RUTHFULLY YOURS

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.11119/pub_detail.asp
12. The Ron Paul Effect

No, I’m not calling Ron Paul anti-American, but his views on national security and naïve belief in the reasonableness of the Iranian regime do threaten our national security. Ron Paul’s eagerness for minimal government has led him and his supporters to reflexively embrace the argument that will excuse them from foreign action and bigger spending. In the last debate, Paul even claimed that there’s no evidence that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon (false) and said terrorists only attack us because we’re the initial aggressors, claiming that terrorists don’t target neutral countries like Sweden and Switzerland (also false).

Ron Paul has a real chance of being the big story of the 2012 campaign for the Republican nomination and, if he runs as an Independent, the general election. His movement has the potential to influence politicians to embrace national security positions so irresponsible that they make President Obama look like Genghis Khan.

11. Sudan’s Sharia Transformation

Dictator Omar Bashir of Sudan vowed to turn his country into a 100% Sharia-based state after the secession of South Sudan. His government is already allied to Iran and allows the Revolutionary Guards to ship arms to Hamas through its territory. Bashir says he’ll make Arabic the official language and all legislation will be based on Sharia and only Sharia. Don’t be surprised if Sudan becomes the new Iran and its sponsorship of terrorism skyrockets.

10. Chaos in Europe

Civil strife will increase next year, and there are all sorts of extremists ready to riot, protest and incite. From anarchists to neo-Nazis to Islamists to anti-Muslim extremists to people who are just plain angry, there is no shortage of groups ready to bring about chaos to get their point across.

Greece, Sweden and France have suffered from huge riots in Muslim-majority areas, some of which have been dubbed “No Go Zones.” These riots showed us that it only takes a single match to be lit for a wildfire to spread and with Europe’s economic problems and social tensions, there are plenty to go around.

9. Russia Goes Soviet

Vladimir Putin, the guy who called the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century,” is now facing the Russian version of the Arab Spring. The country is facing its largest protests since the Soviet Union fell. Putin isn’t the type of guy to try to find the middle ground. His strong-arm tactics and KGB impulses are going to come out as they never have before and with them, his Cold War mindset.

One possible Russian action would be to wage war to overthrow the Georgian government, a U.S. ally. Ever since Russia ripped Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia in 2008, it has been eager to overthrow the Saakashvili government. Russia tried engineering a coup to accomplish this in 2009 but it failed. Since then, Russia has made the case for the government’s removal by accusing it of sponsoring terrorism.

8. The Mexican Drug War

Far more Mexicans have died since 2007 than all American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan combined since 2001. It is hard to overstate the level of barbarism, anarchy and bloodshed that is happening to the south, and there is no indication that it will stop any time soon. Islamist terrorists are linking up with the Mexican drug cartels, and the Colombian FARC is cashing in on the action.

In September 2010, the government had to put up signs along 60 miles of Interstate 8 in Arizona, more than 100 miles from the Mexican border, warning that the area is unsafe. Sooner or later, the violence will spill over the border in a way that will force Americans to finally pay attention.

7. Sectarian War in Iraq and Syria

Right after U.S. forces left Iraq, Shiite Prime Minister al-Maliki and the Sunni politicians were at eachother’s throats. A sharp increase in terrorism followed. Once again, Iraq is looking at the possibility of sectarian violence. Moqtada al-Sadr, the Iranian-backed militia leader, has vowed to attack any remaining U.S. forces in Iraq starting January 1, 2012. That includes the soldiers guarding the embassy and the thousands of contractors that remain. If the U.S. agrees to send 800 to 1,000 trainers back to Iraq as is being discussed, each will have a target on their back.

In Syria, the possibility of civil war is quickly increasing and with it, sectarian bloodletting. The minority Allawites, about 10-13% of the population, are sticking by the Assad regime. This is the minority that his regime and its vicious security forces draw its most important personnel from.

Going into 2012, sectarian warfare in Iraq and Syria is a distinct possibility and foreign powers will be actively backing opposite sides.

6. AfPak Goes Back to 2001

President Obama is bringing home the remaining 23,000 troops sent as part of the “surge” in Afghanistan by September. The remaining 68,000 will then start coming home until Afghanistan is put in charge of security in 2014. General John Allen opposes bringing down the number of troops below 68,000, though I’m concerned about the loss of that 23,000 as well. We’ll know in the coming months if this is a safe plan or not, as the Taliban and its terrorist allies will return or they won’t. The key question is whether President Obama will be willing to adjust his timeline if it is necessary. Given Vice President Biden’s comment that the Taliban is not an enemy, I’m not too hopeful.

At the same time, the U.S. relationship with Pakistan is in tatters. There is a distinct possibility that Pakistan will sever all counter-terrorism cooperation with the U.S. or reduce it to the bare minimal. This would bring us almost back to the pre-9/11 situation, where Al-Qaeda and other terrorists have free reign in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. We all know how that turned out.

5. Homegrown Jihad

The Obama Administration doesn’t deny the fact that homegrown terrorism is increasing. It’s simply a statistical fact. Attorney General Eric Holder says “You didn’t worry about this [homegrown terrorism] even two years ago—about individuals, about Americans, to the extent that we now do.”

The most recent poll found that 5% of Muslim-Americans view Al-Qaeda favorably and 14 percent wouldn’t answer the question. Out of 1.8 million Muslim adults, that’s a lot of people sympathizing with the group that carried out 9/11. One can only imagine how high the support for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood must be. Levels of radicalism are higher among younger Muslims born in the U.S. than they are from older ones born overseas, so this threat is likely to increase, especially as the population quickly grows.

4. Kim Jong-Un Shows What He’s Made Of

The new leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un, ordered the attack on the South Korean Cheonan warship in March 2010 and, almost certainly, the artillery barrage on a South Korean island in November 2010. Every step in the succession process has been accompanied with a provocation, and now that he’s the leader, Kim Jong-Un is eager to prove himself and solidify his grip. If he doesn’t provoke some kind of confrontation, it’d be really out of character for the North Korean regime. Plus, British intelligence believes he suffers from severe hypertension and an “explosive temper.”

3. The Islamist Tidal Wave in the Middle East Spreads

The Arab Spring isn’t an Islamist revolution, but that doesn’t mean that the Islamists won’t come to power. They are leading the new Tunisian government, are winning a power struggle with the secularists in Libya and are winning landslide victories in Egypt’s elections. And the Islamists have every reason to believe they’ll add a few notches to their belt in 2012.

In Yemen, the largest opposition party is Islah, which is a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate with Salafist backing. One of its leaders was blacklisted by the U.S. State Department for his involvement with Osama Bin Laden. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels benefit from the instability.

Jordan is another prime candidate for the Arab Spring, but there have also been major riots and protests in Oman, Algeria, Morocco, Kuwait and other states. In Saudi Arabia, Prince Nayef, an ally of the Wahhabists, is bound to become King soon. The youth population is eager for reform and it will be difficult for the Royal Family to play a balancing act that will prevent upheaval.

2. Military Action Against Iran

The Iranian regime will retaliate with its full might if it survives a limited strike on its nuclear facilities. It may even want such a strike. It’s not hard to imagine the horrors that will probably follow an Israeli attack on Iran: Terrorist proxies receiving the green light for whatever they want, the Straits of Hormuz being attacked, full retaliation from Revolutionary Guards missile bases, etc., etc.

Don’t think the U.S. can escape Iran’s response. No matter how hard we try to distance ourselves from Israel, Islamists view the U.S. and Israel as essentially the same. Secretary of Defense Panetta says Iran could get a nuclear bomb within a year. Let’s hope that Iran’s economic stresses, political in-fighting, and ongoing series of unexplained “accidents” buys us some time.

1. Iran Gets the Bomb

It’s often said that the only thing more dangerous than an attack on Iran is letting Iran get the nuke. And it’s true. If you think Iran is a big sponsor of terrorism now, wait until you see what happens when Iran has the protection of a nuclear deterrent. Iran will return to all of its unfinished proxy wars, including those waged against the pro-American Arab governments.

If Iran appears to be on the edge of a having a nuclear warhead, almost every country in the region will follow. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries and those seeking to join the body (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco) will go nuclear, as will probably Turkey and Egypt.

Iran will share its nuclear technology (if not actual weapons) with its allies, so you can add Syria (if Assad survives), Sudan and Venezuela to the list. Once all the mentioned countries go nuclear, their adversaries will also have to reexamine their positions.

Of course, Iran could also use the nuke it obtains. Iran has rehearsed carrying out an EMP strike, which could theoretically disable the U.S. and bring about death and destruction that only a Roland Emmerich film can depict. At the very least, the creation of an Iranian nuke and the subsequent nuclear arms race adds a flammable element into the region best known for catching on fire.

There are many threats facing the Western world in 2012. The economy is the number one issue, but voters must remember that national security can claim the top spot in one instant.

Ryan Mauro is the National Security Analyst for Family Security Matters. He is the Founder of WorldThreats.com, a national security analyst at Christian Action Network, a Strategic Analyst for Wikistrat and a national security commentator for FOX News.

http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/../2011/12/becoming_zimbabwe_when_nations_regress.html

PLEASE SEE THE DOCUMENTARY : MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN ….MUGABE ONCE SYMBOLIZED THE “ONE MAN, ONE VOTE” GREAT HOPE OF DECOLONIZED AFRICA….TODAY AIDS, FAMINE, EPIDEMIC, CHAOS AND UNEMPLOYMENT REIGN IN WHAT WAS ONCE BEAUTIFUL RHODESIA…..RSK

It is the great lie of our time that history is forever marching forward in the direction of evolutionary progress. History oftentimes is said to repeat itself; but few people realize that on occasion it is more a matter of rewinding history rather than simply repeating it. The importance lies in not merely the repeating of mistakes cataloged by history, but in recognizing the ability of a people to reverse the course of a nation and descend backwards into a dark and primitive past. Self-inoculated by the presumption of permanence, our citizenry is as blind to the danger posed by “fundamental transformation” as other historic nations facing similar promised progress.

It was a chance meeting, to be introduced to the child of missionary parents whom I was told grew up in Zimbabwe. Noting her age and faint British accent, I inquired if she was raised in Rhodesia rather than in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. Startled, the woman informed me that she was in fact Rhodesian and that I was one of the few people she had ever encountered that had noticed the subtle difference. The rest of the conversation consisted of her fond recollections of the magical land in which she was born, more Narnian in her telling than anything earthly, and her sadness at what had since happened to that land.

http://times247.com/

http://times247.com/articles/iran-pushing-government-approved-women-s-clothing
Iranian women visit an exhibition depicting Islamic Dress Code during an exhibition in Tehran last August. Photo Credit:AP/Vahid Salemi
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is promoting government-approved apparel for women that is “Islamic and beautiful” at the same time.

Read more at: http://times247.com/

Israel says airstrike kills Islamic Jihad militant in Gaza
Jerusalem Post
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
News
The Israel Air Force … fired a missile at Gazan terrorists involved in recent attacks on Israel, killing one and injuring two others, Israeli media reported Tuesday

Read more at: http://times247.com/

http://daphneanson.blogspot.com/

The Spiritual Leader of Britain’s Roman Catholics Inveighs Against Israel
Back in March 2009, when he was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, Vincent Nichols caused widespread consternation among his flock by permitting the chapel of the Roman Catholic Newman College in Birmingham to be used to celebrate the birth of the Islamic prophet Mohammed.

Wrote Daily Telegraph blogger Damian Thompson at the time, having been told about the “disturbing event” that had “enormously upset devout Catholics” by a “furious priest”:

“I’d never heard of this college before, but its website gives off an air of the grimmest political correctness…. The chapel is certainly used for the celebration of Mass, so it would indeed be outrageous if it were also used for the celebration of the birth of a man whom Christianity does not recognise as a prophet. (Don’t get me started.) Can you imagine Muslims allowing a mosque or Muslim prayer room to be used for the celebration of the Eucharist?’

Soon afterwards Thompson added:

‘The Archbishop of Birmingham, Vincent Nichols, has defended the use of a Catholic university college chapel for an event marking the birthday of Mohammed. Unbelieveable, I know. But here it is:

In a statement issued today, Thursday 12 March, Peter Jennings, Press Secretary to the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham, and the Archdiocese of Birmingham, said: “The chapel at Newman University College, Birmingham, was properly prepared for this event which consisted of two talks and a discussion of an interfaith nature.”

Mr Jennings added: “Christian/Muslim dialogue is an important part of the Catholic Church’s agenda.

http://news.investors.com/Article/596012/201112271909/ElBaradei-no-help-for-egyptian-freedom.htm

Middle East: With Islamists winning 70% in a second round of parliamentary voting, Egypt is speeding toward a theocratic, anti-American dictatorship. The “Arab Spring” is turning into a long winter of despotism.

Serious long-term trouble is brewing in the Mideast. The continued rise of the Muslim Brotherhood’s ridiculously named “Freedom and Justice Party,” as well as the Al-Nour Party of the radical Salafi movement, places in jeopardy the assassinated Anwar Sadat’s three-decades-old peace settlement between historic adversaries Egypt and Israel.

Add a soon-to-be-nuclear Iran and a Syrian terror regime that refuses to be toppled by street demonstrators and the skies above these ancient lands look dark indeed.

Some observers hasten to remind us, however, that the land of the pharaohs is home to someone who might save it from sharia law and jihadism, and preserve the Mideast from another full-blown war — a man of peace and Western enlightenment named Mohamed ElBaradei.

But on Tuesday, the ex-chief of the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency, who says he will run for Egypt’s presidency next year, once again demonstrated how short he is on wisdom……CONTINUE READING AT SITE

http://news.investors.com/Article/595985/201112271909/army-permits-muslim-headscarf-in-military.htm

Political Correctness: First the Pentagon hosts the 9/11 imam. Then the Marines open a mosque at Quantico. Now the Army’s letting JROTC cadets wear the hijab. What next?

In a letter to a Muslim group sent on Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s behalf, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Larry Stubblefield said the Army will now let Muslims in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps wear the Islamic headscarf during training and parade formations.

“Based on your concerns, the Army has reviewed its JROTC uniform policy and will develop appropriate procedures to provide cadets the opportunity to request the wear of religious head dress, such as the turban and hijab,” Stubblefield wrote. “The Army prides itself in being a diverse organization, comprised of individuals from many faiths and religions. We appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention.”

The group who filed the complaint? The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the same one the Justice Department implicated in a scheme to raise millions for terrorists in America. CAIR is so shady the IRS recently revoked its nonprofit status for failing to disclose funding sources for the past three years in violation of federal law. It’s so dirty FBI Director Robert Mueller recently testified he refuses to do outreach with it…..continue reading at site

http://www.thecommentator.com/article/757/fascists_europhobes_deluded_imperialists_anybody_would_think_eurosceptics_were_advocating_all_out_war

Fascists, Europhobes, deluded imperialists. Anybody would think Eurosceptics were advocating all out war

Never mind the Europhiles. Being aware of the world around you is not delusional; thinking Europe is the only answer is.

The fall out from the EU Council Summit on the 9th December has opened up one heck of a row. With a plethora of knowledgeable Europhiles taking to the air in the aftermath of David Cameron’s use of the British veto, I have listened to their arguments with interest.

Some firmly believe that the decision has left the UK isolated. Last week, my article compared this so called isolation to that of Switzerland. Almost instantly, I was called a little Englander. How on earth could I possibly suggest that the UK could be better off like the Swiss? Readers can make their own minds up.

One thing that has fascinated me though is how vicious the latest attacks on Eurosceptics have become. One Labour MP referred to Conservatives as ‘Europhobes’. Another, as people who wear tweed jackets with military ties.

http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/

“There are real social and economic problems in Israel, but the left has made a career out of exploiting those problems. And Soros’ latest Israeli project is a subversive attempt to gain influence and undermine the country.”

If you have been seeing coverage of gender segregation issues in Israel then you may not be aware that you are actually seeing another Soros project in motion. The name of the game, as usual, is divide and conquer. Soros funded NGO’s embed themselves into a society and leverage its weakness to create confrontations that empower its activists and agendas.

While Israel does have neighborhoods in Jerusalem where a few Anti-Zionist cults practice their own form of intimidation and thuggery (if you have seen men in black protesting outside Israeli events, then you have seen some of these people at work) this particular crisis is the work of Soros funded NGO’s who have their own agenda, and it isn’t gender equality or women’s rights.

http://www.andrewbostom.org/blog/2011/12/27/krauthammer-huntington-islam-and-jihad/

Last night (12/26/11) Charles Krauthammer was interviewed by Mark Steyn (guest hosting for Sean Hannity on Fox News) about the ongoing murderous jihad depredations against Christians in Islamdom. The interview began by highlighting the pathognomonic Christmas day bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla near Nigeria’s capital by Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram, “formally” known as Jamaatu Ahlis Sunna Liddaawati wal-Jihad meaning “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”. In Hausa, the spoken language of Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria, Boko Haram (not to be confused with Procol Harum) means “Western education is sacrilege”

Krauthammer appropriately placed this horrific church bombing—which along with other Christmas jihadist attacks by Boko Haram killed at least 39—in the context of a litany of other Muslim acts of anti-Christian violence and persecution since the end of World War II. However, Krauthammer’s analysis was once again (see here, here, and here) rendered glaringly deficient because of his willful, politically correct ignorance of Islamic doctrine and history, specifically, the living legacy of jihad, a word (and concept) he omitted entirely from his assessment. Moreover, Krauthammer compounds this repeat offense by misrepresenting (disingenuously, or ignorantly) the late Samuel Huntington’s courageous insights on Islam and Islamic societies.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/lifestyle/article/israels_mr_basketball_is_also_mr_goodwill_20111226/
Israel’s Mr. Basketball is also Mr. Goodwillby Jacob Kamaras / JointMedia News Service

Selected 12th overall in the 1965 National Basketball Association draft, Tal Brody passed on the American Dream so he could help change the landscape of Israeli sports—turning down the Baltimore Bullets for a spot on Maccabi Tel Aviv.

“It was a challenge to take a team that never went past the first round of the European basketball championships to another level, and I’m very happy I took up that challenge because we won the championships five times,” he told JointMedia News Service.

The first of those five European titles came in 1977, when Brody—the team captain—was carried off the court on the shoulders of fans celebrating a historic victory over heavily favored CSKA Moscow. He declared afterward to a TV announcer: “We are on the map! And we are staying on the map— not only in sports, but in everything.”

These days, the man nicknamed “Mr. Basketball” in Israel has a very different opponent—those who continue to take shots at the Jewish homeland. Last year, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman appointed Brody as the first-ever international Goodwill Ambassador of Israel.

“I’m very proud that they chose a sportsman to take on that position,” Brody said in a phone interview from Miami (where he visited Dec. 12-17) arranged by the Consulate General of Israel to Florida & Puerto Rico. “It’s basically speaking on the [school] campuses and trying to go up with the facts against the fiction about a lot of things which are said about Israel, and having good discussions with the students.”

The ambassador’s latest journey

Brody, 68, takes diplomatic trips once every 4-6 weeks on behalf of Israel. On this particular mission, he visited the new campus of the David Posnack Jewish Day School in Davie, Fla., and was also at an event that he called “a page out of the history” of U.S. basketball, with 330 people—including Hall of Fame big man Dave Cowens—in attendance.

At the Posnack school, whose basketball team happens to be coached by former NBA guard Kenny Anderson, Brody said he was in contact with current New York Knicks’ star forward Amare Stoudemire—who made headlines in 2010 by visiting Israel and exploring his possible Jewish roots, then considered playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv before the resolution of this year’s NBA lockout.

“Although we’re happy that the NBA is going to have a season that we can watch, we’re disappointed in Israel because we lost [New Jersey Nets’ guard Jordan Farmar, who was playing with [Maccabi Tel Aviv] up to now, and the fact that if the NBA wasn’t going to have a season there was a good chance that Amare Stoudemire was going to join our team for the second half of the year,” Brody said.

‘Presenting Israel beyond the conflict’

Brody, who was born in Trenton, NJ, and starred at guard for the University of Illinois, said he works with both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations—from Hispanic, Christian, African American, and other circles—in his position as goodwill ambassador.

“When I’m coming in to the States, I’m presenting Israel beyond the [Arab-Israeli] conflict, our normal and daily lives in Israel,” he said. The Christian community, Brody said, is “more and more getting together and backing Israel, and helping to stop all these BDS boycotts, sanctions against Israel.”

Nevertheless, Brody must fight the numerous “misconceptions” about Israel that exist around the world. He highlights how Israel is the only country in the Middle East that gives full rights to women and homosexuals—not an Apartheid state, as it is commonly alleged.

“On the [college] campuses, Christians or African Americans who have never been to Israel, they sort of think that we’re like South Africa, which is so far from [the truth],” Brody said. “So when I come, we have these discussions and they get a better understanding for what Israel is, and what it isn’t.”

When asked by students why Israel doesn’t “give freedom of movement to Palestinians,” Brody explains that until the Second Intifada of 2000, there was never any type of security fence and that movement between the Palestinian Territories and Israel was unrestricted, wtih large numbers of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza working in the Israeli building industry.

However, once Palestinian suicide bombers attacked the country’s citizens, killing more than 1,700 Israelis—including Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Christians and Druze, infants and seniors, in pizza parlors, buses and hotels—more security was needed, he tells students.

“Try to picture yourself, in the morning, getting on a bus to school … and all of the sudden a young guy gets on who is brainwashed, who thinks he’s going to heaven with 72 virgins waiting for him, and your only benefit is ZAKA (volunteers responding to tragedy in Israel] to pick up your limbs and put them in a bag for a decent burial,” Brody said.

‘The sports capital of the Middle East’

When he speaks to crowds, Brody said he also calls Israel “the sports capital of the Middle East”—and with good reason. He explained the “60-40-20” system for remembering the country’s athletic history—60 years since first participating in the Olympics; 40 years since 11 Israeli athletes were massacred at the Olympics in Munich, Germany; and 20 years since Israel won its first Olympic medal, in Judo.

Since its breakthrough two decades ago, Israel has received medals at each Summer Olympics, with most of its success coming in martial arts and watersports. But Israel isn’t a fish out of water when it comes to winter sports, either—its junior ice hockey team (13-year-olds) recently placed first in its group at the world championships in Canada.

“We don’t even have ice in Israel, they practiced on rollerblades,” Brody said.