The slaughter of innocent Christians by ISIS continues as a strong president prepares to take them out.
Unfortunately, it is not our’s.
The Christian Post reports that
The United States Department of State has detailed in its International Religious Freedom report what one group described as “unimaginable horrors” Christians are facing at the hands of the Islamic State terror group, including beheadings and kidnappings.
The American Center for Law and Justice, which has been speaking out about Christian persecution across Iraq and Syria, described accounts in the IRF report as “truly gut-wrenching,” and said the report only offers “a small glimpse at the unimaginable horrors” Christians are facing.
David Saperstein, ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, said:
“There is an absolute and unequivocal need to give voice to the religiously oppressed in every land afraid to speak of what they believe in; who face death and live in fear, who worship in underground churches, mosques or temples, who feel so desperate that they flee their homes to avoid killing and persecution simply because they love God in their own way or question the existence of God.”
The accounts confirm the many news reports that Christians in the territory captured by IS have been given the choice to convert to Islam, pay a large tax, flee from their ancestral homes, or be killed.
One account shared the story of a young Christian girl who was taken from her mother and told she would never see her again.
The report states: “Three-year old Christina Khader Ebada boarded a crowded bus with her mother to leave when suddenly one of the fighters guarding the checkpoint tore Christina from her mother’s arms. The panicked mother followed him, pleading with him to return the girl. ‘Shut up,’ he responded. ‘If you come close to this little girl you will be slaughtered; we will slaughter you.’ And she was forced back on the bus, leaving her baby behind, never to know what became of her.”
The State Department report further criticized the lack of government response to increasing societal tensions and discrimination.
The report claimed that the administration of President Bashar al-Asad promoted a “sectarian narrative” rather than trying to bring peace and stability to the region.
“This created an untenable situation where religiously motivated attacks targeted Syrians across the political and religious spectrum. In many situations, the lack of regime action to try to stop ISIL’s and other groups’ advances and attacks on specific religious groups and communities laid bare Asad’s cynical political calculations in daring to claim the title ‘protector’ of any of Syria’s people,” it added.
As far as positive developments regarding religious freedom in 2014, the report claimed that the suffering Egyptian Coptic population has received some help from its country’s government.
“There have been some convictions of perpetrators of violence against Copts, although impunity from prosecution for such crimes remains a serious problem,” the report continued.
“The new Egyptian constitution provides increased human rights protections as compared to the previous constitution, including a stipulation of equality before the law irrespective of religion.”
The ACLJ has meanwhile been critical of President Barack Obama’s decision to send 50 Special Operations troops into Syria to help ground troops battling IS, saying that it is not enough.
IS has continued to conquer towns in Syria despite airstrikes from the U.S. and Russia, which only joined the anti-terrorism effort in October.
Islamic jihadists captured the town of Maheen in the central Homs Province over the weekend, and reports say that fighting has begun on the outskirts of the predominately Christian town of Sadad — home to 15,000 Syriac Orthodox Christians.
Speaking of Islamic State, CNN reports that
Days after authorities dismissed claims that ISIS brought down a Russian passenger jet, a U.S. intelligence analysis now suggests that the terror group or its affiliates planted a bomb on the plane.British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond said his government believes there is a “significant possibility” that an explosive device caused the crash. And a Middle East source briefed on intelligence matters also said it appears likely someone placed a bomb aboard the aircraft.
Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed Saturday in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula after breaking apart in midair, killing all 224 people on board. It was en route to St. Petersburg from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The latest U.S. intelligence suggests that the crash was most likely caused by a bomb planted on the plane by ISIS or an affiliate, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke with CNN.
The officials stressed that no formal conclusion has been reached by the U.S. intelligence community and that U.S. officials haven’t seen forensic evidence from the crash investigation.
Intelligence also suggests someone at the Sharm el-Sheikh airport helped get a bomb onto the plane, one U.S. official said.“This airport has lax security. It is known for that,” the official said. “But there is intelligence suggesting an assist from someone at the airport. “
Egyptian authorities, who are leading the investigation into the crash, haven’t publicly responded to reports on U.S. intelligence. Since the crash, they’ve downplayed the possibility that terrorism could be involved.
The signs pointing to ISIS, another U.S. official said, are partially based on monitoring of internal messages of the terrorist group. Those messages are separate from public ISIS claims of responsibility, that official said.
In an audio message from ISIS’ Sinai branch that was posted on terror-related social media accounts Wednesday, the organization adamantly insisted that it brought down the flight.
“Find your black boxes and analyze them, give us the results of your investigation and the depth of your expertise and prove we didn’t do it or how it was downed,” the message said. “Die with your rage. We are the ones with God’s blessing who brought it down. And God willing, one day we will reveal how, at the time we desire.”
Typically, ISIS is quick to trumpet how and who carried out any attacks for purposes of praise and propaganda. To some, the fact that ISIS hasn’t provided details in this case raises doubt about the group’s repeated claims of responsibility.
Officials in Egypt and Russia have said there’s no evidence to support ISIS’ claims.
“That was a very baffling way to claim credit for what would be the most significant terrorist attack since 9/11,” CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said. “But there may have been a method behind this and a reason behind this, and that may have been to protect an insider at Sharm el-Sheikh airport.”
Perhaps.
But, who will protect ISIS from Putin?
Former UN Ambassador John Bolton, appearing on Greta Van Susteran’s program, last night on Fox News, made the prediction that Putin will retaliate against Islamic State and strike back hard.
Well, duuuh.
It is what any strong leader would do.
Unlike our country’s President, who has invited the Muslim Brotherhood to the White House several times, and who relies on Iranian Valerie Jarrett to run the place for him.
For President Barack Hussein Obama to have attempted to prosecute a War against ISIS by remote control, with apparently no military strategy in place at all, was one the silliest things I’ve ever seen in my life.
As was noted by several military analysts, when his “War-By-Remote-Control began, eventually, Obama was going to have to put troops on the ground. That is, additional troops to the troops which he already has on the ground in the role of “military advisors”.
Last week, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced that there would be a limited amount of American Troops, putting their boots on the ground to conduct “raids” against ISIS.
Let’s face it, Obama’s bombing runs were doing minimal damage, at best.
The fact of the matter is, you cannot bomb buildings and expect to kill your enemy, when the enemy is a guerrilla force, which does not stay in any building for any period of time. Just like their Nomadic Barbaric Ancestors, these guerrillas keep moving, regrouping, and attacking.
Obama had hoped that his “Coalition of the Unwilling”, the Middle Eastern Muslim Nations , who reluctantly agreed to support Obama against ISIS, would be willing to be his “boots on the ground” and would lay down their lives for him.
I am still trying to figure out how Obama could have possibly thought that those who think of us as the Great Satan, would lay down their lives for us.
Of course, Obama also thinks that if Iran promises not to build a nuke, they won’t build it.
Just yesterday, voanews.com reported that
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named world’s most powerful person by Forbes magazine.
“Putin continues to prove he’s one of the few men in the world powerful enough to do what he wants – and get away with it,” the magazine said of the Russian leader, who has topped the list three years in a row.
Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel took over the second spot from U.S. President Barack Obama, who dropped to third.
It marks the first time a U.S. president has not been in the top two in the seven-year history of the rankings, according to the 73-person list named by Forbes.
Meanwhile, four Americans, including a Pastor remains a prisoner in Iran and Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepare to wipe ISIS off the map.
President Barack Hussein Obama should not even be third on that list.
Until He Comes,
KJ
Kingsjester's Blog 