JESUS - MAHDI,BOTH COMING - IRAN

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Deadly Java earthquake and tsunami studied. 3-26,000 evacuated from Malaysia floods. 4-Paralizing Blizzard. 5-Jimmy Carter Attacks Israel -- Help The Israel Project fight back. 6-Fires close in on Vic towns. 7-Victorians taking to coast as big dry hits inland waterways. 8-Tsunami Aid Money Used for Shari'a. 9-Japan to boost seismic detection of nuclear tests. 10-Christ did not die for all, Vatican says. 11-Jesus, Mahdi both coming, says Iran's Ahmadinejad. 12-Spain set for warmest year on record. 13-Snow way: Russia's hottest winter in 136 years. 14-Report: China currency not manipulated. 15-Christians plan night to honor Israel. 16-Olmert, Abdullah discuss Mideast peace. 17-For phalistine. 18-Syria wants Russia as sponsor of Mideast peace process - president.

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 = Thu Dec 21 12:05 AM EDT

DEC 21,2006
MAP 3.7 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA

DEC 20,2006
MAP 5.2 TONGA
MAP 5.2 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.0 PAGAN REGION, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.3 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.4 UTAH
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.8 NORTHERN PERU
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.7 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 WASHINGTON
MAP 4.6 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.1 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Deadly Java earthquake and tsunami studied,Dec 19, 2006, 19:30 GMT

PHILADELPHIA, PA, United States (UPI) -- U.S. geologists analyzing last July`s 7.2 magnitude Java earthquake found the event that killed more than 637 people triggered a tsunami with 30-feet run-ups.The researchers said the earthquake involved an unusually long rupture that propagated slowly and occurred near the up-dip edge of the subduction zone thrust fault -- all attributes shared with past earthquakes that generated larger than expected tsunami for events of their surface-wave magnitude.Further, the Pennsylvania State University-led study showed the rupture included five or six pulses of energy along 120 miles of the trench.

Because earthquakes that generate giant waves must be identified quickly by tsunami warning operators, the researchers say they expect similar retrospective studies of such earthquakes will help authorities better respond to future hazards.The research by Charles Ammon of Penn State, Hiroo Kanamori of the California Institute of Technology, Thorne Lay of the University of California-Santa Cruz and Aaron Velasco of the University of Texas-El Paso appears in the current issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters.United Press International

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.

26,000 evacuated from Malaysia floods By PAULINE JASUDASON, Associated Press Writer Wed Dec 20, 11:49 AM ET

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains has forced more than 20,000 people to flee their homes in the southern Malaysian state of Johor, officials said Wednesday.

PUBLICIDAD

Flooding was also reported in the neighboring states of Malacca and Negeri Sembilan, but the situation there was not as serious.About 22,000 people in eight districts of Johor had taken refuge in town halls, schools and community centers on higher ground by early Wednesday, Che Moin Umar of the Civil Defense Department told The Associated Press.A police officer at an emergency operations center in the state capital of Johor Bahru put the number of evacuees at 26,000.Che Moin said the number could increase in the coming week.The flood situation is still at a very worrying level, Che Moin said, But management-wise, we have things under control ... there is enough food supply for the evacuees, warm blankets, medical assistance, we are OK.

Teams of army, police, firefighters and volunteers were searching for people who may be trapped in their homes, he said.Continual rains since Sunday have caused major rivers to overflow into villages and towns in Johor, including Johor Bahru, which lies across a causeway from Singapore, bringing the state to a virtual standstill, The Star newspaper said.Drainage and Irrigation Department records showed that such unusually heavy rains in Johor last occurred about 100 years ago, the New Straits Times said.The rains eased by Wednesday morning but intermittent showers were forecast through Thursday.Photographs in The Star and the New Straits Times showed village homes with only their zinc roofs visible above muddy floodwaters.

Paralizing Blizzard B. Bernard & K. Roth, Senior Meteorologists, The Weather Channel Wed Dec 20, 8:32 PM ET

A powerful blizzard is lashing Denver and the central High Plains tonight; blizzard warnings are posted for much of eastern Colorado, southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska until midday Thursday. Strong winds and heavy snow brought traffic around Denver to a halt. Interstate 70 is closed from the eastern side of Denver to the Kansas state line, while Interstate 25 is closed from the Wyoming state line to the New Mexico state line. Denver International Airport has closed and may remain closed until Thursday evening. Wind gusts hit 69 mph around the Air Force Academy and 60 mph near Colorado Springs earlier Wednesday. Winds topped 55 mph at the Denver Airport Wednesday afternoon. As of late afternoon Denver time 9 to 18 inches of snow had piled up. By storms end 12 to 24 inches may pile up, with drifts up to ten feet are not out of the question in a few spots. The storm will shift its focus farther east into the northern and central Plains Thursday, but the blizzard conditions will have abated and snowfall will be much lighter.

Elsewhere tonight, some light freezing rain is spreading into Oregon's Willamette Valley. The icing may not persist very long there, but could linger longer in the Columbia River Gorge. In the eastern end of the Gorge, two or three inches of snow aren't out of the question, either.

Jimmy Carter Attacks Israel -- Help The Israel Project fight back

Dear Stan

As you probably know, former President Jimmy Carter is back on the talk-show circuit demonizing Israel in pursuit of peace. Here's

what he's been saying:

Israel is the primary obstacle to peace in the region
UN Resolution 242 demands that Israel return to Palestinians all land up to the 1967 borders
The West Bank is Palestine
Israel is an apartheid state
The PLO has never advocated the annihilation of Israel
Voices from Israel dominate in the U.S. media
Israel is responsible for the exodus of Christians from the Holy Land
How Carter's Comments Hurt Israel

With Iran's President holding an international conference this week to deny the Holocaust, funding Hezbollah and Hamas' attacks on Israel, and developing nuclear weapons to wipe Israel off the map, Israel needs positive world public opinion to defend itself.

Comments like Carter's help de-legitimize the State of Israel by making it look like a stubborn obstacle to peace without an legal basis for taking defensive action against terrorists.Former President Carter is weakening Israel in the eyes of Americans and peace-loving people worldwide.Help TIP fight these inaccuracies and distortions with facts by supporting our work at http://www.theisraelproject.org/donate.

Instead of complaining about comments like Carter’s, The Israel Project (TIP) takes the initiative to:

Research facts and information and email them to 15,000 journalists worldwide every week
Host press conferences with Israeli spokespeople to help journalists learn first-hand of Israeli government positions
Provide access for journalists to Israeli sources for interviews
Fly journalists in helicopters over Israel to view Israel’s tiny size and enormous security threats with their own eyes

Our staff is efficient, but educating the media before they write their stories costs money:

$250 covers the cost to email fully-vetted background information to 10,000 journalists worldwide
$600 lets us create and email a breaking news press release to journalists
$1200 pays to have one journalist take a 2½ hour helicopter tour over Israel
$1500 allows 125 journalists to participate in a worldwide telephone briefing
Please send your contribution of $250, $180, $100, $60, $36 or even $18 TODAY to help us fight anti-Israel propaganda in the media at http://www.theisraelproject.org/donate. Help us educate the press and the world – before Jimmy Carter gets to them.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi
Founder and President
The Israel Project

P.S. We can’t stand idly by while people like President Carter spread inaccuracies and half-truths about Israel. Give a generous tax-deductible gift today at http://www.theisraelproject.org/donate. Israel and our global Jewish family need you!

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

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

Fires close in on Vic towns
Tuesday, 19 December 2006. )Fire alert: Blazes are advancing from three sides on the Mount Buller area.

A blaze is on the doorstep of towns in Victoria's Gippsland region, while residents in the state's north-east are also on fire alert.The Gippsland bushfire is within one kilometre of properties in Walhalla and Maidentown, after slowly moving towards Maidentown over the past 24 hours.Helicopters have been brought in as back-up to crews on the ground.Embers are also falling at Rawson, to the south-west, but the fire is yet to cross the Thompson River.In north-east Victoria, fire is closing in on the Mount Buller area from the south, north and east.

Country Fire Authority (CFA) state coordinator Greg Esnouf says Sheepyard Flat, Tobacco Flat, Howqua Hills, Sawmill Settlement, Timbertop and Mirimbah are all on alert. That's a very raw edge and it's a very difficult area to put control lines in, he said.So certainly DSE [the Department of Sustainability and Environment] and CFA are working very hard to try and establish whatever containment lines we can because we see it as quite an exposure.Mr Esnouf says there is no end in sight to Victoria's fire crisis.

We eventually need to put these fires out, unless we get a lot of rain, he said.We don't anticipate getting a lot of rain in the change that comes through later this week, so we've got to continue putting in the containment lines to put this fire out and that may take us weeks.The fires have already burnt more than 688,000 hectares.

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Victorians taking to coast as big dry hits inland waterways
Stephen Moynihan,December 20, 2006

THE drought has caused water-loving Victorians to abandon the state's inland lakes and rivers and head to the coast this summer.Popular inland waterways such as Lake Eppalock, which has plunged to 2 per cent of its capacity, and Lake Eildon are losing visitors to coastal towns and resorts.Marine Safety Victoria director Brian Riches said the authority expected drought and bushfires to send many more boat owners to the coast.The operations manager of Jerusalem Creek marina at Lake Eildon, Mark Metzner, said bookings for berths were 50 per cent lower than at the same time last year.Despite the lake being at 13 per cent capacity, Mr Metzner said there was at least 15 kilometres of navigable waterways around Eildon, but he expected that levels would drop further.

At this stage we're looking at going down to 3 to 4 per cent, which is going to be a whole new ball game.Mr Metzner said the low water level had made access to marinas difficult but there's still a good 30 metres of boat ramp in the water.A lot of people are saying they're still going to come up, but they won't put their boats in the water because they're worried about stumps.Boat Industry Association of Victoria chief executive Lindsay Grenfell urged boat owners to take care.When the lakes go down, it's uncharted waters. People have to be careful — suddenly there's a log in the way or a branch that wasn't there last year, Mr Grenfell said.

Yesterday, Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas warned Victorians of that danger.Mr Grenfell said owners should prepare themselves for delays at boat ramps along Victoria's coast because of the rising number of craft.But despite the shrinking inland waterways, he said the boating industry remained buoyant, with boat builders recording a big demand for more expensive and larger vessels, including yachts.Victorians wanting to check water levels at the state's inland waterways can call 1800 223 022 or visit the websites below.
www.g-mwater.com.au.www.marinesafety.vic.gov.au

Tsunami Aid Money Used for Shari'a DEC 19,06

Money sent to the Indonesian province of Aceh to help tsunami survivors is now being used to enforce shari’a law. (Hat tip: LGF readers.).WHEN people around the world sent millions of pounds to help the stricken Indonesian province of Aceh after the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, few could have imagined that their money would end up subsidising the lashing of women in public.

But militant Islamists have since imposed sharia law in Aceh and have cornered Indonesian government funds to organise a moral vigilante force that harasses women and stages frequent displays of humiliation and state-sanctioned violence. International aid workers and Indonesian women’s organisations are now expressing dismay that the flow of foreign cash for reconstruction has allowed the government to spend scarce money on a new bureaucracy and religious police to enforce puritan laws, such as the compulsory wearing of headscarves.

Some say there are more sharia police than regular police on the local government payroll and that many of them are aggressive young men.Who are these sharia police? demanded Nurjannah Ismail, a lecturer at Aceh’s Ar-Raniri University. They are men who, most of the time, are trying to send the message that their position is higher than women.

Japan to boost seismic detection of nuclear tests Wed Dec 20, 4:59 AM ET

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will boost its ability to detect seismic waves from nuclear tests after it failed to quickly analyze data from a test by North Korea in October, the Meteorological Agency said on Wednesday.

The agency will place a high-sensitivity seismometer around 800 meters below ground at a complex in Nagano, central Japan, an official said.Currently, eight seismometers at the high-tech complex, which can detect earthquakes worldwide, are set 40 to 70 meters below ground.Moving one device deeper would shut out negligible tremors on the ground from traffic and construction work, the official said.Such interference was one factor behind a delay of around two hours in determining that seismic waves from North Korea on October 9 were not caused by an earthquake. Construction of the new seismometer will begin from next April and the agency will put it into place as soon as possible, the official said.

I DON'T LIKE THIS STORY, THE BIBLE CLEARLY SAYS CHRIST DIED FOR ALL , NOT JUST MANY.

Christ did not die for all,Vatican says
December 20 2006 at 08:53AM

Vatican City - Roman Catholic priests will soon be telling their flocks that Christ gave his blood for many but not everyone, according to a new Vatican directive.

The change will appear at the moment in the mass when the priest blesses the wine,
transforming it into the blood of Christ.Hailed by traditionalists, and slammed by progressive members of the Church, the change was decided by Cardinal Francis Arinze, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship, to be truer to the Latin pro multis. Opponents to his directive to bishops noted that the Greek from which the Latin pro multis was taken - hoi polloi - is closer to all than many.

Arinze conceded that the phrase for all adopted by many languages probably corresponds to the actual intention of the Lord, since in Christian dogma Christ died for all men and women.But he argued that the phrase for many showed that salvation is not automatic.The linguistic conundrum is not a problem in French, since the phrase pour la multitude (for the multitude) allows both interpretations. But English-, Spanish- and German-speaking churches, have been given two years to change the phrases for all, por todos los hombres and fuer alle. - Sapa-AFP

Jesus, Mahdi both coming, says Iran's Ahmadinejad
In New Year's greeting to Christians worldwide asks what Christ would do if he were here today Posted: December 19, 2006,11:52 a.m. Eastern,WorldNetDaily.com

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appearing at The World Without Zionism conference Oct. 26, 2005 In a greeting to the world's Christians for the coming new year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he expects both Jesus and the Shiite messianic figure, Imam
Mahdi, to return and wipe away oppression.

I wish all the Christians a very happy new year and I wish to ask them a question as well, said Ahmadinejad, according to an Iranian Student News Agency report cited by YnetNews.com My one question from the Christians is: What would Jesus do if he were present in the world today? What would he do before some of the oppressive powers of the world who are in fact residing in Christian countries? Which powers would he revive and which of them would he destroy?

asked the Iranian leader. If Jesus were present today, who would be facing him and who would be following him?

Ahmadinejad then made a connection between Jesus and the Imam Mahdi, believed by Shiites to have disappeared as a child in A.D. 941. When the Mahdi returns, they contend, he will reign on earth for seven years before bringing about a final judgment and the end of the world. All I want to say is that the age of hardship, threat and spite will come to an end someday and, God willing, Jesus would return to the world along with the emergence of the descendant of the Islam's holy prophet, Imam Mahdi, and wipe away every tinge of oppression, pain and agony from the face of the world, Ahmadinejad said. Ahmadinejad has been urging Iranians to prepare for the coming of the Mahdi by turning the country into a powerful and advanced Islamic society and by avoiding the corruption and excesses of the West. He sees his main mission, as he recounted in a Nov. 16, 2005, speech in Tehran, as to pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance. With Iran's continued development of nuclear technology in defiance of the West, some analysts fear Ahmadinejad's intent is to trigger the kind of global conflagration he
envisions will set the stage for the end of the world.

Ahmadinejad hosted a conference last week examining whether the Nazi genocide took place, drawing Holocaust deniers from around the world. The Iranian president has described the Holocaust as a myth and called for Israel to be wiped off the map.
The Zionist regime will be wiped out soon the same way the Soviet Union was, and humanity will achieve freedom. he said. Last month, he said he believes the world is rapidly becoming Ahmadinejadized, with global leaders following in his footsteps. I have traveled to all the continents except for one, and I know what is going on out there. Everybody is eager to hear the Iranian people's message, the Aftab-Yazd newspaper quoted the president as saying, according to Agence France-Presse. The world is rapidly becoming Ahmadinejadized. The hardliner said Iran's two big missions are constructing the country and introducing a model for humanity.

OZONE DEPLETION

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Spain set for warmest year on record
Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:30 PM GMT

MADRID (Reuters) - This year is on track to be the warmest on record in Spain, a country which was already hot before global warming set in, the government said on Tuesday.

So far this year, temperatures have been 1.46 degrees Celsius above the 1961-1990 average as a searing summer gave way to mild autumn and winter, the Environment Ministry said.Experts warn global warming will be especially painful for Spain, and some have even forecast its southern beaches could become too hot for tourists later this century.Last year the country logged its driest year since records began and this December started with a few hardy daisies still to be found growing in Madrid parks where many trees have still to lose their leaves.According to environment ministry models, central Spain is due to heat up more than any other region in Europe -- a further 4.5 degrees by 2100.Most scientists now agree that world average temperatures may rise by between two and six degrees this century due to emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels for power and transport.Last week the Netherlands said it was on track for its warmest temperatures since records began 300 years ago, and a British study said 2006 would be the sixth-warmest worldwide since records began.Reuters

Snow way: Russia's hottest winter in 136 years
December 20, 2006

RUSSIA is having its warmest December since 1870, raising fears of serious economic consequences.At the end of last week, the mercury hovered just below nine degrees — 14 degrees above average for December. The weather has led to predictions of a dearth of grain, and psychiatrists are worried about people's fragile emotional states.Companies selling fake frosted window patterns are doing a roaring trade as Russians try to convince themselves of snow all around. But speak to someone on the streets of Moscow and there is a strong chance they will quote Pushkin.That year the autumn weather lingered … Nature waited, lost, as winter held back/Snow fell only in January, on the third, at night, he wrote in Eugene Onegin. Everybody quotes Pushkin's lines … but the current phenomenon we are experiencing is very rare, said Gennady Yeliseyev, deputy director of the state meteorological department.Experts claim snow reflects much-needed light that boosts the flow of mood-enhancing chemicals in the body. So bright posters and extra street lights have been erected.TELEGRAPH

THE ANGEL OF GOD ABOUT THE CHINESE CURRENCY IN THE FUTURE.Twice I heard the words, Catastrophic! Catastrophic! then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

Report: China currency not manipulated By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer DEC 19,06

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration said Tuesday that China does not meet the technical requirements of a country that is manipulating its currency to gain unfair trade advantages.

The administration did say Tuesday that more flexibility in China's exchange rate will help it achieve more balanced growth and promote a number of other outcomes that would be economically beneficial.But in the report it is required to deliver to Congress every six months, the administration said that no country met the technical requirements for designation as a currency manipulator.Such a designation could trigger negotiations that could ultimately lead to trade sanctions.

The new report was released four days after a Cabinet delegation led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson concluded high-level talks in Beijing aimed at resolving the root causes of America's huge and growing trade deficit with China.The report did not please China's harshest critics in Congress.The administration continues to use technical and legalistic dodges to avoid saying what everyone knows to be true — the Chinese manipulate their currency. It's as plain as the nose on your face, Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a joint statement.If the administration still won't call China a manipulator, how can we ever expect them to get China to play fair? they asked.Schumer and Graham were the lead sponsors of legislation last year that would have imposed 27.5 percent penalty tariffs on all Chinese imports if China did not move more quickly to allow its currency to rise in value against the dollar.The administration opposed the legislation on the grounds that it would raise the price of Chinese imports to American consumers.

Sen. Max Baucus (news, bio, voting record), D-Mont., said he believed the requirement for a report every six months had outlived its usefulness and he planned to pursue legislation that would mandate a different approach in the new Congress.Baucus, who next year will head the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade, has proposed legislation that would offer milder sanctions against countries with misaligned currencies.America's trade deficit with China is expected to easily surpass last year's $202 billion record, the highest trade gap the United States ever recorded with a single country.The administration is under heavy political pressure to do something about America's record trade deficits, which critics charge have been a major factor in the loss of nearly 3 million manufacturing jobs since Bush took office in 2001.No country has been cited as a currency manipulator in the Treasury Department report since China was cited in 1994 by the Clinton administration.

While the Bush administration in the past has hinted that it was getting close to naming China, the new report seemed to take a more muted tone in its criticism in keeping with Paulson's efforts to lessen outward pressure on Chinese officials in hopes of producing better results.

The latest report, which was delivered to Congress two months late, was released without a public briefing in contrast to the spring report in which then-Treasury Secretary John Snow told reporters that the administration was extremely dissatisfied with the slow and disappointing pace of reform of the Chinese currency system.Paulson did not comment on the new report, which contained milder criticism of China than Snow's remarks last May.China's economy needs a more balanced pattern of growth that is more consumption-based with a flexible exchange rate regime and a modernized financial sector, the new report stated. The report also cited the goals of the newly launched Strategic Economic Dialogue, which is designed to be a two-year effort to resolve some of the most contentious economic issues between the two countries through twice-a-year high-level meetings.

The report said the goals of the dialogue were to help China achieve balanced growth without large trade imbalances by pursuing exchange rate flexibility, protection of intellectual property rights, boosting domestic consumption and opening up China's service sector to participation by U.S. and other foreign firms. China's currency policy is a core issue in the China-United States economic relationship, the currency report stated. If the administration had deemed China a currency manipulator, that would have triggered talks between the two countries. China also might have faced trade sanctions — but first the United States would have had to win a case on the issue before the World Trade Organization. American manufacturers contend China undervalues its currency by as much as 40 percent against the dollar, which makes Chinese goods cheaper for American consumers and American goods more
expensive in China.

THIS IS A GREAT EVENT BECAUSE ISRAELS GOD AND OUR GOD ARE ONE GOD, 3 OFFICES. JESUS THE MESSIAH IS ISRAELS GOD REGUARDLESS IF THEY BELIEVE IT OR NOT YET. JESUS WAS JEWISH, IS JEWISH IN HEAVEN, WILL ALWAYS BE JEWISH WHEN RULING FROM JERUSALEM IN THE FUTURE. COME QUICKLY LORD JESUS.

Christians plan night to honor Israel Evangelicals in US and other nations will hold mass events to 'thank the Jewish people, Jerusalem Knesset Caucus told Yaakov Lappin Published: 12.19.06, 14:19

A leading Evangelical US pastor has announced plans to hold a night to honor Israel in every major American city as part of an Evangelical political campaign. Pastor John Hagee, a Christian leader from Texas, was given an award by the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus during a ceremony jointly held with the World Jewish Congress Monday night, to honor our Christian allies.

Addressing the conference by a satellite-linked screen, Hagee delivered an emphatic speech, declaring:It's time for us Christians in America , from coast to coast, to speak up for Israel.He added that his organization aimed to hold every congressman and senator accountable for their position on Israel.It's important for Christians to reach out to the Jewish people. For the first time in the history of America, the spiritual leaders of America are looking up rabbis and saying: We want to thank you, Hagee declared. The pastor announced his plans for a night to honor Israel in every major American city, adding: Why is this happening? Some of you are secular Jews, this may be hard for you… This is happening by God. God almighty recognized that the integrity of his word was on the line.Hagee noted that his organization could provide information to tens of millions of Americans.

Don't give land away

He also warned that the continual giving of land to enemies is contrary to what the bible teaches and contrary to the security of Israel. Reacting to Hagee's speech, Knesset Member Elhanan Glazer, of the Pensioner's Party, told Ynetnews: I hope he understands that as difficult as it is, we must give up land, with a heavy heart, to the Palestinians. Life is more important than land. Throughout the meeting, the delegates exchanged warm words, describing one another as members of a common Judeo-Christian family and civilization.Knesset Member Benny Elon told the conference that the meaning of Hanukah was to warn Jews against assimilating to foreign cultures, while Purim warned of the physical danger posed to the Jewish people.He emphasized that the

Caucus was founded on a real love between Jews and Christians, and that neither side sought to use the relationship for tactical gains.I know that there is a sincere and real love of our Christian allies… not as a means to and end… not as part of a plan - I love you and then you'll be converted - but real love.Elon added that the new alliance with Evangelicals was prophesized in the Torah, citing a prediction of support for Israel by other nations following the return of the people of Israel to Zion.

Expel the darkness

During the meeting, a Hanukah menorah was lit, and several references were made linking the holiday to contemporary issues. Moshe Leshem, a reserve colonel and former anti-disengagement activist, told the Caucus meeting that since Judah the Macabee, the Jewish people have been surrounded by hatred.Today, we are once again facing a very big trap… countries like Iran threaten to wipe us out from under the sun. And you know as Christians, they will kill us on Saturday but they will try to kill you on Sunday, Leshem warned, adding: We must unite to expel the darkness.

Olmert, Abdullah discuss Mideast peace
December 19, 2006

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made a surprise visit to Jordan today for talks with King Abdullah II on ways to revive Mideast peacemaking. The palace also said Abdullah was offering to host a meeting in Jordan to help resolve Palestinian infighting between the Hamas and Fatah movements. As the statement was issued, the two groups waged fierce gun battles in Gaza City.A fierce gun battle erupted outside Gaza's main hospital today, sparking a day of factional violence that sent students diving for cover in their classrooms and brought life in much of Gaza to a standstill.Four persons were killed and at least 18 were wounded in the violence, which swept away the remains of a tattered truce meant to end a week of fighting that has turned the Gaza Strip into a war zone.Automatic gunfire echoed across the city, and a Fatah security installation was attacked with mortar
fire. Masked Hamas gunmen set up makeshift checkpoints on main roads, forces from the two sides took up strategic positions, and terrified residents shut themselves indoors.

Mr. Olmert's visit to Amman came in response to an invitation by Abdullah, who is eager to see Israel resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians, a senior palace official said.In Jerusalem, Mr. Olmert's office confirmed the meeting, saying the leaders discussed the Palestinian crisis and larger regional issues.

The U.S.-allied monarch has said a return to Arab-Israeli negotiations is vital to curb rising extremism in the Middle East, fueled by the conflict in Iraq. Abdullah has called on Washington to do more on reviving the peace process, which is stalled amid the Palestinian crisis.The palace official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of Mr. Olmert's visit, said that the two leaders met for two hours and that the Israeli then returned home.

In the talks, Abdullah urged Mr. Olmert to engage in negotiations with the Palestinians so that an appropriate framework could be found to relaunch the peace process, a palace statement said.The king, whose nation signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, had hosted Mr. Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in June in a failed effort to get both leaders to open direct negotiations.

The palace statement said Abdullah briefed Mr. Abbas on his talks with Mr. Olmert in a telephone call. The palace also said Abdullah would invite the leaders of Hamas and Fatah to talks on ending their conflict.

Hamas and Fatah have been locked in a power struggle since the Islamist militant group defeated Fatah in legislative elections last January. Mr. Abbas' Fatah party, which seeks peace with Israel, controls the presidency, while the radical Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction, controls parliament and the Palestinian Cabinet.Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called for an end to the infighting and urged warring factions to unite in the struggle against Israel.This nation, this people will be united in front of the occupation and aggression and will not be engaged, despite the wounds of the past few days, in internal fighting, Mr. Haniyeh said in a televised speech. The latest wave of fighting broke out last week and worsened after Mr. Abbas announced plans Saturday to call early elections. Hamas has condemned the plan as a coup, and Mr. Haniyeh has said the Islamist group would boycott any new vote. In all, 13 persons have died in the week of clashes, making it one of the deadliest bouts of Palestinian infighting ever. Seeking to ease the tensions, Mr. Haniyeh canceled a planned Hamas demonstration, Hamas officials said.

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.

For phalistine DEC 19,2006

The European Council noted with concern that the Middle East is faced with one of the worst crises in years. The Israeli-Arab conflict is at the heart of this crisis. The EU is committed to overcoming the current impasse in the peace process and to easing tensions in the broader region.The ceasefire in Gaza is an important first step. Violations of the ceasefire must end and it should be extended to the West Bank. For the ceasefire to be meaningful and sustainable it must be consolidated through a political process. In this respect the European Council noted Prime Minister Olmert's address of 27 November. The EU welcomed the readiness of President Abbas and PM Olmert to resume dialogue, and urged them to meet soon. The European Council also invited the other members of the Quartet and the regional partners to intensify common efforts aimed at reinvigorating the peace process.

The European Council commended the efforts of President Abbas over the last six months to form a government of national unity. The EU stands ready to work with a legitimate Palestinian government that adopts a platform reflecting the Quartet principles. If such a government is formed, the EU undertakes: to resume partnership with the Palestinian government and encourage Quartet partners to do likewise; to continue, with other donors, providing financial support and to prepare, in cooperation with the new government, a long-term plan on capacity building, border management and unified and effective security forces, as well as a functioning administration. The European Council called for the immediate release of the abducted Israeli soldier and commended efforts including by partners in the region to that effect. The European Council also called for the immediate release of Palestinian ministers and legislators detained in Israel.

The European Council noted the vital role played by the Temporary International Mechanism in providing essential relief to a large part of the Palestinian population since its launch in June 2006.

The increased assistance provided by the Community Budget and by Member States bilaterally this year, and the contributions by other donors to the Mechanism are deeply valued. In view of the protracted deterioration of the socio-economic situation of the Palestinians, the European Council endorsed a further three-month extension of the mechanism until March 2007. The European Council calls for the release of Palestinian customs and tax revenues withheld by Israel.

The European Council reiterated the need for full and speedy implementation of the Roadmap. As a first step, the following priorities should be pursued, following a calendar agreed between the parties and monitored by the Quartet: full and speedy implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access; full implementation of the Sharm-el Sheikh understandings, including the release of prisoners and resumption of security cooperation between the parties; parallel implementation by the parties of the obligations they have committed to under the first phase of the Roadmap.These, though important, are only initial steps, and must lead to meaningful negotiations on the final status, the ultimate goal of which is an end to the occupation that began in 1967 and the creation of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state, living side-by-side with Israel and its other neighbours in peace and security. In that context the parties have to take concrete and immediate measures to put an end to all acts of violence, and to all activities which are contrary to international law, including settlement activities and the construction of the barrier on Palestinian land, that constitute an obstacle to the achievement of that goal. The EU will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders other than those agreed by both parties.The European Council invited the Quartet to stand ready to lead an effort by the international community to build on the outcome of successful negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in order to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Arab conflict, including peace agreements with Syria and Lebanon and full normalisation of relations between Israel and the Arab countries. This will require an inclusive approach involving all relevant actors; all need to engage constructively in the region to support these efforts. In accordance with the Roadmap, the Quartet, in consultation with the parties, should in due course convene an international conference to realise these goals.

Syria wants Russia as sponsor of Mideast peace process - president 19/ 12/ 2006

MOSCOW, December 19 (RIA Novosti) - Syria would like to see Russia, which is now a co-sponsor of the peace process in the Middle East, becoming the main sponsor, the Syrian president said Tuesday. Russia could become [the main] sponsor of the Middle East peace process and play an effective role there, Bashar al-Assad said after his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. President Assad said that currently there were no preconditions to conclude a peace treaty with Israel, and blamed Israel for its unwillingness to hold negotiations with Damascus. There is a difference between a desire to achieve peace and the ability to achieve it, the president said. There are currently no objective conditions to achieve this peace. Assad said that along with other issues, he and the Russian leader had discussed military and technical cooperation. We discussed all issues, but in general terms,
without details, Assad said, adding that the issue of military and technical cooperation between Russia and Syria would be discussed later by experts in greater detail. The Syrian president also said it was impossible that weapons sold by Russia to Syria under intergovernmental contracts could have been used by Lebanon-based Hezbollah during the summer fighting with Israel.

Israel's Haaretz daily quoted intelligence sources in early August as saying that Israel's ground troop casualties in the month of fighting with Hezbollah mostly resulted from special Hezbollah antitank units using modern Russian-made RPG-29 that were sold by Moscow to the Syrians and then transferred to the organization. Those who circulate such information, citing data from intelligence services and data from satellites, should present real proof, Assad said. If there was any [proof], then we would certainly have replied, but there was not. Israel's military conflict with Lebanon-based pro-Syrian Hezbollah in northern Israel and southern Lebanon began July 12 when Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and fired rockets into the country. In the month of bloodshed that ensued, around 1,500 Lebanese civilians lost their lives to Israeli bombs, and much of the country's infrastructure was destroyed.