WORLD REACTIONS TO RESOLUTION

1-Peres says U.N. resolution vindicates Israel. 2-Israel to halt war in Lebanon on Monday. 3-EU welcomes UN resolution on Lebanon. 4-UN Council unanimously approves Mideast resolution. 5-Bush Welcomes U.N. Truce Resolution. 6-US calls on Syria, Iran to honor UN resolution on Lebanon. 7-Lebanese Cabinet approves cease-fire. 8-Quake jolts northwestern Iran. 9-Strong quake rocks northwest Indonesia. 10-Sky-watchers await celestial show. 11-Chaos follows in Chinese typhoon's wake.

DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PREDIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships;
and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

Peres says U.N. resolution vindicates Israel Sat Aug 12, 3:52 AM ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters) Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres on Saturday welcomed a U.N. resolution calling for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah and said the deal vindicated Israel's month-long military campaign. Without the military
pressure we would not have had the diplomatic deal,elder statesman Peres told Israel radio.

The U.N. decision vindicates Israel all the way through and says that Hizbollah was the aggressor and that they need to return the abducted soldiers ... We achieved all we could from the U.N.The U.N. Security Council unanimously backed a resolution on Friday calling for a full cessation of hostilities based on the immediate cessation by Hizbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations.

Israel's cabinet is expected to express its support for the resolution at a meeting on Sunday. In the meantime, Israeli forces have stepped up operations in Lebanon, driving north toward the Litani river, 20 km (13 miles) inside the country.The conflict, which has killed at least 1,060 in Lebanon and 124 Israelis, began on July 12 when Hizbollah guerillas captured two Israeli soldiers in a raid inside Israel.

Israel to halt war in Lebanon on Monday By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer 2 minutes ago

BEIRUT, Lebanon Israel will halt its war in Lebanon at 7 a.m. Monday (midnight EDT Sunday night), a senior Israeli government official said Saturday. Lebanon's Cabinet accepted the U.N. cease-fire plan to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah fighters, moving the deal a step closer to implementation, the prime minister said.

Also, the Israeli government confirmed that Hezbollah guerrillas had shot down an Israeli military plane.It was Israel's first loss of a helicopter in Lebanon in the monthlong conflict. Two helicopters collided and crashed and a third crashed separately in northern Israel early on in the fighting.Israel's Cabinet was to
endorse the U.N. cease-fire resolution later Sunday.

In announcing the decision to accept the resolution, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said: It was a unanimous decision, with some reservations.Hezbollah's Mohammed Fneish, minister of hydraulic resources, said the two members of the Islamic militant group who are part of the Cabinet expressed reservations. Particular concern was raised over an article in the resolution that gives the impression that it exonerates Israel of responsibility for the crimes and blames Hezbollah for the monthlong war, he said.

Israel flew hundreds of commandos into southern Lebanon on Saturday, tripling its troop strength to 30,000 and sending some army units as far as the Litani River even as both sides indicated they would accept a U.N. cease-fire plan to stop the heavy fighting.

Airstrikes killed at least 19 people in Lebanon, including 15 in one village, and Hezbollah rockets wounded at least five people in Israel.

The Islamic militant group fought back hard, claiming to have destroyed 21 Israeli tanks and killing seven soldiers. Israel confirmed seven deaths and said dozens of other soldiers were wounded in the expanded offensive.The Israeli helicopter aircraft was shot down in the Maryamein valley near the village of Yater, and other helicopters scrambled to the area to try to rescue the crew. The Israeli army had no comment on the report.The claim, carried on Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, said the helicopter was brought down by a new missile, the Waad (Arabic for Promise,) in the Islamic militant group's arsenal.The area had seen heavy ground combat Saturday during which hundreds of Israeli troops were airlifted to positions deep inside southern Lebanon and tanks punched across terrain to grab more territory before an expected cessation of hostilities Monday morning.The fighting came a day after the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution seeking a full cessation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah, authorizing 15,000 U.N.

peacekeepers to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israeli forces withdraw from the area.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the broadened Israeli offensive had been anticipated and she hoped the hostilities would end in a day or so.My understanding is that this is part of the normal operations that were contemplated. When the cease fire — the cessation of hostilities — comes into being, Israel will stop, she said in an interview with Israel Television.U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is working with the parties to establish a timetable for the cease-fire, but I would hope that within no more than a day or so that there would be a cessation of the hostilities on the ground,she said.Long columns of Israeli armored vehicles streamed over the border trying to drive Hezollah behind the Litani, about 18 miles from the border, before the truce. More than 50 helicopters
ferried in commandos in what was called the biggest such operation in Israel's history.Israel wanted to seize control of the area before positions are frozen to ensure that Hezbollah fighters don't flood the zone before it is handed over to the Lebanese army and U.N. troops, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss sensitive issues publicly.

Israel, which said its troops had killed some 50 guerrillas over the previous 24 hours, said late in the day that some army units had pushed to the Litani, but gave no details. The Litani is seen by Israel as a crucial boundary in its attempt to push back Hezbollah. Israel repeatedly has insisted that the proposed peacekeeping force cannot allow Hezbollah weapons south of the river. But it will be nearly impossible to rid south Lebanon of the Islamic guerrillas, who are now in the Lebanese Cabinet and run clinics and other charities that are considered essential in rebuilding the region. Their ability to withstand the Israeli military assault has also made Hezbollah heroes across the Arab and Islamic worlds. Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Israeli troops will remain until the international relief force arrives and will be defend themselves if attacked. If anyone dares to use force against Israeli Defense Forces, we will see this as a violation of the cease-fire agreement,he said on Israel television. Israeli army chief, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, said earlier that Israel expected to fight for another week despite the cease-fire deal. He said Israeli forces — apparently about 30,000 soldiers now — would stay in Lebanon until an international force arrived.

Hezbollah's leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, meanwhile, said his militia would abide by the cease-fire blueprint but warned the guerrillas would keep battling Israeli troops while they remained in Lebanon, calling that our natural right.His address was televised as Lebanon's Cabinet met to vote on the U.N. plan. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora signaled the Cabinet would accept, saying it serves the interests of his country and shows that the whole world stood by Lebanon.

The Israeli Cabinet was expected to approve the cease-fire Sunday, but Israel appeared ready to keep up its full-scale military campaign until the U.N. plan worked its way through the region's political leadership over the weekend. The resolution approved Friday night by the U.N. Security Council would create a peacekeeping force by combining a beefed-up version of ineffective U.N. units already in the war zone and 15,000 soldiers from the Lebanese army. The force, which could number around 30,000, would stand between Israel and Hezbollah's militia.

France, New Zealand, Italy and Ireland said Saturday they were ready to provide troops and Turkey said it was inclined to do so. President Bush issued a statement urging the world's leaders to implement the U.N. plan and help bring real peace to the Middle East. The loss of innocent life in both Lebanon and Israel has been a great tragedy,Bush said. Hezbollah and its Iranian and Syrian sponsors have brought an unwanted war to the people of Lebanon and Israel, and millions have suffered as a result. I now urge the international community to turn words into action and make every effort to bring lasting peace to the region. Israel has demanded an airtight buffer zone and wonders if U.N. and Lebanese forces are up for the task. A small U.N. military presence — now about 2,000 observers — has been in Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon since 1978 and has been overwhelmed by the Islamic militant group's rising power, aided by Iran and Syria. Rice specifically cited Hezbollah's two sponsors in a statement Friday for all parties to respect the sovereignty of the Lebanese government and the will of the international community.

But the resolution, approved 15-0 in the U.N. Security Council, did nothing to immediately halt the fighting that erupted exactly a month ago and has claimed nearly 900 lives — including at least 760 in Lebanon and 130 Israelis.

Israeli missiles slammed into the southern Lebanon village of Rachaf, about 10 miles from the Israeli border, killing at least 15 civilians, security officials said. Israeli ground forces also fanned out across southern Lebanon hunting for Hezbollah rocket batteries that have fired unending salvos across the border. Three people also were killed in strikes on Kharayeb, and a Lebanese soldier was killed in an air raid near an army base in the Bekaa Valley, officials said. The guerrilla group announced four deaths Friday and three Saturday. After a morning free of Hezbollah rocket strikes in northern Israel, a barrage of 20 missiles at midafternoon injured two people in Amirim and three in Kiryat Shemona. Hezbollah had been averaging nearly 200 hits each day in the monthlong conflict.

In Sidon, a coastal city between Beirut and the Israeli border, Israeli bombs destroyed a power plant. Farther south, another power facility was hit near Tyre, knocking out electricity to the port, police said. On Lebanon's northern frontier, Israeli airstrikes hit the highway leading to the Arida border crossing about a mile from the Mediterranean coast. It was the last official border post open for
humanitarian convoys and civilians fleeing the country. The highway was impassable, but drivers tried to maneuver through ruts and ditches. The only other exits from Lebanon are rugged pathways and back roads through deserts or mountains. Israel seeks to block supply routes for Hezbollah and disrupt their mobility and has warned it would target any vehicles on the roads in southern Lebanon and along other main highways.

EU welcomes UN resolution on Lebanon
Aug 12, 2006, 11:15 GMT

Brussels - The European Union on Saturday welcomed the UN Security Council resolution to stop the fighting in Lebanon and urged all parties to implement it without delay. A statement issued by the Finnish Foreign Ministry - Finland currently holds the EU's rotating Presidency - stated: 'The Presidency of the European Union welcomes the United Nations Security Council's unanimous approval of Resolution 1701 that calls for a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. This resolution sets the required framework for a political settlement that only can bring a lasting solution to the crisis. The Presidency urges all parties to fully respect the resolution and implement it without delay, it added. The statement also said the EU welcomed prospects that later on, the mandate of the UNIFIL (UN forces in Lebanon) would be enhanced and further steps made to help implement 'a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution. It concluded by reminding of 'the need to work for a comprehensive peace plan for the Middle East. © 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur

UN Council unanimously approves Mideast resolution
August 12, 2006, 06:30

The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution yesterday that calls for an end to the bloodshed in Lebanon and Israel and authorizes up to 15 000 UN troops to help enforce it.

The 15-0 vote capped weeks of anguished negotiations at the United Nations and elsewhere and is the first measure aimed at ending a month of fighting between Israel and Hizbollah militia that has killed some 1 000 Lebanese and 121 Israelis. The resolution calls for a full cessation of hostilities and tells Hizbollah to stop all attacks immediately and Israel to end all offensive operations.A deal on the resolution's text, negotiated by the United States and France, was announced only hours before the vote by British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.

Approval expected

Approval from both the Israeli and the Lebanese cabinets is expected this weekend, with leaders of both countries urging ministers to accept the resolution.But UN Secretary-General Annan chastised the council for its delay in negotiating the resolution. He also said he was going to contact all parties this weekend to set a timeline for ending the fighting.All members of this council must be aware that this inability to act sooner has badly shaken the world's faith in its authority and integrity,Annan said in a lengthy speech.

War is not politics by other means.Lebanon has been a victim for too long, mired in an incomplete political transformation since the end of the civil war,Annan said. Over the last five weeks we have been reminded yet again what a tense fragile region the Middle East has become.Once fighting subsides, Israel is expected to undertake a phased withdrawal from Lebanon as the Lebanese army and an expanded UN peacekeeping force of up to 15 000 troops deploys in southern Lebanon, now controlled by Hizbollah. - Reuters

Associated Press-Bush Welcomes U.N. Truce Resolution
By NEDRA PICKLER , 08.12.2006, 09:59 AM

President Bush on Saturday urged world leaders to turn the words of a U.N. cease-fire resolution into action and help bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Bush welcomed the resolution unanimously approved Friday night by the United Nations Security Council that seeks a full cessation of the violence between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

More than 800 people have been killed in a month of fighting. The loss of innocent life in both Lebanon and Israel has been a great tragedy, Bush said. Hezbollah and its Iranian and Syrian sponsors have brought an unwanted war to the people of Lebanon and Israel, and millions have suffered as a result. I now urge the international community to turn words into action and make every effort to bring lasting peace to the region.

Bush's remarks came in a written statement issued while he was on a bike ride on his Texas ranch, where he is wrapping up a 10-day vacation from the White House. The president was returning to Washington Sunday. The U.S. has been Israel's most
supportive ally in the conflict and strongest advocate at the United Nations.

Bush laid blame on Israel's enemies in the first sentence of his statement, saying the resolution was designed to bring an immediate end to the fighting sparked last month by an unprovoked terrorist attack on Israel by Hezbollah, a terrorist group supported by Iran and Syria. The United States and its allies have been working hard since the beginning of this conflict to create the conditions for an enduring cease fire and prevent armed militias and foreign-sponsored terrorist groups like Hezbollah from sparking another crisis, Bush said. Yesterday's resolution aims to end Hezbollah's attacks on Israel and bring a halt to Israel's offensive military operations.

The resolution authorizes 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon, where Hezbollah guerillas have been operating, as Israeli forces that have occupied the area withdraw. It also calls for an embargo on the supply of arms to militias in Lebanon. These steps are designed to stop Hezbollah from acting as a state within a state, and put an end to Iran and Syria's efforts to hold the Lebanese people hostage to their own extremist agenda,Bush said. This in turn will help to restore the sovereignty of Lebanon's democratic government and help ensure security for the people of Lebanon and Israel.

US calls on Syria, Iran to honor UN resolution on Lebanon Fri Aug 11, 8:16 PM ET

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Iran and Syria to respect the terms of a resolution adopted by the UN Security Council in a bid to end a month of fighting between their ally Hezbollah and Israel. We call upon every state, especially Iran and Syria, to respect the sovereignty of the Lebanese government and the will of the international community, she said in an address to the Security Council.She also said Hezbollah now faces a clear choice between war and peace in light of the resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the 15-member council.The resolution, drafted by France and the United States, calls on Israel and Hezbollah to immediately cease hostilities following a month of fighting that has left more than 1,000 Lebanese and over 120 Israelis dead.

It also calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from positions they have occupied in southern Lebanon in parallel with the deployment of Lebanese army units and a robust international military force in the region to prevent future Hezbollah attacks on Israel.If implemented fully by Lebanon, the resolution will end Hezbollah's existence as a militia armed and supported by Iran and Syria.Rice said the UN text should open a path to lasting peace between Lebanon and Israel that will end the suffering and violence of this past month.The people of the Middle East have lived too long at the mercy of extremists,she said.It is time to build a more hopeful future.

This resolution shows us the way.Immediately before Rice spoke, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan lamented that it took the Security Council's major powers a month to achieve Friday's ceasefire proposal.I would be remiss if I did not tell you how profoundly disappointed I am that the council did not reach this point much, much earlier,he said.All members of this council must be aware that this inability to act sooner has badly shaken the world's faith in its authority and integrity,he said.It is absolutely vital that the fighting now stop,Annan told the gathered council representatives, who in addition to Rice included the foreign ministers of France,
Britain and several other countries.

Lebanese Cabinet approves cease-fire By SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press Writer 43 minutes ago

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon's Cabinet accepted the U.N. cease-fire plan to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah fighters on Saturday, moving the deal a step closer to implementation, the prime minister said. It was a unanimous decision, with some reservations,Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said in announcing Lebanon's acceptance of the resolution after a four-hour Cabinet meeting.Hezbollah's Mohammed Fneish, minister of hydraulic resources, said the two members of the Islamic militant group who are part of the Cabinet expressed reservations. Particular concern was raised over an article in the resolution that gives the impression that it exonerates Israel of responsibility for the crimes and blames Hezbollah for the monthlong war, he said.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

Quake jolts northwestern Iran Tehran, Aug 12, IRNA
Iran-Kashksaray-Quake

An earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale hit the city of Kashksaray in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan Saturday. The seismological base of the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University registered the quake at 10:32 hours local time (0702 GMT). There are no reports of any casualty or damage to property caused by the quake. Iran is often hit by quakes of varying magnitudes as it sits on some of the world's most active seismic faultlines.

Strong quake rocks northwest Indonesia Fri Aug 11, 10:22 PM ET

JAKARTA, Indonesia - A strong earthquake rocked parts of Indonesia's Sumatra island early Saturday, causing some people to flee their homes, but there were no reports of damage and no tsunami was triggered. The 6-magnitude quake struck at 3:54 a.m. and was centered under the Indian Ocean 175 miles northwest of Sumatra, the U.S. Geological Survey said.It felt pretty strong,state news agency Antara quoted one villager as saying. "The whole family and our neighbors ran out from our house, but there was not a massive panic.Officials on Sumatra were not available for comment early Saturday. There were no immediate reports of damage.

Sumatra was hardest hit by a powerful December 2004 earthquake and tsunami. More than 216,000 people in Indian Ocean nations were killed or missing in the disaster.The region is rocked by many earthquakes, including a magnitude 8.7 quake in March last year that killed about 900 people on an outlying island.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Sky-watchers await celestial show

Light shows have been spoilt by moonlight in the past.The Earth is to make its annual rendezvous with the Perseid meteors this weekend. The meteor shower will peak on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, producing as many as 100 shooting stars an
hour. The Perseids are tiny particles, ranging in size from a match-head to a dried pea, shed by the comet Swift-Tuttle.

Sky watchers should look north-east, where the sky will be darkest, to get the best chance of seeing them. Claire Gilby, from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, London, said that unlike many astronomical objects, meteors are visible to the naked eye and observers need no special equipment to view them.

Weather permitting, the sensitivity and wide field of view of the human eye are perfect for watching the Perseids,she said. So, to see the Perseids, all you need to do is sit back and watch the night sky. This year there is a chance that the bright Moon will drown out the glow from the fainter Perseids, as has happened in previous years.

Saint's tears

Meteors are streaks of light in the sky caused by blazing pieces of dust drawn into the Earth's atmosphere from near space. The Perseids are caused when the Earth passes through debris shed by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. This comet travels through the inner planets every 130 years, most recently in 1992. The Perseids are so called because tracing their tails back in the night sky mostly leads to the constellation Perseus. This contains a point called the Perseus radiant - the perspective point from which the meteors would appear to come if they could be seen approaching from interplanetary space. The Perseids are sometimes called the Tears of St Lawrence because the Saint's feast day falls on 10 August. The dust itself consists of particles that are travelling at around 50km (31 miles) per second. As they enter the Earth's atmosphere, they burn up with a short-lived burst of light, heat and ionisation.

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Chaos follows in Chinese typhoon's wake By Ben Blanchard
Sat Aug 12, 10:00 AM ET

LANPING VILLAGE, China (Reuters) - Lin Xianglian was cowering in his kitchen from the strongest typhoon to hit China in half a century when he heard a roar and the house next door collapsed. I didn't dare go look what was happening. The wind was so strong my wife and I together were leaning on the front door to stop it blowing in and water was flooding in the back,recalls farmer Lin, 68, sipping tea from a metal bowl.We could do nothing as my two neighbors got buried alive.Aid arrived in time for them to be dug out alive, but Lin says he has no idea where his friends are now or if they survived their injuries.Nobody has told us anything. Nobody has been round to help clear up. It seems we've been left on our own,he says through metal-capped teeth in uncertain-sounding Mandarin.

Typhoon Saomai punched into Cangnan county, where Lin's village is located in the eastern province of Zhejiang, on Thursday after authorities had moved hundreds of thousands in the densely populated commercial province to safety.The official death toll stood at 105 on Saturday with at least 190 missing. The authorities mobilized 10,000 troops, paramilitary police and rescue workers in Zhejiang alone to help with a massive clean-up operation, state television reported.Bulldozers started clearing the wreckage of more than 50,000 homes flattened by the storm as relief workers handed out bottles of water, rice and cooking oil. A dozen psychiatrists arrived to counsel survivors, Xinhua news agency said.Some residents of the remote, mountainous region said they suspect the death toll could be much higher.I heard hundreds died.

The government has shut off villages where the death toll is really high to stop news getting out,said a fashionably dressed youth who declined to be identified.The Communist government, determined to maintain stability at all costs, has a habit of covering up bad news, although disaster death tolls are no longer supposed to be state secrets.Mistrust of the government is common in Zhejiang, which is far from the capital and where a strong entrepreneurial spirit has bred a flourishing private sector.Numerous mutually incomprehensible dialects add to a sense of independence and wariness of authority.

STINKING FLOOD WATERS

In Cangnan town itself, knee-deep floodwater, fetid and mixed with silt, sewage and motor oil, lapped at pedestrians' feet and flowed into shops on the main street.More than a day after the storm had passed, rubbish sat stewing in the more than 30 degree Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) heat.The quality of people isn't very good here. Nobody wants to clear up,said resident Chen Shaohe, holding his daughter's hand and surveying the damage from a dry spot. The reaction of the government has been slow, but what do you expect?

Further down the road, Zhang Shiqiu looked forlornly at the remains of her red-brick, black-tiled house, crying quietly. Gone, all gone,she whispered, rocking slowly backwards and forwards from a perch on the rubble. In the fishing village of Xiaguan where Saomai hit with winds of 216 km (134 mph) per hour, more powerful than a 1956 typhoon that killed more than 3,000 one house appeared to have exploded outwards, blasting bricks into the street.

Workers offloaded blocks of ice, to help preserve bodies, for the two-hour drive up a narrow road clogged by fallen trees and rocks that runs so high it passes through cloud, toward the worst-hit villages in Cangnan county. At least 41 villagers, including eight children, were killed when a house collapsed in the town of Jinxiang, an hour's drive from where the typhoon made landfall, a local official said. In Lanping village, Lin sat in his candle-lit kitchen and pondered rebuilding his own damaged house. He was philosophical. I saw the great typhoon of 1956. This one was only so-so compared to that,he said.