73 killed in Iraqi Sunni mosque attack

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At least 73 people have been killed after a Shia Muslim armed group opened fire inside an Iraqi Sunni mosque in the village of Bani Wais in the country’s eastern Diyala province, medical sources have said.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A security source said bodies had been arriving at the hospital in the city of Baquba in Diyala province on Friday.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Footage posted later on YouTube appeared to show the dead strewn across the mosque floor, including the body of at least one child.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf, reporting from Erbil, said that according to local sources, the attack could have been in retaliation for a roadside bomb attack at a recruitment event organised by the same militia.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At least 73 people have been killed after a Shia Muslim armed group opened fire inside an Iraqi Sunni mosque in the village of Bani Wais in the country’s eastern Diyala province, medical sources have said.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A security source said bodies had been arriving at the hospital in the city of Baquba in Diyala province on Friday.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Footage posted later on YouTube appeared to show the dead strewn across the mosque floor, including the body of at least one child.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf, reporting from Erbil, said that according to local sources, the attack could have been in retaliation for a roadside bomb attack at a recruitment event organised by the same militia.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Check out our complete coverage of the crisis in Iraq</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Such sectarian violence could hurt efforts by Iraq’s new prime minister, moderate Shia Haider al-Abadi, to form a government that can unite Iraqis against the Islamic State group, the Sunni rebel group that has seized large parts of the country.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Two Sunni parliamentary blocs have suspended talks on forming a new Iraqi government to protest the attack.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The blocs affiliated with Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al Mutlak are demanding that outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the main Shia parliamentary bloc hand over the perpetrators within 48 hours and compensate the families of victims, the AP news agency reported.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Iraq’s newly appointed prime minister condemned the attack on the mosque.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I strongly condemn the killing of civilians and worshipers in Diyala province and I call on the citizens to reject these attempts by the enemies of Iraq to exploit the incident in order to stir up strife between the sons of the same homeland,” he said.<br />Attacks on mosques have in the past unleashed a deadly series of revenge killings and counter attacks in Iraq, where violence has returned to the levels of 2006-2007, the peak of a sectarian civil war.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In July, Shia armed groups executed 15 Sunni Muslims and then hung them from electricity poles in a public square in Baquba, police said.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Diyala police officials told the Reuters news agency they had provided Shia militias with names for hit lists so that suspected members of the Islamic State group could be tracked and executed.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Iraqi security forces killed more than 255 Sunni prisoners in July in apparent retaliation for killings of Shias by the Islamic State group, according to Human Rights Watch</span></div> </div>

73 killed in Iraqi Sunni mosque attack

At least 73 people have been killed after a Shia Muslim armed group opened fire inside an Iraqi Sunni mosque in the village of Bani Wais i...

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Islamic State Recruits Are Young, Angry And Rebellious, But Are They Actually Religious?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you were to assemble a clichéd prototype of a British fighter for the Islamic State, what would they look like? They'd be young, looking for a way to rebel, maybe with family in places the West has intervened, like Iraq, Gaza or Afghanistan.</span><br /> <div class="content" id="mainentrycontent" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 20px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He, for it is almost always men, probably rebelled at school, and against authority in general. He is looking for excitement, for a sense of purpose, to get out of rundown suburbs.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But, bar watching YouTube clips of extremist preachers from Saudi, is he actually religious?</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="isis flag" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1978027/thumbs/o-ISIS-FLAG-570.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div> <center style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Are the IS fighters really following the call of religion?</strong></div> </center> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The answer, according to psychologists, mosque leaders and academics, is almost certainly not.<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mehdi-hasan/jihadist-radicalisation-islam-for-dummies_b_5697160.html?utm_hp_ref=uk" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink"> Mehdi Hasan points out this week in his HuffPost UK column</a>, that two wannabe jihadists Yusuf Sarwar and Mohammed Ahmed, purchased <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Islam for Dummies</em> and <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Koran for Dummies</em> from Amazon.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Religion is rarely, if ever a sole motivator, but part of an ideology," Dr Anne Speckhard, professor of psychiatry in the Georgetown University Medical School and author of Talking to Terrorists, which involved speaking to more than 400 failed suicide bombers, family members, militants and hostages. "In this case a hijacked version of Islam that promises the jihadi an abundant afterlife, rewards for himself and his family, forgiveness from 'sins'.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"The ideology and group has to resonate to needs—to belong in some cases, to feel manly, to offer an adventure, to offer an alternative to boredom, frustrated aspirations, to confer a heroic identity versus feeling marginalised or discriminated against."</span></div> <blockquote style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mehdi-hasan/jihadist-radicalisation-islam-for-dummies_b_5697160.html?utm_hp_ref=uk" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">What the Jihadists Who Bought 'Islam For Dummies' on Amazon Tell Us About Radicalisation</a></strong></div> <div class="ql" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="qr" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> </blockquote> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"These people are within ordinary reach but they may have already opted out of mainstream mosques and from mainstream authority figures," she added. "They often isolate themselves with others who believe as they do and reinforce groupthink in that way."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In the wake of the barbaric killing of James Foley by a masked jihadist with a south London twang, British Muslim community leaders are facing recriminations that they don't do enough, but often they simply do not know the young people who are at risk.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="isis" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1874600/thumbs/o-ISIS-570.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div> <center style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan in the recruitment video</strong></div> </center> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="reyaad khan" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1979844/thumbs/o-REYAAD-KHAN-570.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div> <center style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Reyaad Khan pictured previously at school in Cardiff</strong></div> </center> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In June, it was alleged that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/25/mosqueextremism-isis_n_5528251.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">two British jihadis who appeared on a slick recruitment film for Islamist insurgents in Syria</a> had been themselves recruited at The Al-Manar Centre in Cardiff, something the mosque stringently denied. "We are opposed to going to Syria or any other country, to participate in an armed struggle and have always made this clear," the Centre said, after the video of Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan surfaced.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"May we reiterate our concerns that the internet has become an alarming source for radicalisation of such vulnerable members of our British society."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Muthana's father Ahmed, said his son had "betrayed'' his country and was "brainwashed" by what he read online. Friends remembered <a href="https://twitter.com/adam_J14/status/500961498634915840" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Khan was a "loser loner"</a>at home in Cardiff.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That has been the experience of Salman Farsi of the East London mosque. "He [Foley's killer] is supposed to be from south London, right?" he said. "The communities in south London have a lot of hardships, there are many broken homes, criminal backgrounds. To be honest, going to mosque would help them but we can't go onto the street and drag these people away from their computers and into mosques."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Shiraz Maher, senior fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King’s College, London, said radical preachers and rogue mosques were now far less of a problem. "In the past, certain hard-line mosques — like Abu Hamza’s notorious complex at Finsbury Park in North London — played the central role in driving impressionable young men towards extremism," <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2730372/Why-British-jihadis-fighting-Syria-Iraq-vicious-SHIRAZ-MAHER.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">he wrote in a piece for the Daily Mail</a>. "But today the mosques and hate preachers are less significant. Now, the internet and social media are the key recruiting tools for the jihadists."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fiyaz Mughal, who works on radicalisation prevention with his organisation Faith Matters, said there was little in practice that mosques could do to reach the troubled teens and young adults.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"It's an anti-establishment calling, not a religious calling," he said, pointing to the example of the Deghayes family from Brighton.</span></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%;"><img alt="abdullah deghayes" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1746871/thumbs/o-ABDULLAH-DEGHAYES-570.jpg?3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><center style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Abdullah Deghayes is believed to have gone to Syria to fight pro-Assad forces</strong></div> </center> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="deghayes" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1978026/thumbs/o-DEGHAYES-570.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div> <center style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The brother of Guantanamo detainee, Abubaker Deghayes, pictured, one of the problem families Mughal identifies</strong></div> </center> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%;"><img alt="abdullah deghayes" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1746878/thumbs/o-ABDULLAH-DEGHAYES-570.jpg?6" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><center style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The teenager was in Syria with two of his brothers</strong></div> </center> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Omar Deghayes was captured in Pakistan and sent to Guantanamo, later released without charge. Two of his nephews went to fight in Syria, with one of them, Abdullah, killed in the conflict. Police, along with Mughal's organisation, are working to try and prevent more of the family joining them.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"All of those kids, they have an absent father, a mother who is only semi-religious," Mughal said. "The kids fought police, fought at school, rebelled against every power structure at every opportunity. They suffered a lot of racism which made their rebelliousness even more aggressive.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"If the imam says, 'don't go', they'll do it. They'll just rebel against any forms of authorities. They don't know much about religion, or about anything, frankly. They won't listen to their imam, or their parents, or to me."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Violence at home can be a factor, Speckhard said, because "a barrier to using violence to solve problems has already been breached." And once they arrive in the desert, the violence is already so normalised, it "snowballs" and peer pressure makes young men do extreme things they would never have expected.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Recent immigrants from backwards areas and parents who are struggling to make it might not pay enough attention to their kids and what they are getting into," she added, citing her experience interviewing those caught up in extremism from Manchester and Leeds.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The East London Mosque's Salman Farsi said that many of those who were drawn to extreme Islam were "thugs" who wanted to give their love of violence and intimidation a higher purpose. "In my experience of coming into contact with these troubled individuals, who have come to Islam while they were in prison or through unsavoury characters, they have always held on to part of their previous identity, their ignorance, their predisposition for violence," Farsi said. "They haven't let go.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"They use the religion to legitimise that anger and violence into hatred for individuals who are not now conforming with their new way of thinking, their new ideology." He cites the infamous "Muslim patrols" in east London where stickers appeared declaring Tower Hamlets a "gay-free-zome". "They were very hard for Muslim leaders to reach because of their troubled backgrounds," he said.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And slick recruiters know those troubled youngsters are their target audience, with videos posted on YouTube aimed at getting young men to join the fight in Syria, entitled "Mujahid's Advice to leave the 'Gangsta' Life".</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vLRvp4PN_Go" style="border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="560"></iframe></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Going off to fight for a "noble" cause is an exciting prospect for a young man with a troubled past and few prospects at home, but the Instagram and Twitter pictures and statuses posted by British recruits show <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/jonstone/foreign-jihadi-fighters-in-iraq-and-syria-keep-tweeting-pict#2swy82p" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">cute cats</a>, <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/08/20/twitter-removes-images-of-dead-people-following-robin-williams-suicide-isis-beheading-media-blackout-censor-james-foley/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Robin Williams movies</a> and missing<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2724889/ISIS-goes-nuts-Nutella-Brutal-Jihadists-reveal-bizarre-soft-spot-chocolate-hazelnut-spread.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">European treats like Nutella</a>, are just as common topics as any kind of theological debate. Theology, when it is discussed, stretches only as far as twisting verses of the Koran to fit their extreme violence.</span></div> <blockquote style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 15px; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">READ MORE</strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-top: 8px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/20/watch-james-foleys-beheading-online-and-you-could-get-arrested_n_5694871.html?utm_hp_ref=uk" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Met Police Give You Another Reason Not To Watch Islamic State Beheading Video</a></strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-top: 8px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/20/new-york-post-james-foley-beheading_n_5694225.html?utm_hp_ref=uk" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">People Are Seriously Outraged About The New York Post's Front Page</a></strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-top: 8px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/20/us-hostages-syria_n_5696419.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">US Attempted And Failed To Rescue American Hostages In Syria</a></strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-top: 8px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/19/islamic-state-militant-who-beheaded-james-foley-spoke-with-a-british-accent_n_5693434.html?utm_hp_ref=uk" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Shock And Fury As Video Shows Beheading Of US Journalist</a></strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-top: 8px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/20/british-militants-vicious-james-foley_n_5693740.html?1408525247&utm_hp_ref=uk" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">British IS Militants 'Among Most Vicious'</a></strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-top: 8px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/20/james-foley-journalism-beheading-_n_5693791.html?1408526445" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">This Is The Way We Should Remember James Foley</a></strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-top: 8px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/20/a-history-of-extremist-beheadings_n_5693741.html?1408524434&utm_hp_ref=uk" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Killing Is Just The Latest Beheading By Extremists</a></strong></div> <div class="ql" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="qr" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> </blockquote> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Islamic State (IS), formerly known as Isis, are different to Islamist recruiters of recent times, Farsi added. "What IS have manage to do is glamourise living in the desert with nothing, even Al Qaeda didn't actually manage to do that. The use of social media, infographics, Instagram. It connects with young people."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That romanticism evaporates soon enough, but the recruits are too far gone to turn back by then, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2730372/Why-British-jihadis-fighting-Syria-Iraq-vicious-SHIRAZ-MAHER.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Maher wrote in the Mail. </a>"Any initial romanticism about an adventure in the desert, or early idealism about protecting Muslims, is quickly replaced by a pitiless inhumanity and a callous glorification of terror," he wrote "It is common to describe these young British radicals as ‘brainwashed’. But I dislike using that term because it far too easily absolves them of responsibility for their actions.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"They know only too well exactly what they are doing. They have consciously decided to immerse themselves in a blood-soaked narrative of vengeance and power, in which they will annihilate their enemies, destroy Western values and ensure the triumph of their perverted, totalitarian version of Islam."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Speckhard says that social justice, just as it was for George Orwell heading to fight the Spanish fascists or young Brits volunteering to fight the Nazis, is actually a motivator for the Islamic State (IS) recruits, in their own twisted outlook.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"When they see terrible things happening they feel upset," she said. "If a group offers them an opportunity to respond and feeds them an ideology that tells them to do so via terrorism is the best way and conveys to them that they will win many rewards and a positive identity, if it impresses the women, leads to a belief that all wrongs will be forgiven, offers adventure etc. it all comes together to form the lethal cocktail of terrorism."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Speckhard said she believes most of the young jihadis know they will die, unlike many of the soldiers who signed up to fight in World Wars. She met failed suicide bombers who had entirely accepted the idea, they were "so unhappy in their lives that they preferred to go to a 'better place'."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One quote that has done the rounds on Twitter, attributed to the BBC's Frank Gardner, is that the motivating factor for IS recruits is "<a href="https://twitter.com/sarah_birke/status/502001775780835328" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">not religion, not even territory, it's psychopathy</a>." But it's not really as simple as that, Speckhard says, saying the men are not mentally ill.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"For one guy it may be losing his job and now he’s ready to go, for another wanting to impress a girl, for another his friends have gone or are going and he decides to join them, but for all of these they have already 'drank the koolaid' of the virulent ideology and been impressed enough that this is a group that they want to join and belong to," she said.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">IS is "euphoric with success" right now, she added. "There is high social support all resonating and interacting with the individual needs and vulnerabilities of potential fighters. When it all comes together boom—that’s the person who goes."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It can leave mosques and Muslim youth leaders feeling a sense of helplessness. Government cuts have played their part too, Mughal said. "We have to identify the families it could happen to, and look at what is causing their grievances," he said. "It costs money, but it can save lives. The best work that was being done, early intervention and youth engagement work, that has all been been cut away. 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padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none !important; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.298039) 1px 1px 0px; top: 50%; transition: all 0.3s ease; vertical-align: baseline; width: 30px; z-index: 10;" tabindex="-1"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Previous</span></span></a></li> <li class="last" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a beacon="{"p":{"event_action":"arrow_right_in_thumbnail_nav"}}" class="flex-next" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/21/isis-recruits-are-young-angry-and-rebellious-but-are-they-actually-religious_n_5697744.html?1408716869&utm_hp_ref=uk#" sl-processed="1" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 50px; margin: -35px 0px 0px; opacity: 1; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 10px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none !important; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.298039) 1px 1px 0px; top: 50%; transition: all 0.3s ease; vertical-align: baseline; width: 30px; z-index: 10;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Next</span></span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><section class="also-on" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> </h3> </section></footer><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Omar Deghayes was captured in Pakistan and sent to Guantanamo, later released without charge. Two of his nephews went to fight in Syria, with one of them, Abdullah, killed in the conflict. Police, along with Mughal's organization, are working to try and prevent more of the family joining them.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"All of those kids, they have an absent father, a mother who is only semi-religious," Mughal said. "The kids fought police, fought at school, rebelled against every power structure at every opportunity. They suffered a lot of racism which made their rebelliousness even more aggressive.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"If the imam says, 'don't go', they'll do it. They'll just rebel against any forms of authorities. They don't know much about religion, or about anything, frankly. They won't listen to their imam, or their parents, or to me."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Violence at home can be a factor, Speckhard said, because "a barrier to using violence to solve problems has already been breached." And once they arrive in the desert, the violence is already so normalised, it "snowballs" and peer pressure makes young men do extreme things they would never have expected.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Recent immigrants from backwards areas and parents who are struggling to make it might not pay enough attention to their kids and what they are getting into," she added, citing her experience interviewing those caught up in extremism from Manchester and Leeds.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The East London Mosque's Salman Farsi said that many of those who were drawn to extreme Islam were "thugs" who wanted to give their love of violence and intimidation a higher purpose. "In my experience of coming into contact with these troubled individuals, who have come to Islam while they were in prison or through unsavoury characters, they have always held on to part of their previous identity, their ignorance, their predisposition for violence," Farsi said. "They haven't let go.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"They use the religion to legitimise that anger and violence into hatred for individuals who are not now conforming with their new way of thinking, their new ideology." He cites the infamous "Muslim patrols" in east London where stickers appeared declaring Tower Hamlets a "gay-free-zome". "They were very hard for Muslim leaders to reach because of their troubled backgrounds," he said.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And slick recruiters know those troubled youngsters are their target audience, with videos posted on YouTube aimed at getting young men to join the fight in Syria, entitled "Mujahid's Advice to leave the 'Gangsta' Life".</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vLRvp4PN_Go" style="border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="560"></iframe></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Going off to fight for a "noble" cause is an exciting prospect for a young man with a troubled past and few prospects at home, but the Instagram and Twitter pictures and statuses posted by British recruits show <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/jonstone/foreign-jihadi-fighters-in-iraq-and-syria-keep-tweeting-pict#2swy82p" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">cute cats</a>, <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/08/20/twitter-removes-images-of-dead-people-following-robin-williams-suicide-isis-beheading-media-blackout-censor-james-foley/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Robin Williams movies</a> and missing<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2724889/ISIS-goes-nuts-Nutella-Brutal-Jihadists-reveal-bizarre-soft-spot-chocolate-hazelnut-spread.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">European treats like Nutella</a>, are just as common topics as any kind of theological debate. Theology, when it is discussed, stretches only as far as twisting verses of the Koran to fit their extreme violence.</span></div> <div class="content" id="mainentrycontent" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 20px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Islamic State (IS), formerly known as Isis, are different to Islamist recruiters of recent times, Farsi added. "What IS have manage to do is glamourise living in the desert with nothing, even Al Qaeda didn't actually manage to do that. The use of social media, infographics, Instagram. It connects with young people."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That romanticism evaporates soon enough, but the recruits are too far gone to turn back by then, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2730372/Why-British-jihadis-fighting-Syria-Iraq-vicious-SHIRAZ-MAHER.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Maher wrote in the Mail. </a>"Any initial romanticism about an adventure in the desert, or early idealism about protecting Muslims, is quickly replaced by a pitiless inhumanity and a callous glorification of terror," he wrote "It is common to describe these young British radicals as ‘brainwashed’. But I dislike using that term because it far too easily absolves them of responsibility for their actions.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"They know only too well exactly what they are doing. They have consciously decided to immerse themselves in a blood-soaked narrative of vengeance and power, in which they will annihilate their enemies, destroy Western values and ensure the triumph of their perverted, totalitarian version of Islam."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Speckhard says that social justice, just as it was for George Orwell heading to fight the Spanish fascists or young Brits volunteering to fight the Nazis, is actually a motivator for the Islamic State (IS) recruits, in their own twisted outlook.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"When they see terrible things happening they feel upset," she said. "If a group offers them an opportunity to respond and feeds them an ideology that tells them to do so via terrorism is the best way and conveys to them that they will win many rewards and a positive identity, if it impresses the women, leads to a belief that all wrongs will be forgiven, offers adventure etc. it all comes together to form the lethal cocktail of terrorism."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Speckhard said she believes most of the young jihadis know they will die, unlike many of the soldiers who signed up to fight in World Wars. She met failed suicide bombers who had entirely accepted the idea, they were "so unhappy in their lives that they preferred to go to a 'better place'."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One quote that has done the rounds on Twitter, attributed to the BBC's Frank Gardner, is that the motivating factor for IS recruits is "<a href="https://twitter.com/sarah_birke/status/502001775780835328" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">not religion, not even territory, it's psychopathy</a>." But it's not really as simple as that, Speckhard says, saying the men are not mentally ill.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"For one guy it may be losing his job and now he’s ready to go, for another wanting to impress a girl, for another his friends have gone or are going and he decides to join them, but for all of these they have already 'drank the koolaid' of the virulent ideology and been impressed enough that this is a group that they want to join and belong to," she said.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">IS is "euphoric with success" right now, she added. "There is high social support all resonating and interacting with the individual needs and vulnerabilities of potential fighters. When it all comes together boom—that’s the person who goes."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It can leave mosques and Muslim youth leaders feeling a sense of helplessness. Government cuts have played their part too, Mughal said. "We have to identify the families it could happen to, and look at what is causing their grievances," he said. "It costs money, but it can save lives. The best work that was being done, early intervention and youth engagement work, that has all been been cut away. Cuts have massively affected how we can challenge this problem." </span><br /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">ISIS Destorys Shia Mosques And Shrines</span></div> <div class="hp-slideshow-wrapper no-pin" data-beacon="{" data-slideshow-id="359471" id="hp-slideshow-wrapper-359471" p="" slideshow_id="" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 570px; z-index: 5000001;"> <div class="hp-slideshow-top" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; min-width: 555px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 5000002;"> <div class="hp-slideshow-main" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 554px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 570px; 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Islamic State Recruits Are Young, Angry And Rebellious, But Are They Actually Religious?

If you were to assemble a clichéd prototype of a British fighter for the Islamic State, what would they look like? They'd be young, loo...

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Crucial Battle For World's Most Dangerous Dam

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <header class="story__header" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><div class="story__standfirst" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-bottom: 40px; max-width: 64%;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Allowing Iraq's strategically important Mosul Dam to burst, killing as many as 500,000 people, is a risk neither side can take.</span></div> <div class="last-updated" style="bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 40px; max-width: 40%; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-align: right;"> <div class="last-updated__text" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px;"> <span class="last-updated__time" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">17:35, UK,</span></span><span class="last-updated__day" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span class="last-updated__day" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Monday 18</span> <span class="last-updated__month-year" style="box-sizing: border-box;">August 2014</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.625rem;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.625rem;">Affairs Editor</span></div> </div> </header><section class="story__content" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px auto 80px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 18.75rem; orphans: auto; position: relative; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto;"><div class="story__intro" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <br /></div> <div class="story__intro" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <br /></div> <div class="video__placeholder-wrapper js-video" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 371px; position: relative; width: 660px;"> <div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--16x9" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 371px; position: relative;"> <img alt="" class="image__item video__teaser-image js-responsive" data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="144x81 362x204 762x428 942x530" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330218/default/v1/cegrab-20140818-153719-407-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330218/default/v1/cegrab-20140818-153719-407-1-942x530.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(220, 220, 220); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 371px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 660px;" /></div> </div> <button aria-labelledby="video__caption-1320787" class="video__play--icon" style="background-image: url(http://news.sky.com/images/ffa94923.play-icon.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: contain; border: none; bottom: 8px; cursor: pointer; height: 46px; left: 7px; margin: 0px; position: absolute; width: 46px;"><span class="video__play-a11y" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); display: inline-block; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute !important; text-align: left; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Play video</span></span><span class="video__type" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: right;">Video:</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: right;"> </span><span class="video__teaser" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: right;">Fighting For Iraq's Mosu</span></span></button></div> <div class="story__intro" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.625rem;">Recapturing the Mosul Dam from Islamic State (IS) militants isn't just a military and political necessity - it's an engineering imperative.</span></div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> It's got feet of clay. More accurately, gypsum and limestone.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> It holds 12 billion cubic metres (425 billion cubic feet) of water.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> 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.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Some experts have said around 500,000 people could be killed if the dam were to fail.</div> <div class="image image--inline" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative;"> <img alt="" class="image__item js-responsive" data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="91x68 300x225 480x360" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330220/default/v2/cegrab-20140818-154235-295-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330220/default/v2/cegrab-20140818-154235-295-1-480x360.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(220, 220, 220); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> <div class="image__caption" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; min-height: 40px; padding: 10px 8px;"> Smoke rises from an area close to Iraq's Mosul Dam</div> </div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> 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.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Some 200 tonnes of the emergency engineering porridge has to be poured into the base every year but sinkholes are appearing.</div> <div class="module module--inline video" data-format-high="http://video.news.sky.com/video/h264/vod/700/2014/08/180814IraqMosulDamWeb1408372973984700.mp4" data-format-low="http://video.news.sky.com/video/h264/vod/374/2014/08/180814IraqMosulDamWeb1408372973984374.mp4" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: 540px; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div class="video__placeholder-wrapper js-video" style="background-color: black; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 303px; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--16x9" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 303px; position: relative;"> <img alt="" class="image__item video__teaser-image js-responsive" data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="144x81 362x204 762x428 942x530" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330221/default/v2/cegrab-20140818-154229-295-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330221/default/v2/cegrab-20140818-154229-295-1-942x530.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(220, 220, 220); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 303px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <button aria-labelledby="video__caption-1320789" class="video__play--icon" style="-webkit-appearance: button; background-image: url(http://news.sky.com/images/ffa94923.play-icon.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: contain; border: none; bottom: 8px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; height: 46px; left: 7px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: absolute; text-transform: none; width: 46px;"><span class="video__play-a11y" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); display: inline-block; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute !important; width: 1px;">Play video</span></button></div> <span class="video__caption" id="video__caption-1320789" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 40px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 540px;"><span class="video__type" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1rem;">Video:</span> <span class="video__teaser" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;">Smoke Rises Near Vital Iraqi Dam</span></span></div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> 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.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> 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.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> In 2007, the US Army Corps of Engineers surveyed the structure and concluded the dam was "the most dangerous in the world".</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Kurdish peshmerga fighters, with the support of airstrikes by US warplanes, <a href="http://news.sky.com/story/1320514/cameron-we-are-not-going-to-war-in-iraq" style="background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(203, 203, 203); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3157a1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_self"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-weight: 700;">are battling for control of the dam</strong></a>.</div> <div class="module gallery gallery--4x3" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-transform: translate3d(0px, 0px, 0px); background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: 540px; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div aria-hidden="true" class="gallery__position" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; margin-top: 10px; padding: 405px 10px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: right; top: 0px; width: 540px; z-index: 99;"> <span class="js-gallery-current" style="box-sizing: border-box;">1</span>/<span class="js-gallery-total" style="box-sizing: border-box;">23</span></div> <div class="gallery__container" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 54000px;"> <ol aria-labelledby="gallery__teaser--1320729" class="gallery__list" style="-webkit-transform: translateX(-1%); box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 54000px;"> <li aria-hidden="true" class="gallery__item gallery__item--last" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330185/default/v3/453728922-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330185/default/v3/453728922-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item gallery__item--first" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image js-responsive" data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330283/default/v5/pesh-blanket-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330283/default/v5/pesh-blanket-1-1600x1200.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> <div class="gallery__teaser" id="gallery__teaser--1320729" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"> <span class="gallery__module-type" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1rem;">Gallery:</span> IS militants lose control of Mosul Dam</div> <div class="gallery__caption" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 100ms; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.125rem; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 100ms; width: 472px;"> A peshmerga fighter guards a front line position in fighting with Islamic State militants near Mosul</div> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330285/default/v4/pesh-smoke-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330285/default/v4/pesh-smoke-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330286/default/v4/pesh-rest-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330286/default/v4/pesh-rest-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330287/default/v4/pesh-car-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330287/default/v4/pesh-car-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330288/default/v4/pesh-ramadi-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330288/default/v4/pesh-ramadi-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330187/default/v3/453741620-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330187/default/v3/453741620-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330188/default/v2/453742336-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330188/default/v2/453742336-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330198/default/v2/453741742-2-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330198/default/v2/453741742-2-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330200/default/v2/453741814-2-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330200/default/v2/453741814-2-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330201/default/v2/453741622-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330201/default/v2/453741622-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330199/default/v2/rtr42sdj-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330199/default/v2/rtr42sdj-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330197/default/v2/453746072-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330197/default/v2/453746072-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330193/default/v2/453744782-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330193/default/v2/453744782-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330190/default/v2/453744422-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330190/default/v2/453744422-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330189/default/v2/453744310-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330189/default/v2/453744310-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330196/default/v2/453746134-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330196/default/v2/453746134-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330192/default/v2/453745950-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330192/default/v2/453745950-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330195/default/v2/453745968-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330195/default/v2/453745968-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330182/default/v3/453728926-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330182/default/v3/453728926-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330191/default/v2/453744760-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330191/default/v2/453744760-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330194/default/v2/453744770-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330194/default/v2/453744770-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330202/default/v2/rtr42t0v-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330202/default/v2/rtr42t0v-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li class="gallery__item gallery__item--last" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image " data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330185/default/v3/453728922-10-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330185/default/v3/453728922-10-1-300x225.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> </div> </li> <li aria-hidden="true" class="gallery__item gallery__item--first" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--4x3" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 405px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 405px; position: relative; text-align: center; top: 0px; width: 540px;"> <img alt="" class="image__item gallery__image js-responsive" data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="300x225 480x360 800x600 960x720 1024x768 1600x1200" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330283/default/v5/pesh-blanket-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/19/330283/default/v5/pesh-blanket-1-1600x1200.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 405px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <div class="gallery__text" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 2.688rem; padding: 10px 3.75rem 15px 8px;"> <div class="gallery__teaser" id="gallery__teaser--1320729" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"> <span class="gallery__module-type" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1rem;">Gallery:</span> IS militants lose control of Mosul Dam</div> <div class="gallery__caption" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 100ms; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; display: block; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.125rem; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 100ms; width: 472px;"> A peshmerga fighter guards a front line position in fighting with Islamic State militants near Mosul</div> </div> </li> </ol> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="gallery__control-container" style="-webkit-transform: translateZ(0px); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; padding-bottom: 405px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 540px; z-index: 100;"> <div class="gallery__area gallery__area--left" data-direction="left" style="-webkit-touch-callout: none; -webkit-user-select: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 405px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 270px;"> <button class="gallery__control gallery__control--left" data-direction="left" style="-webkit-appearance: button; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 35px; border-bottom-right-radius: 35px; border-top-left-radius: 35px; border-top-right-radius: 35px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px 70px 70px 35px); color: #dddddd; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-family: skycons; font-size: 28px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; height: 70px; left: -35px; line-height: normal; margin: -35px 0px 0px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: absolute; speak: none; text-align: left; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 42px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: rgb(0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; text-transform: none; top: 50%; transition: all 0.2s ease-in; vertical-align: middle; width: 70px;"></button></div> <div class="gallery__area gallery__area--right" data-direction="right" style="-webkit-touch-callout: none; -webkit-user-select: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 405px; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; width: 270px;"> <button class="gallery__control gallery__control--right" data-direction="right" style="-webkit-appearance: button; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 35px; border-bottom-right-radius: 35px; border-top-left-radius: 35px; border-top-right-radius: 35px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px 35px 70px 0px); color: #dddddd; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-family: skycons; font-size: 28px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; height: 70px; line-height: normal; margin: -35px 0px 0px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: -35px; speak: none; text-align: left; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: rgb(0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px; text-transform: none; top: 50%; transition: all 0.2s ease-in; vertical-align: middle; width: 70px;"></button></div> </div> </div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> It's a ginger process.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> 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.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> They have sown the countryside around the dam with improvised explosive devices and mines.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> There are fears they might have also rigged the dam for destruction.</div> <div class="module module--inline video" data-format-high="http://video.news.sky.com/video/h264/vod/700/2014/08/IRAQParmenter1408363655701700.mp4" data-format-low="http://video.news.sky.com/video/h264/vod/374/2014/08/IRAQParmenter1408363655701374.mp4" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: 540px; word-spacing: 0px;"> <div class="video__placeholder-wrapper js-video" style="background-color: black; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 303px; position: relative; width: 540px;"> <div class="image" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <div class="image__wrapper image__wrapper--16x9" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 303px; position: relative;"> <img alt="" class="image__item video__teaser-image js-responsive" data-breakpoint="" data-sizes="144x81 362x204 762x428 942x530" data-sizes-wide="" data-template="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330054/default/v3/cegrab-20140818-035737-349-1-{width}x{height}.jpg" src="http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2014/8/18/330054/default/v3/cegrab-20140818-035737-349-1-942x530.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(220, 220, 220); box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 303px; max-width: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; width: 540px;" /></div> </div> <button aria-labelledby="video__caption-1320682" class="video__play--icon" style="-webkit-appearance: button; background-image: url(http://news.sky.com/images/ffa94923.play-icon.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: contain; border: none; bottom: 8px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; height: 46px; left: 7px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: absolute; text-transform: none; width: 46px;"><span class="video__play-a11y" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); display: inline-block; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute !important; width: 1px;">Play video</span></button></div> <span class="video__caption" id="video__caption-1320682" style="background-color: #f4f4f4; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; min-height: 40px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 540px;"><span class="video__type" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextMedium, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1rem;">Video:</span> <span class="video__teaser" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-size: 1rem;">PM: 'We Are Not Going To War'</span></span></div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> This may be an exaggerated concern. The IS is violent and extreme but there are no signs it is idiotic.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> 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.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> 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.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> But this doesn't mean the dam may be damaged in fighting.</div> <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.235294); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: SkyTextRegular, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana; font-size: 1.125rem; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.625rem; margin: 0px auto 1em; max-width: 540px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> 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<br />.</div> </section></div>

Crucial Battle For World's Most Dangerous Dam

Allowing Iraq's strategically important Mosul Dam to burst, killing as many as 500,000 people, is a risk neither side can take. 17:...

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