Moriel Ministries Be Alert!

Wars and rumors of wars

"You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
- Matthew 24:6


  December 21, 2012
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Shalom in Christ Jesus, 

Bramble Alert

 

"Finally all the trees said to the bramble, `You come, reign over us!'

"The bramble said to the trees, `If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.'

- Judges 9:14-15

 

Al-Qaeda has now entered the conflict, effectively on the side that the United States is being asked to join.

- Henry Kissinger1

 

"We practice selective annihilation of mayors and government officials, for example, to create a vacuum, then we fill that vacuum. As popular war advances, peace is closer"

- Peruvian militant general's speech (reportedly Otto Guibovich) (This quote was also used in the beginning of the song by Guns N' Roses, Civil War.)

 

They call al Qaeda "Proxy NATO Destabilization Asymmetrical Special Forces Attack Program"

-          Alex Jones, Infowars.com Video/Radio Program, September 17, 2012, Interview with Dr. Webster Tarpley2

 

There is an old idiom or clich� that is very appropriate when it comes to understanding the current events of these very last of the last days in the light of biblical prophecy: it is failing to see the forest for the trees.

 

Barring some unforeseen circumstance or intervention by the Lord, it seems quite apparent that US/NATO forces are planning to attack Syria and President Bashar al-Assad. If not an invasion, there will be some sort of intervention or her proxy forces which are our supposed enemies will do the job and we will step in to set things in order. A number of those who look at the world economic picture have suggested that all the indicators are 'screaming' for a World War III to break out to "save" the politicians from certain worldwide economic catastrophe. Whether right or wrong, one thing for sure is that in America is almost impossible to find any reasonable news coverage of these things unless you search them out yourself on the Internet. All one finds on TV is wall-to-wall mass shooting coverage or 2012 end of the world or some other such thing. Although the evil that took place in Connecticut is surely a sign of the times, the media coverage is a distraction at best.

 

With that, those who have a balanced and broadly informed view (not just that of the mainstream Western media) know that this is a situation where only our Lord knows the full circumstances and truth. First, I am not writing in any way to defend Syria's regime that to my best understanding, has engaged in state support of terror organizations over the years, mainly that of Shiite and Iranian proxy Hezbollah. However, we know that this in and of itself is not a reason for our NATO alliance to intervene, if it were Saudi Arabia would be enemy number one. Additionally, this has been the Modus operandi of our own Western nations for quite some time. So then, let us briefly remind ourselves of what we do know. This alert has a number of "main stream" and alternative articles to back up these reminders so let us proceed.

 

1)       Our own "educational" publications from the highly influential Brookings Institute, West Point and other armed forces journals as well as books from many current and former high level political advisors such as Zbigniew Brzezinski reveal long term study and planning involved in destabilizing the Middle East. What we see happening NOW and in the last few years from the Afghanistan invasion and war, Iraq war and up through the so-called "Arab Spring" are all moves that could have been taken directly from these playbooks. This we know. For what reason is up for debate although we can put forth some good educated "guesses." Consider this, when we look back at the days shortly after 9/11 Washington put forth a list of the countries they indicated to be the most dangerous in the world. Called the "axis of evil" this list did not include Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, two countries with very clear links to the 9/11 attacks according to actual news reports. Since then, news reports and updates have documented that the Saudi's and Pakistani's are the two foreign countries with more ties to the attacks than any others along with links to the Vatican (go figure) and rouge forces within our own borders. One serious documentary, "9/11 Press for Truth" shows how the mainstream media buried items and how involved Pakistan was in the attacks. Notice the list does not include Afghanistan, the first country we invaded. However, invading Afghanistan did fit perfectly into the published Western model to control (or create a hegemony in) Eurasia, the flow of oil and all forms of petrol energy. It also re-opened narco traffic (especially keeping the flow of money laundered narco dollars into the failing world banking system thereby keeping it solvent, something the Taliban nearly shut down) and "cut-off" China and Russia from Middle East oil by surrounding them with NATO bases, another important part of the plan that had been openly published over the years.

2)       There is ample evidence including outright claims that various terror groups such as al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and the Taliban among others were "created" or at least seriously helped along in one form or another by Western intelligence organizations. This is accomplished through funding, training and arming for the express purpose of arousing the combatants chosen to fight a particular target. Hence, the Modus operandi of the West supporting terror organizations themselves. Of course, no other group of people are more suited to be used in such a way as those already deceived by Islam and particularly Arabs who according to Gen 16:12 " ... His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; ...". Notice in this alert now that al Qaeda's faction Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria has done it's job, the US has just officially recognized her as a terrorist group and picked the Syrian National Coalition as the new representative of the Syrian people. This official "use them and lose them" mentality and strategy of the West is what is bringing the remainder of the world, the Middle East as well as the Far East into a rage of hatred against us.

3)       Iran has learned well from her Western counterparts and uses Hamas and Hezbollah as her terror proxies. Note also that the decision to seek nuclear power was not initially an Iranian one but that of the United States pushed by none other than Richard Cheney and Donald H. Rumsfeld during the Ford Administration before the Shah fell.

4)       As much as we have to weed through Western propaganda regarding the Middle East, so must we weed through Islamic propaganda, and what is being missed the most is the war between Sunni and Shia. Currently, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are in a battle to wipe out the Shiites. This is why Hosni Mubarak was replaced with Wahhabist Sunni Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Morsi and why Col. Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan regime had to be replaced with an Obama approved, gun running al Qaeda operation. This is why the crosshairs are now on Syria, which has been a big supporter of Shiite Iran.

5)       Many are focusing exclusively on Psalm 83 and/or Ezekiel 38 & 39 as what must happen next in the order of events. That may be, but since I am not a prophet I try to pay attention to as much as possible understanding that nearly everyone had it wrong at Christ's first coming. Has anyone else noticed what appears to be a reunification of Turkey, Iran (Persia), and Egypt? All we are missing in this group is Greece, which as we know is on her "death bed" and could certainly join the club any day. We also see hints of Assyria, the Medes (Kurdistan) and Iraq (Babylon) rising to form their own power structure. These coalitions are exposed in trade deals, strategic talks and various meetings that have taken place in this past year, many of which are under the radar of many Western believers looking for what has been expected in the typical prophecy circles for years. In this, one finds that because of the various "backroom deals", taking place the House of Saud is frightened and seeking nukes from China and Pakistan while Turkey, NATO's number 2 is raging mad because her land and her power are being threatened.

6)       Last point and ironically, what is most overlooked by many "prophecy experts" is the wholesale slaughter of Christians and those who bare the name of Christ anywhere our American/NATO footprint touches. This has only served to increase the strength of the false/counterfeit church of Rome in these same areas, thus we see what many have termed the rise of the serpent and the dragon. As I have stated numerous times, this is not to ignore or dismiss any of the good America has done is the past or that of our individual service members.  Additionally, Israel finds herself in the middle of this looking to America as her best friend in the world. From the way Washington DC operates these days, friend or enemy seems to be the same difference to most of the world unless your able to buy or bribe her.

 

Our US Federal Government under the control of the State Department is a harlot "for sale" to the highest bidder. Many of those bidders, whether on the left or right of the political spectrum, consider the people to be nothing but "consumers" to be marketed to, controlled and if necessary, exterminated if they get in the way of their plans. It is time for the believing church to stop flirting with the woman of Babylon and jump off the back of the beast. I pray this alert and related series continues provoke thought and help us all minister to one another in these coming days.

 
May the Lord bless and keep you,
BE/\LERT!
Scott Brisk


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In This Alert
1- What's Happening in Syria, Libya and 'Why'
2- Naming Names: Your Real Government
3- This Time it Looks Bad - Really Bad!
4- Hamas: A Pawn in the Sunni-Shiite War
5- U.S. Formally Recognizes Syria's Main Rebel Group
6- Syrian rebels say Americans, Britons helped train them in Jordan
7- Syrian Rebels Tied to Al Qaeda Play Key Role in War
8- Fast & Furious II: Libya's new rulers offer weapons to Syrian rebels
9- Mujahedeen: Look who U.S. is supporting now
10- Syrian Rebels Split: New Islamic State Declared
11- Russia, in Shift, Sees Rebel Victory in Syria
12- Paris: NATO-Arab Syria intervention imminent
13- Tracking Pakistan's nukes to Saudi Arabia?
14- Western-backed Terrorists in Syria Slaughter Christians in Bombing
15- HSBC: A river of drug money flowing out of Mexico - doing business with customers in Iran, Libya, Sudan ...
16- Turkish gold trade booms to Iran
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What's Happening in Syria, Libya and 'Why' - Review: It's all part of the NATO plan
NATO Ed Note: This was posted originally on the Be Alert Facebook page on September 16, 2012 and is an edited excerpt from Seymour M. Hersh's March 2007 piece in The NewYorker. The plan comes from the above mentioned Brookings Institute.

According to a four part plan put together in 2007 the US has been employing the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda and the Salafis to help rid the region of Shiites ... a former Saudi diplomat states: "Salafis are sick and hateful, and I'm very much against the idea of flirting with them," ... "They hate the Shiites, but they hate Americans more. If you try to outsmart them, they will outsmart us. It will be ugly."
We are beginning to see the fruit of this flirtation this past we in Libya and the rest of the Middle East ... Be Alert!

4 part plan in 2007
1) US, Saudi & Israeli strategic plan including other Sunni states concerned about Iran
2) Hamas, Fatah & other Palestinian groups brokered deal in Mecca w/ Saudi's to curtail ant-Israel aggression (US and Israel displeased with these terms)
3) Bush Administration would work with Sunni states to counteract growth of Shiite states (Iran, Iraq, and Bahrain & Hezbollah)
4) US and Saudi Arabia would work together to financially weaken Syrian gov of Assad

Excerpt
[...] "The Saudis have considerable financial means, and have deep relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis"-Sunni extremists who view Shiites as apostates. "The last time Iran was a threat, the Saudis were able to mobilize the worst kinds of Islamic radicals. Once you get them out of the box, you can't put them back."
The Saudi royal family has been, by turns, both a sponsor and a target of Sunni extremists, who object to the corruption and decadence among the family's myriad princes. The princes are gambling that they will not be overthrown as long as they continue to support religious schools and charities linked to the extremists. ...
Nasr compared the current situation to the period in which Al Qaeda first emerged. In the nineteen-eighties and the early nineties, the Saudi government offered to subsidize the covert American C.I.A. proxy war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Hundreds of young Saudis were sent into the border areas of Pakistan, where they set up religious schools, training bases, and recruiting facilities. Then, as now, many of the operatives who were paid with Saudi money were Salafis. Among them, of course, were Osama bin Laden and his associates, who founded Al Qaeda, in 1988.
This time, the U.S. government consultant told me, Bandar and other Saudis have assured the White House that "they will keep a very close eye on the religious fundamentalists. Their message to us was 'We've created this movement, and we can control it.' It's not that we don't want the Salafis to throw bombs; it's who they throw them at-Hezbollah, Moqtada al-Sadr, Iran, and at the Syrians, if they continue to work with Hezbollah and Iran."
The Saudi said that, in his country's view, it was taking a political risk by joining the U.S. in challenging Iran: Bandar is already seen in the Arab world as being too close to the Bush Administration. "We have two nightmares," the former diplomat told me. "For Iran to acquire the bomb and for the United States to attack Iran. I'd rather the Israelis bomb the Iranians, so we can blame them. If America does it, we will be blamed." ...
THE NEW YORKER [Cond� Nast-Advance/Newhouse] - By Seymour M. Hersh - March 5, 2007

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/03/05/070305fa_fact_hersh?currentPage=all

 


Naming Names: Your Real Government
Nothing vindicates this poorly hidden reality better than a "liberal" Nobel Peace Prize wearing president, dutifully towing forward a myriad of "Neo-Con" wars
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke at Brookings
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke speaking at Brookings
When dark deeds unfold, point the finger in this direction
LAND DESTROYER REPORT - By Tony Cartalucci - March 21, 2011
This is your real government; they transcend elected administrations, they permeate every political party, and they are responsible for nearly every aspect of the average American and European's way of life. When the "left" is carrying the torch for two "Neo-Con" wars, starting yet another based on the same lies, peddled by the same media outlets that told of Iraqi WMD's, the world has no choice, beyond profound cognitive dissonance, but to realize something is wrong.

What's wrong is a system completely controlled by a corporate-financier oligarchy with financial, media, and industrial empires that span the globe. If we do not change the fact that we are helplessly dependent on these corporations that regulate every aspect of our nation politically, and every aspect of our lives personally, nothing else will ever change.

The following list, however extensive, is by far not all-inclusive. However after these examples, a pattern should become self-evident with the same names and corporations being listed again and again. It should be self-evident to readers of how dangerously pervasive these corporations have become in our daily lives. Finally, it should be self-evident as to how necessary it is to excise these corporations from our lives, our communities, and ultimately our nations, with the utmost expediency.

International Crisis Group
www.crisisgroup.org

Brookings Institute
www.brookings.edu

Council on Foreign Relations
www.cfr.org

The Chatham House
www.chathamhouse.org.uk

Conclusion
These organizations represent the collective interests of the largest corporations on earth. They not only retain armies of policy wonks and researchers to articulate their agenda and form a consensus internally, but also use their massive accumulation of unwarranted influence in media, industry, and finance to manufacture a self-serving consensus internationally.

To believe that this corporate-financier oligarchy would subject their agenda and fate to the whims of the voting masses is naive at best. They have painstakingly ensured that no matter who gets into office, in whatever country, the guns, the oil, the wealth and the power keep flowing perpetually into their own hands. Nothing vindicates this poorly hidden reality better than a "liberal" Nobel Peace Prize wearing president, dutifully towing forward a myriad of "Neo-Con" wars, while starting yet another war in Libya. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2011/03/naming-names-your-real-government.html


Also:

Fortune 500 Awards Tunisian President "Chatham House Prize"
Corporate-financier think-tank Chatham House showers Tunisia's President Moncef Marzouki with accolades and praise.
LAND DESTROYER REPORT - By Tony Cartalucci - November 28, 2012
The Chatham House, a corporate-financier funded think-tank based in the United Kingdom, announced on its website earlier this week that it had awarded President Moncef Marzouki of Tunisia their 2012 "Chatham House Prize." Chatham House claimed on their website that Marzouki has "ensured that Tunisia remains at the forefront of the new democratic wave in the Middle East and North Africa."
Marzouki, who accepted the award in person (presented by the Duke of York in London) was one of several nominees which also included Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Previous recipients include US-British backed "democracy icon" Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar. ...
Read Full Report
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2012/11/fortune-500-awards-tunisian-president.html

Which Path To Persia?
Options For A New American Strategy Toward Iran
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institute
Analysis Paper, No. 20 June 2009
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2009/6/iran%20strategy/06_iran_strategy.pdf

 


This Time it Looks Bad - Really Bad!
"I think most of us know that is the way the US has been doing business for some time now?"
THE GOLDEN REPORT - By Jerry Golden - December 6, 2012
Here we go again! The question is; will a full blown Middle East war happen this time? My guess is it sure looks like it. But there just might be a big surprise in store as to what Assad's real targets are. The newspapers here in Israel are all saying that the 700 chemically armed missiles in Assad's arsenal are aimed at Turkey and Jordan who have both become his enemies. The news coming out of the US is that Assad will use them on his own people and the US is using that as a pretext to intervene with military force. But Assad has stated over and over he will not use them on his own people. I know Assad like most Muslin Arab leaders is a liar, but on this one matter I believe him. That does not rule out a "false flag" event that announces the use of chemical weapons being used on the Syrian people. I think most of us know that is the way the US has been doing business for some time now?  

With Assad saying he will not use the chemical weapons on his own people, and if that is the truth (who knows?) then who in their right mind think he will choose to use them on Jordan or Turkey before sending them to Israel? ...
But if he sends them to Israel one thing will happen. The Arab Muslim world will consider him a great leader if he kills a lot of Jews on his way out. With this kind of Islamic Muslim logic it is my guess that Israel is about to be attacked once again in the name of Allah. Many will die if this happens - Jews and "Palestinians" as well. But the so-called Palestinians will rejoice anyway for they love death more than we love life.  

... But what really tells me that this is about to happen is the propaganda we are hearing from the 'Major News Media' justifying in advance the US strike. We all know that at the first sight of any US strike in Syria the missiles will start flying towards Israel. That will of course bring Israel into the action and in short order all hell will break loose in the region. There is also an Obama factor that I will let you think of on your own.
When the smoke clears, Israel will still be here and still the only safe place for Jews in this world. It will be the beginning of what this ministry is all about. I pray daily for God to supply the things needed to save many.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our son Joel and all the IDF soldiers. Pray for this Ministry and your part in it.
Shalom, Jerry Golden

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.thegoldenreport.com/reports/419-it-looks-bad-really-bad


Hamas: A Pawn in the Sunni-Shiite War
Hamas Flag
Hamas
GATESTONE INSTITUTE - By Harold Rhode - November 29, 2012
A full scale Middle Eastern, Islamic type of war between the Sunnis and Shiites is raging. Officials in Washington are doing their best to label it anything but a war; when asked if it is a war, they seem to react in fear, and ignore the issue by saying, "We must do our best to ensure that such a war does not happen." ...
Historically, Islamic warfare has not necessarily been one in which large armies have fought each other, at least at the beginning of conflicts. What usually happens is that there are what we in the West call "terrorist raids," in which opposing sides send small raiding parties into each other's territory. ...
The dispute then festers until one side is strong enough to vanquish the other; from that day on, each side lives in an uneasy relationship with the other. ... Sadly, Middle Easterners culturally are unable bring themselves to "let bygones be bygones" - a concept totally alien to Middle Eastern culture. Disputes therefore fester, then erupt when one side perceives the other as weak.

When Khomeini arrived in Iran in February 1979, one of the first statements he made to the media on the tarmac was that "he had come to rectify a wrong which took place 1400 years ago." Westerners thought this somewhat quaint and obviously irrelevant. All that interested them was what he had to say about the Shah, America, and Israel. ... Middle Easterners, however, who never forget perceived wrongs, knew exactly what he was talking about. When the Muslim prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE, a fight broke out among the Muslims as to who would inherit the leadership of Islam. Those who supported their prophet's family eventually became known as the Shi'ites. Those who supported what might be labeled the "establishment" in Mecca became known as the Sunnis.
The Shi'ites were defeated and their leaders were, one by one, murdered by the Sunnis, who proceeded to take over the larger part of Muslim world. Sunnis and Shi'ites - especially in areas where they live together - still refight that battle, which took place almost 1400 years ago. Moreover, thanks to the easy way information travels, Sunnis and Shi'ites know more about each other than in the past, so this battle now also takes place even where Sunnis and Shi'ites never knew each other. What ended up being most important to Khomeini was not the Shah, therefore, but devising a strategy to rectify what he considered the great wrong that took place so long ago: bringing down the Sunni rulers and their version of Islam, and replacing them with the "true," Shi'ite, version of Islam.

No wonder Saudi rulers, who are members of an extreme Sunni version of Islam called Wahhabism, and their fellow Gulf Cooperation Council Sunni-ruled Gulf States, understood immediately that Khomeini was a mortal threat.
Sadly, our political establishment, who, as Westerners, simply do not live as deeply in history, had an immensely difficult time -- and still do -- assimilating Saudi, Jordanian, Egyptian, and other allied leaders' concerns.
In addition, on 9/11, Osama bin Laden vented his rage, blaming the West for what it did to Islam 80 years ago. Western experts of the Middle East racked their brains trying to figure out what that meant, but to Sunni Muslims, the answer was obvious: the Ottoman Caliphate was abolished by Ataturk and his colleagues. Many Muslims believe this degradation was imposed on Turkey after its defeat in World War I. For Sunnis, the Ottoman Caliph, the rightful ruler of the entire Muslim world, had been humiliated by people who could not have been Muslims. For Shi'ites, the abolishment of this "usurper" institution was a relief; the Sunni ruler, they believed, wanted nothing more than to destroy Shi'ism, the only "true" Islam.

As for last week's mini-war between Israel and Hamas, the members of Hamas are Sunni fundamentalists; it therefore seems it would be only natural for the Sunni world to support them. But Iran, from the inception of the Islamic Republic in 1979, saw organizations such as Hamas as tools to help them undermine the Sunni rulers, who control most of the Arab world.
Iranians understood that they could not stand up to the Arab world militarily, so Iran looked for Arab causes to support, which would demonstrate to the Arab masses that their rulers were weak and unable to solve problems, such as Israel's existence in the heart of the Arab and Muslim world, and the tyranny under which Arabs live.
First, the Iranians took over the Israel issue. For many years, Arab rulers had talked about defeating Israel but kept failing, thus heaping shame and humiliation on the Muslims -- in Middle Eastern culture, a fate worse than death. So Iran took on the Israel issue, which is, at best, peripheral to Shi'ites. For Shi'ites, the supposed holy status of Jerusalem is a Sunni innovation. The "holy status" was invented by hated Sunni rulers about 50 years after Muhammad's death, and thus to Shi'ites is an illegal innovation. Iran seems to have calculated that if it made this Sunni issue its own, and it stood up to the Israelis, it might gain the support of the Sunni masses against their rulers, and thus help Iran destroy these Sunni rulers and thereby win an important battle in their unending 1,400 year war against the Sunnis.

In Lebanon, moreover, Iran created Hizbullah, a Shi'ite military organization - actually an arm of the Iranian military -- which eventually fought Israel to a standstill in 2006. This was a huge public relations boost for Iran: no Sunni leaders had ever before managed to best Israel. Almost no Arab rulers complained about Israel going into Lebanon, while at the same time the head of Hizbullah, Hassan Nasrallah, instantly became a folk hero in many parts of the Arab world.
For Iran, Gaza was an opportunity too good to pass up. Iran developed ways of supplying Hamas with weapons to use against Israel, making use of Egypt's marginal control of the Sinai Peninsula that abuts Gaza. Over the past few years, Iran has supplied Gaza with missiles and rockets that could hit Tel Aviv, and has brought Hamas operatives to Iran for training.
After the so-called ceasefire, Ismail Haniyeh, one of Hamas's senior political leaders, went out of his way to thank Iran for its help. Thereafter, Iran dispatched a ship with missiles to resupply Hamas with missiles.

Egypt, by contrast, appeared not to want trouble on its border with Israel, and worked with Israel to rein Hamas in. Egypt's fundamentalist Sunni ruler from the Muslim Brotherhood, Muhammad Morsi, did not, as one might have expected, side with Hamas -- a sub-branch of the Egyptian Muslim brotherhood -- against Israel. Morsi seems to have many reasons for avoiding a conflict:
  1. Egypt's economy is collapsing; Morsi needs American economic support or he will not be able to feed his people.
  2. If Egypt attacked Israel, Israel might destroy Egypt's military, which currently is no match for Israel's; so it is in the Egyptian military's interest to keep the peace.
  3. If Morsi fights Israel, his military -- which is still in place from the days of Hosni Mubarak, even though, upon assuming power, Morsi replaced its leaders, and which benefits from American military largesse and which controls vast parts of the economy -- might overthrow him.
  4. Morsi wants to consolidate his power at home, and then, after becoming a modern pharaoh, push the Muslim Brotherhood's agenda not only to re-Islamize Egypt, but also the rest of the Muslim world. This plan may be tall and clearly long-term, but ever since the Muslim Brotherhood's founding in 1928, that has been its main goal. Morsi is himself a senior member of the Brotherhood.
  5. The timing of Hamas's attack on Israel put Morsi in a bind: even though he had not yet consolidated his power, if the situation had gotten truly out of hand, Morsi might have been forced into confronting Israel.
Combining all of these reasons, Morsi won the day: he mediated between Hamas and Israel, stopped the conflict from zooming out of control, and pacified the Americans who would now feel required to continue the economic, military and even political support Morsi so desperately needs to keep his sweeping new authoritarian powers beyond the reach of any check or balance. By not getting into a war with Israel, Morsi kept the Egyptian military at bay.
It is therefore not surprising that Morsi felt he could strike now in Egypt and grant himself these full dictatorial powers - far greater than Mubarak ever had - and there would be nothing that America, now feeling indebted to him, would do about it.
The Sunni fundamentalist Morsi is still engaged in an existential battle with the Iranian Shi'ites for the hearts and minds of Islam. Each side loathes the other. If one side triumphs in this 1,400 year old conflict, the other side loses. From Morsi's point of view, however, it seems that this fight must wait for another time.
Iran seems to be losing everywhere. In Syria, where its Alawite rulers are an offshoot of Shi'ism and recognized by many Shi'ite authorities as Shi'ites, Iran is losing this war to the more numerous local Sunnis.

Lebanon is also unstable; Hizbullah members there appear unsure how they can survive without the support of the Syrian Alawites. Iran is also a long way off, and it is not easy to resupply Hizbullah from there.
In Sudan, Iran's weapons plants have been destroyed. It was weapons from these factories which made their way to Gaza.
Could Israel's massive destruction of Hamas's rocket and missile capability be one more step on the road to eliminating Iran's nuclear program? Iran's allies are being destroyed or weakened, one by one. Sudan and Gaza are gone, at least for the time being. The Syrian regime does not appear to be winning its ruthless war against its insurgents. Will Hizbullah be able to remain strong without weapons coming in from Syria? Clearly, Hizbullah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, cannot, whatever he says, feel so secure: he has spent most of the past few years hiding underground from the Israelis. Shi'ite-ruled Iraq is preoccupied with its internal problems. Iran is gradually being left to stand alone. If Israel attacks Iran, Iran no longer has any useful Muslim allies to help it against the Israelis. Iran would therefore have greater difficulty confronting Israel.

In the end, Hamas was a pawn for Iran in the Sunni-Shiite war. Its leaders may be wondering where to turn, now that Egypt is ruled by fellow Sunni fundamentalists. For the moment, at least, Egypt does not seem to want to provoke Israel. Both Hamas and Iran, therefore, stand to gain from continuing their close relationship. Morsi understands that the Iranians want nothing more than to have the Sunnis confront Israel and lose -- a defeat which would help Iran in its war against the Sunnis.
Hamas has become a tool for both the Sunni and Shi'ite fundamentalists to use in their battle not only against the non-Muslim world, but against each other. If, in the Middle East, bygones cannot be bygones, this battle will continue until Allah decides which side is the most worthy and makes sure that side wins.

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3472/hamas-sunni-shiite

 


U.S. Formally Recognizes Syria's Main Rebel Group
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL [Dow Jones & Co - NewsCorporation/Murdoch] - By Nour Malas and Jay Solomon - December 11, 2012
The Syrian National Coalition for Revolutionary and Opposition Forces "is reflective and representative enough of the Syrian population that we consider them the legitimate representative of the Syrian people in opposition to the Assad regime," President Barack Obama said in an interview with ABC News, "and so we will provide them recognition....It is a big step."
The coalition's relative success-Western diplomats say they have started to work with it to engage local councils in the country-has created a genuine momentum for the rebels that had evaporated over the past six months as fighting ripped through Syria and the army resorted to heavier weapons.

Tuesday's move came as senior U.S. officials warned that Syria's civil conflict threatens to degenerate into a battle between al Qaeda-backed militias and Iranian militants and their proxies, a risk that has created new urgency for the U.S. and allies to accelerate a political transition. ...

The Obama administration on Tuesday for the first time released intelligence directly tying a powerful Syrian rebel group to commanders of al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. officials formally sanctioned the Syrian militia, called Jabhat al-Nusra-freezing any assets it may have in the U.S. and barring Americans from doing business with it-because of fears it is gaining disproportionate power among the rebel groups seeking to overthrow Mr. Assad. ...

The U.S. Treasury also blacklisted two pro-Assad militias and their commanders. ...
The Journal this year reported the development and deployment of Popular Committees in Damascus, the capital. In recent interviews with committee members across Syria, fighters said they receive a government salary and are defending President Assad. Many come from Syria's religious minorities, mostly the Shiite offshoot Alawite sect to which the president's family belongs, as well Christians and Druze, who increasingly see themselves in a battle against a mainly Sunni rebel insurgency. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324339204578173272657834096.html


Syrian rebels say Americans, Britons helped train them in Jordan
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS [The McClatchy Company/James McClatchy] - By David Enders - December 14, 2012
AMMAN, Jordan -- Weeks before the Obama administration and other Western nations recognized a new Syrian opposition coalition as "the legitimate representative" of the Syrian people, Syrian rebels were receiving training in the use of light and heavy weapons with the backing of the Jordanian, British and U.S. governments, participants in the training have told McClatchy.
The training took place as far back as October and involved hundreds of rebels, the participants said. In one case, the rebel participant said men he believed were American intelligence officers observed what was taking place. Another said he believed British officers were helping to organize the training. The training itself was handled by Jordanian military officers, the rebels said.

"We hoped there would be more training on larger weapons," said Kamal al Zoubani, a fighter from the southern Syrian city of Daraa, ... "But we were allowed to take light weapons back to Syria with us." ...
American officials, citing concerns that they didn't know the political leanings of anti-Assad groups, have said repeatedly that they aren't providing weapons to the rebels, leaving that to countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. ...
This week, the Obama administration recognized the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces as the likely successor to the Assad regime and urged countries to funnel aid through it for the rebels. In tandem with that decision, the administration labeled a key rebel group, the Nusra Front, whose fighters have been at the front lines of many recent rebel victories, an offshoot of al Qaida in Iraq in hopes that Qatar and Saudi Arabia would stop assisting it.

Zoubani said the rebel military council in Daraa, a group associated with the secular Free Syrian Army, had selected him to receive the training and that at least three groups of 50 to 60 fighters were trained at a military base in southern Jordan in October. ...
He said uniformed Jordanian military officers were present at the training, as well as people he believed to be American intelligence officers.
The second fighter, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity ... said that more than 60 others had trained with him in an eight-day course at a military base near Amman. He said uniformed British and Jordanian military officers were present. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/12/14/177474/syrian-rebels-say-americans-britons.html


Also:

Jordanian Salafis fighting in Syria: After Damascus, we'll take Tel Aviv
DEBKAFILE - December 16, 2012
Abu Muhammad al-Tahawi, a Jordanian Salafi leader, said Sunday, Dec. 16, "After we finish seizing Damascus, we'll take our struggle to the heart of Tel Aviv. Netanyahu, get ready for the Army of Muhammad! The bearers of explosives in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan are on their way to you. ...
http://www.debka.com/newsupdate/3201/

Flashback:
U.S. admits funding Syrian opposition
CBC NEWS [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Government of Canada (Crown Corporation)] - April 18, 2011
The U.S. State Department acknowledged Monday it has been funding opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, following the release of secret diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks that document the funding.
The files show that up to $6.3 million US was funnelled to the Movement for Justice and Development, a London-based dissident organization that operates the Barada TV satellite channel, which broadcasts anti-government news into Syria. Another $6 million went to support a variety of initiatives, including training for journalists and activists, between 2006 and 2010. ...
"Some programs may be perceived, were they made public, as an attempt to undermine the Assad regime.... The Syrian Arab Republic government would undoubtedly view any U.S. funds going to illegal political groups as tantamount to supporting regime change." ...
Read Full Report
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/04/18/syria-united-states-backing-wikileaks.html


Syrian Rebels Tied to Al Qaeda Play Key Role in War

NEW YORK TIMES [NYTimes Group/Sulzberger] - By Tim Arango, Anne Barnard and Hwaida Saad - December 8, 2012
BAGHDAD - The lone Syrian rebel group with an explicit stamp of approval from Al Qaeda has become one of the uprising's most effective fighting forces, posing a stark challenge to the United States and other countries that want to support the rebels but not Islamic extremists.
Money flows to the group, the Nusra Front, from like-minded donors abroad. Its fighters, a small minority of the rebels, have the boldness and skill to storm fortified positions and lead other battalions to capture military bases and oil fields. As their successes mount, they gather more weapons and attract more fighters.
The group is a direct offshoot of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Iraqi officials and former Iraqi insurgents say, which has contributed veteran fighters and weapons.

"This is just a simple way of returning the favor to our Syrian brothers that fought with us on the lands of Iraq," said a veteran of Al Qaeda in Iraq, who said he helped lead the Nusra Front's efforts in Syria.
The United States, sensing that time may be running out for Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, hopes to isolate the group to prevent it from inheriting Syria or fighting on after Mr. Assad's fall to pursue its goal of an Islamic state.
As the United States pushes the Syrian opposition to organize a viable alternative government, it plans to blacklist the Nusra Front as a terrorist organization, making it illegal for Americans to have financial dealings with the group ...

When rebel commanders met Friday in Turkey to form a unified command structure at the behest of the United States and its allies, jihadi groups were not invited.
The Nusra Front's ally, Al Qaeda in Iraq, is the Sunni insurgent group that killed numerous American troops in Iraq and sowed widespread sectarian strife with suicide bombings against Shiites and other religious and ideological opponents. ...
But blacklisting the Nusra Front could backfire. It would pit the United States against some of the best fighters in the insurgency that it aims to support. While some Syrian rebels fear the group's growing power, others work closely with it and admire it ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/world/middleeast/syrian-rebels-tied-to-al-qaeda-play-key-role-in-war.html

 


Fast & Furious II
Libya's new rulers offer weapons to Syrian rebels

LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH [Barclay] - By Ruth Sherlock, in Misurata - November 25, 2012
Syrian rebels held secret talks with Libya's new authorities on Friday, aiming to secure weapons and money for their insurgency against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
At the meeting, which was held in Istanbul and included Turkish officials, the Syrians requested "assistance" from the Libyan representatives and were offered arms, and potentially volunteers.
"There is something being planned to send weapons and even Libyan fighters to Syria," said a Libyan source, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There is a military intervention on the way. Within a few weeks you will see."
The Telegraph has also learned that preliminary discussions about arms supplies took place when members of the Syrian National Council [SNC] - the country's main opposition movement - visited Libya earlier this month.

"The Libyans are offering money, training and weapons to the Syrian National Council," added Wisam Taris, a human rights campaigner with links to the SNC. ...
Syria's regime has continued to defy pressure from the Arab League, ignoring yesterday's deadline to accept the deployment of 500 human rights observers, raising the possibility that economic sanctions may be agreed this weekend.
Last month, Libya's interim government became the first in the world to recognise Syria's opposition movement as the country's "legitimate authority". ...
"The [Libyan] council's offer is serious," said Mr Taris. Turkey, which has denounced President Assad's regime, is already sheltering about 7,000 Syrian opposition activists, including the leader of the Free Syrian Army, the nascent rebel movement, in a "safe zone" along Turkey's border with Syria.

Sources in the Libyan town of Misurata suggested that some weapons may already have been sent. Some smugglers were caught selling small arms to Syrian buyers in Misurata, said a man who trafficked guns to Libya's rebels during the country's civil war.
Post-conflict Libya is awash with arms, many of them taken from the vast military stores maintained by Col Mummar Gaddafi's regime. Kalashnikov assault rifles, modern missiles and even tanks found their way into Libya. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8917265/Libyas-new-rulers-offer-weapons-to-Syrian-rebels.html

 


Mujahedeen: Look who U.S. is supporting now
WND [WorldNetDaily] - By Aaron Klein - August 2, 2012
NEW YORK - At lease 500 hardcore mujahedeen from Afghanistan, many of whom were spearheading efforts to fight the U.S. there, have been killed in clashes with Syrian forces this week, claimed a senior Syrian official who spoke to WND.
The claim comes as Reuters reported President Obama signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, quoting U.S. sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, Obama's order was approved earlier this year and gives the CIA and other U.S. agencies authority to provide broad support that could help the rebels oust Assad.
The White House continues to deny directly arming the rebels, stating it is only providing non-lethal aid.
Any U.S. aid to the rebels is highly controversial. ...
Also, WND has learned that Jihadiya Salafia in the Gaza Strip, a group that represents al-Qaida in the coastal territory, earlier this week declared three days of mourning for its own jihadists who died in Syria in recent days.
There are now widespread reports of al-Qaida fighters among the ranks of the opposition, with some jihadist branches reportedly officially joining the U.S.-supported Free Syrian Army.
WND reported in May there is growing collaboration between the Syrian opposition and al-Qaida as well as evidence the opposition is sending weapons to jihadists in Iraq, according to an Egyptian security official who previously spoke to WND. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/08/look-who-u-s-is-supporting-now/

 


The real reason Washington rejected Jabhat al-Nusra?
Syrian Rebels Split: New Islamic State Declared in Aleppo
ARUTZ SHEVA (Israeli National News) - By Chana Ya'ar - November 21, 2012
Syria's fractured opposition forces, which have spent nearly 20 months trying to topple the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, declared independence this week from Damascus - and from each other. The powerful radical Islamist rebel factions on Monday declared an independent Islamic state in the city of Aleppo, the country's northern commercial hub.
The announcement came in a video statement posted on the Internet that denounced the new opposition Syrian National Coalition as a foreign creation.
"We are the representatives of the fighting formations in Aleppo and we declare our rejection of the  conspiratorial project, the so-called national alliance," said an unidentified speaker. "We have unanimously agreed to urgently establish an Islamic state."
Among the 13 Muslim extremist factions involved are those who are foreign Al Qaeda-type jihadists, including the al-Tawheed Brigade, and the Jabhat al-Nusra. Other members include those who are backed by the local Muslim Brotherhood. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/162353



Also:

A Syrian Kurdish state rises from the ashes
DEBKAFILE > DEBKA-Net-Weekly  #551 - August 3, 2012
The US has quietly crafted a new Kurdish state in northern Syria. It is linked to the self-governing Kurdish republic of Iraq and defers to its rulers. Turkey and Iraq feel betrayed by Barack Obama, fearing their own Kurdish minorities like Iran's Kurds will be swallowed up by the long dreamed-of expanding Kurdish entity.
http://www.debka.com/article/22233/A-Pro-US-Kurdish-State-Rises-in-Northern-Syria---Between-Irbil-and-Aleppo


Assyrian Human Rights Network Statement on the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.nineveh.no/?p=49334

 


Russia, in Shift, Sees Rebel Victory in Syria
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL [Dow Jones & Co - NewsCorporation/Murdoch] - By Alan Cullison , Nour Malas  and Jay Solomon - December 13, 2012
[...] "We have to face facts-the trend is that the Syrian regime and government are losing more and more control and more and more territory," said Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's top envoy for Middle East affairs. "Unfortunately, the opposition could prevail."
The statement came as Mr. Assad's government showed further signs of crumbling and as Anders Fogh Rasmussen, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, called Mr. Assad's downfall "only a matter of time." ...

Moscow has long backed Mr. Assad, and frequently has rebuked the West for what it calls interference in Syria's internal affairs and spreading mayhem through the Middle East and North Africa by supporting revolutions there.
Russian officials said they were duped into supporting a United Nations resolution against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi that was later used as a pretext for outright intervention. They have vowed not to repeat the error in Syria.
Russia said it supports a negotiated solution to the conflict, but that rebels won't talk because they are awash in arms and money from Western and Arab governments. ...

"They are saying that victory is just around the corner: 'We will soon take Aleppo and then we will take Damascus,' and saying they are in control of 60% of territory," said Mr. Bogdanov, in comments to a Kremlin advisory group, the Public Chamber.
... Russian officials have stressed, meanwhile, to these Western diplomats that their government never had particularly close relations with the 47-year-old leader, who initially seemed to prioritize relations with Europe and the U.S. This was markedly different than Moscow's relations with Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's late father, who had a military alliance with the Soviet Union. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323981504578176752775162778.html

 


Paris: NATO-Arab Syria intervention imminent
DEBKAFILE - December 7, 2012
Sources close to the French Defense Ministry reported Friday, Dec. 7, that a Western-Arab military intervention against the Assad regime is due to begin shortly with the participation of the US, France, Britain, Turkey, Jordan and other anti-Assad Arab nations. debkafile: The reference is to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar's special forces.
Our military sources add that the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle carrying a complement of marines is deployed in the Mediterranean, having joined the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and at least five British warships which are also carrying a large marine force. ...
French sources told Le Point magazine that the NATO mission for Syria, including the UK and the US, would be modeled on the Western intervention in Libya in 2011. It would combine an aerial blitz with ground action by special forces for destroying Assad's chemical weapons stocks, his air force and his air defense systems.  

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.debka.com/article/22594/


FLASHBACK: Where did Saddam's WMD go? To Syria ...
WORLD TRIBUNE [East West Services, Inc.] - Repost: December 7, 2012 (Originally posted on Aug. 26, 2003.)
U.S. intelligence suspects Iraq's weapons of mass destruction have finally been located.
Unfortunately, getting to them will be nearly impossible for the United States and its allies, because the containers with the strategic materials are not in Iraq.
Instead they are located in Lebanon's heavily-fortified Bekaa Valley, swarming with Iranian and Syrian forces, and Hizbullah and ex-Iraqi agents, Geostrategy-Direct.com will report in Wednesday's (Sept. 2,  2003) weekly edition.
U.S. intelligence first identified a stream of tractor-trailer trucks moving from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon in January 2003. The significance of this sighting did not register on the CIA at the time.
U.S. intelligence sources believe the area contains extended-range Scud-based missiles and parts for chemical and biological warheads. ...
Read Full Report
http://www.worldtribune.com/2012/12/07/flashback-un-inspectors-saddam-shipped-out-wmd-before-war-and-after/ 

 

 


Tracking Pakistan's nukes to Saudi Arabia?

WND [WorldNetDaily] - By F. Michael Maloof - December 8, 2012
BEIRUT - Pakistan may have transferred nuclear weapons to the chief bankroller of its development program, Saudi Arabia, as far back as 2004, according to a then-U.S. government official who received the revelation in a Pakistani intelligence briefing at the time, says a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
Larry Werline, in a little-noticed report in Blackwater Tactical Weekly last June, said the transfer was revealed in a briefing that Pakistani Inter-Service Directorate, or ISI, officials gave him and other U.S. experts when relations between the United States and Pakistan were on a far better political and diplomatic footing. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.wnd.com/2012/12/tracking-pakistans-nukes-to-saudi-arabia/


Also:

Saudis are buying nuclear-capable missiles from China
DEBKAFILE - July 4, 2012
The Saudis, not invited to join negotiations either on Syria or Iran, have gone ahead with their own plans for beating Iran to the nuclear draw.
http://www.debka.com/article/22155/Saudis-are-buying-nuclear-capable-missiles-from-China


Saudi 'Propaganda Center' Opens in Vienna
GATESTONE INSTITUTE - By Soeren Kern - November 27, 2012
Saudi Arabia has officially opened the doors of a controversial new "interreligious and intercultural dialogue center" in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
The King Abdullah International Center for Inter-Religious and Inter-Cultural Dialogue was inaugurated during an elaborate ceremony at the Hofburg Palace in downtown Vienna on November 26. More than 650 high-profile guests from around the world attended the event, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the foreign ministers of the center's three founding states, Austria, Spain and Saudi Arabia. ...
Read Full Report
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3469/saudi-center-vienna


'Where's my wife?' Electronic SMS tracker notifies Saudi husbands
AL ARABIYA, :: Dubai, UAE [Middle East Broadcasting Center/Saudi Arabia, King Fahd family owned] - By Al Arabiya with AFP - November 22, 2012
Denied the right to travel without consent from their male guardians and banned from driving, women in Saudi Arabia are now monitored by an electronic system that tracks any cross-border movements.
Since last week, Saudi women's male guardians began receiving text messages on their phones informing them when women under their custody leave the country, even if they are travelling together. ... "The authorities are using technology to monitor women," said columnist Badriya al-Bishr, who criticised the "state of slavery under which women are held" in the ultra-conservative kingdom. ...
The kingdom applies a strict interpretation of Shariah, or Islamic law, and is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive. ...
Read Full Report
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/22/251255.html


"The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood
Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
-Joel 2:31

Western-backed Terrorists in Syria Slaughter Christians in Bombing
GLOBAL RESEARCH.ca : CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GLOBALIZATION - By Tony Cartalucci - November 30, 2012
Al Qaeda terrorists, backed, armed, funded, and diplomatically recognized by the West, have detonated 2 car bombs in Christian-Druze quarters in Damascus, killing dozens.

Twin car bombs carried out by the Western-backed so-called "rebels" have killed dozens of civilians in a Christian-Druze neighborhood in Damascus, highlighting the sectarian extremism, not "democratic" aspirations, as well as the level of depravity, driving opponents of the Syrian government. Immediately after the explosions, and as casualty figures began trickling in, Associated Press (AP) attempted to spin and downplay the act of terrorism, claiming in its report, "Twin car bombs kill 20 in Syria, hospitals say," that:

"Syrian hospital officials say twin car bombs have killed at least 20 people in a Damascus suburb that is mostly loyal to President Bashar Assad."

Excusing egregious acts of terrorism aimed at Syria's civilian population by claiming those targeted were "mostly loyal to President Bashar Assad" has been a favorite tactic of AP, BBC, CNN, Fox News, and others. In reality, the vast majority of Syrians, from Christians to Druze, from Shia'a Muslims to moderate Sunnis, are targets of the sectarian extremist, Saudi-Wahhabi indoctrinated terrorists the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia have been funding, arming, importing from across the region, and arraying against the people of Syria since at least 2007.

The terrorists in Syria have recently received a boost by the West, arranging for them a political front in Doha, Qatar to act as the reasonable "face" for their armed terrorism, portraying the premeditated destabilization by foreign terrorists as an indigenous struggle for "freedom and democracy." Already, even that front has suffered setbacks, as its newly US-Qatari appointed leader, Moaz al-Khatib, has been revealed as not only involved with Western oil corporations, but also has declared on Al Jazeera his intentions of establishing an "Islamic state."

Clearly, blowing up a neighborhood full of Christians and Druze would fall in line with just such a plan, driving yet more of Syria's diverse population beyond its borders to live as permanent refugees - not with alleged plans of "freeing" the country, or gracing a multicultural society that has lived together for centuries with "democracy." ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.globalresearch.ca/breaking-western-backed-terrorists-in-syria-slaughter-christians-in-bombing/5313282

 


A river of drug money flowing out of Mexico - doing business with customers in Iran, Libya, Sudan ...
HSBC to pay $1.9 billion U.S. fine in money-laundering case
REUTERS [Thomson-Reuters] - By Aruna Viswanatha and Brett Wolf - December 11, 2012
HSBC Holdings Plc agreed to pay a record $1.92 billion in fines to U.S. authorities for allowing itself to be used to launder a river of drug money flowing out of Mexico and other banking lapses.
Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and Colombia's Norte del Valle cartel between them laundered $881 million through HSBC and a Mexican unit, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

In a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department, the bank acknowledged it failed to maintain an effective program against money laundering and failed to conduct basic due diligence on some of its account holders.
Under the agreement, which was reported by Reuters last week, the bank agreed to take steps to fix the problems, forfeit $1.256 billion, and retain a compliance monitor. The bank also agreed to pay $665 million in civil penalties to regulators including to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, and the Treasury Department. ...

In documents filed in federal court in Brooklyn, the Justice Department also charged the bank with violating sanctions laws by doing business with customers in Iran, Libya, Sudan, Burma and Cuba.
HSBC separately reached a settlement with British watchdog the Financial Services Authority. ...

No bank or bank executives have been indicted. Instead, prosecutors have used deferred prosecutions, under which criminal charges against a firm are set aside if it agrees to conditions such as paying fines and changing its behavior. ...
The settlement is the third time in a decade that HSBC has been penalized for lax controls and ordered by U.S. authorities to improve its monitoring of suspicious transactions. Previous directives by regulators to improve oversight came in 2003 and in 2010.

Last month, HSBC told investors it had set aside $1.5 billion to cover fines or penalties stemming from the inquiry and warned that costs could be significantly higher. ...
HSBC's settlement comes a day after rival British bank Standard Chartered Plc agreed to a $327 million settlement with U.S. law enforcement agencies for sanctions violations, a pact that follows a $340 million settlement the bank reached with the New York bank regulator in August.

Such settlements have become commonplace. In what had been the largest settlement until this week, ING Bank NV in June agreed to pay $619 million to settle U.S. government allegations that it violated sanctions against countries including Cuba and Iran.
In the United States, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, Wachovia Corp and Citigroup Inc have been cited for anti-money laundering lapses or sanctions violations. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/11/us-hsbc-probe-idUSBRE8BA05M20121211

 


Following the Gold
Exclusive: Turkish gold trade booms to Iran, via Dubai
REUTERS [Thomson-Reuters] - By Humeyra Pamuk - October 23, 2012
DUBAI/ISTANBUL - [...] Couriers carrying millions of dollars worth of gold bullion in their luggage have been flying from Istanbul to Dubai, where the gold is shipped on to Iran, according to industry sources with knowledge of the business.
The sums involved are enormous. Official Turkish trade data suggests nearly $2 billion worth of gold was sent to Dubai on behalf of Iranian buyers in August. The shipments help Tehran manage its finances in the face of Western financial sanctions.
The sanctions, imposed over Iran's disputed nuclear program, have largely frozen it out of the global banking system, ... By using physical gold, Iran can continue to move its wealth across borders.
"Every currency in the world has an identity, but gold means value without identity. ...
The identity of the ultimate destination of the gold in Iran is not known. But the scale of the operation through Dubai and its sudden growth suggest the Iranian government plays a role. ...
Iran sells oil and gas to Turkey, with payments made to state Iranian institutions. U.S. and European banking sanctions ban payments in U.S. dollars or euros so Iran gets paid in Turkish lira. Lira are of limited value for buying goods on international markets but ideal for a gold buying spree in Turkey. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/23/us-emirates-iran-gold-idUSBRE89M0SW20121023

Also:

Iran: Oil for gold deals bypass sanctions, US unveils new penalties
ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Donna Cassata - November 30, 2012
[...] The United States and European Union have imposed tough sanctions on Iran that have weakened its economy. But Tehran has found ways to bypass the penalties, such as Turkey's use of gold to pay for Iranian natural gas imports.
The Menendez-Kirk measure would allow the president to impose sanctions in cases of the sale or transfer of precious metals, targeting efforts by Iran to circumvent the penalties. ...
Read Full Report
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/1130/Iran-Oil-for-gold-deals-bypass-sanctions-US-unveils-new-penalties

Why Is Iran Banning Gold Exports?
TREND NEWS AGENCY (Baku, Azerbaijan) - November 2, 2012
Iran has prohibited exports of gold bullion, golden coins and gold ornament from the country, without the license issued by country's Central Bank. ...
The main reasons of banning gold export are foreign exchanges rate's fluctuations in Iran, difference about triple time in value between official USD rate and it's price in Iran's open market, also sanctioned Iranian government's plan to replace gold with USD in foreign trades.
Iran has banned exporting 52 items of commodity in late October, including gold, silver and platinum. ...
Read Full Report
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?idx=299055

Russian ship with 700 tons of gold ore missing
ASSOCIATED PRESS - October 29, 2012
MOSCOW - A vessel with a nine-person crew and 700 tons of gold ore onboard has gone missing in stormy seas off Russia's Pacific Coast.
The ship sent a distress call on Sunday as it was sailing from the coastal town of Neran to Feklistov Island in the Sea of Okhotsk.
... Gold ore is the material from which gold is extracted and contains only a small percentage of the precious metal.
Polymetal's spokesman on Monday would not estimate the value of the cargo. ...
Read Full Report
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/russian-ship-700-tons-gold-ore-missing-article-1.1194885?localLinksEnabled=false

Multi-million gold heist from boat in Caribbean
ASSOCIATED PRESS - December 1, 2012
Armed men dressed as police boarded a fishing boat Friday in Cura�ao and stole about 70 gold bars worth an estimated $11.5 million (�7.2 million), police in the southern Caribbean island said. ...
The captain and three crew members were from the South American country of Guyana, he said. ...
The crew member said neither he nor anyone else on the vessel was armed. "This is normal," he said. "We never carry arms. Since I started working here, I've transported gold once before, and this is the system."
Colin Sparman, executive secretary of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, said legal shipments are typically made by air under heavy security. But gold smuggling is common to avoid taxes and royalty payments on the precious metal. ...
Read Full Report
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/9715842/Multi-million-gold-heist-from-boat-in-Caribbean.html


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