Gondaronline.com

Why Africa? Why Now?

By Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi, Saudigazette

WHY are we now so interested in Africa? Why is Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani visiting Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa in less than a year? Why had Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir toured a number of African countries, last year, some of which are relatively small, such as Guinea, Benin, Senegal, Tanzania, the Comoros and Burkina Faso, as well as major nations like Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa, in addition to African-Arab countries — Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan and Egypt? Why are African leaders visiting Gulf capitals in droves? Why Saudi Arabia and Qatar occupy two observer seats in the African Union? And what does the declaration of Sudan’s foreign minister about a new strategic alliance with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states mean?

These are legitimate questions posed by keen international observers about the Gulf convergence, especially Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with Africa. The two oil-rich countries are investing billions of dollars in under-developed and less-stable markets of the sub-Saharan countries. They seem to be channeling investments in addition to political and commercial partnerships to these promising economies as well as moving to contain Iran’s expansion, culturally, politically and culturally.

The same questions have been raised about China’s interest in Africa for decades, especially when compared to American and Western neglect, with the exception of France and Britain which had past colonial ties with parts of the continent.

Africa, according to Wikipedia, is the world’s second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia, with abundant natural resources. With about 30.2 million km (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers six percent of Earth’s total surface area and 20.4 percent of its total land area. With 1.1 billion people as of 2013, it accounts for about 15 percent of the world’s human population.

The continent, the birthplace of humankind, mostly lacks modern infrastructure, skilled human resources and political, security and financial stability. This may have been partially the result of European exploitation of the continent’s wealth and the enslavement of its population. In return, few countries, like South Africa, Kenya, Tunisia and Sudan, had received substantial developmental investments during colonial era.

Over the last decade, Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates, have been heavily investing in African countries, especially in agricultural resources. Sudan is the food basket of the Arab world, Ethiopia is the Nile origin with enormous agricultural and pastoral treasures. Both command capable infrastructure and human resources. Africa is promising market for the Gulf petroleum, petrochemical and industrial products, and a rich supplier of raw materials and agriculture.

Politically and culturally, Africa has been the strategic depth of the Arab world. Its nations are either mostly Muslim or have large Muslim communities devotedly linked to the Arabian Peninsula and the land of Two Holy Mosques. And among us live generations of Africans who have migrated for work, education and Haj.

It is no secret that the Iranian incursion in African countries is aiming for ideological, economic and political hegemony. The coup attempts of the Iranian-backed sects against the elected governments of Nigeria, Somalia and the Comoros are evidence of malicious intentions.

Arabs and Muslims cannot afford to lose Africa. It is part of our world — geographically, historically, socially and culturally. Realizing such importance, King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz toured Africa in the 1960s. His visits to the likes of Mali and Uganda turned these countries away from Israel to join the Islamic nation. Saudi Arabia hosted numerous African leaders since then, and our bilateral relations became much stronger.

The Arab League and GCC should design a common cooperation strategy with the African Union at all levels, for all above reasons. We need cooperation councils, like those we have with the European Union and South America, in addition to bilateral strategic councils and agreements, like what we have between Sudan and the GCC, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

We definitely need to diversify our international cooperation and investments. It is not safe to rely exclusively on traditional partners, allies and markets. The oceans of interests shift, the winds of alliance twist and the globe is too large, hospitable and diversified for us to be any limited.

Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be reached at kbatarfi@gmail.com. Follow him at Twitter:@kbatarfi

Why did Donald Trump just send dozens of troops to Somalia?

Somali women military soldiers march during celebrations marking the 57th anniversary since the force was founded in Mogadishu, Somalia, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Dozens of troops are headed to help fight al-Shabab. (Somali women military soldiers march during celebrations marking the 57th anniversary since the force was founded in Mogadishu, Somalia, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh))

By “America First”

The end of his first 100 days as US president near, Donald Trump has changed gears when it comes his position on military intervention. As he was enjoying the “most beautiful” chocolate cake with Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago on April 6, he told the Chinese president that the US had fired missiles at a Syrian airfield, following Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons attack on his own people.

On April 13, the US dropped the “Mother Of All Bombs” (MOAB) on Afghanistan: The largest bomb it has used since World War II hit an ISIL tunnel complex. On the same day, as the tension between the US and North Korea escalated, NBC reported that Trump may be ready to launch strikes, prompting requests of caution from China and Russia.

Meanwhile, the US is sending a “small number” of F-35A aircraft to Europe, as part of a “long-planned” training deployment.

.@USAirForce to deploy #F35A Lightning II aircraft to #Europe this weekend as part of a long-planned training deployment. @US_EUCOM @USNATO pic.twitter.com/LTp8IGdyfC

— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) April 14, 2017

And that’s not all: the US has announced April 14 that, for the first time since 1994, it’s deploying “dozens” of regular troops in Somalia to help the ongoing fight against al-Shabab, al-Qaeda’s jihadist ally. They are to provide training and support to the Somali National Army and the African Union mission on the ground, Voice of America reported. The US troops will enhance what has been America’s small presence (three to 50 people) in the country to facilitate the military relationship between Somalia.

The mission is scheduled to continue until the end of September.

This is the first time the US has sent regular forces to Somalia since March 1994, after special forces that were part a peacekeeping mission aimed at enforcing a ceasefire during the Somalian civil war were ensnared in a 15-hour-long battle in Mogadishu. Eighteen Americans were killed in the incident, memorialized in Black Hawk Down, prompting then president Bill Clinton to order a US withdrawal.

Why did Donald Trump just send dozens of troops to Somalia?

By “America First”

Meanwhile, the US is sending a “small number” of F-35A aircraft to Europe, as part of a “long-planned” training deployment.

.@USAirForce to deploy #F35A Lightning II aircraft to #Europe this weekend as part of a long-planned training deployment. @US_EUCOM @USNATO pic.twitter.com/LTp8IGdyfC

— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) April 14, 2017

The mission is scheduled to continue until the end of September.

CIA’s Plan If Nuclear War breaks out

Declassified CIA documents reveal a secret plan if nuclear war breaks out

By SARAH K. BURRIS

1956 Operation Redwing bombing at Enewetak Atoll. (National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Field Office)

If Kim Jong Un launches a nuclear weapon there’s an extensive plan in place thanks to the CIA, the military and former President Jimmy Carter.

Newly declassified documents from Carter’s administration revealed Presidential Directive 58, the plan for how the United States moves forward, according to Foreign Policy magazine. Under President Ronald Reagan, the directive was amended slightly.

The strategies behind the end of the world stem from a single man: emergency preparedness and disaster response expert Ray Derby. In Europe, Derby worked with NATO to craft evacuation drills for non-combat troops. He led the government-wide work to prepare for a nuclear, biological or chemical threat. The nuclear bases around the United States have Derby to thank for their plans as well.

During the Carter administration, the plan for nuclear war was Federal Emergency Plan D, which required each agency to design, develop and build its own underground facility, FP reported. The thought was that in the event of an emergency, the agencies of the government could still function from a bunker. Most didn’t take it seriously and as such, most agency personnel didn’t know whether they were part of the team that was supposed to head to the bunker or not.

To make more people take it seriously meant getting the military involved — something the military had no interest in. They assumed martial law would have to be instituted in the event of a nuclear incident but the military would also be tasked with the military response from the United States. Neither the military nor political leaders wanted to talk about the plans openly, forcing them to be devised in secret.

If “the bomb” was en route, the Joint Chiefs of Staff would order 60 officials to a special facility build into Mount Weather in Berryville, Virginia. Other locations are near Hagerstown, Maryland, and Martinsburg, West Virginia. The FBI would be relocated to the Marine base near Quantico, Virginia. The State Department would be sent to Front Royal, Virginia. The rest would be hidden at colleges inside or near the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Having a rendezvous spot was only half the battle, however. The military didn’t have enough helicopters to carry more than a third of those assigned. Everyone was given an alternative idea for how to get to Mount Weather. However, most leaders scoffed at the idea that nuclear war would ever happen and even if it did, the former Soviet Union knew about Mount Weather. They even purchased land around it to monitor what was going on at the site.

Carter became the first president since John F. Kennedy to take civil defense seriously, FP said. Many fallout shelters were decaying and agencies had spent years ignoring assignments for readiness. The budget was increased and a whole new policy was developed. The goal was to have 80 percent of the population survive by spending less than $250 million each year. That’s when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created.

FEMA became responsible for stocking the bunker with supplies and ensuring that a functioning government can operate. At the same time, the White House was tasked with ensuring there were mechanisms in place for a presidential successor to function militarily during and after nuclear missiles land. The Secret Service enacted their own plan for getting the president out or securing the successor in the event that the president was killed. One declassified memo from the White House urged daily communication between the Pentagon and the president at Mount Weather. Then it confessed that after an incident of “uncoordinated sabotage” facilities wouldn’t provide enough protection and survivors probably wouldn’t live long and could become a target themselves.

Fixed command posts didn’t seem like it would work and mobile ones would require getting the president or a successor to an emergency escape aircraft. Doing so also required a plan for finding the successor if the president is incapacitated. So, the White House tried to make it a little more flexible and focused on three major concepts: survivability, connectivity and supportability.

So, the devised a “presidential successor support team” that would be pre-positioned or pre-deployed during emergencies to the presidential successors. Each team would have requirements to authenticate the new president and the further actions continue to be classified. FP was able to hear some specifics that reveal what might be the first use of a “tracking chip” in the successor cards that would be “amplified by radio frequency repeaters.” They could be collected by FEMA to find locations.

The team was also tasked with helping the successor to carry out functions, talk to other teams, talk to the Pentagon and help execute the nuclear war plan. They’d also be required to “receive intelligence and damage assessments” and talk to local and state governments. Essentially, each team must be able to function as its own government.

All of the other documents that outline specifics are still classified but Carter issued at least 29 other directives. It’s unclear how Congress would be reestablished or if troops would be drafted.

Ethiopia park tries to relocate settlers to protect wolves

Michael Atsbeha | AP

SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, Ethiopia — Thousands of Ethiopian wolves once roamed much of this country’s mountainous north but their number has fallen dramatically as farmers encroach on their habitat and introduce domestic dogs that carry rabies.

Only 120 wolves are estimated to remain in this national park and they are elusive, usually seen shortly after sunrise or just before sunset.ves

“They are almost at the brink of extinction. So my vision is to increase their number significantly,” said Getachew Assefam, coordinator of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program.

The movement of people move in search of fertile land in the highlands has put pressure on the park. Across the country less than 500 Ethiopian wolves remain in a few mountain enclaves, the Britain-based Born Free Foundation says.

Efforts are underway to move most of the settlers out of this national park in the hope of saving the remaining wolves. The local community currently uses more than two-thirds of the park’s area for grazing, agriculture and settlement, according to the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority.

The wildlife authority said 38 villages with a total of 3,000 people are living within the park’s boundaries.

Gichi village in the heart of the park had more than 418 households before the resettlement program began three years ago. Now there are none. Now the government is focusing on settlers in other areas.

The relocated settlers “are all now living in a better condition,” said the park’s chief warden, Maru Biadgelegn.

But some farmers said the compensation they received for the move is not enough.

Requests by The Associated Press to gain access to the resettlement area were denied. In a recent meeting, residents rejected the government’s compensation offer to resettle the remaining farmers.

“I believe we can come to an agreement on this in the future,” said one park resident, Zezo Adugna.

Ethiopia park tries to relocate settlers to protect wolves

Michael Atsbeha | AP

Only 120 wolves are estimated to remain in this national park and they are elusive, usually seen shortly after sunrise or just before sunset.ves

“They are almost at the brink of extinction. So my vision is to increase their number significantly,” said Getachew Assefam, coordinator of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program.

The wildlife authority said 38 villages with a total of 3,000 people are living within the park’s boundaries.

The relocated settlers “are all now living in a better condition,” said the park’s chief warden, Maru Biadgelegn.

But some farmers said the compensation they received for the move is not enough.

Requests by The Associated Press to gain access to the resettlement area were denied. In a recent meeting, residents rejected the government’s compensation offer to resettle the remaining farmers.

“I believe we can come to an agreement on this in the future,” said one park resident, Zezo Adugna.

የእስራኤል አምላክ የኢትዮጵያም አምላክ ነውን?

By TEDDY GIRUM

ክርስትያኖች ስለኢትዮጵያ ሲነሳ ሁሌ እነደ ዳዊት የሚደግሙት አነድ ጥቅስ አለ። “ኢትዮጵያ እጆችዋን ወደ እግዚአብሔር ትዘረጋለች” በርግጥ የእስራኤል አምላክ ለኢትዮጵያም አምላክ ነዉ? መፅሃፍ ቅዱስ ስለኢትዮጵያና ኢትዮጵያዉያን ምን አንደሚል በጥልቀት ለማጥናት ሞከረኩ። ግኝቴ ግን እጅግ አስደንጋጭ ነበር።

(መጽሐፈ ዜና መዋዕል. 14:13)

አሳም ከእርሱም ጋር ያለው ሕዝብ እስከ ጌራራ ድረስ አሳደዱአቸው፤ ኢትዮጵያውያንም ፈጽመው እስኪጠፉ ድረስ ወደቁ፥ በእግዚአብሔርና በሠራዊቱ ፊት ተሰባብረዋልና፤ እጅግም ብዙ ምርኮ ወሰዱ።ከእግዚአብሔርም ዘንድ ታላቅ ድንጋጤ ስለ ወደቀባቸው በጌራራ ዙሪያ የነበሩትን ከተሞች ሁሉ መቱ፤ በከተሞቹም ውስጥ እጅግ ብዝበዛ ነበረና ከተሞቹን ሁሉ በዘበዙ። የከብቶቹንም በረት አፈረሱ፤ እጅግም ብዙ በጎችንና ግመሎችንም ማረኩ፥ ወደ ኢየሩሳሌም ተመለሱ።

እዚህ ክፍል ላይ እንደምንመለከተው ንጉስ አሳ ኢትዮጵያውያን ማርኮ ግመሎቻቸውንም ሳይቀር በዝብዞ ወደ ኢየሩሳሌም እነደተመለሰ ይተርካል። ጦርነት ጦርነት ነዉ ያኔ አልፏል ምንድነዉ ነጥብህ የሚል አይጠፋም። ነገር ግን ማስተዋል ያለብን በጦርነቱ እግዚአብሔር የእስራኤል እነጂ የኢትዮጵያ ቲፎዞ አልነበረም። ስለዚህ በእግዛብሔርና በሰራዊቱ ፊት የሚለዉ ሃረግ በደንብ ይሰመረብት! ይህን ነጥብ በደነብ የምያፀና ሌላ ጥቅስ ካስፈለገ “ኢትዮጵያውያንና የልብያ ሰዎች እጅግ ብዙ ሰረገሎችና ፈረሰኞች የነበሩአቸው እጅግ ታላቅ ጭፍራ አልነበሩምን? በእግዚአብሔር ስለ ታመንህ በእጅህ አሳልፎ ሰጣቸው፥” 2ዜና16: 8

(ትንቢተ ኢሳይየስ 20 : 4-6)

4፤ እንዲሁ የአሦር ንጉሥ የግብጽንና የኢትዮጵያን ምርኮ፥ ጐበዛዝቱንና ሽማግሌዎቹን፥ ራቁታቸውንና ባዶ እግራቸውን አድርጎ ገላቸውንም ገልጦ፥ ለግብጽ ጕስቍልና ይነዳቸዋል። እነርሱም ከተስፋቸው ከኢትዮጵያ ከትምክሕታቸውም ከግብጽ የተነሣ ይፈራሉ ያፍሩማል፤

(ኢሳይየስ 45 : 14)

14፤ እግዚአብሔርም እንዲህ ይላል። የግብጽ ድካምና የኢትዮጵያ ንግድ ቁመተ ረጅሞችም የሳባ ሰዎች ወደ አንተ ያልፋሉ፤ ለአንተም ይሆናሉ እጆቻቸውም ታስረው ይከተሉሃል፤ በፊትህም ያልፋሉ፥ ለአንተም እየሰገዱ። በእውነት እግዚአብሔር በአንተ አለ፥ ከእርሱም ሌላ አምላክ የለም ብለው ይለምኑሃል።

እንደ ኢሳይየስ የኢትዮጵያን ውድቀት የተመኘ ነብይ የለም። አንዴ ራቁታቸውን ወደ ግብፅ ጉስቁልና ይሰዳቸዋል አለ ከዛ ያ አልበቃ ሲለው ማአራፍ 45 ላይ እጆቻውን ታስረው እንደ ባርያ ይነዳሉ አለ። ይሄ ያንድ የዘረኛ(የፅንፈኛ) ፉከራ ነው ማለት ነው የሚቀለው ወይስ የፈጣሪ ትክክለኛ ትንቢት? ፍርዱን ለእናንተው።

(ትንቢተ ሕዝቅኤል 30 : 4)

፤ ሰይፍ በግብጽ ላይ ይመጣል፥ ሁከትም በኢትዮጵያ ይሆናል፤ የተገደሉትም በግብጽ ውስጥ ይወድቃሉ፥ ብዛትዋንም ይወስዳሉ፥ መሠረትዋም ይፈርሳል። ኢትዮጵያና ፉጥ ሉድም የተደባለቀም ሕዝብ ሁሉ ኩብም ቃል ኪዳንም የገባችው ምድር ልጆች ከእነርሱ ጋር በሰይፍ ይወድቃሉ። እግዚአብሔር እንዲህ ይላል። ግብጽን የሚደግፉ ይወድቃሉ፥ የኃይልዋም ትዕቢት ይወርዳል፤ ከሚግዶል ጀምሮ እስከ ሴዌኔ ድረስ በእርስዋ ውስጥ በሰይፍ ይወድቃሉ፥ ይላል ጌታ እግዚአብሔር።

የኢትዮጵያና የግብፅ ስልጣኔ እጅግ በጣም ጥንታዊ እንደነበር የታሪክ መዛግብት የሚያስረዱት ሃቅ ነው። ሕዝቅኤል ከግብፅ ጋር የነበርን ጠንካራ ግኑኝነት አልወደደውም መሰል የግብፅ ቲፎዞ ሁሉ ገደል ይገባል ብሎ ተነበየ። በዛ ዘመን ግን በስልጣኔም በሃብትም ከብት ጠባቂና ዘላን ከነበሩት አይሁዳውያን አስር እጥፍ የተሻልን ነበርን። ታድያ አቶ ሕዝቅኤል የያዘው ፖለቲካዊ ፕሮፓጋንዳ ነበር ወይስ ትክክለኛ ትንቢት? አሁንም ፍርዱን ለእናንተው።

(ትንቢተ ሶፎንያስ 2 :11)

እግዚአብሔር በእነርሱ ላይ የተፈራ ይሆናል፥ የምድርንም አማልክት ሁሉ ያከሳቸዋል፤ በአሕዛብም ደሴቶች ሁሉ ላይ የሚኖሩ ሰዎች ሁሉ በስፍራቸው ሆነው ለእርሱ ይሰግዳሉ። እናንተም ኢትዮጵያውያን ደግሞ፥ በሰይፌ ትገደላላችሁ።

አሁንም ቅድም እንደገልፅኩት ኢትዮጵያና እስራኤል ጠላቶች ነበሩ አይደለም ትልቁ ቁም ነገር። ሶፎንያስ በሰይፌ ትገደላላችሁ አለ እንጂ ሰይፋችን ኢትዮጵያን ያጠፋል አላለም። ስለዚህ አስተውሉ፣ ጥሉ በእስራኤል አምላክና በኢትዮጵያውን መካከል ነው ማለት ነው። እስካሁን ያልኩት ባይዋጥልህም፣ ልጆችህን ኢሳይየስ፣ ሶፎንያስ፣ ሕዝቅኤል ብለህ መሰየም ትንሽ ቅር ይበልህ

(ኦሪት ዘኍልቍ12፥1 )

ሙሴም ኢትዮጵያይቱን አግብቶአልና ባገባት በኢትዮጵያይቱ ምክንያት ማርያምና አሮን በእርሱ ላይ ተናገሩ።

ሙሴ ኢትዮጵያዋዊ ማግባቱ ለምን ማርያምና አሮንን አስቆጣ? ኢትዮጵያውያን እንደ ኩሽ ዘር ነበር በእስራኤላውያን የሚቆጠሩት ስለዚህ አንድ አይሁዳዊ ኢትዮጵያዊን ማግባቱ ተቀባይነት ያለው ነገር አይደለም። ምክናያቱ ዘረኝነት አይደለም የሚል ካለ፣ እስቲ ይሄን ጥቅስ እንመልከት፣ ትንቢተ ኤርምያስ 13፥23 “በውኑ ኢትዮጵያዊ መልኩን ወይስ ነብር ዝንጕርጕርነትን ይለውጥ ዘንድ ይችላልን? በዚያን ጊዜ ክፋትን የለመዳችሁ እናንተ ደግሞ በጎ ለማድረግ ትችላላችሁ።” አያችሁ ልጅ ኤርምያስ ጥቁረነታችንን መለወጥ ማንችል መሆኑን ሲያሳስበን ፣ ከዚ በላይ አይኑን ያፈጠጠ ዘረኝነት አለ? አስተወሉ ጉማሬ ዝንጕርጕርነቱን ማለት ሲችል ኢትዮጵያዊ ዝንጕርጕርነቱን አለ።

ከዚህ ሁሉ ድብደባ ብህዋላ ‘ኢትዮጵያ እጆችዋን ወደ እግዚአብሔር ትዘረጋለች’ ብተልኝ መልሴ ወዳ አይደለም ነው። ከዛ ምን ጠቀማት ብለህ ጠይቀኝ

(መዝሙረ ዳዊት 74:14)

አንተም የዘንዶውን ራሶች ቀጠቀጥህ፤ ለኢትዮጵያ ሰዎችም ምግባቸውን ሰጠሃቸው።

የእስራኤል አምላክ ልክ ቢሆን ኖሮ ዳዊት እንዳለው በርሃብ ሳይሆን በጥጋብ እንታወቅ ነበር። ከተኛህበት ንቃ! የጃጀ ፅረ-ኢትዮጵያ የእስራኤል ጋዜጣ ማንበብ አቁም!

የተጠቀምኩት ምስል ላይ ያሉት ፒራሚዶች የግብፅ ፒራምዶች እንዳይምስሉህ። በኢትዮጵያውያን የተሰሩ ናቸው። በጥንታዊቷ ኑቢያ ከታማ አሁን በናይል ወንዝ አቅራብያ በሱዳን ውስጥ እንገኛቸዋለን። መቼም ኢትዮጵያ ስል ያሁኑን ጠባብ የኢትዮጵያ ካርታ እንዳማታስብ ተስፋ አደርጋለሁ ። ኑቢያ አሁን የሱዳን ግዛት ወስጥ ብትሆንም፣ ያአክሱማዊት ሥረወ-መንግስት ስታረቴጂካዊ የንግድ ከትማ እንደንበረች ማስታወስ ግድ ይላል። ፒራሚዶቹ የተሰሩት ከክርስቶስ ልደት በፊት በ 2600 አመተ ዓለም ነው።

US launches military strike on Syria airbase

GMA

The United States launched a military strike Thursday on an airbase in Syria, multiple U.S. officials have confirmed, launching more than 50 missiles at an air base in the country.

The officials say the airstrike, which targeted Shayrat Air Base in Homs Province where a chemical attack was initiated earlier in the week, struck multiple targets with tomahawk missiles launched between 8:40 and 8:50 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, from destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross in the Mediterranean Sea.

President Donald Trump said the strike was in the “vital national security interest” of the U.S.

On Tuesday, a chemical weapon attack on a Syrian town killed at least 86 civilians. Blame for the assault has landed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad despite the Syrian government’s condemnation of the attack and insistence that rebels fighting in the country’s civil war were at fault. The Turkish Health Ministry later determined that Sarin was used in the attack, based upon autopsies of some of the victims.

A U.S. official said that radar spotted a Syrian military fixed-wing aircraft dropping chemical weapons bombs earlier in the week and that airstrike appeared to intentionally seek out an underground hospital operated by a rebel group.

“There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the chemical weapons convention and ignored the urging of the UN security council,” Trump said Thursday night. “Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically.”

A U.S. official said that Russia, which has troops on the ground in Syria, was notified of the airstrikes in advance.

About 30 minutes before the U.S. strikes were reported, Vladimir Safronkov, Russia’s deputy representative to the United Nations told reporters in New York that Russia was receiving signals of an attack being prepared and warned that people were not asking about possible consequences, Interfax reported.

“For you journalists it’s not a secret, and for us working on the diplomatic front, it’s not a secret that all these discussions in the Security Council are leaking out against the background of real clamor about preparations for a military operation,” Safronkov said. “We are also receiving direct signals on this theme that such a military operation is being prepared.”

Safronkov continued, “Moreover, what surprises most of all is that now is asking themselves the question about possible consequences.”

From his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida where he is meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump called on allies to join the U.S. in ending the violence in Syria.

“Tonight, I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types,” said Trump.

Earlier in the week, with video of victims being hosed down with water as they writhed in pain made its way across the world, President Trump denounced the act in strong terms while also placing some of the culpability on his predecessor Barack Obama.

“These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a consequence of the past administration’s weakness and irresolution,” Trump said in a statement Tuesday. “President Obama said in 2012 that he would establish a “red line” against the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing.”

On Wednesday, the National Security Council met to discuss the situation in Syria, but Trump had not yet made a decision about military action, according to a U.S. official who added that he would be presented with “an entire range” of options.

Speaking with reporters on Air Force One Thursday en route to Florida, Trump addressed the situation in response to questions of whether Assad should remain in power.

“I think what happened in Syria is a disgrace to humanity,” said Trump. “He’s there and I guess he’s running things, so something should happen.”

In Florida, awaiting the president’s arrival, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the country is “considering an appropriate response for [the] chemical weapons attack,” and cast doubt on Assad’s position as the country’s leader moving forward.

“Assad’s role in the future is uncertain clearly and with the acts that he has taken, it would seem that there would be no role for him to govern the Syrian people,” said Tillerson. The comments were a reversal from remarks Tillerson gave in Turkey last week when he said the U.S. would not insist upon Assad’s removal.

“The longer-term status of President Assad will be decided by the Syrian people,” said Tillerson. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. said after the chemical attack that he believed the expression of Tillerson’s stance could have been read by Assad “that it is no longer a priority of the United States to have you removed from power,” and granted the Syrian leader “an incentive to act with impunity.”

The Syrian civil war started in 2011 as pro-democracy protests swept the country in the wake of the region’s Arab Spring. An attempted crackdown on protesters fueled groups fighting back against the government and demonstrations turned violent. Eventually, a group of rebels — including Syrian military defectors — organized to fight the Assad regime.

The Syrian government is in control of a significant portion of the country, but the situation has become increasingly complicated with the emergence of ISIS as the terrorist group moves into the country. The U.S. and a global coalition against ISIS have previously launched strikes targeted against the group and Al-Qaeda.

In March, 400 Marines and Army Rangers were sent to Syria to provide support to U.S.-backed rebels fighting ISIS in the country. That group brought the total number of American forces in Syria to 900, according to U.S. officials.

This story is breaking. Please check back for updates

African Pentecostalism Has Given Birth To A New Breed Of Mentally Lazy Christians Who See God As A Rewarder Of Mediocrity

By Kay Musonda, Modern Ghana

”Africa is currently experiencing another form of slavery through Pentecostalism.

We are now mentally lazy and our ability to reason scientifically has been incapacitated.

The African pastor won’t talk about Usain Bolt or Serena Williams. The African Pastor won’t talk about Steve Jobs or the young people in Silicon Valley reshaping our world.

They won’t talk about young American scientists spending endless hours in search of a cure to a disease that’s predominantly in the Tropical African Region.

The African pastor won’t talk about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Ben Okri. In every corner of the world, there exist young men and women who have defied all odds and become successful through hard work, creativity and dedication….

The African pastor won’t talk about them, neither will he ask his members to emulate the spirit of these individuals.

He would rather talk about sister Agatha who got a job she *WAS NOT THE MOST QUALIFIED FOR*because she prayed and fasted in line with their church programme or brother John a millionaire because he used all his salary as a seed in the church, or Papa Miracle who he laid his hands on and 3 of his children got admission in the university, or Mama Esther paid her tithe and her business started growing everywhere across the nation with no business plan, just boom, everywhere.

This has led to a new breed of mentally lazy young people who now see God as a rewarder of mediocrity.

To the African pastor, the only way to prosper is by paying your tithe and ‘ seeds in the church. So they will never talk about those, who have through hard work and dedication placed themselves on the world map.

No…..the African God only blesses the first 30 people that rush to the alter to drop $100 as seed.

The African God abhors hard work and creative thinking, he only gives to those who sow seeds and offerings…..and those who shout: “I am a millionaire” every morning and do nothing the rest of the day.

You want the Almighty to come down and help you use the talent He gave you and bless you because you are going to church to shout: “Daddy I receive it”, these are all jokers.

Can someone tell these jokers that irrespective of your creed, faith or religion, blessings and favours follow you once you start using your talent and become useful to your society?

The Bible tells the story of the Talents.
Use it. Blessing is already bestowed upon us. When we use it positively, we ask the Lord to bless it. The Bible says His Grace is sufficient for us.

The Western world and Asians are excelling and dominating the world.

Let no Imam or Pastor manipulate our minds while they themselves drown in amassing wealth and luxurious splendour, while our people are living in abject poverty.

Be Wise. Worship of God is from the heart. But study, work hard and always watch & pray! May God Almighty bless us all, in Jesus’ name!!”

Good Day