While IS strengthens its position in Syria and Iraq

Britons fighting in Syria and Iraq for the Islamic State (IS) group will not be able to return to the UK for at least two years. This measure is provided for in the anti-terrorism bill, which was presented by British Prime Minister David Cameron. Japan is also concerned about counteracting Islamists: the upper house of the country's parliament has tightened punishment for their support. Meanwhile, the IS members themselves do not intend to let the initiative slip from their hands: they have agreed to cooperate with the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and announced their intention to mint their own coins.

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Photo: Reuters/Stringer

British Prime Minister David Cameron

Photo: Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett

"We must deal with the threat posed by foreign fighters who are planning attacks against our citizens... We must confront this extremism in all its forms," David Cameron said as he introduced the anti-Islamist bill. Suspected members of terrorist groups holding British passports will be banned from entering the country for at least two years, with the possibility of extending this period. In addition, the law would give UK law enforcement agencies the power to temporarily revoke the passports of suspected Islamists.

Meanwhile, Japan has intensified its fight against Islamists. Japan's upper house of parliament has approved a new law toughening penalties for supporting terrorists. This, as the document explains, is about providing them with “land, buildings, goods and services” (for example, selling weapons or providing asylum). From December, such actions will be punishable by up to ten years in prison, as well as a fine of ¥10 million ($86.2 thousand —Kommersant ). Let us note that earlier the Japanese police prevented the attempt of several local university students to go to Syria to fight there on the side of the Islamic State.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State has found a new serious ally: according to the AP agency, citing a source in the Syrian opposition, members of the Islamic State have agreed to cooperate and coordinate actions with the Syrian group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is closely associated with al-Qaeda. A secret meeting between representatives of the two organizations allegedly took place on the night of November 2 in the city of Atareb, located west of Aleppo. Previously, experts argued that these groups compete with each other for spheres of influence.

Another unpleasant news for opponents of the Islamic State was the refutation of rumors about the death of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during airstrikes carried out by the American Air Force. Terrorists published a 17-minute audio recording of al-Baghdadi's speech. In particular, on it the leader of the militants says: “We will never stop fighting, even if there is only one fighter left.” In addition, he argues that the US-led anti-terrorism campaign is “failing” and “volcanoes of jihad are about to ignite around the world.”

In parallel with attempts to conquer new territories, IS leaders are increasingly engaged in creating a semblance of statehood. The day before it became known that the group would mint its own gold, silver and copper coins in order to abandon the “tyrannical financial system” of the United States.

Pavel Tarasenko

Islamists are blocked from entering Europe