JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Trump: FBI must start doing its job right or ‘I’ll get involved’-US President tells followers 'people are angry' at law enforcement's conduct as he campaigns for ally in Indiana-By Agencies-TOI-SEP 3,18
US President Donald Trump on Thursday night threatened to intervene in the Justice Department, saying the leaders of the DOJ and FBI “have to start doing their job and doing it right” because “people are angry.”If they don’t do their job, he said at an Indiana campaign rally, he “will get involved and I’ll get in there if I have to.”His comments came after he told Bloomberg News in an interview that the Russia collusion investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller was “illegal.”The president cited unnamed “great scholars” who say that “there never should have been a special counsel,” according to the news agency.Some legal experts have questioned the Justice Department’s naming of Mueller, a former FBI director, to handle the probe in the absence of a specific law governing special prosecutors. But Trump’s own Justice Department says it is legal.Trump has a long-standing feud with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and has called on him to investigate former rival Hillary Clinton and others. Some of the issues he’s raised with the DOJ have either already been examined or are in the process of being investigated.Trump repeated an attack on social media companies, saying, “We as a country cannot tolerate political censorship, blacklisting and rigged search results. We will not let large organizations silence conservative voices.” This week, Trump accused Google and other US tech companies of rigging search results about him. Google pushed back sharply, saying Trump’s claim simply wasn’t so.Casting the mid-terms as a referendum on his agenda, Trump urged Indiana Republicans to unseat Sen. Joe Donnelly, saying the vulnerable Democrat is “not going to vote for us on anything.”Trump, who is kicking up his campaign travel as the midterm elections near, appeared in Evansville to boost support for wealthy Republican businessman Mike Braun, who is facing off against Donnelly in what is viewed as one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races.Before a wildly enthusiastic crowd, Trump called Braun a “special guy” and said he will “be a truly great senator.” Braun took the stage and pledged to be a “true ally” to Trump, “not somebody that says something when you’re in Indiana and does something differently when you’re in DC.”In a state the president carried by roughly 19 percentage points in 2016, both candidates have sought to stress their connections to Trump. Braun has welcomed Trump’s backing, greeting him at the airport as he arrived in Indiana on Thursday. Before the rally, Trump attended a private roundtable and fundraising reception.Trump ticked through a number of Donnelly votes, saying he opposed his tax bill and voted against repealing former president Barack Obama’s health care law.Donnelly’s campaign pushed back on Trump’s critique, citing a study from Congressional Quarterly that shows he voted with Trump 62 percent of the time in 2017 and noting that the candidate had 22 proposals signed into law by Trump.“He’s always willing to work with any president who has a good idea to help Hoosiers, but he’s never been, and never will be a rubber stamp for ideas from any administration that are wrong for Indiana,” said campaign manager Peter Hanscom.Donnelly said in a statement after the rally: “We’re always happy to have President Trump in Indiana, but Hoosiers still want a senator who always puts them first before any politician or political party.”The president returned to the campaign trail after a bruising stretch, including widespread condemnation for his muted response to the death of Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the revelation that key outside associates had been granted immunity as part of one of the investigations circling the White House and a plea deal from his former personal attorney and the conviction of his onetime campaign chairman.Trump did not mention McCain amid a five day stretch of national mourning for the longtime Arizona lawmaker and decorated war veteran with whom the president had long feuded. Trump drew harsh criticism for staying quiet for two days before issuing a terse statement honoring McCain’s death.Trump’s speech largely focused on his favored talking points. He pushed his agenda, arguing that Democrats in power would halt his efforts to cut taxes and roll back regulation and would block his long-promised border wall. To deafening applause he argued that “Republicans want strong borders” and said “Democrats want to abolish ICE,” the government agency tasked with enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.Trump also promoted his record, again calling the economy the best in the “history of our country” and boasting about “putting tariffs on foreign producers who cheat our workers and cheat our companies.” The economy and jobs are nowhere close to historic bests based on several measures. And Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would help many domestic steel and aluminum mills while likely increasing prices for the factories that rely on those metals.Early in the rally, a volunteer member of Trump’s advance team blocked a photojournalist’s lens as he tried to take a photo of a protester inside the arena. Trump paced on stage during the moments it took for the protester to be led out.Heading into the final months of campaigning, the Republican Party is defending its majorities in the House and Senate, facing retirements and an energized Democratic opposition. Democrats are increasingly bullish about their chances to capture the 23 seats they need to retake the House. But flipping the Senate remains a much tougher prospect, given that 10 incumbents are running in states Trump won.Trump is aiming to spend more than 40 days on the campaign trail between the beginning of August and the Nov. 6 midterms. The officials said Trump wants to be on the road for Republicans more than Obama was for Democrats in 2010 — when his party suffered what Obama called a “shellacking” — and beyond what President George W. Bush did in 2002.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Decade-old interrogation of Iraqi cleric shows Iran’s part in killing US troops-Recently declassified testimony of Shiite militia leader Qais al-Khazali details Iranian efforts to stoke 2007 attacks that killed or wounded hundreds of Americans-By TOI staff-SEP 3,18
Interrogations by US-led forces in Iraq of a top Shiite military and religious figure a decade ago are bringing to light the scale of Iran’s involvement in Iraqi Shiite militias’ attacks on US troops in the years following the American invasion.Qais al-Khazali, who now heads the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia that won 15 parliamentary seats in the country’s May elections, detailed the scale of Iranian involvement in the country in the 2007 interrogation, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing recently declassified documents.Khazali was under arrest at the time on suspicion of organizing an attempted kidnapping of US soldiers in the Iraqi city of Karala that left five Americans dead.Khazali’s testimony from that period, declassified earlier this year by the US military’s Central Command, is especially damning.Though he is now a critic of Iranian involvement in Iraqi affairs, a decade ago his statements to US interrogators depicted Iranian assistance as key to the ability at the time of Iraqi Shiite militias to carry out their ongoing campaigns of bombings and other attacks against US troops. The report also comes amid rising tensions between Tehran and the Trump administration after the latter’s withdrawal in May from the nuclear deal.Khazali and his group are also now being considered by the US for designation as terrorist entities.In one interrogation report cited by the Journal, from June 18, 2007, Khazali said his militia was among those that received training from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah in military bases near Tehran.“There are Iranians and Lebanese Hezbollah conducting the training at these bases,” the report was quoted as saying, citing Khazali’s comments in the interrogation.“The Iranians are experts in full scale warfare while the Lebanese are experts in urban or guerrilla warfare,” it added.Some of the ordinance key to the campaign against US troops, including explosively formed penetrators that killed and injured hundreds of Americans, were delivered by Iran, he claimed.As the report says, “Detainee said that anyone can receive EFP training and Iran does not care who gets it. This is because of the availability and low cost of EFPs.”Even the attack at Karbala that led to his capture was planned by Iran, he said.He also detailed how he traveled personally to Iran to raise funds and support for his militia, and met with Iranian officials including top IRGC general Qassem Suleimani.The US-led coalition released Khazali to Iraqi officials in 2009 after he promised to lay down his arms. US forces left Iraq in 2011.Khazali’s group angrily denied the claims in the interrogation reports, with Qassim al-Darraji, a member of its political bureau, telling the Journal, “It seems that the US is leading a campaign against Asaib Ahl al-Haq and its leader Sheikh Qais al-Khazali because he strongly rejected foreign interference in Iraqi affairs.”
IAEA says Iran continuing to meet nuclear obligations-Confidential quarterly report given to agency member says Tehran abiding by nuclear deal's key limitations despite US pullout-By KIYOKO METZLER-TOI-SEP 3,18
VIENNA (AP) — Iran continues to comply with the nuclear deal reached in 2015 with major powers even after the withdrawal of the United States, the United Nations’ atomic watchdog said Thursday in a confidential report.In the quarterly report distributed to member states and seen by The Associated Press, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has stayed with key limitations set in the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.The conclusion comes as the other signatories to the 2015 deal — Germany, Britain, France, Russia and China — continue to try and salvage it after US President Donald Trump decided to pull the US out unilaterally in May.The deal exchanges economic incentives for nuclear guarantees. Since the American withdrawal and re-imposition of sanctions, Iran’s economy has already started to struggle and its currency has plummeted in value.The other five nations have affirmed their commitment to the deal, which limits Iran’s enrichment and stockpiling of material that could be applied to a nuclear weapons program. In exchange, Tehran was granted widespread relief from international trade, oil and banking sanctions.The nations have said it will take time, however, to negotiate the details of the guarantees that Iran is looking for.In the report, the IAEA said it had been given access to all sites in Iran that it needed to visit and that inspectors confirmed Iran has kept within limits of heavy water and low-enriched uranium stockpiles.“Timely and proactive cooperation by Iran in providing such access facilitates implementation of the additional protocol and enhance(s) confidence,” the report stated, referring to the protocol detailing safeguards and tools for verification.
U.S. top court sides against Catholic agency over same-sex foster care-[Reuters]-By Andrew Chung-YAHOONEWS-SEP 3,18
(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to force the City of Philadelphia to resume the placement of children in need of foster care with a Catholic agency that refuses to accept gay couples as foster parents.In a decision that Catholic Social Services had said would force its foster care program to close, the justices refused the religious agency's request for an injunction compelling the city to allow it to place children in foster homes while litigation over the dispute continues in lower courts.A spokeswoman for the agency could not immediately be reached for comment.In the brief order that did not include any reasoning for the decision, three conservative members of the court, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, said they would have granted the agency's request.Five of the nine Supreme Court justices are needed to grant an injunction, but the court is currently one member short since Justice Anthony Kennedy retired at the end of July. The court is split 4-4 between liberal and conservative justices. President Donald Trump has nominated conservative federal appeals court Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Kennedy.(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Richard Chang)
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH IN NOAHS DAY(BECAUSE OF SIN,VIOLENCE AND GODLESS PEOPLE)
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
DEUTORONOMY 28:22-24
22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
U.S. Coast Guard responding to oil spill near Corpus Christi, Texas-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-SEP 3,18
(Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard said about 1,176 gallons of oil was spilled from an overloaded barge moored at Flint Hills east dock near Corpus Christi, Texas Thursday evening.Multiple crews were involved in the clean-up efforts, the Coast Guard said.The agency, however, did not say if there were any waterway closures due to the spill.(Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; editing by Richard Pullin)
Myanmar dam breach floods 85 villages, thousands driven from homes-[Reuters]-By Shoon Naing and Antoni Slodkowski-YAHOONEWS-SEPT 2,18
SWAR CREEK DAM, Myanmar (Reuters) - As many as 85 villages were flooded in Myanmar after a dam failed, unleashing waters that blocked a major highway and forced more than 63,000 people from their homes, a state-run newspaper said on Thursday.The disaster spotlights safety concerns about dams in Southeast Asia after last month's collapse of a hydroelectric dam in neighboring Laos that displaced thousands of people and killed at least 27.Firefighters, troops and officials launched a desperate rescue effort on Wednesday after the spillway of an irrigation dam burst at Swar creek in central Myanmar, sending a torrent of water through villages and the nearby towns of Swar and Yedashe.By Thursday morning the water was receding, but two people remained missing and were feared to have been washed away, said Min Thu, deputy administrator of Yedashe."People whose villages are on higher ground are preparing to go back to their villages," he told Reuters.The ruptured spillway had flooded 85 villages, affecting more than 63,000 people and submerging a section of highway, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.Traffic between Myanmar's major cities of Yangon and Mandalay and the capital, Naypyitaw, was disrupted after the flooding damaged a bridge on the highway linking the cities.INTERNAL PROBE-Work was underway on Thursday to repair the dam, where the water level had dropped by several meters, exposing sandy banks.A priority was to get as much water into the reservoir as possible before the dry season when it is needed for irrigation, said Kaung Myat Thein, an irrigation official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.He said a probe would seek the cause of the dam breach."The retaining wall of the spillway sank into the foundation about 4-5 feet, causing the flooding, but the main dam is intact," said Kaung Myat Thein.Days before the breach, authorities had given the all-clear to the dam, which can hold 216,350 acre-feet of water, despite residents' concerns about overspill, state-run media have said.Kaung Myat Thein said the dam was regularly inspected and a spillway collapse could not have been predicted."We could not know one day before, one hour before," he said.FIELDS RUINED-As floodwaters receded, elders gathered at Oo Yin Hmu, a village of about 1,000 people only a few miles downstream from the dam, to review the damage.Paddy fields stretching from the edge of the village were inundated. It would be years before they could be planted with rice again, said Zaw Zaw, a 45-year-old farmer.Residents ran to higher ground to escape the floodwaters, he said, but many lost their homes and possessions and were expected to ask the regional government for compensation."My house was at the northern part of the village and all houses in the northern part didn't survive," said Pan Ei Phyu, 24, a villager who escaped with her family, buffalos and cows."All of my farmland is turned into mud now. I don't have land or anything else anymore. I don't know what to do."(Additional reporting by Simon Lewis and Thu Thu Aung in YANGON; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Darren Schuettler)
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Visit by controversial Philippines strongman sparks ire in Israel-Some wonder why Jerusalem wants to forge a closer bond and sell arms to Rodrigo Duterte, known for poor human rights record and past self-comparison to Hitler-By Charles Dunst-TOI-SEP 3,18
JTA — President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, who regularly brags about murdering civilians and has compared himself to Adolf Hitler, is set to arrive in Israel on Sunday for a visit that has been widely criticized by both Israelis and Americans.Duterte will arrive in the Jewish state on Sunday for a four-day visit before going to Jordan. He will be the first leader of the Philippines to visit Israel since the countries established relations in 1957. Duterte will take part in a ceremony inaugurating a monument to the Filipino rescue of Jews during the Holocaust.Israel maintains a special affinity for the Philippines, as the heavily Catholic state provided refuge for nearly 1,300 Jews during the Holocaust, even offering to grant more than 10,000 visas to Jews at the time. Under President Manuel Roxas, the Philippines in 1947 also provided the tie-breaking vote at the United Nations to create Israel.Both countries have similarly struggled to quell Islamist terrorism within their respective borders. In the Philippines, a group of Iraqi and Syrian fighters supporting the Islamic State, or ISIS, took over the city of Marawi in 2017 before it was eventually liberated. ISIS has carried out two deadly bombings in the Philippines in the last month, with military chief General Carlito Galvez Jr. now saying that “[t]he greatest threat that we have now is really ISIS.”Nevertheless, critics worry that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending a bad signal by welcoming a leader whose first years in office have been called a “human rights calamity.” Facing condemnation for a violent, extrajudicial war on drugs that has claimed some 12,000 lives, overcrowded jails and seen the harassment and prosecution of critics, Duterte has threatened to take the Philippines out of the United Nations. In March, he removed the Philippines from the International Criminal Court.Duterte is only the most recent authoritarian leader to meet with Netanyahu, following Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, among others.Israeli human rights groups have urged President Reuven Rivlin not to welcome Duterte, calling him a “mass murderer.” In a written appeal, Israeli lawyer Eitay Mack argued that Duterte “poses a threat not just to Philippine citizens but also the peace of the whole world.”Mack sent his appeal to Rivlin’s office on behalf of at least 24 other human rights activists, arguing that welcoming Duterte is a tacit endorsement, enabling leaders like him across the globe.“There is no doubt that when the international community stands idly as a leader calls for massacres, and in fact commits massacres, against specific population groups, it legitimizes other murderous leaders,” Mack wrote in his appeal.David Horovitz, the founding editor of The Times of Israel, lambasted the visit in a lengthy op-ed.“Rodrigo Duterte will land in Israel on Sunday night — professing friendship, seeking weaponry,” he wrote. “This man has no place here.”Josh Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, questions the wisdom of hosting Duterte, but says that Duterte’s recent actions may serve to limit domestic terrorism.“There have been conflicts in the Philippine south,” Kurlantzick told JTA, “but Duterte also recently inked a peace deal that would potentially create a large, autonomous region for the mostly Muslim south of the Philippines.”Duterte, like Putin, has a prosaic interest in the Jewish state: Israel is also home to approximately 25,000 Filipinos, who have come to work legally in agriculture and domestic work before returning home. According to The Jerusalem Post, Duterte “has said repeatedly over the last couple of weeks that he was going to Israel, and then on to Jordan, to see how tensions in the region were impacting on Filipino workers. He said there are 28,000 Filipinos working in Israel, and another 48,000 in Jordan.”Duterte has also made it plain that he plans to purchase Israeli arms. He plans to visit army bases along with his defense minister, top military officers and senior police officials. Israel has found itself in hot water previously for its arms sales, particularly in 2017 for supplying Myanmar with “advanced weapons” during the country’s ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority. Israel, beyond supplying arms, may perhaps be a market for Filipino goods as well.“For the Philippines, Israel is a possible larger market for agricultural exports and other exports, and there is also a contingent of Filipino workers in the Philippines,” Kurlantzick said. “Duterte also generally just likes to project himself on the global stage.”There are also rumors in the Philippines that Duterte is traveling to Israel for treatment for health problems. Duterte denies such claims.Known for his his blustery rhetoric — he called the pope a “son of bitch” for sparking a traffic jam during a visit to in Manila— Duterte once favorably likened his war on drugs to Hitler’s war on Jews.“Hitler massacred 3 million Jews,” Durterte erroneously said during a speech in his hometown of Davao City. “Now there is 3 million … drug addicts (in the Philippines), there are. I’d be happy to slaughter them. At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have [me]. You know my victims, I would like [them] to be all criminals, to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.”The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, at the time called Duterte’s comments “revolting.”Duterte later apologized in a speech at a Manila synagogue, correcting himself and noting that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust.Kurlantzick says that Duterte, in addition to being a flagrant violator of human rights, is an unpredictable actor and perhaps one Israel is ill advised to host.“Duterte is highly unpredictable, so hosting him also opens yourself up to any potential more inflammatory statements on his visit,” he told JTA. “And in addition to his talk about comparing himself to Hitler to wipe out drug dealers, Duterte really is undermining the rule of law in the Philippines and overseeing massive extrajudicial killings.“Certainly it should be questionable to host a leader with Duterte’s abysmal rights record and who has specifically made statements in which he seemed to praise Hitler.”Jonathan Schanzer, the senior vice president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, was more pointed in his condemnation of the Filipino leader.“Duterte is a blunt instrument and a thug,” he told JTA. “I don’t think Israel should host him.”
Dutch anti-Islamist calls off Mohammad cartoon contest after death threats-Geert Wilders says he is afraid provocative competition will be used a pretext for attacks, amid widespread anger, especially in Pakistan-By AFP-TOI-SEP 3,18
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Controversial anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders late Thursday said he was cancelling plans to stage a Prophet Mohammad cartoon competition, a scheme that had angered many Muslims particularly in Pakistan.The Dutch politician’s announcement came after he said he had received several death threats. A man was arrested by police two days earlier on suspicion of wanting to assassinate Wilders.On Thursday evening, the far-right politician backpedaled on his plans, amid widespread criticism at home with politicians. media and ordinary citizens slamming the idea as needlessly antagonizing Muslims.“I have decided to cancel the competition to avoid the risk of making people victims of Islamist violence,” Wilders said in a statement.“I don’t want Muslims to use the cartoon competition as an excuse for Islamist violence,” he added.Earlier Thursday a man briefly appeared in a Dutch court on suspicion of wanting to assassinate Wilders because of the plans to stage the cartoon competition.The 26-year-old man appeared at a closed sitting in The Hague with prosecutors saying he is suspected of “committing a terrorist act, planning to commit murder and incitement.”Police on Tuesday arrested the man at one of The Hague’s main railway stations after he posted a film on Facebook saying he planned an attack on Wilders or the Dutch parliament.The man, believed to be from Pakistan, also called on other Muslims for support.“Authorities are taking the threat very seriously,” the Dutch public prosecution service said in the statement.“The investigation is ongoing” and the man is in custody “with maximum restrictions” meaning that he is only allowed to consult his lawyer.He will remain in custody for another two weeks before a next appearance.Plans by Wilders, an avowed anti-Islamist, to hold a cartoon competition at his PVV party’s offices in parliament have stirred anger beyond the Netherlands.The Netherlands on Wednesday updated its travel advice to Pakistan urging its citizens “to avoid demonstrations in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.”“Stay alert and keep a low profile,” the travel advice added.A planned trade mission organized by the Dutch government and private companies in early November has also been postponed “until a later date,” the government-run Netherlands Enterprise Agency said in a separate statement.Wilders in June announced plans to stage a cartoon competition in parliament later this year to draw the Prophet Mohammed. He claimed he had received 200 entries.But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has distanced his government from the cartoon competition, saying it was not a government initiative.Rutte last week said he supported free speech in the Netherlands but believed the competition was “not respectful” and aimed only to provoke.
UN Syria envoy urges evacuating Idlib civilians-Russia expresses openness to idea, as Moscow and Assad regime seen gearing up for offensive against rebel hold-out that is home to 3 million Syrians-By Jamey Keaten and NATALIYA VASILYEVA-TOI-SEP 3,18
GENEVA (AP) — Fearing a military offensive, the UN envoy for Syria proposed Thursday that civilians holed up in the rebel-held region of Idlib could evacuate to government areas — a move that would send many back into parts of Syria they once fled in its 7-1/2-year-old civil war.UN envoy Staffan de Mistura expressed fears of a “perfect storm” that could have a devastating impact on nearly 3 million people — almost half of whom arrived from elsewhere in Syria — in the region largely controlled by al-Qaeda-linked fighters. It came as Russia, President Bashar Assad’s strongest military backer, announced major military drills in the Mediterranean Sea amid growing tensions over the enclave.“Short of going to Turkey, the civilians have no other option in order not to be where fighting may take place,” de Mistura told reporters of the evacuation plan, which is in its early phases and will need to be discussed with regional players. Russia expressed openness to the idea.The evacuation proposal reflected rising concerns that Idlib could become the site of the latest humanitarian disaster in a country that has faced many of them, during a war that has killed over 400,000 people and driven more than 5.5 million to flee abroad.De Mistura said a proposal would be a “temporary” measure so that “people can then return to their own places untouched once this is over.”Ahmad Ramadan, a spokesman for the Syrian opposition’s delegation to UN talks with the government, called de Mistura’s proposal “unrealistic.”“It’s very regrettable,” he said. “The special envoy’s role is not to call for a humanitarian corridor, but to call on Russia to stop the aggression.”Idlib is the last remaining refuge for the Syrian opposition since President Bashar Assad’s forces began recapturing territory from rebels in 2015. The country has been consumed by war since demonstrations broke out against Assad in 2011.Separately on Thursday, at a news conference in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said his government plans to “liberate” Idlib, but that its priority was “to negotiate peace with those who want to surrender.”Al-Moallem said the government tried to negotiate with a so-called reconciliation committee in Idlib, but al-Qaida-linked militants arrested most of the committee members.The militants have arrested over 500 people accused of trying to negotiate with the regime in recent weeks, according to Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.De Mistura said 10,000 al-Qaeda-linked fighters and their families are located in the densely populated region, which is now home to 2.9 million people, many of them already displaced.After hosting nine rounds of fruitless talks between the Syrian government and opposition, de Mistura has recently focused his efforts on talks with the so-called “guarantors” of the peace process: Russia, Turkey, and Iran.De Mistura said he had no information about any “imminent attack,” but pointed to information about military build-ups and messages of warning between the sides in Syria. He also spoke of “warnings and counter-warnings” between the United States and Russia, though he did not elaborate.“We need to reduce the risk of unexpected escalation, and definitely look with great concern about any potential use of chemical weapons or any type of weaponized chlorine,” he said.The US, Britain, and France have warned they will respond to any use of chemical weapons in Syria.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday his country was engaged in talks with Iran and Russia to avoid a humanitarian calamity in Idlib. The leaders of Turkey, Iran, and Russia are slated to meet next week in Tabriz to discuss the mounting crisis.The office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned of the growing risk of a humanitarian catastrophe, and called for restraint.De Mistura floated two options: To not accelerate military escalation to allow more time for talks, and to “allow and facilitate a credible — credible — humanitarian corridor to allow the civilian population to temporarily evacuate to a safer area.”“But that area most likely is under government control,” he said. “So that requires a constructive, effective government support and a UN presence.” He said he could travel to the area himself to help monitor an evacuation.“We definitely intend to discuss it very intensely with the government,” de Mistura said.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies that Moscow is willing to discuss “the details, the general idea and what practical solutions there are.”It came shortly after Russia’s Defense Ministry told Russian news agencies that Russia will deploy 25 ships, including a missile cruiser, and 30 jets for the maneuvers in the first week of September. The military says the drills will focus on anti-air and anti-submarine defense.The drills were announced after NATO reported a Russian naval buildup in the Mediterranean.
U.S. army sergeant in Hawaii admits supporting Islamic State-[Reuters]-By Gina Cherelus-YAHOONEWS-SEP 3,18
(Reuters) - A U.S. Army sergeant stationed in Hawaii will serve 25 years in prison after admitting he attempted to provide material support to the Islamic State militant group, federal prosecutors said.Ikaika Erik Kang, 35, was working as a military air traffic controller based at Schofield Barracks in Oahu when he was arrested last year after an investigation that involved undercover agents and sources who posed as Islamic State operatives and sympathizers, the FBI has said. [nL1N1KD09T]-Kang, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to four counts of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. Justice Department said. Under a plea deal with federal prosecutors, he agreed to serve 25 years in prison and then at least 20 years of supervised release."Kang swore to defend the United States as a member of our military but betrayed his country by swearing allegiance to ISIS and attempting to provide material support to the foreign terrorist organization," John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement.According to court documents, Kang became sympathetic to Islamic State by at least early 2016 and regularly watched the group's online propaganda, including execution videos.He also made numerous statements supporting Islamic State, talked about wanting to join the group and spoke approvingly about committing acts of violence, prosecutors said.In mid-2017 he met several times with undercover FBI agents who he believed had Islamic State connections, giving them secret military documents, a commercially purchased small aerial drone, and various items of military-style clothing and gear.On July 8, 2017, Kang swore an oath of allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and told undercover FBI operatives he wanted to get his assault-style rifle, go to downtown Honolulu and the Waikiki strip and start shooting, court records showed. He was arrested later that same day.Kang's attorney, Birney Bervar, could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.Last year, Bervar said Kang suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder that the Army failed to address after he returned from Iraq in 2011 and Afghanistan in 2014. Bervar accused the FBI of exploiting his client's mental issues.Kang is due to sentenced formally on Dec. 10.(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Bill Trott)
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Trump: FBI must start doing its job right or ‘I’ll get involved’-US President tells followers 'people are angry' at law enforcement's conduct as he campaigns for ally in Indiana-By Agencies-TOI-SEP 3,18
US President Donald Trump on Thursday night threatened to intervene in the Justice Department, saying the leaders of the DOJ and FBI “have to start doing their job and doing it right” because “people are angry.”If they don’t do their job, he said at an Indiana campaign rally, he “will get involved and I’ll get in there if I have to.”His comments came after he told Bloomberg News in an interview that the Russia collusion investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller was “illegal.”The president cited unnamed “great scholars” who say that “there never should have been a special counsel,” according to the news agency.Some legal experts have questioned the Justice Department’s naming of Mueller, a former FBI director, to handle the probe in the absence of a specific law governing special prosecutors. But Trump’s own Justice Department says it is legal.Trump has a long-standing feud with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and has called on him to investigate former rival Hillary Clinton and others. Some of the issues he’s raised with the DOJ have either already been examined or are in the process of being investigated.Trump repeated an attack on social media companies, saying, “We as a country cannot tolerate political censorship, blacklisting and rigged search results. We will not let large organizations silence conservative voices.” This week, Trump accused Google and other US tech companies of rigging search results about him. Google pushed back sharply, saying Trump’s claim simply wasn’t so.Casting the mid-terms as a referendum on his agenda, Trump urged Indiana Republicans to unseat Sen. Joe Donnelly, saying the vulnerable Democrat is “not going to vote for us on anything.”Trump, who is kicking up his campaign travel as the midterm elections near, appeared in Evansville to boost support for wealthy Republican businessman Mike Braun, who is facing off against Donnelly in what is viewed as one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races.Before a wildly enthusiastic crowd, Trump called Braun a “special guy” and said he will “be a truly great senator.” Braun took the stage and pledged to be a “true ally” to Trump, “not somebody that says something when you’re in Indiana and does something differently when you’re in DC.”In a state the president carried by roughly 19 percentage points in 2016, both candidates have sought to stress their connections to Trump. Braun has welcomed Trump’s backing, greeting him at the airport as he arrived in Indiana on Thursday. Before the rally, Trump attended a private roundtable and fundraising reception.Trump ticked through a number of Donnelly votes, saying he opposed his tax bill and voted against repealing former president Barack Obama’s health care law.Donnelly’s campaign pushed back on Trump’s critique, citing a study from Congressional Quarterly that shows he voted with Trump 62 percent of the time in 2017 and noting that the candidate had 22 proposals signed into law by Trump.“He’s always willing to work with any president who has a good idea to help Hoosiers, but he’s never been, and never will be a rubber stamp for ideas from any administration that are wrong for Indiana,” said campaign manager Peter Hanscom.Donnelly said in a statement after the rally: “We’re always happy to have President Trump in Indiana, but Hoosiers still want a senator who always puts them first before any politician or political party.”The president returned to the campaign trail after a bruising stretch, including widespread condemnation for his muted response to the death of Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the revelation that key outside associates had been granted immunity as part of one of the investigations circling the White House and a plea deal from his former personal attorney and the conviction of his onetime campaign chairman.Trump did not mention McCain amid a five day stretch of national mourning for the longtime Arizona lawmaker and decorated war veteran with whom the president had long feuded. Trump drew harsh criticism for staying quiet for two days before issuing a terse statement honoring McCain’s death.Trump’s speech largely focused on his favored talking points. He pushed his agenda, arguing that Democrats in power would halt his efforts to cut taxes and roll back regulation and would block his long-promised border wall. To deafening applause he argued that “Republicans want strong borders” and said “Democrats want to abolish ICE,” the government agency tasked with enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.Trump also promoted his record, again calling the economy the best in the “history of our country” and boasting about “putting tariffs on foreign producers who cheat our workers and cheat our companies.” The economy and jobs are nowhere close to historic bests based on several measures. And Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would help many domestic steel and aluminum mills while likely increasing prices for the factories that rely on those metals.Early in the rally, a volunteer member of Trump’s advance team blocked a photojournalist’s lens as he tried to take a photo of a protester inside the arena. Trump paced on stage during the moments it took for the protester to be led out.Heading into the final months of campaigning, the Republican Party is defending its majorities in the House and Senate, facing retirements and an energized Democratic opposition. Democrats are increasingly bullish about their chances to capture the 23 seats they need to retake the House. But flipping the Senate remains a much tougher prospect, given that 10 incumbents are running in states Trump won.Trump is aiming to spend more than 40 days on the campaign trail between the beginning of August and the Nov. 6 midterms. The officials said Trump wants to be on the road for Republicans more than Obama was for Democrats in 2010 — when his party suffered what Obama called a “shellacking” — and beyond what President George W. Bush did in 2002.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Decade-old interrogation of Iraqi cleric shows Iran’s part in killing US troops-Recently declassified testimony of Shiite militia leader Qais al-Khazali details Iranian efforts to stoke 2007 attacks that killed or wounded hundreds of Americans-By TOI staff-SEP 3,18
Interrogations by US-led forces in Iraq of a top Shiite military and religious figure a decade ago are bringing to light the scale of Iran’s involvement in Iraqi Shiite militias’ attacks on US troops in the years following the American invasion.Qais al-Khazali, who now heads the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia that won 15 parliamentary seats in the country’s May elections, detailed the scale of Iranian involvement in the country in the 2007 interrogation, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing recently declassified documents.Khazali was under arrest at the time on suspicion of organizing an attempted kidnapping of US soldiers in the Iraqi city of Karala that left five Americans dead.Khazali’s testimony from that period, declassified earlier this year by the US military’s Central Command, is especially damning.Though he is now a critic of Iranian involvement in Iraqi affairs, a decade ago his statements to US interrogators depicted Iranian assistance as key to the ability at the time of Iraqi Shiite militias to carry out their ongoing campaigns of bombings and other attacks against US troops. The report also comes amid rising tensions between Tehran and the Trump administration after the latter’s withdrawal in May from the nuclear deal.Khazali and his group are also now being considered by the US for designation as terrorist entities.In one interrogation report cited by the Journal, from June 18, 2007, Khazali said his militia was among those that received training from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah in military bases near Tehran.“There are Iranians and Lebanese Hezbollah conducting the training at these bases,” the report was quoted as saying, citing Khazali’s comments in the interrogation.“The Iranians are experts in full scale warfare while the Lebanese are experts in urban or guerrilla warfare,” it added.Some of the ordinance key to the campaign against US troops, including explosively formed penetrators that killed and injured hundreds of Americans, were delivered by Iran, he claimed.As the report says, “Detainee said that anyone can receive EFP training and Iran does not care who gets it. This is because of the availability and low cost of EFPs.”Even the attack at Karbala that led to his capture was planned by Iran, he said.He also detailed how he traveled personally to Iran to raise funds and support for his militia, and met with Iranian officials including top IRGC general Qassem Suleimani.The US-led coalition released Khazali to Iraqi officials in 2009 after he promised to lay down his arms. US forces left Iraq in 2011.Khazali’s group angrily denied the claims in the interrogation reports, with Qassim al-Darraji, a member of its political bureau, telling the Journal, “It seems that the US is leading a campaign against Asaib Ahl al-Haq and its leader Sheikh Qais al-Khazali because he strongly rejected foreign interference in Iraqi affairs.”
IAEA says Iran continuing to meet nuclear obligations-Confidential quarterly report given to agency member says Tehran abiding by nuclear deal's key limitations despite US pullout-By KIYOKO METZLER-TOI-SEP 3,18
VIENNA (AP) — Iran continues to comply with the nuclear deal reached in 2015 with major powers even after the withdrawal of the United States, the United Nations’ atomic watchdog said Thursday in a confidential report.In the quarterly report distributed to member states and seen by The Associated Press, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has stayed with key limitations set in the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.The conclusion comes as the other signatories to the 2015 deal — Germany, Britain, France, Russia and China — continue to try and salvage it after US President Donald Trump decided to pull the US out unilaterally in May.The deal exchanges economic incentives for nuclear guarantees. Since the American withdrawal and re-imposition of sanctions, Iran’s economy has already started to struggle and its currency has plummeted in value.The other five nations have affirmed their commitment to the deal, which limits Iran’s enrichment and stockpiling of material that could be applied to a nuclear weapons program. In exchange, Tehran was granted widespread relief from international trade, oil and banking sanctions.The nations have said it will take time, however, to negotiate the details of the guarantees that Iran is looking for.In the report, the IAEA said it had been given access to all sites in Iran that it needed to visit and that inspectors confirmed Iran has kept within limits of heavy water and low-enriched uranium stockpiles.“Timely and proactive cooperation by Iran in providing such access facilitates implementation of the additional protocol and enhance(s) confidence,” the report stated, referring to the protocol detailing safeguards and tools for verification.
U.S. top court sides against Catholic agency over same-sex foster care-[Reuters]-By Andrew Chung-YAHOONEWS-SEP 3,18
(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to force the City of Philadelphia to resume the placement of children in need of foster care with a Catholic agency that refuses to accept gay couples as foster parents.In a decision that Catholic Social Services had said would force its foster care program to close, the justices refused the religious agency's request for an injunction compelling the city to allow it to place children in foster homes while litigation over the dispute continues in lower courts.A spokeswoman for the agency could not immediately be reached for comment.In the brief order that did not include any reasoning for the decision, three conservative members of the court, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, said they would have granted the agency's request.Five of the nine Supreme Court justices are needed to grant an injunction, but the court is currently one member short since Justice Anthony Kennedy retired at the end of July. The court is split 4-4 between liberal and conservative justices. President Donald Trump has nominated conservative federal appeals court Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Kennedy.(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Richard Chang)
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH IN NOAHS DAY(BECAUSE OF SIN,VIOLENCE AND GODLESS PEOPLE)
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
DEUTORONOMY 28:22-24
22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
U.S. Coast Guard responding to oil spill near Corpus Christi, Texas-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-SEP 3,18
(Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard said about 1,176 gallons of oil was spilled from an overloaded barge moored at Flint Hills east dock near Corpus Christi, Texas Thursday evening.Multiple crews were involved in the clean-up efforts, the Coast Guard said.The agency, however, did not say if there were any waterway closures due to the spill.(Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; editing by Richard Pullin)
Myanmar dam breach floods 85 villages, thousands driven from homes-[Reuters]-By Shoon Naing and Antoni Slodkowski-YAHOONEWS-SEPT 2,18
SWAR CREEK DAM, Myanmar (Reuters) - As many as 85 villages were flooded in Myanmar after a dam failed, unleashing waters that blocked a major highway and forced more than 63,000 people from their homes, a state-run newspaper said on Thursday.The disaster spotlights safety concerns about dams in Southeast Asia after last month's collapse of a hydroelectric dam in neighboring Laos that displaced thousands of people and killed at least 27.Firefighters, troops and officials launched a desperate rescue effort on Wednesday after the spillway of an irrigation dam burst at Swar creek in central Myanmar, sending a torrent of water through villages and the nearby towns of Swar and Yedashe.By Thursday morning the water was receding, but two people remained missing and were feared to have been washed away, said Min Thu, deputy administrator of Yedashe."People whose villages are on higher ground are preparing to go back to their villages," he told Reuters.The ruptured spillway had flooded 85 villages, affecting more than 63,000 people and submerging a section of highway, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.Traffic between Myanmar's major cities of Yangon and Mandalay and the capital, Naypyitaw, was disrupted after the flooding damaged a bridge on the highway linking the cities.INTERNAL PROBE-Work was underway on Thursday to repair the dam, where the water level had dropped by several meters, exposing sandy banks.A priority was to get as much water into the reservoir as possible before the dry season when it is needed for irrigation, said Kaung Myat Thein, an irrigation official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.He said a probe would seek the cause of the dam breach."The retaining wall of the spillway sank into the foundation about 4-5 feet, causing the flooding, but the main dam is intact," said Kaung Myat Thein.Days before the breach, authorities had given the all-clear to the dam, which can hold 216,350 acre-feet of water, despite residents' concerns about overspill, state-run media have said.Kaung Myat Thein said the dam was regularly inspected and a spillway collapse could not have been predicted."We could not know one day before, one hour before," he said.FIELDS RUINED-As floodwaters receded, elders gathered at Oo Yin Hmu, a village of about 1,000 people only a few miles downstream from the dam, to review the damage.Paddy fields stretching from the edge of the village were inundated. It would be years before they could be planted with rice again, said Zaw Zaw, a 45-year-old farmer.Residents ran to higher ground to escape the floodwaters, he said, but many lost their homes and possessions and were expected to ask the regional government for compensation."My house was at the northern part of the village and all houses in the northern part didn't survive," said Pan Ei Phyu, 24, a villager who escaped with her family, buffalos and cows."All of my farmland is turned into mud now. I don't have land or anything else anymore. I don't know what to do."(Additional reporting by Simon Lewis and Thu Thu Aung in YANGON; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Darren Schuettler)
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Visit by controversial Philippines strongman sparks ire in Israel-Some wonder why Jerusalem wants to forge a closer bond and sell arms to Rodrigo Duterte, known for poor human rights record and past self-comparison to Hitler-By Charles Dunst-TOI-SEP 3,18
JTA — President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, who regularly brags about murdering civilians and has compared himself to Adolf Hitler, is set to arrive in Israel on Sunday for a visit that has been widely criticized by both Israelis and Americans.Duterte will arrive in the Jewish state on Sunday for a four-day visit before going to Jordan. He will be the first leader of the Philippines to visit Israel since the countries established relations in 1957. Duterte will take part in a ceremony inaugurating a monument to the Filipino rescue of Jews during the Holocaust.Israel maintains a special affinity for the Philippines, as the heavily Catholic state provided refuge for nearly 1,300 Jews during the Holocaust, even offering to grant more than 10,000 visas to Jews at the time. Under President Manuel Roxas, the Philippines in 1947 also provided the tie-breaking vote at the United Nations to create Israel.Both countries have similarly struggled to quell Islamist terrorism within their respective borders. In the Philippines, a group of Iraqi and Syrian fighters supporting the Islamic State, or ISIS, took over the city of Marawi in 2017 before it was eventually liberated. ISIS has carried out two deadly bombings in the Philippines in the last month, with military chief General Carlito Galvez Jr. now saying that “[t]he greatest threat that we have now is really ISIS.”Nevertheless, critics worry that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending a bad signal by welcoming a leader whose first years in office have been called a “human rights calamity.” Facing condemnation for a violent, extrajudicial war on drugs that has claimed some 12,000 lives, overcrowded jails and seen the harassment and prosecution of critics, Duterte has threatened to take the Philippines out of the United Nations. In March, he removed the Philippines from the International Criminal Court.Duterte is only the most recent authoritarian leader to meet with Netanyahu, following Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, among others.Israeli human rights groups have urged President Reuven Rivlin not to welcome Duterte, calling him a “mass murderer.” In a written appeal, Israeli lawyer Eitay Mack argued that Duterte “poses a threat not just to Philippine citizens but also the peace of the whole world.”Mack sent his appeal to Rivlin’s office on behalf of at least 24 other human rights activists, arguing that welcoming Duterte is a tacit endorsement, enabling leaders like him across the globe.“There is no doubt that when the international community stands idly as a leader calls for massacres, and in fact commits massacres, against specific population groups, it legitimizes other murderous leaders,” Mack wrote in his appeal.David Horovitz, the founding editor of The Times of Israel, lambasted the visit in a lengthy op-ed.“Rodrigo Duterte will land in Israel on Sunday night — professing friendship, seeking weaponry,” he wrote. “This man has no place here.”Josh Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, questions the wisdom of hosting Duterte, but says that Duterte’s recent actions may serve to limit domestic terrorism.“There have been conflicts in the Philippine south,” Kurlantzick told JTA, “but Duterte also recently inked a peace deal that would potentially create a large, autonomous region for the mostly Muslim south of the Philippines.”Duterte, like Putin, has a prosaic interest in the Jewish state: Israel is also home to approximately 25,000 Filipinos, who have come to work legally in agriculture and domestic work before returning home. According to The Jerusalem Post, Duterte “has said repeatedly over the last couple of weeks that he was going to Israel, and then on to Jordan, to see how tensions in the region were impacting on Filipino workers. He said there are 28,000 Filipinos working in Israel, and another 48,000 in Jordan.”Duterte has also made it plain that he plans to purchase Israeli arms. He plans to visit army bases along with his defense minister, top military officers and senior police officials. Israel has found itself in hot water previously for its arms sales, particularly in 2017 for supplying Myanmar with “advanced weapons” during the country’s ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority. Israel, beyond supplying arms, may perhaps be a market for Filipino goods as well.“For the Philippines, Israel is a possible larger market for agricultural exports and other exports, and there is also a contingent of Filipino workers in the Philippines,” Kurlantzick said. “Duterte also generally just likes to project himself on the global stage.”There are also rumors in the Philippines that Duterte is traveling to Israel for treatment for health problems. Duterte denies such claims.Known for his his blustery rhetoric — he called the pope a “son of bitch” for sparking a traffic jam during a visit to in Manila— Duterte once favorably likened his war on drugs to Hitler’s war on Jews.“Hitler massacred 3 million Jews,” Durterte erroneously said during a speech in his hometown of Davao City. “Now there is 3 million … drug addicts (in the Philippines), there are. I’d be happy to slaughter them. At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have [me]. You know my victims, I would like [them] to be all criminals, to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.”The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, at the time called Duterte’s comments “revolting.”Duterte later apologized in a speech at a Manila synagogue, correcting himself and noting that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust.Kurlantzick says that Duterte, in addition to being a flagrant violator of human rights, is an unpredictable actor and perhaps one Israel is ill advised to host.“Duterte is highly unpredictable, so hosting him also opens yourself up to any potential more inflammatory statements on his visit,” he told JTA. “And in addition to his talk about comparing himself to Hitler to wipe out drug dealers, Duterte really is undermining the rule of law in the Philippines and overseeing massive extrajudicial killings.“Certainly it should be questionable to host a leader with Duterte’s abysmal rights record and who has specifically made statements in which he seemed to praise Hitler.”Jonathan Schanzer, the senior vice president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, was more pointed in his condemnation of the Filipino leader.“Duterte is a blunt instrument and a thug,” he told JTA. “I don’t think Israel should host him.”
Dutch anti-Islamist calls off Mohammad cartoon contest after death threats-Geert Wilders says he is afraid provocative competition will be used a pretext for attacks, amid widespread anger, especially in Pakistan-By AFP-TOI-SEP 3,18
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Controversial anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders late Thursday said he was cancelling plans to stage a Prophet Mohammad cartoon competition, a scheme that had angered many Muslims particularly in Pakistan.The Dutch politician’s announcement came after he said he had received several death threats. A man was arrested by police two days earlier on suspicion of wanting to assassinate Wilders.On Thursday evening, the far-right politician backpedaled on his plans, amid widespread criticism at home with politicians. media and ordinary citizens slamming the idea as needlessly antagonizing Muslims.“I have decided to cancel the competition to avoid the risk of making people victims of Islamist violence,” Wilders said in a statement.“I don’t want Muslims to use the cartoon competition as an excuse for Islamist violence,” he added.Earlier Thursday a man briefly appeared in a Dutch court on suspicion of wanting to assassinate Wilders because of the plans to stage the cartoon competition.The 26-year-old man appeared at a closed sitting in The Hague with prosecutors saying he is suspected of “committing a terrorist act, planning to commit murder and incitement.”Police on Tuesday arrested the man at one of The Hague’s main railway stations after he posted a film on Facebook saying he planned an attack on Wilders or the Dutch parliament.The man, believed to be from Pakistan, also called on other Muslims for support.“Authorities are taking the threat very seriously,” the Dutch public prosecution service said in the statement.“The investigation is ongoing” and the man is in custody “with maximum restrictions” meaning that he is only allowed to consult his lawyer.He will remain in custody for another two weeks before a next appearance.Plans by Wilders, an avowed anti-Islamist, to hold a cartoon competition at his PVV party’s offices in parliament have stirred anger beyond the Netherlands.The Netherlands on Wednesday updated its travel advice to Pakistan urging its citizens “to avoid demonstrations in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.”“Stay alert and keep a low profile,” the travel advice added.A planned trade mission organized by the Dutch government and private companies in early November has also been postponed “until a later date,” the government-run Netherlands Enterprise Agency said in a separate statement.Wilders in June announced plans to stage a cartoon competition in parliament later this year to draw the Prophet Mohammed. He claimed he had received 200 entries.But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has distanced his government from the cartoon competition, saying it was not a government initiative.Rutte last week said he supported free speech in the Netherlands but believed the competition was “not respectful” and aimed only to provoke.
UN Syria envoy urges evacuating Idlib civilians-Russia expresses openness to idea, as Moscow and Assad regime seen gearing up for offensive against rebel hold-out that is home to 3 million Syrians-By Jamey Keaten and NATALIYA VASILYEVA-TOI-SEP 3,18
GENEVA (AP) — Fearing a military offensive, the UN envoy for Syria proposed Thursday that civilians holed up in the rebel-held region of Idlib could evacuate to government areas — a move that would send many back into parts of Syria they once fled in its 7-1/2-year-old civil war.UN envoy Staffan de Mistura expressed fears of a “perfect storm” that could have a devastating impact on nearly 3 million people — almost half of whom arrived from elsewhere in Syria — in the region largely controlled by al-Qaeda-linked fighters. It came as Russia, President Bashar Assad’s strongest military backer, announced major military drills in the Mediterranean Sea amid growing tensions over the enclave.“Short of going to Turkey, the civilians have no other option in order not to be where fighting may take place,” de Mistura told reporters of the evacuation plan, which is in its early phases and will need to be discussed with regional players. Russia expressed openness to the idea.The evacuation proposal reflected rising concerns that Idlib could become the site of the latest humanitarian disaster in a country that has faced many of them, during a war that has killed over 400,000 people and driven more than 5.5 million to flee abroad.De Mistura said a proposal would be a “temporary” measure so that “people can then return to their own places untouched once this is over.”Ahmad Ramadan, a spokesman for the Syrian opposition’s delegation to UN talks with the government, called de Mistura’s proposal “unrealistic.”“It’s very regrettable,” he said. “The special envoy’s role is not to call for a humanitarian corridor, but to call on Russia to stop the aggression.”Idlib is the last remaining refuge for the Syrian opposition since President Bashar Assad’s forces began recapturing territory from rebels in 2015. The country has been consumed by war since demonstrations broke out against Assad in 2011.Separately on Thursday, at a news conference in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said his government plans to “liberate” Idlib, but that its priority was “to negotiate peace with those who want to surrender.”Al-Moallem said the government tried to negotiate with a so-called reconciliation committee in Idlib, but al-Qaida-linked militants arrested most of the committee members.The militants have arrested over 500 people accused of trying to negotiate with the regime in recent weeks, according to Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.De Mistura said 10,000 al-Qaeda-linked fighters and their families are located in the densely populated region, which is now home to 2.9 million people, many of them already displaced.After hosting nine rounds of fruitless talks between the Syrian government and opposition, de Mistura has recently focused his efforts on talks with the so-called “guarantors” of the peace process: Russia, Turkey, and Iran.De Mistura said he had no information about any “imminent attack,” but pointed to information about military build-ups and messages of warning between the sides in Syria. He also spoke of “warnings and counter-warnings” between the United States and Russia, though he did not elaborate.“We need to reduce the risk of unexpected escalation, and definitely look with great concern about any potential use of chemical weapons or any type of weaponized chlorine,” he said.The US, Britain, and France have warned they will respond to any use of chemical weapons in Syria.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday his country was engaged in talks with Iran and Russia to avoid a humanitarian calamity in Idlib. The leaders of Turkey, Iran, and Russia are slated to meet next week in Tabriz to discuss the mounting crisis.The office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned of the growing risk of a humanitarian catastrophe, and called for restraint.De Mistura floated two options: To not accelerate military escalation to allow more time for talks, and to “allow and facilitate a credible — credible — humanitarian corridor to allow the civilian population to temporarily evacuate to a safer area.”“But that area most likely is under government control,” he said. “So that requires a constructive, effective government support and a UN presence.” He said he could travel to the area himself to help monitor an evacuation.“We definitely intend to discuss it very intensely with the government,” de Mistura said.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies that Moscow is willing to discuss “the details, the general idea and what practical solutions there are.”It came shortly after Russia’s Defense Ministry told Russian news agencies that Russia will deploy 25 ships, including a missile cruiser, and 30 jets for the maneuvers in the first week of September. The military says the drills will focus on anti-air and anti-submarine defense.The drills were announced after NATO reported a Russian naval buildup in the Mediterranean.
U.S. army sergeant in Hawaii admits supporting Islamic State-[Reuters]-By Gina Cherelus-YAHOONEWS-SEP 3,18
(Reuters) - A U.S. Army sergeant stationed in Hawaii will serve 25 years in prison after admitting he attempted to provide material support to the Islamic State militant group, federal prosecutors said.Ikaika Erik Kang, 35, was working as a military air traffic controller based at Schofield Barracks in Oahu when he was arrested last year after an investigation that involved undercover agents and sources who posed as Islamic State operatives and sympathizers, the FBI has said. [nL1N1KD09T]-Kang, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to four counts of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. Justice Department said. Under a plea deal with federal prosecutors, he agreed to serve 25 years in prison and then at least 20 years of supervised release."Kang swore to defend the United States as a member of our military but betrayed his country by swearing allegiance to ISIS and attempting to provide material support to the foreign terrorist organization," John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement.According to court documents, Kang became sympathetic to Islamic State by at least early 2016 and regularly watched the group's online propaganda, including execution videos.He also made numerous statements supporting Islamic State, talked about wanting to join the group and spoke approvingly about committing acts of violence, prosecutors said.In mid-2017 he met several times with undercover FBI agents who he believed had Islamic State connections, giving them secret military documents, a commercially purchased small aerial drone, and various items of military-style clothing and gear.On July 8, 2017, Kang swore an oath of allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and told undercover FBI operatives he wanted to get his assault-style rifle, go to downtown Honolulu and the Waikiki strip and start shooting, court records showed. He was arrested later that same day.Kang's attorney, Birney Bervar, could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.Last year, Bervar said Kang suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder that the Army failed to address after he returned from Iraq in 2011 and Afghanistan in 2014. Bervar accused the FBI of exploiting his client's mental issues.Kang is due to sentenced formally on Dec. 10.(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Bill Trott)
