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Hayat Boumeddiene Hunted As More Attacks Feared

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 10 Januari 2015 | 12.15

Police are hunting for the wife of one of the three gunmen who brought three days of terror to France, saying she may be "armed and dangerous".

Hayat Boumeddiene, a suspect in the murder of a Paris policewoman on Thursday, is on the run after her husband Amedy Coulibaly was killed when armed officers brought his kosher supermarket siege to a violent end.

The 26-year-old could hold the key to the ongoing terror investigation, as police admit they may be dealing with a larger extremist cell and authorities brace for more attacks.

Details are emerging of the young woman of Algerian descent and the links between Coulibaly, 32, and the Kouachi brothers, who were killed two days after murdering 12 people at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. 

Boumeddiene reportedly started wearing a burkha in May 2009 after meeting Coulibaly and quit her job as a cashier before marrying him in a religious ceremony later that year.

According to French judicial documents, the couple travelled with Cherif Kouachi and his wife in 2010 to central France to visit radical Islamist Djamel Beghal, who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for terror offences.

The pair posed for photos during the visit, taking selfies and a snap of Boumeddiene pointing a crossbow at the camera.

Interviewed that year by counter-terrorism officers over Coulibaly's involvement in an attempt to free Paris bomber Smain Ait Ali Belkacem from jail, she was open about her fanatical views.

According to Le Nouvel Observateur, she refused to condemn al Qaeda attacks, preferring to criticise America's military interventions around the world and the western media.

The links between the couple and the Kouachi's apparently thrived, with Paris prosecutor Francois Molins revealing Boumeddiene and the wife of one of the brothers exchanged more than 500 phone calls in 2014.

A police search of Coulibaly's residence in 2010 turned up a crossbow, 240 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, films and photos of him during a trip to Malaysia, and letters seeking false official documents.

In a police interview that same year, Coulibaly identified Cherif Kouachi as a friend he had met in prison and said they saw each other frequently, according to a transcript of the interview obtained by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

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  1. Gallery: Magazine Victims Identified

    Muslim police officer Ahmed Merabet was killed outside Charlie Hebdo's offices. Video of the attack showed him lying on the ground and begging for mercy as he was shot in the head

Bernard Maris was a journalist and shareholder in Charlie Hebdo

]]>

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    Charlie Hebdo: Al Qaeda Threatens More Attacks

    Charlie Hebdo: Al Qaeda Threatens More Attacks

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    By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent, in Dammartin-en-Goele

    Al Qaeda has threatened France with more terror attacks after 17 people were killed at Charlie Hebdo's offices and at a Jewish supermarket.

    The warning came as President Francois Hollande admitted the threats "weren't over" and police hunting a female suspect suggested there could be a larger terrorist cell planning further atrocities.  

    A sharia official from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Harith al Nadhari, said in a video: "It is better for you to stop your aggression against the Muslims, so perhaps you will live safely. If you refuse but to wage war, then wait for the glad tiding." 

    AQAP has claimed it directed brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi in the attack on Charlie Hebdo "as revenge for the honour" of the Prophet Mohammed.

    The United States has also warned Americans to beware "terrorist actions and violence" all over the world following the deaths in Paris.

    The gunman killed by police at a kosher supermarket in Paris has told how he "co-ordinated" with the Charlie Hebdo killers and was a member of the Islamic State group.

    Amedy Coulibaly's call to France's BFMTV station, emerged after gunfire and explosions marked the violent conclusion to two hostage-takings 30 miles apart.

    Just minutes separated the series of blasts at the Paris store and those that rocked a warehouse in Dammartin-en-Goele, where the Kouachi brothers were holed up.

    Police stormed both buildings almost simultaneously, killing both brothers, while at least four hostages and the jihadist gunman died at the Paris grocery store.

    Coulibaly told BFMTV in the call from the supermarket that he had worked with the Kouachi brothers, who he described as his "officers".

    "They (dealt with) Charlie Hebdo, I (dealt with) the police," he reportedly said.

    Police became convinced the two attacks were linked after they discovered that Coulibaly's wife and fellow suspect Hayat Boumeddiene and the partner of one of the Kouachis had called each other more than 500 times last year.

    They have subsequently established that Cherif Kouachi met Coulibaly in prison and the two men visited jihadist Djamel Beghal with their wives in 2010.

    Coulibaly said he targeted the kosher supermarket because he wanted to defend Palestinians and target Jews.

    1/14

    1. Gallery: Faces Of Paris Suspects And Victims

      French police have released mugshots of a man and a woman linked to the killing of a policewoman in Paris. They are also believed to be the hostage-takers involved in the siege at a Paris supermarket. Pictured is Hayat Boumeddiene, 26

    Her accomplice was named as Amedy Coulibaly, 32

    ]]>

  • Cherif Kouachi, 32, (pictured) and Said Kouachi, 34, are believed to have carried out the massacre at magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday

    ]]>

  • The brothers took a hostage and were killed when police stormed the building where they were holed up in Dammartin-en-Goele, northwest of Paris. They are orphans who grew up in Rennes before moving to a a Paris council estate. Pictured here is Said Kouachi

    ]]>

  • Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, 47, had received death threats in the past and was living under police protection. Charbonnier and his nine colleagues, along with the two policemen killed at Charlie Hebdo

    ]]>

  • In the taped conversation, he also acknowledged he had killed the four of the hostages. Fifteen others were freed when police stormed the building.

    Witnesses said Said Kouachi, the elder of the brothers, claimed allegiance to al Qaeda during the attack and travelled to Yemen in 2011. 

    His brother told BFMTV in a separate recording: "I was sent, me, Cherif Kouachi, by Al Qaeda of Yemen. I went over there and it was Anwar al Awlaki who financed me."

    However, Coulibaly claimed to be a member of Islamic State.

    Boumeddiene, 26, who was identified along with Coulibaly as a suspect in the killing of a police officer on Thursday, remains on the run.

    French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the heavy death toll over three days of violence showed there had been a "clear failing" of intelligence.

    "When 17 people die, it means there were cracks," he said. 

    Automatic gunfire and explosions could be heard as police moved in to end the siege at the print shop in Dammartin-en-Goele, before smoke was seen billowing from the roof.

    1/35

    1. Gallery: Commandos Storm Supermarket

      Commandos stormed the kosher supermarket where a gunman had taken at least six people hostage. Pic: @conflictnews

    Explosions rang out at the scene

    ]]>

  • A helicopter then landed amid thick fog on the building's roof, signalling the end of the assault. Officials said the brothers had emerged from the building and opened fire on police before they were killed.

    A 26-year-old graphic designer called Lilian is understood to have hidden "under a sink in the canteen" and helped police by texting tactical information while the brothers held the store manager - who was released before the siege was ended - hostage. 

    Minutes later, police brought the stand-off at the supermarket in eastern Paris to a close.

    Police were reportedly aided in the raid because they were able to listen in to the situation in the store after Coulibaly failed to hang up after calling the media.

    It was as he knelt to do his evening prayer that they stormed the building.

    The four people killed were "likely" killed by the gunman at the start of the hostage-taking, the prosecutor leading the investigation said.

    A man called Ilan and his three-year-old son hid for five hours with three other people in one of the supermarket's fridge units, relatives told AFP.

    In chaotic scenes visible in TV footage, armed officers fired automatic weapons before one body was dragged out and several hostages fled.

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    • Charlie Hebdo: Al Qaeda Threatens More Attacks

    We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

    By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent, in Dammartin-en-Goele

    Al Qaeda has threatened France with more terror attacks after 17 people were killed at Charlie Hebdo's offices and at a Jewish supermarket.

    The warning came as President Francois Hollande admitted the threats "weren't over" and police hunting a female suspect suggested there could be a larger terrorist cell planning further atrocities.  

    A sharia official from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Harith al Nadhari, said in a video: "It is better for you to stop your aggression against the Muslims, so perhaps you will live safely. If you refuse but to wage war, then wait for the glad tiding." 

    AQAP has claimed it directed brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi in the attack on Charlie Hebdo "as revenge for the honour" of the Prophet Mohammed.

    The United States has also warned Americans to beware "terrorist actions and violence" all over the world following the deaths in Paris.

    The gunman killed by police at a kosher supermarket in Paris has told how he "co-ordinated" with the Charlie Hebdo killers and was a member of the Islamic State group.

    Amedy Coulibaly's call to France's BFMTV station, emerged after gunfire and explosions marked the violent conclusion to two hostage-takings 30 miles apart.

    Just minutes separated the series of blasts at the Paris store and those that rocked a warehouse in Dammartin-en-Goele, where the Kouachi brothers were holed up.

    Police stormed both buildings almost simultaneously, killing both brothers, while at least four hostages and the jihadist gunman died at the Paris grocery store.

    Coulibaly told BFMTV in the call from the supermarket that he had worked with the Kouachi brothers, who he described as his "officers".

    "They (dealt with) Charlie Hebdo, I (dealt with) the police," he reportedly said.

    Police became convinced the two attacks were linked after they discovered that Coulibaly's wife and fellow suspect Hayat Boumeddiene and the partner of one of the Kouachis had called each other more than 500 times last year.

    They have subsequently established that Cherif Kouachi met Coulibaly in prison and the two men visited jihadist Djamel Beghal with their wives in 2010.

    Coulibaly said he targeted the kosher supermarket because he wanted to defend Palestinians and target Jews.

    1/14

    1. Gallery: Faces Of Paris Suspects And Victims

      French police have released mugshots of a man and a woman linked to the killing of a policewoman in Paris. They are also believed to be the hostage-takers involved in the siege at a Paris supermarket. Pictured is Hayat Boumeddiene, 26

    Her accomplice was named as Amedy Coulibaly, 32

    ]]>

  • Cherif Kouachi, 32, (pictured) and Said Kouachi, 34, are believed to have carried out the massacre at magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday

    ]]>

  • The brothers took a hostage and were killed when police stormed the building where they were holed up in Dammartin-en-Goele, northwest of Paris. They are orphans who grew up in Rennes before moving to a a Paris council estate. Pictured here is Said Kouachi

    ]]>

  • Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, 47, had received death threats in the past and was living under police protection. Charbonnier and his nine colleagues, along with the two policemen killed at Charlie Hebdo

    ]]>

  • In the taped conversation, he also acknowledged he had killed the four of the hostages. Fifteen others were freed when police stormed the building.

    Witnesses said Said Kouachi, the elder of the brothers, claimed allegiance to al Qaeda during the attack and travelled to Yemen in 2011. 

    His brother told BFMTV in a separate recording: "I was sent, me, Cherif Kouachi, by Al Qaeda of Yemen. I went over there and it was Anwar al Awlaki who financed me."

    However, Coulibaly claimed to be a member of Islamic State.

    Boumeddiene, 26, who was identified along with Coulibaly as a suspect in the killing of a police officer on Thursday, remains on the run.

    French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the heavy death toll over three days of violence showed there had been a "clear failing" of intelligence.

    "When 17 people die, it means there were cracks," he said. 

    Automatic gunfire and explosions could be heard as police moved in to end the siege at the print shop in Dammartin-en-Goele, before smoke was seen billowing from the roof.

    1/35

    1. Gallery: Commandos Storm Supermarket

      Commandos stormed the kosher supermarket where a gunman had taken at least six people hostage. Pic: @conflictnews

    Explosions rang out at the scene

    ]]>

  • A helicopter then landed amid thick fog on the building's roof, signalling the end of the assault. Officials said the brothers had emerged from the building and opened fire on police before they were killed.

    A 26-year-old graphic designer called Lilian is understood to have hidden "under a sink in the canteen" and helped police by texting tactical information while the brothers held the store manager - who was released before the siege was ended - hostage. 

    Minutes later, police brought the stand-off at the supermarket in eastern Paris to a close.

    Police were reportedly aided in the raid because they were able to listen in to the situation in the store after Coulibaly failed to hang up after calling the media.

    It was as he knelt to do his evening prayer that they stormed the building.

    The four people killed were "likely" killed by the gunman at the start of the hostage-taking, the prosecutor leading the investigation said.

    A man called Ilan and his three-year-old son hid for five hours with three other people in one of the supermarket's fridge units, relatives told AFP.

    In chaotic scenes visible in TV footage, armed officers fired automatic weapons before one body was dragged out and several hostages fled.

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    Global Vigils To Mourn Paris Terror Attack Dead

    Written By Unknown on Kamis, 08 Januari 2015 | 12.15

    Global Vigils To Mourn Paris Terror Attack Dead

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    1/10

    1. Gallery: Vigils Held For Charlie Hebdo Victims

      Vigils have been held across the world in support of the victims of the Paris terror attack

    People lit candles at the Place de la Republique in Paris

    ]]>

  • Others held up pens and placards reading "I am Charlie"

    ]]>

  • Police officers also gathered in the French eastern city of Strasbourg to pay their respects

    ]]>

  • Vigils have been held in cities across the globe to mourn the victims of the Paris terror attack and show support for freedom of speech.

    More than 35,000 people gathered in Paris where gunmen stormed the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 10 journalists and two police officers.

    Thousands also turned out in the French cities of Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Marseille, according to police.

    Many of those at the Place de la Republique in the French capital carried signs with the words Je suis Charlie, which translates as "I am Charlie" in English.

    Others used slogans such as "press freedom has no price" and "Charb mort libre" (Charb died free), a reference to the magazine's editor Stephane Charbonnier, one of four cartoonists killed by the terrorists.

    1/5

    1. Gallery: Magazine Cartoonists Identified

      Bernard Maris was a journalist and shareholder in Charlie Hebdo

    Bernard Velhav was a contributer to the magazine. Pic: Georges Seguin

    ]]>

  • Jean Cabut's cartoons were first published in Paris newspapers in 1954

    ]]>

  • Hundreds of people took to the streets of Berlin, London, New York, Brussels, Madrid, Rome and Vienna to express their horror at the killings.

    About 500 people stood in silence in front of the French embassy in Berlin, with many holding candles and waving the European Union flag.

    In Trafalgar Square, people held up their mobile phones showing the "Je suis Charlie" message.

    Some sang the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, while holding pens as a symbol of press freedom.

    "I heard the news... like everyone else and it hit me hard," said Frenchman Nabil Nadifi, 29, who lives in London.

    "I didn't necessarily agree with everything Charlie Hebdo published but that doesn't mean an act like this was justified."

    In Spain, the French ambassador to Madrid, Jerome Bonnafont, joined a crowd of several hundred people outside the embassy shouting "Free speech, free speech."

    "I came because in the face of barbarity, freedom of expression must prevail," said Natalia Prieto, a 27-year-old Spanish woman.

    1/28

    1. Gallery: Gunmen Attack Paris Magazine Office

      Armed gunmen face police officers near the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris

    An attack on the offices of the newspaper left twelve dead, including two police officers, according to sources close to the investigation

    ]]>

  • Around 150 people, most of them French, also stood in silence outside the French embassy on the Piazza Farnese in the heart of Rome.

    In Montreal, more than 1,000 people braved temperatures of minus 20C to express solidarity with France.

    Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his anger and sadness over the "barbaric" attack.

    "Canadians stand with France on this dark day," he said.

    "Canada and its allies will not be intimidated and will continue to stand firmly together against terrorists who would threaten the peace, freedom and democracy our countries so dearly value."

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    • Global Vigils To Mourn Paris Terror Attack Dead

    We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

    1/10

    1. Gallery: Vigils Held For Charlie Hebdo Victims

      Vigils have been held across the world in support of the victims of the Paris terror attack

    People lit candles at the Place de la Republique in Paris

    ]]>

  • Others held up pens and placards reading "I am Charlie"

    ]]>

  • Police officers also gathered in the French eastern city of Strasbourg to pay their respects

    ]]>

  • Vigils have been held in cities across the globe to mourn the victims of the Paris terror attack and show support for freedom of speech.

    More than 35,000 people gathered in Paris where gunmen stormed the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 10 journalists and two police officers.

    Thousands also turned out in the French cities of Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Marseille, according to police.

    Many of those at the Place de la Republique in the French capital carried signs with the words Je suis Charlie, which translates as "I am Charlie" in English.

    Others used slogans such as "press freedom has no price" and "Charb mort libre" (Charb died free), a reference to the magazine's editor Stephane Charbonnier, one of four cartoonists killed by the terrorists.

    1/5

    1. Gallery: Magazine Cartoonists Identified

      Bernard Maris was a journalist and shareholder in Charlie Hebdo

    Bernard Velhav was a contributer to the magazine. Pic: Georges Seguin

    ]]>

  • Jean Cabut's cartoons were first published in Paris newspapers in 1954

    ]]>

  • Hundreds of people took to the streets of Berlin, London, New York, Brussels, Madrid, Rome and Vienna to express their horror at the killings.

    About 500 people stood in silence in front of the French embassy in Berlin, with many holding candles and waving the European Union flag.

    In Trafalgar Square, people held up their mobile phones showing the "Je suis Charlie" message.

    Some sang the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, while holding pens as a symbol of press freedom.

    "I heard the news... like everyone else and it hit me hard," said Frenchman Nabil Nadifi, 29, who lives in London.

    "I didn't necessarily agree with everything Charlie Hebdo published but that doesn't mean an act like this was justified."

    In Spain, the French ambassador to Madrid, Jerome Bonnafont, joined a crowd of several hundred people outside the embassy shouting "Free speech, free speech."

    "I came because in the face of barbarity, freedom of expression must prevail," said Natalia Prieto, a 27-year-old Spanish woman.

    1/28

    1. Gallery: Gunmen Attack Paris Magazine Office

      Armed gunmen face police officers near the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris

    An attack on the offices of the newspaper left twelve dead, including two police officers, according to sources close to the investigation

    ]]>

  • Around 150 people, most of them French, also stood in silence outside the French embassy on the Piazza Farnese in the heart of Rome.

    In Montreal, more than 1,000 people braved temperatures of minus 20C to express solidarity with France.

    Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his anger and sadness over the "barbaric" attack.

    "Canadians stand with France on this dark day," he said.

    "Canada and its allies will not be intimidated and will continue to stand firmly together against terrorists who would threaten the peace, freedom and democracy our countries so dearly value."

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    Paris Terror Attack Suspect Surrenders To Police

    The youngest of three suspects in the Paris terror attack on a French satirical magazine has surrendered to police.

    Reports suggest Hamyd Mourad, 18, handed himself in to officers.

    Meanwhile images have been released of brothers Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi, both in their 30s, who are suspected of being part of the attack that left 12 people dead.

    Officials have said the suspects are linked to a Yemeni terror network.

    On Wednesday night heavily armoured French police raided an apartment in the city of Reims, east of Paris, as they continued a massive manhunt to find the killers.

    Thousands of officers have reportedly been deployed in the hunt for the men behind the attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

    It has previously been targeted over its portrayal of the Prophet Mohammed.

    In Wednesday's attack, three masked gunmen stormed the offices and called out their victims by name before opening fire during a morning editorial meeting.

    They were armed with Kalashnikov rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade.

    They were let inside the Charlie Hebdo building by a female employee who was threatened at gunpoint along with her daughter and forced to punch in a security code to allow them inside.

    The editor and a cartoonist for the newspaper, who went by the pen names Charb and Cabu, were among those killed.

    Radio France chief executive Mathieu Gilet announced that contributor Bernard Maris was also killed.

    Two police officers were among the dead, including one assigned as Charb's bodyguard after he had received death threats and another who was shot in the head as he lay wounded on the ground outside the offices.

    French President Francois Hollande has declared today a national day of mourning.

    In a televised address on Wednesday he said: "We have to respond according to the crime, first of all by finding the authors of this infamy and we have to ensure that they are arrested, judged... and punished very severely."

    Tens of thousands of people have staged silent protests in France and across the world in solidarity for the victims of the attack.

    Social media users have used the hashtag #jesuischarlie to show solidarity for the victims of the shooting, with the Charlie Hebdo website also using the image as its masthead.

    1/5

    1. Gallery: Magazine Cartoonists Identified

      Bernard Maris was a journalist and shareholder in Charlie Hebdo

    Bernard Velhav was a contributer to the magazine. Pic: Georges Seguin

    ]]>

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    Search For AirAsia Crash Victims Resumes

    Written By Unknown on Selasa, 06 Januari 2015 | 12.15

    Divers have resumed their search for victims and wreckage of the AirAsia jet that crashed in the Java Sea a week ago.

    Bad weather had halted the operation after five large objects, believed to be sections of the fuselage, were located on the sea bed.

    But calmer waters mean Indonesian navy divers are now back on the hunt for the plane's flight data or cockpit voice recorders.

    These will be crucial in pinpointing the cause of the crash in which 162 people died.

    Ships and aircraft have widened their search area to allow for currents eight days after Flight QZ8501 plunged into the water on its way from Indonesia to Singapore.

    Indonesia's meteorological agency believes seasonal tropical storms probably contributed to the tragedy on 28 December.

    The main focus of the search is about 90 nautical miles off the coast of Borneo island, where objects as long as 18 metres were discovered by ships using sonar.  

    On the resumption of the search, Air Force Lt Col Johnson Supriadi said: "The weather is quite conducive. The visibility is six kilometres, there's no low cloud, the wind is calm.

    "With our calculations of currents this strong, every day this operational area is extended."

    Peter Marosszeky, a senior aviation research fellow at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, is confident the recorders will be found despite the search being temporarily disrupted.

    "The seas haven't been very friendly, but the black boxes have a 30-day life and they will be able to find them, particularly in the shallow waters," he said.

    "It's the weather that is causing the delay."

    Nine ships from four countries are in the area. Teams of divers including seven Russian experts are standing ready.

    Thirty-four bodies of the mostly Indonesian passengers and crew have so far been recovered.

    Some were still strapped in their seats. Many more may be trapped in the body of the aircraft.

    AirAsia could be banned from offering flights in Indonesia after it emerged that Flight QZ8501 was not authorised to fly on the day it plunged into the sea.


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    Father's Perilous Missions To Save Syria Jihadis

    By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

    A father who rescued his own jihadi son from the clutches of Syrian rebels is now travelling back to the country to track down other young foreign fighters.

    Dimitri Bontinck risked his life on a perilous 10-month quest to find his teenage son, travelling to Syria three times before the pair were eventually reunited in late 2013.

    Despite the continuing danger, the former Belgian soldier is now helping other families, including some from the UK, in the search for their loved ones in the war-torn country.

    Mr Bontinck told Sky News: "I have no other choice than to help those going through the same kind of trauma and nightmare I experienced."

    He claims the Belgian, British and many other western governments are adding to that trauma by refusing to help in the search for those who have gone to Syria and Iraq - and for criminalising those who return from the region.

    "It's so sad that parents like me and so many thousands of parents worldwide are standing alone, that nobody's helping them. It's disgusting really, it's selfish," he said.

    Mr Bontinck claims he approached the police and other agencies in Belgium on numerous occasions after his son Jejoen converted to Islam and later began to show signs of radicalisation.

    "We asked for help from everyone, from the police, from the authorities and youth organisations ... because we see that something is going wrong, we see that it's no good for his future - and they were just watching," he said.

    "The reply from all those we asked for help was the same: 'We are living in a democracy, you have freedom of speech, you have freedom of religion'. So it was very sad for us."

    Jejoen Bontinck was a popular teenager in his native Antwerp, an accomplished breakdancer who appeared in a number of music videos, but according to his parents he became increasingly radical in his religious and political views and eventually ran off to join rebel groups in Syria.

    After the Belgian authorities told him they were unable to help track down his son, Dimitri Bontinck took the extraordinary decision to travel to the region himself to try to find the teenager.

    "I followed a father's instinct, I followed my heart. I couldn't stay here just watching, not taking action and responsibility," he said.

    On repeated trips to Syria he befriended local people and many rebel fighters who helped in the search for his son. "It was a danger mission, believe me. I risked my life and met many fighting groups. At times, there were snipers above my head; bombs and attacks."

    Although the vast majority of rebel fighters he met were very friendly, Dimitri said he was held captive at one point, suspected of spying. "They put a cap over my head and handcuffed me. They were beating me on the head and I was thinking 'Is it all worth it?'

    "Then another part of me thought 'I believe in my son, there is love for my son, if there is a God, they'll release me.' And they did."

    On his third trip to Syria, he was reunited with his son, who he claimed was happy to return to Belgium because he realised he had been "naive" and that he "had been used" by others.

    Dimitri Bontinck says he is in contact with dozens of other families and is now actively trying to help them find their loved ones.

    Ozana Rodrigues, whose son ran off to fight with Islamic State in Syria more than a year ago, said Dimitri was the only person willing to help her.

    In a cafe in central Antwerp, she told Sky News: "Dimitri talks to people, parents that have lost their kids - but the authorities don't want to help. They don't care and there is no support, while we're suffering."

    She said Dimitri had made contact with her son Brian, but that so far, he is refusing to return home.

    "When Dimitri went to Syria to get his son, I was praying to God that he would see my son and bring him back but it didn't work out that way," she said.

    Although Dimitri's son is safely back in Antwerp, the 19-year-old is now at the centre of a huge terrorism trial in Belgium, one of more than 40 people being prosecuted for membership of a banned organisation.

    His father is deeply critical of the Belgian government's decision to prosecute.

    "With this wrong attitude and stigmatisation they're creating more frustration against the West," he said.

    "They're creating more violence against the West. It's totally wrong."

    Despite the prospect that other young Europeans he rescues from Syria will also be prosecuted, Dimitri Bontinck said he still feels compelled to help.

    "I thought I would never return to Syria, but when mothers are calling me and crying on the phone because nobody's helping them ... when they ask to meet me, I'm not going to say no," he said.

    Dimitri Bontinck has now risked his life eight times travelling to Syria. He has just returned from his latest trip there and says he plans to return to the region again in the weeks ahead.


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    AirAsia Flight QZ8501 'Not Authorised To Fly'

    Written By Unknown on Minggu, 04 Januari 2015 | 12.15

    AirAsia could be banned from offering flights in Indonesia, after it emerged that Flight QZ8501 was not authorised to fly on the day it plunged into the Java Sea.

    The company also faces allegations that the pilot did not ask for a weather report from meteorologists before take-off, amid concerns that the Airbus A320 was downed in stormy conditions.

    Indonesia's transport ministry has suspended all AirAsia flights between Surabaya and Singapore - the route where the plane went missing in the early hours of 28 December.

    The budget airline's other schedules are also under investigation, as it was not permitted to make this journey on Sundays.

    It comes as ships searching for the wreckage pinpointed "four big objects" on the seabed, with underwater remote operating vehicles attempting to capture images of the debris.

    No survivors have been found from Flight QZ8501, which had 162 people on board, including one Briton. Crucial black boxes revealing what happened in the plane's final few minutes are yet to be found.

    On Friday, 21 bodies were recovered from the Java Sea - including two passengers who were still strapped in their seats – taking the number of confirmed victims to 30.

    Efforts to recover passengers have been hampered by strong winds and high waves, scattering debris further afield. An emergency slide and exit door were initially discovered, along with cameras and children's food.

    "Many of the passengers are believed to be still trapped inside the plane's fuselage and could be discovered soon," one search official said. "God willing, we will complete this operation next week."

    The pilot, who had 6,100 flying hours on the A320, had asked to ascend to 38,000ft (11,600m) before contact was lost with air traffic control.

    Radar data appears to show that the plane made an "unbelievably" steep climb before it crashed, possibly beyond the capabilities of the aircraft.

    On Friday, AirAsia's chief executive Tony Fernandes attended the funeral of one of the flight attendants who lost their lives on Flight QZ8501.

    Hundreds of people attended the burial of Khairunisa Haidar Fauzi, which took place in her hometown of Palembang in south Sumatra.


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    Homes Feared Lost As Oz Battles Bushfires

    Thousands of Australians have fled their homes after strong winds and high temperatures made one of the worst bushfires in decades impossible to bring under control.

    More than 30 homes are feared to have been destroyed by the blazes in Adelaide Hills, with struggling firefighters warning it could be days before the flames are brought to manageable levels.

    Hundreds more properties are at risk and residents of 19 communities have been asked to evacuate.

    The state's Country Fire Service said the fires, which broke out Friday in the Mount Lofty Ranges east of Adelaide, were continuing to burn in all directions, threatening lives.

    But a cool weather change on Sunday is expected to help them work to contain the blazes ahead of a forecast rise in temperatures again on Wednesday.

    "I can confirm that 12 homes have been destroyed and it's feared that a further 20 homes have also been lost," South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said.

    "However, the conditions for firefighting have improved. The weather is cooler and the weather conditions will permit aerial firefighting.

    "This is important because it is forecasted that we will have worsening weather conditions on Wednesday so it's critical that we make headway on reducing the active edges of this fire front."

    More than 11,000 hectares (27,200 acres) have been burnt in the area.

    No serious injuries have been reported so far, but around 20 firefighters have been treated for minor injuries, mainly smoke inhalation.

    Hundreds of firefighters from the neighbouring states of Victoria and New South Wales are teaming up with their South Australian counterparts, taking the total number of crew battling the blazes to more than 800.

    State officials said these were the worst fire conditions they had seen for 30 years.

    In 1983, the bushfires of Ash Wednesday killed more than 70 people in South Australia and Victoria, and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings.


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