CLAMP DOWN ON VEILS VOTING

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Rain triggers mudslide, flooding. 3-N.M. tornadoes destroy homes, injure 16. 4-Europe-wide weather alarm system launched. 5-More thunderstorms today. 6-Cyclone kills 69 in Madagascar. 7-Israel shows off plants on water day. 8-Plowshares into Swords: Former Jewish Towns are Terrorist Camps. 9-Olmert Accepts Saudi Plan Basis; Shteinitz: Olmert is a Danger. 10-Bolton: Iranian regime must be toppled. 11-Sec. Council set to OK sanctions on Iran. 12-The EU: a model impossible to export? 13-Terror trial catalyst in British ban on full-face veils. 14-Muslim women will have to lift veils to vote in Quebec election. 15-Egypt says Israel must accept land-for-peace principle.

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 = Sun Mar 25 12:00 AM EDT

MAR 24,07
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.4 PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.7 NORTH OF SVALBARD
MAP 4.8 APURE, VENEZUELA
MAP 2.6 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 4.8 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.2 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

MAR 23,07
MAP 2.7 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 FIJI REGION
MAP 3.1 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.6 GUAM REGION
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.7 GULF OF ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.4 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
MAP 4.9 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.2 SEA OF OKHOTSK
MAP 5.2 VANUATU
MAP 3.2 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.6 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA
MAP 3.1 KANSAS
MAP 2.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.4 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
MAP 4.3 VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA REGION
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN 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.

Rain triggers mudslide, flooding
Last Updated: Friday, March 23, 2007 | 7:06 PM PT CBC News

The heavy rain that hit B.C.'s South Coast Friday caused damage across the Lower Mainland, including a mudslide and flooding.The slide on Friday morning closed the Barnett Highway to Port Moody and knocked out power to about 2,200 homes in North Burnaby.The road was reopened to traffic and the lights were back on by early afternoon. In South Surrey, the Nicomekl River overflowed near the Highway 99 overpass.The nearby Serpentine River is expected to flood as well.

There are also concerns about more widespread flooding over the weekend as an intense rainstorm pounds southwestern B.C. Environment Canada is forecasting up to 110 mm of rain by Saturday, with even more rain expected on the North Shore mountains.

A high streamflow advisory has been issued for Greater Vancouver, the Lower Fraser Valley and Howe Sound by B.C.'s River Forecast Centre.Spokesman Allan Chapman warns that there will be more flooding by Saturday morning.Because the tide is low today at 4 p.m. and then rising to a very high tide Saturday just before noon, [it] means that those rivers will start to rise tonight after dark, they will rise all throughout the night and will more than likely be experiencing flooding sometime before breakfast Saturday.

Heavy rainfall warnings have also been issued for the West Coast of Vancouver Island. But Chapman said rivers on the east side of the Island are not expected to flood.

N.M. tornadoes destroy homes, injure 16 By FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press Writer Sat Mar 24, 6:05 AM ET

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Storms that produced at least 13 tornadoes swept along New Mexico's border with Texas on Friday, destroying homes and other buildings and injuring at least 16 people, several critically, authorities said. The worst damage was reported in the towns of Logan and Clovis, which are about 80 miles apart, police said.The tornadoes damaged several buildings, toppled power lines and sparked fires that were later extinguished in Clovis, police Lt. James Schoeffel said.Thirteen people from the area were hospitalized at the Plains Regional Medical Center. Five were in critical condition with head trauma, said Liz Crouch, the center's chief operating officer.In Logan, three people were taken to a hospital, while others were treated at a local clinic, State Police Sgt. Andrew Tingwall said.

A tornado destroyed about two dozen mobile homes and campers in Logan, state police said.They have been coming one after another, after another, after another," said Tim Shy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.Tornadoes are common in eastern New Mexico along the Texas border, but Shy said they might have hit a little early this year.We normally would get the first one no later than the middle of April — tax day, he said.The storms were expected to continue into Saturday, moving northward up the Texas-New Mexico border before moving eastward into the Texas panhandle, Shy said.Downed power lines and debris forced authorities to shut down part of a highway near Clovis, said Roosevelt County Emergency Management official Lonnie Berry.There's a lot of flooding; we have a lot of water, he said. There's a lot of debris that scattered from the winds.

In Logan, the most severe damage was reported on the south side, west of the main entrance to Ute Lake State Park, Tingwall said. Several homes and businesses also sustained cosmetic damage, he said.

Authorities initially cut off utility service to aid rescue crews and help with cleanup efforts, and power was restored shortly thereafter, Tingwall said.Carrie Moritomo, a spokeswoman for the state's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said a crew will be sent to Logan on Saturday to assess the damage.

Europe-wide weather alarm system launched Fri Mar 23, 11:45 AM ET

EL ESCORIAL, Spain (Reuters) - With climate change set to bring ever more frequent storms, floods and natural disasters, 21 European countries have created a unified weather alert system, its creators said on Friday.

Meteoalarm, launched on Friday at the end of a week-long meteorological conference in Madrid, provides simple icon-based information on severe weather in 17 languages from a single web page, www.meteoalarm.eu.Our job is to save lives and goods, and this project was needed in Europe, Tomas Molina, chairman of the International Association of Broadcast Meteorology, told a news conference.The new system should be simple and credible, so that on the rare occasions there is a red alert people will take it seriously, its backers said.Part of the reason the death toll from hurricane Katrina was so high in New Orleans was because people refused to leave their homes, the technical manager of Meteoalarm, Michael Staudinger said.Warnings are only useful if they are believed, understood and acted on, said Dieter Schiessl of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Forecasting is becoming ever more accurate, but often countries lack a reliable means of warning the population.The problem lies in alert systems, not in forecasting systems. That was the big lesson of the tsunami, Francisco Cadarso, director general of the Spanish National Meteorological Institute, said during the WMO conference this week.Technical advances and improvements in satellite images will steadily extend the range of reliable forecasting, said Miguel Angel Rabiolo, director of Argentina's meteorological service. Today our forecasting is not more than five or seven days, but an experiment organized by the WMO will extend that to 15 days, he said.

More thunderstorms today Wayne Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel MAR 24,07

Midwest

A stationary front will remain from the Midwest, into the central Plains, and will continue to be the focus for showers and thunderstorms today. Low pressure on the western end of this front will trigger severe thunderstorms across the central Plains, from North Platte to Wichita, Omaha, and Kansas City. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will also impact areas from Des Moines, through Chicago, to near Louisville and Cleveland. Heavy downpours may result in flooding, especially in areas that have received heavy rainfall in recent days. On Sunday, the threat for severe thunderstorms will shift into the Upper Midwest, from Fargo through Minneapolis and Green Bay. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will return to places like Kansas City, St. Louis, and Louisville by Monday.

Northeast

A stationary front will remain across the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic today, resulting in areas of showers and thunderstorms from Pittsburgh and Buffalo, east through the Philadelphia and Washington, DC areas.

Overnight, a wave of low pressure will wide east along the front, bringing some wet snow to central and northern New England. Areas from Albany north through Boston and Burlington could see 1 to 3 inches of snow, with locally higher amounts in the mountains. A few snow showers will linger over northern New England Sunday, but most of the remaining parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will see a dry, but cooler day. More rain showers and thunderstorms will push into the Northeast Monday into Tuesday, as a weather system approaches the area. Milder temperatures will also return.

South

High pressure will continue to dominate much of the Deep South, with the potential for record warmth today and again on Saturday.

Most locations will see afternoon high temperatures in the 80s both days. Over West Texas however, an area of low pressure will keep the chance of showers and thunderstorms in the forecast there, some of which could be strong to severe. Sunday into Monday, showers and thunderstorms will spread across central Texas, into the Middle Mississippi River Valley, while the rest of the South continues to se warm and dry conditions. It is possible a few isolated showers could develop over parts of the Southeast on Monday; however, most locations should remain dry.

West

A continuous flow of Pacific moisture will remain over the Northwest today, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to the Seattle and Portland areas. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will also remain over parts of Arizona and New Mexico, where a persistent upper level disturbance will remain in the area. The Rockies will also see active weather, where a few showers and thunderstorms will occur across the Denver area, and heavy snow will fall in the higher mountains, west of Denver. Meanwhile, the rest of the West Coast will remain dry, from San Francisco, to San Diego. On Sunday, the showers and thunderstorms will end over the Southwest, but the wet weather over the Northwest, will expand south into California. Into early next week, heavy rain may fall across parts of central and northern California, with higher elevation snow occurring inland. Temperatures will be cooler into early next week, as the unsettled weather becomes more widespread in the West.

Cyclone kills 69 in Madagascar(CNN)
POSTED: 0159 GMT (0959 HKT), March 23, 2007

ANTANANARIVO,Madagascar (Reuters) A cyclone that swept across Madagascar last week
killed at least 69 people and made tens of thousands homeless in the north of the Indian Ocean island, officials said on Friday.Mudslides have buried whole villages, rivers have burst their banks and roads have been cut off since Cyclone Indlala struck on March 15.I have never seen so much damage, Jacky Randimbiarison, executive secretary of the government's disaster management agency, told Reuters.The agency said it had confirmed 69 deaths, two people missing, and nearly 78,000 people uprooted on the world's fourth largest island that is home to 18.6 million people.

The storm wiped out more than 3,600 houses plus dozens of government buildings, schools and bridges, officials said. Some 8,280 hectares of paddy-fields were ruined.

In northern Ambanja district a whole mountain has collapsed, burying two villages under thousands of tonnes of rock and killing 20 people including six children in a school, Randimbiarison said.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies appealed on Friday for $637,000 to help Madagascar.The situation has been made worse because Indlala is the fifth cyclone to hit Madagascar in the past three months and the region has already experienced heavy rains since December, said Amna Al-Ahmar, the federation's regional officer, in Geneva.According to government figures, about 80 per cent of the country's vanilla production madagascar's top foreign exchange earner has been lost, it said in a statement. Emergency assistance was focusing on temporary shelter and preventive health measures through the provision of tarpaulins, blankets, jerry cans, water purification tables and other basic relief items, the federation said.Some emergency aid was being delivered by air and sea, officials in Madagascar said.

Aid agency CARE International said it was likely the total number of people affected is around 225,000.At least 75,000 people are in urgent need of immediate relief, said Didier Young, CARE's emergency coordinator in Madagascar. These people have lost everything ... their houses, food stocks and their crops.CARE said that with the destruction of the main rice harvest, which had been due in May, a substantial part of Madagascar was now facing a potential food crisis.

ISAIAH 35:1-2
1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

Israel shows off plants on water day By MARSHALL THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer Fri Mar 23, 12:42 AM ET

ASHKELON, Israel - Israel displayed its best desalination plant to visiting diplomats Thursday, marking International Water Day by demonstrating how the desert nation keeps from shriveling in the sun. The plant, at the southern port of Ashkelon, turns 330,000 cubic meters of Mediterranean seawater into fresh water every day for about 53 cents each — compared to 80 cents at other plants, according to an official from the company that built the Israeli facility.Ezra Barkai, desk manager for IDE technologies, said the plant uses the common reverse osmosis technology that pushes water through a series of filters to remove salt, but also streamlines and reuses energy sources to make the finished product relatively inexpensive.

Its very impressive, said Zhou Hui, economic and commercial counselor from the Chinese embassy. Chinas economy is growing very quickly, and we need water just as much as fuel or steel. We hope Israel can show us how to expand our industry without destroying our environment and natural resources.Hui said that China was considering spending around $100 million for a pilot desalination facility that would produce about a third as much as the one in Ashkelon.

JOEL 3:9-10 BEFORE WW3, UNTIL CHRIST RETURNS TO EARTH BODILY.
9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

AFTER JESUS RULES FROM JERUSALEM. WHEN HE RETURNS BODILY.
ISAIAH 2:1-4
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah (ISRAEL) and Jerusalem.
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

MICAH 4:3-5
3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Plowshares into Swords: Former Jewish Towns are Terrorist Camps
by Hana Levi Julian (INN) MAR 23,07

The prediction by the Biblical prophet Isaiah that enemies will beat their swords into plowshares may have been carried out by the Jews of Gush Katif but Palestinian Authority Arabs in Gaza got it backwards and are now using the former Jewish agricultural communities as terrorist training camps.

The towns of Elei Sinai and Dagit, former Jewish communities in the Gaza region, are now being used to teach new terrorists and upgrade the skills of those who are already experienced in attacking Israeli civilians and soldiers. Earlier this week, Israelis living in the western Negev reported hearing explosions that upon investigation turned out to be part of explosives training exercises carried out by
the ruling faction in the new PA unity government.

The Gaza trainees are using the formerly Jewish towns to practice producing and using explosives, ambushing soldiers, shooting rockets and more, according to a senior member of Hamas. He added that the terrorists are preparing for an Israeli operation in the area, which they believe will take place in the near future. IDF Upgrading Reservist, Commander and Combat Training Programs Israel Defense Forces commanders are also focusing their efforts on upgrading battle skills, focusing on measures to meet the increasingly sophisticated weaponry and terrorist skills. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said, in his first appearance before the army leadership, that he plans to emphasize intensified training for the reserves as well as the commanders and combat troops.

Ashkenazi reviewed the lessons learned from last summers Second Lebanon War and told Security Cabinet ministers a day later that his first priority would be specialized training for troops assigned to especially dangerous missions. He did not elaborate on what those missions might be. The IDF Chief also warned the Cabinet that the army would not be able to handle a war and said the process of bringing the troops up to battle-ready status would take several years. The Prime Ministers Office hastened to issue a statement less than two hours later, however, that such remarks were never made and, in any case, cannot be interpreted as if the IDF is in a situation that requires rehabilitation.

Former Front-Line Community Residents Ready to Return

And as the IDF prepares to reinforce its ability to protect Israeli citizens on the home front, civilians who once lived in Disengagement-destroyed Homesh in the Shomron are planning to return to the site and rebuild.

At the same time, a group of Jewish women is planning to use spiritual weapons - by fulfilling the commandment of taking challah in support of the return to Homesh next Monday. They will fulfill the Biblical command to separate a small potion of dough from the bread they are baking for Shabbat, and pray for the endeavors success. The challah initiative is the brainchild of a former resident of Homesh, who was expelled from her home along with all of the towns Jewish residents in 2005. The woman, who now lives in Ramle, explained that her idea would provide an alternative way to help the returnees, for those who are unable to be physically present. She said that the act of taking challah from bread has great spiritual significance, and demonstrates the power of prayer.

Olmert Accepts Saudi Plan Basis; Shteinitz: Olmert is a Danger
by Hana Levi Julian and Baruch Gordon (INN) MAR 23,07

Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts declaration Thursday that he is willing to do anything possible to attain peace may lead Arab nations to believe Israel is willing to compromise on defensible borders, according to Knesset Member Yuval Shteinitz, former Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Olmert said during a speech to national service volunteers in Tel Aviv Thursday that the 2002 Saudi proposal for Israeli concessions - which was rejected outright at the time by the Israeli government - was interesting, and that the plan could be used as a springboard for new talks.

He added that Israel is willing to make sweeping, painful and difficult concessions in exchange for peace with its Arab neighbors.

This government will not miss an opportunity to dialogue with its enemies and will do anything possible to push this process forward, asserted Olmert. Shteinitz, a leading defense expert, cited Olmert's remarks as another example of the weakness and limpness of the current government. He also noted that Olmert's acceptance of the Saudi plan as a basis of negotiations could be interpreted as an Israeli agreement to retreat to the '67 borders as a starting point in a negotiating process. When you mention the other side's plan and add 'all is open for negotiation,it means that you are not going to stand firm on defensible borders in the Golan Heights or in Judea and Samaria, he pointed out.

Shteinitz said that he doesn't recall another case in modern history in which one side accepted the territorial demands of the other side before dialogue even started. Olmert's policy is reminiscent of the mad dash of Ehud Barak in the last months of his administration, he said: Barak attempted to save his own skin by offering far-reaching concessions, including the surrender of all of Judea and Samaria and the division of Jerusalem which would thereby cause its destruction, and even lands from the Negev desert.Shteinitz charged that Olmert's weakness is driving him to offer similar concessions in order to gain political support from the Israeli left. Olmert is liable to lead Israel to the brink of disaster and to situations that will endanger its very existence, the defense expert added. He also called for increased efforts to replace the Prime Minister before he causes irreversible damage to Israel from a diplomatic and security standpoint.

Bolton: Iranian regime must be toppled MAR 24,07 Ynetnews.com
Yitzhak Benhorin

WASHINGTON - John Bolton, the outgoing American ambassador to the UN, said that his country should have launched efforts to topple the Mullahs' regime in Iran four years ago. In a special interview, Bolton told Ynet that he was disappointed by Russia's support of Iran in the UN Security Council, and the failure of diplomatic efforts to address the Iranian nuclear threat.

Bolton served as undersecretary of state for arms control during George W. Bush's firs term in office, and has been the US ambassador to the UN in the past 17 months. I'd dealt with the Russians extensively…on a range of proliferation matters. In the discussions on the Security Council over Iran, Russia emerged as Iran's biggest protector, for a variety of reasons, some commercial, some strategic, some just political, as opposition to the United States. China I think was content to follow Russia's lead in the Security Council, just the reverse of what they did with North Korea where China was the main actor and Russia followed China, he stated.

Bolton explained that the Russians played a major role in helping Iran deal with the diplomatic steps taken against it.Russia helped Iran by trying to explain to them that they should not position themselves in a way that maximized the strength of the sanctions against them and to work out where Russia had commercial interests like the Busher nuclear power facility, and to protect and shield as much of that as they could, he said. Why, in your opinion, did Russia pull out its experts from the Busher nuclear reactor site? That was an interesting piece of information, I'd like to see if that really is borne out, but the Russians have been in a dispute over the fuel rods for four years, and we've been urging them for four years not to ship the fuel rods. There are obviously different points of view inside Russia, but I think that the nuclear scientists… know Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. Maybe the Foreign Ministry hasn't yet figured it out.

According to Bolton, the US should certainly be increasing the pressure, It's certainly got to be more than we got from the sanctions the Security Council has imposed or will impose in this next resolution. I think we've had some success in the financial institutions area, I think we should do more through the proliferation security initiative to deny Iran access to materials and technology that they need. But I think ultimately the only answer to Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons is to overthrow the current regime in Tehran. They've been pursuing nuclear weapons for almost 20 years. We do have historical evidence that when a regime that's been pursuing nuclear weapons changes that there's an opportunity to give up this pursuit. South Africa is one example, the collapse of the Soviet Union saw Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus give back to Russia Soviet-era weapons. Libya gave up its weapons after it saw what we had done to Saddam Hussein.Are there any forces inside Iran that are working to overthrow the regime?

I think there are a lot of Iranians that are unsatisfied with the regime, I think that there is more unrest there than what people believe, I think that the government is constrained because of the fall of oil prices and there is mismanagement of the oil sector of Iran's economy, they've got fewer resources to
spread around to keep the populous happy. There's a large Iranian diaspora that know what the situation is. So, I think that there are a lot of possibilities. It won't necessarily be easy or quick, but that's not to say we shouldn't be pursuing it. In think it's very close to the point where Iran will have completely indigenous mastery over the fuel sites, that is to say the point in which stopping the things
from the outside will not be sufficient, so I don't think we have much time. That's why all these negotiations with the Europeans have played to Iran's advantage, because time is on their side, time is not on our side.How can the Iranian regime be toppled? Well, I wish we had started four years ago, but I think through internal dissent and outside pressure, those in general terms are what we have to do.Not through military action? I don't think military force is the preferable way to go. I don't rule military force out because as unpalatable as military force might be, Iran with nuclear weapons is even worse. I think you have to show you have tried the alternatives, I think we've spent too much time on this EU-three diplomacy, I think now is the time to ramp up the pressure very dramatically.

What should Israel do? Wait for the world to resolve this? I think Israel has to make its own decisions…I think any country threatened with its own survival at stake has to be prepared to do what it has to do. I wouldn't second guess that.What would be the world's reaction if Israel attacks Iran?

I'm sure a lot of people would be outraged, they'd be outraged if the United States decided to attack. That's why, if you want to avoid that possibility, then increased pressure on Iran now is important, and the inability of the Security Council to pass strong sanctions resolutions doesn’t augur well for a peaceful outcome.Is there a way to on monitor the use of nuclear weapons by terror organizations?

It's very hard, and I think we're all acutely aware of the limitations on what we know, which is why it is so important and such a priority under the Bush doctrine to deny rogue states and terrorist groups nuclear weapons in the first place.Bolton, who as ambassador to the UN pushed for the approval of Resolution 1701 in the Security Council, believes that the UN failed in implementing it. I was quite
concerned during that entire process that we're going to end up with UNIFIL 2, which has been ineffective since it was put on the ground in 1979, and I'm afraid this is what we've come to, even though we call it enhanced UNIFIL, even though it's troops from Italy and France, in other words troops from real armies. It's not sealing the border with Syria, Hizbullah is being rearmed, we made a conscious decision in 1701 to put off the question of disarming Hizbullah until another resolution and we're nowhere close to coming back to that. So, I don't think 1701 has achieved what the United States at lease said at the outset was our objective, which was to use the conflict to change the strategic circumstances in the region and to avoid yet another Middle East ceasefire that represents simply a return to the status quo antebellum.

Sec. Council set to OK sanctions on Iran By ALEXANDRA OLSON, Associated Press Writer MAR 24,07

UNITED NATIONS - Major powers expect unanimous approval Saturday of new U.N. Security Council sanctions to pressure Iran into suspending uranium enrichment. The new measure comes after arduous negotiations that sought unity in meting out punishment against the Islamic country for its nuclear defiance.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who earlier said he wanted to address the council when it voted on the measure, canceled a trip to New York and was sending his foreign minister instead.The six world powers that drafted the resolution spent Friday trying to overcome objections from several council members, reflecting concerns that anything short of consensus would undermine its efforts to send a strong message to Iran.The Security Council is voting on its second set of sanctions against Iran; the country responded to the first by expanding enrichment.We will be united again on this important resolution, French Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere told reporters after a closed-door Security Council meeting. We hope that Iran will reflect on this resolution and make the right choice.

The sanctions would ban Iranian arms exports and freeze the assets of 28 additional individuals and organizations involved in Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

About a third of those are linked to the Revolutionary Guard, an elite military corps.Alejandro Wolff, the acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., called the sanctions serious measures that underscore the severity with which the council views
rejection of its resolutions. He warned that if Iran continues to defy Security Council demands we will continue to add measures and continue to up the pressure. Ahmadinejad said earlier this month that he wanted to take his case for pursuing nuclear power to the Security Council himself.But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Hosseini told Iranian state television Friday that the trip had been scrapped because of America's obstruction in issuing visas to the Iranian delegation that was to travel to New York.

Hosseini said that instead of Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will attend the Security Council meeting and explain Iran's position regarding its nuclear activities.Mohammad Mir Ali Mohammadi, press secretary for Iran's mission to the U.N., told The Associated Press that the United States did not deliver a visa to the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, in time for Ahmadinejad to pick it up before flying to New York for the Saturday session.

In Washington, however, the State Department insisted it had approved and issued 75 visas for Amadinejad and his delegation, including air crew and support staff.Deputy spokesman Tom Casey also denied the U.S. or its visa processing system were responsible for the cancellation of the president's trip to the United Nations.Any suggestion that visa issues are the cause of President Ahmadinejad's decision not to travel to New York is false, he said. Rather, it would appear that he is unwilling to stand before the Council and take the heat for his continued defiance of the international community.The draft resolution was agreed upon last week by the five veto-wielding council members — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — and Germany. But it met with resistance from several elected members of the Security Council, particularly South Africa, which criticized the five powers for not giving enough consideration to the views of the other countries.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called South African President Thabo Mbeki on Friday to push for a yes vote, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Dumisalo Kumalo said he was satisfied with some of the changes in the revised resolution, even though it rejected key proposals from his country, including a 90-day suspension of all sanctions against Iran.

Indonesia and Qatar wanted the resolution to call for the Middle East to be free of weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. But including such an appeal could have implications for Israel, a U.S. ally widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, though it has never officially acknowledged it. In a compromise, the revised draft refers to a past resolution from the International Atomic Energy Agency calling for the need for the region to be free of such weapons. In December, the Security Council voted unanimously to impose limited sanctions on Iran, ordering all countries to stop supplying Iran with materials and technology that could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs and to freeze assets of 10 key Iranian companies and 12 individuals related to those programs. The U.S. and its allies claim Iran's nuclear efforts are cover for a weapons program, but Tehran insists it only wants electricity. Associated Press writers Ali Akbar Dareini in
Tehran, Iran, Sheherezade Faramarzi in Beirut, Lebanon, Paul Burkhardt at the United Nations and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

The EU: a model impossible to export?
22.03.2007 - 17:42 CET | By Renata Goldirova

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – During its 50-year-long journey, the European Union – itself striving to become a key global player speaking with one voice – has been promoting the idea of regional integration to other parts of the world. But is it at all possible to export the EU model beyond its borders?

Since the 1990s, EU external relations policy includes the promotion of regional integration and cooperation in other parts of the world. The main reason behind this is to share a recipe that has already proved successful by paving the way to peace and wealth in Europe.

By now, the EU has - more or less - served as a model to regional groupings in Africa, Asia and Latin America, although none of these has come anywhere close to creating anything like the European set-up.Over half a century, the EU has evolved from a purely economic community to a recognized political player, with powers divided between the European Commission (the executive body), the Parliament (the only directly-elected body), and the Council (representing EU governments). Currently the 27-nation bloc has its own free-trade internal market, a single currency (in 13 EU states) and a series of treaties, which with time have extended and deepened mutual cooperation. To become a part of the bloc, strict political and economic criteria must be fulfilled.

Africa's specifics

The African Union was modelled on the European Union five years ago, in 2002, with some of its structures appearing to mirror EU-style integration. Currently a 53-nation bloc, it is organized around three institutions the African Commission with its president and college of ten commissioners, the Pan-African Parliament, which is aimed at becoming become the highest legislative body and finally, the Assembly composed of heads of state and government.

Eventually, the AU also aspires to adopt a single currency, to set up an integrated defence force and a human rights court. The European Union has served as source of inspiration, AU official Mohamed Mustoofe told EUobserver, but rejected the assumption that it was an exact copy of the EU model. You cannot make one-to-one transposition, given Africa's specifics such as tribal conflicts, underdevelopment, HIV or malaria, Mr Mustoofe said, adding the continent's initial priority is to achieve a strong economic playing field, while further political integration is far off.

ASEAN and Mercosur

At the same time, business appears to be the main glue holding together other regional clubs, such as ASEAN in Asia, and Mercosur in Latin America, both trying to emulate EU-style economic ties in order to gain more leverage in dealing with major powers like the US and China. ASEAN – a club of ten south-east nations formed in the 1960s as a bulwark against communism – is set to have a free-trade zone by 2015 and also wants to draft a common legally binding rule-book. Similar free-trade ambitions have been mooted by South America's 16-year old Mercosur. The project has been questioned by analysts however, as Mercosur's own member countries have been locked in trade or diplomatic disputes. According to Antonio Missiroli from the European Policy Centre, promoting regional integration elsewhere is also part of the [EU's] so-called soft or public diplomacy as by selling its own model the EU potentially spreads stability and increases its own credibility.However, the ability of Africa, Asia or Latin America to act as a bloc has been very limited due to internal disputes and the EU remains a one-of-a-kind project for the time being, Mr Missiroli stressed. Earlier this month, the chief of the Asian Development Bank also poured cold water on the idea of ASEAN becoming like the EU. Reaching a broad political and social consensus needed to develop a far-reaching pan-Asian grand plan of regional integration does not appear feasible at this stage, Haruhiko Kuroda said, according to AFP.

One-of-a-kind project

According to Mr Kuroda, South-east Asia should rely on a step-by-step, bottom-up and multi-speed approach, where a few countries can start working together on selected common issues, leaving the option for other countries to join later.

But Michael Emerson from the Brussels-based Centre for European Policy Studies is even more sceptical, saying the EU model cannot be exported, replicated or imposed in other parts of the world. The EU grew out from the ruins of two world wars and the European continent shares common political and democratic values, which together make it a one-of-a-kind project, Mr Emerson said.

Terror trial catalyst in British ban on full-face veils
Chad Groening OneNewsNow.com March 23, 2007

A Messianic Jewish believer who heads a pro-Israel ministry says she is pleased that schools in England can now ban Islamic students from wearing full-face veils or burqas.The Department for Education and Skills in Britain says it is leaving it up to the individual head teacher to decide what pupils should and should not be allowed to wear in class. [Teachers] should have regard to a range of religions and try to accommodate them where possible, a Department spokesman told Reuters. But
what we are saying in the guidance is that safety, security, and the ability to learn is paramount.

Jan Markell, founder of Minnesota-based Olive Tree Ministries, believes the English realized the national security risks associated with the veils during the February trial of six terrorist suspects in London.One of the suspects had escaped disguised as a woman in a burqa after the failed attacks, she explains, and then two months earlier police said a man wanted for questioning over the murder of a female police officer could have fled the country disguised as a woman wearing a full veil. According to the ministry leader, they have some problems over there trying to cave to all things Muslim.Markell says while England is starting to move away from its politically correct treatment of Islam, it and much of Europe is paying the price for years of accommodating Muslims who do not want to assimilate into the cultures of the continent. Even British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called the full-face coverings a mark of separation.American Family News Network.

Muslim women will have to lift veils to vote in Quebec election
Last Updated: Friday, March 23, 2007 | 6:12 PM ET CBC News

Muslim women will have to remove their face coverings if they want to vote in Monday's Quebec election, said the province's chief returning officer.Marcel Blanchet announced Friday he was reversing an earlier decision that would have allowed Muslim women wearing niqabs to vote on March 26 without showing their faces.
The initial decision, reported in Montreal newspapers, sparked fierce debate in Quebec.The chief electoral officer's headquarters were flooded with angry e-mails and phone calls, forcing Blanchet to hire two personal bodyguards and assign security officials to survey the building.

Some Quebecers threatened to show up at polling stations wearing masks, which spurred Elections Quebec to reverse its decision so voting day could proceed without trouble.It's not a good idea to make people nervous, said Denis Dion, a spokesman with Elections Quebec. In the house of democracy, we're not used to dealing with security. What we're doing currently in Quebec is a crucial part of our social and political life.

3 leaders want decision overturned

Quebec's three main party leaders have requested that Blanchet overturn the decision to allow Muslim women wearing niqabs to vote without removing the full veils, which leave only the eyes exposed.

Action Démocratique du Québec Leader Mario Dumont applauded Blanchet's announcement, and denied waffling about the earlier announcement that would have allowed women to go to the polls without showing their faces.On Thursday, Dumont said people should be forced to provide identification at their polling stations but stopped short of demanding they show their faces.Parti Québécois Leader André Boisclair was vociferous in his opposition to allowing women to vote with their faces concealed. He said if people have to show their faces to obtain a driver's licence or health card, then they should have to show their faces when they vote.He harped Thursday on Blanchet's reversal and claimed the PQ was instrumental in helping convince the chief electoral officer to change his mind. I think on this specific issue, there's no room for nuance.Liberal Leader Jean Charest demanded that Blanchet reverse his decision, to ensure that every voter is properly identified.Current election laws in Quebec allow women wearing niqabs to vote as long as they bring someone with them who can vouch for their identity. The rule applies to other voters who may not be able to expose their faces, such as burn victims.

The majority of Muslim women in Quebec don't wear niqabs, and none are on record as asking Elections Quebec for the right to vote without showing their faces.Concordia graduate student Afifa Naz, 25, doesn't understand why this has become an election issue. Naz, who wears the traditional full face veil, said she and most other women would have no problem showing their faces to a poll clerk.
With files from Canadian Press.

LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)

JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

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

ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.

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.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

7YR TREATY BY PROOF

GENESIS 2:2-3 GOD RESTED THE 7TH DAY
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

LEVITICUS 25:1-9 THE 7 YEAR SABBATICAL
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.
6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,
7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.
8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

God has always dealt with Israel in 7's, it just makes sense the last dealing with Israel and the World will be a 7 yr treaty. God rested from creation on the 7TH DAY. Every 7TH YEAR Israel is suppose to rest the land. And the 7X7=49 YRS and the jubilee is the 50TH YEAR.

Now the scriptures that a week in Israel history is 7YEARS.

Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

Isn"t this interesting it comes from the same Person whos name was changed to Israel,(JACOB) and Israel and Jerusalem is the places dealt with in Daniel 9:24-27.

GENESIS 32:27-28
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

1 CHRONICLES 17:6-14
6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?
7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:
8 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.
9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,
10 And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.
11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.
13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:
14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

MATTHEW 24:32-35
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:(MAY 14,1948 ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION IN 1 DAY).
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

LUKE 21:24
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.(JERUSALEM IN JEWSH HANDS JUNE 6-10, 1967).

DANIEL 9:24-27
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks,(7X7=49 YRS) and threescore and two weeks:(62X7=434 YRS) the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (69x7=483 YRS TO THIS POINT, THE FINAL 7 YR TREATY IS IN THE NEXT VERSE TO FULFILL THE 490 YEARS OF DANIELS PROPHECY.
9:27 And he (THE FUTURE ROMAN PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3RD TEMPLE DESECRATED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.(WW3)

AFTER ALL THESE VERSES, YES THE BIBLE SAYS IT WILL BE A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YR TREATY IN THE FUTURE.

Egypt says Israel must accept land-for-peace principle
Sat, 24 Mar 2007 02:58:49

Egypt says that Israel should approve in principle a land-for-peace initiative before negotiations with the Palestinians can begin. Israel must announce first that it is accepting the initiative, then we start searching for a mechanism of negotiations, for a peaceful settlement for the conflict, AP reported Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Hani Khalaf as saying. The Egyptian official hinted that if Israel accepted the plan in principle, negotiations could begin on its specific points. Israel should not make any requests to reformulate the initiative before negotiations, as the process of negotiations in itself will bring modifications, Khalaf said.

The plan offers peace in return for full withdrawal from the land Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, plus the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Al-Quds as its capital. It also calls for allowing Palestinian refugees the right to return to homes in Israel. The plan, first proposed at the Beirut Arab summit in 2002, is expected to be revived at the upcoming Arab summit later this
month in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Israel initially rejected the plan, and is particularly opposed to its granting the right of return to Palestinian refugees and their descendants. HA/HAR