NUCLEAR EGYPT ISRAEL NOT WORRIED

1-Eruption of Alaska volcano possible. 2-Storms Packing Large Hail, Strong Winds Threaten Indiana. 3-Fires Continue To Burn Outside The Mother Lode. 4-Treasures looted by Rome are back in the Holy Land. 5-Ginko, Lapidot discover oil at Dead Sea drilling site. 6-Most Palestinians favor using Hezbollah methods on Israel. 7-Israel not worried about a nuclear Egypt. 8-Olmert Addresses Religious-Zionist Public. 9-Spain floats idea of new Madrid peace summit. 10-US to bolster Jordan trade, eyes Mideast-wide pact.

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Eruption of Alaska volcano possible Tue Sep 26, 8:20 PM ET

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Vents on Alaska's Fourpeaked Mountain have been spewing volcanic gases and experts at the Alaska Volcano Observatory say an eruption is possible.

Peter Cervelli, a geophysicist for the U.S. Geological Survey and the observatory,
said it is hard to predict if or when an eruption will occur but nothing is imminent.According to the observatory's Web page, an explosive eruption could occur in the coming days to weeks. Volcanic activity could be ash plumes exceeding 33,000 feet above sea level, with lava flows, or it could be nothing.Even a small eruption can cause floods, debris and mud flows, so the area on remote Cape Douglas is considered hazardous, according to the observatory.Fourpeaked Mountain is about 80 miles northwest of Kodiak and 220 miles southwest of Anchorage across Cook Inlet.

The observatory is installing seismometers around the mountain, a Web camera and instruments that measure how the ground is moving, Cervelli said. The mountain had not been monitored by instruments.Observatory staff who flew over Fourpeaked over the weekend reported linear vents running north from the summit. Many were emitting steam and vapors. Near the vents, a glacier was slumping and pieces had sloughed into the vents, Cervelli said.Staff members detected sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide coming from the vents. Volcanic gases could be smelled far away from the summit.Ash emission Sept. 17, the abundant volcanic gases, the presence of new vents at the summit and the disruption and floods occurring at and below glaciers suggest new magma at shallow levels beneath the volcano, according to the observatory.Fourpeaked Volcano is not known to have erupted in the last 10,000 years. However, geological investigations have been limited and ice covers much of the area, the observatory said.The Alaska Volcano Observatory is a consortium that includes USGS, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and the
state Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.On the Net:Alaska Volcano Observatory: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

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;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
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.

Storms Packing Large Hail, Strong Winds Threaten Indiana
September 27, 2006

A cold front will swoop through Indiana on Wednesday, bringing a chance of strong to severe thunderstorms to all but the extreme northwestern part of the state.Southerly winds and sunshine will boost temperatures into the mid-70s in advance of the cold front, providing fuel for thunderstorms that are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening.Severe thunderstorms are expected to intensify as the near central Indiana. Strong winds and large hail are the primary threat from the storms as the push southeastward during the evening hours. Tornadoes do not appear likely with this storm system, but severe thunderstorms do have the capability of producing tornadoes.After the front passes, low clouds and shower chances are expected to hang around on Thursday, with temperatures expected to stay below 60 degrees.2006 by TheIndyChannel.com

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Fires Continue To Burn Outside The Mother Lode
Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 06:00 AM

Sacramento, CA -- Residents of several southern California mountain communities in the path of the three-week-old Day Fire have been urged to leave their homes.But most have chosen to remain. The northwest flank of the fire jumped a road Tuesday threatening hundreds of homes. C.D.F. officials say six unoccupied structures have been destroyed. The Day Fire is only 42% contained ... it has burned 145,000 acres.To the north of the Mother Lode, the Pigeon Fire in Trinity County has now burned 87,580 acres ... it is only 36% contained.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Treasures looted by Rome are back in the Holy Land
By Dalya Alberge, Arts Correspondent

A COLLECTION of sacred artefacts looted by the Romans from the Temple of Jerusalem and long suspected of being hidden in the vaults of the Vatican are actually in the Holy Land, according to a British archaeologist. Sean Kingsley, a specialist in the Holy Land, claims to have discovered what became of the collection, which is widely regarded as the greatest of biblical treasures and includes silver trumpets that would have heralded the Coming of the Messiah.The trumpets, gold candelabra and the bejewelled Table of the Divine Presence were among pieces shipped to Rome after the looting in AD70 of the Temple, the most sacred building in the ancient Jewish faith.

After a decade of research into previously untapped ancient texts and archaeological sources, Dr Kingsley has reconstructed the treasure’s route for the first time in 2,000 years to provide evidence that it left Rome in the 5th century.He has discovered that it was taken to Carthage, Constantinople and Algeria before being hidden in the Judaean wilderness, beneath the Monastery of Theodosius.Dr Kingsley said: The treasure resonates fiercely across modern politics. Since the mid-1990s, a heated political wrangle has been simmering between the Vatican and Israel, which has accused the papacy of imprisoning the treasure.The Temple treasure remains a deadly political tool in the volatile Arab-Israeli conflict centred on the Temple Mount [the site of the Jewish Temple and the Muslim Dome of the Rock].

The treasure’s final hiding place ,in the modern West Bank, deep in Hamas territory ,will rock world religions.Emperor Vespasian ordered the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem after a Jewish revolt and Roman forces took about 50 tons of gold, silver and precious art to Rome.The Arch of Titus, built a decade later, depicts Roman soldiers bearing the sacred spoils on their shoulders. The Jews were expelled from Jerusalem and dispersed throughout the world.Between AD75 and the early 5th century, the treasure was on public display in the Temple of Peace in the Forum, in Rome.The Vatican has told Dr Kingsley that there is no evidence in its archives that the treasure resided in Rome from the medieval period onwards.He said: One thing is for sure it is not imprisoned deep in Vatican City.

I am the first person to prove that the Temple treasures no longer languish in Rome.Dr Kingsley’s sources include Josephus, a 1st-century Jewish historian who sometimes exaggerated but is an authority on Roman and Jewish history. Dr Kingsley also found evidence in, among others, the works of Procopius, a court historian of the Emperor Justinian, who died in AD562, and from Theophanes Confessor (c760-817), a Christian monk from Constantinople.

In Chronographia, which spanned AD284 to 813, Theophanes recorded that Gaiseric, king of the Vandals, loaded the treasures that Titus had brought to Rome after the capture of Jerusalem on a boat to Carthage in Tunisia in AD455.In the first holy crusade in AD533, the Byzantine Belisarius seized the treasure from a royal ship fleeing the Algerian harbour of Hippo Regius. It was then shipped to Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium.In the 7th century, Persians sacked Jerusalem, killing thousands of Christians, and dragging the Patriarch, Zacharias, to Persia. Dr Kingsley believes that his replacement, Modestus, spirited away the treasures to their final hiding place in AD614.Dr Kingsley will reveal his findings in God’s Gold: The Quest for the Lost Temple Treasure of Jerusalem, to be published by John Murray on October 5.

Ginko, Lapidot discover oil at Dead Sea drilling site

At drilling site north of Dead Sea, oil struck at depth of 1,800 meters. According to estimates, there are about 6.5 million barrels of crude oil, worth about USD 300 million Oil spurted Monday at a depth of about 1,800 meters during drilling near the Dead Sea. The drilling was planned only to reach 2,000 meters. Drilling partners, Ginko Oil Exploration and Lapidot (20 percent) are expected to carry out a series of tests in the coming days in order to estimate the quantity of oil found in the drilling, and its value. It should be noted that crude oil, about 120,000 barrels, has already been extracted from this same drilling site in 1995. Drilling was renewed following the rise in oil prices, and as a first stage in preparation for drilling in Ginko's licensed drilling areas in the Dead Sea, particularly in the area of Zerach.

Oil drilling at Dead Sea

Ginko declined responding to reports of its renewed oil findings at the site, but notified that the essence of the tests that will be performed in the coming days revolve around checking the static pressure in the oil strata, and its rate of change. Renewal of drilling in areas from which crude oil was extracted in the past has become a new world trend in the face of high price of oil, which increases profitability of such oil extraction. Ginko is prepared for extraction at this particular drilling site and has already acquired pipelines and containers for transporting the extracted fuel.

The drilling site in which oil was discovered lies within the Zerach licensed zone, which is north of the Dead Sea and sits on 400 square kilometers of land. In the past, gas fields were found in a nearby licensed zone. From the collective efforts near the gas and oil fields as well as new seismic findings recently published, it emerges that there is a closed structure in the area that ensures an oil reserve of about 6.5 million barrels of equal or higher value than the oil previously found.

According to geologist Gidon Gab-Am, there is an estimated two strata of oil, one of which contains about 5.5 million barrels of oil, and the other about one million barrels. As per today's crude oil prices, this quantity is worth between USD 300-350 million.

Ginko Oil Exploration is owned by accountant Yair Karni, Nissan Khakshouri, Rami Karmin and Elgadcom Group (owned by the Shushan and Salouk brothers), who recently acquired 8 percent of the company for and investment of USD 1.2 million.

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

Most Palestinians favor using Hezbollah methods on Israel: poll Wed Sep 27, 7:21 AM ET

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Most Palestinians favor launching rockets at Israeli cities the way Lebanon's Hezbollah militia did during its 34-day war with Israel, according to a poll. Some 63 percent think that Palestinians should emulate Hezbollah's methods and launch rockets at cities, compared with 35 percent who disagreed, the poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah showed Wednesday.Some 77 percent, however, support the call for a ceasefire between Palestinians and Israelis and 74 percent believe that Palestinians cannot depend on armed action only and must reach a political settlement, the center said.

The survey examined Palestinians' attitudes toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the aftermath of the Lebanon war, during which Hezbollah launched nearly 4,000 rockets at Israel, killing 41 civilians.As to the impact of the war on attitudes towards violence, our findings suggest that Hezbollah tactics provide an attractive model for Palestinians' armed resistance,the center wrote.Some 57 percent favor armed attacks on Israeli civilians inside Israel, compared with 41 percent who oppose such attacks, it said.Around 75 percent support operations in which Palestinian militants seize Israeli soldiers for exchange with Palestinian prisoners, compared with 23 percent who oppose.And 59 percent support a Hamas-led Palestinian government negotiating with Israel, compared with 38 percent who oppose holding such talks.The survey was conducted between September 10-19, questioned 1,270 adults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and has a three percent margin of error.

WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL

DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) 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.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

Israel not worried about a nuclear Egypt
UPI,September 27, 2006

JERUSALEM -- Israel isn't worried about Egypt's plans for nuclear power plants, citing a difference between its friendlier neighbor and Iran, with which it is at odds. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday Egypt's plans for a nuclear power plant, which was announced Sunday, will be for civilian purposes only, the Jerusalem Post has reported. Israel has backed the United States in its huff over Iran's uranium enrichment program which it, along with other countries, says is a precursor to a nuclear-armed Iran.

Tehran insists it is for nuclear energy purposes only, not weapons. Egypt plans to bring a $1.5 billion, 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant online within 10 years. As a signatory to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, Egypt has called for a nuclear weapons-free Middle East. There is no official nuclear state in the area, although Israel neither confirms nor denies allegations it has amassed an arsenal. The treaty ensures member states won't contribute to nuclear weapons proliferation. While Egypt and Turkey, another regional player who is moving toward nuclear energy, aren't attempting to create a uranium enrichment facility, easing weapons fears, the Iran controversy centers on enrichment.

Enriched uranium, available for purchase on the open market, can be used for both civilian and military nuclear purposes, depending on how much it was enriched. Iran claims it has a sovereign right to the program, which was kept secret until recently. While some are concerned any increase in nuclear programs in the Middle East will lead to armed states, Olmert was open to Egypt's plans, saying, It's not similar in any form or manner to what the Iranians are trying to do. Mark Fitzpatrick, senior fellow at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies, an anti-proliferation organization, told the BBC the plans by Egypt, Turkey, and Iran, let alone Israel, could have a domino effect.

Having a nuclear infrastructure is the step which a country needs to accomplish if it decides to embark on the path of nuclear weapons. Pakistan took that route,Fitzpatrick said.

Olmert Addresses Religious-Zionist Public
By Hillel Fendel(INN)

Prime Minister Olmert told top religious-Zionist and other leaders, We must understand the troubles of the religious Zionist public. His words were taken with a grain of political salt. A day-long conference on the role of religious-Zionism in Israel was held yesterday at the Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute. One of the participants, Rabbi Avi Gisser of Ofrah, said that Olmert most definitely had political interests in appearing. Everyone does, to some degree,Rabbi Gisser said. We discussed [the question of whether we should participate] amongst ourselves [religious-Zionist rabbis and leaders] beforehand, some 30 of us, and we realized that though there were definitely political overtones, it was clear to us that when you're invited to speak about the Jewish character of the State of Israel, and the role of Religious-Zionism is placed at the center of the national discourse, then that's the right thing to do.

The day-long summit was entitled, The Jewish Character of the State of Israel - Religious Zionism as an element motivating national discourse.Among the topics discussed at length, Rabbi Gisser said, was the importance of finding ways to strengthen public Sabbath observance and the conversion-to-Judaism framework, amidst as wide of a consensus as possible.Olmert, in his remarks, showed understanding for the religious-Zionist sector - known as the orange camp, after the color chosen to symbolize the struggle against last year's expulsion from Gush Katif and northern Shomron - but also had criticism. He said that we must strive towards a new definition of Zionism,though he did not specify what he had in mind.We must understand the troubles of the religious Zionist public and find a path for honest and deep discourse with them,Olmert said. This sector is in deep distress, he said, because of the public conflict which raised basic questions as to the State’s character and outlook. [These people] dealt with the difficult experience of having to reconcile themselves with the concession of the territories and settlements.

However, he said that one's Zionism cannot be based only on whether or not he supports withdrawals. Olmert noted that hundreds of thousands of people served in the territories for over 35 years and participated in enforcing Israel’s policies there, despite their wholehearted belief that the State’s actions were erroneous and severely harmed our social tapestry.

Olmert thus implied that the orange camp must similarly not let the act of the Disengagement affect its feelings towards the State. This, despite the inherent differences between the passive policy of continuing to hold on to territory won in war and the pro-active act of disenfranchising an entire public and thousands of citizens from their homes and lifework.Olmert described the religious-Zionist sector as one that lives on the periphery and has felt neglected for years.

In response, IsraelNationalRadio's Alex Traiman, a self-described religious-Zionist, commented that he doesn't feel peripheral: Even citizens living in Judea and Samaria are doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc., working in the center of the country and in the center of Israeli public life..Public perception within much of the religious-Zionist public is that Olmert has twice betrayed it: once after he left the office of Mayor of Jerusalem, where he had been staunchly in the right-wing camp, and took on a more left-wing stance upon entering national politics, and again when he became Ariel Sharon's chief ally in promoting the unilateral withdrawal plan of 2005.

Rabbi Gisser said that the conference discussions did not center on practical solutions, but rather on an investigation of the issues. Throughout the day, however, there was the background tension of Olmert's diplomatic plans - frozen or suspended or whatever they may be at present. Many of us warned clearly of the dangers we feel they present.Regarding the essential need for religious/secular respect and cooperation, Rabbi Gisser said, It was clear that the boundaries of Jewish dialogue must be broadened so that we can all find our place in Israel on the basis of the importance of strengthening the State's Judaism. This was something that everyone agreed upon, even those who are not religious... For instance, there is an initiative in the Knesset, led by non-religious MKs, to promote public Sabbath observance - not on the basis of religious law, but on the basis of social justice, allowing everyone to have a day off, etc.In addition, Rabbi Gisser said, there was a desire on the part of everyone to promote and strengthen the conversion framework, headed by Rabbi Chaim Druckman, but there was an attempt to find a way to overcome bureaucratic and ideological difficulties on the part of the non-Jewish Russian public and enable and encourage them to come to Jewish law courts for the purpose of conversion.

SPAIN #11 IN THE EU

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

Spain floats idea of new Madrid peace summit
Reuters,Wednesday, September 27, 2006; 7:41 AM
WashingtonPost.com

CAIRO (Reuters) - Spain has floated the idea of a second Middle East peace summit along the lines of the Madrid conference which opened the way to direct peace talks between Israel and its neighbors in 1991.Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who served as the European Union's Middle East envoy until 2003, said in an article published on Wednesday that the quartet of Middle East mediators might also be expanded to include new countries.Perhaps it would be timely for all the interested parties to meet again, at the same level as in 1991, to reaffirm their commitment to a comprehensive solution and to the basic principles on which that should be based,he said in the article in the Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat.The Madrid peace conference of 1991 brought together former U.S. President George Bush, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and foreign ministers from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.

The conference was based on the principle that Israel should give up occupied land in return for peace with its Arab neighbors, as had already happened between Israel and Egypt.It led to a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan in 1994 and a series of high-level talks between Israel and Syria, which came close to an agreement in 2000.

Moratinos said the war between Israel and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hizbollah this summer showed the futility of seeking military solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict or of trying to impose solutions unilaterally.At this stage the important thing is not to invent new solutions but to have the courage, the historic generosity and the political will to apply the formulas..which have already been examined to a very large extent in the course of previous negotiations, such as Camp David and Taba,he added.

At Camp David in 2000 and at the Red Sea resort of Taba in early 2001, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators came close to agreement on the borders of a Palestinian state.Subsequent Israeli governments stepped back from the proposals then on offer and have preferred to try unilateral solutions, such as building a barrier through the West Bank and withdrawing from the Gaza Strip without a formal agreement.On the Quartet, which comprises the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, Moratinos said: (It) could incorporate the added value of some countries which are key to the region.The European Union and the Arab League, seeing an opportunity after the Lebanon war, have floated several proposals for reviving Middle East peace negotiations.The Arab countries tried this month to persuade the U.N. Security Council to initiate a process but the United States, Israel's ally, prevented the council from making a statement.

US to bolster Jordan trade, eyes Mideast-wide pact
The United States has pledged to bolster trade with Jordan, which a senior US official described as a cornerstone for its bid to establish a Middle East-wide free trade pact.

The two sides also agreed to diversify their trade ties as part of their five-year-old free trade agreement, the first between the United States and an Arab country, officials said.According to US trade official Shaun Donnelly, the success of the deal was highlighted last year when Jordanian exports to the United States rose to 1.3 billion dollars from 90 million dollars the year before.

We have also seen in the past two years.... exports diversify beyond the textile and apparel garment sector, and exports in other sectors now total over 100 million dollars, Donnelly said after two days of talks with Jordanian Trade Minister Sharif al-Zohbi. We want to build a comprehensive US-Middle East free trade area.

We want to engage with each of our partner countries in the Middle East and Jordan is a cornerstone of that activity, the American official added.In the Middle East, the United States has signed free trade agreements with Bahrain, Israel, Oman and Morocco, and is also engaged in talks with Egypt.Jordan secured its trade deal with the world’s biggest economy in October 2000, with the accord going into force in December 2001.We have to diversify our exports... [beyond] garments and textiles, the Jordanian minister, Zohbi, told reporters after meeting with Donnelly.Jordan was also seeking to speed up the tariffs reduction period, Zohbi said.According to the agreement, US tariffs on imports from Jordan will be phased out completely by 2010.The United States is Jordan’s second largest trading partner after Saudi Arabia, with 33 percent of our exports going to the American market, Zohbi explained.

Garments and textiles account for 90 percent of all Jordan’s exports to the United States, Zohbi indicated, adding the private sector was working hand in hand with the government to diversify its US-bound exports.We are cooperating with the private sector to diversify the exports to include medicine, jewelry, electrical appliances, electronic goods and cooling systems, according to the minister.