ROME CONCERNED OVER BLAIRS EXIT

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Turkey earthquake causes slight damage. 3-Indonesia quake trigger tsunami warning. 4-Eastern Newfoundland digs out from blizzard. 5-No end to deadly Bolivian floods. 6-Surprising Solar Storms Rage at Sun’s South Pole. 7-Rain and mountain snow Far West Thursday. 8-US Iran attack plans revealed. 9-NHS pays too much to drug firms. 10-82 killed in Congo cholera epidemic. 11-Hamas Being Asked to Accept Conditions - Just Like Arafat Did. 12-Contact Your Representative In Opposition to HR 254 Today! 13-Temple Mount Re-Opened to Jews. 14-Rise In Western Aliyah In 2006. 15-Rome concerned over Blair's exit impact for EU constitution talks.

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 = Thur Feb 22 12:00 AM EDT

FEB 21,07
MAP 3.0 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.8 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 5.7 EASTERN TURKEY
MAP 4.8 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.9 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.2 OFFSHORE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 3.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.5 HALMAHERA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA

FEB 20,07
MAP 5.1 SOUTH OF SUMBAWA, INDONESIA
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.1 GULF OF SANTA CATALINA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.8 OFFSHORE ATACAMA, CHILE
MAP 2.8 OFFSHORE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.8 OFFSHORE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.7 OFFSHORE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.9 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 5.9 KEPULAUAN SULA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.0 KEPULAUAN OBI, INDONESIA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.5 MAUG ISLANDS REG., NORTHERN MARIANA ISL.
MAP 4.9 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 SOUTH OF ALASKA
MAP 4.9 SOUTHERN IRAN
MAP 3.0 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 6.7 KEPULAUAN OBI, INDONESIA
MAP 2.5 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 ALASKA PENINSULA

FEB 19,07
MAP 2.9 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 5.4 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
MAP 2.9 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.8 VANUATU REGION
MAP 5.2 NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 3.2 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.3 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.5 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.7 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.7 TONGA
MAP 2.9 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 GULF OF ALASKA
MAP 5.6 LAKE ALBERT REGION, DEM REP OF THE CONGO
MAP 4.7 SOUTHERN PERU

Turkey earthquake causes slight damage Wed Feb 21, 9:59 AM ET

ANKARA, Turkey - A moderate earthquake shook southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, injuring a woman who was trapped under rubble in one of several buildings that were damaged, officials said. The quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 and was centered in the town of Sivrice in the province of Elazig, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said. The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's preliminary magnitude at 5.7.Rescuers pulled the woman from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in the village of Kayalar in Elazig province, Gov. Muammer Musmal said, adding that she was hospitalized but that her injuries were not serious.The quake caused great panic and partly collapsed a building in the village of Kayapinar while slightly damaging a primary school and a post office in the town of Sivrice, Musmal said.Soldiers and police were trying to reach remote mountain villages while a paramilitary helicopter made an assessment, CNN-Turk television said.

Parents rushed to schools to pick up their children in the region, the broadcaster reported. Authorities suspended classes in Sivrice and Maden after the quake.Five aftershocks, the strongest with a magnitude of 3.6, followed as authorities warned residents not to enter damaged buildings.The area was struck by a magnitude-5.3 quake on Feb. 9. More than two dozen people were injured in that temblor.The latest quake was also felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Malatya, reports said.Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, much of which lies atop the active North Anatolian fault. Two devastating earthquakes killed about 18,000 people in northwestern Turkey in 1999.In 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude collapsed a school dormitory in southeastern Bingol province, killing 83 children. The collapse was blamed on poor construction.A magnitude-6.4 quake killed 177 people in Bingol in 1995.

Indonesia quake trigger tsunami warning By GRACE WAKARY, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 20, 6:20 AM ET

MANADO, Indonesia - A powerful earthquake in northeastern Indonesia on Tuesday caused panicked residents to flee shaking buildings on islands in the Maluku Sea and briefly triggered a tsunami warning, officials said.

The 6.5-magnitude quake struck 130 miles from Ternate, the capital of Maluku island, and 233 miles from Manado, the northernmost city on Sulawesi island, the U.S. Geological Survey said.We called local authorities in Ternate and coastal areas to warn them of a potential tsunami, said Fauzi, a seismologist who goes by only one name, adding that it turned out to be a false alarm.One hour after the quake struck, there were no signs of seismically triggered waves.

It was not immediately clear if the quake, which was centered at a depth of around 20 miles, caused any injuries and damage appeared to be largely limited to cracks in buildings.Frightened residents fled their homes and at least one hotel in Ternate was evacuated.Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.In December 2004, a massive earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island and triggered a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people, including 131,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province alone. A tsunami off Java island last year killed nearly 5,000.Tuesday's quake came less than a month after a magnitude-7.3 earthquake hit in roughly the same spot, killing at least three people.

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.

Eastern Newfoundland digs out from blizzard
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 CBC News

Homeowners tackled shoulder-height drifts as crews tried to clear highways and major roads, in the wake of a blizzard that brought eastern Newfoundland to a halt Tuesday.A man shovels out after Newfoundland was walloped with snow on Tuesday, shutting down schools and services even snowplows in eastern parts of the island.(CBC) The blizzard, which started Monday afternoon, continued blowing at full strength through Tuesday morning.The storm dropped more than 30 centimetres of snow in places, but high winds which topped 110 km/h gave the blizzard its punch.

The winds also befuddled crews who worked hard to keep even major roads passable.You're constantly going around and around and around, George Smith, a plow operator with the City of St. John's, said Tuesday morning.You go through your area [and] when you get back it's like you never got through it, because the wind is drifting it all back in again.Whiteout conditions prompted police to urge motorists to stay off the roads in Newfoundland on Tuesday. (CBC) Conditions late Monday and early Tuesday were so treacherous that government plows were pulled off highways. Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway were closed as crews set to work.

The blizzard cancelled flights, closed schools and shut down most normal activities in eastern Newfoundland. Blizzard warnings remained in effect from the Avalon Peninsula to the Bonavista Peninsula until late Tuesday morning.Most schools in the area were closed. In St. John's, provincial government offices, including courts, shut for the day. Numerous agencies, services and businesses closed for at least the morning.Metrobus, which operates the transit system in St. John's, pulled its buses off city roads on Tuesday. Early in the day, even many taxis stayed off St. John's streets.The main road is clear to the hospital that's what they're trying to do, CBC Television's Peter Gullage reported Tuesday morning.Side streets are closed.… Nobody is going anywhere today.

Roads around the St. John's area were dotted with vehicles that had become stuck and been temporarily abandoned.The storm had passed by Tuesday afternoon, giving way to partly cloudy skies and the hum of snowblowers and panting shovellers.It's terrible I'm getting too old for this, said Bill Whittle, 72, as he tackled a five-foot-high drift in his driveway with a shovel. I told my wife this morning this is my last winter here anyway. It's either a condo or an apartment somewhere, you know. It's too much.

No end to deadly Bolivian floods FEB 20,07 BBC

Many communities are completely cut off by the floods .At least 35 people have died and 10 are missing in Bolivia as a result of floods caused by months of heavy rain. Up to 340,000 people are estimated to have been affected, as water levels continue to rise in eastern areas. Roads in the worst-hit departments of Santa Cruz and Beni have been blocked by mudslides, hampering relief efforts.

The government has declared a state of emergency and is appealing for international aid. Two months of heavy rain have been blamed on what has become known as the El Nino effect, an occasional seasonal warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean. Local authorities in the worst-hit areas say many communities have been completely cut off by the floods, and it has been impossible to get aid to them. The governor of Beni has called for helicopters to help distribute food. Ernesto Suarez Sattori said the situation was critical and could get worse in the next five days.

Surprising Solar Storms Rage at Sun’s South Pole (Space.com)
By Ker Than Staff Writer posted: 20 February 2007 12:35 pm ET

Relatively calm weather was the standard forecast for the Sun, which is near the end of another 11-year solar cycle, but raging solar storms just spotted at its south pole now tell a different story.

At the start of a solar cycle, sunspots regions on the Sun marked by cooler temperatures and intense magnetic activity tend to appear near the poles and move towards the equator as the cycle concludes.Scientists were therefore surprised when Ulysses [image], a joint European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA spacecraft currently embarking on its third tour around the Sun [image] since launch in 1990, spotted intense solar storms near the Sun’s south pole. Solar storms are energetic explosions on the surface of the Sun caused by solar flares or coronal mass ejections, both of which tend to occur near sunspots.

Video: Beneath a Sunspot

Particle events of this kind were seen during the second polar passes in 2000 and 2001, at solar maximum, said Richard Marsden, ESA’s Ulysses Project Scientist and Mission Manager. We certainly didn’t expect to see them at higher latitudes at solar minimum.Ulysses also found that the Sun’s south pole is currently cooler than its north pole. This is a reversal from 10 years ago, when the northern polar coronal hole was about 7 to 8 percent lower than the southern one. Coronal holes are like bald spots on the Sun: they are regions in the Sun’s upper atmosphere, called the corona, where there is less heated gas than average. During solar minimum, coronal holes are mainly found at the Sun’s polar regions; during solar maximum, they can be located anywhere.This implies that the asymmetry between north and south has switched with the change of the magnetic polarity of the Sun, said George Gloeckler, Principal Investigator for the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) aboard Ulysses.The Sun’s magnetic field consists of a north pole, where the field flows out of the Sun, and a south pole, where the field re-enters. During solar maximum, when the Sun’s activity is at a peak in its 11-year cycle [image], the poles exchange places.

Rain and mountain snow Far West Thursday Senior Meteorologist, The Weather Channel FEB 21,07

West

Rain and mountain snow will dampen much of the Far West tomorrow, from the Pacific Northwest and western Montana southward to Southern California (with the exception of the deserts). Much of the precipitation will be showery in nature, but a heavy, steady snow is likely in the Sierras, as is a soaking rain for much of central and Southern California. Travel over Siskiyou Summit on I-5 in extreme southern Oregon will continue to be slowed by snow. And pushing over Donner Summit (I-80) in the Sierras may become difficult, too. Snow levels in the Sierras will drop to 4000 feet or less by late in the day; and in the mountains north of L. A., to 5000 feet or less. High temperatures are predicted to range from the 30s and 40s in much of the Northwest and Montana to the 80s in southwest Arizona.

Northeast

A vigorous little clipper storm will scoot through the Northeast tomorrow bearing rain and snow. Accumulating snow, several inches, is likely in much of Upstate New York and probably Vermont's Green Mountains. Elsewhere, only light snow or a mix of rain and snow showers is expected. Much of Maine and Virginia, however, may escape any precipitation at all. Cold, blustery winds will set in behind the clipper late tomorrow and tomorrow night. Light snow may accompany the gusty winds tomorrow night, especially in parts of New York state and central and southern New England. During the day tomorrow, high temperatures are expected to range from the 20s in far northern New York and northern New England to the 60s in southeast Virginia. Maxima in the 30s will prevail in southern New York, much of Pennsylvania and southern New England.

Midwest

Gusty northwest winds in the wake of a fast-moving clipper storm will sweep over much of the Midwest tomorrow. Scattered snow showers and flurries will whip over areas from the Arrowhead of Minnesota into Michigan and Ohio. Temperatures will be noticeably lower than today's with highs ranging from the upper teens in far northeast North Dakota to the low 60s in extreme southern Kansas and a sliver of southwest Missouri. Maxima around the Great Lakes will be in the 20s and 30s, north
to south.

South

A spring-loaded day is on tap for the South tomorrow. Fore! and service! will be frequently heard words. Temperatures are expected to soar well above late February averages under the influence of abundant sunshine. Highs in the 60s and 70s will be widespread. Readings in the 50s should be confined to northern Tennessee. On the other end of the scale, maxima in the low 80s are possible in the Big Bend country of Texas and in locations near Laredo, Texas, and Miami, Florida.

US Iran attack plans revealed BBC FEB 20,07

USS John C Stennis is being deployed to the Persian Gulf

US contingency plans for air strikes on Iran extend beyond nuclear sites and include most of the country's military infrastructure, the BBC has learned. It is understood that any such attack - if ordered - would target Iranian air bases, naval bases, missile facilities and command-and-control centres. The US insists it is not planning to attack, and is trying to persuade Tehran to stop uranium enrichment. The UN has urged Iran to stop the programme or face economic sanctions. But diplomatic sources have told the BBC that as a fallback plan, senior officials at Central Command in Florida have already selected their target sets inside Iran. That list includes Iran's uranium enrichment plant at Natanz. Facilities at Isfahan, Arak and Bushehr are also on the target list, the sources say.

Two triggers

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the trigger for such an attack reportedly includes any confirmation that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon - which it denies.

The Natanz plant is buried under concrete, metal and earth .Alternatively, our correspondent adds, a high-casualty attack on US forces in neighbouring Iraq could also trigger a bombing campaign if it were traced directly back to Tehran. Long range B2 stealth bombers would drop so-called bunker-busting bombs in an effort to penetrate the Natanz site, which is buried some 25m (27 yards) underground. The BBC's Tehran correspondent Frances Harrison says the news that there are now two possible triggers for an attack is a concern to Iranians. Authorities insist there is no cause for alarm but ordinary people are now becoming a little worried, she says.

Deadline

Earlier this month US officers in Iraq said they had evidence Iran was providing weapons to Iraqi Shia militias. However the most senior US military officer later cast doubt on this, saying that they only had proof that weapons made in Iran were being used in Iraq. Gen Peter Pace, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said he did not know that the Iranian government clearly knows or is complicit in this. At the time, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the accusations were excuses to prolong the stay of US forces in Iraq.

Middle East analysts have recently voiced their fears of catastrophic consequences for any such US attack on Iran. Britain's previous ambassador to Tehran, Sir Richard Dalton, told the BBC it would backfire badly by probably encouraging the Iranian government to develop a nuclear weapon in the long term. Last year Iran resumed uranium enrichment - a process that can make fuel for power stations or, if greatly enriched, material for a nuclear bomb. Tehran insists its programme is for civil use only, but Western countries suspect Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. The UN Security Council has called on Iran to suspend its enrichment of uranium by 21 February. If it does not, and if the International Atomic Energy Agency confirms this, the resolution says that further economic sanctions will be considered.

DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS

REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.

REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (DRUGS), nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

NHS pays too much to drug firms
By Robert Peston Business Editor, BBC News FEB 21,07

The OFT will announce its findings on Tuesday The NHS is paying drug companies hundreds of millions of pounds too much for branded medicines, according to the Office of Fair Trading. Since September 2005, the competition watchdog has been investigating the system by which the Department of Health buys £7bn of branded medicines. It has concluded the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) should be overhauled, the BBC has learned. The OFT has found the scheme does not allow the NHS to get the best prices. The OFT will present its conclusions to the Department of Health and the prime minister on Tuesday. Because they are likely to affect the share prices of the UK's leading drug companies, they will be released to the Stock Exchange at 0700 GMT.

Cap on profits

The Department of Health does not have to accept the OFT's recommendations, but it is highly unlikely to reject them, given that hundreds of millions of pounds of public money are at stake.

However there is likely to be a blazing row with the major drug companies, who frequently complain that the NHS does not spend enough on their products. The PPRS sets a cap on the profits that each drug company can earn on its annual sales of branded medicines to the NHS. It is a voluntary scheme negotiated every five years between the Department of Health and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. The price paid by the NHS for drugs is used by as a benchmark by health services in other countries, but they frequently insist on paying less than the NHS pays.

Expensive research

But a dire warning is likely to come from the pharmaceutical industry. UK drug companies are world beaters, which is not true of all British business.

Those drug companies are likely to argue that their continued success depends on their being properly rewarded for very expensive and risky scientific research. A statement from the Department of Health said: It is important that we have fair prices which give value for money to the taxpayer.However, we recognise the importance of the pharmaceutical industry to healthcare and the development of medical advances and it is in all of our interests to encourage research and reward innovation.

DISEASES

REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)

82 killed in Congo cholera epidemic Mon Feb 19, 12:23 PM ET

BRAZZAVILLE (AFP) - Eighty-two people have died in a cholera epidemic in the Republic of Congo, according to figures from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The outbreak was officially declared at the end of January in Pointe-Noire, the economic heart of the Congo located in the southwest, and has since spread to the capital, Brazzaville.Figures released by UNICEF Monday compiled from data from local health authorities found that 4,077 people in Pointe-Noire had contracted cholera by February 14, of whom 61 died.North of the town, in the Kouilou area, 106 people have been recorded with cholera, of whom seven died, and in Brazzaville, 14 people have died, and a further 46 have been infected, UNICEF said.A previous survey by the Congolese health ministry, published on February 8, said 65 people had died from the epidemic.Although the number of new cases has reduced markedly in Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville in the last few days, UNICEF warned the disease had appeared in the Mindouli area, between the two towns.

Despite a fall in the fatalities, which shows the good performance of the care of those (infected) cases, it is important to note that the epidemic continues to develop in terms of the number of new registered cases, UNICEF said in its last report on the progress of the disease.Cholera is an intestinal infection caused by a bacteria present in water and dirty food. It causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting
that results in rapid dehydration and can be fatal if not treated.

Hamas Being Asked to Accept Conditions - Just Like Arafat Did
by Hillel Fendel (INN) FEB 21,07

Hamas is the winner of this summit, because the sense of this policy is that Hamas is being accepted as a legitimate partner for dialogue. Yoram Ettinger, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations, opines that visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has the mistaken conception that the Israel-PA issue will affect the fate of US efforts against Iran. She wants concessions from both sides, Ettinger said.
A former liaison for Congressional affairs in Israel's Washington embassy, Ettinger spoke with Arutz-7's Yigal Shok following the three-way meetings of Rice, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Fatah chairman Abbas in Jerusalem yesterday (Monday). The end result is the status quo; nothing has changed, Ettinger said. Secretary Rice still hopes that Israel and Fatah will come closer and make concessions to each other, because what's important to her is not the Palestinian issue but the situation in Iraq and Iran; she feels mistakenly, in my opinion - that the Palestinian subject is the heart of everything and causes all the shocks in the Middle East and can determine the effectiveness of any coalition against Iran.

Hamas Must Merely Make Verbal Commitments

However, he said, Hamas is the winner of this summit, because the sense of this policy is that Hamas is being accepted as a legitimate partner for dialogue. Just like when Arafat as if recognized Israel, and as if abandoned the path of terrorism even though the last 13 years have shown that this was not at all true and now Secretary Rice is trying to get Hamas to do the same thing! Israel is going along as well. All they are asking is that Hamas 'commit itself' to the Quartet conditions. But we have received the same things in the past, and what did we gain? Abu Mazen is now portrayed as a leader of peace' merely for his words. The fact that his commitments are not being implemented in practice is a different story.The purpose of Rice's visit was to rush up the establishment of a Palestinian state and to bring Israel to uproot Jewish communities in Yesha [Judea and Samaria], Ettinger said but this plan failed because of the Mecca summit and the current I emphasize, current problematic stance of Hamas. Rice's anticipations were great, but the reality was not quite that way.Ettinger emphasized that the Israeli political leadership has come around to Rice's way of thinking, namely, that Israel must withdraw to the pre-Six Day War borders and enable the establishment of a Palestinian state. This is either because Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzippy Livny actually believe this, or because they feel that there is no choice but to dance according to the tune of the State Department even though this is not necessarily the stance of President Bush, and certainly not of Vice President Cheney and the Congress. This shows a genuine lack of understanding on the part of our leaders regarding what goes on in the U.S. and the true status of the Secretary of State.

House of Representatives set to vote on hate crimes giving homosexuals special rights FEB 21,07

Contact Your Representative In Opposition to HR 254 Today!

Dear Stan,

The U.S. House of Representatives will soon vote on HR 254, which establishes hate crime legislation. HR 254 will create new special rights for homosexuals under the guise of enhancing law enforcement. It would make sexual orientation a protected class alongside race, religion and gender.

The only way this bill can be defeated is with a real grassroots uprising by those who care about the future of their children, families and marriages! The intent of this law is to force the acceptance and approval of homosexuality on every American, regardless of their religious views. Here is a short summaryof HR254.
http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=9672&department=CFI&categoryid=papers

Here is a partial list of what homosexual activists are trying to force on every American. While HR 254 will not, in and of itself, accomplish these goals, it will open the door to such regulations. Once the elephant gets its trunk under the tent, the way is open for the elephant to move inside and do whatever he wants. Preaching that homosexuality is a sin from the pulpit will result in the preacher being charged with hate speech.Churches will have their tax-exempt status revoked if they oppose homosexuality.Homosexual marriage will be legalized and recognized in all states.Polygamy will be legalized.Landlords will be forced to rent to homosexuals.Scouts, and all non-profit organizations, will be required to hire homosexuals as leaders.Biblical language used to define homosexuality will be considered hate speech. City officials have already had a billboard removed in Long Island, NY, because it was classified as hate speech. The billboard read: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. (Leviticus 20:13)

Employees will not be allowed to say anything negative about homosexuality in their workplaces. Classes promoting the homosexual lifestyle will be included in school curricula beginning with the lower grades.Employers will be forced to hire homosexuals.Adoption by homosexuals will be legalized in every state. Let me say again: HR 254 will not, in and of itself, accomplish everything the homosexual activist’s desire. But it is the first step is to position their cause where they can achieve all their goals. If they are successful with HR 254, rest assured they will pursue their next goal and will not stop until they achieve all their goals.

Take Action

Send the e-mail to your representative urging him or her to vote AGAINST HR 254. It all boils down to who is dedicated to their cause more homosexual activists or Christians. Right now the homosexual activists are winning.Please forward this to all your friends and family. The only way to stop this onslaught on Christian values and Christianity is a national uprising against HR 254, saying enough is enough! Click Here to Email Your Representative Now!
http://www3.capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=9395716

If you think our efforts are worthy, would you please support us with a small gift? Thank you for caring enough to get involved.
Sincerely, Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

Temple Mount Re-Opened to Jews
by Hillel Fendel (INN) FEB 21,07

Israeli excavation works at the Rambam (Mughrabi) Gate ramp leading from the Western Wall plaza to the Temple Mount evoked Arab rioting and criticism of Israel by Arab leaders. Despite Israeli explanations and photos showing that the work had nothing to do with the Temple Mount, Arabs continue to accuse Israel of attempting to destroy the mosques at the site. The instigation came to a climax 12 days ago, when dozens of Arabs and police were injured in rock-throwing clashes and rioting.Now that calm has been restored in the area, and in the wake of strong pressure by Jewish groups, the police have once again opened the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors. The hours are as restricted as before: between 7:30 and 10:30 in the morning, and between 12:30 and 1:30 in the early afternoon. At other times, Jews continue to be forbidden to frequent the holy site.

Rabbis are split over whether Jews are permitted to ascend to the site of the Holy Temples the site the Torah considers to be the holiest in the world. All agree that there are areas on the Mount that are forbidden for entry to those who are impure namely, everyone, until the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) purification ceremony can be performed. However, some rabbis say that because the precise location of those areas is not entirely clear, and because of the fear that some Jews might not even care to find out, the entire Mount area must be forbidden for public entry. Other rabbis say that following careful research and based on archaeological evidence, the forbidden areas can be mapped out, and that proper Jewish-legal precautions, including immersing in a ritual bath before visiting, can and must be taken to prevent errant wandering. These rabbis feel that there is an important national/religious value in visiting the site and perpetuating Jewish national bonds with the site, as opposed to abandoning it to the Moslems.

The monthly March Around the Temple Mount Gates, which is held every Rosh Chodesh (the first day of each Hebrew month), was canceled by police earlier this week, at the beginning of the month of Adar. This, despite or because of the fact that thousands of Jews were expected to show up. As a result, however, a large amount of public pressure was brought to bear by MK Uri Ariel and the Temple Mount organizations.The police then permitted an alternate event this past Sunday evening.

Hundreds of Jews who managed to find out of the change in plans showed up outside the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount. Foreign media often confuse the Western Wall with the Mount it supports, thus giving more credence to Moslem claims than Jewish ones.Kiryat Arba's Chief Rabbi Dov Lior, Chairman of the Yesha Rabbis Council and a leading Halakhic source on Temple Mount matters, told the assembled, The increase of terrorism and anti-Semitism in Israel and around the world stems from our neglect of and weakness regarding the Temple Mount.

The fact that the Mount is closed whenever our enemies begin threatening, and that the hours in which we may ascend are so limited, and that we may not pray there or build a synagogue all this reflects weakness and lack of Jewish control over the most sacred site to the entire Jewish nation.Regarding Moslem claims that the Jews are planning to rebuild the Temple, Rabbi Lior said, I wish this was the case... Plans should be made and the public should be prepared for the building of the Third Temple.

The Mount, not the Wall

He emphasized that the sanctity of the Western Wall, which surrounds and supports the Temple Mount area in which the Holy Temple was built and will be rebuilt, is tens of times less than that of the Mount itself. This must be understood within the Jewish public, and first and foremost, within the religious public.Rabbi David Dudkevich of Yitzhar also addressed the crowd, musician Ariel Zilber provided musical entertainment, and a giant video screen showed an exhibit regarding historic Jewish rights to the Temple Mount, and pictures showing how the Mount looked, looks and will look in the future. Foreign media often confuse the Western Wall with the Mount it supports, thus giving more credence to Moslem claims than Jewish ones. BBC, for instance, in a photo-report on the area posted today, writes, The Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif is the most important religious site in Jerusalem.

Its Western Wall is the holiest site in Judaism.

In another report, Reuters refers to the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site. Two days ago, however, an AP report corrected this impression by writing that the Mount is Judaism's holiest site, having housed the biblical Jewish temples. The report adds, Jews have gathered for centuries to pray outside the compound at the Western Wall, a remnant of the ancient compound.

Rise In Western Aliyah In 2006
by Hana Levi Julian (INN) FEB 21,07

Immigration to Israel from several key countries increased in 2006 as compared to 2005. A report released Tuesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) revealed a slight rise in the number of immigrants coming from English-speaking countries, with the highest percentage arriving from North America. According to the report, 11.2% of the new olim [immigrants] in 2006 came from North America, an increase over the previous year, in which they comprised 9.7% of new immigrants. CBS statistics indicated that a total of 2,157 North American Jews immigrated in 2006, as opposed to 2,045 the year before. A similar trend was seen from Great Britain whose Jews comprised 3.2% of aliyah in 2006, an increase of 1.3% over 2005. In 2006, 595 British Jews came to live in Israel, as compared to 383 in 2005.

From Ethiopia as well, more Jews came home to Israel in 2006.

The new olim, numbering 3,595, comprised 18.7% of all immigrants, as opposed to 3,571 in 2005. Jewish and non-Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union dropped in numbers by 3.9% as compared to 2005. The former USSR nationals, who still comprise the lions share of total immigration to the Jewish State 66.7 percent in 2006, included people from Asian, Eastern European, Russian and Ukrainian countries. Of those, 32.1% came from Eastern Europe. Taking into account the mixed Jewish and non-Jewish immigration from the former Soviet Union, the total immigration figures dropped to its lowest levels since 1988, with less than 20,000 people choosing to live in the Jewish State, a drop of nine percent over 2005.

Rome concerned over Blair's exit impact for EU constitution talks
21.02.2007 - 09:29 CET | By Lucia Kubosova (EuObserver)

Italian and Spanish leaders have voiced their full support for salvaging the EU constitution, indicating they could join Germany as the big country frontrunners pushing for the charter's revival. Meeting on the Balearic island of Ibiza on Tuesday (20 February), Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi and his Spanish counterpart Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero praised the current German EU presidency for trying to move from a phase of stagnation to a time of initiative on the European constitution.The document, originally signed by all member states, was put on ice after its rejection by French and Dutch voters in spring 2005 but is now back on the political agenda.German chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to come up with a timetable for negotiation of a way out of the constitutional impasse and present it to the whole union in June.

Mr Prodi and Mr Zapatero representing two of the 18 countries that have ratified the charter called for a solution which would preserve the essence of the existing text along with minimum changes making it acceptable to states that have not yet ratified it, according to press reports. Our goal is to maintain the essential idea of achieving a more united and efficient Europe with new ways of working, the Spanish leader said.The new EU constitution streamlines all the previous treaties and introduces changes that are seen as making the enlarged bloc more effective and transparent, such as a simpler voting system and a permanent presidency instead of the current six-month rotating system.

Clouds over June summit

Berlin has launched a series of confidential talks with government officials to find out where the problem areas are with Mrs Merkel planning to present the revival plan at the EU's June summit just before Portugal takes over the bloc's chair.But while European leaders are set to be joined at the meeting by a new French president the winner of the April and May elections it could also be the last Brussels session for the UK's Prime Minister Tony Blair.The British leader has announced he will step down from office before the new parliamentary elections in his country, with finance minister Gordon Brown most likely to replace him, leading other countries to speculate on what this will mean for the constitution negotiations.Italian interior minister Giuliano Amato said the June summit would probably not produce more than a mandate for a future inter-governmental conference on a new treaty.

One of the reasons why I'm not sure whether this dream of mine might come true in June is the British transition, because the British prime minister on that occasion might meet some difficulty committing his country for the future, Mr Amato said at the London School of Economics on Tuesday (20 February), according to Reuters.People are not ready as yet to come out with their real arguments. So there is a general goodwill in restoring the debate and see[ing] where we can go from here, but the final destination is still in my view obscure, he added.Mr Amato said the UK's position is crucial for Europe, stressing These islands are an essential part of Europe. They should stop thinking of themselves as the Highlanders. Like it or not, they [the British] are Europeans.