Barak Enters Meeting with Mitchell

Tuesday, Jun/30/09

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/167249

(IsraelNN.com) The meeting between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has begun in New York.

The two are expected to discuss the U.S. demand that Israel freeze construction in Judea and Samaria. Barak is expected to raise several compromise suggestions, including a temporary construction freeze for several months or construction of taller buildings instead of additional low-rise housing.

Gog/MaGog Watch:

....a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. (Ezekiel 38:4-6)

Turkey losing interest in EU

Now following 'pro-Arab Islamist' foreign policy

June 29, 2009
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
Ankara, Turkey

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102526

After years of being refused entry into the European Union, Turkey is losing interest and is looking eastward where it has many friends. And it is seeking to reassert the influence it once held in traditionally Turkic countries, according to a report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Formally, Ankara remains committed to joining the EU, but the idea of joining has lost much of its appeal after years of rejection and additional European demands to repeatedly prove that it is worthy.

Indeed, Germany and France remain adamantly opposed to Turkey's entrance to the EU. At a recent joint television appearance in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy made clear their opposition to Turkish EU membership.

Turkey, however, has made efforts to develop better relations with Arab states and such other countries as Russia, Syria and Iraq – and even Armenia, a traditional foe.

Arab countries which never were enamored with the post-Ottoman leadership now look with admiration to what is referred to as the "Turkish model."

In addition, Turkey is looking to re-establish its historical influence in the Turkic countries of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In this Central Asian region, Turkey sees itself in a peacekeeping role where it either ruled or dominated for centuries.

These developments recently have emerged despite a promise by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan when he assumed office in 2003 that he would lead Turkey into the EU.

The apparent change in course for Turkish foreign policy may be due partially to a new generation of advisers surrounding Erodogan. Turkey's new foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, is one such influential adviser who has outlined what he calls a "multidimensional policy" contrary to what has been practiced.

His predecessors have focused entirely on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Europe and the U.S.

Observers point out that Davutoglu's origins are from what is called Central Anatolia which encompasses most of modern Turkey, the Caucasus and Iran. He is said to be heavily influenced by Islamic thought and has no hesitation in embracing Turkey's past Ottoman empire which included countries over which Turkey seeks to regain influence. Given his eastern education, Davutoglu believes that Turkey should not be so committed only to a western orientation.
Davutoglu's readily approaches countries deemed to be bad guys in the eyes of the U.S. – Syria and Iran, and such groups as Hezbollah and Hamas which the U.S. has labeled as terrorist groups.