Sunday, December 30, 2012

Falling Short Of Mt. Bibi: The Bennet Plan








Naftali Bennet sounds good, but what about "Rabbi" Bibi and his Beis Din? After all, real Zionism is just another blend of Torat Eretz Yisrael. [If only they knew that.]


Haaretz.com:



I am a despairing Israeli voter, I tell Habayit Hayehudi chairman Naftali Bennett. I am not lunatic left, but I believe in the kind of enlightened Zionism that is now going down the drain. I believe in the Jewish and democratic state that is evaporating. And I believe in the partition of the land, which you are trying to put a stop to. Plus, when I see the limpness and the wretchedness in my own camp and the energy and momentum in yours, I am horrified.

What can you, Naftali Bennett, tell me and people like me who see the end of our Israel in the rise of your Israel? Can you persuade me and my readers that you do not herald the end of the state we have so loved?

Since becoming a political star, Bennett, 40, has gained a bit of weight. After a long day of tiring campaign appearances, he sits across from me at a cafe somewhere in the center of the country. He orders a spicy Asian dish and types a fast facebook status on his laptop - in support of Avigdor Lieberman and against the State Prosecutor's Office. Then he looks at me with the eyes of a dedicated troop leader in the Bnei Akiva national religious youth movement, and tries to assuage my concerns.

"Zionism arose thanks to secularism," he says. "The dogmatic religious establishment in the Diaspora was not capable of initiating Zionism without [Theodor] Herzl's secular involvement. But secular Zionism was an existential Zionism that saw the state of the Jews as a refuge state.

"A state that is 64 years old cannot continue to exist on the ethos of a refuge state, on security alone. After all, if this were the reason for our existence, there are many places that are safer for Jews - like Melbourne, Australia, or New Jersey. They don't send children to the army there, and missiles aren't flying there. Therefore, the time has come to move from the existential Zionism that you come from to a Jewish Zionism. It is necessary to base our national life on a Jewish basis, and it is necessary to give the state a Jewish coloration.

"I don't support religious coercion, but I do believe that Judaism is our 'why': Judaism is the reason for our existence and the justification for our existence, and the meaning of our existence. I know that for your 'tribe,' this is difficult. It is difficult because your tribe established the state in a secular-socialist spirit. And as you see the society changing and the state changing, you feel like you are done for. Your feeling is that the home that had been your home is no longer yours.

"I am not indifferent to your distress. I am also personally connected to your ethos. When I was a child, I had Yoni's letters [the reference is to war hero Yoni Netanyahu] and [military commando] Meir Har-Zion's book next to my bed. So for me it's not tactics and it's not cosmetics. My whole life I've had one foot here and one foot there.

"You are right," he continues. "What is happening is a revolution. Behind the success of Habayit Hayehudi there are deep forces that are changing the face of the country. But for me in particular, it's important to be a bridge to you. One of the biggest challenges from my perspective is to connect you to religious Zionism, too."

But you are about to annex 60 percent of the area of the West Bank, I persist. Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir and Benjamin Netanyahu all refrained from taking this extreme step. Implementing the Bennett plan will bury the two states once and for all. Implementing the Bennett plan will perpetuate the occupation and make Israel a leper apartheid state. Though you are a high-tech person from Ra'anana who has seen the world, I continue, you are entirely ignoring the world. You will bring disaster down upon us by causing the international community to condemn us, and by causing a third of all Israelis to be entirely alienated from that new Israel you will shape.

The chairman of Habayit Hayehudi tells me the international reaction concerns him, and therefore he will not annex most of the territories right at the start of what will be a long process. He believes that, ultimately, the world is busy with the economic collapse of Greece, the United States' fiscal cliff and the slaughter in Syria, and thus it is possible to bring the world to come to terms now with facts on the ground and firm Israeli decisions. Back in 1981, when then-Prime Minister Begin was about to apply Israeli law to the Golan Heights, Shimon Peres and Amos Oz also warned him that it would lead to Israel becoming a leper state. He passed the Golan Heights Law, we received a few criticisms - and we carried on.

Bennett says the internal Israeli rift disturbs him far more. Consequently, he will conduct a dialogue with the center and the left just as he is conducting a dialogue with me right now. But after making the "right" noises, Bennett straightens up and declares we tried Oslo and we tried the disengagement - and we've seen what has happened. If a Palestinian state were to arise in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank ), it would threaten Israel both with missiles and refugees. When he is abroad and when he reads The Economist magazine, it seems to him, too, that the establishment of Palestine is inevitable. But when he drives to Jerusalem via Ariel, he understands that it is not going to happen.

It is not going to happen, he emphasizes. The 400,000 settlers in Judea and Samaria do not make this possible. And when the number of settlers reaches a million, there won't be a person in the country who does not understand that this is the reality. There will be a million - no doubt about that. After the annexation, the economic dynamic will have its effect and people will flock to those areas, which will become an integral part of the State of Israel.

But this does not mean apartheid. On the contrary, he says: The Palestinians will be able to travel in all of Judea and Samaria without barriers and without seeing any soldiers on the shared high-speed roads that will serve both them and the Jewish settlers. They will have freedom of movement and they will have jobs and they will have economic prosperity. They will elect themselves, they will pay taxes to themselves, they will run their own lives in every respect. And in the end, Jordan will be Palestine. There is no chance that, between the river and the sea, a Palestinian state will arise. The two-state solution is dead. There is no need to bury the two-state solution because it is already buried.

Refusal debacle

And what if a different decision is taken, I inquire. If the moment of evacuation comes, will you refuse to obey the order or not refuse to obey the order? Will you behave the way you told ‏(Channel 2’s‏) Nissim Mishal [and refuse], or will you behave the way you promised two days later?

Bennett talks with surprising frankness about the difficult days he endured after last week’s refusal-to-obey-army- orders tempest. He admits that, when he said what he said, he spoke from the heart and expressed his true feelings. But last Saturday he thought it over quietly and concluded that since he is now a leader, responsibility of a different sort is incumbent upon him. He cannot bring about the shattering of the Israel Defense Forces or destroy proper governance and statesmanship.

What will he do when a leftist soldier refuses to obey an order and attributes his refusal to Naftali Bennett’s statement?

He still believes that evacuating a Jewish village or an Arab village is terrible, and the act of expulsion of Jews or Arabs from their homes is an act that should not be carried out. However, if the government takes the decision, he will implement it. And he won’t follow the instructions of the rabbis who preach refusal. In the difficult clash between contradictory values, the unity of the state and the army prevails.

And what about the rule of law, I ask. Where do you stand regarding the supremacy of the law and supremacy of the court?

Now the gloves come off. Bennett’s eyes glitter. In his opinion, the constitutional revolution was a terrible mishap. It has paralyzed the country and it is still paralyzing the country. What former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak did, says Bennett, was to pour sugar into the motor. Judicial activism has meant that, today, it is impossible to do here what Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir did when he established the national water carrier. The Supreme Court justices and the attorneys general are silencing the whole system.

Take the case of Maj. Gen.Yoav Galant, says Maj. ‏(res.‏) Bennett. Let’s assume that Galant was the better candidate for chief of staff, but because of fear of the High Court of Justice, the better candidate was disqualified. Who takes responsibility for the damage this caused to the State of Israel and for the soldiers who are liable to get killed? This is an intolerable situation of authority without responsibility, and there is a need for a comprehensive reform. It is necessary to change the way judges are selected and the way attorneys general work. If he has sufficient political power, Naftali Bennett will bring about a judiciary counterrevolution.

I first met Bennett six years ago. He had returned, appalled, from the Second Lebanon War and wondered what he should do as a citizen in the wake of the war. The Bennett of 2006 was levelheaded, determined and rather impressive. And he wasn’t alone, either. At that time, quite a number of reserve soldiers, reserve officers, academics and businesspeople − from the right and the left − felt they had to rehabilitate the country from the ruination they had just experienced.

However, while the protesters from the left lost their way or went home, Bennett first went to Benjamin Netanyahu as his chief of staff. He then went to the West Bank and founded Yisrael Sheli in 2010. Recently he took over Habayit Hayehudi and became the surprise of this election. He has managed to do for religious Zionism what no shining star has ever done for secular liberal Zionism.

So, when Bennett closes his laptop, shakes my hand and vanishes into the night, it is clear to me that his narrative is not only the story of his upsetting success. The narrative of the 2013 election is also the story of our failure.



Thursday, December 27, 2012

Heaven Is Flooding! Or are We Flooding Heaven?






All [Kinneret Waters] Rise!

Winter '73 is looking Good!


Haaretz.com:


The Kinneret is expected to have risen 25 centimeters since heavy rains began on Thursday, its sharpest December rise in 20 years. The winter storm which hit the country over the past few days weakened on Saturday, but the rainfall has resulted in a monthly precipitation level far above the average for December.

River currents in the north were still high on Saturday, although lower than the record heights reported in recent days. As a result of the increased flow in northern streams, the Kinneret's water level rose sharply, reaching 212.07 meters below sea level Saturday morning.

The Kinneret remains 3.27 meters short of its high-water line. The Israel Water Authority's hydrology service estimates that the water level will rise by another few centimeters on Sunday, to 212.00 meters below sea level.

A similarly sharp rise in the water level during December has not occurred since 1991 and 1992 (during the following months of January and February, there were even higher increases in the water level ).

According to data provided by the Meteo-Tech company, between Thursday morning and Sunday evening, 144 millimeters of rain fell in the Golan Heights; Safed received 125 millimeters - 215 percent of its average precipitation during this month; and at Ginosar, near the Kinneret, 61 millimeters of rain were recorded (157 percent ).

Heavy rainfall was also registered at Kfar Vradim (140 millimeters ) and in Haifa (104 millimeters - 182 percent ). Forty-eight millimeters fell on Tel Aviv (96 percent ), and 55 millimeters in Jerusalem.

The precipitation reached as far south as Ashdod and Kiryat Gat, but failed to affect the Negev this time. Overall, quantities in the south were lower, although Rishon Letzion absorbed 140 percent of its average precipitation for the period.

Multitudes of tourists converged on Israel's north on Saturday to view the swollen streams, especially Nahal Dishon in the Upper Galilee, the Jordan River, and Sa'ar Falls in the Golan Heights.

Snow continued to fall on Saturday at Mount Hermon, reaching a depth of 50 centimeters. The Mount Hermon ski site was closed Saturday due to heavy fog, and is expected to reopen tomorrow.

According to Meteo-Tech, Sunday will be partly cloudy, and temperatures will drop. There is a possibility of local showers, beginning in the afternoon through Tuesday. Temperatures will rise slightly as the week progresses, and no additional rain is forecast.



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Will the Real Moshe Rabbeinu Please Rise! [Move Aside Sar]



Assad - and his [of the last] Yishmaelite Sar [Angelic Host] above is ready to fall. The Yishmaelite Exile comes as the tail to Edom. We know that Jacob was afraid when the end of Edom [at the dream of the ladder] was nowhere in sight. If we are this shlepped out on these last x-amount of Yishmaelite Sarim [as Arab Spring seems to be the process] then perhaps their End is near.

One interesting point, is that Yishmael is to do Teshuva before the Moshiach comes. This seems to be a component that is being fulfilled [which leads me to believe Arab Spring is the falling of the Heavenly Hosts], as I have two personal accounts that suggest as such.

I worked as an English teacher in an Arab Village in Israel. The village was somewhat hostile, but I felt no danger from the institution  as such. The principal was an Imam [and I come in dressed like full-fledged Brisker!] and we go along quite well. I remember on tenth of Teves that year [when Arab Spring began], i noticed a weird behavior by this Imam,as he was telling me about his holiday [Ashura? something like that] where they were to fast...yaddah...yaddah...."because [he says to me] "Moses did with the Israelites" [and their prophet told them this insight about Moses, who is a prophet for them]. I responded to him, "Moshe Rabbeinu did that?! [I couldn't help it, it just came out] and he says, "yes! Moshe Rabbeinu did this!" All I remember is, this Imam said the words, "Moshe Rabbeinu"  - and I'll never forget that. The whole experience  was a bit dangerous from the people that would pass by and see me, but the Imam and his chevre, were on a different mission - one to compete with America, something very Eu-like.

My sister teaches English in Saudi Arabia [now]. Her perception is similar. She explained to me that they also just want to be international players in global competition [like the EU].

From this there are several dynamics: Yishmael's teshuva, Islam, and Amalek. It appears they have done some teshuva, as most do not believe in this flavor of Islam that wants to kill. The problem is, is that Amalek is into every sector of the world, as the Gra states: Erev Rav - Esau - Yishmael. Thus the "religious perversions" of each is actually none other than Amalek, who happens to be very good at brain washing, manipulating, capitalizing, etc.

Old school religion is on the way out. Yushka is dead. Islam wants radical moderation amongst its people, and Torat Moshiach is close by. To stay on topic with Yishmael, they know that Israel/Erev Rav is in deep in the Middle East, and that the Saudis work with Israel. They are actually more like Noahides in waiting than bloodkillers. The problem is, Amalek runs the show, and teaches Islam is killing Jews etc - holding them prisoner to Islam, when in truth, they would probably accept Noahide Laws, they just know it even exists.  They want to be Global, competing, etc. To me, this shows that the world modernizing is good for them, and an inspiration of teshuva. I have seen a bit of it myself as I said. But I also saw my life threatened daily by them, and their Amalekite influence engraved into their hearts.

The World is very ready for Noahide Laws and Torah Moshiach - only Amalek is waging his war now, and has captive most people. To this the Gra states: to be joined with Amalek - is better if you hadn't been created - for obvious reasons. Jews are put to death, and Islam becomes what we see on the news. But if their teshuva would go through, and Amalek would fall, we would see unprecedented Noahides in every sector. As I said, the lehman Muslim has largely moved on, and it is his traditionalism [and its inertia and shallow belief system] that remains blood thirsty; he could drop it if something better came up. The stumbling block is Amalek [as it is for the whole world.] Jews would come to Torah, if  Erev rav/Katan would not promote hidden Amalek agendas.

With that said, it looks like Yishmael, teshuva, Amalek, is all coinciding together. May we quickly see Amalek die, Yishmael do Teshuva, and a Moshiach ben David appear, as the Gra states: Beta - Achishena: In its time, then the whole baalagan!

It looks like  Assad's angel is grasping that Amalek card - and when it lets go, we could see the teshuva that may/appears to be/have been going on.
I wouldn't say my experience in the village was pleasant, and my sister is not "safe" - but we both agreed: something is going on [over there]. And I'm hoping that something is a story of teshuva.

YNetnews.:

According to the IDF, the escalating clashes between Assad's army and rebel forces have prompted the Syrian president to increase his artillery and anti-aircraft missile purchases; which Israel believes amounted to $2-$3 billion over the past two years – more than in the past 40 years combined.

IAF Chief Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel said last week that "Syria has various weapon systems, including a vast arsenal of unconventional warfare. We have to be prepared for multiple scenarios."

Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the United States and Russia are likely to formulate a plan for a power transition in Syria by February.

According to the report, the agreement will allow the UN Security Council to sponsor a transitional government as part of the United Nations' efforts to stem the bloodshed in the war-ravaged country.

The paper alleged that Russia – which has so far blocked any Security Council resolution against Damascus – has come to terms with the fact that Assad's regime is beyond redemption and is now interested in pursuing a solution that would stop Syria from slipping into anarchy.

Also on Wednesday, the London-based Arab newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat quoted a Syrian defector, who served in Assad's chemical warfare division, as saying that the Homs bombing in which sarin-like gas was used, was Assad's way of testing the waters vis-à-vis the international community.

The US, EU, NATO and the UN have all warned the Syrian president that using chemical weapons on civilians would carry serious international consequences.

The defector, identified in the report as Abd al-Salam Abd al-Razaq, said that a chemical weapon was used in the shelling, and that "using the gas in Homs was Assad's way of feeling the international community's pulse on the matter."

The gas used, he added "dissipates quickly, allowing Assad's forces to sweep down on the area within 30 minutes."

He further warned that the international community is unlikely to be able to get a sample of the gas "unless you're there when it's being used… Syria has large caches of Sarin, Mustard and Tabun gas."



Tuesday, December 25, 2012

The Twisting Satan: Welcome to Naftali's World




Naftali Bennet: New Premier of Israel?

One thing struck me right away with him: Naftali Bent = בנט = שטן in atbash. Just an observation at this point.

Maybe he beat out Bibi?


Haaretz.com:



After what he described as “a crazy weekend,” Habayit Hayehudi head Naftali Bennett sought to further distance himself from remarks made last week in which he said he would refuse an order to evict Jews from their homes in the Palestinian territories.

Speaking in English to a large, international crowd at the Tel Aviv port on Sunday evening, Bennett, a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces, called such a command “too much to tolerate” but said the obligation to obey orders supplanted one’s personal convictions.

“Every soldier has to obey democratically given orders, myself included,” he said, before launching into a discussion of his business experience and political platform.

As head of the right-wing Habayit Hayehudi party, he said his two-fold mission is “to restore the Jewish soul to Am Yisrael” and to “make it possible for anyone [Jewish] to live in Israel, especially young people.”

Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bennett said succinctly: “I will do everything in my ability, forever, to prevent a Palestinian state from being founded within the land of Israel.”

Once elected, he said his first priority would be to make housing more affordable, noting that real estate prices have increased by 40 percent during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s term in office.

“All products are too expensive, and it’s just one of the toughest places to live price-wise in the world,” he said. “I almost see that as un-Zionist.”

Calling the ultra-Orthodox “our brothers and sisters,” Bennett said that Torah study is vital to the Jewish people but added that “the current situation where most Haredim don’t work and don’t serve is untenable, it’s unacceptable.” The line drew heavy applause.

Instead of forcing all of the ultra-Orthodox to enlist, Bennett said the state must create more opportunities for those who are willing to serve in some way. He said he had conducted his own research and found that there are many more ultra-Orthodox who want to enlist in the military or do national service than there are open slots for them.

“They have the biggest sanction over them already: poverty,” he said. “They don’t want to be poor anymore, especially the young generation.”

When asked his views about religious equality in Israel, and specifically about the arrests of women who participate in monthly prayer services at the Western Wall organized by the group Women of the Wall, Bennett said he subscribes to the principle of “live and let live.”

“The flip side is we want to retain the Jewish identity of the state,” he said. “It’s something that we have to sit down and have a dialogue [about]. Some things won’t happen the way you want.”

Bennett's appearance was arranged by the Tel Aviv International Salon, which also invited Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid to speak to its patrons earlier this month. The son of American immigrants who moved to Israel before he was born, Bennett frequently played to the international audience.

Alluding to the firestorm over his remarks about disobeying orders, he quoted U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt, who said that “there is no effort without error and shortcoming.” At one point he feigned a strong Israeli accent and joked about cultural differences between Israel and America, where he spent several years running a hi-tech company. With a wink to the current administration, he noted that there are no Hebrew words for “competence” or “accountability.”

A potential voter, who gave his name as Mitch B. and who immigrated to Israel from Baltimore four years ago, said he was not entirely swayed by Bennett’s pitch. “I like that he’s self-made in America, so I think he knows how to get things to work efficiently without corruption,” he said. “My concern is that he lacks certain leadership characteristics. He’s not a Bibi.” 



at least its not going to be a Democrat named Obama. Which anti-Messianic contender shall it be? They all seem to fit the bill coupled with grandiose delusion, so whats new?



Monday, December 24, 2012

The Truth! [Well, almost, captain]







In Klippah, unlike horseshoes, "Almost" usually is enough to get the job done.

Take Yishmael for example; his approach to "religion" and source of his claims to land is his belief that he is close, close enough even, and that equates to victory.

While Israel is in Galus, the "essence" of Torah is somewhat tainted, awaiting the revelation of Torat Moshiach to clarify matters where doubt has arisen, or where the Truth has remained buried within Torat Moshe. This revelation is prophesied in Malachi as Torat Emes. In fact, in places in the Talmud where the Rabbis do not know an answer in a particular matter, the Talmud offers a phrase [in short form] called "Teiku" - "Tishbi [Elijah] will answer questions and difficulties." On that level, the Jewish People will have every tool necessary to perpetuate God's Eternal Rule.

Thus while in exile, there are a lot of areas in the Torah that remain subject for debate, areas that are vital to our existance, future, etc. Among the topics of interest: Biblical Borders [of Geulah], Torah of Geulah/Moshiach themselves, role of the gentile in the future, etc. Moshiach must clarify these matters, or at least the era of. [which per force then Moshiach would be a part of]

Yishmael says: God gave "a" Torah [which the Jews "distorted" he claims] but we don't know its absolute truth...yet neither do the Jews [he says]..so if they aren't on it, and "I" am close, I guess "I" win! This is klippah's strategy: if its not [yet] you, it must be me. [Klippah, i.e. impure people; with or affected by Amalek, the nation who seeks to destroy Holiness]

Every Wisdom or Truth is susceptible to an Amalekite attack, from Torah to science. The "Higgs Boson" search is one area that is famished with Amalekite infrastructure, due to the nature of the prize: being associated with the God Particle of Physics. It allows one to pasken out Creation[ism] while being soaked within his ego...all by being [and selling] "how close he is" while taking advantage of a reality that is not yet known or distinguishable. If this happens in science, it is unfortunate that it happens against Torah as well.






Scientists at Europe's CERN research centre said on Wednesday they may be able to definitively announce at a conference next March that they had discovered the elusive Higgs boson.

But they dismissed suggestions circulating widely on blogs and even in some science journals that instead of just one type of the elementary particle they might have found a pair.

CERN researchers said in July they had found what appeared to be the particle that gives mass to matter, as imagined and named half a century ago by theoretical physicist Peter Higgs. But they stopped short of saying for sure it was the Higgs boson, pending further research.

"The latest data we have on this thing we have been watching for the past few months show that it is not simply 'like a Higgs' but is very like a Higgs," said Oliver Buechmuller of the CMS team at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. "The way things are going, by the Moriond meeting we may be able to stop calling it Higgs-like and finally say it is the Higgs," he told Reuters, referring to the annual gathering which will take place at the Italian Alpine resort of La Thuile, 120 kms (75 miles) from CERN, on March 2-9.

Suggestions that there may be two Higgs, a particle that made formation of the universe possible after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, emerged after a progress report by CERN scientists last week. Its definitive discovery that would almost certainly win a Nobel Prize.

Commentators, including one in the journal Scientific American, said differing measurements - so far unexplained - of the new boson's mass that were recorded by ATLAS - a parallel but separate research team to CMS at CERN, indicated there might be twin particles.

"That is quite an exaggeration," said Pauline Gagnon, a scientist with ATLAS. "The facts are so much simpler: we measure one quantity in two different ways and obtain two slightly different answers.

"However, when we combine all the information, we clearly get only one value. Since we have checked all other possibilities, it really looks like a statistical fluctuation. Such things happen." Buechmueller, whose CMS team found no such variation in their measurements, said he agreed there was no special relevance in the ATLAS discrepancy. "It will probably disappear when more data is in and analysed," he added.

The $10-billion Large Hadron Collider, a 27-km (17-mile) circular construct deep under the Franco-Swiss border, will shut down for some two years in February to allow a doubling of its power and its capacity to probe cosmic mysteries


 Look Closer. Are you being told the almost truth, or the simply put: Truth. The fine print is where the pudding is, and unfortunately, if the print isnt on the newest iphone app, its not worth the investigation. And for that, Sheker reigns and Truth waits. 
Teiku.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Secrets of Torah of Pilpul






Noahidenations.com


 Click Here For Parashas Vayigash - Just 1 Click Away!




                Happy End of the World If You Are Mayan!


Thursday, December 20, 2012

Burning Down the House: Loaded Smoking Gun







What happens when Julian blows the whistle? That really will bring down this frail house of cards, otherwise known as the last remnant of Olam HaZeh.

Is Australian [Pole Shift - per Mazal?] Mazal going to bring a new NWO, one of which where all roads lead to Zion, as opposed to NY, London, or wherever else.

Australia is primed to be players in revamped Mazal, and Julian is prime to get things rolling in the Redemption of Truth, Kol HaTor 101.

H''T Joe and Leo

SydneyMorningHerald:


The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says the "door is open" for talks to break the deadlock over his campaign to avoid extradition to Sweden. He has made a rare public appearance on a balcony at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to mark the six-month anniversary of his sudden arrival at the building. He has since been granted political asylum by the Ecuadorian government but has remained inside the embassy. The Australian will be arrested if he steps outside as he has broken his bail conditions. He thanked his supporters, who stood in the street outside, some carrying lighted candles.

He said: "Six months ago I entered this building. It has become my home, my office and my refuge. Thanks to the principled stance of the Ecuadorian government and the support of its people, I am safe in this embassy and safe to speak from this embassy."

He said he had been sustained by the solidarity of his supporters and people around the world supporting WikiLeaks and freedom of the press. "While my freedom is limited, I am still able to work and communicate, unlike the 232 journalists who are in jail tonight." The 41-year-old Australian spoke of his secret-leaking website’s ‘‘achievements’’ in 2012 and plans for 2013, including a further one million documents ready for release.

‘‘In Australia, an unelected senator will be replaced by one that is elected,’’ Mr Assange said of his recent announcement he would stand for a Senate seat at the 2013 election.

Mr Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden over allegations of sexual assault, which he denies. He fears being sent to the United States to be questioned over his whistle-blowing website. He said the Pentagon claimed recently that the existence of WikiLeaks was an "ongoing crime".

"While that remains the case and while my government will not defend the journalism and publishing of WikiLeaks, I must remain here," he said. "However, the door is open, and the door has always been open, for anyone who wishes to use standard procedures to speak to me or guarantee my safe passage." TV crews from across the world filmed the speech.

There was an added police presence outside the embassy. Some of Mr Assange's friends and supporters listened from inside the embassy, which had a Christmas tree in the reception area and many cards dotted around. Mr Assange made special mention of Bradley Manning, the American soldier arrested over the leaking of military information.

The ambassador, Ana Alban, was also inside the embassy. She issued a statement reconfirming Ecuador's support for Mr Assange: ‘‘At a time of year when people come closer together, Ecuador reaffirms the solidarity that our country gave six months ago to a person who was being persecuted for thinking and expressing themselves freely.

‘‘Now is a moment for reflection and togetherness. On behalf of my country, I reiterate our support for Julian Assange.

‘‘Julian has become a guest in this house that we all have learned to appreciate.‘‘We understand the situation is extremely difficult. It is not a desirable situation for any human being. However, each of the people who work on this diplomatic mission offer our care and support, which is what every citizen of Ecuador and Latin America would do in conditions where a human is affected. ‘‘Often it is necessary, as we have done in our beloved country, to stand up and face those enemies of democracy that far from seeking unity and peace among the citizens of the world, instead seek to ruin socialist peoples and dominate on behalf of small groups of people.‘

‘I reiterate the message of peace, thought and reflection our government wants to offer all those who, like Julian, fight every day to preserve freedoms in a world that has entered a period of change for the good of the people.’’ 



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Magog's Gog and Gog's Magog




Pollard was working with Pakistani intelligence. 

What is interesting, is that in Islam, Pakistan is the arena for their Gog V' Magog war. From their end, End Times are real, as Pakistan is the heart of Islamic turmoil on many fronts. It makes sense that Jews [invested in dodgy affairs] would be involved with Pakistan on issues they would deem "Messianic." The signs are on many fronts.

Another interesting point to take in is this: Gaza, and its relationship to Jewish Gog V' Magog.

If the Geulah comes B' Rachamim [which I believe and feel it will]; a righteous [from teshuva] generation [in motion to develop] - then perhaps we caused the bomb shower to be reduced to a poor showing of fireworks.

Converge on Jerusalem - check
War - check
Ishmaelites - check
All the Nations against Israel - check
Prophetic - check
End of days - check
etc. etc. - CHECK

It could be that from here on out, the Geulah will awaken le'at le'at - as it is told in Talmud Yerushalmi Berachot: The Geulah will come like the first rays of sunlight in the early morning hours, growing stronger and stronger as the day commences.
We see this in Malchus Beis David in Zerach and Peretz: First is Zerach, with the rays of light "Zerach" the horizon, followed by Peretz, "busting" out into broad daylight.

Esau shows us in the Torah, that his weakness is that he is tired, and too tired to fight once the fight is on; Esav never even has the power to fully engage Yaakov, resorting to a kiss/bite of the neck, that Yaakov endures, and eventually wrestles Esav's angel instead - and wins, meriting Israel by name. The most Esav can do, is to let us not pass through his land. In the End of Days, we are promised Mt. Seir anyways, and perhaps the Jews of the diaspora will be urged to make Aliyah anyways. 
Ishmael is to do Teshuva in the End of Days, and hopefully the moral of Arab Spring was to come to this place: a place of Teshuva.
"Melech Moshiach": is the Spirit of God hovering over the waters of Creation - Midrash Rabbah
What are these waters? - Teshuva
Lets hope the World has now had enough; enough of the lies, enough Amalek, enough burying children, etc. etc.
Now is the time of Teshuva. And for whatever Pollard has or has not done, it is on record from Ha Rav Mordechai Eliyahu that the Shechinah resides with Pollard, awaiting their release, and a pending Geulah. The one major Pollard brings to the table, is his Teshuva, as witnessed by the Rav. 
We need a change of Mazal [from galus neurosis] - any change on that level needs a major zchus. There is no more of a zchus, than Teshuva.
In the time of the Exodus, Moshe was delivered to Israel, to Zchus his dor. 
May Moshiach be amongst us, with eternal Teshuva in hand, to provide the necessary zchus, to bring a Geulah B' Rachamim, Clouds of Shamayim, and a Heavenly Temple ready to serve in  and a Mazal Tov Meod to Mankind.
[B''H Moshiach is with us, at least in spirit (as the Midrash suggests) and has reduced the Chevlei to a birth like the day of Chava in gan Eden, the way birth is supposed to be!]


Dawn.com:


In 1984 and 1985, Mr Pollard passed on to his Israeli handlers several sets of official US documents about the Kahuta plant.

Mr Pollard, although an American citizen, spied for Israel while working for the US Navy’s intelligence service. In 1987, he was sentenced to life in prison for spying but can be released on parole on Nov 21, 2015.

Last week the CIA released a classified document — “The Jonathan Jay Pollard Espionage Case: A Damage Assessment” — it had prepared on Oct 30, 1987.

The document, declassified on an appeal by the George Washington University’s National Security Archive project, contains previously classified information about Mr Pollard’s activities as an Israeli mole in the US intelligence system. The archive is a non-profit organisation working to reduce secrecy in the US government.

In a testimony to the trial court, former US defence secretary Caspar Weinberger said the documents Mr Pollard provided to the Israelis could fill a 6’x6’x10’ space.

The CIA document showed that Mr Pollard focused on “Arab (and Pakistani) nuclear intelligence; Arab exotic weaponry, including chemical weapons; Soviet aircraft; Soviet air defences; Soviet air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface missiles; and Arab order-of-battle, deployments, readiness”.

In a section titled “Implications of Compromises — What Israel Gained from Pollard’s Espionage”, the document reveals that “Mr Pollard’s stolen material, from the Israeli perspective, provided significant benefits [redacted] …. Page 59, [redacted] Pollard’s deliveries concerning PLO headquarters near Tunis, Tunisian and Libyan air defences, and Pakistan’s plutonium reprocessing facility near Islamabad”.

Israel used this information to attack the PLO headquarters in Tunis in Oct 1985.

There are 10 references to Pakistan and its nuclear facilities in the document but details have been erased from the copy posted on the archive’s website.

At one place, the CIA says that “political and economic intelligence was deemed less valuable than military and technical material” about all Middle Eastern countries, which one of Mr Pollard’s handlers, Yagur, defined as “ranging from Morocco to Pakistan and from Lebanon to Yemen.”

Some pages also contained information about the Afghan war and Pakistan’s role in that war.

Although the CIA document does not reveal what the Americans knew about Pakistan’s nuclear programme, other recently declassified documents, posted on the same website do.

The records show that by 1980s the Americans knew that Pakistan had a fairly advanced nuclear programme, but Islamabad’s support for the US-led war against the Soviets in Afghanistan prevented them from taking any major action against the Pakistanis.

In July 1982, the Reagan administration sent former CIA deputy director Gen Vernon Walters to meet Gen Muhammad Ziaul Haq with US intelligence reports about “an upswing of clandestine Pakistani efforts” to procure nuclear weapons. Confronted with the evidence, Gen Zia acknowledged that the information “must be true”, but restated earlier promises not to develop a nuclear weapon and made pledges to avoid specific nuclear “firebreaks”.

In 1986, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency director Kenneth Adelman also warned the White House that Pakistan was secretly enhancing its nuclear capability, but “top levels of the US government let relations with a friendly government supersede non-proliferation goals as long as there was no public controversy”.

One document claims that the Reagan administration did not even want the Pakistanis to share their secrets with them because they “feared that … the ‘truth’ would have made it impossible for them to certify to Congress that Pakistan was not developing nuclear weapons”.

And on that certification “rode the continued flow of aid to assist the Afghanistan resistance,” the document adds.

The records suggest that “lack of trust and confidence was an important element in the US-Pakistan relationship, as it is today”.

By the early summer of 1981, State Department intelligence estimated that the Pakistanis were “probably capable of producing a workable device at this time,” although the Kahuta enrichment plant was unlikely to produce enough fissile material for a test until 1983.

But in December 1982, Secretary of State George Shultz warned President Reagan of the “overwhelming evidence that Gen Zia has been breaking his assurances” of not making a nuclear weapon.

In the spring of 1987, senior State Department officials wrote that Pakistani nuclear development activities were proceeding apace and that General Zia was approaching a “threshold which he cannot cross without blatantly violating his pledge not to embarrass the President”.


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Light Out Of Africa



Africa and Judaism.

Just...Interesting, and quite different. Ten Lost Tribes? The infusion is probably much needed; soul into Judaism is a good endeavor.


NPR.com:


"Being welcomed by and embraced by Igbos, who take Judaism so seriously ... it raises the question of what it means to be a Jew," says William Miles.

A handmade menorah in Abuja.

William Miles/Markus Wiener Publishers Three years ago, Miles, a self-proclaimed semi-practicing Jew, decided to celebrate Hanukkah in Africa's most populous country. He wrote about his experience in a new book called Jews of Nigeria: An Afro-Judaic Odyssey. He tells NPR's Tell Me More host Michel Martin that he found "a very Jewish community, but also a very African community."

The Igbo are an ethnic group in the southeast of the country. Miles explains that a long oral history connects them to one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel. "The tribe of Gad made its way all the way to West Africa, and they have been preserving ancient Israelite Hebrew traditions ever since, and so they claim they are just rediscovering their old roots," he says.

But based on his experience, Miles explains, there is more to the recent embracing of their beliefs.

"Even though they claim that they're going back to their ancient roots, it's only in the last couple of decades that they are actually practicing as Jews in a way that is recognized in global Judaism," he says.

Miles describes the Jewish Igbo as the "world's first Internet Jews." Through online research, they learned more about how Judaism is practiced throughout the world and started to master Hebrew. "It's really tough to learn Hebrew on your own," Miles points out, but "they are masters at it."

Miles says their celebration of Hanukkah would be "very familiar to any American Jew who plops down in Abuja." The main difference is their access to Jewish ritual objects to celebrate with. For example, instead of lighting candles at home, they lit a makeshift menorah at the synagogue. "Picture this: Coke bottles, which they painted ... a wooden box to put them in, and then put whatever candles they have."

A Nigerian boy receives a dreidel for Hanukkah.

William Miles/Markus Wiener Publishers "I have to say, Nigerians take religion very seriously," he says. Miles describes meeting Jewish Igbos who had made some significant sacrifices for their faith. One told him, " 'My wife ... insisted that we should go back to Christianity. Look, I said, I have found the faith of my forefathers, there's just no going back. So we parted, just like that, because of the religion.' "

The Jewish Igbo are not yet recognized by Israel's rabbinate, but Miles says that does not matter to them. "They are happy to be acting, practicing, worshipping as Jews," he says.

It's this commitment that Miles feels should raise questions for him and others in the Diaspora who "don't really feel that it's that important to practice Judaism." He claims that "if any Jew has the privilege to spend time with this Igbo Jewish community ... they would acknowledge that they have a lot to teach Jews around the world what it means to be Jewish."





Monday, December 17, 2012

Uh, Oops? Chutzpah Anyone?







What's up with the Syrians killing Palestinians?! Talk about royal chutzpah!


Haaretz


Syrian government warplanes struck a large Palestinian refugee camp in the capital Damascus on Sunday, prompting a massive exodus, reported an opposition group.

At least eight civilians were killed in the bombardment of the Yarmuk camp in southern Damascus, added the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The attack was followed by fierce clashes inside the camp between rebels opposing the regime of President Bashar Assad and pro-government Palestinian militiamen, added the organization.

The Yarmuk camp is home to around 100,000 Palestinian refugees. State media have, in the past, reported that rebel forces had taken shelter in the camp, which could have prompted the attack.

A hospital in the area could not cope with the large number of the people injured in the airstrike and the ensuing fighting, added the Observatory.

Palestinians residing in Syria have largely stayed out of the 21-month conflict between Assad's troops and the insurgents seeking his ouster.

Rebels have recently been fighting government troops in and around Damascus, raising the possibility that Assad could lose his hold on the capital. Elsewhere, government troops and rebels were battling for control of key military installations in the northern province of Aleppo, reported the Observatory.

The fighting was taking place near a military academy named after Assad, as well as at a government intelligence building, it added. Fighting was also raging in the vicinity of a military airport on the outskirts of Aleppo, said the organization.

The two sides have been fighting for months in Aleppo, Syria's biggest city, with rebels claiming major gains.

The Local Coordination Committees, a network of opposition activists, said that at least 100 people were killed Sunday in Syria, mainly in and around Damascus. News from Syria is difficult to verify as authorities have barred most foreign media from the country.

The UN warned on Sunday that violence in Syria is set to raise the number of Syrian refugees to 1.8 million by 2013 and urged the international community to boost its response to a conflict "unlike any other."

UN Refugee Agency High Commissioner Antonio Guterres told reporters in the Jordanian capital Amman that the UN was preparing a new aid appeal to meet the needs of a projected 1.1 to 1.8 million Syrian refugees by the end of 2013. 'We are facing the possibility of 2013 being much more difficult than 2012 - you can believe the financial needs for 2013 will be substantially higher," Guterres said.

In a regional tour earlier this month, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned that the ongoing funding gap is hurting efforts to provide the basic needs of some 500,0000 registered Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the rebels in Syria cannot emerge victorious from the 21-month-long conflict.

Nasrallah, a staunch ally of Assad, said: "The situation in Syria is getting more complicated - but anyone who thinks the armed opposition can settle the situation on the ground is very, very mistaken."

Syrian rebels accuse the Shi'ite group of sending fighters to Syria to help Assad, who is trying to crush a revolt against his rule. The group denies these accusations.







Will the World please wake up? 
Obama: Liar
Banking: Liars
Middle East: Lies
etc. etc. etc. etc...

...no one even thinks to cover up their lies; it is assumed that the people will not even research to find out the truth...if you tell them the truth, they all of a sudden are not able to hear it.

But the chutzpah is out of control...and on that note, the famous Mishna in Sotah says of the End of Days: Chutzpah will be everywhere...We must certainly be quite close!




The Mishnah in Sotah 49 states:
 "IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MESSIAH INSOLENCE WILL INCREASE AND HONOUR DWINDLE; THE VINE WILL YIELD ITS FRUIT ABUNDANTLY BUT WINE WILL BE DEAR;3 THE GOVERNMENT WILL TURN TO HERESY AND THERE WILL BE NONE TO OFFER THEM REPROOF; THE MEETING-PLACE OF SCHOLARS WILL BE USED FOR IMMORALITY; GALILEE WILL BE DESTROYED, GABLAN DESOLATED, AND THE DWELLERS ON THE FRONTIER WILL GO ABOUT BEGGING FROM PLACE TO PLACE WITHOUT ANYONE TO TAKE PITY ON THEM; THE WISDOM OF THE LEARNED WILL DEGENERATE, FEARERS OF SIN WILL BE DESPISED, AND THE TRUTH WILL BE LACKING; YOUTHS WILL PUT OLD MEN TO SHAME, THE OLD WILL STAND UP IN THE PRESENCE OF THE YOUNG, A SON WILL REVILE HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER WILL RISE AGAINST HER MOTHER, A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN- LAW, AND A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD; THE FACE OF THE GENERATION WILL BE LIKE THE FACE OF A DOG, A SON WILL NOT FEEL ASHAMED BEFORE HIS FATHER. SO UPON WHOM IS IT FOR US TO RELY? UPON OUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN."

All happening as we speak, more and more by the moment.


5773?


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Fresh Off The Torah Press!

Noahidenations.com

Click Here To Read Rabbi Katz on Parashas Miketz! [It's Just One Click Nu!]

  • Moshiach ben Yosef
  • Shem, Yaakov, Yosef
  • Twelve Years of Yeshiva in Jail
  • Ben Zekunim
  • Torah Shleimah
  • Mazal Everywhere
  • Yosef the Righteous

Click Here To Read New Blog Post: Ancient Torah News - Bris of Noach!


  • Bris Noach
  • The Bris in Zohar
  • Praying for Creation
  • The Bris of God
  • The Foundation Stone
  • Original Bris
  • Ger Tzedek
  • ...and the Ger Tzedek
  • One Mazal

Torah IS The Gold!


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Textbook Insanity: Again and Again and...







Here's the 'ole story again [and again and again]:

Pras vs. Edom - Talmud Yoma

And yes, we know its a machlokes who wins, but can't anybody tell us WHEN this will finally go down?!

The Americans are threatening again. Then it will be Israel, followed by another provocation by North Korea, throw in some Putin, and stiff neck from Merkel with a closing performance of good 'ole Assad - Sgt. Chemical.

Oy, its the same players over and over again...Ad Matai Hashem! No need for the baalagan, just bring Moshiach already, as its clear the world save for these neanderthals are ready for it B''H.
I'm actually starting to think we are closer than ever, as virtually every prediction is nearing its conclusion.

And although I'm mixed on my belief system of expectation 2012, the Terence McKenna theory of Timewave Zero [search the blog for past articles] seems the most true - as we are definitely headed into unprecedented novelty these days.

...and now this update from the Persian Gulf -


The Telegraph




The flagship $4.5 billion carrier, a 100,000 ton floating city with a crew of 5,000, was despatched four months earlier than planned to bolster the United States Navy's already formidable force in the region, the Fifth Fleet. Its mission is to keep some of the world's busiest shipping lanes open in its most combustible region; at any moment America's standoff with Iran could escalate into a crisis.

"Could there be a threat?" asked Rear Admiral Mike Shoemaker, the man who would command any mission to force open the sea lanes. "Yes is the answer. Is it manageable? Also yes."

Admiral Shoemaker, a wiry man with a Navy buzz cut, runs through the likely threats: anti-ship cruise missiles; midget submarines; speedboats on suicide missions. Iran's conventional air force and navy are clapped out and no match for the US Navy, but they had years of practicing mine-laying. "If they sunk a tanker, that could shut the Strait for a couple of days or a week," Adm Shoemaker said. "But we could deal with that quite quickly. A massive mine-laying effort, though, would take a while to clear." Related Articles

Life on board an American aircraft carrier off the coast of Iran 24 Nov 2012 Britain views pre-emptive strike on Iran nuclear facilities as illegal 26 Oct 2012 Armada of international naval power massing in the Gulf as Israel prepares an Iran strike 15 Sep 2012

Iran plans military exercises in preparation for Israeli strike 16 Sep 2012 Last year, Iran's navy held mine-laying wargames. In September, America and its allies ran their biggest ever mine clearance-exercise, indicating the likely nature of a future conflict. This weekend the carrier is briefly docked in Bahrain, the headquarters of the Fifth Fleet.

But if America is drawn into another big war in the Middle East, a key nerve centre for operations will be the admiral's bridge on the ship, a surprisingly uncluttered space. There are only two computer screens, a big telephone, and an old-fashioned ship's compass. The view is spectacular, high above a heaving flight deck, the length of three football fields, where screaming jets land and take off. Most are flying daily combat missions over Afghanistan.

As the ship patrolled not far from the Strait of Hormuz, officers on the bridge pointed out the different planes: Hawkeyes, which see over the horizon with radar; Prowlers, which blind the enemy's electronic eyes; and Hornets, the ones that do the damage by dropping precision-guided bombs as heavy as one ton on any target the admiral chooses. Iran's nuclear sites are within easy range. The bombs are now nearly all precision-guided by laser and GPS. The biggest can be carried by a jet, but landing with a one-ton bomb is too risky so they are dropped at sea if they are not used against an enemy.

The crew boast of being ready for any mission, 24 hours a day, but there is little enthusiasm for a new war with Iran, America's old enemy in the region - and currently crowing over the fact that long-range rockets it supplied to Gaza were a key part of the armoury launched against Israel 10 days ago.

"I hope it's never going to happen, nobody on this boat is looking for a fight, but if it does we have the capability," said Ordnance Handling Officer William Donals, 46, the man in charge of preparing bombs to be loaded on planes.

"I was in the Gulf in the run-up to the 2003 war and back then it was different," he said. "There was a lot more energy and a sense that something was about to happen. This time it's more a sense that we are ready if we are needed." The Iran problem is a chief foreign policy headache for the newly re-elected President Obama, who tried a mix of sanctions and diplomacy in his first term to stop Iran's alleged ambition to build the Bomb, without much success. Now he is expected to try again with greater urgency, and so the temperature is rising again in the Gulf. The White House has not ruled out air strikes; Israel gives the impression it is only American pressure that has restrained it from sending in the bombers.

Iran, its economy buckling under sanctions, has pledged that if it is attacked it will block the Strait of Hormuz, the 21-mile wide entrance to the Gulf, and thus send the price of oil sky high, jeopardising the fragile world economy. On an average day, eight supertankers each carrying two million barrels of oil traverse the Strait - about 35 per cent of the world's seaborne oil. There are fears that as Iran's economy crumbles, its leaders could at some point lash out in desperation. America has promised to keep the Strait open at all costs, and that may become Admiral Shoemaker's mission. Prior to being an admiral he was an aviator - the usual career route to the top in the US Navy. He has years of experience in the Gulf region, mainly flying against the forces of Saddam Hussein.

What keeps him up at night is fear of stumbling into an accidental war. The two nations have repeatedly skirmished at sea since Iran's Islamic revolution three decades ago. Now both are careful. American and Iranian ship's officers regularly communicate by radio, speaking in English, carefully avoiding discussion of politics. Even the Revolutionary Guard's navy is generally polite. Its boats sometimes sail close to American vessels, but not too close.

However, the two sides have started to probe and test each other. Earlier this month the Pentagon announced that two Iranian jets had fired at a US drone for the first time, as it flew over international waters. The drone got away, in an embarrassing demonstration of the competence of Iran's pilots. Then Iran announced new war games, to test the air defences of its eastern border.

The Americans say they are careful not to push back too hard. "We are aware of what we are doing and always working hard to avoid some kind of miscalculation, something that could be interpreted as a hostile action," Adm Shoemaker said. Last time he was in the Gulf, during the 2011 pull-out of US forces from Iraq, Iranian leaders crowed about the US "retreat", and when the Stennis departed for home waters, they boasted that they would never let her return. Navy officers have the unenviable task of trying to work out whether bombast like that emanating from the regime is wild rhetoric or cold, hard threat. "I wish I knew a little bit more about them," Admiral Shoemaker said. Asked if he thought Iran's leaders were rational, he admitted: "It's a good question. I am not really sure."

Those under his command wonder what they are sailing into. "There may be a lot of rhetoric at the diplomatic level, but it's just day-to-day routine operations for us," said Steve Scott, the commanding officer of an F-18 Superhornet Squadron. "When you are far out at sea, you can feel a little bit cut off from the real world, but we all watch television and we know about the situation with Iran," said Michael Nicholas, 29, whose job is to move jets around the deck prior to take-offs and landings.

"We feel we have a purpose, we are the first line of defence, and we are right in their back yard."

Meanwhile, life on board goes on in the cramped and labyrinthine passageways and huge hangars. The working day is long and hard, typically 12 hours spent under a baking Gulf sun for those working on deck, with a weekly half day off. Enlisted sailors sleep 100 to a dormitory and eat in canteens. Many admit they are desperate to get home towards the end of an eight month mission. There is one treat to look forward to - the 100th day at sea, when the ship traditionally drops anchor and lowers a deck so sailors can swim in the ocean, with a barbecue afterwards on the flight deck.

Alcohol is strictly forbidden, prayers are said over the ship's intercom, and although dating is allowed - there are 600 women on board, and the average age of ratings is about 19 - "intimacy" is not. Time off is spent catching up with sleep or watching the ship's 24-hour movie channel.

Tension is never far off, and on the flight out to the carrier from Bahrain in a Greyhound logistics plane, The Sunday Telegraph got a glimpse of it when a mystery reconnaissance aircraft emerged from Iranian airspace. "That's never happened before," said Lieutenant-Commander Julio Galvan, 39, the pilot, as he peered through the cockpit's window. For a while the two aircraft flew in parallel, a mile or so apart, before the mystery plane banked and headed towards the mountains of Iran's coast in the distance.

Soon afterwards, the Greyhound flew high over the Strait, where dozens of supertankers were queuing as they waited their turn to get through. "I don't think that plane was any threat to us," Commander Galvan said. "We've learnt to live with the Iranians."

That understanding has helped keep the peace in the one of the world's most militarised waterways. But how long it will last is anybody's guess.




Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The Rocket From Hell






Double "Oy" out of the North Korean front.

North Korea has finally launched their intercontinental missile, one that can potentially reach American soil.
This has implications as the Korean peninsula is home to Seoul, which is said to be the place of "Hell." Bill Clinton was famous for saying that once he laid eyes on North Korea, he said it was literally hell on Earth.

In the blogosphere, there is a well-hashed idea that Gog v' Magog would erupt out of North Korea, based on the hell concept along with the fact that they are completely Meshugah, i.e. this rocket launch. [which has been anticipated for what seems like forever]

Will the Koreans finally be the straw that breaks the camel's back? It is also ironic that South Korea is filled with Love of Israel, shown in many ways, especially in their desire to learn Talmud, in hopes of achieving a status of being "Jews of the East." It would be symmetrical then if North Korea would represent the exact opposite, in which case, perhaps they want to push Gog's buttons - Obama anyone?


YonhapNews:



North Korea's apparent success of a multi-stage rocket launch will deal a blow to U.S. President Barack Obama's "strategic patience" of waiting for Pyongyang to change its course first, experts said Wednesday.

On the other hand, an emboldened North Korean leader Kim Jong-un now holds more cards, they added.

"This success will likely affect the way other countries view the North," said David Wright, co-director and senior scientist for the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The mysterious communist nation's previous launch of a long-range rocket fizzled out about 90 seconds after lift-off, fueling doubts over its missile capability.

The North conducted two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. The question is whether its missile can reach the U.S. mainland and whether it can mount nuclear warheads on that.

With the success of the North's latest rocket launch, confirmed by the U.S. military's initial assessment, it became hard for the U.S. officials to dismiss Pyongyang's claim of its missile technology as just a bluff.

Criticism is expected to grow in Washington over Obama's strategy on Pyongyang.

The launch is "the latest alarming chapter in a decades long story. U.S. policy toward North Korea is a long running failure," said Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), who will become the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee next month.

An informed diplomatic source said Washington is likely to come under more domestic pressure, while Pyongyang has to up the ante.

"The threat of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile has become really serious," the source said. "This may prove to be a game changer Bruce Klingner, a senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation, agreed, saying, "It would represent a significant new security threat to the United States."

The fresh security situation came at a politically sensitive time for Obama, who is set to begin a second term as he faces the daunting task of harmonizing with the winner of South Korea's presidential elections on the North Korea policy.

Although Obama will have to keep focusing on Iran, Syria and Afghanistan issues on the diplomatic front, it will be difficult for him to leave North Korea on the back burner.

The initial U.S. reaction will be seeking to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang through the U.N. Security Council.

Following the North's April launch, the council issued a chairman's statement expressing "its determination to take action accordingly in the event of a further North Korean rocket launch or nuclear test."

Few expect tougher sanctions will be possible, given China's reluctance to push its communist neighbor too far so as to trigger regional instability.

China has a new leadership, which may take a different gesture on North Korea's provocation, but it is unlikely to change its approach fundamentally.

"The United States, South Korea and Japan will be forced in this situation to demand major sanctions against North Korea," Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst at RAND Corp., said. "China will have to decide whether it will continue to allow North Korea effectively dictate Chinese policy on such issues."

Bennett stressed that Pyongyang's rocket launch appears to have been attributable to internal factors linked to Kim Jong-un's attempt to solidify his control in his first year in power.

In that sense, he expected further provocations such as another nuclear test.

Ken Gause, a senior analyst at CNA Strategic Studies, pointed out that with the successful rocket launch, the young leader's rule got off to a good start.

"The regime seems to have achieved its goal of ending the first year of Kim Jong-un's rule on a major up note," he said.

Donald Gregg, the former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, called for Washington and Seoul to explore new ways to deal with North Korea.

"We need to work together to forge a new policy toward North Korea, based on serious, patient negotiations," he said. "We should not rush to a hostile reaction. It could be counter-productive to our long-range interests."


Fuel for Gog?

 
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