UNSC Holds First Meeting On PA Statehood Bid

UN panel holds first meeting on Palestinian statehood bid

A UN Security Council panel on admitting new members to the United Nations met on Friday for the first time on the Palestinian Authority's bid to join the world body as Palestinians lobbied council members for support.

Lebanese UN ambassador says committee unanimously agreed to continue meeting at expert level; Palestinians say they have 8 of 9 necessary votes, plan to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia.

After the closed-door meeting of the council's standing committee on admitting new members, which comprises all 15 council members, Lebanese UN Ambassador Nawaf Salam said the committee unanimously agreed to continue meeting at the expert level next week.

Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad al Malki said Thursday that he would soon visit Bosnia, while PA President Mahmoud Abbas would visit Colombia and Portugal in October, as part of efforts to secure the necessary nine votes in the UN Security Council to pass a resolution recognizing a Palestinian state as a full member in the world body, The Telegraph reported.

Bosnia, Colombia and Portugal are three of the 15 nations currently sitting on the UN Security Council that must make a determination on the Palestinian statehood issue.

Malki added that Abbas will also visit Honduras and the Dominican Republic while on his Latin American swing, and the PA president was also scheduled to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on October 6.

All of this could be moot assuming the U.S. stands firm and exercises their veto option which would effectively kill this effort.

Previous news has indicated that the U.S. would prefer not to use this option and the only way to accomplish that is to somehow ensure that Abbas doesn't gain the necessary 9 vote majority. Presently it is difficult to know if the 9 votes can be gathered by Abbas and the PA.

If indeed, the PA does gain the 9 vote majority it will be interesting to see if the U.S. will actually implement the veto option.

This entire scenario may become more and more interesting over the next two weeks.

Escalation Between Turkey and Israel

It is becoming obvious that control over the gas and oil finds in the Mediterranean will lead to trouble:

Report: IAF Jets Circling Turkish Ships

Aerial incident above the Mediterranean?

A crew onboard a Turkish exploration ship searching for gas reservoirs near Cyprus claimed that two Israeli aircraft and a helicopter circled above them on Thursday night,

According to a report published Friday in the Turkish newspaper Watan Daily, two F-15 jets passed through Cyprus' Greek and Turkish airspace and approached the Turkish coastline, while ignoring air controllers' warnings in north Cyprus, which is considered a Turkish territory.

The report, which was featured on the paper's front page, also claimed that the jets retreated only after Turkey dispatched two F-16 planes.

Earlier this week, Turkey unveiled its first domestically developed and produced battleship.

Last week, Erdogan Addressed the Greek Cypriot administration's exploratory drilling in the eastern Mediterranean and said that what Israel and southern Cyprus embarked upon was insanity.

Israel scrambles IAF warplanes toward Turkish ship

The report added that the warplanes approached the Turkish ship despite incessant warnings by forces in Turkish Cyprus, according to which the planes had breached the territory's airspace.

Ultimately, the report indicated, Turkey launched two F-16 fighters to track the Israeli planes, at which point the IAF fighter jets returned to Israeli airspace.

In addition, the report claimed that an IAF helicopter hovered over the ship, Piri Reis, while the ship was in the Aphrodite gas field off Cyprus' southern coast and near to the larger Leviathan natural gas field.

This action represents a significant increase in tensions in the region.

Also in the news:

Palestinians press Security Council members to back UN statehood bid

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is due to leave for Colombia next week, in an attempt to convince officials in the South American nation to support a bid for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations Security Council.

A Palestinian official speaking with Haaretz on Friday, said that "within the Security Council there are nine nations who had already recognized a Palestinian state, so the Palestinians expect those countries to support the [UN] proposal too."

Haaretz has also learned that the Arab states have been pressuring Bosnia by threatening not to support a recognition of Kosovo's independence if Bosnia failed to back the Palestinian bid at the UNSC.

Bosnia and Colombia are both temporary members of the UNSC, making them crucial in the Palestinian bid to gain full recognition as an independent state in the Security Council.

Islam's History of Forced Conversions

Consider the issue of forced conversion in Islam, a phenomenon that has a long history with ample precedents. Indeed, from its inception, most of those who embraced Islam did so under duress, beginning with the Ridda wars and during the age of conquests, and to escape dhimmi status. This is a simple fact.

Yet, when one examines today’s cases of forced conversions with those from centuries past, identical patterns emerge, demonstrating great continuity. Consider:

Days ago in Pakistan, two Christian men were severely beaten with iron rods and left for dead by a group of Muslims, simply because they refused to convert to Islam.

According to Compass Direct News, they were returning from a church service when they were accosted by six Muslims. After they discovered they were Christian, the Muslims:

then started questioning them about their faith and later tried to force them to recite the Kalma [Islamic conversion creed, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger”] and become Muslims, telling them that this was the only way they could live peacefully in the city.

They also offered monetary incentives and “protection” to Ishfaq and Naeem [the Christians], but the two refused to renounce Christianity.

“After cajoling the two Christians for some time,” the Muslims pretended to go away, only to ram their car into the Christians:

“The Muslims [then] got out of the car armed with iron rods and attacked Ishfaq and Naeem, shouting that they should either recite the Kalma or be prepared to die…severely beating[ing] the two Christians, fracturing Ishfaq Munawar’s jaw and breaking five teeth, and seriously injuring Masih…. [T]he two Christians fell unconscious, and the young Muslim men left assuming they had killed them.”

After citing similar stories from the past and noting the similarities, we see this:

Now, consider the near identical patterns in the two accounts, separated by half a millennium:

- The Muslims first begin by talking to the Christians about their religion, suggesting they convert to Islam.

- Failing to persuade the Christians, the Muslims proceed to “cajole” and offer “monetary incentives and protection” (in the modern case) and “flatter” and offer “many honors and much glory” (in the historic case). All that the Christians need do is speak some words, the Kalma, and become Muslim.

- When the Christians still refuse, the Muslims fly into a savage rage, beating and torturing their victims to death (in the modern case, the Muslims assumed they had killed their victims).

How about some (sarcasm based) humor to end this news update today?

The Ongoing Occupation of America

The Islamist-Nazi Link

The most recent Golden Report begins this story:

Israel-Ishmael = No Peace. Until the Prince of Peace Returns

I was in the process of writing an article showing why the so-called "Palestinians" will never accept A Jewish State, when it occurred to me that all I really needed to do is re-run this article written not so long ago.

When reading this put yourself in the shoes of the Israeli and then remember the Holocaust and who and what Hitler was, now we can plainly see that same Nazi spirit moving in the Islamic Jihad towards Israel.

We can never forget what happened to the Jews during the WWII era. One of the main reasons is the simple fact that it is happening again right now and right before our watching eyes. World-wide sentiment today is absolutely opposed to the Nation of Israel, and the parallels to Nazi Germany and today's world is haunting at best.

It probably is not necessary to tell the readers of this article that the Islamic Arabs are evil, that their plan for the world is to impose Sharia Law on mankind world wide. In fact, when you take a look at what is happening in Europe, you might understand that what they plan seems to be working.

If you look at the African continent you will once again see that it is happening there as well.

But what may surprise you is how successful they have become in the United States. Most people believe that the Nazi movement died with Hitler, but that is very far from the truth. My purpose in this report is to show how the Nazi movement has moved into, and controls, the Islamic Arab World.

Take a look at the rest of this article, and then this short film which is also contained in the article:

The Islamist-Nazi Link Video

Is this really surprising? Christians and Jews who refuse to take the Mark of the Beast will be exterminated during the Tribulation, not unlike what happened during Nazi Germany, only this time it will take place on a world-wide scale.

It is coming and today we see the beginnings as the world aligns against the nation of Israel.

Also see:

Ashton shows pro-Palestinian side at EU parliament

Europe: Palestinian statehood big 'legitimate'

While it may be tempting to fall into the politically correct response of "Oh, its no big deal, the 'Palestinians' should have their own state". Don't forget. These same "Palestinians" are the very people who are sworn to destroy the Nation of Israel and kill every Jew in the region. And it is the same Europe who supports this, while completely ignoring the daily rhetoric by the Islamic leaders.

We can never ever forget that fact.

In the news:

PA: We are one vote shy of a majority in Security Council

Palestinian Authority foreign minister says 8 out of 9 necessary UNSC members back the Palestine resolution; Malki optimistic Palestinian statehood bid will pass.

Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said that the Palestinians have received approval from eight members of the UN Security Council in support of their bid for full membership to the United Nations.

If nine members of the Security Council vote in favor of the Palestinian state bid, the the resolution will pass, unless one of the council's five permanent members uses a veto.

Below is the list:

According to Malki, the eight Security Council members who will back the resolution are Russia, China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Gabon - a Central African Nation that Israel media was reporting as being "on the fence" about the issue. Malki said that the Palestinians will focus their attention on persuading either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Columbia to offer their vote in favor of the resolution

The UN Security Council will discuss the Palestinian application on Wednesday morning.

Iran Says Its New Cruise Missile Can 'Sink Giant Warships'

Iran has begun to mass manufacture a domestically developed cruise missile that reportedly could be used to strike Israel and potentially counter U.S. naval presence in the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s growing arsenal includes short- and medium-range ballistic missiles that are capable of hitting targets in the region, such as Israel and U.S. military bases in the Gulf. Reports of the mass production comes at a time when there appears to be increasing tension between Iran and the U.S.

Hezballah Cells Active Worldwide, Including the U.S.

The terrorist group Hezb'allah, based in Lebanon, is establishing "resistance cells" worldwide under the direction of Iran, according to Mohammad Hussein Babai, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the province of Golestan.

The cells are already infiltrating the United States with the help of Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and drug cartels.

This is the first time that a high-ranking Revolutionary Guard commander in the Islamic regime of Iran has revealed the presence of such jihadist cells in the world.

And what is their focus?

We see two main elements:

"We must not fear anyone, and an international jihad must take place to prepare for the Coming." The "Coming" refers to Imam Mahdi, the Shiites' 12th Imam, who, according to a Shiite hadith, will reappear and reap destruction on Israel and the West.

Azghadi said it is the duty of Iran, "the center of the religious fighters worldwide," to export revolution. "As our Imam [the founder of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] declared, we must destroy Israel and free Jerusalem.

Of course. To hasten their "Mahdi", which will bring forth the destruction of Israel.

World opinion swings back against Israel

Even when the Palestinian regime openly identifies itself as an impossible peace partner, it never takes long before the international community finds an excuse to again blame Israel for the lack of a peace agreement.

Why? Because Israel dares to initiate construction on their sovereign land:

But already on Thursday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned to the familiar rhetoric, suggesting that the construction of a few apartments in Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem is what's really blocking peace.

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and British Foreign Secretary William Hague also condemned what they called "provocative settlement activity."

The three diplomats were referring to Israel's approval of the construction of 1,100 new apartments in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, which is already home to tens of thousands of Jews. The Palestinians claim Gilo as part of their future state, as it lies on the side of Jerusalem that was illegally occupied by Jordan prior to 1967.

It is worth pointing out that while Clinton is quick to jump on Israel for building a few apartments, she has not been consistent in calling out the "kind of action which could undermine trust" when it comes to the Palestinians.

For instance, Palestinian police forces have been operating in eastern Jerusalem in violation of signed agreements for the past couple of years. The Palestinian Authority has also resumed political activity in Jerusalem, again in violation of signed agreements.

Sadly, we already know that the truth has no relevance in bizarro world.

And in Europe we see this:

Fury At "Brainwashing" Plan For EU Citizenship Lessons In Every School

CHILDREN could be forced to attend compulsory lessons in “European citizenship” under draconian plans drawn up by Euro-MPs in Brussels, it emerged last night.

In a move likened to Nazi indoctrination, the European Parliament wants pupils as young as five to be taught about EU “benefits” and encouraged to behave as “good Europeans”.

“We fear it will be a carte blanche to push the federalist agenda that is so close to the hearts of the Eurocrats. When you are targeting youngsters and their education, that amounts to political interference; when you are talking about pushing propaganda at children, that is a little sinister.

Volcano threat sparks evacuation in Canaries

With the Pico de Malpaso mountain spitting rocks intermittently and a growing rumbling underground, authorities made emergency preparations on Wednesday in case the volcano blows its top on the Atlantic island of El Hierro.

The national defence ministry said it had sent 31 military personnel to the island to help with the evacuation and Defence Minister Carme Chacon was heading there to inspect the emergency preparations.

The Spanish National Geographic Institute has recorded 8,000 tremors since July 19, most of them too small to be felt, but they have been growing in intensity. One recorded overnight on Wednesday reached 3.4 magnitude.

More Updates: Palestinian Statehood Goes to UN Admissions Panel

PA Statehood To Admissions Panel

The United Nations Security Council agreed Wednesday to send the Palestinian application for statehood to its admissions committee for review.

The first meeting of that committee, which includes all 15 members of the council, is set for Friday.

"As you see, the process is moving forward step by step, and we hope the Security Council (will) shoulder its responsibility and approve our application and send a recommendation to the General Assembly for the admission of Palestine into the United Nations," Mansour said Wednesday.

In some other news in the region:

Region Watch: Storm Clouds Over Eastern Mediterranean

Another potential tipping point:

Cyprus dipute over natural gas exploration could be flashpoint where Ankara’s deteriorating ties with Jerusalem become truly dangerous.

Cyprus’s defiance of recent Turkish warnings against beginning the search for natural gas in this area is unlikely to be the last word on the matter.

Muscle-flexing in the eastern Mediterranean forms part of Ankara’s broader combined strategic and economic ambitions. Israel is part of the picture and is drawing closer to the Cypriots.

The Turkish Piri Reiss and a Norwegian seismic ship are to commence exploration, accompanied by ships of the Turkish Navy. There are reports that Turkish F-16s will be stationed on Northern Cyprus to provide protection for this activity.

The article closes on this ominous warning:

AKP leaders of Turkey are sailing into confrontation with a list of long-demonized enemies. Israel is near the top of the list. Economic ambitions and rivalries are combining for Turkey with strategic goals and ideological visions. The storm clouds are gathering over the eastern Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, in the midst of a dramatic escalation in world-wide sabre rattling, the U.S. plans to disarm:

Disarming America's Military

In an article posted on Military.com, a September 26 report released by the House Armed Services Committee warned that $465 billion in cuts to the defense budget over ten years would “transform a Superpower into a Regional Power” and return the military to funding levels of “the post-Vietnam Carter era of the late 1970s.”

Below are a few details:

The report contemplated cuts that would “eliminate 60 ships, two carrier battle groups, and over 200,000 troops through 2021.

The Army would lose ground combat vehicles. The Navy would suffer cuts in ship building and replacements for older ships.

The Air Force would likely lose the next generation bombers and aerial refueling tanker aircraft. The Marine Corps would lose personnel carriers and indefinitely postpone replacements for new amphibious assault vehicles and ships.

We also see this tragic story involving persecution:

Iranian Pastor Must Disavow His Christian Faith This Week Or Face Execution

Updates:

Today there are several updates to some of the stories we have been following recently.

Iran has been back in the news recently:

'French UN envoy warns of 'strong' risk of strike on Iran'

Gerard Araud says "some countries" won't accept the prospect of Iran crossing nuclear threshold, AFP reports; follows Russian calls for freezing of centrifuge production, ahead of Panetta visit to Israel.

French Ambassador to the United Nations Gerard Araud warned of a "strong" risk of a military strike on Iran if it proceeds on the path to nuclear proliferation, AFP reported on Wednesday.

"If we don't succeed today to reach a negotiation with the Iranians, there is a strong risk of military action," AFP quoted the French envoy as saying in a New York panel discussion.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was expected to arrive in Israel for talks with counterpart Defense Minister Ehud Barak, talks which were expected to include the Iranian nuclear threat.

France: Iran faces high risk of military strike

Debka weighs in and reveals how far tensions are escalating around the Iranian nuclear situation:

France's UN Ambassador Gerard Araud warned Wednesday, Sept. 28 that Iran runs a high risk of a military strike if it continues on the path to nuclear proliferation. "Some countries won't accept the prospect of Tehran reaching the threshold of nuclear armament," he said. "Personally I am convinced that it would be a very complicated operation …with disastrous consequences in the region."

Ambassador Araud's comment confirmed reports from DEBKAfile's military sources in recent months that US and European sanctions against Iran had been ineffectual and the ayatollahs had no intention of slowing down on their drive for a nuclear weapon.

Tehran was not idle: Tuesday, the day before the war game ended, Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, commander of the Iranian Navy, stated that Iranian warships would be deployed "close to US territorial waters," since the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the US presence in the Persian Gulf "illegitimate and makes no sense."

After Tehran rejected a recent US request to establish a "red phone" link between the countries to avoid unwanted confrontation between their armed forces in the Gulf region, Ali Fadavi, Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Navy chief, commented enigmatically: "When we are in the Gulf of Mexico, we will establish direct contact with the United States."

The ambassador therefore held out little hope of the long-stalled US-South Korea talks with the North resumed lately getting anywhere on Pyongyang's denuclearization.

All these ominous events – pointed comments by French and British diplomats and the large-scale Russian-Central Asian war game – add up to widespread skepticism about any chance of halting Iran's race for a nuclear weapon or disarming North Korea.

Iranian Navy Plans to Send Ships Near U.S. Waters

The Iranian navy plans to move naval vessels out of the Persian Gulf and into the Atlantic Ocean, "near maritime borders of the United States," the Tehran Times reported Tuesday.

According to the English-language paper based in Tehran, the announcement came from a top Iranian naval officer on Tuesday.

As the global arrogance (forces of imperialism) have a (military) presence near our sea borders, we also plan to have a strong presence near the U.S. sea borders with the help of the soldiers who are loyal to the vali-e faqih (supreme jurisprudent),” said Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, as quoted and paraphrased by the Tehran Times.

20,000 Heat-Seeking Missiles Reportedly Feared Missing From Libyan Warehouse

A recent secret White House meeting revealed that an estimated 20,000 portable, heat-seeking missiles appear to have vanished from an Army warehouse in Libya, ABCNews.com reported.

The new revelations stoke ongoing fears that such weapons, which are light, relatively easy to use and have the capacity to take down a commercial airplane, could end up in the wrong hands as the Libyan war that ousted Muammar Qaddafi winds down.

Icy Comet Elenin Passes Close to Sun, Could be Falling Apart

In August, doomsday prophets speculated that icy comet Elenin would wreak havoc on Earth. Now new images from an amateur Australian astronomer are showing a rapid dimming in Comet Elenin, leading some astronomers to believe that the comet may be falling apart.

Michael Mattiazo, an amateur astronomer from Australia, captured two images of Elenin -- one on Aug. 19 and the other on Sept. 6 -- that show the comet could be disintegrating. The video footage of Elenin shows that the comet began losing some cohesion around late August and early September as it neared the sun.

Officials at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said they are still waiting for the comet to reappear from the near-sun pass before they make any new observations.

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a U.S. and European satellite observatory, might see Elenin by Sept. 29, according to Space.com. Scientists expect Elenin to pass closest to Earth on Oct. 16. At that time, the comet, which is about two to three miles (three to five kilometers) wide, will be about 22 million miles (35 million kilometers) from the planet.

Growing Persecution

The article below puts things in perspective and offers some facts that are quite disturbing:

18 Examples Of How Christians Are Being Specifically Targeted By Big Brother

I'll just put the introduction to the article below, but the article is worth reading. As shocking as the information is, we should expect such as we enter the era of the Tribulation:

The truth is that any individual or group that does not "fit in" with the new "politically-correct" global system that is emerging is going to be persecuted sooner or later. In our society today, it has become quite fashionable to bash Christians. In fact, I am quite certain that some of the comments that get left after this article will say really horrible things about Christians.

When I speak of "Big Brother", I am not just speaking of the government. In today's world, giant corporations and the mainstream media also play instrumental roles in the totalitarian police state prison grid that is being constructed all around us.

Anyone that does not "conform" to their system is a threat. As time goes by, the persecution of those that attempt to "rebel" against their system is only going to become more intense.

Now, take a look at the examples cited. Rather than allowing these examples to create anger and/or depression - use them to see the nearness of the hour. And the hour is drawing ever so close. That should be our focus now.

Iran Threatens The U.S. While Thousands Of Surface-Air Missiles Disappear In Libya

If tensions weren't already high enough in the world, today we have two more to add to the growing list:

Iran Threatens to Deploy Navy Off U.S. Coast

Reuters is reporting that Iran has raised the possibility of sending Iranian warships close enough to U.S. shores to ratchet up tensions.

According to the official IRNA news agency, Iranian naval chief Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said:

“Like the arrogant powers that are present near our marine borders, we will also have a powerful presence close to American marine borders.”

This Iranian saber-rattling comes on the heels of other recent provocations, including the passage of Iranian warships through the Suez Canal a few months ago, which marked the first time the Islamic Republic of Iran has ever deployed warships to the Mediterranean.

Sayyari was speaking at a ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 war with Iraq. He didn’t elaborate on the scale or timing of the possible naval deployment.

Iran says could deploy navy near U.S. coast

Iran raised the prospect on Tuesday of sending military ships close to the United States' Atlantic coast, in what would be a major escalation of tensions between the long-standing adversaries.

The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to stop it getting nuclear weapons. Tehran denies it is developing nuclear arms saying its atomic program is for purely peaceful purposes.

Nightmare in Libya: Thousands of Surface-to-Air Missiles Unaccounted For

The White House announced today it planned to expand a program to secure and destroy Libya's huge stockpile of dangerous surface-to-air missiles, following an ABC News report that large numbers of them continue to be stolen from unguarded military warehouses.

ABC News reported today U.S. officials and security experts were concerned some of the thousands of heat-seeking missiles could easily end up in the hands of al Qaeda or other terrorists groups, creating a threat to commercial airliners.

The missiles, four to six-feet long and Russian-made, can weigh just 55 pounds with launcher. They lock on to the heat generated by the engines of aircraft, can be fired from a vehicle or from a combatant's shoulder, and are accurate and deadly at a range of more than two miles.

Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch first warned about the problem after a trip to Libya six months ago. He took pictures of pickup truckloads of the missiles being carted off during another trip just a few weeks ago.

"I myself could have removed several hundred if I wanted to, and people can literally drive up with pickup trucks or even 18 wheelers and take away whatever they want," said Bouckaert, HRW's emergencies director. "Every time I arrive at one of these weapons facilities, the first thing we notice going missing is the surface-to-air missiles."

The ease with which rebels and other unknown parties have snatched thousands of the missiles has raised alarms that the weapons could end up in the hands of al Qaeda

You have to wonder just how much longer a lid can be kept on the ability of terrorist groups to create widespread havoc in the world with large-scale attacks. Surface-to-air missiles could be used not only against military aircraft, but on commercial airlines as well.

This was one of the initial fears when the uprisings began in Libya and it seems that these fears are now being realized.

In the news:

Joel Rosenberg is also noticing Putin's movements to continue his power grab in Russia:

Putin Set To Re-Emerge As Czar Of Russia

On August 17th – in a column entitled, “Putin Rising: But Is He Gog?” — I wrote that “after keeping a relatively low profile for the last several years, Vladimir Putin is rising. In recent weeks, the Russian leader — currently serving as his country’s prime minister — once again has been making headlines, stoking controversy, and seeming to position himself to run for president of Russia again in March 2012.”

As stated before, I would argue that he never really lost power, due to the way he crafted the position of Prime Minister.

Reuters notes that “the next president will be elected for six years and the constitution still allows the head of state a maximum of two straight terms — meaning Putin could be in power for another 12 years.”

The re-emergence of Putin as Russia’s central tyrant will re-stoke speculation that we are heading towards the “War of Gog and Magog”as prophesied in the Bible in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.

A growing number of Jews also believe Ezekiel 38 and 39 could come true in our lifetime, and possibly in the next few years. In June of 2010, for example, a group of Rabbis in Israel said current events seemed to be leading to the “War of Gog and Magog.”

Below we see another stark reminder of the rising Christian persecution around the globe, as the nations yawn:

More Than 100 Christians Killed in Nigeria's Plateau State

A rash of attacks by armed Muslim extremists on villages in Nigeria’s Plateau state in the past month have left more than 100 Christians dead, including the elimination of entire families, sources said.

In a guerilla-type “hit and run” attack on the Christian community of Vwang Kogot, Muslim attackers at about 8 p.m. on Sept. 9 killed 14 Christians, including a pregnant woman. Survivors of the attack told Compass that the assailants raided the village with the aid of men in military uniforms of the Nigerian Army.

“After the soldiers and the Muslims left, we rushed into the place to see the destruction they did,” he said. “We discovered that 14 people were killed. Among them was a pregnant woman who died with a child in her womb – bringing the number of deaths to 15 persons. We also observed that the victims died from gun and machete wounds.”

Netanyahu's Speech and the Deafening Silence

If Israel shrank to just one downtown city block in Tel Aviv, it would still be reason for an all-out war of extermination by the Arab and Muslim world.

Those of you who saw Bibi’s speech at the UN - that Temple of Hypocrisy and Moral Turpitude - will have noticed the polite but tepid applause from a few along with the deafening silence from oh, so many of the international delegates.

The stark fact, which nobody wants to hear, is that Islam will never make peace with a non-Muslim state, especially if the Muslim foot trod triumphal upon that same territory once occupied in the name of Allah.

In conclusion, the endless and repeated begging for peace from a perverse and irretrievably hostile Muslim and Arab world must stop. The reality is desperately hard to acknowledge and accept, but it is an Islamic fact that Islam and its adherents will never make peace with non-Muslims.

A Palestinian State Will Not Bring Peace

Abbas, not surprisingly, blamed the failure of earlier negotiations on Israel. He complained that "the Israeli government ... frantically continues to intensify building of settlements on the territory of the state of Palestine.

Are the Israeli settlements really the problem? No, they’re just the obstacle du jour.

In fact, the Palestinian Arabs rejected the United Nations’ original proposal to create a Jewish state and an Arab state in 1947, long before any "settlements” were on the horizon.

As Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu explained in his own UN address on Friday: "Our conflict has been raging for—was raging for nearly half a century before there was a single Israeli settlement in the West Bank. ...

The hypocrisy below is mind numbing:

Syria's UN envoy: Israel is committing 'state terrorism' against Palestinians

Compare these two statements:

Israel's human rights violations are proof that it is committing "state terrorism," Syria's ambassador to the United Nations told the UN's Human Rights Council on Monday.

The comment by the Syrian official came amid a months-long crackdown by Bashar Assad's regime against pro-democracy protesters. Earlier this month, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that at least 2,700 people have been killed in Syria since anti-government protests broke out in March.

Again. Mind numbing. Typical for discourse in the Middle East.

We can see the same below:

Stockholm Syndrome from Tehran

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad engineered the release last week of two American hikers serving eight-year prison terms on trumped-up espionage charges.

He may have thought the release would make him seem more humane, but the $1 million bail-for-freedom deal makes Tehran look like Somali pirates, grabbing innocent tourists, holding them hostage and then releasing them for ransom.

So why did released hiker Shane Bauer say the following upon his release? "Two years in prison is too long, and we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in America (emphasis added) and Iran."

The moral-equivalent rhetoric may have worked when Bauer was a peace and conflict studies major at the University of California, Berkeley, but one country ginned up phony espionage charges to use him and his companions as political pawns -- that's Iran -- and the other country doesn't imprison critics because of what they say or use violence to quell dissent.

At the time of their arrest, Bauer and Shourd were living in Damascus, in the bosom of Bashar Assad's Syria. They have shared a professed love of Middle Eastern culture. They also shared some blind spots.

Shourd, for example, wrote that in Yemen,

"The separation of sexes is widely understood as an attempt to protect women, and I have to admit, the streets do feel safe. Men leave you alone as long as you are covered; in a bizarre way it is less of a hassle being a woman here than anywhere I've ever been."

However, reality suggests something very different. Again - its the whole "reality thing":

Newsweek lists Yemen as one of nine countries that are "the worst places to be a woman," because domestic violence is not illegal and there is no legal recognition of spousal rape.

A year before Shourd wrote about how safe she felt in Yemen, 10-year-old Nujood Ali went to a Sanaa courtroom to ask a judge to release her from an arranged marriage to an older man who beat her. Other girl brides came forward with their horror stories. A Sanaa University study found that more than half of Yemeni girls are married before they turn 18.

But reality matters little in bizarro world.

Syria Claims Israeli Weapons Discovery

This story could initially seem like a minor, insignificant incident, but upon reflection, it could end up being a very big story - one that could even be used as an excuse to attack Israel.

For several months now, various news reports have been suggesting the possibility that Syrian leadership may seek a diversion from their internal problems, and of course Israel would represent the most obvious "diversion". Couple that with the Syrian obsession over the Golan Heights, and one could expect to see some form of diversion directed towards Israel.

In that context we look at this recent news story.

Syria Claims to Have Found Israeli Weapons in Horns

Syria claims authorities have found a vehicle loaded with Israeli-made ammunition used by anti-regime protesters.

The authorities in the Syrian governorate of Homs have seized Israeli ammunition, the state news agency SANA reported on Monday.

According to the report, a Peugeot 404 car loaded with amounts of weapons including Israeli weapons, explosive devices, ammunition and stolen military uniforms was discovered.

A military source told SANA that while searching the car, the authorities found an Israeli-made machine gun, hand grenades, including an Israeli grenade and some explosive devices, two of which are set for radio controlled detonation. In addition to that, the source claimed, four explosive devices were also seized.

It seems very unlikely that Israel would take such an enormous risk on such minor weapons, as their covert abilities would far exceed some small operation like this. Additionally, if Israel were to be involved in these uprisings (which is unlikely, given that the current uprisings, if successful, would only lead to a more radical anti-Israeli regime - see Egypt, Lebanon, Libya etc.), they would do so in a far more sophisticated, covert and significant manner.

Rather, this looks much more like a set-up by the current Syrian regime - and if that is the case, we can expect to see a big deal made out of this. One can only wonder what the long-term goal of such a set-up would be.

There was no confirmation of these findings anywhere else.

Interesting.

And this:

The Syrian government has been cracking down on anti-regime protesters and has often blamed foreign forces for inciting the protests. The authorities have more than once claimed that “terrorists who threaten us” are the reason for the full mobilization of military forces in Syria.

And below we may see what amounts to the bottom line, especially if this situation is indeed a set-up framing Israel:

This report might be an attempt to blame Israel for being behind an attempt to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

This story will be worth following very closely for further developments.

Expect to see an "official statement" by Syria in the coming days, if not hours - condemning Israel for inciting these riots and providing weapons to the insurgents.

Something just isn't right about this story.

It certainly doesn't seem likely that Israel would risk international condemnation and possible war with Syria over a few weapons (small enough to put in a Peugeot), explosive devices and some ammunition.

As stated, Israel has nothing to gain by these uprisings, which are led by radical Islamic groups similar to what has been seen in Egypt and Libya - and such instability in Syria is much more threatening to Israel. It makes no sense that Israel would assist the very same radical elements who would seek any opportinity to attack Israel.

Also compare this situation, to the extremely elaborate and sophisticated covert operations that Israel uses in Iran. A few loose weapons packed into a car such as this would be considered insulting to Israeli intelligence and military.

The obvious question then becomes - why would this story be planted by Syria?

The answers to that question are quite ominous.

We need to see what happens next. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of this story.

Blast destroys Sinai gas pipeline to Israel

This just in from the Jerusalem Post:

Egypt: Blast destroys Sinai gas pipeline to Israel, Jordan

An explosion destroyed an Egyptian pipeline in Sinai that supplies Israel and Jordan with gas on Tuesday, security sources and witnesses said.

The security sources said the explosion happened west of the city of El-Arish. Witnesses said 15-meter high flames could be seen rising from the pipeline. The cause of the blast was not immediately known and there were no immediate reports of casualties.The army surrounded the area and the company operating the pipeline closed it down after the blast, which was heard far away from the scene.

The pipeline is run by Gasco, Egypt's gas transport company which is a subsidiary of the national gas company EGAS.

The pipeline had already been attacked five times since the ouster of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February.

In the news:

1. Quakes

Killer earthquakes on the rise

Finally, the increase in worldwide quakes is receiving some attention by the media.

The last decade has seen an intensification in earthquake activities. The 2004 Sumatra quake in Indonesia, which registered 9.3 on the Richter scale, has triggered stress in many areas. The Sikkim earthquake could be a manifestation of this stress. Earthquakes, some scientists believe, are on the rise.

The earthquake in Fukushima in Japan had a magnitude of 8.9 and was the largest in the recorded history of Japan. The February 2010 Chile earthquake registered a similar magnitude as the Japan quake while the January 2010 quake in Haiti had a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale.

Prof D.K. Paul, an earthquake engineer with IIT Roorkee, believes the pushing of the Indian tectonic plate under the Eurasian plate (at the rate of 5 cm per year) results in stresses which over a period of time, manifest as earthquakes.

5.3-magnitude earthquake strikes Northwest Territories

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Northwest Territories Sunday night, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed.

The quake was recorded about 200 kilometres south of Norman Wells, N.W.T., at a depth of 2.9 kilometres.

2. Technology for the "Mark of the Beast"?

Next evolution> Embedded chips for cyber connectivity

Federally funded research at the University of Illinois has produced a microchip that can be put on skin like a temporary tattoo and is successful in linking the physical world and the cyberworld in stunning new ways, according to a university announcement.

"We think this could be an important conceptual advance in wearable electronics, to achieve something that is almost unnoticeable to the wearer," said university electrical and computer engineering professor Todd Coleman.

The development recalls a recent WND report about the area of study called "transhumanism," a term often used synonymously with "human enhancement."

Futurists describe it as being "posthuman," the next step in what they believe to be the evolutionary process.

3. The Rise of Gog?

How Putin Arranged His Return to the Presidency

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ended the false suspense about whether Vladimir Putin would be returning to the Kremlin or not. Dmitry Medvedev announced the "return of the king" to a conference of the United Russia party.

The Russian authorities have now decided that they could dispense with the charade and proceed with the formality of an election and follow with coronation of Vladimir Putin.

Russian Prime Minister Putin to run for presidency next year

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced he will participate in next year's presidential elections for a third term as president. It is a move which had been expected for years.

The announcement was made during the United Russia party congress in Moscow where both President Dmitry Medvedev and Putin were addressing supporters about the upcoming elections. Medvedev used his speech to endorse Putin's presidential run.

Days before the end of Putin's second term as president, he undertook a series of controversial steps to increase the power of the prime minister. Medvedev had been widely expected to serve only one term so Putin could again become president after a short break.

4. Global Financial Crisis

Eurozone is the epicentre of global crisis

While the eurozone was the focus of financial market fears about debt-strained countries, the problem was actually wider spread.
"We have in front of us a global crisis of sovereign risk and we [the eurozone] are the epicenter of this global crisis," he said.

Multi-trillion plan to save the eurozone being prepared

European officials are working on a grand plan to restore confidence in the single currency area that would involve a massive bank recapitalisation, giving the bail-out fund several trillion euros of firepower, and a possible Greek default.

Buckle up for apocalypse Dow

Some say that financial armageddon is nigh - and that it's already too late to stop it.

EU looking at trillions in shock-and-awe plan to end crisis

A plan involving a multi-trillion euro leveraging of the eurozone's rescue fund via the European Central Bank is under consideration as the EU comes under global pressure to act quickly to prevent the bloc's crisis kicking off a global recession.

5. The Epicenter

Turkey to deploy warships over gas dispute

Turkey is set to begin natural gas exploration in the coming days in the Eastern Mediterranean, north of Cyprus. According to reports in the Turkish media, the exploration will be accompanied by a fleet of Turkish war ships and submarines.

Turkey’s war planes will also be stationed in the northern part of the island, which is under Turkish control. It is still unclear whether the exploration will take place in the areas where Israel and Cyprus divided exploration rights in an agreement signed last year.

US Jewish Leader Warns Turkey against Attacking Off-Shore Rig

An attack on the rig drilling for gas off shore from Cyprus for an Israeli-American consortium would be considered an attack on the United States, says Richard Stone, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Stone said Turkey would not dare attack the rig because Nobel is an American company but added that Erdogan is “unpredictable.”

Nobel also has a large stake in the mammoth Israeli discoveries of natural gas, and possibly oil, off Israel’s Mediterranean Coast.

UN Security Council to begin informal debate on Palestinian statehood

UN Security Council members will convene on Monday for informal consultations on the Palestinian Authority's application for admission to the United Nations as a full member state.

"It's highly likely that the consultations will continue for some weeks," said the deputy head of one Western mission to the United Nations.

"The Palestinian application is considered an extremely sensitive issue, and in particular, it's a source of controversy between the council's two leading powers, the United States and Russia. Therefore, no quick decision that would produce an official debate and vote is expected."

Egypt uncovers Libyan SA-24 anti-air missiles and sea mines bound for Gaza

SA-24 Helped by highly sophisticated contraband weapons smuggled out of Libya, Iran and Hizballah are getting the Palestinian Hamas equipped for another round of hostilities with Israel.

The introduction of sophisticated anti-air infrared missiles and sea mines into areas abutting on Israel's land and sea borders has given its army chiefs and strategists a serious headache. The SA-24s would give the Hamas an anti-air capability on a par with that of the Hizballah...

Hamas is therefore armed with weapons capable of attacking high-, medium- and low-flying objects, including planes, helicopters and drones over and outside the Gaza Strip in southwest Israel including the port towns of Ashdod and Ashkelon.

Both radical terrorist groups are now in possession of a stock of Libyan sea mines which can be used with the help of these experts for striking precise locations on the Israeli coast.

6. Conspiracy news:

Is The U.S. Government Stockpiling Food In Anticipation Of A Major Economic Crisis?

Or some other crisis?

Is the U.S. government stockpiling huge amounts of food and supplies in anticipation that something bad is about to happen? Is something about to cause a major economic crisis that will require large quantities of emergency food?

The truth is that the government is taking emergency preparedness very seriously these days. For example, you can see video of a high-level NASA official urging NASA employees to develop preparedness plans for their own families right here.

But what if this is a sign of something bigger?

Persecution: Is This Still America?

Before reading this article, just consider the foundations and origins of this country and the freedom seekers who fled an oppressive Europe for, among other things, religious freedom.

It is heartbreaking and disconcerting to read stories such as this one below, but as stated before, it represents just one more sign that we are rapidly moving towards the Tribulation:

High School Coaches In Trouble For Bowing Their Heads During Student-Led Prayer In Tennessee

Several public high school football coaches in Westmoreland, Tenn. are in trouble for bowing their heads during a student-led prayer before a recent game.

According to local NBC affiliate WSMV, the coaches didn’t say anything aloud themselves, but bowed their heads in observance alongside the students.

Word got back to the principal and the school district, which found the coaches’ participation to be an uncomfortable mix of religion and public school.

They simply bowed their heads during a student-led prayer. Thats it. They actually had the audacity to lower their heads during a prayer.

Have we really fallen this far in America?

We have reached a point in which a school representative cannot bow their heads in a public place, while remaining silent?

What makes this worse, is the fact that someone had to turn them in.

“We’ve been telling our principals to kind of be looking for those things, because that is kind of a shift in how things have been done,” district spokesman Jeremy Johnson told WSMV. “It can in no way appear like it’s endorsed by Sumner County Schools personnel.”

Silently bowing their heads? Really?

But resident Tony Bentle, who has been refereeing football games in the town for years, said crackdown “blew [his] mind.”

“We’re just respectful, God-fearing people up here,” he said. “Nobody in this town is offended if you pray. Nobody.”

Further violations of the policy could lead to disciplinary action for the coaches.

“That’s a violation of their rights. We should be able to bow our heads in reverence to God, wherever we are,” Bentle said. “It’s time we draw a line in the sand and say, you know, this is ridiculous.”

Indeed - but we are destined to see worse treatment as the Tribulation approaches. This is just foreshadowing of what is to come.

But for now, it is a sad day in America.

And it is important to remember. "They" can punish, they can threaten, they can sanction, and they can even remove our public display of our faith but they cannot take away our personal relationship with our Lord and Savior. No matter what they do, they cannot change that fact.

And that is what really matters - our personal relationship and faith in Christ Jesus.

And "they" will have to live with that fact.

They will also have to live with their lack of faith and the consequences of their actions, as there will come a day when every man's knee will bow before Christ.

Updates from the Epicenter:

Abbas at Ramallah rally: 'Palestinian Spring' is coming

This is most definitely an incitement of violence:

Thousands gather to celebrate return of PA president following submittal of request for UN recognition of state; Abbas vows state will be won through peaceful protest and negotiations but only after settlements halted.

WAFA reported that IDF forces detained dozens of buses carrying people to the rally in Ramallah.

The IDF was gearing up for an escalation in violent demonstrations in the West Bank this week amid concern that Abbas’s speech at the United Nations on Friday would motivate the public to increase their “resistance.”

“We see calls for escalation on the Palestinian street and expect more stone throwing over the coming days,” a senior IDF officer said. On Sunday, the Central Command was scheduled to review its current deployment and depending on developments, consider the possible release of several units from active duty in the West Bank to return to training

Abbas Launches 'Palestinian Spring' in Ramallah

Cheered by thousands, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was given a hero's welcome Sunday when he returned from his trip to the United Nations.

“Facing this determination – which I conveyed from you to the world – everyone stood up and appreciated your expectations and aspirations,” he told the cheering crowd. “Our diplomatic move, which has already begun, still has a long way to go,” he warned. “We must know that there will be those who will place obstacles in our path. They will block us and our existence here.”

The U.N. speech, carefully geared to excite the PA street without inflaming it, was nevertheless seen by many in Israel as an exercise in official, institutional incitement “from the top.”

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said over the weekend that the PA leader's speech from the podium at the U.N. General Assembly was the “worst example of anti-israel incitement and vitriol” he had ever heard

Throughout his address, Abbas referred to Israel as a “colonial occupying power” and accused the Jewish State of deliberately targeting civilians, arbitrarily destroying crops, and demolishing schools, mosques and hospitals.

He demanded that the U.N. recognize Judea, Samaria and major portions of Israel's capital city, Jerusalem, as the PA's hoped-for state and that Israel end all construction in Jewish communities in those areas as a precondition for any talks

PA expects 9 countries to vote in favor of statehood bid

The Palestinian Authority said it expected nine countries to vote in favor of the statehood application at the United Nations Security Council.

On the eve of the review of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s application for full membership in the international organization, Palestinian officials have stepped up their criticism of US President Barack Obama because of his opposition to the move.

However, PA representatives expressed fear that the US Administration would try to postpone the vote at the Security Council for as long as possible under various pretexts.

And once again, this (below) says it all:

Referring to Spain’s decision to recognize Israel’s right to be a Jewish state, the PA official said: “This is an erroneous position that could be the result of pressure on Spain, which is on the eve of elections. As for us, we won’t recognize the Israel as a Jewish state.

“The Palestinian land still hasn’t been liberated, but it has been freed from the grip of the Americans and Israelis,” said analyst Hani Habib. “Now the Palestinian issue is once again under the responsibility of the UN. The Americans and Israelis have become isolated and besieged.”

Captured Anti-Aircraft Missiles Were Headed for Sinai Terrorists

Egypt confiscated anti-aircraft missiles that were headed for terrorists in the Sinai, bordering Israel, the Egyptian news agency Youm7 reported Sunday.

Voice of Israel government radio said the weapons were likely smuggled from Libya.

The cache contained eight missiles and three barrels for long-range firing weapons. Empty crates that had held weapons were also found and apparently contained rocket launchers that had been stolen. However, local residents stole them before police arrived, a sign of continuing lack of security control by the Egyptian provisional regime.

Israel security officials have said recently that Libya is becoming a new source of weapons for Arab terrorists in Gaza and Bedouin terrorists who have taken de facto control of several areas of the Sinai.

Terrorists in possession of anti-aircraft missiles could create a catastrophe for Egypt’s tourist industry if they are aimed at planes flying over the Sinai.

Successful smuggling of the weapons into Hamas-controlled Gaza would add to terrorists’ stockpiles of similar weapons that can bring down a commercial airliner.

A successful terrorist attack on an IDF or civilian commercial airline in Israel, besides causing huge casualties, would be a powerful boost for the Hamas terrorist organization.

Also see:

Erdogan Slams Israel in UN: Israel's Leaders Bury Peace

The Beginning of the End of Oslo?

In the news:

The first story is just 'breaking':

Palestinian Authority rejects Quartet call to talks

Do you ever notice a trend here?

Over the past 30-40 years, the "PA" rejects every offer. Regardless of the offer. Why? Because such offers demand recognition of Israel's right to exist - something that will never happen. Period.

The Palestinian Authority is unhappy with the Quartet’s latest initiative to launch peace talks with Israel because it is “incomplete,” PA Foreign Minister Riad Malki said on Saturday.

He pointed out that the initiative, which was launched over the weekend after PA President Mahmoud Abbas submitted to UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon an official request for full membership in the UN, does not call for a cessation of settlement construction an a pullout to the pre-1967 lines.

The Palestinians, meanwhile, have their eyes set towards Monday, when the UN Security Council is scheduled to discuss Abbas’s application for full membership of a Palestinian state.

Hamas Dismisses Abbas Speech

The Hamas terror group dismissed on Friday Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ UN speech, saying that it failed to address PA Arabs’ aspirations.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency that by recognizing Israel and seeking UN membership for a Palestinian state on 22 percent of ‘historic Palestine,’ Abbas “decreased Palestinians’ rights.”

Cyprus-Turkey gas dispute escalates

Turkish vessel the Piri Reis has set sail to drill for gas in waters claimed by EU member Cyprus amid talk of a potential new military confrontation after 35 years of peace.

Referring to related Turkish naval exercises in the area, Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christophias told the UN assembly that Turkey's actions are "provocative and a real danger for further complications in the region ... I wish, from this esteemed podium, to condemn this illegal act which constitutes a provocation."

Turkey's decision to confront Cyprus and the EU comes at the same time as its diplomatic row with Israel over Palestine and its bombing campaign against Kurdish separatists in what amounts to a show of strength in the region.

Turkish deputy prime minister Bulent Aric also talked tough with press in Brussels on Thursday.

"Since we are acting within [maritime] law, we can accompany the exploration with our navy and our air force. We don't have the idea of fighting. We are just defending our rights," he said.

Meanwhile, in the face of Turkey provoking both Cyprus and Israel, the U.S. decided to help arm Turkey (yes, the same Turkey of the Gog-MaGog alliance)...Only in bizarro world:

Erdogan: US to provide drones to Turkey

The United States has agreed in principle to deploy US Predator drones on Turkish soil to aid in the fight against Kurdish separatist rebels, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said.

Of course Turkey can and will use these drones against both Cyprus and Israel. Duh.

Erdogan, speaking to reporters in New York on Friday where he attended a UN General Assembly, said Turkey has offered to buy or lease the drones and that details are being worked out.

Unbelievable. Just when Turkey's anti-Israeli rhetoric is at an all time high, the U.S. decides to contribute to their arms build-up.

Muslim nations criticize Israel over nukes

Six weeks to save the euro

World leaders were warned last night that they have just six weeks to save the euro from collapse.

On another day of gathering economic gloom, George Osborne savaged eurozone leaders for failing to get a grip on their towering debts.

The Chancellor set a deadline of six weeks – when leaders of the G20 group of leading countries will meet for crunch talks in France – for action.

Global economy pushed to the brink

Time is running out to find a solution to the eurozone crisis and prevent another global recession, finance ministers warned on Friday

Financial markets experienced another day of intense volatility as investors struggled to interpret an emergency statement from the Group of 20 leading economies, which met on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington.

Putin to return as Russian president

Surprise, surprise. Who would have ever predicted this one?

Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is now certain to return to his former post as president next year after President Dmitry Medvedev pledged to support him in elections next March.

The announcement, at the annual conference of United Russia, the hegemonic political party that controls two-thirds of Russia’s parliament, puts to rest intrigue surrounding the “2012 Problem” which had divided observers as to whether Putin would return to the presidency or remain as prime minister.

Below are two articles pertaining to Agenda 21. The first, revealing our future and the second revealing the present. Read it and weep for the loss of freedom:

United Nations Agenda 21 Tenements in Eastern Europe

Romania was allowed to join the EU on January 1, 2007. Since then, the government has engaged in a policy of adhering to the rules and regulations established by the EU, including Agenda 21 mandates.

My aunt’s apartment was in such a dilapidated tenement, however, every apartment was connected to a brand-new smart meter, all encased together in a shadow box. When I inquired, I was told that the funds for the smart meters came from the European Union.

Well, just read the rest. It is both sad and disheartening, and a bleak view of our future.

We're already seeing the movement's beginnings in the U.S.:

EPA to property owner: 'Your land is our land'

Just imagine. You want to build a home, so you buy a $23,000 piece of land in a residential subdivision in your hometown and get started. The government then tells you to stop, threatens you with $40 million in fines and is not kidding.

That's the case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, with briefs being filed today by the Pacific Legal Foundation on behalf of a Priest Lake, Idaho, family, Chantell and Mike Sackett.

Attorney Damien Schiff, who will be arguing before the high court in the case, said it's simply a case of a government run amok, and it poses a potential threat to perhaps not every landowner across the nation, but untold millions.

Come quickly Lord.

PA Application for "Full UN Membership" Submitted

Considering the vast array of information coming in from the UN, the following key point hasn't been made obvious. That point being when the actual UNSC vote would take place:

Abbas officially submits Paleatinian application for full UN membership

The UN Security Council will take up the Palestinian bid for full statehood and UN membership on Monday. This is an unusually fast development compared to the normal tempo of the United Nations.

Council president Nawaf Salam of Lebanon told reporters on Friday that the 15-member council would begin discussions at 1900 GMT Monday to take up the application submitted earlier Friday by Abbas to the UN Secretary General. Ban passed the document hours later to the council, whose approval is needed for UN membership and full recognition of statehood.

He added that the Palestinian do not expect the Security Council vote to take place next week, saying that this is a process that would take a few weeks, but "not longer."

So there we have it: "A few weeks, but not longer" - presumably when deliberations will take place - followed by a formal vote.

Stay tuned - this situation is far from over.

Theater of the Absurd

Two good reviews of today's events are found below.

In the first we have a few video clips of Israeli PM Netanyahu's speech:

Netanyahu Slams UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a rousing and passionate speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Friday.

“Palestinians want a state without peace,” Netanyahu said, sporting his normally-relaxed and engaging posture. “You should not let that happen.”

Below we have included some of the best moments from “Bibby’s” speech.

On why everyone should have walked out of Ahmadinejad’s speech:

And this from DEBKA:

Palestinian and Israeli Leaders Cross Swords as ME Quartet bids for new talks

In their speeches to the UN General Assembly Friday, Sept. 23, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas agreed only on the importance of reviving peace talks.

Otherwise they were daggers drawn.

But first, the Palestinian leader submitted to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon a formal request for Palestinian membership in the name of "President of the State of Palestinian and head of the PLO."

The speeches the two leaders delivered conveyed the impression of unbridgeable differences and animosity.

First, we had to endure the usual lies and distortions by Abbas:

Abbas, who spoke first, issued a stream of anti-Israel venom and distortions of Palestinian-Israel history from 1948 up to the present, omitting key chapters like the two years of suicidal terror led by Yasser Arafat whom Abbas depicted as a hero.

Israeli was portrayed as a ruthless occupation force, guilty of terrorism, suppression, theft of Palestinian land and water and the destruction of the infrastructures for their state.

The Palestinian leader held Israel and its "apartheid settlements" wholely responsible for the failure of every past peace effort and its settlements the core of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In his black-and-what presentation of the conflict, Israelis were the villains and the Palestinians their helpless victims.

Abbas demanded a halt to all settlement activity, trotting out the routine Palestinian propaganda about thousands of deaths and hardships meted out by the savage Israeli occupiers.

For talks to take place, he said, Israel must accept the Palestinian right to all the lands it captured in 1967 on the West Bank and Jerusalem.

For his part, Abbas said he would never recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

Theater of the absurd indeed. And the world seems to accept this. We have the PA leader publicly admitting that he would never recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and yet somehow he is painted by the world as the peacemaker. Really?

Welcome to life in bizarro world. The world we find as we approach the Tribulation.

Oh, and while he (Abbas) is at it - Israel must also return to indefensible borders.

And Israel is the country who refuses to make peace? Really? Unbelievable.

Yet, it is a guarantee that the MSM will fail to recognize or mention these inconvenient facts, despite the public announcements available to everyone.

They will remain as they have been in the past - ignored.

Netanyahu outlined the historic Jewish ties to the Land of Israel to explain why it was so important for the Palestinians to accept the Jews' historical ties to their land, which they have consistently refused to do. In fact, Palestinian leaders have declared that their state would never accept any Jewish presence.

Netanyahu said because Israel was so small, peace must be anchored in security. Refusing to recognize this truth, the Palestinians resolved to seek a state rather than peace.

And at the risk of stating the obvious:

In peace negotiations, Israel would seek defensible borders and a long-term military presence in a demilitarized Palestinian, said the prime minister – especially after the experience of the uprooting of settlements and disengagement from the Gaza Strip resulted in years of missile attacks on southern Israel.

Oh yea, another fact that is conveniently ignored. Israel made an enormous gesture towards peace when they forcibly uprooted thousands of Jewish homeowners, business owners, farms, etc and handed over that land to the "PA" - and have been ''rewarded with constant missile attacks.

Another inconvenient fact, which, for some reason seems ignored by the MSM.

Now we will see what happens next in the epicenter.

Updates from the UN and the Epicenter

I'm going to keep this post open and add to it as today's events progress. Thus far we've had Abbas speak and the presentation of the official UNSC request - at the same time more violence is breaking out in the epicenter:

Abbas urges Israel to 'come to peace' during UN speech

PA president blames Israel for failed peace talks during UNGA speech; UN spokesman says Abbas handed UN chief a letter requesting full UN membership for a Palestinian state, which the Security Council must consider.

Abbas said the Palestinians would continue peaceful, popular resistance to Israeli occupation and warned that Jewish settlement construction threatens both to destroy the two-state solution and the survival of his fledgling government, the Palestinian Authority.

Just prior to his speech, Abbas asked the United Nations to recognize a state for his people, even though the United States has vowed to veto the move.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq said Abbas handed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a letter requesting full UN membership, which the Security Council must consider -- although this may take some time.

Israeli diplomatic officials said Thursday that Ban, however, will not immediately pass the request on, giving the Quartet – the US, EU, Russia and UN – time to come up with a statement agreed upon by both sides that would form the parameters for relaunching negotiations.

"It is not a secret that the US administration has done everything it could to prevent us from going (to the United Nations)," Abbas, 76, told reporters late on Thursday.

"But we're going without any hesitation and we will continue whatever the pressure ... because we are asking for our right, because we want our independent state," he added.

'Palestinian killed in W. Bank clashes with the IDF

A Palestinian was reportedly killed on Friday during clashes with the IDF outside the village of Qusra in the West Bank, marking the first casualty since riots began earlier this week in conjunction with the Palestinian Authority’s bid for statehood at the United Nations.

The IDF said that it was looking into the reports and had launched a joint investigation with PA security forces. The Ma’an News Agency identified the dead man as Issam Kamal Odeh, 33, and said he was shot by two bullets in the neck and shoulder during clashes with the IDF troops near Qusra and not far from the city of Nablus.

Earlier in the day, violence broke out in East Jerusalem and at the Kalandiya Crossing north of Jerusalem. A number of East Jerusalem Arabs and Palestinians were arrested by police. Other protests were held at the villages of Bilin and Nilin near the West Bank security barrier

Police Insp.-Gen. Yochanan Danino said security forces were deployed across the country with a special emphasis on Jerusalem and the border around Jerusalem. Danino and Ahronovitch planned to tour the Jerusalem-West Bank border and the Kalandia checkpoint later this afternoon.

Hundreds of east Jerusalem residents are expected to gather at Damascus Gate this evening for a showing of Abbas' speech on a giant screen.

Arabs Riot in Judea and Samaria

About 110 Palestinian Authority Arabs and leftist activists threw stones at security forces on Friday afternoon near the Arab villages of Bilin and Na’alin. In a separate protest, about 120 PA Arabs were throwing stones at security forces near the community of Neve Tzuf. Another 100 Arabs were rioting near the Qalandiya checkpoint.

In all incidents, security forces responded by using riot dispersal means.

Also see:

Palestinian Authority Apocalypse

More updates to come. PM Netanyahu's speech is pending, as are further developments in Israel.

UPDATES:

Netanyahu: Peace Can't be forged through UN resolutions

Prime minister addresses UN General Assembly after Palestinians submit statehood request to Ban Ki-moon; "Palestinians want a state without peace. You should not let that happen," he tells plenum.

Netanyahu's speech came less than an hour after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly, confirming that he had officially submitted a request for full recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN.

The prime minister said that despite popular perception, Israel and he himself want peace, but that peace "must be anchored in security" and can not be forged by UN resolutions.

Netanyahu criticized the hypocrisy of the United Nations, noting that the UN Security Council is now headed by Lebanon, who is controlled by Hezbollah - a group considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel, and the European Union.

The UN, Netanyahu said, denounces Israel more than any other nation.

The prime minister referenced Thursday's speech to the UN General Assembly by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in which he attack Israel and the US. Netanyahu stated that while some diplomats had walked out on the speech, everyone should have left during the hateful speech.

Elenin Updates

The article below is the best summary of current events and what to expect regarding comet Elenin that I have seen to date:

The Curious Case of Comet Elenin: A Weird Skywatching Tale

First, some background information:

Even as recently as Aug. 19, the comet was brighter than predicted, as observed and photographed by amateur astronomers in Australia, notably Michael Mattiazzo.

Then, disaster struck in the form of a coronal mass ejection from the sun. The next day the comet had dropped half a magnitude in brightness, and has continued to drop, despite the icy body getting closer to the sun.

Back when this was happening, many observers considered that the brightness of the sun made it appear that Elenin had dimmed, but in reality it was the same - only the sun obscured its view. Who knows - but there was intense debate on whether Elenin had actually 'dimmed' or not.

Meanwhile, this rather small and ordinary comet has become the subject of media frenzy among conspiracy theorists and 2012 doomsayers. Comet Elenin has been accused of being a brown dwarf or the mysterious and destructive planet "Nibiru," and has been blamed for earthquakes and tsunamis.

Actually, many skywatchers and amateur astronomers believe that "Nibiru" is coming behind Elenin by a couple of months, and will come into play in November.

Presently, no one knows because Elenin is behind the sun, thus the view is blocked, so for now everything is speculative.

Since then, the comet has been lost to view because of its faintness and its proximity to the sun in the sky.

If all had gone as planned, the comet would be moving into the field of view of one of the cameras on NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite on Friday (Sept. 23). If so, the big question is: what will SOHO see about this comet?

Hmmmm. That is certainly interesting. September 23rd. That would be today. Interesting coincidence.

Most people look at the images from SOHO for the rich information they supply regarding the sun. However, the wide-field images also show the sun against the starry background on the far side of the solar system.

This sky map of comet Elenin's path shows the situation on Friday, as the remains of the comet enter SOHO's field of view from the left. The bright stars Zaniah and Zavijava of western Virgo should be easy to see, but brilliant Mercury will dominate the images on the right.

Elenin will pass Zaniah on Sunday (Sept. 25) and Mercury on Tuesday (Sept. 27), before moving out of SOHO's field of view on Thursday (Sept. 29).

At this point, no one can predict exactly what we will see through SOHO's eyes in the coming week, but everyone will have the chance to watch using one of NASA's brightest eyes on the solar system.

So possibly beginning today and during the coming week, we should begin to receive more and more information regarding Elenin. Something to add to our watch list.

If comet Elenin survives its close encounter with the sun, it will become visible in morning twilight towards the end of the first week of October.

There you have it. We have finally reached a point where we will begin to get some definitive answers with Elenin. This is definitely worth watching.

But Elenin just marks the beginning of sky watching. Don't forget about YU55:

Huge Asteroid to Pass Near Earth in November

Mark your calendars for an impressive and upcoming flyby of an asteroid that’s one of the larger potentially perilous space rocks in the heavens – in terms of smacking the Earth in the future.

It’s the case of asteroid 2005 YU55, a round mini-world that is about 1,300 feet (400 meters) in diameter. In early November, this asteroid will approach Earth within a scant 0.85 lunar distances. [Photo of Asteroid 2005 YU55]

Due the object’s size and whisking by so close to Earth, an extensive campaign of radar, visual and infrared observations are being planned.

“The close Earth approach of 2005 YU55 on Nov. 8, is unusual since it is close and big.

Friday's Vote and Aftermath

We really don't know what will happen during the course of events today - we'll have to wait and see. Today probably will not represent a tipping point, but a beginning point for things to come.

It is assumed that the UNSC will not vote in favor of a "PA State", but the consequences of such a negative vote may well trigger increasing violence in the epicenter. The U.S. is hoping that their veto power isn't required so we'll also have to wait to see what happens there.

Meanwhile, Israel and the IDF is on high alert, as Abbas has decided to go ahead and formally request a UNSC vote:

Palestine fed up with waiting for EU common position

Palestine's ambassador to the EU has said her leader, Mahmoud Abbas will on Friday (23 September) ask the UN Security Council for full UN membership despite last-minute British, French and US warnings not to go ahead.

Leila Shahid told EUobserver in an interview it remains unclear which EU countries will support the resolution or whether French President Nicolas Sarkozy's new three-step peace plan is an EU position or a purely French idea.

"The Europeans have been taken aback by our decision but we are going ahead because we see they cannot agree with each other ... We can't give up our rights while we wait for the Europeans to be united. And we can't give up our rights because [US] President Obama has a presidential campaign coming up and wants to win votes," she said.

Police brace for violent clashes ahead of PA UN vote

The Israel Police on Friday morning was bracing for the possibility of violent clashes ahead of the speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations.

Roughly 22,000 officers have been mobilized by the police’s Operations Branch, which has placed the force on Special Alert Level 3C – one alert level before the highest.

“We will have special preparations on the Temple Mount and around Jerusalem for Friday prayers. And then we will go on special alert again for 7 p.m., when Abbas is expected to speak,” a source from the Operations Branch told The Jerusalem Post.

IDF braces for mass West Bank protests ahead of Palestinian statehood bid at UN

The Israel Defense Forces have bolstered troop levels in the West Bank against the possibility of widespread disturbances today. But the Central Command's assessment is that the Palestinian Authority security services will continue to prevent demonstrators from reaching areas under Israeli control.

While the IDF has no indication that violence will erupt, it worries that events in New York - where PA President Mahmoud Abbas will address the UN General Assembly today and formally apply for UN recognition as a state - could inflame tempers, as could Friday prayers in the mosques.

Below, we see some of the procedural nuances involved in the push for a PA State via the UN:

What Does Abbas Bid Mean

Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas is presenting his application for full United Nations membership to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday.

Ban will then pass the application to the Security Council for review. It is widely thought the Security Council will issue a recommendation on the application Friday afternoon.

Abbas has declared he will pursue every option in the 15-member decision making Security Council and 193-member General Assembly to obtain full membership as a recognized sovereign state.

For Abbas' application to move to the General Assembly for a vote, he must win affirmative recommendations from 9 members of the Security Council, including all five permanent members.

Abbas could also ask the General Assembly to upgrade its status from permanent observer entity to permanent observer state, a non-voting status only held by Vatican City.

But officials in Ramallah have cast aspersions on such an upgrade decrying it as merely symbolic.

Also see what ultimately represents a method of having Israel disarm their nuclear weapons:

IAEA adopts resolution against Mideast atomic bombs

After debate highlighting deep divisions between Israel, Arab states, UN atomic agency members call on Middle East to join global anti-nuclear treaty; Israel US abstain in vote on Egyptian-proposed text.

Durban III

As in previous years, Israel, the US and 11 Western countries did not take part in protest of event's focus on Israel instead of on other global hotspots where racism is present

The participants at the conference voted on a political statement affirming the declarations of the original Durban forum, in which Palestinians were labeled as "victims of racism".

Brief Updates

Erdogan slams Israel in UN General Assembly speech

In an animated speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out vehemently against Israel and put the blame for the current Israel-Turkey tension solely on the shoulders of the Israeli government.

Calling Turkish support for the state of Palestine "unconditional," Erdogan said that "it is necessary to put pressure on Israel to achieve peace."

Ahmadinejad: Zionism Sacred to West

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday launched into his customary tirade against Israel and the West at the United Nations.

Ahmadinejad also cast aspersion on the Holocaust

Announcing he planned "to analyze the current situation from a different angle," Ahmadinejad immediately lambasted Israel saying the "Zionist regime imposes terror on the Palestinian people."

U.S. delegation walks out on Ahmadinejad UNGA speech

Many delegates got up and left the General Assembly hall ten minutes into the Iranian leader's speech when he suggested that European countries use the Holocaust as a pretext for giving aid to Israel.

In typically florid prose, Ahmadinejad's twenty minute speech bemoaned the world's inequities of wealth and power. He did not allude to the issue preoccupying most General Assembly attendees, specifically the Palestinians' plans to apply to the United Nations for statehood recognition.

Instead, he posed a series of rhetorical questions which implicitly posited that the United States is at the root of the world's ills due to its foreign policy decisions.

PLO's UN Logo Reveals the Truth: Wipe Israel Off the Map!

The Palestine Liberation Organization's mission to the United Nations has, on its logo, wiped Israel off the map.

The logo is displayed on the website of the Palestinian Authority's mission to the U.N., which is technically represented by the PLO, the “sole representative of the Palestinian people.”

The Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine, as it is known, displays on the website – and reportedly on the letterhead of its official reports – a map that shows Israel, Judea, Samaria and Gaza as a single entity, according to Weekly Standard blogger Anne Bayefsky. “Absent from the logo is any hint that Palestine consists of anything other than Arab territory,” she writes.

There have also been numerous other cases in which official PA media have broadcast maps of the region, obliterating Israel completely, and replacing it with the PA flag.