Russia to Deploy Precision Strike Missiles in Western Atlantic - Bill Gertz - https://freebeacon.com/national-security/russia-to-deploy-precision-strike-missiles-in-western-atlantic/
Russia is deploying long-range, precision cruise missiles to the western Atlantic that American defense officials say will allow Moscow to target Washington and other East Coast cities with conventional or nuclear attacks.
Moscow is adding Kalibr land attack cruise missiles to both warships and missile submarines that Moscow plans to use in Atlantic patrols near the United States, sorties that were once routine during the Cold War.
The new sea-based Kalibr deployments are expected in the coming months, according to officials familiar with intelligence reports of the Russian maritime operations.
The land-attack version of the Kalibr, known as the SS-N-30A by NATO, is a relatively new weapon and was showcased for the first time by Moscow in attacks on Syria that began in 2015
Russia has stated that over 100 Kalibr missile strikes were carried out against Islamic terrorists and other anti-Syrian government rebels.
The Office of Naval Intelligence in 2015 said the Kalibr is deployed on Russia's new Sverodvinsk-class nuclear attack submarine as well as older submarines and surface warships. A total of 32 Kalibrs can be launched from missile tubes on the new submarine.
Nuclear-armed Kalibrs will be deployed on Russia's new Borei-class missile submarines as well as the attack submarines.
Most of Russia's surface warships and many coastal vessels are being outfitted with the long-range missile.
The missile is considered very lethal because it flies close to the sea surface, frustrating efforts to detect and strike the missile with anti-missile systems.
"Russia plans to deploy Kalibr capability on all new design construction of nuclear and non-nuclear submarines, corvettes, frigates, and larger surface ships," the ONI said in a report, noting the missile gives even modest vessels "significant offensive capability."
"The proliferation of this capability within the new Russian Navy is profoundly changing its ability to deter, threaten or destroy adversary targets."
The missile also comes in anti-ship and anti-submarine variants.
According to ONI, the Kalibr land attack missile has a range of between 930 miles and 1,550 miles.
That range means a ship or submarine armed with Kalibrs and located 1,000 miles off the U.S. coast could target all American cities stretching from Boston to Miami and as far west as Chicago.
Kalibr is a concern for U.S. military commanders in Europe as a result of their deployment on ships and submarines in the Mediterranean and areas near Europe. The missile has been compared to the Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile.
Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO commander and commander of the European Command, told Congress last spring he is concerned about the submarine-launched Kalibr.
"The activity level of their maritime forces is up in Europe," Scaparrotti told the House Armed Services Committee, adding that the deployments were not normal.
"Most of their ships now have a Kalibr system on them," he said. "It is both conventional and can be nuclear, if they choose to do so. It's a very good system. It provides reach and precision, and, of course, wherever they have a ship, whether it's undersea or on the surface, many of their ships now have the Kalibr system on them."
Scaparrotti said the Russians are making "rapid progress" in developing the new Severodvinsk nuclear attack submarine, more capable Kilo submarines, and Kalibr cruise missiles.
Vice Adm. James Foggo III, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe, described the Kalibr as a missile "I'm very interested in."
"It's a capable weapon system and from where the Russians operate it's capable of targeting any capital in Europe," he said. "Do I think they'll do that? No, I don't, because I think that the NATO Alliance operates from a position of strength."
Foggo said it's important for the United States to know the location of Russian submarines in the European theater at all times.
Asked during a Pentagon briefing if all Russian submarines can be detected where they sail, Foggo said: "Well, I prefer not to comment on the tactical details and the operational issues. But I can tell you that we hold an acoustic advantage, and we will continue to do that. Our boats are the best in the world."
He also warned last year about the growing threat of Russian undersea warfare capabilities.
"Russia has renewed its capabilities in the North Atlantic and the Arctic in places not seen since the Cold War. For example, Russian forces have recently reoccupied seven for their former Soviet Union bases in the Arctic Circle," Foggo said.
"The improved capability of Russia to be able to project power into this [European] region and these strategic routes from the Arctic into the North Atlantic and the [Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom] Gap is something that we need to pay particular attention to."
Russian submarines, Foggo said, "today are perhaps some of the most silent and lethal in the world, with the exception of our own."
Kalibr missiles deployed on a variety of launch platforms have "shown the ability to reach pretty much all the capitals in Europe from any of the bodies of water that surround Europe."
"We know that Russian submarines are in the Atlantic, testing our defenses, confirming our command of the seas and preparing a very complex underwater battlespace to try to give them an edge in any future conflict," Foggo said Oct. 4 in a podcast. "And we need to deny them that edge."
A Navy spokesman had no comment and a spokesman for the Northern Command, which in charge of defending the U.S. homeland, also declined to comment.
Mark Schneider, a former Pentagon nuclear analyst, said the Russians have stated that the Kalibr will be a major weapons system for the Russian navy and will be dual-capable-armed with both conventional and nuclear warheads.
"The Russians say the long-range version of the Kalibr is a nuclear capable missile with a range of 2,000 or 2,500 kilometers [1,242 miles or 1,553 miles]," Schneider said.
Russian state-run media reports have identified the new Severodvinsk-class submarine with Kalibr missile as part of the strategic nuclear forces, he added.
"There is no reason it can't be used against the U.S.," Schneider said. "Its range is comparable to the early Polaris missiles which were our strategic deterrent in the 1960s."
The Kalibr is one of two main weapons systems that Russia plans to use in any future strikes on the United States. The second is the advanced Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile that can be armed with either conventional or nuclear warheads.
The Washington Free Beacon reported in 2015 that Russian bombers practiced cruise missile strikes on the United States from launch areas off the coast of Canada in September 2014
Last month, Russia President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow will soon deploy a new hypersonic missile capable of defeating U.S. missile defenses. The new missile called Avangard was flight tested last month and traveled at a reported Mach 30-more than 20,000 miles per hour-while maneuvering and changing altitude.
Putin has stated that Russia may produce a land-based version of the Kalibr because of the U.S. pullout from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Also in December, Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russian magazine National Defense, stated that Russia could deploy its submarines close to the United States.
"Our submarines, too, might have surfaced suddenly some place in the Gulf of Mexico to shock America," Korotchenko said. "We have the corresponding forces of our submarine fleet there. We do not do that for the simple reason our purpose is not to show off in such a silly way, but to cope with the assigned tasks."
Russia claimed in state media earlier this year that in 2013 a Russian submarine sailed into the Gulf of Mexico undetected.
A Russian submarine officer asserted that an Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine armed with Kalibr cruise missiles came within "missile strike distance from one of the main bases of American submarines," an apparent reference to the Kings Bay submarine base in Georgia.
The Free Beacon reported in 2012 that the Akula-class submarine sailed in the Gulf of Mexico.
However, the chief of naval operations at the time, Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, denied the incursion in a letter to Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas). "Based on all of the source information available to us, a Russian submarine did not enter the Gulf of Mexico," Greenert said.
The Kalibr also comes in an export version known as the Klub that are deployed in a launch cannister disguised as a shipping container, making it an ideal missile to fire from the deck of a merchant vessel.
Will Israeli-Iranian Shadow War Trigger Ezekiel 38? - By Yaakov Lappin - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2854
It didn't take long for the recent Israeli Air Force strikes on Iranian or Hezbollah targets in the Damascus area to receive Russian condemnation.
Russia issued a public rebuke to Israel, accusing it of conducting "provocative" attacks. The Russians also claimed to reveal operational details about the airstrikes, saying that six Israeli F-16 jets fired missiles at targets in Syria from Lebanese airspace.
According to the spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry, the strikes endangered two civilian airliners that were on their way to land at airports in Damascus and Beirut. The spokesman claimed that Syrian air defense intercepted most of the Israeli missiles--a claim that remains unverified, and which could be part of a face-saving effort on behalf of the Assad regime.
These comments reflect a wider Russian frustration over its failure to end a shadow Israeli-Iranian war that continues to rage in Syria. It is a low-profile conflict, mostly fought away from the headlines, in which Israel is playing an active defense against Iran's offensive attempt to set up a war outpost in Syria. Hundreds of Iranian targets in Syria have been destroyed in the past 18 months alone.
Iran seeks to create weapons factories, missile bases and a Shi'ite army of 100,000 fighters in Syria, while Israel has no intention of letting it succeed. Iran's tendency of using Syria as a transit zone for moving advanced weapons to Hezbollah, in neighboring Lebanon, is also a violation of an Israeli red line, which has triggered many reported airstrikes in the past.
This shadow conflict is a threat to the stability of the Bashar Assad regime. While the regime has no desire to get involved in a war with Israel and would rather focus on reconstruction, it is forced to issue "permits" to Iranian activities since Assad owes his existence to Tehran.
Assad also gets dragged into the conflict when his surface-to-air missile batteries fire at Israeli aircraft, attracting Israeli return fire. When Iran uses Syrian military bases for its purposes, it also pulls the regime into the firing zone. These encounters are flashpoints that can escalate into a wider conflict.
Russia is not happy about such risks. It has invested military efforts to rescue the Assad regime from defeat, and it wishes to safeguard its investment.
In the process, Moscow has partnered up with radical Shi'ite forces led by Iran and Hezbollah, which were already neck deep in the battle to save Assad.
Now, however, the Syrian war is largely over, and Russian President Vladimir Putin wishes to convert his gains in Syria into geo-strategic benefits. Yet Moscow must now worry about a new conflict that could end up jeopardizing Assad.
Russia has already tried to put the brakes on Israel's campaign in September. At that time, Syrian anti-aircraft fire, targeting Israeli jets, accidentally shot down a Russian intelligence aircraft, resulting in the loss of 15 crew members.
Russia blamed Israel for that incident and saw it as a turning point to restrict Israel's activities. It armed Assad with advanced S-300 air-defense batteries as part of an effort to deter Israel. Yet the latest events show that when Israel sees a necessity to prevent a new threat from growing in Syria, it continues to act.
On the ground, Russian attempts to keep Iranian-backed forces away from the Israeli border have not been very successful. Shi'ite militias and Hezbollah units are deeply embedded among the Syrian army's forces that stormed southern Syria earlier this year.
Despite Russia's rebuke and posture against Israel's actions, it is the Iranian axis that is jeopardizing the stability of the region.
Publicly, Russia is taking a stance against Israel alone, probably to avoid a showdown with Iranian-led forces on the ground in Syria, which Moscow still needs to keep the Assad regime safe. But behind closed doors, it seems highly likely that the Kremlin is not very pleased with Iran, Hezbollah and other members of the Tehran axis for attracting Israeli fire.
'Not prepared to accept Iranian entrenchment in Syria'
Israel, for its part, is signaling absolute resoluteness to continue with its preventative active defense campaign. This campaign has two goals: disrupt the force build-up of the enemy and try to avoid an all-out conflict in the process.
The Israeli campaign is based on calculated risks, the most advanced intelligence imaginable and long-range precision firepower. These come together to form an Israeli gate around Syria, blocking Iranian plans to take over.
Comments made on Wednesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contained the latest signal from Jerusalem regarding its total commitment to continue this way for as long as necessary.
Speaking at an air-force pilot cadet graduation ceremony, Netanyahu said: "We are not prepared to accept the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, which is directed against us. We will act against it vigorously and continuously, including during the current period."
Netanyahu made clear that a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from eastern Syria will have no effect on Israel's preventative policy.
Warned the prime minister: "We stand firm on our red lines in Syria, and every other place."
God is Moving - By Daymond Duck -
Legitimate prophecy lovers know that God is moving toward a definite goal or objective: the fulfillment of every jot and tittle of His Word.
Pres. Trump's decision to quickly pull all U.S. troops out of Syria is an example.
First, prophecy teacher and ex-military man Sean Osborne reminds us that Israel is protected by God, that God is in control and this is part of God's plan.
Pres. Trump can't do anything without God's permission.
Second, prophecy teacher Amir Tsarfati said God is moving and America's withdrawal will speed up the Battle of Gog and Magog.
Many students of Bible prophecy have expected the Battle of Gog and Magog to happen for a long time, but it hasn't.
It will happen when God gets ready, and the U.S. withdrawal could be a signal that God is getting ready.
Sen. Marco Rubio said, "Iran will step up activity in southern Syria (near Israel's border), which will elicit increased Israeli strikes that could lead to a new and far deadlier Israel-Hezbollah war."
He is probably right, and stepped up activity by Iran will speed up the Battle of Gog and Magog.
It seems reasonable to believe that this stepped-up activity will come in the next few weeks, not the next few months or years.
Third, in the Battle of Gog and Magog, the merchants of Tarshish and all of the young lions (perhaps England, the U.S. and others) stand around and ask questions about taking a spoil and a prey without helping Israel (Ezek. 38:13).
The Scriptures infer that God will cause Israel to face her enemies alone (without the U.S. and others) so that God will get the glory and not others (Ezek. 39:6-7).
Fourth, the removal of U.S. troops from Syria will open the door for Russia, Iran and their Islamic allies to rapidly (means very fast) build up their forces for an attack on Israel, and we know that God said Israel's enemies will ascend and come up like a storm (Ezek. 38:9) which suggests that they will rapidly (means very fast) gather for a last-ditch effort to plunder and destroy Israel.
Fifth, Israeli officials are stunned over Pres. Trump's withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria which means God is pushing Israel to put more reliance on Him and His promises and less reliance on Pres. Trump and his promises.
Sixth, Prime Min. Netanyahu said Israel will protect herself, but according to the Bible, Israel will be protected by the archangel Michael (Dan. 12:1), and Russia and her allies don't have a chance.
Seventh, it was reported that the diplomats working for the U.S. State Dept. in Damascus will also be withdrawn.
The presence of U.S. diplomats in Damascus could be one reason why Israel has been reluctant to bomb some parts of Damascus.
Praise God for removing America's diplomats from Damascus before that city ceases to exist in one night (Isa. 17:1, 14).
Come to think of it, withdrawing our troops from Syria before Israel drops a big bomb on Damascus could be a good thing.
Eighth, Pres. Trump wants to strengthen America's forces in Iraq which is the same thing as strengthening America's forces closer to Iran.
Those who believe the ancient city of Babylon (in Iraq) will be rebuilt might find this intriguing because the security of Iraq impacts the security of Babylon.
In a related matter, God told Gog to prepare for the Battle of Gog and Magog, and to be a guard unto her allies (Ezek. 38:7).
It has been reported that Russia is allowing Iran and Iranian-backed groups to move around in Syria under the Russian flag.
The Russian flag probably won't protect Russia's allies from Israeli bombers, and it definitely won't protect them from the wrath of God (Ezek. 39:1-6).
Finally, as I am writing this, the U.S. government is in a partial government shutdown.
Every U.S. citizen needs to understand that globalists are using immigration to destabilize nations and create a crisis that will allow them to bring in a world government.
Globalism and open borders (not the cost of a wall) are the real issues that led to the partial government shutdown.
True Christians don't need to be concerned about a world government, but multitudes, including many immigrants, will be beheaded by that government.
Those who oppose world government need to stand behind Pres. Trump on the shutdown and border wall issue.
One reason Pres. Trump gave for withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria is the cost in terms of U.S. troop lives and U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Too many people are ignoring these costs and the costs of illegal immigration to our school systems (teachers have to speak foreign languages), food and utility assistance, healthcare systems, law enforcement, the lives of U.S. citizens, etc.
If we are close to the Rapture, we are close to a global economic collapse.
The U.S. owes approximately 22 trillion dollars, and interest rates are rising (possibly making it impossible for America to get out of debt).
The U.S. can no longer afford to police the world; educate, feed and doctor millions of immigrants; and we definitely don't need to forget that God will take care of Israel.
Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
Iran Sees A New Opportunity To Build A War Machine To Encircle Israel - By Yaakov Lappin -
If it goes ahead, Iran likely will view U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American forces from eastern Syria as a green light to build a new war machine in the region.
But Iran also received a red light recently, apparently reminding it that Israel is standing guard against Tehran's takeover plans.
That red light came on Dec. 25 in the form of an alleged Israeli airstrike on an Iranian weapons' depot in Syria. The strike looks like the latest signal of Israel's determination to block Iran's path into Syria, with or without an American ground presence.
According to media reports, including a report by the Israeli satellite-image company ISI, the strike destroyed a warehouse that contained Iranian Fajr-5 rockets. The warehouse was just 40 kilometers, about 25 miles, away from Israel.
Israel's military says Fajr-5 rockets are produced in Iranian weapons factories and have a range of 75 kilometers, or just under 50 miles. In past years, Iran smuggled these types of rockets to terrorist organizations that are ideologically committed to attacking Israel, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Now, Iran is trying to flood Syria with them.
So far, the Fajr-5s that have been in the inventory of Israel's enemies were unguided rockets. That does not stop them from posing a serious threat. Hamas fired a Fajr-5 rocket in November 2012 in the midst of an eight-day conflict, severely damaging an apartment building in Rishon Letzion, south of Tel Aviv. Residents survived due to an air-raid siren, which sent them scurrying into a safe room before the rocket struck.
In February 2017, reports emerged saying that Iran's defense industry has begun manufacturing a new, guided version of the Fajr-5.
These can be fired quickly and in succession from a multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS). The arrival of such weapons would present terrorists in Syria seeking to attack Israel with new precision abilities.
It remains unclear whether the Fajr-5 rockets destroyed in the alleged Israeli strike were guided, but Israel has drawn a clear red line that forbids the arrival of Iranian guided projectiles in the area. Once in Syria, precision weapons can be given to Shi'ite militias under Iran's command, or be used by Iranian military forces themselves, which are operating on Syrian soil. That's what happened last May, when Islamic Republican Guards Corps (IRGC) used a truck-mounted rocket-launcher to fire on the Golan Heights.
In other cases, batches of Iranian weapons that have made their way into Syria are subsequently smuggled into neighboring Lebanon, where Hezbollah has built up one of the world's largest arsenals of surface-to-surface projectiles. Hezbollah's estimated 130,000 rockets and missiles are pointed at Israeli cities, power plants, ports, airports and military installations.
Thus, Iran has already turned Lebanon into a forward military post against Israel. Its goal now is to do the same in Syria.
Although the U.S. forces stationed in Syria are there exclusively to combat Salafi-jihadist Sunni ISIS terrorists, their presence in the strategically important Al-Tanf region, on the Syria-Iraq border, also helps block the expansion of the radical Iranian-Shi'ite axis.
The U.S. presence has helped stop Iran from trying to use the Al-Tanf border crossing as a gateway for land convoys carrying Iranian weapons and Shi'ite militias, from Iraq into Syria.
The Al-Tanf border area is one of two ground corridors that Iran is hoping to use in its Syrian expansion project.
The second main land "entrance" to Syria is located further north, at the Albu Kamal border crossing. This area has been the scene of repeated Iranian and Hezbollah-controlled traffic of militias and weapons. But this site also drew at least one major alleged Israeli strike in June, resulting in dozens of casualties, including Iranian military officers and Iraqi Shi'ite militia members.
Currently, Israel and Iran remain locked in a shadow war over Syria's future. Israel is employing preventative force to stop Iran from converting Syria into second front, alongside Lebanon.
Tehran's takeover efforts are being led by the IRGC, which acts as the "long arm" of Iran across the region, particularly through the overseas expeditionary elite unit, the Quds Force, commanded by the notorious General Qassem Soleimani.
With Israel "covering" the northern Albu Kamal crossing, the U.S. had been "covering" the southern Al-Tanf crossing, meaning that Iran's ground expansion scheme had run into some difficulties. Iran was forced to rely on its more traditional trafficking method (cargo flights), though this, too, had become increasingly difficult with Israel monitoring suspicious flights around the clock and reportedly taking action when intelligence called for it.
A U.S. withdrawal from Al-Tanf, however, would be seen by the Iranians as a gap in the fence. This can be seen from a statement made by Jaafar al-Husseini, the military spokesman of Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shi'ite militia backed by Iran, which maintains a presence in the Albu Kamal region.
According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, al-Husseini said his militia "is willing to take part, along with the Syrian Army, in protecting the Syrian Kurds along the border with Iraq," following Trump's withdrawal announcement.
The Kurds in eastern Syria would become vulnerable to Turkish attacks if the U.S. leaves, and they would likely reach out to Assad and perhaps even the Iranians in desperation. Al-Husseini's remarks are really an expression of an Iranian intention to fill a vacuum.
Al-Husseini told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese Al-Mayadeen television station that "we have an ongoing and highly active relationship with Kurdish commands in northern Syria. We have the full picture regarding what is happening in northern Syria, including the movement of the American [forces]." Such comments reflect a keen Iranian appetite to move into eastern Syria.
Russia will be equally keen to fill in the vacuum, but since it still depends on the Iranian axis for help in stabilizing the Assad regime, Tehran and Moscow can be expected to try and reach an agreement over how to proceed.
'An achievement that would reverberate in history'
Comments made last week by the outgoing Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot reflect just how central the threat of an Iranian takeover of Syria has become in the eyes of the Israeli defense establishment.
"The main topic over the past years for the IDF has been the Iranian entrenchment in Syria," said Eizenkot during one of his final public addresses in uniform.
In Syria, he said, Iran has been trying to build an army of 100,000 Shi'ite militia members, including Hezbollah operatives. It has tried to construct missile bases, and a create chain of attack positions on the Syrian border with Israel. Hundreds of Israeli strikes prevented this from happening, the Israeli military chief added.
In next-door Lebanon, Iran and Hezbollah planned for a ground invasion of a strip of 5 kilometers in northern Israel, using attack tunnels to "create an achievement that would reverberate in history," said Eizenkot. The IDF exposed and demolished Hezbollah's cross-border attack tunnels in recent weeks, foiling that dangerous plan.
Iran and its Lebanese proxy have also made "a very big effort to create precision firepower and level the playing field with what Hezbollah perceives to be Israeli military superiority," stated Eizenkot.
"The security challenge is like a very big iceberg. Some of it is visible to public and media, [but] most of it is hidden from view. In the hidden part, the IDF is very busy with the multi-dimensional Iranian threat, and the Hezbollah threat. The War Between Wars [Israel's preventative campaign] has turned into a central effort," he added.
Iran has invested $16 billion in rescuing Assad and deployed 2,000 IRGC military advisers to the country. It has reportedly sustained more than 1,000 casualties and mobilized around 10,000 Shi'ite militia members, most from Iraq and Afghanistan. These fighters have been joined by 8,000 Lebanese Hezbollah members. Hezbollah, too, has paid a heavy price in Syria, losing an estimated 2,000 casualties.
The scale of this investment suggests that the Islamic Republic is not about to give up on Syria. At the same time, Iran faces major financial pressure from re-imposed American sanctions. So far, Iran has been able to suppress domestic protests, and navigate the sanctions, while remaining committed to expansion in Syria.
Iran likes to pretend that it is in Syria at Assad's invitation, but in reality, the Damascus regime owes its existence to Iranian life support, and has little choice but to grant every Iranian "request" to use its territory.
Iran's ultimate goal is to encircle Israel with bases of missiles and terrorist armies, a sentiment made clear by comments made Sunday by Tehran's Palestinian proxy group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is the second-largest armed faction in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking from Tehran, PIJ secretary-general Ziad Nakhla said, "In any future war, the resistance axis will act as one man, from north to south. Israel must understand that the resistance axis today is one."
Palestinians' New Year's Resolutions - by Bassam Tawil -
The Palestinians are celebrating the beginning of 2019 by promising Israel more violence, a "revolution until victory," and another year of conflict and suffering. The messages that the Palestinians are sending to Israel offer anything but hope. On the contrary, they are making it clear that Israel should expect yet more bloodshed. Some are also reminding Israel that the Palestinians' real goal is to "liberate all Palestine, from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea," (meaning the annihilation of Israel).
Palestinian leaders and various political and military groups are not seizing the opportunity of the arrival of a new year to reach out to their Israeli neighbors with message of conciliation, peace and coexistence. Palestinian leaders are not offering their people a better life, prosperity, security and stability. Instead, the leaders and groups are promising Palestinians more suffering, violence and misery, and are pressing their people to continue the fight against Israel. They are urging Palestinians to continue hating Israel and the US. They are urging Arab countries not to make peace with Israel: they consider normalization with Israel an act of treason.
The largest Palestinian group, Fatah, headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, is celebrating these days the 54th anniversary of the launching of its first terrorist attack against Israel. Then, Fatah terrorists infiltrated into Israel from Jordan and attempted to sabotage the National Water Carrier. The event took place on January 1, 1965. The explosive device, which did not explode, was discovered by the Israeli army. For Fatah, a group that is often described by some Westerners as moderate and pragmatic, the attack carried out 54 years ago "ignited the Palestinian revolution" against Israel. The Fatah anniversary celebration coincided with the beginning of the new year.
The words and photos published by Fatah that refer to the 54th anniversary of the launching of its first terrorist attack against Israel serve as a reminder that this group continues to glorify terrorism and terrorists.
A cartoon published on Fatah's official Facebook this week depicts "Palestine" as a single entity, the exact shape of Israel, while making no mention of the existence of Israel.
The Fatah flag features a grenade with crossed rifles superimposed on a map of Israel.
A poster appearing on Fatah's Facebook page under the title, "Revolution Until Victory," features a Palestinian in military uniform with a grenade in his hand. The accompanying caption reads: "Fatah will continue with the revolution, and will continue to carry the torch of armed struggle."
Another Fatah poster praises members of the group's armed wing, Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, who were responsible for a series of terror attacks that killed and wounded scores of Israelis during the Second Intifada.
Fatah is also celebrating the anniversary of its first terror attack by threatening that "millions will march on Jerusalem and die as martyrs."
This threat is taken directly from the words of Yasser Arafat, who used to incite Palestinians in public speeches with his famous battle cry: "To Jerusalem we march, martyrs by the millions."
Mahmoud Aloul, deputy chairman of Fatah who is seen by many Palestinians as a natural successor to Abbas, declared in a speech during a celebration of the anniversary of the first terror attack on Israel: "The Palestinian revolution has been continuing for 54 years. The revolution will continue until the aspirations of our people are fulfilled." He went on to praise the terror attacks carried out by Fatah against Israel and described them as "achievements" and victories." Aloul also hinted that the armed struggle against Israel will continue: "We have clearly stated that all forms of resistance are legitimate."
Fatah has chosen to celebrate the anniversary of a terror attack with images and rhetoric that promote violence and bloodshed. Fatah has nothing to say about building hospitals or schools for its people. Its leaders also have nothing to say about improving the economy and the living conditions of Palestinians. The message Fatah is sending to Israel: "We do not recognize your existence and we will continue the armed struggle against you."
Similar messages were made by other Palestinian groups as the world prepared to receive the year 2019. Take, for example, Hamas, the Palestinian terror group that has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007. The group is currently celebrating the 31st anniversary of its founding, and the only messages it has for Palestinians and Israelis are those of violence. Like its rivals in Fatah, Hamas is also using the occasion to launch scathing attacks on the US and call for thwarting any peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump.
"The Hamas project is to liberate Palestine from the river to the sea," said Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official. "The Palestinian resistance won't accept anything other than that." Hamas, he added, is preparing "surprises" for Israel in the West Bank. When Hamas talks about "surprises," it is referring to terror attacks against Israelis similar to the recent ones carried out by the group's terrorists in the West Bank.
Another major Palestinian terror group, Islamic Jihad, sent the following message to Israel on the eve of New Year: "The armed resistance will remain the main priority of the Palestinians."
What do we learn from the Palestinian messages on the eve of New Year? The Palestinians are determined to continue the fight against Israel. They are also determined to reject any peace plan presented by the US administration. They are determined to continue raising new generations on the glorification of violence and terrorists. They are determined to continue denying Israel's right to exist. These messages demonstrate, with no room for doubt, that any talk about resuming a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians is one thing only: a colossal fraud. Palestinian leaders will never return to the negotiating table when they are pushing their people, day after day, to ensure that more Israeli blood runs in the street. The year 2019 will not be different from previous years: the Palestinians make it clear that their true intention is to carry a rifle and see Israel removed from the map.
In 2019, Israel Faces Dangers On Many Fronts - By Yoav Limor - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2868
The coming year is likely to be one of uncertainty as Israel tries to walk the extremely fine line between the highly volatile potential of conflict on all fronts, and the IDF's clear superiority and ability to generate deterrence.
Ostensibly, Israel has to strive to avoid a wide-scale conflict in 2019. This should be doable as each foe, in every sector, currently has far more pressing issues to deal with: Syria is reeling from a bloody, seven-year civil war; Hezbollah is knee-deep in financial problems and internal Lebanese political turmoil; Hamas is trying to improve the dire economic situation in the Gaza Strip; and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is focused on trying to make heads or tails of the impending post-Mahmoud Abbas era.
Add to that Israel's military power, and one can understand why Israel's enemies are wary of confrontation. Still, logic does not always prevail in the Middle East, and each sector harbors a significant chance of rapid escalation, especially as all are under the menacing specter of Iran, which is trying to increase its regional influence.
This means that the Israeli challenge will be, first, to avoid war; second, to win a war should one erupt; and third, perhaps most important, to both prevent Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria and stop Hezbollah's armament efforts in Lebanon, especially with respect to the Shiite terrorist group's precision-missile program.
Israel will also have to carefully navigate its policy in Gaza to ensure the desperation there does not worsen, and equal prudence will be required in the West Bank, where fighting terrorism while minimizing the infringement on the civilian Palestinian population's routine is crucial to preventing another intifada.
Israel will have to do all of this while contending with complex geostrategic conditions, especially given Donald Trump's decision to pull American troops from Syria and the subsequent increase in Russia's regional power.
This will require not only diplomatically navigating the complex equation between Washington and Moscow, but also fostering closer ties with the moderate Sunni axis, which, in turn, is likely to increase friction with rogue states, including Turkey.
This fine line between opportunity and risk is one Israel will have to walk alone, and it will have only itself to count on, both diplomatically and militarily.
All this will take place against the backdrop of what is expected to be a challenging year for Israel regardless. The election campaign is already proving to be a stormy one, and the IDF will likely be dragged into it.
The new IDF chief of staff, Aviv Kochavi, slated to take office in mid-January, will have to maneuver between all the external and internal threats and challenges, including the questions raised about the army's war readiness, the need to formulate a multi-year budget, and the personnel crisis brewing in the military's regular and standing ranks.
Defense and security issues will continue to dominate the political and public agenda in 2019, on every level. The good news is that chances of war are slim. The bad news is that, given the regional upheaval, no security assessment can be taken for granted.
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