Friday, August 24, 2012

Middle East Powder Keg

A region just on the brink:



The Syrian army pounded the Damascus suburb of Daraya on Friday, killing at least 21 people on the third day of a campaign to regain control of outlying areas of the capital, opposition activists said.

Opposition activists said the death toll in Daraya in the past 72 hours had reached at least 70, mostly civilians. A list of the names of the 21 killed on Friday included two children from the al-Khatib family.

Assad's elite forces, made up mainly of members of his minority Alawite sect and increasingly used to keep control of Damascus, are based in hilltop compounds in the capital and surrounding areas.




More than 3,500 Syrians fled their homeland for Turkey late Thursday and early Friday, bringing the total number of refugees in the 17-month conflict to over 200,000, a UN refugee agency reported Friday.

Heavy fighting in and around Aleppo has sent tens of thousands of people scurrying north into nearby Turkey, and thousands of others have sought refuge in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, as rebels and regime forces continue to battle for control of the country.




U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the United States was preparing for “threats” emerging from Iran and Syria’s turmoil as an aircraft carrier headed to the region ahead of schedule.

The USS John Stennis and its strike group will set forth shortly for the Persian Gulf, a deployment ordered four months ahead of time to minimize the gap in which the United States has only one carrier in the region. The Stennis strike group, which was initially due to deploy at the end of the year to the Pacific, is relieving the USS Enterprise which is slated to be decommissioned.



France signaled Thursday that it was prepared to take part in enforcing a partial no-fly zone over Syria, piling pressure on President Bashar Assad’s embattled regime as it widens a major offensive against rebels in Damascus and surrounding areas.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged the international community to consider backing a no-fly zone over parts of Syria, but cautioned that closing the Arab nation’s entire air space would be tantamount to “going to war” and require a willing international coalition that does not yet exist.

Senior diplomatic, military and intelligence officials from the US and Turkey met in Istanbul on Thursday to go over detailed operational plans for dealing with emergency scenarios that may arise in Syria, including the possible use of chemical weapons.




CIA spies have smuggled up to 14 Stinger missiles into Syria so rebels can defend themselves from air strikes.

The ground-to-air weapons have been delivered across the Turkish border to the Free Syrian Army and were partly paid for by Saudi Arabia, a security source claimed.

President Bashar al-Assad’s MIG-23 warplanes and helicopter gunships have killed more than 1,000 people.

The source said: “The West and the rest of the Middle East is not going to be able to secure a no-fly zone above Syria any time soon so the only way to stop the carnage is to take on Assad’s air force from the ground.






A reportedly large Hezbollah military drill held in southern Lebanon is part of an Iranian-orchestrated preparation for a confrontation with Israel, a senior Israeli security analyst said.

Over 10,000 Hezbollah fighters participated in the terror organization’s largest military exercise to date last week, which included defensive tactics and “preparations to conquer the Upper Galilee,” Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria reported Thursday morning.

“This is happening in full coordination with Iran,” said Dr. Ely Karmon, a senior research school at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya’s Institute for Counter-Terrorism. “In his last two speeches, [Hezbollah chief Hassan] Nasrallah indicated that he would join an Iranian counter-strike if Israel struck Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran could also be preparing Hezbollah for the possibility of ordering it to launch a provocation against Israel to preempt an Israeli strike, Karmon said.






Iran has installed many more uranium enrichment machines in an underground bunker, diplomatic sources said on Thursday, potentially paving the way for a significant expansion of work the West fears is ultimately aimed at making nuclear bombs.

Several sources said Iran had put in place additional enrichment centrifuges in its Fordow facility, buried deep inside a mountain to protect it against any enemy strikes

If confirmed in a report expected next week from the UN atomic watchdog, the development is likely to be seen as a sign of Iran’s continued defiance of international demands to curb its nuclear program




The United States is colluding with a top Israeli newspaper to stymie Israel's efforts to strike Iran's nuclear weapons program, according to a leading nationalist pundit.

Writing in Friday's edition of Makor Rishon, one of the Israel's veteran journalists, Amnon Lord, paints a picture of intense U.S. meddling in internal Israeli political and security-oriented processes in an effort to prevent a successful Israeli strike on the weapon program meant to make it extinct.

"From a technical military point of view, Israel does not require any kind of coordination with the Americans," writes Lord regarding the plan for a raid on Iran. "There is a concern that the Americans will learn of the date for an attack and try to prevent it in different ways. The Americans have not given the Israelis a feeling that they are true partners in the operative arena, in the past two years. On the contrary, the IDF has identified preventive American activity against an Iran operation."

"This is particularly evident in the grave matter of the leaks regarding Azerbaijan in the past, about the Kurdish region, and recently in the publication of the flight paths to the target. All this is the product of our ally, with the cooperation of one of the largest media platforms in Israel, which serves and assists the Obama administration against the government of Israel. The Americans are the ones who are feeding some of the arch-pundits with damaging information."




As the debate continues over Iran’s nuclear program and a possible Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities, Strategic Affair Minister Moshe Ya’alon on Thursday placed the responsibility on the United States if the Islamic Republic realizes its nuclear ambitions.

“History will judge whether the United States stood in the face of the Shiite threat and prevented the Iranian military nuclear capability in time,” Ya’alon said during a forum at the Gordon College of Education in Haifa. “A Middle East with a nuclear Iran is a Middle East with nuclear chaos.”


He added, “A nuclear Iran is a threat to world stability, and anyone who is concerned for the stability of the world should oppose a nuclear Iran, The challenge of Iran is not just an Israeli one; the Iranian regime challenges the Western civilization and the current world order. This is not a conflict between Iran and Israel, but between Iran and America and Western culture. This issue cannot be taken off our agenda and be swept under the carpet.”



The Syrian government has warned Western powers against any military intervention in the country.

It comes after Britain and the US said they were drawing up plans to safeguard Syria's chemical weapons if they are in danger of falling into terrorist groups' hands as the civil war continues.

This has been interpreted as meaning Western special forces are operating inside the country.

The minister also blamed the US and UK for supporting countries which he said were backing the al Qaeda presence in Syria - even though al Qaeda was one of the groups the two nations feared might get hold of chemical weapons.

"The authority over al Qaeda is possessed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey," he said.






20 comments:

Jec said...

I have to admit, I have been in a bit of a slump lately and felt unable to write much at times. I thinks its a combination of being so overwhelmed with some of my own set backs, struggles and the emotional pain and loss I sometimes feel going around in my world, and of also feeling so mesmerized and paralyzed by world events, that its hard to move forward at times.

When I do get a message out to folks, it is because my heart is so heavy and all I want to do is unload! It is not necessarily  a heaviness in the sense I'm overwhelmed with my own problems (which I do have), but more of a burden for those in this world who have no idea of what's coming and how the world will soon face what was forecast long ago in what the Bible describes--the coming Tribulation period. More on these thoughts a little later.

At the same time, I feel a relief to be able to write folks and give hope to others at a time when so many families are hurting like never before. I can easily look around and see it everywhere. We don't have to look toward third-world countries anymore to see this, but everyday more and more in our own backyards, towns, cities and communities, the good old USofA is being affected and transformed by bad government policies, red tape, rules and regulations that hits hard for the average Joe/Josephine. The American Dream is fast becoming the American Nightmare, and I haven't the foggiest idea how people can continue to start new businesses in this country. Our president is literally destroying everything this country was ever built upon, as the moral fiber in this country is being eroded and dismantled piece by piece by society with the help of government, Hollywood, and the power hungry elites with the likes of George Soros types.  Call me conspiratorial, but we would not be in this situation if it wasn't for these types of people who want to control people, make them comply or bring them to their knees by any means possible. This is done by means of manipulation of everything from the stock market, gold prices, interest rates, gas and food prices or the threat of a perceived terrorist threat in the interest of personal safety and country-wide protection. All this in the form of a threatened confiscation of guns within our own boarder via an outside entity---the United Nations! http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2011/06/07/u-n-agreement-should-have-all-gun-owners-up-in-arms/ How will we ever protect ourselves in the midst of hooligans and thugs in which the increase are clearly on the rise?

I have never thought that we as Christians who are watching for the soon return of Christ, and more importantly the catching away of us with our Savior(our blessed hope) in the clouds (1 Thess. 4:13-18), would leave such a bad taste in the minds of those who want to remove our free speech, change our Constitution and hammer those who just want to stand up for traditional marriage. http://news.yahoo.com/chick-fil-president-gay-marriage-inviting-god-judgment-154602388.html?_esi=0&

....continued...

jec said...

Although many of us have expressed to others the Gospel message, emphasizing the importance of Christ crucified, His sacrifice of love for us by His shed blood, His resurrection and of our need of a Savior that we might be found worthy to escape(the Rapture) the wrath to come(The Tribulation Period-(Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15-21; 2 Thess 2:3-4; Rev. 12:7-12; Rev. 13:1-10). I can't help to wonder if any of this will have any bearing on people after the Rapture of the church takes place? I think it will. But I don't think people will wake up until after that event takes place, and by the time they do wake up, realizing they've missed the Rapture and having woken to wisdom, given their hearts over finally to the Lord Jesus Christ, will find themselves in long lines headed to the guillotine. The appearance of current events are shaping up to accelerate like never before the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. These include things that were prophesied and written in the Bible over 2500 years ago. Simply and clearly, Scripture foretells that the imminent Rapture of the church, the Tribulation period, the Second Coming, the Millennial Reign of Christ, the Dissolving of Our Present Heavens and New Earth, will all take place, all in that order. With the world players and governments perfectly in line right now according to Prophecy, it looks like these Biblical events are about to ready to unfold. I just can not see how this coming election people are looking toward a US politician who will bring about a economic recovery, stabilize world governments, and bring peace and safety.

Why would I not share what is so evident as the very end of the age-of the world as we know seems to quickly be coming to pass, if in fact I knew not at all of its coming? But because I do see it, it is as plain as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. I surely can count on what Gods word says will happen and He does have an escape plan and an escape route. The escape route will be in the clouds and the escape plan is by putting your trust in Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you haven't already placed your faith and trust in Him, that very personal action will prove, that once done will show He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5 ; Philippians 4:19), but will take us to be where He is, in Heaven(John 14:1-3)! Maranatha!
-Jec

Ann Marie said...

JEC,
Beautiful, well said! It is time to pray, and pray, and pray!
Blessings
Ann Marie

Anonymous said...

Hi all,

I had the most disturbing dream last night. Its a bit fuzzy, but Obama was there. Close, we talked, lots of other people were there too. But, all of a sudden planes were everywhere and they were dropping small bombs. The bombs looked small, not like huge bombs. But they were everywhere and we hid, my family and I. I remember I ran in to the house? building to get my dog, the bombs were exploding all around. The president had ordered the bombs. It was a wierd scary dream. Everything was destroyed, gone. Lots more to the dream but I can't piece them all together, it is jumbled. I wish I could remember what was said in conversation.

Do you think I have been reading to much prophecy blog and this is the result?

Sarah

ChristineInCleveland said...

Sarah,
Interesting you mention having such a disturbing dream... Yesterday morning I had a very traumatic one, clear & horrifying. My 12 yr old son was in an office bldg of some kind with me & had disappeared behind my back, so I went searching for him in a the logical place- the men's room. As I was peeking in & calling out his name, I saw & heard teenage "Goth" boys loitering inside, & there was stall doors closed with at least 4 legs visible underneath. I saw my son's baseball hat thru a crack in the stall door on a person being held bent over while another pinned him by the shoulders. As I was screaming & calling the police on my cell phone, the stall door opened & they threw out my son, & I saw his neck & shoulders had deep scratches from where they had gripped as these monsters pinned him down. The look of terror & confusion on my son's face was so heartbreaking & agonizing for me to see, as he babbled & cried in my arms. I never felt such overpowering anger & rage, I wanted to kill my son's attackers with my bare hands... But I knew I was outnumbered & was desperately trying to call to anyone in earshot as I waited on my phone to get the police to arrive before these teenage rapists dispersed in every direction...
This dream was like watching a video, so crystal clear- I am taking it as a warning: All parents, be alert & vigilant, the Devil is particularly interested in harming innocent children.... Never take their safety in public places for granted! Their lives are especially precious to our Saviour, & as such a far more tempting targets for the Enemy... Especially with the times we are now living in!!

Ally said...

Oh you poor things! I will pray for both of you to get restful sleep tonight! Dreams like that are awful wether an attack frm the enemy or a warning from God.
So here is a little something to lighten up your day. The other day I was pondering who invented the donut. Was it God? The donut taste so good and is so awesome. Or was it Satan? Because that yummy tasty delicious treat is absolutely horrible for your health. And if you live in the south in the USA, ooooo Krispy Creme, you know what I mean.
So as I pondered this, I was with friends and asked them. One friend immediately piped up and said "well if God invented it, it was surely the devil who glazed it!" And we all busted out laughing.
Now you guys truly know what a weirdo I am! Lol.
Hope this cheered you up abit!

Mike said...

Satan in not powerful enough to make something as perfect as a Krispy Kreme! Only God can do that ;)

(I'm sticking with that!)

....half a dozen glazed, and half a dozen chocolate to go please......

:)

Anonymous said...

Although the sorrounding areas of Damascus are already in pile if ruins. Damascus itself will cease to be a city and be in ruins as the armies start to shell the area.

Caver said...

Mike, agreed.....its His creation alone...

After He gave it to us, we messed it up a little...

I like the older wrinkled ones with the glaze going half way around it and filling all the wrinkles....

Not sure the whippersnappers here remember those....yummie, yummie...sticky fingers-n-all.

Mrs.C said...

Anon,
The Isaiah 17 war has not yet begun. The condition of Damascus at this moment is not Isaiah 17 Verse 1 being fulfilled. It will be Israel that strikes the fatal blow on Damascus, and it will happen overnight.

Anonymous said...

And yet, despite all these expectations AGAIN on this blog of the END coming soon....stocks were
UP over 100 pts on the dow....

Bullish !!!!

that is all I can say....

It would appear that the confirmation
I wanted of a BIG CRASH is NOT going
to happen. not now at least !!!!

so, we go UP again.....

how high ??

maybe 14,000 or higher....

Bears JUST cannot get their act
together, they have failed to
get a BIG DROP going now for over
a year.

sad.

Stephen >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Waterer said...

Hmm.. On the Krispy Kreme discussion I have some experience ( !) and thoughts.
Having grown up in Atlanta ( home of KK and Coca Cola) we always had these at our Brownie and girl scout mtgs. ( AH the golden days of being a child.. no raisins there!)
\But I cannot buy them now knowing that I will eat half the box before I have gotten home. I imagine how good they would be and rush past. BUT
I have often wondered if in heaven which of these scenarios is more likely to be true:

1/ We can eat all we want and there are no calories..
or
2/ We take a bite or two of a KK and feel utterly content. Never tempted to want more..
Somehow with a lifelong struggle/love affair with food I really have come to hope that it is the second one. Not desiring too much of a good thing would be heavenly to me!

hartdawg said...

Cream filled donuts....funny it came up, all day i been wondering if i should vo to krispy kreme tomorrow morning. yall helped me make up my mind

ChristineInCleveland said...

Thanks for your donut story, Ally! :) ...I wonder if there's some kind of object lesson there. Anything that is that pleasing to the senses & delicious to eat, while still being so unhealthy at the same time, must require a strong enough willpower to resist temptation to indulge in excess? Hmmm.....

WVBORN56 said...

Everything in moderation. I have been blessed with a high metabolism (slowing down with age) and an active lifestyle. When the light is on I head to crispy cream! "Every good and perfect gift comes from the father of heavenly lights" :)

nathan said...

Hey Jec that was an awesome couple of paragraphs you threw out there . I read everyword . Don't let yourself bottle up , if anything come on here and vent and write what your heart is telling you to . There are nothing but kind souls (with an occassional troll sprinkled in) willing to listen .

Ally , are you from JC TN ? Johnson City , Tennessee ? If so i'm from Asheville , right down the mountain from you . I love your weird quirky sense of humor (You'd fit in with us Weirdos from Asheville .) If so we should exchange emails and become hiking/prophecy buddies . I would love to have a face to face talk about prophecy with someone . In fact wouldn't it be awesome to pick a spot and have a retreat somewhere in the world with everyone on here ? Just a suggestion ?

God Bless
Nate

Anonymous said...

mrs C,
can you please enlighten us with your wisdom, as how this could happen in one night, and is there a biblical prophecy that Israel will attack them in one night?

Scott said...

Anon -

Isaiah 17:14

"In the evening, sudden terror!
Before the morning they are gone
This is the portion of those who loot us
the lot of those who plunder us"

Coupled with Isaiah 17:1

"See, Damascus will no longer e a city
but will become a heap of ruins"

Anonymous said...

scott,
i expect a different biblical prophecy, which maybe mrs. C knows, but if this is the same biblical prophecy. I would just comment.

[Isa 17:13-14] KJV The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. v 14And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

You see, the " trouble " that was prophecied in vs 14, is really about the Nations who rush like the rushing of many waters, But God will rebuke them.
The plan attacked in the evening will be rebuke by God, and in the morning it will be gone.

Not About Israel attacking Damascus.
On the other Hand, it could be the Nations plan attacked in Israel rebuked.

Israel however will have part in a total desolation of Syria. 17:9

The last two verse could be after the total desolation of syria, and nations like, hezbolah in lebanon, hamas in gaza, egypt and probably Iran, would plan a joint attacked but God would rebuke them and trouble would be gone in the morning.
the Final fulfilment of Isa 17.

All I am saying, there is no pre condition how Isa 17 would start, however the vision of Isa 17 is now happening before our very eyes, including Jer 49:24-36.
1. her armies will fall at her street.
2.her people will flee
3. forsaken city.
what left is Damascus to cease as a city, which some part of it now are clearly in ruins.

Anonymous said...

sorry thats jeremiah 49:24-26