PROPHECY UPDATE

"Israel Sees Narrowing Window For Iran Strike"

2012-01-30T22:49:00.002-05:00

This article comes from Ynetnews:

Israeli officials are quietly conceding that new international sanctions targeting Iran's suspect nuclear program, while welcome, are further constraining Israel's ability to take military action – just as a window of opportunity is closing because Tehran is moving more of its installations underground.

The officials said that Israel must act by the summer if it wants to effectively attack Iran's program.

Israel contends a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten its survival. It also fears an Iranian bomb would touch off a nuclear arms race in a region still largely hostile to Israel.

Below we can see a renewed sense of urgency coming from Defense Minister Ehud Barak:

After calling for tougher sanctions against Iran at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Friday: "We must not waste time on this matter; the Iranians continue to advance (toward nuclear weapons), identifying every crack and squeezing through. Time is urgently running out."

Key Israeli defense officials believe that the time to strike, if such a decision is made, would have to be by the middle of this year.

Complicating the task is the assessment that Iran is stepping up efforts to move its work on enriching uranium deep underground.

We can also see the ramifications of this potential conflict:

Many believe that in the event of a strike, Iran would likely unleash its large arsenal of missiles capable of striking Israel.

Iran's local proxies, Hezbollah to Israel's north and Hamas to the south, possess tens of thousands of short-range rockets and missiles. American soldiers in the Persian Gulf might come under fire. Islamist backers of Iran could target civilians all over the world.

The prospect of a new conflagration in the Mideast is one reason cited by some influential Israeli figures, like recently retired spy chief Meir Dagan, when arguing against an Israeli military attack.

Israeli officials believe the Iranian nuclear program is so far advanced that any attack would delay it by two to three years at best, but not destroy it.

"It's a very advanced program with many facilities, some very large and some very fortified. To destroy them you need a series of massive assaults for two to three weeks, a month, something like that," Shapir said.

We could be down to a countdown as far as Israel taking out these nuclear facilities in Iran. From almost all information available, the point of no return will be sometime this summer. This scenario may or may not represent the tipping point in the region, but soon, either Iran will have nuclear weapons or Israel will have taken military action.

Either of these scenarios would probably trigger a much larger cascade of subsequent events, as so many reports have mentioned - events that are destined to fulfill biblical prophecy.

In the news...

2012-01-30T07:42:00.006-05:00

One of the biggest stories that we have been following recently is the slow, gradual financial collapse of certain EU nations. When this tree finally falls, it will have enormous ramifications for not only the EU, but the rest of the world. Additionally, it will, in all probability lead to the 10 kings phase. Watching developments in the EU is therefore an extremely important part of our prophecy watching.

Slow Motion Collapse In Europe Countries

Yesterday was quite a news day for the festering debt crisis in Europe.

Taxpayers everywhere learned that the IMF's new chief, Christine Lagarde, wants an extra $500 billion to help fight Europe's slow-motion collapse. Trouble is, where does the moneycome from? From nations already up to their eyeballs in... debt, evidently. Count Great Britain and the United States in that category.

No kidding? Greece's economic outlook is worsening? You don't say? So why not force private creditors to flush more money down the Greek drain and into the Mediterranean's crystal blue waters? After all, Europe's elites have a lot at stake. Why not strip creditors in a desperate effort to stave off a gargantuan failure made by those very same elites?
But wait, that's not all.

Greece's Aryan benefactors (albeit, reluctantly) have floated the idea that the EU assume controlof the Greek budget. EU bigwigs have shot down the notion of wresting the Greek budget from the Greeks. But those bullheaded Germans insist that the backroom discussions favoring an EU takeover of the Greek budget continue. One of the crack wire services reported rather drolly that Germany's proposed putsch will "likely spark controversy" in Greece. You think?
The European dept crisis is like an enormous redwood falling slowly. But the debt crisis will soon reach a point, as with the falling redwood, where gravity really kicks in and accelerates all that mass (basic physics, huh?).
Cover your ears and steady your feet. Europe's in for one dozy of a crash.

So the solution (once again) seems to be more central control, only in this instance the EU would be assuming control of a sovereign nation's finances. We are well on the way to the kind of central control we would expect to see during the Tribulation.

More below:

Here's Why A Greek Default Should Put Fear In Your Heart

It's been two years since a financial crisis erupted in the birthplace of drama, and the final act is still unfinished. A second week of talks in Athens ended Friday with no deal between the country, the European Union and private holders of Greek bonds.

Economists and investors see a Greek default as the biggest test of the world financial system since the crisis that followed the collapse of Lehman Brothers investment house in 2008.

So investors will be watching what happens this week in Athens. At the sovereign debt conference, Hans Humes, president of Greylock Capital Management, said this week could bring "the precedent-setting moment." He warned that if the banks and investment funds that hold Greek bonds take steep losses, then Portugal, Italy and other countries shouldering heavy debt burdens can be expected to follow Greece's lead.

To Colas, the deepest concern isn't how the S&P 500 reacts or whether the dollar rises if Greece drops the European currency. It's the possibility for panic, especially a run on European banks.
What if people across France and Germany crowd into banks to pull their deposits? Banks, after all, are some of the largest buyers of government debt.
"Human emotions can drive things off the rails," Colas says.

ACTA: "Would Usurp Congressional Authority", "Threaten Numerous Public Interests", A "Backroom Special Interest Deal", A "Masquerade"

We just beat back SOPA and PIPA with the web blackout.
Now everyone is talking about ACTA. But – because ACTA is complicated, and is just starting to receive coverage
We’ll give you an executive summary of what you need to know.
...we’ll explain why the procedure used is a recipe for disaster.
Why are we stressing procedure over substance?
Because, as awful as ACTA is, there are other horrible bills such as the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement waiting in the wings … which may be even worse than ACTA.
Unless we understand the rotten, anti-democratic process which is causing these bad bills to be introduced, we will be caught off-guard by the introduction of one draconian bill after another … and we will lose the fight for Internet freedom.

What we are actually seeing here, is the process around the various efforts for globalization of....almost everything.

The fastest way to understand ACTA is to look at the way in which its backers have tried to traIn the United States, for example, President Bush and President Obama hid ACTA negotiations under the veil of “National Security”, thus keeping it away from prying eyes … including Congress.

Republican Congressman Darrell Issa says that ACTA is more dangerous than SOPA:
It purports that it does not change existing laws. But once implemented, it creates a whole new enforcement system and will virtually tie the hands of Congress to undo it.

As Harvard professors Jack Goldsmith and Lawrence Lessig wrote in the Washington Post in March 2010:

...it raises the stakes on the constitutionally dubious method by which the administration proposes to make the agreement binding on the United States.

Normal constitutional procedures would require the administration to submit the final text of the agreement for Senate approval as a treaty But the Obama administration has suggested it will adopt the pact as a “sole executive agreement” that requires only the president’s approval.

behind closed doors, subject to intense but needless secrecy, with the public shut out and a small group of special interests very much involved
Over 75 law professors – some of them quite prominent – wrote a letter to President Obama in October 2010...

Also in the news:

Palestinians Praise Killer Of Jewish Family

Why Did Obama Not Attend Thursday's Hearing In Atlanta?

Media Blackout In Obama Georgia Ballot Eligibility Case

Eurogeddon?

2012-01-29T20:42:00.003-05:00

As mentioned before, I believe we should cast a wide net when looking for prophecy related news, in an attempt to be more inclusive rather than exclusive in news sources. Additionally, who do we trust with the news? Is the NYTimes trustworthy just because of their name? Ever see any hidden agendas in their reporting? You could say the same about most news sources.

With this in mind, occasionally you find a good article from the source below and this one is very interesting:

Eurogeddon: What On Earth Next?

The entire world presently is fixated with the Eurozone’s financial struggles, and, for ample reason. Will this currency union of 17 nations collapse? Will some European countries default on their debt? Could a group of countries emerge in a fiscal union with a “new euro”? The consequences of a break-up of the Eurozone are truly dire. Why? For quite a number of reasons, but the most contagious of these being that numerous banks would collapse.

And don't forget, we are awaiting the emergence of the biblical 10 kings - which will represent the next step in the evolution of the revived Roman Empire - the same 10 kings who will produce the antichrist and rule the world with the antichrist during the Tribulation.

Should this occur, it would ripple out to the entire world financial system in a matter of nanoseconds. Credit markets would again seize up, contributing to another Great Recession … if not worse. The fact is that perhaps hundreds of banks (including some of the largest in the world) are already technically insolvent. It explains why key central banks are working together to ensure that no major banks get pushed to the wall should their funding dry up.

Looking ahead, what can we conclude? For one, the current situation is extremely dangerous. There is no telling how things will unfold. The fact is that there are no immediate and easy solutions.

This would involve the repayment of loans and/or the writing off or forgiveness of debts. For example, one recent study estimated that approximately $15 trillion in debt forgiveness would be required were America and Europe to reduce their total debt levels to a manageable 180% of GDP. Could this ever happen? Would the capital holders, the rich, the powers of this age allow this? You be the judge.

Now we get to the key statements:

The key question of the moment is this: Will the solution to current troubles be real and cooperative, or will an uncontrolled disaster unfold? Hollow, bogus policy actions will not work.

We anticipate that, eventually, a patchwork of countries will be cobbled together into a new financial union. Initially, this would comprise only European nations.

But this likely will not be the end of the transitionOne must recognize that none of this can happen without the aid and approval of America and other non-European nations. If it wasn’t for the massive swap facilities extended by America’s Federal Reserve, Europe’s financial system today would already have imploded.

In any case, any type of union such as we surmise will only happen with a further escalating crisis. Things are not yet critical enough for such measures to come to implementation. When it finally does, it will be a arrangement that will also not last. If so, perhaps only for “one hour” (Revelation 17:12).

As a final conclusion, the same problems that applied to Europe could next affect America. It is also caught in a similarly imbalanced situation. It is running huge deficits (both in its government budgets and externally on its trade accounts). At some point, the world’s attention will again be turned to the financial deterioration of America. Then, U.S sovereign bonds will no longer be so popular.

Once again we see the concept of "Big Crisis = Big Change" and this time we may be seeing the early stages into the EU's inevitable transition into the 10 kings phase. Stay tuned, this situation is evolving very rapidly.

Video Update: In Defense Of Israel

2012-01-29T15:48:00.001-05:00

Hal Lindsey gives us another timely update:

In Defense Of Israel

"Unspeakable Grief": A Brief Departure From Prophecy

2012-01-28T21:16:00.016-05:00

The term "unspeakable grief" comes from a chapter in Max Lucado's book "Facing Your Giants". I'll come back to quotes from that chapter in a few minutes.

Unfortunately, this description of grief characterizes what a family is experiencing tonight, following the tragic, accidental death of their beloved son. Not just any family, but a very special family who is loved by everyone who has the fortune of knowing them - and you can count my family in that category.

Their son is quite unique: Bright, energetic, gregarious, loving, kind and compassionate are just a few of the words you will hear describing his personality. He is with Jesus now and enjoying everything God has to offer in a paradise called heaven. We will miss him dearly, but his departure represents a brief separation - we know that a reunion is rapidly approaching.

(note: I will speak of him in the presence tense, as I do with all Christians who have gone to heaven. There is no death with our brothers and sisters in Christ; they are simply in heaven, so I refuse to discuss such people in the past tense)

This untimely death however forces us to face many questions - questions that cannot be ignored. One of the more popular questions is "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

In this context, one of the most common follow-up questions relates to how God can "allow" such tragedies to occur - why God can "allow" something so fundamentally horrible as the death of a child.

I've been searching for those answers. I also hope this column can somehow provide some reflection and comfort based on the scriptures and authors whose capabilities far exceed mine.

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

You get the idea. Now, let’s take the most gut-wrenching example, the death of a child, and see if together we can’t make better sense of why God would allow the bad to exist.

Why would God allow that? Why would God allow a child to lose his or her little life?

From God’s perspective, that life is not lost. God is able to restore to that child their life, so no loss is suffered on the part of the child. Life is not lost to the One who can restore it.

What about the grief that parents and family experience?

In our loss, the presence of God is available for us to experience His strength, His comfort, His sustaining love and assurance... God sustains those who grieve for those He calls to Himself.

Max Lucado devotes a chapter in his book "Fearless" to this topic (Chapter 5 if you have the book) - below are a few notable quotes:

God has a heart for hurting parents. Should we be surprised? After

all, God himself is a father.

What parental emotion has he not felt? Are

you separated from your child? So was God. Is someone mistreating your

child? They mocked and bullied his. Is someone taking advantage of your

children? The Son of God was set up by false testimony and betrayed by

a greedy follower. Are you forced to watch while your child suffers? God

watched his son on the cross. Do you find yourself wanting to spare your

child from all the hurt in the world? God did. But because of his great

love for us, “he did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all. So with

Jesus, God will surely give us all things” (Rom. 8:32 ncv).

“All things” must include courage and hope.

Some of you find the story of Jairus difficult to hear. You prayed the

same prayer he did, yet you found yourself in a cemetery facing every

parent’s darkest night: the death of your child. No pain compares. What

hope does the story of Jairus offer to you? Jesus resurrected Jairus’s

child. Why didn’t he save yours?

God understands your question. He buried a child too. He hates

death more than you do. That’s why he killed it. He “abolished death

and brought life and immortality to light” (2 Tim. 1:10). For those who

trust God, death is nothing more than a transition to heaven. Your child

may not be in your arms, but your child is safely in his.

We tend to forget this fact, regarding our children as “our” children,

as though we have the final say in their health and welfare. We don’t.

All people are God’s people, including the small people who sit at our

tables. Wise are the parents who regularly give their children back to

God.

Also from Max Lucado, we turn to quotes from "Facing Your Giants" and the chapter entitled "Unspeakable Grief":

Face your grief with tears, time and - one more - face your grief with truth. Paul urged the Thessalonians to grieve, but he didn't want the Christians to "carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word" (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

God has the last word on death. And, if you listen, he will tell you the truth about your loved ones. They've been dismissed from the hospital called Earth. You and I still roam the halls, smell the medicines, and eat green beans and Jell-O off plastic trays. They, meanwhile, enjoy picnics, inhale springtime, and run through knee-high flowers. You miss them like crazy, but can you deny the truth?

They have no pain, doubt, or struggle. They really are happier in Heaven.

And you won't see them soon?

When you drop your kids off at school, do you weep as though you'll never see them again? When you drop your spouse at the store and park the car, do you bid a final forever farewell? No.

When you say, "I'll see you soon," you mean it.

When you stand in the cemetery and stare down at the soft, freshly turned earth and promise, I'll see you soon, you speak truth. Reunion is a splinter of an eternal moment away.

There is no need for you to "grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13 NIV)

So go ahead, face your grief. Give yourself time. Permit yourself tears. God understands. He knows the sorrow of the grave. he buried his son. But He also knows the joy of resurrection. And, by his power, you will too.

It's always good to remember that God fully understands our grief. But as we experience grief and (temporary) loss - we have to remember that God also provides hope and an eternal future with our loved ones in Christ. It's a guarantee.

What do the scriptures have to say?

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things have passed away."
(Revelation 21:4)

"Give your burdens to the Lord.
He will carry them.
He will not permit the Godly to slip or fall."
(Psalm 55:22)

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed,
we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven,
not built by human hands.

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because
we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly
dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are
at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

We live by faith, not by sight.

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body
and at home with the Lord."
(1 Corinthians 4:18 and 5:1-9)

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable,
and the mortal man with immortality, then the saying that is
written will come true:

"Death has been swallowed up in victory"

"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"

(1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

We are all awaiting the most epic reunion imaginable. A reunion that has been carefully planned by God - a reunion that will be filled with great joy and celebration.

We prophecy watchers know this reunion will be coming very very soon. There is no such thing as "death" for a Christian. We relocate to a far far better place - a place called heaven. A place that our loved ones - (those who have gone ahead of us) - are currently experiencing - the wonders of the universe and beyond. A place where our loved ones are in the very presence of Jesus Himself - at this very moment.

Blake is experiencing all of these wonders at this very moment.

He is with Jesus at this very moment.

He has no pain, no tears, no fears, no anguish and absolutely no hardships whatsoever.

None.

Rather, he is experiencing unimaginable peace and joy. He is in the very arms of Jesus Himself.

As Max Lucado so eloquently stated:

"For those who trust God, death is nothing more than a transition to heaven. Your child may not be in your arms, but your child is safely in His."

Amen.

Nothing can completely extinguish the pain and grieving that the family of this beloved child is experiencing at this moment.

But God has given us hope and assurances. We know without a doubt that this family will be reunited in heaven - for eternity.

And when that magical moment happens (and as stated, we prophecy watchers believe this moment will be very very soon), Blake will be there - waiting with open arms - waiting for his family - ready to show them the joys of paradise that he is experiencing right now.

We love you Blake; we will see you soon.

Saturday Headlines:

2012-01-28T09:32:00.002-05:00

Today's news seems centered on globalization of.....everything. As we would expect.

ACTA = Global Internet Censorship

Global Internet censorship is here. SOPA and PIPA have been stopped (at least for now) in the United States, but a treaty known as ACTA (the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) is far worse than either of them. ACTA was quietly signed by Barack Obama back on October 1st, 2011 and most Americans have never even heard of it.

This new treaty gives foreign governments and copyright owners incredibly broad powers. If you are alleged to have violated a copyright, your website can be shut down without a trial and police may even show up at your door to take you to prison. It doesn't even have to be someone in the United States that is accusing you.

It could just be a foreign government or a copyright owner halfway across the world that alleges that you have violated a copyright. It doesn't matter. So far, the U.S., the EU and seven other nations have signed on to ACTA, and the number of participants is expected to continue to grow. The "powers that be" are obsessed with getting Internet censorship one way or another. The open and free Internet that you and I have been enjoying for all these years is about to change, and not for the better.

The Fall Of The U.S. Dollar Hegemony

Russia Today reports;
India has reportedly agreed to pay Tehran in gold for the oil it buys, in a move aimed at protecting Delhi from US-sanctions targeting countries who trade with Iran. China, another buyer of Iranian oil, may follow Delhi’s lead.
The report, by the Israeli-based news website DEBKAfile, states that Iran and India are negotiating backup alternatives with China and Russia, should the US and EU find a way to block the gold payment mechanism.

So what does all this mean? It means that the reality of trade deficits are (finally) manifesting in the destruction and rejection of the unit of exchange. In layman’s: The chickens coming home to roost, so to speak.

Simply put; the goods and services represented by the total number of outstanding United States Dollars is far disproportionate to what exists in the real world. We simply do not make enough actual goods that foreigners with reserves can purchase.
More productive economies such as India, Russia, China and Japan are dissatisfied with the value that their US Dollar holdings represent and therefore are trying to diversify out of the US debt market without destroying the value that their holdings still have.
What we are witnessing are the first quantifiable steps to the end of the US Dollar hegemony around the world.

For Americans, eventually this will manifest in the destruction of your currency because the only people willing to take US Dollars will be those who are forced to do so by law – which would be US citizens and US businesses.

Guess Who Stands To Benefit From President Obama's Push For Natural Gas?

Update On FEMA Camps

On the Thursday evening edition of Infowars Nightly News, Alex Jones featured photo evidence of a FEMA rendition facility located at the airport in Los Angeles.
The photos and an interview with an eyewitness who described the facility and its inward facing barbed wire fence and one-way turnstiles add more compelling evidence to the indisputable fact thatFEMA operates as a modern version of the Gestapo.

Courtroom Details Of Obama's 1/26 Eligibility Hearing In Georgia

This (above) is a must read and it is completely fact-based.

Want To See The Soviet Union's Massive Nuclear Equipped Super Plane?

PA Official: Palestinians To Rule On Fate Of Israel Peace Talks In Days

Pipeline Politics Derails More Than Jobs

Arab League Freezes Syria Mission As Violence Escalates

U.S. Plans To Send "Floating Commando Base" To Mideast

The Zionist Imperative

2012-01-28T08:56:00.004-05:00

Occasionally you have to put down the current news and read what Caroline Glick has to say, as she puts things in their proper perspective. This is one of those times:

The Zionist Imperative

This is a long column and it's worth reading every word. Below are a few 'must see' quotes which characterize the article:

European and American perfidy in dealing with Iran’s nuclear weapons program apparently has no end. This week we were subject to banner headlines announcing that the EU has decided to place an oil embargo on Iran. It was only when we got past the bombast that we discovered that the embargo is only set to come into force on July 1.

Following its European colleagues, the Obama administration announced it is also ratcheting up its sanctions against Iran... in two months. Sometime in late March, the US will begin sanctioning Iran’s third largest bank.

At the same time as the Europeans and the Americans announced their phony sanctions, they reportedly dispatched their Turkish colleagues to Tehran to set up a new round of nuclear talks with the ayatollahs.

If the past is any guide, we can expect for the Iranians to agree to sit down and talk just before the oil embargo is scheduled to be enforced. And the Europeans – with US support – will use the existence of talks to postpone indefinitely the implementation of the embargo.

And below we see the bottom line:

There is nothing new in this game of fake sanctions. And what it shows more than anything is that the Europeans and the Americans are more concerned with pressuring Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear installations than they are in preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

Obama has a second target audience – American Jews. He is using his fake sanctions as a means of convincing American Jews that he is a pro-Israel president and that in the current election season, not only should they cast their votes in his favor, they should sign their checks for his campaign.

And this:

Both then-president George W. Bush and later Barack Obama determined that an Israeli military strike against Iran’s nuclear weapons program does pose a high-level threat to the US. As a consequence, both administrations have taken concerted steps to prevent Israel from attacking Iran.

On the merits, both of these policies are easily discredited. But the fact that they continue to be implemented shows that they are supported by a large and powerful constituency in Washington.

You have to be willing to accept and defend the right of the Jewish people to freedom and self-determination in our national homeland against those who deny that right. You have to be a Zionist to defend Israel’s right to survive and thrive even though it is no longer poor and its democratically elected government is not liked by the Obama administration.

Amen. But we already have the future and we know what is coming. All nations, including the U.S. will abandon Israel in their time of need.

Fortunately for Israel, God will come to their rescue and when He does so, He will do it in a huge, epic manner.

Ezekiel 38-39 tells the story of what is coming.

In the news...

2012-01-27T07:51:00.002-05:00

Former IDF Chief: Israel Must Prepare For War

Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi warned, Thursday, that Israel could not afford to cut its defense budget and should prepare itself for war.
“In comparison to 10 years ago, the possibility of a conflict is not something that we just need to talk about," Ashkenazi said during a lecture at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
"I believe Iran would be making a strategic mistake if it blocks the Strait of Hormuz. Another mistake was trying to kill the Saudi ambassador at a restaurant in the US capital. The Iranians are liable to make more mistakes under pressure," he said.
Ashkenazi served as IDF chief of staff from 2007 until 2011 and certainly played a key role in preparing the military for a possible attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities. A 2007 strike against Syria’s nuclear reactor widely ascribed to Israel also happened on his watch.

Mexico Ups Swine Flu Screening As Cases Increase

Three years after swine flu closed Mexico City and caused an international scare, the Mexican government and local media are at odds over the severity of this season's flu virus. Newspapers are warning of an alarming increase in cases while the government insists there is no cause for alarm.

The Mexican health ministry, however, has listed confusing numbers on its website and it hasn't specified the rise in cases despite repeated requests from The Associated Press.

Local media reported a handful of schools in Mexico City have closed. The education ministry said they were private schools shuttered by administrators and parents, not by official government action.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that while Mexico is seeing more cases of the H1N1 virus, the U.S. is seeing more cases of a different strain, H3N2. Antibodies for both are part of this year's flu vaccine. H1N1 is now considered a seasonal flu.

Iran Dispatches Hezbollah Terror Cells To Attack

Iran is taking several steps to help Syria’s beleaguered President Bashar Assad, assassinate opposition figures and attack Israeli and American interests worldwide, sources have confirmed.

After the recent assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, deputy director of the first uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered retaliation.
He instructed Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the chief commander of the Quds Forces, to prepare the ground for terrorist attacks, first to retaliate against assassination and espionage within the Iranian nuclear program, and second, to go on the offensive to make the West understand that any military action against Iran will create much instability in the world.
Hezbollah cells, in coordination with the Quds Forces, are to attack U.S. and Israeli interests around the world, even within America itself, the sources said.

The leaders of the Islamic regime in Iran believe that an aggressive terrorist campaign on the world stage along with increased instability in the Strait of Hormuz will send a strong signal to the West to lay off its nuclear weapons program, giving the regime enough time to obtain the bomb and then announce nuclear capability, which they think will checkmate the world.

War Of Attrition Brewing With Iran Over Gulf Oil Routes

Strait of Hormuz
Military tensions in the Persian Gulf shot up again Thursday, Jan. 26, after Dubai police commander Gen. Dhahi Khalfan said on Al Arabiya television that an imminent Gulf war cannot be ruled out and first signs are already apparent. "The world will not let Iran block Hormuz but Tehran can narrow the strait to the maximum," he said.

He echoed DEBKAfile's predictions that Iran will not shut down the Strait of Hormuz completely, but gradually cut down tanker traffic which carries 17 million barrels, or one-fifth of the world's daily consumption, through the waterway. Our Iranian sources report that the rule of thumb Tehran has devised for confront sanctions is to respond to the tightening of an oil embargo by having the Revolutionary Guards gradually narrow the tankers' shipping lanes through the strategic strait. This will progressively cut down the amount of oil reaching the markets.

Tehran will not go all the way and shut the channel down completely for fear of provoking a military showdown with the United States. But each time Washington manages to stop Iran supplying a given country, the IRGC will shut down another section of the strait.

Persian Gulf capitals are talking less these days about an outbreak of armed hostilities over Iran's nuclear program and more about the coming war over the oil shipping routes out to market.

Palestinians Use Nazi "Sieg Heil" Salute During Fatah Celebration In Lebanon

Invoking the salute made notorious by Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich (later adopted by the Islamic militant group Hezbollah), Palestinians used the “Hitlergruß” — or “Hail Hitler!” — salute during Fatah celebrations in Lebanon.
The Yasser Arafat-founded Fatah coins itself a “moderate” party, yet these depictions, along with its documented history advocating anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic violence dictate otherwise.
The footage, provided by MEMRI aired on Palestinian Authority TV on January 24, 2012. Even the music used is evocative of the kind used in Nazi propaganda pieces:

Below are a few articles updating the eligibility of Obama in the state of Georgia. If you haven't followed this evolving story, now may be a good time to start because it isn't going away:

What Happened At Obama-No-Show Trial

Constitutional Expert Says Arguments Over Barack Sr. Strong

Eligibility Attorney Opinion

Georgia Election Official Warns Obama About Failure To Appear

Daily Headlines:

2012-01-26T07:48:00.006-05:00

I need to modify the statement "Big Crisis = Big Change" to "Big Crisis = Big Change = Bigger Central Government/More Central Control", because lets face it; every time there is a perceived or planned "Big Crisis" the result is more government, whether in the US or the EU.

Merkel: Transfer More Powers To EU

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said transferring more powers to EU institutions rather than increasing the size of the eurozone's future bail-out fund is the way to overcome the euro crisis.
Instead, her solution is more 'integration', by transferring more powers from a national level to EU institutions such as the European Court of Justice, so that the continent is “turned into a Europe that works.”
"We have taken some steps closer to a fiscal union, but we can get faster, gain speed and become more decisive," she added, in reference to the inter-governmental treaty on fiscal discipline currently being negotiated among 26 member states, except Britain.
"We will only be able to strengthen our common currency if we co-ordinate our policies more closely and are prepared to gradually give up more powers to the EU.
That means giving our [European] institutions more monitoring rights – and more bite."

Naturally. As we approach the Tribulation, we should expect to see more and more "central control", as the Tribulation will bring forth the worst form of central power and control that the world has ever seen. The stage is being set for this as we watch.

Jerusalem Concerned: Saudi Air Force To Outnumber Israel's Advanced Jet Fleet

With its latest acquisitions from Washington and Europe, the Saudi Air Force will have more fighter-bombers of more advanced models that the Israeli Air Force. Deep concern over this was recently relayed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to President Barack Obama
Israel leaders reminded the Obama administration of its standing pledge to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge in the region. The aircraft supplied to the Saudis will place that edge in doubt.
They voiced two additional causes for concern:

1. One fine day, Saudi Arabia, which has never agreed to peace relations with Israel, may be moved to attack the Jewish state from an air base very close to Israel's shores. That proximity and the size and quality of its air force will allow dozens of warplanes to penetrate Israel's air defenses and drop bombs on southern and central Israel.
2. Israel also fears that four or five Saudi pilots or hired Islamist fliers may one day form an al Qaeda cell inside the Saudi Air Force and conspire to carry out a suicide attack on Israeli cities on the model of al Qaeda's 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, most of whose participants were Saudis.
Israeli intelligence officials in close touch with American counterparts asked them if Washington had asked for Saudi assurances about the reliability of the air crews who will man the new F-15SA planes. They were told that no such guarantees had been requested.

Once again: Of course. We know from biblical prophecy that "all nations" will abandon Israel in the last days and that certainly includes the U.S. as Obama is ensuring that Israel (like the U.S.) becomes weaker by the day as the enemies of freedom become stronger by the day. All what we should expect as we enter the tribulation era.

"Massive Blockade" Needed To Stop Iran Threat

A “massive” aerial and naval blockade of Iran, reminiscent of the 1962 U.S. quarantine of Cuba, is needed to stop the Islamic regime from pursuing nuclear weapons, Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said.
The European Union’s ban on imports of Iranian crude and other economic sanctions “might not be sufficient” to deter Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Steinitz, 53, said today in an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York.

Will Israel Attack Iran?

Barak laid out three categories of questions, which he characterized as “Israel’s ability to act,” “international legitimacy” and “necessity,” all of which require affirmative responses before a decision is made to attack:
1. Does Israel have the ability to cause severe damage to Iran’s nuclear sites and bring about a major delay in the Iranian nuclear project? And can the military and the Israeli people withstand the inevitable counterattack?
2. Does Israel have overt or tacit support, particularly from America, for carrying out an attack?
3. Have all other possibilities for the containment of Iran’s nuclear threat been exhausted, bringing Israel to the point of last resort? If so, is this the last opportunity for an attack?
For the first time since the Iranian nuclear threat emerged in the mid-1990s, at least some of Israel’s most powerful leaders believe that the response to all of these questions is yes.

Saudi Royal Warns That Mideast Could Face Nuclear Arms Race

God: The Artist

Take a look at these beautiful pictures of the Northern Lights. Only God can create art like this.

Elites Pushing Class Warfare, Another False Paradigm

Why is it when the rich super class speaks about class warfare, the downtrodden applaud? When billionaire Warren Buffett said, “There’s class warfare all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning,” the struggling middle class treated him like one of them, as if he’s on their side.
More recently, billionaire investor George Soros warned of a coming class war in the U.S. as reported by the Daily Beast, where he proudly points out that his prediction of riots in the streets has already begun.
With the Occupy movement’s beginnings having ties to funding by Soros, many believe him to be stoking this so-called class warfare. Although Soros denies directly funding the movement’s beginnings, his vast philanthropic contributions have far-reaching tentacles into many revolutions around the globe....he clearly promotes the idea of class warfare with the political left cheering him as a crusader for good.
Additionally, Soros promotes a single European Treasury with the authority to impose and collect taxes from all member nations as the solution to the Eurozone crisis.
So what does Soros say will be the next immediate battle of this rising class war?

“As anger rises, riots on the streets of American cities are inevitable. ‘Yes, yes, yes,’ he (Soros) says, almost gleefully. The response to the unrest could be more damaging than the violence itself.

It will be an excuse for cracking down and using strong-arm tactics to maintain law and order, which, carried to an extreme, could bring about a repressive political system, a society where individual liberty is much more constrained, which would be a break with the tradition of the United States.”

This one (below) is a must read and serves as a notice as to just how far America's descent into tyranny has become:

Annals Of The Nanny-State, Midwest Edition

In “Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents,” his brilliant anatomy of covert state despotism, Edmund Burke noted that “the forms of a free, and the ends of an arbitrary [i.e., despotic] Government” are not at all incompatible. You may well live in a country in which the law of the land states that “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” But it is the work of a moment for a despotic government to supersede that law in fact if not in name.

I have to put this story here because it is so outrageously symbolic of where we are as a nation right now:

Last Saturday, [my son’s] kids were playing in their front yards in the snow with the neighborhood kids. About 5 pm [their mother] called them in for dinner. James (age 6) came in, took off his hat and coat (he was still in his snow boots, snow pants, long underwear and long shirt) when [his mother] told him to run two houses down the street to get his sister to come home. James ran past [his father] who was waiting on the front porch for a client and watched James run down the street. He then saw a cop car make a u-turn, stop and walk up the neighbor’s walkway and confront James.
[My son] was there within seconds. The cop said he was writing [him] up for James not having a coat on (temp was about 25). Now this house he ran to wasn’t more than 100 feet from [my son’s] house. Cop called DCFS [Department of Children and Family Services] that moment and said that James was barefoot, had inappropriate clothing, and lack of adult supervision. [My son] went back to his clients and Julie went to confront the cop. She was as mad as I have ever heard her and the cop was just abusive. Said he was writing down everything she said and kept asking her if she was done yet. [My son] called the sergeant on call who said he didn’t know the cop but would look into it. [He] got no call back.
Sunday morning at 9 a.m. a person from DCFS appeared at the front door wanted to search the house and talk to James who was hysterical by this time. DCFS said they didn’t think there was going to be a problem. On Monday [my son] called the police department asking to talk to the police chief. Secretary wouldn’t put him through but sent him to another sergeant. [He] explained his story and sent him the photo he took of James after he got back into the house. Officer said that the picture was taken some time after the incident and [My son] could have dressed James up. [My son] wanted to file a police harassment complaint but the cop said, “If you do and we find that any of what you say is wrong, we will prosecute you!” [He] finally got a hold of the police chief who really wasn’t going to do anything about it. [My son] is giving up for fear of reprisals. Amazing isn’t it. Now we should call the police station so they can determine what type of clothing we should put on our kids before we let them out of the house.
Note the phrase “fear of reprisals.” I omitted the names of my friend’s son and changed the name of their little boy to minimize the chance of reprisals from this publicity. But think about it: since when should law-abiding citizens in a free country fear reprisals from the police or other government bureaucrats? The answer, of course, is “just as soon as that country starts treating its citizens as wards of the state.” I sent the above missive to a lawyer friend who advised that the best recourse was publicity in some local papers. I hope it is forthcoming. In the meantime, I hope my friend rallies all his acquaintances to do exactly what he suggested: call the police station every morning to get a bulletin on what to wear that day. A few hundred calls a day might just dampen police enthusiasm for this particular form of harassment. It will also while away the time until the town can get around to cutting the budget of their local police force and publicly humiliate the egregious officer who thinks he was hired to be a nanny-state bully not a public servant.

Read it and weep. What else can you do?

As stated before, one thing history has confirmed: Man cannot rule man. Period.

Only Jesus. Fortunately His reign is coming and it is coming soon.

Iran Preparing For Armageddon?

2012-01-25T06:06:00.002-05:00

As we watch the news in the Middle East, we have to always remember the primary motivations for Iran's actions:

Iran Preparing Now For Armageddon

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has held several secret meetings with his economic and military advisers in recent days to prepare for the possibility of war with the United States.

Khamenei has been heard to say that the coming of the last Islamic Messiah, the Shiites’ 12th Imam Mahdi, is near and that specific actions need to be taken to protect the Islamic regime for upcoming events.
Mahdi, according to Shiite belief, will reappear at the time of Armageddon.
Selected forces within the Revolutionary Guards and Basij reportedly have been trained under a task force called “Soldiers of Imam Mahdi” and they will bear the responsibility of security and protecting the regime against uprisings. Many in the Guards and Basij have been told that the 12th Imam is on earth, facilitated the victory of Hezbollah over Israel in the 2006 war and soon will announce publicly his presence after the needed environment is created.

The plan by the leader calls for total control of Tehran, the capital where the presence of the Basij and Hezbollah militias would be quite visible so that no one would dare to challenge the regime.
This news comes in light of the formation of the “Removal Committee,” which secretly would eliminate all deemed as opponents, even within the military and the government.
Khamenei’s extraordinary measures are based either on an understanding that war could be imminent or that the regime has decided to announce it has nuclear capability and is getting ready for a possible reaction from Israel or America.
Last March, a Iranian secret documentary, “The Coming Is Upon Us,” was revealed to depict Khamenei as the mythical figure who creates the environment for the reappearance of Mahdi by leading Iran to destroy Israel.

Below, we see Joel Rosenberg's latest commentary relating to Iran:

Is Netanyahu's Patience With Iran Running Out? New Speech Worth Noting As Tensions In Mideast Rise

Does Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu think the West is taking decisive action to stop Iran from getting the Bomb, or does he think the West is fiddling while Tel Aviv runs the rising risk of burning? That’s the Big Question as tensions continue to mount in the epicenter this week.

What matters is what Netanyahu thinks. If he decides the West isn’t doing enough and Iran is going to get the Bomb, then he is going to hit Iran hard, soon, and without warning.

In that context, it’s worth noting a speech Netanyahu gave Tuesday warning his nation that the world has not internalized the lessons of the Holocaust. ”Speaking at the Knesset just days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27), Netanyahu reasoned that the Jewish people must not put their fate in the hands of the international community,” reported the Jerusalem Post.

Posing a rhetorical question, Netanyahu asked, ‘How does the world react to the calls for genocide against the Jews today? Seventy years after the shoa [Holocaust], Iran is calling for us to be wiped off the map, Hezbollah is calling for our extinction, as are many in Hamas….The Jerusalem Mufti [Sheikh Muhammad Hussein] called on Sunday for Jews to be killed wherever they are…echoing his predecessor Haj Amin Al Husseini, who actively helped Hitler and Eichman,’ he said. ‘I do not hear the international community condemning this. I hear them condemning buildings in the West Bank. But I don’t hear them condemning this incitement,’ said Netanyahu.”

Could Netanyahu be signaling that his patience — and that of the Israeli government and military – is running out?

Netanyahu : World Silent On Threats To Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took advantage of a special plenary meeting to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day to address the threats to Israel's existence.
"70 years after the Holocaust, much of the world remains silent in the face of Iran's declared intent to wipe Israel off the earth," Netanyahu said.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day should be the day the world stands behind the words 'never again,'" Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu added, "This is a day when the world should unite against weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of dark regimes, led by the Ayatollah and his regime in Iran. I send greetings to leaders leaders of Europe and praise them for the important step of taking sanctions against Iran."
"We must ask ourselves whether we learned the lessons of the Holocaust. Can we take death threats seriously, or perhaps in this generation of Jews we do not see the danger before us? We can not stick our heads in the sand.
"The Iranian regime openly calls for Israel's destruction, is planning the destruction of Israel, and is working daily to destroy Israel. The lesson says should spur the world to action," Netanyahu said.
Iran has referred to Israel as "a one bomb state"

Strait Of Hormuz At Center Of International Chess Game

A mere 54 kilometers wide at its narrowest point and dotted with tiny islands, the Strait of Hormuz has turned into something of a powder keg, just waiting to explode. The only question is who will light it on fire.

Linking the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, the strait is used to transport about a fifth of the world’s oil on a daily basis, and the popular assessment within the IDF is that Iran – which borders the channel to the north and east – has the ability to shut it down if it so chooses.

In recent years, Iran has increased its arsenal of naval mines and is believed to be capable of lining the strait with them, a move that would prevent the flow of oil from the Gulf to the West.

In addition, Iran has a number of naval bases along its southern coast where it stations its submarines – including a number of Russian-made Kilo-class vessels – which it could use to attack oil tankers. With insurance premiums already at relatively high levels, the sinking of an oil tanker would be akin to closing the strait, since the price of oil would almost immediately skyrocket.

2 Moderate Earthquakes Are Shaking Northern Italy

Earthquakes List January 25, 2012

Daily Headlines:

2012-01-24T08:09:00.003-05:00

Iran To U.S.: Bring It On

WASHINGTON – High-ranking Iranian military officials are rattling sabers again, this time by issuing a warning that Iranian submarines “can ambush and destroy enemy vessels especially U.S. aircraft carriers” should they return to the Persian Gulf – even as the first has returned, according to a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

Iran is known to have a number of diesel-run submarines, some purchased from Russia years ago, but the nation also has developed an indigenous submarine production.
The submarines not only can fire missiles off of their decks when surfaced but they are assessed by various reliable sources to have the Russian export version of the Shkval, a high-speed supercavitating rocket-propelled torpedo designed to be a rapid-reaction defense against other submarines and surface vessels.
“It would be the worst threat to the enemy,” Amiri said. “That is one of the U.S. concerns since Iranian submarines are noiseless and can easily evade detection as they are equipped with the sonar-evading technology and can fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously.

Netanyahu Renews Speculation Over Military Action Against Iran

Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed speculation that he is considering military action against Iran after he was accused of attempting to appoint a pro-war officer as head of the Israeli air force.
The Israeli prime minister riled senior commanders by advancing the candidacy of his military secretary, Maj Gen Yihanan Locker, for the post after the present commander signalled his desire to retire.
Mr Netanyahu's reported interference in the military appointments system has prompted a political backlash in Israel
Mr Netanyahu, supported by Ehud Barak, his defence minister, is widely known to lead a camp favouring military action against Iran but he has run into persistent opposition from senior military and intelligence commanders who question whether unilateral air strikes would be effective.

Russia Sells Dozens Of Combat Aircraft To Damascus

In defiance of international efforts to topple President Bashar Assad, Russia announced on Monday it signed a $550 million deal to sell 36 combat aircraft to Syria.

According to a report in Russia’s Kommersant, the deal for the Yak-130 aircraft was signed in December.

Russia and Syria began negotiations over the possible sale of Yak-130 advanced fighter trainers in late 2010. The plane is operational in Algeria and Libya, and if delivered to Syria would likely replace its older fleet of L-39 trainers.

Russia recently completed the delivery of advanced supersonic Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria as part of a deal negotiated in 2007. In December, Syria test-fired one of the Yakhont missiles during a series of war games aimed at signaling Assad’s continued control over the Syrian military.

Earlier this month a ship full of ammunition from Russia was detained in Cyprus. The ship was released the next day and sailed to Tartus.

The United States said it raised concerns about the ship with Russia, but Moscow replied that it needs no justification for its defense trade with Syria as there is no internationally binding arms embargo in place.

Capitalism Is The Problem - Who Knew?

The perfectly named World Economic Forum—that is, an organization dedicated to the creation of a world economic system—is meeting in Davos again to discuss the problems of the day, and to propose solutions. Although the official problem-solving has not yet begun, a hint as to the direction of said solutions can be found in the definition of the main problem to be solved, offered by the group’s leader: the “out-dated and crumbling” economic system, capitalism. Surprise!

Among the problem-solvers in attendance: the dean of the China European International Business School, a joint project of the Chinese communist and European socialist governments; the President of the European Central Bank, formerly the head of the Bank of Italy; the Treasury Secretary to America’s first openly redistributionist President; and Tunisia’s new Islamist prime minister, who recently stood with a Hamas Party deputy and called for the “liberation of Jerusalem.” Who better to reform the world’s economy?

The solution? Well, if capitalism is “out-dated and crumbling”; if it is the source of the “morality gap”; if it is the cause of our being “over-leveraged”; and if it is the means of our having “undermined social coherence,” then the solution must be something that is not “capitalism.” Any guesses as to what the great minds of Davos—most of them Harvard/Goldman Sachs folks—might come up with?

World War

This is a very interesting read. Let's go straight to the conclusion:

In short, we face a global war waged by a well-established alliance of Iranian and Syrian Islamists, Russian and Chinese crony plutocrats, and Latin American radical leftists who share a love of totalitarian control of their own people and a hatred of America. We have failed to design a strategy to win this war, and indeed it often seems as if our leaders share the world view of our enemies.
Obama thought he could make deals with all of them, apparently believing this would come about when they realized he shared their conviction that most of the world’s problems are America’s fault. Indeed, when push comes to shove in their own countries, his instinctive response, as Fouad Ajami recently wrote regarding Syria, is to favor the success of the anti-American tyrants.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan once famously said of Jimmy Carter’s administration that our leaders could not distinguish between our friends and our enemies, and had ended by adopting our enemies’ view of the world. It’s as accurate today as it was 35 years ago.

Earth Signs

2012-01-24T07:46:00.003-05:00

While we become immersed in the geopolitical "signs" around the world, we often forget that as we approach the Tribulation, the earth is also experiencing "birth pains".

Tepco Admits That Radiation Levels From Fukushima Are Rising

JiJi Press – one of Japan’s largest news sources – reports:
Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Monday reported an increase in radioactive materials leaking from damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima … plant.
The total amount of radioactive cesium that leaked from the containment vesselsof the No. 1 to No. 3 reactors reached 70 million becquerels per hour, up 12 million becquerels from the December level, the power firm said.

...there is some evidence that the increase in radiation corresponds with recent earthquakes.
Or it could be due to the possible escape of nuclear fuel from the nuclear container vessels.
Indeed, a Fukushima whistleblower allegedly claims that radioactive fuel is coming out from beneaththe containment building

Huge Solar Eription Sparks Strongest Radiation Storm In 7 years

Sunday, Jan. 22 at 10:59 p.m. EST), NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught an extreme ultraviolet flash from a huge eruption on the sun , according to the skywatching website Spaceweather.com.

The solar flare spewed from sunspot 1402, a region of the sun that has become increasingly active lately. Several NASA satellites, including the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), and the Stereo spacecraft observed the massive sun storm.

According to NOAA, this is the strongest solar radiation storm since May 2005, and as a precaution, polar flights on Earth are expected to be re-routed within the next few hours, Kathy Sullivan, deputy administrator of NOAA, said today at the 92nd annual American Meteorological Society meeting in New Orleans, La.

In addition to generating stronger than normal displays of Earth's auroras (also known as the northern and southern lights), geomagnetic storms aimed directly at our planet can also disrupt satellites in orbit, cause widespread communications interference and damage other electronic infrastructures.
"There is little doubt that the cloud is heading in the general direction of Earth," Spaceweather.com announced in an alert. "A preliminary inspection of SOHO/STEREO imagery suggests that the CME will deliver a strong glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24-25 as it sails mostly north of our planet."

Earthquakes are back in the news. We can't forget about this important sign of this generation:

Earthquake Update: Last 7 Days

Seismic Monitor

Just a few quake numbers from around the world over the last couple of days:

6.3, 5.2, 6.2, 5.1, 4.6, 4.7, 5.3, 5.5, 4.8, 4.8

70% Chance Of Big Tokyo Earthquake 'within 4 years'

There is a 70 percent probability the Tokyo metropolitan area will be hit directly by a strong earthquake of magnitude-7 level within four years, according to data compiled by a University of Tokyo research team.

The preliminary calculations conducted by a team from the university's Earthquake Research Institute were based on intensified seismic activity in the area after the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11.If a magnitude-7.3 earthquake occurs directly under northern Tokyo Bay, as many as 11,000 people are expected to die and about 850,000 buildings to be rendered totally unusable or destroyed by fire.

According to the Meteorological Agency's observations, after the March 11 disaster, earthquakes of magnitude 3 to 6 occurred an average of 1.48 times a day in the metropolitan area through December. This was about five times the pre-disaster average.

Earthquake Strikes Chile

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile Monday afternoon, authorities there said.

The U.S. Geological Survey gave the quake a preliminary magnitude of 6.2.

The earthquake was about 16.5 kilometers (10 miles) deep, Chilean emergency officials said, and its epicenter was about 62 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Concepcion, Chile.

Earthquake Shakes Dominican Republic

The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.1. The epicenter was in the coastal town of Rio San Juan, about 155 miles (250 kilometers) north of the capital and 22 miles (35 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco de Macoris.

IRAN: "Definitely" Closing Strait Of Hormuz

2012-01-23T16:42:00.004-05:00

Iran 'Definitely' Closing Strait Of Hormuz Over EU Oil Embargo

Tensions in the Gulf could reach a breaking point as a senior Iranian official said Iran would “definitely” close the Strait of Hormuz if an EU oil embargo disrupted the export of crude oil.
Mohammad Kossari, deputy head of parliament's foreign affairs and national security committee, issued the warning in respone to a decision by the European Union on Monday to impose an oil embargo on Iran over the country’s alleged nuclear weapons program.

Washington’s decision to deploy a second carrier strike group in the Gulf, the EU’s attempt to pressure Iran economically could greatly increase the likelihood of all-out war in the region.

If economic sanctions sufficiently pressure Iran to retaliate by closing down the Strait, nearly 20 per cent of worldwide oil trade would be impacted, resulting in a massive spike in global energy costs.
With over half a million regular forces and an additional 120,000 personnel in the country’s elite Revolutionary Guard, analysts believe the consequences of a US-led war against Iran would dwarf recent Western-backed military incursions the Middle East.

EU strategy of averting "chaos in the Middle East" by tightening the economic noose around Iran could spark the very conflagration it was ostensibly trying to avert.

Britain, U.S. And France Send Warships Through Strait Of Hormuz

European Union foreign ministers are today expected to announce an embargo on Iranian oil exports, amounting to the most significant package of sanctions yet agreed. They are also likely to impose a partial freeze on assets held by the Iranian Central Bank in the EU.

But USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered carrier capable of embarking 90 aircraft, passed through this channel and entered the Gulf without incident yesterday. HMS Argyll, a Type 23 frigate from the Royal Navy, was one of the escort vessels making up the carrier battle-group. A guided missile cruiser and two destroyers from the US Navy completed the flotilla, along with one warship from the French navy.

All three countries retain a permanent military presence in the Gulf, but a joint passage through the Strait of Hormuz by all of their respective navies is highly unusual. The flotilla will have passed within a few miles of the Iranian coastline.

European Union Agrees On Iran Oil Embargo

Diplomats in Brussels said the EU foreign ministers would officially adopt the measures later Monday that were hashed out by the 27 ambassadors.
The measures include an immediate embargo on new contracts for crude oil and petroleum products while existing ones are allowed to run until July.
"I am confident that the EU will give a resolute answer today to Iran's refusal to fulfill its international obligations on the nuclear programme," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said ahead of the official adoption by the foreign ministers.
Any bid by Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, through which 20 per cent of the world's oil exports pass would be "illegal" and "unsuccessful", Mr Hague warned.

U.S. Aircraft Carriers To Deliver 'Direct Message To Iran'

In an apparent show of strength, Washington is deploying a second carrier strike group in the Gulf. US officials also confirmed their commitment to maintaining a global fleet of 11 aircraft carriers despite budget pressure to cut the fleet's size.
“That’s the reason we maintain a presence in the Middle East,” AP cited US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, as saying in a speech to about 1,700 sailors aboard the USS Enterprise. “We want them to know that we are fully prepared to deal with any contingency and it’s better for them to try to deal with us through diplomacy.”
Panetta added that the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is on course for the Persian Gulf – and will steam through the Strait of Hormuz in a direct message to Iran, AP reports.

In the news...

2012-01-23T07:26:00.003-05:00

U.S. Miffed As Israel Hints At Unilateral Strike On Iran

LONDON: Israel could launch a unilateral strikeon Iran's nuclear facilities without much prior notice to its closest ally for over 60 year, US, according to information reaching here fromTel Aviv.

Barak's message to Dempsey followed what Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had told Obama: that an early warning of Israel's intentions would not be available to the US. The Israeli army's elite 35th Paratroopers Brigade is training for a longrange operation for some time, so as to be prepared for military action against Iran's nuclear plants.

On Monday, foreign ministers of the EU are expected to ban Iranian oil imports as part of efforts to tighten sanctions on Tehran.

Warships Heighten Tension With Iran

Britain has joined the United States and France in sending a flotilla of warships through the sensitive Strait of Hormuz in a pointed message to the Iranian regime.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, HMS Argyll, was part of the US-led carrier group to pass through the waterway, as tensions continued to escalate over Tehran's nuclear programme.
European Union foreign ministers are expected to announce an embargo on Iranian oil exports, ratcheting up the pressure on the regime to abandon work which the West believes is aimed at building a nuclear bomb.
The six-strong flotilla was led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with up to 90 warplanes on board.
The departure of the USS John C Stennis had prompted the head of the Iranian armed forces, General Ataollah Salehi, to warn the Americans not to send any more carriers to the region. "We don't have any intention of repeating our warning and we warn only once," he said.

Christians In Iran, Syria Face Rising Persecution

There has been a wave of violence targeting Iranian and Syrian Christians over the past month, say Christian news reports.

In addition, Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who has been on death row since 2010 for seeking to register his home-based church, refused to renounce his Christian beliefs in exchange for his release from prison. He was also jailed for questioning the role of Islam as the dominant form of religious instruction in his children’s school.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Christian Post wrote last week on its website, “The Christian community in Syria has been hit by a series of kidnappings and brutal murders; 100 Christians have now been killed since the anti-government unrest began. A reliable source in the country, who cannot be identified for their own safety, told Barnabas Aid that children were being especially targeted by the kidnappers, who, if they do not receive the ransom demanded, kill the victim.”

The Pakistan Christian Post website noted “Two Christians were killed on January 15 as they waited for bread at a bakery. Another Christian, aged 40 with two young children, was shot dead by three armed attackers while he was driving a vehicle.”

Meotti, the Italian Journalist who has written extensively on Christians in the Mideast region, told the Post “In Syria Christians will be persecuted after Assad’s eventual fall, since they were the most loyal allies of the Baathist regime. Christians will be slaughtered or squeezed. From Cairo to Damascus, Arab Christian era is near to its end everywhere.”

Syria Purchases 36 Fighter Planes From Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in January that Russia has no intention to justify its arms sales to Syria.

"We don't consider it necessary to explain ourselves or justify ourselves, because we are not violating any international agreements or any (UN) Security Council resolutions," he told an annual news conference.

Davos Elites To Seek Reforms Of 'Outdated' Capitalism

Economic and political elites meeting this week at the Swiss resort of Davos will be asked to urgently find ways to reform a capitalist system that has been described as "outdated and crumbling."
"We are in an era of profound change that urgently requires new ways of thinking instead of more business-as-usual," the 73-year-old said, adding that "capitalism in its current form, has no place in the world around us."
Some 1,600 economic and political leaders, including 40 heads of states and governments, will be asked to come up with new ideas as they converge at eastern Switzerland's chic ski station for the 42nd edition of the five-day World Economic Forum which opens Wednesday.

More Quakes Follow 5.0 Shaker On Big Island

VOLCANO, Hawaii Island (HawaiiNewsNow) - A series of earthquakes shook an area of southeast Hawaii island Sunday afternoon, one of them a 5.0 magnitude quake.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, all of the quakes were centered in an area about eleven miles southeast of the town of Volcano on the Big Island. The first quake occurred at 4:35 p.m. with a magnitude of 4.1. That quake was followed a minute later by one with a 5.0 magnitude.
Five more smaller quakes followed at 4:43, 4:44, 4:45, 4:51 and 4:52 p.m., with preliminary magnitudes of 2.5, 2.3, 3.0, 1.8 and 2.0

A Message Worth Repeating

2012-01-22T18:15:00.005-05:00

Joel Rosenberg has the following message on his blog with a related link and both are worth repeating. The complete message is seen below with the included link to an important (brief) video:

Saying Goodbye To A Friend

Lynn and I just attended a beautiful memorial service and funeral for our friend, Cindy Cofer. We will miss her, and we’re praying for the Lord to comfort her dear husband, Frank, and their three daughters. It was wonderful to hear her friends’ tributes, and her daughters’ tributes, and Frank’s lovely tribute to her. Sweet stories of good memories. But it’s hard to say goodbye to a friend. The good news is that her family knows — and we know — that Cindy is in heaven with Jesus because she believed in her heart that Jesus is the Messiah. She put her full faith in Jesus Christ and received Him as her Savior when she was young. She trusted Him completely to forgive her sins, and served the Lord faithfully for many years.

The Bible says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12) And Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

That’s the central question, isn’t it: Do you believe this? Funerals are hard. They make us come face to face with our own mortality. But funerals are important. Because they make us come face to face with our own mortality. The simple hard fact is this: we’re not going to live forever in this world. The question is whether you will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, or eternity in Hell separated from the Lord forever. I am so grateful that Cindy has been in heaven since Tuesday. And I have to ask on a day like today: Where will you be? Do you know for certain? Is there any doubt? There doesn’t have to be. Let today be the day you receive Jesus Christ and your Savior and thus be absolutely certain that you will go to heaven when you breathe your last breath on this earth. Here’s a link to a simple, clear explanation of the Gospel. Read it. Process it. Bow your head and pray to receive Christ in your heart. And then tell someone what you did and begin to read the New Testament every day and learn more about who Jesus is and how He wants you to live for Him. God bless you.

In the news...

2012-01-22T09:44:00.008-05:00

At least one interesting development coming from the epicenter:

Israel To Give Obama 12 Hours Notice On Attacking Iran

Israeli officials told visiting USS Chief Joint of Staffs Martin Dempsey that it would give President Barack Obama no more than 12 hours notice if and when it attacks Iran, The London Times reported Sunday.
The Netanyahu government also will not coordinate with the United States an attack on the Islamic Republic, according to the report, the latest in a number of suposed scenarios concerning cooperation or lack of it between Jerusalem and Washington.
It is left to speculation whether the rumors are based on facts or are leaked by officials to mask the possibility of secret military coordination.
The London Times said its sources explained that that Israel fears that President Obama would try to torpedo an Israel attack if more notice were given because he is concerned that Iran will respond by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a rise in the price of oil that could cripple Western economies. If the attack were to occur in the next 10 months, it would put President Obama in a tight spot on the eve of his bid for re-election.
President Shimon Peres told Dempsey, "I am sure that in this fight [against Iran] we will emerge victorious. It is a fight that does not belong exclusively to the United States or Israel, but a global struggle to create a safe world for all peoples.”

U.S. Military Chief Holds Talks In Israel On Iran

Netanyahu told Dempsey the U.S. should ratchet up sanctions against Iran to ones that would target its central bank and oil exports, the Israeli news site YNet reported. It quoted Netanyahu as saying such measures must be imposed immediately.

The U.S. and Israel differ about what would be considered unacceptable Iranian behavior that would require a military strike, the former chief claimed.

"While Israel defines the red line as Iran's ability and potential for a breakthrough, the Americans draw the red line a lot farther away," said Yadlin, who stepped down as intelligence chief in late 2010.

Palestinians To Renew Efforts For Bid To U.N.

Palestinian officials say that they will resume their effort to gain U.N.membership, and that they could launch a nonviolent third intifada because they see no chance of reaching a peace deal with the currentIsraeli government.
“We hear from our Jordanian friends that things are not going well,” saidSabri Saidam, deputy speaker of the Fatah Council and an adviser toPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Mr. Saidam and other Palestinian officials told The Washington Times that, barring a last-minute development Thursday, the U.N. campaign would begin anew.
The entire U.N. campaign has attained great symbolism here. A giant blue chair bearing the words “Palestine’s Right: Full Membership in theUnited Nations” still sits in Ramallah’s central square.
A wall of Mr. Abbas‘ presidential compound features a giant photo of him holding up the Palestinian application during his speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

Israel Hits Terrorists After Mortar Attacks

While We Wait...

2012-01-21T09:27:00.006-05:00

Let's face it - waiting is hard. For this reason, being a prophecy watcher is very difficult and it is a long, long process. First, a quick look at the scriptures for some guidance.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, for which the Lord, the righteous Judge will reward to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing."

(2 Timothy 4:7-8)

The scripture above tells us a lot. Think of a "good fight". This image brings to mind a boxing match, which is often more of a battle of endurance than anything else. If you watch a boxing match, by the end, the fighters are so tired that they can barely keep their hands up; they can barely swing due to fatigue, but they keep battling with whatever strength they have left.

Think about a race; particularly a distance race, which is clearly referenced here. By the end of the race it's also a battle of endurance - fighting through fatigue and pain in order to finish strong. Its really a battle of "mind over matter".

Don't forget; the apostle Paul was also watching and waiting for Christ's return. He was no different from us in that respect. He had to fight through incredible hardships during his watching and waiting for Christ's potential return - all of which must have been on his mind as he wrote these scriptures. He understood the difficulty of waiting.

Perhaps more importantly, Jesus knew the difficulties of watching for His return.

We know that we will be rewarded for our "works" which will take place during the Bema "Judgement" (2 Corinthians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15); "A Life God Rewards" by Bruce Wilkinson does a great job of explaining this.

We won't be judged for our sins - Jesus already took that on our behalf as He suffered on the cross. We will, however, be rewarded for our works while on earth.

Although we will be rewarded for a large variety of these works, the scriptures actually describe five specific "crowns" which will be rewarded to believers. One of these crowns is the "Crown of Righteousness" for believers who have been watching for Christ's return:

"...the crown of righteousness", which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing."

So we can see the importance of our "watching" for His return.

It is of tremendous importance to Jesus.

Just take a look at Luke 12: 35-40 and 54-56. Jesus describes the vital importance of watching for His coming. He also spent considerable time and effort in the Olivet discourse describing the importance of watching (see Matthew 24:42, 44 and 25:13, Mark 13:32-36, and Luke 21:28, 31 and 36). It obviously means a great deal to Jesus.

Why?

Why is it so important to Jesus that His church (aka His "Bride") is watching and longing for His return?

Doesn't it reveal our deep love for Christ? Shouldn't the Bride be anxiously awaiting the Bridegroom's coming?

How can you love someone and not have great anticipation of being with that person?

If the believer is indifferent regarding Christ's coming - how much love does that reveal?

Perhaps better stated - and directed to those Christians who have no interest in Christ's return: How can you profess to love Christ, and have an awareness that He may return soon - yet show no interest in watching for the signs of His return?

Those two ideas are completely inconsistent.

As John Hagee says "If you aren't excited about Christ's return, then you need to re-examine your faith". That seems obvious.

Additionally - let's assume that we are wrong and we are not in the season of Christ's return.

Wouldn't it be better to face Christ having been wrong, yet, wanting to be with Him so much and to be in His presence - so desperately - that we did indeed watch and hope for His return - rather than having no interest at all in His return?

Which scenario would Christ prefer?

The answers seem clear. Jesus wants to find us watching the signs and awaiting His return. It shows a deep love and an intensity that any bride should have for the bridegroom as that day approaches.

And let us not forget - Jesus called those "followers" of His "Hypocrites" for not knowing and understanding the signs of His first coming on earth (Luke 12:54-56). That's a pretty strong accusation isn't it?

But there is a caveat to all of the above. It's hard continually watching and waiting for His return.

Perhaps that explains Revelation 3:10:

"Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world..."

We do "endure patiently" don't we?

As contrasted with Christians who have no interest - we endure this world every day, with the knowledge that we will imminently be in New Jerusalem and in the very presence of Christ Jesus.

Having that knowledge makes enduring the hardships of this world even more difficult. We appreciate on a daily basis that this world is not "our world". We know that our home is in New Jerusalem; our permanent home and where we should be. We know that we are just a breath away from actually being in the very presence of Jesus Himself.

As we long for Jesus and as we long for our permanent home, we have to endure this world.

The knowledge that Jesus is coming for us makes the "enduring" aspect of life on earth even more difficult and we also become fatigued as we continually keep watch.

Jesus knows this. It has to be one of the reasons that we will be rewarded for these efforts.

But we watch for one reason: We love Jesus and we desperately want to be in His presence.

We are acutely aware of the fact that we are only here, on this earth, temporarily - and that a far far better place awaits. We know that we are in this world (for now) but we are not of this world.

We just have to be patient as we watch the signs and that is a long, hard process.

But we cannot forget - Jesus knows who is watching and longing for His return.

It pleases Him that we do so. It reveals our deep love, and after all, isn't that what our faith is all about?

He will be coming soon and He will find us watching and waiting with great anticipation.

What a great way to begin our life with Jesus in New Jerusalem - so take heart - our watching and waiting, despite the hardships we face will be richly rewarded.

As we watch the world beginning to crumble around us - as we watch the world approaching the Tribulation, with all of the necessary evil, corruption, violence, sin, draconian government, oppression, persecution, hardships, etc., we see these instructions from the apostle Paul:

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

(2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Amen and Maranatha.

We will all be in New Jerusalem soon - and experiencing the most epic celebration ever seen.

Each of us will participate:

"After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

'Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God...'

'Amen, Hallelujah!'

'For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

and the bride has made herself ready.'"

(Revelation 19)

It will happen, and it will happen soon.

Jesus is putting the final touches on His Bride's new home and soon He will come.

And when He does, it will please Him greatly to find us watching and waiting.

Keep looking up. Jesus will fulfill His promises - that is an iron-clad guarantee.

Maranatha!

In the news...

2012-01-21T09:08:00.002-05:00

IAF Strikes Gaza Terrorists

The Israel Air Force struck terrorists in southern Gaza on Saturday morning, the IDF Spokesman's Office said in a statement.

The strike comes in retaliation to three mortar shells that were fired from the Gaza Strip into the Eshkol Regional Council earlier on Saturday and a rocket fired into southern Israel on Friday. No injuries or damage were reported.

IAF aircraft recorded direct hits on their targets, and reiterated that it holds Hamas responsible for all terror activity emanating from Gaza and it will continue to respond forcefully to attacks on Israeli citizens.

According to Ma'an news agency, the IAF strike hit targets near the Gaza airport in Rafah.

14 Killed In Syria Bus Explosion As Clashes Break Out

BEIRUT - Bomb blasts killed 14 prisoners traveling in a security vehicle in northwest Syria on Saturday, the state news agency said, and troops fought rebels elsewhere as the Arab League weighed whether to keep monitors in place.

Syria's SANA agency said a "terrorist" group had set off two explosions that also wounded 26 prisoners, as well as six police guards. It said the assailants had also attacked ambulances sent to the scene, on the road between the towns of Idlib and Ariha.

The Arab League looks set to extend its monitoring mission in Syria, given the lack of any Arab or world consensus on how to halt bloodshed there, an Arab diplomatic source said.

Peres: Iran Is The Center Of World Terror

As part of his round of meetings in Israel, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey met with President Shimon Peres on Friday morning.

During the meeting, Peres addressed the Iranian issue and told Dempsey, “I’m sure that in this fight (against Iran) we will emerge victorious. It is a fight that does not belong exclusively to the U.S. or Israel, but a global struggle to create a safe world for all peoples.”
He emphasized that Iran is “the center of world terror! It funds the most dangerous terrorists in the world and carries out terrorist acts which take the lives of innocent people. Iran seeks to control not only the Middle East, but other parts of the world as well, as is illustrated by its attempts to penetrate the South American continent.”

Sarkozy: Time Running Out On Iran

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned on Friday that any foreign military intervention against Iran’s nuclear program would trigger “war and chaos” across the Middle East and beyond, and said that harsher sanctions must be placed on the Islamic Republic.
“Time is limited. France will do everything to avoid military intervention, but there is only one way to avoid it: a much tougher, more decisive, sanctions regime,” Sarkozy was quoted by AFP as having told an audience of diplomats in Paris.
The European Union is set to meet on Monday to consider joining the effort to strengthen the embargo against Iran in hopes of convincing its government to scale back, if not entirely halt its nuclear development programs.

NDAA Is Washington's Totalitarian Response To Political Dissent And Economic Collapse

An analysis of the passage of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) must start from the premise that since September 11, 2001, the hijacked U.S. government has been at war with America.

The American people are a big liability for the political and corporate elite who are openly hostile towards the U.S. constitution and Bill of Rights. America is dead to them because the reality is that America and all nation states no longer matter.

The political and moral bankruptcy of Washington’s counter-terrorism policies are further unmasked when it is revealed, as the NDAA plainly does, that American citizens are the targets of counter-terrorism laws and the counter-terrorism bureaucracy.

Michel Chossudovsky, a professor of economics at the University of Ottawa, wrote about the anti-dissent nature of Washington’s counter-terrorism agenda in his article on January 1, 2012 called, THE INAUGURATION OF POLICE STATE USA 2012. Obama Signs the “National Defense Authorization Act”:
“Obama justifies the signing of the NDAA as a means to combating terrorism, as part of a “counter-terrorism” agenda. But in substance, any American opposed to the policies of the US government can –under the provisions of the NDAA– be labelled a “suspected terrorist” and arrested under military detention. Already in 2004, Homeland Security defined several categories of potential “conspirators” or “suspected terrorists” including ”foreign [Islamic] terrorists”, ”domestic radical groups”, [antiwar and civil rights groups], ”disgruntled employees” [labor and union activists] and “state sponsored adversaries” ["rogue states", "unstable nations"]. The unspoken objective in an era of war and social crisis is to repress all forms of domestic protest and dissent.
.
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The “National Defense Authorization Act ” (H.R. 1540) repeals the US Constitution. While the facade of democracy prevails, supported by media propaganda, the American republic is fractured. The tendency is towards the establishment of a totalitarian State, a military government dressed in civilian clothes.
The passage of NDAA is intimately related to Washington’s global military agenda. The military pursuit of Worldwide hegemony also requires the “Militarization of the Homeland”, namely the demise of the American Republic.”

SOPA And PIPA Part OF Effort To Domesticate Politically Incorrect Internet

The establishment has worked behind the scenes for years to devise a method to sanitize the internet – in the same way corporate television has been disinfected for decades – and drive the truth-seekers and tellers off the medium. SOPA and PIPA, under the guise of fighting dreaded copyright criminals, is only the latest guise.

SOPA and PIPA are merely part a larger and more comprehensive effort to control the internet and reduce the threat it poses to the government. Both laws are efforts to codify what has been going on now for several years.
The defeat of SOPA and PIPA are certainly welcome and the large response in opposition to the legislation is a positive development, however we must consider the larger and more ominous threat the government and the transnational corporations it answers to pose to our liberty and the ability to communicate and raise political awareness.

Skyquakes: Warnings From Earth's Destabilizing Core?

This one (above) is just for interest only.

Daily Headlines:

2012-01-20T07:27:00.002-05:00

First up: Soros Watch

I always suspected this one.

Glenn Beck: Fox News Told Me To Shut Up

But why? Read below:

Did Fox News try to censor Glenn Beck before the media giant left the cable network last year?
The answer is yes, according to Beck, who made the disclosure this week on his new television program on GBTV.com.
Beck explained that his own former network tried to get him to clam up about his constant reporting on what he felt was Soros’ fiendish agenda to harm the American way of life.

“Here’s the real reason why George Soros is worried about little old me and the assassins, because I know the truth about him,” said Beck.

“Everyone – including the assassins [at Fox News] – told me, ‘You wanna shut up about George Soros?’

This last sentence is actually pretty interesting on a number of levels:

“No. No I don’t. Nope. Doesn’t make my life easier. Doesn’t make me more popular. Doesn’t do anything, except I am allowed to end my days saying I told the truth. I did what somebody should have done and tell the truth. The truth has no agenda. The truth will set you free. The truth needs to be held like a sword and a shield. He should be worried. He should be worried because I’m going to continue to expose him when he finds out the role he plays in our next little book coming out this spring.

WND reported one organization that led a crusade demanding Fox News fire Beck is, in fact, backed by Soros and is tied to many of the liberal activists Beck routinely excoriated on his show.
Jewish Funds for Justice, or JFSJ, a charity that campaigns for social change, delivered a petition with 10,000 signatures to Fox News in protest of a program in which Beck specifically targeted Soros, calling the businessman the “puppet master.” JFSJ deemed the show anti-Semitic.

George Soros To Form Super PAC?

In a classic case of burying the lede, Politico reports today that George Soros is mulling whether to return to big-time financing of Democratic candidates in the 2012 election.
The article in question is a very lengthy piece about the Democrats’ ambivalence towards so-called Super PACs, outside groups that can raise funds and run election ads, and how that has stymied Priorities USA Action, a pro-Obama Super PAC. Obama had repeatedly criticized the Supreme Court decision that allowed the groups.
In the 22nd paragraph(!) of the Politico story there is this fascinating nugget of information.
(I)conoclastic Democratic mega-donor George Soros … has foresworn major political giving since his $20 million foray into the field in 2004 failed to power Democrat John Kerry past (President George W.) Bush.
Soros has hinted he may be getting closer to jumping back into the game, sending a video message to the November donor conference that said he planned to be at their next conference in May “because there is a lot of work to do.”
The story states that Soros has lately been focusing on the European debt crisis, but the fact that he took the time to record a video message for other Democratic donors is an indication that he is not that distracted.
So don’t be surprised if some new major pro-Democrat Super PAC pops up between now and the election with millions in funds to bash Republicans as the party of the super rich. Politics is nothing is not ironic.

Fox News Hires Soros-Funded Activist

Sally Kohn, a former senior strategist at the Soros-funded Center for Community Change, has been hired as a Fox News Contributor. Soros is the controversial hedge fund billionaire, convicted of insider trading in France, who finances the “progressive” movement in the U.S.

It is significant that Kohn is now a regular paid commentator on Fox News, while Glenn Beck, the one-time archenemy of George Soros, was ousted from the channel last year and now hosts an Internet TV show.
An open lesbian who shuns feminine attire and frequently wears a suit jacket, she is joining Fox News after being a regular on such programs as “The Ed Show” on liberal rival MSNBC. She is now officially part of the “Fox News Family,” as she puts it, and has been making appearances on the channel for several days.
The selection of Kohn raises disturbing questions about the direction of Fox News in a critical election year. Kohn worked at the Center for Community Change, one of the leading Soros-funded groups, for six years, from 2004 – 2010. During this period, the group received $5.8 million from Soros’s main vehicle, the Open Society Institute (OSI).

Meanwhile, back in the Middle East and the world:

Worries Grow Over Syria Chemical Weapons Arsenal

As the days of Syrian President Bashar Assad increasingly look numbered, concerns are mounting that the regime’s vast stockpile of chemical weapons might fall into the hands of terrorists by accident or by plan.

No one knows the size and quality of the arsenal of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that the Assad regime has accumulated over the years. Its nuclear aspirations probably ended with a mysterious 2007 attack on a suspected nuclear facility, and experts are divided on whether Syria has biological weapons.

But they are nearly certain that Damascus operates a comprehensive chemical weapons program that encompasses production and delivery capabilities.
Major-General Amir Eshel, the head of the Israeli military's planning division, was the latest official to express concern about what will happen to Syria’s WMD. He told reporters in Jerusalem this week it was only a matter of time before some of the arsenal makes it was out of government-secured facilities.

“We are talking about huge stockpiles,” he said. “That's a major concern because I don't know who is going to own those the day after. Up till now, what has been transferred to Hezbollah? What will be transferred to Hezbollah? What will be divided between those factions inside Syria?”

Iran Subs Poised To Torpedo U.S. Warships

An Iranian commander has warned that Tehran is on full alert in case of enemy threats, and has the best submarines in the world ready to “ambush and hit enemy vessels, especially US Aircraft carriers, from the seabed throughout the Persian Gulf.”
Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army's Self-Sufficiency Jihad Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri hailed the Iranian submarines as “the best electronic diesel vessels in the world, noiseless and able to easily evade detection as they are equipped with sonar-evading technology," the country’s semi-state Fars news agency reported.
The Iranian military official said the vessels can fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously, underlining that the submarines’ superiority was not just due to their arms and equipment, but also “the tactical issues are very important", given the geographical specifications of the waters surrounding the country.

U.S. Seeks Russia's Explanation On Syria-Bound Weapons Ship

The U.S. Department of State said it was seeking explanations from Moscow over a ship that probably headed from Russia with a cargo of weapons to Syria.

The spokeswoman said the U.S. is unable to confirm at the moment that the ship carried weapons and breached the existing sanctions on Syria, imposed after months of deadly unrest against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Cypriot media said the ship was carrying from 35 to 60 tons of ammunition and explosives meant for the Syrian Defense Ministry. The Greek Cypriot Foreign Ministry said in a statement customs officers boarded the ship for a document check and tried to examine the cargo, but could not open four containers it was stored in because of “confined space.”

WEF Seeks To Rewire Global Leadership

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) flagship meeting in Davos will this year attempt to close widening gaps between world leaders and different sections of society.

WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab told the media on Wednesday that established systems of governance and business are in urgent need of a radical overhaul.

“Capitalism, in its current form, no longer fits the world around us,” Schwab said. “We have failed to learn the lessons from the financial crisis of 2009. A global transformation is urgently needed and it must start with reinstating a global sense of social responsibility.”

“We are looking desperately around the world for people who can offer solutions,” he added. “We are in danger of losing the confidence of future generations.”

Leading actors from the worlds of business, politics, civil society, religion, academia and science will take to the stage in Davos from January 25 to 29 under the banner: The Great Transformation – Shaping New Models.

But although the problems are well known, Schwab believes the established leadership models are not up to the job of guiding the world out of its current mess.

“Many people have lost trust in leadership and increasingly perceive life primarily in terms of hardship. The question is: what can we do and what should we do,” said Schwab at the media conference held in WEF’s headquarters near to Geneva on Wednesday.

Netanyahu Makes Statement On Iran: The Time Is Now?

2012-01-19T21:50:00.002-05:00

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a revealing statement today; one that will most likely remain ignored by the MSM, but a statement which may reveal his intentions in dealing with Iran.

Netanyahu: Iran Has Decided To Become A Nuclear State. Action Needed Before It Is Too Late

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday night, Jan. 19 that Iran had decided to become a nuclear state. He urged action before it was too late to stop Iran completing the construction of a nuclear weapon.

His statement at the end of a visit to Holland gave Gen Martin Dempsey, on his first visit to Israel as Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, the message he will be asked to take back to President Barack Obama. It also contradicted Defense Minister Ehud Barak's statement that Tehran had not yet decided to go nuclear.

There are several important points above worth discussing, but first we need to see what else has been stated:

Gen. Martin Dempsey begins his first visit to Israel as Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff amid a major falling-out between the two governments over the handling of Iran's nuclear weapon potential. DEBKAfile's military and Washington sources confirm that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands by the view that Iran is advancing its plans to build a nuclear bomb full speed ahead, undeterred even by the threat of harsher sanctions. Netanyahu therefore stands by his refusal of President Barack Obama's demand for a commitment to abstain from a unilateral strike on Iran's nuclear sites without prior notice to Washington.

The US president repeated this demand when he called the Israeli prime minister Thursday night Jan. 13. Netanyahu replied that, in view of their disagreement on this point, he preferred to cancel the biggest US-Israel war game ever staged due to have taken place in April. The exercise was to have tested the level of coordination between the two armies in missile defense for the contingency of a war with Iran or a regional conflict.

The prime minister was concerned that having large-scale US military forces in the country would restrict his leeway for decision-making on Iran.

Before he took off for a short trip to Holland, Netanyahu instructed Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz not to deviate in their talks with Gen. Dempsey from the position he took with the US president, namely, no commitment for advance notice to Washington about a unilateral strike against Iran.

The Israeli prime minister is convinced that, contrary to the claims by US spokesmen and media, that current sanctions are ineffective insofar as slowing Iran's advance toward a nuclear weapon and the harsher sanctions on Iran's central bank and oil exports are too slow and will take hold too late to achieve their purpose.

In any case, say Israeli officials, Washington is again signaling its willingness to go back to direct nuclear negotiations with Tehran, although past experience proved that Iran exploits diplomatic dialogue as grace time for moving forward on its nuclear ambitions.

Netanyahu fears that dialogue between Iran and the five powers plus Germany (the P5+1) will resume after bowing to an Iranian stipulation that sanctions be suspended for the duration of the talks. Once again, Tehran will be enabled to steal a march on the US and Israel and bring its nuclear weapon program to conclusion, unhindered by economic constraints.

So what have we learned this week?

- Netanyahu knows that he cannot trust the U.S. when it comes to the Iranian situation

- Netanyahu has made it clear that Iran is in the final stages of developing nuclear weapons.

- Netanyahu has made it clear that sanctions will not work.

- Netanyahu refuses to disclose his plans to the U.S. and will not inform the U.S. if and when an attack on Iran is to take place.

This is a big development and may represent the final stages in war preparations. It is clear now that Netanyahu has no hopes for a non-military solution to Iran.

That leaves only one option - and time is growing very short.

The final stages of biblical prophecy - stages which will lead into the Tribulation appear to be upon us. Once the powder keg ignites there will be no turning back and the remaining birth pains will be fast and furious. We are at that threshold now.

In the news...

2012-01-19T07:48:00.005-05:00

"Hezbollah Has Long-Range Surface-To-Air Missiles"

The IDF has changed its operational assessment regarding the threat from Lebanon and is currently working under the assumption that Hezbollah has obtained sophisticated long-range surface-to-air missile systems from Syria, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

According to Western intelligence assessments, Hezbollah is believed to have taken advantage of the ongoing upheaval in Syria to obtain advanced weapons systems, such as additional long-range rockets as well as Russian-made air-defense systems.

While Hezbollah is known to have a large quantity of shoulder- launched anti-aircraft missiles, the IDF now assumes that the Lebanese Islamist group has received the SA-8, a truck-mounted Russian tactical surface- to-air missile system reported to have a range of 30 kilometers.

In addition to the possible transfer of air-defense systems, Hezbollah is also believed to have received several dozen more M600 long-range missiles, as well as additional 302 mm. Khaibar-1 rockets, which have a range of about 100 kilometers.

It is already believed to have a significant arsenal of M600s, which are manufactured in Syria as a clone of Iran’s Fateh- 110. The M600 has a range of around 300 kilometers. It can carry a half-ton warhead and has superior accuracy.

As reported two weeks ago in the Post, Israel is particularlyconcerned with the
possibility that Syria’s arsenal of chemical weapons will fall into terrorist hands, amid predictions that President Bashar Assad’s regime will fall in the coming months. This has not yet happened, though, and Syrian chemical warfare facilities are understood to still be under the control of Assad’s regime.

IAEA: "What We Know Suggests The Development Of Nuclear Weapons"

Yukiya Amano says Iran has failed to clarify its atomic development activities to the satisfaction of the United Nations nuclear watchdog body -- and now it's his job to warn the world about its possible military intentions.
"What we know suggests the development of nuclear weapons," FTD quoted the IAEA chief as saying "We want to check over everything that could have a military dimension."
The IAEA released a report in November 2011 saying it had credible intelligence that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons technology. "The agency has serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program," the report stated.

Russia Warns Against Iran Attack

Russia warned on Wednesday that an attack on Iran would be a "catastrophe" for the region and said world powers should adopt a policy of non-intervention in the Middle East and North Africa.
“It is impossible to list all the consequences [of an attack],” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an annual address. “But I have no doubt that it would pour oil on the still smoldering fire of Sunni-Shia confrontation, which would lead to a chain reaction.”
He also said that Russia would “do everything” in its power to prevent an attack on Iran.

UN Watchdog Urges Full Iran Cooperation In Nuclear Probe

The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief said it was his duty to warn the world about suspected Iranian activities that point to plans to develop atomic bomb, maintaining pressure on Tehran ahead of rare talks between Iran and his agency expected this month.
Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made clear in an interview with Financial Times Deutschland that the UN body would press for full cooperation in meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran.
"What we know suggests the development of nuclear weapons," he was quoted as saying in comments published in German on Thursday, adding Iran had so far failed to clarify allegations of possible military links to its nuclear program.

"I have absolutely no reason to soften my report. It is my responsibility to alarm the world," Amano said. "The overall pattern led me to the decision to alarm the world. The more pieces [of information], the clearer the pattern becomes."

Israel's Refusal To Notify U.S. Of An Iran Strike

Gen. Martin Dempsey arrives Thursday, Jan. 19, for his first visit to Israel as Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff amid a major falling-out between the two governments over the handling of Iran's nuclear weapon potential.

Washington sources confirm that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands by the view that Iran is advancing its plans to build a nuclear bomb full speed ahead, undeterred even by the threat of harsher sanctions.

Netanyahu therefore stands by his refusal of President Barack Obama's demand for a commitment to abstain from a unilateral strike on Iran's nuclear sites without prior notice to Washington.

The US president repeated this demand when he called the Israeli prime minister Thursday night Jan. 13. Netanyahu replied that, in view of their disagreement on this point, he preferred to cancel the biggest US-Israel war game ever staged due to have taken place in April. The exercise was to have tested the level of coordination between the two armies in missile defense for the contingency of a war with Iran or a regional conflict.

Obama needs to be sure he will not be taken by surprise by an Israel attack in the middle of his campaign for re-election, especially since he has begun taking heat on the Iranian issue.

Meanwhile, we seem to be observing a increase in earthquake activity:

Seismic Monitor

There are several big quakes in the region of Guatemala (6.2, 6.6), New Zealand (6.1, 4.5), Japan (4.8), Peru (4.8), and see below:

Strong Dangerous Coastal Earthquake Near Guiuan, Samar, The Philippines

Strong Earthquake Near Agua Amerilla and Los Vilos

Indonesia: 4.8, 5.1, 4.9, 5.9

Israel Ready To Strike Iran?

2012-01-18T21:28:00.005-05:00

Today we see yet another analysis of the growing tensions between Iran and Israel, and this one may be the most accurate yet:

Israel Ready To Strike Iran Without Washington's Approval?

Both American and Israeli officials say that the decision to postpone a massive joint missile drill scheduled for this spring has nothing to do with hostilities with Iran, although insiders suggest something quite the contrary.

Initial reports suggested that the decision was reached by both parties as they bide time to begin testing. The latestreports out of Israel, however, peg the decision as one made by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu alone, with no insight out of Washington. According to those sources, Israel is upset that the US has acted hesitantly so far in its efforts with Iran, whom is believed to be working on a nuclear weapons program.

The decision to postpone the drill marks the first time ever that American and Israeli forces have put a joint military exercise on the backburner, prompting many to question what underlying factors in play. As tensions between Iran and the US worsen and Washington does little to do as Tehran laughs in their face, some say that Israel is fed up that America, usually a big brother of sorts quick to respond to such behavior, is hiding with its tail between its legs.

Israeli officials have become increasingly irritated with America’s reluctance against going up with Iran in recent days. Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon explicitly called the Obama administration “hesitant” on January 15, reports Debka, which was followed by a warning only a day later by the nation’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, in which he urged the US to “move from words to deeds.”

Israel and Iran are at the zero hour, and if the US won’t strike first, the Israelis will.

Postponed drills only underscore Israel’s determination to strike on Iran without consulting Washington.

Israel forces are also concerned over America’s reluctance to act on Iran’s procurement of a 20-percent grade uranium enrichment program at the underground Fordo facility near Qom. Obama had originally said such a program would have detrimental effects for Israel, and although news of the program’s actuality has existed since early January, the White House has done nothing to react.

Only last month, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the planned joint exercise served as the Obama administration’s “unprecedented levels of defense cooperation with Israel to back up our unshakable commitment to Israel’s security.” Just weeks later, however, Netanyahu seems ready to fight Iran on its own.

Israel and Iran are headed for an epic collision. This is well described in the prophecies of Ezekiel, notably Ezekiel 38-39.

Many of us believe that will see the war of Isaiah 17 first, and while tensions mount between Israel and Iran, tensions around Syria also increase by the day. The entire region is sitting on a powder keg both figuratively and literally when one considers the tens of thousands of missiles aimed directly at Israel - and controlled by those who are committed to Israel's destruction.

In the news...

2012-01-18T07:03:00.003-05:00

First up today - Joel Rosenberg weighs in regarding recent decisions the White House has been making on the Iranian situation:

White House Makes 2 New Mistakes On Iran

The White House has made two new and serious mistakes on Iran in recent days:
The Obama administration has just canceled joint military exercises with the Israelis.
The Obama administration has both denied killing a top-ranking Iranian nuclear scientist and condemned the scientist’s assassination.
Given that U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says Iran could have the Bomb by the end of 2012, the U.S. should intensifying pressure on the evil regime in Tehran. This would include dramatically escalating covert ops inside Iran, and making preparations for possible air strikes if there are no other alternatives to neutralizing the Iran threat.

Instead, the senior team at the White House just blinked — twice — showing weakness instead of resolve.

They have also made it more likely, not less, that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu may conclude this year that he has no other choice but to launch a massive first strike against Iran.

Meanwhile, “Israeli Cabinet Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Sunday he was disappointed that the U.S. has not expanded sanctions to further damage Iran’s central bank and its energy industry. He also suggested that the Obama administration hasn’t been as forceful as Britain and France in imposing sanctions. ‘In the United States, the Senate passed a resolution, by a majority of 100-to-1, to impose these sanctions, and in the U.S. administration there is hesitation for fear of oil prices rising this year, out of election-year considerations,’ Ya’alon told Israel Radio, according to Haaretz newspaper. ‘In that regard, this is certainly a disappointment, for now.’”

Russia Says Western Strike On Iran Would Be 'Catastrophe'

A Western military strike on Iran would be a 'catastrophe' that would aggravate dangerous divisions already present in the Muslim world, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
"I have no doubt that it would pour fuel on a fire which is already smouldering, the hidden smouldering fire of Sunni-Shi'ite confrontation, and beyond that (it would cause) a chain reaction -- I don't know where it would stop," he said.

Report: Iran Planning Attacks On U.S. Targets In Turkey

The Turkish newspaper Zaman reported Tuesday that Turkish intelligence has warned that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is planning attacks on the American embassy and American consulates throughout the country.
According to the report, Turkey’s security forces have warned police in all 81 districts throughout the country, telling them to remain alert and vigilant.

Iran Warns Saudis, Europeans Over Oil

Saudi Arabia’s bid to compensate an oil shortage that might emerge upon an embargo on Iran is ‘unfriendly’, the Islamic republic warns its neighbor. As global oil prices climb, Europe will lose big if it obeys US sanctions, Iran also says
As the crude prices keep on climbing tensions between Iran and the United States, the Islamic republic harshly warned Saudi Arabia yesterday before it claimed that a possible oil embargo would mean a “suicide” for Europe.

Implementing an embargo on Iranian oil would be economic suicide for the European Union, said Mohammad Ali Khatibi, Iran’s OPEC Governor. Such a decision will cause “deep crisis” in Europe, he said, according to Mehr news agency.

“We invite Saudi officials to further reflect and consider” their offer to compensate for curbed Iranian oil exports, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in an interview with Iran’s Arabic language broadcaster Al-Alam.

Huge ID Project Offers Multitude Of Challenges

The Indian Government is dedicated to giving each of its citizens a unique, 12-digit number under a scheme called Aadhaar, or Foundation. By the time it is completed it will be 10 times bigger than the world's current largest biometric database. Some estimates say it will cost a total of $36 billion.

The reasoning behind the scheme is simple: officials believe giving citizens such a number will make the provision and distribution of services more efficient and help to reduce the corruption that infects Indian society. It will probably also be used to help to control and monitor illegal immigration.
"We have enrolled 110 million people, we have issued 60 million numbers. By March we will have enrolled 200 million but 600 million is the goal by 2014."

Microchips And Biometric Identity Systems

IBM is aggressively developing new biometric identity systems that could significantly change the way that we live our lives. The following is from arecent IBM press release....
You will no longer need to create, track or remember multiple passwords for various log-ins. Imagine you will be able to walk up to an ATM machine to securely withdraw money by simply speaking your name or looking into a tiny sensor that can recognize the unique patterns in the retina of your eye. Or by doing the same, you can check your account balance on your mobile phone or tablet.
Each person has a unique biological identity and behind all that is data. Biometric data – facial definitions, retinal scans and voice files – will be composited through software to build your DNA unique online password.
Referred to as multi-factor biometrics, smarter systems will be able to use this information in real-time to make sure whenever someone is attempting to access your information, it matches your unique biometric profile and the attempt is authorized.
When biometric identity systems become widespread enough, authorities will pretty much know where you are and what you are doing at all times.
Unfortunately, the use of implantable RFID chips in humans and animals is rapidly spreading. A lot of employers now require that their employees take them for identification purposes. Some cities in the U.S. are actually making it mandatory to put microchips into your pets.
Increasingly, RFID implants are being injected into thousands of elderly Americans living with Alzheimer's disease who are at risk of wandering off and getting lost. In addition, RFID chips are being implanted into many people who are chronically ill so that doctors can access their medical information quickly in an emergency.
And many companies are working hard to make it even easier to implant RFID chips into humans and animals.

Treasury Dips Into Pension Funds To Avoid Debt

Another Day, Another Leaked EU Report On Israel

SOPA On Life Support

The Week In Review

2012-01-17T21:45:00.004-05:00

Hal Lindsey's latest update includes a review of China's rise as a world power, which has been taking place during America's continuing decline. He also provides an update on other prophetic events we have been watching recently:

Hal Lindsey Video Update

In the news...

2012-01-17T07:37:00.007-05:00

First up: Syria

Tanks Fire In Homs, Rebels Call For Intervention

As tanks fired in Homs and rebels fired rockets in Damascus Tuesday, a Syrian rebel army chief urged the world to protect civilians, saying Arab peace monitors had failed to curb President Bashar Assad's violent response to a 10-month-old revolt against his rule.

Riad al-Asaad, a Turkish-based leader of the rebel Free Syrian Army, called for international intervention to replace the Arab observer mission, which has only days to run.

"The Arab League and their monitors failed in their mission and though we respect and appreciate our Arab brothers for their efforts, we think they are incapable of improving conditions in Syria or resisting this regime," he told Reuters by telephone.

"For that reason we call on them to turn the issue over to the UN Security Council and we ask that the international community intervene because they are more capable of protecting Syrians at this stage than our Arab brothers," Asaad said.

The League could ask the U.N. Security Council to act, but until now opposition from Russia and China has prevented the world body from even criticising Syria, an old ally of Moscow.

Iran Condemns Interference In Syria, Hails Reform

Iran condemned what it called foreign interference in the affairs of its closest Arab ally, Syria, on Tuesday and praised reforms Syrian President Bashar Assad has pledged to undertake as "problem-solving."

"We are fundamentally against interfering in the affairs of other countries. We think it does not solve the problems but will only make them more complicated," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a weekly news conference.

Iran has backed "Arab Spring" uprisings that toppled several Western-allied dictators in predominantly Sunni Muslim North Africa, while maintaining support for Assad, a member of the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.

To help deter foreign intervention in Syria, Iran has used various regional cards, including fears that it could unleash militant proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas against Israeli and US interests in the Middle East.

Mossad Worked For Months To Kill Iranian Nuke Scientist

The Mossad worked for months to stage the assassination of its latest Iranian nuclear scientist target last Wednesday, The London Timesreported Sunday.

Quoting unnamed Israeli sources, the newspaper said that well-trained team of agents working in Iran set up the bomb attack on Mustafa Ahmadi Roshan, a scientist at the Natanz nuclear facility. He also was involved in missile development.

Israel 'Waging Covert War On Iran'

Russian Missile Forces Hold High Alert Drills

Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces are holding a series of exercises to practice putting road-mobile missile systems on high alert, SMF spokesman Col. Vadim Koval said.
The exercises involve Topol (SS-25 Sikle), Topol-M (SS-27 Sickle B) and Yars (RS-24) mobile systems stationed in central Russia and Siberia.
“SMF units armed with Topol, Topol-M and Yars road-mobile missile systems will practice patrolling, camouflaging and launch preparation procedures during high alert drills from January 16 to February 3,” Koval told reporters on Monday.
The SMF are planning to hold over 100 tactical drills in the first half of 2012.
As of January 2012, the SMF operated at least 162 mobile Topol systems, 18 mobile Topol-M and 15 mobile Yars systems.

IDF Preparing For Major Gaza Action Within Months

The IDF General Staff has ordered the Southern Command to prepare for a possible large Gaza operation that could occur within the next few months, The Jerusalem Posthas learned.

Preparations include finalizing operational plans and distributing them between the various units that would be deployed inside Gaza.

During Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s anti-Hamas ground incursion launched in late 2008, the IDF established brigade-level units that combined armor, infantry and combat engineer forces.

A similar model would likely be applied in a future operation in Gaza as well.

The Gaza Division, under the command of Brig.-Gen. Yossi Bachar, is spearheading the preparations for such an operation, which senior officials said could be significantly larger than Cast Lead.

25 Volcanoes Showing Abnormal Activity

Twenty-five volcanoes in Indonesia are now showing abnormal activity or have been put on alert or watch status, presidential special aide Andi Arief said here on Saturday.

“According to official data, 25 volcanoes are now under alert or watch status and they must be given priority with regard to disaster mitigation planning at district or city levels,” he said at a workshop on journalists’ role in disaster management.

DSA Marxists Take Over Occupy Movement: Plan "Spring Offensive", With Widespread Occupations Of State Capitals, Schools And Workplaces

The US’ largest Marxist organization Democratic Socialists of America is moving to infiltrate and direct theOccupy Wall Street Movement into a more organized and socialist focused protest movement. DSA is working hard to sustain ‘Occupy’ over the winter in readiness for a major “spring offensive” largely directed at Republican controlled state capitols as they struggle to address massive budget problems.

Writing in the latest issue of Democratic Left, DSA leader and Temple University political science professor Joseph Schwartz, explicitly calls for DSA to connect “Occupy” more to the mainstream left in order to use their combined muscle against responsible state governments come spring.

Below we see an interesting perspective on the recent U.S.-Israeli drills which were cancelled:

Joint Drill Called Off By Israel (?)

Is it possible that the cancellation of these drills reveals the truth behind U.S.-Israeli relations?

Is it possible that the cancellation reveals imminent war between Israel and Iran?

DEBKAfile's sources disclose exclusively that, contrary to recent reports published in Washington, Jerusalem - and this site too - it was Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, not the Obama administration, who decided to call off the biggest ever joint US-Israeli military exercise Austere Challenge 12 scheduled for April 2012.

It was perceived as a mark of Israel's disapproval for the administration's apparent hesitancy in going through with the only tough sanctions with any chance of working against Iran's nuclear weapon program: penalizing its central bank and blocking payments for its petroleum exports.

This was the first time Israel had ever postponed a joint military exercise; it generated a seismic moment in relations between the US and Israel at a time when Iran has never been so close to producing a nuclear weapon.

This week, Netanyahu further orchestrated a series of uncharacteristically critical statements by senior ministers: Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon called the Obama administration "hesitant" (Jan. 15), after which Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman urged the Americans to "move from words to deeds" (Jan 16).

Netanyahu decided on this extreme course after careful consideration when he judged the Obama administration's resolve to preempt a nuclear Iran to be flagging, as indicated by four omissions:

1. Washington has taken no action against Iran's capture of the RQ-170 stealth drone on Dec. 4 more than a month after the event, and not even pressed President Obama's demand of Dec. 12 for the drone's return.

2. Silence from Washington also greeted the start of 20-percent grade uranium enrichment at the underground Fordo facility near Qom when it was announced Jan. 9. Last November, Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned in two US TV interviews (Nov. 17 and 22) that as soon as the Fordo facility went on stream, Iran would start whisking the rest of its nuclear facilities into underground bunkers, out of reach and sight of US and Israeli surveillance.

3. Exactly three weeks ago, on Jan. 3 Lt. Gen. Ataollah Salehi, Iran's Army chief, announced that the aircraft carrier USS Stennis and other "enemy ships" would henceforth be barred from entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz . Yet since then, no US carrier has put this threat to the test by attempting a crossing. Tehran has been left to crow.

4. Even after approving sanctions on Iran's central bank and energy industry, the White House announced they would be introduced in stages in the course of the year. According to Israeli's calculus, another six months free of stiff penalties will give Iran respite for bringing its nuclear weapon program to a dangerous and irreversible level.

The underlying message was that the Israeli government felt free to attack Iran's nuclear sites on its own if necessary and at a time of its choosing.