Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The Splc Strikes Again: Christian Zionist Group Dropped By Amazon
Nov 28th, 2019
CommentaryOSH HASTEN/JNS.ORG
Categories: Warning

Proclaiming Justice to The Nations (PJTN), a Tennessee-based nonprofit evangelical Christian organization committed towards standing with Israel and fighting anti-Semitism, has been removed from the AmazonSmile program, which enables Amazon customers to donate a percentage of their purchase to their favorite charity.

PJTN president Laurie Cardoza-Moore told JNS that "all of a sudden, we began being inundated with e-mails from supporters whose AmazonSmile donations to Proclaiming Justice to the Nations had been repeatedly rejected. They were being instructed to choose another charity, despite wanting to support PJTN."

After reaching out to Amazon for an explanation--assuming it was a technical glitch--the retail giant informed PJTN that customers would no longer be able to donate towards the organization using the AmazonSmile platform, following the listing of PJTN as a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The SPLC, whose website says that part of its mission is to monitor domestic hate groups in the United States, has PJTN listed on its "hate map" as being one of 36 Tennessee-based hate groups. SPLC specifically accuses PJTN of being "anti-Muslim."

An email request by JNS to SPLC asking for an explanation about their listing of PJTN went unanswered as of press time.

When asked by JNS what would cause the SPLC to label her organization as being anti-Muslim, Cardoza-Moore responded, "Proclaiming Justice to the Nations exists to fight the oldest hate on earth: anti-Semitism. We were given no explanation as to why we were blacklisted. 

If our work highlighting anti-Semites like [Reps.] Ilhan Omar [D-Minn.] and Rashida Tlaib [De-Mich.] got us on the list, we'll wear it as a badge of honor. 

Despite the financial penalties that we are facing with AmazonSmile, will not be silenced for fulfilling our biblical responsibility to defend the State of Israel and Jewish people in the face of growing global anti-Semitism."

She added that "sadly, the SPLC lost its way long ago, becoming a tool to shame any organization that doesn't share their extremist agenda."

Cardoza-Moore says that initially, she thought it was a joke that PJTN had been placed on the SPLC list of hate groups alongside the KKK. However, she said that "I have now learned that this political witch hunt against those who don't share SPLC's extremist liberal views has been adopted as a religious doctrine by Amazon. This could dramatically affect our ability to raise funds and function as a nonprofit organization."

She added that it appears that Amazon "has become the nation's new moral compass powered by the subversive Southern Poverty Law Center. Charities should not be persecuted in this way; this has to stop."

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to JNS via email that PJTN had been dropped, saying in a general statement that according to their policy, "organizations that engage in, support, encourage or promote intolerance, hate, terrorism, violence, money laundering or other illegal activities are not eligible."

The statement mentioned that since 2013, Amazon has relied on the SPLC along with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (of the U.S. Department of the Treasury) to make its determination on which organizations are eligible for the AmazonSmile program.

Cardoza-Moore says that as a result of being dropped, she is calling on her donors to bypass Amazon in order to help support Israel and combat anti-Semitism.

"We have asked our donors to continue supporting PJTN directly instead of through AmazonSmile. Nobody will silence us, even when we stand up against giants like Amazon; we know that we have truth and justice on our side," she said.

"Our answer to this hateful blacklisting will be to continue building more PJTN chapters across the United States and beyond. We will continue to fight anti-Semitism and defend the State of Israel, wherever and whenever necessary," she continued. "We will endeavor to reach more people than ever because our message is needed now, more than ever."

A statement from PJTN says that in recent months, the organization has led the struggle against the BDS movement in the United States with a wave of state resolutions, and has exposed textbooks used in public schools that it says are indoctrinating children with inaccurate historical information and bias that do not reflect American values.

In 2016, JNS reported that PJTN drafted the state of Tennessee's anti-BDS resolution, which passed in the General Assembly, making it one of the first states to pass such state-level legislation against BDS.

The Kingdom of God Cometh not With Observation - Luke 17:20
Nov 28th, 2019
Morning MeditationF.B. Meyer
Categories: Commentary;Inspirational;Book Study

The Kingdom is ""in mystery" just now. It is hidden from mortal eye, because the King Himself is withdrawn from the visible sphere. The creation groans and travails for its manifestation. He must be manifested before we can be manifested with Him in glory. In the meanwhile, it is not without, but within; not compelling human attention, but pervading human hearts. Let us remember this when we are lamenting the slow progress of Christianity in the world. It appears to recede almost as quickly as it advances; what it gains in one place it loses in another. If heathen lands are receiving Christ, are not the populations of Christian lands departing from Him? Stay; you cannot tell! It is useless to argue! There may be much more good working than you know. For every bold confessor there are probably seven thousand who have not bowed to Baal.

When we are tempted to estimate our success by numerical results. - When our church is crowded; our roll of communicants constantly augmented; and the money revenue large - we are disposed to think that the cause of Christ is really advancing in our midst. It may be so. But sometimes, where numbers are scant and difficulties many, a yet deeper and more lasting result is being achieved.

When we are lamenting the apparent slowness of our growth in grace. - You do not feel as you would; nay, to judge by your emotional life you fear lest you are positively receding in the divine life; you think that the quality and quantity of your fruit unto God is decreasing. Stay; the deepest work is not always the most obvious. Before the mole appears above the wave, years of work have been expended where no eye can see; but every stone tells in the result.

Let the Headlines Speak
Nov 28th, 2019
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

Yellowstone Area Experiences 193 Earthquakes in a Month: Report
The park is home to the largest and most diverse collection of natural thermal features in the world and spans an area of 3,470 square miles, comprising of lakes, canyons, rivers, mountain ranges and the Yellowstone Caldera–the largest supervolcano on the continent.

If post-hearing polls right, Dems will regret it bigly
A veteran of the tea party movement predicts Democratic lawmakers will regret their impeachment push against President Donald Trump….the second-hand testimony of White House officials and State Department bureaucrats failed to interest TV viewers, or may even angered the public who witnessed the “Deep State” at work against the commander in chief.

We Can Only Choose One: Our National Economy Or Globalization
Does our economy serve our society, or does our society serve our economy, and by extension, those few who extract most of the economic benefits? It’s a question worth asking, as beneath the political churn around the globe, the issues raised by this question are driving the frustration and anger that’s manifesting in social and political disorder…..a national capitalism would underline and reinforce that lost idea of the common good.”

Schiff Hits The Fan: First House Democrat Publicly Opposes Impeachment
House Democrats have suffered their first impeachment defection after Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan said she no longer supports the effort.

Thousands rally against Netanyahu indictment as PM steps up pressure
At least 8000 gather at Tel Aviv Museum of Art holding banners, slamming the attorney general and state prosecutors in a demonstration against Israel leader’s corruption charges; ‘Rule of law isn’t above the law,’ says PM backer Miri Regev

Trump to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorists
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorists over their role in drug and human trafficking.

At least six killed, 325 injured, as 6.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Albania
A powerful earthquake shook Albania where after a series of aftershocks, at 03:55 Tuesday morning, with a magnitude of 6.4, it knocked down palaces and caused extensive damage, unfortunately leaving 11 dead. In Thumana, where the most dramatic situation is, an elderly woman lost her life after falling under the rubble. A shaking scene where you can’t hold back your tears. In her lap, relatives and firefighters pulled the little nephew alive.

Digging in Spot where Temple Vessels Last Seen has Just been Authorized
A new project based on a miraculous-but-true story may return the Temple vessels which have been hidden away in plain sight, waiting for the proper time to build the Temple. Since finding the spot, Moskoff has acquired all the government permits required. He has also received the blessings of several prominent rabbis (and hidden righteous men) for success in his mission. The precise location must remain a secret lest interlopers steal any artifacts still at the site. The rabbis and hidden righteous men have urged him to move forward. Not only is it time, but if we hesitate, we might lose the opportunity,” Moskoff said.

Report: Mainstream Media Being Paid to Kill Story of Ilhan Omar Being Qatari Agent
Ilhan Omar was recruited by and received funding from Qatar a Florida court was told. She also passed sensitive information via intermediates to Iran reports Al-Arabiya. The allegations arose during the testimony of Kuwati-Canadian businessman Alan Bender. Bender was at the time, providing evidence in the trial of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani. Al-Thani is the brother of a Qatari emir who is facing charges of ordering his American bodyguard to kill two people. He is also being charged with holding a U.S citizen hostage.

Sweeping VA gun ban, likely confiscation without grandfather clause, proposed by state legislature
Virginia lawmakers are now considering a state law banning the ownership of certain semi-automatic guns deemed “assault firearms” and limiting the magazine capacity of other firearms in the state — and there are no clauses that would allow existing owners to continue possessing them.

Naftali Bennett: Israel will no longer release the bodies of terrorists
Israel will no longer release the bodies of terrorists, according to a new policy by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett. This will be the case regardless of to which terrorist organization the person belonged. Bennett instructed the IDF and the defense establishment on Tuesday to completely stop the release of terrorist bodies.

IDF attacks Gaza again after rocket fire
Israel struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip after rockets were fired towards southern communities on Tuesday night from the coastal enclave. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that that some of the targets in the two waves of airstrikes included Hamas underground military facilities as well as a weapons production facility, in response to two rockets that were fired towards the city of Sderot.

Egyptian shell hits Israeli yeshiva on the border – no casualties
A shell from an Egyptian tank hit the dining hall of a yeshiva in Bnei Netzarim, a community located only a few kilometers west of Egypt and south of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post’s sister publication Maariv reported. Damages were reported, but no injuries. The hall was empty at the time of the impact because students were learning in a different part of the building.

Albania earthquake: Fresh tremors as toll rises
Rescuers are scrambling to find survivors under the rubble of buildings in Albania, where a strong earthquake has killed 26 people and injured 650. The magnitude-6.4 tremor struck 34km (21 miles) north-west of the capital, Tirana, as people slept in their beds during the early hours of Tuesday. Most of the deaths occurred in the coastal city of Durres and the town of Thumane, close to the epicentre.

Iran letter raises prospect of ‘white list’ internet clampdown
The Iranian government has written to state-run organisations and private companies asking them which foreign websites they rely on. The effort has come to light 11 days after the authorities imposed a week-long internet blackout following protests against a rise in fuel prices. Some experts believe…Tehran plans to operate a “white list” scheme, under which only approved sites would be made available.

Jordanian Army Conducts Maneuvers Simulating Military Battle With Israel
Yesterday, November 25, 2019, the Jordanian Army conducted military maneuvers named “Swords of Karama,” named for Israel’s 1968 military operation against Fatah that took place near the village of Karama, and in which the Jordanian Army fought alongside Fatah. The maneuvers took place in the presence of King Abdullah II and appear to be a message addressed to Israel.

Hong Kong university siege winds down as hunt for protesters comes up empty
As the final searches for any pro-democracy protesters still hiding in Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University came up empty on Wednesday, academic authorities prepared for the clean-up following a near two-week siege of the campus by riot police. Police still guarded the perimeter as for a second day security teams scoured the maze of buildings at the campus…

Egypt using secret agency to crush free speech, Amnesty says
Egypt’s government is using a secretive security agency designed to fight terrorism to detain peaceful protesters, journalists and critics on trumped-up charges without trial, Amnesty International said in a report released Wednesday. The 60-page report…details how Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution…has become increasingly central to President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi’s sweeping crackdown on dissent.

Bennett threatens to harden retaliation policy towards Hamas
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett warned the Gaza terror factions Wednesday morning that Israel will respond to any rockets fired at Israeli territory, whether they hit population centers or not. “We deem a rocket that does not cause damage to be the same as a rocket that does,” Naftali Bennett wrote in a tweet. “Whoever shoots – gets hit.”

Argentine Court Convicts Two Catholic Priests of Sexually Abusing Deaf Students
An Argentine court found two Catholic priests guilty of sexually abusing children at a school for the deaf, in a case that horrified the country and raised questions about how Pope Francis, an Argentine native, responded to the crimes.

100 MPH Wind Gusts Hit Mammoth Area Ahead of Storm Forecast to Dump Snow on Sierra Nevada
Dangerous winds in the Sierra Nevada area toppled a semi-trailer truck, downed power lines and closed a stretch of highway in Southern California on Monday ahead of a winter storm expected to bring up to 2 feet of snow to mountain tops around Lake Tahoe.

Storms in France, Greece and Italy leave ‘biblical destruction’
Nine people have died as violent storms swept through parts of France, Greece and Italy over the weekend, causing flash floods, landslides and the collapse of an overpass.

‘Victims Becoming the Perpetrators’: Remarks about Jews at Elite Private School Spark Outrage
Remarks by a guest speaker at an elite New York City private school who charged that Jews have fallen into a historical cycle in which the oppressed become the oppressor have sparked internal controversy—and elicited the condemnation of the Anti-Defamation League.

REPORT: Ilhan Omar Recruited by a Foreign Government; Passed Sensitive Information to Qatar
In a major breaking report, a sworn deposition in a Florida court has stated that Ilhan Omar was recruited by a foreign government, received funding from them, and passed sensitive information to Qatar that ultimately ended up with Iran.

Forget the 5G Debate, Current Wifi May Already Be Killing Us: Consider These Two Enlightening Experiments by High School Students –
Our children are our future and many of them are concerned with advancing technologies and their UNTESTED and UNDOCUMENTED potentially harmful, if not fatal, side effects.

Mexican Cartels ‘Will Be Designated’ as Terrorist Organizations, Says President Trump
President Donald Trump told Bill O’Reilly he will designate some Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) during an interview released on Tuesday.

L.A.’s New Project Housing Homeless In Shipping Containers Costs $600k Per Home
Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti and other city leaders recently broke ground on a permanent supportive housing complex that will use stacked shipping containers to house formerly homeless people.

‘ARREST BY ALGORITHM’: China Uses Artificial Intelligence To Flag Entire Groups Of People For Arrest, Report Says
A new trove of highly classified leaked documents from the Chinese communist government shows how Beijing operates their widespread concentration camps where they reportedly have millions of Muslims and other minorities locked-up.

Very strong M6.4 earthquake hits Albania, collapsed buildings reported, numerous aftershocks
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.4 hit Albania at 02:54 UTC (03:54 LT) on November 26, 2019. The agency is reporting a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.4 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). This is Albania’s biggest earthquake in decades. Numerous aftershocks were recorded.

Severe, fast-moving thunderstorm hits Sydney, leaving widespread damage and 76 000 homes without power, Australia
A severe, fast-moving thunderstorm tore through the Greater Sydney region on Tuesday afternoon, November 26, 2019. Lightning and strong winds of 90 km/h (56 mph) wreaked havoc in the area, leaving widespread damage and around 76 500 homes without electricity.

Chick-fil-A, Gay Mayor Pete, And The Openly Declared War Now Being Waged Against The Christian Church By The LGBTQ+P For Pedophile Movement
2019 has been an absolutely incredible year if you are a prophecy and end times watcher like we here at Now The End Begins are. We still have about 5 weeks left to go, and so far we’ve seen Pope Francis sign a covenant with Islam, create an interfaith council to create a world headquarters for Chrislam in Abu Dhabi, Kanye West conning Christians with his “Jesus Is King” Illuminati album, Hillsong Church holding a Christmas show in a space decorated with pagan images of child sacrifice, Bill Gates called for mandatory vaccinations combined with an implantable RFID microchip, Charismatic churches using occult devices like the Enneagram, Mattel launching a line of gender neutral dolls, and students at Union Theological Seminary confessing their ‘climate sins’ to house plants.

Inside Iran's Plot to Attack Saudi Arabia
Nov 28th, 2019
CommentaryALGEMEINER.COM
Categories: Contemporary Issues

Four months before a swarm of drones and missiles crippled the world's biggest oil-processing facility in Saudi Arabia, Iranian security officials gathered at a heavily-fortified compound in Tehran.

The group included the top echelons of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite branch of the Iranian military whose portfolio includes missile development and covert operations.

The main topic that day in May: How to punish the United States for pulling out of a landmark nuclear treaty and re-imposing economic sanctions on Iran, moves that have hit the Islamic Republic hard.

With Major General Hossein Salami, leader of the Revolutionary Guards, looking on, a senior commander took the floor.

"It is time to take out our swords and teach them a lesson," the commander said, according to four people familiar with the meeting.

Hardliners in the meeting talked of attacking high-value targets, including American military bases.

Yet, what ultimately emerged was a plan that stopped short of direct confrontation that could trigger a devastating US response. Iran opted instead to target oil installations of America's ally, Saudi Arabia, a proposal discussed by top Iranian military officials in that May meeting and at least four that followed.

This account, described to Reuters by three officials familiar with the meetings and a fourth close to Iran's decision making, is the first to describe the role of Iran's leaders in plotting the Sept. 14 attack on Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state-controlled oil company.

These people said Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, approved the operation, but with strict conditions: Iranian forces must avoid hitting any civilians or Americans.

Reuters was unable to confirm their version of events with Iran's leadership. A Revolutionary Guards spokesman declined to comment. Tehran has steadfastly denied involvement.

Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York, rejected the version of events the four people described to Reuters. He said Iran played no part in the strikes, that no meetings of senior security officials took place to discuss such an operation, and that Khamenei did not authorize any attack.

"No, no, no, no, no, and no," Miryousefi said to detailed questions from Reuters on the alleged gatherings and Khamenei's purported role.

The Saudi government communications office did not respond to a request for comment.

The US Central Intelligence Agency and Pentagon declined to comment. A senior Trump administration official did not directly comment on Reuters' findings but said Tehran's "behavior and its decades-long history of destructive attacks and support for terrorism are why Iran's economy is in shambles."

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, at the center of a civil war against Saudi-backed forces, claimed responsibility for the assault on Saudi oil facilities. That declaration was rebuffed by US and Saudi officials, who said the sophistication of the offensive pointed to Iran.

Saudi Arabia was a strategic target.

The kingdom is Iran's principal regional rival and a petroleum giant whose production is crucial to the world economy. It is an important US security partner. But its war on Yemen, which has killed thousands of civilians, and the brutal murder of Washington-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents last year, have strained its relations with US lawmakers. There was no groundswell of support in Congress for military intervention to aid the Saudis after the attack.

The 17-minute strike on two Aramco installations by 18 drones and three low-flying missiles revealed the vulnerability of the Saudi oil company, despite billions spent by the kingdom on security. Fires erupted at the company's Khurais oil installation and at the Abqaiq oil processing facility, the world's largest.

The attack temporarily halved Saudi Arabia's oil production and knocked out 5% of the world's oil supply. Global crude prices spiked.

The assault prompted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to accuse Iran of an "act of war." In the aftermath, Tehran was hit with additional US sanctions. The United States also launched cyber attacks against Iran, US officials told Reuters.

Scouring targets

The plan by Iranian military leaders to strike Saudi oil installations developed over several months, according to the official close to Iran's decision making.

"Details were discussed thoroughly in at least five meetings and the final go ahead was given" by early September, the official said.

All of those meetings took place at a secure location inside the southern Tehran compound, three of the officials told Reuters. They said Khamenei attended one of the gatherings at his residence, which is also inside that complex.

Other attendees at some of those meetings included Khamenei's top military adviser, Yahya Rahim-Safavi, and a deputy of Qasem Soleimani, who heads the Revolutionary Guards' foreign military and clandestine operations, the three officials said. Rahim-Safavi could not be reached for comment.

Scouring targets

The plan by Iranian military leaders to strike Saudi oil installations developed over several months, according to the official close to Iran's decision making."Details were discussed thoroughly in at least five meetings and the final go ahead was given" by early September, the official said.

All of those meetings took place at a secure location inside the southern Tehran compound, three of the officials told Reuters. They said Khamenei attended one of the gatherings at his residence, which is also inside that complex.

Other attendees at some of those meetings included Khamenei's top military adviser, Yahya Rahim-Safavi, and a deputy of Qasem Soleimani, who heads the Revolutionary Guards' foreign military and clandestine operations, the three officials said. Rahim-Safavi could not be reached for comment.

Among the possible targets initially discussed were a seaport in Saudi Arabia, an airport and US military bases, the official close to Iran's decision making said. The person would not provide additional details.

Those ideas were ultimately dismissed over concerns about mass casualties that could provoke fierce retaliation by the United States and embolden Israel, potentially pushing the region into war, the four people said.

The official close to Iran's decision making said the group settled on the plan to attack Saudi Arabia's oil installations because it could grab big headlines, inflict economic pain on an adversary and still deliver a strong message to Washington.

"Agreement on Aramco was almost reached unanimously," the official said. "The idea was to display Iran's deep access and military capabilities."

The attack was the worst on Middle East oil facilities since Saddam Hussein, the late Iraqi strongman, torched Kuwait's oil fields during the 1991 Gulf crisis.

US Senator Martha McSally, an Air Force combat veteran and Republican lawmaker who was briefed by US and Saudi officials, and who visited Aramco's Abqaiq facility days after the attack, said the perpetrators knew precisely where to strike to create as much damage as possible.

"It showed somebody who had a sophisticated understanding of facility operations like theirs, instead of just hitting things off of satellite photos," she told Reuters. The drones and missiles, she added, "came from Iranian soil, from an Iranian base."

A Middle East source, who was briefed by a country investigating the attack, said the launch site was the Ahvaz air base in southwest Iran. That account matched those of three US officials and two other people who spoke to Reuters: a Western intelligence official and a Western source based in the Middle East.

Rather than fly directly from Iran to Saudi Arabia over the Gulf, the missiles and drones took different, circuitous paths to the oil installations, part of Iran's effort to mask its involvement, the people said.

Some of the craft flew over Iraq and Kuwait before landing in Saudi Arabia, according to the Western intelligence source, who said that trajectory provided Iran with plausible deniability.

"That wouldn't have been the case if missiles and drones had been seen or heard flying into Saudi Arabia over the Gulf from a south flight path" from Iran, the person said.

Revolutionary Guards commanders briefed the supreme leader on the successful operation hours after the attack, according to the official close to the country's decision making.

Images of fires raging at the Saudi facilities were broadcast worldwide. The country's stock market swooned. Global oil prices initially surged 20 percent. Officials at Saudi Aramco gathered in what was referred to internally as the "emergency management room" at the company's headquarters.

One of the officials who spoke with Reuters said Tehran was delighted with the outcome of the operation: Iran had landed a painful blow on Saudi Arabia and thumbed its nose at the United States.

Sizing up Trump

The Revolutionary Guards and other branches of the Iranian military all ultimately report to Khamenei. The supreme leader has been defiant in response to Trump's abandonment last year of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly called the Iran nuclear deal.

That 2015 accord with five permanent members of the US Security Council -- the United States, Russia, France, China and the United Kingdom -- as well as Germany, removed billions of dollars' worth of sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran's curbing its nuclear program.

Trump's demand for a better deal has seen Iran launch a two-pronged strategy to win relief from sweeping sanctions reimposed by the United States, penalties that have crippled its oil exports and all but shut it out of the international banking system.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has signaled a willingness to meet with American officials on condition that all sanctions be lifted. Simultaneously, Iran is flaunting its military and technical prowess.

In recent months, Iran has shot down a US surveillance drone and seized a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow channel through which about a fifth of the world's oil moves. And it has announced it has amassed stockpiles of enriched uranium in violation of the UN agreement, part of its vow to restart its nuclear program.

The Aramco attacks were an escalation that came as Trump had been pursuing his long-stated goal of extricating American forces from the Middle East. Just days after announcing an abrupt pullout of US troops in northern Syria, the Trump administration on Oct. 11 said it would send fighter jets, missile-defense weaponry and 2,800 more troops to Saudi Arabia to bolster the kingdom's defenses.

"Do not strike another sovereign state, do not threaten American interests, American forces, or we will respond," US Defense Secretary Mark Esper warned Tehran during a press briefing.

Still, Iran appears to have calculated that the Trump administration would not risk an all-out assault that could destabilize the region in the service of protecting Saudi oil, said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit working to end global conflict.

In Iran, "hardliners have come to believe that Trump is a Twitter tiger," Vaez said. "As such there is little diplomatic or military cost associated with pushing back."

The senior Trump administration official disputed the suggestion that Iran's operation has strengthened its hand in working out a deal for sanctions relief from the United States.

"Iran knows exactly what it needs to do to see sanctions lifted," the official said.

The administration has said Iran must end support for terrorist groups in the Middle East and submit to tougher terms that would permanently snuff its nuclear ambitions. Iran has said it has no ties to terrorist groups.

Whether Tehran accedes to US demands remains to be seen.

In one of the final meetings held ahead of the Saudi oil attack, another Revolutionary Guards commander was already looking ahead, according to the official close to Iran's decision making who was briefed on that gathering.

"Rest assured Allah almighty will be with us," the commander told senior security officials. "Start planning for the next one."

Could Iran Produce a Nuclear Bomb in a Few Months?
Nov 28th, 2019
CommentaryMAJID RAFIZADEH/GATESTONE INSTITUTE
Categories: Warning

The Iranian government is shortening its nuclear breakout time -- the amount of time required to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a single nuclear weapon. Tehran has accomplished this through several steps in the last few months.

Iran's government first increased its enriched uranium stockpile beyond the 300 kilogram limit; it enriched uranium to levels beyond the cap of 3.67 percent, and then activated 20 IR-4 and 20 IR-6 advanced centrifuges. The Iranian leaders even boasted that their government is now exploring new uranium enrichment programs and producing centrifuges.

Most recently, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, declared that Iran has an adequate supply of 20% enriched uranium., "Right now we have enough 20% uranium," he told the Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA, "but we can produce more as needed". 

He added that the country is resuming uranium enrichment at a far higher level at the Fordow nuclear facility -- an underground uranium enrichment facility which is reportedly located on one of bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC­­) -- injecting uranium gas into centrifuges, and operating 60 IR-6 advanced centrifuges.

This marks a dangerous phase in Iran's nuclear defiance. Tehran is now using a kind of prototype centrifuge that enriches uranium almost 50 times faster.

Iran's nuclear breakout time in 2015 was estimated at less than one year. Tehran has advanced its nuclear program since then. In an interview with Iran's state-owned Channel 2, Salehi admitted that the "nuclear deal" initiated by then-US President Barack Obama not only failed to restrict Iran's nuclear program; it actually helped Iran to advance its nuclear program through the flow of funds thanks to the lifting of sanctions. "If we have to go back and withdraw from the nuclear deal," he stated, "we certainly do not go back to where we were before ... We will be standing in a much, much higher position."

Although Iran is a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it refuses to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its sites. The IAEA is also not allowed to inspect or monitor Iran's military sites, where nuclear activities are most likely being carried out.

Among the many concessions that the Obama administration granted to the Iranian government, one was accepting the Iranian leaders' demand that military sites would be out of the IAEA's reach. Because of this surrender, at various high-profile sites such as the Parchin military complex, located southeast of Tehran, the regime has been free to engage in nuclear activities without the risk of inspection.

The Iranian leaders keep claiming that their nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes. This claim is bogus. If the Islamic Republic is advancing its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, why has Tehran repeatedly failed to report its nuclear facilities, including those at Natanz and Arak, to the IAEA?

Also, why does the Iranian government keep refusing to answer the IAEA's questions regarding a secret nuclear facility, reportedly located in the suburbs of Tehran? Two nonpartisan organizations based in Washington -- the Institute for Science and International Security and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies -- last year released a detailed report on Iran's clandestine nuclear activities at this site.

In addition, why did the Iranian government place an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system at the Fordow underground nuclear site after the 2015 nuclear agreement? Finally, why does the Iranian regime never adequately address reports about its efforts to obtain illegal nuclear technology and equipment? 

Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, revealed in its annual report for 2016 that the Iranian government had pursued a "clandestine" path to obtain illicit nuclear technology and equipment from German companies "at what is, even by international standards, a quantitatively high level."

The truth is that, from the perspective of the ruling clerics of Iran, obtaining nuclear weapons is a must to help Tehran advance its hegemonic ambitions to dominate the region. Also, by having nuclear weapons, the Iranian government can more powerfully support terror groups and proxies to destabilize the region without being concerned that the West might strike Iranian military targets.

Most of all, in the view of the ruling clerics, having nuclear weapons can ensure the survival of their theocratic, anti-American and anti-Semitic establishment.

That is why, before it is too late, which it is fast becoming, it is incumbent on the US and the international community to take seriously Iran's nuclear advances and urgently address its rush to obtain nuclear weapons.

Black Friday is Coming, But 48 Million Americans Still Have Debt from Last Year
Nov 28th, 2019
CommentaryMICHAEL SNYDER/ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG
Categories: Contemporary Issues

The biggest shopping day of the year is almost here, and marketers are working hard trying to extract as much money from U.S. consumers as possible.  

Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get consumers to open up their wallets, because many of them are already drowning in debt.

As a society, we have been trained to think of this as "the happiest time of the year", and for many Americans the most important part of the holiday season is opening presents on Christmas morning.  

So there is a tremendous amount of pressure to spend a lot of money on presents, but this often leads to high levels of credit card debt.  

In fact, a survey that was just released discovered that 48 million Americans "are still paying off credit card debt from last holiday season"...

The holidays can be hard: cooking elaborate meals, facing frigid temperatures, making travel plans that please everyone.

Overspending, however, is too easy. In fact, about 48 million Americans are still paying off credit card debt from last holiday season, according to a NerdWallet survey conducted by The Harris Poll.

Sadly, some of those consumers will end up paying the credit card companies more than twice what those Christmas presents originally cost, and it can be exceedingly difficult to ever get ahead when you are trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of debt.

So why do people do it?

Well, according to one financial therapist many Americans are chasing an "emotional experience" this time of the year...

Gift-buying requires money, time and energy when you may already feel overwhelmed, says Los Angeles-based financial therapist Amanda Clayman. During the holidays, "we're chasing a sort of emotional experience," she says. Think: the love and happiness of a Hallmark movie.

But feelings of grief or longing may be more realistic. "This is a sad and lonely time for many people," says Sarah Newcomb, behavioral economist for Morningstar. Shopping (for anything or everything) can be a convenient coping mechanism.

We want what we see on television, but what we see on television is not real.

In the end, many Americans leave the holiday season feeling deeply disappointed, because what they were chasing was just an illusion.