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)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
North Korea warns states: Don't join any U.S. action and you're safe-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - North Korea warned countries at the United Nations on Monday in a statement: don't join the United States in military action against the Asian state and you will be safe from retaliation.The caution was contained in a copy of North Korean Deputy U.N. Ambassador Kim In Ryong's prepared remarks for a discussion on nuclear weapons by a U.N. General Assembly committee. However, Kim did not read that section out loud."As long as one does not take part in the U.S. military actions against the DPRK (North Korea), we have no intention to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any other country," according to Kim's prepared remarks."The entire U.S. mainland is within our firing range and if the U.S. dares to invade our sacred territory even an inch it will not escape our severe punishment in any part of the globe," the statement read.Tensions have soared between the United States and North Korea following a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang and a string of increasingly bellicose exchanges between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.The U.N. Security Council has unanimously ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs since 2006.North Korean Deputy U.N. Ambassador Kim did tell the U.N. General Assembly committee on Monday: "Unless the hostile policy and the nuclear threat of the U.S. is thoroughly eradicated, we will never put our nuclear weapons and ballistic rockets on the negotiation table under any circumstance."(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish)
S. Korea and US begin naval drills amid North Korean threat-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — South Korean and U.S. troops began five days of naval drills on Monday after North Korea renewed its threat to fire missiles near the American territory of Guam.The South Korean and U.S. militaries regularly conduct joint exercises, often enraging North Korea, which views such training as an invasion rehearsal. The latest drills in the waters off the Korean Peninsula come amid fears of a possible military clash following the exchanges of insults and fierce rhetoric between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.The drills involve fighter jets, helicopters and 40 naval ships and submarines from the allies, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, according to South Korea's navy. Spokesman Jang Wook told reporters the drills are aimed at practicing how to respond to a potential naval provocation by North Korea and improving the allies' combined operational capability.The drills were to include live-fire exercises by naval ships and aircraft and anti-submarine training, but South Korea's military didn't release any photos or video.In a possible show of force against North Korea, the United States also sent four advanced fighter jets — two F-22s and two F-35s — for an air show and exhibition in Seoul that are to begin Tuesday. Last week, the United States flew two B-1B supersonic bombers from its air base in Guam to South Korea to try to demonstrate its power against any North Korean aggression.North Korea didn't immediately respond to the start of the drills. On Friday, the North's foreign ministry accused the United States of provoking the country by mobilizing the aircraft carrier and other war assets near the peninsula."Such military acts compel (North Korea) to take military counteraction," said Kim Kwang Hak, a researcher at the Institute for American Studies at the ministry. "We have already warned several times that we will take counteractions for self- defence , including a salvo of missiles into waters near the U.S. territory of Guam."In August, North Korea issued a similar threat, saying its military had presented Kim Jong Un with plans to launch intermediate-range missiles to create "enveloping fire" near Guam, a key U.S. military hub in the Pacific. The North has yet to carry out its threat.Lobbing missiles close to Guam would be deeply provocative for the United States, and a miscalculation on either side could lead to a military conflict.Under Kim's leadership, North Korea has been accelerating its efforts to bolster its weapons arsenals and acquire the capability to fire nuclear missiles at any target in the U.S. mainland. The North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September and test-launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July.Hyung-Jin Kim, The Associated Press.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
Thousands still in the dark after winds tear through Toronto downing wires, damaging trees-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-October 15, 2017
Tens of thousands of people are still without power across southern and eastern Ontario, including some 6,000 Toronto Hydro customers as heavy winds downed trees and left pockets of darkness across the city.Toronto Hydro says some customers can expect to be without power until Monday as crews are dispatched to various parts of the city to make repairs.As of Sunday evening, over 28,000 Powerstream Inc. customers were without power in the GTA along with 37,000 Hydro One customers, with Newmarket, Peterborough, among some the most severely affected.Many of those customers will be without power overnight, said Hydro One, with restoration expected to take approximately 24-48 hours."There is significant damage to the distribution system," the utility said Sunday, adding that a province-wide "coordinated restoration effort is underway."Toronto Fire reported that it responded to at least 46 weather-related calls Sunday, primarily reports of downed wires and one incident of a hydro pole on fire, Capt. Adrian Ratushniak told CBC Toronto.The outages also affected some traffic stops and police warned motorists to drive with caution.For much of Sunday, Toronto was under a special weather statement, with Environment Canada calling for winds of 70 to 80 km/h, along with occasional gusts of up to 90 km/h. The winds have since diminished but temperatures in Toronto are forecasted to drop to 7 C overnight.
Hurricane Ophelia's Remnants Batter UK, Ireland; 3 Dead-Ireland's weather service, Met Eireann, described the storm as the most powerful on record to have ever been this far east in the Atlantic-OCT 16,17-Padraig O Donoghue
The remnants of Hurricane Ophelia slammed into Ireland with wind gusts of up to 80 mph on Monday, killing at least three people, grounding planes, shutting schools and causing widespread power outages.Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar urged people to stay indoors until the storm passed. Tens of thousands of homes were without power and the military was placed on standby. Some hurricane-force gusts were reported 30 years to the day after a weather event dubbed the "Great Storm of 1987" battered southern England."It is a very dangerous storm," Varadkar said. "The last time there was a storm this severe, 11 lives were lost," he added, referring to Hurricane Debbie, which hit Ireland in 1961.Although Ophelia has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, Ireland's National Emergency Coordination Group on Severe Weather warned that the storm is still "unprecedented, with serious life-threatening conditions."Ireland's weather service, Met Eireann, described the storm as the most powerful on record to have ever been this far east in the Atlantic.Forecasters warned of flying debris, such as tiles blown from roofs. Large waves around coastal districts tossed sand and rocks onto coastal roads, seafronts and properties.Wind warnings were in place for Northern Ireland, parts of Wales and western parts of England. Planes were grounded at several locations in the British Isles.Some 130 flights were cancelled at Dublin Airport, while flights were also grounded at Manchester Airport. Both Ryanair and Easy Jet cancelled flights at Belfast International Airport, with more cancellations expected. Several flights to British airports were also diverted because of unusual odors on board thought to be associated with the remnants of the storm.Authorities warned anyone with travel plans to contact their airline.In parts of the United Kingdom and in France's Brittany region, the sky turned an eerie color as Ophelia's winds carried a mix of sand from the Sahara and particles from forest fires in Spain and Portugal. On social media, people posted pictures of London landmarks against yellow-orange skies.A non-profit group that provides lifesaving services around the British Isles warned people to stay away from seas and beaches.Matt Crofts, lifesaving manager for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, said coastal waters are "particularly dangerous and unpredictable, with large waves and swells being a major risk."As tempting as it is to watch crashing surf, it isn't worth the risk of being struck by large waves that can easily knock weather watchers off their feet, Crofts said.The sea is far more powerful than you think and your chances of survival are slim if you are dragged into the swell," he said.And there is more to come Tuesday. Flights and ferries were cancelled in parts of Scotland. The government of Ireland said schools and colleges would remain closed, and Northern Ireland's Education Authority said the same.As the storm moved toward Northern Ireland, workers sealed off the Peace Bridge in Londonderry with tape and sandbags, closing it as a precautionary measure.Published at 11:05 AM EDT on Oct 16, 2017 |
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Wildfires kill at least 39 in Portugal and Spain-[Reuters]-By Andrei Khalip and Raquel Castillo-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
LISBON/MADRID (Reuters) - At least 36 people died in wildfires raging through parched farmlands and forests in Portugal and another three in neighboring northwestern Spain on Sunday and Monday.Firefighters were battling 50 blazes in Portugal and a similar number in Spain. Portugal's government asked for international help and declared a state of emergency in territory north of the Tagus river - about half of its landmass.Flames ripped across Iberian countryside left tinder-dry by an unusually hot summer and early autumn, fanned by strong winds as remnants of ex-Hurricane Ophelia brushed coastal areas.Television footage showed abandoned villages with many houses in embers and charred vehicles left on the roads.Portuguese opposition parties and the media harshly criticized the government for failing to prevent a new wave of deadly fires after the country's worst ever forest fire in June that killed 64 people.Prime Minister Antonio Costa, however, refused to sack his interior minister and defended his government's attempts to reform the troubled forestry management system."It's a structural problem that we are facing... This is not a time for resignations, but for solutions. Everything has to be transformed into reforms, to provide responses that the country needs so that nothing stays the way it was after this year," he told reporters after a television address to the nation."We are aware that the country wants results from us and we're running against time after decades of negligence," Costa told reporters after his address.-POOR LAND MANAGEMENT-At the heart of the problem is poor land management in Portugal, where traditional small plots have become fire hazards after being abandoned by successive generations of landholders who moved to the cities.Interior Minister Constanca Urbano de Sousa said climate change was also to blame. "We are facing new (weather) conditions ... In an era of climate change, such disasters are becoming reality all over the world," she said, citing the wildfires burning in California.The weekend fires also injured 63 people in Portugal, civil protection service spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar said. The toll could still increase as seven people were unaccounted for.Water-spraying planes could not be deployed against most fires due to gigantic plumes of smoke that reduced visibility.But Gaspar said rains expected late on Monday and on Tuesday in the north of Portugal were likely to bring some relief.The Lisbon government has been criticized for a slow, inefficient response and a lack of fire-prevention policies, leaving Portugal with Europe's largest expanse of woodland burned by wildfires.Portugal's fires have burned over 40 percent of the total in all of the European Union this year. With just 2.1 percent of the EU's landmass, Portugal suffered the biggest fires during 2008-16 as well, with an average of 36 percent of the total.Three people died in Spain's northwestern Galicia region - two of them women found inside a burnt-out car, the third a man in his 70s killed as he tried to save his farm animals, according to local media.Most of the fires in Galicia were started deliberately, said Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of the regional government.Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said some of those responsible had already been identified. They could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted. At least two persons were arrested in Portugal for allegedly starting fires.(Reporting by Andrei Khalip; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
California fire evacuees spend sleepless nights at shelters-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Barking dogs, loud snorers and a woman who appears to have dementia crying out every night. Trying to sleep on a cot in a shelter for fire evacuees is not easy.Nicole Lonefight spent her nights at a Red Cross shelter on fairgrounds in Sonoma County after flames consumed her prefabricated home in Santa Rosa that she finished putting together with her husband and best friend days before the fire struck.The hardest part of life at the shelter is seeing other people who were devastated by the blaze, particularly older people who don't look like they'll recover from the trauma, she said."It's already overwhelming to get through what you did," she said. One older woman at her shelter, she said, woke people up every night, shouting, "Everybody's gone. They left me here. I don't want to be here.""It's too much," Lonefight said. She was hoping for a voucher to sleep at a hotel on Sunday night.Lois Krier, 86, and her 89-year husband, William, said it was hard to sleep with people snoring and dogs barking. The cots are also uncomfortable, Lois Krier said, before quickly adding she didn't want to complain.With the winds dying down, fire officials said they appeared to have turned a corner against the wildfires that have devastated California wine country and other parts of the state over the past week. The number of those under evacuation orders was down to 75,000 from nearly 100,000 the day before, and thousands more were expected to get the all-clear to return home in coming days.Still, Sonoma County listed 18 shelters that were open for evacuees, among them two fairgrounds that had space for recreational vehicles and campers.Evacuees said they were loath to criticize their living conditions given everything shelter workers were doing to keep them comfortable. William Krier said someone got his blood thinning medication from a pharmacy and took care of the copayment. Lois Krier said volunteers were quick to come over and offer assistance if someone appeared to be fumbling for something in the middle of the night.At the Sonoma fairgrounds, evacuees watched the San Francisco 49ers on TV and received free chiropractic treatment and haircuts.At the Sonoma-Marin fairgrounds, another evacuation centre about 20 miles away, children played basketball on Saturday with National Guard troops and a poster outside a building used as a cafeteria announced a movie - "Gulliver's Travels" - in the evening. There were regular hot meals and mounds of donations, with enough diapers and sanitary wipes to stock a neighbourhood Costco."The kindness has overwhelmed me," said David Lamb, 78, who evacuated from Santa Rosa. Someone in a neighbouring recreational vehicle offered Lamb use of a generator to power a machine he uses at night to breathe. "It makes you wonder why we can't come together like this all the time," Lamb said.Brooke Padgett, 34, was at the Sonoma-Marin fairgrounds with her and her sister's five kids and their parents. The kids were sleeping in tents, and she and her sister and their parents were in a trailer.Padgett, who had been at the shelter since Wednesday, said her home was OK."The kids just think we're camping, and they love it," she said.Sudhin Thanawala, The Associated Press.
Lighter winds help crews gain on California wildfires-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Firefighters kept gaining on the California wildfires Monday with help from lighter winds that made it easier to attack the flames that have killed at least 40 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.After days of gusts that constantly fanned the fires, better weather offered a chance for crews to get the upper hand more than a week after the blazes started chewing through the state's celebrated wine country."The weather has not been in our favour over the past week in general, but we are still marching forward with our progress," said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Also Monday, a water truck driver died when his vehicle rolled over near one of the fires. No other information was available on the driver or the crash, which happened shortly before daybreak.The smoky skies started to clear in some places, and thousands of people got the all-clear to return home. About 40,000 evacuees were still waiting for permission to go back to their communities, down from a high of 100,000 on Saturday."This is my home. I'm going to come back without question," said Howard Lasker, 56, who returned Sunday with his daughter to their torched house in Santa Rosa. "I have to rebuild. I want to rebuild."Although the weather was still hot and dry, the calmer winds and the possibility of rain later in the week should help crews tamp down the deadliest, most destructive cluster of blazes in California history."Any sort of moisture is welcome at this point," said Scott Rowe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "In terms of fire, the weather outlook is looking to be improving."He predicted a quarter-inch (0.6 centimetres ) would fall late Thursday in Sonoma and Napa counties.Hundreds of people remained unaccounted for, although authorities said many of them are probably safe but have not let anyone know. The number of people under evacuation orders was down to 75,000 from nearly 100,000 the day before.In hard-hit Sonoma County, Sheriff Rob Giordano said authorities have located 1,560 of the more than 1,700 people once listed as missing. Many of those names were put on the list after people called from out of state to say they could not reach a friend or relative.Authorities said they will not let people return home until it is safe and utilities are restored. Pacific Gas and Electric Company said it expects to restore power and gas to the area by late Monday.Many evacuees grew increasingly impatient to go home — or at least find out whether their homes were still standing. Others were reluctant to go back or to look for another place to live.Juan Hernandez, who escaped with his family from his apartment Oct. 9 before it burned down, still had his car packed and ready to go in case the fires flared up again and threatened his sister's house, where they have been staying in Santa Rosa."Every day we keep hearing sirens at night, alarms," Hernandez said. "We're scared. When you see the fire close to your house, you're scared."At the Sonoma fairgrounds, evacuees watched the San Francisco 49ers play the Redskins on television, received treatment from a chiropractor and got free haircuts.Michael Estrada, who owns a barber shop in neighbouring Marin County but grew up in one of the Santa Rosa neighbourhoods hit hard by the blazes, brought his combs, clippers and scissors and displayed his barbering license in case anyone doubted his credentials."I'm not saving lives," he said. "I'm just here to make somebody's day feel better, make them feel normal."Lois Krier, 86, said it was hard to sleep on a cot in the shelter with people snoring and dogs barking through the night.She and her husband, William Krier, 89, were eager to get home, but after being evacuated for a second time in a week Saturday, they didn't want to risk having to leave again."We're cautious," she said. "We want to be safe."Nearly 11,000 firefighters were still battling 15 fires burning across a 100-mile swath of the state. The blazes have destroyed some 5,700 homes and other structures.Those who were allowed back into gutted neighbourhoods returned to assess the damage and, perhaps, see if anything was salvageable.Jack Daniels recently completed a yearlong remodel of his Napa house near the Silverado Country Club and watched it go up in flames last week as he, his wife, 7-year-old grandson and two pugs backed out of the driveway.His neighbours , Charles Rippey, 100, and his wife, Sara, 98, were the oldest victims identified so far in the wildfires.Daniels, 74, a wine importer and exporter, said he lost everything left behind, including his wife's jewelry and 3,000 bottles of wine in his cellar."It's heartbreaking," the 74-year-old said. "This was going to be our last house. I guess we've got one more move. But we're fortunate. We got away. Most things can be replaced. The bank didn't burn down."___Melley reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer in Santa Rosa and Janie Har and Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this report.___Follow the AP's complete wildfire coverage here: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires .Sudhin Thanawala And Brian Melley, The Associated Press
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Roman theatre uncovered at base of Jerusalem's Western Wall-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
JERUSALEM — Israeli archaeologists on Monday announced the discovery of the first known Roman-era theatre in Jerusalem's Old City, a unique structure around 1,800 years old that abuts the Western Wall and may have been built during Roman Emperor Hadrian's reign.The edifice's elegant masonry was found during excavations carried out in the past two years below the Western Wall tunnels, a warren of ancient subterranean passageways running alongside a contested Jerusalem holy site built by King Herod in the first century B.C. The excavations plunged over 6 metres (20 feet) below ground, exposing eight previously uncovered courses of the Temple Mount's western retaining wall.Jews consider the Temple Mount the holiest site on earth, while Muslims refer to the walled compound as the Noble Sanctuary and consider it the third holiest after Mecca and Medina. It was the site of two Jewish temples in antiquity — the second renovated and expanded by Herod — and today is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock.Joe Uziel, an Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist heading the dig, said that the theatre-like structure is believed to date to the second or third centuries — the period after Rome razed the city in 70 and the Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it in the mid-second century as a Roman colony, Aelia Capitolina.Ancient historical accounts mentioned the presence of theatres in Roman-era Jerusalem, but until now archaeologists had not found any of the structures.Uziel speculates that the unfinished semi-circular theatre may have been intended to serve as a small odeon, a venue for musical or theatric performances, or a bouleuterion, a place of assembly for the colony's municipal officials.It was relatively small, and might have been designed to seat around 200 people. The excavations have exposed the first row of seats, orchestra area, and part of the stage. Wilson's Arch, part of a monumental causeway leading into the temple that soars above the theatre , may have been employed for its acoustic properties."One of the amazing things is that because we're beneath an arch, they would have had the arch to use as their roof," Uziel said.What remains unanswered is why the building wasn't finished."After putting in all this effort of building such a grandiose building, what would cause them to stop," Uziel wondered and suggested that the outbreak of the second Jewish revolt against Rome, from 132-135, could have halted construction and left the theatre unfinished.Zeev Weiss, a Roman archaeologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who wasn't involved in the excavation, said the discovery of such a central civic building was "a great find."Most of the major public structures from Roman Jerusalem — the large theatre , forum, basilica and bathhouse — remain undiscovered."Hopefully one day those will be found as well," Weiss said.Uziel hopes further excavation of the theatre will better inform scholars about daily life in Roman Jerusalem in the decades after Jerusalem and its temple were razed."I believe that this is one of the indications that also during that period between the Second Temple and between the rise of Christianity, Jerusalem was also an important Roman colony, not just a wasteland, no-man's land where the legion sat around," he said.Ilan Ben Zion, The Associated Press.
May pleads for more as EU makes Brexit gesture By Eszter Zalan-OCT 16,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 18:16-The EU-27 is to make a gesture but also toughen its language towards the UK ahead of the EU summit later this week, as British prime minister Theresa May makes a final plea at a dinner on Monday night in Brussels to begin trade talks.The EU-27 are still signalling that internal preparations for talks on the future and trade with the UK will begin, according to a draft seen by EUobserver.EU leaders are also expected to say that they will update the negotiating guidelines at their December summit if sufficient progress is achieved by then on key issues.Germany and France earlier wanted to tone down that language, to avoid the impression that negotiating guidelines would be automatically updated in December, EU officials familiar with the talks among member states said.To reflect German-French concerns the new draft version scrapped the reference to internal preparations needed "to be fully ready" for December's second phase talks.The latest version of the draft conclusions, to be discussed by EU affairs ministers on Tuesday (17 October) says that "in December, the European Council will reassess the state of progress in the negotiations with a view to determining whether sufficient progress has been achieved on each of the three above issues. If so, it will adopt additional guidelines in relation to the framework for the future relationship and on possible transitional arrangements […]."Leaders also say EU negotiator Michel Barnier and member states should start "internal preparatory discussions" on these issues.EU leaders are nevertheless expected to state at their summit later this week that Brexit talks have not reached sufficient progress on citizens' rights, the borders of Ireland and financial settlement, therefore discussions cannot move onto their second phase.In her Florence speech last month British prime minister May also proposed a transition period, but that is also conditioned on making "sufficient progress" on the key issues.Both for the future and trade talks, and the transition discussions, the EU leaders would need to update the negotiating guidelines.After May's speech, in which she said the UK would honour commitments it made as a member, some in the EU wanted to include language in the conclusions that acknowledge May moving towards the EU positions.There has been debate among member states however on how far a hand should be extended to the UK.Germany and France has been following a tougher line, while Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordic states supporting a more permissive language.Germany is keen to see the UK spell out what exactly it is willing to pay as it leaves the bloc, as German taxpayers might be asked to fill in the holes in the EU budget and other funds.Germany and France also eye businesses that might leave the UK as uncertainty over the Brexit talks grows.The draft conclusions were hardened up however on citizens' rights, where there is a reference to the European Court of Justice as the ultimate guarantor of those rights, which has been a red line so far for UK negotiators.-Brussels night out-Meanwhile, May was in Brussels herself to make a final plea to move talks into the trade and transition talks.May and her EU advisor Oliver Robbins, and UK negotiator David Davis will meet for a working dinner with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, his chief of cabinet Martin Selmayr and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.May is expected to argue that she took a political risk by pledging to pay into the EU budget and settle the financial bill.In exchange she needs to get a clear signal from the EU that talks can move into the trade and transition phase by December otherwise eurosceptics in her Conservative Party might calling on her to walk away from the negotiating table.Brexit talks are heading for a "catastrophic breakdown" unless the EU gives a positive sign to May, a UK government source told Bloomberg.But in Brussels, some think that "May is already dead.""She won't survive Brexit. She would have nothing to lose giving something to the EU," an source told EUobserver.Barnier said after last week's fifth negotiating round that talks have reached a "deadlock", mainly because the UK refuses to spell out what they would be willing to pay as they leave the EU.The UK wants to negotiate the money issue only in relation to the future relationship.No new dates have been agreed on the next negotiating rounds."It could be a turning point in talks," said one EU source, describing the current negotiating stand-off between the UK and the EU.
Spanish and Catalan leaders continue stand-off By Eric Maurice-OCT 16,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 18:32-In an exchange of letters, Mariano Rajoy and Carles Puigdemont called on each other to make the first step to defuse the crisis over Catalonia's independence.The Spanish and Catalan leaders stuck to their guns on Monday (16 October) while buying time before escalating the crisis over Catalonia's push for independence.In a letter to Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy in the morning, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont presented a "sincere and honest" offer for dialogue during the next two months.Puigdemont did not however clearly answer the Spanish government's question, asked last week, over whether he really declared independence last week.He said that the 1 October referendum "entrusted to the [Catalan] parliament the democratic mandate to declare independence" and that he has "suspended" the mandate.On 10 October, Puigdemont signed a declaration of independence, but gave no date for its implementation.In his letter on Monday, he reiterated that he wanted to "find a solution to the relationship between the Spanish state and Catalonia which has been in a state of deadlock."In a reply letter, Rajoy said that he "deeply regret[s]" that Puigdemont did not provide the "absolutely necessary clarification".He gave the Catalan leader until Thursday at 10AM to answer "with the clarity that all citizens demand and the law demands".He warned that failing to revoke the declaration of independence and return to the Spanish legal framework would result in the "procedure established in Article 155 of the constitution".The procedure "doesn't mean the suspension of self-government, but the restoration of the autonomy and legality," Rajoy insisted.Article 155 allows the government to "take all measures necessary to compel" a Spanish region to "meet its obligations" or to "protect [Spain's] general interest."Rajoy added that "to prolong this situation of uncertainty only favours those who pretend to liquidate the civil concord and impose a radical project and an impoverishment for Catalonia."-Ominous silence? The Spanish leader did not mention, as he did in parliament last week, that he would be ready to open a discussion on the country's system of autonomy if Puigdemont stepped back.But he invited Puigdemont "once again to come to the parliament and present his demands to the legitimate representatives of the national sovereignty, who are the only ones who can listen to them."In a response to Puigdemont's reference to EU calls for dialogue, Rajoy noted that EU institutions and member states "have clearly expressed their opposition to independence and the break with the principle of legality".He added that Puigdemont's calls for dialogue were "not credible."He warned that if Puigdemont failed to obey, he "will be only responsible for the application of the constitution."Rajoy received the support of the Socialist Party, the main opposition party, which implied that Puigdemont left little alternative beyond forcing Madrid to trigger Article 155."We wonder whether Mr Puigdemont, with his attitude, will leave another issue that the application of Article 155," a party spokesman said.In the meantime, Spanish prosecutors put more pressure on the Catalan government, by requesting a prison sentence for Josep Lluis Trapero, the chief of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the region's police.Trapero is under investigation for sedition for not having implemented Spanish judges' decision to prevent the 1 October independence referendum from taking place.
Catalan leader ignores Madrid on independence question By Peter Teffer-OCT 16,17-EUOBSERVER
Brussels, Today, 09:14-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has not answered the Spanish government's question on whether he declared independence last week.In a letter sent to Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy on Monday (16 October), Puigdemont called for dialogue, but did not shed light on a confusing declaration last Tuesday (10 October).Puigdemont had said the north-western Spanish region "has won the right to be independent" at the 1 October referendum, but immediately suspended the independence declaration.The vote had been declared illegal by Spain's constitutional court, but Catalonia went ahead with it anyway.While less than half of the Catalan voters showed up, those who did supported independence en masse.Following Puigdemont's speech, Rajoy said the Catalan regional government should clarify if independence has been declared.If it confirmed it had, that would be reason for Madrid to suspend regional rule and take over control over the region.Puigdemont had until Monday 10AM to reply.He did so in a letter that was published by Spanish press around 8.30AM. However, the letter did not answer Rajoy's main question.It did include several calls for dialogue."Our offer for a dialogue is sincere and honest," Puigdemont wrote.By not clearly answering the question, Puigdemont is continuing to not choose between the two options.While Madrid is tugging Puigdemont one way, some of his allies want him to move the other way.Pro-independence party CUP on Sunday said in a letter to Puigdemont that the time had come to unilaterally declare independence.Relations between Catalonia and the central state have turned sour over the referendum, which saw police brutality that left hundreds of people injured.Meanwhile, the EU is continuing to shun a role as mediator, something which Puigdemont has asked for.But on Friday, EU commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said that as long as it is only one side – i.e. Puigdemont – asking for mediation, accepting such an offer "will lead to serious disruptions in the EU"."I am very concerned because the life in communities seems to be so difficult," Juncker said according to the Guardian."But if you allow – and it is not up to us of course – but if Catalonia is to become independent, other people will do the same. I don't like that. I don't like to have a euro in 15 years that will be 100 different states. It is difficult enough with 17 states. With many more states it will be impossible," he added.
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Israel says attacks Syrian unit that fired at its planes over Lebanon-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli air force attacked a Syrian anti-aircraft battery on Monday that Israel said had fired a missile at its planes while they were on a reconnaissance mission over neighboring Lebanon.No Israeli planes were hit, Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said. The counter-strike took place two hours later and "incapacitated" the anti-aircraft unit located 50 km (30 miles) east of Damascus, he said."We know according to our intelligence it was a battery controlled by the Syrian regime and we hold the Syrian regime responsible for the fire," Conricus said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later issued a statement saying Israel would not hesitate to defend itself."Today there was an attempt to harm our aircraft -- this is unacceptable to us. The air force acted quickly and accurately to destroy what needed to be destroyed," Netanyahu said."Our policy is clear. Whoever tries to harm us, we will strike at him. We will continue to act in the region as is required in order to defend Israel."But the Syrian army said it struck an Israeli warplane that had breached its air space at the Syria-Lebanon border."The Israeli enemy this morning violated our air space... Our air defense mediums confronted it, hit one of its planes directly and forced it to flee," the Syrian military statement said."GRAVE CONSEQUENCES"Over two hours later, Israel launched several missiles that hit a military position in the Damascus countryside and only caused material damage, it said. Syria's army warned Israel against the "grave consequences of repeated aggressive attempts".Syria and Israel, while old enemies, have rarely traded blows directly since a 1974 ceasefire ended their last conventional war.Monday's incident was additionally unusual given its publication by Israel, which rarely gives details on its air force activities over Lebanon and Syria to foil suspected arms transfers to Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.Such missions in Syria have increased dramatically during the country's six-and-a-half-year-old civil war, Israeli officials say. All efforts, they say, are made to avoid accidental clashes with Russian forces helping Damascus beat back insurgents.Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu began a visit to Israel later on Monday but did not mention the air strike during public remarks at the start of a meeting in Tel Aviv with his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman."I would like to talk about the things related to Syria. The operation there is close to the end. There are several problems which require urgent solution and the prospects of further development of the situation in Syria require discussion," Shoigu said.Conricus said the Israeli military had informed Russia of its Syria strike "in real time or immediately before" it took place, and would brief Shoigu.The Lebanese army says Israeli aircraft regularly violate Lebanon's air space.Conricus said a Syrian attack on Israeli air force planes over Lebanon was unprecedented. Syrian anti-aircraft missiles were launched at Israeli warplanes over Syria in March. They were unscathed but one of the missiles, on its descent, was intercepted by Israel's Arrow air defense system.According to Conricus, the Syrian battery struck on Monday had carried out the launch against the Israeli planes in March.(Additional reporting by Ellen Francis in Beirut, writing by Dan Williams, Miriam Berger and Ori Lewis,; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Gareth Jones)
Somalia truck bombing toll over 300, scores remain missing-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
MOGADISHU, Somalia — More than 300 people were killed in the weekend truck bombing in Somalia's capital and scores remained missing, authorities said Monday, as the fragile Horn of Africa nation reeled from one of the world's worst attacks in years.As funerals continued, the government said the death toll was expected to rise.Nearly 400 people were injured in the bombing Saturday that targeted a crowded street in Mogadishu. Somalia's government blamed the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, though the Islamic extremist group has not claimed responsibility for the attack. A new statement by the SITE Intelligence Group said al-Shabab posted claims of responsibility as recently as Monday for other attacks on Somali and African Union forces — but not for Saturday's blast.Still, analysts said there was little doubt the Islamic extremist group carried out the bombing, one of the deadliest in sub-Saharan Africa. "No other group in Somalia has the capacity to put together a bomb of this size, in this nature," said Matt Bryden, a security consultant on the Horn of Africa.Nearly 70 people remained missing, based on accounts from relatives, said police Capt. Mohamed Hussein. He said many bodies were burned to ashes in the attack.As the death toll rose to 302, overwhelmed hospitals in Mogadishu were struggling to treat badly wounded victims, many burned beyond recognition. Exhausted doctors struggled to keep their eyes open as the screams from victims and bereaved families echoed in the halls.Africa's deadliest Islamic extremist group, al-Shabab has waged war in Somalia for more than a decade, often targeting high-profile areas of the capital. Earlier this year, it vowed to step up attacks after both the Trump administration and Somalia's recently elected Somali-American president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, announced new military efforts against the group.After Saturday's attack, Mohamed declared three days of mourning and joined thousands of people who responded to a plea by hospitals to donate blood.Meanwhile, a Turkish military plane carrying 35 critically wounded people arrived in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where they were taken to hospitals for treatment. Countries including Kenya and Ethiopia have offered to send medical aid in response to what Somali's government called a "national disaster," Information Minister Abdirahman Osman said. A plane carrying a medical team from Djibouti also arrived to evacuate the wounded, according to health ministry official Mohamed Ahmed.Mogadishu, a city long accustomed to deadly bombings by al-Shabab, was stunned by the force of Saturday's blast. The explosion shattered hopes of recovery in an impoverished country left fragile by decades of conflict, and it again raised doubts over the government's ability to secure the seaside city of more than 2 million people.The United States condemned the bombing, saying "such cowardly attacks reinvigorate the commitment of the United States to assist our Somali and African Union partners to combat the scourge of terrorism." It tweeted a photo of its charge d'affaires in Somalia donating blood. But the U.S. Africa Command said U.S. forces had not been asked to provide aid. Pentagon spokesman Col. Robert Manning said Monday the U.S. currently has about 400 troops in Somalia, adding "we're not going to speculate" about sending more.The U.S. military has stepped up drone strikes and other efforts this year against al-Shabab, which is also fighting the Somali military and over 20,000 African Union forces in the country.Saturday's blast occurred two days after the head of the U.S. Africa Command was in Mogadishu to meet with Somalia's president, and two days after the country's defence minister and army chief resigned for undisclosed reasons.The United Nations special envoy to Somalia called the attack "revolting." Michael Keating said the U.N. and African Union were supporting the Somali government's response with "logistical support, medical supplies and expertise."Abdi Guled, The Associated Press.
Army Sgt. Bergdahl pleads guilty to deserting his post-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured and held by the Taliban for five years after walking away from his post in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty Monday to desertion and endangering his comrades — charges that could put him behind bars for the rest of his life."I understand that leaving was against the law," said Bergdahl, who admitted guilt without striking a deal with prosecutors, meaning his punishment will be up to a military judge when he is sentenced later this month.The guilty plea brings the highly politicized saga closer to an end eight years after Bergdahl vanished.President Barack Obama brought him home in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, saying the U.S. does not leave its service members on the battlefield. Republicans roundly criticized Obama, and Donald Trump went further while campaigning for president, repeatedly calling Bergdahl a "dirty, rotten traitor" who deserved to be executed by firing squad or thrown out of a plane without a parachute.Bergdahl, 31, has said he walked away from his remote post in 2009 with the intention of reaching other commanders and drawing attention to what he saw as problems with his unit.He told the judge, Col. Jeffrey R. Nance, that he now understands that his actions prompted an intensive search during which some of his comrades were seriously wounded."At the time, I had no intention of causing search-and-recovery operations," he said in court. "I believed they would notice me missing, but I didn't believe they would have reason to search for one private."Bergdahl, who received a promotion due all missing-in-action soldiers while he was in captivity, pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy, a relatively rare charge brought against him for endangering comrades sent to find him.The misbehaviour charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, the desertion charge up to five years.Bergdahl's answers to the judge's questions represented some of his most extensive public comments yet.He told the judge he tried to escape from his captors 12 to 15 times with varying degrees of success. Once, he was on his own for about a week — hoping U.S. drones would spot him — before he was recaptured. He said he also tried to escape on his first day in captivity."As I started running there came shouts, and I was tackled by people. That didn't go so well," said Bergdahl, who spoke in even tones and wore a blue dress uniform.He also reflected on what he thought were questionable tactics by U.S. soldiers and their Afghan allies in guarding a remote crossroads that could be bypassed by the Taliban on other routes. He said the setup "seemed to be a bit of a joke."Pressed by the judge about his actions, Bergdahl acknowledged endangering his fellow service members."I left my platoon in a battlefield ... a situation that could easily turn into a life-or-death situation," he said.At his sentencing, set to begin Oct. 23, his years in captivity could be factored in, but the hearing is also likely to feature damning testimony from fellow service members.A Navy SEAL who suffered a career-ending leg wound and an Army National Guard sergeant whose head wound put him in a wheelchair would not have been hurt in firefights had they not been searching for Bergdahl, the judge has ruled.Earlier this year, the defence was rebuffed in an effort to prove Trump had unfairly swayed the case. The judge ruled in February that the new president's comments were "disturbing and disappointing" but did not constitute unlawful influence by the soon-to-be commander in chief.Bergdahl, who is from Hailey, Idaho, has been assigned to desk duty at a Texas Army base in the meantime.___Jonathan Drew, The Associated Press.
U.S.-backed forces in final push against Islamic State Raqqa-[Reuters]-By John Davison and Rodi Said-YAHOONEWS-October 16, 2017
RAQQA, Syria (Reuters) - U.S.-backed militias battled foreign fighters defending the last pocket of Islamic State's one-time Syrian capital of Raqqa on Monday, bringing their four-month offensive for the city to the brink of victory.A Reuters correspondent saw smoke rising above the city and heard mortar fire, but did not see air strikes while in Raqqa.A field commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, said he expected the operation to end on Monday. The U.S.-led coalition that backs them said it could not give a timeline.SDF spokesman Mostafa Bali said they were fighting Islamic State in only one small zone of Raqqa in the evening, around the city's national hospital and stadium.Bali said he could not determine how much longer the battle would take. "The clashes are ongoing," he added.A convoy of Syrian Islamic State fighters quit Raqqa on Saturday night with their families, leaving only 200-300 foreign jihadists to mount a last stand, the SDF has said.The SDF is now poised to end Islamic State's rule over a city where it had launched a string of lightning victories in 2014 and plotted attacks on civilian targets across the West.Its defeat in Raqqa mirrors its collapse across Iraq and Syria, where its enemies have driven it from cities, killed its leaders in air strikes and regained the oil fields that funded its self-declared caliphate.Islamic State lost Mosul in Iraq, its largest city and most prized possession, after months of fighting in July. The militants, which at their height ruled millions of people in both countries, are now forced back in Syria into a strip of the Euphrates valley south of Deir al-Zor and desert on each side."We have conducted some (air) strikes in the last 24 hours, but I suspect that that will pick up here very soon with the SDF advancing into the final remaining areas of the city," said coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon.The SDF said they gained control of six more districts on Monday. The coalition has supported the SDF with air power and special forces throughout its Raqqa campaign, which began in November with an offensive to isolate the city.The battle inside Raqqa started in June, and the intense air strikes and street-to-street fighting drove many of its people to refugee camps and left much of the city a mess of concrete debris.The field commander in Raqqa described Monday's fighting as "a clearing operation" and said he expected it to be completed by the end of the day with the SDF controlling the whole city.Ilham Ahmed, a senior Kurdish leader who co-chairs the SDF's political affiliate, said earlier she expected the end of the offensive to be declared "within hours or days."FLAG-A Reuters correspondent was with an SDF sniper unit on a frontline facing the hospital complex that represents one of Islamic State's last strongholds in the city, and saw two men in camouflage clothing climb a building and raise a flag.Cars in the streets below had loudspeakers mounted on their roofs broadcasting messages to the last Islamic State fighters telling them they would not be ill-treated if they surrendered.Another SDF field commander, who gave his name as Ashraf Serhad, said he had heard that 250 IS fighters remained and on Sunday he had seen several vehicles leave the hospital carrying some who had surrendered.Saturday night's convoy included about 100 IS fighters and nearly 200 family members, said Omar Alloush, a member of the Raqqa Civil Council set up under SDF auspices to run the city.The fighters who left in the convoy, as part of a deal brokered by tribal leaders, are being held by security forces before interrogation and may be tried in court, he added.The deal also allowed civilians to leave IS-held districts. Dillon said about 3,500 civilians had left the militant-held parts of the city in the past week.The strongest group in the SDF is the YPG, a Kurdish militia that Turkey regards as an extension of the PKK, which has waged an insurgency against Ankara for three decades.YPG influence across swathes of northern Syria including in majority Arab areas, and its backing by the U.S., has provoked disquiet in Turkey.-RIVAL CAMPAIGNS-The U.S.-backed offensive has pushed Islamic State from most of northern Syria, while a rival offensive by the Syrian army, backed by Russia, Iran and Shi'ite militias, has driven the jihadists from the central desert.When the jihadist group was entrenched in Syria and Iraq, it turned Raqqa into a planning and operations hub.Many of its leaders were at times based there, and former hostages said Mohammed Emwazi, better known as Jihadi John, imprisoned them along with those he later executed in a building near the city.The group killed dozens of captured Syrian soldiers there in July 2014 and made the city the site of a slave market for Yazidi women captured in Iraq and given to fighters.The coalition has said Raqqa was a center for attacks abroad, and in November 2015, after militants killed more than 130 people in Paris, France launched airstrikes on Islamic State targets in the city.But as the group defends its last patch of bomb-cratered ground in the city, the cost of the battle lies evident all around. Much of Raqqa lies ruined, hundreds of civilians have been killed, and thousands more have fled.(Reporting by John Davison and Rodi Said in Raqqa, and Sarah Dadouch and Ellen Francis in Beirut; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
