Middle East News Spotlight 2-26-12
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Middle East News Spotlight
For February 26, 2012
Editor's Note: See separate pages for news relating to Syria and Afghanistan. Also note that the general headline content indicates that the Mideast is a ticking time-bomb just waiting to explode. Just remember, there's been a tremendous amount of very 'scary' headlines strongly suggesting a major war is not far away, yet we should note that God has a way of stalling the intentions of others, when such intentions do not match with God's prophetic time line. We'll have additional coverage in the next couple of days, including another A-O Intelligence Digest report as well as some other features. We're also working on some Prophecy Study articles dealing with the Magog and Babylon prophecies and possible alternative interpretations, particularly concerning Babylon-America.
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Rioting on Jerusalem's Temple Mount
Rioting broke out Friday on Jerusalem's Temple Mount as hundreds of Arab protesters hurled rocks. Israeli security forces entered the Temple Mount plaza to break up the rioting.
In a rare move, Israeli forces followed retreating Arabs into the Al Aqsa Mosque and threw 'stun' grenades into the Mosque to dispell the rioters. 11 policemen were injured along with 15 Arabs. The Friday incident comes on the heels of several, smaller incidents during the week on the Temple Mount. For more details, LINK HERE. Additional details, LINK HERE.
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UN Nuke Experts Turned Away By Iran
Dims Prospects For Peaceful Agreement
A second visit by a UN nuclear watchdog team from the IAEA yielded no tangible results after Iranian officials denied them access to key installations and rejected IAEA requests to interview key Iranian nuclear personnel. The rejection of the IAEA team has raised serious doubts within the international community that Iran is serious about re-starting negotiations on its nuclear program. Indeed it may pave the way for Israel to launch military action sooer rather than later. For more details on this latest development, LINK HERE.
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Iran Prepares for Kamikaze Attacks
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US Bulks Up Iran Defenses
To Defend Strait of Hormuz
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New Concerns...
Iran Expanding Nuke Activity
Inside Mountain Bunker
Enrichment Production Tripled
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Israel Under Pressure From All Sides
Israel is now under pressure from all sides to refrain from military action against Iran. The White House has been sending a steady stream of officials to advise Israel against launching any military action against Iran's nuclear facilities. It's not only the Americans. The EU is exerting pressure. Russia, China, India and even Japan are pressuring Israel to avoid war.
We now learn that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has been summoned to Washington for in-depth talks, ahead of Prime Minister Netanyahu's upcoming visit with President Obama at the White House on March 5. For more details, read YNET News coverage of the emerging pressures against Israel. LINK HERE.
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US Senator McCain Decries Pressure on Israel
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Iran's Supreme Leader Says:
No Obstacles Can Stop Iran's Nuclear Course
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Iran's Deputy Defense Minister:
"Iran's warriors are ready and willing to wipe Israel off the map"
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Iran Threatens Pre-Emptive Action
Against Enemies Amid Nuclear Tensions
According to the deputy-head of Iran's military forces, Iran would take pre-emptive military action against its enemies if it felt its national interests were endangered.
"Our strategy now is that if we feel our enemies want to endanger Iran's national interests, and want to decide to do that, we will act without waiting for their actions,'' Mohammad Hejazi told the Fars news agency, NBC News reported.
Iran also announced air defense war games in the latest of military moves interpreted as a message to the West that Iran is prepared to defend itself and retaliate. The war games dubbed "Sarallah" or "God's revenge" are a four-day effort taking place in the sourthern portion of Iran. More details from MSNBC - LINK HERE.
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Retired Israeli General Warns
Iranian Threats Must Be Taken Seriously
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US On Guard Against Possible
Iranian Terror Plots in USA
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Russia Warns Israel To Not Attack Iran
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Warns
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Attacking Iran: Up in the Air
Op-Ed article from British newspaper examines the probability of an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. It paints a very rosy assessment that Iran is still two years away from a bomb and evaluates possible attack routes by Israel. It also evaluates the effectiveness of military strikes by either Israel or the U.S. Read the article at the LINK HERE.
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Iran Moves Warplanes To Protect Nuke Sites
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Jerusalem Post:
Assessment of Israeli Strike Capabilities
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Israel's Top General Says:
Situation Unstable
But No Immediate Danger of War
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Preview of New UN/IAEA Report on Iran
A new report by the IAEA on Iran's nuclear progress is expected to be issued in a few days, but Israel's Haaretz newspaper has an insider preview of what to expect in the report. You can read details on what to expect, just see the LINK HERE.
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UN Sees Spike in Iran's Uranium Production
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Israel's PM Netanyahu Says
"Mums the Word" on Iran
Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has told all of his cabinet ministers, military officers and government heads to not speak publicly about Iran, its nuclear program or the possibilities of a military confrontation with Iran. Political analysts see this as an attempt at damage control, in advance of Netanyahu's upcoming trip to the White House tentatively set for March 5. More details on this story, LINK HERE.
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Egyptian Prez Candidate Warns US/Israel
Egyptian Presidential Candidate, Tawfiq Okasha has declared that the Egyptian Army will go to war against Israel, the USA and the EU within 3 months. Read the full details on this story, LINK HERE.
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What If Iran Get's The Bomb?
What Next?
Shrill Warnings Have Never Been So Strident
Or Ominous Says Christian Science Monitor
Scott Peterson, of the Christian Science Monitor, reports on the emerging clamor over the potential of a nuclear Iran, noting that the warnings of war and imminent apocalypse over Iran's nuclear program have never been so strident, so shrill or so ominous as they are now. Peterson also notes reports indicating that the window for military prevention of a nuclear Iran is fast closing is weighing heavily on politicians and government leaders around the world. Read Peterson's insightful article, LINK HERE.
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Israelis Fear Homefront Vulnerable
To Iranian Attacks
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US/Israel Planning For
"All Options" on Iran
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Iran & Pakistan Forging New Alliances
Iran and its neighbors in Pakistan are forging new trade alliances of late, including the barter of wheat for fertilizer and iron-ore. More on this latest trade development - LINK HERE. More on Iran's President Ahmadinejad's recent visit to Pakistan for closer ties - See the following - LINK HERE.
We remind readers that both nations have been exploring the idea of supporting each other on foreign policy and military cooperation. Pakistan supports Iran's nuclear program and share similar policies of a regional nature, including support for Syria's President Assad. The presidents of both nations have recently made visits to each other's capitals for ongoing cooperation.
Prophecy watchers should understand that Pakistan is one of the nations prophesied by Ezekiel to be a part of the Magog confederacy, as portions of western Pakistan as well as eastern Iran and western Afghanistan were once home to the Magogites at the time of Ezekiel's prophecies. With the recent crisis in Afghanistan over the burning of copies of the Koran, we are also seeing the Afghan government aligning more closely with Iran as well as with Pakistan, which again underscores the nature of Ezekiel's Magog War prophecies.
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Oil Prices Rise on Iran War Concerns
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Media Trying To Tamp Down War Talk
In the midst of heated rhetoric and talk of military action against Iran's nuclear program, the Los Angeles Times has run a curious headline and story which is very old news but seemingly relevant.
The LA Times article says that a consensus of 16 US Intelligence agencies concluded that Iran is not - repeat - NOT - trying to develop and build nuclear weapons. This conclusion was circulated to US government officials and lawmakers at the beginning of 2011, more than one year ago. It also cites earlier estimates from 2007 and 2004 which mirrored similar conclusions.
The Times article concludes with a downplay of recent intelligence reports from the UN and the IAEA as well as Israeli sources. In other words, we have an "anti-war" article which dismisses an Iranian nuclear threat as just fiction. Why post such an article now? To create "chaos" and confusion in advance of major developments just around the corner. To read the article, LINK HERE.
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Turkey to Purchase New US Fighter Jets
Will Spend $16 Billion on F-35 Joint Strike Fighters
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