Peru Volcano Rumbles to Life, Evacuations

By now, news has reached every end of the globe of the 8.2 magnitude earthquake in northern Chile last night (North American time). Chilean coastal cities were on tsunami alert, as there was detection of an ocean wave generated - but those warnings have now been lifted.

The epicenter of the earthquake affected fault lines in a "Ring of Fire" of volcanoes. Southwestern Peru was also affected by the earthquake and one volcano started to spew ash on Tuesday.

Ubina has not exploded in forty years, but signs of spewing ash skyward caused authorities to evacuate villagers as a precaution.

Yahoo reports:

The volcano in southwestern Peru blasted back to life causing about 60 villagers from Querapi, near its base, to be relocated Saturday, Ubinas town mayor Pascual Coaquira said.
"We are readying a shelter for refugees from the blasts," he added Tuesday, noting that the whole Moquegua region was on alert.The mayor said that the ash had been raining all day on Tuesday, and residents were having trouble breathing. The ones struggling with respiratory distress were given masks to help breathe.

The geological and mining agency for Peru noted unusual lava build-up in recent days and warned that local residents should prepare for more evacuations.

Credit to Activist Post

NSA spies on Americans without warrants

What About The Dollar: Russia, Iran Announce $20 Billion Oil-For-Goods Deal

Spot what is missing in the just blasted headline from Bloomberg:

• IRAN, RUSSIA SAID TO SEAL $20B OIL-FOR-GOODS DEAL: REUTERS

If you said the complete absence of US Dollars anywhere in the funds flow you are correct. Which is precisely what we have been warning would happen the more the West and/or JPMorgan pushed Russia into a USD-free corner.

Once again, from our yesterday comment on the JPM Russian blockade: "what JPM may have just done is launch a preemptive strike which would have the equivalent culmination of a SWIFT blockade of Russia, the same way Iran was neutralized from the Petrodollar and was promptly forced to begin transacting in Rubles, Yuan and, of course, gold in exchange for goods and services either imported or exported. One wonders: is JPM truly that intent in preserving its "pristine" reputation of not transacting with "evil Russians", that it will gladly light the fuse that takes away Russia's choice whether or not to depart the petrodollar voluntarily, and makes it a compulsory outcome, which incidentally will merely accelerate the formalization of the Eurasian axis of China, Russia and India?"

In other words, Russia seems perfectly happy to telegraph that it is just as willing to use barter (and "heaven forbid" gold) and shortly other "regional" currencies, as it is to use the US Dollar, hardly the intended outcome of the western blocakde, which appears to have just backfired and further impacted the untouchable status of the Petrodollar.

More from Reuters:

Iran and Russia have made progress towards an oil-for-goods deal sources said would be worth up to $20 billion, which would enable Tehran to boost vital energy exports in defiance of Western sanctions, people familiar with the negotiations told Reuters.

In January Reuters reported Moscow and Tehran were discussing a barter deal that would see Moscow buy up to 500,000 barrels a day of Iranian oil in exchange for Russian equipment and goods.

The White House has said such a deal would raise "serious concerns"and would be inconsistent with the nuclear talks between world powers and Iran.

A Russian source said Moscow had "prepared all documents from its side", adding that completion of a deal was awaiting agreement on what oil price to lock in.

The source said the two sides were looking at a barter arrangement that would see Iranian oil being exchanged for industrial goods including metals and food, but said there was no military equipment involved. The source added that the deal was expected to reach $15 to $20 billion in total and would be done in stages with an initial $6 billion to $8 billion tranche.

The Iranian and Russian governments declined to comment.

Two separate Iranian officials also said the deal was valued at $20 billion. One of the Iranian officials said it would involve exports of around 500,000 barrels a day for two to three years.

"Iran can swap around 300,000 barrels per day via the Caspian Sea and the rest from the (Middle East) Gulf, possibly Bandar Abbas port," one of the Iranian officials said, referring to one of Iran's top oil terminals.

"The price (under negotiation) is lower than the international oil price, but not much, and there are few options. But in general, a few dollars lower than the market price."

Surely an "expert assessment" is in order:

"The deal would ease further pressure on Iran's battered energy sector andat least partially restore Iran's access to oil customers with Russian help," said Mark Dubowitz of Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a U.S. think-tank.

"If Washington can't stop this deal, it could serve as a signal to other countries that the United States won't risk major diplomatic disputes at the expense of the sanctions regime," he added.

You don't say: another epic geopolitical debacle resulting from what was originally intended to be a demonstration of strength and instead is rapidly turning out into a terminal confirmation of weakness.

Also, when did the "Foundation for Defense of Petrodollar" have the last word replaced with "Democracies"?

Finally, those curious what may happen next, only not to Iran but to Russia, are encouraged to read "From Petrodollar To Petrogold: The US Is Now Trying To Cut Off Iran's Access To Gold."

Credit to Zero Hedge

Chile earthquake blackout terror: Screams, panic as power dies

The NWO's Plan For Your Life

As NATO Prepares For War More False Flags Are On The Horizon

Furious Russia Will Retaliate Over "Illegal And Absurd" Payment Block By "Hostile" JPMorgan

While everyone was gushing over the spectacle on TV of a pro-HFT guy and anti-HFT guy go at it, yesterday afternoon we reported what was by far the most important news of the day, one which was lost on virtually everyone if only until this morning, when we reported that "Monetary Blockade Of Russia Begins: JPMorgan Blocks Russian Money Transfer "Under Pretext" Of Sanctions." This morning the story has finally blown up to front page status, which it deserves, where it currently graces the FT with "Russian threat to retaliate over JPMorgan block." And unlike previous responses to Russian sanctions by the West, which were largely taken as a joke by the Russian establishment, this time Russia is furious: according to Bloomberg, the Russian foreign ministry described the JPM decision as "illegal and absurd."  And as Ukraine found out last month, you don't want Russia angry.

More:

The biggest U.S. bank thwarted a remittance from the Russian embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan, to Sogaz Insurance Group “under the pretext of anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the United States,” the ministry said yesterday in a statement on its website. Sogaz lists OAO Bank Rossiya, a St. Petersburg-based lender facing U.S. sanctions over the Ukrainian crisis, as a strategic partner on its website.

Interfering with the transaction was an “absolutely unacceptable, illegal and absurd decision,” Alexander Lukashevich, a ministry spokesman, said in the statement.

U.S. President Barack Obama announced the action against Bank Rossiya last month as part of a broadening of sanctions that targeted government officials and allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose associates own Rossiya. The embassy’s transaction was for less than $5,000 dollars, a person with knowledge of the dispute said, asking not to be identified because such transfers aren’t public.

Did JPMorgan just move the second Cold War into semi-hot status? Very possibly:

“Any hostile actions against the Russian diplomatic mission are not only a grossest violation of international law, but are also fraught with countermeasures that unavoidably will affect activities of the embassy and consulates of the U.S. in Russia,” Lukashevich said.

As we reported yesterday, for now the JPM party line is to plead ignorance, as it does not want to incur the wrath of the US government, because apparently lying to Congress is less of an issue than transacting with Russian oligarchs.

JPMorgan could still process the embassy payment if U.S. regulators approve, the person familiar with that dispute said.

“As with all U.S. financial institutions that operate globally, we are subject to specific regulatory requirements,” New York-based JPMorgan said in a statement. “We will continue to seek guidance from the U.S. government on implementing their recent sanctions.”

Russia’s Finance Ministry has done business with JPMorgan. It picked the lender to improve the country’s standing among U.S. credit-rating firms. Putin said in 2011 the rankings given to Russia were an “outrage” that increased borrowing costs for domestic companies and the government. JPMorgan also was among banks selected to advise Russia on a 1 trillion ruble ($28.5 billion) privatization program.

There's that. And then there's this, which we also said yesterday:

Wait, did JPM just take a unilateral action, not mandated by the state department (because nowhere in the Russian sanction list does it say putting a freeze on Russian bank transfers), and refuse to process a simple money transfer? Why? And if indeed JPM is doing this, how long until all other US banks, most of which are just as allegedly criminal in dealing with offshore sources of illegal money, follow suit and leave Russia entirely in the world when it comes to USD-backed transactions.

Because what JPM may have just done is launch a preemptive strike which would have the equivalent culmination of a SWIFT blockade of Russia, the same way Iran was neutralized from the Petrodollar and was promptly forced to begin transacting in Rubles, Yuan and, of course, gold in exchange for goods and services either imported or exported.

One wonders: is JPM truly that intent in preserving its "pristine" reputation of not transacting with "evil Russians", that it will gladly light the fuse that takes away Russia's choice whether or not to depart the petrodollar voluntarily, and makes it a compulsory outcome, which incidentally will merely accelerate the formalization of the Eurasian axis of China, Russia and India?

Once again: watch this space carefully - should more western commercial banks (here's looking at you Citigroup, Bank of America, and Citi, and of course "money launderer to criminals everywhere" extraordinaire HSBC) just say no to more Russian hot money, things get really interesting.... if for nothing else, then certainly the ultra-luxury end of the Manhattan real estate market.

Finally, we certainly can not be the only ones looking forward to the epic battle prospect that is Vlad "Shootin" Putin vs JP "Fail Whale" Morgan. Especially if it involves more such sudden moves in gold as what just happened.

Credit to Zero Hedge

The destabilization of Ukraine

Rabbis Seek To Build Synagogue On The Temple Mount

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received a letter this week from a group of rabbis from the National Religious camp, advocating for the construction of a synagogue on Israel’s holiest site, the Temple Mount.

Represented were a wide ranging group; signers included rabbis of conservative, liberal and Religious Zionist persuasions, as well as professors, educators and professionals.

“The Temple Mount is a unique place for prayer,” the letter stated. “As Prime Minister, we ask you to do what is necessary to establish a place of prayer for Jews on the Temple Mount, in a respectable and peaceful manner, that will honor the holy place we all long for.”

The document was authored and delivered by the Amutat Yishai organization, which supports building a synagogue in a specific location on the Temple Mount that many rabbis agree Jews are permitted to ascend to. The letter advocates building a structure in that area where Jews can pray.

Jews who visit the site today may venture only into certain areas and must adhere to restrictions surrounding ritual impurity, so much of the Temple Mount is off-limits to Jews today. Yet a number of rabbis agree with historians who claim that some areas of the Mount were not included in the boundaries of the Holy Temple area and would permit such a visit - even in a state of ritual impurity - provided proper ritual immersion and other measures were followed.

Muslim groups, including the Islamic Waqf which oversees the Muslim shrines on the Temple Mount site, fiercely oppose any Jewish presence there. In order to prevent conflict, Israel has forbidden Jews to pray on the Mount altogether.

Most Jewish scholars share the belief that the third Jewish temple must be built upon the Temple Mount. Moses was instructed in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, chapter 12, verses 13 and 14, to “Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.”

Scriptural evidence points to Mount Moriah, also known as “the mountain of the Lord” or “Mount Zion,” as the Lord’s chosen location for His temple. (See Psalm 48.) Therefore, if the third temple is constructed, it will most likely be planned for the Temple Mount site. Several different positions have been put forward as to it's exact location - one such view would allow it to be built beside the Dome of the Rock. Other views have the Dome of the Rock needing to be removed. Each of the perspectives however seems to be leading both sides to a countdown of confrontation.

Last October, the Tehran Times reported that an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson denounced the Israeli plan to build a synagogue near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling on the international community to prevent any further “desecration” of the Temple Mount. During a televised speech at the time, Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas Prime Minister, condemned Israel’s efforts to "Judaize" Jerusalem, encouraging all Palestinians to act against Israel's so-called expansionist measures.

In Israel one Jerusalem Post commentator wrote the following statement, “The state of affairs on the Temple Mount is intolerable and untenable. Basic freedoms, such as the right to worship and free speech, are being trampled, and Jews are subjected to discrimination unheard of anywhere else in the Western world,” at a place of such profound significance to Jewish history and destiny.

Michael Freund, author of the JP article, had taken a tour of the Temple Mount with a group of more than 50 Jews from Ra’anana’s Ohel Ari synagogue, noting, “…it was distressing to see the extent to which Israel’s government defers to threats of Arab unrest at the expense of its own citizens and their basic rights.”

Freund provides examples of clear historical precedent for when the rights of Jews were respected, particularly during periods when the Mount was under Muslim control.

One such case depicts a synagogue and Jewish house of study operating on the Temple Mount where Jews were able to pray freely for over four centuries after the Caliph Omar conquered the land of Israel in 633-4 CE.

This was confirmed by Rabbi Abraham bar Chiya HaNassi, a leading Spanish rabbinical authority of the 12th century, who wrote in his book “Megilat Megaleh” that, “at the beginning, after the Romans destroyed the Temple, Israel was not prevented from coming and praying there, and similarly the kings of Ishmael enacted a beneficent custom and allowed Israel to come to the Temple Mount and build a house of prayer and study.”

The rabbi further noted that, “all the exiles of Israel who lived near the Temple Mount would ascend on festivals and holidays and pray there.”

Despite the current deep religious divisions between Jews and Muslims that have stoked aggressive territorial guarding of existing rights of access to the Mount, we know from prophetic Scripture in the Bible that there will be a third temple built upon the sacred site.

Though the rebuilding of the temple is not a prerequisite for the start of the 7-year Tribulation Period, Biblical Scripture points to the construction of a temple and the inauguration of temple worship prior to the mid-point of that seven-year period.

When the disciples of Jesus asked about the “end of the age,” He warned future generations living in Jerusalem in His Olivet Discourse, to be aware of the approaching “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place…” (Matthew 24:15).

In the book of Daniel (chapters 11 and 12) the prophet warns that the final years leading up to the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth will produce a political leader (the Antichrist) who will confirm a peace covenant with Israel for seven years. Halfway through this designated time frame, the Antichrist will cause the temple sacrifices to cease, will turn against Israel, and exalt himself as God, thereby sealing his ultimate fate – permanent and eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10).

In the meantime, would the building of a Jewish synagogue on the Temple Mount, and the re-establishment of the right of Jews to pray there, actually be a stepping stone to building some tolerance and mutual respect between Jews and Arabs? However reluctantly both parties approach this possibility, an attitude change would be necessary in preparation for the much bigger agreement that ultimately makes room for the construction of a third temple. Some speculate the current peace process may lead to an agreement that would permit for the rebuilding of the temple.

If diplomacy cannot be achieved, then perhaps war will bring the desired result. Could it be the great Gog/Magog war described in Ezekiel chapter 38? Many Bible prophecy experts suggest the stage seems to be set for just such a war, as Russia and Iran are now key players against Israel, with Arab nations forming alliances with the Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union.

In the meantime, preparations for the temple continue.


Credit to Prophecy News Watch

Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2014/April01/013.html#fuVKFcoud14sQ454.99

Apocalyptic prophecies drive both sides to Syrian battle for end of time

Conflict in Syria kills hundreds of thousands of people and spreads unrest across the Middle East. Iranian forces battle anti-Shi'ite fighters in Damascus, and the region braces for an ultimate showdown.

If the scenario sounds familiar to an anxious world watching Syria's devastating civil war, it resonates even more with Sunni and Shi'ite fighters on the frontlines - who believe it was all foretold in 7th Century prophecies.

From the first outbreak of the crisis in the southern city of Deraa to apocalyptic forecasts of a Middle East soaked in blood, many combatants on both sides of the conflict say its path was set 1,400 years ago in the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad and his followers.

Among those many thousands of sayings, or hadith, are accounts which refer to the confrontation of two huge Islamic armies in Syria, a great battle near Damascus, and intervention from the north and west of the country.

The power of those prophecies for many fighters on the ground means that the three-year-old conflict is more deeply rooted - and far tougher to resolve - than a simple power struggle between President Bashar al-Assad and his rebel foes.

Syria's war has killed more than 140,000 people, driven millions from their homes and left many more dependent on aid. Diplomatic efforts, focused on the political rather than religious factors driving the conflict, have made no headway.

"If you think all these mujahideen came from across the world to fight Assad, you're mistaken," said a Sunni Muslim jihadi who uses the name Abu Omar and fights in one of the many anti-Assad Islamist brigades in Aleppo.

"They are all here as promised by the Prophet. This is the war he promised - it is the Grand Battle," he told Reuters, using a word which can also be translated as slaughter.

On the other side, many Shi'ites from Lebanon, Iraq and Iran are drawn to the war because they believe it paves the way for the return of Imam Mahdi - a descendent of the Prophet who vanished 1,000 years ago and who will re-emerge at a time of war to establish global Islamic rule before the end of the world.

According to Shi'ite tradition, an early sign of his return came with the 1979 Iranian revolution, which set up an Islamic state to provide fighters for an army led by the Mahdi to wage war in Syria after sweeping through the Middle East.

"This Islamic Revolution, based on the narratives that we have received from the prophet and imams, is the prelude to the appearance of the Mahdi," Iranian cleric and parliamentarian Ruhollah Hosseinian said last year.

He cited comments by an eighth century Shi'ite imam who said another sign of the Mahdi's return would be a battle involving warriors fighting under a yellow banner - the color associated with Lebanon's pro-Assad Hezbollah militia.

"As Imam Sadeq has stated, when the (forces) with yellow flags fight anti-Shi'ites in Damascus and Iranian forces join them, this is a prelude and a sign of the coming of his holiness," Hosseinian was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

Credit to Reuters

Chile earthquake video: Tsunami alert after deadly 8.2 quake, 80k displaced

Kerry cancels Mideast visit after Palestinians renew UN bid

American efforts to reach a "deal" to extend the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have reached a severe crisis Tuesday evening. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry canceled his planned visit to Jerusalem and Ramallah barely two hours after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed 15 international treaties the Palestinian state is interested in joining, and after earlier in the day Israel issued 700 new tenders for housing units in Jerusalem neighborhood across the Green Line.

In a press conference in Brussels, Belgium Kerry attempted to play down the crisis, and noted that it is premature draw conclusions about the day's events.

"We urge both sides to show restraint," he said. Kerry added that none of the treaties signed by the Palestinian president has anything to do with UN agencies.

"Abbas has given me his word that he will continue to negotiate until end of April," Kerry said.

The American secretary of state said that no agreement has been reached "regarding the release of any prisoner." According to him, there are many possibilities and the decision is up to the Israeli cabinet. Kerry added that efforts to extend the negotiations will continue, but emphasized that "it is up to the parties to make decisions."

Credit to Haaretz