Saudi King: Arab World Ready To Explode; Olmert Not Ruling Out Attack On Iran

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December 9, 2006

Olmert not ruling out attack on Iran
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in an interview scheduled for publication on Sunday, told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine that he could not rule out the possibility of a military attack against Iran, and called for the international community to step up action against Teheran.

DEBKAfile: ISG co-chairmen James Baker and Lee Hamilton employ the Republican-Democratic consensus to take the lead on Iraq and US foreign policy
Riding on the back of massive bipartisan support in both houses of Congress and Robert Gates’ appointment in defense, Baker and Hamilton hope to forge their recommendations into official Washington strategy on Iraq and the Middle East.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal escalates threats, declares his Palestinian group has embraced strategic option of armed conflict against Israel
Speaking from his Damascus base, Meshaal says the US and Israel must undertake a withdrawal to 1967 boundaries, and accept a Palestinian state with Jerusalem its capital and return of Palestinian refugees.

UN to Aid Palestinian Authority, Congress Bans Talks with Hamas
On Thursday, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) kicked off a campaign to raise $450 million for the terrorist-led government so it could meet its obligations to its population. The U.N. calls it the third-largest fundraising campaign in the world.

The Quartet of Nations, which includes the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia, demanded in January that Hamas formally acknowledge the State of Israel’s right to exist, renounce violence, and uphold peace agreements with Israel signed by the previous PA administration.

U.S. Congress Passes Official Bans on Aid & Talks With Hamas
The U. S. Congress passed a bill Thursday that officially bans the executive branch from holding talks with Hamas until the terror group acknowledges Israel’s right to exist.


“We have started installing 3,000 centrifuges,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency. “This is the first step toward industrial production. We will be able to produce our nuclear fuel once we install 60,000 centrifuges,” he said. Centrifuges spin uranium gas into enriched material to produce nuclear fuel.”


PLO officials say Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to call early elections to end the political impasse with Hamas.

Man Charged in Shopping Mall Jihad Plot
A Muslim convert who talked about his desire to wage jihad against civilians was charged Friday in a plot to set off hand grenades at a shopping mall during the Christmas rush, authorities said.

Investigators said Derrick Shareef, 22, of Rockford, was acting alone and never actually obtained any grenades.

Israel frets over Iraq report, dispatches FM to Washington
Israel's foreign minister has arrived in the United States amid worries that the Jewish state's main ally could shift course after a report urged Washington to redouble Mideast peacemeaking efforts.

Tzipi Livni will meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other officials during her visit, which will focus on the repercussions of a report released Wednesday by the Iraq Study Group, her office said.

US: North Korea talks could begin within a week
The United States says stalled international talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program could resume in China within the next week. Meanwhile, a senior US lawmaker said he planned to travel to North Korea next year to improve relations with the reclusive, communist-led nation that tested a nuclear weapon in October.

Iranian foreign minister Mottaki offers to help the US exit Iraq – on certain conditions
DEBKAfile: This is Tehran’s rejoinder to the James Baker's disclosure to the Senate Armed Forces Committee that Iran spurned an earlier US approach. It is the Iranian foreign minister’s way of saying: the bargaining has begun.

EU constitution talks likely to sideline Brussels
EU member states are likely to deal with reviving the EU constitution alone, without involving "Brussels machinery" or else a solution will not be found in time for a 2009 deadline, according to Germany's ambassador to the EU. Also, those who have already ratified are likely to have to go through the process again.

Comments
King King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia said that he believes the Arab world is waiting to explode.  Israeli military experts are claiming all the information they have gathered indicates there will be a major war with Israel by summer 2007.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal says unless Israel is ready to withdraw to its 1967 boundaries, and accept a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and return of Palestinian refugees there will be war in the very near future.  Of course, Hamas leaders said they would never recognize Israel, and if necessary, Jihad would go on forever.

At the same time, Iranian President Ahmadinejad has stepped to a new level in his quest for Iran to achieve nuclear status.  This is what the AP News had to say about the sudden announcement:

"Iran has begun installing 3,000 centrifuges in an expansion of its uranium enrichment program that brings the Islamic nation significantly closer to large-scale production of nuclear fuel, the president said Saturday.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also claimed that the international community was caving in to Tehran's demands to continue its nuclear program.

'Resistance of the Iranian nation in the past year forced them to retreat tens of steps over the Iran's nuclear issue,' the semi-official Fars agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. Fars is considered to be close to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards." http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061209/D8LTB08O0.html

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert said he would not rule out an attack on Iran.  Israeli Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky said on Friday that a nuclear armed Iran is not just a threat to Israel but also to entire Middle East and Europe.

"A nuclear Iran is a threat to Israel but can also have an effect on the entire Middle East," Kaplinsky said during a mayoral conference near Jerusalem. "A nuclear Iran will pose a threat way beyond Israel's borders, possibly even a threat to all of Europe."  http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881855295&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

When Olmert was asked about his recent offer to give up large territories in the West Bank in exchange for real peace, Olmert responded: "A prime minister should not make promises that he cannot keep but my message is clear: I am prepared to give up regions." http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881855295&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Former secretary of state James Baker and ex-congressman Lee Hamilton have sent U.S. foreign policy into a tailspin after releasing their Iraq Study Group recommendations which was in complete opposition to the direction U.S. President Bush has been heading.

Although it's to early to tell, it looks like congress is leaning heavily toward the adoption of the ISG report.  Although President Bush opposes many of the recommendations he may have no choice but to accept it.  

With newly appointed Defense Secretary Gates at the military helm and the ISG report gathering huge momentum with both Republicans and Democrats look for many of the recommendations to be adopted if not all.  This will definitely lead to the U.S. taking a different stand toward Israel and welcoming in other undesirable Arab nations such as Iran and Syria to help solve the Iraqi problem.  But what many have chosen to ignore Iran and Syria are the problem in Iraq.

If you haven't heard, the U.N. has decided to open up its coffers to the Hamas lead Palestinian Authority government to the tune of $450 million.  This is a major about face.  Back in January, they were demanding that they would not give one penny to the terrorist government until they acknowledged the State of Israel’s right to exist.

This is just one more step toward the inevitable.  When it's all said and done, look for Israel to be standing alone staring down the gun barrel of the entire Islamic world. But I don't necessarily see nuclear weapons being used in this war.  It doesn't fit the Biblical scenario described in Ezekiel 38 & 39.  As Ahmadinejad said, Israel would one day be overtaken by a great storm.  I look for that great storm to be lead by Russia as the whole Islamic world surrounds and attacks Israel.  This leads me to believe that Israel may not even have the chance to use their own nuclear weapons for fear of self destruction.

It will be interesting to see what the next twist and turn will be in the Middle East as we approach a new year.  Will the U.S. turn their back on Israel?  Will peace come before war?  Or does God have something else in store?  Whatever happens, we know He holds the future in His hands.  Thank you Lord for your Amazing Grace!

Are you ready to meet the Lord?  If not, your time is running out!

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Pastor Malone