Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Ya'alon: World Intelligence Agencies Must Cooperate to Combat IS
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines

A Kurdish fighter hold a position overlooking IS-controlled territory in Iraq

Reuterrs

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on Tuesday called for world intelligence agencies to work together against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

"In order to stop and overcome the Islamic State, we have learnt since 9/11 that there must be cooperation between intelligence agencies from across the free world, a sharing of experience and operational cooperation," he told public radio.

Ya'alon's comments follow a speech he made Monday night, in which he criticized the international community for focusing on criticizing Israel instead of targeting state sponsors of terrorism - naming Qatar and Turkey as two of the most prominent such states, along with Iran.

The Islamic State (IS) group, formerly known as ISIS, is at the forefront of a sweeping militant assault that has overrun swathes of Iraq and holds significant areas of territory in neighboring Syria. The ultra-violent group has imposed strict Islamic law on areas under its control, and has embarked on a campaign of mass-killings of non-Muslims and rival Muslim sects which Amnesty International recently described as ethnic-cleansing on an "historic scale".  

US President Barack Obama on Friday called for a broad coalition to defeat the IS jihadists and he is to chair a key UN Security Council session on the threat on September 24. The US has carried out over 130 airstrikes in Iraq, backing Kurdish and pro-government ground forces who are battling Islamic State jihadis.

Asked about the proposed international coalition, former military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin indicated Israel would likely share its intelligence with its allies.  

"The intelligence that we gather in the Middle East - which deals with threats from Iran, (Lebanon's Shiite) Hezbollah, what's happening in Syria, terrorist organisations in Sinai and the Gaza Strip - is of very good quality and we share it with our allies," he told the radio.

Israeli intelligence services have already reportedly been providing their foreign counterparts with intelligence, including satellite imagery, on IS positions in Iraq.

Last week, Ya'alon adopted a recommendation by the Shin Bet internal security agency (also known as the Shabak or Israel Security Agency) and designated both the Islamic State and Al Qaeda affiliated Abdullah Azzam Brigades as an "illegal organisation" under Israeli law.  

The move allows for legal measures to be taken against both organisations as well as anyone found to be supporting or financing them.

Last week, IS released a video showing the beheading of US journalist Steven Sotloff, who also reportedly held Israeli nationality, in the second such execution of a US journalist within a fortnight.

The Abdullah Azzam Brigades is a Lebanese jihadist group linked to Al Qaeda which periodically claims rocket fire on Israel.

Watch: Al Qaeda Captures Syrian Town on Border With Israel
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

The Nusra Front, Al Qaeda's official branch in Syria, released footage on Tuesday showing the capture of the town of Naba Al-Sakhr in Quneitra, along the border with Israel.

The video begins showing Nusra fighters advancing after regime soldiers flee their assault, and goes on to show them entering the town and speaking to one of the few remaining residents there.

Watch: Al Qaeda on Israel's border:

Naba Al-Sakhr Google Maps

It comes as rebel groups, including the Nusra Front, continue to make gains against regime positions along the border, in fierce clashes which have spilled over into Israel territory with increasing frequency.

On Monday, an IDF soldier in the Golan Heights was wounded by stray gunfire from the fighting. And last week, the IDF responded to "errant fire" by regime forces, hitting a Syrian military position after a mortar shell hit the Israeli Golan.

That incident followed several other errant mortar shells falling on Israeli territory, as well as the shooting down of a Syrian drone just 24 hours beforehand after it strayed into Israeli airspace.

Although until now the fire into Israel has been inadvertent spillover, there is concern that some Islamist rebel groups, like the Nusra Front - which frequently talk of "liberating Al Quds (Jerusalem)" - could use such positions to launch attacks on Israel in the future.

UN: Islamic State Killed Hundreds of Children This Year
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Tinmes of Israel
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Envoy says many kids in Iraq are used as suicide bombers and child fighters for jihadists, others are summarily executed

UN: $550 Million to Gaza Despite Renewed Terror Tunnels
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Ban Ki-Moon, Mahmoud Abbas

Flash 90

The United Nations (UN) and Palestinian Authority (PA) on Tuesday called for international donors to supply $550 million to the Hamas terror enclave of Gaza, despite the fact that Hamas has already restarted construction on its terror tunnels to attack Israel.

The appeal seeks to repair damage caused in the 50-day Operation Protective Edge, which started in July after Hamas launched a rocket war on the Jewish state.

"The scope of damage and devastation is unprecedented in the Gaza Strip," said UN Humanitarian Coordinator James Rawley in a statement, reports AFP. "The crisis is far from over."

Rawley and PA Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa said $551 million was needed for food, clean water, healthcare and education. They did not outline what type of supervision - if any - would prevent the Hamas terror government from using the funds for more nefarious causes.

However, Mustafa revealed that not all world countries are blithely ready to sink massive funds into the Hamas terrorist government.

"Some of the donating countries are worried about the condition on the ground; the reconstruction won't occur as long as the Palestinian Authority doesn't receive control over all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip," Mustafa said, according to AP.

Over 30 terror tunnels were destroyed by the IDF in the course of the operation, each costing millions of dollars and built with construction materials sent to Gaza for supposedly civilian projects.

It was revealed this Sunday by senior Israeli sources that Hamas has already restarted construction on the lethal terror tunnels and rockets, with leaders and residents of the Gaza Belt area saying the revelation required Israel to take military action, noting the threat to local security.

Nevertheless, Mustafa said he and Rawley "challenge the world to be ambitious and daring in helping us realize recovery, reconstruction and a better future for Gaza. An immediate measure is to end the blockade on Gaza and ensure our people never again experience the horrors of this summer."

Rawley likewise called for a "full lifting of the blockade."

Renewed truce talks between Israel and Hamas have not yet began, with Arab sources hinting at a September 20-21 start time. The influx of construction materials and the security threat it poses to Israel has been a key factor in keeping the blockade on the terror enclave in force, and is to be discussed in the negotiations.

The danger of the terror tunnels was illustrated in the operation, with soldiers being ambushed and killed on several occasions. It was revealed that Hamas planned to use them to launch a massive massacre on Gaza Belt communities on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.

It is worth noting that UN facilities in Gaza were widely used by Hamas in the operation as well, with rockets found in at least three UN schools and returned to the terror group, and three soldiers killed and seven others wounded in a booby-trapped UN clinic that was situated on top of terror tunnel entrances.

The United Nations
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

Most people are naturally inclined to think of the United Nations (UN) as a body committed to supervising or coordinating world peace. Few in the United States would imagine that there is any reason to view the UN otherwise, or even as a threat to their freedoms, peace, opportunities, the American way of life and the pursuit of the “American dream”. There are however, schools of thought that suggest that, if you take a closer look, you will see the UN as more of a threat than a friend to “we the people”, as well as the rest of what is commonly referred to as the “free world”.

Jean Warrick, in an opinion piece for the Shelby Star, explains why she feels that UN wishes are not shared by the American public in general. She explains that, despite the United Nations coming into existence in 1945 with 51 member nations with the goal to end war, many believe that its real mission was much more covert and sinister: to accomplish a One World Government. In addition, as an extension of that mission, the UN is said to currently be trying to have the U.S. ratify a number of treaties which would be devastating to U.S freedoms, and would terminate its sovereignty. The following list extracted from Warrick’s letter explains how:

1. The “Small Arms Treaty” would deprive Americans of their Second Amendment right to bear arms.

2. The UN’s “Law of the Sea Treaty” would give the UN control of U.S shores and all the resources (fish, oil, etc.) they contain. The Senate may ratify this treaty soon.

3. The “Convention on the Rights of the Child” will allow the UN to dictate how parents can raise, discipline and educate their children, and the Senate is considering ratification of this.

4. UN Agenda 21 would allow international environmentalists to take away U.S privately owned land if they believe it is needed for the “collective good” of open space in the global one-world community. 

5. American citizens would be required to pay massive UN taxes. Since America funds 22 percent of the UN’s budget, as well as 26 percent of its “peace-keeping” actions, U.S tax dollars are being used for the demise of Israel and other causes which the majority of our citizens would not approve. 

6. Other items on the UN agenda are redistribution of wealth between nations and within nations.

7. The UN is advocating for a world currency controlled by the UN.

8. The UN reportedly plans on de-population by abortion, sterilization, and age limits on care.

9. In the International Court, foreign laws would have precedence over American laws.

10. The UN is taking steps to create its own army which could consist partially of Americans and could impose the UN’s socialist agenda forcefully, pitting American against American at the UN’s command.

Warrick concludes: “…But then perhaps we have to ask if there is some overall diabolical plan, with many involved, to bring this nation to its knees and impose a New World Order. This is a shocking question to even contemplate, but perhaps it’s better to consider and question now than to regret later. We must remember that most Germans did not agree with Hitler’s insane agenda, but their collective silence allowed World War II and the Holocaust.”

The points provided regarding the risk of potential usurping of U.S laws and freedoms by the UN may be valid but debatable to the extent that more detail and clarity could not be provided within the letter. Nonetheless, Warrick’s views are by no means isolated; rather indications are that her views are shared by a broad spectrum of the American society. In one such example, Jim Galloway wrote last year in ajc.com (quoting Senate candidate Paul Broun): 

“Sixty-eight years ago today a clandestine organization was born. It was the birthdate of the United Nations. And now, sixty-eight years later, our nation is in danger because of this very institution. The United Nations is threatening our everyday way of life, the freedoms and liberties we enjoy and the privacy our families deserve. I want to get the US out of the UN and the UN out of the US. That's why one of the first bills I introduced this year in Congress was HR 75 to end all US participation in the United Nations.”

Although the U.N goals and strategies may threaten U.S freedoms in a more subtle manner or over the long term, the U.N approach to Israel has been much more direct and immediate. In an article published in UNwatch.org titled ‘UN, Israel & Anti-Semitism,’its author explains that: “ An alien observing the United Nations' debates, reading its resolutions, and walking its halls could well conclude that a principal purpose of the world body is to censure a tiny country called Israel… UN bias against Israel is overt in bodies such as the General Assembly, which each year passes some nineteen resolutions against Israel and none against most other member states, including the world's most repressive regimes…”

A recent New York Post article in the same vein states of the UN: “…This, after all, is the same organization whose General Assembly chastises Israel three times as often as all other countries combined; that has declared Palestinian terrorism to be a “legitimate” means of “fulfilling…one of the goals and purposes of the United Nations”; that once classified Zionism as a form of racism; and that has three special bodies devoted exclusively to agitating against Israel although no other such body exists for any other country…”

According to Wikipedia.com, “These decisions, adopted with the support of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) countries, invariably criticize Israel for its occupation and theft of Palestinian land and its continuous oppression of Palestinians. A number of observers have qualified this degree of criticism as excessive. For example, according to the UN Association of the UK, General Assembly resolutions in the period 1990–2003 show clear bias against Israel, with a great deal of explicit condemnation of violence against Palestinians but only occasional and vague discussion of violence against Israelis, including the use of suicide bombers. In addition, the UNHRC was criticized in 2007 for failing to condemn other alleged human rights abusers besides Israel.”

According to UN.org, the United Nations has four key purposes:

1.To keep peace throughout the world;

2.To develop friendly relations among nations;

3.To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms;

4.To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.

By the UN’s own admission, any failure on its part (to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals) is contrary to its own mandate. It is therefore clear that until it can be demonstrated openly that U.S sovereignty is not threatened by U.N laws and Israel is not discriminated against by the U.N, the world has much to fear regarding its trustworthiness and impartiality to all nations.

The Truth of ISIS in America
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

More Americans are beginning to catch on that there are very evil people who in the name of Islam commit atrocities unimaginable to the human mind. ISIS represents Islam in its purest form. Mohammed would be smiling from ear to ear if he were able to see ISIS carrying out his planned agenda for world domination. 

For years I have been conducting first-hand research at mosques around the world. For years I have been warning innocent people that Islam in its purest form is being taught in the mosques. Most people have ignored the warnings and blamed the violence on just a few ‘radical Muslims'. Many people continued to believe there are moderate Muslims and Islam is being hijacked.

In plain terms a moderate Muslim is a non-practicing Muslim. They do not exist and these people who claim to be Muslims are actually Apostates of Islam. Indeed they are good people who do not desire physical Jihad and world domination. Nevertheless they are ignoring the true teachings and basic beliefs of the Islamic ideology. These people are subject to death in accordance with Shariah law and groups such as ISIS are fulfilling the deeds of Mohammed. Around the world practicing Muslims are killing men, women and children who have departed from Islamic teachings.

If you were to ask any Islamic scholar they would tell you to faithfully practice Islam you must to the following basic principles:

1. A Muslim must adhere to all aspects of Shariah law, not just ones they feel like following. The acceptance of Shariah law cannot be separated. It is not a pick and choose system. For those who neglect portions of Shariah law they have left Islam and became Apostates.

2. A Muslim must have in their heart a desire to engage in physical Jihad in all places and all times. For those who can't fight they must provide financial and other support to the Mujahadeen (fighters). If they do not have the means to do this, at the very least they must support Jihad in their hearts.

3. A Muslim must desire a Caliphate. This is for Islam to be the dominate ideology in all parts of the world. You will hear numerous Muslims say this is not true, but basic common sense and Shariah law prove this to be accurate. Does not every Christian desire the world to accept Christianity and follow the beliefs? The same is true for Islam and Muslims.

4. The basic fundamentals of Islam dictate that slavery is authorized under Shariah law. This is why all of the Islamic terrorist groups kidnap and sell girls into slavery.

5. The marriage of girls as young as six years old is a standard practice within Islam. Mohammed married Aisha when she was six years old and all practicing Muslims state that Mohammed is an example for other Muslims to follow, and they do. Child marriages are not only being conducted in the Middle East in the name of Islam, but there are numerous mosques in America that advocate to the Muslim men to marry children.

6. Shariah law authorizes the Muslim man to beat his wife or wives.

7. Shariah law is not compatible with any man-made law and the Islamic ideology declares man-made laws do not have to be followed. Islamic leader's state Shariah law and the U.S. Constitution are not compatible.

8. Islam teaches that the Quran and Shariah law are applicable to all, and they can never be changed.

9. The Islamic ideology teaches that Jews, Christians, and other non-Muslims are the enemies of Islam.

10. Islam teaches that the land currently Israel belongs to the Muslim people and Shariah authorizes the destruction of the Israeli state and all Jews.

Now for the important question. Are ISIS terrorists in America? The best way I can answer that is to advise people not to get wrapped up in the dozens of Islamic acronyms. All of the Islamic terrorist groups follow the 10 points I mentioned above. All practicing Muslims follow the 10 points. Remember non practicing Muslims are apostates of Islam.

This means my analysis is that there are approximately 6 million Muslims in America (no one knows for sure how many). There are around 2300 mosques and Islamic Centers in America. I have been to hundreds of mosques in America and outside of America. I estimate only about 25% of people who identify with Islam are practicing Muslims. This correlates to mean that about 1.5 million Muslims in America practice Islam as Prophet Mohammed dictated 1400 years ago.

When ISIS started rumbling through Iraq they had a couple of thousand people. Soon they had several thousand because the practicing Muslims knew ISIS is the true example of how Islam must be practiced. In America if there are 1.5 million practicing Muslims it is only a matter of time when they feel comfortable and secure about trying to form a caliphate to include America. 1.5 million Islamic terrorists can do a non- recoverable amount of damage to our country. So, yes ISIS and their supporters are operating in America and we will soon be provided proof in the way of isolated terrorist attacks simultaneously all across our great country.

Could our country have survived twenty 9-11 types of attacks being conducted at the same time? Our government was not prepared for even a natural disaster as in New Orleans (hurricane Katrina). We could not withstand several major attacks at the same time. If we don't stop the Islamic ideology from being spread in America, we will have ISIS and there followers placing a black flag of Jihad at the White House in the near future.

Successful U.S. - Israeli Drill Simulates Iranian Missile Attack
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Testing the Arrow (file)

Flash 90

Residents of cities throughout Israel had front-row seats to a successful test of the IDF's long-range missile defense system Tuesday.

The Israeli Defense Ministry, together with the American Missile Defense Agency (MDA), conducted a drill simulating a ballistic missile attack by Iran on Israel, firing a single Arrow (Hetz) 2 missile in what was described as a successful operation.

"The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) of DDR&D and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency conducted today an intercept test of the Arrow 2 interceptor missile," the defense ministry said in a statement. "The Arrow 2 is an operational system currently providing the Arrow Weapon System (AWS) with an interceptor engagement capability and the test was conducted at an Israeli test range over the Mediterranean Sea.

"An Arrow 2 missile was launched and performed its flight sequence as planned. The results are being analyzed by program engineers."

After a summer in which the skies above Israeli cities - including in the center - were often peppered with similar smoke trails and puffs of smoke as the Iron Dome intercepted short and medium-range rockets fired by Gazan terrorists, the Arrow missile defense system is designed to intercept long-range ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles) of the type currently held by Iran.

It constitutes one of several layers of defense for Israel in the event of an attack, and is part of a joint project between the Israeli and United States militaries.

Whereas the Arrow 2 is geared for interception within the atmosphere, the Arrow 3 - which was not involved in the latest drill - goes higher still, taking out missiles before they even reenter the earth's atmosphere.

Shocking Porn Epidemic Stats Reveal Details About Christian Consumption
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

Shocking porn consumption statistics released earlier this month show that an almost identical proportion of Christian men report watching smut each month as their non-Christian counterparts.

In a survey undertaken by Proven Men Ministries in collaboration with the Barna Group, it was found that 15 percent of self-identified Christian men view pornography several times each month compared to 14 percent of non-Christian men.

Additionally, 3 percent of non-Christian men say that they look at smut several times a day compared to 7 percent of Christian men. The below table provides a more expanded comparative breakdown:

Overall, 64 percent of American men reported that they view porn at least monthly and 18 percent of all men said they are either addicted or unsure if they’re dependent upon smut; this proportion jumped to 33 percent for men between the ages of 18 and 30.

There are some profound differences between the genders, though.

Only two in 10 women report looking at porn monthly. While 11 percent of non-Christian women say they look at adult entertainment several times per month only 3 percent of Christian women report the same, exposing a stark difference between the two cohorts:

Proven Men Ministries founder Joel Hesch, who sponsored the survey, said the results prove that there’s an epidemic of sorts unfolding, with porn draining peoples’ “time, energy and resources” if addiction is left unchecked.

“What we are seeing can almost be described as epidemic,” he said in a press release. ”Viewing pornography can quickly turn into a very real addiction. Just like drug or alcohol use, what starts off as a seemingly innocent or fun act can quickly spiral out of control.”

Results were derived from a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults across the U.S., with a sampling error of ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. 

Hesch and his group aren’t alone. As TheBlaze recently reported, Fight the New Drug, an organization that also opposes porn, believes that smut isn’t merely a moral stumbling block, but that it’s also a public health conundrum that poses some serious risks to the human brain and society.

“The more harmful effects occur [in porn addiction] with its relation to our intimate relationships and our overarching society,” Olsen said. “Studies have shown us that individuals that regularly consume pornography can end up preferring the computer screen to a human being to get their sexual fix.”

Senior German Politician Opposes Weapon Sales to Israel
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

IDF Dolphin-class submarine

Flash 90

As the INS Tanin, Israel's fourth and most advanced Dolphin class submarine, is making its way to Israel from Germany, it has elicited criticism from various German political leaders in terms of continuing the supply of weapons to Israel.

According to a report in Die Welt, Germany’s Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has recommended a cutback in arms exports to the Jewish state.

Vice President of Germany’s Social Democratic Party, Ralf Stegner, in an interview in Welt am Sonntag echoed this sentiment, saying “"We want a clear policy change. Germany cannot provide weapons to areas of tension and certainly not to dictators,” questioning German support for Qatar, Saudi Arabia, as well as for Israel.

During the Second Intifada, then-Chancellor Gerhard Schroder led a campaign to temporarily suspend certain military exports to Israel. And more recently, the German left – some of whom have aligned themselves with Arab countries - have called for Germany to put an end to their “special relationship with Israel” altogether, and completely stop the supplying of any German weapons to her.

However, in sharp contrast to Stegner, Florian Hahn of the Christian Socialist Union told Welt am Sonntag that “Israel is the beacon of democracy in the Middle East,” adding that Chancellor Angela Merkel has never wavered from this position.

The comments appear to be the latest fallout from Protective Edge, during which both the US and Britain threatened to withhold weapons sales to Israel in order to exert pressure over Israel's military decisions.

But Garbriel has a long history of anti-Israel comments. In 2012 he branded the country "apartheid" after visiting Hevron, in a move that was criticized by both Jewish leaders and his political opponents alike.

Russian Strategic Bombers Reportedly Practice Nuclear Missile Strike Against U.S.
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsRT
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Russian TU-95 Bear bomber (Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin)

A pair of Russian bomber jets reportedly practiced cruise missile attacks against targets in the United States last week, according to a report published on Monday in the Washington Free Beacon.

Bill Gertz, a writer for the Beacon, reported that two Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers were tracked flying over the Labrador Sea last week in the northern Atlantic Ocean near Iceland, Greenland and Canada as part of a recent training mission.

“Analysis of the flight indicated the aircraft were conducting practice runs to a pre-determined ‘launch box’ — an optimum point for firing nuclear-armed cruise missiles at US targets,” Gertz wrote, citing unnamed defense officials he described as being familiar with intelligence reports.

The aircraft, Gertz added, are outfitted with six AS-15 nuclear-armed cruise missiles, each capable of striking targets as far away as 1,800 miles.

Representatives for the US Northern Command and Northern American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, declined to comment to Gertz ahead of his report, and told RT in an email Monday afternoon that they could not confirm the allegations printed by the Free Beacon. On his part, however, Gertz wrote that neither the US nor Canada responded to the alleged incident because it reportedly occurred outside of the North American Air Defense Identification Zone.

According to Gertz, the reported drill occurred last week at the same time that officials from the US, Canada and other allied partners met in Wales for the largest NATO summit of its kind in two years, where on the agenda, among other topics, was the escalating crisis in eastern Ukraine and potential action that could be undertaken to counter perceived Russian aggression. On the heels of that meeting, both the US and the European Union are expected to impose new sanctions against Moscow.

The latest report comes days after Russia’s own recent decision to revise a 2010 military doctrine to identify the US and NATO members as enemies, which “clearly outline[s] the conditions of a preemptive nuclear strike” against partner countries, Gertz wrote. With regards to the alliance, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during last week’s summit that at least 4,000 troops from various member states will soon form a “spearhead” regiment that will be “ready to deploy within a few days with air, sea and Special Forces support” in the event that the Ukrainian crisis spread into allied territory.

Gertz has previously reported for the Beacon that no fewer than 16 Russian bombers incurred the airspace of either US or Canada during the month of August, and this week’s article comes days after similar allegations were made abroad: late last month, a Dutch F-16 military jet intercepted and escorted a Russian Tu-95 bomber out of that nation’s airspace, as did the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force during a similar incident.

“Clearly, we at the US Strategic Command do monitor the strategic environment,”Admiral Cecil Haney, commander of the US Strategic Command, told Gertz last month following reports that Russian bombers came within 50 miles of California on the US West Coast. "I will say that the business of them coming close to the United States of America, we take very seriously.”

Russian Military Plane Circles HMCS Toronto in Black Sea
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsCBC News
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Russian fighter jets circle Canadian frigate 2:28

Russia's military acted in an "unnecessarily provocative" manner when its aircraft circled a Canadian ship in the Black Sea on Sunday, says Canada's minister of national defence.

"The acts perpetrated by Russia were unnecessarily provocative and are likely to increase tensions further," said Rob Nicholson in a written statement, saying it did not matter if the aircraft circling HMCS Toronto had posed no threat.

The ship was circled by one surveillance plane and two fighter jets, according to the defence minister's office.

The frigate HMCS Toronto left Halifax in late July to replace HMCS Regina, which has been a part of the Standing NATO Maritime Forces since May.

"Canada and its allies are involved in security measures taken by the acts of military aggression perpetrated by the Putin regime and because of the invasion of Ukraine," he said, calling on Russia to stop its "irresponsible actions."

This ship has about 250 crew on board and is participating in Operation Reassurance from Sept. 6 to 27 along with several vessels from other nations.

Russian denial

NDP and Liberal foreign affairs critics said Russia's actions were not surprising.

HMCS Toronto passes through the Turkish Straits as it makes its way to the Black Sea on Sept. 6. (HMCS Toronto/Facebook)

"Clearly, this is something that is disturbing, but it's also in many ways not surprising," Paul Dewar, the NDP foreign affairs critic told CBC's Evan Solomon on Power and Politics. "This has been a kind of cat and mouse game with the Russians."

The Russians view themselves as having domain in this part of the world, he said, but Canada has a presence there to support its allies.

It's important to avoid increasing tensions over the encounter, said Dewar, but "clearly there needs to be some strong diplomacy here after this incident."

Liberal foreign affairs critic Marc Garneau called the move "totally unsurprising" and reminiscent of Soviet-era behaviour.

Early Tuesday, a report emerged from Russian state ITAR-Tass news agency news agency quoting General-Major Igor Konashenkov as saying two Russian aircraft had passed through the area on a routine flight but "without making an approach on the foreign military vessel."

Russia Threatens to Shut Its Skies to the West
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Telegraph
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said his country would have to respond "asymmetrically" to news that European leaders are planning a wave of fresh sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, right, at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow  Photo: AP

Qatar - Funded City to Arise in Israel; More Tunnels, Anyone?
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Qatari-funded: Rawabi

Flash 90

Sometime in the coming days a governmental committee is to convene to decide whether a new Qatari-funded Arab city in the heart of Samaria will be populated.

It is currently expected that Israel will remove the last barrier blocking the city – which is already near completely-built – and allow the city to be connected to Israel's water supply.

The "Joint Water Committee for Israel and the Palestinians," established in the framework of the Oslo Accords, is to vote on the final approval. Both Israel and the PA have veto power over any project brought for approval – and have used it extensively over the past two years: The PA has refused to approve water projects for Jewish communities (except for those within the towns themselves), and Israel has not approved the Rawabi plans.

A deal has now been worked out, however, whereby both sides will approve the other's projects – which means that the city of Rawabi will soon be a "fact on the ground."

However, as the grassroots "Cities of Israel" (Mattot Arim) organization has pointed out, the security implications of a Qatar-funded city in Israel have not been sufficiently taken into account – especially now that the extent of Qatari support for Hamas during the recent war in Gaza is well-known.

"How far will the tunnels reach this time?" the organization asks, in a letter to Committee Chairman Infrastructures Minister Silvan Shalom. "Will they reach all the way to Tel Aviv?"

Rawabi is actually located only about 3 kilometers north of the Jewish community of Ateret (population: 850), which might make for an easier target.

Likud MKs Yariv Levine and Ze'ev Elkin, and Jewish Home MKs Moti Yogev and Orit Strook, have contacted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on the matter; their response has not been reported.

Cities of Israel has initiated a letter-writing campaign, asking its supporters and sympathizers to make their concerns known to Minister Shalom sshalom@knesset.gov.il and the Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy, and Water Resources.

New Obama Plan Calls for Implanted Computer Chips to Help U.S. Troops Heal
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

When President Obama on Tuesday highlighted 19 executive actions he says he is taking to improve the mental health of U.S. troops and veterans, one of them centered on a particularly novel effort: The development of new computer chips designed to modulate the nervous system to help with everything from arthritis to post-traumatic stress.

The project is headed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a Pentagon agency that develops a variety of high-tech equipment for the U.S. military. It’s known as the Electrical Prescriptions program, or ElectRx (pronounced “electrics”). Program officials say the goal is to develop a technology that could help people heal more quickly through the use of biosensors and electromagnetic devices that control human organs.

“Instead of relying only on medication, we envision a closed-loop system that would work in concept like a tiny, intelligent pacemaker,” said Doug Weber, the program’s manager. “It would continually assess conditions and provide stimulus patterns tailored to help maintain healthy organ function, helping patients get healthy and stay healthy using their body’s own systems.”

Obama did not reference the new program directly in his speech Tuesday at the American Legion national convention in Charlotte, N.C. In a joint fact sheet released by the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs, however, the agencies said DARPA will start a new $78.9 million, five-year research program “to develop new, minimally invasive neurotechnologies that will increase the ability of the body and brain to induce healing.” It’s part of the Obama administration’s larger “BRAIN Initiative,” which involves the National Institutes of Health, DARPA, the National Science Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration, among other organizations.

Officials say the BRAIN Initiative — which stands for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies — includes a related DARPA effort to build new brain chips that will be able to predict moods to help treat post-traumatic stress. It’s known as the SUBNETS program, short for Systems-Based Neurotechnology for Emerging Therapies. Teams at both the University of California, San Francisco, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston are involved.

The major hurdle for the ElectRX program may be shrinking the technology needed so that it can be used in the body. Implantable devices already are in use to fight inflammatory diseases and other health problems, but most are about the size of a deck of cards, requiring surgical implantation that can result in side effects, DARPA officials said. They want “ultraminiaturized devices” that would could be inserted through needle injection or other less invasive means.

MK Liberman: Israel Applauds International coalition against IS
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Foreign Minister, Avigdor Liberman, will embark on Wednesday on an official visit to the United States and Lithuania.

“The United States and Lithuania have held important roles with respect to the international support awarded to Israel during Operation Protective Edge and these countries’ activism within the United Nations Security Council enabled Israel to continue its military operation against Hamas,” Liberman said. “Israel applauds the establishment of the international coalition against the “Islamic State” (IS) terrorist organization, led by the US.”

Lost in America: Visa Program Struggles to Track Missing Foreign Students
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The Department of Homeland Security has lost track of more than 6,000 foreign nationals who entered the United States on student visas, overstayed their welcome, and essentially vanished -- exploiting a security gap that was supposed to be fixed after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. 

"My greatest concern is that they could be doing anything," said Peter Edge, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official who oversees investigations into visa violators. "Some of them could be here to do us harm." 

Homeland Security officials disclosed the breadth of the student visa problem in response to ABC News questions submitted as part of an investigation into persistent complaints about the nation’s entry program for students. 

ABC News found that immigration officials have struggled to keep track of the rapidly increasing numbers of foreign students coming to the U.S. -- now in excess of one million each year. The immigration agency’s own figures show that 58,000 students overstayed their visas in the past year. Of those, 6,000 were referred to agents for follow-up because they were determined to be of heightened concern. 

“They just disappear,” said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. “They get the visas and they disappear.” 

Coburn said since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, 26 student visa holders have been arrested in the U.S. on terror-related charges. 

Tightening up the student visa program was one of the major recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, after it was determined that the hijacker who flew Flight 77 into the Pentagon, Hani Hanjour, had entered the U.S. on a student visa but never showed up for school. 

Edge said ICE agents are trying to locate every one of the 6,000 missing students, but acknowledged that “we really have a lot more work to do” to tighten up the student visa program. 

Despite repeated concerns raised by Congress, federal immigration officials have also continued to grant schools certification to accept overseas applicants even if the schools lack accreditation, state certification, or any obvious measure of academic rigor. 

There are now more than 9,000 schools on the government approved list. The list includes such top flight American colleges as Harvard and Yale, but it also includes 86 beauty schools, 36 massage schools and nine schools that teach horseshoeing. Foreign students can enter the U.S. on a visa to study acupuncture, hair braiding, or join academies that focus on tennis and golf. 

Once the student arrives in the U.S., it is up to the schools to keep track of the visa-holder’s whereabouts -- and report to the government if they repeatedly miss class. 

That is a serious concern, Coburn said, because a number of for-profit schools appear to have been operating with a primary goal of selling visas, not educating students. 

“We know we have a lot of non-accredited universities that are using this system to bring people in, collect money, and not educate them at all,” said Coburn, who is part of a bi-partisan group of senators that has been trying to tighten controls on student visas. “To me, it’s a mess.” 

One school on the approved list, MicroPower Career Institute, licensed by the state of New York, continues to have four campuses on the approved list, even though five of the school’s top officials -- including its president -- were indicted on charges of visa fraud in May. According to the indictment, 80 percent of the foreign students enrolled MicroPower had delinquent attendance, putting them out of compliance with their visas. But the school did not report them, the indictment says. All five school officials have pleaded not guilty in the case. 

ABC News visited MicroPower’s small fifth floor campus in a Manhattan office suite, but the school declined to make anyone available to comment. 

Edge, who is Executive Associate Director at for ICE Homeland Security Investigations, said his agency had no choice but to continue to allow MicroPower to facilitate student visas. 

“I can only say that this is the United States of America and everyone has due process,” Edge said. 

The MicroPower case is one of several that touch on broader questions long raised about the student visa program. 

Thomas Kean 9/11 Commission Co-Chair said the government has yet to address the security gaps the program has created. He said was stunned the federal government continues to lose track of so many foreign nationals who had entered the country with student visas. He noted that, even before the 9/11 terror attacks, federal officials had been aware of the gaps in the student visa program. The man who drove the van containing explosives into the World Trade Center garage in 1993 was also a student visa holder who was a no-show at school. 

“It's been pointed out over and over and over again and the fact that nothing has been done about it yet... it's a very dangerous thing for all of us,” Kean said. “The fact that there's been no action on this is very bothersome.” 

Janice Kephart, who was counsel to the 9/11 Commission and co-author of a separate report looking at how the hijackers entered the U.S., said the credibility of schools certified by ICE is another significant concern. 

“When schools are not legitimate that enables terrorists to come here under a fraudulent basis and disappear into the fabric of society without anybody knowing that they are here for illegitimate reason,” Kephart said, “because the system itself will say they're here legitimately when in fact they're not.” 

ICE has taken steps to address the issue, especially in the aftermath of a damning report by the Government Accountability Office in 2012, which found the agency had failed to adequately police for visa fraud. ICE officials told ABC News, for instance, that it has undertaken a new program to deploy field representatives around the country to personally inspect schools that had been approved to accept foreign students. So far, 15 field representatives have been hired, with a plan to ultimately employ 60 around the country, according to spokesperson Carissa Cutrell. 

The agency has also launched a program -- so far installed at one airport, but planned for others -- that will immediately alert a customs inspector if a student is attempting to re-enter the country after their status has been flagged by a school official. 
“We’re continually making improvements,” Cutrell said. 

Edge said part of the blame for the continued trouble with the student visa program stems from a Congress that has been unwilling to impose tighter limits on schools -- many of which profit from tuition paid by foreign students. 

Coburn, as well as Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Chuck Schumer, D-NY, were among those pushing for limiting ICE certification to accredited schools in 2012. But that effort stalled in the House of Representatives. 

Rachel Banks, the director of public policy for NAFSA, the association of international educators, said her group has been working to promote opportunities for foreign study in the U.S. She said the group understands the need to monitor the arrival and departure of foreign nationals, but it should not come at the expense of legitimate applicants seeking to study in America. 

“Students should not be scapegoated,” Banks said. “Foreign students are an asset and not a threat.” 

The effort to expand options for foreign study appear to be prevailing. According to figures gathered by congressional investigators, the number of foreign nationals obtaining visas to study in the U.S. has grown from 662,966 in 2003 to more than 1.2 million in 2012. 

Edge said his agency has accepted that those numbers represent a continued challenge for the Department of Homeland Security. 

“Our work has only begun,” he said. “We have a lot more work to do in this space.” 

Let the Headlines Speak
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Ebola death toll rises to at least 2,296: WHO The death toll from the worst Ebola outbreak in history has jumped by almost 200 in a single day to at least 2,296 and is already likely to be higher than that, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.  

UN wishes are not shared by most American citizens
Most likely, the average person considers the UN to be a group of nations desiring to secure world peace. However, today it is a threat to “we the people” who have for several centuries enjoyed the freedoms granted through the Constitution and the opportunity to succeed in life.  

Russia mulls closing airspace in response to new Western sanctions
Russia does not rule out the possibility that it might close its airspace in response to new Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said Monday.  

Fourth Ebola patient coming to U.S. hospital for treatment
The patient is expected to arrive at Emory University Hospital early Tuesday and will be treated in the same isolation unit as two other patients who were discharged after recovering from the virus, the hospital said in a statement.  

Homeland ill-prepared for pandemic, doesn't even have enough drugs to protect Secret Service
The Department of Homeland Security is unprepared to protect its own workforce should a major infectious disease hit U.S. shores, a new watchdog report is warning, raising concerns the agency may not even be able to protect its own employees in the event of a deadly flu or other pandemic disease attack.  

The Global Tsunami Against 'Good': Antinomianism
Antinomianism is often called "lawlessness," as translations of Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians put it. But that word does not do the idea justice. The Apostle Paul does not have in mind mere violation of human codes and rules. "It" is the violation of the most sacred of boundaries, the "ancient" ones that should not be moved. Someday, he says, a person – "the man of (antinomian) lawlessness" – and movement will emerge that will be the summation of such evil.  

Holuhraun Largest Lava Eruption in Iceland since 19th Century
The ongoing volcanic eruption in Holuhraun has already become the largest lava eruption in Iceland since the 19th century, according to volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson. More lava has been emitted than in the largest lava eruption of the 20th century, Krafla in 1984.  

Rapid and durable protection against Ebola virus with new vaccine regimens
The ability of the ChAd3 Ebola virus vaccine to elicit rapid protection in monkeys is notable as the world health community battles an ongoing Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa. While the protective effects of the single shot waned over time, two out of four inoculated animals were protected when challenged with Ebola virus 10 months after vaccination.  

Ebola situation in Liberia worsens
...transmission of the Ebola virus in Liberia is already intense and the number of new cases is increasing exponentially.  

Ebola in Nigeria: Number of Ebola cases in Nigeria hits 19
The Nigerian government Monday said the country has recorded another Ebola case in southwest Lagos state, bringing the total number of Ebola cases to 19 with seven fatalities. Onyebuchi Chukwu, the country’s minister of health, told reporters in capital Abuja that 10 others have recovered after treatment, with the rest being treated, Xinhua reported.  

Battle without precedent to thwart Islamists
Islamic State poses a much more direct and immediate threat to the US. A terrorist army has openly threatened to attack the American people, their assets and land. And top officials at the Pentagon have referred to the group as a threat beyond which the US has ever before seen.  

Scottish independence: Sterling pounded on back of ‘yes’ surge
Surging support for Scottish independence saw the pound fall to a 10-month low. The head of the ‘Better Together’ campaign, however, denies panic among the ranks despite a plan to grant Scotland more powers if Scots reject independence.  

Small quakes shake south-central Kansas
The U.S. Geological Survey says two of the quakes were centered southeast of Conway Springs. A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck just before 8 a.m. Monday, followed at 10:23 a.m. by a temblor with a magnitude of 3.1. KWCH-TV reports people in Wellington also felt a quake with a magnitude of 4.1 that was recorded just after 11 a.m. near Medford, Oklahoma, about 40 miles away.  

5.1-magnitude quake hits Tawi-Tawi; aftershocks expected
MANILA, Philippines - A magnitude-5.1 earthquake jolted Tawi-Tawi on Tuesday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. In its bulletin, Phivolcs said the tremor was recorded at 8:26 a.m. with an epicenter traced 51 kilometers southeast of South Ubian in Tawi-Tawi.

Canadian navy ship buzzed by 3 Russian jets
A Canadian navy frigate taking part in a NATO exercise in the Black Sea was buzzed by three Russian military jets off the southern coast of Ukraine in an "unnecessarily provocative" incident, Defense Minister Rob Nicholson said Monday. While the incident Sunday did not pose a threat, Nicholson said it risks escalating tensions in the region even further at a time when a fragile ceasefire is just taking hold.  

Ukraine crisis: EU adopts new sanctions on Russia
European Union member states have formally adopted new sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis. The new measures include restrictions on large Russian state-owned oil companies raising money on European financial markets. However, the new measures will come into effect "in the next few days", not on Tuesday as some had expected.  

India and Pakistan floods: Death toll rises
The death toll from floods in India and Pakistan has passed 375 as authorities continue efforts to rescue hundreds of thousands of stranded people. More than 200 people are now thought to have died in Pakistan, where flood waters have destroyed thousands of homes and large areas of farmland.  

Arizona floods: Jan Brewer declares state of emergency
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has declared a state of emergency after record rainfall caused torrential flooding. Heavy storms on Monday in Phoenix and the surrounding area flooded roads and trapped residents. The high water level forced the closure of streets, schools and the Arizona House of Representatives.  

India warns of al-Qaida terror plots against Israeli tourists during holiday season
Indian intelligence officials have learned that al-Qaida elements and other fanatic groups may be planning to commit terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in advance of the anticipated influx of tourists during the upcoming holiday season, according to news reports. India has traditionally been a popular destination for Israeli hikers and backpackers, particularly during the Jewish holiday season.  

Abbas wants UN to replace US as leading negotiator in peace talks, aide says
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas wants the UN to replace the US as leading peace broker between Israel and the Palestinians, a senior official told Bloomberg in an interview published Tuesday. Senior Fatah official Nabil Sha'ath said that if Israel does not agree to a West Bank pullout in the next round of talks, the Palestinians would challenge the Jewish state politically, "all over the universe."  

Home Depot confirms payment systems were breached
Home improvement retailer Home Depot Inc confirmed on Monday that its payment security systems have been breached, which could impact customers using payment cards at its stores in the United States and Canada.  

Russia says might close airspace in response to new Western sanctions
Russia does not rule out the possibility that it might close its airspace in response to new Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Monday. "If there are sanctions connected with energy or further restrictions on our financial sector, we will have to strike back in an asymmetric way, such as restrictions in the transport sphere, " Medvedev said in an interview with Vedomosti business daily.  

Cameroon army 'kills more than 100 Boko Haram fighters'
Cameroon said its soldiers had killed "more than 100" Boko Haram fighters during an attempted incursion by the Nigeria-based Islamist insurgents, while across the border thousands continued to flee the group's advances.  

Elderly Italian nuns raped, murdered in Burundi
Three elderly Italian nuns were raped and murdered in twin attacks in their convent in the capital of Burundi, police said Monday as a hunt was launched for their killers.  

Cops are seizing hundreds of millions of dollars from drivers and bragging about it in chat rooms
This weekend, The Washington Post published a deeply reported look at "highway interdiction," a controversial tactic that has allowed police to seize hundreds of millions of dollars from motorists without formally charging anyone with a crime. Typically, police will stop a driver under suspicion of drug trafficking, seize their cash as evidence, and refuse to return it without a legal challenge. Only one in six seizures were challenged, typically because of the high cost of legal assistance.  

Palestinians Offered State Five Times The Size Of Palestine By Egyptian President, Abbas Rejects
Egyptian President General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has reportedly offered Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas a Palestinian State in Egypt’s Sinai which would be five times bigger than anything Israel could offer them in negotiations.  

Yellowstone Volcano: 207 Earthquakes Rattle The Supervolcano, USGS Says Situation Normal
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has provided its monthly update on the Yellowstone volcano and 207 earthquakes were registered in the area, which is quite an increase from July when there were only 99 earthquakes.  

Kerry Calls Together Arab Foreign Ministers on IS Threat
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsDebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

US Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks Wednesday and Thursday in Jeddah with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and five Gulf Arab states as part of the US effort to build a coalition to fight the Islamic State.

Joint U.S. - Israel Test of Arrow-2 Anti-missile System
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsDebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Israel’s defense ministry and the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency announced a test launch Tuesday of the Arrow-2 upper tier missile interceptor from the Palmachim air base. No details were released about which version of the Arrow was tested or its results.. 

ISIS Jihadis Using Captured Arms and Troop Carriers from U.S. and Saudis
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Guardian
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Islamic State fighters parade through Raqqa in Syria. The militant on the left holds an American-made M16 assault rifle. Photograph: Reuters

The jihadi group surging through Iraq and Syria is using large captured US-made weapons and has access to anti-tank rockets supplied by Saudi Arabia to a moderate rebel group, according to a report published on Monday.

The study by the London-based Conflict Armament Research consultancy found that Islamic State (Isis) militants had access to large numbers of US weapons, which they were shifting to key battlefields.

The report drew no conclusions about how the weapons were sourced. However, the capitulation of the Iraqi army in northern Iraq on 10 June gave the jihadis access to military arsenals in the north of the country, which were full of US-supplied assault rifles and ammunition, as well as heavy weapons.

The report was compiled from a list of weapons captured from Isis by Kurdish militias over a 10-day period in July.

Of most interest was the capture of two M-79 rockets that were identical to a batch of such weapons supplied by Saudi Arabia to rebels in southern Syria in January 2013. The rockets had been sourced from a Croatian arms supplier and ferried to anti-Assad fighters who were identified as non-jihadis.

The potential for weapons provided to one group to fall into the hands of other militants fighting in Syria has often been cited by the US and others as a reason not to heavily arm groups involved in the civil war.

Calls by rebels for heavy weapons that would allow them to confront Syria's air force or tanks have regularly been turned down. But with the war zone now flush with such weapons – largely in the hands of jihadis who oppose both mainstream rebels and the Syrian regime, Washington is rethinking its involvement.

Moderate rebels in northern Syria have in the past fortnight confronted Isis forces who arrived in Humvees and armoured troop carriers supplied by the US to Iraq. The rival rebel groups found it difficult to stop Isis with the weapons they had.

The vehicles were seized en masse from bases near Mosul and driven across the Syrian border, where they have revitalised a battlefield that had become a three-way stalemate in eastern and northern Syria.

US jets have in the past six weeks bombed Humvees and US-made troop carriers in northern Iraq. Many were used by the US military during the nearly nine-year war and occupation, then handed over by US officers as they left Iraq. Others were bought directly from Washington.

Using such vehicles, Isis fended off assaults on Sunday in far the western Anbar province by Iraqi forces, backed by fighter jets. US jets again attacked Isis positions near the Haditha dam, the second one of Iraq's two most important waterways, which has become a key target for jihadis.

Ebola Spreading Exponentially in Liberia
Sep 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Sydney Morning Herald
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Ebola risk spreads amid fears of food crisis

Biggest Ebola outbreak on record threatens to spread further amid fears of a potential food crisis as the international community ramps up support to contain the disease.

Monrovia, Liberia: The United States and Britain will send medical equipment and military personnel to help contain West Africa's Ebola outbreak, as the World Health Organisation warned on Monday that many thousands of new infections are expected in Liberia in the coming weeks.

The current Ebola outbreak is the largest on record. It has spread from Guinea to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal and killed more than 2000 people. An "exponential increase" in new cases is expected in the hardest-hit countries in coming weeks, the UN health agency warned.

"As soon as a new Ebola treatment facility is opened, it immediately fills to overflowing with patients, pointing to a large but previously invisible caseload," WHO said in a statement about the situation in Liberia. "Many thousands of new cases are expected in Liberia over the coming three weeks."

Medical workers of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy hospital in Monrovia walk past a sick woman waiting for assistance. Photo: AFP

So far, more than 3500 people have been infected, nearly half of them in Liberia. The outbreak has taken a particularly heavy toll on health workers. The World Health Organisation announced on Monday that one of its doctors working in Sierra Leone has been infected with Ebola.

In response to the spiralling disaster, US President Barack Obama said on Sunday that the military would help to set up isolation units and provide security for public health workers responding to the outbreak.

Military personnel will set up a 25-bed field hospital in the Liberian capital, Colonel Steven Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said on Monday. The clinic will be used to treat health care workers, a high number of whom have become infected in this outbreak.

Health workers, wearing protective equipment (PPE), arrive with a potentially contaminated patient at Elwa hospital in Monrovia, which is run by Medecins Sans Frontieres. Photo: AFP

Once set up, the centre will be turned over to the Liberian government. There is no plan to staff it with US military personnel, Colonel Warren said.

Liberia welcomed the news.

"This is not Liberia's particular fight; it is a fight that the international community must engage very, very seriously and bring all possible resources to bear," said Information Minister Lewis Brown.

Liberian street artist Stephen Doe paints a mural to inform people about the symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus in Monrovia. Photo: AFP

And Britain will open a 62-bed treatment center in Sierra Leone in the coming weeks. It will be operated by military engineers and medical staff with help from the charity Save the Children, Britain's Department for International Development said on Monday.

The clinic will also include a special section for treating health care workers, offering them high-quality, specialist care, the statement said.

Currently, there are about 570 beds in Ebola treatment centers in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the hardest-hit countries, and the World Health Organization says nearly 1000 more are needed, the vast majority of those in Liberia.

But experts say it's not just beds, but more international and local health workers that are needed. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) welcomed the US announcement but urged Washington to not simply set up clinics but also to staff them.

Many health workers, however, have been reluctant to respond to the crisis out of concern that there isn't enough protective equipment to keep them safe.

Ebola is spread through the bodily fluids of people who show symptoms, and doctors and nurses are at high risk of infection because they work closely with the sick. The WHO doctor whose infection was announced on Monday is the second health care worker with the agency to catch Ebola. The doctor is in stable condition and will shortly be evacuated, the agency said.

In Liberia alone, 152 health care workers have been infected with Ebola and 79 have died, WHO said, noting that country had too few doctors and nurses even before the crisis.

"Every infection or death of a doctor or nurse depletes response capacity significantly," it said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called several world leaders over the weekend, including the British prime minister and French president, to urge them to send more medical teams and money to fight the outbreak.

Officials have said flight bans and border closures - meant to stop the disease's spread - are slowing the flow of aid and protective gear for doctors and nurses to the region.

At an emergency African Union meeting on Monday, members agreed to open borders that have been closed and lift bans on flights to and from affected countries, according to Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, chair of the AU's Commission. But it was unclear how quickly those promises would be kept.

Earlier, Senegal, which has shut its borders and blocked flights, said it was planning to open a "humanitarian corridor" to the affected countries.