Kerry in Iraq: Too little, too late?
US Secretary of State John Kerry
The USA Secretary of State is in Iraq and hoping to persuade certain leaders there to give up power in order to better fight the terrorist-linked group ISIS:
23 June 2014
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Iraq on an unannounced visit as the government faces the challenge of countering Sunni Islamist militants who have captured wide areas in the northern and western parts of the country…Kerry discussed Iraq and the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – ISIL – as he met Sunday with his counterparts in Egypt and Jordan. He told reporters in Cairo that if Iraqis want a more inclusive government, the United States will help.
“If they want, they have an opportunity to choose leadership that can represent all of Iraq: a unity government that brings people together and focuses on ISIL. And I am convinced that they will do so not just with our help, but with the help of almost every country in the region, as well as others in the world who will always stand up against the tyranny of this kind of terrorist activity,” said Kerry.
The ISIL fighters have threatened to attack Baghdad, but a senior U.S. State Department official said Monday that the U.S. believes their advance toward the capital has been slowed.
The U.S. is sending 300 military advisers to Baghdad, but has ruled out the return of combat troops. President Barack Obama warned that the insurgents’ strength could grow and destabilize other countries in the region, but said the U.S. would not “play Whac-A-Mole and send U.S. troops occupying various countries wherever these organizations pop up.” http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-in-iraq-to-press-for-more-inclusive-government/1942734.htmlJune 23, 2014
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) — As radical Sunni militants snatch city after city in their march toward Baghdad, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Iraq on Monday during the country’s tensest time since the U.S. withdrawal of troops in 2011.
Kerry is meeting with Iraqi leaders. He met Monday with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the man who some observers say needs to step down.
With al-Maliki’s Shiite-led government losing more ground to militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, Kerry has implored the leader to rise above “sectarian motivations” to become more inclusive and make the government more representative of Iraq’s population.
“I’m here to convey to you President Obama’s and the American people’s commitment to help Iraq,” Kerry said when greeting Iraq’s speaker of parliament, Osama al-Nujayfi. “The principal concern is the integrity of the country, its borders, its sovereignty,” he said. ISIS “is a threat to all of us.” http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/23/world/meast/iraq-crisis/
USA President Barack Obama is in a difficult situation, but his ‘Whac-A-Mole’ comment is really not helpful. The US President George Bush at least partially claimed that the USA wanted democracy in the Middle East and Arab World. The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the rise of other Islamic groups elsewhere, combined with the USA’s responses to them demonstrate that the USA was not truly committed to democracy in the region.
Might Secretary Kerry’s comments and presence be too little, too late?
Few politicians wish to give up power. And when they do, that does not always work out to stop the resistance–of often emboldens the resistance (recall what happened when Ukraine’s elected president gave up power, then supporters of the opponents tried to kill him and then drove him out of office).
As far as what is not going on in Iraq, notice the following reports:
23 June 2014
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Months ago, Erbil had warned Baghdad and Washington to watch out for the Sunni insurgents now rampaging across Iraq with stunning military victories, but no action was taken, Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said in an interview.
“Nothing happened,” Barzani told US TV network, NBC News, aired ahead of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s meeting in Baghdad with Nouri al-Maliki, in which he pushed the Shiite prime minister for a more inclusive government.
Barzani said in the interview that Maliki should step down. “By having him as a prime minister it will be more complicated” to find a solution to the Iraq crisis. http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/230620141
Barzani added that Erbil had known about the growing danger to Iraq from the jihadi Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
June 23, 2014
At least 71 prisoners and five police officers were killed Monday when militants attacked an Iraqi police convoy transferring inmates from one prison to another, police said.
Five militants were also killed. It was not immediately clear whether ISIS was behind the attack.
The convoy was traveling from Hilla, a predominately Shiite city south of Baghdad, to another prison north of the city. Police did not provide further details about the attack.
Iraq’s military is accusing ISIS of carrying out massacres.
“Hundreds of Iraqi soldiers have been beheaded and hung and their bodies have been desecrated,” said Iraq’s military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta. “Why has the U.N. not decried these atrocious crimes, which are among the biggest crimes against humanity?” http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/23/world/meast/iraq-crisis/
23 June 2014
Jihadists from the so-called Islamic state of Iraq and Syria group, or ISIS, have managed to take over much of the Iraq’s western border. Recently, three checkpoints on the border with Syria and Jordan fell into their hands – along with four towns in Anbar province. That’s as the country dives deeper into sectarian division – along with the Kurds in the north seeking independence. RT’s Lucy Kafanov reports from Iraq. https://plus.google.com/+RT/posts/aBvhXXU6ZTE
In a letter to Ayman al-Zawahiri in July 2005, al-Zarqawi outlined a four-stage plan to expand the Iraq War, which included expelling US forces from Iraq, establishing an Islamic authority—a caliphate—spreading the conflict to Iraq’s secular neighbors, and engaging in the Arab–Israeli conflict…
ISIS in its original form was composed of and supported by a variety of insurgent groups, including its predecessor organisations, the Mujahideen Shura Council, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the insurgent groups Jaysh al-Fatiheen, Jund al-Sahaba, Katbiyan Ansar Al-Tawhid wal Sunnah and Jeish al-Taiifa al-Mansoura, and a number of other Iraqi groups that profess Sunni Islam. ISIS’s original aim was to establish a caliphate in the Sunni-majority regions of Iraq. This later expanded to include controlling Sunni-majority areas of Syria as a result of ISIS’s participation in the Syrian Civil War and the spillover from the Syrian Civil War…
Despite significant setbacks for the group during the latter stages of the coalition forces’ presence in Iraq, by late 2012 the group was thought to have renewed its strength and more than doubled the number of its members to about 2,500…
During the Iraq War, the US Armed Forces had never faced an organized militant force as good as ISIS. Douglas Ollivant, a former Army Cavalry officer who later handled Iraq for the White House National Security Council, says, “They were great terrorists. They made great car bombs. But they were lousy line infantry, and if you got them in a firefight, they’d die. They have now repaired that deficiency.” Like other analysts, Ollivant credits the civil war in Syria for their striking improvement in battlefield ability since the Iraq War: “You fight Hizballah for a couple of years, and you either die or you get a lot better. And these guys just got a lot better.”
The Economist reported that “ISIS may have up to 6,000 fighters in Iraq and 3,000-5,000 in Syria, including perhaps 3,000 foreigners; nearly a thousand are reported to hail from Chechnya and perhaps 500 or so more from France, Britain and elsewhere in Europe.”Some sources believe that the group has about 15,000 people performing secondary roles. (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Wikipedia, viewed 06/23/14).
While I am not intending to go into details about the USA should do or should have done, I will state that Bible prophecy indicates that Iraq will be part of an alliance called the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43). Peoples in that alliance are also prophesied to make a deceptive deal with an end time European power (Daniel 11:27) as well as a deal with the leading people there in order to bring about the destruction on the end time descendants of Israel (Psalm 83:2-8), which would include the USA and its Anglo-Saxon descended allies.
I believe that various biblical prophecies support the idea that the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies are likely to be affected by terrorists that will sometime have connections to Iraq (for more details, see Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy). I do not believe that US Secretary of State John Kerry can prevent this.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy What will happen to Iraq? Is it the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy.
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here is a related video Iran In Prophecy.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
Egypt in Prophecy Does Egypt have a special role in end time prophecy? Will Egypt rise up and then be defeated. What does God teach will
What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy Do you know the Turkish people descended from? Did the Ottoman Empire possibly fulfill a promise in Genesis? Will Turkey support the European King of the North or Arabic King of the South? Will it betray one of them? Will Turkey be involved in the encouraging the destruction of Israel? Is Turkey going to become Catholic? Is Turkey mentioned in Psalm 83, Daniel 11, and elsewhere in the Bible? This video provides answers.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.
Is There an Islamic Antichrist? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.
Arabic Nazarenes May Have Kept Original Christian Practices Were their faithful Arabs who held to original Christianity?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.
 |
Tweet |
|