'IDF can destroy Lebanon army within 4 hours'

Lebanese paper says US envoy's advisor threatened Lebanese army chief with Israeli contingency plan following deadly border skirmish

Israeli tank in Lebanese border  Photo: AFP

An senior advisor to US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell has threatened Lebanese army commander, Jean Kahwajim that should his army initiate additional fire exchanges with Israel, the IDF would annihilate his military within four hours, Lebanese newspaper al-Liwa reported Friday.

According to the report, Frederick Hof spoke to Kahwaji on August 9, following the deadly border skirmish between Israel and Lebanon and informed him of the IDF contingency plan.

The report further quotes Mitchell's aide as telling the Lebanese commander that Israel had decided to carry out a plan "which would completely destroy the Lebanese army's bases, centers and offices within four hours."

Lieutenant-Colonel (res.) Dov Harari was killed in the border skirmish earlier this month and another officer was seriously injured. Firing began when IDF forces entered a border enclave in order to uproot a tree. Lebanon later blamed Israel for violating UN Resolution 1701.

Hof advised the Lebanese army chief to show restraint in any future border conflict with Israel.

US sources said a UNIFIL report which ruled that the tree was on Israel's side of the border sheds new light on the possible danger caused by the proximity between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3944714,00.html

Confirmed oil find in central Israel

The Givat Olam umbrella organization confirmed for investors in Jerusalem on Monday the discovery of a large commercially-viable oil field in central Israel.

Hundreds of investors from around the world, many of them Christian Zionists, have been pouring money into Givat Olam for years in the hopes of helping secure Israel's energy independence.

"For many years we drilled wells without success," chief geologist Tuvia Luskin told the investors. But the Meged 5 exploratory well near the central Israel town of Rosh Ha'ayin had finally provided results which Luskin compared to "the giving of the Torah."

Luskin and his team first struck oil at Meged 5 in early July. They conducted 189 hours of production tests, during which 3,015 barrels of oil were produced. According to Luskin, when it reaches its capacity, Meged 5 will likely be able to produce 450 barrels of oil a day.

A final report on the size of the oil field is expected next month.

Israeli officials have hailed the find as a major breakthrough that could drastically alter Israel's fortunes, both by reducing dependence on foreign energy sources and by providing an enormous boost to the economy.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21745

On whose side is Obama?

Op-ed: President Obama owes every American apology over handling of mosque affair

Moshe Dann
Published: 08.25.10, 00:01 / Israel Opinion

President Obama's defense of the right of Muslims to build a mosque and Islamic center in New York City turned the issue into one of religious freedom. That was wrong.

Obama's first priority - like that of every national leader - is to speak for his country and on its behalf. Obama's refusal to do so, his insinuation that questions raised about a proposed Islamic mega-center near the site of the 9/11 attacks are un-American, unconstitutional, and prejudiced have shamed every American, and the good name of America.

Obama could have defended America; instead, he apologized for it.

He could have said that 4,400 Americans have died in Iraq, 1,200 have died in Afghanistan, and hundreds of thousands of Americans have been wounded - to help those Muslim countries attain freedom. And of course, hundreds of billions of dollars were spent towards that effort. But he didn't.

Obama might have said that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the US; hundreds of thousands of Muslims have found a home in America since and despite 9/11. He could have said: America has and continues to stand for freedom and democracy. He did not.

He is probably the first American president to malign his own country.

Obama could have explained that American law and values do not support discrimination, certainly not against Muslims; our history proves that. There are about 2,000 mosques in the United States, serving about 8 million Muslims; NYC alone has a dozen mosques. And Muslims are doing well in America: 67% have higher degrees; their average income is over $42,000; 26% earn over $100,000; 67% buy a new car every 3 years.

President Obama could have also noted that most American Muslims don't attend prayer services; mosques are often political and social centers, some of which are problematic.

'Grave threat to non-Muslims’

According to FBI estimates, 10 % of the mosques in the United States are associated with radical Jihadist ideology. Others estimate that 80% of mosques are dominated by the extremist Wahhabi ideology promoted by Saudi Arabia. And they are allowed to practice, under American principles of freedom of religion.

Unlike houses of worship in America which are built and supported by the local population, most mosques receive funding from foreign countries, especially Saudi Arabia.

President Obama might have noted that the Muslim Brotherhood, a Nazi organization that is banned in Egypt, is associated with some American mosques.

A study by Freedom House concluded that American mosques offer a wide selection of Saudi publications that promote hateful ideology, with all materials found to have some connection to Saudi Arabia.

According to the study, these publications advanced a "dualistic worldview in which there exist two antagonistic realms or abodes that can never be reconciled. The study also concluded that these publications "pose a grave threat to non-Muslims and to the Muslim community itself."

President Obama could have explained that this is obviously not an issue of religious freedom. He could have championed America, its reputation, institutions and values. Instead, he reinforced the view that America is bigoted.

For that, President Obama owes every American an apology.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3943359,00.html

Nancy Pelosi Supports Mega Mosque and Wants Those Opposed Investigated

by Staff
August 23, 2010

MEDIA ADVISORY, (christiansunite.com) -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now demanding to know how the Religious Freedom Coalition and other organizations fund their opposition to the Ground Zero mega mosque, but she does not seem to care that the UK Company planning the construction refuses to say where their funding comes from. Pelosi said, "I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded."

Sharif El-Gamal of SoHo Properties, which owns the property where the mega mosque is to be built, has refused to disclose funding and has said that the "non-profit" that will operate the mosque has not yet been formed. But, Speaker Pelosi is more concerned about an alleged conspiracy by those opposing the mosque and appeared to ask for an investigation saying, " ... we should also ask who is funding the attacks against the construction of the center."

The Religious Freedom Coalition operates the www.no911mosque.org site opposed to the mega mosque and is producing a 60 second commercial exposing the double standard of Islam; Muslims demand the mosque be built at Ground Zero, and at the same time nearly 1,000 Christian churches and other buildings have been attacked or destroyed by Muslims since 9-11.

Religious Freedom Coalition chairman, William J. Murray said, "Apparently Nancy Pelosi is so invested in the Islamic concept of, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' that she will blindly support a mega mosque at Ground Zero simply because it is opposed by social conservatives."
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09607.shtml

Mass arrests of new Christian converts in Mashhad, Iran

by Staff
August 23, 2010

(christiansunite.com) - On July 18, 15 newly converted Christians who were travelling to the north eastern city of Bojnoord to meet and to fellowship with believers were arrested in the city of Mashhad, the capital of Razavi Khorasan.

Government security forces reportedly had previous knowledge of this trip and, in a pre-planned and coordinated effort, forced the bus carrying the Christians to be stopped en-route to their destination. The security then boarded the bus and arrested the believers.
All 15 detainees were transferred to the Ministry of Information's central detention centre. In the days that followed, they were subjected to harsh and inhumane interrogations. After one week, 13 of the believers were conditionally freed, after they agreed to sign promissory notes and post bails.

Two remaining detainees, 48-year-old Reza and 23-year-old Ehsan Behrooz, refused to sign any forms or post bail and thus remained in detention at last report. (Source: Farsi Christian News Network)
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion09610.shtml

Too late to stop Iran?

From blog of Son of Hamas.
====================================
Like it or not, Israel is the only Middle Eastern country that has both the resolve and the power to stop Iran from becoming a regional nuclear terrorist. Yet Arab leaders continue to see Jerusalem as an enemy rather than an ally. And Tehran proactively feeds and manipulates their hostility to keep Israel at bay.

Is there still time for Middle Eastern leaders to open their eyes and clear their heads?

Frustrated by Moscow’s delays in fulfilling its contract with Tehran for half a dozen S-300 missile systems, Iran built its own air defense system which it claims is even more sophisticated than the Russian version—with a range of more than 100 miles and the ability to intercept both low- and high-altitude ballistic missiles and aircraft.

Earlier this month, Tehran boasted that it is building 10 new uranium enrichment plants deep inside mountains.

Washington’s response was predictable and tepid. The escalation, said President Obama, is “not acceptable,” and he threatened “a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to them how alone they are.”

But the administration fails to understand that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to be alone—at the top. Alone as the supreme nuclear power in the Middle East. Alone as caliph of more than a billion Muslims worldwide. To Ahmadinejad, alone is good. And sanctions are merely a nuisance. They failed to deter development of Iran’s nuclear program, its sophisticated air defense system or its shiny new Karar bomber drones, with a 620-mile range and the ability to launch up to four cruise missiles.

Ever since Shock & Awe, things have been looking up for the Iranian dictator.

Throughout and after the Iran/Iraq War, Tehran’s Shi’a regime repeatedly tried and failed to overthrow Saddam. Then, in 2003, seemingly ignorant of Islam’s bloody 1400-year Shi’a/Sunni conflict, Coalition forces stormed into Baghdad and saved the Iranians the trouble. Within a couple of years, they had replaced the ruling Sunni minority with the Shi’a majority, overlooking its strong and ancient ties to the Shi’a leadership in Iran.

In short, the U.S. naively handed Iraq to Iran on a platter. And the recent U.S. troop withdrawal removed yet another obstacle.

On a roll, Ahmadinejad tested public opinion waters last May with the blockade-busting “Freedom Fleet”—an insolent attempt to establish an Iranian port on the Mediterranean—and delighted to watch the international community blacken Israel’s eye.

Meanwhile, Hamas, Iran’s Sunni puppet, continues to stir up trouble in Gaza. Despite deep theological differences, Hamas is more than willing to accept all the rials and weapons Iran is willing to share. And Iran finds Hamas useful for coalition building among other Sunni.

All the while, Iran continues to sap American resources in Lebanon and Afghanistan and expand its influence throughout the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.

So why should Ahmadinejad curb his military buildup, given the world’s obvious lack of serious interest and America’s growing policy of accommodation and appeasement toward Islam?

And if Israel does not act, who will? But has Jerusalem waited too long? And can it rely any longer on support from the White House?
source:http://sonofhamas.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/too-late-to-stop-iran/

Iran begins mass production of 2 assault boats

Inauguration of production lines for missile-launching speedboats comes day after Iranian President Ahmadinejad unveiled country's home-built bomber drone, which he said would deliver 'death' to Islamic Republic's enemies

AFP
Published: 08.23.10, 11:37 / Israel News

Iran said on Monday it has launched mass production of two high-speed missile-launching assault boats to be deployed along its coastline and around the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

The inauguration of the production lines for the Seraj and Zolfaqar speedboats comes a day after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled Iran's home-built bomber drone, which he said would deliver "death" to Iran's enemies.

State news agency IRNA reported that Seraj (Lamp) and Zolfaqar (named after Shiite Imam Ali's sword) would be manufactured at the marine industries complex of the ministry of defense.

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi opened the assembly lines, saying the vessels would help strengthen Iran's defense forces.

"Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is relying on a great defense industry and the powerful forces of Sepah (Revolutionary Guards) and the army, with their utmost strength, can provide security to the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and Strait of Hormuz," Vahidi said.

IRNA said Zolfaqar was a new generation missile-launching vessel which can be used for patrol as well as for attack operations.

"It is designed for quick assaults on ships and is equipped with two missile launchers, two machine guns and a computer system to control the missiles," the report said.

IRNA said Seraj, designed for a tropical climate, was also a fast moving assault vessel for use in the Caspian Sea, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, adding that it can fire rockets and also be used in stormy seas.

"Seraj is a fast moving assault rocket launcher using sophisticated and modern technology," Vahidi was cited as saying by IRNA.

The launch of the production lines comes as Iran marks its annual "government week", a period when it traditionally shows off its latest technological achievements.

Week of military claims

Ahmadinejad on Sunday unveiled a bomber drone with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), which he dubbed the "ambassador of death."

State media said the drone, Karar (Assailant), can carry four stealth cruise missiles, two bombs of 250 pounds (115 kilos) each or a precision missile of 500 pounds (230 kilos).

Tehran kicked off its week of military claims on Friday when it fired a surface-to-surface missile, named Qiam ("Rising"), with some more announcements expected over the next few days.

The Islamic Republic is also expected to test fire a third generation Fateh ("Conqueror") 110 missile, after having already paraded a version with a range of 150 to 200 kilometers (90 to 125 miles).

Iran recently took delivery of four domestically built Ghadir mini-submarines, a "stealth" vessel designed to operate in shallow waters such as the Gulf.

The latest military moves coincide with Iranian warnings against any attack on its territory.

Its arch-foes, the United States and Israel, have not ruled out taking military action over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, choking off some 40% of tanker-shipped oil worldwide, in the event of a military attack.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3942216,00.html

Christian group calls for ‘meaningful action’ on North Korea

In this file photo, people stand in front of a giant statue of Kim Il Sung on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, North Korea, to pay respect to the late North Korean leader (AP)

by Brian HuttPosted: Monday, August 23, 2010, 8:44 (BST)

A Christian human rights group is urging Europe’s foreign ministers to add their support to a UN inquiry into crimes against humanity committed in North Korea.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has written to foreign ministers of all EU member states asking them to support the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry into the secluded communist country when the EU introduces its annual resolution on the North Korean human rights situation to the UN General Assembly in October.
The call follows reports last week that three underground church leaders were executed by authorities in Pyungsung county, Pyongan province. Another 20 Christians were reportedly sent to hard labour camps.
CSW said there was a “prima facie case of crimes against humanity” being committed by the North Korean regime.
These crimes, it said, included murder, “intense” forced labour, the forcible transfer of people, arbitrary imprisonment, and torture.
“The use of public executions as a method of generating fear and obedience is also illegal under international law,” CSW said.
It warned that prisoners were facing “systematic and severe” torture, “dire” living conditions, chronic food shortages and “brutal punishments”.
CSW said relatives of prisoners were often guilty by association, meaning that as many as 200,000 people could be incarcerated within North Korea’s prison camps.
“The barbaric system is calculated to cause extreme fatigue and sickness, and refugees have stated that imprisonment in the camps amounts to nothing more than a harsh, drawn-out death sentence,” CSW said.
“Life expectancy in the camps is one to two years – the same as that in Nazi concentration camps 70 years ago.”
North Korea has been named the world’s worst persecutor of Christians by Open Doors for the last eight years. Religion is outlawed in North Korea, where the people are expected to worship only the supreme leader, Kim Jong-il and his late father and predecessor, Kim il-sung.
The country’s estimated 400,000 Christians are forced to worship behind closed doors and face imprisonment, torture or public execution if the authorities discover their faith.
CSW’s National Director Stuart Windsor said, “The regime in North Korea is committing the most barbaric violations of human rights and it is time that the UN General Assembly took meaningful action to prevent the continuing suffering of the North Korean people.
“A Commission of Inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity is an essential step towards justice and an end to impunity, and we urge the EU to support this recommendation and work proactively to achieve it.”
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.group.calls.for.meaningful.action.on.north.korea/26556.htm

Qur’an says no to “9/11 mosque”!

From blog of Son of Hamas
====================================
The controversy over the “9/11 mosque” has dangerously missed the point.

What persuades you that this will end well?

Yes, it is an offense to the families of nearly 3,000 victims who were killed in the deadliest terrorist attack ever on American soil. Yes, it will reopen and infect deep wounds. And yes, it is perfectly legal and protected by the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.

But it is also an affront to Allah.

Open your Qur’an and read sura 9, verse 107. I will reproduce it here in English for our Western readers:

“And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity – to disunite the Believers – and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars.” (The Qur’an, sura 9, verse 107, Yusufali translation)

You can see that the language is much stronger in Arabic.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf may not intend “to disunite the Believers,” but his irresponsibility will accomplish the same end, even while he and his supporters, both Muslim and America’s progressive elite, “indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good.”

Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah and the Taliban are counting on the inevitable outcome of such irresponsibility.

Do not be deceived, my brothers and sisters, this issue will not die. It will not go away. It is already dividing Believers and will fester and putrify like an open wound.

In addition to killing thousands of innocent Americans, Osama bin Laden’s stupid attack destroyed the reputation of Muslims everywhere. The result was Arab profiling, false arrests and, yes, an Islamophobia that has not been entirely unjustified. It also resulted in the creation of hundreds of organizations worldwide working tirelessly to encourage constructive dialogue and repair the shattered image of Islam, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars that could have been better used for education, healthcare and other noble causes.

If you allow Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and the Cordoba Initiative to build this shrine to terrorism, you will only generate more hatred, suspicion and violence, destroy nearly a decade of image-rebuilding and set in motion a backlash against all Muslims.

Think for a moment. Do you really believe that Americans will just say “Oh, well” and move on while the 9/11 mosque is being built? Day after day, they will drive by, walk by on the way to work, and their anger and outrage will be renewed. The media will broadcast updates on the mosque’s progress, inflaming millions of viewers with every report.

How will Muslims react, then, when an angry citizen smears garbage on a wall of the mosque or covers it with blasphemous graffiti? How will they respond to protests and pickets? What if some hothead sets off a bomb?

Hatred and violence are not confined to Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and the Taliban. They lie just below the surface of us all and only require sufficient heat to erupt.

Hatred and violence are not confined to Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and the Taliban. They lie just below the surface of us all and only require sufficient heat to erupt.

And the violence will not be contained in Manhattan. You have seen how our brothers and sisters have reacted to books and cartoons. You can expect outraged mobs to burn homes and churches, attack embassies, kidnap and behead hostages not only in the Middle East but also in Africa and Asia, in obedience to the Qur’an’s mandate to defend the honor of Allah and his Prophet.

The blood—Muslim and non-Muslim—will be on the hands of the foolish Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. But he and Islamists like him will blame everybody else, just as he blames America instead of bin Laden for 9/11. Just as he will not admit that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Instead, he provokes and blames the provoked.

And you will share the blame because you did nothing stop it when it was in your power.

Even your Qur’an warns that the 9/11 mosque is not the will of Allah. It is the work of “mischief and infidelity.”

The 9/11 mosque will do nothing but push people over the edge. Americans and Muslims. Not for days or weeks, but for years, for as long as the building stands. And the violence will only escalate. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth. On every continent.

The Cordoba project will never be a community center where people will gather to seek and find common ground.

You can, and must, stop it. Through petitions and boycotts. By demanding accountability from your leaders. By withholding funds. By refusing to take any part in the sins of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and the Cordoba Initiative.

In short, you must stop it by being a responsible Muslim.
source:http://sonofhamas.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/qur%E2%80%99an-says-no-to-%E2%80%9C911-mosque%E2%80%9D/