Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan Praised At White House As He Subverts U.S. Interests
May 19th, 2013
CommentaryBarry Rubin
Categories: Contemporary Issues

Consider five factors that had no effect on the very warm reception given by  President Barack Obama to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

--While the U.S. government has pressured Erdogan not to visit the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, Erdogan announced in the White House Rose Garden that he would do so. An alleged U.S. ally says publicly in front of Obama while being hosted by him that he is going to defy the United States.

This is not some routine matter. With previous presidents, if an ally was going to do something like that he would say nothing at the time and then months later would subvert U.S. policy. Or better yet the foreign leader would not do so. To announce defiance in such a way is a serious sign of how little respect Middle East leaders have for Obama—and U.S. policy nowadays—and how little Obama will do about it.

--Equally bad is the fact that Erdogan directly promised Obama that he would conciliate with Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cooperated because Obama asked him to do so. That’s what U.S. allies do. But immediately Erdogan showed he would pay no attention to the agreement he made.

His negotiators subverted it in several ways, including the demands for ridiculously large amounts of money, the delay in the promised return of the Turkish ambassador to Israel, the continuation of legal action against Israeli officials involved in the Mavi Marmara affair, when Israeli soldiers were attacked by Turkish terrorists demanding to sail to Gaza to deliver equipment to Hamas.

So a second time  Erdogan betrayed Obama and make the president look foolish (that is, if anyone in the mass media pointed it out). Again, there was no U.S. criticism of the move or apparent pressure to make Erdogan keep his promise.

There are three other ways that Erdogan has subverted U.S. interests with minimal costs. In fact, the Obama Administration has usually furthered this behavior.

--Some small U.S. diplomatic protests were made about the growing internal repression in Turkey and human rights’ violations there. Increasingly, the country lives under a reign of intimidation even as the Western media mostly ignores this situation. Since the United States keeps praising him, Erdogan can demoralize his opponents, who cannot hope for foreign help, even as he carries on a policy of spreading anti-Americanism in Turkey. The political power of the Turkish armed forces--the traditional guarantor of the republic and stability in the country was dismantled by Erdogan with U.S. approval. The Turkish media was subverted with only an occasional American squeal of complaint. Now he's destroying the independent judicial system, the last barrier to his assault on democratic rule. The U.S. embassy in Turkey consistently warned about what has been happening; the White House ignored this information.

--With the Obama Administration’s permission, the Turkish government violates the sanctions against Iran with ever-larger trade and major bilateral cooperation projects. Erdogan's consistent defenses of Iran's policies (though the two countries are at odds over Syria) have been forgiven and forgotten by the White House.

--Finally, in many ways the Turkish government has been taking the lead on setting U.S. policy toward Syria. It was Erdogan who largely determined that the official opposition exile leadership would be dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, a path followed by Obama. (I can't prove it but I'll bet that Turkey's regime promised Obama that if he would declare support for the rebels verbally and let them be armed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia then Assad would easily fall. I'd also bet that Erdogan assured Obama that if the president helped the rebels a moderate government would emerge in Syria.)

Meanwhile, Obama has praised Erdogan unstintingly. Obama thinks Erdogan is the very model of a “moderate Islamist” and since Obama's strategy is to support such people in much of the Arab world, Erdogan has been his guide to the region, though this has meant supporting the radical Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood. What is especially ironic is that Obama believed that Erdogan's goals were essentially the same as those of the United States while Erdogan was in fact following a profoundly anti-American policy designed to bring hostile Islamist governments to power. Remember this is no longer the old Western-oriented Turkey of previous decades but a radical--if concealed--Islamist regime.

At the Washington meeting, Obama and Erdogan agreed that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad must go. But who will they replace him with and how will they get rid of him? Obama said that the Syrian dictator, “Needs to transfer power to a transitional body….That is the only way we're going to resolve this crisis."

But that is demonstrably false because Assad won’t step down. So what’s the United States going to do about it?

Once again the Turkish government has taken the lead on U.S. policy by pushing for direct U.S. aid to the rebels. That means giving money, weapons, and other aid to the Muslim Brotherhood and more radical groups to take power because the real moderates in the Syrian opposition are rare.

And again what is Obama going to do to bring about this objective? 'Will he continue to follow advice from Erdogan which has already proven to be wrong  because it is based on the interests of a Turkish Islamist regime seeking to promote Sunni Islamism and Turkish influence in the region?

Obama’s expressed hope of creating a Syria that is “a source of stability, not extremism” is very dangerous because he might well hope that but it is not a realistic goal. And again what is Obama going to do to bring about this objective? 

Syria Aims Its Missiles At Israel
May 19th, 2013
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Ryan Jones
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Syria has aimed its considerable ballistic missile arsenal at Israel's heavily p

opulated Greater Tel Aviv area, according to Middle East sources cited by London's Sunday Times.

According to the report, the regime of embattled Syrian dictator Bashar Assad will launch the missiles at Israel should the Jewish state carry out one more aerial strike inside Syria.

Earlier this month, two military facilities in Damascus that were purportedly preparing to transfer advanced weapons to Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist militia were suddenly destroyed in pinpoint aerial strikes.

Israel refused to officially comment on either strike, but it is widely assumed the Jewish state was behind both attacks. Jerusalem has repeatedly insisted that it will not allow Hezbollah to take possession of Syrian weapons, especially chemical warheads. Assad has said that if his regime reaches the brink of collapse, he will send everything to his Lebanese terrorist allies.

At Sunday's cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the latest threats out of Syria will not deter the Jewish state from doing what must be done to protect its people in the long-run.

"The Israeli government has acted responsibly and prudently to ensure the security of Israeli citizens and to prevent advanced weapons from reaching Hezbollah and [other] terrorist organizations... and we will do so in the future," said Netanyahu.

Israel has thus far tried to avoid directly threatening Assad so as to not pressure him into feeling that he must retaliate. At the same time, the prevailing view is that Assad will not under any circumstances actually launch a missile attack on Israel, knowing full well that the resulting Israeli retaliation would certainly spell the end of his regime.

However, both Assad and his Iranian allies could respond by unleashing Hezbollah, which already possesses tens of thousands of missiles and at least some of Syria's unconventional warheads. The likelihood of "chemical terrorism" in the near future is very high, warned Israeli military officials.

Security Chief: Idf Taking Off the Silk Gloves
May 19th, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Maayana Miskin
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

The IDF is increasingly determined to stop Palestinian Authority-resident Arabs’ attacks on Israeli communities, and is willing to use live fire if necessary, says Yehuda Dana, security chief for the Beit El region.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Dana said there has been an escalation in Arab attacks on Israeli civilians in recent months. “Their brazenness has crossed the line – they are doing what they didn’t do for years, like reaching the fence of an Israeli community and throwing rocks into the community, causing injuries,” he related.

Until now, Arab rioters were handled “with silk gloves,” he said, with soldiers restricting themselves to non-lethal means of riot dispersal such as tear gas and rubber bullets. 

“Unfortunately, the Palestinians realized that they were facing an opponent that could not defeat them,” he said.

However, he said, things are changing. “There is a change in the decisiveness, in the determination to end this phenomenon… I hope the other side realizes that the ‘silk glove treatment’ is over.”

Dana gave the new commander for the Judea and Samaria Division, Brigadier-General Tamir Yadai, much of the credit for the change. “We met with the new District Commander and the conversation was positive. I hope the commander’s spirit reaches every last soldier,” he said.

“Yadai made it clear that rocks will not be allowed to cross the fence around communities, and that it is unthinkable that residents or property be damaged,” he explained. “He emphasized that he would take a firm approach in response to such incidents.”

Residents of the Beit El region were pleased to see IDF troops taking a strong stance against rock attacks and firebombing, Dana said, but are waiting to see if the situation will last. “Ultimately the results will speak for themselves,” he concluded.

Russia Knows Exactly What the Fuss is About
May 19th, 2013
Daily NewsWWD
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

By insistently arming Assad, and with increasingly sophisticated air defenses, a disingenuous Moscow risks heating the northern border to boiling point

The four-part reasoning Lavrov advances: (1) Russia’s arms sales credibility would be shattered were it to renege on the deal; (2) Russia has never made any secret of its various contracts with Assad; (3) these are defensive missile systems, not offensive weapons; and (4) the sales are not in breach of international law or Russia’s own ostensibly stringent arms sales regulations.

The Obama administration denounced Russia on Friday for providing Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime with anti-ship missiles, saying the weapons would only worsen a war that Washington and Moscow have been promising to work together on stopping.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, criticized what he called an "unfortunate decision that will embolden the regime and prolong the suffering." He spoke at a news conference after the New York Times reported that Russia recently delivered an advanced version of Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria.

"It's ill-timed and very unfortunate," Dempsey said.

Deployment presumably a warning to Israeli and Western officials regarding military intervention against Assad

In a move considered aggressive by US and European officials, Russia has sent at least 12 warships to patrol waters near its naval base in Tartous, Syria.

Russia’s increased presence in the region — which began raising eyebrows in the US three months ago — represents one of its largest sustained naval deployments since the Cold War, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

“It’s a show of force. It’s muscle flexing,” a top US official told the Journal.

Netanyahu: We’ll Keep Up Action for Keeping Advanced Weapons from Hizballah
May 19th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made this pledge at the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday in Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, the IDF military spokesman denied any foundation to the claim that Israel preferred an intact Assad regime to the alternative, as the London Times quoted an Israeli official as stating.
Also denied in Jerusalem was the report by political correspondents that the US had apologized to Israel for the media leak identifying the Israeli Air Force as responsible for the May 5 attack on Damascus. DEBKAfile: There was no apology: the leak was a Obama administration ploy calculated to curb Israel’s freedom of independent action in Syria.

Let the Headlines Speak
May 19th, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Al-Qaeda's Syrian wing takes over the oilfields once belonging to Assad    Up to 380,000 barrels of crude oil were previously produced by wells around the city of Raqqa and in the desert region to its east that are now in rebel hands - in particular Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda off-shoot ...Because of sanctions, Jabhat's oil is largely shipped to thousands of home-built mini-refineries that have sprung up across the north of the country.  

Dark, massive asteroid to fly by Earth on May 31
It's 1.7 miles long. Its surface is covered in a sticky black substance similar to the gunk at the bottom of a barbecue. If it impacted Earth it would probably result in global extinction. Good thing it is just making a flyby. Asteroid 1998 QE2 will make its closest pass to Earth on May 31 at 1:59 p.m. PDT.  

S.Korea deploys Israeli missile on border with North
South Korea deployed Israeli precision-guided missiles on Yellow Sea islands bordering North Korea... "Dozens of Spike missiles and their launchers have recently been deployed on Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands," a South Korean army official said. "They can destroy (North Korea's) underground facilities and can pursue and strike moving targets," he continued.  

PM: Israel will keep stopping weapons transfer to Hezbollah
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded at the opening of Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting to reports in the British newspaper Sunday Times saying Syria has missiles aimed at Tel Aviv, assuring that "the Israeli government acts in a responsible, determined and measured manner to ensure the State of Israel's main interest, which is the security of its citizens."  

Syria army 'storms' rebel town Qusair
Syrian government forces have surrounded the rebel stronghold of Qusair and are storming it from several directions, says Syrian state TV. Fighting has gone on around the town, near the Lebanese border, for weeks. Opposition groups say militants from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement are fighting alongside government forces.  

Taxes on some wealthy French top 100 pct of income: paper
More than 8,000 French households' tax bills topped 100 percent of their income last year, the business newspaper Les Echos reported on Saturday, citing Finance Ministry data.  

Father of Assad spokesman Mekdad kidnapped in Syria
Gunmen in Syria have abducted the elderly father of Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, one of the most powerful voices in the government. The man was seized in the southern province of Daraa, government and opposition sources said.  

Italy coalition: Thousands rally in Rome against cuts
About 100,000 protesters, led by trade unionists, have rallied in the Italian capital Rome against the policies of the new coalition government. Wielding red flags and placards, they urged the centre-left Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, to scrap austerity measures and focus on job creation. Public trust in his fragile coalition with the centre-right is dropping, opinion polls suggest.  

More South Koreans support developing nuclear weapons
Perhaps it is merely basic human desire to keep up with the neighbors, but an increasing number of South Koreans are saying that they want nuclear weapons too. Even in Japan, a country still traumatized by the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there is a debate about the once-taboo topic of nuclear weapons.  

Alaska volcano shoots lava up hundreds of feet
Alaska's remote Pavlof Volcano was shooting lava hundreds of feet into the air, but its ash plume was thinning Saturday and no longer making it dangerous for airplanes to fly nearby. A narrow ash plume extends a couple hundred miles southeast from the volcano, which is 625 miles southwest of Anchorage, said Geologist Chris Waythomas of the Alaska Volcano Observatory.  

Armed groups bomb Libyan military posts in Benghazi
Armed groups attacked military posts in Libya's second city Benghazi with bombs and a rocket-propelled grenade, an army commander said on Saturday. Nearly two years after the uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, the government still exerts little control over the armed brigades that helped overthrow him.  

It’s Official: Gold Is Now The Most Hated Asset Class
Not a day passes without the financial media denouncing gold as an investment option and hailing the bureaucrats heading the world's monopolist monetary central planning agencies as superheroes. It began prior to gold's recent breakdown, with widely cited bearish reports on gold published by Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs, among others.  

Chinese premier heads to India to boost ties
Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier is heading to India on his first foreign trip as the neighboring giants look to expedite efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. China says Li Keqiang's choice of India for his first trip abroad since taking office in March shows the importance Beijing attaches to improving relations with New Delhi.

IRS Asked Pro - Life Group About 'The Content of Their Prayers'
May 19th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Washington Examiner
Categories: Today's Headlines;Persecution

During a House Ways and Means Committee hearing today, Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., grilled outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller about the IRS targeting a pro-life group in Iowa.

“Their question, specifically asked from the IRS to the Coalition for Life of Iowa: ‘Please detail the content of the members of your organization’s prayers,’" Schock declared.

“Would that be an inappropriate question to a 501 c3 applicant?” asked Schock. “The content of one’s prayers?”

“It pains me to say I can’t speak to that one either,” Miller replied.
After Schock pressed him further, Miller explained that although he couldn't comment on the specific case, it would "surprise him" if that question was asked.
The report comes from the Thomas More Society, a national public interest law firm for religious liberty

Canada: West Needs to be More Supportive of Israel
May 19th, 2013
Daily NewsIsrael Today
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Canada last week once again demonstrated its unequivocal support

for and friendship with Israel when Prime Minister Stephen Harper took

other Western leaders to task for not backing the Jewish state sufficiently enough.

"There's nothing more shortsighted in Western capitals in our time than the softening of support we've seen for Israel around the globe," the Associated Press quoted Harper as saying during a visit to New York City last week.

The Canadian leader said that at a time of such turmoil, Israel has demonstrated that it is the "one stable, democratic ally" that the West can count on in the Middle East.

Harper went on to counsel "extraordinary caution" when considering whether or not the West should arm Syrian rebel groups. Echoing Israel's own concerns, Harper noted that many of the groups making up the Syrian Free Army are themselves extremists "whose objectives we don't understand."

Blessings Poured Out At Messianic Festival
May 19th, 2013
Daily NewsIsrael Today - David Lazarus
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

This year the Messianic Jewish Shavuot Ingathering experienced a welcome and unexpected blessing. As the dawn broke on the early morning hours of the day of festival the heavens opened up and poured down abundant “latter rains” over the entire country. Accompanied by roaring thunder and hair-raising lighting, Israel experienced one of the best spring storms in her modern history, adding even more waters to the rising Sea of Galilee.

Groups from Beersheva in the Negev and the northern Galilee called organizers earlier to find out if the annual Messianic Festival in the Judean Mountains had been cancelled. “No way,” they were told. “If ever there was a joyful time to go up to Jerusalem it is right now.” Over 2,000 believers made their way up to the yearly festival and the blessings of abundant rains over the nation added an extra portion of joy to all.

With perfectly choreographed timing, as worshippers began the ascent into the Judean steppes, the ever present Middle East sun broke through and presented one of the most brilliant and refreshing days of the year for all to enjoy.

For thousands of years Israelis have made this annual journey up to Jerusalem for Shavuot. It has always been and continues to be a unique and special time of bonding for the whole family. Mom and dad, uncles and aunts, children and cousins all proudly carry the golden sheaves of the annual wheat harvest on the long trek up the rocky hills to offer their First Fruits unto the Lord. In similar fashion, the Messianic Jews of Israel also came bearing a wide variety of gifts to honor their Lord and Messiah Yeshua.

Walking through the hills of the pine tree forests participants were greeted to the sounds of vibrant Hebrew music. Messianic worship teams from around the country set the tone throughout the day offering praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. A special treat was the children’s choir made up of some 20 young vocalists together with violins, flute and cello. Proud parents together with the entire assembly were deeply moved listening to the pure and simple voices of these 5-12 year olds singing popular Hebrew songs such as, “You are so wonderful Lord Yeshua. We give you thanks and we love you so much.”

Activities for children included a Bible guessing game, face painting and tables of children’s books, music, videos and popcorn. Popular with all the children and adults was a large table with hundreds of brightly colored seasonal flowers open for all to make the traditional Shavuot bouquet garland. These traditional headdresses added beauty, fun and smiles to the whole celebration.

The annual gathering organized by the Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel includes an open-air fair of local Messianic ministries, arts and crafts. Throughout the day folks walked among the many stalls to learn about recent activities and offerings from the local believers. Here are a few samples:

Hachotam: a local publishing house printing Messianic materials in Hebrew for children, youth and adults.

Netivyah: a national youth center with activities, camps and conferences.

Lech L’cha: equipping young Israeli believers for life and ministry including a 3-month discipleship school and a unique program for Messianic high school graduates to prepare them for their compulsory army service.

Medallion: offering a wealth of materials in Hebrew for the local congregations’ Shabbat School teachers and children.

The Bible Society in Israel: offering new editions of Hebrew Bibles and study materials.

Yuval: a Messianic school for the arts.

Most of the ministries, materials and programs offered were designed to encourage and train young Messianic believers. The emphasis on youth and youth ministries is an encouraging sign within the Messianic movement in Israel.

As with all Israeli holiday celebrations there was plenty of food to go around as people spread out blankets filled with traditional cheese cakes and dairy products. But perhaps the most delightful and significant part of these gatherings is the rich fellowship. Grandparents proudly showing off their new grandchildren, parents hoisting little ones up on shoulders to see over the crowds and Messianic brothers and sisters greeting one another with hugs and smiles make this yearly event feel like a family reunion. For many this is the only opportunity they have to renew friendships and pray for one another until next year in Jerusalem.

Arabs Break Through Jerusalem Security Barrier
May 19th, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Maayana Miskin
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Dozens of Arab men held a protest Friday against the security barrier that runs between Abu Dis and Jerusalem. 

As part of the protest, the men took large hammers and created a gaping hole in the wall. Several men used the hole to enter Jerusalem without going through a security checkpoint.

The protest was part of the “Nakba Day” events in which Arabs mourn the creation of the state of Israel.

The protesters say that Border Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets after they broke through the barrier, and that several people were hurt.

Border Police did not prevent the men from damaging the barrier, but have stationed officers at the site to prevent future infiltrations until the hole can be fixed.

The separation barrier was designed to protect major Israeli communities from terrorism originating in Palestinian Authority-controlled Arab cities in Judea and Samaria. It was intended to run through much of Judea and Samaria. Construction on the barrier was frozen for years due to budget constraints, but is scheduled to restart this year.

The barrier has faced opposition from both PA Arabs and from some Israelis in Judea and Samaria, who say it splits their communities. Other Israelis support the barrier, saying it prevents terrorist murders.