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)
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
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)
Lone gunman kills 58, injures hundreds, in Las Vegas concert attack-[Reuters]-By Devika Krishna Kumar and Alexandria Sage-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A 64-year-old man holed up in a 32nd-floor hotel room with multiple machine guns rained down gunfire on a Las Vegas country music festival on Sunday, slaughtering at least 58 people in the largest mass shooting in U.S. history before killing himself.The barrage of bullets from the Mandalay Bay hotel into a crowd of 22,000 people lasted several minutes, causing panic. At least 515 people were injured as some fleeing fans trampled each other while police scrambled to locate the shooter.Police on Monday identified the gunman as Stephen Paddock, who lived in a retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada. They said they believed he acted alone and did not know why he attacked the crowd. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the massacre, but U.S. officials said there was no evidence of that.The preliminary death toll, which officials said could rise, eclipsed last year's massacre of 49 people at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub by a gunman who pledged allegiance to Islamic State militants.Shocked concertgoers, some with blood on their clothing, wandered streets, where the flashing lights of the city's gaudy casinos blended with those of emergency vehicles.Police said Paddock had no criminal record. The gunman killed himself before police entered the hotel room he was firing from, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters."We have no idea what his belief system was," Lombardo said. "I can't get into the mind of a psychopath."Federal officials said there was no evidence to link Paddock to militant organizations."We have determined to this point no connection with an international terrorist group," Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Aaron Rouse told reporters.U.S. officials discounted the claim of responsibility for the attack made by Islamic State through its Amaq news agency."The Intelligence Community is aware of the claim of responsibility by a foreign terrorist organization for the shooting in Las Vegas," CIA spokesman Jonathan Liu said in an email. "We advise caution on jumping to conclusions before the facts are in."-MULTIPLE MACHINE GUNS-Lombardo said there were more than 10 rifles in the room where Paddock killed himself. His arsenal included multiple machine guns, according to a law enforcement official.U.S. law largely bans machine guns.Police found several more weapons at Paddock's home in Mesquite, about 90 miles (145 km) northeast of Las Vegas, Mesquite police spokesman Quinn Averett told reporters.The shooting, just the latest in a string that have played out across the United States over recent years, sparked an outcry from some lawmakers about the pervasiveness of guns in the United States, but was unlikely to prompt action in Congress.Efforts to pass federal laws on guns failed following mass shootings from the 2012 massacre of 26 young children and educators in Newtown, Connecticut, to the June attack on Republican lawmakers practicing for a charity baseball game.Nevada has some of the most permissive gun laws in the United States. It does not require firearm owners to obtain licenses or register their guns.House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, on Monday called on House Speaker Paul Ryan to create a select committee on gun violence."Congress has a moral duty to address this horrific and heartbreaking epidemic," Pelosi wrote.The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right to bear arms, and gun-rights advocates staunchly defend that provision. U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican, has been outspoken about his support of the Second Amendment."To all those political opportunists who are seizing on the tragedy in Las Vegas to call for more gun regs. ... You can't regulate evil," Kentucky's Republican Governor, Matt Bevin, said on Twitter.The dead in Las Vegas included a nurse, a government employee and an off-duty police officer.Trump said he would travel to Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with first responders."It was an act of pure evil," Trump said in a White House address.The suspected shooter's brother, Eric Paddock, said the family was stunned by the news."We have no idea. We're horrified. We're bewildered, and our condolences go out to the victims," Eric Paddock said in a phone interview, his voice trembling. "We have no idea in the world."-'JUST KEPT GOING ON'-Video of the attack showed panicked crowds fleeing as sustained rapid gunfire ripped through the area."People were just dropping to the ground. It just kept going on," said Steve Smith, a 45-year-old visitor from Phoenix, Arizona. He said the gunfire went on for an extended period of time."Probably 100 shots at a time," Smith said. "It would sound like it was reloading and then it would go again."Las Vegas's casinos, nightclubs and shopping draw some 3.5 million visitors from around the world each year and the area was packed with visitors when the shooting broke out shortly after 10 p.m. local time (0400 GMT).Shares of MGM Resorts International, which owns the Mandalay Bay, fell almost 5 percent on Monday to $30.98 a share.Mike McGarry, a financial adviser from Philadelphia, was at the concert when he heard hundreds of shots ring out."It was crazy - I laid on top of the kids. They're 20. I'm 53. I lived a good life," McGarry said. The back of his shirt bore footmarks, after people ran over him in the panicked crowd.(Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen, Chris Michaud and Frank McGurty in New York, Susan Cornwell and Mark Hosenball in Washington, Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Ali Abdelaty in Cairo and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Alison Williams, Bernadette Baum, Grant McCool and Jonathan Oatis)
Las Vegas shooter was retired, had no criminal record-October 2, 2017-YAHOONEWS
MESQUITE, Nev. — The man who killed 58 people and injured at least 515 others at a Las Vegas concert was a retiree with no criminal history in the Nevada county where he lived, police said Monday.The brother of Stephen Paddock, 64, said he's "completely dumbfounded" by the shooting at a country music concert Sunday night, the deadliest in modern U.S. history. Eric Paddock told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper that he can't understand what happened.Stephen Paddock had no connection to an international terrorist group, the FBI said Monday. The announcement from Aaron Rouse, special agent in charge in Las Vegas, comes after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack without providing evidence.Nevada authorities say they believe Paddock acted alone and no motive was yet known.Paddock owned a single-family home in Sun City Mesquite, a retirement community along the Nevada-Arizona border, Mesquite Police Chief Troy Tanner said.He lived there with a 62-year-old woman, police said. Authorities said they don't believe she was involved and was out of the country at the time of the shooting but they wanted to speak to her when she returned.Heavily armed police searched the home early Monday, hours after Paddock killed himself in a room at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino where police believe he opened fire on a crowd of 22,000 people.Paddock bought the one-story, three-bedroom home about 80 miles north of Las Vegas in 2015 for about $370,000, according to property records that list him as a single man.Authorities in Texas say he lived in a Dallas suburb from 2009 to 2012. Public records indicate Paddock may have lived in Mesquite, Texas, for longer, but police Lt. Brian Parrish said his department's review shows the approximately three-year period.A preliminary review of police records don't indicate that authorities had any contact with him but police are still investigating, Parrish said.Ken Ritter, The Associated Press.
Factbox: World reacts with shock to deadliest U.S. mass shooting-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017-By Chris Kenning
(Reuters) - Reaction to the massacre at a Las Vegas country music festival poured in from the United States and abroad on Monday after at least 58 people were killed and more than 500 wounded in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN A PROCLAMATION-"Our Nation is heartbroken. We mourn with all whose loved ones were murdered and injured in last night's horrible tragedy in Las Vegas, Nevada. As we grieve, we pray that God may provide comfort and relief to all those suffering."BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT ON TWITTER-"Michelle & I are praying for the victims in Las Vegas. Our thoughts are with their families & everyone enduring another senseless tragedy."MIKE PENCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT ON TWITTER-"To victims, families & loved ones affected by this senseless violence in Las Vegas, Karen & I are praying for you & offering our love. The hearts & prayers of the American people are with you. You have our condolences and sympathies. To the courageous first responders, thank you for your acts of bravery."-SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL ON TWITTER-"Keeping #LasVegas in our thoughts this morning after the horrific news."HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON TWITTER-"Our grief isn't enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening again."BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT ON TWITTER-"Thinking of the victims and responders in Las Vegas. This should be unimaginable in America."RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IN STATEMENT-"This crime which killed tens of peaceful citizens is shocking in its cruelty."ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR IN STATEMENT-"I was shocked by the news from Las Vegas. Our sympathy and condolences go to the relatives and families of the victims."POPE FRANCIS IN STATEMENT-"Deeply saddened to learn of the shooting in Las Vegas, Pope Francis sends the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all those affected by this senseless tragedy."U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS IN STATEMENT-"To the many families whose lives have been changed forever by this heinous act, we offer you our prayers and our promise that we will do everything in our power to get justice for your loved ones."NEVADA GOVERNOR BRIAN SANDOVAL ON TWITTER-"A tragic & heinous act of violence has shaken the #Nevada family. Our prayers are w/ the victims & all affected by this act of cowardice."JIM MURREN, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL, WHICH OWNS MANDALAY BAY, IN STATEMENT-"Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of last night's shooting, their families, and those still fighting for their lives. We are working with law enforcement and will continue to do all we can to help all of those involved."CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU ON TWITTER-"Words fail this morning. The friendship & support of Canadians is with the victims in Las Vegas & the people of the US."UNITED NATIONS SPOKESMAN FARHAN HAQ IN STATEMENT-"We are shocked and horrified by the violence that took place in Las Vegas. The Secretary-General is sending a letter of condolence to the U.S. Government today to express our sorrow at the lives that were lost."THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER ON TWITTER-"The UK's thoughts are with the victims and the emergency services responding to the appalling attack in Las Vegas."BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY IN STATEMENT-"I am horrified by the awful attack at a music festival in Las Vegas this morning. The United Kingdom stands with the American people against this indiscriminate violence. My thoughts are with all those caught up in it."LOS ANGELES MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI IN STATEMENT-"The loss of life in Las Vegas is profoundly horrifying. Innocent people went out for an evening of fun and walked into a nightmare that defies our ability to understand or express sorrow in words. Our hearts are heavy today — and our thoughts are with the victims of this senseless attack, their loved ones, Mayor Goodman, and all of our friends in that great city. My prayer is that they find healing, recovery, and strength in this moment of indescribable pain."-DEMOCRATIC SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN OF MASSACHUSETTS ON TWITTER-"Thoughts & prayers are NOT enough. Not when more moms & dads will bury kids this week, & more sons & daughters will grow up without parents. Tragedies like Las Vegas have happened too many times. We need to have the conversation about how to stop gun violence. We need it NOW."KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR MATT BEVIN ON TWITTER-"To all those political opportunists who are seizing on the tragedy in Las Vegas to call for more gun regs ... You can't regulate evil."MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE SETH MOULTON ON TWITTER-"As after #Orlando, I will NOT be joining my colleagues in a moment of silence on the House Floor that just becomes an excuse for inaction."-FORMER ARIZONA DEMOCRATIC U.S REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, SHOT BY AN ASSAILANT IN 2011, ON TWITTER:-"Heartbroken by the scene our nation is waking up to this morning. No person should endure the horror Las Vegas experienced last night."-REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP STEVE SCALISE, SHOT AT A CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME IN WASHINGTON IN JUNE, IN STATEMENT-"In this tragic moment, I encourage people across America to stand together in solidarity, and to support the Las Vegas community and all of those affected, especially by giving blood and encouraging others to do the same. In the face of unspeakable evil, our whole nation must respond with countless acts of kindness, warmth and generosity."JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR IN STATEMENT-"Our prayers and deepest sympathies are with the families and loved ones of those killed and injured in last night's tragic and senseless shooting and we stand with the people of Nevada in this difficult time."THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO IN STATEMENT-"The government of Mexico profoundly laments yesterday's occurrences in Las Vegas, Nevada, and categorically denounces any act of violence against innocent people. The government of Mexico expresses its deep-felt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the wounded a quick recovery."-TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY ON TWITTER-"I condemn in the strongest terms possible today's terror attack in Las Vegas. I sincerely hope that such attacks won't happen in the future. On behalf of the Turkish people, I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and all Americans."(Reporting by Chris Kenning, additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Andrew Hay)
Edmonton attack suspect had 'genocidal beliefs,' says former co-worker who reported him to police-October 2, 2017-YAHOONEWS
A former co-worker of the Somali refugee CBC News has identified as the man arrested in a weekend attack in Edmonton says Abdulahi Hasan Sharif was an ISIS sympathizer years before Saturday's violent events, and that he had reported him to police.Terrorism charges are pending against the suspect, who is in custody. Police haven't released Sharif's name, but multiple sources have identified him to CBC.Sharif's former co-worker, who didn't want to be identified out of concern for his safety, said: "He would rant."It was very incoherent. He would just bounce from idea to idea, tangent to tangent, just about what he believed in and he definitely had genocidal beliefs, you could say."He had major issues with polytheists. He said they need to die. That sort of thing. I only had a handful of conversations with him about it; those only occurred when there were just two of us in the work room."Around 8:15 p.m. local time Saturday near Commonwealth Stadium, an Edmonton officer was struck by a Chevrolet Malibu while working crowd control for a CFL game.Const. Mike Chernyk, standing behind a barricade when he was hit, was sent flying into the air. A man got out of the Malibu and attacked Chernyk with a knife before fleeing on foot.More than three hours later, a white U-Haul van was pulled over at a checkstop on the city's north side. A police officer recognized the driver's name as similar to the name of the registered owner of the car that had struck the officer earlier.The U-Haul then sped off toward downtown Edmonton, where streets were filled with Saturday night bar crowds and football fans. Pursued by police, the van struck and injured four pedestrians.The van tipped over on its side and a suspect was arrested at the scene.The officer, who sufffered stab wounds to his head and face, has been released from hospital.One person who was listed in critical condition has been upgraded to stable. Two others have been released from hospital. The fourth victim suffered a fractured skull but has regained consciousness, police said.Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht confirmed a black ISIS flag was seized from a car where the police officer was attacked.RCMP said Sunday a 30-year-old Somali refugee was interviewed by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) in 2015.But there was "insufficient evidence" to make an arrest and the suspect was deemed "not a threat."-Suspect 'strange,' says former co-worker-The former co-worker said he immediately recognized Sharif's name when it began to circulate in the news media.He worked with a "very strange" Sharif at a construction site in the summer of 2015, he said.The co-worker said Sharif would play broadcasts in Arabic while they worked at the construction site.When Sharif started talking to him about his hatred of Shia Muslims and support for well-known leaders of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the co-worker decided he needed to do something, he said.He said he reported Sharif to Edmonton police, who passed him onto the RCMP. He was later interviewed by RCMP at K Division headquarters near downtown Edmonton, he said."They definitely didn't laugh it off … they took it very seriously and very professionally," he said.Sharif kept a low profile in the city's Somali community.CBC News conducted numerous interviews with members of Edmonton's Somali and broader Muslim communities, but no one appeared to know Sharif.The 30-year-old's name triggered no recognition, but Saturday's violence was unanimously condemned."This individual has no place in our community," Ahmed (Knowmadic) Ali wrote in a statement Sunday on behalf of the Edmonton Somali community."We are your neighbours, co-workers and police officers and we stand strongly beside you in condemning this violence and mourning its effect on the community."-Tactical officers check suspect's apartment-While religious and cultural organizations on Sunday condemned the actions of a man they didn't know, a dozen heavily armed tactical-unit officers used battering rams to enter the rear of an apartment building at 113th Avenue and 117th Street. It's believed Sharif lived in one of the building's suites.A resident told CBC News that police showed him a picture of a man and that he recognized him as someone he had seen around the building. He didn't know if it was a picture of Sharif.The officers left about 45 minutes later. Police did not evacuate the building while conducting the search.Police are expected to provide another update on the case on Monday.
Marseille suspect released from custody day before attack-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017
PARIS — A man who fatally stabbed two women outside Marseille's main train station had been detained for shoplifting and released the day before the attack, and used seven fake identities in previous encounters with police, officials said Monday.French authorities are studying the suspect's cellphone and working to determine his true identity and whether he had direct links to the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for Sunday's stabbing. The assailant was killed by soldiers immediately after the attack, the latest of several targeting France.The suspect was identified by his fingerprints, which matched those taken during seven previous incidents registered by police since 2005, Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters.The attacker didn't have any past convictions in France, Molins said. The man's most recent arrest occurred in the Lyon area Friday — just two days before the train station stabbing.The man was held overnight for shoplifting, then released Saturday and the charges dropped, Molins said. He added that local authorities had no reason to hold him further based on the ID he gave them — a Tunisian passport.French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, apparently not satisfied with the explanation, on Monday ordered a probe of the circumstances that led police to free the man, who attacked and killed the young women a day later. The report is due by week's end, a ministry statement said.While being held in Lyon, the man told police that he did odd jobs, used hard drugs and was divorced, according to Molins, the prosecutor. It's not clear if the attacker had any connection to the victims — two cousins who had met for a birthday celebration.Some witnesses reported hearing the assailant shout "Allahu akbar!" — Arabic for "God is great" — and Molins said that's one of the reasons prosecutors opened a terrorism investigation. But no firm evidence has surfaced linking the man to Islamic extremism.Molins said video surveillance of the site showed the man sitting for a few minutes on a bench outside the station, before jumping up and stabbing one woman several times. He then ran away and returned to attack the second woman.A woman passer-by tried to intervene, Molins said. The man then tried to attack soldiers patrolling the site, but they shot him dead with two bullets.The suspect was found with two knives and a telephone, but no identity papers, according to Molins.The man's multiple pseudonyms made it difficult to even find a house to search for more clues, said Yves Lefebvre of the Unite SGP Police union."While it could shock the public, unfortunately it doesn't shock us, the police" that the suspect was released the day before carrying out a deadly attack, he said. He said shoplifting usually results in a quick police report and a court summons, and the suspect is released."Nothing allowed us to suspect there was a threat of radicalization during the (Lyon) arrest," Lefebvre told The Associated Press. He said that while the man didn't provide a residency permit, jails and migrant retention centres are often overflowing, so authorities do not routinely lock up illegal immigrants suspected of minor crimes.However, the interior minister demanded a report to "shed full light" on the man, procedures followed and the decision not to expel him, the ministry statement said.The IS-linked Aamaq news agency said that the assailant was acting in response to the extremist group's calls to target countries in the U.S.-led coalition fighting militants in Syria and Iraq. France has been part of the anti-IS coalition since 2014. The Aamaq statement didn't provide details, and it's unclear if the claim is merely opportunistic.The small town of Eguilles in southern France was holding a memorial gathering for the victims Monday evening. The mayor said the victims were a medical student from Eguilles and her cousin.Marseille's Saint Charles station reopened Monday under heavy security. Last month, four American college students were attacked with acid at the same station by a woman authorities said was suffering from mental illness.___Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.Angela Charlton, The Associated Press.
Palestinian leader launches reconciliation push in Gaza-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017
GAZA, Palestinian Territory — The Palestinian prime minister travelled Monday to the Gaza Strip to launch an ambitious reconciliation effort with the rival Hamas militant group, receiving a hero's welcome from thousands of people as the sides moved to end a bitter 10-year rift.Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, representing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, was joined by dozens of top officials, aides and security men on the trip from the West Bank through Israel and into Gaza to meet with the Hamas officials. It is by far the most ambitious attempt at reconciliation since Hamas seized power of the coastal strip in 2007.The sides exchanged smiles, handshakes and pleasantries — a reflection of the changed climate that has ripened conditions for reconciliation after other failed attempts. But difficult negotiations lie ahead, and key sticking points, particularly who will control Hamas' vast weapons arsenal, could easily derail the effort.On Monday, at least, the two sides put aside their differences.Well-wishers surrounded Hamdallah's car as it entered Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Erez border crossing, and dozens of Palestinian youths gathered alongside a barbed-wire fence to glimpse the welcoming ceremony. Some waved Palestinian or yellow Fatah flags, and many chanted Hamdallah's name."The only way to statehood is through unity," Hamdallah told the crowd of about 2,000. "We are coming to Gaza again to deepen the reconciliation and end the split."Conditions in Gaza have deteriorated greatly in a decade of Hamas rule, and the feeling of hope by desperate residents was palpable Monday.Thousands lined the streets to watch Hamdallah's 30-vehicle convoy. The crowd forced the delegation to delay its first meeting at the home of the top Fatah official in Gaza and instead take a break at a beachside hotel.Dozens of vehicles later returned to the Shejayeh neighbourhood for the lunch. Hamas' top leaders, Ismail Haniyeh and Yehiyeh Sinwar, said next to Hamdallah and West Bank security chief Majed Faraj."This is a day of joy," said Shaima Ahmed, 28, a women's rights activist who covered her shoulders with a Palestinian kaffiyeh. "Yes it's difficult and not easy to go forward, but we only have to be optimistic this time."Hamas ousted the Fatah-led forces of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in the summer of 2007, leaving the Palestinians torn between rival governments on opposite sides of Israel. Hamas has ruled Gaza, while Abbas' party has controlled autonomous enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Abbas seeks both territories, along with east Jerusalem, for a Palestinian state, and the division is a major obstacle to any possible peace deal. Israel captured all three areas in the 1967 Mideast war, although it withdrew from Gaza in 2005.While previous reconciliation attempts have failed, years of international isolation and steadily worsening conditions in Gaza have pushed Hamas toward compromise.In a significant concession, Hamas has offered to turn over all governing responsibilities to Hamdallah. His ministers are expected to begin taking over government ministries Tuesday, with negotiations in Cairo on more difficult issues in the coming weeks.Hamdallah said the reconstruction of Gaza, which is still recovering from a 2014 war with Israel, would be a priority."We realize that the road is still long and hard. We will be faced with obstacles and challenges, but our people are able to rise again from among destruction and suffering," he said.Several factors appear to be working in favour of reconciliation.Under Hamas' watch, Gaza has fallen deeper into poverty, battered by a joint Israeli-Egyptian blockade and three devastating wars with Israel. Unemployment is estimated at over 40 per cent , Gaza's 2 million residents are virtually barred from travelling abroad, and residents have electricity for only a few hours a day.Sinwar, Hamas' newly elected leader, has expressed willingness to yield most power to Abbas, preferring to return to his group's roots as an armed "resistance" movement battling Israel.The group's leadership is based entirely in Gaza, meaning they no longer have to consult with exiled leaders spread across the Arab world to make difficult decisions.And perhaps most critically, Hamas has improved relations with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The former general took office after the military ousted then-President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, had close ties with Hamas, and el-Sissi has previously accused Hamas of co-operating with Islamic extremists in Egypt's neighbouring Sinai peninsula. But the sides have grown closer in recent months, with Hamas now providing security co-operation with Egypt and el-Sissi promising to ease the blockade.Reflecting these improved ties, Egyptian envoys attended Monday's ceremony, and posters of the Egyptian flag and el-Sissi were hoisted at major intersections.Egypt also maintains good ties with Israel and could potentially play an important role in selling a reconciliation deal to Israel, which considers Hamas a terrorist group.Abbas also has much to gain. The 82-year-old Palestinian leader has said the rift with Gaza is his greatest regret. Regaining control of Gaza would help him burnish his legacy, especially after years of failure in peace efforts with Israel.Still, many obstacles lie ahead. While Hamas is eager to give up its governing responsibilities, officials say the group will not give up its arsenal of thousands of rockets and mortars aimed at Israel.Officials close to Abbas say he will not agree to allow Hamas to become like Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that dominates its country's politics. The sides will have to find a formula that not only is acceptable to them but which Israel would be willing to tolerate.Israel has demanded that Hamas renounce violence and recognize its right to exist as part of any reconciliation deal.It also remains unclear what will happen to Hamas' 40,000 civil servants, who were hired after Abbas forced his employees in Gaza to resign after the Hamas takeover. In an area with few jobs, both sides will likely want their loyalists to receive salaries.Fatah spokesman Osama Qawasmi said the sides are up to the task."We believe these issues are difficult, but with our will and patience, we can resolve them," he said.In signs of good spirits, a family named their child born in Gaza Monday after the visiting Palestinian prime minister and the official TV station of Abbas' government broadcast its main news bulletin from Gaza for the first time in a decade since the Hamas takeover.Fares Akram, The Associated Press.
Iran sends tanks to border with Iraq's Kurdish region, Kurdish official says-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017-By Raya Jalabi
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iran deployed a dozen tanks supported by artillery at its border with Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region on Monday, a Kurdish official said, adding that the move was a dangerous escalation in the crisis triggered by Iraqi Kurdistan's independence vote."The tanks can be seen from the Kurdish side," an official from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) security council told Reuters, adding that the move was a "dangerous escalation."Iraq’s Kurds overwhelmingly voted for independence in a referendum held one week ago, defying the central government in Baghdad as well as neighboring Turkey and Iran, which fear Kurdish separatism within their own borders.The deployment at the Parviz Khan border point on Monday was part of joint military drills conducted by the Iranian and the Iraqi armed forces in response to the referendum, state media in Tehran said. The exercises began last Sunday, according to Iran's Mehr news agency.The KRG says it plans to use the referendum's result as a mandate to negotiate the peaceful secession of the Kurdish region through talks with Baghdad.KRG President Masoud Barzani said on Monday it was legitimate to hold the vote in the Kurdish areas, including in the multi-ethnic oil city of Kirkuk, also claimed by Baghdad."Kirkuk is a Kurdistani city which should become an example for the coexistence of nations and religions," he said during a visit to Kirkuk.But Baghdad has rejected any talks with the KRG over independence. It demanded that the KRG relinquish control over its external border crossings with Turkey, Iran and Syria. It also demanded the KRG hand over its airports to federal control.When the KRG turned down those demands, Iraq's central government imposed a ban on international flights to and from the region's two international airports on Friday.The interior ministry said on Monday foreigners stranded in the Kurdish region by the ban would be allowed to exit through Baghdad's airport without having to wait for an Iraqi visa. Many nationalities, especially westerners, were allowed into the KRG without a visa.Baghdad gained the support of Cairo's al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Muslim learning, on Monday. It issued a statement "rejecting invitations to divide Iraq."Al-Azhar's position could help Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a Shi'ite, rally some support among Iraq's large Sunni minority against the Kurds, who are also largely Sunni.In another effort to present the government as inclusive for all Iraqis, including Kurds, state TV announced on Monday that it will be broadcasting a daily news bulletin in Kurdish.Iraq's defense ministry said on Friday the Iraqi authorities planned to take control of the borders of its autonomous Kurdistan region "in coordination" with Iran and Turkey.The statement did not give details. Nor did it indicate whether Iraqi forces would move toward the border posts controlled by the KRG from the Iranian and Turkish side, or set up checkpoints in the vicinity of these posts in order to control the crossings.Iranian state television on Saturday quoted a military spokesman as saying Iran and Iraq "agreed on measures to establish border security and receive Iraqi forces that are to be stationed at border posts"."We have always respected our borders with our neighbors and any (military) move will be in coordination with Baghdad and our allies," a senior Iranian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.Iran has vowed to stand alongside Baghdad in the fallout following the referendum. Allowing Iraq to seize border posts from Kurdish control would further cement Iran's stance to renounce dealings with the Kurdistan region in favor of the central government in Baghdad.Backed by Ankara and Tehran, the Iraqi government has demanded that the Kurdish leadership cancel the result of the referendum or face the prospect of sanctions, international isolation and possibly a military intervention.A small Iraqi force is also deployed on the Turkish side of the border as part of joint drills with the Turkish army.Iran's military chief, General Mohammad Baqeri, met Turkish Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar in Tehran on Monday."Iran and Turkey share the same stance on the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan and both insist on the sovereignty of Iraq," Baqeri was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA after his meeting with Akar."The armed forces of both countries will increase cooperation in training and war games," he was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli, Bozorgmehr Sharafeddin and Parisa Hafezi. Writing by Raya Jalabi.; Editing by Larry King)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Opinion-Macron's EU vision doesn't fit Europe By Sander Loones-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 29. Sep, 17:35-It is admirable that French president Emmanuel Macron laid out his vision for the Europe of 2024 in his speech on Tuesday (26 September).He didn't behind abbreviations and jargon understood only by the Eurocrats at Schuman Square in Brussels.In doing so, he is furthering an ancient tradition in which France attempts to set the European debate.It's also striking that Macron is not letting himself be slowed down one iota by the German election result of 24 September.Nevertheless, with his speech, he even seems to be muscling in - wittingly or unwittingly - on the coalition talks in Berlin.A "sovereign, democratic and unified Europe", is how Macron sees the EU - with a much bigger budget, harmonised corporate taxes, a unified social policy, and a unified asylum policy.A European industrial policy, a European minister for finance, the relaunch of the European Financial Transaction Tax, new European environmental taxes, a European public prosecutor, European universities, much more European solidarity, and the list goes on.-Challenges ahead-Not seeing the wood for the trees is the first challenge.What Macron proposes is revolutionary: no longer are member states sovereign, let alone the people - but "Europe" is.His reasoning: to be able to face up to the US and China, the EU must become a strong economic and industrial power, which he believes is only possible by shifting all these new powers to Europe.And the member states? They become the de facto provinces of that unified block.Well, Macron's vision for the EU doesn't fit Europe.There is no support among the population for further centralisation and there is no enthusiasm for being governed by a far-off bureaucracy.People themselves want to be able to choose who comes to live in their country, which economic policies are pursued, how they guarantee their social security. And they certainly won't entertain the thought of paying a ton of taxes for citizens from other countries.Macron's claim that a top-down centralised Europe would produce an economic global player also doesn't ring true.While a politically unified Europe would indeed conjure up the illusion of economies of scale, in practice it often results in large-scale squandering.Outlining the same economic policy from Brussels - for Malta and Ireland, for Slovenia and Flanders - is absurd.What is needed is tailor-made policy for all those very different local economies, and that's not something you get by regulating, harmonising and coordinating everything at EU level.-Typically French-An industrial policy at European level is also a typical French request.When Macron advocated for a more innovative Europe in his speech, he proposed creating a European Innovation Agency.However, innovation comes from the bottom up - often from small businesses, start-ups and scale-ups, or from universities - not from the top down, and not from bureaucrats.Macron also wants a much bigger budget for the EU. A eurozone budget with its own parliament with the "sovereignty" to levy new European taxes - taxes that will mostly be paid in the North and spent in the South. A Union in which money never stops flowing from North to South: like in Belgium.It's the cause of great political frustration and not much in the way of economic results.So are these proposals good for Europe? No.They are first and foremost good for France, with Brussels as an extension of Paris. That's always been the mindset in the French presidential palace.The French want to make Europe into a dam that protects Europe against the rest of the world. But it's primarily France that the dam protects. Or more accurately, it shields France.The French don't like the free market, don't like trading. The French look to the state, l'Etat. They want the EU to reinstate their vanishing political grip on the economy.The French want a government to be a dirigeant, not a service provider.-Clear alternative-The alternative is clear. The EU must not become a state.We will not become stronger by all doing the same things, but we will by playing to the strengths of each member state.The EU must therefore only intervene where absolutely necessary, with regard to security and the closure of borders, for example.At the same time, the EU must become more flexible in many areas and give the member states more freedom. It's precisely decentralisation and political diversity that form the strength of Europe.Competition between cities, regions and countries is pushing us onward. Let there be differences. No "ever closer union" in every domain. Cooperation - yes. Total unification - no.Only in this way will we obtain an EU that serves all member states, including the smaller ones, and not solely the heavyweights in the form of France and Germany.And one that serves all European citizens, not just the southern Europeans.It's clear that Macron's vision fits the French. It just doesn't fit Europe.Sander Loones is an MEP in the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament.
EU Commission calls for dialogue in Catalan crisis By Eszter Zalan-OCT 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 14:24-The European Commission said Monday (2 October) that Sunday's referendum in Catalonia was illegal and called on parties to begin dialogue following a violent crackdown on the vote by the Spanish authorities.Over 800 people were injured on Sunday, according to Catalan authorities, as Spanish national police raided polling stations where votes were being cast. The independence referendum has been ruled unconstitutional by the Spanish constitutional court."We call on all relevant players to now move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue. Violence can never be an instrument in politics," the EU commission's spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, said."These are times for unity and stability, not divisiveness and fragmentation," he added.However, the European Commission sees no role for itself as a mediator between Spanish and Catalan authorities after Sunday's violence, and failed to clearly condemn the police brutality."This is an internal matter for Spain that has to be dealt with in line with the constitutional order of Spain," Schinas said.He added that the EU executive continues to "trust the leadership of prime minister Mariano Rajoy to manage this difficult process in full respect of the Spanish constitution and of the fundamental rights of citizens enshrined therein."EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker is to hold a phone conversation with Rajoy later on Monday.A debate on the situation could be held in the European Parliament this week.The EU commission also restated that if Catalonia were to secede legally - in agreement with Madrid - it would end up outside the EU and would have to apply separately to join the bloc.Preliminary results, according to Catalan authorities, showed that about 90 percent of the total votes cast were in favour of a split from Spain.Less than 43 percent of the region's 5.3 million eligible voters took part in the disputed referendum.
EU lawyers give Russia pipeline a free pass By Andrew Rettman-OCT 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 12:14-EU lawyers have shot holes in the European Commission's bid to regulate a new Russia-Germany gas pipeline - Nord Stream 2 (NS2).The opinion, by the legal service of the EU Council, where member states meet, said the Commission's legal arguments were flawed and that it had no competence to muscle in on the project.The opinion, leaked by Politico, an news website, was "ammo for [pro-Nord Stream 2] lobbyists", one expert said.It also showed how powerful member states, such as Germany, "manipulated" EU decisions, another expert said.The Council opinion, dated 27 September, took aim at an earlier Commission document, seen by EUobserver.That Commission paper had said Nord Stream 2 could distort EU energy markets in Russia's favour by making Ukraine's gas transit network obsolete.It said the pipeline's offshore section, under the Baltic Sea, ought to be regulated by a new EU-Russia agreement negotiated by the Commission in order not to have a "legal void" or "contradictory" laws (the EU and Russia's).It also said the offshore section should be covered by EU laws forcing Russian firm Gazprom to give up its monopoly on use of the pipe.But the Council's lawyers said Nord Stream 2 would "increase the ability of the union to be unaffected by … disputes" such as the Russia-Ukraine gas wars of past years.They said there was no risk of a legal void because Nord Stream 2's offshore section "would in any event be subject to the relevant rules of international law, including the law of the sea."They said there was no risk of "contradictory" legal regimes because EU energy laws, which prohibited Gazprom's Nord Stream 2 monopoly, did not apply to the offshore pipe."The directive does not apply to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline", the Council legal service said, referring to the EU's so-called third energy package on market access.It added that the lack of legal reasons for the Commission to get involved made it a "political choice" whether member states would give it a mandate to do so anyway.But it also said that under the EU treaty, Germany would have a right to veto even such as political mandate because the EU had no right to interfere in a member states' choice of energy suppliers."Such affectation of a member state's energy mix could not be obtained without the consent of the member state concerned," it said.-Lobbyists-For Sijbren de Jong, an analyst at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, a think tank in The Hague, the Council's analysis will be used as "ammo" by pro-NS2 lobbyists.He said the Council lawyers "forget to mention that NS2 is designed to ensure the closure of other routes", referring to Ukraine.He also questioned the Council lawyers' views on the applicability of EU anti-monopoly laws."If the third package is applied where the pipeline reaches EU territory, it de facto will apply to the whole pipeline essentially," he said.The pipeline's lobbyists include former German leader Gerhard Schroeder, who works for Gazprom."I think that the federal government [of Germany] still supports the Nord Stream 2 project due to its own well-calculated interests. I think that the new government will demonstrate that Germany is interested in implementation of the Nord Stream 2", he said on Sunday.Jens Mueller, who works for the Nord Stream 2 consortium, a Gazprom vehicle in Switzerland, told EUobserver the Council paper was "self-explanatory"."Project developers have to rely on the rule of law," he said.-South Stream-The Commission, three years ago, did force Russia and Bulgaria to apply the EU's third energy package to a similar pipeline - South Stream - under the Black Sea.That led Russia to bin the project, causing financial losses for Bulgaria and would-be transit states, such as Hungary.For Stefan Meister, a scholar of Russian affairs at the German Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank in Berlin, the main difference between Nord Stream 2 and South Stream was German power."The German government and [German chancellor] Merkel were involved in stopping South Stream. This is not the case with NS2, where the critical member states are too weak", Meister said.The EU countries critical of NS2 are the Nordic states, the Baltic countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland."It shows again, that the whole EU process is very non-transparent, open to manipulation, and not independent from the influence of member states, which undermines the credibility of the Commission and of those processes," he said.
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
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)
Lone gunman kills 58, injures hundreds, in Las Vegas concert attack-[Reuters]-By Devika Krishna Kumar and Alexandria Sage-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A 64-year-old man holed up in a 32nd-floor hotel room with multiple machine guns rained down gunfire on a Las Vegas country music festival on Sunday, slaughtering at least 58 people in the largest mass shooting in U.S. history before killing himself.The barrage of bullets from the Mandalay Bay hotel into a crowd of 22,000 people lasted several minutes, causing panic. At least 515 people were injured as some fleeing fans trampled each other while police scrambled to locate the shooter.Police on Monday identified the gunman as Stephen Paddock, who lived in a retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada. They said they believed he acted alone and did not know why he attacked the crowd. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the massacre, but U.S. officials said there was no evidence of that.The preliminary death toll, which officials said could rise, eclipsed last year's massacre of 49 people at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub by a gunman who pledged allegiance to Islamic State militants.Shocked concertgoers, some with blood on their clothing, wandered streets, where the flashing lights of the city's gaudy casinos blended with those of emergency vehicles.Police said Paddock had no criminal record. The gunman killed himself before police entered the hotel room he was firing from, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters."We have no idea what his belief system was," Lombardo said. "I can't get into the mind of a psychopath."Federal officials said there was no evidence to link Paddock to militant organizations."We have determined to this point no connection with an international terrorist group," Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Aaron Rouse told reporters.U.S. officials discounted the claim of responsibility for the attack made by Islamic State through its Amaq news agency."The Intelligence Community is aware of the claim of responsibility by a foreign terrorist organization for the shooting in Las Vegas," CIA spokesman Jonathan Liu said in an email. "We advise caution on jumping to conclusions before the facts are in."-MULTIPLE MACHINE GUNS-Lombardo said there were more than 10 rifles in the room where Paddock killed himself. His arsenal included multiple machine guns, according to a law enforcement official.U.S. law largely bans machine guns.Police found several more weapons at Paddock's home in Mesquite, about 90 miles (145 km) northeast of Las Vegas, Mesquite police spokesman Quinn Averett told reporters.The shooting, just the latest in a string that have played out across the United States over recent years, sparked an outcry from some lawmakers about the pervasiveness of guns in the United States, but was unlikely to prompt action in Congress.Efforts to pass federal laws on guns failed following mass shootings from the 2012 massacre of 26 young children and educators in Newtown, Connecticut, to the June attack on Republican lawmakers practicing for a charity baseball game.Nevada has some of the most permissive gun laws in the United States. It does not require firearm owners to obtain licenses or register their guns.House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, on Monday called on House Speaker Paul Ryan to create a select committee on gun violence."Congress has a moral duty to address this horrific and heartbreaking epidemic," Pelosi wrote.The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right to bear arms, and gun-rights advocates staunchly defend that provision. U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican, has been outspoken about his support of the Second Amendment."To all those political opportunists who are seizing on the tragedy in Las Vegas to call for more gun regs. ... You can't regulate evil," Kentucky's Republican Governor, Matt Bevin, said on Twitter.The dead in Las Vegas included a nurse, a government employee and an off-duty police officer.Trump said he would travel to Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with first responders."It was an act of pure evil," Trump said in a White House address.The suspected shooter's brother, Eric Paddock, said the family was stunned by the news."We have no idea. We're horrified. We're bewildered, and our condolences go out to the victims," Eric Paddock said in a phone interview, his voice trembling. "We have no idea in the world."-'JUST KEPT GOING ON'-Video of the attack showed panicked crowds fleeing as sustained rapid gunfire ripped through the area."People were just dropping to the ground. It just kept going on," said Steve Smith, a 45-year-old visitor from Phoenix, Arizona. He said the gunfire went on for an extended period of time."Probably 100 shots at a time," Smith said. "It would sound like it was reloading and then it would go again."Las Vegas's casinos, nightclubs and shopping draw some 3.5 million visitors from around the world each year and the area was packed with visitors when the shooting broke out shortly after 10 p.m. local time (0400 GMT).Shares of MGM Resorts International, which owns the Mandalay Bay, fell almost 5 percent on Monday to $30.98 a share.Mike McGarry, a financial adviser from Philadelphia, was at the concert when he heard hundreds of shots ring out."It was crazy - I laid on top of the kids. They're 20. I'm 53. I lived a good life," McGarry said. The back of his shirt bore footmarks, after people ran over him in the panicked crowd.(Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen, Chris Michaud and Frank McGurty in New York, Susan Cornwell and Mark Hosenball in Washington, Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Ali Abdelaty in Cairo and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Alison Williams, Bernadette Baum, Grant McCool and Jonathan Oatis)
Las Vegas shooter was retired, had no criminal record-October 2, 2017-YAHOONEWS
MESQUITE, Nev. — The man who killed 58 people and injured at least 515 others at a Las Vegas concert was a retiree with no criminal history in the Nevada county where he lived, police said Monday.The brother of Stephen Paddock, 64, said he's "completely dumbfounded" by the shooting at a country music concert Sunday night, the deadliest in modern U.S. history. Eric Paddock told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper that he can't understand what happened.Stephen Paddock had no connection to an international terrorist group, the FBI said Monday. The announcement from Aaron Rouse, special agent in charge in Las Vegas, comes after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack without providing evidence.Nevada authorities say they believe Paddock acted alone and no motive was yet known.Paddock owned a single-family home in Sun City Mesquite, a retirement community along the Nevada-Arizona border, Mesquite Police Chief Troy Tanner said.He lived there with a 62-year-old woman, police said. Authorities said they don't believe she was involved and was out of the country at the time of the shooting but they wanted to speak to her when she returned.Heavily armed police searched the home early Monday, hours after Paddock killed himself in a room at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino where police believe he opened fire on a crowd of 22,000 people.Paddock bought the one-story, three-bedroom home about 80 miles north of Las Vegas in 2015 for about $370,000, according to property records that list him as a single man.Authorities in Texas say he lived in a Dallas suburb from 2009 to 2012. Public records indicate Paddock may have lived in Mesquite, Texas, for longer, but police Lt. Brian Parrish said his department's review shows the approximately three-year period.A preliminary review of police records don't indicate that authorities had any contact with him but police are still investigating, Parrish said.Ken Ritter, The Associated Press.
Factbox: World reacts with shock to deadliest U.S. mass shooting-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017-By Chris Kenning
(Reuters) - Reaction to the massacre at a Las Vegas country music festival poured in from the United States and abroad on Monday after at least 58 people were killed and more than 500 wounded in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN A PROCLAMATION-"Our Nation is heartbroken. We mourn with all whose loved ones were murdered and injured in last night's horrible tragedy in Las Vegas, Nevada. As we grieve, we pray that God may provide comfort and relief to all those suffering."BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT ON TWITTER-"Michelle & I are praying for the victims in Las Vegas. Our thoughts are with their families & everyone enduring another senseless tragedy."MIKE PENCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT ON TWITTER-"To victims, families & loved ones affected by this senseless violence in Las Vegas, Karen & I are praying for you & offering our love. The hearts & prayers of the American people are with you. You have our condolences and sympathies. To the courageous first responders, thank you for your acts of bravery."-SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL ON TWITTER-"Keeping #LasVegas in our thoughts this morning after the horrific news."HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON TWITTER-"Our grief isn't enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening again."BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT ON TWITTER-"Thinking of the victims and responders in Las Vegas. This should be unimaginable in America."RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IN STATEMENT-"This crime which killed tens of peaceful citizens is shocking in its cruelty."ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR IN STATEMENT-"I was shocked by the news from Las Vegas. Our sympathy and condolences go to the relatives and families of the victims."POPE FRANCIS IN STATEMENT-"Deeply saddened to learn of the shooting in Las Vegas, Pope Francis sends the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all those affected by this senseless tragedy."U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS IN STATEMENT-"To the many families whose lives have been changed forever by this heinous act, we offer you our prayers and our promise that we will do everything in our power to get justice for your loved ones."NEVADA GOVERNOR BRIAN SANDOVAL ON TWITTER-"A tragic & heinous act of violence has shaken the #Nevada family. Our prayers are w/ the victims & all affected by this act of cowardice."JIM MURREN, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL, WHICH OWNS MANDALAY BAY, IN STATEMENT-"Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of last night's shooting, their families, and those still fighting for their lives. We are working with law enforcement and will continue to do all we can to help all of those involved."CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU ON TWITTER-"Words fail this morning. The friendship & support of Canadians is with the victims in Las Vegas & the people of the US."UNITED NATIONS SPOKESMAN FARHAN HAQ IN STATEMENT-"We are shocked and horrified by the violence that took place in Las Vegas. The Secretary-General is sending a letter of condolence to the U.S. Government today to express our sorrow at the lives that were lost."THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER ON TWITTER-"The UK's thoughts are with the victims and the emergency services responding to the appalling attack in Las Vegas."BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY IN STATEMENT-"I am horrified by the awful attack at a music festival in Las Vegas this morning. The United Kingdom stands with the American people against this indiscriminate violence. My thoughts are with all those caught up in it."LOS ANGELES MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI IN STATEMENT-"The loss of life in Las Vegas is profoundly horrifying. Innocent people went out for an evening of fun and walked into a nightmare that defies our ability to understand or express sorrow in words. Our hearts are heavy today — and our thoughts are with the victims of this senseless attack, their loved ones, Mayor Goodman, and all of our friends in that great city. My prayer is that they find healing, recovery, and strength in this moment of indescribable pain."-DEMOCRATIC SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN OF MASSACHUSETTS ON TWITTER-"Thoughts & prayers are NOT enough. Not when more moms & dads will bury kids this week, & more sons & daughters will grow up without parents. Tragedies like Las Vegas have happened too many times. We need to have the conversation about how to stop gun violence. We need it NOW."KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR MATT BEVIN ON TWITTER-"To all those political opportunists who are seizing on the tragedy in Las Vegas to call for more gun regs ... You can't regulate evil."MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE SETH MOULTON ON TWITTER-"As after #Orlando, I will NOT be joining my colleagues in a moment of silence on the House Floor that just becomes an excuse for inaction."-FORMER ARIZONA DEMOCRATIC U.S REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, SHOT BY AN ASSAILANT IN 2011, ON TWITTER:-"Heartbroken by the scene our nation is waking up to this morning. No person should endure the horror Las Vegas experienced last night."-REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP STEVE SCALISE, SHOT AT A CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME IN WASHINGTON IN JUNE, IN STATEMENT-"In this tragic moment, I encourage people across America to stand together in solidarity, and to support the Las Vegas community and all of those affected, especially by giving blood and encouraging others to do the same. In the face of unspeakable evil, our whole nation must respond with countless acts of kindness, warmth and generosity."JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR IN STATEMENT-"Our prayers and deepest sympathies are with the families and loved ones of those killed and injured in last night's tragic and senseless shooting and we stand with the people of Nevada in this difficult time."THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO IN STATEMENT-"The government of Mexico profoundly laments yesterday's occurrences in Las Vegas, Nevada, and categorically denounces any act of violence against innocent people. The government of Mexico expresses its deep-felt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the wounded a quick recovery."-TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY ON TWITTER-"I condemn in the strongest terms possible today's terror attack in Las Vegas. I sincerely hope that such attacks won't happen in the future. On behalf of the Turkish people, I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and all Americans."(Reporting by Chris Kenning, additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Andrew Hay)
Edmonton attack suspect had 'genocidal beliefs,' says former co-worker who reported him to police-October 2, 2017-YAHOONEWS
A former co-worker of the Somali refugee CBC News has identified as the man arrested in a weekend attack in Edmonton says Abdulahi Hasan Sharif was an ISIS sympathizer years before Saturday's violent events, and that he had reported him to police.Terrorism charges are pending against the suspect, who is in custody. Police haven't released Sharif's name, but multiple sources have identified him to CBC.Sharif's former co-worker, who didn't want to be identified out of concern for his safety, said: "He would rant."It was very incoherent. He would just bounce from idea to idea, tangent to tangent, just about what he believed in and he definitely had genocidal beliefs, you could say."He had major issues with polytheists. He said they need to die. That sort of thing. I only had a handful of conversations with him about it; those only occurred when there were just two of us in the work room."Around 8:15 p.m. local time Saturday near Commonwealth Stadium, an Edmonton officer was struck by a Chevrolet Malibu while working crowd control for a CFL game.Const. Mike Chernyk, standing behind a barricade when he was hit, was sent flying into the air. A man got out of the Malibu and attacked Chernyk with a knife before fleeing on foot.More than three hours later, a white U-Haul van was pulled over at a checkstop on the city's north side. A police officer recognized the driver's name as similar to the name of the registered owner of the car that had struck the officer earlier.The U-Haul then sped off toward downtown Edmonton, where streets were filled with Saturday night bar crowds and football fans. Pursued by police, the van struck and injured four pedestrians.The van tipped over on its side and a suspect was arrested at the scene.The officer, who sufffered stab wounds to his head and face, has been released from hospital.One person who was listed in critical condition has been upgraded to stable. Two others have been released from hospital. The fourth victim suffered a fractured skull but has regained consciousness, police said.Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht confirmed a black ISIS flag was seized from a car where the police officer was attacked.RCMP said Sunday a 30-year-old Somali refugee was interviewed by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) in 2015.But there was "insufficient evidence" to make an arrest and the suspect was deemed "not a threat."-Suspect 'strange,' says former co-worker-The former co-worker said he immediately recognized Sharif's name when it began to circulate in the news media.He worked with a "very strange" Sharif at a construction site in the summer of 2015, he said.The co-worker said Sharif would play broadcasts in Arabic while they worked at the construction site.When Sharif started talking to him about his hatred of Shia Muslims and support for well-known leaders of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the co-worker decided he needed to do something, he said.He said he reported Sharif to Edmonton police, who passed him onto the RCMP. He was later interviewed by RCMP at K Division headquarters near downtown Edmonton, he said."They definitely didn't laugh it off … they took it very seriously and very professionally," he said.Sharif kept a low profile in the city's Somali community.CBC News conducted numerous interviews with members of Edmonton's Somali and broader Muslim communities, but no one appeared to know Sharif.The 30-year-old's name triggered no recognition, but Saturday's violence was unanimously condemned."This individual has no place in our community," Ahmed (Knowmadic) Ali wrote in a statement Sunday on behalf of the Edmonton Somali community."We are your neighbours, co-workers and police officers and we stand strongly beside you in condemning this violence and mourning its effect on the community."-Tactical officers check suspect's apartment-While religious and cultural organizations on Sunday condemned the actions of a man they didn't know, a dozen heavily armed tactical-unit officers used battering rams to enter the rear of an apartment building at 113th Avenue and 117th Street. It's believed Sharif lived in one of the building's suites.A resident told CBC News that police showed him a picture of a man and that he recognized him as someone he had seen around the building. He didn't know if it was a picture of Sharif.The officers left about 45 minutes later. Police did not evacuate the building while conducting the search.Police are expected to provide another update on the case on Monday.
Marseille suspect released from custody day before attack-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017
PARIS — A man who fatally stabbed two women outside Marseille's main train station had been detained for shoplifting and released the day before the attack, and used seven fake identities in previous encounters with police, officials said Monday.French authorities are studying the suspect's cellphone and working to determine his true identity and whether he had direct links to the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for Sunday's stabbing. The assailant was killed by soldiers immediately after the attack, the latest of several targeting France.The suspect was identified by his fingerprints, which matched those taken during seven previous incidents registered by police since 2005, Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters.The attacker didn't have any past convictions in France, Molins said. The man's most recent arrest occurred in the Lyon area Friday — just two days before the train station stabbing.The man was held overnight for shoplifting, then released Saturday and the charges dropped, Molins said. He added that local authorities had no reason to hold him further based on the ID he gave them — a Tunisian passport.French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, apparently not satisfied with the explanation, on Monday ordered a probe of the circumstances that led police to free the man, who attacked and killed the young women a day later. The report is due by week's end, a ministry statement said.While being held in Lyon, the man told police that he did odd jobs, used hard drugs and was divorced, according to Molins, the prosecutor. It's not clear if the attacker had any connection to the victims — two cousins who had met for a birthday celebration.Some witnesses reported hearing the assailant shout "Allahu akbar!" — Arabic for "God is great" — and Molins said that's one of the reasons prosecutors opened a terrorism investigation. But no firm evidence has surfaced linking the man to Islamic extremism.Molins said video surveillance of the site showed the man sitting for a few minutes on a bench outside the station, before jumping up and stabbing one woman several times. He then ran away and returned to attack the second woman.A woman passer-by tried to intervene, Molins said. The man then tried to attack soldiers patrolling the site, but they shot him dead with two bullets.The suspect was found with two knives and a telephone, but no identity papers, according to Molins.The man's multiple pseudonyms made it difficult to even find a house to search for more clues, said Yves Lefebvre of the Unite SGP Police union."While it could shock the public, unfortunately it doesn't shock us, the police" that the suspect was released the day before carrying out a deadly attack, he said. He said shoplifting usually results in a quick police report and a court summons, and the suspect is released."Nothing allowed us to suspect there was a threat of radicalization during the (Lyon) arrest," Lefebvre told The Associated Press. He said that while the man didn't provide a residency permit, jails and migrant retention centres are often overflowing, so authorities do not routinely lock up illegal immigrants suspected of minor crimes.However, the interior minister demanded a report to "shed full light" on the man, procedures followed and the decision not to expel him, the ministry statement said.The IS-linked Aamaq news agency said that the assailant was acting in response to the extremist group's calls to target countries in the U.S.-led coalition fighting militants in Syria and Iraq. France has been part of the anti-IS coalition since 2014. The Aamaq statement didn't provide details, and it's unclear if the claim is merely opportunistic.The small town of Eguilles in southern France was holding a memorial gathering for the victims Monday evening. The mayor said the victims were a medical student from Eguilles and her cousin.Marseille's Saint Charles station reopened Monday under heavy security. Last month, four American college students were attacked with acid at the same station by a woman authorities said was suffering from mental illness.___Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.Angela Charlton, The Associated Press.
Palestinian leader launches reconciliation push in Gaza-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017
GAZA, Palestinian Territory — The Palestinian prime minister travelled Monday to the Gaza Strip to launch an ambitious reconciliation effort with the rival Hamas militant group, receiving a hero's welcome from thousands of people as the sides moved to end a bitter 10-year rift.Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, representing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, was joined by dozens of top officials, aides and security men on the trip from the West Bank through Israel and into Gaza to meet with the Hamas officials. It is by far the most ambitious attempt at reconciliation since Hamas seized power of the coastal strip in 2007.The sides exchanged smiles, handshakes and pleasantries — a reflection of the changed climate that has ripened conditions for reconciliation after other failed attempts. But difficult negotiations lie ahead, and key sticking points, particularly who will control Hamas' vast weapons arsenal, could easily derail the effort.On Monday, at least, the two sides put aside their differences.Well-wishers surrounded Hamdallah's car as it entered Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Erez border crossing, and dozens of Palestinian youths gathered alongside a barbed-wire fence to glimpse the welcoming ceremony. Some waved Palestinian or yellow Fatah flags, and many chanted Hamdallah's name."The only way to statehood is through unity," Hamdallah told the crowd of about 2,000. "We are coming to Gaza again to deepen the reconciliation and end the split."Conditions in Gaza have deteriorated greatly in a decade of Hamas rule, and the feeling of hope by desperate residents was palpable Monday.Thousands lined the streets to watch Hamdallah's 30-vehicle convoy. The crowd forced the delegation to delay its first meeting at the home of the top Fatah official in Gaza and instead take a break at a beachside hotel.Dozens of vehicles later returned to the Shejayeh neighbourhood for the lunch. Hamas' top leaders, Ismail Haniyeh and Yehiyeh Sinwar, said next to Hamdallah and West Bank security chief Majed Faraj."This is a day of joy," said Shaima Ahmed, 28, a women's rights activist who covered her shoulders with a Palestinian kaffiyeh. "Yes it's difficult and not easy to go forward, but we only have to be optimistic this time."Hamas ousted the Fatah-led forces of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in the summer of 2007, leaving the Palestinians torn between rival governments on opposite sides of Israel. Hamas has ruled Gaza, while Abbas' party has controlled autonomous enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Abbas seeks both territories, along with east Jerusalem, for a Palestinian state, and the division is a major obstacle to any possible peace deal. Israel captured all three areas in the 1967 Mideast war, although it withdrew from Gaza in 2005.While previous reconciliation attempts have failed, years of international isolation and steadily worsening conditions in Gaza have pushed Hamas toward compromise.In a significant concession, Hamas has offered to turn over all governing responsibilities to Hamdallah. His ministers are expected to begin taking over government ministries Tuesday, with negotiations in Cairo on more difficult issues in the coming weeks.Hamdallah said the reconstruction of Gaza, which is still recovering from a 2014 war with Israel, would be a priority."We realize that the road is still long and hard. We will be faced with obstacles and challenges, but our people are able to rise again from among destruction and suffering," he said.Several factors appear to be working in favour of reconciliation.Under Hamas' watch, Gaza has fallen deeper into poverty, battered by a joint Israeli-Egyptian blockade and three devastating wars with Israel. Unemployment is estimated at over 40 per cent , Gaza's 2 million residents are virtually barred from travelling abroad, and residents have electricity for only a few hours a day.Sinwar, Hamas' newly elected leader, has expressed willingness to yield most power to Abbas, preferring to return to his group's roots as an armed "resistance" movement battling Israel.The group's leadership is based entirely in Gaza, meaning they no longer have to consult with exiled leaders spread across the Arab world to make difficult decisions.And perhaps most critically, Hamas has improved relations with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The former general took office after the military ousted then-President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, had close ties with Hamas, and el-Sissi has previously accused Hamas of co-operating with Islamic extremists in Egypt's neighbouring Sinai peninsula. But the sides have grown closer in recent months, with Hamas now providing security co-operation with Egypt and el-Sissi promising to ease the blockade.Reflecting these improved ties, Egyptian envoys attended Monday's ceremony, and posters of the Egyptian flag and el-Sissi were hoisted at major intersections.Egypt also maintains good ties with Israel and could potentially play an important role in selling a reconciliation deal to Israel, which considers Hamas a terrorist group.Abbas also has much to gain. The 82-year-old Palestinian leader has said the rift with Gaza is his greatest regret. Regaining control of Gaza would help him burnish his legacy, especially after years of failure in peace efforts with Israel.Still, many obstacles lie ahead. While Hamas is eager to give up its governing responsibilities, officials say the group will not give up its arsenal of thousands of rockets and mortars aimed at Israel.Officials close to Abbas say he will not agree to allow Hamas to become like Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that dominates its country's politics. The sides will have to find a formula that not only is acceptable to them but which Israel would be willing to tolerate.Israel has demanded that Hamas renounce violence and recognize its right to exist as part of any reconciliation deal.It also remains unclear what will happen to Hamas' 40,000 civil servants, who were hired after Abbas forced his employees in Gaza to resign after the Hamas takeover. In an area with few jobs, both sides will likely want their loyalists to receive salaries.Fatah spokesman Osama Qawasmi said the sides are up to the task."We believe these issues are difficult, but with our will and patience, we can resolve them," he said.In signs of good spirits, a family named their child born in Gaza Monday after the visiting Palestinian prime minister and the official TV station of Abbas' government broadcast its main news bulletin from Gaza for the first time in a decade since the Hamas takeover.Fares Akram, The Associated Press.
Iran sends tanks to border with Iraq's Kurdish region, Kurdish official says-YAHOONEWS-October 2, 2017-By Raya Jalabi
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iran deployed a dozen tanks supported by artillery at its border with Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region on Monday, a Kurdish official said, adding that the move was a dangerous escalation in the crisis triggered by Iraqi Kurdistan's independence vote."The tanks can be seen from the Kurdish side," an official from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) security council told Reuters, adding that the move was a "dangerous escalation."Iraq’s Kurds overwhelmingly voted for independence in a referendum held one week ago, defying the central government in Baghdad as well as neighboring Turkey and Iran, which fear Kurdish separatism within their own borders.The deployment at the Parviz Khan border point on Monday was part of joint military drills conducted by the Iranian and the Iraqi armed forces in response to the referendum, state media in Tehran said. The exercises began last Sunday, according to Iran's Mehr news agency.The KRG says it plans to use the referendum's result as a mandate to negotiate the peaceful secession of the Kurdish region through talks with Baghdad.KRG President Masoud Barzani said on Monday it was legitimate to hold the vote in the Kurdish areas, including in the multi-ethnic oil city of Kirkuk, also claimed by Baghdad."Kirkuk is a Kurdistani city which should become an example for the coexistence of nations and religions," he said during a visit to Kirkuk.But Baghdad has rejected any talks with the KRG over independence. It demanded that the KRG relinquish control over its external border crossings with Turkey, Iran and Syria. It also demanded the KRG hand over its airports to federal control.When the KRG turned down those demands, Iraq's central government imposed a ban on international flights to and from the region's two international airports on Friday.The interior ministry said on Monday foreigners stranded in the Kurdish region by the ban would be allowed to exit through Baghdad's airport without having to wait for an Iraqi visa. Many nationalities, especially westerners, were allowed into the KRG without a visa.Baghdad gained the support of Cairo's al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Muslim learning, on Monday. It issued a statement "rejecting invitations to divide Iraq."Al-Azhar's position could help Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a Shi'ite, rally some support among Iraq's large Sunni minority against the Kurds, who are also largely Sunni.In another effort to present the government as inclusive for all Iraqis, including Kurds, state TV announced on Monday that it will be broadcasting a daily news bulletin in Kurdish.Iraq's defense ministry said on Friday the Iraqi authorities planned to take control of the borders of its autonomous Kurdistan region "in coordination" with Iran and Turkey.The statement did not give details. Nor did it indicate whether Iraqi forces would move toward the border posts controlled by the KRG from the Iranian and Turkish side, or set up checkpoints in the vicinity of these posts in order to control the crossings.Iranian state television on Saturday quoted a military spokesman as saying Iran and Iraq "agreed on measures to establish border security and receive Iraqi forces that are to be stationed at border posts"."We have always respected our borders with our neighbors and any (military) move will be in coordination with Baghdad and our allies," a senior Iranian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.Iran has vowed to stand alongside Baghdad in the fallout following the referendum. Allowing Iraq to seize border posts from Kurdish control would further cement Iran's stance to renounce dealings with the Kurdistan region in favor of the central government in Baghdad.Backed by Ankara and Tehran, the Iraqi government has demanded that the Kurdish leadership cancel the result of the referendum or face the prospect of sanctions, international isolation and possibly a military intervention.A small Iraqi force is also deployed on the Turkish side of the border as part of joint drills with the Turkish army.Iran's military chief, General Mohammad Baqeri, met Turkish Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar in Tehran on Monday."Iran and Turkey share the same stance on the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan and both insist on the sovereignty of Iraq," Baqeri was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA after his meeting with Akar."The armed forces of both countries will increase cooperation in training and war games," he was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli, Bozorgmehr Sharafeddin and Parisa Hafezi. Writing by Raya Jalabi.; Editing by Larry King)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Opinion-Macron's EU vision doesn't fit Europe By Sander Loones-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 29. Sep, 17:35-It is admirable that French president Emmanuel Macron laid out his vision for the Europe of 2024 in his speech on Tuesday (26 September).He didn't behind abbreviations and jargon understood only by the Eurocrats at Schuman Square in Brussels.In doing so, he is furthering an ancient tradition in which France attempts to set the European debate.It's also striking that Macron is not letting himself be slowed down one iota by the German election result of 24 September.Nevertheless, with his speech, he even seems to be muscling in - wittingly or unwittingly - on the coalition talks in Berlin.A "sovereign, democratic and unified Europe", is how Macron sees the EU - with a much bigger budget, harmonised corporate taxes, a unified social policy, and a unified asylum policy.A European industrial policy, a European minister for finance, the relaunch of the European Financial Transaction Tax, new European environmental taxes, a European public prosecutor, European universities, much more European solidarity, and the list goes on.-Challenges ahead-Not seeing the wood for the trees is the first challenge.What Macron proposes is revolutionary: no longer are member states sovereign, let alone the people - but "Europe" is.His reasoning: to be able to face up to the US and China, the EU must become a strong economic and industrial power, which he believes is only possible by shifting all these new powers to Europe.And the member states? They become the de facto provinces of that unified block.Well, Macron's vision for the EU doesn't fit Europe.There is no support among the population for further centralisation and there is no enthusiasm for being governed by a far-off bureaucracy.People themselves want to be able to choose who comes to live in their country, which economic policies are pursued, how they guarantee their social security. And they certainly won't entertain the thought of paying a ton of taxes for citizens from other countries.Macron's claim that a top-down centralised Europe would produce an economic global player also doesn't ring true.While a politically unified Europe would indeed conjure up the illusion of economies of scale, in practice it often results in large-scale squandering.Outlining the same economic policy from Brussels - for Malta and Ireland, for Slovenia and Flanders - is absurd.What is needed is tailor-made policy for all those very different local economies, and that's not something you get by regulating, harmonising and coordinating everything at EU level.-Typically French-An industrial policy at European level is also a typical French request.When Macron advocated for a more innovative Europe in his speech, he proposed creating a European Innovation Agency.However, innovation comes from the bottom up - often from small businesses, start-ups and scale-ups, or from universities - not from the top down, and not from bureaucrats.Macron also wants a much bigger budget for the EU. A eurozone budget with its own parliament with the "sovereignty" to levy new European taxes - taxes that will mostly be paid in the North and spent in the South. A Union in which money never stops flowing from North to South: like in Belgium.It's the cause of great political frustration and not much in the way of economic results.So are these proposals good for Europe? No.They are first and foremost good for France, with Brussels as an extension of Paris. That's always been the mindset in the French presidential palace.The French want to make Europe into a dam that protects Europe against the rest of the world. But it's primarily France that the dam protects. Or more accurately, it shields France.The French don't like the free market, don't like trading. The French look to the state, l'Etat. They want the EU to reinstate their vanishing political grip on the economy.The French want a government to be a dirigeant, not a service provider.-Clear alternative-The alternative is clear. The EU must not become a state.We will not become stronger by all doing the same things, but we will by playing to the strengths of each member state.The EU must therefore only intervene where absolutely necessary, with regard to security and the closure of borders, for example.At the same time, the EU must become more flexible in many areas and give the member states more freedom. It's precisely decentralisation and political diversity that form the strength of Europe.Competition between cities, regions and countries is pushing us onward. Let there be differences. No "ever closer union" in every domain. Cooperation - yes. Total unification - no.Only in this way will we obtain an EU that serves all member states, including the smaller ones, and not solely the heavyweights in the form of France and Germany.And one that serves all European citizens, not just the southern Europeans.It's clear that Macron's vision fits the French. It just doesn't fit Europe.Sander Loones is an MEP in the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament.
EU Commission calls for dialogue in Catalan crisis By Eszter Zalan-OCT 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 14:24-The European Commission said Monday (2 October) that Sunday's referendum in Catalonia was illegal and called on parties to begin dialogue following a violent crackdown on the vote by the Spanish authorities.Over 800 people were injured on Sunday, according to Catalan authorities, as Spanish national police raided polling stations where votes were being cast. The independence referendum has been ruled unconstitutional by the Spanish constitutional court."We call on all relevant players to now move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue. Violence can never be an instrument in politics," the EU commission's spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, said."These are times for unity and stability, not divisiveness and fragmentation," he added.However, the European Commission sees no role for itself as a mediator between Spanish and Catalan authorities after Sunday's violence, and failed to clearly condemn the police brutality."This is an internal matter for Spain that has to be dealt with in line with the constitutional order of Spain," Schinas said.He added that the EU executive continues to "trust the leadership of prime minister Mariano Rajoy to manage this difficult process in full respect of the Spanish constitution and of the fundamental rights of citizens enshrined therein."EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker is to hold a phone conversation with Rajoy later on Monday.A debate on the situation could be held in the European Parliament this week.The EU commission also restated that if Catalonia were to secede legally - in agreement with Madrid - it would end up outside the EU and would have to apply separately to join the bloc.Preliminary results, according to Catalan authorities, showed that about 90 percent of the total votes cast were in favour of a split from Spain.Less than 43 percent of the region's 5.3 million eligible voters took part in the disputed referendum.
EU lawyers give Russia pipeline a free pass By Andrew Rettman-OCT 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 12:14-EU lawyers have shot holes in the European Commission's bid to regulate a new Russia-Germany gas pipeline - Nord Stream 2 (NS2).The opinion, by the legal service of the EU Council, where member states meet, said the Commission's legal arguments were flawed and that it had no competence to muscle in on the project.The opinion, leaked by Politico, an news website, was "ammo for [pro-Nord Stream 2] lobbyists", one expert said.It also showed how powerful member states, such as Germany, "manipulated" EU decisions, another expert said.The Council opinion, dated 27 September, took aim at an earlier Commission document, seen by EUobserver.That Commission paper had said Nord Stream 2 could distort EU energy markets in Russia's favour by making Ukraine's gas transit network obsolete.It said the pipeline's offshore section, under the Baltic Sea, ought to be regulated by a new EU-Russia agreement negotiated by the Commission in order not to have a "legal void" or "contradictory" laws (the EU and Russia's).It also said the offshore section should be covered by EU laws forcing Russian firm Gazprom to give up its monopoly on use of the pipe.But the Council's lawyers said Nord Stream 2 would "increase the ability of the union to be unaffected by … disputes" such as the Russia-Ukraine gas wars of past years.They said there was no risk of a legal void because Nord Stream 2's offshore section "would in any event be subject to the relevant rules of international law, including the law of the sea."They said there was no risk of "contradictory" legal regimes because EU energy laws, which prohibited Gazprom's Nord Stream 2 monopoly, did not apply to the offshore pipe."The directive does not apply to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline", the Council legal service said, referring to the EU's so-called third energy package on market access.It added that the lack of legal reasons for the Commission to get involved made it a "political choice" whether member states would give it a mandate to do so anyway.But it also said that under the EU treaty, Germany would have a right to veto even such as political mandate because the EU had no right to interfere in a member states' choice of energy suppliers."Such affectation of a member state's energy mix could not be obtained without the consent of the member state concerned," it said.-Lobbyists-For Sijbren de Jong, an analyst at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, a think tank in The Hague, the Council's analysis will be used as "ammo" by pro-NS2 lobbyists.He said the Council lawyers "forget to mention that NS2 is designed to ensure the closure of other routes", referring to Ukraine.He also questioned the Council lawyers' views on the applicability of EU anti-monopoly laws."If the third package is applied where the pipeline reaches EU territory, it de facto will apply to the whole pipeline essentially," he said.The pipeline's lobbyists include former German leader Gerhard Schroeder, who works for Gazprom."I think that the federal government [of Germany] still supports the Nord Stream 2 project due to its own well-calculated interests. I think that the new government will demonstrate that Germany is interested in implementation of the Nord Stream 2", he said on Sunday.Jens Mueller, who works for the Nord Stream 2 consortium, a Gazprom vehicle in Switzerland, told EUobserver the Council paper was "self-explanatory"."Project developers have to rely on the rule of law," he said.-South Stream-The Commission, three years ago, did force Russia and Bulgaria to apply the EU's third energy package to a similar pipeline - South Stream - under the Black Sea.That led Russia to bin the project, causing financial losses for Bulgaria and would-be transit states, such as Hungary.For Stefan Meister, a scholar of Russian affairs at the German Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank in Berlin, the main difference between Nord Stream 2 and South Stream was German power."The German government and [German chancellor] Merkel were involved in stopping South Stream. This is not the case with NS2, where the critical member states are too weak", Meister said.The EU countries critical of NS2 are the Nordic states, the Baltic countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland."It shows again, that the whole EU process is very non-transparent, open to manipulation, and not independent from the influence of member states, which undermines the credibility of the Commission and of those processes," he said.
