[THANK YOU for your prayers for my friend David. He ended up not having that opportunity to share with his Mom as he had hoped recently. Pray that he might have such an opportunity very soon. – Stan]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
[EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
“Abandoned” For Christ" - Graham Calls On White House To Support Abedini - By Dr. Tom Askew, Aug.8, http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/opinion
Franklin Graham is the latest to join the chorus of voices calling for U.S. State Department and White House officials to take a more vocal role in protesting the Iranian imprisonment of American pastor Saeed Abedini. September 26 will mark the one year anniversary of Abedini’s imprisonment for allegedly “endangering the national security” of Iran.
Graham pointed out that, in contrast to Iranian accusations, “Pastor Saeed was in Iran trying to help children. With the permission of Iran’s government, he was working to build an orphanage. But his humanitarian mission led to an arrest on bogus charges and nearly a year of inhumane treatment, simply because he loves Jesus Christ.”...
Behind the scenes, more than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition sponsored by ACLJ in support of pastor Abedini. A concerted movement this past May brought together Christians from many nations to set aside Pentecost to pray for Abedini. On June 13, demonstrations were held at Iranian embassies in at least six countries to protest Abedini’s treatment. And, on July 29, Arizona Republican Representative Trent Franks spoke on the floor of the House to urge other Congressmen to join him in “adopting” Pastor Abedini through the bipartisan Defending Freedoms Project.
Saeed’s response…and yours - Through his family living in Iran, Pastor Abedini has been made aware of these efforts on his behalf, and is grateful. “I heard that the persecution, my arrest and imprisonment has united churches from different denominations, from different cities and countries. That the churches have united together in prayer to put one request (my freedom) on one day (Pentecost) before God,” he wrote in a letter.
The story of Saeed Abedini, the jihad against Syrian Christians, the attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the ongoing desecration of churches in Nigeria and India should cause every American to reflect on the blessings of freedom still enjoyed in this nation.
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
Go to SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"The Truth About Obama's Plan To Attack Syria," - by James Jay Carafano
Published August 30, 2013;FoxNews.com;http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/08/30/truth-about-obama-plan-to-attack-syria/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell#ixzz2dkduSnCd
During his second term in the Oval Office, President Obama has become increasingly risk averse. Yet, he seems poised to embark on one his riskiest foreign ventures yet: directly intervening in the Syrian civil war with U.S. military force.
We’ve seen this unfold before: presidents who try to duck the responsibility of leadership often wind up finding themselves led by events and forced to respond, flailingly, under awkward circumstances. Jimmy Carter experienced this problem. Having been pushed around the world stage, he struggled for ways not to look weak.
Obama's projected foray into Syria is a classic example of a risky military venture: It won’t solve any real problems, and there’s no telling where it might lead.
Attempt #1: The U.S. boycott of the Russian Olympics after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It proved an inept way to regain international credibility.
There followed Attempt #2: the failed military effort to rescue hostages taken at the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
President Obama has suffered his own string of foreign policy set backs—from Moscow to Beijing to, most dramatically, the deadly disaster at Benghazi. Leery of piling up more foreign failures, the White House has grown increasingly loath to make any key decisions that carry risk. Hence we’ve seen much dithering over the future size of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, much to-ing and fro-ing over how to handle Egypt.
And now comes Syria—a mega-problem that the White House has spent months trying to do nothing about. Having failed to lead, Mr. Obama finds himself backed into a Carter-esque corner, apparently ready to give in to calls to jump into Syria.
Will the widely anticipated attack arise from the Administration’s moral outrage over Assad’s use of chemical weapons last week? That’s highly doubtful.Earlier use of chemical weapons there—confirmed by U.S. analysis—sparked no response harsher than a verbal reprimand. For a conflict that has already claimed more than 100,000 Syrian lives and displaced over a half-million more, the moral outrage from Washington comes a little late.
Nor is the prospective attack intended to produce regime change, according to White House spokesman Jay Carney.
Rather, the Oval Office seems to be interested mainly in putting on a show of force—and just enough military force to assuage the critics of inaction. “Punishing” Assad in this fashion is unlikely to have any practical effect on the course of the civil war or in terms of inhibiting the future use of WMD anywhere in the world. And that makes the projected foray a classic example of a risky military venture: It won’t solve any real problems, and there’s no telling where it might lead.
Indeed, the lesson any self-respecting totalitarian regime will likely take away from the “punishment” heaped on Assad is that what they really need is nuclear weapons. When you have nukes, like North Korea, nobody says “Let’s just lob a few cruise missiles at them to show them who’s boss.” Indeed, one perverse outcome of this incident may be to actually increase the potential for nuclear proliferation among the world’s bad actors....
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
James Jay Carafano is vice president of foreign and defense policy studies at The Heritage Foundation. Follow him on Twitter @JJCarafano
REMINDER: Check out this week's broadcast of ''Truth ThatTransforms'' (http://www.truthinaction.org/index.php/tr/uth-that-transforms This week’s sermon is entitled “Life An Inalienable Right.” The special feature this weeks speaks of “Adoption A Better Choice.” PLEASE take time to check this program out!
[THANK YOU for your prayers for my friend David. He ended up not having that opportunity to share with his Mom as he had hoped recently. Pray that he might have such an opportunity very soon. – Stan]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
[EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
“Abandoned” For Christ" - Graham Calls On White House To Support Abedini - By Dr. Tom Askew, Aug.8, http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/opinion
Franklin Graham is the latest to join the chorus of voices calling for U.S. State Department and White House officials to take a more vocal role in protesting the Iranian imprisonment of American pastor Saeed Abedini. September 26 will mark the one year anniversary of Abedini’s imprisonment for allegedly “endangering the national security” of Iran.
Graham pointed out that, in contrast to Iranian accusations, “Pastor Saeed was in Iran trying to help children. With the permission of Iran’s government, he was working to build an orphanage. But his humanitarian mission led to an arrest on bogus charges and nearly a year of inhumane treatment, simply because he loves Jesus Christ.”...
Behind the scenes, more than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition sponsored by ACLJ in support of pastor Abedini. A concerted movement this past May brought together Christians from many nations to set aside Pentecost to pray for Abedini. On June 13, demonstrations were held at Iranian embassies in at least six countries to protest Abedini’s treatment. And, on July 29, Arizona Republican Representative Trent Franks spoke on the floor of the House to urge other Congressmen to join him in “adopting” Pastor Abedini through the bipartisan Defending Freedoms Project.
Saeed’s response…and yours - Through his family living in Iran, Pastor Abedini has been made aware of these efforts on his behalf, and is grateful. “I heard that the persecution, my arrest and imprisonment has united churches from different denominations, from different cities and countries. That the churches have united together in prayer to put one request (my freedom) on one day (Pentecost) before God,” he wrote in a letter.
The story of Saeed Abedini, the jihad against Syrian Christians, the attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the ongoing desecration of churches in Nigeria and India should cause every American to reflect on the blessings of freedom still enjoyed in this nation.
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
Go to SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Syria and Iran Could Retaliate with Cyber Attacks," - by David Inserra, August 30, 2013 [AS I SEE IT - Of all the arguments that the President has put forward to persuade for military strikes against Syria, what he said the other day left me howling with incredulity. He actually said that we must not allow the gassing of innocent Syrian children to go unanswered. The hypocrisy of the biggest supporter of the abortionist in American history - a President who has even opposed legislation allowing for the care of even children who survive an abortion! - to rail against another world leader for doing essentially the same thing (though children born at least have a chance of escaping those who seek to murder them) must have had even God Himself rolling His eyes in amazement. Mr. President, you really need to be looking in a mirror when you say such things. Unbelievable! - Stan]
With the U.S. and allies actively considering military action against the Syrian regime for reportedly using chemical weapons, the U.S. cannot ignore the possibility that Syria, and its ally Iran, will strike back at the U.S. with cyber weapons.
Reuters is reporting [1] that if the U.S. does intervene in Syria, this “will be the first time [the U.S.] strikes a country that is capable of waging retaliatory cyberspace attacks on American targets.” Not only are missile strikes the wrong approach [2], but such military actions could result in real consequences here in the U.S.
Indeed, the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), a shadowy hacking collective loyal to the Syrian government with possible connections to Iran, has already proven its willingness and ability to strike at the U.S. Just yesterday, The New York Times and Twitter were supposedly hacked [3] by the SEA, which also claimed responsibility for hacking The Washington Post and various news agencies’ Twitter feeds, most notably spreading false information about explosions at the White House [4] that unsettled stock markets.
While such attacks are mostly directed at media and social media so far, other more damaging attacks are possible and could be used in the event of a U.S. attack on Syria. This is especially true given the connection between Iran and Syria and Iran’s history [5] of striking at critical infrastructure.
Iran is suspected of the attacking the Saudi oil company Aramco [4] and effectively wrecking around 30,000 computers. Iran is also thought to be behind one of the largest coordinated attacks that disrupted or crashed dozens of U.S. banks’ websites [6] last fall. Furthermore, there is always the possibility of support for Syria from allies such as Russian hackers [7], who are part of a technologically savvy gray market for hacking and cyber crime.
This threat is not merely the ruminations of a few bloggers or low-level security officials, either. There are reports that the National Security Agency, the Pentagon, and the Department of Homeland Security are all watching this situation carefully [8] and taking defensive measures to prevent a serious attack. While a crippling cyber attack is unlikely in this case, it is not out of the question, and regardless of whether the U.S. strikes Syria, the U.S. should be better prepared to face threats to its critical infrastructure.
Some believe that the only way for the U.S. to solve its cyber ills is to force the private sector to improve its cybersecurity through regulations and mandatory standards. Indeed, the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, the main Senate cyber bill [9] last year, and President’s Obama’s cyber executive order [10] from earlier this year rely on government-developed standards. However, such standards are likely to be incomplete and hard to update, and they create a culture of compliance, not one of true security.
Instead of static rules and a “check the box” mindset, the U.S. can improve its cybersecurity through truly collaborative policies [11] that leverage the strength of the private sector. Information sharing within the private sector and with the government can provide up-to-date information on the latest threats and vulnerabilities. A system of liability and insurance for the private sector can incentivize additional investments in cybersecurity, not merely compliance. Additionally, the U.S. government can and should take a more active role in deterring malicious cyber states that steal information from and attack U.S. organizations.
The reality of cyber attacks means that the U.S. can no longer launch missiles into a country and expect no response. In the case of Syria, as well as future conflicts, the U.S. should be prepared for cyber retaliation.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org; URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/08/30/syria-and-iran-could-retaliate-with-cyber-attacks/
URLs in this post:
[1] Reuters is reporting: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/29/us-syria-crisis-cyberspace-analysis-idUSBRE97S04Z20130829
[2] the wrong approach: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/08/29/morning-bell-what-to-do-in-syria/
[3] were supposedly hacked: http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-new-york-times-website-syria-hackers-20130828,0,2245108.story
[4] explosions at the White House: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/ap-twitter-hacked-false-white-house-explosions-report-90502.html
[5] Iran’s history: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/08/07/irans-covert-cyber-war/
[6] dozens of U.S. banks’ websites: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/technology/online-banking-attacks-were-work-of-iran-us-officials-say.html
[7] Russian hackers: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/12/29/the-evil-cyber-empire.html
[8] all watching this situation carefully: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-28/banks-utilities-seen-as-targets-of-syrian-cyber-attacks.html
[9] main Senate cyber bill: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/07/cybersecurity-act-of-2012-revised-cyber-bill-still-has-problems
[10] cyber executive order: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/02/obama-s-cybersecurity-executive-order-falls-short
[11] truly collaborative policies: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/04/a-congressional-guide-seven-steps-to-us-security-prosperity-and-freedom-in-cyberspace
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