young as 10.

The owner of the factory showed the investigating team they have been working for Next. He also showed them a set of pyjamas.

However, Next denies working with the factory. They pyjamas were circulated as a sample and were actually made by another supplier.

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Iraq PM warns Turkey of Regional Conflict if Turkish Troops Stay in Iraq Territory

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi gave a stern warning to Turkey that they risk triggering a regional conflict by allowing Turkish troops to remain in northern Iraq. At the same time, neighboring states had summoned each other’s ambassadors as tensions between both countries mount.

Turkey’s parliament with a vote last week has decided to extend continue the fight against terrorist organization in Iraq. Probable targets for Turkish military operations include the Kurdish militants and the Islamic State.

Iraq’s parliament on the other hand, responded by condemning the vote by the Turkish parliamentary vote. Iraq called for an immediate recall of the 2,000 Turkish troops in its territory.

Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Abadi warned their neighbor on state TV on Wednesday. “We have asked the Turkish side more than once not to intervene in Iraqi matters. I fear the Turkish adventure could turn into a regional war,” Al-Abadi said further. “The Turkish leadership’s behavior is not acceptable and we don’t want to get into a military confrontation with Turkey.”

The vote had flared up the already high tension between the two nation. Tensions began with the Syrian war and the spread of Islamic State.

Diplomatic Protests

Turkey announced on Tuesday that they had summoned the Iraqi ambassador to protest about the parliamentary vote. Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment with the vote and said. “We believe this decision does not reflect the views of the majority of Iraqi people, whom Turkey has stood by for years and attempted to support with all its resources,” and further added. “We find it noteworthy that the Iraqi parliament, which has not said anything about the accepted mandate for years, puts this on the agenda as though it were a new development in times when terror is taking so many lives in Turkey and Iraq.”

Iraq on the other hand, summoned the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad. to complain on what it said were “provocative” statements made in Ankara with regard to allowing the Turkish troops to stay in northern Iraq.

Turkey said that the deployment of their troops last year was part of an international operation. Their mission was to train and equip the Iraqi forces to deal with Islamic State.

Iraq on the other hand said that there was no invitation for the Turkish troops and as such, considers them as occupiers on Iraq’s sovereign soil.

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