In the news...

First, a few quotes from Hal Lindsey's latest update (link here)

On this week's edition of "The Hal Lindsey Report": Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of harboring al-Qaeda for much of the last decade. It says that in 2003, al-Qaeda launched its attacks against Westerners in Riyadh from Iran. The Saudis say Iran ordered the attacks. Since Saudi Arabia financed and sheltered al-Qaeda prior to the 9/11 attacks, it's significant that the Saudis are now accusing someone else of doing what they did. In the past, they've preferred to lay low and not remind the world of that connection. What's changed?

The Saudis are now making this very serious accusation public for the same reason that they've leaked the rumor that they will allow Israel to use Saudi airspace to attack Iran. They want the world to take them seriously when they say that don't want Iran to be allowed to go nuclear.

Most people don't understand that Saudi Arabia, most of the Persian Gulf states, and Egypt are even more afraid of a nuclear Iran than Israel is. They've passed exasperation and are headed toward desperation because they can't make President Obama understand it, either.

Iran is working feverishly to surround Israel with its heavily-armed proxy nations and organizations: Syria, Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Their newest friend, Turkey, may even play into this. Iran is determined to do this for two reasons. First, by forcing Israel to guard itself on many fronts, it makes an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities even more difficult. Second, if something happens and Iran is not able to achieve nuclear capability, then a pincer movement by its proxies may still allow Iran to apply the death grip to Israel.

Saudi Arabia isn't the only nation trying to get the world's attention. Recently, Israel took the unusual -- and dangerous -- step of revealing some of its strategic intelligence information about Hezbollah in Lebanon. By showing the UN and the world (and, consequently, Hezbollah and Syria) what it knows about Hezbollah's military, artillery, and missile installations, arsenal and weapons warehousing locations, troop strengths, and emplacement locales, Israel effectively sacrificed its strategic advantage in the coming Third Lebanon War. However, Israel took this risk to show the world the gravity of the threat it faces from southern Lebanon. Israel also did this to show how Hezbollah has hidden itself among the civilian population in a cynical attempt to use the Lebanese as human shields and maximize the collateral damage from any Israeli counterstrikes. It wants the world to see precisely WHO will be to blame for civilian casualties.

Finally, this is the first time since Israel was reborn in 1948 that I cannot truthfully assess where the American government stands on the issue of Israel's continued existence. I know where Americans stand. They stand squarely shoulder-to-shoulder with the Israelis. But the current administration? I'm not sure. President Obama invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit Washington last week. Not to genuinely make nice and restore our relationship. And not to inform him that the President is finally going to allow shipment of the defense materiel previously authorized by the Bush Administration. In fact, Mr. Obama apparently turned down each of Mr. Netanyahu's requests for military supplies.

It now appears that Obama invited Netanyahu to Washington because the Democratic National Committee is panicked that campaign contributions from American Jews have dried up. The DNC wanted Obama to have some nice photo op moments with the Israeli leader so the American Jewish community will be reassured and will start writing the checks again.

Like I've said before, do not accept what the administration SAYS about Israel, watch what the administration DOES about Israel. That's where the truth lies. And that's what frightens me for our nation. Scripture warns against touching the 'apple of His eye.'

Next we see that Israel's "Iron Dome" is ready to go. This is fascinating - and Israel will be the first country to possess this technology:


"Iron Dome system passes final tests"

The Iron Dome defense system provides a complete solution to all rocket threats to Israel from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, Yossi Drucker, director of Rafael's Iron Dome project, told Israel Radio on Tuesday.

Drucker said that Iron Dome had exceeded the defense establishment's original expectations for the anti-missile system. He also specifically stated that Iron Dome could be used to protect Sderot from incoming Palestinian rocket attacks.

The Iron Dome missile defense system passed its last tests and the first two batteries will be ready for deployment by November, the Defense Ministry said Monday. If it proves effective, the system could have far-reaching strategic implications for Israel's ongoing battle against militant groups on its borders.

The Iron Dome system uses sophisticated radar to track incoming rockets, intercepting and destroying them far from their targets. It is the only anti-rocket system of its kind in the world, according to experts

The successful tests completed Monday involved destroying multiple incoming targets in coordination with other air force systems, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The question now becomes this: Will Israel's enemies attempt an attack before this system becomes operational?


And last but not least - an update on the Gulf. Please remember - the "cap" was not intended to be a "fix" it is really more of a test. A test that failed.


"Oil spill media blackout UPDATE for Tampa, Florida: Gulf oil spill floor leak now confirmed"

BP has confirmed that there is an oil leak on the sea floor several miles away from the Deepwater Horizon's damaged blowout preventer. The undisclosed specific location of the sub- sea leak is reported to be billowing oil and deadly methane gas.

The third oil leak, which was admitted to by BP shorty after the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20,1020, may now be emerging from behind what many believe has been an oil spill media blackout.

In the early stages of the 90 day-old disaster, oil industry expert Matt Simmons told NBC News that a major area of seepage was coming from an area about 7 miles from the well. Simmons called it the “elephant behind the mouse.”

Residents in the Tampa Bay area have been concerned over the lack of available information on the potential risks from the disaster.

Should the sea floor leak announced today be confirmed in same location as the one Simmons and Senator Nelson have reported, then BP and the government have been aware of it all along, further substantiating fears of an oil spill media blackout.

The media blackout around the Gulf crisis is a mystery. It is starting to look more and more like the administration simply wants to cover-up the magnitude of this situation and in turn, avoid the appearances of ineptitude. Or at least that's what many of us hope accounts for the black-out. Other theories are just too scary to contemplate.