Netanyahu will urge Obama to publicly back attack on Iran, sources
 Intensive preparations underway to ensure a successful meeting between the two leaders next week in Washington, despite lack of trust between two sides.

Pathetic! This is what sells for 'church leadership' in these last days
Making the lost think they're saved.

Teaming up with Satan's Religion - Rick Warren builds bridge to Muslims
The Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest and one of America's most influential Christian leaders, has embarked on an effort to heal divisions between evangelical Christians and Muslims by partnering with Southern California mosques and proposing a set of theological principles that includes acknowledging that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

• We don't worship the same God. They worship the Beast
• Muslims deny Jesus Christ as the Son of God
• Christians believe the only way to the Father is through His Son.
• Muslims deny the Trinity
• Muslims kill former Muslims who convert to Christianity.
• Christians will be redeemed at the return of Jesus Christ.
• Muslims will be condemned at the return of Christ.
• Muslims kill over the burning of a book, or the drawing of a prophet.
• etc, etc. The difference is night and day (or more appropriately darkness and light).

Nope, I really don't see the parallels in the two religions that Mr. Warren apparently sees.

We should be trying to witness and convert unbelievers, including Muslims, before it is too late. Soon it will be too late.

Revelation 3:
    ¹⁴ “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

   These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

 John 14:

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

 WikiLeaks biggest secret?
That its latest revelations are a huge letdown.

Afghan Apologies Beside the Point
Americans are sick of seeing their government grovel. It is high time to point out that Muslim violence against non-believers far outweighs the few isolated incidents for which a Western apology to Muslims is in order.

?

WikiLeaks: Israel destroyed nuclear facilities in Iran - Israel News, Ynetnews
Anti-secrecy group releases email by US-based global security firm linked to CIA, citing Israeli intelligence source who claims Israelis destroyed all Iranian nuclear infrastructure on ground weeks ago

The 'Abomination of Desolation', Temple Mount
Soon to be razed.

Engraved on the walls of the Dome of the Rock, the great abomination of which all Christians should be knowledgeable:

O People of the Book! (Book = Bible, People = Christians) Do not exaggerate in your religion
nor utter aught concerning God save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of
Mary, was only a Messenger of God (Anti-Christ message), and His Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers, and say not 'Three' - Cease! (Denying the Trinity) (it is) better for you! - God is only One God. Far be it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son.

[my comments]

From the center of the universe -

Is Israel losing Temple Mount war?
Why is Israeli government covering up Muslim effort to erase any trace of Jewish history on Temple Mount? Archeology expert: Excavations barbaric, a crime

Exclusive: State Department quietly warning region on Syrian WMDs
The State Department has begun coordinating with Syria's neighbors to prepare for the handling of President Bashar al-Assad's extensive weapons of mass destruction if and when his regime collapses.

Marching to Judgment Day

Afghans kill to defend the "false prophet" (see Rev 16:13-16)

Iran warns Israeli attack on nuclear installations will lead to Israel’s collapse - The Washington Post
Iran’s defense minister warned that an Israeli attack on Iran will lead to the collapse of the Jewish state, state-run television reported Saturday, in one of the strongest statements from Iran indicating it would punish Israel should it attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Two Americans shot dead at Afghan Interior Ministry - The Globe and Mail
Two members of the U.S. military were shot dead on Saturday inside the heavily barricaded Interior Ministry in the centre of the Afghan capital.

U.S. Bulks Up Strait of Hormuz Defenses - WSJ.com
Pentagon Plans New Sea, Land Measures to Counter Any Attempt to Close Persian Gulf Oil Gateway


*A Must Read: The False Prophet by Ellis Skolfield

Afghan demonstrations

DEBKAfile, Red Cross corridor to Homs - start of foreign intervention in Syria
Debkafile’s military sources report exclusively that it came about after Washington and Ankara warned Assad through confidential channels that if his forces interfered with the emergency medical route for Homs, US and Turkish warplanes would take off from air bases in East Turkey and give the medical convoys air cover, thereby opening the door for a Western-Arab plan for resolving the Syrian crisis.

Somewhere along the line Damascus is going to be leveled.

Isaiah 17:
¹ This message came to me concerning Damascus: “Look, the city of Damascus will disappear!
It will become a heap of ruins.

The "Religion of Peace" kills 20 people over a book

Twelve killed in protests across Afghanistan
Twelve people were killed on Friday in the bloodiest day yet in protests that have raged across Afghanistan over the desecration of copies of the Muslim holy book.

BBC News - Afghanistan Koran protests claim more lives
More than 20 people have been killed since the unrest began, including two US soldiers who died on Thursday.

Tougher sanctions are speeding up Iran's true intentions

Iran Rapidly Expanding Nuclear Work, UN Atomic Agency Says
 Iran has rapidly ramped up production of higher-grade enriched uranium over the last four months, the U.N. nuclear agency said Friday, in a confidential report that feeds concerns about how quickly the Islamic republic could produce an atomic bomb.

Atomic Agency Says Iran Is Making Nuclear Fuel at Protected Site
International nuclear inspectors reported on Friday that Iran was moving rapidly to produce nuclear fuel at a deep underground site that Israel and the United States have said is virtually invulnerable to attack.

WEAKNESS
It's a perverse world

President Obama apologizes for burning korans. The burning of korans incites violent demonstrations and a Muslim to kill two American soldiers. What’s flagrantly wrong with that picture?

Newt Gingrich, Palin rip President Obama’s apology to Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai over Koran burnings"
Obama apologizes for inadvertent Koran burning; now the US trained and  protected Afghan Army can apologize for killing our soldiers yesterday,"

American soldiers killed amid Afghan protests
An Afghan soldier shot dead two American soldiers as violent anti-US protests over the burning of copies of the Koran swept the country for a third day.

Obama writes apology for Koran burning
Karzai's office said in a statement that Obama had promised to investigate those involved and called for NATO to hold a "fair and public trial" of those responsible for damaging the Korans.

http://www.israeldailypicture.com/

Fars News Agency - Wife of assassinated scientist says annihilation of Israel was "husband's ultimate goal"
The wife of Martyr Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan Behdast, who was assassinated by Mossad agents in Tehran in January, reiterated on Tuesday that her husband sought the annihilation of the Zionist regime wholeheartedly.

Why the US military is doomed to failure against the LBL Beast of Islam -

US military begs for forgiveness in Quran burning, but defends burning of Bibles
In a similar incident involving the burning of holy books in 2009, the U.S. military confiscated copies of the Bible that a church had sent to an American soldier to use in an outreach geared toward Afghan citizens. When the military discovered the Bibles, the holy books were confiscated and burned.
After the Bible burnings, the U.S. military defended its actions.


DEBKAfile, US, France, UK, Turkey, Italy prepare for military intervention in Syria
They are waiting for a White House decision before going forward.

France and Britain building on the justification for 'intervention':
France, Britain demand Syria return bodies, provide aid to injured journalists - CNN.com
Britain and France demanded Syrian President Bashar al-Assad cease attacks against the besieged opposition stronghold of Homs to allow three journalists to receive medical care even as reports emerged Thursday of renewed shelling in the flashpoint city.

Report: Iran concealed key atom research center - Ynetnews
Science and International Security study says Physics Research Center played pivotal role in Islamic Republic's 'undeclared nuclear program,' casting further doubt on Iran's claims that nuclear program has peaceful purposes

 Iran Court Convicts Christian Pastor Convert To Death
A trial court in Iran has issued its final verdict, ordering a Christian pastor to be put to death for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity.

UN Inspectors barred from key Iranian site
The UN nuclear watchdog says Iran has stopped a team of inspectors from visiting a key military site.

Iran vows to press on with its atomic program while IAEA visits 

Afghans protest burning of Korans at US Base
Among those chanting “long live Islam” and “death to America” were some of the 5,000 Afghans who have worked inside the base for years.

DEBKAfile, Tehran steps into US-Israel Iran row with threat of pre-emptive strike
Deputy Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces Gen. Mohammad Hejazi issued a new threat Tuesday, Feb. 21: “Our strategy now is that if we feel our enemies want to endanger Iran’s national interests… we will act without waiting for their actions.”

See my Sunday post immediately below, about Ezekiel 38 indicating Iran and allies will attack Israel first.

IDF uncovers Iranian-made explosive device in Gaza - Israel News, Ynetnews: Explosive device with unmistakable Iranian trademarks found, dismantled near border fence

US officials believe Iran sanctions will fail, making military action likely | The Guardian: If Obama were to conclude that there is no choice but to attack Iran, he is unlikely to order it before the presidential election in November unless there is an urgent reason to do so. The question is whether the Israelis will hold back that long.

...or if Iran will hold back that long.

If this is the beginning of the Gog & Magog war, Ezekiel 38 says Israel will be attacked and NOT be the aggressor. We should remember however, that Iranian proxies of Hamas and Hezb'allah have tens of thousands of missiles pointed at Israel right now in Gaza and Lebanon, including the "missing" missiles from Libya, which is also specifically mentioned in Ezekiel 38:

⁵ Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons...

¹¹ You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence! ¹² I will go to those formerly desolate cities that are now filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder, for the people are rich with livestock and other possessions now. They think the whole world revolves around them!’

Western world desperately clinging to a 200-word letter from Iran

(the mullahs must be laughing their turbans off!)

U.S., Europeans welcome Iranian proposal for new nuclear talks - The Washington Post: U.S. and European officials on Friday cautiously welcomed a 200-word letter from Iran proposing talks about its nuclear program, a request that appeared to spark a flicker of hope for resuming long-stalled diplomatic engagement with Iranian leaders.

Iranian naval ships enter Mediterranean via Suez: 2 naval vessels receive Egyptian permission to sail into Mediterranean, likely en route to Syrian coast.

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Jihad at America's doorstep

Feds Arrest Man Allegedly Heading To U.S. Capitol For Suicide Mission After Sting Investigation | Fox News
The man, in his 30s and of Moroccan descent, was nabbed following a lengthy investigation by the FBI, initiated after he expressed interest in conducting an attack...The man thought undercover FBI agents assisting him in his plot were associates of Al Qaeda.

Israel's Restoration

Get on the winning side while there's still time

Micah 7:

¹ How miserable I am!
   I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest
      who can find nothing to eat.
   Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig
      can be found to satisfy my hunger.
 ² The godly people have all disappeared;
      not one honest person is left on the earth.
   They are all murderers,
      setting traps even for their own brothers.
 ³ Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!
      Officials and judges alike demand bribes.
   The people with influence get what they want,
      and together they scheme to twist justice.
 ⁴ Even the best of them is like a brier;
      the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns.
   But your judgment day is coming swiftly now.
      Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.
 ⁵ Don’t trust anyone—
      not your best friend or even your wife!
 ⁶ For the son despises his father.
      The daughter defies her mother.
   The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law.
      Your enemies are right in your own household!

 ⁷ As for me, I look to the LORD for help.
      I wait confidently for God to save me,
      and my God will certainly hear me.
 ⁸ Do not gloat over me, my enemies!
      For though I fall, I will rise again.
   Though I sit in darkness,
      the LORD will be my light.
 ⁹ I will be patient as the LORD punishes me,
      for I have sinned against him.
   But after that, he will take up my case
      and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies.
   The LORD will bring me into the light,
      and I will see his righteousness.
 ¹⁰ Then my enemies will see that the LORD is on my side.
      They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying,
   “So where is the LORD—
      that God of yours?”
   With my own eyes I will see their downfall;
      they will be trampled like mud in the streets.

 ¹¹ In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt,
      and your borders will be extended.
 ¹² People from many lands will come and honor you—
      from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt,
   from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River,
      and from distant seas and mountains.
 ¹³ But the land will become empty and desolate
      because of the wickedness of those who live there.

¹⁴ O LORD, protect your people with your shepherd’s staff;
      lead your flock, your special possession.
   Though they live alone in a thicket
      on the heights of Mount Carmel,
   let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead
      as they did long ago.

 ¹⁵ “Yes,” says the LORD,
      “I will do mighty miracles for you,
   like those I did when I rescued you
      from slavery in Egypt.”

 ¹⁶ All the nations of the world will stand amazed
      at what the LORD will do for you.
   They will be embarrassed
      at their feeble power.
   They will cover their mouths in silent awe,
      deaf to everything around them.
 ¹⁷ Like snakes crawling from their holes,
      they will come out to meet the LORD our God.
   They will fear him greatly,
      trembling in terror at his presence.

 ¹⁸ Where is another God like you,
      who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
      overlooking the sins of his special people?
   You will not stay angry with your people forever,
      because you delight in showing unfailing love.
 ¹⁹ Once again you will have compassion on us.
      You will trample our sins under your feet
      and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
 ²⁰ You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
      as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.

 [emphasis mine]

• No mention of Ishmael; this is a promise to the descendants of Abraham and Jacob/Israel. 
• Israel’s borders will be extended not divided. 
• Israel will prevail regardless of what the godless, seemingly wise but willingly ignorant, are saying today.

Israel a haven for Arabs - Ynetnews
In Israel (West Bank area included,) Arab residents enjoy the kind of freedom and security that many in neighboring countries can only dream of - but they generally expect Israel to be better than others. The fact that Arabs are being oppressed, beaten and slaughtered by dictators in Arab countries is of no consolation to Israeli Arabs who are delayed at security checkpoints.

U.S. military told to prepare for Iran ops: WASHINGTON – Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta believes that Israel could attack Iran in an April-to-June timeframe, and there apparently has been a decision made for the U.S. to help in an assault on the radical Islamic nation’s nuclear facilities.

U.S. carrier crosses Hormuz amid rising Gulf tensions | Reuters: A U.S. aircraft carrier strike group sailed through the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday more than a month after Iran warned a different carrier -- USS John C. Stennis -- not to return to the Gulf as Iranian navy boats sailed by...

Military experts say the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet patrolling the Gulf - which always has at least one giant supercarrier accompanied by scores of jets and a fleet of frigates and destroyers - is overwhelmingly more powerful than Iran's navy.

Iran announces nuclear programme 'achievements' - Telegraph: State television reported on Wednesday that Iran has made advances in its nuclear programme, building new uranium enrichment centrifuges and producing its own nuclear reactor fuel plates.

Iran to Insert First Domestic Nuclear Fuel Rods into Reactor - Official | RIA Novosti: Iran will insert the first nuclear fuel rods produced in the country into a research reactor in Tehran on Wednesday, a top Iranian official told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.


Iran cuts oil to six EU countries - Telegraph: Iranian state TV says Tehran has cut oil exports to six European countries in response to European Union sanctions.

DEBKAfile,  Intelligence experts: No proven links between Bangkok blasts and Indian, Georgian attacks: Notwithstanding the loud and angry Israel official contentions that the three explosions in Bangkok Tuesday Feb. 13 were part of an Iranian global terror drive, senior Israeli intelligence sources told debkafile that no connection – other than circumstantial - had been uncovered as yet between that incident and the sticky-bomb attacks on Israeli official cars in New Delhi and the Georgian capital of Tbilisi 24 hours earlier.

Israeli ambassador says Thai bombs similar to ones used in India, Georgia attacks - The Washington Post: Israeli officials ramped up accusations Wednesday that Iran was launching covert attack plots, saying “sticky” bombs found in a Thai house rented by Iranians were similar to devices used against Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia.

Ahmadinejad is eager to show off new Iran nuclear facilities - Yahoo! News:
Iranian President Ahmadinejad is set to unveil new facilities Wednesday.

PM: Iran accountable for double terror attack at embassies - Israel News, Ynetnews: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran and Hezbollah of being behind the double terror attack on Israeli embassies in India and Georgia. He mentioned there were also attempts to carry out attacks in Azerbaijan and Thailand recently

Explosives found on Israeli Embassy cars in India, Georgia - CNN.com: Explosive devices have been found attached to cars of Israeli Embassy employees in New Delhi, India, and Tblisi, Georgia, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Monday.

DEBKAfile, Hizballah/Iranian bombing injures Israeli official's wife in New Delhi: Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday, Feb. 12: “We know exactly who was responsible for the two attacks on Israeli officials abroad and they will not go unanswered.”

PARALLEL UNIVERSE: Where Are the Aid Flotillas to Syria? | Huntington News:
Less than two years ago, the headlines screamed about the so-called aid flotillas to Gaza, initiated by Code Pink and other so-called "Progressive" groups -- including the notoriously anti-Israel American Friends Service Committee. The boats sailed from Cyprus and Turkey and were intercepted by the Israeli Navy, which had reason to believe that smuggled weapons aboard the boats would reach the Hamas-controlled enclave -- which is continuing to shoot rockets into Israel.

Romans 11:

²⁵ I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.

²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,   
“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,
      and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.
 ²⁷ And this is my covenant with them,
      that I will take away their sins.”

Ahmadinejad: Iran to reveal new nuke achievements
Iran will soon unveil "big new" nuclear achievements, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday while reiterating Tehran's readiness to revive talks with the West over the country's controversial nuclear program.

"Within the next few days the world will witness the inauguration of several big new achievements in the nuclear field," Ahmadinejad told the crowd in Tehran's famous Azadi, or Freedom, square.

Pentagon Calls For 'urgent' Upgrade Of Massive Bunker-busting Bombs, As Iranian Threat Looms
The military's so-called Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb, requires an "urgent" upgrade, according to Pentagon officials who are trying to ensure that 20 of the bombs are battle-ready -- possibly for use against Iran, though officials have been tight-lipped on potential targets.

Saudi faces death calls after tweets about the prophet
On the occasion of the Muslim prophet's birthday last week, 23-year-old Hamza Kashgari tweeted: "I have loved things about you and I have hated things about you and there is a lot I don't understand about you."
"I will not pray for you," he added.

The controversial tweet sparked a frenzy of responses -A Facebook page entitled "The Saudi people demand Hamza Kashgari's execution" already has nearly 10,000 members.

 

U.S. and Israel Split Over How to Deter Iran - NYTimes.com
Amid mounting tensions over whether Israel will carry out a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program, the United States and Israel remain at odds over a fundamental question: whether Iran’s crucial nuclear facilities are about to become impregnable.

China defends Syria veto in People's Daily article - guardian.co.uk
State paper denies giving 'free rein' to Bashar al-Assad's crackdown and points to UN mandate 'abused' in Libya by Nato.

Obadiah:
20 The exiles of Israel will return to their land
and occupy the Phoenician coast as far north as Zarephath.
The captives from Jerusalem exiled in the north
will return home and resettle the towns of the Negev.
21 Those who have been rescued will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem
to rule over the mountains of Edom.
And the LORD himself will be king!”

Iran says can hit US interests worldwide if attacked - BuenosAiresHerald.com
Iran is capable of carrying out military strikes on US interests all around the world if the Islamic Republic is attacked by the United States, Iran's ambassador to Moscow said today.

Thousands of Marines storm U.S. beaches as Operation Bold Alligator simulates international invasion 
[Iran invading Saudi Arabia?]

20,000 troops from eight countries take part in massive amphibious landing exercise in North Carolina and Virginia.

DEBKAfile, "Bold Alligator 2012" drills 20,000 troops on US East Coast for Persian Gulf action
The exercise is scheduled to end on February 14, a week before the winding up of the Iranian drill, after which the participants are to be shipped out to Persian Gulf positions opposite Iran. Altogether three American aircraft carrier strike groups, the French Charles de Gaulle carrier and four or five US Marines amphibian vessels will be posted there, debkafile's military sources report.

Hizb'allah Will Defend Syrian Regime Even at Price of Sparking War with Israel
“Hizbullah will not allow the fall of the Assad regime even if it means launching a war with Israel.”

Israeli officials: Terrorists may get Syria's weapons
With violence mounting, the growing threat to President Bashar Assad's regime is raising concern in Israel that weapons from Syria's military could fall into the hands of terrorist groups, defense officials told Haaretz on Monday.

Be ready for WWIIIArmageddonGog&Magog - the end of the age.

From one of the smartest Jews I know...

Krauthammer: Leak indicates Israeli attack on Iran ‘certain’

No hidden agenda here -

Ayatollah: Kill all Jews, annihilate Israel: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the opportunity must not be lost to remove “this corrupting material. It is a ‘jurisprudential justification” to kill all the Jews and annihilate Israel, and in that, the Islamic government of Iran must take the helm.”

Russia and China veto UN resolution on Syria - Telegraph
Russia and China braved Arab and Western fury by vetoing a UN resolution calling on President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

The two powers' refusal to back an Arab League plan for Syria came despite the vote coming within hours of the worst single act of violence in the 11-month uprising

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Iran warns world of 'coming great event'
“In light of the realization of the divine promise by almighty God, the Zionists and the Great Satan (America) will soon be defeated,” Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, is warning.

There is none other like the God of Israel!

 YHWH told us these things in advance. Are you listening?

DEBKAfile, Americans talk about an Israeli strike on Iran, but prepare own offensive
"As the Ayatollahs witness the vast US, Saudi, Israel, British, French and Arab Gulf war preparations around their borders, will they opt to watch and wait for the sword to fall, or will they try and get in first with a hammer blow against Israel?"

Iran and allies attacking a re-gathered Israel? Here is where you've read that before:

Ezekiel 38 NLT: ⁵ Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons. ⁶ Gomer and all its armies will also join you, along with the armies of Beth-togarmah from the distant north, and many others.  ⁷ “Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. ⁸ A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel...

This is so plain to see, it is painful watching the unsaved go blindly along, planning for a tomorrow which may never come. Time still to pray for their souls, but soon it will be too late.

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Same war? Ezekiel 38-39 vs. Revelation 16...

Joel 2:
32 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said.
These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.

The untenable Russian position.
 AFP: Russia warns of 'scandal' if UN vote on Syria text
"We are not friends or allies of President Assad, we try to stick to our responsibilities as permanent members of the Security Council and the Security Council by definition does not engage in the domestic affairs of its member states,

Analysts have said that Russia is defying the West despite the escalating violence in Syria that has already left thousands dead as it fears Assad's departure would cost Moscow its last remaining ally in the region."

Iran blocks IAEA inspectors at military site
UN nuclear watchdog not given access to Parchin complex, where there are strong indicators of weapon development.

Khamenei: Zionist regime is a cancer
Tehran's supreme leader promises Iranian people the world will soon be rid of 'cancerous Zionist regime'; says Iran will help anyone fighting Israel.

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Iran blocks IAEA inspectors at military site
UN nuclear watchdog not given access to Parchin complex, where there are "strong indicators of weapon development.

Israel's military leaders warn against Iran attack
Former Israeli defense chief says that a strike on Iran would plunge the Middle East into war. [...in a 'Day of the Lord' kind of way]

Joel 3

Judgment against Enemy Nations

 ¹ “At the time of those events,” says the LORD,
      “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,
 ² I will gather the armies of the world
      into the valley of Jehoshaphat.
   There I will judge them
      for harming my people, my special possession,
   for scattering my people among the nations,
      and for dividing up my land.
 ³ They threw dice to decide which of my people
      would be their slaves.
   They traded boys to obtain prostitutes
      and sold girls for enough wine to get drunk.

 ⁴ “What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and you cities of Philistia? Are you trying to take revenge on me? If you are, then watch out! I will strike swiftly and pay you back for everything you have done. ⁵ You have taken my silver and gold and all my precious treasures, and have carried them off to your pagan temples. ⁶ You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, so they could take them far from their homeland.

 ⁷ “But I will bring them back from all the places to which you sold them, and I will pay you back for everything you have done. ⁸ I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the people of Arabia, a nation far away. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

 ⁹ Say to the nations far and wide:
      “Get ready for war!
   Call out your best warriors.
      Let all your fighting men advance for the attack.
 ¹⁰ Hammer your plowshares into swords
      and your pruning hooks into spears.
      Train even your weaklings to be warriors.
 ¹¹ Come quickly, all you nations everywhere.
      Gather together in the valley.”

   And now, O LORD, call out your warriors!

 ¹² “Let the nations be called to arms.
      Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
   There I, the LORD, will sit
      to pronounce judgment on them all.
 ¹³ Swing the sickle,
      for the harvest is ripe.
   Come, tread the grapes,
      for the winepress is full.
   The storage vats are overflowing
      with the wickedness of these people.”

 ¹⁴ Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision.
      There the day of the LORD will soon arrive.
 ¹⁵ The sun and moon will grow dark,
      and the stars will no longer shine.
 ¹⁶ The LORD’s voice will roar from Zion
      and thunder from Jerusalem,
      and the heavens and the earth will shake.
   But the LORD will be a refuge for his people,
      a strong fortress for the people of Israel.

 Mullah's Moolah

Canceling the Mullahs' Credit Card
Tehran uses SWIFT's technology to conduct business with its trading partners, to sell its oil, to raise capital for its energy sector, to procure energy-related equipment and technology, and to buy and sell other goods and services. Indeed, 19 Iranian banks and 25 Iranian entities reportedly used SWIFT more than 2 million times in 2010. These transactions, the Wall Street Journal noted in a recent editorial, amounted to $35 billion in trade with Europe alone. And they almost certainly violate existing sanctions laws. Cutting off this source of cash could be hugely consequential for those who seek to peaceably halt the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon.

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'We'll back any nation wanting to fight the Zionist regime
Islamic Republic will not yield to international pressure to abandon its nuclear course, says Iran's Supreme Leader; Khamenei threatens retaliation for sanction aimed at Iranian oil exports.

"Threatening Iran and attacking Iran will harm America ... Sanctions will not have any impact on our determination to continue our nuclear course ... In response to threats of oil embargo and war, we have our own threats to impose at the right time," Khamenei told worshipers in a speech broadcast live on state television.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Threatens Retaliation Against Attack - NYTimes.com
The supreme leader of Iran vowed on Friday to retaliate over oil sanctions and threats of military action by the West to stop Iran’s nuclear program, warning that the United States in particular would face severe damage to its interests if any strike were carried out against its nuclear sites.

Israel may seek Right of Return for Jews who fled Arab nations
The report further states that 856,000 Jews from Arab countries were uprooted from their homes, compared to 800,000 Arabs from Israel (within the Green Line). Ayalon explained that approximately half of Israel’s citizens have parents or grandparents who came from Arab countries. Therefore, within the framework of possible future peace negotiations, all aspects of these issues must be addressed. Meanwhile, Jewish property in Arab countries is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars.

Israeli defense minister says he sees widening global support for possible Iran strike
An Iranian counterstrike at Israel is seen as likely if Tehran’s nuclear installations are attacked.

Kochavi said Israel’s enemies have about 200,000 rockets and missiles that could strike Israel. Most have a range of about 25 miles (40 kilometers), but several thousand have a range of several hundred miles (kilometers), he said.

Is Israel preparing to attack Iran? - The Washington Post
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has a lot on his mind these days, from cutting the defense budget to managing the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. But his biggest worry is the growing possibility that Israel will attack Iran over the next few months.

Panetta Concerned Israel Months From Striking Iran | Fox News
Traveling with the defense secretary in Brussels to cover his meeting with NATO defense ministers, Ignatius writes, "Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June.”

DEBKAfile, Israel officials: Iran's nuclear arms program is complete, its missiles can reach US
Iran has completed the development of a nuclear weapon and awaits nothing more than a sign from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to start assembling its first nuclear bomb, said Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Major General Aviv Kochavi.

A different version of this story:

Israel says Iran has material for four A-bombs | Reuters
Arming a missile with a nuclear warhead, [Kochavi] added, could take a year or two longer.

Report: Classified US Document Says Taliban Ready To Take Power In Afghanistan, Backed By Pakistan