Babylon Rising - Part Six - London as Zion

Joseph Herrin

This post picks up where Part Five of Babylon Rising left off. In that post I had shared that Satan is positioning London to be his capital city. The capital of Satan’s kingdom is Babylon, but Satan in his great deceit is calling it Zion. This is evident from the logo created to mark the 2012 Olympics hosted by the city of London.




The logo chosen by the London Olympics organizing committee has been criticized for being ugly, but it was designed in this fashion for a purpose. A rearrangement of the figures spells out the name Zion.




Note especially the name “London” superimposed over the “Z” in Zion. The connection of London being set forth as Zion is clear. Even as Satan figures himself as the god of this world, he has borrowed the name of the city of Yahweh to use for his own corrupt and wicked world government.

A couple weeks ago I was sent a link to a video that I found quite interesting. What I want to draw your attention to is the end of the video that includes an excerpt from the royal wedding recently held in London for Prince William and Kate Middleton. What is remarkable is the song sung by the royal family and the elite guests gathered to celebrate the occasion. The hymn is titled “Jerusalem” and has been suggested as a national anthem for England. The lyrics of the song were written by William Blake, who was a Freemason and Illuminist. Before you watch the video, let me share the lyrics of this song with you.

The poem begins by questioning whether the false legend of Christ visiting England as a youth is actually true. It then proceeds to describe the building of the New Jerusalem in England.


Jerusalem
(Words by William Blake - circa 1808)

And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon England's mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On England’s pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England’s green and pleasant Land
[End of Lyrics]

Even as Jerusalem is called “the city of God,” Zion is the highest hill in Jerusalem. It is the location where Christ appears among the overcomers. It is the seat of all rule and authority. What is being suggested by this song is that the seat of all rule and authority upon the earth will be established in England. Jerusalem will be built there. Elect men will rule the world from this terrestrial Zion.

As you watch the video also note the trees inside the cathedral where the song is sung. Groves of trees have from ancient times been associated with Baal worship. This should give the viewer some indication of the god who is being worshiped by the royal family and the elite gathered in London.

Video Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVUdBRpbm3Q

If you want to read more about the history of this anthem, you can find an article on Wikipedia at the following URL.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_did_those_feet_in_ancient_time

Some may sincerely ask, “What value is there in knowing such things?” I am reminded of the following words of Christ.

Matthew 24:15-22
“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

Why did Yahshua speak the words recorded here? Did He not wish for His disciples to be discerning of the days they lived in, and to act wisely when they observed that great evil was at hand? Even so, in this hour we are observing many signs of the impending elevation of Satan’s false kingdom over this earth. Babylon is rising. The saints of God need to walk wisely in this hour, for the days are evil.

Satan is an usurper. He seeks to elevate his throne above that of Yahweh. He would have all men to worship him, and the Scriptures reveal that he will nearly realize this desire in the end of the age.

Revelation 13:3-4
And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"

In the previous post in this series I included numerous images that reveal that the inner city of London is guarded at every entrance by images of dragons. These “Boundary Dragons” indicate who rules in this place.





If you did not read the previous post, or would like to review it again, you can find it here:

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/babylon-rising-part-five-tisha-bav-and.html

I will repeat one more image from the former post as it ties directly into what I will share next. The following picture shows the Coat of Arms for the City of London Corporation.




The Latin phrase “domine dirige nos” is translated as “Lord Direct Us.” It should be obvious from the dragons that the lord being referred to is Lucifer, the great dragon of Scripture.

Revelation 12:9
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

I would share now a remarkable testimony that occurred yesterday that further relates to dragons and the ascension of Satan’s visible world kingdom. You may have seen the news regarding a new tower in London that was “inaugurated” yesterday. It is the tallest building in all of Europe and you can be certain that it is filled with occult symbolism and meaning. The building is called “The Shard.”




The Shard

This pyramid shaped building has just been opened to the public. One of the requirements for its construction is that the building had to be completed BEFORE the 2012 Olympics began. The reason for this will be made known in a moment.

To understand what The Shard represents, one can look to one of the chief instruments Satan has used in this past generation to introduce mankind to the worship of Satan. It is the boardgame called Dungeons and Dragons. An entire industry has arisen alongside this gaming industry which includes numerous books that describe the worlds found in Dungeons and Dragons. R.A. Salvatore has sold over 15 million books, many of which are related to this fantasy role playing game. Among these books are the novels The Crystal Shard, Passage to Dawn, The Silent Blade, and Servant of the Shard. All of these novels take as a central element a relic called Crenshinibon, also known as “The Shard.” A wikipedia entry on this item includes the following information.

Crenshinibon is an evil, sentient artifact in the Forgotten Realms setting based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game....


Crenshinibon is a vile relic of immense power, a crystal shard that draws its magical energy from the light of the sun. Crenshinibon is a sentient artifact, and it possesses a never-ending hunger for power and glory at whatever cost; therefore, Crenshinibon is not a reasoning being. It always desires a powerful wielder, usually a corruptible magic-user of some sort, and greatly enhances that wielder’s powers. The Crystal Shard also insidiously manipulates its wielder and would readily abandon him or her for someone more capable of furthering its goals of ultimate conquest. The relic can lure in thousands of evil-intentioned beings with its magical call, creating a grand army for its wielder and so-called master.


Perhaps Crenshinibon's most magnificent ability is its power to create an enormous crystalline tower, known as Cryshal-Tirith (Elvish, literally meaning crystal tower). In order to create the tower, Crenshinibon first creates an exact duplicate of itself, a square-sided crystal that sometimes glows a green light.




The wielder then places the copy of the shard on the ground and recites the words ibssum dal abdur. The duplicate crystal expands, growing into the crystalline tower, still an exact image of Crenshinibon, only now of mammoth proportions...


The nature of the artifact is to attain power to its greatest level. This desire transcends the normally established boundaries of what is right and what is wrong.


The Shard's primary attack is on the ego, collecting slaves with promises of greatness and riches.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crenshinibon]

This remarkable description of The Shard reveals the spirit not only of Satan, but of those men and women who have yoked themselves to his service in order that they might obtain greatness and riches in this world. Such men and women are truly blind, for they do not perceive the treachery of serving a being that comes only “to kill, steal and destroy.” Satan has no love for mankind, nor does he have regard for those who serve him. If a man or woman is no longer useful, he “would readily abandon him or her for someone more capable of furthering [his] goals of ultimate conquest.”

The image of The Shard illuminated with green lights above is not part of the Wikipedia article. It was taken from yesterday’s inauguration ceremony for The Shard in London. Symbolically, and quite unusually, The Shard’s inauguration took place at night, when all was dark in London.

John 11:9-10
Yahshua answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

Luke 22:52-53
Then Yahshua said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber? While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours."

A malevolent force is arising in the world that is at enmity with the true Light of the world. Days of great persecution for the disciples of Christ are near at hand. The powers of darkness are arising.

In the Wikipedia article cited above it is noted that The Shard would at times emit a green light. The planners of the inauguration for this great tower in London chose to employ the use of green laser lights to mark the occasion. This correlation is not by chance. The building that now sits in London shares the same malevolent spirit as the Crystal Shard that could transform itself into a tower from the Dungeons and Dragons books and games. Following is a video of the inauguration of this building.



Video Link:
http://youtu.be/G2FMdD9Lahg

You may note the music played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra during this inauguration as the green laser lights shone across London. The songs were similarly chosen to convey a message. The songs played were Aaron Copland’sFanfare for the Common Man and Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/tomserviceblog/2012/jul/05/london-philharmonic-shard

In these two songs we have linked together the common man and the worship of the Firebird, which is a figure of the mythical Phoenix. Satan is this Firebird. He was cast to the earth where he was consumed by fire, but has arisen from the ashes reborn to ascend to the heavens again.

Ezekiel 28:18
“By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you.”

Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer familiar with the folklore of his people. Wikipedia has the following to say about the Firebird.

In Slavic folklore, the Firebird is a magical glowing bird from a faraway land, which is both a blessing and a bringer of doom to its captor.


The Firebird is described as a large bird with majestic plumage that glows brightly emitting red, orange, and yellow light, like a bonfire that is just past the turbulent flame. The feathers do not cease glowing if removed, and one feather can light a large room if not concealed. In later iconography, the form of the Firebird is usually that of a smallish fire-colored peacock, complete with a crest on its head and tail feathers with glowing "eyes."
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebird_%28Slavic_folklore%29]

Note once more the relationship to what was previously described about Crenshinibon. Here is a coveted being sought after for the blessings it can bring, But like the Shard, it is treacherous. It brings doom to those who seek to wield it. In the video of the inauguration of The Shard the colors displayed on the outside of the building changed hues even as the Firebird emitted multi-colored lights.

One item that struck me as odd, and symbolic, is that the opening of this building was not described as a “Dedication” ceremony as is typical of buildings. Rather, it was described as an “Inauguration.” The word “Inauguration” is more closely associated with people than with objects. Yet, as we have read, The Shard was regarded not as an inanimate object, but as “a sentient artifact.” Sentient means “having the power of perception; conscious.” Here in London is a building that is being inaugurated as if it is a conscious entity.

Let us return to the function of this “sentient artifact.” We read previously the following words.

The relic can lure in thousands of evil-intentioned beings with its magical call, creating a grand army for its wielder and so-called master.

Here then is the emblematic purpose of this tower in London, and the reason that it needed to be completed prior to the opening of the 2012 London Olympics. It is endowed with a spiritual power to summon thousands of evil-intentioned beings. Whether these be fallen angels and demons, or wicked men and women, they are being called to the rising of Satan’s kingdom in this earth.

As was mentioned in Part Five of this series, the opening ceremonies for the XXX Olympiad in London will take place on Tisha B’Av (July 27th). This has been a date of great tragedy for the people of God throughout the ages. This coming Olympics will surely usher in a time of great evil for the people of God.

Ephesians 5:15-16
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Ways of Thinking About a National ID Card

Re “Show Me Your Papers” (column, July 2): Finally, common sense is beginning to shine. Bill Keller advocates a national ID card, and Senators Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey Graham have called for an “enhanced Social Security card.” This card already exists: the United States passport card.

According to the State Department, “the U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book.”

The challenge is to mandate it for all American citizens.

IRA SOHN
New York, July 2, 2012

To the Editor:

Bill Keller suggests that every American be issued an “enhanced Social Security card” with a chip including biometric information. In fact, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is well on its way to creating such a system.

Through the Next Generation Identification initiative, the bureau is amassing a huge database of biometric information about Americans. Starting with those who have had contact with the criminal justice system — about one-third of adults, according to recent reports — the initiative will also dramatically expand civil record collections.

Once the F.B.I. has our prints, eye scans and digital photos on file, the need for a plastic ID card will be obsolete: our bodies themselves are the IDs. This is happening without efforts to “distinguish the reasonable and constructive from the invasive and excessive,” in Mr. Keller’s words. Oversight is urgently needed. Without it, Big Brother fears become legitimate, and abuse is inevitable.

JESSICA KARP
Los Angeles, July 2, 2012

The writer is a Soros justice fellow, National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

To the Editor:

The federal I-9 Form, Employment Eligibility Identification, imposes national ID requirements on employers. Presumably, all people who work legally in the United States already possess such identification. How can requiring a national ID card be any more intrusive than what is required by the I-9 Form?

Curiously, a voter registration card by itself is not enough to satisfy the I-9 requirements. Apparently, it’s more important to us as a country to confirm the identities of people working here than to know who’s voting in our elections.

NY Times

Israel seeks advanced missiles for new gunboats

The Israeli Navy plans to install an advanced, short and long-range missile system on the new vessels it will purchase next year, a media report said.

Navy and defense ministry officials have been holding talks in recent months focused on the need for new vessels to replace the aging fleet of Sa'ar 5-class corvettes, reported Xinhua.

According to officers who spoke to The Jerusalem Post, Israel needs more advanced missiles onboard its vessels to fulfill a number of roles, among them protecting Israeli gas and oil rigs in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Israeli Navy has boosted security around the offshore platforms in recent months, due to concerns over dangers posed by militant groups or an armed conflict with neighbouring states.

In April, the US Sixth Fleet oversaw maneuvers with the Israeli and Greek navies, code-named Noble Dina, which included air-to-air combat simulations, anti-submarine warfare and protection of offshore natural gas rigs.

The rigs, located more than 130 km beyond Israel's territorial waters but within the country's "economic waters zone", are a prime target for ground and ship-based rockets, or other militant attacks.

The five contiguous offshore fields - Aditya, Ishai, Lela, Yahav and Yoad - are located 170 km west of Haifa, and cover 500,000 acres. They are adjacent to the larger Leviathan (450 billion cubic meters) and Tamar (240 billion cubic meters) fields, discovered several years ago.

The army's high command recently tasked the navy's missile boat flotilla with securing the Tamar, Leviathan and Yam Tethys drilling platforms, according to reports in local media outlets.

Another reason for the new weaponry is a potential offensive against Gaza, Lebanon or Syria. In armed conflicts in recent years, naval forces aided the military's offensives, providing them with fire support.

The missiles the army is considering could be deployed against enemy installations, bases or radar stations.

The navy is looking at a number of systems, including Israel Military Industries' 160 mm Accular -- a GPS-guided missile system with a range of 40 km, as well as longer-range missiles.

"These missiles will give us the ability to play a more influential role," a senior navy officer told the newspaper.

Additionally, the vessel itself will have to accommodate an advanced radar system, a helicopter and a launch system, capable of firing long-range air defense and surface-to-surface missiles.

One possibility, military sources told the Post, is to design the ships in the US, using foreign military financing, and then build them at Israel shipyards. Another option is to build them in South Korea.

Israel News Net

US record heatwave leaves dozens dead

At least 42 people have died in a heatwave that has brought soaring temperatures to a dozen US states from the Midwest to the East Coast.

Crops shrivelled and roads and railway lines buckled in the heat.

Hundreds of records fell across the affected area on Friday and Saturday, but the heat was expected to ease slightly on Sunday.

Severe storms are expected to follow. Many homes in the region are still without power after storms a week ago.

Media reports say many of the deaths were of elderly people stuck in homes without air conditioning because of the outages.

Ten deaths in Chicago were blamed on the heat, and at least 10 each in the eastern states of Virginia and Maryland.

Three each died in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and two in Tennessee.

A four-month-old girl died after being left in a car for "an extended period" outside her home in Greenfield, Indiana.

On Saturday temperatures reached 105F (41C) in Washington DC - just short of the hottest ever recorded in the city - and 107F (42C) in St Louis, Missouri, which also extended its record for consecutive days over 100F to 10.

"It's hotter than hell," tourist John Ghio, visiting the White House, told Reuters news agency.

"Too hot," said Chinese tourist Xiao Duan, 30, who was also visiting Washington.

"My father says it's like we're being burned by flames."

High temperatures have also hit parts of Canada, with temperatures on Friday breaking 11 daily records in Ontario.Storms to follow
A number of cities have opened cooling centres and extended opening hours for public swimming pools.

Hundreds of thousands of people in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland and Indiana are still enduring power outages caused by storms that swept through the area one week ago.

Some communities are offering meals to residents whose food has spoiled after their refrigerators stopped working.

Officials in Chicago cancelled summer schools classes in 21 buildings without air conditioning because of the heat.

The heat there buckled a major road, cracking and bulging part of Columbus Drive by 5in (12cm).

Cooler weather is said to be on the way for northern parts of the Midwest, although strong storms could accompany the lower temperatures.

BBC

U.N. Agreement Should Have All Gun Owners Up In Arms

It may not come as surprising news to many of you that the United Nations doesn’t approve of our Second Amendment. Not one bit. And they very much hope to do something about it with help from some powerful American friends. Under the guise of a proposed global “Small Arms Treaty” premised to fight “terrorism”, “insurgency” and “international crime syndicates” you can be quite certain that an even more insidious threat is being targeted – our Constitutional right for law-abiding citizens to own and bear arms.

What, exactly, does the intended agreement entail?

While the terms have yet to be made public, if passed by the U.N. and ratified by our Senate, it will almost certainly force the U.S. to:

1.-Enact tougher licensing requirements, creating additional bureaucratic red tape for legal firearms ownership.
2.- Confiscate and destroy all “unauthorized” civilian firearms (exempting those owned by our government of course).
3.-Ban the trade, sale and private ownership of all semi-automatic weapons (any that have magazines even though they still operate in the same one trigger pull – one single “bang” manner as revolvers, a simple fact the ant-gun media never seem to grasp).
4.-Create an international gun registry, clearly setting the stage for full-scale gun confiscation.
5.-In short, overriding our national sovereignty, and in the process, providing license for the federal government to assert preemptive powers over state regulatory powers guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment in addition to our Second Amendment rights.

Forbes

Egypt parliament dissolution is binding, court rules

Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi's order to reconvene parliament has been rejected by the country's highest court, which says its ruling dissolving the assembly is binding.

Following President Mursi's decree, the speaker of the dissolved house had called for MPs to meet on Tuesday.

Army units outside parliament were withdrawn, allowing MPs to enter.

Mr Mursi, whose Muslim Brotherhood won most seats, says the chamber should function until a new election is held.

But Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court, meeting on Monday, said that all its rulings and decisions were "final and not subject to appeal".

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) - whose original decision to dissolve parliament was backed by the court - met in an emergency session shortly after the presidential decree was issued on Sunday.

The new president's order was widely seen as a challenge to the judiciary as well as the military.

Parliament speaker Saad al-Katatni said MPs should return for a session of parliament on Tuesday afternoon, the Mena news agency said.

Despite the apparent tensions, President Mursi and Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who heads Scaf, appeared together at a military cadet graduation ceremony on Monday.New polls

The military had enforced a court order last month dissolving parliament because party members had contested seats reserved for independents.

The Scaf took over the reins of power last year, after the revolution that ended former President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

The army move was initially welcomed by many of the anti-government protesters, but its presence became increasingly unpopular as critics accused its leaders of wanting to hold on to power.

Mr Mursi won the country's first free presidential election last month, and army chiefs formally handed over power on 30 June.

But before his inauguration, the military granted itself sweeping powers.

The commanders' constitutional declaration stripped the president of any authority over the military, gave military chiefs legislative powers, and the power to veto the new constitution, which has yet to be drafted.

In his presidential decree, Mr Mursi said new parliamentary elections would be held 60 days after the constitution had been agreed by referendum.

The Muslim Brotherhood has consistently opposed the decision to dissolve parliament.
BBC

'Attack on Iran after Syria falls major goal of the West'

In the “Hidden Imam” they discussed actions needed for the reappearance of the last Islamic messiah.

A senior Iranian cleric is warning Israel that if it attacks the Islamic state’s nuclear facilities, it will be burned to the ground.

In an event dubbed “Followers of Hidden Imam,” Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Assembly of Experts and the substitute Friday Prayer leader of Tehran, said, “Should Israel commit madness, it will turn into ashes within seconds,” according to Fars News Agency, the Revolutionary Guards’ media outlet.

Shiites believe their 12th Imam, Mahdi, will reappear at the end of times and kill all infidels, raising the flag of Islam in all four corners of the world.

The attendants at Tuesday’s event, which was organized by the cultural center for the “Hidden Imam” in the city of Shiraz, discussed actions needed for the reappearance of the last Islamic messiah.

“The followers of the Imam have one thing in common, and that is a love for martyrdom and complete submission to their leader,” Khatami said. “The heartbeat of the nuclear issue is in the hands of the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), and the decision of what to do with America is only upon him.”

As revealed in the Iranian documentary “The Coming Is Upon Us,” centuries-old hadiths have predicted the current climate in the Middle East – the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, and the events in Afghanistan and other parts of the region – which has Iran’s radical leaders excited the time for Mahdi’s reappearance is ever closer.

More importantly, the hadiths cited in the documentary said the two most important events that would trigger the coming would be the death of Saudi King Abdullah (who is currently very ill) and then the destruction of Israel.

An editorial in the Iranian Keyhan newspaper on Wednesday laid out the plans for the coming and said Iran’s influence has spread throughout the world and this “earthquake” is the beginning of Islam taking power. The Keyhan newspaper is directly under the supervision of Iran’s supreme leader.

“For the Zionists and the Christians, who know the miserable destiny of the Jews, they themselves are followers of evil and are damned in the kingdom of Allah,” the editorial said, calling Khamenei the deputy of the last Islamic messiah on earth and Hassan Nasrollah, the leader of the Lebanon terrorist group Hezbollah, his commander. “There is clarity in the words of Allah in regards to the Jews – ‘they broke their oath, therefore we damned them and made their hearts out of stone’ – so that they cannot be forgiven.”

The followers of the “Hidden Imam,” the editorial says, are those whose “hearts are of steel; they have no doubt about God, they are solid as a rock, their victorious flag will free every city… they will embrace their Imam and will sacrifice their lives under his command.”

Meanwhile, other Iranian reports indicate the regime is planning a serious and unexpected response to recent European and U.S. sanctions on Iran’s oil and central bank.

The head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Wednesday told Fars News Agency that, “All of occupied territories (Israel) and all U.S. bases in the region are within our (missile) range and, in case of war, within the first minutes all will be destroyed.”

The statement followed a recent military drill in which the Revolutionary Guards fired ballistic missiles at mock targets across Iran even as their nuclear program continued unabated despite U.N. sanctions.

Opposition leaders inside and outside Iran worry the West is vacillating and allowing Iran to pursue its destructive goals. They wonder why it is not helping the Iranians, a majority of whom despise the mullahs’ leadership, with regime change.

Reza Kahlili is a pseudonym for a former CIA operative in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and the author of the award winning book, A Time to Betray. He is a senior Fellow with EMPact America, a member of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security and teaches at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy (JCITA).



WND

The ‘New Gestapo’? Maine Gov. Blasts Massive Expansion of IRS Agents

Governor Paul LePage of Maine is making news for allegedly referring to the IRS as the “new Gestapo” Saturday, after blasting the president’s overhaul of our health care system.

He reportedly said:

This tax will add to the $500 billion in tax increases that are already in Obamacare. Now that Congress can use the taxation power of the federal government to compel behavior or lack thereof, what’s next? More taxes if we don’t drive Toyota Priuses or if we eat too much junk food or maybe even pea soup?

This decision has made America less free. ‘We The People’ have been told there is no choice. You must buyhealth insurance or pay the new Gestapo – the I.R.S.

Even more disheartening is thatreviving the American dream just became nearly impossible to do. We are now a nation in which supports dependency rather than independence. Instead of encouraging self-reliance we are encouraging people to rely on the government. [Emphasis added].

LePage has a history of making inflammatory remarks, saying the NAACP could “kiss his butt” in 2011, and that Barack Obama could “go to hell” in 2010. At Maine’s GOP convention in 2012 he told the unemployed to “get off the couch and get yourself a job,” to a standing ovation from the crowd.

Russian nuclear bombers intercepted near west coast in second intrusion in two weeks

Two Russian strategic nuclear bombers entered the U.S. air defense zone near the Pacific coast on Wednesday and were met by U.S. interceptor jets, defense officials told the Free Beacon.

It was the second time Moscow dispatched nuclear-capable bombers into the 200-mile zone surrounding U.S. territory in the past two weeks.

An earlier intrusion by two Tu-95 Bear H bombers took place near Alaska as part of arctic war games that a Russian military spokesman said included simulated attacks on “enemy” air defenses and strategic facilities.

A defense official said the Pacific coast intrusion came close to the U.S. coast but did not enter the 12-mile area that the U.S. military considers sovereign airspace.

The bomber flights near the Pacific and earlier flights near Alaska appear to be signs Moscow is practicing the targeting of its long-range air-launched cruise missiles on two strategic missile defense sites, one at Fort Greely, Alaska and a second site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

In May, Russian Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said during a Moscow conference that because missile defense systems are destabilizing, “A decision on pre-emptive use of the attack weapons available will be made when the situation worsens.” The comments highlighted Russian opposition to planned deployments of U.S. missile defense interceptors and sensors in Europe.

The U.S. defense official called the latest Bear H incident near the U.S. West Coast “Putin’s Fourth of July Bear greeting to Obama.”

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, a former Alaska commander for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said the latest Bear H intrusion appears to be Russian military testing.

“It’s becoming very obvious that Putin is testing Obama and his national security team,” McInerney told the Free Beacon. “These long-range aviation excursions are duplicating exercises I experienced during the height of the Cold War when I commanded the Alaska NORAD region.

McInerney said the Bear H flights are an effort by the Russians to challenge U.S. resolve, something he noted is “somewhat surprising as Obama is about to make a unilateral reduction of our nuclear forces as well as major reductions in our air defense forces.”

“Actions by Russia in Syria and Iran demonstrate that Cold War strategy may be resurrected,” he said.

“These are not good indications of future U.S. Russian relations.”

Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby said the incident occurred July 4. He said the “out-of-area patrol by two Russian long range bombers … entered the outer [Air Defense Identification Zone]” and the bombers “were visually identified by NORAD fighters.”

Kirby said the bombers did not enter “sovereign airspace.” He declined to identify the specific distance the aircraft flew from the United States due to operational security concerns. He also declined to identify the types of aircraft used to intercept the bombers.

In last month’s intercept of two Russian Tu-95 bombers, U.S. F-15s and Canadian CF-18s were used. The most likely aircraft used in Wednesday’s intercept were U.S. F-15 jets based at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

Kirby and U.S. Northern Command spokesmen, apparently in line with the Obama administration’s conciliatory reset policy toward Russia, sought to play down both bomber intrusions.

The Pentagon spokesman said the latest Pacific intrusion was “assessed as another training activity.”

Rather than using traditional military terminology common during the Cold War to describe the meeting of the violating bombers as an “intercept,” Kirby said that the bombers were “visually identified” by jets described only as joint U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) jets.

“NORAD is postured to ensure air warning and control for the continental United States, Canada, and Alaska,” Kirby said. “NORAD maintains an extensive radar system around North America and has aircraft located throughout the United States and Canada that can respond quickly to any unidentified flights approaching the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).”

Kirby said the ADIZ extends about 200 miles from the coast and is “mainly within international airspace.”

“The outer limits of the ADIZ goes well beyond U.S. sovereign air space which only extends 12 nautical miles from land,” he said. “As part of its mission, NORAD tracks and identifies all aircraft flying in the ADIZ in advance of any aircraft entering sovereign airspace.”

The Free Beacon reported June 28 that two Bear H’s intruded into the Alaska ADIZ during war games that ended June 27.

A Northern Command spokesman later disputed the Free Beacon’s assertion that the bombers violated U.S. airspace and said the air defense zone is not the same as sovereign airspace since it includes international airspace.

However, the ADIZ is defined by the military as a nation’s declared area within which “the ready identification, the location, and the control of aircraft are required in the interest of national security.”

Canadian Navy Lt. Al Blondin also said in an email that the Russian bombers during the air defense intrusion last month did not violate U.S. airspace.

“NORAD will track and identify all aircraft flying in the ADIZ prior to those aircraft entering sovereign airspace,” Blondin said.

“It is important to note the Russian flights followed international flight rules and conducted their flight in a professional manner,” Blondin said. “As is their right, the Russian Air Force continues to fly in international airspace.”

Earlier, in response to questions about the Alaska Bear H intrusion, Marine Corps Col. Frank H. Simonds, Jr., deputy chief of staff for NORAD-U.S. Northcom, also defended the Russian bomber intrusion as nonthreatening.

“NORAD does not consider these flights a threat,” Simonds said, noting “Russia and NORAD routinely exercise their capability to operate in the North.”

Simonds identified the Alaska defense zone intruders as Tu-95MS bombers that were met by U.S. F-15s and Canadian CF-18s.

“Interaction between NORAD fighters with these types of aircraft are carried out routinely,” Simonds said. “As part of its responsibilities to identify all aircraft in its area of operation, which includes the ADIZ, NORAD has visually identified more than 50 Russian long range bomber aircraft over the last 5 years and NORAD fighters have been interacting with Russian aviation for over 50 years.”

Simonds said NORAD and Russian aircraft since 2010 take part in an exercise called Vigilant Eagle aimed at building cooperation on identifying and intercepting hijacked aircraft that cross international boundaries.

Last week, Rep. Michael R. Turner (R., Ohio), chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, said the Bear H intrusions near Alaska showed Russia’s response to the administration’s reset policy. He said air incursions, along with threats to attack U.S. missile defense sites preemptively, were signs of Putin’s aggression in the face of President Obama’s promised flexibility in talks with Moscow.

The Alaska bomber flights coincided with a summit between Obama and Putin in Mexico June 18.

According to U.S. officials, some 30 bombers and support aircraft took part in the war games, including the Bear Hs and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers.

Russian Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Vladimir Deryabin, told reporters in Moscow last month that the arctic strategic war games “practice destruction of enemy air defenses and strategic facilities.”

Washington Free Beacon

Hundreds of thousands affected as Devastating Floods sweep through China

Spanish borrowing costs rise

Spanish and Italian 10-year bond yields have been rising ahead of a summit of eurozone finance ministers on Monday.

The yield on Spanish 10-year bonds, which are taken as a strong indicator of the interest rate the government would have to pay to borrow money, rose above 7%, while Italian bond yields rose to 6.1%.

Yields above 7% are considered to be unsustainable in the long term.

Details of the bailout of Spain's banks are expected from eurozone ministers.

Their meeting will continue on Tuesday.

The high yields on Spanish and Italian bonds were in contrast to the rates at a short-term German bond auction on Monday.

The yield on six-month German bonds fell to a record low of -0.03%, meaning that investors were paying the German government to lend money to them.

It is the second time that German bond yields have been negative. The auction was oversubscribed, despite the negative yield.

Investors have been flocking to German debt as a safe haven from the problems elsewhere in the eurozone.Loan conditions

Eurozone officials have been reported as warning that not too many quick decisions should be expected from the finance ministers' meeting, which is supposed to add detail to the agreements from the eurozone leaders' summit on 29 June.

The communique from that summit said it expected the finance ministers "to implement these decisions by 9 July", although many analysts say that now looks optimistic.

Leaders have already agreed to lend Spain's banks up to 100bn euros ($123bn; £79bn) and independent audits have said that they will need up to 62bn euros.

The finance ministers are likely to confirm the size of the bailout and which conditions will be applied to the loans, both for the banks and the government.

Among the key agreements from the 29 June summit were moves towards banking union with the European Central Bank (ECB) acting as a supervisor and allowing European bailout funds to buy bonds to try to reduce countries' borrowing costs.

But since the summit, there have been signs that Finland and the Netherlands would oppose the use of bailout funds in this way.

There is expected to be discussion of the new Greek government's policies. At the end of a three-day debate, the Greek government, as expected, won a vote of confidence on Sunday.

Another area of discussion for the eurozone finance ministers will be choosing a new leader.

Jean-Claude Juncker has been co-ordinating the Eurogroup of finance ministers since 2005. His term of office ends on 17 July, but it may be extended.

Also on Monday, ECB president Mario Draghi will be appearing before the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs to give his views on the state of the currency bloc's economy.
BBC

Iran pastor facing death for apostasy

BERLIN – Iran has scheduled a September court date for evangelical Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, whose incarceration for practicing Christianity reaches the 1,000-day mark on Sunday.

In an email to The Jerusalem Post on Friday, Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law & Justice, wrote, “We have confirmed that Pastor Youcef is scheduled to appear in court on September 8. We do not know the purpose of the appearance or the likelihood of new charges. We want to dispel any rumors that his current apostasy charge, for which he was sentenced to death, has been removed. Until the regime unconditionally exonerates and releases Pastor Youcef, his apostasy charge stands.”

The center, which has been the principal advocate of Nadarkhani’s release, is a US-based organization that defends religious freedom.

“What we do know is this latest development occurs just days before Sunday, July 8, which marks the 1,000th day of captivity for Pastor Youcef. We will continue to closely monitor developments surrounding this new court date and remain hopeful that growing international attention ultimately will result in his unconditional release. Our global support to free Pastor Youcef continues to grow. Our Tweet for Youcef campaign now reaches more than 2.5 million people a day in more than 220 counties and territories,” Sekulow added.

The case of Nadarkhani, 35, has shone a spotlight on the Iranian government’s intensified campaign to shut down churches and imprison advocates of religious freedom.

Nadarkhani attorney, Muhammad Ali Dadkhah, was issued a nine-year prison sentence and prohibited from practicing law because of his work for religious freedom.

Markus Löning, Germany’s federal commissioner for human rights, told the Evangelical Press Service last week that there is strong persecution of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran. Christians, Sufis, Bahais, Kurds and Ahwazi Arabs are “victims of arbitrary Iranian Justice,” he said.

Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009 because he questioned the mandatory Islamic education of his children and sought to register a home-based church. The Iranian authorities sentenced him to death in 2010 for apostasy.

In September 2011, Gholomali Rezvani, the deputy governor of Gilan province, said that Nadarkhani “is a Zionist and has committed security-related crimes.”

The pastor was born in born in Rasht, a city with a million inhabitants on the Caspian Sea in Gilan province, where he was sentenced to death. Court documents reveal that his conversion from non-practicing Muslim to Christianity was the reason for the death sentence.

When asked about reports that new allegations have been leveled, Sekulow wrote, “We have no evidence the regime has changed or added new charges against Pastor Youcef. Pastor Youcef was summoned to appear before the court on September 8, but no rationale was given for this summons. It has always been a possibility that the regime could bring new or additional charges against Pastor Youcef to justify its actions. But to speculate that new, unconfirmed charges also means the regime removed the threat of death creates a danger that the world will stop paying attention.

"We have no information that the regime has acquitted Pastor Youcef of the apostasy charge for which he was sentenced to death. The Iranian regime has been dishonest repeatedly in the past. Until we see Pastor Youcef walk freely, we cannot trust anything the regime might say or do,” said Sekulow.

In an email to the Post on Saturday, Jason DeMars, a representative of the Minnesota- based Present Truth Ministries, wrote, “Our hope is that people around the world will continue to tweet about and share updates about Youcef and in so doing contact their elected officials and ask them to continue to call for the release of Pastor Youcef.”

Jerusalem Post

Aerial video: Fatal flash flood devastates Krymsk, southern Russia