blog.Tribulationperiod.com

Do NOT Expect Saudi Arabia OR Israel to Admit This Report is True!

It may be a bluff or it may be real, but Iran will get the Message.

It may be Real Because Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan Kings

Know Well What Will happen To Them if Iran, Syria & Turkey

Take over the Middle East – They will be totally Cremated!

I’ve taught for 35 years that Jordan would be By-Passed

But its King Would be Deposed AS Antichrist Hits Israel

And That Saudi Arabia & Egypt would Fall Before Him!

June 12, 2010

THE RULERS OF JORDAN, EGYPT, AND SAUDI ARABIA HAVE GOOD REASON TO FEAR THE RULERS OF TURKEY, IRAN, AND GREATER SYRIA

Daniel 11:40,41 – And at the time of the end shall the king of the south (Israel) push at him: and the king of the north (Syria) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. [41] He shall enter also into THE GLORIOUS LAND, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these SHALL ESCAPE out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

He will by-pass Jordan as the Palestinians in Jordan overthrow the king of Jordan, then he will conquer Egypt and overflow Saudi Arabia.

The ancient boil of conflict between the descendants of Jacob, Ishmael, and the six s ons

of Keturah, with all its internal blend of impurities, is finally coming to a head in the Middle East. The current drastic rise in the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis will, in the end, be the catalyst that brings a temporary false peace

between them. The reasons for this false peace have been outlined thoroughly in the last five prophecy updates. The apparently genuine peace will be shattered suddenly by a rapid blitzkrieg attack from the north by Syria. In league with Syria will be Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Morocco, and Turkey. Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran will move rapidly southward through the “glorious land” of Israel like a fast moving thunderstorm, bypassing the land where the people of Moab, Ammon, and Edom were settled when Daniel wrote his prophecies in about 600 B.C. The descendants of Edom (Jacob’s brother), and Ammon and Moab (the sons of Lot), as found on every published map for this time period, were settled immediately to the southeast, east, and northeast of the Dead Sea, precisely in the country we know as Jordan today. Hence, we can know that the antichrist will bypass Jordan as he moves south through Israel. Why would he bypass Jordan? She has no strategic, political, or economic advantage to offer him, but the Suez Canal and Egypt do, so he will head southwest toward that area after having driven the woman Israel into the Negev Wilderness south of Beersheva.

Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Daniel 11:42 – He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

The political, geophysical, and military positioning of Syria, Iran, and Iraq, from a prospective of having world influence, literally stinks. But the position of Egypt’s Suez Canal, and Cairo, her capital, is outstanding. The antichrist is supposed to be a man of genius in all areas. That being the case, he would be worse than a military academy dropout were he not to take the Suez Canal, and then make Cairo his empire’s capital.

Daniel 11:43 – But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

The three most “precious things” in Egypt are: the Suez Canal, the Nile River and its Delta, and Cairo, its capital. He will conquer the Suez Canal zone and all of Egypt. So just what is Egypt? Many are inclined to establish it as the land bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the west by Libya, on the south by Sudan, on the southeast by the Red Sea, and on the northeast by its Sinai border with Gaza and Israel’s Negev. And, geographically, that is quite correct. However, in reality, that is not Egypt. The real Egypt, where her people live, is much, much, smaller. Egypt is the land along her north and east coastlines up to about two miles inland, the Nile Delta, and the land along the Nile River extending about fifteen miles either side of its banks. The antichrist will send messages to leaders of two of the original 10 nations confederated with him, namely Libya and Sudan, requesting them to mass their troops along the northern coastal border with Libya, and along the border where the Nile enters Egypt from Sudan. This will cause the diversion of some Egyptian troops away from Cairo and the Suez Canal in order to protect their western and southern borders. And this will allow the antichrist to rapidly push across the Suez Canal into Cairo and along her western and eastern coastlines, then to quickly progress southward down the Nile with little resistance. I believe he will control Egypt within two weeks after he reaches the Suez Canal. Once he has conquered Egypt, he will make an assessment of his geopolitical position. After having done so, he would be a military fool to return to his home country. He will establish his capital at Cairo, and will remain there for more than three years.

After three years he will receive news that causes him to quickly return to Jerusalem. If a military leader plans to put down his roots for a while, what would be one of his major concerns? The relationship he has with the rulers of the nations that are on his immediate borders.

That is, how sure he is they will not pull a surprise attack on him.

So, through the prestigious position he has gained in the eyes of the Islamic world by this time, it will allow him to use the terrorist groups, already in Sudan and Libya, to overthrow their leaders, and in their place to install two of his stooges, where they will remain in control for some three years.

He will already have plucked up the ruler of Lebanon, and replaced him with a stooge. It will surprise me if Lebanon, Sudan, and Libya are not the countries from which his stooges will rule.

Daniel 7:7,24 – I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were THREE of the FIRST horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. [24] And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue THREE kings.

I believe the kings (rulers) of Lebanon, Libya, and Sudan will be subdued by being personally plucked up by the roots out of their positions of leadership in their own countries, and replaced by puppet rulers who do exactly as the antichrist directs.

Daniel 11:43 – But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

“At his steps” means “companionship” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance & Wilson’s O.T. Word Studies). This expression also appears in Judges 4:10, where it appears as “at his feet.”

Judges 4:10 – And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

It represents an Old Testament word picture of a conquered leader or country laying yearly tribute payments before the king of the conquering country, who is setting on his throne, and the tribute is being placed at his feet on the steps leading up to his throne. So I believe the antichrist will place his puppet rulers on the thrones of Lebanon, Syria, and Sudan as those who are in “companionship” with him.

Revelation 16:15,16 – Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. [16] And he ga thered

them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Revelation 22:14 – Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Begin Excerpt from The Times Online

Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites

Hugh Tomlinson

June 12, 2010

Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defences to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal.

In the week that the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran, defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.

To ensure the Israeli bombers pass unmolested, Riyadh has carried out tests to make certain its own jets are not scrambled and missile defence systems not activated. Once the Israelis are through, the kingdom’s air defences will return to full alert.

“The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way,” said a US defence source in the area. “They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department.”

Sources in Saudi Arabia say it is common knowledge within defence circles in the kingdom that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid. Despite the tension between the two governments, they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’ s nuclear ambition

s. “We all know this.

We will let them [the Israelis] through and see nothing,” said one.

The four main targets for any raid on Iran would be the uranium enrichment facilities at Natanz and Qom, the gas storage development at Isfahan and the heavy-water reactor at Arak. Secondary targets include the lightwater reactor at Bushehr, which could produce weapons-grade plutonium when complete.

The targets lie as far as 1,400 miles (2,250km) from Israel; the outer limits of their bombers’ range, even with aerial refuelling. An open corridor across northern Saudi Arabia would significantly shorten the distance. An airstrike would involve multiple waves of bombers, possibly crossing Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Aircraft attacking Bushehr, on the Gulf coast, could swing beneath Kuwait to strike from the southwest.

Passing over Iraq would require at least tacit agreement to the raid from Washington. So far, the Obama Administration has refused to give its approval as it pursues a diplomatic solution to curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Military analysts say Israel has held back only because of this failure to secure consensus from America and Arab states.

Military analysts doubt that an airstrike alone would be sufficient to knock out the key nuclear facilities, which are heavily f ortified and deep underground

or within mountains. However, if the latest sanctions prove ineffective the pressure from the Israelis on Washington to approve military action will intensify. Iran vowed to continue enriching uranium after the UN Security Council imposed its toughest sanctions yet in an effort to halt the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme, which Tehran claims is intended for civil energy purposes only. President Ahmadinejad has described the UN resolution as “a used handkerchief, which should be thrown in the dustbin”.

Israeli officials refused to comment yesterday on details for a raid on Iran, which the Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has refused to rule out. Questioned on the option of a Saudi flight path for Israeli bombers, Aharaon Zeevi Farkash, who headed military intelligence until 2006 and has been involved in war games simulating a strike on Iran, said: “I know that Saudi Arabia is even more afraid than Israel of an Iranian nuclear capacity.”

In 2007 Israel was reported to have used Turkish air space to attack a suspected nuclear reactor being built by Iran’s main regional ally, Syria. Although Turkey publicly protested against the “violation” of its air space, it is thought to have turned a blind eye in what many saw as a dry run for a strike on Iran’s far more substantial — and better-defended — nuclear sites.

Israeli intelligence experts say that Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are at least as worried as themselves and the West about an Iranian nuclear arsenal.Israel has sent missile-class warships and at least one submarine capable of launching a nuclear warhead through the Suez Canal for deployment in the Red Sea within the past year, as both a warning to Iran and in anticipation of a possible strike. Israeli newspapers reported last year that high-ranking officials, including the former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, have met their Saudi Arabian counterparts to discuss the Iranian issue. It was also reported that Meir Dagan, the head of Mossad, met Saudi intelligence officials last year to gain assurances that Riyadh would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets violating Saudi airspace during the bombing run.

Both governments have denied the reports.

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The Counterfeit Saber Rattling is Settling Down,

And the Drums of War are Now Stroked Lightly,

As I said in my previous blogs: No War in 2010!

But a Middle East War Will Begin Prior to 2015!

Iran, Syria, and Turkey Will Not rush their Plans.

They Will Plan Carefully for Their Counterattack,

Before they lure Israel across Lebanon’s Border,

And Will Make Sure they have ALL the Logistics,

And troops necessary to push Israelis in Negev,

After They Overrun the Great City of Jerusalem!

But Name of the Game NOW is Bonding AS ONE

Across open trade borders to prepare for a Jihad

United against the biblical enemy– Sons of Jacob!

They Won’t Attack Israel Until their bond is Solid!

When the bonding of Clay and Iron is Completed

Islam will attack, But the bond Will be Destroyed

By God some three and one-half years Thereafter

When Messiah returns and brings in his Kingdom!

June 12, 2010

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

Daniel 2:41-44 – And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay,

and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

[42] And as the toes of

the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong,

and partly broken. [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. [44] And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Some three and one-half years before the final battle of Armageddon, which closes the tribulation period, ten kings of nations out of the territory once occupied by the ancient Roman Empire will attack Israel from the north.

Daniel 2:42 – And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

II Thessalonians 2:3 – Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The last evil kingdom of antichrist on this earth was to initially be comprised of 10 nations with 10 kings led by the man of sin himself. It was to arise out of the ashes of the old Roman Empire. I have always believed it would rise out of the southern half of the Empire and be made up of 10 Arab nations. I believe the elements for its formation are in place today, and I suspect that the most likely Arab nations of which it will be comprised are Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Some of these nations are strong like iron, and some are as soft and pliable as clay.

I do not question that in the final battle of Armageddon the descendants of Ham, Shem, and Japheth will be combatants against the nation of Israel. But I have always contended, along with the Bible expositors of the 18th and 19th centuries, that the antichrist’s initial attack would be led by Arab descendants of Abraham. They are the mingled seed of his oldest son Ishmael with the seed of the six sons he sired by Keturah, as well as some of the other offspring of his own father Terah. The empire of the antichrist will be an Islamic empire that eventually takes into it other old world nations. And, in the final great battle of Armageddon, all those nations that made up the world as it was known in A.D. 95 will come against Israel, such that Japheth, Ham, and Shem’s descendants will also be involved.

Daniel 2:41-43 – And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. [42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

The 10 toes will consist primarily of Terah’s descendants. Abraham came out of Terah.

Out of Abraham came the leaders of the three great monotheistic faiths associated with Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad.

And they have always been in conflict. (See Archive Update 78 Diagram)

The inspired word in Daniel 2:43, from which the word “mingled” comes, is ARAB, which means “to interlace or mix.” The “seed of men” refers to non-descendants of the man Abraham, from which both Jews and Arabs descended. “They” refers to the 10 toes of Daniel’s statue in Daniel 2:42, which have 10 kings over them. Isaac, the father of Israel, had seven half brothers – Ishmael from Hagar and the six sons of Keturah. It was from these seven half brothers that the Arab world has been primarily created. The descendants of Israel have been more likely to marry within the blood line of the man Israel than

have the Arabs to marry within their separate bloodlines of Hagar and Keturah, and the Arabs have also intermingled with non-descendants of Abraham more than have the Jews.

Daniel 2:43 – And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

Just as iron and clay do not hold together very long, the 10 Arab nations will only hold together long enough to fulfill God’s end time tribulation period prophecies. The saved will be caught up on the sounding of the seventh trump to be judged in heaven, and the kingdom of God will all be united in heaven, waiting to return to earth with Christ at his Second Advent.

Revelation 11:15 – And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Daniel 2:44 – And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

The God of heaven will call all the saved of all the ages together in heaven during the “days of these kings,” and will initially “set up” his kingdom, from whence he will return to earth with it as its head, after the saved have been judged in heaven. Christ’s coming kingdom will “break in pieces and consume all the kingdoms” of the present world, and his kingdom alone will rule.

Revelation 11:15-18 – And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. [16] And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, [17] Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. [18] And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Christ, the stone, came from the mountain representing God, without any human instrumentation, but by God’s Spirit forming his body in a virgin’s womb. Christ will return to destroy those morally destroying the earth. All of the evil that came out of the Babylonian, Medo- Persian, Macedonian, and Roman Empires will be laid waste by his Second Advent.

Daniel 2:45 – Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

The Scriptures which follow describe the coming of the great Stone, the great Rock, coming with his kingdom.

Revelation 19:11-18 – And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

[12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. [13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. [14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. [16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. [17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; [18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both sm

all and great.

Daniel 2:44 – And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Revelation 19:19,20 – And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

[20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 16:15,16 – Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. [16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Jude 23 – And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Revelation 3:2-4 – Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. [3] Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. [4] Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

Revelation 19:7-9 – Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. [8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. [9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Micah 4:7 – And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

Begin Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM POST

‘No sign of war with Hizbullah soon’

By YAAKOV KATZ

06/11/2010

Exclusive: UNIFIL chief says situation in Lebanon far more stable now.

UNIFIL has not found any evidence of Hizbullah military activity and smuggling or the presence of guerilla fighters in its area of operations in Southern Lebanon, the commander of the multinational peacekeeping force, Maj.-Gen. Alberto Asarta Cuevas, has told The Jerusalem Post in an exclusive first interview to the Israeli press.

He said the situation in Lebanon today was far more stable than it was before war broke out in July 2006 and that, contrary to some predictions in Israel, there was no reason to be concerned that war would break out between Israel and Hizbullah this summer.

Cuevas, from Spain, took up the UNIFIL command in late January after serving as adviser to the Spanish chief of staff. Prior to that he served as commander of UNIFIL’s eastern sector for about six months until April 2009.

“UNIFIL is focused on specific tasks under its mandate, which relates to a specific area south of the Litani River,” Cuevas told the Post ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Second Lebanon War.

“From that perspective, the most important thing is that our area of operations is not utilized for any hostile activity, there are no breaches of the cessation of hostilities, and there are no illegal armed personnel in this area. We have not found evidence of any new military infrastructure or any armed or guerrilla group in this area.”

Cuevas’s assessment comes in direct contradiction to IDF claims that Hizbullah is widely deployed in Lebanon and has dramatically bolstered its military infrastructure since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, primarily within the 160 villages in Southern Lebanon.

But Cuevas said that UNIFIL had not come across Hizbullah positions or fighters, or even evidence that the military organization was smuggling weaponry from northern Lebanon into the south and across the Litani River. UNIFIL, he said, conducted about 10,000 patrols throughout its area of operations every month in addition to the 100 permanent checkpoints that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) maintains throughout the area.

“UNIFIL and the LAF also maintain six co-located checkpoints along the Litani crossings and have in place other measures to prevent smuggling of weapons and entry of armed elements. Until now there is no evidence of smuggling across the Litani,” he said.

Asked specifically about Israeli claims that Syria has transferred long-range missiles to Hizbullah, such as Scuds and M-600s, Cuevas said that UNIFIL had not come across any such evidence.

At the same time, Cuevas mentioned the explosion last July of a Hizbullah arms cache inside a home in the village of Hirbet Sleim, as well as the interception in December of a group of individuals, likely from Hizbullah, who were transporting 250 kilograms of explosives.

“All these instances show that implementation of this task is a long-term endeavor, and underlines the need for UNIFIL and LAF to remain focused on further enhancing security control in the area. We take this matter with utmost seriousness,” he said.

Ultimately, Cuevas said that while the situation in Lebanon today was far more stable than before the war in 2006, it would remain precarious until a political process began that would install a permanent cease-fire between the sides.

“What is important now is that the cessation of hostilities is taken further and solidified by a permanent cease-fire that Resolution 1701 envisages. This has to be achieved through a political process, which is outside the remit of UNIFIL, but UNIFIL provides a strong foundation for it,” he said.

Cuevas also called Israel’s continued flights over Lebanon a clear violation of Resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty.

“The UN continues to urge Israel to end the overflights, and this point was made once again by the UN Secretary-General during his meeting last February with Defense Minister Ehud Barak,” he said. “The daily air violations not only exacerbate local apprehensions, but also undermine the overall credibility of UNIFIL and the LAF.”

Begin Excerpt from the Lebanese Daily Star via World News

Turkey looks to create free trade zone with Arabs

By Osama Habib

Daily Star staff

Friday, June 11, 2010

ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Turkish

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Thursday that both Lebanon and Turkey are endeavoring to create an economic trade zone along with Syria and Jordan to allow people, goods and services to move freely and without charging tariffs and fees.

“Look at Turkey and Syria now. Both countries signed a free trade agreement and as a result people and goods move along the borders without any barriers. It is time that Lebanon and other Arab states create a trade zone,” Erdogan told hundreds of participants who gathered to attend the 5th Turkish-Arab Economic Forum in Istanbul which was organized by Al-Iktissad wa Alamal Group.

Some of the officials told The Daily Star that the free trade agreement between Lebanon and Turkey may be signed during Erdogan’s visit to Lebanon in few months.

They added that Lebanon and Turkey will benefit from a free trade agreement as prices of commodities will fall drastically.

Hariri said the course Turkey and the Arab states took would lead to economic prosperity for both sides.

“We in Lebanon are seeking to bolster Lebanese-Turkish ties in all fields with special emphasis on the economy. I have signed several successful trade agreements with Turkey during my last visit to Istanbul. The most important was an agreement to cancel all types of visas between both countries.

The other important impact for this agreement was the rise in the number of Turkish visitors to Lebanon in the past few months,” Hariri said.

Hariri added that he is looking forward to Erdogan’s visit to Lebanon in October this year, when several agreements are expected to be signed between both countries.

He added that the improvement of ties between the Lebanese and Turkish private sectors is also very crucial for both countries.

“Lebanon now enjoys tremendous stability thanks to the national unity government which groups all parties in the country. We want this national unity Cabinet to carry out its duties and revitalize the economy. We are all committed to the ministerial statement and especially what concerns reforms,” the prime minister said.

Hariri also denounced the Israeli attack against the fleet of ships that was trying to break the siege on the Gaza Strip, adding that once again Tel Aviv had violated international laws.

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For more detailed information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

You may use material originated by this site. However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.

Don’t Say I Did Not Warn the Prophetic World!

I Have Warned the Prophetic Buffs for 35 Years

That Antichrist would be Islamic, not a European

And he would arise within the Old Assyrian Empire

Between Israel’s northern border and the Black Sea

I Consider Greater Syria as the MOST Likely Location

But he may well arise to Syria’s north among the Turks

And I believe we will know where he arises prior to 2015!

The 10 toes and horns of Daniel 2 and 7 are not European

They Are a MINGLING of Arab And Persian Islamic Countries

That unite to counterattack the nation of Israel prior to 2015!

The Gulf News Excerpt following our heading is Worth Reading!

June 11, 2010

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

Daniel 11:40,41 – And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

[41] He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown:

Daniel 7:23-25 – Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. [24] And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. [25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

When a best selling book was written in the fifties about six emerging European Common Market nations, it began to cause many theologians to rapidly change their minds as to where the antichrist would eventually arise.

Prior to that time many had believed he would arise out of the old Seleucid dynasty, which was formed by one of the generals who divided Alexander’s Grecian Empire into four sections. Many believed the Assyrian, in the fifth chapter of Micah, would be the antichrist, and that he would arise in, and come out of, modern day Syria.

Before the European Common Market theory arose, many believed antichrist could come out of the southern half of the old Roman Empire, rather than out of the European northern half. But the popularity of the aforementioned book ascended to the highest levels of acceptability, and previous beliefs were dwarfed to obscurity. The book indicated that the six original members of the Common Market would soon be joined by four other nations to reach ten, and then be joined by the eleventh horn, who would be the antichrist of Daniel’s fourth beast in chapter 7. However, soon there were ten horns, then there were eleven, then more, then fifteen, and now more have come to be added. But the astounding popularity of this book, and the thousands of preachers and other teachers who have taught it, have left a legacy that is difficult to convince they might not be correct in what they have taught, and are still teaching.

I have been concerned, since the book was first published, about the possibility it might cause many to be deceived when he does not arise in Europe, but in Greater Syria or Turkey. Quite frankly, I watch both Europe and Syria just like a hawk, and, if I do see him rising in Europe, I most assuredly will accept it. I am prepared for both. But many are so convinced he must come out of Europe, I doubt if anything would change t

heir minds. In any case, in future updates I will show my reasons for believing he will come out of the Syria area.

The beast of Daniel 7:23 does indeed represent the old Roman Empire, and it certainly did tread down “the whole world,” that is, the “known” world of Daniel’s day. Have you ever thought that perhaps we were meant to take the expressions of Daniel’s day concerning the world, and believe that is the only part of the present world the antichrist will dominate completely? The ten horns will arise out of “the whole world” of Daniel’s day. But why do they have to be European nations? Were not Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, northern Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and northern Sudan part of the old Roman Empire under the Emperor Trajan? And are not most of these countries the descendants of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham, and Keturah’s six sons by Abraham, and the two sons of Abraham’s nephew Lot, Moab and Ammon by his two daughters? Are not these descendants of Abraham the ones who have hated and battled the sons of Abraham through Israel for many centuries

? In any case, since I believe the attack is likely to occur before 2015, I expect to know where he will arise one way or the other in the next few years, that is, if I survive the grave before Jesus returns.

I do not question that Europe will come down as part of the mass of many nations that join antichrist in Jerusalem for the final battle of Armageddon, but I am confident that the initial attack of the tribulation period will be by the antichrist leading Islamic nations against Israel.

Begin Excerpt from Gulf News

Tel Aviv faces a formidable Middle East coalition

Turkey, Iran and Syria are determined to counter the Jewish state’s attempts to dominate the region

By Patrick Seale, Special to Gulf News

GULF NEWS

Published: 00:00 June 11, 2010

A formidable coalition against Israel is taking shape in the Greater Middle East. At its core are Turkey, Iran and Syria, three countries harbouring bitter grievances against the Jewish state.

They are determined to hold in check Israel’s military power and force it to change course.

Turkey, once Israel’s ally, is now leading the campaign against it. Turkish opinion has been outraged by the death of nine Turks, killed by Israeli commandos when they assaulted an aid ship bound for Gaza on May 31.

Iran and Syria have been Israel’s main opponents for decades and now see a chance to alter the regional balance in their favour.

Early this past week, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted a Eurasian summit in Istanbul at which many of the region’s most dangerous conflicts were aired — Gaza, of course, where the main target was Israel and its aggressive behaviour towards the aid flotilla, but also Afghanistan, where US forces suffered heavy casualties this week. The quarrel between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme was also a feature of the summit and of several bilateral meetings.

High profile

The summit was attended by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai, and senior representatives from China, India and Pakistan, among other regional leaders. Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad, and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas were invited guests.

In addition to pressuring Israel over Gaza, Turkey is seeking to use its influence to pacify the situation in Afghanistan.

It hosted a meeting between Afghanistan’s Karzai and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. These two countries are both fighting the Taliban, but are suspicious of each other’s motives and aims.

Karzai is seeking to engage the Taliban leadership in peace talks, as he explored at the recent jirga of tribal chiefs he hosted in Kabul. But Pakistan, intent on countering India’s influence in Afghanistan, wants to ensure that it is given the leading role in any peace talks, and that its local allies come out on top.

The Eurasian summit was followed by a meeting on Wednesday of the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum, attended by Turkish and Arab League foreign ministers.

At all these meetings, decisions were taken aimed at increasing pressure on Israel. A number of specific demands were formulated, namely that Israel lift the siege on Gaza and agree to an independent international commission of enquiry into its assault in international waters on the Gaza-bound flotilla, which led to the Turkish deaths. Israel has already rejected both these demands.

Erdogan repeated his accusation that Israel was guilty of ‘state terrorism’. He declared that his country would not normalise its relations with Israel until it agreed to an independent enquiry.

Erdogan also seized the occasion to press Abbas to seek reconciliation with Hamas, as a necessary precondition for progress towards a Palestinian state. Abbas announced that he would send a delegation to Gaza, and urged the Hamas leaders to accept Egypt’s peace plan as a basis for an inter-Palestinian settlement.

Turkey’s efforts to promote global and regional peace in a wide range of conflict zones — in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Armenia, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iraqi Kurdistan — are in total contradiction with Israel’s determination to impose its will by military force, not only on the Palestinians, but on the whole region.

This is the essence of the contest now taking place between them.

Syria and Iran are Turkey’s main associates in this struggle, although they play only supporting roles. Turkey and Syria have several strategic interests in common. They both want to keep a lid on Kurdish aspirations for independence. They both strongly object to the possibility of an Israeli and/or American strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. And, having opposed America’s war in Iraq, they both have a keen interest in the revival of Iraq as a unitary state.

Israel, in contrast, has for decades channelled clandestine aid to the Kurds, in order to weaken both Iraq and Syria; it has campaigned tirelessly for American action against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which it has demonised as a threat to the whole world; and having pushed the US into overthrowing Saddam Hussain, its present aim is to see Iraq reshaped as a weak, federal state, unable to pose any challenge to Israel in the foreseeable future.

The realignment of Turkey away from Israel is part of a region-wide process which, some hope, might persuade the next generation of Israeli leaders, if not this one, to rethink their country’s security doctrine: to choose peace and co-existence with its neighbours, rather than attempt to maintain its military supremacy.

The great question is whether this necessary evolution of Israeli thinking can take place without another war. A great deal will depend on how US President Barack Obama and major European leaders react to the current crises over Gaza, Afghanistan and Iran. It must be recognised that the omens are not particularly favourable in any of them.

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ERDOGAN IS THE SNAKE IN THE GRASS

WHO KNOWS WHICH RACE CARD TO PLAY

IN ORDER TO PLAN TO STAY AS TURKISH PM

CLIMBING TO BE THE CALIPH OF ARAB STATES

ERDOGAN JUST PLAYED THE JEWISH RACE CARD!

June 11, 2010

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

I have thought for more than 35 years that the last Horn of Daniel 7 would come out of the northwestern area of the ancient Assyrian Empire which included Greater Syria and Southeastern Turkey, with the most likely country of his rise to power being Syria.

Daniel 7:20-22 – And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. [21] I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; [22] Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

I believe the last horn, when he gains power, will attack Israel and prevail against her by conquering Jerusalem and driving her into the Negev Wilderness, where she will remain for some three and one-half years.

Zechariah 14:1,2 – Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Daniel 7:24-27 – And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. [25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. [26] But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

[27] And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Daniel’s last horn will change the times of the offerings, the call to worship, and convert the occupants of the known world land of Daniel’s writings to Sharia Law.

He will keep Israel in his hand by keeping her surrounded in the Negev for some three and one-half years. At the end of that time the Messiah will come to bring in His everlasting Kingdom.

Begin 2 Excerpts from the Jerusalem Center for Public Afairs/Daily Alert

Excerpt 1 – Wall Street Journal

Erdogan and the Israel Card

Steven J. Rosen

Last year, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan defended Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for killing half a million Sudanese Christians and non-Arab Muslims. In March 2010, he denied that Turks ever killed Armenian civilians.

He said the Turkish military garrison stationed in Cyprus since 1974 is “not an occupier” but “[ensures] the peace.” On tens of thousands of Kurds killed by Turkish security forces from 1984 to 1999, he says nothing.

Could it be that there is something more to Erdogan’s rage against Israel? Turkish elections, 13 months away, hold the answer. Backing for Erdogan’s party has fallen to 29%, the lowest level since it won power in 2002 and far below the 47% it scored in July 2007. So Erdogan decided to play the Israel card.

In the 2009 Pew Global Attitudes survey, 73% of Turks rated their opinions of Jews as “negative.” Meanwhile, 68% of Turks rated their opinions of Christians as “negative.” A 2010 BBC poll found negative views of the U.S. among 70% of Turks. (Wall Street Journal)

Excerpt 2 – UK Times

A Change in Tehran’s Propaganda War Against Israel

Amir Taheri

Over the past three years, Iran’s Khomeinist regime has portrayed Israel as a waning power, a small and vulnerable enclave that, having lost the support of its powerful protector, the U.S., is facing the might of a resurgent Muslim world under Tehran’s leadership. This message is pumped out through Iranian satellite television stations, and in scores of magazines and books that are freely distributed throughout the Muslim world. Muslim opinion-formers are regularly invited to Iran for seminars on the pan-Islamic campaign to accelerate “the inevitable end of Israel,” a phrase repeatedly used by Iran’s official media.

To underline this new image of Israel, the Tehran propaganda machine has replaced footage of poor Palestinians crushed by “Zionists” with that of the growing arsenal of rockets that Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza have built up for what President Ahmadinejad calls “the final assault on the Zionist state.” The Jew, previously depicted as aggressive and domineering, is presented as cowardly. (Times-UK)

Begin Excerpt from Arutz Sheva

Turkey Invites Nasrallah, Who Fears IDF will Kill Him En Route

By Maayana Miskin

June 9, 2010

Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has reportedly invited senior Hizbullah terrorist Hassan Nasrallah to Ankara.

However, Nasrallah fears the IDF will assassinate him if he emerges from the hiding places in Lebanon he hs been in since the Second Lebanon War. Iran may therefore provide security for Nasrallah, Kuwaiti paper Al-Siyasa reported Thursday.

Not only is Erdogan to meet Nasrallah, but he is apparently to do so in accordance with advice from Hamas’s leader, Khaled Mashaal. Mashaal recently told Erdogan that a meeting with Nasrallah would increase his popularity in the Arab street, Al-Siyasa claimed.

Nasrallah is reported to be pleased with the invitation.

However, while he hopes to respond to Erdogan’s invitation in the affirmative, the Hizbullah chief apparently fears that a trip to Ankara could give Israel an opportunity to assassinate him.

In order to safely visit Turkey, Nasrallah will receive aid from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Both Iran and Hizbullah will ask Turkey to allow armed Revolutionary Guard soldiers onto Turkish territory in order to provide security.

Turkey has grown increasingly hostile to Israel under Erdogan’s rule. Erdogan harshly criticized Israel following the early 2009 Cast Lead counter-terror offensive, and soon afterward canceled joint Turkish-Israeli military exercises while conducting joint exercises with Syria.

A series on Turkish television depicted Israeli soldiers kidnapping babies and murdering innocent Arab children in cold blood.

In March 2010, Erdogan told Arab media that sites such as the Temple Mount and the Tomb of the Patriarchs had never been Jewish, and said PA Arab demands were “top priority” for his government.

In May, Turkey backed the Gaza-bound flotilla that included the Mavi Marmara, despite the IHH’s known ties to Islamic terrorism.

The resulting incident last week, in which Israeli soldiers clashed with members of the IHH aboard the Mavi Marmara, raised concerns over Turkey’s increasing hostility to Israel and friendship with Gaza and Iran. The invitation to Nasrallah would be yet another Turkish step away from Israel and toward Iran. (IsraelNationalNews.com)

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We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more detailed information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

You may use material originated by this site.

However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.

Egyptian of a 1967 War Gamal Abdul Nasser Rides Again

But this time he is the Turk PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Verbal flames of Islamic Jihad now rise once Again

A greater war that 1967 will begin prior to 2015!

June 10, 2010

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

I was four years away from my retirement from the USAF Branch of the National Security Agency when the 1967 War between the Arabs and Israel broke out. It is forever engraved in my memory as is Vietnam. I am now watching another Nasser arise in the Arab World in Turkey who, like Nasser, is verbally blowing on the flames of a bonding of the Arab and Persian elements into a united Islamic Jihad war against Israel.

It will take time for this unification to occur, but it is coming.

I have been crying out for years that the ten toes and ten horns of Daniel 2 and 7 are not European, but Islamic. And I have repeatedly named them. I believe they will consist of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.

Begin Excerpt from Wikipedia

THE SIX DAY WAR

In early 1967, Soviet premier Alexey Kosygin sent Nasser a warning through Sadat, who was visiting Moscow, that Israel was about to carry out a large-scale assault against Syria. More warnings followed in the next few months, and King Hussein, aware of the intelligence situation, cautioned Nasser in April not to be dragged into a war. That same month, pressure on him to act by Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the PLO, as well as the general Arab populace, mounted after an aerial battle between Syria and Israel resulted in the downing of six Syrian planes. Convinced that Israel was determined to attack Syria, he asked UN Secretary-General U Thant to withdraw UNEF forces from Sinai. On 23 May, Egyptian troops moved into Sharm el-Sheikh and Nasser ordered the Straits of Tiran closed to Israeli shipping. After the blockade, he gave a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 29 May saying, “the issue was not UNEF or closing the Strait of Tiran; the issue is the rights of the Palestinian people.” This was the same message delivered a week earlier during a visit to an air base in the Sinai.

The speeches signaled that Nasser believed war was inevitable.

King Hussein arrived in Cairo on 30 May and committed Jordan to the United Arab Command—an alliance which also included Egypt and Syria—under the command of Egyptian general Muhammad Sidqi. Amer anticipated an Israeli attack and advocated Egypt launch a preemptive strike. He was backed by former Syrian prime minister Amin al-Hafiz. Due to assurances, however, from the American administration and the USSR that Israel would not attack, Nasser refused Amer’s suggestion, insisting that Egyptian forces in the Sinai should only act defensively. In addition, he questioned the Egyptian military’s readiness since the air force lacked pilots, the army reserve lacked training, and Nasser doubted the competence of Amer’s hand-picked officers. Simultaneously, Egypt was facing a financial crisis leading him to believe that the country could not afford a war that would last even a few days.

Nonetheless, Nasser eventually began changing positions from acting to avoid war to giving speeches claiming war was inevitable.

On the morning of 5 June, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck Egyptian air fields, destroying much of the Egyptian Air Force. Before the day ended, Israeli armor had cut through Egyptian defense lines, capturing the town of el-Arish.

According to Sadat, it was only when they captured el-Qantarah el-Sharqiyya, cutting off the Egyptian garrison at Sharm el-Sheikh, that Nasser became aware of the gravity of the situation. After hearing of the attack, he rushed to the army headquarters to inquire about the military situation.

It was here that the simmering conflict between Nasser and Amer came into the open when, according to present officers, they burst into “a non-stop shouting match.” Nasser accused Amer of giving unsatisfactory answers to his questions, while Amer asked Nasser for more time to launch a counterattack against the Israelis.

The Supreme Executive Committee, set up by Nasser to oversee the conduct of the war, attributed the repeated Egyptian defeats to the Nasser-Amer rivalry and to Amer’s overall incompetence. Despite the extent of Israel’s quick military gains, for the first four days the general population in the Arab states believed the fabrications of Arab radio stations which claimed victory near. On 8 June, Nasser appeared on television to inform Egypt’s citizens of their country’s defeat.

Begin Excerpt from New York Times via Global Viewpoint/Tribune Media Services and World News

I.H.T. OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Egypt’s Waning Influence

By Alastair Crooke

Published: June 9, 2010

BEIRUT — “This is language that we have not heard since the time of Gamal Abdul Nasser.” Thus wrote the influential chief editor of Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper, referring to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s fiery response to the Israeli assault on the Gaza flotilla — adding that such “manly” positions and rhetoric had “disappeared from the dictionaries of our Arab leaders.” He lamented that “Arab regimes now represent the only friends left to Israel.”

There is no doubt that it is President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Nasser’s successor, to whom the editor, Abdel Bari Atwan, principally refers. There is no doubt, too, that the “flotilla affair” marks a watershed for Egypt — and to a lesser extent for Saudi Arabia.

Even the notoriously tin ear of President Mubarak to his own people’s sympathy for the Palestinian cause in Gaza could not fail to hear the grinding of the tectonic plates of Middle East change. He ordered the immediate opening of the Egyptian crossing into Gaza.

What we are witnessing is another step — perhaps crucial — in the shifting strategic balance of power in the Middle East: The cause of the Palestinians is gradually passing out of the hands of Mubarak and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

It is the leaders of Iran and Turkey, together with President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria, who recognize the winds of change. Mubarak appears increasingly isolated and is cast as Israel’s most assiduous collaborator. Here in the region, the Egyptian embassies as often as not are the butt of popular demonstrations.

Mubarak’s motives for his dogged support for Israel are well known in the region: He is convinced that the gateway to obtaining Washington’s green light for his son Gamal to succeed him lies in Tel Aviv rather than Washington.

Mubarak enjoys a bare modicum of support in the United States, and if Washington is to ignore its democratic principles in order to support a Gamal shoe-in, it will be because Israel says that this American “blind eye” is essential for its security.

To this end, Mubarak has worked to weaken Hamas’s standing in Gaza, and to strengthen that of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Indeed, he has pursued this policy at the expense of Palestinian unity — his regular “unity” initiatives notwithstanding. Egypt’s one-sided peace “brokering” is viewed here as part of the problem rather than as part of any Palestinian solution.

Paradoxically, it is precisely this posture that has opened the door to Turkey and Iran seizing of the sponsorship of the Palestinian cause.

But standing behind this sharp Turkish reaction to Israel’s assault on the Turkish ship is a deeper regional rift, and this divide stems from the near-universal conviction that the Israeli-Palestinian “peace process” has failed.

Its structural pillars have crumbled: The Israeli public no longer believes that “land for peace” — the Oslo principle — will bring them security. Rather, Israelis believe those who tell them that further withdrawal will only bring Hamas rockets closer.

The other Oslo pillars also lie broken: The hitherto presumed “reversibility” of the Israeli settlement project and the hypothetical possibility of last-resort American imposition of its own solution are now understood to have been no more than chimeras.

Yet Egypt refuses to budge in these changed circumstances even as the shift in the balance of regional power toward the northern tier of Middle Eastern states — Syria, Turkey, Iran, Qatar and Lebanon — gathers pace.

Egypt increasingly has only its memory of past grandeur on which to stand. In contemporary terms its influence has been on the slide for some time.

Egypt’s one card is that it is Gaza’s other neighbor. It has been Egypt’s acquiescence to the siege of Gaza — encouraged by President Abbas in the West Bank, who shares Mubarak’s desire to see Hamas weakened — that has given Mubarak his stranglehold over Palestinian issues.

But the Islamic and regional tide will be flowing ever stronger against him after Israel’s action against the flotilla.

Already the Arab League is talking of supporting Turkey in any legal action against the Israeli assault on the aid convoy to Gaza. The Arab League has also issued a call to other states to break Israel’s siege on Gaza.

It is too early to say that such talk marks any turning point in Arab League politics. The Arab League, as such, is not taken seriously in the region, or anywhere else. But it is rather the shifting of the regional strategic balance that marks the locus from where real change may become possible.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia may conclude that the price of seeing the baton of leadership on such a key and emotive issue pass to non-Arab hands, Iran and Turkey, is too high, and too shameful. The near-universal skepticism directed toward the “peace process” among their own peoples has already left these leaders exposed internally.

For nearly 20 years these leaders have used their involvement in the “process” as justification to curb internal dissent; but it is now a tool that has lost its magic. They are already paying the price of popular cynicism.

This is Mubarak’s dilemma: stay with the siege and hope America will reward him with Gamal’s succession; but flouting the winds of change may imperil Gamal’s very survival. In any event, Egypt’s control of the Palestinian “file” will never be the same again.

Alastair Crooke, a former British intelligence officer in the Middle East, is author of “Resistance: The Essence of the Islamist Revolution.” He runs the Conflicts Forum in Beirut.

Global Viewpoint/Tribune Media Services

Begin a series of Excerpts from the Middle East Flotilla Fallout

Turkey, Hamas, the United States, Israel and the Flotillas Episode

A great maize of political chaos, deceit, conspiracy, and Confusion

A Series of Excerpts from The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs/Dailey Alert

June 9, 2010

Excerpt 1 – UK Financial Times

Turkey-U.S. Ties Face “Breaking Point” over Iran Sanctions Vote

Daniel Dombey and Delphine Strauss

The turbulent relationship between the U.S. and Turkey – allies for more than half a century – is about to reach a decisive moment when the UN Security Council votes on whether to tighten sanctions on Iran. Turkey, a member of the Security Council, is leading the case against sanctions. “The moment when the Turkish ambassador at the UN fails to raise his hand in support of the Iran sanctions vote may be a breaking point,” said Bulent Aliriza of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

On a trip to Turkey last year, President Obama hailed the country’s potential as a bridge to the Muslim world, as well as its status as a democratic, secular NATO ally. Since then, the U.S. has grown uneasy over the direction taken by the government of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, who has strengthened relations with Iran and Syria, and echoed some of their criticisms of Western foreign policy.

The U.S. has signaled that it considers Turkey’s reaction to the flotilla incident overblown. The day that Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, said the Israeli raid was the psychological equivalent for his country of the September 11 attacks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for “careful, thoughtful responses from all concerned.” Erdogan leads a country where anti-U.S. feeling is comparable to levels in nations such as Pakistan. A BBC World Service survey in April found that 70% of Turks held a negative view of the U.S. (Financial Times-UK)

Excerpt 2 – Ha’aretz

Israel Awaiting U.S. Green Light for Internal Gaza Flotilla Probe

Anshel Pfeffer and Barak Ravid

Israel is awaiting a “green light” from the U.S. on a proposal for how to investigate the flotilla incident. The government’s seven senior ministers agreed Monday to establish a panel of jurists to probe the raid, but a senior government source noted that if the type of panel proposed, and its mandate, is not acceptable to Washington, “there is no point in establishing it.” A senior source in Jerusalem said the panel would be comprised of top jurists with experience in international and marine law. Two international jurists – at least one of them American – would be invited to participate as observers. Talks with the Americans have gone on for two days, but Jerusalem and Washington are still at odds over both the committee’s mandate and its composition. (Ha’aretz)

Excerpt 3 – AFP

U.S. Backs International Role in Flotilla Probe

The U.S. backed calls Tuesday for international participation in Israel’s probe of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla. “International participation in investigating these matters will be important to the credibility everybody wants to see,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said. “We’re in conversation with Israelis and others about how to best accomplish this,” Crowley added. (AFP)

Excerpt 4 – UK Guardian

Turkey Calling for Jihad Against Israel

Joshua Teitelbaum

The last time Turkish flags were carried through the streets of Middle Eastern capitals was during the first world war, as people took to the streets to support the Ottoman sultan-caliph against the Western entente powers. Thanks to Turkish government support of a blockade-running mission led by a group of Hamas sympathizers, no ruling Arab leader is as popular as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose discourse amounts to calls for a jihad against Israel. Israel’s relations with Ankara have been sacrificed on the altar of Turkey’s aspiration to lead the Islamic world and establish itself along with Iran as an alternative to American power.

It is difficult to imagine that Turkey would be engaging in this kind of behavior were the U.S. demonstrating world leadership and not abandoning the field to the likes of Erdogan. While the administration works to assure Israel’s security with co-operation on missile defense, it has yet emboldened Israel’s enemies by publicly pressuring Jerusalem at every turn, not taking decisive action against Iran, and singling out Israel – to the exclusion of Iran – at the nuclear non-proliferation treaty review conference.

The writer is a Senior Research Fellow at the Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University and a Visiting Fellow at Stanford University. (Guardian-UK)

Excerpt 5 – New York Times

Turkey Goes from Pliable Ally to Thorn for U.S.

Sabrina Tavernise and Michael Slackman

Turkey’s shifting foreign policy is making its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a hero to the Arab world, and is openly challenging the way the U.S. manages Iran’s nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Turkey is seen increasingly in Washington as “running around the region doing things that are at cross-purposes to what the big powers in the region want,” said Steven A.

Cook, a scholar with the Council on Foreign Relations. The question being asked, he said, is “How do we keep the Turks in their lane?” (New York Times)

Excerpt 6 _ Hudson Institute – New York

What About Hamas’ Siege of Gaza?

Khaled Abu Toameh

As Israeli naval commandos raided the flotilla convoy that was on its way to Gaza, Hamas security officers stormed the

offices of five non-governmental organizations, confiscated equipment and documents, and ordered them closed indefinitely. Ever since it seized control over Gaza in 2007, Hamas has imposed a reign of terror on the local population in general and its critics in particular. Hamas has brought nothing to the Palestinians in Gaza other than death and disaster. Hamas’ recent decision to ban municipal elections in Gaza is yet another violation of the basic rights of its constituents.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested by Hamas security forces for daring to speak out against tyranny and intimidation in Gaza. Over the past three years, dozens of Fatah officials and members have either been thrown into prison or killed. Under Hamas, Gaza is being transformed into a fundamentalist Islamic entity resembling the regimes of the Ayatollahs in Iran and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Those who seek confrontation with Israel in the sea are only emboldening Hamas and helping it tighten its grip on the people of Gaza.

(Hudson Institute-New York)

Excerpt 7 – Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

IHH Preparations for a Violent Confrontation with IDF Soldiers Aboard the Turkish Ship Mavi Marmara (Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center)

An initial analysis of statements taken from passengers aboard the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara after it was towed to the port of Ashdod show that operatives belonging to the radical Islamic Turkish IHH led the violent confrontation with the IDF.

The statements confirmed that the violence met by the IDF soldiers was not spontaneous but rather an organized, premeditated action carried out by a hard core of 40 IHH operatives (among the 500 passengers).

The passengers, including the IHH operatives, stated that there were close relations between the organization and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and that the Turkish government was involved in preparations for the flotilla. The statements reinforce the original assessment that the objective of the flotilla was not merely to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, but focused on provocation and a violent confrontation with Israel.

The flotilla set sail with the full knowledge and agreement of Erdogan, who expressed personal interest in its success and his intention to exploit it to promote his status in Turkey and the Arab-Muslim world.

In files found in laptops confiscated from Mavi Marmara passengers were other indications supporting the vast amount of information concerning the linkage between IHH and the Turkish government.
Past Involvement of IHH in Supporting the Global Jihad and Radical Islam (Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center)

According to reliable information, IHH had links to global jihad and Islamic terrorist networks in the past and assisted jihadist terrorist cells in many countries, including Bosnia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya.

IHH provided mainly logistic support for transporting weapons and funding.

IHH was mentioned in connection with the planned Millennium Attack in the U.S., when global jihad operators headed by Ahmed Ressam planned to set off a bomb in Los Angeles International Airport on the night of December 31, 1999.

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