Netanyahu Discusses Iran

This may be the best information yet regarding the status of the possible conflict between Iran and Israel - straight from PM Netanyahu. Obviously he wouldn't disclose an imminent attack, but otherwise you can read between the lines in order to see his position regarding Iran:

Netanyahu: I won't Let Iran Destroy Us

Prime Minister Netanyahu in interviews to major television channels: Iran is making atomic bombs to destroy us. I won't let that happen.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu used an interview on Tuesday with Israel’s major television channels,Channel 2 and Channel 10, to reiterate that he will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

In the Channel 2 interview, Netanyahu responded to reports that he has already decided to attack Iran, despite the opposition of senior defense officials.

“I appreciate the chief of staff, the head of the Mossad and the head of the Shin Bet enough to hear their predictions where they should be heard: behind closed doors. Not in the media,” he said, adding,

“Discussion in the media is not responsible and undermines the State. The question is fundamental and important: In Israeli democracy – and in any democracy – the political echelon makes the decision and the operational echelon carries it out. This is the way it has always been and the way it always will be, too. I have not yet made a decision [on Iran.]”

However, Netanyahu made a veiled reference to his desire to act to prevent a nuclear Iran, saying, “To illustrate: in 1981, [then Prime Minister] Begin made a decision to attack the reactor in Iraq. Senior defense officials strongly opposed the decision, but it was clear that it would be the political leadership who would decide. The same principle which was in effect back then is in effect now too. I have not yet made a decision whether to attack, but I see the Ayatollah regime declaring its intention to destroy us.

They are making atomic bombs to destroy us, and I will not let it happen.

Referring to the international community's opposition to an attack on Iran, he said, “I would love it if the world and the United States carry out this task. I’ve gathered quite a bit of support in the international community to pressure Iran. This pressure affects the Iranian economy, but hasn’t moved their nuclear program even one meter backwards. If they (the international community) do it - all the better.

We do not entrust in others things concerning our destiny and our existence, not even in the best of our friends. Obama and Romney said that Israel has a right to defend itself against any threat - and we must be the ones to make the decisions about our fate and our future.”

PM: Elected, Not Military Leaders To decide On Iran

Evening Update: Middle East

Ahmadinejad Threatens - or Bluffs - To Halt Oil Exports

Whether bluff or bluster, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for a total halt to cure oil exports, a move that could be economic suicide but also could cause a worldwide depression. Iran relies on oil for approximately 80 percent of its foreign income, which Ahmadinejad needs to continue his race for nuclear capability.

Iranian media, controlled by the government, reported Tuesday that he accused world powers of manipulating the oil industry and that halting exports of crude oil would put pressure on oil producers. ”The real price of oil should have been very much higher in the market than what it is presently,” he said.

For all of his threats, Ahmadinejad’s comments may reflect both a growing concern that the sanctions are working and the need to win over doubters at home, where the economy is suffering from sanctions despite his mocking the United States and its allies.

Claim: U.S. Forces On Syrian Border

Maybe we should take this one with a grain of salt, as it hasn't been verified anywhere else, but its worth a glance:

Russian intelligence has information that U.S. troops are in Turkey near the country’s border with Syria, a senior Syrian official told WND today.

The official said the Russians observed American forces taking part in Turkish military measures to secure the Syria-Turkey borders.

The official said the information about a U.S. military presence in Turkey has led to a debate within the Syrian leadership about whether to move the Syrian military to its highest alert level.

Currently, the Syrian army is on its second highest alert.

The U.S. repeatedly has denied directly arming the rebels, stating it is only providing non-lethal aid.

Any aid to the rebels is highly controversial.

There are now widespread reports of al-Qaida fighters among the ranks of the opposition, with some jihadist branches reportedly officially joining the U.S.-supported Free Syrian Army.

The opposition is currently intensifying the fight against Assad’s forces in the key city of Aleppo amid claims, denied by the rebels, that the Syrian military has retaken the city.

The official, speaking to WND on condition of anonymity, said Assad ordered his military to rid the Damascus region, including Aleppo, of rebels by the end of Ramadan on Aug. 18. He said Assad believes he can clear the opposition from the region of Homs by Sept. 10 and end the insurgency by October.

The official admitted the coming weeks will be “bloody.” He affirmed Russia stands squarely in the Syrian camp.

Another "take with a grain of salt" article - as mentioned so many times before - with the "news" these days we have to take it all in, look for the same story from different sources, seek guidance from the Holy Spirit and be discerning with the news. That reminder is always worthwhile.

Was America's Economic Collapse Planned?

In his endorsement of Kevin Freeman’s eye-opening book, “Secret Weapon: How Economic Terrorism Brought Down the U.S. Stock Market and Why It Can Happen Again,” former Congressman Fred Grandy mentions the “steady progress of jihad against America and its allies.”

That’s a very interesting phrase, and I think provides a key plank in understanding Freeman’s thesis that finance is as much tied to terror as bombs. “Secret Weapon” is breaking new ground in research, and I was impressed with it.

From 2007, he writes: “I sensed that world markets were becoming unstable, an inkling that was confirmed by the collapse of Bear Stearns in early 2008; one of America’s oldest investment banks fell victim to a short-selling blitzkrieg in just a few days. It was very rare for something of that size to disappear overnight. When I dug deeper, the story became even more unnerving – most of the selling appeared to be an illegal manipulation. Worse, no one seemed to care.”

He also makes a fascinating point in Chapter 4: “America’s enemies can be grouped into three categories: terrorist groups, state terror sponsors and individuals who want to see America’s capitalist economy replaced with a more redistributive one.”

Elsewhere, Freeman also points out that we still face an uphill battle in finding a solution to these problems, these attacks. Here I appreciate his realistic bent. He points out that a huge problem for our economic recovery is that when it comes to true oil price manipulation, “the OPEC nations are still kings of the hill.”

How baffling that our nation’s leaders have placed our fate in our enemies’ hands.

Freeman points out that a well-orchestrated, global effort is in place to hijack more than planes. Spain’s intelligence services believe foreign speculation is designed to bring down the nation’s economy, and Greece’s intelligence services has investigated both U.S. and U.K.-based firms “for allegedly launching financial attacks on their money markets.”

Iran And The Mahdi's "Special Forces"

This first article points out what lurks behind Iran's aggression in the Middle East:

Iran Preparing Mahdi's Special Forces

The Quds Forces, a special Iranian unit of thousands of operatives tasked with exporting Iran’s Islamic revolution, are being told to step up preparations for terrorism for the coming of the last Islamic messiah and the destruction of the West.

Ali Saeedi, the Iranian supreme leader’s representative to the Revolutionary Guards, emphasized during a Friday sermon in Tehran that the Islamic republic must directly confront America so that the necessary environment is created for the reappearance of Mahdi, the Shiite’s 12th imam, who will kill all infidels and raise the flag of Islam in all corners of the world.

“In three points of history, God directly confronts the will of unruly humans in which, of course, the Right will overcome the False,” Saeedi said, according to the Sepah News, the Guards’ official publication. “The first point in history was during the era of pharaoh, the second era was Bani Abbas, and the third is our current era in which it seems that God has willed us to enlighten the world with the coming of Imam Mahdi.”

This is the first time a high-ranking Iranian official has stated on the record that the Quds Forces are not only involved in the region, but also internationally for a final confrontation with the West.

“The Revolutionary Guards are one vehicle for preparation for the coming, and in the current Islamic Awakening [the Arab Spring] in the region and on international arena, the Quds Forces play a major role in preparing the readiness of the human force needed for such an event,” Saeedi said. “The chief commander of the Guards and the supreme leader’s representative are tasked for preparing the individual readiness, regional readiness as well as international readiness for the coming.”

As of the last report in May by the IAEA, Iran had enough enriched uranium for six nuclear bombs, and despite all negotiations and recent sanctions, the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced days ago that there will be no turning back from the nuclear path.
Reza Kahlili translated this Iranian video about Islamic prophecies of a coming messiah and the destruction of Israel:

11 Signs That Time Is Quickly Running Out For The Global Financial System

Historically, a financial crisis has been more likely to happen in the fall than during any other time, and this fall is shaping up to be a doozy. Much of the focus of the financial world is on whether or not the euro is going to break up, but even if the authorities in Europe are able to keep the euro together we are still facing massive problems. Countries such as Greece and Spain are already experiencing depression-like conditions, and much of the rest of the globe is sliding into recession. Unemployment has already risen to record levels in some parts of Europe, major banks all over Europe are teetering on the brink of insolvency, and the flow of credit is freezing up all over the planet. If things take a really bad turn, this crisis could become much worse than the financial crisis of 2008 very quickly

All over the world people are starting to write about the possibility of a major economic crisis starting this fall.

For example, a recent article in the International Business Times discussed how some economists around the globe are fearing the worst for the coming months....

The consensus? The world economy has entered a final countdown with three months left, and investors should pencil in a collapse in either August or September.

European leaders have tried short-term solution after short-term solution and none of them have worked.

Now countries all over Europe are sliding into depression and the authorities in Europe seem to be all out of answers. The following is what one eurozone diplomat said recently....

"For two years we've been pumping up the life raft, taking decisions that fill it with just enough air to keep it afloat even though it has a leak," the diplomat said. "But now the leak has got so big that we can't pump air into the raft quickly enough to keep it afloat."

Our economy has been in decline for a long time, and now we are rapidly approaching another major downturn.

You better buckle up, because this downturn is not going to be pleasant at all.

Chronic Drought To Become Commonplace

The four-year-long drought that affected western Canada and the U.S. at the turn of the century was the worst to hit the region in 800 years, say scientists who warn that dry spell was nothing compared to the “megadroughts” still to come.

"Areas that are already dry in the West are expected to get drier," Law said.

"We expect more extremes. And it's these extreme periods that can really cause ecosystem damage, lead to climate-induced mortality of forests, and may cause some areas to convert from forest into shrublands or grassland."

Euro-Saving Operations Due Within Days

Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker has said there is "no time to lose," as the world talks about a eurozone breakup, with joint action by the European Central Bank and the eurozone bailout funds expected in the coming days.

ECB chief Mario Draghi last week said the bank was ready to do "whatever it takes to preserve the euro" and hinted at more government bonds being bought up, a move which would help Italy and Spain bring down their record-high borrowing costs.

Turkish Military Convoy Heads For Syrian Border

Turkey sent a convoy of about 20 vehicles carrying troops, missile batteries and armoured vehicles to the border with Syria on Monday amid growing concern in Turkey about security on its southern frontier, news reports and witnesses said.

The convoy left a base in Gaziantep province to head south to Kilis province, where the troops will stay, the state-run Anatolian news agency said.

Witnesses said the troops and vehicles had left a major highway and were now stationed along a fenced-off section on the frontier with Syria.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a former Assad ally, is now among his most vocal critics, calling for him to step down from power amid the 16-month uprising that has killed thousands of Syrian civilians.

Tensions between the neighbours hit a peak on June 22, when Syrian forces shot down a Turkish military reconnaissance aircraft, killing two pilots.

Homeland Security Seeks Riot Gear For Party Conventions

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seeking riot gear for the presidential conventions and inauguration, according to a federal government website.

The agency wants to buy about 150 sets of riot helmets and protective gear for the upper body, forearm, shin, thigh and groin, according to a solicitation posted Wednesday on a federal government website. No cost estimate was provided for the gear, which includes carry bags and gloves.

The successful bidder must be able to deliver the equipment within 15 days from the award of the contract, according to the online notice. The department said it wanted products similar to those made by companies such as Costa Mesa, California-based Ceradyne Inc. and Safariland LLC, which has headquarters in Ontario, California, and Jacksonville, Florida.

The gear is being purchased for the Federal Protective Service, which provides protection for special events in addition to its mission of guarding federal property. Matt Chandler, a department spokesman, didn’t respond to a phone call and e-mail seeking comment.

Separately, Democrats will receive a $50 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to defray police costs for their Sept. 4-6 convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Republicans will get the same amount for their four-day convention in Tampa, Florida, that begins Aug. 27.

Pastor: Blocking Chick-Fil-A Is 'Anti-Religious, Agenda driven Bullying'

A Logan Square neighborhood pastor used the controversy over a proposal to build a new Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Chicago as part of his sermon Sunday, asking those opposed to the new franchise to reverse course.

As WBBM Newsradio’s John Waelti reports, the Rev. Charles Lyons of the Armitage Baptist Church, 2451 N. Kedzie Blvd. was animated as he read a letter to his diverse congregation that he intends to send to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“Their money, their business, their taxes are not wanted? Not needed?” he said.

As to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s comments that “Chick-Fil-A’s values are not Chicago values,” Lyons said, “This could easily be seen as anti-religious, agenda-driven bullying.”

Lyons calls Chick-Fil-A a poster child for practicing respect for its employees and customers, and spoke of the day when what he calls the “thought police” would come to his own church.

“We will meet them at the door, respectfully, unflinchingly holding a copy of the sacred scriptures in one hand and a copy of the U.S. Constitution in the other,” Lyons said.

The article notes that some have opposed Chick-Fil-A’s “support for the traditional family,” and goes on to quote Cathy as saying, “Guilty as charged.”

Moreno has received kudos from many supporters for his stance against Chick-Fil-A, but opponents claim he is violating the company’s First Amendment rights. On Thursday, Ald. Danny Solis (25th) who chairs the City Council Zoning Committee, said Thursday if Moreno’s only objection to Chick-Fil-A is its opposition to same-sex marriage, he’d have to override Moreno’s “aldermanic privilege” regarding zoning for the restaurant.

Chick-Fil-A currently operates only one location within the Chicago city limits, at 30 E. Chicago Ave.

Keajaiban Dunia : Danau Aspal Di trinidad

Danau Aspal Di trinidad

Danau Pitch pertama kali ditemukan oleh Sir Walter Raleigh melalui La Brea di Trinidad barat daya. Danau Pitch adalah salah satu dari beberapa danau aspal alam di dunia. Sejak penemuannya pada 1595, beberapa penyelidikan dan penelitian telah dilakukan untuk menentukan komposisi kimia dan penggunaan zat yang ada ditemukan di danau.

Danau yang penuh pesona ini memiliki ukuran 40 ha dan 75 meter. Danau dimanfaatkan sebagai kegiatan tambang aspal. Aspal diproduksi dalam jumlah besar dan digunakan dalam pasokan konstruksi jalan.

Karena tekanan yang besar dan deposit yang mendalam menekan ke atas, elemen ringan menguap sehingga meninggalkan endapan aspal alam.


Hal ini dapat terdegradasi oleh bakteri untuk membentuk minyak bumi. Ada berbagai legenda dikaitkan dengan danau ini. Penduduk lokal Chaima India percaya bahwa itu adalah murka Tuhan mereka.

Berbagai teori dan postulasi telah diusulkan untuk menjelaskan pembentukan Danau Pitch dengan sumber daya yang kaya aspal. Menurut salah satu teori tersebut, danau diproduksi sebagai hasil dari dua kesalahan, berkaitan dengan subduksi pelat Karibia dari busur Barbados.

Setiap tahun banyak orang dari segala bidang di dunia ini menyempatkan untuk datang melihat dan mengagumi danau Pitch dengan karunia alam ini.

Dunia Unik : Monster Raksasa Yang Nyata

Monster Raksasa Yang Nyata

Di bawah ini adalah beberapa monster-monster raksasa alias hewan-hewan yang memiliki ukuran berkali-kali lipat dari ukuran normal dari masing-masing spesiesnya.

Buaya Raksasa dari Filipina

Seekor buaya raksasa yang berbobot 1.075 kilogram ditangkap di Filipina, panjang buaya raksasa ini mencapai 6,4 meter. Buaya ini ditangkap oleh warga dan para petugas dari penangkaran buaya yang terletak di Bunawan, Provinsi Agusan del Sur, Filipina. Para petugas dan warga butuh waktu 21 hari untuk menangkap buaya jantan itu. Bahkan butuh 100 orang untuk menarik buaya tersebut dari sungai.

Jangkrik Raksasa dari New Zealand

Weta atau serangga raksasa sejenis jangkrik tersebut ditemukan di New Zealand, tepatnya di Little Barrier Island oleh Mark Moffet, seorang pria dari Amerika berusia 53 tahun yang pernah bekerja di sebuah taman nasional. Serangga raksasa yang masih termasuk jenis weta ini diketahui berjenis kelamin betina dan diperkirakan memiliki bobot 71gr lebih berat dari burung pipit dan bisa tiga kali berat seekor tikus.

Tikus Raksasa Dari Gambia

Hewan yang resminya bernama tikus kantung Gambia ini adalah jenis tikus terbesar di dunia. Tikus dewasa bisa mencapai ukuran panjang 91,44 cm dan berat 4 kg. Petugas lokal khawatir, jika tikus raksasa ini bisa mencapai pusat Florida, mereka akan merusak hasil pertanian warga.

Babi Raksasa dari Cina

Bila anda berkunjung ke Liaoning Provincial Agricultural Museum, di Liaoning, China, disana terdapat sesosok babi yang sudah diawetkan, diyakini bahwa baik semasa hidupnya, hingga saat ini, babi ini adalah yang terbesar di dunia. Guiness Book of record mencatatkan babi berbobot 900 Kg ini sebagai rekor dunia. Panjang tubuh babi ini mencapai 2,5 meter dari mulai kepala hingga ekornya, lingkar pinggang 2,23 meter dan taring sepanjang 14,4 cm. Babi ini dipelihara selama 5 tahun, oleh Xu Changjin, seorang petani dari Wafangdian. Setelah babi raksasa ini mati, Xu menyerahkan babi peliharaanya ini ke musium untuk diabadikan dan dipamerkan.

Cacing Raksasa dari Idaho

Setelah dianggap punah, cacing tanah raksasa yang bisa tumbuh hingga tiga meter dan berbau seperti bunga lili, telah ditemukan dalam keadaan hidup. Karl Umiker, University of Idaho penelitian ilmuwan yang bekerja sama dengan Xu Shan, seorang mahasiswa pascasarjana dari Chengdu, Cina, menemukan dua cacing tanah Palouse raksasa, remaja dan dewasa, di sepetak kecil dekat padang rumput asli Moskow, Idaho. Cacing tanah raksasa diduga juga ada di Afrika dan Australia.

Lele Raksasa dari Spanyol

Saat berlibur di Spanyol. Tak mau bosan menunggu sang pacar memancing, Alexa Turness ikut-ikutan melempar kail di sungai. Siapa sangka, suatu saat aksi isengnya itu berujung ke peristiwa dramatis. Bukan ikan biasa yang nyangkut di mata kailnya, tapi lele raksasa yang beratnya luar biasa: 97,5 kilogram. Ia jauh melampaui pacarnya, Kim Hamilton yang mengumpulkan ikan-ikan hingga seberat 85,7 kilogram. lele itu besarnya 1,5 kali lipat dari tubuhnya. Panjangnya juga mencapai 2,55 meter. Ini adalah ikan air tawar terbesar yang pernah ditangkap perempuan asal Inggris di mana pun di dunia. Ia melampaui rekor sebelumnya, meski hanya selisih setengah kilo.

Ular Raksasa dari Cina

Foto tersebut awalnya diklaim dan dimuat oleh sebuah forum bebas berbahasa mandarin di China, kemudian dimuat oleh beberapa blog China dengan judul “Ular Raksasa berumur 140 tahun ditemukan di Liaoning.” Namun ada juga klaim yang mengatakan bahwa foto ini diambil saat para penambang mengeksplorasi hutan untuk mencari sumber tambang batu bara di Kalimantan Selatan.

Kepiting Raksasa dari Jepang

Kepiting raksasa ini ditangkap di Samudera Pasifik, Jepang dan sekarang tinggal di Britania. Dengan kaki cukup panjang untuk mengangkangi mobil, Kepiting Japanese Spider Crab ini benar-benar merupakan binatang laut raksasa seperti yang terdapat di novel Jules Verne. Seperti yang dikutip megindo.net dari io9.com, kepiting sepanjang 10 meter dari cakar ke cakarnya ini dan masih terus tumbuh berkembang. Makhluk ini dapat hidup hingga 100 tahun, walaupun tidak ada yang tahu pasti berapa umur kepiting ini. Tubuhnya berukuran sebesar bola basket.

Kepiting Raksasa dari Australia

Kepiting raksasa bernama Claude ditangkap di lepas Pantai Tasmania, Australia, oleh seorang nelayan. Kepiting raksasa itu memiliki berat 6,8kg dan lebar 38,1cm. Claude akan dipamerkan di pusat Sea Life di Weymouth, Dorset, Inggris. Claude adalah kepiting yang berukuran 100 kali lebih besar dari kepiting normal yang ada di pantai Inggris. Ternyata usia Claude saat ini masih remaja, sehingga kemungkinan besar tubuhnya masih bisa tumbuh dua kali lipat dari berat badannya sekarang.

Cumi-Cumi Raksasa dari Rusia

Diameter cumi-cumi raksasa ini adalah 21/2 meter, dengan panjang 100 kaki. Cumi - cumi raksasa ini ditangkap oleh kapal komersial nelayan Rusia , cumi - cumi raksasa tersebut di tangkap di kedalaman 50 meter. Nelayan tersebut terpaksa menyeret cumi- cumi raksasa tersebut sampai ke pantai karena jaring yang mereka gunakan tidak cukup untuk membungkus seluruh tubuh cumi - cumi raksasa tersebut.