ARMS CONTROL IN SPACE

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Earthquakes and volcanoes show extreme disturbance in the outer and inner core of the earth - havoc in 2012? 3-Researchers warn of another large-scale Indian Ocean tsunami. 4-Typhoon kills 26, sinks boats in Vietnam. 5-Hopes for finding typhoon survivors fade. 6-More rain to come as storms cause chaos. 7-Winds driving California wildfire let up. 8-BUSHFIRE SEASON. 9-Archaeologists Discover Church of the Ark in West Bank. 10-PM Overrules Security Brass: Don´t Touch Gaza Rocket Cells. 11-Not Only in Gaza: Olmert Promotes Restraint in Judea/Samaria. 12-Bolton front and center of U.N. Security Council issues. 13-Europe to step up Mideast role. 14-West Africa: ECOWAS Seeks Extension on EU Trade Deal. 15-Ahmadinejad: Any EU decision against Iran's nuclear program will be considered hostile. 16-Arms control in space.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

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

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.

WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)

Update time = Wed Dec 6 1:10 AM EDT

DEC 06,2006
MAP 5.1 NEGROS, PHILIPPINES

DEC 05,2006
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 3.4 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.3 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 2.8 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.9 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.3 VANUATU REGION
MAP 5.0 MYANMAR
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.4 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION

Earthquakes and volcanoes show extreme disturbance in the outer and inner core of the earth - havoc in 2012?
Media Release Dec. 4, 2006

A computer model monitoring the recent seismic disturbances – earthquakes and volcanoes show extreme disturbance in the outer and inner core of the earth. The interaction of the inner core and the rest of the earth cause the electromagnetic properties of the earth. The ongoing polar reversal is accelerating and will eventually have reverse polarity in North and South pole. According to the simulation model, the earth’s inner core and outer core is going through some serious disturbances. That in turn is influencing the viscous semi fluid mantle. When that happens, the convection within mantle increases substantially. That is also influenced by solar polar reversal. In our modern age we have not experienced a simultaneous solar and terrestrial polar reversal. Between now and 2012, these disturbances will keep increasing making earth’s crust and tectonic plates very disturbed causing severe volcanoes and earthquakes.

In the last four months the earth experienced the largest three earthquakes in the last two hundred years.

The under water volcanoes and earthquakes have gone up 88% over the last three years. The continental earthquakes have gone up by 62% during the same time frame. The rate of increase of these earthquakes and volcanoes when drawn against time is staggering. Some scientists are now afraid that we are moving towards 2012 with ticking time bomb under us. Something catastrophic like the lost
world Atlantis can repeat.

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.

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.

Researchers warn of another large-scale Indian Ocean tsunami DEC 05,06

Researchers on Monday warned that within the next few decades, another large-scale tsunami could flood densely populated areas

of western coastal Sumatra, who's south was completely devastated by the December 2004 tsunami. Using samples of coral from the Mentawai Islands, the researchers from the Caltech University, University of Southern California (USC) and Indonesia conducted computer simulations of the 1797 and 1833 tsunamis, allowing them to evaluate worst-case scenarios for future tsunamis. The computer modeling determined that two river valleys near Bengkulu, a coastal city of about 350,000 people, could experience flooding up to several kilometers inland.

The computer models confirm a substantial exposure of coastal Sumatran communities to tsunami surges, said lead author Jose Borrero, a scientist at USC's Tsunami Research Center. The study found that the same fault that caused the 2004 tsunami extends farther southeast beneath the Indian Ocean, just off the southwestern coast of Sumatra. The fault produced large earthquakes and tsunamis in 1797 and 1833, and researchers said the events appear to recur every 230 years on an average. The study found that offshore islands could offer some protection to the larger city of Padang, but during the 1797 tsunami, the waves reportedly carried a 200-ton ship and other vessels into the town. The population of Padang in 1797 and 1833 was a few thousand, Caltech geology professor Kerry Sieh said. Now it is about 800,000, and most of it is within a few meters of sea level.

We hope that these initial results will help focus educational efforts, emergency preparedness activities and changes in the basic infrastructure of cities and towns along the Sumatran coast, he said. When we tell people living along this 700-kilometer section of the Sumatran coast that they will likely experience a big tsunami within the next 30 years, they ask for details, Sieh said.

How much time after the earthquake will they have before the tsunami strikes? How big will the waves be? How far inland should they be prepared to run? What areas are likely to suffer tsunami damage? This paper is our first attempt to answer these important questions, he said.The study was published in Monday's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Source: Xinhua

Typhoon kills 26, sinks boats in Vietnam DEC 05,06

HO CHI MINH CITY (Reuters) Typhoon Durian swept into southern Vietnam killing at least 26 people, sinking hundreds of fishing boats and damaging houses, days after it killed hundreds in the Philippines, government officials said on Tuesday. The storm, which has winds up to 120 km (70 miles) per hour, hit the Mekong Delta provinces, an area of southern Vietnam not usually struck by typhoons or strong tropical storms.Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung, in charge of coordinating storm preparations, warned provincial leaders not to underestimate the strength of the typhoon, even though forecasters were expecting to downgrade it to a tropical storm.All provinces should prepare so that we do not have another Linda, Hung said on state-run Vietnam Television, referring to a 1997 storm that caused death and destruction in the south.The broadcast and reports from the national flood and
storm control center said at least 26 people had been killed, 147 injured and 15 were missing. The provinces of Binh Thuan, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Long An and Tien Giang reported casualties and missing.

The national flood and storm control center said the roofs of 1,120 houses and 22 schools were torn off in Binh Thuan province. In the same province, officials reported 820 boats sank and in Ba Ria Vung Tau, about 100 km south of the commercial capital Ho Chi Minh City, the roofs on about 500 houses were blown off.Forecasters said the storm was heading west into the Gulf of Thailand, across central Thailand and into the Indian Ocean. On its current path, the storm could brush Thai resort islands.Durian, which slammed into the Philippines one notch below a category 5 super-typhoon on Thursday, skirted Vietnam's southern coast overnight, striking Phu Quy island about 120km off the coast.Authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people from vulnerable areas of south and central Vietnam before the storm.

Durian was the fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines in three months and affected more than 1 million people in the archipelago. Disaster officials have reported 450 people killed and 630 missing.Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited central villages devastated by landslides and floods triggered by Durian, named after a strong-smelling spiky Asian fruit.Winds and torrential rains from Durian sent walls of mud and water crashing onto rural communities surrounding Mount Mayon, an active volcano about 320 km (200 miles), south of Manila.Supplies were slow to arrive in Albay province, the worst-affected region, and residents, fed up with waiting, dug for cooking utensils and clothes buried under thick volcanic sludge, local radio reported.Arroyo, dressed in black, called on local officials to stop finger-pointing and instead focus on the relief efforts.Landslides and flashfloods are becoming a serious threat to our people and the present and past events remain a hard and painful reminder of constant preparedness, she said.

(Reporting by Grant McCool and Ho Binh Minh in Vietnam and Pedro Uchi in Manila, editing by David Fogarty; Reuters Messaging: grant.mccool.reuters.com@reuters.net, + 63 2 841 8934)

Hopes for finding typhoon survivors fade By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer DEC 05,06

GUINOBATAN, Philippines Officials could only apologize Monday when asked about the prospects of finding survivors in the towns and villages swamped by mudslides from devastating Typhoon Durian, which has killed an estimated 1,000 people in the
Philippines. At this time, no more.

I'm sorry, said Juan Garcia, mayor of the town of Guinobatan. It's almostimpossible. They have been buried under sand and boulders. I don't think they can survive.

Officials in Vietnam said Tuesday that at least 10 people were dead in Ba Ria Vung Tau province after Durian, downgraded to a tropical storm, hit thecountry's southern coast. Fifty others were injured when their houses collapsed, said provincial governor Tran Minh Sanh.The storm claimed five more lives Tuesday in Ben Tre province, where 1,300 houses were destroyed or damaged. Three fishermen drowned Monday off the coast of Phu Yen province when their boat capsized as the storm approached.On Thursday, Durian lashed the Philippines with 165 mph winds and a five-hour deluge that dislodged tons of debris from the slopes of the Mayon volcano. Walls of mud and boulders destroyed nearly every standing structure in their path.

It was like bowling, said Guinobatan Vice Mayor Gene Villareal.Official figures showed 450 dead, 507 injured and 599 missing, but Sen. Richard Gordon, head of the local Red Cross, said he believed more than 1,000 died in the thousands of homes buried under volcanic debris, mud and floodwaters.Fernando Gonzalez, governor of worst-hit Albay province, said the ground was too slippery for backhoes.There's no choice but to dig by hand, he told Radio DZBB. Practically speaking, we are not very optimistic we'll find survivors.President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared the area a national disaster, allowing the government to more rapidly release funds needed to bolster aid efforts. Arroyo said she instructed the Department of Environment to step up a project to map all hazardous areas, like Mayon, to help warn communities of possible dangers.We must not leave things to fatal luck when we can develop the tools to prevent harm, she said.Associated Press Writer Tran Van Minh in Hanoi, Vietnam contributed to this report.

More rain to come as storms cause chaos, CLAIRE SMITH DEC 05,06

FLOODING and galeforce winds continued to cause chaos across Scotland yesterday with more flood warnings, roads and bridges closed and ferry services cancelled.

Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne hit back at critics who said its ships were storm shy, describing the recent run of bad weather as possibly the worst in the last 15-20 years. The Met Office warned the run of rainy and windy conditions was set to continue after November was revealed to be one of the wettest on record. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency yesterday issued six severe flood warnings in Perthshire and there were a further 13 warnings in the Highlands and Central Scotland. One of the worst affected areas was between Kenmore and Dunkeld after the River Tay burst its banks, causing flooding on the B898 near Dalguise. The latest figures reveal that 8.4 inches of rain fell during November, compared with the
average of 6.5in. Auchincruive in Ayrshire had its wettest November on record with 9.4in of rain, while Glasgow was the wettest place in the country with 11.1in, the fourth wettest ever.

Murdo Fraser, of the Scottish Conservatives, said the Executive should provide more support for flood prevention schemes after visiting flooded areas around the River Isla in Perthshire.If we are to see flooding become a more regular event, then the need for such schemes becomes even more pressing, and I will be asking environment minister Ross Finnie to address these issues.

A Met Office spokesman said: The start of December seems to be continuing more of the same. It's very windy and there are certainly more storms to come from the Atlantic over the next few days so it's likely to continue in the same vein.

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.

Winds driving California wildfire let up
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 | 11:22 AM ET ,CBC News

Crews battling a wildfire in Southern California were given some help Tuesday as desert winds that had stoked the blaze diminished. The fire burned about 54 square kilometres and gutted about five homes after erupting early Sunday. The cause of the fire has not been determined.The remaining homes in Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles were safe, fire officials said.

It seems to be dying down, but we're not taking any chances, said Michael Jarvis, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry.The Santa Ana winds had earlier gusted as high as 80 km/h. The improving weather and decreased winds allowed aircraft, including water-dropping helicopters, to join more than 1,500 firefighters battling the flames.We're expecting to hit it hard from the air and from the ground, fire Capt. Barry Parker said.As of early Tuesday, the fire was 70 per centcontained. With winds still gusting to 65 km/h atop ridges, fire officials remained concerned about 500 properties, including citrus and avocado farms and cattle ranches.

Fire officials predicted they would have the fire completely under control as soon as Tuesday evening by keeping the blaze boxed in a canyon.On Sunday, authorities urged residents to leave their homes, but some stayed to soak their roofs with water.The blaze is the latest in a series of deadly wildfires in Southern California this year.In October, four firefighters died when a wildfire overran them as they tried to protect homes in Southern California. A man suspected of starting the blaze was charged with five counts of murder.

Dan Oakes and Daniella Miletic,December 5, 2006
BUSHFIRE SEASON

MELBOURNE'S water supplies could be stretched further as the state braces for its worst bushfire season on record.More than 2000 Department of Sustainability and Environment and Country Fire Authority firefighters fought at least 52 uncontrolled fires yesterday.Most of them, caused by lightning on Thursday, are remote, and difficult to reach. At least 16 have been contained and 66 are under control but unsafe.Drought-stricken, inaccessible terrain, hot weather and northerly winds mean the fires could burn for months, Premier Steve Bracks and firefighters warned yesterday.DSE regional director Kevin Ritchie said: I don't see that we are going to get these fires under control easily, and we have got so many small fires coming together. We will get a long haul of big fires out of this before we are finished.Some of the biggest fires are around Mount Terrible, near the towns of Jamieson and Kevington. With northerly winds expected last night, the fires could be pushed south into the Thomson Dam catchment area, despite the best efforts of firefighters.

The Thomson contributes around 60 per cent of Melbourne's total reservoir storage, and that water could be contaminated by ash and debris.

That's a possibility, and it's been a concern of the Government for a long time that the fires might get into our catchment areas, DSE spokesman Kevin Monk said yesterday. The concern is that water quality in the short term could be affected by the fires.There are also heavier fuels in the catchments, so it means the fire will be difficult to control, with the record dryness.If the catchment area did burn, the regrowth would absorb more water than old-growth forest, placing further stress on Melbourne's water supplies.During bushfires in 2003, Wangaratta was left with little clean water after bushfire-affected catchments washed a mix of soil and ash into the town through the Ovens River.A spokesman for Melbourne Water said employees were working with the DSE and CFA to protect the catchment, and there were contingency plans. Certainly, a major fire in a catchment that led to contamination of the reservoir with ash, silt or other debris could, in the worst case, result in that reservoir having to be taken offline for a period to allow the reservoir to settle, he said.Our contingency plans, should this occur, would allow us to maintain continuity of supply by operating the system with a reservoir offline, if required.

Environment Minister John Thwaites said a helicopter was watching the state's catchment areas and that extra staff had been sent to protect the Thomson. There are 28 aircraft working on the fires, including the Erickson Air-Crane, commonly known as Elvis, 12 helicopters and 15 planes, including water-bombing aircraft. Mr Bracks said everything possible had been done to prepare for a big fire season. He said the state could not rely on help from NSW and South Australia, with firefighters there battling their own blazes.

He asked employers to release staff to fight on the frontline.Mr Monk said the state's biggest fire had burned through 2500 hectares at Rose River, in the state's north-east, near Whitfield. More than 18,000 hectares was burned in the Black Range, also near Whitfield.A Mount Cynthia, north-west of Dargo, fires had burned through 650 hectares of forest.Mr Monk said fire had taken more than 9000 hectares overall, and there was a total fire ban across the whole state.Bulldozer lines were being set up to control the fires. At Mount Terrible, the fire had grown because firefighters had to backtrack to look for control lines and burn bush in between those control lines. More than 700 hectares has burned at the site.With MATHEW MURPHY

REBUILT 3RD TEMPLE

REVELATION 11:1-2
1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

DANIEL 9:27
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.

Archaeologists Discover Church of the Ark in West Bank
By Kevin Donovan ,Christian Post Correspondent
Mon, Dec. 04 2006 10:32 AM ET[

Emerging from the soil over a few acres in the hills of the Israeli occupied West Bank is believed to be one of the world’s first churches, which was uncovered and claimed by archaeologists on Sunday.Built on a site believed to have once housed the Ark of the Covenant, the church is richly decorated with brightly colored mosaics and inscriptions referring to Jesus Christ.

According to the team led by Yitzhak Magen and Yevgeny Aharonovitch, the church dates to the late 4th century, making it one of Christianity's first formal places of worship.I can't say for sure at the moment that it's the very first church, said Mr Aharonovitch, 38, as he oversaw a team carrying out the final excavations before winter. But it's certainly one of the first. Aharonovitch said the site contained an extremely unusual inscription which referred to itself, Shiloh, by name.That is very rare and shows early Christians treated this as an ancient, holy place, he said, as reported by the U.K.-based Telegraph. According to the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the two tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, was kept by the Israelites at Shiloh for several hundred years.

It was eventually moved to the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem temple that the Bible says was built by King Solomon around 1,000 BC. When the temple was sacked by the Babylonians 400 years later, the Ark was lost, sparking theories about whether it had been hidden or destroyed.The team at Shiloh is considering whether to dig under the mosaics that they have uncovered, in order to find traces of the Ark. We have to decide whether to fix the mosaics here or take them to a museum, said Aharonovitch.Jewish residents in the modern settlement of Shiloh, which sits on a hill among Palestinian villages, want the team to keep digging.David Rubin, a former mayor of Shiloh, said: We believe that if they continue to dig they'll reach back to the time of the Tabernacle, referring to the portable place of worship where the Israelites housed the Ark.

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)

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

ALL I HAVE TO SAY HERE IS WHAT IS OLMERT POSSIBLE THINKING. LIKE THE ISRAELIS SAY, IT MUST BE THAT ERA RAV IN ISRAELI LEADERSHIP NOW. ERA RAV IS THE MIXED MULTITUDE OF LUKEWARM ISRAELIS THAT CAME OUT OF EGYPT WITH THE 40 YEAR WANDERING IN THE DESERT.

PM Overrules Security Brass: Don´t Touch Gaza Rocket Cells
By Ezra HaLevi (INN) DEC 05,06

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni overruled Israel’s security chiefs Sunday, handing down orders that soldiers are to make no effort to prevent rocket fire. Israel Radio correspondent Shmuel Tal reported Sunday that the Security Cabinet decided to instruct the IDF not to take action to stop terrorists identified as about to launch rockets towards Israel - nor must they hit them immediately afterward.Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Public Security Minister Avi Dichter both argued that Israel is obligated to protect its citizens from rocket fire. They were overruled, however, by Olmert and Livni, who asserted that there are other considerations. Army Radio reported that Olmert estimated that the ceasefire would end of its own accord within a few days, when rival PA factions begin warring with each other.

Peretz told the Cabinet that the ceasefire agreement in Gaza is being observed only in part, and said it was critical that Egypt act to intercept arms before they were transferred to Gaza through the Rafiah tunnel system. He also disclosed that IDF officials have been attending meetings with the Hamas officials running the Palestinian Authority militia. Peretz also urged those present to allow the IDF to fire at those preparing to launch rockets.

The safety of the citizens of Israel must not be gambled with, Peretz said. We must act against rocket launching cells.Olmert and Livni struck down the idea, though. We must act responsibly and wisely, while considering all aspects of the issue, Olmert said. The situation is sensitive and we must act with wisdom and serious consideration, Foreign Minister Livni echoed.The Cabinet decision came just over an hour after a fifteenth rocket since the declaration of the cease-fire was fired toward Jewish towns in the western Negev.

Islamic Jihad Promises Attack In the Coming Hours

The Islamic Jihad terror group threatened to attack Israel in the coming hours Sunday evening. It made the threat, the spokesman said, due to Israel's 70 violations of the cease-fire. Islamic Jihad and other terrorists groups have charged that Israel's counter-terrorist actions in Judea and Samaria are in a violation of the ceasefire, although the agreement was restricted to the Gaza region.Calm is on the cusp of collapse due to the continued Zionist violations and attacks against our Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza, Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Ahmed said in a recorded statement. Nobody should blame us for any reaction our brigades will take in the coming hours in response to the violations by the Zionist occupation.

Security Cabinet Calls for Yet Another Withdrawal

The Security Cabinet ordered the withdrawal of IDF forces from the town of Rajar – which straddles the Israeli-Lebanese border and has been a center of arms and drug smuggling as well as terrorist infiltrations.Thus, Israeli Druze of Rajar will find themselves under the authority of the United Nations forces that are being entrusted to patrol the area.

Not Only in Gaza: Olmert Promotes Restraint in Judea/Samaria
By Hillel Fendel (INN) DEC 05

PM Olmert says soldiers must shoot only in a case of immediate danger to life, while armed PA Arabs in Samaria stab an Israeli driver and hijack his truck.In addition to the difference of opinion between the political and security echelons regarding the ceasefire in Gaza, a similar dispute has developed over Judea and Samaria. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, backed by Foreign Minister Tzippy Livny, has ordered the IDF to moderate its activity in Yesha - while the security establishment says the new policy endangers Israeli citizens.Just this morning (Monday), three armed Arabs stabbed and robbed a Jewish truck driver near the Arab village of Bidya in the Shomron. The Arabs drove off with the truck, which police and army forces later found in Kalkilye, east of Kfar Saba. The forces continue to pursue the terrorists. A Magen David Adom crew treated the victim's stomach wounds, and evacuated him to a hospital in light-to-moderate condition. The incident occurred between Ariel and Elkanah.At around the same time, IDF Central Commander Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh was reported to be handing down Olmert's order to tighten open-fire regulations. The official explanation: to desire to reduce the chances of violent incidents that will lead to the end of the current calm. Terror cells on their way to an attack, for instance, may not be shot at. In addition, special military operations in Yesha must now be approved by the Central Commander or a Division Head.

However, army sources informed Arutz-7 Hebrew Radio said that no such order had been issued, and that they were surprised to see media reports indicating otherwise.

Ten warnings of possible terror attacks in Yesha are currently being considered by the security establishment.Though the ceasefire in Gaza is barely being observed by the Palestinian terrorists - they have fired 15 Kassam rockets in the week since it was declared - they demand that it be enacted in Yesha as well. In this connection, they view every counter-terror activity by Israel as a ceasefire violation. Though Israel has refused this demand, army sources feel that enacting the above hold-fire orders would be a cave-in to the Arab demands.Defense Minister Amir Peretz has taken a strong stand on this issue, saying that the army's hands must not be tied. A strong proponent of dialogue and negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, Peretz says that the army must be allowed unlimited space in which to operate against the terrorist infrastructures.

JOHN BOLTON WAS GREAT FOR THE UN, BUT DR DOCTORIAN GIVES US A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE.The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.

Bolton front and center of U.N. Security Council issues
Tue Dec 5, 2006 1:19pm ET

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) The resignation of John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations ends an era when the focus of U.S. diplomacy often rested, for better or for worse, on the man himself.Witty, a born litigator and in command of the facts, Bolton was front and center of most issues in the U.N. Security Council North Korea, Iran, Somalia, Myanmar, Sudan, among others but made enemies among nations in the U.N. General Assembly, responsible for management reforms and the budget.He is serious about the American objectives here in reforming the United Nations, and he pushed hard, China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya told reporters. But of course sometimes in order to achieve the objective you have to work together with others.His style is different.

He is hard-working, Wang said. He knows the job.

Bolton also had difficulties with European ambassadors, who should have been his closest allies.

But he worked intensively with France on a ceasefire resolution, 1701, to halt the Israeli-Hezbollah war in Lebanon this summer.I would say we have always respected each other and we were able to work together, especially on 1701, said France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere.Unable to overcome Democratic opposition in the Senate to his nomination, the White House announced on Monday that Bolton would resign when his temporary appointment expires within weeks. Bolton's recess appointment last year had allowed him to bypass the U.S. Senate confirmation process.Democrats accused him of being a bully and of pressuring subordinates to align their views with his.

Bolton came to the job with a reputation for an abrasive style. But he defied many of his critics by being the only U.N. Security Council ambassador available to the press almost every day, answering countless questions and often delivering punchy sound bites that drowned out staid comments from Washington.It is to me really disappointing to see Ambassador Bolton go, said Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima. He has been an exceptionally skillful diplomat at the United Nations at a time when it faced very challenging issues like reform.In the Security Council John Bolton was spearheading a number of important issues, Oshima said, singling out a resolution to rein in North Korea's nuclear program, where he really spearheaded this effort to get a Security Council resolution adopted in a very speedy manner.

LESS SUCCESS WITH U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Several diplomats distinguish between Bolton's work in the 15-nation Security Council and that in the 192-member General Assembly, dominated by developing nations.In some ways, he seems to have been more an ambassador to the Security Council than to the United Nations as a whole and I think he has done very well there, said Edward Luck, a Columbia University professor and U.N. expert.But the problem, Luck said, is his actions in the General Assembly, which is increasingly polarized between developing and developed countries over changes to U.N. management practices, finances and a new human rights body.He is very good on preaching on reform but not good at doing it raising the question of whether he wants to strengthen it or find excuses for abandoning it, said Luck.Greece's U.N. Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, said the United States was correct in the need for reform but I might say that I personally would pursue the same thing through different tactics, but that is a different story.

But there was no love lost between the U.N. bureaucracy and Bolton, especially the U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, a Briton, who said in a June speech that the United States worked closely with the world body in many fields but tolerated too much unchecked U.N.-bashing and stereotyping.In response Bolton called on Secretary General Kofi Annan to repudiate Malloch Brown personally and publicly, but Annan stood by the thrust of the speech, his spokesman said.When Bolton came to the United Nations in August 2005, his first move was to unravel a carefully negotiated document on U.N. reform with some 400 amendments in an effort to produce a tighter treatise. Talks stalled and the United States did not get many of the gains it sought.

This prompted President Bush a few weeks later to ask Annan, How's he doing, Has the place blown up? Reuters

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).

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)

REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall
make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) 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.

Europe to step up Mideast role
By Stefan Nicola Dec 4, 2006, 15:27 GMT

BERLIN, Germany (UPI) Europe should become more active in the Middle East to counter the U.S. role there and protect its own domestic security, according to experts.The Arab-Israeli conflict is making its way into communities in Europe, Murhaf Jouejati, a visiting professor at George Washington University born in Syria, said Friday at the European Forum conference in Berlin. Europe should not act out of charity, but rather out of self-interest.The two-day conference, funded by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, assembled over 120 political and economic leaders in Berlin to discuss Europe`s future role in the world.Violence that originated in the Middle East has already made an impact in Europe; the controversial Prophet Mohammad cartoons published earlier this year led to a failed plot by a pair of Lebanese men to try to bomb two German commuter trains.

European leaders have acknowledged that instability in the Middle East has a direct influence on domestic security, and have recently stepped up peace initiatives.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which is tasked to implement the cease-fire agreement, is comprised mainly of European troops.But as for political initiatives, Europe now had to take over more responsibility in the Middle East, the experts said. They differed, however, on where Europe should stand in the conflict.The Americans desperately need support in the Middle East and it can only be the Europeans, said Avi Primor, former Israeli ambassador to Germany. But they don`t have the will, they don`t have the ambition.Jouejati said U.S. policies, although well-intended, have given democracy a bad name in the Middle East. Europe`s long-time cultural and political ties had resulted in a deep knowledge of the region. Europe should thus become a counterweight' to the United States.

All experts agreed that the U.S. campaign in Iraq had terribly backfired, causing U.S. standing in the conflict-torn region to further plummet.

There is more terrorism today, not less in the region, Jouejati said. A key role in the ongoing diplomatic struggle to restore peace in the Middle East is about to fall into the hands of the German government, which will take over the European Union and the Group of Eight presidency at the beginning if 2007. The country`s chancellor, Angela Merkel, has announced she wants to revive the Quartet on the Middle East, comprised of the United Nations, the United States, European Union and Russia. Ruprecht Polenz, chairman of the German foreign affairs committee, said Europe would have the tough job of keeping the quartet together. He added, however, that with antagonistic Arab and Israeli expectations for Europe, we won`t be able to satisfy both sides equally.

One thing is clear: Europe will not jeopardize Israel`s unconditional right to exist the Germans especially have made that clear.

But Germany traditionally enjoys a good reputation with Arab governments and in the past has brokered prisoner exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel.All parties gave Syria a key role to end support of terrorist organizations and restore security in the region.If we could make peace with Syria, then it would be the end of support for Hezbollah and Hamas, Primor said. Jouejati agreed, but added that a return of the Golan Heights was instrumental if Israel wanted to bring about the end of support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and even another alliance.If the Golan Heights were not occupied, there would be no need (for Syria) to support Hamas and Hezbollah, or side with Iran, he said.Polenz said urging Israel to return the mountainous region into Syrian hands had to be followed up with pressure on Damascus to have it recognize the Lebanese government.That would be an important signal, he said.Hans-Ulrich Klose, a senior German lawmaker and a frequent traveller to the Middle East, warned of too much optimism.Out of American weakness does not necessarily spring European strength, he said. Europe in many cases doesn`t speak with one voice. United Press International

West Africa: ECOWAS Seeks Extension on EU Trade Deal
Daily Trust (Abuja),December 4, 2006,Elkanah Chawai

The realisation of a balanced trade between West Africa and Europe is gradually becoming distant as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is seeking an extension of the deadline to establish a free trade area between the European Union (EU) and the West African body.The extension is being sought after by the regional ministerial committee monitoring the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the two regions which last Thursday requested a three-year extension of the 2007 deadline for conclusion of negotiations for a free trade area, a statement from ECOWAS Secretariat stated over the weekend.

West Africa wants the EPA to enter into force on 1st January 2011 instead of January 2008 provided under the Cotonou partnership agreement which provides the framework for the negotiation of the EPAs between the EU and the 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.The one-day extraordinary meeting of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee for the EPA, comprising regional ministers for trade, finance and ECOWAS affairs, endorsed a proposal by an earlier meeting of experts for the extension based on the volume of outstanding tasks, the completion of which determines the viability of the EPA.

Among them is the upgrading of the economies of Member States to improve their competitiveness, which requires the injection of funds from the EU.The statement added that the ministers urged the European party to ensure prompt disbursement of funds and coherence between development aid granted to ACP under the negotiations and those granted EU member states.The ministers directed the ECOWAS Secretariat to approach the African Union, the ACP Secretariat and other geographical configurations in the negotiations in order to build alliances towards adopting the ECOWAS vision on the issue of postponement.On investment and competition, the committee directed the ECOWAS Secretariat and its counterpart for the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (UEM-OA) to continue their efforts to establish a regional framework on these issues.The committee said such a framework would ensure greater coherence of the region's investments needs, improve the competitiveness of their economies and harmonize their development policies. Mauritania, which is not a member of ECOWAS, has decided to forward a mandate for ECOWAS to negotiate the EPA on its behalf.Daily Trust.

Ahmadinejad: Any EU decision against Iran's nuclear program will be considered hostileThe Associated Press December 5, 2006 (international herald tribune)

SARI, Iran: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday warned Europe against backing proposed U.N. measures against its nuclear program, saying Iran would respond by downgrading relations with the EU.Iran is concerned about moves at the U.N. Security Council to penalize it for refusing to cease uranium enrichment, a process that produces the material for nuclear reactors or bombs. The Europe Union has been supporting the United States in pushing for tougher U.N. penalties than Russia and China would like to see.French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Monday that the leading powers at the U.N. were nearing an agreement on a Security Council resolution.Speaking to a crowd in this northern provincial capital, the president addressed the member states of the European Union, saying: I'm telling you in plain language that as of now, if you try, whether through propaganda or international organizations, to take steps against the rights of the Iranian nation, the Iranian nation will consider it an act of hostility.

Today in Africa & Middle East

Saddam trial hears of Kurds buried in mass graves Bush meets with rival to U.S.-backed Iraqi leader, Maliki Tide of refugees from Iraq troubles region.And if you insist on pursuing this path, it (Iran) will reconsider its relations with you, he said.Iran says it is entitled as a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. But the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is concerned about Iran's record of concealing signficant aspects of its nuclear research and says it has failed to answer all questions about its atomic program.

DANIEL 12:1
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

GENESIS 37:9
9 And he (Joseph) dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. (ANTI SEMITISM COMES (IS) FROM SATAN)

REVELATION 12:1-17 SPACE WAR, SATAN BOOTED TO EARTH. GREATEST PERSECUTION IN HISTORY TO COME YET.

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:(This speaks of ISRAEL, JOSEPHS DREAM)
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.(This is the EU CONTROLED BY SATAN)
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:( 1/3rd of Angels booted out of Heaven with Satan for rebelling against God) and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.(ISRAEL WILL BE PERSECUTED BY SATAN WHOS IN CONTROL OF THE EU).
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.(This was Mary the Mother of Jesus)(Jesus was Jewish).
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.(ISRAEL PROTECTED FOR 3 1/2 years)
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Arms control in space
by Taylor Dinerman,Monday, December 4, 2006

In 2001–2002 George Bush and Vladimir Putin signed a major agreement drastically reducing the numbers of their strategic arsenals. If such an agreement had been signed in the 1980s it would have been hailed as the dawn of world peace and disarmament. Instead, due to the nature of our times and the politics of the men who signed the agreement, it has been ignored or minimized. All the pageantry and suspense that used to surround arms control negotiations is now a thing of the past.In an age of asymmetric warfare, the idea of two superpowers sitting around a table in Geneva maneuvering for political and military advantage in the legal language of a treaty seems as obsolete as the old Soviet parades on Red Square. New actors such as India and Pakistan, not to mention North Korea and Iran, are uninterested in participating in such rituals, except on their own very peculiar terms.

In an age of asymmetric warfare, the idea of two superpowers sitting around a table in Geneva maneuvering for political and military advantage in the legal language of a treaty seems as obsolete as the old Soviet parades on Red Square.

Now some in Washington are proposing that a new multilateral space arms control agreement be negotiated that will create rules of the road for satellites, despite this statement in the administration’s new National Space Policy: The United States will oppose the development of new legal regimes or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit U.S. access to or use of space. Proposed arms control agreements
or restrictions must not impair the rights of the United States to conduct research, development, testing, and operations or any other activities in space for U.S. national interests.This is a pretty clear negative message to the arms control community.

Writing for the Arms Control Association’s Arms Control Today in 2004, Michael Krepon explains that US anti-satellite (ASAT) programs will cost far more and be far more sophisticated than the ASAT weapons of potential adversaries, who would opt to kill satellites cheaply and crudely. He is quite right about this, but one does have to ask, if these nations can build these space weapons cheaply and crudely now, why don’t they do it? If long-range missiles and nuclear weapons are proliferating, why does anyone think that space weapons will not? If fact, they may already be doing it. The US intelligence community has failed so often in the past to anticipate proliferation activities, such as those of the Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, that there is no reason to think that their record will be any better on space weapons.Instead of pursuing US military space superiority Krepon proposes a doctrine of space assurance similar to the rules of the road proposed by the Soviet Union and it allies back in the late 1980s. This requires the avoidance of dangerous military activities is space, including flight tests that simulate attacks against satellites and the deployment of ASAT and space weapons. Taken to its logical extreme, this would mean that any rendezvous and docking maneuvers, such as those of a Progress resupply vehicle with the International Space Station, would have to be banned, since this could be construed as the testing of an ASAT.

Next year may be when the great space weapons debate begins.

The idea that our foes might refrain from attacks US space assets because …they will only suffer more casualties by impairing satellites that improve targeting and reduce collateral damage does not fit with the nature of contemporary information warfare. As one Israeli put it, When they kill our innocent civilians, they win. When we kill their innocent civilians, they win.

Since it is an important goal of the enemy for the US to create as much collateral damage as possible, why should they not attack those assets that the US uses to reduce it? Next year may be when the great space weapons debate begins. For the Democrats, with their new majorities in the House and Senate, the question will be whether they want to give in to the arms control community on this issue, and thus potentially confirm their stereotype as weak on defense. Or will enough of them join with the majority of Republicans and protect American interests in space as well as on land, sea, and air? Taylor Dinerman is an author and journalist based in New York City.