Monday, May 27, 2013

Caroline Glick Summarizes The Syrian Situation: War Imminent?

This commentary from Caroline Glick represents the best summary of what is happening in Syria today and how things are evolving into a probable attack on Israel. This is worth reading in full and below is the entire commentary (bolded emphasis mine):



The threats emanating from Syria have become downright frightening. For the past several days, Home Front Defense Minister Gilad Erdan has been warning repeatedly that it is certain that Israeli population centers will be hit by Syrian ballistic missiles and that we have to be prepared for the worst-case scenarios, including Scud missile-launched chemical weapons attacks on Israel's metropolitan centers.

On Wednesday, Air Force commander Maj.- Gen. Amir Eshel spelled out Israel's concerns from a military perspective. The chance of war breaking out at any time is extremely high. Syria has a massive arsenal that includes advanced anti-aircraft missiles, anti-ship missiles and surface- to-surface missiles. Syria also has large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, advanced artillery as well as the other components of a large conventional military force.

Eshel warned, "Syria is collapsing before our eyes. If it collapses tomorrow we could find its vast arsenal dispersed and pointing at us."

In that event, Eshel said, the air force will have to operate at 100 percent of its capacity to clear a path for ground forces to operate in Syria and secure the armaments to prevent them from being dispersed, or used against Israel.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz warned that Israel could easily find itself fighting a three-front war in the near future. Presumably we would be fighting Syria, Lebanon and Iran - whose nuclear program continues to move to completion undaunted by empty US and European threats.

Syria is a mess because there are no good guys in a position to win. Syrian President Bashar Assad is one of the most dangerous leaders in the world. He is a major supporter of terrorist groups. He enabled al-Qaida and Hezbollah to use Syria as a logistical base in their war against US forces in Iraq. He is a vassal of Iran. He is allied with Hezbollah. He is a mass murderer.

Since the civil war began two years ago, Assad's complete dependence on Iran and Hezbollah - as well as on Russia - has been exposed for all to see. There is little doubt that whatever checks the US was able to exert against him before the civil war began no longer exist. And if he survives in power, he will be completely indifferent to US pressure and so will behave far more violently than he did before the war began.

And yet for all Assad's horrific behavior and the reasonable presumption that his actions will only become more violent and dangerous with each additional day he remains in power, the most telling aspect of the Syrian civil war is that Israel, the US and Europe are incapable of deciding whether he is better or worse than the alternatives.

Because standing opposed to Assad and his Hezbollah and Iranian protectors is al-Qaida.

Last week, we were regaled with news analyses and stories about how the al-Qaida forces fighting Assad are now splintering. According to breathless, detailed reports, the "moderate" al- Qaida group, the Nusra Front, is being overwhelmed by the "extremist" al-Qaida in Iraq faction. The latter has moved into Syria and is taking over operations, much to the consternation of their moderate Syrian al-Qaida brothers.

But on second thought, since both the Nusra guys and the al-Qaida in Iraq guys are loyal to al-Qaida boss Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Zawahiri told the al-Qaida in Iraq fellows to move to Syria, and since al-Qaida in Iraq formed and financed the Nusra Front, it is not at all clear that anyone is splintering off from anyone, or that anyone is upset about anything.

Aside from revealing the pathological stupidity of Western news services, the attempt to make a distinction between good and bad al-Qaida forces fighting Assad points to the futility of trying to choose sides in this horrible war, which has already seen more than 80,000 killed.

At this point, despite Assad's successful campaign to restore his control over Qusair, a strategically vital city adjacent to the Syrian-Lebanese border, most assessments indicate that the war is not nearly over. The sides may well stay bogged down fighting one another for years.

Then again, as Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said, it is also possible that it will all be over quickly.

In short then, no one knows how the war will play out in Syria. All Israeli political and military leaders know is that whatever happens, the situation in Syria is dangerous and highly flammable.



Moreover, everyone agrees that the conflict can spill out in two ways - ways which are not mutually exclusive.


First, both the government forces and their Shi'ite allies, and well as their al-Qaida opponents, could attack Israel. Both sides have a clear interest in attacking Israel, since the one thing they all agree on is that they wish to see Israel destroyed. So as is the case for the Palestinians from all parties, for both Assad and his Shi'ite allies and his Sunni opponents, attacking Israel is a surefire way to build public support.

This danger has already materialized. Assad's forces shot at an IDF jeep patrolling the border this week and rushed to get the story - and their exaggerated version of its outcome - to the media. Rebel forces have taken pot shots at Israel, and targeted UN forces along the border, accusing them of siding with Israel.

As Eshel made clear, the second danger is that the weapons in Syria will proliferate far and wide. US officials have already admitted that they have lost track of much of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

This week, PJ Media reported that a State Department whistle blower is about to come forward to divulge new information about the September 11, 2012, al-Qaida attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other US personnel were murdered in the attack. The whistle blower will reportedly reveal that Stevens was sent to Benghazi in a secret State Department effort to buy back anti-aircraft Stinger missiles that al-Qaida received from the State Department during the 2011 US-led NATO campaign to overthrow the regime of longtime Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Since Gaddafi was defeated, his massive arsenal of terror weapons has spread out across the region, and particularly to Syria and Gaza. If Syrian weapons are similarly dispersed, the Libyan disaster will look like the military equivalent of a skinned knee.

The party most responsible for the barbarous, protracted Syrian civil war that will almost certainly drag Israel into a regional war with is of course the Syrians themselves. But the party second most responsible for this mess is the Obama administration.

Since the outset, the US had only one good option for intervention. It could have operated jointly with Israel to destroy Syria's missile arsenals and confiscate its weapons of mass destruction.

That is the only sure bet move the US had.

Every other action came with high risks.

Rather than take its sure bet move, at every turn, the Obama administration has opted for the most dangerous action with the smallest possible payoff.

For instance, rather than actively build an opposition army based on Syrian Army defectors, Kurds and other relatively moderate forces, Obama subcontracted the formation of the Syrian opposition to Turkey's Islamist Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As Israel and others warned, Erdogan used his power as the US contractor to build an opposition dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, whose ideology is largely indistinguishable from al-Qaida. It was the Brotherhood's domination of the Syrian opposition forces that paved the way for al-Qaida to enter and dominate opposition forces.

After Obama ensured that pro-Western forces would have no chance of taking over a post- Assad Syria, he allowed Russia to make matters worse. Rather than threaten Russian President Vladimir Putin in a credible way to prevent him from supplying S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, Obama sat back and did nothing to block the imminent transfer of the game-changing system to Syria.

And as Eshel warned, Syria's advanced anti-aircraft batteries, which will threaten Israel's air superiority, will increase in a profound way the probability that Assad will attack Israel.

In the face of American rank incompetence, Assad has already broken all the red lines he and his father followed for more than 40 years.

He has already used chemical weapons. He has proliferated advanced weaponry to Hezbollah.

And he has already attacked Israel on the Golan Heights. Now that he has already crossed all of these red lines, the only question is how much he will escalate. Equipped with the S-300, the probability that he will escalate drastically has risen precipitously.





For all the danger emanating from Syria, Israel has one ace in the hole. We have a consensus that we must win the coming war with Syria decisively, whatever the cost. And for that consensus, we have just one man to thank: the late Hafez Assad.



During the 1990s, the Israeli Left and the Clinton administration managed to convince the Rabin, Netanyahu and Barak governments to offer to surrender the Golan Heights to Syria.

The only reason that the initiative failed was because Assad Sr. rejected Israel's repeated offers to surrender the strategic plateau in exchange for a piece of paper with a smiley face on it.

Had Assad accepted Israel's offers, we would have been facing a situation today that we would be hard pressed to contend with. On the one hand, we would be facing an all but certain war with Syria with al-Qaida or Iran controlling everything from the Jordan Valley to Haifa Bay.

On the other hand we would be facing this threat as a fractured society.

To hide their culpability for rendering Israel all but powerless to defend itself, those who supported surrendering the Golan would be pretending the dangers away. Instead of being free to discuss how to win a war in Syria, we would be bogged down in discussions of whether we have a right to fight in Syria.

In other words, if it hadn't been for Assad Sr. and his unyielding hatred for Israel, we would be facing the same situation in relation to Syria today that we faced in Lebanon in 2006 and as we have faced in Gaza since we withdrew in 2005. The lack of consensus regarding our strategic imperative to defeat our enemies in Gaza and Lebanon caused the IDF to fail to win its campaigns in both theaters.

So at this bitter juncture, as we face the all but certain prospect of war with Syria while our one ally is behaving like a drunken bull in a China shop, we have one man to thank for our continued ability to face this daunting challenge.

Thank you, Hafez Assad. Your hatred has saved us.

23 comments:

Stephen said...

THE VERY FACT that the false prophet is in power should be
RAISING RED FLAGS all over the
place, but i guess the USA is
really a drunk bull in a China shop
and DOES NOT EVEN SEE the danger at hand.

and bulls on Wall Street are JUST AS DRUNK, for sure.

in any case......please go here....

« Breaking News »
Iran: Stop flow of Syrian rebels and arms - or Assad fights… Israel
DEBKAfile May 27, 2013, 4:09 PM (GMT+02:00)

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned Monday that unless the flow of fighting strength and arms to the Syrian rebels is halted, Syrian ruler Bashar Assad will launch a second front from the Golan against… Israel. Tehran also plans a counter-conference on the Syrian crisis in opposition to the US-Russian confab set to open in Geneva next month. DEBKAfile: Tehran, Damascus and Hizballah have turned to the tactic of dumping on Israel’s head any untoward development in Assad’s war in Syria – irrespective of Israel’s non-interference in the civil war.

VERY SERIOUS, will no doubt lead
to Isaiah 17.....very serious...

please read it twice, let it sink in.

DRUNK BULLS have no reason to believe in prophecies, really,
it's all A FAIRY TALE to them right ??

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

Unknown said...

Before praying "Lord come quickly", when the Sarin and Nukes hit, a lot if Muslims and Jews will be sent to eternal damnation. Pray for God to delay.

Scott said...

I've heard lines like this before, Dr Who. Let me attempt to address. So I suppose we are supposed to feel some sort of guilt over Jesus' return in the context of coming warfare? IS that the point?

In all of the places in the bible that call for us to be watching for Jesus return, I can't find a single one that is mixed with a message of pause or hesitation in terms of what may happen to those on earth. Additionally, this phrase is almost identical with the parting words in the last verses of Revelation, and I can't find it there either. In fact, the Book of Revelation clearly states that we are not to add nor subtract to the scriptures, and it looks like you have added a 'passage' to the last scriptures in Revelation.

Is your version more like "Come Quickly Lord, but not so quickly that Muslims and Jews will perish in warfare", I don't recall seeing that.

Or, perhaps you are a better Christian, given that you seem have these concerns and (as you imply) others do not?

I guess I am missing the point here.

Obviously no one wants to see pain and death in these wars. To say so is stating the obvious. But that won't diminish the desire to see and be with Jesus. Sorry.

Unknown said...

Scott- I mean no disrespect. I hear so many hoping for the quick return, that it ignores the thousands being saved each day that The Lord delays. Did Noah feel remorse when God sealed the door on the ark?

Every Jew and every Muslim that die in the upcoming war will spend eternity in Hell.

I am no better a Christian. We are all flawed and saved only by God's Grace. I appreciate your site compiling news that Christians need to know. My concern is whether Christians see these End Times and then feel a sense of urgency to reach the lost or are some just wanting the clock to run down.

I am not adding Scripture. I would prefer that God waits a little longer, others wish He came yesterday. Thankfully God is in control and not us.

Mrs.C said...

Very true and excellent post Brother Scott.

"dr who" or pick any other character name you choose - Your so concerned about "Witnessing" to the Jewish People and the Muslims, how bout just the lost in general?
Yes, you are trying to change Scripture. Always trying to take away from our Blessed Hope. Interesting though...why is that?

"DrWho said...
We can't let man-made conflicts get our hopes up for the rapture when it just might be another 20 - 30 million deaths and not the Tribulation yet."

Total misunderstanding of Prophecy. "Not the Tribulation yet"? We WONT be here for the Trib. But then again, you seem to believe we will be...

"DrWho said...
However, Christians are promised that we will be persecuted for His Name. We are also promised that we will be spared His wrath. That sounds like we could still be here for 3.5 of persecution and out of here for 3.5 of wrath."

Once again, total misunderstanding of Scripture. It sounds SO familiar...those are your posts from 2 years ago and since then there have been "anons" ,fake named characters posting and promoting the same false teaching of this "pre-wrath" "Mid-Trib" nonsense...what a coincidence...

Unknown said...

I have not used any other screen names. One is enough.
Muslims and Jews are lost by definition.
Christians in Syria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan and many other places are seeing their daughters raped, sons beheaded and churches burnt for their faith. It is the height of arrogance to assume that "Tribulation" does not occur until Americans are on the verge of persecution.

Unknown said...

Scott- Yes, the pending physical deaths of thousands if not millions of Muslims and Jews bothers me, but I have a bigger problem with them dying without Christ.

Mrs.C said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Mrs C- what happens to to a Muslim or Jew when they die?

Mrs.C said...

“dr who said…It is the height of arrogance to assume that "Tribulation" does not occur until Americans are on the verge of persecution.”

Goodness “dr who”, your demonstrating the same behavior with the rapid impulsive posts, as the other characters that you deny being.
What??? Who’s being arrogant? Who’s making assumptions? Only you are. Your misguided words speak for themselves.
The Tribulation has NOTHING to do with the Church, period. Nada, nothing. The Church is NOT around during the Trib, and certainly NOT for “persecution” reasons as you so falsely state.
Such a self-righteous person as yourself, that attempts to “Pray” against Gods Will for these Last Days, diminish the Blessed Hope of Brothers and Sisters and scorn them for that Hope, I would think that you wouldn’t have to ask the question of what happens to ANYONE who is lost and leaves this world without Jesus. That is obvious…please open your Bible, Pray, invite the Holy Spirit and read…

Unknown said...

Again, if a Jew or Muslim dies, what happens to their soul? I know what my Bible says. If you have the same Bible, it should be an easy question.

If you are praying for a quicker return, you are praying against God's will.

I do not know why you keep saying I use different screen names.

Scott said...

Dr Who - let me attempt to synthesize what you are saying.

- First of all - of course Christians are suffering persecution - it is one of the signs that Jesus gave us, that pertains to the birth pains of the last generation. I'm not sure what your point is regarding persecution.

Who here is assuming "that 'tribulation' does not occur until Americans are r on the verge of persecution"? Who? When? I can't recall seeing ANYONE with that POV - so this is a strawman 'argument' (I say 'argument' in quotes, because I have no idea what your point is)

You want us to pray for the delay of Jesus' return. Where can you find that in the scripture? Can you find me ONE scripture that suggests this - even remotely?
or
Are you looking for things to fit your personal narrative, whatever that is?


If you are so drawn to people that are unsaved, particularly Muslims and Jews - what kind of outreach to these groups are you currently participating in? (since you need more time for this endeavor)

What happens to a muslim or Jew when they die? Same 'rules' of salvation apply to everyone on the planet. Do you not know this, or is this another point you are attempting?


Once again, can you answer these questions and be more straightforward in whatever points you are trying to make? (and not use false strawman arguments)?



Scott said...

So, if given the option of being in the very presence of Christ, as dictated by God Himself - you would still prefer to be here, doing your personal witness to Jews and Muslims? Is that your position?

Mrs.C said...

"DrWho said...
However, Christians are promised that we will be persecuted for His Name. We are also promised that we will be spared His wrath. That sounds like we could still be here for 3.5 of persecution and out of here for 3.5 of wrath."

Unknown said...

Scott- if you had a lost family member, would you want an extra day to witness?

Scott said...

You're avoiding my questions for some reasons.

Scott said...

You said it was the Jews and Muslims. Now its family members. Stay on base ok? Stop diverting.

We'll come back to the hypothetical on family matters after tackling your earlier discussion ok?

Unknown said...

To be clear. I believe Jews, Muslims and all other who reject Christ will face eternal damnation in Hell. Do you agree?

If I could choose, I would spend as many days on this Earth as possible, so others may have the time and opportunity to accept Christ.

Those who would rather see the Rapture sooner than later in my opinion are selfish and unloving. Your salvation is secure, why deny the same gift to others by rushing God, (which is impossible).

I have been called a liar and accused if adding to the scriptures. Please check the archives for when I have called anyone on this site a name. I do challenge those here to defend their eschatology, and for that I am guilty as charged.

Do you fellow bloggers believe that Jews and Muslims go to Hell? If so, don't you think they and all of the other lost people should have every opportunity to receive Christ, even if it delays our being in Glory?

Scott said...

To be honest, I'm not that interested in 'opinions' - I'm more interested in what the scriptures have to say.

- First of all - the gathering up of the Church Saints is God's decision. Not only in the dispensational sense, but in terms of the overall plan and in terms of timing. I'll leave that with God.


(by the way - you didn't answer my earlier question of what specifically you are doing to reach Jews and Muslims, since it is an obvious concern of yours. Are you equally concerned about non-Jews and non-Muslims who have not reached salvation?)


So If God had deemed it appropriate to gather up His Church Saints - at His timing - I would prefer not to question that. God has a specific plan, and my concerns and desires are not part of that plan, nor are yours. Whatever God has in mind, is, by definition, the perfect plan.

How much arrogance would I have to have to think that 'my plan' is better than His?

You said "Those who would rather see the Rapture sooner than later in my opinion are selfish and unloving". I'll try very hard not to take personal offense at that one.

Is it possible that you can be an unselfish and loving Christian and still want to be in the presence of Jesus?

Maybe you should direct this towards God Himself. If Jesus had another 30-40 years on earth and died on the cross AFTEr that period, wouldn't more lives have been saved? So what are your feelings towards God that He didn't allow Jesus another few decades to reach people. Does that make God unloving and selfish? Hmmmm...Now that is some food for thought isn't it?

Can you allow yourself to believe that ALL of God's plans are, by definition, perfect? If so, wouldn't you likewise assume that God's plan for the timing of the rapture is equally perfect?


We all know that God has a plan and that plan is perfect and that plan will be carried out. To say that our desire to be with Jesus as part of this plan is selfish and unloving is not only highly inappropriate, it is in direct conflict with the assumption that God's timing is in His hands.

Are you aware that everyone on earth will hear God's word during the Tribulation and have an opportunity at salvation then? is it possible, that in God's perfect plan, that the Tribulation may be the ONLY WAY that those left behind are saved?

No one here (or anywhere else that I am aware of) has a desire for God to change His plan to accommodate those of us who want to be with Him. we are simply hoping that His perfect plan includes the Rapture to happen as soon as possible.


Lets look at the scriptures:

Scott said...

1 Thessalonians 1:10: "...and to WAIT FOR HIS SON FROM HEAVEN, whom He raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath".

So we are to wait for Jesus. What does that imply to you?


1 Thess 5:9-11:

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath...that we may live together with Him. THEREFORE ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AND BUILD EACH OTHER UP


John 14:3

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM"

(so when He comes - will you tell Jesus that you prefer to stay here, so you can witness to more people? ...Will your joy at that point be deadened because of your concern at those left unsaved?)


I ask (again) - where do you find the scriptures that state we should have hesitation at the coming of the Lord Jesus - due to concern of those left behind? I asked before and it was ignored. Can you base your beliefs on scripture?

How about this one:

Revelation 22:

"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.

"He who testifies to these things says. YES, I AM COMING SOON. AMEN. COME LORD JESUS.

Lets focus on that last phrase. Isn't that what we are doing? "COMING SOON" "AMEN" "COME LORD JESUS"...

See - our desires COME DIRECTLY FROM THE BIBLE



Also of note.

Do you oppose what God did at Sodom and Gomorrah? The Flood? After all, those people could have used more time as well. Do you take exception at what God did there? What is the difference?

What about the Second Coming? Once Jesus returns at that time, those unsaved will face eternal damnation. But (you should say) - If God waited another 7 years, or another 7 decades, wouldn't more people have an opportunity to come to Christ? How do you reconcile that? How is this ANY different?




Caver said...

Geepers.....me little mind is having a hard time thinking that anyone has the ................. (whatever) to envision their plan in any way superior to God's and praying that God modify His plan to make it "more just".

Don't ya think you gotta consider just how many will be brought to salvation through faith after witnessing and experiencing the Rapture of the Church?

Unknown said...

At this point, I must say "goodbye" to those on this site. I have asked multiple times what you believe happens to the Jew or Muslim who dies without Christ. You appear to have more ill will toward anyone who questions your EXACT eschatology than those who reject Christ or murder Christians with your tax money in the Middle East.

I can't delay Christ's return. I have said that before in these posts, but I am condemned for pointing out that the longer God delay's the more people who will be saved. You on the other hand can't speed His return. The time is set.

We will see each other in Heaven some day and all of these discussions will be moot. Until then, may God bless and protect you in the days that are ahead.

Dr. Who

Scott said...

Who - that question was answered. I stated that the same 'rules' of salvation apply to everyone regardless. They must come through Christ. And again, I have no idea what that point is, in the context of the conversation.

The other response is that I will happily go along with God's plan, whatever it is, because I know it will be perfect and just. My feelings on when it should happen are irrelevant. I want and hope that God's timing includes it happening sooner rather than later, and I can rest comfortably that God can successfully control the timing.

For those unsaved, at that time, God has a plan of salvation for them as well and part of that includes the two witnesses, the 144,000 and angels who will proclaim the Gospel. Also include in that list, they will see the hand of God, up close and personal.

Perhaps that is the only way that such people (those who enter the Trib) can reach salvation. I have no idea why God will determine His plans in terms of timing. No idea. But I trust it explicitedly.

So I hope His plan includes a rapture this evening.