tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83361066374880194792023-11-16T08:13:10.176-08:00Prophecy RealityUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-87834102039624278272013-08-13T17:41:00.000-07:002013-08-13T17:41:42.531-07:00News and Trends 14/08/2013<h1 class="singlePageTitle">
<a href="http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/08/07/nuclear-strike-on-syria/" target="_blank">Nuclear Strike on Syria</a></h1>
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<strong>The fight against Assad’s brutal regime has taken an unexpected turn late Thursday afternoon when a large weapons cache belonging to the so-called national protection force in Homs city, an arm of Assad’s Shabeeha, was destroyed.</strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-10914264617911744202012-07-20T22:04:00.000-07:002012-07-20T22:04:40.759-07:00War in the Middle East<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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With the Middle East spinning around at present faster than a Hanukkah dreidel, some have been writing to seek my opinion on the possible prophetic implications of the escalating warfare in Syria and the dramatic Muslim Brotherhood advance in Egypt. Although I am a journalist by profession, having reported the news from Israel and the region since the early 1980s, I also have a longtime personal interest in eschatological biblical prophecy. This is evidenced by my authorship of two prophetic novels, THE END OF DAYS and MILLENNIUM: THE LORD REIGNS. I also touched upon some prophetic themes in my 2001 book, ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? Plus there is the fact that the essence of all biblical prophecy is nothing less than news that has not yet transpired. It is history (His story) revealed before it has actually unraveled on the world stage. In other words, it is hardly divorced from the news. <br />
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In particular, I have been getting inquiries concerning the possible connection of the growing Syrian conflict with prophecies found in Isaiah 17, Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39. As some of you will know from reading the aforementioned books, or other articles or public talks I've given over the years, I have long felt that Isaiah 17 is most likely the next major end-time biblical prophecy that will unfold in the turbulent Middle East. This prophecy seems to be echoed by a similar one found in Jeremiah 49:23-27, which tells of a future time when "panic" would grip the Syrian capital city, Damascus, as its "young men fall dead in her streets" and the city's walls are "set on fire." <br />
As most of you will already know, Isaiah's prophecy begins with the total destruction of Damascus, which the seer foretells will become completely uninhabited with only "flocks" of animal wandering around in its ruins (17:1-2). Located fifty miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea east of Lebanon, the historic city is home today to nearly two million people, with another half million living in its suburbs. <br />
Isaiah's stark prophecy goes on to speak of Israel suffering greatly during the same time frame, implying that an intense war between the two longtime enemy countries stands at the heart of the jarring oracle. It mentions that while Damascus will be "removed from being a city" and "sovereignty" will disappear from it as well (Isaiah 17:1,3), the "glory of Jacob will fade, and the fatness of his flesh will become lean" (Isaiah17:5). As bad as that sounds, the Hebrew prophet is foretelling that Israel will NOT be destroyed as Damascus will be, but instead "gleanings will be left in it like the shaking of an olive tree" (6). So many "olives" will be shaken off the Tree of Israel, but by no means all of them. Isaiah uses the olive tree analogy later on in Chapter 24, which speaks of the final judgment of the world, giving further evidence that Isaiah 17 is also an "end time" prophecy. <br />
Note that in the very first verse, the great Hebrew prophet wrote that, "Damascus is about to be removed from being a city." So was this prophecy fulfilled in or near his time on earth, meaning around the 8th century before the birth of Christ? There is no evidence at all to suggest this was the case. In fact, Israel's sufferings during that era were largely due to internal wars and invasions from the Persian and Babylonian empires, not conflicts with Damascus per se. Although historians say the renowned Syrian capital city has been conquered at least 17 times during recorded history, it has never been destroyed and abandoned as Isaiah foretold would one day take place. So why did the prophet write that the city's demise was "about to" take place? Many scholars believe, as I do, that this is what is widely known as the "prophetic tense." This occurs elsewhere in prophetic biblical literature when something extremely important and life changing is described as either being imminent when it is not actually looming in an historic timeline, or as if it had already occurred, which is an even more dramatic prophetic voice to employ. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKgop9PEadmU5CaHO_Pv_F7bXNTpyQB_I5QxTAgT4kzBEjdnS0J8upNC-yH_WClS6CwRVXmt54_R7nURE0zOLcI9QILu9Yw0JrdoplmSd8EwSXUqOTiSSsDCOz1NLo8ZjxHgHyyxpHab8/s1600/Chaos-in-Syria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKgop9PEadmU5CaHO_Pv_F7bXNTpyQB_I5QxTAgT4kzBEjdnS0J8upNC-yH_WClS6CwRVXmt54_R7nURE0zOLcI9QILu9Yw0JrdoplmSd8EwSXUqOTiSSsDCOz1NLo8ZjxHgHyyxpHab8/s320/Chaos-in-Syria.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The potential for a massive armed conflict between Israel and Syria at this time is quite obvious. I was struck by the comments from a senior Israeli army commander recorded in last Friday's Jerusalem Post newspaper and other Israeli media outlets. Addressing his troops at the end of major military exercise held in the Jordan Valley to prepare for possible war with Syria and Lebanon, Nahal Brigades commander Colonel Yehuda Fuchs said "We are prepared for war, which draws closer with every day that passes." This came two days after air raid sirens were sounded all over Jerusalem last week as part of a three day drill to test the capital city's readiness for a major missile attack. While I knew from the news that such action would take place, many others missed that information, causing some momentary panic as the loud rising and falling wailing went on for around two minutes just before 5:30 in the afternoon. <br />
An earlier commentary by one of Israel's most respected columnists, Chemi Shalev, focused on the depth of conflict that is at the center of the current fighting inside Syria. Writing for the Ha'Aretz (The Land) newspaper on June 1, he pointed out that the escalating conflict is mainly about the survival of the minority Alawite Assad regime in the face of majority Sunni Muslim attempts to topple it. He noted that the two rival Islamic groups have been viciously battling each other for many centuries. With each contemporary Alawite atrocity (the sect is an offshoot of the Shiite wing of Islam), the chances that Assad will obey Hillary Clinton's repeated demands, echoed by many other Western officials, to immediately give up power fade ever further into the waning sunset, he wrote. The Syrian dictator and his cronies are not about to forget what happened last year to Hosni Mubarak or to the late Muamar Kadaffi. Shalev opined instead that the international demands are mainly forcing Assad and his cronies into a corner (which I agree is the case), and the only way out might be an attack upon Israel. He warned that the vicious Syrian regime has a huge army at its disposal--at least 300,000 men, about twice the size of Israel's fulltime forces--and one of the world's largest chemical weapons arsenals, plus a massive stockpile of long, medium and short range missiles, mostly supplied by Russia. <br />
This leads Shalev to conclude that Syrian strongman Bashar Assad may choose what he calls the "doomsday option." He wrote that "Faced with his own political demise and convinced that his people may face murderous retribution, it is not too outlandish to imagine a scenario in which Assad comes to believe that a conflict with Israel or an all-out regional war is his best remaining option. He is, one should never forget, capable of wreaking havoc and destruction not only on most Israeli cities but also on Turkey, Cyprus, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia--and this before one factors in Hezbollah, with its 50,000-plus stockpile of rockets and short range missiles, and Iran, which views the Assad regime as an irreplaceable strategic asset and which may also come around to viewing a regional conflagration as a way of overcoming crippling sanctions and growing isolation." <br />
As I often point out when speaking to audiences around the world, Israeli leaders have long made clear that they will not be the first to introduce weapons of mass destruction onto the regional stage. However they then make equally clear that they will be the second to do so if such weapons are used in any significant way against the tiny state of Israel, just 280 miles from north to south and less than 30 miles across in most places. Of course, this is meant to be a deterrence to such a heinous non-conventional attack, not a threat to launch one out of the blue. Still, Israeli leaders mean it when they say they will not sit idly by while their determined enemies attempt to "complete what Hitler began," as the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini often put it. The implication from Isaiah's prophecy, buttressed by Jeremiah, is that Damascus will be destroyed by something akin to powerful nuclear warheads, which would leave deadly radiation in their wake. This would preclude human occupation for some time afterwards, but not the influx of animal flocks that would naturally be unaware of the lingering deadly nature of invisible radiation. <br />
Are we on the verge of the fulfillment of Isaiah 17? Obviously no human being can say for certain, at least not without a revelation from the ultimate Author of the prophecy, the God of Israel. I do not claim to have such a revelation. However having studied this prophecy for over 35 years, and given my work as a journalist for three decades in this roiling region at the center of the world, I would say the prospects are now quite high. Would this be the possible opening scene in another prophecy found in Ezekiel 38 and 39 as some suggest? I personally do not think so, since that prophesied invasion is said to be led by a great power located to the "far north" of Israel, which many, including myself, assume to be Russia. The increasingly autocratic Putin government does not seem ready to intervene militarily at this time to save Assad's widely condemned regime. <br />
Israel is said to be "living securely" in its land (Ezekiel 38:8) when the massive invasion takes place, which it is clearly not doing at present, with preparations for massive missile strikes from Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and possibly Syria, ongoing. Also the main goal of the invasion foretold by Ezekiel's pen is revealed to be the destruction of Israel, which does not seem to be in the current interests of the Kremlin. Putin and his comrades surely know that any such Russian invasion would undoubtedly spark off a worldwide nuclear showdown with NATO nations, not to mention with Israel itself. More than that, the massive invasion forecast by Ezekiel, also involving Libya and possibly Sudan along with Iran, ends with the salvation of all Israel and the divine ingathering to Israel of all Jews living outside of the Jewish state (Ezekiel 39:27-28). These seem to be occurrences set to unfold at the conclusion of the prophesied end-time "Great Tribulation," also know as the time of Jacob's Troubles, and not at its beginning. Note also how closely the description of what occurs to the invading armies in Ezekiel's prophecy dovetails with what is predicted to occur in the New Testament book of Revelation at the end of the final battle of Armageddon. <br />
Psalm 83 is said to involve eight regional enemies of Israel who "conspire together" to destroy the Jewish state. I noted in Israel in Crisis that seven of the ten named conspirators were located in what is today the Arab country of Jordan, along with northern Saudi Arabia. This indicates to me that as long as the pro-Western Hashemite royal family rules from Amman and holds onto the late King Hussein's 1994 peace treaty with Israel, this prophecy is not ready to be fulfilled. <br />
However with over 100,000 Syrian refugees now pouring into the small, financially troubled country, and with revolution and upheaval sweeping most parts of the Arab world, the chances for instability and political chaos in Jordan increase every day. The ascent of the extremist Muslim Brotherhood to power in Egypt (amazingly facilitated by the US and other Western powers) surely strengthens radical Islamic Arab forces everywhere in the region, with the stepson Hamas movement--which is very popular with many Jordanians who claim Palestinian descent--increasingly active in the country. It should also be noted that even if the Assad regime is somehow overthrown in Syria despite strong support from Russia, Iran and Hezbulloh, any replacement Sunni Muslim government seems increasingly likely to be at least as hostile to Israel as Assad has been, meaning the seeming military clash alluded to in Isaiah 17 would remain an active possibility at any time. Of course, a military strike by Israel and/or the United States and its allies upon Iran's multiple nuclear sites--increasingly likely as defiant Tehran digs in its heels--could spark off a regional war that ends with the destruction of Damascus. Only time will tell, but with the way things appear at present, it might not be a long time! <br />
As I've written before, I suspect that Psalm 83 might be the Arab world's ultimate response to an Israeli destruction of Damascus, which is one of Islam's holiest cities on earth. However it is certainly possible that some future war will begin with Isaiah 17 and then be quickly followed by the joint anti-Israel attack plan unveiled in Psalm 83 (which historians also say never took place in ancient times), or vice versa. Only the Good Lord knows for sure. One thing is certain…the Middle East is currently reeling like it has not done since at least 1973. That being the undeniable case, thank you for your prayers, and may the will of the Sovereign Lord be done on earth even as it is in heaven!<br />
<br />
DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived and worked in Israel since 1980. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By David Dolan</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Dolan, David. “Rapture Forums”. War in the Middle East</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://raptureforums.com/RaptureReport/rapturereport06112012.cfm">http://raptureforums.com/RaptureReport/rapturereport06112012.cfm</a> (Accessed 21July, 2012)</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-63796118110158636792012-07-20T16:15:00.000-07:002012-07-20T16:15:06.371-07:00High Alert as Syria's Assad Goes Missing<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMaAskaxTq4lj9bN0E9_o1dDqiFGyYiIifYKlFAEeFt4eLZgalHA05OnM6F4RaIs1MjqKMLXm10JkHd750OWeTjt84HGdQ7PQjtI5SIOyMiNzMnuuXi-oY9rxVsWqGlyJLJbXLumr2hlx/s1600/assad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMaAskaxTq4lj9bN0E9_o1dDqiFGyYiIifYKlFAEeFt4eLZgalHA05OnM6F4RaIs1MjqKMLXm10JkHd750OWeTjt84HGdQ7PQjtI5SIOyMiNzMnuuXi-oY9rxVsWqGlyJLJbXLumr2hlx/s1600/assad.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The following is an excerpt from an <a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/158040" target="_blank">Arutz Sheva news report</a> (emphasis added mine):</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">The IDF raised its alert level and canceled weekend leaves in some units on Thursday as the situation in Syria continues to destabilize.</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">A bomb in Damascus on Wednesday killed several members of President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle, including Defense Minister Daoud Rajha, General Hassan Turkmani, and Assad's brother-in-law Assef Shawka, who was Syria’s Interior Minister.</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Several other key officials were seriously wounded in the attack, and Assad's whereabouts are presently unknown.</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">For Israel, this raises several potentially dangerous scenarios, not the least of which involves the security of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles. <span id="IL_AD4"><span class="ilad">Jerusalem</span></span> is concerned they could end up in the hands of the Hizbullah terror organization.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Also of concern is whether factions among Syria's fragmented rebel insurgency may gain access to its advanced weapons systems and turn them against the Jewish state.</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Another <span id="IL_AD2"><span class="ilad">worry</span></span> is that the now incommunicado Assad may see the end of his own rule as inevitable and decide to do as much <span id="IL_AD3"><span class="ilad">damage</span></span> to Israel as possible as his regime collapses. Most analysts, however, see this scenario as highly unlikely.</div>Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday toured Israel's frontier with Syria and spoke with reporters.<br />
“There are also people who came to Syria from outside – from Global Jihad and al-Qaida and other Islamists – meaning that as long as the fighting carries on we will have even greater chaos in Syria the day after Assad,” Barak said.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">On Wednesday night, Barak conferred with the IDF General Staff and US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta before briefing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on the situation in Syria.</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">“We believe that the assassination of the top Syrian government officials will speed up Assad’s downfall,” Barak said after his consultations. “We are also closely tracking the <span id="IL_AD1"><span class="ilad">possibility</span></span> that Hezbollah will try to move advanced military platforms or chemical weapons from Syria to Lebanon.”</div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">A chemical weapons attack on Israel by Assad would very likely result in a nuclear counter strike by Israel. While such an act would be absolute madness and result in a horrific loss of life, desperate and wicked men often behave erratically when their necks are on the line.</div>Israel is taking the threat posed by a desperate Bashar al Assad and Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles being on the move very seriously. The <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9411483/Syria-Israel-considers-strike-at-chemical-weapons.html" target="_blank">Telegraph</a> is reporting Israel is considering a first strike against the Syrian weapons and has presented the option to the United States. Even a pre-emptive move on the part of Israel to prevent Syria from attacking or to keep Syrian WMDs out of the hands of terrorist organizations known to call the Damascus area home could lead to a worst-case scenario quickly developing.<br />
Although on the surface there seems to be no panicking by the heads of state around the world, there have been reports that Obama has been in frequent contact with the Assad regime’s best ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the reports, Russia, which has been an obstacle to the United States getting anything going in the United Nations Security Council to help bring the volatile situation under control, remains unwilling to pursue any course of action agreeable to the United States. As this civil war in Syria is allowed to spiral out of control, anything is possible from here forward.<br />
However, I do not believe that we will be witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecy of the destruction of Damascus as described in Isaiah 17.<br />
I would like to just quote 3 important verses from Isaiah 17. The first and last verses tell us that Damascus will totally destroyed and that it will happen overnight, thus indicating a possible nuclear attack. <br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaiah 17:1…”The oracle concerning Damascus. "Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city And will become a fallen ruin.</span></i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">”</span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Isaiah 17:14…”At evening time, behold, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">there is</span> terror! Before morning they are no more. Such <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">will be</span> the portion of those who plunder us And the lot of those who pillage us.”</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Verse 7 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tells us this event will not take place before the end of the Tribulation, because that is the time that man will have regard for his Maker and call out to the Lord Jesus for help.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Isaiah 17:7…” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In that day man </b>will have <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">regard for his Maker </b>And his eyes will <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">look to the Holy One of Israel.”</b></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If the prophet had said that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Syrian people</i></b> would call out to God, then I would not have hesitated to foresee the fulfillment of the prophecy of the destruction of Damascus, but Isaiah clearly says in verse 7 that on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that day <span style="color: #c00000;">man </span></i></b>will have regard for his Maker. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It certainly looks like Assad’s brutal reign will come to an end soon, but the destruction of Damascus…..not sure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Johann Loots</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-12226936366012660192012-05-14T15:20:00.000-07:002012-05-14T15:20:54.858-07:00Syria Moving Scuds to Israel, Turkey Borders<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsekuqsoVpv5_MFdUtgUMmArosxFkzNdGQ8H7mpk3oz9H0-VDecmhwgfTYxBI-7bexHqCWB6rIZnBeDmHBifNdr5Vvm-OgwGIn5pyJuU2K0yywPb9Xku3orXb2FJAeazuO6Xu5AXpCzB-/s1600/syrian+scuds.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsekuqsoVpv5_MFdUtgUMmArosxFkzNdGQ8H7mpk3oz9H0-VDecmhwgfTYxBI-7bexHqCWB6rIZnBeDmHBifNdr5Vvm-OgwGIn5pyJuU2K0yywPb9Xku3orXb2FJAeazuO6Xu5AXpCzB-/s320/syrian+scuds.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A recent report by a Jordanian news site indicates that Syria is currently in the process of moving hundreds of SCUD missiles to the border with Turkey and Israel. Turkey has been a sore point for Syrian President Bashar Assad as the Turks have insisted that the nearly 14 month old civil war stop immediately. Turkey has in the past moved military assets to their own border with Syria to help fleeing refugees from Assad's reign of death. The <a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/155505#.T6cJKFJ0QXI"><span style="color: blue;">Israel National News</span></a> website is reporting: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a>Jordanian news site Ahbar Baladna reports that western spy satellites have recently spotted movements of Syrian heavy missile launchers northward and southward, toward Syria's borders with Turkey and Israel. The site says hundreds of high-caliber launchers are being moved, and that these could only be long range Scud missile launchers. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj24-9QY6l_lPaeNsbWvM5KZxARSX3KcLdDVetpK5HVtXgNsoHBUY078eZf-mdqgpRaTkH_rZJWO5GMUPwlAWsO9BEzFFIJ6ik0BfSD4H1OQ8m2QDyZj61QOBbDXG-A2VREso7Z1QJJ1W8/s1600/imagesCACCTSLH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj24-9QY6l_lPaeNsbWvM5KZxARSX3KcLdDVetpK5HVtXgNsoHBUY078eZf-mdqgpRaTkH_rZJWO5GMUPwlAWsO9BEzFFIJ6ik0BfSD4H1OQ8m2QDyZj61QOBbDXG-A2VREso7Z1QJJ1W8/s200/imagesCACCTSLH.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Syria has threatened in the past that in the event of foreign military intervention on its soil, it will not hesitate to fire missiles at Israel and Turkey in order to ignite a large scale regional war.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The movements of SCUD missiles in Syria is a serious concern as Syria has said in the past that they would not hesitate to launch a larger scale regional war. This of course would be in an effort to deflect pressure of current Syrian President Assad. These movements of these missiles comes after both France and Turkey have been mulling military intervention in Syria to stop the bloodshed. It is highly likely that Assad will try to trigger a larger war or he may in fact "go down with his ship" as a result of the civil unrest and foreign intervention. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The importance that these developments could possibly have in relation to Bible prophecy is that there is the unfulfilled prophecy in Isaiah 17 that indicates that one day Damascus will cease to be a city and will remain uninhabited. This scenario could certainly play out should Assad make a move to fire chemical and/or biological weapons at Israel. Israel for it's part has stated in the past by warning Damascus that that they take massive retaliation against Damascus should even one chemical or biological tipped weapon is launched into Israel. The prophecy in Isaiah 17 makes it crystal clear that Damascus will be utterly destroyed and this could be achieved by an Israeli nuclear weapon being fired on Damascus. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whether this scenario plays out remains to be seen, but it would seem that the report of SCUDS being moved to the borders of both Turkey and Israel could set in motion more than Assad is bargaining for. There is also the potential that a regional conflict could help to fulfill the Psalm 83 scenario whereby Israel defeats their immediate enemies on their borders and even gains land as a result. This could of course take care of the pesky "Palestinian" problem that haunts Israel to this day. As watchman on the wall, it is our duty to watch these things as they unfold and never to take our eye of the Middle East here in these last days. For it is well known that when things break out in the Middle East they do so very quickly. You could literally blink and miss something. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As we see these things taking place we can increase our faith in God's Word that it will be fulfilled exactly as it has been foretold for thousands of years. With each step closer to prophetic fulfillment we get literally closer and closer to the rapture of the church. In fact, the rapture of the church can happen at anytime so we should always be looking up for the blessed hope of our redemption. For the Bible tells us that as we see these things taking place, to look up, for our redemption is drawing nigh. Stay tuned! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God bless. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><br />
Reference:<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Rapture Forum Staff: Chris. "The Rapture Report". Rapture Forums.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">http://raptureforums.com/ (Accessed May 15, 2012)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-9899849926242192822012-04-15T01:00:00.000-07:002012-04-15T01:00:40.434-07:00The Dual Prophecies of Iran – Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNZWb1t2B_U5aCiu_JQr8ofJ41Wnsxl2Xo9DhIfBWR72xSCvpK4gGWy4hgkOx1mSsdCl2eW8Coi1wJF2k-Sp1fWI-f0741mkgsNhWaZyOz2zi2itrG8042S9qO4Si5eUd5bnNjeyD0n0w/s1600/iran-double-jeopardy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNZWb1t2B_U5aCiu_JQr8ofJ41Wnsxl2Xo9DhIfBWR72xSCvpK4gGWy4hgkOx1mSsdCl2eW8Coi1wJF2k-Sp1fWI-f0741mkgsNhWaZyOz2zi2itrG8042S9qO4Si5eUd5bnNjeyD0n0w/s320/iran-double-jeopardy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Welcome to part two of this study regarding Iran in Bible prophecy. Part one, called "Why Iran's Absent from Psalm 83," lodged logical explanations as to why Iran is not part of the Psalm 83 Arab – Israeli war. Part two provides logistical reasons by demonstrating that Iran seemingly faces a double jeopardy in the days to come. This entire study is taken from the commentary of Revelation Road, Hope Beyond the Horizon. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Even though Iran appears to be absent from the climactic, concluding Arab-Israeli War, they are not excluded from two other significant end-time's events. The one most widely taught among eschatologists today is described in Ezekiel 38, and is commonly called the Gog of Magog invasion of Israel. In Ezekiel's prophecy modern day Iran is represented by ancient Persia, and is clearly identified militarily "with a shield and a helmet," in Russia's coalition.<a name='more'></a> </div><a href="" name="more"></a> <div class="MsoNoSpacing">Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; (Ezekiel 38:5) </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Presently Iran is ranked #12 among world armies, and if Ezekiel's prophecy were to find fulfillment today, this would position Iran as the third strongest army within the Magog coalition behind Russia ranked #2, and Turkey ranked #6. Moreover, if Iran was included in Psalm 83:6-8, which does not appear to be the case, it would make it the strongest army within the confederacy in front of Egypt (#16), Saudi Arabia (#26), and Syria (#35). </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Interestingly, Iran presently possesses strong proxy relationships, and bonafide war-pacts, with Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas. All three of these proxies appear to be part of the Psalm 83 Arab confederacy. And yet, Iran somehow gets excluded or, otherwise excused from participating directly in Psalm 83. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Some scholars, like Dr. Mark Hitchcock and Dr. Thomas Ice, teach that Psalm 83 is an imprecatory prayer and probably not a specific prophecy. If their interpretations are correct, then the preponderance of this study becomes a useless exercise in futility, and the current Mideast crisis has little to no connection with Psalm 83 whatsoever. However, if they are wrong, and I believe my books Isralestine and Revelation Road evidences that they are; then one must wonder why Iran's military might is not incorporated in the Psalm war. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Case in point, Psalm 83:4 says; </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Comparatively, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has declared publicly on several occasions that, "Israel must be wiped off the map." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">These similar quotes suggest that Iran and the confederacy of Psalm 83 share the same Anti-Semitic sentiment toward the nation of Israel. If so; then why does Iran appear to be absent from Psalm 83? </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Perhaps Persia's utter destruction in Ezekiel 38:16 - 39:6 prohibits Iran from fighting in Psalm 83. Although this would satisfactorily answer the question about Iran's apparent absence in the Arab war, the problem is that Psalm 83 probably precedes Ezekiel 38. If this is the case, then Iran's "shield and helmet," could still exist when the Arabs come against Israel. If so; then why don't the Arabs invite mighty Iran to participate in their war party? </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The prophecy that may precede Ezekiel 38 – 39, and answer the question about Iran's conspicuous absence in Psalm 83 is located in Jeremiah 49:34-39. Jeremiah 49:35 predicts Elam (Iran) gets struck at the "foremost of its might," which if unfulfilled as of yet, could allude to its nuclear program. The next verse says the Elamites (Iranians) will be scattered out of the immediate area into world nations. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will break the bow of, The foremost of their might. Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go. (Jeremiah 49:35-36) </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Jeremiah and Ezekiel were contemporaries of each other. They both wrote over 2500 years ago. Why did Ezekiel prophesy about Persia, and Jeremiah about Elam? The probable answers are three-fold; </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">1. Geographically – Elam and Persia occupied two adjoining territories at the time,<br />
2. Culturally – these territories consisted of differing ethnicities, and distinct civilizations,<br />
3. Prophetically – the two prophets were probably predicting separate events. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Presently, Persia and Elam comprise greater Iran. Elam covered west-central Iran as depicted in the image, and Persia encompassed most of the other surrounding territory. A careful study suggests both Ezekiel's and Jeremiah's Iranian prophecies appear to be unfulfilled end time events. If so, this suggests that modern day Iran faces a double jeopardy in the last days. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Jeremiah predicts that Elam will be struck at the foremost place of its strength. If such an attack occurred in the near future that would probably be its nuclear site(s). Not necessarily all sites, but specifically sites existing within the boundaries of ancient Elam. A prime target would be the Bushehr nuclear site identified in the image. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Subsequently, the prophet warns that after the attack the affected populations are forced to scatter from the area. Jeremiah says, "There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go." This could be the result of Iranian's attempting to flee from an isolated nuclear disaster. Should the Bushehr nuclear reactor be struck, this becomes a very real possibility because the facility is loaded with Russian supplied fuel rods. These rods were loaded during the summer of 2010. At the time former UN Ambassador John Bolton warned that once the rods were loaded in place, an attack upon the site could result in severe radioactive fallout. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">If Jeremiah 49:34-39 is alluding to a pre-Psalm 83 strike upon Iran's nuclear program, this could partially explain why the rogue state is not a participant in the Psalm. Additionally, perhaps nuclear fallout causes only the Iranians from the central west coast to evacuate into other nations, which would still leave the preponderance of Persia, (northern Iran) with some remaining shields and helmets to fight with in Ezekiel 38. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">It is important to note that Ezekiel seems to intentionally omit Elam from the Gog of Magog invasion. This strongly suggests that not all of modern-day Iran participates in the infamous Gog of Magog invasion of Israel. This conclusion can be safely drawn by recognizing that Ezekiel 32:24-26 identifies Elam and Meshech and Tubal. Meshech and Tubal are listed in the Magog invasion, but Elam is not. Why not? Why didn't Ezekiel list Elam alongside Persia to identify the entirety of modern-day Iran in his predicted invasion? </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The fact that Ezekiel lists Persia in Ezekiel 27:10 and Ezekiel 38:5, and Elam in Ezekiel 32:24 implies that he recognized the territorial and ethnic distinctions between these two populations during his time. He probably omits Elam for the same reason that he omits the Arab populations identified in Psalm 83:3-6, which is because Elam and the Arabs of Psalm 83 do not participate in the Ezekiel 38 invasion. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The probable reason the Psalm 83 Arabs abstain is because they are dealt with in a prior separate war, won by the IDF. The likely reason Elam isn't listed is because Jeremiah 39:34-39 tells us the Elamites are also involved in their own separate prophecy. Thus, there appear to be three prophecies identified: Psalm 83 (Arabs), Ezekiel 38-39 (Persians), and Jeremiah 39:34-39 (Elamites). </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Did Jeremiah Predict Disaster for Iran?In summary, it is important to note that clear territorial distinctions existed between Elam and Persia when Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied. It is doubtful that all of modern-day Iran participates in the Magog invasion of Israel in Ezekiel 38. More likely is the possibility that only northern Iran joins in with Magog (Russia); otherwise Ezekiel should have included both Persia and Elam in his prophecy. Since Elam is not part of Ezekiel 38, it suggests that Jeremiah's prophecy regarding Elam is a separate prophetic event. If Elam is struck at the foremost of its might prior to the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38, then this could be the reason Ezekiel omitted Elam from his prophecy. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Moreover, Jeremiah 39:34-39 introduces nine related prophecies concerning Elam. This study has only discussed two of them. These nine prophecies are identified in the image, and are thoroughly explained in the commentary portion of Revelation Road. The pertinent commentary also presents a brief history lesson concerning Elam, and explains why Jeremiah's Elamite prophecies still remain unfulfilled. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In the final analysis, Jeremiah's nine prophecies of Elam may be simply adding more details to Ezekiel's Gog of Magog invasion; but I doubt it. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">To learn more about what the Bible says about the future of Iran, order your copy of Revelation Road here. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">By Bill Salus</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-83206294202305400922012-04-15T00:47:00.001-07:002012-04-15T01:23:05.378-07:00Why Iran's Absent From Psalm 83 – Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssUvAUCQDxxOXDRmqAk3roHvP33DT9NiuzNFK5_6sXqD3zWYFkYZ3ZbCq-ZBUMIwS0N0ydS67EGZbT5gBvtzA6SoQdAHkeNfvw6MZqdLiSWgEHwKgdYb_3IJHqiqE2fcWoOqdpv4HvLik/s1600/Arab+confederancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssUvAUCQDxxOXDRmqAk3roHvP33DT9NiuzNFK5_6sXqD3zWYFkYZ3ZbCq-ZBUMIwS0N0ydS67EGZbT5gBvtzA6SoQdAHkeNfvw6MZqdLiSWgEHwKgdYb_3IJHqiqE2fcWoOqdpv4HvLik/s1600/Arab+confederancy.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">As the Psalm 83 confederates image depicts, Syrians and Iraqis find association through Assyria, Hezbollah via Tyre in Lebanon, and Hamas hailing from Gaza connects with Philistia. However, there is no mention of Iranians by their three primary historical names, Elamites, Medes, or Persians. This is puzzling, considering Iran reportedly formed bona fide war-pacts in December, 2009, with Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Because Iran is presently providing weapons to Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas, some suggest Iran may be included in Psalm 83 as part of the Assyrians. The Assyrians seem to be among the stronger members in the psalm, because they support the Jordanian army referred to as the children of Lot (Moab and Ammon) in Psalm 83:3 <br />
<a name='more'></a></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8336106637488019479&postID=8320629420230540092" name="more"></a> <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot [Jordanians]. Selah (Psalm 83:8<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/kjv1900/Psalm%2083.8" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"></span></a>) </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The pitfall of connecting modern-day Iran with Assyria is that during the psalmist's time, Assyria only comprised much of what is today northern Syria and part of Iraq. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In order for Iran to be mentioned in Psalm 83, the psalmist would need to have included, Elam, Media, or Persia in the confederate lineup. At the time the Psalm was written about 3,000 years ago, Elam existed in what is now west-central Iran, Media existed in eastern Iran and far beyond, and Persia occupied primarily the northerly parts of today's Iran. Thus, it is reasonably safe to exclude Iranians, which are primarily of Persian descent, from the predominately Arab confederacy of Psalm 83. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">IRAN IS PERSIAN AND PSALM 83 IS ARAB</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Persian verses Arab distinction made in the previous sentence may be part of the reason Iran doesn't participate alongside their Arab proxies in Psalm 83. The confederacy is dominated by Arab populations. Arabs and Persians have a longstanding history of warring against each other, dating as far back as the Persian conquest of the Babylonians around 539 BC. In modern history, Iraq and Iran fought against each other from 1980-1988. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Saudis, as the Ishmaelites, and Egyptians, as the Hagarenes, are members of Psalm 83 and they may feel threatened by any Iranian meddling in the Arab- Israeli war. Presently, both of these Arab countries are deeply concerned about Iran's nuclear aspirations, and fear Iran's greater goal is to subdue their respective nations in order to form a Shiite Crescent throughout the Middle East. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are primarily comprised of Sunni Muslims. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Arab verses Persian argument is not the only possible reason Iran refrains from participating in the Psalm 83 War. Possibility number two is that part of Iran may be temporarily incapacitated at the time, according to a generally overlooked prophecy issued by Jeremiah. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In part two, we will look at the dual end time's prophecies of Iran. Iran appears to experience a double jeopardy in the last days, but most scholars are fixated only on Iran's role as Persia in Ezekiel's prophecy regarded with the Gog of Magog invasion. At the time Ezekiel included Persia in the Magog coalition, it only covered a portion of modern day Iran; Elam and Media covered the rest. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Ezekiel appears to have purposely omitted Elam from Gog's nine-member consortia; but why? It could be that the prophecies concerning Elam in Jeremiah 49:34-39<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/kjv1900/Jeremiah%2049.34-39" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"></span></a> may hold the answer to this mystery. Find out more in part two called "The Dual End – Time Prophecies of Iran." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">By Bill Salus</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-43906517740570364282012-04-03T13:21:00.002-07:002012-04-03T13:46:39.140-07:00Psalm 83 – A Prophecy In Process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-FB93pdBX_I4Nac-0uXV2vaRIiFGI5Z6i9H4X1h0ilVFRRcB3yYHYwYKFx-LWNJeb4KyFECFvB6CjRpuWnCTu4KdSGGjWYNGCSP_ycBtAD3YzPKzyMQSFrdolWRJ0qxsAh4Zfg4TbMQE/s1600/th_3Jerusalemjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DjjnpUR3CP3DC9cKhpDm6CZnoySsCsiLr3SpM4W-TmGXfb1jKbuG6O69zPfwWvNtJpKFBdmAwPQIaRySBN3IWcrUVlQvyG5zhyphenhyphenBF0izJKG1mYJipVD0Er83cwX16PaG1pL0yazVGHtHd/s1600/ArabCountries-vi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DjjnpUR3CP3DC9cKhpDm6CZnoySsCsiLr3SpM4W-TmGXfb1jKbuG6O69zPfwWvNtJpKFBdmAwPQIaRySBN3IWcrUVlQvyG5zhyphenhyphenBF0izJKG1mYJipVD0Er83cwX16PaG1pL0yazVGHtHd/s320/ArabCountries-vi.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfIVuPiVfjaiYxC69Fzx5z60XxcI2phRhu1vi7pS17hqevhDVu_Jo2Sjmx1c33LvlGoOnnJfEl4VkZ7hEY4S5hRYcRf6rw0hw_ob5ptEFl-p7prq6RBdw8uylCfi0aw0qXsIFXmPPghZb/s1600/th_3Jerusalemjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">A Google search of "The Psalm 83 prophecy" on March 31, 2012 displayed 1,380,000 results. Another Google search on the same day under "The Psalm 83 war," uncovered 2,460,000 results. These numbers reflect approximately fifty-times as many results than there were in the same month 4 years prior. I recall, because in 2008 my book, Isralestine the Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East, was published and I had attempted to find research over the Internet on these two subjects. </div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">Psalm 83 is the central theme of Isralestine, and frankly Internet research in these areas at that time was generally fruitless, which is why the book was an eight-year work requiring countless hours of biblical study and extra-biblical historical research. At the time, most of the respected existing commentaries on the Psalm offered little more than poetic expositions. Fortunately, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, David Dolan, and Jack Kelley had previously written summarily about the prophetic possibilities of the Psalm, which presented me with some helpful insights. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">So what is all the hype about Psalm 83? Why did the Google results increase exponentially over the past four years from tens of thousands to tens of millions? I believe these increased numbers reflect a growing interest in the timely prophetic implications of the Psalm; especially, after the Arab Spring that dominated much of the news in 2011. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Interestingly, some scholars suggest that Psalm 83 is simply an imprecatory prayer of lament concerning Israel's Arab enemies throughout time immemorial. Others like me believe it is a bonafide Bible prophecy. In an article called "Psalm 83, What IT IS, and What it IS NOT," I attempted to dispel the possibility that the Psalm is merely a prayer. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Psalm speaks about an Arab confederacy that forms for the explicit purposes of destroying Israel, and dispossessing the chosen people from their Promised Land once and for all. If it is an imminent prophecy, this implies that the confederacy fights for the establishment of one more Arab state called Palestine. This conclusion can be determined by analyzing who the confederate members are today. The image compares the modern-day equivalents to the ancient populations listed in Psalm 83:6-8<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Presuming the Psalm is indeed a prophecy, there are diverse opinions among prophecy experts about the Psalm's timing. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Some teach the prophecy was fulfilled historically in 2 Chronicles 20. This is generally a minority view that is refuted in my article called "Psalm 83 – Has It Found Final Fulfillment?" Another minority view holds to the thinking that Psalm 83 occurs during Ezekiel 38. This argument is debated in my article called "Is Ezekiel 38 Imminent?" </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">A final timing argument is that the Psalm occurs during the final seven-year tribulation period. One of my favorite eschatologists, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, once held this view as expressed in his Footsteps of the Messiah book.(i) Dr. Fruchtenbaum, who also believes Psalm 83 is a prophecy, has seemingly reconsidered this view for the general reasons that are explained in my article called "Is Psalm 83 a Great Tribulation Event." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In my estimation one nearby morning the world will wake to the world-changing Mideast war described in Psalm 83. The Psalm specified that six primary things needed to be in place before the major Middle East battle could begin. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">1. Israelis <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">(</span></b>Psalm 83:3), </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">2. The Nation of Israel (Psalm 83:4, 12).<br />
3. An Israeli Defense Forces; the IDF (Psalm 83:9-11).<br />
4. Palestinian Refugees; i.e. the tents of Edom (Psalm 83:6).<br />
5. An Arab League (Psalm 83:6-8).<br />
6. An Arab Hatred of Israelis (Psalm 83:3). </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Presently all six of these prerequisites are in place. Israelis became a reality when Israel was reborn as a nation on May 14, 1948. As evidenced by the Arab – Israeli wars of 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973, the Hezbollah-Israel conflict of 2006, and the Hamas-Israel confrontation in 2009, an Arab hatred has been displayed ever since the Jewish state was reconceived. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkRyboCAxdf3PLyKIhx6IB4PCDQ4LyiZwc2zsqvX1plDx2YnU7AK-GefjvmFxHWf9kWhsFcKsBGBwRzLaks10FpseUEbeTx1h9F_I2Jgc5kQnoqVSZUVWpnxvvI0qtBxMChjHYGVHs9xz/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkRyboCAxdf3PLyKIhx6IB4PCDQ4LyiZwc2zsqvX1plDx2YnU7AK-GefjvmFxHWf9kWhsFcKsBGBwRzLaks10FpseUEbeTx1h9F_I2Jgc5kQnoqVSZUVWpnxvvI0qtBxMChjHYGVHs9xz/s200/images.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Palestinian refugees became a reality in the aftermath of the Israeli war of independence in 1948, as did the IDF that promptly formed to fight off the Arab aggression. With each subsequent war the IDF became a stronger army apparently in fulfillment of Ezekiel 25:14; 37:10, and Obadiah 1:18.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Lastly, the Arab League was established in Cairo on March 22, 1945 before all the conflicts began. The Arab League includes each member identified within the Arab confederacy of Psalm 83. Apart from fragile peace treaties between Israel and Egypt, and Israel and Jordan, the Psalm prophecy essentially appears to be on the verge of fulfillment. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Many pundits believe that the new majority Islamic fundamentalist parliament of Egypt will soon abrogate the 33 year old peace agreement with Israel. Should Egypt break peace with Israel, there are few that believe Jordan will covet the lone-wolf position of being the only remaining Arab state that possesses a peace accord with Israel. The legitimate concern is reflected in the adage; "As goes Egypt, so goes the rest of the Middle East." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Lacking a substantial peace accord with the most populated Arab state; Egypt, and the most moderate one; Jordan, there is little that prevents Psalm 83 from finding fulfillment. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Much like the rebirth of Israel was a prophecy in process, so is Psalm 83. On May 14, 1948 the world awoke to a Jewish state, but avid Bible prophecy students shouldn't have been surprised at the time. Numerous prophecies like the ones listed below, came true on that infamous day. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">• Ezekiel 36:22-24 – foretold that the Jews would be in spiritual unbelief at the time. It anticipated that world Jewry at large would be characterized by the same religious indifference that had overtaken their forefathers when the Diaspora began in 70 AD.<br />
• Ezekiel 37:11-13 – predicted the Jews would come out of a holocaust scenario; "Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!" (Ezekiel 37:11)<br />
• Isaiah 11;11 – informed that the Lord would regather the Jews into Israel from the nations a second time, there are no third, fourth, or fifth times found in scripture alerting that Israel today fulfills this prophecy. (Some believe this regathering has two phases; in unbelief, followed by belief. Thus they tend to believe that the first phase is being fulfilled today, and the second phase is fulfilled by a faithful Jewish remnant at the end of the 7-year tribulation period).<br />
• Ezekiel 38:8 – foretells that the regathering takes place in the "latter years," which is why many eschatologists consider Israel as the super-sign of the end times.<br />
• Ezekiel 39:21-29 – explains the rationale from the Lord's perspective of the Diaspora and the regathering of the Jews into Israel in the latter years. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">These are just a few of the prophecies that predicted someday the Jews would be regathered out of the nations of the world back into their ancient homeland of Israel in the end times. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The process toward prophetic fulfillment of the rebirth of the nation Israel generally began around 1896 when Theodor Herzl published his book Der Judenstaat (Jewish State in German). He is considered to be the father of political Zionism. Herzl recognized that Anti-Semitism was rising throughout the world, and especially in Europe. He believed the only way the Jews could escape mounting world persecution was to have a homeland again. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Below is an interesting quote from his diary issued in 1897. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">"At Basle, I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today, I would be answered by universal laughter. If not in 5 years, certainly in 50, everyone will know it." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Dying approximately 7 years after writing this statement, he didn't realize how prophetic it was. Exactly 50 years later the United Nations passed resolution 181 in 1947, which called for the establishment of the Jewish state. Christians should have anticipated that Israel was about to become a nation by the start of the Zionist movement. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">World War I was the next tip off that the nation Israel was about to be birthed. In the aftermath of the war, Lord Balfour of Britain issued a declaration calling for the establishment of a Jewish state in 1917. At the time Israel was appropriated land that would have encompassed modern-day Israel and Jordan. Britain had full license to implement this declaration but failed to do so. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Britain's failure to act in accordance with what appears to have been God's explicit will, subjected the Jews to the atrocities of the holocaust, and apparently caused the imminent collapse of the British Empire. At the time there was a saying that "The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire," but today the sun always sets on the British Empire! </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This is because over the course of the following 7 decades Britain relinquished sovereignty over almost all of its colonized territories. Presently, about 50 million people populate England and 62 million the UK in total.(ii) </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">"By 1922 the British Empire held sway over about 458 million people, one-fifth of the world's population at the time, and covered more than 33,700,000 km (13,012,000 sq. miles), almost a quarter of the Earth's total land area." (iii) </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Britain's demise can likely be attributed to the clause contained in Genesis 12:3 that curse those who curse the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Again, Christians should have recognized after World War I that Israel would soon become reinstated as the Jewish state. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYU8pgrkQJEUXptman0nIgd6c4Cggxeh0mDmHcMbJej6b1IvFrvzcpaiJoX5zrPO_epiHzSlRSdtaBcwNdhxZj8Nt2IBQuj3umzMWxFzU8BA-eXvnEOy-78PrgJIwqphnO4izxtyJaYDWw/s1600/Jewish+state.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYU8pgrkQJEUXptman0nIgd6c4Cggxeh0mDmHcMbJej6b1IvFrvzcpaiJoX5zrPO_epiHzSlRSdtaBcwNdhxZj8Nt2IBQuj3umzMWxFzU8BA-eXvnEOy-78PrgJIwqphnO4izxtyJaYDWw/s200/Jewish+state.jpg" width="115" /></a>World War II was the final clue to the prophecy onlooker. As stated above, the UN General Assembly approved the Jewish State on November 29, 1947. With 33 yes votes, 13 no votes, and 10 abstentions the Jewish state was a done deal, and on May 14, 1948 the prophecies predicting the coming of Israel were fulfilled. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Guess what nations were among the 13 that voted no to UN resolution 181? They were most of the Psalm 83 nations listed in the above image; Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestinian refugees hadn't been created at the time to oppose the resolution, and Jordan didn't become an admitted UN member until December, 1955. Thus, Jordan's would-be no vote was unable to be counted! </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Similar to the prophecies concerning the rebirth of Israel, Psalm 83 appears to be in process. Someday soon it will arrive; but for those of us that have been paying attention to the stage-setting signs, we realize that the Psalm prophecy has been over six decades in the making, and appears to be poised to happen! </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In conclusion, I would remind Americans that the sun is beginning to set on the superpower status of the United States. The precedent for this was established in modern history through the British Empire. Over the past two prior decades American leadership has been cursing Israelis by forcing their leadership to trade God's land for Arab peace. This diplomacy is not working, and is the very thing that Joel 3:2 warns against; dividing God's land! </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">If America persists in its obstinacy, it flirts with the same fate of its British ally. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By Bill Salus</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Reference: </div><div class="MsoNormal">Salus, Bill. “Psalm 83 – A Prophecy In process”. Rapture Forums.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <a href="http://raptureforums.com/FeaturedCommentary/psalm83aprophecyinprocess.cfm">http://raptureforums.com/FeaturedCommentary/psalm83aprophecyinprocess.cfm</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">(accessed April 4, 2012)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-FB93pdBX_I4Nac-0uXV2vaRIiFGI5Z6i9H4X1h0ilVFRRcB3yYHYwYKFx-LWNJeb4KyFECFvB6CjRpuWnCTu4KdSGGjWYNGCSP_ycBtAD3YzPKzyMQSFrdolWRJ0qxsAh4Zfg4TbMQE/s1600/th_3Jerusalemjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-43446729624086397532012-03-29T21:33:00.003-07:002012-03-29T21:46:22.917-07:00The Global March to Jerusalem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCvF-4Dx2Y2PhLanrxR8S9T7wXdKTsE6unJzk30Gw9ed8iD-katkboj6IHntvI0dbNDbVKjMU8M4eFNL2Umo1Mkxe51ep7UoOLR7Mf34wQv0oIocBoGD1952oIlneRlg4YPPuOFtNuqFW/s1600/imagesCA4WAX3T.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLwbYBah6E9Rtxe8TwUUvsLUW8p-IcSQS5087iHAUH3SbyCSL90ukB49jz4MLEli_rcmQwb6CKOfiv4eu8ITiIXq3AiU6t9PKUctb68OvuxeluY1tMCZ5idTHdjbeniUvkuBgSJV6iM3I/s1600/imagesCAXL1C44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLwbYBah6E9Rtxe8TwUUvsLUW8p-IcSQS5087iHAUH3SbyCSL90ukB49jz4MLEli_rcmQwb6CKOfiv4eu8ITiIXq3AiU6t9PKUctb68OvuxeluY1tMCZ5idTHdjbeniUvkuBgSJV6iM3I/s320/imagesCAXL1C44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLsts1j64gY_8dz7EnHINZimQomegtjjVCgf5KTq4-WDQcXxJzaZhET-l216MPf85LX-V_KD1pHisRhCj0Nmy2ZiELJ3XKOd2q5evk9e6MwZRa909sorwGqPhBWz6N56rkLwLPGYaPISg/s1600/imagesCA8UBRST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjxPOM208wY8wLH25o9ATRUN122a4Gxsat8Iwtahhg75U3hbeczKgddfZWNJmEVH7m08lUuL7hLfpNkxh3omDxIhx6LSQFi-xL1rLB8nLdcZLX2o-8xnCFCrH-89amvUL8JZcH9MTs522/s1600/imagesCAIT9421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Once again, Israel is confronted by a major threat to its existence, namely, the so-called Global March to Jerusalem (GMJ) scheduled for March 30th. It is organized by the usual suspects-the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, the swelling tribe of Ayatollah lovers, the devil's spawn of radical Leftists-whose intention is to mobilize a million people to breach Israel's borders and converge on Jerusalem. They are convinced that Israel will either find itself helpless before a "peaceful" onslaught of this magnitude or be forced to take action that would lead to a PR disaster. From their perspective, it's a win-win situation. One way or another, Israel would be gravely weakened and, according to an unlettered exchange between some of the event's organizers, "This will undermine the Israeli state…& the Zionist edifice which is unraveling as we speak, will soon fall." </div><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyrSfYn88tHYAKEpbsNawp9fprTob-ELEhTvz_XkK0S5ejIwvClsoejIA2jWQBPIJ-414fSQqeeGWNPPBQ4T24BysS05UgrXKHsEiBNYgJZXfr4Rcero5TqabCf4g8c53XUMvvVWhULYB/s1600/imagesCA4FAER0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4iB1dmAEPm5C1WbkWm6QDlsFMnl_0fi39vi-_YaV77DcBlxJh-bHzFwK-goIvv2BP3spZIthOkFYTApq8yQQCE9Tfgm79PcPCGPX-Aoe6wBbtmdUKlWxuaWXE6wV6L-YI6mmZ2u6yaRD/s1600/imagesCAR9RP33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4iB1dmAEPm5C1WbkWm6QDlsFMnl_0fi39vi-_YaV77DcBlxJh-bHzFwK-goIvv2BP3spZIthOkFYTApq8yQQCE9Tfgm79PcPCGPX-Aoe6wBbtmdUKlWxuaWXE6wV6L-YI6mmZ2u6yaRD/s200/imagesCAR9RP33.jpg" width="200" /></a>A million unarmed zealots determined to challenge the Jewish state are by no means unarmed. They are enemy combatants armed with the sympathy of the international community and the propaganda weapon furnished by a world-wide anti-Zionist media. They know that Israel is bound to lose the propaganda war regardless of how it decides to respond. Islamic states do not suffer from a similar dilemma. After all, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has slaughtered over 9000 of his own people in attempting to repress a popular uprising. But the GMJ organizers-including such well-known bigots as George Galloway, Reverend Jeremiah Wright and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who sit on the advisory board-have little or nothing to say about this ongoing atrocity. Clearly, they are not eager to Occupy Damascus since they might actually get hurt. But Jerusalem is another matter. They will have the Israeli Left cheering them on and can bank on the reluctance of the IDF to apply lethal force. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The GMJ is also armed with a formidable body of outright lies and gross distortions that the radical Left, in concert with Islamofascist dogma, has adopted as doctrinal truth. The so-called Anti-Imperialist Camp, which supports the march, and the official GMF website have listed the standard batch of falsifications as ideological ammunition for its adherents. Among the myths and libels enumerated in these venues, we learn: </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- that Palestinians are being expelled from Jerusalem, a claim refuted even by the Left wing The Nation which recorded a 3% growth of Arab Jerusalemites compared to a mere 1% growth of the Holy City's Jewish residents. According to the global post, the Arab population of Jerusalem has grown 209% since the Jordanian defeat in the 1967 war. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- that 85% of Palestinian territory has been despoiled by "foreign settlers." Of course, the organizers are referring to Israel proper, oblivious to the fact that it was Israel that was robbed of 78% of its legally mandated territory, which became the artificially constructed Emirate of Trans Jordan. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- that only Jewish citizens benefit from Israeli democracy, a lie so brazen that only the terminally brainwashed could believe it. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- that Israel is in violation of international law-when it is Israel, and only Israel, that is in compliance with the League of Nations Mandate, the dispositions of the San Remo Conference, Article 80 of the UN Charter and UN Resolution 242, as well as the laws of war validating the results of the 1967 and 1973 hostilities. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, a contention that scurrilously negates several historically attested facts, for example, that there is no such country called Palestine, that a significant proportion of the Arab inhabitants of the contested area are not indigenous "Palestinians" but relative latecomers originating in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and North Africa, and that Jerusalem throughout history was the political and spiritual capital of the Jewish people. Indeed, Jews formed the majority of the city's population for much of the census-taking period, as is evident from such meticulously documented volumes as Mitchell Bard's Myths and Facts and Joan Peters' From Time Immemorial. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Buttressed by such fabrications, the GMJ has effectively declared war on Israel and has embarked on what is nothing less than a massive invasion of its sovereign territory. The email previously cited envisions a "human tide" of one million people now, but aims for five million "next time…& it will only grow from there." Obviously, this is war by another name, and Israel is being attacked with a view not only to inflict a humiliating defeat upon it but to eliminate it entirely from the roll-call of the world's nations. In essence, this is only a more "humane" version of the Iranian project to wipe Israel off the map. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn_rLztUgqD2wJtc-q288usp0V_SgmuwXAld8ljAx4ldVSU1apEFOdqUlHMkzbF_2_qr8GxndKVo2KBvunpa9oku2s-FD1NDQLB4URNRKvr8BsUKwdhxmXJSotxi9US-xeiwf5ThfgE7I/s1600/imagesCAXY87QA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn_rLztUgqD2wJtc-q288usp0V_SgmuwXAld8ljAx4ldVSU1apEFOdqUlHMkzbF_2_qr8GxndKVo2KBvunpa9oku2s-FD1NDQLB4URNRKvr8BsUKwdhxmXJSotxi9US-xeiwf5ThfgE7I/s200/imagesCAXY87QA.jpg" width="200" /></a>Judaism is a life-affirming religion; unfortunately, in the world of practical affairs, it is all too often the life of its enemies that is affirmed. The IDF distributes leaflets advising its antagonists of impending operations, so as not to harm civilians. Jewish organizations engage in "dialogue" and "outreach" with those who are sworn to their extirpation. The Jewish Left promotes the boycotting of Israeli goods, agitates on behalf of the Palestinians and condemns the Jewish inhabitants of Judea and Samaria-Israel's ancient heartland-as colonialist "settlers." The Israeli ruling elite is prone to surrendering legitimately acquired land in exchange for illusory promises, exposing its citizens to ambushes, incursions and even short-range missile attacks in ever-contracting territory. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj673t5PKHBSakNsjjN39NRtb0EorQvjOzRCBeQPkOMFgSdmKYqWsHjMGLegyI0lHE8-TVQ13hgnDQhdASeVvcZtJ8V-5vl2osFUZglkWJvlcPMz291aJN-ItfchZHRTKkte8XxiCYNkaNE/s1600/imagesCA4FAER0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>And now we have the proposed million-man march on Jerusalem. Of course, it is unlikely that the number is even remotely achievable, but let us assume for the sake of argument that it were. The question then poses itself. How should Israel react to the inundation of its capital by a million people swarming in from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt? With water cannons? With the sonic boom of low-flying F-16s? With conciliatory rhetoric? With civilized debating points? With the keys to the city? Such expedients do not seem especially convincing. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Plainly, a workable means of deterrence to what is theoretically a significant menace to the continued existence of the Jewish state will have to be arrived at. In the face of the GMJ, no less than the genocidal policy of Iran, Israel will need to find some way of affirming itself for a change and ensuring the survival of its Jewish citizens.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">By David Solway</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span>Reference:</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Solway, David. “The Global march to Jerusalem”. Rapture Forums.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://raptureforums.com/FeaturedCommentary/theglobalmarchtojerusalem.cfm">http://raptureforums.com/FeaturedCommentary/theglobalmarchtojerusalem.cfm</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">(Accessed March 30, 2012)</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Photos added by Johann Loots</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-84457674936321726442012-03-29T20:55:00.003-07:002012-03-29T21:08:38.195-07:00Gog Enters the Middle East<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZysc8TuwwbnqMPHJUmvC_wI5OY5wtkuyl1ZqDwDY5_Z5fr7hQmvhp11m7BsgQaIzCkA36SGBFj4axepMTwgVa0dn5IllHEwGP01qPk9QXILP2b3dRfr4cNhnG5mnjNWHCEp3MxJTanvm/s1600/Port+of+Tartus,+Syria.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZysc8TuwwbnqMPHJUmvC_wI5OY5wtkuyl1ZqDwDY5_Z5fr7hQmvhp11m7BsgQaIzCkA36SGBFj4axepMTwgVa0dn5IllHEwGP01qPk9QXILP2b3dRfr4cNhnG5mnjNWHCEp3MxJTanvm/s320/Port+of+Tartus,+Syria.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjmMFdRo1BiHPIC3evO2jYFRlMv6vITsmkTEgsFPa3Xy9JA57fGh22LkZdvI82kgXyshgNfmHYfxJUr7dXn1pkMH4ptVuiUockPHazMt3LvjSWVrCONujtecRgdesuf3TKQrG2fhyphenhyphenV3E0/s1600/imagesCA5FKFBR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Russian anti-terror troops are now on the ground in Syria. Russia's Defense Ministry acknowledged that the navy's Iman oil tanker arrived at the Syrian port of Tartus. Their official mission is to assist Russian navy ships on anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and “for demonstrating the Russian presence in the turbulent region and possible evacuation of Russian citizens." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Russia has supported many of Israel's enemies with weapons, but it has never directly involved its soldiers on the ground. "This is the first time in modern history that Russia directly intervenes on the ground in the Middle East,” said Abdul Rahman, manager of the Al-Arabiya news channel. “With its forces, Russia truly threatens security and stability in the region. This could be the start of a Russian invasion." </div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">Moscow has always had a strange fixation with supplying armaments to the Middle East. It's not because the Russian people are dedicated arms merchants. Their efforts have always conflicted with logic and good business sense. I remember when Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, it found a massive trove of weapons. There were only about 15,000 Palestinian fighters in Southern Lebanon, but the Russians had sent enough weapons to outfit an army of over 1 million. It took the Israeli military several months to transport all the weapons back to Israel. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjmMFdRo1BiHPIC3evO2jYFRlMv6vITsmkTEgsFPa3Xy9JA57fGh22LkZdvI82kgXyshgNfmHYfxJUr7dXn1pkMH4ptVuiUockPHazMt3LvjSWVrCONujtecRgdesuf3TKQrG2fhyphenhyphenV3E0/s1600/imagesCA5FKFBR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjmMFdRo1BiHPIC3evO2jYFRlMv6vITsmkTEgsFPa3Xy9JA57fGh22LkZdvI82kgXyshgNfmHYfxJUr7dXn1pkMH4ptVuiUockPHazMt3LvjSWVrCONujtecRgdesuf3TKQrG2fhyphenhyphenV3E0/s200/imagesCA5FKFBR.jpg" width="200" /></a>Putin's willingness to stand by President Bashar al-Assad continues Russia's history of always backing the wrong horse. He has repeatedly blocked the United Nations Security Council's attempts to halt the violence, accusing the U.S. and its allies of trying to start another war. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Assad is a brutal dictator who has murdered thousands of his own people. While most nations have condemned Assad and implemented sanctions to put economic pressure on him, Russia has stepped in to supply the bullets and shells used to kill civilians in Syria. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">There is little chance of America becoming involved in an effort to help the Syrian freedom fighters. A Fox News poll shows that 78 percent of voters oppose sending troops to Syria. With all the trouble in Afghanistan, there is a general belief that opening another military front would be a bad idea. The reason Assad is still in power is probably because Western powers have finally realized that every time they help to kick out a dictator, an Islamic authoritarian state takes his place. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">I have long suspected that Vladimir Putin might be the Gog leader of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Ezekiel 38 and 39.</span></b> Putin's choice of Middle East friends has put him on a collision course with the state of Israel. I can just imagine Putin’s reaction if the nuclear reactor his nation just built for Iran were suddenly destroyed by an Israeli air raid. Of course, students of Bible prophecy know that the city of Damascus has a dire fate. Putin would certain fly into fit a rage if his buddy Assad suddenly vanished in a fireball, along with several of his elite military forces. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">(Isaiah 17:1).</span></b> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Putin obviously doesn't realize the danger he faces by becoming involved with Israel's Arab foes. The sons of Ishmael are driven by a demonic sibling rivalry and will stop at nothing to kill the children of Isaac. Since the actions of the Arabs reflect back on Putin, he has obligated himself to follow their lead. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">There is nothing innocent about Putin's intentions. He is a very vain man, and I'm sure he has already considered the thought, "If I destroy Israel, the Arabs will praise me as the greatest leader of all time." The Word of God says that Gog will have a far different role. His purpose is to sanctify the Lord's name among the nations -- by having his army obliterated. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK0Kwht6leIZ57lWItgucbyBaczn5iQ-h1FBVtdaVZurA1FW8wlTn7AqKI37ia28Lfq1fSvqFK0TQBbyPUMFd8hUBD48ftf-K8WlkTva6L5yeGOyXG4NQ5g0WmHYPQlqmYl4LUnmprAlq/s1600/gog_land_of_magog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK0Kwht6leIZ57lWItgucbyBaczn5iQ-h1FBVtdaVZurA1FW8wlTn7AqKI37ia28Lfq1fSvqFK0TQBbyPUMFd8hUBD48ftf-K8WlkTva6L5yeGOyXG4NQ5g0WmHYPQlqmYl4LUnmprAlq/s200/gog_land_of_magog1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>"And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes" <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">(Ezekiel 38:15-16)</span></b>. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">"Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured" <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">(Ezekiel 39:4)</span></b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By Todd Strandberg<br />
<br />
Reference:<br />
Strandberg Todd. "Gog enters the Middle East". Rapture Forums.<br />
http://raptureforums.com/FeaturedCommentary/gogentersthemiddleeast.cfm (Accessed March 30, 2012)<br />
Pictures added by Johann Loots<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-35596291863530734412012-03-29T02:40:00.001-07:002012-03-31T01:59:25.309-07:00An Iron Dome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYnw1C7HbFwtyND5tQHpqfXJmVISKwEMa74X6xh3iZ93CGv2Xffa4K-dgapp7Ahw0GaBX3YrXuzynM-TFJ_1hne2QwnfyfOau142Qa7KPJcsThXIN1h3uBwkxIMSb8hmBc1XYcEBIWjQy/s1600/imagesCARWWE13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYnw1C7HbFwtyND5tQHpqfXJmVISKwEMa74X6xh3iZ93CGv2Xffa4K-dgapp7Ahw0GaBX3YrXuzynM-TFJ_1hne2QwnfyfOau142Qa7KPJcsThXIN1h3uBwkxIMSb8hmBc1XYcEBIWjQy/s320/imagesCARWWE13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There was an interesting event this past week in Israel that points to the Bible’s promises being true.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Despite a flimsy agreement that Palestinian terrorists would halt rocket attacks against Israeli targets, of course more came over. Nine rockets, including the long-range Grad rockets and four mortar shells, hit Israeli territory. This is more “fallout” from the ill-advised pullout from Gaza seven years ago.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">On March 15, four of the rockets landed near Ashdod and Beersheba; </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="_GoBack8"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">two were destroyed by the Iron Dome aerial defense system. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I continue to maintain that a full-scale rocket attack—such as one possible from the barbarian Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon—or a limited-yet-lethal nuclear attack from Iran…will not happen. Yes, Hezbollah has stockpiled tens of thousands of missiles, many since the 2006 war, but God has promised in His Word that in the last days, He will defend Israel Himself.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Isn’t that amazing? He personally is intervening and with it, putting His reputation on the line (from our perspective). </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9dHhL0UUhPB8d-0Ve8neBAGB-H385pyas6p3s9kihn5S6KWKC0mLTt3lRego0mbnTuvwCm7hl-CsxZfx0nmUqRdOMc_TRB0L05iS1aGDpfzULu53AEThp33L_-ck241Sv7mKFiH9TWOU/s1600/Dome.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9dHhL0UUhPB8d-0Ve8neBAGB-H385pyas6p3s9kihn5S6KWKC0mLTt3lRego0mbnTuvwCm7hl-CsxZfx0nmUqRdOMc_TRB0L05iS1aGDpfzULu53AEThp33L_-ck241Sv7mKFiH9TWOU/s1600/Dome.png" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is the Ultimate Iron Dome.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Since the beginning of 2011, 535 rockets have entered Israeli airspace. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">By contrast, Israeli offensive maneuvers are always deadly accurate.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">On the night of March 14, the Israel Air Force hit a rocket-launching site in the northern Gaza Strip, and also destroyed a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. The very next night, an IDF patrol engaged a group of terrorists entering from Egyptian territory (the U.S. has just announced that it will continue with massive aid to Egypt, even though the Muslim Brotherhood is wrapping its tentacles around the country). </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Three infiltrators were caught—a fourth was shot dead—and the wounded were taken to hospitals in Israel for treatment! Is this not astonishing? The world doesn’t report this. Imagine if Soviet troops had taken German troops to hospitals in Moscow or Stalingrad for treatment. Not only did that not happen, but the Soviets delighted in dishing out brutal treatment to the Nazis. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Israel is defending its citizens and still manages to react humanely to dreadful enemies. How pathetic that CNN et al react with silence.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">According to an IDF spokesman:</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“The IDF Spokesman said in an announcement that the Southern Command had <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">recently installed two new technological systems which make it possible to detect and impede anti-tank missiles after they have been fired</span>. The need for such a system became evident when the terrorist organizations <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">began using anti-tank missiles to attack civilian targets</span>, such as the missile which hit a school bus on April 7, 2011. One system detects guided and laser-operated missiles to warn of impending threats, and identify the direction and type of missile. The other deflects the missile from its course.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Although Israel’s numerous enemies (they are legion) are sophisticated, smart, and well-funded, the Israelis continue to stay a step or 50 ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Why is that?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">How is it that Israel, surrounded by vicious enemies, continues to not only survive, but thrive? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In a report on all these activities this week, The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center had an interesting headline regarding global propaganda activities against Israel. Introducing a brief report, we read these words:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“The Marches to Israel’s Borders and the Global March to Jerusalem”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjulLRqW6wbIpaq88RYgM6RYr19XQMy0mCv3NAcN1b6PjTK9De2KztBNpRt31uGO8XWbP39zeYZK-mgPcsAWyYdM-QZgQPB23auj9AiHEsq1ghd3zF-cKJ5sH-aJ4eNKjT2IMymrsu7T4I/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjulLRqW6wbIpaq88RYgM6RYr19XQMy0mCv3NAcN1b6PjTK9De2KztBNpRt31uGO8XWbP39zeYZK-mgPcsAWyYdM-QZgQPB23auj9AiHEsq1ghd3zF-cKJ5sH-aJ4eNKjT2IMymrsu7T4I/s1600/untitled.png" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Various protests against the Jewish state are planned for March 30, and in the Amit report, we read that a contingent of Asian “activists” have left New Delhi on the way to Lebanon (via Iran and Turkey). Interestingly, the protestors come from Indonesia, the Phillipines, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan (ever heard of the “kings of the east”?).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So, while actual armed conflict is launched by Israel’s near enemies, the Palestinians, propaganda efforts come from afar. For those who continue to miss (or see it and still marginalize Bible prophecy, like preterists) obvious prophecy, one wonders how they can. When Zechariah predicted an actual, global effort to finally destroy Israel in the last days—coinciding with the arrival of the Messiah on the Mount of Olives—the language was in reality plain and easy to understand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">At no time in history have “all” the nations (the definition of “all” is…all) come against Israel. They are doing so now.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">As they gather, the Lord swats away their pitiful attacks. Soon and very soon, His fury will arise in a terrifying and total way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Iron Dome is firmly in place<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">By Jim Fletcher<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reference: Jim Fletcher, “An Iron Dome”, Rapture Ready, March 29<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> 2012,<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.raptureready.com/rap15.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.raptureready.com/rap15.html</span></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-47390152198519003942012-03-21T18:22:00.000-07:002012-03-21T18:22:41.193-07:00Russian Troops Arrive in Syria to help Assad<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3tuDzJfsOZbP-1mDPjja0eXOq5mhEHf_BMO62mgrv7zv4ZAUroVzZX5YiiUwAZQrJSiejHwRCZhp3EUVWosWTfWsOhEsjJO4OOuQkqlXoHLCyMzCrmFDP7LxVAxrJFjvN0skmPzhvdJF/s1600/assad_putin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3tuDzJfsOZbP-1mDPjja0eXOq5mhEHf_BMO62mgrv7zv4ZAUroVzZX5YiiUwAZQrJSiejHwRCZhp3EUVWosWTfWsOhEsjJO4OOuQkqlXoHLCyMzCrmFDP7LxVAxrJFjvN0skmPzhvdJF/s320/assad_putin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In a move that is making waves across the international news outlets, it is being reported that Russia "anti-terror" troops have arrived in Syria to help Syrian President Assad with his internal crackdown on the opposition. While this is not really a surprising move, for watchers of Bible prophecy this event could be a watershed moment as "Magog" begins to make it's present felt in the region. The prophet Ezekiel predicted thousands of years ago that in the latter day or end times that there would be a surprise invasion of Israel led by none other than "Magog" or Russia.</div><a name='more'></a> A <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russian-anti-terror-troops-arrive-syria-164035966--abc-news.html"><span style="color: blue;">Yahoo News</span></a> article reports: <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">A Russian military unit has arrived in Syria, according to Russian news reports, a development that a United Nations Security Council source told ABC News was "a bomb" certain to have serious repercussions. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Russia, one of President Bashar al-Assad's strongest allies despite international condemnation of the government's violent crackdown on the country's uprising, has repeatedly blocked the United Nations Security Council's attempts to halt the violence, accusing the U.S. and its allies of trying to start another war. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Now the Russian Black Sea fleet's Iman tanker has arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea with an anti-terror squad from the Russian Marines aboard according to the Interfax news agency. The Assad government has insisted it is fighting a terrorist insurgency.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Russia is trying to downplay the troop deployment to Syria as a "peacekeeping" type move as well as being there to "evacuate" Russian citizens in the country. This to me is not a very convincing story. It appears that Russia is beginning to make a move to expand their influence in this turbulent region just as the prophet Ezekiel said they would here in the end times. The Yahoo News report also went on to report: </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Iman replaced another Russian ship "which had been sent to Syria for demonstrating (sic) the Russian presence in the turbulent region and possible evaluation of Russian citizens," the Black Sea Fleet told Interfax. RIA Novosti, a news outlet with strong ties to the Kremlin, trumpeted the news in a banner headline that appeared only on its Arabic language website. The Russian embassy to the US and to the UN had no comment, saying they have "no particular information on" the arrival of a Russian anti-terrorism squad to Syria. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Moscow has long enjoyed a cozy relationship with the Assad regime, to which it sells billions of dollars of weapons. In return Russia has maintained a Navy base at Tartus, which gives it access to the Mediterranean. Last week Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had no plans to send troops to Syria.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Right now the U.S. government is denying knowledge of Russian troops in Syria but I would be almost certain to say that the U.S. and Israel are watching this and know exactly what is going on. Russia looks to protect it's interests in the region and as I recall a news article from a few years back, Russia has called Syria their "most important ally" in the region. You can bet your bottom dollar that Russia is going to try to help Assad hold on to power as there is an awful lot at stake for Russia in terms of economic, military, and energy resources that motivates them to enter the fray so to speak in the region. I personally would not be surprised to see Russia further "increase" there involvement in the region in the coming weeks and months. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Russia for their part is keeping the news of it's troop deployments low key as they only reported the deployment of the troops on their Arabic language website. As the Yahoo News article stated this development is sure to have profound repercussions for the region. Russia and China have both voted to block resolutions aimed at Syria in the United Nations Security Council. Bible prophecy watchers know that unfulfilled prophecies concerning Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 are ones that could possibly be on the horizon. This means that we should be following this development with very keen interest as it could point to the speeding up of Bible prophecy. Stay tuned! </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Reference:</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Chris, Rapture Forums Staff, “<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Russian Troops Arrive in Syria to help Assad”. Accessed 23<sup>rd</sup> January 2012.</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">http://raptureforums.com/RaptureReport/rapturereport03192012.cfm.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-5562139113006155382012-03-17T12:50:00.000-07:002012-03-17T12:50:10.340-07:00Viability of Iranian attack<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/U07GeJY1HBQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>It's late in Iran on a dark night, moonless or with heavy clouds. Suddenly the silence is broken by sonic booms, followed by the sound of jets roaring overhead.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Flying in tight formation, Israeli fighter planes drop bunker-busting bombs on a nuclear enrichment plant built into the side of a mountain.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Iranian pilots race for their own jets to fight back, but by the time they take to the sky, it's too late. The Israeli jets streak away.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That, at least, is what Israel would like to happen if it decides to attack Iran in an effort to prevent it from acquiring the ability to make nuclear weapons.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But would it be as easy for Israel to destroy Iran's nuclear sites as it was for the Jewish state to strike an Iraqi reactor in 1981 or a suspected one in Syria five years ago?</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Experts inside and outside Israel say no.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They envision a much more complicated attack, one that would involve more than 100 planes -- from fighters to refueling tankers -- flying hundreds of miles to bomb up to eight targets around Iran.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span><span style="color: #004276; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel hit one target each in Iraq and Syria, but Iran's nuclear assets are spread over multiple sites in different parts of the country. One is buried under concrete. Another is dug into a mountain. Surface-to-air missiles and electronic warfare systems protect them all.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They also are significantly farther away from Israel than the targets in Iraq or Syria.And they may not be the only sites Israel would need to destroy to achieve its goal.Bombing Iranian nuclear facilities would be "very complicated," said Ephraim Kam, deputy director of Israel's Institute for National Security Studies.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It is a very large-scale operation, much greater than the one carried out in Iraq 30 years ago," said Kam, a former colonel who served with an intelligence research division in the Israeli military.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel would most likely attack Iran with fighters jets -- the F-15I and the F-16I -- rather than missiles fired from submarines, Kam and other experts said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"In order to create proper damage to the nuclear plants, you need extremely accurate weapons," Kam said. "I don't know that the missiles are accurate enough."</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to the London-based defense analysis group Jane's, Israel has one squadron -- about 25 planes -- of F-15I jets, which are similar to the F-15 Eagle fighters of the U.S. Air Force. Israel calls its version of the fighter Raam, or Thunder.It has four squadrons of F-16Is, the Israeli version of the U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Israeli jet is known as the Suefa, or Storm.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Israeli fighters lack the range to reach most of the likely targets in Iran, so Israel would also need to put tanker aircraft into the sky, said Douglas Barrie of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel has at least seven KC-707 tankers that it could use for airborne refueling, Barrie said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It also has at least four KC-130H tankers, versions of the giant Hercules aircraft, but is not likely to use them because their slow speed means the jets would need to slow down to link with them, wasting fuel, he said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The strike aircraft would carry bunker-busting GBU-28 bombs -- 5,000-pound bombs to "go after hardened and buried sites," Barrie said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Each F-15I could carry up to three bunker-busters, he said, depending on whether they are configured to carry the maximum number of bombs or the largest possible amount of fuel.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The American military has an even larger bunker-buster, the 30,000-pound GBU-57, but there's "no indication the Israelis have requested that weapon" or that Israel has the B-2 or B-52 bombers needed to deliver it, Barrie said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like other experts, he based his analysis on the assumption that if Israel mounted an attack, it would do so without American help.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutpDzC8MkhC5_sbLYs6dOdu-MamBXj7DJxrtwlfxDJ6DQRVL66mX_ErmYhmO5YpHfMzUDjWcLI7_7vcnGbIhxxRcqoPY4Wvv__amGDUEERb_wdTdh_zZFPAOPelvMJPcEKA1_mDiuikgf/s1600/120313090955-map-iran-potential-targets-story-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutpDzC8MkhC5_sbLYs6dOdu-MamBXj7DJxrtwlfxDJ6DQRVL66mX_ErmYhmO5YpHfMzUDjWcLI7_7vcnGbIhxxRcqoPY4Wvv__amGDUEERb_wdTdh_zZFPAOPelvMJPcEKA1_mDiuikgf/s400/120313090955-map-iran-potential-targets-story-top.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>There would be at least four primary targets, said Emily Chorley, a nuclear expert at Jane's: the Natanz and Fordo nuclear enrichment plants, the Esfahan uranium conversion facility, and the Arak nuclear complex.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Esfahan and Arak are above ground and are "relatively vulnerable to aerial attack," she said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But Natanz, in the center of the country, is buried under 33 feet of earth and 6 feet of concrete, Chorley said, making it "very hard to penetrate."</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fordo, near the holy city of Qom, is "even more difficult" because it is deeply buried in a mountain, she said. Dropping a bunker-busting bomb on Fordo actually might make it less vulnerable, Chorley said, since collapsing the entrance without destroying the facility would protect it from further bombing.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It's questionable whether Israel is capable of destroying it in an air-launched attack," she said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Just getting Natanz and Arak without getting Fordo wouldn't be worth the risk," she argued, since Fordo is enriching uranium to higher levels than the other sites.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All four targets are protected by S-200 and Hawk surface-to-air missile batteries, said Chorley's colleague, Jim O'Halloran, a specialist in land-based air defense.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel would have at least two secondary targets as well, Chorley predicted -- the Tabriz and Imam Ali missile bases in the west, "to prevent a retaliatory missile attack" on Israel.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It also could try to strike the controversial Parchin military base east of Tehran, which inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency have been trying to visit, Chorley said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel also might target the Bidganeh military base, which suffered a mysterious explosion in November. That would bring the number of potential targets to eight.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Iran's single declared civilian nuclear reactor probably is safe, Chorley said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An attack on the Bushehr reactor would risk spreading nuclear contamination, and could mean killing Russian personnel at the Russian-built facility, infuriating Moscow.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel has three potential routes of attack, according to Jane's and other experts, assuming its fighters do not fly all the way around the Arabian Peninsula. Jane's says the Israeli Air Force does not have enough refueling capacity to travel that distance.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkxMt4WPnx6n3f2bYiaKQRJuGND4GFtht8NrALshx_hvzk514r7DkPKvuoL_Cc1wlhtM4ClJyfUBrOAlUPy83avIsrrCyr0Rf-UN6r_0WvAEFEhcWzAGBHULSV0TKU3CgIG2DgBAJxJ1P/s1600/120313091135-map-israel-flight-routes-story-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkxMt4WPnx6n3f2bYiaKQRJuGND4GFtht8NrALshx_hvzk514r7DkPKvuoL_Cc1wlhtM4ClJyfUBrOAlUPy83avIsrrCyr0Rf-UN6r_0WvAEFEhcWzAGBHULSV0TKU3CgIG2DgBAJxJ1P/s400/120313091135-map-israel-flight-routes-story-top.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The northern route would go through Turkey, with which Israel has tense relations. The southern route would go through Saudi Arabia, which fears its rival Iran getting a bomb but is openly hostile toward Israel.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The central route is the shortest. It runs through Jordan and Iraq. Jordan and Israel are at peace, but there's no guarantee Jordan would formally give Israel permission to fly over its territory.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Iraqi air defenses, meanwhile, "cannot prevent violations of sovereignty," said Charles Hollosi of IHS Jane's. That makes it the "most likely location for air refueling."</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Israel will need to decide what altitude its planes would fly at on the way in. Flying higher would protect them from the defenses of the countries they fly over, but will expose them sooner to Iranian radar.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You're going to be in the cockpit three hours-plus before you get to the target unless you go the central route," said Barrie, the International Institute for Strategic Studies' senior fellow for military aerospace in London.He doubts the Iranians would be able to detect them coming that far away.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I don't imagine them having two hours' notice. The Israelis will be desperate to give them as little notice as possible.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"They will try to ensure their aircraft remain below their radar as long as possible," he said. "If you're in an Israeli fast jet you don't want it to be anything like a fair fight."</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Barrie noted the Israeli military's success in attacking a suspected nuclear site in Syria in 2007.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The Israelis, with a mix of electronic warfare and electronic attack, degraded Syrian air defenses to the point where they didn't see the strike package coming in," he said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Can the Israelis pull off tactical surprise the way they did with the Syrians in 2007? Going after three or four strike targets is much harder," he said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Iran's air force has American-made F-14 Tomcats acquired under the shah's regime, which ended in 1979, Barrie said, as well as Russian-made MiG-29s. On paper, they are not a match for the Israeli planes.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Israel remains the pre-eminent air force in the region -- well-equipped, and they have trained long and hard," he said.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The Iranians are at an obvious disadvantage in terms of the age and quality of the equipment they have, but they also train hard and will be motivated," Barrie said. "I would be surprised if the Israelis are underestimating the Iranians."</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-183744756560377832012-03-12T14:53:00.001-07:002012-04-02T13:16:51.354-07:00The Struggle for Jerusalem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyV1rvx8fQ5P84zLHI-hCWeiHAlgmX0KVP2BIJpIVFr9E9qM6F0Fte5MmDR4u6ull07Sa7Vwq8AurW1r8hHZpvAf9tavff210FfJvwtF_osFhvIYsPyZ_7q_f-UQncTgeVenx_VE06J7v/s1600/imageJerusalem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyV1rvx8fQ5P84zLHI-hCWeiHAlgmX0KVP2BIJpIVFr9E9qM6F0Fte5MmDR4u6ull07Sa7Vwq8AurW1r8hHZpvAf9tavff210FfJvwtF_osFhvIYsPyZ_7q_f-UQncTgeVenx_VE06J7v/s400/imageJerusalem.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>Israel's missile shield aces first serious test</b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">JERUSALEM (AP) — <span id="lw_1331581588_2"><span class="yshortcuts1">Israel</span></span>'s Iron Dome rocket shield has aced its first serious test. <span id="lw_1331581588_3"><span class="yshortcuts1">Gaza</span></span>'s <span id="lw_1331581588_1"><span class="yshortcuts1">Hamas</span></span> rulers have been careful to stay on the sidelines. And <span id="lw_1331581588_0"><span class="yshortcuts1">Islamic Jihad</span></span> — now closer to <span id="lw_1331581588_5"><span class="yshortcuts1">Iran</span></span> than is its larger rival Hamas — is taking the lead in this round against Israel.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820325">These are some of the trends emerging from four days of fighting between Israel's air force and Gaza rocket squads, triggered by Israel's killing of a militant leader last week. Twenty-four Palestinians have been killed, including seven on Monday, and about 1 million Israelis in rocket range have seen their lives disrupted by the threat of rocket attacks, with frequent sirens warning them to run for cover.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820290">Egyptian truce efforts appeared to stall, as both sides said they were willing to keep fighting.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820327">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would keep striking those trying to harm Israeli civilians and that Israel is "ready to broaden its operation."</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Gaza militants insisted that Israel stop firing first and that it promise to halt airstrikes aimed at killing Gaza militants for good, a guarantee Israel is unlikely to give. Egypt sided with the Palestinians in their demands.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820202">In Israel, government officials and missile experts praised the performance of <span id="lw_1331581588_6"><span class="yshortcuts2">Iron Dome</span></span>, an Israeli-made system designed to shoot down short-range rockets like those fired from Gaza.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NNalQpYBjYEBcT2X6RcG40KGZULiU2MPG1TlJkGwyXbXoWlfmDx4tgieoA-YmwJSeq6bAetdvQW2Dc5_31xUYqtV8WlB5ZotLyhzXB2vUzeuwGUtrMhM5DQRzi4vj6f7YthPhofOtrS5/s1600/images+dome+shield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NNalQpYBjYEBcT2X6RcG40KGZULiU2MPG1TlJkGwyXbXoWlfmDx4tgieoA-YmwJSeq6bAetdvQW2Dc5_31xUYqtV8WlB5ZotLyhzXB2vUzeuwGUtrMhM5DQRzi4vj6f7YthPhofOtrS5/s200/images+dome+shield.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820199">Iron Dome has been rolled out over the past year, and the current fighting poses its most serious test. <span id="lw_1331581588_4"><span class="yshortcuts3">Israel</span></span> has other systems deployed against longer-range missiles.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Iron Dome uses cameras and radar to track incoming rockets and intercepts only those that would pose a threat to people and property, ignoring those that are expected to fall in open areas.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The military said that of 143 rockets fired since Friday, it tried to intercept 63 and succeeded in all but nine of those attempts. No Israelis have been killed in the current fighting, and property damage has been relatively minor.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Uzi Rubin, a missile expert and former Defense Ministry official, said Iron Dome has exceeded expectations. "The performance up to now has been almost flawless," Rubin said, adding that the perception could change quickly in the event of casualties.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Military analyst Yiftah Shapir said Iron Dome would likely score fewer interceptions if Israel were attacked by a larger number of missiles simultaneously, a scenario Israel would have to consider if it attacks Iran over its nuclear program. Tehran's proxies on Israel's borders — the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, along with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza — are believed to have a stockpile of tens of thousands of rockets and missiles.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820204">Shapir said Iron Dome has given a psychological boost to those living in <span id="lw_1331581588_7"><span class="yshortcuts4">rocket range</span></span>, but it has not reduced the economic damage caused by closing schools and keeping hundreds of thousands of people from their jobs and daily routines.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Others noted that each intercept costs about $100,000, arguing that the cost could be prohibitive if Israel were fighting a full-fledged war.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In the current round, Islamic Jihad, the second largest militant group in Gaza, has taken the initiative.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820329">Islamic Jihad has maintained close ties to its sole sponsor, Iran, while Hamas in recent months has drifted away from its longtime patron, in part because of disagreements over Syria's brutal crackdown on regime opponents. Iran has punished Hamas for refusing to side with Syrian President Bashar Assad, including by cutting funding.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israeli officials believe that Islamic Jihad has amassed hundreds of rockets and missiles, if not thousands,</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3GzqreAI1ajQicuzjtxVzaJwYGgxNGr-4EYuolTrU2T0tnk-6jgrUM-8hWJV5-ZEioJs3JsCFZx9biwx1svuyf444gbmYPbPPWroYSW-wtkFhjSMRchYiljnc7EFiv-k8nOeTs-ZHkLv/s1600/images+grad+rocket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3GzqreAI1ajQicuzjtxVzaJwYGgxNGr-4EYuolTrU2T0tnk-6jgrUM-8hWJV5-ZEioJs3JsCFZx9biwx1svuyf444gbmYPbPPWroYSW-wtkFhjSMRchYiljnc7EFiv-k8nOeTs-ZHkLv/s200/images+grad+rocket.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">including weapons taken from Libyan military bases during the chaos surrounding the fall of Libya's longtime ruler, Moammar Gadhafi. Missiles and other weapons reach Gaza through smuggling tunnels running under its border with Egypt.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In the current round, Islamic Jihad showed that the three main cities in southern Israel — Ashkelon, Ashdod and Beersheba — are in easy reach of its Russian-designed Grad rockets. On Monday, two dozen rockets struck southern Israel, including one that damaged an empty preschool on a communal farm. Police said no one was hurt.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Rubin believes Islamic Jihad also has longer-range missiles that could reach the major population centers of central Israel, like Tel Aviv. Hinting at possible escalation, Islamic Jihad warned Monday that its "patience is limited" and that it is ready to unleash "fire and destruction," though such rhetoric is routine during flare-ups like this one.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since a 2007 takeover, has pointedly kept out of the fighting and is appealing for calm, though it has not prevented rocket fire by Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Hamas is trying not to provoke a major Israeli offensive that could undermine its control of the territory of 1.7 million Palestinians. An Israeli offensive three years ago delivered a damaging blow.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">"Hamas is behaving like a responsible government in Gaza," said Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">On Monday, four militants, a 16-year-old, a 65-year-old man and the man's 30-year-old daughter were killed in four separate raids, Gaza health official Adham Abu Salmia said.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820346">The teenager died while walking to school, and the father and daughter were killed when a missile struck outside their home, witnesses said. Two dozen Palestinians, including several children, were wounded in a separate pre-dawn strike. Israel said the raid targeted munitions stores in a residential building.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820333">In Israel, thousands spent another day in bomb shelters, while others ran for cover when sirens wailed. Some 200,000 students were kept home from schools for a second day.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820331">The Maariv daily ran a front page picture of a 10-year-old girl from Beersheba, shown lying on a street with her hands over her head. She later explained that a siren had just gone off, and she dropped to the ground because she didn't have anywhere to run.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820331"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" id="yui_3_3_0_25_1331585503820331">by Johann Loots </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-25309037605563119812012-03-07T13:20:00.000-08:002012-03-07T13:20:04.807-08:00Iran and Israel’s fate<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESipKo2PIk9pm6jOzmoPFcZ134nuIy-x4REOsTN2M6SUpVGIESrVHR7xrSEAh0Tn_m2B4kJu1Rx4mToYVWh14OLI4c27I2MK2ktuxORZUjaEb4vjSEPE1pFi9MLVZn2txVScYBdyuIyry/s1600/Iran+nuclear+facility.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESipKo2PIk9pm6jOzmoPFcZ134nuIy-x4REOsTN2M6SUpVGIESrVHR7xrSEAh0Tn_m2B4kJu1Rx4mToYVWh14OLI4c27I2MK2ktuxORZUjaEb4vjSEPE1pFi9MLVZn2txVScYBdyuIyry/s400/Iran+nuclear+facility.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: xx-small;">BY REUTERS</span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">US President Barack Obama has made it clear on numerous occasions that with regard to stopping Iran, “all options are on the table.” In recent days his message has become more emphatic.<br />
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Last week, he told <i>The Atlantic</i> that “when the United States says it is unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we mean what we say.” In a speech on Sunday to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, he declared that his policy was not to contain Iran, it was “to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu noted in his speech to AIPAC on Monday, “Israel has the same policy. “We are determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. We leave all options on the table. And containment is definitely not an option.”</span></div><a name='more'></a>Nevertheless, US and Israeli interests are not identical. The US timetable for waiting to see if increasingly stringent sanctions coupled with diplomacy and covert actions seriously delay Iran’s nuclear program stretches beyond the time frame in which we in Israel feel it is imperative to act in our own defense.<br />
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Also, due to our geographical proximity to Iran, we in Israel feel all the more vulnerable. This feeling is amplified by the fact that we are in a constant state of conflict with terrorist organizations that are Iranian proxies – Hamas on our southern border and Hezbollah to our north. A nuclear-armed Iran, in addition to being a menace to the entire civilized world, would have an immediate destabilizing impact on Israeli security. By providing Hamas and Hezbollah with what Netanyahu referred to as a “nuclear umbrella,” the Islamic Republic would embolden these two terror organizations intent on Israel’s destruction to launch increasingly daring and more murderous attacks on Israel. Israel simply cannot afford to let that happen.<br />
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True, the US president assured Israel of his support. “There should not be a shred of doubt by now: When the chips are down, I have Israel’s back.” Obama’s statement should be taken at face value for what it is: a sincere promise to provide Israel with the moral and security backing needed in case of war with Iran.<br />
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At the same time, our prime minister has an obligation to his own people. And that obligation includes exercising Israel’s sovereignty and military might in a way that best protects the citizens of the Jewish state. As Netanyahu movingly noted, the Jewish people’s status in the year 2012 is radically different from what it was on the eve of the Holocaust or, for that matter, what it was during the nearly two millennia preceding the massacre of European Jewry.<br />
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With the establishment of the State of Israel, the centuries of Jewish powerlessness – when the Jews were devoid of sovereignty, stateless and without military might – came to an end. The Jewish people has “reentered history” as a protagonist responsible for its own fate. This conviction lies at the heart of the Zionist ethos.<br />
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Indeed, if our prime minister did not reserve the right to use force to stop the Islamic Republic from achieving an atomic bomb, he would be reneging on Israel’s right, and the right of every sovereign nation, to protect itself from the aggressive actions of maniacal enemies such as Iran – which both denies the Holocaust and vows to repeat it. More significantly, he would be recklessly ignoring the tyrannical threats of a mullah regime that vows to “wipe Israel off the map.”<br />
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So if Netanyahu and our other leaders are under the impression that Israel cannot afford to wait much longer to see if diplomacy and sanctions will work, they cannot simply place the fate of Israel in the hands of the US as Jews have been forced to do for so long.<br />
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Not only do they have the right as heads of a sovereign state to take action, they have a moral obligation – to the nearly eight million citizens of Israel and to the generations of Jews over the centuries who tragically lost their lives because they lacked the means to defend themselves. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">By JPost Editorial</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-51452259373810173842012-03-06T13:29:00.002-08:002012-03-10T00:54:28.045-08:00Israel cannot wait any longer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJTUS5b75lQOzQphWVKmaqhViahyF6bulIpiWHjqaqZOpoJKkePexiQkVBuRvZXTHu3sJU_0v3o1STUraFZ_Nx_xAfk7NeDpHhO8fwiGiqq9u6T7TGp18r6h4mONTiVfpZQtXscgY1iCk/s1600/bibinetanyahu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJTUS5b75lQOzQphWVKmaqhViahyF6bulIpiWHjqaqZOpoJKkePexiQkVBuRvZXTHu3sJU_0v3o1STUraFZ_Nx_xAfk7NeDpHhO8fwiGiqq9u6T7TGp18r6h4mONTiVfpZQtXscgY1iCk/s400/bibinetanyahu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called on the international community to acknowledge the fact that Iran was developing nuclear weapons. His comments came as he winds up a high-profile U.S. visit focused on Iran’s perceived nuclear threat after warning that his country would not live in the “shadow of annihilation.” </div><a name='more'></a>Netanyahu is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and visit the U.S. Congress a day after keenly-watched talks with President Barack Obama against the backdrop of speculation over a possible Israeli strike on Iran, according to AFP.<br />
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“Unfortunately, Iran’s nuclear program has continued to march forward. Israel has waited ... for diplomacy to work, we’ve waited for sanctions to work. None of us can afford to wait much longer,” Netanyahu told some 13,000 attendees early Tuesday in a speech before the AIPAC pro-Israel lobbying group.<br />
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“As prime minister of Israel I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation.”<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">Netanyahu warned of the dangers of a nuclear Iran, according to a report by Israel’s Haaretz daily. “A nuclear-armed Iran would dramatically increase terrorism by giving terrorists a nuclear umbrella,” he said. “That means that Iran’s terror proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas will be emboldened to attack America, Israel, and others because they will be backed by a power with atomic weapons.” <br />
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While Clinton has voiced exasperation in the past over settlement building in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem under Netanyahu, he enjoys strong bipartisan backing on Capitol Hill.<br />
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Netanyahu saluted Congress during the AIPAC speech, saying that more than half the members of the legislature were guests in the audience.<br />
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He then asked delegates “to stand up and applaud the representatives of the United States,” prompting a standing ovation.<br />
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“Democrats and Republicans alike, I salute your unwavering support for the Jewish people,” he added.<br />
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Netanyahu will meet Congressional leaders later Tuesday, winding up the two-day visit in which he held crucial talks with Obama on Monday over how best to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions.<br />
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The Obama administration has signaled that it does not yet believe Iran has taken a decision to develop a nuclear weapon, or that the time is right for military action, preferring to give biting new sanctions time to work.<br />
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However Israel, which sees a possible Iranian nuclear weapon as a threat to its existence, believes that Iran may be on the cusp of “break out” capacity -- the moment when it could quickly produce weapons-grade uranium.<br />
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In his speech before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Netanyahu sought to minimize the differences between himself and Obama.<br />
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“(Obama) stated clearly that all options are on the table and that American policy is not containment,” Netanyahu said.<br />
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“Israel has exactly the same policy. We’re determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, we leave all options on the table and containment is definitely not an option.”<br />
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Netanyahu said that for the world to allow Iran -- which he said was dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish state -- to attain a nuclear arsenal evoked memories of U.S. refusal in World War II to bomb the Auschwitz Nazi death camp to prevent the mass extermination of Jews there. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="color: #444444;">“My friends, 2012 is not 1944”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Netanyahu drew a parallel with arguments against attacking Iran by saying that the War Department explained that such an operation at Auschwitz could provoke “even more vindictive action by the Germans.” <br />
“Think about that, even more vindictive action than the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said, according to the report published by Haaretz. <br />
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He dismissed arguments that an attack on Iran would provoke such a heavy Iranian retaliation. He held up a copy of a 1944 letter from the U.S. War Department rejecting world Jewish leaders’ entreaties to bomb the Auschwitz death camp because it would be “ineffective” and “might provoke even more vindictive action by the Germans.” <br />
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“My friends, 2012 is not 1944,” Netanyahu said. “Today, we have a state of our own. And the purpose of the Jewish state is to defend Jewish lives and to secure the Jewish future.”<br />
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Netanyahu told Obama on Monday that Israel must remain the “master of its fate” in a firm defense of his right to mount a unilateral strike on Iran.<br />
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Obama assured Netanyahu he had Israel’s “back” but also stressed that he saw a “window” for diplomacy, despite rampant speculation Israel could soon mount a high risk go-it-alone military operation.<br />
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The leaders, who have had a famously testy relationship, met for two hours of talks amid clear signs of differences on the imminence of the perceived Iranian nuclear threat, if not its ultimate danger to both nations.<br />
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In an impassioned on-camera statement, Netanyahu told Obama: “Israel must have the ability always to defend itself, by itself, against any threat.”<br />
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“That’s why my supreme responsibility as prime minister of Israel is to ensure that Israel remains the master of its fate.”<br />
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A senior U.S. official said Washington now believed after the meeting that Netanyahu understood that Obama was deeply serious about preventing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.<br />
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An Israeli official commented that Israeli concerns were now also widely understood, but did not elaborate.<br />
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According to Haaretz, Israel’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz is to visit Washington in two weeks to discuss the issue with U.S. officials. <br />
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In the days before Netanyahu arrived, Obama bolstered his rhetoric on Iran -- making clear he did not “bluff” and would order military action if necessary, but refused to set public “red lines” for such a response.<br />
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The U.S. official said the administration believed it would have up to a year to decide on how to respond should Iran decide to begin enriching uranium to weapons-grade quality. Israel does not share that timetable.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-32135250467787881172012-03-05T13:29:00.000-08:002012-03-05T13:29:00.733-08:00Iran, Syria, Hezbollah threaten military attack<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRgKJCiIWPV_qd9HSC9CFTPC40_TTLWIpsdH6ir_Oid3BIGRFsob35I9UyAQSiSRLOrKLyoIRPFvYgHqWJwvOlrzayplVHWeAtzLE7x1A8PAVlM4DKhqfI7pe74Lh_3NJ2svrBSw2qTSz/s1600/Does-Iran-Actually-WANT-A-War-With-Israel-So-That-The-Mahdi-Can-Return.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRgKJCiIWPV_qd9HSC9CFTPC40_TTLWIpsdH6ir_Oid3BIGRFsob35I9UyAQSiSRLOrKLyoIRPFvYgHqWJwvOlrzayplVHWeAtzLE7x1A8PAVlM4DKhqfI7pe74Lh_3NJ2svrBSw2qTSz/s400/Does-Iran-Actually-WANT-A-War-With-Israel-So-That-The-Mahdi-Can-Return.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">If Syria is attacked by outside forces as it cracks down on its own people, Iran, Syria and the terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon will attack Israeli and American targets with missiles, sources within all three reveal.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">According to Mashregh News, an Iranian media outlet run by the Revolutionary Guards, sources in Syria report that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last Thursday issued a secret directive that should the country be attacked by America, its military will counterattack.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">This directive includes an immediate response to fire a barrage of missiles from the three allies not only toward Israel but also at American assets in the region.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The sources indicate that despite some international claims that a military action will not take place against Syria, military commanders in Syria are preparing for this confrontation.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">They emphasize that the Syrian armed forces have prepared a joint war room that includes officers from Syria, Iran and Hezbollah for a coordinated military response to an attack against Syria.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Mashregh News also reported Iran’s armed forces have formed a separate joint war room with the Lebanese Hezbollah.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Mashregh said this shows that any aggression against Syria will be met with a heavy missile response from three fronts: Syria, Iran and Hezbollah.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><a href="http://atimetobetray.com/blog/report-iran-quds-forces-march-into-syria/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">As revealed recently,</span></a> the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered Iran’s Quds Forces to help stabilize Assad’s regime. The Quds commander, Qassem Soleimani, and 15,000 of his fighters have entered Syria with the mission of assisting in the suppression of the Syrian protesters.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-officials-iran-is-stepping-up-lethal-aid-to-syria/2012/03/02/gIQAGR9XpR_story.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Washington Post is reporting</span></a> that Tehran had increased supplies of arms and other aid for Assad as he is trying to crush resistance in the key city of Homs.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">“They’ve supplied equipment, weapons and technical assistance – even monitoring tools – to help suppress unrest,” The Post quoted the official as saying of Iranians. “Iranian security officials also traveled to Damascus to help deliver this assistance.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><a href="http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9012131338"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">On Sunday in Beirut,</span></a> Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, addressed a forum called a “Declaration of Al Quds (Jerusalem) as the Capital of Palestine, Arabs and Muslims” in which he said “the regional developments are happening in a way that makes us feel that the liberation of Quds is close to us more than ever.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><a href="http://atimetobetray.com/blog/iran%E2%80%99s-grand-ayatollahs-earth-belongs-to-muslims-end-is-near/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Two Iranian grand ayatollahs</span></a> also recently claimed that the world would soon be under the feet of Muslims, as promised by the Quran.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">“The Quran is very clear that the inheritors of the Earth will be those of the righteous who represent the force of the truth against the force of the false,” Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani said. “The Quran is the proof that the world will be controlled and managed by the forces of truth and that there will be one government ruling everyone throughout the world.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">As revealed last year, an Iranian secret documentary, <a href="http://atimetobetray.com/blog/iran-leaders-the-coming-is-upon-us-%E2%80%93-israel-shall-be-destroyed-watch-the-video/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">“The Coming Is Upon Us,”</span></a> clearly indicates that the radicals ruling Iran believe that worldwide war and the destruction of Israel will trigger the coming of the last Islamic Messiah. That event, they believe, will usher in Muslim dominance of the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WwiadYT-N9k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span>by Johann Loots </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-87502616569079264942012-02-27T16:12:00.001-08:002012-02-27T16:16:20.767-08:00The Russian bear's growling is one of fear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5C9xZ3L49utgwYMZvwZ8qbXqjp4rtbmFWWDz8_EJ0qePTtnJr4y-GS-wRC804uGY-8E3vWILXdG4r_AwoNzqcLpkOuz1O1F6YkO5QXJh5noMELGKEfFfNjktFdvAFzDwYGQNF9yAq4O_V/s1600/Russian+bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5C9xZ3L49utgwYMZvwZ8qbXqjp4rtbmFWWDz8_EJ0qePTtnJr4y-GS-wRC804uGY-8E3vWILXdG4r_AwoNzqcLpkOuz1O1F6YkO5QXJh5noMELGKEfFfNjktFdvAFzDwYGQNF9yAq4O_V/s400/Russian+bear.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">Moscow's steely support of Assad is intended to allow it to stand strong and face the West as a world power in its own right. And there is nothing like an election campaign for standing up to the whole world and bringing back some good old-fashioned imperialism.SOCHI, Russia - Dozens of decision-makers and shapers of public opinion from Russia and the Middle East met here earlier this month under the auspices of the Kremlin. They came to discuss the "Transformation in the Arab World and Russia's Interests," as the Valdai Discussion Club, established by the Russian news and information agency RIA Novosti, called its conference.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">They had the perfect backdrop: a pastoral compound on the shores of the Black Sea nestled among cypress, palms and pines, a stone's throw from the Olympic Village that will be the focus of the winter games of 2014, in the shadow of the Caucasus Mountains. How far from the protests and the calls for "Russia without Putin." How far from the rivers of blood in Homs and Hama. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Russia is signaling that it wants to come back with all its might to the Middle East, explained Russia experts who spoke at the conference, which took place February 17-18. They said Russia is seeking full involvement in the Iranian issue and the bogged-down Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It wants to influence the Arab world during its liberation process. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">But it seems that this conference was not about flexing muscles; it was much more a demonstration of Russia's own fear and dread. Is the Russian bear growling? That is simply because it is afraid. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Radical Islam is the country's greatest fear. After Tunisia and Egypt, who can guarantee that the Islamists will not take over Syria, the Russians ask "Israel should understand that better than anyone. Israel should have been Syrian President Bashar Assad's greatest supporter." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The increasing strength of Islamist forces could lead to their becoming stronger in the Caucasus and the Volga region. It could undermine the former Soviet republics in Central Asia. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Many Russians hear "Islam" and envision unrest, chaos, civil war, mass migration and the outbreak of new regional conflicts. The choice between Assad and the alternative, they say, is not between good and evil; it's between evil and the apocalypse. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Russians are motivated not only by fear, but by trauma - the trauma of Libya. The phrase heard repeatedly here was "Western treachery," a reference to what Russia considers to be the trap set for it in the form of last year's Security Council Resolution 1973, which enforced a no-fly zone over Libya. The no-fly zone was meant to prevent the killing of civilians, but the Libya campaign became a Western, Crusader-style operation to bring down Gadhafi, and ended with a loss of control and with everybody fighting everybody else. We will not be fooled again, the Russians say; we will not allow the West to intervene again in the affairs of a sovereign state. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Russian weapons industry lost orders amounting to some $10 billion in the wake of the Arab Spring and the sanctions on Iran. The sale of weapons to Syria, on the other hand, has doubled over the past four years, to $4.7 billion, giving Russia another reason to fear the fall of Assad. In addition, regime change in Damascus could also mean the loss of Russian control over the Syrian port of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea, the only Russian naval base outside the former Soviet Union. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Disappointment, frustration and even rage - all these emotions were mixed together in the arguments made by the Arab speakers at the conference. They more than hinted to their hosts that Moscow's support of Assad gives him the green light to slaughter his opponents. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">But in the wake of the Syrian crisis, Russia fears the loss of its credibility and international prestige more than it fears the loss of its hegemony over the Arab world. The Americans can betray their allies, the Russians say; look what happened with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. But, they insist, Russia will never abandon its historic allies. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In the end, Moscow's steely support of Assad is intended to allow it to stand strong and face the West as a world power in its own right. And there is nothing like an election campaign for standing up to the whole world and bringing back some good old-fashioned imperialism - certainly at a time when it is unclear whether it is winter or spring. Indeed, it is the concept embodied by the slogan "Assad today, Putin tomorrow" that is the greatest of all the fears motivating the Russian bear today. None of the delegates to the Sochi conference had any doubt: Putin will be Russia's next president after next week's election. But the conventional wisdom, whispered in back rooms, was also that he will not finish out his term. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">As the song "I Will Survive" blared from the speakers at the farewell banquet, I received two e-mails on my cell phone. One described another bloody day in Syria. The other was a Foreign Policy article called "Putin is already dead." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By Johann Loots</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/on-syria-the-russian-bear-s-growling-is-one-of-fear-1.415004">Original article</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-51526444273463096242012-02-25T19:33:00.000-08:002012-02-25T19:33:26.247-08:00Don’t Bet Against Israel on Iran<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhJLrLi023VC4LEau9hvIGarQ_9q7DxxVqZYJC5yR3OFig2GSXoHIJWx0tl8L4BhyMPH8e2AtadxdkgiW53KYa6ps08QFbrCDXY3duxTpfduQ04MZGoOyAzP22g_lAHbmewYp6ZJUHKC9/s1600/Israel+air+force.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhJLrLi023VC4LEau9hvIGarQ_9q7DxxVqZYJC5yR3OFig2GSXoHIJWx0tl8L4BhyMPH8e2AtadxdkgiW53KYa6ps08QFbrCDXY3duxTpfduQ04MZGoOyAzP22g_lAHbmewYp6ZJUHKC9/s400/Israel+air+force.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="yshortcuts1">Israeli officials</span> are pushing back against what appears to be a growing perception among experts and analysts that its military lacks the capability to deal a significant blow to <span class="yshortcuts1">Iran</span>’s <span class="yshortcuts1">nuclear installations</span>, warning skeptics not to underestimate the Jewish state.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The officials, including currently serving political figures and retired military officers, pointed out in interviews with <span class="yshortcuts2">The Daily Beast</span> that <span class="yshortcuts2">Israel</span> has a history of <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/24/leslie-h-gelb-the-iran-washington-conspiracy.html" target="_blank">surprising its enemies and surpassing expectations</a>, from the lightning assault of the 1967 war to the daring rescue operation for hostages at Entebbe in 1976.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">Their remarks seemed calculated to counter reports like <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/world/middleeast/iran-raid-seen-as-complex-task-for-israeli-military.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all" target="_blank">the one in The New York Times</a> last week that suggested Israeli planes would face huge challenges in reaching Iran and destroying its nuclear installations, which are buried deep in the ground and scattered throughout the country.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">But even as the officials sought to cast doubt about the assessments, they were unlikely to dispel the suspicion that Israel might be deliberately overstating its capabilities in order to prod the United States and other powers to deepen economic sanctions against Iran and, if necessary, launch their own military action to stop Tehran’s uranium enrichment.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">“These reports don’t tell the whole story,” said one senior official who, like all the others, asked not be identified discussing Iran. “If we need to do it [attack Iran’s nuclear facilities], believe me, there are enough ways.”</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Others echoed the remarks, including a retired senior officer who said: “People take us seriously because we have a record in these things. Nobody should doubt us.”</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israel has been warning for years that Iran is developing nuclear weapons capability, a claim that was largely substantiated by an International Atomic Energy Agency report last November. Tension over the Iranian program has risen dramatically in recent months, with Israeli leaders <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/28/u-s-israel-discuss-triggers-for-bombing-iran-s-nuclear-infrastructure.html" target="_blank">repeatedly vowing</a> to prevent Iran from crossing the nuclear threshold by <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/13/israeli-secret-ops-former-head-of-special-unit-explains-how-it-s-done.html" target="_blank">whatever means necessary</a>.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The United States takes the threat seriously. Fearing an <span class="yshortcuts3">Israeli attack</span> would set the Middle East ablaze and tilt the world economy back toward an economic recession, President Obama has dispatched to Jerusalem a series of high-ranking officials to pressure Israel to give the latest round of sanctions – including an oil embargo and measures against Iran’s central bank—a chance to work.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Obama is expected to press the point personally with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the two men meet in Washington next month.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">But a growing number of analysts, including Israelis, are now saying openly that Israel’s warnings are at least partly a disinformation campaign.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The skeptics include Martin van Creveld, Israel’s preeminent military historian and theorist, who said in an interview that Israel could do some damage to the Iranian program but <a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Israelis-Debate-Possible-Fallout-From-Any-Attack-on-Iran-139009379.html" target="_blank">could not knock it out</a>.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">“I would not be surprised if there was a strong element of political theater” to the Israeli threats, he said.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Barry Rubin, an Israeli expert on terrorism and international affairs, described the notion that Israel would attack Iran as “an absurd idea” and concluded: “It isn’t going to happen.”</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">“So why are Israelis talking about a potential attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities? Because that’s a good way—indeed, the only way Israel has—to pressure Western countries to work harder on the issue, to increase sanctions and diplomatic efforts,” Rubin <a href="http://pjmedia.com/barryrubin/2012/01/26/israel-is-not-about-to-attack-iran-and-neither-is-the-united-states-get-used-to-it/?singlepage=true" target="_blank">wrote on Pajamas Media</a>.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The officials who spoke to The Daily Beast said the doubters weren’t seeing the whole picture. One alluded to advanced technology that Israel possesses that could not be factored into the analysis of experts because it remains secret. Others said some skepticism—from analysts or even from government insiders—always preceded Israel’s major operations, including its 1981 attack on Iraq’s nuclear plant.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">One former <span class="yshortcuts4">Israeli official</span>, speaking to a group of journalists recently, also rejected the idea that Iran’s response to an Israeli attack would upend the region.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">“My assessment is that Iran will react but it will be calculated and according to Iranian means. The Iranians cannot set the Middle East on fire,” the former official said. “It will not be the doomsday promises of Iran… They do not have the capability to do what they threaten to do.”</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Asked if Israel has the capability to deal a serious blow to Iran’s program, he said: “If not, why is everybody worried?”</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">By Johann Loots</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/don-t-bet-against-israel-iran-033011537.html">Original article</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-23132988726580104912012-02-24T21:39:00.000-08:002012-02-24T21:39:31.354-08:00You Don’t Mess With Israel!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCnv_87DW1OoaBnhFbVzwfb8NiEvBRrKBk8scyKxNCW8SAOILfNb1BwzVv-WTWTaYCnU424GyIknzqeapPfvV-VUZBZhMnInbSMZ81LXndUWJo6PGBfQ6-NFb3W5Hu_i9NHM-Hvr9s3ST/s1600/Israel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCnv_87DW1OoaBnhFbVzwfb8NiEvBRrKBk8scyKxNCW8SAOILfNb1BwzVv-WTWTaYCnU424GyIknzqeapPfvV-VUZBZhMnInbSMZ81LXndUWJo6PGBfQ6-NFb3W5Hu_i9NHM-Hvr9s3ST/s400/Israel.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Geesh! Some so-called Christians these days get on my last nerve. I made the mistake of reading the excellent article, <u>So Jesus Lived in Occupied Territory</u>, by Jan Markell, on the Rapture Ready website and got so disgusted I wanted to stick a pencil in somebody! Up until that point, I was blissfully unaware that an international conference called, Christ at the Checkpoint even existed. Blech!</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Apparently this symposium, held in Bethlehem of all places, features some of the ‘intellectually elite Christian thinkers of our time.’ This yearly conference started in 2010 and its overall theme is, (hold your nose!) “Hope in the Midst of Conflict.” </span></div><a name='more'></a><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Their aim is to, “provide an opportunity for Evangelical Christians to prayerfully seek proper awareness of issues of peace, justice and reconciliation in the context of the realities on the ground in the Palestinian territories.” What a load…</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Hmmm, let me think about this for a minute…bad ‘ol Israel is living on ‘Palestinian’ land and is being ugly to them because they won’t pack up their belongings and move. If I remember correctly, no one was living on that barren, weed infested, scorpion sanctuary before Israel returned and miraculously became a country, as the Bible promised, in one day. After they moved in, all of a sudden, the WHOLE Middle East loses its collective mind and just HAS to have that tiny little plot of territory! </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Now, be sure you don’t look at a world map to see the THOUSANDS of miles of open land these ‘Palestinians’ could settle on. Don’t pay attention to the fact that they are Arabs whose kinsmen refuse to provide them a place to live, say in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, etc...No sirree! They have to live there, on that one small stretch of land those cursed Jews have ‘stolen.’ </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">By the way, there are no such people as “Palestinians.” Never has been. You ever heard anyone speak ‘Palestinian?’ Of course not, because they are Arabs! Look it up.</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Tell you what; let’s all rewrite history and conveniently ignore the fact that their Islamic brothers stuck them in squalid refugee camps and refused to settle them on Arab land so they could later be used as pawns against Israel. Oh no, we can’t talk about that! It’s all Israel’s fault for being such bullies to these poor, poor, rocket launching, AK47 toting little angels. You bad, bad Israel! Shame on you!</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Are the ‘Christians’ who are holding this conference completely insane?? Do they ever crack open the Old Testament? How can they, with a straight face, denounce Israel and demand they make even more concessions to these heathen people than they’ve already made, in the name of ‘peace’?? I am completely appalled. </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Apparently God must have changed His mind and canceled the covenant He made with Abraham and I didn’t get the memo. I can think of no logical reason for ANY Bible believing Christian to think Israel owes anyone anything! What have these people been drinking? You don’t mess with Israel!</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The original promise was outlined in Genesis 15:18. “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates...” End of conversation. Oh excuse me, God must not have meant the Gaza Strip or the West Bank.</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Perhaps Jehovah said that once Israel was brought back together after being dispersed all over the world that they could only camp on that land but not own it. Oh wait a second, I got it! God probably included in the covenant’s small print, that His chosen people could live there, but only until the year 2015. Yeah, that’s it. Has to be! Otherwise, all those people cursing Israel are nuts!</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Hey conference speakers—this is a 4000+ year old fight! How fantastically arrogant of you to think you can meet, have a left-wing think tank and make any difference whatsoever by ‘providing a proper awareness of issues of peace, justice and reconciliation.’ WOW! After 4000+ years, you are the ones who will be able to smooth things over and maybe convince Israel to give up even more territory so the poor little lamb Palestinians can finally have a place to lay their innocent heads. </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">These Christians need a Holy heiny kicking and if they keep it up, I predict they will receive just that! Again, you don’t mess with Israel!</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Besides, how could they ignore what the Bible says? That land belonged to the Jews from the moment God said it was to be their ‘everlasting possession.’ From what I found in Webster’s, “everlasting” means forever. </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The poor, downtrodden widdle Palestinians will have peace when Jesus sets foot on the earth and wipes those who harassed and opposed His chosen people out. That is also the day all the world will see justice. Until then everyone is simply wasting their time.</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Genesis 16:12 speaks of what the angel promised Hagar, Abraham’s slave girl, about the child she would bear in Sarah’s place. “And he (Ishmael) will be as a wild ass among men; his hand will be against every man and every man’s hand against him, and he will live to the east and on the borders of all his kinsmen.”</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">A wild ass among men. Lord, have mercy, ain’t that the truth! A perfect description of the Arabs. Reconciliation with them? HAHAHAHA!! Oooh, ohhh, wait, let me catch my breath!</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">I am disgusted at the skewed thinking of these conference leaders because, quite frankly, it is a satanic mindset and it is spreading among the politically correct congregations of America. ANYTHING that goes against the Word of God is satanic, so let’s call this what it is. How can they not see they are being deceived?</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Bottom line? </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">God gave Abraham and his descendants (Israel) that land forever. It is their land. Deal. With. It. </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">God does not change His mind and He NEVER breaks one of His covenants. Ever.</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">God blessed Abraham with the following promise in Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The descendants of Ishmael, the Arabs, have cursed and harassed God’s chosen people for over 4000 years and according to the Bible, they have a pant load of curses coming their way. </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">And now, Evangelical Christians (they don’t represent me!!) are joining the oh-so-compassionate, satanically orchestrated fight. OK, you so-called intellectual elites, say it with me… </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">You don’t mess with Israel!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Donna Wasson</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-42523286428000419362012-02-23T11:06:00.000-08:002012-02-23T11:06:56.429-08:00Iranian Threat Heats Up<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bFMOTHA9OFuCQ4jF3tc-a9MazBARs23HX68KsCiVswy0X0_sG5T1WnLq9UGhCd32bizf_9qsr8SI9-NhFgb4zKaxARemPTd55FoVhGKex-brov0aAYouWdWDCOfb41oBkbuivQH23YJn/s1600/Nuke+plant.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bFMOTHA9OFuCQ4jF3tc-a9MazBARs23HX68KsCiVswy0X0_sG5T1WnLq9UGhCd32bizf_9qsr8SI9-NhFgb4zKaxARemPTd55FoVhGKex-brov0aAYouWdWDCOfb41oBkbuivQH23YJn/s400/Nuke+plant.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></strong><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Iran announced Sunday that it was cutting off crude oil sales to France and England, a mostly symbolic act given that Iran provides England less than 1% of its crude, and France claims that it "practically stopped importing Iranian oil," according to the head of the Union of Petroleum Industries. A few days later, the head of Iran's armed forces threatened to attack Israel preemptively through its terrorist proxies in Lebanon and Gaza. The Iranians are once again using bluster to counter the E.U. ban on Iranian oil slated to begin on July 1, and the threat of Belgium-based SWIFT to ban Iran from its system for facilitating transfers of payments among nations through its international network of banks. As a further provocation, the Iranians sent two warships through the Suez Canal in a show of support for global pariah Syria. This follows the Iranian-engineered terrorist attacks on Israeli targets in India, Georgia, and Thailand.</div><a name='more'></a> <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">At the same time they threaten and foment terrorist attacks, the Iranians have told the "P5+1" nations (Permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany) of its "readiness for dialogue" and its "new initiatives" concerning its nuclear program, and has allowed U.N. inspectors back in the country, even though President Ahmadinejad said last week that "Our nuclear program is not a subject for negotiations." Consistent with this position, inspectors were denied access to military installations believed to house nuclear testing equipment. Validating Iran's lie that its nuclear program is for domestic energy, Army General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that "we believe we know that the Iranian regime has not decided" to make a nuclear weapon, and that "it would be premature to exclusively decide that the time for a military option is upon us." The ominous background to all this diplomatic chatter is the continuing speculation about when or if Israel will take military action, or whether Israel has the capacity to degrade Iran's nuclear facilities enough to make an attack worth the risk and blowback. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">It's not hard to figure out what's going on in this diplomatic two-step we've been dancing with Iran for years. We know that Iran is dead set on acquiring nuclear weapons, or at least "nuclear latency," the ability quickly to create a weapon. Since its creation in 1979, the Iranian regime has been about more than Iran. As one ayatollah said at the time, the revolution was just "the start of the story. An Islamic and divine government, much like Iran and better, will be created" in other Muslim nations. And more recently, an editorial in the newspaper Kayhan, published by "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenei, proclaimed Iran's "fixed strategic goal": "Our late Imam [Khomeini] openly spoke of raising the flag of Islam on top of the palaces of arrogant power, notably the White House...as the goal and purpose of the Islamic Revolution." Seeing itself as a world-transformative power, Iran has been the foremost inspiration and supporter of jihadist violence, its prestige enhanced by its serial humiliations of the U.S., and by its genocidal aggression against Israel, the "little Satan" to America's "great Satan." Given its massive oil reserves, which mean it will always have a source of revenue, an Iran with nuclear arms will be virtually untouchable, and thus able to dominate the Middle East and damage our interests, whether by holding oil exports hostage, sparking a larger arms race in the region, attacking our ally Israel, or handing off nukes to one of its numerous terrorist proxies. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Equally obvious is the feckless response of the West to this threat, which seems to have followed a Micawberesque policy of hoping "something will turn up." Unwilling to act, for years now we have substituted inspections, "talks," and sanctions as toothless substitutes for action. At least we are consistent, for this is precisely how the West handled the embassy hostage crisis in 1979. Then too we tried sanctions, secret offers to negotiate, and trade embargoes in order to change Iranian behavior. But political, national, and economic self-interest rendered them all ineffectual. For example, the NATO countries were begged to impose a trade embargo, but threats by President Bani-Sadr to cut off oil to Europe––sound familiar?–– led to a weakened and hence ineffectual policy. As the Economist pointed out at the time, "The denial of material things is unlikely to have much effect on minds suffused with immaterial things." The Iranians never have acted by the materialist calculus we have used in our dealings with them. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Moreover, today's Iran has North Korea as the model for dealing with the West by using diplomatic and inspections processes to create time for achieving nuclear capability. And North Korea is an economic basket case that can't even feed its own people, unlike Iran, whose oil somebody will figure out a way to buy no matter how many allegedly "crippling" sanctions the West imposes. Yet despite this history, Western leaders continue to assert that "sanctions are working" and that a bit more time will bring Iran to its knees, as Dennis Ross, who was Obama's Middle East adviser, recently asserted. Meanwhile, Iran's thousands of recently announced new-generation centrifuges will soon start spinning out even more enriched fuel necessary for weapons. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">We all know that military action is the only way to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of a state led by religious fanatics with a world-historical mission to wave the banner of Islam over the whole world. Yet the only credible threat of force resides with Israel, and we have been doing everything we can to undercut our ally, for whom a nuclear Iran represents an existential threat. In various ways, the administration has put pressure on Israel not to attack but rather to endorse the magical thinking that Iran will suddenly change its decades-long pursuit of nuclear weapons because of economic pressure. Thus General Dempsey, at the same time he stated Iran was not pursuing such a weapon, also said of the Israelis, "A strike at this time would be destabilizing and wouldn't achieve their long-term objectives. I wouldn't suggest, sitting here today, that we've persuaded them that our view is the correct view and that they are acting in an ill-advised fashion." Of course, however "destabilizing" such an attack might be, it wouldn't be as much so as a nuclear-armed Iran. And Israel's first priority is not the price of oil, or the political comfort of other nations, but the continued existence of her own people. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The other tack is to highlight the prohibitive difficulty of such an attack, as the New York Times did Monday in a cover story headlined, "Iran Raid Seen As a Huge Task For Israeli Jets." Yet as David Goldman reports, an analysis by Hans Rühl in Die Welt "is highly confident that Israel could knock out Iran's nuclear program for a decade or more with about 25 of its 87 F-15 fighter-bombers and a smaller number of its F-16s." Over at the Wall Street Journal, Edward Luttwak argues that the difficulty of a U.S. attack on Iran results from exaggerated estimates of target numbers made by the Pentagon during the Bush administration: "The overall bill for this assault was thus hugely inflated into a veritable air armada that would last weeks rather than hours, require more than 20,000 sorties, and inevitably kill thousands of civilians on the ground." Ruled out by such inflation was "the option of interrupting Iran's nuclear efforts by a stealthy overnight attack against the handful of buildings that contain the least replaceable components of Iran's uranium hexafluoride and centrifuge enrichment cycle—and which would rely on electronic countermeasures to protect aircraft instead of the massive bombardment of Iran's air defenses." In other words, a decision not to act resulting from political self-interest and a geopolitical failure of nerve is rationalized as based on military concerns. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Obama administration's pressure on Israel is baffling. It must know that no matter what, Iran will not give up its facilities or conveniently forget the expertise they have acquired over the last few decades. This means that any solution––cooperating with U.N. inspectors, for example, or agreeing to a "freeze" on enrichment––that leaves this equipment and knowledge in the hands of the current Iranian regime will not prevent the mullahs from eventually acquiring the bomb. Like North Korea, Iran will cheat, lie, delay, and otherwise game the process to buy time to complete developing the weapons. Thus for Obama to browbeat Israel as he has been doing is inexplicable. As Mario Loyola writes at NRO: </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">"The U.S. should be helping the Israelis deter Iran's further nuclear advance by helping them to scare the Iranians into thinking that an attack is coming. Instead, the Obama administration is doing everything possible to telegraph to Iran that we're terrified of a conflict and are doing everything to prevent it. That's exactly the same as inviting the Iranians to continue their pursuit of nuclear weapons. If there is an explanation for this, other than incompetence, I would love to know it." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">One should never rule out incompetence when explaining anything the Obama administration does. But history shows that people are usually more influenced by the unforeseen consequences and risks of action than they are by the consequences and risks of inaction. That's where leadership comes in: good leaders show their people that the dangers of not acting are usually greater than those of acting, that there are always risks and costs to defending a nation's interests and security, and that there is no cost-free, risk-free way to stop a determined fanatical aggressor. That's what Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Ronald Reagan did in their times. And that's what Barack Obama has proven he is incapable of doing in ours. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">By Bruce Thornton</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-42082861438356172262012-02-22T19:14:00.000-08:002012-02-22T19:14:43.395-08:00IDF gearing up to invade Gaza<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFgA8FSOopBVYzSQCGhtsURKJedbBmS1cjXwjsM5QTLnU7vP9dTloClcXN89X4qCs1LU3kdIrqs5glOgtVakcjPtYxWUnEKaT9KGHxXXNHbiSuUrNML6pJvOkYpUIFnDYk7vM-BO4UGpY/s1600/idf-tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFgA8FSOopBVYzSQCGhtsURKJedbBmS1cjXwjsM5QTLnU7vP9dTloClcXN89X4qCs1LU3kdIrqs5glOgtVakcjPtYxWUnEKaT9KGHxXXNHbiSuUrNML6pJvOkYpUIFnDYk7vM-BO4UGpY/s400/idf-tank.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></strong> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israeli media this week reported that the IDF is gearing up for another large-scale ground incursion into the Gaza Strip to halt terrorist rocket fire and curb the threat posed by groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Jerusalem Post reported last month that the IDF General Staff had ordered the Southern Command to draw up plans for a Gaza incursion. Over the weekend, the paper revealed that a growing number of senior officers in the Southern Command are now pushing for the order to be given to begin the attack.</div><a name='more'></a> <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">One officer argued that, unlike in the past, "there is no need to wait for a provocation to launch an offensive against the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. The ongoing attacks...are cumulatively more than enough to justify immediate action." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israel's government and the army were harshly criticized in the past for waiting until after Gaza terrorists managed to kill or wound enough Israelis before launching a significant retaliation. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Thirty rockets and medium-range missiles have been fired from Gaza into southern Israel during the first two months of 2012. In 2011, there were 680 rocket and mortar attacks, including 80 firings of medium-range Grad-type missiles. Casualties were minimal, but the constant attacks have had the effect of putting southern Israel under siege. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">When a Grad-type missile landed in the outskirts of the southern city of Beersheva last week, IDF Chief of Staff Gen. Benny Gantz said it was only a "matter of time" before the Israeli army would have to reenter Gaza. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The Israel Defense website reported that according to its sources in the defense establishment, the army will not follow the outline of its 2008 invasion of Gaza, Operation Cast Lead. This time, the IDF is likely to divide Gaza into three segments, possibly establish a permanent presence along the Gaza-Egypt border, and topple the ruling Hamas regime. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In other news signaling that a fresh Gaza war is on the horizon, the IDF last week sped up plans to deploy anti-missile systems near Tel Aviv. Intelligence suggests that Gaza-based terrorists now possess missiles capable of reaching the densely-populated metropolitan area. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">by Johann Loots </div><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.israeltoday.co.il/News/tabid/178/nid/23127/language/en-US/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Original Article</a> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-65918966302899234812012-02-22T19:06:00.000-08:002012-02-22T19:06:20.715-08:00IDF fears Syria attack as pressure builds on Assad<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjGy4b9sZF0mvSrJjDq9c3rgQHC6rBEYHxnQyTkYeQN9R2dmLbWH5n80VzyeBMnyfAT_9w8N0YTggzpIDojwzvxhYLkTsJqJsnguE1fE8jIESUtIR-9B2YuFjvn_4bMAJ1q9Y8e22RtDs/s1600/Syrian+missles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjGy4b9sZF0mvSrJjDq9c3rgQHC6rBEYHxnQyTkYeQN9R2dmLbWH5n80VzyeBMnyfAT_9w8N0YTggzpIDojwzvxhYLkTsJqJsnguE1fE8jIESUtIR-9B2YuFjvn_4bMAJ1q9Y8e22RtDs/s400/Syrian+missles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Today the <a href="http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=258040"><span style="color: blue;">Jerusalem Post</span></a> reported in an article that there is growing concern in the IDF that Syrian President Bashar Assad could possibly try to lash out at Israel over mounting internal pressure. As we have been discussing in recent editions of the Rapture Report regarding Syria and the 11-month conflict in that state, the reality that we could see a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 17 seems to move closer and closer into view. The prophecy in Isaiah 17 centers around the "destruction" of Damascus and that it becomes an uninhabited city in the future. With Syria possessing one of the world's largest stockpiles of chemicals weapons, there is a very good chance that Assad might act in a way that could fulfill this prophecy given that Israel has in the past warned Damascus that any use of chemical weapons on the Jewish state would result in a devastating strike on Damascus.</div><a name='more'></a> The Jerusalem Post reports: <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">Concern is mounting within the IDF over the possibility that Syria will attack Israel as pressure mounts on President Bashar Assad to step down. The move is seen as part of a potential effort by Damascus to deter Arab countries from dispatching military support to opposition forces. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The concern is still under the surface, but the IDF's Northern Command has drawn up a number of operational responses to a range of scenarios that could evolve along the northern front. Nevertheless, Israel fears that Assad, under pressure, could turn the military force – that he has been using in an attempt to quell the ongoing uprising against his regime – against Israel.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">One of the major reasons for the concern over Syria and Assad is the fact that there are reports out that Assad is currently using nerve gas against his own people. And if he is willing to do this, then there is no telling what he would do against the Jewish state. Given the history and years leading up to the modern re-birth of the Jewish state of Israel, it is no wonder that there is growing concern about the use of chemical weapons against the Jews. It is almost like history is repeating itself in a way. However, despite the threat and concern of the use of chemical weapons against Israel, the Bible makes it clear that the Jewish people are back in the land of Israel to stay. That no weapons formed against them will result in their entire destruction. There is also the threat that Syria's chemical weapons could fall into the hands of the various terrorist groups who would not think twice about using them. The Jerusalem Post article went on to further report: </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israel's concern hones in on recent reports that Assad is using nerve gas against the opposition. This has led Israel to reassess the possibility that Syria is might now be more willing to use chemical weapons against Israeli targets. Syria is believed to have one of the most extensive chemical weapon arsenals in the world that reportedly includes Sarin, VX and Mustard Gas. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israel's is also considering the possibility that Syria's arsenal of chemical weapons will fall into terrorist hands. This stems from intelligence obtained by the West which indicates that advanced conventional military platforms have already been moved out of Syria by Hezbollah.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Right now the Israeli gas mask distribution program has reached nearly 60%. This leaves another 40% without any effective measures to use to defend themselves from an unexpected attack. Budgetary problems have been cited as the main reason why a large percentage of Israelis still don't have the needed gas masks. With these numbers being vulnerable, it is easy to see why concern is mounting about the desperation of Assad. Several prominent world leaders including UN leader Ki-Moon have given Assad "only a few weeks" left before he could be dispatched. Whether that happens remains to be seen, so it is important that we continue to watch the news coming out of the Middle East as it pertains to Syria and Israel. We already know that Syrian tanks were recently moved closer to the Israeli border. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Keep watching and as always keep looking up, the days of the end times are growing shorter and prophecy puzzle pieces continue to move across the prophetic game board. Remember to continue to speak out and preach about the salvation that only comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. Each day we are getting closer and closer to the blessed hope. As always, keep looking up. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">God bless. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By Chris (Rapture Forum Staff)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-40810561079020266502012-02-15T18:21:00.000-08:002012-02-15T18:21:50.323-08:00Is Chatter about Attack on Iran Dangerous for Israel?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJajniLspLYxa7id3hGTvnGIpDPP4T9O31rsQxRFv-hEGFZq5rz3gFZb64zVKdG53hUo1i7Y-ljnKqxcNxQzcN2sO135sJdx0dtewPo9C6CPm2rHqqHIqBzdsP_qqYIys1jsjpdrunR-w/s1600/Iran+as+nuclear+power.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJajniLspLYxa7id3hGTvnGIpDPP4T9O31rsQxRFv-hEGFZq5rz3gFZb64zVKdG53hUo1i7Y-ljnKqxcNxQzcN2sO135sJdx0dtewPo9C6CPm2rHqqHIqBzdsP_qqYIys1jsjpdrunR-w/s400/Iran+as+nuclear+power.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></strong><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The chatter about a possible Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has become loud and dangerous. At one point the Netanyahu government found the extensive discussion related to an imminent Israeli attack on Iran useful, as it expedited Western action against Iran in the form of tougher sanctions. However, all this talk may now put Israel in a dangerous position wherein Iran may use it as a pretext to strike first. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">A February 2 report in the Washington Post that stated "U.S. Secretary of Defense is concerned Israel will launch an attack before Iran enters so-called ‘immunity zone' when military strike won't bust Iran's nuclear facilities." Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is reported as saying that he believes that Israel will attack Iran in April, May or June. The Washington Post's David Ignatius wrote that Panetta thinks that Israel will attack because after the ‘immunity zone' expires the nuclear facilities will be heavily fortified and a military strike will no longer succeed. </div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">On Sunday, February 5, 2012 President Obama was interviewed on NBC-TV during the Super Bowl pre-game show. In the interview, Obama contradicted his Defense Secretary, saying he "does not think Israel has decided whether to attack Iran over the disputed nuclear program." The president added, "I don't think Israel has made a decision on what they need to do, we are going to make sure that we work in lockstep, as we proceed to try to solve this – hopefully, diplomatically." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In an Earlier NBC program top figures in the U.S. and Israeli defense establishments were interviewed and confirmed that Israel has long-range Jericho missiles whose warheads can penetrate Iran's nuclear facilities. According to these experts, while the warheads will be conventional and not nuclear, their accuracy can be depended upon. They further suggested that Israel would employ F-15i fighter planes along with the Jericho missiles that have a range of 2400 kilometers. In addition, they speculated, Israel would use its drones, and flight paths that would conserve fuel consumption. The experts believe that Israel will not employ cruise missiles from its submarines since Israel does not have enough of them in its arsenal. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">According to this same report, Israel would target only those facilities which are critical to Iran's nuclear bomb weaponization strategy. American military experts believe that such an attack would delay Iran's nuclear development by at least two to four years. Israeli experts however estimate that the attack will set back the Iranian plans three to five years, and that if Iran persists in its plans to acquire a bomb, Israel would then attack again in four years. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">U.S. Intelligence assessments prepared in the summer of 2011 concluded that any Israeli attack on hardened nuclear sites in Iran would go far beyond airstrikes from F-15 and F-16 fighter planes and likely include electronic warfare against Iran's electric grid, internet cables, cell phone network, and emergency frequencies for firemen and police officers. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israel, according to these intelligence sources, has developed a weapon capable of mimicking a maintenance cell phone signal that commands a cell network to "sleep;" thus stopping transmissions. The Israelis, they suggest, have jammers capable of creating interference within Iran's emergency frequencies for first responders. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak, speaking at the Herzliya Conference on February 3, 2012, stated that "if sanctions don't achieve the desired goal of stopping Iran's military nuclear program, there will be a need to consider taking action." Barak views Iran as nearing the stage "which may render any physical strike as impractical," and he said, "A nuclear Iran will be more complicated to deal with, more dangerous and more costly in blood then if it were stopped today. In other words, he who says in English ‘later' may find that later is too late." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The increased chatter about an imminent Israeli attack on Iran has made the Iranian leadership nervous and heightens their level of unpredictability. In his Friday sermon, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Iranians that if his country is attacked, it would be "ten times worse for the interests of the United States than it would be for Iran." He added, "Threatening Iran and attacking Iran will harm America, and added, "Sanctions will not have any impact on our determination to continue our nuclear course … In response to threats of oil embargo and war; we have our own threats to impose at the right time." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">ABC-News recently reported that Israeli facilities in North America and around the world are on high alert. Iran's threat to target Jews and Jewish institutions worldwide are taken very seriously, especially in light of the July 1994 bombing attack – carried out by Iran's sub-contractors, Hezbollah – that killed 85 people and injured hundreds when they destroyed the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">On Friday, February 3, 2012, Khamenei called Israel a "cancer tumor" that would definitely be cut off, and according to a report this past Sunday on Israel's Channel 2 TV, the head of the Iranian Parliament's research center, Ahmed Tavakoli, called for a pre-emptive missile attack on Israel before the end of the year to prevent an Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Israel's superior intelligence and geographic proximity to Iran prompts it to take action against Iran while they feel it is still possible. President Obama is currently more concerned about getting elected in November than he is about Iran becoming a nuclear power and a worldwide menace. A U.S. strike against Iran would help boost his reelection chances, however, there is a risk of economic consequences – like skyrocketing oil prices – which might further damage the U.S. and global economy, and possibly ruin his chance for re-election. Clearly, Israel cannot wait for Obama to act, and will not ask Obama's permission to deal with its existential threat. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Sanctions, as the Ayatollah Khamenei stated, will not deter Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb. Yet, President Obama is counting on diplomacy and the sanctions to avoid war. He may yet face the shame of being considered a "second Neville Chamberlain" for his appeasement of Iran, and the war, when it inevitably comes, will be more costly. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This chatter, then, about an imminent Israeli attack, from both from American and Israeli leaders, is unproductive and dangerous. The Islamic Republic is fully cognizant of Israel's military capabilities, knowledge of which has served to deter them starting a war against the Jewish State. Iran's "messianic" leadership, however, is heavily influenced by eschatology of martyrdom and, to expedite the arrival of the Hidden Imam (the Shiite messiah); it may unleash a preemptive strike against both Israel and the U.S. with grave consequences. It would be much better therefore to "speak softly and use a big stick."</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">By Joseph Puder </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-40214630006749175872012-02-15T18:02:00.000-08:002012-02-15T18:02:04.597-08:00Turkey's Siren Song on Iran<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVf_YwVuaIydYYPyBvoyYv6InZThnQ0Q3ZgkMfihWcc737n1-woUyo_twgJAwSS2cg9kcqwwbdhEaCq-Dhj1mceEei4IHstHrFC3_N0yHW51UWwsz-dCDUpoe5dDcs4Jzo5H5ChaSX5qKp/s1600/Turkey-Iran-cooperation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVf_YwVuaIydYYPyBvoyYv6InZThnQ0Q3ZgkMfihWcc737n1-woUyo_twgJAwSS2cg9kcqwwbdhEaCq-Dhj1mceEei4IHstHrFC3_N0yHW51UWwsz-dCDUpoe5dDcs4Jzo5H5ChaSX5qKp/s400/Turkey-Iran-cooperation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></strong><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Turkey's foreign minister came to Washington on Friday, trying to push another fake "peace in our time" deal with Iran. Given the Obama administration's track record with Iran to date, they may take it – with disastrous consequences. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Ahmed Davotoglu hectored members of Congress and activists who have been pushing for tough measures on the Iranian regime, arguing that a spoonful of sugar was all that was needed to get Iran to "cut a deal on limits to its nuclear program." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">"The deal is clear. It could be resolved in a few days," Davotoglu said. The problem was "mutual distrust," made worse by U.S. sanctions. "What happened [as a result of sanctions]? Iran produced more" enriched uranium, he argued. </div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">We have heard this siren song many times before. In 2003, when the International Atomic Energy Agency woke up to the fact that Iran had been lying to IAEA inspectors for the previous 18 years about its secret nuclear weapons-related program, the same advocates of talks with Tehran argued that everything could be resolved "in a few days." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Then IAEA secretary general, the Egyptian Mohamed Elbaradei, flew to Tehran in February 2003 to meet with Iran's then "moderate" president, mullah Mohammad Khatami. Instead of a few days, talks dragged on for two years, during which time the Iranian regime completed construction on key facilities needed for its weapons program. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Are our memories so short that we have forgotten this charade? Iran's top nuclear negotiator was criticized by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the 2005 presidential elections in Iran for having "gone soft" and "caving in to imperialist powers" by signing an agreement with the IAEA that theoretically opened Iran's nuclear facilities to inspections. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">But Ahmadinejad hadn't read the memo – at least, not yet. The former negotiator, Hossein Musavian, revealed the truth in a television interview that should have put a halt to any future attempts to negotiate with Tehran. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">"Thanks to our dealings with Europe, even when we got a 50-day ultimatum, we managed to continue the work for two years," Musavian said of the 2003 deal that was eventually struck. "Today, we are in a position of power." The negotiations with Europe and the IAEA had been a ploy to "buy time" so Iran could complete work on its enrichment facilities, he added. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Every time the U.S. or the Europeans or the P5+1 (the permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) engage in "negotiations" with Tehran, the Iranian regime feigns to make concessions, then enriches away. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">That is precisely what is going on today. Except that today, Iran is so close to the bomb that the slightest mistake will be deadly. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Thanks to the IAEA inspections, we now know that the Islamic Republic has enough enriched uranium to make four nuclear warheads. Much of this uranium has been enriched to twenty percent. Once uranium is enriched to 20%, Iran can complete the process to reach weapons-grade fuel in just a few weeks. That means Iran can "break out" of any agreement and make the fuel for nuclear weapons between two inspection visits by the IAEA, making it extremely difficult to detect – until too late. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">We also know that Iran has developed a nuclear warhead with aid from Pakistani nuclear black market genius, A.Q. Khan, and has extensively tested all of its non-nuclear components to validate the design. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">In November, thanks to a mysterious explosion at a missile research center outside of Iran, we learned that Iran has been working hard to develop a new ICBM with a range of 10,000 miles. While the design parameters of that missile are not well known, it is clear that the Iranian regime is developing this missile in order to target the United States. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The man who designed that new missile, who was killed in the blast, left behind instructions that the epitaph on his tomb should read: "Write on my tombstone: This is the grave of the one who wanted to annihilate Israel." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">I was asked by the Department of State in November 2005 to travel to Vienna, Austria to address delegates from non-aligned countries at the IAEA about Iran's nuclear programs. I argued at that time that the IAEA was required to refer Iran to the UN Security Council because it was in clear violation of its commitments under the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">As I told the delegates, there is no difference in the technology or the facilities needed to enrich uranium to three or four percent for use as fuel in a civilian power reactor, and the facilities required to enrich uranium to 90 or 93% to build nuclear weapons. "The only thing separating the two is a matter of intent." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran have stated their intent time and time again: it is to destroy America, and wipe Israel off the map. For those who have ears, let them hear. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Over the past three years, Turkey has left the Western camp, encouraged by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton as a "moderate" Islamist regime. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">We should be having a national discussion about "who lost Turkey," because today Turkey has become the ally of the Islamic Republic of Iran, not the United States. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Make no mistake: the siren song we heard from Turkey's foreign minister last week was intended to advance Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions, not to thwart them. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">I have always advocated for helping the people of Iran in their struggle for freedom against this tyrannical Islamist regime, because I believe our problem is not with the people of Iran or even nuclear weapons in Iran, but with the regime that has its finger on the nuclear trigger. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">At the end of my 2005 book, Countdown to Crisis: the Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran, I laid out specific steps the U.S. government could take to promote regime change in Iran, without committing U.S. troops or engaging in a strategic bombing campaign. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">I fear the window of opportunity for taking such steps is quickly closing, and that the Obama administration, egged on by pressure groups such as the pro-Tehran National Iranian-American Council (NIAC) and their Congressional acolytes, Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D, MD) and Jim Moran (D, VA), will be tempted to conclude another specious "peace in our time" deal with Tehran. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Can we negotiate with Tehran's current leadership? I think the regime's track record of using negotiations to buy time shows that we cannot. But for the sake of argument, if such a negotiation were possible it would have to achieve the following goals: </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- Total transparency, as demanded by the IAEA under the NPT requirements. That means opening all of Iran's nuclear facilities and the ability of IAEA inspectors to hunt for undeclared facilities unhindered by the regime. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- Access to nuclear scientists outside of Iran. The Iranian regime continues to stonewall IAEA attempts to interview key nuclear scientists, and in some cases is holding their families hostage. As we learned with Iraq, it is crucial that the IAEA be able to interview these scientists outside of Iran. They must be allowed to bring their entire families with them for safety. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- Removal of all nuclear stockpiles from Iran. Because enriching uranium to 20% amounts to roughly 95% of the separation work needed to make weapons-grade fuel, the IAEA must remove all nuclear material from Iran. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">- Supervised dismantling of enrichment-related facilities. Because of its repeated violations of the NPT, Iran has no right to enrichment technology, period. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">These are the minimum standards for any safe, verifiable agreement with the Iranian regime over their nuclear program; and they don't even begin to address the other problems we have with this regime such as its ongoing support for terrorist groups abroad and its abominable human rights practices at home. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">So to Turkey's foreign minister, I say: nice try. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">After Neville Chamberlain returned from negotiating with Adolf Hitler in Munich, Winston Churchill famously commented, "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war." </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Let us not make the same catastrophic choice again. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Stay tuned. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">By Kenneth R. Timmerman </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336106637488019479.post-87211141227877998362012-02-14T14:44:00.000-08:002012-02-14T14:44:45.892-08:00Peace and Safety<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZTA4IdIZKyoXiKSM38IsjzzpzJ5lHGoNCq6fp-cXlYIaQCQ8ohvYbhMrOw4J9vLy4_ruTNG6Ty8GCo72QVEKKNF0GWunAPnfXnWRfwHMIof1h-ViYDOSW_iikR07tyw-B6uDBysH3wAZ/s1600/peace+and+safety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZTA4IdIZKyoXiKSM38IsjzzpzJ5lHGoNCq6fp-cXlYIaQCQ8ohvYbhMrOw4J9vLy4_ruTNG6Ty8GCo72QVEKKNF0GWunAPnfXnWRfwHMIof1h-ViYDOSW_iikR07tyw-B6uDBysH3wAZ/s400/peace+and+safety.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="" name="en-NKJV-17840"></a><i><span style="color: #514332;">Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.</span></i><span style="color: #514332;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">(1 Thess. 5:1-3)</span></b><span style="color: #514332;"></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">The one time when people are sure to talk about peace and safety is just after they've experienced the horrible effects of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, I remember as a kid seeing movies of people dancing in the streets of New York when they learned that World War 2 had finally ended. Soon the military was all but dismantled and people everywhere expressed a joyous expectation of peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Of course this turned out to be only an illusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A scant five years after the end of WW2 the US was at war again in Korea. But people have an amazing sense of optimism, even if it's only based on illusion, something I think we're about to have confirmed again in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think circumstances are ripe for a brief but intense war in the Middle East.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">What Are You Talking About?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Let's look at the current situation to see if my opinion is justified. What follows is a summary of recent reports from the NY Times, Washington Post, CNN, International Tribune and Debkafile during the months of December 2011 and January 2012. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">US secretary of Defense Panetta says he believes Israel could act against Iran as early as April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Various news agencies speculate that Iran could be at war with Europe, Israel, the US or some combination this spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to stationing multiple aircraft carrier groups in the Persian Gulf, the US is currently moving 100,000 ground troops to islands off Iran's coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Russia's outgoing ambassador to NATO has warned Israel and the West that an attack on Tehran would be considered an attack on Moscow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Iran has said a great event is coming that will put an end to Israel and the Great Satan (America).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some connect this to Israeli reports that Iran is developing a missile capable of hitting the eastern coast of the US, and also has EMP capabilities they could quickly position off the US east coast to knock out the power grid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">There are currently 200,000 missiles and rockets aimed at Israel from just across its borders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No location in Israel is out of reach, and no other country has ever faced such a threat to its existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Israeli leaders have said they cannot tolerate this and will have to take action. They've also promised that the next time they go up against Hizbollah they won't stop until the threat it poses no longer exists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Having suspended work on their observer mission in Syria due to the danger involved, the Arab League monitoring committee has asked for a one month extension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far they've failed to halt or even moderate the violence there. Opponents of an extension are demanding the committee refer Syria to the UN Security Council for action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Syrian Pres. Assad has repeatedly said if the UN demands that he step aside and allows the formation of a new government; he'll start a regional war that will put all of the Middle East in flames.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">As promised, Russia and China have now vetoed the UN Security Council resolution that makes such a demand, but the US and some European and Arab states (Britain, France, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar) are reportedly planning to bypass the UN and go after Assad on their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They're currently trying to find a general in the Syrian army who will lead a coup with their backing. For its part, Russia continues to send weapons to Syria and has moved a contingent of Special Forces into Black Sea bases to help defend the Syrian government as necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is in addition to Russian naval forces already on patrol in the Eastern Mediterranean.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Some political analysts are saying the only thing that could take the American voters minds off the miserable state of our economy is if the US were to find itself at war in the lead up to the election. It wouldn't be the first time politicians have used war to influence public opinion. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">The Perfect Storm</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">This is beginning to look like the geopolitical version of a perfect storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's hard to see how the world can avoid some kind of regional war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As one commentator put it, with all the military forces arrayed in such a confined space (the Persian Gulf) starting a war by accident becomes a real possibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 25 years of study I've never seen conditions quite so ideal for the fulfillment of prophecy as they are now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">The fact that the Mainstream media has begun to mention the possibility of war<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>means that soon it could become a topic for the national dialog in the US as it is in other parts of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Israel the discussion is about whether the leadership has already made the decision to attack Iran or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Islamic world it's whether Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, is really al Mahdi's deputy on Earth as he claims to be and is therefore entitled to their obedience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Europe it's whether Iran will unilaterally end the shipments of oil it has contracted to supply them now, or wait till the embargo takes effect in July.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The Iranian parliament met on Jan. 29 to discuss this possibility.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in Asia it's how to evade the embargo altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>India and China have already announced they won't go along and are looking for alternate ways to pay for their Iranian oil, such as with gold or through bartering. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Students of prophecy are well aware that if this is not God's timing, some way will be found to temporarily defuse the situation in a way that leaves things unresolved as has been the case several times in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if it is God's timing the world will soon suffer through a brief but intense regional war in the Middle East.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">And after it ends, while they're saying “Peace and Safety” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">(1 Thess. 5:3).</span></b><span style="color: #514332;"> (Remember, it takes a war to get people talking about peace.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sudden destruction to which Paul referred will signal the beginning of the end of the world as we know it. I believe it will start with the Battle of </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">Ezekiel 38-39</span></b><span style="color: #514332;"> followed by Daniel's 70<sup>th</sup> Week which culminates in the Great Tribulation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Where Does That Leave Us? </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">In </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">1 Thess. 5:4-11 </span></b><span style="color: #514332;">Paul said this chain of events should not take the Church by surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he called us children of the light, he meant we've been given the knowledge to understand what's coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should rely on our faith in the Lord's love for us like a soldier relies on his body armor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should focus our minds on the hope of salvation we've been promised to protect us like a soldier's helmet protects his head, and remember that God did not appoint us to wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">The symbolism here is remarkable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A soldier's body armor protects his heart, which we symbolically see as the seat of our faith and the repository of the Lord's love. His helmet protects his head, symbolizing the storehouse of knowledge in our mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord doesn't expect blind obedience or baseless faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He's gone to great extremes to make us aware of His intentions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">Amos 3:7</span></b><span style="color: #514332;"> He said, <i>surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">His plan is to rescue the Church from His coming wrath </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">(1 Thess. 1:10).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #514332;">The Greek word translated “from” in this verse means from the time, the place, and any relation to the event, which is the time of God's wrath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">When the Council of Jerusalem met to discuss whether Gentiles had to convert to Judaism before they could become Christians </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">(Acts 15:13-18)</span></b><span style="color: #514332;"> 483 years of a 490 year plan for Israel had been fulfilled. In effect James told them that Israel was being set aside for a time because first the Lord was taking from the Gentiles a people for Himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was referring to the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek phrase translated “taking from” means to carry away, out of the time and place of His subsequent action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the context of the passage His subsequent action is the remaining 7 years of His plan for Israel which includes the time of God's Wrath.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">Later Paul, who was there, wrote that Israel has been hardened in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">(Romans 11:25).</span></b><span style="color: #514332;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was talking about the Church being taken to its final destination, which is Heaven, before God turns His attention to Israel again for the final seven years of His plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">This testimony, shared by a man who heard the prophecy of James with his own ears, prompted him to say we should encourage one another and build each other up when we see these things taking place </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">(1 Thess. 5: 11)</span></b><span style="color: #514332;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can do this because they tell us our redemption is drawing near </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #514332; font-size: 9.0pt;">(Luke 21:28).</span></b><span style="color: #514332;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #514332;">By Jack Kelley</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0