The HISH Alliance (Hamas-Iran-Syria-Hizbullah) will not be Broken!
August 21, 2007
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
I have, for some 60 years, referred to the terrorist link that connects Hamas, Iran, Syria, and Hizbullah across a quarter moon shaped zone as “The Fertile Crescent,” which received that name centuries ago because of its water sources. As I watched the terrorist link form between the two terrorist countries and the two terrorist organizations, I started to call it the Crescent of Terror. It was possible to see it forming in 2001, and I wrote about its beginning in February Prophecy Update 13. At that time I speculated it would be strong enough to start a war with Israel between 2003 and 2006, and one did occur with Hizbullah in 2006, but it was not as consolidated as I expected it to be.
Since the end of the war, which amounted to a stalemate, there has been a fantastic influx of all sorts of high tech ground and aerial weaponry pumped into Syria, Hizbullah,
and Hamas from Russia, with Iran footing the bill.
I am guesstimating this quadruple HISH Alliance, backed by other Islamic nations, will launch a consolidated attack against Israel at some point in time between 2008 and the end of 2012, with the most likely time being the period 2009 to 2013. It is speculation on my part, no more and no less, but there is no doubt in my mind that it must eventually happen. I like the contracted name HISH, given the Crescent group by Barry Rubin, who is one of the best analytical writers in the Post.
Please consider Our Archive Prophecy Update 13, issued in February 2001, before reading his Jerusalem Post Article.
Begin Archive Prophecy Upd ate Number 13, Febru
ary 2001
PROPHECY UPDATE 13
February 2001
In our very first prophetic update, which can be found in our prophetic archives, we showed how the beginning of a pattern of military unity between Syria, Iran, and Iraq was emerging.
We also indicated we expected a pattern of ever increasing meetings of Islamic nations, behind closed doors, would begin. These meetings will eventually result in a consolidated attack against Israel at some point after 2003 begins, but before 2006 arrives.
I realize this timing is speculative, but at this time it fits the Biblical pattern of end time events, and seems to be the most likely scenario.
In Prophecy Update 8A we discussed one of the initial closed door meetings, which occurred at the first Arab Summit Meeting in 10 years. The meeting was held at Amman, Jordan earlier this month. For the first time in 8 years, after a closed door session, Syria and the Palestinians reconciled their differences, and agreed to “reactivate the joint coordination on the basis of a just and comprehensive peace.” In Prophecy Update 11A we showed why it will require the united effort of most of the Arab forces to defeat Israel, and that it must include the partnership of all the terrorist groups. In Prophecy Update 12, I used Scripture to prove why Israel must be lulled into a false sense of “peace with security” before she can be defeated.
The terrorist groups are under the control of several leaders.
These leaders follow the dictates of several Islamic nations, and they must be part of the plan to trick Israel into a feeling of false security.
Two of the best known terrorist groups are Hamas, headed by Khaled al-Mashaal, and Hizbullah, headed by Sheik Hassan Nasrallah. Recently, the two groups have been operating independently of each other, seeming vying with each other to see who could gain the greatest terrorist glory in attacks against Israel. Hizbullah’s followers are Shiite Muslims, while the Hamas is basically composed of the Sunni branch of the Islamic faith. Hizbullah is based in Beirut, Lebanon, and Hamas is based in Gaza, but they have numerous outreach headquarters. Hamas wants ALL of existing Israel to become an Islamic Republic. Both Hamas and Hizbullah are anxious for the nations of Islam to declare a Jihad (Holy War) against Israel. Recently, Iran, which has the main control over these two groups, issued a call from its terrorist backers in her government, to come and meet with them. They called Khaled and Hassan to Tehran. The purpose of this meeting was to put the two in a cooperative mood, and to instruct them concerning the plans for a future Jihad against Israel.
There will be many other sessions, behind closed doors, between the leaders of the Islamic nations before the Jihad begins. Israel must be lulled into a false sense of security before a Jihad can be successful, and it must be well coordinated to insure success. The Arab leaders of the Islamic nations must carefully plan the Jihad, and part of that planning would include the gradual decline of all terrorist activities against Israel. I expect terrorist activities, and many closed door meetings, to continue for the next two years.
I do not believe the Jihad will occur before 2003, but I do believe it is likely to occur
before 2006.
End Archive Prophecy Update Number 13, February 2001
Well, an attack did occur in 2006, but it was not consolidated, and ended in a stalemate. The next attack will be consolidated, and will end up with Israel in the Negev Wilderness.
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.
The HISH Alliance will not be broken, but it will eventually lead to an Islamic attack against Israel, which I believe will terminate in Armageddon some three and one-half years after it begins in the final great battle of Armageddon.
The following Jerusalem Post article by Barry Rubin is an excellent assessment of the HISH Alliance Bond and its future/
Begin Jerusalem Post Article
The Region: The Middle East’s titanic battle
Barry Rubin, THE JERUSALEM POST
August 19, 2007
The Middle East is in a new era, very different from the politics and strategic situation we have been used to for so long.
For 55 years the region has lived under Arab nationalist dominance. Every Arab regime, except perhaps Sudan, is Arab nationalist, governed by that basic system and world view.
Of course, these regimes have governed badly, not keeping pledges to unite the Arab world, minimize Western influence, destroy Israel or bring rapid social and economic progress. Still, they know how to stay in power.
Remember that the last real regime change from within an Arab state happened 37 years ago, when Hafez Assad seized power in Syria.
Since then, surprisingly little has changed in Arab ideology, political structure, economic organization or society.
It has also been 28 years since Iran’s Islamist revolution took power in 1979. Since then – though not solely because of that event – Islamism has been on the upsurge.
Certainly, it also suffered setbacks and almost three decades later was unable to seize power anywhere, at least until Hamas’s recent triumph in Gaza.
WHAT HAS happened now, however, is that radical Islamism has reached a critical mass. It poses serious challenges to Arab nationalism as the leading opposition in every Arabic-speaking country. Islamism plays a key role in governing Iraq; Hamas defeated Fatah on the Palestinian front; and Hizbullah is close to gaining at least equal power in Lebanon.
For years, probably decades, to come, the Middle East will be shaken by a titanic battle for control between Arab nationalism and Islamism.
This struggle, and certainly not the Arab-Israel conflict, is the central theme and underlying factor in every regional issue.
This is so for several reasons. One is that the Islamist cause is now promoted by an alliance including two regimes, Iran and Syria, as well as Hamas and Hizbullah, which both rule territory. Syria’s government, technically “secular” and ruled by an Alawite minority, behaves like an Islamist one, especially in its foreign policy, so as to keep loyal its Sunni Muslim majority.
It is folly to think that this HISH alliance (Hamas-Iran-Syria-Hizbullah) can be split. After all, the parties have common aims and ideologies, their cooperation is so mutually beneficial – and, last but not least, they think they are winning.
Historically, there were two barriers to Iran’s trying to become the Middle East’s leading power: the Persian-Arab and Shi’ite-Sunni divides. How could Persian, Shi’ite Iran appeal to Arabs who mostly were Sunni? The HISH alliance solves that problem. Three of the four members are Arab, and Hamas is Sunni, as is the majority of Syrians. If one adds Iraq’s Sunni Arab insurgency, that breakthrough becomes even clearer.
Nor does this exhaust the Islamist forces working today to seize state power throughout the region. Al-Qaida is a factor, mostly in Iraq – where it cooperates closely with Syria – and Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaida is far more a threat in terms of terrorism, however, than in a strategic sense. Since it has only one tactic, flexibility, in comparison to other Islamists, al-Qaida is unlikely to take over any countries.
A third Islamist set of groups are Muslim Brotherhood movements. While Hamas arises from the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood, its Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian counterparts do not particularly like Iran or Shi’ites. Still, they are also trying to transform Arab nationalist states into Islamist
states. Even if they use elections in pursuing this objective, the goal remains the same.
TO UNDERSTAND the region today, all its issues have to be seen in the context of this nationalist-Islamist battle. If Iran gets nuclear weapons it will greatly increase the power of HISH, the Arab regimes’ readiness to appease it, and the recruitment for Islamists of all types throughout the area.
In Lebanon, Hizbullah, backed by Iran and Syria, seeks to control the government, or at least have veto power over its policies. In Iraq, Syrian-backed Sunni insurgents fight Shi’ites, among whom Iran has considerable influence. HISH hedges its bets, but on both sides tries to turn Iraq into a client state. Among Palestinians, Hamas seeks full power by ensuring that war with Israel continues, and by driving Fatah out of the West Bank.
On the other side, in theory, are all the Arab regimes, except Syria, plus Israel. In practice, though, these forces are far from united. Arab governments will try to cut their own deals or pursue their own interests. They may be privately happy if Israel defeats Hamas or Hizbullah, but they will scarcely provide any help, or make peace.
A good example here is Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis fight Iran, but do so by giving money and recru its to the Iraqi insurgency – or by their ill-fated attempt to buy off Hamas by brokering a deal between
it and Fatah. Neither of these tactics has been very helpful. And the incompetence, corruption and dictatorial nature of the Arab regimes – plus their Islamist-style extremist propaganda – all help foster more opposition.
Still, this does not at all mean the Islamists will win. No one should underestimate the Arab nationalist regimes, and there are huge problems with the Islamists’ strategy. What is vital, however, is to understand that past realities are now outmoded; and myths that are all too often dominant in media and academia are even more misleading.
The writer is director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center and editor of Middle East Review of International Affairs.
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