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)
FALSE POPE FROM THE VATICAN
ISAIAH 23:15-17
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE 70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.
REVELATION 13:11-13
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
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-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.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(BOMB OR NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,(VATICAN) which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Pope OKs sainthood for Fatima siblings, Mexico child martyrs-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is making five more child saints: two Portuguese shepherd children who said the Virgin Mary appeared to them in Fatima 100 years ago and three Mexican adolescents who were killed for their faith in the 16th century.Francis signed the canonization decrees Thursday.In the case of the Mexicans, Francis declared the three Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala worthy of sainthood without having a miracle attributed to their intercession, once again sidestepping the typical saint-making process. The boys, Cristobal, Antonio and Juan, were converted to Catholicism by missionaries in the early 1500s.Francis followed the rules in approving a miracle for Francisco and Jacinta Marto, the Fatima siblings, just two months before he is to travel to the Fatima shrine to mark the centennial anniversary of their apparitions.
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.
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.
Analysis-EU declaration to voice unity in troubled times By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 22. Mar, 17:58-Four days before one of its largest members, the UK, will officially notify fellow EU countries of its intention to withdraw its membership, the remaining 27 leaders of the European Union will gather in Rome on Saturday (25 March) to recommit to the idea of European integration.The event comes at a turbulent time.The UK’s vote to leave has cracked the historical unity of the bloc, while the new administration of US president Donald Trump has questioned security guarantees for Europe.At the same time, a revanchist Russia is waging a propaganda and cyber war against the EU on the side of anti-EU nationalists, while the unresolved migration crisis has led to a resurgence of xenophobic and far-right feeling.Rome will not be a time for deep reflection, however.Even if they disagree about the way to move ahead, EU countries agree on the one thing they have to demonstrate in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Capitoline Square, where founding members have signed the Treaty of Rome 60 years ago: unity.The draft text of the Rome Declaration, seen by EUobserver, says that "standing together" is the best chance to influence global dynamics."Europe is our common future,” the two-page document says.Whether the display of unity will convince the European public or overseas powers is another matter.Last minute wrangling over the text of the Rome Declaration indicates how hard fought that show of unity has been.Poland, led by a nationalist government, has vowed to block any references to a multi-speed Europe, a kind of deeper integration among core members that risks leaving others, such as Poland, behind.In the end, a classic EU-style consensus seems likely to prevail.The original formulation was watered down to ease Polish worries.An EU official said so as long as no new EU mechanisms for integrating at different speeds were to be introduced in the Rome document, opponents of the multi-speed Europe idea could be tamed.“We will act together in different paces and intensity when necessary, while moving in the same direction … in line with the Treaties, keeping the door open to those who want to join later," the draft Rome text says."Our Union is undivided and indivisible,” the document says in the context of the multi-speed issue.In another row, Greece has threatened not to sign the declaration if it does not include references to respecting national social rules.Its potential veto represents an effort to push creditors during ongoing bailout condition to defend some of its labour and social laws, but sources say it is very unlikely that Athens will block the text in the end.-Darker globe-The draft Rome document attempts to address the scars left by the euro crisis, terrorism, and the migration crisis.It seeks to portray the EU as a global leader despite Brexit and the new US administration’s protectionism.In a reccurring mantra, the draft pledges that the EU will "listen and respond" to all concerns by citizens and engage with national parliaments. It promises to deliver results, and to be big on big issues and small on small ones.In a thinly veiled response to Brexit and the new US administration, the draft declaration calls for "a stronger Europe on a global scene”.Sending a message to other countries, it promises "further developing existing partnerships and building new ones”.The Rome Declaration's 10-year old sister, the Berlin Declaration emphasised the fight against terrorism, organised crime, and illegal immigration with a pledge to fight racism and xenophobia.It also said the EU would promote freedom, democracy and prosperity around the world, fight climate change and stressed the union’s openness.Rome’s language is more dark and somewhat bolder.It describes the “unprecedented challenges” facing the union - terrorism, migration, protectionism, social and economic inequalities.But instead of openness, it promises to strengthen the external borders of the EU, to create an effective migration policy, and to strengthen common security and defence.It also vows to create growth and jobs and to strive for a social Europe, which would - in a nod to those who want to avoid EU harmonisation on social issues - “take into account diversity of national systems”.-Risk of complacency-Janis Emmanouilidis, an analyst at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, said Rome should not be expected to be “a historic milestone”.“This exercise is about trying to portray unity among the 27,” he told EUobserver.He said the draft Rome Declaration does not even try to build consensus over “hot potatoes”, divisive issues such as the future development of the union, the monetary union, or the solidarity aspect of migration.“The text has been watered down on what needs to be done because there is no agreement among the 27,” Emmanouilidis said, adding “everyone is aware that showing unity is the maximum to be achieved” in Rome.That is not to be underestimated though.“Showing unity in itself has become a key objective in a Brexit world,” he said.Emmanouilidis said that with the Dutch election out of the way and with little chance of far-right leader Marine Le Pen becoming president of France, there could be a "political window” to move ahead on controversial issues.He said the likely election of either Angela Merkel or the strongly pro-EU Martin Schulz as chancellor in September in Germany also helped.“I fear there is a risk that at the end of 2017 there will not be an ambition to use the window of political opportunity, and there will be complacency,” he added, however.He said that such behaviour would fuel populist sentiment in the long term.
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)
Imam calling for Jews to be killed in sermon at Montreal mosque draws police complaint-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
A Montreal mosque is facing a police complaint and rebukes from the larger Muslim community after a video of an imam delivering a sermon in which he asks for Jews to be killed surfaced online.The sermon took place at the Dar Al-Arqam Mosque in the city's Saint-Michel neighbourhood on Dec. 23, 2016.The video was posted to the mosque's YouTube channel three days later. The imam in the video is Jordanian cleric Sheikh Muhammad bin Musa Al Nasr — he was reportedly an invited guest of the mosque.In the video, the imam says in Arabic, "O Muslim, O servant of Allah, O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."Part of the phrase references an Islamic hadith, which interprets the words and actions by the Prophet Muhammad.CBC independently verified the speech and its translation.CBC Montreal has reached out to the Dar Al-Arqam mosque for comment and was told no one was available.Accused of inciting violence-The video was brought to the attention of B'nai Brith Canada, which filed a complaint with Montreal police on Monday.The organization said it is totally unacceptable that a mosque would allow this to go on."This is inciting violence, and this is inciting radicalization," said Harvey Levine, regional director of B'nai Brith in Quebec."It's against the law and has to be stopped," he said, adding that the complaint was filed with the Montreal hate crimes unit.Montreal police confirmed they received a complaint, but would not provide any more information.Mosque should apologize, says Muslim council-The president of the Muslim Council of Montreal, Salam Elmenyawi, wants to know why the imam was invited. He says the mosque should apologize.He added that the Dar Al-Arqam Mosque is not one of the more than 40 institutions the council represents.Imam Ziad Asali of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects told CBC Montreal's Daybreak Thursday that he was also mystified as to why the cleric was invited to preach."I do not understand how this person was invited to come and give a sermon and spread this hatred in Montreal against any community," he said.The hadith is one of more than 100,000 that are written in many books, some of which are considered authentic, while others are not, said Asali."To use the themes of the Prophet to spread hatred is actually something that is disrespectful towards the Prophet himself," Asali said.There are mosques in Montreal, the imam said, that embrace a more extremist message."These people, not only do they show hatred towards non-Muslims, they even show hatred to us Muslims," he said.-Other complaints-Levine said this is the second complaint against a Montreal-area mosque filed with the Montreal police's hate crime unit in just over 40 days.He said the police are still investigating that first instance but says they are not taking action soon enough."This is totally unacceptable. We want to know why the hate crimes unit has not done something to date yet. This person should be arrested and charged for hate crimes," said Levine.
British foreign secretary says attack on London an attack on world-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Thursday that an attack near parliament in London was an attack on the world, but that he believed the world could turn a "tide of hate" and Britain would share information of emerging threats with partners.Speaking during a visit to the United Nations, he also told reporters that internet providers and social media companies have "got to look at the stuff that's going up on their sites, they've got to take steps to invigilate it, to take it down where they can."(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Car used in London attack was rented in Birmingham: Enterprise-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
LONDON (Reuters) - The car which an attacker used to plough into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge killing two people on Wednesday had been rented from Birmingham in central England, hire firm Enterprise said on Thursday."We can confirm that the car used in the tragic attack in London yesterday afternoon was one of ours," said a spokesman for Enterprise Holdings, adding it had been hired from its Spring Hill branch in Birmingham."An employee identified the vehicle after seeing the license plate in an image online. We ran another check to verify, and immediately contacted the authorities. We are co-operating fully with the authorities and will provide any assistance that we can to the investigation."(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
May: London attacker was known to the police By Eszter Zalan-MAR 23,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 14:34-The London attacker was "British born" and is known to the UK police and intelligence services. He has been investigated before for extremism, but has not been focused on by investigators lately, said British PM Theresa May on Thursday (23 March)."He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture," May told MPs in the House of Commons.May described Wednesday's attack as "an attack on free people everywhere".In a powerful statement, May said that the terrorist "tried to silence our democracy"."But today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: we are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism," she told MPs.Eight arrests have been made in London and Birmingham after the attack that left four dead.Several people from other nationalities - three French teenagers, two Romanians, two Greeks, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, and one American - are amongst around 40 of the injured, as the attacker rammed into pedestrians with a car on Westminster Bridge."A terrorist came to the place where people of all nationalities and culture gather to celebrate what it means to be free," May said, paying tribute to the police officer, who tried to stop the knife-wielding attacker at the parliament.In an emotional parliamentary debate, MPs hailed their fellow lawmaker Tobias Ellwood as a hero. Ellwood gave first aid to the police officer on the scene, Keith Palmer, who later died of his injuries.May said that the attacker acted alone, and was inspired by "Islamist ideology". She added that the intelligence services do not believe there is an imminent threat of further attacks.The attacker has not yet been named by British authorities, since the investigation is still ongoing.The news agency Amaq, used by the Islamic State for propaganda, has said in the meantime that the group claims responsibility for the attack.-Acts of normality-May said the millions of "acts of normality" are the best way to defeat terrorism."The greatest response lies not in the words of politicians, but in the everyday actions of ordinary people," May concluded, saying the streets are busy, the cafes are open, and millions continue to travel to London to see "the greatest city on Earth".Police presence will be stepped up in London, nevertheless.This terror attack, the worst in Britain since 2005, took place exactly a year after the deadly terrorist bombings in Brussels.An EU Commission spokesperson expressed sympathy and solidarity with UK.He added that European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will have a phone conversation with Theresa May on Thursday.In preparations for the Rome summit on Saturday, Italy's interior minister, Marco Minniti, ordered an increase of security, raising the country's security alert to the highest level.An extra 2,000 police officers will be deployed on the streets of the eternal city, Rome, in addition to the 3,000 already planned.In Rome, 27 EU national leaders are will arrive – with the exception of May – alongside the heads of the EU institutions to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome.
5 dead in vehicle, knife attack at British Parliament-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
LONDON — A knife-wielding man went on a deadly rampage in the heart of Britain's seat of power Wednesday, plowing a car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer to death inside the gates of Parliament. Five people were killed, including the assailant, and 40 others were injured in what Prime Minister Theresa May condemned as a "sick and depraved terrorist attack."Lawmakers, lords, staff and visitors were locked down after the man was shot by police within the perimeter of Parliament, just yards (meters) from entrances to the building itself and in the shadow of the iconic Big Ben clock tower. He died, as did three pedestrians on the bridge, and the police officer.A doctor who treated the wounded from the bridge said some had "catastrophic" injuries. Three police officers, several French teenagers on a school trip, two Romanian tourists and five South Korean visitors were among the injured.Police said they were treating the attack as terrorism. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Mark Rowley said police believed there was only one attacker, "but it would be foolish to be overconfident early on." He said an unarmed policeman, three civilians and the attacker died. Forty others, including three police officers, were injured.Islamic extremism was suspected in the attack, Rowley said, adding that authorities believe they know the assailant's identity but would not reveal it while the investigation was ongoing.The threat level for international terrorism in the U.K. was already listed at severe, meaning an attack was "highly likely."Speaking outside 10 Downing St. after chairing a meeting of government's emergency committee, COBRA, May said that level would not change. She said attempts to defeat British values of democracy and freedom through terrorism would fail."Tomorrow morning, Parliament will meet as normal," she said. Londoners and visitors "will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart."U.S. President Donald Trump was among world leaders offering condolences, and in Paris, the lights of the Eiffel Tower were to be dimmed in solidarity with London.London has been a target for terrorism many times over past decades. Just this weekend, hundreds of armed police took part in an exercise simulating a "marauding" terrorist attack on the River Thames.Wednesday was the anniversary of suicide bombings in the Brussels airport and subway that killed 32 people last year, and the latest events echoed recent vehicle attacks in Berlin and Nice, France.In the House of Commons, legislators were holding a series of votes on pensions when deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle announced that the sitting was being suspended and told lawmakers not to leave.Parliament was locked down for several hours, and the adjoining Westminster subway station was shuttered.Conservative lawmaker Tobias Ellwood, whose brother was killed in the Bali terror attack in 2002, performed first aid on the wounded police officer, who later died. About 10 yards away lay the assailant."I tried to stem the flow of blood and give mouth to mouth while waiting for the medics to arrive but I think he had lost too much blood," Ellwood said. "He had multiple wounds, under the arm and in the back."The attack began early Wednesday afternoon as a driver in a grey SUV slammed into pedestrians on the bridge linking Parliament to the south bank of the River Thames.Former Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski was in a car crossing the bridge when he heard "something like a car hitting metal sheet" and then saw people lying on the pavement."I saw one person who gave no signs of life. One man was bleeding from his head. I saw five people who were at least seriously injured," Sikorski told Poland's TVN24.Ambulances arrived within minutes to treat people who lay scattered along the length of the bridge. One bloodied woman lay surrounded by a scattering of postcards.Police said one injured woman was pulled from the river.The car crashed into railings on the north side of the bridge, less than 200 yards (meters) from the entrance to Parliament. As people scattered in panic, witnesses saw a man holding a knife run toward the building."The whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben," said witness Rick Longley. "A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman. I have never seen anything like that. I just can't believe what I just saw."The attacker managed to get past a gate into Parliament's fenced-in New Palace Yard, a cobbled courtyard in the shadow of the Big Ben clock tower.Daily Mail journalist Quentin Letts said a man in black attacked the police officer before being shot two or three times as he tried to storm into the building."As this attacker was running towards the entrance two plain-clothed guys with guns shouted at him what sounded like a warning, he ignored it and they shot two or three times and he fell," Letts told the BBC.The attacker fell to the cobbles just yards from the entrance to 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the parliamentary complex, busy with visitors and school groups. Beyond that, a corridor leads to the building's Central Lobby, flanked by House of Commons and House of Lords chambers.The prime minister was among lawmakers near the Commons at the time of the attack, and was quickly ushered away by security officers and driven back to Downing Street.To get that far, the attacker would have had to evade the armed officers who patrol the Parliament complex in pairs, as well as Parliament's own security staff, who don't carry guns.The attack unfolded near some of the city's most famous tourist sites, including the London Eye, a large Ferris wheel with pods that overlook the capital. It was halted after the attack, stranding visitors in the pods, with an aerial view of the attack scene.London Ambulance Service said medics treated 12 people for serious injuries and eight who were less seriously hurt.Dr. Colleen Anderson of St. Thomas' Hospital said some of the wounded had "catastrophic" injuries.The French Foreign Ministry said that three students on a school trip from Saint-Joseph in the Brittany town of Concarneau were among the injured. Two Romanians were also among the injured, the country's Foreign Ministry said.Trump spoke with May by telephone and applauded "the quick response of British police and first responders," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said.London has often been the target of terrorist attacks, from IRA campaigns in the 1970s and 80s to more recent Islamist plots.On July 7, 2005, four al-Qaida-inspired British bombers blew themselves up on three subway trains and a bus in London, killing 52 people.British security forces say they have thwarted some 13 terror plots over the past four years, but in recent years the U.K. has largely been spared major international terror attacks such as the ones seen in Belgium and France.Last year, a far-right supporter shot and killed British lawmaker Jo Cox, who had campaigned for the U.K. to remain in the European Union. Prior to that, an attacker claiming to be motivated by Syria stabbed three people at a London subway station.The most gruesome recent attack occurred in 2013 when two Muslim converts of Nigerian descent attacked Lee Rigby, a British soldier who was walking down the street. The men ran Rigby down with their vehicle and then used a cleaver to hack him to death as bystanders watched in horror.___Associated Press writers Sophie Berman, Gregory Katz and Rob Harris in London and Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed to this report.-Jill Lawless, Paisley Dodds And Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
A look at attacks where vehicles have been used as weapons-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
LONDON (AP) — When an attacker plowed a vehicle into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge, killing two people and injuring scores of others, it was the latest in a string of incidents in which drivers used their vehicles as weapons.Some were orchestrated by extremist groups, others by unstable individuals with unclear motives. Radical groups have urged supporters to use any weapons at hand, including cars, a tactic that presents a major challenge for security forces around the world.The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, saying it was carried out by a supporter heeding the call to strike in the nations fighting against the group. The attacker stabbed a policeman to death on the ground of Parliament before police shot him to death.Jan. 20 , 2017-A man with a history of mental health and drug abuse issues drove into a street crowded with pedestrians in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, killing at least four people, including a child, and injuring around 15 others. The 26-year-old man was arrested, and police said the incident had no links to terrorism.__Jan. 8, 2017-A Palestinian truck driver rammed his vehicle into a crowd of Israeli soldiers at a popular Jerusalem tourist spot, killing four people and wounding 17 in the deadliest single attack of more than a year of Israeli-Palestinian violence. It was the latest in a string of stabbings, shootings and vehicle ramming attacks in a wave of violence that erupted in the fall of 2015.___Dec. 19, 2016-A young Tunisian rammed a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring dozens in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. It was the first mass casualty attack by Islamic extremists carried out on German soil. Attacker Anis Amri, who had been denied asylum in Germany, was later killed by police in Italy after an international manhunt.___July 14, 2016-A Tunisian residing in France plowed a refrigerator truck through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on the Mediterranean beachfront in Nice, killing 86. Attacker Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed by police. Cities around the world beefed up measures to prevent vehicle attacks in response.___December 2014-A motorist injured 13 pedestrians in the French city of Dijon; a day later, a man ran over pedestrians at a Christmas market in Nantes in western France, killing one and injuring nine. Both suspects, who survived, had histories of mental illness.___Oct. 20, 2014-A 25-year-old man drove his car into to Canadian Air Force members near Montreal, killing one of them and injuring another. Authorities said the driver was a convert to Islam and had been flagged for jihadist ambitions. He was later shot dead by police.___June 30, 2007-Two men attempted to crash a blazing Jeep loaded with explosives into Glasgow Airport in Scotland. The car's path was blocked and the explosives failed to detonate.
Calgary to welcome 200 Yazidi refugees by end of year-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 22, 2017
Dozens of Yazidi refugees are starting to settle into life in Calgary.They're among a larger community of about 1,200 the federal government has promised to resettle over the course of this year.Fariborz Birjandian, with the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, is helping the newcomers adjust.So far, 48 Yazidi refugees have arrived in Calgary, including one family of seven consisting of two sisters and their children."The men, the members of their family, they are missing," said Birjandian. "Obviously, they have both been killed. Obviously, that is quite significant."-Persecuted minority-The Yazidis are a religious minority with a 6,000-year-old culture based mainly in northern Iraq. ISIS launched brutal attacks targeting the Yazidi community in August 2014.Last June, a United Nations report said ISIS was seeking to destroy the community of 400,000 people through killings, sexual slavery and other crimes.The refugees' arrival in Canada has been tightly controlled and kept largely under wraps — unlike the very public airport arrivals of some of the first Syrian refugees more than a year ago.In January, Dawn Edlund, associate assistant deputy minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said the government is carefully avoiding language that could lead to revictimization, and avoiding releasing any details publically that could put other relatives still in captivity at risk.-Resilient families-Back in Calgary, Birjandian says each of the families have managed to settle as best they can."They have a lot of question, a lot of fears coming to [Canada] but definitely they are really appreciative and they are very positive, actually. I'm very impressed with their resilience."Birjandian said Calgary is one of four settlement locations in Canada, and the families are living close together because the Yazidi community is so small.Calgary will accept about 200 Yazidi refugees this year.
Opinion-Ending the migrant deal with Turkey may save the EU By Zana Kurda-MAR 23,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 11:22-It has been one year since Turkey and the European Union signed a migrant deal on Syrian refugees.The controversial agreement has been effective in reducing the flow of Syrian and other refugees through Turkey, who aim to reach Europe.However, this particular deal has come at an incredibly huge political price for the EU and its member states, notably Germany.From the agreement's inception, Turkey has been trying to use it as a card to exert political pressure against the EU, and has more than once threatened to call it off if it did not get visa-free travel for Turkish citizens in return.However, this goes beyond the visa-free aspect.-Harsh rhetoric-In fact, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, feeling in a strong position, has been engaging in increasingly harsh rhetoric towards the EU and its member states.In contrast, the EU and national officials from its member states have largely refrained from engaging in a verbal confrontation with Erdogan.While European leaders do their utmost to save the migrant deal, the European public has increasingly come to perceive the deal as a lost case.It is the inability of the EU institutions and European leaders to develop a workable alternative that has aggravated the public and has reduced the chances of the re-election of the current ruling governments.In Germany and France, where elections will be held soon, far-right anti-EU parties have emerged - posing a serious threat to the political establishment.With strong anti-EU agendas, the success of these parties is tied to the very future of the European Union.-Dutch elections-However, the Dutch election has brought some light into these gloomy prospects. For a long time prior to the Dutch elections this week, polls showed a tight race between Geert Wilders' far right (PVV) and the Liberal party (VVD) of the incumbent Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte.Many observers in and outside Europe thought that Wilders had a serious chance of winning the elections. But, with less than a week before the elections, an unprecedented diplomatic row emerged between Turkey and the Netherlands - proving to be a game-changer in favour of Rutte.What is interesting is that PM Rutte and his party, VVD, were strong supporters of the EU-Turkey migrant deal.If they had lost the election, this particular point would have been one of the main reasons for it. But Rutte calculated that confronting Turkey would lift his party’s popularity at the expense of Wilders' party, who had demanded even more drastic measures against Turkey.When Erdogan went as far as to accuse the Dutch of the mass murder of 8000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995, Rutte gave a strong but measured response. In doing so, Rutte showed that he could be tough, but - unlike Wilders - he can stay in control. This proved to be the right strategy.-The populist finals-Rutte referred to the Dutch elections as a "quarter-final" face-off against the “wrong populists’’, thus considering the upcoming elections in France and Germany as semi-final and final confrontations, respectively.One of the strong cards in the hands of anti-EU movements across Europe has been the migrant crisis and the EU’s inability to develop an alternative plan to the deal with Turkey. The harsh rhetoric of president Erdogan and other Turkish officials has only added to the frustrations.Rutte’s win shows that by standing up to Erdogan’s bullying, the establishment has a strong card to play against the populists, at least in the short-term.Following the Dutch elections, internal party pressures in France and Germany will likely lead to calls to follow Rutte’s example.However, one may argue that Rutte’s position was different, since the migrant deal was not directly at stake. Moreover, one may expect confrontations with Germany or France to be of a much larger magnitude.-Turkish confrontation-In spite of these points, French and German establishment parties may find at least two strong reasons to risk such confrontations with Turkey.First of all, in light of the widespread public displeasure in Europe over Erdogan’s rhetoric, any diplomatic row and subsequent steps by Turkey to end the migrant deal will be easily defendable.Secondly, should Turkey decide to end the deal, the EU has established physical barriers and has put mechanisms in place that would prevent another mass flow of refugees similar to that of 2015.With the Dutch elections still fresh in mind, establishment parties in France and Germany may very well be tempted to copy the example of Rutte’s and, in doing so, may win the battle against the anti-EU parties.If they manage to play their cards right - the end of the migrant deal may very well be the saviour of the European Union.Zana Kurda is a researcher at the Institute for European Studies, Free University of Brussels.
A dozen Egyptian security personnel killed in Sinai fighting-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
CAIRO (Reuters) - Ten members of Egypt's military were killed when their vehicles were hit by two improvised bombs during an operation against suspected militants in the Sinai peninsula, the military said on Thursday.Three officers and seven soldiers were killed, the military said in a statement, adding that its forces killed 15 people and arrested seven others during the raid which it said targeted "highly dangerous terrorists" in the central Sinai area.Two policemen, an officer and a conscript, were later killed in fighting near a police station in Arish, the capital of North Sinai province the Interior Ministry said in a statement.Egypt is battling an Islamist insurgency in the rugged and thinly populated northern Sinai, which gained pace after the military overthrew President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 following mass protests against his rule.The militant group staging the insurgency pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2014 and adopted the name Sinai Province. It is blamed for the killing of hundreds of soldiers and policemen.President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former military chief who led the overthrow of Mursi, describes Islamist militancy as an existential threat to Egypt, an ally of the United States. Islamic State controls large parts of Iraq and Syria and has a strong presence in Libya, which borders Egypt.A spokesman said the military also found and destroyed half a tonne of TNT explosive, and seized two four-wheel drive cars containing hand grenades and hundreds of mobile phones.(Reporting by Dominic Evans and Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Lin Noueihed and Ralph Boulton)
Bill would bar discrimination toward climate change doubters-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 22, 2017
AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine laws protect people from discrimination based on factors such as race, disabilities and sexual orientation, and a Republican lawmaker wants to add a person's beliefs about climate change to that list.Rep. Larry Lockman has introduced a bill that would limit the attorney general's ability to investigate or prosecute people based on their political speech, including their views on climate change. It would also prohibit the state from discriminating in buying goods or services or awarding grants or contracts based on a person's "climate change policy preferences."Lockman, an independent business consultant from Amherst, told The Associated Press that he believes it's an open question whether human activity is the primary cause of climate change."We need to have a vigorous public debate on that question," he said.Peer-reviewed studies, science organizations and climate scientists say that the world is warming from man-made forces.Rep. Lois Galgay Reckitt, a Democrat of South Portland and a marine biologist who sits on the judiciary committee that has the bill, said prospects for passage are poor. She said she expected "the entire Democratic caucus is going to hate it," and some Republicans will, too."The issue for me is I'm a scientist and I live near the ocean. It's absolutely clear to me that climate change is happening, and it worries me," she said. "I will fight this tooth and nail."Lockman wants to prohibit the state attorney general from investigating, joining an investigation or prosecuting any person based on that person's protected political speech.But he said his bill would also reaffirm free speech by protecting climate change supporters as well."I don't want to see a Republican state attorney general issuing subpoenas for the records of progressive or liberal think tanks or public policy groups to chill their free speech," he said.Democratic Attorney General Janet Mills declined to comment.In his bill, Lockman says that the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United "continued the protection of protected political speech, no matter the source or message." That case allowed corporations and unions to make unlimited independent expenditures in U.S. elections.Jonathan Reisman, an associate professor of economics and public policy at the University of Maine at Machias and a vocal critic of the scientific consensus on climate change, said he requested the bill.He said the bill is an attempt to defend the First Amendment freedom of those who speak out in a way that does not reflect the consensus."It's about Citizens United and the government abridging speech," he said. "It's not about climate science. It's about climate policy."Lockman has a history of causing controversy. He once dressed as a vampire outside a federal building in Bangor to protest the Internal Revenue Service. He also once accused liberals of assisting the AIDS epidemic, saying they assured "the public that the practice of sodomy is a legitimate alternative lifestyle, rather than a perverted and depraved crime against humanity."He said he couldn't predict the outcome of his latest bill but expected a lot of interest at a public hearing scheduled April 6.Lockman's bill is "absurd and unnecessary," said Dylan Voorhees, climate and clean energy project director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine."Clearly an attempt to provide cover for climate deniers," he said. "I see a trickle down from the Trump administration that has emboldened some folks to make climate denial statements."Marina Villeneuve And Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Philippine president says trusts China won't build on disputed shoal-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 22, 2017
MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he trusted China would not build anything on a disputed South China Sea shoal because he was given its "word of honor" and Beijing would not want to jeopardize a new friendship.Duterte was commenting amid a furor in the Philippines stemming from remarks last week by the mayor in charge of China-controlled disputed islands and reefs, who said preparatory work was being planned to build several monitoring stations, including on the Scarborough Shoal."I was informed that they are not going to do anything at Panatag out of respect for our friendship," he told a news conference in the early hours of Thursday, referring to the shoal by its local name."'We will build nothing there' - that was the assurance given by the Chinese government."They are not going to build anything ... because they do not want to jeopardize our friendship".He said China "has a word of honor". He did not specify when he received this assurance.Duterte caused a stir on Sunday when he said "we cannot stop China", when asked about the possibility of it putting radar at the shoal.China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Wednesday said the reports about a monitoring station were "mistaken" and "not true".China's activities in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which at least $5 trillion of goods passes annually, have been closely watched by the Philippines, which has seen Beijing build and arm artificial islands in its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.The Scarborough Shoal is symbolic of the Philippines' long struggle to assert itself against China's maritime ambitions. Located 124 miles off the Philippine coast, the rocky outcrop was a rich fishing ground for Filipinos until China's coastguard blockaded the area in 2012.Duterte sprang a surprise last year when he took office and opted to pursue rapprochement with Beijing after years of bitter squabbling. China's coastguard has since allowed Filipinos to fish at the periphery of the shoal.Duterte said he was honest with his intentions when he visited Chinese President Xi Jinping in October."I just want to shake your hand but since you have this animosity with America you have identified us unjustly as on the side of America," he said, recalling the meeting."I said 'I just want to trade with you and I want business because my country needs it'."In a barb aimed at the United States, a close military ally of the Philippines, Duterte said countries should avoid escalating tensions, because missteps could be catastrophic."Why do you have to go there and look for friction?", he said. "Friction causes an explosion ... then you can have war."He added: "It's a very important word for all of us: Miscalculation."(Reporting by Martin Petty; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Russia may be helping supply Taliban insurgents: U.S. general-[Reuters]-By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. general in Europe said on Thursday that he had seen Russian influence on Afghan Taliban insurgents growing and raised the possibility that Moscow was helping supply the militants, whose reach is expanding in southern Afghanistan."I've seen the influence of Russia of late - increased influence in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban," Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, who is also NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.He did not elaborate on what kinds of supplies might be headed to the Taliban or how direct Russia's role might be.Moscow has been critical of the United States over its handling of the war in Afghanistan, where the Soviet Union fought a bloody and disastrous war of its own in the 1980s.But Russian officials have denied they provide aid to the insurgents, who are contesting large swaths of territory and inflicting heavy casualties, and say their limited contacts are aimed at bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table.According to U.S. estimates, government forces control less than 60 percent of Afghanistan, with almost half the country either contested or under control of the insurgents, who are seeking to reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster.Underlying the insurgents' growing strength, Taliban fighters have captured the strategic district of Sangin in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, officials said on Thursday.The top U.S. commander in the country, General John Nicholson, said last month that Afghanistan was in a "stalemate" and that thousands more international troops would be needed to boost the existing NATO-led training and advisory mission.Scaparrotti said the stakes were high. More than 1,800 American troops have been killed in fighting since the war began in 2001."NATO and the United States, in my view, must win in Afghanistan," he said.Taliban officials have told Reuters that the group has had significant contacts with Moscow since at least 2007, adding that Russian involvement did not extend beyond "moral and political support."(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
ISAIAH 23:15-17
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE 70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.
REVELATION 13:11-13
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
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-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.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(BOMB OR NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,(VATICAN) which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Pope OKs sainthood for Fatima siblings, Mexico child martyrs-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is making five more child saints: two Portuguese shepherd children who said the Virgin Mary appeared to them in Fatima 100 years ago and three Mexican adolescents who were killed for their faith in the 16th century.Francis signed the canonization decrees Thursday.In the case of the Mexicans, Francis declared the three Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala worthy of sainthood without having a miracle attributed to their intercession, once again sidestepping the typical saint-making process. The boys, Cristobal, Antonio and Juan, were converted to Catholicism by missionaries in the early 1500s.Francis followed the rules in approving a miracle for Francisco and Jacinta Marto, the Fatima siblings, just two months before he is to travel to the Fatima shrine to mark the centennial anniversary of their apparitions.
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.
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.
Analysis-EU declaration to voice unity in troubled times By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 22. Mar, 17:58-Four days before one of its largest members, the UK, will officially notify fellow EU countries of its intention to withdraw its membership, the remaining 27 leaders of the European Union will gather in Rome on Saturday (25 March) to recommit to the idea of European integration.The event comes at a turbulent time.The UK’s vote to leave has cracked the historical unity of the bloc, while the new administration of US president Donald Trump has questioned security guarantees for Europe.At the same time, a revanchist Russia is waging a propaganda and cyber war against the EU on the side of anti-EU nationalists, while the unresolved migration crisis has led to a resurgence of xenophobic and far-right feeling.Rome will not be a time for deep reflection, however.Even if they disagree about the way to move ahead, EU countries agree on the one thing they have to demonstrate in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Capitoline Square, where founding members have signed the Treaty of Rome 60 years ago: unity.The draft text of the Rome Declaration, seen by EUobserver, says that "standing together" is the best chance to influence global dynamics."Europe is our common future,” the two-page document says.Whether the display of unity will convince the European public or overseas powers is another matter.Last minute wrangling over the text of the Rome Declaration indicates how hard fought that show of unity has been.Poland, led by a nationalist government, has vowed to block any references to a multi-speed Europe, a kind of deeper integration among core members that risks leaving others, such as Poland, behind.In the end, a classic EU-style consensus seems likely to prevail.The original formulation was watered down to ease Polish worries.An EU official said so as long as no new EU mechanisms for integrating at different speeds were to be introduced in the Rome document, opponents of the multi-speed Europe idea could be tamed.“We will act together in different paces and intensity when necessary, while moving in the same direction … in line with the Treaties, keeping the door open to those who want to join later," the draft Rome text says."Our Union is undivided and indivisible,” the document says in the context of the multi-speed issue.In another row, Greece has threatened not to sign the declaration if it does not include references to respecting national social rules.Its potential veto represents an effort to push creditors during ongoing bailout condition to defend some of its labour and social laws, but sources say it is very unlikely that Athens will block the text in the end.-Darker globe-The draft Rome document attempts to address the scars left by the euro crisis, terrorism, and the migration crisis.It seeks to portray the EU as a global leader despite Brexit and the new US administration’s protectionism.In a reccurring mantra, the draft pledges that the EU will "listen and respond" to all concerns by citizens and engage with national parliaments. It promises to deliver results, and to be big on big issues and small on small ones.In a thinly veiled response to Brexit and the new US administration, the draft declaration calls for "a stronger Europe on a global scene”.Sending a message to other countries, it promises "further developing existing partnerships and building new ones”.The Rome Declaration's 10-year old sister, the Berlin Declaration emphasised the fight against terrorism, organised crime, and illegal immigration with a pledge to fight racism and xenophobia.It also said the EU would promote freedom, democracy and prosperity around the world, fight climate change and stressed the union’s openness.Rome’s language is more dark and somewhat bolder.It describes the “unprecedented challenges” facing the union - terrorism, migration, protectionism, social and economic inequalities.But instead of openness, it promises to strengthen the external borders of the EU, to create an effective migration policy, and to strengthen common security and defence.It also vows to create growth and jobs and to strive for a social Europe, which would - in a nod to those who want to avoid EU harmonisation on social issues - “take into account diversity of national systems”.-Risk of complacency-Janis Emmanouilidis, an analyst at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, said Rome should not be expected to be “a historic milestone”.“This exercise is about trying to portray unity among the 27,” he told EUobserver.He said the draft Rome Declaration does not even try to build consensus over “hot potatoes”, divisive issues such as the future development of the union, the monetary union, or the solidarity aspect of migration.“The text has been watered down on what needs to be done because there is no agreement among the 27,” Emmanouilidis said, adding “everyone is aware that showing unity is the maximum to be achieved” in Rome.That is not to be underestimated though.“Showing unity in itself has become a key objective in a Brexit world,” he said.Emmanouilidis said that with the Dutch election out of the way and with little chance of far-right leader Marine Le Pen becoming president of France, there could be a "political window” to move ahead on controversial issues.He said the likely election of either Angela Merkel or the strongly pro-EU Martin Schulz as chancellor in September in Germany also helped.“I fear there is a risk that at the end of 2017 there will not be an ambition to use the window of political opportunity, and there will be complacency,” he added, however.He said that such behaviour would fuel populist sentiment in the long term.
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)
Imam calling for Jews to be killed in sermon at Montreal mosque draws police complaint-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
A Montreal mosque is facing a police complaint and rebukes from the larger Muslim community after a video of an imam delivering a sermon in which he asks for Jews to be killed surfaced online.The sermon took place at the Dar Al-Arqam Mosque in the city's Saint-Michel neighbourhood on Dec. 23, 2016.The video was posted to the mosque's YouTube channel three days later. The imam in the video is Jordanian cleric Sheikh Muhammad bin Musa Al Nasr — he was reportedly an invited guest of the mosque.In the video, the imam says in Arabic, "O Muslim, O servant of Allah, O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."Part of the phrase references an Islamic hadith, which interprets the words and actions by the Prophet Muhammad.CBC independently verified the speech and its translation.CBC Montreal has reached out to the Dar Al-Arqam mosque for comment and was told no one was available.Accused of inciting violence-The video was brought to the attention of B'nai Brith Canada, which filed a complaint with Montreal police on Monday.The organization said it is totally unacceptable that a mosque would allow this to go on."This is inciting violence, and this is inciting radicalization," said Harvey Levine, regional director of B'nai Brith in Quebec."It's against the law and has to be stopped," he said, adding that the complaint was filed with the Montreal hate crimes unit.Montreal police confirmed they received a complaint, but would not provide any more information.Mosque should apologize, says Muslim council-The president of the Muslim Council of Montreal, Salam Elmenyawi, wants to know why the imam was invited. He says the mosque should apologize.He added that the Dar Al-Arqam Mosque is not one of the more than 40 institutions the council represents.Imam Ziad Asali of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects told CBC Montreal's Daybreak Thursday that he was also mystified as to why the cleric was invited to preach."I do not understand how this person was invited to come and give a sermon and spread this hatred in Montreal against any community," he said.The hadith is one of more than 100,000 that are written in many books, some of which are considered authentic, while others are not, said Asali."To use the themes of the Prophet to spread hatred is actually something that is disrespectful towards the Prophet himself," Asali said.There are mosques in Montreal, the imam said, that embrace a more extremist message."These people, not only do they show hatred towards non-Muslims, they even show hatred to us Muslims," he said.-Other complaints-Levine said this is the second complaint against a Montreal-area mosque filed with the Montreal police's hate crime unit in just over 40 days.He said the police are still investigating that first instance but says they are not taking action soon enough."This is totally unacceptable. We want to know why the hate crimes unit has not done something to date yet. This person should be arrested and charged for hate crimes," said Levine.
British foreign secretary says attack on London an attack on world-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Thursday that an attack near parliament in London was an attack on the world, but that he believed the world could turn a "tide of hate" and Britain would share information of emerging threats with partners.Speaking during a visit to the United Nations, he also told reporters that internet providers and social media companies have "got to look at the stuff that's going up on their sites, they've got to take steps to invigilate it, to take it down where they can."(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Car used in London attack was rented in Birmingham: Enterprise-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
LONDON (Reuters) - The car which an attacker used to plough into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge killing two people on Wednesday had been rented from Birmingham in central England, hire firm Enterprise said on Thursday."We can confirm that the car used in the tragic attack in London yesterday afternoon was one of ours," said a spokesman for Enterprise Holdings, adding it had been hired from its Spring Hill branch in Birmingham."An employee identified the vehicle after seeing the license plate in an image online. We ran another check to verify, and immediately contacted the authorities. We are co-operating fully with the authorities and will provide any assistance that we can to the investigation."(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
May: London attacker was known to the police By Eszter Zalan-MAR 23,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 14:34-The London attacker was "British born" and is known to the UK police and intelligence services. He has been investigated before for extremism, but has not been focused on by investigators lately, said British PM Theresa May on Thursday (23 March)."He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture," May told MPs in the House of Commons.May described Wednesday's attack as "an attack on free people everywhere".In a powerful statement, May said that the terrorist "tried to silence our democracy"."But today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: we are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism," she told MPs.Eight arrests have been made in London and Birmingham after the attack that left four dead.Several people from other nationalities - three French teenagers, two Romanians, two Greeks, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, and one American - are amongst around 40 of the injured, as the attacker rammed into pedestrians with a car on Westminster Bridge."A terrorist came to the place where people of all nationalities and culture gather to celebrate what it means to be free," May said, paying tribute to the police officer, who tried to stop the knife-wielding attacker at the parliament.In an emotional parliamentary debate, MPs hailed their fellow lawmaker Tobias Ellwood as a hero. Ellwood gave first aid to the police officer on the scene, Keith Palmer, who later died of his injuries.May said that the attacker acted alone, and was inspired by "Islamist ideology". She added that the intelligence services do not believe there is an imminent threat of further attacks.The attacker has not yet been named by British authorities, since the investigation is still ongoing.The news agency Amaq, used by the Islamic State for propaganda, has said in the meantime that the group claims responsibility for the attack.-Acts of normality-May said the millions of "acts of normality" are the best way to defeat terrorism."The greatest response lies not in the words of politicians, but in the everyday actions of ordinary people," May concluded, saying the streets are busy, the cafes are open, and millions continue to travel to London to see "the greatest city on Earth".Police presence will be stepped up in London, nevertheless.This terror attack, the worst in Britain since 2005, took place exactly a year after the deadly terrorist bombings in Brussels.An EU Commission spokesperson expressed sympathy and solidarity with UK.He added that European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will have a phone conversation with Theresa May on Thursday.In preparations for the Rome summit on Saturday, Italy's interior minister, Marco Minniti, ordered an increase of security, raising the country's security alert to the highest level.An extra 2,000 police officers will be deployed on the streets of the eternal city, Rome, in addition to the 3,000 already planned.In Rome, 27 EU national leaders are will arrive – with the exception of May – alongside the heads of the EU institutions to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome.
5 dead in vehicle, knife attack at British Parliament-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
LONDON — A knife-wielding man went on a deadly rampage in the heart of Britain's seat of power Wednesday, plowing a car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer to death inside the gates of Parliament. Five people were killed, including the assailant, and 40 others were injured in what Prime Minister Theresa May condemned as a "sick and depraved terrorist attack."Lawmakers, lords, staff and visitors were locked down after the man was shot by police within the perimeter of Parliament, just yards (meters) from entrances to the building itself and in the shadow of the iconic Big Ben clock tower. He died, as did three pedestrians on the bridge, and the police officer.A doctor who treated the wounded from the bridge said some had "catastrophic" injuries. Three police officers, several French teenagers on a school trip, two Romanian tourists and five South Korean visitors were among the injured.Police said they were treating the attack as terrorism. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Mark Rowley said police believed there was only one attacker, "but it would be foolish to be overconfident early on." He said an unarmed policeman, three civilians and the attacker died. Forty others, including three police officers, were injured.Islamic extremism was suspected in the attack, Rowley said, adding that authorities believe they know the assailant's identity but would not reveal it while the investigation was ongoing.The threat level for international terrorism in the U.K. was already listed at severe, meaning an attack was "highly likely."Speaking outside 10 Downing St. after chairing a meeting of government's emergency committee, COBRA, May said that level would not change. She said attempts to defeat British values of democracy and freedom through terrorism would fail."Tomorrow morning, Parliament will meet as normal," she said. Londoners and visitors "will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart."U.S. President Donald Trump was among world leaders offering condolences, and in Paris, the lights of the Eiffel Tower were to be dimmed in solidarity with London.London has been a target for terrorism many times over past decades. Just this weekend, hundreds of armed police took part in an exercise simulating a "marauding" terrorist attack on the River Thames.Wednesday was the anniversary of suicide bombings in the Brussels airport and subway that killed 32 people last year, and the latest events echoed recent vehicle attacks in Berlin and Nice, France.In the House of Commons, legislators were holding a series of votes on pensions when deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle announced that the sitting was being suspended and told lawmakers not to leave.Parliament was locked down for several hours, and the adjoining Westminster subway station was shuttered.Conservative lawmaker Tobias Ellwood, whose brother was killed in the Bali terror attack in 2002, performed first aid on the wounded police officer, who later died. About 10 yards away lay the assailant."I tried to stem the flow of blood and give mouth to mouth while waiting for the medics to arrive but I think he had lost too much blood," Ellwood said. "He had multiple wounds, under the arm and in the back."The attack began early Wednesday afternoon as a driver in a grey SUV slammed into pedestrians on the bridge linking Parliament to the south bank of the River Thames.Former Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski was in a car crossing the bridge when he heard "something like a car hitting metal sheet" and then saw people lying on the pavement."I saw one person who gave no signs of life. One man was bleeding from his head. I saw five people who were at least seriously injured," Sikorski told Poland's TVN24.Ambulances arrived within minutes to treat people who lay scattered along the length of the bridge. One bloodied woman lay surrounded by a scattering of postcards.Police said one injured woman was pulled from the river.The car crashed into railings on the north side of the bridge, less than 200 yards (meters) from the entrance to Parliament. As people scattered in panic, witnesses saw a man holding a knife run toward the building."The whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben," said witness Rick Longley. "A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman. I have never seen anything like that. I just can't believe what I just saw."The attacker managed to get past a gate into Parliament's fenced-in New Palace Yard, a cobbled courtyard in the shadow of the Big Ben clock tower.Daily Mail journalist Quentin Letts said a man in black attacked the police officer before being shot two or three times as he tried to storm into the building."As this attacker was running towards the entrance two plain-clothed guys with guns shouted at him what sounded like a warning, he ignored it and they shot two or three times and he fell," Letts told the BBC.The attacker fell to the cobbles just yards from the entrance to 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the parliamentary complex, busy with visitors and school groups. Beyond that, a corridor leads to the building's Central Lobby, flanked by House of Commons and House of Lords chambers.The prime minister was among lawmakers near the Commons at the time of the attack, and was quickly ushered away by security officers and driven back to Downing Street.To get that far, the attacker would have had to evade the armed officers who patrol the Parliament complex in pairs, as well as Parliament's own security staff, who don't carry guns.The attack unfolded near some of the city's most famous tourist sites, including the London Eye, a large Ferris wheel with pods that overlook the capital. It was halted after the attack, stranding visitors in the pods, with an aerial view of the attack scene.London Ambulance Service said medics treated 12 people for serious injuries and eight who were less seriously hurt.Dr. Colleen Anderson of St. Thomas' Hospital said some of the wounded had "catastrophic" injuries.The French Foreign Ministry said that three students on a school trip from Saint-Joseph in the Brittany town of Concarneau were among the injured. Two Romanians were also among the injured, the country's Foreign Ministry said.Trump spoke with May by telephone and applauded "the quick response of British police and first responders," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said.London has often been the target of terrorist attacks, from IRA campaigns in the 1970s and 80s to more recent Islamist plots.On July 7, 2005, four al-Qaida-inspired British bombers blew themselves up on three subway trains and a bus in London, killing 52 people.British security forces say they have thwarted some 13 terror plots over the past four years, but in recent years the U.K. has largely been spared major international terror attacks such as the ones seen in Belgium and France.Last year, a far-right supporter shot and killed British lawmaker Jo Cox, who had campaigned for the U.K. to remain in the European Union. Prior to that, an attacker claiming to be motivated by Syria stabbed three people at a London subway station.The most gruesome recent attack occurred in 2013 when two Muslim converts of Nigerian descent attacked Lee Rigby, a British soldier who was walking down the street. The men ran Rigby down with their vehicle and then used a cleaver to hack him to death as bystanders watched in horror.___Associated Press writers Sophie Berman, Gregory Katz and Rob Harris in London and Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed to this report.-Jill Lawless, Paisley Dodds And Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
A look at attacks where vehicles have been used as weapons-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
LONDON (AP) — When an attacker plowed a vehicle into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge, killing two people and injuring scores of others, it was the latest in a string of incidents in which drivers used their vehicles as weapons.Some were orchestrated by extremist groups, others by unstable individuals with unclear motives. Radical groups have urged supporters to use any weapons at hand, including cars, a tactic that presents a major challenge for security forces around the world.The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, saying it was carried out by a supporter heeding the call to strike in the nations fighting against the group. The attacker stabbed a policeman to death on the ground of Parliament before police shot him to death.Jan. 20 , 2017-A man with a history of mental health and drug abuse issues drove into a street crowded with pedestrians in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, killing at least four people, including a child, and injuring around 15 others. The 26-year-old man was arrested, and police said the incident had no links to terrorism.__Jan. 8, 2017-A Palestinian truck driver rammed his vehicle into a crowd of Israeli soldiers at a popular Jerusalem tourist spot, killing four people and wounding 17 in the deadliest single attack of more than a year of Israeli-Palestinian violence. It was the latest in a string of stabbings, shootings and vehicle ramming attacks in a wave of violence that erupted in the fall of 2015.___Dec. 19, 2016-A young Tunisian rammed a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring dozens in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. It was the first mass casualty attack by Islamic extremists carried out on German soil. Attacker Anis Amri, who had been denied asylum in Germany, was later killed by police in Italy after an international manhunt.___July 14, 2016-A Tunisian residing in France plowed a refrigerator truck through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on the Mediterranean beachfront in Nice, killing 86. Attacker Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed by police. Cities around the world beefed up measures to prevent vehicle attacks in response.___December 2014-A motorist injured 13 pedestrians in the French city of Dijon; a day later, a man ran over pedestrians at a Christmas market in Nantes in western France, killing one and injuring nine. Both suspects, who survived, had histories of mental illness.___Oct. 20, 2014-A 25-year-old man drove his car into to Canadian Air Force members near Montreal, killing one of them and injuring another. Authorities said the driver was a convert to Islam and had been flagged for jihadist ambitions. He was later shot dead by police.___June 30, 2007-Two men attempted to crash a blazing Jeep loaded with explosives into Glasgow Airport in Scotland. The car's path was blocked and the explosives failed to detonate.
Calgary to welcome 200 Yazidi refugees by end of year-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 22, 2017
Dozens of Yazidi refugees are starting to settle into life in Calgary.They're among a larger community of about 1,200 the federal government has promised to resettle over the course of this year.Fariborz Birjandian, with the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, is helping the newcomers adjust.So far, 48 Yazidi refugees have arrived in Calgary, including one family of seven consisting of two sisters and their children."The men, the members of their family, they are missing," said Birjandian. "Obviously, they have both been killed. Obviously, that is quite significant."-Persecuted minority-The Yazidis are a religious minority with a 6,000-year-old culture based mainly in northern Iraq. ISIS launched brutal attacks targeting the Yazidi community in August 2014.Last June, a United Nations report said ISIS was seeking to destroy the community of 400,000 people through killings, sexual slavery and other crimes.The refugees' arrival in Canada has been tightly controlled and kept largely under wraps — unlike the very public airport arrivals of some of the first Syrian refugees more than a year ago.In January, Dawn Edlund, associate assistant deputy minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said the government is carefully avoiding language that could lead to revictimization, and avoiding releasing any details publically that could put other relatives still in captivity at risk.-Resilient families-Back in Calgary, Birjandian says each of the families have managed to settle as best they can."They have a lot of question, a lot of fears coming to [Canada] but definitely they are really appreciative and they are very positive, actually. I'm very impressed with their resilience."Birjandian said Calgary is one of four settlement locations in Canada, and the families are living close together because the Yazidi community is so small.Calgary will accept about 200 Yazidi refugees this year.
Opinion-Ending the migrant deal with Turkey may save the EU By Zana Kurda-MAR 23,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 11:22-It has been one year since Turkey and the European Union signed a migrant deal on Syrian refugees.The controversial agreement has been effective in reducing the flow of Syrian and other refugees through Turkey, who aim to reach Europe.However, this particular deal has come at an incredibly huge political price for the EU and its member states, notably Germany.From the agreement's inception, Turkey has been trying to use it as a card to exert political pressure against the EU, and has more than once threatened to call it off if it did not get visa-free travel for Turkish citizens in return.However, this goes beyond the visa-free aspect.-Harsh rhetoric-In fact, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, feeling in a strong position, has been engaging in increasingly harsh rhetoric towards the EU and its member states.In contrast, the EU and national officials from its member states have largely refrained from engaging in a verbal confrontation with Erdogan.While European leaders do their utmost to save the migrant deal, the European public has increasingly come to perceive the deal as a lost case.It is the inability of the EU institutions and European leaders to develop a workable alternative that has aggravated the public and has reduced the chances of the re-election of the current ruling governments.In Germany and France, where elections will be held soon, far-right anti-EU parties have emerged - posing a serious threat to the political establishment.With strong anti-EU agendas, the success of these parties is tied to the very future of the European Union.-Dutch elections-However, the Dutch election has brought some light into these gloomy prospects. For a long time prior to the Dutch elections this week, polls showed a tight race between Geert Wilders' far right (PVV) and the Liberal party (VVD) of the incumbent Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte.Many observers in and outside Europe thought that Wilders had a serious chance of winning the elections. But, with less than a week before the elections, an unprecedented diplomatic row emerged between Turkey and the Netherlands - proving to be a game-changer in favour of Rutte.What is interesting is that PM Rutte and his party, VVD, were strong supporters of the EU-Turkey migrant deal.If they had lost the election, this particular point would have been one of the main reasons for it. But Rutte calculated that confronting Turkey would lift his party’s popularity at the expense of Wilders' party, who had demanded even more drastic measures against Turkey.When Erdogan went as far as to accuse the Dutch of the mass murder of 8000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995, Rutte gave a strong but measured response. In doing so, Rutte showed that he could be tough, but - unlike Wilders - he can stay in control. This proved to be the right strategy.-The populist finals-Rutte referred to the Dutch elections as a "quarter-final" face-off against the “wrong populists’’, thus considering the upcoming elections in France and Germany as semi-final and final confrontations, respectively.One of the strong cards in the hands of anti-EU movements across Europe has been the migrant crisis and the EU’s inability to develop an alternative plan to the deal with Turkey. The harsh rhetoric of president Erdogan and other Turkish officials has only added to the frustrations.Rutte’s win shows that by standing up to Erdogan’s bullying, the establishment has a strong card to play against the populists, at least in the short-term.Following the Dutch elections, internal party pressures in France and Germany will likely lead to calls to follow Rutte’s example.However, one may argue that Rutte’s position was different, since the migrant deal was not directly at stake. Moreover, one may expect confrontations with Germany or France to be of a much larger magnitude.-Turkish confrontation-In spite of these points, French and German establishment parties may find at least two strong reasons to risk such confrontations with Turkey.First of all, in light of the widespread public displeasure in Europe over Erdogan’s rhetoric, any diplomatic row and subsequent steps by Turkey to end the migrant deal will be easily defendable.Secondly, should Turkey decide to end the deal, the EU has established physical barriers and has put mechanisms in place that would prevent another mass flow of refugees similar to that of 2015.With the Dutch elections still fresh in mind, establishment parties in France and Germany may very well be tempted to copy the example of Rutte’s and, in doing so, may win the battle against the anti-EU parties.If they manage to play their cards right - the end of the migrant deal may very well be the saviour of the European Union.Zana Kurda is a researcher at the Institute for European Studies, Free University of Brussels.
A dozen Egyptian security personnel killed in Sinai fighting-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
CAIRO (Reuters) - Ten members of Egypt's military were killed when their vehicles were hit by two improvised bombs during an operation against suspected militants in the Sinai peninsula, the military said on Thursday.Three officers and seven soldiers were killed, the military said in a statement, adding that its forces killed 15 people and arrested seven others during the raid which it said targeted "highly dangerous terrorists" in the central Sinai area.Two policemen, an officer and a conscript, were later killed in fighting near a police station in Arish, the capital of North Sinai province the Interior Ministry said in a statement.Egypt is battling an Islamist insurgency in the rugged and thinly populated northern Sinai, which gained pace after the military overthrew President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 following mass protests against his rule.The militant group staging the insurgency pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2014 and adopted the name Sinai Province. It is blamed for the killing of hundreds of soldiers and policemen.President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former military chief who led the overthrow of Mursi, describes Islamist militancy as an existential threat to Egypt, an ally of the United States. Islamic State controls large parts of Iraq and Syria and has a strong presence in Libya, which borders Egypt.A spokesman said the military also found and destroyed half a tonne of TNT explosive, and seized two four-wheel drive cars containing hand grenades and hundreds of mobile phones.(Reporting by Dominic Evans and Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Lin Noueihed and Ralph Boulton)
Bill would bar discrimination toward climate change doubters-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 22, 2017
AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine laws protect people from discrimination based on factors such as race, disabilities and sexual orientation, and a Republican lawmaker wants to add a person's beliefs about climate change to that list.Rep. Larry Lockman has introduced a bill that would limit the attorney general's ability to investigate or prosecute people based on their political speech, including their views on climate change. It would also prohibit the state from discriminating in buying goods or services or awarding grants or contracts based on a person's "climate change policy preferences."Lockman, an independent business consultant from Amherst, told The Associated Press that he believes it's an open question whether human activity is the primary cause of climate change."We need to have a vigorous public debate on that question," he said.Peer-reviewed studies, science organizations and climate scientists say that the world is warming from man-made forces.Rep. Lois Galgay Reckitt, a Democrat of South Portland and a marine biologist who sits on the judiciary committee that has the bill, said prospects for passage are poor. She said she expected "the entire Democratic caucus is going to hate it," and some Republicans will, too."The issue for me is I'm a scientist and I live near the ocean. It's absolutely clear to me that climate change is happening, and it worries me," she said. "I will fight this tooth and nail."Lockman wants to prohibit the state attorney general from investigating, joining an investigation or prosecuting any person based on that person's protected political speech.But he said his bill would also reaffirm free speech by protecting climate change supporters as well."I don't want to see a Republican state attorney general issuing subpoenas for the records of progressive or liberal think tanks or public policy groups to chill their free speech," he said.Democratic Attorney General Janet Mills declined to comment.In his bill, Lockman says that the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United "continued the protection of protected political speech, no matter the source or message." That case allowed corporations and unions to make unlimited independent expenditures in U.S. elections.Jonathan Reisman, an associate professor of economics and public policy at the University of Maine at Machias and a vocal critic of the scientific consensus on climate change, said he requested the bill.He said the bill is an attempt to defend the First Amendment freedom of those who speak out in a way that does not reflect the consensus."It's about Citizens United and the government abridging speech," he said. "It's not about climate science. It's about climate policy."Lockman has a history of causing controversy. He once dressed as a vampire outside a federal building in Bangor to protest the Internal Revenue Service. He also once accused liberals of assisting the AIDS epidemic, saying they assured "the public that the practice of sodomy is a legitimate alternative lifestyle, rather than a perverted and depraved crime against humanity."He said he couldn't predict the outcome of his latest bill but expected a lot of interest at a public hearing scheduled April 6.Lockman's bill is "absurd and unnecessary," said Dylan Voorhees, climate and clean energy project director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine."Clearly an attempt to provide cover for climate deniers," he said. "I see a trickle down from the Trump administration that has emboldened some folks to make climate denial statements."Marina Villeneuve And Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Philippine president says trusts China won't build on disputed shoal-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 22, 2017
MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he trusted China would not build anything on a disputed South China Sea shoal because he was given its "word of honor" and Beijing would not want to jeopardize a new friendship.Duterte was commenting amid a furor in the Philippines stemming from remarks last week by the mayor in charge of China-controlled disputed islands and reefs, who said preparatory work was being planned to build several monitoring stations, including on the Scarborough Shoal."I was informed that they are not going to do anything at Panatag out of respect for our friendship," he told a news conference in the early hours of Thursday, referring to the shoal by its local name."'We will build nothing there' - that was the assurance given by the Chinese government."They are not going to build anything ... because they do not want to jeopardize our friendship".He said China "has a word of honor". He did not specify when he received this assurance.Duterte caused a stir on Sunday when he said "we cannot stop China", when asked about the possibility of it putting radar at the shoal.China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Wednesday said the reports about a monitoring station were "mistaken" and "not true".China's activities in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which at least $5 trillion of goods passes annually, have been closely watched by the Philippines, which has seen Beijing build and arm artificial islands in its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.The Scarborough Shoal is symbolic of the Philippines' long struggle to assert itself against China's maritime ambitions. Located 124 miles off the Philippine coast, the rocky outcrop was a rich fishing ground for Filipinos until China's coastguard blockaded the area in 2012.Duterte sprang a surprise last year when he took office and opted to pursue rapprochement with Beijing after years of bitter squabbling. China's coastguard has since allowed Filipinos to fish at the periphery of the shoal.Duterte said he was honest with his intentions when he visited Chinese President Xi Jinping in October."I just want to shake your hand but since you have this animosity with America you have identified us unjustly as on the side of America," he said, recalling the meeting."I said 'I just want to trade with you and I want business because my country needs it'."In a barb aimed at the United States, a close military ally of the Philippines, Duterte said countries should avoid escalating tensions, because missteps could be catastrophic."Why do you have to go there and look for friction?", he said. "Friction causes an explosion ... then you can have war."He added: "It's a very important word for all of us: Miscalculation."(Reporting by Martin Petty; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Russia may be helping supply Taliban insurgents: U.S. general-[Reuters]-By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali-YAHOONEWS-March 23, 2017
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. general in Europe said on Thursday that he had seen Russian influence on Afghan Taliban insurgents growing and raised the possibility that Moscow was helping supply the militants, whose reach is expanding in southern Afghanistan."I've seen the influence of Russia of late - increased influence in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban," Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, who is also NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.He did not elaborate on what kinds of supplies might be headed to the Taliban or how direct Russia's role might be.Moscow has been critical of the United States over its handling of the war in Afghanistan, where the Soviet Union fought a bloody and disastrous war of its own in the 1980s.But Russian officials have denied they provide aid to the insurgents, who are contesting large swaths of territory and inflicting heavy casualties, and say their limited contacts are aimed at bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table.According to U.S. estimates, government forces control less than 60 percent of Afghanistan, with almost half the country either contested or under control of the insurgents, who are seeking to reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster.Underlying the insurgents' growing strength, Taliban fighters have captured the strategic district of Sangin in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, officials said on Thursday.The top U.S. commander in the country, General John Nicholson, said last month that Afghanistan was in a "stalemate" and that thousands more international troops would be needed to boost the existing NATO-led training and advisory mission.Scaparrotti said the stakes were high. More than 1,800 American troops have been killed in fighting since the war began in 2001."NATO and the United States, in my view, must win in Afghanistan," he said.Taliban officials have told Reuters that the group has had significant contacts with Moscow since at least 2007, adding that Russian involvement did not extend beyond "moral and political support."(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
