Russian sect prays to Putin icons ; claims he is the ‘chosen one’
Journal Chretien (December
17, 2007) - Vladimir Putin may be popular in Russia for saving
the nation from the chaos of the 1990s, but a sect in the country has
taken its devotion a step further by praying to “presidential icons.”
According to the (RIA Novosti web site), the Bolshaya Elnya village in
the Nizhny Novgorod Region is home to the “Rus’ Resurrecting” sect, a
group of local residents who believe that President Putin was both the
Apostle Paul and King Solomon in previous lives. Rus’ is the term used
for the medieval East Slavic nation that gave its name to modern Russia.
“We didn’t choose Putin,” Mother Fontinya told the Moskovsky Komsomolets
paper, expounding on the first time she laid eyes on the “holy one.” “It
was when Yeltsin was naming him as his successor [during a live New
Year’s Eve TV broadcast in 1999]. My soul exploded with joy ! ‘An
ubermensch ! God himself has chosen him !’ I cried. “Yeltsin was the
destroyer, and God replaced him with his creation,” claimed Fontinya.
The sect possesses a President Putin icon that Fontinya claims
miraculously appeared one day. “He has given us everything,” she said,
pointing to the sky. A special newspaper published by the sect – “The
Temple of Light” - features interviews with long-dead religious figures,
including the Apostle Paul. The sect members are also convinced that
President Putin knows about and supports the actions of their ’Mother
Superior.’ Russian Christian sects have long been known for their
unusual choices of icons, some of them praying to portraits of such
well-known “holy men” as Stalin and Ivan the Terrible. “Another Russian
sect is currently holed up in an underground shelter in the country’s
central Penza Region and has threatened to commit mass suicide if any
attempt is made to bring them to the surface,” said the RIA Novosti
story. “Religion was tightly controlled in the U.S.S.R. and the collapse
of the Soviet Union saw an explosion in sects and cults, as well as
interest in New Age philosophies and beliefs. “The back pages of many
Russian tabloid newspapers are full of advertisements for ’healers’ and
’magicians’ who promise to bring happiness in love, success in business,
as well as a range of other services. “One of the most well-known sects
in Russia has its base near the southern Siberian town of Abakan, where
thousands of people, both Russian and foreign, worship a former
provincial traffic policeman, Sergei Torop, as the second coming of
Christ.” The RIA Novosti story concluded by saying that there
are currently believed to be around 500-700 such sects in Russia,
containing some 600,000-800,000 people.
Assad: Syria-Iran alliance unshakeable
The
Jerusalem Post (December 13, 2007) -
Syrian President Bashar Assad rejected claims that Syria's alliance with
Iran had been weakened by Damascus' participation in last month's
US-sponsored Mideast peace conference, saying Thursday that the two
countries' ties will never be shaken. Assad made the comments as he
inaugurated two joint Syrian-Iranian industrial projects - factories for
cars and cement. He was joined at the ceremonies by the Iranian industry
and housing ministers. The November conference in Annapolis, Maryland,
which relaunched Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, was widely seen
as also aimed at isolating Iran by bringing together Arab nations. US
officials have expressed hopes that Syria's attendance would mark a
start to easing it out of its alliance with Teheran. Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other top officials denounced the conference,
and some officials expressed surprise over Syria's participation -
though none directly criticized it. Speaking at the auto factory, Assad
said, "inaugurating this plant in partnership with our Iranian brothers
and officials is a response to those who tried to circulate (reports)
... that relations between the two countries have been shaken." "I
confirm, on this occasion, that relations will not be shaken for any
reason or under any circumstance," Assad said at the factory in Hasya,
some 160 kilometers north of the Syrian capital, Damascus. according to
the official SANA news agency. Syria and Iran have growing economic
ties, with the annual two-way trade estimated at about US$200 million.
The size of Iranian investments in Syria has reached around US$2
billions in sectors such as power generation, automobiles, cement and
agriculture. Syria is Iran's closest Arab ally. The two countries have
had close relations since 1980 when Syria sided with Persian Iran
against Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. The $50 million International
Syrian-Iranian Factory for Cars is the second car venture between the
two countries in less than a year. It will have an initial production
capacity of up to 15,000 cars a year and would likely increase to reach
35,000 cars annually at its final stage, SANA said. In March, Syria and
Iran inaugurated the first joint car project in the industrial city of
Adra near Damascus. Assad and the Iranian ministers also inaugurated a
new cement plant in the northern city of Hama, some 210 kilometers
northwest of the Syrian capital. The factory that had cost US$250
million has a production capacity of 1.1 million tons annually, SANA
said. The project, which would create some 400 jobs, was initially
agreed upon during a visit by then Iranian President Mohammed Khatami to
Syria in mid 1999. The project is financed by the Kuwait Fund for
Economic Development and the Iranian company has provided all the
necessary equipment.
Russia-Iran trade doubles to $2.2 bln in 9M07 - official Russian
News & Information Agency (December 12,
2007) - Trade between Russia and Iran more than doubled in
January-September 2007 to $2.2 billion, the Russian co-chairman of
the bilateral inter-governmental commission said on Thursday. Sergei
Kiriyenko, who was yesterday appointed by the Russian president to
head state-controlled nuclear power corporation Rosatom, and Iran's
Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki chaired on Thursday a session of
the inter-governmental commission. Iran has proposed that both
countries should establish consortiums in electric power, energy and
other spheres and set up an investment fund for the implementation
of joint projects, Mottaki said. "The establishment of a gas company
could become another area of mutual cooperation," Mottaki said. The
Iranian diplomat also said the drafts of Russian-Iranian agreements
on air transport and investment were almost ready and could be
signed soon. Vladimir Putin the President cleared to become Prime Minister of Russia Times Online (December 12, 2007) - Vladimir Putin completed his plan yesterday to retain power in Russia, without the involvement of a single voter. Dmitri Medvedev repaid the compliment of being chosen as his successor in the Kremlin by declaring that Mr Putin should serve as Prime Minister after he leaves the presidency. The development clears the way for Mr Putin to rule Russia as premier while his protégé Mr Medvedev acts as a figurehead leader. The announcement settled within 24 hours the two key questions that have dominated Russian politics for months ahead of the presidential election next March: the identity of Mr Putin's successor and his own future role. Mr Medvedev, 42, is Russia's first deputy prime minister but has never run for elected office and is reliant on Mr Putin's support. The backing of the Kremlin will reduce the election to little more than an invitation for voters to endorse yesterday's arrangement. In a televised address, Mr Medvedev declared that Mr Putin had saved Russia from economic collapse and civil war after the chaos of the 1990s. His policies had restored Russia's “overpowering position in the world community” and brought economic success. “To follow this course it is not enough to elect a new president who agrees with this ideology. It is no less important to keep the unity of the team formed by the current president,” Mr Medvedev said. “I appeal to him to give his agreement in principle to head the government of Russia after a new president of our country has been chosen.” The invitation has not yet been accepted but it is unthinkable that Mr Medvedev would have announced it without Mr Putin's approval. Mr Putin has ruled since 2000 but is barred by the constitution from a third successive term. Mr Medvedev will now run as “Putin's candidate” with a clear pledge that a vote for him will be a vote to restore Mr Putin to real power. The initiative is not without risk for Mr Putin, however, since the Prime Minister is subservient to the President under the Constitution.| Gog/Magog |
Saudi king invites Ahmadinejad for haj-media
Reuters
(December 12, 2007)
- The king of U.S.-allied Saudi Arabia has invited Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend this year's haj in the Muslim holy city of
Mecca, Iranian media reported on Wednesday. It would be the first time
an Iranian president was officially invited to take part in the annual
pilgrimage, starting later this month, the official IRNA news agency
said. Like other Gulf Arab states, Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has long
been wary of its large Shi'ite Muslim neighbor and shares Western
concerns about Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "Saudi King Abdullah has
formally invited President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to take part in this
year's haj ceremony," Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammad
Hosseini, was quoted as saying by state television. The five-day rites
are expected to begin on December 18. On Tuesday Ahmadinejad said he
would take part in the haj if formally invited. Last week he became the
first Iranian president to attend a summit of Saudi Arabia and five
other Gulf Arab states. It was not clear whether the 51-year-old had
attended the haj before. A duty for every Muslim at least once in a
lifetime, the grueling ritual is one of the world's biggest displays of
mass religious devotion and is held under tight security. At least 1.5
million people are expected to arrive from abroad in Mecca where
pilgrims follow a route around the mountains in line with a tradition
established by the Prophet Muhammad. In 1987, more than 400 people,
mostly Iranians, died in clashes with Saudi security forces at an anti-U.S.
and anti-Israel rally in Mecca.
France
scores symbolic victory against Turkish EU membership EU
Observer (December 12, 2007) -
France has scored a symbolic victory in its battle against Turkey
joining the European Union by succeeding in removing the word
'accession' from an EU document on the state of negotiations. A
statement on the EU's enlargement strategy, agreed by foreign
ministers in Brussels on Monday (11 December), refers only to an
intergovernmental conference with Turkey and Croatia later this
month, rather than to accession or membership negotiations. The
normal phrasing for these meeting to discuss progress on membership
negotiations is "accession conferences." But France, strongly
opposed to Turkey joining the EU, got its way yesterday after
putting diplomatic pressure on for around two weeks before the
meeting. Britain and Sweden were amongst the countries that were
against the French move. "We do not see any rationale for
backtracking either on the Treaty of Rome or on these commitments,"
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said before the meeting,
according to Reuters. French president Nicolas Sarkozy has made no
secret of his staunch opposition to Ankara's membership bid. It
featured during his presidential campaign in the first half of 2007
while after his election Mr Sarkozy suggested Turkey become a member
of a Mediterranean Union he wants to set up and that the EU's final
borders are discussed in a wise committee - both suggestions are
seen as part of an overall aim to derail Turkey's bid. Germany is
also against Turkish EU membership, but has been less vocal at the
European level on the issue than France. It prefers instead a
privileged partnership - essentially granting Ankara closer ties
with the EU but no decision-making powers. Turkey opened membership
talks with the EU in 2005. But it has only made small progress so
far. Talks have been blocked in a number of areas because of
Ankara's position on Cyprus - it refuses to trade with it - while
France has blocked the opening of talks in areas that smack too much
of leading to EU membership. Turkey itself has also been slow to
undertake internal democratic reforms, which has led to criticism
from the EU side. more... With rejection by Europe, who will Turkey turn to? Most likely, and according to Bible prophecy, Turkey will align with the Islamic side and participate in the attack on Israel. Keep watching!
Medvedev: Putin should be prime minister Associated
Press (December 11, 2007) - The man
tapped by President Vladimir Putin as his successor called Tuesday for
the popular president to return as prime minister after the March 2
election — a shuffling of Kremlin duties that would keep the main levers
of power in Putin's hands. The brief announcement by Dmitry Medvedev,
almost certainly approved in advance by Putin, was the second major
development from the Kremlin in as many days. On Monday, Putin endorsed
Medvedev for president. In this way, Putin and his longtime aide appear
to answer a question that has long been the subject of conjecture and
anxiety: whether the two-term president would relinquish power, and if
so to whom. The emerging scenario — one that Putin himself hinted at
months ago — would see the popular president wielding considerable and
possibly ultimate power from a beefed-up prime minister's position.
Putin, who took over from Boris Yeltsin about eight years ago, is barred
by the constitution from a third consecutive term. In a three-minute
televised speech, Medvedev said Putin "prevented the collapse of the
economy and social sphere in our country, a course that prevented civil
war." It was vital to retain Putin's team, he said. "Therefore, I think
that is principally important for our country that we keep in the most
important post in government — the position of chairman of the Russian
government - Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin," he said. "Having expressed
my readiness to run for president of Russia, I appeal to him with a
request to give his principal agreement to head the Russian government
after the election of the new president of our country," Medvedev said.
Putin clearly wants to retain a powerful role once he steps down.
Medvedev's proposal would provide such a role, especially if the
constitution is amended to increase the prime minister's powers — which
could be done readily with the new parliament dominated by pro-Putin
politicians. more...
Russian 'bear' who loves Black Sabbath set to succeed Putin RIA
Novosti (December 10, 2007) - The
man backed by Vladimir Putin for next year's presidential election is a
heavy-metal loving 42-year-old whose surname comes from the Russian word
for 'bear'. First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was
nominated by the ruling United Russia party and three other smaller
pro-Kremlin parties on Monday afternoon. President Putin later said on
national television: "I have known Dmitry Medvedev well for over 17
years, and I completely and fully support his candidature." In view of
Putin's high popularity rating and full support of most of the
legislature, his backing of the nomination is likely to guarantee
Medvedev the presidency. Medvedev's surname comes from the Russian word
'medved', meaning bear, an animal which has long been associated with
the country. The bear is also the symbol of United Russia, and Bear
bombers have contributed to increasing tension between the West and
Russia of late with their strategic long-range patrols. In a recent
interview with the Russian magazine Itogi, Medvedev revealed his
passion for rock music, saying that, "vinyl really sounds better
than CDs." The man who may well become leader of the largest nation on
Earth said he had spent much of his youth compiling cassettes of
popular Western groups, "Endlessly making copies of Black Sabbath, Led
Zeppelin and Deep Purple." All these groups were on state-issued
blacklists during Medvedev's Soviet-era schooldays. "The quality was
awful, but my interest colossal," he said. Medvedev went on to boast of
his collection of Deep Purple LPs, saying that he had searched for the
albums for many years. "Not reissues, but the original albums," he
added, concluding that, "If you set yourself a goal you can achieve it."
Medvedev, seen as a pro-business moderate, chairs the board of Russia's
state-controlled natural gas monopoly Gazprom and is overseeing an
ambitious multi-billion-dollar "national project" to improve living
standards in the country. That Putin backs him, Russia's prophetic role in the Middle East and his choice in music given the video They Sold Their Souls For Rock N' Roll, all points me to him indeed of the same ilk of Putin in aligning with the anti-Israel Middle East both politically and spiritually. Keep watching.
Russia to boost presence in Mediterranean Sea with extended naval
exercises
BBC
News (December 5, 2007) - Russia is
planning naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean
in what it says is a bid to boost its presence and protect shipping.
Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said battleships, helicopters
and aircraft would take part in a range of manoeuvres, due to end in
February. This is the latest sign of a resurgence in Russia's military
capabilities, the BBC's Nick Childs says. Russia recently resumed
long-range patrols by its bomber aircraft. The practise was suspended
after the collapse of the Soviet Union and was revived in August this
year, as part of a more assertive foreign policy pursued by President
Vladimir Putin. According to a Kremlin transcript, Mr Serdyukov told Mr
Putin on Wednesday that the "aim of the sorties is to ensure a naval
presence in tactically important regions of the world's oceans". Mr
Serdyukov said Russia's Black Sea fleet would monitor the Mediterranean
while its Northern Fleet would operate in the Atlantic. Military
analysts say Russia's boosted military presence is largely symbolic.
Higher oil prices have enabled Russia to re-invest in its armed forces
but its military capabilities remain far below what they were during the
Soviet era, correspondents say. The Russian navy's reputation has been
severely dented by accidents such as the sinking of the Kursk nuclear
submarine in 2000.
Iran Says Ties With Syria Rock Solid
Associated Press
(December 3, 2007) - Iran's
adversaries cannot harm the strong ties between Tehran and Damascus,
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday, a week after Iran appeared to
chide Syria for its decision to take part in a Mideast summit in the
United States. State-run television quoted Ahmadinejad as telling
Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad that "enemies cannot
damage real and firm Tehran-Damascus relations." Though Iran never
directly criticized Syria for attending the summit in Annapolis, Md.
last week, Ahmadinejad and other top officials said the summit was
doomed to fail and scolded Arab nations for going. Tehran was not
invited to the meeting. But Syria's attendance and Iran's harsh
criticism of the meeting appeared to indicate at least some tension
between the two allies — a rare event in the past decades. During his
meeting Sunday with Ahmadinejad, Mekdad gave the Iranian president a
written message from Syrian President Bashar Assad and underlined the
strategic relationship between the two countries, Iran's official news
agency, IRNA, reported. No details of the message from Assad were given.
Both Ahmadinejad and Mekdad said Iran-Syrian ties remained strong.
Mekdad also said Syrian would "never let anyone harm the friendly ties"
between Iran and Syria, IRNA reported. Syria said it decided to send
Mekdad to the summit only after the issue of the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights was added to the agenda. During the trip, the Syrian delegation
shook hands with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — indicating a
slight thaw in the diplomatic chill between Washington and Damascus.
U.S. officials had hoped the Annapolis meeting could mark a start to
moving Syria out of its alliance with Iran and Hamas and Hezbollah, both
of which are Iranian-backed militant groups. more...
Moscow Comes between Israel and Syria Kommersant (November
16, 2007)
- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Alexander Saltanov and special representative of the foreign minister
for the Middle East Sergey Yakovlev arrived in Israel yesterday. The
main topic of their talks there will be a Syrian-Israeli settlement.
Russia hopes that its influence on Syria will permit it to overtake the
United States as peacemaker in the Middle East. The Russians' visit is
being given low-key treatment. They met with Israeli Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni yesterday. The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment
on their talks. The Russians also met with head of the Israeli National
Security Council Ilan Mizrahi. Officially, the topic of their talks was
the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian meetings in Annapolis, Maryland. Other
sources say they talked about a conference in Moscow, which the
Kremlin has been hoping for
since 2005. Since Israel prefers to deal with the Palestinians directly
and recognizes only the U.S. as an intermediary, Moscow has revamped its
proposal as a conference on Israeli-Syrian settlement. The possibility
of returning the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in 1967, in return
for a peace settlement, is more and more frequently mentioned in Israel
now. The U.S., although jealous of its role as peacemaker in the Middle
East, has indicated that it would agree to such a conference in Moscow.
Damascus had made it know that, during the summit in Annapolis, it would
host a summit of anti-Israeli forces. Former Russian prime minister and
head of the Russian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Evgeny Primakov was able to dissuade Syria from that plan during a visit
there at the beginning of the month. Instead, Syrian President Bashar
Asad will send his own envoy to Annapolis. In return, Syria is demanding
that the conference in Moscow take place, as the first step in its
recovery of the Golan Heights. Any apparent desire of Russia to bring peace to the Middle East is overshadowed by what the Bible says about those allied with Iran currently and a future attack on Israel. In this light, it is clear that Russia is on the side of Iran who has stated in no uncertain terms that the current administration desires the State of Israel to cease to exist. The m/o of the enemy is to come in with flattery and deceive, pretending to work for a common goal in order to get close enough to their enemy to undermine them and have an advantage. Russia's government has made itself an ally with all those who vehemently oppose Israel and given the Bible's description of what is to come, peace is not their ultimate goal.
EU Report On Turkey Deals New Blow To Ankara's Membership Bid International
Herald Tribune (November 1, 2007) -
In a fresh blow to Turkey's hopes of joining the European Union, a key
report has concluded that reforms there slowed in 2007 because of a
constitutional crisis over the election of a president with an Islamic
background. With attention distracted by tensions between the ruling AK
Party and the military over the election of Abdullah Gul, Turkey did too
little to root out corruption, modernize its judiciary, reduce the power
of the military and increase freedom of expression. The annual progress
report compiled by the European Commission, to be released next week,
comes amid preparations for a new committee on the future of the EU
which may try to determine where Europe's frontiers should lie and how
much further the bloc should expand. Public opinion across the EU is
hardening against Turkey's EU membership bid and President Nicolas
Sarkozy of France leads a group of countries opposed to full EU
membership for Turkey, preferring a looser association with Ankara
instead. Sarkozy has proposed the new committee, scheduled to be
approved by EU heads of government next month, which Turkey fears will
to kill off their membership bid. Anxious
to limit the damage to Turkish accession hopes, a draft of the
commission's report stresses Turkey's strategic importance as a "unique
interface between the west and the Muslim world," a diplomatic and
military partner and an energy hub. But it also makes clear that the
implementation of reforms was "uneven" and "has slowed down since 2005."
The number of those prosecuted for freedom of expression doubled between
2005-6, corruption remains rife and Turkey was found to be in breach of
the European Convention on Human Rights in 330 cases. Earlier this year
the Turkish military spoke out against Gul's candidacy for the post of
president which is one of the central pillars of the secular Turkish
state. The crisis prompted fresh parliamentary elections which returned
the AK Party to power, allowing Gul - whose wife wears a headscarf - to
win the presidency through a parliamentary vote. Though the military
"made statements beyond its remit," parliamentary elections were
conducted properly, the draft report says. "Turkey now needs to renew
the momentum of political reforms," the draft document said. It called
for significant further efforts on freedom of expression, civilian
control of the military, increased rights for non-Muslims, the fight
against corruption and judicial reforms.
more... In Ezekiel 38,39 we see that Iran, Russia and Turkey are the three main national players in an attack on Israel that is stopped by God with fire and brimstone from heaven. We're seeing the pulling away of Turkey from the West back to their Islamic roots aligned with Iran and their weapons supplier, Russia. I expect this relationship with the West to get worse to the point of Turkey's attack on Israel, but only time will tell.
Israeli TV Stations Showing 'Gog and Magog' Charts
Israel National News
(October 17, 2007) - Israeli evening newscasts prominently
featured George W. Bush's comments regarding a possible breakout of
World War Three Wednesday evening. Both Channel 2 and Channel 10 showed
the world map and sketched the basic alignment of the two opposing axes
in the possible world war, in a way that is bound to evoke associations
of the Gog and Magog prophecy for many viewers. On one side were Israel,
the United States, Britain, France and Germany. On the other were Iran,
Russia, China, Syria and North Korea. The prophecy of Gog and Magog
refers to a great world war centered on the Holy Land and Jerusalem and
first appears in the book of Yechezkel (Ezekiel).
Putin Visits Iran, Sends Warnings to US
Associated Press
(October 16, 2007) - Russian leader
Vladimir Putin met his Iranian counterpart Tuesday and implicitly warned
the U.S. not to use a former Soviet republic to stage an attack on Iran.
He also said nations shouldn't pursue oil pipeline projects in the area
if they weren't backed by regional powers. At a summit of the five
nations that border the inland Caspian Sea, Putin said none of the
nations' territory should be used by any outside countries for use of
military force against any nation in the region. It was a clear
reference to long-standing rumors that the U.S. was planning to use
Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic, as a staging ground for any
possible military action against Iran. "We are saying that no Caspian
nation should offer its territory to third powers for use of force or
military aggression against any Caspian state," Putin said. Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also underlined the need to keep outsiders
away from the Caspian. "All Caspian nations agree on the main issue -
that all aspects related to this sea must be settled exclusively by
littoral nations," he said. "The Caspian Sea is an inland sea and it
only belongs to the Caspian states, therefore only they are entitled to
have their ships and military forces here." Putin, whose trip to Tehran
is the first by a Kremlin leader since World War II, warned that energy
pipeline projects crossing the Caspian could only be implemented if all
five nations that border the Caspian support them. Putin did not name
any specific country, but his statement underlined Moscow's strong
opposition to U.S.-backed efforts to build pipelines to deliver
hydrocarbons to the West bypassing Russia. "Projects that may inflict
serious environmental damage to the region cannot be implemented without
prior discussion by all five Caspian nations," he said. Other nations
bordering the Caspian Sea and in attendance at the summit are:
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. The legal status of the Caspian
- believed to contain the world's third-largest energy reserves - has
been in limbo since the 1991 Soviet collapse, leading to tension and
conflicting claims to seabed oil deposits. Iran, which shared the
Caspian's resources equally with the Soviet Union, insists that each
coastal nation receive an equal portion of the seabed. Russia,
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan want the division based on the length of each
nation's shoreline, which would give Iran a smaller share. Putin's visit
took place despite warnings of a possible assassination plot and amid
hopes that a round of personal diplomacy could help offer a solution to
an international standoff on Iran's nuclear program. Putin's trip was
thrown into doubt when the Kremlin said Sunday that he had been informed
by Russian intelligence services that suicide attackers might try to
kill him in Tehran, but he shrugged off the warning. Iranian Foreign
Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini dismissed reports about the
purported assassination plot as disinformation spread by adversaries
hoping to spoil good relations between Russia and Iran. Putin has warned
the U.S. and other nations against trying to coerce Iran into reining in
its nuclear program and insists peaceful dialogue is the only way to
deal with Tehran's defiance of a U.N. Security Council demand that it
suspend uranium enrichment. "Threatening someone, in this case the
Iranian leadership and Iranian people, will lead nowhere," Putin said
Monday during his trip to Germany. "They are not afraid, believe
me." more...
Turkey Forms Alliance With Iran Against Kurds
News Max
(October 15, 2007) - U.S. ally Turkey and
U.S. arch-enemy Iran have formed a military alliance to drive opposition
Kurds from bases in northern Iraq they have used since 2004 to launch
guerrilla operations inside Iran, rebel leaders told Newsmax at a secret
base in the Qandil mountains. Both Iran and Turkey have vowed to send
troops into northern Iraq, but until now evidence of active military
cooperation between them has remained a closely-held secret. Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stepped up political and
diplomatic threats in recent days, telling the United States he would
cut off U.S. access to the strategic Incirlik airbase in eastern Turkey
if the U.S. tried to prevent Turkey from sending troops against the
Kurdish bases in northern Iraq. Leaders of the Party of Free Life of
Iranian Kurdistan, known as PJAK, provided Newsmax with extensive
evidence of the Iran-Turkey alliance in two days of exclusive interviews
at a secret guerilla base deep in the Qandil mountains. An Iranian
Revolutionary Guards outpost was visible on a nearby mountain peak.
“Iran and Turkey attacked jointly on August 16 against our forces inside
Iran and against Turkish self-defense forces in northern Iraq,” a PJAK
commander using the nom de guerre Xerat told Newsmax at the Iranian
rebel base. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards “attacked us across a broad
front in the areas of Sardasht, Piranshahr, Shaho, Urmieh, and along the
border line,” Xerat said, citing the names of major cities in Iranian
Kurdistan where PJAK rebels have been operating. While those ground
operations were underway, Iranian and Turkish artillery simultaneously
began shelling civilian villages inside Iraqi Kurdistan from Metina,
Zaab, Haftani, and Hakurke in the north, to Haji Oumran, Qalatdizza, Zeh,
Marado, and Xinera in the south, he added. Turkish artillery hit the
northern villages, while Iranian gunners hit the southern ones. Iranian
troops attempted to cross into Iraq through the mountain passes, but
PJAK fighters held the line. “The goal of the Iranians is to drive us
from the border area,” rebel leader Biryar Gabar told Newsmax. “They
want to turn this area into a no-man’s land, so they can use it to
smuggle weapons and Islamist guerillas into Iraq to fight the
Americans.” He called the Iran-Turkey entente “an anti-American
alliance,” not just an anti-Kurdish agreement, and said that it resulted
from deliberate decisions from the ruling Islamist AKP party of Prime
Minister Erdogan to transform Turkey into an increasingly Islamist
state. A senior European official, who was involved in talks to bring
Turkey into the European Union, told Newsmax recently he had been
“stunned” by the hard-line toward the Kurds taken by AKP party leader
Abdullah Gul, now Turkey’s president. “He was totally uncompromising,”
the official said. “He took a harder line than the Turkish military.”
Iran has been offering Turkey an economic agreement with Iran in July to
build a strategic pipeline that will bring Iranian natural gas to
Europe, in defiance of a U.S. led effort to increase the economic
squeeze on Iran. During a press conference in August while he was still
foreign minister, Gul defended Turkey and Iran’s joint action against
Kurdish guerillas in Iraq. “They pose a threat to Turkey as well as to
other neighbors. Therefore, every country has the right to defend its
borders and take legitimate measures for its own security,” Gül said.
more...
Israel Minister: War is Inevitable
News Max (October 15,
2007) - An Israeli mission to destroy the terrorist
infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is inevitable, an Israeli official said
Monday. According to the Jerusalem Post, Strategic Affairs Minister
Avigdor Lieberman told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Israel
should conduct a mission similar to the country's Operation Defensive
Shield in the West Bank, which occurred in the spring of 2002. Lieberman
also advised Rice not to pressure Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to take
steps that would cause the downfall of the Israeli government. "In the
current political conditions, the government cannot allow itself to make
controversial decisions on sensitive issues," Lieberman told Rice. "The
conference planned for Annapolis is a mistake. It will be just another
conference and just another document. Without a noticeable improvement
in Israeli security or Palestinian economic conditions, the conference
will not be different than any of the unsuccessful conferences of the
past."
Shakings, Weighings and Divisions: Syria, Annapolis and the Return of YHVH - Part One - Syria David's Tent (October 13, 2007) - Israel has been in the headlines again – a mysterious Israel Air Force attack delves deep into Syria; an upcoming US-prompted peace conference in Annapolis MD discusses a major dividing up of the land of Israel; a brazen new book accuses the American Jewish community and Israel of acting against the interests of the USA, raising the ante of anti-Semitism in the USA. The sharks smell blood and are circling, while the Jewish David, one arm tied behind his back by world pressure and opinion, finds himself confronting many modern-day Goliaths. We are indeed living in significant days! Serious stirrings in Syria Some secret events in Syria have hit the headlines in recent days. Israel's strict censorship rules on military matters forbid direct reporting of certain military matters, but anonymous leaks to major journalists have somewhat dispersed the mists of war. London's Sunday Times (www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2461421.ece) reported on September 16 2007 that just after midnight on September 6, the 69th Squadron composed of eight Israeli F-15Is, F-16s and a UAV crossed the Mediterranean coastline of Syria and headed to a military target 50 miles from the Iraqi border – Deir ez-Zour. Syrian radar was somehow blocked, and a pre-positioned Israeli special forces Shaldag team (air force commandos) painted the target with laser beams. The pinpoint accurate bombing destroyed what Israeli intelligence anonymously describe as either nuclear material or a nuclear device from North Korea which could be fitted on North Korean Scud-C missiles (already in Syria's arsenal). An Israeli source said, "We’ve known for a long time that Syria has deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but Israel can’t live with a nuclear warhead." Over the years the world's intelligence community has given us some context for this attack. A CIA report from June 2003 stated, "Broader access to foreign expertise provides (Syria) opportunities to expand its indigenous capabilities and we are looking at Syrian nuclear intentions with growing concern." (https://www.cia.gov/library/reports/archived-reports-1/jan_jun2003.htm#7) On November 12 2003 John R. Bolton, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the State Department, spoke at a public gathering in Washington DC (www.state.gov/t/us/rm/26129.htm):
On April 29, 2004 Bolton told the United Nations that the Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan had "several other" customers for his nuclear bomb factories besides Iran, Libya and North Korea. Western diplomats said then that Bolton was clearly referring to Syria (see the Reform Party of Syria's article in www.aina.org/news/20050104115532.htm). The Road To Annapolis (2007) The past few weeks have seen a flurry of activity concerning a possible peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, a city that since American Colonial days has been known as the "Athens of America". Tony Blair recently stepped down from his position as Prime Minister and immediately was appointed Middle East Envoy of the Quartet (US, UK, European Union and Russia) on June 27 2007. He promptly stated that until Israel surrenders more land, there will be no peace in the Middle East. "The absolute priority is to try to give effect to what is now the consensus across the international community - that the only way of bringing stability and peace to the Middle East is a two-state solution" (PM Blair's final press briefing at Downing Street). According to Blair, it seems, Israel holds the key to Middle East and world peace. While there is a sense where Blair's words may be biblically true (Israel does hold the key to life from the dead, according to Romans 11:15), Blair's statement as it stands is grossly inaccurate, ignoring the bloody ongoing inter-Arab conflicts that churn across the Middle East on a daily basis – conflicts that have nothing to do with Israel in even the remotest way! See Dr. Daniel Pipes' article "Arab-Israeli Fatalities Rank 49th" at www.danielpipes.org/article/4990. The UK and the US seem to have come to a remarkable agreement regarding what to do with Israel. Speaking in Ramallah on October 15 2007 Secretary of State Rice said:
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Dividing the Land | America |
Ahmadinejad: Iran Calls For Effective, Comprehensive Ties With Russia
Islamic Republic News
Agency
(October 11, 2007) -
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that the Islamic Republic
of Iran is not to set any limit for expansion of ties with Russia and
seeks a durable, effective and all-out ties with that country. "Iran's
authority would be to the benefit of Russia and vise versa," he said.
Ahmadinejad made the remarks in an interview with Russian news agency
Itar Tass and Russian TV network on Thursday. Given their geographical,
political, and cultural status, the two nations are to live together,
underlined the president. Iran and Russia are naturally united, he said.
Despite many ups and downs in two sides' relations in the past, the two
countries are determined to fully bolster and broaden their mutual
relations, he said. Mutual cooperation between Iran and Russia would
leave positive impacts on the region as well as the whole world, he
pointed out. The two sides enjoy ample economic potentials to meet each
other's requirements, he said. Expansion of mutual cooperation between
Iran and Russia would be to the benefit of both nations, regional
countries and the world, he said. Both Iran and Russia as two big powers
playing significant role in regional and global equations, he said. On
his latest trip to New York and his speech at the United Nations General
Assembly, he said the United Nations is an international venue for
exchange of views and expressing ideas and Iran did the same thing which
was welcomed by the whole world. All countries in the world including
Russia put the seal of approval on Iran's viewpoints about freedom and
justice seeking, he said. "Another positive result of the trip to New
York was that strong barrier of censorship in that country broke and the
American nation directly listened to our real points of view on various
global issues and welcomed them," he said. Iran's nuclear activities are
within IAEA rules and regulations and have a peaceful nature, he said,
adding that the reports released by the IAEA is a good proof of this
claim that Iran has not deviated from peaceful nuclear activities. Since
a number of western countries believe that they have lost their
interests in Iran they try to put the blame on Iran by raising such
claims as lack of confidence building in nuclear issue, he said.
more...
Putin To EJC: Israel, Russia Are 'Partners' In Facing Iran
The Jerusalem Post
(October 11, 2007) -
In a meeting with European Jewish Congress leaders on Wednesday, Russian
President Vladimir Putin said that the two countries most threatened by
Iran are Israel and Russia, and the two are "complete partners in this
matter," according to EJC sources familiar with the meeting. "The
president [Putin] also said he will do everything in his power to
continue to raise the issue in the upcoming Second Summit of Caspian
States [beginning October 16 in Teheran]," the source said. Earlier
Wednesday, following a meeting between Putin and French President
Nicholas Sarkozy, Putin declared that there was a lack of "objective
data" regarding an Iranian nuclear weapons plan, so "we proceed from a
position that Iran has no such plans." Even so, he said, "we are sharing
our partners' concern about making all Iranian programs transparent."
Russia has opposed the US-led push for tougher sanctions against Iran
and called for more checks and inspections of Iranian facilities by
International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, instead of
an immediate third round of sanctions. Asked about the discrepancy of
apparent concern over an Iranian nuclear threat in the meeting with the
EJC and the calmer tones prevailing in Putin's message to the
international community, an EJC spokesman said the organization did not
have an immediate comment on Putin's earlier declaration. At the
meeting, EJC President Moshe Kantor asked Putin "to bring his influence
to bear on the Iranian President" since "Iran is the major state
supporter of International terrorism. If Iran gains the ability to
export nuclear weaponry to terror organizations, the danger and horror
that awaits the world is immense." The Kremlin meeting also discussed
anti-Semitism, where the EJC praised the Russian government's work to
combat the phenomenon in Russia. According to the EJC, Putin "committed
himself to using the full force of the law to bring to account people
who perpetrate such acts." In particular, the Jewish umbrella
organization heard "positive" responses from several Russian leaders,
including Putin, regarding the formal commemoration of International
Holocaust Memorial Day in Russia. The day, which falls on January 27,
the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945, is marked
officially in Germany, Poland, the UK, Denmark and elsewhere, and was
adopted this year by the UN. Hizbullah: If Israel attacks Syria, we'll respond Fulfilled Prophecy (September 27, 2007) - "If Israel dares to make an adventurous move against Syria, it will pay a heavy price," a member of Hizbulla's political council warned Thursday. In an interview with the Nazareth-based Kul al-Arab newspaper scheduled to be published on Friday, Dr Ahmad Malli warned Israel against considering an attack on Syria, saying that the Lebanese organization would respond to such an offensive with full force. "I believe that things have changed," Malli explained. "The times when everyone was afraid of the Israeli threats are over. The Zionist entity knows more than anyone that the price of such adventurousness would be heavy, and the Israelis know the price more than anyone. "Since 2006 we have begun a new stage in the Arab-Israeli conflict and have demonstrated this during the Israeli aggression in July (the Second Lebanon War). If anyone wants to make an adventurous move, it will baer responsibility for this aggression." Asked whether he was referring to aggression both against Lebanon and against Syria, Malli replied, "We are all in one Middle East." Ahmad Jibril, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, also warned Thursday that if Israel attacked Syria or Hizbullah his organization would also respond. In an interview with the al-Hadat newspaper, which is published in Arabic in the Galilee city of Tamra, Jibril warned that Israel planned to invade Syria in coordination with Arab countries. The interview is scheduled to be published Friday. According to Jibril, if such an attack takes place, Iran and Hizbullah will stand by Damascus and respond in full force. "I believe that the Israelis and the Americans will carry out attacks against Syria as soon as possible, in other words in the near future. I do not reject the possibility that the Israeli aircraft will attack us – the Palestinians in Syria. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |
Turkey Lines Up Alongside Syria To Condemn Israeli Incursions Eurasia
Daily Monitor (September 11, 2007)
- Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan’s blunt condemnation of an
alleged violation of the Turkey’s airspace by Israeli warplanes has
dealt another blow to already deteriorating relations between the
two countries. In 1996 a military training agreement between Israel
and Turkey was hailed by many as heralding a new strategic alignment
in the eastern Mediterranean. Over the years that followed Israeli
jets regularly used the Turkish air force base in Konya for training
missions while Turkish pilots underwent specialized training in
facilities belonging to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in the Negev
Desert. There was also extensive cooperation in the defense
industry, with Israeli firms receiving a string of lucrative defense
contracts. American Jewish lobby groups became Turkey’s strongest
supporters in Washington. However, plans to underpin the
relationship by transporting Turkish water to Israel came to
nothing. While a number of disagreements over defense contracts, and
allegation of corruption involving Israeli defense suppliers, soured
relations between the two countries’ militaries. Relations began to
cool rapidly following the victory of the moderate Islamist Justice
and Development Party (AKP) in the Turkish general election of
November 2002. Although the AKP’s leaders publicly reaffirmed
Turkey’s commitment to friendship with Israel, much of the party’s
grassroots support remained simply and viscerally anti-Semitic.
After taking power, the AKP downplayed ties with Israel, while
trying to form a closer relationship with other Muslim states in the
Middle East, particularly its neighbors Syria and Iran. The last
five years have seen an unprecedented increase in bilateral contacts
and AKP leaders have become frequent visitors to both Damascus and
Tehran. On September 6, after the Syrian government claimed that
Israeli warplanes had overflown its territory and dropped munitions
onto deserted areas, fuel tanks belonging to IAF warplanes were
found on the Turkish side of the country’s border with Syria. The
assumption is that they were jettisoned in order to increase the IAF
planes’ maneuverability as they sought to avoid Syrian ground fire.
On September 6, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement
supporting the Syrian protests and informing the Israeli government
that Ankara took “a harsh view of the invasion of Syrian airspace by
the IAF” (Hurriyet, Milliyet, September 7). On September 9, Syrian
Foreign Minister Wallid Moallem flew to Ankara to seek Turkish
support and met with Babacan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and President Abdullah Gul (Sabah, September 11). On September 10,
Moallem and Babacan held a joint conference to condemn the IAF’s
incursions on September 6. more...
Iran warns US over risks of military action YNet
News (September 4, 2007) -
New special military advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei says
Washington could never foresee size of Tehran's response against US
troops in region; adds reaction could affect Israel. Iran on Tuesday
issued a stark warning to the United States over the danger of launching
a military attack, saying Washington could never foresee the size of its
response against US troops in the region. "The US will face three
problems if it attacks Iran. Firstly, it does not know the volume of our
response," said General Rahim Yahya Safavi, the new special military
advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei. "Also, it can not evaluate the
vulnerability of its 200,000 troops in the region, since we have
accurately identified all of their camps," added Safavi, who stepped
down last week as head of the elite Revolutionary Guards. Safavi also
warned over how Iran's reaction to a US attack could affect Israel -
Tehran's regional archfoe - and also crude oil supply from the world's
fourth-largest producer. "Secondly, it does not know what will happen to
Israel and, thirdly, the United States does not know what will happen to
the oil flow," he was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying.
Washington has never ruled out taking military action against Tehran,
and its tone has sharpened again over the past week, with President
George W. Bush warning that Iran's atomic program could lead to a
"nuclear holocaust." Iran has always insisted it would never launch any
attack against a foreign country, but has also warned of a crushing
response to any aggression against its soil. Tehran has an array of
medium range missiles, and claims that its longer-range Shahab-3 missile
has a reach of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), which would put Israel
and US bases on the Arabian Peninsula within reach. President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad has dismissed the chance of any US attack against Iran, but
influential former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has warned of the
dangers still posed by the United States.
more...
Ex-Islamist Gul elected Turkey's president Reuters
(August 28, 2007) - Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was elected
president by Turkey's parliament on Tuesday, the first former
Islamist to take the post in the secular but predominantly Muslim
country's modern history. Armed forces chief General Yasar Buyukanit
said on Monday he saw "centers of evil" seeking to undermine the
secular republic, a statement suggesting the army would not stand on
the sidelines if it saw the separation between religion and state
threatened. "Abdullah Gul in the third round obtained an absolute
majority and was elected the 11th president of Turkey with 339
votes," parliament speaker Koksal Toptan said after the vote. The
Islamist-rooted AK Party has 341 seats in the 550-seat chamber. Two
other candidates also stood for president. Gul has established
himself as a respected diplomat since the AK Party was first elected
in 2002, securing the launch of Turkey's European Union entry talks.
He pledges to be a leader for all Turks, but he is not to the taste
of a military that suspects the AK Party of harboring a secret
Islamist agenda. Many observers expect Gul, who broke with an
Islamist party in 1999, will try to avoid confrontation. "You
shouldn't expect radical moves with Gul as president. Both his
opponents, who are scared he might do so, will be surprised and his
supporters hoping for radical moves will be disappointed," said
academic expert Cengiz Candar. more...
Are Turkey’s Relations With Israel Crumbling?
Today's Zaman (August
25, 2007) - Just as
Turkey is tackling domestic issues surrounding the election of its
next president, the decision of an influential Jewish group -- the
New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) -- to recognize the
World War I killing of Anatolian Armenians as genocide, kicked the
genocide debates back onto Turkey’s agenda again. Israel and Jewish
lobbyists have so far pursued a policy of siding with Turkey on this
controversial issue, refusing to recognize those incidents as
genocide, but this long-time policy has been reversed with the ADL’s
move, arousing suspicion that something might be askew in
Turkey-Israel relations, which cannot be considered independent from
Jewish groups operating in the US. There is a widely held view that
Turkey’s improving relations with neighboring countries,
particularly Iran, has disturbed both Israel and the US, resulting
in such consequence. Milliyet columnist Taha Akyol speculates about
the possible reasons for such an attitude change among Jewish groups
in the US and connects this to recent political developments. Akyol
thinks it was the politics of yesterday that prompted Jews to take
sides with Turkey on this controversial issue and it is politics
again that has made their stance change. Akyol, for instance, shows
that Turkey’s rejection of a motion in 2003 that would have allowed
US troops to be deployed in Turkey during the Iraq War and Hamas
leader Khaled Mashaal visiting Turkey after winning elections in
Palestine as some of the reasons for deteriorating relations with
the Bush administration neocons, who are in political and economic
alliance with Zionism. He also talks about Turkey’s improving
relations with Iran and Syria as possible reasons for the change in
stance among Jewish groups. “The Jewish groups do no act
independently from Israel. So, their taking a stance against Turkey
will undoubtedly deal a severe blow to Turkish-Israeli relations.
Turkey, Israel and the US will all suffer from the deteriorating
relations,” argues Akyol. more...
Russia eyes return to the Middle East
Detroit News (August 9, 2007)
- Days after Russia sent the diplomatic world reeling with its
audacious flag-planting beneath the ice of the North Pole, the
Kremlin is moving to reassert itself in warmer climes as well,
plotting the return of the Russian fleet to a Syrian port on the
Mediterranean Sea. The head of the Russian navy announced that he
wanted next to plant the white-blue-and-red Russian banner in the
Middle East. The new Russian strategy envisions returning warships
to a Soviet-era naval base at the port of Tartus. "The Mediterranean
Sea is very important strategically for the Black Sea fleet,"
Admiral Vladimir Masorin said as he toured a Russian base in the
Ukrainian port city of Sevastopol. "I propose that, with the
involvement of the Northern and Baltic fleets, the Russian navy
should restore its permanent presence there." It would mark the
first time Russia has established a military presence outside the
borders of the former Soviet Union since the USSR fell apart in
1991. "It's a symbol, the planting of a flag. Just like the one
Russia put under the North Pole," said Alexei Malashenko, an expert
on the Muslim world at the Carnegie Moscow Center. The intent, he
said, is to declare that Russia has returned to the Middle East,
where Moscow held wide influence during the Cold War, backing the
socialist regimes of Syria, Iraq and Egypt against U.S.-supported
Israel. It's a move many in Israel and the United States will have
trouble separating from a broader pattern of renewed Russian support
for countries and groups Washington and Tel Aviv see as enemies.
"The Russians are coming" read a front-page headline in Monday's
edition of Israel's mass-circulation Yediot Aharonot newspaper. "A
Russian flag on Syrian soil has significant strategic implications.
Firstly, it challenges the United States and the dominance of the
Sixth Fleet stationed in the Mediterranean. Secondly, with its
actual presence in Syria, Russia is announcing that it is actively
participating in any process and conflict in the Middle East, that
it has a stance of its own and that it must be reckoned with," the
article read. Russian President Vladimir Putin and President George
W. Bush have both gone to great lengths to insist the two countries
are not on the verge of another Cold War. But the Kremlin and the
White House, already butting heads in Eastern Europe and Central
Asia, are increasingly at odds across this volatile region.
Iran-Turkey-Message Islamic
Republic News Agency (August 8, 2007)
- A message from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was submitted to
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday afternoon by a
senior Iranian official. Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific
and Commonwealth of Independent States Mehdi Safari handed over the
message in a closed door meeting with the Turkish premier. Safari
arrived in Ankara on Tuesday to confer with Erdogan on issues of
mutual interest. An informed source at Iran's embassy in Turkey told
IRNA that the message focused on strengthening Tehran-Ankara
relations. The source added that Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was also present at the meeting. The
Iranian and Turkish sides declined to make any comments at the end
of their 40-minute meeting. Safari immediately headed for Tehran
after the meeting.
Hamas official: Russia invited us to Moscow in coming days Haaretz (August
1, 2007) - Russia has invited a Hamas delegation to
visit Moscow in the next few days, a Hamas official said Wednesday,
just a day after Russia publicly embraced Hamas' nemesis, moderate
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and vowed to downgrade
its ties with Hamas. The announcement from Hamas lawmaker Halil al-Haya
came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin told Abbas in
Moscow that he is the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people.
Al-Haya told a Hamas-affiliated Palestinian magazine that the
Russian government had officially invited a Hamas delegation, headed
by Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal, to Moscow.
Al-Haya would not specify the date, but said the visit would be in
the coming days. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it had
no information on a visit by a Hamas delegation. Abbas has been
governing the West Bank with a moderate government led by his Fatah
movement since mid-June, when Hamas seized full control of the Gaza
Strip in five days of fighting. The international community has
thrown its support behind Abbas, while Hamas remains largely
isolated in Gaza. In an interview with the Russian daily
Nezavisimaya Gazeta published Tuesday, Abbas said Russia had to make
its own decision about whether to maintain contacts with Hamas.
"This is an affair for Russia as a sovereign state and does not
create any problems for our bilateral relations," he was quoted as
saying.
Iran, Russia discuss ME developments Islamic
Republic News Agency (July 29, 2007) - Iran and Russia on Saturday discussed the latest
developments in the Middle East region particularly the ongoing
events in Lebanon. In a meeting between Iran's Ambassador to Russia
Gholam-Reza Ansari and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander
Yakovenko, the two officials referred to negotiations as a solution
to crises in the Middle East. They exchanged views on implementation
of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Yakovenko highlighted
the significance of complete implementation of the resolution by all
parties involved in Lebanon's case and making a realistic assessment
of situation following its enforcement. During the Zionist regime's
imposed war on Lebanon last summer, Russia condemned the attack and
fully supported Lebanon. Moscow has made great efforts at the UN
Security Council to stop aggression of the Zionist regime and adopt
Resolution 1701.
Ahmadinejad: It will be a 'hot' summer Jerusalem
Post (July 19, 2007) -
It's going to be a "hot" summer in the Middle East, said
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
following a surprise meeting with Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan
Nasrallah in Damascus on Thursday evening, Channel 10 reported.
Nasrallah allegedly entered Syria via an underground tunnel, the television channel said. "We hope
that the hot weather of this summer will coincide with similar
victories for the region's peoples, and with consequent defeat for
the region's enemies," Ahmadinejad added, in an apparent reference
to Israel. During his one-day trip to Damascus, Ahmadinejad held
talks with counterpart Bashar Assad
which focused on the Iraq situation, Palestinian territories and
Lebanon, where both Teheran and Damascus wield influence. "The
enemies of the region should abandon plans to attack the interests
of this region, or they would be burned by the wrath of the region's
peoples," the hardline Iranian leader said at a joint press
conference with Assad. Ahmadinejad, accompanied by a high-level
delegation, was greeted at Damascus airport by Syrian Foreign
Minister Walid al-Moallem ahead of the official reception by Assad
at the People's Palace. Assad was sworn in Tuesday for a second
seven-year term. He described Syrian-Iranian relations as "amicable,
excellent and extremely deep," adding that the two countries have
common stands on regional issues and face common enemies. Assad said
Ahmadinejad's visit came in the context of the continuous developing
relations between the two nations whose "farsighted policies" have
proven to be correct.
more...
Russian expels 4 British diplomats Associated
Press (July 19, 2007) -
Russia said Thursday it will expel four British diplomats and
suspend counterterrorism cooperation with London, the latest move in
a mounting confrontation over the radiation poisoning death of
former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko. President Vladimir Putin
said he was certain both nations would overcome what he called "a
mini-crisis." A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the
Russian move "completely unjustified." "It's necessary to balance
one's actions with common sense, to respect the legal rights and
interests of partners — then everything will develop in the best
way," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying. "I'm sure we
will overcome this mini-crisis, too." Britain had announced Monday
the expulsion of four Russian diplomats and restrictions on visas
issued to Russian government officials after Moscow refused to
extradite Andrei Lugovoi, accused of killing Litvinenko in London
last November. The dispute marks a new low in relations between
Moscow and London, which had already been troubled by Russia's
opposition to the war in Iraq, Britain's refusal to extradite exiled
tycoon Boris Berezovsky to face embezzlement charges, and by Kremlin
allegations last year of spying by British diplomats. Foreign
Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin announced the expulsions after
summoning British Ambassador Anthony Brenton to the ministry and
informing him. Kamynin described Russia's response as "targeted,
balanced and the minimum necessary." He contended that Russia was
forced to respond, saying Britain had made a "conscious choice of
worsening relations with our country."
more...
Russia gives priority to business with Iran in transit sector Islamic
Republic News Agency
(July 15, 2007)
- Moscow gives great
priority to deal with Iran in the field of goods transit, one of the
senior officials of the Russian delegation participating in the
Second Iran Transit Forum said Sunday. The two-day international
gathering started in Tehran Sunday morning with a speech by Iran's
Minister of Roads and Transportation Mohammad Rahmati. Iran is
considered a "powerful country in the region as it is on the
cross-road of the North-South Corridor," senior official of the
Russian Eurosibl Logistic Company Pavel Smirnov told IRNA on the
sidelines of the forum. He added, "We should work together and look
for ways to cooperate." Smirnov stressed that Iran enjoyed "great
potentials" to develop its transit sector in all fields including
marine, rail and road transportation and that his respective company
can provide the country with latest services and assistance to this
end. TRADE CORRIDOR COULD LINK RUSSIAN ARMS TO IRAN AND INDIA "Signs of a regional economic compact encompassing Iran and Central Asia are growing clearer. The nexus for such a compact could be the North-South trade route, a concept that Russia and Iran have been discussing since 2000. Development of such a corridor would extend the Helsinki-Petersburg-Moscow trade corridor across the Caspian Sea to Iran and India." Keep watching. Thanks for the stories BeTheMoon!
Syria Advises its Citizens to Leave Lebanon by July 15 Monsters &
Critics (July 9, 2007) - Syria has urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country
before July 15 because of fears that the volatile political climate in
the country will deteriorate, Syrian sources said Monday. 'In the past
few days, all Syrian nationals were asked through the Syrian
government to leave, as Lebanon's current political crisis may become
violent,' said a Syrian construction worker who requested anonymity.
'We are asked to leave Lebanon before July 15.' Hundreds of thousands
of Syrian workers, mainly farmers and construction workers, used to
work in Lebanon. But their numbers have noticeably dwindled since the
2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri,
which many Lebanese blame on Syria. July 15 comes one day before a
special UN Security Council meeting which is expected to discuss the
possibility of stationing international experts on the Syria-Lebanon
border in order to monitor illegal arms trafficking to the Shiite
Hezbollah movement, thought to be originating from Iran and Syria. The
Security Council is also expected to meet next week to discuss a key
report on the assassination of Hariri, a development which may bode
ill for Syria. On July 5 the Iranian news agency IRNA reported that
Syrian authorities had instructed all Syrian citizens residing in
Lebanon to leave Lebanon in July. Observers believe that the Syrian
authorities may resort to closing the border with Lebanon. The latest
rumours have sparked caused anxiety and fear among the Lebanese. 'I am
trying to take my kids out of Lebanon on July 10 to a nearby Arab
country to observe the situation until the end of August,' housewife
Amal Salameh said. 'If things stays the same I will return, if not I
will take them back to the US.' 'There is probably nothing in it, but
we're told to expect some major event on that day,' said Rana Naamani,
another Lebanese housewife who decided to go to the mountains
northeast of Beirut to stay away from the capital. Almost a year after
the blistering July 12 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon is
mired in political and economic crisis and faces a deadly new
challenge from an al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist militia.
more... Iraqi FM: Turkey massing 140,000 troops Associated Press (July 9, 2007) - Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its border with northern Iraq, Iraq's foreign minister said Monday, calling the neighboring country's fears of Kurdish rebels based there "legitimate" but better resolved through negotiation. The Turkish military had no comment to the remarks by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd from northern Iraq, and it was unclear where he got the figures. If they are accurate, Turkey would have nearly as many soldiers along its border with Iraq as the 155,000 troops which the U.S. has in the country. Zebari's comments came amid calls by Turkey's military for the government to give it the green light to carry out military operations in northern Iraqi against the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. "Turkey is building up forces on the border. There are 140,000 soldiers fully armed on the border. We are against any military interference or violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said in Baghdad. Turkey has been pressuring the United States and Iraq to eliminate PKK bases in Kurdish-controlled parts of northern Iraq and has said it will carry out a cross-border offensive if necessary. "Turkey's fears are legitimate but such things can be discussed," Zebari said. ""The perfect solution is the withdrawal of the Turkish forces from the borders." He added: "No one wants a new military conflict in the region." He said there had been no "Turkey military violation until now," citing artillery shelling and Turkish surveillance overflights. Pentagon officials said they could not immediately confirm the report from Zebari, and repeated the hope that Turkey would not launch an incursion into Iraq. more...| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I place this under the Gog/Magog category because this conflict between the Iraq Kurds is amassing troops which are Bible prophecy says will be used against Israel. With the concern of war between Syria and Israel this summer, I have no doubt that Syria and Turkey are in diplomatic communication and given what Bible prophecy says about Turkey joining Russia, Iran, and Libya among others, It seems convenient to have that many troops massing for the Kurdish issue. Time will tell, keep watching. War And Peace In The Middle East Unsealed Prophecy (July 8, 2007) - Perspective by Jack Kelley: In a study of contrasts, two major coming events were announced this week that demonstrate the volatility of the Middle East these days. The first was a report I received stating that a meeting between Quartet (US, UN, EU, and Russia), Palestinian Authority, and Israeli leaders will take place in Egypt in mid-July. The meeting was announced by the EU’s Javier Solana, and will feature Tony Blair in his first big assignment as the Quartet’s Middle East envoy. According to a report in the The Daily Star Egypt these countries are very close to finalizing a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians. It would feature a two-state solution similar to the one Yassir Arafat was said to have been offered at the 2000 Camp David meeting by then Israeli PM Ehud Barak and then US Pres. Bill Clinton. (Although it was practically everything he had demanded, Arafat turned it down and went home to begin the 2000 Intifada.) Apparently ‘moderate’ Palestinians are now ready to sign such a peace treaty with Israel. “It is looking positive in the West Bank,” the report says, where Israel has returned tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority and the EU has resumed relations with the PA. Palestinian President Abbas also enjoys the support of the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Abbas is actually stronger than before as he and his Fatah party no longer need approval from Hamas, as was the case under their unity government. If this plan succeeds, Hamas will be relegated to the status of a terrorist organization in control of an isolated Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian State would occupy a substantially enlarged area of the West Bank. Hamas’ recent success in gaining the release of BBC reporter Alan Johnston was an attempt to counter this marginalization and get back into the mainstream. Some are saying that this meeting in Egypt could actually result in peace between Israel and the Palestinians before the end of July. If it really does, and if the treaty’s provisions are adhered to, it could begin the period of peace that leads us to the Battle of Ezekiel 38. Think of the possibilities. The security fence could come down, to be replaced by an international peace keeping force that gives Israel a false sense of security in a land of unwalled villages. The peace keeping force could even include Russians, giving them an excuse to have a contingent of troops in the Middle East. This one bears watching. The opposition believes that the Lebanese army will remain neutral in this coup attempt, and the UN troops, stationed there to prevent another war with Israel, will realize their safety cannot be assured and depart. Syria has also opened a border crossing with Israel that’s been closed for 40 years. It’s in the Golan and its purpose is to allow Syrian terrorists into Israel. These terrorists call themselves resistance fighters whose goal is to liberate the Golan. They’ll be following a strategy similar to that which the Palestinians have used against Israel in the south, with suicide bombings and other attacks against civilian and military targets. They’ve been training in Syria over the past year and are now ready to go on the offense. Observers believe that this is another attempt to lure Israel into a confrontation with Syria and its client Hizballah. It seems like new experts come forward with predictions for a summer war between Israel and Syria almost every day. The latest is Dennis Ross, the former senior American Middle East peace negotiator. If Syria’s coup attempt in Lebanon is allowed to mature, the odds are that the war everyone’s predicting will in fact take place. And as incredible as this sounds, Syria is arming missiles with chemical warheads for use against Israel, believing that if they launch them, Israel will flatten Damascus in retaliation. Accordingly they’re moving the country’s archives out of Damascus to preserve their records against such an eventuality. It’s like they’ve read Isaiah 17 and accepted the outcome as a reasonable price to pay. We’ll know in a week or two whether either or both of these events will take place as announced. If it’s not God’s timing something will happen at the last minute to stop them. But if they are at the top of His agenda, then by the end of July, it’s quite possible that the “birth pangs” we’re experiencing will have taken a big leap in both frequency and intensity, meaning that our “delivery” may be coming sooner than we think. If you still have one foot in the Kingdom and the other in the World, it’s time to take the final step and get serious about preparing for your next life. This one may be about over. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 07-07-07 more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Israel is our main enemy, Haniyeh tells Iranian foreign minister YNet
News (July 5, 2007) - "Our
main conflict is with the Zionist enemy," Dismissed Palestinian Prime
Minister Ismail Haniyeh told Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr
Mottaki in a telephone conversation. According to a statement issued
by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, "The Iranian foreign minister called
on all the Palestinian factions to solve their differenced through a
dialogue, as only unity between the Palestinians will bring about a
solution to the situation." Israel Begins Major Military Exercise In Golan, Reassures Syria Combined Jewish Philantanthropies (July 2, 2007) - Text of report by Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv [Report by Amir Rapaport: "IDF Begins Large-Scale Exercise in Golan"] : Against the backdrop of the tension between Israel and Syria, the IDF will soon begin a broad series of training exercises on the Golan Heights. Jerusalem sent Damascus a message, according to which there is no plan to attack the Syrians, and that this is only defensive training. The current activity is part of the system of exercises decided on in the framework of the process of drawing lessons from the Second Lebanon War, in an effort to prevent a repeat situation in which forces are insufficiently trained. The Israeli-Syrian tension began to mount a short time after the war in Lebanon, in the wake of statements by Syrian President Bashar al-Asad. At the time, Al-Asad said that if Israel did not heed his calls to conduct negotiations for returning the Golan through peaceful means, Syria would also prepare for the possibility of war. Officials in Israel internalized the statements and, on the order of IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, the IDF is currently completing its preparations in the event of war against Syria as early as this summer. Financial Assistance From the Iranians: The Syrian military is also in the midst of efforts to prepare for a possible war, including training and infrastructure work on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Recently, Syria has even accelerated procurement of advanced weapons from Russia, among other ways through financial assistance that it is receiving from its ally, Iran. A few days ago, Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shar'a [as reported] said that "Syria is taking seriously the preparations in Israel ahead of a war between the countries." According to him, "Syria prefers peace, but it is not interested in secret talks with Israel." He added that officials in Damascus have the impression that Israel, like the United States, does not want to move forward in the peace process. "Ehud Olmert is not serious about peace. Israel will make peace with us if we compromise on the return of all of our occupied land, but we won't do that." more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel braces for July war with up to five enemies World Tribune (June 25, 2007) - Israel is preparing for an imminent war with Iran, Syria and/or their non-state clients. Israeli military intelligence has projected that a major attack could come from any of five adversaries in the Middle East. Officials said such a strike could spark a war as early as July 2007. On Sunday, Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Cabinet that the Jewish state faces five adversaries in what could result in an imminent confrontation. Yadlin cited Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas and Al Qaida. "Each of these adversaries is capable of sparking a war in the summer," Yadlin was quoted as saying. [On Monday, Al Qaida's No. 2 Ayman Zawahiri endorsed the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip, Middle East Newsline reported. The Al Qaida statement came after Zawahiri repeatedly criticized Hamas for tolerating Palestinian Authority cooperation with the United States.] Yadlin said Hamas could be planning a major attack to divert attention away from efforts by the Palestinian Authority to isolate the Gaza Strip. He said Syria might be promoting such an attack. Officials said Iran has direct influence over Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas. He said Al Qaida has increasingly come under Iranian influence and was being used by Iran and Syria in such countries as Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. Already, military intelligence has assessed that Hamas acquired more than 50 missiles with a range of 22 kilometers. Officials said this would allow Palestinian missile strikes on any part of Ashkelon, the largest city in southeastern Israel and which contains strategic sites. Hamas has also deployed at least 20 SA-7 anti-aircraft systems, officials said. They said the missiles threaten Israeli combat helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft that conduct missions over the Gaza Strip. On Monday, Palestinian gunners continued missile fire into Israel. Hours earlier, the Israel Air Force struck an Islamic Jihad squad said to have been driving toward the northern Gaza Strip to launch missiles toward Israel. One Jihad operative was killed and two others were injured. Israeli military intelligence has assessed that Hamas was being quietly supported by neighboring Egypt. Officials said that despite Egypt's announced ban, Cairo has continued to allow Hamas leaders to enter the Sinai Peninsula from the Gaza Strip. more... || Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Envoy: Iran open to nuclear compromise Reuters (June 22,
2007) - Iran
is ready to provide answers on past suspicious nuclear activities to
the International Atomic Energy Agency
within the next few months,
the agency's head said Friday after meeting with the country's top
nuclear negotiator. But the Iranian official suggested the offer was
conditional to an end of U.N. Security Council involvement in Iran's nuclear program. The
council has already imposed two sets of sanctions on the Islamic
republic over the past half year for its refusal to freeze uranium
enrichment and is poised to impose new penalties. Such terms would
likely be unacceptable to the five permanent council members plus
Germany — the six powers that have spearheaded the
effort to pressure Iran to give up its enrichment ambitions. The
Security Council has demanded that Iran provide answers to the IAEA,
the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, on activities that could be linked to a
weapons program. But it has also called on Iran to freeze enrichment
and stop building a heavy water reactor that will produce plutonium —
like enriched uranium a material that could provide the fissile core
of nuclear warheads. With the main emphasis on blunting the possible
nuclear threat from Iran by depriving it of technologies that could be
used for such weapons, any concession that falls short of suspending
both enrichment and construction of the reactor was unlikely to be far
reaching enough. more...
Ahmadinejad: A Strong Iran Will Help Russia YNetNews (June
20, 2007) - "Iran's relations with Russia are
strategically significant," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said
in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the
state-run IRNA news agency reported Wednesday. "We believe a strong
Iran will be beneficial to Russia," IRNA quoted the president as
saying. Iran, Libya Adopt Close Stand On Regional, International Issues Islamic Republic News Agency (June 20, 2007) - First Vice President Parviz Davoudi said on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Libya have common and close view points on regional and international issues. Speaking to reporters, prior to seeing off ceremony for Libyan Prime Minister al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, he said the two sides exchanged views on current developments in the Middle East region and the entire world. He said that Tehran and Tripoli could adopt closer stand in dealing with regional developments. Davoudi said the two sides also reviewed latest developments in Iraq and called for forging unity between Muslims and avoiding factional disputes between the Shia and Sunni Muslims. He said withdrawal of occupiers is the only solution to Iraq's problem, adding that Tehran and Tripoli support the Iraqi territorial integrity. Deeply rooted ties between Iran and Libya along with all-out cooperation would leave significant impacts on regional and international cooperation, he said. Describing the current visit of the Libyan delegation to Iran as fruitful, he said the two sides are determined to broaden all-out ties. Iran and Libya could have constructive cooperation in Latin America and African continent relying on their capabilities and potentialities, Davoudi said. The Libyan premier arrived in Tehran Tuesday night for a two-day visit to Iran. Iran and Libya are scheduled to sign agreements on expansion of bilateral cooperation.| Iran | Gog/Magog | Islam | This is significant due to the mention of Libya as one of the nations that joins Russia, Turkey, and Iran in attacking Israel.
Israel on the Brink, Again The
Conservative Voice (June
19, 2007) -
Last summer we saw a bungled war between Israel and Hezbollah that
ended in a stalemate, which is not what Israel intended when it began.
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert sounded like he meant business
when he declared that Hezbollah would be driven out of Lebanon. But
Israel made the same mistake as we continue to make in Iraq. We are
allowing too much concern for civilian casualties to interfere with
winning the war. This is a mistake that neither Israel nor the US has
learned to avoid, I'm sorry to say. To make things worse, Olmert gave
the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians as a “peace offering.” He should
have known better and we can only hope that he learned a lesson from
it. Today, Gaza is now a threat to Israel’s very survival and any
responsible leader should have seen this coming. Anything you give to
Palestinians, they will take but instead of saying “thank you” they
only demand more. Sound familiar? Things were kind of ok there for a
while as long as President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party was holding the
guns and could control the militias. But the rivalry between Abbas and
the democratically elected representatives of Hamas continued to heat
up ever since the election in January, 2006. Hamas is not a political
party. It is a terrorist organization which pretended to be a
political party for the election. But let’s make one thing clear.
Fatah party members are just as responsible for terrorism on Israel as
is Hamas, if not more. It’s hard to know which is worse, but Fatah is
considered a little more moderate and willing to work for peace.
Hamas, on the other hand, has but one goal - the obliteration of
Israel. Neither one is a friend to the US or Israel. In Gaza, over the
past couple of weeks, fighting between Fatah and Hamas militias has
reached the boiling point. Fatah soldiers have been killed or driven
out of Gaza, leaving the entire region in the hands of Hamas. During
the takeover, stockpiles of American weapons supplied to Fatah were
seized by Hamas as were critical CIA records covering CIA activities
in the Middle East and tactics to defeat the radicals. This Friday,
Abbas dissolved the Palestinian government, kicked Hamas out of
Parliament, and appointed a new Prime Minister who is currently
without a cabinet. Fatah is the old Yasir Arafat P.L.O. party. Now the
western media is naively asking “How is Hamas going to govern in Gaza
when they don’t have access to government money and resources?” Do
they really think Hamas took Gaza so they could “govern” it? Hamas’s
only concern for governing consists of giving free stuff to the poor,
just like the American Democrat Party does, for the purpose of holding
their support. They have renamed Gaza to “Hamasistan”. Hamas doesn’t
care about Gaza but it does put them in a valuable strategic position
to attack Israel from the south. I’m sure they won’t have any trouble
getting money from Iran and Syria which is where they get their
weapons, except of course, the ones they just got from America. The
media is calling this a “civil war” but I think it’s much more than
that, just as Iraq is much more than a civil war. Now that they have
Gaza, Hamas intends to take the West Bank as well which, will put them
within shooting range of Tel Aviv. The Bush Administration is sending
reinforcements to Fatah troops in the West Bank which so far have been
holding off Hamas fighters. The question to be asked is should the US
be taking sides and sending more arms to either Palestinian side?
Considering what happened with them in Gaza, I don’t think so. A
second shipment is under consideration. A little further north, Syrian
troops have been gathering on the border in the Golan Heights and
conducting war games to pass the time while they wait - for what? Just
to their west in Lebanon, Hezbollah has recovered from last year’s
war. They have rebuilt their tunnels along the northern Israeli border
and stocked them with from 20,000 to 25,000 Russian made Kasam,
Katusha and “tank buster” rockets. And all of this was done right
under the watchful eyes of the UN peacekeepers planted there last year
for the expressed purpose of preventing it. Is there really any
question about whose side the UN is on?
more...
Turkey: Ruling Islamic-Rooted Party Will Win Elections, Survey Shows ADN
Kronos International (June 18, 2007)
- Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and
Development Party (AKP) will score a clear victory in elections
scheduled for 22 July, results of a poll published Monday suggest.
However the survey conducted by the KONDA research agency for Raymond
James Brokerage, also indicated the AKP total number of seats in
parliament would fall to 307 from 352, still handing it a strong
majority to form a government in the 550 seat house. The poll also
indicated that the centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP) and the
ultra nationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) will win enough
votes to to pass the 10 percent national treshold required to enter
parliament. It also showed that some 40 candidates running as
independents - and thus exempt from the 10 percent national threshold
rule - stand a good chance of being elected. Many of these are ethnic
Kurdish candidates, including several former members of the Democratic
Soiceity Party (DTP) which has been banned by authorities who accused
it of ties with Kurdish separatists. In a separate poll conducted by
the Turkish magazine Ekonomist magazine amongst 375 top members of the
business world, the AKP scored a preference of 32,6 percent, which
again if translated in amount of votes in the election, would allow
Erdogan's party to form a government alone. Among those polled by
Ekonomist, around one quarter (25,4) percent wanted to see an all-AKP
government, which they favoured for its perceived market friendly
policies. Only 11.3 percent wanted to see a government led by the
centre-left CHP, which has an anti-privatisation stance and is
sceptical of the benefits the country may reap from joining the
European Union.
Turkey’s military to military ties with Russia growing Turkish
Weekly (June 18, 2007) -
Military relations between Turkey and Russia have been growing as
Turkish Air Forces Commander Gen. Faruk Cömert, in what is said to be
the first visit by a Turkish Air Forces commander to this country
since the establishment of diplomatic relations 87 years ago, returned
home last Friday with the decision to set up a hot line between the
two countries' air force commanders. Cömert was reciprocating the
visit of the then Russian air force commander to Turkey in 2004. But
both Turkish and Russian diplomatic and military sources ruled out
that the growing trust between the militaries of both countries,
reflected in the increased high-level military visits by top
commanders, should be interpreted as part of an alleged growing
tendency within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to liken itself to the
rather tough Russian military. "Russia does not think that Turkey's
acting like the bad boy of NATO will serve Russia's interests. On the
contrary, Moscow has been seeking good relations with NATO and a good
NATO ally like Turkey will serve and currently serves the Russian
interest. For example, it was through Turkish intervention that Russia
participated in this year's European and NATO navy commanders'
meeting, held once a year," said a Russian military analyst in Moscow
to Today's Zaman in a telephone interview. A hot line contact already
exists between the navy commanders of both countries with the primary
goal of diffusing any tension that might erupt in the Black Sea as
Moscow decided to join in late December of last year the
Turkey-initiated Black Sea Harmony operation to monitor and deter all
sorts of asymmetric threats including the smuggling of weapons of mass
destruction and human trafficking. Russia appointed almost a month ago
a lieutenant colonel as a liaison officer to the Karadeniz Ereğlisi,
the Turkish headquarters for the Black Sea Harmony operation.
Confidential communication systems required to ensure the success of
the operations within Black Sea Harmony have already been coordinated
between the navies of both countries.
more...
Is Russia-Iran alliance, prophecy fulfilled? One
News Now (June 13, 2007)
- A Middle East expert and best-selling author says the increasingly
cozy relationship between Iran and Russia continues to point to a
2,500-year-old prophecy.
Hear This Report Recently Joel Rosenberg released the DVD version
of his best-selling book Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in
the Middle East Will Change Your Future, which features
interviews with Israeli leaders such as former Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu about the crisis in the Middle East and focuses on the
threat now posed by Iran. The author is hopeful the DVD will make
people aware of a relationship developing between Iran and Russia that
has him deeply concerned. Rosenberg says that the Book of Ezekiel,
chapters 38 and 39, discuss a military alliance between Gog, or
Russia, and Persia, now known as Iran. Scripture says the two entities
will form an alliance with a group of other Middle Eastern countries
in the last days to attack Israel. That alliance, says Rosenberg, has
never happened until now. "As I note in the film, in the 2,500 years
since Ezekiel wrote that prophecy, Russia and Iran have never had an
alliance like what Ezekiel described," he explains. "Now, just in the
last few years, this alliance is rapidly emerging."
In an earlier report, he cited an increasingly close rapport
between the two nations' presidents, Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad. Rosenberg also says that while this cozy relationship
between the countries does not necessarily mean the prophecy will be
fulfilled soon, he believes it very well could become a reality.
RF urges Palestine to immediately cease fire – diplomat Itar-Tass (June
13, 2007) - Russia calls on Palestine’s authorities, all
parties and structures to do everything possible to immediately cease
fire, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said. “Moscow is
extremely concerned over the escalation of tension in the Gaza Strip,
and on Palestinian territories in total. Nothing can justify the death
of people and sufferings of the peaceful population. Further
confrontation in Palestine may lead to full chaos, new victims and the
escalation in conflict in the region,” the Russian diplomat stressed.
“We call on the authorities and the Palestinian Authority
administrative structures irrespective their party membership to do
everything possible to immediately cease fire, stop the bloodshed and
civil discord. The priority task is to restore law and order, ensure
control on Palestinian territories, comply with the key
inter-Palestinian agreements reached in Mecca this year that open the
way to create an independent vital Palestinian state,” Kamynin said.
“We are convinced that the implementation of these tasks will meet the
supreme national interests of the Palestinian people and all political
forces,” he added. “Contacts with Palestinians, regional sides and our
Quartet mediators will help do everything to overcome a severe crisis
on Palestinian territories and promote peace in the region,” the
diplomat pointed out.
Iran, Turkey Set To Expand Ties PressTV
(June 12,
2007) - Iran and Turkey enjoy high capacities to expand
cooperation in different fields, an official from the Iranian foreign
ministry has said. Mehdi Mostafavi made the remarks in a meeting with
the visiting Deputy Undersecretary of Turkish Foreign Minister Sinirly
Oghly in Tehran. "Tehran-Ankara cooperation has reached a satisfactory
level," he was quoted by IRNA as saying in the meeting. The exchange
of political, media and economic delegations would serve to increase
mutual understanding between the two countries, he stated. Elsewhere
in his remarks, he referred to shortage of military equipments as the
main problem facing the Iraqi government in fighting terrorists and
establishing security. Oghly, for his part, called for constant
exchange of views on regional issues as means to help build up
security and stability in the Middle East. He also underlined the need
for preserving territorial integrity of Iraq. "Turkey backs the Iraqi
government and every effort with the aim of strengthening that
government." On ties with Iran, he said, "We support the expansion of
cooperation with Iran, particularly in energy sector, in line with
financial interests of the two sides. We also support Iran's right to
attain peaceful nuclear energy." He added that all political parties
in Turkey are keen on expanding relations with Iran.
Turkish, Iranian cooperation against PKK irks US and Iraq Turkish
Weekly (June 11, 2007)
- News that Iranian and Turkish forces are shelling the PKK hideouts
in northern Iraq from their own territories apparently in a
coordinated manner has created deep discomfort in Baghdad, Erbil and
Washington prompting the Iraqi government to hand a diplomatic note to
Turkey calling "to act together" against the militants. Turkey's
charge d'affair in Baghdad Ahmet Yzal was invited to the Iraqi Foreign
Ministry on Saturday where he was handed the note. Turkish diplomatic
sources stressed that this was not a protest note and that it was
aimed to call for cooperation. Foreign news agencies, however, said
Baghdad had protested Turkey for shelling border regions. A statement
by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed
al-Haj Mahmoud called for an immediate halt to the shelling, saying
such actions "undermine confidence between the two nations and
negatively affect their friendship." The statement was the first
government confirmation of the shelling. Mahmoud said the shelling had
started large fires and caused serious damage, but gave no other
details. The note said the recent security measures Turkey is taking
in the border regions is causing scare among the people of the region
on the Iraqi side and requested a concerted effort to prevent any harm
to the locals. Turkey has been building up its forces along the border
with Iraq, and its leaders are debating whether to stage a major
incursion to pursue separatist Kurdish militants who cross over to
attack Turkish targets.
Officials: Iran, Syria orchestrated raid on Jewish state WorldNetDaily
(June 11, 2007) - An attempted
Palestinian raid of the Israeli border this weekend, purportedly to
kidnap an Israeli soldier, was orchestrated by Syria and Iran,
according to security officials associated with Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. The Israel Defense Forces on
Saturday thwarted an attempt by the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad
terror group to kidnap a soldier on the Israeli side of a major
crossing into the Gaza Strip. Four terrorists approached the Israeli
border in an SUV bearing "TV" signs in an attempt to disguise
themselves as journalists. Reporters working in Gaza usually travel in
cars with "TV" symbols to identify themselves. Upon reaching the
crossing, the terrorists blew a hole in the border fence and attempted
to storm an IDF position. IDF troops rushed to the scene, chasing
three of the gunmen back to the Gaza Strip. One of militants,
19-year-old Mohammed Jaabari, became separated from the group and hid
inside Israel. Jaabari was shot dead after he opened fire when
soldiers approached him, the IDF said. Islamic Jihad claimed
responsibility for the attack. "The aim of the operation was to
retreat with a prisoner," said Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Islamic
Jihad. "This was prevented by the use of Israeli helicopters." This
attempted kidnapping took place just before the one year anniversary
of the kidnapping by Hamas and two other groups of Israeli soldier
Gilad Shalit, who has been held in Gaza and is being used as a
bargaining chip by the Hamas-led Palestinian government to release
Palestinian prisoners, including arrested terrorists, held in Israeli
jails.
more...
Is the constant warnings of a coming war with Syria, Iran, and Israel starting to cause you to lose interest like it's the same old story never coming to pass? That's part of what Bible prophecy says will happen in the end, wars and rumors of war. Matthew 24:3-6 Keep watching!
Iran Threatens Gulf Blitz If US Hits Nuclear Plants Times
Online (June 10, 2007)
- IRAN has threatened to launch a missile blitz against the Gulf
states and plunge the entire Middle East into war if America attacks
its nuclear facilities. Admiral Ali Shamkhani, a senior defence
adviser to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that
Gulf states providing the US with military cooperation would be the
key targets of a barrage of ballistic missiles. Shamkhani told the US
journal Defense News that missiles would be launched not only at US
military bases but also at strategic targets such as oil refineries
and power stations. Qatar, Bahrain and Oman all host important US
bases and British forces are based in all three countries. Any Iranian
attack would be bound to draw in the other Gulf Cooperation Council
states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The attacks
on Arab states would be in addition to air strikes on Israel, which
have been threatened repeatedly. An Iranian foreign ministry official
said: “The objective would be to overwhelm US missile defence systems
with dozens and maybe hundreds of missiles fired simultaneously at
specific targets.” Shamkhani, a former Iranian defence minister,
accused the Gulf states of “helping the US establish legitimacy for
its anticipated aggression against Iran”. Shamkhani is the head of
Iran’s Centre for Strategic Studies, a think tank made up of former
foreign, defence and interior ministers that advises the supreme
leader. Another Iranian official said to be familiar with the
“retaliation plan” claimed it would be launched within an hour of a US
attack and would be accompanied by increased support for terrorist
groups. “The US will be as surprised with Iranian military
capabilities as the Israelis were with Hezbollah in last summer’s war
in Lebanon,” he said.
more... 'Syria, Iran, Hizbullah planning war' The Jerusalem Post (June 6, 2007) - Syria, Iran and Hizbullah are preparing for the possibility of a war with Israel on the Syrian front, Channel Two reported on Wednesday night. Reportedly, Damascus has set August as the month for final war preparations. The report followed an earlier security cabinet meeting devoted almost exclusively to Syria, during which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel is working through various diplomatic channels to assure Damascus that Jerusalem wants peace and is not interested in a war. His comments come amid a flurry of reports about a Syrian military buildup and concern in the defense establishment that if various Syrian overtures were not well received in Israel, the Syrians might initiate military action to try and retain the Golan, or a piece of it."Israel is not interested in a war with
Syria, and we have to be careful about a scenario where a miscalculation
could
lead to a deterioration in the security situation," Olmert said at
the end of the meeting. He added that Israel has sent this message to
Damascus through "different diplomatic channels." Housing and
Construction Minister Meir Sheetrit told reporters after the meeting
that Olmert called for direct negotiations with Syria, something that
was not reflected in the statement the Prime Minister's Office issued
after the meeting. "I want to make clear that we have no aggressive
intentions at all against Syria," Sheetrit said. "The prime minister
made that clear, and even called for direct peace talks with the
Syrians. All the comments about a possible war with Syria are
unnecessary, everyone needs to cool down."
The ministers received various intelligence and security briefings
during the meeting, with military intelligence officials saying that the
Syrians were on a defensive posture on the Golan. The ministers also
heard estimations that if a war would break out with Damascus, it would
include a renewed confrontation with Hizbullah.
more...
| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Syrian MP confirms preparation for war Jerusalem Post (June 5, 2007) - A member of the Syrian parliament, Muhammad Habash, confirmed on Tuesday that his country was actively preparing for war with Israel, expected to break out in the summer, Israel Radio reported. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Habash said it was no secret that the Syrian military was arming itself for the upcoming confrontation with the IDF. He also claimed that the Israeli government was the one that wanted the war so that it could survive politically. Meanwhile, Pensioners Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan (GIL Pensioners) said on Tuesday that in negotiations with Syria, Israel must relate to the matter of the Golan Heights as a real estate issue. "Negotiations need to be about the property value," he said. National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), said he believed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should respond positively to any offer of peace talks from Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, Shas ministers Eli Yishai and Yitzhak Cohen insisted that the Syrians must take steps to show their intentions were serious before Israel negotiated with them. On Wednesday, the Security Cabinet was set to discuss the question of whether to examine the option of talks with Damascus.| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |
Gates: Taliban fighters use Iran weapons Associated Press (June 4, 2007) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that Iranian weapons are falling into the hands of anti-government Taliban fighters but he stopped short of blaming Tehran. Afghan President Hamid Karzai seemed to dismiss the matter. At a news conference at the presidential palace, Gates offered possible explanations for the flow of weapons from Iran to this war-scarred country, including smuggling. He mentioned no specific weapons, but NATO officials recently cited the discovery in Kabul of an armor-piercing roadside bomb, the same type U.S. officials have long complained are entering Iraq from Iran. "There have been indications over the past few months of weapons coming in from Iran," Gates told reporters with Karzai at his side. "We do not have any information about whether the government of Iran is supporting this, is behind it, or whether it's smuggling." Gates, on his second visit to Afghanistan since becoming Pentagon chief last December, said that while the weapons appear to be going to Taliban fighters, some may be headed to criminals in the Afghan drug trade. Asked his own view, Karzai appeared eager to give the Iranian government a pass. He said there was no evidence of Iranian government involvement, adding, "Iran and Afghanistan have never been as friendly as they are today." more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Putin threatens to target Europe Globeandmail.com (June 4, 2007) - He also lashes out at NATO and insists he's world's only true democrat. In a threat not uttered since the Cold War, Vladimir Putin said that Russia intends to aim its missile systems - potentially nuclear weapons - at targets in Europe in retaliation for the U.S. decision to establish antimissile bases there. During a lengthy dinner, Russia's President defended his semi-authoritarian style and insisted he is the world's only true democrat. In an interview with The Globe and Mail and a small circle of other journalists, he stressed that his country is not moving away from a market economy, refused to consider extraditing a former KGB agent charged with poisoning a dissident in London, and lashed out repeatedly at the United States and NATO for operating in countries previously within Russia's sphere of influence. Mr. Putin's remarks, translated from Russian, virtually guarantee much of the G8 summit, due to begin in northern Germany on Wednesday, will be dominated by the growing confrontation between the West and Russia. Mr. Putin repeatedly described U.S. antimissile bases, which will be built in the Czech Republic and Poland, both former Warsaw Pact countries, as "an element of the nuclear potential of the United States," and that the alleged threat from Iranian missiles is a myth. Washington says that the bases are purely defensive and designed to shoot down missiles launched at the United States from Iran or other rogue states. Asked what he might do to retaliate, he said he would return to the Cold War practice of having Russian ballistic missiles programmed to strike targets in Europe - in this case, he said, the Czech and Polish antimissile sites as well as new U.S. bases in Bulgaria and Romania. "It is obvious that if part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States is located in Europe, and according to our military experts will be threatening us, we will have to respond," he said. "What kind of steps are we going to take in response? Of course, we are going to get new targets in Europe." He suggested that this could include powerful nuclear-capable weapons. more...| Gog/Magog | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Iranian Leader: Countdown to Israel's Destruction Has Begun IsraelNationalNews (June 4, 2007) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday the countdown to Israel’s destruction has begun. Ahmadinejad said that Hizbullah began the countdown in its war with the IDF last summer. "With Allah’s help, the countdown button to this regime’s [Israel's] destruction has been pushed by the hands of Lebanon and Palestine’s children,” he said in a speech to foreign guests in Tehran in honor of the 18th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s first Supreme Leader. " By Allah's will, we will witness the destruction of this regime in the near future thanks to the endeavors of Palestinian and Lebanese fighters." Ahmadinejad’s previous statement, regarding Israel being “wiped off the map,” was a quote of Khomeini. Iran’s “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khameini declared Monday that Iran refuses to “beg world powers for its right to develop nuclear technology” and has demonstrated that it will not retreat from the "field of danger" and will protect those rights. "The world has learned from experience that an Iranian will never step back from the field of danger when defending his rights," Khameini said during a televised address Monday. Ahmadinejad spoke with Syrian president Bashar Assad this past week, during which Assad is reported, by Iran’s state-run news agency, to have said that “added coordination between Iran and Syria in confrontation with the Zionist regime and the USA can bear better results in the future.” The Iranian president congratulated Assad on his reelection. Assad ran unopposed and won 97% of the vote. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Ahmadinejad: Israel's Destruction
Getting Close Fox
News (June
3, 2007) - Iran's
hard-line President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
on Sunday said the world would
witness the destruction of
Israel
soon, the official
Islamic Republic News Agency
reported.
Ahmadinejad said last
summer's war between Israel and
Hezbollah showed for the first
time that the "hegemony of the
occupier regime [Israel] had
collapsed, and the Lebanese nation
pushed the button to begin
counting the days until the
destruction of the Zionist
regime," IRNA quoted him as
saying. "God
willing, in the near future we
will witness the destruction of
the corrupt occupier regime,"
Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying
during a speech to foreign guests
who attended ceremonies marking
the 18th anniversary of the death
of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini,
who is known as the father of
Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Embattled Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert has lost public
support after Israel failed to
achieve its goals during last
summer's 34-day war with Hezbollah
guerrillas in Lebanon — freeing
two captured soldiers and crushing
the militant group.
The
war was sparked after two Israeli
soldiers were kidnapped by
Iranian- and Syrian-backed
Hezbollah militants in a
cross-border raid. The fighting
ended with a U.N.-brokered
cease-fire that called for
deployment of U.N. peacekeepers
and Lebanese troops in southern
Lebanon along the border with
Israel. Ahmadinejad has made
anti-Israel comments in the past.
In October 2005, he caused outrage
in the West when he said in a
speech that Israel's "Zionist
regime should be wiped off the
map." His supporters have argued
Ahmadinejad's words were
mistranslated and should have been
better translated as "vanish from
the pages of time" — implying
Israel would vanish on its own
rather be destroyed.
The other war / Syria, not Gaza Haaretz
(June 2,
2007)
- The
main reason the Israel Defense
Forces is not currently
recommending a major ground
operation in the Gaza Strip is
fear that war might break out with
Syria this summer, IDF sources
say. This argument is rarely
mentioned publicly, in part
because intelligence analysts are
still uncertain about whether
Syrian President Bashar Assad
intends to start a war or is
merely trying to pressure Israel
to resume peace talks. But Syria
has clearly been preparing for the
possibility of war, both through
troop training and major arms
deals. As a result, the IDF
believes it must also be ready for
this possibility, and excessive
activity on the southern front
would undermine its capabilities
in the north. From the army's
perspective, Syria is the biggest
threat; the Palestinian front is
secondary. The army is also
concerned that miscalculations of
the enemy's intentions, on either
side of the border, could lead to
war between Syria and Israel even
if neither side wants it.
Precisely this scenario was the
subject of a major military
exercise last month.
Russia Announces Large Joint Military Exercise With China, Shanghai Six RIA Novosti (June 1, 2007) - Russia will hold a counterterrorism military exercise with China and other members of the "Shanghai Six" in August, the Ground Forces commander said Friday. "The main [of the six international counterterrorism exercises planned for the year] will be a joint exercise of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in August," a regional grouping dominated by Russia and China, Army General Alexei Maslov said. The exercise will be held in the Russian Urals and will involve 500 vehicles from Russia and China, about 2,000 Russian and 1,600 Chinese personnel, a company (around 100 men) from Tajikistan, and smaller units from other members, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the general said. While China has yet to decide how its troops would be transited through Kazakhstan, he has already suggested an alternate route directly across the Sino-Russian border in the Far East. Officially, the SCO focuses on fighting drug and arms trafficking, terrorism and separatism. Although it has conducted a number of joint military exercises since 2003, Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov earlier this month reassured critics concerned about SCO countering U.S. and NATO influence in resource-rich Central Asia, saying the grouping would not turn into a military bloc. Russia also held its first-ever joint military exercise outside the SCO framework with China in 2005, several exercises with SCO observer nation India, and has raised the prospect of the other two SCO observers Pakistan and Iran participating in such exercises in the future.| Gog/Magog | Russia Hits Target In ICBM Debut Test RIA Novosti (May 29, 2007) - Russia successfully test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia Tuesday, a press spokesman for the strategic missile forces said. The RS-24 with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) warheads was launched from a mobile missile system at 2:20 p.m. Moscow time (10:20 a.m. GMT). "The targets have been reached and objectives achieved completely," Vadim Koval said, adding that the ICBM's destination was a testing ground in Kamchatka, in the Far East. Koval said the new ICBM met all international requirements in terms of strategic offensive arms reduction and was capable of avoiding missile defense systems and, consequently, would enhance Russia's nuclear deterrent potential when deployed. The test comes against the background of growing tensions between Moscow and the West regarding plans by the United States to deploy elements of its global antiballistic missile defense system in Central Europe. Although Washington claims the move is needed to counter possible attacks from "rogue states," Moscow has condemned the plans as a threat to its national security and a destabilizing factor for Europe.| Gog/Magog |
Jihadists moving into Lebanon from
Syria The
Washington Times (May 29,
2007) -
Heavily armed foreign jihadists
have been entering Lebanon from
Syria from around the time Western
authorities noticed a drop in the
infiltration of foreign fighters
from Syria to Iraq, Lebanese
officials say. Syrian authorities,
hoping to disrupt Lebanon so they
can reassert control of the
country, "have stopped sending
[the jihadists] to Iraq and are
now sending them here," charged
Mohammed Salam, a specialist in
Palestinian affairs in Lebanon.
"They sent those people to die in
Lebanon." Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi,
commander of Lebanon's Internal
Security Forces, said about half
of the militants who have been
battling Lebanese forces in the
Nahr el-Bared refugee camp outside
Tripoli for nine days had fought
previously in Iraq. "They are very
dangerous," he said in an
interview. "We have no choice, we
have to combat them." Officials
traveling with Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice said before Miss
Rice's meeting with her Syrian
counterpart in Egypt early this
month that Syria appeared to be
taking "positive" steps to guard
its border with Iraq, resulting in
a reduced number of jihadists
crossing the border. But U.N.
officials running the Nahr
el-Bared camp told The Washington
Times that a large band of
foreigners carrying mortars,
rockets, explosive belts and other
heavy weapons entered the camp in
a group several months ago. That
is near the time that infiltration
of militants from Syria into Iraq
fell off, according to Lebanese
authorities, who suspect the
jihadists were simply redirected
by Damascus. Several thousand
residents have been trapped in the
Palestinian refugee camp since
fighting broke out May 20 between
the army and several hundred
militants of a group called Fatah
Islam, which includes a large
number of foreign
fighters. Palestinian leaders
tried yesterday to negotiate an
end to the standoff, in which
Lebanese army forces are ringed
around the camp, but Prime
Minister Fuad Siniora insisted
that the militants surrender and
face justice. Gen. Rifi said the
foreigners began arriving in
Lebanon during the war between
Hezbollah and Israel last summer,
when between 60 and 70 jihadists
were integrated into Fatah
al-Intifada, a group set up by
Syrian intelligence in the
1980s. In November last year, a
Palestinian with Jordanian
citizenship named Shaker Youssef
al-Absi broke with Fatah
al-Intifada and set up a new
group, Fatah Islam, based in the
Nahr el-Bared camp. Gen. Rifi said
Fatah Islam has about 250
fighters, of which about 50 have
been killed so far. "They are
parasites," the general said.
"Even in Nahr el-Bared, there are
not a lot of Palestinians with
Fatah Islam."
more...
Hezbollah to Lebanese army: Stay out of refugee camp CNN (May 25, 2007) - The leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, has warned the Lebanese army not to enter the Palestinian refugee camp north of Tripoli where it has been confronting Islamic militants. Nasrallah -- in a televised address to mark the seventh anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon -- said that to enter the camp would be crossing a red line, and the Palestinians should not be touched. "Suppose that the government is having a war on terror, that doesn't mean they should kill half of the people on the street," he said in a reference to Palestinian civilians crammed into the Nahr el-Bared camp. (Read about Lebanon's warning to militants) He also criticized the militants of Fatah al-Islam, who are holed up inside the camp, accusing them of an aggression against the army that was an aggression against all of Lebanon. Hezbollah, a Shiite organization, views extremist Sunni groups such as al Qaeda and Fatah al-Islam as enemies. Nasrallah said that a negotiated political settlement according to the rule of law should be reached to preserve the integrity of the Lebanese army. The Lebanese military stays out of the Palestinian camps under a 1969 agreement that allows the Palestinians to run them. Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told CNN's Brent Sadler he considers the battle part of the war on terrorism, not a conflict between Lebanon and the Palestinians. "To the contrary, I believe strongly that this war is targeting Lebanon on the one hand and the Palestinians on the other," he said. "Either they will surrender, or the Lebanese government and the Lebanese army is going to really pursue the matter to the end," Siniora said. "If left, I can assure you, this is going to be very contagious. It's like cancer. It has to be really removed completely, otherwise it's going to expand. ..."I believe that what we are doing, it is in the interest of the Palestinians, it is in the interest of the Lebanese," Siniora said. (Watch Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora say the army are not killers )
Nasrallah was also critical of the
Lebanese government's request to
the United States for military aid
during the crisis. "We should be
aware of the American
interference," he said. "[As for]
the American intervention in this
incident there should be an
investigation into who took the
decision." The Hezbollah leader
also said that Lebanon must not be
allowed to become a battleground
between the army and groups
affiliated with al Qaeda. He said
this would tempt the United States
to bring the war on terror to
Lebanese soil, as it had in Iraq.
"Are you willing to fight the wars
of others inside Lebanon?" he
asked his audience. "I want to
warn that we should not be dragged
by the Americans to fight their
battle in Lebanon." Nasrallah also
called for the formation of an
emergency government of national
unity to tackle Lebanon's
political crisis. Hezbollah has
long been critical of the
Siniora's government. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Given what we know about the Gog/Magog invasion coming from the North, it seems convenient that Islamic militants are digging in to the North of Israel in Lebanon while Russian and Turkish "peacekeeping troops" are present as well. Since Russia, Turkey, and Iran are the three main players in this future prophesied attack on Israel. “How The Six Day War Almost Led To Armageddon” (May 17, 2007) - June, 1967. War clouds had been building for months. The Israelis found themselves increasingly surrounded by Soviet-backed forces of the Arab and Islamic world, all of whose leaders were vowing to “throw the Jews into the sea,” and the Israelis were considering a first strike. The element of surprise might be their only hope of survival, they figured. But President Lyndon Johnson had warned Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol in no uncertain terms that such a move would be a serious mistake. As historian Michael B. Oren noted in his highly praised book, Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, Johnson sent a secret message to Eskhol saying that “it is essential that Israel not take any preemptive military action and thereby make itself responsible for the initiation of hostilities. Preemptive action by Israel would make it impossible for the friends of Israel to stand at your side.” Oren noted that Johnson specifically “warned of the possibility of direct Soviet intervention.” Marshal Andrei Antonovich Grechko, the Soviet deputy defense minister, had told his Egyptian counterparts in Cairo that the Kremlin had dispatched “destroyers and submarines to the waters near Egypt, some armed with missiles and secret weapons” to help wipe out the Zionists. One of Israel’s top experts on Soviet foreign policy told Israeli Defense Forces intelligence that “the USSR would muster all its influence and power to maintain its Middle East position” and when asked if the Soviets would intervene directly, replied, “of course.” Soviet Premier Kosygin, meanwhile, sent a cable to Prime Minister Eshkol warning that “if the Israeli Government insists on taking upon itself the responsibility for the outbreak of armed confrontation then it will pay the full price of such an action.” But at 8:44 a.m. on the morning of June 5, 1967, Eshkol sent an urgent message back to President Johnson informing him that it was too late. War had begun. “After weeks in which our peril has grown day by day, we are now engaged in repelling the aggression which [Egyptian President] Nasser has been building up against us,” Eshkol wrote, explaining his rationale for the preemptive strike Israel had just launched. “Israel’s existence and integrity have been endangered. The provocative [Arab] troop concentrations in Sinai, now amounting to five infantry and two armored divisions; the placing of more than 900 tanks against our southern frontier; . . . the illegal blockade of the Straits of Tiran; . . . the imminent introduction of MiG-21 aircraft under Iraqi command [into the theater]; Nasser’s announcement of ‘total war against Israel’ and of his basic aim to annihilate Israel. . . . All of this amounts to an extraordinary catalogue of aggression, abhorred and condemned by world opinion and in your great country and amongst all peace-loving nations.” more...| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Pastor John Hagee's D.C. Meeting Worries Jews (May 17, 2007) - Pastor John Hagee says Armageddon will soon strike the nation of Israel, so he's enlisting Christians to help protect Israel against an attack from Iran. Hagee, who has close ties to the Bush administration, has some in the Jewish community worried about his efforts to help Israel and his talk of a coming war with Iran. The well-known pastor and author, who broadcasts nationwide from his mega Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, has been seeking to help Jewish groups raise money from Christians for Israel. "The enemies of Israel are the enemies of America," Hagee said. "They are the enemies of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These enemies have drawn the battle line. If a line has to be drawn – then draw that line around both Christians and Jews! We are one; we are united!" Such polemics from Hagee hail the fiery theme of the 2nd Annual Israel/Washington D.C. Summit slated for July 16-19 in the nation's capital. As a warm up to the main July enclave, Washington area residents can attend a "Night to Honor Israel" in nearby Alexandria, Va., on May 20, also sponsored by Hagee. Hagee, an unapologetic Christian Zionist, has hosted "Nights to Honor Israel" dinners in over 40 cities around the country – with help from a dedicated all-volunteer staff of 13 regional directors, 46 state directors and more than 85 city directors. The most profitable evening, held last October in Hagee's hometown of San Antonio, snared some $7 million. Funds flow directly into the coffers of various Jewish federations. This past summer, for instance, $1 million was donated to the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston for the Israel Emergency Campaign – an effort to aid the embattled northern region of Israel. Fundamentalist Christians like Hagee believe they have a Biblical injunction to bless Jews and the State of Israel as God's "chosen people." Hagee's efforts appear innocuous enough on its face, but some Jewish groups see his Christian Zionist movement with either skepticism or anger. At the heart of the movement is Hagee's Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Founded in February 2006, this Christian, pro-Israel lobbying group is hard at work extending Hagee's influence beyond Washington – to Jewish and evangelical communities around the nation. For his part, Hagee does not minimize the scope of his movement, stating that CUFI "will have organized offices in every state in the union, mobilizing every Christian and whoever will work with us on a pro-Israeli agenda."| Gog/Magog | Israel |
China's FM meets with Russian
FM, EU's Solana (May
5, 2007)
- New Chinese Foreign Minister
Yang Jiechi
met with
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
and EU foreign policy chief
Javier Solana on Friday at this
Red Sea resort on the sidelines
of an international meeting on
Iraq's
security. In meeting with Lavrov,
the two ministers lauded the
rapid development of the
strategic partnership of
cooperation between Russia and
China, stressing the
significance of holding the Year
of China in Russia and the Year
of Russia in China in pushing
forward with bilateral ties. The
two ministers agreed to make use
of these programs of cultural
exchanges and deepen cooperation
to develop ties in the direction
set out by the two nations'
leaders. China and Russia will
further increase coordination
and cooperation on major issues,
they said, while exchanging
views on other regional and
international issues of common
interest. Both sides also agreed
to expand cooperation among
members of the
Shanghai
Cooperation Organization and
jointly safeguard regional peace
and stability. During his
meeting with Solana, Yang said
the EU was an all- round
strategic cooperative partner
for China, and China valued
highly the EU's role in the
international arena. China was
ready to expand and deepen
cooperation with the EU in broad
fields, said Yang, adding that
the Chinese side was also
willing to further improve
consultation and cooperation
with the EU over international
issues. Solana told Yang that
the EU attached high importance
to cooperative relations with
China, and hoped to maintain
communication and carry out
strategic dialogue with China.
Solana briefed Yang of the EU's
stance on the
Iranian
nuclear issue, saying that the
EU hoped to solve the issue
through diplomatic negotiations.
Yang said resolving the Iranian
issue by peaceful means was in
conformity with the interest of
related parties, and the
important thing at present was
to resume negotiations. Yang
said China appreciated EU's
efforts in this aspect. The
one-day meeting on Iraq, also
called enlarged meeting of the
Iraq's neighboring countries,
was attended by senior diplomats
from Iraq's six neighbors --
Iran,
Turkey,
Syria,
Jordan,
Saudi Arabia
and
Kuwait
-- plus
Bahrain,
Egypt
and the Arab League, the
Organization of Islamic
Conference, the UN as well as
the EU.
more...
Israeli Envoy: Syrian Build-up -
the Strongest Since 1973 War
(May 5, 2007) -
Israel's
Ambassador in Washington says
Syria is developing its most
serious threat against Israel
since it attacked Israel in the
Yom Kippur War of 1973. "We see
Syria developing a very serious
threat on the northern border,"
Ambassador Sallai Meridor told
journalists in Washington on
Wednesday. He said the threat
is manifest in military
activity, training, great
investments in military
equipment - and the build-up of
a large arsenal of Scud
missiles. "In the past," Meridor
said, "the assumption was that
the Syrians' tanks and air force
were not among the most
advanced. Now, however, we are
concerned that they might think
that with a large arsenal of
rockets that can reach
everywhere in Israel, they have
the capacity... to threaten us."
The last time Israel's
north-eastern neighbor
threatened Israel so fiercely
build-up was the 1973 Yom Kippur
War. That war was set off when
Syria and Egypt simultaneously
attacked Israel on the holiest
day of the Jewish year. "We hope
they do not have offensive
intentions," Meridor said, "but
we cannot be sure." The
ambassador said that Israel is
attempting to pass "calming
messages" to Syria, but that
Syria continues to "thwart
attempts to create attempts to
create an atmosphere that will
promote peace." Syria has
demanded for 40 years that
Israel relinquish control over
the Golan Heights - the
mountainous area from which
Syria often launched attacks
against Israeli communities
below until Israel captured the
Golan in the 1967 Six Day War.
Long one of Israel's most
implacable enemies, Syria
continues to provide assistance,
money and training to Hamas,
Hizbullah, and other terrorist
groups.
Back to the Cold War? Putin’s Policies Head in a Dark Direction (April 30, 2007) - It’s difficult to avoid the impression that with| Gog/Magog |
Mass Military Maneuvers Foresee
Syrian Attack
(April 29, 2007) - The Israel
Defense Forces, which although
one of the world’s top
battle-tested armies was bested
by the Lebanese Hizb’allah
terror group 10 months ago, is
undergoing intensive drills in
anticipation of a surprise
Syrian attack on the Golan
Heights. Last Thursday saw
thousands of IDF troops and
hundreds of tanks deployed for
war games in the Judean
wilderness, in what observers
called one of the largest
training exercises carried out
in a number of years. Security
analysts in Israel believe
Syrian dictator Bashar el-Assad
to be a weak leader who could
initiate a surprise grab of the
Golan Heights in an effort to
earn esteem in the eyes of his
people. Assad is believed to
have been wowed by Hizb’allah’s
successful use of rocket fire to
drive fear into the hearts of
millions of Israelis and deal
heavy blows to the Israeli
economy. Since last summer,
heads of Israel’s various
intelligence agencies have
reported Syria gearing up for
war, though most assessments
agree the process is defensive
rather than offensive.
Nonetheless, Israel’s war
scenarios include the use of
elite Syrian troops backed by
advanced Russian-made tanks and
ballistic surface-to-surface
missiles capable of hitting any
Israeli center. While IDF
officials interviewed about last
week’s mass military maneuvers
said any Syrian strike was
likely to be conventional,
Damascus is known to possess
non-conventional weapons,
including VX gas warheads for
its SCUD missiles. US Secretary
of State Robert Gates recently
cautioned Israel that the
situation with Syria was
increasingly volatile and could
explode if not handled
carefully. more...
Ashkenazi:
Hizbullah trying to cross into
southern Lebanon
(April 29, 2007)
- Even as the country was
awaiting the Winograd
Committee's report into why
ground troops were not
introduced into Lebanon last
summer, chief of General Staff
Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi
indicated at the weekly cabinet
meeting Sunday that there may be
no choice but to put IDF boots
on the ground to stop attacks
from Gaza. After telling the
cabinet that the military
buildup of Hamas was continuing,
and that Hamas had also begun
active involvement in attacks
against Israel, Ashkenazi said
that if this situation continued
"there would be no choice but to
stop it, as the prime minister
has said." Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert, who is expected to be
criticized by the Winograd
Committee Monday over his
handling of the summer's Second
Lebanon War, said at the opening
of the meeting that while Israel
was not interested in an
escalation with the
Palestinians, "we will not in
any way be prevented from taking
the necessary steps to stop
those who are trying to harm
Israeli citizens in the South."
During the meeting, Olmert said
that one question that needed to
be asked regarding a possible
incursion into Gaza was what
would happen the minute the IDF
pulled out. He said that Israel
needed to work intensively with
the international community and
Egypt in an effort to stop
Hamas's military buildup before
taking military action. Ashkenazi said that it
was difficult to call the
situation that had existed in
Gaza over the last five months a
truce, as Hamas called it, since
there have been some 250 firings
of rockets and mortars on
Israel, and in addition there
have been numerous attempts to
infiltrate into Israel, fire on
soldiers and set roadside bombs.
Regarding Lebanon, Ashkenazi
said that Hizbullah was only one
government minister away from
being able to veto the moves of
the Lebanese government,
something that was significant
since the government would be
called upon in the near future
to renew the mandate of the
UNIFIL force in southern
Lebanon. Ashkenazi said that
Hizbullah was trying to move
forces south of the Litani
River, and was having better
luck penetrating cities in the
area, rather than open spaces
where UNIFIL forces blocked
their penetration. While
praising the coordination that
exists between Israel and
UNIFIL, Ashkenazi bewailed the
continued smuggling of arms
across the Lebanese-Syrian
border, and said that Lebanese
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora was
not powerful enough to send an
effective monitoring force to
the long border.
more...
Israel: Syria readying for war (April
22, 2007) - The gist of the Israeli message
in its recent talks with United States Defense Secretary Robert
Gates is that Syria is preparing for a military confrontation with
Israel. The U.S. message to Israel on Syria, in contrast, remained
unchanged: Israel should at present avoid diplomatic talks with
Damascus because President Bashar Assad plans on using such talks to
extricate Syria from its isolation. Israeli talks with Damascus
would be a knife in the back of the government of Fouad Siniora in
Lebanon. No tangible evidence exists, Israel told the U.S., that
Damascus is planning an all-out war with Israel. But it is believed
that Damascus has concluded that Israel might respond to various
Syrian actions and that would be the cause of a full-blown
confrontation. Such an Israeli response might come following Syrian
assistance to Hezbollah or Palestinian terror organizations like
Islamic Jihad. Damascus would have no choice but to respond with a
more extensive operation. Such evaluations have been made before and
proven mistaken. However, facts on the ground show the Syrian army
is increasing its battle readiness, munitions production (especially
of rockets and missiles), emergency stores and is acquiring more
weapons systems from Iran. It has purchased a large number of
advanced anti-tank missiles from the Russians, with whom it also
negotiating the purchase of Russia's latest anti-aircraft missiles.
The Syrians have deployed Iranian naval missiles (originally
Chinese), the C. 802. The destructive power and range of Syria's
rockets and missiles has clearly grown in recent years. Israel does
not rule out a possible Syrian grab for the Golan, assuming that if
Israel counter-attacks the Syrian lines it will incur heavy losses.
Thus, the IDF's power has also increased, especially that of the
Israel Air Force. Like the Syrians, the Israelis are upgrading the
training of their units and providing them with the latest
equipment. more...
Russian President Putin says Turkey is a reliable partner (April 21, 2007) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview for a special edition of the Rodina-Da magazine, said that Turkey was a reliable partner for Russia. The magazine Da, which is published in Eurasia by the Dialogue Eurasia Platform, and the Rodina magazine published in Russia, brought together Russian and Turkish leaders in a special edition, Rodina-Da, where they discussed views about bilateral relations. Putin explained that it was important to develop Turkish-Russian relations further as he said, “There are lots of projects which a Turkish-Russian partnership can realize together.” The Russian president pointed out that there were similarities between both countries’ efforts towards modernization and economic development, asking the Turkish government to create more appropriate grounds for investments and provide support for exports. Putin went on to say that Russia was willing to make new openings with Turkey in the fields of nuclear energy, transportation, chemical industry and advanced technology. “It is evident that the obstacles hindering our partnership’s improvement should be removed,” Putin said. Putin also mentioned that effective results can be obtained in many fields with a strong Turkish-Russia partnership. In this context, he said that Turkey and Russia may give a joint fight against terror. “Establishing a dialogue to be between cultures and religious groups will help taking a joint stance against terrorism and all sorts of radical acts,” he remarked. Underlining that developing economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Russia will bolster democracy and transparence principle as well as strengthening political and cultural relations, Putin said, “The Turkish-Russian partnership relies on mutual trust, respect and equality. We wish that our relations will improve more. I personally believe that the ‘Year of Russia’ that is marked in Turkey in 2007 and the “Year of Turkey” that will be marked in Russia in 2008, will make a significant contribution to our bilateral relations.” more...| Gog/Magog | Islam | Russia Warns Israel Against Syria War (April 16, 2007) - Russian National Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, during a visit to Israel, has warned Israel to be wary of conflict with Syria. Ivanov said last week that the tense cease-fire between Tel-Aviv and Damascus might escalate into war if the two parties mutually miscalculate their strength; the Haaretz daily reported. Ivanov, responding to Israeli National Security Council Head Ilan Mizrahi's claim that Russia was supplying Syria with modern weapons and missiles, said Russia was supplying both Iran and Syria with defensive weapon systems only. He went on to tell the Israeli officials that the Syrian President Bashar Assad was genuinely interested in negotiating a peace agreement with Israel. "As I told you in November, you will find a partner in Assad," he said, adding that Russia supported the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. As for the Iranian nuclear program, Ivanov said diplomatic talks to resolve the crisis revolving the Iranian nuclear effort have not been exhausted, and that there was "still much to be done in that respect." Ivanov also relayed Russia's apprehensions regarding a possible joint American-Israeli military strike against Iran.| Gog/Magog | Israel |
Syria threatens to take Golan Heights by force (April 16, 2007) - "Syria wishes to revive the peace process with Israel with the help of US and Russian mediators," the Syrian Information Minister was quoted as saying by Israel Radio, Monday. The minister immediately added a threat that "If Israel rejects the Arab peace initiatives, the only way to get the Golan Heights back would be the way of resistance." The minister was speaking at a press conference in Damascus. Last week, a Syrian-born American businessman, Abe Suleiman, promised the Foreign Affairs and Defense committee of the Knesset that "peace with Syria could be achieved within six months." Syria said Suleiman was speaking on his own behalf and was in no way affiliated with the Syrian leadership.| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Don't underestimate Syria's
military
(April 12, 2007)
-
While the Knesset heard about potential scenarios
for reaching peace with Damascus on Thursday, senior defense
officials warned of an unprecedented military buildup in Syria
and said that prevailing in a war with Israel's northeastern
neighbor would not be as simple as some might have been led to
believe. Following the Second Lebanon War, IDF Military
Intelligence noticed a change within the Syrian military. Syria
feels empowered by Hizbullah's surprising success last summer
and Damascus now believes it can use Hizbullah-like tactics in a
future confrontation with Israel and possibly even defeat the
once-thought-to-be invincible IDF. "For years we thought that
the IDF had a clear upper hand over Syria's military," a top
official told The Jerusalem Post. "After the war in
Lebanon we now know that this assumption was not accurate."
Syria has emphasized missile development in recent months.
According to Western sources, Syria has the ability to
independently manufacture Scud missiles, and it has 300 of them
deployed just north of the demilitarized zone in the Syrian part
of the Golan Heights. A division of some 10,000 troops is
responsible for operating the missiles, which include an small
number of Scud D's with a range of 700 kilometers and said to be
capable of carrying nonconventional warheads. Syria has close to
30 launchers for its Scud missiles, according to foreign
sources. Syria keeps the projectiles in bunkers at several
locations; most are in a valley near Hama, where it has built a
missile electronic and assembly facility. Syria has a massive
military divided into 12 divisions and totaling close to 400,000
soldiers at full mobilization. One of the divisions is made up
of 10,000 elite commandos, a formidable force that would serve
as Syria's first line in an offensive against the IDF. Since the
Second Lebanon War, Syria has established new commando units and
is said to have increased urban and guerrilla warfare training.
"Syria saw the difficulty the IDF had during the fighting inside
the southern Lebanese villages and now the military there wants
to draw us - in the event of a war - into battles in built-up
areas where they think they will have the upper hand," explained
a source in the IDF Northern Command. more...
Iran, Syria Prepare For War In Mid-2007 (April 6, 2007) - Israel's intelligence community has assessed that Iran and Syria were preparing for war in mid-2007. Officials said the war was expected to be sparked by a U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear weapons facilities. At that point, they said, Iran, Syria and Hizbullah would also attack Israel with a range of missiles and rockets. "Nobody wants to initiate the war, but everybody is ready to join," an official said. On Sunday, Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin said Israel could be attacked in the summer of 2007 along the northern front. Yadlin said Israel was monitoring military preparations in Lebanon and Syria, which included the deployment of short- and medium-range missiles and rockets.| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Russia Seeks Closer Ties With Iran, Not 'Gas OPEC' (Update1) (April 6, 2007) - Russia, the world's biggest energy supplier, will seek closer ties with gas-producing nations at an industry meeting next week in Qatar, Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko said. Russia, however, won't sign an accord creating a pricing cartel or "gas OPEC,'' Khristenko told reporters today in Moscow. "To sign something, it has to be prepared first.'' Energy ministers from Russia, Iran and Qatar, holders of the world's biggest gas reserves, will meet April 9 with envoys from gas-producing nations under the umbrella of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum. Russia expects the group to evolve into a place where producers can share technology, investment and data, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an April 4 interview. "Russia has been in a fortunate position, benefiting from high oil prices supported by an oil cartel while not being a member,'' said Kim Iskyan, co-head of research at UralSib Financial Corp. in Moscow. "It risks demonization if it joins a gas exporters group where it couldn't be neutral during a conflict between producers and consumers.'' Iran has been seeking to turn the forum into a cartel that would control more than 70 percent of the world's gas reserves. A cartel isn't possible until more gas is liquefied and shipped by tanker than is shipped through pipelines, Khristenko said today. President Vladimir Putin fanned concerns among energy- consuming nations when he said in February that Iran's proposal to unite gas producers in a group similar to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was "an interesting idea.'' The European Union, which gets a quarter of its gas from Russia, has criticized closer cooperation among producers of the fuel. "Russia hasn't had and will never have a goal of joining an organization that is against someone,'' Khristenko said. Consuming countries "demonize'' exporter nations "to draw attention away from internal problems,'' he said. "It's a traditional political tactic.''| Iran | Gog/Magog |
Kabbalist Elder: Israel on Brink of War
(April 6, 2007) - A
highly-regarded kabbalist elder from Bnei Barak has issued a
warning that the next war in Israel is on the way. Rabbi Eliyahu
Leon Levi, who frequents the Western Wall every Saturday night
to recite Psalms and teach Torah, told his students that there
is an "evil decree" of war looming on the horizon. According
to the Rabbi, Syria is liable to join Lebanon in firing missiles
at the Jewish State in the pending war. The missiles will
have a much greater range and carry much larger warheads than
the katyusha rockets fired against Israel this past summer in
the Second Lebanon War which claimed some 156 lives, he noted.
"It's not going to be 'katyushas shmatyushas' this time which
have only tens of kilograms of explosives. The enemy will
launch, G-d forbid, rockets carrying 500 and 600 kilograms of
explosives," Rabbi Levi told his students. On several occasions,
Rabbi Levi first alerted Israeli military authorities of
security threats and movements of massive amounts of enemy
weapons, that were subsequently verified by IDF intelligence.
The kabbalist Rabbi said just before the Passover holiday that
he does not want to cause panic, but suggested that the Israeli
public stock up on two weeks of water, food supplies, candles
and matches in case the delivery of basic commodities is
disrupted. Rabbi Levi said that though Israel "may, G-d forbid,
pay a heavy price initially, the Jewish People would muster
strength to crush their enemies leading to a great
sanctification of G-d's name through ultimate victory."
more... (April 3, 2007) - Syrian Ambassador Imad Mustapha corrected one of his dinner guests last week, commenting that the recent Arab summit in Saudi Arabia had welcomed Syria back into the Arab fold. "It's the rest of the Arab world that has come around to accept Syria's point of view. Syria had never left the fold," said the Syrian diplomat. Supporting his argument, the Syrian ambassador reminded the small group of dinner guests, gathered around his table to a delicious meal that started with traditional Lebanese hors d'oeuvres, the fact that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia -- a staunch U.S. ally in the region -- had called the U.S. intervention in Iraq "an illegitimate occupation." "In beloved Iraq, blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and abhorrent sectarianism threatens a civil war," said Abdullah. Saudi Arabia had initially supported the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. King Abdullah's remarks were made at the opening of the two-day Arab summit in Riyadh. Asked if the king's critical statement should be regarded as a wake-up call by the United States, a Saudi security expert who asked that his name not be used told United Press International, "The United States needs more than a wake-up call." The Saudi expert referred to what is generally perceived in the Arab world as a failed Middle East policy adopted by the Bush administration. Among the most crucial points of concern to the Arab world, which were raised by the Saudi monarch at the Riyadh summit, included the following: The position taken by the Bush administration in Iraq and the catastrophic results it yielded for the people of Iraq. Tens of thousands of dead, and the country plunged in violent sectarian civil war. The nonchalant approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a dossier largely ignored by the administration until just recently. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is now working overtime in an effort to make up for wasted time. The tension between Iran and the U.S. over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Indeed, another wake-up call for Bush administration Middle East policies came when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a planned visit Syria, where she will meet with President Bashar Assad as part of a regional tour including Israel and Lebanon. News of her Damascus visit has angered the White House, whose policy regarding Damascus has been to ignore it. Washington accuses Syria of helping insurgents in Iraq by supporting them with weapons and money and in facilitating their passage to Iraq across the Syrian border. Also, Washington wants Syria to stop supporting what it calls terrorist groups, such as Hamas in the Palestinian territories and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Washington also wants to see the international tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and several other prominent politicians and journalists proceed with its findings and trial. The investigation has identified several top Syrian and Lebanese officials as prime suspects. Syria would like to see the whole affair disappear. Mrs. Pelosi, a Democrat, will be the first high-ranking U.S. official to visit Syria since relations deteriorated between the two countries. She also will become the highest-ranking American official to meet with a Syrian president since President Bill Clinton met with the late Hafez Assad in 1994. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Syria back in the Arab fold is a sign of how close we could be to Gog/Magog. If you have read through my coming times page, you know I believe the destruction of Damascus may have something to do with the "hooks in the jaw" of the Gog/Magog invasion attempt. I believe this peace must develop first, but it's looking as though that may be coming soon. All Israel needs is a whiff from Damascus of a planned attack and they would attack Damascus. Since that's a kind of terrorist capital of the world, the idea of catching wind of a plan from there isn't too far-fetched and Israel has threatened to attack Damascus before. Keep watching!
'Iran, Syria prepping for
U.S. summer war' (April
1, 2007) - Iran, Syria and the Lebanese Hezbollah
militia are preparing for a U.S.-led war this summer, according
to the Israeli Defense Forces. "Their preparation is defensive
ahead of war. ... They fear a war initiated by the Americans
because they understand that there might be an attack against
Iran over the summer, but not by Israel," IDF Military
Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told the Knesset today. Yadlin
said Iran and Syria believe a war this summer will be initiated
by the U.S. and that Israel will be involved. He said Israel has
been monitoring Iranian fortification of Tehran's military
positions; Syrian military movements and indications of war
preparation with the help of Iran; and the large-scale smuggling
of Iranian-supplied weapons to Hezbollah. Yadlin noted the war
preparations are defensive. He said Israel doesn't expect Iran
or Syria to start a confrontation. "What we are seeing is their
preparation for the possibility of war in the summer. My
assessment is that they are defensive preparations for war,"
Yadlin told the Knesset. The military intelligence chief,
though, said he feared hostilities could break out even without
a U.S.-led strike because of "the involvement of many players."
WND previously reported Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz,
head of the IDF's intelligence research division, said the
Syrian army has been placed on high alert for attacks. He said
Syrian President Bashar Assad ordered increased production of
long-range missiles and instructed the Syrian military to
position anti-tank missiles closer to the Syrian border with
Israel. Security officials told WND there have been indications
Syria is seeking to launch a provocation. Assad has made
multiple statements to his state-run media he is preparing his
army for war. Also the officials say state-run Syrian media have
been broadcasting regular warlike messages unseen since the 1973
Yom Kippur War, in which Syria and Egypt launched invasions from
the Golan and the Sinai desert. "The tone [in Syria] is one of
preparing the public for a war," said a senior security
official. He said any Syrian provocation would likely be
coordinated with Iran. Tehran and Damascus, which both support
Hezbollah, have signed several military pacts. Also, according
to Israeli intelligence officials, Iran and Syria have been
smuggling mass quantities of weaponry to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The officials say Hezbollah has regained most of its strength
since the militia's war last summer with the Jewish state and
that the rate of weapons smuggling has nearly doubled the past
few weeks. "The Iranian weapons are coming in so furiously,
there are even indications Syria is worried about Israeli
deterrent action against Hezbollah," a security official said.
WND reported earlier this month Iran has been working with
Palestinian groups in Gaza to help improve the range of
Palestinian rockets, smuggle in mass quantities of weapons,
construct underground bunkers and build guerrilla-like armies.
Confident Turkey looks east, not west (March
26, 2007) - Turkey was not invited
to Europe's big birthday bash yesterday despite being an
official candidate for EU membership. Ankara expressed
disappointment at a "missed opportunity". Media reaction to the
perceived snub was sharper. "In the 1990s, the EU was a giant
organisation governed by prominent leaders," said leading
columnist Mehmet Ali Birand. "Today it has become a fat midget
that lacks perspective and is governed by small-thinkers."
Disillusion with the EU has deepened since Brussels
part-suspended talks in December after a row over Cyprus. The
hostility, as seen from Ankara, of French presidential candidate
Nicolas Sarkozy and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has
poisoned the pot further.But anger and frustration is slowly
giving way to a new, more assertive idea: that perhaps Turkey
does not really need Europe after all ... - ... and the EU will
come to regret its insultingly complacent chauvinism as Turkey
goes its own way. "Europeans underestimate the importance and
influence of Turkey," said Fuat Keyman, professor of
international relations at Istanbul's Koc university. "If they
are serious about the future of Europe as a power in global
affairs, they need to change their thinking." Turkey was
recalibrating its external ties and the EU was but one part of
the equation, Dr Keyman said. "Membership should not be seen
just as a gift to Turkey. There are benefits for Europe, too."
Semih Idiz, a foreign affairs columnist, goes further: "The EU
is off the radar. It has confirmed Turkey's worst expectations.
At present, it's an irrelevancy." Turkey's new-found confidence
about life beyond Europe is based in part on a booming economy,
whose sustained, IMF-supervised 7% annual growth rate far
outperforms large EU states. Export earnings are rising too,
including in the Arab lands of the old Ottoman empire.
more...
Leader says Iran will retaliate if attacked (March 21, 2007) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday Iran would hit back with everything it has if attacked over its nuclear program, which the United States believes is aimed at making atom bombs. Khamenei, who has previously threatened U.S. regional interests if attacked, was speaking in the northeastern city of Mashhad to mark the Iranian new year, which falls on March 21. "If they want to threaten us and use force and violence against us, they should not doubt that Iranian officials will use all they have in their power to deal a blow to those who assault them," he said in an address carried by Iranian television news. The United Nations Security Council is considering new sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program, whose product can be used to make fuel for power generation or, when more highly enriched, nuclear weapons. Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, insists the program is peaceful and aimed solely at generating electricity. Khamenei said Iran's nuclear work followed international rules, but if major powers via the Security Council took "illegal actions" and ignored Iran's rights, "we can also carry out illegal actions and we will do that." Washington has said it would prefer a diplomatic solution to the standoff, but has not ruled out military options.| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iranian Defense Minister in Syria (March 17, 2007) - Iran's Defense Minister, Brigadier-General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, is in Syria on an official visit, and is scheduled to attend talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "Expansion of defense and military cooperation between Iran and Syria" was the focus of the first round of talks by the two countries' defense ministers in Damascus on Saturday, according to Iranian news agency Fars. The two ministers also "explored... ways of accelerating implementation of the two countries' agreements." General Najjar arrived in Damascus Friday night on a three-day visit, and was given an official welcome by his Syrian counterpart Lieutenant General Hassan Ali Turkman. The visit follows Turkmani's trip to Tehran last June. Report: Syria stations missiles along Israeli border Syria has stationed thousands of missiles along the Israeli border, Agence France-Presse reported, relying on unnamed military sources who said the rockets are camouflaged or hidden underground and can strike at targets from the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) to Haifa. IDF officials responded that they have not noted any unusual activity and that Syria is not preparing to attack Israel. They said, however, that increased arms sales from Russia to Syria have brought back bitter memories of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Then, top military and intelligence advisors convinced Golda Meir, who was Prime Minister, that her fears of war were exaggerated. The day before the Yom Kippur War broke out on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts, "we received a report that worried me," the former Prime Minister wrote in her book 'My Life'. She gathered top officials in her office hours before the beginning of Yom Kippur and told them, "I have a terrible feeling that this has all happened before" - referring to the days before the Six Day War in 1967. At the end of the meeting, the head of intelligence told her aide, "Don't worry. There won't be a war." Several hours later, Syria and Egypt staged a two-pronged attack that caught the country unaware and with its back to the wall. All sources now agree that Syria is arming, but do not agree on why. Russia has proposed a $1 billion sale of advanced anti-tank rockets to Syria, similar to the weapons that Hizbullah has successfully used against the IDF in last summer's war. The weapons have a range of six kilometers (almost four miles), and some of the rockets probably would go to Hizbullah, which Israeli officials have repeatedly insisted is smuggling weapons into Lebanon from Syria. One scenario that discounts war is that Syria simply is preparing its defense against an Israeli attack. Former military intelligence chief Gen. Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash recently said, "In Syria's estimation it is preparing for a war this [coming] summer initiated by Israel, not Syria, and so it is focusing on reinforcing its arsenal." more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | (March 9, 2007) - Quoting three Israeli military and two government sources, the French news agency AFP reports the Syrian army has accelerated its deployment of medium and long-range rockets capable of striking major towns across northern Israel. DEBKAfile’s sources note the timing of the unusual disclosure, the day before the Iraqi neighbors’ conference in Baghdad. It appears to be aimed at deterring Syria from being tempted into military action to ease the sense of isolation which the Baghdad meeting will tend to aggravate. In its detailed report, AFP discloses that most of the Syrian rockets positioned on Israel’s border are 220 mm with a range of 70 km and 302 mm rockets with a reach of 100 km, AFP reports. The latter could reach Israel’s third largest port city of Haifa and its industries, as well as Tiberias and Kiryat Shemona. Many are hidden in underground chambers and camouflaged silos. The Israeli sources said Syria had built a system of fortified underground tunnels along its border with Israel. They also believed Syria had deployed several FROG rocket launchers with a 550-kilogram warhead and 70-km range in areas between the border and the capital Damascus, 40 km away. Syria concentrates most of its long-range surface missiles in the north. Its decision to bring them so close to the border may indicate that Damascus is seriously thinking of attacking Israel. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that this redeployment indicates Syria is anticipating an Israeli response to a potential attack by moving tank and armored infantry across the border to strike the rocket formations. The FROG rockets would be used against this incursion. AFP’s sources see the deployment as an indication that Damascus may be preparing for future “low intensity warfare.” The massive deployment of well-entrenched rockets poses “a real strategic threat” to Israel. Those sources therefore rebut the low expectations of war with Syria this summer as voiced by Israel’s chief of staff and military intelligence chiefs on Feb. 25. At the time, DEBKAfile’s military experts challenged this evaluation and criticized Lt. Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi for reflecting the Olmert government minister’s political line which is one of unquestioning alignment with the current US-Saudi strategy regardless of Israel’s national interests. A senior government official also told AFP: Israel has absolute superiority in several fields of warfare,” referring to advanced air force and “smart” weapons. DEBKAfile has reported that Russia was selling Syria thousands more advanced anti-tank missiles capable of piercing tank armor of the types which reached Hizballah from Syria in last year’s conflict. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Russia Moves in Support of Syria, Iran, Hamas-led PA (February 27, 2007) - Russia’s announcement Tuesday [February 27] that it would work to promote international support for the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority [PA], its intention to supply missiles to Syria, and its opposition to sanctions against Iran present a worrying trend for Israel. Russian officials said that the agreement reached between the leaders of Hamas and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas [Abu Mazen] to incorporate the latter’s Fatah terrorist organization in the PA governing coalition is sufficient cause to end the international boycott of the PA. The Western nations imposed the financial boycott of the PA in January of last year, when the Islamic fundamentalist Hamas organization swept the majority of the seats in the PA parliament in a landslide election victory. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the agreement reached in Mecca earlier this month between Fatah and Hamas shows “wisdom, reason, and responsibility before the Palestinian people.” He made the statement prior to meeting with Damascus-based Hamas politburo chief Kahled Mashaal. The agreement has not yet been implemented. “We are pushing for all members of the international community to support this process and make it irreversible, including efforts to lift the blockade,” Lavrov added. Speaking to Russian reporters on Tuesday, Mashaal reiterated the Hamas position that it does not recognize the State of Israel, saying, “First of all, Israel should stop the occupation of Palestine territories and put an end to the suffering of Palestinians.” The Hamas charter, as well as all of its official statements and documents, defines all of Israel, in both its pre- and post-1967 borders, as “occupied Palestine.” The Russian move toward funding the Hamas regime found an echo in a report issued by the United Nations Human Rights Council, which suggested that the Western-led economic boycott of the PA must be lifted in order to fight poverty in the Gaza area. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | 'Devastating response' if Iran nukes attacked (February 26, 2007) - Iran is anticipating a U.S. or Israeli military strike on its nuclear facilities and has been providing Palestinian terrorists and other regional allies with contingency plans for attacks against the Jewish state and American regional interests in the event of war, according to Palestinian terrorist leaders. A senior leader of the Islamic Jihad terror group, which Israel says is backed by Iran, told WND Tehran is expecting to be attacked, but he didn't provide a time frame in which Iran anticipates a strike. He claimed during any attack his organization has been directed by Iran to "wreak havoc" on Israel with suicide bombings, rocket attacks and "special surprises." He said rocket attacks would be launched from both the Gaza Strip and from the West Bank, which borders Jerusalem. He threatened his terror group will target American interests in the Middle East whether any purported strike against Tehran is carried out by Israel or the U.S. "The Zionists and the Americans are coordinated 100 percent. It doesn't matter who attacks Iran, we are planning to hit them both," said the Islamic Jihad leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he said the topic was "very sensitive." He said overall Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah has been coordinating war plans with Iran, Syria and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah Lebanese militia. Shallah resides in Damascus and travels frequently to Tehran. Abu Ahmed, the northern West Bank chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror organization, told WND all major Palestinian militant organizations are preparing to work together in the event Iran is attacked. "Our strategy is not to leave the Islamic alliance (Iran) alone against the enemy. All Palestinian organizations will work together in shooting rockets, suicide bomb attacks and other steps and actions decided closely." The Brigades is the declared military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party. Together with Islamic Jihad, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has taken responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel the last two years, including a bombing last month in Eilat and an attack in Tel Aviv last April that killed eight Israelis and American teenager Daniel Wultz. Israel says major Brigades cells in the Gaza Strip and West Bank receive Iranian funding through contacts with Hezbollah. Abu Ahmed said in his terror group's estimation Iran will indeed be attacked. "It's not a question of if, but when. The campaign now in the American media is just like the campaign before the invasion of Iraq," he charged. A senior leader of the Popular Resistance Committees terror group, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WND his group has also been preparing for what he called "the upcoming war." The Committees is a coalition of terror organizations operating in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank responsible for hundreds of anti-Israel rocket and shooting attacks. It is accused of bombing a U.S. convoy in Gaza in 2003 in which three American government contractors were killed. "We are preparing the tomb that Allah is digging for the Zionists and Americans," said the Committees leader. He claimed during any U.S. or Israeli military strike against Tehran, a response will be directed against Israel and American interests by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists. "The war will be a war on more than one front. It will be everybody against everybody. Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and the Palestinian organizations will work together. War with Iran is coming and it means the Middle East will not remain the same after it," the Committees leader said. Syria and Iran signed a military agreement in which either will respond if the other is attacked. Israeli security officials told WND Israel is not currently planning to strike Iran. Speaking theoretically, they said if any war breaks out involving Iran, they expect Syria, Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists to join the fray and attack Israel. The security officials said the greatest threat Syria poses to the Jewish state are the country's missiles. They noted Syria recently test-fired two Scud-D surface-to-surface missiles, which have a range of about 250 miles, covering most Israeli territory. The officials said the Syrian missile test was coordinated with Iran and is believed to have been successful. It is not known what type of warhead the missiles were armed with. In addition to longer range Scuds, Syria is in possession of shorter range missiles such as 220mm and 305mm rockets, some of which have been passed on to Hezbollah. According to information received by Israel, Russia is set to conclude a deal worth several hundred million dollars transferring thousands of advanced antitank missiles to Syria. Antitank missiles used by Hezbollah during Israel's war in Lebanon this past summer devastated Israeli tanks and caused the highest number of Israeli troop casualties during the 34 days of military confrontations. Last week, a senior officer from the intelligence unit of the Israeli Defense Forces announced Hezbollah is stronger today than before the 2006 Lebanon war. "Hezbollah has reinforced and it is stronger today than it was before the war in Lebanon," General Yossi Beidatz, head of the IDF's intelligence research department, told the Knesset. During the war in Lebanon, Hezbollah fired more than 3,000 rockets into northern Israel, killing 39 civilians and devastating many northern towns. Beidatz also said Syria is reinforcing its military to prepare for the possibility of a new armed conflict in the region. According to reports in the Israeli media, Syria, aided by Iranian officers, has been boosting its army and navy. The reports, denied by Damascus, claimed Syria last week was moving troops closer to the border with Israel. The claim by Palestinian terrorists Iran is preparing for war come as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday his country's nuclear program cannot stop while a deputy foreign minister vowed Tehran was prepared for any eventuality, "even for war." "Iran has obtained the technology to produce nuclear fuel and Iran's move is like a train ... which has no brake and no reverse gear," Ahmadinejad said, according to Iranian state media. Manouchehr Mohammadi, a deputy at Iran's foreign ministry commented, "We have prepared ourselves for any situation, even for war." Iranian military commanders have said recent war games, the latest of which involved testing several missiles this month, show Iran's readiness to counter any attack. Meanwhile U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said over the weekend Iran's atomic ambitions must be curbed. He told reporters "all options" were on the table. During a visit to Australia, Cheney said it would be a "serious mistake" to allow Iran to become a nuclear power. An Australian newspaper quoted Cheney endorsing comments by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that the only thing worse than a military confrontation with Iran would be a nuclear-armed Iran. Iran ignored last week's United Nations deadline to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to fuel for nuclear power plants or produce material for warheads. Tehran claims it wants to negotiate but has repeatedly ruled out suspending its atomic program.| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Report: Hizbullah readying for war (February 26, 2007) - The Shiite group Hizbullah is building a new line of defenses in the United Nations-controlled zone in south Lebanon in preparation for a potential conflict with Israel, the Times of London reported Monday. Hizbullah gunmen have been guarding valleys and hillsides north of the Litani River where a military build-up is taking shape, merely six months since the end of last summer's confrontation with Israel. United Nations Resolution 1701, which ended the fighting, mandated a 12,000-strong international peacekeeping force to deploy south of the Litani River and stipulated that the Shiite group should have no visible presence there. The Times reported that Christian and Druze-owned land is being purchased by a Shia businessman, a move Hizbullah's opponents believe is aimed at creating a Shia-populated belt south of the Litani where the group can operate safely. “The state of Hizbullah is already in existence in south Lebanon,” the Druze leader and arch Hizbullah critic Walid Jumblatt told The Times. “There have been no instances of attempts to smuggle weapons into the area,” said Milos Strugar, a senior adviser for the UN force in Lebanon, adding that no armed fighters had been seen since September, the Times said. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Do you see how peace is coming from the West and war from the East? They are coming about the same time and I think that fits perfectly into scripture because Ezekiel 38 places the attack by Iran, Turkey, Russia, and others when Israel is dwelling in safety in the land. When God destroys the attackers with fire and brimstone from heaven, then Israel will turn back to God in the only way they know, the way of their forefathers. Christ blinded them at the triumphal entry because they didn't recognize the time of His visitation as prophesied in Daniel 9. They are blinded until the fullness of the Gentiles and through that fall, salvation came to the Gentiles. Romans 11 So I expect to see the EU work its magic in the Middle East to stop the violence of Islam and gain the recognition of Israel by her Muslim neighbor governments. At the very least, bring safety to Israel, if only for a short time. Peretz urges Israel to avoid verbal escalation with Syria (February 22, 2007) - Responding to a Haaretz report that Syria is boosting its army and moving troops closer to its border with Israel, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Thursday that Israel should refrain from making further statements regarding Syria, and urged officials to avoid a verbal escalation of tensions. Speaking at his weekly meeting with Defense Ministry officials, Peretz said that the situation would be assessed based on concrete information, and that the army would prepare itself as necessary. Earlier Thursday, Israel Radio quoting Syrian parliament member Mohammed Habash as denying the Haaretz report. According to the radio, Habash told the Dubai-based Al Arabiya satellite channel that nothing has changed in terms of troop size along the border, but "Syria is fully prepared for any situation [that may develop]." Habash warned that should "Israel decide to do something stupid, it would pay a heavy price." Addressing the charge that Syria's military buildup is being funded by Iran, the radio quoted Habash as saying that the "cooperation between Damascus and Tehran is no secret, as both are being faced with a direct threat." The Syrian armed forces are being strengthened in an unprecedented way in recent memory with the help of generous funding from Iran and its troops appear to be moving closer to the border with Israel. The Syrians are bolstering their forces in all areas except the air force, which has been believed to be weak for some time. The main emphasis of the efforts has been missiles and long-range rockets to compensate for the weak air force. The Syrian navy, after years of neglect, is also being reinforced with an Iranian version of a Chinese anti-ship missile, similar to the one used by Hezbollah during the second Lebanon war to strike the Israeli destroyer INS Hanit. In addition to the overall strengthening of the armed forces in Syria, there has been a redeployment of forces along the front lines. It appears that the Syrians have moved forces closer to the border with Israel on the Golan Heights. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This tension could very well build up to the destruction of Damascus prophesied in Isaiah 17. Keep watching! Turkish PM Lauds Great Progress In Iran-Turkey Ties (February 21, 2007) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan remarked here Tuesday evening that Tehran-Ankara ties have witnessed great progress in recent years. During a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on the sidelines of the 19th session of the Iran-Turkey Joint Economic and Trade Commission, he said bilateral relations had never enjoyed such a boost in the past many years. Underlining the need for further expansion of trade cooperation between the two states, Mottaki said there were great potentials in both countries for advancement of ties. He stressed that the two countries have set a target of USD 10 billion in trade exchanges for the near future.| Iran | Gog/Magog | Islam | Herb L. Peters (February 17, 2007) - John Walvoord points out that there are four blocs of nations that will converge on Israel in the final days of end-time prophecy. They are a southern alliance of nations (in relation to Israel), a northern alliance, an eastern alliance, and a western alliance (The Nations in Prophecy, page 103). What strikes me about today's news is, that's exactly what appears to be forming. Let's begin with the new military alliance being formed by a powerful king south of Israel. In our first report we read: Pakistan will play a pivotal role in a Saudi-devised strategy to build a strong Sunni block to counter the perceived growing influence in the Middle East of Shiites led by Iran, diplomatic sources in Islamabad have told Adnkronos International (AKI). The strategy includes the creation of a multinational Muslim peacekeeping force comprising troops from core Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) member states Saudi King of South. I've also been reporting how Putin's Russia has been pursuing a new, more aggressive strategy in the Middle East. In this report we read: Russia is returning to the [Middle East] region with a visage that bears hardly any resemblance to the Soviet era. Russia today is vastly leaner, more agile, resourceful and imaginative than previously. It has evidently done a lot of homework as to where things went wrong in the Soviet era. Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan in the past week harnesses a one-year period of extraordinary success in Russia's Middle East policy Russian King of North. In the east we find a new alliance forming against American interests between China, India and Russia. Here we read: In the communique issued at the end of the meeting, the foreign ministers of China, Russia and India call for the democratization of international relations. They praised multi-polarization based on equality among all countries, and mutual respect of each other's sovereignty and territory integrity China and India, Kings of East. And at the same time, we find a new European leader from an alliance of nations to Israel's west calling for much the same things as the leaders in the east. The western leaders says: The nature of the problems thrown up by globalisation mean there is no alternative to multilateral co-operation. But we need new forms, which reflect the problems and power distribution of today's world rather than that of 1945. For us in the West, it also means making space at top tables. At the UN Security Council of course. But also in terms of IMF votes. And, why not, G-8 membership? EU King of West pdf As I thought about these four blocs, I realized that all four include nuclear powers. And, all four are very interested in securing for themselves the important energy supplies of the Middle East. It's really no wonder that we're seeing these alliances now forming. And preparing Armageddon. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Russia straddles Sunni-Shi'ite divide (February 17, 2007) - "We see that new 'Berlin Walls' are being erected. Instead of a common space, what we see is that this 'Berlin Wall' is simply being shifted further east and that new bases are being established." These were Russian President Vladimir Putin's words in a media interview in Moscow last week. Never before had Putin come so close to acknowledging that he has heard the drumbeat of the "cold warriors" in the West. That Putin chose an Arab media outlet to make such a stark description should come as no surprise. Of all regions, it is in the Middle East that the tensions that have been accruing in Russia-US relations over recent years have begun outstripping other turfs - the Black Sea, the Caspian, the Caucasus, Central Asia. The Middle East is also a region where it is to Russia's advantage tactically to differentiate its policies from those of the West. Russia-US discord in the Middle East has picked up the thread from where the two powers left off some two decades ago. But Russia is returning to the region with a visage that bears hardly any resemblance to the Soviet era. Russia today is vastly leaner, more agile, resourceful and imaginative than previously. It has evidently done a lot of homework as to where things went wrong in the Soviet era. Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan in the past week harnesses a one-year period of extraordinary success in Russia's Middle East policy. It all began last March when a Hamas delegation led by Khaled Meshaal was hosted by Moscow. The event was a loud declaration that Russia was returning to big-time politics. Israel promptly protested that the Russian act was a "real knife in the back". But Moscow was undeterred. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed, "The talks in Moscow are not a one-off action." more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Putin calls for convening broad int'l conference on Mideast
issues (February
14, 2007) - Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin
called here on Tuesday for convening a new broad international
conference on Middle East issues which all concerned parties,
including Lebanon and Syria, should participate in. At a joint
press conference with Jordan's King Abdullah II after their
talks, Putin said, "We confirm our call for a broad
international conference in the Middle East and we see the
number of supporters of this proposal growing." "But it should
be well prepared and the agenda should include the Palestinian
and the Lebanese Syrian tracks," said Putin, who arrived in
Jordan late on Monday on the final leg of his regional tour. The
two leaders vowed in their talks to exert efforts and further
cooperate to achieve a Palestinian-Israeli settlement and turn
the Middle East into a zone free from weapons of mass
destruction. Putin said Russia, a member of the Quartet on the
Middle East, would "use its influence in the region, its special
relations with Arab friends and Israel" to achieve a settlement.
The Russian president is due to meet Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, currently on a visit to Amman, later in the day
to discuss ways to revive the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian
peace process. As Herb Peters stated in His post, Like Reading the Bible, "it appears possible part of Putin's new Middle East strategy could be to lure Israel into her foretold false sense of security." Putin, Saudi king meet in landmark visit (February 12, 2007) - President Vladimir Putin of Russia held talks yesterday with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the first visit by a Russian leader to the kingdom. King Abdullah gave Putin, who accused the United States on Saturday of making the world a more dangerous place, a red carpet welcome. Prior to the talks urged Moscow to help revive the Arab-Israeli peace process. "There is no doubt that Russia has an important role in achieving peace," the king told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency ahead of the trip, which Moscow hopes will help restore Soviet-era links with the Middle Eastern region. Saudi media has said Moscow also wants to sell Riyadh, which enjoyed a record budget surplus of $78 billion last year on high oil prices, military hardware including tanks, and antimissile systems as well as win a tender to expand Saudi railways. Putin's trip highlights a growing connection between the two nations after the king's visit to Moscow in 2003. Riyadh revived its ties with Moscow in 1990 as the communist Soviet era ended. The two nations first established diplomatic ties in the 1920s. King Abdullah had said he hoped Putin's visit would further cooperation on oil and in investment and air transport, but he gave no details. Ahead of the visit, Putin criticized the United States, saying Washington was making the world a more dangerous place by pursuing policies aimed at making it the "one single master." His remarks coincided with disagreement between Russia and the United States over the Iraq war and the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea. more...| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran Consults With Russia On Security (February 9, 2007) - Yesterday Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin with Ali Akbar Velayati, the personal envoy of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran is making a concerted effort to convince Moscow to lend its support in Iran's standoff with Washington. To show the seriousness of its intentions, Iran yesterday carried out a test of a Russian anti-aircraft Top-M1 missile system, and the country's top spiritual leader threatened to strike "at American interests around the world." Tehran is making its bid for the goodwill of the Russian president on the eve of an international security summit in Munich, at which President Putin is scheduled to give the keynote address. Yesterday in Moscow Ali Akbar Velayati, a former foreign affairs minister who is one of Iran's most experienced diplomats, met with a number of top Russian foreign policy officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and National Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, before meeting in the evening with President Vladimir Putin. And while the official line from the Russian negotiators was neutral and cautious, Mr. Velayati was effusive in his compliments: "The steps that Russia is taking have the unconditional support of Iran," declared the Iranian leader's official envoy. "Russia, as an important world power, and Iran, an important regional power, in the future will play a key role in the evolution of this sensitive region." more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Ahmadinejad warns of 'deterioration' (February 7, 2007) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel's excavation work at the Mugrabi gate near the Temple Mount was a "provocative action which would lead to the deterioration of hostilities in the region," the Fars news agency reported Wednesday evening. The Iranian president added that "destruction, conflict and tension constitute the nature of the Zionist regime." He also called on the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the world Muslim states to "foil the devilish plot of the Israeli regime," and slammed the United Nations over what he described as "their silence in the face of the incident." Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini echoed Ahmadinejad's statement, claiming that "the destruction of al-Aqsa was part of a premeditated plot against Muslims." A few hours earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Jerusalem excavations and called on Islamic nations to retaliate against Israel. ''The world of Islam should show a serious reaction to the Zionist regime's insult to Al-Aqsa Mosque,'' Iranian state television quoted Khamenei as saying during a meeting with Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, leader of the Islamic Jihad organization. "Silence is not an option given these actions, the Muslim world must respond," said Khamenei. Khamenei did not say what sort of response he intended, but said Israel should be made to ''regret'' what it is doing. Khamenei also addressed the violent clashes within the Palestinian Authority: "Everyone, including the Palestinian factions and Islamic states, needs to make an effort to agree on a ceasefire soon so that the enemy's plot will fail." "Hizbullah's victory, the successes of Hamas and Iran's achievements all fulfill Allah's promises and fill the hearts of Muslims with hope and determination," said Khamenei. Meanwhile Damascus also condemned the Mugrabi works on Wednesday. A Syrian Foreign Ministry official told the state-run news agency that, "Syria strongly condemns these violations, and considers them a blatant affront to Muslim waqfs and the feelings of Muslims worldwide." Jordanian King Abdullah also had harsh words regarding the works on Tuesday: "Israeli excavation works near the al-Aqsa mosque in the holy city of Jerusalem have led to a dangerous rise in Middle East tensions and could derail revival of Arab-Israeli peace talks. "What Israel is doing in its practices and attacks against our sacred Muslim sites in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa is a blatant violation that is not acceptable under any pretext," the monarch was quoted by the state news agency Petra as saying. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Putin's visit to the Middle East will not be a mere formality (February 7, 2007) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan February 11-13, an official trip no Russian leader has ever made before (Boris Yeltsin's attendance at the burial ceremony for Jordan's King Hussein in 1999 does not count). As a result, the visit is expected to be highly productive. Russian cooperation with the three countries has been given a powerful boost in the past few years under Putin, but unlike previous visits by their leaders to Russia, it will be the Russian president's first trip there. Jordanian King Abdullah II has visited Russia six times since 2001. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, was in Russia in 2001, and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud visited Moscow in 2003 when he was the Crown Prince. In fact, the period between 2001 and 2003 was a time of growing political and economic cooperation between Russia and the three Arab countries. It was also a time of change in the Middle East, marked by the 9/11 tragedy in the United States, the toppling of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and the derailing of the Middle East peace process that began in 1991. The world changed, along with the lineup of forces in the region and the attitude of Middle East countries to one another and to the rest of the world. Above all, they have been forced to confront internal problems previously out of public view. I am referring primarily to their political reform programs and to the radicalization of Islam. At the same time, Russia diversified its foreign policy by revising its pro-Western leanings of the 1990s and focusing on internal stability, and by maintaining an ethnic and confessional balance also dependent on the Islamic factor. Russia has increasingly been positioning itself as an intermediary between the West and the East, although the results of those efforts are not yet clear. Russian policy in the past few years has been characterized by an unprecedented rapprochement with the Muslim world, efforts to strengthen business ties with Arab countries, and significant initiatives in the Middle East peace process. The Middle East is learning to trust Russia, as demonstrated by the observer status it was granted in the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 2005, and the establishment of the Russia-Muslim World Strategic Vision Group in 2006. more...| Gog/Magog | Islam |
Iran 'Prepared to Teach a Lesson to Possible Aggressors ... to
Make Them Repent Forever' (February
6, 2007) - Iran's defense minister reportedly warned the
U.S. that if it attacks, Tehran is ready to teach Americans a
lesson that will make them "repent forever." Defense Minister
Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, quoted Tuesday in an interview with the
Algerian News Network, charged that U.S. troop presence in the
region creates "crisis" and "insecurity" in the region, and
called for the removal of American presence in the region. The
Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) carried the defense
minister's remarks on its Web site. Iran is "fully prepared to
teach a lesson to possible aggressors," Mohammad-Najjar said.
Iran is ready and willing to "confront any threat" from the
U.S., and its "hostile approach" toward the country's nuclear
installations, he added. "By resorting to psychological war, the
U.S. attempts to exert pressure on Iran. But such methods will
rather increase the problems and complications facing the
American forces in the region," he said.
Click here to read Islamic Republic News Agency version of the
story. more... Just Connecting Dots Herb L. Peters (February 2, 2007) - We all have dots. The problem is connecting them. But, it's my job to try. I don't believe the street fighting between Hamas and Fatah is independent from what happened at the Quartet meeting in Washington. I notice that the on again, off again, cease-fire is being negotiated by Fatah in Gaza and Hamas, not in Gaza, but Hamas' supreme leader in Syria. This report says: The cease-fire agreement was announced late Friday on the deadliest single day of battles between the two sides, who have been fighting for control of the Palestinian government since the Islamic militant Hamas ousted Fatah from power in last year's elections. Palestinian officials said the deal was approved by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Hamas' supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal. But the cease-fire - the second announced this week - showed no signs of taking hold Read about it here. Then at yesterday's gathering of the so-called Quartet, Russian's Sergey Lavrov surprised other members of the group with an off key solo. Lavrov insisted both Syria and Hamas had to be included in the negotiations for the creation of a Palestinian state Read about it here. The interesting thing here is, Russia has recently entered into new security arrangements with Syria. In other words, Syria has become a Russian proxy and Hamas a Syrian proxy. Now, if on the side Russia is singing trio with Syria and Hamas, what would Russia be wanting from the Quartet? Perhaps this interesting piece provides a possible answer. Quoting Lavrov: "There are alarming developments. The balance of conventional weapons in East and West has shifted considerably," he [Lavrov] said, noting most former members of the Soviet-aligned Warsaw Pact had joined NATO since the break-up of the Soviet Union. "And ultimately the military presence of the United States in Europe is becoming a strategic factor," he added. Lavrov reiterated Russian concerns about U.S. plans to site a missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic and noted there was little to separate this technology from systems that could be used for offensive purposes. "This is creating a completely new situation," he said. "We want to be told quite clearly why this is happening. We don't see any objective reason for this step" Read about it here. For the Israeli and the Palestinian people the sad fact is, even in the Quartet, the group of important international players that was created to bring peace to the tormented Middle East, personal interests remain the bottom line. Hamas wants to destroy Israel, Syria wants its way in Lebanon and the return of the Golan Heights, and Russia wants the growing strategic alliance between America and the EU to back away from her doorstep. That's why I suspect the fighting between Hamas and Fatah may be related to what happened at the Quartet meeting. For peace in the Middle East, a few more deals must be made. Just connecting dots.| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Iranian Weapons Experts Arrested in Gaza, Ceasefire in Tatters ( February
2, 2007) - Five Iranian weapons experts were
caught in a raid by Fatah loyalists late Thursday night,
according to PA sources. One Iranian committed suicide during
the operation. An Iranian general was reportedly one of those captured in the
raid at the Islamic University in Gaza City, long considered a
Hamas stronghold. No names or photos of the Iranian operatives
have been released. Fierce battles between Hamas and Fatah
continued on Friday, and at least another seven Gaza men were
reported killed. Hamas operatives first killed two Fatah
intelligence officers, and shortly afterwards, a number of Force
17 men stationed in a Fatah outpost were reported seriously
wounded. Hamas fired mortar shells on Fatah positions throughout
Gaza early Friday afternoon. Some 25 PA residents were wounded
overnight as Fatah and Hamas warred for control of the
government, tearing the ceasefire to tatters. Palestinian
Authority officials called for Gazan residents to donate blood
to help treat the many wounded. On Thursday, the Fatah forces
also stormed and took control of Hamas-controlled PA government
offices as well as setting fire to a building at the university.
Between six and nine Palestinian Authority residents, including
terrorists, were killed, and some 1,400 guns and missiles were
found in the university and confiscated. Fatah officials said
Ahmad Ja’abri, a Hamas commander believed to have planned the
raid in which IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit was kidnapped last June, was
seriously wounded during the raid. Deputy Defense Minister
Ephraim Sneh said Friday morning that Iran has been “very
intensely involved [in] upgrading the professional capacity of
the terrorist groups” in Gaza. Meanwhile, an Israeli security
source sided with the Fatah version of yesterday's clash that
left six Gazan Arabs dead. The Israeli source told Arutz-7's
Haggai Huberman that the Egyptian truck convoy that entered Gaza
in fact contained no weapons - just as Fatah had claimed. The
convoy contained logistical equipment such as tents, chemical
lavatories and cars, the source said. Hamas had claimed that the
convoy contained weapons destined for Fatah, and therefore
mounted a large-scale attack upon the trucks and guards. Five
Fatah terrorists and one child were killed, and a dozen Fatah
men were kidnapped. more...
Quartet Statement (February
2, 2007) - The Quartet Principals - Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, High
Representative for European Foreign and Security Policy Javier
Solana, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and
European Commissioner for External Relations Benita
Ferrero-Waldner - met today in Washington to discuss the
situation in the Middle East. The Quartet welcomed UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the representative of the EU
Presidency, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Recognizing the critical need to end the Palestinian/Israeli
conflict, which would contribute to security and stability in
the region, the Quartet pledged to support efforts to
put in place a process with the goal of ending the
occupation that began in 1967 and creating an
independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state, living
side-by-side in peace and security with Israel, and reaffirmed
its commitment to a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace
based on UNSCRs 242 and 338. The Quartet expressed
the hope that the result-oriented dialogue initiated between
Israeli and Palestinian leaders will continue in the framework
of a renewed political process with the aim of launching
meaningful negotiations. The Quartet undertook to give active
follow-up to these meetings and to remain closely engaged at
this moment of increased activity and dialogue. The Quartet
reaffirmed its commitment to meet regularly at both the
principals and envoys level according to an agreed calendar,
including with the parties and other regional partners, to
monitor developments and actions taken by the parties and to
discuss the way ahead. The Quartet noted its support for
renewed dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and
welcomed the December 23 meeting between Israeli PM Olmert and
PA President Abbas, and the subsequent implementation of some
steps discussed at that meeting. The Quartet urged the parties
to implement fully steps discussed at the December 23 meeting,
to refrain from taking any measures that could predetermine
the number of issues that will be resolved in negotiations, to
meet their respective obligations under phase one of the
Roadmap and under the Agreement on Movement and Access, and to
seek to fulfill their obligations under the Sharm el-Sheikh
Understandings of 2005. more...
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | America | I think God has a couple things to say about this and given the history of those who try to get Israel out of the Land, I think it should be understood that God will punish those that come against Israel whom He Himself has placed there as prophesied in Ezekiel 36,37. However, God has also made it clear that those who come against Israel will be cut to pieces.
God also promises to punish all those who oppress Israel.
As the US/EU policy moves forward to take away the Promised Land given to Israel in 1967, expect God's protection to be removed and replaced with His punishment.
The Muslim Bear? <Link
broken by Mark Hitchcock -
Ezekiel's prophecy and Russia's changing
demographics. The prophet Ezekiel predicted almost 2,600 years
ago that Rosh (modern Russia) would lead an end time invasion of
Israel. The allies of Russia in this invasion are ancient places
that today are Central Asia (Magog), Iran (Persia), Libya (Put),
Turkey (Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Togarmah), and Sudan
(Cush)—all of which are Islamic nations. In previous articles we
have speculated about what could possibly draw Russia into such
an alliance against Israel. Several reasons have been suggested:
1) Russia's desire for regional supremacy, 2) Russia's need to
maintain a counter-balance of power against the West, or 3)
Russia's reassertion of its might after its humiliation in the
early 1990s when the might Soviet Empire disintegrated. All of
these are plausible, reasonable explanations for Russia's
involvement in this future attack on Israel. However, a recent
article sheds some fascinating new light on this subject. Mark
Steyn at SteynOnline recently presented some startling
statistics about the rapidly changing demographics in Russia.
Here's what he said. There are ten million people in Moscow. Do
you know how many of them are Muslim? Two and a half million. Or
about a quarter of the population. The ethnic Russians are
older; the Muslims are younger. The ethnic Russians are already
in net population decline; the Muslim population in the country
has increased by 40% in the last 15 years. Seven out of ten
Russian pregnancies (according to some surveys) are aborted; in
some Muslim communities, the fertility rate is ten babies per
woman. Russian men have record rates of heart disease, liver
disease, drug addiction and Aids; Muslims are the only guys in
the country who aren't face down in the vodka. Faced with these
trends, most experts extrapolate: thus, it's generally accepted
that by mid-century the Russian Federation will be majority
Muslim. But you don't really need to extrapolate when the
future's already checking in at reception. The Toronto Star
(which is Canada's biggest-selling newspaper and impeccably
liberal) recently noted that by 2015 Muslims will make up a
majority of Russia's army. . . . What will happen in Russia? A
remorseless evolution into a majority Muslim state?
Bosnian-style civil war? The secession of a dozen or so of
Russia's 89 federal regions? A Muslim military coup? Or a
panicky attempt to arrest decline by selling off your few
remaining assets, including national resources to the Chinese
and nukes to anyone who wants them? None of us knows, but we
should know enough to know we don't know. The Russia of 15 years
ago is already ancient history. . . . By 2050, Russia will be
the umpteenth Muslim nuclear power, but the first with a
permanent seat on the UNSC. (Mark Steyn "The
Bear Goes Walkabout," marksteyn.com. 2/2/07
[Scroll down the page a
little]). Imagine that. The great Muslim bear
poised to the north of Israel. Assuming the accuracy of these
facts, or even anything close, one can see another explanation
for Russia's participation in the Islamic invasion of Israel in
the end times. Russia will lead this Islamic invading force,
because Russia itself will be dominated by Muslims. This is
something that no one could have envisioned even a decade or two
ago. Yet, it appears to be happening right before our eyes. No
one knows when the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39 will
occur, but if it's several years in the future, this dramatic
demographic shift in Russia could very well play a key part in
setting the stage for this major event of the end times.
Putin Sends Message To Iran's Supreme Leader To Strengthen Ties (January
28, 2007) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a
message on expanding mutual ties to Iran's Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the official IRNA news agency reported
on Sunday. The message was submitted on Sunday to Khamenei by
Russia's Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, who arrived in
Tehran Saturday night for talks with Iranian officials, IRNA
said. During his meeting with Ivanov, Khamenei said that Iran
and Russia can serve as partners in the political, economic,
regional and international domains. "The Islamic Republic of
Iran welcomes all-out promotion of relations with Russia,
believing that capacity for expansion of ties between the two
sides is higher than expected," Khamenei was quoted as
saying. The Iranian supreme leader pointed out that Iran and
Russia hold half of the world's total gas reserves and "the two
countries through mutual cooperation can establish an
organization of gas exporting countries like the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)." For his part, Ivanov said
that Putin believes the two countries should use all their
capacities for promotion of strategic relations and cooperation
at bilateral, regional and international levels. Calling his
talks in Tehran "positive," Ivanov said Moscow believes prospect
of cooperation between the two countries is "very good and
promising." However, the IRNA report did not mention whether
Khamenei and Ivanov discussed Iran's controversial nuclear
issue, although the Russian security chief's visit came amid
increasing international tension over Tehran's atomic program.
more...
Woolsey Warns of Global Jihad at Herzliya Conference
(January
23, 2007)
- Two Islam experts warned participants at the Herzliya
Conference on Monday that global jihad is on the rise -- and
must be taken seriously. Islamic expert and historian Bernard
Lewis spoke back-to-back with former CIA director James Woolsey
at the Herzliya Conference Monday, sounding the alarm on the
global Jihad and dismissing the concept of a Palestinian state.
“In the self-perception of the Muslim world, their primary
identity is to deliver Islam to the world – to not keep it
selflessly to themselves but to give it to mankind,” explained
Lewis. He added that the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979
signified the first major victory in the global Islamic push
toward that goal. “There are competing leaders to take this
fight ahead,” he said. “The Sunni Wahabi cause is represented by
Bin Laden. Another is the Shi’ite version, which began with the
first Iranian revolution, and the second Iranian revolution,
taking place at this moment. The whole Arab and Muslim world is
experiencing the second stage of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
“I have been told by Iranian friends that Ahmadinejad is indeed
crazy, but not stupid,” Lewis warned. “He really believes in the
end of days that he is heralding. There is a widespread belief
among Shi’ites that that time has come. Mutually assured
destruction is not a deterrent to Ahmadinejad, but an
inducement.” James Woolsey, former director of the United States
Central Intelligence Agency, addressed the conference next.
Unlike many of the speakers, Woolsey, a guest of the Jerusalem
Center for Public Affairs was present the previous day and
attended nearly all of the conference’s Sunday sessions.
more...
Iran: Israel, US will soon die
(January
23, 2007)
- Israel and the
United States will soon be destroyed, Iran's President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said Tuesday during a meeting with Syria's foreign
minister, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)
website said in a report. Iran's official FARS news agency also
reported the comments. "Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad… assured that the United States and the Zionist
regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives," the
Iranian president was quoted as saying. "Sparking discord among
Muslims, especially between the Shiites and Sunnis, is a plot
hatched by the Zionists and the US for dominating regional
nations and looting their resources," Ahmadinejad added,
according to the report. The Iranian president also directly
tied events in Lebanon to a wider plan aimed at Israel's
destruction. He called on "regional countries" to "support the
Islamic resistance of the Lebanese people and strive to enhance
solidarity and unity among the different Palestinian groups in a
bid to pave the ground for the undermining of the Zionist regime
whose demise is, of course, imminent." Ahmadinejad has
threatened the State of Israel with annihilation several times
in recent months, and has recently added the US and Britain to
the list of countries he says will be destroyed. Syria's Foreign
Minister, Wailed Mualem, accused the US of attempting to carry
out a "massacre of Muslims" and of sowing "discord among Islamic
faiths in the region." Mualem called on "regional states to pave
the ground for the establishment of peace and tranquillity…
while preventing further genocide of the Muslims," the IRIB
website said.
The Damascus meeting / Waiting for the Quartet (January
22, 2007) - The
two grooms had already enjoyed a piece of Palestinian wedding
cake, even before the wedding actually took place. The two are
Syrian President Bashar Assad, who extended the invitation to
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to visit Damascus,
and Ali Larijani, chairman of the Iranian National Security
Council, who visited the Syrian capital yesterday. Thus did
Syria manage to send out the message, even if for a short while,
that the center of gravity in the handling of the Palestinian
problem had moved to her turf, and that her role was much
greater than her "modesty" in merely playing host to the
leadership of the Palestinian factions. For its part, Iran had
also made it clear that it too is an essential player in the
regional conflicts, not only in Iraq. Palestinian sources said
yesterday that had it not been for active Syrian involvement, it
is unlikely that the meeting between Abbas and Khaled Meshal,
the Hamas political bureau chief, would have taken place. In the
end, the two did meet, as a gesture of good will toward their
hosts. Also active were Saudi Arabian officials, who held
intensive meetings with the Syrian president and with Abbas and
Meshal, in an effort to reach an agreeable formula that can
serve as a platform for a Palestinian national unity government.
An unusual common denominator was reached, linking the Saudis,
Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Hamas, all of which agreed that there
is no need for early elections in the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas wants to avoid a possible defeat at the polls, whereas the
others are afraid of yet another electoral victory for the
radical Islamic organization. This was the motive for pushing
Abbas toward a compromise solution on the formation of a
national unity government. But herein also lies the main
problem, which is the political platform of a unity government
and its willingness to accept the Arab League resolution that
was agreed upon during the Beirut summit of 2002 - or at least a
version of that resolution that would appear to be a recognition
of Israel and an agreement to honor previous Palestinian accords
with it. more... I wonder what might give Israel a reason to attack Damascus? Isaiah 17
Politics according to the Turkish State’s mentality (January
22, 2007) - In a speech in front of his Islamic party,
January 16, the Turkish prime minister, referring to Iraq, said:
Turkey has historical and cultural bonds and has 350 kilometers
long borders with Iraq, we can not sit on grandstand seats and
all these actions are going on in neighboring Iraq. We are
saying this openly. The prime minister Receb Tayib Erdogan
emphasizes in his speech on the unity of Iraq, distribution of
Iraq’s resources on all Iraqis without differences. He also
says; in Iraq one single ethnic or religious group should not
dominate and rule other religious or ethnic groups. The prime
minister refers to the city of Kirkuk (a city with mixed ethnic
population, and geographically belongs to the autonomous Kurdish
region in the northern Iraq). He says; Kirkuk can not belong to
one ethnic group, Kirkuk belongs to all Iraqis. What is
interesting in this speech is that a prime minister of a
sovereign state dictating his wishes on another sovereign state,
namely Iraq. Iraq has its newly ratified national constitution
that Iraqis in a free election, first in the country’s history,
voted on. In this constitution, even the issue of Kirkuk has
been codified and a timetable and a schedule have been set to
normalize the life in the city after all atrocities caused by
Saddam Huseins regime, especially to the Kurdish population of
the city. The 140 + in the Iraqi national constitution, that all
Iraqis agreed on, is to deal with the issue of Kirkuk. This is
an internal issue and only the Iraqis have the right to find a
suitable solution that satisfies all Iraqis and not other
nations. It is extremely unusual for a democratic country to
dictate its wish on a democratically elected government in
another country. If the reason is because of “the historical and
cultural bonds” between these two countries, so, and according
to the same logic, Iraq has reciprocal right to express its
wishes regarding Turkey. For instance, Iraqis would like to see
a Turkey where even Kurds (more than 15 millions), Arabs,
Armenians, and other Christian groups have the right to speak
and study their own languages and explore their own history and
culture. In Iraq and particularly in Kirkuk, e.g. Turkomens,
Arabs, Assyrians and Kurds have their own schools and have the
right to publish books and newspapers in their own languages.
more...
Defense official: Time to break Iran-Syria alliance
(January 21, 2007) - VIDEO
- Israel must sever the alliance between Tehran and Damascus
within the next year, senior Defense Ministry official Amos
Gilad said Sunday evening during a session of the Herzliya
Conference. "Israel must uproot the Iran-Syria alliance, either
by diplomacy or through military means, within the next year,"
said Gilad, the director of the Defense Ministry's
Political-Military Bureau. He added that the alliance between
the two countries was based purely on common interests, and that
"the Iranians do not like the Syrian regime." Outlining Syria's
capabilities, Amos said Damascus could "bring down the Lebanese
government, and destroy the legitimacy of international forces.
Syria can and does support Hamas and Islamic Jihad with weapons
and finances, and can collapse the Palestinian Authority," he
added, saying such factors meant that Syria's union with Iran
must be severed. Gilad said Arab Sunni states had reached a
point of "deep fear" of Iran, and have begun talking about
creating their own nuclear programs to counter the Iranian
threat. "In the Middle East, when you start talking, you don't
know where it can lead," he said, adding that Israel was faced
with an ideal opportunity to form an alliance with Egypt,
Jordan, and other Sunni Arab states to confront Iran.
more...
Ahmadinejad Says Ready for War With US & Israel
(January 19, 2007)
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Thursday that
Iran is now fully prepared for a war with Israel and the United
States. "Today, with the grace of God, we have gone through the
arduous passes and we are ready for anything in this path,"
Ahmadinejad said, according to Iran’s state-run TV. The comments
were in response to the US decision to send the USS Stennis to
the Perisan Gulf, joining another such vessel already stationed
there. Iranian media is also reporting that 3,000 centrifuges
are prepared to go online. Ahmadinejad responded to criticism
from Iranians who say Iran should compromise its nuclear
ambitions to avoid a conflict with the Western world and
sanctions from the UN. "Unfortunately, some inside the country
try to fabricate news and portray a bad image of the great
achievement of the Iranian nation," he said. "[They] prescribe
compromise and repeat the words of the enemy. Of course, this
will have no effect. Their aim is to frighten Iran and weaken
the resistance of the Iranian nation, but they will not
succeed.” Meanwhile, Mohamed El Baradei, who heads the UN’s
nuclear watchdog agency, said he was concerned that UN sanctions
on Iran could escalate the standoff with the West and called for
a resumption of negotiations. In the eight years following the
Egyptian’s appointment to head the watchdog group, it has failed
to detect covert nuclear programs in three countries. It also
failed to detect the “nuclear supermarket” run by the Pakistani
scientist A. Q. Khan. Meanwhile, the Hashemite King of Jordan
told Haaretz that his regime is also seeking to become a nuclear
power. As the Hashemite regime is propped up by the West in a
country that is majority Palestinian, Jordanian nukes would be
only an election away from being controlled by an Islamist
group, possibly Hamas. “The rules have changed on the nuclear
subject throughout the whole region,” King Abdullah II said.
“Where I think Jordan was saying, 'we'd like to have a
nuclear-free zone in the area,' after this summer, everybody's
going for nuclear programs. The Egyptians are looking for a
nuclear program. The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] are looking
at one, and we are actually looking at nuclear power for
peaceful and energy purposes.”
Senior Hamas official confirms talks in Damascus to prepare
Palestinian president's visit (January
13, 2007) - Envoys of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
have been holding secret meetings with the top leader of the
militant Hamas group exiled in Syria to end deadly Palestinian
infighting and prepare new coalition talks, senior officials
said Saturday. Abbas will come to Damascus early next week to
meet exiled Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal and Syrian officials,
said Moussa Abu Marzouk, the deputy head of Hamas' political
bureau in Syria. "I hope his (Abbas') meetings in Damascus will
be constructive and lead to solving all outstanding problems
that have broken the dialogue in the past," said Abu Marzouk in
an interview with The Associated Press. An Abbas aide confirmed
that the Palestinian president planned to meet with Mashaal on
Monday. Officials from both Palestinian sides said significant
progress has been made in the secret talks over the past two
weeks between Mashaal and two Abbas envoys, independent
legislator Ziad Abu Amr and Mohammed Rashid — a former adviser
to Abbas' predecessor, the late Yasser Arafat. The envoys were
heading to Damascus for another round of talks Saturday
following a stop in Qatar, which has been mediating between
Palestinian factions, officials said on condition of anonymity
because they are not authorized to talk to the media. Abu
Marzouk said mediations were geared at resuming negotiations
between the Hamas-led government and Abbas' more moderate Fatah
party to form a national unity Cabinet. He predicted that
dialogue would resume in the next few days. The bitter Hamas and
Fatah rivals have repeatedly failed in recent months to form a
coalition because of disagreements over a political program and
control over key Cabinet posts. Hamas has also balked at
international demands that any Palestinian government recognize
Israel, renounce violence and accept existing peace deals.
more...
EU says “unacceptable” it was uninformed about oil pipeline
disruption (January
9, 2007) - The European Commission stressed on Tuesday
that it was “unacceptable” that it had not been informed of the
halt in Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline in
Belarus and called for shipments to resume “immediately”. “The commission has underlined that it is
unacceptable that energy suppliers or transit countries do not
inform their counterparts of any decisions that may effect their
supplies,” said commission spokesman on energy issues, Ferran
Tarradellas. He called on “the two parties involved to rapidly
find a mutually acceptable solution and to restore oil supplies
to the European Union immediately.” The European Union’s
executive arm also convoked an “urgent” meeting of top EU oil
supply officials to discuss the situation on Thursday morning
and did not rule out the possibility that Russian or Belarussian
officials could be invited to attend. Belarussian officials
arrived in Moscow for talks on Tuesday after a cut in oil
supplies from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline across Belarus
to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Poland and Slovakia.
Belarus is insisting that Russia pay a 45-dollar-per-tonne fee
for oil transiting through the pipeline across its territory,
but Moscow says the fee is illegal. Both countries accuse each
other of provoking the halt in supplies. About 12.5 percent of
the oil the EU consumes is transited through the pipeline from
Russia, which provides half of the 27-nation bloc’s oil imports.
The EU has grown increasingly concerned over the last year about
its reliance on Russian gas and oil supplies, especially after a
gas price dispute a year ago between Russia and the Ukraine
disrupted EU supplies.
more...
Russia Slams US Sanctions on its Military Firms Ties with Iran
(January
7, 2007) - "This is by far not the first time the US
resorts to illegal attempts to spread its internal legislation
on foreign companies and force them to abide by the US rules,"
Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Federal
Register, a record of US policy actions, published a State
Department notice on Friday listing 24 businesses -- including
four in Russia and others in China, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia,
Mexico, North Korea, Sudan and Syria -- that it said engaged in
actions that triggered the sanctions. The sanctions went into
effect Dec. 28, the notice said, and will remain in place for
two years unless the secretary of state lifts them. The notice
said the 24 incurred sanctions under the Iran and Syria
Nonproliferation Act by providing materials that could
contribute to the development of weapons of mass destruction or
cruise or ballistic missile systems by Iran or Syria. A call for
comment to the US State Department was not returned on Saturday.
Rosoboronexport, one of the world's biggest arms traders, has
recently won control of the Russian firm VSMPO-Avisma, the
world's largest titanium producer. It is a key supplier of
titanium parts to US aviation giant Boeing and Europe's EADS. In
August, Washington slapped sanctions on Rosoboronexport and
warplane maker Sukhoi under a US law that penalizes companies
for working with Iran. In November, Washington formally lifted
the sanctions against Sukhoi, which is developing the Russian
Regional Jet with Boeing. Moscow said the latest US sanctions
against its arms firms were again groundless and added, "And yet
once again, the United States is embarking on this vicious
circle. more...
Revealed: Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran
(January
7, 2007) - ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans to destroy
Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear
weapons. Two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up
an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters”,
according to several Israeli military sources. The attack would
be the first with nuclear weapons since 1945, when the United
States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The
Israeli weapons would each have a force equivalent to
one-fifteenth of the Hiroshima bomb. Under the plans,
conventional laser-guided bombs would open “tunnels” into the
targets. “Mini-nukes” would then immediately be fired into a
plant at Natanz, exploding deep underground to reduce the risk
of radioactive fallout. “As soon as the green light is given, it
will be one mission, one strike and the Iranian nuclear project
will be demolished,” said one of the sources. The plans,
disclosed to The Sunday Times last week, have been prompted in
part by the Israeli intelligence service Mossad’s assessment
that Iran is on the verge of producing enough enriched uranium
to make nuclear weapons within two years. Israeli military
commanders believe conventional strikes may no longer be enough
to annihilate increasingly well-defended enrichment facilities.
Several have been built beneath at least 70ft of concrete and
rock. However, the nuclear-tipped bunker-busters would be used
only if a conventional attack was ruled out and if the United
States declined to intervene, senior sources said. Israeli and
American officials have met several times to consider military
action. Military analysts said the disclosure of the plans could
be intended to put pressure on Tehran to halt enrichment, cajole
America into action or soften up world opinion in advance of an
Israeli attack. Some analysts warned that Iranian retaliation
for such a strike could range from disruption of oil supplies to
the West to terrorist attacks against Jewish targets around the
world. more...
Iran
Warns Against Attacking After Report Says Israel Planning
Nuclear Strike
(January
7, 2007) - Israel is denying a report in a British
newspaper that the country has drawn up secret plans to target
Iran's nuclear facilities with tactical nuclear weapons.
Speculation has been rife about an Israeli pre-emptive strike
against Iran since the Iranian president threatened to destroy
the Jewish state. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in
Jerusalem. Israel's Foreign Ministry denied a report in London's
Sunday Times that said the Israeli air force is training for a
tactical nuclear strike on uranium enrichment facilities in
Iran. Quoting Israeli military sources, the paper said the
secret plan involves using low-yield nuclear "bunker busters."
The report said Israeli pilots have flown to Gibraltar in recent
weeks to train for the 3,000-kilometer round-trip flight to
Iranian targets. But, in a brief statement, the Foreign Ministry
said Israel prefers diplomacy, including full implementation of
U.N. sanctions on Iran. At the same time, Israel believes those
sanctions are not strong enough. Israeli analyst Cameron Brown:
"They are very, very light sanctions, and very limited in scope.
Sanctions that have been imposed are totally insufficient to
convince the Iranians that the price is far too high to bear,"
Brown says. Brown says what is needed is a series of sanctions
... "...that are going to have to become much, much more
comprehensive, and going to have to be much more penetrating, if
they are going to have any chance of success at all," he says.
More than a year ago, the Iranian president threatened to wipe
Israel off the map, and, since then, Israeli officials have said
repeatedly that they cannot allow Iran to acquire nuclear
weapons. The Israeli air force destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor
in 1981, but an attack on Iran is much more complicated. Iran's
nuclear facilities are spread out and fortified deep underground
in concrete. Therefore, some experts believe the only way Israel
can destroy Iran's nuclear facilities is with tactical nuclear
weapons.
more...
Clouds of War: The Year Ahead for Israel
(January 2, 2007) -
On its northern border, Israel watches Hezbollah regroup
and grow in power after last summer's four-week war. On its
southern border near the sea, chaos reigns in Gaza - one of the
world's chief collecting points for terrorists and weapons. To
the north and east is Syria, stocked with chemical weapons and
eager to make mischief against Lebanon and Israel. And finally,
from the Persian Gulf sits Iran bidding to be nuclear, dedicated
to Israel's destruction, and eager for the Islamic re-conquest
of Jerusalem. Just five months from now, Israel will mark the
40th anniversary of the six-day war, when Israeli soldiers
expanded the nation's borders and put Jerusalem under Jewish
control for the first time in 2,000 years. In 2007, Israel's
enemies will try to advance their jihadist plan to take back
Jerusalem and Israel for Islam. At the forefront is Iran, which
funds Islamic terrorist groups and militias, and by the account
of most experts is one to four years away from making nuclear
weapons. "Israel would like to see sanctions imposed on Iran
before it tests a nuclear device. But in addition to pessimism
about the effect of those sanctions, Israel is also planning for
the possibility they may go at it alone militarily against Iran
and launch a military strike. And that day may come," said
Yaakov Katz, military reporter for the Jerusalem Post. Iran's
proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, is now the strongest political
force in the country. Israel's military sees the re-arming of
Hezbollah from the Syrian border, but can do little about it.
"One way to stop that would be bomb the trucks, bomb the
convoys," said Katz. "But there would be major diplomatic
backlash as a result of that, which Israel at this point isn't
able to risk." While some in Washington call for dialogue with
Israel's enemies, some Middle East analysts, such as author and
lecturer Michael Widlanski, warn that such a move would send the
wrong signal. "If we try to placate Syria and Iran, it'll be
like trying to placate a fire by throwing more twigs on the
flames. The fire isn't gonna be convinced, it'll just get
bigger," said Widlanski. Widlanski says the Islamists are
feeding off of the perceived defeats of the U.S. in Iraq and
Israel in Lebanon. more...
Iran
Says 2007 Could Bring Islamic Messiah, Possibly This Spring
Joel C. Rosenberg
(January 2, 2007) - The New Year may not be so happy if
Iranian leaders have their way. The Islamic Messiah known as the
“Twelfth Imam” or the “Mahdi” may come to earth in 2007 and
could be revealed to the world as early as the Spring Equinox,
reports an official Iranian government news Web site. The
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Web site says the
world is now in its “last days.” It claims that the Mahdi will
first appear in Mecca, and then Medina. He will conquer all of
Arabia, Syria, Iraq, destroy Israel, and then set up a “global
government” based in Iraq, interestingly enough, not Iran. Such
Islamic eschatology (end-time theology) is driving the Iranian
regime and helps explains why Iran has no interest in helping
the United States and European Union create peace in Iraq or the
region, much less in ending its bid for nuclear weapons, the
“Iraq Study Group Report” notwithstanding. A television series
on IRIB called “The World toward Illumination” has been running
since last November to help answer the many questions Iranians
have about the end of the world as we know it. The series
explains the signs of the last days and what to expect when the
Islamic Messiah arrives. The program also says that Jesus is
coming back to earth soon as a Shiite Muslim leader and it
denounces “born-again Christians” for supporting “the illegal
Zionist state of Israel.” An Israeli news site was the first to
pick up the story and its significance to Israeli national
security, noting that the Mahdi will soon “form an army to
defeat Islam’s enemies in a series of apocalyptic battles” and
“will overcome his arch villain in Jerusalem.” Iran’s calendar
year ends on March 20, the usual date of the Spring Equinox. Is
Ahmadinejad signaling that Iran will have nuclear weapons by
then? Is he suggesting that an apocalyptic war to annihilate
Jews and Christians in Israel and the US could come in 2007,
perhaps as early as this spring or summer? It is not yet clear,
though Ahmadinejad today vowed to “humiliate” the US and
continues to vow that Israel will “vanish” soon. The IRIB series
is important in that it offers some intriguing clues as to how
Iranian Shiites believe their prophecies will play out. [Go to
Rosenberg’s blog site to read details about their beliefs.] Too
many Western analysts are missing the central importance of
Shiite eschatology in Iranian foreign policy. They mistakenly
believe that Iran’s current leadership can be somehow cajoled
into making peace with the West. Nothing could be further from
the truth.
more...
FYI: Joel Richardson has a reaction to this piece because the initial site that WND got the information from doesn't actually place a time of 2007, just that some believe the Mahdi will reappear at the spring equinox. Joel says,
Journalist: Brace for guerilla warfare in Golan
(December
31, 2006) -
Israel's poor performance against Hizbullah last summer
boosted support for President Bashar Assad 's popularity among
the Syrian people who are ready for confrontation with Israel, a
senior Syrian journalist told Ynet. "There is no doubt that the
Lebanon war and the Israeli defeat are a source of
encouragement, and also a source for recruiting the Syrian
people who see itself as a pioneer and example to other Arab
people. It is looking at how the Lebanese defeated and expelled
the Israelis from their land while its land remains occupied.
"The Syrian people understood the possibility that a war will
break out, even at the price Damascus and Syrian cities being
bombarded," a senior Syrian journalist told Ynet. His words
reflect the Syrian regime's mood as Israel continues to shun
Syrian peace overtures. Assad has been signaling willingness to
talk peace with the Jewish state, but on the other hand, the
journalist says, "The principle is that so long we haven't freed
our land in a peaceful path, we are entitled to do so
militarily. The Syrian people in the occupied Golan Heights have
the right to return to their homeland." He said that Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert's ruling out of talks with Syria is a sign
that, "Israelis are not serious about talks with Syria … one
time they demand that Syria sever its ties with Israel, another
time to sever ties with Hizbullah – and another time with Hamas.
All this show that the Israelis look for excuses in order not to
deal with the real issue – fully withdrawing from the Golan
Heights."
more...
'Israeli weapons transfer to be used against Jews' (December
28, 2006) - Weapons transferred yesterday with
the help of Israel
to militants from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas'
Fatah party will be used in attacks against the Jewish state, a
senior Fatah militant told WND. Also, a leader of the Popular
Resistance Committees, a major Palestinian terror group
suspected of attacks against U.S. Middle East
targets, told WND his organization has infiltrated Fatah and
likely will obtain some of the new arms. According to reports
here, Egypt yesterday transferred 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles,
20,000 magazines and two million rounds of ammunition to Fatah
security organizations in the Gaza Strip to bolster the groups
in clashes against rival Hamas factions.
Hamas and Fatah have engaged in
heavy firefights since Abbas earlier this month called for new
Palestinian elections in a move widely seen as an attempt to
dismantle the Hamas-led PA. The Egyptian weapons were delivered
yesterday with the help of the Israeli Defense Forces and with
authorization from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, according
to Israel's Haaretz daily newspaper. Israeli and Palestinian
security officials confirmed the Egyptian weapons shipments to
WND. According to the officials, four trucks filled with
Egyptian weapons were transferred into Israel through a major
border crossing in coordination with the IDF. The Israeli army
then escorted the arms to a Gaza Strip checkpoint, where they
were received by PA security personnel affiliated with Mahmoud
Dahlan, a Fatah strongman in Gaza. Israel's Defense Ministry
said Olmert approved the Egyptian weapons shipment to bolster
peace in the region.
more...
Well duh!!! I can't believe they're giving arms to Muslims intent on taking their land in order to "bolster peace in the region." Giving weapons to Muslims thirsty for Jewish blood is always a great way to bolster peace. Are they completely blind? Yes. God has blinded them. Romans 11:8 Apparently beyond just understanding God's plan for them. Their blindness has extended to eliminate any common sense too. They're giving the guns to the people who will kill 2/3 of them immediately following the abomination of desolation.
IDF: Hizbullah almost at full strength
(December 21, 2006)
-
Predicting that it is "just a
matter of time" before Hizbullah attacks Israel, a high-ranking
officer from the Northern Command revealed to The Jerusalem
Post Wednesday that the Lebanese guerrilla group had nearly
returned to full strength and was almost at the level it was
before this summer's Lebanon war. Syria, the officer said, had
used the past four months since the end of the war to transfer -
sometimes on a daily basis - truckloads of advanced rockets and
weaponry to Hizbullah in Lebanon. The weapon transfers, he said,
were not even executed covertly, but were conducted "out in the
open" for the entire world to see. "Hizbullah needs to
legitimize its existence, and therefore will continue to fight,"
said the officer, adding that if and when Hizbullah attacked, it
would be up to the country's diplomatic echelon to determine
Israel's response. The IDF, the officer said, was busy training
brigades and battalions in urban warfare centers in the North
and the South in preparation for the possibility that a new
round of violence would erupt. The officer said that while there
was no clear intelligence indicating that war was on the
horizon, the possibility of one was the "working assumption" for
the Northern Command. "We have a wide arsenal of potential
responses," said the officer. "From another Operation Change of
Direction [name of the IDF operation during the
Lebanon war] to limiting a response to shooting the
guerrilla who attacks." The Navy has also been training for
another war and on Tuesday night conducted a number of
simulations during a visit by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan
Halutz to one of its missile ships. The officer said that while
it was possible that Hizbullah would attack Israel in the near
future, it was also possible that Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad
Saniora's government would succeed in enforcing both order in
Lebanon and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. "If the
Lebanese government does not implement the resolution then we
are most probably on our way to another round with Hizbullah,"
he said. more...
Iran's oil revenue running dry,
Iran's economic woes could make the country unstable (December
25, 2006) - Iran is suffering a staggering decline in
revenue from its oil exports, and if the trend continues income
could virtually disappear by 2015, according to an analysis
published this week in a journal of the National Academy of
Sciences. Iran's economic woes could make the country unstable
and vulnerable, with its oil industry crippled, Roger Stern, an
economic geographer at Johns Hopkins University, said in the
report and in an interview. Iran earns about $50-billion (U.S.)
a year in oil exports. The decline is estimated at 10 to 12 per
cent annually. In less than five years exports could be halved
and then disappear by 2015, Mr. Stern predicted. For two
decades, far longer than its designation by U.S. President
George W. Bush in January 2002 as part of the “axis of evil,”
the United States has deployed military forces in the region in
a strategy to pre-empt emergence of a regional superpower. Iraq
was stopped in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, but a hostile Iran
remains a target of U.S. threats. The U.S. military exercises
have not stopped Iran's drive. But the report said the country
could be destabilized by declining oil exports, hostility to
foreign investment to develop new oil resources and poor state
planning, Mr. Stern said. Mr. Stern's analysis, which appears in
this week's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, supports U.S. and European suspicions that Iran is
trying to develop nuclear weapons in violation of international
understandings. But, Mr. Stern says, there could be merit to
Iran's assertion that it needs nuclear power for civilian
purposes “as badly as it claims.” He said oil production is
declining and both gas and oil are being sold domestically at
highly subsidized rates. At the same time, Iran is neglecting to
reinvest in its oil production. “With an explosive demand at
home and poor management, the appeal of nuclear power, financed
by Russia, could fill a real need for production of more
electricity.” more...
Study: Ex-KGB Fill Russia's Elite
(December 13, 2007)
-
President Vladimir Putin has never
hidden his KGB spy past and over three-quarters of Russia's
political elite have tell-tale signs of a background in the
security services or military, a new study says. "Our research
has shown that ... 78 percent of the Russian elite have signs of
being siloviki," Olga Kryshtanovskaya, who has studied the
Russian elite since 1989, told Reuters in a telephone interview.
Putin served as a lieutenant-colonel in the KGB during the Cold
War. Under his government the number of siloviki, as former
military or security service officials are known, has increased
dramatically and their influence has spread beyond government.
"Before in the Soviet Union there was a politburo which was not
a KGB organization so there was a brake, a balance on the KGB,"
Kryshtanovskaya said. "Now there is also a 'politburo' but it is
made up exclusively of siloviki so there is no brake on the
hawks," she said. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, Putin's deputy
chief of staff Igor Sechin, FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev and
drugs tsar Viktor Cherkesov are among the best known siloviki
but the new study turned up surprises too. "I was very shocked
when I looked at the boards of major companies and realized
there were lots of people who had completely unknown names,
people who were not public but who were definitely, obvious
siloviki", Kryshtanovskaya said. For the study, her Moscow
center for the study of the elite examined 1,061 top officials
from the Kremlin, the government, top companies, the regions and
parliament looking for gaps in their resumes indicating a past
as a member of the security or career military services or
related institutions. "People who worked in the KGB used to be
recruited either in the army or in universities and then were
sent to study in special institutes," Khryshtanovskaya
explained. "In the biographies of those who went to these
institutes there is usually what is known as a hole and this
hole means they could have studied in one of these institutes."
Khryshtanovskaya also looked for other tell-tale signs, such as
service in areas which are historically close to the KGB, such
as human resources departments of Russian corporations and
foreign branches of Russian banks and news organizations. She
said she was reluctant to be drawn on certain names for fear of
reprisals. more...
Syrian guerrillas 'to launch resistance within months'
(December 11, 2006)
- Baath official tells WND new militant organization
ready to attack if Israel doesn't vacate strategic land.
If Israel does not vacate the Golan Heights within
months, a guerrilla organization allegedly formed in Syria
will soon launch "resistance operations" against Israeli
positions and Jewish communities in the Golan, an
official from Syrian President Bashar Assad's Baath party
told WND in an exclusive interview. "If in the coming months
an agreement is not forged between Israel and Syria [for an
Israeli withdrawal from the Golan], the Committees will
begin attacks," said the official, who spoke on condition
his name be withheld during an in-person interview with WND
and with the G. Gordon Liddy national radio show.
The official was
referring to the Committees for the Liberation of the Golan
Heights, a Hezbollah-like guerrilla organization Baath party
sources claim was formed in Syria to attack Israeli
positions in the Golan. The Baath official told WND Syria
learned from Hezbollah's military campaign against Israel
that "fighting" is more effective than peace
negotiations with regard to gaining territory.
Hezbollah claims its goal is to liberate the Shebaa Farms, a
small, 12-square-mile bloc situated between Syria, Lebanon
and Israel. The cease-fire resolution accepted by Israel to
end its military campaign in Lebanon this past summer calls
for negotiations leading to Israel's relinquishing of the
Shebaa Farms. The Baath official told WND Syria's new
Committees for the Liberation of the Golan Heights was
formed this past June and that the group consists of Syrian
volunteers, many from the Syrian border with Turkey and from
Palestinian refugee camps near Damascus. He said Syria held
registration for volunteers to join the Committees in June.
The official said attacks by the Committees may include the
infiltration of Jewish communities in the Golan, rocket
attacks against Israeli positions or raids of Golan-based
Israeli military installations. He said all attacks would
be launched from the Syrian side of the border. The
Golan Heights is strategic mountainous territory captured by
the Jewish state after Syria used the terrain to attack
Israel in 1967 and again in 1973. The Heights looks down on
major Syrian and Israeli population centers, but there are a
few areas where the Israeli and Syrian sides are level.
Military officials here long have maintained returning the
Golan Heights to Syria would grant Damascus the ability to
mount an effective ground invasion of the Jewish state. The
Heights has a population of about 35,000 – approximately
18,000 Jewish residents and 17,000 Arabs, mostly Druze. The
Arab residents retain their Syrian citizenship, but under
Israeli law they can also sue for Israeli citizenship. About
a dozen officials from Assad's Baath party live and operate
in the Golan.
WND first reported in June
on the alleged formation of the Front for the Liberation of
the Golan. One month later, a man identified as the leader
of the Front gave an
interview to state-run Iranian television. Israel is
taking the information seriously. Amos Yadlin, head of the
IDF's intelligence branch, told the Knesset in October that
Syria is indeed in the early stages of forming a
Hezbollah-like group.
more...
Would Israel attack Syria preemptively if they believe this will happen or because it begins to happen? If so, we may see Isaiah 17 soon. They've threatened to before.
The Resurgent Russian Bear
(December 10, 2007)
-
"I shall be an autocrat, that's my
trade". Thus quipped the Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great,
who stamped Russian authority onto the international stage,
seizing vast swathes of territory and establishing Russia as a
formidable power in the middle of the eighteenth century. It
appears that Vladimir Putin has taken her example to heart.
Buoyed up by high energy prices, Putin has embarked on an
aggressive foreign policy agenda which seeks to re-establish
Russia as a pre-eminent international power in opposition to
what it perceives to be American and European hegemony. This
foreign policy agenda is based around two primary goals, namely
tightening Russian control over the former Soviet Republics and
tightening alliances and friendships with like-minded states and
in areas of strategic importance. To Israel's detriment, it
appears that Moscow has identified the Middle East as a primary
region through which to recapture its former international
significance. Russia has sought to present itself to the Arabs
as a more neutral arbiter than the U.S. in order to increase its
international influence in this strategic region of the world.
To this end, Moscow has courted some of the most noxious regimes
in the neighbourhood and provided them with sophisticated
weaponry and diplomatic support which has been extremely
damaging to Israel's interests. A further complication to this
state of affairs is that Israel imports a large percentage of
its oil from Russia, as much as seventy percent according to
some analysts, rendering diplomatic protests and threats
somewhat toothless. Putin's invitation to Hamas top-brass for
talks in Moscow in March 2006 was a prime example of Russia's
antagonistic foreign policy. It was a cynical attempt to
increase Russian influence with the Palestinians with the
additional benefit of underlining the independence of Russian
foreign policy from the U.S. and the West. Why else would a
country, which has experienced the horrors of Islamist terrorism
like the Beslan school massacre, court Hamas which has been one
of the pioneers of the Islamic terrorist creed? Russia's arms
sales to Israel's neighbours have also been hugely problematic.
In December 2005, Russia signed a contract with Iran to deliver
around thirty TOR-M1 air-defence systems and began to deliver
them in late 2006, even as debates in the UN Security Council
were underway regarding possible sanctions of Iran over its
refusal to halt uranium enrichment. The TOR-M1 is one of the
most advanced air-defence systems in the world capable of
shooting down planes at low-altitude as well as precision guided
munitions and cruise missiles. Iran will place these systems
around its sensitive nuclear installations in Isfahan, Bushehr
and others and will give the Iranian regime even greater
confidence to defy international insistence that it halt its
uranium enrichment and comply with the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA). In April 2005, Russia also completed the
sale of advanced "Igla" anti-aircraft missiles to Syria and was
only dissuaded from selling its "Iskander-E", 300km range
tactical missile to Syria by strong American pressure. Russia
also sold large numbers of advanced anti-tank missiles to Syria
and Iran during the 1990s, some of which were subsequently
transferred to Hizballah and used to deadly effect against
Israeli soldiers and tanks in the Israel-Lebanon war this
summer. more...
Modern day Gog and Magog (December 10, 2006) - Similarities between Ezekiel's prophecies, today's Mideast reality uncanny. Current world events are beginning to increasingly resemble the 2,500 year old bible prophecy made by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Ezekiel foresaw the rise of Russia (or Turkey, depending on the interpretation) in a coalition with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries (Sudan, Ethiopia and Libya). The coalition is foretold to attack Israel from the north in a bid to destroy it during the earth's "last days," commonly known as the "war of Gog and Magog." Throughout history it was thought that the prophecy had been put on hold, until perhaps today when it seems frighteningly more feasible. In Joel C. Rosenberg's book "The Ezekiel Option," the author points to Ezekiel's prophecies in chapters 36-37, which have largely come true. Rosenberg then asks the obvious question: If prophecies such as "the rebirth of the State of Israel, the return of the Jews to the Holy Land after centuries in exile, the re-blossoming of desolate desert land to produce abundant food, fruit and foliage, and the creation of an exceedingly great army" materialized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then why shouldn't the next prophecies come true in our lifetime? more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Keep watching! Terrorists rejoicing over new Iraq 'plan' (December 6, 2006) - Reaction to Study Group: 'Allah and his angels' responsible, 'era of Islam and of jihad' declared A high level U.S. commission's recommendations for an eventual withdrawal from Iraq and for dialogue with Iran and Syria proves "Islamic resistance" works and America will ultimately be defeated, according to senior terrorist leaders interviewed by WND. The militants, from the largest Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, welcomed the policies outlined by the Iraq Study Group, which they claim recognizes Islam is the "new giant of the world." The group is led by former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker. "The report proves that this is the era of Islam and of jihad," said Abu Ayman, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. The Islamic Jihad terror group is responsible for every suicide bombing in Israel during the past two years. "[With the Iraq Study Group report], the Americans came to the conclusion that Islam is the new giant of the world and it would be clever to reduce hostilities with this giant. In the Quran the principle of the rotation is clear and according to this principle the end of the Americans and of all non-believers is getting closer," Abu Ayman said. According to Abu Abdullah, a senior leader of Hamas' so-called military wing, Baker's report is a victory for Islam brought about by "Allah and his angels." "It is not just a simple victory. It is a great one. The big superpower of the world is defeated by a small group of mujahedeen (fighters). Did you see the mujahedeens' clothes and weapons in comparison with the huge individual military arsenal and supply that was carrying every American soldier?" exclaimed Abu Abdullah, who is considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, Hamas' declared "resistance" department. "It is no doubt that Allah and his angels were fighting with them (insurgents) against the Americans. It is a sign to all those who keep saying that America, Israel and the West in general cannot be defeated on the ground so let us negotiate with them," Abu Abdullah said. Abu Abdullah said following a withdrawal from Iraq, the U.S. will be defeated on its own soil. "America must understand that with anti-American governments in Latin America and with Islam growing and reinforcing, including in the U.S. itself, the next step would be a total defeat on their (American) land, not a relative one like they are facing in Iraq," he said. Abu Nasser, the second-in-command of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group in the West Bank, called the Iraq Study Group report a "great victory" from which other jihadist organizations can learn. "The Iraqi victory is a great message and lesson to the revolutionary and freedom movements in the world. Just to think that this resistance is led by hundreds of Sunni fighters who defeated hundreds of thousands of Americans, British and thousands of soldiers who belong to the puppet regime in Baghdad. What would be the situation if the Shiites will decide to join the resistance?" commented Abu Nasser. The Al Aqsa leader said his group learned from the "Iraqi resistance" that jihad will ultimately destroy Israel. The Al Aqsa Brigades is the declared "military wing" of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. "If Israel will not start negotiating its withdrawal we are ready to launch the new stage of the intifada," Abu Nasser said. Islamic Jihad's Abu Ayman said after the U.S. "defeat" in Iraq is finalized, insurgents there should move to the West Bank and Gaza to help destroy Israel. "We hope that after chasing the occupation from Iraq, these jihad efforts and experiences will be transferred to Palestine, and yes, I mean that we expect these fighters will come to Palestine as part of a big Islamic army." See Ezekiel 38,39. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | Follow God Or Vanish, Ahmadinejad Tells West (December 6, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Western leaders to follow the path of God or "vanish from the face of the earth". "These oppressive countries are angry with us ... a nation that on the other side of the globe has risen up and proved the shallowness of their power," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northern town of Ramsar, the semi-official news agency Mehr reported Wednesday. "They are angry with our nation. But we tell them 'so be it and die from this anger'. Rest assured that if you do not respond to the divine call, you will die soon and vanish from the face of the earth," he said. The outspoken president also maintained Iran's defiance over its controversial nuclear programme, saying it was on course to fully master nuclear technology. "Thank to God's help, we have gone all the way and are only one step away from the zenith. "We hope to have the big nuclear celebration by the end of the year (March 2007)," Ahmadinejad said, echoing comments he has made on numerous occasions in recent months. A defiant Iran has refused to suspend its uranium enrichment work, a process that the West fears could be extended to make nuclear weapons. Iran however insists its nuclear programme is solely aimed at generating energy. France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Wednesday after a Paris meeting on Tehran's nuclear programme that the UN Security Council is agreed "there will be sanctions" on Iran, though their extent is yet to be decided.| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | It sure sounds like he knows something we don't, eh? I wonder what he sees Iran's "zenith" as being? Could it be an attack on Israel? Hamas Chief Promises War Even if PA State is Established (December 5, 2006) - Khaled Meshaal, the Damascus-based leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, makes no bones: Either Israel leaves all of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and agrees to the 'right of return' - or war. Meshaal is officially the head of the diplomatic desk of Hamas, but is recognized as the #1 man in the terrorist organization. The target of a failed Israeli assassination attempt a decade ago, Meshaal told a Lebanese newspaper this week that Hamas will not hesitate to resume its armed warfare against Israel. Specifically, he threatened, "If within six months, the international community does not come up with a plan for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders [i.e., on all the land liberated by Israel in the Six Day War - ed.] and for the return of the refugees, the Palestinians will turn to an armed struggle against Israel." "We can have an intifada even when running the Palestinian Authority," Meshaal said, explaining that the ceasefire was not designed to bring peace, but is rather another stage in the war with Israel. "The current calm [cease-fire in Gaza - ed.], just like the escalation [before that], is part of the way we manage the conflict with Israel." Many Israeli military men and analysts have said that Hamas is using the current truce in Gaza to rearm and regroup towards the next round of fighting. Hamas Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniye, visiting in Syria, echoed Meshaal's position in a speech at a refugee camp. He said the Palestinians will not give up on "even one grain of sand of Palestine," and that Syrian President Assad promised him that all the Palestinian [terrorist] prisoners incarcerated in Israel would be freed. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Maybe if Israel gives away more land they'll ease up? That seems to be the solution provided by the world and even Israel's faithless leaders. If they would only turn to God. Well He promised He would protect them from Gog/Magog. Let's hope they come to Him before He allows 2/3 of them to be killed after the abomination of desolation. They are blinded until the fullness of the Gentiles. Romans 11:25-27 Turkey Seeks To Boost Iran Ties (December 4, 2006) - Turkey and Iran have agreed to further strengthen trade and diplomatic ties following a one day visit to Tehran by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sunday. Erdogan was in Tehran to hold talks with Iranian leaders over regional issues, bilateral relations and Iran’s controversial nuclear energy program. Speaking at a press conference prior to returning to Turkey late Sunday, the Turkish Prime Minister said that Ankara considered its ties with Tehran to be of great importance and was pleased that the relationship was improving. Turning to international affairs, Erdogan said that both Turkey and Iran attached great importance to territorial integrity of Iraq. “I saw that Turkish and Iranian authorities have similar view on this matter. The situation in Iraq affects whole region. We focused on how we can stop the clash of sects there,” he said. Regarding Lebanon, Erdogan said that it was time for unity and solidarity in that country and that Turkey, Iran and Syria should work together to help resolve the problems there. Iran’s First Vice President Parviz Davudi said that Turkey and Iran were two important countries of the Islamic world and that they should work to boost bilateral relations. Not only the region but also whole international community would benefit from a return to stability in Iraq, he said. Erdogan also said that the two countries were working to boost their bilateral trade to $10 billion, though there was a need for greater balance as Iranian exports of natural gas account for much of this volume. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Islam | I think the Muslims will start to unite together against a common enemy very soon and I think we know who that enemy is, Israel. Notice that Gog/Magog includes Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Should this news come as a surprise? Not with our Bible's open! Syria smuggling missiles to Hizbullah (December 4, 2006) - Long-range missiles, as well as truckloads of advanced anti-tank missiles originating in Iran and Syria, have been smuggled to Hizbullah in Lebanon during the past four months since the war ended this summer, The Jerusalem Post has learned. The IDF destroyed most of Hizbullah's long-range missile array during the month-long war, including the Iranian-made Fajr and Zelzal. But according to new intelligence obtained by the defense establishment, in the four months since the war, Hizbullah has received weapon convoys carrying short-range missiles, anti-tank missiles and long-range missiles. Most of the weapon convoys crossed into Lebanon from Syria at night. With the increasing possibility that Hizbullah protests, launched in Beirut on Friday, would topple the US-backed government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, the Israeli defense establishment had decided not to take any chances and on Sunday raised the level of alert in the North. Israel is concerned that the Lebanese instability will ignite the situation along Israel's northern border. Hizbullah, Military Intelligence believes, might use the Lebanese political instability as an excuse to launch attacks against Israel - not necessarily by renewing Katyusha rocket attacks like the ones used during the 34-day war this past summer, in which 4,000 rockets were fired at Israel, but by firing anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli aircraft flying over Lebanon to collect intelligence. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Islam | Mullah: Iran-Turkey-Syria cooperation helps preserve Iraq (December 4, 2006) - Mullah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani told the visiting Turkish PremierTayyip Erdogan cooperation among regional states notably Iran, Turkey and Syria is among major factors in safeguarding Iraq's territorial integrity and removing insecurity. Mullah said that due to common interests, offering plans by these countries on Iraq and holding joint commissions could be effective in this respect. The Expediency Council chairman remarked in the meeting that finding a solution to Iraqi problem needs an Islamic-International initiative for which the Organization of the Islamic Conference(OIC) is a suitable body for exchanging consultations and providing a plan for restoring security and tranquility to the war-torn country. He also noted that formation of a joint working group by Iran, Syria and Turkey would positively affect not only developments in Iraq, but also those in Lebanon and Palestine. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Islam | The alliances will come about. We know this because the Bible talks specifically about Iran and Turkey attacking Israel along with Russia (ancient Scythians). As you've heard me say in the last newsletter, I believe Isaiah 17 speaks to why Syria is not included in this attack. According to that chapter, they leave the cities because of the children of Israel. Could the defense agreement between Syria and Iran be the "hooks in the jaws" that bring them all against Israel? Keep watching! Russian-born businessman: I met poisoned ex-spy Litvinenko in Israel (November 25, 2006) - Russian-born businessman Leonid Nevzlin, former CEO of the Yukos oil company and current chairman of the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv, said Friday that he had met in Israel with former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who died Thursday in London from poisoning. During the meeting, Litvinenko allegedly passed Nevzlin documents containing classified information possibly damaging to the current leadership in Russia. In Nevzlin's estimation, Litvinenko's murder was tied to the information relating to Yukos contained in the documents. Nevzlin has turned the documents over to the London Metropolitan Police, who are investigating the murder. British police announced Friday that traces of a radioactive substance, Polonium 210, were found in Litvinenko's urine. Polonium 210 is known to be highly lethal and very difficult to detect. Litvinenko served until 1998 as a colonel in the Federal Security Services of Russia as part of a special unit that carried out investigations and special operations against businessmen. A few months before his murder, Litvinenko arrived in Israel in order to pass the documents to Nevzelin. The Government of Russia has issued an arrest warrant for Nevzlin, arguing that he is wanted for tax evasion, budget irregularities, and for connection to the murder of the mayor a Siberian town where Yukos was operating. It appears at this time that Litvinenko was murdered because of his association with Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist who was shot to death in her apartment on October 7. Politkovskaya had also been a harsh critic of Putin's. more... | Gog/Magog | I would suggest reading Herb Peter's commentary, Real Hardball, on this story too. Russian rocket deliveries to Iran started (November 24, 2006) - Russia has begun deliveries of the Tor-M1 air defence rocket system to Iran, Russian news agencies quoted military industry sources as saying, in the latest sign of a Russian-US rift over Iran. "Deliveries of the Tor-M1 have begun. The first systems have already been delivered to Tehran," ITAR-TASS quoted an unnamed, high-ranking source as saying Friday. The United States has pressed Russia to halt military sales to Iran, which Washington accuses of harbouring secret plans to build a nuclear weapon. Moscow has consistently defended its weapons trade with Iran. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said the contract for 29 rocket systems, signed in December last year, was legitimate because the Tor-M1 has a purely defensive role. ITAR-TASS reported that the rockets were to be deployed around Iran's nuclear sites, including the still incomplete, Russian-built atomic power station at Bushehr. In August, Washington announced sanctions against several companies, including Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport, for supplying technology to Iran that could allegedly be used to develop missile technology and weapons of mass destruction. Under the sanctions no US company can deal with foreign companies on the sanctions list for two years. A spokesman for Rosoboronexport contacted by AFP would not confirm or deny the reports about the Tor-M1 delivery, which were also issued by the Interfax news agency. The Tor-M1 is a low to medium-altitude missile fired from a tracked vehicle against airplanes, helicopters and other airborne targets. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Makes you wonder what other military weaponry Russia has sold to Iran... Gog and Magog Alliance - CSTO ready to cooperate with SCO UzReport.com (November 24, 2006) - CSTO states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Uzbekistan SCO states: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) member states completed internal voting procedures on the ratification of draft Memorandum on mutual understanding between secretariats of CSTO and SCO, CSTO press service reported. The draft Memorandum on mutual understanding between secretariats of two organizations was prepared at SCO and approved at Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers (CFAM) of SCO in May of this year. In accordance with the CSTO policy, the standing committee of CSTO sent the document draft to member-countries for ratification. According to the draft document the parties are ready to cooperate in the mutually interesting spheres. In particular, this includes regional and international security, fighting terrorism, illegal drug and weapon circulation, organized and transnational crime. The parties plan to provide consultancy and exchange information on the mutually interesting issues. Moreover, SCO and CSTO will be able to develop joint programs and events in order to cooperate in the mentioned above spheres. Belarus, Kyrgyz republic, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan ratified the document without criticisms, whereas Armenia, Kazakhstan and Russia sent criticisms to the document, CSTO secretariat informs. Major criticisms had a clarifying nature, but some of them were fundamental. For example, Armenia suggested broadening the cooperation of two organizations by introducing a sphere of illegal migration control. The standing committee under CSTO examined the amendments and criticisms and completed the document. The draft Memorandum will be presented for further consideration to the CSTO Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers. Its session is planned to take place in Minsk in December of this year. After the document ratification a signing procedure by organisations' top officials will take place. | Gog/Magog | Bush warns Syria, Iran after Lebanon killing (November 21, 2006) - US President George W. Bush accused Syria and Iran of fomenting violence and instability in Lebanon, as he condemned the assassination of Lebanese cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meanwhile made a hasty telephone call to Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, amid signs of US concern over the fate of the Beirut government which emerged from Lebanon's 'cedar revolution.' "Today we saw again the vicious face of those who hate freedom," Bush told American troops in Hawaii during a trip home from Asia. "We strongly condemn the assassination today in Lebanon of Pierre Gemayel." Bush did not apportion direct blame but called for an investigation into "those people and those forces" behind the killing of the anti-Syrian Christian leader. "We support the Siniora government and its democracy and we support the Lebanese people's desire to live in peace and we support their efforts to defend their democracy against attempts by Syria, Iran and allies to foment instability and violence in that important country," said Bush. The killing came against a backdrop of global calls, so far resisted by the United States, for a dialogue with Syria and Iran over chaos in Iraq. But Bush's tone, further bolstered in a written statement on the killing, appeared to cast further doubt on already slim chances of such a diplomatic opening. "Syria's refusal to cease and desist from its continuing efforts to destabilize Lebanon's democratically elected government" was a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, Bush said. "We also demand that Syria treat Lebanon as a genuinely sovereign neighbor, establishing full diplomatic relations with Lebanon," he said. The president said the assassination made it even more important for the United Nations Security Council to seek justice in the killing of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri last year. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | EU/UN | Islam | America | Iran Slowly Securing Its Grip Around Israel (November 20, 2006) - A nuclear threat is only one of several Iranian problems facing Israel as the Islamic Republic increases its influence in Gaza and Lebanon. Bush says he would "understand" an Israeli attack on Iran. The Iranian government is sending money to Gaza, gradually extending its influence over the region surrounding Israel. The Islamic Republic has donated $120 million to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, according to an announcement last Thursday by PA Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar. The PA official met in Tehran with Ali Larijani, the head of national security in Iran. Palestinian Authority terrorists in Gaza have become major beneficiaries of Iranian largesse recently, according to the AFP news service. “Iran has handed out, until now, over $120 million and says it will supply more aid. Its support is very important for us,” said the PA foreign minister. PA terrorists have significantly stepped up their Kassam rocket attacks against southern Israeli communities recently. Sderot residents have said the rockets are increasing in accuracy, and now contain more explosives as well as ball bearings to maximize damage upon impact. Meanwhile, international efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear development activities have slowly ground to a halt. Despite threats by the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic if it did not end its uranium enrichment program by the end of August, the program continues uninterrupted, and no action has been taken against Iran. U.S. President George W. Bush said Sunday night he would "understand" if Israel attacked the Islamic Republic, but that America would not help the Jewish State to do so. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | The world is aligning against Israel and quiet about Iranian influence and Muslim terrorism. It's clear that Iran is funding terrorism, but they defiantly continue because nobody can afford to stand against them right now. At least that's how it would seem. We will see their defiance crescendo in the near future when they attack the nation of Israel along with Turkey, Russia, and other Muslim nations. Read Ezekiel 38,39. It will be God who puts a stop to their attack, and I think that will play right into the antichrist's hand, playing the great bringer of peace on the world stage. He will fool the majority of the world though. Iranian Paper: Great War to Wipe Out Israel Coming (November 15, 2006) - Iranian newspapers Kehyan and and Resalat have urged Muslims around the world to prepare for a 'great war' to destroy the State of Israel. The newspapers published the editorials, translated from Persian by MEMRI , the Middle East translation service, to mark 'Quds' day on October 20, an Iranian 'holiday' calling for the "liberation" of Jerusalem and war against Israel. "Hizbullah destroyed at least half of Israel in the Lebanon war... Now only half the path (to its destruction) remains," an editorial in the conservative Keyhan newspaper declared. Messianic nukes? Awaiting the Iranian messiah / Yaakov Lappin A glimpse into the apocalyptic ideology gripping the Iranian government "It was proven that, by means of an offensive operation that need not be equal to Israel's moves, it is possible to neutralize the Zionist navy," the article said triumphantly. It continued: "Just as in one 33-day war more than 50 percent of Israel was destroyed, and the hope of its supporters for the continued life of this regime was broken, it is likely that in the next battle, the second half will also collapse." "On that day... Jordan will not be able to prevent the Jordanian Islamists from operating through the long Jordan-Palestine border, and the millions of Egyptian Islamists... will not let the Sinai-Israel border remain quiet, and the Syrian Golan Heights will not remain as a (mere) observer of the battle. That day is not so far off." The Resalat newspaper struck a similarly bellicose tone with an editorial entitled "Preparations for the Great War." "The great war is ahead of us, (and will break out) perhaps tomorrow, or in another few days, or in a few months, or even in a few Years... Israel must collapse," the newspaper said. It added: "For the first time in the 60 years of its disgraceful life, the Zionist regime - the West's beloved in the Middle East - tasted the taste of defeat, and the citizens of this regime trembled at the menace of Hizbullah's missiles… The nation of Muslims must prepare for the great war, so as to completely wipe out the Zionist regime, and remove this cancerous growth. Like the Imam (Ayatollah) Khomeini said: 'Israel must collapse.'" | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Ahmadinejad: Israel’s destruction near (November 13, 2006) - According to the Iranian media Monday, Iranian President Mahoud Ahmadinejad declared that Israel was destined to ‘disappearance and destruction’ at a council meeting with Iranian ministers. “The western powers created the Zionist regime in order to expand their control of the area. This regime massacres Palestinians everyday, but since this regime is against nature, we will soon witness its disappearance and destruction,” Ahmadinejad said. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | 'Israel Must Prepare For Full-Scale War' (November 13, 2006) - Israel has to prepare for a full-scale war, in which Syria will be an important player, an Israeli military official told the British Sunday Times. "The challenge from Iran and Syria is now top of the Israeli defense agenda, higher than the Palestinian one," another official said. The recent war with Hizbullah and the threat that Iran could achieve nuclear weapons capability have led Israel to reexamine its defense strategies, and focus on the region's two major supporters of terrorism, IDF sources have said recently. One conclusion is that Israel has allocated too much time and energy to addressing the terror threat posed by Palestinian groups in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. According to London's International Institute for Strategic Studies, both Iran and Syria have ballistic missiles whose range extends over most of Israel, including Tel Aviv. Funds have reportedly been approved for the construction of appropriately equipped shelters. Eyeing Syria, the IDF has formed a new infantry brigade, known as Kfir (young lion), as a countermeasure against Syria's commando forces, which are considered "better" than Hizbullah guerrillas, a military source informed the Times. The IDF is also reportedly integrating three elite brigades in preparation for them cooperating on deep cross-border operations into Syria and Iran. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Hmm... And it just so happens that Israel is looking at having to go to war with Syria and Iran! On top of that, we have Russian-Muslim and Turkish "peacekeeping troops" piling up on the Northern border of Israel in Lebanon. There were also the Iranian Republican Guards that were found dead in Lebanon during the earlier war this year. Given Isaiah 17, Ezekiel 38, and Ezekiel 39 I think this is a pretty big coincidence, eh?! Iran Vows To Hit Back If Israel Attacks (November 11, 2006) - Iran's armed forces on Saturday vowed to hit back against any military strike after a top Israeli official refused to rule out attacking the Islamic republic over its disputed nuclear program. "The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will firmly respond to any military and threatening move," Brigadier General Ali Fazli, spokesman for Iran's latest round of 10-day war games, said. "The Iranian armed forces, which realize the different threats, have the capacity and capability to confront them," he added. Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh had told the Jerusalem Post on Friday he considered military action against Iran as a "last resort. But even the last resort is sometimes the only resort." His comments were seen as the clearest statement yet by an Israeli official that military strikes against Iran over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities were not excluded. "The enemies of the Islamic republic are too weak and too abject to be a threat for a powerful Iran," added Fazli, who did not specify what the nature of Iran's response would be. Iran has been showing off its military prowess in recent days in the 10-day "Great Prophet II" war games, which have seen its fire its Shahab-3 longer range missile for the first time in maneuvers and test-fire new weaponry. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | IDF girds for possibility of war with Syria, Hezbollah in 2007 (November 6, 2006) - Syria and Hezbollah are likely to start a war against Israel next summer, according to General Staff assessments that have been gathered during a series of meetings in recent weeks. While there is no specific estimate concerning the timing of a potential attack, all preparations are being made to ensure maximum preparedness in advance of summer 2007. Since the lessons of the war in Lebanon have not yet been finalized in reports, it was decided to consider 2007 as an interim period, and to make decisions concerning a multiple-year force build-up only at the end of that year. Meanwhile, two important interim decisions were made during the recent deliberations: The development, within three years, of a system capable of intercepting 220 mm. and 302 mm. surface-to-surface rockets, of the sort that Hezbollah used to target Haifa and other towns during the recent war; and to wait to make a final decision with respect to cancellation of the Merkava tank production line. The rocket interceptor system will be developed on the basis of existing missiles, and according to future developments of these platforms. Regarding the Merkava, an analysis of the use of tanks during the fighting in Lebanon in the July-August campaign, and particularly the performance of the Merkava Mark-4, suggests that if properly deployed, the tank can provide its crew with better protection than in the past. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | 'War within 10 months' (November 6, 2006) - Syria and Hezbollah are likely to start a war with the Jewish state within 10 months, according to an assessment presented to the political leadership here by the Israeli Defense Forces. IDF leaders did not release the specific timing of what they said are expected clashes, but they urged Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government in meetings the past few weeks to allow the IDF to prepare for a possible major conflict, according to senior military officials. The officials said the assessments, compiled by the general staff of the IDF, are based on intelligence information and what they said is the ongoing estimate by Syria and Hezbollah that military confrontations achieve results. They said Hezbollah considered itself victorious against Israeli troops in Lebanon in July and August. Explained a military official: "While Hezbollah took some major hits, the group's rocket infrastructure is still in tact; they are capable of firing more rockets into Israel. The war ended without Hezbollah having to return (Eldad) Regev and (Ehud) Goldwasser (the two soldiers it kidnapped in July, originally prompting the confrontations)." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said a cease-fire imposed in August by the United Nations "achieved a political win for Hezbollah." "It recognized Hezbollah's claims to the Shebaa Farms (a small piece of territory held by Israel but claimed by Lebanon and Syria) and called for future negotiations. It also restricts Israel's ability to stop Hezbollah from rearming and regrouping, which is what they are currently doing," the military official said. Military officials here said the past few weeks Syria and Iran have been smuggling weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon. They said the smuggling is taking place in front of a contingent of 20,000 international troops stationed in Lebanon. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Syrian FM Walid Mualem threatens to start “countdown to war” with Israel failing progress on peace track DEBKAfile (November 6, 2006) - DEBKAfile cites Mualem’s words at a joint news conference in Damascus with Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Steore Monday, Nov. 6, as an explicit threat of war to be launched against Israel at a time of Syria’s choosing. The Syrian minister welcomed a debate going on in Israel about whether to resume negotiations with Damascus on the Golan Heights, which Syria lost to Israel in the Six-Day War. He went on to say: “We now have a window of opportunity of several months. If there is no progress, the countdown will begin for a new Syrian-Israeli war.” On Nov. 3, DEBKA-Net-Weekly 276 revealed that on Oct. 30 British PM Tony Blair had sent his senior political adviser Nigel Sheinwald (picture) on a mission to Damascus, hoping to turn the coming British exit from Iraqi towns round as leverage for a comeback to the Arab world and make up for his failed Iraq policy. One of the items in the British official’s briefcase for his meeting with president Bashar Asad and Mualem was a secret message from Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert: an offer to start peace talks. It was posted through Blair. The Syrian president sent a return message to the British prime minister: Tell Olmert I’m ready to talk. This move connected with a broader deal: Damascus would break away from its pact with Tehran in return for normal relations with the West. Israel-Syrian talks would kick off this process. Both parties agreed that the Sheinwald mission and the business they discussed would be kept secret. No sooner had the British emissary flown out of Damascus, when the Syrians leaked word of his visit together with the Syrian president’s rejection of Olmert’s offer to talk, barring a prior Israeli commitment to cede the Golan. This was not what the Syrian president had told his British vistor. When Sheinwald arrived in London, he found out that Asad had been stringing him along before killing the Blair initiative stone cold. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Syria Threatens War With Israel (November 5, 2006) - A senior Syrian government minister said on Sunday that if Israel does not enter negotiations over the surrender of the Golan Heights, his nation may resort to armed conflict against the Jewish state. Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal as said at the opening of a three-day media forum in the demolished former Golan town of Quneitra that unless Israel agreed via negotiations to return the territory it captured in the 1967 Six Day War, Syria could turn to "other means ... beginning with legitimate resistance." Bilal's statement coincided with assessments by Israel's General Staff that Syria and Hezbollah could launch a coordinated assault on the Jewish state as early as next summer. According to Ha'aretz, the Israel Defense Forces are actively preparing for such a development. Following Israel's 34-day war with Hezbollah last summer, the Syrian leadership made statements suggesting that it viewed such a conflagration as a way to focus greater international attention on its efforts to regain the strategic Golan Heights. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I haven't really brought it up lately, but remember the destruction prophesied to Damascus in Isaiah 17 which hasn't happened yet. We don't know for sure if this destruction is from God, or if it's through another nation like Israel. If it's through Israel, the stage is definitely being set for a pre-emptive strike by Israel against Syria. Keep watching! Eye of the Storm: The 'Iranization' of Syria (November 3, 2006) - While there is much talk of continued Syrian machinations in Lebanon, little attention is paid to an Iranian plan to remodel Syria into a Khomeinist state. The Teheran-Damascus axis that challenges the United States in the Middle East was first formed in 1980 when Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in the hope of destroying the newly created Islamic Republic. At first, the Khomeinist regime in Iran and the Ba'athist dictatorship in Syria seemed unlikely allies. The Khomeinists followed a radical Shi'ite ideology aimed at global jihad in the name of their brand of Islam. The Syrian Ba'athists, on the other hand, were secularists inspired by an Arabized version of National Socialism aimed at uniting Arab countries under one flag and one party. The Iran-Iraq war brought the two together for a simple reason: the Syrians knew that if Saddam won he would become the unrivaled Arab supremo, marginalizing the Syrian Ba'ath and eventually toppling the regime of President Hafez Assad. The mullahs knew that only Syria could prevent a unified Arab bloc to back Saddam. The mullahs had to pay for Syrian support in the form of cut-price oil and an annual cash handout of $150 million. In 1982 the two furthered their alliance by sponsoring the Lebanese branch of Hizbullah. All along, however, the Syrians were careful not to be totally hooked to the Iranian strategy. Hafez Assad insisted on meeting every American president and maintained close contact with Washington. He was also ruthless when it came to Islamist tendencies, even if that meant massacring thousands of people. Even in Lebanon, Assad did not put all his eggs in the Iranian basket and insisted on having his own Shi'ite outlet in the form of Nabih Berri's Amal movement. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Islam | Why Israel Will Go to War Again – Soon (November 3, 2006) - There will soon be another war in the Middle East, this time a renewal of the conflict between the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and Hizbollah. The conflict is inevitable and unavoidable. It will come about because Israel cannot tolerate the rebuilding of Hizbollah's fortified zone in south Lebanon, from which last year it launched its missile bombardment of northern Israel. Hizbollah has now reconstructed the fortified zone and is replenishing its stocks of missiles there. Hamas is also creating a fortified zone in the Gaza Strip and building up its stocks of missiles. Israel, therefore, faces missile attack on two fronts. When the Israel general staff decides the threat has become intolerable, it will strike. What happened in south Lebanon earlier this year has been widely misunderstood, largely because the anti-Israel bias in the international media led to the situation being misreported as an Israeli defeat. It was no such thing. It was certainly an Israeli setback, but the idea that the IDF had suddenly lost its historic superiority over its Arab enemies and that they had acquired military qualities that had hitherto eluded them was quite false. Hizbollah suffered heavy losses in the fighting, perhaps as many as 1,000 killed out of its strength of up to 5,000 and it is only just now recovering. What allowed Hizbollah to appear successful was its occupation of the bunker-and-tunnel system that it had constructed since June 2000, when the IDF gave up its presence in south Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. Although the IDF had got into south Lebanon, the casualties it had suffered in entering the fortified zone had alarmed the government and high command, since Israel's tiny population is acutely vulnerable to losses in battle. Israel's plan was to destroy Hizbollah's tunnels and bunkers, but the sending of a United Nations intervention force did not allow the destruction to be completed before the IDF was forced to withdraw. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Report: Iran, Syria are Russia's top military clients (October 31, 2006) - Iran and Syria are the leading defense clients of Russia in the Middle East, according to a new report. The Congressional Research Service said Iran and Syria were the biggest Middle East importers of Russian weapons from 2002 through 2005. In a report, CRS said the orders marked Russia's return to the Middle East weapons market, Middle East Newsline reported. "The principal purchasers of Russian arms were: Iran [$1.7 billion], Syria [$800 million],Yemen [$500 million], Libya, and Israel [$300 million each]," the report, entitled "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations 1998-2005," said. Later, industry sources said the Israeli purchase from Russia comprised the procurement of Il-76 air transports. They said the cargo aircraft were relayed to India as part of Israel's airborne early-warning and control system project, valued at $1.1 billion. China, a missile and light arms exporter, was also cited as a leading supplier to the Middle East. CRS said that from 2002 through 2005, Egypt was the leading purchaser of Chinese systems, with orders that totaled $400 million. Iran and Saudi Arabia followed with $300 million and $200 million, respectively. "The value of China's arms transfer agreements with Iran rose from essentially nil in 1998-2001 to $300 million in the 2002-2005 period," the report said. The United States was cited as the leading supplier of military platforms and systems to the Middle East in 2002-2005. Egypt was the leading client of the United States, with $5.2 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia and Israel, with $4.2 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Is it any wonder Russia is so supportive and protective of these two? They're even all prophesied to attack Israel together! If that isn't a hint at how close we are, what about the fact that Muslim Russian troops along with Turkish troops are being sent to Israel's Northern border right now. Expert: Prepare for War (October 27, 2006) - Middle East experts give their forecasts for the coming months in the region, warn of 'terrible deterioration' on Israel's northern border. The coming months will present Israel with strategic threats from three different directions, Dr. Boaz Ganor, founder of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism told Ynetnews. The first threat, stemming from the Shiite alliance of Iran and Hizbullah, will result in "terrible deterioration" on Israel's northern border, according to Ganor. "The year 2007 is going to be a critical year, as the international arena will do its utmost to narrow down the nuclear capabilities of Iran. It could be done by using more affirmative sanctions, or even a military campaign," Ganor said. "And the ramification of such an attempt, even if it's only sanctions, will cause a terrible deterioration of the situation on the northern border, where Iran will use its proxy Hizbullah to retaliate against Israel, and make clear that Israel has to pay for any activities against Iran," Ganor added. Turning to the Palestinian arena, Ganor said that "the Palestinians are now at the stage of shaping their self-identities," a process he described as ultimately "positive." They are torn between "terrorism and violence against Israel, definitely the concept used by Yasser Arafat under the Oslo accords," as well as today's "Islamic radical terrorist organizations," and the "alternative option, which is actually being represented by (PA President Mahmoud Abbas) Abu Mazen," based on the idea that "terrorism and violence will never fulfill the Palestinian national interest." "The problem is that this is not a smooth process. It involves battles within the Palestinian arena. And I think in the coming months this may spill over into Israel," Ganor said. Ganor then pointed out the "third process, which I have to admit that many Israelis, including decision makers and security services in Israel underestimate, is the threat of global jihadists against Israel," posed by al-Qaeda and its affiliates. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | DEBKAfile reports: Shock in Jerusalem over crude insult to Israel’s leaders from Russia’s Vladimir Putin (October 25, 2006) - In a televised phone-in Wednesday, Oct. 25, Putin offered the view that the sex scandal surrounding President Katzav and the corruption charges against PM Olmert were provoked by “Israel’s actions in the Lebanon.” He added: “Many see the events as defeat. That immediately triggered attacks against the president, the prime minister and the chief of staff.” Putin’s words are seen as a gratuitous and unprecedented affront to Israeli leaders and a breach of normal courtesies between governments. During a joint Kremlin appearance with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert two weeks ago, the Russian president was caught on microphone coarsely commenting: “Say hello to your president – he really surprised us.” Later he claimed he thought the microphones had been switched off. But reporters quoted him as adding a further off-color comment: "We did not know he knew how to deal with 10 women.” The Russian president’s follow-up remarks Wednesday, Oct. 25, suggest his earlier comments were meant to be heard. They also reflect negative fallout from the Putin-Olmert talks in Moscow. DEBKAfile’s Moscow sources report that the Russian president felt Olmert had misrepresented the outcome of their Kremlin talks when he informed his cabinet that they had reached complete understanding on the Iranian nuclear question and agreement to coordinate security aspects. But Putin became angry when the Israeli prime minister contradicted a statement by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to the Kuwaiti news agency on Oct. 20. Referring to the Iranian nuclear issue, Lavrov said Russia would oppose any attempts to penalize Iran through the UN Security Council or take the nuclear program as a pretext to topple the Iranian regime. On Oct. 22, Olmert, challenged by his ministers about the Lavrov interview, replied: “I heard quite different things from Putin.” The Russian president has now made it clear that he will not put up with contradictions of his positions or those of his foreign minister by the Israeli prime minister or anyone else. | Gog/Magog | Israel | This shows the reality of Russian relations with Israel. Is it any surprise that Russia will be part of the prophesied attack against Israel? Israel Must Prepare For Iran to Push the Button - Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz (October 21, 2006) - Iranian president said earlier there is no reason for Israel “the greatest insult to human dignity” to exist and it would soon disappear. Halutz also warned Israel to prepare for possible war with Syria, whose missile threat to Israel's population is similar to that of Hizballah. Another of his outrageous speeches was delivered Friday to a pro-Palestinian rally marking the Islami Republic’s “al Qods Day” (Jerusalem Liberation Day). In further inflammatory remarks, Ahmadinejad said “the world knows the US and Britain are enemies of the Iranian nation.” He warned European nations not to harm Iran, saying that if anger in the region boiled over, Europe would get hurt because of its support for Israel. “Europe must distance itself from Israel at once. That is Iran’s ultimatum. “He went on to brand the UN Security Council and its decisions “illegitimate.” DEBKAfile adds: These words amounted to an Iranian threat of harm to the European UN forces deployed in Lebanon unless they left forthwith. His harsh words followed two events: one, the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert’s statement in Moscow this week after he met with Russian leaders: “They need to fear that something that they do not want to happen will happen. In no case, Olmert stressed, “will we reconcile with nuclear arms in Iranian hands. There is no margin for error here.” The other event was the arrival in the Persian Gulf of the giant US carrier Iwo Jima with its Expeditionary Strike Group to join the American naval, air and marine might piling up opposite Iran’s shores. Next week too, the Security Council convenes to discussion a form of sanctions against Iran for refusing to desist from enriching uranium. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran Warns of Revenge Over Israel (October 20, 2006) - Iran's president has warned that Muslims around the world will take revenge on states which support Israel against the Palestinians. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again questioned the extent of the Holocaust, when German Nazis murdered six million Jews. Israel was founded on "claims about the Holocaust" for which the Palestinians were paying the price, he told a rally. He was speaking on Jerusalem Day, when there are large demonstrations in Iran in support of the Palestinians. BBC Tehran correspondent Frances Harrison says the tone of the speech was hard-line, even by Mr Ahmadinejad's standards. Implicit threat Mr. Ahmadinejad called Israel's leaders a "group of terrorists" and appeared to threaten any country that supports it." You imposed a group of terrorists... on the region. It is in your own interest to distance yourself from these criminals... This is an ultimatum. Don't complain tomorrow." The "ultimatum" was directed at European states in particular. "We have advised the Europeans that the Americans are far away, but you are the neighbors of the nations in this region," Mr. Ahmadinejad said. "We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | Ahmadinejad Predicts Israel's Collapse, Warns of 'Boiling Wrath' (October 20, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has predicted Israel would collapse and warned that its allies face the "boiling wrath" of the people if they continue to support the Jewish state. The renewed assault on Israel by Ahmadinejad -- who has been castigated by world powers for his frequent anti-Israeli outbursts -- came as tens of thousands marched through Tehran in an annual pro-Palestinian protest. "This regime (Israel) will be gone, definitely," Ahmadinejad, who has previously called for Israel to be "wiped from the map" and described the Holocaust as a myth, told the protestors. "You (the Western powers) should know that any government that stands by the Zionist regime from now on will not see any result but the hatred of the people," he added. "The wrath of the region's people is boiling." "Efforts to stabilise this fraudulent regime have completely failed, thank God ... This regime has lost the rationale of its existence," the president said. Ahmadinejad described his warning as an "ultimatum" for Western powers. "You should not complain that we did not give a warning. We are saying this explicitly now." "If a hurricane starts be rest assured that the dimensions of this hurricane will not be limited to the geographic borders of Palestine," he added. "This regime (Israel) will take its supporters to the bottom of the swamp." "The best solution is for you to take all the components of the regime and take it away," Ahmadinejad said. Chanting "Death to Israel" and predicting the "Triumph of Palestine", tens of thousands of people had earlier converged on Tehran University, where Ahmadinejad gave his speech, to mark Iran's Quds (Jerusalem) Day. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | Ahmadinejad: God told me we would win (October 16, 2006) - Iranian president says has been in touch with God, who reassured him Tehran victory against West is guaranteed. While the West is preparing to impose sanctions on Iran, due to the country's failure to suspend its nuclear activities, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is still optimistic. "We shall win," he was quoted in the Iranian media as saying Monday, and added: "One day I will be asked whether I have been in touch with someone who told me we would win, and I will respond: 'Yes, I have been in touch with God'." "We must not be afraid of them," he stated, hinting to the western countries. Ahmadinejad also noted that although he was at times mocked for his preoccupation with spiritual matters and his use of "divine" words," he was nevertheless certain that Iran would prevail, after having secured the support of international public opinion for its cause. Meanwhile, Iranian news agencies reported Monday that Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi addressed the possibility of an attack on Iran and said, “If Americans and Zionists want to try their luck in Iran, they will experience a larger defeat than in Iraq.” Safavi added during a memorial service held at his headquarters: “We are obligated to our fallen to maintain the readiness and deal a powerful blow on the enemies in case of an attack. “The Basij (branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and the Revolutionary Guards are so strong they will not allow the enemy to even think of launching an operation against Iran,” he said. “The blood of our shahids will bring about not only the liberation of Jerusalem and Karbala (Iraq) but the liberation of all mankind from the evil powers of the world; the blood of our shahids boiled the blood of Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon, and they will overcome the evil Americans and Israel.” more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This shows the fearlessness because I really believe that he believes that. Or at least he's trying to deceive the population into higher morale for a more willing army. However, since hatred of Israel is taught from the mosques and is beyond any territorial division, it's only a matter of time before all of Islam unites together against Israel and those who refuse to convert to Islam. Look at history and watch it repeat. IDF: Syrian Army In Battle Positions (October 15, 2006) - Brigadier-General Yossi Beyditz, head the Research Department in the IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence, told Cabinet Sunday that, “(Syrian President Bashar) Assad is preparing his army for a confrontation with Israel.” “Assad has not returned the army to its pre-Lebanon war positions,” Beyditz said. However, he added that the Syrian army is not prepared to attack, but rather to defend the country against a possible Israeli offensive "These are artillery cannons, missiles and rockets positioned in forward positions. He is preparing for a defensive and not offensive response. He estimates that Israel would want to attack him," he said. He added: "Assad continues to support Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hizbullah. We have unequivocal proof on his direct involvement in smuggling weapons to Lebanon. In the past there was no proof," he said. "The Syrians continue to sabotage attempts to implement UN Resolution 1701 and also to harm (Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad) Siniora's sovereignty and create a majority block against him in the government," he added. "Bashar Assad continues him wave of equivocal messages. Once he speaks about sticking with a peace strategy and simultaneously speak of a confrontation and about us as not ready for a political process and he in fact means both options: a political arrangement according to Assad's known conditions, but prepares that army for a confrontation with Israel," the officer said. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Anti-Tank Missiles Smuggled Into Gaza (October 13, 2006) - The IDF released information Friday that indicated the pace of weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip was increasing. A senior army officer said terror groups were arming at an "unprecedented" pace, Channel 2 reported, and some officials were calling for a re-evaluation of the IDF's strategy in Gaza. Despite intense IDF activityAddMinn along the security fence in recent days and non-stop air strikes on Gaza weapons depots, terror groups have been importing more than two tons of TNT per month through tunnels burrowed under the Philadelphi corridor along the Egyptian border. Aside from the usual merchandise of explosives, light weapons and ammunition, some 20 advanced anti-tank missiles have found their way into Gaza - a development the IDF has feared since the end of the war in Lebanon, officials said. Several anti-tank missiles have been fired at troops and vehicles in the army's latest forays across the security fence. In two separate incidents Friday, Palestinians targeted tanks operating in Khan Yunis, but failed to inflict casualties. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Just negotiate with them. The missiles mean nothing, it's just self-defense for the ones who keep trying to kill the Jews. In case you missed it, that was extreme sarcasm intended to point out the futility of negotiating with those clearly gearing up for war. At least Israel isn't oblivious even if the rest of the world seems to be since they're still supporting the poor beleaguered "Palestinians." I recommend everyone read the REAL history of the land of Israel and the deceptions that have gone into deceiving the whole world into taking the side against Israel. From Time Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine by Joan Peters Tehran Arms Hamas for a Double-Barreled War Option and Gaza as Second Lebanon (October 13, 2006) - The military pacts Palestinian Hamas interior minister Said Siyam signed with his Iranian counterpart Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi in Tehran on Oct. 12 are designed to transform Hamas’ military wing, the Ezz e-Din al Qassam, into a crack operational arm of the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and Gaza into a second Lebanon. Syam was in Tehran for two days at the head of a 7-man delegation. DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report Tehran has committed to training Hamas’ rapid deployment force of 6,500 men in Hizballah combat tactics, with the accent on missiles, especially the anti-tank variety which were used with devastating effect against Israeli tanks in the Lebanon War. The force will be sent over in batches for six-week courses at Revolutionary Guards installations in southern Iran. Iran will foot the $60 million bill for the training as well as for the top-notch weaponry. The Hamas military delegation flew from Cairo to Dubai and on to Tehran. Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and intelligence chief, Gen. Omar Suleiman, were apprised of the Hamas leaders’ trip and the military accords they were to sign, but did nothing to detain the travelers. This was taken by Hamas and the Iranian government as signaling Cairo’s assent to the Hamas-Iranian transaction, a green light for the trips through Egypt of trainee groups to and from Iran and a continuing blind eye to the delivery of Iranian armaments via Egypt to Gaza. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Nobody's trying to stop them. Israel will have to worry about the condemnation of the world if they do anything. Israel doesn't have many allies in the world. Zechariah 12:1-6 - I believe this verse is talking about the time since June 7, 1967. Israel has consistently held back the Muslim attackers against all odds and everyone that comes against Israel is driven back. There's even a case to be made that hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Wilma, and Rita were a direct result of US meddling in giving away land for peace. Eye To Eye by Bill Koenig Call for Israel to leave Shebaa farms area (October 11, 2006) - Hizbullah will resume its military campaign against Israel unless it withdraws from the disputed Shebaa farms area and other pockets of territory occupied during this summer’s 34-day war, Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese parliament, has warned. “If Israel does not pull out we will have to drive them out,” said Mr Berri, who acted as a link to the militant organisation during this summer’s war with Israel, in an interview with the Guardian. Hizbullah will remain armed and fully operational in south Lebanon, despite the newly-deployed UN forces, until Israel withdraws from all Lebanese territory and ceases its ongoing air, sea and land violations, Mr Berri added. “The Unifil presence will not hinder Hizbullah's defensive operations. The resistance doesn't need to fly its flags high to operate, it's a guerrilla movement; it operates among the people,” he said. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel Raises Prospect of War in 2007 (October 10, 2006) - For the first time in more than a decade, Israel's military has raised the prospect of a Middle East war. Military sources said the Intelligence Corps has warned of the possibility of war in 2007. The sources said the corps, in its annual intelligence assessment, has notified the General Staff that Syria represented the greatest danger of war over the next year. "The main message was that the chance of war with Syria in 2007 was greater than during 2006," a source said. "This does not mean that it will happen. It means that there is a reasonable change of it taking place." The annual assessment relayed to the General Staff was expected to be revised over the next few months. The Cabinet would receive the annual assessment toward the end of 2006. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Jews at Risk as Turkey Goes Radical (October 10, 2006) - Throughout the centuries, the sultans of Ottoman Turkey never issued edicts, firmans or fatwahs against the Jewish people living in their dominions. In the modern Republic of Turkey, the same holds true. Yet, an alarming situation existing today threatens to change the historic course of Turko-Jewish relations. The Turkish Muslims, long known for their hospitality and peacefulness towards the Jewish people, are quickly being radicalized by the introduction of Nazi-inspired Arab zealotry against the Jews. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the early twentieth century, the Jews continued to remain close to the Turkish people. In 1923, President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk declared, "Our country has some elements who gave the proof of their fidelity to the motherland. Among them, I have to mention the Jewish element; up to now, the Jews have lived in happiness and from now they will rejoice and will be happy." Today, the tide is turning, and the Turkish land that for so long remained a bastion of peace for the Jews is rapidly becoming a playground for the Islamo-facists that feed off of ferocious propaganda being disseminated from Arab countries and Iran. Attacks, violence and anti-Jewish graffiti is becoming more and more common in Turkish cities. Pro-Iranian ideas have infiltrated Turkey, a country that has been a time-honored adversary of the Persian nation. The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs stated in the Chicago Sun-Times last week that "Turkey has adopted the role of defending Islam against the West, defending Iran...." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | More evidence that Turkey is not the friendly neighbor the political world would like to deceive themselves into believing. They're trying so hard for peace that they're ignoring the deadly nature of this game they're playing. Anti-Semitism is a fingerprint of the enemy. From ever since Israel was called out as a nation by God to Hitler and Islam, they all have it, that desire to wipe out Israel. It all started with the promise that our Savior would come from the Jews. Ever since then, Lucifer has been after the woman. Israel on alert for Syrian attack (October 9, 2006) - In spite of assertions by some officials here to the contrary, Israel has placed its forces in the Golan Heights bordering Syria on heightened alert for possible confrontations following a series of statements by Syrian President Bashar Assad that his military is preparing for war with the Jewish state, WND has learned. Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the Israeli Defense Forces have fortified their positions in the Golan, including increasing security at checkpoints and the stationing of larger troop numbers at key areas throughout the territory. Also, the officials said, the IDF has reinforced security fences on the Israeli side of the border. The IDF has not moved in additional heavy weaponry, tanks, or troop divisions for fear of startling Syria, the officials said. "We are taking Assad's threats very seriously and are cautiously increasing our level of alertness for a possible provocation by Syria," a military official said. The official said Israel placed troops in the Golan on heightened alert during the 34-day war against Hezbollah in Lebanon that began July 12, but the alert level was raised in recent weeks following militant statements by Assad and Israeli intelligence warnings of indications Syria may be bracing for a conflict. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This could be where it starts. Israel has already threatened to attack Damascus. I'm positive that on the Islamic leadership side, they're planning to attack Israel. Russian and Turkish Muslim troops are now pouring into Southern Lebanon, which is on the Northern border of Israel. That's where Gog/Magog all starts, an invasion by Turkish, Russian, and Persian (Iranian) troops. If Israel gets a whiff of this and the leadership is in Damascus, they might just fulfill Isaiah 17. DEBKAfile’s sources: Tehran and Damascus are gearing up for a pre-emptive Syrian attack on Israel to ward off a US strike on Iran’s nuclear sites (October 7, 2006) - Our military and Washington sources read as preparatory justification the Syrian ruler Bashar Asad’s statement Saturday, Oct. 7, that he expects an Israeli attack. He was speaking in an interview to Kuwaiti paper al-Anba. Asad’s Iranian-backed war plan would serve the purpose of forcing the Americans to divide their military assets between a strike against Iran and the defense of their allies in the Persia Gulf, Israel and US forces in Iraq. Both are seriously looking at a Syrian attack on the Golan which would escalate into a full-blown Syrian-Israeli war and a second Hizballah assault from Lebanon. Asad’s remark that during the Lebanon hostilities, he was under pressure from the Syrian population to go to war against Israel and liberate the Golan is the most direct threat of belligerency of all his four Golan statements in the last month. He is implying that he stood up to the pressure once but may not do so again. And for the benefit of the Americans, the Europeans, the Saudis and the Egyptians - all of whom are pretty fed up with him – Asad is posing as the picture of self-restraint; anyone else in his place, he implies, would have taken advantage of the Lebanon war and made a grab for the Golan. Therefore, he is saying, he deserves to be treated with the respect due to a strategic asset by Western and moderate Arab powers instead of being targeted for an ouster. The Syrian ruler would not threaten war without guarantees from Iran. According to DEBKAfile’s sources, Asad and Iran’s supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are prompted by the following motives:
Iran, Syria and Hizballah would not be averse to disrupting the American Iraq timeline by attacking Israel and putting the Bush administration on the spot, forced to address three warfronts simultaneously. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | This could be Israel's reason to pre-empt the Syrian-Iranian pre-emption and we could see the destruction of Damascus in Isaiah 17. This could be the hooks in the jaws" that brings Iran, Russia, Turkey, and the other players against Israel fulfilling Ezekiel 38,39. This in turn could help allow the Jews to rebuild the temple on the Temple Mount. This, of course, sets the stage for the revealing of the man of sin, the abomination of desolation. Keep watching! DEBKA Exclusive: Moscow posts two Chechen platoons in S. Lebanon, one headed by an ex-rebel commander, “to improve Russia’s image in the Arab world” (October 7, 2006) - The Muslim commandoes of the Vostok (East) and Zapad (West) battalions of the Russian Army’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) (picture) are being sent to guard the 150 Russian military engineers. They arrived in Beirut this week to restore the roads in Lebanon damaged by Israeli bombing. DEBKAfile reports: Moscow did not consult Israel before stationing Muslim Chechen troops on its border for the first time. Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov said openly to Russian media that the deployment of former rebel Chechen troops in Lebanon aimed at “improving Moscow’s image in the Arab and Muslim world.” more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | We see where Russia's loyalties are being laid out for, Islam. Can they possibly be effective peacekeeping troops? No, and as we will see, according to Bible prophecy, they will attack Israel and will be wiped out in the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 38,39 When this happens, tell everyone you have a relationship with. The Bible foretelling this almost 2,600 years before its fulfillment. And if I'm right about how it will happen, it will come from space so it will have to have been timed just right so that debris in space would hit those areas of earth that the armies happened to be traveling on to attack Israel at this particular point in space-time. This is only something God can do, and the idea that it's all a coincidence? Ridiculous. Calculate the odds. I really think this will all go down before the year is out, but only time will tell. For now, pray for the lost and get close to Christ. We don't need to freak out, because our fate as Christians is one of eternal joy. It is our job to share that message of hope with the lost. We need to focus our energies on that and God will guide and protect us through whatever may come our way. He will never leave or forsake us. Assad gives Israel 6 months for peace negotiations (October 3, 2006) - Syrian President Bashar Assad continued to give clashing messages to the international community with an announcement that he was ready to negotiate with Israel. In an interview with Spanish newspaper El-Pais on Saturday, the president said it would take six months to reach an agreement with Israel. If a peace agreement would not be reached, he added, war would break out. "Two sides are responsible for the current situation (with Israel) - not just one side. The situation is based on one topic only, the peace process… and perhaps war if no peace is established," Assad said. The president said that Syria's vision has so far proven itself, as opposed to the failed Israeli dream that is based on military power. "We have a clear vision, and events have proven that we foresee the future in the right direction. It is not based on the ideas of strength and weakness, but rather it is based upon values, history and human ambition, while the Israeli dream, unfortunately, is based solely on a strong army." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | He's just stated here that war is inevitable based on Israel cooperating with a six-month deadline. I believe they're preparing for war now based on their actions, which actually are about as loud and effective as their words about it. They spew hatred and anti-Semitism and the world takes the Palestinian side. Truly the mystery of iniquity is already at work in this world. 'Gaza readying for war' (October 2, 2006) - Hamas has succeeded in smuggling "hundreds of tons" of weapons from Egypt into the Gaza Strip and is preparing for the possibility of launching a large-scale conflict with Israel, according to a report by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. The report, drafted by Fatah's General Security Services and obtained by WND, stated Hamas has smuggled from the Egyptian Sinai desert between several hundred and 1,300 tons of advanced rockets; anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles; rocket propelled grenades; raw explosives; rifles; ammunition; and other heavy weaponry. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip last year. In a deal brokered in November by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Egypt-Gaza border, once controlled by the Jewish state, now is manned by Egyptian and Palestinian security officials and is observed by European monitors. The monitors reportedly have fled their duty several times the past few months. Israeli security officials have noted multiple breaches in border security, including the transport of terrorists and weapons across the border. They say several key sections of the border are penetrable and that smuggling tunnels that snake under the border are "thriving." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | The desire is there. Could we see the beginning buildup for the Gog/Magog invasion? Syria Threat Over Golan Puts Israel On War Alert (October 1, 2006) - Israel has gone on heightened alert over a possible war with Syria amid reports that President Bashar Assad may be considering military strikes to regain the Golan Heights. For years Israeli military intelligence has down-played Syria's capacity to launch a meaningful attack against Israel, and the threat level has been kept "low". But Israeli reports have revealed that the threat level had been raised after intelligence assessments that Damascus is "seriously examining" military action. The raised threat level comes as Israel prepares for Monday's Day of Atonement, known as Yom Kippur, a solemn Jewish holiday when the entire country effectively shuts down as residents fast and seek forgiveness for sins. It was on Yom Kippur in 1973 that Israel was caught by surprise as Syrian and Egyptian forces launched a joint attack and inflicted heavy losses before being repelled. "The first two days of that war were huge defeats for Israel," said Prof Uri Bar-Joseph, an expert on the 1973 conflict. "All the intelligence analysts failed." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I could see good reason for a pre-emptive attack by Israel against Syria. The Bible talks about Damascus being made a ruinous heap. Isaiah 17 However, Damascus is one of the longest constantly inhabited cities in history. It has never been destroyed. Damascus houses some of the highest leaders on the Israeli hit-list who are currently planning their next move against Israel. If Israel senses this and strikes, Syria has a defense agreement with Iran that would bring them against Israel like hooks in the jaws. Russia has clearly made ties with Iran and many Russian missiles were found exploded in this last barrage. Both Russia and Turkey are currently planning on placing "peacekeeping" troops in Southern Lebanon on the Northern border of Israel. This is not far from Jerusalem. With all the weapons cache bunkers in Southern Lebanon, even "peacekeeping" troops can grab a gun. Israel is asking for Turkish troops and Ezekiel 38,39 names Turkey, Russia, and Iran (Persia), along with others who will attack Israel. I think the alliances are clearly already there and now the troops that we may soon see decimated on the mountains of Israel are being planned for Southern Lebanon. This means that all this could happen before the year is out, which would fit perfectly with the EU's plan for the seven year covenant with Israel to begin January 1, 2007. It has a mid-term review (3 1/2 years for those who know prophecy). The Bible says that when these forces are wiped out with fire and brimstone from heaven in the mountains of Israel, that the world will know the God of Israel is who He says He is. Perhaps that is how Israel is allowed to cohabitate on the Temple Mount with the Muslims, fulfilling Revelation 11:1,2. This would mean the rebuilding of the Jewish temple, without the outer court. This is the very temple that the antichrist will declare himself God in soon after. And when he does, the final 1290 days begin. After 30 days, God's wrath will be poured out in seven successive trumpet judgments and then seven bowls, each signifying an event of great disaster on the earth. But for those in Christ, we are not appointed to God's wrath. They are watching for His return with oil in their lamps. They are removed from the earth in the harpazo before God's wrath is poured out. These things are all written about in the Bible for those who believe because we are no longer His servants but His friends, John 15:12-15 and He tells His friends what He will do. Amos 3:7 I have tried to put all my Bible studies in one place to quickly catch up for those interested in understanding the near future and your Savior better. Watchman Bible Study Guide
Russian Troops Make First Mideast Foray in Lebanon for Centuries
(September
27, 2006) - Russian troops are to deploy in Lebanon soon for
the first time in more than 200 years, with a small contingent being
sent to build bridges -- not only real ones but also geopolitical
ones. As a member of the Middle East diplomatic "quartet", Moscow is
grouped with Washington, the European Union and United Nations in so
far futile efforts to advance a roadmap to an Israeli-Palestinian
peace settlement. U.S. And Israel Get Tough On Syria (September 27, 2006) - Just days after Syrian President Bashar Assad made an ostensible peace overture to Israel, both Jerusalem and Washington came down hard on Damascus Tuesday for continuing to support extremism. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz told a forum of peace organizations in Tel Aviv that Assad "communicates double messages." Peretz said Israel cannot "ignore threats of war, and we will deploy our forces according to the reality and the threats." Assad told the German magazine Der Spiegel last week that "Syria wants peace with Israel," but is prepared for war after decades of trying to reach a settlement have failed to produce peace on Damascus' terms. Later in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the international community is "going to have to start looking at further sanctions on Syria if it is to continue on the path it's currently on." "I think that the Syrians look as if they've made their choice and their choice is to associate with extremist forces in Iran," said Rice, who believes that garnering support for increased sanctions will be made increasingly easy "as Syria continues to show its stripes and isolate itself." Syria and Iran are believed to be in close collaboration, particularly in the financing, supplying and guiding of Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist organization in its conflict with Israel. Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem told the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday that the Middle East's woes are the direct result of American policies toward the Arabs and Washington's unrestricted support of Israel. "We all end up paying the price when the decision makers in Washington believe that they know better, and are in a better position to understand and grasp the needs and circumstances of the Arabs," Moallem said. He also blasted American arms supplies to Israel, saying that they sow the seeds of destruction in the region.| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | It's very clear what side Syria is on. They're aligned with Iran and the rest of the Muslim world against Israel and her supporters. They speak out of both sides of their mouth because they're liars trying to bide time until they're ready to attack. It looks like the tensions are building up and if Syria does something, or if Israel pre-emptively attacks Damascus, we could see the fulfillment of Damascus being a desolate ruin. (which has never before happened in history.) Given their alliances with Iran, we would then see a swift response by Iran first, then God when He wipes out the attacking forces. Ezekiel 38,39 Iran Making Worldwide Move to Bring Islamic War to American and Israel Soil (September 26, 2006) - The forces of terrorism are organizing a worldwide armada of strategic nations to launch an offensive against the United States and Israel in the near future—not only from the Middle East, but also from locations in Central and South America, Northern Iraq, and the Palestinian territories. From Syrian and Iranian rearming of Hezbollah to Israel’s north, to a movement by Hamas to gain a stronger foothold in the seemingly defunct Palestinian government, to a meeting of Non-Aligned Nations in Cuba, the Islamofascist world is gathering allies and is beginning to coalesce a strategic offensive, that unchecked, could turn both Israel and the United States into an unprecedented war zone. DEBKAfile, a prominent and well respected intelligence news service, reports that Iran and Turkey appear to be preparing to launch a military strike in Northern Iraq against anti-Turkish and anti-Iranian Kurdish rebels that will enable Turkey to seize 40% of Iraq’s oil producing territory and Iran will knock out key Israeli observation sites used for early warnings of Iranian attacks. Meantime, Iran has parlayed behind the scenes agreements with Venezuela and Cuba to consider deploying Iranian missiles in those countries as a defense against a U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. At the same time, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah told some 800,000 supporters at a "victory" rally Friday that no army could disarm his paramilitary Shi'ite terror group. Nasrallah claimed that his guerrillas have replenished their arsenal and already have more than 20,000 rockets as United Nations peacekeeping troops insists they have no responsibility to stop the Hezbollah arms build-up. As disturbing is the chilling of relations between the Bush Administration and the Olmert government in Israel. The Bush Administration has supported a coalition government of elected Hamas terrorists and the Palestinian Authority—reportedly without consulting Israel, signaling a new direction in U.S.-Israeli relations. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | He's looking to incite Islam to join him. This is another sign, I believe, that he's getting ready to do something soon. Maybe before the year is out? Perhaps the attack against Israel with Turkey, Russia and friends? They're saying it, I don't know what else we need to believe them. But we will see Bible prophecy fulfilled 100% Hizbullah Moving Rockets to Palestinian Camps (September 26, 2006) - Hizbullah has been transporting rockets and heavy weaponry to Palestinian camps in south Lebanon just a few miles from the Israeli border, according to Lebanese officials. The officials told WND the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Sinora sent a letter last week to Abbas Zakir, the Palestinian Authority's most senior representative in Lebanon, outlining the alleged Hizbullah weapons transfers into Palestinian camps. The letter noted "unusual activity" in and near the Palestinian camps, including the coming and going of trucks suspected of carrying weapons. Hizbullah has been transporting rockets and heavy weaponry to Palestinian camps in south Lebanon just a few miles from the Israeli border, according to Lebanese officials. The officials told WND the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Sinora sent a letter last week to Abbas Zakir, the Palestinian Authority's most senior representative in Lebanon, outlining the alleged Hizbullah weapons transfers into Palestinian camps. The letter noted "unusual activity" in and near the Palestinian camps, including the coming and going of trucks suspected of carrying weapons. The reports follow a WND article last month quoting Lebanese officials claiming Hizbullah, with the help of Iran, started building underground war bunkers in Lebanon's Palestinian camps. During its 34-day confrontation with Hizbullah in Lebanon that began July 12, Israel destroyed scores of complex Hizbullah bunkers that snaked along the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border. Military officials said they were surprised by the scale of the Hizbullah bunkers, in which Israeli troops reportedly found war rooms with advanced eavesdropping and surveillance equipment they noted were made by Iran. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This is where my concern comes from in the "peacekeeping" troops that are going to the Lebanon border from Russia and Turkey. There is clearly an arms infrastructure there in Southern Lebanon and unarmed troops acting as peacekeepers in Lebanon wouldn't have far to go to get their weapons they've been stockpiling in these bunkers. It's about 130 miles from the border to Jerusalem. In less than a day troops could rush Jerusalem, but as we know from prophecy, God will wipe them out. He's going to 1/6th them, or in our decimal terms, He's going to decimate them. Then the world will know that He is the God of Israel. Ezekiel 38:18-23 Damascus official: Syria losing patience with Israel (September 17, 2006) - Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said that his country is losing patience in the matter of the Golan Heights, and that the Syrians would not wait much longer before they act. "Syria has made a strategic choice for peace, but it will not wait much longer before it recaptures the Golan Heights," Bilal told Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram al-Arabi. "The Syrian people have waited 40 years for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, but to no avail, and they are losing their patience," he stated. "Syria chose peace as a strategic option, especially after former president Hafez Assad received a letter from President George Bush that included the principle of peace in exchange for territories, a letter that has become known as 'the Madrid principle.'," he explained. "It's been 16 years and still we have reached no results," he added. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Could we be seeing what will lead to Israel destroying Damascus and bringing Russia, Turkey, and Iran down to the mountains of Israel because of the defense agreement? It certainly fits well to say that this defense agreement between Syria and Iran is the "hooks in the jaws" of the Magog alliance. Salah: Caliph will sit in Jerusalem (September 15, 2006) - Head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement Sheikh Raed Salah said Friday that “soon Jerusalem will be the capital of the new Muslim caliphate, and the caliph’s seat will be there.” Salah addressed an audience of 50,000 attending the Islamic Movement’s 11th annual rally in Umm al-Fahm. “Caliph” refers to a leader of the Muslim nation and in Arabic means the “heir” or “substitute” of the prophet Muhammad. Salah noted that history tells of many occasions in which the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem was occupied by foreign conquerors, but the occupiers left after a short time, and thus will also be the fate of the Israeli occupation. “The Israeli occupation will leave Jerusalem soon. It will happen sooner than is thought,” Salah said at the rally, which was held under the slogan “Al-Aqsa endangered”. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Putin: Russia’s Next Czar? (September 15, 2006) - As American troops give their lives in Iraq to spread democracy around the world, the people of Russia are facing a stark reversal of their democratic rights. It's a retreat from democracy that comes just 15 years after Boris Yelstin's standoff with the Soviet Union from a tank turret in Moscow that marks the collapse of Communism in Russia. In a nation conditioned by centuries of czarist rule and decades of Communist control, Russians seem satisfied with the pace of democratic progress: "It's much better than it was before. There are a lot of privileges. Now there is food in the supermarkets." "We have so many changes that it justifies what's going on now. Putin's priority is order, but changes are never smooth in a transition to democracy." But Western observers say that the tide of freedom turned in 1999 when Boris Yeltsin handed the presidency to Putin, his handpicked successor and a former agent with the Soviet Secret Police. Joel Rosenberg is a political analyst and author of the book Epicenter, from the moment Vladimir Putin rose to power, he says, he began building up the military and alliances with anti-Western, authoritarian regimes. more... | Gog/Magog | Turkey reaching out to Arab world - leaving Europe behind? (August 29, 2006) - Turkey's moves to increase economic ties with the Persian Gulf countries are seen by diplomats as yet another indication of Ankara's waning enthusiasm for the European Union. Some Turkish analysts feel that in view of the slow pace of accession talks with the European Union, Turkey's interests would be better served by improved relations with the Arab countries of the Middle East, an area for centuries ruled by Ottoman sultans. At the same time, diplomats in Ankara and Athens discern a low ebb in Turkey's relations with the United States, attributed to Turkish opposition to U.S. policies in Iraq and Washington's unconditional support for Israel during the war against Hezbollah guerrillas. "U.S.-Turkish alliance is crumbling," Kathimerini, a conservative Greek daily, headlined recently. Turkish officials say relations with Washington are merely in a state of "temporary chill," and point to a "shared vision document" signed by the two countries last month. The United States has always considered Turkey to be a major link between the West and the Muslim world and an example of coexistence between Islam and secularism. At this time, however, Turkey's political and economic attention is centering on the Arab world, particularly after a three-day visit last week by Saudi King Abdullah and the announcement by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of plans to double trade with the Saudi kingdom. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Turkish Parlament Gives Green Light to Turkish Troop Deployment in Lebanon (August 29, 2006) - Ankara, which has been discussing whether to join in the peacekeeping force to be deployed in Lebanon following a United Nations (UN) cease-fire decision, has finally decided to join the force “in principle.” Ankara’s decision came after U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s announcement that the peace-force would not be commissioned with the disarmament of Hezbollah. Following a cabinet meeting yesterday, Justice Minister and government spokesperson Cemil Cicek informed reporters that the cabinet decided to join the peace-force in Lebanon in the frame of U.N. resolution 1701. The parliament will be called on to discuss this issue as soon as possible, Cicek noted. The number of soldiers to be sent to Lebanon will not exceed 1,000. The government plans to pass the decision on troop deployment within a week at the latest. A decree allowing the use of some ports and airbases for "humanitarian purposes" was submitted for signatures in the cabinet meeting as well. A “statement of purpose” had been sent to the U.N. regarding this issue and details of the motion will be discussed in today’s meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and representatives from the General Staff will attend today’s meeting. "Turkey’s hesitations have been eliminated. Annan’s remarks have been influential in this as well," said a foreign ministry official about the troop deployment decision. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Did you catch that? As long as Turkey doesn't have to disarm their heroes, Hizbullah, they're fine with sending in troops. I can't believe Israel is so blind. Maybe that's because God is bringing Gog/Magog against Israel so He "will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD." These Are the Facts Herb L. Peters (August 26, 2006) - While putting together the map above a had a thought: "This is not speculation. These are the facts!" You see, we all have seen those prophecy charts and maps in our old Bible prophecy books that where based on the author's understanding of the prophecies. And, here I was, creating a map about recent events, and it looked like what was in those old books. As I've been reporting, we may have the two big players of end-time prophecy moving a peacekeeping force into the Middle East -- the EU and the UN. Their stated goal is to bring a lasting peace. Also as I've been reporting, the 10-nation WEU alliance is the backbone of the EU's new force, which is the backbone of the UN's peacekeeping force. For someone like me who believes in prophecy and has followed the rise of the WEU alliance from its beginning, the recent news is almost overwhelming. If you've read my book, you may understand why. Let's take a closer look at where the WEU peacekeepers will be deployed. Like I mentioned before, these events aren't speculation -- they're the facts on the ground EU/WEU | Russia | Iran | Arab League. The scary part is, all the players appear to be in place for the 70th week of Daniel. The only thing missing may be the religious element to the UN -- or is it? My friend Constance Cumbey called a few minutes ago and directed me to the Website of the Eighth World Assembly of Religions for Peace. And, guess whose smiling face showed up? That's right, Club of Rome President, His Royal Highness Prince El Hass bin Talal. Remember? We were asking where the religious element to the UN came in. Bingo! As I write in my book, the EU's Javier Solana is a member of the Spanish chapter of the Club of Rome. The club's primary purpose is the creation of what they call global governance. That explains the club's interest in the UN. And, since the Club of Rome's president is the person pictured above, establishing a global religion appears to be part of their agenda. In fact, take a look at what I found on the World Assembly of Religions for Peace Website. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Russia and Central Asian Allies Conduct War Games in Response to US Threats (August 24, 2006) - Barely acknowledged by the Western media, military exercises organized by Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan under the Collective Security Treaty Organization, (CSTO) were launched on the 24th of August. These war games, officially tagged as part of a counter terrorism program, are in direct response to US military threats in the region including the planned attacks against Iran. The Rubezh-2006 exercise, is scheduled to take place from August 24-29 near the Kazak port city of Aktau: "It will be the first joint military exercise undertaken by CSTO countries, and will involve 2,500 members drawn from various armed services of member states, with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan the principal participants. Uzbekistan, which has recently rejoined the CSTO, will send observers, while the two other pact members, Belarus and Armenia, will not be taking part .( IPWR News Briefing Central Asia) Press reports from the region describe these war games as a response to US military presence and ambitions in Central Asia: "The growing militarization is connected with mutual mistrust among countries in the region, say analysts. Iranian media have speculated that the United States is using Azerbaijan to create a military counterweight to Iran on the Caspian. It is possible that the exercise conducted by the CSTO – in which Russia is dominant – represents a response to concerns about United States involvement in developing Kazakstan’s navy. Observers say Russia is leaning more and more towards the Iranian view that countries from outside should be banned from having armed forces in the Caspian Sea." Experts say the US is trying to step up the pressure on Iran, as well as to defend its own investments in Azerbaijan and Kazakstan. It is also trying to guarantee the security of the strategically vital Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Hmm... Looks like Russia and company are flexing their muscles in defense of Iran. Surprised? Putin Says Russia Considering Sending Troops to Lebanon (August 23, 2006) - Russia is considering sending troops to the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to enforce the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire, President Vladimir Putin told Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. “He said he is thinking about it,’’ Prodi told reporters at his vacation villa in Tuscany, after a telephone conversation last night with Putin. Prodi’s spokesman confirmed his comments. Putin ”has started talking to his collaborators and he’ll give us an answer in the coming days,’’ he said. Lebanon faces a “security vacuum’’ unless the peacekeepers and Lebanese soldiers are deployed to oversee the cease-fire, UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen said after visits to Lebanon and Israel yesterday. There is ”reason for pessimism’’ until peacekeepers are in place, he said. The cease-fire that came into force Aug. 14 halted a 33-day conflict between Israel and the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group. European Union ambassadors are meeting in Brussels today to prepare a UN foreign ministers’ meeting on Aug. 25 to determine Europe’s contributions to the force. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Wow! We have Russian and Turkish forces planning troop deployment into Lebanon! These are several the main players in the Gog/Magog invasion! This would mean that troops the Bible says will invade Israel from the North are going to be, with the approval of Israel herself, massing troops on Israel's border! And everyone, even Israel is ok with this! Don't be surprised if they suddenly decide to attack, and don't be surprised when God destroys their armies in the mountains of Israel! Israel Must Be Ready For Any Iranian Attack: Minister (August 22, 2006) - Israel should prepare for the possibility of a missile attack from Iran, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday. "We are liable to face an Iranian missile attack. The Iranians have said very clearly that if they come under attack, their primary target would be Israel," Rafi Eitan, a member of the decision-making inner cabinet, told Israel Radio. Iran could fire missiles at the Jewish state "therefore we must prepare for what could come, and prepare the entire country for a missile strike attack, to prepare all the civilian systems so they are ready for this," Eitan said. The radio said Eitan, a former spymaster, meant that Israel should prepare its bomb shelters to protect against a possible Iranian attack. It quoted Eitan as alluding to the current international standoff with Iran over its uranium enrichment, saying if the situation deteriorates, Israel would be the first to come under attack. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." He has said Israel "should not assume" its ceasefire with Iranian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas last week means an end to the crisis. Hizbollah fired 4,000 rockets on northern Israel during the war. Iranian cleric Amad Khatami has said that Iran would hit Tel Aviv with medium-ranged missiles it came under attack. Arms experts say Iran's Shahab-3 missiles are capable of striking Israel. Eitan's remarks also came as tensions rose between Iran and six world powers led by the United States, who have sought to persuade Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment program, with an August 31 deadline for Tehran to face possible sanctions from the United Nations. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | If this time in the upcoming months truly is that time of the Gog/Magog invasion, Israel won't have to do a thing. God will take care of 5/6 of the attackers, leaving only 1/6 alive. Ezekiel 39:1-5 Speculation Rages About Iran's Plans For August 22 (August 21, 2006) - August 22 could usher in an apocalyptic period in the Middle East thanks to some belligerent action on the part of the Iranian regime. Or maybe not. The date was chosen by Tehran and had no obvious relevance in international diplomacy. The only formal deadline the international community is currently awaiting with regard to Iran is August 31 -- the date set by the U.N. Security Council for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment or face the possibility of sanctions. Some commentators have downplayed the importance of August 22, arguing that the decision was simply one of convenience, akin to saying "we'll respond by the end of the month." August 22 marks the end of the Persian solar month of Mordad. But others are less sanguine, noting that the date is significant in Islam, for several reasons. It coincides with the Islamic calendar date Rajab 28, the day Jerusalem fell to the Islamic warrior Saladin, in October 1187. Many Muslims regard Saladin's victory as a high point in Islamic history, and just weeks ago, Syrian fans of Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah were likening him to the 12th century Kurdish hero. On the night of August 21-22, Muslims believe Mohammed underwent his "night journey," a trip on a magical steed from Mecca via the "farthest mosque" -- later said to be al-Aqsa in Jerusalem -- and on to heaven and back. The two-stage journey is known in Islam as the "isla and miraj," and tradition holds that a divine white light appeared over Jerusalem at the time. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Today's the day if there is any validity to what some are speculating about Iran's plans for the 22nd. Will they attack Israel today? If they try to nuke Jerusalem, which won't happen because Bible prophecy has Jerusalem there throughout the millennium, it will be stopped by God. We also know that the invading army is wiped out in the mountains of Israel, so if it is today, I would expect that there would be more border buildup of troops to the North of Israel. Of course, Iran is doing military exercises right now, so they could surprise everyone. However, I don't expect we'll see an attack today, but I do believe we will see one very soon! There are other theories on the placement of the Gog/Magog invasion, so I could be wrong on it's timing, but so many aspects are all lined up for it to occur now. Keep watching! Turkey Cautious on Troop Deployment Despite Israeli Urging (August 20,2006) - "Bringing a cautious approach to Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz's statements saying his country wants to see the Turkish participation in the UN force for Lebanon, Gul said, "If the contribution will be made to stability and peace, if tears and bloodshed will be stopped with Turkish assistance, this will be evaluated carefully. Turkey won't draw its policy priorities in accordance with other countries' interests. Attaining stability in the region is also in the interest of Turkey.".... "He warned Israel that permanent peace can't be attained through use of force and unilateral decisions, urging dialogue, cooperation and multilateral consensus to proceed in the peace process. "Attaining just, comprehensive, permanent peace and stability in the Middle East is the sincere wish and aim of the international community as well as Turkey. The only way to attain this goal is dialogue and cooperation. Violence and unilateral initiatives won't help efforts to attain permanent peace and stability in the region," Gul told Israeli officials during his meetings.".... more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | They're good! Israel is probably now feeling like they need Islamic support in order to prevent Islamic wrath in Israel defending herself. They've got the Israeli leadership so tied up it can't really do anything. Not only that, but they're using it to lull Israel into a false sense of security by acting "cautious" and speaking about permanent peace. Anyone who listens to their own words of the Islamic rulers behind these nations knows full well the only thing they want is Israel gone. Lasting peace is the last thing on their mind. However, if they can lull Israel into allowing them to have troops on the border, and pretend to want a lasting peace, then Israel will be completely taken by surprise when they suddenly attack. Fortunately, Turkey will be completely surprised when God wipes them and the other armies out in the mountains of Israel! Olmert also said, "Israel has confidence in Turkey." I would probably be a lot more vocal about this, but I'm not worried for Israel's safety because of God's intervention, so BRING IT ON! I want to see God's name glorified! World leaders call on Turkey to contribute to peacekeeping in Lebanon (August 20, 2006) - The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, French President Jacques Chirac and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi expressed their expectation on Saturday that Turkey should join the UN peacekeeping force to be deployed in south Lebanon. During their phone talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the three leaders underlined importance of Turkey's participation in the peacekeeping force, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. They also noted that the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces would be an important step to ensure a lasting peace between Israel and Lebanon. For his part, Erdogan said that Turkey wanted to safeguard peace and stability in the region and welcomed the UN Security Council's decision to deploy peacekeeping force in Lebanon. The Turkish prime minister also noted that his country will decide whether to contribute to the UN peacekeeping force after discussion, adding that the decision needs to be approved by the Turkish parliament. Earlier, Turkey has expressed willingness to contribute to the peacekeeping force in Lebanon, but said that even if it eventually sends troops to Lebanon, the force will under no circumstances be a combat force. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | They don't need weapons with all the stockpiles hidden in Lebanon. They could just use those in their surprise attack. This puts a convincing front up to those not watching closely that would, on the surface, make Turkey appear to really desire peace... until the moment they decide to attack. Gul to Seek Syrian ME Peace Contribution in Damascus (August 20,2006) - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who is on a round of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East region, is scheduled to visit Syria on Tuesday in a move to urge the Syrian administration to contribute to the peace efforts. Having visited Lebanon, Israel and Palestine within the past week, Gul will pay a one-day visit to Damascus during which he is expected to call on Syria to contribute to a regional solution.".... more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran’s Military Exercise and Apocalyptic Plans for Israel and World (August 20, 2006) - Washington is keeping a sharp weather eye out for Tuesday, August 22, which this year corresponds in the Islamic calendar to the date on which many Sunni Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on his winged horse Buraq to “the farthest mosque”, which is traditionally identified with Jerusalem. According to the Muslim legend, on that day, a divine white light spread over Jerusalem and the whole world. DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources report that information rated “highly credible” has reached US undercover agencies of a secret report presented to Iran’s supreme ruler Ali Khamenei by Abdollah Shabhazi, one of the heads of the Supreme National Security Council. He claims to expose a mega-terror plot against Jerusalem scheduled for August 22, which aims at killing large numbers of Jews, Arabs and Christians. This atrocity will reportedly arm the United States and Israel with the pretext for hitting Iran’s nuclear installations, as well its capital, Tehran, and other big cities. Shabhazi says the US and Israel need to launch a military campaign to restore the deterrent strength they lost in the Lebanon war. The massive attack will reportedly focus on the Old City of Jerusalem and its eastern suburbs. The Iranian report claims that the plotters, who are not identified, are eager to recreate the divine white light whish spread over Jerusalem in the year 632. It does not rule out the use of a non-conventional weapon. DEBKAfile reports that the authorities in Israel do not appear to be taking this threat seriously, unlike Washington – and Tehran. Deeply impressed, Iran’s rulers launched a large-scale are, sea and ground exercise Saturday, Aug. 19. The maneuver, dubbed the Blow of Zolfaghar (the sword used by Imam Ali), involves 12 divisions, army Chinook helicopters, unmanned planes, parachutists, electronic war units and special forces. State-run television reported a new anti-aircraft system was tested “to make Iranian air space unsafe for our enemies.” The massive military exercise will spread over 14 of Iran’s 30 provinces and last about five weeks. DEBKAfile adds: The point of this massive display of might is in fact to place Iran’s armed forces on the ready for the contingency of a US-Israeli offensive on August 22 as per Shabhazi’s prediction. The exercise will be moved to Tehran to prepare the capital for a potential assault. August 22, furthermore, is also the day of Iran’s formal reply to the incentives packages on offer from the West in return for halting its uranium enrichment projects. For weeks, Tehran was under pressure from the United States and Europe for an earlier reply, but insisted on August 22. Prof. Bernard Lewis, the great scholar of Islam and the Middle East offers the background in the Wall Street Journal on Aug. 8: “In Islam, as in Judaism and Christianity, there are certain beliefs concerning the cosmic struggle at the end of time - Gog and Magog, anti-Christ, Armageddon, and for Shiite Muslims, the long awaited return of the Hidden Imam… Mr. Ahmadinejad and his followers clearly believe that this time is now, and that the terminal struggle has already begun and is indeed well advanced. It may even have a date, indicated by several references by the Iranian president to giving his final answer to the U.S. about nuclear development by Aug. 22. This was at first reported as "by the end of August," but Mr. Ahmadinejad's statement was more precise.” more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | As I wrote above, I don't think this date will ultimately mark the invasion of Gog/Magog, but we'll see. Keep watching! Iranian Army Ready For Israel Action After Lebanon War (August 19, 2006) - A senior Iranian army commander said on Saturday the armed forces were prepared for any action by Israel after what Iran has called the Jewish state's defeat at the hands of Lebanon's Hizbullah guerrillas. Ataollah Salehi, commander-in-chief of Iran's army, made his comment on the first day of army wargames, which started in the south of the country but will later extend to other areas. He did not say how long the maneuvers would last. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | One of the many reasons I think the Gog/Magog invasion is coming soon... They're basically stating it will be soon. The Iranian President has promised the Israel "problem" would be resolved soon. Click the Iran link above for more specific stories focused on Iran. Turkish PM Erdogan Says 'Nobody Should Expect Us to Remain Neutral': Reactions From the Turkish Media to the Middle East Crisis (August 16, 2006) - In June 2006, the Turkish media reported on two recent surveys, by Pew and by Princeton Survey Research Associates. The Pew study, which was conducted in 15 countries between March 31 and May 14, 2006, found significant erosion of positive feelings towards the U.S. among the Turkish people. The Princeton study showed that most Turks have negative feelings towards Jews and Christians - more than in other Muslim countries and Arab countries - and that most do not believe in democracy, despite the common belief that Turkey is the most democratic country in the Muslim world. The secular mainstream daily Hurriyet reported that thesurvey results showed anti-Americanism on the rise among Turks. While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was chosen by 25% of respondents as the most trusted leader, President George W. Bush came last, with only 3%. [1] Hurriyet's Ertugrul Ozkok warned in his column that Turkey was becoming the most fanatical and hostile country towards Christians in the Islamic world, pointed out that this anti-Western trend was evident among secular ultra-nationalists as much as among Islamists, and opined that Turkey was headed towards catastrophe. [2] The centrist, secular daily Sabah reported thatthere was widespread disbelief in Turkey that Arab terror groups were behind the 9/11 attacks. [3] In a column titled "Why Are the Turks More Anti-West than the Arabs?" Turkish columnist Semih Idiz of the centrist, secular Milliyet wrote: "A Syrian friend of mine asked me, '[…] Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has [good] relations only with Turkey and not with the Arabs. This relationship has begun to be of strategic importance. Why do the Turks do what the Arabs don't?' He means, 'Why are the Turks more royalist than the king?' And really, why is it that the Turks dislike Christians more than the Arabs [dislike Christians]? In what direction is Turkey going? […] Tomorrow's Sun Will "Rise on a World Without Israel" Turkish columnist Ayhan Bilgin wrote in the Islamist daily Vakit: "[...] The rabid attacks by Israel, the golem created by America that feeds on Muslim blood, are diminishing its chances of existing on the sacred [Muslim] land. Nobody should be surprised when tomorrow's sun rises on a world without Israel [...] Not much time remains until the great war." [14] more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Prepare For The Next Round (August 16, 2006) - The IDF has exacted a heavy price from Hizbullah for its aggression, but failed to achieve an unequivocal victory. It was a mistake to believe that military pressure could generate a process whereby the Lebanese government would disarm Hizbullah. Neither the latest UN Security Council resolution or the deployment of an international force will be able to overcome the centrifugal political processes that have beleaguered the divided Lebanese society. Similarly mistaken was the belief that reliance on air power could paralyze Hizbullah's capacity to harm Israel by launching thousands of short-range rockets. The political and military circumstances surrounding the cessation of the fighting in Lebanon have left Hizbullah shaken but still a force to be reckoned with in Lebanon and a proxy for Syria and Iran. Subduing Syria is the key to managing the Lebanese crisis, to rolling back Hizbullah, and to weakening Iran and its radical Islamist influence in the Middle East. In order to attain victory in the next military engagement, Israel should target Damascus. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Keep in mind that Damascus is prophesied to be a ruinous heap in Isaiah 17:1-14. Neighbors Smell Blood in Israeli Cease-Fire Acceptance (August 14, 2006) - Arabs and Muslims from Iran, Hizbullah and the PA are celebrating Israel’s acceptance of the UN ceasefire, dubbing it a "surrender" and calling on Arab states to attack the new "weak" Israel. “After one month of war against Lebanon's resistance, Israelis are the absolute losers and Hizbullah is the absolute winner of the war,” Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamida-Reza Asefi said Sunday. “The occupiers of Jerusalem failed, despite their military, economic, intelligence and diplomatic backings.” The Iranian official said the Islamic Republic of Iran is “very pleased” with the ceasefire, according to state-run Iranian news agency IRNA. He warned, though, that attacks on Israel would continue as long as “occupation lingers.” He declined to outline whether occupation included retaining sovereignty in regions such as the Galilee – which Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah has termed “settlements” in his wartime addresses. "Let us not forget that as long as there is occupation there is resistance," he added. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Tehran Seeks Help From Turkey on Lebanon (August 13, 2006) - Following the European Union, Turkey’s neighbor Iran, sought assistance from Ankara to resolve the crisis in Lebanon, the Turkish website Zaman reported. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki made a surprise visit to Turkey en route to Yemen and Egypt, where he suggested, “Turkey should exert its influence and take the necessary initiatives.” The visiting foreign minister met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Before his meetings, the Iranian FM said that Iran and Turkey have common concerns about the situation in Lebanon. Diplomatic sources informed Zaman that Mottaki asked Turkey to adopt an assertive and active role to help the United Nations (UN) Security Council take a fair decision on Israel’s offensive in Lebanon. Mottaki also requested Turkey to take the initiative to implement the decisions taken during the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) meeting in Malaysia last month. During the Malaysia meeting the OIC had made a call for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran Prepares for War With Israel and U.S. (August 2, 2006) - The authoritative Middle East News Line has confirmed that Iran has ordered preparations for war with Israel and the United States. In the first such order, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has ordered its more than 300,000 troops to prepare for a confrontation with Israel and the United States. IRGC has directed as well as participated in the Hezbollah war against Israel. “Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards and Basij [a branch of the IRGC] should prepare themselves to get even with Zionists and Americans,” IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi said. “The supreme leader [Ali Khamenei] will announce the time for this.” Safavi said Iran would avenge Israeli air attacks on Lebanon. He said the Israeli military was aided by aircraft and weapons from the United States. “We have to keep this sacred hatred of the enemies of Islam alive in our hearts until the time of revenge comes,” Safavi said on July 30. “I hope our nation can one day avenge the blood of innocent people in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. I ask God to arouse the dignity of Muslims and destroy America, Israel and their associates.” Yesterday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki discussed strategy in Beirut with Hezbollah and Lebanese leaders. Mottaki’s visit, welcomed by France, took place as the Lebanese leadership was said to have drawn closer to Iran during the current war with Israel. Western intelligence sources said IRGC has deployed nearly 1,000 soldiers in Lebanon, many of them along the border with Syria. The sources said IRGC officers participated in the battle against Israel for Bint Jbail, about three kilometers from the Jewish state. So far, Iran has denied that it sent fighters to Lebanon. But Teheran has reported efforts by so-called volunteers to aid Hezbollah. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | There have been more recent reports by Israeli troops that they have found bodies wearing Iranian Revolutionary Guard uniforms in Lebanon. Also, rocket fragments found in Israel fired from Lebanon were found to be Russian-made rockets. They lie to the media and the media fails to cover certain things. Meanwhile the world blindly walks into the execution chamber while the Islamo-Facists sharpen their swords. Assad: We’ll Liberate Golan Heights (August 15, 2006) - Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country is prepared for any war that may break out with Israel , adding that he is convinced that the chances for peace have decreased and that “the Golan Heights will be liberated by Syria.” In a special interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Osboa, Assad said “if Israel launches a war against Syria, it will pay a heavy price.” He said Syria has been following Israel closely, particularly after former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came to power. “The fact that he was elected by such a large majority attests to the fact that the Israeli nation does not want peace,” Assad said. “Syria and the resistance (referring to Hizbullah ) read the situation correctly in that we predicted the confrontation. There have been extensive preparations for the current battle. Our disagreement focused on the nature of the resistance. There were those who thought the resistance didn’t stand a chance in a time when satellites reveal everything, track everything down and can direct severe blows at the resistance, but the reality proved otherwise. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Once again, they say their plans aloud. Once again, it will probably fall on deaf ears. They clearly don't have lasting peace in mind. Their kind of "peace" is piece after piece of Israel's land until there is no Jew left on it. Technically, that will be the only time a Muslim can have peace because their Koran tells them that once land is Muslim, it can never go back to anything else. They must fight until it is theirs. Syria, Turkey Revive Strategic Partnership (August 10, 2006) - Syria and Turkey discussed ways to revive the strategic partnership between the two friendly countries, according to Syria’s official news agency SANA. Both countries stressed that the Syrian-Turkish relations must encompass economic, trade and political dimensions. Visiting Chairman of Turkey’s Unity Party Mohsen Yazaji Uglo also expressed support for Damascus, who is facing intense U.S. pressure. Israel and its major ally the U.S. accuse Syria, along with Iran, of funding the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah. But Damascus insists that it only supports Hezbollah morally and not militarily. Uglo also voiced support for Lebanon and strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli massacres in the Lebanese territories. "We come here to demonstrate full solidarity with Syria under the foreign threats to which she has been exposed and to express support to the Lebanese national resistance which is facing the savage Israeli aggression against its country," Uglo said after meeting with the Chairman of Syria's Chambers of Commerce's Rateb al-Shallah. more... | Islam | Gog/Magog | If you read Chuck Missler's analysis on Magog (first article in today's issue), he says that Turkey's awakening is a big sign. Syria Checks Bomb Shelters (August 10, 2006) - The winds of war blowing through the region are also being felt in Syria, as the country begins checks of its public bomb shelters for the first time since 1973. Syrian media outlets reported Wednesday that while residents of towns on the border with Israel are independently looking after themselves and shelters, the 'civil guard' began checking the state of bomb shelters in Damascus. A senior member or the civil guard in Damascus said the body was "working to make sure the shelters were in good shape as a step to prepare for any future development. This is especially true for shelters who have over the years turned into stores, clubs, and even homes." "Imagine if God forbid a war broke out and they tried to enter here, they would probably prevent it," said Abu Majdi, a senior civil guard member, while pointing at a home in Damascus built in a former shelter. more... | Islam | Gog/Magog | Could this be a sign of recognition within Syria's government that they will soon be needing these shelters? Iranian Cataclysm Forecast Aug. 22 (August 9, 2006) - A top expert on the Mideast says it is possible Iran could pick Aug. 22, the anniversary of one of Islam's holiest events, for a cataclysm Shiite Muslims believe will forever resolve the battle between "good" and "evil." Princeton's Bernard Lewis has written an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal advising that the rest of the world would be wise to bear in mind that for those who believe the end of the world is imminent and good, there is no deterrent even to nuclear warfare. As WorldNetDaily has reported, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has urged his people to prepare for the coming of an Islamic "messiah," raising concerns a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic could trigger the kind of global conflagration he envisions will set the stage for the end of the world. He's also said, in a WND report, that Islam and its followers must prepare to rule the world, because it is a "universal ideology that leads the world to justice." Now comes Lewis, who notes that the world must be concerned about a leader for whom the possibility of death is not a deterrent. "In this context, mutual assured destruction, the deterrent that worked so well during the Cold War, would have no meaning," Lewis wrote. "At the end of time, there will be general destruction anyway. What will matter will be the final destination of the dead – hell for the infidels, and heaven for the believers. "For people with this mindset, MAD is not a constraint, it is an inducement," he said. Lewis noted that Ahmadinejad has referred to Aug. 22 several times, including when he rejected – until that date – United Nations requests for nuclear program information. Lewis, joining several other Mideast experts who have expressed similar concerns, said Aug. 22 corresponds to the 27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427. "This, by tradition, is the night when many Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq, first to 'the farthest mosque,' usually identified with Jerusalem, and then to heaven and back," Lewis wrote. In Islam, as in other religious, certain beliefs describe the "cosmic struggle" at the end of time. For Shiite Muslims, Lewis wrote, this will be "the long awaited return of the Hidden Imam, ending in the final victory of the forces of good over evil." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I don't know if there is truly anything to this. If this is a reality, then we could possibly see the Gog/Magog invasion on the 22nd. With the Lebanon-Israel conflict dying down, perhaps that will be an excuse to build up troops on the border or something? Time will tell. Iran Says US Or Israeli Attack Will Face "Raging Sea" (August 8, 2006) - Any U.S. or Israeli attack against Iran will be returned by a force 100 times stronger, the head of the Revolutionary Guards said on Monday, as pressure mounts on Tehran's atomic work and its support for Hizbollah. "There is no doubt that if these criminals attempt any operation or vicious assault, they will receive blows 100 times harder," said Yahya Rahim-Safavi, commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards. "They will not last against the raging sea of the Iranian people and the power of Islamic Iran," he was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. The U.N. Security Council has demanded Iran end its atomic work by the end of this month after Tehran failed to convince the international community its atomic scientists were only working on power stations and not on bombs. Washington has declined to rule out military strikes as a solution to the nuclear dispute. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | What options are there? They've said they're going to work on nukes regardless and if anyone tries to stop them, they will face a "raging sea." With Iran openly calling for the destruction of Israel, how long do you think Israel can afford to hold off that threat, not to mention the rest of the world? I have no doubt that Iran would attack, that's what Gog/Magog is all about. We could be very close to Ezekiel 38,39. Keep watching! Terrorists Fight Israel With Russian Weapons (August 7, 2006) - Israeli Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter has said in an interview that "all the terrorists surrounding Israel" are using Russian weapons, AFP reports. "All the terrorists surrounding Israel are using Russian and Soviet-made arms — Kalashnikov assault rifles and Katyusha rockets," Dichter told the Russian daily Vremya Novostei in an interview published Tuesday. "We don't have information about direct contacts between Hezbollah combatants and Russia, but we know quite well about Hezbollah's direct contacts with Syria and Iran," Dichter said. Russian sales of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria and Iran have been heavily criticized by the United States and Israel. Last week, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Russian jetmaker Sukhoi and arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport, citing their weapons sales to Iran. President Vladimir Putin defended the sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria in 2004, saying they posed no threat to Israel. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Is it much of a surprise since Russia is clearly on the side of Iran and Syria? They've been working on a navy base in Syria, selling weapons to Iran, and who knows what else behind the scene. Not only that, but they are a potential attacker of Israel from the North, the Gog/Magog invasion. As it stands now, their missiles are exploding in Israel. Iran Declares Its Nuclear Bad Intentions (August 7, 2006) - At what point do Americans and the rest of the world begin to take Iran’s leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, seriously? He is making no secret of his plans to acquire and use nuclear weapons against Israel, England and America. As any student in Psychology 101 learns, there is something called “projection” in which an individual “projects” onto another person their own intentions, motivations, and justifications. If I say you are planning to harm me, there’s a strong chance the truth is that I am planning to harm you. On August 1, he was addressing a rally that was carried on the Iranian News Channel (IRINN) and his speech was translated by the Middle East Media Research Center for anyone to read. Ahmadinejad was denouncing Israel’s efforts to defend itself against the rain of Iranian-supplied rockets and missiles, and of course, it was their own fault they were under attack. The crowd was chanting “Death to Israel.” He proceeded to give his own history lesson to the crowd, but since he does not believe the Holocaust ever happened along with some other extraordinarily paranoid notions, his version is a bit skewed. “They are a bunch of Zionists. Where have they come from? As you know, the rule of hegemony and the web of colonialism strived to establish a base in the heart of the Middle East.” “A hundred years ago, they began to devise conspiracies on the basis of a diabolical plan. Bit by bit they (Jews) arrived (in what was then the British protectorate of Palestine) and backed by the devious, deceiving England, they sneaked people in, and placed them in control over the people of Palestine.” The real history could fill a book, but suffice it to say that a very small group of European Jews, despairing of ever being accepted in their home countries, rife with anti-Semitism, concluded that Jews should immigrate to Palestine with a view to reestablishing the nation of Israel. The idea began with the publication, in 1896, of Theodor Hertzl’s “The Jewish State.” more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | The Prince of Persia, the Prince of Tyre, and The Prince of the Armies of Heaven Prayer Update from Israel -email subscription (August 7, 2006) - The battle we are in is a conflict which our friend Chuck Pierce has called a "confederation of demonic hosts that are aligned against God's covenant plan." These dark powers are working through evil men in high places who are speaking boastful words, "defying the armies of the Living God." Last week Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking to an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders in Malaysia, said that the main solution for the Middle East crisis is "the elimination of the Zionist regime" (in other words, the annihilation of the Nation of Israel). While the spirit inhabiting this man breathes out curses against Zion, the Reading from the Prophets in synagogues this past weekend included
As this ancient evil over Persia (Iran) issues its threats through this human figurehead, so does the Prince of Tyre, through his emissary Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. Looked up to by many in Lebanon as a Messiah figure, the Hizbullah chieftain has recently taunted Israel's faith, claiming that his army's faith is far stronger than that of Israel, that Hizbullah is the "Army of Allah" which will be used to defeat Israel and the U.S. and bring a great salvation to all Islamic peoples. In Ezekiel 28 we are given a portrait of the "faith" of the Prince of Tyre-"Your heart is lifted up and you have said, 'I am El (God), I sit in the seat of Elohim'. yet you are a man, and not a god, though you set your heart as the heart of a god . . . they shall throw you down into the Pit, and you shall die the death of the slain" (vss. 1,8). There is only one "EL" and that is "EL ELYON"-GOD MOST HIGH- who in Yeshua (Jesus) His Son is GOD WITH US (Immanu-EL) -- born in Bethlehem, whose Name is now above Every Name which is Named. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Islam | NewWorldOrder | This is Christianese, but it's so true. Even America is manipulated by these dark forces in high places. It's all falling into place exactly how the Bible says it will. Even though dark times are coming, eternity follows close on it's heels. Keep watching! Russia Remains Iran’s Ally In Spite Of Supporting UN Resolution (August 6, 2006) - Iran’s top nuclear negotiator said Sunday the Islamic Republic will continue developing relations with Russia and China, despite their supporting a UN Security Council resolution. The five permanent UN Security Council members, including Russia and China, voted July 31 in favor of a resolution to set August 31 as a deadline for Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment activities. If Iran fails to fulfill the UN’s demands, economic and diplomatic sanctions may be imposed on the Islamic Republic. Ali Larijani said Iran had long-term relations with Russia and China and friends could not be judged on the basis of one action only. Iran’s nuclear program has been a source of major controversy since the beginning of the year, as many countries suspect the Islamic Republic of pursuing a covert weapons program under the pretext of civilian research, despite its claims to the contrary. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Not too shocking given the past news stories confirming this over and over and over. Syria 'Ready For Possible Regional War' (August 6, 2006) - Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem crossed into Lebanon Sunday for the first visit by a top Syrian official in more than a year, Lebanon's state news agency said. Speaking to reporters after the meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Fawzi Salloukh, Moallem said "Syria is ready for the possibility of a regional war if the Israeli aggression continues." He added that a US-French draft resolution to end the war "adopted Israel's point of view only." Underlining his support for Hizbullah, Moallem said, "as Syria's foreign minister I hope to be a soldier in the resistance." Salloukh said that "Israel cannot take in peace what it had failed to take in war." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Hezbollah Iran Missiles Slam Hadera Israel - Nuclear War Approaching? (August 5, 2006) - The only good thing about the terror group Hezbollah (Hizbollah) or Islam Party of God is that they keep their promises. Just two days ago Hezbollah terror leader Hassan Nasrallah said from Lebanon that he would strike Tel Aviv, Israel with missiles if the Israel Defense Forces attacked parts of central Beirut. A few hours ago, Hezbollah launched three Iran missiles at the Israel city of Hadera. Hadera is 70 miles south from the Lebanese border and 30 miles north from Tel Aviv. The strike was the deepest inside Israel to date in the fighting between the Jewish state and the Lebanon-based terrorists. Hezbollah is believed to have missiles that can reach Tel Aviv, but such an attack would trigger a massive Israel response. One that would most likely include Syria and Iran. Iran admitted today that it did indeed supply long-range Zelzal-2 missiles to Hizbullah. The longer-range Zelzal missiles, manufactured by Iran and are capable of reaching Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beer Sheva in the Negev. In making this announcement, Iran reinforced its statement of "wiping Israel off the map" and though bullets are not flying yet between Israel and Iran, both nations are very much at war. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran: We supplied Zelzal-2 to Hizbullah (August 5, 2006) - Iran admitted for the first time on Friday that it did indeed supply long-range Zelzal-2 missiles to Hizbullah. Secretary-general of the "Intifada conference" Mohtashami Pur told an Iranian newspaper that Iran transferred the missiles so that they could be used to defend Lebanon, Channel 1 reported. The extent of Iran's intimate involvement in Hizbullah attacks is starting to emerge. According to the defense establishment, the reason Hizbullah has not fired long-range Iranian-made Fajr missiles at Israel is due to Teheran's opposition. Israel now understands that without direct orders from the ayatollahs, Hizbullah is not allowed to use Iranian missiles in attacks against Israel. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | At least their honest. What amazes me is that even with their blunt honesty, nobody does anything about it. They must really think they have us where they want us. I really believe they may too. Especially considering where Bible prophecy tells us the world's going. Russian Base in Syria, a Symmetrical Strategic Move (July 28, 2006) - Russian military officials have consistently denied reports that Russia is creating a permanent naval base in Tartus, Syria that would give it a Mediterranean outpost and represent a major shift in the regional security balance of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Levant, and the Middle East as a whole. Reports were emerging long before the Israeli attacks on Lebanon that Russia had begun work on deepening the Syrian maritime port of Tartus, used by the Soviet Union and later Russia as a supply point since the Cold War, and widening a channel in Latakia, another Syrian port. Both Tartus and Latakia are significant for both Syria and Russia in that they face the outlet of the Ceyhan end—the receiving end—of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil terminal giving Russia and its partners the ability to disrupt or secure the port and route during the possibility of the eruption of any future war(s) with the United States. The establishment of this Russian project has been presented as an alternative hub for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, based in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, in the Ukraine, but this seems to be undermined by upgrading and expansion of the Russian naval port of Novorossysk off the eastern margins of the Black Sea. The creation or expansion of naval or military bases off the Syrian coast and Russian coast off the Black Sea seem to imply the future employment of two different forces with different applications for the national and security interests of Russia. The Russian expansion of the Tartus would include the installation of an air defence system with S-300 PMU2 Favourite ballistic missile system that would be a virtual threat to the Ceyhan, maritime traffic, the flow of oil, and would provide an air defence shield for vital portions of Syria that are strategically important, especially in the event of a war. In essence Damascus, the Syrian capital, and Syria would be protected from either Israeli or American aerial bombardment. It is clear that the Russian aims in Syria are a symmetrical reaction to American objectives for the Middle East and part of a global chess game. | Gog/Magog | Islam | Syrian Reporter: In Syria There Is Atmosphere Of Eve Of War (July 28, 2006) - Exclusive: In conversation in Damascus, senior Syrian journalist tells about sentiments in Syria ('as if there will be war any moment'); talks about military preparations in his country ('identifying your reinforcements in Golan Heights'); and estimates that Israeli pounding in Lebanon to intensify grassroots support of Nasrallah and his organization. Also in Syria, he says, Nasrallah more popular than ever -Ali Waked As the conflict with Hizbullah in Lebanon escalates by the day, the question of Syria's involvement in the conflict becomes increasingly more relevant. "The atmosphere in Syria is in every way an atmosphere of war, or at least of the eve of war. Syrian television for the first time since the '80's has started broadcasting Syrian military marches and nationalistic songs. There is not difference between Syrian television broadcasts and Al-Manar broadcasts of the Hizbullah. The broadcasts are in preparation for war, as if Syria is involved in this war, or is going to be involved at any moment. The local newspapers and the television are conducting themselves as if they are preparing the Syrian public for war." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | It's only getting more intense over there. Either an amazing temporary and false peace deal will break out and the temple will be rebuilt, or greater war in the Middle East will erupt. Given the stories, it's looking more like war. Is this the beginning of Gog/Magog? We'll soon see! Keep watching! Iran Negotiator Reportedly In Syria Talks (July 28, 2006) - A top Iranian negotiator reportedly visited Damascus on Thursday for talks on the Lebanese crisis with the Syrian and Hezbollah leaders, highlighting the three-way alliance arrayed against Israel. The reported meeting underscored the Israeli and U.S. insistence that Syria and Iran have a powerful influence with the Shiite Hezbollah organization and its guerrillas. White House spokesman Tony Snow said Syria and Iran "are playing leading roles" in the conflict in Lebanon "and need to step up" to the task of finding a solution. "We have already made it clear to both parties what is necessary, and what is necessary is for Hezbollah to lay down arms and choose a political rather than a military track," he said Thursday. Snow's remarks reinforced those of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after the Syrians held out their diplomatic hand to the United States this week. But Rice said there already were sufficient contacts with Damascus and the Syrians were aware of what they need to do _ stop supporting Hezbollah and press it to disarm. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | They don't really care how obvious they're being. This is what they want. Ahmadinejad: Israel Pushed Self-Destruct Button In Lebanon (July 28, 2006) - Israel has ordained its own destruction by invading Lebanon, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday, according to the state news agency. Addressing the clerical staff of the Friday prayer sermons in Tehran, Ahmadinejad said Israel and its supporters "should know that they cannot end the business that they have begun." "The occupying regime of Palestine has actually pushed the button of its own destruction by launching a new round of invasion and barbaric onslaught on Lebanon," the official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted the president as saying. Iran is one of the two major patrons of Hezbollah, the Lebanese guerrilla group that began the current fighting when its fighters crossed into Israel on July 12 and kidnapped two Israel Defense Forces soldiers. The other patron is Syria, an Iranian ally. Ahmadinejad is a hardline opponent of Israel and the Jewish people. Last October he provoked an international outcry when he said that Israel should be "wiped off the map." He has repeatedly cast doubt on the Nazi Holocaust. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Syria Increases Alert Of War With Israel (July 27, 2006) - Syria has been preparing for war with Israel. Israeli intelligence sources said the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad has placed the military on alert. The sources said Syrian infantry commandos, armored units and anti-aircraft batteries have been ordered to launch preparations for an Israeli strike. "Neither Syria nor Israel is interested in a military clash but the situation is explosive and the events may potentially be incorrectly interpreted," Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday. "This could entangle Syria up in a battle against us." Last week, Syrian President Bashar Assad placed his military on alert for an Israeli strike. Israel has repeatedly said it would not attack Syria. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Keep your eye on Damascus. Al-Qaida Calls for Holy War Against Israel (July 27, 2006) - Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader issued a worldwide call in a new videotape released Thursday for Muslims to rise up in a holy war against Israel and join the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza until Islam reigns from "Spain to Iraq." In the message broadcast by Al-Jazeera television, Ayman al-Zawahri, second in command to Osama bin Laden, said that al-Qaida now views "all the world as a battlefield open in front of us." The Egyptian-born physician said that the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and Palestinian militants would not be ended with "cease-fires or agreements." "It is a Jihad for the sake of God and will last until (our) religion prevails ... from Spain to Iraq," al-Zawahri said. "We will attack everywhere." Spain was controlled by Arab Muslims until they were driven from power at the turn of the 16th century. He also said that Arab regimes were complicit in Israeli fighting against Hezbollah and the Palestinians. "My fellow Muslims, it is obvious that Arab and Islamic governments are not only impotent but also complicit ... and you are alone on the battlefield. Rely on God and fight your enemies ... make yourselves martyrs." Al-Zawahri wore a gray robe and white turban in the video. A picture of the burning World Trade Center was on the wall behind him along with photos of two other militants. One appeared to be a bearded Mohammed Atta, the Egyptian ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks. The other was Mohammed Atef, also known as Abu Hafs al-Masri, a former top lieutenant of bin Laden who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan in November 2001. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Looks like the war drums are beating louder. Syria's Military Flatters to Deceive (July 27, 2006) - While it is still largely true that the Syrian military remains one of the largest and best-trained forces in the Arab world, it has significantly lost every major conflict with Israel since 1948. Its combat strength has deteriorated dramatically over the past 15 years as its equipment has become increasingly obsolescent, poorly maintained and short of spare parts. The collapse of the Soviet Union created immense problems of re-supply for the Syrians, and the slowdown experienced by the Syrian economy resulted in a further downgrading of the military's combat efficiency. This said, the recent military cooperation agreement signed with Iran has offered Damascus a much-needed opportunity to update and re-equip large parts of its armed forces. Spare parts for its Russian weapons, improved electronics and new Iranian-made missile systems will provide a considerable strengthening of combat capability and a possible improvement in morale. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran testing Israel ahead of confrontation? (July 27, 2006) - Tehran is using Hezbollah's confrontation with the Jewish state to test the abilities of Iranian weapons and to observe Israeli military capabilities, Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt charged in a WorldNetDaily interview yesterday. Jumblatt also said he fears Syria will take advantage of the growing crisis in Lebanon to reassert its influence in the country and convince the international community Syrian domination of Lebanon is crucial to the stability of the Middle East. He warned Damascus might initiate a wave of terror in Lebanon following Israel's military campaign there to further destabilize the country, including by assassinating the Lebanese prime minister. "Iran is bringing in [to Lebanon] sophisticated weaponry," said Jumblatt who is head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party and is largely considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese politician. "The Iranians are actually experimenting with different kinds of missiles in Lebanon by shooting them at the Israelis. Iran is using this violence to test certain of [Israel's] abilities," Iran is accused of supplying Hezbollah was thousands of rockets the terror group has launched the past three weeks into northern Israeli population centers, including Haifa, the country's third largest city. Many of the fired rockets have been Katyushas he says were upgraded by Iran. Hezbollah is also in possession of Iranian Zalzel missiles, with a range of about 125 miles, making Tel Aviv vulnerable. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I have no doubt that Iran is gauging Israel right now. Prophetically, Iran will attack Israel and certainly has stated the desire for that in the future publicly. Report: Nasrallah is in Damascus (July 27, 2006) - A top Iranian envoy was in Syria on Thursday for talks on the Israeli-Hizbullah conflict in a meeting that brought together the guerrilla organization's two key sponsors, according to Iranian news reports. A Kuwaiti newspaper reported that Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah was taking part in the session. Kuwait's Al-Siyassah newspaper, known for its opposition to the Syrian regime, said the meeting was designed to discuss ways to maintain supplies to Hezbollah fighters with "Iranian arms flowing through Syrian territories." Al-Siyassah said it learned of the meeting from "well-informed Syrian sources" it did not identify. According to the newspaper, Nasrallah was moving through Damascus with Syrian guards in an intelligence agency car. He was dressed in civilian clothes, not his normal clerical garb. The Mehr news agency in Iran said Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was in Damascus for meetings on the crisis, but gave no other details. Similar reports were carried by the Iranian Labor News Agency and the Fars agency. Al-Siyassah said Larijani would meet Syrian President Hafez Assad and Nasrallah. There was no mention of Larijani's travels in Iranian state-run media. None of the reports could be independently confirmed. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Anyone still think Iran's not involved? Iran Warns the West: Ignore Us At Your Peril (July 26, 2006) - Iran warned the west yesterday that attempts to broker a Lebanon peace deal at today's Rome summit are destined to fail and it predicted a backlash across the Muslim world unless Israel's military forces were immediately reined in. Senior government officials said the exclusion from the summit of Iran, Syria and their Lebanese ally Hizbullah meant that no lasting settlement was possible. Hamid Reza Asefi, the foreign ministry spokesman in Tehran, said: "They should have invited all the countries of the region, including Syria and Iran, if they want peace. How can you tackle these important issues without having representatives of all countries in the region?" The Rome conference is to be attended by the US, Canada, Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Russia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, as well as the UN and the World Bank. It is due to publish a statement setting out the broad outlines of a possible deal, including the injection of a muscular international stabilisation force which Hizbullah rejected yesterday. But the mood in Rome was soured last night when an Israeli air strike hit a UN monitoring post in south Lebanon, killing four UN peacekeepers from Austria, Canada, China and Finland. Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, immediately demanded that Israel investigate the direct hit that he said was "apparently deliberate". more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I noted in the news a couple issues ago about the promised retaliation against America and the fears of WMDs already in America. It isn't looking good and political correctness will probably end up our undoing. War between Iran, Israel inevitable (July 24, 2006) - With the decision to destroy Hezbollah by military force, the Israelis are playing for a fundamental power alignment in the Middle East. More than just a regional conflict with a local terrorist organization, Israel's fight continues to be about survival. Yesterday, Iran's President Ahmadinejad declared that by attacking Lebanon, Israel had pushed the button of their destruction. ''I advise them [the Israelis] to pack up and move out of the region before being caught in the fire they have started in Lebanon,'' Ahmadinejad told the state news agency IRNA. ''The usurper Zionists thought attack on Lebanon would create a new atmosphere for them in the region,'' Ahmadinejad charged. ''They [the Zionists] have committed a big mistake.'' Since Israel pulled out of Lebanon in 2001, Hezbollah has boasted of its ability to destroy the Jewish state. Now, should Israel succeed in crushing Hezbollah with military force, Syria and Iran face the prospect of a major political setback in the world of radical Islam. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | UNCOVERED: RUSSIAN-SYRIAN-IRANIAN AXIS (July 24, 2006) - For students of Bible prophecy, even the title of this communiqué should set off alarm sirens. I just received some electrifying intelligence data. First, from the Debka-Net-Weekly's briefing. And second, from some personal intelligence sources (I carefully guard) that confirm Debka's report. Russia, Iran and Syria have entered a defense pact that is in the process of altering the balance of power in the entire Middle East. Russia's part in the pact has been kept relatively secret for a long time. But the facts reveal a long steady Russian commitment to the Iranian nuclear program and arms supply to Syria. A Mossad General shared with me in confidence that he had personally traced the hiring and importation to Iran 283 of the defunct Soviet Union's top nuclear and missile scientists. This meeting took place in February of 1991. I shared this information with no one until nine months later when it was first made public (although strangely not followed up by the mainstream media). All Russian leaders continued and expanded this agreement to this day, especially our supposed friend, Vladimir Putin. Russia has helped the Iranian nuclear program from its inception. Hundreds of Russian scientists with their families live around the some twenty scattered nuclear related facilities. Russian 'Spetznaz soldiers' (special forces) guard all the key nuclear facilities. Iran has had some help on missile development from the North Koreans. But even their missiles are based upon Russian designs. The unmistakable culprit in China, North Korea and Iran's nuclear development has been the Soviet Union and continued by Russia. The Soviet Union's motivation for helping China and North Korea was primarily ideological. Russia's primary reason is hard cash, although now, it is taking on a strategic importance as well. So here are the disturbing hard facts about what is taking place in what can only be viewed as a dangerous anti-western strategy in the form of a Russian-Syrian-Iranian Axis. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | The alliances have been there, evident by the actions of these nations. Iran has had no issues with publicly saying what their plans are because they believe their religious books declare them the winners and they feel this time is coming soon. The master of deception is very crafty. This is the alliance that attacks Israel but is destroyed in the mountains of Israel. The question is, are we at that point in history when it happens, or are we still just seeing the alliances form? Given the war raging in Lebanon between Israel and the terrorists, and the support offered to the terrorists by Syria and Iran, I see it happening sooner rather than later. That's just an educated guess though. Keep watching! Iran's Ahmadinejad: Israel's Destruction at Hand (July 23, 2006) - "Israel has pushed the button of its own destruction," said the Iranian president, who pulls the strings of its terrorist proxies on both of Israel's fronts. "The Zionists made their worst decision and triggered their extinction by attacking Lebanon." Ahmadinejad, addressing the 23rd Iranian Islamic Republic's nationwide meeting of the heads of educational bureaus, advised Jewish Israelis "to pack up and move out of the region before being caught in the fire they have started in Lebanon." Last week, Ahmadinejad was shown on Iranian television saying Israelis "Should know that the volcano of rage of the peoples of the region is boiling...I'm telling you...If this volcano erupts - and we are on the brink of eruption... and if this ocean rages, its waves will not be limited to the region. Ahmadinejad, seemingly responding to the first two planeloads of American Jews making Aliyah (immigrating to Israel) this summer, accused Israel of deceiving the olim. "They are even lying to the misfortunate people whom they have imported into occupied Palestine," he said. "They are using them as a shield to achieve their own goals." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I suppose his own words don't mean anything because there are still those trying to appease and work out political deals. Does he sound like he's going for any of that? Well, he's talking the same genocidal talk he was months ago, only now he's promising the fulfillment of it soon. Hello world, wake up! Iran planning to strike Israel? (July 22, 2006) - Tehran ordered the current Hizb'allah rocket assault on Israel in order to swamp Israeli defenses and open the door for an Iranian missile strike on Israel's population centers, wrote a group of Iranian exiles in a full-page ad published in Wednesday's Washington Times. The Azadegan Foundation, led by former Iranian diplomat Assad Homayoun, warned that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intends to use weapons of mass destruction against the Jewish state. "We have know for some four years that Iran's clerical leadership has, mostly through Syria and with active participation from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, been pouring thousands of Zalzal-2 and Fajr rockets and missiles into HizbAllah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard (Pasdaran) units in Lebanon's Beqa'a Valley, for use against Israel. "Now they are being used. And, clearly, this is only the beginning. They are the mass barrages meant to swamp regional defenses so that Iran's strategic Shahab-3 ballistic missiles and other weapons can deliver WMD against Israel and other targets in the region." Adding to the growing sense of concern is the fact that Ahmadinejad earlier this week announced to Muslims throughout the region that a great day of "rejoicing" would soon be upon them. If Iran's aim is to divert Israel's missile defense systems away from its densely populated central regions, it appears to be working. World Tribune reported Wednesday that Israel is "urgently pooling its missile defense assets to defend against" the Hizb'allah threat in the north. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This is straight Bible prophecy, the Gog/Magog invasion. So it wouldn't surprise me in the least. It will surprise them though! Ezekiel 38:18-23 Hezbollah Nourished by Iran, Syria Roots (July 22, 2006) - The Hezbollah military machine that has been attacking Israel draws much of its strength from two shadowy sources that are proving difficult to cut off: Syria and Iran. The two countries, which President Bush blames for fomenting terrorism and destabilizing the Middle East, provide Hezbollah with training, weapons and financing, according to Western intelligence officials who are working to stem the flow of aid. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., a House Intelligence Committee member who was briefed on the Middle East situation during a recent trip to Iraq, said Syria has more than 1,000 agents in southern Lebanon, working either directly for Syrian intelligence or compensated by Syria for information. He says they are there "to cause trouble" and help prop up Hezbollah militarily. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Again, here's some more background as to what's really going on in the Middle East. What the mainstream media seems blind to. Turkey may Lead UN Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (July 22, 2006) - Turkey may have a leadership role in the United Nations peacekeeping force that could be deployed in Lebanon which has been under Israeli bombardment for over 10 days - the pro-Bush Administration Washington Post daily reports. According to an article by Thomas E. Ricks and Robin Wright in the US daily, planning for the force is in the early stages, but US officials said they anticipate that it would include from 10,000 to 20,000 troops led by a contingent from France or Turkey. The same officials added, however, that the force currently being discussed would not include U.S. troops since "they are already stretched by operations in Iraq and Afghanistan" and "there are no troops to spare for Lebanon". "I do not think that it is anticipated that U.S. ground forces are expected for that force," the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told on Friday. Key aspects of the peacekeeping force, such as which country will lead it, its size, and its mission, are still being discussed at both national and international levels. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Wouldn't this be fitting to have a nation on the side of the terrorists leading a "peacekeeping force" in Lebanon. Turkey is one of the invaders of Gog/Magog too! Syrians Defiant, Outraged At Lebanon's Destruction (July 21, 2006) - Next to the Umayyad mosque in old Damascus, Samir Hamsho plastered a Hizbollah flag and a picture of its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah outside his antique textiles and carpets shop. "We are fed up with Israeli insolence. You will be surprised how many ordinary Syrians will turn into human bombs if Israel attacks this country," Hamsho said. "The Zionists have shown their savagery by attacking Lebanon like this, but they don't scare us." Across the country, Syrians have reacted with defiance and outrage to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and statements by the Jewish state that the Baathist government is sending weapons to Hizbollah fighters. The government has denied re-supplying the Lebanese group and officials have vowed to respond to any attack, although they have shown little sign of preparing for war. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Russia Criticizes Israel For Offensive (July 21, 2006) - Russia on Thursday sharply criticized Israel for its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, saying it went "far beyond the boundaries of an anti-terrorist operation" and repeating calls for an immediate cease-fire. The Foreign Ministry said Russia affirms the need to fight terrorism and called for the immediate release of captive Israeli soldiers, but it added that "the unprecedented scale of the casualties and destruction" in Lebanon indicates that Israel is using too much force. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | No big surprise that Russia, Iran, Syria, and Turkey are all criticizing Israel's self-defense of her population. They're all the ones who are going to try and attack Israel and wipe Israel off the map. They don't realize they're dealing with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Keep watching! Iran, Syria Agree to Protect Hezbollah (July 20, 2006) - Iran and Syria have agreed to work together to keep Hezbollah from being destroyed in its fight against Israel, Syria sources have said. The sources, quoted in the Qatar newspaper Al-Watan, said the two governments have agreed that Hezbollah must not be defeated politically or militarily and they have agreed to do all they can to prevent such an outcome, ynetnews.com reported Wednesday. Israel's failure to defeat Hezbollah thus far is likely to cause the country to turn its sights on Syria, the sources said. They said such a move would cause Iran to get involved militarily, forcing Israel to face a war on multiple fronts. Israel sent a message to Syria through Jordan, warning the country against arming and supporting Hezbollah, a diplomatic source in Tel Aviv told ynetnews.com. The warning said Israel was aware of weapons convoys traveling from Syria to Lebanon, and that Damascus is frequently the site of meetings between Hezbollah and Iranian officials. The source did not confirm whether the message included a warning of military action against the country. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | What? Why ever would they do that? Perhaps our appeasement strategies will not do a thing! They don't want anything but a Muslim world. Whoever doesn't agree, gets beheaded. How do you negotiate with that? BTW, beheading is the execution of choice by Islam, and so too with those killed for the witness of Yeshua (Jesus) during the antichrist's reign. Revelation 20:4 Sound familiar? Remember Iraq and those beheaded there. There is also a recent story about three U.S. border agents who were beheaded. Turkish anti-West mood 'rising' (July 20, 2006) - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has warned that moderate Turks are becoming anti-American and anti-EU. Mr Gul said many Turks were embittered by the US' support for Israel's actions in Lebanon and by Turkey's problems in joining the EU. He also said Ankara could be forced to act to stop cross-border raids by Kurdish rebels operating from Iraq. Mr Gul's comments came in a wide-ranging interview with the UK's Financial Times newspaper. "Moderate liberal people [in Turkey] are becoming anti-American and anti-EU," he said. "If our young, educated, dynamic and economically active people become bitter, if their attitudes and feelings are changed, it is not good. "Their feeling has changed towards these global policies and strategic issues. This is dangerous." On the EU accession talks, Mr Gul said failure to resolve the dispute with Cyprus was "poisoning" the process that was formally launched in June. Cyprus has threatened to veto the Turkish bid unless Ankara officially recognises it and opens its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot ships and planes. more... | Gog/Magog | Islam | Hmm, go figure. Look two stories above.^ Hundreds of Iranian Troops Fighting in Lebanon (July 19, 2006) - Hundreds of Iranian Revolutionary Guard personnel are on the ground in Lebanon fighting Israel, security sources say. "I have no doubt whatsoever that they are there and operating some of the equipment," an Arab diplomatic source told The New York Sun yesterday. Another foreign source, based in Washington, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps contingent in Lebanon is based in Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. He said the troops usually number a few dozen, but that the size of the force increased in connection with the hostilities that have broken out between Israel and Iran's proxy, Hezbollah, over the past week. The sources said the Iranians had directly operated a radar-guided C–802 missile that Iran acquired from Communist China and that hit an Israeli navy missile boat off the coast of Lebanon on Friday, killing four Israeli seamen. "This was a direct message to the Israelis that we are fighting the Iranians here," the Arab diplomatic source said. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard's mission in Lebanon includes keeping custody of Zalzal missiles and drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles. A report by an Israel-based research group, the Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center, identifies the units of Iran's Revolutionary Guard "deployed and active in Lebanon" as the "Al-Quds Force." The Lebanon-based Iranian force "provides military guidance and support for terrorist attacks against Israel," the report says. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Bush Accuses Syria Of Trying To Get Back Into Lebanon (July 19, 2006) - US President George W. Bush accused Syria of trying to "get back" into Lebanon by supporting Hezbollah and accused Damascas and Iran of inspiring "terror attacks" against Israel. Bush told reporters that the "root" cause of the conflict must be addressed. "It can be addressed internationally by making it clear to Syria they've got to stop their support to Hezbollah," he said, during a meeting with lawmakers at the White House. "Syria is trying to get back into Lebanon it looks like to me." "We passed United Nations resolution 1559 and finally this young democracy or this democracy became whole by getting Syria out. "And there are suspicions that the instability created by the Hezbollah attacks will cause some in Lebanon to invite Syria back in." Bush said the root cause of the instability was "terrorism and terrorist attacks on a democratic country," in apparent reference to Israel. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | IAF Foils Rocket Transports From Syria (July 19, 2006) - Although Hizbullah has suffered a harsh blow from Israeli air force strikes which took out a good percentage of their available weapons, Syria was continuing to smuggle arms into Lebanon to rearm the group, IDF Operations Branch Head Major General Gadi Eisenkot said during a press briefing Tuesday. Thus far, the IAF managed to intercept a number of trucks transporting rockets from Syria to Hizbullah, including trucks laden with the 220mm-diameter rockets with warheads like the one that hit the Haifa train depot Monday, claiming eight lives. Maj.-Gen. Eisenkot said he would be very surprised if official elements in Syria were unaware of these transports. “These are rockets that belong to the Syrian army. You can’t find them in the Damascus market, and the Syrian government is responsible for this smuggling,” Eisenkot said, but stressed, “We are not operating against Syria or the Lebanese army.” more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | And just how long will Israel sit by while Syria assists in bringing the weaponry for Hizbullah to attack Israel with? Not too long I would guess. Isaiah 17 talks about the destruction of Damascus and if that happens, Iran would jump into the fray if they honor their defense agreement with Syria. Iran Official: No Part Of Israel Safe (July 19, 2006) - The speaker of Iran's parliament warned Israelis on Tuesday that no part of their country is safe from Hezbollah attack. The comments by Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel called into question Tehran's official position that it is not involved in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. "The towns you have built in northern Palestine (Israel) are within the range of the brave Lebanese children. No part of Israel will be safe," Haddad Adel told thousands of anti-Israel demonstrators in Palestine Square. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki indicated that Iran may be playing a covert role in the fighting when he said Monday that a cease-fire was feasible. He spoke after talks with the Syrian government in Damascus. Iran and its ally Syria are the principal backers of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that provoked the current fighting when its guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers last week. On Monday, Israeli military officials said their planes had destroyed a long-range missile in Lebanon, named "Zelzal," that Hezbollah had received from Iran. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | They even say it, yet countries the world over are denouncing Israel for defending herself. The Bible says that in the end they will call good bad and bad good. These people are 180 degrees out of phase with reality.
We Soon Shall See
(July 18,
2006) - How many time have you heard it was wrong
to let current events interpreter Bible prophecy? The next thing you know, the
person making that statement does exactly that. How? By looking at the
situation that they think they see in the world, instead of looking at the
prophecies that may have been fulfilled. In fact, that's one reason I believe
so many of today's end-time ministries may be so far behind the curve as to
what's actually going on both politically and prophetically. The current
crisis in the Middle East is an example. If you only listen to the news
reports and the statements coming from our world's leaders, you may think we
still have a ways to go before the final prophecies can be fulfilled. However,
it you look at the prophecies that may have already been fulfilled, the whole
picture suddenly changes. The final events of history may already be in sight.
It's amazing how just a little piece of wrong information can have such a
large blinding effect. Take for example our interpretation of who the little
horn is in Daniel chapter eight. If we believe it's referring to the coming
Antichrist, we may be expecting to see a 10 nation alliance appear in the
Eastern leg of the old Roman Empire. If , however, we believe as I do -- that
chapter eight of Daniel is referring to the Greek kingdom and the rise of
Antiochus Epipanes, we may be open to the idea that the 10 nation alliance
could appear in Western Europe. And, you will naturally take special notice of
the 10-nation Western European Union.
What are the three prophecies yet remaining? If we've
seen the fulfillment of the first seven, we should expect to see:
So, am I allowing current events to interpret the
prophecies? Or, am I allowing the prophecies to interpret current
events. We soon shall see
Read about it here I
And here. Are you ready? |
Iran |
Gog/Magog |
Israel |
Islam |
EU/UN |
I can't stress the importance of
understanding how close we are to the fulfillment of many Bible
prophecies. It's time to wake up!
Turkey Boosts Its Role as Strategic Energy Hub (July 18, 2006) - The name of the game for energy-consuming countries these days is risk reduction. To prevent interruptions in the delivery of oil and natural gas, countries and energy companies are looking to diversify their suppliers and delivery routes. And for the U.S. and Europe, that's increasingly translating into finding alternatives to Russia and Iran. Enter Turkey. The Mideastern country that straddles Europe and Asia is suddenly gaining strategic importance as a safety valve for the West's energy supply. On July 13, a BP-led consortium opened the tap on a long-awaited $4 billion pipeline that runs from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. Bypassing Russian and Iranian territory, the 1,100-mile [1,760 km] pipeline snakes from Baku, Azerbaijan to Tbilisi, Georgia, and across Turkey to the coastal city of Ceyhan. "This is one of those turning points in history," says Mike Bilbo, director of communications and external affairs for BP (BP) in Turkey. "It changed the picture for Turkey overnight." By his reckoning, existing shipping arrangements through the Bosporus Straits plus the new pipeline mean that 5% of the world's oil now traverses Turkey. more... | Islam | Gog/Magog | Iranian President Ahmadinejad: Day of happiness for region near (July 18, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday, “The day of happiness for the region is near… The world is on the verge of great changes,” according to the Iranian news agency. Ahmadinejad added that he considered Israel’s operation in Lebanon “a type of playing with fire.” | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Does he know something about plans that will soon come to pass which will bring about his goal of wiping out Israel? Given the current situation and his declarations, that would seem to be what would supply this happiness. Of course we know that Israel will be safe until the abomination of desolation, and that requires the Jewish temple first. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 | Revelation 11:1,2 Iran, not Hezbollah, is True Enemy (July 17, 2006) - Iran is at the center of the emerging war between the terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel. Far from being a typical or recurrent Middle East crisis, this shooting war risks the future of Israel's survival as a nation, as well as the security of a continuing U.S. presence in the region. Through its dual surrogate terrorist organizations of Hezbollah and Hamas, Iran has begun its war to destroy Israel and to remove the U.S. from the Middle East. As I noted in writing ''Atomic Iran,'' Hezbollah traces its roots to Najaf in Iraq. Najaf is an important site for Shiite Islam. Here is buried the Imam Ali, whom Shi'ites consider the first convert of Muhammad and the rightful successor to the Prophet. Ayatollah Muhammed Hussein Fadlallah, the spiritual leader of Hezbollah, studied in Najaf when he was in exile from Lebanon. There he met Ayatollah Khomeini, who was also in exile, from the Shahs Iran. Even today, Iran continues to fund Hezbollah, to the tune of some $250 million a year. There are conflicting reports as to whether a drone equipped with a bomb or a C-802 cruise missile hit the Israeli missile ship off the coast of Lebanon. Either way, the evidence points to Iran. The C-802 cruise missile is today an Iranian-made weapon, built on the design of Chinese cruise missiles that Iran bought from China during the Clinton administration. Beginning in December 2005, Iran launched a series of war games in an attempt to demonstrate the country's military prowess, signaling to the world a willingness to resist military steps that might be taken against the nation's nuclear program. In March and April 2006, Iran's Revolutionary Guard carried out their own military exercises, demonstrating their experimentation with several Iranian-improvised weapons, including drone-type devices similar to those the first reports attributed to damaging the Israeli missile ship. Iran has reportedly supplied Hezbollah with long-range missiles. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | DEBKAfile: Nasrallah pleads for help and promises “the Zionists” more surprises (July 16, 2006) - Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah was on the air again 12 hours after rumors claimed he was injured in the Israeli air bombardment that flattened his 8-storey headquarters compound in Beirut Saturday night, July 15. As he began speaking, rockets hit the border town of Metula for the first time, followed by landings in Safed, Ghajar and Mt. Meron. With some pathos, the Hizballah leader said:” We are not asking anyone to help us,” – a veiled SOS to the Iranian supreme national security council meeting Sunday night on the Lebanon crisis. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran leader Ali Khameini declares Sunday: Hizbullah will never be disarmed (July 16, 2006) - DEBKAfile: This was Iran’s first direct guarantee of support for the embattled Lebanese Shiite group since hostilities were launched Wednesday, July 12. It is interpreted as a promise of weapons and, if necessary, fighting men to avert a Hizbullah defeat. DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources see also a message addressed to the Olmert government that Israel will not achieve its objectives in Lebanon or succeed in dictating new rules. Earlier, Tehran threatened Israel against attacking Syria. An Iranian spokesman said Sunday: “We are standing by the Syrian people. Israel faces “unimaginable losses”. Hizbullah was not mentioned. The Syrian government promised “a firm, direct and unlimited response to any attack by Israel.” Israeli spokesmen have reiterated that Syria is not targeted for attack but accused Iran of helping Hizbullah attack the Israeli missile boat Friday. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran Heaps Praise On Hezbollah Fight Against 'Tumour' Israel (July 16, 2006) - Iran has rallied behind allies Hezbollah and Syria, praising the Lebanese Shiite militant movement's battle against "infected tumour" Israel and warning the Jewish state against widening the conflict. In a speech carried on state television Sunday, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei branded "Zionists" as "an evil and cancerous being and an infected tumour". "The Zionists wanted Lebanon to be the meat between their teeth. The powerful limbs of Hezbollah have prevented the Zionists' dream of trouble from being realised," Khamenei said. His comments, on the fifth day of an Israeli onslaught against its northern neighbour following Hezbollah's capture of two soldiers, prompted chants of "Hezbollah will win, Israel will be destroyed". Khamenei replied: "Yes, that is what we say". more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran gave Hizbullah 11,500 missiles and rockets (July 16, 2006) - An Iranian military source told the Arab daily Asharq Alawsat Sunday that between 1992 and 2005 Iran has transferred some 11,500 missiles and rockets to Hizbullah. According to the report, Hizbullah has in its arsenal four types of advanced surface-to-surface missiles. He named the Fajaar missile, which has a range of 100 kilometers; the Iran 130, which has a 90-110 km. range; the Shahin, which has a range of up to 150 kms; and a 355 mm. Rocket with a range of up to 150 kms. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Syria Vows Harsh Response If Israel Attacks (July 16, 2006) - Syria vowed on Sunday a "harsh and direct" response if it is attacked by Israel, showing no sign of bowing to U.S. pressure to abandon support for Hizbollah. "Any aggression against Syria will have a firm and direct response not limited in time or means," Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said in a statement. "The resistance (Hizbollah) will win and the Israeli aggression will fail," Bilal said. "The resistance has hit deep inside Israel and the enemy did not expect this." Syria is a main backer of Hizbollah, whose fighters captured Israeli soldiers in a cross-border operation on Wednesday, sparking Israeli reprisals that have so far killed more than 100 civilians in Lebanon. The United States, Israel's chief ally, has said Syria must lean on Hizbollah to release the two soldiers and stop fighting. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | They, like Iran, don't realize they're up against the God of Israel. Iran Warns Israel Of 'Unimaginable Losses' If Syria Hit (July 16, 2006) - Iran warned its arch-enemy Israel of "unimaginable losses" if it attacks Syria and vowed that it was standing by the Syrian people. "We hope the Zionist regime does not make the mistake of attacking Syria, because extending the front would definitely make the Zionist regime face unimaginable losses," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. "Iran is standing by the Syrian people," he said of the Islamic republic's sole regional ally. "We have offered and will offer Syria and Lebanon spiritual and humanitarian support," Asefi insisted, reiterating Iran's denial that it is providing military and financial assistance to the Hezbollah movement. The Israeli army has said Hezbollah militants had used an Iranian-built radar-guided anti-ship missile in an attack on Friday on an Israeli warship off Lebanon's coast. The attack marked the Lebanese militia's first successful strike on an Israeli warship, dealing an unprecedented blow to the Jewish state's military. One Israeli sailor was killed and three more were missing, feared dead. An Israeli military intelligence official has also alleged that around 100 members of Iran's powerful ideological army the elite Revolutionary Guards were in Lebanon, acting as military advisors to Hezbollah. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Since Iran (Persia) is one of the main nations mentioned by name in the Gog/Magog invasion and they have a defense agreement with Syria, I'm not too surprised that they say this. It will be a great blow to their pride when it fails. I imagine that helps give the hatred teeth at the abomination of desolation when they are loosed to kill 2/3 of Israel. Zechariah 13:8,9 Syria says fully backs Hizbullah against Israel (July 15, 2006) - Syria will support Hizbullah and Lebanon against Israel's attacks on the country, the ruling Baath Party said on Friday, defying Israel and its chief ally Washington. "The Syrian people are ready to extend full support to the Lebanese people and their heroic resistance to remain steadfast and confront the barbaric Israeli aggression and its crimes," said a communique from the party's national command issued after a meeting. It said Israel and the United States "are trying to wipe out Arab resistance in every land under occupation" and that President Bashar al-Assad was aware of the seriousness of the situation in the region. The national command is the highest echelon of the Baath Party, which has been in power since 1963. Assad, who is shaped by his late father's lifetime of struggle with Israel, was not at the meeting. He has resisted Israeli and American pressure to abandon support for Hizbullah. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Crisis Deepens: Witnesses: Israel Attacks Hit Central Beirut (July 15, 2006) - Israeli warplanes hit central Beirut for the first time and smashed the Hezbollah leadership’s main strongholds, as strikes killed at least 18 Lebanese fleeing the onslaught. Hezbollah rockets continued to pour into Israel, where officials warned citizens that Tel Aviv could be hit. Following the attacks, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora called for an immediate cease-fire, saying Israeli attacks had turned Lebanon into a disaster area in need of international aid. “We call for an immediate ceasefire backed by the United Nations,” Siniora told a news conference in Beirut. “I declare today that Lebanon is a disaster zone in need of a comprehensive and speedy Arab plan ... and (it) pleads to its friends in the world to rush to its aid.” The deadly barrages came as Israel charged that Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have 100 troops in Lebanon providing Hezbollah key support — including helping fire a missile Friday that badly damaged an Israeli warship. Hezbollah denied it. Neither side showed signs of backing down from the conflict, which erupted Wednesday when Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. As civilian deaths mounted, diplomatic efforts to end the crisis had yet to get off the ground. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Report: Israel Gives Syria Ultimatum (July 15, 2006) - The London-based Arabic language newspaper Al-Hayat reported Saturday that “Washington has information according to which Israel gave Damascus 72 hours to stop Hezbollah's activity along the Lebanon-Israel border and bring about the release the two kidnapped IDF soldiers or it would launch an offensive with disastrous consequences.” The report said “a senior Pentagon source warned that should the Arab world and international community fail in the efforts to convince Syria to pressure Hizbullah into releasing the soldiers and halt the current escalation Israel may attack targets in the country.” Al-Hayat quoted the source as saying that “the US cannot rule out the possibility of an Israeli strike in Syria,” this despite the fact that the Bush administration has asked Israel to “refrain from any military activity that may result in civilian casualties.” more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Reminder of the Bible prophecy on Damascus and the possible meaning of the "hooks in the jaws" that bring the Gog/Magog invasion to the mountains of Israel. Hezbollah Pledges ‘Open War’ Against Israel (July 15, 2006) - Hezbollah reportedly rammed an Israeli warship with an unmanned aircraft rigged with explosives Friday, setting it ablaze after Israeli warplanes smashed Lebanon's links to the world one by one and destroyed the headquarters and home of the Islamic guerrilla group's leader. The attack on the warship off Beirut's Mediterranean coast indicated Hezbollah has added a new weapon to the arsenal of rockets and mortars it has used against Israel. The Israeli army said the ship suffered severe damage and was on fire hours later as it headed home. There were no details on the ship's crew, though Al-Jazeera TV said the Israeli military was searching for four missing sailors. "You wanted an open war, and we are ready for an open war," Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in a taped statement. He vowed to strike even deeper into Israel with rockets. Meanwhile, Israel’s military chief said Friday that two soldiers held captive by Lebanese guerrillas and a third who was abducted by Palestinian militants were alive and in “reasonable health.” “As far as our information indicates, the three soldiers are alive and in reasonable health. I do not know more about their health than in general terms,” Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz told reporters. Meanwhile, a missile fired at an Israeli naval vessel off Lebanon hit a civilian boat, possibly from Egypt, the Israeli army said Saturday. A spokeswoman said those on board were believed to have been evacuated, adding it was unclear if there were any casualties. She added that the attack might have been part of the late Friday barrage when the Israeli warship was badly damaged. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel: ‘Concrete Evidence’ of Hizbullah Plan to Transfer IDF Captives to Iran (July 14, 2006) - Israeli intelligence has “concrete evidence that Hizbullah plans to transfer the kidnapped soldiers to Iran,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev. Deputy Director General of the Foreign Ministry, Gideon Meir, pointed out that Syria and Iran were major players in the military attacks by Hamas and Hizbullah in the south and north of Israel. “As a result, Israel views Hamas, Hizbullah, Syria and Iran as the main players in the axis of terror and hate that endangers not only Israel but the entire world,” he said. The IDF soldiers kidnapped in the initial attack in the north, 31 year old Ehud Goldwasser of Nahariya and 26 year old Eldad Regev of Kiryat Motzkin were alive when they were captured, according to a news correspondent for Arabic news network al-Jazeera. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Syria's Role in the Current Israeli-Palestinian Confrontation (July 13, 2006) - Early in the morning of June 27, Israel Air Force planes broke the sound barrier as they flew over the palace of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad in the Asad family’s hometown of Qardaha. That action was apparently driven by a lesson learned from a similar overflight four years before, in the fall of 2002, which was intended to warn Asad against escalation of the situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border but failed to impress him because he was completely unaware of the overflight at the time and only learned about it from Israeli media reports several weeks after the event. The latest Israeli overflight came two days after Hamas activists attacked an Israeli army position on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip and managed to abduct an Israel soldier and spirit him back to Gaza. That attack was apparently carried out on the direct orders of the Hamas leadership based in Damascus, especially the Chairman of the movement’s Political Bureau, Khaled Mash’al. Thus, the IAF overflight was meant to send a clear warning to Asad that continued support of Mash’al and his comrades could cost Syria dearly. Up till now, however, the overflight has produced no discernible results and Asad has apparently chosen to ignore the Israeli signal and to persist in his course. At first, the Syrian media totally ignored the Israeli overflight; only after it was widely covered by Israeli media did the Syrians hasten to report that their air defenses had driven off Israeli warplanes that had penetrated Syria airspace. Syrian spokesmen also condemned the “Israeli aggression” and repeatedly insisted that the Hamas people living in Damascus under Syrian protection confined themselves to political and informational work and had no involvement in the military activity against Israel carried out by Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran, Syria Used Hizballah As Proxy To Attack Israel, Analysts Say (July 13, 2006) - The Israeli government said it is holding the government of Lebanon responsible for attacks along its northern border, but Israeli analysts and government sources said that Iran and Syria are ultimately behind the attack. Israel bombed sites in Lebanon on Thursday and Hizballah launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at northern Israeli communities, killing at least two Israeli women and forcing residents into bomb shelters. This comes one day after Hizballah carried out a cross-border attack, killing eight Israeli soldiers and abducting twoothers. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the Hizballah attack an "act of war." But Israeli officials also said the fingerprints of Iran and Syria are all over the attack and analysts have said the timing was not a coincidence. "It's not coincidental that we had these two attacks and they're pretty much coordinated -- in the south with Hamas and with Hizballah in the north," Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Daniel Ayalon said in a Fox News interview on Thursday. Both groups are supported by Teheran and Damascus, Ayalon noted. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel is at War, Says Israeli Ambassador (July 13, 2006) - Haifa, Israel's third largest city, was hit by 2 long range missiles, launched from Lebanon on Thursday, in a "major escalation" in the Middle East. According to a report on FOXNews, Israel retaliated against Hezbollah by blasting the runways and fuel tanks of Beirut's International Airport, for a second time on Thursday, after two long range missiles hit the city of Haifa, Israel. "Israel's objective is to win this war," said Daniel Ayalon, Israel's ambassador to the United States. President Bush told reporters he was concerned, but that Israel has the right to defend itself. "The soldiers need to be returned," the President added, in reference to the kidnapped Israeli reservists. "It's really sad where people are willing to take innocent life in order to stop that progress (for peace). As a matter of fact, it's pathetic." (Photo: missiles hit Nahariya.) For more information on this volatile situation, follow the link below. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Erdogan affirms Turkey's meeting with Hamas in Syria (July 12, 2006) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan confirmed Wednesday that his advisor, Ahmet Davutoglu, met with head of Hamas Politburo Khaled Mishaal in Syria last week. Erdogan's confirmation came in an interview with NTV television, conflicting with the statements of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Erdogan's spokesperson, who both denied that Davutoglu met with the Hamas official in Damascus. "I sent my special envoy (Davutoglu) to Damascus to meet with the Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad," said Erdogan. Syrian officials affirmed during meetings with Davutoglu that the abducted Israeli soldier was not in Syria and that they had no knowledge of the operation, said Erdogan. "We, then, understood that the issue is at the hands of the Palestinian government, Hamas," Erdogan explained. He said that US President George Bush and Israeli premier Ehud Olmert recommended Turkey's meeting with Khaled Mishaal of Hamas and as a result Turkey has been in contact with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Olmert. | Gog/Magog | Islam | PM Olmert declares Hizbullah attack 'act of war' by Lebanon (July 12, 2006) - 17 days after IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted in Gaza, a second front opened on Israel's northern border when, in the cover of barrages of Katyusha rockets and mortar shells, Hizbullah kidnapped two soldiers. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared the attack as an "act of war" and not terror. During a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Wednesday afternoon, he called it an unprovoked assault by a sovereign nation and held Lebanon, where Hizbullah has a minister in the government, fully responsible. "Israel's response will be restrained but very, very, very painful," Olmert added. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Hamas Leader Will Bring Destruction On Middle East, Egypt Says (July 12, 2006) - Egypt has warned Syria that it should expel the Damascus-based Hamas leadership or risk the destruction of the Syrian regime. Israel has blamed Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal for giving the order to abduct soldier Gilad Shalit during an attack on an Israeli outpost along the Israeli-Gaza border two weeks ago. And Israel says it is Mashaal who is preventing Corporal Shalit's release. Israel also warned Damascus, which hosts the headquarters of about a dozen Palestinian terrorist organizations, not to harbor Mashaal. Israeli Air Force jets buzzed the summer palace of Syrian President Bashar Assad two weeks ago as a warning. The Shalit abduction and continued rocket fire on southern Israeli communities prompted the Israeli military to return to the Gaza Strip to root out terrorists operating from there. Mashaal said on Monday that Shalit would be released only in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Shalom Sends Warning To Government In Damascus (July 12, 2006) - Likud MK Silvan Shalom responded to events in the north by Saying Wednesday that, "We can't have a situation in Lebanon where there is peace and quiet on one side and our soldiers are living in bunkers on the other. We have to disarm Hizbullah. All the weapons that are being used come through Damascus. Damascus must know that we cannot tolerate this. "We must act immediately, said Shalom. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Hezbollah Captures 2 Israeli Soldiers (July 12, 2006) - Israeli warplanes and gunboats struck a Palestinian guerrilla base 10 miles south of Beirut late Wednesday, Lebanese security officials said, in the closest raid to the Lebanese capital since fighting erupted in southern Lebanon after guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers. Warplanes flew over the Naameh base in the hills overlooking the Mediterranean, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Beirut. Gunboats sailed facing the position, and explosions rang out across the area. The base is run by the Syrian-backed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and was a frequent target of Israeli attacks in the past. The latest attack comes after Israeli warplanes pounded more than 30 targets in southern Lebanon and Israeli leaders promised Lebanon a painful response for the capture of the soldiers. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | U.S. Blames Syria, Iran For Kidnappings (July 12, 2006) - The United States blamed Syria and Iran on Wednesday for the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militants and an eruption of violence along the southern border of Lebanon. The White House called for the immediate and unconditional release of the two soldiers. "We condemn in the strongest terms Hezbollah's unprovoked attack on Israel and the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers," National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones said as President Bush flew here for a visit. He said Hezbollah had also launched unprovoked rocket attacks on civilian targets in Israel as part of its offensive. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | Turkey pledges $1 million to Palestinians, says donations will help create state (July 10, 2006) - Turkey signed an agreement Monday to give $1 million to Palestinians for business development, saying such donations were intended to help them create their own state and fund its government. The donation comes amid a push by Turkey to use international pressure to end Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, which began after the capture of an Israeli soldier by Hamas-linked Palestinians militants. On Sunday, some 20,000 Turks loudly backed the Turkish government's indignant protests, staging a massive anti-Israel demonstration in Istanbul. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has called the killings of Palestinians as part of the Gaza military offensive "horrifying," and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly called on Israel to end attacks and release "kidnapped" Palestinian officials. more... | Gog/Magog | Islam | Ahmadinejad: Conditions for Removal of Israel Are at Hand (July 9, 2006) - Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, clearing up any ambiguity in previous calls to “wipe Israel off the map,” now used an Arabic word for the removal of body hair to describe his plans for Israel. “All the conditions for the removal of the Zionist regime are at hand,” Ahmadinejad told an Arab Conference of Iraqi Neighbors meeting Saturday. For the first time, he employed the Arabic word ezaleh, which is used to describe the irreversible removal of body hairs or a woman’s virginity. “Nations in the region will be more furious every day. It won’t take long before the wrath of the people turns into a terrible explosion that will wipe the Zionist entity off the map,” Ahmadinejad told the foreign ministers of Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Bahrain and Egypt. The heads of the Arab League and the Islamic Conference were also present, in addition to a special United Nations representative. None of the foreign ministers present, including Jordan, Egypt or Turkey – commonly regarded as Israel’s friends in the Arab/Muslim world - objected to the call for annihilation. Instead, the following statement was issued: “The Arab foreign ministers participating in today's Tehran meeting expressed their strong condemnation of this continuing and increasing aggression against the Palestinian people." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I don't see the talk decreasing, instead it seems that all the Gog/Magog players are mentioned here headed by the President of Persia, Iran. The alliances are all present and the talk is there too. All that's missing is the action fulfilling Ezekiel 38,39. 'Remove' Israel, Iran calls (July 9, 2006) - IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejed called on Islamic countries Saturday to mobilize against Israel and "remove" the "Zionist regime". "The basic problem in the Islamic world is the existence of the Zionist regime, and the Islamic world and the region must mobilize to remove this problem," the president said at the opening of a two-day regional conference on security in Iraq. "Today there is a strong will... to remove the Zionist regime and implement a legal Palestinian regime all over Palestine. The continued survival of this regime (Israel) means nothing but suffering for the region," Mr. Ahmadinejad said. "The biggest threat today for the region is the existence of the fake Zionist regime," he added, before going on to attack Israel's supporters. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | It's pretty clear that Ahmadinejad meant what he said about wiping Israel off the map. While they won't ever be wiped off the map, the Bible says that 2/3 of Israel will be killed Zechariah 13:8,9 and talks about what happens to the rest as they are protected for 3 1/2 years. Revelation 12:14 Iran: IDF Strikes Will Bring Islamic 'Explosion' (July 8, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on Friday that continued Israeli strikes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip could lead to an "explosion" in the Islamic world that would target Israel and its supporters in the West. Again, Ahmadinejad questioned Israel's right to exist. "This is a fake regime ... it won't be able to survive. I think the only way (forward) is that those who created it (the West) take it away themselves," the president told a rally in Teheran in support of Palestinians. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran's President Warns Israel on Continuing Attacks in Gaza (July 7, 2006) - Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on Friday that continued Israeli strikes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip could lead to an "explosion" in the Islamic world that would target Israel and its supporters in the West. Again, Ahmadinejad questioned Israel's right to exist. "This is a fake regime ... it won't be able to survive. I think the only way (forward) is that those who created it (the West) take it away themselves," the president told a rally in Tehran in support of Palestinians. Twenty-four Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed in fighting since the Israeli army began invading northern Gaza on Thursday. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Gaza militants pledge bloody fight with Israel (July 6, 2006) - Palestinian militants battling Israeli troops in the streets of northern Gaza threatened a long and bloody campaign on Thursday as Israeli forces pushed deeper into the coastal strip. "We are ready to fight for as long as it takes and die as martyrs," said a bearded, 25-year-old fighter who gave his name as Abu al-Bara, taking a break from the clashes with Israeli troops, who were sent into northern Gaza to curb rocket fire. Abu al-Bara said many young men had joined his group, a small faction that is part of the Popular Resistance Committees, and suicide bombers were preparing to carry out attacks. "We are Muslims, our God will protect us," he said, crouching in an alleyway off the streets of Atatrah with two other uniformed fighters as Israeli helicopters flew above. At least two militants were killed in Atatrah on Thursday and several others injured, including an armed man who dashed into a house that was hit moments later by a missile fired from an Israeli drone. A total of 12 Palestinians were killed in the fighting on Thursday. Doctors said at least 8 of them were civilians. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | IDF Raises Alert On Syrian Border (July 5, 2006) - The IDF has raised the level of alert along the northern border with Syria out of fear that President Bashar Assad would launch a strike against Israel in response to a recent IAF buzz of his palace. Syrian military forces, IDF officers confirmed Tuesday, have also gone on high alert, and the assumption in the IDF is that Assad would order a harsh military response if Israel decided to take additional steps against Damascus in relation to the kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit in the Gaza Strip. The type of response is unknown at this stage, but officers said it could be a missile strike on IDF installations or communities in the North. Another possibility, military sources said, is that Syria would use its proxy - the Hizbullah in Lebanon - to launch an attack against Israel in its place. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday issued a veiled threat against Syria, vowing to strike "those who sponsor" the terrorists in the Gaza Strip who abducted Shalit. Speaking at a business conference in Beersheba, Olmert said he had ordered the IDF to push forward with efforts "to strike terrorists and those who sent them and those who sponsor them," an apparent reference to Syria. "None of them will be immune." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Hamas rocket attack 'act of war' (July 5, 2006) - A Hamas rocket fired yesterday at a high school in a southern Israeli town is viewed by top military echelon here as an "act of war" that will be met with an escalated operation in the Gaza Strip, a senior defense official told WorldNetDaily today. The rocket was the first ever to land in central Ashkelon, a town of 120,000 residents that is home to Israel's main electric supply station and critical gas and oil pipelines. The rocket, an updated version of the Palestinian Qassam missile, was launched by militants only a fifth of a mile from Israeli ground troop concentrations stationed in Gaza. Critics of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's evacuation last summer of the Gaza Strip had warned the retreat eventually would place Ashkelon under Palestinian rocket fire. Sharon then had stated rockets fired at the strategic town would result in an "unprecedented Israeli military response." Terrorist leaders in Gaza told WND today their groups have the ability to regularly bombard Ashkelon. They warned longer-range Qassam missiles will be fired at Israeli towns near Gaza in the near future. The statements follow a WorldNetDaily exclusive interview in which Abu Abdullah, a leader of Hamas' so-called military wing, stated his group is developing electronically guided missiles. The Qassam rocket yesterday hit Ashkelon's Ronson High School at about 7 p.m. Jerusalem time, causing damage but no casualties even though many parents and children were in the vicinity during the attack to register for the coming school year. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israeli Aircraft Attack Interior Ministry In Gaza (July 5, 2006) - Israeli missiles tore through the Palestinian Interior Ministry building in Gaza on Wednesday as Israel kept up nightly air attacks to pressure militants to release an abducted soldier. The air strike, which wounded at least three people, was launched hours after militants from the governing Hamas movement fired a rocket into a major Israeli city for the first time, an attack that deepened a 10-day-old crisis. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was meeting with top security officials and might order stronger military action in Gaza in response to the attack on the coastal city of Ashkelon, officials said. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Olmert Issues Veiled Threat Against Syria (July 4, 2006) - Palestinian militants hit an Israeli city with a rocket from Gaza for the first time on Tuesday, causing no casualties but drawing a pledge of harsh retaliation from Israel while it was already in the midst of a military offensive. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the rocket fire on the coastal city of Ashkelon a "major escalation," coming just hours after a deadline set by the militants holding an Israeli soldier passed with Israel rejecting demands to release about 1,500 Palestinian prisoners. The militants said they would not harm 19-year-old Cpl. Gilad Shalit — if he is still alive. But they warned they would provide no further information about him, leaving his condition unclear. Early Wednesday, Israeli aircraft struck the Palestinian Interior Ministry in Gaza for the second time in a week, the military said. Witnesses said missiles hit the main structure again and damaged a building next to the ministry which has been used since the first attack. Rescue workers said two people were wounded. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel Warns Of "Long War" (July 4, 2006) - Israel warned the governing Palestinian faction Hamas that the "sky will fall on them" if they harm a captured soldier after a deadline passed on Tuesday for the Jewish state to accept a prisoner exchange. While Israeli tanks and infantry massed along the Gaza Strip's northern border for a threatened ground incursion, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the campaign to free Corporal Gilad Shalit could turn into "a long war." Three Palestinian factions, among them the Hamas armed wing, pulled out of negotiations with Egyptian mediators trying to end the standoff over Shalit, a Hamas political leader said. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Assad Steps Up Support For Palestinians (July 3, 2006) - Syrian President says his country stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Palestinians amid soldier crisis. DAMASCUS - President Bashar al-Assad renewed Syria's support for the Palestinians on Monday in the heat of a military escalation sparked by the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants. "Syria stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Palestinian people in their crisis and faced with Israeli repression," Assad told the country's highest political body, the state news agency SANA reported. "Israel's aggressive stand and its unjust accusations against (Palestinian) national forces serve to increase our commitment to Arab rights," he said in a first reaction to the crisis triggered by the June 25 capture of the soldier. Chairing a meeting of the National Progressive Front, Assad pointed to "Syria's efforts to support the Palestinian people and bring about the success of the national dialogue between the different Palestinian factions". more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Peretz: Syria Responsible For Shalit's Fate (July 3, 2006) - Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Monday that Israel held Syria responsible for the fate of Cpl. Gilad Shalit. "We suggest that (Syrian President Bashar) Assad, who is trying to close his eyes, open his eyes because he is responsible," said Peretz at a Labor faction meeting in the Knesset adding, "we will know how to strike those who are involved." Isaiah 17:1-14 | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel Says No Negotiations On Soldier (July 3, 2006) - Three Palestinian militant groups that captured an Israeli soldier demanded Monday that 1,500 Palestinian prisoners start being released in less than 24 hours, implying that he would be killed, but Israel said it would not negotiate. "There will be no negotiations to release prisoners," the office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a statement that held the Palestinians' ruling Hamas party responsible for the safe return of Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Also, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz told Syria on Monday that he held it responsible for the fate of a captured Israeli soldier. "We will know how to strike those who are involved," Peretz said. Israel made good on its promise to continue its military offensive until the soldier was freed, firing artillery shells and missiles into the coastal strip and massing troops and tanks along the Gaza-Israel border. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Palestinian Militants Issue Ultimatum To Israel (July 3, 2006) - Palestinian militants who abducted an Israeli soldier gave Israel less than 24 hours on Monday to meet their demands to release Palestinian prisoners, threatening unspecified consequences if it refused. "If the enemy does not agree to our humanitarian demands ... we will regard this case as closed," said "Military Communique 3," issued by the armed wing of the governing Hamas movement and two other factions. "We give the Zionist enemy until 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) tomorrow, Tuesday, the fourth of July," the statement said. In previous communiques, the groups called on Israel, as a first stage, to release some 400 Palestinian women and youths in its prisons in return for information about Corporal Gilad Shalit, abducted in a June 25 raid launched from Gaza. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Hamas Threatens Attacks In Israel (July 3, 2006) - The military wing of the governing Palestinian party, Hamas, has said it will attack targets inside Israel if Israel does not end its Gaza offensive. However, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered his military to intensify its action there. Hours later Israeli aircraft hit buildings in Gaza City, which the military said were used by militants. Israel launched its assault on Tuesday night, to try to free a 19-year-old soldier captured a week ago. Palestinian government buildings, bridges, a school, a university and a power plant have been hit in Israeli air strikes. "I have given instructions to intensify the strength of action by the army and security services, to hunt down these terrorists, those who send them... and those who harbour them," Mr Olmert was quoted by Reuters news agency as telling his cabinet. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel Threatens To Hit Damascus (July 1, 2006) - Israel holds Khaled Mashal, the leader of Hamas' Syrian branch, responsible for the abduction of two Israeli soldiers and wants Syria to expel Palestinian leaders from the country. Israel threatened to kill Hamas militants based in Damascus. Al-Jazeera television said Public Security Minister Avi Dichter claimed they knew the locations of HAMAS and Islamic Jihad leaders in Syria and will not hesitate to kill them. Justice Minister Chaim Ramon said, “The leader of Al Qaeda, Meshal is a terrorist of the worst kind, and the international community must exert pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to expel Meshal from Syria.” Ramon claimed Meshaal gave the order for abduction and is now a target for assassination. Syrian security forces said they tightened the security measures to protect the HAMAS leader. Israeli army said yesterday they carried out a low-altitude flight over the palace of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Latakia, in northwestern Syria. Syrian sources reported that they fired at two Israeli planes flying over Syrian air space. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel Quiet On Second Kidnap Claim (July 1, 2006) - A SECOND Israeli soldier has been kidnapped and will be killed unless Israel ends its military offensive in the Palestinian territories, the radical Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades declared overnight. The armed group, loosely affiliated to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, called for "the end of the Israeli offensive," "the lifting of the blockade" in the territories, and the "withdrawal (of Israeli troops) from the occupied zones in the West Bank and Gaza", in a statement . "If our demands are not met, the Al-Aqsa Brigades will kill the kidnapped soldier," the statement said, without giving any details of the kidnapping. The soldier was seized in the West Bank, the group said. They named him as Hoffmann Kfeir Samuel, aged 24, a resident of Hulul, south of Tel Aviv. There was no immediate Israeli response to the kidnapping claim. The group also demanded the release of Hamas ministers and deputies seized by Israeli forces following the earlier kidnapping of 19-year-old army corporal Gilad Shalit, along with the release of "all the other detained Palestinians". more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Arabs Back Syria After Israeli Flyover (June 30, 2006) - The flyover by Israeli warplanes that buzzed President Bashar Assad's summer home may have embarrassed Syria, but it also rallied Arab support around Damascus. Even Lebanon's anti-Syrian prime minister, Fuad Saniora, put aside his differences with Assad to send expressions of sympathy to Syria, which has been largely isolated since the Feb. 14, 2005, assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Jordan, which has a peace treaty with Israel, and Qatar, which has also differed with Syria over the peace process, did the same. "We might not agree with Syria on everything, but the least we could do in these circumstances is to take a clear stance, not (just) talk," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani said on Al-Jazeera television. It was that kind of attention that Damascus basks in. The reaction was typical of the public Arab response to any Israeli aggression or action against a fellow Arab nation, one that Syria may try to capitalize on to prove it is still a vital player in the region despite efforts to marginalize it since Hariri's slaying. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This is no great surprise given Bible prophecy. The Gog/Magog invasion of Israel is by several Islamic nations, specifically including Persia (Iran), Central Asia, Russia, Turkey, Sudan, Libya, and other Islamic nations. They're easily embarrased and strike out when they are. Could Syria attack Israel and in retaliation Israel wipes out Damascus as prophecy states? That would bring Iran and all their friends against Israel. We'll see I suppose, but things are certainly heating up literally and figuratively. Syria Vows To Defend Itself Against Israel (June 30, 2006) - Syria vowed Thursday to defend itself after Israel threatened to kill Hamas militants based in Damascus and flew warplanes over a Syrian presidential palace. Israel, meanwhile, was on high alert for possible retaliation. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri said his country was ready to defend itself against the Jewish state. "Syria is capable of defending itself against any aggression," Otri told reporters, slamming Wednesday's overflight during which Damascus said its anti-aircraft gunners opened fire as an "act of piracy." He expressed "surprise at the silence of the international community toward all these Israeli acts and daily aggressions... This is the result of the weakness of the Arabs." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Syria Support For Hamas Unwavering (June 30, 2006) - Despite increasing pressure from Israel to evict exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal from his operations base in Damascus, Syria said it will continue to back the terrorist organization. "The Israelis know that Hamas' presence in Syria is limited to offices," said a Syrian official who asked to remain anonymous, according to the Reuters news agency. "If they cannot stomach this, then let Hamas leaders return to their homeland. We and Hamas will be pleased," he said. Syrian officials and a member of the Hamas leadership said Thursday that Syria will not abandon its support of the terror group. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Dennis Ross: We Have Passed the Limit for Negotiations (June 29, 2006) - Former American Middle East advisor Dennis Ross, who was one of the principals behind Arab-Israeli negotiations and the Oslo agreements, said Thursday that the situation has passed the point of negotiations. Ross told Voice of Israel government radio that as much as he believes in talking in order to reach peace, there is no room for negotiations following the latest escalation of terror in the Palestinian Authority (PA). He also described PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas as a man with good intentions but too passive to have effect in the present situation. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Israel on alert for Hezbollah strikes after warning to Syria (June 29, 2006) - Israel was on high alert for possible retaliation after it threatened to kill Hamas militants harboured by the Damascus regime and flew warplanes over Syria's presidential palace. The army said it was bracing for any strikes by the Syrian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, amid international concerns that the escalating crisis between Israel and the Palestinians could spread through the region. "This measure has been taken due to concerns that the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah or other organizations will try to trigger an escalation of hostilities by launching border attacks," an army spokeswoman said. Israel was not preparing an offensive but merely preparing its units along the northern border to "be prepared to face any likely scenario," she said. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Palestinian Group Claims to Have Launched Chemical Warhead at Israel (June 29, 2006) - According to a communiqué issued by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Palestine today, June 29, 2006, the group claims to have launched this morning a rocket containing a chemical warhead at the southern Israeli city of Sderot, near the Gaza Strip. They state that the chemicals will be airborne and enter the bodies of the "Zionists" either by inhalation or when the substances touch the skin, causing a "state of continuous horror, terror and undoubted death" amongst the populous. This operation was conducted within a "holy patriotic calling" and the group adds that the "racist policy" of the Israeli government must be revised and leaders must think a "thousand times before they commit any dumb adventure". The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Palestine claimed in a statement from June 27, 2006, that they had developed twenty types of biological and chemical weapons, and would not hesitate to use them against continued Israeli aggression against Palestinians. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I can see that using weapons like this could push Israel to attack with great force those who did it. We're seeing how aggressive Israel is being over their kidnapped soldier, imagine a chemical attack. Iranian President Calls For Strengthening Relations With Turkey (June 25, 2006) - Iranian president calls for strengthening relations with Turkey. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on Saturday for the strengthening of Iranian-Turkish relations in all fields. The presidential office said in a statement that Ahmadinejad described in a telephone call to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the two countries were tied through culture, history and religion. Furthermore, he said that two countries played an important role on the regional and international levels, and stressed that they had to increase deliberations in order to consolidate international peace and security. For his part, Erdogan expressed content with developments on the Iranian nuclear issue, noting that relations between the two countries would be further strengthened in the upcoming visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to Tehran. The Turkish Foreign Minister is expected to arrive in Tehran later tonight and is to hold talks with Iranian officials on issues of mutual concern. | Iran | Gog/Magog | I'd just like to point out that Turkey is one of the nations listed in the Gog/Magog invasion. Israeli Forces Mass Near Gaza (June 27, 2006) - Israeli tanks and troops massed near Gaza on Tuesday for a threatened offensive against Palestinian militants as the government said it would target top Hamas leaders if an abducted soldier was not freed. In northern Gaza, Palestinians blocked roads with dirt and barbed wire. Militants wielding automatic rifles and anti-tank rockets patrolled the streets as tensions hit their highest along the frontier since Israel quit Gaza nearly a year ago. The United States urged Israel to give diplomacy a chance to win the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit, who was seized on Sunday by militants who also killed two soldiers in a raid on a military border post. Israel said leaders of the ruling Hamas movement could become assassination targets, including the group's supreme leader Khaled Meshaal who lives in exile in Damascus. Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, warned Israel of a "painful" response if its forces re-invaded. "The enemy will regret the moment they raid Gaza. The price will be so heavy," said the spokesman, dressed in military fatigues and clutching an AK-47 assault rifle. more... | Israel | Islam | Gog/Magog | US Ambassador To Israel: Soldier's Capture Problem Is In Damascus (June 27, 2006) - The US ambassador to Israel on Tuesday said that the problem behind the Israeli hostage crisis lay in Damascus, the home of Hamas's exiled political supreme Khaled Meshaal. Ambassador Richard Jones told reporters in Tel Aviv when asked about US reaction to the capturing of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian Resistance on Sunday "The problem is in Damascus and that's where I think we should focus the world's attention." Three Palestinian Resistance groups, including the armed wing of the governing Hamas, on Monday demanded the release of all Palestinian women and children prisoners as a condition for information about the missing serviceman. The same three groups claimed a Sunday assault on an army post that left two Israeli soldiers dead, one captured and four wounded in the deadliest resistance assault in the area since Israel's retreat of the Gaza Strip last summer. Meshaal, one of Israel's most wanted men, famously survived a bungled assassination attempt by Mossad agents who injected him with poison on a street in the Jordanian capital Amman in 1997. A minister in Israel's security cabinet also levelled veiled threats against the Damascus-based Meshaal. Infrastructure minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told Israeli army radio "No one implicated in terrorism, particularly Meshaal, can get away with the least impunity as long as he treads the most extremist line". | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran has a defense agreement with Syria that in case of attack on Syria, Iran must come to their defense. Iran hates Israel and so do the other Muslim nations. Damascus is prophesied to be a ruinous heap in Isaiah 17:1-14. Ezekiel 38:1-7 talks about the players in the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel and the "hooks into thy jaws" which bring them against Israel along with Ethiopia, Libya, and more. Could we see Gog/Magog take place as a result Israel attacking Damascus fulfilling the prophecy of it being a ruinous heap causing Iran and the rest of the Gog/Magog army to attack? Something to keep an eye on. Russia is building a port in Syria, and we already know that China, Russia, and Iran are pretty cozy. Israel Needs a Preemptive Nuclear Strike Against Iran (June 24, 2006) - One of the best ways to ensure the world doesn't get wobbly over Iran, is to make it understand that although Israel prefers to regard the rogue Islamic regime as an international problem, we will, if necessary, do whatever it takes to ensure our survival, including a preemptive nuclear strike. In 1936, when Hitler marched into the Rhineland the allies appeased him, even though they could have been in Berlin in two weeks. In 1938 they once again let him off the hook, even though the allies could have been in Berlin within two months. Shortly after the appeasement of Munich, Russia signed a non-aggression treaty with Hitler, setting the stage for what it hoped would be his defeat of the West, which would pave the way for Russian domination of Eurasia, from Lisbon to Vladivostok. Now we have Iran, a country led by Ahmadinejad, an equally deranged and evil maniac. He is driven by an ideology combining elements of Nazism and Mahdism, with a tad of Maoism as well, a lethal cocktail of three of the most evil ideologies of human political history. By most current intelligence estimates, by 2008, exactly 70 years after Chamberlain announced on his return from Munich he had achieved "peace in our time", the Iranian Islamo-Nazi regime will have succeeded in developing an atomic bomb. Although it seems that the international community has belatedly begun to awaken to the danger, it is still far from certain that this will actually lead to concrete and concerted steps to ensure this doesn't happen. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | I'm wondering if an invasion of Israel by the Gog/Magog forces could come from Israel attacking Iran's nuclear capabilities or from Syria. Time will tell. Russia Goes Its Own Way in Selling Arms (June 20, 2006) - Missiles to Syria and Iran, warplanes to Venezuela and Myanmar, helicopters to Sudan -- Russia goes its own way when it comes to selling arms, seemingly immune to ethical debates that affect the industry elsewhere. While European Union members argue over whether to lift a weapons ban against China, almost half of Russia's $6 billion arms sales last year went to Beijing. As the White House struggles to persuade Congress to approve a U.S.-India nuclear deal that some lawmakers fear could spark an arms race, Moscow is completing two atomic plants for New Delhi. Russia's arms industry is one of the few national manufacturers that can compete with Western firms on equal terms, and it is a both a source of prestige and key to Moscow's drive to gain new markets for its exports. "Let's have no illusions: if we stop sending arms to export, then someone else will do it," Sergei Chemezov, head of state arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport, said in a rare interview with Itogi business magazine last year. "The trade in weapons is too profitable for the world to refrain from it. Happily, Russia has understood this. The period of democratic romanticism has changed into a period of business pragmatism," said Chemezov, a close friend of President Vladimir Putin since they served together in the KGB. more... | Gog/Magog | Look at who they're selling these arms to. These are probably the same weapons that will be used for the Gog/Magog invasion or other future battles. DEBKAfile Exclusive: New Syria-Iranian defense treaty opens way for Iran's Revolutionary Guards to deploy on Israel’s Golan border by summer’s end (June 19, 2006) - Iranian defense minister Gen. Mustafa Najjar said: “Syria’s security is part of Iran’s security,” when he signed a new military treaty with his visiting Syrian counterpart, Gen. Hassan Turkmani (picture) in Tehran last Thursday June 15. Sunday, June 18, Israel’s parliamentary foreign affairs and defense committee inspected its northern border, along with the deputy chief of staff Moshe Kaplinsky and OC Northern command Udi Adam. Both Tehran and Damascus referred to the tour as Israel’s response to their new treaty. DEBKAfile’s military sources add: At the signing ceremony, the Syrian official waved away reporters’ questions on whether Iran would be establishing a military base in Syria – “The language of a (foreign) military base in our country is alien to us. I want to say that it is not on the agenda.” Nonetheless, military sources note that he rejected the term “bases” - but did not rule out “foreign forces” in Syrian bases, which Persian Gulf and Pakistani military sources are certain was agreed secretly between the two countries. They have learned that Iran has offered to deploy Revolutionary Guards on the Golan border with Israel by the end of summer, because as Najjar said at the signing: “We have a common front against Israel’s threats.” more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This really isn't too surprising, Russia is planning a naval base in Syria. Iran, Russia, and Syria are clearly allied together. By their association to Iran in the face of anti-Semetic statements of the destruction of Israel clearly places them in the same camp. Russia is also becoming a Muslim state. They're stated goal is a Muslim world, should we expect anything less from their efforts? The Strong Chinese-Hamas Intelligence Connection (June 19, 2006) - A Chinese intelligence officer is engaged in covertly aiding the ruling Palestinian Hamas terrorist group, according to a Paris-based intelligence newsletter picked up by the Washington Post’s Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough on June 19. They identify Gong Xiaosheng as a Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) official who has worked out of Ramallah since Nov. 2002, first with Yasser Arafat and latterly helping Hamas. It was Gong who arrianged for Mahmoud al-Zahar to be invited to Beijing shortly after his appointment as Hamas foreign minister. The report says Gong is a strategic agent “trained in Division 8 of the ministry and also at the China Institution of Contemporary Relatons (CICIR), an MSS think tank. Its Middle East section is headed by Jin Ruikun, a specialist in Palestine and Jordan, and Chen Shuanqing, a specialist on Israeli-Palestinian relations and Israel’s Likud party. DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources add: The Chinese “strategic agent” was so close to Yasser Arafat that he was among the handful of aides and terrorist chiefs confined with him in two rooms of of the residential apartment of the Palestinian leader’s Ramallah headquarters when it was stormed and besieged by Israeli forces in April and May 2002. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | There is a clear alliance forming between China, Russia, Iran, Syria, and Islam. To deny it is to ignore all the news. Look into who the players in the Gog/Magog invasion are here. In short, they are: Russia, Central Asia, Turkey, Iran, Sudan, Libya, and other Islamic nations. DEBKAfile Exclusive: Olmert secretly allows American delivery of 1,000 M16 rifles to be delivered to Abu Mazen’s Force 17, while admitting to only 200 (June 18, 2006) - Israel’s top military and security chiefs are up in arms against prime minister Ehud Olmert and defense minister Amir Peretz after discovering the far-from-token scope of the arms delivery the ministers allowed to reach Abu Mazen’s private army. Before the prime minister left for Europe and during his trip, he stated that 200 automatic rifles had been transferred to Mahmoud Abbas for the use of his private army. He assured Israeli security chiefs that “not a single extra gun” would be permitted. Now they have discovered that, under the table, 1,000 guns and 3 million bullets were delivered to Abbas’ “presidential guard”, Force 17 (a veteran terrorist arm of Fatah with a long history of hundreds of attacks against Israelis.) more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I can't believe they're doing this! I'd be willing to bet that these weapons are going to end up being used against Israel. When Islam becomes united under the 12th Mahdi, they won't use these weapons against each other. They will go after Israel, united in hatred. I believe there will be a fake peace first that allows Israel to rebuild the temple, but it will end like prophecy says, 2/3 of Israel being killed. (Zechariah 13:8,9) Iran, Syria Sign Defense Agreement (June 16, 2006) - Defense ministers from close allies Iran and Syria on Thursday signed an agreement for military cooperation against what they called the "common threats" presented by Israel and the United States. In a joint press conference, Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar and visiting Syrian counterpart Hassan Turkmani said their talks had been aimed at consolidating their defense efforts and strengthening support for one another. "Our cooperation is based on a strategic pact and unity against common threats. We can have a common front against Israel's threats," Turkmani told reporters after two intensive rounds of talks with Najjar. "Our cooperation with the Iranians against Israeli threats is nothing secret and we regularly consult about this with our friends," he said. Before the press conference, Iran's defense ministry said the two sides "stressed strengthening mutual ties and the necessity to preserve peace and stability in the region." The defense ministry statement also said they discussed "ridding the region of weapons of mass destruction," in an apparent reference to the widely held belief that Israel possesses nuclear warheads. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | And the players keep lining up. Russia is building a navy port in Syria too. China, Russia, and Iran are all in kahoots with each other as evidenced by all the news coming out about it. There is clearly an axis forming aligned against Israel and the US. Europe panders to the powerful, so they'll be siding with Iran and Russia too. This is in Bible prophecy. I believe that the false prophet of Revelation 13:11-18 will be the 12th Mahdi from Iran when he appears. (Iran's constitution already has a Mahdi clause that gives him control of Iran when he comes back) This false prophet will be very powerful and will point to the first beast to be worshipped. The first beast of Revelation 13:1-10 will be the political leader coming out of Europe. I believe his position was formed by EU Recommendation number 666, which you can read more about the creation of that position in the EU government from Herb Peters free online e-book, Recommendation 666. I know this all sounds fantastic and crazy, but it's Bible prophecy, and God will be glorified when it all happens just as the Bible says. Iran would 'use nuclear defense' (June 16, 2006) - Iran's defense minister on Thursday vowed that his country would "use nuclear defense as a potential" if "threatened by any power." Speaking following a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Hassan Ali Turkmani in Teheran on Thursday, Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar emphasized that Iran "should be ready for confronting all kinds of threats." Teheran has denied accusations by the US and its allies that Iran was seeking uranium enrichment technologies in order to develop nuclear weapons, saying its program was only meant to generate electricity. Meanwhile, Turkmani told reporters that Syria and Iran's "policy is the policy of strengthening resistance and tackling the threats of United States and Israel." He added that he wouldn't give details of joint defense plans against Israel, although the plans were "not secret." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Wait! I thought Iran wasn't going to build nuclear weapons. How can you 'use nuclear defense' if you don't have nuclear weapons? If they're vowing to use it, then they must be making them. I guess we can trust that they won't... yeah. Iran's Place at Summit Raises Fears of Anti-West Alliance (June 15, 2006) - Iran's hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, arrived in China last night for a summit of Asian states and Russia that Washington fears is forming a new anti-western alliance. Mr Ahmadinejad will seek support for his country's nuclear programme, fuelling US concern that Iran is being protected by its growing friendship with Russia and China, who both sit on the UN Security Council. He is also believed to be pushing to join the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, which is holding its annual summit in the city today and tomorrow. The SCO, under the leadership of China and Russia, is playing an ever-greater role in the jostling for power in Central Asia. The dictatorial nature of some of its membership, which also includes the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, has provoked descriptions of it as an anti-American alliance of despots. more... | Iran | America | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Ahmadinejad to Meet Russian, Chinese Leaders (June 14, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans separate meetings this week with leaders of China and Russia, key players who have resisted US efforts to seek tougher UN action in the standoff over Iran's nuclear program. Those meetings were expected to take place Friday following a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, although host China, has said the Iranian nuclear issue won't be on the summit's agenda. China had already announced a planned meeting between Ahmadinejad and Chinese President Hu Jintao, to include discussion of the nuclear dispute. Russia's Interfax news agency said Wednesday Putin would also meet the Iranian leader for talks on the nuclear issue, as well as Caspian Sea energy exploration and other cooperation between the two states. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Minister: Iran, Syria Security Intertwined (June 13, 2006) - Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Mustafa Najjar stressed that Syria's security is part of Iran's security and that his country has a duty to defend Syria. Najjar's remarks were quoted by the Iranian News Agency, IRNA, following his talks Monday with visiting Syrian counterpart Gen. Hassan Torkmani. Najjar said Iran will extend full support to Syria under present conditions "because Iran considers that Syria's security is part of its own security and national interests." "Relations between Iran and Syria are solid and fall within the framework of consolidating peace, stability and security in the region," he added. Torkmani, for his part, hailed Iran's stance on Syria, noting that he is carrying a letter of mutual solidarity and support. He stressed the need to reinforce the armed forces of the two countries to confront the common enemy which seeks to destabilize security and provoke tensions in the region. He also reaffirmed Syria's support to Iran's right to profit from nuclear energy, stressing that "the only way to settle the crisis over Iran's (nuclear program) is to recognize officially this right." Both Torkmani and Najjar described the military and defense relations between the two countries as "strategic" and constitute "an example of regional cooperation." | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | China and Iranian Presidents to Meet Next Week (June 11, 2006) - The Chinese and Iranian presidents will discuss the Iranian nuclear dispute during a separate meeting next week in Shanghai on the sidelines of a regional summit, the Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday. President Hu Jintao will play host to his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, along with the leaders of Russia and four Central Asian countries who comprise the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Hu and Ahmadinejad will hold consultations aside from the group meeting. Iran is attending the gathering as an observer, but Ahmadinejad's presence is raising expectations that China and Russia will broach a new European offer of incentives for Iran to relinquish its nuclear enrichment program. "I think the Iranian nuclear issue will be talked about," Liu said at a regular press briefing in response to a reporter's question about what the leaders will discuss. "China and Iran have communicated and will continue to communicate on the Iranian nuclear issue in order to enhance our mutual understanding so as to make continuous efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations," he said. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | International Community Recognizes Russia as One of World's Most Powerful Superpowers (June 9, 2006) - Gallup and TNS-EMNID research centers exposed the results of an international opinion poll in New York yesterday. Over 10,000 people took part in the research conducted in Brazil, Great Britain, Germany, India, China, Russia, the USA, France and Japan. The people placed Russia on the sixth place on the list of world’s leading superpowers and organizations of our times. Almost one-third of the polled (27 percent) believe that Russia has preserved the status of a superpower despite all drastic changes and reforms that it had to go through after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The percentage of those sharing this opinion is quite higher in Russia – 45%. The USA has left Russia behind with 81 percent. George W. Bush is full of energy and ideas to cut the percentage of those people thinking that the USA is the strongest superpower in the world. China takes the second position on the list with 45 percent. Japan completes the top three with 37 percent with USA’s staunch ally Great Britain (32%) and the EU (29%) following. more... | Gog/Magog | Russia Urges Israel Against Iran attack (June 9, 2006) - Russia sent messages to Israel through US intermediaries recently, voicing opposition to a possible military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, The Jerusalem Post has learned. While Israel and Russia have good relations and a direct line of communications, the Russians chose to use the US to deliver this message of military restraint out of a belief that Jerusalem pays closer attention to messages from Washington. According to assessments reaching Jerusalem, while the Russians don't want to see Iran get the bomb, they believe this may still be a decade away and that in the meantime diplomatic efforts might succeed in keeping Teheran from reaching that point. Moscow is concerned any military conflagration would eventually spill over the Russian-Iranian border into the Caucasus, central Asia and even Chechnya, and be detrimental to Russian interests. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Central Asian Bloc Considering Iran For Membership (June 9, 2006) - An obscure regional security group will consider admitting Iran as a member at a summit this month, accelerating its transformation into a political and military bloc with the potential to challenge U.S. interests. U.S. analysts think Russia and China already are using the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) -- which links the two with four Central Asian neighbors -- to try to squeeze the United States out of the region. SCO foreign ministers said at an earlier meeting that consideration is being given to extending membership to four countries with observer status -- Iran, Pakistan, India and Mongolia. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to attend the summit on June 15 in Shanghai. Expansion of the organization into Iran and other countries could make it "an enormous power," said David Wall, a professor at the University of Cambridge's East Asia Institute. "An expanded SCO would control a large part of the world's oil and gas reserves and nuclear arsenal. It would essentially be an OPEC with bombs," he said, referring to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld alluded to the coming summit on his way to a weekend security conference in Singapore. Comparing the openness of the Singapore meeting to other unnamed gatherings, he said: "There are some efforts and systems that leave us out, and we obviously favor institutions that are inclusive, rather than exclusive." A warning shot was fired at last year's SCO summit, where the group issued a declaration calling for the United States to set a timeline for withdrawing from air bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, established to support the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. Delegates from Kazakhstan, Washington's closest friend in the SCO, argued at that meeting to head off an even stronger resolution. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Iran Begins Fresh Nuclear Enrichment Despite Offer (June 8, 2006) - Iran began a fresh phase of uranium enrichment this week just as world powers presented it with incentives to halt nuclear fuel work, according to a U.N. nuclear watchdog agency report obtained by Reuters on Thursday. The report, emailed to the 35 states on the International Atomic Energy Agency's governing board ahead of a meeting starting on Monday, also said Iran was pressing ahead with installing more cascades of centrifuge enrichment machines. Authored by IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei, the report said Iran resumed feeding "UF6" uranium gas into its pilot 164-centrifuge cascade in Natanz on Tuesday after a pause of several weeks to do test runs of the machines without UF6. Tuesday was the day European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana visited Tehran to hand over a packet of economic, technological and security incentives for Iran to suspend work which could eventually produce atomic bombs. The Islamic Republic says the goal of its nuclear fuel programme is solely electricity generation for its economy. The West suspects that Iran, the world's No. 4 oil producer, of creating a smokescreen for atomic bombmaking. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Russia warns of 'colossal' impact if NATO takes in Ukraine, Georgia (June 7, 2006) - Russia warned against NATO taking in the ex-Soviet republics of Ukraine and Georgia, saying such a colossal geopolitical shift would threaten relations. "Membership in NATO for countries like Ukraine or Georgia would mean a colossal geopolitical shift," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during questioning in the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament. "We evaluate all possible consequences first and foremost from the point of view of the national interest of Russia, interests in the area of security, our economic interests and interests in relations with countries which relate to Russia in one way or another," Lavrov said. more... | America | EU/UN | NewWorldOrder | Gog/Magog | IDF intelligence warns conflict with Palestinians to escalate (June 5, 2006) - The IDF estimates that it is headed toward another violent round of clashes with the Palestinians following a period of relative calm, senior security officials said. The dreary prognosis is based on the army's five-year plan for 2006-2011, which will be made public in July. According to the assessment, army intelligence officials believe Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's ambitious plan to withdraw from large parts of the West Bank will not do anything to decrease the scope of daily violence in the region. Instead, the army is moving forward based on a working plan that it is nearing another round of bloody violence with the Palestinians. "The Palestinian society has chosen a path in which there is no compromise," a senior officer said, referring to the recent victory by Hamas in legislative elections. The officials said the assessment is based on intelligence but gave no further details. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the document has not been released. more... | Israel | Islam | Gog/Magog | Russia to Establish Naval Base in Syrian Port of Tartus (June 2, 2006) - Russia has begun works in the Syrian port of Tartus seeking to built a full-scale naval base for the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, currently based in Ukraine’s Sevastopol, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Friday, quoting unnamed sources in the Defense Ministry and the General Staff of the Russian Navy. The paper noted that this is the first time Russia is setting up a military base outside the CIS since the fall of the USSR and that the base will allow Moscow to pursue its own line in the Middle East. Russia has also started work in the port of Latakia in Syria, the newspaper said. The base in Tartus and the new mooring in Latakia will be able to serve the needs of the Black Sea Fleet and possibly the North Sea Fleet as well. The newspaper quoted its sources as saying that in the nearest future the Russian Navy will form a squadron headed by the Moskva missile cruiser which will permanently operate in the Mediterranean, taking part in joint exercises with NATO forces. The sources said that the new base would allow Russia to strengthen its positions in the Middle East and also enhance Syrian security. However, the Russian Defense Ministry has refuted the report. Russia is not building a military base in Syria, spokesman for the Ministry Colonel Vyacheslav Sedov was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying. | Gog/Magog | Islam | Former CIA Analyst Says Iran Strike Set for June or July (June 1, 2006) - Former CIA analyst and Presidential advisor Ray McGovern, fresh from his heated public confrontation with Donald Rumsfeld, fears that staged terror attacks across Europe and the US are probable in order to justify the Bush administration's plan to launch a military strike against Iran, which he thinks will take place in June or July. Appearing on The Alex Jones Show, McGovern was asked about the timetable for war in Iran and said that behind the diplomatic smokescreen, the final chess pieces were being moved into position. "There is already one carrier task force there in the Gulf, two are steaming toward it at the last report I have at least - they will all be there in another week or so." "The propaganda has been laid, the aircraft carriers are in place, it doesn't take much to fly the bombers out of British and US bases - cruse missiles are at the ready, Israel is egging us on," said McGovern. McGovern said Iran's likely response to a US air strike would be threefold - mobilizing worldwide terrorist cells that would make Al-Qaeda look like a girls netball team - utilizing its cruise missile arsenal to attack US ships and sending fighters into Iraq to attack US forces. "The Iranians can easily send three divisions of revolutionary guard troops right over....the long border with Iraq," said McGovern, stating that the local Sunni population of Iraq would welcome such an invasion. more... | Gog/Magog | Russia-China Relations at Unprecedented High (May 31, 2006) - Relations between giant neighbors China and Russia have reached an unprecedented high, China's president said in comments published on Wednesday ahead of a regional security forum summit, the Reuters news agency reported. President Hu Jintao also called Russia China's most important strategic cooperation partner in an interview with journalists from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which groups the two with the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. "Relations between the two countries have reached unprecedented levels," Hu said, in comments that were carried on the Foreign Ministry's website (www.fmprc.gov.cn). "The volume of bilateral trade has had seven years of extremely high growth and cooperation in the fields of energy and investment has made great progress," he said. Ties between the two, for years Cold War foes, have been growing, as China seeks to tap Russia's oil and gas resources to fuel its booming economy and with the two countries sharing common views on how the dispute over Iran's nuclear program should be resolved. Trade between China and Russia, who share a 4,300-km (2,700-mile) border, reached nearly $30 billion last year, and the two signed a series of energy agreements during a visit by President Vladimir Putin in March. Beijing and Moscow also see common ground in trying to ensure stability in Central Asia and in checking theU.S. presence there. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Gillerman: World War III already begun (May 31, 2006) - Syrian and Iranian diplomats traded barbs with Israel's UN ambassador on Tuesday, as a routine Security Council meeting on fighting terrorism degenerated into insults. At a meeting aimed at assessing the progress and work of the Security Council's three anti-terror committees, Israel's UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman said that World War III had already begun and urged the former Allied forces from World War to act against the axis of terror, consisting of Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hizbullah. He called the four entities the "greatest state sponsor of terrorism and the largest threat to international peace and security." Gillerman also lashed out at the oft-repeated argument by Iran and many Arab states that a distinction must be made between terrorism and armed resistance movements - namely the Palestinians' fight against the Jewish state. The ambassador said Israel has "an intimate awareness of the need to fight international terrorism," and stressed that there can be no justification for terrorism. Syria responded that Israel was the one precipitating a third world war, saying that "If we examine the matter, we will find that Israel was behind the eruption of both World War I and World II." Syrian diplomat Ahmed Alhariri countered that Damascus had taken a front-line role in the fight against terror and called on the Security Council to "avoid double standards in combating terrorism." Such a battle must be "based on strict legal criteria, and not flimsy political considerations," he said. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Ahmadinejad is Not Unhinged (May 26, 2006) - For months, the world has been captivated by the sudden rise of a relative unknown to the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran and by his torrent of outrageous statements and claims. In a short time, he has acquired a great many names, including zealot, fascist, fanatic, anti-Semitic, and lunatic, among others. An increasing number of Western commentators are calling him "unhinged". In doing so, they attempt to dismiss the man as an aberration, as someone who is in urgent need of psychological help, a person out of touch with reality who represents nothing of substance. Once again the West is misreading and misjudging the people and the events in the Middle East as it tries to view the world through its own prism. Looking at the man through Western spectacles, he indeed appears to be all of the above and more. Yet Ahmadinejad is far from unhinged. Instead, he is firmly hinged to a set of beliefs that dictate his views of the world and how he should use his position of power. Ahmadinejad is therefore rational and there is very little that can be done to a person who is rationally and thoughtfully committed to an all-encompassing ideology. In Ahmadinejad's case, his views are firmly rooted in the most orthodox teachings of Shiite Islam. To understand Ahmadinejad's mindset and behavior accurately requires a close scrutiny of the elaborate and intricate theology of his faith in the most fundamentalist of numerous Shiite sects. For our purposes, however, it is sufficient to document the fact that Ahmadinejad is not unhinged. "Unhinged" is a derogatory term for a mentally disturbed individual. A prominent feature of such a person is the display of contradictory thoughts and behavior. By contrast, Ahmadinejad's words, deeds, and beliefs show a fully rational person. His reasoning may be dangerous and faulty, but he is rational nevertheless. Consider the following examples of Ahmadinejad's sayings, beliefs and actions. Whether one agrees or disagrees with them, they all fit into a consistent pattern. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | This is a really good article introducing the reality of the Iranian president's beliefs and actions. We cannot discount this man as a madman because he is quite intelligent and knows exactly what he's doing. His belief system centers around a prophesied leader, the 12th Mahdi coming in a time of chaos and he's intent on creating that environment. I personally believe the 12th Mahdi is possibly the false prophet of Revelation 13:11-18. I believe that he may point all Muslims to worship of the first beast of Revelation 13:1-10, the anti-christ. For more information, I've tried to define the beast here. Larouche Warns of Cheney Plans to Launch Iran Strike in June (May 26, 2006) - Lyndon LaRouche issued a public warning today, that an ever more desperate Bush Administration, led by Vice President Dick Cheney, is seriously planning a preventive military strike against Iran sometime between now and early July. The warning is based on a series of reports from well-placed military and security sources in the United States and Europe, who point to a particular convergence of developments over this period. First, European security sources have issued dire warnings of serious terrorist disruptions of the scheduled World Cup soccer tournament, which takes place in a dozen German cities from early June through early July. These widely publicized soccer events are believed to be targeted by so-called hooligan gangs, neo-Nazi youth, and possibly by "Islamist" organizations, according to these security specialists. LaRouche pointed out that all of these countergangs have strong ties to the same European Synarchist financial circles who financed the Mussolini, Hitler, Franco, and Vichy fascist organizations during the 1922-1945 period. The heirs of those Synarchist financiers today are actively involved in promoting a resurgence of a new international fascist apparatus, which was already linked to the Madrid, Spain bombings of March 11, 2004, and which capability extends to Italy and parts of South America, as well as into the Islamic world. This Synarchist apparatus also has special capabilities inside Mexico, dating back to the Mussolini and Hitler period, which still remain deeply embedded in the political and social fabric of the country. U.S. military and intelligence sources have also reported that, during the month of June, three American and one French naval aircraft carrier group will be converging on Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf waters near Iran. Thus, military assets will be in place, during that time frame, to launch a short-notice attack, ostensibly in "retaliation" for terrorist actions which would be linked to the Teheran regime. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Iran Seeks Anti-U.S. Axis Middle East News Line (May 26, 2006) - Iran aims to form an axis of powerful nations against the United States [U.S.]. Officials said Iran has sought to recruit a coalition that would oppose U.S. interests in the Middle East and Central Asia. They said the alliance would include nuclear powers. "China, Russia, India and Iran are capable of establishing a pole of major powers in Asia, opposing the policies of America," Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi said. Addressing the heads of the Basij militia in Teheran on May 9, Safavi said Iran could forge an international alliance to foil U.S. interests. The general envisioned a clash of such an axis with the U.S. and its allies. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Iran Promises 'Historic Slap' to Any Attacker; has 'Mastered Nuclear Cycle' (May 25, 2006) - Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boasted Wednesday that the Islamic republic had mastered the entire nuclear fuel cycle and that it would give an "historic slap" to any attacker. "Today, Iran has mastered the entire nuclear fuel cycle, from start to finish, thanks to young Iranian scientists," the president said in a speech in the southwestern border town of Khorramshahr. "The enemies are looking to plot and want to create differences among Iranians to stop us getting our rights," Ahmadinejad said. "But if they do the slightest damage to the Iranian people, if they commit the slightest aggression, they will receive an historic slap." The president was speaking during commemorations of the 1982 recapture from Iraqi forces of Khorramshahr, one of the bloodiest battles of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | U.S., Israel 'in agreement' on Iran (May 25, 2006) - President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert are in "full agreement" regarding methods to confront Iran's suspected nuclear program, both leaders said yesterday at a joint press conference in Washington. But Bush stopped short of endorsing Olmert's plan to withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria, which borders Israel's major population centers, downgrading the proposed evacuation to a "bold [idea]" that "could be an important step" toward peace. Still, the Israeli media today largely claimed Bush is in support of the withdrawal. Olmert had sought U.S. recognition for new borders he wishes to create after implementing his evacuation, and, according to sources in Olmert's office, had hoped to gain American financial support for the withdrawal plan. Olmert, speaking to reporters following his White House meeting with Bush, said he believes Iran will cross "the technological threshold" on its path to nuclear capability in about a year. The Israeli leader expressed concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions, insisting it was not too late to prevent the Islamic republic's atomic program. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Iran Deploys Its War Machine (May 24, 2006) - Iran's strategic planners are acutely aware that a military confrontation with the technologically more advanced US Army would be as rapid and multi-fronted as the Iran-Iraq War was static and slow-paced. Quite simply, there would not be a single front. Neither the US nor Israel has ruled out taking military action against nuclear-related targets in Iran if ongoing diplomatic efforts to freeze Tehran's nuclear program do not prove successful. Accordingly, Iran has been quietly restructuring its military, while carrying out a series of military exercises testing its new military dogma. In December, more than 15,000 members of the regular armed forces participated in war games in northwestern Iran's strategically sensitive East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan border provinces that focused on irregular warfare carried out by highly mobile and speedy army units. In another telling development, a second exercise was launched in the majority-Arab province of Khuzestan, reportedly aimed at quelling insurgencies in areas subject to ethnic unrest and prone to foreign influence. Involving 100,000 troops, the exercise provided a taste of how the Islamic Republic would respond to further disturbances in the strategic, oil-rich province. The exercise came on the heels of news that the irregular Basij forces that led Iran's offensives against Iraq were being bolstered by so-called Ashura battalions with riot-control training. It is all part of a fundamental transition that Iran's Revolutionary Guard (RG) is undergoing as it moves away from focusing on waging its defense of the country on the borders - unrealistic in view of the vast territory that requires securing and the gulf separating Iranian and US military capabilities - and toward drawing the enemy into the heartland and defeating it with asymmetrical tactics. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Sources: 'Iran believes Israel to strike within year' (May 24, 2006) - Iran estimates Israel will strike Tehran's nuclear facilities within a year, and has been planning retaliatory attacks against Israeli, American and British interests, according to senior Lebanese political sources. The sources, speaking to WorldNetDaily on condition of anonymity, said Iran believes Israel has been practicing raids in Iraq. They said Tehran has held a series of meetings with leaders of the Hezbollah terror group – based along Lebanon's border with Israel – about attacking the Jewish state in the event of any Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear sites. The sources said while Iran is expecting lone Israeli military action, Iranian intelligence estimates the Jewish state is coordinating a planned attack with the U.S. "The Iranians currently are operating under the working assumption that Israel is going to strike in less than a year and that this strike is highly coordinated with America," said a senior Lebanese politician. Lebanese political sources said Iran has been attempting to organize Shiite tribes in Iraq to stage repeated large-scale attacks against American and British forces stationed there during any Israeli strike. They said Iran believes attacks in Iraq, including hits against soft targets such as oil fields, will prompt a British or American retreat. The Lebanese sources said Iran claims it has intelligence information indicating Israel has been carrying out military exercises related to an attack against it from bases in Kurdish sections of Iraq. Israeli security officials said the claims are baseless. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Russia Becoming A Muslim State (May 22, 2006) - Imagine Russia in 2050! According to Paul Goble, a specialist on ethnic minorities in the Russian Federation has predicted that within the next several decades, Russia will become a Muslim majority state. There is another bad news with fast decline in country's population. This has already become a headache for Russian politicians and policy makers. President Vladimir Putin has called already for Russian women to have more children, because demographers predict that Russia's population will fall from 143 million to 100 million by 2050. This situation has alarmed Russians as well Western leaders, more so because analysts estimate that Muslims will comprise the majority group in Russia's population in few decades. The Muslim population growth rate since 1989 is between 40 and 50 percent, depending on ethnic groups. Today Russia has about 8,000 mosques while 15 years there were only 300 mosques. According to statistics, by the end of 2015, number of mosques in Russia will cross 25,000. These statistics are frightening for many ethnic Russians who associate Islam with the Kremlin's war against insurgents in Chechnya. Russia is shrinking. Alarmed by the situation, Putin has offered incentives to women who will have more children. more... | Islam | Iran is preparing consignment of 300 vehicles and two civilian aircraft for Gaza Strip - along with 50 Iranian “experts” DEBKAfile (May 22, 2006) - The plan is described by DEBKAfile’s Tehran and counter-terror sources as an Iranian move to seize control of the Palestinian civilian and security infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Hamas transport minister Ziad Zaza, just returned from Tehran, formally asked Israel Sunday, May 21, to allow dozens of Iranian maritime and air transport engineers and technicians and heavy equipment to enter Gaza from Egyptian Sinai through the Rafah crossing. Hamas presents the proposed Iranian input as assistance for re-activating the Dahaniya airport and the construction of a deep-sea port in Gaza. The 300 vehicles “made in Iran” consist of police cars, ambulances, fire engines and 100 buses for the use of the forces of “law and order.” DEBKAfile’s sources report that both Hamas and Tehran know in advance that Israel will turn the application down. But they hope to make propaganda hay in Europe and the Muslim world by demonstrating that the Jewish state is in violation of commitments to help restore the Gaza Strip’s economy signed prior to its pull-back. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel |
Bush
is expected to offer the mighty BIG-BLU bunker buster bomb to Israel and Gulf
states, including Saudi Arabia DEBKAfile
(May 22, 2006)
-
The
intention is to arm US allies with a deterrent against Iran by sharing with
them the means for striking the Islamic Republic’s underground nuclear
installations. This Massive Ordnance Penetrator – MOP – known as BIG-BLU
(picture) - weighs in at 13,600 kilos and can destroy 25% of its targets in
bunkers buried beneath 60 meters of reinforced concrete, a depth greater than
any other bomb of its type. DEBKAfile’s military sources note
that this bomb in Saudi hands will also serve the oil kingdom as a deterrent
against Israel’s atomic weapons program. In this way, the Bush administration
demonstrates it is not solely targeting the military weapons activities of
Muslim nations. The bunker busters will no doubt come with strings attached
with regard to their use. Israeli prime minister Olmert, who is due at the
White House Tuesday, said he hoped Bush “will lead other nations in taking the
necessary measures to stop Iran form becoming a nuclear power.” more...
Iran May Already Have Nuclear Bomb: Expert (May
22, 2006)
- Iran may already
possess a nuclear bomb but is "smart" enough to pretend to be on the way to
achieving nuclear capability so that it could induce concessions from the
international community, an Israeli nuclear expert has claimed. The Iranians
are not necessarily presenting the true facts to the world and may be showing
the IAEA dummy presentations of an unfinished bomb, while hiding a fully
developed bomb elsewhere, former head of the Nuclear Engineering Department at
Ben-Gurion University, Professor Zeev Alfassi, told Ynet. Tehran may be
holding the true bomb in caves or in underground facilities, Alfassi told the
news portal. However, he ruled out any chances that the Islamic Republic will
use its nuclear capability saying, "their thinking is fantastic." "The
Iranians, in terms of threats, are smarter than everyone. They threaten with a
bomb and the world gives them anything they want, as long as they dont throw
the bomb", the expert said. "Being offered a reward instead of a punishment
testifies to the fact that they are very smart," he added. Alfassi said even
five to six bombs won't destroy the Jewish state. A nuclear bomb could
definitely hit an entire city, but not destroy a state, he said. more...
US Spells Out Plan to Bomb Iran (May
18, 2006)
-
THE US is updating contingency plans
for a non-nuclear strike to cripple Iran's atomic weapon programme if
international diplomacy fails, Pentagon sources have confirmed. Strategists are understood to have presented
two options for pinpoint strikes using B2 bombers flying directly from
bases in Missouri, Guam in the Pacific and Diego Garcia in the Indian
Ocean. RAF Fairford in Gloucester also has facilities for B2s but this
has been ruled out because of the UK's opposition to military action
against Tehran. The main plan calls for a rolling, five-day bombing
campaign against 400 key targets in Iran, including 24 nuclear-related
sites, 14 military airfields and radar installations, and
Revolutionary Guard headquarters. At least 75 targets in underground
complexes would be attacked with waves of bunker-buster bombs. Iranian
radar networks and air defence bases would be struck by
submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and then kept out of
action by carrier aircraft flying from warships in the Indian Ocean
and Persian Gulf. The alternative to an all-out campaign is a
demonstration strike against one or two high-profile targets such as
the Natanz uranium enrichment facility or the hexafluoride gas plant
at Isfahan. UK sources say contingency plans have also been drawn up
to cope with the inevitable backlash against the Basra garrison in
neighbouring Iraq.
more...
China, Russia Pushing U.S. And Israel Closer To Arms Confrontation With Iran (May
18, 2006) -
The refusal of China and Russia to take any kind of substantive United Nations
Security Council action against Iran is actually pushing the United States and
Israel ever closer to a military confrontation with Iran. Iran’s President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad knows he does not have to bow to pressure from Europe and
the United States because he has the undaunted support of China and Russia.
China and Russia have consistently said they will not support any sanctions or
military action against Iran. America’s Ambassador to the United Nations, John
Bolton, has said that every discussion with Russia is difficult and every
negotiation won is only after painstaking and often contentious debate.
Evidence of this is found after Wednesday’s U.N. Security Council vote
encouraging Syria to establish borders and diplomatic relations with Lebanon.
The vote was unanimous except for Russia and China who abstained because they
said it was “unnecessary meddling.” Comparing it to offering “walnuts and
chocolate for gold,” Ahmadinejad turned down a sleek European Union offer that
even included a nuclear reactor as a bribe for the terrorist Iranian regime to
halt its development of nuclear technology. Instead, Ahmadinejad made an offer
of his own: That he would open up the 70 million person Iranian marketplace to
Europe if they would embrace Iran’s march toward membership in the
international nuclear club. Many diplomats believe that Iran’s refusal of even
a nuclear reactor and a sweet economic package from Europe means that
Ahmadinejad and his radical band of Islamofascists are totally serious about
building nuclear weapons—how smart of them. more...
Israel 'Will Not Allow' Iran Nuclear Weapons
(May 18, 2006)
-
The brother of newly-elected Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said here on
Monday that Israel "will not allow" Iran to acquire nuclear weapons
capability, and will launch a unilateral military strike if necessary to
destroy Iranian nuclear facilities. Dr. Josef Olmert, a spokesman for Prime
Minister Yitzhak Shamir in the early 1990s, told an audience at Sinai Temple
in Los Angeles that "Iran is an existential issue" for Israel, because
successive Iranian leaders have openly evoked the possibility of a nuclear
exchange with the Jewish state. Olmert now works with Israel's mission to the
United Nations in New York and with "The Israel Project," an advocacy group in
Washington, DC. His brother, who became Prime Minister after elections in
March, will visit Washington, D.C. next week to meet with President Bush.
Accompanying him will be Dr. Eli Levita, deputy director of Israel's Atomic
Energy Commission, who will brief U.S. officials on what Israel has learned
about Iran's progress toward nuclear weapons capability. more...
Knesset member: Strike Iran now (May
18, 2006)
-
Israel and
the international community should consider carrying out strategic strikes now
against Iran's nuclear facilities to stall its suspected uranium enrichment
activities, Israeli Knesset Member Effie Eitam told WorldNetDaily yesterday
during an interview. Eitam, chairman of the National Union Party and a member
of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, warned Israel would need
to attack Iran by itself if the international community led by the Unites
States fails to successfully halt Tehran's nuclear program within about a
year. He blasted Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's administration for
"failing to devise a coherent strategy toward Iran" and urged Israel to
immediately make public a doctrine of deterrence that would assure "total
destruction" of Iran should it contemplate a first strike against the Jewish
state. "Iran is now at that kind of bottleneck junction where strategic sites
that are known can be relatively easily and safely attacked with the goal of
causing maximum delay. Strikes now can stall the entire nuclear process by
many years," said Eitam. The Knesset member, a former Israeli Defense Forces
general, said Israel may need to act alone against Iran. "With or without a
world coalition, Israel will have to take action at some point when we are
fully sure Iran's nuclear project is coming to a point of no return. I am
worried all mechanisms of diplomacy used by the Iranians in response to the
international movement against it are to buy time as they camouflage the real
nature of their programs." more...
Retired Pakistani General Says He Told Iran to Hit Israel in Event of Any
Attack (May
16, 2006) -
Pakistan's former army chief says Iranian officials came to him
for advice on heading off an attack on their nuclear facilities, and he in
effect advised them to take a hostage -- Israel.
Retired General Mirza Aslam Beg said he
suggested their government "make it clear that if anything happens to Iran, if
anyone attacks it -- it doesn't matter who it is or how it is attacked -- that
Iran's answer will be to hit Israel; the only target will be Israel." Since
Beg spoke of the encounter, echoes of his thinking have been heard in Iran,
though whether they result directly from his advice isn't known. Mohammed
Ebrahim Dehghani, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, was quoted last
week as saying that if "America does make any mischief, the first place we
target will be Israel." The threat
was disavowed the following day by Brigadier General Alireza Afshar, deputy to
the chief of Iran's military staff, who said that it was Dehghani's "personal
view and has no validity as far as the Iranian military officials are
concerned." more...
| Iran | Israel | Islam | Gog/Magog | Putin’s Address Heralds Return to Soviet Times (May 15, 2006) - Former presidential aide Andrei Illarionov comments on Putin’s key-note speech delivered by the president on May 10 to Russia’s Federal Assembly. Putin’s address shows that Russia has chosen a course towards militarization and sends out a clear signal to restore Soviet-era values and prepare for confrontation with the West. Putin’s address was full of military rhetoric, Andrei Illarionov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station. “The address contains quite undisguised hints about who now poses the main threat to Russia... We cannot but notice that the way the tasks have been formulated is unprofessional from the military point of view,” he said commenting on the president’s instruction to ensure that Russia should be capable of waging several wars at a time. It would be impossible even for the U.S. to wage several wars at a time, he added. “This address is not for the world outside Russia, this address is for ourselves, for our own country. The address makes the militarization of life inside the country possible, necessary, substantiated and justified. And this is probably the main goal for the sake of which the statement was made,” Illarionov said. more... | Gog/Magog | Iran, Syria Using Land Disputes as Pretext for Arms? (May 12, 2006) - The Lebanese Hezbollah militia, backed by Syria and Iran, must stop using land disputes surrounding the Shebaa Farms as a pretext to continue arming itself and should cease bringing Israeli-Palestinian issues into play in the Lebanese arena, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said in an interview. "The question of the Shebaa Farms was invented by Syria and Iran using Hezbollah as a pretense to have an armed presence in Lebanon. This must end," Jumblatt told WND. Jumblatt is the head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party and is largely considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese politician. He said he supports dialogue with Syria and the international community to change the status of the Shebaa Farms from Syrian to Lebanese territory and to work toward an ultimate Israeli withdrawal from the land. Iran letter precursor to War? (May 11, 2006) - Some Middle East observers believe Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush could be a precursor to war, based on a traditional Muslim pattern of offering acceptance of Islam before establishing it by force. Robert Spencer, editor of Jihad Watch, says Ahmadinejad appears to be following the teachings of Muhammad, who gave specific instructions to followers as they engage in "holy war" against "those who disbelieve in Allah." In a Hadith, regarded by Muslims as sacred writings about Muhammad, the Islamic prophet says a series of offers should be made to "enemies" to embrace Islam, or at least accept Islamic rule, and if they are rejected, "seek Allah's help and fight them." In his letter, Ahmadinejad argues only Islam can "overcome the present problems of the world" and asks Bush, "Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets? Mr President, History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not survive." Another observer of Islam, journalist Stephen Adams, said the letter seems to parallel a missive from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden to Americans prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Interviewed on the Michael Medved radio show yesterday, Adams noted bin Laden stated his grievances against the United States and gave Americans the opportunity to "repent." Based on precedent, Adams continued, he expects the next step will be for Iran to make the invitation public. Then the "crimes" of the U.S. will be published and the grievances will be cited at Friday prayers in mosques. Finally, comes a fatwa, amounting to a declaration of war. Adams, associate editor of Citizen magazine, said it's possible this scenario could unfold in a matter of weeks. In a column for WorldNetDaily, Middle East analyst Laura Mansfield said she believes the letter could be a "last warning." Mansfield says the question must be asked: "Why deliver such a letter when there is little chance it will result in policy changes for either country?" Like Spencer and Adams, she points out: "Islamic theology documents that no attack can be carried out in jihad without first offering the 'unbelievers' the opportunity to 'repent' and accept Islam. Only when that overture is rejected can an attack occur." The Iranian president has made clear, at least to audiences at home, Tehran's ultimate intentions. As WorldNetDaily reported in January, Ahmadinejad told a crowd of theological students in Iran's holy city of Qom that Islam must prepare to rule the world. "We must believe in the fact that Islam is not confined to geographical borders, ethnic groups and nations. It's a universal ideology that leads the world to justice," Ahmadinejad said Jan. 5, according to Mehran Riazaty, a former Iran analyst for the Central Command of the Coalition Forces in Baghdad. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discounted the rambling 18 page letter saying, "The first read of it: there is nothing in this letter that in any way addresses any of the issues, really, that are on the table in the international community, the nuclear program, in a straightforward way; the terrorism issues." Rice, in an interview with Associated Press, went on to characterize the letter as “broadly philosophical” and said that “there's nothing in here that would suggest that we're on any different course than we were before we got the letter." Former military intelligence official says Peres' threat to Iran not accidental (May 9, 2006) - A former top military intelligence official said Tuesday that Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres' threat that that Iran could also be destroyed was not accidental. "The statement by Shimon Peres highlights the basis of Israeli deterrence and hints to Tehran that it too has a soft underbelly," Col. (Ret.) Shimon Boyarsky, a former head of the Iran department in military intelligence, told Israel's Army Radio. "A statement that was repeated three times was not said accidentally." On Monday, Peres warned Iran that it could be threatened with destruction if it continues to vow to destroy Israel. "Be careful with your threats," Peres told Channel 1 TV. "Those who threaten to destroy are in danger of being destroyed." "A statement that was repeated three times was not said accidentally." more... Iran nuclear policy could backfire: Peres (May 8, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, should bear in mind that his own country could also be destroyed, Israeli elder statesman Shimon Peres said on Monday. Peres, vice prime minister in Ehud Olmert's new government, said Iran was mocking the international community's attempts to resolve the crisis over its nuclear ambitions and that the credibility of the U.N. Security Council was on the line. In what Olmert has described as a threat that must be taken seriously, Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be destroyed. "They want to wipe out Israel ... Now when it comes to destruction, Iran too can be destroyed (but) I don't suggest to say an eye for an eye," Peres told Reuters in an interview. "Israel would defend itself under any condition but we don't look upon it as an Iranian-Israeli conflict exclusively ... (Iran) is basically a danger to the world, not just to us." Iranian officials have argued Ahmadinejad's comments on Israel did not constitute a threat and said its armed forces would retaliate for any attack. more... The War Drums Are Beating Louder (May 3, 2006) - Here in Israel we constantly hear that Iran is going to wipe us off the map, I don't think any of us believe Iran is capable of doing that, but we all know things could and most likely will get really bad for a while, but God willing Israel will survive and I know that God is willing. For those of us who keep an eye on the political scene in the Knesset know that this crisis could not come at a worse time, Ariel Sharon has dealt a terrible blow to the politics of Israel and weaken it to the point that we are wondering if the present Leaders have the ability to handle such a crisis. Olmert has appointed Peretz as our Defense Minister, a man with absolutely no experience in the field of military defense, it looks as if Olmert has only one concern and that is to save his coalition at any cost. That cost could in fact be most costly to the survival of Israel. Internally we see Hamas positioning itself in a posture that says they are getting ready to hit Israel with very thing they have some time in the near future. Possibly when Iran makes its move to destroy the Jewish State. What many of us here in Israel are struggling with is why Israel set still for weeks and allowed truck loads of weapons to flow into Gaza through the open border with Egypt? Iran in the past couple of months has acquired the BM-25 missile from North Korea, this missile has a range of over 2,500 kilometers. It was sold to North Korea by the Russians and was once used on the Russian Submarines known as the SSN6. It is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. If I lived in Europe or Turkey I'd be most interested in this purchase as it now puts most of Europe and all of Turkey in range of the Iranian threat. As for the Iranian ability to hit Israel that threat has been there for a very long time now with there Shihab-3 missile, they have also improved it by developing a cone making it capable of entering the atmosphere making it much more accurate. more... 'Russia has left the western orbit' (May 3, 2006) - Moscow could be on the verge of clinching an arms deal with Syria or Iran that would send the US and Israel into pop-eyed rage. A few days ago a Russian arms manufacturer let slip at an arms fair in Kuala Lumpur that his state-run weapons design bureau was close to sealing a foreign sale of Iskander-E missiles. The destination of the hardware was secret, he said, but the most obvious market is clear: the Middle East. Last year, Israel was furious when it emerged that Moscow was planning to sell the Iskander to Damascus. The Iskander is like the Scuds that Iraq used during the Gulf war but many times more accurate and better equipped to avoid defensive weapons such as the Patriot missile. Syria - part of George Bush's "axis of evil" - would love to be able to trundle some of these short-range ballistic missiles (range: 180 miles) down to its southern border to point at Israel in the event of a conflict. No doubt the Iranian regime of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is also itching to get its hands on some of these weapons - whose sale is not restricted by any treaty. Earlier this month Iran tested an underwater missile that looked suspiciously like a Russian Shkval. President Vladimir Putin, under pressure from the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was forced to step in and reverse the Syrian missile deal. These days, one might surmise, he would not give a fig. more... War Clouds (May 1, 2006) - Russia's dangerous double game with Israel and Iran could easily spark a Middle East conflict, with dire consequences for the U.S. LET ME TELL YOU about the next war. It will start sooner than you think - sometime between now and September. And it will be precipitated by the $700-million Russian deal this week to sell Tor air defense missile systems to Iran. When the war begins, it will be between Iran and Israel. Before it ends, though, it may set the whole of the Middle East on fire, pulling in the United States, leaving a legacy of instability that will last for generations and permanently ending a century of American supremacy. Despite the high stakes, the Bush administration seems barely to have noticed the danger posed by the Russian missile sale. But the signs are there, for those inclined to read them. As international pressure over their nuclear program mounts, the Iranians have become increasingly bellicose toward the U.S. and Israel. On Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel was a "fake regime" that "cannot logically continue to live." On Wednesday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, warned that "if the U.S. ventured into any aggression on Iran, Iran will retaliate by damaging the U.S. interests worldwide." Israel has upped the rhetorical heat as well. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated Israel's determination to "make sure no one has the capability or the power to commit destruction against us." This alone should make any observer jittery. In June 1981, Israel unilaterally launched an airstrike against a nuclear reactor near Baghdad. Iran's nuclear facilities are dispersed and well-concealed, making a preemptive Israeli strike far more difficult this time around. But there's no reason to doubt Israel's willingness to try. more... Putin threatens to divert oil to Far East (April 27, 2006) - PRESIDENT PUTIN yesterday threatened to divert oil supplies away from Europe to the Far East in the long term if the Kremlin continued to be confronted with “excuses” and “limits” for its expansion plans in the West. The Russian leader told a conference on Siberia’s development that Moscow was continually coming up against “unfair competition” on world energy markets. “Despite the great demand for energy resources, any excuses are being used to limit us in the north, in the south, in the west,” he said. “We must look for markets, fit into the processes of global development. I have in mind the countries of the Asian-Pacific region, which are developing at great speed and need to cooperate with us.” more... Russia and China Warn UN Not to Antagonize Iran (April 27, 2006) - Russia and China on Thursday warned against escalating the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme. The call came on the eve of an eagerly awaited report on whether the country has met United Nations demands. The US and the European Union believe Friday's report by Mohamed El Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, will set the stage for a UN Security Council resolution, since there is little chance that Tehran will meet the council's demand for "full and sustained suspension" of uranium enrichment, which can produce weapons-grade material. Russia Warns Against Threatening Iran (April 23, 2006) - Rather than getting Iran to stop uranium enrichment, a tougher stance could result in Tehran's total refusal to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, said Oleg Ozerov, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry's Middle East and North Africa Department, according to ITAR-Tass. "We firmly stand today for resolving the problems in and around Tehran diplomatically rather than militarily. Increasing international pressure on Iran has no prospects," Ozerov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. The United States and European allies are pushing for sanctions because of Iran's refusal to suspend its enrichment program, as demanded by the U.N. Security Council. They suspect Iran is trying to develop atomic weapons in violation of its treaty commitments. The Iranian regime insists the program has only the peaceful purpose of generating electricity. Russia, which has close ties with Iran and is building that nation's first nuclear power plant, opposes sanctions. Despite what U.S. and Russian officials have described as increasingly close positions on the Iranian nuclear program in recent years, they appear far apart heading into the Friday deadline set by the Security Council for Iran to stop enrichment. more... Missile exports to Iran alarm US (April 22, 2006) - Washington has asked Moscow to reconsider selling Iran anti-aircraft missiles as the crisis over its nuclear programme continues. Russia plans to sell Tehran 29 TOR M1 mobile surface-to-air missile defence systems in a deal said to be worth about US $700 million (£392m). "This is not time for business as usual with the Iranian government," a top US state department official said. The US also urged other states like China to review defence sales to Iran. "There are a lot of countries that allow the export of dual-use technologies, and the position of the United States is that should be prohibited," said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns. "All countries should refrain from military sales and arm sales." Speaking about the Russian missiles, he said: "We hope and we trust that that deal will not go forward because this is not time for business as usual with the Iranian government." Russia and China are both strongly resisting attempts to impose United Nations sanctions on Iran, which the US and other Western states believes is pursuing nuclear weapons. more... Report: Iran, Russia Reach Enrichment Deal (April 22, 2006) - Iran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Saturday the Islamic republic had reached a "basic deal" with the Kremlin to form a joint uranium enrichment venture on Russian territory, state-run television reported. Ali Asghar Soltanieh, envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, "spoke of a basic agreement between Iran and Russia to set up a joint uranium enrichment firm on Russian soil," Iranian state television reported. It remained unclear, though, whether Iran would entirely give up enrichment at home, a top demand of the West, or whether the joint venture would complement Iran's existing enrichment program. Enriched uranium can be used to fuel nuclear reactors that generate electricity or to make atomic bombs. "Only issues regarding technical, legal and financial matters remain to be resolved which need more deliberation and exchange of views," the television quoted Soltanieh as saying Saturday in Moscow. more... Russia dismisses U.S. call to stop cooperation with Iran (April 20, 2006) - Russia dismissed a call from the United States to stop cooperation with Iran over the Bushehr nuclear power plant project, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday. Each country has the "right to decide for itself who it will be cooperating with and in what way," Mikhail Kamynin was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying, in response to comments by U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns. Burns told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday that the United States has called on countries to end all nuclear cooperation with Iran, including work on the Bushehr plant. He also said that countries should stop all arms exports to Iran. "The adoption of binding decisions on ceasing cooperation with this or that state in any fields solely belongs to the competence of the UN Security Council," Kamynin said, "The Security Council has not made any decisions as yet on suspending interaction in nuclear power generation with Iran." more... Russia Developing New Mystery Nuclear Missile - President Vladimir Putin said this week that Russia is developing a new form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported. Earlier this year, a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling news agencies that Russia had developed a weapon that could make the United States' proposed missile-defense system useless. Details were not given, but military analysts said the claimed new weapon could be a hypersonic cruise missile or maneuverable ballistic missile warheads. The Significance of the Sino-Russian Military Exercises (September 14, 2005) - Between the dates of August 18-25, 2005, Russia and China participated in their first ever bilateral war games, dubbed Peace Mission 2005. The games were symbolic of the growing cooperation between the two powerful states. Since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, which led to an increasingly influential role for Washington in Central Asia, Moscow and Beijing have drawn together under the common interest of preventing further U.S. influence in the region. more... |
This page may take some time to load. For
size reasons I have archived topics by year: |