Saturday, 25 September 2010

September 24, 2010
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  • Executive Summary

  • Inside the White House —

    Observations from Value Voters Summit … Perspective on the November 2010 midterm elections … Israel's Middle East war is coming … The two schools of political thought in Israel: pragmatist and realist vs. idealist and naïve … Israel's critical security needs for a viable peace defined … The peace talk's pattern repeats itself continually … Could the settlement freeze ending lead to a Israeli-Arab war? … Connecting the dots: Reasons a war is nearing for Israel … Ahmadinejad's calculated madness … Statement by the Quartet pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian-Syrian-Lebanese talks … Bill Clinton's problematic statement … Mitchell handed Assad Netanyahu's proposed Golan withdrawal map: Why? … Top Russian spymaster assassinated in Syria?
  • News Briefs —

    Credible witnesses say UFOs are intervening in America's nuclear weapons … Battle between socialists and Supreme Court Justice Scalia … Saudis meet with US regarding terrorism … Helen Thomas to receive achievement award from CAIR … Government could be lying about national debt … Central banks opting to devalue currencies … Japan props dollar by devaluing yen
  • Connecting the Dots —

    Recent events bring Gog/Magog prophecy into play

Executive Summary

The U.S. economy may be in far worse shape than the government is letting on. In this week's edition of "Koenig's Eye View," we find two credible economists saying that the debt is between $60 trillion and $200 trillion compared with the Congressional Budget Office's estimate of about $14 trillion.

Additionally, there are some very credible people putting their reputations on the line saying that the government is lying about UFOs and their impact on America's nuclear arsenal. A news conference discussing the claims will be held Monday, Sept. 27, at the National Press Club.

The credibility of the federal government is at stake in both claims … and there is more as you read on …

Inside the White House

By Bill Koenig

I attended the Value Voters Summit this past Friday and Saturday. (link to the event:http://www.valuesvotersummit.org). I heard many excellent and encouraging speeches and presentations. There was a lot of emphasis on our Christian faith and the Lord Jesus Christ. It was hard not to be encouraged and enthusiastic. If only these people were leading our country instead of those who oppose our Judeo-Christian heritage and God at every corner!

However, reality returned as I walked out of the Omni Shoreham Hotel on to a Washington, D.C., street — and pondered the mess that our nation's capitol and country are in today. We are either at the beginning of a turning point or Jesus Christ is coming soon (or maybe both).

If there is time, change will take a long and difficult road, just as it took many years to get us into the current monumental political and financial crisis.

Liberal progressives are in the White House, on Capitol Hill, in the State Department, in many government positions and in our universities, which have greatly influenced our youth.

One of the most troubling facts is that there are activist judges positioned at all levels. Phyllis Schlafly did an excellent job of documenting the damage from the activist judiciary — which has ruled in favor of abortion and the gay agenda.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum emphasized that it will take Republican control of the White House and Congress to repeal Obama's health care and other laws, and that will only be possible after significant Republican victories in the 2010 midterm and 2012 general elections.

In an ironic twist, the moderates in the Republican Party are very concerned by the momentum shifting to the conservative wing of the Republican Party.

The American Family Association published an article Wednesday that said Tea Party activists and the Republican establishment are quickly joining forces for the fall elections as fresh cash and energy flow to the upstarts.

They emphasized that separate Tea Party groups still squabble over roles for Republican insiders within the movement, but the conservative activists and GOP stalwarts have reached a truce for the common goal of defeating Democrats, heeding calls for unity from Republicans including Sarah Palin.

The Republican Party has many issues and has been part of many problems that began in Washington, but it isn't the political party that supports and defends abortion, the gay agenda and fiscal irresponsibility.

Perspective on the November 2010 Midterm Elections: Questions from a Friend

Question: What do you think about the midterm elections? I think the Republicans are going to do okay, but I'm having trouble getting optimistic.

Koenig: Republicans have a way of missing great opportunities by being too arrogant and pompous — especially the moderates. I think the Republicans can gain at least 40, and many as 70, House seats. There should be big gains in the Senate, too, possibly getting it to a 50-50 split. The word "Democratic" by a candidate's name has proven, and will prove, to be a major liability.

A major defeat should all but shut down Obama's agenda and make his remaining time in office very difficult.

Rahm Emanuel's expected departure to Chicago will not be a positive for Obama, either. He has helped keep things relatively calm with his political savvy and understanding of how the system works.

Additionally, Congressman Issa (R-Calif.) is ready to target Obama and his cronies with many special investigations after the November election — ones that will make Bill Clinton's problems while president look like a picnic in comparison.

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Israel's Middle East War Is Coming

The two schools of political thought in Israel: pragmatist and realist vs. idealist and the naïve

There is much hope and expectation that the current peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are going to bring peace; but, rather, it is very likely that their failure will be the catalyst for a significant war.

Additionally, as we watch the peace talks, we see the distinct contrast between the pragmatists and realists — and the dreamers and the naïve.

The conservative pragmatists in Israel see the dangers clearly, see their enemies closing in on Israel, and are preparing for all possibilities. They are showing the world they are interested in peace while, at the same time, preparing for war.

The liberal elite in Israel's political parties and media believe this is a great time and opportunity for peace. However, they are seemingly oblivious to the very serious threats on Israel's northern border, in Gaza, with Iran and from Russia's dangerous double dealings both openly and covertly.

Here are two examples of Israel's leftist media:

  • Aluf Benn of Ha'aretz, one of the most influential leftist journalists in Israel said on borders:

The direct talks that were launched at the Washington summit should have one aim — to fix the border between Israel and the Palestinian state that will be set up in the West Bank.

  • Ha'aretz editorial on engaging Syria:

    Netanyahu should listen to Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the leadership of the Israel Defense Forces, who are calling on him to renew negotiations with Syria. A peace treaty with Damascus would undermine the "radical axis" led by Iran, bring Assad closer to the United States and the moderate regimes in the region, abate Hezbollah and Hamas, and guarantee stability on Israel's northern border.

In addition to the strategic benefit, a peace treaty would reinforce the regional aspect to the negotiations with the Palestinians, in accordance with the Arab peace initiative. And no less important, it would promote the drawing of Israel's borders and lead to an end of our control of occupied territory, over which the international community has never recognized the application of Israeli law.

Those keeping Israel from a plausible peace deal are Iran, Syria, Turkey, Russia, Hezbollah and Hamas. Not Israel. Peace is only possible for Israel if the impediments to peace are eliminated; especially the internal threat — Hamas — and their external threats Syria, Hezbollah, Lebanon and Iran.

Militarily, Israel is working on a plan to quickly eliminate the Hezbollah problem while neutralizing Lebanon. There is also a contingency plan to deal with the Syrian threat and neutralize Iran, too.

We appear to be rapidly closing in on the Psalm 83 War. The Russia, Turkey and Iran problems will be fully dealt with in the Gog and Magog War (Ezekiel 38-39).

The Peace Talks Pattern

There is a peace pattern that continues to repeat itself. This has been true since 1991 with each Israeli administration, U.S. administration and the Palestinian and Syrian leadership.

The nuances change with each administration; but a similar peace patterns continues as the process moves closer to Israel's final-day battles and wars.

The principal problem is that Israel wants peace; while the Arabs and, especially, the terror groups and Iranian, Syrian and Palestinian leadership want to see Israel and the Jewish people eliminated.

Additionally, who is Israel trying to make peace with? The Hamas-led Palestinian government won't agree to a deal; meanwhile, the Syrian leadership is close to the Iranian president who calls for the elimination of Israel.

———

Video: Israel's Critical Security Needs for a Viable Peace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0

I highly recommend viewing this five-minute video provided by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. This is an excellent perspective on threats Israel has to contend with and how it will have to defend itself.

——

The Obama pattern:

  • The U.S. initiates contact with the Israelis, the Palestinians and the Syrians.

  • The Israelis and the Palestinians meet separately, overseen by the White House and the State Department.

  • The Quartet (the U.S., the U.N., the EU and Russia) releases a public statement about the responsibilities and expectations of both parties.

  • Optimism is expressed by the peace participants while acknowledging that there are many challenges ahead.

  • Under international pressure, the Arab League says it will normalize relations with Israel after Israel evacuates to the 1967 borders.

  • After meetings with Israel, the Palestinian government leaders verbally attack Israel's leaders.

  • Israel's right-wing government leaders say no to settlement evacuation and the dividing of Jerusalem.

  • The Palestinian government says Israel must move to 1967 borders and East Jerusalem must be the capital of Palestine.

  • The Obama Administration reaches out to Syria and Lebanon in an attempt to keep them in the loop and away from Iran's influence (Bush isolated Syria, Obama has engaged them to no avail).

  • After U.S. meetings with Syria, Iran's Ahmadinejad goes to Damascus or Syria's Assad goes to Teheran. While with Assad, Ahmadinejad calls for the elimination of Israel and eliminating the U.S. influence in the Middle East (this is his clever strategy) in an attempt to rally the Middle East Muslims — both Shiites and Sunnis — against Israel and the U.S.

  • Hamas and Hezbollah make strong anti-peace statements.

  • Hamas fires a few rockets at Israeli communities. Hezbollah fires guns at Israelis on the northern border.

  • Israel responds with force against Hamas and warns Hezbollah.

  • Syria says it will talk peace with Israel but wants Turkey to moderate it.

  • Turkey makes problematic statements about Israel and backs flotilla actions.

  • As the Israeli-Palestinian talks start to fail, the war rhetoric from the terror groups, Syria and Iran increases.

  • Out of concern over the increasing tensions between Israel and her enemies, the U.S. and EU increase meetings with the parties in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Damascus, Beirut and Turkey — and follow those by public comments about hopes for peace.

  • The cycle repeats itself with a new round of talk overseen by George Mitchell and other State Department Middle East officials.

Could the Settlement Freeze Ending Lead to an Israeli-Arab War?

The recent Netanyahu-Abbas talks were due to Abbas being pressured by the Obama Administration. The talks will end when the settlement freeze is stopped. Foreign Minister Lieberman said "no" to any settlement freeze extensions from this Sunday, Sept. 26.

Netanyahu is hoping for at least a few months' extension to show that he is serious about peace while further exposing the Palestinians.

The Obama Administration and the Quartet want the settlement freeze to continue. The end of Israel's settlement freeze will likely be the catalyst to a major Israel-Arab war that could result in an eventual peace deal being agreed to, very possibly the Daniel 9:27 covenant.

——

Why War Is Nearing for Israel: Connecting the Dots

The following actions and statements from the past two weeks show how quickly things could deteriorate and the increasing likelihood of failure in the Israel-Palestinian and Israeli-Syrian peace talks — which could rapidly lead to a local and regional war.

  • Syria says they are interested in peace talks with Israel but want Turkey to moderate.

  • George Mitchell goes to Syria to meet with President Assad and says that an Israeli-Syria peace deal is possible and that Netanyahu is ready for talks.

  • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad meets with Assad in Damascus two days after Mitchell's visit.

  • Ahmadinejad said Saturday that Middle Eastern countries will disrupt American and Israeli efforts to change the political geography of the region, appearing to brush aside U.S. efforts to forge a regional peace deal between Israel and its neighbors.

  • Ahmadinejad restated that Israel needs to be eliminated.

  • Israel’s leftist Peace Now camp has set up iPhone apps that register and monitor Israeli settlement building.

  • Debka reports Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Bashar Assad finalized plans to back a Hezbollah coup against the Lebanese government when they met in Damascus Saturday, Sept. 18.

  • Netanyahu said he is interested in a national referendum in Israel that would require the Israeli public to approve any peace deal with the Palestinians.

  • Netanyahu warned Hamas not to shoot missiles at Israel or there will be consequences.

  • IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi warned Tuesday that violent clashes could resume between Israelis and Palestinians if there is a failure in peace negotiations between the two sides.

  • U.S. officials said they are fed up with Palestinian attacks on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded that PA leaders restrain their statements.

  • Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad leaves New York meeting with Danny Ayalon angry after Israel's deputy foreign minister demands that meeting summary refer to notion of 'two states for two peoples.'

  • Netanyahu says he would support Israeli soldiers, not international troops, guarding Palestinian state borders.

  • The United States continues to warn Syria not to engage in a war with Hezbollah against Israel.

  • Turkey's Erdogan government relationship with Israel continues to go downhill.

  • Turkey's president couldn't find time to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the U.N.

  • Syrian and Lebanese U.N. reps walk out of Shimon Peres address to the U.N. General Assembly.

  • 'Largest flotilla yet' en route to Gaza: Ships from Britain, Morocco, Qatar to rendezvous in Syria and sail toward el-Arish Port in northern Sinai Peninsula; activists plan to enter Gaza through Rafah Crossing to deliver humanitarian aid.

  • Russia continues to speak of Middle East peace while supplying the weapons of war to Iran, Syria and Turkey.

  • Russia sells S-800 missiles to Syria while the peace talks are in action. Sergei Prikhodko, a senior adviser to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, told RIA-Novosti that Moscow would fulfill all agreements it had made with other countries.

  • According to the source, Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke against the sale with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov when he visited them in Moscow last week. Barak told them that the weapons could end up with Hezbollah, as has happened in the past.

Other Regional Complications:

  • Russia deploys anti-aircraft defense system near Georgia to counter one of Israel's potential flight paths to Iran.

  • Russian leadership enjoys watching the U.S. struggle in Afghanistan and Pakistan and with Iran.

  • Pakistan has many terrorist training camps.

  • Afghanistan is the second most corrupt nation in the world, behind Somalia.

  • Iran is moving into Iraq as the United States moves out; and within a few years, they will have enormous power and influence.

  • Iraq still doesn't have an official government after last summer's election.

  • The Yemen battles are between the Sunnis of Saudi Arabia versus the Shiites of Iran and their proxies. Al Qaeda also has a strong foothold there.

The only time there is relative calm in the Middle East is when there are political talks and meetings taking place sponsored by the United States and/or the European Union. The above is a good example of the problems mounting for Israel and the United States.

Ahmadinejad's Calculated Madness: Statements from this Week

"The Jerusalem-occupying regime, Israel, must be erased from the pages of time."

"Soon this stain of disgrace will be cleansed from the garment of the world of Islam, and this is attainable."

"In the Middle East they, the global powers, have created a black and filthy microbe called the Zionist regime so they could use it to attack the people of the region. And by using this excuse, they want to advance their scheme for the Middle East."

"Israel should be wiped off the face of the world."

"Israel is a rotten tree that will collapse with a single storm."

"The Zionist regime is on its way out."

"The region and the world are prepared for great changes and are being cleansed of the satanic Zionist enemies."

Statement by the Quartet Pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian-Syrian-Lebanese Talks(Sept. 21, 2010)

Statement link

The following statement was issued today by the Middle East Quartet (U.N., Russian Federation, U.S., and the EU).

Excerpt:

The Quartet expressed its strong support for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, which can resolve all final status issues within one year.

The Quartet reaffirmed its full commitment to its previous statements, which provide that negotiations should lead to an agreement that ends the occupation that began in 1967 and results in the emergence of an independent, democratic, contiguous, and viable Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors.

Noting that mutual trust and confidence are critical to successful negotiations, the Quartet reiterated its call on Israel and the Palestinians to promote an environment conducive to progress, including by refraining from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric.

The Quartet noted that the commendable Israeli settlement moratorium instituted last November has had a positive impact and urged its continuation.

The Quartet underscored its commitment to a just, lasting and comprehensive Middle East peace, including Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Lebanese agreements.

In the spirit of the Arab Peace Initiative, the Quartet called on Arab states to support Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and progress on the other tracks by taking bolder steps to foster positive relations throughout the region and to combat violence and extremism.

Bill Clinton's Problematic Statement (Ynet)

Russian immigrants in Israel could be one of the main obstacles to achieving peace with the Palestinians, Bill Clinton told reporters in New York on Tuesday, according to Foreign Policymagazine.

Clinton highlighted that the large numbers of Russian immigrants and settlers serving in the IDF could make it difficult for the army to confront settlers if this was required and feared this could cause problems in the future.

The people who are most opposed to dividing the land are the settlers and the Russians, the former president noted, and an increasing number of people serving in the army are children of these groups.

Koenig's perspective: The settlers will be made to be the bad guys in this process. Many will refuse to leave their homes. This is a civil war in the making.

The Israel Beiteinu party represents the Russians. Avigdor Lieberman is the party leader. He is the foreign minister of Israel that the Clintons don't appreciate.

In Hillary Clinton's first meeting with Lieberman at the State Department, she pressured him to stop settlement construction. Shortly, thereafter she slipped and fell in the State Department’s parking lot — breaking her arm and causing her to cancel her meeting with Obama at the White House.

Mitchell to Hand Assad Netanyahu's Proposed Golan Withdrawal Map (Debka)

http://www.debka.com/article/902

Following the two-day, Israeli-Palestinian face-to-face supervised by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell prepared for a major U.S. diplomatic breakthrough during his visit to Damascus Thursday: the possible revival of Syrian-Israeli peace talks.

He carries with him, for Syrian president Bashar Assad, a detailed map drawn up by Binyamin Netanyahu to represent Israel's proposed withdrawal from much of the Golan.

The Israeli prime minister refused to go into borders between Israel and the future Palestinian state at the talks he held with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at Sharm el-Sheikh Tuesday, Sept 14. First, he wanted to dispose of other issues such as security.

His tactics for Syria are quite different. Three months ago, Netanyahu showed President Barack Obama detailed maps of the Golan showing how far he was willing to pull Israel forces back,provided Assad followed in the footsteps of the late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat — who visited Jerusalem in November 1977 and was rewarded with a full peace accord with Israel, the recovery of the entire Sinai Peninsula and its demilitarization.

Koenig's perspective: The Debka article goes into much greater detail.

Netanyahu appears to be doing everything he can to show that he is interested in peace, while knowing his offers and requests will not be acceptable. The Syrians and Palestinians never offer anything in return. Assad's dad, Hafez, missed out on Ehud Barak's generous offer due to his desire to have frontage on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Top Russian Spymaster Assassinated in Syria? (Middle East Newsline)

A Russian news organization has claimed that the deputy head of the country's powerful military intelligence agency was assassinated while in Syria. So far, the official version of his mysterious death was that he died from a heart attack during a swimming accident while on holiday.

Maj. Gen. uri Ivanov, 52, was the deputy head of the GRU, the overseas intelligence gathering arm of the Russian military, and was thought to operate the biggest network of foreign spies among all of Russia's clandestine intelligence services.

He reportedly arrived in Syria early last month for an official visit. He disappeared on Aug. 6. His body later washed up on the Turkish coast. The Russian news portal Svobodnaya Pressa said the killers "tried to prevent the growing Russian influence in Syria."

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported that Ivanov was murdered after a working meeting with Syrian counterparts on Aug. 6 in the Syrian port of Tartus and his body was dumped in the Mediterranean Sea. The Russians have a vital naval facility in Tartus, their only foothold in the Mediterranean, which is used to service and refuel ships from Russia's fleet in the Black Sea.

News Briefs

UFOs

Witness testimony from more than 120 former or retired military personnel points to an ongoing and alarming intervention by unidentified aerial objects at nuclear weapons sites, as recently as 2003 … In some cases, several nuclear missiles simultaneously and inexplicably malfunctioned while a disc-shaped object silently hovered nearby.

ICBM launch officer Captain Robert Salas witnessed a missile disruption incident at Malmstrom Air Force Base and was ordered to never discuss it. Retired Col. Charles Halt observed a disc-shaped object directing beams of light down into the RAF Bentwaters airbase in England and heard on the radio that they landed in the nuclear weapons storage area.

Both men, along with five others, will provide stunning details about these events, and reveal how the U.S. military responded at a news conference on Sept. 27:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS166901+15-Sep-2010+PRN20100915?pageNumber=2

Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told an audience at the University of California's Hastings College of the Law that the Constitution does not, in fact, bar sex discrimination … Scalia claimed late last week that women's equality is entirely up to the political branches.

The rantings of liberal former TIME columnist and lawyer Adam Cohen in response to Scalia are even more revealing. Cohen writes that the Constitution is a living document that the "founders intended to grow over time to keep up with new events."

Cohen tries to make the case that Scalia is radical and unprincipled in his strict interpretation of the Constitution, he cites Supreme Court cases that caused the Constitution to evolve over the years,and he justifies socialistic principles.

Islam

Saudi King Abdullah and security czar Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz have held talks with top intelligence and counter-terror officials from the United States and Canada … The SPA news agency reported John Brennan, assistant to U.S. President Barack Obama for homeland security and counter-terrorism, discussed in Jeddah on Sunday "issues that concern the two countries."

"The meeting focused on the need to … build strong and fruitful cooperation to reduce the spread of terrorism in all countries in the world, especially in the Middle East, and the importance of working together to fight Al-Qaeda and terrorism," SPA said.

Longtime White House correspondent who resigned from Hearst newspaper in June in the wake of comments she made about Israel, will receive a lifetime achievement award from the Council on American-Islamic Relations … CAIR is honoring Thomas, who is of Lebanese descent and now 90 years old, at its Leadership Conference and 16th Annual Fundraising Banquet on Oct. 9 in Arlington, Va. (The Hill)

Economics

The actual figure of the United States' national debt is much higher than the official sum of $13.4 trillion ($14.3 trillion) given by the Congressional Budget Office, according to analysts cited on Sunday by The New York Post … "The government is lying about the amount of debt. It is engaging in Enron accounting," according to Laurence Kotlikoff, an economist at Boston University and co-author of The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need to Know about America's Economic Future.

"The problem is we're seeing an explosion in spending," added Andrew Moylan, director of government affairs for the National Taxpayers Union. Kotlikoff and Moylan agree U.S. national debt is much more than the official $13.4 trillion number, but they disagree over how to add up the exact number. Kotlikoff says the debt is actually $200 trillion. Moylan says the number is likely about $60 trillion. (NewsCore)

Central banks have run out of options to boost the economies of the world and are now looking at intervening with currency values … For example, this week the Bank of Japan surprised the currency markets by intervening to drive down the yen.

The decline in the dollar following the Japanese intervention also could create a lot of tensions, most notably in Europe. While the worldwide push down on interest rates spurred the global economy, some analysts believe devaluing currencies will tear the world apart. Conventional wisdom is that everybody can lower rates simultaneously. Everybody cannot debase their currencies at once. (Randall Forsyth)

With the Japanese yen surging to a 15-year high against the U.S. dollar, the Japanese government intervened by buying U.S. dollars … This move devalued the yen and supported the dollar.

At a time when American politicians are growing increasingly vocal about China’s currency manipulations, Washington was strangely silent on the Japanese move. The intervention was done to help American consumers buy more cars and electronics from Japan.

In truth, although more American purchases would nominally benefit some Japanese exporters, aweaker currency is a detriment to the overall Japanese economy. (Peter Schiff)

Connecting the Dots —

Recent Events Bring Gog/Magog Prophecy into Play

By Bill Wilson, KIN Senior Analyst

In Ezekiel 38 (NKJV), the LORD speaks of a war where Gog leads Persia, Ethiopia and Libya to "come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes (38:16)."

The conventional wisdom is that Gog is Russia, Persia is Iran, and Ethiopia and Libya are northern Africa. And this war is a major event marking the end-time prophecies. In recent weeks, announcements in the news media point toward that development as Russia is reestablishing itself as a supplier of weapons and weapons technology.

Consider that Russia, when it was the Soviet Union, once held strong ties to the terrorist Middle East — especially with support and weapons sales to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, now the Palestinian Authority, and to Iran, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya and more. When President Reagan's policies bankrupted the Soviet military machine and dispersed the Soviet empire, those relationships in the Middle East were put on hold.

But since Russia has recovered economically and its military industry is once again thriving, it is making new headway with the dark side of the Middle East — Islam. Russia, however, is taking a more aggressive, deceptive and ultimately dangerous approach.

For nearly a decade, Russia has been playing a cat-and-mouse diplomatic game to block sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program. All the while, Russia and China were supplying Iran with nuclear materials, nuclear technology and missile technology. Now Russia has flipped the switch on its so-called nuclear energy plant in Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran is under useless sanctions from the United Nations and the United States for its nuclear weapons program. Indeed, Russia's diabolical plan is about to advance as Iran has vowed to share its nuclear technology with other Islamic nations. Meanwhile, Russia is arming the enemies of Israel.

Interfax news agency reports that Russia will be selling some 72 cruise missiles to Syria. In May, Russia also agreed to supply Syria with its MiG-29 fighter jets, Pantsir short-range air defense systems and armored vehicles.

Agence France-Presse reports that senior Israeli government officials are calling the Russian move irresponsible and a threat to the strategic balance in the region. Of particular concern for Israel is Syria's relationship with Iran and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, both of which have vowed to destroy Israel.

For those who watch the prophecy clock, keep your eyes on Israel, Russia and Syria. For Isaiah 17:1 prophesies that Damascus will someday be a "ruinous heap."