North Korea and Iran Threat Updates

Discussion in 'The Signs of the Times' started by Carol55, Sep 15, 2017.

  1. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Fatima, Thank you!

    It's important that we remain charitable to each other, what kind of example do we set if we don't.
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2018
  2. Byron

    Byron Powers

    So, if Antichrist comes after the Warning, and Scripture says he will reign in Jerusalem, then not all Jews will have converted in Israel. In the nation of Israel during the reign of Antichrist they will oppose the true Roman Catholic Church like the messages from "godspeaks..." tells us.
     
  3. Fatima

    Fatima Powers

    Will respond to this in the thread on the Era of Peace and the Divine Will thread.
     
    Mary's child and Byron like this.
  4. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Israel Believes Syria Strikes Took Out Nearly Half of Assad’s Air Defenses
    Syria was able to bring down the Israeli F-16 by taking advantage of a vulnerability in the way the crew flew the jet, initial probe finds

    Amos Harel Feb 12, 2018 10:38 AM 3comments https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news...ria-s-air-defenses-military-beliefs-1.5808981
    [​IMG]
    Israeli security forces examine the remains of an F-16 Israeli jet near the village of Harduf, Israel on February 10. Ronen Zvulun / Reuters

    Israel army: Drone was allowed to cross into Israel to prove Iranian aggression


    In Saturday’s exchange of fire Syria scored a rare success, downing an Israeli F-16 fighter jet with an antiaircraft missile, apparently taking advantage of a vulnerability in the way the crew flew the jet. Israel however destroyed nearly half of President Bashar Assad’s air defenses, according to military estimates.

    Senior Israel Defense Forces officials told Haaretz that the wide-ranging aerial operation over the weekend is considered a success and the army is aware of the risks involved in such an operation, which at times can also result in planes being hit. The strikes by Israel took out the batteries that fired missiles at its fighter jets and also hit four Iranian targets, including the drone control center and communications systems.

    Syria was able to down the Israeli plane because it was flying too high. That, at least, is the initial assessment based on an Israel Air Force investigation of the incident.

    Netanyahu struggles to draw red lines in Putin's Syria playground

    2/11/2018 Putin will let Israel continue attacking Syria, but will not stop Assad's military from trying to shoot down its planes
    Seven comments on the escalating Israeli-Iranian game of chicken
    2/11/2018 Israel may be decimating Syrian air defenses, but the searing image of a downed F-16I fighter gives Damascus a clear propaganda victory

    The F-16 was one of eight of the same model that took part in an attack on an Iranian command trailer at the T4 base near the city of Palmyra, deep inside Syria. It was from that trailer that members of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched the drone that penetrated Israeli airspace on Saturday, and which was intercepted over the Beit She’an Valley. Israeli army sources said Israel had tracked the aircraft in the course of its entire flight from the Palmyra area, through northern Jordan until it crossed into Israel.

    From the initial investigation it appears that at least one of the Israeli jets remained at high altitude, apparently to verify that the missiles that were fired at the Iranian trailer actually hit it. At that point, Syria’s aerial defense system fired an unusually large number of missiles, more than 20, of at least two types – long-range SA-5s and shorter-range SA-17s. The volley of missiles was clearly visible to Israelis in the north and even in the center of the country.

    [​IMG]
    Missile contrails seen in Israel during overnight strike in Syria

    The lead Israeli plane managed to spot the missiles and dive to evade them. The crew that was hit did not do that – and when the Syrian missile was close to their plane, the pilot and navigator abandoned it, using their ejection seat. The pilot sustained moderate injuries and the navigator was lightly injured.

    Israel Air Force sources believe that a warning regarding the antiaircraft fire also reached the crew that abandoned their aircraft, but for a reason that is still not clear, the crew did not manage to take complete evasive action. It’s possible that the crew was too focused on its aerial bombardment and therefore reacted in a way that made the plane vulnerable to being hit.

    Israel shoots down Iranian drone infiltrating from Syria.
    The investigation is expected to address operational aspects including deployment of the electronic warfare “mantlem,” which is designed to disrupt efforts to identify and hit the planes; carrying out the necessary maneuvers; and examining whether the squadron that carried out the mission may have had a bit of excessive confidence — this, in light of the fact that the force has carried out many dozens of attacks in recent years (as prior Air Force commander Amir Eshel told Haaretz last August) without being hit.

    The Israel Air Force has a long tradition of in-depth debriefings and therefore it is reasonable to anticipate that the reasons for the mishap will be clarified.

    [​IMG]

    2/11/2018 In first, Israel and Iran are engaged in a head-to-head confrontation
    Russia’s reaction to Syria’s downing of an Israeli fighter jet indicates Moscow’s broad support for Tehran and Damascus
    Israel and Iran are now, for the first time, engaged in a full-frontal confrontation on Syrian territory. That’s the main significance of Saturday’s day of fighting in the north.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  5. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Israeli Strikes in Syria Risk Forcing Russia to Adopt pro-Iranian Stance
    Following Iran's drone infiltration into Israel, cracks could be found in the working assumption that Moscow controls all of the moves in Syria

    Zvi Bar'el Feb 12, 2018 10:25 AM 0comments https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israeli-actions-in-syria-could-force-russia-to-take-pro-iranian-stance-1.5806999[​IMG]
    President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with Russian Olympic athletes at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside in Moscow, Russia. On Friday, Feb. 9, 2018Grigory Dukor/AP


    Key media outlets in Iran have so far preferred to quote the Syrian state news agency SANA and media outlets in Israel in their reports on events in Syria on Saturday. As expected, the headlines focused on the downing of an Israeli fighter jet and not on the interception of an Iranian drone – the careful wording attempting to distance Iran from any involvement in Saturday morning’s events. If these reports serve as an indication of Iran’s political and military position, they reflect an effort to avoid direct confrontation with Israel and continue to frame the conflict as being between Syria and Israel, and unconnected to Iran.

    Israel shots down Iranian drone
    2/10/2018 Israel army releases video of the event that sparked new hostilities between Israel and pro-Assad forces in Syria

    Iran is waiting anxiously for a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump, expected in May, about the future of the Iranian nuclear agreement and the option of new sanctions the administration wants to impose on Iran. A military clash between Israel and Iranian forces in Syria could play into Trump’s hands and those of the congressmen/women who would use such a conflict as proof that new sanctions need to be imposed on Tehran.

    Iran is part of a troika, including Russia and Turkey, that has unsuccessfully sought a diplomatic solution to the war. Iran doesn’t want to open another military front with Israel, which could lead Israel to start a war against Hezbollah. This strategy requires Iran to keep a low military profile not only with regard to Israel, but also toward Turkish forces that invaded northern Syria last month to stop Kurdish militias from taking over the border areas.

    [​IMG]
    Children carrying a part of a missile in Quneitra, Syria, February 10, 2018.\ ALAA AL-FAQIR/ REUTERS

    At the same time, it may be assumed that, as a rule, Iran has to coordinate its military actions with Russia – in order to prevent a situation in which a military clash with Israel sabotages chances of diplomatic action by Russia and could turn the presidential palace in Damascus into a target for Israeli strikes.

    On the other hand, this strategy also requires an explanation as to why an Iranian drone was sent toward Israel – an action that is of no military use to Iran and could (and indeed did) bring about an Israeli response of unknown extent, and present Iran as the aggressor.

    One explanation is navigational error rather than a tactical decision – or worse, a strategic one to goad Israel into a response. Another, less likely, explanation is that Iran wanted to show off the capabilities of the drone, in the context of reports made public this week that Iran is working on extensive production of Mohajer 6-model drones as part of its espionage and defense array.

    When it comes to military action in Syria, Iran is far more restricted by diplomatic considerations than Israel is. Israel enjoys almost unlimited U.S. backing and even limited Russian “permission” to operate in Syrian territory, as long as the target isn’t the regime itself but activities and facilities that can be linked to Hezbollah. But Iran, being a full partner both during the war and afterward, is obligated to maintain balance and coordination with the other partners.

    However, this balance does not give Israel free rein to test the limits of Russian patience. That is to say, to what extent Russia will allow Israel to carry out targeted actions when it is becoming clear that by turning a blind eye, it could expand and deepen Israeli military involvement – to the extent of fully opening up a military front.
    [​IMG]
    Israeli soldiers on the border with Syria, February 10, 2018.Gil Eliahu

    Growing cracks can be found in the working assumption that Russia controls all of the military and diplomatic moves in Syria, and can therefore prevent Iran and Turkey from operating in Syria to further their own interests. Russia was unable to prevent Turkey from invading northern Syria; it failed to turn the Sochi conference in late January into a significant step toward an overall cease-fire and subsequently to negotiate the establishment of a transitional government; and it didn’t deal with the deployment of pro-Iranian forces in southern Syria in a manner that might assuage Israeli concerns.

    Russia, which vigorously renewed its strikes on Idlib province in a bid to defeat the rebel forces and aid the regime’s takeover of the city and the district, needs the assistance of pro-Iranian militias in the area to complete the operation. This assistance places Russia in a bind: Between its desire to restrict Iranian influence; and its objective of ending the military conflict in favor of the Syrian regime, in which Iran plays a major role.

    Israeli involvement could, therefore, not only divert the focus of the fighting to an unexpected front. It would also force Russia to adopt an openly pro-Iranian strategy, when so far it has been trying to walk a fuzzy line, managing to maintain coordination with all sides.

    Israeli involvement could also influence the branding of the war in Syria from being a domestic struggle into a war against Israel, thus strengthening Iran’s position, that of Hezbollah and some of the militias, and underscoring the Syrian and Iranian claim that Israel and the United States are the entities wanting to perpetuate the war.

    As a result, Israel’s declared strategy of preventing Iranian forces from establishing themselves in Syria cannot ignore the web of diplomatic considerations dictating the actions of Russia, Iran and Turkey in Syria. At least in the foreseeable future, these three countries will continue coordinating their actions as allies and will make an effort to keep other entities, like Israel and the United States, out of the arena – especially after they managed to block any diplomatic or military move by Washington in Syria.

    In the short term, the continued conflict depends on a decision by the Israeli government and on considering the pressures being brought to bear on it by Moscow and Washington to hold back on its desire to loosen Iran’s grip in Syria.

    Israeli Air Force general: Syria strike is the most substantial since 1982
    2/10/2018 Brig. Gen. Tomer Bar says the Iranian drone was an advanced, low-signature model Israel has never before captured
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  6. Luan Ribeiro

    Luan Ribeiro Powers

    Would a war between Iran and Israel be enough to cause a high rise in the price of oil capable of affecting the world economy?
     
    garabandal likes this.
  7. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Luan, A big enough war would cause all sorts of instability. It's best we keep watch and keep praying.
     
    Mary's child and Luan Ribeiro like this.
  8. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Israel-Syria-Iran Flare-up: With Newfound Confidence, Assad Moves From Threats to Action
    If it turns out Iranian soldiers or 'advisers' were killed in the Israeli strike, the situation may go from bad to worse

    Amos Harel Feb 11, 2018 8:25 AM 4comments https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news...-assad-moves-from-threats-to-action-1.5806625
    [​IMG]
    Netanyahu and cabinet ministers on the Golan Heights, February 6, 2018 קובי גדעון / לע"מ


    The incident Saturday on the Israeli-Syrian border signifies a grave escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel on one hand and Iran and the Assad regime on the other. The threats have been replaced by actions – the exchange of fire on the border and deep within Syrian territory – and these tensions have no end in sight.

    According to the Israeli army, this is what transpired: In the early morning, an unmanned Iranian aerial vehicle launched from the T-4 Syrian airbase near Palmyra in the south of Syria. The drone entered Israeli territory through the northern Beit She'an Valley and was shot down by an Israeli helicopter. In response, Israeli air force fighter jets attacked and destroyed the Iranian trailer in Syria from which the drone was launched.

    During the strike, Syrian aerial defense systems opened heavy fire at the Israeli jets. One of them, possibly hit by Syrian fire, was abandoned over Israeli territory. The pilots were taken to hospital, where one is in serious condition. This is the first such incident in the last 30 years.

    In a second response, Israel bombed 12 targets in Syria, four of which were Iranian sites, as well as Syria air-defense batteries. It remains to be seen whether this will end the exchanges.

    >>The threat of war between Israel, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah | Analysis

    The dramatic and unusual fact that the pilots ejected from the F-16 will probably be talked about extensively in the media in the coming hours, but one must not ignore the bigger implications of the events.

    Israel has, according to reports, already attacked a joint Syrian-Iranian weapons factory last September, followed by an attack on an Iranian militia base near Damascus in December. This morning, however, is the first time a manned Iranian target has been bombed. So far reports from Syria are few, but if soldiers or "advisers" were killed in the Israeli strike, it's a different story altogether.

    What does Iran want with the Israeli border? Since last summer, Israeli leadership has been warning of an Iranian attempt to gain a foothold in Syria, riding on the Assad regime's success in the civil war. This attempt includes deployments in southern Syria of some 10,000 Shiite militia fighters from Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, under the auspices of Iran; erection of weapons factory in Syria; and Iranian talks with the Assad regime to establish an aerial and maritime base in Syria.

    The incursion into Israeli territory, which seems planned, is both a violation of sovereignty and a severe provocation. IDF spokesman Brigadier General Ronen Manelis used harsh words this morning, saying Iran is dragging the region into jeopardy and will pay the price. It seems, from his rhetoric, that this exchange is far from over.

    The Assad regime has long warned Israel that it would respond to Israeli strikes against convoys and weapons depots tied to Hezbollah in Syrian territory. A severe warning of this sort was sounded last week, after a bombing – attributed to Israel – of a weapons development facility near Damascus.

    The launch of anti-aircraft missiles on Israeli jets came as a response to Israeli incursion into Syria, but it is also an expression of the regime's newfound sense of power. Last March, in the same area of Palmyra, anti-aircraft missiles were fired at Israeli jets. One of the missiles, which entered Israeli territory, was intercepted by the Arrow defense system. That incident took place shortly after the regime took control of Aleppo. Since then, Assad has retaken practical control of over 80 percent of Syrian territory. In recent weeks, the regime has been carrying out a brutal campaign against rebel strongholds, including in an enclave near Damascus. Syrian self-confidence is also manifested in its willingness to exchange blows with Israel.

    The bombing of the Iranian trailer from which the drone was launched comes days after a publicized visit to the Golan Heights by Israeli cabinet ministers, armed with their uniform Uniqlo coats. But the signs of conflict have been felt in the air for months. The prime minister, defense minister and IDF chief have relayed warnings to Syria, Iran and Lebanon. A senior Israeli official estimated back in December that the advent of Shiite militias in southern Syria places Iran and Israel on a collision course.

    This tension, more than ever, is pulling in the big powers. For Russia, which still has fighter squadrons and sophisticated anti-aircraft batteries in northern Syria, the Assad regime – and even the Iranians, to some extent – are part of Moscow's camp, which has the upper hand in the Syrian civil war. The Trump administration has been signaling a more resolute stance towards the Iranians as compared with the Obama administration, which feared intervention in the country and was worried about thwarting what it perceived as its greatest achievement: The Iranian nuclear deal signed in Vienna in the summer of 2015. Did President Trump give Netanyahu a green light to engage Iran in the north?

    We are in the midst of a day of fighting on the Golan Heights, but the sides are on a very slippery slope.
     
  9. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Iranian drone infiltration, downed Israeli fighter jet: What we know about latest Israel-Syria escalation
    2/10/2018 Here are the events that transpired on Saturday morning, step by step

    Iranian drone infiltrates Israeli airspace early Saturday morning
    ■ Israeli aircraft intercept the Iranian drone
    ■ Israel bombs Iranian drone control site in Syria in response to infiltration
    ■ Syrian SA-5 and SA-17 air defense batteries target Israeli F-16 jet, prompting the pilots to eject
    ■ Two pilots evacuated to hospital, one in serious condition
    ■ Israel responds to downing of jet with a fresh strike, targeting 12 sites in Syria, four of which are Iranian
    ■ Israeli military says "Syrians and Iranians are playing with fire"
    ■ Senior Israeli official says Israel views the incidents of the border with "grave severity"
    ■ Sources in Damascus say that downing of Israeli jet was "strategic decision," but Syria has no interest in full-scale war
    Iran, Hezbollah warn Israel: Next act of aggression will carry 'severe response'
    ■ Hezbollah says downing of Israeli F-16 marks 'start of new strategic phase'
    ■ Israeli Ambassador to UN Danny Danon demands Security Council "put an end to Iranian provocation
    ■ Pentagon says U.S. supports Israel's 'inherent right to defend itself'
    ■ Netanyahu says he told Putin that Israel will defend itself against any attack from Syria
    Putin urged Netanyahu to avoid any step that would lead to a new confrontation
    ---------
    As Syria and Iran Threaten Israel, America Signals Its Ally Is on Its Own
    Rex Tillerson’s Middle East tour includes Amman, Ankara, Cairo, Kuwait City, and Beirut, but not Jerusalem. That made little sense before the Iranian incursion yesterday: It would be malpractice now. He needs to come to Israel

    Daniel B. Shapiro Feb 12, 2018 2:47 PM 5comments https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east...alling-to-israel-you-re-on-your-own-1.5807630
    [​IMG]
    Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State, arrives at Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) in Mexico City, Mexico, on Thursday, February 1, 2018.Bloomberg

    Even before Saturday’s dramatic events across the Israeli-Syrian border, there were legitimate questions about the degree of American engagement to help Israel manage the increasingly complex challenges it faces to the north.

    A visit to the region by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, upon which he embarked this weekend, has a chance to change that, to the benefit of both U.S. and Israeli interests.

    The U.S. focus in Syria has been to complete the defeat of ISIS in central and eastern Syria, provide support for Kurdish and Sunni allies in preventing an ISIS resurgence, and, to a degree, stemming an Iranian or Syrian-regime advance into areas formerly under ISIS control. The tools to effect these goals are limited: primarily 2,000 American troops, support for the Syrian Democratic Forces, and USAID-led stabilization efforts.

    Much less American attention has been directed at preventing the establishment of Iranian military facilities in Syria that could be used to launch attacks against Israel. An agreement intended to keep Iranian and Iranian-backed elements from approaching the Israeli border has no enforcement mechanism, and visitors to Israeli observation posts in the Golan Heights can look into Syria and see it observed in the breach.

    One reason for that lack of emphasis has been Israel’s effectiveness in addressing these threats by itself.

    Nearly 100 times over the past five years, according to former Israeli Air Force Commander Major General (ret.) Amir Eshel, Israel has struck at targets in Syria, primarily Iranian weapons shipments destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. In the past six months, this campaign has been more openly acknowledged and more directed at actual Iranian assets inside Syria.

    The Trump Administration’s policy, much like the Obama Administration’s, has been to support Israel’s freedom of action to carry out such strikes. Neither Administration has deemed it desirable to engage in military action directly in such cases, and, in fairness, Israel has sought no such American role.

    [​IMG]
    The wreckage of an Israeli jet brought down by Syrian anti-aircraft defenses on fire near Harduf, northern Israel. Feb. 10, 2018Yehunda Pinto/AP

    Now, with yesterday’s penetration of Israeli airspace by an Iranian UAV, a serious escalation, the United States needs to upgrade its involvement.

    Israel responded to the incursion with strikes on multiple Syrian and Iranian targets, losing an F-16 to heavy Syrian anti-aircraft fire. Thankfully, the plane went down in Israeli territory with its crew members wounded, but alive. But it was the first Israeli fighter aircraft downed in combat in decades, and the prospect that it could have gone down in Syria, and its crew captured or worse, tells us how close we were to a far more dangerous event.

    As it happens, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is about to embark on a tour of Middle East capitals. It is a perfect opportunity to stop in Israel, coordinate substantive policy and strategic messaging with the Prime Minister, and execute a joint U.S.-Israeli strategy on other stops. Many Secretaries of State have done exactly that during similar moments of crisis.

    But oddly, Israel does not appear on the itinerary. Tillerson’s stops include Amman, Ankara, Cairo, Kuwait City, and Beirut, but not Jerusalem. That made little sense before the Iranian incursion yesterday. It would be malpractice now. The Secretary needs to come to Israel.

    [​IMG]
    Children looking at the remains of a missile launched from Syria that crashed earlier in Alonei Abba, east of Haifa, in northern Israel. February 10, 2018JACK GUEZ/AFP

    continued...
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  10. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    continued from above....

    The substantive objective would be to ensure that Israel and the United States are on the same page regarding threats from Syria and Lebanon. Since the Second Lebanon War of 2006, Israel’s policy has been to prepare for the next conflict with Hezbollah, which, in light of Hezbollah’s massive build-up of missiles and rockets aimed at Israel, appears inevitable, but to seek to postpone that conflict as long as possible.

    But several new elements complicate that calculus. One is, as noted, Iran’s increasingly aggressive push to insert weapons and personnel, both Iranian and Shia militia, at key locations in Syria to enable direct attacks on Israel. The base that the Iranian UAV flew from yesterday, which Israel struck later in the day, is one such facility.

    A second factor is the prospect that Hezbollah, under Iranian sponsorship, will establish production lines for precision-guided missiles in Lebanon. These weapons, which, in the next war, could pose a direct threat to critical Israeli targets like the Defense Ministry, airfields, and power plants, have been the primary focus of Israeli strikes on shipments from Syria to Lebanon.

    The prospect of a domestic production capability in Lebanon might cause Israel to recalculate whether it can afford to wait, or whether it must destroy those facilities in Lebanon sooner, potentially igniting a broader conflict.

    [​IMG]
    Hezbollah supporters in Kfar Kila on the Lebanese border with Israel to celebrate the crashing of an Israeli air jet and to denounce the Israeli retaliation on Syria. February 10, 2018ALI DIA/AFP

    Third, the role of Russia as a sponsor and protector of the Assad regime and an ally of Iran complicates Israeli strategy and even operations, but also presents opportunities to engage Russia to impose restraints on Iranian behavior.

    Tillerson and Prime Minister Netanyahu need to try to reach agreement on the U.S. diplomatic support for Israel’s ability to defend itself, chiefly by reinforcing Netanyahu’s own conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Secretary would be well-advised to add one additional capital to the end of his itinerary: Moscow.

    But Tillerson can also use his regional stops to seek support from other leaders, so the Russians, who are active throughout the Middle East, hear from a chorus of voices about the importance of reining in Iranian aggression before it produces a destabilizing war that no one wants — and Russia should not want either.

    [​IMG]
    Israeli solders taking positions in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights near the border with Syria. February 10, 2018JALAA MAREY/AFP

    Beirut may be Tillerson’s most important stop of all. Hezbollah, while a wholly-owned Iranian proxy, is also a player in Lebanese politics. As such, it is not immune from considerations about its standing with the Lebanese public, even beyond its Shia base. Some clear messages from Tillerson to his Lebanese hosts about the risks posed to Lebanon’s infrastructure and population, where Hezbollah has embedded itself, if Iranian and Hezbollah threats against Israel trigger a full-scale war, could reinforce Israel’s deterrence.

    In the event of war, the United States will inevitably seek to lead the diplomacy to bring it to an end after Hezbollah has been dealt a decisive blow. But there will be immense suffering on both sides before it is through.

    Players throughout the Middle East watch for symbols. President Trump’s and Vice President Pence’s visits to Israel conveyed strong support and friendship, and the lead White House role in managing this relationship.

    But the Secretary of State arriving at a moment of crisis demonstrates something else: Detailed coordination and determined vigilance by American and Israeli allies to jointly confront and deter real-time threats.

    And just as clearly, his absence - as he lands in capitals all around Israel - would tell the region that against Iran in Syria, Israel is on its own.

    Daniel B. Shapiro is Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, and Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa, in the Obama Administration. Twitter: @DanielBShapiro
     
  11. jackzokay

    jackzokay Powers

    So let them become 'best buddies...'
    I don' think they're breaking any rules by so doing. France, UK, United States, Germany have been 'best buddies' for years.
    Its only natural that countries form economic and trade alliances.
    What of it?
     
  12. jackzokay

    jackzokay Powers

     
  13. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Iran hints at seaborne reactors while respecting nuclear deal
    Francois Murphy February 22, 2018 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...s-while-respecting-nuclear-deal-idUSKCN1G625G

    VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has fired a diplomatic warning shot at Washington by raising the prospect of building nuclear reactors for ships while staying within the limits set by its atomic deal with major powers, a U.N. nuclear watchdog report showed on Thursday.

    [​IMG]
    FILE PHOTO: A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran September 27, 2017. Picture taken September 27, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS

    U.S. President Donald Trump has long railed against the 2015 nuclear deal for reasons including its limited duration and the fact it does not cover Iran’s ballistic missile program. He has threatened to pull out unless European allies help “fix” the agreement with a follow-up accord.

    Since Trump took office more than a year ago, Iran has stayed within limits on items including its stock of low-enriched uranium imposed by the deal, which also lifted painful international economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

    A quarterly report on Iran by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, which is policing the deal’s restrictions, showed that Iran remained compliant, but also that it had informed the agency of a “decision that has been taken to construct naval nuclear propulsion in future”.

    Iran has raised that prospect in public statements before. In 2016, President Hassan Rouhani ordered the start of planning on the development of nuclear marine propulsion in reaction to what he called U.S. violations of the nuclear deal.

    Rouhani was alluding to the lack of economic benefit to Iran from the deal because many companies including big Western banks continue to shun the country for fear of breaching separate U.S. financial sanctions that stayed in place after other sanctions were rescinded.

    Analysts have said Iran is many years or decades away from having naval nuclear capacity. But mentioning it evokes both projecting military might and potentially enriching uranium beyond the limit of 3.67 percent purity imposed by the deal.

    A senior diplomat said it was not clear from Iran’s statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) whether it was referring to those previous statements, but they appeared to be a reaction to Trump’s comments.

    “Formally there is no clarity on this. But informally yes, why now? So obviously there is a link ... to the possibility that the JCPOA’s future is questioned,” the senior diplomat said, referring to the 2015 deal by its full name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

    Iran’s notification on marine propulsion could cover a range of intentions over any period of time, meaning there was no cause for concern, the senior diplomat said.

    Iran has yet to respond to the IAEA’s request for “further clarifications and amplifications”, the report said, adding that if Iran had reached a concrete decision to build new facilities for marine propulsion it must provide design information.

    The confidential quarterly IAEA report follows a statement by Iran’s deputy foreign minister earlier on Thursday that Tehran will withdraw from the deal if there is no economic gains and major banks continue to stay away.

    Reporting by Francois Murphy; editing by Mark Heinrich
    ___________
    THIS SOUNDS LIKE FIRE FALLING FROM THE SKY AND RUSSIA IS INVOLVED, COULD THIS BE A PROPHECY BEING FULFILLED? Please continue to pray.

    Syria's war: Ghouta hit with incendiary rockets
    Ghouta is being hit by incendiary bombs that are intended to start large fires when they hit the ground. Osama Bin Javaid 2/23/2018
    more on Syria's Civil War
    More than 440 civilians have died in just six days in Eastern Ghouta alone.

    The area is now being hit by incendiary bombs that are appearing in the night skies, weapons that are intended to start large fires when they hit the ground.

    The opposition holds Russia and Iran responsible for the continuing bombardment, calling it a "genocide".

    Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid reports from Gaziantep on the Turkish-Syria border.

    Trump describes Russia, Iran’s actions in Syria as ‘a humanitarian disgrace’
    http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/5739547723001/?#sp=show-clips
    Feb. 23, 2018 - 5:57 -
    Gen. Jack Keane on President Trump’s recent sanctions against North Korea and the president’s criticism of Russia and Iran for their actions in the Syria conflict.

    Iran warns of 'nuclear crisis' if JCPOA deal is scrapped 2/22/2018
    http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/iran-warns-nuclear-crisis-jcpoa-deal-scrapped-180222125809339.html

    Graham: Iran should be held accountable for attacks on Israel from Lebanon 2/22/2018
    http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/US-Senator-Iran-responsible-for-missile-attacks-on-Israel-from-Lebanon-543388

    Iran could soon be spying on smartphones worldwide, report claims 2/21/2018
    http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/02/21/iran-could-soon-be-spying-on-smartphones-worldwide-report-claims.html
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2018
  14. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Syria war: Air strikes resume hours after UN approves ceasefire
    26 February 2018 Middle East https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-middle-east-43187888

    [​IMG]
    Image caption A doctor in Eastern Ghouta says there is still shelling, but "the level is less than before"

    Air strikes by the Syrian government on a rebel-held enclave have continued despite a ceasefire resolution passed by the UN Security Council on Saturday.

    Hundreds of people have died in a week of bombardment of the Eastern Ghouta enclave near the capital, Damascus.

    The latest attacks include a ground offensive that began hours after the UN urged a 30-day truce "without delay".

    On Sunday, France and Germany called on Russia to put pressure on the Syrian government to honour the ceasefire.

    Speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a joint telephone conversation, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have asked for help with implementing the UN resolution.

    The UN resolution was agreed to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations , but operations against the biggest jihadist rebel groups are not covered by the truce.

    The region is the last major rebel-held area near the capital Damascus.

    What happened on Sunday?


    Government air strikes took place in the rebel enclave on Sunday - soon after the resolution was agreed in New York, although at far lower level than in previous days.

    At least three people are reported to have died in the latest attacks, while one rebel group in the Eastern Ghouta said it had killed a number of government soldiers.

    [​IMG]
    Image caption Rawaa has been living in a basement with around 75 others for months

    The strikes targeted the outskirts of Douma, the main town in the Eastern Ghouta, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

    It also reported several casualties on both sides after Syrian government forces clashed with rebels in southern areas of the enclave.

    [​IMG]

    Syrian forces on the ground are pushing to enter the Eastern Ghouta, both opposition and pro-government sources said on Sunday.

    The government has been trying to advance on several fronts but its forces have so far been repelled, rebel groups say.

    [​IMG]
    The ceasefire was urged to allow for the delivery of aid to those in serious need, copyright EPA

    Meanwhile, Iran said that while it would "adhere" to the ceasefire, it would continue its military operations in areas around Damascus that were not covered, Reuters news agency reports.

    "Parts of the suburbs of Damascus, which are specifically controlled by the terrorists of the Nusra Front and other terrorist groups, are not subject to ceasefire," Iran's military chief of staff, Maj Gen Mohammad Baqeri, is quoted as saying.

    Iran, along with Russia, is a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has played a vital role in enabling him to recapture territory across the country.

    Was there a chemical attack on Sunday?


    The Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organisation, told the BBC one of its hospitals in the area had received patients suffering from symptoms that indicated a chemical attack. It said one child had died.

    Eastern Ghouta resident Mohammed Adel said one of his colleagues had visited the hospital and said the child - a boy - had "suffocated from the chemical attack".

    The SOHR said it had received similar information but had not yet been able to confirm if there had been a gas attack.

    The reports could not be independently verified.

    The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons.

    However, a UN report last October concluded that the Syrian government was responsible for a deadly chemical attack in the north-western town of Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April 2017

    Who are the rebels not included in truce?


    Rebels operating in the Eastern Ghouta include a variety of factions, and infighting between them has led to past losses of ground to the Syrian government.

    The draft resolution had said that the ceasefire would not apply to operations against the Islamic State (IS) group, al-Qaeda and the Nusra Front.

    The Nusra Front is a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria which leads an alliance of factions under the name of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

    [​IMG]
    Image caption "At least in heaven there's food": The children caught up in Eastern Ghouta air strikes


    The Syrian government says its attempts to recapture the Eastern Ghouta are directly due to the HTS presence there.

    How bad is the situation in the Eastern Ghouta?


    UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the situation in the Eastern Ghouta is like "hell on Earth".

    On Sunday, Pope Francis said the violence was "inhuman" and called for an immediate halt to the deadly bombardment to allow access for humanitarian aid.

    Barrel bombs and shells have been dropped on the area, where some 393,000 people remain trapped.

    While hundreds of people are said to have been killed in assaults by government forces since last Sunday, rebels firing on Damascus have reportedly killed at least 16 civilians.

    The Syrian government has repeatedly denied targeting civilians and said it is trying to liberate the Eastern Ghouta from "terrorists" - a term it has used to describe both the jihadist militants and the mainstream rebel groups that hold the enclave.


    _______________

    "Seven popes from Syria ascended the papal throne"
    including St. Peter, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Syria .
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2018
  15. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    I have some difficulty loading articles from The Jerusalem Post on my computer, so I am posting the entire article here which I provided the link to on one of my posts above,

    Graham: Iran should be held accountable for Lebanon’s attacks on Israel
    Posted on February 22, 2018 by Herb Keinon
    South Carolina senator said that UNIFIL has been a “miserable failure” in preventing terrorism from southern Lebanon.

    The United States should hold Iran, not only Hezbollah, responsible for any massive missile attack on Israel from southern Lebanon, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said Thursday after he and a bipartisan delegation of six other senators met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Graham said that UNIFIL has been an “absolute, pathetic, miserable failure” in preventing terrorism from southern Lebanon, and the missile buildup in southern Lebanon – including missile production capabilities – has turned into a “nightmare” for Jerusalem.

    The senator said at a Jerusalem press conference after meeting Netanyahu that he would like to see a US policy that mandates that “if there is an attack from Lebanon against Israel, a large scale attack generated by Hezbollah forces that are basically proxies of the Iranians, that we would hold Iran responsible, not just Hezbollah.”

    This policy toward Iran, he said, should be similar to US president John F. Kennedy’s policy during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 when he made clear that any attack on the US from Cuba would be considered an attack by the Soviet Union, “because one couldn’t exist without the other.”

    “That is the way I think we should approach Iran,” said Graham, who ran an unsuccessful campaign to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. “Iran needs to pay a heavier price — they are encircling our Arab allies and the state of Israel.”

    Graham said that while Israel is “not perfect,” it is “a damned good ally.” He said that he will go back to Congress and urge it allocate more funds for Israel’s missile defense.

    “It is time for the American Congress to give more to Israel in terms of missile defense, not less, because protecting Israel is protecting our own interests,” he said.

    “No country provides better military intelligence to the US than Israel.”

    The delegation to Israel, whose ranking Democratic member is Christopher Coons from Delaware, visited Jordan before coming to Israel.

    Graham said that Jordan’s King Abdullah is “a terrific ally,” and that the delegation’s “number one message” to Netanyahu was to help Jordan.

    “They are a valuable ally to the United States and a good neighbor to our friends Israel,” he said, adding that he asked Netanyahu to “do everything he could to enhance trade” with the kingdom.

    Although Graham did not specifically mention Netanyahu’s current legal woes, he did allude to them, saying he found the prime minister to be “very engaged,” and someone who has not “taken his eye off the ball” when it comes to the security threats facing Israel.

    “I’ve known him for 20 years, and when he speaks, I listen,” Graham said.

    Coons said that while the bipartisan delegation has different opinions, “one thing that unites this delegation is the enthusiasm for the US support for Israel. The US-Israel relationship remains strong and bipartisan.”

    In addition to Graham and Coons, the other members of the delegation were Jeff Flake (R-Arizona), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Cory Gardner (R-Colorado), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada).

    Article source: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/US...missile-attacks-on-Israel-from-Lebanon-543388
     
  16. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    This past Sunday Pope Francis also requested a ceasefire in Syria and since the fighting has continued,
    I wonder if this will be the reason for the Pope to go to Moscow.


    February 27, 2018 Reuters Staff https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rn-ghouta-despite-russian-truce-idUSKCN1GB0LM
    Syrian warplanes strike eastern Ghouta despite Russian truce

    BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Syrian government warplanes struck the eastern Ghouta region on Tuesday and Damascus accused rebels of shelling a safe route out, despite a Russian call for a five-hour truce that failed to halt one of the most devastating campaigns of the war.

    Two residents in the region told Reuters warplanes and helicopters were still launching strikes despite the Russian truce. Air strikes were also reported by a war monitoring group, although a Syrian military source denied them.

    The United Nations said ongoing combat had made it impossible to bring in aid or rescue the wounded.

    “We have reports this morning there is continuous fighting in eastern Ghouta,” U.N. humanitarian spokesman Jens Laerke said. “Clearly the situation on the ground is not such that convoys can go in or medical evacuations can go out.”

    Hundreds of people have died during 10 days of government bombardment of the eastern Ghouta, an area of towns and farms on the outskirts of Damascus. The assault has been among the most devastating air campaigns of a war now entering its eighth year.

    Russia declared Tuesday’s unilateral five-hour truce to open what it describes as a humanitarian corridor to evacuate wounded and let civilians escape from the besieged rebel-held enclave. On Tuesday its military said it would guarantee the safety of any civilians who wished to leave.

    Residents in several towns in the district described a brief pause in fighting, but said bombardment swiftly resumed. In the town of Hammouriyeh a man who identified himself by his first name Mahmoud told Reuters helicopters and warplanes were in the sky and conducting strikes.

    Siraj Mahmoud, a spokesman for the Civil Defence rescue service, which is funded by Western governments and operates in rebel areas, said artillery and air strikes had hit the region.

    Syrian state media and Russian officials accused the rebels of shelling the evacuation corridor to stop civilians leaving eastern Ghouta, which rebel groups denied.

    The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said helicopters and warplanes had struck four towns and artillery shelling killed one person.

    [​IMG]
    FILE PHOTO: A man inspects a damaged house in the besieged town of Douma in eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria, February 22, 2018. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh

    U.N. CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE TO BE OBSERVED

    A U.N. Security Council resolution passed on Saturday called for a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country, but it did not specify when it should come into effect. It also excludes some militant groups, which Syria’s allies say are among the rebel fighters in eastern Ghouta.

    That has meant the ceasefire has not been observed in practice. U.N. spokesman Larke declined to comment on the Russian proposal for a five-hour truce, but called instead on all sides to obey the full 30-day ceasefire.

    “It is a question life and death - if ever there was a question of life and death - we need a 30-day cessation of hostilities in Syria as the Security Council demands,” Laerke, spokesman of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), told a Geneva briefing.

    A rebel spokesman said people in eastern Ghouta did not want to leave the area despite the bombardment, because they feared arrest, torture or conscription by the government.

    Eastern Ghouta, where the U.N. says around 400,000 people live, is a major target for Assad, whose forces have clawed back numerous areas with military backing from Russia and Iran.

    Rebels based in eastern Ghouta have intensified shelling of government-held Damascus. A medical official in the capital said on Monday 36 people had been killed in four days. Damascus and Moscow say the campaign in eastern Ghouta is needed to halt such shelling.
     
  17. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    US piles pressure on 'influential' Russia to push for complete ceasefire in Syria
    The US State Department calls on Russia to push for an "immediate end to offensive operations" in the enclave of eastern Ghouta.
    27 February 2018 https://news.sky.com/story/daily-pauses-on-syria-strikes-not-good-enough-11269143

    By Tom Acres and Sanya Burgess, News Reporters

    The United States has piled pressure on Russia to use its "influence" to secure a fully-fledged ceasefire in Syria's rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta.

    US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert called for an "immediate end to offensive operations" in the region to allow aid workers to treat the wounded.

    "The regime claims it is fighting terrorists, but is instead terrorising hundreds of thousands of civilians with airstrikes, artillery, rockets, and a looming ground attack. The regime's use of chlorine gas as a weapon only intensifies the misery of the civilian population," she tweeted.

    "#Russia has the influence to stop these operations if it chooses to live up to its obligations under the #UNSC ceasefire."

    The comments follow Vladimir Putin ordering daily five-hour ceasefires in airstrikes.

    Charity Save the Children said the "humanitarian pause" ordered by the Russian leader was not a good enough measure to avoid further civilian casualties in the region.

    More than 520 people are thought to have died as a result of relentless attacks by the Syrian government last week.

    [​IMG]
    Image: Eastern Ghouta was devastated by bombs last week

    New footage obtained by Save the Children and given to Sky News shows the shocking aftermath of a strike on the office of a Syrian aid group on Saturday, hours before the UN Security Council voted on a 30-day ceasefire.

    Children are seen screaming as they scramble clear of the rubble while the dust clears. It is believed 46 families had been sheltering in the building before it was hit.

    Three of those staying there were injured, including two young girls.

    The charity - which works with partner organisations in Syria to help those affected by the ongoing conflict - has urged the UN to immediately implement the month-long ceasefire voted for over the weekend.

    :: The complex who's who of Syrian civil war

    [​IMG]
    Image: A Syrian child receives treatment for a suspected chemical attack in eastern Ghouta

    The charity said that the "humanitarian corridor" proposed by the Kremlin, designed to allow civilians to leave the enclave during the "pause" period, would do little to protect families from the "horrifying and never-ending violence".

    Local response director Sonia Khush urged the UN to implement the agreed month-long ceasefire immediately.

    "As this conflict enters its eighth year, it's clear that it is far from being resolved, and all parties involved continue to show utter contempt for children's lives and wellbeing," she added.

    "The fighting must cease and aid agencies must be allowed to deliver lifesaving humanitarian assistance, or more children will die."

    [​IMG]
    Image: Members of the Security Council vote during a meeting on a ceasefire in Syria

    The five-hour daily pauses are due to start on Tuesday, with Monday having seen further strikes.

    More from Syria
    Aid workers in eastern Ghouta estimate that 4,100 families are now living in underground basements and shelters in a bid to protect themselves from airstrikes, with more than half of them without water, sanitation or ventilation.

    In total, 350,000 people are trapped in eastern Ghouta, with many of those still alive unable to bury their loved ones due to the ongoing shelling.
    ________________________

    The massacre of Ghouta 2/26/2018
    https://www.christianaid.ie/news/massacre-ghouta

    Lisa Bevere 'Bursts Into Tears' Hearing Syrian Man Beg for Prayers; UN Declares 'Hell on Earth' 2/26/2018
    https://www.christianpost.com/news/...for-prayers-un-declares-hell-on-earth-219442/

    'An offence to our common humanity': Why are the innocent dying in Eastern Ghouta? 2/22/2018
    https://www.christiantoday.com/arti...e-innocent-dying-in-eastern-ghouta/126245.htm

    Damascus bombings in Christian district kills 9, destroy churches 1/26/2018
    https://www.christiandaily.com/arti...n-district-kills-9-destroy-churches/61910.htm

    Shocking Footage Captures Screaming Syrian Child Being Rescued; 50 Other Children Killed (VIDEO) 1/24/2018
    https://www.christianpost.com/news/...escued-50-other-children-killed-video-214977/

    https://www.christiantoday.com/article/head-of-russian-orthodox-church-praises-russian-intervention-in-syria-which-protected-christiansupdate1/123221.htm 1/9/2018
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2018
  18. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Russia 'both arsonist and firefighter' in Syria: U.S. general
    February 27, 2018 Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...1GB27J?feedType=RSS&virtualBrandChannel=11563

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. general accused Russia on Tuesday of playing a destabilizing role in Syria and acting as “both arsonist and firefighter,” as a brief truce unilaterally declared by Moscow in the eastern Ghouta region collapsed.

    [​IMG]
    FILE PHOTO - Commander of the U.S. Central Command General Joseph Votel, waits for the start of a round table meeting of NATO defence ministers and the Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Virginia Mayo/Pool

    The United States and Russia have been on different sides of the seven-year-old war, with Moscow heavily backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad whose forces are besieging eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held area near Damascus.

    “Diplomatically and militarily, Moscow plays both arsonist and firefighter, fueling tensions among all parties in Syria... then serving as an arbitrator, to resolve disputes, attempting to undermine and weaken each party’s bargaining positions,” said U.S. Army General Joseph Votel.

    Votel is the head of the U.S. military’s Central Command. He was speaking to a House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing.

    Over the past week, Syria’s army and its allies have subjected eastern Ghouta to one of the heaviest bombardments of the war, killing hundreds.

    A Russian call for a five-hour truce on Tuesday failed to halt the bombing, with residents saying that government warplanes had resumed striking the region after a brief lull.

    The United Nations said it was proving impossible to aid civilians or evacuate the wounded, and said all sides must instead abide by a full 30-day ceasefire demanded by the U.N. Security Council.

    RUSSIA‘S SYRIAN ALLY

    Votel said Russia had failed to rein in its Syrian ally.

    “I think either Russia has to admit that it is not capable, or it doesn’t want to play a role in ending the Syrian conflict. I think their role is incredibly destabilizing at this point.”

    He added that Moscow was using Syria to test new weapons and military tactics, and it had increased its surface-to-air missiles in the region that threatened the United States’ ability to “dominate the airspace.”

    As Islamic State militants near defeat in Syria, tensions between the United States and Russia have risen and added uncertainty to an already complex battlefield of opposing local fighters and their international backers, which also include Turkey and Iran.

    Votel became the latest in a string of senior U.S. defense officials to decline public comment on whether Russian civilian contractors were involved in a Feb. 7 attack on U.S. and U.S.-backed forces in Syria.

    U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said that the United States is still unsure who directed the attack.

    Reuters has reported that about 300 men working for a Kremlin-linked Russian private military firm were either killed or injured in Syria.

    U.S. Senator Chris Coons told reporters on Tuesday there were “a fair number of Russian and Iranian and Syrian casualties.”

    Separately, Votel said the U.S. military was seeing some “positive indicators” from Pakistan, showing it is becoming more responsive to U.S. concerns about militant safe havens.

    Relations between the allies have plummeted recently and last week Washington persuaded member states of the Financial Action Task Force to put Pakistan back on the watchlist of nations with inadequate terrorist financing or money laundering controls.

    “It does not yet equal the decisive action that we would like to see them take in terms of a strategic shift, but they are positive indicators,” Votel said.

    Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart. Addtional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alistair Bell


    U.S. threatens action against Iran after Russia U.N. veto
    February 26, 2018 Michelle Nichols https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...inst-iran-after-russia-u-n-veto-idUSKCN1GA2QT

    UNITED NATIONS/TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The United States threatened unilateral action against Iran on Monday after Russia vetoed a western bid for the United Nations Security Council to call out Tehran for failing to prevent its weapons from falling into the hands of Yemen’s Houthi group.

    [​IMG]
    U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks to members of the United Nations Security Council after voting for ceasefire to Syrian bombing in eastern Ghouta, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, U.S., February 24, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

    “If Russia is going to continue to cover for Iran then the U.S. and our partners need to take action on our own. If we’re not going to get action on the council then we have to take our own actions,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told reporters during a visit to Honduran capital Tegucigalpa.

    Haley did not specify what kind of action could be taken.

    The Russian veto was a defeat for the United States, which has been lobbying for months for Iran to be held accountable at the United Nations, while at the same time threatening to quit a 2015 deal among world powers to curb Iran’s nuclear program if “disastrous flaws” are not fixed.

    “Obviously this vote isn’t going to make the decision on the nuclear deal. What I can say is it doesn’t help,” Haley said. “That just validated a lot of what we already thought which is Iran gets a pass for its dangerous and illegal behavior.”

    President Donald Trump warned European allies last month that they had to commit by mid-May to work with Washington to improve the pact. Britain drafted the failed U.N. resolution in consultation with the United States and France.

    The initial draft text - to renew the annual mandate of a targeted sanctions regime related to Yemen - wanted to include a condemnation of Iran for violating an arms embargo on Houthi leaders and include a council commitment to take action over it.

    [​IMG]
    U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley exits the chamber after voting for ceasefire to Syrian bombing in eastern Ghouta, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, U.S., February 24, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

    ‘NO ILLUSIONS’

    In a bid to win Moscow’s support, the draft that was vetoed had been weakened to simply “note with particular concern” the violation, which was reported to the council by U.N. experts monitoring sanctions. It received 11 votes in favor, two against - Russia and Bolivia - while China and Kazakhstan abstained.

    Russia has questioned the findings of the U.N. experts report, which was submitted to the council in January.

    A council resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, France or Britain to pass. Following the failed vote on the British draft, the council adopted a rival Russian draft that did not mention Iran and simply renewed the U.N. sanctions regime on Yemen for a year.

    A senior Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the international community - and in particular, the Europeans - needed to do more to voice their concerns about Iran’s behavior.

    “We don’t have any illusions with regard to Iran’s policy towards Israel, Iran’s role in the region ... and also what they do in terms of constructing ballistic missiles,” the diplomat said. “What we’re trying, and have to do ... is to actually make these points even clearer than in the past.”

    A proxy war is playing out in Yemen between Iran and U.S. ally Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting Iran-allied Houthi rebels. Iran has denied supplying the Houthis weapons.

    After the Security Council voted on Monday, Iran’s mission to the United Nations accused the United States and Britain of misusing the council “to advance their political agenda and put the blame of all that happens in Yemen on Iran.”

    Reporting By Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Grant McCool and Michael Perry
     
  19. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    Syrian government ground forces attack Ghouta despite Russian truce plan February 28, 2018
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...outa-despite-russian-truce-plan-idUSKCN1GC0VV

    N Korea 'providing materials for Syria chemical weapons'

    28 February 2018 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43219614
    [​IMG]
    Image copyright AFP There have been recent reports of chlorine gas attacks in the eastern Ghouta region

    North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used to make chemical weapons, a UN report says.

    Some 40 previously unreported shipments were made between 2012 and 2017, the report found. Materials included acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes.

    The leaked report says North Korean missile specialists have been seen at Syrian weapon-making centres.

    The allegations follow new reports of chlorine being used by Syrian forces, which the government denies.

    Meanwhile, for a second day, a "pause" in fighting has failed to hold in the Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus.

    The daily five-hour pause was meant to allow aid to enter and civilians to leave the rebel-held area through a humanitarian corridor.

    But as with Tuesday, the truce was marred by violence. Activists reported hearing missile strikes and barrel bombs, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused "militants" of blocking access to the humanitarian corridor.

    What are the allegations against North Korea?

    North Korea is under international sanctions over its nuclear programme.
    But a confidential report, compiled by a UN Panel of Experts which assesses North Korea's compliance with UN resolutions, found evidence of illicit supplies sent to Syria.

    The report, which has been seen by the BBC, details the "innovative evasion techniques" used by North Korea to send items such as high-heat, acid-resistant tiles, corrosion-resistant valves and thermometers.

    The Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) - a Syrian government agency - is alleged to have paid North Korea for the equipment via a number of front companies.

    The SSRC is promoted by the Syrian government as a civilian research institute but a Western intelligence agency told the BBC last year that chemical weapons were being manufactured at three SSRC sites - Masyaf, in Hama province, and at Dummar and Barzeh, both just outside Damascus.

    [​IMG]

    Barzeh was named in the UN report as one of the chemical weapons and missile facilities North Korean technicians had been seen operating at.

    The Syrian government told the UN panel that the only North Koreans present in Syria were sports coaches and athletes.

    Among the alleged shipments from North Korea to Syria, at least five were sent via a Chinese trading firm, Cheng Tong Trading Co Ltd, the UN report says.

    The shipments allegedly contained acid-resistant tiles - which can be used for activities conducted at high temperatures - of a quantity that would cover the area of a large scale industrial project.

    While the seized items "do not appear on any control lists", they included "materials that can be used to build bricks for the interior walls of [a] chemical factory", the report noted.
    China responded to the UN panel's findings, saying it had no "evidence demonstrating the Cheng Tong Trading Co has business with" any North Korean entities in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

    UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric did not say whether the leaked report would be published, but told the New York Times: "I think the overarching message is that all member states have a duty and responsibility to abide by the sanctions that are in place."

    The UN Panel issued a report last September, which said it was "investigating reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile and conventional arms co-operation" between Syria and North Korea.

    What is Syria's official position on chemical weapons?

    Syria signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention and agreed to have its declared chemical weapons stock destroyed in 2013 after a Sarin nerve agent attack killed hundreds of people in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus.

    It has been accused of repeatedly using banned chemical weapons in the civil war since then.
    The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) concluded that Sarin was used in Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel-held town in Idlib province, last April in an incident that killed more than 80 people. OPCW and UN investigators are confident the Syrian air force was to blame.

    Suspected chlorine attacks have been recently reported in Syria, including on Sunday in the Eastern Ghouta.

    Why is North Korea's involvement controversial?

    Experts say North Korea has long offered military supplies and weapons know-how around the world in exchange for cash.

    The UN report also highlights its efforts to illicitly trade with dozens of countries and groups in the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.
    Syria and North Korea have decades-old military ties.

    Last week, US President Donald Trump said Washington was imposing a fresh set of sanctions on North Korea, targeting more than 50 ships and maritime transport companies in several countries.

    [​IMG]

    "I just don't see anything moving in the right direction" and "Chance of N Korea war highest in decades", says retired Admiral Mullen (video included in article http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43219614).

    North Korea is already under a range of international and US sanctions over its nuclear programme and missile tests.
    But it continued tests last year, including tests of a nuclear weapon and a long-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the US.

    The US says the new sanctions are designed to put a further squeeze on North Korea, cutting off sources of revenue and fuel for its nuclear programme and clamping down on evasion of already existing restrictions.
     
  20. Carol55

    Carol55 Ave Maria

    I came across the following article while doing research on the Holocaust. I think it is pretty well done and it really caught my attention because of the prophecies of Our Lady of Fatima. I began wondering if what we see occurring in parts of Syria now is in fact a genocide of the Syrian Christians who make up 10% of the population in Syria.(???)

    The Hidden Holocaust : 12.7 Million Christians Murdered By The USSR
    February 17, 2015 by Brandon http://knowledgeglue.com/hidden-holocaust-remembering-12-7-million-christians-murdered-atheist-ussr/

    (If you support the content of this article and are concerned about the murder of Christians around the globe, PLEASE consider “Liking” and sharing this post on Facebook and other social media)


    [​IMG]

    If you were to ask the average person in the United States what the holocaust was, they would likely be able to explain to you at least a basic premise. That millions of Jews were killed in a genocidal rampage by Nazi Germany and their allies during WW2.

    Now, if you were to ask the same group of people which was the greater religious genocide in terms of death : Those killed by Nazi Germany, or those killed by the USSR, they would state to you the vast majority of time that the Nazis were the leaders. Because of this thought, many believe to this day that Christians, being the majority of the US, and the world for that matter have not endured any sort of persecution. In fact, I have been told dozens of times, maybe hundreds of times that since I am a Christian, I will never know what it is like to endure hardships based solely on my religion of choice.

    These kinds of statements are somewhat understandable, given that here in the US we’re blessed with religious freedom and have known little to no persecution in our lifetimes. However this is not the case outside of the United States and the Western World. Today many of Christians are routinely killed for their beliefs, however many don’t realize that during the 20th century, Christians were killed en-mass by Atheist led regimes.

    Here’s a chart to put the Christian genocide of the Soviet Union in perspective:

    [​IMG]

    There are various sources of data on the number of people killed. In this case I’ve tried to use generally accepted numbers as the enormity of these events is almost impossible to comprehend, or even estimate. So, let me be clear, these are ESTIMATES of death tolls, the actual number of those killed could be higher or lower, so averages are used.

    So, has there been a great conspiracy to cover up the massive number of Christians killed by the USSR? I personally do not believe so, simply out of the fact that the Soviet government was extraordinarily careful as to not allow outside groups to perform research on many things their communist government has done. Even up until the 1990s very little was known outside of Russia and the USSR about the hardships the country faced during World War 2 and the massive numbers of civilians & military personnel lost to the war.

    However the simple fact stands : More Christians were killed in the Soviet USSR than Nazi Germany.

    Today, many people will belittle Christians who state that persecution simply does not exist. Some even make the statement that if a Christian makes any statements about persecution, that they are in the wrong and that other religions, especially Jews have suffered continually seemingly worse fates around the world, usually at the hands of so-called “Christian” governments.


    The simple fact is that Christians have seen significant persecution in modern history.

    The Soviet Union wasn’t the only case of where the lives millions of Christians were extinguished. There were two more holocaust-level genocides of believing Christians.

    The Armenian Genocide

    The Armenian Genocide in Turkey is becoming more aware among the public as time goes on. Many, however, do not realize that a significant number of Armenians were Christians. Not only that, but the Genocide that took place during the earlier part of the 20th century also involved many Syrian Christians, Greek Orthodox and other Christian bodies.

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    Famously, Jevdet Bey was quoted by Ambassador Morgenthau as saying “I shall kill every Christian man, woman, and” (pointing to his knee) “every child, up to here”.

    While it is hard to know the exact number of Christians killed during the Armenian Genocide, as a whole the number of those killed by the Turks is estimated to be around 1,500,000. One of the few estimates we were able to find came in with a estimate of 250,000 Christians being killed during this time. Additionally, many of those also killed during the Armenian Genocide were Jews.

    Oppression in Korea

    During the history of Korea, Christianity has been a very significant factor in life. Today Korea stands as one of several highly developed, highly Christian societies. Even though they are considered by many to be a Christian nation, Korea has suffered much persecution as well as well in it history. Mostly due to Atheist regimes in North Korea (After ww2) and Japan (During and before WW2).

    During the Japanese occupation, after the annexation of 1910, the Japanese government grew increasingly opposed to Christian groups. During the mid-to-late 1910s, Japanese police sought to stop the spread of Christianity in Korea. This was mostly futile (although it did have an effect) as Christianity still continued to grow, albeit at a lessened pace through the 1920s. The Japanese saw most Korean Christians also as nationalists as many denominations were willing to send missionaries to Korea specifically and not Japan as a whole. Christian missionaries would regularly teach in native Korean languages, not Japanese, nor reverence for Showa. Furthermore, the belief of individual worth which developed into Minjung theology was hated by the Japanese police state as well.

    North Korea, under the Sung & Kim regimes has also been very harsh towards Christians.

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