Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

U.S. Blocks Security Council Vote Condemning Israel’s Settlement Building
Dec 20th, 2012
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Fourteen council members sharply condemned Israel’s building plan in the E-1 area and construction of 3,000 housing units in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The US blocked a joint presidential statement of condemnation and a council resolution.
Earlier, the US State Department spokeswoman called Israel’s construction plans “deeply disappointing,” "provocative" and “counter to the cause of peace.” Binyamin Netanyahu has often declared that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Israel and “we will continue to build there.”

Proof of a Scandal: U.S. Policy is Making Syria Into An Anti - Western, Antisemitic Islamist State
Dec 20th, 2012
Daily NewsGloria Center
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary;Anti-Israel

Proof of a Scandal: U.S. Policy is Making Syria into an Anti-Western, Antisemitic Islamist State

In his article “The Revolt of Islam in Syria” (Jerusalem Post, December 12), Jonathan Spyer — senior fellow at the GLORIA Center — points out compelling information about the new Western-backed leadership in Syria.

The bottom line: if this is Syria’s new government, then Syria now has an Islamist regime.

This is happening with the knowledge and collaboration of the Obama administration and a number of European governments. It is a catastrophe, and one that’s taking place due to the deliberate decisions of President Barack Obama and other Western leaders. Even if one rationalizes the Islamist takeover in Egypt as due to internal events, this one is U.S.-made.

As Spyer points out, U.S. and European policy can be summarized as follows:

To align with and strengthen Muslim Brotherhood-associated elements, while painting Salafi forces as the sole real Islamist danger. At the same time, secular forces are ignored or brushed aside.

The new regime, recognized by the United States and most European countries as the legitimate leadership of the Syrian people, is the Syrian National Coalition, which has also established a military council.

Spyer’s detailed evidence for these arguments — much of which comes from raw wire service reports, for which praise is due to Reuters in this case — is undeniable. And if we know about these things, there is no doubt that the highest level of the U.S. government does as well.

Why is this happening? Because Obama and others believe that they can moderate the Muslim Brotherhood and this will tame the Salafists, despite massive evidence to the contrary. This is going to be the biggest foreign policy blunder of the last century, and the cost for it will be high. It should be stressed: such a strategy is totally unnecessary; the alternatives have been ignored; and the real moderates are being betrayed.

Here is some of the proof for these assertions:

– “The founder of the Free Syrian Army, former Syrian Air Force Colonel Riad Asaad, is notably absent [from the leadership]. General Mustafa al-Sheikh, the first of his rank to defect to the rebels, is also not there. Sheikh is known for his fierce opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood. Hussein Haj Ali, the highest ranking officer to defect so far, was similarly absent.” These men are all anti-Islamists.

– “A Reuters report on the new joint military council calculated that the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies account for about two-thirds of the 263 men who met in Antalya and formed the new body. Salafi commanders are also there.” In other words, the Islamists will get the overwhelming share of weapons provided under U.S. sponsorship, Turkish oversight, and Qatari and Saudi financing. And the United States has not objected to the arming of Salafist super-extremists as long as they aren’t affiliated to al-Qaeda.

– “The new council is headed by Brigadier Selim Idriss, who is described as a non-ideological military man. But his deputies, Abdel-basset Tawil of Idleb and Abdel-Qader Saleh of Aleppo governate are associated with the Salafi trend.” In other words, there’s a non-Islamist front man for what will be an Islamist-controlled army.

– “The domination by the Muslim Brotherhood of the new military council mirrors the movement’s leading position in the new civilian leadership body — the Syrian National Coalition. The leader of this coalition is Ahmed Mouaz al-Khatib, former Imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.

“Khatib is closely associated with the Damascus Branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. The leader of the new coalition has a long history of anti-Semitic, anti-Western, and anti-Shia remarks. (He praised Saddam Hussein, for example, for “terrifying the Jews” and wrote an article asking if Facebook was an “American-Israeli intelligence website.”) He is also an admirer of the Qatar-based Muslim Brotherhood preacher Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

– “Within the body headed by Khatib, the Muslim Brotherhood dominated Syrian National Council controls around 27 of the 65 seats on the executive body of the new coalition. There are also Islamists and fellow travelers among the non-SNC delegates. The Brotherhood is by far the best organized single body within the coalition. One secular delegate at the first full meeting of the coalition accused the MB of `pushing more of its hawks into the coalition, although it already has half of the seats.’”

Let me add two other points:

– The U.S. government backed the previous opposition “leadership,” the Syrian National Council, which was formed as a result of American initiative operating through Islamist Turkey. The fact that this council had a Muslim Brotherhood majority in the leadership did not deter the Obama administration from proclaiming it to be the address for support. Only when the council had clearly failed — and despite the fact that months earlier several moderates had resigned complaining about Brotherhood domination — did the U.S. government change strategy to organizing a new, yet also Muslim Brotherhood-dominated group.

– American intelligence agents in southern Turkey supervise the handover of weapons to the rebels. They make no attempt to stop arms from going to the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists while they make no attempt to funnel the guns to moderates. The only restriction is that they not go to al-Qaeda-affiliated Salafists.

One day, those guns will be used to commit unspeakable atrocities against Christians and other minority groups just as they will be used to install an Islamist regime and to kill or intimidate its opponents.

How has the United States handled this threat?

Well, it declared one Salafi group off-limits, because it is linked to al-Qaeda. That’s it.

As Spyer points out, there has been and still is an alternative: for the West to back non-Islamist leaders, including liberals, Arab nationalists, and Kurdish nationalist forces. Such a strategy was not pursued either in Egypt or in Tunisia.

So when Syria gets an anti-Western, anti-Semitic, and anti-democratic (aside from holding elections) regime, don’t be surprised. You can read it in the surprised and grudging admissions of the Western mass media a year or two after this regime takes power, or you can know about it right now.

This outcome might have been inevitable anyway — but I don’t think that’s true. A vigorous policy of supplying non- and anti-Islamist forces while doing nothing to help the Brotherhood and Salafist militias, plus the formation of a non-Islamist dominated political grouping that would receive Western aid could have produced a very different result.

But Western policy, and especially Obama administration policy, is now putting into power yet another anti-Western regime that will oppress its own people and put a high priority on trying to wipe out Israel.

Muslim Guide Book Speaks of Jewish Temple
Dec 20th, 2012
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Victor Mordechai
Categories: Commentary;The Nation Of Israel

After making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) in 1968—about a year after the reunification of Jerusalem in the Six Day War—one of my first tours was to Jerusalem’s Old City and the Dome of the Rock and Mosque of Al Aksa on the Temple Mount.

There, I bought a tourist guide book written in 1962 by Abed Er-Rahman Rissas and entitled: “El Haram Esh Sharif" (The Noble Sanctuary), the Arabic name for the Temple Mount.

On page 1, the book says: “On Mount Moriah, Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac [Genesis 22:2], and here, Ornan the Jebusite had his threshing floor, which David bought and upon which he erected an altar, later to be superseded by Solomon’s Temple.

Let the Headlines Speak
Dec 20th, 2012
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Blood moon eclipses: 2nd Coming in 2015?
A minister who promotes the Old Testament roots of Christianity suggests a rare string of lunar and solar eclipses said to fall on God’s annual holy days seven years from now could herald what’s come to be known as the “Second Coming” of Jesus. “God wants us to look at the biblical calendar,” says Mark Biltz, pastor of El Shaddai Ministries in Bonney Lake, Wash. “The reason we need to be watching is [because] He will signal His appearance. But we have to know what to be watching as well. So we need to be watching the biblical holidays.” “There are no more of these for the rest of the century.”

Jerusalem Official Complains of Temple Mount Discrimination
Jerusalem city council member Yair Gabai told Arutz Sheva of his first-hand humiliation and of discrimination against Jews, especially those who are religious, trying to visit the Temple Mount.“The only group of people prohibited from the Temple Mount are Jews, even though it is our holiest place and holier to us than to any other people,” he said. “-Police were particularly aggressive in their attitude..they remove anyone who even appears to be praying from the Temple Mount.

Gallup: More Americans Favor School Officials Having Guns Than Weapon Ban
Americans are most likely to say that an increased police presence at schools, increased government spending on mental health screening and treatment, and decreased depiction of gun violence in entertainment venues would be effective in preventing mass shootings at schools.

What's up in space MAGNETIC FROTH:
None of the spots on the Earthside of the sun is actively flaring. Instead, they are frothing. Sergio Castillo captured the phenomenon on Dec. 19th when he photographed the sun from Inglewood,California:

Operation Fast and Furious gun found after drug cartel shootout
Two of the weapons found after a drug cartel gunfight last month in Sinaloa, Mexico, that killed five people have been traced back to the U.S. — one lost during the ATF's Operation Fast and Furious, the other originally purchased by a supervisory ATF agent who helped oversee the botched gun-tracking operation.

Arab video shows slain U.S. ambassador in morgue
The video comes in the wake of a report by an independent review panel that concluded systematic management and leadership failures at the State Department led to “grossly” inadequate security at the mission in Benghazi.

Quartet's Blair weighs in on Israeli building plans
Quartet Rep. Tony Blair on Thursday affirmed his support for recent US and EU criticism of Israeli construction plans. “The problem is not only the building of such settlements itself but also that this is a moment when it is vital to re-start a proper negotiation and all such announcements do is to put new obstacles in the way of progress and undermine the prospects for a negotiated peace leading to a viable Palestinian state living side by side with a safe and secure Israel," Blair said in a statement.

Forget Dec. 21, watch out for 1/11, 2/11, 3/11
Al-Qaida is teaming up with Iran to stage massive terror attacks on French and German targets in the next three months, according to an inside source. Those targets include French Socialist Party headquarters, commerce centers and the Paris Metro rapid transit system.

Image Of Traveling Star’s Bow Shock Captured By Spitzer Telescope
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has captured an infrared image of the glowing waves given off by a giant star that was sent hurtling through space after its companion star exploded. Zeta Ophiuchi, the star which is currently speeding through the universe and leaving what is known as a bow shock in its wake, is 20 times more massive and 80,000 times brighter than our sun, according to the US space agency.

Putin: Russia more worried by Syria's fate than Assad's
Russia's main concern in Syria is the fate of the country and not that of President Bashar Assad, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Ecuador volcano blasts more hot rock from crater
The country's Geophysical Institute says incandescent rock shot from the crater of the 16,479-foot (5,023-meter) high mountain fell about half a mile (a kilometer) down its flanks. Explosions early Wednesday rattled windows 9 miles (14 kilometers) away, while rain-borne ash has been falling to the southwest of the crater.

Snow, wind, freezing temps could usher in winter season
AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Walker said Wednesday that a winter storm will be moving into the area Thursday afternoon. “The storm will be starting off with warmer temperatures and rain and then change into snow showers Thursday night and into Friday. There will be a few inches of snow and windy with some pretty cold air moving in,” said Walker, who has been a professional weather forecaster for 35 years.

State Department security chief resigns
Three State Department officials resigned under pressure Wednesday, less than a day after a damning report blamed management failures for a lack of security at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, where militants killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans on Sept. 11.

Guatemala’s Pacaya Volcano spits ash, gases
Pacaya Volcano, located 47 kilometers south of the capital, has had increased activity in recent days with ash and gas being released into the air, said the Institute of Volcanology

Down to -50C: Russians freeze to death as strongest-in-decades winter hits
Russia is enduring its harshest winter in over 70 years, with temperatures plunging as low as -50 degrees Celsius. Dozens of people have already died, and almost 150 have been hospitalized. ­The country has not witnessed such a long cold spell since 1938, meteorologists said, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees lower than the seasonal norm all over Russia.

Treasury announces GM exit strategy; automaker buying 200 million shares from U.S.
The Obama administration said Wednesday it will sell 200 million shares — or 40 percent of its remaining stake in General Motors Co. — back to the automaker and announced plans to completely exit the Detroit automaker by March 2014. Still, taxpayers will almost certainly lose billions of dollars in the $49.5 billion GM bailout - and the government would need to sell its remaining shares for about $70 each to break even.

South Korea's Park stresses 'grave' North Korea challenge
South Korea's President-elect Park Geun-hye spoke of a "grave" security challenge from North Korea but called for "trust-based dialogue". Ms Park, the ruling Saenuri Party candidate, defeated her liberal rival Moon Jae-in in Wednesday's election. Speaking after a visit to honour late leaders, she pledged again to "open a new era" on the Korean Peninsula.

Torrential rain leaves south-west England flooded
Several people have been rescued from their vehicles and trains have been cancelled after torrential rain. Trains between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall and between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst in Hampshire are affected. The Cornish villages of Polbathic, Altarnun, St Keverne, Gunwalloe, Gorran Haven and Mevagissey are also flooded.

Benghazi attack: US security chief Eric Boswell quits
A senior US security official has quit and three others are suspended after a damning report into a deadly attack on a US mission in Benghazi. The state department said diplomatic security chief Eric Boswell resigned and three other unnamed officials had been put on administrative leave. US envoy to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other officials were killed in the attack on 11 September.

UN confirms Hezbollah fighting for Assad in Syria
The Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah has confirmed that its members are in Syria fighting on behalf of the government, United Nations human rights investigators said on Thursday. There are also reports that Iraqi Shias are coming to fight in Syria, and Iran confirmed in September that its Revolutionary Guards are in Syria providing assistance...

Israel approves settlement plans despite EU condemnation
Israel has approved plans for the construction of 523 homes in the southern West Bank in the first step towards creating a new settlement city, the local settler council said on Thursday.

Guns Out of Stock at Wal-Mart as Magazine Prices Surge on
With President Barack Obama endorsing sweeping gun restrictions in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, prices for handgun magazines are surging on EBay (EBAY) and semi-automatic rifles are sold out at many Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) locations

Al Qaeda grows powerful in Syria as endgame nears
Having seen its star wane in Iraq, al Qaeda has staged a comeback in neighbouring Syria, posing a dilemma for the opposition fighting to remove President Bashar al-Assad and making the West balk at military backing for the revolt.

Texas town allows teachers to carry concealed guns
In this tiny Texas town, children and their parents don't give much thought to safety at the community's lone school — mostly because some of the teachers are carrying concealed weapons.

Kuwait Passes Law to Execute Those Who Slander Islam and the Prophet
Dec 20th, 2012
Daily Newstheblaze.com
Categories: Today's Headlines;Warning

On Thursday, TheBlaze brought you the story of Alber Saber, an Egyptian Christian sentenced to three years in prison for producing a video critical of organized religion.

Since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster and with the rise of the hard-line Muslim Brotherhood regime, Egypt has steadily increased its crackdown on those who slander Islam.

Following suit is Kuwait, where members of parliament just this week approved a law issuing the death penalty for Muslims who curse or slander God, the Quran, all of the prophets, and in particular the Prophet Mohammed and his many wives.

Non-Muslims who engage in these verboten acts may not meet the gallows, but they will be remitted to prison for no less than 10 years, according to the bill.

The National Secular Society (NSS) reports that defendants who repent in court are meant to be spared suffering capital punishment but will still serve five years in prison, incur a fine of $36,000, or both. Repeat offenders, according to the bill, will not be given any lenience but handed down the harshest sentence.

“We do not want to execute people with opinions or thought because Islam respects these people… But we need this legislation because incidents of cursing God have increased. We need to deter them,” Kuwaiti MP Ali al-Deqbasi said.

Egypt Democratically Adopts An Anti - Western Dictatorship
Dec 20th, 2012
Daily NewsBarry Rubin [excerpts]
Categories: Commentary;Warning

The victory in the referendum on the constitution is the fourth straight Muslim Brotherhood success — including the overthrow of President Husni Mubarak’s regime with army assistance, the parliamentary election and the presidential election — in the process of taking over Egypt for the long-term and fundamentally transforming it into a radical Islamist state.

This last victory should be sufficient to go all the way.

This event is also producing a new stage of Western rationalizations that whitewash the Muslim Brotherhood and rationalize support for Islamists being in power.

It isn’t that the constitution, as many Salafists would have liked, explicitly mandates a revolutionary Sharia state. Rather, the constitution sets up a framework that will allow the Brotherhood to do so. Between the president and the constitution, the Brotherhood will now march through every institution and remake it. Judges will be appointed, school curricula rewritten, army generals appointed, and so on.

As the Brotherhood shows patience in carrying out this process of gaining total, permanent control, many in the West will interpret that as moderation. Said a Western diplomat in Cairo:

[The problem with [President] Morsi isn’t whether he is Islamist or not, it is whether he is authoritarian.]

Wow, talk about Western misunderstanding of the importance of ideology. Perhaps whether or not he is an Islamist — and of course he is — has something to do with his being authoritarian?

Since his goal is a Sharia state, then that is an authoritarian destination for which authoritarian means are considered acceptable and are in fact a necessity. One might as well insert the words Communist, fascist, or radical Arab nationalist for Islamist.

There are three factors involved here in setting Western policy: ignorance, a desire to avoid crises, and a foolish belief that having a radical regime in Egypt will moderate the extremists.