WWIII Watch: Free Syrian Army Claims to Have Killed Russian General

Since Russia and their Iranian allies have been building up a military presence in Syria and America is for some unknown reason siding with the FSA this could be remembered as a flash-point for a world war:

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) announced in a statement to Al Arabiya on Wednesday that it has killed a Russian general in Syria who was working as a consultant to the Syrian defense minister and head of general staff of military affairs.

FSA said the killing of the general, Vladmir Petrovic Kojaiv, along his private translator, Ahmed Aiq, evidence that Russia was embroiled in the Syrian crisis. The rebel army said a number of documents and maps about the opposition and FSA were also seized.

The operation was conducted by its Ghota Western Brigades from Damascus along with FSA countryside forces, the rebel group said.

Not a good development if true. Pushing the Russians into open conflict will create a even greater conflict.

Governments Hoarding Gold in Preparation for Global Collapse

Countries are increasingly using gold for trade rather than dollars, euros or any other currency. Both India and China has recently been trading gold to Iran for oil and various moves away from the old system of trade have been observed world-wide.

Aside from the collapsing value of the dollar and Euro on reason countries are heading into gold is to avoid sanctions by the U.S. and Europe and have money on hand to by arms and supplies for military actions that the West might try to stop. India and China using gold for oil is also a stealth attack on the dollar, increasing both the value of gold and the pressure on the dollar.

Twelve other countries are noticeably increasing gold reserves in a move that is clearly a preparation for eventual global financial turmoil. From Mineweb.com:

According to the latest IMF statistics at least 12 countries are known to have increased their gold reserves in March indicating the continuation of a trend now going back more than two years, and one which has been on its own a substantial supporter of the higher gold prices seen over the period.  Overall Central Banks appear to have purchased no less than 58 tonnes in the month, which could suggest an acceleration in their increases in holdings if buying at this rate continues throughout the year.

While the majority of these countries only raised their reserves by a very small amount, there were indeed some quite significant purchases – notably from Mexico, which increased its holdings by 16.81 tonnes to a total of 122.58 tonnes; Russia with purchases of 16.55 tonnes giving it total reserves now of 895.75 tonnes; Turkey with 11.48 tonnes taking it to 209.6 tonnes in its reserves.  Argentina bought 7 tonnes taking its holdings to 61.74 tonnes, Kazakhstan with 4.3 tonnes – up to 96.16 tonnes and Ukraine with 1.18 tonnes bringing its holding to 29.21 tonnes.  A further half dozen countries raised their holdings by increments of less than a tonne.

This, of course, only shows the figures for those nations which are, one assumes, wholly transparent in reporting their gold holdings.  There have been some quite sharp ‘upwards adjustments’ in the past from some countries which have been less open in their reporting – notably China which is assumed by most observers to be building its gold reserves strongly over the three years since it last announced an upgrade in its holdings.

The continuing upwards trend in Central Bank purchasing is yet another indicator of unease in the sector about the prospects for those currencies – notably the dollar, the euro, the pound sterling and the Japanese yen – which provide the bulk of their monetary reserves.

European Parliament member Nigel Farage has just warned that the politicians there know Europe will collapse but are unable to figure out a way to tell the public:

There are going to be some serious banking collapses and the impact of that on some sovereign states, will be serious.  I’m afraid we’ve gotten to a point where we really can’t stop this now.  We’re beginning to reach a stage where however much false money you create, the problem becomes bigger than the people trying to solve it.  We are very close to that point.

When I talk about the threats and the risk that this thing could wind up in some kind of rebellion, some sort of awful social cataclysm, they (other European politicians) are now very worried indeed.  They will talk to you in private, but in public, nobody dares utter a word.

I think the deterioration, in the last two or three weeks, in the eurozone is very serious indeed.  It’s the bond spreads in Italy and Spain.  It’s the fact that youth unemployment is now over 50% in some of these Mediterranean countries.

It’s riot and disorder on the streets.  And yet a month ago I was here and there was Herman Van Rumpuy telling us, ‘We’ve turned the corner.  Everything is solved.  There are no more problems with the eurozone.’  What a pack of jokers they look like.”

So hoarding gold or other commodities is a good idea for any country and especially any citizen who realizes the government can’t take care of them.

Armageddon Watch: Russia Masses Troops on Iranian Border

Russia is not just protecting Iran with it’s mighty UN veto, the sleeping bear has apparently woken up and is ready to go to war to protect Iran from attack. My Christian readers may recognize this as shaping up to the Gog/Magog war of biblical tradition and though I’m not a Christian myself I fully understand the import of this coming battle for Christians. That’s one reason why this could be extra dangerous – it seems like China, Russia and Iran are hell bent on creating the Armageddon on Revelations and on being on the wrong side.

WASHINGTON – The Russian military anticipates that an attack will occur on Iran by the summer and has developed an action plan to move Russian troops through neighboring Georgia to stage in Armenia, which borders on the Islamic republic, according to informed Russian sources.

Dmitry Rogozin, who recently was the Russian ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, warned against an attack on Iran.

“Iran is our neighbor,” Rogozin said. “If Iran is involved in any military action, it’s a direct threat to our security.” Rogozin now is the deputy Russian prime minister and is regarded as anti-Western. He oversees Russia’s defense sector.

Russian Defense Ministry sources say that the Russian military doesn’t believe that Israel has sufficient military assets to defeat Iranian defenses and further believes that U.S. military action will be necessary.

The implication of preparing to move Russian troops not only is to protect its own vital regional interests but possibly to assist Iran in the event of such an attack. Sources add that a Russian military buildup in the region could result in the Russian military potentially engaging Israeli forces, U.S. forces, or both.

Informed sources say that the Russians have warned of “unpredictable consequences” in the event Iran is attacked, with some Russians saying that the Russian military will take part in the possible war because it would threaten its vital interests in the region.

The influential Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper has quoted a Russian military source as saying that the situation forming around Syria and Iran “causes Russia to expedite the course of improvement of its military groups in the South Caucasus, the Caspian, Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.”

This latest information comes from a series of reports and leaks from official Russian spokesmen and government news agencies who say that an Israeli attack is all but certain by the summer.

Because of the impact on Russian vital interests in the region, sources say that Russian preparations for such an attack began two years ago when Russian Military Base 102 in Gyumri, Armenia, was modernized. It is said to occupy a major geopolitical position in the region.

Families of Russian servicemen from the Russian base at Gyumri in Armenia close to the borders of Georgia and Turkey already have been evacuated, Russian sources say.

Like I said Russia seems keen to play the part of the bad guys predicted in Biblical prophesy. They know an attack on Iran doesn’t threaten them, but they also know a United States weakened from within by the left can’t win a war with Russia and they’re looking for any excuse to prove that point.

So let’s be honest. If a war breaks out that seems exactly as predicted in Revelations will anyone blame the world’s remaining Christians for going all in and launching a crusade?

h/t Refuge

World War III Watch: Russia and US on Collision Course Over Syria

The U.S has announced plans for a Kosovo style intervention in Syria and like the Kosovo mission the U.S. will be siding with radical Islamists who are intent on genocide. Though Syria is a Baathist (National Socialist) run dictatorship it is also a haven for Alawite Muslims who are widely regarded as heretics by most other Muslims. Alawites maintain decent if not cordial relations with Christians, Zoroastrians, Druze and Ismailis. They are however allied with “twelver” Shia Muslims which explains in religious terms their good relationship with the Iranian Theocracy.

Wahhabists in particular are known to consider Alawites worse than Jews and Christians. It should be noted our operations will be in conjunction with the now Wahhabi influenced Turkey:

The Pentagon is readying for the possibility of intervention in Syria, aiming to halt Syrian President Bashsar Assad’s violent crackdown on protesters, the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Saturday, citing a US military offical.

According to the official, the intervention scenario calls for the establishment of a buffer zone on the Turkish border, in order to receive Syrian refugees. The Red Cross would then provide the civilians humanitarian aid, before NATO crews would arrive from Turkey and join the efforts.

The measure would pave the way for the US to declare an aerial blockade on Syria.

The intercession is to be modeled after NATO’s efforts in Kosovo, which brought an end to the Serbian control of the region. NATO’s plan of action included prolonged aerial shelling.

The US’ diplomatic efforts have yet to yield an effective international resolution that would stop the bloodshed. More than 100 protesters have died over the weekend alone, human rights activists said.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Pentagon does not anticipate a change of heart on the part of China or Russia, who have opposed foreign intervention or sanctions against Syria. But the US expects the two nations to join the humanitarian aid efforts, support a ceasefire between the Syrian regime and rebels and send special UN envoys to investigate the developments in the country.

The next step in the reported US Department of Defense plan would be to appoint a team of UN observers to monitor the humanitarian aid, and enter Syria. They would need aerial protection, which would eventually lead to an aerial blockade.

Which is of course pure madness. China and Russia along with Iran and reportedly some Latin American communist states are already in Syria helping the regime. Russia has military advisers on the ground according to GlobalSecurity.org:

18:48 08/02/2012 MOSCOW, February 8 (RIA Novosti, Alexey Eremenko) – Russia used its satellites to help the Syrian government fight growing insurgency in the country, pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

Russian officials provided the regime of President Bashar al-Assad with satellite photos showing the location of the bases and main forces of the Free Syrian Army, the most prominent militant rebel group, the London-based newspaper said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to Damascus for talks with al-Assad on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Mikhail Fradkov, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, who allegedly handed over the maps to Syrian government, the report said.

Asharq Al-Awsat cited unidentified sources in al-Assad’s government, but also said the information “was not fully confirmed.” Neither Foreign Ministry in Moscow nor Fradkov’s agency commented on the story as of Wednesday afternoon.

Free Syrian Army emerged as the main organized force combating al-Assad’s government in the bloody uprising in Syria that claimed at least 5,000 lives since March 2011. The group is allegedly comprised primarily of army defectors and reported its ranks to be 20,000.

Russia is the main international backer of al-Assad’s regime, having blocked two resolutions targeting it in the UN Security Council and supplied it with arms. Russian warships also called at the Syrian port of Tartus in January.

Al-Assad’s forces have stepped up their assault on insurgents in recent weeks, using artillery to bombard the city of Homs, a hotbed of protests, media reported, citing Syrian opposition activists who said several hundreds were killed in the attack. The pro-government Syrian news agency SANA blamed the clashes on attacks by unspecified terrorist groups.

Al-Assad is following a classic anti-insurgency tactic, trying to rout rebels from cities into the countryside, where a full-scale assault can be launched using heavy weaponry, said Yevgeny Satanovsky, head of the Middle East Institute think-tank.

This tactic already worked for the Algerian government, which defeated its own insurgency during the civil war in 1991-2002, Satanovsky said by telephone.

I doubt Russian ministers showed up without “bodyguards” and other “personnel” to help Assad put down this insurrection. China is known to be supportive of Assad but so far have not stepped in to support the regime but they don’t need to. Russia is doing fine directing traffic, suing their propaganda arm Russia Today to overestimate the number of Iranian special forces active in Syria in a obvious attempt to dissuade U.S. action and filing a report that claims the U.K. is working on the ground with Islamist run Qatar to arm and assist rebel forces. This second story is designed to show NATO is a running destabilizing and illegal operations on a country so has no legitimacy  a peacekeeping force.

All this is happening as Russia announced acts of aggression by NATO that threatens the Russian Federation will be met with a nuclear response. With high level Russian diplomats in Syria it’s easy t see how our intervention in Syria could spiral quickly out of control.

Get ready for things to explode.