'Asbos For Extremists' To Tackle UK Jihadists

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Home Secretary Theresa May is planning to bring in new laws to tackle the threat of British jihadists - including "anti-social behaviour orders" for extremists.

Mrs May will announce a three-point plan to counter British Muslim extremists, warning that the security threat to the UK will continue for decades.

The measures would target the activities of radical preachers, such as Anjem Choudary, whose extreme rhetoric currently does not constitute a crime.

Full details are yet to emerge, but the new power will be designed to restrict extremists' behaviour and language.

As with an Asbo, it could result in a criminal conviction carrying a jail term if breached.

Mrs May has unveiled her crackdown in an article in the Daily Telegraph.

Theresa May's warning echoes recent comments from David Cameron

She discloses that she will make it illegal to join extremist groups that preach violent views, but are not directly involved in terrorism.

Currently, the threshold for banning membership of organisations, such as the Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIL), requires the Home Secretary to prove that the group is directly involved in terrorist acts.

The new power could target Islamist political organisations and other Muslim groups that tacitly support extremism.

In addition, state-funded organisations such as councils and schools will be given a new legal obligation to combat extremists.

Mrs May uses the Telegraph article to echo a warning about extremism made by the Prime Minister in a newspaper report last weekend.

The Home Secretary writes: "We are in the middle of a generational struggle against a deadly extremist ideology.

Cardiff students Khan (L) and Muthana (C) appeared in an IS video

"We will be engaged in this struggle for many years, probably decades. We must give ourselves all the legal powers we need to prevail.

"I am looking again at the case for new banning orders for extremist groups that fall short of the legal threshold for terrorist proscription, as well as for new civil powers to target extremists who seek to radicalise others."

The measures proposed by Mrs May are similar to recommendations for legislation made by the Government's Extremism Task Force last December.

Those recommendations were surprisingly omitted from the Queen's Speech this year.

But there is no suggestion yet that the Home Secretary plans to introduce emergency legislation when MPs return to the Commons on September 1.

David Cameron said during his brief return to Downing Street from his holiday after the murder of journalist James Foley that there would be "no knee-jerk reaction".

Radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary

The problem of radicalisation was highlighted in June when two Cardiff students - Reyaad Khan, 20, Nasser Muthana, also 20, - were identified in a propaganda video for IS posted on YouTube.

The two men along with Muthana's younger brother Aseel, 17, were lured to join extremists fighting in Syria and Iraq.

And a jihadi fighter in Syria told Sky News in July that he was training British teenagers as young as 16 to fight in the war.

Yvette Cooper, Labour's shadow home secretary, said: "More action is needed to respond to the serious problem of people travelling to fight with ISIL.

"The Home Secretary's confirmation that she is continuing to look at the recommendations of the Prime Minister's Taskforce, announced last December, is welcome.

"Though there remains no detail on things like civil powers to tackle extremists or extremist groups for people to consider.

"However I remain concerned that the Government is not addressing the gaps in the Prevent programme - especially the lack of support for community led approaches to preventing radicalisation.

"And the Home Secretary also needs to respond to the concerns raised by the current and previous Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation about the decision to weaken control orders, where they have advised that stronger measures should be put in place."

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Mosque Massacre Undermines Anti-IS Drive

A sectarian attack at a mosque in Iraq has killed at least 68 Sunni Muslims, plunging efforts to form a united front against jihadists into crisis.

Officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up in the mosque north of Baghdad, with Shia militiamen picking off fleeing worshippers with machine guns.

Attacks on mosques are acutely sensitive and have in the past unleashed a deadly series of revenge killings and counter attacks in Iraq.

PM designate Haider al Abadi is trying to form a more inclusive government

The latest attack, in Diyala province, is seen as a blow to government efforts to secure backing from Sunni groups in its battle against Islamic State (IS) extremists.

Prime Minister designate Haider al Abadi, a moderate Shia, is attempting to form a more inclusive government following the resignation of outgoing PM Nouri al Maliki.

But two influential Sunni politicians - Parliamentary Speaker Salim al Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al Mutlak - have now pulled out of talks with the main Shia political alliance after the massacre.

Member of Parliament Nahida al Dayani, who is from Diyala, said about 150 worshippers were at Imam Wais mosque when the militiamen arrived.

Diyala has seen heavy fighting between Iraqi troops and IS. File pic

"Sectarian militias entered and opened fire at worshippers. Most mosques have no security," she told Reuters.

The attack came as thousands of Peshmerga and counter-terrorism soldiers continued to battle Islamic militants around the nearby towns of Jalula and Sadiyah.

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said the Peshmerga fighters were desperately in need of weapons and were effectively in "lockdown". 

"Peshmerga frontline positions are regularly hit from far away. There are scorch marks and burning patches everywhere," Ramsay said.

Peshmerga are fighting to gain territory from militants north of Baghdad

The extremist group pushed Kurdish forces out of the town of Jalula earlier this month after heavy fighting and the Peshmerga troops are trying to reclaim territory.

Meanwhile, the US, which is carrying out airstrikes against militants, ramped up its rhetoric over the beheading of journalist James Foley.

In Washington, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the murder "represents a terrorist attack against our country".

He said the US would not be restricted by the Iraq-Syria border when it considers further action against Islamic State militants.

The US says the killing of James Foley was a "terrorist attack" on America

Elsewhere, in the northern city of Mosul, Islamic State militants stoned a man to death after one of its self-appointed courts sentenced him for adultery, witnesses said.

The stoning was the first known instance of the punishment by Islamic State militants in Iraq since it seized large areas of the country in a June offensive.

Having poured in from Syria across a desert border that it does not recognise, the movement has declared its own caliphate.

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Russian 'Invasion' Trucks Start To Leave Ukraine

Some of the trucks in a Russian aid convoy sent to Ukraine in a move denounced by Kiev as an invasion are returning to Russia.

The convoy of more than 200 vehicles had entered the country on Friday without the permission of the Ukraine government.

OSCE monitors say an unspecified number of trucks have now left - while Russian news agencies are reporting that 34 have arrived back at the border after unloading their cargo in rebel-held Luhansk.

It comes as German Chancellor Angela Merkel jetted into Kiev for crisis talks.

Russian aid trucks pictured upon their return to the border crossing

It had been agreed the lorries - which had waited on the Russian side of the border for a week - would only be allowed into eastern Ukraine if they were escorted by the International Red Cross.

However, the charity pulled out after not receiving enough security guarantees as fighting continues to rage.

Kiev's foreign ministry informally allowed the convoy to pass to avoid "provocations".

Russia previously let journalists look inside a handful of the lorries, which it said were carrying 1,800 tonnes of aid including food, water, medicine and electrical generators.

This was questioned by NATO's top military commander, Philip Breedlove, who claimed the trucks looked like a disguised attempt to reinforce separatist forces. Russia denies backing the rebels.

Angela Merkel is set for crisis talks with Petro Poroshenko

The UN Security Council discussed the convoy on Friday and no country came to Russia's defence, according to British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant.

Members called it an "illegal and unilateral" action.

Following a phone call, US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the act.

They also expressed concern that the large numbers of Russian troops on the Ukraine border and fighting in eastern parts of the country represented a "dangerous escalation".

Mrs Merkel is set to hold talks with Ukraine's pro-European President Petro Poroshenko, three days before he meets Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and top EU officials.

A Ukrainian rebel controls an area after a shelling in Donetsk

The German leader is expected to call for a ceasefire while trying to consolidate Ukraine's relationship with the EU.

Mr Poroshenko has pledged to "talk peace" with the Russian President but insists the conflict - which has claimed more than 2,200 lives - will end only when pro-Kremlin fighters leave.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to pound the rebel strongholds such as Luhansk and Donetsk, where water has been cut off and supplies are dwindling.

At least two civilians were killed by shelling on Saturday.

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Middle Lane Hogging Rife Despite Fine Threat

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Correspondent

A year since laws were brought in to stop motorists hogging the middle lane, more than half of drivers admit they still do it.

New research has found 52% of motorists know that middle lane hogging is illegal.

Yet despite this, 59% owned up to staying in the central lane, rather than just using it for overtaking, with those aged 65 and over being the worst offenders.

The South East of England was also found to be the country's middle lane hot spot, with the M4 near Slough having the highest incidence of hogging.

The analysis came from traffic flow data from nearly 6,500 sites on the Highways Agency motorway network and the insurance firm Direct Line.

The most common reason for why people drove in the middle lane was because it is an easier way to drive on motorways because it saves changing lanes.

Rob Miles, director of car insurance at Direct Line said: "Lane hogging causes congestion, reduces the capacity of the roads, and most crucially, can be dangerous. 

"It is also illegal which means drivers could face a £100 on-the-spot fine and three points on their licence if caught.

"Motorists are risking their own safety and the safety of other road users through their actions so we'd urge them to be aware of the other lanes and drivers around them when on the road.

"If the inside lane has space, you should move into it."

Benjamin Heydecker, Professor of Transport Studies at University College London, fears that as well as adding to congestion and accidents, middle lane hogging is also a sign that people are driving around in a dream.

Prof Heydecker said: "Annoying other drivers is a bad idea, it doesn't add to road safety, but also I'm concerned that the drivers that are holding the middle lane aren't engaged in the driving task and that's bad for safety."

In August 2013 the Government introduced new careless driving laws to curb lane hogging and tailgating; those caught by police now face a £100 fine and points on their licence.

There are currently no nationwide figures for the number of people pulled over for lane hogging, but the Department for Transport told Sky News they intend to undertake research to examine how effective the introduction of careless driving as a fixed penalty offence has been.

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Final Email From James Foley's Killers Revealed

The family of James Foley have released the final email sent by his kidnappers telling them he would be killed - just days before the video of his murder emerged.

In the email, received by the family on August 12, the Islamic State militant group said: "You do not spare our weak, elderly, women or children so we will not spare yours!

"You and your citizens will pay the price of your bombings! The first of which being the blood of the American citizen, James Foley!

"He will be executed as a direct result of your transgressions towards us!"

James Foley resting in a room at the airport of Sirte, Libya in 2011

In the message, IS claimed it had given the US "many chances to negotiate the release of your people via cash transactions as other governments have accepted".

However, Mr Foley's family said this was not true.

They say the first message they received from his captors was in November 2013, more than a year after he went missing in Syria.

In the email they demanded money.

After the militants proved to the family and investigators they were holding the 40-year-old, they made a ransom demand of £80m ($132.5m).

John and Diane Foley, the parents of James Foley

The next time the family heard from the captors was on August 12.

GlobalPost, one of the news organisations Mr Foley worked for, said it chose to publish the message in full "in the interest of transparency and to fully tell Jim's story".

"We believe the text offers insight into the motivations and tactics of the Islamic State."

In the email, the kidnappers explain their wish for US-educated, Pakistani-born scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui to be released.

James Foley working in Syria in 2012. Pic: Manu Brabo

Dr Siddiqui was found with documents on chemical weapons, dirty bombs and viruses upon her arrest in Afghanistan in 2008. She is serving 86 years in a US jail.

On Thursday, Pope Francis called Mr Foley's parents to express his condolences and assuring them of his prayers, the Vatican said.

As efforts continue to track down Mr Foley's killer, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the threat posed by IS is "beyond anything we have seen".

The group said it beheaded the journalist in retaliation for US airstrikes in Iraq aimed at reversing the sweeping gains made by IS this summer.

US Attorney General Eric Holder said a criminal investigation has been launched into Mr Foley's murder.

Counter-terrorism police in the UK have already begun efforts to identify the black-clad man seen in the video beheading Mr Foley.

Although his face is covered, he speaks with an English, possibly London, accent.

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Major Operation To Retake IS-Held Towns In Iraq

Kurdish forces have started a major assault to try to retake the northeast Iraqi towns of Jalula and Sa'dya from Islamic State (IS) militants.

It comes as US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the threat posed by IS extremists, who have seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq, was "beyond anything we've seen".

The group, which beheaded American journalist James Foley in response to US airstrikes in Iraq, was "beyond just a terrorist group", Mr Hagel said.

A Kurdish peshmerga fighter

"They marry ideology, a sophistication of … military prowess," he added.

Sky's Alex Crawford, reporting from the outskirts of Jalula, said the operation was being carried out by the Kurdish military's elite counter-terrorism unit, backed up by peshmerga forces.

James Foley in Libya in 2011

She said the towns, near the Iranian border and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, had been under the control of IS insurgents for more than two months.

The Kurdish forces have already taken back a major checkpoint, which the Sunni militants had controlled.

Alex Crawford said: "What is significant about this assault is that they (the Kurds) are doing this pretty much entirely on their own.

"They've had very little air support. There is no evidence of any outside weaponry, military hardware to back them up."

A rough outline of the caliphate declared by IS militants

Meanwhile, US airstrikes in Syria - where Mr Foley disappeared in November 2012 - have not been ruled out.

When asked about that possibility, Mr Hagel said Washington was "exploring all options".

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also did not discount attacks on IS fighters in Syria.

Militants vowed to attack US targets in another video clip

"This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated," he said at a briefing.

"To your question, can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organisation which resides in Syria? The answer is no.

"That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border."

The fighter who killed James Foley

IS, which was formerly known as ISIS, declared an Islamic state, or caliphate, covering large parts of the two countries earlier this year.

Michael Scheuer, a former CIA senior officer who ran operations against al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has told Sky News defeating IS will require an "enormous" number of Western troops on the ground which would mean an "enormous bloodbath".

He said: "It's a greatly bigger problem than we've seen before, it's better armed, it's better led and certainly more vicious than al Qaeda was in the initial years."

US President Barack Obama has insisted the scope of the US strikes will remain limited, while Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain will not fight another war in Iraq.

A criminal investigation has now been opened into Mr Foley's murder, which was recorded by the militants in a video that emerged earlier this week.

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International Manhunt For 'John' The IS Killer

Counter-terrorism police in the UK say they are investigating the English-accented Islamic State fighter who beheaded journalist James Foley.

In a video posted by the militant group to social media sites, the man speaks English and blames US airstrikes for the killing of the 40-year-old American.

The killer, who is clad in black and covers his face during the video, speaks with a southeastern English accent, appears to be left-handed and is of average height.

The man has reportedly been identified as one of a group of Britons holding foreign hostages in Syria.

Speaking to Sky News, the Guardian's Martin Chulov said the man called himself "John", and was the leader of several Britons who guard prisoners in the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa.

James Foley was made to read out a statement before he was killed

"We spoke to a hostage today who was released several months ago and he clearly identified to us this man in the video," Mr Chulov said.

"He identified him as a British national, one of three British nationals who were responsible for guarding foreign prisoners in Raqqa.

"He was the leader of the pack, someone who was very assertive and was responsible for negotiations with hostage families and certainly had spoken to many mums, dads, (and) wives on Skype."

Mr Chulov said the man is likely to have been fighting with IS for at least a year.

"These are not newcomers. These guys have been around for quite some time - at least a year, and potentially 18 months.

"Throughout that time they had a leadership role in terms of guarding the foreign prisoners in Raqqa, all of whom had become very valuable to the Islamic State organisation.

Abdullah Deghayes was killed while fighting in Syria in May

"The fact that this British national speaks such fluent English, he writes fluent English as well, he has been given a lot of trust and authority within the jihadist structure in Raqqa."

The Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command said it is investigating the video.

It added: "We would like to remind the public that viewing, downloading or disseminating extremist material within the UK may constitute an offence under Terrorism legislation."

At least 400 people are known to have travelled from the UK to Syria and Iraq to fight for Islamic State (IS) - formerly known as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Concerns have been raised that radicalised young men from Western countries will return to their home nations and could be used to carry out attacks.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros said: "We know that around 400 British nationals have joined IS, probably more than that in the last few months as their recruitment has gone into overdrive.

"Now they are being used in these more serious videos to try to pressure foreign governments - and also people in these countries - to try to pressure their governments not to intervene."

Nasser Muthana, centre, has been disowned by his father

Security agencies, including the FBI and MI5, will be tracking those who have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join the militant organisation.

A Home Office spokesperson added: "The police and security services are actively working to detect and disrupt terrorist threats.

"People seeking to travel to engage in terrorist activity in Syria or Iraq should be in no doubt we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security, including prosecuting those who break the law.

"We also have a wide range of powers at our disposal to disrupt travel and manage the risk posed by returnees."

Radicalisation expert Shiraz Maher told Sky News that Britons were at the "forefront" of the IS conflict and were "not taking a back seat" in the violence.

Crawley father-of-three Abdul Waheed Majeed, 41, became the first Briton suspected of staging a suicide bomb attack when he attacked a jail in Aleppo in February.

In May, 18-year-old Abdullah Deghayes, from Brighton, was killed while fighting in Syria alongside his two brothers Jafar and Amer.

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Foley Family Sent Email Threat By IS Kidnappers

A "rage-filled" email was sent to the family of murdered US journalist James Foley days before his death, it has emerged.

The email stated the kidnappers were furious at US airstrikes against Islamic State militants and implied the journalist would die in revenge.

The "vitriolic" threat was revealed by Mr Foley's media employers amid claims the kidnappers had initially requested "multi-million-dollar ransom for his release".

The New York Times made the claim after speaking to a representative of Mr Foley's family and a former hostage held alongside him.

It has been claimed IS demanded a multi-million dollar ransom for Mr Foley

Referring to the email, Philip Balboni, President of the Global Post news website, said the organisation responded by "pleading with them for mercy".

"On Wednesday night last week the Foley family received an email from the kidnappers that was full of rage against the United States bombing and they stated that they would execute Jim.

 "Obviously, we hoped and prayed that that would not be the case.

"We communicated as quickly as we could, with the captors; pleaded with them for mercy.

"The message was vitriolic and filled with rage against the United States. It was deadly serious."

John and Diane Foley said their son in 'now in heaven'

Mr Balboni said the Global Post spent millions of dollars on efforts to bring Mr Foley home, including hiring experts from an international security firm.

Mr Foley's parents have not spoken about attempts to rescue their son, who was held captive for two years before he was beheaded, but in an emotional statement said they knew he was now "in heaven". 

John Foley, standing next to his wife Diane at their home in Rochester, New Hampshire, said: "It's difficult to find solace at this point in time, but Jim is free. We know he's in God's hands and ... we know he's in heaven.

"We're so proud of him. We have to be happy for him. We need the courage and the prayers to continue without him, because he was an inspiration for us and for so many others.

"We miss his courage and his love and his determination. His laugh. His smile."

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Foley: Secret US Raid Failed To Free Journalist

US special forces were sent to Syria this summer in an attempt to rescue US hostages, including journalist James Foley, but the secret raid failed.

Administration officials said the team found, after a fight with Islamist militants, that the hostages had already been moved.

News of the raid followed the release of a gruesome propaganda video by Islamic State (IS) militants that showed Mr Foley being beheaded.

The rescue mission was authorised after intelligence agencies believed they had identified the location inside Syria where the hostages were being held.

Officials had also become convinced that "these hostages were in danger with each passing day", Lisa Monaco, Mr Obama's senior counterterrorism adviser, said in a statement.

Militants have also threatened to kill Steven Sotloff

"The US government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the President authorised the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens," Ms Monaco said.

"Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present."

Several dozen special operations forces were dropped by aircraft into Syria and engaged in a fight with members of the Sunni militant group.

As they fought their way toward the spot where the hostages were believed to be kept, the US forces realised there were no captives to rescue.

Several militants were killed in the gunfight, administration officials said. No Americans died but an aircraft came under fire and one American sustained a minor injury.

The New York Times said the raid targeted an oil refinery in northern Syria and was carried out by two dozen Delta Force commandos.

The newspaper quoted a Defense Department official as saying missing the hostages may have been "a matter of hours, perhaps a day or two".

News of the beheading of Mr Foley, a 40-year-old American, shocked the public opinion. President Barack Obama and officials around the Western world have expressed revulsion.

James Foley disappeared in Syria in November 2012. Pic: Nicole Tung

The disclosure of the rescue mission marks the first time the US has acknowledged that American military personnel have been on the ground in Syria since a civil war there broke out more than three years ago.

Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said the administration never intended to disclose the mission but was forced to do so because a number of media outlets were preparing to report on it.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said: "As we have said repeatedly, the United States government is committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens, particularly those suffering in captivity.

"In this case, we put the best of the United States military in harm's way to try and bring our citizens home."

IS, an offshoot of al Qaeda that operates in Syria and Iraq, has warned that another captured American, Steven Sotloff, would also be killed unless the US called off airstrikes in Iraq.

James Foley's younger brother Michael has criticised the US government, saying he thought it could have done more to save Mr Foley.

He said, as a result, it needed to do more to free Mr Sotloff.

The US officials have not specified how many Americans are believed to be held captive.

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James Foley 'Died Doing Job He Believed In'

A friend and colleague of the US journalist apparently beheaded in a video released by militants has said he died doing something "he truly believed in".

Film maker Matthew VanDyke was with James Foley in Syria just a fortnight before the 40-year-old was abducted.

And he told Sky News he had been left in "complete shock" at reports his friend had been beheaded by Islamic State forces.

"I haven't seen the video myself, but it's a complete nightmare," he said.

"James was a fun guy. He was very nice, very calm. We had good times together, good conversations. He interviewed me when I escaped prison in Libya ... and he did a great job.

"He was very kind, very good at what he did. He had a great career ahead of him."

He said Mr Foley "lived and breathed" conflict journalism.

The arrival of Islamic State fighters has changed the conflict in Syria

"It was who he was, he loved doing it," he said.

"He believed in it, believed in doing things right. What every editor would want working for them is exactly who James was.

"One thing that you can say is he died doing something he truly believed in and that he was making a difference there."

Mr VanDyke insisted Mr Foley was conscious of the dangers he faced in war-torn Syria.

"He was always aware of the risks," he said.

"He was always very serious when it came to work.

"He was not someone who did anything reckless, or cowboy things. He always checked on the security ahead of him.

"He did everything the right way, but even when you do everything the right way in Syria, things can go the wrong way."

But Mr VanDyke said the arrival of IS - previously known as ISIS - had drastically changed the nature of the conflict in Syria.

"There was always a threat of kidnapping, border strikes, airstrikes, it was always dangerous," he said.

"Ever since the arrival of ISIS in the spring of 2013, it's become a complete nightmare for journalists.

"People go there and they just disappear and they're never heard from again. It's like a black hole."

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Twitter 'To Remove Gory Photos Of Death'

Twitter has said it will remove images and videos of dead people at the request of immediate family members.

In a crackdown on gory and upsetting photographs on the service, Twitter said it would consider removing images of deceased individuals taken "from when critical injury occurs to the moments before or after death".

However, it said it would take into account the public interest of any content and warned that it may not comply with all requests.

On Tuesday, following the beheading of American journalist James Foley, the White House contacted social networks asking them to remove videos of his death.

Twitter declined to say whether it had also had a request from Mr Foley's family.

But Google's former public policy chief Andrew McLaughlin warned the photos could have an important news value.

Robin Williams and his daughter Zelda

He told the Washington Post: "You can imagine that if you're a family member of this person, by all means you would want the horrific photos of their moment of death taken offline.

"But … the photos are obviously newsworthy.

"It's awful that these photos were taken, and it's awful that this moment happened, but their very existence is news.

"It's the sort of thing that moves history."

The policy change comes a week after Robin Williams' daughter Zelda abandoned her Twitter account over gruesome digitally altered images of her father.

Twitter's vice president of trust and safety Del Harvey said: "We will not tolerate abuse of this nature on Twitter.

"We have suspended a number of accounts related to this issue for violating our rules and we are in the process of evaluating how we can further improve our policies to better handle tragic situations like this one.

"This includes expanding our policies regarding self-harm and private information, and improving support for family members of deceased users."

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IS Beheads US Journalist James Foley In Video

Islamic State militants have released a video that purportedly shows the beheading of a US journalist who went missing two years ago.

The footage appears to show a masked man - speaking in English with an English accent - killing James Foley, who was seized by armed men in Syria in November 2012.

In the five-minute propaganda video, posted on social media sites by Islamic State sources, the man says Mr Foley was being killed because Barack Obama had ordered airstrikes against IS positions in northern Iraq.

The journalist, dressed in an orange jumpsuit like those worn by Guantanamo inmates, is seen kneeling in the desert before he blames the US for his death, in a statement presumably prepared by his abductors.

He then says: "I wish I had more time, I wish I could have the hope of freedom and seeing my family once again, but that ship has sailed." 

He is then beheaded.

Mr Foley in Syria before he was captured. Pic: Nicole Tung

The group also claimed to be holding another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, who appears at the end of the video, and said his life depended on the US President's next move.

A statement issued by Mr Foley's mother, Diane Foley, said: "We have never been prouder of our son, Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.

"We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world.

"We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person. Please respect our privacy in the days ahead as we mourn and cherish Jim."

On Tuesday, two unnamed US officials said they believe the man in the video - which Sky News has chosen not to show - was Mr Foley.

John and Diane Foley, Mr Foley's parents, helped a public campaign

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said if the video is verified by the intelligence community, the US would be "appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist".

Mr Foley, 40, was an experienced correspondent who had covered the war in Libya before heading to Syria to follow the revolt against Bashar al Assad for the GlobalPost, AFP and other outlets.

Philip Balboni, GlobalPost chief executive and co-founder, said the firm had been informed that the FBI is evaluating the video to determine whether it was authentic.

"We ask for your prayers for Jim and his family," he said.

According to witnesses, Mr Foley was seized in the northern Syrian province of Idlib on November 22, 2012.

The car he was travelling in was stopped by four militants in a contested battle zone that both Sunni rebel fighters and government forces were trying to control.

His family has not heard from him since, despite a public campaign for information.

Several senior US officials with direct knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press that IS very recently threatened to kill Mr Foley to avenge the American airstrikes over the last two weeks.

The strikes targeted militants advancing on Mount Sinjar, the Mosul Dam and Kurdish capital Irbil.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the video, voiced by an IS fighter with a British accent, appeared to be genuine and was "an appalling example of the brutality of this organisation".

Mr Hammond told Sky News: "This is an evil organisation with an evil ideology."

"I reject any suggestion British foreign policy is providing any excuse for what ISIL is doing," he added.

Mr Hammond said the IS extremists posed a major threat, not only to stability in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East, but also to the UK's domestic security.

The Foreign Secretary also said he did not believe the US would be "cowed" by IS threats to kill US journalist Steven Sotloff, who they claim to be holding.

The release of the video comes a day after IS militants threatened to attack US targets in another video where they warned "we will drown all of you in blood".

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Sky News Gets Exclusive Access To 'IS Militants'

Sky News has gained exclusive access to three suspected Islamic State militants in Iraq.

The trio were captured by Kurdish peshmerga fighters as they battled to take back territory won by the Sunni extremist group.

The three men are being held at a secret location. Each of them claims they do not know each other and they also all deny meeting any IS commanders.

They say they were rebelling against Iraq's former prime minister, Nouri al Maliki.

The three men are being held at a secret location

And the three insist they have not shot or killed anyone and that they were tortured by Iraqi security forces into making confessions.

 AssAsAssisted by US airstrikes, the peshmerga fighters have been managed to wrestle back control of the strategic Mosul Dam from IS fighters.

It comes as the militants posted a video message to Americans, warning: "We will drown all of you in blood".

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Scores Held Amid 'Heavy Gunfire' In Missouri

Police have said they came under "heavy gunfire" and arrested 31 protesters in the latest flare-up of violence in Ferguson, Missouri.

Police fired tear gas and stun grenades as peaceful protests descended once again into chaos after nightfall.

The St Louis town has been beset by unrest since the August 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black teenager who was killed by a white policeman.

"Not a single bullet was fired by officers despite coming under heavy attack," State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson told a news conference.

He said bottles and Molotov cocktails were thrown from the crowd and two guns were confiscated from protesters. At least two people were shot.

Michael Brown was shot dead nine days ago

The death of Mr Brown, who was unarmed, has sparked daily protests and nightly clashes with police.

Monday night's protests were the first since Missouri Governor Jay Nixon called in the National Guard to try and restore order to Ferguson, a town of about 21,000 people that is overwhelmingly African-American.

But the National Guard appeared to keep their distance and remained at a police command centre.

Instead, most streets were patrolled by officers in riot gear, supported by an armoured SWAT vehicle and a helicopter.

The protests descended into chaos after nightfall

They repeatedly ordered the crowd to disperse.

Demonstrators no longer faced a midnight-to-5am curfew, but police told protesters that they could not assemble in a single spot and had to keep moving. 

Three journalists - a photographer for the Getty photo agency and two German reporters - were briefly detained and later released.

A crowd that gathered near where Mr Brown was shot dead by a local policeman was smaller than the one that clashed with officers on Sunday.

Rapper Nelly added his voice to the protests

Mr Brown was shot in broad daylight on a residential street by Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white police officer.

Pathologists hired by Mr Brown's family revealed he had been shot at least six times, including twice in the head.

Different versions of the shooting have emerged, with police sources saying there was a scuffle during which Mr Brown tried to seize the policeman's weapon. Police say the officer was injured.

Witnesses have said the teenager had his hands up and was not resisting when he was shot.

The Washington Post said traces of marijuana were found in his system.

Police shot tear gas to disperse the protesters

A total of three autopsies have been requested - by local authorities, the family and the Justice Department.

Officials have said a grand jury could hear evidence in the case as early as Wednesday.

In Washington, President Barack Obama said the vast majority of protesters in Ferguson were peaceful, but warned that a small minority was undermining justice.

He has said there was no excuse for police to use "excessive force" and urged a "limited" use of the National Guard.

The president has also deployed Attorney General Eric Holder, who is expected in the area on Wednesday for talks with FBI and other officials carrying out an independent federal investigation into Mr Brown's death.

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Iraqi Militants Threaten Revenge Attacks On US

Iraqi militants have threatened to respond to US airstrikes by attacking American targets, posting a video in which they warn: "We will drown all of you in blood".

The message, which was accompanied by photographs of beheadings, came as Barack Obama announced Kurdish peshmerga troops, supported by US jets, had recaptured the strategically important Mosul Dam.

The US president said Islamic State (IS) fighters remained "a threat to Iraq and the entire region" and said Iraqis "must reject them and unite by pushing them out of lands they have occupied".

"They claim to represent Sunni grievances but they slaughter Sunni men, women and children," he said, adding limited military missions would continue.

Mr Obama has authorised limited missions in Iraq

Unlike al Qaeda, IS has, to date, focused on seizing land in Iraq and Syria for its self-proclaimed caliphate, rather than attacking Western targets.

Earlier, the group denied losing control of Mosul Dam, which supplies water and electricity to much of the country.

It had been feared they would cut pipes and cables or blow up the structure, branded the "most dangerous in the world" by the US Army in 2007, causing huge loss of life and extensive damage along the Tigris valley.

Army spokesman Lt Gen Qassim al Moussawi said at least 170 bombs had been dismantled around the site but warned many more remain.

Meanwhile, Sky News has gained exclusive access to suspected IS militants who were captured by Kurdish fighters. The trio are being held in a secret location, claiming they were tortured into making confessions.

And IS militants killed dozens of Kurdish peshmerga fighters and captured 170 of them, a Twitter account that supports the group said.

Both sides had been locked in fierce fighting around Mosul Dam

Iraq's outgoing foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari also said Kurdish officials would take part in negotiations on forming a new government, paving the way for improved ties between Kurds and the central administration.

It came after David Cameron insisted Britain would not be dragged into another war in Iraq to fight what he called "monstrous" jihadists.

He spoke out after it emerged the UK had briefly sent a number of ground troops to Irbil to prepare for a rescue mission to help displaced Yazidi people.

A strongly worded statement followed confusion over Britain's involvement in Iraq after a series of media interviews by senior ministers.

"I want to be absolutely clear to you and to families watching at home. Britain is not going to get involved in another war in Iraq," the Prime Minister said in a televised address.

"We are not going to be putting boots on the ground. We are not going to be sending in the British Army."

Mr Cameron's pledge followed comments by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who said the UK's latest involvement in Iraq would likely last "weeks and months".

Mr Fallon had been addressing British troops in Cyprus, as it was revealed UK soldiers had been back on the ground in Iraq for the first time since 2009.

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Teen Shooting Unrest: National Guard Called In

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has ordered the National Guard to Ferguson amid rising tensions following the shooting death by police of an unarmed black teenager.

Mr Nixon said the National Guard would "help restore peace and order" to the St Louis suburb after days of protests over the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. 

In the latest violence on Sunday night, police fired tear gas at demonstrators as gunfire was heard.

The announcement by Mr Nixon came as a preliminary private autopsy found that Mr Brown was shot at least six times - twice in the head - according to the New York Times.

The post-mortem examination was carried out by Dr Michael Baden, a former New York City chief medical examiner, at the request of Mr Brown's family.

Protesters say Michael Brown was trying to surrender when shot

Mr Baden said one of the bullets entered the top of Mr Brown's skull, suggesting that his head was bent forward when he suffered a fatal injury.

Mr Brown was shot four times in the right arm and all the bullets were fired into his front, he told the New York Times.

Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered a federal medical examiner to perform another autopsy.

As night fell in Ferguson, a peaceful protest quickly deteriorated into further violence - more than a week after Mr Brown's killing on August 9.

Some protesters have defied the curfew

Some protesters carried signs protesting against police brutality. Some had their hands up in the air, while others threw Molotov cocktails at police officers.

Authorities said they were responding to reports of gunfire, looting and vandalism.

The Missouri Highway Patrol also said it used tear gas to disperse "aggressors" who were trying to infiltrate a law enforcement command post, and that armoured vehicles were deployed to ensure public safety.

A man was shot and critically wounded in the area, but not by police, and someone also shot at a police car, authorities said.

The demonstrations have been going on for a week, with most being peaceful

Seven people were arrested for failing to disperse.

Officials announced another five-hour curfew for the second night running which started at midnight local time (6am UK time). But much of the violence started before the curfew.

Authorities said they plan to decide on a day-by-day basis whether to extend the curfew, first imposed on Saturday night by Mr Nixon in an effort to quell the demonstrations.

Calls to demilitarise police have mounted

Mr Nixon meanwhile sharply criticised the town's police for releasing CCTV video which they say shows Mr Brown stealing cigars from a store and shoving an employee.

"I think it had an incendiary effect," he told CBS' Face The Nation on Sunday morning.

He said police "clearly are attempting to besmirch a victim of a shooting".

Minutes after the robbery, Mr Brown had a fatal encounter with an officer who police say stopped the teenager for jaywalking.

Mr Brown was unarmed and it has been claimed he was trying to surrender before he was shot dead by white police officer Darren Wilson, 28.

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Cameron: 'We Are Not Going To War In Iraq'

David Cameron has insisted that Britain will not be getting involved in another war in Iraq.

He spoke out after reports Britain had sent some ground troops to Irbil, to prepare the way for "more than humanitarian aid".

The comments came amid reports on Iraq state TV that Kurdish troops have retaken the strategic Mosul dam from Islamic militants.

The UK is considering arming peshmerga troops fighting IS extremists

Peshmerga fighters have been battling Islamic State fighters, with the aid of US airstrikes, after the dam was seized by the militants 10 days ago.

The development came as Mr Cameron chose to appear on television to assure families that British soldiers would not become involved in another Iraq war.

He said: "I want to be absolutely clear to you and to families watching at home, Britain is not going to get involved in another war in Iraq.

A US airstrike against an IS position near Mosul Dam

"We are not going to be putting boots on the ground. We are not going to be sending in the British Army."

He continued: "Yes, we should use all the assets that we have, our diplomacy, our political relationships, our aid, the military prowess, the expertise that we have to help others - we should use these things as part of a strategy to put pressure on Islamic State and make sure this terrorist organisation is properly addressed and it cannot cause mayhem on our own streets."

David Cameron previously conceded that Britain's role will go beyond humanitarian aid and involve "limited action" to prevent violence spreading to British streets.

Michael Fallon says Britain's involvement could last 'weeks and months'

But he said: "So we are helping the Kurds, we are working with the Iraqi government to make sure it is more representative of the whole country and, of course, we are working with neighbours and allies to put the maximum amount of pressure on IS and make sure it is properly dealt with.

"We have said that if the Kurds, the Peshmerga, want to have arms from us, that is something we would consider favourably.

"Up to now they have not been making that request. Really the sort of weapons they have been using have been more eastern bloc variety, and so they have been supplied by others."

Mr Cameron's comments came after his defence secretary Michael Fallon said the UK's Iraq mission would likely last "weeks and months".

It also emerged that British troops have been back on the ground in Iraq for the first time since 2009.

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire regiment were sent to Irbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, to prepare the way for a rescue mission to help stranded Yazidi people.

It is understood the rescue operation would involve Chinook helicopters.

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Julian Assange 'I Am Leaving Embassy Soon'

Assange: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 7:38am UK, Monday 18 August 2014

Key events in the legal saga of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.

2010

July More than 91,000 documents, most of them secret US military reports about the war in Afghanistan, are released by WikiLeaks.org.

August WikiLeakers founder, Julian Assange, is accused of rape by one woman in Sweden and sexual molestation by another woman. He strongly denies the allegations. An arrest warrant is issued but then withdrawn after insufficient evidence.

September The rape investigation is reopened in Sweden. Mr Assange leaves Sweden for Britain.

October WikiLeaks releases another 400,000 classified military files chronicling the war in Iraq from 2004 to 2009, the largest leak of its kind in US military history.

November A Swedish court orders Mr Assange's detention due to the investigation into allegations against him of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion.

WikiLeaks releases thousands of US diplomatic cables that include candid views of foreign leaders and blunt assessments of security threats.

December Assange is arrested by British police on a European warrant issued by Sweden and held in jail after a judge refuses to grant bail. Bail, set at £200,000, is eventually granted on December 16.

2011

February Magistrates court rules Mr Assange should be extradited to Sweden.

August WikiLeaks releases thousands of previously unpublished US diplomatic cables from its cache of more than 250,000 State Department reports.

October Mr Assange says WikiLeaks will have to stop publishing secret cables and devote itself to fund-raising.

November The High Court rules Assange should be extradited to Sweden over the alleged sex crimes.

2012

June After losing an appeal to the Supreme Court, Mr Assange takes refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London and asks for political asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden.

August Ecuador grants political asylum to Mr Assange.

October Nine people who stood as sureties for Mr Assange's bail before he took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy are ordered to pay a total of £93,500. Pop star Lady Gaga visit the Australian at the embassy.

November Details of his lung chronic lung condition are revealed, with the Ecuadorian ambassador saying he needs constant medical attention.

December Mr Assange appears on balcony of Ecuadorian embassy to reveal WikiLeaks is set to release fresh documents.

2013

April WikiLeaks releases 1.7m US records, including diplomatic and intelligence documents.

June Talks between Ecuador and the UK fail to reach an agreement and Mr Assange must remain in the embassy.

August WikiLeaks founder stars in spoof election video ahead of elections in Australia in September.

October WikiLeaks film The Fifth Estate is released, but largely flops in the US. Mr Assange labels it "propaganda".

2014

January Mr Assange's father John Shipton - chief executive of the WikiLeaks Party in Australia, is part of a delegation which meets Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

July The Australian fails in an attempt to get his arrest warrant in Sweden dismissed.

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US Launches Airstrikes To Help Retake Iraq Dam

'Corpses Everywhere' After Jihadist 'Massacre'

Updated: 12:54pm UK, Saturday 16 August 2014

Dead bodies were found "everywhere" when Yazidi fighters arrived at a village where jihadists have been accused of carrying out a massacre, witnesses have said.

Officials believe Islamic State (IS) fighters killed around 80 people, mostly Yazidis, after arriving in the northern Iraq village of Kocho and demanding they abandon their beliefs and convert to Islam.

The militants also kidnapped women from the village in Nineveh province and took them to prisons they control, according to a senior Kurdish official.

Yazidi fighter Mohsen Tawwal told AFP by telephone that he saw a large number of bodies in the village.

"We made it into a part of Kocho village, where residents were under siege, but we were too late," he said.

"There were corpses everywhere. We only managed to get two people out alive. The rest had all been killed."

A man from a neighbouring village, who had been told what happened, added: "The Islamic State had spent five days trying to persuade villagers to convert to Islam and ... a long lecture was delivered about the subject today."

"The men were gathered and shot dead.

"The women and girls were probably taken to Tal Afar because that is where the foreign fighters are."

Senior Iraqi official Hoshyar Zebari said: "We have information from multiple sources, in the region and through intelligence, that (on Friday) afternoon, a convoy of (IS) armed men entered this village. 

"They took their revenge on its inhabitants, who happened to be mostly Yazidis who did not flee their homes.

"They committed a massacre against the people. Around 80 of them have been killed."

Thousands of Yazidis - people from a minority sect with an ancient religion - have been forced to flee their homes by the IS advance.

The extremist group, previously called ISIS, has swept across a large part of northern and central Iraq, taking Mosul and threatening Baghdad and Kurdish capital Irbil.

On Saturday, airstrikes targeted the group around Mosul Dam. It was not immediately clear if they were carried out by the Iraqi air force of the US. 

The IS seized Iraq's largest dam on August 7.

Iraq's human rights minister has said that Islamic State militants have killed at least 500 members of the Yazidi community during their offensive in the north.

Some of the victims, including women and children, were buried alive, Mohammed Shia al Sudani said.

The United Nations Security Council on Friday blacklisted six Islamist militants and threatened sanctions against anyone who helped arm or supply them.

Five members of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which operates in Syria, and Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al Adnani were included on the British-drafted resolution, which also condemned all aspects of IS's activities and beliefs.

Earlier, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to arm Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

The meeting of foreign ministers from the 28 EU nations was called by EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton and came after several European countries, including France and Germany, said they were prepared to supply weapons to the Peshmerga forces.

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Legal Highs 'More Lethal Than Heroin' Warning

Glastonbury Backs Legal Highs Blackout Campaign

Updated: 2:50pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

The Glastonbury festival website has been blacked out in support of a campaign against so-called "legal highs".

Visitors to the festival's website saw a light bulb and the message: "Don't Be In the Dark About Legal Highs."

It is part of a campaign called Don't Be In The Dark by members of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF).

Upon clicking the light bulb, information on "legal highs" appeared, allowing users to find out more about them or go to the normal page.

More than 20 other festivals, who have already banned "legal highs" at their events, took part by blacking out their websites and not posting anything on social media accounts.

They were: T in the Park, Bestival, Lovebox, Global Gathering, Secret Garden Party, Sonisphere, We Are FSTVL, 2000trees, ArcTanGent, Kendal Calling, Festibelly, Blissfields, Truck, Brownstock, Y Not Festival, Tramlines, Belladrum Tartan Heart, Hebridean Celtic Festival, Leefest, Nozstock, Wakestock, Shambala, Glasgow Summer Sessions, Parklife and Eden Sessions.

"Legal highs" are designed to produce similar effects to illegal drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy, but are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

This is because many are advertised as "not for human consumption" and sold as bath salts, research chemicals or plant food.

AIF co-founder and vice chair Ben Turner said "legal highs" are a "serious concern".

He said: "The substances have managed to fly under-the-radar purely by evolving faster than the monitoring bodies can regulate.

"Banning it at our festivals is only part of the battle however, we need to make fans aware of the dangers of legal highs and help them make safer choices when having fun on site."

Maryon Stewart, founder of the Angelus Foundation, which warns of the dangers of the substances, said: "Legal highs are a huge but hidden problem because young people are acting in ignorance and no-one is measuring the harms.

"As the lead organisation raising awareness of these substances, Angelus is delighted the festivals are taking the issue seriously and helping to keep their audiences safe."

The Reading and Leeds festivals, which are not members of the AIF, banned "legal highs" last year.

A report released earlier this year showed that there has been a large rise in the number of deaths linked to them.

The number of cases in which novel psychoactive substances were identified as the cause of death rose from 10 in 2009 to 68 in 2012.

The research by St George's, University of London, also showed the prevalence of the drugs in post-mortem toxicology tests increased from 12 in 2009 to 97 in 2012 - a jump of 800%.

The government has launched a review into the substances which will consider whether legislation is necessary to protect public health.

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PM Warns Of Terror State On Europe's Doorstep

'Poisonous Extremism' Warning

Updated: 10:57pm UK, Saturday 16 August 2014

By David Cameron, Letter In The Sunday Telegraph

Stability. Security. The peace of mind that comes from being able to get a decent job and provide for your family, in a country that you feel has a good future ahead of it and that treats people fairly.

In a nutshell, that is what people in Britain want - and what the Government I lead is dedicated to building.

Britain - our economy, our security, our future - must come first.

After a deep and damaging recession, and our involvement in long and difficult conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is hardly surprising that so many people say to me when seeing the tragedies unfolding on their television screens: "Yes, let's help with aid, but let's not get any more involved."

I agree that we should avoid sending armies to fight or occupy.

But we need to recognise that the brighter future we long for requires a long-term plan for our security as well as for our economy.

True security will only be achieved if we use all our resources - aid, diplomacy, our military prowess - to help bring about a more stable world.

Today, when every nation is so immediately interconnected, we cannot turn a blind eye and assume that there will not be a cost for us if we do.

The creation of an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq and extending into Syria is not a problem miles away from home.

Nor is it a problem that should be defined by a war 10 years ago. It is our concern here and now.

Because if we do not act to stem the onslaught of this exceptionally dangerous terrorist movement, it will only grow stronger until it can target us on the streets of Britain.

We already know that it has the murderous intent. Indeed, the first Isis-inspired terrorist acts on the continent of Europe have already taken place.

Our first priority has of course been to deal with the acute humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

We should be proud of the role that our brave armed services and aid workers have played in the international effort.

British citizens have risked their lives to get 80 tons of vital supplies to the Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar.

It is right that we use our aid programme to respond rapidly to a situation like this: Britain has given £13 million to support the aid effort.

We also helped to plan a detailed international rescue operation and we remain ready and flexible to respond to the ongoing challenges in or around Dahuk, where more than 450,000 people have increased the population by 50 per cent.

But a humanitarian response alone is not enough. We also need a broader political, diplomatic and security response.

For that, we must understand the true nature of the threat we face.

We should be clear: this is not the "War on Terror", nor is it a war of religions. It is a struggle for decency, tolerance and moderation in our modern world.

It is a battle against a poisonous ideology that is condemned by all faiths and by all faith leaders, whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim.

Of course there is conflict between Shias and Sunnis, but that is the wrong way to see what is really happening.

What we are witnessing is actually a battle between Islam on the one hand and extremists who want to abuse Islam on the other.

These extremists, often funded by fanatics living far away from the battlefields, pervert the Islamic faith as a way of justifying their warped and barbaric ideology - and they do so not just in Iraq and Syria but right across the world, from Boko Haram and al-Shabaab to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

So this threat cannot simply be removed by airstrikes alone. We need a tough, intelligent and patient long-term approach that can defeat the terrorist threat at source.

First, we need a firm security response, whether that is military action to go after the terrorists, international co-operation on intelligence and counter-terrorism or uncompromising action against terrorists at home.

On Friday we agreed with our European partners that we will provide equipment directly to the Kurdish forces; we are now identifying what we might supply, from body armour to specialist counter-explosive equipment.

We have also secured a United Nations Security Council resolution to disrupt the flows of finance to Isis, sanction those who are seeking to recruit for it and encourage countries to do all they can to prevent foreign fighters joining the extremist cause.

Here in Britain we have recently introduced stronger powers through our Immigration Act to deprive naturalised Britons of their citizenship if they are suspected of being involved in terrorist activities.

We have taken down 28,000 pieces of terrorist-related material from the web, including 46 Isis-related videos.

And I have also discussed the police response to this growing threat of extremism with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

The position is clear. If people are walking around with Isis flags or trying to recruit people to their terrorist cause, they will be arrested and their materials will be seized.

We are a tolerant people, but no tolerance should allow the room for this sort of poisonous extremism in our country.

Alongside a tough security response, there must also be an intelligent political response. We know that terrorist organisations thrive where there is political instability and weak or dysfunctional political institutions.

So we must support the building blocks of democracy - the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, the rights of minorities, free media and association and a proper place in society for the army.

None of these things can be imposed by the West. Every country must make its own way. But we can and must play a valuable role in supporting them to do that.

Isis militants have exploited the absence of a unified and representative government in Baghdad. So we strongly welcome the opportunity of a new start with Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi.

I spoke to him earlier this week and assured him that we will support any attempts to forge a genuinely inclusive government that can unite all Iraqi communities - Sunnis, Shias and Kurds - against the common enemy of Isis, which threatens the way of life of them all.

The international community will rally around this new government. But Iraq's neighbours in the region are equally vital.

So we must work with countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the UAE, Egypt and Turkey against these extremist forces, and perhaps even with Iran, which could choose this moment to engage with the international community against this shared threat.

I want Britain to play a leading role in this diplomatic effort. So we will be appointing a Special Representative to the Kurdistan Regional Government and using the Nato summit in Wales and the United Nations General Assembly in New York to help rally support across the international community.

Finally, while being tough and intelligent, we must also be patient and resolute. We are in the middle of a generational struggle against a poisonous and extremist ideology, which I believe we will be fighting for the rest of my political lifetime.

We face in Isis a new threat that is single-minded, determined and unflinching in pursuit of its objectives.

Already it controls not just thousands of minds, but thousands of square miles of territory, sweeping aside much of the boundary between Iraq and Syria to carve out its so-called caliphate.

It makes no secret of its expansionist aims. Even today it has the ancient city of Aleppo firmly within its sights.

And it boasts of its designs on Jordan and Lebanon, and right up to the Turkish border. If it succeeds, we would be facing a terrorist state on the shores of the Mediterranean and bordering a Nato member.

This is a clear danger to Europe and to our security.

It is a daunting challenge. But it is not an invincible one, as long as we are now ready and able to summon up the political will to defend our own values and way of life with the same determination, courage and tenacity as we have faced danger before in our history.

That is how much is at stake here: we have no choice but to rise to the challenge.

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