by Tim Buck | Dec 19, 2024 | Islam, Israel, Syria
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi at the mosque when he announced the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
HTS Terrorist Leader Al-Jolani speaking in the famed white mosque in Syria.
A Syrian Kurdish forces member places a cross in the rubble of the Armenian Church of the Martyrs in Raqqa, Syria.
Islamic Grip Clamps Syria
12/19/24 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
19 Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows 21 I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them.
Daniel 7:19-21
HTS Terrorist Leader Al-Jolani says Christians will be subdued by Sharia Law and be forced to pay Jizya Tax!
In the wake of Assad’s fall, Syria’s Christian population have fallen under the iron grip of Islam just as Daniel prophesied what the beast would look like during the Tribulation… “exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze.”
This remarkable turn of events in Syria is another key development toward the shaping of the coming Islamic Beast of Revelation in the Middle East.
Just as we saw ISIS do when they were in control of portions of Syria and Iraq, the HTS Terrorists are doing in Syria. It’s beginning to look like ISIS has returned only in a slightly different form and now they have an entire country under their control!
The penalty for Christians who fail to pay the Sharia-sanctioned extortion “tax” is the same penalty Christian’s face for refusing to worship the god of Islam in Revelation 13: DEATH
“The honor of Islam lies in insulting the unbelief and the unbelievers (kafirs)… The real purpose of levying the Jizya on them is to humiliate them… [and] they remain terrified and trembling.” – Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism and Slavery by M. A. Khan
Qur’an Sura 9:29, “[Mohammed said] Fight those who believe not in Allah … (even if they are) of the People of the Book [Christians], until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”
15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Revelation 13:15
by Tim Buck | Dec 17, 2024 | Israel, Russia, Syria, Turkey
Deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma are currently in Russia.
When Bashar al-Assad was toppled on Sunday, it turned the page on not only his 24-year presidency but on more than 50 years of his family ruling Syria.
Before Assad took office in 2000, his late father Hafez was president for three decades.
Now, with rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir-al Sham (HTS) forming a government, the future of the deposed president, his wife and their three children is uncertain. They are now in Russia, where they have been offered asylum.
Turkey’s Sunni, Syrian Jihadists threw out the Shia Assad regime and now control Israel’s neighbor, Syria. Their aim is to establish “Greater Syria” as it previously existed in the Ottoman Empire.
At a minimum, this would encompass the countries of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.
Turkish President Erdogan’s dream has always been “the liberation of Jerusalem” from the Jews… a Sunni jihadi Syria provides a conveniently straight path to fulfill that long-term dream.
With his takeover of Syria, Turkey’s Erdogan takes big step toward rebuilding Turkey’s Ottoman Caliphate
Syria, Islamic Stronghold
For Turkey
12/17/24 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
Media Coverup
We are amazed, but not surprised, how limited and “engineered” the global media coverage is about Syria’s collapse. The “progressive” media intuitively views Muslim terrorists and Jihadi rebels as honorable “Freedom Fighters” standing for the poor and the oppressed, instead of as adversaries who cannot be reasoned with and rather need to be disarmed for everyone’s sake.
Jihadi Barbarism
Presently, as the new Islamic State is tightening up its brutal control over much of what was Syria two weeks ago on Israel’s northeastern border, there have been alarming reports. The new ISIS Jihadi landlords continue their rampage of rapes, street executions, kidnapping of women, and sowing death and destruction among their opposition non-Sunni factions. These Sunni rebels hate the Shiites, the Druze, the Alawites, the Christians, but above all, they hate the Jewish people.
And while the barbarism goes unstopped in the streets, many western governments, including Biden and Blinken are already eager to launch “constructive relations” with the Jihadis. We’ve seen how well this formula works in Europe. First the “Progressive left” falls in love with the Islamists; secondly the Islamists, after reaching sufficient numbers, influence, and confidence, slaughter them.
Russia Halts Grain
Russia, while evacuating its forces from their bases in western Syria, recently announced that it is halting grain shipments to Syria, citing “governmental uncertainty” and “payment issues.” These grain shipments kept the failed country of Syria alive, and now, at the peak of winter, they are canceled. The “new liberated Syria” will face starvation AND anarchy. Being an entity without any sources of viable income, it is a classic candidate to become somebody’s proxy… like Turkey!
Since Russia supplied “Syria” with grain nearly for free, “Iraq” will cut off its cheap energy as well. Starting yesterday, there is virtually no electricity across this new Islamist entity, and residents are returning to coal and oil with only 4 hours of electricity per day. Mobile devices are also nearly unusable much to the jihadists joy, as it makes isolating the miserable population much easier. Meanwhile, the Druze communities of southern Syria have publicly declared their desire to secede from the “New ISIS Syria” and be annexed to Israel, joining their Druze brethren who already live in northern Israel in peace and harmony for many years.
Drugs For Terrorists
Millions of pills of the synthetic drug called “captagon” were discovered in Assad’s deserted military headquarters. This drug, sometimes called “chemical courage,” is used by Muslim combatants in the Middle East to elevate focus and energy, including the Oct. 7 Hamas monsters. The Black-market captagon that was nearly exclusively manufactured in Syria and Lebanon, was the only profitable export in their failed economies. The West should add another big “Thank You” to Israel for ridding the world of this evil.
Money?
Syria’s disappearing President, Bashar al-Assad and his family, who secretly escaped Syria before it collapsed, resurfaced in Moscow. Assad escaped with $billions and the family has already purchased a luxury apartment in Moscow with an expensive fleet of cars. In the coming years, this failed and weak politician may be worth $100 billion, own Russian oil and gas fields, and host extravagant galas in Dubai unless, of course, his day of reckoning comes first.
Egypt and Jordan Next?
In the same way, King Abdullah of Jordan and President El-Sisi of Egypt are similarly “set for life” and have their “go-bag” packed and ready in case their failed countries are next to collapse. Only a fool believes that Bashar al-Assad cares about Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, Jihadists, Druze, Kurds, or the rest of the miserable lot. As far as Bashar al-Assad is concerned, let them all burn; his party is just getting started! He is not President Bashar, Russia and Iran’s puppet any longer. From now on he is Billionaire Bashar al-Assad. This is our world, and these are Israel’s enemies.
IDF, Busy in Syria
The IDF continues to carry out massive waves of pinpointed air-bombing campaigns across “Syria,” destroying infrastructure of Bashar’s disappearing army. This campaign could continue for months or even years, keeping these weapon systems from falling into the hands of the Sunni Rebels. Why? Because this predatory Jihadist entity that is founded, trained, and supported by Turkey is dangerous. It should be globally boycotted alongside its “mothership” Turkey, which had already publicly announced that it is ready to offer military support and training to the “new Syrian government.”
Within months Israel will likely have a new and dangerous Jihadi army on their northeastern border ready to finish what Hamas and Hezbollah failed to accomplish. Pray that Israel’s leadership will work steadfastly to establish the badly needed security-zones and defendable borders. So far, the IDF is establishing this needed security-belt deep inside what used to be “Syria,” and has taken over the highest peaks of the Hermon Mountain Range. These strategic observation points now offer Israeli technology a clear line of sight for early warnings of aerial attacks arriving all the way from Iran and beyond.
After 14 months of painful and costly wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel is nearly done with Iran and her proxies.
But now Israel’s battle with Turkey and her proxies starts.
Erdogan Sponsor’s Al-Jolani
A former branch of Al Qaeda, in 2018, HTS [Hayat Tahrir al-Sham] was officially designated a terrorist organization by the US government. HTS, which has long been cooperating with the Turkish military and Turkish-backed groups in Syria, is committed to establishing an Islamist state across Syria, at least for a start.
Turkish President Erdogan and Al-Jolani are now making all sorts of human-rightsy promises that they know the West likes to hear – just as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini did before he took over Iran, and as the Taliban did before they quickly demolished 20 years of US human rights progress in Afghanistan.
Prophecy of Ten Kings
The prophet Daniel talks about a coming ten-king empire that has trouble getting along and can’t seem to agree [Dan. 2:41-44]. He describes it like trying to mix iron with clay, an apt description of a Sunni and Shia Empire. Just as Iran is the Shiite “head of the octopus” whose tentacles consist of Iraq, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other assorted militias, so Erdogan is the Sunni “head of the octopus” in Syria. While everyone is busy staring at rival terrorist groups in Syria, it is crucial not to forget for a minute the country backing them: Turkey. With Erdogan in control of Damascus, his dream to “liberate Jerusalem”…. has become a real possibility.
Hezbollah and Hamas
Meanwhile, in spite of the useless and ineffective “Ceasefire Agreement” between Israel and Hezbollah, the fighting goes on in Lebanon due to Hezbollah’s constant agreement violations. We hope that IDF forces will secure the territory of southern Lebanon all the way up to the Litani River and even beyond. If they fail to do so and allow enemy combatants to return to southern Lebanon and rebuild their terror infrastructure next to Israeli towns and villages once again, then they have accomplished nothing, and the next Lebanon War is already on the horizon.
Focused fighting also continues in Gaza with IDF units cleaning out terror nests and searching for clues for the 101 abductees that are still held captive by Hamas and other Islamic Jihadi gangs. If not for the global manipulations and the Biden Administration’s “controlling” the IDF strategies and actions, the Gaza war could have been won and finished long ago.
Pray For Israel
Pray that Israel’s leadership will start thinking in terms of VICTORY, rather than “satisfying Washington,” or “reaching agreements with terrorists.” These are the mindsets that led to the October 7 massacre, and they do not belong to Israel’s future. This time, it must be complete VICTORY!
The witness of the Gospel has an open door in Israel as a result of the prolonged wars; the hearts of the Jewish people are longing for comfort and for hope in light of the extended trial; God’s mercies are upon the brokenhearted; and the grace of the Lord is near to all who love Him.
As the Scripture instructs us,
“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her; rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; that you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation of her bosom, that you may drink deeply and be delighted with the abundance of her glory…” (Isaiah 66).
by Tim Buck | Dec 14, 2024 | Iran, Israel, Russia, Syria
IDF: We destroyed up to 80% of Syrian army capabilities, hundreds of aircraft took part in
‘Operation Bashan Arrow’
IDF Bombs Damascus Airport, the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, and wipes out Syria’s Air Force
Russia Pulls out of port in Syria as Israel sinks the entire Syrian Navy along the Mediterranean.
With his takeover of Syria, Turkey’s Erdogan takes big step toward rebuilding Turkey’s Ottoman Caliphate
OK for Everyone Else to Take Over Syria, But Not Israel?
Israel Defends Itself!
Turkey has seized more than 5000 square miles of Syria as well as bankrolling and militarily supporting the new Sunni Islamist takeover of Syria. Russia has large bases and troops in multiple areas of Syria. Until recently, Iran had 50 bases and many military points in Syria and Hezbollah has thousands of troops. Of all these countries in Syria, Israel’s minor intervention is the smallest and most defensive, yet they are widely condemned while all the much bigger interventions are ignored!
Israel Destroys
Syria’s Military Assets
12/12/24 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
Takeover of Syria
But at the end of November, the fighting and Islamist uprising in the north of Syria began to grow.
Turkish President Erdogan’s longstanding hatred of Syrian President Assad had Turkey weighing in on the side of the Islamists who are led by a former ISIS leader, arming them to fight the Syrian government troops.
More and more rebel groups began loading up their weapons and soon the force pushed southward. Aleppo, Hama, and Homs were all taken. Southern rebels saw what was happening and they, too, grabbed their AK-47s and set off. Soon, the rebels were entering Damascus and Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia where he was warmly welcomed partly due to the $158 billion bank account he brought with him.
Who are the Major Players?
Essentially, the primary aggressors in the takeover of Syria are Sunni, Islamist rebels. The largest of these is Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which has taken the lead in establishing the new government. The leader of this rebel group is Ahmed al-Sharaa. Although this is the man’s real name, until this past weekend he was known as, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. His al-Jolani persona, was notorious for its previous ties to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). Not the best track record with which to launch a new government. So, now it’s back to al-Sharaa. Unfortunately, he can’t change the names and reputations of his fellow, anti-Assad, Sunni groups like, the Syrian Free Army (SFA), the Syrian National Army (SNA), the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS), and the Southern Operations Room (SOR), a group made up of Druze tribes and other Syrian opposition groups.
Needless to say, it isn’t very encouraging to Israel to have these radical Islamists now trying to form the new government of Syria. What could go wrong?
But Israel can take encouragement from three sources. First, the rebel groups are fighting each other. These aren’t a bunch of buddies who decided to team up and attack. HTS took the lead and when the rest saw them gaining ground, they joined in. But these guys hate each other and may start pointing guns at each other. Second, these groups have revenge against Assad on their minds. In one prison alone, Sednaya, north of Damascus, records were found indicating 29,000 executions taking place on the grounds. A mass grave was found containing the skeletons of prisoners who had been slaughtered, then their bodies dissolved in acid. These were the family and friends of the rebels. They’re out for blood. And not just of the Assad regime, but of the Iranians and Russians who propped up the president and his vicious military.
Operation Arrow of Bashan
The third source of encouragement for Israel is their own military. Iran and Russia had spent a lot of money outfitting Assad’s incompetent army. Prime Minister Netanyahu and the IDF were determined that this war materiel would not fall into the hands of the rebels. Thus, they launched Operation Arrow of Bashan. In only two days this week, Israel destroyed 80% of Syria’s military capabilities.
This breaks down to the destruction of two major navy facilities where 15 naval vessels were docked. At the same time, dozens of sea-to-sea missiles were destroyed. The Syrian air force was massively damaged, their airfields were blown up, and their anti-aircraft batteries were decimated. Scud missiles, cruise missiles, surface-to-sea missiles, surface-to-air missiles, UAVs, fighter jets, attack helicopters, radars, tanks, hangars, and so much more were all blasted to pieces. There were air strikes on 130 assets, including weapons depots, military structures, launchers, firing positions, research centers, training centers, weapons caches, and chemical weapons stores.
The take-offs and landings this week from Israel’s airfields was non-stop! As that was taking place, IDF tanks were in the buffer zone between Syria and Israel widening the gap to ensure safety on the Israeli side of the border. For the first time since October 7, 2023, it is now safe for many of the northern Israelis to go back to their homes.
Current Syria
It is evident that nearly everyone wants this war over as soon as possible, including the rebels. Ahmad al-Sharaa of the HTS said, “We have turned to stability. The Syrian people are exhausted, and we will not enter into another war.” Will they keep moving to Israel? No, says al-Sharaa. “Our concern was about Iran and Hezbollah who carried out the massacres.” By all appearances, al-Sharaa wants to somehow go “mainstream.” He has installed the prime minister of his unrecognized rebel state as the new prime minister of the Syrian Transitional Government, with a term running until March 2025. Both the United States and the United Nations are already considering removing HTS from its list of terrorist groups if al-Sharaa can keep his people from going too crazy.
Unfortunately, Ahmad al-Sharaa can only control his own people, and even then only to an extent. Throughout Syria, at this moment, there are mass executions and ethnic and religious cleansing taking place by HTS and SNA forces. And you can be sure others are carrying out their fair share of atrocities. Syria is not the place to be if you are a Christian or a Shiite Muslim. It’s for this reason that the United Kingdom is saying, “You’ll have to show us a lot more if you’re getting off our terrorist list.”
We can cheer that the Syrian dictator Assad is out, but we must remember that these are not better people. They’re radical Islamists under the direction of the Islamist ruler Erdogan in Turkey. True, Russia and Iran are not pulling their strings. But with very little oversight at all, it all could get much crazier.
Quick List, Winners & Losers
Losers
1. Bashar al-Assad and his government – although a $158 billion nest egg makes the cold Moscow winters a little warmer
2. Russia – they no longer have power in Syria, and they aren’t wanted
3. Iran – their 45-year strategy of building proxy militias has just been blown sky high. They are in a greatly weakened state, and they better watch their backs when Trump gets into office. It’s likely their nuclear program could disappear
Winners
1. Syrian rebels – they’d been fighting to push the Assads out for decades. They’ve finally done it. Unfortunately, they are being way too exuberant in their street justice
2. Turkey – they’ve been pouring money and manpower into training and equipping these Islamist rebels. Now they have influence in the new Syria
3. Israel – Neither Iran nor Russia is entrenched on their borders anymore. Instead, it’s just a bunch of crazies with their own problems
What Does this Mean for Israel?
The displaced Israeli citizens in the north can begin to move back home. Not all are ready to do so, but they can if they want. If you had told me a few months ago that by December both Hamas and Hezbollah would be gone, I would have told you that you were dreaming. But this is what the Lord has done. Both terrorist groups are decimated to the point of being non-threats. That doesn’t mean Israel will give up hunting down threats. It’s just that they no longer have to worry about an invasion from the north or the south.
Israel is in a very strong place right now. Netanyahu has done what he said he would do; he has brought safety back to Israel. Many doubted him and many still do, but he has proved his mettle and will go down in history as the greatest Israeli leader of all time.
The Trump Effect
Israel is also in a great place because of the U.S. elections. Many in the incoming Trump administration are more Zionist than some in Israel’s government. With the incoming Israeli-U.S. united front, Iran should be quaking in their boots. We’ve already seen the Iranian axis fall; next we may see their nuclear program collapse. Preventative airstrikes on the Iranian nuclear program are already being discussed by President Trump’s transition team who also report that the incoming Trump administration will bring a ‘drastic shift’ in U.S. Iran policy! Thank you Lord!
It also looks very good for Israel in the Middle East. With the incoming Trump presidency, we could see both the Saudis and the Indonesians lining up for normalization with Israel under the Abraham Accords. With the collapse of Iran’s axis, Hamas has been left hanging. With prayer and strong negotiations, we could finally see a hostage deal soon. Trump has already made it clear that the U.S. will step in to see the hostages returned quickly. Already Israel’s Defense Minister Katz and America’s Secretary of Defense Austin are talking about the negotiations with Hamas. The terrorists counted on two things: the public outcry for the hostages would overcome the government and Netanyahu would be forced to back down. Neither happened. Hopefully, individual Hamas members will give in to temptation and take the proffered $5 million for every hostage returned. Then they can slip away scot-free to enjoy their boon, at least until they get a secret visit from the Mossad.
Prophetic Clock Moves Forward
These times are historic as God’s prophetic clock continues to set the stage for the coming Tribulation period. Syria now sits like Afghanistan next to Israel. And the control of Syria which is now largely under Turkey’s wings is a game changing development toward the coming 10-King Caliphate. Ever since October 7, 2023, Israel has had to reminded themselves that “God is still on the throne.” This past week, He reminded them that He was there all along working and maneuvering His purposes. Then, when the timing was right – Bam! – He stepped in and did something marvelous before our eyes. The Lord is good and He proves over and over that He will never neglect to take care of His people.
Rumble