Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

U.S. Jews Among the Most Supportive of Gay Marriageus Jews Among the Most Supportive of Gay Marriage
Apr 27th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Times of Israel
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Pew figures show 76% of Jews support legalizing gay marriage, higher than all but the youngest and most liberal of Democrats

NEW YORK – American Jews show among the highest levels of support for gay marriage, from all American subgroups measured in recent polls, according to figures published this week by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

According to five polls of Americans in 2012 and 2013, with the most recent conducted in March 2013, 76 percent of US Jews support legalizing same-sex marriage, while 18% oppose and 8% did not express an opinion.

Obama’s Non - Response to Assad’s Chemical Weapons Would Encourage a Nuclear Iran
Apr 27th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

President Barack Obama faced a tough decision Friday, April 26, on how to handle Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons just a month after he warned it would be “game changer.”

The US intelligence community and the White House have now produced evidence that Assad has used chemical weapons against his own people and so crossed the red line Obama has repeatedly and publicly laid down for a US response. While extremely reluctant to embroil America in the Syrian war, those red lines would be discounted as meaningless by the world, the Middle East and Israel most of al, if he holds back now.
This loss of credibility and face would have three immediate consequences:

1. Assad will not stop using lethal chemicals against his people. After getting away with it scot-free, he will use them against any time he feels his regime has its back to the wall.

2. Tehran and Pyongyang will take US inaction on the Syrian chemical issue as a license to go forward and develop their nuclear and other sophisticated weapons without fear of forceful interference.

3. At some stage in the Syrian conflict, Assad will transfer to Hizballah a quantity of chemical weapons and other advanced war materiel as a reward for the Lebanese Shiite radicals’ stalwart battle in support of his regime. debkafile’s military sources have learned that preparations are already in train for the transfer.

Thursday, Israeli Air Force F-16 warplanes shot down opposite Haifa a drone Hizballah had sent winging toward Israel, but no firm response followed this provocation. Assad and Hizballah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah will certainly be encouraged by this non-response to risk going forward with the transfer in the belief that Israel will not interfere. And, so, chemical weapons will be allowed to reach a confirmed terrorist organization.
The way the White House communicated its message to Congress Thursday is as instructive as its content:

The member of the White House staff chosen to frame the communication was Miguel Rodriguez, White House director of the Office of Legislative Affairs. It was couched in the language of a legal document rather than a policy statement on a high-powered foreign issue of the utmost military and strategic concern:

“Our intelligence community does assess, with varying degrees of confidence, that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically, the chemical agent sarin," Rodriguez wrote.
"Given the stakes involved, and what we have learned from our own recent experiences, intelligence assessments alone are not sufficient – only credible and corroborated facts that provide us with some degree of certainty will guide our decision-making.”

For a pointer to how Obama may address a nuclear-armed Iran, this same document could be applied simply by substituting “The Islamic Republic of Iran” for the “Syrian regime” and “nuclear weapons” for “chemical weapons.”
The document also administered a cold shower from the boss for the two senior members of the Obama administration Thursday and their revelations Thursday.

Secretary of State John Kerry disposed of diplomatic ifs and buts when he said: The Syrian government has launched two chemical weapons attacks.
Somewhat more cautiously, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said: The US intelligence community has determined with "varying degrees of confidence" that Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces have used the nerve agent sarin against civilians and forces fighting to remove Assad from power.”

Any use of chemical weapons, Hagel said, would violate standards of warfare.

The White House is informing Congress about the chemical weapons use now, Hagel said.
This was a reversal of the reservations the defense secretary had voiced that morning about the assessment heard from the Israeli military intelligence officer Brig. Gen. Itai Brun that the Syrian army had used chemical weapons.
debkafile’s Washington sources report speculation in the US capital that the president may settle his dilemma with an indirect military response to the Syrian chemical crisis, by deploying US troops on the Jordanian-Syrian border. It would be hoped that Damascus, and Tehran too, would be deterred by seeing American troops in place and therefore in position for a military response to the use of - or advance toward - weapons of mass destruction.
This deployment was to be finally decided at the White House Friday when President Obama heard visiting Jordan’s King Abdullah voice acute concerns about the Syrian threat to his country.

Let the Headlines Speak
Apr 27th, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Taliban Announces Start of Their Spring Offensive
The Taliban on Saturday announced the start of their spring offensive, signaling plans to step up attacks as the weather warms across Afghanistan, making both travel and fighting easier. ...The militant group’s leadership vowed that “every possible tactic will be utilized in order to detain or inflict heavy casualties on the foreign transgressors.”

Report: US asked Israel not to respond to drone launch
A Western diplomat in Beirut told the Lebanese newspaper a-Nahar on Saturday that the US asked Israel to show restraint and not respond immediately to the drone which was shot down over the Haifa bay on Thursday. According to the source, the main reason for the request is that the drone, shot down over the Haifa bay, caused no damage.

Russia detains 140 suspected Islamic extremists
Russian police and security agents have detained 140 people at a mosque in Moscow on suspicion of involvement with Islamic extremism. A statement from the Federal Security Agency reported by Russian news agencies said among those detained in the Friday action were 30 citizens of unspecified foreign countries.

Gang leader impregnated 4 prison guards while running contraband scheme, authorities say
A Maryland gang member is accused of running a scheme to smuggle contraband into prison by "corrupting" 13 female prison guards from behind bars, four of whom he impregnated.

Barack Obama warns Syria chemical arms a 'game changer'
US President Barack Obama has vowed a "vigorous investigation" into reports that Syria has used chemical weapons, warning they will be a "game changer" for US policy if proven true. Both the US and UK have pointed to emerging evidence that Syria has used weapons such as the nerve gas sarin.

Armed drones operated from RAF base in UK, says MoD
Armed drone aircraft have been operated remotely from Britain for the first time, the Ministry of Defence has said. It said Reaper drones had flown missions controlled from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, where campaign groups are expected to protest against the practice later.

NY police: Landing gear part found, is tied to 9/11
A piece believed to be from one of the airliners that hit the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, has been found behind the site of an Islamic community center near ground zero, the New York Police Department said Friday.

Group tied to old guard could gain in Iraq unrest
As clashes this week raise fears of a destabilizing new eruption of sectarian fighting in Iraq, a shadowy militant group linked to the top fugitive from Saddam Hussein's regime could stand to gain by attracting new Sunni Muslim support.

North Korea says detained American tourist to face trial
North Korea said on Saturday a Korean-American tourist, jailed by the reclusive state since late last year, will face trial for "committing crimes" against the North, a move that could further stoke tensions with the United States.

Israel will Strike Iran's Subterranean Nuclear Sites
Apr 27th, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Dr. Joe Tuzara
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel;Commentary

Israel is facing an existential threat far greater than anyone could have ever imagined and difficult to ignore. On the contrary, it would even be foolish to assume that Israelis and Jews living overseas are safer - when Iran becomes a nuclear capable state.

An overwhelming majority of Israelis believe that the Iranian nuclear threat constitutes an existential threat to the State of Israel; and the price Israel would have to pay for living under the shadow of Iran's nuclear warheads is higher than the price it would pay for attacking Iran's nuclear capability.

Israel's cruel dilemma is an open ended question of bombing or not bombing Iran. A critical decision to risk indeterminate war with Iran will be a momentous challenge for Israel- and yet, it will have a durable impact towards the preservation of geopolitical-strategic balance of power in the restive Middle East.

In any military conflict, however, timing and opportunity do matter.

Indeed, an inevitable Israeli airstrike against Iran's subterranean nuclear facilities may be a very complex operation- but Israel's high tech military advantage could level the playing field and determine once and for all, the fate of its enemies, who would reel in disbelief.

Consequently, plausible deniability and nuclear ambiguity have served Israel's decisive deterrence so far against Iran and its proxies: Hizbullah in Lebanon, Syria, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

It is interesting to note that Israel's first layer of defense, the Iron Dome, has successfully intercepted short-range rockets from Gaza during Operation Pillar of Defense, but the David Sling and Arrow, specifically designed with Iran’s Shahab missiles in mind, has never been tested in real-life combat.

In general, an Israeli Air Force (IAF) strike on Iran's underground nuclear facilities from Natanz to Fordow, in particular, might require the most lethal combination of sophisticated precision-guided bunker-buster weapons (GBU-27 and GBU-28) that can only be carried on B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.

In large measure, Israel already possesses these weapons, built either on their own or sold to it by the U.S. But, it is unclear how Israel would deliver the GBUs maximum payload short of B-2s.

Furthermore, Israel's possession of Jericho III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), that can reach New York and Tokyo, are capable of striking Iran's above-ground targets. The high speed of the ICBM makes it practically invincible for interception and will free up IDF aircrafts to focus on hard targets.

In absolute terms, Israel could use tactical nukes- but the IDF might opt to use the much vaunted precision guided GBU-31s which have the same warhead as Israel’s existing GBU-28s (the BLU-122 warhead)- to augment the IAF’s existing capabilities.

Of course, it is not surprising, or beyond the realm of impossibilities, that Israel might deploy a simultaneous, knockout combination of cyber offensive weapons and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks.

In the event Russia might have surreptitiously supplied Iran with the SA-12 or S-300 air defense systems, the attrition rate of an Israeli air strike could be significant.

But now, a respected Washington think tank (CSIS) has said that low-radioactive yield "tactical" nuclear warheads would be one way for the Israelis to destroy Iranian uranium enrichment plants in remote, dug-in fortifications.

Given the difficulty its jets would face in reaching Iran for anything more than a one-off sortie - ballistic missiles or submarine-launched cruise missiles could serve for Israeli tactical nuclear strikes without interference from Iranian air defenses.

"Preemptive nuclear strikes are foreign to the national doctrine":

Israeli leaders do not comment on this capability other than to underscore its deterrent role. A veteran Israeli defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said preemptive nuclear strikes were foreign to the national doctrine: "Such weapons exist so as not to be used."

Neither the public nor the media ought to deal with the operational issues that are connected to a military action. Having said that, the mainstream media is actually rife with speculation about the United States -- which, like Israel, has not ruled out military force to deny Iran atomic arms, and could itself resort to tactical nuclear strikes.

"We are not bluffing," has become the familiar refrain from both countries specifically as a warning to Iran. Under no circumstances will Israel agree to a nuclear-armed Iran.

Unfortunately, the U.S.-Iran secret nuclear deal to recognize Iran as a "threshold-power", as long as it does not manufacture atomic weapons is inherently a flawed logic.

As a result of a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear program, Iran has forfeited its right to unrestricted access to civil nuclear technology. Moreover, nuclear weapons have become a symbol of Iran's national pride and therefore, there is no ironclad guarantee that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons.

The possibility that there is still time for diplomatic sanctions to succeed is just a morbid dream and an illusion of the imprudent Obama administration.

Let us make this categorically clear to Iran:

The U.S. and Israel share a united front against Iran, and the U.S. commitment to defending its longtime ally in the Middle East remains unbreakable. For the most part, the U.S. has a 60-year commitment to Israeli security, and if Israel’s population centers were hit, the U.S. could feel obligated to come to Israel’s defense.

The importance of the recent most complex and carefully orchestrated $10 billion arms deal to maintain Israel's military edge cannot be overemphasized - a clear signal that Iran could face a military strike unless it abandoned its suspect nuclear program.

Although Iran's genocidal rhetoric is unmistakably clear, Israel senses bluffing in Iran’s threats of retaliation.

Come to think about it- a fanatical radical Islamist theocracy bent on taking over the world for Islam, and "wiping Israel off the map", by itself deserves to be sent back to the Stone Age.

Now the moment of truth has come to a close: Iran has enough enriched uranium to build five atomic bombs and probably is in possession of at least one primitive nuclear device—a "dirty bomb.”

What’s really interesting here is Washington's response to U.S. intelligence indicating that the "red line"- Syria's use of chemical weapons (sarin) and the transfer of its stockpiles to a terrorist group under the guidance of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Al-Quds - has been passed is very troublesome.

In light of these developments, Iran's direct involvement in all the conflicts in Syria and the botched terrorist attacks in different parts in the world are a ruse designed to divert attention from its illicit nuclear program.

Finally, there is no question that under the Obama White House's incompetent foreign policy, Iran has become the greatest purveyor of global terrorism and now is a de facto nuclear state, which via proxies has violated every convention of warfare- is a “casus belli” for Israeli military action.

The bottom line here is quite simple: in a few years, Israel's existence would be worthless, if it didn't make a historic decision to confront Iran's atomic ambitions. The truth, however cruel, is also revealing: Israel must always adopt the war footing required to prevail over the unimaginable perils and catastrophic consequences of a nuclear Iran.

Congresswoman on Gosnell: ‘May God Forgive us’
Apr 27th, 2013
Daily NewsCNSNews.com
Categories: Today's Headlines;Moral Decline

Black also blasted President Barack Obama for not speaking out against the “house of horrors” abortion clinic run by Gosnell, who would sever the spinal cords of babies with scissors after they had survived late-term abortion procedures.

“Mr. Speaker, I stand here today outraged and deeply saddened by the heartbreaking story of the abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell,” said Black. “This is the man currently on trial for the murder of eight people, seven of which were newborns who were killed after surviving late-term botched abortions in his house of horrors clinic.”

Gosnell, 72, is currently on trial for the murder of four babies born alive and a mother, who overdosed at his clinic the Women’s Medical Society in West Philadelphia. Gosnell was originally charged with seven counts of first-degree murder, but Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart dropped three of the charges on Wednesday, apparently concluding that the prosecution did not present enough evidence that the babies in those cases were “not viable,” or born alive.

Gosnell is also facing charges of infanticide, conspiracy, abortion at 24 or more weeks, theft, corruption of minors, solicitation and other related offenses. The six-week long trial is set to conclude on Monday, with closing arguments after Gosnell’s defense rested on Wednesday, without offering any witnesses. Gosnell did not take the stand.

Rep. Black also condemned President Obama for not speaking out against Gosnell who, according to the grand jury in the case, had killed “hundreds” of babies over the years by snipping their spinal cords.

“When asked about Gosnell’s crime, our president tells us he has no comment,” Black said. “Where is your outrage, Mr. President?”

“Are you too busy preparing your remarks for tomorrow night’s Planned Parenthood fundraising gala?” she said. “My heart breaks that our country has reached a point by where we are all not outraged by a practice that ends a beating heart and takes the lives of the most vulnerable in our society.”

Burma: Christian Converts Lose Jobs and Homes
Apr 27th, 2013
Daily NewsReligion Today
Categories: Today's Headlines;Persecution

Persecution is increasing in Burma for Buddhists who convert to Christianity, Voice of the Martyrs reports. As people turn to Jesus Christ, they have difficulty keeping jobs and are often driven from their hopes, according to a VOM worker. Two families currently working with VOM's Burma fish farm project lost their jobs and homes after coming to faith in Christ last July. One family is living in a hut used for secret worship services, while the other is living in a hut where fish feed is stored. Amid the increasing pressure, the fish farm just completed its second harvest cycle. Despite setbacks from flooding and government opposition, it still generated income, which will be invested in church planting as well as re-invested to make the farm more productive.

Another Jesus 1 of 7
Apr 27th, 2013
CommentaryRoger Oakland
Categories: False Doctrine;Warning