{"id":36727,"date":"2016-05-24T15:00:22","date_gmt":"2016-05-24T23:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/?p=36727"},"modified":"2016-05-24T22:47:44","modified_gmt":"2016-05-25T06:47:44","slug":"usa-backing-kurds-fighting-to-take-raqqa-from-the-islamic-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/prophecy\/usa-backing-kurds-fighting-to-take-raqqa-from-the-islamic-state\/","title":{"rendered":"USA backing Kurds fighting to take Raqqa from the Islamic State"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/Peshmerga-Tank.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"220\" height=\"147\" \/><br \/>\n<em>Kurdish Troops on a T-55 Tank (Boris Niehaus)<\/em><br \/>\n<!--<\/p--><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/cogwriter.htm\">COGwriter<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The USA has decided to back the Syrian Kurds who are trying to take back the city of Raqqa from the Islamic State:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>May 24, 2016<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have launched an operation to capture areas north of Raqqa, the Syrian de-facto capital of Islamic State, with the aim of eventually liberating the city.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. allied group made the announcement in a video statement posted online Tuesday.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re launching this campaign with the help of (U.S.-led) coalition forces in northern Raqqa,\u201d said Rojda Felat, a female Kurdish commander.<\/p>\n<p>A senior SDF commander told VOA his forces are advancing from three different directions.\u00a0 &#8220;[Kurdish] YPG tanks and other heavy weaponry have been deployed,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe SDF has announced they have begun operations to liberate the countryside north of Raqqa.\u00a0 We have always been focused evicting Da&#8217;esh (Islamic State) from Raqqa and we will continue to support the SDF as they conduct ground operations to further isolate the city,\u201d said Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS.<\/p>\n<p>A commander with the Syrian Democratic Forces said earlier that coalition troops would be fighting with SDF forces but Warren refused to comment on the specific role coalition forces would play.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As you know, we don\u2019t talk about Special Forces operations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a visit to Uzebekistan, said Moscow is ready to coordinate efforts with the Kurds and the U.S.-led coalition to liberate Raqqa.<\/p>\n<p>But Col. Warren rejected any notion of possible coordination with Russia. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.voanews.com\/content\/kurdish-led-syrian-democractic-forces-announce-operation-to-liberate-raqqa\/3343742.html\">http:\/\/www.voanews.com\/content\/kurdish-led-syrian-democractic-forces-announce-operation-to-liberate-raqqa\/3343742.html<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The tide will turn against the Islamic State.<\/p>\n<p>The USA has long treated the Kurds differently than most would feel it would.\u00a0 The USA refuses to recognize their desire for national autonomy (apparently because of relations with Turkey and Iraq), and has often encouraged the Kurds to fight without much, if any, USA support.\u00a0 Bible prophecy warns that destruction is coming to \u201can hypocritical nation\u201d which will end up being destroyed (Isaiah 10:5-11, KJV)&#8211;that will not end well for the USA.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible tells of a coming confederation involving the Arabs in Ezekiel:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 \u201cSon of man, prophesy and say: \u2018This is what the Sovereign LORD says:<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Wail and say, \u201cAlas for that day!\u201d 3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 4 A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.<\/p>\n<p>5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt. (Ezekiel 30:1-5, NIV).<\/p>\n<p>5 &#8220;Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.&#8221; (Ezekiel 30:5, NKJV)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A confederation will form, Iraq and Syria will be part of it, and many of the nations that enter into a confederation with Egypt will suffer. This includes Iraqi and Syrian peoples, and possibly the Kurds (the Turks escape this per Daniel 11:42; but have other problems later; cf. Obadiah 8-11). Let me state here that I do NOT believe that the leader of the so-called Islamic State will lead the confederations mentioned in Ezekiel 30:1-8 nor Daniel 11:40-43&#8211;but I believe that the existence of the Islamic State will be a factor, to a degree, that will get this confederation to form.<\/p>\n<p>Getting back to the Kurds, why might the Kurds be referred to in Ezekiel 30? The word translated in the NIV as Libya, <em>Puwt<\/em>, may be referring to some of the peoples of Iran as <em>Puwt<\/em> was a Persian tribe and the Kurds are an Iranian people with mixed heritage. There are estimated to be at least 30 million Kurds, most of which are in the Middle East (with the largest populations in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria). The Kurds could be part of the &#8216;mingled people&#8217; as the NKJV translates a portion of Ezekiel 30:5.<\/p>\n<p>Although the Kurds themselves have long wanted independence, they have a history of making many alliances. Like the Turks, the majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims. Despite the fact that the governments in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran have caused problems for the Kurds, the Kurds may well support a future Arabic-Turkish alliance (Daniel 11:40-43), especially if they get some protection of autonomy to do so. It is also possible that they could be among those that escape the wrath of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/kingofthe%20north.htm\">King of the North<\/a> (Daniel 11:42). But that power also will end (cf. Revelation 11:15; 18).<\/p>\n<p>The time will come when God will call all people in the world, including the Kurds. That will be a time of peace (Isaiah 2:3-4; Revelation 21), but until then war and destruction appear to be part of the expected fate of that region of the world for some time (though a temporal peace will come per Daniel 9:27; see also <a href=\"http:\/\/cogwriter.com\/daniel-9-27-deal.htm\">The &#8216;Peace Deal&#8217; of Daniel 9:27<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><em>Some items of possibly-related interest may include:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/iraq-in-prophecy.htm\">Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy <\/a>What will happen to Iraq? Is it the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What will happen to the Arabic and Kurdish people in Iraq? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video <a title=\"Iraq, Armageddon, &amp; Prophecy\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K7boD_l9qOQ\" data-sessionlink=\"feature=c4-feed-u&amp;ei=UbqdU6e5HcPJ-QODxIDIAQ&amp;ved=CCAQvxs\">Iraq, Armageddon, &amp; Prophecy<\/a>.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/caliphate.htm\">The Prophesied &#8216;Islamic&#8217; Confederation<\/a> Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? A related video is <a title=\"Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eWR-10rdO3g\" data-sessionlink=\"feature=c4-feed-u&amp;ved=CAoQvxs&amp;ei=jue6U_vAL4HN-AOopIHYAw\">Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?<\/a><br \/>\n<a title=\"Damascus and Syria in Prophecy\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QYoOLr3zDCo\" data-sessionlink=\"feature=plcp&amp;ei=EjI5UdzgM72OhgGa-oDIDg\">Damascus and Syria in Prophecy <\/a>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.<br \/>\n<a title=\"What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cGr4cPEe1cE\" data-sessionlink=\"feature=c4-overview-u&amp;ei=T4ewUcbPO92WhgHb0oGYDg&amp;ved=CDQQ-SUoAA\">What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy<\/a> 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.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/south.htm\">Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?<\/a> 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: <a title=\"The Future King of the South is Rising\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QMgk2OWbo5o\" data-sessionlink=\"ved=CB8Q-SUoAA&amp;ei=EOCwUbrUHeWfhgG5-IA4&amp;feature=c4-overview-u\">The Future King of the South is Rising<\/a>.<br \/>\n<a href=\"\/arabprophecy.htm\">The Bible and the Arab World In History and Prophecy<\/a> 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?<br \/>\n<a href=\"\/news\/religious-news\/islamic-antichrist-battle-of-two-books-will-europe-rise-up-or-collapse\/\">Is There an Islamic Antichrist?<\/a> Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/six_thousand_year_plan_6000.htm\">Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?<\/a> Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2023 or 20xx? There is also a video titled <a title=\"The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity's reign almost up?\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ow_DH2k3X64&amp;feature=c4-overview&amp;list=UUOuL5Q2Xi9HZqU6GivhxveQ\" data-sessionlink=\"ei=puH7UfG8Ds2ZhgGX84CQCg&amp;ved=CDYQvxs&amp;feature=c4-overview-u\" data-translation-src=\"\">The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity&#8217;s reign almost up?<\/a> Here is a link to the article in Spanish:<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cdlidd.es\/tiene-dios-un-plan-de-6000-anos\/\"> \u00bfTiene Dios un plan de 6,000 a\u00f1os?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/when-will-the-great-tribulation-begin.htm\">When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018?<\/a> Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the &#8220;beginning of sorrows&#8221;? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cdlidd.es\/puede-comenzar-la-gran-tribulacion-en-2016-o-2017-es-el-tiempo-de-los-gentiles\/\">\u00bfPuede comenzar la Gran Tribulaci\u00f3n en 2016 o 2017? \u00bfEs el Tiempo de los Gentiles?<\/a> You can also see the English language sermon video: <a title=\"The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Cd-2nwJGpuQ&amp;list=UUOuL5Q2Xi9HZqU6GivhxveQ\" data-sessionlink=\"ei=gxwrU4PFJ86X-gO-soKQCQ&amp;ved=CCQQvxs&amp;feature=c4-overview-u\">The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives<\/a>. A shorter video is: <a title=\"Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oiV90XEcRgM\" data-sessionlink=\"ei=lW5kVoyuNsK6qwXanLUo&amp;feature=c4-feed-u&amp;ved=CLEBEL8b\">Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/cogwriter.com\/daniel-9-27-deal.htm\">The &#8216;Peace Deal&#8217; of Daniel 9:27<\/a> This prophecy could give up to 3 1\/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video <a title=\"Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RD-MEdWoXPY&amp;list=UUOuL5Q2Xi9HZqU6GivhxveQ\" data-sessionlink=\"ei=kIOIU5uuGJeX-gOzxYL4Bg&amp;ved=CEoQvxs&amp;feature=c4-overview-u\">Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation<\/a>.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/middle-east-peace.htm\">How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About?<\/a> Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: <a title=\"Middle East Peace? When?\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uqgUcEwaFyU\" data-sessionlink=\"ved=CCMQvxs&amp;ei=dssFVPPrG6qu-AOF-oGQCA&amp;feature=c4-feed-u\">Middle East Peace? When?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/GospeloftheKingdomofGod.pdf\">The Gospel of the Kingdom of God<\/a> This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/apocatastasis.htm\">Universal <strong>Offer<\/strong> <strong>of Salvation<\/strong>: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis<\/a> Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God&#8217;s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account? Related sermon videos include <a title=\"Universal Offer of Salvation: God is love.\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UOs6AofAoak&amp;feature=c4-overview&amp;list=UUOuL5Q2Xi9HZqU6GivhxveQ\" data-sessionlink=\"feature=c4-overview-u&amp;ei=yzeGUrCJAo7UsAfr0oDYCA&amp;ved=CCEQvxs\">Universal Offer of Salvation I: God is love <\/a> and <a title=\"Universal Offer of Salvation: The Age to Come and the 'Little Flock'\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fpYerAdwRmY&amp;feature=c4-overview&amp;list=UUOuL5Q2Xi9HZqU6GivhxveQ\" data-sessionlink=\"feature=c4-overview-u&amp;ved=CCAQvxs&amp;ei=Rn2KUv3FBaiCsge-goHAAg\">Universal Offer of Salvation II: The Age to Come and the &#8216;Little Flock&#8217;<\/a> and <a title=\"Universal Offer of Salvation: All Are to Know Jesus, But When?\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KCsMhfRN59c&amp;feature=c4-overview&amp;list=UUOuL5Q2Xi9HZqU6GivhxveQ\" data-sessionlink=\"ei=gzWnUr20IeOCswfJioHQBw&amp;feature=c4-overview-u&amp;ved=CCMQvxs\">Universal Offer of Salvation III: All Are to Know Jesus, But When? <\/a>and <a title=\"Universal Offer of Salvation: Will the Guilty be Pardoned?\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=enzAte30FSA&amp;feature=c4-overview&amp;list=UUOuL5Q2Xi9HZqU6GivhxveQ\" data-sessionlink=\"ei=gzWnUr20IeOCswfJioHQBw&amp;feature=c4-overview-u&amp;ved=CB0Qvxs\">Universal Offer of Salvation IV: Will the Guilty be Pardoned?<\/a> and <a title=\"Universal Offer of Salvation V: All Israel Will be Saved?\" dir=\"ltr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LtZXBjbxPug&amp;feature=c4-overview&amp;list=UUOuL5Q2Xi9HZqU6GivhxveQ\" data-sessionlink=\"ei=mp-5UpOVBeyKsgeHhIDIDQ&amp;feature=c4-overview-u&amp;ved=CCAQvxs\">Universal Offer of Salvation V: All Israel Will be Saved? <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.barackobamaprophecy.com\">Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term<\/a> 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 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.barackobamaprophecy.com\">www.barackobamaprophecy.com<\/a>. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Barack-Prophecy-Destruction-United-States\/dp\/0984087184\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1361201884&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=thiel+obama\">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.<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Barack-Prophecy-Destruction-United-ebook\/dp\/B00B2B6U2I\/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1358606706&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=thiel+obama\">Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.<\/a> 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: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/feature.html?ie=UTF8&amp;docId=1000493771\">Please click HERE to download one of Amazon \u0019s <strong>Free<\/strong> Reader Apps<\/a>. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Barack-Prophecy-Destruction-United-ebook\/dp\/B00B2B6U2I\/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1358606706&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=thiel+obama\">Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kurdish Troops on a T-55 Tank (Boris Niehaus) COGwriter The USA has decided to back the Syrian Kurds who are trying to take back the city of Raqqa from the Islamic State: May 24, 2016 Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have launched an operation to capture areas north of Raqqa, the Syrian de-facto capital of Islamic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-prophecy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36727"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36729,"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36727\/revisions\/36729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}