Headlines:

• Islam Taking Over, Europe Soon to be Unrecognizable
• 200 Russians Fighting Alongside Syrian Rebels, FSB says
• US: Taliban Inflicting Heavy Losses on Afghan Troops
• US Commander Issues Stern Warning on S. China Sea Disputes

Details:

Islam Taking Over, Europe Soon To Be Unrecognizable:

According to Dr. Mordechai Kedar, European softening, together with demographics, is leading to 'abysmal' change. Dr. Avika Libman: Riots start with preachers demanding Muslim state.  Europe's alarm clock has been ringing once again over the past week. The negative birthrate compared to the increase in Muslims, the heavy unemployment and the social-religious isolation of European immigrants are all back on the agenda. "Europe has lost its will to live as Europe," said Mideast expert Dr. Mordechai Kedar to Ynet. "It is gathered into museums, into history. If the leaders will not put an end to immigration, we will soon be hearing the death throes of the continent as we know it." Dr. Zvika Libman studies the effects of the Muslim minority in Europe in light of the radical Islam on European countries. When he sees the reality, he said, there is no alternative interpretation for the events. "There is no doubt that the unemployment and the economic hardships lead to rioting, as happened in France. And yes, there is a disadvantage compared to the European bourgeois, but this is not solely bitterness due to the economic situation - because there is unemployment among youngsters who are not Muslim, like in Spain for example. The Muslims have a fertile ground of mosques that awaken them, preach to them that they are deprived, that they don't belong, that they're not wanted and that the only solution is a country with an Arab majority. This is the starting point for these riots." According to Dr. Libman, Sweden is an example of the situation in Europe. Penniless immigrants coming from weakened and colonized countries, get housing, education and solid foundations from European welfare countries, and still express their anger at the establishment. How long will Europe contain the situation? "Good question," said Libman. "After WWII Europe is extra careful about anything that has to do with human rights and right to freedom. On the other hand, it absorbs aliens that do not integrate within the community. Europe needs manpower because the birthrate is low, they need those immigrants that seek to change the religious identity of the continent. It is an interesting time."

200 Russians Fighting Alongside Syrian Rebels, FSB says:

There are about 200 Russians currently fighting alongside rebels battling the Syrian regime, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service said Thursday. It is the first confirmation by Moscow that Russian-born Islamists are active in the Syrian civil war, and contradicts some earlier denials of their involvement by Russian officials. "There is great concern in Russia that there are about 200 militants from the Russian Federation fighting [in North Africa and Syria] on the side of the Caucasus Emirate [militant Islamic organization] under the flag of Al Qaeda and other affiliated structures," FSB head Alexander Bortnikov said at an international security conference. Most Russians fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad are believed to come from the North Caucasus, which has a thriving jihadist movement - the legacy of a series of brutal separatist wars following the fall of the Soviet Union. The Kremlin is particular concerned about instability in the North Caucasus ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, which could be fueled by hardened fighters of Russian origin leaving Syria to go home. Sochi is a Russian Black Sea resort located in the vicinity of the volatile North Caucasus region. "This is a very serious threat for all states, for Russia and CIS countries and for European states and the American continent," said Bortnikov. "[But] the danger is that these terrorists will end up returning to the country from which they left." Russian officials have previously downplayed the role played by Russian militants in Syria. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said last year that it was a "hoax" to suggest Chechens were among the Syrian rebels. But evidence of Russian involvement with the rebel movement has grown as Syria's bloody civil war continues. Russia's most wanted man, rebel leader Doku Umarov, who is also the head of the Al Qaeda-linked Caucasus Emirate, appeared in a video last year saying that those fighting against Damascus were in his prayers. And a Russian-language website, Fisyria.com, was launched in March by a Syrian rebel group called Jaish al-Muhajireen wa Ansar ("Army of the Emigrants and Helpers").

US: Taliban Inflicting Heavy Losses on Afghan Troops:

The U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford, says Taliban insurgents are inflicting heavy losses on Afghan national security forces as the Afghans assume the lead.   U.S. Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a gathering where U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel joined NATO defense ministers to talk about the way forward in Afghanistan as international forces prepare to draw down next year.  As that drawdown nears, international troops are taking up more of a support role and it is the Afghans who are in the lead against the insurgents.  Now on the front lines with international troops only providing backup, the Afghans are at risk for greater losses. Several weeks into the fighting season, General Dunford said the Taliban has done what it said it would do: step up high-profile assaults and insider attacks to create fear and intimidation.  He called the losses among Afghan forces significant. "The numbers have been, as I look back over the last six or eight weeks, it's probably been 70 in one week.  It was 44, 34 and then the last two weeks have been over 100," Dunford said.

US Commander Issues Stern Warning on S. China Sea Disputes:

The top American military commander in the Pacific issued a stern warning to any country that might try to seize control of disputed areas in the South China Sea: "We will oppose the change of status quo by force by anyone," Admiral Samuel Locklear, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said during a visit to Malaysia on Wednesday. "We need to retain the status quo until we get to a code of conduct or a solution by party nations that is peacefully accepted." While Locklear did not mention China by name, China has been aggressively asserting its sovereignty over the disputed areas while some of its neighbors, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, are also defending their claims with diplomatic might. China's neighbors have been pushing for a code of conduct with China designed to ease tensions, but Beijing has not been clear about its desire for such a code. However, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Joe Yun, said in Washington on Wednesday that China and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have reached an understanding that formal negotiations for a code would start later this year. Locklear said a code of conduct would allow the military "to understand the boundaries of what they can do in the best interest for a peaceful solution," adding that he didn't think tensions in the area were likely to escalate because the countries involved "understand this could be a long process, they understand restraint."

Abu Hashim