SYRIA'S ARMY DEFECTIONS

Defections rise

(Reuters) - A brigadier general and about 20 soldiers defected from the Syrian army in two separate incidents on Saturday, activists said, in another sign that the strength of President Bashar al-Assad's armed forces is diminishing.

Brigadier General Mohammed Khalouf appeared dressed in a camouflage military uniform in a video on Al Arabiya news channel and said he had planned his escape with the opposition movement for some time.

"It is not possible for anyone to accept any of the ideas of this regime unless they have achieved special interests," he said in the video.

There was no comment about the defection on Syrian state news outlets.

Defection of high-ranking military and political figures has slowed in past months.

But a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) published this week estimated that Assad's forces, thought to be more than 300,000-strong at the start of the uprising two years ago, were now at a much lower effective strength and were likely to diminish further.

The IISS said that perhaps 50,000 of the Syrian army's elite troops could be depended on for loyalty. Most of them were likely to be from Assad's minority Alawite sect, which has dominated the country for more than four decades.

Many deserters report that their units were held inside bases to prevent their escape.

When the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime began in March 2011, many analysts believed the regime would remain intact, given the strict loyalty test officials and diplomats have to endure before receiving important positions in the army or government.

As the uprising progressed, military generals and soldiers began to defect from the Syrian army to form the rebel Free Syrian Army. A large number of soldiers fled to neighboring Turkey while others remained in Syria to battle government forces.

These defecting officials represent a small minority of government representatives – most have remained loyal to the state.

NUMBER OF HIGH LEVEL DEFECTIONS

Senior Military & Security Officials: 82
Cabinet: 3
Parliament: 4
Diplomats: 14
Total: 103

PROPHECY UNFOLDING (My take on things)

I have seen this in the early days of Syria's crisis. But that's not all I have seen. I  also have seen how Muslims have eventually unified under ISIS, which gains their respect. I also heard a voice, "Let us destroy the Zionist infidel and convert by force and by death their slaves the Christians."

ISIS is going to take over Syria, Lebanon, Western Iraq and Jordan. They will get down to Egypt and the Sinai. Their success will motivate the Norther African Muslim States who will join ISIS in their final battle against Israel. Their philosophy: when Israel falls Christianity will fall. Christlam is only the first phase of global Islamization done by rather peaceful means through American Muslims. 

KJV [Ezekiel 36:19] And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. [20] And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These [are] the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. [21] But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. [22] Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. [23] And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. [24] For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. [25] Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. [26] A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them]. [28] And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.       

Christian Zionists have shown varying degrees of enthusiasm for implementing six basic political convictions that arise from their fundamentalist theology:

1. The belief that the Jews remain God’s chosen people leads Christian Zionists to seek to bless Israel in material ways. However, this also invariably results in the uncritical endorsement of and justification for Israel’s racist and apartheid policies, in the media, among politicians and through solidarity tours to Israel.

2. As God’s chosen people, the final restoration of the Jews to Israel is therefore actively encouraged, funded and facilitated through partnerships with the Jewish Agency.

3. Eretz Israel, as delineated in scripture, from the Nile to the Euphrates, belongs exclusively to the Jewish people, therefore the land must be annexed, Palestinians driven from their homes and the illegal Jewish settlements expanded and consolidated.

4. Jerusalem is regarded as the eternal and exclusive capital of the Jews, and cannot be shared with the Palestinians. Therefore, strategically, Christian Zionists have lobbied the US Administration to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem and thereby ensure that Jerusalem is recognized as the capital of Israel.

5. Christian Zionists offer varying degrees of support for organizations such as the Jewish Temple Mount Faithful who are committed to destroying the Dome of the Rock and rebuilding the Jewish Temple on the Haram Al-Sharif (Noble sanctuary of Al-Aqsa).

6. Christian Zionists invariably have a pessimistic view of the future, convinced that there will be an apocalyptic war of Armageddon in the imminent future. They are deeply skeptical of the possibility of a lasting peace between Jews and Arabs and therefore oppose the peace process. Indeed, to advocate an Israeli compromise of “land for peace” with the Palestinians is seen as a rejection of God’s promises to Israel and therefore to support her enemies.

Christian Zionist organizations such as the International Christian Embassy (ICEJ), Christian Friends of Israel (CFI) and Christians United for Israel (CUFI) wield considerable influence on Capitol Hill, claiming a support base in excess of 50 million true believers. This means there are now at least ten times as many Christian Zionists as Jewish Zionists. And their European cousins are no less active in the Zionist Hasbarafia, lobbying for Israel, attacking its critics and thwarting the peace process.

The United States and Israel are often portrayed as Siamese twins, joined at the heart, sharing common historic, religious and political values.

FEW POINTS OF INTEREST

I explain that Many Christians are not really gentiles, but in fact they are the lost sheep of the House of Israel that were scattered by the Assyrians among nations. By their fruits we recognize them (Matthew 7:16-23).

[Matthew 10:5-6] These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; [6] but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

[Matthew 13:44] The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The world is the field, the tares are the evil ones (even Kenites) and the good seed is God's treasure sown (hidden) in the field. So, Yeshua (Hebrew, salvation) paid for the entire world (the field) in order to get to His treasure, that's you and me. I know this for a fact. How about you. What do you know?

Read my other blog and hear the message.

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HOMO SAPIENS & THE BIBLE

A strong sense of pride, affects the inner cortex of our brain. When one has found pleasure in that pride, e.g., supremacist sentiments, then it would be very difficult, if not completely impossible, to alter this kind of disposition.

The psychological makeup of supremacist sentiments, is an over inflated self-image, often mixed with an overbearing self-love and self-loathing.

Self-love and self-loathing often fight each other for supremacy. In need of definitions, and so, too often, this inner war is extended.

Supremacy needs nourishment; supremacist literature, speeches and lectures feed self-love while starving out the self-loathing. To ease this inner turmoil, one redirects and aims at the target one may deem as being inferior, and worthy of punishment.

This Ping-Pong battleground, always seeks to legitimize its actions. One juggles between bad actions versus worse actions, thus a severe action feels justified. Self-pity also plays an important role for it seeks to attract a one-sided sympathy.

A self-invented philosophy creates the twists and turns in order to prevent moral responsibility. By then, morality plays no meaningful role; it is suppressed, and pushed away, and that in turn is from pity, which hates responsibility.

This inner struggle between good and evil, and the worse evil, is very complex, and if not addressed and dealt with; it will bring utter destruction.

This complex psychology enfolds right before us today.

GAZA TODAY

The Gaza Palestinians cannot stop hating Israel. It's just impossible. That hate is being nurtured and fed each day. Hamas exploited this sentiment quite well and the people gave in to it in no time and (democratically) elected Hamas leadership to speak out for them.

They rejoiced and danced on the streets when Saddam Hussein dropped the SCUD missiles on Tel Aviv. 'An enemy of my enemy is my friend' is the common prevailing mentality.

Under Ariel Sharon the then prime minister, Israel withdrew from Gaza and accords were signed. There was no blockade over Gaza. They build their own International Airport and seaport, but they also agreed to remain demilitarized. Things were going well for them until they elected Hamas. In no time tunnels were built from within private homes first toward Egypt. Through these tunnels weapons were smuggled as well as on board of ships and perhaps even cargo planes. Then tunnels toward Israel were also build; with greater sophistication; as money from oil-rich Arab states kept pouring in.

Hamas was preparing to hit Israel, but got impatient and that's their typical nature (read the Bible about the sons of impatience). Inner hatred cannot boil for too long. Like a pressure cooker it must give vent.

The true nature of a terrorist is to terrorize and that's what they started to do. This indiscriminate shooting of rockets into populated areas of Israel looks to me like a rabid biting dog. Rationality and tactic plays no role, but only sentiments of hatred. Psychologically speaking, this sort of a mindset goes no further than an immediate gratification. It is as addictive as heroin to an addict. A terrorist gets an instant high, and in this weird way appeases the inner turmoil… until the next time.

HAMAS

Today Hamas amassed between 10,000 to 15,000 rockets and some of them are long-range missiles. God forbid they should have chemical or biological weapons, which can always backfire when winds shift their way.

ANTISEMITISM

Anti-Semitic attitudes are persistent and pervasive around the world, with more than one-in-four adults "deeply infected with anti-Semitic attitudes," the Anti-Defamation League said Tuesday, as it released the results of a global anti-Semitism survey.

The sleeping anti-Semitism has awakened and goes out to the streets of Europe and the US spewing its vehement hatred. “Allahu Akbar” chants heating up Islamic religious fervor ridiculing the authors of the Bible saying that the 'Jews will drown in the sea and Moses will not be there to part it for them.' What else can they do? This kind of sickness is like the methane gas; if it is not let out it will poison the swelled up with hate balloon.

Allah and Elohim are at war? Is Satan behind it?   

THE BIBLE

We see that in the Bible where the self-loving Egyptians had to be fought. Human self-loving gods were introduced to the Almighty God, whom they did not know nor did they want; what they wanted were His people they kept as slaves. Egyptians did not know that Israelites were God’s chosen. Even the choosing of people (for the world) was too much to bear; and supremacy seeks to invalidate God’s choices by proving to those ‘chosen’ that it is not them who are chosen. Usually, self imagines grandiose things and falls prey to at the same time.

In ancient times the competition was over gods, and in this case it was: our gods versus your ‘imaginary’ God. And this ‘imaginary’ God can only be proven so by defeat on a battleground. Gods’ victory over others (like infidels) was accompanied with sacrifices, etc. These sentiments helped shaping Greek mythology: vicariously, gods fighting their heavenly wars through humans. To a certain extent it was the Israelite mentality also. But the battle was not among gods of air, fire, wind or the sea, but between the Creator and His creature the Homo sapiens.  

SUPREMACY

All supremacists’ sentiments are always combative and nothing has changed. A tag of war continues.    

Into this sentiment, especially the German people gave in to during the Nazi era. It’s just too pleasurable to give it up.

In USA this addiction to supremacy is also evident, from KKK to skinheads to white power. These people just let their evil sentiments out publicizing them.

There are countless many who keep it all bottled up inside, but let it out occasionally, particularly in politics.

Wisdom is never superior for it works on the principle of sharing and hence education. It does not mean that only one is wise, while others must sit quietly and listen.

THE CHARACTER OF JESUS

[John 13:12-16] Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 

(Speaking of God the Father who sent His Son.)

Correlate it with [John 14:28] I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

Jesus was very humble and He wanted us to have His glory and the same oneness with the Father (John 17).

He wanted us to do even greater works than He had done (John 14:12).

And finally He said this: [Luke 6:40] a blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.

So there comes an arrival and one can even become greater than his or her teacher.

SELF-CRITICISM

When one is actually willing to tear down the old structures and is ready to build new; then that would be indeed a great achievement. However, that can only happen when one recognizes the self-made prison.

Humility is nothing more than making oneself into a hollow empty vessel and in so-doing one prepares to be filled with something better and higher than what one had before.

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