Laura Kelly – January 13, 2022

Washington’s envoy in Europe on Thursday issued a stark warning of war in Eastern Europe amid Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s border but said the U.S. and the majority of its allies support ongoing dialogue to tamp down tensions.

“We’re facing a crisis in European security. The drumbeat of war is sounding loud, and the rhetoric has gotten rather shrill,” said Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Carpenter spoke with reporters following a meeting of the OSCE focused on advancing diplomacy between the U.S., Europe and Russia, the conclusion of an extraordinary session of three diplomatic meetings on the continent this week and in response to Russian military provocations.

“There’s close to 100,000 troops on the Russian side of its border with Ukraine. Their presence and the live fire measures being carried out are raising many questions about Moscow’s intention,” Carpenter said.

https://www.msn.com

Chris Mitchell – January 3, 2022

JERUSALEM, Israel – On Saturday, Israeli warplanes launched strikes against terror targets inside the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip after terrorists fired two missiles that landed off the coast of southern Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck rocket manufacturing sites and Hamas military targets in Gaza.  Hamas fired heavy machine guns and – for the first time – anti-aircraft missiles at the Israeli warplanes.

The strikes mark only the second incident between Hamas and Israel since a ceasefire ended a war last May.

For 11 days in May, Hamas fired more than 3,000 rockets into Israel.  Israel’s Iron Dome shot down about 90% of those rockets while the IDF responded with surgical strikes against the terror group’s military infrastructure inside Gaza.

Jonathan Schanzer, from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, writes in his new book “Gaza Conflict 2021” that much of the media covering the war got it wrong.

“You know, a lot of people talk about fake news. I’m not sure that applies here. I’m not even sure that the word bias applies here. The problem was, it was almost as if the West and the Middle Eastern media – and I would actually say that includes Israeli media as well as Arabic media – it seemed like they were covering two different wars entirely,” he told CBN News.

The majority of those reports stated the war began over disturbances on the Temple Mount and a real estate dispute in a Jerusalem neighborhood.

“That was all over the Western press, but yet, people just decided to ignore the fact that Palestinian elections were canceled, and that Hamas was angry and looking to make a splash. And that’s exactly what they did by launching the war,” said Schanzer.  “People forget – you know, they talk about how angry they are at Israel when it responds to these rockets, which by the way, I mean, these are provocations by Hamas.  Israel’s responses are almost entirely defensive in nature. But also people forget that Hamas almost single-handedly destroyed the peace process in the 1990s. So, if the concern is peace, the idea that you would blame Israel for a war with Hamas is rather ridiculous.”

Schanzer says much of the media also failed to recognize Hamas’s covenant to destroy Israel, fueled by their violent beliefs and main funding source: Iran.

https://www1.cbn.com

Joseph Puder – December 29, 2021

In Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) annual assessment of the security situation and challenges to be faced in 2022, it appears that a moderate improvement in the security situation surrounding Israel is expected. The Israeli government approved the proposed budget submitted by the Defense Ministry. “Israel’s defense establishment will receive NIS 58 billion, an increase of NIS 7 billion.” The extra allocation takes into account the possible operations against the Iranian nuclear facilities and other maligned Iranian schemes. According to reports, Israel would purchase various types of manned aircraft, intelligence-gathering drones, and unique munitions needed for a possible attack on Iran’s heavily fortified underground nuclear sites.

The evolving strategic cooperation Israel has now with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, is a definite positive development for Israel. In addition, halting the Iranians and their proxies from advancing toward Israel’s Golan Heights, and the support Putin’s Russia is giving to Israel’s operations against Iran is clearly a positive development. The Russians have not obstructed Israeli aerial operations against Iran’s shipment of arms to Hezbollah, nor the Israeli attacks on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) bases and their proxies in Syria.

What is difficult to predict, however, is when Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist groups in Gaza would choose to launch another mini-war with Israel. During the May 2021 war, or as Israel calls it, Operation Guardian of the Walls, Hamas, and the PIJ suffered significant losses in personnel and arms. Many of their top engineers were eliminated, and their “secret weapons” (mini-submarines, and drones carrying bombs) were destroyed, along with a large quantity of their rocketry. The IDF has recommended a tough approach against Hamas’ attempts to rearm.

Although the Lebanese Shiite-Muslim Hezbollah is far more powerful than its fellow terrorist group in the Gaza Strip, Sunni-Muslim Hamas, it is exercising far more restraint in operating against Israel. Having achieved supreme political and military power in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah knows that a war with Israel at this time would jeopardize all that he and Hezbollah have managed to accomplish. The 2006 Second Lebanon War Hezbollah waged against Israel was a devastating one for the Lebanese. A war now would be even more costly for the suffering Lebanese. While both Hamas and Hezbollah’s raison d’être is the destruction of the Jewish state, Hezbollah, unlike Hamas, will be held accountable in the confessional Lebanese system of government.

The chances for a war initiated by Israel’s enemies, i.e., Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas are projected to be low in 2022. The explosive situation that existed in the last few years on Israel’s northern border has been reduced, and it appears that neither Iran nor Hezbollah are ready for a full-scale war with Israel.

https://www.frontpagemag.com

ETH – December 23, 2021

Vladimir Putin primed Russia for war against Ukraine today, with his media mouthpiece warning NATO to back off or “everyone will be turned to ash”.

According to a report from Mirror, The Russian President told military chiefs and defense ministers Moscow will take “military measures” in response to tension with the West – as his troops amass close to Ukraine. Putin was referring to a Western bid to bolster Ukraine with weapons and military training.

He said: “In the event that the clearly aggressive line of our Western colleagues continues, we will take adequate retaliatory military-technical measures, and react toughly to unfriendly steps. “And, I want to emphasize, we have every right to do so, we have every right to take actions designed to ensure the security and sovereignty of Russia.”

Express stated that the Russian President, speaking during a meeting at the defense ministry on Tuesday, said Russia will “react toughly to unfriendly steps” and stressed, “that we have every right to do so.” On Monday, Dmitry Kiselyov, a Russian media mogul, threatened to “put a gun to America’s head” if NATO forces are stationed in Ukraine and warned the alliance to back off “otherwise, everyone will be turned into radioactive ash.”

America has been warning for weeks that Mr. Putin appears to be readying tens of thousands of troops, tanks, and artillery pieces to invade Ukraine, but Mr. Putin has insisted it is merely a defense force – until now.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

ETH – December 15, 2021

Iran’s state-affiliated newspaper Tehran Times sent a direct threat to Israel on Wednesday, publishing a map of the country highlighted with dozens of potential Iranian targets if the Islamic Republic chose to attack the Jewish State according to CBN News.

The article, titled “Just One Wrong Move,” said Iran is capable of striking Israel “anywhere.” “An intensification of the Israeli military threats against Iran seems to suggest that the Zionist regime has forgotten that Iran is more than capable of hitting them from anywhere,” the paper says.

According to Tehran Times, Yedioth Ahronot also revealed that one of the main demands of Israel from the United States, which war minister Benny Gantz and Mossad chief David Barnea stressed during their visit to Washington last week, is a complete cessation of Iran’s ballistic missile development and production program.

The paper also said that the Israeli military experts are worried about the short time span it takes Iran to hit Israel. According to the Israeli newspaper, it takes Iran an hour to launch missiles into Israel.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, said on Tuesday that Iran never underestimates the enemy’s threats. “Despite our confidence in the deterrence situation of the country, our forces have never underestimated the threat of the enemy and are prepared for the smallest of threats in the strategic field,” Bagheri remarked.

Tehran Times also quoted Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responding to Israeli military threats against Iran in 2013, saying that “[the Israelis] must know that if they make a mistake, the Islamic Republic will destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa”.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Nir Barkat – December 5, 2021

As a Jew and an Israeli, current events are nothing short of bizarre. Iran, a terrorist state behind a global axis of evil, is once again getting the last laugh. It is hard to watch as the United States and Europe politely attempt to reach a deal with Tehran at the cost of an existential threat to Israel.

Murmurings in Europe, along with American ambiguity toward Israel on this issue, are a warning sign to Jerusalem. The lifting of sanctions will see billions of dollars pour into the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ coffers for the country’s transformation into a nuclear state. No less dangerous, it will boost their confidence ahead of military action against Israel on multiple fronts.

The next war on our northern front won’t be the Third Lebanon War, but the First Iran War. The Iranians are planning to strike Israel on six fronts: From Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria, internally with the assistance of some Arab Israelis, and through the use of long-range missiles from Iran and Yemen. This will be a conventional war, but it will be far from straightforward.

The Iranian working model is to build a “security network” in the form of Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations.

The time, therefore, has come to change the equation. For every missile launched from Lebanon, the return address should be Tehran. Iran’s days of immunity are over. They need to pay a price at home, in Tehran and every other place they hold dear.

https://www.jns.org

Mac Slavo – December 8, 2021

A senator in the United States says he “won’t rule out” attacking Russia with a nuclear weapon. Republican Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker said it was a possibility if there was a conflict with Ukraine.

“I would not rule out military action. I think we start making a mistake when we take options off the table, so I would hope the president keeps that option on the table,” said Wicker about a potential standoff with Russia to Fox News’s Neil Cavuto on Tuesday.

Isn’t it interesting how the rulers talk about war, destruction, and death so freely and easily when they aren’t the ones that are going to do the damage or be on the front lines? When Cavuto asked what military action against Russia would comprise, Wicker said it could mean “that we standoff with our ships in the Black Sea and we rain destruction on Russian military capability.” But he also warned that isn’t all the U.S. is considering. “I would not rule out American troops on the ground,” the senator declared, adding that the US also shouldn’t “rule out first use nuclear action” against Russia, according to a report by RT. 

“We don’t think it will happen, but there’s certain things in negotiations if you’re going to be tough that you don’t take off the table, and so I think the president should say that everything is on the table,” Wicker added.  Luckily, Wicker was immediately called a “bloodthirsty” and “insane” lunatic. Rightly so too. Using nuclear weapons shouldn’t even be a consideration.The ruling class is becoming increasingly unhinged. We had better hope people begin to think and act in a more moral manner toward their fellow humans, or those marching off to war will bear the brunt of the punishment for following the orders of these sociopaths. While many took Wicker’s words as crazy, others sadly, backed him up.

https://www.shtfplan.com

Newsmax – December 3, 2021

Ukraine’s defense minister estimated Friday that Russia has amassed more than 94,000 troops near their borders and said there is a probability of a “large-scale escalation” in late January.

Ukrainian and Western officials recently voiced alarm about a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine, saying they feared it could herald an invasion. Moscow has denied planning to invade and accused Ukraine and its Western backers of fabricating claims to cover up their own allegedly aggressive designs.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told lawmakers Friday that the number of Russian troops near Ukraine and in Russia-annexed Crimea is estimated to be 94,300.

“Our intelligence service analyzes all scenarios, including the worst ones. It notes that a probability of a large-scale escalation on the part of Russia exists. The most probable time when (Russia) will be ready for the escalation is end of January,” Reznikov said.

The minister noted an escalation “is a probable scenario, but not certain, and our task is to avert it.”

Russia and Ukraine have remained locked in a tense tug-of-war after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, known as the Donbas. More than 14,000 people have died in the fighting.

Repeated reports about Russia building up troops near Ukraine this year ignited concerns about the conflict intensifying, with tensions growing in recent weeks.

https://www.newsmax.com

Chris Tomlinson – November 26, 2021

Poland remains under sustained attack from the Belarus side of its eastern border, with a group of at least 200 migrants making an attempt to storm the nation Wednesday night, according to Polish border guards as tensions continue to build.

Polish border guards stated that the group of 200 or so migrants made an attempt to storm the border on the evening of November 24th near the village of Czeremcha, just over an hour drive from the Belarusian city of Brest.

Border Guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska commented on the incident, telling news agency Reuters, “They were trying to break through the border, attacking the border,” and added, “They were throwing branches and stones and the attempt was stopped by our officers.”

On Thursday, Polish broadcaster Radio Kielce reported that within the last day alone, Polish board guards had reported at least three attempts by migrants to attack and storm the border, some of them using stones to attack officials as well as laser in an attempt to blind them.

Spokeswoman Michalska stated that the migrants were being actively helped by Belarusian authorities saying that Belarus had attempted to hide their support for the migrants but were now helping cut security fencing and were providing tools to migrants as well.

https://www.breitbart.com

Tyler Durden – November 18, 2021

Previously we noted that despite tiny NATO-member Estonia not actually sharing a border with Belarus, its government ordered snap military drills and the erecting of additional barbed-wire along its border with Russia in a message of solidarity with Poland amid the migrant standoff.

Fresh EU sanctions on Minsk, coupled with persisting clashes at the Belarus-Poland border, mean that things could easily escalate to a military conflict between the two countries, and into a broader NATO-Russia-Belarus standoff, given Moscow is Lukashenko’s closest ally. Alarmingly, on Thursday the Belarusian government cited a noticeable uptick in NATO aircraft activity “along the state border of Belarus”.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry statement was translated by Russian media sources: “Our radio and radar reconnaissance means registered constant increase in the intensity of flights of reconnaissance and combat aviation of NATO member states along the state border of Belarus, including in the airspace of Ukraine,” it said.

More broadly, the defense ministry connected the heightened activity to a threatening NATO build-up at its border – something which was persistently emphasized during last year’s crackdown on anti-Lukashenko protests, for which Minsk was slapped with EU sanctions the first time around (with fresh EU sanctions being readied this week as Lukashenko stands accuses of orchestrating the migrant crisis).

According to further details of the allegation via TASS:

The total number of these flights had doubled recently, while flights by US aircraft increased by 50%, the ministry said. Unmanned surveillance aircraft continue to be used a lot, it said. The aircraft fly as close as 15-20 kilometers from the Belarusian border, according to the statement.

Belarus says the number of NATO flights has “almost doubled” in recent years. “These facts confirm the buildup of military activity near our borders and testify to the further escalation of the situation around Belarus,” the defense ministry said.

https://www.zerohedge.com