U.S. Navy Swaps two Warships off Lebanon Coast

Washington has swapped two warships it had dispatched to the coast off Lebanon, media reports said Wednesday.

They quoted U.S. navy officials as saying that cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the destroyer USS Ross replaced the destroyer USS Cole and a refueling ship over the past day.

The sources said that another refueling ship remained in place.

They said Washington continues to have three warships in the Mediterranean.

Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 10:09

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/Ne...257403002D666C
__________________
........................................................benny

Mar 5, 2008 12:37 | Updated Mar 5, 2008 14:07
Cabinet decides to maintain Gaza ops until rockets stop
By JPOST.COM STAFF

The government will act in an "ongoing and consistent" manner in order to put an end to rocket attacks and other terrorist activity from the Gaza Strip, the Security Cabinet decided Wednesday in a special meeting to debate the response to ongoing rocket attacks on Ashkelon and the western Negev.

The ministers also decided that it would coordinate with various elements, including Egypt, in order to weaken the Hamas government without creating a humanitarian crisis.

Israel, they decided, will continue to further peace efforts while maintaining operational freedom to conduct counter-terrorism measures and focusing on hasbara efforts to bolster Israel's media image.

The home front was also addressed during the meeting, with ministers deciding to divert attention towards providing further protection for Israel citizens who are within the range of the rockets.

According to Israel Radio, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz demanded that the IDF be sent on a large-scale operation to "crumble Hamas but was overruled by the rest of the forum."

Vice Premier Haim Ramon abstained, claiming that the resolution was inadequate. Israel, he said, should declare a unilateral ceasefire, and announce that in the case of a Kassam attack the IDF will open fire on the source and Gaza will be cut off from all supplies, including gas and electricity.

Three Kassam rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel late Wednesday morning during the Security Cabinet discussion.

One of the rockets fell in the western Negev, while the other two hit open areas south of Ashkelon. There were no casualties or damage.

Israel will continue its operations in the Gaza Strip so long as rocket attacks from the territory continue, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said during the meeting, according to an Army Radio report.

Late Tuesday night IAF aircraft fired at a number of Kassam launchers that were pointed at Israel. The pilots confirmed that the launchers were hit, Army Radio reported.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1204546406083
..........................................................benny

March 4, 2008
1,690 Bomb Shelters in North Israel Inaugurated in the Presence of Defense
Minister Ehud Barak

1,690 bomb shelters, located in nine Israeli communities bordering Lebanon,
were officially inaugurated yesterday following months of renovation work
funded by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), a
Chicago-based non-profit organization supported largely by American
Christians.
The dedication ceremony, held in the town of Shlomi, was attended by
Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and IFCJ President & Founder Rabbi
Yechiel Eckstein, as well as mayors and municipal leaders from the towns of
Acre, Nahariya, Tiberias, Carmiel, Kiryat Shmona, Safed, Hatzor HaGalilit,
Ma'alot, and Shlomi.

Number of Renovated Shelters / Community
Acre 468
Nahariya 234
Tiberias 226
Carmiel 216
Kiryat Shmona 173
Safed 129
Hatzor HaGalilit 117
Ma'alot 91
Shlomi 36

During the ceremony, Defense Minister Barak and Rabbi Eckstein toured one of
the newly-rehabilitated shelters in the area and also presented the
shelters' keys to each of the respective mayors.

Begun in August 2007, the renovation project was initiated by IFCJ at a cost
of $10 million and involved upgrading shelters located in privately-owned
residential buildings, providing badly-needed protection for thousands of
people. The work was carried out in coordination with the I.D.F. home front
command and participating local authorities.

"Given the escalating threats of war and terrorism against Israel, the
completion of these shelters could not have come at a better time," Rabbi
Eckstein said." I'm heartened to know that thanks to our donors who gave so
generously to fund this critical project, residents of northern Israel will
have safe places to take refuge in the event of attack."

Commending IFCJ and its work, Defense Minister Barak said, "Although we hope
there won't be a need for the residents to use these shelters, their lives
are now more secure. On behalf of the State of Israel, the Ministry of
Defense and the citizens of Israel, I want to thank Rabbi Eckstein and IFCJ
for the security they are bringing to Israel."

Based on lessons learned from the 2006 Lebanon War, local authorities in
each city will open shelters during times of emergency, while also providing
appropriate supervision and maintenance of shelters during periods of quiet.

Founded in 1983, IFCJ has a dual mission to foster better understanding and
cooperation between Christian and Jews and to build broad support for Israel
and the Jewish people around the world. IFCJ works to help Jews immigrate to
Israel from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, India and other troubled
countries; fight poverty and aid victims of war and terrorism in Israel; and
extend aid to poor elderly Jews and orphans in the former Soviet Union. For
general information about IFCJ, please visit: www.ifcj.org.

For more details about this release or to request an interview with a senior
IFCJ representative, please contact:
Michael Stoltz
Communications Director
IFCJ, Chicago
Cel: 847-560-1275
Tel: 312-641-8688
michael.stoltz@ifcj.org
...................................................benny

Mar 5, 2008 16:31 | Updated Mar 5, 2008 20:29
Hizbullah: 'We're prepared but won't start a war'
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIRUT, Lebanon
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Hizbullah is prepared for a new war with Israel but it will not start one, its deputy leader said in remarks published Wednesday.
Naim Kassem, however, warned that Israel will pay "a high price" in any future war.


Hizbullah's Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Na'im Kassem.
Photo: AP , AP
His comments, published in a Beirut daily close to Hizbullah, followed last month's threat by Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah to retaliate with an "open war" against Israel for the assassination of terror chief Imad Mughniyeh.

Mughniyeh was killed Feb. 12 in a car bomb in Damascus, capital of neighboring Syria. Hizbullah and Iran, its main backer, blamed his assassination on Israel, which denied any role.

Asked if there will be war, Kassem said: "Hizbullah cannot confirm because it does not want to initiate it." He added: "The Israelis know they have to pay a high price in any war."

Kassem also told Al-Akhbar daily that Hizbullah "is well-prepared to face an Israeli, American and international war."

He was apparently referring to the recent deployment of US warships off Lebanon's Mediterranean coast, a move the US has said was aimed at protecting its interesting in the region.

Asked if the deployment of peacekeepers and Lebanese troops will have an effect on Hizbullah's activity, Kassem said the group "was able to adapt to the new reality and has fully rebuilt its force and it is completely ready. This new situation made it (Hizbullah) create new methods."

After the Second Lebanon War, a 13,500-strong UN force, together with 15,000 Lebanese troops, were deployed along the Lebanese-Israeli border to monitor a UN cease-fire.

Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council in a report that Israel says Hizbullah is rearming and has an arsenal including 10,000 long-range rockets and 20,000 short-range rockets in southern Lebanon.

While Ban's report did not confirm Israel's claim, the UN chief reiterated his concern about Hizbullah's public statements and persistent reports pointing to breaches of a UN arms embargo, which bans weapons transfers to the Shi'ite group.

Ban also expressed concern over Nasrallah's "threats of open war against Israel."

In a statement released late Tuesday, Hizbullah criticized Ban's report, saying it lacked objectivity.

Hizbullah said that when Nasrallah spoke of "open war" he also spoke of Hizbullah's "right of self-defense legitimized ... by international laws." The statement said Hizbullah seeks stability but said the situation should be looked at "fairly" without adopting the view of one side, which it said is "not true."
....................................................benny

Zephaniah 2: 1-7
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
And the sea coast shall be dwellings [and] cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

Ashkelon is being attacked by Hamas. This is unprecedented, it has in the past been too far away for their rockets to reach. The scripture above states that it will become a "desolation" and Ashdod and Ekron will be forced to evacuate.
....................................................benny

Ashdod Prepares to be Next Target of Gaza Missiles

by Ezra HaLevi


(IsraelNN.com) The city of Ashdod, several kilometers north of Ashkelon on the Mediterranean and home to over 200,000 residents, is preparing to be the next city to come within range of rockets from Gaza.

The Ashdod Municipality says it does not intend to wait for the rockets to fall and is making preparations to protect its residents already, together with the IDF’s Home Front Command. In the security establishment, it is already acknowledged that Iran may have already supplied Hamas with missiles capable of reaching double the distance the Grad-type Katyushas landing in Ashkelon can reach.

The fifth largest city in Israel, Ashdod's port is Israel's largest, accounting for sixty percent of the country's imported goods. The city isis mentioned thirteen times in the Bible.

Hamas has recently been making vocal threats of the type heard from Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah prior to that terrorist group’s firing of rockets at Haifa and Hadera, from the north, during the Second Lebanon War. “We will strike beyond Ashkelon,” several Hamas leaders have declared at rallies and Arabic press conferences, according to Maariv. Many have mentioned Ashdod by name.

The Ashdod municipality emphasizes that the steps being taken now are merely precautions and do not indicate an intelligence assessment that places the town under threat in the near future. Local officials, however, have been spending much of their time in Ashkelon, learning from up close how a major city deals with alerting and protecting its citizenry from airborne bombs fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza.

If Ashdod becomes a target, that means the cities of Kiryat Gat and Ofakim would be within range as well. IDF intelligence believes that Hamas may be waiting for a large-scale ground operation or the killing of one of its top terrorists to use the longer-range missiles.
................................................benny

Barak seeks legal okay to move Gazan civilians from homes

By Barak Ravid ,Haaretz Correspondent

Tags: civilians, international law

Legal experts in the government say it is difficult to decide whether Israel can move Palestinian civilians from areas in the northern Gaza Strip where rockets are fired against Israel. They say international law is based on precedents, and in Israel's case the matter is in many ways unprecedented.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak had requested legal advice from Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and the military advocate general on the possibility of moving Palestinian civilians from the rocket-launching areas.

The idea would be to give the Israel Defense Forces greater room to maneuver and target rocket crews without endangering civilians.
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At the meeting were Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, Deputy Attorney General Shai Nitzan, Brigadier General Avichai Mandelblit - in his role as military advocate general - and legal experts from the army and Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting, Barak presented a series of possible operations the IDF could undertake in the Gaza Strip on which he asked for a legal opinion.

Barak raised options including cutting all fuel supplies to Gaza, firing single artillery shells against sources of rocket fire, clearing areas in the Strip from which Qassam rockets are launched, evacuating civilians from these areas, and shelling or bombing areas after warning the civilians to leave.

"We have a responsibility to the residents of Sderot and we cannot allow this [to continue] without providing an answer," Barak said at the meeting. "We must find ways to respond to the firing against Israel. I understand the legal limitation but we need to find the ways to make it possible to act."

Deputy Attorney General Shai Nitzan said the main principles on whose basis Israel's actions would be measured are proportionality and precision.

He said it is impossible to undertake an operation in which Israel will inform the Gaza population that every area from which rockets are fired will be hit by artillery.

"This is not proportional," Nitzan said. "It is possible to fire at the sources of fire, but specific areas need to be defined and efforts must be made to distinguish between fighters and civilians."

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai suggested declaring areas in the Gaza Strip "combat zones," and inquired whether it is possible to warn the residents there that they are in danger and recommend that they leave.

Vilnai also said this could be done through flyers or announcements in the media.

The legal experts were requested to prepare an opinion on a "gradual evacuation of the population" in Gaza from areas of fighting.
..................................................benny

Syria, Iran vow to bolster ties to confront US and Israel Thu Mar 6, 10:18 AM ET



DAMASCUS (AFP) - Regional allies Syria and Iran voiced their determination on Thursday to bolster their economic and political ties to overcome their common foes, Israel and the United States.

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"We will continue to reinforce strategic cooperation in all sectors with our brothers in Iran because we are in the same trench, confronted to an abject and greedy enemy," Syrian Prime Minister Naji Otri said in reference to Israel and the United States.

"Cooperation between Syria and Iran could serve as an example for relations between Iran and Arab countries," Otri told a news conference with Iranian First Vice President Parviz Davoudi

The Iranian official described ties between Tehran and Damascus as "strategic, warm and privileged" and said his country was "working hard to develop ties with Syria."

Davoudi also had talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on bilateral cooperation and regional developments, including the situation in the Israeli-occupied territories, state-run SANA news agency said.

The United States has repeatedly accused Syria and Iran of fueling insecurity in Iraq and meddling in Lebanon's presidential crisis -- charges the two allies have firmly denied.

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

Forming Two States – It Has Been Planned For Years
Some times the most interesting information comes from people on the ground in the Middle East. It seems that each person has a friend, a brother, a cousin or an uncle who is personally linked to a high level official in the government, on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. During our recent back to back tours, I traveled from coast to coast throughout Israel for 16 consecutive days. Several things I observed made me think that this idea of a Palestinian state along side of Israel was already a “done deal,” and the politicians gathering in Maryland were simply actors on the stage, speaking out a pre-written script for the world to hear. After hearing a friend who is linked with the Palestinian democracy moment, I realized what I was observing and feeling was not far from the truth.

He said, “Perry, much of what is happening in Israel has already been decided by Europe and the United States as far back as 14 years ago.” I knew that the huge concrete wall dividing the West Bank from Israel was pre-planned back in the time of Arafat. It is now complete and the land has already been divided by this large concrete barrier.

On this trip I noticed a huge underground tunnel that runs under the mountains from Megiddo to Nazareth. I also drove on two new roads with new check points being set up, dividing Israel from the Palestinian towns in the West Bank. I was puzzled and thought, “If Israel was not willing to go back to the pre-1967 border and there was a struggle concerning a Palestinian state, then why is Israel “wasting” billions of dollars on these new tunnels, roads and check points?

My Palestinian friend made it clear. “Perry,’” He said, I am with most of the people from Europe and America who are involved in the peace process. This is already a done deal. The wall, the roads and tunnels were all a part of the agreement as far back as President Clinton. However, the meetings are for public viewing, for the Arab world to see. The papers must be signed in public, but behind the scenes it is already done.”

Some would suggest this is not true. That there is a continual struggle over the two state solution. The struggle is no longer over which side gets which part of the land. Actually, the land has already been divided, with the exception of Jerusalem. The issues being discussed are: when will the Palestinian prisoners be released? When will the 4 million Palestinian refugees be allowed to return from Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon? Who will the Palestinian government be and who will they answer to? How much tax money will Israel receive and will the Palestinians receive from the goods purchased from the Israelis?

I have been criticized from time to time for suggesting that Ezekiel 35 and 36 imply that the descendants of Edom (these are the true Palestinians) would attempt to form a nation within the nation and would go after the “ancient high places” (Ezekiel 36:2), which today is the West Bank areas of Ram Allah, and Samaria. This two nation solution appears to be successful at first as the prophet Ezekiel warns that Israel is “taken up with the lips of talkers” (Ezekiel 36:3).

As time progresses the two state solution will collapse. Israel will be forced again to enter the areas handed over to the Palestinians, because of Islamic fanatics continuing their assaults upon Israel and the Jewish state. Eventually, the Islamic nations of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will unite in a coalition against Israel and experience their own devastating defeat on the mountains of Israel.

Having traveled into the West Bank, the Golan Heights and Israel for 16 days, watching, listening and asking questions, West Bank area has already been divided and Jericho and Bethlehem have been turned over to the Palestinian authorities. The real sticking point will be the division of Jerusalem. Dividing this city would be a mistake. It is sacred to three monotheistic religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims. It should remain a city of all nations where all nations can come and worship the only King - the Lord!

Woe to the people who will allow Jerusalem to be divided. The prophet Zechariah calls Jerusalem the “apple of God’s eye” (Zechariah 2:8). God said he will “shake His hand” against any nation that comes against Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:9). Leave Jerusalem alone. Don’t divide her again. I suggest that America’s politicians and leaders get their finger out of God’s eye!

Perry Stone

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

The Shower

It is raining today
It rains signs
It rains dreams
It rains visions
It rains Gods whisper

It rains confirmation
It rains encouragement
It rains Life
It rains Love
It rains Truth
It rains Hope

It rains Salvation
for free.

-----------------------

Today God told me to stop fighting Demons. I said: WHAT? God: Yes, you are feeding the demons by responding!
I thought about it long and hard, and then it dawned on me:

Whoever is cast out of Heaven, I do no longer care nor acknowledge anything that is not of God.
I will no longer feed Satan or any demon by fighting it, I will not let anyone steal my soul hence forth.

When someone rants, I will not hear it.
When someone points, I will not see it.
When someone hits me, I will not feel it.

When someone says "Hello!", I will say "Hello, what took you so long?"
When someone hugs, I will call a group hug for you.
When someone prays for my soul, I will call you brother and sister forever.

For I have come to the statement that Satan, if he wants to make us believe he does not exist, well than I treat him as if HE DOES NOT EXIST!
That freedom I want to use for GOD ONLY.
As a warrior I lay down the sword, and pick up the Word, the Shield.

God is my Creator and Protector.

----------------

I really hope it is just an OPTIONAL vision, and not a predestined one as decided by God...

I keep seeing burnt meat without end in Gaza.
I keep seeing a black burning pit where once the Persians lived.
I keep seeing Gods VOICE surging through the region, relentless and on target.
Not ONE stone will be left upon another.

It is Hamas and Iran that will be a bunch of big time losers in this vision.
My warnings are not headed.
My suggestion for a way out is ignored.
My testimony will then be that I tried to help all in vain.

So God is in control, and apparently there is a score to settle, that no one can change?

If only the moslims would see that a religion can not be based on * hate *.

I call upon all religious leaders to study my reasoning carefully and answer me this question:
Can a religion be based on hate?
If so, then I withdraw.
If not, then have the guts and make a STATEMENT OF LOVE, as given by our Lord God!

I do not know why you all drag your feet while the Earth is almost destroyed.
NOW would be a good time as any? Anyone out there? Anyone home?

Ashkelon's battle: Not to become Sderot

By Daniel Ben Simon



Over the years, Ashkelon has become a success story. From being mainly the home for an ongoing influx of new immigrants, it has developed into an attractive, well-kept seaside city boasting a high quality of life and abounding with tourists. Ashkelon was well on its way to becoming one of the leading locales in the country - until the rocket attacks of the last few days turned the southern city on its head, and reminded residents that they are only a few minutes away from the Qassam-battered city of Sderot.

Local residents are now confronting a cruel new reality of disquiet and uncertainty face-to-face. What will the attacks do to the city, residents ask one another. How will it affect local businesses? Will the rockets lower the value of the houses? And the most serious question: Will life under the shadow of sirens and rockets cause people to flee? Advertisement


Ashkelon Mayor Roni Mehatzri was holed up in the municipal war room yesterday, known to residents as "the pit." When he became mayor four years ago, it never crossed his mind that he would turn into the latest version of Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal, who regularly asks the government to protect his city from the ongoing Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. Mehatzri worked hard yesterday to sever any connection between his city and its ill-fated Negev neighbor.

"I don't want to become Sderot," he said. "I just hope that it's a matter of mere days. No one in the city is considering living like this for a long time."

Over the weekend dozens of Qassam rockets and Grad-type Katyushas were fired at Ashkelon, Sderot and communities bordering Gaza. A rocket scored a direct hit on an Ashkelon house Thursday and another crashed into the living room of a pair of retirees in Ashkelon early Saturday morning, leaving a gaping hole in the roof. The Defense Ministry ordered the early-warning "color red" alert system to be activated in Ashkelon on Friday.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak called Mehatzri to give him their support after the Saturday attack, as municipal employees worked to close the huge hole that a Grad missile left in back of a commercial center.

The rocket shook and shattered everything in its path: car windows, glass and window blinds. Virtually no building was left without a sign of the 5 A.M. attack, which awakened thousands of residents.

A hundred meters from the site where the rocket fell, Shmuel Cohen's apartment shook, causing his family to think an earthquake had hit. Cohen's wife went into hysterics and their children screamed in fear. They gathered in the living room and saw rocket fragments strike the house, destroying their possessions. Shmuel recited a blessing in synagogue later that day to thank God for sparing him and his family.

The city center was desolate yesterday afternoon, as yet another Grad slammed into Ashkelon and deafening ambulance sirens could be heard. Yael Vaknin stood next to the city's emergency headquarters and smoked a cigarette to release some tension.

"What scares me most is that they've targeted us," said Vaknin. "I have the feeling that Ashkelon won't go back to being what it was. That's it: As of this week, it's a totally different life. Because now there's something ticking in the heart of every resident. It's the ticking of the next rocket."
.................................................benny ...p.s...just watching with this scripture in mind. Zephaniah 2: 1-7

Israel, turn to your Savior Jesus Christ now, NOW is the time.
Wield the Word of God as your Shield, being the Word of the Lord God.

Syria angles to reclaim Golan from Israel
Julian Barnes-Dacey, Chronicle Foreign Service

Thursday, March 6, 2008

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(03-06) 04:00 PST Damascus, Syria -- As a visitor enters Ali al-Zaher's office, a photo of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's Shiite militant group, Hezbollah, looms prominently. A scribbled message scrawled across the picture praises al-Zaher's commitment to the struggle against Israel.

Al-Zaher, editor of the state-backed Golan newspaper, aims to remind readers of Syria's claim to the Golan Heights, a 690-square-mile plateau captured by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.

After years of unsuccessful negotiations, al-Zaher and other experts say Syria has decided to ratchet up the pressure on Israel by following Hezbollah's example of expanding its political and military authority in southern Lebanon.

A political analyst in Damascus, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue, said that Syrian leaders - emboldened by Hezbollah's surprising military strength against Israel during a monthlong war in 2006 - are increasing the nation's influence near the Golan border.

"Inspired by Hezbollah's ability to resist the Israeli advance, the government wants more people to inhabit and know the region," the analyst said. "The government saw that without popular resistance, the Israelis could easily send their tanks through the Golan on the road to Damascus" (some 30 miles from the Golan border).

While both Syria and Israel say they are ready to negotiate the territory's status, peace talks ended after a U.S.-brokered peace agreement was nearly reached in 2000. At that time, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered to return most of the Golan to Syria in exchange for normalization of relations. But talks broke off after Syria insisted on returning to the entire pre-1967 war frontier, which included 328 feet where Israel would not cede control.

"A peace deal is only possible if we regain our full rights," President Bashar Assad told a Tunisian newspaper recently. "Complete rights and sovereignty on this land and nothing less."

For its part, Israel now conditions renewed dialogue on Syria severing ties with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, the latter a militant group that governs the Gaza Strip and calls for the destruction of Israel.

Like many Golan natives, Mahel Awad, a 27-year-old student at Damascus University, is frustrated by the lack of negotiations.

"We support peace, but when is it going to happen?" he told a reporter in his dormitory room adorned with photos of Golan. "We are used to talk of negotiations, but at the end nothing materializes."

Today, Golan has a population of about 39,000, including 19,000 Arab Druze, 2,000 Muslims and 17,000 Jews. The territory has Israel's only ski resort, on Mount Hermon, thriving agriculture and military bases. Some say it provides as much as 30 percent of Israel's water supply. Since 1967, Israel has constructed 32 settlements, even annexing the territory in 1981 in violation of U.N. Resolution 242, which considers Golan part of Israel's occupied territories.

The sovereignty over Golan lay dormant until Syria - in a move that surprised many Middle East observers - opted to participate in the U.S-sponsored Middle East peace summit in Annapolis, Md., in November.

"By participating at Annapolis, Syria showed it wants to put Golan on the peace track," said Methat Saleh, director of the state Bureau of Golan Affairs. "With (Israeli) withdrawal, many problems in the region would be solved."

In the meantime, Syria is using the Hezbollah model in southern Lebanon to reclaim Golan.

Through its state-run Popular Commission for the Liberation of Golan, Damascus provides financial support and educational opportunities at Syrian universities for hundreds of Golanese living under Israeli control. The state requires them to return home after completing their studies to ensure territorial ties to Golan.

Last year, the government began constructing 1,000 apartments along the Golan border for an estimated 600,000 refugees. The Syrian government says the housing will face Israeli villages, with more units to come.

In January, the government began issuing Syrian national identity numbers to the 19,000 Druze residents "to strengthen ties of the Golanese people with their mother country," said Saleh. Tel Aviv has long offered the Druze citizenship, which has been accepted by nearly 2,000, according to the Israeli government.

Moreover, al-Zaher says the Golan newspaper will open bureaus in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan this year and even launch an English edition. "The resistance media will play its role in ensuring that the young generation will not forget their Golan," he said.

To be sure, most observers in Syria and Israel say Syria does not want a war over Golan. "We have made a strategic choice for peace," said Nadim Merze, director of the Golan Research Center in Damascus.

"The Syrians are trying to follow the model set up by Hezbollah, but I do not think they are interested in any confrontation," said Eyal Zisser of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University. "There is a limit to what extent a regular army can follow the tactics of a small organization like Hezbollah."

But al-Zaher says Syria is prepared for all options.

"We believe that in the end what others obtain by force we will reobtain by force," said al-Zaher. "A small group of resistance men similar to Hezbollah could achieve victory in a Golan war."

This article appeared on page A - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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

The fools will not listen.
Muhammed you failure, why did ye not seal the Kuran then uh?

Even the story of Sinbad is better preserved than your attempts. <===

Dalai Llama, can you tell me if a religion is allowed to be based on hatred like in the Jihad verses? Or do ye agree these verses are fake?
Pope, can you tell me if a religion is allowed to be based on hatred like in the Jihad verses? Or do ye agree these verses are fake?
Other religious leaders, can you tell me if a religion is allowed to be based on hatred like in the Jihad verses? Or do ye agree these verses are fake?

Everyone who stays silent on this, I will lay the testimony of silence before the Throne of God.
So speak or forever hold your tongue!

Amen.

Hamas countdown has begun


Hamas will soon pay price for traditional Arab talent for misjudgment

Yigal Walt Published: 03.07.08, 11:54 / Israel Opinion




Terrorism is a strange business. Terror groups usually fight stronger armies, and must therefore walk a fine line. As long as they stick to persistent low-intensity warfare, they can deliver painful blows without prompting an overwhelming response. Yet ironically, attacks that are “overly successful” can be a terrorist’s worst enemy.



A nation that sustains an unusually difficult blow is willing to adopt measures that it normally would not. We saw this with America’s harsh response to the September 11 attacks, and on a smaller scale in Israel’s response to the wave of suicide bombings in March 2002.



For many years, Palestinian terror groups heeded this lesson. Their success was moderate, yet repeated attacks eroded Israel’s sense of security over the years. Yet fortunately for Israel, here too the Palestinians showed that their reputation as the world’s worst decision-makers was well deserved. Their unique talent for misjudging reality, perhaps the most blatant of all Palestinian qualities, came back to haunt them again.



The suicide terror wave of 2002 culminated in the bloody Passover attack at a Netanya hotel that killed 30 people. Yet the customary Palestinian festivities in the wake of the “grand operation” were short lived. The shocking attack prompted Israel to launch operation Defensive Shield, which shattered the West Bank’s terror infrastructure. In subsequent years, Israel’s terror death toll dropped rapidly, from a peak of close to 450 victims to less than 15 last year. No less significantly, Israel’s tough response shattered Fatah, the strongest of all Palestinian organizations, which has not recovered since.



Now, Hamas is moving closer to making the same mistake.



The fundamentalist Islamic organization is known as a pragmatic group, yet it too is apparently not immune to the Palestinian “I-want-more” syndrome. Emboldened by repeated success in recent years, most notably its elections victory and violent Gaza coup, Hamas just couldn’t hold back.



Step closer to the abyss
For seven years, rockets have been raining on Sderot, gradually eating away at residents’ resolve, but causing a low casualty toll that kept Israel from responding in kind. Yet Hamas was apparently dissatisfied with the slow progress, smuggling in longer range missiles, and recently started targeting a much larger city, Ashkelon. That was a major mistake.




Now that 250,000 Israelis are in rocket range, the threat has taken on increasingly strategic dimensions. Israel simply cannot live with such situation over time. Operation “Warn Winter,” which claimed more than 100 Palestinian lives in a matter of days, was a first, relatively humble warning shot. Thursday’s massacre in Jerusalem, regardless of who committed it, was another step that brings Palestinians closer to the abyss, as the anger it aroused brings Israel a step closer to taking the gloves off.



Despite their claims to be thoroughly familiar with Israeli realities, our Arab enemies have failed time and again in gauging Israel’s mood. Hizbullah leader Nasrallah, previously a self-proclaimed “Israel expert,” has already admitted that he completely misjudged Israel’s response to the abduction of its soldiers. Similarly, Hamas is now walking down the same path.



The undercurrents may not be readily apparent, but they are there, and they are getting stronger with each passing day. Israelis are quickly approaching the “critical mass” that would prompt an all-out response. Hamas, which is busy declaring victories, organizing triumphant parades, and handing out sweets in the streets of Gaza, may also be forgetting that at the end of the day it is quite isolated internationally. Even most of its Arab brethren don’t care too much about its fate these days.



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On top of that we should count an army hungry to prove that its performance in Lebanon was merely an aberration. This time around, troops have been preparing for months. Unfortunately for Hamas, it is about to pay the price for Israel’s failure in Lebanon. A moment before it hits the abyss, will Hamas be able to regain its composure? Past experience shows that the likelihood of that is slim.



Hamas, beyond being a terror group, is a popular movement that is deeply entrenched within Palestinian society. As such, it cannot be fully eliminated or destroyed. Yet it can be brought to its knees and significantly weakened; the countdown to that has begun.


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

benny,
40 yrs Israel wondered in the wilderness.. why? because God had given them the promised land but they would not recieve it....now in modern times (1967) God gives the Jews the promised land of Jerusalem again...they refuse to recieve it. After recapturing the old city, they GAVE IT BACK to the authority of the arabs. Now it has been 40 yrs since then...this june it will be 41 yrs...I suspect we will see God move in a way that changes everything in regards to Jerusalem before we see the 41st anniversary. How did the 40yrs in the desert end? Their leader died (Moses) and a new leader stepped up (joshua) and the battle of Jericho took place. I suspect something like this will happen again and very soon.

It's showtime.....................................................benny

Although benny hates it when I post in this thread, I have sharpened my pen into a scalpel these days, for an abscess should not be left to fester.

May Israel know that my heart is with you all the time. Even though turning the other cheek is a powerful statement, it is also true, that Israel has the right of self-defense.

My prayer will however go to the Lord God, that even unto the last minute, more will see the Truth and be saved. God will intervene in one Divine moment soon.

Interesting thought!

hey shekel, good to see ya!
another repeat worth mentioning about Jerusalem: in the Old Testament, David becomes king and 7 yrs later he captures Jerusalem. 33 yrs later, he dies. (he ruled for 40yrs of course)...we had the yom KIppur war in 1973, and 7 yrs later, Israel officially annexes Jerusalem in 1980. also, david died 4 yrs before solomon built the temple; if 1980 and the annexation mirrors davids annexation, 33 more yrs for Davids life after he took Jerusalem and then 4 more yrs later the temple was built=37 yrs...1980 plus 37 yrs =2017..on yom kippur of that yr, Israel will be 69yrs old by our yrs but 70 yrs by the 360 day counting. in fact, may 14 1948 plus 25200 days (360x70)=may 12th 2017....it is obvious to me that God is working in distinct patterns if we look for them, they are easy to see.

Our terrorist allies
by Michael G. Mickey
(3-7-08)



Isn't it amazing that, even in a time when our nation is at war with terror, our government has no problem breaking its own standards concerning having relationships with governments supportive of terrorist activity?

By now most everyone in the civilized world has read of the despicable deeds that took place yesterday at a Jewish rabbinical seminary in Jerusalem, an act of terrorism to be sure as we see in a Yahoo News story.

How did our Middle Eastern partners for peace, the Palestinian people, respond to the news of this murderous tragedy? As we see in a YnetNews.com article, armed men responded by firing weapons into the air in celebration as others among the thousands gleefully dancing in the streets passed out sweets to the crowd. How morbidly festive of them, huh?

But the government of Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah party? Surely it must've been in mourning at the prospect that the event would stall ongoing peace efforts in the region, right? Well, kind of. Sort of.

While Abbas himself has publicly condemned the slaughter of innocents, official Fatah-affiliated media outlets are openly praising the terrorism as 'heroic' according to a WorldNetDaily article.

Conditions today, from my perspective, are reminiscent of how they were in the days when Yasser Arafat, another gem of a partner for peace with the United States, was in charge. The 'official position' presented to the world today, much as it was during the Arafat days, is the Palestinian leadership is against terrorism, even as their official media outlets cheer the terrorists to further murderous behavior! Somehow the double standard is missed by our government, the United Nations, the mainstream media and practically everyone else.

Probably, as a direct result of this attack taking place on Israeli soil, the Israeli government will target some of its enemies who are gleefully dancing in the streets in celebration of their intentional murdering of innocent people in the coming days. Should an innocent civilian be inadvertently struck by Israeli gunfire, our terrorist allies will take to the streets in anger and we, along with the United Nations and governments all over the world, will call upon the Israelis to use restraint so the Middle East peace process - the one the Palestinians and all their terrorist buddies continue to torpedo every chance they get - won't be harmed.

Our terrorist allies? The poor, oppressed Palestinians? They so long to see peace in the Middle East...blah blah blah!

Anyone who believes that line the next time the mainstream media or our government feeds it to us is either blind to reality or as high on psychedelic drugs as an Israeli researcher obviously was when he recently suggested that Moses was drugged out of his mind on Mount Sinai when he heard God give him the Ten Commandments!

Am I joking about the Israeli researcher potentially being high himself when he suggested that Moses was drugged when God gave him the Ten Commandments? Well, sort of. There is, however, this excerpt to consider from the article on that topic:

He [Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem] mentioned his own experience when he used ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant, during a religious ceremony in Brazil's Amazon forest in 1991. "I experienced visions that had
spiritual-religious connotations," Shanon said.
Up is down. Down is up. Right is left and left is right! That's the world we live in, brothers and sisters!

Call me crazy (or high on drugs like Moses supposedly was) but I have a feeling our redemption is drawing nigh.

Keep looking up! ...................................benny

The forked tongue of the Philistines is clearly visible.
Even when you think Jericho was in the past, it sure sounds familiar does it not?
Well then the tactic is proven, ha ha.
One got to love the Time Travel Guide.

Israel will not unilaterally attack Iran: Peres

Paris, March 8 : Israel does not rule out a military solution in the nuclear row with Iran, but it will not unilaterally attack the country, President Shimon Peres said in an interview published in France's Le Figaro newspaper Saturday.


"If the development of the bomb is not stopped economically (with sanctions), the non-military options are exhausted," Peres told the Paris-based newspaper.

"I prefer to stop the development of the bomb without having to resort to war."

Israel would "under no circumstances" act unilaterally, he said.

"We are not so imprudent as to focus the Iranian danger on Israel.

"It is a problem that the rest of the world has to resolve. With the long-range missiles developed by Iran, it is no longer solely an Israeli problem."

Peres accused Tehran of arming the radical Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

"If a minority of terrorists manages to get hold of nuclear devices, the world would become ungovernable," Peres said.

He rejected talks with Hamas, saying these "would kill the Palestinian Authority".

Peres is due to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris Monday at the start of an official state visit.

Figaro called him the "father of the Israeli nuclear programme" and asked whether the transfer of French atomic know-how had been crucial for the Israeli deterrent.

Peres said that the "suspicion" that Israel had atomic weapons was an "essential" component of the deterrent.

"I know of no other country that helped Israel as much as France did."

--DPA

--- IANS

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

For the crew of USS Nimitz, it must have seemed like very recent history repeating.

Taking part in exercises off South Korea, the aircraft carrier was approached by a Russian military plane. The Russian aircraft got close enough for US fighter jets to respond by escorting the plane away from the area.


In February a US fighter plane escorted a Russian
long-range bomber away from the USS Nimitz, in international
waters near Japan. (AFP/US Navy)

Only last month, a Russian bomber flew very low over the Nimitz and other US warships when they were in international waters near Japan.

According to Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer, what Moscow is doing with these incidents is providing not a threat but a message.

"The message that we're back again, that we're still a kind of something, a chip off the Soviet Union, we have the capabilities, we have those heavy bombers that can carry nuclear weapons, which other nations do not have, and that we should be taken seriously," he told The World Today.

Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the Centre for American Progress and former assistant secretary of defence in the Reagan administration, says the Russians have not adjusted to the fact that they are no longer a great power.

"Given the high price of oil in the last decade, their economic situation is obviously better, but their military is a shadow of its former self and they have very, very limited capabilities," he said.

Mr Korb says the US Government will recognise that their posture toward the Russians has to change.

"We can just no longer assume that we can do whatever we want in the security realm without some sort of reaction," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been reacting with threats to what he sees as the United States getting ever closer to his country, particularly with the American plan for parts of its missile defence shield to be installed in eastern Europe.

"To protect our national security, we have to respond", Mr Putin said at his final media conference recently.

Mr Putin has also talked about the arms race beginning once again. But as for these recent demonstrations of power over US warships escalating beyond something symbolic, Mr Felgenhauer thinks that is highly unlikely.

"Risk is really minimal because no one really right now is on a war footing at all," he said.

But he says it does, to some extent, amount to a resurgence of Cold War rhetoric and actions.

"I see this makes a lot of people happy in the military establishment of both nations, Russia and the United States, since the military establishment wants to keep what was built during the Cold War," he said.

"And nowadays if your main enemy are kind of Taliban, Al Qaeda guerillas, why do you need nuclear powered submarines and so many aircraft carriers, to begin with? And since both sides need a threat, they need each other."

Mr Korb says all the rhetoric and displays of strength do not point to a return to the Cold War.

"I think it's a traditional Russian feeling that they should be treated with more respect," he said.

"But in terms of their military capabilities, they're very, very, very, very weak."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...08/2184101.htm
.......................................................benny

Mar 9, 2008 13:19 | Updated Mar 9, 2008 13:20
Kuwaiti strategist: Israel should strike Iran
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
KUWAIT CITY
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The destruction of Iran's nuclear capabilities would be in the interest of the Arab nations in the Gulf, and it would be "less embarrassing" if it was done by Israel rather than the US, a top Kuwaiti strategist said in remarks published Sunday.


Iran's nuclear power plant in Bushehr, southwest of Teheran.
Photo: AP [File]
Officially Kuwait, like the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, wants a peaceful solution to the nuclear standoff between Teheran and the West and will not allow the US to use its territories for any attack on Iran.

But when asked in an interview with the daily Al-Siyassah about the consequences of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear reactors, analyst and former government adviser Sami al-Faraj said it would not be such a bad thing.

"Honestly speaking, they would be achieving something of great strategic value for the GCC by stopping Iran's tendency for hegemony over the area," he said, adding that "nipping it in the bud by Israeli hands would be less embarrassing for us" than if the Americans did it.

RELATED
Boim calls for ElBaradei's dismissal

Al-Faraj said Teheran was interfering in Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories, and inciting strife between Sunnis and Shiites.

"The question is what would it do if it were a nuclear nation? We have to call a spade a spade and say that burying the military nuclear Iranian project is in the interest of GCC states," and other countries in the area, added al-Faraj, who heads the independent Kuwait Center for Strategy Studies.

Teheran has denied it is seeking nuclear weapons and insists its program is for peaceful purposes. Despite three sets of United Nations sanctions, it is still defying demands to suspend uranium enrichment.

GCC countries -Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain - have announced they want to use nuclear energy for civilian uses as well.

Al-Faraj told the daily the GCC "offered" to cooperate with Teheran on a joint nuclear fuel station, but Iran turned down the offer.
Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar all host US military facilities.
..............................................benny

N Korea admits to sending engineers to Syria
Saturday, March 8, 2008 at 15:28 EST

NEW YORK — North Korea admitted to sending engineers to military-related and other facilities in Syria during its recent talks with the United States over its nuclear program, diplomatic sources in New York said Friday.

Pyongyang, however, denied its involvement in Syrian nuclear development, according to the sources.
.................................................benny

Mar 9, 2008 17:46 | Updated Mar 9, 2008 18:34
Annual Intel assessment: War with enemy states unlikely in '08
By HERB KEINON
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There is a low likelihood of enemy states initiating an attack on Israel in 2008, but a growing likelihood of violence by Hizbullah, intelligence officials said Sunday, as the cabinet heard a strategic briefing from the country's various intelligence arms.


A previous cabinet meeting.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski [file]
Intelligence assessments were given by representatives from Mossad, military intelligence, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the intelligence arm of the Foreign Ministry and the police. These pointed to five major threats faced by Israel in 2008: Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Palestinian terror, and Islamic jihad.

The intelligence community warned that a conflagration in any one front could lead to other fronts opening. For instance, they said, an escalation in violence in the Gaza Strip could lead to a Hizbullah attack in the north.

Both Mossad and military intelligence officials agreed that the central strategic threat faced by Israel comes from Iran - both by the progress of its nuclear program and by its establishment as the leader of a radical axis in the Arab world.

Intelligence officials said Iran was likely to reach a point of no return in its nuclear program by the end of 2009, while Syria was in the midst of an intense armament program and was putting long-range missiles into position. Both the Syrian and the Iranian strategic doctrines are based on the assumption that Israel will not be beat in conventional war, due to its superiority on land and in the air, but rather by missiles on the Home Front that they are developing.

The representatives from Mossad and military intelligence said that the region was in the midst of a struggle between a radical axis lead by Iran, and a pragmatic camp which includes Saudi Arabia, Persian Gulf states, Jordan and Egypt. These did not face any immediate danger from the former in 2008, they said.

The officials said that while Syria is a member of the radical axis, some in the intelligence community believe that "under certain circumstances and if there were certain developments," there is a possibility of pushing Syria out of that axis. The price for this would be a full Israeli withdrawal from Golan Heights and American rapprochement with Syria. They said Syria believes that the chances of this happening in 2008 are low, but not completely impossible.

Foreign Ministry representatives said that the US was suffering from declining status in the Middle East, and that this was causing an increase in the maneuverability of other factors, including radical ones. However, they said, these radical forces were deterred by Israel, were worried by its strength and concerned it would use it. This, the officials said said, prevented them from acting with all their strength.

On the Palestinian front, Intel officials said they were seeing a certain drop in support for Hamas and a boost for Fatah, but this change was not considered to be significant. As long as the diplomatic process between Israel and Fatah continued, they said, the chances of an agreement between Hamas and Fatah was low.

Shin Bet representatives said that there was an increasing separation between Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was making an effort to show an appearance of building up Fatah security forces, although in practice this was not being done, they said.

They also pointed to growing tensions between Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Hamas in Gaza.
............................................benny

Bait on Gog’s “Hooks” Preparing?
Middle-Eastern oil reserves look increasingly to be the chief bait for the “hooks” that will draw the Gog coalition force toward Jerusalem. The Scripture is coming more into focus almost daily, so far as its likely meaning.

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords…” (Ezek. 38:1-4).

Global economy intricacies are far too convoluted–too complex—to make the leap of speculation that petroleum alone will bring all people to the Valley of Jezreel for Armageddon. The same applies to the Gog-Magog assault outlined in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. However, all evidence that continues to mount points to Mid-East oil as a primary factor in building toward war in that already volatile part of the world.

We can see oil’s influence in the thinking of the major players in oil production and pricing, with this excerpted story:

“OPEC on Wednesday rebuffed calls from President Bush to increase oil output, instead citing 'mismanagement' of the American economy as a major factor driving prices up.

Record prices are suddenly creating the sharpest tensions in years between the oil cartel and the United States, the world’s largest oil consumer. Two days after the president called for more oil on the global market, OPEC members, meeting in Vienna, chose to leave their production levels unchanged, declaring that the market has plenty of oil already" (New York Times, March 6, 2008, President Fails to Budge OPEC on Production, By Jad Mouawad).

Taking into consideration the New York Times' consistent stance against the Bush Administration in almost every political issue, and recognizing that we are in the intensity of a political season in which the Times, as usual, wants to position the president’s party in bad political light, the point of the article cannot be dismissed.

The root of all evil–love of money—can be blamed in part for the lowered opinion of America in dealing with matters vital to oil supply and demand. The blame must be placed on all parties, not just upon the American administration. The oil cartel sheiks quickly turn their favorable opinions away from American dollars and toward the euro and other currencies as the U.S. prime means of exchange continues to weaken. Like in so-called friendships in all walks of life, the friendship too often ends when there’s nothing in it for one party or the other. As a line in one Tom T. Hall song goes, “Friends are hard to find, when they discover that you’re down.” Cynical, but true.

America is down, in terms of the dollar’s buying power. The fact is reflected in our former “friends'” change of mind as reported in the article.

“The cartel’s president blamed financial speculators and American economic problems, which have helped lower the value of the dollar, for the high oil prices. After the meeting, oil prices settled above $104 a barrel, a record…” (New York Times).

America’s power to influence the world ‘s economic trends is still considerable. But, that influence is swiftly lessening. The question of the greatest concern to those who watch these developments from the biblically prophetic perspective is whether future American leaders will continue to be Israel’s chief friend.

Israel’s enemies hold the oil card. How long will the once-mighty dollar continue to buy influence with the cartel “friends,” most of whom want every Jew removed from the Middle East? Will America drop Israel as a friend, to better position the U.S. within the world users of petroleum, which–we are told—is a diminishing resource?

We will keep watch on these things as this generation moves nearer to the time when God himself will put the “hooks” in Gog’s jaw. Since it is perhaps likely that the rapture will occur before the Gog invasion into the Middle East, observing these developments are even more crucial.

--Terry

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

FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
Syria 'intensely' arming itself
Rockets, missiles place all of Israel within firing zone

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 09, 2008
6:39 pm Eastern


By Aaron Klein
© 2008 WorldNetDaily


JERUSALEM – Syria is in the midst of "intensely" arming itself, placing into position rockets and missiles capable of striking the entire Jewish state, according to an assessment presented to the Knesset today by multiple Israeli security agencies.

The announcement follows a WND exclusive report last month quoting security officials stating Syria, aided by Russia and Iran, has been furiously acquiring rockets and missiles, including projectiles capable of hitting any point in Israel. The officials listed anti-tank, anti-aircraft and ballistic missiles as some of the arms procured by Syria.

Yesterday, Israel's Mossad and Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence chiefs presented an annual security report to the Knesset warning of Syria's armament program.

The chiefs also warned of a possible flare-up at Israel's northern border with the Hezbollah terror group and said in their assessment Iran could cross the technological threshold enabling it to assemble a nuclear bomb by the end of next year.

The assessment came after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced last week negotiations between the Jewish state and Syria should be seriously considered it if would bring an end to Syrian-sponsored terrorism and Damascus' "involvement in the axis of evil."

The negotiations would aim for some sort of Israeli evacuation from the Golan Heights strategic, mountainous territory looking down on Israeli and Syrian population centers twice used by Damascus to launch ground invasions into the Jewish state.

(Story continues below)






Syria openly provides refuge to Palestinian terror leaders, including the chiefs of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and has been accused of shipping weapons to Hezbollah. Damascus is also accused of supporting the insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq.

'Furious frenzy' to get Russian missiles

Olmert's announcement of Israel's willingness to negotiate followed a WND report in which Israeli and Jordanian security officials outlined Syria's recent armament.

A Jordanian security official said one of the main reasons Damascus did not retaliate after Israel carried out its Sept. 6 air strike inside Syria – which allegedly targeted a nascent nuclear facility – was because Syria's rocket infrastructure was not yet complete.

The official said that after the Israeli air strike, Syria picked up the pace of acquiring rockets and missiles, largely from Russia with Iranian backing, with the goal of completing its missile and rocket arsenal by the end of the year. The Jordanian official said Syria is aiming to possess the capacity to fire more than 100 rockets into Israel per hour for a sustained period of time.

"The Syrians have three main goals: to maximize their anti-tank, anti-aircraft and ballistic missile and rocket capabilities," explained the Jordanian official.

According to Israeli and Jordanian officials, Syria recently quietly struck a deal with Russia that allows Moscow to station submarines and war boats off Syrian ports. In exchange, Russia is supplying Syria with weaponry at lower costs, with some of the missiles and rockets being financed by Iran.

"The Iranians opened an extended credit line with Russia for Syria with the purpose of arming Syria," said one Jordanian security official.

"Russia's involvement and strategic positioning is almost like a return to its Cold War stance," the official said.

Both the Israeli and Jordanian officials told WND large quantities of Syrian rockets and missiles are being stockpiled at the major Syrian ports of Latakia and Tartus.

Syria's new acquisitions include Russia's S-300 surface-to-air missile defense shield, which is similar to the U.S.-funded, Israeli-engineered Arrow anti-missile system currently deployed in Israel. The S-300 system is being run not by Syria but by Russian naval technicians who work from Syria's ports, security officials said.

New ballistic missiles and rockets include Alexander rockets and a massive quantity of various Scud surface-to-surface missiles, including Scud B and Scud D missiles.

Israeli security officials noted Syria recently test-fired two Scud D surface-to-surface missiles, which have a range of about 250 miles, covering most Israeli territory. The officials said the Syrian missile test was coordinated with Iran and is believed to have been successful. It is not known what type of warhead the missiles had.

In addition to longer-range Scuds, Syria is in possession of shorter-range missiles such as 220 millimeter and 305 millimeter rockets, some of which have been passed on to the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah.

Israel has information Syria recently acquired and deployed Chinese-made C-802 missiles, which were successfully used against the Israeli navy during Israel's war against Hezbollah in 2006. The missiles were passed to Syria by Iran, Israeli security officials told WND.

Russia recently sold to Syria advanced anti-tank missiles similar to the projectiles that devastated Israeli tanks during the last Lebanon war, causing the highest number of Israeli troop casualties during the 34 days of military confrontations. Syria and Russia are negotiating the sale of advanced anti-aircraft missiles.

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

MI, Mossad: Missiles Will Decide War with Syria


(IsraelNN.com) The heads of Military Intelligence and the Mossad told cabinet ministers Sunday that a war with Syria, should it break out, would not be decided by conventional ground and air combat but by ground to ground missiles. "Syria is in an accelerated process of military arming," they said, "and it is arming itself, among other things, with long range missiles."

"The negative trends are gaining strength," the intelligence heads said. They estimated that the most likely scenario for war would begin with a conflagration involving Hizbullah in the north, followed by war on the other fronts.

They outlined five major "hostile operational theaters": Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Gaza and the global jihad.

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

Making An Issue of the War In Iraq
Observers knew it would happen. The 2008 political season has begun and the war in Iraq is becoming a center of the agenda in both parties. One group speaks about the necessity of invading Iraq and how a stable Iraq will eventually bring a more stable Middle East and less possibility that Israel will be attacked by a fanatical Saddam Hussein, like he did in 1991. On the opposite side, lawmakers continually bark that the war in Iraq was wrong, that al Qaeda was not active until after we invaded, and the invasion was a mistake from the beginning.

Twenty-four months ago, Iraq was on TV news every hour. The TV screen was filled with scenes of violence, car bombings, black smoke pouring from buildings, and concluded with a sad casualty report. On several occasions, over 100 people were killed by fanatical insurgents. With each report, the anti-war voices would complain about the struggle and demand withdrawal of our troops.

Almost daily, the liberal New York Times would blast the President, mock the General in charge, or continually remind the American people how bad the war was going. It seemed that left brained politicians and New York Time were “in bed together.” There was never any good news. No reports from the Kurdish North where no American soldier has been killed, where the area is building stores and has prospered. No reports about the schools or hospitals we helped repair and build, the power plants and water treatment facilities we have operating, or the many Iraqis who ARE grateful we helped liberate them from the “Butcher of Baghdad.”

As of March, have you observed that Iraq is not in the news nearly as much? Why is the press having such a difficult time talking about the success? Have you noticed the New York Times has suddenly gone silent on the subject of how things have turned out for good? Have you observed how the war is a second or third place issue on the campaign trail, replaced now by the economy as the leading concern for most Americans? Do you wonder why the silence is so deafening? It is because that since November, the surge of U.S. troops has begun to have an impact. The Iraqis are reporting and exposing the insurgents and getting tired of their own people being killed by outsiders. The government is allowing all groups to participate in the new government. The borders are being secured and the Iraqi police have been trained to take over their own provinces. Is it better? Yes! It is perfect? No.

What’s the Confusion?

If some of our leaders today had been living in the time of Hitler, they would be demanding we pull out, despite the fact that thousands of Jews were perishing. Had they been in a decision making position, they would have allowed Saddam to invade Kuwait, and move into Saudi Arabia, thus controlling the oil wells and the world’s economy. It was a known fact that Saddam and his two sons had used chemical weapons on their own people, who resisted their dictatorship. Thousands had been tortured, and thousands of bodies have been recovered that were murdered by Hussein. If we are the world’s greatest democracy and the main propagator of freedom and human rights, do we not have a responsibility to assist 35 million people who are suffering, starving, being tortured and living in fear of their lives for speaking out?

When Saddam continually violated one U.N. resolution after another, should we simply ignore him and believe he will go away? What about his sons, who had raped, killed, tortured and stated that when their dad died they would be worse than Hitler? These two evil men, from the loins of a dictator, were in line to take the country after Saddam died. Today, Saddam and his sons are in eternity, in chains of darkness awaiting the ultimate Great White Throne Judgment, where the Allah of Islam will actually be the judge Yahweh, of the Scriptures.

Consider This

Christians who understand Biblical prophecy may not agree with the President, or the manner in which the war was handled, but we should be aware of the ultimate prophetic plan of God. Iraq and Iran are a very pivotal part of end time events. In many of these Islamic countries, a move toward democracy also enables certain religious principles and the rights of the minorities to be propagated, giving more freedom to Christians. Many of the churches in Iraq were underground and very small, and today they are growing. Previously, in the Kurdish area, there were no Christian churches and today there are over 35 groups. This war has assisted in Matthew 24:14 coming to the forefront: The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire world as a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come.

Our real problem in America is that few people really know what the Bible teaches about the end times, the alignment of nations, and the future wars of prophecy. Therefore they have no clue about what is happening and why, from a spiritual perspective. Instead of complaining and second-guessing, realize we are there and need to finish the job. Any conflict is difficult, but America has the greatest army with the best morale. They can complete the task, so let them do their job.

Perry Stone

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

One Rocket Away From War
by Michael G. Mickey
(3-10-08)

A WorldNetDaily.com article indicates that Syria is intensely arming itself, placing into position rockets and missiles capable of striking the entire Jewish state, according to an assessment presented to the Knesset yesterday.

Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence chiefs additionally addressed threats posed to Israel's northern border by Hezbollah and presented the grim assessment that Iran could cross "the technological threshold" enabling it to assemble a nuclear bomb by the end of next year. It sure sounds like the end times in the Middle East, doesn't it? You bet it does - and I believe it's anything but coincidence.

As I read the WorldNetDaily article linked above, my mind was taken back to a commentary I read that recently appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune entitled "The next Mideast war is a rocket away."

The commentary highlights just how quickly things good get out-of-hand in the region and, quite possibly, bring about the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The following is Michael B. Oren's take on how it could, hypothetically, unfold:

It begins with a single Qassam rocket, one of the thousands of homemade projectiles fired in recent years by the Islamic radicals of Hamas from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel. The rockets have made life nightmarish for many Israelis but have largely missed their targets. But this one gets "lucky": It smashes into an elementary school, wounding 40children and killing 15.

The Israeli government, which had heretofore responded to the Qassams with airstrikes and small ground raids, cannot resist the nationwide demand for action. Within hours, tens of thousands of Israeli troops and hundreds of tanks are rushing into Gaza, battling house-to-house in teeming refugee camps. Just as swiftly, Palestinian officials accuse Israel of perpetrating a massacre and invite the foreign press to photograph the corpse-strewn rubble. The images flash around the Middle East on al-Jazeera TV and trigger violent demonstrations in Arab capitals.

Hezbollah, the radical Lebanese Shiite militia, then gets into the act, raining Katyusha rockets on northern Israel. But when Israeli warplanes bomb the Katyusha batteries, Syria leaps in, sending its commandos to retaliate by capturing key Israeli bunkers atop the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel's counterattack succeeds only in precipitating a hailstorm of Syrian Scud-D missiles, some armed with chemical warheads, into Israeli cities. Then, just as Israeli planes are incinerating the main electrical plant in Damascus, the first of hundreds of Shehab-3rockets, pre-targeted at Tel Aviv, lift off from Tehran.
What Oren describes above is one of many scenarios Israeli Defense Forces have recently conducted war games to prepare for. Some of these, according to Oren, Israel believes it can win handily. Others, however, would seem to point to Israel barely surviving the onslaught. The latter is why we should bear in mind prophecies of old that predict battles of tremendous destruction taking place in the Middle East prior to the visible, physical, bodily return of Jesus Christ to the earth, particularly one that envisions a day coming when Damascus, safe haven of terrorist organizations of every type, "will be taken away from being a city" shall be left "a ruinous heap." (Isaiah 17:1)

Far-fetched? Hardly. We're only one rocket away, potentially, from Bible prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes.

Note: While it isn't a given that Damascus' destruction will come as a result of a military attack carried out against it, this would seem the most likely scenario in light of current conditions in the region.

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

All this rhetoric does not make the World a better place, neither for Jews, nor for Christians, not for anyone.
Those on the path of war are ultimately the deceived, and we should pray for their poor souls, for their lamps are empty.
I have stated time and time again this (and this time I really hope that you are listening!):

Can a religion based on hatred, and which has hatred as its mayor export product, and as its main way of persuation? Can it really be allowed to use the false verses of Jihad against anyone?

NO IT CAN NOT, FOR IT IS *NOT* OF THE CREATOR. <===========================

Now, listen carefully religious world leaders. Last chance.
The World is at the brink of being destroyed TWICE. And while you all do business with the murderers, you defy your own religious beliefs about the Creator, whether actively by negotiating with an unpurified islam, or whether passive by *NOT* speaking out.
I have said it before and I say it again: I have laid your lack of testimony at the feet of the Holy Lord God, Father and Jesus. I will personally testify against you if you can not do the right thing. There is *NO* way around this. I am waiting and you have 3 days to reply.

One thing in advance: in my ear I keep hearing the loadest BANG sound in the history since Creation.
I have taken distance from such a scenario, and I know that God will not allow it. I am calm, serene for what is to come is something that you wish afterwards: what have we done? Can God turn it back? You will BEG God on your flat nose to make it undone.
I have seen it. Ye be warned for the last time.

Jesus my Lord, thy Kingdom come!

JPost.com » Iran » Article


Mar 11, 2008 12:07 | Updated Mar 11, 2008 13:54
Int'l support for Iran sanctions down
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Worldwide support for severe international action against Iran has dropped over the past year and a half, according to a new study by the BBC. According to the results of the study, there has been a marked decline in the number of people who favor sanctions or military action against the Islamic Republic over its unwillingness to heed the UN and the international community and stop enriching uranium.

Most of the 30,000 people who were polled said that Iran should be allowed to produce nuclear fuel under the condition that it does so under UN supervision. Support for outright military action against Teheran has declined in over half of the countries that participated in the study, including in countries that in the past had shown support for such an action.

In 14 of 21 countries polled in a similar study in 2006, over 35 percent supported harsh action against Iran. In 2008, the number of countries sporting over 35 percent support for military action dropped to nine.

Over 40 percent of those polled in Middle Eastern countries favored the diplomatic track as the best way to solve the conflict.

In Britain, support for severe action against Iran dropped to 34 percent, down from 43 percent in 2006, and a similar decline was registered in Australia and Germany. All in all, only nine percent support a military operation against the Islamic Republic worldwide.

The United States and North Korea were the only countries in which public support for further action against Iran was registered.


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

Coming soon: The Mediterranean Union
by Michael G. Mickey
(3-11-08)

A Ria Novosti commentary indicates "French President Nicolas Sarkozy will probably see the birth of the Mediterranean Union, his pre-election brainchild."

The following is an excerpt from that commentary:

In a nutshell, Sarkozy proposed a regional political and economic alliance of Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey. It would be governed by a council, have rotating presidency, and conduct regular summits. Its goal would be to promote cooperation in settling regional issues such as immigration, develop economic contacts and trade, and counter terrorism. The proposed union is supposed to bridge Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
This is an interesting development in the making on any number of fronts.

When we examine a photo of the old Roman empire, we observe that many of the nations proposed to be in Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union were included in it.

Interestingly, two nations that we are told will participate in the coming Gog-Magog attack prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39 (Turkey and Libya) are less than enthused. I would go so far as to say that Turkey is close to angered by Sarkozy's proposal as they see it as a way for them to be denied full European Union membership which is something they have maintained all along they will never accept.

Could we be witnessing dramatic prophetic posturing taking place that will, in essence, carry the revived Roman empire's boundaries back to the old Roman empire's span of control through the creation of Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union which he is set to announce the formation of at the EU summit in Paris on July 13-14? I can't help but feel that we are, especially in light of the fact that Sarkozy envisions this union as a bridge between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

As I have demonstrated on this website, there is an African Union in existence, a European Union which we're all aware of, rumors persisting of a North American Union in the works, as well as a Mediterranean Union on the verge of coming into existence.

In Bible prophecy we're told that a globalized form of government is going to come into existence in the last days which will ultimately be led by the Antichrist, a prince (or leader) of Roman descent who is going to confirm (or make strong) a seven-year covenant of peace in the Middle East in fulfillment of Daniel 9:26-27.

While none of us know exactly how these prophesied events are going to play out, another piece of the prophetic puzzle, quite probably in my humble opinion, is going to snap into place in July if the formation of the Mediterranean Union takes place as the commentary linked above suggests.
Exit questions for consideration:

Will this proposed Mediterranean Union be the wedge that drives Turkey and the West apart in preparation for Gog-Magog to occur in the prophetic future?

Will Libya refuse to participate in the union because of its future role as a participant in the Gog-Magog conflict?

Could it be that Israel will flourish economically in this union, leading those looking in from the outside to be filled with the greed that we see implied when a number of nations ask of those who participate in the future Gog-Magog attack, "Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" (Ezekiel 38:13)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, keep your lamps trimmed and burning! In an hour when ye think not the Son of man is going to come for His Church!

Got Jesus?

If you're reading this and you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, this is no time to be on the fence where your salvation is concerned. While all of this is undoubtedly way over your head, all you need to understand is that the signs which Jesus, the Apostles and Prophets gave us as signposts to watch for indicating that the last days are upon us are materializing in the world around us, seemingly at an ever-quickening pace.

Many in the Church today believe the Rapture of the Church is at hand. While we may or may not be correct in our suspicions that the end of the Church Age is very near, if the Rapture occurs and you should find yourself left behind, the things you will experience and have to endure will make it extraordinarily difficult for you to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Because this is true, I ask you to consider coming to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior TODAY. Right now!

Please visit my Salvation Issues page and learn how you can come to faith in Christ today. No one can make this decision but you and it is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the most important decision you will ever make. Jesus Christ loves you and stands ready to forgive you of all your sins and give you the gift of eternal life.
.................................................benny

Israel preparing for war with Syria, confirms general

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default...=178&nid=13461

A senior Israeli general on Monday confirmed that the army is preparing for a full-scale war with Syria in the very near future.

Speaking at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, Maj.-Gen. Eyal Ben-Reuven, who served as deputy commander of Israel's northern forces during last summer's war in Lebanon, said that the army is “preparing itself for an all-out war, and this is a major change in the military's working premise” following the 34-day conflict with Hizballah that many Israelis feel their nation failed to win.

The general said that when war breaks out, Syria will be prepared to suffer mass military and civilian casualties, while at the same time playing on Israel's sensitivity to civilian losses by striking Israel's home front with as many missiles as possible.

Syria “will try to hit Israel's home front in order to win diplomatic gains in peace talks that will follow, and also cause another split in Israeli society,” Israel National News quoted Ben-Reuven as saying.

In order to deny Syria this victory, Ben-Reuven said the Israeli army is training for a swift and overwhelming invasion of Syria “to knock out the areas from where missiles are launched against Israel as quickly as possible.”

He lamented that if Israel had responded to Hizballah's rocket attacks in such a manner, the Second Lebanon War would have ended much differently.
__________________
.................................................benny

Olmert in Ashkelon: Get used to rocket fire


PM Olmert visits Ashkelon, says Israel has 'no way of preventing Grad rocket attacks from recurring'; later, school child shares idea with PM: 'Every time they fire Qassam, it should activate button that fires back'

Roni Sofer Latest Update: 03.11.08, 19:10 / Israel News




"Don't conduct yourselves as though the Grad rocket attacks were not a one-time thing; this has been Israel's reality for the past 60 years, and this demands restraint as well as strength," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told board members of the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon Tuesday.




Frustration

Ashkelon residents protest rocket fire / Shmulik Hadad

Hundreds of Ashkelonians demonstrate against Qassam fire in front of homes of Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter, Minister of Religious Affairs Yitzhak Cohen, block entrance to city
Full Story



"There is no point in comparing your situation to that of Sderot or other towns that have sustained the rocket fire for years," the PM told hospital officials after hearing their complaints over the fact that the hospital has yet to be fortified.



"The Grad is heavier than the Qassam, and we have no way of preventing these things (rocket attacks) from recurring."



However, during a visit to an Ashkelon school, one of the students shared an idea for curbing the rocket fire.




"My dad said that we should have some sort of button, so every time a Qassam is fired, it will fire back at them," the fourth-grader told Olmert, putting a smile on the faces of the adults in the classroom.




"Well, I think we're going to have that patented," answered the PM, trying to convey a sense of self-assurance in the face of the children's obvious distress.




Protected by desks
During Olmert's visit to Harel Elementary, the prime minister discovered that the school has no bomb shelters that can be reached within 15 seconds of the sounding of a siren warning of an incoming rocket.




The closest fortified room – the school's computers class – was two minutes away from the yard and most classrooms. "We don't have enough time to get to the shelter, so we hide under our desk," the school's fourth-graders told the prime minister.




Olmert talks to students (Photo: Avi Ohayon, GPO)



Olmert asked the children to demonstrate what happens when a Color Red alert sounds, prompting the children to vanish under their desks in seconds.




Ashkelon's Deputy Mayor Levi Shafran, who accompanied Olmert on his tour of the city, told the PM how terrible it is to know that all the city's 26,000 students have to protect them from rockets are their desks.



"I'm glad I got to be at your school... Ashkelon has been mentioned a lot in the media lately and it was important for me to come and see for myself how you're doing," Olmert told the students, "to make sure you know that we, the army and your teachers are all very concerned for you.



"I promise all of you that we are doing everything we can to make sure you have a safe, happy life," the PM said.





Rocket lands after PM leaves
Palestinian terrorists in Gaza launched a rocket that fell near Ashkelon a short time after Olmert left the city. The rocket landed in an open area south of the city of 120,000 causing no injuries but threatening to upset a recent period of calmpolice spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.



Olmert, who has repeatedly denied reports of a possible ceasefire with Hamas in recent days, told the Barzilai officials "they (Palestinians) are holding their fire not because of their love for Israel; they suffer too when we inflict a painful blow and they are forced to reassess the situation; but this does not mean they won't start (firing) again.




"We have no desire to harm the residents of Gaza; we are doing it because reality is giving us no other choice…So their pain will cause them to stop. We have no distinct policy of launching operations, but rather a systematic method of fighting terrorism wherever it may be, including in Jerusalem."



Ashkelon Mayor Roni Mehatzri told Olmert that the government must address the lack of fortification in the city, as well as its socio-economic situation.

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Deputy Mayor Levi Shafran told the prime minister, "As you have seen with your own eyes during the drill we conducted in the class you visited, the children's only protection (from the rockets) is their desks. (The government) must protect, not fortify; it must deal with the Qassams and the Grads and not fortify the city with a budget that is equal the what the city spends in 15 years."



Toward the end of his visit to the southern city the prime minister said "I am leaving encouraged. I did not come to make any promises to the residents, but to convey to them that the situation is complex and that we have no immediate solutions. However, I am encouraged by the fact that the municipality, the residents and the students are not afraid.

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

Exclusive: Israel places Lebanese, Syrian, Gaza borders, its cities and highways on high terror alert
March 10, 2008, 11:00 AM (GMT+02:00)


USS Philippine Sea guided missile destroyer
The annual intelligence report submitted to the Israeli government Sunday, March 9, predicted grave dangers to Israeli security in the coming year. However, even in the short term, DEBKAfile’s military and Middle East sources report the Israeli army, police and security forces are on guard for stormy events in the second half of March.

1. To bring reluctant Arab rulers to the Damascus Arab League summit on the 29th, Syria has quietly slipped the word that the contentious Lebanese issue will be left off the agenda. Deliberations would be confined to the Gaza crisis. The Saudis were therefore persuaded to accept the Syrian invitation on March 9 after several refusals.

Israeli intelligence has warned that in the interim Hamas and Jihad Islami would make every effort to ignite the Gaza front in order to unite the Arab rulers behind a dramatic Arab resolution in support of the Palestinian Islamists. This tactic would transfer the Gaza issue’s center of gravity from Cairo, which is brokering a Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal, to radical Damascus.

Egged on by Syria and Iran, Hamas keeps on stalling this track and raising its demands. Amos Gilead, security adviser in Israel’s defense ministry, who traveled to Cairo Sunday to try and break the deadlock, came back empty-handed. He said the coming summit was the key to progress and warned that the current slowdown in Palestinian rocket and missile attacks from Gaza in the last two days was extremely fragile. Hamas was poised to generate a flare-up at any time that it suited the book of Syria and Iran. Nevertheless, Israel has scaled down its anti-rocket operations in the Gaza Strip.

2. Most of all, the coming Arab League summit will for the first time host an Iranian head of state. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be seated beside Syrian president Bashar Assad as guest of honor to parade the Tehran-Damascus axis’ pre-eminent role in Arab Middle East affairs, with Iran setting the pace.

This prospect has raised the military barometer across the region and injected a radical note in “moderate” Arab utterances.

Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak suddenly declared Monday, March 10, that Israel continues to be responsible for the Gaza Strip after its pull-out and its status in both Gaza and the West Bank is that of an occupation force. In an interview, he endorsed the Hamas line which called on Israel to halt military operations not only in Gaza but also on the West Bank.

The Lebanese impasse may have been left off the formal agenda, but it looms large over the Arab world as the key divisive element. Over the weekend, the US navy built up its deployment opposite the Lebanese coast with the USS Ross guided missile destroyer and the USS Philippine Sea cruiser.

Syria responded by placing its air and naval bases, where too Russian warships are docked, on a state of preparedness.

Israel’s new national intelligence report affirms that the United States’ declining role in the region has left a vacuum for radical elements to fill. Its authors, the chiefs of military intelligence, the Mossad, Shin Bet and the foreign ministry’s intelligence unit, warned of the heightened threat from missiles in the arsenals of a future nuclear-armed Iran (within two years) and Syrian. A Hizballah attack and a stronger Hamas were also in prospect.

In the coming two weeks, Syria, Iran, Hizballah and Hamas will be further tightening the military and terrorist loop around Israel – to the north, the south, and among Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, at the expense of Israel’s deterrent strength.

According to our military sources, Hizballah is completing its preparations for revenge on Israel, whom it accuses of killing its military commander Imad Mughniyeh last month. The latest estimate is that the Shiite terrorists will strike on the border and/or inside Israel, rather than hit overseas targets.

Israel’s prime minister Ehud Olmert steadily refuses to look these facts in the face and insists that Israel’s security situation has never been better.

Both he and foreign minister Tzipi Livni are still carefully treading the line drawn by US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, whose main preoccupation these days is to keep foreign crises at bay for the rest of the Bush presidency.

In Jerusalem last week, Rice confided that to achieve a lull in the cross-border violence in Gaza, even concessions to Hamas were acceptable. This stance, which Israel accepted, substantially enhanced the Islamists’ bargaining position.

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

http://hallindsey.org/ ................................benny

I tell you this, Hamas, Hizbollah, Iran, Syria, you are lucky that I am not the military strategist for Israel.
If it would, Gaza would by now be scourged black, and Damascus would not be alive.
Iran would be an open oil pit too.

You guys are lucky that God has more patience than I have.

Russian Bomber Flights Draw NORAD Concern

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The increasing frequency at which Russian strategic bombers are approaching U.S. airspace has led military commanders at the North American Aerospace Defense Command to urge Moscow to provide advance warning of the flights, the Denver Post reported today (see GSN, Feb. 29).

In 2007, NORAD dispatched fighter jets to intercept Russian bombers in 46 separate incidents, a significant increase from prior years to levels not seen since the end of the Cold War.

The run-ins are unlikely to escalate, but “there’s more of a risk of something accidental happening,” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said yesterday, following a meeting with commanders responsible for defending U.S. territory.

Russia has been increasing its bomber flights over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, in one instance last month buzzing the U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz (see GSN, Feb. 12). The flights have been seen as Russia’s effort to reassert its military strength.

“We will clearly watch this evolution,” Mullen said of the Russian flights. “We’ve got good military-to-military relations with the Russians. My sense is there's no strategic intent to threaten the United States.”

The Russian bombers might be carrying nuclear weapons, although no such armaments are visible on the aircraft, NORAD commanders warned.

Russian officials have dismissed U.S. calls for transparency over the flights, NORAD commander Gen. Victor Renuart said.

“The Russian approach today is that these are military-training flights in unmonitored airspace and that they are within their rights to fly without an international flight plan. While that is at a basic level correct, the potential risk to commercial aviation makes it tougher” to accept, Renuart said (Bruce Finley, Denver Post, March 11). http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8526666
..................................................benny

JPost.com » Opinion » Editorials » Article


Mar 10, 2008 22:02 | Updated Mar 11, 2008 12:47
Explaining Iran
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