Current Events and Links

See also:
War In America
Wars and Rumors of War
Mid-East Conflict
New Cold War
The War of Gog and Magog
Islam
CyberWar
Emergency Preparedness

ISIS changes name, declares Islamic 'caliphate'

Jun. 29, 2014 - In the midst of its campaign against Syria and Iraq, the terrorist group ISIS has made a bold move. It has renamed itself "Islamic State" and proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as "Caliph" for Muslims everywhere.

The move is a direct challenge to Al-Qaida, and, indeed to all existing Islamic nations from the Mediterranean to the Gulf. A statement from the group says,

"It is incumbent upon all Muslims to pledge allegiance to (him) and support him...The legality of all emirates, groups, states, and organizations, becomes null by the expansion of the khalifah's authority and arrival of its troops to their areas."

Source: Haaretz

Sunni militants declare Islamic state in Iraq and Syria - Fox

Sunni rebels declare new 'Islamic caliphate' - Al Jazeera

Official Document claiming to establish a caliphate

Here's What We Know About The 'Caliph' Of The New 'Islamic State' Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi - Business Insider

Isis crucifies nine people in Syrian villages - Telegraph

ISIS plans to smash borders of Mideast map - WND

ISIS Edging Closer to Israel - Arutz Sheva

Russian Advisers Ready Iraq to Use New Combat Aircraft - Bloomberg

Obama adviser reasserts U.S. is 'Islamic country' - Homeland Security senior fellow also touts rise of 'Caliphate' - WND

Prophetic Significance of Terrorism

Israel offers to help Arab nations over Iraq crisis

Jun. 28, 2014 - As ISIS (ISIL), the Islamic terrorists continue their lightning offensive in Iraq and threaten other nations, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman offered help from Israel for moderate Arab nations. Lieberman was meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry when he said,

"Israel could provide effective and reliable assistance to moderate Arab states who are dealing with extremists."

Source: Yahoo

Kerry to visit Saudi Arabia on Friday for Iraq talks

Jun. 26, 2014 - US Secretary of State John Kerry has added a visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday for talks with King Abdullah.

Speaking on the sidelines of talks at NATO, Kerry announced the extra stop on his current whirlwind tour saying he would stress “the great urgency” of the conflict in Iraq and brief Saudi leaders on his visits to Baghdad and Erbil this week.

Source: Times of Israel

Could Saudi Arabia Be the Next ISIS Conquest? - Vocative

ISIS preparing to attack Lebanon - WND

ISIL hell-bent on creating Islamic state to be launchpad for attacks on U.S. - Jewish World Review

The Ottoman revival that is anything but brotherly Erdogan’s efforts to bring about the revival of empire’s intellectual, political, economic and social influence viewed as a ploy to subjugate Arab world as was done 100 years ago. - Gulf News

US weighs alliance with Iran to counter ISIS, boosts presence in Gulf

Jun. 16, 2014 - The U.S. may have direct talks with Iran about cooperation in the Iraq crisis. Iran is a Shia nation--opposed to the rebellion by Sunni terrorists in Iraq.

The deliberations come as the U.S. moved more assets into the region in preparation for a possible mass evacuation of Americans. According to U.S. Navy officials, the USS Mesa Verde is moving into the Persian Gulf with about 500 Marines on board.

The USS Mesa Verde is an amphibious transport ship. It will be the fourth U.S. Naval vessel to enter the Gulf. The others are the USS George HW Bush, the USS Philippines Sea, a cruiser, and the USS Truxton, a destroyer.

Source: Fox

Obama Nears Talks with Iran as Iraq Terrorists Rapidly Advance - NewsMax

Iraq conflict: Sunni militant push on Baghdad 'halted'

Jun. 16, 2014 - The threat to Baghdad by ISIS has been slowed by the mobilization of the Iraqi military and Shia militant groups.

Iraq's most senior Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has issued a call to arms to fellow Shia, and there are reports that thousands have already joined militias.

The U.S. has an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. The Kurds in the northern part of Iraq and the Iranians are also helping stem the uprising.

Source: BBC Note: ISIS stands for The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant--Some are calling it The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. It is an offshoot from al-Qaeda.

As jihadists take aim at Baghdad, Iran steps in to help historical foe - Fox

John McCain: ISIS Will Attack America - NewsMax

Mad dream of dead empire unites Islamic rebels - WND

US scrambles to evacuate Americans from Iraq chaos

Jun. 14, 2014 - Iraq is on the brink of disintegration. Private companies are withdrawing workers who are in danger of kidnappings or attacks.

The United States rushed Thursday to evacuate hundreds of Americans from Iraq and was desperately making plans to rescue thousands of others as advancing al Qaeda-inspired forces vowed to attack Baghdad and topple the government.

Source: NY Post

ISIS: The first terror group to build an Islamic state?

Jun. 13, 2014 -

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has thrived and mutated during the ongoing civil war in Syria and in the security vacuum that followed the departure of the last American forces from Iraq.

ISIS is in the process of creating an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria. Because of the collapse of state authority it has suddenly taken control of hundreds of square miles from Syria's Mediterranean coast to south of Baghdad.

Source: CNN

ISIS, beheadings and the success of horrifying violence - Washington Post

Iraq crisis: ISIS militants push towards Baghdad - Telegraph - UK

Iran Deploys Forces to Fight al Qaeda-Inspired Militants in Iraq - Wall Street Journal - Ed. Note: Iran is opposed to ISIS because ISIS wants a Sunni alliance (caliphate), while Iran would build a Shia' alliance.

Obama pledges US support to Iraq as Isis militants approach Baghdad - Guardian - UK

Realtime Coverage: Crisis in Iraq

Jun 12, 2014 - Follow the rapidly developing revolution in Iraq. Sunni terrorists threaten to overturn the government!

Source: Google

US mulls air strikes as Iraqi jihadists advance towards Baghdad - Times of India

Iraq Sunni Militant Group Vows to March on Baghdad - ABCNews

Saudis 'arming jihadists' seizing Iraqi cities - WND

WSJ: US Caught Off Guard by Iraqi Insurgency - NewsMax

Obama: All options open on Iraq - BBC

Democrat Dianne Feinstein: Obama Broke The Law With Bergdahl Swap

Jun. 6, 2014 - There is a firestorm of controversy about the Obama administration's decisions to trade five high level Taliban members for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. This was done without the consent of Congress. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein told reporters, "It comes to us with some surprise and dismay that the transfers went ahead with no consultation, totally not following law."

Andy McCarthy, former federal prosecutor and the man who put who put the Blind Sheik in prison for his role in the first World Trade Center, told the Kelly File that the law is not being followed and this situation could be grounds for impeachment.

Source: TownHall

Allen West calls for articles of impeachment against Obama - Washington Times

Rubio: Obama ‘Believes He’s Become A Monarch Or An Emperor’ - Daily Caller

Impeach-Obama movement surges on Bergdahl deal - WND

Exclusive: The story you haven't yet heard about Bowe Bergdahl's desertion - Michelle Malkin - OneNewsNow

Pakistanis rebuke West for appeasing Islam

May 17, 2014 - Several Pakistani columnists and journalists are critical of the way western news sources report the news of the mass abduction of Nigerian schoolgirls. Even though Pakistan is an Islamic nation, these writers claim that there is a link between Islamic law and the actions of groups like Boko Haram and the Taiban.

In an article in the Pakistani daily Dawn titled “There is a mini Boko Haram thriving in every Muslim society,” columnist Murtaza Haider warned that such acts are inherent in Muslim societies

The Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI)noted an article that chastised Western leftists for describing any critique of Islam as “Islamophobia.”

Source: WND

Ground Zero cross a powerful symbol for 9/11 museum

May 15, 2014 - The 9/11 Memorial Museum is being dedicated today below ground level under the place where the Twin Towers once stood. It is a massive shrine to honor the memory of the nearly 3000 people who died there.

Thousands of pieces of memorabilia, large and small, are on display in the museum. Among them there is a 17-foot-high cross-section of steel I-beams from the North Tower, shaped like a cross. It had plummeted into an adjacent office building. Two days after the attack one of the rescue workers spotted the cross:

He spray-painted arrows around the site pointing to "Gods House'' (sic). Recovery and rescue workers came by on their breaks; some wrote the names of the dead or their units on the cross.

Source: USA Today

Watch the Ceremony live - NewsMax

Film at 9/11 Museum Sets Off Clash Over Reference to Islam - NY Times

CAIR: Remove ‘Islamist Extremism,’ ‘Jihadism’ From 9/11 Museum Video - CNS

Boko Haram video claims to show kidnapped schoolgirls

May 12, 2014 -

Boko Haram released a new video on Monday claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging the teenagers had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed.

Source: Times of Israel

Why the World Is Becoming More Violent - Christianity Today

Nigeria weighs prisoner swap as US sends surveillance planes to find girls - Fox

'I will sell them,' Boko Haram leader says of kidnapped Nigerian girls

May 6, 2014 - In Nigeria Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau released a video explaining about the organization's abduction of more than 200 girls. He warned,

"There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell. I will sell women. I sell women," he continued, according to a CNN translation from the local Hausa language.

Boko Haram was nammed by the U.S. as a terrorist group in 2013. They are Islamists who are opposed to Western education. The name Boko Haram means "Western education is sin." The group received training from al Qaeda affiliates.

Source: CNN

Nigeria abductions: 6 reasons why the world should demand action - CNN

A new low – even for Islamic terrorists - OneNewsNow

Most of Boko Haram Kidnapped Schoolgirls Are Christians, Nigerian Evangelist Sayss - Christian Post

Muslim Officials Condemn Boko Haram Kidnapping of Nigeria Girls - Epoch Times

Top Muslim body demands Boko Haram free girls-news24 - Nigerian Bulletin

Benghazi select committee chair could be named Monday

May 5, 2014 - A select committee to investigate the 2012 Benghazi attacks might be chosen by House Speaker John Boehner today.

A senior House source with direct knowledge of the development of the committee indicated that Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., is likely to be named chairman of the panel.

The decision to form such a committee follows last week's release of previously classified emails suggesting that the White House covered up the details of the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack for pollitical reasons.

Source: Fox

Al Qaeda-linked jihadists accused of hanging victims on crosses

Apr. 30, 2014 -

Al Qaeda-backed jihadists are hanging the bodies of executed enemies on crosses crucifixion-style in a town in Northern Syria, according to a Syrian opposition group.

Source: Fox

Benghazi emails suggest White House aide involved in prepping Rice for ‘video’ explanation

Apr. 30, 2014 - Judicial Watch won a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, making more than 100 pages of documents available. One example is an email from Senior White House aide Ben Rhodes. It lists the following two goals:

"To underscore that these protests are rooted in an Internet video, and not a broader failure of policy."
"To reinforce the President and Administration's strength and steadiness in dealing with difficult challenges."

Source: Fox

Charles Krauthammer on Benghazi emails - The Fox News contributor said the set of documents “exposes a coverup of a coverup,” calling it a “serious offense.” - Politico

Gen. Paul Vallely: Impeach Obama for Benghazi 'Cover-Up' - NewsMax

'Massive and unprecedented' attack targets al Qaeda in Yemen

Apr. 21, 2014 - After two days of drone strikes at least 30 militants have been killed in Yemen. A Yemeni official said the strikes were "massive and unprecedented."

The ongoing operation included a Sunday night ambush in which Yemeni special forces killed militants believed to be high-value targets in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The attacks took place in a mountainous area in in the southern province of Abyan, where a recent video showed scores of al Qaeda followers supporting Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the global organization's "crown prince."

Source: CNN

Al Qaeda mocks U.S. in ‘extraordinary’ Yemen gathering; experts fear CIA caught flat-footed

Apr. 16, 2014 -

Al Qaeda has released a video of the largest known gathering of the terrorist organization’s members in years, and it appears as though the intelligence community didn’t know about it or couldn’t get a drone there in time to take out its members, CNN reported.

The video showed Al Qaeda’s “crown prince,” Nasir al-Wuhayshi in the open, apparently unafraid of U.S. retaliation. The organization's #2 man said, “We must eliminate the cross. … The bearer of the cross is America!”

CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank compared the statement to former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s: "We’re coming after you.”

Source: Washington Times

Australia Says New 'Pings' Best Lead Yet in Malaysia Jet Search!

Apr. 7, 2014 -

A "pinger locator"... picked up the signals in an area some 1,680 km (1,040 miles) northwest of Perth, which analysis of sporadic satellite data has determined as the most likely place [the Malasia Airlines] Boeing 777 went down.

An autonomous underwater vehicle called a Bluefin 21, will be sent to find wreckage on the sea floor to verify the signals.

Source:

Fort Hood gunman fatally shoots at least 3, wounds 16 before killing self

Apr. 3, 2014 - Spc. Ivan Lopez, an Iraq War veteran who was being treated for mental illness, went on a shooting spree at Fort Hood. He killed three soldiers and injured 16 others before killing himself. The tragedy was a grim reminder of the 2009 killings at the same base when Army Maj. Nidal Hasan killed more than a dozen people.

Army Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, the senior officer at the facility, said at an evening news conference that there was no indication of terrorism, but added "we're not ruling anything out.

Source: Fox

Missing Malaysia jet lost in Indian Ocean, officials say

Mar. 24, 2014 - Malaysian Prime Minister Rajib Nazak called a news conference about the missing Malasia Airlines jet to announce that available data indicates that the plane crashed in the Indian Ocean after flying for some seven hours. Families of the missing passengers were notified by the airlines before the announcement was made.

Source: Fox

Malaysia PM: Missing jet crashed into Indian Ocean - Times of Israel

How to thwart terrorism at 29,000 feet, by the only pilot who ever did - Times of Israel

Behind the data on missing Malaysian jet, plenty of mystery remains - Washington Post

Update 3/26/14 - Satellite spots 122 possible plane objects - USA Today

Satellites spot possible objects from missing Malaysian jet, Australia says

Mar. 20, 2014 - Based on satellite images of two large pieces of debris in the southern Indian Ocean, U.S. and Australian planes searched the area, but returned without success.

Earlier Thursday, a statement on the Australian Maritime Safety Agency's (AMSA) official Twitter account said that the crew of a Royal Australian Air Force P-3 aircraft had been unable to locate the debris due to limited visibility as a result of clouds and rain.

Further searches are planned.

Source: Fox

Giuliani: 'We're All at Risk' Until Plane Is Found - NewsMax

Israel Fears Attack from ‘Hijacked’ Malaysian Flight MH370
Iran’s Role Still Suspected

Mar. 18, 2014 - The Times of Israel reported that a former global security chief for El AL believes that the disappearance of Malaysian flight MH370 points directly to Iran. Meanwhile, Israel has tightened security in its airspace, fearing that the airplane could launch an attack anytime.

Source: International Business Times

Missing Malaysia Airlines plane 'deliberately diverted' - Prophecy Central Terrorism section

Iranian linked to stolen passports on doomed jet - USA Today

Focus of jet hunt shifts as official says files deleted from pilot's flight simulator - Fox

Missing Malaysia Airlines plane 'deliberately diverted'

Mar. 15, 2014 -

The communications systems of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 were deliberately disabled, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak has said... He said the "movements are consistent with the deliberate action of someone on the plane".

Accordingly, the plane could have flown as far as Kazakhstan.

Source: BBC

Missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner could have flown for more than 7 hours - Fox

Update: Mar. 17, 2014 -
Authorities reportedly looking at flight engineer, plane altitude in missing Malaysia jetliner investigation - Fox

Court told of plot by Malaysians to hijack plane - The Sun Daily

Investigators reportedly eye 'sabotage' in Malaysian jet disappearance

Mar. 14, 2014 - The latest theory about the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner is ‘sabotage or hijacking.’ This is based on the fact that two transmitters on the plane shut down minutes apart from each other and evidence that the plate was purposely flown hundreds of miles off course.

The Wall Street Journal reported that aviation investigators were looking into the possible disabling of the jetliner's transponder, which transmits information on the plane's identity, location and altitude, and another system that collects and transmits data about the plane's key systems.

Source: Fox

Malaysia Airlines flight: new theory emerges on how long plane kept flying

Mar. 13, 2014 -

A new theory has emerged that the missing Malaysia Airlines plane may have flown on for hours beyond its last reported sighting – adding a new twist to a saga of conflicting details and misinformation in the still fruitless search for flight MH370.

The Wall Street Journal reported that automatic data was still sent from the plane's Boeing engines as part of a routine maintenance and monitoring program. If true, this could mean that the flight continued for hundreds of additional miles.

Source: The Guardian - UK

Malaysia plane: China debris images 'released by mistake' - BBC

Officials deny report that Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 kept flying for hours - CNN

Chinese government website says it has images of suspected plane debris

Mar. 12, 2014 - Chinese satellite images from the day after the disappearance of Malayasia Airlines Flight MH370 could be debris from the plane.

According to the report, the satellite images from the morning of March 9 appear to show "three suspected floating objects" of varying sizes in the sea off the southern tip of Vietnam and east of Malaysia.

Vernon Grose, a seasoned National Transportation Safety Board investigator, said the location and size of the objects would be consistent with a mid-air disintegration.

Source: Fox

Malaysia's military investigating reports that missing plane changed course, made it to country's west coast

Mar. 11, 2014 - The latest theory about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 jetliner is that it turned back and flew across peninsular Malaysia. It could have crashed or landed near the west coast of Malaysia. Authorities have added that region to the search for the plane.

Source: Fox

Malaysian plane virtual search party too much for website - Fox

Investigators chase 'every angle,' but signs of missing Malaysia Airlines plane remain elusive

Mar. 10, 2014 - After more than 48 hours, a missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane has still not been found. Dozens of ships and aircraft have been searching for clues. Hijacking is considered a possibility because two of the passengers evidently had stolen passports and there have been past incidents in Malaysia of men using false passports and carrying explosives.

Source: Fox

Interpol: Missing Malaysian Jet Unlikely Terrorist Event - Voice of America

Two on missing Malaysia flight used stolen European passports

Mar. 9, 2014 - A Malaysia Airlines passenger plane--a Boeing 777--mysteriously disappeared in flight two days ago. There was no distress call, and so far, the wreckage of a plane has not been discovered. The flight began in Kuala Lumpur and was headed to Beijing.

It has now been determined that two men listed as passengers were not on board. Both men's passports had been stolen in Thailand.

The disclosure that two people on board were travelling on stolen passports raised questions about a possible terrorist attack, but US intelligence officials earlier told US media that stolen passports "don't necessarily say to us that this was a terrorism act."

Source: Haaaretz

FBI Joins Terror Probe for Missing Malaysia Jet - NewsMax

Senate report: Benghazi attackers tied to Al Qaeda groups

Jan. 15, 2014 -A comprehensive report was released yesterday by the Senate Intelligence Committee affirming that individuals tied to Al Qaeda groups were involved in the Benghazi attack on Sept. 11, 2012. It also said that the attack was “preventable.”

The report faulted the State and Defense departments. It also cited the failure of the Obama administration to "bring the attackers to justice."

Source: Fox

Benghazi Attack Called Avoidable in Senate Report - N.Y. Times

Obama blamed for rebirth of al-Qaida - WND