Spinning Out Of Control

Things are heating up in the world and at such a rapid pace it is nearly impossible to keep up. Here is a sampling of world headlines from only one day from around the globe.

Poles, Czechs: US missile defense shift a betrayal

Pelosi Chokes Up Warning Against Political “Violence”

Boy, 12, turns into girl

AHMADINEJAD VOWS ISRAEL ‘WILL NOT LAST LONG’

Clashes Reported as Iranians Hold Demonstrations

Nuke agency says Iran can make bomb

US Mideast envoy fails to strike settlement deal

The satellite link that keeps watch on your children

Deadly second wave of swine flu ‘on its way’, scientists warn

Russia’s Putin says U.S. shield decision positive

Dismay in Europe as Obama ditches missile defence

Will Israel Be Left To Go It Alone?

While U.S. President Barack Obama seemingly drags his feet in crafting a Middle East policy that directly involves Israel, Iran and the Palestinians, signs are pointing to the real possibility that newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli people will be mostly toughing things out on their own.

Yesterday, Netanyahu met for the first time face to face with Barack Obama. The prime minister made it clear that he was willing to begin negotiations for peace with the Palestinians as soon as they were willing to acknowledge and honor Israel’s right to exist. He also would not commit to a two state solution, one he does not want and one that Obama has indicated he wants to see.

On the other side, Obama has a problem both at home and in Israel. More than likely Obama does not have the support at home to promote his agenda with Iran, Israel, Hamas, Palestine and basically the entire Middle East. Just as disturbing is the fact that it now appears Israelis overwhelmingly see Barack Obama as anti-Israel. According to the results of a recent poll printed in the Jerusalem Post, only 31% of Israelis view Obama as pro-Israel.

Besides the 31% who labeled Obama pro-Israel, 14% considered him pro-Palestinian and 40% felt he was neutral. The other 15% declined to provide an opinion for the poll

If you are wondering how that compares to former President Bush’s approval of the Israelis, his rating was 88%. It may be that the longer Obama stalls in taking a definitive position, the lower that number may fall.

Even though Barack Obama says he hasn’t taken any options off the table, he appears weak in any attempts he has made to negotiate with Iran and the Arab world in general. Now with Israel not viewing Obama as a friend and the president still clinging to hope that he can negotiate with terrorists, does Obama have any leverage at all?

Pat Buchanan says Netanyahu and Israel really only have three options and none of them look very encouraging.

One option is to annex the West Bank, which Buchanan says would ultimately end up with Israel absorbing a population of Palestinians that in time would outnumber Jews. A second option is basically ethnic cleansing, which I would have to agree with Buchanan, this is something the U.S. could not support.

The third plan is one that seems to be Netanyahu’s option – no Palestinian state and to retain control over the West Bank to make sure that what happened with Hamas in Gaza doesn’t happen there. This plan of course has it’s problems, the biggest being that this would essentially isolate the Palestinians.

Netanyahu understands that Israel is always a target and that as many times as they have tried to negotiate peace and give up territory and yield to the demands of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinians and pressures from the West, they continue to be shot at, grenades launched into settlements, car bombed and rockets fired at them.

When you have never spent everyday of your existence wondering who will be killed by a terrorist today, it is easy to suggest concessions for peace. I suggest that Netanyahu and the Israeli people have a much better understanding of reality than Barack Obama who believes in negotiating with those who want to kill Jews and Americans.

So we are still left with the big question. Where will the United States come down on the issue of protecting Israel from those bent on her destruction? It is believed that Barack Obama will announce to the world those plans in a speech scheduled for June 4, 2009 in Cairo, Egypt. Mark that day on your calendar. It could be one of the biggest days in world history.

Tom Remington

Iran Deploys Missiles To Strait Of Hurmuz

Over half of the world’s supply of crude oil and about 40% of the natural gas supply travels through the Strait of Hurmuz on it’s way to worldwide destinations. Reports are saying that Iran has deployed mobile missile launchers into the Strait to be better prepared should an attack on that country occur from the West, namely Israel and the United States.

Threats made of an attack against Iran to stop its nuclear weapons ambitions are nothing new. Much of this has been going on since 2002 but so far it has been all talk and no action. Iran still claims its nuclear development is only for peaceful purposes and for the creation of nuclear powered electricity. This action by Iran only brings the notion closer to reality that an attack may be eminent.

Iran has supposedly notified many of its Arab neighbors that they have deployed the missiles but they are not targeted at them, however, Iran has many times threatened that if their state is attacked, they will shut down the Strait of Hurmuz, crippling the world’s supply of crude oil and natural gas. This would draw the ire of much of the world against such a move.

It is interesting and leaves many people wondering if this bold move by Iran is being done because it perceives the Obama administration weak in its resolve to protect Israel and stand firm against any aggression aimed at Israel and the Middle East. We know that President Obama has tried to upon up communications with Iran and Syria and some see this move without preconditions as weak and foolhardy.

Israel and the United States have repeatedly said they cannot allow Iran to obtain or build nuclear weapons. The question still remains, what are they prepared to do to stop them. Iran must consider the threat enough to now deploy its mobile missiles into the Strait of Hurmuz.

Tom Remington

Further Signs Of Deterioration Of U.S. – Israel Relations

Over the past few days I have been bringing you stories that have at a minimum made us all wonder just how strongly U.S. President Barack Obama supports Israel. With President Obama insistent that he can negotiate with Iran, many are left wondering what Obama is willing to give up in order to appease Iran.

Yesterday we learned that Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, told the world that Israel needed to begin serious negotiations directed at a two-state solution with the Palestinians. Only a day later, V.P. Joe Biden told a pro-Israel lobby at AIPAC meetings, that Israel had to work toward a two-state solution.

The idea of Israel and Palestine living side by side in two separate states isn’t a new idea. As a matter of fact, President George Bush conceded that that might be the solution to the years of war and needless killings. The problem often in these negotiations is how to divide the land.

So far Obama’s warmth toward Israel hasn’t come shining through in any fashion and today, we read in the Washington Times that some, as well as perhaps even the new Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, are wondering if Obama is going to place demands on Israel to give up its nuclear weapons along with Iran.

President Obama’s efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons threaten to expose and derail a 40-year-old secret U.S. agreement to shield Israel’s nuclear weapons from international scrutiny, former and current U.S. and Israeli officials and nuclear specialists say.

The issue will likely come to a head when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Mr. Obama on May 18 in Washington. Mr. Netanyahu is expected to seek assurances from Mr. Obama that he will uphold the U.S. commitment and will not trade Israeli nuclear concessions for Iranian ones.

Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller said at a meeting of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at the UN that Israel should join the treaty. The treaty states that only 5 nations will be allowed to have nuclear weapons – U.S., France, Britain, China and Russia.

For that to happen, it would mean that the U.S. would no longer avoid acknowledging that Israel has nuclear arms. If the U.S. were able to force Israel into giving up nukes, this would leave a tiny island of maybe 5 million people surrounded by hundreds of millions who vow to wipe her off the face of the earth.

History has shown us that Israel, should they agree to any treaty, will honor that treaty. Other nations have an abysmal record of upholding treaties with Israel.

Is President Obama radically changing the relationship the United States has had with Israel for many years? Ed Morrissey of Hot Air says that he believes the reason Obama hired on Rose Gottemoeller as Assistant Secretary of State was because of her stance on Israel and that Obama fully understood her comments made about Israel signing on to the NPT. This being their policy on Israel.

The Obama administration appointed Gottemoeller, fully cognizant of her thinking on this issue. One has to assume that her appointment to the senior position at State constitutes an endorsement of those positions. It wouldn’t be the most radical thinking about Israel from this administration; Samantha Powers, who works between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Ambassador Susan Rice, once called for a Western occupation of Israel and forced disarmament of their entire army.

From this perspective it becomes disturbingly frightening that Obama seems to have a position on Israel that is more like that of just another country. I can understand why Israelis are wondering if this new administration will support Israel in real time of need.

We have to once again ask the question, are we leaving Israel to fend for itself?

Tom Remington

Is America Changing Its Policies Toward Israel?

One can only speculate what is running through the mind of U.S. President Barack Obama in how he intends to treat the United States’ long time friends in Israel. Through ups and downs of both nations seldom has there been times when we could question the support the U.S. has for Israel.

Recently, Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s Chief of Staff, said that if Israel expects the United States to do anything about Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Israel first must work toward creating a two-state solution to end troubles in that region.

And then again today, Vice President Joe Biden told a pro-Israel lobby at AIPAC in Washington, that Israel had to work toward a two-state solution.

“You’re not going to like my saying this, but not build more settlements, dismantle existing outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement.”

Even though Biden reiterated the U.S.’s continued support for Israel, many bring into question Obama’s current policies of trying to negotiate with Iran without any pre-conditions.

If the Obama administration pushes for Israel to divide up its land and give up strategic areas used for national security, as well as pander to the Iranians and other Arab nations who have public announced their intentions to destroy Israel, where does this leave them? If push comes to shove, will the U.S. unconditionally support Israel?

Tom Remington

It’s 1938 and Iran is Germany

In a recent article titled The Gathering Storm, written by Tom Mountain, he pens the words of current day Benjamin Netanyahu, “It’s 1938 and Iran is Germany.” This historical analogy implicates how imminent Iran’s nuclear threat is to the region, and to the world.

Following history back to 1938, that was the year to stop Hitler and Nazi Germany before it was too late. Unfortunately the threat was not taken seriously enough, and by the time 1939 rolled around it was too late.

After 1938 it was too late. By the spring of 1940 Hitler had defeated France and prepared to destroy Britain.

Today we are facing the same struggle but instead of it being Germany, It is the Iranian regime.

If today is eerily reminiscent of 1938, and Iran is the successor to Nazi Germany, then Barack Obama is Neville Chamberlain and the West Bank is the Sudetenland.

Barack Obama may not be completely anti-Israel, meaning he is looking for the destruction of it, but he is not “inclined to adamantly” support the Jewish state against the enemy. I see Obama as someone who is so caught up in appearances, he seems to forget what the role of the President of the United States is. He resembles more of a TV star than a leader who will protect the country from enemies foreign and domestic. Just like Bill Clinton, Obama is so caught up in bringing peace at any cost, even if it meant selling out Israel and even the United States. Right now Obama is believing in the lies put forth by Iran, in that their nuclear ambitions are peaceful. In fact, it is no secret the plans Iran has for wanting to destroy and eliminate the Jewish state.

There seems to be only one person who takes the threat seriously. There are some who may believe Iran is all talk and not much action. But we have to remember that Israel is betting on their very own survival. There is a lot more at stake if you are wrong. It means the complete and utter destruction of Israel. Netanyahu is fully aware of the threat by Iran and he will rise up alone, without the United States, if it is needed.

Egypt Orders The Killing Of All Its Pigs

“Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”

“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”

With the potential for a world wide pandemic of swine flu, Egypt ordered the killing of all of its pigs in their land, some 300,000-350,000 of them. Egypt has no known cases of swine flu but neighboring Israel does.

The majority of Egypt’s citizenry are Muslim, who are forbidden to eat pork. It is estimated that about 10% of the population are of Christian faith and the pigs raised are for Christian consumption.

It has been determined that swine flu cannot be spread or contracted from eating pork, yet Egypt insists it will kill off all the pigs in an effort to thwart the disease and keep it on the other side of her borders.

This is not the first time something similar to this has been undertaken in Egypt. Last year President Mubarak ordered that all pig and chicken farms be moved away from populated areas to stop the spread of disease. Even though the order was given, it was never carried out.

In nearby Jordan, officials closed down the only five pig farms in that country due to what is being described as a violation of public health regulations.

Tom Remington

Abbas Refuses To Recognize Israel As A State

The ongoing struggle for peace in the Middle East continues to hit solid road blocks. Newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognizes that until the Palestinians and other regional Arab countries are willing to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, there is not much hope for negotiating for two separate states as the new Obama administration is asking for.

The New York Times reports that Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, flat out rejected any acknowledgment of Israel as a state.

“I do not accept it,” Mr. Abbas said in a speech in Ramallah, in the West Bank. “It is not my job to give a description of the state. Name yourself the Hebrew Socialist Republic — it is none of my business,” he added, according to Reuters.

Netanyahu claims that he and his cabinet have yet to finalize their foreign policy. In the meantime, the Palestinians and other supporters are demanding that Israel recognize a sovereign state of Palestine but yet they are not willing to do the same in return.

Peace, peace and there is no peace.

Tom Remington

Israel Now Numbers 7,411,000 People And Growing

When the State of Israel was established in 1948, there were approximately 806,000 people who lived there, with barely one lone city with a population over 100,000. Today there are 14 cities with at least 100,000 people residing in them and of those 14 cities, 5 have populations in excess of 200,000.

With a population still growing, Israel now is the home to 7,411,000 and 75.5% of those people are Jewish. Arabs make up just over 20% of the population and the remainder is a mixture, mostly those not registered as Jews.

Last year’s growth rate was 1.8%, growing an estimated 125,000 citizens.

Israel is about to celebrate its 61 birthday of independence.

Tom Remington

N. Korea A Nuclear Power. Pakistani Taliban Within 60 Miles Of Nukes

The balance of power is shifting in the world causing some of us to wonder about the future. We should also begin to question whether our insistence on living in denial about the intent of radical Islamists’ goal of destroying the Big and Little Satans (United States and Israel) has left us unprepared to deal with the rise of world hatred toward the West.

It seems that no longer are we questioning whether North Korea has nuclear weapons. It is becoming common enough that it is now assumed that North Korea is armed and we aren’t questioning if they will use the weapons but when.

From Fox News today:

Now North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Il, has the potential to kill millions in Japan as well as the South, and to lay waste U.S. bases and airfields in both countries. It will force military strategists to rethink plans for war in Korea and significantly increase the potential costs of any intervention in a future Korean war. The shift from acknowledging North Korea’s nuclear weapons development program to recognizing it as a fully fledged nuclear power is highly controversial. South Korea, in particular, resists the reclassification because it could give the North greater leverage in negotiations.

While eyes seemed to be focused in the United States on matters at home, we seem to have forgotten much of what else is going on in the world. Yesterday Third Lens writer, Steve Remington, snapped us back to attention, if only briefly, that Russia had broken its peace agreement and had moved its military machine back into Georgia on a march to reclaim South Ossetia. This would give Russia power and control over the movement of oil and natural gas into the rest of Europe.

On another front, Taliban forces in Pakistan moved that much closer to the capital bringing radical forces, who many believe have the objective of capturing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, to within about 60 miles of those weapons.

Oddly enough though, after capturing nearby Buner, and setting up command headquarters, Taliban troops began pulling back today, apparently after brokering some kind of agreement with the Pakistan government or perhaps actually fearing the government’s claim that it would forcibly remove them from the area.

According to an AP report on Fox News, few think the Taliban is content to fall back and wait there.

The government agreed in February to impose Islamic law in Swat and surrounding areas of the northwest in return for a cease-fire that halted nearly two years of bloody fighting between militants and Pakistani security forces.

But hard-liners have seized on the concession to demand Islamic law, or Sharia, across the country, and the Swat Taliban have used it to justify a push into Buner, putting them within striking distance of the capital and key roads leading to the main northwestern city of Peshawar.

As the global balance of power shifts, the rest of the world is left wondering what can be done? Are we prepared to take action to stop this movement by radicals to gain power through nuclear weapons?

Tom Remington

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