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| FRACTURES and STRESSES |
UPDATE 26 December 2018: Well, that didn't take long, re: my comment below concerning Israel not bluffing about dealing with Iran in Syria. It was far sooner than expected - last night in fact - that Israel launched a massive attack on Iranian, Syrian and Hezbollah targets from Damascus airport and other distinct points southwest of there towards the Golan Heights. Israel has also closed the skies in the area to all traffic above 5000 ft altitude over the Golan and east to Bashan. Rather to be correct instead of being first, here's what I've scrambled to learn from various sources on what made Christmas night in Damascus anything but a "Silent Night."
There appears to have been an IDF strike against Hezbollah luminaries at the Damascus International Airport that was coincidental with a just arrived shipment on an IRGC-operated Boeing 747 and another commercial aircraft of advanced GPS components destined for Hezbollah's rockets in Lebanon, and several Isranian/Hezbollah arms depots in Southern Syria. These strikes appear to have completed their mission objectives; neither of the Iranian aircraft were struck by Israeli missiles. The 747 had departed for Tehran just minutes prior to the first impact of Israeli missiles. The strikes commenced at about 10 PM Israel time; 3 PM EST in the US.
It appears that during this mission a handful of F-16I Sufa's launched Delilah cruise missiles at select targets, and this was followed up by strikes launched by F-35I Adir stealth aircraft. No Israeli aircraft were lost during this operation. Also, a stray Syrian S-200 anti-air missile was fired on by IDF anti-air batteries, while in Syria their attempt to intercept the Israeli missiles failed completely. Reportedly five dozen Russian-made SA-125 Neva missiles (a/k/a the SA-3; NATO Name "Goa") were launched by Syrian batteries and immediately began impacting at various locations around Damascus. Many of them coming down like this suggests electromagnetic suppression of Syrian air defense systems by the IAF aircraft, possibly the F-35I Adir's.
This update is deliberately ignoring anything coming from Russian government or media sources for the obvious reason of their being blatant misstatements of facts. Disinformation in other words.
24 December 2018: Keeping track on several developments in the Middle East. Going through them in no particular order of importance as each could lead to something more in the near-term.
About 12 hours ago the IDF opened fire in the northern Golan on an enemy squad that was spotted having crossed Line Bravo (1974 ceasefire line) and was getting too close to Israel's border fence. This is further proof that neither Syria nor Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, have any regard for the conditions and lines drawn at the end of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The enemy squad was most likely attempting to infiltrate Israel to gather intelligence on IDF defenses. The mission was an epic fail thanks to IDF direct fire upon them.
The USS John C Stennis (CVN-74) and its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) passed through the Strait of Hormuz earlier this past weekend. The transit of the strait occurred as the IRGC Navy was launching its 'Great Prophet 12' live fire exercise nearby. All Iranian rocket fire was directed away from the Stennis CSG. The Stennis CSG is conducting integrated operations with the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) on boths sides of the Strait of Hormuz (i.e. in the Gulf and the Araban Sea. The Essex (LHD-2) ARG has the VMFA 211 USMC squadron (the 'Avengers') of F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters embarked. Iranian media has been silent on the Stennis CSG's and Essex ARG's presence.
The Israeli government's position, as announced by PM/DM Bibi Netanyahu and IDF CoS Eisenkot, that Israel will continue its operations against Iran and its proxies is no bluff. We can expect by late February or March, if not sooner, a massive IDF operation into Syria should the Iranian's look upon the announced U.S. withdrawal of its forces from Syria as a "blank check" it can now cash at Israel's expense. The infil attempt noted above is very probably related to Iranian intentions and IDF CoS Eisenkot's remarks of yesterday.
20 December 2018: This will likely be the final SITREP for 2018, and within it we will look at the Fractures and Stresses that are probable Indications and Warnings (I&W) likely to manifest as global crises in 2019. This will not be an all-inclusive list, but it's not going to be a short listing either. It will be a list of the major problems the Eschatology Today blog is likely to address in 2019. We like being ahead of the curve; we have spent much of the current year as well as the previous ten years being ahread of the curve. It is our mission.
There appears to have been an IDF strike against Hezbollah luminaries at the Damascus International Airport that was coincidental with a just arrived shipment on an IRGC-operated Boeing 747 and another commercial aircraft of advanced GPS components destined for Hezbollah's rockets in Lebanon, and several Isranian/Hezbollah arms depots in Southern Syria. These strikes appear to have completed their mission objectives; neither of the Iranian aircraft were struck by Israeli missiles. The 747 had departed for Tehran just minutes prior to the first impact of Israeli missiles. The strikes commenced at about 10 PM Israel time; 3 PM EST in the US.
It appears that during this mission a handful of F-16I Sufa's launched Delilah cruise missiles at select targets, and this was followed up by strikes launched by F-35I Adir stealth aircraft. No Israeli aircraft were lost during this operation. Also, a stray Syrian S-200 anti-air missile was fired on by IDF anti-air batteries, while in Syria their attempt to intercept the Israeli missiles failed completely. Reportedly five dozen Russian-made SA-125 Neva missiles (a/k/a the SA-3; NATO Name "Goa") were launched by Syrian batteries and immediately began impacting at various locations around Damascus. Many of them coming down like this suggests electromagnetic suppression of Syrian air defense systems by the IAF aircraft, possibly the F-35I Adir's.
This update is deliberately ignoring anything coming from Russian government or media sources for the obvious reason of their being blatant misstatements of facts. Disinformation in other words.
24 December 2018: Keeping track on several developments in the Middle East. Going through them in no particular order of importance as each could lead to something more in the near-term.
About 12 hours ago the IDF opened fire in the northern Golan on an enemy squad that was spotted having crossed Line Bravo (1974 ceasefire line) and was getting too close to Israel's border fence. This is further proof that neither Syria nor Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, have any regard for the conditions and lines drawn at the end of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The enemy squad was most likely attempting to infiltrate Israel to gather intelligence on IDF defenses. The mission was an epic fail thanks to IDF direct fire upon them.
The USS John C Stennis (CVN-74) and its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) passed through the Strait of Hormuz earlier this past weekend. The transit of the strait occurred as the IRGC Navy was launching its 'Great Prophet 12' live fire exercise nearby. All Iranian rocket fire was directed away from the Stennis CSG. The Stennis CSG is conducting integrated operations with the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) on boths sides of the Strait of Hormuz (i.e. in the Gulf and the Araban Sea. The Essex (LHD-2) ARG has the VMFA 211 USMC squadron (the 'Avengers') of F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters embarked. Iranian media has been silent on the Stennis CSG's and Essex ARG's presence.
The Israeli government's position, as announced by PM/DM Bibi Netanyahu and IDF CoS Eisenkot, that Israel will continue its operations against Iran and its proxies is no bluff. We can expect by late February or March, if not sooner, a massive IDF operation into Syria should the Iranian's look upon the announced U.S. withdrawal of its forces from Syria as a "blank check" it can now cash at Israel's expense. The infil attempt noted above is very probably related to Iranian intentions and IDF CoS Eisenkot's remarks of yesterday.
20 December 2018: This will likely be the final SITREP for 2018, and within it we will look at the Fractures and Stresses that are probable Indications and Warnings (I&W) likely to manifest as global crises in 2019. This will not be an all-inclusive list, but it's not going to be a short listing either. It will be a list of the major problems the Eschatology Today blog is likely to address in 2019. We like being ahead of the curve; we have spent much of the current year as well as the previous ten years being ahread of the curve. It is our mission.
Firstly, all of the signs Jesus revealed to His disciples on the Mount of Olives that were to occur in the future to signal the end of the age and His coming again are present and increasing at the end of 2018. These signs, as He said, must take place. Look around. False messianic figures and wannabes are everywhere. Wars and rumors thereof are everywhere. Famines, pestilences and unprecedented seismic quakes, shakes and eruptions are occurring globally. These are all the "beginning of sorrows;" far, far worse will occur during the final 70th week as revealed by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel 2,500 years ago.
Our Lord also assured us that the generation which was alive to see all these events taking place would not pass away prior to their completion. And the greatest sign of them all, God's prophetic time piece which we know as the State of Israel has been existent for more than 70 years. This, in essense, is a recap of Matthew 24:3-8. We should all know this by heart; these are the things we were commanded to watch for. That's why they were revealed to us by the prophets to begin with, so we would know without doubt what season it is.
Next we'll look at some details...
Number one. Today's announced U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria IS NOT as many in the media are portraying it to be. With IS having been decimated and virtually defeated, President Trump, probably under the advisement of his senior military commanders, ordered a draw down of U.S. forces deployed to Syria. Civilians in the US and around the world need to realize that not all U.S. troops deployed to CJTF-OIR and CENTCOM are combat troops. A very large number of them are support forces. With combat ops against IS now having transitioned into follow-on phase of operations a number of the support troops and combat troops are no longer mission essential. Their return stateside will occur over a two to three month period.
The operations against IS in Syria, and Iraq also, will continue. Nothing has changed in this regard. Just because IS has lost its territorial above ground caliphate does not mean it has lost its underground caliphate of tunnels in Syria and Iraq, just as the Taliban has not lost its tunnels in Afghanistan. A U.S. troop draw down in the country, and here they are over running one province after another. There are always risks involved in force reductions, let's hope we got this one right.
And with all due consideration for the continuing combat operations in Syria, force protection and operational security being first and foremost, the exact details of what this troop withdrawal is about will not be released publicly. What we do know from the CJTF-OIR Public Affairs Office (PAO) is that U.S. military operations in northeast Syria will continue, observation posts will remain manned, and the enduring defeat of IS will be ensured until the mission is complete. Quoting the PAO's very important final statement, "Any reports indicating a change in the U.S. position with respect to these efforts is false and designed to sow confusion and chaos."
And to quote Sarah Huckabee Sanders statement of yesterday, detailed within a White House press release, we find under the heading, "The Global Coalition against ISIS will not end," these words. "The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary." Note in detail the first three words of the heading, the Global Coalition, and the last three words, will not end. Right here, right now, you have the most powerful aggregation of global military power ever assembled. 61 nations are in this military coalition. We discussed this a couple years ago on this blog, but most recently in Global SITREP B5-17. Worth a second read if you have the time. It may change names at some point, but it's not going away. And by no act of coincidence this military coalition very aptly fits the Biblical description given to Daniel by God which we read in Daniel 2:40-44.
Number two is about concerns for Israel. Israel is protected by God and the archangel Michael. Israel was able to handle its defense needs before the U.S. deployed forces to Syria, and will do the same when eventually the last U.S. combat soldier comes home from Syria. Is this not what the prophetic texts of Scripture tells us? Yes, of course. Yet of all the world's media and former government leaders, it is the Israeli's who are flailing around like chicken little's less than 24 hours after the announcement of our redeployment was made public. This is all part of God's plan, and because of Israel's continued Spiritual blindness they are not yet capable of seeing it for what it truly is. It will take time, and some big battles, but they'll get there because God keeps His Covenant with them.
Number three. As for the reports of the State Department pulling its people out of Syria, that's not a concern. They are mostly civilian non-combatants and with relations between the U.S. and Syria being what they are why would they be needed there? Do we really want another Benghazi. Watch the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi this weekend to provide some insight. I tend to believe the State Department's removal of its staff from Syria is a very prudent measure. Would you want to be in Damascus? I wouldn't. If they are out within 24 hours, that's a good thing.
Number four. Europe and the EU are a mess. And this has nothing to do with BREXIT. France has been a basket case since the Charlie Hebdo murders, and the several terrorist attacks since then, up to and including the killings in Strasbourg. The Islamist jihadists problem in France is a problem of their own making. France has long been pro-Arab, i.e. pro-Muslim. It is also quite anti-Jewish. Last time I checked Jews weren't murdering Frenchmen in the streets of Paris or Strasbourg, but jihadist Muslims were. So there will be more of this, indeed a lot more Strasbourg's before it gets better, and better is a very relative term. In the UK the BREXIT issue reigns supreme, especially in their media. The PM just got a year-long reprieve from a no confidence vote that she prevailed in. But after that year is up... the UK will get a new PM. I wonder who? Belgium just lost its PM to a sudden resignation over his signing the suicidal UN Migration Pact. It was a no confidence vote he lost. Too bad. Germany is in transition even before Angela Merkel departs. So, what all this means is that with Europe being in a top to bottom mess it seems to fit time wise with what we know from Bible prophecy; that is the emergence of 10 nations with three of them being taken by the beast right from the get go.
Number five. Did I say Europe and the EU are in a mess? Well, so is the USA in a mess. Our sitting president has been in the midst of an ongoing attempt at a coup d'etat that began even before he was sworn in. The "insurance policy," right? Then after the inauguration the coup d'etat went into and continues on a steroidal overdrive. Like nothing ever seen in this nation before. Our president's biggest mistake was that he showed weakness by not immediately going after Hillary Clinton as he had hinted during the final debate with her. That scared Hillary and the globalists in the swamp to their rotten cores. And the rest is history. Fake, phony and totally fraudulent dossiers run repeatedly before a FISA Court judge, utterly illegal and out-of-control Justice Department and FBI leadership at the very top. Yes, the USA is in a real mess, but because, as I believe, there are so many of the Spirit-filled Bride of Christ in the USA the baddies are being effectively restrained. Our prayers are the most powerful force on this earth, bar none. However, after the Harpazo, no one will want to be here. America will quickly become a land that will redefine the word nasty.
Finally, for item number six we circle back around to the biggest mess of them all - the Middle East. Iran is the biggest trouble maker from one end to the other. But it will be dealt with, Jeremiah says so. Lebanon and Syria - catastrophe looms for both and it could begin suddenly without any warning. Boom goes Damascus and the nation of Syria with it. The "Palestinian" issue resolves, forcibly, into a one-state solution. The one state will be Israel. Russia goes home from Syria licking its wounds and the loss of everything it invested. Like the lost of the IL-22M Coot-A, there's little doubt within myself that Russia won't blame its huge losses on Israel and, as Ezekiel informs us, will seek to compensate for these huge losses by making an attempt to take Israel as plunder. I believe all of this could begin to take place in 2019, and it will be a roller coaster ride from there. At some point, an unknown point, we hear a shout unlike any we've ever heard before (because none of us has ever heard an archangel shout) "Come up here!" And that will be that.
Number one. Today's announced U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria IS NOT as many in the media are portraying it to be. With IS having been decimated and virtually defeated, President Trump, probably under the advisement of his senior military commanders, ordered a draw down of U.S. forces deployed to Syria. Civilians in the US and around the world need to realize that not all U.S. troops deployed to CJTF-OIR and CENTCOM are combat troops. A very large number of them are support forces. With combat ops against IS now having transitioned into follow-on phase of operations a number of the support troops and combat troops are no longer mission essential. Their return stateside will occur over a two to three month period.
The operations against IS in Syria, and Iraq also, will continue. Nothing has changed in this regard. Just because IS has lost its territorial above ground caliphate does not mean it has lost its underground caliphate of tunnels in Syria and Iraq, just as the Taliban has not lost its tunnels in Afghanistan. A U.S. troop draw down in the country, and here they are over running one province after another. There are always risks involved in force reductions, let's hope we got this one right.
And with all due consideration for the continuing combat operations in Syria, force protection and operational security being first and foremost, the exact details of what this troop withdrawal is about will not be released publicly. What we do know from the CJTF-OIR Public Affairs Office (PAO) is that U.S. military operations in northeast Syria will continue, observation posts will remain manned, and the enduring defeat of IS will be ensured until the mission is complete. Quoting the PAO's very important final statement, "Any reports indicating a change in the U.S. position with respect to these efforts is false and designed to sow confusion and chaos."
And to quote Sarah Huckabee Sanders statement of yesterday, detailed within a White House press release, we find under the heading, "The Global Coalition against ISIS will not end," these words. "The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary." Note in detail the first three words of the heading, the Global Coalition, and the last three words, will not end. Right here, right now, you have the most powerful aggregation of global military power ever assembled. 61 nations are in this military coalition. We discussed this a couple years ago on this blog, but most recently in Global SITREP B5-17. Worth a second read if you have the time. It may change names at some point, but it's not going away. And by no act of coincidence this military coalition very aptly fits the Biblical description given to Daniel by God which we read in Daniel 2:40-44.
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| Who can make war against the beast? |
Number two is about concerns for Israel. Israel is protected by God and the archangel Michael. Israel was able to handle its defense needs before the U.S. deployed forces to Syria, and will do the same when eventually the last U.S. combat soldier comes home from Syria. Is this not what the prophetic texts of Scripture tells us? Yes, of course. Yet of all the world's media and former government leaders, it is the Israeli's who are flailing around like chicken little's less than 24 hours after the announcement of our redeployment was made public. This is all part of God's plan, and because of Israel's continued Spiritual blindness they are not yet capable of seeing it for what it truly is. It will take time, and some big battles, but they'll get there because God keeps His Covenant with them.
Number three. As for the reports of the State Department pulling its people out of Syria, that's not a concern. They are mostly civilian non-combatants and with relations between the U.S. and Syria being what they are why would they be needed there? Do we really want another Benghazi. Watch the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi this weekend to provide some insight. I tend to believe the State Department's removal of its staff from Syria is a very prudent measure. Would you want to be in Damascus? I wouldn't. If they are out within 24 hours, that's a good thing.
Number four. Europe and the EU are a mess. And this has nothing to do with BREXIT. France has been a basket case since the Charlie Hebdo murders, and the several terrorist attacks since then, up to and including the killings in Strasbourg. The Islamist jihadists problem in France is a problem of their own making. France has long been pro-Arab, i.e. pro-Muslim. It is also quite anti-Jewish. Last time I checked Jews weren't murdering Frenchmen in the streets of Paris or Strasbourg, but jihadist Muslims were. So there will be more of this, indeed a lot more Strasbourg's before it gets better, and better is a very relative term. In the UK the BREXIT issue reigns supreme, especially in their media. The PM just got a year-long reprieve from a no confidence vote that she prevailed in. But after that year is up... the UK will get a new PM. I wonder who? Belgium just lost its PM to a sudden resignation over his signing the suicidal UN Migration Pact. It was a no confidence vote he lost. Too bad. Germany is in transition even before Angela Merkel departs. So, what all this means is that with Europe being in a top to bottom mess it seems to fit time wise with what we know from Bible prophecy; that is the emergence of 10 nations with three of them being taken by the beast right from the get go.
Number five. Did I say Europe and the EU are in a mess? Well, so is the USA in a mess. Our sitting president has been in the midst of an ongoing attempt at a coup d'etat that began even before he was sworn in. The "insurance policy," right? Then after the inauguration the coup d'etat went into and continues on a steroidal overdrive. Like nothing ever seen in this nation before. Our president's biggest mistake was that he showed weakness by not immediately going after Hillary Clinton as he had hinted during the final debate with her. That scared Hillary and the globalists in the swamp to their rotten cores. And the rest is history. Fake, phony and totally fraudulent dossiers run repeatedly before a FISA Court judge, utterly illegal and out-of-control Justice Department and FBI leadership at the very top. Yes, the USA is in a real mess, but because, as I believe, there are so many of the Spirit-filled Bride of Christ in the USA the baddies are being effectively restrained. Our prayers are the most powerful force on this earth, bar none. However, after the Harpazo, no one will want to be here. America will quickly become a land that will redefine the word nasty.
Finally, for item number six we circle back around to the biggest mess of them all - the Middle East. Iran is the biggest trouble maker from one end to the other. But it will be dealt with, Jeremiah says so. Lebanon and Syria - catastrophe looms for both and it could begin suddenly without any warning. Boom goes Damascus and the nation of Syria with it. The "Palestinian" issue resolves, forcibly, into a one-state solution. The one state will be Israel. Russia goes home from Syria licking its wounds and the loss of everything it invested. Like the lost of the IL-22M Coot-A, there's little doubt within myself that Russia won't blame its huge losses on Israel and, as Ezekiel informs us, will seek to compensate for these huge losses by making an attempt to take Israel as plunder. I believe all of this could begin to take place in 2019, and it will be a roller coaster ride from there. At some point, an unknown point, we hear a shout unlike any we've ever heard before (because none of us has ever heard an archangel shout) "Come up here!" And that will be that.
