"Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." (Matthew 24:8-9).
"Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done" (Mark 13:30).
Associated Press and Jerusalem Post February 25, 2010
The United States should pack up and leave the Middle East and stay out of regional affairs, Iran's president said Thursday during a visit to Damascus that follows a string of US efforts to break up Syria's 30-year alliance with Teheran.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Arab nations will usher in a new Middle East "without Zionists and without colonialists."
"[The Americans] want to dominate the region but they feel Iran and Syria are preventing that," Ahmadinejad said during a news conference with Syrian President Bashar Assad. "We tell them that instead of interfering in the region's affairs, to pack their things and leave."
He said that "if the Zionist regime wants to repeat its past mistakes, this will constitute its demise and annihilation."
Ahmadinejad said Iran, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon will stand against Israel.
Assad signaled his strong support for Iran, saying America's stance on Iran "is a new situation of colonialism in the region."
A string of high-profile visits to Damascus in recent months — from the US, France, and now Iran — shows Syria's strategic importance in the Middle East.
US President Barack Obama is determined to engage with Syria, a country seen as key to peace in the region but which the State Department has long considered a state sponsor of terrorism.
Ahmadinejad's trip comes amid rising US tension with Teheran over the country's nuclear program. The US and others believe Iran is hiding nuclear weapons development under the guise of a civilian energy program. Iran insists that its intentions are peaceful.
Still, Assad could be open to a breakthrough with the Americans. He is hoping for US help in boosting a weak economy and for American mediation in direct peace talks with Israel — a recognition that he needs American involvement to achieve his top goal of the Golan Heights.
But Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that the recent decision to send the first US ambassador to Syria in five years does not mean US concerns about the country have been addressed.
Speaking to lawmakers, Clinton said the nomination of career diplomat Robert Ford is a sign of a "slight opening" with Syria. But she said Washington remains troubled by suspected Syrian support for terror groups in Iraq and elsewhere, interference in Lebanon and Syria's close relationship with Iran.
Former President George W. Bush withdrew the last US ambassador to Syria in 2005 to protest its actions in Lebanon after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which his supporters blamed on Syria.
Washington also has retained its sanctions on Damascus. The sanctions were first imposed by Bush and renewed by Obama in May.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has summoned all the terrorist groups Tehran sponsors -- Islamist and radical Palestinian -- for a broad gathering Saturday, Feb. 27, to finalize their roles in military operations against Israel in the event of a Middle East conflagration. This is reported by debkafile's Iranian and intelligence sources.
It will be the sequel to the preliminary discussions Ahmadinejad held with Syrian president Bashar Assad and heads of the Lebanese Hizballah and Palestinian Hamas Thursday, Feb. 25, during a brief visit to Damascus.
The guests of honor at the Tehran parley will be Hamas leader politburo chief Khaled Meshaal and Hizballah deputy leader Naim Kassem.
The Lebanese Shiite group's secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah will not be there because he never leaves his Beirut bunker for fear Israeli assassins will catch up with him, especially since the high-profile Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was killed mysteriously in Dubai last month.
And Nasrallah is not alone; some of his fellow terror chiefs hesitate to show their faces outside their strongholds -- even in friendly Tehran -- since the Dubai police disclosed that three of the suspects in the Mabhouh killing, carriers of Australian passports, departed Dubai for Iran. They were said to have travelled by sea ferry to Bandar Abbas, central headquarters of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, before flying out of Tehran international airport to unknown Far East destinations.
The Arab terrorist chiefs infer that even the Iranian capital and Revolutionary Guards headquarters are no longer secure against penetration by the Hamas commander's assassins.
The Iranians have therefore decided that their official statement on the conference, due to end Monday, March 1, will name only a few of the participants; the presence of many other key figures will be kept secret
According to debkafile’s Iranian sources, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, assisted by a large team of aides, will lead the proceedings and steer them toward conclusions and decisions in line with Iran’s regional goals. The conference, called to pull together Iran and its allies' preparations for war with Israel, will be presented officially as an effort to reconcile the feuding Palestinian factions.
Few will find this believable, especially when Hamas attends the conference on its own, except for several radical Palestinian splinter groups, and representatives of the rival Fatah and Palestinian Authority were not invited.
Presidential bureau personnel have performed most of the staff work on planning and the roles assigned the various organizations in any conflict with Israeli and/or Israeli forces. Senior members of the Revolutionary Guards and other sections of Iran's armed forces will be recruited to chair discussion panels and subcommittees aided by specialists in guerrilla and terror warfare.
Many people hypothesize the confirmed lies for wars with Iraq and Afghanistan, and a final war with Iran, is to control oil. Connected is the theory that US political and economic “masters” are so confident in their propaganda, and so correct in their conclusion that the critical mass of humanity is too feeble to stop them, that they brazenly move forward for global hegemony.
This article provides a different explanation of the facts; with heightened urgency to prevent war with Iran, as it is a planned step to begin a Third World War.
Project Camelot is a world-renowned safe-haven for whistle-blowers on the inside of the military and economic “Big Lies” that millions of Americans are discovering. Below is Bill Ryan’s video explanation of his interview with a vetted British military insider discussing the planning of manipulated global war (transcript here).
This testimony centers around the fear of a cataclysmic Earth geological event alleged, in part, by one group of extraterrestrials (ETs). For those readers who haven’t explored the documentation of US government cover-up of ET existence, I suggest perusing Wanttoknow.info and The Disclosure Project.
The highlights from Bill Ryan in five bullet-points and nine paragraphs:
There is a planned Third World War, which will be nuclear and biological. Our source believes that this is on track to be initiated within the next 18-24 months.
It is planned to begin with a strike by Israel on Iran. Either Iran or China will be provoked into a nuclear response. After a brief nuclear exchange, there will be a ceasefire. The world will be thrown into fear and chaos - all carefully engineered.
The extreme state of tension will be used to justify heavy social and military controls in all western first world nations. Plans are already in place for that.
During the nuclear ceasefire, there is planned to be a covert release of biological weapons. These will initially be targeted against the Chinese. As our source chillingly told us, "China will catch a cold". Biological warfare will spread further, to the west. Infrastructure will be critically weakened.
This is intended to be just the beginning. After this, a full nuclear exchange would be triggered: the "real" war, with widespread destruction and loss of life. Our source tells us that the planned population reduction through these combined means is 50%. He heard this figure stated in the meeting.
This horrific scenario has been planned for generations. The first two world wars were part of the set-up for this final apocalypse -- as is the centralization of financial resources that was precipitated with the equally well-planned financial collapse of October 2008.
As if all this were not enough, our source speculates this is all set against the backdrop of a coming "geophysical event" -- the same kind of event as was experienced by our ancestors approximately 11,500 years ago. If this event occurs -- not necessarily expected in 2012, but sometime in the next decade - it would destroy civilization as we know it, dwarfing even the effects of a nuclear war.
I asked the question to our source: If there's an expected catastrophe, then why initiate a Third World War? His answer, for the first time to me, made terrible sense.
The real goal, he explained, is to set up the post-catastrophic world. To ensure that this "New World" [note the term] is the one the controllers want, totalitarian control structures need to be in place when the catastrophe occurs -- with an excuse that the populace will accept and demand them. Martial law in the right, carefully chosen countries before the catastrophe occurs will enable the "right" people to survive and prosper in the post-catastrophic world, and the beginning of the next 11,500 year cycle. What may have been carefully planned on a covert global scale, for the last several generations, is nothing less than who will inherit the Earth.
Who are the "right" people? The white Caucasians. This may be why the name of this project is The Anglo-Saxon Mission. Hence the justification for the planned genocide of the Chinese people -- so that the New World is inherited by "us," not "them."
Our source was not informed about the planned fate of the second and third world countries such as those in South America, Africa and Asia. But he presumes that these would be allowed to fend for themselves and probably not survive well -- or maybe not at all. The totalitarian military governments of the western, white, people are set to be the inheritors.
This is a plan so evil, so racist, so diabolical, so huge, that it almost defies belief. But it all aligns with what many commentators, researchers and whistleblowing insiders have been identifying for some years now. For me personally, it's the clearest picture yet of why the world is the way it is, and why the secrets are protected so fiercely: it may be all about racial supremacy. The Fourth Reich is alive and well.
Astonishingly, our source was not pessimistic. He stressed, as do we and many other researchers and commentators, that consciousness is awakening rapidly all over the planet and that THESE PLANNED EVENTS ARE NOT INEVITABLE. If ever there was a reason to work closely together to raise awareness of the real threat to us all, this is it.
... We stand for the potential magnificence of a united humanity that knows no racial boundaries or distinctions. Whether or not the catastrophe occurs -- and many, including ourselves, maintain that it will not -- we must co-create our own future, claim our power, and do whatever we can to alert people to the dangers around us... so that we can be stronger together, for the sake of our descendants and for the heritage of all living beings on Planet Earth."
Please share this article with all who can benefit. If you appreciate my work, please subscribe by clicking under the article title (it’s free). Please use my archive of workto help build a brighter future.
I appreciate your attention to these facts and encourage your further study and action consistent with your own self-expression. My recommendations: Policy response: Gandhi and Martin Luther King advocated public understanding of the facts and non-cooperation with evil. I’m among hundreds who advocate:
Understand the laws of war. These were legislated after WW2 and are crystal-clear that only self-defense, in a narrow legal meaning, can justify war. The current US wars are not even close to being lawful. Those involved with US military, government, and law enforcement have an oath to protect and defend the US Constitution, not the fascist “always place the mission first.” To fulfill their oath they must immediately refuse and end all orders associated with unlawful wars and military-related constant violation of treaties.
End the transfer of trillions of American taxpayer money to banksters and admitted as “lost” by our military. End poverty through global cooperation to achieve the UN Millennium Goals by developed countries investing 0.7% of their income (not that the UN is serious for their accomplishment, but the goals are what we should invest to produce). Support global security through cooperation, dignity, justice, and freedom. Create a US Department of Peace to help.
Communicate. Trust your unique, beautiful, and powerful self-expression to share as you feel appropriate. Understand that while many people are ready to embrace difficult facts, many are not. Anticipate that you will be attacked and prepare your virtuous response in the spirit of competition, just as you do in other fields.
Prosecute the war leaders for obvious violation of the letter and spirit of US war laws. Because the crimes are so broad and deep, I recommend Truth and Reconciliation (T&R) to exchange full truth and return of stolen US assets for non-prosecution. This is the most expeditious way to understand and end all unlawful and harmful acts. Those who reject T&R are subject to prosecution.
Local perspective: Part of my professional duties as a teacher of economics and government is to produce competent adult citizenry. This includes realization that our nation’s policies and money are managed at a broad community level, and these issues have tremendous local impact. Of course, we all want human beings to be individually successful and enjoy their unique, beautiful and powerful self-expressions. Concurrently, we recognize our commitment to local success is strongly dependent upon the success of the community, and that government policy and economics are drivers.
Our status in early 21st Century human history is that we suffer from a long history in government and money of human interrelationship well-described as vicious antagonism. Governments frequently use war as a foreign policy, despite its illegality and dependent upon public ignorance, with horrific consequences. Economic policy is still created within a “Robber Baron” paradigm to concentrate money to an elite few families. Two examples:
1. National taxes effect you dearly, especially the tax to pay interest on the national debt. This costs the American public over $400 billion every year. This is $4,000 per year for every $50,000 of income. Do the math to understand your household’s tax burden for a monetary policy invented by banks for banks to create our money supply as debt. Your competence in this area contributes to our collective voice to simply shift monetary policy to easily pay the national debt, enjoy full employment, collectively save us over a trillion dollars every year, and finally realize what our brightest American minds have been advocating for centuries beginning with Benjamin Franklin. This would have unprecedented local benefits, and requires collective power to accomplish. 2. Ending poverty everywhere on our planet would cost just 0.7% of our income and save a million children’s lives every month. This human accomplishment will cause unimaginable joy at our local level.
To consider:
"If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective. No individual can live alone, no nation can live alone and as long as we try, the more we are going to have war in the world. Now the judgment of God is upon us and we must either learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools." --Inscription on Dr. Martin Luther King’s statue, Moorehouse College, Atlanta "The day that hunger is eradicated from the earth, there will be the greatest spiritual explosion the world has ever known. Humanity cannot imagine the joy that will burst into the world on the day of that great revolution." -- poet Federico García Lorca
Comments policy: I welcome questions and comments that are civil and pertain to the article topic. Impolite and impertinent comments will be deleted.
Please consider that I’m among hundreds of writers who have documented our own government’s disclosure of propaganda programs to support their wars. I suspect my articles are under such propagandistic attack from comments that use typical rhetorical fallacies to distract readers from the facts. I invite readers to sharpen their ability to discern such propaganda. They are characterized by a combination of: never addressing the facts, diverting attention through unsubstantiated belief in an alleged expert, irrelevant data, straw-man attack that distorts the facts, ad hominem attack of insults to the messenger, vile comments to repulse readers, and lies of omission and commission.
I will use such comments to point-out the propaganda or delete them at my discretion. Again, all relevant and polite questions, and factually accurate comments are welcome. As a professional educator I’m in agreement with my experience and research: we learn best from multiple perspectives in mutual commitment to understand the facts, see those facts from diverse points-of-view, and consider various policy proposals of what we should do.
For those involved in support of US government-sponsored disinformation, I invite you to consider the quality of human relationships you wish to work toward. National security and a brighter future is not a function of fear, manipulation, and control. Our best security follows cooperation, justice under the law, dignity, and freedom. Working for your best imagined self-expression of virtue may include a unique contribution from the inside of your agency. Public attraction to the stories of Star Wars and the Harry Potter books/movies recognize that our society’s jump to civilized relations for all of us might require support from people within the “dark side” acting as covert agents for building a brighter future. Another option is becoming a whistle-blower; Project Camelot is a popular venue for people in sensitive positions. Ultimately, I recommend a Truth and Reconciliation process to exchange full truth for no prosecution, explained in detail at the link. Please consider the wisdom of your own “Scrooge conversion” to act for the benefit of all humanity rather than your self-proclaimed controlling, manipulating, and loveless “masters.”
“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.”
Word on The Streets of Beirut is That The Drums are Beating for Battle
By Simon McGregor, ABC News February 15, 2010
To the casual observer, people on the streets of Beirut show no fear of war. But talk to many Lebanese today, and you'll soon find war is very much on their minds.
All the people ABC News spoke to say conflict with Israel is looming. It's just a matter of when.
Neither side wants to be guilty of starting the next war, but people in Lebanon say tension is now so high the smallest incident may provide the trigger.
There are old scores to settle. Hezbollah wants to avenge the assassination of its military mastermind Imad Mugniyeh. Last Friday marked the second anniversary of his mysterious car bombing death in Damascus. Hezbollah also claims Israel still occupies a sliver of Lebanese territory in the south. It is ideologically opposed to Israel's very existence.
The Israelis fear Hezbollah's growing arsenal of long range rockets. They fear for their biggest cities and strategic targets. They see Hezbollah and Syria as Iran's proxies, liable to attack from the north if Israel strikes Iran's nuclear sites. Hezbollah fought the once feared Israeli Defense Force to a standstill in 2006. The Jewish state's reputation and deterrence was severely dented. The Israelis have unfinished business.
Hezbollah today has somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 missiles, many more than in 2006, and many capable of hitting targets deep inside Israel. The U.N. patrols the south near the Israeli border so Hezbollah has moved north and into the Bekaa valley. Almost the entire local male population of fighting age has been through military training. Hezbollah leaders talk of military "surprises." No one we spoke to knows what they might be.
Many people speak of Hezbollah changing tactics, even of infiltrating northern Israel. There's talk of plans to take hundreds of Israeli civilians hostage.
Harsh Israeli Response Expected
Everyone ABC News spoke to expects a brutal Israeli response if war breaks out. Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese government. So, Israel says, all of Lebanon will be responsible for a Hezbollah attack. To reassert military deterrence Israel must achieve a tangible victory.
Defense analysts report the retraining of the Syrian army. Out of armored brigades burdened with Soviet era tanks, and into small commando units armed with hi-tech anti tank rockets used to such deadly effect by Hezbollah fighters in 2006.
Syrian President Bashar Assad is also showing new confidence. Once thought unlikely to stay the course, he has now seen three different Israeli prime ministers. Some say he believes he can survive a war and it may even speed the recovery of his beloved Golan Heights, occupied by his enemy since 1967.
Then there is Iran and its president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, under increasing pressure over his country's clandestine nuclear project and who has made barely veiled threats against Israel. Whether they are western diplomats or analysts from well funded think tanks, Lebanese newspaper editors or writers with close links to Hezbollah, all say they hear the drums of war starting to beat.
A deadlocked peace process between Israel and the Palestinians doesn't help either. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right wing coalition has resisted U.S. pressure to freeze settlement building. President Obama's hectic domestic agenda, say our Lebanese sources, means his focus will be elsewhere.
In Israel Netanyahu started a recent cabinet meeting by calling for peace with Syria but warning Israel knows how to respond to threats.
And this weekend while the unusually warm temperatures and blue skies led many to the beaches of both Tel Aviv and Beirut Lebanese forces warned Israeli warplanes out of their airspace with anti-aircraft guns. A sound the people of Beirut may have to grow used to.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel should be resisted and finished off if it launched military action in the region, state broadcaster IRIB reported on Thursday.
Ahmadeinjad's comments were made when the president spoke over the telephone with his Syrian counterpart late on Wednesday.
Last week, Syria -- a key regional ally of Iran -- accused Israel of pushing the Middle East toward a new war.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, in an interview broadcast on Wednesday, said Israeli aircraft were making daily incursions into Lebanese air space, creating a very dangerous situation.
"We have reliable information ... that the Zionist regime is after finding a way to compensate for its ridiculous defeats from the people of Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah," Ahmadinejad told Syria's Bashar al-Assad, referring to conflicts in 2006 and 2009.
"If the Zionist regime should repeat its mistakes and initiate a military operation, then it must be resisted with full force to put an end to it once and for all."
Ahmadinejad, who has often predicted the imminent demise of the Jewish state, said Iran would remain on the side of regional nations including Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.
The Islamic Republic does not recognize Israel, which it refers to as the Zionist regime. Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat and has not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the row.
Iran, the world's fifth-largest crude exporter, says it would retaliate for any attack on its nuclear facilities, which it says are part of a peaceful energy program but which the West suspects are aimed at making bombs.
In a statement late last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was not planning any imminent attack on Lebanon, from where Hezbollah launched some 4,000 rockets at it during the 34-day war in 2006.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, responding to Syria's accusation last week, has said Damascus would be defeated and Assad would lose power in any future conflict. Netanyahu later reassured Syria that Israel sought peace.
Israeli aircraft are making daily incursions into Lebanese air space, creating a very dangerous situation, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.
Israel has insisted such flights are needed to monitor Hezbollah guerrillas and has criticized the 12,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, for not stopping weapons Israeli officials say have been flowing to the group.
The overflights and any rearming of Hezbollah are a violation of Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in 2006.
"We hear a lot of Israeli threats day in and day out, and not only threats," Hariri told the BBC.
"We see what's happening on the ground and in our air space and what's happening all the time during the past two months -- every day we have Israeli war planes entering Lebanese air space," he said.
"This is something that has been escalating, and this is something that is really dangerous," Hariri said in a video posted on the BBC's website.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, asked on Israel Radio about Hariri's comments, said the Lebanese leader was "a hostage to Hezbollah," an allusion to the Iranian-backed group's military power in Lebanon.
The BBC quoted Hariri as saying he feared the prospect of another war with Israel.
In a statement late last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was not planning any imminent attack on Lebanon, from where Hezbollah launched some 4,000 rockets at it during the 34-day war in 2006.
Last week, Syria accused Israel of pushing the Middle East toward a new war.
Lieberman replied at the time that Damascus would be defeated and President Bashar al-Assad would lose power in any future conflict. Netanyahu later reassured Syria that Israel sought peace.
The BBC quoted Hariri as saying that Lebanon was united and that the government would stand by Hezbollah.
"I think they're betting that there might be some division in Lebanon, if there is a war against us," it quoted him as saying. "Well, there won't be a division in Lebanon. We will stand against Israel. We will stand with our own people."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday Iran was close to enriching uranium nearly pure enough for atomic bombs, but the United States was dismissive, saying he spoke to rally government supporters on the Islamic revolution's 31st anniversary.
ABC News & Reuters February 12, 2010
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used a massive pro-government rally in Tehran to boast that the Islamic republic is now a nuclear state and on the brink of having the means to produce weapons grade uranium.
He was addressing a crowd of tens of thousands of government supporters who turned out in the capital's Freedom Square to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ousted Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.
"By God's grace it was reported that the first consignment of 20 per cent enriched uranium was produced and was put at the disposal of the scientists," Mr Ahmadinejad told the crowd.
The Iranian leader has made similar claims before, but this time his words have new significance since Iran earlier this week began enriching uranium to 20 per cent - five times more potent than was produced before.
Even more ominously for the West, he also declared Iran now has the capacity to enrich to 80 per cent - just a fraction short of the weapons grade needed to build a nuclear bomb.
"Right now at Natanz we have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 per cent or 80 per cent, but we don't enrich to this level because we don't need it," Mr Ahmadinejad said.
There were tough words from Europe and the US this week in response to Iran's nuclear milestone.
Now the US administration has imposed its own sanctions, freezing the American assets of four companies and one individual with links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, which the US sees as a key player in Iran's nuclear and missile programs.
But the thousands of Ahmadinejad supporters celebrating on the streets of Tehran yesterday brushed off the US threat, chanting "Down with America."
The United States does not believe Iran is capable of enriching uranium to the degree it says it is, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
"Iran has made a series of statements that are ... based on politics not on physics," Mr Gibbs said.
Revolution Day is the biggest event on Iran's annual calendar, but all the more important this year as the embattled Islamic leadership strives to prove it still has control and the people's support.
But while the government undoubtedly had the biggest numbers on the streets, opposition leaders were determined to stage their own show of strength.
They were apparently undeterred by a spate of arrests in the days before the anniversary or even government efforts to shut down the internet and communications networks to thwart them.
Some still managed to post online footage of anti-government protests on the Tehran subway, although the ABC is unable to verify its authenticity.
And there were unconfirmed reports last night and the first amateur videos surfaced online, suggesting pro-government militia groups had beaten some protesters, including key opposition figures.
White House spokesman Mr Gibbs says protesters have the right to demonstrate without being intimidated.
"We will continue to monitor it and continue to express our condemnation and dismay for any violence that should happen as a result of the exercising of those universal rights," he said.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Feb. 11 would mark the demise of “the liberal capitalist system,” adding that its champion, America, was on the decline and that Iran and its Islamic Revolution were on the rise.
According to a Jan. 28 translation from BBC Monitoring Middle East, Ahmadinejad spoke on official Iranian television, saying that this year’s “Ten Days of Dawn” celebration, marking the anniversary of the country’s Islamic Revolution, would see the “demise” of the American system.
“I believe that 22 Bahman [ February 11 in the Persian calendar] this year marks the demise of the liberal capitalist system.” Ahmadinejad said.
The controversial Iranian president explained that, 30 years ago, Iran was merely trying to consolidate its newly minted revolution. Today, however, the country was quickly moving to overtake what he claimed was a declining United States.
“Maybe in 1359-60 [1980-81] our presence was only an announcement of our existence and strength,” he said. “It was to consolidate the revolution. Where have we got now? We have got to a point that the hegemony of arrogance [reference to the United States] has been undermined. Nations do not trust it anymore. Its principles are under question. Its efficiency is close to zero. Its power curve is dropping quickly.”
Ahmadinejad claimed that Iran was an “inspiring” and “justice-seeking” country, which was just being “introduced to the world.”
“On the other hand, the Iranian nation is being introduced around the world as an inspiring, idealistic, revolutionary, God-seeking, justice-seeking, pure and humane nation.”
Ahmadinejad continued the narrative of America’s impending doom in a speech Saturday, Jan. 30, claiming that the Iranian revolution was the final step in God’s plan for the world.
“God created mankind … to reach a point that it could have control over the world of creation and days and nights,” Ahmadinejad said. “It is clear to all of us that the Islamic Revolution today is a giant stride toward the implementation of this great goal. The Islamic Revolution is in the direction, and of the same nature of, the great prophet’s move. It is guided by God.”
Ahmadinejad further said that the West, particularly the United States, had been the “biggest historical impediment” to the Islamic Revolution.
“The arrogant and hegemonic powers, which mankind experienced in the past 300 years – and past 60 years in particular – have been the biggest historical impediment in the face of fulfillment of this goal,” he said, according to the BBC.
Ahmadinejad went on to declare that the “materialistic and hegemonic system” was dead and “slogans” about “freedom,” “human rights,” and “democracy” had misled the world.
“It is clear that the materialistic and hegemonic system has reached the end of the road, both theoretically and practically,” he said. “Forty years ago when someone mentioned the name of America, many would drool. In the minds of many, America had a mythical and invincible power.”
“Slogans of freedom, human rights, democracy, and the right to decide your own fate, were so attractive that [they] misled many,” he continued. “Today, they have no thoughts or means other than the use of arms to prove themselves.”
The fiery Iranian leader predicted the “end” of American “civilization.”
“This means the end of a civilization, the end of a thought, and the end of a system,” said Ahmadinejad.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the nation will deliver a harsh blow to the "global arrogance" on this year's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
"The Islamic Revolution opened a window to liberty for the human race, which was trapped in the dead ends of materialism," Ahmadinejad said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
"If the Islamic Revolution had not occurred, liberalism and Marxism would have crushed all human dignity in their power-seeking and money-grubbing claws. Nothing would have remained of human and spiritual principles," he added.
Ahmadinejad said that in the three decades of its history, the Islamic Revolution had inspired some great developments in the world.
The Iranian president made the remarks as the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution approaches.
Iranians are expected to pour into the streets on February 11 to celebrate the occasion in public rallies across the country, as they have done annually over the past three decades.
"When it comes to killing, you know very well how to kill." - Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister, Turkey
Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey delivers a powerful condemnation of Israel to Shimon Peres at the World Economic Conference at Davos
World Economic Forum February 3, 2009
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is done with Davos.
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan finished his weeks of sharp criticism of the Israeli war on Gaza with an unprecedented outburst of emotion meant to guard the honor of the Turkish nation.
"I attended the panel discussion 'The Case for Middle East Peace' held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland as the prime minister of the Republic of Turkey. My responsibility is to protect the honor of the Turkish nation". - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon his return to Turkey
The complete text of Erdogan's words to Peres are provided below this You Tube Video (with subtitles in English).
Mr. Erdogan:
"Mr. Peres, you are a senior citizen and you speak in a loud voice. I feel that your raised voice is due to the guilt you feel.
"But be sure that my voice will not be raised as yours,"
"When it comes to killing, you know very well how to kill,"
"I know very well how you hit and killed children on beaches."
"In your country there are two former prime ministers whose comments on Gaza are important for me."
"You had prime ministers who said: We relish the opportunity to enter the Palestinian lands on tanks."
"You talk to me with numbers. I am willing to name these people and among you there may be people who are longing to know who they are."
"I condemn those who clap for these atrocities, because I think that cheering the murderers of children and humans is in its kind a crime against humanity."
"Pay attention please, we can't disregard this fact."
"I have made notes of Mr. Peres's speech but I have not the time to answer all of them now."
(The moderator tries to stop the Prime Minster.)
"Let me finish"
"I will only touch on two points"
"First, the sixth of the Ten Commandments in the Torah says "You shall not kill" but in Palestine people are killed."
"And second, which is a very interesting issue; Gilad Atzmon [a Jew himself], says Israeli barbarity is far beyond any usual cruelty."
Aside from this, Avi Shlaim, Professor of Oxford who performed his military duty in the Israeli army says in the Guardian that Israel has become "a rogue state."
(The Moderator tries to interrupt the Prime Minister, with hand gestures and physical contact. Erdogan has a sudden flush of anger and turns to the moderator)
"I thank you so much I thank you, too. From now on, Davos is done for me. I will not attend Davos again. You don't let me speak."
"(Pointing to Peres) He spoke for 25 minutes, but you only let me speak for 12 minutes. This is not acceptable."
Erdogan picks up his notes and without looking at Peres and Ban Ki-moon leaves the session.
On his way out, the Arab League Secretary-General, Amr Mousa, stands up and appreciative of Erdogan's move shakes hands with him.
(Neither the photos nor the text of Mr. Erdogan's speech are to be found on the website of the World Economic Forum.)
Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador to the Turkish capital of Ankara on Saturday to issue a formal complaint over a top Israeli commander's reported remarks criticizing Turkey.
The complaint is part of the escalating war of words between the two regional allies, stemming from Turkey's outspoken criticism of the recent conflict in Gaza.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Saturday that it had requested an "urgent explanation" from Ambassador Gabby Levy for recent remarks reportedly made by a top Israeli military commander.
According to the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi told an international conference that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan should "look in the mirror" before criticizing Israel.
Mizrahi pointed to Turkey's treatment of its long-oppressed Kurdish minority and the ongoing Turkish military occupation in northern Cyprus, Ha'aretz reported.
And, in a separate statement issued Saturday, the Turkish military called the Israeli general's comments "unacceptable," adding, "We expect the Israeli General Staff, which we think gives importance to relations with the Turkish Armed Forces, to clarify the issue."
Tensions have increased between Turkey and Israel since last month, when Erdogan stormed off stage at a conference in Davos, Switzerland.
Erdogan objected to Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres' passionate defense of Israel's 22-day military operation in Gaza, which left more than 1,300 Palestinians dead. Thirteen Israelis, including 10 soldiers, were killed.
For the past decade, Turkey and Israel have enjoyed close military and economic ties. The Israeli military often conducts exercises around the Turkish city of Konya. Israeli tourists flock to Turkey's Mediterranean Sea resorts, and bilateral trade has increased dramatically since Erdogan's ruling AK Party first won national elections in 2002.
As a result, audience members were shocked last month when Erdogan lost his temper while participating in a panel discussion of the recent Gaza conflict in Davos.
Before storming off stage, Erdogan told the Israeli president,
"When it comes to killing, you know killing very well. I know how you hit, kill children on the beaches."
Erdogan has been unapologetic about his outburst. While campaigning for municipal elections to be held in Turkey next month, the prime minister told reporters that the results of Israel's recent elections "painted a very dark picture" for the future of the region, Reuters reported.
Let's have a flashback about the Palestine cause: Israel played the world like a fish and made itself seem like a big playmaker by holding the initiative consistently.
Led by Yasser Arafat, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) drove rock-throwing little children against Israel's strategic moves, and Israel could not overcome this for a long time.
Arafat's leadership did not allow Israel to pull all the strings in the region with its moderate and elastic policy. Holding the initiative and playing the field was not that easy for Israel in those years. Carrying out shuttle diplomacy among Arab states, Arafat knew how to turn the Palestine issue into one of the most important causes in the Muslim world. Thus, the Palestine issue was never an easy pill for Israel to swallow; even the US did not spare its support.
Following the death of Arafat, things got easier for Israel because of the conflict between Hamas and Fatah. We can say that this bicephalous structure increased Israel's desire for the region even more and unfortunately could not mount a resistance against Israel in Palestine. Another gap that Israel has benefited from is the veiled or open conflict between Hamas and Arab states. And Arab countries that see Hamas as a threat to themselves have been on the same page as Israel: Hamas should be demolished. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt have shown virtually no reaction to Israel's latest operations for that reason.
The Israeli policy that drives the country forward is its friction with 'radical Iran' and its challenges against Iran. So, a conflict with Prime Minister Erdoğan, who has taken the initiative for stability and peace in the region and who has become one of the most respected leaders in the world -- a conflict with Turkey -- would be the end of Israel's survival strategy in the region
The Palestine issue is also evaluated as a "buffer zone" between the Arab and Western worlds. The Israeli threat was a disturbing issue for the Arab world, and Israel could be kept busy by supporting Palestine against Israel. Thus, the support of Arab countries for Palestine never crossed to the other side of the retaining wall. And Israel, being the only country whose borders the United Nations could not define, continued to expand its land with its ongoing invasion of Palestinian land.
Dividing Palestine into the two tiny regions of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel nearly erased Palestine from the world map. As it was expanding its land and deepening its invasion, Israel took advantage of "Islamophobia" very often to convince the Western world; Israel represented itself to the Western world as a country that was fighting against "Islamic terrorism" and tried persuade the Western world by saying it was eliminating that threat for the sake of the whole world, and this is still taking place.
The lack of a reaction from the Western world against Israel should not be attributed only to the influence of Jewish lobbies, but also to the success of Israel's strategy of convincing Westerners through fictionalized Islamophobia rhetoric.
Does Israel have its back against the wall?
Israel lost the war in Lebanon in 2006 in military aspects and lost the war in Gaza (2008) in ethical aspects. If we consider domestic politics in Israel, it seems as though political parties will not meet their expectations in terms of collecting votes. Maybe Israel will achieve the political aims it has planned in the short term, but it will suffer because of its image as a "murderer state" in the long term.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan communicatively expressed "the truth that all the people on the planet agree on" to Israeli President Shimon Peres in Davos. Actually his reaction to the Israeli president in Davos created a bigger impression than leaving the Davos meeting. In diplomatic language, the phone call made by Israeli President Peres to Erdoğan indicating that he was not offended by what happened can only be evaluated as the desire to shift from the image of a "murderer state" to a more personal one.
We should underscore that predictions about the future that await Israel are not definite. Israel incited the reaction of the world with the barbarian slaughter it carried out, and it appears that Israel's propaganda, which deliberatively reduces Gaza to "Hamas," cannot be handled even by Nobel Peace Prize winner Peres.
As long as Israel does not trigger a new process after the crime against humanity it committed in Gaza, it will start to eat up its own energy internally. Above all, a political crisis with Turkey in this period would mean the suicide of Israel. The Israeli policy that drives the country forward is its friction with "radical Iran" and its challenges against Iran. So, a conflict with Prime Minister Erdoğan, who takes initiative for stability and peace in the region and who has become one of the most respected leaders in the world -- a conflict with Turkey -- would be the end of Israel's survival strategy in the region.
Can Israel take such risk, which may cause it to turn from a country that holds the initiative and produces policy into a country that is shaped by others' policies? Essentially the situation is that. At this stage, it should be stated that Israel may find itself in such a situation whether it wants to or not, since international developments that are likely to take place imply that this may take place. Peres' phone call to Erdoğan to express his sorrow over what happened was not for nothing. The thing that Peres could not handle, more than Erdoğan's personality, was the strength and success of Turkish diplomacy under the leadership of Erdoğan.
Is the Davos crisis a great chance for Turkey?
The point at which Israel has arrived can be defined as "go farther and fare worse." Israel may recognize itself as having achieved certain aims (especially political aims) through the operation in Gaza, which was planned considering the nature of the soil there -- an operation that was planned very well tactically just before the Obama administration took office. But Israel's policy of producing tension in the region is taking a jab starting from today.
Now there is a peaceful country, Turkey, between Israel and Iran (the country Israel has continuously used as a foundation for its legitimacy). Turkish diplomats know how to bring Hamas and Israel together at the same table through their practices of peace and shuttle diplomacy, and now this has turned into a strong barrier for Israel. Turkey can succeed in limiting Israel by taking the initiative in the region and bridling both Palestine and Israel and another actor in the region, Iran. Moves that weaken the hand of Israel politically are made by Turkey.
Turkey can turn the crisis in Davos into an opportunity, and this has become possible because of a historical turning point in the meeting in Davos that occurred when Mr. Erdoğan (as he should have) left a panel discussion after an argument with the Israeli president. While the Turkish media discuss whether the behavior of Prime Minister Erdoğan was right, Erdoğan's action, which can be defined as active, smart and not to be outdone, has carried Turkey into a key position. Now, what is the probability that this attitude and this occasion will be turned into a stable one in the international arena? This aspect of the issue deserves to be discussed.
One of the things that bothers Israel most is the possibility that Turkey may work out a stable peace between Hamas and Fatah. This is one of the opportunities that await Turkey, and Turkey will increase its influence through its success in this. We should not be surprised if we witness such an initiative by Turkey.
The Iranian ambassador in Moscow says Russia has assured Iran that it still intends to deliver long-range air-defense missiles.
Russian news agencies cite Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi as saying on Thursday "our Russian colleagues have assured us that they will meet their obligations." A Kremlin spokesman declined to comment.
Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the S-300 missile complex, but so far has not delivered. The delay has not been explained, but Israel and the United States strongly objected to Iran obtaining the missiles, which would significantly boost the country's defense capability. The ambassador was quoted as saying Iran is ready to receive the weapons.
A top Russian arms trade official recently signaled the delivery may go ahead.
Israel's outspoken foreign minister harshly warned Syria Thursday against drawing the Jewish state into another war, saying the Syrian army would be defeated and its regime would collapse in a future conflict.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman also advised Syria to abandon its dreams of recovering the Israeli-held Golan Heightsin a speech that ratcheted up simmering political tensions between the two longtime foes and sparked an urgent damage control campaign from the prime minister's office.
Lieberman's exceptionally sharp words followed Syrian President Bashar Assad's accusation on Wednesday that Israel was the one avoiding peace, and the Syrian foreign minister's earlier threat that Israeli cities would be attacked in a future conflict.
The Syrians "have crossed a red line that cannot be ignored," Lieberman said in a speech at Bar-Ilan University, near Tel Aviv.
"Our message must be clear to Assad: 'In the next war, not only will you lose but you and your family will lose power,'" he added.
Lieberman heads the ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu faction. He has stirred controversy before with statements that Israeli-Arab lawmakers who meet Palestinian militants should be executed and that the president of Egypt could "go to hell." He later apologized for the comment directed at the Egyptian leader.
Lieberman's bellicose language contrasted sharply with a statement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued late Wednesday, saying Israel seeks peace. It also said Netanyahu "would be willing to go anywhere in the world, and doesn't rule out any assistance by a fair third party, to promote the political process in order to begin peace talks with Syria without any preconditions."
In another statement Thursday, Netanyahu's spokesman Nir Hefetz said the prime minister spoke with Lieberman about the Syria issue.
"The two clarify that the policy of the government is clear: Israel seeks peace and negotiations with Syria without preconditions. Having said that, Israel will continue to act aggressively and persistently to any threat toward it," the statement read.
In a third statement, the prime minister's office said Netanyahu will ask his ministers to refrain from speaking out about the Syrian issue.
Syria demands the return of the Golan Heights - the strategic plateau Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war - as the price of any deal.
But Lieberman said there would be no such thing.
"We must make Syria recognize that just as it relinquished its dream of a greater Syria that controls Lebanon ... it will have to relinquish its ultimate demand regarding the Golan Heights," Lieberman said.
There was no immediate comment from Syrian officials to Lieberman's remarks.
Several rounds of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel in 2008 ended without agreement.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned earlier this week that the absence of peacemaking with Syria could result in a regional war.
Ehud Barak calls for talks with Damascus, says new Iran sanctions won't work.
By Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post February 2, 2010
In the absence of a peace deal with Syria, Israel could find itself at war with its neighbor to the north, Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned on Monday.
Speaking at an annual gathering of top IDF officers, Barak said that it was crucial to open negotiations as soon as possible and to do so while the other side – Syria – perceived Israel as being strong.
The coming year, Barak said, would be one of many challenges but also of opportunities for peace with Syria and the Palestinians.
“In the absence of a deal with Syria we could reach an armed conflict that could develop into a full-fledged war,” he said. “As is in the Middle East, immediately after the war we will sit down and negotiate exactly what we have been talking about for the past 15 years.”
Regarding Iran, Barak said that the Islamic Republic was the greatest threat to world order and that, while the United States was planning a new round of tough sanctions, it was doubtful that they would have the desired effect.
“We can’t foresee the effectiveness of the sanctions and the chance of the Americans recruiting the Chinese is also not great in light of the developments in US-Chinese relations in recent days,” he said. “As I have said in the past, all options are on the table, and I mean it.”
By Don Koenig, The Prophetic Years February 2, 2010
Like many fellow Bible prophecy students, for a couple of years, I took the position that Israel or the United States will bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities “any day now.” The bombing in my mind was imminent. If you remember, many thought that Bush would do it before the election primaries and then before the election and then before leaving office.
If anyone was going to bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities, the best time to have done so was before Iran acquired the nuclear know how. However, that did not happen.
If anyone should bomb Iran today it would not achieve much since Iran already has the nuclear know how, and they could rebuild their efforts in just a few years. Today we really would have to invade and occupy Iran to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Does anyone think that the American people would tolerate an occupation of Iran after Iraq and Afghanistan?
Therefore, I no longer think it is likely that Israel or the United States will bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities, at least it is not imminent (so having said that, it will probably happen tomorrow).
There are a number of additional reasons why I no longer believe that Iran will be bombed, even though I know that some fellow students of Bible prophecy will disagree with my analysis.
There is the start of a revolution going on in Iran. America is going to wait to see how it plays out before we get ourselves in another war. Many think the green movement in Iran will be crushed by the Mullahs. Others think that this will turn into a full-fledged revolution and that the end of the Islamic regime is inevitable.
Whatever the truth of the outcome, I do not think we are going to bomb Iran or allow Iran to be bombed by Israel until this Iranian green revolution fully plays out. We may get a clue where this is going when millions of Iranians take to the streets on Feb 11.
I think the United States has made it very clear to Israel that we will oppose any unilateral actions at this time. Israel is not stupid. They know they cannot fight the entire Middle East without the support of America; and the leaders of Israel have no faith in God, so don’t expect them to rely there for help either. I think Israel would have to have hard evidence of weapons-grade uranium being produced in Iran before any attack would be authorized; and if they actually did have such proof, then America would be with them.
Since Iran cannot be allowed to have nukes, and there is nothing in Bible prophecy about Iran until the Gog invasion, I am now inclined to believe that Iran will decide not to develop nuclear weapons. I believe this most likely occurs because there will be a popular secular revolution in Iran. Then, in order to become a full member of the world, the people of Iran will choose to convert the nuclear weapons program to a peaceful program and allow international oversight.
Next on the agenda for the Middle East is probably the Psalm 83 war. That war is now imminent. It will bring the destruction of most of the military forces of the Arabs. It will probably be kicked off by Hezbollah. Sure Hezbollah is supported by Iran, and Hezbollah is chomping at the bit to go at Israel, but Hezbollah knows they need Syrian and Iranian support to succeed.
If Iran has a revolution, Hezbollah will lose Iranian support and they will have to fully rely on Syria and Arab nations. Then the players of the war of Psalm 83 are fully in place. Iran is not mentioned in Psalm 83, but all the Arab nations around Israel are.
Certainly there is a possibility that the Mullahs of Iran could try to kick this war off to forestall the revolution in Iran, but doing so also might be the catalyst for the Iranian people to throw off the Mullahs rather than see their country destroyed--especially if they should see Damascus in ruins (Isa 17:1) because Syria used weapons of mass destruction against Israel or hit their nuclear reactor, spreading radiation on the people. If Iran was involved, I would expect the same fate for Tehran, but there is no hint of that in Bible prophecy. So either Damascus is a demonstration to Iran to cease or, more likely, Iran is not involved in the war at all. Remember that Iran is not Arab; in fact, the Persian people and the Arabs have no great love for each other. It will not take much for Iran to turn against the Arabs if the Mullahs are out of the way.
Today, even under persecution, the common Iranian people are becoming increasingly open to the gospel. There was an article on this in the latest Voice of the Martyrs magazine. So rather than a imminent bombing of Iran, I now expect a revolution in Iran and a window where the gospel can be preached until some future time when Russia leads a great host of nations against Israel in the Gog war.
Nevertheless, we cannot be dogmatic about these speculations; and your opinions about the fate of Iran, and how this will play out, may be better than mine. So you are invited to present your food for thought here and I intend to butt out unless I am actually asked something.
Pentagon says Patriot shield will deter strike on American allies in the Gulf
Guardian January 31, 2010
Tension between the US and Iran heightened dramatically today with the disclosure that Barack Obama is deploying a missile shield to protect American allies in the Gulf from attack by Tehran.
The US is dispatching Patriot defensive missiles to four countries – Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait – and keeping two ships in the Gulf capable of shooting down Iranian missiles. Washington is also helping Saudi Arabia develop a force to protect its oil installations.
American officials said the move is aimed at deterring an attack by Iran and reassuring Gulf states fearful that Tehran might react to sanctions by striking at US allies in the region. Washington is also seeking to discourage Israel from a strike against Iran by demonstrating that the US is prepared to contain any threat.
The deployment comes after Obama's attempts to emphasise diplomacy over confrontation in dealing with Iran – a contrast to the Bush administration's approach – have failed to persuade Tehran to open its nuclear installations to international controls. The White House is now trying to engineer agreement for sanctions focused on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, believed to be in charge of the atomic programme.
Washington has not formally announced the deployment of the Patriots and other anti-missile systems, but by leaking it to American newspapers the administration is evidently seeking to alert Tehran to a hardening of its position.
The administration is deploying two Patriot batteries, capable of shooting down incoming missiles, in each of the four Gulf countries. Kuwait already has an older version of the missile, deployed after Iraq's invasion. Saudi Arabia has long had the missiles, as has Israel.
An unnamed senior administration official told the New York Times:
"Our first goal is to deter the Iranians. A second is to reassure the Arab states, so they don't feel they have to go nuclear themselves. But there is certainly an element of calming the Israelis as well."
The chief of the US central command, General David Petraeus, said in a speech 10 days ago that countries in the region are concerned about Tehran's military ambitions and the prospect of it becoming a dominant power in the Gulf:
"Iran is clearly seen as a very serious threat by those on the other side of the Gulf front."
Petraeus said the US is keeping cruisers equipped with advanced anti-missile systems in the Gulf at all times to act as a buffer between Iran and the Gulf states.
Washington is also concerned at the threat of action by Israel, which is predicting that Iran will be able to build a nuclear missile within a year, a much faster timetable than assessed by the US, and is warning that it will not let Tehran come close to completion if diplomacy fails.
The director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, met the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and other senior officials in Jerusalem last week to discuss Iran.
Pro-Israel lobby groups in the US have joined Republican party leaders in trying to build public pressure on the administration to take a tougher line with Iran. One group, the Israel Project, has been running a TV campaign warning that Iran might supply nuclear weapons to terrorists.
"Imagine Washington DC under missile attack from nearby Baltimore," it says. "A nuclear Iran is a threat to peace, emboldens extremists, and could give nuclear materials to terrorists with the ability to strike anywhere."
Washington is also concerned that if Iran is able to build nuclear weapons, other states in the region will feel the need to follow. Israel is the only country in the Middle East to already have atomic bombs, although it does not officially acknowledge it.
The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said in London last week that the US will press for additional sanctions against Iran if it fails to curb its nuclear programme.
Europe's foreign affairs minister, Catherine Ashton, today said the UN security council should now take up the issue.
"We are worried about what's happening in Iran. I'm disappointed at the failure of Iran to accept the dialogue, and we now need to look again at what needs to happen there," she told Sky News.
"The next step for us is to take our discussions into the security council. When I was meeting with Hillary Clinton last week we talked about Iran and we were very clear this is a problem we will have to deal with."
However, China and Russia are still pressing for a diplomatic solution.
Tony Blair, Middle East envoy on behalf of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU, continually referred to what he described as the Iranian threat during his evidence at the Chilcot inquiry last Friday. Textual analysis now shows that he mentioned Iran 58 times.
Besides the new missile deployment, Washington is also helping Saudi Arabia to create a 30,000-strong force to protect oil installations and other infrastructure, as well as expanded joint exercises between the US and military forces in the region.
The move is a continuation of the military build-up begun under former president George W Bush. In the past two years, Abu Dhabi has bought $17bn (£11bn) worth of weapons from the US, including the Patriot anti-missile batteries and an advanced anti-missile system. UAE recently bought 80 US-made fighter jets. It is also buying fighters from France.
Petraeus said in a speech in Bahrain last year the UAE air force "could take out the entire Iranian air force, I believe."
Patriot missiles are designed to intercept enemy missiles before they reach their target. Since production began in 1980, 9,000 missiles have been delivered to countries including Germany, Greece, Taiwan and Japan.
During the first Gulf war Patriot success was 70% in Saudi Arabia and 40% in Israel. Since then the US has spent more than $10bn (£6.3bn) improving, among other aspects, the system's radar and computer compatibility for joint forces action. Once in position, the system requires a crew of only three people to operate. Each missile weighs 700kg and has a range of about 100 miles.
The US navy is in the process of upgrading all its Ticonderoga class cruisers and a number of destroyers to carry the Aegis ballistic missile defence system. It uses a surface-to-air missile that is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles above the atmosphere. It has also been tested on failing satellites as they fall to earth. Each missile is over 6m long and costs more than $9m.
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