The activity involved two “Blackjack” bombers flying near a Russian naval flotilla near the
The exercise includes 11 Russian naval vessels led by the nation’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov. One battleship in the group launched a Bazalt nuclear-capable supersonic cruise missile, the Times reported.
Experts cautioned against reading too much in to the display of power. The Russian fleet is capable of launching only 30 of its 300 ships at any time, said analyst Pavel Felgengauer.
“They have put them all together and sent them to the
'Dozens died in Syria-Iran missile test'
Proof of cooperation between
According to the report, cited by Channel 10, the joint Syrian-Iranian team was attempting to mount a chemical warhead on a Scud missile when the explosion occurred, spreading lethal chemical agents, including sarin nerve gas.
Reports of the accident were circulated at the time; however, no details were released by the Syrian government, and there were no hints of an Iranian connection.
The report comes on the heels of criticism leveled by the Syrians at the
According to globalsecurity.org,
© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com
British monarch Queen Elizabeth was targeted by al-Qaida-linked suicide terrorists posing as TV crews at November's Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in
Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the
"We received information that a terrorist group linked to al-Qaida, the Allied Democratic Forces, was planning to carry out terrorist activities at the Commonwealth meeting. The security services in Uganda neutralized these threats."
The broadcast vans belonged to the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation. Because of the disruption, UBC was not able to transmit live pictures of key summit events, including the queen's address to Uganda's parliament.
In 2003, WND reported intelligence warnings of a possible al-Qaida plot against the queen during the monarch's visit to Nigeria for the same Commonwealth conference. Then-Prime Minister Tony Blair was scheduled to travel with the queen to the summit.
Rugunda did not reveal details of the planned attack or confirm reports a speedboat carrying ADF insurgents and loaded with arms and homemade bombs had been seized by the Ugandan military.
"A number of suspects have been arrested but I cannot comment on the specifics of this case," said Rugunda.
"What I can say is that we stepped up security because of the al-Qaida threat, but it was neutralized by our security services. In the end the summit was incident free and Uganda was happy to receive such distinguished guests, led by Her Majesty the Queen."
Ayman al Zawahri, al-Qaida's No. 2, threatened the queen in a video communique issued last July following her knighthood of Salman Rushdie, author of the 1988 novel "Satanic Verses."
"I say to [Queen] Elizabeth and Blair that your message has reached us and we are in the process of preparing you for a precise response," Zawahri threatened.
"The Queen's security arrangements are very sophisticated," a former head of royal protection said. "There would have been thorough advanced planning ahead of the trip to Uganda, an exit strategy would have been worked out, and so on.
"At the end of the day, the Queen is a great pragmatist – she's a great believer in what will be will be. But she has absolute faith and trust in her protection team."
The ADF was set up in East Africa with al-Qaida support in the 1990s when Osama bin Laden was living in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Its leader, Jamil Mukulu, trained at al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan.
Terror plot to blow up
A plot by Islamic terrorists to blow up the
A scrambled short-wave radio conversation exposing the planned attack on the world's most visited monument was picked up by Portuguese air traffic controllers and passed on to French spy chiefs.
The 1,060ft high tower has more than six million visitors a year - an average of more than 16,000 a day.
A successful strike on the 7,500 ton iron tower, which was looked down on
The threat was uncovered in a "vague and muffled" radio conversation picked up by air traffic controllers in
It comes after a spate of other threats made in recent days on the websites linked to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda terror network, calling for the "brothers of Islam to strike
A police source close to
"The sheer number of visitors going up the tower every day means a bomb blowing up there could cause the most massive loss of life. We've been at our red security alert for several months."
The source added: "Security at the tower was already tight, but is now being stepped up."
Mr Delanoe - one of
In January 2005, French intelligence officers arrested three French-born Algerians suspected of plotting to blow up the
A federal document obtained and released by Judicial Watch reveals that there were dozens of armed incursions by Mexican soldiers and police into the
The report was obtained by the Washington-based organization that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and it documents 29 confirmed incidents along the U.S.-Mexican border involving Mexican military and/or law enforcement personnel during that time.
"These documents not only show the dangerous and chaotic situation at the Mexican border, but also the complicity of some Mexican government agents in violating U.S. law," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
"The
The report documents incidents such as the one at the Fort Hancock Station in
"[Troopers] attempted to apprehend three vehicles believed to be smuggling contraband on I-10 … As the vehicles approached the border, [troopers] stated that a Mexican Military Humvee armed with a .50 caliber weapon and several soldiers were seen assisting smugglers return to Mexico … Officers then noticed several armed subjects dressed in fatigue type clothing unload the contraband into the Humvee. These subjects set fire to the stalled vehicle before leaving the area."
Judicial Watch noted that of the 29 documented instances, 17 involved armed Mexican government agents.
Another situation:
"On
It's not as though the situations are new, but Judicial Watch spokeswoman Jill Farrell said it appears the
The document also states that between 1996 and
One such case happened near
"As the boat proceeded to go down river towards the scene, the [Border Patrol] Agent on board advised via radio that several Mexican soldiers were pointing their rifles in his direction. The agent decided for his safety and the safety of the crew to turn back, but advised that the soldiers were still aiming at them."
Another case found a "Mexican Military boat" that was "providing security and escort for the two others that were later found to be transporting 2,716.53 pounds of marijuana."
"It seems as if, once again, the government is failing to secure our border," Fitton said.
Farrell told WND that the government needs to take such situations seriously, and make sure the public knows. Her group, which obtained the federal reports through a Freedom of Information Act procedure, believes there are some real concerns about the border crisis, she said.
"You would think that the State Department or DHS [Department of Homeland Security] would be involved," she said.
Revealingly, the
In another case near
Previous government documents obtained and released by Judicial Watch note that such "incursions" have been documented in sectors including San Diego, El Centro, Yuma, Tucson, El Paso, Mafa, Lareda and McAllen.
WND previously has reported such armed trafficking has in a series of research projects in the southwestern
"I got kind of allergic to pistols being held to my forehead," botanist Richard Felger said in the report.
If you would like to sound off on this issue, participate in today's WND Poll.
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U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday called
“Iran was a threat, Iran is a threat and Iran will be [a] threat to world peace if the international community does not come together and prevent that nation from the development of the know-how to build a nuclear weapon,” Bush said, referring to a U.S. intelligence assessment released last month that concluded Iran had abandoned its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
“A country that once had a secret program can easily restart a secret program. A country which can enrich (uranium) for civilian purposes can easily transfer that knowledge to a military program,” Bush said.
“We will continue to work with European countries, Russia and China as well as nations in this neighborhood to make it abundantly clear the threat that Iran poses to world peace” (Agence France-Presse/Google News, Jan. 9).
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei plans to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a trip to
ElBaradei hopes to address the agency’s remaining concerns about
ElBaradei also plans to meet with senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalli, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of
Iran-US Clash in Gulf
Recordings Show Iran-US Clash in Gulf
Small Iranian fast boats swarmed around
The Iranian boats appeared to ignore repeated warnings from the
In a four-minute, 20-second video, shot from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper, the small boats — including a bright blue one — can be seen racing near the wake the U.S. ships and crossing close to each other.
From the Hopper's bridge, after spotting the approaching Iranian boats, a Navy crew member says over the radio: "This is coalition warship. I am engaged in transit passage in accordance with international law. Intend no harm."
Often uneven and shaky, the video condenses what Navy officials have said was a 20-minute or so clash. It ends with a blank screen, as only the audio of the Navy's final warning can be heard, just after the voice warns that they are coming.
"Inbound small craft: You are approaching a coalition warship operating in international waters. Your identity in unknown; your intentions are unclear," the unidentified crew member says. He then cautions the Iranians that if they do no steer clear they will be "subject to defensive measures."
"Request that you alter course immediately to remain clear," the crew member says.
After a pause, the man with the accent issues a final threat: "You will explode after (indecipherable) minutes."
© Copyright 2008 CSC Holdings, Inc.
Global War Will Strike Again
by Rod Hall
Because of the relative peace this generation has experienced over the past fifty years it is often hard to imagine another world conflict erupting in our lifetime. It is more comfortable to imagine our modern world gradually evolving with no cataclysmic upsets striking our enlightened age. However, wars have been the sad reality in every period of human history just as Jesus predicted (Matthew 24:7). The ghoulish red horseman of the apocalypse has successfully ridden down through time bringing death and destruction wherever he rides. The Apostle John's graphic vision reveals: "Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword" (Revelation 6:4).
Cycles of War
The influence of the red horseman has been felt by every generation of mankind. It will be particularly punishing during the crises at the close of our age. The cycle of war appears unbreakable. The Norwegian
War, on average, results in about 700,000 deaths every year, or 70 million per century. The most bloody century in history, the 20th century, produced some 150 million deaths from armed conflicts. That is more than half the present population of the
World Wars
Almost thirty nations took part in World War I. Peter Young, professor at the
Theodore Ropp, author of War in the Modern World, graphically states "World War II killed more persons, cost more money, damaged more property, affected more people, and probably caused more far-reaching changes than any other war in history." More than any previous war, it involved the commitment of nations' entire human and economic resources, blurring the distinction between combatant and noncombatant. The expansion of the battlefield included all of the enemy's territory. In the last stages of the war, two radically new weapons were introduced: the long-range rocket and the atomic bomb.
The cost in human life and economic resources was horrific, making it by far the greatest war in history in terms of human and material resources expended. Taking part were 61 countries with 1.7 billion people, three-fourths of the world's population. A total of 110 million persons were mobilized for military service. Over 55 million civilian and military persons died because of the conflict. Total money spent on the war has been set at more than $1 trillion, which makes it more expensive than all other wars combined.
World War III?
Are the two world wars witnessed in the 20th century a prelude to another worldwide conflict, leading to the final battle before Christ returns (Revelation 16:14-16)? Some reject such a prospect. They view the over 50 years of relative peace that have passed since the end of World War II, as an indication that humankind has learned a lesson from the past and will not engage in another worldwide conflict.
It is difficult to share this optimism for at least four important reasons. First, world wars have not eradicated war. Second, technological advances make war more deadly than ever before. Third, there is a major readjusting of world power and influence which naturally leads to more infighting and conflict. And fourth, the root cause of war has not changed.
World Wars Did Not End War
Neither world war proved to be the war to end all wars. Since the end of World War II there have been more than 150 conflicts in which an estimated ten million people have died. Even today, at any given time, about a fourth of the nations around the globe are caught up in some form of armed conflict. In the light of the present proliferation of national, ethnic and revolutionary wars, it is hard to discount the possibility of a new world conflict breaking out sometime in the future.
Samuel Huntington in his book, The Clash of Civilization, summarizes it this way: "The illusion of harmony at the end of that Cold War was soon dissipated by the multiplication of ethnic conflicts and ethnic cleansing,...the breakdown of law and order, the emergence of new patterns of alliance and conflict among states." He indicates that "the one harmonious world paradigm is clearly far too divorced from reality to be a useful guide to the post-cold War world" (page 32).
Sophisticated Weaponry
Growing technological sophistication of modern implements of war make future wars more frightening. In addition to "smart bombs" and other sophisticated weapons delivery systems, the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons around the globe is a major concern.
Nevertheless, some feel encouraged by the prospect of world peace. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the fragmentation of the Soviet Empire has lessened international tensions. However, consider the frightening figures. Newsweek reported recently that, from a Cold War high of 13,000 strategic warheads, the
The leaders of these nations are candid in explaining that any cutting back on the number of nuclear weapons was more a result of the collapse of the Soviet empire than any desire to disarm the world.
In a way, the world is in more danger now than before the end of the Cold War. These modern nuclear devices are now in danger of passing far more easily to unstable rogue nations and terrorist groups. If enough material for just one bomb is collected, blackmail or attack could be the result. Some sophisticated devices are small enough to be packed inside a suitcase and left nearly anywhere.
Biblical Predictions
Sophisticated weapons of mass destruction are not divorced from the Bible. It is as up to date as tomorrow's news. Prophecies specifically warn of an unprecedented time of universal distress and earth-jarring developments that will descend on planet earth.
Daniel reveals "there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time" (Daniel 12:1). The prophet Jeremiah describes how awful and unprecedented is the day of destruction (Jeremiah 30:6-7).
The Apostle John saw in vision an end-time weapon like a futuristic chemical or biological weapon. It does not devastate the landscape or kill opponents. The torment that grips victims is more agonizing than death itself. A sophisticated delivery system is described in terms familiar to John. "The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle" (Revelation 9:4-10). He saw iron breastplates, a gold crown, a manlike face and teeth like a lion. Coming from it was what appeared as streaks of long flowing hair. He heard sounds like chariots or horses rushing to battle. Its long tail carried a sharp sting like a scorpion.
John also records a military exchange that will occur just before Christ's intervention that involves weapons of mass destruction. From the mouth of breastplated implements of war a third of humankind will be killed (Revelation
Until the mid-20th century we could not have grasped the horrendous portent of these words. Yet they are rendered more ominous by warnings of Jesus Christ that total cosmocide would result unless He intervened (Matthew 24:21-22).
Changing Balance of Power
As the world balance of power shifts and old alliances break down, the world becomes a less stable place. Small skirmishes are more likely to mushroom into regional or even world war.
The world appears headed for more chaotic times. In The Clash of Civilizations, Samuel P. Huntington summarizes the growing instability including, "the breakdown of governmental authority; the breakup of states; the intensification of tribal, ethnic, and religious conflict; the emergence of international criminal Mafia's; refugees multiplying into the tens of millions; the proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction; the spread of terrorism; [and] the prevalence of massacres and ethnic cleansing" (page 35). This picture of a world in chaos was convincingly set forth and summed up in two penetrating works: Out of Control by Zbigniew Brezinski and Pandemonium by Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Henry Kissinger's book, Diplomacy, summarizes the changing alignment of world powers. Although every world order appears permanent, they are in constant flux. "Never before have the components of world order, their capacity to interact, and their goals all changed quite so rapidly, so deeply, or so globally.
"Whenever the entities constituting the international system change their character, a period of turmoil inevitably follows" (page 806). "Vast global forces are at work that, over the course of time, will render the
"In the years ahead, all the traditional Atlantic relationships will change.
Bible prophecy indicates that a major end time world war will threaten the existence of the human race. Major power centers from
Heart of the Problem
The root cause of war has not changed. Human nature is a warring nature. "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it because there is a whole army of evil desires within you? You want what you don't have, so you kill to get it. You long for what others have, and can't afford it, so you start a fight to take it away from them" (James 4:1-3 The Living Bible). When people and nations fail to fill their self indulgent agendas through deceit and manipulation, they often turn to violence. Full-blown war follows.
Do not be lulled to sleep. A major world war is on the way. The harsh realities of our world reveal world wars have not eradicated war. Technological advance. WNP
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Nuclear-Armed Iran Could Trigger World War, Bush Says
U.S. President George W. Bush said yesterday that
“We got a leader in
“So I've told people that, if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon,” he said (Matt Spetalnick, Reuters/Yahoo!News, Oct. 17).
Bush said that sanctions and other diplomatic efforts against
“The whole strategy is that, you know, at some point in time leaders or responsible folks inside of Iran may get tired of isolation and say, ‘This isn’t worth it,’ and to me it’s worth the effort to keep the pressure on this government,” Bush said.
“My intent is to continue to rally the world, to send a focused signal to the Iranian government that we will continue to work to isolate you in the hopes that at some point somebody else shows up and says it’s not worth the isolation,” he said.
Bush rejected the idea that he is at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the
“We don’t agree on a lot of issues,” Bush said. “We do agree on some:
Bush added that he was waiting for details from Putin about his meeting with Ahmadinejad and an undisclosed proposal he reportedly made to
“I'm looking forward to getting President Putin's readout from the meeting,” Bush said.
“The thing I'm interested in is whether or not he continues to harbor the same concerns that I do,” he said.
“Because when I visited with him, he (said he) understands that it's in the world's interests to make sure that
Hours after Putin completed his visit to
“The two intend to discuss a series of regional issues, including the peace process with the Palestinians, Iran's threat and attempt to acquire nuclear weapons, and developments in the region,” Olmert's office said (Agence France-Presse/Google News, Oct. 17).
Meanwhile, European nations remained split over the timing and severity of proposed EU sanctions against
EU foreign ministers held discussions Monday over possible sanctions against
France and the United Kingdom have pushed for proposed EU sanctions while Italy and Austria have only supported much smaller measures while Germany has sought a middle ground, officials said.
The Bush administration has expressed concern that the international community has been losing focus on the
In an effort to continue stepping up pressure on
However, a European official close to the talks said the
“We want to keep our eyes on the nuclear file,” said another European official.
A
A high-level U.S. official in Europe said there is no divide on Iran policy between the United States and Europe. “They're accepting our premise and just haggling over the details,” he said (Robin Wright, Washington Post, Oct. 18).
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No fun and games on this webpage. Is World War 3 at our doorsteps? This new section is devoted to such possiblities.
By Kristin Roberts
Reuters
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (Reuters) - Russian bombers are flying more missions than normal near U.S. territory, including Alaska, demonstrating their long-range strike capability, U.S. and Canadian officials said on Monday.
Russian aircraft carrying cruise missiles ran an aviation exercise near
"They didn't do it to practice alone. They're making a point, doing it outside of their normal training cycle," he told Reuters. "They maintain capability."
Russian bombers were also tracked last week flying a course toward
Some analysts and defense officials say the flights likely reflect
One defense official called the Russian flights "a little bit of chest pounding, trying to let people know
"Over the last probably three months or so the Russians have been flying their bomber force maybe a little bit more than we've seen in the past, certainly they're ranging farther than they have in the past," said U.S. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command.
"We've had a couple times where we've intercepted them out over international waters, near
Relations between
Since meeting with
In July, President Vladimir Putin told his top military and security officials that
The head of long-range aviation in
But Renuart downplayed concern about the increase in Russian military flights.
"I think clearly there's a political dynamic that's occurring right now with
"But it's not provocative in any way. They follow the international rules. They've been very professional in how they've flown the flights, so I don't see anything reckless in it."
Renuart also said
"A couple times, it's been a bit of a surprise," he said.
© 2007 Reuters
The train stopped and returned to
“Not quite a bucket load of radioactive waste material was there mixed in with sand, dust and snow,” said Almabek Aitikeev, a departmental head at
Kubanych Noruzbaev, an official with the Kyrgyz Ecology and Environmental Protection Ministry, identified the material as cesium 137, a byproduct of weapons testing and nuclear reactor operation that is commonly used in medical equipment.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said the material could also be used in a radiological “dirty bomb,” which would disperse radioactive particles with conventional explosives. The incident calls attention to the vulnerability of dangerous nuclear materials stored throughout the former
“It passed through our border, the Kyrgyz border (and) it passed through two border checkpoints in
The discovery has raised a variety of questions regarding the material’s quantity and potency, who ordered its delivery, and how it managed to pass through three border checkpoints before being detected. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty also questioned why
Noruzbaev said the material should have been uncovered before it reached
“How could it happen that it was not detected when it passed through special checkpoints?” Noruzbaev said. “And even more so, how could a (radioactive) source like cesium 137 or 140 pass (without detection)?” (Bruce Pannier, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Jan. 10).
“The S-400 air-defense systems will be primarily deployed in central
S-400 interceptors can fly up to three miles per second and are designed to destroy ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and stealth aircraft within a range of 250 miles, twice the distance of the U.S. Patriot missile.
The system, designated by NATO as the SA-21 Growler, is planned to serve a major role in
The Bush administration has proposed a $3.5 billion plan to deploy 10 missile interceptors in
“It’s an important declaration because we still at the moment don’t see a right balance between the costs and the benefits of this installation,” Klich said yesterday, after meetings at the State and Defense departments. “The readiness of the American side to talk about this issue I see as the major result of (my) two days in
Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell said that agency policy and technical experts are studying the Polish requests. He noted that the Bush administration to date has provided
“Because of that special relationship, we believe that we can overcome whatever differences may exist on this issue very quickly,” Morrell said. “Our timeline is as soon as possible. And I think — we think — the Poles recognize that it is better to do this sooner rather than later, provided we can address some of their concerns that remain.”
The new Polish government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk has taken a harder line on missile defense involvement than its predecessor.
Morrell said that Klich’s meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates was “frank but productive,” Voice of America reported.
“We are trying to figure out how to work with them to continue forward on what we believe to be a program of vital importance not just for us, but really for
Suspected Nuclear Smuggler Arrested in
German authorities have arrested a businessman suspected of attempting to illegally ship nuclear material to Iran, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, June 11, 2007).
The federal prosecutor’s office said the 52-year-old
Customs officials raided the man’s home and office yesterday. He could be charged with smuggling banned material to a blacklisted company, prosecutors said.
Construction is under way at a Syrian site
The September bombing raised speculation that
The new building, however, is probably not going to be a nuclear facility, according to one expert.
“It would be very unlikely for this to be a reactor, and we would be very surprised if they tried to put a reactor inside this building,” said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security. The dimensions of the new building appear to be different than the previous structure, he added (Joby Warrick, Washington Post, Jan. 12).
After the Israeli attack, Syrian workers quickly razed the damaged structure, raising even more suspicions that
“The new building,” Albright said, “covers whatever remained of the destroyed one.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency has unsuccessfully asked to visit the site.
“The Syrian brothers did not allow us to visit and inspect the location,” said agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei (William Broad, New York Times, Jan. 12).
Orbiting Debris Endangers