Current Events
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Names translated from other languages may have different spelling, depending on the source. For example
Gadhafi may be translated "Gaddafi," etc.
Iran Says Its New Cruise Missile Can 'Sink Giant Warships'
Sept. 29, 2011 - In a TV interview Iranian defense minister, Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, boasted that their new cruise
missile can "sink giant warships." The new missile, called Ghader ("capable" in Farsi), has a range of 124 miles,
so it can also strike Israel.
The announcement comes just a day after Iran announced plans to send military vessels into the Atlantic Ocean,
"near maritime borders of the United States.”
- Source: Fox
- See also: An EMP Attack on America? in our "Wars and Rumors of War" section.
Israel hits back at Turkey as tensions soar
Sept. 29, 2011 - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken every opportunity recently to make
ridiculous accusations that Israel has killed "hundreds of thousands of Palestinians." There were perhaps
1,400 Palestinian deaths during Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip three years ago, but he always fails to
mention the fact that Palestinians had launched some 10,000 missiles into Israeli territory to cause the military
action. Erdogan has taken a strong anti-Israeli stance since the Israeli action against a flotilla more than
a year ago, and since Israel discovered a huge natural gas field off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refrained from answering Erdogan's claims until yesterday, when he
called the Turkish leader's claims "outrageous."
- Israel's outspoken Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, waded into the fray by declaring that Mr Erdogan's
administration was "a radical Islamic extremist leadership that supports and develops terror."
- Source: The Australian
Iranian Navy Sending Ships Near U.S. Waters
Sept. 28, 2011 - Iranian Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced plans for sending ships to areas near
the United States. He said,
- “As the global arrogance (forces of imperialism) have a (military) presence near our sea borders, we also plan to
have a strong presence near the U.S. sea borders with the help of the soldiers who are loyal to the vali-e faqih
(supreme jurisprudent)."
Refueling Iranian ships far from home may be a problem, but it is thought that Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela
would allow them to do so in his ports.
- Source: Fox
US Supplies Israel With Bunker-Busting Bombs
September 26, 2011 - The United States government has sold "bunker-buster" bombs to Israel. These bombs can
penetrate fortified underground targets such as suspected sites in Iran that are believed to be part of their
nuclear weapons program.
Some media reports claim that the sale is expected to bolster President Obama's odds of luring more American
Jewish voters in 2012.
- Of the sale, Defense Department spokesman George Little told the Times, "We're not going to comment on these
press reports, but make no mistake about it - the United States is committed to the security of Israel and Israel's ability to maintain its qualitative military edge."
- Source: NewsMax
Turkey, Iran in race to dominate
Sept. 22, 2011 -
- Analysts confirm Turkey and Iran generally have enjoyed close ties and cooperate in a variety of fields
including trade, economic relations, fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and promoting stability in Iraq
and Central Asia.
However, since the "Arab Spring" has prompted a contest between Sunni Turkey and the Shiite Islamic republic
for influence in the Middle East. Turkey has agreed to the installation of a controversial U.S. radar for an
anti-ballistic missile system aimed at deterring Iranian missiles. Meanwhile, Iran has strengthened its
strategic relationship with Russia.
- Source: WorldNetDaily
- Analysts warn U.S. about Turkey's instability -
Longtime ally and NATO member now in confrontation with Israel - WorldNetDaily
Turkey's Erdogan calls Israel's offshore gas drilling 'madness'
Sept. 21, 2011 -
- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described offshore gas drilling by estranged ally Israel and Cyprus as
"madness" on Wednesday, raising the stakes in a confrontation over potentially huge deposits in the eastern
Mediterranean Sea.
Relations between Turkey and Israel broke down because of the conflict last year when Israel stopped a Gaza-bound
flotilla. Nine Turkish activists died in that raid. This deterioration of relations between the two countries occured
at the same time that Turkey voiced objection to the drilling in a massive deepwater gas field that Israel
discovered in 2009.
- Source: Haaretz
- Netanyahu Slams Erdogan's 'Scandalous' Incitement
- Israel National News
Nuclear terrorism may rise from Libyan, Syrian fallout
Sept. 21, 2011 - Dr. Shaul Chorev, head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, warned that Iran is directly
involved in activities related to the design and testing of nuclear weapons. There is also danger of Syria and Libya
obtaining these weapons of mass destruction. He was speaking to the General
Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna which is expected to take a vote later this week on
an Arab resolution titled ‘Israeli Nuclear Capabilities.’ The resolution singles out Israel for condemnation over
its nuclear activities.
- Source: Jerusalem Post
British Leader Warns Russia “Time Of End” Has Come
Sept. 12, 2011 - The information in this article is not well documented. Normally we don't report on questionable
information, but it is an example of the fear and confusion that is rising in these uncertain times. We are doing
more research about this matter, and will report anything that is credible.
- Source: EU Times Online
Erdogan says flotilla raid was 'cause for war'
Sept. 12, 2011 - Even after a U.N. report agreed that Israel had the right to stop the flotilla last year
that was trying to reach Palestinian ports, Turkey's prime minister says Israel's raid "cause for war." Turkey
and Israel had been allies, but their relationship is becoming worse day by day. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip told
Al-Jazeera television:
- "This attack that took place in international waters is not within international laws," Erdogan said.
"It is a cause for war, but we decided to act in line with Turkey's grandeur and showed patience."
- Source: YNet News
-
'Turkey sending 3 warships to eastern Mediterranean' - Jerusalem Post
-
'Turkey and Egypt hand in hand,' Erdogan tells cheering Egyptian crowd - Israel Hayom
Iran inaugurates first nuclear power plant, vows full UN access
Sept. 12, 2011 - A ceremony was held in Iran's southern Gulf port of Bushehr today to inaugurate Iran's first
nuclear power plant. Only Iranian and Russian officials were permitted to attend the event.
Fereydoun Abbasi, Iran's vice-president and head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization, pointed out the fact
that this installation is the first nuclear power plant in the Middle East.
- "We are committed to all international nuclear regulations but not beyond that," Abbasi said, referring to IAEA
demands that Iran responds to Western intelligence reports accusing Tehran of working on a secret nuclear weapon
program.
- Source: Haaretz
-
IAEA Chief 'Concerned' About Iran's Nuclear Ambitions - Voice of America
IDF Home Front Command: Likelihood of all-out Middle East war increasing
Sept. 6, 2011 - Israeli Major General Eyal Eisenberg, head of the IDF Home Front Command, told the Institute for
National Security Studies that an all-out regional war in the Middle East is becoming more likely, and that such a
war could include the use of weapons of mass destruction. The Israeli population is being instructed to use better
bomb shelters in the future.
- Eisenberg cautioned that the Arab Spring could turn into the "Radical Islamic Winter".
- Source: Haaretz
-
Israeli General Warns of 'Islamic Winter' - CBN
Report: Turkey navy to escort aid ships to Palestinians in Gaza
Sept. 3, 2011 - Energized by the UN Palmer report on the 2010 Gaza flotilla, which accused Israelis of excessive
force, Turkey announced that it will strengthen its presence in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
- "The eastern Mediterranean will no longer be a place where Israeli naval forces can freely exercise their bullying
practices against civilian vessels," a Turkish official was quoted as saying.
- Source: Haaretz
Turkey expels Israeli ambassador over Gaza flotilla row
Sept. 2, 2011 - Relations between Turkey and Israel have been strained ever since Israeli forces stormed a
flotilla bound for Gaza in May 2010, killing nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists. Now a U.N. report says Israel
did use excessive force, but Israel will not apologize for the incident, so Turkey has expelled the Israeli ambassador.
- A leaked copy of the United Nations report says Israeli forces did use excessive force when they intercepted
the Turkish-led flotilla trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. But the report also concludes that Israel's
naval blockade of Gaza is legal.
- Source: BBC
Iran warns against US taking lead in Arab protests
Sept. 1, 2011 - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen,
Libya, and Bahrain that the United States will want to take control of their affairs following the uprisings that
have swept the Arab world. He said that if they stand against those who interfere in their internal affairs, these
they will experience progress.
- "But if the world of oppression and world Zionism -- including the oppressive regime of the United States -- take
control (of the movements), the Muslim world will experience major problems for decades."
- Source: AP - Google
Ahmadinejad: Iran is determined to eradicate Israel
Aug. 26, 2011 - According to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iran wtill wants to eradicate Israel because
is is a "symbol of suppression and discrimination."
- The remarks by Ahmadinejad came one day before the annual anti-Israeli rallies named Qods (Jerusalem) Day,
which are held nationwide in Iran on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan
- Source: Haaretz
Libyan Rebels Reportedly Enter Qaddafi Compound
Aug. 23, 2011 - Libyan rebels have apparently entered Muammar Qaddafi's main military compound in Tripoli, but the
location of Qaddafi is still unknown. Surprisingly, his son and heir-apparent, Seif al-Islam, is not in captivity as
reported earlier.
- It was not clear whether Qaddafi's son, who turned up at the Rixos hotel, where about 30 foreign journalists
have been staying under the close watch of regime minders, had escaped from rebel custody or never been captured
in the first place.
- Source: Fox
'Turkey may cut economic ties over 'Marmara' apology'
Aug. 22, 2011 - Israel refuses to apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish nationals on board the Mavi Marmara
last year. According to the Turkish Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey is considering cutting off its political and
economic ties with Israel.
- Another step being considered by Turkey ... is a visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Gaza
Strip, according to the Hurriyet. The Turkish newspaper suggested that such a visit would "complicate
breaking Israel's blockade on the enclave."
- Source: Jerusalem Post
Libya Rebels in Tripoli as Qaddafi's Defenses Collapse
Aug. 21, 2011 - After six months of resisting rebel forces in Libya, unconfirmed reports from the BBC claim
that Muammar Qaddafi has fled to Algeria, ending his 42-year rule . Rebels rushed into Tripoli to overwhelm what was
left of the Libyan defense. They celebrated with residents of the capital in Green Square, the symbolic heart of
the regime.
- Sky News reported that Qaddafi's son, Saif al Islam Qaddafi, was captured by rebel forces. He was reportedly
the head of the Libyan defense.
- Source: Fox
- What's Next with Libya? - Ron's Blog
Ezekiel 38 and 39: On the Horizon?
Aug. 19, 2011 - Popular author Joel Rosenberg points to last year's flotilla episode as a turning point
in Middle East politics because Turkey, which had been considered a moderate country and a friend of Israel and
the West for six decades, changed its allegiance to Iran, Syria and their axis of power.
According to the Rabbinical Council of Judea and Samaria the incident seemed to:
- "...place us at the beginning of the Gog and Magog process, where the world is against us, but which ends
with the third and final redemption."
- Source: CBN
Stuxnet returns to bedevil Iran's nuclear systems
July 20, 2011 - At a press conference on July 19th an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman announced that Iran
was replacing all of their 5,000 to 6,000 centrifuges with improved and faster models in a completely different
location. This information is seen as proof that the Stuxnet virus that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities in
June of 2010 caused irreparable damage to their nuclear program, and that their claims that they had succeeded
in cleansing their system was not true.
- It took Iranian and Russian computer and cyber-terrorism experts a year to cleanse the system. This gave
security agencies their first indicator of the time it takes to overcome a large-scale, sophisticated
cyber attack.
- Source: DEBKAfile
Iran may deploy warships in Atlantic
July 20, 2011 - Iran's Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayari said that the Iranian navy plans on deploying warships
to the Atlantic Ocean. They will be equipped with surface-to-surface Noor missiles, which have a range of 125 miles.
- "The presence (of ships and submarines) in the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean and
international waters is still on the agenda of the navy," Sayari said.
- Source: Yahoo
Pakistan, Iran become 'natural allies'
July 19, 2011 - Two times recently Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has participated in conferences in
Tehran, meeting with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Saudis tried to disuade Zardari from making
these contacts because they symbolize Pakistan's displeasure towards the United States since the killing of Osama
Bin Laden.
- Saudi Arabia made a diplomatic demarche with Pakistan to dissuade Zardari from attending the Tehran conference in
June. For the second time, again, Riyadh made a bid on Friday to convey its apprehensions over the Pakistan-Iran
intimacy.
- Source: Asia Times Online
Report: Israel to get 6th submarine from Germany
July 18, 2011 - After years of asking Germany for a sixth Dolphin submarine, they have decided to sell them
one more for 135 million euros. The Dolphin is said to have the longest cruising range of any submarine, and
is able to carry and launch nuclear weapons.
- Germany has been providing Israel with these types of submarines since the end of the 1990s. The first
two were given as a token of appreciation for Jerusalem's restraint during the First Gulf War and in an
effort to boost Israel's strategic abilities.
Israel's submarine force is thought to be a deterrent to war since destruction of their land-based facilities would not
keep them from launching a nuclear retaliation.
- Source: YNet
-
CIA veteran opinion: Israel to attack Iran in fall - Al Jazeera
- Israeli military strike on Iran predicted
- WorldNetDaily
Guard Chief: Iran Can Build Longer-Range Missiles
Jun. 28, 2011 - During war games in Iran, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of his country's Aerospace Force,
said that they could manufacture even longer-range missiles than those they currently have, but that Iran does not
need them because Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf are already within its reach.
- Hajizadeh said the Guard's arsenal already includes missiles with a range of about 1,250 miles
(2,000 kilometers) -- putting Israel, U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf and parts of southeastern and
eastern Europe within Iran's reach.
- Source: Fox
Iran 'not afraid' to make nuclear weapons
Jun. 23, 2011 - Iran TV reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran is not planning
to produce nuclear weapons, but he added, "If we do want to make a bomb, we are not afraid of anybody."
- The West believes Iran's claims are dubious at best. The UN Security Council has passed four sets of
sanctions against Iran for refusing to freeze its nuclear activities, which it believes could be used in
a weapons program.
- Source: YNet News
-
Five Russian scientists who helped Iran with nuclear secrets were among 45 killed in plane crash - DailyMail Online
Iran launches homemade satellite into orbit
Jun. 15, 2011 - Iran claims to have launched a satellite into orbit by a Safir missile. It is the second
satellite they have launched themselves. The satellite is called Rasad (observation).
- Iran's decade-long space program has raised alarms in the West, because the same technology that
allows missiles to launch satellites can be used to fire warheads. Israel, the U.S. and others charge
that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
- Source: Yahoo
UN nuclear watchdog refers Syria to Security Council
Jun. 11, 2011 - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) voted to rebuke Syria on claims of an undeclared
nuclear reactor.
- The structure, which Syria has maintained was a non-nuclear military site, was destroyed by Israel in 2007.
The UN Security Council is also being asked to censure Syria over its lethal crackdown on protests.
- Source: BBC
Is an attack on Iran in the works?
Jun. 8, 2011 - After a lengthy article considering the pros and cons of an attack against Iran's nuclear
facilities, the author concludes with a reminder that Iran and its enemies (including Israel, the U.S., Saudia Arabia, and others)
are building up their military presence and military science in the area.
- In brief, while there are many good reasons why a war with Iran is unlikely at the moment, dark clouds are
quietly gathering, and in the Middle East, appearances could be misleading.
- Victor Kotsev - Asia Times
- Iranian navy sends submarines to Red Sea
- Yahoo
-
Iran says no offer can stop it enriching uranium - Yahoo
Researcher: Iran can produce nuke within 2 months
Airstrikes can no longer stop nuclear program, US can do nothing short of military occupation, says report
Jun. 7, 2011 - RAND Corporation researcher Gregory S. Jones warns that Iran's current rate of uranium enrichment
could produce a nuclear bomb within eight weeks.
- Jones stresses that stopping Iran will require deploying forces on the ground, because airstrikes
are no longer sufficient. The reality is that the US and Israel have failed to keep Iran from
developing a nuclear warhead whenever it wants, Jones says.
- Source: YNet News
Iran has secretly stocked enriched uranium for four nuclear bombs
June 3, 2011 - According to The Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, American's scientific watchdog on
world nuclear weapons production, Iran has accumulated enough U-235 to fuel four nuclear bombs. They can produce
more weapons-grade uranium in a short period of time.
- Iran, says the Wisconsin Project, is consolidating its status as a "virtual" nuclear weapon state – meaning it
can set about building a bomb whenever its rulers so decide.
- Source: DEBKAfile
- Iran Tests Nuclear Missile Warhead Design
- NewsMax
Obama's new security staff may approve attack on Iran
June 1, 2011 - President Obama has chosen General Martin Dempsey to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff in the Pentagon. He is known to be a friend to Israel, but because of the various other changes the President
is making in the Defense structure, analysts believe that a strike on Iran by the US or Israel would be more likely
between the end of June and the end of September than it would be after that date.
- ... the danger that Netanyahu and Barak will aim at a surprise in Iran is especially great,
especially since this would divert attention from the Palestinian issue.
- Source: Haaretz
-
Israel Minister: Strike on Iran Could Be Necessary - Fox
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