Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/426611
ByBassemMroue The Associated Press BEIRUT Lebaneseauthori- ties detained a woman and young boy believed to be the wife and son of the reclusive Islamic State group leader, and were questioning the woman and conducting DNA tests on the child, se- nior Lebanese officials said Tuesday. If their identities are con- firmed, Lebanon may use the pair as bargaining chips to win the release of soldiers and police taken hostage by the extremists in cross-bor- der attacks earlier this year. The woman, who was identified as an Iraqi, and the child were taken into custody about 10 days ago while carrying fake ID cards, the officials said. Very little is known about al-Baghdadi's personal life, including how many wives and children he has. Con- servative interpretations of Islam allow men to marry up to four wives. The Is- lamic State group did not immediately comment on the detentions, but the fac- tion's supporters on Twitter and militant websites cast doubt on the reports. Adding to the confusion, the Lebanese army did not release an official statement regarding the pair. A Lebanese military of- ficial identified the woman as Saja al-Dulaimi who was held by Syrian author- ities and freed in a pris- oner exchange with the Nusra Front, Syria's al-Qa- ida-linked branch, earlier this year. The official said the woman "confessed dur- ing interrogation" that she was al-Baghdadi's wife. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. In March, the Nusra Front freed more than a dozen Greek Orthodox nuns in exchange for the release of dozens of female pris- oners by the Syrian gov- ernment. A woman named Saja al-Dulaimi was report- edly on the list of prisoners freed by Damascus. A judicial official said the interrogation of the woman was being supervised by Lebanon's military prose- cutor, Saqr Saqr, and that a DNA test was underway to confirm that the child is her son. Experts said it would be difficult to con- firm whether the woman is indeed al-Baghdadi's wife. It was unclear what would have brought the woman and child to Leba- non, where IS controls no territory and enjoys only small — although growing — support in some predom- inantly Sunni Muslim areas. The detentions added to the mystery that continues to surround al-Baghdadi, who has a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head. He has only made one known pub- lic appearance — a sermon he delivered in July at a mosque in Mosul just days after IS declared him the head of an Islamic state, or caliphate, in the territory the group controls in Syria and Iraq. POSSIBLE BARGAINING CHIP WifeofISleaderdetained in Lebanon, officials say MILITANTVIDEO—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE The leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi, gives a sermon at a mosque in Iraq. By Josef Federman The Associated Press JERUSALEM Israel's di- vided government fell apart Tuesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- tanyahu fired two rebel- lious Cabinet ministers and called for a new elec- tion more than two years ahead of schedule. Netanyahu's announce- ment plunges the country into a bitter campaign that seemed unlikely just a few days earlier. The election, expected to be held early next year, would come at a time of growing violence between Palestinians and Jews and deepening de- spair over the prospects for peace. In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu said he had ordered the dismissals of Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. The pair, who head separate centrist par- ties, had emerged as his leading critics. Netanyahu accused the two of trying to stage a "putsch," saying he could "not tolerate opposition from within the govern- ment." He said he would present legislation in par- liament to dissolve the gov- ernment and to hold elec- tions "as soon as possible." The current government took office in early 2013 and has been riven by divisions from the beginning over the major issues facing the country. The coalition includes Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid, which rose to power with promises of economic re- lief for Israel's middle class; Livni's Hatnuah, which is focused on reaching peace with the Palestinians; Jew- ish Home, a hard-line party linked to the West Bank set- tler movement; and Yisrael Beitenu, a nationalist party that seeks to redraw Israel's borders to rid the country of many Arab citizens. Netanyahu's own Likud party is divided between more-centrist old timers and a young guard of hard- line ideologues. The country experienced a brief period of unity over the summer as the military waged a 50-day war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in response to weeks of heavy rocket fire. But the government other- wise squabbled over numer- ous issues, including the budget, the collapse of U.S.- brokered peace talks, Jew- ish settlement construction and how to confront a wave of Palestinian attacks in Je- rusalem. The differences escalated last week when Netanyahu pushed a piece of legisla- tion defining Israel as "the Jewish state." Although its 1948 Declaration of Inde- pendence already does this, Netanyahu says the country must enshrine this at the constitutional level to send a message to the country's enemies. Critics say the word- ing that Netanyahu favors would undermine Israel's democratic character and harm the rights of its Arab citizens. Both Lapid and Livni condemned the leg- islation. In Brussels, U.S. Secre- tary of State John Kerry de- clined to comment on the "internal politics" of Israel. "But obviously, we hope that whatever government is formed — or whether there are elections, that those elections will pro- duce — the possibility of a government that can nego- tiate and move toward re- solving the differences be- tween Israelis and Palestin- ians," he said. BITTER CAMPAIGN Israeli government crumbles THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in Jerusalem on Monday. By Shawn Pogatchnik The Associated Press DUBLIN Ireland has ac- cused Britain of torturing 14 Irish Republican Army suspects in 1971 and for- mally petitioned the Eu- ropean Court of Human Rights to review its origi- nal findings on the case Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said newly uncov- ered documents in London indicated that Britain with- held evidence that could overturn the 1978 ruling. That landmark judgment ruled that British forces in 1971 employed interroga- tion techniques against the 14 men that were "in- human and degrading" but fell short of meeting legal definitions of torture. 1971 Ireland says UK tortured IRA suspects C & C PROPERTIES An Independently owned and operated Member of Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates. 741 Main Street, Suite #2 Red Bluff, CA 96080 1-800-287-2187 (530) 527-2187 FOR 24/7 PROPERTY INFO CALL 1-888-902-7253 TEHAMA COUNTY REAL ESTATE TEAM • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK www.redbluffcoldwellbanker.com See All Tehama County Listings at OurknowledgeableandprofessionalstaffofRealtors are here to assist you with all your Real Estate needs. *18Monthsto3YearsforShortSales/4–7YearsforForeclosures. If you were involved in a Foreclosure or Short Sale between 2007 – 2012, YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR HOME OWNERSHIP AGAIN. Depending upon the time frame* you may be eligible to purchase a home. Stop by or call and make an appointment today! 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