Dear Friends,
Greetings! We hope you will find this weeks introduction quite exciting.
Below are three articles all dealing with the “Keys to the Kingdom”.
The first article simply titled “The Keys” was first posted on this site in September 2008. It was posted in the “Studies” section and has been there since September 2008.
The second article is an edited compilation of three articles by Paul McGuire that also were posted on “People of the Keys” in 2012 and 2013 that also deal with the “Keys of the Kingdom”.
We have put Paul's bio just before the edited compilation so that you will be able to understand more of his background.
(We also wanted to mention that Robert from “People of the Keys” interviewed Paul in August of 2015 Colorado Springs Colorado. That interview was then sent to Simon Peterson where it was edited and appeared on Simon Peterson's Nightlight show. We have included a link to the interview at the end of Pauls compilations in case you have not heard the show or would like to hear it again.)
The third article is from Charisma magazine: the official magazine of The Assembly of God. They reprinted it from “elijahlist.com”. As you may know The Assemblies of God are very mainstream as far as churches go.
The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination. With over 384,000 ministers and outstations in over 212 countries and territories serving approximately 67.5 million adherents worldwide, it is the fourth largest international Christian group of denominations and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world. Wikipedia
This article also deals with the “Keys of the Kingdom”.
All three articles are very similar in scope.
From the time we posted the first article about the “Keys” it has been almost seven and a half years for interest in the “Keys” to reach the mainstream.
What this tells us is that the time is certainly at hand and that the Keys are going to be sorely needed.
If you would like to see examples of “Key Promises” go to the “Letters” section of this website where every letter begins with a “Key Promise”.
Have a great week ahead.
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"And I will give you the Keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
(MAT.16:19)
The Keys
As the Lord's elite Endtime army facing the final showdown and greatest battle between Heaven and Hell of all history, He's telling you that without availing yourselves of the fullest and greatest manifestations of His power that He's making available to you, you're not going to make it. From that perspective, is it any wonder that He has increased and augmented the original power of Heaven that was available? That's what all this "calling on the Keys" is about.
(Jesus:) There are many barriers between Heaven and Earth, between the realm of the spirit and the realm of the flesh, but the Keys, which are a spiritual power, immediately part the veil and provide access to the full power of Heaven.
The spiritual world is vast, and I have allowed the Enemy control of certain sectors of it for now. The Keys were created to part the veil‚ to give you instant access to My power. The Enemy seeks to stop you from gaining access, and his efforts to block or hinder you will increase even more as you draw closer to the End. That is why you need the power of the Keys to access My full power immediately, instantly, in the blink of an eye. The Keys give you direct access to the power source of Heaven, the awesome and mighty power that could, if it were My will, destroy every last demon of Hell, including the Devil himself, in an instant.
The power of the Keys--and the other weapons of the spirit--empowers your prayers more than ever before. When you call on the power of the Keys in prayer, you heighten and increase your prayer power. The Keys create a slit or an opening in the veil between your world and Mine, and in an instant, in a split second, you can access full, tremendous power from Heaven. This is what you will need in the days to come when My power and the Keys' manifestations will be clearly known and seen.
The Keys will bring on-the-spot power‚ direct answers, and are created specifically for times when tremendous surges of heavenly intervention are needed in an instant, according to My will.
There will be times in the future when there will be such a deep understanding between Me and My brides that they will be able to utter (either with their mouth or in their thoughts) a single word, an access code for a new weapon, and they will know that I will answer them.
In the time it would take to say, "I call on the Keys," you would be: 1) Using the weapon of prayer, because you would be communicating with Me. 2) You would also be using the power of the Keys. 3) You would be using the weapon of praise, because in your heart and spirit you'd be calling, proclaiming My greatness. 4) You'd be loving Me intimately, because you'd be linked to My Spirit intimately. 5) You'd be using heavenly thought power, because that would be the glue linking everything together.
The Keys are activated by faith, and without full faith, you won't be able to access their full power.
Prayer--your avenue of communication with Me--is the basic ingredient that must be present, and then all of the other new weapons enhance it. Praise enhances the power of prayer. The Keys enhance the power of prayer. Loving Me intimately enhances the power of prayer. Prophecy enhances the power of prayer‚ because you can receive direction on how to pray on the spot, as I speak to your heart and show you how to pray most effectively.
Here is how the Lord describes this magnificent gift:
a. Complete access to all of Heaven's power, and dominion over death and Hell.
b. The means to get the job done.
c. Full access to every power source of Heaven.
d. The code to unlock every solution.
e. The means to bypass all impossibilities.
f. All the Keys to Heavenly resources.
g. In your Keys, you have liberty and freedom.
h. The power to release those in bondage.
i. The power to overcome all evil.
If these different spiritual weapons didn't enhance prayer and work greater change in the spirit world--through defeating the Enemy, speeding answers on their way, and much more--then what would be their purpose?
The Keys do hold power, and they are vital for My warriors of today, because they do enhance prayer and make it many, many times more effective.
With "The Keys," you'll be able to access the greatest power of Heaven available to you. It will be many spiritual weapons interlinked and in play at the same time, but the Keys will be the ones that will pierce the veil for the miracle to come through.
The Keys are a very real entity--a part of the fusion of My power, which is the power that can cripple and defuse the Enemy's power most effectively.
Only recently, as we have entered the Last Days, did I find it necessary to reveal to you the full power of the Keys of the Kingdom, this additional portion of My power and your anointing for these Last Days. You must have all three parts, My loves--Me, My Word, and the Keys--for we are one.
You must let Me‚ My Word, and the Keys become one with you, for unless all three are an integral part of your life, I will only be able to use you to a certain degree, but never fully.
There are chemical compounds on Earth, such as water, which is made up of the elements hydrogen and oxygen. Well, in the spirit it's like that too. I‚ plus My Word, plus the Keys, combine to make the fuel, power, spiritual stamina, authority, and everything you will need in the days to come--and today, now, is when you must prepare. It's an Endtime phenomenon, a spiritual fact!
You will never find a key promise that is contrary to the Bible, any more than you would find My Word of true prophecy contradicting the Bible. They are one.
Each of My children has the power to connect to this Key that unlocks the treasures of Heaven, the jewels from Beyond, My Words and the wonderful mysteries of the Spirit. All they have to do is ask.
The Keys are Me! The Keys are My power. The Keys are My Word. The Keys are My love. The Keys represent all that is available to you in the form of spiritual power released for this day and age.
Every time you use the Keys, your faith grows and you learn a little bit more about them.
The power of the Keys has always been available, but it was hidden behind a veil, a veil of understanding, that I have torn down only now in these Last Days, so that you might have the spiritual weapon you need to see you through the dark days ahead--the darkest days ever known to man, for which you will need the brightest and most pure and powerful light of Heaven--the light of the Keys, to illuminate your path!
The Bible is a guidebook, it is your foundation; it contains all the principles upon which all your doctrines must be based. And yet there are many things that are mentioned only briefly, or sometimes cryptically--but they are there just the same.
Ultimately it is a matter of faith whether someone decides to believe or not, just as it is when someone decides to receive Me. In the end, My sheep will hear My voice and will follow Me.
I have not replaced the promises I've given in the Bible; I've enhanced them with the promise of the Keys.
The Bible is the foundation of the Keys.
The Keys are activated and enhanced by many different factors, including your faith, which comes from your personal connection with Me and the Word, your yieldedness, your determination to persevere in prayer, and your skill at wielding specific Keys for specific situations.
The Keys won't use their power to give you something just because you ask for it‚ unless it's in accordance with the Lord's will at the time. Remember that essential phrase, "In conjunction with My will."
The Keys have power, but only to do what's best for you and the Lord's overall plan.
The Lord hasn't put a lot of conditions on the Keys. He's basically given them to you with very few limits or boundaries. At the same time, the spiritual principles that apply to answered prayer and His Word also apply to the Keys. He assumes you understand that when the promise says‚ "Call on the Keys and I will supply all your needs," that this means within His will and what He knows is best for you and others and His work.
If you're generally meeting the spiritual standard of His Word and living the life of a disciple, then you can use the Keys and expect miracles--in accordance with His will.
The ultimate purpose of the Keys is to win souls, to reap the final harvest.
You must remember, My loves, the aim, the purpose, the goal, the final end result of why I put such power in your hands--which is to win souls to My Kingdom! This is the reason for it all. This is the reason for such great possession of My Spirit within you. This is the reason I give you full access to all of Heaven's power.
The outpouring, the power, these blessings I give you, My loves, are all to this end--that you might reap the harvest that awaits you. This is where your eyes must always be focused. This is the goal. This is your purpose. This is the reason for it all, the purpose behind everything you do‚ the reason I place these Keys in your hands, the reason I come to you now, to possess you in such a great way. The reason for it all is to win souls, to reap the final harvest in the end of days. Time is short, dear loves‚ so very short, and the night is fast falling--this is why I pour out My Spirit as never before.
The main battle will be for the souls of those who are in the middle, those who have not yet decided, those who are lost and trapped in the bondage of the System.
Without the quality of a deep love for Me, dedication, and yieldedness to Me, the Keys give no power. … The gift of the Keys is only for those who go further, who love Me, who live for Me, and who give their lives for Me. The gift of the Keys is for My Endtime disciples.
This is one of the most priceless gifts ever given to man. Aside from the gift of salvation, when Jesus came to Earth to give His life for your sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which God bestowed upon you when Jesus departed, the gift of the Keys grants you an unparalleled wonder.
When you call on the Keys, remember that you are calling on a living, moving, powerful, spiritual phenomenon.
You must call specifically on the power of the Keys, or the power of the Keys of the Kingdom. The more specific you are, the better. The Keys are activated in part by faith, and the more faith you demonstrate in calling on the Keys by name, showing that you believe they are real and exist, the more responsive power you will receive.
* ”I call on the power of the Keys.”
* ”We claim the power of the Keys of the Kingdom.”
* ”I take hold of the power of the Keys.”
* ”Release the power of the Keys into our hands.”
* ”Deliver the power of the Keys unto us, for Your glory.”
* ”We harness the power of the Keys of the Kingdom.”
* ”We reach out to the power of the Keys.”
When you begin to pray, you must specify that you are calling on the power of the Keys. Say those words in your first or second sentence. The power does not come on until you call for it. Avail yourself of the power of the Keys from the moment you begin interceding. That is the first step. That opens the door for miracles. So call! Call on the power of the Keys. Say the words. You cannot harness the power of the Keys if you do not call on them by name. They beg to be used, but they must be called upon by name.
Using the Keys in your prayers is really simple. It doesn't require eloquence or a lot of deep understanding of all the intricacies of the Keys, it just requires saying the words. The power of the Keys is not activated until you say the words, until you actually verbally call on the power of the Keys.
Even if you just say that over and over, “I call on the power of the Keys,” that would do the trick. That would immediately put at your disposal all the awesome power of the universe.
So your Keys of the Kingdom prayers can be very much like what you pray now, just with this addition, this recognition and direct clear reference to the Keys, an obvious acknowledgment that you want to avail yourself of this power.
In the years to come, the world is going to go through thousands of upheavals and rumblings in economies, in governments, in people's lives and hearts. They're going to go insane with worry, for the world will be in such chaos that there will be none to turn to except Me. Their hearts will be torn and brutally suppressed by the powers that will rise in an attempt to salvage this world. But I tell you now, as sure as My promises will not fail, this world is coming to an end.
They have invoked the last protocol before the rise of the Antichrist, and it's only a matter of time before his rise and revelation. He has taken his throne, and even now has been crowned as the king of this world. The leaders and the rulers of this world have bowed at his feet.
You will see his armies go forth to crush those who are his enemies--those whom the world regards as evil or oppressors. He does this to attain a false air of righteousness, but he will bring peace to this world--seeking to upstage My Own peace. Though fake, it will bring a measure of stability to the world--but not until this world has trembled under his hand, and not until many things are broken down before his face.
Faith will be the key to all these miracles I have spoken of--faith to believe that, "Yes, I can through Christ," "Yes, there are no limits to Him," "Yes, there is no mountain that cannot be moved through a-grain-of-mustard-seed faith."
My Father told Me what I needed to do was focus more on the power of the Keys than on the obstacles I faced. He said I needed to forget about looking at the obstacles and set My focus only on the power I had access to. I had to acknowledge that the obstacles were there; I had to acknowledge there was a problem; but when I was faced with an obstacle, I was to instantly focus on the power, focus on the Keys, focus on My Father, on His Word, and on what I knew to be true.
I had to focus on His Word, on the power of the Keys, not on the circumstances that surrounded Me. He told Me clearly that what I had to do was to ignore all other possibilities of solutions to any given problem or obstacle I faced. I had to ignore all other voices crying out to Me and only focus on the Keys.
How was I to do this? I was in the flesh as you are, surrounded by the things of the Earth. I was not exempt from carnal thinking. My Father said it was simple, really--a simple matter of faith alone. I had to focus on His power rather than carnal thinking, and the way to do this was to exercise My faith in His Word, in His promises to Me, and most importantly, I had to not only claim His promise, but I had to act on the Word I was given.
I was to look fully to My Father by putting the instruction He gave Me into action; this was focusing on the power. I would shoot up prayers and hear from My Father on the spot, but the key to focusing on the power was to take immediate action and do what He told Me to do, and do it right then if He was so leading.
The key was not only in calling on the Keys, but in following through. By taking action, by being a doer of the Word that I was given, there was no room to even contemplate other possibilities, which would block the power of the Keys I had available to Me. Being a doer of the Word, obedient only to the will of My Father, was My declaration of faith. Obeying and acting on the Word--the power of the Word--opened the floodgates for the power of the Keys to flow through Me.
Focusing on the power is ignoring all possibilities other than what the Keys and My Word can do for you. Focusing on the power is refusing any alternatives other than using the Keys and standing on My Word.
If you will allow Me full possession and will put on My mind, our minds will meld. And as you take on the totality of the mind of God, your thought power will be increased; your mental and spiritual power will be greatly enhanced.
We need the Keys in order to fulfill our destiny.
In the darkness you will need to be masters of the Keys.
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Paul McGuire: radio talk show host, author, feature film producer and television commentator.
Paul McGuire is the author of 22 books, such as the best-selling, "The Day the Dollar Died" and "Are You Ready for the Microchip? Paul is the host of the syndicated television show, The Paul McGuire Report. Paul McGuire hosted the nationally syndicated talk radio show, "The Paul McGuire Show" for 10 years. Paul McGuire is a television commentator and has been a frequent guest on the Fox News Network and CNN.
Paul is the producer of two science fiction films in Hollywood. The History Channel did a 2-hour special with Paul McGuire entitled "Seven Signs of the Apocalypse." Paul has interviewed numerous world leaders, Presidents and Prime Ministers. Paul lives in Los Angeles, California.
At fifteen years old, Paul was demonstrating with radical activist Abbie Hoffman and made an honorary member of the Black Panther Party. However, while studying "Altered States of Consciousness" at the University of Missouri, Paul had a miraculous experience hitchhiking in a remote area similar to the movie "Field of Dreams." Paul re-thought his socialist and humanist world view and rejected it as completely false. Paul has devoted his life to communicating truth to people.
NewsWithViews
By Paul McGuire
2013: DAWN OF THE LUCIFERIAN ERA
PART 2 of 2
By Paul McGuire - December 24, 2012 - NewsWithViews.com
December 24, 2012
Let me close with these words: you have direct access to a power far greater than yourself to make changes that will protect millions and drive back the Luciferian forces of darkness. You can access that power anytime you choose, but you must actively choose to do so. That power is a divine power and it is accessed by faith. Jesus Christ called it the "keys of the kingdom." If you trust in Christ, you have the keys of the kingdom and now you must use them wisely for your life depends on it and the lives of all those you love. First, you must understand that you are in a spiritual war with the Lucifer and his forces. But you have been given the power to overcome him.
In its simplest form, this is how you use that power. This is how you release its full energy. This is how you spiritually overcome and conquer! You pick a target or situation in your mind. Remember you are not fighting against people, but principalities and powers. You make sure that your heart is cleansed and pure even if it means asking God for forgiveness. Then you simply pick up and use the keys of the kingdom He has given you. You come before Him with childlike faith and you simply asking Him, with whatever measure of faith you have. That may be the faith of a mustard seed or the faith of a molecule. Then you ask God in the name of Jesus Christ what you want and what you are asking for. Your request does not have to be long. But I suggest that on a daily basis you keep asking until you see the results, even if it takes years!
You can and should increase your requests. You will discover that many of your requests will be answered quickly and some may take a lifetime. As a spiritual warrior you simply do not give up! You keep asking in faith until you are released from asking or it is done. But you never give up due to discouragement or unbelief.
Now what happens when you ask in prayer is not spiritual magic. This is not a ritual or a rabbit's foot. Your asking comes in the context of your relationship with the Personal Living God of the Universe, not a religious practice! When you ask, making that cosmic connection, your are releasing an enormous amount of spiritual power that can change situations, stop things and release things. If you were to actually see the power of what you were releasing in terms of Quantum Physics it would be the release of energy that could exceed the energy released in nuclear blast releasing either positive or negative energy. This energy travels outside of space and time through what is called the invisible realm, spiritual world, or parallel universe. Its force is not constrained to space and time, because it moves faster than the speed of light in an eternal dimension. There is no limit to what it can do.
In addition, the release of this energy or force is not contingent upon how spiritual or holy you are. The release of this energy is purely based on faith which means unmerited favor. When you gain practice in releasing this energy which is simply a very high form of prayer, you develop the ability to become a true spiritual warrior. It is essential that you use this form of prayer along with wisdom, intelligence, and understanding; otherwise you are going to limit the effectiveness of the power you release.Again, you are operating with the keys of the kingdom. In practicing this form of prayer you are engaging in spiritual warfare with overwhelming force. You need to grasp the degree of power you are working with and how it will cause certain changes in your life.
You have now moved from being a well-intended person who wants to see good done, to a spiritual warrior who can release overwhelming force. But, I must warn you, this is not a game or a hobby; once you begin this you are held accountable for it. The only thing that will restrain its capacity to accomplish its goals is your own personal failure to not understand the full extent of the power you are dealing with. In the Book of Revelation, it talks about becoming priests and kings. The kingly authority you have been given is built upon your understanding that you are a priest first.
NewsWithViews
THE FUTURE OF AMERICA: COSMIC WARFARE, PARALLEL UNIVERSES, AND THE MATRIX
By Paul McGuire
January 28, 2013 NewsWithViews.com
Everything we see in our nation and world is the product of information from an invisible realm or parallel universe. What happens in the invisible realm produces, whether good or bad, the reality we see. Physicists believe that the human race has unlocked four forces: gravity, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force. We now live in a world where scientists believe there are eleven dimensions and they are literally trying to develop a “theory of everything.” A growing number of scientists believe there is a fifth force which is psychic or paranormal. This might be what Einstein meant by “reading the mind of God.”
Today there is a great deal of talk about a secretive elite who have access to occult-based advanced and ancient science. Usually, this secretive elite is composed of a small number of men who control international finance, governments, science and the media. This elite are represented by what could be called the top of the Luciferian pyramid, like the one on the back of the U.S. dollar. However, when you look closely at the top of the Luciferian pyramid you see that it extends way beyond the present dimension in which we live into the invisible realm or parallel universe.
If you don’t like what you see in reality, then you must learn how to enter this invisible realm and access what some call the “Keys of the Kingdom.” These keys are spiritual mechanisms for changing reality. They are also referred to as spiritual weapons. They are the fastest, most efficient and powerful way to release power into the earth that can change reality!
Think of the keys as a way to release the most powerful force in the universe into our reality. Currently, our world is filled with chaos and upheaval. There appears to be an opposing force at work that is composed of Luciferian energy. Through Bible prophecy we know what the great plan is and what this force intends to do with humanity and the world.
Just as there is the force of Lucifer, the most powerful fallen angel, who is leading a revolution against God with one third of the angels there is also the force of the Personal God who has a completely different plan for Mankind. This Personal God has been attempting to teach man about the enormous cosmic authority that He has placed in Man’s hands. When we go back to the Garden of Eden, which was a real place and was located somewhere near the region of Iraq, our ancient ancestors Adam and Eve were given that authority to rule the earth. Adam and Eve, who were made in the image of God and carried in them the DNA code of God, were created to be rulers over planet Earth and have dominion over it. The only condition was that they obey the Word of God. At a certain point Adam and Eve disobeyed the Word of God and listened to the voice of Lucifer, who was residing in the serpent. They put Man’s reason and logic above the Word of God. The result was that they were disconnected from the Life Force of God and the Fall of Man occurred. War, chaos, disease, weather changes, and death entered the world. In addition, Lucifer gained the temporary legal right to be the ruler of this world.
So here we are in what is called the last days and our world is hemorrhaging and experiencing the convulsive birth pains that Jesus Christ outlined in the Signs of the Times.
Throughout the Bible there are constant references to this other universe or invisible realm. The King of Syria had sent his armies to kill the people of Israel. Elisha the prophet had a servant who was terrified by the armies all around them. Elisha had the supernatural ability to see into the invisible realm and he prayed to God that his servant’s eyes would be open. Suddenly his servant saw that the larger armies of the Lord were all around them along with horses and chariots of fire. These were the supernatural armies of the Lord.
It is still possible to have your eyes opened and look into another dimension and see the massive supernatural armies of the Lord. Jesus Christ taught all those who follow His teachings how to use the supernatural keys of the kingdom which can change reality in the physical realm. This is no peripheral issue with Christ…it is central. He has restored both authority and dominion to those who are synchronized with His Word. The problem in America today is that people are only using resources in the physical dimension to solve problems. Millions of people have been seduced by the lie which denies the existence and reality of the invisible realm and other dimensions.
Mankind throughout history has used science and technology to harness power through fossil fuels, nuclear power, and other sources of energy. Many of the men like Einstein, Tesla and Edison did not come up with inventions and sources of power purely through logic, reason and mathematics. It is true those sources played a significant role. But if you read about their lives you will see that all of these men had to develop methodologies that allowed them to access information supernaturally from another dimension.It is possible to access on a personal level, a societal level, and a global level the most powerful force in the Universe. It is not until men and women begin to learn how to access and direct that power that there can be change on a national, global and cosmic level. All of this works within the framework of the prophetic plan of God, for that is one of the laws regarding its use.
I would add that this is not a game we are in. We are not living in a Matrix or a simulated reality. This is not a rehearsal. This is it; this is the countdown. Many people have been in a trance or asleep. I pray that a mega-load of adrenaline will hit their central nervous systems and they will wake up and see. The hour is later than you think.
NewsWithViews
AMERICA IN PROPHECY, BABYLON AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER
Paul McGuire
March 4, 2013
Therefore when He (God) has called upon people in history to do things that changed the outcome of history He has already included that in His planned outcome. In the same way this Infinite Personal Living God of the Universe is calling upon countless numbers of people to respond to His divine call. In all probability this God Who Is There is calling upon you now to help participate in His plan and to choose with an act of your will to take certain actions. Among the infinite mathematical probabilities He has already taken into account the outcome of such actions and included it in His prophetic plan.
It is possible to step outside the matrix of reality which has now resembles a computer generated illusion and understand that if you have the faith of a little child you can access the Keys of the Kingdom, along with the supernatural authority that goes with it. This authority was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was also given to the disciples of Jesus Christ who were instructed to pass it on to anyone who would believe. When the term power
from on high is used in conveying the Upper Room Experience of the disciples, it is not used in a religious sense. It literally means incredible force and power that can be released into this world for numerous reasons.
One can study Bible prophecy along with the Luciferian plan, but if this study leaves you powerless, you have missed something in your analysis! The Infinite Personal Living God of the Universe has downloaded enormous power into your hands and you are expected to use it. This cannot be perceived on religious terms; it must be perceived on real terms. As such, when faced with opposition of any kind, you must learn how to access this supernatural power and use it. History is not fixed and you have been given the power to change it.
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CHARISMANEWS
'I Am Raising Up the Unlockers'
11:00AM EST 2/7/2016 RYAN LESTRANGE
In the coming days, servants of the Lord will be given prophetic keys. (iStock photo )
I hear the Father saying that He is raising up the "unlockers!"
Those that have been given keys of: authority, revelation and assignment. They are being released to unlock plans and purposes in regions—territories. They have been commissioned by the Spirit of the Lord.
As they move into their assigned places, there is divine ability in them to bring release of things in the spirit that have seemingly been locked. These things have not been locked away from the children of God but reserved for the children of God.
"And the key of the house of David will I lay on his shoulder. Then he shall open, and none shall shut. And he shall shut, and none shall open" (Is. 22:22, MEV).
There has been a "timing element" upon some of these plans. Those that have been mantled with the assignment to unlock will step into a divine timing and alignment moment. They are being released in the timing of the Father. They go with His keys in their hands!
I see prophetic keys being given to the servants of the Lord in this hour. I see key revelations being provided that access realms of deliverance and breakthrough for the people of God.
Embrace His Mighty Exploits!
He is writing great exploits upon the hearts of His people. He is releasing dreams and pictures of destiny to fuel faith and unlock potential. Open the eyes of your inner man and begin to see what He is declaring over you.
Some are not able to embrace the exploits because they are trapped in the stinging memories of past disappointments.
I hear the Father saying, "My healing balm is available for those. They have not understood why it did not work, they have not been able to escape the pain and the bitter waters, but I have fresh waters of redemption to release over them. I am calling My bride forth to 'dream with Me'—to move up higher and allow Me to write My exploits upon their hearts. I have great adventures of faith and powerful glory to reveal."
Some have been unable to embrace the exploits because they are looking through the lens of limitation. They are seeing what they can or cannot do but there is immeasurable power available in the inner man! There is power for exploits, breakthrough and wonder. Begin to live, move and advance from the spirit realm. "I have provided FULL ACCESS—nothing lacking."
Be Free of the Enemies Lies!
"Some are operating under the weight of condemnation and lying accusation. Have I not said that your righteousness is of Me?"
2 Corinthians 5:21: "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
"I have desired to paint visions of powerful exploits upon your heart, but you were unable to see them because of lying accusations. The enemy has been hurling his lies at your mind, speaking of past failures and present struggles.
"You must boldly stand upon My promises of freedom and appropriate the wonder-working power of My Blood! Your righteousness is of Me and is appropriated by faith. His accusations must be met with My redemption so that your heart can go free!
A free heart is: free to love, free to dream, free to soar! Free hearts take My hand and run forward with Me. Free hearts are blank canvases for My dreams of exploits."
It is time to navigate the exploits of God and unlock His plans for us. It is time to let go of the past hurts, wounds and pain in order to embrace His powerful plans for the hour.
The unlocking mandate is upon us! The keys have been given. Now it is time to run forward with Abba.
Ryan LeStrange started in ministry after training and serving under his spiritual father Dr. Norvel Hayes. Ryan and his wife, Joy, lead Impact International Ministries based in Bristol, Virginia, which consists of several local churches and revival ministries. Through Ryan LeStrange Ministries, he travels the globe preaching, igniting revival, and moving in the power of God. Ryan can be seen weekly on his television program, Power 4 Today, airing around the world on GodTV. He is the founder and apostle of Impact International Apostolic Fellowship, networking and fathering ministers around the world. Ryan has authored several books releasing an apostolic and prophetic perspective to the body of Christ. Please visit ryanlestrange.com.
For the original article, visit elijahlist.com.
+++
For
the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out
the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
(1Timothy
5:18 ESV)
The Laborer
For those of you affiliated with the TFI you can send donations and gifts via the sign in name: ram
Dear Friends,
Greetings! This introduction will be different than other introductions we have written over the past several years as we wanted to inform our readers a little bit about what goes into the making of this web site each week.
To begin, depending upon the amount of material being processed each week it will take from twenty-five to forty hours each week by the time People of the Keys is updated each Friday or Saturday depending on which part of the world in which you are reading and downloading the material on the site.
Generally, we present between ten to twenty articles each week, sometimes more. For those who are familiar with the web site you will have noticed that we open with articles pertaining directly to,for want of a better word, religious articles, especially articles that deal with prophetic and end time events as related in the Bible.
The person who compiles these articles has studied Bible prophecy for decades and continues to stay in touch with all the latest activities of the worlds leading Bible prophecy experts, meeting with many of them personally. He has also written several original publications including the one that is the basis for the soon coming documentary about the coming temple and it original location. (Solomon's and Herod's Temples were never on the Dome of the Rock.) This documentary will include interviews with the world's foremost authorities on the topic. It is being edited in Uganda and God willing, will be completed this month, February 2016.)
Following the introductory “religious articles” we generally post articles more of a political nature, but again, normally showing how current events are related to Biblical prophecy.
A current example of this is the war in Syria involving Russia, Iran, Israel, Turkey, etc. all of which figure in end time events and the eventual battle of Armageddon.
The third general area of articles we cover each week could be human interest, or possibly lighter articles, and we generally try to end with relevant articles concerning nutrition or health matters.
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Also for every ten articles you see on the site twenty have been downloaded.
These twenty are then read and scrutinized to see how they hold up against the Word of God.
The so called ten articles are then taken from the original web site where they are found and made into individual word based documents. Each article in document form is then cleared of its original formatting and edited.
By editing we mostly mean advertisements removed, links to other articles, any remaining html, etc.
Photos from the articles are also downloaded as well as any video's the articles may contain. The videos contain embedding, the embedding is reinserted back into the original article.
Toward the end of the week, generally on Thursday, a list of the individual articles is made and put into the order we would like them to appear on People of the Keys.
Once all the articles are assembled into a single document they are saved, and then saved again in the html format.
Once the document in html is completed and checked for errors we then look at the photos to accompany the articles. Many times the photos will need to be resized, cropped, combined with another photo, etc.
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The photos are then inserted into the article from which they were originally taken. We try to make every article appear exactly as it did in it original format.
All the articles, photos, videos, and music are then proof read two more times for errors. Occasionally, an error still gets through but then again we have had to correct misspelling in newspapers such as the Guardian and other major newspapers! Ha! We do the best we can.
We then set the time for the new material to appear online. We have at this point still not given the weeks presentation a name, because the introduction, (what you are reading at this very moment) has not yet been completed and proof read. We then pray for an appropriate introductory verse that will represent the weeks introduction and take the title from the verse.
The title and closing is then inserted into the document, given its name and we all breathe a sigh of relief because it is finished for another week.
We
also make sure a new Activated magazine each month is added and
continue to maintain the “Studies” and “Letters”
sections.
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requests we get from people who write in, many times regarding
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If you value this web site and find it useful to you and others we need your help to continue on. It is very much our burden and desire to continue to bring you People of the Keys. Everyone involved with People of the Keys is a volunteer who donates the time they put into its production.
Up until two years ago we had a patron, a medical doctor, who helped support People of the Keys. She passed away two years ago this coming March and the past two years have been difficult for us in maintaining the web site.
To encourage you to support this we wanted to give you some idea of the fruit statistically of the site. In 2014 and 2015 each month averaged 2,297 unique visitors. Total visitors were much higher, that is people who returned each week for the new posting or maybe multiple visits each week.
We should mention here that we are very thankful for those of you who have helped in the past, some we know to their own hurt. God bless you!
What we need to continue are people who will pledge on a regular monthly basis. We understand completely that some are in situations or countries that make this difficult.
Our budget is very low for all that is involved.
We could get by and survive on $1000 to $1200 a month.
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We have a Paypal account on People of the Keys web site but if you would like to recommend some other method that would be easier for you we would be happy to look at alternative methods of receiving donations.
Thanks for taking the time to read this introduction and explanation of all that we do here. Keep us in your prayers ...we need them. God bless you.
Robert for People of the Keys
PS: Just a few more stats...this past January 2016 we went over our three millionth hit and we are about to hit one million pages downloaded. We have also had hits and pages downloaded in 193 countries, almost every country in the world, and 25 territories and provinces.
cnsnews.com
Rev. Graham: ‘We Are a Broken Nation,’ The ‘Only Hope For This Nation Is God’
By Michael W. Chapman | February 4, 2016 | 5:33 PM EST
America is “in trouble” and the solution is not in the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, said Rev. Franklin Graham, who added that “the only hope for this nation is God,” and if people “turn from their sins” and turn back to God, He “will help us fix the problems that we face.”
Franklin Graham, son of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, made his remarks on CNN’s New Day, where he was asked by host Chris Cuomo on Wednesday about the 2016 presidential race.
“Our country is in trouble and I can tell you right now, I have zero hope in the Democratic Party and I have zero hope in the Republican Party,” said Rev. Graham. “The only hope for this nation is God.”
“And if we’ll turn our attention back to God, I believe God will help us fix the problems that we face,” he said. “But Chris, we have no individual that can turn this thing around. Only God can do it.”
As for the various political candidates, Rev. Graham said, “There are some good guys out there that have some great ideas for this country, to move this country forward. But those good ideas aren’t going to go anywhere without the hand of Almighty God.”
“And yes, I do believe in the Divine Hand,” said the reverend, who oversees the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. “I believe that God has blessed this nation, that His hand has been on this nation.”
“But we have taken God out of our country,” he said. “We have taken him out of politics, we have taken him out of schools, out of the education system and we are a broken nation.”
America’s many problems are “not going to get fixed by politics,” he said. “It’s only going to be fixed if the American people turn from their sins and put their faith and trust in almighty God.”
Reverend Graham then said he hopes people will look at the candidates and how they live their faith – “Do they stand for biblical principles?”
Host Chris Cuomo asked, “So reverend, if a candidate says, look, I have my own Christian beliefs but this is a secular society under our Constitution and let’s look at same-sex marriage – the Supreme Court has said what the law of the land is respecting the equal protection of same-sex couples to get married, and I must support the law. Would I get your vote?”
Rev. Graham answered, “Well, first of all Chris, you talk about us being a secular government, a secular society — that’s only taken place in the last few years. Our nation was founded on biblical principles. Our Founding Fathers recognized God. All you have to do is go through Washington and look at all of our monuments with the inscriptions and references to Almighty God.”
Cuomo then interjected, “Understood, reverend. But we know that the Christian faith is not the rule for all. That’s the point. Under the Constitution, you don’t see God mentioned until the signature page. That’s why I’m asking you about respecting the law of the land even if it fights your religious belief.”
Rev. Graham responded, “First of all, I respect the law of the land that has been approved by the Constitution and by the correct process. I don’t think the judges in Washington can just make law. That’s not what they do, but that’s what they’ve done as relates to same-sex marriage.”
“In almost every case where same-sex marriage was put to a vote – here in North Carolina, California, other places – it was voted down by the people, and it was judges who overturned the will of the people,” said Rev. Graham. “So I don’t necessarily take that as the law of the land. I think we need a nationwide referendum on this, and let’s see what the people say.”
Franklin Graham, 63, is married and has five children. In addition to running the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, he also oversees the international Christian relief group Samaritan’s Purse. Rev. Graham regularly preaches in the United States and overseas.
LewRockwell.com
Impossibility Theory, An Advance over Mere Indeterminacy: By Werner Fredsenberg
By Fred Reed
February 6, 2016
Previously I have proved that life cannot have evolved. Today I will prove that life cannot exist.
Let us begin with Samuel Johnson’s response when asked whether we have free will. He replied that all theory holds that we do not, all experience that we do. A similar paradox occurs in the realm of Impossibility Theory. Many things occur in biology that all science says are possible, while all common sense says that they are not.
Consider the development of a barely-existent zygote into seven pounds of puzzled and alarmed baby. (“Where the hell is this?”) Anyone familiar with Murphy’s Law knows that it isn’t possible. Half an hour with a textbook of embryology will confirm this judgement. It is a case of phenomenal complexity following phenomenal complexity building on phenomenal complexity with, almost always, no errors of consequence.
The resulting little science project enters wherever we are with a squall, the ductus arteriosus closes, the nursing instinct kicks in, and the interloper eventually grows into, God help us, a teenager (arguably the only flaw in the process).
Those with better sense than to read physiology may not grasp the wild improbability that this will work. Start with the cell. The likelihood that it will function is that of winning seven Irish Sweepstakes in a row. The chemical machinery, the mechanics—endoplasmic reticula, ribosomes, various flavors of RNA, and all dozens of such things functioning sufficiently flawlessly to continue in existence, rococo chemicals going about their business without gumming each other up.
Suspensory ligaments, connecting the lens of the eye to the ciliary body. Do you really believe these delicate ropes can form perfectly all by themselves ? If so, I figure somebody must have put something in your drugs.
Common sense says that it can’t work. The sciences say that it can, and the fact that it does lends a certain weight to their argument. Each step in this impossible process can be shown to follow the laws of chemistry and physics. It all works. There is no need for spirits or poltergeists to explain it. Except that it obviously can’t happen.
Sez me, Something Else has to be involved. You tell me what, and we will split the Nobel money.
Here we run into one of those paradoxes that no one looks at because it would have dire consequences for how we think about things. Everything that happens in our heads as we think, or think we think, can similarly be shown ineluctably to follow the laws of chemistry and physics, meaning that we have to think what we think we think because it is predetermined. Back to Dr. Johnson.
A useful trait of the human mind, one that keeps us from going mad, is that is that if we see something enough times we begin to believe that it makes sense. This is not just the basis of quantum physics but of most of life. Women have babies all the time. It almost always works fine. Therefore it must make sense.
Again, physiology. Consider how the bones of our little bundle of joy turn into those of a middle linebacker in college. For a very small, short hollow bone to grow into a large, long hollow bone, unlikely things have to happen. Osteoclasts inside the cavity have to eat away the bone to make a larger cavity. Osteoblasts outside have to lay down more bone. They do this in precise coordination, which is impossible because they are on opposite sides of the cavity. Look at the skeleton of an adult. The bones are smooth, and flawlessly formed. The bone also has to grow in length. The mechanism of the articulation also has to grow, and do it exactly right. All of this works perfectly, which is impossible.
Think about the ear: Tympanum-malleus-incus-stapes-cochlea. Incoming sounds vibrates the eardrum which jiggles one little bone that jiggles another that jiggles a third that jiggles the cochlea which figures out what is going on sonically. This works for vaguely 20 Hz to 20 kHz in young females. Dogs and cats have greater ranges. In people it functions with little impairment for seventy years.
While this does not seem at all likely, it does fit nicely into the dominant paradigm of crossword puzzle and tinker toy. This holds that the universe is like a gigantic crossword. Some parts we have filled in. Others we have not figured out yet, but we know that it is only a matter of time until we have it all. Nothing is inherently unknowable. We can fill in the whole puzzle.
The other half of this understanding is that everything can be explained mechanistically. If we can show that something occurs through a series of reactions, we have explained it entirely. This is beguiling, and redolent of nineteenth-century simplism. But…is it even plausible?
The following simplified description of the biochemical functioning of the retina is from Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolutionby Michael Behe. The book, which I recommend, is accessible to the intelligent laymen, for whom it is written. The author includes the following techno globe on the biochemistry of ther etina to give a flavor of the complexity of things. The sensible reader will skip most of it.
When light first strikes the retina a photon interacts with a molecule called 11-cis-retinal, which rearranges within picoseconds to trans-retinal. (A picosecond is about the time it takes light to travel the breadth of a single human hair.) The change in the shape of the retinal molecule forces a change in the shape of the protein, rhodopsin, to which the retinal is tightly bound. The protein’s metamorphosis alters its behavior. Now called metarhodopsin II, the protein sticks to another protein, called transducin. Before bumping into metarhodopsin II, transducin had tightly bound a small molecule called GDP. But when transducin interacts with metarhodopsin II, the GDP falls off, and a molecule called GTP binds to transducin. (GTP is closely related to, but critically different from, GDP.)
GTP-transducin-metarhodopsin II now binds to a protein called phosphodiesterase, located in the inner membrane of the cell. When attached to metarhodopsin II and its entourage, the phosphodiesterase acquires the chemical ability to “cut” a molecule called cGMP (a chemical relative of both GDP and GTP). Initially there are a lot of cGMP molecules in the cell, but the phosphodiesterase lowers its concentration, just as a pulled plug lowers the water level in a bathtub. Another membrane protein that binds cGMP is called an ion channel. It acts as a gateway that regulates the number of sodium ions in the cell. Normally the ion channel allows sodium ions to flow into the cell, while a separate protein actively pumps them out again. The dual action of the ion channel and pump keeps the level of sodium ions in the cell within a narrow range. When the amount of cGMP is reduced because of cleavage by the phosphodiesterase, the ion channel closes, causing the cellular concentration of positively charged sodium ions to be reduced. This causes an imbalance of charge across the cell membrane that, finally, causes a current to be transmitted down the optic nerve to the brain. The result, when interpreted by the brain, is vision. If the reactions mentioned above were the only ones that operated in the cell, the supply of 11-cis-retinal, cGMP, and sodium ions would quickly be depleted. Something has to turn off the proteins that were turned on and restore the cell to its original state. Several mechanisms do this. First, in the dark the ion channel (in addition to sodium ions) also lets calcium ions into the cell. The calcium is pumped back out by a different protein so that a constant calcium concentration is maintained. When cGMP levels fall, shutting down the ion channel, calcium ion concentration decreases, too. The posphodiesterase enzyme, which destroys cGMP, slows down at lower calcium concentration. Second, a protein called guanylate cyclase begins to resynthesize cGMP when calcium levels start to fall. Third, while all of this is going on, metarhodopsin II is chemically modified by an enzyme called rhodopsin kinase. The modified rhodopsin then binds to a protein known as arrestin, which prevents the rhodopsin from activating more transducin. So the cell contains mechanisms to limit the amplified signal started by a single photon. Trans-retinal eventually falls off of rhodopsin and must be reconverted to 11-cis-retinal and again bound by rhodopsin to get back
to the starting point for another visual cycle. To accomplish this, trans-retinal is first chemically modified by an enzyme to trans-retinol— a form containing two more hydrogen atoms. A second enzyme then converts the molecule to 11-cis-retinol. Finally, a third enzyme removes the previously added hydrogen atoms to form 11-cis-retinal, a cycle is complete.
The biochemistry is way over my head, but the complexity is clear. The idea that this came about by accident requires powers of belief beyond mine, and the idea that it functions flawlessly for seventy years is more so. Ask a biochemist whether he can construct this system in the laboratory. Ask him whether he can construct any system of similar complexity that will work, maintaining itself, for seventy years.
From all of which I conclude that we are more puzzled than we believe we are. These thoughts will not be well-received by those more inclined to protect the paradigm than to examine it. Oh well.
(For thou, O Lord, hast possessed my reins; thou hast helped me from my mother’s womb. I will give thee thanks; for thou art fearfully wondrous; wondrous are thy works; and my soul knows it well. My bones, which thou madest in secret were not hidden from thee. Psalm 139:13-15 Septuagint)
***
SPUTNIK
Pope Francis Sees Putin as 'Only Man' to Defend Christians Around the World
© Sputnik/ Osservatore Romano
15:08 09.02.2016(updated 15:10 09.02.2016)
The upcoming meeting between Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill will not only be a historic religious event, but could also have major benefits to Christians around the world, the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche reported.
In an attempt to defend Christians in the Middle East and other parts of the world where they're being persecuted, Pope Francis wants to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin for help.
According to Pope Francis, Putin is "the only one with whom the Catholic Church can unite to defend Christians in the East."
"It's important to join efforts [with Russia] to save Christianity in all regions [of the world] where it's oppressed," Pope Francis said, as cited by Le Journal Du Dimanche.
With the help of Putin, Pope Francis hopes to reach out to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani and even the Chinese government elite and work out a plan to help Christians in these regions.
In regards to China, Francis said he hopes to establish political contact between Beijing and Vatican since the two parties have never had official diplomatic relations, the French newspaper said.
On February 12, Pope Francis will meet Russian Patriarch Kirill. The high-profile meeting will start a rapprochement between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches after the 1054 Schism.
The two churches split in 1054 — in what is often called the "Great Schism" — following protracted disputes over Rome's supremacy over the whole Christian community, which compounded more strict theological disagreements.
The meeting will take place in Cuba, at Havana's airport, where Francis and Kirill will talk and eventually sign a joint statement.
***
WND
POPE FRANCIS TO STAND WITH MIGRANTS AT U.S. BORDER
Pontiff's solidarity show packs big political punch
Published: February 10, 2016
CHERYL CHUMLEY
Pope Francis addresses Congress.
Pope Francis, who has spent the past several months pressing nations, including America, to embrace those fleeing the unrest in the Middle East, Africa and Asia with open arms – and open borders – is now taking that stance to a new political level and planning a solidarity stand with migrants along the U.S.-Mexico boundary.
Market Watch reported Francis is due to arrive in Mexico on Friday for a six-day visit. And as part of that visit, he is planning to stand on the U.S. border, in Ciudad Juarez, and deliver a mass.
The town is located just 90 yards from U.S. land.
About 200,000 are expected to turn out for the mass on the Mexico side, and another 50,000 from Rio Grande in Texas, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“This is one community, despite the fence,” said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, during a press conference reported by Market Watch. “I think it will be moving to see this single community even though it is located on two sides of the border.”
Immigration has been a top issue during this presidential campaign season, with both Donald Trump and Sen. Ted vowing to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump in particular has sounded the alarm on illegals in the United States, promising to deport the 11 million who are breaking the law with their presence. And he’s also come down hard on the refugee situation, calling for a blanket halt to immigration of all individuals coming from Muslim dominated nations in order to allow U.S. authorities time to catch up with intelligence on who’s crossing the U.S. border.
***
CHRISTIAN TODAY (We do not necessarily agree with their intrepatation of prophecy regarding Esau. Ed)
Pope Francis' meeting with Iran's President Rouhani fulfils end-time prophecy, Jewish scholars say
Hazel Torres 06 February 2016
Pope Francis welcomes Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (right) at the Vatican on Jan. 26, 2016. Reuters
Jewish scholars believe that the 2,000-year-old prophecy of the children of Esau (today's Western nations) and the children of Ishmael (today's Arab nations) uniting against the Jewish people as a precursor of the end of days is already being fulfilled.
End-time expert and author Rabbi Pinchas Winston and Breaking Israel News (BIN) Bible and prophecy expert Rivkah Lambert Adler both expressed belief that the end-time prophecy is coming to pass as written in the book of Genesis following the meeting between Pope Francis and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the Vatican last Jan. 26, Charisma News reported.
During their meeting, Pope Francis reportedly encouraged Rouhani to find political solutions for the various Middle Eastern conflicts. At the same time, the head of the Roman Catholic Church praised Iran's nuclear agreement with the world's powers. The agreement has already come into effect, with Iran having started to collect an estimated $150 billion of its frozen assets.
Critics have warned that the economic windfall Tehran will receive from the deal will bolster its support for the Assad regime in Syria and for its other proxies in the region, like Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.
Although the deal purportedly curbs Iranian production of nuclear materials, critics said Iran could easily resume nuclear-weapons production after a decade of compliance to the agreement.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently protested the deal but could do nothing since it had the blessings of six world powers, including the United States.
Netanyahu reportedly has stopped complaining about the deal, knowing its futility, and is now focusing on stopping Iranian aggression in the region.
"Let's block Iran's other aggression in the region, because they're doing everything. They're trying to encircle Israel with a noose of death," Netanyahu said, according to CNN.
"They're sending weapons to the Houthis. They're in Iraq. They're in Afghanistan. They're all over the place. In Yemen, of course. Let's bolster those forces to stand up to Iran's aggression in the region, and none is stronger, none is more reliable than Israel," Netanyahu said.
Buoyed by international support and its huge financial windfall, Iran has all the more become belligerent against Israel as it recently threatened to rain down 80,000 missiles on the Jewish nation.
With the pope supporting the Iranian nuclear deal and recognising the Palestine State at the same time, Adler and Winston believe that Israel and the world are indeed heading into the end times.
Winston said he regrets the action being taken by Israel's supposed allies in the West. "Many in the West, especially in Europe, have overlooked the 'sins' of the Arab world while ignoring the virtues of the Jewish state. They also either make up Israeli flaws or over-exaggerate smaller ones," he said.
"In short, they have confused David for Goliath and Goliath for David, with little or no remorse at all. For believers, this is nothing short of a miraculous but disturbing fulfilment of prophecy and a serious wake-up call," he said.
***
FARS NEWS AGENCY
Iran Blasts Wahhabism as Mother of ISIL
Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:18
TEHRAN (FNA)- Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani lashed out at the extremist ideology of Wahhabism, arguing that it is what created the ISIL terrorist group in the first place.
"ISIL is the spawn of the Takfiri ideology of Wahhabism, created for the political and security objectives of the hegemonic system," Shamkhani added, addressing the forum of 'Coalition of Elites against Terrorism' in Tehran on Tuesday.
He underlined that ISIL is deisgned to promote the Takfiri ideoloy, its threat is not limited to the region, and the fight against it should never be limited to the region.
"All terrorist outfits are created to serve the interests of certain powers and their regional minions. They all also have an expiry date." Shamkhani noted.
According to the Iranian official, some of the countries which advocate the ongoing war on ISIL are also the ones that support certain terrorist outfits, inlcuding the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO also known as MEK, PMOI, NCRI).
In relevant remarks last year, Commander of Iran’s Basij Volunteer Force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi had underlined the necessity for plans to confront Wahhabism as an immediate danger threatening the region.
"The arrogant world, headed by the US, has resorted to deception to undermine unity among the Muslim Iranian nation by creating rifts and differences to stir Shiite-Sunni strife and war to destroy the united lineup of the Ummah standing against it," he said.
He also described Takfiri groups as the result of the penetration of the western spy agencies, specially from Britain, and said, "Takfir is the result of a London-created religion which eventually ends up in Wahhabism, Bahai'sm and religious hereditary."
***
CNN
Iranian commander mocks Saudi offer to intervene in Syria
By Jason Hanna, CNN
Updated 1:10 PM ET, Sat February 6, 2016 | Video Source: CNN
(CNN)Saudi Arabia's fresh public willingness to send ground troops into Syria is drawing ridicule from the kingdom's chief regional rival.
The commander of Iran's revolutionary guard on Saturday mocked Saudi Arabia's declaration that it is prepared to commit ground troops to fight ISIS in war-torn Syria.
"They claim they will send troops (to Syria), but I don't think they will dare do so," Maj. Gen. Ali Jafari told reporters in Tehran, according to Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency. "They have a classic army and history tells us such armies stand no chance in fighting irregular resistance forces."
"This will be like a coup de grace for them. Apparently, they see no other way but this, and if this is the case, then their fate is sealed," Jafari added, according to Fars.
Iran and Saudi Arabia, led by regimes representing opposing Islamic sects, already are bitter rivals. A years-long civil war in Syria has stoked tensions -- Iran is one of the Syrian regime's few allies, while Saudi Arabia has given financial aid and weapons to rebels.
On Thursday, Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmad Asiri, a military adviser to the kingdom's defense minster, said that the Saudis are willing to send -- as part of an international coalition -- ground troops into Syria to fight ISIS, the terror group that has captured swaths of territory in Syria during the war there.
And on Friday, two Saudi officials told CNN that the kingdom plans to run in March a multinational military training exercise -- involving as many as 150,000 troops -- to prepare for future anti-ISIS operations.
Most of the personnel will be Saudis; troops from Egypt, Sudan and Jordan have already arrived in the kingdom for the exercise, and troops from other countries -- Morocco, Turkey, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar -- are expected, the officials said.
Saudi Arabia also participates in a U.S.-led coalition conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Syria.
The predominantly Shiite republic of Iran is no friend to the Sunni terror group ISIS, but it also couldn't be a fan of a Saudi military presence in a country whose regime Iran supports.
Turkey isn't preparing to invade Syria, source says
Jafari's comment came three days after peace talks for the Syrian conflict were put on hold amid anger among Syrian opposition groups over a Russian air campaign over the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. Russia openly joined the civil war in September, backing the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with airstrikes.
CNN's Nic Robertson, Greg Botelho contributed to this report.
***
PRESSTV
Ground incursion into Syria, Iraq opens gates of hell: Hezbollah Brigades
Mon Feb 8, 2016 7:3AM
File photo shows members of Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq.
The Hezbollah Brigades, a popular resistance group fighting Daesh militants in Iraq, has warned Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries against any ground incursion into Syria or Iraq, saying such a move would “open the gates of hell” to the potential aggressors.
In a Sunday statement, the Special Operations of Hezbollah Brigades, also known as Kata'ib Hezbollah or Hezbollah Battalions, advised “the sons of Saud and those rulers who stand behind them not to take a risk and to learn (their) lesson.”
“The Arab kingdoms tried Daesh mercenaries to implement their malicious plans in Iraq and Syria, and they failed,” the statement added.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Sunday it was ready to send troops to Syria to join a US-led campaign allegedly fighting Daesh Takfiri group.
The announcement came after Saudi Arabia said on February 4 that it was ready to participate in any ground operations in Syria if the US-led coalition decides to start such operations.
Saudi Arabia is a member of the so-called US-led coalition that has been conducting air raids against what are claimed to be the Daesh terrorists inside Syria without any authorization from the Syrian government or a UN mandate since September 2014. The US-led strikes have, on many occasions, targeted Syria’s infrastructures and left many civilians dead.
On February 5, Bahrain’s Ambassador to Britain Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa also said that the kingdom is ready to deploy ground forces to Syria under the Saudi leadership.
He said the Saudi initiative was meant to combat both Daesh and the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Earlier, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said that any “ground intervention on Syrian territory without government authorization would amount to an aggression that must be resisted.”
He has also warned that potential aggressors would return home in a “wooden coffin.”
More than 260,000 people have been killed and millions more displaced in nearly five years of conflict in Syria.
The Syrian military backed by volunteer forces has inflicted heavy losses on foreign-backed militants during mop-up operations on different fronts and gained more ground against militants.
***
Global Research
Peace Talks “Paused” after Putin’s Triumph in Aleppo
By Mike Whitney
Global Research, February 05, 2016
CounterPunch
“This is the beginning of the end of jihadi presence in Aleppo. After 4 years of war and terror, people can finally see the end in sight.”
— Edward Dark, Twitter, Moon of Alabama
A last ditch effort to stop a Russian-led military offensive in northern Syria ended in failure on Wednesday when the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) backed by the National Defense Forces (NDF) and heavy Russian air cover broke a 40-month siege on the villages of Nubl and al-Zahra in northwestern Aleppo province. The Obama administration had hoped that it could forestall the onslaught by cobbling together an eleventh-hour ceasefire agreement at the Geneva peace talks. But when the news that Syrian armored units had crashed through al Nusra’s defenses and forced the jihadists to retreat, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura suspended the negotiations tacitly acknowledging that the mission had failed.
“I have indicated from the first day that I won’t talk for the sake of talking,” the envoy told reporters, saying he needed immediate help from international backers led by the United States and Russia, which are supporting opposite sides of a war that has also drawn in regional powers.” (Reuters) De Mistura then announced a “temporary pause” in the stillborn negotiations which had only formally begun just hours earlier. Developments on the battlefield had convinced the Italian-Swedish diplomat that it was pointless to continue while government forces were effecting a solution through military means.
After months of grinding away at enemy positions across the country, the Russian strategy has begun to bear fruit. Loyalist ground forces have made great strides on the battlefield rolling back the war-weary insurgents on virtually all fronts. A broad swathe of the Turkish border is now under SAA control while the ubiquitous Russian bombers continue to inflict heavy losses on demoralized anti-regime militants. Wednesday’s lightening attack on the strategic towns of Nubl and Zahraa was just the icing on the cake. The bold maneuver severed critical supply-lines to Turkey while tightening the military noose around the country’s largest city leaving hundreds of terrorists stranded in a battered cauldron with no way out.
For the last two weeks, the Obama team has been following developments on the ground with growing concern. This is why Secretary of State John Kerry hurriedly assembled a diplomatic mission to convene emergency peace talks in Geneva despite the fact that the various participants had not even agreed to attend. A sense of urgency bordering on panic was palpable from the onset. The goal was never to achieve a negotiated settlement or an honorable peace, but (as Foreign Policy magazine noted) to implement “a broad ‘freeze’ over the whole province of Aleppo, which would then be replicated in other regions later.” This was the real objective, to stop the bleeding any way possible and prevent the inevitable encirclement of Aleppo.
The recapturing of Nubl and Zahraa leaves the jihadists with just one route for transporting weapons, food and fuel to their urban stronghold. When loyalist forces break the blockade at Bab al Hawa to the northeast, the loop will be closed, the perimeter will tighten, the cauldron will be split into smaller enclaves within the city, and the terrorists will either surrender or face certain annihilation. Wednesday’s triumph by the Russian-led coalition is a sign that that day may be approaching sooner than anyone had anticipated.
It’s worth noting, that a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Michael O’Hanlon– whose plan to “deconstruct Syria” by using “moderate elements” to “produce autonomous zones”–advised Obama and Kerry “not to pursue the failed logic of the current Syria peace talks but to explore a confederal model and seek buy-in from as many key players and allies as possible.” In other words, the main architect of the US plan to break up Syria into smaller areas, (controlled by local militias, warlords and jihadists) thought the peace talks were “doomed” from the very beginning.
According to O’Hanlon the US needs to commit “20,000 combat troops” with “the right political model for maintaining occupation”.The Brookings analyst says that “Any ceasefire that Kerry could negotiate…would be built on a foundation of sand” for the mere fact that the “moderate” forces it would support would be much weaker than either the SAA or ISIS. That means there would be no way to enforce the final settlement and no army strong enough to establish the authority of the new “unity” government.
O’Hanlon’s comments suggest western elites are deeply divided over Syria. The hawks are still pushing for more intervention, greater US, EU, and NATO involvement, and American and allied “boots on the ground” to occupy the country for an undetermined amount of time. In contrast, the Obama administration wants to minimize its commitment while trying desperately to placate its critics.
That means Syria’s troubles could resurface again in the future when Obama steps down and a new president pursues a more muscular strategy. A number of powerful people in the ruling establishment are as determined-as-ever to partition Syria and install a US puppet in Damascus. That’s not going to change. The Russian-led coalition has a small window for concluding its operations, eliminating the terrorists, and reestablishing security across the country. Ending the war as soon as possible, while creating a safe environment for Syrian refugees to return home, is the best way to reduce the threat of escalation and discourage future US adventurism. But Putin will have to move fast for the plan to work.
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RT
Syria invasion plan? Turkey will defend its ‘Aleppo brothers,’ says PM Davutoglu
Published time: 10 Feb, 2016 05:04
Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu pledged to return a “historical debt” to Turkey’s “Aleppo brothers” who helped defend the country in the early 20th century, just days after Russia warned of Ankara’s intentions to invade Syria as the rebels there falter.
“We will return our historic debt. At one time, our brothers from Aleppo defended our cities of Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, now we will defend the heroic Aleppo. All of Turkey stands behind its defenders,” Davutoglu said at the meeting of the Party of Justice and Development parliamentary faction, which he heads.
Davutoglu was apparently referring to World War One and subsequent events in the Turkish War of Independence, seemingly glorifying the defense and retaking of Turkish cities from the Allied forces. Yet, he failed to mention that the Turks had been drawn into the war by Ottoman imperial ambitions. Turkey had entered the conflict by shelling the Russian port of Odessa from the sea. It then suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Russian troops in the war’s southern theater, before the Ottoman Empire was occupied and divided by the Allies. At the time, the three cities Davutoglu named saw thousands of Armenians and other minorities slaughtered by Turkish nationalists as part of the Armenian Genocide, which Ankara denies to this day.
Alarmingly, the statement comes less than a week after Russia’s Defense Ministry warned that Turkey was preparing a military invasion of Syria and is trying to conceal illegal activity on its Syrian border.
“We have significant evidence to suspect Turkey is in the midst of intense preparations for a military invasion into Syria’s sovereign territory,” Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov told reporters in Moscow.
Konashenkov also stated that Turkey had canceled an agreed upon Russian observation flight that had been scheduled over its territory because of its illicit activities. “So if someone in Ankara thinks that the cancelation of the flight by the Russian observers will enable hiding something, then they’re unprofessional.”
Moreover, Konashenkov pointed out that Turkey has already been supplying terrorists in the Syrian cities of Idlib and Aleppo with manpower and weaponry.
The spokesman showed the media a photo of the Reyhanli checkpoint, saying that “through this very border crossing – mainly at nighttime – the militants, who seized the city of Aleppo and Idlib in northwestern Syria, are being supplied with arms and fighters from Turkish territory.”
The alarming new developments come as jihadi forces fighting President Bashar Assad’s army in northern Syria are suffering losses and retreating to the Turkish border.
Moscow had provided the international community earlier with video evidence that Turkish artillery had fired on populated Syrian areas in the north of Latakia Province.
Meanwhile, Turkey has denied any plans to invade Syria. “Turkey doesn’t have any plans or intentions to begin a military campaign or ground operations on Syrian territory,” Reuters cited a senior Turkish government official as saying.
This is not the first time alleged plans by Turkey to invade Syria have been reported. In 2014, Turkey shut off access to YouTube after an explosive leak of audiotapes revealed that its ministers had been discussing how to stage a provocation that could justify a military intervention in Syria.
In one of the leaked recordings, a top government official mentions how an attack on the tomb of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of the Ottoman Empire’s founder, could do the trick. The monument is located in the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL)-embattled Syrian province of Raqqa, which is just over 30 kilometers from the Kurdish border town of Kobane and 1.5 hours’ drive from Aleppo.
US-Turkish rift over Syria plans?
Allegations that Ankara is planning an invasion of Syria come amid what would appear to be growing disconnect between Turkey and the US over their respective ambitions for the region. Notably, Turkey considers the US-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria to be terrorists akin to the Kurdish rebels fighting in eastern Turkey, and has recently been sending diplomatic signals to Washington that it is unhappy with America’s support of Kurds.
“We don’t recognize the PYD [Kurdish Democratic Union Party] as a terrorist organization, we recognize the Turks do,” US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said at a briefing.
Turkey summoned the US ambassador in Ankara after Washington announced that it does not consider Kurdish fighters in Syria to be terrorists. The Kurds, however, are not the only issue where Ankara’s ambitions appear to clash with the desires of the White House, and this includes a possible unilateral military intervention in Syria.
At a press briefing, the US State Department chose not to reveal what was discussed at the ambassador’s meeting, but when RT’s Gayane Chichakyan pressed Kirby with a question regarding Davutoglu’s statement on “defending Aleppo,” here is the vague response she received:
“You should talk to the Turks about what they are implying or inferring or suggesting in that statement,” Kirby said. “We continue to believe two things. One, there isn’t going to be a military solution to this conflict. The second thing, we do look for Turkey’s assistance on the military front when it comes to fighting Daesh [IS].”
Kurdish fighters have been known to closely coordinate their actions with US forces in the fight against IS in both Iraq and Syria.
While this is far from the first time in the civil war that Turkey seems to be threatening Syria with an incursion, Middle East specialist Ali Rizk warns that Ankara has been behaving “irrationally” and anything can be expected.
“Turkey very much wants to achieve a goal … they have dreams and aspirations about the Ottoman Empire. Those dreams are very much linked to what happens in Syria. Particularly, the northern city of Aleppo, which is considered to be, by the Turkish leaders, part of the former Ottoman Empire … It’s always possible that you might see illogical or otherwise irrational policies being resorted to, be it a ground invasion or be it any military intervention,” Rizk told RT.
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RUSSIA INSIDER
The Guardian: Scary Things to Happen to Europe If Putin Takes Aleppo
What scary things those might be we are never clearly told
Marko Marjanović Tue, Feb 9, 2016
Of all the reactions to the ongoing Syrian-Russian North Aleppo offensive perhaps none has been more entertaining, or more bizarre, than the one from the pen of Natalie Nougayrède writing for The Guardian. Do yourself a favor and read the peace "What happens next in Aleppo will shape Europe’s future" along with comments from yours truly.
If Aleppo falls, Syria’s vicious war will take a whole new turn, one with far-reaching consequences not just for the region but for Europe too.
Hear this. Europe's fate will be decided at Aleppo! As goes Aleppo so goes Europe!
The latest government assault on the besieged northern Syrian city, which has caused tens of thousands more people to flee in recent days, is also a defining moment for relations between the west and Russia, whose airforce is playing a key role.
Government "assault" on a "besieged city". Russian air force "playing a key role". – Nougayrède letting lose those Pavlov's dogs of war.
The defeat of anti-Assad rebels who have partially controlled the city since 2012 would leave nothing on the ground in Syria but Assad’s regime and Islamic State.
Oh and what a shame that would be to see the eradication of Jabhat al-Nusra and its coalition partners in the (aptly named) Army of Conquest and their kindred spirits in the Army of Islam and Ansar al-Sharia.
And all hope of a negotiated settlement involving the Syrian opposition will vanish. This has been a longstanding Russian objective – it was at the heart of Moscow’s decision to intervene militarily four months ago.
Yes those evil Russkies, they intervened just as much to thwart the Stalinist ISIS, as they did to rout the Trotskyist Al-Qaeda and the Menshevik Ahrar ash-Sham.
It is hardly a coincidence that the bombardment of Aleppo, a symbol of the 2011 anti-Assad revolution, started just as peace talks were being attempted in Geneva. Predictably, the talks soon faltered.
Yupp, the Russian-Syrian Aleppo offensive was started specifically to sabotage Geneva peace talks. That's really fresh because Russian intervention is the only reason Geneva peace talks were even held. Prior to September 2015 real talks were impossible because the US and its entourage backed the rebels in their demand that Assad capitulates as a precondition to "talking" to him.
Also never mind that nobody expected the talks to amount to anything anyway – including Britain's premier Middle East reporter.
Russian military escalation in support of the Syrian army was meant to sabotage any possibility that a genuine Syrian opposition might have its say on the future of the country.
And who represents this "genuine Syrian opposition"? The Salafist Ahrar ash-Sham which represented it at Geneva on the insistence of Saudi Arabia? The Jabhat al-Nusra which is its ally in the Army of Conquest and which started out as ISIS' (then ISI) Syrian branch before switching loyalties over to Ayman al-Zawahiri – that beacon of enlightenment and liberalism in Tora Bora?
Truth is that the possibility that a non-crazy Syrian opposition might have a say on the country's future was destroyed when White House allowed Saudia Arabia and the CIA to funnel weapons into Syria that consistently ended up with the most radical elements of the rebellion.
Also it did not help that US' "Assad must go" maximalism precluded talks between Assad and the opposition early on, when the non-insane rebels still held some sway and when Assad was seemingly panicking and willing to try to appease them.
It was meant to thwart any plans the west and the UN had officially laid out. And it entirely contradicted Moscow’s stated commitment to a political process to end the war.
The aftershocks will be felt far and wide. If there is one thing Europeans have learned in 2015, it is that they cannot be shielded from the effects of conflict in the Middle East.
Be afraid. Moscow will send aftershocks from the Middle East towards you against which there is no shield.
And if there is one thing they learned from the Ukraine conflict in 2014, it is that Russia can hardly be considered Europe’s friend. It is a revisionist power capable of military aggression.
Whoah. Of course it is West which intended to topple the sitting government of Syria, and Moscow which has acted to prop it up – yet it is Russia which is the revisionist power?
In fact, as the fate of Aleppo hangs in the balance, these events have – as no other perhaps since the beginning of the war – highlighted the connections between the Syrian tragedy and the strategic weakening of Europe and the west in general.
This spillover effect is something Moscow has not only paid close attention to, but also in effect fuelled.
The spread of instability fits perfectly with Russia’s goal of seeking dominance by exploiting the hesitations and contradictions of those it identifies as adversaries.
First of all this is insane. Russia neither seeks nor is capable of any sort of "dominance" whether in Syria or in Europe. At most Moscow can soothe a mess created by the West here and there and pick up a few prestige points along the way.
In Syria itself Russian intervention was only made possible by US declaring open season on ISIS first. After doing that but failing to pursue the anti-ISIS fight wholeheartedly it could seethe with rage but it could hardly physically prevent Russia from picking up what Washington itself had proclaimed a worthy cause the year before.
Secondly, why don't we talk about those "hesitations and contradictions" of US and its western allies in Syria? What kind of an insane, callous and irresponsible policy is it to simultaneously run two parallel interventions in a foreign sovereign country pursuing two mutually opposing goals?
How can US simultaneously use jihadis to dislodge Syria's Baathist government and simultaneously clean Syria of jihadi ISIS and Al-Qaeda? What sane purpose can it possibly have to, at the same time bomb ISIS, and funnel material into Syria which ends up with other jihadis?
By bombing some of Assad's enemies but equipping others (directly or via Saudis), US acts like the owner who props up both football teams on the field.
Clearly the practical effects of such policies must cancel each other out – except for the destruction and chaos arising from them which ends up added on top of each other.
Either of these policies would have been imperial, aggressive and destructive. Both combined at the same time are insane and do nothing but fan the flames and help keep Syria in a perpetual state of war.
Aleppo will define much of what happens next. A defeat for Syrian opposition forces would further empower Isis in the myth that it is the sole defender of Sunni Muslims – as it terrorises the population under its control.
There are many tragic ironies here, not least that western strategy against Isis has officially depended on building up local Syrian opposition ground forces so that they might one day push the jihadi insurgency out of its stronghold in Raqqa.
If the very people that were meant to be counted on to do that job as foot soldiers now end up surrounded and crushed in Aleppo, who will the west turn to?
Russia has all along claimed it was fighting Isis – but in Aleppo it is helping to destroy those Syrian groups that have in the past proved to be efficient against Isis.
If there were ever any doubts about Russia’s objectives in Syria, events around Aleppo will surely have cleared them.
And who are these opposition ground forces that could be built up to dislodge "the jihadi insurgency" from its "Raqqa stronghold"? The reader is left to wonder again.
Would these be the jihadi Al-Nusra and jihadi Ars-Sham? And would it be such an improvement to have the jihadi Army of Conquest dislodge ISIS and turn Raqqa into a jihadi stronghold of their own?
Perhaps to Nougayrède it would be, seeing how she throughout the article only singles out ISIS as worth opposing, but does not say a word about any of the other groups which dominate the rest of the rebellion and share ISIS' fundamentalist and ultra-sectarian vision and ideology but squabble over tactics.
Vladimir Putin has duplicated in Syria the strategy he applied to Chechnya: full military onslaught on populated areas so rebels are destroyed or forced out. There is a long history of links – going back to the Soviet era – between the Syrian power structure and Russian intelligence.
Just as Putin’s regime physically eliminated those in Chechnya who might have been interlocutors for a negotiated peace settlement, Assad has conflated all political opposition with “terrorism”.
And as there was never any settlement in Chechnya (only full-on war and destruction until the Kremlin put its own Chechen leader in place), in Putin’s view there can be no settlement in Syria with the opposition.
Whatever the Russian approach in Chechnya it is clear Russian approach in Syria has been far more nuanced and less judgy – as it befits a foreign player. Russians have no desire to talk to and legitimize Al-Qaeda and groups coalescing with it, but they've never demonized anti-Assad opposition as a whole.
On the contrary, they have actively played up their ties to and battlefield support for some parts of what they deem "the democratic opposition". That is to say Russians are the only foreign player in Syria which has demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with all anti-jihadi forces, whether they are affiliated with the government or the rebellion.
So it is not Russia which picks and chooses between good and bad anti-jihadis – but EU and the US (and laughably the likes of Saudi Arabia and Turkey – the chief sponsors of the other side).
Also, as a side note, the Kurdish YPG, while not actively fighting Damascus, is technically also a rebel formation and it is the Russians who have the most straightforward relationship to the Kurds on the account of not being beholden to Turkey.
Additionally, Nougayrède isn't quite right about Russia's strategy in Chechnya either. Had Russia truly pursued the approach described by her it might still be fighting that war.
In fact Russia refused to negotiate with either Chechen Islamists or Nationalists but it did leave them with an open way to switch sides and come back into the fold under conditions that were attractive enough that many indeed took up the offer.
A chunk of Chechen rebels was essentially bought off in a deal where they were made the future leaders of autonomous Chechnya to be rebuilt with Russian money in return for keeping the peace, rooting out jihadis and demonstrating unquestionable loyalty to Moscow.
It was a scheme very similar to the later US 'Sunni Awakening' ploy in Iraq but pursued much more comprehensively. It resulted in Chechnya in the hands of former anti-Moscow rebels like the Kadyrov and the Yamadayev clan – to the seething rage of the few Chechen commanders like Said-Magomed Kakiyev who had fought the insurgency with the Russians all along.
Russia’s strategic objectives go much further, however. Putin wants to reassert Russian power in the Middle East, but it is Europe that he really has in mind. The defining moment came in 2013, when Barack Obama gave up on airstrikes against Assad’s military bases after chemical weapons were used.
Oh wait, Barack Obama was going to launch airstrakes in 2013? Well that doesn't sound very peaceable. So who was really interested in asserting power?
It's also cute how the article uses passive tense to avoid mentioning who used those chemical weapons. It has since become known it was the anti-Assad rebels who used the Sarin gas in a false flag attack meant to provide cover for US intervention in Syria against the Damascus government.
This encouraged Putin to test western resolve further away, on the European continent. Putin was certainly caught off guard by the Ukrainian Maidan popular uprising but he swiftly moved to restore dominance through use of force, including the annexation of territory.
He calculated – rightly – that his hybrid war in Ukraine could not be prevented by the west. Russian policies in Ukraine have as a result shaken the pillars of Europe’s post-cold-war security order – which Putin would like to see rewritten to Russia’s advantage.
What are these "pillars" of "Europe's security order" if we may ask? We are not told. The article keeps using poetic euphemisms ("aftershocks", "spillover effect", "dominance", "far reaching consequences", "genuine Syrian opposition") without explanation as to what real world phenomena these may refer to so that it is more difficult to pin down and call to account.
Also how is "Europe's post-cold-war security order" different from that during the Cold War? It is true that during the Cold War the West had some respect for Moscow but has since decided it can do just about anything, and anywhere and Russia simply has to take it. Of course that isn't a "security order" of any kind, it's dangerous triumphalism which Russia would indeed like to see end.
Russian takeover of Crimea may indeed be seen as a warning shot across the bow of Western triumphalism – one that came 14 long years after Putin took over in Moscow, but only a few days after EU had played a pivotal role in underwriting a violent overthrow of the legal president in Russia's neighbor and ethnic cousin Ukraine that took that divided country to the brink of civil war.
Likewise, Russian military involvement in Syria has put Nato in a bind, with one of its key members right on the frontline. Turkey’s relations with Russia have been on the brink for months. Now Moscow has openly warned Turkey against sending forces into Syria to defend Aleppo. How the Turkish leader will choose to react is another western headache.
All this is happening at a time when European governments are desperate to win Ankara’s cooperation on the refugee problem. If Turkey now turns into a troublemaker for Nato on its Middle Eastern flank, that serves Russian interests.
So in other words it is not really Russia which is the problem here but Erdogan's unpredictability and intransigence, and the fact EU is so closely allied to such a character. But hey, let's be mad at Russia.
Similarly, if Europe sees a new exodus of refugees, Russia will stand to benefit. The refugee crisis has sowed deep divisions on the continent and it has helped populist rightwing parties flourish – many of which are Moscow’s political allies against the EU as a project.
The refugee crisis has put key EU institutions under strain; it has heightened the danger of Brexit (which Moscow would welcome); and it has severely weakened Angela Merkel, the architect of European sanctions against Russia.
Oh wait, did you say that Western nation-breaking across Asia and Africa has finally caught up with the EU which is now paying a small price for it with the refugee influx? Well how is that Moscow's fault?
Of course, it would be an exaggeration to say that Putin had all this worked out from the start. He has been led by events as much as he has wanted to control them.
Russia is not responsible for the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, nor does it have its hand in everything that happens in Ukraine. But the way Russia has cynically played its pawns should send more alarm bells ringing in the west and in the UN than is the case now.
Translation: We can't really pin this on Putin or 'cynical' Russia but be afraid anyways – may your 'alarm bells' go off.
Putin likes to cast himself as a man of order, but his policies have brought more chaos, and Europe is set to pay an increasing price. Getting the Russian regime to act otherwise will require more than wishful thinking.
A truly bizarre spin. EU Europe shot itself in the foot by helping US explode Libya and Syria. If anything Libya where the West ignored Moscow's warnings completely has been engulfed by even greater chaos.
By staving off US intervention in Syria in 2013 and intervening to prop up failing Assad in 2015 Moscow has in fact done a huge favor to the EU. Doing so has prevented the Syrian state from spiraling into complete non-existence and the likes of Al Qaeda and ISIS filling the void over as had happened in NATO-'liberated' Libya. Certainly had this taken place the number of refugees knocking on EU doors would have been even higher.
Essentially Putin had saved the West from its own stupidity, but it's safe to say no thanks will be forthcoming.
Aleppo is an unfolding human tragedy. But it is necessary to connect the dots between the plight of this city, Europe’s future, and how Russia hovers over both.
The takeaway: Russia "hovers over Europe's future". We're never clearly told how that is so and what Russia may do to Europe that's so bad, but we know it's "no friend to Europe" and is "capable of military aggression" and there's eery music playing in the background – so we better be afraid. You know, "spillover" and "aftershocks". Whoah! Scary!
So there you have it. When the Baathist attempt on Aleppo comes The Guardian wants you to root for Al Qaeda to rebuke it and keep Europe safe. Hail Bin Laden! Hail Sieg! As goes Stalingrad...uhm Aleppo... so goes Europe!
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SPUTNIK
'It’s a Power Game': Erdogan’s Ultimatum to Washington Decoded
© REUTERS/ Kayhan Ozer/
MIDDLE EAST
22:38 09.02.2016(updated 04:26 10.02.2016)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has drawn a line in the sand; either the US supports Ankara or the Kurdish people. Speaking to Radio Sputnik’s Loud & Clear, activist Elif Sarican and journalist Eric Draitser discuss the meaning behind Erdogan’s comments.
Kurdish fighters have proven to be one of the most effective forces fighting terrorist groups in Syria, yet the Turkish government continues to refer to groups like the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) as terrorists. While Russia has worked steadily to include Kurdish groups in Syrian peace talks, Ankara has refused, and has now called on Washington to choose sides.
"What [Erdogan is] really saying is the United States must take a side both in a new civil war inside of Turkey and in the broader regional context, and ultimately that’s what this is really about. Erdogan has drawn his line separating himself from Russia and he’s demanding that the United States side with him," journalist and analyst Eric Draitser tells Loud & Clear host Brian Becker.
"Unfortunately for Erdogan, he’s painted himself into a corner. He has very few options left for him, and that’s why you see such dangerous and bold rhetoric."
Germany appears to have already chosen its side. On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Russian airstrikes, but failed to address Turkey’s military operations against the Kurds.
"It’s a power game," Elif Sarican of the Kurdish Student Union says. "Russia has been a lot more effective in a very short period of time than the US has been effective in the last few years.
"If Turkey loses power on the border, then therefore, directly…Germany, NATO, and the US, all of these power hoarders lose their influence that they so desperately want to have in Syria."
The United States, on the other hand, is struggling to figure out its ultimate goals in Syria.
"What is the ultimate US strategy in Syria if they’re not able to achieve regime change, which is ultimately what the United States wanted from the very beginning? They wanted to get rid of the Assad government and put in its place a compliant and more pro-Western government…" Draitser says.
"That project has failed."
As Western powers attempt to salvage their reputation in the region, the Kurdish people are struggling to have their voice heard.
"Kurds in the region still do want a united Syria," Sarican says. "They want autonomy in the sense that they want to live the way they’re living right now…They want to be able to govern themselves, but this doesn’t mean completely independent from the state.
"If there is any chance of a solution it will be with the influence of Russia, because completely changing the regime and getting rid of Assad is going to do what it did in places like Libya and Egypt. It’s not going to help the people of the country…"
Long term stability, however, may not be in Turkey’s best interest.
"Turkey has lost its access to a lot of its proxies inside of Syria because of what Russia has done," Draitser says. "It wants to regain that access, and it’s using the crisis with the refugees and Aleppo in order to achieve just that."
(It would not be surprising to see regime change in Turkey. The Turkish democracy was interrupted by military coups d'état in 1960, 1971 and 1980. Ed.)
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"The coming war will be so severe that only one superpower can win, and that's us. That is why the EU is in such a hurry to form the superpower, because they know what is coming, and to survive, Europe will have to be one whole cohesive state. This urgency tells me that they know what to expect from us. Oh, how I dreamed of this delightful moment. From the ashes we shall build a new society, there will remain only one superpower, and it will be the global government that wins. Do not forget that the United States has the best weapon, which no other country has, and we will introduce those weapons to the world when the time is right". (Henry Kissinger January 2012).
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SHTFplan.com
Radiation Alert: L.A. Gas Well Spewing LETHAL LEVELS Of Breathable Nuclear Material: “Fukushima Class Disaster”
Author Condition Mac Slavo
Date February 4th, 2016
In a breaking development that has been completely ignored by mainstream news sources, the leaking natural gas well near Los Angeles, California is now reportedly spewing lethal levels of radioactive material, according to a report from Steve Quayle and a group with expertise in nuclear material.
A leaking natural gas well outside Los Angeles is spewing so much naturally-occurring Uranium and Radon, that “breathable” radiation levels have hit “lethal levels” according to a Nuclear Expert group.
Hal Turner of Super Station 95 reports that the well is releasing 1.91 Curies (Ci) of radiation per hour.
This rogue well is spewing huge amounts of natural gas and about 1.91 curies an hour of natural radioactive material in the natural gas… 1.91 curies an hour is about 45.9 curies per day… It’s a really, really big leak.
A curie is a unit of measure in the U.S. to describe very large radioactive releases.
The French utilize a unit of measure called a Becquerel to measure radiation levels. A single Becquerel measures the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second.
To put things into perspective, Turner explains that a single Curie is equivalent to about 37 Billion Becquerels (Bq) of radiation:
A Becquerel is a much more human sized unit of measure… it’s one radioactive burst of energy per second… One Curie is 37 billion Becquerels per second.
That’s 1.7 trillion Becquerels per day coming out of that natural gas well.
This is a real Fukushima class disaster and it’s happening right here in the USA.
…
In 80 days of fumes at a pace of 1,115 tons per day coming out of that ground… could carry with it 301.2 terra-Becquerels of natural radioactivity… This converts to a resperable… a breathable emanation of 12 million Sieverts (Sv)… 2.4 million times the lethal dose by inhalation.
In short, the leak is massive and researchers at UC Davis have indicated that they have never encountered as much methane in the air as they have over suburban Los Angeles in recent months.
While resident complaints of feeling ill, vomiting and nausea have been chalked off by officials as the result of breathing in the natural gas, it is quite possible and increasingly likely that what they are experiencing is actually radiation poisoning.
According to one report, the radiation levels in the Chernobyl control room following the 1986 disaster reached about 300 Sv per hour. That was enough to provide a lethal dose to anyone in the room within 1-2 minutes.
While the Los Angeles leak is widespread with radiation disbursing across the city, the fact remains that millions of Sieverts of radiation have been released and will continue to be released until such time that the well is permanently sealed.
The following map shows the spread of methane over the Los Angeles area and researchers from Eco Watch report that elevated levels of natural gas have been detected as far as 10 miles from the leak:
For those living in the area, be warned: you are inhaling deadly radiation. And while the dose is not immediately lethal, prolonged inhalation and exposure may lead to a spike in cancer-related disease and deaths over coming years.
The Prepper’s Blueprint author Tess Pennington provides a variety of strategies and preparedness considerations to help prevent and/or mitigate radiation exposure, including Four Proven Supplements for Treating Radiation Sickness and nuclear/chemical preparedness supplies like potassium iodate pills and gas masks with extra filters.
Hattip SteveQuayle.com
Related Information:
Survive Any Disaster – A Step By Step Guide
Four Proven Supplements for Treating Radiation Sickness
How to Survive When a Nuke Is Dropped
Nuclear and EMP Preparedness
An Urban Guide to Surviving a Nuclear Attack
NEwsletter
EYEWITNESS NEWS
PORTER RANCH GAS LEAK FINALLY PLUGGED, SOCAL GAS SAYS
SoCal Gas says it has finally plugged the leak from a ruptured well that gushed massive amounts of natural gas in the Porter Ranch area for nearly four months.
By Jory Rand and ABC7.com staff
Thursday, February 11, 2016 09:03PM
PORTER RANCH, LOS ANGELES (KABC) --
The natural gas leak in the Porter Ranch area that gushed uncontrollably for nearly four months and drove thousands of residents from their homes was plugged on Thursday, Southern California Gas Company said.
The utility's announcement marks the first time the leak has been under control since it was first reported Oct. 23.
The well still needs to be permanently sealed with cement and inspected by state regulators.
If the plug holds and all goes according to plan to seal the well, the Porter Ranch community could begin to return to normalcy. Schools were closed and about 6,000 families were uprooted as they complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms as an intermittent stench wafted through the area.
Public health officials blamed their woes on an odorant added to gas so it can be detected and have said they don't expect long-term health impacts.
The leak at the largest underground gas storage reservoir in the West was declared an emergency by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The blowout happened in a 60-year-old well that was built to pump oil from porous rock a mile-and-a-half below the Santa Susana Mountains. After the oil ran dry in the 1970s, the field of 115 wells was reused to store natural gas.
Regulators will use high-tech equipment to survey the ruptured pipe for clues about what went wrong before cement is poured into the well to permanently cap it.
Residents who voluntarily moved out will have up to eight days to return to their homes after inspectors deem it safe.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ars technica uk
Europe’s top court mulls legality of hyperlinks—shockwaves could be huge for Web users
Imagine having to check that none of your links' links are unauthorised, and so on.
by Glyn Moody - Feb 4, 2016 10:10am CST
Are the Web's links under threat from a new CJEU court case?
Europe's highest court is considering whether every hyperlink in a Web page should be checked for potentially linking to material that infringes copyright, before it can be used. Such a legal requirement would place an unreasonable burden on anyone who uses hyperlinks, thereby destroying the Web we know and love.
The current GS Media case examining hyperlinks builds on an earlier ruling by the European Union's Court of Justice (CJEU) in 2014. In that case, known as Svensson, the court decided that netizens didn't need a licence from the copyright holder to link to an article that had already been posted on the Internet, where previous permission had been granted by the copyright owner.
Although that was good news for the online world, it left open a related question: what would the situation be if the material that was linked to had not been posted with the copyright owner's permission? Would it still be legal under EU law to link to that pirated copy? Those are the issues that the latest CJEU case seeks to resolve for the whole of the 28-member-state bloc, and its 500 million citizens.
The Disruptive Competition Project has a good summary of the facts of the GS Media saga: "The defendant is a popular Dutch blog that posted links to photos meant for publication in the Dutch version of Playboy magazine, but which were leaked on an Australian server. No one knows who posted the photos to the Australian server, but everyone agrees that the blog only posted links to them." The details of how the case finally arrived at the CJEU are complicated, and explained well in a long post on the EU Law Radar blog.
Even if the facts are convoluted, a ruling that hyperlinks to unauthorised copies of material are themselves an infringement of copyright would clearly be disastrous for the online world. As the Disruptive Competition Project noted:
If the CJEU rules that every web user, in Europe and beyond, is expected to verify the copyright status of every item on a page before linking to that page, it could effectively destroy the web as we know it today.
Would you have to repeatedly check back on the sites you link to, in case the content on the site you linked to has changed? Would you need to confirm that their licences are all paid in full? Would you also have to verify the copyright status of links on the pages that you’re linking to?
Leaving aside the huge issue that ordinary Web users can hardly be expected to make expert calls on the copyright status of online material, the last question asked there is a particularly important one. If the answer is yes, it would mean that you would need to check the legality, not just of everything that you link to, but also of everything that those linked pages link to, and so on, until every single link that is linked in any way has had its licensing checked.
The manifest impossibility of doing so may well help the CJEU come to the common-sense decision that even though posting material without the owner's permission can be copyright infringement—and even then, it isn't always—providing a link to that infringing copy definitely isn't.
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abcNEWS
Woman, 82, Tracks Down and Meets 96-Year-Old Birth Mother
By MARY ESCH, ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALBANY, N.Y. — Feb 5, 2016, 8:57 AM ET
Eighty-two years after she was born to a teenage girl and put up for adoption, Betty Morrell finally has met her 96-year-old birth mother, thanks to the dogged persistence of her granddaughter during 20 years of searching.
And as a bonus, she has forged a close friendship with a sister she never knew she had.
"After my adoptive parents died, that's when I started looking," Betty Morrell said Thursday by phone from her home in Spring Hill, Florida. "Being that it was a closed adoption, it's like hitting a brick wall because you can't get any information."
Morrell was born in 1933 in the central New York town of Utica to Lena Pierce, who named her Eva May. Social welfare officials took the baby away because Pierce, then 13, was herself a ward of the state. Eva May was adopted by a family on Long Island and grew up as Betty Morrell, an only child.
"I grew up a very happy child," Morrell said. "I was so content in the family I was adopted by."
She was in her early 30s when she started looking for information about her birth family. She had been told her birth mother had died during childbirth and was shocked when she eventually learned she was still alive.
Morrell's granddaughter, Kimberly Miccio, started helping with the search when she was 12.
"My grandmother had been looking for a long time," said Miccio, 32, who now lives with her husband and three children a few minutes away from Morrell. "She had never tried through the Internet, so we started going through different sites."
It took 20 years, but the breakthrough finally came in September. Miccio got in touch with a distant relative of Morrell's through Ancestry.com, and that person put her in touch with Millie Hawk of Windsor, New York, one of Pierce's daughters.
"Kim and I got on the phone and called her," Morrell said. "I had found my baby sister, who's 65. We just clicked. It was like we had known each other all our lives."
Morrell learned she had four sisters and two brothers, and that her mother was alive and well, living in an assisted living apartment complex in Hallstead, Pennsylvania. That's about 20 miles from where Hawk lives.
"I rushed to my mother's house to tell her," Hawk said. "She just sat down in a chair and cried. She said, 'My Eva May, they found her?' It was just so emotional."
Morrell and Miccio flew to Binghamton, near Hawk's home, last month. Hawk brought their mother to the airport.
"The minute I saw her come through the security door, I just got goosebumps," Hawk said. "Mother reached for her; Betty said. 'Mom.' They hugged and cried."
"There were a few tears, and shaking," Pierce said. "It sure was a joy to finally meet up with her. It's kind of hard when you have a child that you get separated from. I never wanted to give her up."
Since then, Morrell has been talking regularly with Hawk by phone and Facebook, and they're planning a get-together in Florida in the spring. She talks less often to Pierce. "Sometimes I have to remind my mother of who I am," Morrell said. "I say, 'I'm your long-lost daughter Eva May.'"
Morrell offers encouragement to other adoptees who have contacted her via Facebook, telling of their own searches.
"I say absolutely don't give up. There's always something that will link it," she said. "It's a lot of work. It took me 50 years."
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"For thou, O Lord, hast possessed my reins; thou hast helped me from my mother’s womb."
(Psalm 139:13)