Tuesday, October 13, 2015

RUSSIA-SYRIA-SAUDI-IRAQ-IRAN NEWS-ALL ISRAEL HATER NATIONS IN THE NEWS.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

Trudeau faces renewed attack in noisy start to final week of federal campaign-The Canadian PressBy Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – oct 12,15-yahoonews

OTTAWA - There weren't any whistles, but there were more than a few bells, as the marathon federal election campaign entered its final week Monday.Stephen Harper launched a game-show style attack — complete with clanging cash register — aimed directly at front runner Justin Trudeau during a campaign event in Waterloo, Ont., in an attempt to portray the Liberal leader as a threat to the pocketbooks of Canadian families.Harper was assisted by a local woman — a married mother, with two jobs — who slapped down $20 bills as he rhymed off the various tax credits for families that he said the Liberals would roll back.The focus on Trudeau, almost to the exclusion of Tom Mulcair, came as the Liberal leader appeared to be gaining momentum in some polls, while they had the New Democrat leader tracking third."For some families, that could be a Liberal tax hike of up to $2,000 a year," Harper said."These are real benefits. Only the Conservative party in this election is committed to keeping these dollars where they belong — in the pockets of hard working Canadians."But Trudeau fired back at the Conservative leader, saying he wouldn't be clawing back any of the boutique tax credits for families that Harper was warning about.He said it was one more example of Harper engaging in the politics of fear and telling "untruths" to voters about his platform."He is desperate to try and frighten Canadians away from voting for a vision that is going to put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 families and cut taxes for the middle class," Trudeau said.He said the Conservatives don't have a record to run on, so they're resorting to "scare tactics and fear mongering," which includes "micro-targeting" specific communities to pit them against one another."We will call out fearful and divisive tactics, wherever they are used but we will stay focused on bringing Canadians together because that's the job of any leader," Trudeau told a boisterous rally in the Ottawa suburbs."I'm going to let my opponents continue to focus on me. I'm staying focused on Canadians."Mulcair told his supporters in Maple Ridge, B.C. that his party was the only credible choice for beating the Conservatives on Oct. 19. But he was repeatedly forced to deflect questions about his party's slide in recent polls."In 2011, I saw the same pollsters say we'd be fourth in Quebec, so I don't pay attention to that," Mulcair said."I know the NDP is offering hope — hope to break an old habit that's been in place for 140 years. When you're fed up with the Conservatives, you're forced to go back to the Liberals."Now, he said, the Canadians don't have to choose between one of the "old parties.""For the first time in the history of Canada, there is a three-way race." Mulcair repeated his assertion that the New Democrats need only 35 more seats to form government while the Liberals need more than 100.

WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)

EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18

WORLD TERRORISM

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14  I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)

Islamic State is prime suspect in Turkey bombing, as protests erupt-ReutersBy By Daren Butler and Humeyra Pamuk | Reuters – OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's government said on Monday Islamic State was the prime suspect in suicide bombings that killed at least 97 people in Ankara, but opponents vented anger at President Tayyip Erdogan at funerals, universities and courthouses.Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Saturday's bombing, the worst of its kind on Turkish soil, was intended to influence the outcome of November polls Erdogan hopes will restore the AK party he founded to an overall parliamentary majority. There is no question of postponing the vote, officials have said."It was definitely a suicide bombing," Davutoglu said in an interview broadcast live on Turkey's NTV. "DNA tests are being conducted. It was determined how the suicide bombers got there. We're close to a name, which points to one group."Opponents of Erdogan, who has led the country over 13 years, blame him for the attack on a rally organised by pro-Kurdish activists and civic groups, accusing the state at best of intelligence failings and at worst of complicity by stirring up nationalist, anti-Kurdish sentiment. The government, facing a growing Kurdish conflict at home and the spillover of war in Syria, vehemently denies such accusations.The sheer range of possible perpetrators - from Islamic State and Marxist radicals to militant nationalists and Kurdish armed factions - highlights fissures running through Turkish society. At stake is the stability of NATO country seen by the West as a bulwark against Middle Eastern turmoil. Hundreds chanting anti-government slogans marched on a mosque in an Istanbul suburb for the funeral of several of the victims, attended by Selahattin Demirtas, leader of the pro-Kurdish parliamentary opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which says it was the target of the bombings.Riot police with water cannon and armoured vehicles stood by as the crowd, some chanting "Thief, Murderer Erdogan" and waving HDP flags, moved towards the mosque in the working class Umraniye neighbourhood of Istanbul. Several labour unions also called protests. Hundreds of people, many wearing doctors' uniforms and carrying Turkish Medical Association banners, gathered by the main train station in Ankara where the explosions happened to lay red carnations but were blocked by riot police, a Reuters witness said.Lawyers at an Istanbul courthouse chanted "Murderer Erdogan will give account" as colleagues applauded, footage circulated on social media showed.-SYRIA SPILLOVER-The HDP has put the death toll from the bombings at 128 and said it had identified all but eight of the bodies. Davutoglu's office has said 97 people were killed.The bombs struck seconds apart as hundreds gathered for a march organised by pro-Kurdish activists and civic groups to protest over a growing conflict between Turkish security forces and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in the southeast.The HDP accused Ankara of escalating violence to try to weaken the HDP at Nov. 1 polls, regain an AK majority and pave the way for the more powerful presidential system Erdogan seeks. "Our electorates feel under constant threat in every social space and political activity they attend," it said.It also accused the AKP of relying on radical groups including Islamic State as proxies to fight Kurds in northern Syria, a charge the government strongly denies.The Haberturk newspaper reported police sources as saying the type of explosive and the choice of target pointed to a group within Islamic State known as the 'Adiyaman ones', referring to Adiyaman province in southeast Turkey.Turkey is vulnerable to infiltration by Islamic State, which holds swathes of Syrian land abutting Turkey where some two million refugees live. But the group, not normally reticent about its attacks, made no claim to a similar bombing in the town of Suruc in July attributed to it; nor has it made any reference to the Ankara attack in internet postings.-DEEP DIVISIONS-Tensions have further unnerved investors, many of whom have reduced their Turkey exposure in recent months because of the election uncertainty. The lira weakened to 2.95 to the dollar early on Monday, making it the worst performing currency among major emerging markets.HDP spokesman Ayhan Bilgen told Reuters his party, which expanded beyond its Kurdish voter base and drew in mainly left-wing opponents of Erdogan at the June vote, was considering cancelling all of its rallies due to the security concerns.Saturday's march had been called to protest over the deaths of hundreds since the collapse in July of a ceasefire between security forces and the PKK, which is deemed a terrorist group by the United States and the EU as well as Turkey. Some 40,000 have been killed in the predominantly Kurdish southeast since the PKK's insurgency began in 1984.A top PKK commander was reported by news website close to the group on Monday as saying its militants would stick to a ceasefire pledge announced at the weekend in memory of those who died in Ankara.Firat news agency reported Murat Karayilan as saying in a radio broadcast to PKK fighters that they were not to stage attacks in Turkey unless they came under attack from the security forces.The government has already dismissed the ceasefire declaration as an election gambit meant to bolster the pro-Kurdish HDP, saying the militants must disarm and leave Turkey. It continued air strikes on PKK camps over the weekend.(Additional reporting by Gulsen Solaker and Orhan Coskun in Ankara; Writing by Nick Tattersall)

Islamic State can draw on veteran jihadists, ex-Iraq army officers for leadership-Reuters By Michael Georgy and Mariam Karouny-OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

CAIRO/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, one of the world's most wanted men, is counting on veteran jihadis and former Iraqi army officers who form the core of the militant movement to take over if he is killed.New questions arose over Islamic State's leadership structure and who might succeed Baghdadi after Iraq's military said on Sunday air strikes had hit a convoy carrying him, though Iraqi security officials later denied this.Baghdadi, who rarely appears in public and delivers few audio speeches, makes the vast majority of decisions, including which of the group's enemies should be killed.His approval is needed even for decisions taken by the five-member Shura Council, which runs Islamic State and will elect a new a new leader if Baghdadi is killed, and he rules over a decentralized network of emirs in the field who run the everyday activities of the caliphate he has declared.Baghdadi does, however, lean on a small circle of senior Islamic State aides such as Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, the group's official spokesman, as he pursues a mission which his fighters describe as "part of God's path to create a strong Islamic State that will rule the world."Born in 1977 in Idlib, Syria, Adnani has delivered Islamic State's main messages, including its declaration of a caliphate, which was distributed in five languages.The most important operatives include Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, a former general and military intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein who can provide Islamic State fighters with training and direction.Baghdadi is also said by followers to rely heavily on Abu Omar al-Shishani, a senior commander in Syria. Born in 1986 in Georgia, which was then still part of the Soviet Union, he has a reputation as a great military mind and has long been at Baghdadi's side.RUTHLESS AND SECRETIVE-Sunday's air strike was at least the third attack on Baghdadi's entourage.Despite his power - and a $10 million U.S. reward for information leading to his capture - little is known about a man who for his own survival has shunned the spotlight.But it is clear he will go to all lengths to achieve his goals, as evidenced in Islamic State videos depicting the violent deaths of those who stand in its way.Opponents have been beheaded, shot dead, blown up with fuses attached to their necks and drowned in cages lowered into swimming pools, with underwater cameras capturing their agony.According to the U.S. reward notice, which depicts a round-faced, brown-eyed man with closely cropped beard and short dark hair, Baghdadi was born in the Iraqi town of Samarra in 1971.The United States, which is bombing Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria, first came across Baghdadi in Iraq in 2004 when it detained him at the Camp Bucca. He was later released.A follower of al Qaeda during the early years of the U.S. occupation, he later branched out on his own, helping establish Islamic State.When he seized tracts of Iraq and Syria and declared a so-called caliphate he hopes will span the Muslim world, he drew militants from around the globe to Islamic State, creating a diverse pool of fighters eager to rise up the jihadist ladder. Baghdadi and his aides have thrown an already fractured Middle East deeper into turmoil and delivered a shock to global security on a scale not seen since the heyday of al Qaeda.Baghdadi's followers' killings of Shi'ites on the Arabian Peninsula deepened divisions in the Muslim world and their brutality helped spur Russian military involvement in the region and worsen the most severe refugee crisis since World War Two.Baghdadi has exploited conflict in Syria and Iraq to topple al Qaeda from its primacy in trans-national militancy, a huge loss of prestige for a group whose hijacked plane attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York's World Trade Center, Washington and Pennsylvania.The recruiting drum he beat was loud and clear: summoning followers to a pitiless jihad against Shi’ite heretics, Christian crusaders, Jewish infidels, and Kurdish atheists. He berated Arab despots for defiling the honor of Sunni Islam.-FAR-REACHING AMBITIONS-Islamic State became the first militant group to defeat an army when it swept through northern Iraq last year."Islam was never for a day the religion of peace; Islam is the religion of war," he said in a speech released on May 14.This year he set his sights on Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam, and his group launched an online magazine for Turks, who volunteered for his jihad in hundreds if not thousands.Unlike al Qaeda, which focuses on hit-and-run attacks and bombings, Islamic State is more concerned with seizing and holding on to territory for the caliphate, acquiring tanks and weapons left by fleeing Iraqi soldiers along the way.Stolen oil sold on the black market provides revenues as Baghdadi seeks military self-sufficiency. Baghdadi's ambitions stretch far beyond the Middle East, where his men control large swathes of Iraq and Syria and rule over perhaps 10 million people. He has established a presence in Libya, enjoys support from militants in Egypt's Sinai desert and his suicide bombers have attacked a variety of targets in war-Baghdadi has opened the door to foreign fighters, mostly Europeans and Americans who have latched on to his call for holy war and are able to return home with their passports to stage attacks. He also accepted a pledge of allegiance from Nigerian Islamists Boko Haram.Many young Islamists who were of school age at the time of the Sept. 11 2001 attacks on the United States now look for inspiration not to al Qaeda, whose leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, is in his mid-60s, but to Baghdadi, a generation younger.(Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by William Maclean and Timothy Heritage)

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) TAKES OVER IRAQ WHICH HAS SPLIT INTO 3-SUNNI-KURD-SHIA PARTS-AND THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IS BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER-THE TWO LEGS OF DANIEL WESTERN LEG AND THE ISLAMIC LEG COMBINED AS 1)

EU urges Russia to stop bombing in Syria, split on Assad role-Reuters By Robin Emmott-OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The European Union urged Russia on Monday to halt its aerial bombing campaign in Syria but the bloc's 28 member states failed to agree among themselves on whether President Bashar al-Assad should have any role in ending the crisis.Seeking a common front in their criticism of Russia's dramatic military intervention in Syria, EU foreign ministers warned that air strikes designed to support Assad could also deepen the 4-1/2-year civil war that has killed 250,000 people.Ministers also sought to further pressure Assad by agreeing to broaden the EU's economic sanctions criteria to people benefiting from his government, a move essentially aimed at freezing the assets of the spouses of senior figures, although no names have been added to the EU's list."The recent Russian military attacks ... are of deep concern and must cease immediately," ministers said in their most strongly-worded statement on Russia's intervention."The military escalation risks prolonging the conflict, undermining a political process, aggravating the humanitarian situation and increasing radicalization," said the ministers, meeting in Luxembourg. EU leaders are also expected to criticize Russia at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, EU officials say.After years of inaction in Syria, the EU is now desperate to stem the flow of migrants into Europe. Its stark criticism of Moscow underscores just how far diplomatic efforts have faltered since a U.N. meeting in New York in late September, when Europe and the United States looked to Russia for help. Russian incursions into Turkish airspace and air strikes directed not at Islamic State militants but at relatively moderate opposition groups have alienated the West, while leaving EU and U.N diplomacy in disarray, diplomats said.Plans have evaporated for a 'contact group' working with Russia, the United States, Iran and Saudi Arabia to find a post-conflict settlement, while EU diplomats have few ideas about how to find a political solution."All Assad's main opponents are dead, in jail or in exile. And nobody wants another Libya," said one EU diplomat involved in the discussions, referring to Libya's collapse after its veteran leader Muammar Gaddafi was ousted.The EU's own position on Assad remains unclear, with no agreement on whether he could play a role in agreeing a ceasefire and paving the way for elections, or whether the president should go into exile or immediately to prison.The EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini suggested that contact with Assad should be made through the United Nations, but Spain's foreign minister reiterated Madrid's view that the West will need to negotiate with Assad to stabilize Syria."Negotiations are done between enemies," Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo told reporters.France, which is investigating Assad for war crimes, insisted that the Syrian leader could only be involved in the transition in a symbolic way, and that it must be clear at the start of any negotiation that he would not be there at the end."For peace in Syria, we need a political transition. That must be done without Assad," said France's European affairs minister Harlem Desir.Britain says Assad cannot be allowed to remain as president but is willing to discuss how and when he might leave.(Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Gareth Jones)

Saudis tell Russia its actions in Syria will have 'dangerous consequences'-Reuters By William Maclean-OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

DUBAI (Reuters) - Moscow's military intervention in Syria will have "dangerous consequences", escalating sectarian war there and inspiring militants from around the world to join in, senior Saudi Arabian officials told Russia's leaders on Sunday, a Saudi source said.The message, twinned with a pledge of support for moderate foes of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia's ally, signals Saudi suspicions about Moscow's motives in entering a 4-1/2 year war in which some 250,000 people have been killed and some 11 million, or half the population, driven from their homes."The Russian intervention in Syria will engage them in a sectarian war," the source said on Monday, adding that the kingdom "warns of the dangerous consequences of the Russian intervention"."The Saudis will continue strengthening and supporting the moderate opposition in Syria," he added.The source said he was citing positions outlined by Defence Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir during meetings with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.The bloodshed in Syria, part of a broader struggle for regional supremacy between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, has enflamed sectarian divisions across the Middle East and drawn religiously motivated foreign fighters to both sides.Moscow's intervention has infuriated the kingdom and other foes of Assad who say the Russian air strikes have been hitting rebel groups opposed to the Syrian leader and not just the Islamic State fighters Moscow says it is targeting.Gulf Arab states suspect the Kremlin's main motive is saving Assad and that counter-terrorism serves as a convenient excuse.ESCALATION-Saudi Arabia, along with Turkey and Qatar, is a leading supporter of the rebels fighting Assad, who is backed by Iran as well as by Russia. But Riyadh is also worried about the rise of jihadist groups such as Islamic State among the opposition."The recent escalation will contribute in attracting extremists and jihadists to the war in Syria," the Saudi source said, adding that the Kremlin's actions would also alienate ordinary Sunni Muslims around the world.The Saudis urged Russia to help fight terrorism in Syria by joining the existing coalition comprising more than 20 nations that is battling Islamic State militants, the source said.He also reiterated that Assad must quit as part of a process agreed at a Syrian conference held in Geneva in June 2012 that set out a path to peace and political transition.A core element of that plan calls for a future Syrian government to be formed by "mutual consent" of the authorities and the opposition, a stance Washington has said means Assad cannot stay in power.In remarks to journalists on Sunday about Russia's strikes, Jubeir said he had expressed "our concerns that these operations could be regarded as an alliance between Iran and Russia".Russia said its main goal is the fight against terrorism, Jubeir added.(Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Sochi; Editing by Gareth Jones)

JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36  And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37  For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)

Iran tests new precision-guided ballistic missile-Reuters By Sam Wilkin-October 11, 2015 11:49 AM

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran tested a new precision-guided ballistic missile on Sunday in defiance of a United Nations ban, signaling an apparent advance in Iranian attempts to improve the accuracy of its missile arsenal.The Islamic Republic has one of the largest missile programs in the Middle East, but its potential effectiveness has been limited by poor accuracy.State television showed what appeared to be a successful launch of the new missile, named Emad, which will be Iran's first precision-guided weapon with the range to strike its regional arch-enemy Israel."The Emad missile is able to strike targets with a high level of precision and completely destroy them ... This greatly increases Iran's strategic deterrence capability," Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan said at a televised news conference.The U.N. Security Council prohibits foreign powers from assisting Iran in developing its ballistic missile program in any way, a ban that will remain in place under the terms of the July 14 nuclear deal that will see other sanctions lifted.The United Nations also prohibits Iran from undertaking any activity related to ballistic missiles that could deliver a nuclear warhead, which applies to the Emad, but Iranian officials have pledged to ignore the ban."We don't ask permission from anyone to strengthen our defense and missile capabilities," Dehghan said."Our leadership and armed forces are determined to increase our power and this is to promote peace and stability in the region. There is no intention of aggression or threats in this action," he added.The Islamic Republic is wary of a potential pre-emptive strike on its nuclear sites by Israel. In turn, Israel fears that a nuclear agreement Iran sealed with world powers in July may be insufficient to stop Tehran developing an atomic bomb.The accord curbs proliferation-prone aspects of Iran's nuclear energy program in exchange for crippling sanctions being lifted. Iran says its nuclear activity is wholly peaceful. Israel is widely presumed to have the Middle East's only nuclear weapons.-ACCURACY-Anthony Cordesman, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, wrote in January that the Emad would have a range of 1,700 km (1,060 miles), 500 meters (1,650 feet) accuracy and a 750 kg (1,650 pound) payload.It is a variant of the liquid-fuelled Shahab-3 missile, which has been in service since 2003 and has a similar range but is accurate only to within 2,000 meters."The Emad represents a major leap in terms of accuracy. It has an advanced guidance and control system in its nose cone," Israeli missile expert Uzi Rubin said.But Michael Elleman, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said it would probably take Iran "many years... and dozens of flight tests" to master the new guidance technology.In August, Iran unveiled a new short-range missile named Fateh-313, which it said also offered improved precision over its predecessor, as part of an apparent drive to upgrade the accuracy of its missile arsenal."What has become increasingly clear is Iran's desire to enhance missile accuracy and lethality, a priority that very likely supersedes the need for seeking longer-range missiles," Elleman said.The Fateh-313 has solid fuel, allowing it to be set up and launched faster than liquid-fuelled missiles, and a range of 500 km -- enough to hit targets in Gulf Arab powers locked in a regional cold war with the Islamic Republic, but not Israel.Improvements in accuracy could let Iran use its missiles in a wider variety of roles, for example by targeting military bases or economic assets rather than population centers.The IISS noted in 2010 that poor accuracy meant Iran could use its missiles only as a "political weapon" to target enemy cities since their military utility was "severely limited".(Reporting by Dubai newsroom and; Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Writing by Sam Wilkin; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2  Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
4  And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5  Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6  Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7  Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

EZEKIEL 39:1-6
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
2  And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee,(300 MILIION RUSSIA-ARAB-MUSLIMS GET NUKED BY ISRAEL) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3  And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4  Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou,(RUSSIA) and all thy bands,(RUSSIA SUPPORTED WITH WEAPONS-ARAB/MUSLIM COUNTRIES) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5  Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6  And I will send a fire (Atomic Bombs) on Magog,(RUSSIA)(ARAB-MUSLIMS) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Russia's expansion into Syria won't end anytime soon-CBC – OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

During the Cold War, Moscow's strategy of bold advance followed by only partial, diplomatic retreat was often called "two steps forward, one step back." President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin, though, is not so keen on the "step back."    He seizes the Crimea, and stays; uses a proxy war to slice off part of Ukraine, and scoffs at Western attempts to force him back; all the while continuing to bat aside international demands that he give up the two separatist areas of Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, that he firmly rolled into Russia's orbit back in 2008.So don't expect Putin's expansion of Russian muscle in Syria is going to end anytime soon.The Kremlin has several goals — the urgently practical, the psychological and the long-term strategic — and none are so trivial that Putin will easily walk away from them.The urgent objective, of course, is to pound rebel groups in closest proximity to the remaining territory of President Bashar al-Assad, in the country's west. The bombing, shelling and cruise missiles are needed to give the dictator's war-weary and losing forces a breather to regroup and rearm.Moscow initially claimed the strikes were aimed at the global menace, ISIS, and that the West should align itself with Russia and Assad to destroy the jihadist scourge (skirting objections that the Assad regime's war on the population set conditions for the early rise of ISIS).Some ISIS targets have been hit, but as very secondary aiming points as they lie mainly in the east of Syria, fairly removed from the central war zone.By far, Putin's two priority targets are rebels directly confronting Assad — insurgent forces under the jihadist Nusra Front in the north around Aleppo and Adlib — and the hodge-podge of so-called moderate rebel groups supported by the U.S. coalition, around Homs and Hama.To Russia they are all "terroristic" and it seems this softening-up phase of attacks is meant to kick off a future counter-attack by revived Assad forces — bolstered not only by Russian air and artillery, but also by ground troops from Iran's special forces and Hezbollah guerrillas from Lebanon. Bizarre contradiction- It's one of the dark ironies of Syria today that the Western-backed anti-Assad rebels will bear the brunt of the new attacks mainly because Assad and his allies don't have to concern themselves with ISIS at the moment — since that force is being most conveniently bombed by Canada and fellow nations of the U.S.-led coalition. Reaction in the West suggests governments are stunned both by Russia's boldness and by this bizarre contradiction that the coalition bombing clearly aids both Russia's aims and Assad's survival.It all helps Putin's intended psychological bombshell that he intends real bombs will punctuate — crushing any remaining optimism that Western support for an "Assad Must Go" insurgency has even the remotest chance of success.One can expect, as that already flimsy hope of Assad's downfall is obliterated by Russia's intervention, that the already ghastly horrors of the war will all seem increasingly unendurable to the outside world, as the mass deaths and the spreading refugee crisis continues month after month.Putin seems confident such stop-the-war pressure will force the West to lean on those rebel groups it can influence to accept a negotiated peace, one that concedes Russia and Assad will be crucial participants in any transition. If Western-backed rebels fade from the combat picture Assad and Russia will concentrate on eliminating the extreme jihadists, while demanding Western collaboration as a joint objective.The risks for Putin are very real, as numerous governments have now warned him, but the potential gains are also considerable. In shoring up Assad, Moscow keeps vital naval and air bases in Syria, while the regime this week promised him more bases to come. It also has a clear stake in any rebuilding of Syria whenever peace is attained.Standing by allies-It's the long term geo-political gains, however, that the world should watch. By this action Putin has already boldly marked Russia's return as a serious strategic player in the Middle East — a position it largely lost in 1973 following Syria's defeat in the Yom Kippur War. Spreading influence in the Middle East greases Russia's return to superpower status so desired by Putin.Last month Putin told interviewers at the UN in New York that the solo-superpower era monopolized by the U.S. had not worked, and especially had flopped in the Mideast after the invasion of Iraq and overthrow of Libya.Russian diplomats, meanwhile have been contrasting Putin's reputation of standing by allies like Assad, in contrast to what they sneer at as the U.S. habit of ditching friends — like the Shah of Iran in the 1970s and President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt during the Arab Spring — whenever Washington felt passing winds of change were more important than loyalty.Putin's well-calculated act as the steadfast one isn't going unnoticed. Despite warning that many anti-Assad and pro-Sunni regimes would turn on Russia, Moscow's influence seems to be spreading as Washington's appears increasingly fragile."There is a bizarre kind of grudging respect in parts of the Arab world for what they see as Russian steadfastness and decisiveness in contrast to what they perceive as the dithering of the U.S.," Michael Hanna, Arab expert with the Century Foundation says.  As evidence, Moscow has already played host to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi an eyebrow-raising four times since he came to power, while Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, formerly resentful of Russia's support for Assad, this year have demonstrably improved ties and new treaty links to Moscow.It may be only fragile friendship in a very dangerous region, which the next American administration may counter in time. Perhaps it's Putin's quagmire to come, but to this point Putin's reputation for not taking those steps backwards is helping build Russia's influence in the very heart of the Middle East. 

Syria troops advance under Russian air cover-Associated Press By ALBERT AJI and SARAH EL DEEB-OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russian jets intensified their airstrikes Monday in central Syria as government forces battled insurgents in a strategic area near a rebel-held province and a government stronghold.The government push is the latest in a bid to regain the Sahl al-Ghab plain, which is adjacent to Latakia province, a stronghold of President Bashar Assad and the Alawite religious minority to which he belongs.After a heavy barrage of Russian airstrikes, the fighting was focused on the village of Kfar Nabudeh, which officials said had been seized by government troops. Activists said Syrian rebels repelled the attack.Capturing Kfar Nabudeh would cut off a major highway, giving the pro-government forces access to the northwestern province of Idlib. A rebel coalition that includes the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front drove Assad's forces out of Idlib in September, in a major setback for the government. Their hold on the province threatened Latakia.The Russian Defense Ministry said it has struck 53 alleged Islamic State targets in the past 24 hours, destroying command centers, ammunition and fuel depots as well as training camps allegedly used by foreign militants. The ministry said the IS positions were in the central provinces of Homs and Hama, as well as in Latakia and Idlib. IS has a limited presence in Hama, away from where the fighting has been concentrated. Russia insists it is mainly targeting the IS group and other "terrorists," but the multi-pronged ground-and-air offensive is being waged in areas controlled by mainstream rebels as well as the Nusra Front. The government ground offensive began on Oct. 7, a week after Russia began its airstrikes.The Britain- based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 30 airstrikes were carried out in Kfar Nabudeh, while government troops and Lebanon's Hezbollah fighters entered the village from the south. Another activist-run monitoring group, the Shaam News Network, said the insurgents ambushed government forces inside the village, which is reportedly laden with tunnels.The Syrian military said in a statement that it took control of the village and others nearby. Activist Hadi Abdullah, who travels with insurgents to report from the front lines, said the fighters had regained control of the village. It was not possible to reconcile the two accounts.The Observatory reported that the fighting and air raids on Kfar Nabudeh left nine militants and five troops and pro-government gunmen dead.Later Monday, Syrian state media and the Observatory said government forces captured the village of Mansoura on the northern edge of Hama province.During the last six days of ground operations, government troops have seized at least two villages in eastern Hama province, Atshan and Tal Sukayk, and a third in the plain area. Activists say rebels seized a village south of Idlib.The Russian defense ministry statement said its jets have hit mortar positions around Tal Sukayk in the last 24 hours, as well as a training camp for foreign militants in Mastouma, in Idlib. The ministry said it used Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM planes to strike the targets."The terrorists in the past days were desperately trying to transport ammunition, armaments, fuel and supplies from Raqqa to the front line," the ministry said, in reference to the northern province controlled by the Islamic State group, adding that a "significant part" of their supplies have been destroyed by Russian airstrikes.The Syrian military statement also said troops gained control of an area in rural Aleppo province. It was not immediately clear whether the area had previously been controlled by IS or other insurgents.In a separate development, the French Defense Ministry said it cannot confirm whether some French citizens were killed in its airstrikes last week on the IS group's de facto capital, Raqqa."We know that this camp aimed at training combatants to attack Europe or France. Some of them might be French citizens or French speakers," the ministry said in a statement Monday. The ministry said it could not yet confirm details about the strikes.France joined the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq last year and expanded its campaign to Syria last month. Britain has acknowledged its airstrikes targeted citizens in Syria.The Observatory's chief Rami Abdurrahman said 16 militants were killed in the airstrike, and there were no reports of French citizens among them. One of those killed was believed to be Belgian, he said.___El Deeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.

Russia seeks victory over the West in Syria campaign: analysts-AFP By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber-OCT 11, 2015 1:59 AM-YAHOONEWS

Moscow (AFP) - Cruise missiles fired from warships, the latest jets pounding far-off targets: Russian President Vladimir Putin's show of strength in Syria looks aimed at proving that a resurgent Moscow can rival the West, analysts said.Since late September Russia has flexed its muscles in a bombing campaign across the war-torn country that has put a US-led coalition in the shade and angered Washington and its allies.The dramatic military campaign is Moscow's first outside the former USSR since Soviet troops went into Afghanistan in 1979 and has led some to suggest that an emboldened Kremlin is aiming to reassert some of its lost super power status.Using the latest Sukhoi jets and older Soviet aircraft, Russia has blasted command posts and training camps of what it says are radical "terrorists" as it has backed a ground offensive by the forces of its long-standing ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.The strikes also saw Russian warships in the Caspian Sea fire missiles at targets over 1,500 kilometres away for the first time ever in battle -- a highly symbolic show of strength that has been interpreted as a clear statement."I cannot judge whether launching air strikes from the Caspian Sea made any sense militarily," political analyst Grigory Mеlamedov wrote. "We showed our strength. To whom? To the Islamists? No. First of all, to the Americans."- Victory over the West –With the Syrian campaign, Putin has come back in the limelight of international politics after having been snubbed by the West for the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014."He [Putin] wasn't planning on living in isolation, on leading an outcast state," said political analyst Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Moscow Center.With more than 70 percent of the Russian population on board with the intervention, the West has questioned the true motives behind the campaign, accusing Moscow of bolstering Assad's beleaguered regime by targeting opposition-held areas.But quashing the Islamic State and other extremist groups, the stated objective of Russia’s campaign, is partly a broader attempt to compete with -- and even intimidate -- the West, analysts said."Rather than being primarily about Syria, or primarily about ISIS, this dispute is about a global principle," Matthew Rojansky, the director of the Washington-based Kennan Institute, told AFP."The dispute has gone beyond the level of diplomatic manoeuvering and economic pressure. It has now gotten to the point of using military assets to make a point."But Russia’s demonstration of military strength comes when the country is profoundly weakened by an economic crisis spurred by low oil prices and Western sanctions, with analysts warning that costly attempts at regaining international prestige could prove catastrophic.The Kremlin has kept the army high on its agenda in spite of economic woes, with a record-high 3.29 trillion rubles ($53 billion at the current exchange rate) defense budget this year, a figure that corresponds to more than four percent of the country’s GDP.Analysts said a long Syrian campaign could cause more economic turmoil for Moscow, a risk authorities and the population are ready to take -- but only for a triumph on the international stage."The [Russian] people will not tolerate economic hardship for the sake of a war against ISIS, but it will for a victory over the West," Mеlamedov wrote.- 'Inevitable' deterioration-Russia’s attempts to reassert its status as a world super power has highlighted divisions in the Middle East, as many Arab countries have condemned Moscow’s campaign." Sunnis want Russia to get out of there [Syria], but Shiites want Russia to stay," Baunov said, adding that Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and pro-government forces in Syria supported the Kremlin.Political analyst Vasily Kashin said that the "inevitable consequence" of Russia's Syrian campaign was the deterioration of its relations with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all part of a US-led coalition conducting a separate bombing campaign in Syria.Russia and Turkey have exchanged barbs since Moscow launched the air strikes and twice violated Ankara’s air space, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Moscow could lose a deal to build the country's first nuclear power plant and its status as his country’s main gas supplier. Analysts dismissed the possibility Russia's campaign in Syria would jeopardise its relations with the West's Middle Eastern allies in the long-term."It's not zero-sum and it's not black and white," Rojansky said."It's not that because of this, the Saudis will never talk to the Russians again. They have loads of common interests, similarly with Turkey."

Bumpy road ahead for U.N.-proposed Libya peace deal-Reuters By Patrick Markey and Ahmed Elumami-OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

ALGIERS/TRIPOLI (Reuters) - After months of stalled negotiations, the United Nations has handed Libya's warring factions a unity government proposal in what it calls a major step towards ending the crisis, but the applause of Western officials cannot disguise serious obstacles.The proposal is just that, one hinging on the approval of both sides, and hardliners may treat a weak accord as a chance to drag Libya and its oil wealth deeper into war and division.Already splits are cropping up. Voices in both camps have criticized a proposal some say the U.N. wants to impose. Others have flatly rejected the deal despite warnings that naysayers will be internationally isolated and maybe even sanctioned.Those responses may be posturing. But a failure to secure a national government could be disastrous for a North African OPEC state already deeply fractured from the internecine fighting that emerged from the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi.Libya's once robust oil production has been crippled by fighting, its foreign reserves are evaporating and Western nations are wary of the growing presence of Islamic State militants and people traffickers using the chaos to expand.For a year, the capital Tripoli has been under the control of a loose alliance of armed factions known as Libya Dawn. They set up their own self-declared government and reinstated the former parliament, the General National Congress, or the GNC.Libya's internationally recognized government and elected parliament have operated out of the east of sprawling Libya, backed by a coalition including a divisive ex-Gaddafi general, Khalifa Haftar, former rebels and federalist forces.U.N. envoy Bernardino Leon has proposed six members for a presidential council to head up the unity government, including delegates from both factions, but acknowledged those names were a U.N. suggestion based on the talks."I think what Leon did was a complete farce. We were surprised by the proposal," GNC member Mahmoud al-Gharyani said. "There must be a compromise because what has happened is not right and will never be acceptable."Members of the elected House of Representatives also appear split and they were expected to take a vote shortly.More important will be reactions of the armed actors on the ground, where a myriad of brigades of former rebels who once fought together against Gaddafi now dominate different cities and regions in lieu of a real army. Negotiations were complex because neither side is fully united, and among their armed backers are commanders opposed to a peace deal with hated rivals, or more loyal to regional and tribal interests than any national government.Misrata council, whose military faction has backed Libya Dawn in Tripoli, endorsed the U.N. proposal. But the rival military council in the western city of Zintan rebuffed it and called for Libyan- only talks."The proposal of the U.N. unity government is a disappointment. The appointment of two godfathers of war is unbelievable," the Zintan council said, referring to two of the GNC allies mooted for the unity agreement.COMPLICATED TIMING-The proposal's timing is complicated by the Oct. 20 end of mandate of the elected parliament. The house has voted to extend its own term in office so it can hand over to the next elected body. But its opponents say it has lost legitimacy.The U.N. power-sharing deal calls for an executive council, with the current House of Representatives as the main legislature, while a state council would be a consultative second chamber mostly consisting of GNC members.Mattia Toaldo, a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Leon may have taken a calculated gamble, putting forward names as a way to pressure the two sides into a pact. But risks of failure are high.Before the talks began, armed factions staged tit-for-tat air strikes on rival cities. And two factions were fighting for control of the important oil ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf."The two potential outcomes are either a new offensive on Tripoli to 'liberate' it from the GNC or the continued de facto partition of the country, with Haftar playing an ever growing role," Toaldo said.-SANCTIONS OR AGREEMENT?-Haftar, a former Gaddafi ally who returned from exile in the United States, has already led his Libyan National Army forces in an offensive against Islamist fighters and former rebels in the eastern city of Benghazi.The Tripoli camp rejects any Haftar role in a new government as a red line. Given the general's support in the east, many hundreds of kilometers (miles) from Tripoli, he appears unlikely to step aside, analysts say.In a further sign of Libya's fragmentation, federalist forces commander Ibrahim al-Jathran, whose men hold two major oil ports and support the recognized government alongside Haftar, this month broke ranks with the former general.Local political positions will also depend on the reactions of regional powers. Egypt has backed the internationally recognized government, for example, and its stance if the U.N. deal fails may be crucial. In February, Cairo carried out air strikes on Islamist militant camps inside Libya near its border.Barring a unity government, foreign mediators will have few foreseeable options. Sanctions are possible. The European Union has been crafting potential moves against three Tripoli leaders and commanders, as well as Haftar and his air force chief."Eventually, Europe and the U.S. will come around the pragmatic idea that the only way to achieve a degree of stability in Libya is to support one of the factions in conflict," Riccardo Fabiani at Euroasia Group said."Which one is picked will depend a lot on conditions on the ground and how the regional actors will position themselves."(Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
11  In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12  Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13  The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14  And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.

Syria's Nusra leader calls on insurgents to escalate attacks on Assad's Alawite stronghold-Reuters – OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

AMMAN (Reuters) - The head of Syria's Nusra Front, an offshoot of al Qaeda, urged insurgents on Monday to escalate attacks on President Bashar al Assad's minority Alawite sect's strongholds in retaliation for what he said was the indiscriminate killing of Muslim Sunnis by invading Russians.The audio message from Nusra's Abu Mohamad al-Golani, posted on YouTube, said Russia's military intervention since last week was aimed at saving Assad's rule from collapse but was doomed to fail, as had previous Iranian and Hezbollah military support."There is no choice but to escalate the battle and to target Alawite towns and villages in Latakia and I call on all factions to ... daily hit their villages with hundreds of missiles as they do to Sunni cities and villages," Golani said.Nusra Front, a radical Muslim Sunni fundamentalist group, is one of the most powerful forces fighting the Syrian government in an increasingly complex conflict that Russia's intervention has only worsened.(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Ahmed Tolba; editing by Larry King)

U.S. airdrops ammunition to Syria rebels-ReutersBy By John Davison and Phil Stewart | Reuters – OCT 12,15-YAHOONEWS

BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. forces airdropped small arms ammunition and other supplies to Syrian Arab rebels, barely two weeks after Russia raised the stakes in the long-running civil war by intervening on the side of President Bashar al-Assad.One military official said the drop, by Air Force C-17 cargo planes in northern Syrian on Sunday, was part of a revamped U.S. strategy announced last week to help rebels in Syria battling Islamic State militants.Last week, Washington shelved a programme to train and equip "moderate" rebels opposed to Assad who would join the fight against Islamic State.The only group on the ground to have success against Islamic State while cooperating with the U.S.-led coalition is a Kurdish militia, the YPG, which has carved out an autonomous zone in northern Syria and advanced deep into Islamic State's stronghold Raqqa province.On Monday, the YPG announced a new alliance with small groups of Arab fighters, which could help deflect criticism that it fights only on behalf of Kurds. Washington has indicated it could direct funding and weapons to Arab commanders on the ground who cooperate with the YPG.Syrian Arab rebels said they had been told by Washington that new weapons were on their way to help them launch a joint offensive with their Kurdish allies on the city of Raqqa, the de facto Islamic State capital.The U.S. military confirmed dropping supplies to opposition fighters vetted by the United States but would say no more about the groups that received the supplies or the type of equipment in the airdrop.The Russian intervention in the four-year-old Syrian war has wrongfooted U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, which has been trying to defeat Islamic State while still calling for Assad's downfall. DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES-Russian President Vladimir Putin was rebuffed in his bid to gain support for his country's bombing campaign, with Saudi sources saying they had warned the Kremlin leader of dangerous consequences and Europe issuing its strongest criticism yet.Putin met Saudi Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of a Formula One race in a Russian resort on Sunday.On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said those talks, along with discussions with the United States, had yielded progress on the conflict, although Moscow, Washington and Riyadh did not agree in full "as yet".A Saudi source said the defence minister, a son of the Saudi king, had told Putin that Russia's intervention would escalate the war and inspire militants from around the world to go there to fight.Riyadh would go on supporting Assad's opponents and demand that he leave power, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.European foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, issued a statement calling on Moscow to halt its bombing of Assad's moderate enemies immediately.They were unable to agree on whether Assad should have any role in ending the crisis but they did decide to extend sanctions by essentially freezing the assets of the spouses of senior Syrian figures."The recent Russian military attacks ... are of deep concern and must cease immediately," ministers said in a strongly worded statement. The war has claimed 250,000 lives and caused a refugee crisis in neighbouring countries and Europe.Moscow says it targets only banned terrorist groups in Syria, primarily Islamic State. In its briefings, it describes all of the targets it strikes as belonging to Islamic State.However, most strikes have taken place in areas held by other opposition groups, including many that are supported by Arab states, Turkey and the West in a war which has also assumed a sectarian dimension with Shi'ite Iran at odds with Saudi Arabia's Sunni rulers.RUSSIAN AIR SUPPORT-Syrian government forces and their allies from the Lebanese Shi'ite militia Hezbollah, backed by Iranian military officers, have launched a massive ground offensive in coordination with the Russian air support.They fought their fiercest clashes on Monday since the assault began, advancing in strategically important territory near the north-south highway linking Syria's main cities.Russian warplanes carried out at least 30 air strikes on the town of Kafr Nabuda in Hama province in western Syria, and hundreds of shells hit the area.The Syrian army announced the capture of Kafr Nabuda and four other villages in Hama province. It also said the army had seized Jub al-Ahmar, a highland area in Latakia province which will put more rebel positions in the nearby Ghab Plain within range of the army's artillery.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group which monitors the war in Syria, said fierce clashes raged in both Kafr Nabuda and Jub al-Ahmar.The Observatory's director, Rami Abdulrahmman, said the army and allied forces had taken part of Kafr Nabuda, and were fighting insurgents for full control of the town.The U.N. diplomat trying to convene talks to end the war said he would hold talks in Russia on Tuesday and then in Washington.(Additional reporting by William Maclean in Dubai, Tom Perry in Beirut, Gabriela Baczynska in Moscow and Robin Emmott in Luxembourg; Writing by Peter Graff, Giles Elgood and David Alexander, editing by Peter Millership and Howard Goller)

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