Matthew 24:6 War, and rumor of war.

[nChrist]

Seems to me Jesus was just telling the guys 'things are going to be normal'  When has there been a time of world peace? when has there not been a threat of war?


Hello guys been missing ya all but very busy   

Hello Sister Reba,

I read your post and something my mother said many times came to mind immediately. YES, I still remember many of the things my mother told me and taught me when I was little. Now - here's what I remembered her saying:

"Idle hands are the devil's workshop."

    SO, can we assume that you've been so BUSY that you haven't had time to get into any trouble?

   I still get into trouble from time to time, so I guess that I need to get more BUSY.

Now - I'll say something here to try and make this post stay on topic. The only real peace that Christians have on this earth right now is with GOD and in JESUS with the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD in our hearts guiding us. When JESUS CHRIST comes to earth the second time, HE will establish a real and lasting peace. Physical peace on the earth will only be possible after evil is crushed and the devil is put away. Our LORD of LORDS will do just that at HIS appointed time.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Revelation 21:3-4 NASB  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

[Shammu]

Seems to me Jesus was just telling the guys 'things are going to be normal'  When has there been a time of world peace? when has there not been a threat of war?


Hello guys been missing ya all but very busy   

Hi Reba been missing you, I pray that all has been going well for you sister.

[Shammu]

Assad: We’ll liberate Golan Heights

Syrian president tells Egyptian newspaper ‘in Lebanon Israel destroyed everything, but it was unable to achieve its true military objectives on the ground;’ adds: The resistance has won the war, now we must win the diplomatic battle as well; if Israel launches a war against Syria, it will pay a heavy price
Roee Nahmias

Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country is prepared for any war that may break out with Israel, adding that he is convinced that the chances for peace have decreased and that “the Golan Heights will be liberated by Syria.”
 
In a special interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Osboa, Assad said “if Israel launches a war against Syria, it will pay a heavy price.”
 
He said Syria has been following Israel closely, particularly after former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came to power.

“The fact that he was elected by such a large majority attests to the fact that the Israeli nation does not want peace,” Assad said.
 
“Syria and the resistance (referring to Hizbullah) read the situation correctly in that we predicted the confrontation. There have been extensive preparations for the current battle. Our disagreement focused on the nature of the resistance. There were those who thought the resistance didn’t stand a chance in a time when satellites reveal everything, track everything down and can direct severe blows at the resistance, but the reality proved otherwise.

“In Lebanon they (Israel) destroyed everything, but they were unable to achieve their true military objectives on the ground; the resistance has won the war, and now we must win the diplomatic battle as well.”

'New phase in Arab history'

Referring to the international community’s intervention in the conflict, President Assad said “they intervene only when Israel is in pain; but when the Lebanese, Palestinians and others suffer – no one intervenes.”

Assad took the opportunity to praise Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah , describing him as “a unique commander in the history of the noble Lebanese resistance’; he also lauded Hizbullah TV station Al-Manar, saying it was the first time that the Arab media ‘defeated’ the enemy’s.

“The US and Israeli intelligence agencies are unaware of the resistance’s real capabilities,” he said, adding that he had rejected “lucrative offers” presented to him on condition that he abandon Hizbullah and Hamas.

Assad said “there were those who believed that peace (with Israel) was the only option and they attempted to enforce it upon the Arab nation, but the resistance’s firm stand and the change we see in the Arab world, due to which we can see millions of youngsters waving the Hizbullah and resistance flags, have proven that this nation is on the brink of a new phase in its history.”

Assad: We’ll liberate Golan Heights
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Assad'd dad had more brains in his hands, then Bashar has in his whole body.

[Shammu]

Resistance is Optimal Option to Restore Land, Dignity, Information Minister Says

Monday, August 14, 2006 - 04:25 PM
      
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Syrian Minister of Information Dr. Mohsen Bilal reviewed with the Kuwaiti intellectual and Professor in Political Sciences Abdullah Fahd al-Nafisi the meanings manifested in the victory achieved by the Lebanese national resistance and the heroic epics represented in its confrontation to the Israeli brutal aggression on Lebanon.

Dr. Bilal stressed that the victories the Lebanese resistance achieved against the Israeli war machine is a source of honor and pride for the Arabs and Muslims as well as all peoples struggling for freedom in the world.

The Minister pointed out to the necessity of investing this victory in embodying the culture of resistance which proved to be the optimal option to restore the land, dignity and sovereignty, adding that Israel met all international and Arab peace initiatives with more destruction, terrorism and massacres against children and innocent civilians.

For his part, Dr. Al-Nafesi underlined that the Lebanese resistance proved its  efficiency in facing the aggression and restoring land and dignity despite ugly massacres and destruction committed by the Israeli savage war machine against women, children and infrastructure in Lebanon.

"The victories that the Lebanese resistance achieved against the Israeli destructive military arsenal created a state of steadfastness on the

Arab and Islamic levels that we are in need during the current time," the Kuwaiti intellectual added.

Resistance is Optimal Option to Restore Land, Dignity, Information Minister Says

[Shammu]

President Putin, Middle East Arms Merchant
By Jim Kouri, CPP, 8/14/2006 2:32:17 AM

Russia's cash-strapped defense, biotechnology, chemical, aerospace, and nuclear industries continued to be eager to raise funds via exports and transfers. Some Russian universities and scientific institutes also showed a willingness to earn much-needed funds by providing WMD or missile-related teaching and training for foreign students.

Given the large potential proliferation impact of such exports, transfers, and training, monitoring the activities of specific entities as well as the overall effectiveness of the Russian Government's nonproliferation regime remained an important element of the US bilateral dialogue with Russia on nonproliferation.

Russia continued to play a key role in constructing the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant project in Iran. However, President Putin has insisted that all Iranian programs in the nuclear field be placed under International Atomic Energy Agency control.

President Putin amended the presidential decree on nuclear exports to allow Russia in exceptional cases to export nuclear materials, technology, and equipment to countries that do not have full-scope IAEA safeguards. For example, Russia supplied India with material for its civilian nuclear program.

The Russians during the reporting period continued to supply a variety of ballistic missile-related goods and technical know-how to countries such as Iran, India, and China. Iran's earlier success in gaining technology and materials from Russia helped to accelerate Iranian development of the Shahab-3 MRBM, and continuing Russian entity assistance has supported Iranian efforts to develop new missiles and increase Tehran's self-sufficiency in missile production.

The Russians remained a key source of dual-use biotechnology equipment, chemicals and related expertise for countries of concern with active chemical and biological weapons programs. Russia's well-known biological and chemical expertise made it an attractive target for countries seeking assistance in areas with CBW applications.

For instance, Russia and Syria have continued their long-standing agreements on cooperation regarding nuclear energy, although specific assistance has not yet materialized. Broader access to foreign expertise provides opportunities to expand its indigenous capabilities and the CIA is looking at Syrian nuclear intentions with growing concern.

Damascus continued to seek help from abroad to establish a solid-propellant rocket motor development and production capability. Syria's liquid-propellant missile program continued to depend on essential foreign equipment and assistance˜primarily from North Korean entities. Damascus also continued to manufacture liquid-propellant Scud missiles. In addition, Syria was developing longer-range missile programs such as a Scud D and possibly other variants with assistance from North Korea and Iran.

Syria continued to seek chemical weapons-related expertise from foreign sources during the reporting period. Damascus already held a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin, but apparently tried to develop more toxic and persistent nerve agents. Syria remained dependent on foreign sources for key elements of its CW program, including precursor chemicals and key production equipment. It is highly probable that Syria also continued to develop an offensive BW capability.

Syria continued to acquire limited quantities of ACW, mainly from Russia. Damascus's Soviet-era debt to Moscow and inability to fund large purchases continued to hamper efforts to purchase the large quantity of equipment Syria requires to replace its aging weapons inventory.

Russia continued to be a major supplier of conventional arms. Following Moscow's abrogation of the Gore-Chernomyrdin agreement in November 2000, Russian officials stated that they saw Iran as a significant source of potential revenue from arms sales and believed that Tehran could become Russia's third-largest conventional arms customer after China and India.

Russia was the primary source for China, Iran, Libya, and Sudan, and one of the largest sources for India. As an example, Russia actively marketed its thermobaric weapons at international arms shows, which likely increases the availability of this type of weapon in the open market.Russia continued to be the main supplier of technology and equipment to India's and China's naval nuclear propulsion programs.

President Putin, Middle East Arms Merchant

[Shammu]

Syria's Secret Nuclear Program and Long Term Threat

8-14-2006 15:25:33

Washington -- On May 5, 2004 RPS reported that there is growing concern in the Bush administration that Syria has been pursuing a clandestine nuclear weapons development program, and may already have centrifuges that can purify uranium for use in bombs. Centrifuges are a vital component in any nuclear weapons development program, as they can be used to purify uranium for use as nuclear fuel or in weapons. Experts say getting weapons-grade material is the biggest hurdle for any country that desires the bomb.

On Septmeber 16, 2005, John Bolton, then Undersecretary for Arms Control & International Security - U.S. Department of State, testified before the Middle East and Central Asia Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee on Syria's bio/chem and atomic programs. In his testimony, Mr. Bolton said: "..on the nuclear side we are concerned about Syria's nuclear R&D program and continue to watch for any sign of nuclear weapons activity or foreign assistance that could facilitate a Syrian nuclear weapons capability. We are aware of Syrian efforts to acquire dual-use technologies that could be applied to a nuclear weapons program."

Since Washington began its post-September 11 policy of aggressively pursuing countries it believed had weapons of mass destruction that could be used against the United States and its allies, it has repeatedly issued warnings about Syria. Recent reports issued by the CIA have highlighted growing concern over Syria.

As an important player in the U.N. Oil for Food program, Syria also diverted important resources to its nuclear program by purchasing equipment, expertise, and delivery systems from other rogue nations or individuals.

Early on, various countries such as Belgium, China, Germany, and the former Soviet Union assisted Syria in their nuclear research. Additionally, over the years, Syria has solicited proposals from other countries including Argentina, India, and Italy. Further, the IAEA helped Syria on numerous projects including uranium exploration, uranium extraction from phosphoric acid, isotope production, construction of a cyclotron facility, development of nuclear research laboratories, and preparation for a nuclear power program.

A report by Middle East Newsline (MENL) in July of 2004 disclosed that the Bush administration has expressed concern that Syria might exploit dual-use components and technology approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency for a nuclear weapons program.

MENL further went on to say that officials said the United States has been tracking Syrian orders for dual-use components and technologies for its civilian nuclear research program. They said Russia has also been offering Damascus expertise and cooperation in the development of a Syrian nuclear reactor.

Nuclear Site

Sources close to RPS have disclosed that Syria is involved in military nuclear research not too far from Deir el-ubgone86ar, a tourist area in Syria. Deir el-ubgone86ar is also known for agricultural research, which is intended to hide the real purpose of nuclear research. Experts believe that some of the satellite early detection technology will be dismissed because of the agricultural component of the location.

"The CIA is aware of the site and is monitoring the situation closely" Sources told RPS. The site is built underground and has two facilities: civil and military. The civil facility is a cover for the military one, the real purpose of the site.

Furthermore, the Central Intelligence Agency has unclassified recently a report that was sent to Congress on the "Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions". In it, the CIA accuses Syria of promoting a nuclear, chemical and biological programs.

The report states: "Syria...has a nuclear research center at Dayr Al Hajar. Russia and Syria have continued their long-standing agreements on cooperation regarding nuclear energy, although specific assistance has not yet materialized. Broader access to foreign expertise provides opportunities to expand its indigenous capabilities, and we are monitoring Syrian nuclear intentions with concern.

Nuclear Scientists

RPS is aware of three Syrian nuclear scientists who work closely with the regime of Assad. The most prominent is Dr. Ibrahim Othman who heads the Atomic Energy Commission (AECS), an organization established in 1979 by Hafez al-Assad for, in disclosures to the IAEA, peaceful use of nuclear technology for power plants. Dr. Othman is a habitual visitor to all IAEA annual meetings in Vienna. It is believed that he was the contact man with the Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan known to have delivered important secrets to rogue nations.

The other two scientists are Dr. Mustapha Hamolella, a Kurdish nuclear physicist and Dr. Faris Al-Asfari. Both work closely on the Syrian nuclear program and are closely associated with the regime.

It is also believed that Iraqi nuclear scientists may have escaped to Syria and are working closely with the Syrian regime to build a nuclear bomb. A group of about 12 middle-ranking Iraqi nuclear technicians and their families were transported to Syria before the collapse of Saddam's regime. The transfer was arranged under a combined operation by Saddam's now defunct Special Security Organization and Syrian Military Security, which was headed until recently by Assef Shawqat, Assad's brother-in-law.

The Iraqis, who brought with them CDs crammed with research data on Saddam's nuclear program, were given new identities, including Syrian citizenship papers and falsified birth, education, and health certificates. Since then they have been hidden away at a secret Syrian military installation where they have been conducting research on behalf of their hosts.

Expertise and Equipment

According to an IAEA official, Abdul Qadeer Khan, who has sold nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea, is also behind the proliferation of sensitive nuclear technologies to Syria.

"The leadership of Pakistan was well aware of the export of Pakistani nuclear technologies," the unnamed source in the International Atomic Energy Agency was quoted as saying by a Russian news agency, RIA Novosti.

"It is not ruled out that besides Iran, Libya and North Korea, such supplies could have been made to Syria" the official said.

Several Western diplomats who follow the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have been saying for months that Syria was a customer of Khan's.

"Syria certainly had contact with Khan," said a non-U.S. Western diplomat, adding that suspicions of Syrian research in atomic weapons have existed for decades.

MENL reported on August 25, 2004 that the U.S. intelligence community obtained evidence that the Khan network sold and delivered components for an unspecified number of Pakistani-designed P1 centrifuges to Syria.

On April 29, 2004 then U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control John Bolton said that Adbul Qadeer Khan had "several other" customers who may want the bomb. Western diplomats in Vienna said Bolton was clearly referring to Syria.

And on June 9, 2004, a North Korean expert disclosed to Future Korea that Syrians visited North Korea to acquire equipment. He said that:

    * Syria ordered a large number of Scud missiles tipped with bio/chem warheads.
    * Syria ordered Rocket engines that were made at "January 8th Factory" in Kaechon.
    * Syria ordered Missile bodies that were made at "No. 26 Factory" in Namchon-dong, Kanggye City.
    * The missiles were assembled at "Shin-eum-ri Factory" in Pyongyang City.
    * And Bio/chemical warheads, the most sensitive parts, were finished at "Namheung Chemical Factory" and transported via train.

Enriched Uranium

RPS reported on March 5, 2004 that large amounts of uranium have gone missing from a nuclear technology company in Sweden. The CIA fears a worst-case scenario where the material has already fallen into terrorist hands, newspaper Expressen reports.

"The company (Ranstad Mineral) is a security risk and we have taken the matter to top level to get the Swedes to stop them," a CIA spokesman told the Swedish newspaper.

The CIA operative claims to know that the little Swedish company has educated Syrian nuclear physicists in the treatment of uranium. The Syrian scientists left the company right after the disappearance of the uranium. He also has information that a Swedish consultancy has sold nuclear equipment to Syria that can be used in the treatment of radioactive material.

cont'd next post

[Shammu]

"If it transpires that radioactive or nuclear material has been sent on from Sweden to Syria then this is a very serious matter for Sweden," the CIA source said.

After a meeting with the CIA operative Swedish authorities raided Ranstad Mineral several times and shut the company down on the grounds of deficient security.

"It was one of the worst things I have seen. The company has extremely serious deficiencies in its registration system," said Carl Magnus Larsson, divisional leader of the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority after their inspection.

Chemical Testing

According to well informed sources inside Syria, the Syrian Air Force base in Homs has tested chemical weapons aerial delivery on July 11, 2006 just one day prior to the attacks carried out by Hezbollah inside Israel. Unit 416 and Unit 417 in the Air Force were responsible to carry out the tests.

The tests involved the delivery of Sarin and VX through Syria's Scud missile arsenal (Scud-B and Scud-C) produced in Syria with the help of North Korea. A civilian research center located near Damascus, the Syrian Center for Scientific Studies and Research (Centre d' Etudes et de Recherche Scientifique--CERS) was also involved in the procurement of dual-use technologies that went into the development of the chemical stockpiles in Syria.

Delivery Systems

Syria was the conduit for the purchase of SAM engines for the Iraqi government from Belarus that would have enabled Iraq to use them to deliver any weapon up to 180km in radius. These same engines can be mounted two-to-a-rocket, which would have enabled Iraq to deliver any missile up to 600Km in clear violation of the UN sanctions. Of the 352 engines that were purchased by Syria from Belarus, only a handful have been delivered to Iraq and accounted for, the rest are in Syria's possession.

On May 14, 2004 RPS reported that western diplomatic sources said Beijing has sent several delegations and technicians to accelerate Syria's program for extended-range Scud missiles. The sources said the increased aid was first detected in late 2003 in what they termed a major development.

"The Chinese effort is meant to provide Syria with technical assistance that it has not been able to receive from other countries," a diplomatic source said. "The focus is to extend the Scud from short-range to medium- and even intermediate-range."

The sources said the Chinese assistance appears to be replacing that of North Korea, which was the prime supplier to and developer of Syria's missile programs. Pyongyang supplied and helped develop the Scud C and Scud D programs.

Russia, at one point, planned to sell the Iskander-E missile technology to Syria but backed down after the US lodged its objection to the sale. However, Belarus will be getting these highly accurate missiles and there is no reason, given the level of cooperation between the Belarusian government and the Assad regime that Belarus may not transfer that technology to Syria.

The Russian Role

Russia's arms business has found in Syria (and Iran) willing buyers. Russia has supplied Syria with SA-18 surface-to-air missiles, which according to arms specialists could be easily dismantled and handed over to terrorists. It has been a mystery of how Hezbollah been able to down Israeli helicopters in Lebanon.

According to MissileThreats.com, in June of 2006, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported Moscow's decision to establish naval bases in the Syrian ports of Tartus and Latakia. As part of the plan, the port of Tartus would be transformed into a naval base for Russia's Black Sea Fleet when it is away from the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol. The Russian plan involves the installation of an air defense system with S-300PMU-2 Favorit ballistic missiles. The missiles have a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles), allow a larger warhead and are equipped with a better guidance system than the previous version. The air defense system would be operated by Russia for the defense of the Tartus base and would provide potential protection for a large part of Syria. Through these initiatives, it is clear that Russia wants to strengthen its position in the Middle East.

Russia is searching for a new role in the diplomatic balance in the Middle East and a decision to move into Syria is a step on the path toward increasing its influence in the region. Syria seems to be the best target for this approach because of Damascus' heightened weakness as a result of its international isolation that was reinforced after the U.S. intervention in Iraq and Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is searching for allies to move the country out of isolation. This increases its incentive to turn to Moscow, even if this relationship will not be as strong as it was during the Cold War era. For Russia, its increasing ties with Syria provide Moscow with added leverage in the region.

During the first five years of Putin's presidency, Moscow and Damascus did not share close relations; since the beginning of 2005, however, that situation changed. In the last two years, Russia has built a closer relationship with Syria. The country is an important cash-buyer of Russian arms and an interesting partner for Russia's energy industries. Moreover, Putin is searching for a stronger role in the Israeli-Arab peace process; Russia's February 2006 meeting with Hamas is a clear example of this policy. Through that meeting, Russia tried to seize the initiative from the United States and the European Union, with the latter two's decision-making about the future of the peace process paralyzed by Hamas' election victory.

Furthermore, the London based "al-Awsat" reported on August 11, 2005 that Iran and a number of Gulf States have worked out a way to handle Syria's $12 billion arms debt to Russia so that Syria can now sign a new major arms deal with Russia which will include: 48 MIG-29's; 14-24 Sukhoi-27 [which is claimed to be a better performer than the Israeli F-15's]; SAM-11 ground to air missiles to replace the SAM-6's; SAM-12's for defense against missiles and jets to replace the SAM-5's, M300BMU - a development of the SAM-10 which is claimed to be superior to the American Patriot, able to strike jets 100 kilometers away and missiles 40 kilometers away; as well as 300 T-80 tanks.

The Iranian Role

On February 29, 2005, during a press conference in Beirut - Lebanon, Iranian defense Minister Shamkhani said that his country has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Syria and another with Lebanon to bolster the military apparatuses of both countries. The Syrian MOU in fact was intended to send a clear signal that cooperation between Iran and Syria are an integral part of their foreign policy, which lead many to believe that Iran may be working closely with Syria on a parallel nuclear program.

Moreover, Iran came quickly to the defense of Syria two weeks ago and threatened Israel with retaliation if Syria is attacked. This shows that the NATO-like MOU signed between Iran and Syria will make it very hard to peel Syria off by offering it any incentives.

Iran is calculating that Syria's involvement may distract attention away from its own nuclear program (Which did not happen) but also the intended purpose is to present the US with another challenge that Iran knows well the US will be unable to face simultaneously and because of a multiple fronts opened to confront terrorism.

Conclusion

All indications are that Syria is building a potent nuclear program with Iran's assistance and help. The United States government has never disclosed publicly the information but some believe that the CIA is fully aware of the damage that Khan has done and that Syria's nuclear program is more advanced than previously stated.

Syria has a potent chemical arms arsenal with a delivery system that can reach 700km that Assad is willing to use as has been proven through his direct Syrian-made missiles to Hezbollah.

Syria's Secret Nuclear Program and Long Term Threat

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

Just bluntly - things are not well in this evil world, but our citizenship is in Heaven.

Love In Christ,
Tom

John 15:15 NASB  "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Brothers and Sisters,

Just bluntly - things are not well in this evil world, but our citizenship is in Heaven.

Love In Christ,
Tom

John 15:15 NASB  "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Amen brother we are just passing through.

[Shammu]

Amen brother we are just passing through.

For a short time, while we are here.

Brothers and Sisters,

Just bluntly - things are not well in this evil world, but our citizenship is in Heaven.

Love In Christ,
Tom

John 15:15 NASB  "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

AMEN brother Tom......... 

[Shammu]

Iranian missiles ready to hit Tel Aviv says cleric


Iran will hit Tel Aviv with its medium-range missiles if attacked, said an influential senior cleric on Tuesday.

"If they (U.S. and Israel) militarily attack Iran ... They should be afraid of the day when our missiles with 2,000 km range will hit Tel Aviv," Ahmad Khatami told state television.

Khatami sits on the Assembly of Experts, the body of 86 clerics that constitutionally supervises the country's most powerful man, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Arms experts say Iran's Shahab-3 missiles have a maximum range of around 2,000 km (1,240 miles), meaning they are capable of hitting Israel as well as U.S. military bases in the Gulf.

U.S. officials accuse Iran of planning to equip its missiles with nuclear warheads. Iran says it has no desire to have atomic weapons and is only developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, such as electricity generation.

Iranian military commanders have repeatedly warned they would not hesitate to deploy the Shahab-3 missiles if Iran came under attack over its disputed nuclear programme.


Washington says it wants a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, but has not ruled out military options.

Tehran has vowed to expand its atomic fuel activities despite a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding it halt nuclear work by Aug. 31 or face the threat of sanctions.

Khatami praised Lebanon's Hizbollah for its resistance against Israel, saying that U.S. President George W. Bush and Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should have learned lessons from the month-long war in Lebanon.

"I congratulate Hizbollah for its victory, which was the victory of Islam. This was a disgraceful defeat for America and the Zionist regime (Israel)," Khatami said.

Iranian missiles ready to hit Tel Aviv says cleric

[Shammu]

For majority of Arabs, Israel no longer undefeatable
   
     

By Nadia Aboul El Magd
The Associated Press

CAIRO — Babies have been named “Hizbollah” and “Nasrallah.” Even some die-hard secularists are praising the Shiite group in the wake of its ceasefire with Israel — saying its fighters restored their feelings of honour and dignity.

But behind the outpouring of support for Hizbollah in recent days, some in the Middle East are increasingly worried about the rising power of religious groups.

“The last thing I expected is to fall in love with a turbaned cleric,” wrote Howeida Taha, a strongly secular columnist in Egypt, writing in the Quds Arabi newspaper this week. “I don't like them, and of course they will never like somebody like me ... [but] I feel I've been searching for Nasrallah with my eyes, heart and mind. I feel Nasrallah lives within me.”

Yet, she added, “no matter how much we admire Hizbollah's fighters' bravery, the last thing we want to see is the rise of a religious party in Egypt.”

Around the Arab world, Hizbollah was widely seen as the victor in the 34-day war with Israel, because of the tougher-than-expected resistance it put up under Israel's relentless bombardment and heavy ground assaults — and because it survived an onslaught that Israel had initially wanted to cripple the group. As a result, Hizbollah and its leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, have emerged as popular heroes.

“Thanks be to God and to Hizbollah,” read the banner of an opposition independent weekly, Destour, in Egypt on Wednesday.

More than 120 babies born during the war have been named after Nasrallah in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, says the official registrar there. In Gaza City, there are at least a dozen newborns named Hizbollah, (Party of God) Nasrallah (Victory from God) or Hassan.

On an Islamist website for youth, based in Egypt, many women wrote saying they would love to marry someone like Nasrallah.

“I want to marry one of Nasrallah's three boys and dedicate myself to resistance and pride of my [Islamic] community,” said Noha Hussein, a university student in Cairo.

Necklaces and key chains with his image are now in style, the website notes.

Much of the enthusiasm has come from finally seeing an Arab military force dig in against Israel.

Arab nations fought several wars with Israel — in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, as well as Israel's previous two invasions of Lebanon. The first three were heavy defeats for Arab armies, and though Egypt's army saw dramatic successes in 1973, the battle had swung to Israel's favour by the time it ended.

In the eyes of many Arabs, Hizbollah's performance shook the Israeli military's image of invulnerability.

“The Lebanese people may have lost a lot of economic and human resources .... but away from figures and calculations, they have achieved a lot of gains,” said Youssef Rashed, a columnist for the Kuwaiti daily Anba.

“Its heroic resistance fighters have proven to the world that Lebanese borders are not open to Israeli tanks without a price,” he wrote Tuesday. “Lebanon was victorious in the battle of dignity and honour.” Also, the image of a force doing what a regular army could not has apparently deepened the popular resentment towards Arab governments.

“The crux of the problem in Lebanon is that a political movement became bigger than the state,” said Maamoun Fandy, the director of the Middle East programme at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies. “The same syndrome — a perceived lack of legitimacy of governments that are being challenged by armed political movements — can be seen in many Arab and Muslim states. .... Their message is that movements can do what states failed to do, and can restore the honour that governments have squandered.” Awni Shatarat, a Palestinian refugee from Baqaa camp, is among those who strongly view Hizbollah as victorious.

“Israel was defeated by a small group, which succeeded in demolishing the image of the undefeatable army,” he said.

But others are far more critical of Hizbollah and pessimistic about what the war might bring.

For majority of Arabs, Israel no longer undefeatable

[Shammu]

War Report from the Northern Border. It Ain't Over Yet!
Neil Cooper
Aug 16 2006 12:00AM


This past Shabbat (Saturday) and Yom Rishon (Sunday), I traveled the northern border of Israel with my friends Miki and Yishai, visiting the troops, giving them food and gifts, and encouragement.
 
I was also able to take my guitar and play several praise and worship songs and share with them about the Lord and biblical prophecies that we are seeing fulfilled. Most were very interested, but in the heat of this battle, they were also worried and plagued with doubts.
 
Shabbat morning we visited wounded soldiers in Ram Bam hospital in Haifa. That morning 24 soldiers had been killed and another 20 wounded, most of whom were being brought in as we were there. We were able to bless one soldier with a laptop that had been donated to Miki. It is heart wrenching to see these young men so tragically cut down in battle, many with wounds that will plague them for the rest of their lives.

As we headed further north, everything seemed to take on a surreal atmosphere. The air was hazy, thick with smoke, and the roads were completely empty other than military vehicles.
 
We first went to an outpost on the hills of Zarit, on the fence line of the Lebanese border. The soldiers were surprised to see us, and overwhelmed at the fact that we would travel all the way from Jerusalem with no other purpose than to bless them. One of the gifts we brought were Beany Babies (little fury stuffed animals). Sounds ridiculous I know, but the soldiers, entrenched in life and death battle, loved these little creatures. They would put them on their tanks and tell us they were going to take them into battle. Some said they would take them home to their kids. What was apparent is that they served to remind them that their was something nice in the world, family who loved them, a life that they wanted to protect and return to. This was their purpose in fighting, not because they were filled with hate or rage, these were the most polite and genuinely nice young men you would ever want to meet, they truly grieve over the loss of life on the enemies side, but they cannot stand by and watch their towns and families endure rocket attacks, and death and destruction. They want to be involved in stopping it.
 
As we were driving into the area, I begin hearing thuds and though something had fallen over in the back of the van, but I soon realized it was the sound of artillery fire going over our heads. When we arrived in Zarit, we found a full blown battle scene. Tanks and artillery vehicles were stationed throughout the hills and valleys, and they were firing round after round into the cities across the wadi (a small valley between the hilltops). Sirens blared regularly indicating incoming Katush rockets, and helicopter gunship's rotated overhead firing at targets within the embattled city.
 
I used to wonder how I could so clearly hear the sound of artillery from Gaza on my front maripesset (porch). After standing next to one of these tanks when they fire, I now understand. They are tremendously loud, to the point of shattering an eardrum if you are not careful. The earth shakes beneath your feet and if you didn't know you were standing on solid ground you might worry that you were going to fall through the floor. Being surrounded by literally hundreds of these, the sound became quite four dimensional. Rounds being fired from every direction at varying distances making for layers of various volumes simply filled the sky with the sound of destruction. The trail of a shell fired over your head crackled like the sound of a summer thunderstorm rolling off of the Colorado Mountains and onto the plains. No words can describe it, it was simply awesome.
 
I must admit to it being somewhat exhilarating. As most men know, as boys we love to blow things up. We can't wait to get our hands on a firecracker, and the bigger the better. These were really big firecrackers.
 
We then headed to the nearby moshav of Shetula. At the entrance we were stopped by soldiers who though we were the press and were told to leave, but my friend Miki explained who we were and what we were doing and they opened the gate and gave us a warm welcome. None of the places we went would be open to civilians, but Miki has a lot of connections in the military because of his past service, and he knows how to get the doors opened. They told us the press was driving them crazy and they refused them entrance anymore.
 
Shetula was also in the middle of battle. This was where the whole war was started. We visited a house which was in the middle of being built that now houses the IDF drone team. These soldiers build, fix, and fly the unmanned planes that fly overhead and film the enemy. We were allowed to watch from inside and we could watch their computer screens and see the action below quite clearly.
 
This house they were in was being worked on by a contractor and his Arab workers when the Hezbollah snuck across the border and up the hill, fired a shoulder launched rocket through the living room window at the workers inside. The rocket blew out of the wall on the other side of the room, amazingly leaving no one injured. I can't imagine standing there working when a rocket suddenly zips through the room your working in.
This caused an emergency situation and the soldiers at Zarit hurried to Shetula along a dirt road that runs between the two moshavs directly on the border. Along that road they laid an ambush in which three soldiers were killed and the two others were kidnapped.
A lot of foot soldiers were also sent into Lebanon from Shetula, and every night we would wait to hear the news from the battle lines. Many soldiers were killed and injured during the 24 hours we were there. We couldn't sleep all night because of the artillery fire, and I wondered how the brave souls who stayed in their homes (Shetula and Zarit have a very Zionist population who will not leave their land for any reason) could be anything but sleep deprived and exhausted after a month of this.
 
Every soldier and commander that we spoke to was very angry at the government. They told us that they could have stopped the Katushas in three days, and cleared out the Hezbollah in two weeks, but their hands were tied and they were not allowed to do what they knew they had to do to win. Every soldier knew the appropriate battle plan, and in fact this very scenario had been planned for by the military two years prior to the event, and PM Olmert and Defense Minister Peretz stopped them cold in their tracks.
 
That evening we were hearing that Israel would sign the cease fire in the morning, and the soldiers were already asking what it was all for if we were not going to go in and decisively win the battle. Over 100 soldiers had died, we weren't getting our kidnapped soldiers back, we did not succeed in fully disarming and routing the Hezbollah, Nasrallah was still alive, and now the Islamic world would mock us and claim a victory.
 
cont'd next post

[Shammu]

Sunday morning we moved on to Avivim, and then Kiryat Shmona, and finally up to Metulla. All along the way were masses of soldiers and equipment, some actively engaged in the battle, and some sitting idly by waiting to be sent across the border. These soldiers want to enter the battle, they want to go in and win because they know that Israel cannot afford to lose a war. When they do, they will lose everything. There is nothing more demoralizing than to send troops in to finish the job, and then stop them at the doorstep of victory and make them sit and wait, doing nothing, while the victory slips out of their hands.
 
In Metullah you will find a stack of reporters from around the world staying in a five story hotel. On the roof of this hotel is an observation tower which lets you look into Lebanon, and consequently into where many Israeli artillery shells are landing and exploding. Every so often, these reporters will climb the stairs to the roof with their camera man, dawn their flak jackets, and give a report that looks like they are in the middle of the battle field. Then they go back downstairs to the lounge and drink beer and eat nice meals. Metulla is right on the border, and artillery fire is blasting overhead, and katushas are flying overhead as well, but because of its close proximity, most of the rockets fly over Metullah and hit Kiryat Shmona instead. It is a pretty safe roost for these brave and unbiased reporters.
Amazingly there was an Al Jezeera reporter giving his report in Arabic, enjoying the same freedoms as his Israeli and American counterparts. I thought, I would like to go into your country and try to give my opinion on TV without being killed, knowing it could never happen, and then I wondered if as a people, they would ever understand the difference in how we value life and freedom and how they, sadly, don"t.
 
I did have the distinct pleasure of telling a BBC reporter what I felt was lacking in their coverage of Israel and this war, such as objectivity, historical accuracy, factual reporting of events, and things like that.
We had the privilege of going inside a deep bunker where communications and radar facilities were being operated. There were over 100 men stationed (and thirteen women) at this facility, and it was fascinating to watch them track their enemies. They were even able to pinpoint movement along the border and listen to the target.
 
All across Israel on the Northern parts, fire has ravaged forests and farms, and buildings and homes have been destroyed. People have been terrorized, and children have lost their sense of security. This war cost Israel over 11.5 Billion Shekels in lost productivity alone, not including lost tourism revenue, or the cost of rebuilding to come.
 
The Cease Fire agreement provides billions of dollars to rebuild Lebanon, but not one red cent to help Israel.
 
The kidnapped soldiers have not been returned. And every Islamic leader from Nasrallah, to Assad of Syria, to Mahmoud Nutjob, I mean Ahmadinejad, in Iran is claiming an Islamic victory and calling for global Jihad. Bashar Assad said today that he learned that there was another way to take the Golan Heights other than peace negotiations. He is amassing soldiers and tanks along Israel's borders as I write this.
 
What the world failed to understand is that Israel was fighting for them. And when they pressured Israel to give in to a Cease Fire, they gave the Islamic world all the fuel they needed to start a worldwide war against western civilization. And with the world so caught up in politically correct methods of warfare, the Muslims just might win.
 
In the West, Cease Fire means an end to hostilities and the laying down of arms. In the Middle Eastern Arab mentality it simply means a chance to rearm and prepare for the next round.
 
The west does not understand the Arab / Islamic mindset, and unless they wake up to it, and defeat it in no uncertain terms, they will live under its rule. Believe me that is not a reality that anyone really wants.
 
Had Israel of gone in and decisively won this war in a matter of days, which they were fully capable of doing, they would have set back the Islamic advance for ten or twenty years. But now that the Islamic world sees a weak Israel, and a United Nations with no resolve to fight them, they see the perfect opportunity to strike. Terrorism is going to escalate to unbelievable proportions around the world as a result of what happened here in "Little Ol' Israel".
 
Neither myself, nor anyone else I speak to believes that this "Cease Fire" will hold. We are bracing ourselves for what will now surly explode into a full scale regional war, and eventually into full scale world war. Of course that is what the New World Order had in mind all along. This is what will bring their dreams to reality as far as they are concerned. But I still believe God is in control and that He is going to use all of this to turn His people back to Him. As angry as I get at the enemy, I find myself even praying for blessings upon them in obedience to the Lord.
 
War Report from the Northern Border.

[Shammu]

Iran Suspected of Attempts to Rearm Hezbollah Since Cease-Fire

Thursday , August 17, 2006

WASHINGTON — Iran has been attempting to rearm the Lebanon-based terror network Hezbollah since the U.N.-backed cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel took hold earlier this week, two U.S. officials told FOX News on Thursday.

A U.S. arms control official said it appears that Iran is using Syrian channels in its effort to give Hezbollah weapons it has used in the past, including Chinese-built C-802 radar-guided anti-ship missiles. Military observers said a C-802 was used successfully on an Israeli naval vessel off the coast of Tyre on July 14. The arms control officer and a senior American counterterrorism officer both said the U.S. government is "very concerned" about the "ongoing" effort.

Israel's Cabinet approved the U.N.-brokered cease-fire agreement Monday after 34 days of clashes across the Lebanon-Israeli border that began in response to Hezbollah kidnapping two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid and killing three others. Israel retaliated with air and ground strikes throughout Lebanon in an attempt to disarm the terror group, often taking criticism for causing civilian deaths. Hezbollah retaliated by firing 4,000 short- and mid-range rockets into northern Israel.

The cease-fire resolution authorizes up to 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers to deploy to southern Lebanon, a region the Shiite Muslim-rooted Hezbollah has controlled since Israel pulled back across the border in 2000. It also calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the unconditional return of the captured Israeli soldiers.

The counterterrorism official said the administration is "working with all of our allies" to get the message to Russia and China that they must do whatever they can to prevent their missiles from ending up in Lebanon.

A foreign government source told FOX News that the Chinese supplied Iran with at least 50 C-802s, and that the Iranians violated their contract with the Chinese by providing this weaponry to Hezbollah.

But the arms control officer was skeptical of that conclusion, saying, "Of course the Chinese knew" that Iran would turn over its weapons to Hezbollah, but Beijing doesn't care at all about nonproliferation.

"It's cash, and it's a lot of cash," the officer said, adding that while some members of the Bush administration have been willing to give the Chinese the benefit of the doubt and attribute the weapons proliferation to "bad export control," the geopolitical leanings of the Chinese have created the proliferation problem. The officials noted that none of China's weapons have inadvertently ended up in countries like India or Taiwan.

A leading security expert agreed with that conclusion.

"China understood that Iran was backing Hezbollah, they would have had to understood that in principal that if they transferred something to Iran, there's always a possibility that Iran was going to retransfer that Hezbollah," said John Pike, head of GlobalSecurity.org.

The arms control officer expressed optimism that an arms embargo in Lebanon could hold up in the short-term, but was less hopeful about the future.

"What happens in three months? If the will is there, the guns will get there," the officer said.

Also of concern is the prospect that Turkey, a Muslim ally in the War on Terror, is serving as or had been a point of access in the past for arms destined for Hezbollah. Pike said in recent days, Israelis have addressed their concerns directly to the Turks over the trans-shipment.

"They requested that Turkey detain a couple of airplanes coming into Lebanon from Iran. Turned out not to have weapons on them, but I don't think this is the last of it," Pike said. "Turkey has simply been looking the other way."

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said he was confident that if the situation in Turkey had been a problem, it isn't now.

"My understanding is that the issue of potential arms shipments through Turkey and through other countries are things that we have talked about with the Turkish government. ... We're fully convinced that they are taking and doing what would be necessary to prevent arms transfers from going through," Casey said.

Iran Suspected of Attempts to Rearm Hezbollah Since Cease-Fire