Birth Pains II: More Contractions

Just look at the headlines alone and they tell the story.

Iranian Jets Fire On U.S. Drone

Two Iranian Su-25 fighter jets fired on an unarmed U.S. Air Force Predator drone in the Persian Gulf on November 1, the Pentagon disclosed on Thursday.

The incident, reported first by CNN, raised fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes.
The drone was on routine maritime surveillance in international airspace east of Kuwait, 16 miles off the coast of Iran, U.S. officials said. The Predator was not hit.
"Our aircraft was never in Iranian airspace.

It was always flying in international air space. The recognized limit is 12 nautical miles off the coast and we never entered the 12 nautical mile limit," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said in responding to questions from reporters after CNN reported the incident.

Little said the United States believed this was the first time an unmanned aircraft was shot at by the Iranians in international waters over the Gulf.
Little stopped short of calling the incident an act of war although the Pentagon was concerned.

Palestinians Circulate Draft UN Bill, Embarking On First Step Toward Enhanced Status

This will not be good for Israel - look at the bolded parts (both articles below). Additionally, you can bet that the push will resume for Israel to return to the pre-1967 borders which leaves them almost defenseless from invasion. 

 The Palestinians took the first step toward raising their status at the United Nations from an observer to a nonmember observer state Thursday by circulating a draft resolution to the 193 U.N. member states and asking for their support.

A letter from the observer mission accompanying the draft resolution asks UN members to support “the enhancement of the status of Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly to be considered by the assembly at a date to be announced in the near future.

There are no vetoes in the General Assembly and the resolution is almost certain to be approved by the world body which is dominated by countries sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Approval of the resolution would elevate the Palestinians to the same status as the Vatican. The draft resolution states that to date, 132 nations have recognized “the State of Palestine.”

The upgraded status would add weight to Palestinian claims for a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005.

The Palestinians also hope to use their upgraded status to join additional U.N. bodies, such as the International Criminal Court, where they could attempt to prosecute Israel.

Liberman Heads To Vienna To Thwart Palestinian UN Bid

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman warned on Thursday that there would be “far-reaching implications” to the Palestinians’ bid to upgrade their UN status to that of non-member state later this month.

“This unilateral step has broken the rules and crossed a red line,” Liberman said before heading to Vienna to attend an urgent meeting of Israeli ambassadors to Europe.

PA officials said President Mahmoud Abbas was considering asking for a UN vote on November 15 or 29.

The draft resolution would have UN member states express “the urgent need for the resumption and acceleration of negotiations within the Middle East peace process.”

Zaki and several Palestinian officials warned Israel against imposing sanctions on the PA in response to the statehood bid. Zaki said that once the status of a Palestinian state was upgraded, the Palestinians would be able to pursue Israel for “war crimes” in the International Criminal Court.

Golan Town Hit By Mortar Shells

Residents of the Golan Heights town hit by three errant Syrian mortar shells Thursday lashed out at the Israel Defense Forces, saying the military was not doing enough to protect them from their warring neighbor.

Residents of the area say they fear fighting between Syrian rebels and regime forces is increasingly encroaching into the border area, but the army is doing little to protect area residents.

Former security professional Amir Duvdevani said that although everyone knew that there is real concern that a Syrian shell or bomb could hit Golan towns, the military did not warn the residents about the danger or has given instructions how to protect themselves.
Syrian violence has spilled over into Jordan and Turkey, with several deaths, and leaders have warned Syrian violence could spill over into a regional conflict.

Syrian Spillover: Shells Hit Golan Community

The shells were among the many that have been lobbed by both sides in the civil war in Syria in recent days. Fierce fighting in the Damascus suburbs has spilled over into all of southern Syria, and the sounds of gunshots and bombs exploding over the border can be heard in northern Israel anytime of the day or night.
In recent days there have been several incidents of Syrian fighting spilling over into Israel, the prime example being the entry of three Syrian Army tanks into the demilitarized area on the Golan Heights border Saturday. The tanks entered the village of Bir Ajam, a short distance away from an IDF position, and were apparently maneuvering as part of the fighting between Assad and rebel forces.

Iran Report: Obama Even More Flexible Than Europe

This one pretty much speaks for itself:

As the world ponders what Barack Obama's re-election will mean inregards to the U.S.'s stance against Iran, an Iranian intelligence ministry report says that the Obama administration will be easier to deal with than the Republican administration that could have been in the White House. It asserts that the current administration has "completely different" views on Iran than Israel -- views that are more flexible even than those of the European Union.

"The Republican party has a more severe confrontational approach towards Iran... and its proposed policies are close to those of the Zionist regime [Israel]," the report said. Obama's "Democratic party's position is completely different" on Iran, it added.

The analysis also argues that the Obama administration has a more moderate approach on sanctions against Tehran than European countries.

The Era We Are In - "EU To Be Federalized In The Long Run"

Surprise, surprise, who would have seen this one coming?

The EU commission will eventually become a government, the council of member states an "upper chamber" and the European Parliament more powerful, but fixing the eurozone problems is more urgent for now, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told MEPs on Wednesday (7 November).
"Indeed we must find a right way to stabilise eurozone permanently and eliminate its conception errors. We must be courageous and not shy away from treaty change if needed," she said.To bring about a "true" economic union underpinning the common currency, there was need for more "binding" commitments from member states to make reforms. The EU institutions meanwhile should be given an even stronger role to "genuinely correct any inadequate procedures."

Christian Pastors Issue Dire Warnings

Evangelical preachers who came out strongly for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (and even some who didn’t endorse) have voiced their angst in the wake of President Barack Obama’s re-election victory. But in addition to showcasing their personal dissatisfaction with the results, they also issued warnings of Biblical proportions.

On Wednesday, the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of famed evangelical leader Billy Graham, was candid about his fears for America’s future. After celebrating his father’s 94th birthday, Grahamissued some apocalyptic-esque warnings to the American electorate.
“Unless we’re willing to repent for our sins, we will stand in [God's] judgment,” he proclaimed. “I want to warn America: God is coming around. He will judge sin, and it won’t be pretty.”

Graham also proclaimed that America may be risking God’s blessings, seeing as the Lord purportedly “brings bedlam when countries turn their back on him.”

The faith leader warned that the Almighty may “withdraw his hand of protection.”

Then there’s Fred Luter, the first African American president of the Southern Baptist Convention. While he reiterated his belief that Christians should be praying for the nation’s leader, regardless of party affiliation, he also claimed that America is “in trouble.”

“As citizens of the United States, it’s now time for us to put away our yard signs and buttons and [pray for] our president,” Luter said in a Baptist Press interview. “Our nation is in trouble, and we need Believers to pray God’s will be done in America. We need to understand it’s only going to happen because the people of God start praying for revival in America.”

Even before the election, some preachers were attracting attention for their views on the election. This past Sunday, for instance, Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas in Dallas, Texas, made headlines for his pre-election warning. If President Barack Obama were to win re-election (the reality of which came just two days later), Jeffress warned that America would be set on a dangerous path toward Armageddon.

“I want you to hear me tonight, I am not saying that President Obama is the Antichrist, I am not saying that at all,” he preached. “But what I am saying is this: the course he is choosing to lead our nation is paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist.”