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From the Debka File: Putin Eyes Lebanon’s Energy Sources

December 9, 2010 at 8:56 PM Leave a comment

Thanks to the eyes of a friend from Canada who reminded me to check DEBKA more regularly, it appears that Putin has got his sights set on some of the energy stores recently discovered in Israel.  Over the past year, “reserves of 25 trillion cubic feet would more than cover Israel’s energy needs and enable it to become a gas exporter, revolutionizing an economy which has developed despite a paucity of natural resources.” [1]

Isn’t that swell?  It gets even more interesting, too.  Beirut has claimed that Israel has been “looting” Lebanese gas sources.  What is even more interesting is that apparently, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, though put off by “Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias for help in mapping the borders of oil and gas fields in the Mediterranean,” Putin wasted no time inviting Hariri to Moscow to help support his (Hariri’s) cause. 

Apparently, Hariri has been between a rock and a hard place trying to save his government from falling into the hands of the Hezbollah.  Both Putin and Medvedev rolled out the red carpet for him.  Why?  Because Putin wanted something.  What does he want? 

According to DEBKA, “Moscow could help Lebanon place itself on the map of oil and gas fields and pipelines in the eastern Mediterranean. But to exploit its oil and gas wealth under the sea, Lebanon needed Russia as energy partner and provider of funds, equipment and skilled labor.

“Russia would reciprocate with heavy investments in the Lebanese economy that would restore Beirut to its former prestige as financial capital of the Middle East and an assured supply of advanced weapons at token prices to secure those investments.”

Does this sound like anything to you?  I don’t know – maybe I’m spit-balling here – but this certainly sounds the potential Northern Invasion in the making.  I hate it as much as the next person when we attempt to determine prophetic nuances from the news, but here is a case where Putin is obviously up to something.  He wants to partner with Lebanon for their energy sources.

It appears that Putin wants to play hardball and he is doing it by promising Hariri a number of things:

“The Lebanese prime minister left Moscow with an understanding in his pocket on three points. As a mark of Russian goodwill, he was promised the gift of six MI 24 helicopters 31 T-72 tanks, 36 130 mm cannons complete with half a million shells and thirty thousand artillery shells – an unprecedented donation to a country outside Moscow’s sphere of influence.
Their understanding extended to three key areas:

1. They would discuss big Russian firms building a number of gas-powered electricity plants in Lebanon, backed by Kremlin guarantees and financing – against a Lebanese guarantee to purchase their output over a 30-year period.
2. The Russian-built Arab Gas Pipeline Project Phase II, designed to bring gas from Egypt and run through Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey, would grow a Lebanese branch. On Dec. 5, a Kremlin official said: “We want to study a possibility of gas shipment from Syria to Lebanon, for example, by using the Arab Gas Pipeline capacity.”
3. Moscow offered to build three nuclear power plants in Turkey.

The second understanding was the real reason for Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Beirut Wednesday, Nov. 24 and his talks with Hariri. Erdogan now has a new interest in defusing the tensions in Lebanon and keeping Hariri in power.”

We know that both Lebanon and Syria are north of Israel.  Putin has a Russian Naval Base currently being constructed in Tartous, Syria.  As DEBKA points out, “As headquarters of the Russian Black Sea and Mediterranean fleets, this base will also guard Moscow’s investments and holdings in gas and oil fields in the Mediterranean.”

It certainly appears that Putin has his eye on the prize of energy reserves in Lebanon.  Since he is so anxious to get his fingers into those reserves, it will bring him that much closer to Israel, where oil has been discovered as well.

In Ezekiel 38-39, what is interesting is that whoever Gog is, he decides to invade Israel for spoils.  As Fruchtenbaum points out, the use of the word “spoils” is simply a term used throughout the Old Testament and can mean a great deal of things.  There is nothing specific in the use of that word.  It normally means whatever the invading army takes with them after the invasion and conquering.

In the case of Putin and Israel, we now know beyond doubt that Israel has vast amounts of oil underneath their land.  Within two years, they estimate that once they are in full production, Israel will become self-sufficient, needing no fuel or other energy sources from anyone.

Is that enough to make Putin (or any other individual) hungry for what Israel has?  Considering the fact that while Russia has extensive energy stores, much of it is simply undeveloped, in spite of the fact that it has the largest natural gas reserve in the world.  However, this is changing because of its own internal energy policy stretching up to the year 2020.

Russia wants to increase its renewable energy sources, dipping into what it already has and increasing the use of its share of natural resources.  Russia has large reserves of natural gas, oil, coal, and even uranium.  Since this is the case, one can only wonder why Russia would need to look elsewhere.

The reality is that the nation that controls the world’s energy supply, controls the world.  It is simple economics.  In this way, that controlling nation would not even need to conquer other nations through military might, but simply by controlling how the world obtains its fuels.

We know that with respect to OPEC, they determine the price of oil, which translates to how much we pay at the gas pump.  The more a country or group controls energy resources, the more they are able to get what they want without having to tap their military to do so.  At the same time, a strong military would be necessary to protect that country’s (or group’s) resources.

Russia has all of this. They have a fairly strong military and the upcoming naval base at Tartous, Syria will only put them in a greater position to defend what they have.  If they gain a foothold into Lebanon, with their military base so close, they will be able to defend Lebanon from any attempts by the Hezbollah or anyone else from swooping into attempt a coup or takeover.

Being so close to Lebanon also puts them within a stone’s throw of Israel.  Will it be that far for Putin if he ever decides he wants to move into Israel and take what they have to add to his stores?  Who will stop Putin?  While some countries may object verbally, I cannot imagine the U.N. or anyone else stepping up to defend Israel (with the possibility of Canada and by the time they got there, it would be well over), if Putin (or anyone) opts to invade Israel.

What is so fascinating to me is that though Israel is such a small country, surrounded by fascism, communism, and the like, since 1948, they have maintained their statehood.  They have not fallen under any attempt to destroy them.

We also know from Ezekiel 38-39 that the particular attempted invasion described here will be just that – an attempted invasion – with God not only pulling the strings on Gog, but utterly destroying him, his armies, and ultimately his land. 

Can we be sure that Putin is this Gog that Ezekiel speaks of here?  No, we cannot.  The most we should do is move ahead slowly, cautiously, as the final times play themselves out, all according to God’s timetable.

Of course, if the pieces are starting to fall into place that will eventually turn into the Northern Invasion spoken of by Ezekiel, it means that we are much closer to the end than we may realize.  Time will tell.  In the meantime, we must be about our Father’s business.  We cannot be sidetracked thinking that the “end is near.”

While it is fine to watch for these things, it must always be done while we continue to work.  Souls are yet to be saved.  God is counting on us to introduce those souls to Him in order that He might turn their eyes to Him, open those same eyes, and open their hearts to the truth of who Jesus Christ is  and what He has accomplished for we sinners of this world!

[1] http://www.debka.com/article/20435/

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