MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Ryan Jones, Israel Today Magazine – “The Associated Press at the weekend published a graphical rendering of what appears to be a pressure chamber used to test nuclear weapons. It reported that the drawing was provided by a high-ranking official from a country tracking Iran’s nuclear program, and that the image allegedly depicts facilities located inside the Parchin military base near Tehran.

A former deputy director general at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told the AP that the drawing closely resembles a photograph he recently saw of a pressure chamber at Parchin.

Iran refused to comment on the drawing, and continued to insist that it is not developing nuclear weapons. And while the new evidence strongly suggests otherwise, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the pressure chamber diagram is nothing new.

‘This diagram is part of the information known to all leading intelligence agencies in the free world for some time,’ Barak told Israel Radio. The Israeli did indicate that he hopes the publication of the diagram will get more countries on board with serious efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear program.

Late last week, Iranian opposition group Mujahadeen Khalq warned in a report published by Germany’s Die Welt that while Iran teases the West with hopes of a diplomatic solution, the Islamic Republic is rushing full steam ahead to develop an atomic bomb.” Read more.

Flashback: Iran: Nuclear Weapons Will Prepare Us For The Emergence Of Islamic Messiah – “New evidence indicates Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wants nuclear weapons and he created a religious-based ruse to deceive the world into joining new talks. The leader intends to use those talks to buy more time to harden his weapons program, prevent an attack, and persuade world powers to lift sanctions… President Khamenei explained ‘This [possessing nuclear weapons] was the only way to secure the very essence of the Islamic revolution from the schemes of its enemies … and to prepare it for the emergence of Imam Mehdi [messiah],’ who would bring the world under Islamic rule.” Read more.

Flashback: Iran: Spiritual Leaders Declare Use Of Nuclear Weapons As Lawful Under Sharia – “‘The spiritual leaders of the ultra-conservatives [in Iran] have accepted the use of nuclear weapons as lawful in the eyes of shari’a. Mohsen Gharavian, a disciple of [Ayatollah] Mesbah Yazdi [who is Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s spiritual mentor], has spoken for the first time of using nuclear weapons as a counter-measure. He stated that ‘in terms of shari’a, it all depends on the goal.’… [T]he IraNews news agency published recent remarks by Mohsen Gharavian regarding the nuclear issue. Gharavian is a lecturer at the religious schools of Qom, and is a disciple of [Ayatollah] Mesbah Yazdi. In his recent remarks, he said for the first time that the use of nuclear weapons may not constitute a problem according to shari’a. He further said that ‘when the entire world is armed with nuclear weapons, it is permissible to use these weapons as a counter-[measure]. According to shari’a, too, only the goal is important…’” Read more.

By Nicholas Vinocur and Fredrik Dahl – “(Reuters) – An exiled Iranian opposition group said on Saturday that Iran has some 60 scientists and engineers involved in a concerted and expanding programme to develop nuclear weapons under defence ministry auspices.

However, diplomats say the National Council of Resistance of Iran has had a spotty record with allegations about Iran’s nuclear work since exposing a secret uranium enrichment plant at Natanz in 2002. A top U.S. nuclear expert said the NCRI report, like previous ones, should be treated with great scepticism.

Its latest report, whose details could not be verified, appeared timed to encourage a tougher line at talks with Iran the U.N. nuclear watchdog will have in Vienna on Monday and Tuesday and six world powers will hold in Baghdad on May 23.

But it clashed with the assessment of U.S. and Israeli intelligence officials that Iran has not decided whether to ‘weaponise’ its enrichment programme. Tehran says it is refining uranium solely for peaceful energy.

In the six-page report shown to Reuters, the Paris-based NCRI cited sources in Iran’s government and military as saying some 60 scientists were pursuing bomb-relevant research in 11 agencies operating clandestinely under defence ministry control.

‘Information … shows that the clerical regime has expanded the organisation responsible for nuclear weapons development,’ the report said. ‘This finding reveals a complete and elaborate, and highly … secret research structure and a network for procurement of the required parts and equipment.'” Read more.

Iran boasts U.S. has abandoned Israel – “Iranian outlets have been claiming recently the United States has been forced to bow before Iran on its nuclear program, demonstrating the West’s abandonment of Israel and paving the way for the Islamic regime to annihilate the Jewish state. While restating that Iran will demand ever more in the upcoming second round of talks with the 5+1 nations to be held this month in Baghdad, the Iranian media are now boasting that Israel has been abandoned by its allies and is in a dire bind.” Read more.

By Ron Friedman, Times of Israel – “US officials fear the unity government established earlier this week signals an impending Israeli attack on Iran, Channel 10 News reported Thursday evening.

According to the report, officials are holding marathon talks in Washington out of concern that an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program may take place before the US presidential elections in November.

Undisclosed Washington sources told Channel 10 that they worry Kadima was offered a place in the coalition to shore up support for a preemptive attack aimed at halting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear drive, and that Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz would approve of such an attack.

The report added that the US officials believe early Israeli elections would have kept the F-15s at bay, but are now genuinely concerned that with political backing, there is little to stop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from ordering the attack.

In a joint press conference held Tuesday, Netanyahu and Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz said they saw eye-to eye on a slew of issues, including Iran. In the past Mofaz has been a vocal critic of the notion of Israel striking Iran’s nuclear sites on its own, but Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are both believed to favor an early strike.

Having gone to sleep with expectations of September elections, Israelis woke up to a new political reality Tuesday morning, learning that overnight, Netanyahu and Mofaz signed a deal to form a unity government.” Read more.

Israeli Air Force Chief: We’re Ready For Anything – “Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel officially took office as Israel’s new Air Force commander Thursday. Eshel will replace Major-General Ido Nehushtan, who is retiring from IDF service after 37 years. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Benny Gantz thanked Nehushtan for his service and welcomed Eshel into office: ‘We have the best air force in the world. It shoulders a strategic and significant responsibility,’ he said… ‘Commander Nehushtan is leaving us with a powerful, quality air force, which is facing significant challenges. We are ready for whatever mission we [may] be called for,’ Eshel stated.” Read more.

Israel’s new submarines geared at tackling rising Mideast threats, from the sea – “With all the attention in recent days given to short-term political developments, an event with long-term implications for regional strategic balance almost escaped serious attention. Last Thursday, the high command of the Israeli Navy took part in the delivery ceremony of INS Tanin, Israel’s fourth Dolphin submarine, at Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft shipyard in Kiel, Germany. Most of the foreign media reports tend to focus on the rumored special tubes which may also be used by nuclear-tipped missiles. This was the focus of Gunter Grass’ poem on Israel’s dark plans to annihilate the Iranian population. But the real significance of the new submarines Israel is receiving from Germany, three in all, is the huge boost it will give to Israel’s long-range strategic capabilities.” Read more.

By Raymond Ibrahim, Frontpagemag.com – “Considering Egypt’s presidential elections take place later this month, last weekend’s Islamist clash with the military could not have come at a worse time.

First, the story: due to overall impatience—and rage that the Salafi presidential candidate, Abu Ismail, was disqualified (several secular candidates were also disqualified)—emboldened Islamists began to gather around the Defense Ministry in Abbassia, Cairo, late last week, chanting jihadi slogans, and preparing for a ‘million man’ protest for Friday, May 4th.

As Egypt’s Al Ahram put it, ‘Major Egyptian Islamist parties and groups—including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafist Calling and Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya—have issued calls for a Tahrir Square demonstration on Friday under the banner of ‘Saving the revolution.’ … Several non-Islamist revolutionary groups, meanwhile, have expressed their refusal to participate in the event.’ In other words, last Friday was largely an Islamist protest (even though some in the Western media still portray it as a ‘general’ demonstration).

There, in front of the Defense Ministry, the Islamists exposed their true face—exposed their hunger for power, their unpatriotic motivations, and their political ineptitude. For starters, among those leading the protests was none other than Muhammad al-Zawahiri, a brother of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, and a seasoned jihadi in his own right, who was only recently acquitted and released from prison, where, since 1998, he was incarcerated ‘on charges of undergoing military training in Albania and planning military operations in Egypt.’

Before the Friday protest, Zawahiri appeared ‘at the head of hundreds of protesters,’ including ‘dozens of jihadis,’ demonstrating in front of the Defense Ministry.’ They waved banners that read, ‘Victory or Death’ and chanted ‘Jihad! Jihad!’—all punctuated by cries of ‘Allahu Akbar!’ Likewise, Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya—the group responsible for slaughtering some 60 European tourists in the 1997 Luxor Massacre—was at the protests. Even the so-called ‘moderate’ Muslim Brotherhood participated.

Two lessons emerge here: 1) an Islamist is an Islamist is an Islamist: when it comes down to ideology, they are one; 2) Violence and more calls to jihad are the fruits of clemency—the thanks Egypt’s Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) gets for releasing such Islamists imprisoned during ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s tenure.” Read more.

No one claimed responsibility yet, but given the size of the blasts and the fact that these were suicide car bombs suggests that Al-Qaeda was directly involved …

“Two suicide car bombers killed at least 59 people and wounded 372 in Damascus, Syrian officials and state media say.

This comes as the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 14 months ago.

The blasts happened near a military intelligence building during morning rush hour. State TV showed burnt cars and two deep craters in the road.

The near-simultaneous explosions hit the al-Qazaz district just before 8 a.m. (0500 GMT), residents said. One blast punched a crater three meters (10 feet) deep in the city’s southern ring road.

Bloodied corpses and body parts could be seen on the road.

The Syrian Interior ministry said that the bombers used more than 1,000 kilograms of explosives in their vehicles.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s blasts, the Syrian government and the opposition blamed each other. Both sides are supposed to observe a ceasefire monitored by a UN team.

However violence has continued unabated across the country, with the restive city of Homs shelled again overnight.” Read more.