Russia-Islam 2007
Russian sect prays to Putin icons ; claims he is the ‘chosen one’
Journal Chretien (December
17, 2007) - Vladimir Putin may be popular in Russia for saving
the nation from the chaos of the 1990s, but a sect in the country has
taken its devotion a step further by praying to “presidential icons.”
According to the (RIA Novosti web site), the Bolshaya Elnya village in
the Nizhny Novgorod Region is home to the “Rus’ Resurrecting” sect, a
group of local residents who believe that President Putin was both the
Apostle Paul and King Solomon in previous lives. Rus’ is the term used
for the medieval East Slavic nation that gave its name to modern Russia.
“We didn’t choose Putin,” Mother Fontinya told the Moskovsky Komsomolets
paper, expounding on the first time she laid eyes on the “holy one.” “It
was when Yeltsin was naming him as his successor [during a live New
Year’s Eve TV broadcast in 1999]. My soul exploded with joy ! ‘An
ubermensch ! God himself has chosen him !’ I cried. “Yeltsin was the
destroyer, and God replaced him with his creation,” claimed Fontinya.
The sect possesses a President Putin icon that Fontinya claims
miraculously appeared one day. “He has given us everything,” she said,
pointing to the sky. A special newspaper published by the sect – “The
Temple of Light” - features interviews with long-dead religious figures,
including the Apostle Paul. The sect members are also convinced that
President Putin knows about and supports the actions of their ’Mother
Superior.’ Russian Christian sects have long been known for their
unusual choices of icons, some of them praying to portraits of such
well-known “holy men” as Stalin and Ivan the Terrible. “Another Russian
sect is currently holed up in an underground shelter in the country’s
central Penza Region and has threatened to commit mass suicide if any
attempt is made to bring them to the surface,” said the RIA Novosti
story. “Religion was tightly controlled in the U.S.S.R. and the collapse
of the Soviet Union saw an explosion in sects and cults, as well as
interest in New Age philosophies and beliefs. “The back pages of many
Russian tabloid newspapers are full of advertisements for ’healers’ and
’magicians’ who promise to bring happiness in love, success in business,
as well as a range of other services. “One of the most well-known sects
in Russia has its base near the southern Siberian town of Abakan, where
thousands of people, both Russian and foreign, worship a former
provincial traffic policeman, Sergei Torop, as the second coming of
Christ.” The RIA Novosti story concluded by saying that there
are currently believed to be around 500-700 such sects in Russia,
containing some 600,000-800,000 people.
Assad: Syria-Iran alliance unshakeable
The
Jerusalem Post (December 13, 2007) -
Syrian President Bashar Assad rejected claims that Syria's alliance with
Iran had been weakened by Damascus' participation in last month's
US-sponsored Mideast peace conference, saying Thursday that the two
countries' ties will never be shaken. Assad made the comments as he
inaugurated two joint Syrian-Iranian industrial projects - factories for
cars and cement. He was joined at the ceremonies by the Iranian industry
and housing ministers. The November conference in Annapolis, Maryland,
which relaunched Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, was widely seen
as also aimed at isolating Iran by bringing together Arab nations. US
officials have expressed hopes that Syria's attendance would mark a
start to easing it out of its alliance with Teheran. Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other top officials denounced the conference,
and some officials expressed surprise over Syria's participation -
though none directly criticized it. Speaking at the auto factory, Assad
said, "inaugurating this plant in partnership with our Iranian brothers
and officials is a response to those who tried to circulate (reports)
... that relations between the two countries have been shaken." "I
confirm, on this occasion, that relations will not be shaken for any
reason or under any circumstance," Assad said at the factory in Hasya,
some 160 kilometers north of the Syrian capital, Damascus. according to
the official SANA news agency. Syria and Iran have growing economic
ties, with the annual two-way trade estimated at about US$200 million.
The size of Iranian investments in Syria has reached around US$2
billions in sectors such as power generation, automobiles, cement and
agriculture. Syria is Iran's closest Arab ally. The two countries have
had close relations since 1980 when Syria sided with Persian Iran
against Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. The $50 million International
Syrian-Iranian Factory for Cars is the second car venture between the
two countries in less than a year. It will have an initial production
capacity of up to 15,000 cars a year and would likely increase to reach
35,000 cars annually at its final stage, SANA said. In March, Syria and
Iran inaugurated the first joint car project in the industrial city of
Adra near Damascus. Assad and the Iranian ministers also inaugurated a
new cement plant in the northern city of Hama, some 210 kilometers
northwest of the Syrian capital. The factory that had cost US$250
million has a production capacity of 1.1 million tons annually, SANA
said. The project, which would create some 400 jobs, was initially
agreed upon during a visit by then Iranian President Mohammed Khatami to
Syria in mid 1999. The project is financed by the Kuwait Fund for
Economic Development and the Iranian company has provided all the
necessary equipment.
Russia-Iran trade doubles to $2.2 bln in 9M07 - official Russian
News & Information Agency (December 12,
2007) - Trade between Russia and Iran more than doubled in
January-September 2007 to $2.2 billion, the Russian co-chairman of
the bilateral inter-governmental commission said on Thursday. Sergei
Kiriyenko, who was yesterday appointed by the Russian president to
head state-controlled nuclear power corporation Rosatom, and Iran's
Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki chaired on Thursday a session of
the inter-governmental commission. Iran has proposed that both
countries should establish consortiums in electric power, energy and
other spheres and set up an investment fund for the implementation
of joint projects, Mottaki said. "The establishment of a gas company
could become another area of mutual cooperation," Mottaki said. The
Iranian diplomat also said the drafts of Russian-Iranian agreements
on air transport and investment were almost ready and could be
signed soon. Vladimir Putin the President cleared to become Prime Minister of Russia Times Online (December 12, 2007) - Vladimir Putin completed his plan yesterday to retain power in Russia, without the involvement of a single voter. Dmitri Medvedev repaid the compliment of being chosen as his successor in the Kremlin by declaring that Mr Putin should serve as Prime Minister after he leaves the presidency. The development clears the way for Mr Putin to rule Russia as premier while his protégé Mr Medvedev acts as a figurehead leader. The announcement settled within 24 hours the two key questions that have dominated Russian politics for months ahead of the presidential election next March: the identity of Mr Putin's successor and his own future role. Mr Medvedev, 42, is Russia's first deputy prime minister but has never run for elected office and is reliant on Mr Putin's support. The backing of the Kremlin will reduce the election to little more than an invitation for voters to endorse yesterday's arrangement. In a televised address, Mr Medvedev declared that Mr Putin had saved Russia from economic collapse and civil war after the chaos of the 1990s. His policies had restored Russia's “overpowering position in the world community” and brought economic success. “To follow this course it is not enough to elect a new president who agrees with this ideology. It is no less important to keep the unity of the team formed by the current president,” Mr Medvedev said. “I appeal to him to give his agreement in principle to head the government of Russia after a new president of our country has been chosen.” The invitation has not yet been accepted but it is unthinkable that Mr Medvedev would have announced it without Mr Putin's approval. Mr Putin has ruled since 2000 but is barred by the constitution from a third successive term. Mr Medvedev will now run as “Putin's candidate” with a clear pledge that a vote for him will be a vote to restore Mr Putin to real power. The initiative is not without risk for Mr Putin, however, since the Prime Minister is subservient to the President under the Constitution.| Gog/Magog |
Saudi king invites Ahmadinejad for haj-media
Reuters
(December 12, 2007)
- The king of U.S.-allied Saudi Arabia has invited Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend this year's haj in the Muslim holy city of
Mecca, Iranian media reported on Wednesday. It would be the first time
an Iranian president was officially invited to take part in the annual
pilgrimage, starting later this month, the official IRNA news agency
said. Like other Gulf Arab states, Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has long
been wary of its large Shi'ite Muslim neighbor and shares Western
concerns about Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "Saudi King Abdullah has
formally invited President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to take part in this
year's haj ceremony," Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammad
Hosseini, was quoted as saying by state television. The five-day rites
are expected to begin on December 18. On Tuesday Ahmadinejad said he
would take part in the haj if formally invited. Last week he became the
first Iranian president to attend a summit of Saudi Arabia and five
other Gulf Arab states. It was not clear whether the 51-year-old had
attended the haj before. A duty for every Muslim at least once in a
lifetime, the grueling ritual is one of the world's biggest displays of
mass religious devotion and is held under tight security. At least 1.5
million people are expected to arrive from abroad in Mecca where
pilgrims follow a route around the mountains in line with a tradition
established by the Prophet Muhammad. In 1987, more than 400 people,
mostly Iranians, died in clashes with Saudi security forces at an anti-U.S.
and anti-Israel rally in Mecca.
France
scores symbolic victory against Turkish EU membership EU
Observer (December 12, 2007) -
France has scored a symbolic victory in its battle against Turkey
joining the European Union by succeeding in removing the word
'accession' from an EU document on the state of negotiations. A
statement on the EU's enlargement strategy, agreed by foreign
ministers in Brussels on Monday (11 December), refers only to an
intergovernmental conference with Turkey and Croatia later this
month, rather than to accession or membership negotiations. The
normal phrasing for these meeting to discuss progress on membership
negotiations is "accession conferences." But France, strongly
opposed to Turkey joining the EU, got its way yesterday after
putting diplomatic pressure on for around two weeks before the
meeting. Britain and Sweden were amongst the countries that were
against the French move. "We do not see any rationale for
backtracking either on the Treaty of Rome or on these commitments,"
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said before the meeting,
according to Reuters. French president Nicolas Sarkozy has made no
secret of his staunch opposition to Ankara's membership bid. It
featured during his presidential campaign in the first half of 2007
while after his election Mr Sarkozy suggested Turkey become a member
of a Mediterranean Union he wants to set up and that the EU's final
borders are discussed in a wise committee - both suggestions are
seen as part of an overall aim to derail Turkey's bid. Germany is
also against Turkish EU membership, but has been less vocal at the
European level on the issue than France. It prefers instead a
privileged partnership - essentially granting Ankara closer ties
with the EU but no decision-making powers. Turkey opened membership
talks with the EU in 2005. But it has only made small progress so
far. Talks have been blocked in a number of areas because of
Ankara's position on Cyprus - it refuses to trade with it - while
France has blocked the opening of talks in areas that smack too much
of leading to EU membership. Turkey itself has also been slow to
undertake internal democratic reforms, which has led to criticism
from the EU side. more... With rejection by Europe, who will Turkey turn to? Most likely, and according to Bible prophecy, Turkey will align with the Islamic side and participate in the attack on Israel. Keep watching!
Medvedev: Putin should be prime minister Associated
Press (December 11, 2007) - The man
tapped by President Vladimir Putin as his successor called Tuesday for
the popular president to return as prime minister after the March 2
election — a shuffling of Kremlin duties that would keep the main levers
of power in Putin's hands. The brief announcement by Dmitry Medvedev,
almost certainly approved in advance by Putin, was the second major
development from the Kremlin in as many days. On Monday, Putin endorsed
Medvedev for president. In this way, Putin and his longtime aide appear
to answer a question that has long been the subject of conjecture and
anxiety: whether the two-term president would relinquish power, and if
so to whom. The emerging scenario — one that Putin himself hinted at
months ago — would see the popular president wielding considerable and
possibly ultimate power from a beefed-up prime minister's position.
Putin, who took over from Boris Yeltsin about eight years ago, is barred
by the constitution from a third consecutive term. In a three-minute
televised speech, Medvedev said Putin "prevented the collapse of the
economy and social sphere in our country, a course that prevented civil
war." It was vital to retain Putin's team, he said. "Therefore, I think
that is principally important for our country that we keep in the most
important post in government — the position of chairman of the Russian
government - Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin," he said. "Having expressed
my readiness to run for president of Russia, I appeal to him with a
request to give his principal agreement to head the Russian government
after the election of the new president of our country," Medvedev said.
Putin clearly wants to retain a powerful role once he steps down.
Medvedev's proposal would provide such a role, especially if the
constitution is amended to increase the prime minister's powers — which
could be done readily with the new parliament dominated by pro-Putin
politicians. more...
Russian 'bear' who loves Black Sabbath set to succeed Putin RIA
Novosti (December 10, 2007) - The
man backed by Vladimir Putin for next year's presidential election is a
heavy-metal loving 42-year-old whose surname comes from the Russian word
for 'bear'. First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was
nominated by the ruling United Russia party and three other smaller
pro-Kremlin parties on Monday afternoon. President Putin later said on
national television: "I have known Dmitry Medvedev well for over 17
years, and I completely and fully support his candidature." In view of
Putin's high popularity rating and full support of most of the
legislature, his backing of the nomination is likely to guarantee
Medvedev the presidency. Medvedev's surname comes from the Russian word
'medved', meaning bear, an animal which has long been associated with
the country. The bear is also the symbol of United Russia, and Bear
bombers have contributed to increasing tension between the West and
Russia of late with their strategic long-range patrols. In a recent
interview with the Russian magazine Itogi, Medvedev revealed his
passion for rock music, saying that, "vinyl really sounds better
than CDs." The man who may well become leader of the largest nation on
Earth said he had spent much of his youth compiling cassettes of
popular Western groups, "Endlessly making copies of Black Sabbath, Led
Zeppelin and Deep Purple." All these groups were on state-issued
blacklists during Medvedev's Soviet-era schooldays. "The quality was
awful, but my interest colossal," he said. Medvedev went on to boast of
his collection of Deep Purple LPs, saying that he had searched for the
albums for many years. "Not reissues, but the original albums," he
added, concluding that, "If you set yourself a goal you can achieve it."
Medvedev, seen as a pro-business moderate, chairs the board of Russia's
state-controlled natural gas monopoly Gazprom and is overseeing an
ambitious multi-billion-dollar "national project" to improve living
standards in the country. That Putin backs him, Russia's prophetic role in the Middle East and his choice in music given the video They Sold Their Souls For Rock N' Roll, all points me to him indeed of the same ilk of Putin in aligning with the anti-Israel Middle East both politically and spiritually. Keep watching.
Russia to boost presence in Mediterranean Sea with extended naval
exercises
BBC
News (December 5, 2007) - Russia is
planning naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean
in what it says is a bid to boost its presence and protect shipping.
Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said battleships, helicopters
and aircraft would take part in a range of manoeuvres, due to end in
February. This is the latest sign of a resurgence in Russia's military
capabilities, the BBC's Nick Childs says. Russia recently resumed
long-range patrols by its bomber aircraft. The practise was suspended
after the collapse of the Soviet Union and was revived in August this
year, as part of a more assertive foreign policy pursued by President
Vladimir Putin. According to a Kremlin transcript, Mr Serdyukov told Mr
Putin on Wednesday that the "aim of the sorties is to ensure a naval
presence in tactically important regions of the world's oceans". Mr
Serdyukov said Russia's Black Sea fleet would monitor the Mediterranean
while its Northern Fleet would operate in the Atlantic. Military
analysts say Russia's boosted military presence is largely symbolic.
Higher oil prices have enabled Russia to re-invest in its armed forces
but its military capabilities remain far below what they were during the
Soviet era, correspondents say. The Russian navy's reputation has been
severely dented by accidents such as the sinking of the Kursk nuclear
submarine in 2000.
Iran Says Ties With Syria Rock Solid
Associated Press
(December 3, 2007) - Iran's
adversaries cannot harm the strong ties between Tehran and Damascus,
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday, a week after Iran appeared to
chide Syria for its decision to take part in a Mideast summit in the
United States. State-run television quoted Ahmadinejad as telling
Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad that "enemies cannot
damage real and firm Tehran-Damascus relations." Though Iran never
directly criticized Syria for attending the summit in Annapolis, Md.
last week, Ahmadinejad and other top officials said the summit was
doomed to fail and scolded Arab nations for going. Tehran was not
invited to the meeting. But Syria's attendance and Iran's harsh
criticism of the meeting appeared to indicate at least some tension
between the two allies — a rare event in the past decades. During his
meeting Sunday with Ahmadinejad, Mekdad gave the Iranian president a
written message from Syrian President Bashar Assad and underlined the
strategic relationship between the two countries, Iran's official news
agency, IRNA, reported. No details of the message from Assad were given.
Both Ahmadinejad and Mekdad said Iran-Syrian ties remained strong.
Mekdad also said Syrian would "never let anyone harm the friendly ties"
between Iran and Syria, IRNA reported. Syria said it decided to send
Mekdad to the summit only after the issue of the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights was added to the agenda. During the trip, the Syrian delegation
shook hands with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — indicating a
slight thaw in the diplomatic chill between Washington and Damascus.
U.S. officials had hoped the Annapolis meeting could mark a start to
moving Syria out of its alliance with Iran and Hamas and Hezbollah, both
of which are Iranian-backed militant groups. more...
Moscow Comes between Israel and Syria Kommersant (November
16, 2007)
- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Alexander Saltanov and special representative of the foreign minister
for the Middle East Sergey Yakovlev arrived in Israel yesterday. The
main topic of their talks there will be a Syrian-Israeli settlement.
Russia hopes that its influence on Syria will permit it to overtake the
United States as peacemaker in the Middle East. The Russians' visit is
being given low-key treatment. They met with Israeli Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni yesterday. The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment
on their talks. The Russians also met with head of the Israeli National
Security Council Ilan Mizrahi. Officially, the topic of their talks was
the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian meetings in Annapolis, Maryland. Other
sources say they talked about a conference in Moscow, which the
Kremlin has been hoping for
since 2005. Since Israel prefers to deal with the Palestinians directly
and recognizes only the U.S. as an intermediary, Moscow has revamped its
proposal as a conference on Israeli-Syrian settlement. The possibility
of returning the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in 1967, in return
for a peace settlement, is more and more frequently mentioned in Israel
now. The U.S., although jealous of its role as peacemaker in the Middle
East, has indicated that it would agree to such a conference in Moscow.
Damascus had made it know that, during the summit in Annapolis, it would
host a summit of anti-Israeli forces. Former Russian prime minister and
head of the Russian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Evgeny Primakov was able to dissuade Syria from that plan during a visit
there at the beginning of the month. Instead, Syrian President Bashar
Asad will send his own envoy to Annapolis. In return, Syria is demanding
that the conference in Moscow take place, as the first step in its
recovery of the Golan Heights. Any apparent desire of Russia to bring peace to the Middle East is overshadowed by what the Bible says about those allied with Iran currently and a future attack on Israel. In this light, it is clear that Russia is on the side of Iran who has stated in no uncertain terms that the current administration desires the State of Israel to cease to exist. The m/o of the enemy is to come in with flattery and deceive, pretending to work for a common goal in order to get close enough to their enemy to undermine them and have an advantage. Russia's government has made itself an ally with all those who vehemently oppose Israel and given the Bible's description of what is to come, peace is not their ultimate goal.
EU Report On Turkey Deals New Blow To Ankara's Membership Bid International
Herald Tribune (November 1, 2007) -
In a fresh blow to Turkey's hopes of joining the European Union, a key
report has concluded that reforms there slowed in 2007 because of a
constitutional crisis over the election of a president with an Islamic
background. With attention distracted by tensions between the ruling AK
Party and the military over the election of Abdullah Gul, Turkey did too
little to root out corruption, modernize its judiciary, reduce the power
of the military and increase freedom of expression. The annual progress
report compiled by the European Commission, to be released next week,
comes amid preparations for a new committee on the future of the EU
which may try to determine where Europe's frontiers should lie and how
much further the bloc should expand. Public opinion across the EU is
hardening against Turkey's EU membership bid and President Nicolas
Sarkozy of France leads a group of countries opposed to full EU
membership for Turkey, preferring a looser association with Ankara
instead. Sarkozy has proposed the new committee, scheduled to be
approved by EU heads of government next month, which Turkey fears will
to kill off their membership bid. Anxious
to limit the damage to Turkish accession hopes, a draft of the
commission's report stresses Turkey's strategic importance as a "unique
interface between the west and the Muslim world," a diplomatic and
military partner and an energy hub. But it also makes clear that the
implementation of reforms was "uneven" and "has slowed down since 2005."
The number of those prosecuted for freedom of expression doubled between
2005-6, corruption remains rife and Turkey was found to be in breach of
the European Convention on Human Rights in 330 cases. Earlier this year
the Turkish military spoke out against Gul's candidacy for the post of
president which is one of the central pillars of the secular Turkish
state. The crisis prompted fresh parliamentary elections which returned
the AK Party to power, allowing Gul - whose wife wears a headscarf - to
win the presidency through a parliamentary vote. Though the military
"made statements beyond its remit," parliamentary elections were
conducted properly, the draft report says. "Turkey now needs to renew
the momentum of political reforms," the draft document said. It called
for significant further efforts on freedom of expression, civilian
control of the military, increased rights for non-Muslims, the fight
against corruption and judicial reforms.
more... In Ezekiel 38,39 we see that Iran, Russia and Turkey are the three main national players in an attack on Israel that is stopped by God with fire and brimstone from heaven. We're seeing the pulling away of Turkey from the West back to their Islamic roots aligned with Iran and their weapons supplier, Russia. I expect this relationship with the West to get worse to the point of Turkey's attack on Israel, but only time will tell.
Israeli TV Stations Showing 'Gog and Magog' Charts
Israel National News
(October 17, 2007) - Israeli evening newscasts prominently
featured George W. Bush's comments regarding a possible breakout of
World War Three Wednesday evening. Both Channel 2 and Channel 10 showed
the world map and sketched the basic alignment of the two opposing axes
in the possible world war, in a way that is bound to evoke associations
of the Gog and Magog prophecy for many viewers. On one side were Israel,
the United States, Britain, France and Germany. On the other were Iran,
Russia, China, Syria and North Korea. The prophecy of Gog and Magog
refers to a great world war centered on the Holy Land and Jerusalem and
first appears in the book of Yechezkel (Ezekiel).
Putin Visits Iran, Sends Warnings to US
Associated Press
(October 16, 2007) - Russian leader
Vladimir Putin met his Iranian counterpart Tuesday and implicitly warned
the U.S. not to use a former Soviet republic to stage an attack on Iran.
He also said nations shouldn't pursue oil pipeline projects in the area
if they weren't backed by regional powers. At a summit of the five
nations that border the inland Caspian Sea, Putin said none of the
nations' territory should be used by any outside countries for use of
military force against any nation in the region. It was a clear
reference to long-standing rumors that the U.S. was planning to use
Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic, as a staging ground for any
possible military action against Iran. "We are saying that no Caspian
nation should offer its territory to third powers for use of force or
military aggression against any Caspian state," Putin said. Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also underlined the need to keep outsiders
away from the Caspian. "All Caspian nations agree on the main issue -
that all aspects related to this sea must be settled exclusively by
littoral nations," he said. "The Caspian Sea is an inland sea and it
only belongs to the Caspian states, therefore only they are entitled to
have their ships and military forces here." Putin, whose trip to Tehran
is the first by a Kremlin leader since World War II, warned that energy
pipeline projects crossing the Caspian could only be implemented if all
five nations that border the Caspian support them. Putin did not name
any specific country, but his statement underlined Moscow's strong
opposition to U.S.-backed efforts to build pipelines to deliver
hydrocarbons to the West bypassing Russia. "Projects that may inflict
serious environmental damage to the region cannot be implemented without
prior discussion by all five Caspian nations," he said. Other nations
bordering the Caspian Sea and in attendance at the summit are:
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. The legal status of the Caspian
- believed to contain the world's third-largest energy reserves - has
been in limbo since the 1991 Soviet collapse, leading to tension and
conflicting claims to seabed oil deposits. Iran, which shared the
Caspian's resources equally with the Soviet Union, insists that each
coastal nation receive an equal portion of the seabed. Russia,
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan want the division based on the length of each
nation's shoreline, which would give Iran a smaller share. Putin's visit
took place despite warnings of a possible assassination plot and amid
hopes that a round of personal diplomacy could help offer a solution to
an international standoff on Iran's nuclear program. Putin's trip was
thrown into doubt when the Kremlin said Sunday that he had been informed
by Russian intelligence services that suicide attackers might try to
kill him in Tehran, but he shrugged off the warning. Iranian Foreign
Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini dismissed reports about the
purported assassination plot as disinformation spread by adversaries
hoping to spoil good relations between Russia and Iran. Putin has warned
the U.S. and other nations against trying to coerce Iran into reining in
its nuclear program and insists peaceful dialogue is the only way to
deal with Tehran's defiance of a U.N. Security Council demand that it
suspend uranium enrichment. "Threatening someone, in this case the
Iranian leadership and Iranian people, will lead nowhere," Putin said
Monday during his trip to Germany. "They are not afraid, believe
me." more...
Turkey Forms Alliance With Iran Against Kurds
News Max
(October 15, 2007) - U.S. ally Turkey and
U.S. arch-enemy Iran have formed a military alliance to drive opposition
Kurds from bases in northern Iraq they have used since 2004 to launch
guerrilla operations inside Iran, rebel leaders told Newsmax at a secret
base in the Qandil mountains. Both Iran and Turkey have vowed to send
troops into northern Iraq, but until now evidence of active military
cooperation between them has remained a closely-held secret. Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stepped up political and
diplomatic threats in recent days, telling the United States he would
cut off U.S. access to the strategic Incirlik airbase in eastern Turkey
if the U.S. tried to prevent Turkey from sending troops against the
Kurdish bases in northern Iraq. Leaders of the Party of Free Life of
Iranian Kurdistan, known as PJAK, provided Newsmax with extensive
evidence of the Iran-Turkey alliance in two days of exclusive interviews
at a secret guerilla base deep in the Qandil mountains. An Iranian
Revolutionary Guards outpost was visible on a nearby mountain peak.
“Iran and Turkey attacked jointly on August 16 against our forces inside
Iran and against Turkish self-defense forces in northern Iraq,” a PJAK
commander using the nom de guerre Xerat told Newsmax at the Iranian
rebel base. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards “attacked us across a broad
front in the areas of Sardasht, Piranshahr, Shaho, Urmieh, and along the
border line,” Xerat said, citing the names of major cities in Iranian
Kurdistan where PJAK rebels have been operating. While those ground
operations were underway, Iranian and Turkish artillery simultaneously
began shelling civilian villages inside Iraqi Kurdistan from Metina,
Zaab, Haftani, and Hakurke in the north, to Haji Oumran, Qalatdizza, Zeh,
Marado, and Xinera in the south, he added. Turkish artillery hit the
northern villages, while Iranian gunners hit the southern ones. Iranian
troops attempted to cross into Iraq through the mountain passes, but
PJAK fighters held the line. “The goal of the Iranians is to drive us
from the border area,” rebel leader Biryar Gabar told Newsmax. “They
want to turn this area into a no-man’s land, so they can use it to
smuggle weapons and Islamist guerillas into Iraq to fight the
Americans.” He called the Iran-Turkey entente “an anti-American
alliance,” not just an anti-Kurdish agreement, and said that it resulted
from deliberate decisions from the ruling Islamist AKP party of Prime
Minister Erdogan to transform Turkey into an increasingly Islamist
state. A senior European official, who was involved in talks to bring
Turkey into the European Union, told Newsmax recently he had been
“stunned” by the hard-line toward the Kurds taken by AKP party leader
Abdullah Gul, now Turkey’s president. “He was totally uncompromising,”
the official said. “He took a harder line than the Turkish military.”
Iran has been offering Turkey an economic agreement with Iran in July to
build a strategic pipeline that will bring Iranian natural gas to
Europe, in defiance of a U.S. led effort to increase the economic
squeeze on Iran. During a press conference in August while he was still
foreign minister, Gul defended Turkey and Iran’s joint action against
Kurdish guerillas in Iraq. “They pose a threat to Turkey as well as to
other neighbors. Therefore, every country has the right to defend its
borders and take legitimate measures for its own security,” Gül said.
more...
Israel Minister: War is Inevitable
News Max (October 15,
2007) - An Israeli mission to destroy the terrorist
infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is inevitable, an Israeli official said
Monday. According to the Jerusalem Post, Strategic Affairs Minister
Avigdor Lieberman told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Israel
should conduct a mission similar to the country's Operation Defensive
Shield in the West Bank, which occurred in the spring of 2002. Lieberman
also advised Rice not to pressure Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to take
steps that would cause the downfall of the Israeli government. "In the
current political conditions, the government cannot allow itself to make
controversial decisions on sensitive issues," Lieberman told Rice. "The
conference planned for Annapolis is a mistake. It will be just another
conference and just another document. Without a noticeable improvement
in Israeli security or Palestinian economic conditions, the conference
will not be different than any of the unsuccessful conferences of the
past."
Shakings, Weighings and Divisions: Syria, Annapolis and the Return of YHVH - Part One - Syria David's Tent (October 13, 2007) - Israel has been in the headlines again – a mysterious Israel Air Force attack delves deep into Syria; an upcoming US-prompted peace conference in Annapolis MD discusses a major dividing up of the land of Israel; a brazen new book accuses the American Jewish community and Israel of acting against the interests of the USA, raising the ante of anti-Semitism in the USA. The sharks smell blood and are circling, while the Jewish David, one arm tied behind his back by world pressure and opinion, finds himself confronting many modern-day Goliaths. We are indeed living in significant days! Serious stirrings in Syria Some secret events in Syria have hit the headlines in recent days. Israel's strict censorship rules on military matters forbid direct reporting of certain military matters, but anonymous leaks to major journalists have somewhat dispersed the mists of war. London's Sunday Times (www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2461421.ece) reported on September 16 2007 that just after midnight on September 6, the 69th Squadron composed of eight Israeli F-15Is, F-16s and a UAV crossed the Mediterranean coastline of Syria and headed to a military target 50 miles from the Iraqi border – Deir ez-Zour. Syrian radar was somehow blocked, and a pre-positioned Israeli special forces Shaldag team (air force commandos) painted the target with laser beams. The pinpoint accurate bombing destroyed what Israeli intelligence anonymously describe as either nuclear material or a nuclear device from North Korea which could be fitted on North Korean Scud-C missiles (already in Syria's arsenal). An Israeli source said, "We’ve known for a long time that Syria has deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but Israel can’t live with a nuclear warhead." Over the years the world's intelligence community has given us some context for this attack. A CIA report from June 2003 stated, "Broader access to foreign expertise provides (Syria) opportunities to expand its indigenous capabilities and we are looking at Syrian nuclear intentions with growing concern." (https://www.cia.gov/library/reports/archived-reports-1/jan_jun2003.htm#7) On November 12 2003 John R. Bolton, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the State Department, spoke at a public gathering in Washington DC (www.state.gov/t/us/rm/26129.htm):
On April 29, 2004 Bolton told the United Nations that the Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan had "several other" customers for his nuclear bomb factories besides Iran, Libya and North Korea. Western diplomats said then that Bolton was clearly referring to Syria (see the Reform Party of Syria's article in www.aina.org/news/20050104115532.htm). The Road To Annapolis (2007) The past few weeks have seen a flurry of activity concerning a possible peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, a city that since American Colonial days has been known as the "Athens of America". Tony Blair recently stepped down from his position as Prime Minister and immediately was appointed Middle East Envoy of the Quartet (US, UK, European Union and Russia) on June 27 2007. He promptly stated that until Israel surrenders more land, there will be no peace in the Middle East. "The absolute priority is to try to give effect to what is now the consensus across the international community - that the only way of bringing stability and peace to the Middle East is a two-state solution" (PM Blair's final press briefing at Downing Street). According to Blair, it seems, Israel holds the key to Middle East and world peace. While there is a sense where Blair's words may be biblically true (Israel does hold the key to life from the dead, according to Romans 11:15), Blair's statement as it stands is grossly inaccurate, ignoring the bloody ongoing inter-Arab conflicts that churn across the Middle East on a daily basis – conflicts that have nothing to do with Israel in even the remotest way! See Dr. Daniel Pipes' article "Arab-Israeli Fatalities Rank 49th" at www.danielpipes.org/article/4990. The UK and the US seem to have come to a remarkable agreement regarding what to do with Israel. Speaking in Ramallah on October 15 2007 Secretary of State Rice said:
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 | Dividing the Land | America |
Ahmadinejad: Iran Calls For Effective, Comprehensive Ties With Russia
Islamic Republic News
Agency
(October 11, 2007) -
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that the Islamic Republic
of Iran is not to set any limit for expansion of ties with Russia and
seeks a durable, effective and all-out ties with that country. "Iran's
authority would be to the benefit of Russia and vise versa," he said.
Ahmadinejad made the remarks in an interview with Russian news agency
Itar Tass and Russian TV network on Thursday. Given their geographical,
political, and cultural status, the two nations are to live together,
underlined the president. Iran and Russia are naturally united, he said.
Despite many ups and downs in two sides' relations in the past, the two
countries are determined to fully bolster and broaden their mutual
relations, he said. Mutual cooperation between Iran and Russia would
leave positive impacts on the region as well as the whole world, he
pointed out. The two sides enjoy ample economic potentials to meet each
other's requirements, he said. Expansion of mutual cooperation between
Iran and Russia would be to the benefit of both nations, regional
countries and the world, he said. Both Iran and Russia as two big powers
playing significant role in regional and global equations, he said. On
his latest trip to New York and his speech at the United Nations General
Assembly, he said the United Nations is an international venue for
exchange of views and expressing ideas and Iran did the same thing which
was welcomed by the whole world. All countries in the world including
Russia put the seal of approval on Iran's viewpoints about freedom and
justice seeking, he said. "Another positive result of the trip to New
York was that strong barrier of censorship in that country broke and the
American nation directly listened to our real points of view on various
global issues and welcomed them," he said. Iran's nuclear activities are
within IAEA rules and regulations and have a peaceful nature, he said,
adding that the reports released by the IAEA is a good proof of this
claim that Iran has not deviated from peaceful nuclear activities. Since
a number of western countries believe that they have lost their
interests in Iran they try to put the blame on Iran by raising such
claims as lack of confidence building in nuclear issue, he said.
more...
Putin To EJC: Israel, Russia Are 'Partners' In Facing Iran
The Jerusalem Post
(October 11, 2007) -
In a meeting with European Jewish Congress leaders on Wednesday, Russian
President Vladimir Putin said that the two countries most threatened by
Iran are Israel and Russia, and the two are "complete partners in this
matter," according to EJC sources familiar with the meeting. "The
president [Putin] also said he will do everything in his power to
continue to raise the issue in the upcoming Second Summit of Caspian
States [beginning October 16 in Teheran]," the source said. Earlier
Wednesday, following a meeting between Putin and French President
Nicholas Sarkozy, Putin declared that there was a lack of "objective
data" regarding an Iranian nuclear weapons plan, so "we proceed from a
position that Iran has no such plans." Even so, he said, "we are sharing
our partners' concern about making all Iranian programs transparent."
Russia has opposed the US-led push for tougher sanctions against Iran
and called for more checks and inspections of Iranian facilities by
International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, instead of
an immediate third round of sanctions. Asked about the discrepancy of
apparent concern over an Iranian nuclear threat in the meeting with the
EJC and the calmer tones prevailing in Putin's message to the
international community, an EJC spokesman said the organization did not
have an immediate comment on Putin's earlier declaration. At the
meeting, EJC President Moshe Kantor asked Putin "to bring his influence
to bear on the Iranian President" since "Iran is the major state
supporter of International terrorism. If Iran gains the ability to
export nuclear weaponry to terror organizations, the danger and horror
that awaits the world is immense." The Kremlin meeting also discussed
anti-Semitism, where the EJC praised the Russian government's work to
combat the phenomenon in Russia. According to the EJC, Putin "committed
himself to using the full force of the law to bring to account people
who perpetrate such acts." In particular, the Jewish umbrella
organization heard "positive" responses from several Russian leaders,
including Putin, regarding the formal commemoration of International
Holocaust Memorial Day in Russia. The day, which falls on January 27,
the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945, is marked
officially in Germany, Poland, the UK, Denmark and elsewhere, and was
adopted this year by the UN. Hizbullah: If Israel attacks Syria, we'll respond Fulfilled Prophecy (September 27, 2007) - "If Israel dares to make an adventurous move against Syria, it will pay a heavy price," a member of Hizbulla's political council warned Thursday. In an interview with the Nazareth-based Kul al-Arab newspaper scheduled to be published on Friday, Dr Ahmad Malli warned Israel against considering an attack on Syria, saying that the Lebanese organization would respond to such an offensive with full force. "I believe that things have changed," Malli explained. "The times when everyone was afraid of the Israeli threats are over. The Zionist entity knows more than anyone that the price of such adventurousness would be heavy, and the Israelis know the price more than anyone. "Since 2006 we have begun a new stage in the Arab-Israeli conflict and have demonstrated this during the Israeli aggression in July (the Second Lebanon War). If anyone wants to make an adventurous move, it will baer responsibility for this aggression." Asked whether he was referring to aggression both against Lebanon and against Syria, Malli replied, "We are all in one Middle East." Ahmad Jibril, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, also warned Thursday that if Israel attacked Syria or Hizbullah his organization would also respond. In an interview with the al-Hadat newspaper, which is published in Arabic in the Galilee city of Tamra, Jibril warned that Israel planned to invade Syria in coordination with Arab countries. The interview is scheduled to be published Friday. According to Jibril, if such an attack takes place, Iran and Hizbullah will stand by Damascus and respond in full force. "I believe that the Israelis and the Americans will carry out attacks against Syria as soon as possible, in other words in the near future. I do not reject the possibility that the Israeli aircraft will attack us – the Palestinians in Syria. more...| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |
Turkey Lines Up Alongside Syria To Condemn Israeli Incursions Eurasia
Daily Monitor (September 11, 2007)
- Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan’s blunt condemnation of an
alleged violation of the Turkey’s airspace by Israeli warplanes has
dealt another blow to already deteriorating relations between the
two countries. In 1996 a military training agreement between Israel
and Turkey was hailed by many as heralding a new strategic alignment
in the eastern Mediterranean. Over the years that followed Israeli
jets regularly used the Turkish air force base in Konya for training
missions while Turkish pilots underwent specialized training in
facilities belonging to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in the Negev
Desert. There was also extensive cooperation in the defense
industry, with Israeli firms receiving a string of lucrative defense
contracts. American Jewish lobby groups became Turkey’s strongest
supporters in Washington. However, plans to underpin the
relationship by transporting Turkish water to Israel came to
nothing. While a number of disagreements over defense contracts, and
allegation of corruption involving Israeli defense suppliers, soured
relations between the two countries’ militaries. Relations began to
cool rapidly following the victory of the moderate Islamist Justice
and Development Party (AKP) in the Turkish general election of
November 2002. Although the AKP’s leaders publicly reaffirmed
Turkey’s commitment to friendship with Israel, much of the party’s
grassroots support remained simply and viscerally anti-Semitic.
After taking power, the AKP downplayed ties with Israel, while
trying to form a closer relationship with other Muslim states in the
Middle East, particularly its neighbors Syria and Iran. The last
five years have seen an unprecedented increase in bilateral contacts
and AKP leaders have become frequent visitors to both Damascus and
Tehran. On September 6, after the Syrian government claimed that
Israeli warplanes had overflown its territory and dropped munitions
onto deserted areas, fuel tanks belonging to IAF warplanes were
found on the Turkish side of the country’s border with Syria. The
assumption is that they were jettisoned in order to increase the IAF
planes’ maneuverability as they sought to avoid Syrian ground fire.
On September 6, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement
supporting the Syrian protests and informing the Israeli government
that Ankara took “a harsh view of the invasion of Syrian airspace by
the IAF” (Hurriyet, Milliyet, September 7). On September 9, Syrian
Foreign Minister Wallid Moallem flew to Ankara to seek Turkish
support and met with Babacan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and President Abdullah Gul (Sabah, September 11). On September 10,
Moallem and Babacan held a joint conference to condemn the IAF’s
incursions on September 6. more...
Iran warns US over risks of military action YNet
News (September 4, 2007) -
New special military advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei says
Washington could never foresee size of Tehran's response against US
troops in region; adds reaction could affect Israel. Iran on Tuesday
issued a stark warning to the United States over the danger of launching
a military attack, saying Washington could never foresee the size of its
response against US troops in the region. "The US will face three
problems if it attacks Iran. Firstly, it does not know the volume of our
response," said General Rahim Yahya Safavi, the new special military
advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei. "Also, it can not evaluate the
vulnerability of its 200,000 troops in the region, since we have
accurately identified all of their camps," added Safavi, who stepped
down last week as head of the elite Revolutionary Guards. Safavi also
warned over how Iran's reaction to a US attack could affect Israel -
Tehran's regional archfoe - and also crude oil supply from the world's
fourth-largest producer. "Secondly, it does not know what will happen to
Israel and, thirdly, the United States does not know what will happen to
the oil flow," he was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying.
Washington has never ruled out taking military action against Tehran,
and its tone has sharpened again over the past week, with President
George W. Bush warning that Iran's atomic program could lead to a
"nuclear holocaust." Iran has always insisted it would never launch any
attack against a foreign country, but has also warned of a crushing
response to any aggression against its soil. Tehran has an array of
medium range missiles, and claims that its longer-range Shahab-3 missile
has a reach of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), which would put Israel
and US bases on the Arabian Peninsula within reach. President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad has dismissed the chance of any US attack against Iran, but
influential former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has warned of the
dangers still posed by the United States.
more...
Ex-Islamist Gul elected Turkey's president Reuters
(August 28, 2007) - Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was elected
president by Turkey's parliament on Tuesday, the first former
Islamist to take the post in the secular but predominantly Muslim
country's modern history. Armed forces chief General Yasar Buyukanit
said on Monday he saw "centers of evil" seeking to undermine the
secular republic, a statement suggesting the army would not stand on
the sidelines if it saw the separation between religion and state
threatened. "Abdullah Gul in the third round obtained an absolute
majority and was elected the 11th president of Turkey with 339
votes," parliament speaker Koksal Toptan said after the vote. The
Islamist-rooted AK Party has 341 seats in the 550-seat chamber. Two
other candidates also stood for president. Gul has established
himself as a respected diplomat since the AK Party was first elected
in 2002, securing the launch of Turkey's European Union entry talks.
He pledges to be a leader for all Turks, but he is not to the taste
of a military that suspects the AK Party of harboring a secret
Islamist agenda. Many observers expect Gul, who broke with an
Islamist party in 1999, will try to avoid confrontation. "You
shouldn't expect radical moves with Gul as president. Both his
opponents, who are scared he might do so, will be surprised and his
supporters hoping for radical moves will be disappointed," said
academic expert Cengiz Candar. more...
Are Turkey’s Relations With Israel Crumbling?
Today's Zaman (August
25, 2007) - Just as
Turkey is tackling domestic issues surrounding the election of its
next president, the decision of an influential Jewish group -- the
New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) -- to recognize the
World War I killing of Anatolian Armenians as genocide, kicked the
genocide debates back onto Turkey’s agenda again. Israel and Jewish
lobbyists have so far pursued a policy of siding with Turkey on this
controversial issue, refusing to recognize those incidents as
genocide, but this long-time policy has been reversed with the ADL’s
move, arousing suspicion that something might be askew in
Turkey-Israel relations, which cannot be considered independent from
Jewish groups operating in the US. There is a widely held view that
Turkey’s improving relations with neighboring countries,
particularly Iran, has disturbed both Israel and the US, resulting
in such consequence. Milliyet columnist Taha Akyol speculates about
the possible reasons for such an attitude change among Jewish groups
in the US and connects this to recent political developments. Akyol
thinks it was the politics of yesterday that prompted Jews to take
sides with Turkey on this controversial issue and it is politics
again that has made their stance change. Akyol, for instance, shows
that Turkey’s rejection of a motion in 2003 that would have allowed
US troops to be deployed in Turkey during the Iraq War and Hamas
leader Khaled Mashaal visiting Turkey after winning elections in
Palestine as some of the reasons for deteriorating relations with
the Bush administration neocons, who are in political and economic
alliance with Zionism. He also talks about Turkey’s improving
relations with Iran and Syria as possible reasons for the change in
stance among Jewish groups. “The Jewish groups do no act
independently from Israel. So, their taking a stance against Turkey
will undoubtedly deal a severe blow to Turkish-Israeli relations.
Turkey, Israel and the US will all suffer from the deteriorating
relations,” argues Akyol. more...
Russia eyes return to the Middle East
Detroit News (August 9, 2007)
- Days after Russia sent the diplomatic world reeling with its
audacious flag-planting beneath the ice of the North Pole, the
Kremlin is moving to reassert itself in warmer climes as well,
plotting the return of the Russian fleet to a Syrian port on the
Mediterranean Sea. The head of the Russian navy announced that he
wanted next to plant the white-blue-and-red Russian banner in the
Middle East. The new Russian strategy envisions returning warships
to a Soviet-era naval base at the port of Tartus. "The Mediterranean
Sea is very important strategically for the Black Sea fleet,"
Admiral Vladimir Masorin said as he toured a Russian base in the
Ukrainian port city of Sevastopol. "I propose that, with the
involvement of the Northern and Baltic fleets, the Russian navy
should restore its permanent presence there." It would mark the
first time Russia has established a military presence outside the
borders of the former Soviet Union since the USSR fell apart in
1991. "It's a symbol, the planting of a flag. Just like the one
Russia put under the North Pole," said Alexei Malashenko, an expert
on the Muslim world at the Carnegie Moscow Center. The intent, he
said, is to declare that Russia has returned to the Middle East,
where Moscow held wide influence during the Cold War, backing the
socialist regimes of Syria, Iraq and Egypt against U.S.-supported
Israel. It's a move many in Israel and the United States will have
trouble separating from a broader pattern of renewed Russian support
for countries and groups Washington and Tel Aviv see as enemies.
"The Russians are coming" read a front-page headline in Monday's
edition of Israel's mass-circulation Yediot Aharonot newspaper. "A
Russian flag on Syrian soil has significant strategic implications.
Firstly, it challenges the United States and the dominance of the
Sixth Fleet stationed in the Mediterranean. Secondly, with its
actual presence in Syria, Russia is announcing that it is actively
participating in any process and conflict in the Middle East, that
it has a stance of its own and that it must be reckoned with," the
article read. Russian President Vladimir Putin and President George
W. Bush have both gone to great lengths to insist the two countries
are not on the verge of another Cold War. But the Kremlin and the
White House, already butting heads in Eastern Europe and Central
Asia, are increasingly at odds across this volatile region.
Iran-Turkey-Message Islamic
Republic News Agency (August 8, 2007)
- A message from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was submitted to
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday afternoon by a
senior Iranian official. Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific
and Commonwealth of Independent States Mehdi Safari handed over the
message in a closed door meeting with the Turkish premier. Safari
arrived in Ankara on Tuesday to confer with Erdogan on issues of
mutual interest. An informed source at Iran's embassy in Turkey told
IRNA that the message focused on strengthening Tehran-Ankara
relations. The source added that Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was also present at the meeting. The
Iranian and Turkish sides declined to make any comments at the end
of their 40-minute meeting. Safari immediately headed for Tehran
after the meeting.
Hamas official: Russia invited us to Moscow in coming days Haaretz (August
1, 2007) - Russia has invited a Hamas delegation to
visit Moscow in the next few days, a Hamas official said Wednesday,
just a day after Russia publicly embraced Hamas' nemesis, moderate
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and vowed to downgrade
its ties with Hamas. The announcement from Hamas lawmaker Halil al-Haya
came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin told Abbas in
Moscow that he is the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people.
Al-Haya told a Hamas-affiliated Palestinian magazine that the
Russian government had officially invited a Hamas delegation, headed
by Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal, to Moscow.
Al-Haya would not specify the date, but said the visit would be in
the coming days. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it had
no information on a visit by a Hamas delegation. Abbas has been
governing the West Bank with a moderate government led by his Fatah
movement since mid-June, when Hamas seized full control of the Gaza
Strip in five days of fighting. The international community has
thrown its support behind Abbas, while Hamas remains largely
isolated in Gaza. In an interview with the Russian daily
Nezavisimaya Gazeta published Tuesday, Abbas said Russia had to make
its own decision about whether to maintain contacts with Hamas.
"This is an affair for Russia as a sovereign state and does not
create any problems for our bilateral relations," he was quoted as
saying.
Iran, Russia discuss ME developments Islamic
Republic News Agency (July 29, 2007) - Iran and Russia on Saturday discussed the latest
developments in the Middle East region particularly the ongoing
events in Lebanon. In a meeting between Iran's Ambassador to Russia
Gholam-Reza Ansari and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander
Yakovenko, the two officials referred to negotiations as a solution
to crises in the Middle East. They exchanged views on implementation
of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Yakovenko highlighted
the significance of complete implementation of the resolution by all
parties involved in Lebanon's case and making a realistic assessment
of situation following its enforcement. During the Zionist regime's
imposed war on Lebanon last summer, Russia condemned the attack and
fully supported Lebanon. Moscow has made great efforts at the UN
Security Council to stop aggression of the Zionist regime and adopt
Resolution 1701.
Ahmadinejad: It will be a 'hot' summer Jerusalem
Post (July 19, 2007) -
It's going to be a "hot" summer in the Middle East, said
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
following a surprise meeting with Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan
Nasrallah in Damascus on Thursday evening, Channel 10 reported.
Nasrallah allegedly entered Syria via an underground tunnel, the television channel said. "We hope
that the hot weather of this summer will coincide with similar
victories for the region's peoples, and with consequent defeat for
the region's enemies," Ahmadinejad added, in an apparent reference
to Israel. During his one-day trip to Damascus, Ahmadinejad held
talks with counterpart Bashar Assad
which focused on the Iraq situation, Palestinian territories and
Lebanon, where both Teheran and Damascus wield influence. "The
enemies of the region should abandon plans to attack the interests
of this region, or they would be burned by the wrath of the region's
peoples," the hardline Iranian leader said at a joint press
conference with Assad. Ahmadinejad, accompanied by a high-level
delegation, was greeted at Damascus airport by Syrian Foreign
Minister Walid al-Moallem ahead of the official reception by Assad
at the People's Palace. Assad was sworn in Tuesday for a second
seven-year term. He described Syrian-Iranian relations as "amicable,
excellent and extremely deep," adding that the two countries have
common stands on regional issues and face common enemies. Assad said
Ahmadinejad's visit came in the context of the continuous developing
relations between the two nations whose "farsighted policies" have
proven to be correct.
more...
Russian expels 4 British diplomats Associated
Press (July 19, 2007) -
Russia said Thursday it will expel four British diplomats and
suspend counterterrorism cooperation with London, the latest move in
a mounting confrontation over the radiation poisoning death of
former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko. President Vladimir Putin
said he was certain both nations would overcome what he called "a
mini-crisis." A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the
Russian move "completely unjustified." "It's necessary to balance
one's actions with common sense, to respect the legal rights and
interests of partners — then everything will develop in the best
way," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying. "I'm sure we
will overcome this mini-crisis, too." Britain had announced Monday
the expulsion of four Russian diplomats and restrictions on visas
issued to Russian government officials after Moscow refused to
extradite Andrei Lugovoi, accused of killing Litvinenko in London
last November. The dispute marks a new low in relations between
Moscow and London, which had already been troubled by Russia's
opposition to the war in Iraq, Britain's refusal to extradite exiled
tycoon Boris Berezovsky to face embezzlement charges, and by Kremlin
allegations last year of spying by British diplomats. Foreign
Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin announced the expulsions after
summoning British Ambassador Anthony Brenton to the ministry and
informing him. Kamynin described Russia's response as "targeted,
balanced and the minimum necessary." He contended that Russia was
forced to respond, saying Britain had made a "conscious choice of
worsening relations with our country."
more...
Russia gives priority to business with Iran in transit sector Islamic
Republic News Agency
(July 15, 2007)
- Moscow gives great
priority to deal with Iran in the field of goods transit, one of the
senior officials of the Russian delegation participating in the
Second Iran Transit Forum said Sunday. The two-day international
gathering started in Tehran Sunday morning with a speech by Iran's
Minister of Roads and Transportation Mohammad Rahmati. Iran is
considered a "powerful country in the region as it is on the
cross-road of the North-South Corridor," senior official of the
Russian Eurosibl Logistic Company Pavel Smirnov told IRNA on the
sidelines of the forum. He added, "We should work together and look
for ways to cooperate." Smirnov stressed that Iran enjoyed "great
potentials" to develop its transit sector in all fields including
marine, rail and road transportation and that his respective company
can provide the country with latest services and assistance to this
end. TRADE CORRIDOR COULD LINK RUSSIAN ARMS TO IRAN AND INDIA "Signs of a regional economic compact encompassing Iran and Central Asia are growing clearer. The nexus for such a compact could be the North-South trade route, a concept that Russia and Iran have been discussing since 2000. Development of such a corridor would extend the Helsinki-Petersburg-Moscow trade corridor across the Caspian Sea to Iran and India." Keep watching. Thanks for the stories BeTheMoon!
Syria Advises its Citizens to Leave Lebanon by July 15 Monsters &
Critics (July 9, 2007) - Syria has urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country
before July 15 because of fears that the volatile political climate in
the country will deteriorate, Syrian sources said Monday. 'In the past
few days, all Syrian nationals were asked through the Syrian
government to leave, as Lebanon's current political crisis may become
violent,' said a Syrian construction worker who requested anonymity.
'We are asked to leave Lebanon before July 15.' Hundreds of thousands
of Syrian workers, mainly farmers and construction workers, used to
work in Lebanon. But their numbers have noticeably dwindled since the
2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri,
which many Lebanese blame on Syria. July 15 comes one day before a
special UN Security Council meeting which is expected to discuss the
possibility of stationing international experts on the Syria-Lebanon
border in order to monitor illegal arms trafficking to the Shiite
Hezbollah movement, thought to be originating from Iran and Syria. The
Security Council is also expected to meet next week to discuss a key
report on the assassination of Hariri, a development which may bode
ill for Syria. On July 5 the Iranian news agency IRNA reported that
Syrian authorities had instructed all Syrian citizens residing in
Lebanon to leave Lebanon in July. Observers believe that the Syrian
authorities may resort to closing the border with Lebanon. The latest
rumours have sparked caused anxiety and fear among the Lebanese. 'I am
trying to take my kids out of Lebanon on July 10 to a nearby Arab
country to observe the situation until the end of August,' housewife
Amal Salameh said. 'If things stays the same I will return, if not I
will take them back to the US.' 'There is probably nothing in it, but
we're told to expect some major event on that day,' said Rana Naamani,
another Lebanese housewife who decided to go to the mountains
northeast of Beirut to stay away from the capital. Almost a year after
the blistering July 12 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon is
mired in political and economic crisis and faces a deadly new
challenge from an al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist militia.
more... Iraqi FM: Turkey massing 140,000 troops Associated Press (July 9, 2007) - Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its border with northern Iraq, Iraq's foreign minister said Monday, calling the neighboring country's fears of Kurdish rebels based there "legitimate" but better resolved through negotiation. The Turkish military had no comment to the remarks by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd from northern Iraq, and it was unclear where he got the figures. If they are accurate, Turkey would have nearly as many soldiers along its border with Iraq as the 155,000 troops which the U.S. has in the country. Zebari's comments came amid calls by Turkey's military for the government to give it the green light to carry out military operations in northern Iraqi against the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. "Turkey is building up forces on the border. There are 140,000 soldiers fully armed on the border. We are against any military interference or violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said in Baghdad. Turkey has been pressuring the United States and Iraq to eliminate PKK bases in Kurdish-controlled parts of northern Iraq and has said it will carry out a cross-border offensive if necessary. "Turkey's fears are legitimate but such things can be discussed," Zebari said. ""The perfect solution is the withdrawal of the Turkish forces from the borders." He added: "No one wants a new military conflict in the region." He said there had been no "Turkey military violation until now," citing artillery shelling and Turkish surveillance overflights. Pentagon officials said they could not immediately confirm the report from Zebari, and repeated the hope that Turkey would not launch an incursion into Iraq. more...| Gog/Magog | Israel |
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