Watchman Newsletter

The Hal Lindsey Report

The Hal Lindsey Report (Link) - Hal Lindsey (March 5, 2010)

On this week’s edition of “The Hal Lindsey Report,” Iran seems to be mounting a full-court press. Last week, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to Syria. He met with Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Hamas’ founder Khaled Meshal.

The week before, Iran concluded a mutual defense pact with the Arab state of Qatar. That’s a little tricky for the United States because Qatar is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command and our largest airbase outside the US mainland.

Also last month, Syria’s Foreign Minister became the first Syrian official to publicly threaten Israel’s population centers. Following suit, Hezbollah’s Nasrallah got very specific in his threats, too. Not to be outdone, when Ahmadinejad got back home, he once again threatened to “eradicate [Israel] once and for all.”

It’s all happening across the Middle East. And it’s also happening inside Israel. Last week, the Palestinian Authority’s spiritual leader issued a fatwa (religious edict) against Palestinians who work on Jewish construction sites. He called them ‘traitors’ who should be imprisoned. If they take it seriously, that would mean thousands more Palestinians unemployed.

Sheikh Taysar Tamimi didn’t stop there, though. He also included Arabs who work on Jewish archaeological digs, especially those that might support Israel’s claims to the land. Tamimi said that those archaeological zones are deviously intended to “judaize Jerusalem.” He also accused Binyamin Netanyahu, all Jewish rabbis, and all extremist organizations of lying by asserting that Jerusalem was a Jewish city. I wonder if he includes King David in that group?

6.4-magnitude quake hits southern Taiwan

CNN (Link) - Christine Theodorou and Andrew Lee (March 4, 2010)

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted southern Taiwan on Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths but some damage has occurred to buildings and major bridges, and power was cut off near the epicenter.

The quake struck at about 8:20 a.m. (7:20 p.m. Wednesday ET) in a mountainous region about 25 miles northwest of Taitung, on the southeast coast, and 40 miles east of Tainan and Kaohsiung on the southwest coast.

The region, which includes Maolin National Scenic Area, is recovering from a direct hit by Typhoon Morakot that killed hundreds in August. The typhoon dumped more than two feet of rain, causing serious mudslides in the south, including one that buried the village of Shiao Lin under 50 feet of mud.

Thursday’s quake was followed by several aftershocks, the largest reaching 4.8. The initial 6.4 quake rumbled to the surface from 14 miles deep. Were you there? Did you feel it?

The Taiwan Ministry of Interior and the National Fire Agency said electricity was cut off near the epicenter but had no further information.

Residents in southern Taiwan reported cracks in some buildings and major bridges. Train service was also disrupted in some areas, Taiwanese media reported.

Russia Concerned over Israeli Violation of Lebanon Sovereignty

Syrian Arab News Agency (Link) - Haifa Said (March 4, 2010)

Russia has expressed concern over Israel’s repeated violations of the Lebanese airspace and sovereignty and its non-abidance by the UN Security Council resolutions.

In a statement on Thursday, Deputy Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yakovenko said that Israel’s non-abidance by the UN Resolution 1701 is manifested in its continued violation of the Lebanese airspace and refusal to withdraw from al-Ghajar town.

He added that the Security Council will be looking into a report prepared by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the conflict in the Middle East.

This is expected to take place after the Quartet Committee ministerial meeting due to be held in Moscow on March 19.

Yakovenko added that Israel’s settlement activities in Palestine are a serious obstacle to the Mideast peace process.

This year, US public debt could reach end game

Asia News (Link) - Maurizio d’Orlando (March 3, 2010)

For at least four years, AsiaNews has sounded the alarm bells against the risks due to the huge size reached by speculative finance[1]. In 2008, we said that the attempt to save US banks could push the US debt beyond the point of solvency (see Maurizio d’Orlando, “US debt approaches insolvency . . .,” in AsiaNews 19 December 2008)². Back them it could appear a bit overblown, but now even US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S Bernanke is warning the US Congress about the danger. In a statement before the House Financial Services Committee,³ he said that the US public debt might no longer be sustainable very soon. Financial jargon aside, the subtitle of an article by The Washington Times—Stage is set in U.S. for a Greek tragedy—says it all. Interviewed for the article, Bernanke says the United States is likely to face a debt crisis like the one in Greece sooner than later, “not something that is 10 years away.”

In 2008, the size of the debt was such that it was quite clear that it was not sustainable. Now we have a timeframe to measure the likelihood of insolvency for the US public debt, and it is this year. The reason for that is described in an article whose title needs no explanation: “The bankruptcy of the United States is now certain.”⁴

The abyss of debt

By the end of 2010, the US Treasury will have to refinance US$ 2 trillion in short-term debt, plus additional deficit spending for this year, estimated to be around US$ 1.5 trillion (US$ 1.6 trillion today two months after the original article was published). Together, the US Treasury will need to borrow US$ 3.5 trillion (US$ 3.6 according to this writer) in just one year.

Mideast war in ‘very’ near future?

WorldNet Daily (Link) - Aaron Klein (March 2, 2010)

Egypt is concerned Israel could be in a conflict in the very near future with Syria or the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, a senior Egyptian security official told WND.

The security official said in any future war with Syria or Hezbollah, both actors have been preparing to storm the Israeli border with guerillas and commandos, an act unseen here since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the last conflict in which Syria was openly involved.

In previous conflicts with Hezbollah, the terrorist group fired rockets into Israel.

In addition, the security official said Syria has separately been contemplating launching low-grade attacks against Jewish communities in the Golan Heights to pressure Israel into negotiations aimed at relinquishing the strategic territory.

The official said his country is concerned about a coming conflict but did not mention a specific timeframe.

“It’s possible either side may misinterpret moves and launch the opening salvo very soon,” he said.

Fuel Taxes Must Rise, Harvard Researchers Say

The New York Times (Link) - Sindya N. Bhanoo (March 2, 2010)

To meet the Obama administration’s targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, some researchers say, Americans may have to experience a sobering reality: gas at $7 a gallon.

To reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector 14 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, the cost of driving must simply increase, according to a forthcoming report by researchers at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

The 14 percent target was set in the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget for fiscal 2010.

In their study, the researchers devised several combinations of steps that United States policymakers might take in trying to address the heat-trapping emissions by the nation’s transportation sector, which consumes 70 percent of the oil used in the United States.

Most of their models assumed an economy-wide carbon dioxide tax starting at $30 a ton in 2010 and escalating to $60 a ton in 2030. In some cases researchers also factored in tax credits for electric and hybrid vehicles, taxes on fuel or both.

10 Men Who Destroyed American Culture

One News Now (Link) - American Family Journal: Mary Faulds (March 2010)

AFA has been working to preserve the influence of Christian morality in America for more than 30 years. Much of that effort has been aimed at stemming the tide of indecency on television and in movies.

In this two-part series, author Michael Boyer, a 20-year veteran of the movie industry, names 10 men in recent history who he believes have led the way in destroying the Christian moral consensus in America's entertainment culture. His research is documented in his recent book, The Hollywood Culture War.

The following article offers profiles of four of these men, considered in chronological order. The other six will be featured in the April issue of the AFA Journal.

Muslim Riots Reach Temple Mount

Israel National News (Link) - Gil Ronen (February 28, 2010)

The riots that began in Hevron last week reached the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on the morning of the Purim holiday (Sunday). Four police officers were lightly hurt, as were at least 15 Arab rioters.

The riots started Monday after the government decided to include the Cave of Patriarchs in Hevron – Judaism’s second most holy site – in a list of national heritage sites to receive extra funding, as well as the Tomb of Rachel the Matriarch near Bethlehem.

About 30 Arab Muslim youths threw rocks at visitors to the Temple Mount Sunday. A police force reacted by entering the mosque compound and the Arab attackers fled into the Al Aqsa mosque.

The Temple Mount mosques’ public address speakers broadcast calls of incitement in the morning hours, including anti-Jewish phrases, calls for ‘jihad’ (holy war) and cries of “allahu akbar” - “Allah is great.”

There has also been ongoing violence between police and Arabs in the alleys of the Old City. Muslim youths have attacked police with rocks at the “Antonia Gate” entrance to the Temple Mount. One suspect was arrested near the Ecce Homo arch. A group of some 100 female rioters attempted to march in the Sultan Suleiman area of eastern Jerusalem.

Two Jewish activists were allowed to visit the Temple Mount early Sunday afternoon, after restrictions were placed on Muslims wishing to enter the site because of the violence. They braved the heavy rain to visit the Temple Mount “so that it should not be empty of Jews,” according to one of them, Yosef Rabin.

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Islamic Jihad urges escalation of conflict in West Bank Ynet News - Ali Waked

The Islamic Jihad movement has called for a step up in clashes with Israeli security forces across the West Bank in light of recent events at the al-Aqsa Mosque.

“The movement calls on all of the forces among our people to step up the conflict with the enemy. We call on the (Palestinian) Authority to cease arrests of militants and halt the oppression of rage rallies in the West Bank,” s statement issued by the organization read.