Posted tagged ‘Terrorism’

Hamas’ revamped naval commandos could pose a problem for Israel

March 14, 2015

Hamas’ revamped naval commandos could pose a problem for Israel, Ynet News, Alex Fishman, March 14, 2015

Although all unit members were killed during last summer’s infiltration attempt at Zikkim, Hamas viewed this as a massive achievement and subsequently trained a new force whose role will be to carry out mass attacks on the Israeli home front.

Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas has completed the reconstruction of its naval commando force, consisting of dozens of trained divers, in order to hit strategic sites, Israeli and others’, in the Mediterranean Sea.

With the development of its underwater unit, Hamas aims to compensate for the failure of the offensive tunnels from the Gaza Strip, which it rules, which were supposed to reach into Israel. From just a handful, the force has grown into many dozens of fighters trained to strike the Israeli home front via abductions and killings.

Hamas’s operational approach sees the naval commandos as one long “tunnel”, extending from Gaza in Israel’s south to Rosh Hanikra in the north, through which it could hit any target along the entire Israeli coast. These could be strategic objectives such as power plants, coal terminals, gas rigs and so on. However, using Operation Protective Edge as a model, it seems that Hamas is training its commandos to create a continuous shockwave for Israeli society through the mass murder of civilians and soldiers.

Hamas diversHamas’ infiltration attempt at Zikim during Protective Edge (Photo: IDF)

The Israeli defense establishment sees the strengthening of Hamas’ underwater activity – through the establishment of a large and professional commando unit – as one of the main lessons Hamas took from last summer’s conflict.

The Hamas commandos’ successful penetration a kilometer deep within Israeli territory, near Kibbutz Zikkim, is one of the organization’s major achievements during the 50 days of fighting, as this was the only time when Hamas special unit members managed to infiltrate Israel. If not for Israeli intelligence, it is likely the commando unit would have been able to penetrate the community or a nearby IDF base and carry out the mass murder it wanted.

Earlier this week, Egyptian newspaper “Al-Akhbar” reported that the creation of the naval commando unit was intended to harm Egypt’s facilities in the Mediterranean. The Egyptians, who have signed a gas deal with Israel, are worried about damage to the Tethys Sea group’s installation, while accusing Hamas of conducting sea-based attacks on Egyptian naval forces.

In November 2014, an Egyptian patrol boat was attacked as it conducted an operation against smuggling from the Gaza Strip. The attack was carried out by three rubber boats in the Egyptian Delta, near the port of Damietta. The perpetrators seized control of the ship, killed 13 Egyptian soldiers and hoisted the Islamic State flag.

The Egyptians blamed Hamas for supporting and being party to attacks of this kind, and significantly changed the security measures on their ships. Even the commands to open fire have changed, and the Egyptians shoot to destroy Gazan fishing boats that approach them without prior coordination.

In light of the accusations, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar was quick to issue a denial in the Al-Quds newspaper, saying that Hamas was not planning to wave underwater warfare in the area.

It was until Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012 that the Hamas naval force was viewed as amateurish. But since that operation, Hamas was been working on setting up a large professional unit – its people were sent abroad for training, most likely to Iran, and it procured military-grade diving equipment.

During last summer’s infiltration at Zikkim, Israel registered the use of military standard systems, which prevent bubbles from surfacing during a dive. Hamas also has a small underwater craft, known as a “scooter”, for individual divers, and has even published pictures of them for propaganda purposes. It appears that following the collapse of diving tourism in Sinai, the club owners were happy to sell some advanced diving equipment.

The training of the reinvigorated commando unit is largely reminiscent of the training for elite units in conventional armies, including the ability to withstand physical and mental pressure that is customary within professional naval commando units in the region.

The defense establishment and the IDF are preparing for an increased threat from this underwater force. It should be noted that during Protective Edge, this unit only sustained partial damage, and in any future conflict its infiltration efforts will be a force to be reckoned with for Israel.

Houthis say they have secured aid package from Iran

March 14, 2015

Houthis say they have secured aid package from Iran

Spokesperson says Tehran has pledged to expand Yemen’s ports, help build power plants and provide Yemen with oil.

14 Mar 2015 12:51 GMT

via Houthis say they have secured aid package from Iran – Al Jazeera English.

 

Look Brennan civilians, not terrorist !


The UN warned this week that the situation in Yemen can spiral into something similar to Syria, Libya or Iraq [Reuters]
Yemen’s de-facto rulers, the Shia Houthi rebels, say they have secured an economic aid package from Iran.

A delegation of Houthis just returned from Iran and a spokesperson said Iran had pledged to expand Yemen’s ports, help build power plants and provide Yemen with enough oil to last a year.

Yemen is caught in a standoff between deposed president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels, who seized control of the capital Sanaa and staged a coup in February by dissolving the country’s parliament and creating a “presidential council”.

A spokesman for the exiled government, Rajeh Badi, said the Houthis would be the only ones to benefit from a deal with Iran.

The Iranian interference is merely, inside or outside Yemen, about military support to some militias or military groups,” Badi said.

The United Nations warned this week that the situation in Yemen can spiral into something similar to Syria, Libya or Iraq if no solution is found through talks between the country’s rival parties.

The UN special envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, told Al Jazeera on Thursday that there was a real danger of the country disintegrating and a civil war erupting.

Benomar has been meeting all parties in Yemen as well as regional powers in a bid to resolve the country’s crisis

“If there is no agreement, the prospects are very bleak. It’s a combination of scenarios like Syria, Libya and Iraq. It’s a horrible scenario and all sides are aware that every effort should be made for a peaceful way forward.”

The Houthi takeover has also stoked secessionist sentiments in the south, raising fears of a repeat of the 1994 civil war, when the formerly independent south attempted to break away from its union with the north, forged four years earlier.

Iran Declares Pre-emptive Victory in Nuke Talks

March 11, 2015

Iran Declares Pre-emptive Victory in Nuke Talks, Washington Free Beacon, March 11, 2015

(Unfortunately, he appears to be correct. Iran seems to have improved her arsenal substantially since November of 2013 and the sanctions relief, used to get Iran to “negotiate,” doubtless helped it to do so. Please see also Iran is an empire, Iraq is our capital.

What will Obama do if Iran declines even his “extremely reasonable” deal because Iran doesn’t want one? Blame it on the recent letter sent by Republican members of the Congress? — DM)

Iran minister says sanctions must be lifted before nuclear agreementIranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif / AP

Iran’s foreign minister and chief negotiator in nuclear talks with the West declared victory for his country, stating that no matter how the negotiations end, Tehran has come out “the winner,” according to remarks made on Tuesday and presented in the country’s state-run press.

Javad Zarif, the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister, stated in remarks before the country’s powerful Assembly of Experts, which recently installed a hardline new cleric as its leader, that the nuclear negotiations have established Tehran as a global power broker.

“We are the winner whether the [nuclear] negotiations yield results or not,” Zarif was quoted as saying before the assembly by the Tasnim News Agency. “The capital we have obtained over the years is dignity and self-esteem, a capital that could not be retaken.”

Zarif’s comments were accompanied by a host of bold military displays by Tehran in recent weeks, including the announcement of one new weapon that Iranian military leaders have described as a “very special” missile.

As the United States and Iran rush to hash out a final nuclear agreement ahead of a self-imposed July deadline, Zarif also lashed out at congressional Republicans who have expressed skepticism over the Obama administration’s diplomacy and have fought to exert control over the implementation of any deal.

Zarif dismissed as a “propaganda ploy” a recent letter signed by 47 Senate Republicans that warned Tehran against placing too much stock in a weak deal agreed to by the Obama administration.

Meanwhile, Iran’s military continues to unveil a range of new strategic missiles and advanced weapons meant to project strength throughout the region.

Iran disclosed during military drills late in February that it is developing a missile capable of being fired from a submerged submarine. Top Iranian military leaders have described the missile as a “very special weapon,” according to IHS Jane’s, a defense industry news source.

“I believe that this weapon is a strategic weapon,”Admiral Ali Fadavi, the naval commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said on state television, according to Jane’s. “It has special characteristics.”

Fadavi declined to provide additional details about the missile. “I would like to keep this information for the future. It is a very special weapon and the Americans cannot even surmise how strong and effective this weapon is.”

On Tuesday morning, the commander of Iran’s navy previewed the unveiling of “advanced surface and subsurface vessels” that will soon be incorporated into the country’s fleet, according to the state-run Fars News Agency.

Iran has put great stock in its navy, investing significant resources to bolster the force and make it a principal player in key global shipping lanes, including around the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the Caspian Sea.

Sea-based weapons were a major focus of recent high-level meetings between Iranian and Russian officials, who agreed to a new arms pact.

Earlier this week, Iran initiated into its fleet a new destroyer ship that is “armed with advanced anti-surface and anti-subsurface weapons and air defense systems,” according to military leaders quoted by Fars.

The ship was immediately deployed to the Caspian Sea, an area Iran views as critical to its interests.

Admiral Kordad Hakimi, a top Iranian navy official, told the country’s press that Iran is prepared to use force in the region.

“We have no security problem in the Caspian Sea today, [but] … the Navy is fully prepared to confront any threat,” he was quoted as saying.

Iranian officials have also bragged about being in full control of five out of nine major international waterways.

Islamic State’s Actions Against Jordan And Egypt Reveal Its Overall Plan

March 11, 2015

Islamic State’s Actions Against Jordan And Egypt Reveal Its Overall Plan

By Missing Peace

via Islamic State’s Actions Against Jordan And Egypt Reveal Its Overall Plan | Missing Peace | missingpeace.eu | EN.

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis squad in Sinai desert

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis squad in Sinai desert

 

Egypt responded swiftly to Islamic State’s beheading of 21 Egyptian Christian Coptic men in Libya on Sunday. President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi ordered his airforce to bomb the Islamic State stronghold Derna in eastern Libya. The airstrikes were directed at Islamic State camps, training sites, and weapon depots where as many as 50 Islamic State terrorists were killed. Libya’s air force also participated.

Egyptian state television aired footage of fighter planes leaving the hangar with “Long live Egypt” emblazoned on their tails. This was followed by night-vision aerial footage showing explosions. The Egyptian government requested targeting support from the U.S. to no avail.

The Egyptian Coptic Christian victims were among thousands of unemployed Egyptians who had been forced to seek employment in Libya. Unemployment in Egypt had risen from 8.9 percent to 13 percent since the ouster of President Mubarak in 2011.

Islamic State released a video that showed the gruesome killings. The Coptic Christians were marched to a beach, forced to kneel, and then beheaded.

One of the terrorists stood with a knife in his hand and said: “Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for; we will conquer Rome, by the will of Allah.”

Israeli and international media reported after the strike that Egypt has now joined the fight against Islamic State and that Egypt has become a target for Islamic State.

In fact, as Western Journalism reported on February 5th, Egypt has been waging war on the Islamic State since December 2014, when Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis in Sinai pledged allegiance to Islamic State and changed its name to Wilayat Sinai (Sinai Province). Shortly afterward, violence in Sinai escalated significantly; and scores of Egyptian security personnel were killed in well-organized terrorist attacks. In one of these attacks, an army helicopter was downed by a surface-to-air missile that had been smuggled into Sinai from Libya.

The new Islamic State Branch also uses beheadings to intimidate Egyptian security personnel. Last year, the group beheaded four citizens who were accused of spying for the Mossad.

Islamic State has obviously decided to attack Egypt in an attempt to further destabilize the country. By baiting Egypt at its weakest point – the porous border with Libya – Islamic State compels President al-Sisi to move forces, diluting the effectiveness of the whole.

This aggravates the situation because Egypt is already challenged by keeping Sinai in check and safeguarding the crucial Nile Delta.

The security situation in Sinai has deteriorated significantly since the army removed the Muslim Brotherhood from power. Tourists traveling from Taba in Sinai to Eilat in Israel told Western Journalism that free traffic has become impossible in the Sinai Peninsula. The army only allows tourists to visit the coastal plain and Jebel Musa, the mountain Christians believe is the spot where the Ten Commandments were given to the people of Israel. Cars are only allowed to travel in convoys accompanied by army vehicles.

Israeli tourism to Sinai has nearly come to a complete standstill, Israeli security officers told Western Journalism. Israeli tourists now stay in Taba just over the border with Israel.

Islamic State is not strong enough yet to take over Egypt, but that’s not the goal of its latest actions. The group is clearly trying to destabilize Jordan and Egypt. The latest IS campaign started with the provocation of Jordan. King Abdullah decided to start Jordan’s own air campaign against Islamic State after Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh was burned alive. Egypt has now been similarly drawn in.

The Jihadist group is trying to destabilize both countries and to inspire the Muslim Brotherhood to rise up against the regimes in both Jordan and Egypt. Both countries face huge economic problems and struggle to contain the rise of Islamism.

Experts fear the air campaign against Islamic State will be answered by a sharp increase in terrorist attacks in both Jordan and Egypt. When Egypt and Jordan descend into chaos, it will be easier for Islamic State to expand its power base and to enlarge its territory. This clearly echoes the situation that developed in Syria and Iraq.

The group has a clear vision of what the end game will be. What is happening in Egypt and Jordan has everything to do with the ultimate goal of destroying the State of Israel. The group has already set up camp in Sinai close to Israel’s southern border. Islamic State’s presence along the long western border with Jordan would be a huge challenge for the IDF and would inspire Palestinian terrorist groups.

Expanding Islamic State presence in Libya serves another goal of the organization: The group wants to expand its influence in North Africa and to use Libya as a gateway to Europe. Islamic State operatives have already taken control of two important Libyan cities and a large part of the Mediterranean coast. They are moving toward oil facilities and are slowly infiltrating the capital, Tripoli.

The British newspaper The Telegraph reported that Islamic State plans to send its forces to North Africa, where they will try to sail across the Mediterranean posing as refugees. To oversee Islamic State operations in Libya and North Africa, the IS leadership has appointed an emir for Tripoli, the Tunisian Abu Talha, and one for west Libya, the Yemeni Abu al-Barra el-Azdi.

The recent terror attacks in France and Denmark are also connected to Islamic State’s plan for Europe. Both attacks revealed the goals of the organization in Europe. The first goal is to undermine European society to the point that they will lose the resolve to fight to uphold Western values and will accept Islamic domination. The second goal is to chase the Jews out of Europe.

It would be a mistake not to take the stated threats and goals of Islamic State seriously. Although the group does not have the means to conquer Israel and southern Europe at this moment, the organization has proven that it acts with a strategic purpose and can advance its goals.

The recent actions against Egypt and Jordan should serve as another warning to the West: Airstrikes alone are not sufficient to defeat Islamic State. It is highly doubtful, however, that this warning will be heeded. In an interview with MSNBC, State Department, Spokeswoman Marie Harf said “ The U.S. cannot win the war with Islamic State by killing them. We cannot kill our way out of this war”, she said. Harf also claimed that Muslims are attracted to Jihad because of poverty and a lack of jobs.

This article first appeared on Western Journalism in the United States

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Fox News. Egypt’s president discusses America’s role in fighting terror

March 10, 2015

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Fox News. Egypt’s president discusses America’s role in fighting terror, March 9, 2015

 

U.S. Generals: Israeli Military Restraint Bolstered Hamas

March 9, 2015

U.S. Generals: Israeli Military Restraint Bolstered Hamas

Report rejects American adoption of Israeli level of restraint

BY:
March 9, 2015 5:00 am

via U.S. Generals: Israeli Military Restraint Bolstered Hamas | Washington Free Beacon.

 

Israel’s military restraint during the conflict in Gaza last summer “unintentionally empowered Hamas” by allowing the terror group to distort international law and secure a public relations victory by exploiting the media, according a task force of retired U.S. generals.

The task force also warned that Hamas’ disinformation strategy could be replicated against the U.S. military and advised the U.S. government to institute a plan to combat similar media campaigns in the future.

“Hamas supported false claims against the [Israel Defense Forces] by distorting stories and images to serve the organization’s narrative, and by manipulating stories in the international media,” said the Gaza Conflict Task Force in a report commissioned by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs and released on Monday.

The report, titled “The 2014 Gaza War: Observations and Implications for U.S. Military Operations,” concluded that Hamas was not aiming for a military victory but instead put Gaza’s civilians at risk in order to increase casualties and damage the global standing of the Israel Defense Forces.

The main goal, according to the report, was to build international pressure on Israel.

“Hamas proved very effective at exploiting images of civilian deaths, particularly children, to gain international sympathy to their cause and a high degree of international opposition to the Israeli cause,” said the report. “Further, Hamas was effective at not allowing access to their more brutal and illegal actions, beyond what they published themselves as part of their internal intimidation efforts.”

According to the task force, the techniques used by Hamas “represent an evolution in unconventional warfare, and will probably be imitated and improved upon by America’s enemies.”

The report recommended that the United States should institute a “whole-of government approach” to countering such efforts.

“The U.S. government and military must come to grips with the increased importance and use of the information domain in war,” said the task force. “They must develop effective countermeasures to this enemy advantage, as it threatens to exploit a strategic vulnerability for the United States and its allies.”

One issue that Hamas exploited in Gaza, according to the report, was the lack of clarity between international laws of war and military policy.

The task force argued that the IDF exceeded the Laws of Armed Conflict by using restraint during times when it was legally unnecessary. This created a precedent that could open Israeli civilians up to increased risk, according to the report.

“Unless there is a clear demarcation between law and policy-based restraints on the use of combat power, raising standards in one instance—even if done as a matter of national policy and not as the result of legal obligation—risks creating a precedent to which military forces will likely be expected to adhere in the future,” said the report.

“We do not believe the Israeli level of restraint should be considered the standard for U.S. armed forces in future conflicts,” the report concluded

The task force, which traveled to Israel while conducting the assessment, included General Charles Wald, Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell IV, Lieutenant General Richard Natonski, Major General Rick Devereaux, and Major General Mike Jones.

Republicans to Iran: agreement will not oblige us

March 9, 2015

Republicans to Iran: agreement will not oblige us

47 Republican Senators sent a letter to Iran’s leaders, warning that they will not be obliged to honor any nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, as soon as Obama’s term is over.

Mar 09, 2015, 01:17PM | Tom Dolev

via Israel News – Republicans to Iran: agreement will not oblige us – JerusalemOnline.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Photo Credit: AP / Channel 2 News

While negotiations between Iran and the world powers to reach a nuclear agreement continue, tonight (Mon) a group of 47 Republican Senators sent an open letter to Iran’s leaders, warning that any agreement that might be reached with the Obama administration will not oblige his White House successors with the end of his term in 2016.

The initiator of the letter was newly-elected Senate member Tom Cotton, who managed to get senior officials from the Republican party to sign, including some who may run for President next year: Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. The aim of the letter is not only to deter Iran from signing an agreement, but also to pressure the White House, who is working on the issue under the supervision of Congress.

The letter, addressed to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, states: “It has come to our attention while observing your nuclear negotiations with our government that you may not fully understand our constitutional system… Anything not approved by Congress is a mere executive agreement.”

Will Congress obstruct the deal? Archives

Will Congress obstruct the deal? Archives Photo Credit: Reuters / Channel 2 News

“The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement any time,” they added. Through the letter, Republicans are trying to bypass the Obama Administration, whose representatives are continuing efforts to reach a deal with Iranian representatives in Geneva. However, international arms control sources say that it will be very tough for Congress to change or annul any such deal.

The negotiations with Iran have become a major part of the Republicans’ campaign regarding the 2016 elections. Former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, for example, came out strongly against the talks in a speech held in Chicago last month, while Former Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, published a video in which he criticizes the negotiations and calls on Congress to oversee the agreements.

The letter is the last in a series of actions taken by Republicans, in an attempt to ensure Congress’s part in any future agreement, if and when it is reached. President Obama has previously addressed the issue, threatening that if the Republican-controlled Congress will vote against the deal, he will use his veto power.

 

 

From

Republican Senators: Congress Can Reject Iran Deal

The open letter, led by Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), explains how the U.S. Constitution works, according to the Weekly Standard, which excerpted the letter:

“It has come to our attention while observing your nuclear negotiations with our government that you may not fully understand out constitutional system. Thus, we are writing to bring to your attention two features of Constitution–the power to make binding international agreements and the different character of federal offices–which you should seriously consider as negotiations progress,” the senators write.

“First, under our Constitution, while the president negotiates international agreements, Congress plays the significant role of ratifying them. In the case of a treaty, the Senate must ratify it by a two-thirds vote. A so-called congressional-executive agreement requires a majority vote in both the House and the Senate (which, because of procedural rules, effectively means a three-fifths vote in the Senate). Anything not approved by Congress is a mere executive agreement,” the letter continues.

“Second, the offices of our Constitution have difference characteristics. For example, the president may serve only two 4-year terms, whereas senators may serve an unlimited number of 6-year terms. As applied today, for instance, President Obama will leave office in January 2017, while most of us will remain in office well beyond then–perhaps decades.”

“What these two constitutional provisions mean is that we will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei. The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.”

Ron Dermer and Dore Gold on Fox

March 8, 2015

Ron Dermer and Dore Gold on Fox, via You Tube, March 8, 2015

(Giving Iran years to pursue its ambition of obliterating the U.S. and Israel, with few or no remaining sanctions as Iran continues its efforts to control the Middle East, and no significant progress in allowing the IAEA to pursue its investigations of Iran’s past and future progress in nuclear weaponry strikes me as worse than merely absurd.– DM)

Nuclear Truth; Clare Lopez, Hide the Nukes

March 8, 2015

Nuclear Truth; Clare Lopez, Hide the Nukes, via You Tube, March 7, 2015

 

Dealing With the Iranian Death Cult

March 6, 2015

Dealing With the Iranian Death Cult, American ThinkerWarren Adler, March 2, 2015

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the resultant bloodbath should stand as an example of how a rigidly brainwashed death cult like Iran will choose the apparent path of negotiation while hiding its lethal ambition under a camouflage of lies.

*****************

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel laid out a strong case for mistrusting Iranian intentions, he did not define the bedrock reason why Iran cannot be trusted. To do that, one must understand the captive mentality of the cult phenomena and how it distorts reason, brainwashes its adherents, and creates unquestioning followers.

For those of us with strong cognizant memories of the events before, during and after the stunning Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the current negotiations with Iran to prevent this terror-sponsoring cultist state from developing a nuclear weapon seems chillingly similar.

Prior to that “day of infamy” as then President Franklin Roosevelt so aptly characterized it, the United States was locked in tense and complicated negotiations with Japan to settle conflicts that divided our two countries. They were many, involving a clash of perceived power divisions in the Pacific with underlying territorial and psychological issues leaving both countries at loggerheads.

The United States, satisfied that it had broken the Japanese military codes, felt secure enough that it could divine the Japanese positions on its statecraft and military plans. The Japanese, who had entered into a tripartite agreement with Hitler and Mussolini, felt secure in their military might and those of their Axis allies in the face of a largely militarily unprepared America to extract whatever concessions they were seeking from the United States.

It is true that America is not negotiating alone with Iran, but its position in the discussion and eventual outcome, by virtue of its historical leadership role, makes the comparison worth noting.

America in 1941 was facing comparative angst. President Roosevelt, who had promised to stay out of the war, was dealing with a reluctant public that had little appetite to enter the fray, although he had been persuaded by Winston Churchill to assist the Allies by providing armaments through the Lend-lease program. Even as negotiations with the Japanese proceeded, the Japanese had no intention of rapprochement and had actually been planning the assault on Pearl Harbor for many months before.

Worse, the American intelligence community was divided in their assessment of Japanese intentions and had not a clue about its cultist discipline. They were monstrously naive about the power of cult psychology and, unfortunately, they still are. Iran is run by death cult adherents operating under the guise of religion with all power, despite all the outward signs of alleged diversity, vested in one man.

Japan at that time was also being manipulated by cultists enmeshed in the doctrines of State Shinto, based on a degraded interpretation of the samurai Bushido code. They later initiated the suicide bomber pilot program, finding recruits eager to kill themselves for the emperor by smashing their planes into American ships. If that isn’t death cult conduct, then I’d like to know what is.

At the time of Pearl Harbor, Adolf Hitler, a charismatic and ruthless megalomaniac, had turned the Nazi Party into a brutal master race entitlement cult determined to make “Deutschland Uber Alles” a reality. Indeed, by then the Nazis had brainwashed the German people into the fanatic belief that they were going to fulfill that destiny in a thousand-year Reich, and Hitler had demonstrated his military prowess designed to reach that goal. He held total sway over the Germans, not unlike Ayatollah Khamenei and his cult followers in their control over Iran.

Nothing happens in Iran without the ayatollah’s approval. Indeed, the Islamic terrorist tentacles of the Iranian regime is considerable and unlikely to be deterred by mere negotiations. “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” are not just empty slogans. They are chosen statements of intent officially approved by the regime leader.

The State Shinto cult of emperor worship was manipulated by Japan’s power-hungry military to have the Japanese people believe in the inevitability of their own destiny to carve out their own empire in the Pacific. Indeed, they managed to persuade the revered Emperor Hirohito himself to agree to their machinations. His naive approval was all that was needed to bring the Japanese people on board, a typical cult scenario.

The weakest partner in this ménage a trois, Benito Mussolini, had earned himself some cred by an African adventure in Eritrea and North Africa.

Using the cult comparison, there seems to be little difference between Khomeini and Hitler, at least in terms of power. Hitler, like Khamenei today, calls the shots. Khamenei, his minions, and their vast network of Iranian-armed and financially-supported death cult Islamic terror cells is, by any rational measure, an existential danger to America, and certainly to Israel.

Indeed, nuclear bombs and long-range missiles in the hands of this cult could easily transform a mere perceived danger into a planetary disaster and fulfill their “death to” sloganeering.  Such power in the hand of the Iranian death cult will create a destructive capacity that by comparison makes Hitler’s armies seem like toy soldiers.

What history has taught us is that cults that have gained total power over their adherents will always use any means to gain their ends. They will employ any tactic that hastens their victory. They will lie, cheat, charm, brutalize, and kill anyone who stands in their way. They will demolish any obstacle that confronts them and inhibits their goals. They will dissimulate and deceive.

The idea that sanity will prevail when it comes to cult leaders is a false notion. Hitler, by the evidence of his suicide, appeared to have understood that death was a finality. Islamic terrorist’s have been brainwashed to believe that death, by sacrificing oneself to what they believe is their Prophet’s desire, is a continuation of physicality, offering perpetual pleasure through eternity in some imagined paradise.

The comparison with Pearl Harbor may seem farfetched and hysterical to some, but as 9/11 has illustrated, a cult in which adherents have no fear of death is a weapon of enormous power. Those who believe that leadership sanity and logic will prevail if Iran gets its bomb and actually uses it against their “Death to” objectives should understand that retaliation, which will surely come, could be welcomed by the Iranian perpetrators of the Jihad cult as a glorious suicide mission guaranteeing an entry ticket to their imagined paradise.

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the resultant bloodbath should stand as an example of how a rigidly brainwashed death cult like Iran will choose the apparent path of negotiation while hiding its lethal ambition under a camouflage of lies.