The situation in Syria

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Hello again to All,

Some of you would have noticed a fair bit of sabre rattling recently between the USA and Russia. The US government, which is quite obviously not in power to serve the interests of its nation or people (not unlike most other countries, it should be added), is threatening again to ramp up its support of Christian-persecuting al-queda jihadists in Syria, and directly bomb Syrian government forces.

Russia, for its part, has said it will shoot down any American( or other aircraft) that do so. The global media has been carrying inflammatory reports about World War Three, how it might eventuate, and so on.

Meanwhile, hypocritical western governments and media have been calling for 'war crime' probes against the Syrian and Russian governments. This is all part of the sabre rattling. Yes, as stated in previous posts, Syrian government and Russian government forces have likely committed war crimes, as has virtually every other force that has ever gone to war at any time.

However, the bleeding obvious fact, as has been extensively documented throughout this forum, is that western-backed rebels have committed far greater, far bloodier, far more horrific war crimes. But because they're the side supported by the western government/media complex, then it's A-Okay. Nothing to see here.

Therefore, the call for 'war crime' probes against Syria and Russia is clearly nothing but a cynical propaganda stunt, once the consumer is able to see past the crocodile tears of the western politicians/media/etc.

But anyway, whatever someone might think about this country or that, this government or that, the ball really is in the court of US and other western governments. Do they want to risk World War Three, or do they definitely not want to risk it at all? I have no confidence in them at all. In my well-reasoned opnion, their top priority is to build a global totalitarian government and eventually crush all dissent (it is, after all, prophesied in the Bible that such a totalitarian global government will one day be formed and reign for a short time prior to Christ's return).

Hey, there's heaps that is unknown, but what is pretty clear is that most people don't want a third world war any time soon, no matter who would be to blame. My prayer would be that our politicians, media, and whoever is really pulling their strings would be restrained by God himself, that if there really are people in powerful positions that would like to risk a major conflict, that God would thwart their plans.

That's all. Until next time.

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Here's a fantastic little article on the current situation in Syria, particularly the Russian-USA conflict dimension to the whole thing. It's from The Guardian, which is usually an unreadable left-wing propaganda rag. Somehow, good articles can crop up in the unlikeliest of places.

The nicest thing about this article is its balance. It's rare to see such balance when reporting on conflicts (As correct as I believe my views are, for instance, I also realise in hindsight that some of my own thoughts could possibly do with just a tad more balance at times).

Link is below:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... ssia-syria

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Hi All,

This is an incredible article from Robert Fisk of The Independent, one of the few mainstream media jounalists who is actually in the business of telling the truth.

It cuts through propaganda, agendas, bias, flippant remarks about the fate of nations, fake outrage, etc. This just cuts through everything that is unnecessary, really just doing nothing more than highlighting the incredible suffering of Syrian people in a highly personalised manner.

Link is below:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 85791.html

My prayer to The Lord is that the suffering of that nation is ended as soon as possible, that a just outcome to the war would be reached, that nations such as the USA, Europe, Britain, Australia, etc- all of whom fully deserve to be utterly destroyed just as Syria has been (hey, it's harsh but true)- may turn en masse from their wickedness before it is too late, and that The Lord's will would be done all over our planet sooner rather than later.

Amen. I'll post more news as it arises.

[mlg]

that nations such as the USA, Europe, Britain, Australia, etc- all of whom fully deserve to be utterly destroyed just as Syria has been (hey, it's harsh but true)

Nations are made up of people, I would never wish to see any country utterly destroyed as Syria has been. I feel that God has a reason for everything, and that the destruction in Syria is part of His plan. I am so thankful that God's grace is beautiful as without His grace no one, anywhere would ever stand a chance in this sinful world.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

God knows what He is doing...He is still on His throne....We have to trust that His will is being done in Syria and around the world, and trust Him.

Take care TrueandMagneticNorth

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Hi mlg,

Thanks for the post. I, too, don't like the idea of any nation being destroyed. Actually, I hadn't thought much about the fact God does bring down nations until you mentioned it as a possibility on this forum a little while ago (with regard to Syria).

Whereas we can't really know whether God is directly punishing Syria for something, at the very least He has let it happen, and this process has seen genocide unleashed upon His people.

This whole aspect has actually reminded me very vividly of late that we as individuals are all worthy of damnation, but only due to the grace of God is there a path away from this penalty. Similarly, countries that are not in step with God's ways would appear to be on borrowed time.

As someone who lives in a modern western country, and who considers himself vey blessed to do so, I nonetheless see strong parallels between all modern western countries with Sodom and Gommoarah (this may seem like a tired comparison, but I am convinced it is an accurate comparison for numerous reasons). All countries are Godless to a degree, but He clearly chooses to punish some over others.

I am certainly in no rush to see my own country annihilated, or any other for that matter. But I firmly believe it's what could well be on the cards at some time or another unless God intervenes personally. And yet, you make a fascinating point: destruction, such as that in Syria, could well be all somehow part of His plan.

Your postings get me thinking, mlg, and no doubt do the same for other readers in this forum.

Thanks, and God bless you.

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Hello Everyone.

Just a little item of news. I don't know what it means, if anything, but it's an interesting little development anyway.

Lebanon has just elected a new president. I don't know anything about him, but he is apparently a Christian. Moreover, he is backed by Hizbollah and is ostensibly on friendly terms with the Assad government of Syria.

A link to a small article about this development is below:

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/afp/201 ... omacy.html

For what it's worth, I have long been of the view that Hizbollah, as imperfect as it is, is wrongfully dubbed a 'terrorist group'. Their sins pale in comparison to a whole host of other actors (including nation states) who do not carry such negative titles given them by the 'international community'.

Our Christian brothers and sister across the Middle-East, the target of genocide from all kinds of wahhabist-jihadist groups, nonetheless have a number of allies of convenience in the region. It is worth praying to The Lord not only for our Christian brothers and sisters, but other groups facing the same demonic enemy across that region, and indeed the world. May The Lord spread His Word among them, and grant them protection from the enemy as well as justice.

God bless you.

[mlg]

Hi Trueandmagneticnorth,

As I read your shared words, I can't help but think of many things. You know the middle east has always been full of hatred and vice. It is like that part of the world is the devil's playground. Paul and Jesus spent much time in Syria witnessing, but even they were rejected. It will take a true act of God for the middle east to change. But, as I read the Bible I also know that this is another sign that the end of time is nearing. This tells me that better days may not come until Jesus returns, and we should prepare our hearts to accept this. Only God knows what lay ahead for Syria. May His good and perfect will be done.

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Greetings, Friends,

There have been no major developments that I know of within Syria of late. However, there has obviously been the US election, which would apparently appear to have clear ramifications for Syria and the broader Middle-East.

There are a few things I'd like to comment on with regard to this topic. I will endeavour to keep it relatively congenial and nice, and to keep it linked with the major topic of this forum.

But before I proceed, here is an important little warning: If you have no interest in reading some political commentary from a random stranger, then I totally respect and understand your sentiment. Therefore, I politely ask you to stop reading this post... NOW (But please come back to the forum in future, this post will only be a one-off).

Let me tell you something: For months I have been praying to The Lord the following prayer: "Please thwart Hilary Clinton, please thwart her campaign and please thwart the mainstream media." This is a prayer that was put on my heart by The Lord, no question. At no point did I ever pray for a Trump victory, or even a Hilary loss. For the ultimate result was for The Lord to choose, not me. Rather, I simply, continually, prayed for her to be thwarted, whatever this would mean.

I am not thinking for a second that The Lord decided the election based on my prayer alone. But what I am saying is that He answered my prayer. And don't come at me with any needless provocations about being 'political'. I already gave the warning that this will be a political post, and if you have read this far, you chose to read on despite my warning.

As stated, I will keep this post strictly about the theme of Syria and the Middle-East, in connection with the US election. Here are the reasons why I firmly believe that the result of the US election is very positive for Syria and the Middle-East:

If you are similar to me, you don't like the idea of WW3 with Russia. This possibility is far less likely now that Trump is the president-elect. His defeated oppoenent, judging by her history of destructive actions, flippant words, and hatred of Russia, may not necessarily have started a war with Russia, but would have been unpredictable to say the least.

There is a lot of circumstantial evidence that the US government/media complex and its international allies was a covert enabler and supporter of the so-called 'Islamic State'. Now, under a new administration, there is the possibility that the USA, despite its treacherous media, could take its rightful place as an opponent/enemy of the vile Islamic State.

The president-elect is not particularly anti-Assad like his vanquished opponent. Maybe it's a little optimistic from my perspective, but it would be nice to at least consider the possibility of the new US administration cutting ties with the Syrian 'rebels' who, despite western media propaganda describing them as 'freedom fighters', are essentially no better than the Islamic State.

Here is an article connected with this general topic. It is from debkafile:

http://debka.com/article/25772/Medvedev ... -for-Trump

Despite the garbage mainstream media propaganda demonising Russia, my humble opinion is that a close Russia-US friendship is far preferable to them being enemies. I also believe that fighting terrorists is far better than supporting them and calling them 'freedom fighters'.

My honest, humble view, is that the result of the election is a positive step in both of these regards. Then again, I may well turn out to be wrong. I never claimed to be a prophet.

Having said that, no matter what happens, I thank The Lord from the bottom of my heart for guiding my prayers on this issue, and somehow answering them even though I know that the result was not swayed one way or the other by my own humble prayers.

That's all. Thanks for reading. As stated, this political post is a one-off. The forum will proceed again as normal. God bless you.

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Here is another article directly linked to the topic above. There is cautious optimism amongst Assad and his allies that the US election result is a positive result for them. The article below gives some analysis on the new strategic situation:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/damascus-all ... 59261.html

UPDATE: Politicians are obviously not a very trustworthy species, and words are cheap without actions. But there are some clear early indications that the new, incoming US administration could be considering cutting ties with Syrian 'rebels'. A link to a related article is below:

http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-elect ... so1oi.html

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Hello Friends,

As the winds of change (and uncertainty) continue to swirl around the Middle-East following the US election, some major changes have been happening on the ground in Aleppo, the biggest city in Syria.

Jihadist 'rebels' have found themselves under siege while the government forces and their allies have been retaking more and more of the city in what could end up being a decisive battle. Needless to say, there are scores of civilians in rebel and also government-controlled areas who are suffering indescribably.

I would encourage all to pray on the issue as you feel led by the Holy Spirit to pray. Personally, I've made it clear from day one that I view the Syrian government and its allies as clearly and easily the lesser of two evils in Syria. I will not be losing any sleep over the desperate plight of the so-called rebels. No, I don't revel in anyone's misfortune, but nor can I pretend to have synpathy with evil.

Having said that, as mentioned, the civilians in rebel-controlled areas, jusr like those in government-controlled areas, would no doubt be suffering to a scale that it's hard to imagine for those of us lucky enough to live in peace time.

A link to an article about military/strategic developments in Aleppo is below:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/ ... since-2012

UPDATE: Below is a link to another interesting article about the developments in Aleppo and what they mean:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/russia-buried- ... in-1593839

[TrueAndMagneticNorth]

Hi again to all,

There's some bad news to come out of Syria over the last few days. The so-called 'Islamic State' has attacked and re-entered the ancient city of Palmyra about a year after they were kicked out of the city by Russian-backed Syrian government forces.

You may remember Palmyra: it is the historic city in central Syria that is world famous for its ancient Roman relics and other cultural and artistic treasures. The Islamic State has already captured the city once. They then embarked on a purge of its historic treasures, destroying many of them while selling those that were small enough to ship off. They also embarked on a murderous rampage against anyone associated with the government in the city, killing hundreds of Syrian soldiers, officials and even their relatives.

I personally recall one photograph from the first time that Islamic State conquered the city. The photo I saw was of a young girl, a daughter of a Syrian government army officer, who had just been murdered. He hands were bound, a pool of blood having run from her neck, her severed head about a metre away. She had just had her head sawn off with a knife.

Many hundreds of Syrians were murdered when Islamic State took over Palmyra on the first occasion. I don't know how they've been able to come back, but they apparently have, and most of the city is again under their control.

In other news, I recently read an article about the freeing of over 200 hostages who were held captivity by I.S. Good news, yes, but their ordeal was still indescribable. It seems that the necessity for the teror group to gain a huge ransom, and the ability to raise the massive sum, was what saved (most of) the hostages from being brutally murdered by their captives. LInk to an article about this is below:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/12/06 ... syria.html

There is other news about Aleppo, where Russian-backed Syrian forces appear to be on the verge of retaking the entire city. Only a small jihadist pocket of resistance remains in the city. CIvlians no doubt consider to suffer immeasurably. To be fair, there is plenty of blame to be shared around for this tragc reality. Russian/Syrian bombing of jihadists has undoubtedly killed and maimed civlians, as has jihadist shelling and rocket attacks on government-controlled civilian areas.

There is also plenty of evidence that the western-backed jihadists are preventing civlians from fleeing into government-controlled areas. One way they are doing this is by positioning snipers in certain areas with the express purpose of shooting such civilians who are attempting to flee the shrinking, besieged area controlled by the jihadists.

That shall do it for today. I wish you a blessed week ahead and, as usual, there is plenty to pray about with regards to Syria.

UPDATE: The news about Palmyra is bad, my friends. It has been completely retaken by the Islamic State. Most of the Syrian military contingent has retreated from the city. However, a small number are apparently surrounded in an airbase near the city. The choice for these soldiers will be to fight until the last bullet, or surrender. Needless to say, surrendering is by far the worst option.

In other news, the Islamic State has murdered approximately 25 Egyptian Christians in a bomb attack on a church. It is very easy for people, including myself, to get desensitised to news like this, because bombings don't quite seem as shocking as beheadings, burning people alive, etc. However, needless to say, at least 25 of our brothers and sisters were nonetheless blown apart while countless others were maimed by the blast. I'm just trying to imagine the scene.

An article about these developments is below. It is from debkafile:

http://debka.com/article/25830/ISIS-bom ... sh-impetus

UPDATE: Latest news from the surrounded airbase is that Russian and Syrian forces left behind there were hurriedly evacuated by air before the base was then taken by Islamic State. If so, good news for them to get out. Having said that, this would represent Russia's first major loss against the Islamic State.

[mlg]

Thanks for the updates. Sad to hear of the retaking of Palmyra. We just have to stand on knowing God is in control.