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After Stunning Loses In The Middle East, Islamic Terror Group ISIS Sets Up New Beachhead In The Philippines

As ISIS loses ground in the Middle East, militants from around this region are moving their operations to Southeast Asia — primarily the Philippines.

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9 years ago

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At a crowded center for refugees fleeing the fighting that has ravaged this city, Merlinda Obedencio never lets her most valuable possession out of sight: a blue cellphone. It is the only link she has to her husband and three of their six children being held by Islamic State-linked extremists ISIS.

Obedencio’s husband, Raul, and their children were captured by the local Maute extremist group during a siege that started May 23 and has left almost 600 dead.

Almost 400,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Marawi, a city on the southern island of Mindanao, according to the Philippine military. And like Obedencio, most face an uncertain future in a region turned upside down by extremist violence.

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, views the drawn-out battle as a major win at a time when it is being driven out of its base in Iraq and Syria, bringing greater attention to the Philippines and Southeast Asia as a new beachhead for extremists.

“This is what I consider the first significant example of how foreign fighters from the Syria/Iraq battle space can be brought to bear in another part of the world,” said Thomas Sanderson, director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

After weeks of not knowing whether her family was alive, Obedencio got a call from her husband, who got access to a hidden cellphone. He said he is forced to cook for his captors. He said their 20-year-old son is being used as a human shield on the front lines, while their daughter, 17, was “married” to one of the fighters.

Her husband has since been able to call or text a handful of times, and this contact helps Obedencioda, a devout Christian, keep going.

“For almost two months, I can’t sleep well,” she said. “I’m always thinking of them — are they in good hands? Sometimes when they call I thank God that my family is still alive. I don’t know what we will do after this. All I can do is pray.”

Farhan Macapandia, 23, an English teacher, spent 13 days trapped at home with 11 family members and neighbors after the fighting broke out. The last four days were spent without food, having only rainwater they could collect.

The group finally made a break to safety, carrying only a few essentials. They’re now staying at an evacuation center in the military-controlled compound near the heart of the fighting, where daily airstrikes rattle the buildings and stray bullets are a routine danger.

“We don’t have any idea right now if our house is still there,” said Macapandia. ”We don’t have money. Our access to work, lost. Our house, lost. Everything, lost. It seems that we need to have a new life, a new beginning.”

While residents blame the extremists for the violence and chaos, many are also growing impatient with the military and its heavy airstrikes, which are leveling buildings throughout the city.

“We are angry at the two sides — ISIS and the military,” said Macapandia’s mother, Nabiliah. “We are trapped here in a war zone.”

The fighting has been contained to a 7,500-square-foot area of the city, with 60 to 70 militants holding about 100 hostages, said Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera, spokesman for the military’s Task Force Marawi.

The fighting, which initially was expected to end in a matter of days, has killed 427 militants, 99 soldiers and 45 civilians, according to the military. The Philippine congress voted Saturday to extend martial law on Mindanao until the end of the year. President Rodrigo Duterte had declared martial law for 60 days when the fighting began.

Herrera admitted the battle has “exposed the gaps and weaknesses” in the military’s ability to conduct urban warfare. “We should see the city or urban area as the battleground of the future, and we need to upgrade our capabilities,” he said.

Among the fighters who were killed are militants from Chechnya, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, while fighters from Pakistan and Morocco are still active in the city, the Philippine military said. A greater future danger may be fighters from Southeast Asia returning from Iraq and Syria, said analyst Sanderson.

“Without a doubt, Southeast Asians returning is perhaps the most lethal element of the discussion, because they are coming with the same high-level combat skills that the other combatants have, but these are guys who know the local territory and language,” Sanderson said.

As ISIS loses ground in the Middle East, militants from around this region are moving their operations to Southeast Asia — primarily the Philippines, said Sidney Jones, director of Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict,

“The idea that the Philippines is now the destination of choice rather than Syria has sunk in,” she said. “That’s definite now.”

Jones warned that the Philippine military is treading a thin line by using excessive force, because of its long history of taking a harsh stance against extremist groups in Mindanao.

“One theme that was used to bring people on board to the ISIS message is the brutality of the security services,” she said. “This was before even the airstrikes. So I think there’s got to be a serious re-think of how the Duterte administration responds to extremism. Because if they’re not careful, they’re going to be building a new generation of extremists, not eradicating the generation that’s there now.”

Many in Marawi agree that the aftermath of the fight may be the biggest challenge.

“There will be social disorder, political instability, health issues,” said Norodin Alonto Lucman, a well-known former politician and Muslim chieftain.

Lucman, who harbored in his home 74 civilians — including 31 Christians — for 12 days during the conflict before escaping, said many conditions that caused extremism in the first place will be exacerbated by the fighting here.

“We believe that this rebellion in Mindanao is caused by poverty,” he said. “With the Marawi crisis, you reduce thousands more people into poverty — but now they have guns.”

In the meantime, Obedencio waits with her blue phone for news about her trapped family. “It’s so hard to be a mother trying to look forward to their release,” she said. “I pray all the time. It’s just a great nightmare.” source

 

 

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Trump Declares That The War In Iran Is ‘Already Won’ But A Classified Report By The National Intelligence Council Says This Is Only Just The Beginning

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20 hours ago

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March 8, 2026

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The National Intelligence Council found that even a large-scale assault on Iran launched by the United States would be unlikely to oust the Islamic republic’s entrenched military and clerical establishment

When you open your Bible, read it, and believe what you read in the context where you find it, you come to some rock-solid conclusions almost immediately. First, you begin to understand that a hundred Hitlers could not wipe the Jews from off the face of the Earth, and that Israel as an ethnically-identifiable nation will exist past the end of the Church Age. The second thing you realize is that Iran, also called Persia and Elam, is fully-functioning as an enemy of Israel during this time as a Muslim Caliphate. Be honest, what does that tell you about the current war?

“Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” Luke 14:31 (KJB)

On paper, Iran is no match for the might and power of the United States, we all know that. And on paper, Iran is not really a match against Israel, either. But battles and wars are not fought on paper, they are fought on the battlefield. The God of The Book concerns Himself with the affairs of nations as Daniel tells us, and He doubly concerns Himself with the affairs of nations that are spoken of by the prophets in the Scripture of truth. The US Department of War will not determine the outcome of this fight, neither will NATO or the United Nations Security Council. What you are watching unfold right now are the pieces of the end times chessboard being moved and put into position by God for the coming Checkmate.

Intel report warns large-scale war ‘unlikely’ to oust Iran’s regime

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: A classified report by the National Intelligence Council found that even a large-scale assault on Iran launched by the United States would be unlikely to oust the Islamic republic’s entrenched military and clerical establishment, a sobering assessment as the Trump administration raises the specter of an extended military campaign that officials say has “only just begun.” The findings, confirmed to The Washington Post by three people familiar with the report’s contents, raise doubts about President Donald Trump’s declared plan to “clean out” Iran’s leadership structure and install a ruler of his choosing.

The report, completed about a week before the United States and Israel initiated the war on Feb. 28, outlined succession scenarios stemming from either a narrowly tailored campaign against Iran’s leaders or a broader assault against its leadership and government institutions, the people familiar with its findings said. In both cases, the intelligence concluded that Iran’s clerical and military establishment would respond to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by following protocols designed to preserve continuity of power, these people said.

The prospect of Iran’s fragmented opposition taking control of the country was described as “unlikely,” said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a classified report. The National Intelligence Council, or NIC, is composed of veteran analysts who produce classified assessments meant to represent the collective wisdom of Washington’s 18 intelligence agencies. The CIA referred questions to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which declined to comment. The White House did not say if the president was briefed on this assessment before approving the military operation, which has quickly expanded east to include submarine warfare in the Indian Ocean and west to counter-missile showdowns near NATO member Turkey.

“President Trump and the administration have clearly outlined their goals with regard to Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles and production capacity, demolish their navy, end their ability to arm proxies, and prevent them from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement. “The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed.”

As the war enters its second week, Trump continues to demand Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” as he put it in a Truth Social post, and has suggested he should have a role in picking the country’s next leader.

Trump told journalists that the younger Khamenei is “incompetent” and a “lightweight,” and that he doesn’t want Iranian leaders who will simply “rebuild” the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure.

“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he told NBC News.

Iran’s Parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, rejected the notion that Trump will play any role in appointing Iran’s next leader. “The fate of dear Iran, which is more precious than life, will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by Jeffrey Epstein’s gang,” Ghalibaf said on X, referring to the late sex offender who was close friends with Trump for several years before they had a falling out.

Current and former U.S. officials say they see little sign, at least so far, of a mass popular uprising in Iran or of significant fissures within the government or security forces that will result in a new regime. Iran’s security forces killed thousands of protesters during demonstrations in January fueled by the country’s abysmal economy. The guidance from Trump to the Iranian people has been to shelter in place until the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign concludes.

With Iran’s clerical and military establishment still in control, experts say Trump’s ability to dictate political outcomes is limited.

“Bending the knee to Trump would go against everything they stand for,” said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “The upper echelons of the clerical establishment are ideological, and so their modus operandi is to resist American imperialism.”

Trump could play kingmaker if the regime were to crumble, but the NIC report does not view the establishment’s hold on power as brittle. “There’s no other force within Iran that can confront the remaining power that the regime has,” said Maloney, of the Brookings Institution. “Even if they’re not able to project that power very effectively against their neighbors, they can certainly dominate inside the country.” READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

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But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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In A Stunning Twist, Donald Trump’s Department Of War Turns To Ukraine For Help With Combatting The Relentless Swarms Of Iranian Drone Attacks

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2 days ago

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March 7, 2026

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The Trump administration, which has expressed frequent exasperation with all that has been asked of it by Ukraine, had an urgent request of its own this week.

Today the war with Iran started  by Trump’s Department of War is officially one week old, and there are some interesting things to note at this point in the operations. First, President Trump has declared that today “Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.” Second, and rather amazingly, the Department of War has reached out to Ukraine for help with fighting off Iranian drone attacks. Wha….??? How on Earth did we get to that point in only 7 days? Yikes.

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” Revelation 17:17 (KJB)

The key to understanding the things that Trump says is that 50% of whatever he says or posts is not true, 25% of it is gross exaggeration, and somewhere in the remaining 25% if you’re willing to put the work in, you’ll find the actual truth of what’s he’s talking about. Remember last summer when Zelensky was invited to the White House only to be attacked and roundly mocked and humiliated by Trump and Vance? Now the ‘Lethalitymaxxing’ Department of War needs Zelensky’s help? You know what that tells me? That Trump has launched America into a war that we are not prepared for, and that in only 7 days, the whole thing is already starting to unravel. But as unpleasant and unpalatable as that thought may be, it pales in comparison to Islamic terror attacks restarting on American soil. That’s what you need to mentally prepare yourself for. It only gets worse from here.

Unprepared for Iranian drones, U.S. and partners seek Ukraine’s help

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: With swarms of Iranian drones breaching U.S. air defense systems and striking targets across the Middle East, Ukraine — which has spent years confronting nearly identical attacks — was asked to come to the aid of the United States and its partners.

“We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection,” against Iran’s drone systems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday on X. Ukrainian advisers and systems would shortly be on their way to the Persian Gulf region, Zelensky said, because “Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security.”

It was a rare moment for Zelensky to be in position of lending assistance — however small in scale — a year after he was pilloried in an Oval Office visit with President Donald Trump for pleading for U.S. support with “no cards” to play of his own and for not showing sufficient gratitude. More broadly, however, the U.S. request has focused attention on why the United States and its gulf allies have seemed poorly prepared for retaliatory drone strikes by an adversary that has spent much of the past four years stockpiling lethal “Shahed” drones by the thousands, as well as whether U.S. and other military leaders had absorbed the lessons of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including incursions into NATO airspace.

“If you are planning a war against Iran — the original purveyor of Shahed drones — and you are surprised that Shaheds are numerous and difficult to intercept you haven’t been paying attention,” said Dara Massicot, a defense and security analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“There is a multiyear disconnect between the Ukrainian combat experience and institutionalizing its lessons in the U.S. military,” Massicot said. As a result, she said, the United States and its allies are “reaching out to Ukraine in a time of crisis.”
A U.S. official acknowledged a U.S. request but said it was unclear whether it was before or during the current operation.

“Contact was made on how to work together and benefit from their experience,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive communications. The White House declined to provide further details and referred to Trump’s comments to Reuters on Thursday. The president said the U.S. would accept assistance from any country when asked about Zelensky’s comments. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

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But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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Iran Posts An Apocalyptic And Cryptic Message On Social Media Showing Tel Aviv Being Targeted By A Nuclear Missile In Retaliation For Attack By Israel

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2 days ago

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March 6, 2026

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Is Iran getting ready to launch a nuclear missile on Tel Aviv in retaliation for Israel’s attack on Tehran?

Iran’s latest social media post showing a missile obliterating Tel Aviv is not just another piece of propaganda—it is a chilling glimpse into the mindset of a regime that openly dreams of wiping Israel off the map. When a nation posts imagery of a nuclear-style strike against a civilian city, it is sending a message that goes far beyond rhetoric. It is psychological warfare, intimidation, and a declaration that they see the destruction of Israel not as a tragedy, but as a victory.

“And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 49:38 (KJB)

Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that if war escalates they will strike “the heart of Tel Aviv,” a threat that has been echoed in propaganda banners and social media messaging tied to the regime. In the current conflict, Iran has already launched missile barrages toward Israeli cities after strikes on Iranian territory, pushing the Middle East closer to a direct regional war than at any point in decades. The Middle East stands right now on the brink of a war that no one but Trump and Hegseth wants but likely can’t be stopped if things continue to escalate much further.

Iran threatens to nuke Israel with chilling image showing missile obliterating Tel Aviv

FROM THE UK EXPRESS: Iran has shared a chilling image of a nuclear missile striking an Israeli city, which appears to be Tel Aviv. In a post on X, the account previously belonging to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that “Khorramshahr is ahead”, in reference to the ballistic missile named after the Iranian city.

Included in the post was also a striking image of the missile being developed underground, fired from a mobile launcher, and hitting what appears to be the Israeli city. In another post, the account promised consequences, “by God’s grace”, for “the Zionist regime”.

It said: “The Zionist regime has made a big mistake, and its consequences will make the regime desperate, by God’s grace.”

The city depicted in the image appears to be Tel Aviv, with an Israeli flag and coastal skyline visible. This comes after Tehran launched an overnight attack of cluster bombs targeting Tel Aviv, which were seen in shocking videos flying through the air before crashing into the ground. Huge blazes erupt as they smash into their targets, with witnesses watching on and filming the explosions. The cluster bombs open up as they zero in on their targets, sending around twenty smaller munitions flying out in a radius of roughly five miles. Each of the smaller missiles carries around 2.5kg of explosives, potentially causing huge damage.

Israel also inflicted the worst night of bombing on Tehran since the war began last weekend, launching a “broad-scale wave of strikes” aimed at wiping out the Islamic regime. The intense bombardment on Friday morning saw explosions ringing out across the city, and plumes of smoke and fire lighting up the sky. Residents said their homes shook and they were left without internet and power, plunging them into darkness. A man in his 30s told the BBC: “The house was shaking for five minutes straight. Last night was the worst night.” READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Continue Reading

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