For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
(Romans 8:22)
Creation Groaneth And Travaileth
Dear Friends,
Greetings! Continuing on from last weeks introduction concerning geocentrism and heliocentrism we want to postulate an idea. It is based on the idea of a geocentric universe that is limited in size as opposed to a heliocentric universe which may be limitless in size.
Below are some verses that we think could help to lend support to the hypothesis we plan to put forth.
Romans 8:21-23
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. v21
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. v22
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. V23
In these verses we wanted to point out the word “delivered” in verse 21. and also how it is the entire creation, not just the earth, that is groaning and travailing in pain in verse 22. and in Colossians 1:16-17 the creation not only seems to include the earth but the entire universe both seen and unseen.
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."
So when does this deliverance take place?
Romans 8:23 is very specific as to when this happens, at the time of the redemption of our body, and 1Corinthians 15 is even more specific:
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
And 1 Thessalonians 4:16:
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
And Revelation 10:7:
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”
The whole creation groaning and travailing in pain waiting to be delivered sounds to us very similar to a woman who is pregnant and about to give birth.
Luke 21:8-11,25-28
"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
Luke 21:28 like Romans 8:23 again uses the word “redemption” at the time of the second coming of Jesus.
Revelation 12:1-3
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Here we see a pregnant woman in heaven about to give birth to a man child who is to “rule all nations with a rod of iron”. We know this prophecy has not been fulfilled and will not be fulfilled until the second coming of Jesus. He certainly did not rule all nations with a rod of iron upon His first coming.
Psalm 2:9 speaks of this same event: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”.
Luke 1:30-35
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Continuing in Luke 1, one of the first things Mary does after receiving this message from Gabriel is to visit her cousin Elisabeth who is six months pregnant with John the Baptist. As soon as Elisabeth hears Mary's greeting the babe leaped in her womb.
“And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.”
Obviously the “womb” is of tremendous importance both spiritually and physically.
Three other verses in which “womb” could almost be interpreted as somewhat of an enigma are;
Psalm 110:3
“Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning.” (KJV)
Job 38:8,29
“And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother’s womb.”
“Out of whose womb comes the ice?”
Genesis 25:23
“And the Lord said to her, There are two nations in thy womb.”
Here we have the Lord speaking of the sea coming out of its mothers womb, ice coming out of a womb and two nations coming from Rachel's womb.
Very mysterious occurrences. When you think about two nations coming from the womb of a woman it sounds, well, unusual.
Obviously pregnancy, the womb, and deliverance both spiritually and physically are absolutely fundamentally essential for our redemption.
Before wrapping this up we wanted to share a few verses from Proverbs, chapter eight, regarding the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Godhead.
“Thou shalt proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to thee. For she is on lofty eminences, and stands in the midst of the ways. For she sits by the gates of princes, and sings in the entrances.
The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works. He established me before time was in the beginning, before he made the earth: even before he made the depths; before the fountains of water came forth: before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, he begets me. The Lord made countries and uninhabited tracks, and the highest inhabited parts of the world. When he prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds: and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth: and when he strengthened the foundations of the earth: I was by him, suiting myself to him, I was that wherein he took delight; and daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.”
Wisdom, as is very clear, is definitely referred to in the feminine pronoun. Those of you familiar with this web site will know that we believe the Holy Spirit to be the female representative of the trinity.
Incidentally the Shekiniah Glory, which rested between the wings of the Cherubim on the mercy seat atop the Ark of the Covenant, was a feminine representation of the glory of God.
Genesis 1:26-27
“And God said, Let us make man according to our image and likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of heaven, and over the cattle and all the earth, and over all the reptiles that creep on the earth. And God made man, according to the image of God he made him, male and female he made them.”
Lets go back to the idea of a finite geocentric universe.
If the Bible is to be taken literally, outside the universe is some type of water surrounding the universe.
Genesis 1:6-8
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it be a division between water and water, and it was so. And God made the firmament, and God divided between the water which was under the firmament and the water which was above the firmament. And God called the firmament Heaven, and God saw that it was good, and there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
Genesis 7:11
“In the six hundredth year of the life of Noe, in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, on this day all the fountains of the abyss were broken up, and the flood-gates (windows) of heaven were opened.”
Is it possible that the water that exists around the universe is representative or could actually be the womb of the Holy Spirit which the whole creation is groaning and travailing in pain together waiting to to be delivered through the redemption by the second coming of Jesus the Messiah?
The womb of the universe, seen and unseen.
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WND
ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER KING HEZEKIAH SEAL
Find 'strengthens what we know already from the Bible'
Published: November 2, 2015
CHERYL CHUMLEY
A professor discovered a stamp seal with King Hezekiah’s name that was pulled from an excavation site in 2009. (Credit: Twitter)
Archaeologists discovered the impression of a seal that bears the name of King Hezekiah and was found during recent excavations by Jerusalem.
“[It's] the closest as ever that we can get to something that was most likely held by King Hezekiah himself,” said Eilat Mazar, the leader of the excavation project, during a press conference at Mount Scopus campus, the Times of Israel reported. “[The find] strengthens what we know already from the Bible about [Hezekiah].”
The stamp seal impression, or bulla, was one of dozens discovered in the last few years at a building in the Ophel, a section of Jerusalem by the Temple Mount that was used for royalty. The seal bears this inscription: “Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz, king of Judah.”
Excavators originally discovered the seal in 2009, but overlooked its significance. Hebrew University archaeologist Reut Ben Arieh actually deciphered the inscription just this year, and uncovered its true value.
At first, researchers read the bottom register on the seal as the name of “Melkiyahu,” but then Ben Arieh noticed tiny punctuation marks in the middle – marks that actually separated the letters into the words of “king” and “Judah,” she said, to the Times of Israel.
“Immediately we understood [it read] king of Judah,” she said.
The global antiquities market does have other seals that bear King Hezekiah’s name. But as Mazar said, none are so valuable as what was just discovered.
“None is from an archaeological excavation, and that makes all the difference,” in terms of underscoring its authenticity, Mazar said, to the Times of Israel.
Hezekiah ruled Judah in the eighth century B.C., at a time when the kingdom was invaded by the Assyrian empire. Fourteen years into his rule, Jerusalem was also attacked by King Sennacherib’s military.
The biblical book of 2 Kings shines favorably on Hezekiah.
2 Kings 18 states, in its Revised Standard Version: “[Hezekiah] was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. … And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in piece the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had burned incense to it; it was called Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord the God of Israel; so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went forth, he prospered.”
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BREAKINGISRAELNEWS
200 Years Ago, War Between Turkey and Russia Prophesied as Sign of Redemption
By Rivkah Lambert Adler
November 29, 2015 , 1:00 pm
“If the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not occur and does not come about, that is the thing the Lord did not speak. The prophet has spoken it wantonly; you shall not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:22)
Russian President Vladimir Putin with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan After news conference following a meeting of High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council, Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office www.kremlin.ru)
With tensions escalating between Russia and Turkey, many are wondering if the world is being witness to a divine act of messianic intervention.
Just before his death in 1797, an exceedingly well-respected Jewish sage known as the Vilna Gaon (the genius of Vilna) left his followers with a prophetic statement about two specific events that would happen just before the appearance of the Messiah.
After being held as “a closely guarded secret” for over 200 years, Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch, a great-grandson of the Vilna Gaon, shared the full prophecy publically for the first time in 2014. The text of the Vilna Gaon’s prophecy was reported by Rabbi Lazer Brody, an American-born Hasidic rabbi and teacher from Ashdod, Israel in March, 2014.
“When you hear that the Russians have captured the city of Crimea, you should know that the times of the Messiah have started, that his steps are being heard. And when you hear that the Russians have reached the city of Constantinople, you should put on your Shabbat (Sabbath) clothes and don’t take them off, because it means that the Messiah is about to come any minute.”
In this prophecy, the Vilna Gaon mentioned two signs of the imminent arrival of the Messiah – Russia capturing Crimea and Russia invading the Turkish city of Constantinople (now Istanbul). The first prophecy was fulfilled in 2014 when Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.
Current tensions between Russia and Turkey, including Turkey shooting down a Russian fighter jet on November 24, are setting the stage for the second sign, the Russian invasion of Istanbul, to occur soon.
The prophecy of the Vilna Gaon is strengthened by the existence of a similar prophecy, this one from the Jewish sage known as the Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of the Hasidic Judaism. Like the Vilna Gaon, the Ba’al Shem Tov lived in the 18th century.
The Kloisenberger Rebbe, a 20th century Hasidic rabbi, echoed the Vilna Gaon’s second sign when he wrote “in the name of the Ba’al Shem Tov, when you see the Russian horse in Constantinople, a city in Turkey, you should know Moshiach (Messiah) is about to arrive.”
According to the Kloisenberger Rebbe, in addition to the Russian military presence in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the Ba’al Shem Tov foretold another sign of the impending arrival of the Messiah – “the Russians will come, they will come and be together with the sons of Ishmael.” That is, when the Russians join forces with the spiritual descendents of Ishmael, who today are identified as those of Islamic descent, it’s another sign of the coming of the Messiah.
Militarily, Russia is already connected with its Shiite Muslim allies in Syria and Iran. As reported in Breaking Israel News, a 75-year-old prophecy connects Russia’s unfolding role in Syria to Gog and Magog. Since late September of this year, Russia has become a central player in Syria, leading many to hypothesize that Putin is Gog and Russia is Magog.
The messianic alliance between Russia and the Shiite Muslims of Syria and Iran was deepened by a recent gesture of friendship off the battlefield. On November 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a rare and valuable gift to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Putin gave Khamenei one of five copies of the original handwritten Koran, the Muslim holy text that dates back to the 7th century.
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WAKING TIMES (Although we do not agree with much of the philosophy and beliefs of “Waking Times” this particular subject is something we have been aware of for a considerable number of years.)
Mass Holographic Deception & Psychological Manipulation Technologies Already in Use
David Gardner, Guest
November 30, 2015
The Technology for Mass Holographic Deception and Psychological Manipulation Has Existed for Decades
Imagine if governments could project massive, realistic holograms into the sky above entire societies, such as the image of a deity significant to a region. Imagine the implications if such a vision started speaking – the words appearing ‘telepathically’ as thoughts directly inside people’s heads. Disturbingly, this scenario may not be science fiction, as the technology for mass deception and psychological manipulation on a major scale has existed for decades.
Strange sights like giant floating cities have been reported, seen and even filmed by multiple witnesses in different continents. As recently as October 2015, the UK Express reported that floating cities had been seen in China, first over Foshan in the Guangdong province, and a few days later in the province of Jiangxi. A similar “phantom city” was seen over China in 2011. In May, 2015 villagers in Dulali, in Lanzai South Ward, Darazo, Africa Local Government of Bauchi State, Nigeria also witnessed a city floating over their village on multiple occasions, replete with cars and emanating mechanical noises – a sight they attributed to Allah.
Such sightings have focused attention on theories that governments may possess the technology to project giant holograms which could be used for wide-scale deception which might now be undergoing testing on unsuspecting citizens to gauge their reactions. This type of capability is sometimes referred to by some theorists as “Project Blue Beam”.
While visions of floating cities are explained away by skeptics and authorities as natural meteorological phenomena – and suggestions of holographic projection dismissed as conspiracy theories – would it even be technically possible to project a huge holographic image like that, and would a government even wish to do so? According to research compiled by Truthstream Media and presented in the following video, the answer is yes.
According to Truthstream Media there is compelling evidence that since at least the early 1990s, the US military has been exploring the possibility of creating gigantic holograms that could be used for large-scale deception missions by special operations forces. They explain that these efforts were reported by the Washington Post in February 1999 who revealed that the US government was considering projecting a depiction of Allah over Baghdad as part of military action to destabilise Saddam’s regime in the first Gulf War. The Washington Post also reported that a secret program was established in 1994 to pursue holographic technology for psychological operations (PSYOPs) applications, and that projecting “large, three-dimensional objects that appeared to float in the air” was found to be feasible by a military physicist.
Truthstream Media also point out that over 20 years ago military research had already developed software able to replicate anyone’s voice using only a 10 minute sample of speech. They explain that around the same time patents had been established concerning voice-to-skull (V2K) technology. V2K is a technology based on the microwave auditory effect that uses microwaves to create wireless, receiverless speech communication sent directly into people’s heads.
While not widely known by most people, it’s a fact that governments engage in wide-scale psychological operations (PSYOPs) to influence the behaviour, emotions and objective reasoning of their targets. Given the propensity of governments to deliberately manipulate and influence their citizen’s behaviours could they ever be trusted to wield technology giving them the power to project gigantic holograms and to implant thoughts directly into people’s heads? Or would the temptation be too strong to use it on the unwitting masses as a form of social and psychological control?
In a subtle form, this technology could be used to manipulate public perception. For instance, a military page on voice-to-skull technology stated (before it was removed, but not before it was archived around the web) that “sound modulation” employed in V2K technology could be used to implant “subliminal messages”. Some have suggested that holographic technology could be used to instigate a one world religious authority, or could be the basis on which a false flag alien invasion could be staged, as a means to justify the implementation of a sinister global military space weapons program and give rise to a new world order with a global government. A plot to stage a faked alien attack was reportedly first warned about by German scientist Werner Von Braun – director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and credited by NASA as the “greatest rocket scientist in history” – in the 1970s.The fact that this type of technology exists highlights the importance of becoming informed about how easily people’s psychological responses can be manipulated and conditioned by those in positions of power. As the old saying goes, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. By understanding methods of psychological influence, and how such technologies could be used in their dissemination – immunity to manipulation is developed. Thoughts, decisions and actions can then be firmly grounded in reality and personal choice, no matter what is seen in the sky or projected upon us.
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BREITBART
EuroParliament Prez: Christians ‘Not Safe In Our Continent’
Reuters
by THOMAS D. WILLIAMS, PH.D.3 Dec 2015861
In a high-level meeting on religious persecution in Brussels, the President of the European Parliament (EP) said that Europe cannot afford to continue ignoring the fate of Christians, who are “clearly the most persecuted group” in the world.
In Wednesday’s meeting, EP President Martin Schulz said that the persecution of Christians is “undervalued” and does not receive enough attention, which has also meant that it “hasn’t been properly addressed.”
Schulz’s concerns were echoed by EP Vice President Antonio Tajani, who warned that Europe sometimes “falls into the temptation of thinking we can ignore this task,” referring to the protection Christians throughout the world who suffer persecution.
Speakers cited the work of Open Doors, a human rights organization that monitors the persecution of Christians, noting that 150 million Christians worldwide suffer torture, rape and arbitrary imprisonment. Christians in Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Pakistan, North Korea and Nigeria are among those hardest hit.
The Open Doors report for 2015 found that “Islamic extremism is by far the most significant persecution engine” of Christians in the world today and that “40 of the 50 countries on the World Watch List are affected by this kind of persecution.”
For Islamists, Tajani said, Christians are the new “crusaders” of Europe, and because of Islamic persecution in the Middle East more than 70 percent of Christians have fled Iraq since 2003, with another 700 thousand Christians who have been forced to leave their home in Syria since the outbreak of civil war.
“Each month 200 churches and places of worship in the world are attacked and destroyed. Every day and in every region of the world, there are new cases of persecution against Christians,” said Tajani.
“No religious community is as subject to hatred, violence and systematic aggression as the Christians,” he said.
Tajani suggested that where radicalized religion is the problem, religion can also be the solution. “In the name of religion, we have an obligation to condemn all those who show contempt for life and kill in the name of God,” he said. “Whoever shoots in the name of God, shoot against God.”
Another speaker, auxiliary bishop Jean Kockerols of Brussels, said that the idea that Christians are intruders in certain Muslim-dominated countries must be debunked, since the Christian presence in the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent “dates back to centuries before the spread of the Koran.”
“The West must break the silence on the persecution of Christians in the world,” said Tajani, and Europe must promote “a model of society in opposition to religious radicalism and brutal and criminal projects, such as creating an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria and then extending its tentacles into to Libya.”
“It should shake us up,” said Schulz, “that on our continent, Christians are not safe.”
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WND
KIDS SEIZED OVER FAMILY'S 'CHRISTIAN INDOCTRINATION'
Social media campaign to reunite parents, children surges worldwide
Published: December 3, 2015
BOB UNRUH
A social media campaign is surging around the globe – tens of thousands already have signed a petition – in defense of a family whose five children were seized by the Norwegian government because of “Christian indoctrination.”
The case was profiled just hours ago by the Christian Institute in the United Kingdom, which advocates for religious rights.
Norway’s child welfare services, the Barnevernet, seized Marius and Ruth Bodnariu’s two daughters, two sons and subsequently their baby, Ezekiel, the report said.
Social services agents and police took the family’s two oldest children out of their school without their parents’ knowledge and hid them in an undisclosed location.
Then the agents and officers went to the family’s home, “where, apparently without any documentation, they seized their two sons and arrested Ruth – who they took to the police station along with baby Ezekiel. Marius was arrested while he was at work and also taken into custody.”
The parents were interrogated but later allowed to return home with their baby but no other children. Then the next day the baby also was seized, the report said.
Weeks passed while the parents were denied contact with their children. They just were told that the children “had integrated well into their separate foster homes and didn’t miss their parents,” the institute reported.
Finally, a lawyer obtained by the parents accessed some of the case documents and discovered the parents were accused of being “radical Christians who were indoctrinating their children.”
An online petition created on the family’s behalf already has collected nearly 27,000 signatures.
It says: “Please support this family reunite with their children! On charges of ‘Christian radicalism and indoctrination’, their five children were abusively taken away by the Norwegian government! The parents were interrogated and asked not to publicly reveal the situation so they wouldn’t aggravate their case! They are just a normal Christian family trying to raise their children in the knowledge of God! There is no documented or otherwise abuse of any kind in this family!”
Commenters voiced their outrage in various languages. One, Jana Holomkova of Portugal, wrote, “The Kingdom of Norway should consider to alter the name to ‘The Kingdom of Norway – Nazi.’”
Holly George of the United States wrote, “This is sick, what a world we are living in!”
Other comments came from Romania, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, Luxembourg and Ireland.
“Words fail me that this is happening,” said Fiona Long of Harlow, England.
The campaign also included a Facebook page, which declared: “Norway, return the children to Bodnariu family!”
A post there from Daniel Bodnariu, Marius’ brother and a church pastor, expressed thanks for those concerned about his brother’s family.
He explained the action was initiated by a director of a school his nieces attend.
The girls are “challenging,” talk a lot and will not comply [with the ] school,” he explained. “But they are creative and smart.”
He said the girls, at the prompting of officials, confirmed occasions of corporal punishment but insisted there was no “abuse.”
And he warned that someone can make a telephone call and parents “wake up with … police at the door” and no option but to prove they are good parents.
He said Marius had worked as a professor of computer science in Romania. When he married and moved to Norway he worked as a professional designer and engineer.
Daniel Bodnariu wrote that government officials are destroying the family. “God have mercy.”
On the Facebook page, Mircdea Novac warned: “If you are a Christian and you go on vacation in Norway with your children you may risk coming back without them! … The ‘Aryan society’ doesn’t include Christians. Didn’t we understand anything from history?”
On that page, too, was a letter from Peter Costea, Ph.D., president of the Alliance of Romania’s Families to Norway Embassy in Romania.
The organization is “very much disturbed by what we conclude is a de facto confiscation by the Norwegian authorities of the Bodnariu family’s five (5) children,” he wrote.
He wrote of the Norwegian government’s decision to keep the children in foster care.
“We promote the right of biological parents to raise their biological children without state intervention. Once the state hijacks this relationship, the whole of society suffers and slides down a slippery slope.”
He wrote that based on information from those involved in the case, “leading questions” were asked of the children and that the family “has been accused of spanking its children.”
“The authorities translated this accusation into child abuse, which is the farthest from the truth. Biological parents have the inherent right to reasonably discipline their children. The fact that Norway has banned the corporal punishment of children does not mean Norway is right in this matter and the rest of the world wrong.”
He noted Romania only escaped the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union a generation ago.
“The excessive zeal of Norway’s Barnevernet [social services agency] reminds the whole of Romania of the inhumane practices of its totalitarian past. We can only hope that Norway will not drift in this direction.”
He also pointedly raised the issue of the government’s criticism of Christianity.
“In derisively commenting on the faith of the Bodnariu family, the Norwegian authorities have insulted 28 million Romanian Christians worldwide. Norway has lost the Bodnariu case in the court of public opinion. It will take at least a generation before Norway regains its respect with the Romanian people.”
He said: “What happened to the Bodnariu family in Norway would not have occurred in today’s Romania, a country which only a generation ago freed itself of the totalitarian regime. … We call upon the Norwegian authorities to immediately reunite Marius and Ruth Bodnariu with their children and to cease violating their parental rights.”
The Christian Institute noted that the family’s lawyer “pointed out that the Barnevernet had abused their power and broken Norwegian law by failing to provide documentation and separating a breastfeeding baby from its mother.”
An initial hearing days ago resulted in the government agency rejecting the family’s concerns.
The Facebook report said the family, “while seeking God’s will,” is considering their next course of action.
The conflict arises on the heels of a decision by the Supreme Court in neighboring Sweden not to allow parents Christer and Annie Johansson even to see their son, now 14.
He was “state-napped” from the family when he was 7 because he was being homeschooled.
Word of the court decision comes from the Home School Legal Defense Association, which has been working with other groups, including the Alliance Defending Freedom and lawyer Ruby Harrold-Claesson of the Nordic Committee on Human Rights on the case involving Domenic Johansson.
He was taken by force from a jetliner on which he and his parents were planning to move from Sweden to his mother’s native India. The initial charge were homeschooling, which was legal in Sweden at the time, although officials later added claims that his vaccinations were not up to date and he needed fillings in his teeth.
The Johannsons haven’t had custody of their son since he was taken by police and social workers, and they haven’t even been allowed to see him since 2010.
Michael Donnelly, the international homeschooling organization’s director of global outreach, said: “This is more of the same cold, callous indifference we’ve seen in the past from the Swedish Supreme Court. This court had multiple opportunities to correct a gross injustice, and each time they have turned away.”
He said the Swedish state has “destroyed this family and, sadly, even if the court agreed to hear the case and overturn the decision – the harm has had been done is virtually irreparable.”
EcoWatch
Should Our Children Be Genetically Engineered?
Friends of the Earth | November 30, 2015 12:17 pm
On the eve of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences and Medicine International Summit on Human Gene Editing, Center for Genetics and Society and Friends of the Earth released a new report today, Extreme Genetic Engineering and the Human Future: Reclaiming Emerging Biotechnologies for the Common Good.
With the breakneck speed of recent developments in genetic engineering and synthetic biology that could be used to alter human DNA, the report examines health, regulatory, social and ethical questions.
The Center for Genetics and Society also released an open letter today, signed by more than 130 advocates and scholars, calling for a ban on heritable genetic modification of human beings.
“Genetic modification of children was recently the stuff of science fiction,” said lead author Pete Shanks, consulting researcher with the Center for Genetics and Society and author of “Human Genetic Engineering: A Guide for Activists, Skeptics, and the Very Perplexed.” “But now, with new technology, the fantasy could become reality. Once the process begins, there will be no going back. This is a line we must not cross.”
Dana Perls, report co-author and food and technology campaigner with Friends of the Earth explains, “History has shown us that rushing new technologies to market before we understand their impacts on people, our society and our environment can result in negative unintended consequences. We have seen this with the first generation of genetically engineered crops—and the stakes are infinitely higher when it comes to the question of genetically engineering our children.”
Recent research in genetic engineering and synthetic biology has enabled scientists to artificially redesign life—everything from microbes to people. Powerful new techniques for gene editing bring the prospect of redesigning humans much closer. In April 2015, researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in China reported they had used gene editing techniques to alter human embryos for the first time in history. Those embryos were “nonviable” and could not have been used to initiate a pregnancy, but the attempt itself is a historically significant moment.
“The controversy about germline gene editing often downplays important points, including that we have other ways to avoid transmitting serious genetic diseases to future generations,” said Center for Genetics and Society Executive Director Marcy Darnovsky, PhD, who will present at the National Academies summit. “This technology will alter both human biology and human society. The scientists developing it cannot be the only ones making decisions that are so important for all of us. We need to invite discussion from thought leaders on ethics, disability rights, reproductive justice and other points of view, to inform best practices toward regulatory oversight.”
Stuart Newman, PhD, professor of cell biology and anatomy at New York Medical College, is a developmental biologist who previously filed a preemptive U.S. patent application to prevent the construction and commercialization of human-nonhuman chimeras. He shares these concerns: “Producing genetically modified human embryos is a first step toward making quasi-humans for spare parts. This will be followed by attempts to produce disease-free and other made-to-order children, with inevitable experimental errors. This is a technological move that will benefit the health of no living person, will harm some future ones and should be avoided at all cost.”
“These proposed applications raise social justice questions and put us at risk of reviving eugenics—controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of ‘desirable’ heritable characteristics,” said Emily Smith Beitiks, PhD, associate director of the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University. “Who gets to decide what diversity looks like and who is valued?”
“It is critical to not breach our scientific and moral integrity in the face of these rapid developments. Historically, research projects thought of as exciting research with no consideration for ethical or moral implications, were in fact egregious mistakes with unintended harmful consequences,” said Milton Reynolds, board chair of Literacy for Environmental Justice. “Only after the harm had been committed—witness the Tuskegee experiments on African American men and syphilis experiments on Guatemalans—was it clear to those researchers that scientific and moral integrity had been breached resulting in tragic consequences.”
The report puts human gene editing into the context of broader developments in synthetic biology. It examines the systemic and commercial incentives to rush newly discovered biotechnologies to market, regardless of their social utility and ahead of appropriate, transparent assessment and oversight.
The report calls for:
National and international prohibitions on the use of gene editing and synthetic biology to alter human embryos or gametes for reproductive purposes. This call is especially relevant in those countries, like the U.S., that have not already enacted such a prohibition.
Explicit and expansive public engagement on the human applications of synthetic biology, including and going beyond safety thresholds and addressing the social and ethical concerns.
An ongoing, transparent, democratic process with which to evaluate and appropriately regulate new, emerging and proposed human applications of synthetic biology.
Increased investment in more socially just and less risky solutions to environmental, health and social problems.
INDEPENDENT
Young people who question Government or media may be extremists, officials tell parents
A leaflet distributed as part of an anti-extremism drive says these signs are 'specific' to radicalisation
Jon Stone
December 2, 2015
Protesters sit down in the middle of the road during a day of protest outside Downing Street against the possible British involvement in the bombing of Syria, in London. UK anti-war organisation, Stop the War Coalition, organised the protest in response to the proposed vote in Parliament by David Cameron to involve British forces in the bombing of ISIS targets in Syria
Child protection officials been criticised after warning parents that young people who take issue with government policy or question what they are told in the media may have been radicalised by extremists.
A leaflet drawn up by an inner-city child safeguarding board warns that “appearing angry about government policies, especially foreign policies” is a sign “specific to radicalisation”.
Parents and carers have also been advised by the safeguarding children board in the London Borough of Camden that “showing a mistrust of mainstream media reports and a belief in conspiracy theories” could be a sign that children are being groomed by extremists.
Other apparent hints listed include young people changing friendship groups or styles of dress, secretive behaviour, switching computer screens when adults approach, or glorifying violence.
The leaflet says children who show a combination of these signs may be en route to emulating those who “have been persuaded to leave the country in secret and against the wishes of their family, putting themselves in extreme danger as a result”.
“This leaflet aims to help parents and carers recognise when their child may be at risk from radicalisation and where to get help if they are worried,” it explains.
Camden Safeguarding Children Board is a statutory organisation overseen by the area’s local council to safeguard children in the borough.
Council officials and local politicians sit in the board, as well as local voluntary groups and community organisations. Local Safeguarding Children Boards are mandated by the Government all around the country under the Children Act 2004.
Bella Sankey, policy director at the campaign group Liberty, criticised the leaflet.
“Children should be encouraged to take an interest in politics and think critically about what they see in the media, not deemed suspect for so doing,” she said.
The relevant part of the leaflet distributed to parents and carers
“Clumsy laws and policies that encourage suspicion in family homes will alienate ordinary teenagers and may further marginalise those genuinely at risk. If we want to keep our children away from violent extremism, we must include them in open discussion and teach human rights values, not police democratic concerns about government policy.”
This summer academics and writers warned in a letter published in the Independent that the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy, spearheaded by the Prevent programme, would have a chilling effect on open debate, free speech, and political dissent.
The letter’s signatories warned that groups affected by the crackdown could include non-violent groups such as anti-austerity and environmental campaigners – “largely those engaged in political dissent”.
“Prevent [the strategy] will have a chilling effect on open debate, free speech and political dissent,” the signatories warned.
“It will create an environment in which political change can no longer be discussed openly, and will withdraw to unsupervised spaces. Therefore, Prevent will make us less safe.”
The relevant section of the anti-extremism leaflet reads in full: “The following could describe general teenage behaviour but together with other signs may mean the young person is being radicalised: Out of character changes in dress, behaviour and changes in their friendship group; Losing interest in previous activities and friendships; Secretive behaviour and switching screens when you come near.”
It continues: “The following signs are more specific to radicalisation: Owning mobile phones or devices you haven’t given them, Showing sympathy for extremist causes, Advocating extremist messages, Glorifying violence Accessing extremist literature and imagery, Showing a mistrust of mainstream media reports and belief in conspiracy theories, Appearing angry about government policies, especially foreign policy.”
The document urges parents who are worried about their children to contact the police or the local area's anti-extremism coordinator.
Dominic Clout, the independent chair of the Camden Safeguarding Children’s Board defended the leaflet’s content.
“The leaflet was created by the professional and parent members of the Community Engagement Sub Group of Camden’s Safeguarding Children’s Board,” he said.
“The Board has a duty to safeguard children and the leaflet is intended to support parents on the difficult issue of potential radicalisation of their children.
“None of the statements included are indicative of radicalisation; rather they are a list of factors, which when seen in combination, may be suggestive of extremism. In isolation, none of the factors could themselves suggest extremism for example ‘Glorifying violence’ or ‘Owning a mobile device you (Parent) haven’t given them’.”
***
CNN
Putin: Turkey will regret warplane downing 'for a long time'
By Jason Hanna, Alla Eshchenko and Tim Hume, CNN
Updated 11:48 AM ET, Thu December 3, 2015
(CNN)Turkey has only just begun to feel repercussions for downing a Russian warplane last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned during his annual state of the nation address Thursday, hours before the countries' foreign ministers were to meet amid simmering tensions.
"If somebody thought that after committing a treacherous war crime -- the killing of our people -- it would be possible to get away with mere restrictions on the trade of tomatoes, or some other restrictions ... then they are grossly mistaken," Putin said.
"We shall remind them many times about what they've done, and they will regret what they've done for a long time," he said. "We know what needs to be done."
Diplomatic salvos
Putin's tough talk was the just latest broadside in the feud that has erupted between the countries and their strongmen rulers since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkey-Syria border November 24.
Ankara said the plane moved into Turkish airspace and received ample warning; Moscow denies both assertions, saying the aircraft was downed over Syria.
One of the plane's pilots was killed, while another was rescued.
Tensions between the countries have flared since the downing, with Putin describing the act as "a stab in the back by the terrorists' accomplices."
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was "saddened" by the incident but has refused to apologize -- insisting that "those who violated our airspace are the ones who need to apologize."
In response, Russia has struck back with a raft of economic measures against Turkey, including suspending construction of a $12 billion pipeline intended to carry Russian gas to Turkey and to other European countries.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu were expected to meet briefly Thursday afternoon in Belgrade, Serbia, on the sidelines of an Organization for Security and Co-operation meeting, the Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.
ISIS oil-buying allegations
Russia also has launched accusations that Turkey is involved in a secret oil trade with ISIS, the Islamist terror group that has captured parts of Syria and Iraq.
On Wednesday, Russian military officials outlined what they said was "hard evidence" of Turkish involvement in the trade -- alleging Erdogan and his family were involved in the business.
Erdogan strongly denied the allegations, telling an audience Wednesday at Qatar University that "no one has the right to slander Turkey, especially the slander of Turkey buying ISIS oil. ... Turkey has not lost its moral values to buy oil from a terror organization."
Rather, Turkey's semiofficial Anadolu Agency ran reports that Syria's ruling Assad regime -- which Russia backs in the country's civil war -- was buying oil from the terror group.
Russia, Turkey trade accusations over who bought oil from ISIS
Syrian leader speaks up
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has waded into the diplomatic spat between one of his closest backers and his hostile neighbor, opining Sunday to a reporter from Czech Television that Turkey's downing of the plane "has shown the real intention of Erdogan, who, let's say, lost his nerve just because the Russian intervention has changed the balance on the ground."
"So the failure of Erdogan in Syria, the failure of his terrorist groups, means his political demise," he told the reporter. "So he wants to do anything in order to put obstacles in front of any success."
Syria's government has credited Russia for making major inroads against "terrorists" through its air campaign in the country. But critics have questioned whether Moscow is adequately prioritizing ISIS targets, as opposed to lashing out at those opposing Assad's regime, including more moderate factions.
Britain became the latest foreign power to join the anti-ISIS bombing campaign in Syria, targeting oilfields shortly after British lawmakers approved the measure Wednesday.
In his speech Thursday, Putin offered thinly veiled criticism of recent Western policy toward the Middle East, saying that "previously successful and stable countries of the Middle East and North Africa -- Syria, Libya, Iraq -- have become a zone of anarchy and chaos posing a threat to the whole world."
He continued: "We know why it happened and who is behind the toppling of undesirable regimes ... thereby opening a way to radicals, extremists and terrorists."
RUSSIA INSIDER
The Game Just Changed: Russia Allies With Kurds to Push Turkey out of Syria
Russia's military response to Turkey's “stab in the back” has arrived
Rudy Panko
November 30, 2015
Moscow isn't likely to bomb Turkish military facilities, but it has other ways of undermining Ankara's presence in Syria: Russia is now aiding Kurdish rebels — a group that has been labeled as “terrorists” by Turkey.
The Syrian Kurdish forces (YPG) are considered extremely valuable in the fight against ISIS. They have previously received support from the United States, although western cooperation with the group has been limited in order to avoid ruffling Erdogan's feathers. But for Russia, upsetting Erdogan is not really an “issue”.
In layman's terms, this new alliance could be a fatal blow to Turkey's geopolitical aspirations in Syria (not to mention Russia's de facto no fly zone, thanks largely to a little friend called “the S-400”):
The YPG has still not pushed west of the Euphrates, but along with its allies, and with the help of Russian strikes, the SDF are threatening Turkey-backed opposition groups in another key border crossing, Kilis, west of Jarablous.
Losing control of the northern countryside of Aleppo would be a setback for the opposition. Turkey, too, would lose influence.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to be eyeing an even bigger victory. He called on the Assad government and the political wing of the YPG to unite. This has still not happened - at least not officially.
But Syrian Kurdish officials have said they are ready to work with anyone fighting ISIL, and anyone who works for a united, secular and democratic Syria.
Such an alliance would change the battlefield and the balance of power on the ground.
Turkey is in a heck of a pickle: The legendary Syria-Turkey ISIS oil train is being vaporized by Russian bombers; Ankara can't support its “moderate” rebels with air strikes because of the ever-looming S-400; And now Russia is giving direct air support to an anti-Turkish group that could actually push Turkish-backed forces out of Syria for good.
Was it really worth shooting down that Russian plane?
UPDATE! Here's some salt in the wound: Earlier today at the Paris climate summit, Putin announced that Russia has evidence that Turkey shot down the Su-24 in order to “ensure oil deliveries by ISIS.”
RUSSIA, SYRIAN ARMY PLAN TO BLOCK TURKISH BORDER
Operation “Total Destruction” will use warships, aircraft and submarines against IS
Kurt Nimmo | Infowars.com - NOVEMBER 30, 2015
Damascus and Moscow have agreed to take steps to block the Syrian border with Turkey and cut off supply lines for the Islamic State and other jihadi groups.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the effort on Friday after talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.
“We actively support that. We are open for coordination of practical steps, certainly, in interaction with the Syrian government,” Lavrov said about an earlier proposal by French President Francois Hollande. “We are convinced that by blocking the border we will in many respects solve the tasks to eradicate terrorism on Syrian soil.”
“We hope that initiative by President Hollande will be implemented within the framework of our joint work, including in the Group of Support for Syria,” he added.
Lavrov doubted Ankara’s dedication to eliminating IS.
“The hotbed of terrorist treat is concentrated in vast territories of Syria and Iraq,” he said. “It is the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and we have a common opinion that it can be exterminated only without any double standards. Special responsibility in terms of denouncing such double standards and acting in a united front against terrorism rests on Syria’s neighbor countries,” he said, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
Earlier this month the German newspaper Deutsche Welle published a report documenting the transfer of supplies across the Turkish border to areas controlled by the Islamic State.
The Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet also published reports revealing the transfer of weapons to Syria by Turkey’s intelligence agency. The Turkish government responded to the reports by arresting journalists.
Operation Total Destruction
On Saturday the Egyptian news website al-Youm al-Sabe’ posted a report indicating Russia will soon launch a massive operation dubbed “Total Destruction,” according to Iran’s FARS news agency.
The report said Russia will use Sukhoi fighter jets, Tupolev bombers, submarines and warships deployed in the Mediterranean Sea against the Islamic State.
Last week Russia deployed its advanced S-400 anti-aircraft system in Syria.
PRESSTV
Turkey court rejects appeal for detained investigative jounalists
Tue Dec 1, 2015 4:39PM
A member of a journalism union holds copy of Cumhuriyet daily newspaper during a demonstration on November 29, 2015 in Istanbul. (AFP photo)
A Turkish court has rejected an appeal against the detention of two top investigative journalists who blew the lid off Ankara’s arms delivery to the Takfiri terror groups operating in neighboring Syria.
The higher Istanbul court on Tuesday threw out the appeal from lawyers for the Cumhuriyet daily's editor-in-chief Can Dundar and its Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul, who had been arrested last week.
The court also charged the pair with "aiding a terrorist organization" and spying for alleging that Turkey's state intelligence agency had helped deliver arms to Takfiri militant groups.
In the appeal, the lawyers had pointed out that the arrests were “against the law, the Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.”
“The rest is on you. The choice and responsibility is yours,” the lawyers said in the appeal.
Also on Tuesday, media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) launched an international petition for the release of the two journalists. The RSF petition accuses President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of "waging a methodical crackdown on the media in Turkey for years."
Meanwhile, Christophe Deloire, the RSF secretary general, said at a news conference in Istanbul that the Turkish authorities appeared to prosecute journalists more than Daesh terrorists.
"The Turkish authorities are targeting the wrong enemy," he said.
President Erdogan has taken legal action in person against Dündar, requesting life sentence for him.
The pair face life sentence and an additional 42-year term in prison on counts of charges ranging from espionage to subversion and disclosure of secret information.
The released footage, which daily Cumhuriyet posted on its website in late May, purportedly showed that trucks belonging to Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) carrying weapons to the Takfiri terror groups operating in neighboring Syria. The Cumhuriyet video also shows trucks of the MIT being inspected by security officers.
A still image grabbed from a video published on the website of the Turkish Cumhuriyet daily on May 29, 2015 shows mortar shells in boxes intercepted on a truck destined for Syria.
The daily said the trucks were carrying around 1,000 mortar shells, hundreds of grenade launchers and more than 80,000 rounds of ammunition for light and heavy weapons.
The interception of Syria-bound weapons consignments took place in January 2014 in Turkey, when a convoy of MIT trucks loaded with arms and ammunition was stopped and searched near the Syrian border in the southern provinces of Hatay and Adana.
Several security officials who stopped the trucks are currently being tried for “spying” charges.
The incident triggered a huge controversy in Turkey with many bashing the government for explicitly supporting terrorism in neighboring Syria.
***
No more 'Mr. Nice Guy': Moscow's firm and swift response forever changes the Grand Chessboard
November 27th, 2015 -
By: Stevan Gajic, Institute of European Studies -
Belgrade, Serbia - for Fort Russ -
& edited by J. Flores
Moscow's firm and swift response forever changes the Grand Chessboard. The French appeared to vacillate, unable to get firm assurances from their Atlanticist partners in DC. Has this pushed Hollande towards Putin?
Events unfolded very quickly after the Turkish F16 fighter jet downed a Russian SU24 bomber over the Syrian territory, close to Turkish border. The act was characterised by Russian president Vladimir Putin as “backstabbing” on the part of the Turks. Russian authorities and the public are especially enraged because of the death of one of the pilots, and even more so by the videos of one of the pilot’s body being treated with utter disrespect by the Turkmen terrorists in Northern Syria - one of the groups that is well known for being backed by Turkey.
It seems that for Russia, the red line was crossed and it will not tolerate any harm to its forces without serious consequences and retaliation. To prove their money is where their mouth is, the Russian planes have fiercely bombed the region of Syria where the particular group of terrorists were located, and immediately deployed the notorious S400 anti-aircraft defence systems in their Khmeimim air base near the Syrian city of Latakia. This system immediately changed the balance of powers in the region as its range of fire well surpasses the territory of Syria. Needless to say that other consequences such as an economic embargo were put in place by the Russian authorities, ranging from poultry imports and gas deals, to tourism.
So why did Recep Tayyip Erdoğan make this move? One reason might be the fear of the Russian-Iranian alliance that was made public in Teheran only a day before the Russian bomber was shot. Another might be that Russia destroyed about a 1000 “ISIS” oil trucks and a an oil refinery which was a great source of cheep oil for Turkey, and some sources say Erdoğan’s family as well. Or maybe Turkey wanted to retaliate for its F4 airplane that was shot over Syria by the Syrian Arab Army three years ago.
Whatever the reason, it seems the Turks regret what they have done as their latest official statements became more apologetic, but not sufficiently, and Moscow will not settle for anything less than a clear apology. But what is more important is that Turkey officially announced its fighter aircraft will not patrol the Syrian border anymore, obviously fearing the S400 might shoot one of them.
The Turks also did not calculate another variable before they decided to strike. After the Paris carnage, France seems to be back on track with its good relations with Russia. Only couple of months ago, they were in a diplomatic struggle over the Mistral boat deal and economic sanctions imposed on Russia. But after the Paris tragedy, Francois Hollande is trying to make up, and join the war against the Islamists and even forget about the anti-Assad rhetoric.
Turkey received cold shoulder treatment from its allies too. NATO’s support for Turkey doesn’t go all the way, as the North Atlantic alliance has already showed reluctance to fight on the Turkish side in a possible Russia-Turkish war, and NATO withdrew some of their Patriot rockets from Turkey only two months ago. At the same time the UK has changed its position significantly and plans to fight the Islamists actively now. This might have something to do with David Cameron’s recent visit to China where he signed a number of large business deals with the emerging Asian empire.
The real question is, did the US leave Turkey to fry, and maybe led it to confront Russia, only to witness the consequences and take no part in further events? Or maybe the US are simply not getting their hands dirty, and want to fight Russia in a chain of proxy wars to the last Turk, Ukrainian or German (as George Friedman suggested[if !supportFootnotes][1][endif]), as in the “good ol' days” of the 1980’s Soviet Afghanistan war. What ever the reasons, Turkey is about to face grave consequences for its actions. Events flow in linear fashion, in one direction: Turkey cannot take back what it has done, and Russia's responses, as well as those surely to come on top of these, have forever changed the geopolitical game. If that was NATO's goal, then perhaps it succeeded - but as a result, Moscow has been given a free hand to act, and is now holding most of the cards.
***
End Of The American Dream
OBAMA’S ISIS OIL SCANDAL DEEPENS AS RUSSIA PRODUCES STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
How is Barack Obama going to get out of this one?
Michael Snyder |
DECEMBER 3, 2015
On Tuesday, the Russian military produced an impressive array of evidence that clearly shows that ISIS oil is being smuggled into Turkey on an industrial scale. The evidence included photographs taken by satellite and during aerial reconnaissance missions. What the Russians have shown the world is extremely compelling, and it raises some very disturbing questions. First of all, how involved is the Turkish government in all of this? There is no way in the world that an endless parade of trucks carrying ISIS oil could have marched through Turkish border checkpoints without the cooperation of the central government. Secondly, what did Obama know and when did he know it? The U.S. military has far better surveillance capabilities than the Russians do, and so it seems absolutely absurd to suggest that Obama didn’t know what was going on.
This new Russian evidence was presented to the world by Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov, and he says that “thousands of oil trucks” have been going back and forth over the Turkish border…
According to Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov, Russia is aware of three main oil smuggling routes to Turkey.
“Today, we are presenting only some of the facts that confirm that a whole team of bandits and Turkish elites stealing oil from their neighbors is operating in the region,” Antonov said, adding that this oil “in large quantities” enters the territory of Turkey via “live oil pipelines,” consisting of thousands of oil trucks.
But Antonov didn’t stop there. He went on to publicly accuse President Erdogan of Turkey and his family of running the entire operation…
“Turkey is the main consumer of the oil stolen from its rightful owners, Syria and Iraq. According to information we’ve received, the senior political leadership of the country – President Erdogan and his family – are involved in this criminal business,” said Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov.
“Maybe I’m being too blunt, but one can only entrust control over this thieving business to one’s closest associates.”
“In the West, no one has asked questions about the fact that the Turkish president’s son heads one of the biggest energy companies, or that his son-in-law has been appointed energy minister. What a marvelous family business!”
“The cynicism of the Turkish leadership knows no limits. Look what they’re doing. They went into someone else’s country, they are robbing it without compunction,” Antonov said.
And he is right.
The Erdogan family is knee deep in this scandal, and Barack Obama has known about it the entire time. For much more on the involvement of the Erdogan family in the smuggling of ISIS oil, please see my previous article entitled “The Biggest Obama Scandal? He Knows That Turkey Is Buying Oil From ISIS And He Is Doing Nothing To Stop It“.
During his presentation, Antonov gave us a lot of specifics. He even claimed that the Russians know precisely where much of this stolen oil ends up.
“The western route goes to Turkish ports on the Mediterranean coast, the north—to the refinery Batman in Turkey and the east—to the largest transshipment base in the village of Cizre,” the Russian Ministery of Defense web page states.
Oil from fields near the Syrian city of Raqqa—said to be the capital city of the Islamic State—is transported at night through the border town of Azaz, Syria and Reyhanli, Turkey to the port of Iskenderun and Dörtyol where the stolen oil is loaded on tankers.
The Russians claim the convoys are under the control of al-Nusra, the terror group funded by the Gulf Emirates and that cooperates with the Islamic State and supposed moderates in the Free Syrian Army.
Posted below is one of the charts that Antonov used during his presentation. As you can see, the Russians are not just making “vague accusations”…
To me, one of the most striking things about the presentation was when Antonov accused the Turks of supplying fighters, ammunition and vehicles to ISIS and Al-Nusra. The following comes from an RT article…
Up to 2,000 fighters, 120 tons of ammunition and 250 vehicles have been delivered to Islamic State and Al-Nusra militants from Turkish territory, chief of National Centre for State Defense Control Lt.Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev said.
“According to reliable intelligence reports, the Turkish side has been taking such actions for a long time and on a regular basis. And most importantly, it is not planning to stop them.”
If any of these allegations are true, Turkey should be immediately kicked out of NATO.
And if Barack Obama knew about any of this and refused to stop it, he should be facing impeachment proceedings.
For the moment, the official position of the U.S. government is that nothing that the Russians are saying is true…
Following Russian accusations, the US has again defended Turkey, denying any ties between Ankara and Islamic State.
“We flatly reject any notion that the Turks are somehow working with ISIL. Preposterous. And really very, kind of ridiculous,” Steve Warren, Pentagon spokesman, said.
Really?
As an American, I am utterly embarrassed that our “leaders” would continue to try to deny what Turkey is doing after everything that has come out.
By flat out lying to the world, we are losing any credibility that we had left.
Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of stolen oil has been smuggled into Turkey, and our government still has the audacity to try to tell us not to look behind the curtain?
No wonder why most people over in Iraq are convinced that the U.S. is actually on the same side as ISIS. They don’t trust anything that we have to say anymore.
Ordinary people also have seen the videos, heard the stories and reached the same conclusion — one that might seem absurd to Americans but is widely believed among Iraqis— that the United States is supporting the Islamic State for a variety of pernicious reasons that have to do with asserting U.S. control over Iraq, the wider Middle East and, perhaps, its oil.
“It is not in doubt,” said Mustafa Saadi, who says his friend saw U.S. helicopters delivering bottled water to Islamic State positions. He is a commander in one of the Shiite militias that last month helped push the militants out of the oil refinery near Baiji in northern Iraq alongside the Iraqi army.
The Islamic State is “almost finished,” he said. “They are weak. If only America would stop supporting them, we could defeat them in days.”
If we are going to continue to lie about the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of stolen oil that has been smuggled into Turkey, why should anyone believe anything else that we have to say?
The Obama administration and the Turkish government have been caught in a massive, massive lie.
In the end, this is the kind of scandal that could potentially bring down the Obama administration, leaders in Congress, and many among the top brass in the U.S. military.
***
ENENEWS
Former Japan Official: “Unstoppable contamination of Pacific Ocean… is seriously menacing US West Coast” — “Fukushima now undeniably a global security issue… can’t be brought under control by single state” — Experts: Wave of radiation will be 10 times more than entire world’s nuclear tests combined
Mitsuhei Murata, former Japanese Ambassador to Switzerland, Nov 1, 2015 (emphasis added):
The lack of the sense of crisis over Fukushima is in stark contrast to the gravity of the crisis. Fukushima is now undeniably a global security issue. The unstoppable contamination of the Pacific Ocean and the atmosphere with ionizing radiation from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear reactors is seriously menacing the West Coast of the United States. Japan should make utmost efforts to cope with the Fukushima crisis by retreating from the Tokyo Olympic Games that disseminate the false impression that Fukushima is under control.
Deteriorating situation in Fukushima — Japan is laboring under the consequences of the Accident never before experienced by humanity, including the simultaneous destruction and meltdown of three commercial nuclear reactors. Four and half years after the 3.11 disaster, it has been shown that a severe nuclear accident cannot be brought under control by a single state… It is questioned if Japan is in possession of the governability and the capacity needed to cope with the impending crisis. The melted cores of the reactors from Units 1, 2 and 3 remain inaccessible… If the molten nuclear fuel rods are exposed through cracks to the atmosphere due to a mega earthquake or the liquidization of soils on the site that could cause the collapse and breach of Fukushima’s spent fuel pools, Japan’s landmass would become uninhabitable to a large extent… The whole of Japan is threatened by the worsening situation emanating from the molten fuel rods, which continue to widely disseminate large amounts of dangerous radionuclides into the sea and atmosphere. Limitless steam observed evokes the possibility of re-criticality at the site. The undeniable necessity for international verification of the suspected re-criticality at the site should bring about the indispensable international cooperation to cope effectively with the Accident. The ongoing radioactive contamination of the sea with no prospect for a solution is dishonoring Japan, causing it to be criticized for harming the global environment. In spite of all this, attempts are shamefully being made to hide Fukushima…
World is menaced by the spreading contamination… The consequences of the radioactive contamination of the Pacific Ocean from Japan to the West Coast of the United States are drawing increased attention. Some experts now estimate that the wave of radiation from Fukushima will be 10-times bigger than all of the radiation from the entire world’s nuclear tests throughout history combined…
***
Zero Hedge
Greeks Told To Declare Cash "Under The Mattress", Jewelry And Precious Stones
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/01/2015 22:26 -0500
When earlier today we read a report in the Greek Enikonomia, according to which Greek taxpayers would be forced to declare all cash "under the mattress" (including inside) or boxes that contain more than 15,000 euros as well as jewelry and precious stones (including gold) worth over 30,000 euros, starting in 2016, we assumed this has to be some early April fools joke or a mistake.
After all, this would be merely the first step toward full-blown asset confiscation, conducted so many times by insolvent governments throughout history, once the government cracks down on those who made a "mistake" in their asset declaration form or simply refuse to fill such a declaration, thereby making all their assets eligible for government confiscation.
It was not a joke.
Here is the take of Keep Talking Greece, whose stunned response mirrors ours.
Cash "under the mattress" totaling more than 15,000 euro, jewelry and other valuable items such as diamonds and gemstones, should be declared to electronic system of tax authorities, Taxisnet, as of 1 January 2016. Next to properties and vehicles and shares, now the taxpayers will also have to declare their deposits. And not only that. They will have to fill if they rent bank lockers and if yes, also the name of the bank and the branch, even if abroad.
A joint ministerial decision issued by the Ministries of Justice and Finance indicates that taxpayers in Greece should add all their valuables into a new category of the tax declaration, the “Assets declaration.”
Specifically, the decision provides that:
“Assets declarations” are submitted electronically and mandatory via Taxisnet.
Starting date for the submission is 1.1.2016
Declared must be cash money if more than 15,000 euro and precious items if their total value exceeds 30,000 euro. These amounts apply cumulatively per household (husband, wife, underage children).
To facilitate the completion of the declaration, data from the income statements (E1 and E9) will be drawn automatically.
Note that this Assets declaration process will initially apply to lawmakers, journalists, public servants etc and is the rehearsal for the creation of the electronic property & assets register that will be extended to all taxpayers.
***
RT
Worst in 100 years: Non-stop torrential rains ravage southern India
Published time: 2 Dec, 2015 09:18
Edited time: 2 Dec, 2015 14:29
Thousands of people have been evacuated and a rescue operation is under way in Southern India, which has been severely flooded after several days of non-stop torrential rains, which prompted the closure of schools and factories and flight cancelations.
The city of Chennai, capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has been almost cut off from the outside world. According to local media, the rains have set a 100-year-old record in the city, which is home to about 6 million people.
"Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds may make the situation worse in Chennai," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said, adding that the rains may continue for at least four days.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. The authorities have already canceled all flights and the trains have also stopped running, due to water on the tracks. Chennai International Airport, the fourth busiest in India, will remain shuttered until Thursday, Indian media reported.
The Indian Army, Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the worst affected areas of the city.
"We have started the rescue operation but the biggest challenge is to find a way to clear the inundated airport and main roads," Anurag Gupta, a senior official at the National Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi said, as cited by Reuters.
Photos and videos of people floating in boats along streets that have turned into rivers have literally flooded social media, with residents helping each other and even rescuing pets. Hundreds of people in less-affected areas have opened their homes for those in need.
According to the local authorities, over 1 million people have been affected by the natural disaster.
"The police want to help but there are no boats. We are trying not to panic," Ramana Goda, a local resident in an affected area, told Reuters.
Heavy rains in southern India since the end of November have killed at least 188 people, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa said.
"It was saddening to witness devastation and deaths during the festive season, but I have faith in the strength of Tamil Nadu," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
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WND
COLLEGE PRESIDENT STANDS UP TO 'SELF-ABSORBED' STUDENTS
'This is not a day care. This is a university'
Published: November 30, 2015
CHERYL CHUMLEY
Everett Piper (Credit: Facebook, via the Blaze)
In the wake of all the college campus student uprisings and their successful demands for school leadership to step away from their leadership posts, now comes Oklahoma Wesleyan University president Everett Piper, who told one enrollee who complained of hurt feelings: Grow up – this isn’t a day care center.
In a letter, Piper explained how a student approached him to complain he felt “victimized” by a recent on-campus sermon on 1 Corinthians 13 that spoke of the need for love over law, over faith and over all things of this Earth.
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As the Blaze reported, “this young scholar felt offended because a homily on love made him feel bad for not showing love,” Piper wrote, in his letter.
“In his mind,” he went on, “the speaker was wrong for making him and his peers feel uncomfortable. I’m not making this up. Our culture has actually taught our kids to be this self-absorbed and narcissistic. Any time their feelings are hurt, they are the victims. Anyone who dares challenge them and thus, makes them ‘feel bad’ about themselves is a ‘hater,’ a ‘bigot,’ an ‘oppressor,’ and a ‘victimizer.’”
Piper then explained what a “conscience” was, and how the “goal of many a good sermon is to get you to confess your sins, not coddle you in your selfishness,” he said, the Blaze reported.
See what American education has become, in “Crimes of the Educators: How Utopians Are Using Government Schools to Destroy America’s Children.”
And he continued: “If you want the chaplain to tell you you’re a victim rather than tell you that you need virtue, this may not be the university you’re looking for. If you want to complain about a sermon that makes you feel less than loving for not showing love, this might be the wrong place. If you’re more interested in playing the ‘hater’ card than you are in confessing your own hate; if you want to arrogantly lecture, rather than humbly learn; if you don’t want to feel guilt in your soul when you are guilty of sin; if you want to be enabled rather than confronted, there are many universities across the land (in Missouri and elsewhere) that will give you exactly what you want, but Oklahoma Wesleyan isn’t one of them.”
And his final parting words of wisdom?
“This is not a day care,” he said. “This is a university.”
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Until next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions