Is this Syria’s “doomsday ” weapon? Intelligence sources say that the Syrian air force has adapted an old Russian made MIG-21 fighter aircraft to fly unmanned and carry chemical warfare materials. This information is now being investigated by a number of intelligence organizations.
A Syrian MiG-21, that landed in Jordan in June 2011 flown by a Syrian air force colonel, had been adapted to fly unmanned and carry a “deadly volume of chemical weapons.
According to intelligence sources there are indications that Russian engineers helped with the upgrade.
The Syrian pilot colonel Hassan Hamada, took off in his MiG-21 from al-Dumair military airport northeast of Damascus and flew to King Hussein Air Base just across Syria’s southern border with Jordan. Upon landing in Jordan, Hamada removed his rank and requested political asylum
Syria: Attack on military facility was a 'declaration of war' by Israel
Syria's government said the explosions were the second Israeli airstrike in three days. The latest target, officials said, was a military research facility outside the Syrian capital. A top Syrian official told CNN in an exclusive interview that the attack was a "declaration of war" by Israel.
Dem Rep. Admits to TheBlaze She Wants National Gun Registry: ‘It Helps Us Find Them For You’
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) told TheBlaze in an exclusive interview that she would support legislation that created a national registry of firearms. “Registering your guns, people think that’s something sinister. But it helps you [to protect] your guns when they’re stolen. It helps us find them for you, like registering your car,” Lee told TheBlaze. When asked specifically if she would support legislation that called for a national gun registry, Lee said confidently, “I would.”
Obama To Ohio State Grads: Reject Voices That Warn About Government Tyranny
Addressing 2013 graduates at the Ohio State University in Columbus today, Obama’s speech writers took the opportunity to remind outgoing grads that the government is definitely not “some separate, sinister entity” like people have said, which is why anyone caught questioning this irrefutable fact should be outright rejected.
Even abortion industry insiders 'freaked out' by Gosnell
Most of the attention in the Gosnell trial has focused on the four babies that are the subject of the four first-degree murder charges, Babies “A,” “C,” “D” and “E.” However, Gosnell’s “House of Horrors” apparently was the location of other gruesome activity. Among the more macabre discoveries was Gosnell’s collection of baby body parts and how they were kept.
Obama: Americans ‘Are Root Cause of Violence That’s Been Happening Here in Mexico’
Obama, speaking in Mexico City on Friday, said the United States is responsible for much of the crime and violence in Mexico because of the demand for drugs and the illegal smuggling of guns across the southern border.
Benghazi ‘emerging evidence’: White House ‘knowingly misled’ Americans
Clinton, Carney, and Rice, insisted there was “no actionable intelligence” that an attack was pending and that no help was available to save the lives of Stevens and three other Americans once the attack began. However, The Washington Post reported Oct. 20, 2012 that Ambassador Stevens warned the State Department of his fear of a pending attack -- and begged for additional security -- and Fox News reported April 29 that a Benghazi “insider” – who “watched the events unfold and has debriefed those who were part of the response” -- said a C110 special forces group “was doing a training exercise not in the region of Northern Africa but in Europe. And they had the ability to react and respond.”
Embassies raise alert levels, Israelis line up for gas masks
Syria strike raises fears that Hezbollah may attack home front or missions abroad.
Disrupting their eternal rest
Considered the most important cemetery in Judaism, its dry earth is sent all over of world. Yet despite its importance, and even though the state comptroller issued a harsh report about it, The Mount of Olives is still open and unprotected, at the mercy of the residents of east Jerusalem.
Northern Italy hit by tornado, hail and torrential rain - video
A tornado strikes Northern Italy on Friday, leaving hundreds of buildings damaged and many injured. Amateur videos show dramatic scenes in towns and villages close to the regional capital of Bologna. The same area was also devastated by an earthquake in May 2012. A farmer describes how he was forced to hide when the storm hit, as many others were caught up in the tornado.
Hagel goes to Israel bearing gifts of radar and Ospreys
The US will give Israel advanced radar systems, more powerful missiles, and aircraft never before sold outside the US. Together, they could diminish Israel's sense of threat from Iran.
Kerry makes headway with Middle East peace, but violence flares
John Kerry got an important boost yesterday when the Arab League agreed to soften the terms of their Middle East peace proposal.
German euro founder calls for 'catastrophic' currency to be broken up
"The economic situation is worsening from month to month, and unemployment has reached a level that puts democratic structures ever more in doubt," he said. "The Germans have not yet realised that southern Europe, including France, will be forced by their current misery to fight back against German hegemony sooner or later," he said, blaming much of the crisis on Germany's wage squeeze to gain export share.
Content Section Israel’s Red Line Crossed, U.S. Tacitly Backs Ally’s Strikes in Syria
Israel did not seek permission from the United States before launching two missile strikes this weekend hitting targets inside Syria—but the strikes were part of a policy that Washington had already signaled its acquiescence to, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
Iran calls for stand against Israel after Syria attack
Iran called on the region to unite against Israel after a reported attack on Syria and said it was ready to train the Damascus government's army. Israel carried out its second air strike in days on Syria early on Sunday, targeting Iranian-supplied missiles headed for Lebanon's Hezbollah, a Western intelligence source said.
GREAT HORNED SUNSPOT
Around the world, amateur astronomers are snapping pictures of behemoth sunspot AR1734 as it crosses the solar disk. In Buffalo, New York, photographer Alan Friedman noticed something when he rotated his picture 90 degrees. "Sunspot 1734 has a definite owlish look!"
Iran: Quake Rattles Region Near Nuke Reactor
Iran says a moderate earthquake rattled a region near the country's main nuclear reactor, but there were no reports of damage or deaths in the surrounding area. The official Islamic Republic News Agency says Monday's quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 and was centered near Kaki, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf coast.
Low-Level Eruption at Alaska's Cleveland Volcano
Scientists say Alaska's Cleveland Volcano is undergoing a continuous low-level eruption. The activity began with an explosion early Saturday morning, followed by two other explosions hours later. The Alaska Volcano Observatory and U.S. Geological Survey say satellites and cameras suggest low-level emissions of gas, steam and a small amount of ash. Satellites detected highly elevated surface temperatures at the summit.
Abbas and Netanyahu on separate China visits
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in China for separate talks with top officials. Mr Abbas, who met President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, said he would explain obstacles to talks with Israel. Mr Netanyahu, who is visiting Shanghai before flying to Beijing later this week, was due to sign trade deals and discuss the issue of Iran.
Clashes over Bangladesh protest leave '15 dead'
At least 15 people are reported to have been killed and more than 60 hurt after police and Islamist protesters clashed in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka. Police used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse a Sunday protest organised by the group Hefazat-e Islam. But there were later running battles throughout Sunday and into Monday in areas across the city.
Tanzania church attack: Saudis held for 'act of terror'
Eight people - including four of Saudi origin - have been arrested over an explosion that killed two people at a church in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha on Sunday, police say. President Jakaya Kikwete condemned the blast as an "act of terrorism". No group has said it was behind the explosion, which left at least 50 people wounded.
Syria: Israel used depleted uranium shells in Syria strike
Israel used depleted uranium shells in the alleged strike in Syria on Sunday, a senior Syrian military source told Russia Today on Monday. "When the explosion happened it felt like an earthquake, then a giant golden mushroom of fire appeared. This tells us that Israel used depleted uranium shells," the source said.
Dan Sandini at Daylight Disinfectant recently posted video from the “May Day” protests in Portland, Oregon, and one of them alarmingly shows a group of young individuals dancing around a golden calf.
Sandini’s description of the video reads:
Warning: Video can not be “unseen.” ”It is useless to resist it,” or so go the lyrics. On May 1 2013, Occupy Portland dragged an idol of a Golden Bull down to O’Bryant Square.
Dressed as Egyptian belly dancers they then proceeded to sing and dance about it. You just can’t make this stuff up folks. About three minutes 34 seconds of your life that you can’t get back.
Here are a few screen shots from the clip:
(Photo: YouTube/Daylight Disinfectant)
(Photo: YouTube/Daylight Disinfectant)
(Photo: YouTube/Daylight Disinfectant)
TheBlaze spoke with Sandini to get more information.
“I was kinda flabbergasted at it,” he said of the scene. “I really thought that it’s quite ironic that a lot of what we see going on around us now is not a very positive thing for society, and if you bring this back to the golden calf with Moses, I thought, isn’t that weird. I wonder if they see that in their own display, that they’re mimicking that.”
If you look closely at the calf, you can see that the logos of companies like Shell and Walmart are taped to its base. Coupled with the dollar signs on the dancers’ headdresses, it’s also possible they were trying to imply it’s the capitalists who are worshiping the golden calf.
Back in 2011, Occupy Wall Street protesters also marched a likeness of a golden calf they called “greed” into Zucotti Park.
“It’s a false idol, just as much as the Wall Street bull has been a false idol for so many of us for so long,” protester Ed Needham reportedly explained.
Editors Note....No matter the purpose or message of the occupy movement, this a graphic picture of our materialistic society worshipping the god of materialism.
Israel’s two air force strikes on Syria in three days – the second targeting the emblems of Assad rule overlooking Damascus from Mt. Qassioun – appear to be part of a tactical plan put together by the US Israel, and two Sunni powers, Turkey and Qatar, to break up the Tehran-Damascus-Beirut radical bloc and eventually force Iran to give up its nuclear bomb aspirations.
This is how it will be interpreted by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Bashar Assad and Hassan Nasrallah as they prepare their responses for the Israeli attacks.
Without officially confirming those strikes ever took place, Israel insisted that its air force and rockets singled out the advanced Iranian weapons waiting in Syria for transfer to Hizballah - and Hizballah itself. This message was designed for a purpose: It was meant to support Washington’s argument to Moscow that Israel had not aimed its bombs and rockets against Assad and his army – only the Iranian and Hizballah military presence in Syria.
But it didn’t quite work that way, because no one in Damascus slept a wink early Sunday, May 5, as Israel rocket blasts shook the city in what was described as a 4 magnitude earthquake and inflicted heavy casualties – not on the Hizballah brigades fighting in Syria, but Syrian elite units stationed around Mt. Qassioun.
The columns of fire over Damascus flashing across world screens caused the Assad regime and army serious loss of face.
Syrian officials could do no less then broadcast dire threats of war, but may be poised to do more.
Monday, May 6, the Syrian ruler spelled out his next plan of action in a message posted to Moscow: A third Israeli strike would incur an instantaneous Syrian response, he warned. Damascus would let Palestinian organizations off the leash to mount attacks against Israel from the Syrian Golan.
What this presages, according to our military sources, is the launching of a cross-border war of attrition mounted from Syria and Lebanon by Syrian and Hizballah soldiers posing as Palestinian fighters.
That is if Israel continues its assaults on Syria.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Monday that Israel’s “acts of aggression against Syria will not go unanswered and Tel Aviv will receive a crushing response.”
Washington is meanwhile expected to follow up on the Israeli operation in Syria by the end of May, early June, with operations ranging from US arms supplies to the Syrian rebels to demolishing Syria’s air force facilities and missile sites by US air strikes from Turkey, Europe and Israel. Barak Obama used this tactic to overthrow Muammar Qaddafi in Libya two years ago.
The Obama administration made a point of getting these options into print in Monday’s media after saying in answer to a question about the Israeli air strikes: “Israel justifiably has to guard against advance weapons reaching Hizballah.”
debkafile’s military sources: Since the Syrian rebels are being systematically ground down and falling apart under the crushing weight of the Syrian army backed by Iranian and Hizballah troops and Moscow, feeding the rebels more weapons may no longer avail. So this would be the less probable of the two options.
And meanwhile, Israel’s military operation has altered the military equation for Syria. And so President Barack Obama will again try to proposition Vladimir Putin for a joint effort to end the Syrian war. He would not be averse even to Russian forces landing in Syria to enforce the termination of hostilities.
The US president got nowhere with his past bids to break up the Iranian-Syrian-Hizballah front - mainly because he was outmaneuvered by Russia.
On April 27, before Israel embarked on action against Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov forged a new Russian alliance with Hizballah in Beirut. This was Putin’s answer to Obama’s direct appeal for a partnership in the effort to terminate the Syrian conflict.
Obama’s rejoinder was the green light he gave Israel to go for Iranian and Hizballah targets in Syria.
The claim by a “senior US intelligence official” that Israel did not apprise Washington before embarking on its Syrian operation does not hold water. The Netanyahu government might have embarked on a “justifiable” operation against advanced Iranian arms for Hizballah on its own, but would not have stuck its neck out to strike Syria’s elite troops on Mt. Qassioun without first clearing it with the Obama administration.
But the new direction now indicated may derail Washington’s plan for a superpower deal to bring the horrendous Syrian crisis to a close. The local players, Khamenei, Assad and Nasrallah, are getting ready to grab the wheel and push the US and Israel off the driving seat.
Assad warned Moscow Monday of his plan for a war of attrition against Israel, using Palestinian fighters as cutouts, while Iran, Syria and Hizballah turned their missile batteries around to face Israel.
Having taken the calculated risk that Syria would be too busy with its own war to embark on a major reprisal, Israel Sunday night placed the country’s northern borders and region, including the big port town of Haifa - and its early warning systems - on the highest level of war alert, closed its northern airspace to civilian traffic for a couple of days, stationed Iron Dome anti-missile batteries at vulnerable points, and advised local authorities to go on standby.
All the parties concerned, from Washington and Moscow, to Jerusalem, Tehran, Damascus and Beirut, were waiting Monday on tenterhooks to see who made the next move.
“The economic situation is worsening from month to month, and unemployment has reached a level that puts democratic structures ever more in doubt,” he said.
“The Germans have not yet realised that southern Europe, including France, will be forced by their current misery to fight back against German hegemony sooner or later,” he said, blaming much of the crisis on Germany’s wage squeeze to gain export share.
Mr Lafontaine said on the parliamentary website of Germany’s Left Party that Chancellor Angela Merkel will “awake from her self-righteous slumber” once the countries in trouble unite to force a change in crisis policy at Germany’s expense.
His prediction appeared confirmed as French finance minister Pierre Moscovici yesterday proclaimed the end of austerity and a triumph of French policy, risking further damage to the tattered relations between Paris and Berlin.
“Austerity is finished. This is a decisive turn in the history of the EU project since the euro,” he told French TV. “We’re seeing the end of austerity dogma. It’s a victory of the French point of view.”
Preparedness at Israeli embassies was stepped up on Sunday over fears that Hezbollah may stage an attack as retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Syria over the weekend.
In Israel, requests for gas-mask kits were up fourfold as fears grew of a possible Syrian response, though officials said the likelihood of a Syrian response is low.
Hezbollah, which was reportedly the intended recipient of the Iranian missile shipments stored at sites targeted in Damascus on Friday and Sunday, has been known to strike at Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, including a bus of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. The group is also believed to be linked to attacks and attempted attacks on Israeli embassies in Georgia and India.
Distribution centers and post offices across the country said that the number of requests for masks was four times that of usual. According to Maariv, Israel has in its possession enough gas masks for approximately 60 percent of the population.
The IDF also took steps to prepare for a possible Syrian or Hezbollah response to Sunday morning’s airstrike, when it deployed two Iron Dome missile defense batteries in the north of the country on Sunday morning.