Current Events and Links

See also:
War of Gog and Magog
The New Cold War

Two Russia Bombings in Two Days Threaten the Olympics

Dec. 29 & 30, 2013 - On Sunday a suicide bombing at a train station in the Russian city of Volgograd killed at least 16 people On Monday another 14 people or more were killed in another suicide bombing on a trolleybus in the same city. Russian officials are concerned that terrorists may be increasing violent activities in the run-up to the 2014 winter Olympic Games in the city of Sochi in February.

The Olympics venue is close to Russia's volatile north Caucasus region, and the BBC's Moscow correspondent Daniel Sandford says it was always risky staging the Games so near to the troubled republics of Chechnya and Dagestan.

Source: Official: Suicide bomber kills 16 at Russian train station - CNN

Source:Volgograd blasts: Second suicide bomb hits Russia city - BBC

Prophetic Significance of Russia

Putin says new post-Soviet union ready for 2015 launch

Dec. 25, 2013 - According to Russian President Vladimir Putin there are plans for a launch of a new economic union in 2015. It will include Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and hopefully Ukraine. The alliance will attempt to establish a free trade rival to the 28-nation EU bloc.

"Government representatives of the troika (Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus) ... have developed the draft of the institutional part of the Eurasian Economic Union agreement," Putin said in televised remarks.

Source: WND

What has Czar Putin been up to in recent weeks? Where is he headed in 2014?

Dec. 23, 2013 - Yesterday's New York Times published an article yesterday that shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin is becoming more dictatorial in his actions, and there is no system of checks and balances in Russia to curb his ambition.

“President Vladimir V. Putin’s freeing of Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, Russia’s best-known prisoner, by swift, personal fiat capped a remarkable string of single-handed decisions of late,” reports the New York Times.

Joel Rosenberg lists some of the other powerful moves he has made recently.

- Last week he made a unilateral decision to provide $15 billion in loans to financially troubled Ukraine.
- Earlier this month he announced that he would remake RIA-Novosti, the semi-independent state news agency, under the direction of a Kremlin loyalist.
- Two months ago He averted an American military strike on Syria with a plan to disarm its chemical weapons. [After this, Forbes named him the most powerful person in the world.]
- With his blessing, Russia granted temporary asylum to the former national security whistle-blower Edward J. Snowden.

The Times article suggests that Putin is strengthening his power in order to keep control when the unprecedented wealth from Russia's vast fossil fuel reserves slowly dries up. This makes him impulsive and increasingly isolated.

Source: Joel Rosenberg - Flash Traffic

With Punishments or Pardons, Putin Shows He Is in Control - New York Times

Spy vs. spy: 2 famous defectors on Russian super-deception - WND

Russia and Egypt in key Cairo talks

Nov. 14, 2013 - Russian foreign and defense ministers are engaged in talks with their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo. An arms deal that is being discussed could be worth $2 billion. Relations between Cairo and Moscow have been strained for decades. Recently the US has decided to cut defense aid to Egypt over the issue of the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi. However, Egypt's Foreign Minister, Nabil Fahmy, said that he was not looking for a "substitute for anyone". The Egyptian Al-Wafd newspaper called the meeting "historic".

The flagship of Russia's Pacific Naval Fleet, the cruiser Varyag, is on a six-day visit to Alexandria - the first Russian warship to visit Egypt since 1992.

Source: BBC

Egypt's message to the US: We've got Russia - CS Monitor

Putin Called Saudi King, Next US Ally Lost? - Israel National News

The World's Most Powerful People 2013

Oct. 30, 2013 -

This year the votes for the World’s Most Powerful went to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He climbs one spot ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama, who held the title in 2012.

Source: Forbes

Obama-Putin deal didn’t stop at chemical Syria: US eases sanctions on nuclear Iran

Sept. 14, 2013 - In quiet discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Obama, easing of sanctions with Iran was also considered.

The Russian leader appears to have assured Obama that an agreed formula for defusing the Syrian chemical weapons issue without military force would provide the key to progress in nuclear talks with Iran.

Source: DEBKAfile

An Israeli Strike on Iran Just Got More Likely - New Republic

Putin Writes Op-Ed for NY Times: America Not 'Exceptional'

Sept. 12, 2013 - The New York Times published an op-ed piece by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He wrote that an attack against Syria would cause more terrorism and violence. He ridiculed President Obama's view of American "exceptionalism." He said:

"A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism. It could undermine multilateral efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further destabilize the Middle East and North Africa."

Source: NewsMax

A Plea for Caution From Russia - What Putin Has to Say to Americans About Syria - N.Y. Times

Editor's note: It is interesting that the last sentence of Putin's article is: "We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal."

Vladimir Putin: Leader of the Free World? - Front Page Magazine

Sept. 19, 2013 - McCain answers Putin’s New York Times broadside - Times of Israel

Russia to supply S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Iran

Sept. 11, 2013 - The Russian newspaper Kommersant reports that Russia's president Vladimir Putin has approved the sale of S-300 aircraft missiles to Iran.

The Russian-manufactured anti-aircraft batteries have been a source of concern to Israeli officials who fear that their enemies’ possession of them could have adverse strategic consequences.

Source: Jerusalem Post

Russia and Iran Warn Against Intervention in Syria

Aug. 28, 2013 - Russian President Vladimir Putin called British Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday to try to convince him that the Syrian government did not use chemical weapons against its own citizens.

Alexander Lukashevich warned in a statement the same day that military intervention in Syria without a U.N. Security Council resolution would have “catastrophic consequences.”

Meanwhile, Iran's Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told U.N. officials, “The use of military means [against Syria] will have serious consequences not only for Syria but for the entire region,”

Source: TIME

Russia Sending Nuke Submarines South in First Since Soviet Era

June 1, 2013 -

Russia plans to resume nuclear submarine patrols in the southern seas after a hiatus of more than 20 years following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Saturday, in another example of efforts to revive Moscow's military.

They will be Borei-class submarines, designed to carry 16 long-range nuclear missiles. This move, and their decision to deploy a naval unit in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent are part of President Vladimir Putin's plans to strengthen Russia's military.

Source: NewsMax

PM indicated to Putin: ‘We’ll destroy your missiles if you deliver them to Assad’

June 1, 2013 - Earlier this month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Russia and met with President Vladimir Putin.

Netanyahu called on Putin to cancel Russia’s transfer of the sophisticated anti-aircraft system to Syrian President Bashar Assad, and indicated that, should the delivery go ahead, Israel would strike the missiles before they became operational.

So far the weapons have not been delivered even though Syrian President Assad had claimed to have received some of them.

Source: Times of Israel

Israel Strongly Warns Russia Against Giving Syria Missiles

May 29, 2013 - Russia has promised to provide Syria with their advanced S-300 long-range air defense missile systems. They would not say whether or not they have already sent some of the weapons to Israel, but Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon says they have not yet sent any of them.

"And I hope that they will not be sent," he said. But "if God forbid they do reach Syria, we will know what to do."

His comments are being interpreted as a rare implied threat to Russia. He fears that possession of the S-300s would upset the balance of power in the region. It is also conceivable that the weapons could be controlled by Hezbollah.

Source: NewsMax

Report: Russia Cancels S-300 Deal with Syria - Israel National News

Disputes over arms for Syria cloud U.S.-Russian peace drive - Yahoo

Russian warships enter Mediterranean Sea

May 17, 2013 - As part of a new naval task force in the Mediterranean Sea, Russia has deployed an anti-submarine ship, a frigate, and rescue tugs. A destroyer, amphibious warfare ships, and a tanker will be added to the group, and Russian Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov said that nuclear submarines may also be added in the future. Russia has a naval base in Tartous, Syria. but these new ships will be docked in Limassol, Cyprus.

The Russian navy maintained a squadron of 30-50 ships in the region from 1967 until 1992 as part of its Cold War with the United States.

Source: Times of Israel

Russia Sends More Advanced Missiles to Aid Assad in Syria - NY Times

Israel to Russia: Don't Give Syria S-300 Missiles

May 9, 2013 - Israeli security officials say that Israel has asked Russia to cancel the sale of S-300 anti-aircraft systems to Syria.

Israel aircraft evaded Syrian air defenses twice in the past week to strike weapons said to be headed to Hezbollah. . . Officials said the aim was to deprive Hezbollah of weapons that could someday be used against Israel.

Source: ABC

Analyst: Russia prepping military to fight U.S.

Mar. 20, 2013 - Since a reset of Russian military policy in 2010, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to recreate a post-Soviet empire by incorporating the former Soviet republics into a Eurasian Union, a duty-free zone that could rival the European Union.

According to Arbatov, Russia’s defense and foreign policies now reflect that Russia is surrounded by enemies led by the U.S. Moscow is concerned that the U.S. and its NATO allies will invade Russia at any time.

Source: WND

Russian Nuclear Jets Circle Guam

Feb. 17, 2013 - Two Russian Tu-95 bombers equipped with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles circled the U.S. island territory of Guam. U.S. jets were scrambled to intercept the Russian planes. They left the area and no further action was taken.

Source: Fox

Russia Humiliates Kerry, Ignores His Calls for a Week - Front Page Magazine

Russian region begins recovery from meteor damage

Feb. 16, 2013 - The schock wave from a meteor that exploded yesterday over Russia's Chelyabinsk region blew out the equivalent of 15 acres of windows in more than 4,000 buildings in the region. It also injured some 1,200 people, fifteen of which are still hospitalized today.

Regional governor Mikhail Yurevich on Saturday said damage from the high-altitude explosion — estimated to have the force of 20 atomic bombs — is estimated at 1 billion rubles ($33 million).

Source: USA Today