Now it starts to get interesting!

Whether you are waiting for your electricity to be reconnected in the UK or in despair in Cyprus, I think we are on the brink of something far more important. Sorry, that's not meant to sound as if your problems are not real ones.
The US President has completed his visit to the Middle East and the Israeli Prime Minister has (uncharacteristically) apologised to Turkey for an incident a couple of years back. Essential if you want people 'onside' for any military activity in the region!
Elsewhere, a number of things are bubbling away beneath the surface and, like a volcano, will have to erupt in the not too distant future; including in the Korean peninsula. Readers of Alpha to Omega will recognise the markers here.
So it's worth being alert to big changes that I think are now very close. They may be so significant, that you don't need my little blog to tell you to keep your eyes and ears open. You will not be able to miss them.

Viruses

Those of you who have read Alpha to Omega, will know the tremendous risks posed by pathogenic viruses. This week, I received an email from a reader about the Internet variety.

I have previously posted about the problems in the Middle East, not least in respect of Israel and Iran. Since then, Israel has hit a convoy carrying arms from Syria to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. In the process (through good intelligence) it appears to have killed top Iranian General Hassan Shateri. Now what, you might ask, is an Iranian General doing getting mixed up in all of this. For an answer, I refer you to one of my earlier posts. At the same time, Iran has been making further advances with its nuclear programme.

So where do Internet viruses figure? Well my reader reminded me about the stuxnet virus. This was probably jointly developed by the USA & Israel specifically to attack Iran's nuclear facilities and seems to be 'intelligent' as it can target specific systems. As tensions increase so, I imagine, will cyber attacks.

And they're not the only ones at it! The Chinese People's Liberation Army are also very active. Unit 61398 based in Shanghai spreads it net around the world, trying to steal - and succeeding - commercial and military secrets. It also has the capacity and motivation to spread major internet viruses, whenever it suits its purpose. In this day and age, you don't just need the world's largest army to achieve domination.

Returning to Israel/Iran, these problems are likely to be right at the top of President Obama's list during his upcoming visit to Israel. I previously gave my views on when military action was most likely and the weeks following this visit would seem to be worth watching. No doubt there will be a good deal of cyber activity in the run up to any military action.

Throughout history, there have been periods of time that historians refer to as 'Ages'. We are now very much in the Age of the virus - both pathogenic and cyber.

Did you hear the sighs of relief in January!

Christmas over, a new year underway. January appeared like some temptress, quietly suggesting that things were starting to get better.

The European Union leadership were keen to play up the fact that the worst of the crisis in the Eurozone was now over and things were on the mend. Stock markets around the world started to rise on this and other news. The people of Israel having rejected the old right wing, sabre rattling government, now expected that moderates - through coalition - would play a more active part in policy making. The senior UK Liberal Democrat MP, Chris Huhne, again stated unequivocally that he was not guilty of trying to pervert the course of justice. And there were a few other hints of good things on the horizon.

But as January came to an end and February beckoned, things - including perceptions - started to change. Maybe the Eurozone crisis wasn't over, after all. A leading French politician suggested that France was effectively bankrupt. Both Italy and Spain started to look politically unstable. Borrowing costs for some of these countries started to rise again and stock markets began to lose the gains they had been making.

While the Israeli parliament is finely balanced between left and right, there seems a good chance that centre and centre-right parties will be able to form a government. With Iran pushing ahead with its nuclear programme and also openly supporting President Assad in Syria, it is still - I believe - a question of 'when' rather than 'if' an armed strike against it by Israel will take place.

And if you are reading this outside the UK, I can tell you that this morning the politician Chris Huhne suddenly changed his long held 'not guilty' plea to 'guilty'. His political career is over, he will almost certainly go to prison and eventually, he will probably try to rehabilitate himself with charitable work - or perhaps go  to work in the European Community in some role or other. 

2013 has only just begun and it will be some while before we start to hear the fat lady sing!


 

Alpha to Omega and unfinished business

So 2012 is almost at an end. Like me, you probably have to think for a moment or two in order to recollect all that has happened in the last twelve months. I started by skipping through my blog posts during the year and then realised how much else had happened; nationally, internationally and personally.

One common thread is change - often, quite sudden and without much warning. But it is change that is ongoing, with still more to be revealed. Or that's how I see it. What has been happening in 2012 is the lead in to an eventful 2013. More revelations, more sudden changes and potentially greater turmoil. By the time we get to the end of next year, I think we will all (in different ways) have a much greater awareness of how quickly the 'status quo' can alter.

If you have read Alpha to Omega, you will understand this scenario.  If you haven't, log onto your online bookseller and invest a small amount of your hard-earned cash! Alternatively, scare a relative or friend by gifting them Alpha to Omega.

I would like to wish everyone who reads this blog a Happy Christmas. I wish I could also wish for a peaceful New Year - but I think that is unlikely.

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Link & connect!

The American Presidential election is over, the Sudan raid a few weeks ago seems to have been carried out successfully, so now Israel has this week turned to Hamas. As I write, both sides are firing rockets at each other and Israel (through its usual high-grade intelligence gathering) has eliminated a top Hamas military leader in bordering Gaza. In response, Hamas has spoken of 'opening the gates to hell'.

These should be seen as part of an overall plan or package and not simply random events. When Israel starts its attack on Iran, the last thing it wants is too much activity in response from its neighbours. So weaken the most likely to be troublesome first, so you can then focus most of your attention on your real enemy - Iran. Egypt will, of course, make all the necessary protests and complaints, but is unlikely to be drawn into an armed response. Syria has too much on its plate already and Jordan will, if reluctantly, have to sit by and watch.

The unknown (and perhaps the most worrying aspect) is whether Israel itself would contemplate using nuclear warheads to accomplish the task of destroying Iran's nuclear capability. If intelligence reports are to be believed, Iran has protected much of its nuclear development so well that conventional weapons would be unable to inflict much damage. You therefore have to get inside the installations with Special Forces - very difficult and risky - or use the most powerful aerial delivered missiles and bombs that have ever existed!

For those of you interested in such things, the attacks on Hamas coincided with an eclipse. In the coming weeks and months, be prepared for things to get worse rather than better.
   

The countdown has begun

In just a few days, we should know the outcome of the US Presidential election - or maybe not! Some of the polls say it is too close to call, others predict a victory for Obama; but not necessarily the Democrats. The astrologers, on balance, also think it is more likely to be Obama; then remind their readers that Mercury (the planet of communication) will begin its retrograde cycle at this time. This could produce delays or an inconclusive outcome, as it did with the election of George W Bush.

Back in August on this blog, I wrote that I did not think Israel would undertake a major strike against Iran's nuclear facilities until after the election, or possibly into 2013. This was despite many people thinking such action was imminent. Well, that impediment is almost out of the way. Romney would almost certainly support it and Obama, I suspect, would remain as neutral as it is possible to be.

My understanding is that Israeli representatives have already spoken with both 'camps', without openly admitting the date they have pencilled in. What we do know, is that a couple of weeks ago the Israeli airforce had a 'trial run' against a missile-making factory in Sudan that supplies Iran. As well as inflicting significant damage, they also proved their capabilities in electronically jamming radar and air air defence systems; critical for any attack on Iran.

Love it or loathe it, you know that Israel is never going to turn the other cheek when it feels threatened. Because they are so reliant upon US dollars, they have had to accept (reluctantly) some constraints; in this case waiting until after the election. Then, they will do what they want to do.

If you thought 2012 was a 'difficult' year, just wait for 2013. If you have already read Alpha to Omega, you will know my take on it.

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Daily Mail & Alpha to Omega

Those of you who have read Alpha to Omega and/or some of my earlier posts, may find the article 'The Armageddon Virus' on today's Daily Mail interesting.
As I have said before, fact and fiction are closely interwoven in Alpha to Omega.
Sleep well!

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