Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The Syrian Threat
Jun 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsExcerpts from an article by CAROLINE B. GLICK in Jpost
Categories: Commentary;The Nation Of Israel

The threats emanating from Syria have become downright frightening. For the past several days, Home Front Defense Minister Gilad Erdan has been warning repeatedly that it is certain that Israeli population centers will be hit by Syrian ballistic missiles and that we have to be prepared for the worst-case scenarios, including Scud missile-launched chemical weapons attacks on Israel’s metropolitan centers.
On Wednesday, air force commander Maj.- Gen. Amir Eshel spelled out Israel’s concerns from a military perspective. The chance of war breaking out at any time is extremely high. Syria has a massive arsenal that includes advanced anti-aircraft missiles, anti-ship missiles and surface- to-surface missiles. Syria also has large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, advanced artillery as well as the other components of a large conventional military force.

Syrian President Bashar Assad is one of the most dangerous leaders in the world. He is a major supporter of terrorist groups. He enabled al-Qaida and Hezbollah to use Syria as a logistical base in their war against US forces in Iraq. He is a vassal of Iran.

He is allied with Hezbollah. He is a mass murderer.

Since the civil war began two years ago, Assad’s complete dependence on Iran and Hezbollah – as well as on Russia – has been exposed for all to see. There is little doubt that whatever checks the US was able to exert against him before the civil war began no longer exist. And if he survives in power, he will be completely indifferent to US pressure and so will behave far more violently than he did before the war began.

Moreover, everyone agrees that the conflict can spill out in two ways – ways which are not mutually exclusive.

First both the government forces and their Shi’ite allies, and well as their al-Qaida opponents, could attack Israel. Both sides have a clear interest in attacking Israel, since the one thing they all agree on is that they wish to see Israel destroyed. So as is the case for the Palestinians from all parties, for both Assad and his Shi’ite allies and his Sunni opponents, attacking Israel is a surefire way to build public support.

The second danger is that the weapons in Syria will proliferate far and wide. US officials have already admitted that they have lost track of much of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal.

The party most responsible for the barbarous, protracted Syrian civil war that will almost certainly drag Israel into a regional war, is of course the Syrians themselves. But the party second most responsible for this mess is the Obama administration.

After Obama ensured that pro-Western forces would have no chance of taking over a post-Assad Syria, he allowed Russia to make matters worse. Rather than threaten Russian President Vladimir Putin in a credible way to prevent him from supplying S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, Obama sat back and did nothing to block the imminent transfer of the game-changing system to Syria.

And as Eshel warned, Syria’s advanced anti-aircraft batteries, which will threaten Israel’s air superiority, will increase in a profound way the probability that Assad will attack Israel.

In the face of American rank incompetence, Assad has already broken all the red lines he and his father followed for more than 40 years.

He has already used chemical weapons. He has proliferated advanced weaponry to Hezbollah.

And he has already attacked Israel on the Golan Heights. Now that he has already crossed all of these red lines, the only question is how much he will escalate. Equipped with the S-300, the probability that he will escalate drastically has risen precipitously.

Massive Demonstrations Shake Turkey
Jun 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsBarry Rubin
Categories: Commentary;Contemporary Issues

More than 1000 people have been injured in several days of protests in Istanbul against Turkey’s Islamist regime, involving more than 90 demonstrations, the biggest anti-Islamist protest in a decade. Hundreds more were hurt in conflicts with police in Ankara, the capital. The demonstration began as an environmental protest about the destruction of a famous Istanbul park but had spread to Ankara, too.

The movement began in Taksim Square, Istanbul’s most famous. The police responded toughly using tear gas and pepper spray. Some compared this to the Arab Spring demonstrations elsewhere in the Middle East though this idea seems exaggerated.

Gradually the Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan been working to transform Turkey into something much closer to an Islamist state. Hundreds of political prisoners have been jailed on trumped-up charges of planned coups; the army has been forced to submit; a new constitution is being developed; and the independent judiciary is under assault by the government. 

Much of the mass media has been bought up or intimidated along with educational system changes, the declining status of women, and rising effort to reduce the sale of alcohol. Turkey has more journalists in jail than any other country in the world.

It all began when a small group of young people camped at a park in central Istanbul to protest Erdogan’s personal plan to build a shopping center on the site. Police raided the park just before sunrise, using tear gas, evicted the protesters, and removed their tents. Up to this point it was a normal response.

A few days later, about 30 young people returned and set up the tents again and the police once more launched a raid. This time, however, a great deal of force was used, including pepper spray. Tear gas was squirted into the faces of some young people, kicking and beating them, then burning the tents.

In response, thousands of people gathered around the square and park. The police attacked with water cannon mounted on vehicles in a major escalation. They attacked protesters, chasing them into side streets in downtown Istanbul past the many hotels and stores in the area. Those who tried non-violent sit-ins were beaten, including two members of parliament.

Protests spread all over Turkey, with participants counted in the tens of thousands. The issue now was the growing repression by the Islamist regime. Large areas were filled with pepper spray, tear gas, and the water cannons firing several times a minute. Many apartment buildings were deluged in gas.

Little or no provocation was offered by the crowd. Demonstrators charged that police undercover agents entered the protest areas, threw stones, and then went back behind the police lines. 

Oppositionists were especially outraged by the use of ambulances driving down streets to clear the crowds. Another tactic was to set tents ablaze and then claim the demonstrators had started the fires.

The political implications of the protests are not clear. They are probably unlikely to shake the determination of the government. "We do not have a government, we have Tayyip Erdogan," political scientist and protester Koray Caliskan told the Reuters news agency.

Erdogan is very arrogant, has a strong base of support, and enjoys the full support of the Obama Administration.  The Turkish economy is generally considered to be strong. Erdogan will have to decide whether to slow down the Islamization process—he has been clever at being patient—or perhaps will, on the contrary, speed it up claiming his regime is facing sabotage.

Let the Headlines Speak
Jun 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Feds suggest anti-Muslim speech can be punished
A U.S. attorney in Tennessee is reportedly vowing to use federal civil rights statutes to clamp down on offensive and inflammatory speech about Islam. Bill Killian, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, was quoted by the Tullahoma News this week suggesting that some inflammatory material on Islam might run afoul of federal civil rights laws.  

Egypt's Shura Council and constitution panel 'invalid'
Egypt's top court has ruled that the upper house, or Shura Council, and a panel that drafted the new constitution are invalid. The Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the laws governing the election of members of the Islamist-dominated Shura Council and the constitutional panel were illegal. But the court said the Shura would only be dissolved after new elections.  

Chuck Hagel accuses China over 'cyber intrusions'
The US defence secretary has accused China of "cyber intrusions", in one of the most direct rebukes from the US. Chuck Hagel reiterated concern over the threat of cyber attacks before adding: "Some of which appear to be tied to the Chinese government and military." He was speaking at a conference in Singapore, attended by a high-level Chinese military delegation.  

US counts cost of deadly Midwest storms
Thousands of homes remain without power in the US Midwest after a huge storm system swept through, killing at least 12 people. Nine people died in Oklahoma City and its suburbs and three more in Missouri. Hundreds of people were injured, many of them on roads as they tried to flee tornadoes. Heavy rain has also left many areas flooded.  

'Germany backs labels for goods from settlements'
The German government has given its tacit approval of European Union efforts to label products manufactured in Israeli-controlled territory beyond the Green Line, Army Radio reported on Sunday morning. The IDF-run radio station said it obtained an official German government document that was produced in response to a parliamentary motion by opposition lawmakers in Berlin.  

Syrian rebels, Hezbollah in deadly fight in Lebanon
Several fighters were killed in an overnight clash between Hezbollah fighters and Syrian rebel forces in Lebanon's eastern border region with Syria, Lebanese security sources said on Sunday. One source said 15 rebels were killed in the fighting east of the Bekaa Valley town of Baalbek, but the exact toll would not be clear until bodies could be retrieved from the remote and rugged border area.  

Google ordered to hand over customer data to FBI WITHOUT warrants, citing counter-terrorism initiative
A federal judge has ruled that Google Inc. must comply with the FBI's warrantless demands for customer data, rejecting the company's argument that the government's practice of issuing so-called national security letters to telecommunication companies, Internet service providers, banks and others was unconstitutional and unnecessary.  

Tim Tebow is "taboo," unlikely to play in NFL again, ESPN says
Tim Tebow is taboo, according to ESPN. And it's nearly impossible any NFL will hire him. In the June issue of ESPN Magazine, dubbed the taboo issue, the sports giant labels Tebow as someone no NFL team wants to touch. And, surprisingly, ESPN takes part of the blame for making that happen.  

Budapest mayor orders rethink of anti-Semitic street name
Istvan Tarlos, the mayor of Budapest, ordered on Thursday a review of the city council’s decision to name one of the streets after a Hungarian author known for her anti-Semitic views. Budapest’s city council voted on Wednesday to name one of the city streets after Cecile Tormay, a Hungarian novelist who died in 1937, known for incorporating in her work her political opinions.  

Report: Iranian and Russian arms giving Assad edge in Syria
'Washington Post' quotes intelligence officials as saying technology including surveillance drones, advanced monitoring systems to gather intel helping Assad beat back rebels in some areas of country.  

More than 1,000 killed in Iraq violence in May
More than 1,000 people were killed in violence in Iraq in May, making it the deadliest month since the sectarian slaughter of 2006-07, the United Nations said on Saturday, as fears mounted of a return to civil war.  

Anti-austerity protests: Spain, Germany, Portugal     Anti-austerity protesters on Saturday took to the streets of dozens of European cities, including Madrid, Frankfurt and Lisbon, to express their anger at government cuts they say are making the financial crisis worse by stifling growth and increasing unemployment.  

Magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes Taiwan, some damage
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the island of Taiwan on Sunday and caused some damage, Taiwan media reported. The quake struck 24 miles southeast of the city of T'ai-chung at a depth of nine miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The agency initially said it was 6.6 magnitude but later downgraded it slightly.

Israeli Arrow I1 Ready for Syrian Missiles. U.S. Patriots for Jordan. Moscow Backs Hizballah
Jun 2nd, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Israel's Arrow II missile interceptor

“Syrian batteries are in a high state of operability, ready to fire at short notice,” said Israel Air Force Colonel Zvika Haimovich in special briefings to international media Friday. He disclosed that Israel tracks every missile fired in the Syrian civil war, since southward launches would give Israel mere seconds to determine it was not the true target. “All it would take is a few degrees’ change in the flight path to endanger us.”

Speaking at the Palmachim air and missile base south of Tel Aviv, Col. Haimovich explained that long-range radars feed real-time data on the barrages to the base command where officers are braced to activate Arrow II. The more threatening launches set off sirens in Palmachim. Warplanes there are also on standby to scramble.
“We are looking at all aspects, from the performance of weaponry to the way the Syrians use it," said the Israeli air force officer. “They have used everything that I am aware exists in their missile and rocket arsenal [against Syrian rebel forces]. They are improving all the time, and so are we… but we need to study and be prepared.”

Another Israeli expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, described a combination of split-second analysis of the strength of the launch with up-to-date intelligence on Bashar Assad's intentions. He said Israel had beefed up its deployment to more than four nationwide batteries, to allow for repeated interception of any incoming missile. The intention is “to ensure that we have at least two opportunities to intercept. We have not yet been called into action on the northern front, but I believe that we will be," said this officer.

In Washington, Pentagon sources reported that the United States was sending Patriot missile defense systems and F-16 fighter jets to Jordan for the annual joint Eager Lion exercise between the two armies. The sources did not say whether the Patriots and fighter jets would withdraw after the two-month exercise. The US officials pointed out that the Patriots would not shield Jordan from Syrian Scuds, but were a demonstration of US support for the Hashemite kingdom.
At the same time, debkafile’s military sources report a high degree of operational coordination between the US Patriot deployments in Jordan and Turkey and the Israeli Arrow 2 preparedness for a potential missile attack which could come from Iran, Syria, Lebanon or the Gaza Strip.

Another component of this missile shield is the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System aboard US warships in the Mediterranean.
Moscow, for its part, continues to sow confusion about the delivery of its S-300 anti-air missile batteries to Syria, but has shown its hand on another issue, by blocking a UN Security Council motion that would have condemned Hizballah. Tabled under the heading of “a declaration of alarm over Qusayr” the Council was asked to express “grave concern” over the dire events in that town since Hizballah forces fighting with the Syrian army captured most of its urban area.
Our military sources report heavy fighting is raging in the northern sector of al Qusayr since the rebels brought in reinforcements for their last stand late last week.

A Hizballah siege force has cut off food and water supplies for the 10,000 civilians and 2,500 opposition fighters trapped in that corner of the town. At least 1.200 wounded people are without access to medical attention.

Moscow claimed it blocked a Security Council motion on al Qusayr because there was no UN condemnation when the Syrian rebels captured the town in 2012.
For Israel, the Russian UN action is of great concern because it amounts to the extension of Moscow’s patronage not just to the Assad regime but also to Hizballah which spearheaded the al Qusayr offensive.  This is consistent with the pledges of support Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov gave Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah during their secret conversation in Beirut on April 27.
When questioned on this score, Russian diplomats were evasive - in the same way as they are ambiguous about the S-300 missiles. However Moscow’s Security Council action leaves no room for doubt that Hizballah’s military intervention in the Syrian war has won a powerful champion in Moscow.

IRS May Have Targeted Conservatives More Broadly
Jun 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsMcClatchy
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A group of anti-abortion activists in Iowa had to promise the Internal Revenue Service it wouldn’t picket in front of Planned Parenthood.

Catherine Engelbrecht’s family and business in Texas were audited by the government after her voting-rights group sought tax-exempt status from the IRS.

Retired military veteran Mark Drabik of Nebraska became active in and donated to conservative causes, then found the IRS challenging his church donations.

While the developing scandal over the targeting of conservatives by the tax agency has largely focused to date on its scrutiny of groups with words such as “tea party” or “patriot” in their names, these examples suggest the government was looking at a broader array of conservative groups and perhaps individuals. Their collective experiences at a minimum could spread skepticism about the fairness of a powerful agency that should be above reproach and at worst could point to a secret political vendetta within the government against conservatives.

The emerging stories from real people raise questions about whether the IRS scrutiny extended beyond applicants for tax-exempt status and whether individuals who donated to these tax-exempt organizations or to conservative causes also were targeted.

Former IRS leaders have apologized for inappropriate scrutiny of conservative organizations. They haven’t to date, however, divulged who developed the criteria, how they were developed or when and how they extended to groups associated with conservative causes that didn’t have “tea party,” “patriot” or similar catchwords in their names.

Abbas to Israel: Free More Terrorists, Then We'll Talk
Jun 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Tommy Mueller
Categories: Today's Headlines;Peace Process

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has called for the release of 120 more Palestinian terrorists jailed by Israel as a precondition for resuming peace talks. Washington is reportedly urging Israel to seriously consider the demand.

But, Israelis are likely to have a real problem with this. Among the 120 detainees Abbas wants freed are many who have directly murdered Israeli Jewish men, women and children. Relatives of the victims have warned that these murderers, like the many released before them, will return to violence if set free.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon is said to be resisting the new Palestinian demand, but pressure from America and the European Union is increasing on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept for the sake of restarting peace talks that most Israelis don't expect to achieve anything.

Among the terrorists appears on Abbas' "wish list" are Sata Aba, who in 1993 stabbed to death two Israeli Jews as they slept in the central town of Ramle, Issa Moussa, who participated in the slaying of three Israeli police officers in 1993, and one of the terrorists behind the 1991 bombing of Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market, which killed eight people.

Abbas, like many Arab leaders, sees great opportunity in leveraging the release of jailed terrorists after Israel demonstrated that it was ready to set free 1,027 prisoners in exchange for a single Israeli soldier (Gilad Shalit).

Abbas put forward the list as last week's World Economic Forum in neighboring Jordan. To the dismay of many Israelis, President Shimon Peres, who addressed the same gathering, told Israeli television that the Palestinian leader's demand should be seen "in a positive light."

One response....Who in heavens name do the EU and US think they are ? Is Jewish blood so cheap in their sight that they will pressure a sovereign state to release terrorists with Jewish blood on their hands ? Is this the norm is Europe and the US to let murderers just walk free ? What kind of Peace is being offered that would allow killers loose on the streets to kill again? If Israel capitulates to these proposturous demand then it means Hitler was justified in his bloody quest to exterminate the Jews...DONT DO IT !!