2013: Trend Projections

Editor's Note: 1/13/13

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry"

That quote certainly applies to our efforts to put forward this article topic. We had a draft version all ready to post on New Year's Eve but before we could begin the final version, new information crossed our desk, which quite frankly has stunned this writer. It's also caused something of a re-think on our projections for 2013. The information is very ominous for the Babylon-America prophecies and could affect many other issues as well.The implications are potentially enormous and very sobering.

We've also been experiencing bizarre technical issues related to publishing on the website. We've experienced bizarre ISP service issues that prevent us from connecting to the website and even to the internet itself. This has been ongoing since New Year's but became very intense this past week. Additionally we've been subjected to hacker attacks forcing us to take special security precautions and make changes as well. Added to all of this is the effort to mentally assimilate the latest news developments out of the Middle East and considerations for the next A-O Intelligence Digest edition. So far its been a rough 2 weeks since the New Year began. I only expect conditions to worsen as the year progresses. With all of that in mind, let us proceed to a look at the 2013 trend directions for key issues related to Biblical Prophecy fulfillment.

++++++

Satanic Evil Rearing Its Ugly Head...

In the past few years, evil seems to have begun to accelerate globally and as 2012 progressed the trend of evil seems to have increased rather substantially, particularly in the last few weeks of the  year. Based upon this long-term trend, we can expect to see this trend continuing to grow and probably grow exponentially in 2013 and beyond.

++++++

Another Palestinian Intifada Coming in 2013?

According to statements by Palestinian Authority leaders, the Palestinian movement in the West Bank and Jerusalem are warning that the movement is set to launch another Intifada in the West Bank & Jerusalem if Israel does not stop its settlement expansion and return to the bargaining table. Look for the Israeli Defense Forces to have their hands full if such another uprising develops. It could throw a moneky wrench into Israeli plans to take military action against Iran in 2013.

++++++

Palestinians To Bring War-Crimes Charges Against Israel

Palestinian Authority leaders are warning Israeli leaders that unless Israel returns in good faith to the bargaining table, the PA is prepared to bring war-crimes charges before the United Nations and the International Criminal Court unless Israel returns to the bargaining table and bargains in good faith for full recognition of a Palestinian state. Look for this to play out in 2013.

++++++

The Iranian Threat

At some point: 2013, 2014, 2015 or 2016 - the world will have to face up to a nuclear-armed Iran, UNLESS military action is taken against Iran in 2013.

The Iran Nuclear Crisis

According to Washington insiders and news commentators, President Obama has reportedly committed the nation to take military action against Iran after the March deadline, should Iran continue to stall. Private negotiations began on December 1, but ended abruptly when Iran rejected U.S. conditions for the talks and the 90 day deadline for resolution. It would appear that Iran will not succumb to the increased pressure including a new round of economic/banking sanction.

Even so, there are some insiders reporting that the President is not truly serious about taking military action against Iran in 2013 unless there is conclusive proof that Iran is in the process of finally assembly of a nuclear weapon. According to Washington and Israeli sources the President had assured Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that after the 90 day deadline, the U.S. would move to a war footing and take military action against Iran by mid-summer, which is Israel's deadline for action. Sources report that the President has no intention to take military action unless it absolutely, positively must be taken.

The real question for 2013 is whether or not Netanyahu and his government will remain submissive to the President's agenda once it becomes obvious that Obama will not take military action against Iran, assuming Iran continues to obfuscate the real status of its nuclear weapons program. We are very reluctant to conclude that the Iranian nuclear crisis trend results with military action in 2013 barring any obvious discoveries or a nuclear bomb test.

Of course, war with Iran could develop in a round about manner involving Syria and or Hezbollah. See separate articles on Iran's biological weapons threat against the West.

++++++

The Syrian Civil War

Syrian civil war is geared to continue throughout 2013. Al Qaeda is gearing up to eventually take control of Syria, Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula with an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood. However, Russia has taken recent action to back Syrian President Assad by resuming military supplies including fuel, ammunition and food. It is also sending warships and ground troops as a show of strength and determination to protect the status quo. Yet, the real game-changer in Russian support efforts is the delivery of two dozen "Iskander" cruise-missiles.

The Iskander cruise-missiles are state-of-the-art weapons for which the U.S. or other nations have a known defense. The Iskander simply moves too fast for conventional defenses to adequately respond. The only good news is that the Iskanders are of short-range and not inter-continental. They pose a very severe threat to Syria's next-door neighbors, particularly Israel.

Late news just before Christmas from the Russian Foreign Minister indicated that Russian forces were in control of Syria's chemical and biological warfare weapons. This occurred on the weekend before Christmas when Russian special forces intervened in a battle for a WMD weapons depot. There are reports that the special forces were helicoptered into the raging battle under a white flag. Both sides were ordered to stand down or face immediate eradication by Russia, while the Special Forces removed the dangerous stocks of chemical and biological agents at the depot near al-Safira. Shortly after that incident, the Russian Foreign Minister issued a public statement indicating that the world no longer need worry about the WMD problem in Syria as Russia had the issue under control, without further elaboration on the reason for such a claim.

If, the WMD threat has indeed been removed by Russian control, the Syrian civil war may well see-saw back and forth for the entire year ahead, unless the rebels press too close to victory and force Assad to make a desperation attack on Israel. Such a move would be an instant game-changer, but analysts are convinced Assad will never make such a move.

Meanwhile, the Obama Administration has recently signaled that the U.S. would not sound ground troops or take any sort of intervention to prevent Syrian WMD stockpiles from falling into the hands of Al Qaeda or other radical Islamic terror groups now operating in Syria. For that matter, the US will not attempt to intervene should Assad's regime decide to use chemical weapons against the Syrian people. 

Team Obama is essentially writing off the Middle East and Israel. A new Defense Secretary and Secretary of State are coming to power with the attitude that Israel must be abandoned. We can look for major backstabbing to Israel by the Obama Administration even as the White House overlooks transgressions by Iran involving its nuclear program and gives a carte blanche for Iran to procede with building nuclear weapons. At the same time, Iran presses home its advantage with Syria and Lebanon in preparation for making war upon Israel.

In Israel, Netanyahu's experts believe that after the first 60 days of 2013, the window of opportunity to prevent a nuclear Iran will be reached and after that point, military action will become a moot point.

++++++++

Iran loses its Fear of Being Attacked by USA

And believes USA/Obama will keep Israel from attacking Iran.

+++++++

Turkey & Israel

Relations between Turkey and Israel have been strained to the brink of war during the past two years, but recent developments behind the scenes suggests a shift towards renewed cooperation, at least in regards to the Syrian and Iranian situation. Even so, the two nations remain very far apart on the real bone of contention, the energy deposits claimed by Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Turkey wants to get it hands on at least some of that wealth and is very jealous of Israel's legal claims to the enormous natural gas deposits of the Leviathan field. Israel remains steadfast in its claims to the energy deposits and is prepared to defend those claims with military action if necessary. For now, both sides have put aside their differences, thanks to efforts by the White House directing both nations to focus on the joint threats from Syria and Iran.

+++++++

Palestinian Merger with Jordan?

Palestinian West Bank May Merge with Jordan and thus the need for recognition of Israel is already completed by virtue of Jordan's recognition decades ago. Gaza Strip may also join Jordanian Confederation.

+++++++

World Food Prices To Surge in 2013

Will Hit the Poorest, the Hardest

The UN estimates there will be 5.5% less wheat on the world market in 2013. If the world experiences another shock, such as the droughts experienced in the US and Russia this year, 2013 could prove to be catastrophic for those who already struggle to feed themselves and their families.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++