Tuesday, February 1, 2011

In the news

Today actually seems relatively quiet (so far) - time to take a deep breath before the next big wave hits. There are a few articles of interest however:

Egypt protestors gather for mass march

Despite the Egyptian authorities' attempts to disrupt the anti-government protests, the country prepared Tuesday for a "million man march" expected to leave central Cairo in the late morning hours.

Tens of thousands of people arrived at the Tahrir Square on Tuesday morning, joining masses who violated the curfew and spent the night there.

The Egyptian army vowed not to open fire at the tens of thousands of protestors. Military helicopters we seen hovering above central Cairo.

Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, one of the leaders of the Egyptian uprising, told British newspaper Independent that if President Hosni Mubarak "wants to save his skin, he better leave... Ultimately, the Egyptian army will be with the people."


As many articles have stated - it is becoming more and more apparent that ElBaradei will be Egypt's next leader, and he is firmly aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood.

And that comment leads into the next article:

Egypt's next leader a 'stooge of Iran?'

Egypt could soon go the way of Lebanon in becoming a satellite or close ally of Iran if the current street demonstrations succeed in toppling the government of President Hosni Mubarak.

Until now, the week-long protests have lacked a clear leader, someone to take over should Mubarak fall. But Mohammed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is busy setting himself up as just such a leader.

ElBaradei openly backed and took part in the demonstrations over the weekend, quickly earning him the support and admiration of most of the protestors.

ElBaradei is a clean-cut diplomat with extensive ties to the international community. But Malcom Hoenlein of the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations warned everyone not to be fooled.

In an interview with Yeshiva World News, Hoenlein accused ElBaradei of being a “stooge of Iran.” Hoenlein noted that during his years as head of the IAEA, ElBaradei worked tirelessly to oppose Western sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program. ElBaradei adopted and championed the Iranian line that its nuclear program was purely civilian in nature.

The kind of leader ElBaradei would be was further revealed on Sunday when Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, the forerunner of the Palestinian Hamas, publicly endorsed him as the next president of Egypt.


We turn to Israel's southern border and concerns there:

IDF secures Egypt border fearing terrorist infiltration from Sinai

In light of the unrest in Egypt, Israel has been preparing for the possibility that tens of thousands of African asylum-seekers in that country could flood across the border into Israel in fear for their lives.

Army and Border Police forces have been beefed up along the Egyptian border also out of fear that terrorists could exploit the situation to cross the border and perpetrate attacks inside Israel. In addition, military planners are concerned that masses of Sinai Bedouin might seek to flee Egypt for Israel.


And this:

Iran warns foreign warships in PG

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said Monday that the Iranian Navy is stationed in the region and controls the passage of warships.

Reminding that the Persian Gulf is considered Iran's southern coast, Firouzabadi said that Iran probes every ship, which intends to sail in these waters, and only allows them passage after documenting their details.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran does not need the presence of extra-regional countries nor their friendship and has always said that the absence of the extra-regional countries will ensure the security of the Persian Gulf," he concluded.

There are currently over 31 warships docked in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, nineteen of which belong to the United States

Last year, the Iranian Navy unveiled its first domestically-manufactured destroyer, Jamaran, in the waters of the Persian Gulf.

The 1,420-ton destroyer, equipped with a variety of anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, is patrolling the southern waters of the Persian Gulf.

8 comments:

Alice said...

Hi Scott!

Have you seen this article by Joel Richardson? Joel sees things from a bit different perspective (I believe he's one who believes that Christians will NOT be raptured before God's wrath), but I enjoy following him for his perspective on Islam.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=258113

Joe Agnello said...

Scott, check this article out, I think it was the biggest news of the day: "In Shadow of Unrest, Israel and Germany Sign Security Agreement" http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142068 .

I can't believe the pace at which these things are coming.

Joe

Scott said...

Hey, I just got back to the board - I'll check both of those links - many thanks !

Scott said...

Joe - I was that article....I'm not sure what to make of it - Whats your take?

Alice...That was interesting. As you say, JR has some interesting things to say, and I like reading his material, although i don't agree with his view of certain prophecy interpretations - still - this article really points out where all of this is leading - and with Israel being surrounded by enemies all of whom are under the influence of Iran, Turkey, and to some extent, Russia - its moving along exactly as we would expect.

Many thanks
S

Joe Agnello said...

My take on Germany and Israel signing a mutual security pack in the middle of the chaos surrounding Israel is that the strongest voice in the EU is making it known that they will back Israel's security needs.

I would love to read the actual document (haven't found it online yet), but the article interestingly never said that Germany was agreeing to come to Israel's aid if they are attacked. It only indicates that Germany would assist Israel in their need for security.

Well, we know that God is the One who comes to Israel's aid. But Scripture also tells us that the AC, the world's messiah from the EU, fulfills Israel's security needs in the form of confirming a seven year peace treaty.

Very likely this peace treaty comes as the result of an invasion by Israel’s neighbors, something that is set to now occur with Turkey, Egypt and Jordan power structures having changed. It seems clear that Isaiah 17 is bound to occur soon, and Isaiah 19 might be starting now (I think the fierce king Isaiah spoke about will be the AC – Egypt is a member of EuroMed and various EU members want to send in EU forces/delegations to secure Egypt’s peace).

Soon, Israel will need that peace treaty they signed with Germany, especially after the war with their neighbors (Psalm 83?) that is coming. My reading of Isaiah 17 indicates that Israel has a rough time during that war even though God allows Israel to prevail. Israel (also a EuroMed member, similar to how Israel was once a member of the ancient Roman Empire, albeit an unwilling member) will desperately need that security pact that was just signed with Germany – maybe this is the treaty that gets confirmed by the EU.

Of course, I could be wrong, but that’s how it seems to me that this pact fits.

Joe

Scott said...

Joe
Thats VERY interesting. I want to re-read what you said but at a first pass I agree with everything you are saying. Now I can see how you found that significant, and in the context you gave, I would certainly agree.

Expected Imminently said...

Hello Alice
You may like to see Dr. David Reagan’s challenge of Joel Richardson theory in Lamb and Lion?

http://www.lamblion.us/

God bless
Sue

Alice said...

Thank you, Sue! Yes, I will enjoy reading Dr. Reagan's challenge. Thanks for posting it!