WAR - Iran Building Missiles With North Korea

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Iran Building Missiles With North Korea

Iran and North Korea are cooperating in the development of long-range missiles that could reach the U.S., according to a Pentagon official.

Army Brig. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, deputy director of the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency, said in a speech on Monday that the Iranians are working on a space launcher that would help them develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the U.S., the Washington Times reported.

"Not only North Korea, but Iran has shown some significant developments in their missile systems,” Gen. O’Reilly said in the speech, delivered to the George C. Marshall Institute.

"They are working in concert with the North Koreans. They have made a claim that they are working toward developing a space launch capability, which also would give them an ICBM capability.”

Missile Defense Agency briefing materials said Iran "could have an ICBM capable of reaching the U.S. before 2015.”

North Korea has already tested a missile said to have a range of more than 6,000 miles, and Iranians were on hand during Pyongyang’s unsuccessful test launch of a missile last July.

Gen. O’Reilly said the U.S. missile defense system is designed to counter missiles from "rogue states” targeted at the U.S., according to the Times.

His speech marked the first time the Pentagon has publicly commented on the missile cooperation between Iran and North Korea.

But last week a British publication quoted a European source who claimed that North Korea was helping Iran prepare for an underground nuclear test, possibly before the end of this year.

North Korea denied the claim, calling it a "sheer lie” and "fabrication.”

However, North Korea has acknowledged that an Iranian delegation recently met with senior North Korean officials and signed a three-year agreement on scientific exchanges. Pyongyang did not specify those exchanges.
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............................................benny

Iran two to three years from nuclear weapon: think tank by Katherine Haddon
Wed Jan 31, 4:58 PM ET



LONDON (AFP) - Iran could be only two or three years away from being able to produce a nuclear weapon, the head of a leading international security think tank in London said.

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John Chipman, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said Iran had stockpiled 250 tonnes of uranium hexafluoride (UF6), which, when enriched, would be enough for 30 to 50 weapons.

But he stressed that Iran still faced other obstacles before it could build a weapon.

While Iran is "probably" on track to hit a target of producing 3,000 centrifuges -- the machines which enrich uranium -- at its nuclear facility in Natanz by the end of March, installing them and making them function properly would be complicated, Chipman said.

"If and when Iran does have 3,000 centrifuges operating smoothly, the IISS estimates it would take an additional nine to 11 months to produce 25 kilogrammes (55 pounds) of highly enriched uranium, enough for one implosion-type weapon.

"That day is still two to three years away at the earliest," he said.

Launching the IISS's annual report assessing global military capability, Chipman added that the "main bottleneck" for producing weapons was learning how to run UF6 through linked cascades for long periods.

"If Iran overcomes the technical hurdles, the possibility of military options to stop the programme will increase," he added.

Although US President George W. Bush has said the United States has no plans to invade Iran, Washington is isolating the Iranian regime over nuclear suspicions and allegations of complicity in attacks on US troops in Iraq.

In December, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for its repeated refusal to freeze enrichment work.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's regime insists it only wants to use nuclear technology to generate energy, despite fears that it could be used to build an atomic bomb.

Chipman said that the sheer volume of centrifuges was "a political act, designed to demonstrate technological achievement at home and defiance abroad."

He added that having such a high number in place could provide Iran with a bargaining chip if international negotiations resume.

"Having more centrifuges in place -- even if not operating -- would also put the programme at a higher plateau in the event negotiations resumed and Iran made an offer to cap the size," he added.

Iran kicks off 10 days of celebrations Thursday marking the anniversary of its 1979 Islamic revolution, during which it is thought officials may announce the start of phase one of nuclear fuel production for industrial purposes.

But it could face further sanctions later this month when Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, submits a compliance report to the UN Security Council.

Elsewhere in his speech, Chipman lent his voice to those criticising Bush's troop surge to Iraq, which will see an extra 21,500 military personnel deployed mainly to Baghdad.

"Simply flooding one area of Iraq, in this case parts of Baghdad, with troops, neglects the subtler aspects of counter-insurgency doctrine," he said.

"For a surge in troops to be sustainable, it has to be married with the second stage of the process."

This meant building up administrative capacity and establishing the rule of law, he added.

.......................................benny

Israel's Peretz says 2007 critical year on Iran By Jonathan Saul
Wed Jan 31, 4:47 PM ET



JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said on Wednesday this year would be "critical" for the international community in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.

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He discussed the issue during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Brussels, his office said in a statement, on the first visit by an Israeli defense minister to NATO's headquarters.

"2007 is the critical year for diplomatic efforts to curb Iran developing a nuclear weapon," Peretz told de Hoop Scheffer. "The international community should step up pressure on Iran."

The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran on December 23 and gave it 60 days to suspend uranium enrichment. Tehran denies pursuing the bomb and says it is developing nuclear energy only to generate electricity.

An Iranian parliamentarian said on Saturday Iran had started installing 3,000 new atomic centrifuges at its Natanz uranium enrichment facility, although an Iranian nuclear official later denied this.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies, a leading global think-tank, said on Wednesday that Iran was at least two to three years away from being able to produce a nuclear weapon.

Peretz has called for a stepping up of sanctions on Iran.

Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, sent warplanes to bomb an atomic reactor in Iraq in 1981.

Neither Israel nor the United States has ruled out military force on Iran, although Washington says its priority is to reach a diplomatic solution.

Analysts say Israel has stepped up its cooperation with NATO in a bid to bolster defense ties with the Western military alliance in the face of arch-foe Iran's nuclear program.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map."

The Defense Ministry statement said Peretz and de Hoop Scheffer discussed widening and strengthening cooperation between NATO and Israel. It said Peretz had been invited to a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Spain in February.

A NATO statement added that other non-NATO ministers from countries it has formal ties with under what it calls the Mediterranean Dialogue had also been invited. Those comprise Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia as well.

.........................................benny

The article below, reveals how strongly the arab world are very much against the Jews in building a third temple as prophesied.....As I have stated many times,I believe that it will take two global shocks of biblical purportion, as in the coming events of Isaiah 17;1..and the rapture of the bride, before the arab nations would agree to a third temple. .........................................................................FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
'Proof' Temple Mount 'belongs to Muslims'
Head custodian says site will never be returned to Jewish sovereignty

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Posted: January 31, 2007
6:04 p.m. Eastern


By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


JERUSALEM – The replacement tomorrow in the Al Aqsa Mosque of a key podium transported with the coordination of Israeli security forces is "proof" the Temple Mount belongs only to Muslims and will never be returned to Jewish sovereignty, according to the leader of the Wafq – the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount.

"This historic occasion proves that the extremist Jews will never achieve their goals of taking over the [Temple Mount.] It shows that we are much closer to liberating the Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem from Israeli occupation," said Waqf chief Adnan Husseini.


Temple Mount in Jerusalem


At a ceremony in the Al Aqsa Mosque, the podium is set to be unveiled and installed at the "exact spot" Waqf officials state the prophet Muhammad went up to heaven to receive revelations from Allah. The podium will be used by Al Aqsa preachers to deliver sermons.

The new stand replaces a 1,000-year-old podium believed to have been shipped to Jerusalem by the Islamic conqueror Saladin. That stand was destroyed in 1969, when an Australian tourist set fire to the Al Aqsa Mosque.

The replacement stand, a near replica of the original, was funded by the Jordanian and Saudi governments. It took craftsmen four years to construct. The podium's nearly assembled parts were shipped to Waqf offices on the Temple Mount earlier this month with help from the Israeli police, and will be installed at the center of the Al Aqsa Mosque tomorrow.

According to a Waqf official speaking to WND, the theme for tomorrow's installation ceremony will focus on exclusive Islamic domination of the Temple Mount.

"The official reason for the ceremony is to mark the installation, but unofficially it will be a celebration that this podium is proof we are the rightful owners of the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount). This podium solidifies our eternal presence here," the Waqf official said.

Al Aqsa Mosque built by angels?

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. Muslims say it is their third holiest site.

The First Jewish Temple was built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The Second Temple was rebuilt in 515 B.C. after Jerusalem was freed from Babylonian captivity. That temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire in A.D. 70. Each temple stood for a period of about four centuries.

The Jewish Temple was the center of religious Jewish worship. It housed the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the Covenant and was said to be the area upon which God's "presence" dwelt. The Al Aqsa Mosque now resides on the site.

(Story continues below)


The temple served as the primary location for the offering of sacrifices and was the main gathering place in Israel during Jewish holidays.

The Temple Mount compound has remained a focal point for Jewish services over the millennia. Prayers for a return to Jerusalem have been uttered by Jews since the Second Temple was destroyed, according to Jewish tradition. Jews worldwide pray facing toward the Western Wall, a portion of an outer courtyard of the Temple left intact.

The Al Aqsa Mosque was constructed around 709 to serve as a shrine near another shrine, the Dome of the Rock, which was built by an Islamic caliph. Al Aqsa was meant to mark what Muslims came to believe Muhammad, the founder of Islam, ascended to heaven.

Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Quran. Islamic tradition states Mohammed took a journey in a single night from "a sacred mosque" – believed to be in Mecca in southern Saudi Arabia – to "the farthest mosque" and from a rock there ascended to heaven. The farthest mosque later became associated with Jerusalem.

Most Waqf officials deny the Jewish temples ever existed in spite of what many call overwhelming archaeological evidence, including the discovery of Temple-era artifacts linked to worship, tunnels that snake under the Temple Mount and over 100 ritual immersion pools believed to have been used by Jewish priests to cleanse themselves before services. The cleansing process is detailed in the Torah.

According to the website of the Palestinian Authority's Office for Religious Affairs, the Temple Mount is Muslim property. The site claims the Western Wall, which it refers to as the Al-Boraq Wall, previously was a docking station for horses. It states Muhammed tied his horse, named Boraq, to the wall before ascending to heaven.

In an interview with WND, Kamal Hatib, vice-chairman of the Islamic Movement, which will take part in the podium installation ceremonies, claimed the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built by angels, and that a Jewish Temple may have existed, but not in Jerusalem. The Movement, which works closely with the Waqf, is the Muslim group in Israel most identified with the Temple Mount.

"When the First Temple was built by Solomon – God bless him – Al Aqsa was already built. We don't believe that a prophet like Solomon would have built the Temple at a place where a mosque existed," said Hatib.

"And all the historical and archaeological facts deny any relation between the temples and the location of Al Aqsa. We must know that Jerusalem was occupied and that people left many things, coins and other things everywhere. This does not mean in any way that there is a link between the people who left these things and the place where these things were left," Hatib said.

Al Aqsa official to WND: Jewish Temples existed

Last June, in a widely circulated WND interview, a former senior leader of the Waqf contradicted his colleagues, saying he has come to believe the first and second Jewish Temples existed and stood at the current location of the Al Aqsa Mosque.

The leader, who was dismissed from his Waqf position after he quietly made his beliefs known, said Al Aqsa custodians passed down stories for centuries from generation to generation indicating the mosque was built at the site of the former Jewish temples.

He said the Muslim world's widespread denial of the existence of the Jewish temples is political in nature and is not rooted in facts.

"Prophet Solomon built his famous Temple at the same place that later the Al Aqsa Mosque was built. It cannot be a coincidence that these different holy sites were built at the same place. The Jewish Temple Mount existed," said the former senior Waqf leader, speaking to WorldNetDaily from an apartment in an obscure alley in Jerusalem's Old City.

The former leader, who is well known to Al Aqsa scholars and Waqf officials, spoke on condition his name be withheld, claiming an on-the-record interview would endanger his life.

He told WND "true" Islamic tradition relates the Jewish temples once stood at the site of the Al Aqsa Mosque.

"[The existence of the Jewish Temple at the site is obvious] according to studies, researches and archaeological signs that we were also exposed to. But especially according to the history that passed from one generation to another – we believe Al Aqsa was built on the same place were the Temple of the Jews – the first monotheistic religion – existed."

He cited samples of some stories he said were related orally by Islamic leaders:

"We learned that the Christians, especially those who believed that Jesus was crucified by the Jews, used to throw their garbage at the Temple Mount site. They used to throw the pieces of cotton and other material Christian women used in cleaning the blood of their monthly cycle. Doing so they believed that they were humiliating, insulting and harming the Jews at their holiest site. This way they are hurting them like Jews hurt Christians when crucifying Jesus.

"It is known also that most of the first guards of Al Aqsa when it was built were Jews. The Muslims knew at that time that they could not find any more loyal and faithful than the Jews to guard the mosque and its compound. They knew that the Jews have a special relation with this place."

Temple Mount: No-prayer zone

Currently, even though the Jewish state controls Jerusalem, the Waqf serve as the custodians of the Temple Mount under a deal made with the Israeli government that restricts non-Muslim prayer at the site.

The Temple Mount was opened to the general public until September 2000, when the Palestinians started their intifada by throwing stones at Jewish worshipers after then-candidate for prime minister Ariel Sharon visited the area.

Following the onset of violence, the new Sharon government closed the Mount to non-Muslims, using checkpoints to control all pedestrian traffic for fear of further clashes with the Palestinians.

The Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslims in August 2003. It still is open but only Sundays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and not on any Christian, Jewish or Muslim holidays or other days considered "sensitive" by the Waqf.

During "open" days, Jews and Christian are allowed to ascend the Mount, usually through organized tours and only if they conform first to a strict set of guidelines, which includes demands that they not pray or bring any "holy objects" to the site. Visitors are banned from entering any of the mosques without direct Waqf permission. Rules are enforced by Waqf agents, who watch tours closely and alert nearby Israeli police to any breaking of their guidelines.

...........................................benny

Benny did you see this? After reading it the Lord gave me a scripture which follows.



Psalm 141
A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.

5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

6 their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

7 They will say, "As one plows and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave. "

8 But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD;
in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.

9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
from the traps set by evildoers.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.


1 [Psalm 141] A lament of an individual (Psalm 141:1-2) who is keenly aware that only the righteous can worship God properly and who therefore prays to be protected from the doomed wicked (3-10).

The main focus is the final status of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount Issue .......At this moment,world powers are wanting to negotiate the final status of Jerusalem,....To do this, the status of the Temple Mount issue must be included!....Lets look at the present situation going on at this moment....The A.O.C. thru the United Nations is rising to power' which will lead to a one world church, which I think that we can all agree with, but is not yet in complete full swing. We know that a false prophet is to arise that will call fire out of the sky, which will deceive many. Think about it......once the rapture comes to pass ....a lot of people are going to get religious overnight, and when the false prophet performs his deceiving miracles.....it will place the false church into full swing.The purpose of this coming false prophet is to direct all worship towards the anti-christ.With the event of the rapture, and the deceiving miracles from the false prophet, in combination, of the prophecy of Isaiah 17;1....that may happen just shortly before or after the rapture........The arab nations would agree to anything that the ac would suggest pertaining to the jews building the third temple.Considering that the world powers are wanting to deal with the status of Jerusalem,and that the Iranian nuclear crisses including the involvement of Syria is presently before our eyes, strongly indicates that the ac is about to step onto the world stage......which to the pre-trib believer tells us that the rapture is breathtakenly near.......WE are now wittnessing the moment of truth, and we have not long to wait...................benny

WAR - US fighter jets to patrol Iran-Iraq border, report says

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US fighter jets to patrol Iran-Iraq border, report says

Pentagon official tells LA Times aggressive new tactics designed to deter Iranian assistance to Iraqi militants may include more forceful patrols by fighter planes along Iran-Iraq border to counter smuggling of bomb supplies from Islamic Republic; ‘For every improvised explosive device that goes off in Iraq, a bomb should go off in Iran,’ retired Air Force lieutenant general says


http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/Art...359545,00.html
__________________
........................................benny

"Who will stand for Israel?" It's a question l heard in a dream several years ago. Then l heard an answer..."Zach will." I've always wondered about it and l was led to the dream again as l set out to answer this news article by Mr. Klein. The thought came pounding into my mind. Who will stand for Israel? And then l remembered the dream..."Zach will."






What do you say?

Chavez and the 'Ezekiel Option'......by Hal Lindsey

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Posted: February 2, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern



This week, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was handed unrestricted authority to rule his nation by decree. Venezuela's new parliament passed, and Chavez signed, the "Enabling Act" and put an end to any hopes of a democratic end to his rule.

Chavez is expected to exercise the absolute power granted him to nationalize all private oil and gas operations now operating in his territory.

Chavez also has plans to take state control of Venezuela's biggest telecommunications company and electricity providers, to revamp banking and zap the rich with new taxes with a goal of ensuring ''the equal distribution of wealth."

(Column continues below)


In short, Chavez is assuming the role of America's new Castro, but Venezuela is no Cuba. Cuba cost America some banana and sugar plantations and the very rich had to find someplace else to gamble, but by and large, Castro hurt Cuba a lot more than he hurt the United States.

Chavez is what Castro would have been if he had been sitting on one of the richest oil fields in the world: an enemy too dangerous to live with, and too expensive for us to live without.

Venezuela is America's fifth largest supplier of oil. And Chavez owns (or will soon own) all the oil companies.

Making the situation even more dangerous is Chavez's close alliance with Iran. Iran has sworn to wipe Israel from the map publicly, and on more than one occasion. Ahmadinejad recently sponsored a conference entitled, "A World Without Zionism" and subtitled, "A World Without America."

Iran is protected by its chief nuclear suppliers in Russia, complicating the situation even more. Moscow has hundreds of billions of dollars invested in Iran's nuclear programs. Iran's nuclear facilities are crawling with Russian scientists, advisers, technicians, security personnel – and their families.

The U.S. can't afford to move against Chavez without risking conflict with Iran – which ultimately risks dragging in the Russians. Chavez, on the other hand, can easily afford to wreak havoc on America's oil supply – and its economy – without fear of economic repercussion.

The prophet Ezekiel predicted the development of a vast alliance that would include Russia, Persia (Iran) "and many people with thee" in the last days that would launch a surprise invasion of Israel.

So how does Israel fit into all this? A Texas oil company, Genco, recently announced the discovery of a large oil field near the Dead Sea. Israeli Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer called the strike "just the beginning."

British Natural Gas announced the discovery of a vast natural gas deposit 20 miles offshore of Tel Aviv. Initial estimates suggest some 3.5 trillion cubic feet in proved reserves.

Zion Oil has sunk eight exploratory wells, all of which have shown signs of oil and gas. Zion founder John Brown believes the amount of oil reserves hidden beneath Israel could rival that of Saudi Arabia.

A massive oil strike in Israel would completely change the balance of power in the Middle East. Such an oil- strike could potentially break the back of OPEC. It is unlikely OPEC would admit Israel as a member, regardless of how much oil she had.

That would seem to leave but one option, best expressed by my friend Joel Rosenberg's novel of the same name.

The Ezekiel Option.

........................................benny

Chavez and the 'Ezekiel Option'......by Hal Lindsey

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 2, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern



This week, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was handed unrestricted authority to rule his nation by decree. Venezuela's new parliament passed, and Chavez signed, the "Enabling Act" and put an end to any hopes of a democratic end to his rule.

Chavez is expected to exercise the absolute power granted him to nationalize all private oil and gas operations now operating in his territory.

Chavez also has plans to take state control of Venezuela's biggest telecommunications company and electricity providers, to revamp banking and zap the rich with new taxes with a goal of ensuring ''the equal distribution of wealth."

(Column continues below)


In short, Chavez is assuming the role of America's new Castro, but Venezuela is no Cuba. Cuba cost America some banana and sugar plantations and the very rich had to find someplace else to gamble, but by and large, Castro hurt Cuba a lot more than he hurt the United States.

Chavez is what Castro would have been if he had been sitting on one of the richest oil fields in the world: an enemy too dangerous to live with, and too expensive for us to live without.

Venezuela is America's fifth largest supplier of oil. And Chavez owns (or will soon own) all the oil companies.

Making the situation even more dangerous is Chavez's close alliance with Iran. Iran has sworn to wipe Israel from the map publicly, and on more than one occasion. Ahmadinejad recently sponsored a conference entitled, "A World Without Zionism" and subtitled, "A World Without America."

Iran is protected by its chief nuclear suppliers in Russia, complicating the situation even more. Moscow has hundreds of billions of dollars invested in Iran's nuclear programs. Iran's nuclear facilities are crawling with Russian scientists, advisers, technicians, security personnel – and their families.

The U.S. can't afford to move against Chavez without risking conflict with Iran – which ultimately risks dragging in the Russians. Chavez, on the other hand, can easily afford to wreak havoc on America's oil supply – and its economy – without fear of economic repercussion.

The prophet Ezekiel predicted the development of a vast alliance that would include Russia, Persia (Iran) "and many people with thee" in the last days that would launch a surprise invasion of Israel.

So how does Israel fit into all this? A Texas oil company, Genco, recently announced the discovery of a large oil field near the Dead Sea. Israeli Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer called the strike "just the beginning."

British Natural Gas announced the discovery of a vast natural gas deposit 20 miles offshore of Tel Aviv. Initial estimates suggest some 3.5 trillion cubic feet in proved reserves.

Zion Oil has sunk eight exploratory wells, all of which have shown signs of oil and gas. Zion founder John Brown believes the amount of oil reserves hidden beneath Israel could rival that of Saudi Arabia.

A massive oil strike in Israel would completely change the balance of power in the Middle East. Such an oil- strike could potentially break the back of OPEC. It is unlikely OPEC would admit Israel as a member, regardless of how much oil she had.

That would seem to leave but one option, best expressed by my friend Joel Rosenberg's novel of the same name.

The Ezekiel Option.

........................................benny

February 2, 2007
The Quartet meets and the U.S. takes a beating

by Michael G. Mickey
(2-2-07)

Reporter Bill Koenig once noted that each and every time the United States does something that threatens the nation of Israel's safety, God reminds us of His promise of blessing and curse found in Genesis 12:1-3:



Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Today certainly seems to have reinforced Mr. Koenig's theory a great deal. Just ask those living in Central Florida!

The Associated Press is reporting that "the deadliest combination of thunderstorms and tornadoes" hit Florida in nearly a decade today, "cutting a 40-mile swath of destruction across four counties just before daybreak, terrorizing residents of one of the nation's biggest retirement communities, and leaving trees and fields littered with clothes, furniture and splintered lumber. Residents helped pull the dead from the ruins."

A regular reader of RaptureAlert.com wrote me today to tell me she lives 10 miles from where a number of those killed died during the early morning hours. She said some children were crying in the streets there, not knowing where their parents are. Presumably, those missing are dead. How tragic!

The following is an excerpt from the AP story:

"It was scary, really scary," said Patrick Smith, who lives in the Paisley area, where at least 13 deaths were reported. He said he saw a weather alert on television, grabbed his wife and "went straight to the floor." After the storm passed, he pulled the bodies of a man and his 9- or 10-year-old son from a neighboring house.
While it may be purely coincidence that this took place on the day the international Quartet of Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations met on U.S. soil to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly how to get Israel to give thiose bent on Israel's destruction some more land from which to stage more effective attacks against God's chosen people, the possibility that God's wrath was unleashed on our nation somewhat hasn't been missed here at the RaptureAlert.com command bunker and ammunition depot, let me tell you! (That last part was added purely for effect, to give those who think that those of us who take the Word of God at its word are armed to the hilt like the Branch Davidians. I have to give them something to talk about, you know?)

As I've said for years now, if our president is a Christian as he says he is, I don't know what he's thinking, but he is placing this nation in grave danger by supporting the Quartet's Roadmap to Peace. Why? Because it's the equivalent of daring the Almighty to judge us as a nation!

Of those who are given much, much is expected by our God and rightly so - a principle that the United States of America has forgotten, much to our collective shame.

On this day, in spite of a potential warning shot fired by God across the bow of our national faith (or lack thereof), the Quartet of Middle East peace brokers backed a U.S. push to revive Israeli-Palestinian talks, the goal of which is to give the Palestinians some more of the land that God Himself gave to the children of Israel.

If that isn't a curse on the nation of Israel, given the entire Arab world's desire to see Israel wiped from the face of the earth, I don't know what is. Thus, there is little reason for us to suspect that America is going to continue to be blessed as it once was.

If we keep on, God is really going to let us have it!

Hillary may even win the White House in 2008. BRRRRRRR!

................................................benny

I would like to hear some theories from some here on the board. EZk 38 (gog magog invasion) happens at at time when Israel is at peace...they are not at peace now...do you guys think the antichrist confirms a treaty that brings peace or do you think there will be a short lived peace deal that ends with the magog invasion and that leads to the anti confirming a treaty?

Dear Duncdrewnoah,...That is a good question.........It is possible that a short lived peace could occur , before the ac confirming a treaty....but I cannot be certain of that. It is going to take a very strong security agreement, before Israel would become convinced that she is living in safety. Some students of bible prophecy have different beliefs, as to when Ezekial 38 may come to pass. One scenerio, is a question of how can Israel burn the gog-magog weapons for a continuous 7 years, if at the moment of A.O.D., the jews are instructed to flee.......In other words,...if Ezekial 38 were to come to pass,just days after the ac confirmed the 7 years with Israel..........It would not seem possible for Israel to continuosly burn the weapons for 7 years, because of the A.O.D. .....It would seem that the Ezekial 38 war, would happen, at a minimum time frame....3 1/2 years prior to the ac confirming the 7 years.....Some students place the Ezekial 38 war around or near the event of the A.O.D.....thus picturing Israel burning the weapons into the millinium.......One theory, is that with russia and all the islamic nations wiped out as an army..(Not as a race)....there would be nothing to stand in Israels way in building the third temple............,But yet again,...Isaiah 17;1 and the rapture back to back, could very well convince the arabs to agree to Israel building the third temple......The shock of Isaiah 17;1....would bring about a lot of confusion,....but the rapture, bringing about the second shock,....would cause many, to become religious overnite.......With the false prophet calling fire out of the sky on top of that.......that would be like (if you will)...placing the iceing on the cake.......Suppose, that the islamic messiah, were the false prophet,...And this guy, had just called fire out of the sky.........This false prophet purpose is to direct worship towards the ac......In other words,....from that point on,.....anything that the ac would suggest to the arabs, and people of many races,.....the world it would seem would agree to anything that the ac suggested....including to agree to israel building the third temple................................benny

WAR - See Russian Tor-1 Missile System in Action

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xvExPYC0hU

.............................................benny

Two Pearl Destroyers Head for Persian Gulf
Feb 4, 2007 12:49 AM MST\

PEARL HARBOR (KHNL) - Hundreds of Pearl Harbor Sailors are headed to Iraq. Two destroyers answered the call to duty today, and a unexpected call it was. The Navy is calling a surge deployment.

Destroyers Hamilton and Russell left today on this short notice deployment. Many of the sailors have only been back for a few months and they were not expecting to ship out so soon. Family members say that makes this even harder to deal with.

The 320 sailors aboard the USS Russell make last minute preparations for their mission. They're meeting up with the USS Reagan carrier strike group and they heading to the western Pacific. Sailors have internet and some comforts of home to stay in touch with their families.

"I'm just here waiting for my husband to deploy I'm a lttle sad because this is third deployment and we have kids. We couldn t bring our kids because they are going to cry" said Angel Pascual.

"I think it s important for our families to recognize, and we articulate this all the time that our nation is at war. And although we may not neccesarily see it in Hawaii everyday, the simple fact that there are hundreds of thosuand of troops overseas carrying out the mission. So these are uncertain times, and they have certain demands in uncertain times" said Commander Brad Cooper.

As the USS Russell slowly pulls away the sailors on deck stand at attention. Meanwhile their families wipe away the tears and start counting the days. Even the ship's commander couldn't tell us how long they would be away on this unexpected deployment. Some wives heard it would be anywhere from two and four months.

http://www.khnl.com/global/story.asp...Type=Printable
__________________

........................................benny

Imagining A War With Iran
BY YOUSSEF IBRAHIM
February 2, 2007
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/47946



With America heading toward a war with Iran, inadvertent or otherwise, the picture of how the conflict is likely to pan out is becoming clearer.

In an all-out war, the basic American military tactic will be air attacks, naval blockades, offshore bombardments, and the destruction of oil and power infrastructures and Iran's naval presence in the Persian Gulf.

Iran will respond with an immense deployment of ground forces on its borders, attacks against American troops inside Iraq, and the activation of hundreds of trained, well-armed, dormant terror cells peppered from one end of the gulf to the other.

America's primary weapon will be two naval carrier groups now in the Persian Gulf, supplemented by attack planes and bombers from neighboring Kuwait, Oman, Qatar — where the U.S. Central Command is based — the United Arab Emirates, possibly Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and bases in Europe. An American land invasion of Iran is out of the question, given Iran's 1 million-strong army, the refusal of its neighbors to allow it, and the lack of American troops to carry it out. U.S. Special Operations, however, will be pushed into Iran to carry out attacks on the country's prized nuclear research facilities and other designated targets — with the objective of dismantling the mullahs' command and control of the population.

Tehran's most lethal weapon is manpower. From its army, it can marshal several hundred thousand troops along its borders with Iraq and Afghanistan to pressure American forces in those countries, and it can call on Syria to heat up its border region with Iraq, as well.

Two Iraqi Shiite militias allied with Iran — the Badr Brigades and Mahdi Army, led by Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim and Moqtada al-Sadr, respectively — will launch large-scale attacks on American troops inside Iraq. Together, Messrs. Hakim and Sadr command some 80,000 to 100,000 men, who are armed, funded, and trained by Iran.

Iran's air defense is an unknown. Should it prove somewhat adequate, it may down some American pilots, sapping American morale. Iranian dogma dictates that war with America will translate into regional upheaval. Among Iran's targets will be the U.S. Central Command in Qatar and the U.S. Navy's sixth fleet in Bahrain, a tiny country of 700,000 people, a majority of whom are Shiite and pro-Iranian. In Lebanon, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia will be instructed to light up the place, as will Hamas in Gaza.

One way or another, the war will involve oil production and prices. America's strategy will be to maximize Iranian pain without setting world oil prices ablaze. To do this, it must be able to wreck Iran's offshore oil platforms and production while preventing Iran from shutting down everyone else by blocking the Straits of Hormuz to oil exports. It will be a difficult, though not impossible, feat, successfully achieved by America in the Iran-Iraq war of 1980–88.

If other oil producers, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, are able to keep production and exports up, any rise in prices can be contained below a tolerable $75 a barrel. Of course, Iran's creed is "if we cannot export oil, no one else will."

The underlying logic here is economic pain. Iran's offshore oil platforms pump 500,000 barrels of its 4 million barrels a day of oil, but they are enormously expensive and difficult to replace. Translation: Iran may cry uncle first.

Indeed, this war will be a race to see much pain both parties can take. On the morale level, one pro for Iran is it will be fighting in its own neighborhood, endowed with experience from past wars and a martyrdom mind-set. (Iran lost nearly 1 million citizens between 1980 and 1988 without blinking.) America will be counting on setting Iran back a few decades economically, as it did the former Yugoslavia; on total support from scared Arab regimes; and on an uprising in Iran by a population that after 28 years of religious fanaticism may finally have had enough of the mullahs.

Propaganda will be just as important. Iran will assume the mantle of "Islam against the infidel crusaders." America will portray the war as a fight for Western interests — control of Middle Eastern oil and defense against a tidal wave of Iran-led Islamic fundamentalism — and for modernization of a largely failed Arab world. Iran will plead its case among brethren in the faith. America will appeal to pro-Western Arabs, Muslims, and Iranians.

Flip a coin.

http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=47946
__________________
....................................................benny

DEBKAfile’s military sources: In its first attack since Lebanon War, Hizballah plants four large shaped bombs on Israeli-Lebanese border Monday, Feb. 5

February 5, 2007, 8:21 PM (GMT+02:00)

The bombs, of the deadly types Iran is sending into Iraq, were directed at Israel military border patrols near Moshav Avivim. Packed with 15 kilos of explosives each, they were discovered and detonated in controlled explosions before causing harm. The Hizballah operatives who planted the shaped bombs came from bases either at Aytarun or Maroun al-Ras for their first offensive action against Israel since a ceasefire ended their July-August 2006 Lebanon War. It belies the assurances from prime minister Ehud Olmert that the war succeeded in pushing back Hizballah positions from the south Lebanese border region and replacing them with United Nations peacekeepers. Informed last week of Hizballah flags hoisted close to the border, Olmert said they did not worry him. It now transpires that Hizballah is not just flying flags but also laying deadly bomb-traps for IDF soldiers on the Israeli side of the border.

From Sep. 2006, military sources have been reporting the return of Hizballah forces to their old village positions where they are building military fortifications. Hizballah has also re-deployed a line of missiles together with surveillance posts which keep a close watch on IDF and civilian movements on the Israeli side of the border. Illegal Syrian and Iranian weapons supplies continue undisturbed.

Our sources add that Lebanese military units and UNIFIL troops do not venture into the Hizballah-controlled villages, detain the armed men present there or dismantle their arms caches, notwithstanding their mandate to enforce the UN ceasefire resolution banning these activities. Hizballah has threatened to fire on them if they do.

Initially IDF sources reported the four shaped bombs had been there for some time, later, that they were washed into the border region by the recent heavy rainfall. Finally, the Israel military admitted they were planted very recently. Our military sources report that the stormy weather of the last few days provided Hizballah with concealment to advance to the border and hide bombs.

On Jan 11, DEBKAfile reported an alert declared for IDF and United Nations South Lebanese units, especially their surveillance teams, following intelligence that Syria was pushing Hizballah to strike an Israeli target on the border or further inside Israel. The shaped bombs planted near Avivim may be Hizballah’s response.
.......................................................benny

Tony Blair: Progress in Middle East peace soon?


by Michael G. Mickey
(2-5-07)

Tony Blair, according to a Jerusalem Post article, "said in a radio interview for broadcast Monday that there likely would be progress in the Middle East peace process over the next few weeks." The article continues...


World leaders agreed that the Israeli-Palestinian crisis was the single most important factor influencing world peace, Blair told BBC radio, adding that a breakthrough could be made soon.

"Our obligation is to put forward a peace process that can work and try and take that forward," he said, according to extracts released in advance by the BBC. "And over the next few weeks I think there will be some real movement there."
Christians, we may be going home soon! Why do I say that? Because events taking place in the world around us of late are pointing toward the revived Roman empire of Bible prophecy, the European Union, being handed over Judea and Samaria until a Palestinian state can be formed on Israel's covenant lands, as I wrote about in a recent commentary. This, should it occur, potentially sets the stage for the advent of the Antichrist to occur - an event which will be preceded by the Rapture of the Church!

On 2-1-07, Monsters and Critics reported that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was going to urge "his partners in the Middle East peace process, known as the Quartet, to get serious in solving problems rather than making statements."

The following was included in that article (emphasis added mine):

UN spokesperson Michelle Montas said Ban 'hopes that the quartet will seriously engage with the key issues that have a direct impact on the situation on the ground, going beyond mere statements.'
What could Ban be implying he wants to see occur when he says he wants the Quartet to engage in actions that will have a direct impact on the ground in the volatile Middle East?

Could Ban be asking for someone to confirm peace in the Middle East, setting the stage for Daniel 9:27 to be fulfilled? Quite possibly. If so, the EU's long-awaited rapid reaction force, which can deploy anywhere in the world to keep peace within ten days of receiving a mandate to do so, may be about to swing into action - and soon.

Christians, I can't stress this enough: Christ's return for His Church may be at the very door! Stay focused and keep looking up!

............................................benny

Experts warn West against attacking Iran Mon Feb 5, 3:38 PM ET



LONDON (AFP) - Military action against Iran to shut down its nuclear programme would be "highly dangerous" and "counter-productive", a group of leading think-tanks and other experts warned.

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In particular they call for British Prime Minister Tony Blair to use his influence to urge the United States to talk to Tehran. "Only through direct US-Iranian engagement can an agreement be found," it says.

"The international community must do all they can to make sure the soft power options of sanctions and diplomacy prevent the unthinkable," said Lorna Fitzsimons, head of the British- Israel Communications and Research Centre.

Among the report's authors are the development charity Oxfam, the Blairite think-tank the Foreign Policy Centre, along with Unison, Amicus and the GMB -- three of Britain's biggest trade unions.

Also co-authoring the report are religious organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain, and Pax Christi, an international Christian anti-war charity.

"The consequences of any possible future military action could be wholly counter-productive as well as highly dangerous. Diplomatic solutions to the Iranian nuclear issue must be pursued resolutely," the report says.

It notes several possible negative consequences of military action, including strengthening Iran's resolve to become a nuclear weapons power and the likelihood of Iran's exit from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Armed action would also inflame the war on terror, and could have a direct economic impact on Europe, which -- due to its dependence on Iran for energy -- "could feel the squeeze and possibly even experience recession."

It called for Britain to use its diplomatic clout with the United States to "advocate for direct US engagement" which it says is essential to resolving the current situation.

"It cannot be said that the potential for diplomacy has been explored fully when direct talks between Iran and the US have not taken place," the report says.

The UN Security Council late last year passed a resolution imposing limited sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment -- the process that makes nuclear fuel as well as material for making an atomic bomb.

The West, and in particular the United States, fears the nuclear programme is covertly designed to make weapons, while Iran insists it is entirely peaceful.

On Sunday, three ex-senior US military officers -- including a former commander-in-chief at US Central Command -- and leaders in Britain's Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths said an attack would be "disastrous" for world peace.

In separate letters to the Sunday Times and the Independent on Sunday, they urged the international community to pursue diplomacy, rather than military action, to resolve the stand-off.

They said Britain, and in particular Prime Minister Tony Blair, had a key role to play in dissuading US President George W. Bush from the military option, after reports that both the United States and Israel were planning a strategic strike.

........................................benny

Will Israel Attack Iran with Nuclear Weapons?....by Perry Stone

Last week, The Times of London said Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons. Several things make this widely-published report plausible.

Today, many people are calling Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, “a second Hitler.” Doing his best to live up to this description, the Islamic leader continues to spew wild, inflammatory rhetoric and actively call for the total destruction of Israel. He has declared, “Israel must be wiped off the map.”

Iran sponsors terrorism worldwide; organizes, finances and trains Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon; funds outlawed Shiite death squads in Iraq; and are actively assisting the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Iran provides cover and comfort for al-Qaeda.


Why Is Iran a Threat?

Iran’s strutting belligerence on the world stage and its indecent threats grow more frequent and more dangerous. The country’s nuclear ambitions and the potential of such weapons in the hands of these irrational leaders should not be downplayed or underestimated.

On January 23, the official news agency of Iran, IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting), reported that Ahmadinejad “assured” Syria’s foreign minister, Wailed Mualem that both the United States and Israel “will soon come to the end of their lives.” Iran’s own news agency said:

Ahmadinejad has threatened the State of Israel with annihilation several times in recent months, and has recently added the U.S. and Britain to the list of countries he says will be destroyed. The United States is unable to inflict serious damage on Iran.


He claims the Holocaust was a hoax perpetrated on the world by Europe. Last December, he even convened a Holocaust Conference in Tehran, inviting a motley cast of Holocaust deniers. Speakers included David Duke, America’s Imperial Wizard of the KKK, and Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, one of the founders of Lebanese militia, Hezbollah.

Iran is a major player in the “hate America” group of nations. These despise America’s values, culture, influence and strength. They take advantage of every opportunity to disparage or harm the United States. Consider these facts:

# Before September 11, 2001, Iran was responsible for the deaths of over 1,500 Americans—more than any other state sponsor of terror or terrorist organization in history.

# The U.S. Department of State has called the government of Iran the “the most active state sponsor of terrorism.”

# A report by the Israeli secret service estimates that Iran has “invested more than $10 million to encourage terrorist activity against Israel.”

# Iran is responsible for developing Hezbollah in Lebanon, and underwrites it with training, equipment, funds and political support.

# Many indicators show that Iran is connected to al-Qaida.

# Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, repeatedly and publicly calls for the destruction of the only democratic country in the region, Israel.

# In one of his public speeches, Ahmadinejad spoke of “a world without America.”

# Iran is intent on possessing both nuclear weapons and the ballistic missiles to deliver them, as well as electromagnetic pulse weapons, which experts say pose a direct and major threat, directly to the American homeland.

The threat of international misfits controlling nuclear weapons is frightening. Israeli Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz has warned:

Ahmadinejad believes he is on a divine mission. I’m the last person to call him insane. Although I am not qualified as a psychologist, it’s clear to me we are dealing with a person driven by an extremist ideology, who is determined to fulfill his mission.


Preparing to Strike?

All this has led Israeli officials to conclude that it will be left to them to strike. Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said last month:

The time is approaching when Israel and the international community will have to decide whether to take military action against Iran.

The widely-published report from London said Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons. If Israel carries out the reported strike, this would be the first attack with nuclear weapons since atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. Experts say the Israeli weapons would each have a force of one-fifteenth of the Hiroshima bomb.

“As soon as the green light is given, it will be one mission, one strike and the Iranian nuclear project will be demolished,” according to someone inside Israel, The Times.


Targets Considered

Israel has identified three prime targets south of Tehran, which are believed to be involved in Iran’s nuclear program. They are:

# Natanz, a nuclear facility where thousands of centrifuges are being installed for uranium enrichment. An Iranian opposition party, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), disclosed its secret existence in 2002.

# Bushehr is a complex of light water reactors located on the Persian Gulf, southwest of Isfahan, where an Iranian vice-president said, “250 tons of gas for the enrichment process has been stored in tunnels.”

# Arak, the site of two planned heavy water facilities, which, in the future, may produce enough plutonium for a bomb.

Israeli officials believe that destroying these three sites would delay Iran’s nuclear program indefinitely, and prevent Jewish people everywhere from having to live in fear of a “second Holocaust.” The Israeli government has warned repeatedly that it will never allow nuclear weapons to be made in Iran.

Meanwhile, Israeli military commanders feel conventional strikes may no longer be enough to annihilate Iran’s well-defended enrichment facilities.

Several have been built beneath at least 70 feet of concrete and rock. However, the nuclear-tipped bunker-busters would be used only if a conventional attack was ruled out, and if the United States declined to intervene, according to senior sources.
The U.S. has declined to intervene so far.

The paper quoted Israeli sources that said two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters.” Under the plans, they said, conventional laser-guided bombs would open “tunnels” into the targets. “Mini-nukes” would then immediately be fired into a plant at Natanz, exploding deep underground to reduce the risk of radioactive fallout.

It has been reported that Israeli pilots have flown to Gibraltar in recent weeks to train for the 2,000-mile round-trip to the Iranian targets. Three possible routes have been mapped out, including one over Turkey.

Sources in Jerusalem reveal that Israeli Air force squadrons based at Hatzerim, in the Negev desert and Tel Nof, south of Tel Aviv, have trained to use Israel’s tactical nuclear weapons on the mission. Major General Eliezer Shkedi, commander of the Israeli Air Force, is supervising the preparations.


Will America Respond?

Reports say that both the U.S. and Britain are bolstering their naval strength in the region. A second U.S. aircraft carrier group, the USS John C. Stennis and escort ships, entered the Persian Gulf in late January. For the first time, President Bush appointed an admiral, William Fallon, to take over as head of U.S. Central Command. This command is responsible for Middle East operations in both Iran and Iraq.

Retired Colonel, Sam Gardiner, called the deployment of a second aircraft carrier strike force to the Gulf region, as well as British minesweepers, as a “huge deal.” “It is only necessary to do this if you are planning to strike Iran and deal with the consequences,” he said.

Consequences could include Iranian attempts to shut the Strait of Hormuz, the sea route for much of the world’s oil. The United States announced it was also sending two more nuclear submarines to the area. One U.S. sub collided with a Japanese tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

Reports say that U.S. Navy nuclear submarines maintaining vigil off the coast of Iran indicate the Pentagon’s military plans include, not only control over navigation in the Persian Gulf, but also strikes against Iranian targets.

Admiral Eduard Baltin, a former commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, told the news agency, Interfax:

The presence of U.S. nuclear submarines in the Persian Gulf region means that the Pentagon has not abandoned plans for surprise strikes against nuclear targets in Iran. With this aim, a group of multi-purpose submarines ready to accomplish the task, is located in the area.

He said the four submarines in the Persian Gulf area also control navigation in the Gulf of Oman and in the Arabian Sea.

American patience is not unlimited. They might receive different orders in future to block off the Gulf of Oman—that is the Iranian coast—and, if need be, launch missile strikes against ground targets in Iran.

Already there are indications the Pentagon is preparing for that eventuality. Over the past few months, senior U.S. officials have been traveling to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to discuss ways of strengthening defense ties and military capacities in those countries.

It may be necessary to defend U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain from possible Iranian retaliation, in the event of a U.S. attack. However; Robert Gates, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, has called military action against Iran a “last resort.”

Israeli and American officials have met several times to consider military action. Military analysts say the disclosure of the plans could be intended to put pressure on Tehran to halt enrichment, cajole America into action or soften up world opinion in advance of an Israeli attack.

Options Are Limited. Given the current political climate in both the U.N. and the U.S., Israel may not have a choice.

President George W. Bush has stressed he is seeking a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program. Yet, he has not taken the military option off the table. His recent statements, plus tougher financial sanctions and actions against Iranian involvement in Iraq, has kept alive talk in Washington about a possible U.S. attack on Iran.

The world is moving inexorably toward the coming of the Lord. Turmoil continues to boil in the Middle East. The prophetic spotlight shifts from crisis to crisis and from country to country, but it always goes back to Israel.

Pray for President Bush and other decision-makers of the United States. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray that evil will be defeated and justice and righteousness will triumph.

Meanwhile, “Look up . . . because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:18).

...........................................benny

Mushrooms over the Middle East - WND - 01/12/07 ..by Hal Lindsey
I don't know why it staggered me to read the report in the London Sunday Times. I've not only expected it, I've discussed it previously on numerous occasions.


The story in last Sunday's edition of the Times revealed that Israel plans to use tactical nuclear weapons in a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear program. I believe it's the only logical choice available to Israel, but reading the report rocked me back on my heels anyway.

Like when you hear of someone dying whom you already knew had cancer – it isn't surprising, but that doesn't soften the blow. The government of Israel immediately denied the report, but official denials are to be expected, so they're basically meaningless.

The most significant fact is the story found its way to the front page of the London Sunday Times and NOT the Jerusalem Post, Washington Post or New York Times. Why is that significant? The London Sunday Times is – by and large – untainted by U.S. Middle East politics.

And it's certainly no friend of Israel. It is, therefore, widely respected throughout the Arab Middle East. That makes it the perfect place for Israel to "plant" the story. Now, the obvious question is: Why would Israel plant such a story? I think there are a couple of reasons.

The first and most important is to measure and soften-up public opinion to whatever degree possible in advance of such a strike. Leaking the plan in advance will help Israel gauge the level of potential global anger if it does, indeed, launch a tactical nuclear strike.

They can also judge whether the world might actually be relieved if someone takes out Iran's nukes before Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launches them on Israel and starts a regional nuclear holocaust. It's increasingly the global consensus that this is exactly what will happen if Iran develops a nuclear capability.

It's especially true in Washington and Brussels. Everyone knows that some nation or coalition must destroy or cripple Iran's nuclear facilities – but no one wants to do it. There is, however, one disturbing fact that ought to trouble the cowardly Europeans. London, Paris, Berlin and Brussels are just as much in range of Iran's nuclear missiles as Tel Aviv. And Ahmadinejad's apocalyptic vision includes subjecting all infidels to Allah.

The current recommendations, ranging from threats to bribes to endless negotiations, are like castles in the air. They're just wishful thinking with no foundation beneath them. Ahmadinejad's objective is to begin an apocalyptic nuclear war that brings the Muslim messiah called the Mahdi back to earth.

One of the reasons suicide bombers are so effective is because their goal is to die. They needn't trouble themselves with escape routes or back-up plans. They aren't concerned with the risks.

How does one threaten someone whose goal is martyrdom for Allah? What kind of bribe would entice a suicide bomber? He believes that Paradise awaits him, with all his wildest fantasies to be fulfilled.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes it's his divine mission to begin the Apocalypse and bring about the return of the Islamic messiah. He believes that is the will of Allah. How do you negotiate with Allah?

The recent unanimous Security Council vote imposing sanctions on Iran suggests that even the Russians and the Chinese are starting to get a bit nervous about Ahmadinejad's religiously driven objectives. They demanded a watered-down version, but they could have vetoed it completely.

Why didn't they? Because the version that made it out of the Security Council still gives Russia and China the opportunity to continue their lucrative nuclear monopoly with Iran. It's a calculated risk. As long as Iran's nuclear program continues, so do their profits. If Israel destroys Iran's program, they still keep their profits. And now there's the possibility of future profits repairing the damage.

But neither the Russians nor the Chinese are stupid. They are useful infidels, but infidels nonetheless. They know the sword of Ahmadinejad's apocalyptic jihad would turn against them, too.

In a worst-case scenario, Russia and China left themselves the option of ducking for diplomatic cover behind their Security Council vote if world opinion turns against them.

So Israel is carefully observing global reaction to its carefully planted "leak." The second reason for Israel to "leak" the report is to warn the Arab world without officially abandoning its policy of nuclear ambiguity. Israel historically refuses to confirm or deny it possesses nuclear weapons. Since it refuses to confirm they exist, Israel doesn't have to reveal the size of its arsenal.

For the Arabs, that's always made attacking Israel a gamble. For all they know, Israel could be bluffing. Or Israel could possess a large enough nuclear arsenal to reduce the Middle East to a sea of glass. But a nuclear Iran makes Israel's nuclear ambiguity a liability, rather than an asset.

Leaking the story to the London Sunday Times sends a clear message to Tehran that Israel not only has nukes, but will use them if it feels its survival is at stake. And Ahmadinejad has made it clear that Israel's survival is at stake.

What the Iranian president has failed to calculate is that Israel would readily use tactical nuclear weapons to destroy Iran's otherwise invulnerable nuclear facilities. And the plot thickens.
........................................benny

Benny, back to the Gog magog invasion timing: God says he will put a hook in the jaw of gog to bring him to Israel. I have always felt like this would be the rapture. It sounds like from Ezk 38 that gog decides to attack israel kind of spur of the moment. If the rapture happens, the usa would be removed as the worlds super power. allowing the arabs/russia to say, ''hey, the us cant help Israel now, lets go get them"....it does sound like (ezk 38) that they are coming for monetary reasons too. That leads me to believe that israel will be a little farther along in oil than they are now. There is a lot of recent news about oil in the dead sea area being drilled. Do you have any inside info on that? I also agree that the command to flee the AOD and burning the weopons for 7 yrs is confusing. I have thought maybe they do burn the weapons into the millinuem???? other wise, the invasion must take place earlier like you say. One problem i have with that is Ezk 38 says that then the world will know God is for Israel. If this happens before trib, why would Israel and the world accept the antichrist???

By Dr. Richard Saccone
Tue Feb 6, 7:01 AM ET



An objective look at the ominous threat from Iran provides a clear solution to the policy the United States must pursue. Iran is easily the most significant source of terror worldwide, providing financing, training, advice, support and supplies to its proxy Hezbollah as well as other groups as far away as Asia. That makes it a major opponent in the war on terror.

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In addition, Iran has increased efforts to undermine the U.S. mission in Iraq through operations in the south as well as in Baghdad. It has dared to confront the United States, stirring Shiite sectarian violence and providing Shiite militias with advanced weapons and knowledge of constructing sophisticated explosive devices for use against U.S forces. Iran has consistently followed its goal of becoming a regional power while secretly hoping to gain control of combined oil reserves (in Iran and southern Iraq) that reportedly would stand second only to Saudi Arabia's.


Iranian officials have showed almost no inclination of pausing in their efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, even openly cooperating with the North Koreans to expedite the process. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad routinely threatens to wipe out our closest ally in the region, Israel, and drive the United States from the Middle East.


And what have our multilateral efforts of diplomacy accomplished so far? Almost nothing. Iran has defied United Nations deadlines, played Europe and China against U.S. interests and deceived U.N. inspection teams with false reports on storage, processing and importing of nuclear materials.


Even more troubling, we are dealing with a president who firmly believes in an apocalyptic vision that the 12th Imam will return to Earth to establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate. Ahmadinejad told a cleric that he felt the "hand of God" mesmerizing world leaders as he spoke at the U.N. General Assembly in September.


The stakes are far too high to allow Iran to buy any more time through feigned receptivity to diplomacy. Iran must be confronted quickly and persistently, and the growing dissent within the country fanned so that it challenges the current regime. The clock is on the side of Ahmadinejad. Dealing resolutely with Iran is the only option that promises to yield tangible results.


Dr. Richard Saccone, a retired Air Force captain who served as a counterintelligence consultant in Iraq, teaches international relations at Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania.



......................................benny

http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/interna...=1170817676000


February 7, 2007 - 2:49 AM
"Ball in Iran's court" in nuclear dispute
By Angus MacSwan

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Iran would be "very unwise" to step up its uranium enrichment capacity but the United States still hopes diplomacy can resolve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.

A U.S. offer for talks with Iran was still on the table, Nicholas Burns, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, told reporters in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

"Let's see what Iran does," he said.

He was speaking after European diplomats said on Monday that Iran had set up two cascades of 164 centrifuges each in its underground nuclear plant, laying a basis for full-scale enrichment of uranium. The 328 centrifuges would be the first of 3,000 centrifuges planned for installation in coming months.

Firing up the cascades would raise the stakes in Iran's confrontation with the United States and other powers that imposed limited sanctions on Tehran in December to try to curb what they suspect is a disguised effort to assemble atomic bombs. Iran says its nuclear program has peaceful purposes.

"That would be a very unwise step by the Iranians," Burns said. "They are already isolated. We have this extraordinary situation in which Russia and China and the EU three and the United States have agreed on sanctions ... those sanctions are now up for review on Feb 21."

Iran would deepen its isolation if it made a move to go to 3,000 centrifuges and continued to deny inspectors if the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency access to the plant, he said.

"It will convince the countries of the world to come together to send this one message that they need to suspend their nuclear program."

Burns' comments stressed a diplomatic solution to the dispute and he did not touch on the issue of possible U.S. military action. Previous statements by some U.S. officials have raised speculation the Bush administration was aiming to strike at Iran in response to the nuclear program and for its alleged support for Shi'ite militants fighting U.S. forces in Iraq.

Washington has so far refused to rule out military action although U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday the Bush administration was not planning for war. Burns also said previously that the United States did not plan to attack Iran.

Burns, who is in Brazil to discuss cooperation in bio-fuels and to strengthen relations, reiterated that sanctions would be suspended if Iran halted the enrichment program. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would lead a U.S. negotiating team, he said.

"That offer is still on the table," he said. "We believe that diplomacy can succeed. We need to be patient. It's really Iran versus the rest of the world and we're willing to negotiate if they are. Frankly, I believe the ball is In Iran's court."

Reuters (IDS)
...........................................benny

February 6, 2007
Is my long-anticipated power shift in Middle East peacemaking arriving?
by Michael G. Mickey
(2-6-07)

People's Daily Online is reporting that two senior European Union diplomats, EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will travel to Egypt soon for talks on the latest Middle East developments. The article states Ferrero-Waldner will visit Egypt February 25-26. No date has apparently been set in stone concerning Solana's visit.

The most striking element of this latest bit of news isn't that Solana and Ferrero-Waldner are traveling to the Middle East. What is striking, from my perspective, is that we are beginning to see the potential for the EU to firmly take the wheel - and the leading role - in making peace in the Middle East a reality.

The following is taken directly from the article linked above (emphasis added mine):


The Quartet has agreed on giving a strong impetus to the Mideast peace process through the implementation of the roadmap, Ebermann said, adding that the European side will launch several initiatives in the coming period to push forward the Mideast peace process.

Asked about the possibility that the U.S. would abandon its main role in the peace process which will be taken over by the EU, Ebermann said the U.S. is focusing on Iraq and would welcome any move to revitalize the peace process.
Will the United States abandon its leading role in the Quartet, yielding way for the up-and-coming revived Roman empire of Bible prophecy to confirm peace in the Middle East? I wouldn't be surprised at all. In fact, I've predicted as much could take place that God's prophetic plan concerning the advent of Antichrist, described in Daniel 9:26-27, may occur as prophesied!

Keep your eyes on the skies, Christians! Jesus Christ is Lord, God's Word is true, and soon, I believe with every fiber of my being, we're going home!

..........................................benny

WAR - Israeli Air Raid On Natanz, Isfahan Shortly

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by B. Raman

The US and Israel----acting separately and in tandem--- have started stepping up psychological pressure on Iran. This PSYWAR campaign is directed at countering Iran's exploitation of the difficulties faced by the US in Iraq in order to advance its own agenda and to prevent any US intervention in Iran and to convey a message to the Iranian public that Iran will pay a heavy price if President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to defy the international community over its concerns regarding the real purpose of its acquiring an uranium enrichment capability.

2. This PSYWAR campaign has so far taken the following forms:

The recent US detention and questioning of two Iranian diplomats posted in Iraq on their role in assisting the Shia extremist groups.
The stepped-up US rhetoric on the devious game being played by the Iranian intelligence in Iraq by assisting the illegal Shia militias as well as pro-Al Qaeda Sunni extremist elements.
The well-publicised authorisation by President George Bush of covert action against Iranians posing a threat to American lives and interests in Iraq.
The beginning of an operation mounted by MOSSAD, the Israeli external intelligence agency, to eliminate senior Iranian nuclear scientists. The Sunday Times of London reported on February 4, 2007, as follows: "A prize-winning Iranian nuclear scientist has died in mysterious circumstances, according to Radio Farda, which is funded by the US State Department and broadcasts to Iran. An intelligence source suggested that Ardeshire Hassanpour, 44, a nuclear physicist, had been assassinated by Mossad, the Israeli security service. Hassanpour worked at a plant in Isfahan where uranium hexafluoride gas is produced. The gas is needed to enrich uranium in another plant at Natanz which has become the focus of concerns that Iran may be developing nuclear weapons. According to Radio Farda, Iranian reports of Hassanpour’s death emerged on January 21 after a delay of six days, giving the cause as “gas poisoning”. The Iranian reports did not say how or where Hassanpour was poisoned, but his death was said to have been announced at a conference on nuclear safety. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to announce next Sunday — the 28th anniversary of the Islamic revolution — that 3,000 centrifuges have been installed at Natanz, enabling Iran to move closer to industrial scale uranium enrichment. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency say that hundreds of technicians and labourers have been “working feverishly” to assemble equipment at the plant."
Stepping up of broadcasts and telecasts to Iran by radio stations and TV channels funded by the US and run by Iranian exiles.
The movement of additional US naval ships, including another aircraft-carrier, to the Gulf and the designation by Bush of a senior naval officer (Admiral William Fallon) to head the US Central Command, which is responsible for operations in West Asia. In the past, a US Army officer had headed the Central Command.

3. The US had seen in North Korea what happens if it avoids action in response to pressure from other countries co-operating with the US. North Korea has carried out a nuclear test and is now insisting that any agreement it signs with the US and other powers would be as a nuclear power and not as a non-nuclear power. It is reportedly prepared to discuss a freezing of its military nuclear capability at its present level, but not its winding-up. The US and Israel----Israel even more than the US--- are determined to prevent a similar scenario in Iran. The price of inaction will be prohibitively high for Israel, endangering its future.

4.The US Congressional opinion---now dominated by the Democrats-- is strongly opposed to Bush's Iraq policy. Its views on his Iran policy are much more nuanced. The likely opinion of the Jewish voters in the US on the Iraq policy at the time of next year's Presidential elections would not be that important for the Presidential aspirants, but it would be in the case of Iran's nuclear designs. One could see evidence of it in the recent statements of Senator Hillary Clinton. She is not in favour of direct US military intervention in Iran, but at the same time she does not want to rule out the military option, should the worst comes to the worst.

5. After a visit to the US in February last year, I had reported that there were three groups there---- one group was totally opposed to any intervention in Iran. A second group urged intervention by the US before it became too late. The third group favoured intervention by Israel with a US wink, without Washington getting directly involved. The third group seems to have won the debate.

6. Action to stop the acquisition of a military nuclear capability by Iran is vital for Israel's security and very survival. The repeated anti-Israel and anti-Jewish statements of President Ahmadinejad make it all the more important for Israel to disrupt, if not destroy, Iran's nuclear plans. For Israel, the question is not whether Iran has the intention to acquire a military nuclear capability. The question is should Iran be allowed to have an infrastructure capable of being used for military nuclear purposes even if it does not have the intention at present to use it for military purposes. Once it is allowed to have the infrastructure, any time---clandestinely and at short notice--- it would be able to acquire a military nuclear capability and confront Israel with a nuclear fait accompli.

7. Israel is determined not to allow this scenario to develop. Two elements of Iran's existing infrastructure are key in this regard---the uranium hexafluoride plant at Isfahan and the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz. Raiding and destroying or seriously damaging them would be a more complex operation than the Israeli raid on the French-aided Osirak reactor in Iraq in the early 1980s. Osirak had not yet been commissioned. The French engineers collaborated with Israel by keeping away from the reactor site at the time of the raid.

8. Natanz and Isfahan are facilities, which have already been completed and are already in the production mode. There is a greater risk of heavy human casualties and possible environmental damage than there was in Osirak. Iran is a strong military power, with an ability to retaliate against Israel. Iraq of Saddam Hussein was not in the early 1980s. Moreover, it had got involved in a military confrontation with Iran. Israel did not have to pay a price for the Osirak raid. There is a risk that it may have to if it raids Isfahan and Natanz.

9. Israelis have a reputation of not allowing fears of likely consequences deter any action by them which they consider necessary for their security and survival. An Israeli air strike on Natanz and Isfahan is very likely sooner than later. Things have started moving in that direction. The accumulation of US forces in the region is meant to deter any Iranian retaliation. Israel hopes Iran will not be unwise enough to retaliate. If it does, Israel is prepared for it. Israel is confident of its ability to take on Iran----even if Teheran instigates the Hezbollah to step up attacks on Israel from the Lebanon.

10. It would be suicidal for Iran to think that the painful experience of the US in Iraq and of Israel in the Lebanon in July last year has weakened their will to resort to military action, if they consider it necessary in their national interests. It has not.

(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: itschen36@gmail.com)

http://www.saag.org/papers22/paper2121.html
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...............................................benny

Iran test fires Russian missiles near Strait of Hormuz
The Associated PressPublished: February 7, 2007

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TEHRAN, Iran: Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards test fired its new Russian defense missile system Wednesday near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, state radio reported.

The two-day maneuvers are Iran's second since the United Nations Security Council approved economic sanctions against it Dec. 23, which ban selling to Iran materials and technology that it could use in its nuclear and missile programs.

As tensions rise over Iran's nuclear standoff with the West, the United States and Iran have pursued an escalating series of military moves, with Washington sending a second aircraft carrier battle group to the region and Iran responding with more frequent maneuvers.

The Revolutionary Guards' began the games Wednesday in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, which flank the strait, through which some 20 percent of the world's oil transits daily.

The goal of the maneuvers, dubbed Saegheh and Badr, is to improve the "defense, stamina and operation" of participating units, state radio reported. The first word of the games' name means lightening, while the second refers to a decisive battle in the early days of Islam.

Today in Africa & Middle East
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The Revolutionary Guards is an elite military corps with more than 200,000 members and its own naval and air forces. It is independent of the regular armed forces and controlled directly by the supreme leader. It oversees vital interests such as oil and natural gas installations and the nation's missile arsenal.

Iran announced in January that it had received the Tor M-1 Russian air defense missile system, though it did not say when the weapons had arrived. Moscow had said previously it would supply 29 of the systems to Iran under a US$700 million (€539 million) contract signed in December 2005.

Iran in January launched a three-day military maneuvers, including short-range missile tests on its mainland.

The United States and several of its Western allies believe that Iran is using the nuclear program to produce an atomic weapon — charges Iran denies, saying its aim is to generate electricity.

The U.S. military, which maintains around 200,000 troops and around four dozen ships in the region, keeps a close eye on Iran's military, U.S. military officials have said.

"It's not uncommon for us to see them saber-rattle," said Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, just across the Gulf from Iran.

"We don't want any country to miscalculate about our commitment to stability and security here," Brown said, declining to comment on the missile tests themselves. "We hope other nations in the region wouldn't take action to harm that."

____

Associated Press Writer Jim Krane contributed to this report from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

nk-wnt

............................................benny

February 8, 2007

Iran revives fears of second Holocaust

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pag...&u_sid=2327214

JERUSALEM - Israeli leaders rarely invoke the Holocaust in the face of enemies. The Jewish homeland founded after Adolf Hitler's genocide has, for the last generation, felt secure enough to fight its many battles with little outside help.

But the specter of a nuclear-armed Iran has rattled Israel's self-confidence. Its politicians and generals warn of a "second Holocaust" if, as in the 1930s, the world stands by while a heavily armed nation declares war on the Jews.

Describing that scenario, Israeli officials have begun an unusually open campaign to muster international pressure against Iran. They say time is growing short and hint that they will resort to force if the pressure fails to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon.

Israel began secretly preparing in the early 1990s for the possibility of an air raid on Iran's nuclear facilities and has been making oblique public statements about such planning for three years.

What is new is Israel's abandonment of quiet diplomacy in favor of rallying others to its side. Until a few months ago, Israeli leaders had worried that such high-profile lobbying would backfire and lead to accusations that they were trying to drag the United States and its allies into a war.

Several factors have led to Israel's more assertive campaign, Israeli officials and defense analysts said:

• Its war in Lebanon last summer against Hezbollah guerrillas, who were backed by Iran, brought the Iranian hostility alarmingly close to home.

• Relatively moderate Arab nations have grown more wary of Iran, easing Israel's isolation.

• Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly has called for Israel's destruction.

• While denying any plan to build a nuclear weapon, Iran has continued to enrich uranium, in defiance of U.N. sanctions.

Some Israeli leaders also fret that the window is closing on any hope for decisive action by President Bush, their most powerful supporter. The head of Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency, told Parliament last year that Iran would be able to produce a nuclear weapon as early as 2009, the year Bush is to leave office.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a speech last month reviewing Israel's diplomatic campaign, said: "The Jewish people, on whom the scars of the Holocaust are deeply etched, cannot allow itself to again face a threat against its very existence. In the past, the world remained silent and the results are known. Our role is to prevent the world from repeating this mistake."

Israel's possession of nuclear weapons since the late 1960s, though rarely acknowledged by its leaders, has worked as a deterrent until now.
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...............................................benny

INTL - Iran May Launch Its Own Spy Satellite

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Is Iran about to put a spy in the sky? The Israeli debka.com Web site, which maintains a wide circle of sources within Israeli intelligence, has claimed that Tehran may soon launch its own surveillance satellite. The booster vehicle would be a BM25 ballistic missile, "18 of which were purchased from North Korea, notwithstanding Pyongyang's denials of aid to Iran's nuclear program," Debka said in a report published Jan. 28.
Allaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission, claimed last month that Iran had already constructed its own surveillance satellite and that it had already "converted a ballistic missile into a space launcher," Debka said.

"If this claim is correct, then Iran has a launcher able to put 300 kilograms (660 pounds) into earth orbit -- and by the same definition, an ICBM that could drop more than 300 kilograms anywhere in the world, including Washington DC," Debka said.

Debka said the North Korean BM25s have a potential range of 2,400 miles, which means they could hit targets in the Europea