Wars And Rumors Of Wars

[HisDaughter]

Strike on Qaddafi Compound Badly Damages Buildings
foxnews.com

TRIPOLI –  NATO airstrikes targeted the center of Muammar Qaddafi's seat of power early Monday, destroying a multistory library and office in his compound and badly damaging a reception hall for visiting dignitaries.

Qaddafi's whereabouts at the time of the attack on his sprawling Bab al-Aziziya compound were unclear. A security official at the scene said four people were lightly hurt.

Monday's strike came after Qaddafi's forces unleashed a barrage of shells and rockets at the besieged rebel city of Misrata in an especially bloody weekend that left at least 32 dead and dozens wounded.

The shelling of the only major city in western Libya in rebel hands continued early Monday morning, destroying two schools in the Abbad neighborhood. Residents said the attack lasted about an hour and they found what is believed to be a remnant of a 155mm shell.

The battle for Misrata, which has claimed hundreds of lives in the past two months, has become the focal point of Libya's armed rebellion against Qaddafi since fighting elsewhere is deadlocked.



A Libyan man walks past the remnants of a shell fired by pro-Gadhafi forces during the siege of the rebel town of Ajdabiya, Libya Sunday, April 24, 2011. Rebel fighters drove Moammar Gadhafi's forces to the edge of the besieged western city of Misrata on Sunday, taking control of the main hospital where government troops had been holed up, a resident said.
Video of Misrata civilians being killed and wounded by Qaddafi's heavy weapons, including Grad rockets and tank shells, have spurred calls for more forceful international intervention to stop the bloodshed.

In Brussels, a NATO spokesman said the alliance is increasingly targeting facilities linked to Qaddafi's regime with government advances stalled on the battlefield.

"We have moved on to those command and control facilities that are used to coordinate such attacks by regime forces," the spokesman said of the strike on Bab al-Aziziya, which has been hit last month, early in the NATO air campaign. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military briefing regulations.

Qaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, struck a tone of defiance. He claimed Qaddafi has "millions of Libyans with him" and said NATO's mission was doomed to fail.

"In history, no country has achieved victory with spies and traitors and collaborators. ... NATO, you are the losers," he was quoted as saying by the state news agency JANA.

In Washington on Sunday, three members of the Senate Armed Services Committee said more should be done to drive Qaddafi from power, including targeting his inner circle with airstrikes.

Qaddafi "needs to wake up every day wondering, 'Will this be my last?"' Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican on the committee, told CNN's "State of the Union."

In last month's attack on Bab al-Aziziya, a cruise missile blasted an administration building, knocking down half of the three-story building. The compound also was targeted in a U.S. bombing in April 1986, after Washington held Libya responsible for a blast at a Berlin disco that killed two U.S. servicemen.

At least two missiles struck Bab al-Aziziya early Monday, and the booms could be heard miles away.

A multistory building that guards said served as Qaddafi's library and office was turned into a pile of twisted metal and broken concrete slabs. Dozens of Qaddafi supporters climbed atop the ruins, raising Libya's green flag and chanting support for their leader.

A second building, where Qaddafi received visiting dignitaries, suffered damage. The main door was blown open, shards of glass were scattered across the ground and picture frames were knocked down.

Just two weeks ago, Qaddafi had received an African Union delegation led by South African President Jacob Zuma in the ceremonial building, which was furnished with sofas and chandeliers. The delegation had called for an immediate cease-fire and dialogue between the rebels and the government.

NATO's mandate from the U.N. is to try to protect civilians in Libya, split into a rebel-run east and a western area that remains largely under Qaddafi's control. While the coalition's airstrikes have delivered heavy blows to Qaddafi's army, they have not halted attacks on Misrata, a city of 300,000 people.

Still, in recent days, the rebels' drive to push Qaddafi's men out of the city center gained momentum.

Late last week, they forced government snipers out of high-rise buildings. On Sunday, rebels took control of the main hospital, the last position of Libyan troops in the center of town, said a resident who asked to be identified only by his given name, Abdel Salam, for fear of reprisal.

Throughout the day, government forces fired more than 70 rockets at the city, he said.

"Now Gadhafi's troops are on the outskirts of Misrata, using rocket launchers," Abdel Salam said.

A Misrata rebel, 37-year-old Lutfi, said there had been 300-400 Qaddafi fighters in the main hospital and in the surrounding area that were trying to melt into the local population.

"They are trying to run way," Lutfi said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. "They are pretending to be civilians. They are putting on sportswear."

Ali Misbah, a captured Libyan soldier who had been wounded in the leg, was held under guard in a tent in the parking lot of the Al Hikmeh Hospital, one of the city's smaller medical centers.

Misbah, 25, said morale was low among Qaddafi's troops. "Recently, our spirit has collapsed and the forces that were in front of us escaped and left us alone," he said.

Misbah said he and his fellow soldiers were told that they were fighting against Al Qaeda militants, not ordinary Libyans who took up arms against Qaddafi.

"They misled us," Misbah said of the government.

A senior Libyan government official has said the military is withdrawing from the fighting in Misrata, ostensibly to give a chance to tribal chiefs in the area to negotiate with the rebels. The official, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim, said the tribal chiefs were ready to send armed supporters to fight the rebels unless they lay down their weapons.

Rebels on Sunday dismissed government claims that tribes in the area were siding with Qaddafi and that troops were redeploying voluntarily.

"It's not a withdrawal. It's a defeat that they want to turn into propaganda," said Dr. Abdel-Basit Abu Mzirig, head of the Misrata medical committee. "They were besieging the city and then they had to leave."

[HisDaughter]

Top US military commanders express deep concern over Chinese military buildup 

israelnationalnews.com

The threat from Chinese advanced weapons, including new stealth fighters and ballistic missiles, dominated concerns expressed by senior military officers at a Senate hearing this week on the military impact of delays and problems with the new fifth-generation F-35 jet.

Two senior officers in charge of U.S. air power voiced increasing worries that U.S. forces will not be prepared for a future conflict with China, during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services airland subcommittee on Tuesday.

Air ForceLt. Gen. Herbert J. Carlisle, deputy chief of staff for operations, said China’s rollout earlier this year of a new J-20 stealth fighter, which has made two or three test flights, is very troubling, along with another joint Russian-Indian stealth jet.

Both aircraft could be sold to Iran and affect a future U.S. intervention there against Tehran’s nuclear program.

“Those are discouraging in that they rolled out in a time that we thought there was maybe a little bit more time, although we weren’t sure of that,” Gen. Carlisle said.

The three-star general’s comments echoed earlier comments by Navy Vice Adm. David J. Dorsett, a senior intelligence official, who said of the J-20 in January that “we have been pretty consistent in underestimating the delivery of Chinese technology and weapons systems.”

U.S. military fighters will remain a pace ahead technologically of both the Chinese and Russian stealth jets. But if there are further F-35 delays, “then that pacing is in jeopardy,” Gen. Carlisle said.

In unusually candid comments on China’s growing military power, Gen. Carlisle said: “You need only look across the Pacific and see what [China] is doing, not just their air force capability, but their surface-to-air [missile] capability, their ballistic missile capability, their anti-ship ballistic missiles,” and new missiles that can reach U.S. bases in Guam and Japan.

“All of those things are incredibly disturbing to us for the future,” Gen. Carlisle said. “And again, … we not only have to be able to defeat those, we have to hold those targets at risk, and that’s where these fifth-generation aircraft come in.”

Asked during the hearing what “keeps you up at night,” Rear Adm. David L. Philman, Navy director of warfare integration, said: “Well, the China scenario is first and foremost, I believe, because they seem to be more advanced and they have the capability out there right now, and their ships at sea and their other anti-access capabilities.”

The Pentagon refers to China’s advanced weapons, including ballistic missiles that hit ships at sea, new submarines, anti-satellite weapons and cyberwarfare capabilities, as “anti-access and area denial” arms.

Adm. Philman said the J-20 rollout is a concern, but with 1,000 test hours on the F-35, the jet is a “far leap ahead from the Chinese fighter that’s flown three times.”

“But they will catch up. They understand. They’re a smart and learning enemy, and if we don’t keep our edge, then we will be behind, or at least lose our advantage,” Adm. Philman said.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent and subcommittee chairman, said the Navy and Marine Corps are projecting a shortage of up to 267 warplanes in the coming years for the 10 aircraft carrier wings and three Marine Corps air wings.

[HisDaughter]

The Role of Libya In The End Times
blogs.christianpost.com

Libya. Just the mere word itself conjures up negative images, including its leader and ruthless dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the government's participation in terrorism past and present, and Gadhafi's proclamation that Islam should reign from India to Spain. Even now, we watch the events of war in Libya as it races across our TV screens headlining the nightly news, with the ever-increasing conflicts in the Middle East seemingly fulfilling Jesus' phrase "you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars" (Matthew 24:6) thus pointing to His soon return. It would appear to be important enough that the President gave a speech to the world to explain what is going on in Libya and what his plans are for that country. But even as the President has outlined his plans for Libya, I am going to outline God's plans for Libya in the endtime. God has a clear plan for Libya. He has already decreed its outcome through one of the Biblical prophets of old, and God has revealed His 'purpose' in what will be the eventual devastating defeat of Libya...but it won't be done by NATO airplanes nor will it be accomplished through rebel uprisings, neither will it be at the hands of the United States or Israel...God Himself will powerfully intervene.

The country of Libya is in the Bible. Additionally, and unknown to many, it is an important player in the Bible's prophecies of the end of days. It was 2,600 years ago that the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of the future that most every Biblical scholar agrees is speaking of the time period in which we are currently living.

Specifically, in Ezekiel 38, there is a list of nations that will come together at the end of days for the express purpose of destroying the nation of Israel. Among those nations is Turkey, who is identified by multiple ancient place names/locations that existed within that country's current borders (i.e., Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Togarmah). Also, Iran has been singled out by its ancient name Persia, as Iran was called 'Persia' until 1935. Finally, in Ezekiel 38:5, Libya is identified. Some Bible translations use the word Put, which is simply the Hebrew place name for the area currently occupied by present-day Libya. This coalition of nations, and the Bible implies many more nations with them, will make an all-out assault on Israel, intending to destroy her. God told Ezekiel that this event would occur in the "latter years" (Ezekiel 38:. At the last moment it will look like Israel will be wiped out, but God will intervene and Libya and the other nations, including Iran, will suffer a 7-fold judgement from God - a great earthquake, pestilence, bloodshed, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:19-22). To be sure, God will not need airplanes and troops to get this accomplished.

The most remarkable thing, though, is that when God makes Libya, Iran, and other nations an example of His divine judgement, is that He also reveals His divine purpose. No less and no more than 7 times, God's perfect number, He makes similar statements as the one found in Ezekiel 39:7, "my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel...and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel." There you have the reason for God's intervention. God's coming judgement on Libya and the other nations with them will be to reveal Himself, to magnify Himself, to reveal His holiness, to glorify Himself, and to make Himself known in the eyes of many nations...all these phrases found in the Book of Ezekiel. God intervenes on behalf of Israel in order to reveal to the nations that He is God alone, that the prophecies of old that spoke of Him are true, and that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah who came to bring salvation to all of mankind.

And you say, "Jesus...in Ezekiel???" Yes! At the end of Ezekiel 39 it says that God will pour out His Spirit upon the house of Israel...and according to the Apostle Peter in the New Testament, only Jesus Christ has been given this authority to pour out the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:33, Peter said, in referring to Jesus upon His resurrection, "...being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He (i.e., Jesus Christ) poured out this which you now see and hear". On that day very soon, Jesus will gloriously reveal Himself to Israel and an unbelieving world as the one true Savior, Lord, Messiah, and God! Additionally, Revival will come to Israel. In Ezekiel 39:28-29, God states, "then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land (prophecy fulfilled May 1948), and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord God".

Finally, if the nations of the Middle East mentioned in Ezekiel 38 (i.e., Libya, Iran, Turkey, etc.) are right now coming into alignment with each other before our very eyes, and assuming that the incredible event described above occurs sometime during the Great Tribulation period as most Biblical scholars believe, how much closer are we then to the soon return of Jesus Christ when he 'catches away' those who have been 'born again'?

[nChrist]

Finally, if the nations of the Middle East mentioned in Ezekiel 38 (i.e., Libya, Iran, Turkey, etc.) are right now coming into alignment with each other before our very eyes, and assuming that the incredible event described above occurs sometime during the Great Tribulation period as most Biblical scholars believe, how much closer are we then to the soon return of Jesus Christ when he 'catches away' those who have been 'born again'?

Great article - thanks for sharing. Yes, the time is growing near.