VIENNA (Reuters) – Iran is pressing ahead with the construction of a research reactor that Western experts say could offer it a second way of producing material for a nuclear bomb if it decides to make one, a U.N. report showed on Wednesday.
Iran has transported the reactor vessel to the heavy water plant near the central town of Arak but has not yet installed it, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a confidential report issued to member states.
Western concerns about Iran are focused largely on uranium enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow, as such material refined to a high level can provide the fissile core of an atomic bomb.
But experts say Arak may also be a proliferation issue as it could yield plutonium for nuclear arms if the spent fuel were reprocessed. Iran has said it has no fuel reprocessing plans.
“Once the reactor operates, it could spawn more than enough weapons-grade plutonium for a bomb per year, should Iran ever decide to do that,” said nuclear expert Mark Hibbs of the Carnegie Endowment think-tank.
The Islamic Republic, which denies it has any intention of acquiring nuclear arms, plans to commission the plant in the first quarter of 2014, the IAEA said.
In its previous report on Iran, in February, the U.N. agency said Iran had almost completed installation of cooling and moderator circuit piping in the facility.
Tehran last year postponed the planned start-up from the third quarter of 2013, a target that Western experts said always had seemed unrealistic.
As reported by Reuters on Tuesday, the IAEA report showed Iran increasing its capacity to refine uranium by installing hundreds more centrifuges at Natanz, underlining Tehran’s defiance of Western demands to curb the activity.
But, in a development that could help buy time for diplomacy between Iran and world powers, the report showed limited growth of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear stockpile and it remained below an Israeli “red line” for possible action.
Tehran’s holding of medium-enriched uranium gas is closely watched as Israel says it must not amass enough for one bomb if further processed and has threatened air strikes if diplomacy and sanctions do not stop Iran’s atomic drive.
Critics say Iran is trying to achieve the capability to make atomic arms. Iran denies this, saying it needs nuclear technology for energy generation and medical purposes and that it is Israel’s reputed nuclear arsenal that threatens peace in the Middle East.
WASHINGTON – The Democratic-led Senate voted 99-0 – with one senator not present – on Wednesday night, on a resolution that the United States should support Israel if it were forced to defend itself from an Iranian nuclear threat. The measure also urged Obama to strengthen enforcement of existing sanctions on Iran.
Earlier Wednesday, a US House of Representatives committee approved legislation seeking to impose tighter sanctions on Iran, the latest congressional effort to slow development of the Islamic Republic’s disputed nuclear program.
Ok, Bride of Christ, I realize that things seem a little surreal these days even as we watch prophecy being fulfilled by the hour. I want to revisit the Boston Bomber for a second. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the Boston Bombing suspect who died, had a YouTube page. That is where I got the video that is at the bottom of this post, and each frame between this segment of writing that you are reading right now, and that video at the bottom, is a screenshot that I meticulously clipped of all of the writing in this video. The writing, even if you watch it on full screen mode, is hard to read. As you scroll down, some of these are still a little hard to read but if you will click on the hard-to-read ones, you’ll get a pop-out page of that one in a larger size. You can stay in that page and go all the way through the gallery by clicking the next frame or just come back and read it here.
This video will show you the eschatology (end time beliefs) of the Tsarnaev’s “flavor” of Islam. They expect an “antichrist” too, whom they call the Dijjal. They also expect Jesus (whom they call Issa) but they claim he will come and refute that he is Lord or God or that he died to save anyone, and he will help their Mahdi kill Christians and Jews. Jihad, killing of non-Muslims, in their belief system, will hasten the arrival of this Mahdi. That is why America and Israel really can’t afford to take any chances on letting Iran advance any further in their nuclear ambitions. Israel knows this. Obama, is either blinded by his own arrogance, or is more Muslim than he has thus far admitted.
There are some people of Islam that believe the spirit of the Dijjal is already here, present in “Westernized” tradition, government, “women’s lib”, etc. Kind of the way we believe that a spirit of antichrist is already at work. It is just uncanny how these things are like distorted mirror images of one another. Although, really, in matters of the occult, mirrors and other reflective surfaces, are believed to be portals to alternate “realities” and realms, so maybe that is simply one of Satan’s favorite “modus operandi”.
Speaking of which; If you have been with me on this blog for a while, and read any of my personal history, poetry, etc, you’ll know that I have had several dreams involving mirrors, and/or glass. I am not superstitious. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I do believe that a spirit realm exists that overlaps our physical realm, and can and does “intrude” into our physical realm. (More so every day) Those spirits are either angelic (sent by God, for a purpose) or they are demonic (fallen angels, sent by and working for Satan). Last night at 10 pm, I walked into my room intending to turn on the air conditioner, and realized that the one in my son’s room wasn’t on either, so I backtracked to go into his room (his door is just steps away from ours) and as soon as I crossed the threshold out of my room, I heard something shatter. Since my hearing is bad, I have a really hard time discerning the direction a noise is coming from, so I looked in Ben’s room, didn’t see anything out of place, stepped back into the living room/dining room area, all was fine, and then went back to my room. The mirror which has hung on the wall near the window (where the air conditioner is) had fallen off the wall and broken. It was old, cheap piece with cardboard backing and the “catch” on the back had worked it’s way out of where the adhesive tape had been used to secure the little piece of hardware. We live in an old house, and stuff like that happens all the time here, especially in Spring and Fall as temps fluctuate widely through out the day, but that just gave me an involuntary shiver for some reason. I think because I stay in a state of awareness about these spiritual developments in anticipation and “watching” as time winds down towards the end. It’s not a sign, it doesn’t mean anything, but I guess why I shared it is that I got that same “hair on the back of the neck” feeling when I was watching this video and especially in hearing the “chant-like” singing in the accompanying sound-track. It’s the knowledge that the “ultimate war of good and evil” is going to commence soon. Thankfully we know how it turns out. I’m ready but I still grieve for those who aren’t. Jesus Christ is the only way of Salvation. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, living a sinless life, then willingly laid down His life in death to receive in His own flesh, the penalty for our sins. He was confirmed dead, buried, but rose again on the third day, and sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven now. Soon He is coming to take Home all of those who believe upon Him, and then a period of tribulation worse than every human tragedy you have ever heard of, all combined will commence on this Earth. Nations will be judged and those who are against Israel cannot prevail. A leader will rise whom the Jews will at first believe is their Messiah. This person will rule the entire Earth for a time, and will cause all people to take a mark demonstrating their allegiance to him. Once that mark is taken, your eternal fate is sealed.
There have been many accounts where Muslims have had a visitation from Jesus Christ Himself, in dreams, etc, and giving them the gospel. Jesus died for you, and He doesn’t want you to be fooled. I am not a Bible scholar, but I have studied the Bible quite a bit, and I get angry when I hear doctrine from false religions that very obviously “resemble” Bible doctrine while craftily, purposefully twisting and distorting God’s Word, borrowing enough from the authentic, to make the counterfeit palatable and believable. Jehovah’s Witness New World Translation and their Watchtower comes to mind, but also the “coincidental” similarities with Islam. The existence of counterfeits only proves that there is one God that is real. Read these screenshots, watch the video, and pray for those deceived by false spirits. We are getting down to the wire.
Maj.-Gen. Eshel says S-300 missile defense system “on the way” to Syria from Russia; hints that advanced platform could embolden Assad; Gantz: The IDF is facing a substantial threat of a multi-arena conflict.
Israel is prepared to attack Syria to prevent advanced weapons reaching jihadi rebels or Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon if President Bashar al-Assad is toppled, Israel’s air force chief said on Wednesday.
Major-General Amir Eshel also said Israelis should brace for a protracted and painful conflict should their forces engage in combat with Hezbollah or its main backer, Iran.
“If Syria collapses tomorrow, we will need to take action to prevent a strategic looting of advanced weaponry,” he told the Fisher Institute for Air & Space Studies near Tel Aviv.
“We have to be ready for any scenario, at a few hours’ notice,” Eshel said.
He assumed fighting could escalate on to three fronts at once and require the Israeli air force to employ “the full spectrum of its might”.
Israeli warplanes have attacked Syria at least three times this year to destroy what intelligence sources described as advanced anti-aircraft and ground-to-ground missile caches in transit to Hezbollah. The Israelis also worry that Assad may lose control of Syria’s chemical warheads stocks.
Beset by the more than two-year-old insurgency, Assad has not retaliated for the air strikes. But some Israeli experts worry his forbearance could wear out – especially if he believes new Russian-supplied air defences will let him fend off his militarily superior foe.
Eshel said the most formidable of the Russian systems, the S-300, was “on its way” to Syria and that Israel could not afford to see its air superiority dented given what he predicted would be the need to hit the other side intensively.
“If we want to prevail within a few days, we need to use a lot of firepower, and quickly,” he said. “Air superiority is critical, and we must contend with a new generation of capabilities.”
Israelis would be mistaken to anticipate a repeat of their lopsided recent clashes with Palestinian guerrillas in Gaza, or their 2006 war with Hezbollah in south Lebanon, Eshel told Reuters on the sidelines of the conference.
“People are looking for a knock-out, for things to be surgical and sterile, but they won’t be. The homefront will be hit, no matter how much we defend it,” he said, referring to possible missile attacks on the Israeli interior from Syria, Hezbollah and Iran.
“If we go to war in the north, we can win, without a doubt, but it will be something entirely new. No one should say, ‘Guys, we are fighting without pressure, so we will finish this story in two months.’ It’s far more delicate than that.”
Chad Groening on what the Obama-scandalrama may mean for 2014 Congressional elections. (Bu-bye “Stinky” Reid and Pantsy Pelosi): Will Republicans Win 3014 Senate Majority? Woo HOO! (As if that will change anything)
And what has Miz Shekinah been telling ya’ll about this stock market “surge”??? It’s not Real!!! It is all sleight of hand! Monopoly-money pumped into the system is like that fix-a-flat air-in-a-can, stuff. It doesn’t magically repair the leak (Hemmorrhage). Getting excited over the stock market setting new records, is like getting excited when you set up your booth at the craft show and sell out everything in two hours, that it took you all year to make, ONLY EVERYBODY PAID WITH MONOPOLY MONEY! America’s Bubble Economy Is Going to Become An Economic Black Hole
Speaking of Monopoly Money, just how long do you think that the insurance companies will continue to be able to pay out, in the face of disaster upon disaster, especially when they start coming back-to-back? Oklahoma City had just begun “Gay Pride Week” when this tornado hit. But that’s just a coincidence, right?
My comment on this: These mystery diseases are rampant, and it was only a matter of time before they began appearing here. There have been concerns about bird flu and other mystery virus in China, and when people in China are forced to work, even when they are sick, hey, all it takes is for a Wal-Mart warehouse worker in the U.S. to open a crate, and set that virus free over here!
(Reuters) – As Russia congratulated its forces for foiling an alleged Islamist plot on Moscow, the discovery of the plan also pointed to the growing security threat before the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is pleased to announce that the 17th Annual International Conference on Economics and Security will be held at SIPRI in Stockholm, Sweden, on 14–15 June 2013. The conference is co-organized by SIPRI and Economists for Peace and Security.
Conference Program
The conference program is under construction. The outline is below, but the details of sessions will be announced later. Subjects for sessions will include:
SMPC 2013 will take place 25 – 27 June 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden. This annual event enables Chiefs of Defence of NATO and Partner nations to share their perspectives on strategic issues of common interest.
Purpose
SMPC is a core event within SACT’s Strategic Engagement Campaign. Its target audience consists of CHODs of NATO, Partnership for Peace (PfP), Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) and Partners across the Globe (PatG), and informs them about NATO’s transformational efforts. By creating a common understanding amongst a wide array of Partners and members of the Alliance alike, the intent of SMPC is to facilitate the exchange of ideas regarding transformation throughout the trans-Atlantic community.
SACT will take the findings from SMPC to craft best military advice regarding NATO’s transformational efforts.
Approach
In the past, the conference was a means for NATO to transmit new concepts and ideas to partners. But as a decade of operations together in places like Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa have both broadened and intensified partnerships, we are re-calibrating SMPC to be a forum for the mutual exchange of ideas.
Hence, this year’s SMPC will address where we stand in terms of partnerships one year after the Chicago Summit and identify ways we can evolve cooperation further. We will look to our shared future and ask key questions: what should we expect and how will we be connected and interoperable, and how will we prepare for emerging security challenges? Answers to these questions will shape our common security frameworks.
Methodology
The conference consists of two major parts:
The CHODs Day:
The first day of the conference promotes strategic-level discussion through presentations. The following Q&A sessions enable national perspectives to dovetail from the presentations. Since the SMEs will be present, it is the hope of SMPC’s organisers that presentations, combined with substantive Q&A sessions, will create common understanding and lay the foundation for the following workshops at the SME level.
The Workshops:
The CHOD’s plenary will be followed by syndicate sessions. These breakouts will allow Representatives and Subject Matter Experts to examine issues in greater detail.
Outcome
National perspectives will be organised into the SMPC Analysis Report, which will feed the ACT transformational development process. The report will be forwarded to all relevant NATO authorities, including the Secretary General, the IS, the IMS, and all conference participants.
The drill, held jointly by the IDF Home Front Command and emergency services, aims to prepare the Israeli population for the undesired event of thousands of missiles and rockets hitting population centers and strategic installations across the country, including unconventional weapons from Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. The simulation will commence Sunday morning with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing a week of national emergency[....]
The fighting in Syria is part of a complex multi-layered proxy war with huge implications for the future of the Middle East
Photo by: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry
Strategic decision time is fast approaching the newly installed Israeli government on several fronts. The chaotic Syrian civil war is showing signs of spilling over into northern Israel; Israeli air attacks on weapons stores destined for Hezbollah could trigger cross-border retaliation; the Iranians are close to crossing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nuclear red line; Gaza-inspired terrorist cells are taking root in Sinai; and, on a different but not unconnected plane, Netanyahu will soon have to decide whether or not he truly wants to embrace a vigorous US-led peace effort on the Palestinian track.
“Don’t let the quiet fool you. A storm is brewing,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz warned in mid-April[....]
John Rappaport is on a roll these days. I have always liked his writing, but he has a way of nailing jello to the wall. Here’s his latest: Authorities never have “issues with authority”
Wow, new ways to kill babies in the womb, I guess turnabout is fair play, the fathers get no say-so in what happens to the baby, but this guy found a way around that issue. Truly deplorable!!!
My heart is breaking over the loss of life in the tornadoes and the obvious ramping up of “alarms” all over America and the Middle East and other parts of the world.
Here are the morning headlines. I’ll likely be on later again today to post more, but these will get you started. Pray for the lost, and pray for Israel, and pray for Christians everywhere. Pray for revival!
