Whatever the Sect of Islam they are it would be best for The West and Christendom if we could "arrange" for them to engage in Civil War and cut each others throats and allow us to pick-up the pieces in the aftermath. I know!!! Very Cold Calculations but, sadly, it's that same old thread of Human history .... Blood, Tears and Misery .... and Survival. Europe, in great and unbelievable extent, is aiding and abetting Radical Islamic Invasion ..... National Suicide ... and there seems to be feeble resistance!!?? In a much lesser extent in the USA but with the Hispanic Invasion added to the Islamic in the USA .... The Republic as I know it will cease to exist in a Generation! The Usual Suspects in both US and Europe are all crowing about how wonderful it will be when the NWO triumphs by 2050. It's madness ... and Satanic!! GOD SAVE ALL HERE!! PS: I have never been able to keep Sunni & Shia Straight .... they all look the same to me .. & .. I've Been-There!!
Here is more proof of a possible bigger confrontation in the Middle East. This first article states the opposite of what I posted on the President Trump thread about the US/UK/French strikes on Syria resulting in an escalation of the situation there (?), Iranian President Rohani: Attack on Syria Will Cause Destruction in the Middle East Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the air strikes by the U.S., Britain and France constituted a crime that would not achieve any gains Reuters Apr 14, 2018 https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east...ause-destruction-in-the-middle-east-1.5995512 Handout: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei listens to a speech by Iranian President Hassan Rohani on April 14, 2018.HO/AFP Syria strike live updates: Russia may have tampered with chemical attack site, U.S. envoy says Russia and Iran warn after U.S. strikes in Syria: There will be 'consequences' U.S., France and U.K. strike Syria over chemical attack Iranian President Hassan Rohani said Saturday that the U.S.-led military strike on Syria will cause destruction in the Middle East. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said an attack on Syria by the United States, France and Britain on Saturday was a crime and would not achieve any gains. "Today's dawn attack on Syria is a crime," said Khameinei. "I clearly declare that the president of the United States, the president of France and the British prime minister are criminals," Khamenei said in a speech, according to his Twitter account. "They will not benefit (from the attack) as they went to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan in the past years and committed such crimes and did not gain any benefits," Khamenei said. Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said: "The Syrian people will certainly answer these attacks and the people of the world should condemn this aggression," Fars news agency reported. An official in Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Islamic Republic's most powerful arm, said the fallout from the attacks will be at Washington's expense. "With this attack ... the situation will become more complex, and this will surely be at the expense of the United States, which will be responsible for the aftermath of upcoming regional events that will certainly not be in their interest," Yadollah Javani, the Guards' deputy head for political affairs, told Fars news agency. "The resistance front will be strengthened and it will have more capacity to act against [U.S.] acts of intervention. Americans should expect the consequences of their actions," Javani said. Opinion//Why Israel Needs to Escalate Its Threats Against Iran – Right Now Israel must ensure Iran doesn't dig in on its northern border. Even if that means war with Syria - and air strikes on Iran Chuck Freilich Apr 14, 2018 https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/israel-must-escalate-its-threats-against-iran-now-1.5995289 Iran's Revolutionary Guards fire longer-range missiles with a range of up to 2,000 km in the central desert outside the holy city of Qom during a military maneuverIRAN/Mehr News/Sajjad Safari via Bloomberg News After coalition strike, Israel fears new rules by Iran and Russia in Syria Israel faces two severe threats today that may soon require some very difficult decisions, possibly leading to war. The Iranian-Hezbollah-Syrian axis in the north is growing stronger, under Russian auspices, with Iran reportedly trying to establish permanent bases and rocket factories in Syria and Lebanon. Iran appears to have temporarily ceased its efforts in response to attacks that Israel allegedly conducted in Syria, but may have renewed them recently. Based on the open-source picture, one cannot say with confidence what Iran is doing, and it's possible that the prime minister and other Israeli spokesmen have intentionally overstated the threat in order to focus international attention on it. At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran by May unless U.S. allies agree to "fix" it by then. The allies, for lack of better alternatives and out of concern that the entire nuclear agreement may crumble, have expressed some willingness to do so. If that indeed happens, it will be an impressive accomplishment for the president, achieved in his usual style in a humiliating and untoward manner. The real problem, however, is that it is not at all clear that Trump truly seeks agreement with the Europeans. Indeed, his recent actions, including the appointment of the new secretary of state and new national security adviser, point in the opposite direction – that he intends to withdraw from the agreement. In any event, it will be a long slog to get the Iranians to agree to any changes. While all the above has been taking place, the regional battle for power has continued apace, with Iran continuing to establish itself as the regional hegemon, in control of a Shi’ite crescent extending all the way to the Mediterranean, amid the ongoing Sunni weakness. continued...
continued from above... Syrian government supporters wave Syrian, Iranian and Russian flags and chant slogans against U.S. President Trump after U.S., British and French military strikes. Damascus, Syria. April 14, 2018Hassan Ammar/AP The United States – the president’s strident rhetoric notwithstanding – has ceased playing a leading role in the Middle East. Russia, conversely, has been spreading its influence throughout the region through deft strategic maneuvering and the sale of weapons and nuclear-power reactors. >> Not a drill: Syria showdown could spark Israeli-Iranian and U.S.-Russian clashes ■ Revenge by Iran could push Israel to terminate its Syrian presence ■ Iran's army of drones, target of Syria strike: Rising force or limited threat? >> As a diplomatic move, Israel is right to try to focus international attention on Iran’s activities in Syria, even to amplify the threat somewhat, as long as we are not carried away by our own public diplomacy. Israel’s actual policy, however, should be based on as precise an understanding as possible of what the Iranians are actually doing. I believe that Israel is strong and secure enough to adopt a national security strategy based on heightened restraint, so I have advocated a greater emphasis on defense and diplomacy. Still, I believe that Israel cannot let Iran establish a permanent military presence on its border, including air, naval and ground bases. The change in Israel’s strategic circumstances would be severe. Iran's army chief of staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, left looking into binoculars, and other senior Iranian military officers visit a front line in Aleppo province, Syria. Oct. 20, 2017Uncredited/AP If we establish that Iran is indeed trying to establish a permanent military presence in Syria, Israel should adopt a clear and firm deterrent posture designed to prevent Iran from doing so. To this end, it should adopt an approach of “coercive diplomacy” – that is, the credible threat to use military force precisely to avoid conflict and achieve the desired diplomatic outcome. As part of this approach, and to induce the Syrians to put an end to Iran’s activities in their territory, Damascus must be made to understand that it is truly playing with fire this time, and that Israel will respond by launching graduated attacks against Syrian-regime targets, to the point of threatening its very existence. Iran, too, should be made to understand that if it persists in its efforts it will no longer have the immunity from attacks it has hitherto enjoyed due to geographic distance, and that Iranian regime targets will also be fair game. This recommendation may lead to a severe escalation and even to war. If, however, it turns out that the Syrians and Iranians have ignored Israel’s warnings, we will be on a path to conflict in any event and it’s better that Iran be put to the test now before it crosses the nuclear threshold. An Israeli deterrent policy such as this will undoubtedly also lead to a strong Russian response, and that is exactly the intention – to force Russia to restrain Syria, Hezbollah and Iran and thereby prevent conflict. Clearly, this approach requires maximum coordination with the U.S. administration, to the extent that there is one today. Syrians wave Syrian, Iranian and Hezbollah flags, wave portraits of President Bashar al-Assad as they protest the U.S., French and UK strikes against the Syrian regime. Aleppo, April 14, 2018GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP Despite the president’s tough talk, an American military attack against Iran’s nuclear program is probably not in the cards. Israel can, of course, continue covert measures against it, but they have proved of limited effectiveness to date. If the nuclear agreement comes apart we will really only be left with one final option: an Israeli strike. On the positive side, such a strike may now enjoy the support of the United States, whereas the Obama administration’s opposition was a main reason Israel refrained from an attack. Conversely, an Israeli strike can cause no more than a delay of a few years in the Iranian program, at the expense of a war with Hezbollah and possibly Iran itself. Israel should thus encourage the Trump administration to reach a compromise with the Europeans and make do, if necessary, with a partial "fix" of the agreement. All other options are far worse. The battle to ensure that the limitations on Iran’s nuclear capabilities never expire should be left for the future, closer to the deal’s expiration. Opponents of the nuclear deal are undoubtedly celebrating the imminent realization of their greatest dream, its termination, but they may soon find that the dream has rapidly turned into a nightmare. Israel already behaves as if it is deterred by Iran and Hezbollah, while it is cautious in its actions in Syria and refrains from offensive operations in Lebanon. Imagine how things would look without the nuclear agreement and if Iran had already crossed the nuclear threshold. Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, is a senior fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and the author of Israeli National Security: a New Strategy for an Era of Change, Oxford University Press, 2018.
What makes the Sunni and Shia divisions even more interesting is that Turkey and Iran have had joint defense meetings which is unprecedented considering their ideological differences and national interests. One thing I suspect they both agree wholeheartedly on is that they would love to see the destruction of Saudi Arabia who they both consider to be complete appostates to the Islamic world. The Sunni and Shia split is an easy one to remember if you know a bit if the history and it all revolves around the death of Muhammad and what took place with the succession after which divided the Muslim world. Shia believed that the leadership should stay within the family while Sunni believed that it should be decided by the elders. One thing is certain, they will band together to defeat their joint enemies using any means and then fight amongst themselves after as they always have.
Iran official threatens to destroy Israel if it continues ‘childish game’ Amid escalating war of words after alleged Israeli air strike in Syria, Ali Khamenei's liaison to Quds Force says: 'Given the excuse, Tel Aviv and Haifa will be razed' By TOI staff 12 April 2018 https://www.timesofisrael.com/irani...destroy-israel-if-it-continues-childish-game/ Ali Shirazi, liaison for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the elite Quds Force (screen capture) Iran will destroy Israel if it doesn’t stop its “childish game,” a senior military leader in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened Thursday. “Iran is not Syria. If Israel wants to survive a few more days, it has to stop this childish game,” Ali Shirazi, liaison for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the elite Quds Force, said. “Iran has the capability to destroy Israel and given the excuse, Tel Aviv and Haifa will be razed to the ground,” he said, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. Shirazi’s threat came in the wake of a predawn Monday missile barrage on the T-4 Air Base near Palmyra in central Syria. Iranian media reported that seven members of the country’s military were killed in the strike, out of at least 14 reported fatalities. One was named as a colonel in the air force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Israel has refused to comment on the attack, for which it has been blamed by Iran, Russia and Syria. Two US officials were also quoted as saying that Israel had carried out the strike, adding that Washington was informed in advance. Shirazi’s threat also comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Syria, backed by Iran and Russia on the one side and the US — and possibly its European allies — on the other. Photo released by Iranian media reportedly show the T-4 air base in central Syria after a missile barrage Monday. (Iranian media) Washington has threatened to punish Syria militarily for a chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta over the weekend in which some 40 people died. On Tuesday a different adviser to Khamenei threatened Israel. “The crimes will not remain unanswered,” Ali Akbar Velayati said during a visit to Syria, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. The target of the reported airstrike was the Tiyas air base — also known as the T-4 air base — outside Palmyra in central Syria. Israeli TV reports said Iran was building an air base there, and that a major weapons system of some kind had been destroyed. Israel has previously carried out at least one explicitly acknowledged attack on the base, which it said was home to an Iranian drone program. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a stern speech at a state ceremony on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, warned Iran not to test Israel’s resolve, asserting that the Jewish state would respond to Tehran’s “aggression” with “steadfastness.” “We are preventing Iranian activity in Syria. These are not just words,” Netanyahu asserted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the official state ceremony held at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem marking Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 11, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) Without going into specifics, Netanyahu said that “the events in recent days teach us that standing up to evil and aggression is the mission imposed on every generation.” “In the Holocaust we were helpless, defenseless and voiceless,” he said. “In truth, our voice was not heard at all. Today we have a strong country, a strong army, and our voice is heard among the nations.” Also on Wednesday, responding to the escalating threats between Israel and Iran, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Netanyahu to avoid any steps that could increase instability in Syria. Netanyahu, for his part, said Israel would continue to counter Iran’s efforts to build up its military presence in the war-torn country. Alexander Fulbright contributed to this report. Israel Threatens to Topple Syrian Regime if Iran Makes Any Foolish Moves Thursday, April 12, 2018 | Israel Today Staff http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/33777/Default.aspx Related Stories Iran's 'moderate' new president takes aim at 'Zionist enemy' Iran VP says Jews responsible for world drug trade Iran Invested in Company Selling Subs to Israel Topics: Iran On Tuesday, Iran threatened harsh retaliation after Israel allegedly bombed an Iranian-held air base in central Syria. "The crimes will not remain unanswered," insisted Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Wednesday, Israeli officials returned the favor, stating that if Iran made any foolish moves then everything it has gained in Syria over the past decade would go up in a puff of smoke. Senior Israeli defense officials told prominent journalist Ben Caspit that Syrian dictator and Iran-ally Bashar "Assad's regime and Assad himself will disappear from the map and the world if the Iranians do try to harm Israel or its interests from Syrian territory." The Israelis continued: "Our recommendation to Iran is that it does not try to act, because Israel is determined to continue on this issue to the very end." A day earlier, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman vowed that Israel would do whatever necessary to prevent Iran from establishing a permanent military foothold in Syria. "We have no other choice," he stressed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkott attend a security council meeting regarding the Iranian threat. (Ariel Hermony/Ministry of Defense)
This is probably the best analysis that I have seen so far regarding the situation in Syria. It appears that Rouhani/Iran has more problems than those most of us have heard about, The Real Next War in Syria: Iran vs. Israel By Thomas L. Friedman Opinion Columnist April 15, 2018 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/15/opinion/war-syria-iran-israel.html Israeli soldiers taking part in a training session last week in the Golan Heights.CreditJalaa Marey/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images SYRIA-ISRAEL BORDER, Golan Heights — Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Syria is going to explode. I know, you have heard that one before, but this time I mean really explode. Because the U.S., British and French attack on Syria to punish its regime for its vile use of chemical weapons — and Russia’s vow to respond — is actually just the second-most dangerous confrontation unfolding in that country. Even more dangerous is that Israel and Iran, at the exact same time, seem to be heading for a High Noon shootout in Syria over Iran’s attempts to turn Syria into a forward air base against Israel, something Israel is vowing to never let happen. This is not mere speculation. In the past few weeks — for the first time ever — Israel and Iran have begun quietly trading blows directly, not through proxies, in Syria. And this quiet phase may be about to end. Israel and Iran are now a hair-trigger away from going to the next level — and if that happens, the U.S. and Russia may find it difficult to stay out. Let me try to explain what is unfolding from a lookout post on the Syrian-Israel border, where I stood a couple of days ago. To follow along at home, I highly recommend this website, which tracks the multiple interlocking Syrian conflicts in real time and is used by the U.N. observers here on the Golan Heights. Let’s start with the fact that the latest U.S., British and French cruise missile punishment attack appears to be a one-off operation and the impact will be contained. Russia and Syria have little interest in courting another Western raid and raising the level of involvement in Syria by the three big Western powers. And the three Western powers do not want to get more deeply involved in Syria. It is the potentially uncontained direct shooting war brewing between Israel and Iran that is much more likely and worrisome, because it may be about to enter round two. Round one occurred on Feb. 10, when an Iranian drone launched by a Revolutionary Guards Quds Force unit operating out of Syria’s T4 air base, east of Homs in central Syria, was shot down with a missile from an Israeli Apache helicopter that was following it after it penetrated Israeli airspace. Initial reports were that the Iranian drone was purely on a reconnaissance mission. But the official Israeli Army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said Friday that the drone’s flight path and Israel’s “intelligence and operational analysis of the parts of the Iranian unmanned vehicle” indicated that “the aircraft was carrying explosives” and that its mission was “an act of sabotage in Israeli territory.” I have no ability to independently verify that claim. But the fact that the Israelis are putting it out should raise alarm bells. If it is true, it suggests that the Quds Force — commanded by Iran’s military mastermind Qassem Suleimani — may have been trying to launch an actual military strike on Israel from an air base in Syria, not just reconnaissance. “This is the first time we saw Iran do something against Israel — not by proxy,” a senior Israeli military source told me. “This opened a new period.” It certainly helps to explain why Israeli jets launched a predawn missile raid on the Iranian drone’s T4 home base last Monday. This would have been a huge story — Israel killed seven Iranian Quds Force members, including Col. Mehdi Dehghan, who led the drone unit — but it was largely lost in the global reaction to (and Trump tweets about) President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons two days earlier. “It was the first time we attacked live Iranian targets — both facilities and people,” said the Israeli military source. (After the story appeared, the Israeli Army’s spokesman’s office disputed the characterization and accuracy of the raid by my Israeli source, and emphasized that Israel maintains its policy to avoid commenting on media reports regarding the raid on the T4 airfield and other events. He would not comment further.) Russian and Syrian military officials both attributed the attack to Israel and the Iranians not only openly announced their embarrassing losses through the semiofficial Fars news agency — they have played down previous indirect casualties from Israeli strikes in Syria — but then publicly vowed to take revenge. “The crimes will not remain unanswered,” Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said during a visit to Syria. Since then, senior Israeli defense officials have let it be known that if the Iranians were to strike back at Israeli targets, Israel may use the opportunity to make a massive counterstrike on Iran’s entire military infrastructure in Syria, where Iran is attempting to establish both a forward air base, as well as a factory for GPS-guided missiles that could hit targets inside Israel with much greater accuracy — inside a 50-meter radius — and deploy them from Syria and with Hezbollah in Lebanon. These defense officials say there is zero chance Israel will make the mistake it made in Lebanon — of letting Hezbollah establish a massive missile threat there — by letting Iran do the same directly in Syria. Now you can understand why it is such a dangerous situation — even without the U.S., French and British punishment for Assad’s use of chemical weapons. Iran claims it is setting up bases in Syria to protect it from Israel, but Israel has no designs on Syria; it actually prefers the devil it knows there — Assad — over chaos. And it has not intervened in the civil war there except to prevent the expansion of Iran’s military infrastructure there or to retaliate for rebel or Syrian shells that fell on Israel’s territory. I understand Iran’s security concerns in the Gulf; it faces a number of hostile, pro-American Sunni Arab powers trying to contain its influence and undermine its Islamic regime. From Iran’s perspective, these are a threat. But what is Iran doing in Syria? Tehran’s attempt to build a network of bases and missile factories in Syria — now that it has helped Assad largely crush the uprising against him — appears to be an ego-power play by Iran’s Quds Force leader Suleimani to extend Iran’s grip on key parts of the Sunni Arab world and advance his power struggle with President Hassan Rouhani. Suleimani’s Quds Force now more or less controls — through proxies — four Arab capitals: Damascus, Beirut, Baghdad and Sana. Iran has actually become the biggest “occupying power” in the Arab world today. But Suleimani may be overplaying his hand, especially if he finds himself in a direct confrontation with Israel in Syria, far from Iran, without air cover. After all, even before this, many average Iranians were publicly asking what in the world is Iran doing spending billions of dollars — which were supposed to go to Iranians as a result of the lifting of sanctions from the Iran nuclear deal — fighting wars in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. That is surely one reason Iran has not retaliated — yet. Suleimani has to think twice about starting a full-scale, direct war with Israel, because of another big story many people have not noticed: Iran’s currency is collapsing back home. Consider this April 12 story on CNBC.com: The Iranian rial “has plummeted to a record low amid growing economic and political uncertainty, causing a rush to the banks as Iranians desperately try to acquire U.S. dollars with exchanges forced to shut their doors to prevent long and chaotic lines.” The rial has lost one-third of its value just this year, the story noted. Moreover, Israeli military officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin and Suleimani are no longer natural allies. Putin wants and needs a stable Syria where his puppet Bashar Assad can be in control and Russia can maintain a forward naval and air presence and look like a superpower again — on the cheap. Iran’s President Rouhani probably also prefers a stable Syria, where Assad has consolidated his power and that is not a drain on the Iranian budget. But Suleimani and the Quds Force seem to aspire to greater dominance of the Arab world and putting more pressure on Israel. Unless Suleimani backs down, you are about to see in Syria an unstoppable force — Iran’s Quds Force — meet an immovable object: Israel. Fasten your seatbelt. This column has been updated.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/17/nor...edly-set-to-announce-official-end-to-war.html North and South Korea reportedly set to announce official end to war Ahead of a summit next week between North Korean premier Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In, lawmakers from the neighboring states were thought to be negotiating the details of a joint statement that could outline an end to the military conflict between the two countries. Pyongyang and Seoul have technically been at war since the 1950-1953 Korean conflict ended with a truce — and not a peace treaty. Sam Meredith | @smeredith19 Published 5 Hours Ago Updated 28 Mins AgoCNBC.com North and South Korea reportedly set to announce an official end to war 1 Hour Ago | 00:46 North and South Korea are in talks to announce a permanent end to the officially declared military conflict between the two countries, daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed South Korean official. Ahead of a summit next week between North Korean premier Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, lawmakers from the neighboring states were thought to be negotiating the details of a joint statement that could outline an end to the confrontation. Kim and Moon could also discuss returning the heavily fortified demilitarized zone separating them to its original state, the newspaper said. Pyongyang and Seoul have technically been at war since the 1950-1953 Korean conflict ended with a truce — and not a peace treaty. Geopolitical tensions have occasionally flared up since the armistice, although to date both countries have managed to avoid another devastating conflict. A successful summit between the Koreas later this month could help pave the way for a meeting between Kim and President Donald Trump. The U.S. president and North Korean leader are poised to hold talks in late May or June, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
What a difference six months has made. Back when Carol shared this article folks feared that a nuclear war with North Korea was imminent. Today, I just read that North and South Korea are talking about uniting the country in a peaceful manner. This is truly a miracle!
After Iran Threatens Israel With Attack the Israeli Air Force Has the Best Response Ever Posted at 4:00 pm on April 17, 2018 by streiff https://www.redstate.com/streiff/20...-attack-israeli-air-force-best-response-ever/ While most of our attention was focused on the airstrikes carried out by US and allied forces on targets associated with Syrian chemical weapons production last Friday night, tensions between Israel and Iran are escalating. Unlike our airstrikes, the Israel-Iran conflict could result in a rather nasty little war. For the most part, Israel had limited its military targets in Lebanon to those manned by Hezbollah. Even though it is well-known that Hezbollah is nothing more or less than an Iranian proxy, the fiction was maintained that Hezbollah was acting alone. In February, Israel shot down an Iranian drone over Israeli territory. Instead of being a reconnaissance vehicle, this one was armed with explosives. An attack was carried out against the Iranian drone facility at an airbase near Homs, Syria. No one claimed immediate responsibility, but they have now: Initial reports were that the Iranian drone was purely on a reconnaissance mission. But the official Israeli Army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said Friday that the drone’s flight path and Israel’s “intelligence and operational analysis of the parts of the Iranian unmanned vehicle” indicated that “the aircraft was carrying explosives” and that its mission was “an act of sabotage in Israeli territory.” … “This is the first time we saw Iran do something against Israel — not by proxy,” a senior Israeli military source told me. “This opened a new period.” (Save this link. This may be the first Tom Friedman column in years that has contained news and hasn’t involved praising dictators, or their high-speed rail systems, or involved a colloquy with a foreign cab driver.) Iran has vowed to retaliate: Iran has threatened to punish Israel for its airstrikes in Syria, after reports emerged that an unnamed Israeli military official had confirmed his country was behind an attack on an Iranian drone base in Homs province. Bahram Ghassemi, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, has now warned “Tel Aviv will be punished for its aggressive action. The occupying Zionist regime will, sooner or later, receive an appropriate response to its actions,” Haaretz reported. Earlier this month, at least seven Iranian military personnel were killed in the missile strike on the T4 airfield, including Colonel Mehdi Dehghan, who led the drone unit. Syria, Iran and Russia all blamed Israeli forces. Israel has said if that happens, it will return the favor: And Israel has released aerial images of Iranian facilities along with pictures of their commanders just to underscore the vulnerability of the Iranian command structure and facilities: Iran can’t afford to not retaliate and it may be at the point where it has to retaliate itself and not use a proxy actor. If that happens it is difficult to see how Netanyahu doesn’t carry through on his pledge. From Israel’s standpoint, if the US is looking at trying to disengage in Syria, then provoking an open fight with Iran in Syria and Lebanon has a lot to recommend it. They could extract a heavy price from Iran and Hezbollah and they could do it while the US still has a military presence in the region.
Booklady, Thank God, truly. My feelings have been that the situation in the Middle East, regarding Iran in particular is more dangerous than that of North Korea. Maybe the world will receive another miracle.
The whole world desperately needs peace. Let’s commit to keeping up our prayers begging Our Lady to intercede with Her Son for peace.
Tell them to pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace, since God has entrusted it to her. Saint Jacinta of Fatima
Magnitude 5.5 quake strikes southern Iran, near nuclear plant Associated Press Thursday, April 19, 2018 http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/0...strikes-southern-iran-near-nuclear-plant.html The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck about 60 miles east of Bushehr. (U.S. Geological Survey) An earthquake of at least magnitude 5.5 struck in southern Iran near the country's sole nuclear power plant on Thursday morning, shaking Bahrain and other areas around the Persian Gulf. There was no immediate report of damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 0634 GMT some 60 miles east of Bushehr. That's home to the Bushehr Nuclear Power, the only operating nuclear power plant in the Islamic Republic. The USGS put the earthquake's magnitude at 5.5 while Iranian state television, citing officials, described the quake as a magnitude 5.9. Varying magnitudes are common immediately after a temblor. Iranian state TV did not report any damage at Bushehr plant, which has seen other earthquakes in the past and is built to resist damage from a temblor. It put the earthquake's epicenter near the town of Kaki. The Iran Red Cross described the epicenter as being in a sparsely populated area. In Bahrain, an island kingdom off Saudi Arabia, people on social media said they felt the quake and evacuated from high-rise buildings. The USGS put the earthquake's depth at 6.2 miles below the surface. Shallow earthquakes often have broader damage. A magnitude 5 earthquake can cause considerable damage. Iran sits on major fault lines and is prone to near-daily earthquakes. In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people. Bam is near the Bushehr nuclear plant, which wasn't damaged at that time. In November, a major 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous region of Iran near the Iraqi border, killing over 530 people and injuring thousands in Iran alone. In Iraq, nine people were killed and 550 were injured, all in the country's northern Kurdish region. Iran warns of 'unpleasant' response if U.S. drops nuclear deal: TV April 19, 2018 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...se-if-u-s-drops-nuclear-deal-tv-idUSKBN1HQ33J ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran warned the United States on Thursday of “unpleasant” consequences if Washington pulls out of a multinational nuclear deal, Iranian state TV reported. FILE PHOTO: Iran's national flags are seen on a square in Tehran February 10, 2012, a day before the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl/File Photo “Iran has several options if the United States leaves the nuclear deal. Tehran’s reaction to America’s withdrawal of the deal will be unpleasant,” TV quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying on his arrival in New York. Under Iran’s settlement with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program to satisfy the powers that it could not be used to develop atomic bombs. In exchange, Iran received relief from sanctions, most of which were lifted in January 2016. U.S. President Donald Trump has given the European signatories a May 12 deadline to “fix the terrible flaws” of the 2015 nuclear deal, or he will refuse to extend U.S. sanctions relief on Iran. Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other parties respect it, but will “shred” the deal if Washington pulls out. Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Peter Cooney
The pic is the Treaty Site at Panmunjom in the DMZ between N. & S. Korea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panmunjom I spent a one year tour as an AF Staff Weenie in Korea and went on a tour there as tourists may do. In the pic you are looking North. The Blue Buildings, sit on the exact 38th Parallel Line, are where meetings/negotiations have taken place for 60+ years The impressive looking building is in N. Korea ... but ... it's only about 12' wide. Part of the tour takes you into one of the Blue buildings where there is a stripe painted on the floor depicting the Border .... so you can "walk" into N. Korea or S. Korea depending on your allegiance. Tour Groups, N & S, have their scheduled times. There are always scowling soldiers peering at you from outside. Special US/ROK Army units guard our side (likewise NORK) side. It used to be that USA Guys had to be at least 6' tall and look like Notre Dame Linebackers ... still do I expect. ANYWAY!!! I HOPE & PRAY that GOOD THINGS be happening in Korea and WORLDWIDE!! GOD SAVE ALL HERE & MY COMRADES in ARMS Worldwide!!
Maybe our prayers are being answered... North Korea says will stop nuclear tests, scrap test site April 20, 2018 / 6:29 PM / Updated 30 minutes ago Soyoung Kim, Cynthia Kim https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...p-nuclear-tests-scrap-test-site-idUSKBN1HR37J SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace, the North’s state media said on Saturday, ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the United States. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing the weapons, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. It was the first time Kim directly addressed his position on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs ahead of planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next week and with U.S. President Donald Trump in late May or early June. The pledge to halt the development of nuclear weapons, initiated by his grandfather, would mean a significant reversal for the young leader, now 34, who has staked his security on his nuclear arsenal and spent years celebrating such weapons as an integral part of his regime’s legitimacy and power. A testing freeze and commitment to close the test site alone would fall short of Washington’s demand that Pyongyang completely dismantle all of its nuclear weapons and missiles. But announcing the concessions now, rather than during summit meetings, shows Kim is serious about decentralization talks, experts say.
I actually believe this is not fake news Carol. Why? Because the north as it is presenting now and will in any upcoming agreements will delicately and carefully save face. The South as well as our leaders in the US are willing to accept this in the name of reunification of the Koreas and stability of the peninsula. Notice the end of the article pointedly points out that these efforts are not enough. IMO to raise objection and overturn the apple cart. It is very simple to get around these objections. If the Koreas were at this stage while President Obama were in office the accolades would have been deafening. Funny, how these events began unfolding after Trumps two week trip to the East.
EU urge Russia, Iran, Turkey to deliver on Syria promises Lorne Cook, Associated Press Apr. 25, 2018 http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-eu-urge-russia-iran-turkey-to-deliver-on-syria-promises-2018-4 BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Wednesday called on Russia, Iran and Turkey to ensure a halt to fighting in Syria, as international donors gathered in Brussels to drum up aid for the conflict-ravaged country. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the three have a "special responsibility" to establish a cease-fire and to press Syrian President Bashar Assad to return to the negotiating table. "We are seeing an escalation in military activities which is exactly the contrary" to what they promised, Mogherini said. Around 80 countries, organizations and partners backing Syria are taking part in the donor conference. The EU hopes the meeting will give impetus to stalled peace moves under U.N. auspices, on top of gathering several billion dollars in humanitarian aid for Syria and for neighbors like Lebanon and Jordan, struggling to cope with millions of refugees. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said his country will provide 1 billion euros in new funding for 2018 and subsequent years. The EU, along with many other partners, refuses to help with serious reconstruction in Syria until meaningful peace moves to end the conflict, now into its eighth year, resume in Geneva. Russia's EU ambassador, Vladimir Chizhov, said "it's high time the international community .... takes bold decisions to help Syria and its people get their country back together." Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who faces elections in two weeks, said the plight of Syrians is simply getting worse. "The bitter truth is that despite all our combined efforts conditions have deteriorated. Lebanon continues to be a big refugee camp," he said. Britain's State Minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, agreed that Syria's needs are enormous. "This is the world's greatest protection crisis. If you look at what's happened and what's been done to people — breaches of humanitarian laws, the weakening of multilateral norms that we have seen for a long time — it's all focusing on Syria," he said. "We all know that what we do on a humanitarian basis is only the sticking plaster on the wound. You've got to address the wound itself. So we hope that the seriousness of the conflict and the damage that it's done might be used to further encourage the various parties to get going again." Meanwhile, U.N. Syria envoy Staffan De Mistura has warned that the northern, rebel-held province of Idlib could become Syria's newest humanitarian crisis area. De Mistura said Tuesday that "Idlib is the big new challenge — 2.5 million people." He told reporters that "there are women, children, civilians, and this is looming up there." De Mistura hopes the two-day donor conference "will be an occasion for also making sure that Idlib doesn't become the new Aleppo, the new eastern Ghouta, because the dimensions are completely different." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 177,000 people have fled combat in eastern Ghouta since February. The rest — including about 12,000 fighters — relocated to Idlib. _______ Recent Iranian shipments to Syria concern US intelligence By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent 4/25/2018 http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/msn/r...s-to-syria-concern-us-intelligence/ar-AAwiXGj OR in video form... Edited to add: The following article which explains how Iran obtained those missiles in the article above, Iran to Buy S-300 Missile Systems from Russia for $900 Million 8/18/2015 http://freebeacon.com/national-secu...-missile-systems-from-russia-for-900-million/ The following two articles are on the subject of the money that the Obama administration gave Iran because we will be hearing a lot about this in the next few weeks leading up to May 12th which is the deadline for the renewal of the Iran nuclear deal, $1.7-billion payment to Iran was all in cash due to effectiveness of sanctions, White House says 9/7/2016 http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-iran-payment-cash-20160907-snap-story.html AP FACT CHECK: Trump's Iran cash story oft-told, still bogus (?) 4/24/2018 http://thesouthern.com/news/nationa...cle_12f6fad9-62ec-58d2-aa37-2123be54b746.html
Ollie North on now discussing NK's little leader's halt of testing. They're speaking to the earthquakes caused by the nuke testing, apparently right on border with China, China being very concerned. He offered the news from his own connections that the Iran nuke experts who've been in NK all during this time of testing nukes have left. So looks for the present that little "rocket man" is halting more tests because he has to!
etoa, I am sure that you suspected this as did I. The suspension of the testing is good no matter what the reason. Thank God.
Chemical weapons team gathers more samples from Syrian town By zeina karam, associated press BEIRUT — Apr 25, 2018 http://abcnews.go.com/International...-provide-advanced-air-defenses-syria-54714119 View attachment 7724 (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Fragments of US "tomahawk" cruise missiles captured by Syrian forces in recent attack, are displayed for journalists at a briefing in the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 25, 2018. The Russian military has indicated it will supply the Syrian government with a sophisticated air defense system, after condemning a missile attack launched by the U.S., Britain and France earlier this month. Inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog made a second visit Wednesday to a Syrian town hit by an alleged chemical attack, collecting samples from a new location that will be sent to designated labs for analysis. The suspected poison gas attack in Douma on April 7 has sparked an ongoing clash of narratives between the West and the governments of Syria and its key ally, Russia. Damascus and Moscow insist there was no chemical weapons attack. A Syrian filmmaker accused Russian state media of using images from the set of his 2016 movie to claim that the attack was staged by the West. "I think it's a desperate and cheap attempt by Russian TV to deny the obvious attack of Douma," said Humam Husari, speaking of the images that appeared Sunday on two Russian state-run channels. Opposition activists and first responders who witnessed the attack in Douma, which was under rebel control at the time, say it was carried out by government forces and killed more than 40 people, many of them suffocating in an underground shelter where they were hiding from government airstrikes. The U.S., France and Britain also blamed the Syrian government and launched joint punitive airstrikes targeting suspected Syrian chemical weapons facilities on April 14. Syria's government and Russia have denied responsibility for the chemical attack. They have repeatedly blamed the rebels and opposition activists for possessing and deploying chemical weapons. Russia had even said the attack was staged. On Wednesday, Russian diplomats said they plan to bring evidence of this to the Organization of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Russian Embassy spokesman Mikhail Sobolev said it would bring a group of 15 Syrians who they claim were filmed in "staged videos" of the alleged attack to a meeting at the OPCW on Thursday. Russia's Defense Ministry has also accused Britain of direct involvement in staging video images of alleged victims. Britain vehemently denied the accusation. The OPCW said samples collected by its team in Douma will be sent to its labs for analysis. An earlier visit took place Saturday after the inspectors were delayed for days from getting to the town, just east of Damascus, for security reasons. The inspectors' visit to Douma and sample collection would allow the OPCW to proceed with an independent investigation to determine what chemicals, if any, were used. However, the OPCW is not mandated to fix blame for the attack. The mandate of a joint U.N.-OPCW body delegated to investigate such attacks has expired and Russia has vetoed its renewal. The joint body had found the Syrian government responsible for several previous attacks. Husari, the Syrian filmmaker, denounced the use by Russian state-media of images from the set of his movie to push Moscow's narrative that video showing the aftermath of the April 7 attack was faked. He says Sunday's reports by Russia's Rossiya-1 and Channel One showed behind-the-scenes images from the set of his short film, "Kimawi," Arabic for "chemical," as it was being shot in the eastern Ghouta region in September 2016. A segment on Rossiya-1 also shows an interview with Fares Muhammad Mayasa, identified as a former Army of Islam opposition fighter in Douma, who assisted on a film made by a Syrian director. Husari told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Mayasa was involved in the production of the movie and was detained by security forces days after the attack, when the Douma rebels surrendered the town to Russian military police. He says some of the images from the set of the movie were probably found by security forces on his phone. Thousands of Douma residents left the town after the attack while Russian military police and Syrian security forces deployed in the town, raising criticism from opposition activists that evidence may be tampered with. Others have said that Douma residents who stayed in town under government control would be too afraid to challenge the Russian and Syrian narrative, fearing persecution. Responding to Russian plans to visit its headquarters in The Hague with the Syrians, the OPCW said it has advised the Russian delegation that "these persons should be first interviewed" by the inspectors who are in Damascus. "It was also recommended that such a briefing take place once the (fact-finding team) has completed its work," the statement said. "Nevertheless, the Russian delegation stated that it would go ahead with the briefing and that its intention was not to interfere" with the work of the mission currently in Syria." The suspected attack and retaliation increased tension between the West and Russia. On Wednesday, Russian Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi said Moscow will supply Syria with "new missile defense systems soon." His statement did not specify the weapons, but the remarks follow Russian media reports that Moscow is considering selling its S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Syria. Top officials in Russia said it might reconsider its pledge a decade ago not to provide Syria with the S-300 system. Transferring upgraded air-defense systems to Syria could be seen as an escalation by neighboring Israel, raising the risk of Israeli attacks. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday if Syria uses Russian-made air defense missiles against Israel, the Israeli military would strike back. "What's important to us is that the defensive weapons the Russians are giving Syria won't be used against us," Lieberman told Israeli news website Ynet. "If they're used against us, we'll act against them." Israel has not taken sides in Syria's civil war, but its air force has carried out dozens of airstrikes, most believed to have been aimed at suspected arms shipments to the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah, another key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Israel also has warned that it will not accept a permanent military presence in Syria by Iran, also a staunch Assad supporter. In Brussels, international donors on Wednesday pledged an estimated $4.4 billion in humanitarian aid for Syria and neighbors sheltering its refugees in 2018, falling well short of the more than $7 billion the U.N. is seeking. An estimated 450,000 people have been killed in fighting in Syria since Assad's government cracked down on demonstrations calling for his ouster in 2011. Eight years into the conflict, more than 13 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance; about a quarter of the population is displaced in neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, according to the U.N. U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock described the pledges as a "good start" and said he expected the amount to grow. Still, he said that given the funds available, the organization would have to save it for the most desperate cases. With fighting still raging and the northern rebel-held province of Idlib in danger of becoming a new crisis zone, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged Russia, Iran and Turkey to use their influence in Damascus, saying they have a "special responsibility" to establish a cease-fire and to press Assad to return to the negotiating table. "We are seeing an escalation in military activities, which is exactly the contrary" to what they promised, Mogherini said. Associated Press writers Mike Corder in The Hague, Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed. Edited to add: The following BBC article contains the BBC interview with Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov regarding the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma on April 7th, Syria 'chemical' attack: Experts finally visit Douma site 4/21/2018 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43850979 32:35 BBC Interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Another meeting is planned to discuss Syria without Assad(?), Russia, Iran, Turkey foreign ministers to meet in Moscow: agencies 4/26/2018 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ters-to-meet-in-moscow-agencies-idUSKBN1HX225 Israel will hit Tehran if Iran attacks Tel Aviv: minister 4/26/2018 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-iran-attacks-tel-aviv-minister-idUSKBN1HX15P
