Israel – Light onto Nations: Growing forests in the desert

israel-lightontonations.blogspot.com11/30/11

Once the trees are mature, it's possible that they could become a renewable source of biofuel to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This is another area of great interest to Israel and just about every other country on the planet …

Technion LIVE: Cornell – Technion – Together in Vision

www.technioniit.com12/3/11

During his visit, he planted a now-famous first palm tree that still stands in front of the old Technion building in Hadar. … Its graduates helped to build the county's infrastructure and started the high-tech industries that today make Israel a modern country with the greatest concentration of high-tech startup companies anywhere outside of Silicon Valley. More than 70 percent …. Israel's 10th Nobel laureate on his way to Stockho. … Technion Nanocrystals for Solar Power …

Please note that it was made 6 years ago.

Israel is certainly no angel, and both its politicians and its army make their fair share of mistakes.

But regardless of whether you’re pro or anti Israel, you’ve surely got to admire its upside and wish that other countries could or would achieve the same positive results.

Please post your comments, and if they don’t flame or use abusive and/or hateful language, then they’ll be approved.

Related posts:

1. Prof. Dershowitz Says Obama Wrong Again on Israel
2. Israel Recognizes South Sudan
3. Ed Schultz Used Edited Video To Misrepresent Rick Perry

Supreme Leader Ups Ahmadinejad Fight – TIME

Fox News

Supreme Leader Ups Ahmadinejad Fight TIME … Oct. 19, 2011 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers his speech under portraits of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah ALi Khamenei (L) and Iran's founder of Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (R) on the eve of the 22nd anniversary …Iran's Supreme Leader Warns Ahmadinejad's Post Could Be RemovedFox News A strange vision of AyatollahNews.Az all 238 news articles »

Iranians see Ahmadinejad as disconnected from alleged plot – Washington Post

Telegraph.co.uk

Iranians see Ahmadinejad as disconnected from alleged plot Washington Post Vahid Salemi/AP – In front of portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sings Iranian national anthemin June. By Thomas Erdbrink, TEHRAN — As … Will the Washington Bomb Plot Force Obama Into War With Iran?TIME (blog) Iran's Act of WarWall Street Journal US Moves to Isolate Iran, Push Stronger International ActionBusinessWeek Telegraph.co.uk -The Voice of Russia all 9,841 news articles »

Iran’s Supreme Leader Warns That Ahmadinejad’s Post Might Be Removed

Iran’s most powerful figure recently warned that the post of "elected president" might have to be scrapped, which was equal to bringing out the big guns!

Since the mere mention of eliminating Iran’s highest elected office shows the severity and scope of the ongoing power struggle that’s taking place between Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Background To The Statement

For months, Iran’s ruling theocracy has been putting more and more pressure on Ahmadinejad, as well as arresting many of his allies for attempts to challenge the near-absolute authority of the cleric-ruled system that has controlled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Khamenei Theat Is Serious!

The blunt words by Khamenei on Sunday suggest a twofold agenda:

Diminish Ahmadinejad.

Demonsrate to those in the wings that Iran’s rulers are ready to take drastic measures if they deem it necessary!

Views From Inside

Mehrzad Boroujerdi who follows Iranian affairs at Syracuse University says:

"There is bad blood, Khamenei is trying to make it very clear that the system can only handle so much discord and that he holds the stronger cards".

And this is one of the first clear hints from the ruling clerics that they’re ready to use hardball strategies during the parliamentary elections in March.

Khamenei and his allies are expected to use their many tools, including the ability to vet and block candidates, to steamroller Ahmadinejad’s backers, and to push Ahmadinejad, who was once Khamenei’s protege, further into the political margins.

Huma Rights And The Nuclear Program

The ruling power structure in Iran, which includes not only hard-line clerics, but also the hugely influential Revolutionary Guard, appears increasingly eager to stop the internal bickering.

This squabbling is viewed as a very unwelcome distraction at a time when the country is confonting critical issues, such as whether to restart nuclear negotiations with the West, complaints about its human rights record, and most recently U.S. allegations that a special unit of the Guard was linked to a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington.

"This is not a time when Iran wants anything that will rock the boat".

said Boroujerdi.

The Political System

Under Iran’s Islamic republic system, both the president and the parliament are elected, but the system is overseen by an unelected clerical hierarch that vets candidates for office; is also in charge of the powerful judiciary; and is tightly linked to the Revolutionary Guard.

"The president is elected by direct vote of the people, which is a good and effective method,"

Khamenei told a gathering in the western city of Kermanshah.

"But if someday, probably in the distant future, it is felt that a parliamentary system is better, there will be no problem to change the current structure".

How Would It Work In Practice?

In theory, cutting out the elected president post would streamline the ruling clerics’ control by allowing them to weed out everyone that was not allied to the parliament.

The lawmakers, in turn, would then presumably pick a less confrontational prime minister.

The History

After the Islamic Revolution, Iran’s system included a prime minister as head of government and a president, but it was then seen as a merely ceremonial position.

The prime minister’s post was already dropped once however, in 1989 by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after internal bickering that was similar to today’s.

The Future

Although Khamenei made no mention in his speech about the unraveling of the former system, he did say:

"Rrefreshing" the political order. It means changing policies, which can prevent stagnation".

Khamenei didn’t however raise any objections to the forming of new political parties in Iran, which already has dozens of factions and blocs that effectively serve as parties.

But his comment should perhaps be seen as a subtle nod towards a more aggressive party-style campaign in the upcoming parliamentary races.

William O. Beeman, who is a University of Minnesota professor that has written on Iranian affairs says:

"The supreme leader has fired a clear warning shot. He is telling anyone trying to challenge the system, ‘Look, we are tired of this and we are willing to turn the clock back if needed’".

Related posts:

1. Is The End Of The Ahmadinejad Regime Finally In Sight?
2. Ahmadinejad Has Far Greater Problems Than U.N. Sanctions
3. How Or Why Did Obama Lose The War In Iraq?

Obama approves secret sale of 'bunker buster' bombs to Israel

Eli Lake has a scoop for Newsweek outlining President Obama's secret approval of bunker busting bombs to Israel, which could presumably be used in an attack on Iran. The deal was cut early in the Obama administration. …

Publish Date: 09/24/2011 15:47

http://mondoweiss.net/2011/09/obama-approves-secret-sale-of-bunker-buster-bombs-to-israel.html

US sold bunker-busting bombs to Israel: report

Washington (AFP) Sept 23, 2011 – President Barack Obama secretly authorized the sale of 55 powerful bunker-busting bombs to Israel, Newsweek magazine reported Friday.

Publish Date: 09/25/2011 1:08

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_sold_bunker-busting_bombs_to_Israel_report_999.html

A New Feud Between Turkey And Iran

What Iran Is Saying

A key aide to Iran’s supreme leader said on Saturday that,

"Turkey must radically rethink its policies on Syria, the NATO missile shield and promoting Muslim secularism in the Arab world, or face trouble from its own people and neighbours".

And in an interview with the semi-official Mehr news agency, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s military adviser described Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation to Arab countries to adopt Turkish-style democracy as,

"Uunexpected and unimaginable".

Following The Summer Of Discontent

Turkey and Iran, the Middle East’s two major non-Arab Muslim states, are now vying for influence in the Arab world as it goes through the biggest shake-up since the Ottoman Empire fell, and it’s a rivalry that is seriously straining their previously close relations.

Although cheering crowds greeted Erdogan on his recent tour of North Africa, Tehran accused Erdogan of bowing to U.S. interests by opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on street protests, and by agreeing to NATO’s missile defence.

Major-General Yahya Rahim-Safavi said via the Mehr news agency:

"The behaviour of Turkish statesmen towards Syria and Iran is wrong and, I believe, they are acting in line with the goals of America".

"If Turkey does not distance itself from this unconventional political behaviour it will have both the Turkish people turning away from it domestically and the neighbouring countries of Syria, Iraq and Iran reassessing their political ties".

The Islamic Awakening?

Khamenei has dubbed the Arab uprisings an "Islamic awakening", and predicts that peoples in the Middle East that have overthrown dictatorial, Western-backed regimes will follow the path Iran took after its 1979 Islamic revolution.

Many analysts say however that the uprisings have for the most part been secular in nature.

The Gap Between Turkey And Iran

Erdogan’s advocacy of secular Muslim democracy, which is something that he extolled during his tour of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya last month, is far from the message that the Islamic Republic of Iran wants to spread throughout the region and Iran’s Rahim-Safavi said:

"I think the Turks are treading a wrong path. It might very well be that the path was set for them by the Americans".

"The Turks have so far committed a few strategic wrongs. One was Erdogan’s trip to Egypt and his presentation of the secular model there. This fact was unexpected and unimaginable since the Egyptian people are Muslims".

While Tehran has publicly urged its close ally Syria to listen to people’s legitimate demands, Erdogan has predicted Assad will be ousted "sooner or later" and is set to impose sanctions on Damascus despite a veto on U.N. action by Russia and China.

Turkey, Iran And The Missiles

It’s likely that Turkey’s decision to deploy a NATO missile early warning system angered Tehran the most, since it’s views the deployment as a U.S. ploy to protect Israel from any counter-attack, should the Jewish state target Iran’s nuclear facilities.

And it should perhaps be noted that the US supplied Israel with bunker-busting bombs in 2009.

Turkey, Iran And Israel

Rahim-Safavi said,

"Trade ties with Turkey, which is an importer of Iranian gas and exporter of an array of manufactured goods would be in jeopardy if Ankara does not change tack".

"If Turkish political leaders fail to make their foreign policy and ties with Iran clear, they will run into problems".

"And if, as they claim, they intend to raise the volume of contracts with Iran to the $20 billion mark, they will ultimately have to accommodate Iran".

And all this at a time when many were concerned that the whole Islamic middle east would line up against Israel.

Have you noticed that every time it appears that Israel will fight a deadly enemy that the enemies end up fighting each other?

Maybe Read This?

2 Chr. Chapter 20

The Ammonites and others attack Judah—Jehoshaphat and all the people fast and pray—Jahaziel prophesies the deliverance of Judah—Judah’s attackers war among and destroy themselves.

1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi.

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a afast throughout all Judah.

4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,

6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the aseed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our aaffliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither aknow we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;

15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the abattle is not yours, but God’s.

16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the acliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the bbrook, cbefore the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the asalvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.

19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; aBelieve in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; bbelieve his prophets, so shall ye cprosper.

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they awere smitten.

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy aanother.

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

Whether you’re religious or not, the above perhaps bears thinking about?

Related posts:

1. Joint US-Israel Missile Drill Will Be The Biggest Ever
2. Israel India Ties Are Stronger After Mumbai
3. The Israeli Heart

Weasel Zippers » Blog Archive » Iran: Ahmadinejad Wants …

weaselzippers.us12/27/11

Now, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is stepping into the dispute. He wants to settle it by promoting government-approved apparel for women, garments intended to introduce an array of clothes that are “Islamic and …

The Latest from Iran (29 December): Ahmadinejad … – EA WorldView

www.enduringamerica.com12/29/11

0730 GMT: The registration period for candidates for March's Parliamentary election does not end until Sunday, but President Ahmadinejad is already on the campaign trial. Yesterday in Ilam in western Iran, he addressed a …

Shocked

Iran was apparently shocked by the imposition of the latest round of sanctions, and particularly those that were imposed by the Europeans.

The Soft Underbelly Has Been Targeted

Iran could most likely deal with almost every kind of sanction except the one the one that has just been imposed on it, and that is it’s need for refined fuel and outside investment to finance the rebuilding of its crumbling oil wells.

No More Playing Games

At the end of June, the U.S. Congress and Senate approved by a large majority a law banning global companies there are engaged in ties with Iran’s oil and gas industry from operating in the U.S. The law is a very comprehensive and very strict law, which alone and without EU sanctions would hopefully cause Iranians to rise up and oust their almost universally hated regime. Iran is a huge producer of crude, but perhaps surprisingly, it has to export much of its crude to be refined because it doesn’t have anywhere near sufficient refining capabilities for the crude that it uses and exports.
It’s been spending it’s huge profits from oil on exporting terror and not on its refineries or oil field maintenance.

The Sanctions Are Already Being Felt

Some major energy giants that sell fuel for Iranian cars and planes have already announced that they’ll be terminating their ties with the rogue, crumbling state and the French company Total has already put an end to its Iran business.

But It Gets Much Worse For Iran

The European Union also imposed sanctions in June and the decision was taken by all EU heads of state, and as of early July new investments by European companies and states in Iran’s energy, oil, and gas industry will be banned.
This is an absolute, comprehensive, and far-reaching boycott and technical assistance and the transfer of goods and services to Iran’s oil and gas industry will also be disallowed.

Anger And Fear In Iran

The EU is Iran’s number one economic partner and around 80% of Iran’s revenues come from oil and gas. Iran’s wells are growing old and although there’s and ongoing need to renovate them, there is no money to do so unless it comes as a foreign investment, which is now banned. “The US and EU will be gravely punished” Tehran says, and it’s now calling the Germans “Israel’s slaves”.
Iran is now saying that the Russians and the Chinese abandoned them, which isn’t true, but they didn’t support them either.

The End Of The Regime?

The Iranian regime bases its legitimacy on two fundamental pillars.

1) Spiritual leadership.

2) The will of the people.

The Iranian masses no longer believe that the regime is giving spiritual leadership and they and the young both feel that they were cheated in the elections.
The Iranian people are easily capable of overthrowing the regime and they were the ones that brought the regime to power.

Now Is The Time To Stand Firm

The U.S. and the EU must now stand firm and not be tricked by slick offers from Iran.
Actions and not empty words are what the world now needs to see from Iran!
Far better for the Iranians to topple the regime than for the U.S. or Israel to have to bomb it.

Related posts:

1. Is Ahmadinejad On The Way Out?
2. Ahmadinejad Has Far Greater Problems Than U.N. Sanctions
3. The West Must Stop Iran From Obtaining Nuclear Weapons

ANN » Iranian parliament MP: Ahmadinejad's position brought …

ann.az12/28/11

“What good did these sanctions bring to the country?,” asks Musavi. “These issues need attention.” After Musavi made the statement, some of Ahmadinejad's supporters attempted to make a clash, however the attempt failed. …

December 22, 2011 – Economic Affairs – Iran Daily Brief

www.irandailybrief.com12/22/11

Ahmadinejad stressed that the Iranian economy was facing no problems and was moving forward smoothly. He said the dropping rate of gasoline consumption in the country was just one achievement of the targeted subsides …

Iran marked its one year anniversary of what most consider to be totally rigged elections that led to demonstrations, torture and death just three days after the U.N. leveled its fourth round of sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program,

The anniversary passed quietly due mainly to the fact that opposition leaders called of protests to avoid more brutality and possible deaths.

So Has The Opposition Been Quelled?

In spite of many commentators saying that Friday’s quiet streets show that the Green Movement has died, I’d say that it’s simply been muted and that more rage is fomenting just below the surface.

Whatever happens to the Green Party in the future, what it achieved in the past is incredibly important, because it brought about the de-legitimization of the Iranian regime.

The protests by young people, merchants, intellectuals, and religious leaders that took to the streets to protest the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the way in which the regime responded to them convinced nearly all Iranians that the Islamic Republic is neither Islamic nor a republic.

The Iranian regime bases its legitimacy on two fundamental pillars.

1) Spiritual leadership.

2) The will of the people

The First Pillar

When the regime cracked down on the protesters, its brutality and savagery were seen by Iranians and the rest of the world in real time. People witnessed beatings and murders live on their TV screens and read about the rape and torture on Twitter.

Death and torture is nothing new in Iran, but it was previously always carried out quietly and discreetly, and for the most part without the public’s knowledge.

Huge numbers of the deeply religious masses who looked to the State for spiritual guidance either saw the barbarity first hand or later heard about it by word of mouth and they were deeply shocked, and they feel betrayed and are unforgiving.

The Second Pillar

The second pillar upon which the Islamic Republic bases its legitimacy is the will of the people and despite its autocratic tendencies, the Iranian regime goes to great extremes to maintain popular sovereignty, and it is a sign of how seriously Iranians take their elections that more than 70% of the country voted in the last one.

So to hear that the elections were rigged does not sit nicely.

The Straw That’s Breaking The Camel’s Back

Iranian analysts have been warning for many years now about the country’s slow drift toward military dictatorship, and in the eyes of many the Revolutionary Guard’s usurpation of the nation’s police force during the protests confirmed their worst fears.

The transfer of power to the Republican Guard which Iranian law expressly forbids has now been formalized and the Revolutionary Guard currently controls almost all the levers of Iran’s government, and through its subsidiaries in the oil, natural gas, and telecommunications industry, it now controls nearly one third of Iran’s annual budget.

Ahmadinejad And The Mullahs

Ahmadinejad, who was a member of the Revolutionary Guard has been steadily distancing himself from the mullahs who used to run the country, and his cabinet has ceased attending meetings of the Expediency Council, whose members represent the interests of the clerical elite.

Ahmadinejad has stated publicly that, “administering the country should not be left to the Supreme leader, the religious scholars, and other clerics”, and the regime’s religious credentials are now being seriously questioned by some of the most senior religious figures and institutions in Iran.

Before his death, the Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri issued a fatwa calling the government illegitimate, and the hard-line conservative Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who was until recently one of Ahmadinejad’s most vocal supporters is now voicing criticism of the government.

Ahmadinejad’s relationship with the religious establishment has in fact become so strained that some of the most prominent members of the powerful Assembly of Experts, which is a conservative religious body that chooses the supreme leader, boycotted his swearing-in ceremony, as did every single family member of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who was the Islamic Republic’s founder.

The Regime Is Rightly Fearful

The regime is deathly afraid of its population since its leaders know full well that the Republic itself came into being on the heels of a popular uprising.

Explicit comparisons of the current regime to the reviled dictatorship of the shah have become commonplace in post-election Iran and not just by the opposition, but by some of Iran’s most reliably conservative politicians including the speaker of parliament and the current adviser to the supreme leader.

In Conclusion

It’s too early to predict exactly what is going to unfold in Iran but it can be said with certainty that Iran is on the verge of the most significant social explosion it has experienced in three decades.

Related posts:

1. Is The End Of The Ahmadinejad Regime Finally In Sight?
2. Is Ahmadinejad On The Way Out?
3. Joint US-Israel Missile Drill Will Be The Biggest Ever

The world of Nick Venedi ….: The end of democracy?

lawatwork.blogspot.com11/20/11

The end of democracy? There are those who say that the recent financial crisis has given rise to undemocratic factors who are in control of our destiny. It is not governments I think that create global problems but a small …

NYT's Krugman: Depression, democracy, and the end of the …

www.againstdumb.com12/12/11

Boris Vian, the Prince of Saint-Germain. -. Joan Didion and Privilege. -. Geoff Dyer on Martin Amis. -. NYT's Krugman: Depression, democracy, and the end of the European dream. -. High-speed rail will never happen in the US …

But They Can’t See It Coming

Click above to see a larger image!

According to a new grammar rule in the Netherlands and Belgium, the name “Christ” must now be written with a lower-case “c”.

The Dutch word for “jews” (joden) must now be written with a capital “J” when referring to nationality and with a lower-case “j” when referring to the religion, but whether Islam should be written as islam or not is not stated.

Non-Muslims (kafirs) are perhaps waging a war against terror, but they are not defending themselves against a World Caliphate and a world governed by Sharia.

Kafir – a derogatory term for a person who is not a Muslim; a nonbeliever, an infidel.
Caliph – a Muslim religious or political leader.
Caliphate – dominion of a caliph.
Sharia – Islamic code of law based on the Koran.

Non-Muslims should be at war with those who believe that:

Death in defense of the faith is the highest possible good.
Cartoonists should be killed for caricaturing the prophet.
A Muslim who loses his faith should be slaughtered in the name of apostasy.

Moderate And Extremist Muslims.

We continually hear liberal pleas that extremist Muslims are a tiny majority and that the majority are not, but Muslims that publicly condemn extremism and jihad can be counted on one hand and so called moderates who say that they wouldn’t themselves commit an act of terror frequently add that they wouldn’t inform on somebody that wasn’t going to carry one out.

Many studies have found that the most radicalized Muslims tend to have better-than-average educations and economic opportunities, so Muslim terrorism doesn’t therefore spring from economic despair, lack of education, American militarism or Israel’s existence and numerous appeasers would have us believe.

The Liberal Failure

Since liberals pride themselves with being reasonable and tolerant of diversity they should be especially sensitive to the dangers of religious fanaticism, but they aren’t and in the U.S. it’s the Christian right that is pointing out the dangers of a creeping Islamic takeover and the doctrine of multiculturalism has left a secular Europe even more blind to impending doom than America, and those who do speak out against Islamization are quickly labeled as fascists.

Democracy Or Sharia?

The sad truth is that it probably already too late for most or even all of Europe because of the low indigenous birth rate which has been prevalent for several decades now. A birthrate of 2.1 is said to be necessary to maintain a population and when Muslim births are excluded those in all European countries are in the 1.2 -1.4 range, whereas when Muslim births are included the rate rises to 4-5%.

Given the above numbers, it should be apparent that Europe will soon be left with one of two choices, Democracy or Sharia.

France for example will have a Muslim majority within twenty five years, and if it is still a democracy then its democracy will be used to overthrow it and a similar pattern will occur throughout Europe.

As a side note, it’s possibly interesting to compare the fall of Europe with the fall of the Roman Empire.

Following Rome’s decline, its women often wanted no more than one child and it’s men imported slaves from Africa to do the work.

Rome was defeated by an enemy that it would have swatted like a fly just a few decades earlier.

If the above rings a bell, then please answer the call!

There is a saying in the Middle East, “What is the difference between a moderate and an extremist Muslim?

The answer?

“The extremist wants to kill a kafir today and the moderate wants to kill him tomorrow!”

Related posts:

1. Do Moderate Muslims Want Peace Or Jihad?
2. Australia’s Kevin Rudd Gets It Right!
3. Countries Race To Defend Against Muslim Attacks

Obama’s More Obvious Foreign Policy Failures

Following his inauguration, Obama was fast out of the traps and began alienating U.S. allies almost immediately!

He started with America’s closest and strongest ally first by ordering a bust of Winston Churchill returned to the U.K. because the Brits supposedly tortured his grandfather in Africa in the 50s. In case the Brits didn’t get the message he compared the British Empire to South Africa’s apartheid regime and also to the former Soviet Union.

He then attempted to bully Israel and achieved nothing accept driving a wedge between the U.S. and its second closest ally.

Seemingly undeterred he moved on to the Russians and carefully prepared the way by stabbing two other allies in the back, namely the Czech Republic and Poland who had agreed to having U.S. missiles in their countries.

He did however manage to make Putin and Medvedev laugh all the way to the bank by suggesting that they clamp down on corruption, and didn’t even get a thank you for canceling the missile deployment on their borders, and it seems likely that he got snubbed by members of the Duma.

It’s claimed on some websites that the footage was doctored, but the explanation given as to how it was done only half explains it.

Obama then strove to win Muslim admiration, and not only failed but embarrassed the majority of Americans by literally bowing and scraping.

Obama then offered Iran serious negotiations and carrots but they had little time for him since they were too busy torturing, raping and killing demonstrators, and building new underground nuclear facilities. Obama’s reaction to the atrocities was to voice his appreciation for the “robust debate” that was taking place.

And last but not least, the Chinese smothered domestic coverage of a presidential visit but did give the world the spectacle of the American commander in chief getting a talking-to about fiscal responsibility from a Communist chieftain. The Chinese then sent a delegation to the U.S. and much to the surprise of those meeting them, the Chinese wanted to know who was going to finance Obama’s intended Health Bill.

Not So Wonderful Copenhagen

Two additional humiliations then occurred in Copenhagen, the first when the Olympic Committee delivered the bad news that the president’s effort to play hometown booster had failed utterly, before he even landed back in the U.S. and the second when the Chinese, Indians and Brazilians gave him very short shrift during the supposed Global Warming talks.

Afghanistan – To Do Or Not To Do

The decision to reinforce U.S. military in Afghanistan came after an excruciating and almost year long hesitation and dithering that undermined the confidence of our fighting men and allies, and stating that the U.S. would start pulling out after 18 months pleased the Taliban no end and seriously weakened any resolve that anti-Taliban tribes might have had.

France’s President, Nicolas Sarkozy perhaps asked the most worrying question, “Est-il faible?” (Is he weak?) and if the answer appears “Yes”, a year from now then the U.S. and the free world will be in deep trouble.

Have There Been Foreign Policy Successes?

I have simply described some of Obama’s obvious foreign policy failures, but he may have had successes too, and if I have overlooked them then please post a comment and they will be published.

And the same goes for any failures that I may have overlooked.

Related posts:

1. Can America Spend Its Way Out Of Deficits?
2. Does Obama Want To Learn from George W. Bush’s Mistakes?
3. Slapping Friends Around And Kissing Up To Enemies Has Been A Failure

Even though the U.S. has the world’s largest military,

and the biggest GDP,

(the EU is not a county)

it is:

1) Pleading with Russia to help with Iran.

2) Cozying up to Gadhafi and Chavez.

3) Ignoring pleas for help from Iranians that want to overthrow a savage regime.

4) Staying silent about China’s human rights abuses.

5) Leaning on Israel.

Why is America doing all of the above and much more too?

Because it is has not developed its plentiful energy resources, and is therefore becoming increasingly dependent on outside loans and oil with every tic of the clock.

The United States is running a projected $2 trillion annual deficit, while adding to an existing $11 trillion national debt, meaning that America is getting poorer, whilst its enemies are getting richer.

Russia is now the world’s second largest oil exporter, and it’s cash rich and just waiting for a new energy crisis to hit, after which it will attempt to regain much of its former influence.

Iran, Libya and Venezuela are all major oil exporters, so it’s lunatic leaders are allowed to verbally attack the United States in New York from the UN platform, and whilst Obama warmly hugs Chavez, he treats Netanyahu as if he has swine flu.

China is America’s largest foreign creditor, financing its growing budget shortfalls at an increasing rate of interest, and it now believes it has the right to question the U.S. as to how it intends to finance the proposed health bill.

America Needs To Develop Its Oil And Coal Resources

Obama is correct to encourage the development of alternative energy sources, and in wanting to curb America’s imports of oil which would not only bring down the global price of oil, but also lessen its dependence on rogue regimes, but much time will be needed to reach a new age of non-carbon fuels

America therefore needs to better exploit its existing oil and coal ,and recent large finds in North Dakota, Alaska, California, and off the Gulf Coast suggest that America could fairly easily win back its independence, and end the need to fawn and cringe before countries that hate it.

Related posts:

1. Can America Spend Its Way Out Of Deficits?
2. A Look At Obama’s 2009 Foreign Policy
3. Will China Cause America’s Next Financial Crisis?

The Baradei Effect | Gulf Stream

middleeastinthenews.wordpress.com7/11/11

As the grass root campaign to nominate El-Baradei in the 2011 Egyptian presidential elections grows, and along with it the speculation whether this could happen or not, it is important to recognize three significant …

The Rosett Report » Egypt: Please, Not ElBaradei

pjmedia.com1/30/11

Freedom, justice, and prosperity for Egypt are devoutly to be wished. As is abundantly clear by now, the big question for the genuine democrats among the demonstrators, and a big question for the U.S., Israel, and other …

Is Muhamad Elbaradei A Practicing Muslim?

If "Yes", Then It Would Explain His Attitude Towards Iran.

If Elbaradei is a pious Muslim who’s loyalty is to Islam and the dictates and mandates of the Koran, then it would perhaps explain the proliferation of nuclear weaponry and technology among Islamic states, and state sponsors of terror under his tenure as head of the IAEA – (International Atomic Energy Agency).

I was unable to find any verifiable information as to his religious affiliation, and every article that I read, scrupulously avoided the subject, so if any reader can point me to a reliable source I would much appreciate it.

There are a great many complaints and suspicions regarding Elbaradei and here are just a few,

1) A Wall Street Journal op-ed by Michael Rubin and Daniel Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute opined that ElBaradei’s first-term as director of the IAEA saw Iran’s construction of "covert enrichment facilities continue undetected", and they cited a 2007 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate which accused Iran of engaging in covert-nuclear weapon design until 2003.

2) Caroline Glick is an American-Israeli Journalist and deputy managing editor of The Jerusalem Post, and a Senior Fellow for Middle East Affairs of the Washington, DC-based Center for Security, and she boldly and openly accused Elbaradei of using his position at the IAEA "to facilitate proliferation of nuclear energy for military purposes".

3) In September 2007, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned of the potential dangers of a nuclear Iran saying, "We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war".

4) Dr. Kaveh L Afrasiabi, the author of ‘After Khomeini: New Directions in Iran’s Foreign Policy’, said that "ElBaradei has been downplaying Iran’s cooperation for some time, and has given himself the license to speculate on the timeline when Iran could convert its peaceful nuclear work into weaponization, which is irresponsible and inconsistent with his statements on other states".

5) Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice indirectly criticized ElBaradei saying that "ElBaradei is muddying the message to Iran", and that "the IAEA is  not in the business of diplomacy, but is a technical agency that has a board of governors of which the United States is a member".

6) In August 2009 an article in the left wing Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which is normally very hostile to the present Israeli government, alleged that ElBaradei had "censored evidence obtained by IAEA inspectors over the preceding few months, which indicated that Iran was pursuing information about weaponization efforts and a military nuclear program".

The author of the article went on to say that, "senior officials from Israel, America, France, Britain and Germany have pressured ElBaradei to publish this information".

Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

In the September/October 2009 issue of the ‘Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists", ElBaradei said, "Probably because I’m a lawyer, I don’t see how you can accuse someone of something without showing them the evidence. We have to apply due process and not a Kafkaesque process".

The basic presumption of innocence is good for as long as no strong evidence is brought to light that can become the basis for an indictment, but in cases where the actions of states are in question, and where the evidence is worrying, the international community surely has the right to take preventive action, and Iran’s breaches of obligations have already been perceived as sufficiently worrying to warrant UN Security Council action on several occasions.

Iran Will Soon Have Nuclear Weapons – If Not Stopped

A nuclear weapons development project is fundamentally three pronged:

1) The production of the fissile material for the core of the nuclear explosive device, and Iran could have this ready within a year.

2) The design and manufacture of the device into which the core is inserted.

3) The weapons delivery system.

Iran is said to have received the designs for the explosive mechanism  from Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a Pakistani nuclear scientist and metallurgical engineer who is widely regarded as the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear program, and they are known to work.

Fitting the explosive mechanism unto a medium-range missile warhead is extremely difficult, but the Iranians are said to have already solved this problem, and they apparently have lots of missiles which could deliver the payload, although their efficacy is somewhat in doubt.

Whether he intended to help Iran or not, ElBaradei assisted Iran in advancing its endeavors to obtain nuclear weapons, and if rumors that the IAEA is withholding relevant evidence are true, then one can simply hope that the incoming IAEA head, Japanese diplomat Yakiya Amano, will take swift action, before Israel, France, the United States or others have to.

April 14, Update

Elbaradei Come Out Of The Closet

The Former IAEA chief expresses support for Palestinian resistance and says,

"Israeli occupation only understands force", and calls Gaza "The world’s biggest jail".

Related posts:

1. The West Must Stop Iran From Obtaining Nuclear Weapons
2. Countries Race To Defend Against Muslim Attacks
3. Is Ahmadinejad On The Way Out?

Human Rights Watch just reported that the Iranian paramilitary Basij forces are now carrying out nightly raids and “trashing entire streets” in an attempt to stop rooftop revolutionary cries. It says that the Basij are “breaking down doors and beating residents in an attempt to stop protests against Iran’s disputed election”.

One witness to the attacks in the Velenjak district said, “On June 22, while we were shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ from the rooftops, the Basiji entered our neighborhood and started firing live rounds into the air, in the direction of the buildings from which they believe the shouting of ‘Allahu Akbar’ is coming from”.

A second witness reported, “Basijis climbed over walls to enter homes after they failed to kick down doors when people were shouting from rooftops on June 23. When they entered the homes, they beat the residents. The neighbors took to cursing the Basijis and throwing stones at them to divert them from beating the residents, but then the Basijis attacked those neighbors’ houses and tried to enter them”.

Another eye witness said, “the Basijis spray-painted a sign on the doors of houses in a central district where they thought protesters had fled. A few minutes later, they came back and attacked the marked houses, breaking down the doors and entering them. They beat the owners, and broke the windows in the house and of their cars”.

What has not been widely reported is why Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is using the Basijis and not the Revolutionary Guard to crush dissent.

General Ali Fazli, who was the head of the guard in Tehran refused to fire on his own countrymen and was subsequently arrested.

The Guard has its own institutions, and is to a large degree independent of the both the government and Khamenei’s Guardian Council, and it now seems likely that there will be a division of religion and state, with the guard effectively operating a military dictatorship.

It is clear that Obama hadn’t and hasn’t got a clue as to what or say or do about the situation, and similarities are already being noted between him and Jimmy Carter, who famously talked of “America’s inordinate fear of Communism”, but later implemented a military buildup that Reagan continued with, and which Obama is now threatening to reduce.

What Obama has referred to as the “robust debate” taking place in Iran, has so far meant the deaths of hundreds of debaters being killed, and who knows how many others being clubbed, and then thrown into jail, where they are most likely still undergoing torture and abuse.

One can only wonder if he held such robust debates at Harvard.

Related posts:

1. A Look At Obama’s 2009 Foreign Policy
2. The Fifteen Leading Causes Of Death In The US In 2010
3. Rahm Emanuel – The Absolute Enforcer