EU 50 - N A UNION ON

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Third windstorm to hit B.C. south coast in a week packs a powerful punch . 3-State sets record for tornadoes in 2006. 4-No end in sight for fire crews. 5-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 6-Opec cuts supply to force up price. 7-Pope Meets Olmert, Praises Turn-the-Other-Cheek Policy. 8-Netanyahu: We must try Ahmadinejad for genocide. 9-North American Union leader says merger just crisis away. 10-EU leaders endorse enlargement slow down. 11-EU leaders revive constitution debate. 12-The European Union Turns Fifty.

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 = Sat Dec 16 12:02 AM EDT

DEC 16,2006
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA

DEC 15,2006
MAP 5.3 SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.1 TAJIKISTAN
MAP 3.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.0 GUADELOUPE REGION, LEEWARD ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 WASHINGTON

DEC 14,2006
MAP 3.3 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA REGION
MAP 4.2 OFF THE COAST OF GUATEMALA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.1 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 4.8 TAIWAN REGION
MAP 5.1 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.2 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

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.

Dec 15, 2006
Third windstorm to hit B.C. south coast in a week packs a powerful punch (WEA-BC-Storm)

VANCOUVER (CP) The third Pacific storm to hit the British Columbia coast this week pounded Vancouver Island and southern B.C. with howling winds that left thousands of people without power.

At the peak of Friday‘s blast before daybreak, winds of 157 kilometres an hour were recorded in Victoria, where the largest number of trees were toppled, bringing power lines down with them. Howling winds meant a restless sleep for many people on B.C.‘s south coast, where 240,000 households were without power.In the morning, some streets became an obstacle courses for drivers trying to dodge trees, branches and other debris.Some traffic lights were also not functioning and crews were expected to do repair work throughout the weekend.

Staff are working as fast as they can, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said in a statement.We appreciate the public‘s patience as we work through this situation.The havoc meant cancelled ferry sailings, disrupted transit and school closures.

Vancouver‘s famed Stanley Park was closed for the weekend, as was the aquarium.The latest storm throttled the coast as 20,000 customers were still without power from storms earlier this week.In North Vancouver, one of the hardest hit areas, residents were asked to stay out of all parks and trails because of danger from downed trees.Some parks were closed to the public.B.C. Hydro spokeswoman Elisha Moreno said repair crews hit the streets at first light to begin assessing the damage.First thing we‘re looking at right now is circuits to hospitals, care homes, pumping stations, sewage and water treatment plants and then we would focus on the larger circuits so we can get the smaller pockets and homes back on, Moreno said.

She advised people to have an emergency kit handy to deal with being without power for 72 hours.I‘m talking food, water, flashlight, batteries, blankets, any additional medications that they might need, a cellphone or a non-cordless phone and a battery-operated radio.People should also have a backup plan to stay with family or friends if they don‘t think they can cope without power for a few days, she said.

Back-to-back power outages from rain, snow and wind storms have left crews stretched to the limit.We‘re getting storm fatigue, Moreno said.Folks around here who have worked here 30 to 35 years have not seen storms of this magnitude before ever. It‘s just the wind speed and the consistency that‘s the challenge for us. Our threshold for damage is more than 80 kilometres an hour.But we‘ve seen sustained wind speeds and gusts of up to 157 kilometres an hour and I don‘t know of any system that can sustain wind speeds of that nature.

Moreno advised people to stay away from downed power lines.You can never be sure that those lines can be live and we want to make sure that customers understand that there is a risk to them, and a significant one.The utility isn‘t providing restoration estimates because officials don‘t want to create any false sense of optimism, she said, adding many customers will be in the dark for three days.About 1.5 million homes and businesses in Washington and Oregon had no power early Friday after howling windstorms and heavy rain caused at least three deaths, closed two major bridges and prompted flooding.The Associated Press reported that one of the concourses at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was without electricity, and an airport spokesman said some flights were cancelled.About 30 flights were scratched at Portland International Airport, a spokesman said, and Amtrak cancelled service between Portland and Seattle.A 41-year-old Seattle woman died Thursday after she became trapped in her basement while it flooded. Neighbours had called for help after they heard screaming.Also in Washington, two people died in traffic accidents involving windblown trees.INDEX: ENVIRONMENT UTILITIES TRAVEL TRANSPORT

State sets record for tornadoes in 2006
By Scott Richardson DEC 14,06
srichardson@pantagraph.com

BLOOMINGTON Illinois has seen a record 126 tornadoes so far this year, according to the National Weather Service.

That number is slightly more than the previous record of 120 set just three years ago.Don’t blame the rise on global warming. Weather experts put a less ominous spin on the news, citing better detection rather than climate change as the cause.And don’t let your guard down just yet. Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS office in Lincoln, warned the warm weather patterns now over Central Illinois are the kind that produce severe thunderstorms, which can spawn tornadoes.

Any time of the year, even in the middle of the winter, we can get tornadoes, Miller said. We haven’t closed the book on 2006 just yet. We have three more weeks to go.Proof that mild winters are a mixed blessing came when Central Illinois recorded the first tornado in the United States in 2006 when a twister struck near Shelbyville on Jan. 2 during a relatively warm month, Miller added.Mild winter weather in January and February, along with a very vigorous storm track over Illinois early in the spring, played major roles in the active tornado season across Illinois, he said.The remainder of the year, from May through November, the numbers of tornadoes that occurred in the state were not too far from average.

January and February recorded one tornado each. March saw 21, April had 60, May had 17, June logged 2, July had 16 and September had six. August, October, November, and December, so far, had no tornadoes.Sangamon County had the most tornadoes, with 11. Logan and Christian counties each had nine, Macon County had eight and Champaign, Madison, Piatt, and Pike counties each had six.As for tornado frequency, the average number of severe tornadoes has remained unchanged over the past 50 years, said Illinois state climatologist Jim Angel. However, more smaller tornadoes are being recorded thanks to improvements in radar, expanded weather spotter networks and the prevalence of cell phones, he said.In the past, some would spin out in a farm field
and never be seen by anyone but the farmer, Angel said. But, it’s pretty hard for a tornado to escape notice anymore. We have a better audit.We’re seeing more F0s and F1s, the weak tornadoes, agreed Miller. There are fewer and fewer of these slipping through the cracks.On the coastlines, global warming has been blamed for creating more severe hurricanes as warmer oceans feed a storm’s fury. But scientists have not seen a similar relationship between warm weather and storms on land, Angel said. In fact,sustained warm temperatures such as those recorded during the drought last year lead to fewer severe thunderstorms. That, in turn, should lead to fewer tornadoes, Angel said.

Illinois experienced just 19 twisters during all of last year.

The flip side of better tornado detection is improved warning of approaching storms, Angel and Miller said. Before advanced Doppler radar arrived in Central Illinois in the mid-1990s, warnings preceded the arrival of severe storms by just 3 to 4 minutes, he said. Since then, warnings have been sounded on an average of 15 to 16 minutes before a severe storm strikes, Miller said.

Twisters - 2006 (through Dec. 13) 126 ,2005 19 ,2004 80 ,2003 120 ,2002 35 - SOURCE: National Weather Service

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.

No end in sight for fire crews
tRenee Switzer,December 14, 2006

Firefighters are unable to see an end to the massive job of containing the raging fires that are spreading across the state.Victoria's fires have now burnt over 425,000 hectares and with no significant rain forecast, it is expected many of the DSE and CFA staff and volunteers will spend their Christmas protecting other people's homes instead of being at their own with their families.I can imagine that a large number of firefighters will still be working on these fires for month or two, DSE spokesman Kevin Monk told theage.com.au.There's no significant rain on the horizon and this fire's so large there's still a lot of work to be done on it.Basically we know that during the summer there's going to be restrictions on our time, holidays, that type of thing.CFA deputy chief officer Graham Fountain admitted the fires were taking their toll on firefighters.

We are conscious of the resource drain that currently exists, we're conscious of the fatigue on our members and also the pressures associated with Christmas itself, he said.It's taking its toll (on firefighters). We've been on this since December 1 ... it creeps up on us and we need to make sure we build in adequate rest periods for our people and provide necessary support and sustenance to them and their families.Subject to a fair dinkum rainfall event there's no end in sight for these (fires) at this stage, these are going to cause problems for us throughout summer and the rain is not forecast.Temperatures in the mid 30s in fire areas today and a late south westerly wind change is expected to change the fires' direction, causing more problems for firefighters.Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Stewart said there should be showers accompanying the overnight change but only a few millimetres.Mr Monk said the wind had prevented firefighting aircraft from entering the fire zones because of the smoke.He said the wind change late this afternoon could result in more of the fires merging and that could cause ember attacks on different parts of the fire's edge.

The pressure will be on the Crooked River which is just north of Dargo right around to Valencia Creek - there will be pressure on making sure the embers get put out really quickly and protection of properties, and the same thing again around the Woods Point Jamieson area and then around to the Tawonga Gap fire and Mount Beauty.He said works to prevent the Thomson catchment from contamination were progressing. We're working on the strengthening of about 60 kilometres of control line and when the conditions ease after today they will continue to do backburning and strengthening of the control line.Meanwhile EPA Victoria has lowered the smoke advisory for Melbourne from high to low.EPA director science and technology Stuart McConnell said the conditions were improving, given the change in weather conditions.Melburnians will have noticed their visibility improving from yesterday's high peaks and levels are expected to further reduce throughout the day as the northerly wind picks up.theage.com.au

This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
December 14, 2006

Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

Tomorrow at sundown marks the beginning of the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah, when Jews celebrate two miracles.The first miracle is the military victory, 2,100 years ago, of a small group of Jews, the Maccabees, against a powerful Greek-Syrian army that had invaded and occupied Israel, defiled the Temple, and tried to impose paganism upon the Jewish people. Despite overwhelming odds, the Jews fought fiercely and prevailed through God's favor, gaining freedom to worship Him as commanded in the Bible.The second is a miraculous flask of oil. After overcoming the invaders, the Jews set about to purify the Temple during the eight day dedication process recorded in the Bible. Upon entering the Temple, they found only one flask of purified oil for the eternal flame—enough to keep it burning for just one day of the dedication. But, miraculously, the oil lasted eight days and nights until more pure oil could be brought. This is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days, and why it is called the festival of lights.

Hanukkah is a joyous holiday—a time for lighting the menorah, playing the dreidel game, and for gift-giving, especially to children. To help you experience the joy of Hanukkah, we have developed a number of online resources for you. On our Hanukkah page you can play a dreidel game or light our children's virtual menorah, take a Hanukkah quiz, hear clips of traditional Hanukkah songs, and more. And if you want to know more about Hanukkah, you will also find a special teaching I have prepared that delves more deeply into the history and meaning of this best-known of Jewish holidays.I also encourage you to send one of our beautiful Hanukkah e-cards to your Jewish friends. After years of bridge-building between Christians and Jews, I can attest to the fact that understanding is often best built on a one-to-one basis. When you reach out to your Jewish friends by acknowledging their holidays, you show them you care. It is a wonderful way to mark this most blessed of seasons.

Thank you, my dear friend, for your continued support of Israel and her people. May your holiday season—and the coming new year—be filled with light.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

Rabbi on Hanukkah
http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rabbi_study_holidays_Hanukkah_indepthteaching&
JServSessionIdr012=pipj7aa6z1.app13a

Opec cuts supply to force up price
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard,15/12/2006

The Opec cartel of oil exporters has struck a controversial deal to cut output by 500,000 barrels a day from February even if prices strengthen, raising the risk of an energy spike over the winter months. Brent crude rose nearly a dollar a barrel to $62.20 on the move, which follows a 960,000 barrel-a-day cut in production since October.

Opec president Edmund Daukoru

Opec president Edmund Daukoru swept aside criticisms, saying the cartel was forced to act to head off an impending oil glut. The market is out of balance, stocks are at more than a five-year high, he said.The US energy secretary, Sam Bodman, questioned the move, calling on Opec to delay any cuts.

The International Energy Agency criticised the supply squeeze as a blow to industry and a risk to global growth.Further cuts are unwelcome in the light of existing high prices, elevated supply risks and the onset of the peak winter heating season. The moves that Opec have already made have quite significantly begun to tighten the market, said the watchdog.The IEA predicted an increase in oil demand of 1.5m barrels a day to 86m in 2007. It disputed Opec claims of excess supply, saying global inventories had slipped by 40m barrels since October.Barclays Capital predicts higher oil prices next year even before the cuts, forecasting $75 a barrel by mid 2007 and $80 in the third quarter.Opec is taking much more off the market than it really should, said Kevin Norrish, the bank's chief oil analyst.

A strong rebound in energy costs could push up inflation over coming months in Europe and America, forcing central banks to tighten monetary policy yet again.Jean Claude-Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, said a fresh spike in oil prices was the biggest lurking threat to eurozone growth. Past commodity price increases are in the pipeline and we still have a risk there.

The oil price could increase again.Barclays Capital accused Opec of overstating the level of global oil inventories and the likely level of future supply. The cartel is already producing 1m barrels a day less than a year ago.Output by the non-Opec countries is falling as North Sea oil reserves dwindle and new rigs run into difficulties. Production by Britain, Norway, Mexico and the US has plummeted by 2.5m barrels a day to under 15.5m over the past four years.At the same time, China has emerged as the world's second biggest consumer of oil, increasing demand from 4.5m to 7m barrels a day. Critics accuse Opec of playing down looming shortages in order to justify an aggressive price policy.

The 11-nation cartel effectively set a floor of $60 earlier this year under pressure from hawks such as Venezuela and Iran. Opec appears to be ratcheting up the target level to nearer $80.Mr Daukoru said the cartel would not carry out the cuts if it risked damaging the global economy, but this was contradicted by Qatar's oil minister Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah who said the plans would go ahead irrespective of the price.

REVELATION 17:2-5
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Pope Meets Olmert, Praises Turn-the-Other-Cheek Policy
By Ezra HaLevi (INN) DEC 14,06

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Catholic Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday. The Christian leader praised Israel’s policy of adhering to a cease-fire deal despite continued attacks on its citizens. Olmert urged the Pope to encourage Christians to take a stance against Holocaust denial, in light of Iran’s state-sponsored conference this week questioning the reality of the Nazi genocide.

The Vatican released a statement directed at the Iranian conference on Tuesday, saying, The Shoah [Holocaust] was a great tragedy before which we cannot remain indifferent. The memory of those horrible events must remain as a warning for people's consciences.The Pope lauded Israel’s decision not to respond to continued missile attacks on Jewish towns in the western Negev.

He also praised Olmert’s visit to Germany.

Olmert's office said that Olmert and the Pontiff discussed the Vatican’s land holdings in Israel - including, presumably, the Catholic Church’s aims to develop a center on Mount Zion. According to Olmert’s office, the prime minister invited the Pope to visit Israel, saying his very presence would increase peace in Israel.

Benedict said he would come to Israel when things calm down. The Catholic world leader recently visited Turkey in an attempt to placate outraged Muslims following statements he made quoting an opinion that Islam is violent.Following his meeting with the Pope, which lasted 35 minutes instead of the scheduled 10-minute conversation, Olmert met with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.Israel and the Vatican established diplomatic relations in 1990.

Vaticans goals for Mt Zion!

He (Olmert) will also have a private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, during which he will invite the pontiff to visit Israel. Olmert will reportedly discuss changing the status of the Crusader-era building on Mount Zion in Jerusalem known as the Coenaculum. The holy site includes the Tomb of King David, the room where Christiantiy says Jesus and his disciples shared their Last Supper, as well as several mosques.

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)

Netanyahu: We must try Ahmadinejad for genocide
By Stan Goodenough,December 14, 2006

Former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is launching an effort to get Iranian megalomaniac Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried on a charge of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.Ahmadinejad has frequently called for Israel's destruction, has vowed to carry this out himself, is currently hosting a conference aimed at disupting the facts about the Holocaust. All the while he is pursuing nuclear weapons with his eye on using them against Israel and the West.Netanyahu, the leader of the Opposition Likud Party and who, unlike virtually all of Israel's other prime ministers, believes in the importance of aggressive public relations on Israel's behalf, has invited 70 foreign diplomats stationed in Israel to a meeting next week.The media-savvy Israeli plans to use the event to challenge the world's complacency in the face of the mushrooming Iranian threat.Iran's nuclear program must be stopped, Netanyahu said. Ahmadinejad is saying clearly that [destroying the Jews is] his intention, and we aren't even shouting.

North American Union leader says merger just crisis away
Leading intellectual force behind effort toward EU-style unity looks at future,December 15, 2006 By Jerome R. Corsi,WorldNetDaily.com ,American University Professor Robert Pastor

Robert Pastor, a leading intellectual force in the move to create an EU-style North American Community, told WND he believes a new 9/11 crisis could be the catalyst to merge the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Pastor, a professor at American University, says that in such a case the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, or SPP – launched in 2005 by the heads of the three countries at a summit in Waco, Texas – could be developed into a continental union, complete with a new currency, the amero, that would replace the U.S. dollar just as the euro has replaced the national currencies of Europe. In May 2005, Pastor was co-chairman the Council on Foreign Relations task force that produced a report entitled Toward a North American Community, which he has claimed is the blueprint behind the SSP declared by President Bush, Mexico's then-President Vicente Fox, and Canada's then-Prime Minister Paul Martin.

At American University in Washington, D.C., Pastor directs the Center for North American Studies where he teaches a course entitled North America: A Union, A Community, or Just Three Nations? As WND previously has reported, Pastor is on the board of the North American Forum on Integration, the NAFI, a non-profit organization that annually holds a mock trilateral parliament for 100 selected students drawn from 10 universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Pastor had published an interview in Spanish in the Oct. 24 issue of Poder y Negocios. He told the magazine crises can force decisions that otherwise would not be made. The 9/11 crisis made Canada and the United States redefine the protection of their borders, Pastor explained. The debt crisis in Mexico forced the government to adapt a new economic model. The crises oblige the governments to make difficult decisions. This was the first time WND had found a major intellectual leader behind the push to integrate North America suggesting that a crisis of 9-11 proportions might be just what was needed to advance the process toward establishing a North American Union and the amero.

WND reached Pastor in his office at American University and conducted a telephone interview to make sure the Spanish publication accurately reflected his views.

He affirmed the Spanish interview represents his thinking. What I'm saying is that a crisis is an event which can force democratic governments to make difficult decisions like those that will be required to create a North American Community, he said. It's not that I want another 9/11 crisis, but having a crisis would force decisions that otherwise might not get made. Pastor noted, for example that Europeans, facing the crisis of two World Wars, turned to the European Community as a means to prevent war and advance their economic interests. The United States turned to the Marshall Plan when faced with the crisis of Western Europe falling into the hands of communism, he said. So, I'm not advocating, or encouraging, or wanting a crisis, I'm only saying that in order to take important initiatives, sometimes one manner in which this occurs is when there is a crisis to which leaders need to respond.

Pastor told WND he lamented that the leadership of the three North American countries is not positioned to make the type of tough decisions needed to advance a North American Community agenda. In his interview with Poder y Negocios, he argued, Canada has a minority government and Mexico will soon have a minority government that will be confronted with what amounts to an uprising that we hope will be peaceful. The United States has a lame duck president whose principle preoccupation is the war in Iraq and instability in the Middle East. Pastor further told WND Mexico's Fox made a tactical mistake by laying out an overly ambitious agenda to integrate with the United States. President Bush then took on the issue of illegal immigration, and it proved to be much more difficult than anticipated, he said. In the absence of strong North American leadership, is a crisis the way greater North

American integration can be expected to happen?

There are alternatives to a crisis for getting a major decision adopted by the president and by the congress, Pastor responded. But what I am saying is that we lack the kind of North American leadership we need. Our founding fathers created a system of governance that was not designed to be efficient but was designed to protect freedom. Therefore, you created checks and balances that did protect freedom but also made it difficult to move forward on important issues. Pastor was asked what North American leaders would need to do to move toward integration. We need to form a customs union to move North American integration to a new level, Pastor argued. A customs union would eliminate rules of origin on the border and agree to a common external tariff. This would not be easy but not as difficult as NAFTA was, and it would lead to efficiencies in our economies and in the end contribute to a better standard of living for all parties. Pastor also called for a North American Investment Fund to invest in Mexico's infrastructure.

If we had a North American Investment Fund, Pastor explained, over the long term, you would narrow the income gap between Mexico and the U.S. WND previously reported Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, dropped his support for legislation (S. 3622) he introduced in the 109th Congress to create a North American Investment Fund after WND pointed out the proposed law would advance an important part of Pastor's agenda to create a North American Community.

Pastor was careful to distinguish that his proposals were designed to create a North American Community and that he never has proposed to create a North American Union as an EU-style regional government. What I am recommending is a series of functional steps that are more than incremental, Pastor admitted. Each of the proposals I have laid out represent more than just small steps. But it doesn't represent a leap toward a North American Union, or even to some confederation of any kind. I don't think either is plausible, necessary, or even helpful to contemplate at this stage.

The idea seems to be to put new structures in place that change the look of the landscape. WND pointed out to Pastor that this step-by-step approach is the same approach taken to create the European Union. The memoirs of Jean Monnet, regarded as the architect of European unity, finally disclosed he had used a strategy of deceit, knowing his plan to form a European Union would never succeed if it were openly disclosed. Pastor was asked if he thought a North American Union was a bad idea.

No,he replied. I don't think a political union of North America is an inherently bad idea, nor do I think it is a good idea for North America right now. I teach a course at American University in which I look at the different options for political integration of North America, and I put the options before the students. Then why is a North American Union a bad idea right now? The reason the political integration is not a good idea at this stage now, perhaps never, is because of people like yourself who immediately begin to fear that their sense of America could disappear, Pastor responded. Somehow, if you're fearful that America's sovereignty will disappear, you won't even take small steps forward. You just get mired in the status quo. The problem is that the world is moving very rapidly, and you can't stay competitive if you don't move.

Pastor did not reject the idea that a North American Union could form, but only after further continental economic integration and the development of a North American Community in which people are able to think as citizens of North America. Is China the winner in the NAFTA super-corridors being planned for North America? If you define trade in zero-sum terms, China may be the winner in the transportation corridors, Pastor conceded. But even in zero-sum terms, consumers benefit from the increasing imports that give them more choice and give them more quality. In the final analysis, we are all consumers. Pastor affirmed he favors globalism.
I believe, he explained to WND, that globalization is a net plus for the world economy, for the middle class, and for all people.

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).

THE EU DICTATOR

REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
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: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
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.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
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.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN
CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
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.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

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.

EU leaders endorse enlargement slow down by Paul Harrington Dec 15, 10:41 AM ET

BRUSSELS (AFP) -European Union leaders have put the lid on further enlargement of the bloc until the necessary reforms can be agreed to accommodate new members and the whole process gains wide public support.

With Bulgaria and Romania set to become the EU's 26th and 27th member countries in a fortnight, the leaders confirmed that they were applying the brakes to further expansion, possibly until the end of the decade.They also endorsed a decision to partially block membership talks with Turkey, by freezing eight of the 35 policy chapters it must negotiate before joining.Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen told the post-summit press conference that previous enlargements had been successful and that the EU leaders had mapped out the best ways to ensure that future enlargement is also successful.It is important that the candidate countries meet the requirements and that the Union is able to operate effectively and to develop.

This summit sends out the message that we want to get our house in order, said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.We will work on the (EU) constitutional treaty under the German presidency, starting next month, he said.This summit sends the message that ours will remain an open house. We have given new impetus to the aspirations of the Western Balkans and we have clearly kept the door open for Turkey, he added.He added that there was a consensus on the need for constitutional reform to enhance our capacity to act.Their decisions will have major repercussions for Turkey and EU hopefuls in the Balkans like Croatia, which is expected to join by 2010, and to a lesser extent Macedonia.British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left the summit for a trip to Turkey and the Middle East, is one of the most supportive to Ankara's cause. For the EU and also Britain, it is important that we continue the process to accession with Turkey and we do not shut the door to Turkey's membership, he said.Perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome is the EU constitution, the blueprint for its future. The treaty was left in tatters last year after it was rejected in referendums by voters in France and the Netherlands.

Sixteen member countries have ratified the text, plus Bulgaria and Romania, but it had to be endorsed by all member countries before it can take effect.Encapsulated in it were reforms that would have allowed the 25-nation EU to operate more smoothly and efficiently as it expands. But the document has been in deep freeze during a prolonged period of reflection about what to do next. Germany is expected to revive talks on the constitution, although probably not using that term, and plot a roadmap for its acceptance.While no substantive decisions are expected before France takes over Europe's helm in the second half of 2008, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was looking forward to tackling the challenges facing the Union.Generally, I can say that we are looking forward to our presidency, Merkel told reporters as she arrived for the last session of the two-day summit.

There is a good climate in which to resolve certain issues, she said. Germany is not going to be alone and can have confidence that all member countries are going to cooperate. The ood climate at the summit was due in part to Turkey's trade and political problems with Cyprus being resolved by EU foreign ministers on Monday. While its strategic importance is undeniable, it would become one if the bloc's two most populous countries, securing voting rights beyond those of traditional EU heavyweights like Britain, France and Italy.

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).

EU leaders revive constitution debate By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer Fri Dec 15, 10:25 AM ET

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European leaders on Friday tried to revive efforts to adopt the proposed European Union constitution, which many declared dead last year after it was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands. The 25 EU nations have moved from silent reflection to a more active thinking on the constitution, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen declared.Spain and Luxembourg are seeking to enlist the majority of EU nations that voted in favor of the landmark constitutional treaty, in a drive get it back on track.Those having ratified the treaty — these are 18 member states of the European Union — have the right to become more outspoken, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters Thursday.

Spain has called a friends of the constitution conference next month in Madrid for the 18 nations that supported the measure, including Bulgaria and Romania, which will join the EU formally on Jan. 1.Chancellor Angela Merkel said she will try to revive the constitution — intended to deepen Europe's integration — during Germany's six-month presidency of the bloc starting in January.

What's not clear is how pro-constitution forces will move forward. France and the Netherlands both have said they will not hold repeat referendums, although some hope for a shift in the French position after next year's presidential election.Although a majority of nations backed the text, it needs unanimous approval to come into force.

The constitution was designed to streamline EU decision-making following the entry of 10 new member nations in 2004. Without it, many leaders say it will be impossible to bring more members into the bloc.We don't think that further enlargements could be made without giving some deepening reform to Europe, Juncker said.Previous EU treaties have been voted down by referendums in Ireland and Denmark, but both nations changed their minds in second votes after the texts were adjusted.Even if the French and Dutch are persuaded to change their minds,though, the constitution would still face possible vetoes from British and Danes, traditional Euro-skeptics who must still vote on the charter.The Swedes, Poles, Czechs, Irish and Portuguese have not yet voted on the compact, either.Despite the uncertainty, supporters still think the constitution can eventually be adopted.We cannot throw out the entire text and start from scratch, said Finland's Vanhanen, whose country ratified the constitution last week.Supporters of the constitution have suggested several ways out of the current impasse — including incorporating some provisions of the charter in a mini-treaty that could be passed by the member states without further referendum votes.

The European Union Turns Fifty DEC 15,06

In March of 2007 Europe and the United States will observe one of the most important anniversaries of the post-Second World War era.

This date marks the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the document which established the European Economic Community (EEC) among six countries - Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Fifty years later, the EEC is now called the European Union (EU) and proudly boasts a membership of 27 nations. The road from EEC to EU has been long and often difficult. The ultimate goals of its founding fathers are far from being achieved. But even so, the EU has grown far beyond its original task of harmonizing tariffs and trade among its six original members, to become a community of more than 450 million inhabitants stretching from Ireland and Portugal in the West to Estonia and Finland in the East. It unites the traditional democracies of Western Europe with the newly emerged democracies of the former Soviet bloc. It even includes three members, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, that between 1941 and 1992 were illegally incorporated into the Soviet Union.

As such, the EU can already be described as one of history's greatest accomplishments. Built on the ruins of the Second World War, the framework for economic and political cooperation provided by the EU has made possible not only the rebuilding of the continent and the reconciliation of former enemies, but also the incorporation of a large portion of Europe into a community of nations determined to construct a democratic political federation across the entire continent.

The EU today is one of the world's leading economies and its largest trading community. It has established a common currency, the Euro, which has joined the Dollar and the Yen as an important international means of exchange. The European Parliament is a directly elected legislative body organized on party, rather than national lines. Fledgling European Security and Defense Cooperation has begun to undertake vital peacekeeping missions in many parts of the world. Cooperation among member states has extended to virtually every area of public interest, both at home and abroad.

Together with the United States and Canada, the member nations of the EU build a trans-Atlantic democratic community of nearly a billion persons. This cooperation is embodied most directly in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has guarded our mutual security since its founding in 1949. As the EU has expanded, many new areas of close trans-Atlantic cooperation have been agreed. The EU speaks officially for its members at international trade negotiations and in the World Trade Organization, WTO.

Equally as important is the close coordination between the European Central Bank and the United States Federal Reserve System and Treasury Department on the critical issues connected with maintenance of international financial stability.

Of growing importance is an active EU antitrust effort and close coordination in the international war against terrorism. In each of these areas, the EU is an essential framework for broader international cooperation. No single European country could offer the breadth of cooperation made possible by the EU. The roots of today's EU go back to the early postwar years. Determined to banish once and for all the destructive nationalism which had taken Europe to war three times in 75 years, leaders on both sides of the Atlantic called for building a European political union. The goal was described dramatically by Britain's great wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill as nothing less than a United States of Europe.

Europe's American allies took important first steps towards European unity in 1948 with establishment of the European Recovery Program, popularly known as the Marshall Plan after its founder Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The Marshall Plan provided credits to those European countries that wished to participate, for the reconstruction of their towns and their factories. But these credits came with a condition.

The money could be applied only on the basis of a joint program, worked out among the countries of Europe for the rebuilding of their continent. The Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) was born. This theme of economic cooperation was taken a step further in 1951, when Germany and France agreed to pool their industries with those of four other countries into the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). This was the first European initiative for economic integration.

A similar effort to join Europe's military forces into a single army proved to be somewhat premature and it failed when voted down by the French parliament. But it too added to the momentum of cooperation which culminated in signature of the Treaty of Rome. A step-by-step practical approach to unity has become the trademark of the EU. Over the years areas of cooperation among members have steadily increased. Important subjects such as trade, agriculture, health standards and others have been added to the original mandate of the Treaty of Rome. A major step forward was establishment of a truly unified single market for industrial and agriculture trade in 1992. The vision behind these economic steps has from the beginning been Churchill's call for political unity.

Important milestones include establishment of the European Parliament and successive unification treaties signed in the 1980s and 1990s. A common program for military security was established in 1998. Even though its member states maintain responsibility for foreign policy and security matters, areas of cooperation overseas have also grown. So, as its reaches fifty both the EU and its American partners can be proud of what they have achieved. But as 2007 approaches, it has also become clear that the postwar period embodied in the Treaty of Rome has long since come to an end. The formalized structures of the EU which demand consensus on most important issues are slow and inefficient. The large bureaucracy and expensive common programs for agriculture, industrial development and research no longer serve to stimulate necessary economic growth. The strains of enlargement from six to twenty-seven members has made progress on unification very difficult. And the twin challenges of aging of the population and globalization have turned the European social welfare state from an advantage to an expensive burden.

European populations sometimes seem to have lost touch with the original vision of the Treaty of Rome. They are looking more to individual needs in their home countries. This growing disinterest was reflected in failure of the European Constitutional Project in 2005.This anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is as important for Americans as it is for Europeans. Our task today is every bit as
great as it was in 1957, but the road ahead is not yet clear. One thing is clear, however. America and Europe compose the largest and strongest group of democracies in the world. If we are to ensure a democratic future for ourselves and the rest of the world, we must work together. That is why it is important to understand the role of the European Union on the interests of the United States.

And that it why it is very fitting to wish our European cousins a warm happy birthday on this important date. John Kornblum was US Ambassador to Germany from 1997 to 2001. Since 2001 he has been Chairman of the investment bank Lazard Germany.
www.europa.eu