Cruz moves to fine State Department

(Washington Free Beacon) Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) is seeking to fine the State Department for illegally withholding the release of a key report on Iranian human rights abuses that was supposed to be released earlier this year, but was withheld, according to sources, in order to appease Iran as negotiations over its nuclear program approach a June 30 deadline.

The Obama administration was legally obligated to release a full report outlining the state of Iranian human rights by Feb. 25 but has so far declined to do so.

Cruz and other senators petitioned the State Department in May to comply with federal law compelling the report’s public release.

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Cruz moves to fine State Department

Islamic State turns Iraqi church into a mosque

Big News Network (IANS) Monday 8th June, 2015

The Islamic State will open a new mosque from a “converted” ancient church in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Wednesday, a year to the day after the militant group overran the city, a local report said.

The jihadists have put up signs in Mosul’s streets announcing the new “mujahadeen” mosque, Iraqi news website Ankawa reported, citing local witnesses.

IS militants chiselled off a large stone cross that adorned the Syrian Orthdox Sant’Efrem church’s facade and put up a massive banner across it bearing the group’s black and white Salafite logo.

“There is no God but Allah,” read a slogan scrawled on the banner with “Prophet Mohammed” written below.

IS last November removed and demolished the cross on the cupola of Sant’Efrem and tried to sell all of its furnishings and decorations, according to Ankawa.

The group overran Sant’Efrem — the largest church in Mosul — last July.

IS fighters have destroyed most of the art and religious monuments in Mosul, whose Christian and other minority populations have fled since the Sunni extremist group captured the city last June.

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Islamic State turns Iraqi church into a mosque