Headlines:

• More British Converting to Islam
• Hezbollah and Iran Propping Up Syria
• US Turned India into a Dangerous Nuclear Power
• US Claims Chinese Military is on New Cyber Offensive against America

Details:

More British Converting To Islam:

Using census data on race and religion, and questionnaires issued to mosques, Kevin Brice, a researcher at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, reckons around 5,200 Britons turn to Islam every year, bringing the total number of converts to about 100,000, the Economist reported. According to the report, those who embrace Islam tend to do so after years of contact with Muslims. Some, mostly women (who make up around two-thirds of new believers), want to marry a Muslim. Others are fed up with the bawdiness of British society. Many speak of seeking a sense of community. Batool al-Toma, an Irish-Catholic convert who runs the New Muslim Project in Leeds, was attracted, she says, by the spirituality of Islam and the warmth of relationships she saw among Muslims. For men, prisons have proven a fertile ground for conversions. Just over 11,000 prisoners are Muslims, about 13% of the total. A study by the prisons inspectorate in 2010 says converts, a third of those interviewed, said the discipline and structure of Islam helped them to cope with prison life. Others cited the support they received from their Muslim "brothers". Some were initially attracted by the prospect of a cushier spell in jail-more time outside their cells, for example, and better food at Ramadan, but then completed their conversion.

Hezbollah And Iran Propping Up Syria:

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has warned that Iran and its militant Shi'ite Lebanese ally Hezbollah are "propping up" Syrian President Bashar al Assad. Speaking in Jordan, the Foreign Secretary said: "It is very clear that Syrian regime is receiving a great deal of support ... from outside Syria from Hezbollah and Iran." This is a regime that is increasingly dependent on external support," he told a news conference given with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh. Ahead of a meeting of the Friends of Syria alliance, he said: "The regime is being propped up by others outside, further undermining its legitimacy.  "It also shows that it is a crisis that is increasing the threat to regional stability." Mr Hague said Britain would urge international powers to set a date in the next few days for a conference to try to end the two-year conflict engulfing Syria.  "It is important that it takes place as quickly as possible because people are dying and more and more people are driven from their homes.  "The risk to regional stability grow every day so this something that cannot be debated endlessly," he added. His comments echo those of a European Union diplomatic source who said: "Since November the regime has been able to go on the offensive not because it is stronger, but because those backing it - Iran, Russia, Hezbollah - are directly helping it either through weapons, planning of operations or financial assistance."

The US Turned India into a Dangerous Nuclear Power:

In January, Delhi revealed a new, 800km-ranged submarine launched missile (SLBM) designated K-15. Twelve of these strategic, nuclear-armed missiles will be carried by India's first of a class of domestically built nuclear-powered submarine, "Arihant." India is also working on another SLBM, K-5, with a range of some 2,800km.  These new nuclear subs and their SLBM's will give India the capability to strike many high-value targets around the globe. Equally important, they complete India's nuclear triad of nuclear weapons delivered by aircraft, missiles, and now sea that will be invulnerable to a decapitating first strike from either Pakistan or China. Last February, it was revealed that India is fast developing a new, long-ranged, three-stage ballistic missile, Agni-VI. This powerful missile is said to be able to carry up to ten independently targetable nuclear warheads, known as MIRV's.  Agni-VI's range is believed to be at least 10,000km, putting all of China, Japan, Australia, and Russia in its range. A new 15,000km missile capable of hitting North America is also in the works under cover of India's civilian space program. India is also developing accurate cruise missiles and miniaturized nuclear warheads to fit into their small diameter. These important strategic developments will put India ahead of other nuclear powers France, Britain, North Korea, and Pakistan, about equal in striking power to Israel and China, and not too far behind the United States and Russia. Delhi says it needs a nuclear triad because of the growing threat of China, whose conventional and nuclear forces are being rapidly modernized.  The Bush administration began quietly aiding India's nuclear program with nuclear fuel when India had a shortage of fissile material. Some advanced technology from the US and India's second largest arms supplier, Israel, has also aided Delhi's nuclear and missile delivery programs.

US Claims Chinese Military is On New Cyber Offensive Against America:

Officials within the United States government say hackers from China have renewed their assault on US targets only three months after a highly-touted investigation linked the People's Liberation Army to a series of cyber attacks waged at American entities. According to the New York Times, computer security experts and US officials alike say the PLA's sophisticated cyber squadron is attempting to hack American businesses after a brief hiatus. Earlier this year, the Times cited a report by Northern Virginia security firm Mandiant when they alleged that Chinese hackers targeted businesses and government agencies inside the US, as well as a Canadian utility company and others. Mandiant said in the February report that the PLA "Unit 61398" group compromised 141 companies across 20 major industries during the last few years, infecting the computers at Coca-Cola, the Canadian arm of Telvent and others. Earlier this month, the US Department of Defence threw its weight behind Mandiant's claims, and for the first time ever the administration of President Barack Obama accused China of cybercrimes. "In 2012, numerous computer systems around the world, including those owned by the US government, continued to be targeted for intrusions, some of which appear to be attributable directly to the Chinese government and military," the Pentagon wrote. Now, the chief executive at Mandiant and a number of US officials admit that China relaxed its campaign after the February report was published - only to have already returned to its hacking ways weeks later. "They dialled it back for a little while, though other groups that also wear uniforms didn't even bother to do that," CEO Kevin Mandia told the Times on Friday. "I think you have to view this as the new normal." Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, accused the US of "using cybersecurity as an excuse to take inappropriate actions against Chinese companies and individuals" without providing "proof and evidence." "China stands ready to carry out constructive cooperation with all countries, including the US, to safeguard peace and security of the cyberspace on the basis of mutual respect," he said.

 

Abu Hashim