Hitler the 8th head of the beast is dead, but antisemitism lives on. Plus the 7th head of the beast lives on in the demon-possessed kings of the east who start the Battle of Ar Mageddon.
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The War Against Israel: 1948 to Present
- Thread starter BlandOatmeal
- Start date
I agree with you concerning Hitler; but I don't know how you can have a "7th head" without the ten horns. How do you manage that?
BTW, my news item for the day: Two seemingly contradictory reports:
1. "'PM needs to ensure he can trust Obama on Iranian threat'"
-- Israel News | Online Israeli News Covering Israel & The Jewish World - JPost
2. "Western optimism on Irans nuclear program comes from three major US concessions in Kazakhstan to which Israel strongly objects: Fordo stays open, 20-percent uranium enrichment continues and low-grade Iranian uranium stocks will not leave the country. One Israeli official summed this up for debkafile as a huge Iranian success and total defeat for Israel. "
-- DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism, Security
More: Obamaâs Israel visit is on - to sweeten pill of nuclear Iran
I believe DEBKA, which continues,
"Significantly, former Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin commented that an Israeli strike against Irans nuclear facilities would be a one-night operation."
There is also talk about whether or not Netanyahu will be able to form a coalition government. I strongly believe he will.
I don't see any other real news today. This is interesting:
"Poll of Americans: Favorable view of Israel 66% PA 15% "
-- IMRA - Friday, March 8, 2013 Poll of Americans: Favorable view of Israel 66% PA 15%
Here's some more of the poll:
#1 Total favorable
#2 Total unfavorable
#1 #2
91% 5% Canada
88% 8% Great Britain
85% 10% Germany
81% 15% Japan
73% 22% France
68% 23% India
66% 29% Israel
Shalom shalom
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ISRAEL STARTS WORLD WAR III!!!
Well, it didn't actually happen. I was just joking, referring to some who got excited last summer, when many thought Israel was about to attack Iran and knock out its nuclear weapons production facilities. The actual news is this:
SUBJECT: N Korea threat all-out war rattles China
FULL TEXT: A fragile peace that has existed in the Korean peninsula for nearly 60 years looked under threat today as North Korea scrapped all non-aggression pacts with the South and said it was ready for all-out war...
"In that spirit, General Kang Pyo-yong, deputy Defence Minister and probably the Norths most influential commander, declared the Norths intercontinental ballistic missiles and other missiles are on standby with miniaturised warheads able to turn Washington into a sea of fire. The KNCA fanned the flames, saying a nuclear war may break out right now....
-- IMRA - Saturday, March 9, 2013 Excerpts: Port Said developments. NKorea threat all-out war rattles China, Egypt beware of jihadist Sinai attack March 09, 2013
It's ironic that when a third party even HINTS that Israel MIGHT take some action that COULD cause trouble (trouble far short of nuclear war, at that), the reading public has apoplexy; but when North Korea bluntly states that it is in the process of initiating a nuclear war, hardly anyone takes them seriously.
I might add that what is happening in Korea bears heavily on what happens in the Middle East and Israel. In fact, because North Korea is collaborating with Iran in developing nuclear weapons and launch systems, that very nuclear threat from Iran, that Israel is compelled to either address or abdicate its own existence, will be rooted in how seriously the world powers deal with the threat from Korea.
It's in God's hands; but I guaranty this: God will severely judge any nation that works against Israel's vital interests -- either by action or by inaction.
Shalom shalom
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The ten horns are the ten nations that were aligned with Hitler.I agree with you concerning Hitler; but I don't know how you can have a "7th head" without the ten horns. How do you manage that?
BTW, my news item for the day: Two seemingly contradictory reports:
1. "'PM needs to ensure he can trust Obama on Iranian threat'"
-- Israel News | Online Israeli News Covering Israel & The Jewish World - JPost
2. "Western optimism on Irans nuclear program comes from three major US concessions in Kazakhstan to which Israel strongly objects: Fordo stays open, 20-percent uranium enrichment continues and low-grade Iranian uranium stocks will not leave the country. One Israeli official summed this up for debkafile as a huge Iranian success and total defeat for Israel. "
-- DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism, Security
More: Obamaâs Israel visit is on - to sweeten pill of nuclear Iran
I believe DEBKA, which continues,
"Significantly, former Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin commented that an Israeli strike against Irans nuclear facilities would be a one-night operation."
There is also talk about whether or not Netanyahu will be able to form a coalition government. I strongly believe he will.
I don't see any other real news today. This is interesting:
"Poll of Americans: Favorable view of Israel 66% PA 15% "
-- IMRA - Friday, March 8, 2013 Poll of Americans: Favorable view of Israel 66% PA 15%
Here's some more of the poll:
#1 Total favorable
#2 Total unfavorable
#1 #2
91% 5% Canada
88% 8% Great Britain
85% 10% Germany
81% 15% Japan
73% 22% France
68% 23% India
66% 29% Israel
Shalom shalom
The 7th head trampled Jerusalem underfoot for 1260 years. Their time is up but Muslims want to rule Jerusalem again and are hell-bent on starting the Battle of Ar Mageddon.
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ISRAEL STARTS WORLD WAR III!!!
Well, it didn't actually happen. I was just joking, referring to some who got excited last summer, when many thought Israel was about to attack Iran and knock out its nuclear weapons production facilities. The actual news is this:
SUBJECT: N Korea threat all-out war rattles China
FULL TEXT: A fragile peace that has existed in the Korean peninsula for nearly 60 years looked under threat today as North Korea scrapped all non-aggression pacts with the South and said it was ready for all-out war...
"In that spirit, General Kang Pyo-yong, deputy Defence Minister and probably the Norths most influential commander, declared the Norths intercontinental ballistic missiles and other missiles are on standby with miniaturised warheads able to turn Washington into a sea of fire. The KNCA fanned the flames, saying a nuclear war may break out right now....
-- IMRA - Saturday, March 9, 2013 Excerpts: Port Said developments. NKorea threat all-out war rattles China, Egypt beware of jihadist Sinai attack March 09, 2013
It's ironic that when a third party even HINTS that Israel MIGHT take some action that COULD cause trouble (trouble far short of nuclear war, at that), the reading public has apoplexy; but when North Korea bluntly states that it is in the process of initiating a nuclear war, hardly anyone takes them seriously.
I might add that what is happening in Korea bears heavily on what happens in the Middle East and Israel. In fact, because North Korea is collaborating with Iran in developing nuclear weapons and launch systems, that very nuclear threat from Iran, that Israel is compelled to either address or abdicate its own existence, will be rooted in how seriously the world powers deal with the threat from Korea.
It's in God's hands; but I guaranty this: God will severely judge any nation that works against Israel's vital interests -- either by action or by inaction.
Shalom shalom
North Korea and Iran are not close allies at all. Sure, they both hate the West, but they are very different. Iran is very much more sane than North Korea, and would ever hate to be in North Korea's isolated position. North Korea seems to be a bigger threat to world peace than Iran.
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Hi, Supreme.
I'm still waiting for your response, though you are probably at work right now. You gave a lot of opinions above, but you don't cite any reasons for them. Let me deal with points you raised, one at a time.
1. First of all, you are talking about a threat to "world peace". Since the world is not at peace, this is a nebulous statement. The world leaders are trying to press Israel to "restart the peace process", though Israel is not in a hot war. In fact, the UN "peacekeepers" in the Golan buffer zone fled en masse yesterday into Israel, to escape the war in Syria. If Israel is in need of a "peace process", then, the rest of the world is much more in need of one -- countries like Mexico, for instance, where more citizens have died from the drug war than in all the Israel-Arab wars in history. Here is a map of conflicts in the world in 2011-2012 (which seems to ignore the major war in Libya):
Brown: Major wars, 1,000+ deaths per year
Orange: Minor wars and conflicts, fewer than 1000 deaths per year
Map SRC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_military_conflicts
2. Concerning the Iran-Korea alliance. Chief Iranian nuclear scientists are observers at all North Korean nuclear tests:
Iranian Observers Attended North Korea’s Nuclear Test
February 18, 2013
Asia and the Pacific, Middle East and North Africa
Press reports released yesterday claimed that a top Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi, traveled to North Korea to observe the country’s recent nuclear test . . .
Read more: Iranian Observers Attended North Korea’s Nuclear Test-
All Rights Reserved LIGNET.com
-- Iranian Observers Attended North Korea’s Nuclear Test-
In return, it is likely that Iran has been sharing its multi-stage, intercontinental range missile technology with the Koreans:
02/20/2012 - Iranian Space Program
...The Iranian space program has been condemned by United States and Europe because of their concern over its military potential. Some analysts have compared the relatively fast Iranian advancement in space technology to Russia's Sputnik program with the prediction that this advancement will propel Iran's military capability in other areas as well. The recent launches of the Iranian space program has put its rocket technology ahead of North Korea's, especially in multi-stage technologies necessary for orbital launch. The military concerns over Iran's space program has been exacerbated over Safir rocket's advanced 2nd stage which Iran has kept secret by not releasing any technical information related to the second stage of the rocket, keeping outside observers guessing over the technicalities.
-- KOSMOS Directives
3. Your comparison of North Korea's threat vs. Iran's:
North Korea: Does not have the reach, at the moment, to attack much of the US. Some on CF have noted their ability to send a nuclear weapon to a port on a ship. Iran has this same capabiltiy, besides having the ability to severely disrupt world shipping by blocking the Straits of Hormuz. China has almost total control over the DPRK's ability to project its power, and that same China is vitally concerned that Korea not start a war (since China would get the blowback from it). Iran, on the other hand, is surrounded by intensely anti-Israel, Islamic countries: If it instigated a war against Israel, it would only be cheered by its neighbors (not criticized, much less opposed).
North Korea's greatest threat to what is left of world peace, is its ability to help Iran become a nuclear power. As long as they are allowed to partner with the Iranians in nuclear weapon and delivery system technology, any efforts by Israel, the US or anyone to hamper Iran's nuclear weapons program will be thwarted. Even in the extreme scenario of an Israeli nuclear strike against Iran, the latter would have a "second strike" capability thanks to the Koreans; and with the West (including Israel) completely spineless concerning Iran, the latter has little to fear. Korea, on the other hand, would have to reckon with the South Koreans, who would snuff them out in a trice; and I doubt that the Chinese would come to their assistance for the very good reason that this would probably draw Japan and Taiwan into the fray against them.
Both countries threaten to exacerbate the current lack of peace in the world, though I think (based on reasons given here) that Iran is the greater threat.
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Zeek
Follower of Messiah, Israel advocate and Zionist
Hey Bland,
I believe from what I have seen since Israels inception, every Moslem leader from Nasser, Assad, Hussein to Ahmidinejad have all sp0uted off that they will defeat the enemy Israel and bring glory to Allah (and thus themselves).
I agree...the UN is an object lesson...it is a beast.
.
P. S. I'm curious about your "vultures" quote. Isaiah 34 comes to mind:
Simply saying that those that hate Israel usually turn up to see whats up for grabs...like vultures.
Yep...just like Satan tried to eradicate the Jewish nation, and thus the Messiah, so in these days the same desperate attempt to thwart G-ds ordained plans are operating against the Jewish people ...to destroy the State of Israel and thus the return of Messiah.....another reason to understand why not one jot or tittle will be removed from G-ds Law.
Yep...hard times ahead, and I think they will come upon us all very suddenly...a real shaking will happen, that will shake peoples faith to the core.
[/quote]
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Hi, Zazal.P. S. I'm curious about your "vultures" quote. Isaiah 34 comes to mind:
Simply saying that those that hate Israel usually turn up to see whats up for grabs...like vultures.
I take the "vultures" passage literally, because that is the most reasonable. We have vultures soaring around our city continually, usually feasting on road kill. They are mentioned in scripture, with reference to great battles of vengeance meted out by God, which would leave thousands or millions lying dead. The KJV only mentions vultures per se in Isaiah 34; but the NIV mentions it elsewhere. I believe KJV translates the word as "eagles". Again, we have many bald and golden eagles where I live, but they are most seen around January, when many of the sheep lamb. They eat the stillborn. The common denominator is "dead bodies", as in Proverbs 30:17:
“The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.
In end-times prophecy, we have:
Matt 24 (NIV):
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. [NOTE: This does not speak of a rapture, but of the first resurrection. As Paul said, "The dead in Christ shall rise first"]
(KJV has:
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Luke 17 has:
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” [36] [e]
37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.
He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”
Some have taken this last as proof of the "Rapture" doctrine; but is would best be re-named the "Raptor" doctrine, viz:
Rev 19 (KJV):
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
In terms of today's news, I don't think the"vultures" passages apply. Sometimes the dead are left in the field in today's wars, as in the past; but they are usually buried. The "vultures" passages speak of death on a massive scale, wherein ordinary civilians are selectively "taken" (i.e. killed) on a massive scale. This would happen during a nuclear war:
Zech 14 (NIV):
5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[a] in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light...
When evening comes, there will be light
12 This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. 14 Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
Left: Hiroshima -- http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/hiroshima bomb
Right: Vultures eating an elephant -- Vultures eating Elephant / Buitres comiendo Elefante | Photo
That is the description of the Zech 14 battle, when all the nations of the world (which includes the USA) fight against Israel.
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NO MORE WONDER ABOUT WHY OBAMA'S GOING TO ISRAEL.
It's to do PR work on behalf of the Arabs.
"Obama meets Arab US leaders ahead of Mideast trip
By REUTERS
03/12/2013 01:24
"Arab American leaders meet US president ahead of Mideast trip, say US can facilitate peaceful, lasting resolution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict; White House: Visit is opportunity to demonstrate commitment to Palestinians..."
-- Obama meets Arab US leaders ahead of Mideast trip | JPost | Israel News
Sometimes, I wish Obama would just come out and say where he's at -- he wants to dismantle and destroy the Jewish homeland. This cat-and-mouse game just makes me sick.
ISRAEL, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. WAKE UP, AND STOP PLACATING YOUR ENEMIES. STAND UP LIKE MEN.
It's to do PR work on behalf of the Arabs.
"Obama meets Arab US leaders ahead of Mideast trip
By REUTERS
03/12/2013 01:24
"Arab American leaders meet US president ahead of Mideast trip, say US can facilitate peaceful, lasting resolution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict; White House: Visit is opportunity to demonstrate commitment to Palestinians..."
-- Obama meets Arab US leaders ahead of Mideast trip | JPost | Israel News
Sometimes, I wish Obama would just come out and say where he's at -- he wants to dismantle and destroy the Jewish homeland. This cat-and-mouse game just makes me sick.
ISRAEL, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. WAKE UP, AND STOP PLACATING YOUR ENEMIES. STAND UP LIKE MEN.
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BLAME THE JEWS -- YET AGAIN
"US Economy Will Implode, Helpless in Face of 'Financial Pearl Harbor'
"Thursday, 14 Feb 2013 05:21 PM
Peter Schiff warns the United States will win the global currency war, but we will pay a heavy price for the “victory.”
"Schiff, the CEO of Euro Pacific Capital and a long-time critic of the Federal Reserve, says the U.S. economy will “implode” due to the measures enacted by our government to win the war, including artificially low interest rates and multiple rounds of quantitative easing (printing money).
"The reason, Schiff explains, is the current monetary policy is unsustainable. “We're broke. We owe trillions. Look at our budget deficit, look at the debt-to-GDP (ratio), the unfunded liabilities,” Schiff added. “If we were in the eurozone, they would kick us out.”
"Agreeing with Schiff’s pessimistic outlook is Marc Faber, the noted Swiss economist and investor. Faber says the United States is facing a systemic crisis, and “eventually everything will collapse.” Like Schiff, Faber also holds the Federal Reserve responsible for the country’s problems, but acknowledges that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke isn’t alone in destroying the dollar.
“'Bernanke is a money printer, Europeans will print money, the Chinese will print money, everybody will print money.' And the consequence, according to Faber, is 'the purchasing power of paper money will go down.'"
"Faber predicts a global collapse, and says the blame rests primarily on Bernanke’s shoulders. 'The monetary policies of the U.S. will destroy the world...."
-- America's Economic Pearl Harbor Video Documentary, Watch Here
If the fact has escaped some, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is Jewish. His probable successor, Janet Yellen, is also Jewish; and the newly confirmed Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, is also Jewish.
If anyone thinks the Jews will not be blamed for all this, think again.
In defense of the above Trinity, I will say that Bernanke et al are simply doing what Congress has mandated: keep the economy from sudden fluctuations, and keep inflation from getting out of hand. Doing this requires some "stretching" the economy, like a rubber band. Because the world economy has no fundamental strength, however, it will simply continue to stretch until it snaps back, with a vengeance. The most sensible thing for Bernanke to do, would be to let the economy fail NOW, while it is only absurdly out of whack, instead of a few years from now, when it is ludicrously out of whack.
Unfortunately for Bernanke, letting the economy fail is not a good career move.
A lot of naysayers here have said the US will never turn against Israel. When this thing hits the fan, no Jew on earth will be safe.
"US Economy Will Implode, Helpless in Face of 'Financial Pearl Harbor'
"Thursday, 14 Feb 2013 05:21 PM
Peter Schiff warns the United States will win the global currency war, but we will pay a heavy price for the “victory.”
"Schiff, the CEO of Euro Pacific Capital and a long-time critic of the Federal Reserve, says the U.S. economy will “implode” due to the measures enacted by our government to win the war, including artificially low interest rates and multiple rounds of quantitative easing (printing money).
"The reason, Schiff explains, is the current monetary policy is unsustainable. “We're broke. We owe trillions. Look at our budget deficit, look at the debt-to-GDP (ratio), the unfunded liabilities,” Schiff added. “If we were in the eurozone, they would kick us out.”
"Agreeing with Schiff’s pessimistic outlook is Marc Faber, the noted Swiss economist and investor. Faber says the United States is facing a systemic crisis, and “eventually everything will collapse.” Like Schiff, Faber also holds the Federal Reserve responsible for the country’s problems, but acknowledges that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke isn’t alone in destroying the dollar.
“'Bernanke is a money printer, Europeans will print money, the Chinese will print money, everybody will print money.' And the consequence, according to Faber, is 'the purchasing power of paper money will go down.'"
"Faber predicts a global collapse, and says the blame rests primarily on Bernanke’s shoulders. 'The monetary policies of the U.S. will destroy the world...."
-- America's Economic Pearl Harbor Video Documentary, Watch Here
If the fact has escaped some, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is Jewish. His probable successor, Janet Yellen, is also Jewish; and the newly confirmed Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, is also Jewish.
If anyone thinks the Jews will not be blamed for all this, think again.
In defense of the above Trinity, I will say that Bernanke et al are simply doing what Congress has mandated: keep the economy from sudden fluctuations, and keep inflation from getting out of hand. Doing this requires some "stretching" the economy, like a rubber band. Because the world economy has no fundamental strength, however, it will simply continue to stretch until it snaps back, with a vengeance. The most sensible thing for Bernanke to do, would be to let the economy fail NOW, while it is only absurdly out of whack, instead of a few years from now, when it is ludicrously out of whack.
Unfortunately for Bernanke, letting the economy fail is not a good career move.
A lot of naysayers here have said the US will never turn against Israel. When this thing hits the fan, no Jew on earth will be safe.
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PROGRESS REPORT ON TURKISH STRATEGIC RELATIONS
Turkey's relations are pointing more towards the East.
At the beginning of the current millenium, Turkey had very good relations with Japan and Israel, and was eagerly pursuing a closer relationship with Europe. With the advent of an Islamist-controlled parliament in Turkey, however, relations with Israel are permanently dead. Relations with Japan have stagnated at the same time, meanwhile; but Turkey's siding with NATO on the "Arab Spring" debacle have soured relations Turkey hoped to build with China and Iran. Relations with Europe are in a nosedive, meanwhile, while those with India have improved.
The net result of these changes has been a Turkish reorientation from the West (Europe and Israel) to the East (India). The following excerpts give some details:
EUROPEAN UNION -- DETERIORATING FAST
A Race to the Bottom: Turkey-EU Relations in 2012
-- http://www.turkishweekly.net/columnist/3721/a-race-to-the-bottom-turkey-eu-relations-in-2012.html
PR CHINA -- STUNTED
...there were differences encountered along the Ankara-Beijing link with
respect to the perspective on global politics. With the Arab Spring that
started in early 2011, Turkey and China began assuming disparate
positions... The dissent between the two countries deepened with the
Syrian crisis. In the process, Turkey came to better appreciate the
importance of its alliance with NATO; Russia, China, and Iran continued to
support the Assad regime in Syria. This state of affairs caused the
formation of the Sino-Turkish strategic partnership, announced in 2010, to
be stunted.
(SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN, PAKISTAN, MYANMAR, INDONESIA -- HALTING PROGRESS)
INDIA -- EXCELLENT PROGRESS
India... became a significant trade partner for Turkey with the advent of the 2000s. Cooperation between the two countries started to develop at a global scale within the G20 framework. So much so that India has surpassed Japan and South Korea in recent years to become Turkey’s largest commercial partner in Asia, following China. (Relations with Brunei have also improved)
-- Turkey’s Asia-Pacific Initiative: An Outlook for 2012
initiative-an-outlook-for-2012.html
IRAN -- ON HOLD BECAUSE OF SYRIA
(Turkish FM) Davutoğlu also addressed recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa and said that there is a new world order being sought at the moment. "In 1988, when I was writing my doctorate thesis, Mubarak was in power. Then computers came and Mubarak was still in power. Then cell phones surfaced and Mubarak was still in power. Facebook arrived and Mubarak was in power. However, he wasn't able to withstand Twitter."
...when it comes to the Syria issue, Turkey and Iran have serious differences in opinions," Davutoğlu accused Iran of remaining silent to Bashar Assad killing his own people. We have a serious divergence in views with Iran when it comes to the situation in Syria. We hope that Iran will come to understand the new dynamics in the region. Those who support the new regional order will remain actors in that new regional order."
-- Turkey’s Asia-Pacific Initiative: An Outlook for 2012
Note the Turkish FM's mention of a "New World Order", which Turkey sees itself a part of. That order is perceived to be the umbrella (led by the US and NATO) of a "New Regional Order" that will revolve around Turkey. These orders form the "Beast from out of the Sea" of Revelation and the "Gog Coalition" of Ezekiel 38-39, respectively.
Turkey's relations are pointing more towards the East.
At the beginning of the current millenium, Turkey had very good relations with Japan and Israel, and was eagerly pursuing a closer relationship with Europe. With the advent of an Islamist-controlled parliament in Turkey, however, relations with Israel are permanently dead. Relations with Japan have stagnated at the same time, meanwhile; but Turkey's siding with NATO on the "Arab Spring" debacle have soured relations Turkey hoped to build with China and Iran. Relations with Europe are in a nosedive, meanwhile, while those with India have improved.
The net result of these changes has been a Turkish reorientation from the West (Europe and Israel) to the East (India). The following excerpts give some details:
EUROPEAN UNION -- DETERIORATING FAST
A Race to the Bottom: Turkey-EU Relations in 2012
-- http://www.turkishweekly.net/columnist/3721/a-race-to-the-bottom-turkey-eu-relations-in-2012.html
PR CHINA -- STUNTED
...there were differences encountered along the Ankara-Beijing link with
respect to the perspective on global politics. With the Arab Spring that
started in early 2011, Turkey and China began assuming disparate
positions... The dissent between the two countries deepened with the
Syrian crisis. In the process, Turkey came to better appreciate the
importance of its alliance with NATO; Russia, China, and Iran continued to
support the Assad regime in Syria. This state of affairs caused the
formation of the Sino-Turkish strategic partnership, announced in 2010, to
be stunted.
(SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN, PAKISTAN, MYANMAR, INDONESIA -- HALTING PROGRESS)
INDIA -- EXCELLENT PROGRESS
India... became a significant trade partner for Turkey with the advent of the 2000s. Cooperation between the two countries started to develop at a global scale within the G20 framework. So much so that India has surpassed Japan and South Korea in recent years to become Turkey’s largest commercial partner in Asia, following China. (Relations with Brunei have also improved)
-- Turkey’s Asia-Pacific Initiative: An Outlook for 2012
initiative-an-outlook-for-2012.html
IRAN -- ON HOLD BECAUSE OF SYRIA
(Turkish FM) Davutoğlu also addressed recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa and said that there is a new world order being sought at the moment. "In 1988, when I was writing my doctorate thesis, Mubarak was in power. Then computers came and Mubarak was still in power. Then cell phones surfaced and Mubarak was still in power. Facebook arrived and Mubarak was in power. However, he wasn't able to withstand Twitter."
...when it comes to the Syria issue, Turkey and Iran have serious differences in opinions," Davutoğlu accused Iran of remaining silent to Bashar Assad killing his own people. We have a serious divergence in views with Iran when it comes to the situation in Syria. We hope that Iran will come to understand the new dynamics in the region. Those who support the new regional order will remain actors in that new regional order."
-- Turkey’s Asia-Pacific Initiative: An Outlook for 2012
Note the Turkish FM's mention of a "New World Order", which Turkey sees itself a part of. That order is perceived to be the umbrella (led by the US and NATO) of a "New Regional Order" that will revolve around Turkey. These orders form the "Beast from out of the Sea" of Revelation and the "Gog Coalition" of Ezekiel 38-39, respectively.
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ASIANS EDGY THAT US IS FOCUSSING TOO MUCH ON MIDDLE EAST; LOCUSTS ENTER ISRAEL FOR PASSOVER FEAST
America's East Asian allies are concerned that the US is focusing too much attention at the moment on the Middle East:
Mar 13, '13
US 'rebalancing' to Asia still a priority
By Jim Lobe
"WASHINGTON - Amid growing tensions with North Korea and, to a lesser extent, China, the White House has insisted that its "re-balancing" toward the Asia/Pacific remained on track and that Washington is fully committed to its allies there, especially Japan and South Korea.
"In a major policy address to the Asia Society in New York City on Monday, National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon offered an overview of US strategy in the region, stressing that the "re-balancing" - sometimes referred to as the "pivot" - will be comprehensive, focusing at least as much attention on Washington's economic role there as its military posture...
"In addition to reassuring Tokyo and Seoul, Monday's speech also appeared intended in part to dispel any doubts about the region's priority in its global strategy, particularly given Secretary of State John Kerry's choice to make Europe and the Middle East the site of his maiden overseas tour and Obama's decision to make his first second-term trip also to the Middle East.
"'There have been a number of people in the region looking at Kerry's trip and saying maybe they're looking to re-balance the re-balance,' noted Alan Romberg, the head of East Asia programmes at the Stimson Center here..."
-- Asia Times Online :: World Affairs
There are good reasons for Obama and Kerry to be visiting the ME at this time. I will list some:
1. Israel is about to announce the formation of its new governing coalition. By the looks of it, it is the most nationalist coalition for decades, perhaps ever. The Religious Zionists are now in control of religious affairs, the unreliable Haredim are in the opposition, along with a downsized Left Wing-Arab bloc, and the new Defense Minister is far more pro-settlement than his predecessor. For a long time, US President Obama had been hoping for a Left-wing victory in the January 2013 elections, which he could bend to his will on issues such as concessions to the Arabs and Iranians. Now he has to court Israeli PM Netanyahu's favor.
2. The Syrian debacle is about to spill over into neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Iraq. There are no neat solutions; and the probable acquisition of chemical weapons by both sides is making the situation difficult to ignore.
3. With Iran backing Syria and Hizbullah, the Syrian problem cannot be separated from Iran's nuclear weapons production. Israel's new Defense Minister, Moshe Ya'alon, is a key player in these matters:
"Ya’alon is considered one of the most moderate voices in the cabinet and the Octet in all matters pertaining to Iran. He is one of the ministers who consistently opposed any Israeli military adventurism (as did former minister Ze'ev Binyamin Begin, Minister of Atomic Energy and Intelligence Dan Meridor and former interior minister Eli Yishai). Ya’alon believes an Israeli attack to be both feasible and necessary, but only when the time is ripe and Israel is positioned to win. During the last term, he was not convinced that we had reached that point.
"Meanwhile, the number of centrifuges is increasing and they are spinning faster and faster, so it will be interesting to hear what he thinks in this next round. Spring is already here, and if the Americans want to head off any new allergies, they should invest in Ya’alon. They should convince him that they don’t intend to leave Israel abandoned along the side of the road in a few more months, once it becomes clear that the Iranians are moving full steam ahead in their efforts to build a bomb and the Americans are too tired to act."
Read more: Moshe Ya'alon Will Bring Balance To Israeli Defense Ministry - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
-- Moshe Ya'alon Will Bring Balance To Israeli Defense Ministry - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
The US must try to get its Middle East house in order, before it can deal with the less pressing problems in East Asia. The two are interconnected in the North Korean nuclear issue, since the DPR Korea is suspected of co-producing weapons with Iran.
Meanwhile, a heat wave of temperatures up to 97°F is energizing the swarm of locusts pouring into Israel from Egypt, just in time for Passover. God seems to be preparing the Israelis for their meeting with the world's Pharaoh, reminding them of their past -- and of their covenant relationship with YHWH.
America's East Asian allies are concerned that the US is focusing too much attention at the moment on the Middle East:
Mar 13, '13
US 'rebalancing' to Asia still a priority
By Jim Lobe
"WASHINGTON - Amid growing tensions with North Korea and, to a lesser extent, China, the White House has insisted that its "re-balancing" toward the Asia/Pacific remained on track and that Washington is fully committed to its allies there, especially Japan and South Korea.
"In a major policy address to the Asia Society in New York City on Monday, National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon offered an overview of US strategy in the region, stressing that the "re-balancing" - sometimes referred to as the "pivot" - will be comprehensive, focusing at least as much attention on Washington's economic role there as its military posture...
"In addition to reassuring Tokyo and Seoul, Monday's speech also appeared intended in part to dispel any doubts about the region's priority in its global strategy, particularly given Secretary of State John Kerry's choice to make Europe and the Middle East the site of his maiden overseas tour and Obama's decision to make his first second-term trip also to the Middle East.
"'There have been a number of people in the region looking at Kerry's trip and saying maybe they're looking to re-balance the re-balance,' noted Alan Romberg, the head of East Asia programmes at the Stimson Center here..."
-- Asia Times Online :: World Affairs
There are good reasons for Obama and Kerry to be visiting the ME at this time. I will list some:
1. Israel is about to announce the formation of its new governing coalition. By the looks of it, it is the most nationalist coalition for decades, perhaps ever. The Religious Zionists are now in control of religious affairs, the unreliable Haredim are in the opposition, along with a downsized Left Wing-Arab bloc, and the new Defense Minister is far more pro-settlement than his predecessor. For a long time, US President Obama had been hoping for a Left-wing victory in the January 2013 elections, which he could bend to his will on issues such as concessions to the Arabs and Iranians. Now he has to court Israeli PM Netanyahu's favor.
2. The Syrian debacle is about to spill over into neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Iraq. There are no neat solutions; and the probable acquisition of chemical weapons by both sides is making the situation difficult to ignore.
3. With Iran backing Syria and Hizbullah, the Syrian problem cannot be separated from Iran's nuclear weapons production. Israel's new Defense Minister, Moshe Ya'alon, is a key player in these matters:
"Ya’alon is considered one of the most moderate voices in the cabinet and the Octet in all matters pertaining to Iran. He is one of the ministers who consistently opposed any Israeli military adventurism (as did former minister Ze'ev Binyamin Begin, Minister of Atomic Energy and Intelligence Dan Meridor and former interior minister Eli Yishai). Ya’alon believes an Israeli attack to be both feasible and necessary, but only when the time is ripe and Israel is positioned to win. During the last term, he was not convinced that we had reached that point.
"Meanwhile, the number of centrifuges is increasing and they are spinning faster and faster, so it will be interesting to hear what he thinks in this next round. Spring is already here, and if the Americans want to head off any new allergies, they should invest in Ya’alon. They should convince him that they don’t intend to leave Israel abandoned along the side of the road in a few more months, once it becomes clear that the Iranians are moving full steam ahead in their efforts to build a bomb and the Americans are too tired to act."
Read more: Moshe Ya'alon Will Bring Balance To Israeli Defense Ministry - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
-- Moshe Ya'alon Will Bring Balance To Israeli Defense Ministry - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
The US must try to get its Middle East house in order, before it can deal with the less pressing problems in East Asia. The two are interconnected in the North Korean nuclear issue, since the DPR Korea is suspected of co-producing weapons with Iran.
Meanwhile, a heat wave of temperatures up to 97°F is energizing the swarm of locusts pouring into Israel from Egypt, just in time for Passover. God seems to be preparing the Israelis for their meeting with the world's Pharaoh, reminding them of their past -- and of their covenant relationship with YHWH.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS: THE "PIVOT TO ASIA" EXPLAINED
The following maps show the situation of the world today: The top map shows the world as it exists today. All the colored areas are nations for which the US State Department currently has travel warnings for Americans -- in other words, countries where lots of people, nearly all of them Muslims, really hate us; or where drug lords are busy rubbing each other out. The bottom map shows the same world, with the Middle East and Latin America politically off-limits. We will not deal with them, and therefore they will not exist. Americans, of course, will not travel there; but that is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Images based on: http://flathatnews.com/2012/03/23/college-heeds-state-department-travel-warnings/#!prettyPhoto[inline]/0/http://flathatnews.com/2012/03/23/college-heeds-state-department-travel-warnings/#!prettyPhoto
Simple, elegant, brilliant! Let's see how well our Commander-in-Chief does in implementing this.
The following maps show the situation of the world today: The top map shows the world as it exists today. All the colored areas are nations for which the US State Department currently has travel warnings for Americans -- in other words, countries where lots of people, nearly all of them Muslims, really hate us; or where drug lords are busy rubbing each other out. The bottom map shows the same world, with the Middle East and Latin America politically off-limits. We will not deal with them, and therefore they will not exist. Americans, of course, will not travel there; but that is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Images based on: http://flathatnews.com/2012/03/23/college-heeds-state-department-travel-warnings/#!prettyPhoto[inline]/0/http://flathatnews.com/2012/03/23/college-heeds-state-department-travel-warnings/#!prettyPhoto
Simple, elegant, brilliant! Let's see how well our Commander-in-Chief does in implementing this.
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IT KEEPS GETTING BIGGER!
I'm still waiting for Barack Obama to make his soon-to-be-famous visit to Jerusalem tomorrow (Israel time). Between now and the time his plane touches down at Ben Gurion Airport, we can expect news from the Middle East to contain a considerable element of posturing: The major players, such as Bashar Assad, are establishing "facts on the ground", to see what Obama will do with them.
One of those "facts on the ground" is something of a throwing down of the gauntlet: Assad has refrained until now from major military action against Lebanon, through which much of the arms to the NATO-backed rebels (Al Qaeda included) has been transported for attacks against Damascus and other cities.
During the closing decades of the last century, Syria virtualy controlled the government in Lebanon; and today, its Hizbullah allies control the Lebanese Parliament. Iran and Syria plan to use Lebanon as a jumping-off base for attacks into Israel, as they did in 2006, so the recent airstrikes -- set, as they are, on the world stage because of the Obama visit -- are a warning to not only Lebanon, but her American allies, that they mean business about attacking Israel when the moment becomes convenient.
"Assad to Beirut: Sack Lebanese army chief or more air raids. Jordan feared next
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 18, 2013, 6:31 PM (GMT+02:00)
"Syrian warplanes in action over Lebanon
"The Syrian conflict spread in earnest to Lebanon Monday, March 18, when the Syria Air Force carried out bombing runs over Syrian rebel jumping-off bases inside Lebanon that are used for their attacks on government forces..."
-- Assad to Beirut: Sack Lebanese army chief or more air raids. Jordan feared next
I'm still waiting for Barack Obama to make his soon-to-be-famous visit to Jerusalem tomorrow (Israel time). Between now and the time his plane touches down at Ben Gurion Airport, we can expect news from the Middle East to contain a considerable element of posturing: The major players, such as Bashar Assad, are establishing "facts on the ground", to see what Obama will do with them.
One of those "facts on the ground" is something of a throwing down of the gauntlet: Assad has refrained until now from major military action against Lebanon, through which much of the arms to the NATO-backed rebels (Al Qaeda included) has been transported for attacks against Damascus and other cities.
During the closing decades of the last century, Syria virtualy controlled the government in Lebanon; and today, its Hizbullah allies control the Lebanese Parliament. Iran and Syria plan to use Lebanon as a jumping-off base for attacks into Israel, as they did in 2006, so the recent airstrikes -- set, as they are, on the world stage because of the Obama visit -- are a warning to not only Lebanon, but her American allies, that they mean business about attacking Israel when the moment becomes convenient.
"Assad to Beirut: Sack Lebanese army chief or more air raids. Jordan feared next
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 18, 2013, 6:31 PM (GMT+02:00)
"Syrian warplanes in action over Lebanon
"The Syrian conflict spread in earnest to Lebanon Monday, March 18, when the Syria Air Force carried out bombing runs over Syrian rebel jumping-off bases inside Lebanon that are used for their attacks on government forces..."
-- Assad to Beirut: Sack Lebanese army chief or more air raids. Jordan feared next
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OBAMA DEEPLY SKEPTICAL OF UNCOMFORTABLE REALITY
"US: Syrian rebels didn’t use chemical weapons
The Associated Press | March 20,2013
"...The Russian Foreign Ministry said the rebel use of chemical weapons represented an “extremely dangerous” development in a conflict that has already killed 70,000 people. It said the rebels detonated a munition containing an unidentified chemical agent, but didn’t give further details.
"White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. is looking carefully at all allegations, but said the Obama administration is “deeply skeptical” of any claims emanating from Assad’s regime..."
-- US: Syrian rebels didn’t use chemical weapons [bless and do not curse]:[bless and do not curse]Rutland Herald Online
Obama can believe what he wants. That's fine. The Russians believe it, though, and will act accordingly. Obama's spokesman Carney noted that the US has no idea what's really going on in Syria, which is true. In fact, the US has no idea what's going on inside Obama either.
The inmates are running the assylum. Prepare for loud bangs -- and funny smells...
"US: Syrian rebels didn’t use chemical weapons
The Associated Press | March 20,2013
"...The Russian Foreign Ministry said the rebel use of chemical weapons represented an “extremely dangerous” development in a conflict that has already killed 70,000 people. It said the rebels detonated a munition containing an unidentified chemical agent, but didn’t give further details.
"White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. is looking carefully at all allegations, but said the Obama administration is “deeply skeptical” of any claims emanating from Assad’s regime..."
-- US: Syrian rebels didn’t use chemical weapons [bless and do not curse]:[bless and do not curse]Rutland Herald Online
Obama can believe what he wants. That's fine. The Russians believe it, though, and will act accordingly. Obama's spokesman Carney noted that the US has no idea what's really going on in Syria, which is true. In fact, the US has no idea what's going on inside Obama either.
The inmates are running the assylum. Prepare for loud bangs -- and funny smells...
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"QUIET STREETS
"Shortly after landing in Tel Aviv, Obama's entourage flew by helicopter to nearby Jerusalem and then drove to his city center hotel. Hundreds of banners boasting of "an unbreakable alliance" hung from lampposts, but only sparse crowds turned out to watch the president's motorcade drive through shut-off streets.
"Seeking to connect directly with an often skeptical Israeli public, Obama will make a speech to a group of carefully screened students on Thursday afternoon where he is expected to touch on major topics of concern, including Iran..."
-- Obama arrives in Israel, vows undying U.S. support | Reuters
"British Jews to bury medieval massacre victims
By SAM SOKOL
03/19/2013 14:09
"Remains of seventeen bodies discovered at bottom of well in Norwich in 2004 given a Jewish burial; evidence points to violent deaths.
"The remains of 17 bodies, discovered at the bottom of a well in the city of Norwich in 2004, were given a Jewish burial in Earlham Cemetery in Norwich on Tuesday.
"The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the umbrella organization for Englands Jewish community, estimated that some 50 people attended the ceremony that was composed of both Jews and Christians.
"Members of both faiths shoveled dirt onto the newly dug graves, while local Rabbi Alex Bennet read an introductory prayer and his counterpart from the Norwich church eulogized the deceased.
"The bodies, which were dated to somewhere between the 12th and 13th centuries, were found during an archaeological dig prior to construction of a new shopping center and are suspected to belong to Jews.
"According to the 2011 BBC documentary History Cold Case: The Bodies in the Well, fractures and other physical evidence may point to violent deaths.
"Eleven of the skeletons belonged to children under 15 years old and Jewish community representatives have stated that 'fractures suggest the throwing of the bodies of the adults down the well, head first.'..."
-- British Jews to bury medieval massacre victims | JPost | Israel News
Peace, for the Jews, is to be allowed to live: as a religion, as a people, as a nation. The world seems to have trouble with that idea. First the words, then the stones and rockets, then the bodies down the well. Most people know nothing about history; but the Jews, they know history.
"Shortly after landing in Tel Aviv, Obama's entourage flew by helicopter to nearby Jerusalem and then drove to his city center hotel. Hundreds of banners boasting of "an unbreakable alliance" hung from lampposts, but only sparse crowds turned out to watch the president's motorcade drive through shut-off streets.
"Seeking to connect directly with an often skeptical Israeli public, Obama will make a speech to a group of carefully screened students on Thursday afternoon where he is expected to touch on major topics of concern, including Iran..."
-- Obama arrives in Israel, vows undying U.S. support | Reuters
My sentiments exactly. In other news,
"British Jews to bury medieval massacre victims
By SAM SOKOL
03/19/2013 14:09
"Remains of seventeen bodies discovered at bottom of well in Norwich in 2004 given a Jewish burial; evidence points to violent deaths.
"The remains of 17 bodies, discovered at the bottom of a well in the city of Norwich in 2004, were given a Jewish burial in Earlham Cemetery in Norwich on Tuesday.
"The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the umbrella organization for Englands Jewish community, estimated that some 50 people attended the ceremony that was composed of both Jews and Christians.
"Members of both faiths shoveled dirt onto the newly dug graves, while local Rabbi Alex Bennet read an introductory prayer and his counterpart from the Norwich church eulogized the deceased.
"The bodies, which were dated to somewhere between the 12th and 13th centuries, were found during an archaeological dig prior to construction of a new shopping center and are suspected to belong to Jews.
"According to the 2011 BBC documentary History Cold Case: The Bodies in the Well, fractures and other physical evidence may point to violent deaths.
"Eleven of the skeletons belonged to children under 15 years old and Jewish community representatives have stated that 'fractures suggest the throwing of the bodies of the adults down the well, head first.'..."
-- British Jews to bury medieval massacre victims | JPost | Israel News
It keeps coming up, like a bad burp: The words, then the reality...
Peace, for the Jews, is to be allowed to live: as a religion, as a people, as a nation. The world seems to have trouble with that idea. First the words, then the stones and rockets, then the bodies down the well. Most people know nothing about history; but the Jews, they know history.
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RED LINE, ANYONE?
Here is what I consider to be the most reliable information to date about the Chemical weapons in Syria:
Steinitz: 'Apparently Clear Chemical Weapons Used in Syria'
"Either Syrian rebels or the Damascus regime have used chemical weapons in country's civil war, said Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz.
By Rachel Hirshfeld First Publish: 3/20/2013, 4:13 PM
"Either Syrian rebels or the Damascus regime have used chemical weapons in the country's two-year civil war, Israels newly appointed Minister of Intelligence and Strategic Affairs, Yuval Steinitz, said on Wednesday.
"'It's apparently clear that chemical weapons have been used against civilians by the rebels or by the government,' Steinitz told Army Radio.
'This is very concerning for us and we must deal with it urgently,' he said."
-- Steinitz: 'Chemical Weapons Used in Syria' - Global Agenda - News - Israel National News
This is more like it:
Here is what I consider to be the most reliable information to date about the Chemical weapons in Syria:
Steinitz: 'Apparently Clear Chemical Weapons Used in Syria'
"Either Syrian rebels or the Damascus regime have used chemical weapons in country's civil war, said Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz.
By Rachel Hirshfeld First Publish: 3/20/2013, 4:13 PM
"Either Syrian rebels or the Damascus regime have used chemical weapons in the country's two-year civil war, Israels newly appointed Minister of Intelligence and Strategic Affairs, Yuval Steinitz, said on Wednesday.
"'It's apparently clear that chemical weapons have been used against civilians by the rebels or by the government,' Steinitz told Army Radio.
'This is very concerning for us and we must deal with it urgently,' he said."
-- Steinitz: 'Chemical Weapons Used in Syria' - Global Agenda - News - Israel National News
Use of chemical weapons, by either side, has been often cited as the "red line" for American and/or Israeli intervention in Syria. Now the weapons have come and gone, on perhaps the most visible occasion for all parties to see; and nothing has happened. I imagine the same applies to other American and Israeli "red lines", such as Iran.
This is more like it:
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THE REASON FOR OBAMA'S ISRAEL VISIT
It's becoming apparent, why US President Obama is visiting Israel, and particularly Prime Minister Netanyahu, at this time.
Since Israel has become a state, no Prime Minister has held that office longer than Binyamin Netanyahu, other than Israel's first PM, David Ben Gurion. In the US, no President has held office that long during the same time. As a result, not many US Presidents have had much overlap with Israeli PMs. The Examples of those with 5+ year overlaps are:
David Ben Gurion -- Harry S. Truman
David Ben Gurion -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Levy Eshkol -- Lyndon B. Johnson
Golda Meir -- Richard M. Nixon
Ariel Sharon -- George W. Bush
If Netanyahu and Obama both live out the current year in office, which is likely, they will make the sixth such couple. In fact, if they both live out the following year together, they will set a record in longevity.
Neither leader has much in common with the other; and their record of mutual animosity and acrimony is world-famous; but they will spend the next four years together, like it or not, and are trying to MESH together in some mutually acceptable way. Both parties know that the important issues between them are not publicity stunts like the "Peace Process", but existential threats to Israel, on the one hand, and the economic impact of instability in the region on the US, on the other.
Who knows? The two may even get to like each other (With God, all things are possible!). Regardless, the point of this visit is personal. Obama will try to curry support with the Israeli Left (as Clinton did successfully under his watch, helping put Netanyahu out of office), in his address of leftist university students.
In Obama's last term, he undermined Egyptian President Mubarak by giving his address from Cairo University, a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood. That won't work in Israel, because Israel is not Egypt. What's more, the Israel of today is far more nationalist and less idealist than the Israel of the 1990s. If Obama were serious about undermining Netanyahu, he might at least address the Knesset; but his team has given up on the idea. The two are resigned to living together, so they're talking. End of story (I think).
"Obama and Netanyahu agree: No Israeli strike on Iran without US assent
DEBKAfile Special Report March 20, 2013, 11:30 PM (GMT+02:00)
"On Day One of his visit to Israel, President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu put to rest their long dispute over an Israeli strike on Iran. In principle, Israel had the right to independently defend itself, they acknowledged, but in practice would not exercise this principle without first consulting with Washington. The president reciprocated with a pledge of expanded military aid to Israel. Both deferred military intervention in the Syrian civil conflict – even for containing its expansion into chemical warfare..."
-- Obama and Netanyahu agree: No Israeli strike on Iran without US assent
It's becoming apparent, why US President Obama is visiting Israel, and particularly Prime Minister Netanyahu, at this time.
Since Israel has become a state, no Prime Minister has held that office longer than Binyamin Netanyahu, other than Israel's first PM, David Ben Gurion. In the US, no President has held office that long during the same time. As a result, not many US Presidents have had much overlap with Israeli PMs. The Examples of those with 5+ year overlaps are:
David Ben Gurion -- Harry S. Truman
David Ben Gurion -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Levy Eshkol -- Lyndon B. Johnson
Golda Meir -- Richard M. Nixon
Ariel Sharon -- George W. Bush
If Netanyahu and Obama both live out the current year in office, which is likely, they will make the sixth such couple. In fact, if they both live out the following year together, they will set a record in longevity.
Neither leader has much in common with the other; and their record of mutual animosity and acrimony is world-famous; but they will spend the next four years together, like it or not, and are trying to MESH together in some mutually acceptable way. Both parties know that the important issues between them are not publicity stunts like the "Peace Process", but existential threats to Israel, on the one hand, and the economic impact of instability in the region on the US, on the other.
Who knows? The two may even get to like each other (With God, all things are possible!). Regardless, the point of this visit is personal. Obama will try to curry support with the Israeli Left (as Clinton did successfully under his watch, helping put Netanyahu out of office), in his address of leftist university students.
In Obama's last term, he undermined Egyptian President Mubarak by giving his address from Cairo University, a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood. That won't work in Israel, because Israel is not Egypt. What's more, the Israel of today is far more nationalist and less idealist than the Israel of the 1990s. If Obama were serious about undermining Netanyahu, he might at least address the Knesset; but his team has given up on the idea. The two are resigned to living together, so they're talking. End of story (I think).
"Obama and Netanyahu agree: No Israeli strike on Iran without US assent
DEBKAfile Special Report March 20, 2013, 11:30 PM (GMT+02:00)
"On Day One of his visit to Israel, President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu put to rest their long dispute over an Israeli strike on Iran. In principle, Israel had the right to independently defend itself, they acknowledged, but in practice would not exercise this principle without first consulting with Washington. The president reciprocated with a pledge of expanded military aid to Israel. Both deferred military intervention in the Syrian civil conflict – even for containing its expansion into chemical warfare..."
-- Obama and Netanyahu agree: No Israeli strike on Iran without US assent
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Originally Posted by BlandOatmealDEMOGRAPHIC TIME BOMB AGAINST THE MUSLIM WORLD -- AND ALL OF US
An article by David Ignatius in the February 11, 2013 Web edition of Ya Libnan talks about a demographic nightmare hitting the Arab world in this generation, brought on by sharply dropping birth rates.
"...What’s “astonishing,” says Eberstadt in an email explaining his findings, is that in the Arab world, this move away from marriage “is by many measures already as far along as was Europe’s in the 1980s — and it is taking place at a vastly lower level of development than the corresponding flights in Europe and developed East Asia.”
"“Something really big is under way — and practically no one has noticed it, even in the Arab world,” argues Eberstadt.
"These studies are a reminder that the big demographic trends shaping the world are mysterious, and often overlooked. The Arab world may be experiencing a youth bulge now, fueling popular uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere. But as Eberstadt notes, what’s ahead over the next generation will probably be declines in the number of working-age adults and rapidly aging populations.'''"
Sharp decline in Muslim fertility rates | Ya Libnan | World News Live from Lebanon...Hi, Marsh
I was wondering if you're still on board. It happens that I was just surfing Ya Libnan again tonight, and came across the original article again.
It occurred to me, that sharply declining fertility rates are a rough measure of a society in terminal decline. In nature, populations tend to increase exponentially in times of tremendous prosperity, like locusts in a rainy year following a period of severe drought. Then the party ends, as it were, and mass starvation/ war/ disease ensues. If this sounds a lot like end-times Bible prophecy, chalk it up to coincidence; because there is a perfectly normal reason for those three to happen together:
1. When the population-to-resources ratio hits a crisis level, people begin to grow hungry, then to starve.
2. When hunger, or the threat of it, sets in, stronger countries turn to war to ensure their share of the goods
3. With war and destruction, infrastructure and medical care collapse, and plagues set in. People weakened by hunger, of course, are the most susceptible.
Locusts naturally go into boom-bust cycles when these things happen, because theirs is a pre-programmed genetic response. With humans, who can forsee far in to the future, the "boom-bust" cycle can take on a different form: namely, sharply declining fertility and growth rates. The Ya Libnan article focussed on the current sharp decline in the Muslim world (with an incidental mention of Mexico). Let me look up what happened in the industrialized West, for comparison:
I was hoping for a map that would show the astounding growth in population of the industrialized world, particularly the US, during the 1800s -- as that part of the world became industrialized -- then tapered off and declined during the 20th century. There are many technical explanations for this, but the simplest is the Biblical maxim:
Ecclesiastes 5
[11] When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
As it is, I found a chart that shows a shorter time span. If you look at Germany, in particular, you will see something strange: During 1937, Germany and Sweden had the same fertility rates as one another. Then Germany's rate sharply fell from 2.1 to 1.5. Some 10 million Germans died in the war during that period, mostly men; so the number of mouths had sharply declined, even without the fertility decrease. At the same time, Germany prospered through territorial expansion during the war and rapidly rebuilt after the war, so goods were steadily increasing.
Judging by the Preacher's maxim, Germany's fertility rate should have increased after the war (as it did after WWI); but it didn't. Germans stopped having children. France and Denmark fell in fertility during the war too, but significantly recovered in the late 1940s; but Austria and Germany just kept sliding downhill (Spain did even worse, under Franco; and they still haven't recovered).
I think something psychological is at work here, perhaps a "loser's syndrome". Here's another map, including the former Soviet Bloc:
SRC for images: http://demographymatters.blogspot.com/2007/05/childbearing-in-europe.html
For the ex-Commies, the rubber band seems to have snapped in the 1990s. Russia even had an uptick in while the Soviet Union collapsed. Maybe they were driven by HOPE of better times. Then they began skidding in earnest, while newly-unified Western Europe started leveling off.
These are self-destructive trends. The Ya Libnan article correctly sounds the alarm that these figures signal impending demographic disaster; so there is no reasonable economic reason I can see: The cause seems to be psychological. It reminds me of comments I have read about Native Americans, saying that when a tribe shrinks down to a certain size, its members lose their will to continue as a people, and they stop having children.
The rapid drop in fertility rates mentioned in the article (70% decline in 30 years, in the case of Iran since the Revolution) make me think that somehow those people see that their glory is past, despite the boastings of their leaders -- just as happened to the Germans and Austrians under Hitler, the Spanish under Franco and the East Europeans after the fall of Communism. In a sense, they've already lost, and are living in denial.
Just a thought.
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