Get Your Sorry Butt to Jail

Gullu, the super vandal, caged for 11 years

 

October 31, 2014

FIDA HUSSAIN

 

 

LAHORE - An anti-terrorism court Thursday sentenced Gullu Butt to 11 years and three months in jail for vandalism in Model Town. Holding that all the sentences will run concurrently ATC Judge Rai Ayub Marth also imposed Rs140, 100 fine on the convict. He will undergo more imprisonment if he fails to pay fine, the order said.
The court sentenced him under five charges; imprisonment of five years under section 7 of the ATC 1997, two years under section 353 of the PPC, three months under section 186 of the PPC (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), two years under section 427 of the PPC (mischief causing damage and smashing vehicles) and two years under section 506 of the PPC.
As per challan submitted by police to the court, Gullu was involved in vandalism and he also fired gunshots on policemen. However, the police had failed to establish that who had asked Gullu for vandalism outside Minhajul Quran Secretariat. Challan also stated that video footage helped police to identify the accused.  On June 17, Shahid Aziz alias Gullu Butt was captured live by almost all television channels when he was busy smashing private vehicles with a club outside Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Model Town. Police personnel had not stopped the Butt from carrying out his smashing spree rather they were witnessed facilitating him.
On many occasions, Gullu Butt spoke different about his act as committed in Model Town. Before courts, he totally denied the charges levelled against him and felt regret while talking to media outside the courts.  Gullu was present in the court when he was convicted and as he stepped out of the court police immediately arrested him and shifted him to the Camp Jail.

make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog  at:

http://ssggen.blogspot.com/

Bring On the Turk

The first Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters have entered the besieged Syrian town of Kobani through the border crossing with Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The British-based monitoring group said 10 fighters moved in on Thursday and the others were expected to enter the town, which has been under attack byIslamic State (Isis) for more than a month, “within hours”.

A convoy of peshmerga fighters had arrived close to the Turkish town of Suruc on Wednesday night, meeting up with others who had flown in earlier in the day.

“About 10 members of the Kurdish peshmerga forces entered the town of Ayn al-Arab through the border crossing between the town and Turkish territory,” the Observatory said. Ayn al-Arab is the Arabic name for mainly Kurdish Kobani.

The Syrian foreign ministry condemned Turkey for allowing foreign fighters to enter Syria, describing the move as “blatant violation” of its sovereignty and a “disgraceful act”.

The new troops bring heavy weapons, the main request of the Kurdish militia who have kept their well-armed enemies at bay with a combination of assault rifles and occasional US air strikes.

They travelled through Turkey after a US lobbying campaign broke down Ankara’s opposition to allowing military convoys into Kobani.

“The force is equipped with heavy guns including mortars, canons, rocket launchers, etc,” said Safeen Dizayee, spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdistan regional government, on Thursday. The troops were sent, he added, as a “moral, political and nationalistic duty”.

“This force will not engage in frontline combat but will have a support role,” he said, adding that Kurdish fighters in the city said they had enough troops, but needed weapons and ammunition. More peshmerga fighters could be sent if needed.

The troops’ arrival crowns a dramatic turnaround in the fate of Kobani, which just a few weeks ago seemed all but doomed to a painful capitulation, as tens of thousands of refugees fled across the border in panic ahead of a blitzkrieg-style Isis advance.

US officials ordered air strikes, then all but washed their hands of the town, with the US secretary of state, John Kerry, saying it was not a strategic objective and a Pentagon spokesman warning that bombs alone could not save it.

Kurdish forces’ skilful defence of the town led to hope that defeat might not be inevitable, and won time to mobilise support worldwide through reports about Isis atrocities and the heroism of the defenders.

make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog  at:

http://ssggen.blogspot.com/

Are these Guys to be Believed?

The blindfolded prisoners are brought into the dank gray room, one by one, and begin to tell us their stories.

We're in a prison run by Kurdish militants here in northern Syria. The Kurds won't allow us to see the cells where the prisoners are being held. Their prisoners, they say, are members of ISIS.

When the first detainee sits down, I ask the guard to please remove his blindfold. He blinks in the bright light and clearly looks surprised to see a foreigner sitting in front of him.

The second prisoner who arrives trembled with fear when he was brought in. I introduce myself to each detainee as an American journalist.

"You don't have to talk if you don't feel comfortable," I add. Each man speaks, though some cast darting glances at the prison guards who watch each interview.

A man named Suleiman says he's from Syria, and claims that he was forced to join ISIS out of fears for his family's safety.

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He says he never traveled to ISIS-controlled territory, but confesses to being part of an ISIS cell that planted and detonated a remote control car bomb outside a Kurdish base in this Kurdish enclave. He believes the bomb killed his own nephew -- and says he received about $3,600 for the job.

"They said they were fighting for Islam and justice," Suleiman tells us. "They were lying to us. They took advantage of our minds and our poverty."

Read more: Everything you need to know about ISIS

ISIS has seized huge chunks of Syria and Iraq in recent months, beheading Western journalists and nonbelievers as it strives to establish an independent "Islamic State" in the region.

The terror group has been locked in a battle with Kurdish forces in the northern Syrian border town of Kobani since mid-September. The United States and its allies are bombing ISIS positions there, but airstrikes have yet to pry Kobani from the group's hands.

Read more: Former U.S. soldier battles ISIS

The next prisoner the guards bring out is barely a man. His name is Kareem, and he says he's 19 years old.

Kareem tells me he was paid $2,000 to fight alongside ISIS on the Syrian frontlines for more than a year -- and he has the battle scars to prove it. Lifting up his shirt, he reveals a gruesome pink and brown scar on his stomach.

"I was shot in the stomach three times," he says. He also has ugly scars on his right arm from another bullet wound. He claims ISIS drugged fighters before they went into battle.

"They gave us drugs," Kareem says. "Hallucinogenic pills that would make you go to battle not caring if you live or die."

Kareem says he fought for a year all across ISIS-controlled territory. He says other fighters he was with were promised wives by ISIS. Most of the fighters were foreigners, he says, and he had difficulty communicating with them because they didn't speak the local Syrian dialect of Arabic. Kareem says he even met a fighter from China at one point.

Before his capture by the Kurds, Kareem claims he saw ISIS behead many of its prisoners.

"Whenever ISIS goes into an area ... the people there who don't adhere to their Islamic law are apostates," he says. "Everything has to follow ISIS' way. Even women who don't cover their faces ... women would get their heads chopped off."

The final prisoner was Jaber, a former teacher and father of two who also confessed to a car bombing.

I ask Jaber what he would have done if he'd found me while he was on patrol with ISIS.

"Your fate would be death," he tells me. "And there are different kinds of death -- they would torture you for sure, they might decapitate you, or cut off your hands. They will not simply shoot a bullet in your head."

Read more: Hostage claims Kobani is in ISIS' hands

When we finished speaking, a guard draped Jaber's blindfold back around his head and led him out of the room.

It's impossible for CNN to confirm whether anything the prisoners told us was true -- or whether these men had merely been coached on what to say by their captors.

They also appeared to have little information about what was going on in the outside world.

One of the men, Suleiman, looks shocked when I tell him that a U.S.-led coalition that includes Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is conducting an aerial campaign bombarding ISIS targets.

"I hope they kill all of them," Suleiman says, with what appear to be tears welling in his eyes.

All three men say it was a mistake to join ISIS. And they are begging their Kurdish captors for forgiveness.

But the Kurdish guards running this prison say that if set free, every one of these men would likely go back and rejoin ISIS.

make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog  at:

http://ssggen.blogspot.com/

AYatollah You So!

Pakistan and Iran exchange mortar fire on border

Baluchistan, a province on the porous border of Iran and Pakistan. (CC)

MASHKAIL, Pakistan, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Pakistan and Iran traded mortar fire along the porous frontier between both countries Friday, highlighting tension between the two nations over border security.The BBC reports that six mortar shells landed near the Pakistani town of Mashkail. A Pakistani official said that the rounds came from Iran, and Pakistan apparently fired back. No one was reported killed in the exchange.
Both nations have been at odds for years over the issue of Sunni militants staging attacks in Iran from safe havens in Pakistan along the southwest border, which constitutes the province of Baluchistan on the Pakistani side and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran.
Last week, 30 Iranian soldiers crossed over into Pakistan in pursuit of militants from Jaish Al-Adl (Army of Justice), a Sunni extremist group that advocates better living conditions for Iran's Sunni minority in Sistan Baluchistan.
A Pakistani soldier was killed in the incident, officials said.
Tehran has accused the government in Islamabad of either being complicit to the cross-border attacks or incompetent in stopping them.
Pakistan also faces border troubles with traditional adversary India. At least 17 people were killed and several others wounded this month in exchanges of fire from both sides of the Kashmir border area.

make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog  at:

http://ssggen.blogspot.com/

PakISIStan?

What ISIS and the 'caliphate' mean for Pakistan

Many experts see the decline of al Qaeda in the rise of ISIS, while analysing the recent developments happening in Iraq and Syria. That is a mistake. — Photo by AFP

Among many factors, the Pakistani state's protracted apathy and inaction on the issue of security has provided non-state actors the spaces to grow and expand their influence. They used these spaces not only to propagate their ideologies and narratives but also to establish a 'state within the state' in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Even as counteraction is now underway, the sudden rise of ISIS has threatened to make matters worse for us.

The militants are jubilant over the success of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which has established a 'caliphate', or 'Islamic state' in parts of Syria and Iraq. This is not the first time militants have captured some territory and established their so-called Islamic writ.

Afghanistan, Pakistani tribal areas, Northern Mali and Somalia have experienced similar ventures by militants in the past, though on varying levels.

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Rise of ISIS ≠ Fall of al Qaeda

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Many experts see the decline of al Qaeda in the rise of ISIS, while analysing the recent developments happening in Iraq and Syria. That is a mistake.

A realistic review of militants’ strategies suggests that they first challenge the very foundation of the state by providing alternative socio-cultural and political narratives and then march onto its physical territory.

They may have differences over strategies, as ISIS and al Qaeda had, but ultimately they overcome their differences. Al Qaeda might feel stunned over the ‘victories’ of ISIS but now, instead of arguing with ISIS over strategies, will prefer to develop a consensus over a model of caliphate.

In some cases, militants develop alliances with nationalist groups.

That's what happened in Northern Mali, where the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) had developed coordination with Islamist groups. But when they captured a territory, Islamist groups started imposing Shariah. The alliance was weakened due to ensuing infightings and eventually broke up after a military offensive was launched by the French forces.

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A dangerous inspiration

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Apart from group dynamics, inspiration plays an important role in militants’ efforts to replicate one success in other parts of the world.

The rise and success of ISIS could play a very dangerous, inspirational role in Pakistan, where more than 200 religious organisations are operating on the national and regional level.

These organisations pursue multiple agendas such as transformation of society according to their ideologies, the enforcement of Shariah law, establishment of Khilafah (caliphate) system, fulfilment of their sectarian objectives and achievement of Pakistan’s strategic and ideological objectives through militancy.

Such organisations could be influenced by the success of ISIS in various ways. A few would limit themselves to providing just moral support, but others might actively provide donations and financial assistance on ISIS' call.

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Common purpose: Establish the state of Khurasan

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Still others — mainly religious extremist and militant organisations — could find inspiration in ISIS' strategies and tactics.

This is possible since even groups operating in two different regions can find common ground in the Takfiri ideologies they believe in, and in the organisational links they share with each other.

The map released by ISIS shows countries for expansion marked in black across North Africa, into mainland Spain, across the Middle East and into Muslim countries of Central and South Asian region. It depicts exactly the states, which are or once remained under Muslim control.

According to this notion, the territory which has come under Muslim rule even once becomes a permanent part of Islamic caliphate. These territories, if later invaded by non-Muslims, will be considered as unjustly occupied territories and it will be obligatory for a Muslim to struggle to regain them.

Interestingly, the ISIS map shows both Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of the Islamic caliphate state's Khurasan province. Al Qaeda and its affiliates believe that the movement for the establishment of the Islamic state of Khurasan will emerge from the region comprising of the Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan and Malakand region of Pakistan.

A map purportedly showing the areas ISIS plans to have under its control within five years has been widely shared online. As well as the Middle East, North Africa and large areas of Asia, it also reveals ISIS' ambition to extend into Europe. Spain, which was Muslim-ruled until the late 15th Century, would form part of the caliphate, as would the Balkan states and eastern Europe, up to and including Austria.

They consider Khurasan as the base camp of international jihad, from where they will expand the Islamic state boundaries into other non-Muslim lands. Mullah Fazlullah of Swat was inspired by the notion and considered himself the founder of the Khurasan movement.

Many other groups and commanders in Pakistan and Afghanistan subscribe to the same idea, but only a few groups have dedicated themselves to the cause of establishment of the Islamic state of Khurasan.

The current TTP leadership — mainly Fazlullah and his deputy Qayum Haqqani, and Khalid Khurasani group in Mohmand and Bajaur agencies of Fata — are leading this movement, not only on the militant, but on the ideological front as well.

The concentration of al Qaeda and TTP hardliner groups in Kunar and Nuristan are of the same mind; they intend to use the territory as a base camp for the establishment of the state of Khurasan. Though they are not strong enough to trigger a massive militant campaign like the one going on in Iraq, they will remain a critical security irritant and keep inspiring radical minds in the region.

Though the North Waziristan military offensive is an attempt to damage militants’ operational baseline, at the same time it has forced the militants to assemble in Khost, Nuristan and Kunar regions, which are all places that seem more conducive for beginning a militant struggle toward the eventual establishment of their fantasised Islamic state.

make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog  at:

http://ssggen.blogspot.com/

pakistan's MOst Beautiful POLs..........

The Pakistani women of today enjoy a better status than most women around the world. They have progressed in various fields of life such as politics, education, economy, services, health and many more. Participation in Pakistani politics by youngs, specially by young charming ladies is new phenomenon. With the emergence of new political forces this trend flourished. We saw a large number of women participate in current election. Here we listed the top ten of most beautiful, glamorous, attractive Pakistani women politicians.

These are top 10 most attractive Pakistani women politicians.

1. Maryam Nawaz

At top of the list of most attractive Pakistani women politicians is Maryam Nawaz Sharif. This gorgeous lady is daughter of former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the former first lady of Pakistan, Kalsom Nawaz. She is active in national politics and is a political central figure in the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N). No doubt she is the most beautiful woman. She has an admirable attractive personality with innocent look.

2. Ayla Malik

Ayla Malik is at 2nd position of most attractive Pakistani women politicians. She is young hot, beautiful and very pretty female politician of Pakistan. She is the niece of former president Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari and sister of former federal minister Sumaira Malik. She joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI ) getting inspired by the work and dedication of Imran Khan.

3. Hina Rubani Khar

No doubt Pakistan’s youngest and first woman Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar topped the list of most glamorous women politicians in the world. But she is at 3rd position in our list of attractive Pakistani women politicians. According to a survey conducted by India Today, Hina Rabbani Khar, who was elected member of national assembly from the seat of Pakistan Peoples Party, is famous for wearing attractive and fashionable outfits. Her handbags and dresses remains the focus of the media anywhere.

4. Kashmala Tariq

Kashmala Tariq was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from the Women Reserve Constituency for the province of Punjab. She belonged to the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam). She is also actively involved in women’s rights. She is famous for her dressings and outspoken statements.

5. Marvi Memon

Known for her bold stance on various issues of national interest. former MNA Marvi Memon is among the youngest female legislators who came into public view after getting elected in the 2008 election on reserved seats for women. The daughter of prominent Pakistan Muslim League politician, educator and businessman Nisar Memon, Marvi serving as the central and public figure of the Pakistan Muslim League presided by Nawaz Sharif.

6. Sassui Palijo

Sassui Palijo also known as Sassi Palijo is a young liberal politician and a columnist in Pakistan. She is Sindhi Pakistani politician who belongs to PPP. She is also famous due to her typical Sindhi beauty and there are many people who are her fans due to her charm.

7. Sumaira Malik

Sumaira Malik is a Pakistani Famous Politicians and Social Workers and Human Right Activist. She is the daughter of Malik AllahYar Khan and the granddaughter of Amir Mohammad Khan, The Nawab of KalaBagh. Former President of Pakistan Sardar Farooq Khan Leghari is her uncle.

8. Shazia Marri

Shazia Marri is a Sindhi Baloch Pakistani politician and member of the National Assembly. She also remains provincial Minister for Information and Electric Power of Sindh. Belonging to a family of veteran and influential family of Sindhi politicians, she was elected to provincial assembly of Sindh for first time in 2002 and again in 2008, from the seats reserved for women, representing PPP.

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9. Farahnaz Ispahani

Farahnaz Ispahani is a Pakistani politician. She belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party. She was elected as member of the National Assembly of Pakistan on 2008 and served until 2012. She is currently the Media Advisor to Co-Chairman PPP, President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari. She is also PPP International Media Coordinator and chairperson for Pakistan Peoples Party Scholars Wing.

10. Shaheen Kausar Dar

At number ten in our list of most attractive Pakistani women politicians, Deputy Speaker Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Shaheen Kausar Dar. She belongs to Pakistan Peoples Party and also Chief organizer Ladies wing PPPAJK.
Now, it’s your turn! Vote for your favorite from these Attractive Pakistani Women Politicians. Share your feelings via comments.

make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog  at:

http://ssggen.blogspot.com/

Looks like a New Sharif in Town..........

CHIEF Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that maintenance of law and order is top priority of the Punjab government.

make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog  at:

http://ssggen.blogspot.com/

He directed that even better security arrangements than the past be made during Muharram-ul-Haram and no effort be spared for the protection of life and property of citizens.

He said the government would continue to provide resources for the maintenance of peace and strict implementation of the security plan should be ensured throughout the province.

He was presiding over a high-level meeting to review law and order and security arrangements for Muharram-ul-Haram on Friday. Secretary home and inspector general police Punjab gave a detailed briefing in this regard.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said Pakistan was passing through a difficult phase and terrorism and extremism had shaken the foundations of the country. He said enemies of peace were bent upon destroying the country and there was a need for national unity for foiling the nefarious designs of anti-state elements.

He said present situation demanded emergent and foolproof security arrangements. He said all departments concerned should remain fully alert in view of the arrival of Muharram-ul-Haram and utilise all their energies for maintaining law and order. He directed that strict implementation of security plan evolved for the protection of majalis and religious processions be ensured and a four-tier cordon be established. He directed that special attention be paid to the monitoring of sensitive places and additional police force be deployed at worship places. He directed that the law regarding ban on provocative material and literature be strictly implemented and action under the law be taken against the violators. He said the law against display of firearms should be strictly enforced and action should also be taken without any discrimination against the elements involved in delivering provocative speeches and wall-chalking.

He said that restrictions regarding routes and timings of processions should be ensured and CCTV cameras be installed on the routes while walk-through gates, generators, lights and other necessary equipment should also be arranged. He said the institutions concerned should work in a coordinated manner and a vigilant eye be kept on suspects and alternative means of communication should also be arranged. He said clerics should deliver a message of religious brotherhood, harmony and tolerance in their sermons as religious harmony was the need of the hour. He said members of peace committees at provincial, divisional, district and tehsil levels should perform their duties in an active manner.

Provincial Ministers Col (R) Shuja Khanzada, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, MPA Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant Rana Maqbool Ahmad, chief secretary, inspector general police, secretaries of home, health and information departments and officers concerned were present in the meeting.

polio-free: Shahbaz Sharif has said that eradication of polio from the country is priority of the government.

In his message on World Anti-Polio Day on Friday, the chief minister said that in addition to the government, every member of the society would have to play an active role for rooting out the menace of polio. He said coordinated efforts were needed at every level to save the children from polio virus and it was possible only if every citizen supplemented sincere endeavours of the government in this regard. He said national action plan for elimination of polio was being effectively implemented and cooperation of international institutions in this regard was commendable.

The chief minister said provision of a healthy and polio-free atmosphere to the future generation was collective responsibility of the society. He said there was no other option than to win the war against polio. He said no stone would be left unturned to make Pakistan a polio-free zone.

Shahbaz Sharif appealed to the parents to extend all-out cooperation for the success of anti-polio campaign. He further said that there was a need for renewing the pledge and commitment on anti-polio day that no effort would be spared to protect the children against the threat of polio and permanent disability.

notice: Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of death of a youth in an alleged police encounter in the Mansoorabad area of Faisalabad and sought a report from RPO Faisalabad. He ordered complete investigation into the incident and action under the law against the persons responsible.

Meanwhile, the CM has also taken notice of the news regarding kidnapping of a four-year-old child having British nationality in Asim Town, Faisalabad and sought a report from RPO Faisalabad. He ordered to ensure safe recovery of the child, Shaheryar.

Prostitution in MY City

Prostitution in Lahore, Pakistan

Very interesting video shows wide open prostitution in a Muslim country, Pakistan. A brothel is open for 2 hours in the city of Lahore every evening, with bribed cops looking the other way. The women all say that they are still Muslims, and they go together to a local Muslim mosque or shrine where they pray and petition Allah to be relieved of their sins. The praying, the petitioning to Allah for forgiveness and the use of the word “shrine” imply a Sufi overlay to these women’s Islam.

The women look very much like Indian people. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would think that they were Indian Hindus. There does not seem to be much physical difference between Pakistanis and Indians, though Pakistanis like to think so. I knew a Pakistani woman once who hated Indians. I saw her on cam once, and I told her that she looked like an Indian. She got pretty upset at that. “No I don’t! I don’t look like an Indian! We don’t look like Indians! We are not Indians!”

This same woman told me that there was a ton of prostitution in Pakistan, even in smaller cities and all the way down to small towns and even villages. She basically said about every village had some of this going on. I was stunned to say the least.

The fact that there is open prostitution in Pakistan makes me think once again what a “Hinduized” form of Islam must be practiced in that country. The truth is that in much of the Muslim world, there is not a heck of a lot of prostitution, certainly not open prostitution. If there is a lot of open prostitution in a Muslim country, one legitimately wonders what sort of accretions have crept in to the syncretistic or schismatic form of Islam practiced there

make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog  at:

http://ssggen.blogspot.com/

ISIS: YOU BASTARDS!!!!

Has ISIS used chemical weapons on Kobane? Claims under-siege town was hit by crude rocket attack

• BBC reporter claims terror group has fired chemical weapons at warzone
• The 'unsophisticated' weapon may have had a chlorine payload
• Pictures show victims with burns from the alleged chemical attack 
• Isis controls former chemical weapons plant in Iraq, it was claimed last week
• The Muthanna State Establishment made nerve agents in the 80s and 90s
• Iraq wrote to the UN this summer to say that it had lost control of the depot

By SAM WEBB and TED THORNHILL FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 11:25 EST, 22 October 2014 | UPDATED: 15:31 EST, 22 October 2014

 
 
 
 
 

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ISIS fighters have fired a crude chemical weapon at the Kurdish forces defending the Syria-Turkey border town of Kobane, it has been reported.

BBC reporter Güney Yıldız says a Kurdish official from the war-torn town told him of a suspected IS chemical attack last night, which has caused people to lose their eyesight, blistering on the skin and respiratory problems.

Testing on victims has not taken place because of the intensity of the fighting there, but a Kurdish doctor in the town, who was also injured by the strike, says he is '75 per cent' sure it is a chemical weapon. 

There was also speculation it was an unsophisticated warhead containing chlorine, similar to weapons used in the First World War.

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Savage: A photo of a victim of a reported chemical attack on the Syrian town of Kobane. It is claimed ISIS fighters fired a crude chemical weapon at the war zone

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This photo reportedly shows a skin blister caused by the alleged chemical weapon attack

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Swelling: Testing on victims has not taken place because of the intensity of the fighting there

Last week the Iraqi government reported that ISIS controls a vast compound in Iraq containing 2,500 rusting chemical weapons rockets.

The site was bombed by the US during the 1991 Gulf War, but the munitions there were only partially destroyed, according to the UN - then left to Iraq to take care of.

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However, Iraqi officials wrote to the United Nations this summer claiming that abandoned weapons containing the lethal nerve agent Sarin are still in the ruins of the Muthanna State Establishment, which made chemical weapons in the 1980s and early 1990s, and that this is now in the hands of the violent jihadists.

They warned that they had watched equipment there being looted on CCTV.

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Turkish Army T-155 howitzers stand in firing position near the Turkish-Syrian border today

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An explosion after an apparent US-led coalition airstrike on Kobane, Syria, as seen from the Turkish side of the border. Intense fighting in the town has been going on for weeks

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ISIS fighters inside Kobane: It is believed that Kurdish forces defending the town have are slowly beating ISIS

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A Turkish tank manoeuvres near the Turkish-Syrian border. Ankara has placed a heavy military presence at the border

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A CIA picture of the Muthanna State Establishment, which produced chemical weapons on an industrial scale

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Remnants of Iraq's chemical weapons program at the Muthanna State Establishment. It was destroyed by American bombs during the 1991 Gulf War

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Cache: Isis controls a compound in Iraq containing 2,500 chemical weapons rockets, according to the Iraqi government. Pictured are Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians preparing unexploded ordnance for demolition at a safe disposal area near Baghdad in 2003

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A U.S. Army Third Infantry Division soldier loads materials discovered in an explosives laboratory hidden in a home April 15, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq

Militants then shut the surveillance cameras at the depot down, the New York Times reported.

Iraq's UN Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim wrote to the UN saying that 'armed terrorist groups' took over the Muthanna complex, which lies 60 miles north of Baghdad, on June 11.

In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim said remnants of a former chemical weapons programme are kept in two bunkers there.

'The project management spotted at dawn on Thursday, 12 June 2014, through the camera surveillance system, the looting of some of the project equipment and appliances, before the terrorists disabled the surveillance system,' Alhakim wrote in the letter dated June 30.

'The Government of Iraq requests the States Members of the United Nations to understand the current inability of Iraq, owing to the deterioration of the security situation, to fulfill its obligations to destroy chemical weapons,' he said. 

The Muthanna complex measures three by three miles and was thought to be capable of producing around 4,000 tonnes of nerve agent a year. 

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Secrets: In 2002 President George W. Bush said Hussein was developing a program of chemical weapons but no evidence of such weapons was ever found 

Bush and Blair give statement on weapons of mass destruction

Alhakim singled out the capture of bunkers 13 and 41 in the sprawling complex 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad in the notorious 'Sunni Triangle.'

The last major report by U.N. inspectors on the status of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program was released about a year after the experts left in March 2003. It states that Bunker 13 contained 2,500 sarin-filled 122-mm chemical rockets produced and filled before 1991, and about 180 tons of sodium cyanide, 'a very toxic chemical and a precursor for the warfare agent tabun.' 

However, U.S. Defence Department spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said earlier that the United States' best understanding was that 'whatever material was kept there is pretty old and not likely to be able to be accessed or used against anyone right now'.

'We aren't viewing this particular site and their holding it as a major issue at this point,' Kirby said. 'Should they even be able to access the materials, frankly, it would likely be more of a threat to them than anyone else.'

It was revealed this week that about 5,000 chemical weapons were recovered or destroyed in Iraq following the 2003 invasion but the Pentagon chose to keep the findings top secret.

An investigation by The New York Times has revealed that U.S. forces happened across the hidden caches of warheads, shells and aviation bombs between 2004 and 2011.

But the information wasn't made public for several embarrassing reasons including the fact some of the weapons were U.S.-made, plus they had been sitting dormant since the early 1980s and therefore didn't support President George W. Bush's rationale for going to war.

The weapons - most of them mustard agents in 155-millimeter artillery shells or 122-millimeter rockets - were developed by Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war which raged between 1980 and 1988.

But on September 12, 2002, President Bush had contended that Hussein was developing new chemical weapons capable of 'mass destruction'.

'Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons,' he said. But all the weapons found had been developed before 1991.

BUSH AND BLAIR'S IRAQ WAR AND THE 'INTELLIGENCE FAILURE' OVER WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

In March 2003, President Bush received a mandate from the U.S. Congress to lead an invasion of Iraq, asserting that Iraq was in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1441.

With strong support from British P.M. Tony Blair, the Bush administration claimed that Sadam and his forces were in possession of weapons of mass destruction that posed a threat to U.S. security and that of allies including the U.K. and Australia.

After investigation following the invasion, the U.S. led Iraq Survey Group concluded that Iraq had ended its nuclear, chemical and biological programs in 1991 and had no active programs at the time of the invasion, but that they intended to resume production if the Iraq sanctions were lifted.

Although no active chemical weapons program was found, at least 17 U.S. troops and 7 Iraqi police officers were burned or wounded when chemical devices exploded.

President Bush later said that the biggest regret of his presidency was 'the intelligence failure' in Iraq, while the Senate Intelligence Committee found in 2008 that his administration 'misrepresented the intelligence and the threat from Iraq'.

The U.S. completed its withdrawal of military personnel in December 2011, during the ninth year of the war.

The rise of ISIS means that the U.S. will send an army headquarters to Iraq for the first time in three years to assist local security forces struggling to resist advances by the fundamentalist group. 

Another reason for the cover-up, according to The Times, was that five of the six chemical weapons encounters involved weapons designed by the U.S.

'''Nothing of significance'' is what I was ordered to say,' said Jarrod Lampier, a now-retired Army major who was present when forces found 2,400 nerve agent rockets in 2006 - the largest chemical weapons discovery of the war.

Soldiers were also loathe to report finding the caches as documenting chemical weapons added hours of extra work to their load.

Chemical warfare specialists had to be called in, and waiting for them to arrive put coalition forces in dangerous positions.

'I could wait all day for tech escort to show up and make a chem round disappear, or I could just make it disappear myself,' one ex-soldier told The Times.

The mustard shells could be put in with other explosives that needed to be destructed and then detonated.

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US Secretary of State John Kerry visits the former Berlin Wall crossing point Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin today

However, handling chemical weapons lead to many injuries, which were not taken seriously by military doctors at the time.

Many explosive ordnance disposal personnel were not aware that the shells they were handling contained chemicals, believing them to be regular old artillery.

At least 17 American military personnel and seven Iraqi police were sickened by poisons - usually sarin and mustard gases.

Many of the shells would leak liquid during transportation, exposing the soldiers to the potentially-lethal fumes.

Symptoms ranged from disorientation and nausea to blindness and huge, seething blisters.

Jarrod Taylor, a former Army sergeant on hand for the destruction of mustard shells that burned two soldiers in his infantry company, joked of 'wounds that never happened' from 'that stuff that didn't exist'.

'I love it when I hear, ''Oh there weren't any chemical weapons in Iraq'',' he said. 'There were plenty.'

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