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.
Subtropical Storm Gabrielle forms SEPT 8,07
MIAMI - Subtropical Storm Gabrielle formed Friday off the southeast U.S. coast, and a tropical storm watch was issued for portions of the South Carolina and North Carolina coast. At 11 p.m, Gabrielle had top sustained winds near 45 mph and was centered about 385 miles southeast of Cape Lookout, N.C., the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving west northwest near 10 mph and was expected to continue along the same path during the next 24 hours.A tropical storm watch was issued for portions of the South Carolina and North Carolina coast from Edisto Beach northward to Oregon Inlet, including Pamlico Sound. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area within the next 36 hours.
Subtropical systems are hybrid weather formations that are typically weaker than hurricanes. They share characteristics of tropical storms, which get their power from warm ocean waters, and more normal storms that form when warm and cold fronts collide.Gabrielle is the second subtropical storm to form this year. Subtropical Storm Andrea formed in May about 150 miles northeast of Daytona Beach, before the June 1 official start to hurricane season. Andrea skirted the southern Atlantic coast but caused minimal damage.
Seven dead, one missing in Romania floods Fri Sep 7, 1:55 PM ET
BUCHAREST (AFP) - Seven people drowned and one was missing after severe floods following heavy rains in eastern Romania, the interior ministry said Friday, updating the toll. Three elderly women were found dead in their homes in the town of Tecuci in Galati county, the worst hit by the flooding, the ministry said.Nearly 1,400 people had been evacuated as a thousand homes were flooded, while train services were also badly disrupted.The labour ministry said it had released emergency aid totalling some two million euros for the victims.
Typhoon batters Tokyo By Hiroaki Watanabe
Fri Sep 7, 8:23 AM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - A typhoon pounded Tokyo and surrounding areas on Friday, killing at least one man and snarling transport and power supplies, before weakening and moving north. The typhoon, the biggest to hit Tokyo since October 2002, brought down record rainfall in many parts of the capital, but by afternoon it had weakened to a tropical storm.Rescue workers searched for homeless people swept away by a swollen Tama river as they slept in shacks along its banks in western Tokyo.Many were winched to safety by helicopters, although local officials said they were not sure how many others had been living along the river bank. Kyodo news agency said 29 people had been rescued.By noon, the worst of Typhoon Fitow, whose name means beautiful fragrant flower in a Micronesian language, had passed to the north of Tokyo.The flood warning for the Tama river was lifted and train service in the capital had mostly returned to normal.The eye of the storm was near the Tsugaru Peninsula, some 600 km (375 miles) north of Tokyo, bringing with it winds gusting to 90 km (56 miles) an hour as of 7 p.m. (6 a.m. EDT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
It had picked up speed and was heading north at 40 km (25 miles) an hour.Apple growers in the path of the storm hurried to pick their crops as the storm approached.
If the apples get damaged by falling, all the effort and cost up until now will be wasted, a farmer told NHK as he harvested apples five days ahead of schedule.During the night, a 76-year-old man was killed by a falling tree northwest of Tokyo, local police said. At least 69 people had been injured and another was missing, NHK television said.A construction worker died after being trapped in a landslide that had hit a dam being built in Fukui, northwestern Japan, a local government official said. But it was not clear whether the death was linked to the typhoon, he added.
Bedraggled commuters struggled to get to work on Friday with some expressways closed and trains, including high-speed bullet services, delayed or cancelled on many lines. About 10 million people commute to work or school in Tokyo.
Some travelers blamed climate change.
It's rare for Tokyo to get hit directly like this, said Miho Kaido, a 36-year-old tourist who came by taxi to Tokyo station to catch a bus to Aomori in northern Japan. The worst thing is that the trains are not running. I think global warming is having an impact and making the weather more severe.In central Tokyo, tree branches and leaves littered the streets and broken umbrellas were snagged in fences and under parked cars after the stormy night, as clean-up crews moved methodically in the rain to remove the debris.In July, a typhoon killed three people and injured more than 70 when it hit the southern island of Kyushu and moved along the country's eastern coastline.(Additional reporting by Isabel Reynolds, Yoko Kubota, Linda Sieg, George Nishiyama and Teruaki Ueno)
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
Is China quietly dumping US Treasuries?
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Last Updated: 12:25am BST 06/09/2007
A sharp drop in foreign holdings of US Treasury bonds over the last five weeks has raised concerns that China is quietly withdrawing its funds from the United States, leaving the dollar increasingly vulnerable.
China threatens nuclear option of dollar sales
Data released by the New York Federal Reserve shows that foreign central banks have cut their stash of US Treasuries by $48bn since late July, with falls of $32bn in the last two weeks alone.This comes as a big surprise and it is definitely worrying, said Hans Redeker, currency chief at BNP Paribas.We won't know if China is behind this until the Treasury releases its TIC data in November, but what it does show is that world central banks are in a hurry to get out of the US. They don't seem to be switching into other currencies, so it is possible they are moving into gold instead. Gold is now gaining momentum across all currencies and has broken through resistance at 500 euros, he said.While the greenback has been resilient over recent weeks - even regaining something of a 'safe-haven' role as banks scrambled to buy the currency to cover dollar debts - most experts believe that America's $850bn current account deficit will eventually cause the dollar to resume its relentless slide.David Powell, an economist at IDEAglobal in New York, pointed the finger at Beijing as the main suspect in the sudden bond flight this summer.In a client note entitled Has China started to dump US Treasuries?, he said the sales appear to coincide with early moves by Beijing to launch its new $300bn sovereign wealth fund.
The scheme is part of the government's plan to diversify it $1,340bn reserves from bonds (mostly in the US) to a broader portfolio of investments and a better yield.
If so, the switch comes at a very delicate time, just as tempers flair on both sides of the Pacific over China's policy of holding down yuan by currency intervention. A bill in Congress calls for punitive tariff sanctions of 27.5pc against Chinese imports, and there has been a growing outcry over contaminated pet food and lead-tainted toys.Two top advisers to the Chinese government gave strong hints in August that Beijing should use its estimated $900bn holdings of US Treasuries and agency bonds as a bargaining chip, words taken as an implicit threat to trigger as US bond crash if provoked.The Chinese government has since put out an official statement clarifying that it has no intention in taking such an irresponsible step, which would in any case backfire by devaluing China's remaining holding.Mr Powell said the switch out of Treasuires was a purely commercial decision. If if turns out that the Chinese are behind this, it is merely an attempt to increase returns on investment. It has nothing to do with settling protectionist scores, he said.Any evidence that China was pulling out would risk setting off an unstoppable stampede, which is why such a policy would never be announced. It holds the world's biggest pool of resrves, followed by Japan.Robin Bhar, a metals analyst at UBS, said there was little evidence yet that Asian central banks were switching heavily into gold. Most of the recent buying of gold has been on the COMEX futures markets, the playground of hedge funds.Central banks tend to buy their bullion in London at the AM and PM fixings, leaving a footprint that is visible to experts. They seem to have been largely absent from the market so far.
Stocks drop after weak jobs report By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer
SEPT 8,07
NEW YORK - Wall Street plunged while bonds surged higher Friday after the government reported payrolls in August fell for the first time in four years rather than rising as had been expected. The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 250 points.
Investors were taken aback by the Labor Department's report that payrolls dropped by 4,000 in August, the first decline since August 2003. Economists had forecast payrolls would increase by 110,000. However, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.6 percent as expected.Wall Street had been awaiting the report all week as it sought to determine how well the economy was holding up under the weight of a faltering housing market, a rise in mortgage defaults and tightening availability of credit. While the report is backward looking, investors regard it as an important proxy of the economy's overall health.This certainly cements the case for a Fed action at the next meeting. The debate has really become about whether it will be 25 or 50 basis points, said Zach Pandl, economist at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., referring to whether the central bank would reduce rates by a quarter point or a half percentage point. He expects the Fed will reduce rates by 25 basis points to 5 percent when it meets Sept. 18.
The Dow fell 249.97, or 1.87 percent, to 13,113.38.
Broader stock indicators also skidded. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 25.00, or 1.69 percent, to 1,453.55, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 48.62, or 1.86 percent, to 2,565.70.The three major indexes, though still in positive territory for the year, all finished the week down more than 1 percent.Bonds, meanwhile, soared following the jobs report as investors sought safety. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, skidded to 4.37 percent from 4.51 percent late Thursday.The dollar fell sharply following the report, as the likelihood of an interest rate cut appeared to increase. Dollar-based assets would earn less interest if the Fed were to cut rates. In addition, gold prices rose sharply because some investors would be expected to abandon a weakening dollar and move into gold if the central bank lowers rates.This is just the expected response, said Pandl, referring to Wall Street's reaction to the jobs report. The markets are repricing for lower growth and expectations of Fed cuts.While the employment report clearly unnerved an already jittery Wall Street, some investors had been looking for a weak showing, arguing that a drop in employment could offer adequate reason for the Federal Reserve to lower short-term interest rates. But the employment report appeared to signal too much weakness even for those pulling for a rate cut. Making matters worse, the Labor Department revised the jobs figures for June and July, saying the economy added fewer jobs than had been reported.The central bank has left its fed funds rate unchanged for more than a year as it has sought to hold down inflation. But recent upheavals in financial markets have stirred concerns of a slowing economy and led some investors to expect a rate cut.
Consumers who feel confident in their ability to continue to earn are likely to keep spending, investors reason, and consumer spending is responsible for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.It is a pretty solid data point that gives people real cause for concern, said James Sonneborn, wealth manager at RegentAtlantic Capital LLC, noting that he generally tries to avoid placing too much emphasis on a single economic reading.It certainly gives the Fed cover to cut rates and the rationale, he said, noting that the central bank has sounded fewer cautionary notes recently about inflation, always one of its chief concerns. Still, Sonneborn doesn't expect the employment report will prompt the Fed to cut rates before its meeting on the 18th.They never want to show a panic. You might get a change in the commentary or the tone when the Fed president's speak publicly. That might be their opportunity to verbally guide people toward what they're thinking.
Several regional Fed presidents are scheduled to speak next week.
Comments from one former Fed official — Alan Greenspan — perhaps added to Wall Street's unease Friday. The Wall Street Journal reported the former Fed chairman on Thursday told a group of economists in Washington that the recent market turmoil is similar to that of 1987, when the Black Monday crash occurred, and of 1998, when the big hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management came close to collapsing. Greenspan's comments come about a month ahead of the 20th anniversary of the stock market's crash on Oct. 19, 1987. The flurry of disappointing news came a day after stocks had posted sizable gains on the notion that mixed economic data revealed an economy that was holding up but not growing at such a pace to push inflation higher and rule out a rate cut. A variety of retailers posted stronger-than-expected sales for August, while a report on the nation's service sector, where most Americans work, showed it expanded in August at the same rate as in July. And on Wednesday, a series of anecdotal reports from the Fed's regional banks found only limited instances in which the jitters in the financial markets in the past seven weeks — particularly in August — had dampened business activity outside the real estate sector. Investors in oil appeared able to largely shake off concerns about the employment picture. Light, sweet crude rose 40 cents to $76.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Declining issues outnumbered advancers by more than 3 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 3.19 billion shares, up from 2.74 billion on Thursday. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 17.13, or 2.16 percent, to 775.79. The U.S. jobs report prompted broader selling in markets overseas. Britain's FTSE 100 closed down 1.93 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 2.43 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 2.63 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei stock average closed down 0.83 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.28 percent, while the often-volatile Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.16 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average ended the week down 244.36, or 1.83 percent, at 13,113.38. The Standard & Poor's 500 index finished down 20.44, or 1.39 percent, at 1,453.55. The Nasdaq composite index ended down 30.66, or 1.18 percent, at 2,565.70. The Russell 2000 index finished the week down 17.07, or 2.15 percent, at 775.79. The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index — a free-float weighted index that measures 5,000 U.S. based companies — ended Friday at 14,655.52, down 192.18, or 1.29 percent, for the week. A year ago, the index was at 12,948.96. On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com ,Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com
THERE ARE 2 ELECTS THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL
ISRAEL ON EARTH DURING TRIBULATION 7 YR PEACE TREATY
ISAIAH 42:1
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
ISAIAH 45:4
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
ISAIAH 65:9,22
9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
ROMANS 11:28
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
THE CHURCH ELECT IN HEAVEN DURING 7 YR TREATY
1 PETER 1:2
1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Study finds U.S. Jews distance selves from Israel By Michael Conlon, Religion Writer Thu Sep 6, 1:12 AM ET
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Young U.S. non-Orthodox Jews are becoming increasingly lukewarm if not alienated in their support for Israel in a trend that is not likely to be reversed, according to a study released on Thursday. Blending into U.S. society, including marriage to non-Jews and a tendency to look on Judaism more in religious terms than ethnic ones, is part of what's happening, the study found.For our parent's generation, the question that mattered was, how do we regard Israel? For Generation Y (born after 1976) the question is indeed, why should we regard Israel? said Roger Bennett, a vice president of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, which sponsored the study.Until people recognize that a healthy and animated dialogue about Israel is the first step to a meaningful connection, the 'Israel debate' that takes place in America is liable to become moot well before Israel celebrates its 100th birthday, he added.U.S. support backed by a vocal and politically powerful Jewish lobby has been a key feature of the Jewish state's success since its founding in 1948, an event that is widely backed by U.S. Jews and non-Jews.But the study found that feelings of attachment may well be changing as warmth gives way to indifference, and indifference gives way even to downright alienation.The study found only 48 percent of U.S. Jews under age 35 believe that Israel's destruction would be a personal tragedy for them, compared to 77 percent of those 65 and older.In addition, only 54 percent of those under the age of 35 are comfortable with the idea of a Jewish State as opposed to 81 percent of those 65 and older.It did find higher levels of support among U.S. Jews, regardless of age, who had visited Israel.
VARIOUS AFFILIATIONS
There are perhaps 6 million Jews in the United States, only about a third of them affiliated with a congregation. Of those who do attend a synagogue, perhaps 40 percent are classified as liberal Reform, 32 percent middle-ground Conservative and 8 percent Orthodox, according to surveys.The findings were based on a representative sample of 1,704 non-Orthodox Jews in 2006 and 2007 contacted in writing. Its error margin was plus or minus three percentage points. The authors said they excluded Orthodox Jews because they tend to be overwhelmingly supportive of Israel.In general U.S. Jews have increasingly adopted the American idea of what it means to be Jewish -- primarily a religious identity, Steven Cohen of Hebrew Union College, co-author of the study, said in an interview.The decline in attachment is widespread. It doesn't depend on how you measure it, Cohen added, with the disengagement no different among political liberals or conservatives.Cohen also said inter-marriage with other faiths had a strong impact with younger Jews being much more likely to be married to non-Jews.The trend is part of a long-term historic slide not likely to be reversed since people do not seem to significantly grow in their attachment to Israel as they age, the study said.Steven Bayme, director of contemporary Jewish life for the American Jewish Committee, a major pro-Israel lobbying group, said assimilation is the biggest problem with declining support among U.S. Jews, but he said it is not new.
People growing up where there always has been an Israel are more detached, he said.
But the study breaks new ground, he added, in finding that politics do not underpin declining support -- that it is not as many assume a response to Israel's handling of the peace process or problems with religious pluralism in the country. Bayme also said that even though Orthodox Jews were not included in the study, the segment represents strong signs of Jewish renewal -- children involved in the Hebrew faith in numbers far disproportionate to those of non-Orthodox families and who in the future will help counter the effects of assimilation outside their ranks, he said.
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
2 PETER 2:5
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
2 PETER 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men
LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
Bin Laden urges Americans to convert By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer
SEPT 8,07
CAIRO, Egypt - Osama bin Laden appeared for the first time in three years in a video Friday released ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, telling Americans they should convert to Islam if they want the war in Iraq to end. American officials said the U.S. government had obtained a copy even though the video had not been posted yet by al-Qaida — and intelligence agencies were studying the video to determine whether it was authentic and looking for clues about bin Laden's health.
The 30-minute video was obtained by the SITE Institute, a Washington-based group that monitors terrorist messages, and provided to the Associated Press.The footage gives a rare look at the al-Qaida leader, who has likely avoided appearing in videos as a security measure. His emergence comes at a time when terrorism experts believe his terror network is regrouping in the lawless Pakistan-Afghanistan border region — and it underlines the U.S. failure to catch him.In the video, a short excerpt of which was broadcast to the Arab world by Al-Jazeera television, bin Laden wears a white robe, a white circular cap and a beige cloak seated behind a table while reading an address to the American people from papers in front of him.His trimmed beard is shorter than in his last video, in 2004, and is fully black — apparently dyed, since in past videos it was mostly gray. He speaks softly, as he usually does, and has dark bags under his eyes, but his appearance dispelled rumors that he had died.U.S. President George W. Bush made the rare move of speaking about an al-Qaida video. The tape is "a reminder about the dangerous world in which we live, he told reporters on the sidelines of a summit of Pacific Rim nations in Sydney, Australia.
It's important that we show resolve and determination to protect ourselves, deny al-Qaida safe haven and support young democracies, Bush said.In the video, Bin Laden makes no overt threats and does not directly call for attacks.Instead, he addresses Americans, lecturing them on the failures of their leaders to stop the war in Iraq despite growing public opposition in the U.S.He says there were two solutions to stopping the Iraq war. One is from our side, and it is to escalate the fighting and killing against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out, bin Laden said.The second solution is from your side. ... I invite you to embrace Islam, he said.One result of that, bin Laden said, would be an end to the Iraq war. He said warmongering owners of the major corporations would rush to appease voters who showed they are looking for an alternative, and this alternative is Islam.
He derided Bush, saying events in Iraq have gotten out of control and the American leader is like the one who plows and sows the sea: He harvests nothing but failure.
Bin Laden frequently criticized capitalism, calling its leaders the real terrorists and threats to human freedom.This is why I tell you: as you liberated yourselves before from the slavery of monks, kings and feudalism, you should liberate yourselves from the deception, shackles and attrition of the capitalist system, he said.Bin Laden's attacks in the video on capitalism, multinational corporations and globalization led several current and former government officials to believe an American — 28-year-old Adam Gadahn — may have written at least part of the speech.
Gadahn, who has been charged with treason and supporting terrorism for serving as an al-Qaida propagandist, has appeared in several past al-Qaida-produced videos, lecturing against capitalism and globalization and making insider references to American culture. It has Adam Gadahn written all over it, one former senior intelligence official said of bin Laden's tape, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The video appeared to have been recently made. At one point, bin Laden mentions that several days ago Japan marked the 62nd anniversary of the Aug. 6, 1945, atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima. He also refers to the Democratic Party's congressional victory in last fall's election and to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was elected in May.He also shows a grasp of current events, dropping mentions of global warming and saying Americans are reeling under the burdens of a mortgage crisis.
And he praises author Noam Chomsky, an early critic of the Iraq war, as well as Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA's bin Laden unit, who has said poor U.S. leadership was losing the war against terrorist groups. Bin Laden knows Bush has low approval ratings, knows the significance of a growing awareness of global warming, said Thomas Sanderson, deputy director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He's trying to capitalize on what he sees as a shift back to the middle in American politics.Al-Qaida annually uses the anniversary of the Sept. 11 suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as a propaganda opportunity, issuing videotapes to rally supporters and mock the United States. But the appearance of bin Laden this year makes a bigger splash. The al-Qaida leader had not appeared in new video footage since October 2004, and he had not put out an audiotape in more than a year, his longest period without a message. His deputy, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahri, has issued numerous videos and audiotapes in the meantime as al-Qaida has increased the sophistication and speed of its media operations.
Seth Jones, a terrorism expert at the RAND think tank, said that while the anniversary gives the pretext for the tape, it also comes at a time when the main al-Qaida leadership has managed to regroup. There clearly has been a resurgence of core al-Qaida in the tribal areas of Pakistan along the frontier with Afghanistan since 2005, Jones said. He said sympathy in that region for the Taliban has made it more receptive to militant Sunni groups, including al-Qaida. It's really created a sanctuary, Jones said. Rita Katz, director of the SITE Institute, said she believes strongly that al-Qaida has regrouped but that its core bases are more scattered than previously, comprising several training camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She said it was likely bin Laden is hidden in a more secure location, away from any of those sites. During the video, bin Laden's image moves for only a total of about 3 1/2 minutes in two segments, staying frozen the rest of the time while his remarks continue.A former senior U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it might have resulted from a technical glitch while al-Qaida passed the video through a variety of computer sites to mask its cyber trail.
The United States intercepted the video before it was released on Islamic Web sites where al-Qaida usually posts its messages, a U.S. counterterrorism official said in Washington. U.S. officials had analyzed the video for hours before transcripts and videos were leaked, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The official said analysts were studying bin Laden's physical characteristics — for clues about his health after unconfirmed rumors earlier this year that he had died of kidney disease. Soon after word emerged that the United States had the video, Islamic militant Web sites that usually carry statements from al-Qaida went down and were inaccessible. Hours later, the sites were back up, but by late Friday, the video still had not been released on the militant Web sites. The reason for the shutdown was not immediately known. Evan H. Kohlmann, a terrorism expert at globalterroralert.com, said he suspected it was the work of al-Qaida itself, trying to find how the video leaked to U.S. officials.
Associated Press writers Lara Jakes Jordan, Pamela Hess and Matthew Lee in Washington and Sarah DiLorenzo in New York contributed to this report.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
23 MINUTES IN HELL
23 MINITES IN HELL
HERE ARE STATISTICS ABOUT BELIEF IN HELL.
5% EXPECT TO GO TO HELL
64% BELIEVE THEY WILL GO TO HEAVEN
54% BELIEVE GOOD WORKS WILL GET THEM TO HEAVEN
WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN HELL OR NOT, I BELIEVE GOD AND THE BIBLE, WHEN GOD TELLS US THERES A PLACE OF TORMENT FOR THE LOST I BELIEVE IT. MAYBE THIS INTERVIEW WILL SHED SOME LIGHT INTO NON BELIEVERS.
EVERY PERSON HAS TO DECIDE WERE YOU WANT TO GO (SPEND) ETERNITY (FOREVER) I JUST REVEAL THE TRUTH THROUGH STORIES AND INTERVIEWS. AND BELIEVE ME ITS YOUR DECISION TO MAKE, YOU DECIDE.
PR - PAT ROBERTSON
BW - BILL WIESE
FROM THE 700 CLUB THU SEPT 6,2007 ( 23 MINUTES IN HELL) INTERVIEW WITH BILL WIESE
PR - We have more of a feel good Religion in America then we do the question of Hell. One of the great sermons that was ever preached was called sinners in the hands of an angry God by Jonathan Edwards, and it was said it was so powerful that people in the Church were actually holding onto the pillars of the church to keep from falling in. It was almost like the floor of the church had opened up and they could feel like they were being held over Hell itself. Well we don't hear to much about that and anybody who talks about hell is viewed as some kind of a fanatic. Our guest has written a Book called 23 minutes in Hell, and Bill wiese is here with us. Bill you were a Christian for a number of years, you had givin your heart to the Lord and you went to bed one night and what happened ?
BW - I was a Christian for 37 years and this happened 9 yrs ago (1998). And we went to bed like any other normal night, and at 3AM in the morning on November 23, 1998, the Lord picked me up and took me up and dropped me off at a prison cell in Hell.
PR - A Prison Cell !
BW - Right, this is the first place I found myself in a prison cell. Just like you can imagine.
PR - What was in there with you?
BW - Well first of all, it was refuge, stone walls, bars, just like you would imagine. Cell, filthy, stinking, rotten and there were Demonic creatures in this cell, these 2 Demons that were in the cell.
PR - What did they look like?
BW - Reptilish in appearence.
PR - Yea!
BW - Large bumps and scales all over its body. One of them a huge jaw, big teeth, claws. I mean really grotesk, deformed. Twisted, no semitry to their body, everything out of proportion. And they were blaspheming and cursing God. They had a hatred for God, and they directed that hatred toward me.
PR - Were they physically attacking you?
BW - They did, then they grabed me and threw me into the wall. I felt bones break. They dug their claws into my chest, tryed to rip the flesh right off. And I saw my flesh hang like ribbons. You have a body in Hell. And they have absolutely no murcy, they hate you. with a hatred you can not even imagine
PR - What happened next?
BW - I was takin out of the cell and placed over next to a large pit of fire about a mile across, flames raging high in the air and there were people in this pit. Millions of people screaming at the top of their lungs, burning. I could see people burning. I wasn't in the pit, but just to see people being tormented and burning, flesh hanging from them, skeleton forms. There were Demonic creatures all around this pit, all sizes and shapes, grotesk, deformed like I said before.
PR - These people in Hell they did not die, they were still alive!
BW - Yes, but death is really separation from God.
PR - But I mean flesh was coming off, they had bodies in this pit of fire?
BW - Yes, they have bodies, as skeleton form, like, hardly any flesh left on their bodies at all, and burning like I said. You have your full memory in Hell, you remember everything. And you don't expierence any good like we do. You don't get to breath., theres not enough air to breath. Your exausted, theres no strength in your body. Your completely weak, void of any kind of strength and your in torment like I said. I remember, I thought about my Wife up on the earth and I understood I was down deep in the earth. Ok thats were hell is right now, theres 49 scriptures that tell were it is located currently. And before Judgement Day (The great White Throne Judgement in the future, The final Prison of Judgement). but, but the point was I was down there and I thought about my Wife and I knew I would never see her again. She would never ever know were I was at. I could never get to her, that thought alone was tormenting.
PR - What about Hope, was there any hope?
BW - There was no hope whatsoever!
PR - None!
BW - None, and thats probably the worst part, is, you see im a Christian so people can wonder how could you go there, I went there in a vision. This is an out of body expierence, that comes under the classification of a vision. Like Paul Had in 2 corinthians 12:2. Were he was caught up into heaven, wether in the body or out of the body he did not know. The Lord just showed me that I left my body. But in a vision you can expierence these same things, and the Lord blocked it from my mind that I was a Christian. He hid it from my mind. Theres scripture for all that, but the point was so that I could expierence what those people fear there. Their hoplessly lost.
PR - Did you get a chance to talk to any of them?
BW - You never get to talk to anyone. Your denied that.
PR - Nobody talks to anybody?
BW - No,theres no conversation your left alone, your all by yourself. Theres no mercy over you, theres Demons that can torment you. You never get to eat, you never get to sleep, you never get to drink, so thirsty! Water,one drop would have been so precious like the rich man taked about in Luke. But your denied all these things. Theres different levels of torment. Different degrees of punishment (like the Bible says). Theres no nice area, there all terrible.
PR - Were talking about Eternity this is forever, this never stops.
BW - Never stops, Forever, thats whats so awful. See the Lord wanted me to expierence what they feel, that hoplessness lost forever.
PR - What,did you see more Demons in hell, were they there?
BW - Theres lots of them there.
PR - Lots of them!
BW - Snakes, theres also maggits, worms, grotesk deformed spiders. Every grotesk thing you would not want to see, is there, and everything has a hatred for man. Just a hatred.
PR - They hate Man and they hate God.
BW - Right, because we are made in Gods image. Demons hate God.
PR - Did anybody at that time talk to you about what it was you were seeing? I mean, your thrust into this, you must be have been terrified!
BW - I was terrified. The fear is beyond belief ! I'm tell you, you cant even believe the fear level. And I expierenced fear here in life (on earth) once, I was attacked by a shark once, pulled down by a 9 foot shark. And that fear I felt paled in comparison to the Hell fear I felt.
PR - Your sitting here, what got you out?
BW - The shark let me go.
PR - How about getting out of Hell, What happened?
BW - Well, I was viewing all this, then I began assending up this tunnel. And in this darkness all of a sudden this bright light showed up. And, I knew immediately who it was. I just said JESUS, and I fell at his feet and he said I AM. And I felt so grateful to be rescued out of Hell, that I knew him already. See he placed it back in my mind that I was a Christian. And I had asked him Lord why did I not know you. Because I wanted you to feel what they feel. Hopelessly lost forever. But being in Gods presence was so wonderful. And heallowed me to feel a little bit of his heart and how he feels towards people (all his created beings). And I saw people falling back down this tunnel that we came out of, and he wept because he does not want to see one person go to Hell. He did not make Hell for man, he made it for the Devil and his (fallin) Angels. But Man will go there if he does not listen.
PR - Did he (Jesus) say anything about the people who are going there. Were you talking to Jesus or what did he say?
BW - They need to repent of their sins. And recieve him as their Lord and Savior. Other wise they will end up there forever, and he doesn't want anyone to go there. Thats why as Christians we need to open our mouths and share. This is not a message of condemnation to people, this is a message of warning, were just trying to let people know. Hey what the Bible says is (literally) ltrue. Its not important people belive my expierence, its important to believe what the word of God has to say. And in the Book we put 150 verses that talk about everything I heard, saw and felt thats already in the Bible.
PR - Did Jesus tell you anything about his coming?
BW - He mentioned that he was coming very, very soon. He repeated himself he said it twice.
PR - Very Very soon?
BW - Very, very soon, so I felt an urgency that we need to do all we can, the time is short that we have here.
PR - Is there an explanation why you, perticularly, your not a Minister and you've been knowing him for a number of years.
BW - I asked him, he did not answer me. I have no idea why, I'm not a Billy Gaham or Mother Teresa, i have just been a realtor all these years.so, I have no idea why me, i'm the least likely in my opinion. But that was not important, God has something for everyone to do. I am a very conservative person by nature, so im uncomfortable sharing this message with anyone. But its not about me being uncomfortable, it being obediant to God.
HERE ARE STATISTICS ABOUT BELIEF IN HELL.
5% EXPECT TO GO TO HELL
64% BELIEVE THEY WILL GO TO HEAVEN
54% BELIEVE GOOD WORKS WILL GET THEM TO HEAVEN
WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN HELL OR NOT, I BELIEVE GOD AND THE BIBLE, WHEN GOD TELLS US THERES A PLACE OF TORMENT FOR THE LOST I BELIEVE IT. MAYBE THIS INTERVIEW WILL SHED SOME LIGHT INTO NON BELIEVERS.
EVERY PERSON HAS TO DECIDE WERE YOU WANT TO GO (SPEND) ETERNITY (FOREVER) I JUST REVEAL THE TRUTH THROUGH STORIES AND INTERVIEWS. AND BELIEVE ME ITS YOUR DECISION TO MAKE, YOU DECIDE.
PR - PAT ROBERTSON
BW - BILL WIESE
FROM THE 700 CLUB THU SEPT 6,2007 ( 23 MINUTES IN HELL) INTERVIEW WITH BILL WIESE
PR - We have more of a feel good Religion in America then we do the question of Hell. One of the great sermons that was ever preached was called sinners in the hands of an angry God by Jonathan Edwards, and it was said it was so powerful that people in the Church were actually holding onto the pillars of the church to keep from falling in. It was almost like the floor of the church had opened up and they could feel like they were being held over Hell itself. Well we don't hear to much about that and anybody who talks about hell is viewed as some kind of a fanatic. Our guest has written a Book called 23 minutes in Hell, and Bill wiese is here with us. Bill you were a Christian for a number of years, you had givin your heart to the Lord and you went to bed one night and what happened ?
BW - I was a Christian for 37 years and this happened 9 yrs ago (1998). And we went to bed like any other normal night, and at 3AM in the morning on November 23, 1998, the Lord picked me up and took me up and dropped me off at a prison cell in Hell.
PR - A Prison Cell !
BW - Right, this is the first place I found myself in a prison cell. Just like you can imagine.
PR - What was in there with you?
BW - Well first of all, it was refuge, stone walls, bars, just like you would imagine. Cell, filthy, stinking, rotten and there were Demonic creatures in this cell, these 2 Demons that were in the cell.
PR - What did they look like?
BW - Reptilish in appearence.
PR - Yea!
BW - Large bumps and scales all over its body. One of them a huge jaw, big teeth, claws. I mean really grotesk, deformed. Twisted, no semitry to their body, everything out of proportion. And they were blaspheming and cursing God. They had a hatred for God, and they directed that hatred toward me.
PR - Were they physically attacking you?
BW - They did, then they grabed me and threw me into the wall. I felt bones break. They dug their claws into my chest, tryed to rip the flesh right off. And I saw my flesh hang like ribbons. You have a body in Hell. And they have absolutely no murcy, they hate you. with a hatred you can not even imagine
PR - What happened next?
BW - I was takin out of the cell and placed over next to a large pit of fire about a mile across, flames raging high in the air and there were people in this pit. Millions of people screaming at the top of their lungs, burning. I could see people burning. I wasn't in the pit, but just to see people being tormented and burning, flesh hanging from them, skeleton forms. There were Demonic creatures all around this pit, all sizes and shapes, grotesk, deformed like I said before.
PR - These people in Hell they did not die, they were still alive!
BW - Yes, but death is really separation from God.
PR - But I mean flesh was coming off, they had bodies in this pit of fire?
BW - Yes, they have bodies, as skeleton form, like, hardly any flesh left on their bodies at all, and burning like I said. You have your full memory in Hell, you remember everything. And you don't expierence any good like we do. You don't get to breath., theres not enough air to breath. Your exausted, theres no strength in your body. Your completely weak, void of any kind of strength and your in torment like I said. I remember, I thought about my Wife up on the earth and I understood I was down deep in the earth. Ok thats were hell is right now, theres 49 scriptures that tell were it is located currently. And before Judgement Day (The great White Throne Judgement in the future, The final Prison of Judgement). but, but the point was I was down there and I thought about my Wife and I knew I would never see her again. She would never ever know were I was at. I could never get to her, that thought alone was tormenting.
PR - What about Hope, was there any hope?
BW - There was no hope whatsoever!
PR - None!
BW - None, and thats probably the worst part, is, you see im a Christian so people can wonder how could you go there, I went there in a vision. This is an out of body expierence, that comes under the classification of a vision. Like Paul Had in 2 corinthians 12:2. Were he was caught up into heaven, wether in the body or out of the body he did not know. The Lord just showed me that I left my body. But in a vision you can expierence these same things, and the Lord blocked it from my mind that I was a Christian. He hid it from my mind. Theres scripture for all that, but the point was so that I could expierence what those people fear there. Their hoplessly lost.
PR - Did you get a chance to talk to any of them?
BW - You never get to talk to anyone. Your denied that.
PR - Nobody talks to anybody?
BW - No,theres no conversation your left alone, your all by yourself. Theres no mercy over you, theres Demons that can torment you. You never get to eat, you never get to sleep, you never get to drink, so thirsty! Water,one drop would have been so precious like the rich man taked about in Luke. But your denied all these things. Theres different levels of torment. Different degrees of punishment (like the Bible says). Theres no nice area, there all terrible.
PR - Were talking about Eternity this is forever, this never stops.
BW - Never stops, Forever, thats whats so awful. See the Lord wanted me to expierence what they feel, that hoplessness lost forever.
PR - What,did you see more Demons in hell, were they there?
BW - Theres lots of them there.
PR - Lots of them!
BW - Snakes, theres also maggits, worms, grotesk deformed spiders. Every grotesk thing you would not want to see, is there, and everything has a hatred for man. Just a hatred.
PR - They hate Man and they hate God.
BW - Right, because we are made in Gods image. Demons hate God.
PR - Did anybody at that time talk to you about what it was you were seeing? I mean, your thrust into this, you must be have been terrified!
BW - I was terrified. The fear is beyond belief ! I'm tell you, you cant even believe the fear level. And I expierenced fear here in life (on earth) once, I was attacked by a shark once, pulled down by a 9 foot shark. And that fear I felt paled in comparison to the Hell fear I felt.
PR - Your sitting here, what got you out?
BW - The shark let me go.
PR - How about getting out of Hell, What happened?
BW - Well, I was viewing all this, then I began assending up this tunnel. And in this darkness all of a sudden this bright light showed up. And, I knew immediately who it was. I just said JESUS, and I fell at his feet and he said I AM. And I felt so grateful to be rescued out of Hell, that I knew him already. See he placed it back in my mind that I was a Christian. And I had asked him Lord why did I not know you. Because I wanted you to feel what they feel. Hopelessly lost forever. But being in Gods presence was so wonderful. And heallowed me to feel a little bit of his heart and how he feels towards people (all his created beings). And I saw people falling back down this tunnel that we came out of, and he wept because he does not want to see one person go to Hell. He did not make Hell for man, he made it for the Devil and his (fallin) Angels. But Man will go there if he does not listen.
PR - Did he (Jesus) say anything about the people who are going there. Were you talking to Jesus or what did he say?
BW - They need to repent of their sins. And recieve him as their Lord and Savior. Other wise they will end up there forever, and he doesn't want anyone to go there. Thats why as Christians we need to open our mouths and share. This is not a message of condemnation to people, this is a message of warning, were just trying to let people know. Hey what the Bible says is (literally) ltrue. Its not important people belive my expierence, its important to believe what the word of God has to say. And in the Book we put 150 verses that talk about everything I heard, saw and felt thats already in the Bible.
PR - Did Jesus tell you anything about his coming?
BW - He mentioned that he was coming very, very soon. He repeated himself he said it twice.
PR - Very Very soon?
BW - Very, very soon, so I felt an urgency that we need to do all we can, the time is short that we have here.
PR - Is there an explanation why you, perticularly, your not a Minister and you've been knowing him for a number of years.
BW - I asked him, he did not answer me. I have no idea why, I'm not a Billy Gaham or Mother Teresa, i have just been a realtor all these years.so, I have no idea why me, i'm the least likely in my opinion. But that was not important, God has something for everyone to do. I am a very conservative person by nature, so im uncomfortable sharing this message with anyone. But its not about me being uncomfortable, it being obediant to God.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
TEMPLE INSTITUTE SAVE THE MOUNT WORLD
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.
Central America on flooding alert after storms SEPT 6,07
BILWI, Nicaragua (AFP) - Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico geared up for flooding from rain-swollen rivers Thursday in the wake of two devastating hurricanes that left at least 80 victims dead and scores more missing. Nicaragua and Honduras in a joint death toll Thursday, said that Hurricane Felix killed at least 71 people in their two countries.In Mexico, meanwhile, nine people were killed in the wake of Hurricane Henriette, which swept across Baja California's popular Cabo tourist areas before plowing into the country's northern regions, slowing as it crossed the US border. Some 5,000 people remained in shelters in Mexico.In Central America low-lying areas were on high alert against flooding as rivers continued to rise following super-storm Felix, which blasted into Nicaragua's northern Mosquito Coast Tuesday, killing at least 38 and leaving 50,000 homeless.The storm at its peak Tuesday reached the highest possible category five strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.The European Union announced it would send 1.3 million dollars in emergency aid to help the relief effort in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua's disaster chief Ramon Arnesto Sistema said the death toll was likely to rise, with some 120 people missing from the Miskito Cays along the coast of the impoverished North Atlantic Autonomous Region.An aircraft with tonnes of food, blankets and medication landed late Wednesday in Bilwi, the regional capital, and a Venezuelan cargo plane was due to arrive later Thursday.The World Food Program delivered 4.5 tonnes of aid to the Nicaraguan government, while neighboring El Salvador and Honduras also sent assistance.The population worst hit by the storm was without help for a full day due to the remoteness of the jungle region.The bodies of 24 native Miskito Nicaraguans, whose fishing boat had capsized, were found near the Caribbean coast of Honduras in the wake of Felix, an official told reporters Thursday.This morning I was told that a boat was recovered with 24 bodies, 21 men and three women, government representative for the Gracias a Dios region, Carolina Echeverria said.Meanwhile, President Manuel Zelaya said that he had been told of dozens of Miskitos killed, adding that there were 128 more missing, many of whom are likely to have drowned.In the wealthy Valle de Sula farming and industrial region of northwest Honduras, the military, Red Cross and rescue officials pressed thousands of reluctant inhabitants of some 20 local villages to evacuate their homes ahead of surging waters in the Ulua and Chamelecon rivers.The rivers are rising, it is almost certain that they will flood, and we cannot run the risk that there will be deaths because we did not take the situation seriously, El Progresso mayor Jose Martinez told AFP.
On an all-terrain vehicle, Ramon Villeda, head of the firefighters at the San Pedro Sula airport, drove along the river banks to study the situation, calling on residents to leave their homes.It is necessary to leave the area, without a doubt. The people will possibly be able to return to their homes safe and sound on Friday, when the danger has passed, he said.In Guatemala, authorities declared a red alert in Izabal City, some 300 kilometers northeast of the capital, where residents have been evacuated over worries of flooding. Flooding alerts were also sounded, and evacuations launched in El Salvador and Mexico's southern Chiapas state. Two storm victims died in Mexico and one was missing in Guaymas, on the Sonora state coast, adding to seven who died earlier when Henriette swept up Mexico's southern Pacific coast.
Study: Tsunami could kill 1M in S. Asia By MICHAEL CASEY, AP Environmental Writer Wed Sep 5, 4:24 PM ET
BANGKOK, Thailand - At least a million people in South Asia's Bay of Bengal could be swept to their deaths by a tsunami if a giant earthquake hits off the coast of Myanmar, according to a study published Thursday. But the study's author, Phil Cummins, said he does not have enough data to say whether such a cataclysmic event would hit parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh in the next few decades or in several hundred years.I don't want to cause a panic. There is no reason anything like this would happen soon, said Cummins, of Geoscience Australia.The threat of tsunamis has taken on added urgency in recent years after a massive earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island in December 2004 triggered a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people and left a half million homeless in a dozen countries.Cummins' study, which appears in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, is the first time anyone has suggested that an earthquake off the coast of Myanmar could spawn a tsunami that could have pronounced impact on the Chittagong coast and the Ganges-Bhramaputra delta at the northern tip of the Bay of Bengal, it said.
The numbers of people at risk from a tsunami, Cummins wrote, may be over a million given that the region is home to Bangladesh's second largest city of Chittagong and there are tens of millions living just above sea level.Cummins has not presented his findings to the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh. Officials from Myanmar and Bangladesh could not immediately be reached for comment.The area Cummins studied is a section of the Sunda Megathrust that stretches all the way from Western Australia to the Himalayas. A rupture of the fault was blamed for the Sumatra earthquake in 2004.Examining historical records, Cummins found evidence that an earthquake estimated at magnitude 8.5 to 9.0 struck off the western Myanmar coast in April 1762. He said it probably produced a tsunami, citing eyewitness accounts of waves washing over nearby Cheduba Island, submerged coasts near Chittagong and rising river levels as far inland as Dhaka.He said future quakes and tsunamis were likely, given the historical accounts and more recent surveys of the area which determined a magnitude 8.5 quake would hit the area every 100 years and a 9.0 every 500 years.
I would hope this spurs further work in confirming these past events, he said. It should be possible to answer how big was this event, how often do these events occur and what kind of tsunamis are generated through further geological investigation.The reaction to Cummins findings has been mixed, with some tsunami experts saying they shed important light on a section of Sunda Megathrust that has received little attention in the past.The main value of the paper is in advertising the danger of the section of the megathrust that no one has worried about, said California Institute of Technology's Kerry Sieh, who has used coral records and GPS networks to predict that a big quake and tsunami are likely to hit parts of Sumatra Island in the coming decades.His point is well taken. This part of the megathrust has produced a larger earthquake in the past and so it could do so in the future too, Sieh said. The effects on the west coast of Myanmar and more importantly Bangladesh would be awful.But Costas Synolakis, director of the Tsunami Research Center at the University of Southern California, said the possibly of a tsunami in the area was previously known and questioned whether the fault would rupture to the extent estimated by Cummins.Synolakis also said in an e-mail interview that the scenario presented by Cummins could lead to a massive panic south of Chennai (India) and possibly a sense of reassurance in Sri Lanka where he said the threat of another tsunami was worse.On the Net: Nature magazine: http://www.nature.com/nature.
Felix toll rises, Henriette hits Mexico By ARIEL LEON, Associated Press Writer SEPT 6,07
PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua - Doctors treated storm casualties in a makeshift clinic Wednesday after powerful Hurricane Felix flooded their hospital and wrecked villages on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. The death toll rose to at least 18 with dozens more missing. Far to the northwest, Hurricane Henriette plowed into Mexico for the second time in two days, making landfall shortly before 9 p.m. EDT near the port city of Guaymas with top sustained winds of 75 mph. Seven deaths were reported from the Pacific storm, which hit Baja California on Tuesday.Felix came ashore Tuesday in Nicaragua as a Category 5 tempest packing 160 mph winds and heavy rains that caused mudslides, destroyed homes, uprooted trees and devastated villages.Wednesday night, Nicaraguan Civil Defense Department spokesman Alvaro Rivas said the confirmed death toll had doubled to 18. Defense officials said President Daniel Ortega had put the toll at 21. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.Rivas also said at least 60 people were missing: more than 50 in the Matagalpa province in the north and another 10 around hard-hit city of Puerto Cabezas.
The dead included a man who drowned when his boat capsized, a woman killed when a tree fell on her house and a newborn who died shortly after birth because her mother couldn't get medical attention.Among the missing were four fishermen whose small sailboat sank as Felix's center passed overhead. A survivor, Fernando Pereira, 24, said he clung to a piece of wood for 12 hours, despite a dislocated shoulder, and washed ashore at the village of Sandy Bay only hours after Felix made landfall there. He hadn't seen his friends since.I felt horrible, he said. I was drinking salt water, and I thought I was going to die.Others were caught in the sea as well. Jelivaro Climax, 22, said he had to swim through enormous waves to reach shore.
Lightning flashed through a pitch black sky, he said. I don't know how I survived. I swam with everything I had, and I was sure the sea would take me.Felix swept over the Miskito Coast, an impoverished region where about 150,000 people live in jungle settlements. Their hamlets of wooden shacks and coconut groves are remote even in good weather, reachable only by air or flat-bottom boats.The Miskitos, descendants of Indians, European settlers and African slaves, live semiautonomously, much like people on Indian reservations in the U.S.There wasn't enough fuel after the storm for boats to make long trips, and Felix snapped steel cables that guided a small ferry carrying people and cars from Puerto Cabezas to the village of Wawahum.Johana Aliberto Maquiave, 36, was stuck in Puerto Cabezas, trying to get back to her family in Sandy Bay, the village where the eye of the storm hit.I want to know what happened to my three children, she said, fighting tears. The poor kids stayed with their dad. I am here with nothing. I came on Sunday to buy food.The view from a flight over Sandy Bay — a region that includes about 10 Miskito villages, some 30 miles north of Puerto Cabezas — showed swathes of palm tree felled like stalks of grass, homes without roofs and building debris scattered across the tropical landscape.Felix also wiped out crops and damaged most of the 70 tons of food and emergency goods that had been flown in before the storm.On Wednesday, it was hard to find a building that wasn't damaged. Puerto Cabezas' hospital was filled with water, and doctors attended to the injured at an improvised clinic. Ortega flew over the area to survey the damage. He said that the U.S. and Venezuelan offered aid and that Cuban doctors were already on the ground. Nicaragua's military flew in sheets, mattresses, food and first aid materials.
Residents hacked at fallen trees with machetes, trying to uncover the remains of their humble homes. There was very little electricity, running water or telephone service. Larry Hansack, 38, gazed at a sea littered with splintered wood and shattered tin, wondering about his nephew, a fisherman who disappeared at sea. There's no one to help me, and everything is disorganized, he said.Teresa Flores, 34, rode out the storm at a neighbor's house after her wooden home collapsed, injuring her husband and 3-year-old son. Looters later took what was left. They took the clothes, even the barrels where we keep water, she said. Now we have nothing to drink. We lost all our food, the television set, the microwave, even the toilet. Nothing works. We are pretty much in the street.At one point during the storm, she tried to check on her home, but I took a few steps and couldn't move forward. The wind said no.The remains of Felix were still dumping rain Wednesday on Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, and thousands of evacuees anxiously stayed away from shaky hillside slums and swollen rivers. In San Pedro Sula, in northern Honduras, one shantytown filled with water after a river burst its bank. Police rode bulldozers to evacuate slum dwellers from water that was waist-deep and rising, but many refused to leave, fearing their remaining possessions would be stolen.
David Serato, 42, left. Life is more important than personal belongings, he said. If I stayed, I would die.Many had feared a repeat of the 1998 nightmare of Hurricane Mitch, which stalled over Central America for days, causing floods and mudslides that killed nearly 11,000 people and left more than 8,000 missing. On Mexico's western coast, Henriette moved across the Gulf of California. Its center later made its second landfall near the Mexican city of Guaymas in Sonora state, said Jack Beven, a specialist with the Miami-based center. A few hours later the Henriette was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved inland and its sustained winds dropped to 65 mph. Schools and ports were closed and people evacuated from low-lying areas, but the storm was expected to weaken quickly over the desert before dumping a few inches of rain Thursday on New Mexico. Among the coastal communities sure to get drenched was San Carlos, a beach town packed with American retirees that neighbors Guaymas.
Henriette set off mudslides earlier that killed six people in Acapulco as it moved northward up Mexico's Pacific coast, and a woman drowned in high surf as the storm approached the Baja California peninula. Mexican navy Capt. Leopoldo Mendoza said a navy helicopter was searching the Bay of La Paz for a missing boat carrying two Mexicans and two Japanese. The storm became a hurricane just before its direct hit on the upscale desert resorts of Los Cabos on Baja's southern tip Tuesday. The luxury hotels suffered little damage, but plywood shacks in the surrounding slums were destroyed. Everything is soaked, said Homero Cruz Marcelino, a 28-year-old gardener who rode out the storm with his pregnant wife and son in a shack that was reduced to little more than a wooden frame. He estimated the damage at $500, a small fortune given his income. Associated Press writers Freddy Cuevas in Tegicugalpa, Honduras; Filadelfo Aleman in Managua, Nicaragua; Ioan Grillo in San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Richard Jacobsen in Mexico City; and Paul Kiernan in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, contributed to this report.
OZONE DEPLETION
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
California heatwave ebbs after claiming 25 lives SEPT 5,07
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - At least 25 deaths were blamed on an excessive eight-day heatwave in Southern California that finally started to cool on Wednesday. Temperatures in inland and mountainous areas of Los Angeles dropped by about 20 degrees, bringing most places down below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) for the first time in a week.Power was being restored gradually to some 55,000 people some of whom sweltered without air conditioning, lights or working refrigerators for two days or more because of record demand placed on the grid, power officials said.
Fifteen of the suspected heat-related deaths reported by coroners were in Los Angeles County. Autopsies will determine the exact cause of death.They included a couple in their 80s who were trying to keep costs down by switching off the air conditioning in their apartment. Firefighters who found the bodies said the temperature inside was at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius).Some others, including at least one homeless man, were found dead in their cars over the long, hot holiday weekend. A 26 year-old man was found dead in a Los Angeles canyon after becoming separated from friends while riding his dirt bike, the coroner's office said.Seven deaths were reported in Imperial County, two in San Bernardino County and one in Riverside County where temperatures hit triple digits for several days in a row.Temperatures are expected to drop further back to seasonal norms over the next two days.
Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god
Tue Sep 4, 2007 3:41pm ET
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due the problem.The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights, said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.Local media last week blamed the company's woes on an electrical fault. The carrier runs international flights to five cities in Asia. It is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.Reuters 2007.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
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.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Nuclear bombs mistakenly flown over US By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer SEPT 6,07
WASHINGTON - A B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear warheads and flown for more than three hours across several states last week, prompting an Air Force investigation and the firing of one commander, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
The mistake was so serious that President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were quickly informed and Gates has asked for daily briefings on the Air Force inquiry, said Defense Department press secretary Geoff Morrell.He said Gates was assured that the munitions were part of a routine transfer between the two bases and at all times they were in the custody and control of Air Force personnel and at no time was the public in danger.Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called the mishandling of the weapons deeply disturbing and said the committee would press the military for details. Rep. Edward J. Markey, a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, said it was absolutely inexcusable.
Nothing like this has ever been reported before and we have been assured for decades that it was impossible, said Markey, D-Mass., co-chair of the House task force on nonproliferation.The plane was carrying advanced cruise missiles from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a Defense Department policy not to confirm information on nuclear weapons.The missiles, which are being decommissioned, were mounted onto pylons on the bomber's wings and it is unclear why the warheads had not been removed beforehand.According to the officials, the weapons are designed with multiple safety features that ensure the warheads don't accidentally detonate.
Arming the weapons requires a number of stringent protocols and authentication codes that must be followed for detonation. And they are designed to withstand a significant impact, including an aircraft crash, without detonating.The Air Combat Command has ordered a command-wide stand down on Sept. 14 to review procedures, officials said. They said there was minimal risk to crews and the public because of safety features designed into the munitions.In addition to the munitions squadron commander who was relieved of his duties, crews involved with the mistaken load — including ground crew workers — have been temporarily decertified for handling munitions, one official said.The investigation is expected to take several weeks.
The incident was first reported by Military Times newspaper group.
There is no more serious issue than the security and proper handling of nuclear weapons, Skelton said in a statement Wednesday. The American people, our friends, and our potential adversaries must be confident that the highest standards are in place when it comes to our nuclear arsenal.Skelton, D-Mo., said his committee will pursue answers on the classified matter to ensure that the Air Force and the Department of Defense address this particular incident and strengthen controls more generally.
UK link to terrorists planning new 9/11 massacre
By ALLAN HALL and DAVID WILLIAMS - 6th September 2007
Islamic terrorists planning a massacre in Germany on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks phoned British contacts as they plotted, it has emerged. They planned to strike at German airports and US bases exactly six years after hijacked planes ploughed into the World Trade Centre. The three suspects, two German converts to Islam and a Turk who had undergone military training at Taliban camps in Pakistan, were caught with 750kg of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical easily transformed into explosives. One suspect was taken away by helicopter in handcuffs.Another of the suspects is led away in handcuffs.
Germany searching for 10 men behind massive al Qaeda plane terror plot.Danish police arrest 8 Muslims in alleged bomb plot.Several calls to British numbers are said to been made from mobile telephones linked to two of the men being questioned in Germany. One is said to have been a known number. Prosecutors and police painted a picture of a ruthless cell of Al-Qaeda-linked fanatics, willing to die in suicide attacks with bombs more powerful than those used in the July 7 attacks in London in 2005. Prosecutors said the attacks were planned at Frankfurt airport, Germany's biggest and busiest, and the Ramstein Airbase - the Pentagon's largest outside of the US. Confiscated canisters labeled as hydrogen peroxide are displayed during this morning's press conference in Germany.Other US bases, civilian airports, a nightclub and pub were on the terrorists' target list. Germany's chief prosecutor, Monika Harms, said the plan was to construct massive car bombs and cause as much loss of life as possible. We have stopped what would certainly have been the worst terror attacks in Germany, he added. The men had been under surveillance for months from agents of the BND, Germany' s MI5, and the elite GSG-9 police commandos who are trained along SAS-lines. American intelligence officials were also in on the surveillance but played no part in the arrests. On Tuesday, authorities swooped at a hideout in the village of Oberschledorn in North Rhine-Westphalia where the bomb factory was located.
One of the suspects broke out of a bathroom window and bolted into woodland, where he wrestled with a police officer and managed to take his gun. A shot was fired but no one was hit. The policeman and his colleagues overpowered the suspect. All three suspects were arrested. Forty other homes and offices across Germany were raided at the same time. As well as the chemical mixtures, police discovered military detonators. Frankfurt Airport. Reports suggest the terror plot targeted civilian and military planes at the airport.The US military base at Ramstein was also believed to have been targeted. German defence minister Franz Josef Jung said: The attacks were planned for the near future. They presented a direct threat to life.The group had been under surveillance ever since one was spotted spying the US barracks at Hanau on New Year's Eve last year. Email traffic between them and others abroad led to the authorities' action five days before the anniversary of 9/11. Der Spiegel, the respected German news magazine, was among media outlets which reported the terrorists were gearing up for attacks on that day. Last night British anti-terror officers were last night checking for links between the men held in Germany and British-Pakistani terror suspects who may have trained with them.
The terror attack that authorities believe was foiled in Germany may have been timed to coincide with the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York
Officers from Scotland Yard flew to Germany to assist the investigation. They want to examine any possible links with UK terror plots. The details of the men are also to be shown to Al Qaeda supergrass Mohammad Babar, who trained with Britons at terror camps, by US officials and to extremists in British jails. Al Qaeda and jihadi bomb makers are known to have taught Britons how to use hydrogen peroxide at camps in Pakistan attended by other Europeans. It has featured as a key component of al Qaeda-linked bombers at least twice in Britain. It was used by the four July 7 suicide bombers in the bombs that killed 52 on the London transport network. It was also to have been used two weeks later in the copycat attacks by four more Islamic fundamentalists intent on bringing slaughter to the capital's streets. But the rucksack bombs failed to go off. The plotters were jailed earlier this year. Germany routinely does not issue the last names of criminal suspects. A man identified as being the group's leader, Fritz G, 28, is from Ulm in southern Germany, where he is understood to have worked at the city's Islamic Information Centre after converting to Islam. The other German, Daniel S, 22, is also a Muslim convert and comes from Saarbruecken on the border with France. The third man is a Turk named Adem Y, 29, who lives in Frankfurt. They were members of a group called Islamic Jihad Union. Spawned in Uzbekistan, it was described by a senior German lawman as a franchise of al Qaeda with close ties to Osama Bin Laden's terror corporation. The men, radicalised over what they saw as the oppression of Muslims worldwide by America and her allies, have apparently been confessing to interrogators.
Jews Want Feiglin - Arabs Want Netanyahu
September 6, 2007
Moshe Feiglin received 25% of the vote in the recent Likud election for head of the party. This was a decisive victory for Feiglin and his ideology of belief-based Jewish leadership even though he has not yet become Likud chairman. This large mandate of support against a candidate - Benjamin Netanyahu - who was formerly Israeli Prime Minister is an indication that the ideology behind Manhigut Yehudit, the Jewish Leadership faction of Likud under Feiglin, has the support of a large and growing segment of the country. A shofar has sounded and Israeli's are awakening to the fact that the way to peace is by staying true to themselves, to their G-d, and to their precious land, and not by giving away their divinely-given land and not by making concessions to and appeasing those who are committing, aiding and abetting terrorism. The Arabs have continually made their murderous agenda known to anyone who is willing to open their eyes. They try their methodology of terrorism and when that doesn't work, they then try to achieve the same ends (pushing the Jewish State into the sea) through diplomatic channels by saying a few nice-sounding words in English which they refute immediately in Arabic. While the Israelis are waking up to this fact and that only Authentic Jewish Leadership under Moshe Feiglin will steer us back on the right course, the Arabs are also waking to the same fact. That is why they have endorsed Bibi Netanyahu to become the next Prime Minister of Israel. The Arabs know that Netanyahu (who continually endorses destroying Jewish settlements and handing the Land of Israel over to the Arab moderates not Feiglin - will help their evil plan come into fruition.
The following article first appeared in YNET on September 2, 2007.
Arabs waiting for Bibi: Palestinians, Arab leaders believe that only Israel ’s right-wing camp can bring peace - Majdi Halabi
The Israeli Right and part of the center of Israel’s political map are not the only ones waiting for Benjamin Netanyahu. The Palestinians are also waiting for Bibi. This impression comes from conversations with senior Palestinian officials and key figures within Palestinian society.The Palestinians are convinced that Benjamin Netanyahu can undertake diplomatic moves more easily than Ehud Olmert and his government which, despite possessing a solid and broad coalition base, loses its majority once withdrawals or outpost evacuations are brought up for discussion.
The analysis offered by the Palestinians is very interesting. They say that the Right is better for peace than the Left and bring up many examples to back this up, ranging from the peace treaty with Egypt signed by the government of the late Menachem Begin to the Hebron deal signed by Netanyahu and the Gaza withdrawal carried out by Ariel Sharon, who the Palestinians viewed as a strong rightist.The Right is good for peace and the Left is good for war – this is the way the Israeli political map is perceived in the eyes of the Palestinian neighbors and Arab leaders. Their analysis is simple. When the Left wishes to pursue peace moves, that is, withdrawals, it is curbed by the Right and religious parties, and at times even the Arab Knesset members’ bloc is not enough to help the Left secure the needed majority.Yet when the Left wishes to undertake a military move, it always enjoys right-wing support that guarantees a majority for such moves. This was particularly noticeable in all the military moves, wars, and campaigns led by leftist and centrist governments, such as the Grapes of Wrath campaign in 1996 and the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Left is good for talking
On the other hand, say the Palestinians and analysts of Israeli policy in the Arab world, when the Right is in power it is easier to reach agreements because the Right is consistent and honors its pledges. Moreover, it will automatically enjoy the support of the entire leftist bloc the moment it decides on a withdrawal, evacuation, or any other regional peace agreement.Benjamin Netanyahu is viewed in a more credible light by regional Arab leaders than the way he has been portrayed in the media and wide sectors within the Israeli public and political arena. A senior aide for one of the most important regional leaders told me that many of them expect to meet Netanyahu and hear about his plans and the moves he wishes to undertake if and when he is elected prime minister.The aide even expressed an interest in the possibility of meeting Netanyahu, even though there has been no announcement of new general elections at this time.As it turns out, the Arab world views a right-wing ascendancy to power as an opportunity to advance the diplomatic process. This contradicts the common perception that Arab leaders prefer a leftist Israeli government. The Left is good for talking and the planning of agreements, the Arabs say, but the Right is the address for signing agreements as it is the only element that can secure a Jewish majority.It appears that the Arabs are well familiar with the secrets of Israeli politics and it is possible that teams on behalf of Netanyahu and the Right are already talking with the Arab and Palestinian side and attempting to initiate moves on the Palestinian, Syrian and even Lebanese front.
Tova Abadi Media Liaison 917-301-0997 (cell) tova@jewishisrael.org
The Manhigut Yehudit website is www.jewishisrael.org
France considers ways to tackle globalisation
06.09.2007 - 09:27 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva
France should work for a much more offensive policy of protection, solidarity and regulation at an EU level in order to better face globalisation, according to a report by former French foreign affairs minister Hubert Vedrine.It should also have the right to protect key or strategic sectors of its economy, Mr Vedrine writes in the 63-page document.I see globalisation neither as a chance, nor as blight, simply as a fact to which one has to adapt, the former minister is quoted as saying by Le Figaro.French president Nicolas Sarkozy in July asked Mr Vedrine to draft a report on how the country should respond to the challenges of globalisation. The report comes at a time when the European Commission is trying to promote more openness and a positive view of globalisation, as well as less national champions. But if the principles in the report are followed, it is set to be a blow to the commission's willingness to embrace globalisation.We still haven't really worked out how to be political about globalisation – except, in most cases, by opposing it. And that's our problem, EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said at a symposium on globalisation on 3 September.
Imposing punitive measures raises a cheer for politicians. It may provide some temporary relief. It is often both justified and right. But if it is inhibiting European companies from pursuing rational production strategies (…) it can also be counterproductive, he added.The French are traditionally hostile to globalisation, due to a number of reasons – an attachment to the protective state, to national identity and a language which they judge threatened by the anglophone tide and Americanisation. There is also a persistent moral disgust for market economy and profit, reads the report.Recent figures even indicate a certain globalophobia, says Mr Vedrine, as two different polls this year showed that 74% of French are worried by globalisation and believe it will have a negative effect on salaried employees.
However, the French are not the only ones who view globalisation with some fear.
While 18% of them favour it, only 17 percent of Spanish and Americans and 15 percent of British citizens view the phenomenon positively, according to a poll published by the Financial times last spring.
Blair meets Olmert on Middle-East peace tour SEPT 6,07
The Middle-East envoy Tony Blair has told the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he will focus on practical steps to try to build confidence in the peacemaking process. The former UK premier is in Israel as part of a tour of the Middle-East as envoy of the so-called Quartet - America, the EU, Russia and the UN - with a limited mandate on economic development and building Palestinian institutions in the West Bank.Olmert, and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have held regular meetings in recent months, though Israel only wants to talk about general principles. The moderate Fatah leader hopes Blair will use his influence to persuade Israel to enter more detailed talks on a Palestinian state, before a US sponsored conference scheduled for November.Israel's Supreme Court has delivered an embarrassing blow to the government, over a controversial barrier between Israel and the West Bank. The court ruled in favour of villagers in Bil'in, who'd argued that the barrier stopped them accessing their fields and orchards. Now planners have to re-route the fence-line.
Abbas asks Blair to press Israel on checkpoints
Thursday September 6, 09:35 PM
By Mohammed Assadi
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked Middle East envoy Tony Blair on Thursday to put pressure on Israel to remove some of the hundreds of checkpoints that restrict travel in the West Bank. Blair is developing a plan that would spell out practical steps that Israeli, Palestinian and business leaders would gradually take to try to boost peace prospects, officials said. Abbas and the Palestinian side asked Blair to really put pressure on Israel to remove the checkpoints because how can you improve the Palestinian economy if you cannot move goods from one area to another, Abbas aide Saeb Erekat told Reuters. The president also asked Blair to press Israel to stop carrying out arrest raids in the occupied West Bank, where Abbas's secular Fatah faction holds sway. Hamas Islamists seized the Gaza Strip in June. Abbas said Blair's action plan should spell out steps to bolster the Palestinian economy. Israel is expected to be asked under the plan to ease travel restrictions in the occupied West Bank, officials involved in the talks said.
Steps for the Palestinian side would focus initially on improving Abbas's security hold on the West Bank, a key Israeli precondition for removing checkpoints, the officials said. Israeli government officials said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert does not want Blair's action plan to set specific dates for implementation. Doing so would raise expectations that may not be achievable due to security developments, one official said. Blair, who started a visit to Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday, made no public comments after his meeting with Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
A Blair spokesman had no immediate comment.
The Quartet of Middle East mediators gave Blair a limited mandate mainly focused on economic development and building governing institutions in the occupied West Bank.
But Abbas's aides hope the former British prime minister will go further and use his influence to get Olmert to enter serious negotiations for a Palestinian state ahead of a U.S.-sponsored conference in November.
Washington declines comment after Syria fires on Israeli planes
Thu Sep 6, 2:26 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Thursday declined comment on reports that Syria opened fired on Israeli warplanes, which Damascus believes violated its airspace. I have seen those press reports. I don't have anything for you that could substantiate them one way or the other, State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters Thursday.Certainly I don't want to comment on at this point in time, Casey said.A department official who declined to be identified said Washington was not particularly concerned about the incident which could heighten tensions between Israel and Syria.I don't think anybody here is viewing this with any particular or unique concern, the official said.A Syrian cabinet minister confirmed Thursday that his country had launched what Damascus considered a counterattack to perceived Israeli aggression.They intervened in our airspace ... which they should not do -- we are a sovereign country and they should not come into (our) airspace, Expatriate Affairs Minister Bussaina Shaaban said.The standoff comes amid a continuing war of words between Syria and Israel, with each blaming side the other for stoking regional tensions and for the failure to revive peace talks that have been stalled for seven years.
Vatican: Pope meets Israeli president
Castel Gandolfo, 6 Sept. (AKI) - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday received Israeli president and Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres at his summer residence outside Rome. Peres also met the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, Oded Ben-Hur.During very cordial meetings, Peres exchanged information with the Vatican on the recent resumption of contact between Israelis and Palestinians inmoves to re-start the stalled Middle East peace process.Washington is sponsoring an international peace conference on the Middle East scheduled for November and in Thursday's talks it was agreed that both sides at the conference should do their utmost to satisfy the aspirations of their peoples, the Vatican said in a statement.
Relations between the Vatican and Israel were also examined during the meetings, in the hope of a rapid conclusion to important negotiations that are still continuing and of constant dialogue between the Israeli authorities and local Christian communities, the Vatican said.Peres - who is on his first trip abroad since becoming Israel's head of state in June. - re-extended an invitation to the pope to visit the Holy Land.Also on Thursday, Peres met Italy's foreign minister Massimo D'Alema in Rome. The two men discussed the prosptect for Arab-Israeli peace, as well as bilateral relations, regional issues. D'Alema was this week West Bank, Egypt and Israel.Benedict VXI on Wednesday received Syria's vice-president Faruq al-Sharaa at the end of the pontiff's weekly general audience, the Vatican said.
EU's Barroso confident at reaching reform treaty deal next month SEP 5,07
BRUSSELS (AFP) — European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso expressed confidence Wednesday that a new treaty to replace the EU's failed constitution could be agreed at a summit next month.Barroso was speaking at a joint press conference with Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who agreed that the negotiations on the treaty should be wrapped up at the EU summit in Lisbon on October 18-19.The head of the EU executive dismissed misgivings in some quarters that elections in Poland on October 21 could lead to a delay in the treaty deal.Poland assumed a commitment as a country and now we have every reason to believe that Poland will stick to its commitments, he said, referring to a June summit during which the outline of a new treaty to streamline the expanded EU's operations was agreed.Barroso added that it was almost impossible to find a period in which none of the EU's 27 member states were involved in elections.
Like the failed constitution, the new treaty aims to simplify the way the expanding EU operates. It will establish a new foreign policy supremo and a more permanent president.EU leaders have pledged to ratify the text by 2009 so that public confidence in the European project is not undermined by the problem during elections to the European Parliament that year.The draft constitution was rejected in referendums in France and the Netherlands two years ago, sparking the EU's worst-ever crisis and ushering in a long period of political limbo.Silva said he was becoming more confident that it would be possible to conclude the reform treaty under the Portuguese EU presidency, which lasts until the end of the year, so that the European Union could concentrate on other pressing matters such as its global role, the economy and climate change.Europe needs more Europe not less Europe, he asserted. Even big countries and rich countries can't go it alone, we have to work together.
An Open Letter and Appeal to All Who Stand Together with the Land and People of Israel, and Who Cherish the G-d of Israel and His Promise of Redemption for All Mankind
For the past several weeks, workers employed by the Islamic Wakf have been excavating on the Temple Mount. This excavation, ostensibly to facilitate improvements to the infrastructure of the Al Aksa Mosque, is being carried out with the approval of the Israeli government. Digging in any archaeologically sensitive area is generally carried out with great care and delicacy, especially if the site is associated with religious traditions or considered holy. However this work is being carried out as it would be at any construction or building project, utilizing heavy machinery such as tractors and bulldozers. The Israel Antiquities Authority, legally empowered by the government to protect all archaeological sites in Israel, is turning a blind eye to this excavation and has not posted supervisors or any representative at the site. Indeed, respected independent archaeologists who have expressed concern over the irreparable damage currently being wrought by this work, and who have attempted to observe the digging firsthand, have been physically prevented from doing so by Israeli police officers, who vigilantly ensure that no one interferes with the work. According to the eye witness reports of these archaeologists, and based on photographs they have studied, irreparable damage is being caused.
Islam maintains that there never was any such thing as the Holy Temple standing on the Temple Mount. For years a concentrated effort was made to obliterate any vestige of evidence from the site. Yet now, as a result of this destructive and wanton bulldozing, a section of the wall of the Holy Temple – in the area universally recognized as the location of the Women’s Court – has been unearthed. This is the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple that actual physical evidence of the Temple has been revealed. But all of the antiquities of the Temple that have been uncovered are in danger of being destroyed by the Wakf. To understand this travesty as merely an archaeological issue would be myopic indeed. It would also be a mistake to consider these actions as nothing more than a heartless and cruel attack against another religion and culture. These atrocities are not being committed solely against the Jewish people and their traditions. This is an attack by enemies of the G-d of Israel against Him, and His plan for all humanity. The Bible consistently emphasizes the centrality of the Holy Temple in the life of mankind; it is none other than the footstool of G-d in this world (Lam 2:1). The purposeful destruction of remnants of the Holy Temple are an attempt to undermine G-d’s sovereignty, and to erase His name from the one place on earth that He has chosen to manifest His presence throughout the saga of human history. Our sages teach us that Adam, the first man, was created from the spot of the altar in the Holy Temple. All of his descendants – the family of man who are created in the Divine image – are therefore under attack, as these enemies seek, through their brazen act of denial and destruction, to unravel the human image and wage war against the Almighty. This callous and brutal destruction is an intolerable crime against all humanity. Why does the government of Ehud Olmert officially condone the vandalism orchestrated against that which is holiest of all to the Jewish people? Why is there no response at all?
There is much more at stake here than simply the destruction of precious remnants of the Holy Temple. It has become clear that the abandonment of the Temple Mount to total Moslem control has been promised by Israel and is guaranteed to figure prominently in any eventual treaty or agreement.Aside from the political implications regarding the future of Jerusalem and Israel – and the direct effect that this will have on the entire world – the spiritual implications of what is now transpiring are enormous.Allowing this sacrilege to continue, or alternatively – expending every effort to stem it, will constitute a direct indication as to how much we are willing to commit to the promises of G-d, and how much are we willing to commit to upholding His honor.
The Bible clearly indicates that all humanity will be uplifted to a new and unparalleled level of unity when the Holy Temple is rebuilt. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the L-rd’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all the nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd… (Isaiah 2). In Isaiah’s messianic prophetic vision of the lion lying with lamb, he further states that They shall not hurt, nor destroy, in all My holy mountain. Yet ironically, this hurt, this destruction of G-d’s holy mountain, is precisely what is taking place at this very moment under our very eyes. Indeed, there is naught but destruction rampant in all My holy mountain.This is the time for action. The government of Mr. Olmert does not represent the true and dedicated people of Israel. Yet he blasphemes, with impunity. He dares to treat the holies of Israel – indeed, the legacy of all those who believe in G-d – as his personal plaything. This government, whose only concern is the advancement of its own self -serving agenda and power, continues to rob the people of Israel of all that is rightly theirs, their G-d given heritage, legacy and responsibility.
I urge all those of you who stand with the people of Israel, who express deep commitment and concern for her fate, who identify with her mission and cherish her G-d, to rise up together with your brethren, the faithful, observant and G-d fearing Jews, and make your voices heard. The government of Ehud Olmert shows disdain for its own constituency. But it is still sensitive to the scrutiny and criticism of the world. The plans are made and set, and the partners – the Israelis, Palestinians, Saudis and other players – are urged on by the President of the United States, Mr. George Bush, who is committed to the unBiblical and immoral two state solution, itself an anti-G-d affront against the Jewish people and G-d’s promise to them.
You are in a unique position, and at a unique time in history, to unsettle these plans. Your immediate action is imperative and crucial for the halting of this evil process. The immoralities being perpetrated by the forces of Islam, if allowed to continue unchecked, will ultimately visit upon all those who remain silent. The die has been cast. While Olmert remains deaf to the cause of his own people, while the abandonment of the Temple Mount and Jerusalem has been promised by the corrupt and G-dless imposters posing as Israel’s leaders, a decisive, unified, unabashed stance can reverse this evil trend. I urge each and every true friend of Israel to personally fulfill the verse For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for the sake of Jerusalem, I will not be still… (Isaiah 62:1) Do not be silent, do not be still! Make your voices heard in the clearest possible manner. Look deeply into your hearts, seek guidance from our Creator, and decide upon your course of action – a course that will allow you the merit of participating in G-d’s unfolding plan of redemption for all mankind. A course of action that will make it clear in the most unequivocal terms, to Israel’s enemies – from within and without – that you stand for the honor of the G-d of Israel.I urge you to view this video update on the Temple Mount destruction.
http://universaltorah.com/programming/2007/09/05/urgent-message-the-temple-mount.htm
Rabbi Chaim Richman
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
www.templeinstitute.org
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.
Central America on flooding alert after storms SEPT 6,07
BILWI, Nicaragua (AFP) - Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico geared up for flooding from rain-swollen rivers Thursday in the wake of two devastating hurricanes that left at least 80 victims dead and scores more missing. Nicaragua and Honduras in a joint death toll Thursday, said that Hurricane Felix killed at least 71 people in their two countries.In Mexico, meanwhile, nine people were killed in the wake of Hurricane Henriette, which swept across Baja California's popular Cabo tourist areas before plowing into the country's northern regions, slowing as it crossed the US border. Some 5,000 people remained in shelters in Mexico.In Central America low-lying areas were on high alert against flooding as rivers continued to rise following super-storm Felix, which blasted into Nicaragua's northern Mosquito Coast Tuesday, killing at least 38 and leaving 50,000 homeless.The storm at its peak Tuesday reached the highest possible category five strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale.The European Union announced it would send 1.3 million dollars in emergency aid to help the relief effort in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua's disaster chief Ramon Arnesto Sistema said the death toll was likely to rise, with some 120 people missing from the Miskito Cays along the coast of the impoverished North Atlantic Autonomous Region.An aircraft with tonnes of food, blankets and medication landed late Wednesday in Bilwi, the regional capital, and a Venezuelan cargo plane was due to arrive later Thursday.The World Food Program delivered 4.5 tonnes of aid to the Nicaraguan government, while neighboring El Salvador and Honduras also sent assistance.The population worst hit by the storm was without help for a full day due to the remoteness of the jungle region.The bodies of 24 native Miskito Nicaraguans, whose fishing boat had capsized, were found near the Caribbean coast of Honduras in the wake of Felix, an official told reporters Thursday.This morning I was told that a boat was recovered with 24 bodies, 21 men and three women, government representative for the Gracias a Dios region, Carolina Echeverria said.Meanwhile, President Manuel Zelaya said that he had been told of dozens of Miskitos killed, adding that there were 128 more missing, many of whom are likely to have drowned.In the wealthy Valle de Sula farming and industrial region of northwest Honduras, the military, Red Cross and rescue officials pressed thousands of reluctant inhabitants of some 20 local villages to evacuate their homes ahead of surging waters in the Ulua and Chamelecon rivers.The rivers are rising, it is almost certain that they will flood, and we cannot run the risk that there will be deaths because we did not take the situation seriously, El Progresso mayor Jose Martinez told AFP.
On an all-terrain vehicle, Ramon Villeda, head of the firefighters at the San Pedro Sula airport, drove along the river banks to study the situation, calling on residents to leave their homes.It is necessary to leave the area, without a doubt. The people will possibly be able to return to their homes safe and sound on Friday, when the danger has passed, he said.In Guatemala, authorities declared a red alert in Izabal City, some 300 kilometers northeast of the capital, where residents have been evacuated over worries of flooding. Flooding alerts were also sounded, and evacuations launched in El Salvador and Mexico's southern Chiapas state. Two storm victims died in Mexico and one was missing in Guaymas, on the Sonora state coast, adding to seven who died earlier when Henriette swept up Mexico's southern Pacific coast.
Study: Tsunami could kill 1M in S. Asia By MICHAEL CASEY, AP Environmental Writer Wed Sep 5, 4:24 PM ET
BANGKOK, Thailand - At least a million people in South Asia's Bay of Bengal could be swept to their deaths by a tsunami if a giant earthquake hits off the coast of Myanmar, according to a study published Thursday. But the study's author, Phil Cummins, said he does not have enough data to say whether such a cataclysmic event would hit parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh in the next few decades or in several hundred years.I don't want to cause a panic. There is no reason anything like this would happen soon, said Cummins, of Geoscience Australia.The threat of tsunamis has taken on added urgency in recent years after a massive earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island in December 2004 triggered a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people and left a half million homeless in a dozen countries.Cummins' study, which appears in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, is the first time anyone has suggested that an earthquake off the coast of Myanmar could spawn a tsunami that could have pronounced impact on the Chittagong coast and the Ganges-Bhramaputra delta at the northern tip of the Bay of Bengal, it said.
The numbers of people at risk from a tsunami, Cummins wrote, may be over a million given that the region is home to Bangladesh's second largest city of Chittagong and there are tens of millions living just above sea level.Cummins has not presented his findings to the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh. Officials from Myanmar and Bangladesh could not immediately be reached for comment.The area Cummins studied is a section of the Sunda Megathrust that stretches all the way from Western Australia to the Himalayas. A rupture of the fault was blamed for the Sumatra earthquake in 2004.Examining historical records, Cummins found evidence that an earthquake estimated at magnitude 8.5 to 9.0 struck off the western Myanmar coast in April 1762. He said it probably produced a tsunami, citing eyewitness accounts of waves washing over nearby Cheduba Island, submerged coasts near Chittagong and rising river levels as far inland as Dhaka.He said future quakes and tsunamis were likely, given the historical accounts and more recent surveys of the area which determined a magnitude 8.5 quake would hit the area every 100 years and a 9.0 every 500 years.
I would hope this spurs further work in confirming these past events, he said. It should be possible to answer how big was this event, how often do these events occur and what kind of tsunamis are generated through further geological investigation.The reaction to Cummins findings has been mixed, with some tsunami experts saying they shed important light on a section of Sunda Megathrust that has received little attention in the past.The main value of the paper is in advertising the danger of the section of the megathrust that no one has worried about, said California Institute of Technology's Kerry Sieh, who has used coral records and GPS networks to predict that a big quake and tsunami are likely to hit parts of Sumatra Island in the coming decades.His point is well taken. This part of the megathrust has produced a larger earthquake in the past and so it could do so in the future too, Sieh said. The effects on the west coast of Myanmar and more importantly Bangladesh would be awful.But Costas Synolakis, director of the Tsunami Research Center at the University of Southern California, said the possibly of a tsunami in the area was previously known and questioned whether the fault would rupture to the extent estimated by Cummins.Synolakis also said in an e-mail interview that the scenario presented by Cummins could lead to a massive panic south of Chennai (India) and possibly a sense of reassurance in Sri Lanka where he said the threat of another tsunami was worse.On the Net: Nature magazine: http://www.nature.com/nature.
Felix toll rises, Henriette hits Mexico By ARIEL LEON, Associated Press Writer SEPT 6,07
PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua - Doctors treated storm casualties in a makeshift clinic Wednesday after powerful Hurricane Felix flooded their hospital and wrecked villages on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. The death toll rose to at least 18 with dozens more missing. Far to the northwest, Hurricane Henriette plowed into Mexico for the second time in two days, making landfall shortly before 9 p.m. EDT near the port city of Guaymas with top sustained winds of 75 mph. Seven deaths were reported from the Pacific storm, which hit Baja California on Tuesday.Felix came ashore Tuesday in Nicaragua as a Category 5 tempest packing 160 mph winds and heavy rains that caused mudslides, destroyed homes, uprooted trees and devastated villages.Wednesday night, Nicaraguan Civil Defense Department spokesman Alvaro Rivas said the confirmed death toll had doubled to 18. Defense officials said President Daniel Ortega had put the toll at 21. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.Rivas also said at least 60 people were missing: more than 50 in the Matagalpa province in the north and another 10 around hard-hit city of Puerto Cabezas.
The dead included a man who drowned when his boat capsized, a woman killed when a tree fell on her house and a newborn who died shortly after birth because her mother couldn't get medical attention.Among the missing were four fishermen whose small sailboat sank as Felix's center passed overhead. A survivor, Fernando Pereira, 24, said he clung to a piece of wood for 12 hours, despite a dislocated shoulder, and washed ashore at the village of Sandy Bay only hours after Felix made landfall there. He hadn't seen his friends since.I felt horrible, he said. I was drinking salt water, and I thought I was going to die.Others were caught in the sea as well. Jelivaro Climax, 22, said he had to swim through enormous waves to reach shore.
Lightning flashed through a pitch black sky, he said. I don't know how I survived. I swam with everything I had, and I was sure the sea would take me.Felix swept over the Miskito Coast, an impoverished region where about 150,000 people live in jungle settlements. Their hamlets of wooden shacks and coconut groves are remote even in good weather, reachable only by air or flat-bottom boats.The Miskitos, descendants of Indians, European settlers and African slaves, live semiautonomously, much like people on Indian reservations in the U.S.There wasn't enough fuel after the storm for boats to make long trips, and Felix snapped steel cables that guided a small ferry carrying people and cars from Puerto Cabezas to the village of Wawahum.Johana Aliberto Maquiave, 36, was stuck in Puerto Cabezas, trying to get back to her family in Sandy Bay, the village where the eye of the storm hit.I want to know what happened to my three children, she said, fighting tears. The poor kids stayed with their dad. I am here with nothing. I came on Sunday to buy food.The view from a flight over Sandy Bay — a region that includes about 10 Miskito villages, some 30 miles north of Puerto Cabezas — showed swathes of palm tree felled like stalks of grass, homes without roofs and building debris scattered across the tropical landscape.Felix also wiped out crops and damaged most of the 70 tons of food and emergency goods that had been flown in before the storm.On Wednesday, it was hard to find a building that wasn't damaged. Puerto Cabezas' hospital was filled with water, and doctors attended to the injured at an improvised clinic. Ortega flew over the area to survey the damage. He said that the U.S. and Venezuelan offered aid and that Cuban doctors were already on the ground. Nicaragua's military flew in sheets, mattresses, food and first aid materials.
Residents hacked at fallen trees with machetes, trying to uncover the remains of their humble homes. There was very little electricity, running water or telephone service. Larry Hansack, 38, gazed at a sea littered with splintered wood and shattered tin, wondering about his nephew, a fisherman who disappeared at sea. There's no one to help me, and everything is disorganized, he said.Teresa Flores, 34, rode out the storm at a neighbor's house after her wooden home collapsed, injuring her husband and 3-year-old son. Looters later took what was left. They took the clothes, even the barrels where we keep water, she said. Now we have nothing to drink. We lost all our food, the television set, the microwave, even the toilet. Nothing works. We are pretty much in the street.At one point during the storm, she tried to check on her home, but I took a few steps and couldn't move forward. The wind said no.The remains of Felix were still dumping rain Wednesday on Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, and thousands of evacuees anxiously stayed away from shaky hillside slums and swollen rivers. In San Pedro Sula, in northern Honduras, one shantytown filled with water after a river burst its bank. Police rode bulldozers to evacuate slum dwellers from water that was waist-deep and rising, but many refused to leave, fearing their remaining possessions would be stolen.
David Serato, 42, left. Life is more important than personal belongings, he said. If I stayed, I would die.Many had feared a repeat of the 1998 nightmare of Hurricane Mitch, which stalled over Central America for days, causing floods and mudslides that killed nearly 11,000 people and left more than 8,000 missing. On Mexico's western coast, Henriette moved across the Gulf of California. Its center later made its second landfall near the Mexican city of Guaymas in Sonora state, said Jack Beven, a specialist with the Miami-based center. A few hours later the Henriette was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved inland and its sustained winds dropped to 65 mph. Schools and ports were closed and people evacuated from low-lying areas, but the storm was expected to weaken quickly over the desert before dumping a few inches of rain Thursday on New Mexico. Among the coastal communities sure to get drenched was San Carlos, a beach town packed with American retirees that neighbors Guaymas.
Henriette set off mudslides earlier that killed six people in Acapulco as it moved northward up Mexico's Pacific coast, and a woman drowned in high surf as the storm approached the Baja California peninula. Mexican navy Capt. Leopoldo Mendoza said a navy helicopter was searching the Bay of La Paz for a missing boat carrying two Mexicans and two Japanese. The storm became a hurricane just before its direct hit on the upscale desert resorts of Los Cabos on Baja's southern tip Tuesday. The luxury hotels suffered little damage, but plywood shacks in the surrounding slums were destroyed. Everything is soaked, said Homero Cruz Marcelino, a 28-year-old gardener who rode out the storm with his pregnant wife and son in a shack that was reduced to little more than a wooden frame. He estimated the damage at $500, a small fortune given his income. Associated Press writers Freddy Cuevas in Tegicugalpa, Honduras; Filadelfo Aleman in Managua, Nicaragua; Ioan Grillo in San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Richard Jacobsen in Mexico City; and Paul Kiernan in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, contributed to this report.
OZONE DEPLETION
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
California heatwave ebbs after claiming 25 lives SEPT 5,07
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - At least 25 deaths were blamed on an excessive eight-day heatwave in Southern California that finally started to cool on Wednesday. Temperatures in inland and mountainous areas of Los Angeles dropped by about 20 degrees, bringing most places down below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) for the first time in a week.Power was being restored gradually to some 55,000 people some of whom sweltered without air conditioning, lights or working refrigerators for two days or more because of record demand placed on the grid, power officials said.
Fifteen of the suspected heat-related deaths reported by coroners were in Los Angeles County. Autopsies will determine the exact cause of death.They included a couple in their 80s who were trying to keep costs down by switching off the air conditioning in their apartment. Firefighters who found the bodies said the temperature inside was at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius).Some others, including at least one homeless man, were found dead in their cars over the long, hot holiday weekend. A 26 year-old man was found dead in a Los Angeles canyon after becoming separated from friends while riding his dirt bike, the coroner's office said.Seven deaths were reported in Imperial County, two in San Bernardino County and one in Riverside County where temperatures hit triple digits for several days in a row.Temperatures are expected to drop further back to seasonal norms over the next two days.
Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god
Tue Sep 4, 2007 3:41pm ET
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due the problem.The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights, said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.Local media last week blamed the company's woes on an electrical fault. The carrier runs international flights to five cities in Asia. It is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.Reuters 2007.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
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.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Nuclear bombs mistakenly flown over US By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer SEPT 6,07
WASHINGTON - A B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear warheads and flown for more than three hours across several states last week, prompting an Air Force investigation and the firing of one commander, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
The mistake was so serious that President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were quickly informed and Gates has asked for daily briefings on the Air Force inquiry, said Defense Department press secretary Geoff Morrell.He said Gates was assured that the munitions were part of a routine transfer between the two bases and at all times they were in the custody and control of Air Force personnel and at no time was the public in danger.Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called the mishandling of the weapons deeply disturbing and said the committee would press the military for details. Rep. Edward J. Markey, a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, said it was absolutely inexcusable.
Nothing like this has ever been reported before and we have been assured for decades that it was impossible, said Markey, D-Mass., co-chair of the House task force on nonproliferation.The plane was carrying advanced cruise missiles from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a Defense Department policy not to confirm information on nuclear weapons.The missiles, which are being decommissioned, were mounted onto pylons on the bomber's wings and it is unclear why the warheads had not been removed beforehand.According to the officials, the weapons are designed with multiple safety features that ensure the warheads don't accidentally detonate.
Arming the weapons requires a number of stringent protocols and authentication codes that must be followed for detonation. And they are designed to withstand a significant impact, including an aircraft crash, without detonating.The Air Combat Command has ordered a command-wide stand down on Sept. 14 to review procedures, officials said. They said there was minimal risk to crews and the public because of safety features designed into the munitions.In addition to the munitions squadron commander who was relieved of his duties, crews involved with the mistaken load — including ground crew workers — have been temporarily decertified for handling munitions, one official said.The investigation is expected to take several weeks.
The incident was first reported by Military Times newspaper group.
There is no more serious issue than the security and proper handling of nuclear weapons, Skelton said in a statement Wednesday. The American people, our friends, and our potential adversaries must be confident that the highest standards are in place when it comes to our nuclear arsenal.Skelton, D-Mo., said his committee will pursue answers on the classified matter to ensure that the Air Force and the Department of Defense address this particular incident and strengthen controls more generally.
UK link to terrorists planning new 9/11 massacre
By ALLAN HALL and DAVID WILLIAMS - 6th September 2007
Islamic terrorists planning a massacre in Germany on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks phoned British contacts as they plotted, it has emerged. They planned to strike at German airports and US bases exactly six years after hijacked planes ploughed into the World Trade Centre. The three suspects, two German converts to Islam and a Turk who had undergone military training at Taliban camps in Pakistan, were caught with 750kg of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical easily transformed into explosives. One suspect was taken away by helicopter in handcuffs.Another of the suspects is led away in handcuffs.
Germany searching for 10 men behind massive al Qaeda plane terror plot.Danish police arrest 8 Muslims in alleged bomb plot.Several calls to British numbers are said to been made from mobile telephones linked to two of the men being questioned in Germany. One is said to have been a known number. Prosecutors and police painted a picture of a ruthless cell of Al-Qaeda-linked fanatics, willing to die in suicide attacks with bombs more powerful than those used in the July 7 attacks in London in 2005. Prosecutors said the attacks were planned at Frankfurt airport, Germany's biggest and busiest, and the Ramstein Airbase - the Pentagon's largest outside of the US. Confiscated canisters labeled as hydrogen peroxide are displayed during this morning's press conference in Germany.Other US bases, civilian airports, a nightclub and pub were on the terrorists' target list. Germany's chief prosecutor, Monika Harms, said the plan was to construct massive car bombs and cause as much loss of life as possible. We have stopped what would certainly have been the worst terror attacks in Germany, he added. The men had been under surveillance for months from agents of the BND, Germany' s MI5, and the elite GSG-9 police commandos who are trained along SAS-lines. American intelligence officials were also in on the surveillance but played no part in the arrests. On Tuesday, authorities swooped at a hideout in the village of Oberschledorn in North Rhine-Westphalia where the bomb factory was located.
One of the suspects broke out of a bathroom window and bolted into woodland, where he wrestled with a police officer and managed to take his gun. A shot was fired but no one was hit. The policeman and his colleagues overpowered the suspect. All three suspects were arrested. Forty other homes and offices across Germany were raided at the same time. As well as the chemical mixtures, police discovered military detonators. Frankfurt Airport. Reports suggest the terror plot targeted civilian and military planes at the airport.The US military base at Ramstein was also believed to have been targeted. German defence minister Franz Josef Jung said: The attacks were planned for the near future. They presented a direct threat to life.The group had been under surveillance ever since one was spotted spying the US barracks at Hanau on New Year's Eve last year. Email traffic between them and others abroad led to the authorities' action five days before the anniversary of 9/11. Der Spiegel, the respected German news magazine, was among media outlets which reported the terrorists were gearing up for attacks on that day. Last night British anti-terror officers were last night checking for links between the men held in Germany and British-Pakistani terror suspects who may have trained with them.
The terror attack that authorities believe was foiled in Germany may have been timed to coincide with the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York
Officers from Scotland Yard flew to Germany to assist the investigation. They want to examine any possible links with UK terror plots. The details of the men are also to be shown to Al Qaeda supergrass Mohammad Babar, who trained with Britons at terror camps, by US officials and to extremists in British jails. Al Qaeda and jihadi bomb makers are known to have taught Britons how to use hydrogen peroxide at camps in Pakistan attended by other Europeans. It has featured as a key component of al Qaeda-linked bombers at least twice in Britain. It was used by the four July 7 suicide bombers in the bombs that killed 52 on the London transport network. It was also to have been used two weeks later in the copycat attacks by four more Islamic fundamentalists intent on bringing slaughter to the capital's streets. But the rucksack bombs failed to go off. The plotters were jailed earlier this year. Germany routinely does not issue the last names of criminal suspects. A man identified as being the group's leader, Fritz G, 28, is from Ulm in southern Germany, where he is understood to have worked at the city's Islamic Information Centre after converting to Islam. The other German, Daniel S, 22, is also a Muslim convert and comes from Saarbruecken on the border with France. The third man is a Turk named Adem Y, 29, who lives in Frankfurt. They were members of a group called Islamic Jihad Union. Spawned in Uzbekistan, it was described by a senior German lawman as a franchise of al Qaeda with close ties to Osama Bin Laden's terror corporation. The men, radicalised over what they saw as the oppression of Muslims worldwide by America and her allies, have apparently been confessing to interrogators.
Jews Want Feiglin - Arabs Want Netanyahu
September 6, 2007
Moshe Feiglin received 25% of the vote in the recent Likud election for head of the party. This was a decisive victory for Feiglin and his ideology of belief-based Jewish leadership even though he has not yet become Likud chairman. This large mandate of support against a candidate - Benjamin Netanyahu - who was formerly Israeli Prime Minister is an indication that the ideology behind Manhigut Yehudit, the Jewish Leadership faction of Likud under Feiglin, has the support of a large and growing segment of the country. A shofar has sounded and Israeli's are awakening to the fact that the way to peace is by staying true to themselves, to their G-d, and to their precious land, and not by giving away their divinely-given land and not by making concessions to and appeasing those who are committing, aiding and abetting terrorism. The Arabs have continually made their murderous agenda known to anyone who is willing to open their eyes. They try their methodology of terrorism and when that doesn't work, they then try to achieve the same ends (pushing the Jewish State into the sea) through diplomatic channels by saying a few nice-sounding words in English which they refute immediately in Arabic. While the Israelis are waking up to this fact and that only Authentic Jewish Leadership under Moshe Feiglin will steer us back on the right course, the Arabs are also waking to the same fact. That is why they have endorsed Bibi Netanyahu to become the next Prime Minister of Israel. The Arabs know that Netanyahu (who continually endorses destroying Jewish settlements and handing the Land of Israel over to the Arab moderates not Feiglin - will help their evil plan come into fruition.
The following article first appeared in YNET on September 2, 2007.
Arabs waiting for Bibi: Palestinians, Arab leaders believe that only Israel ’s right-wing camp can bring peace - Majdi Halabi
The Israeli Right and part of the center of Israel’s political map are not the only ones waiting for Benjamin Netanyahu. The Palestinians are also waiting for Bibi. This impression comes from conversations with senior Palestinian officials and key figures within Palestinian society.The Palestinians are convinced that Benjamin Netanyahu can undertake diplomatic moves more easily than Ehud Olmert and his government which, despite possessing a solid and broad coalition base, loses its majority once withdrawals or outpost evacuations are brought up for discussion.
The analysis offered by the Palestinians is very interesting. They say that the Right is better for peace than the Left and bring up many examples to back this up, ranging from the peace treaty with Egypt signed by the government of the late Menachem Begin to the Hebron deal signed by Netanyahu and the Gaza withdrawal carried out by Ariel Sharon, who the Palestinians viewed as a strong rightist.The Right is good for peace and the Left is good for war – this is the way the Israeli political map is perceived in the eyes of the Palestinian neighbors and Arab leaders. Their analysis is simple. When the Left wishes to pursue peace moves, that is, withdrawals, it is curbed by the Right and religious parties, and at times even the Arab Knesset members’ bloc is not enough to help the Left secure the needed majority.Yet when the Left wishes to undertake a military move, it always enjoys right-wing support that guarantees a majority for such moves. This was particularly noticeable in all the military moves, wars, and campaigns led by leftist and centrist governments, such as the Grapes of Wrath campaign in 1996 and the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Left is good for talking
On the other hand, say the Palestinians and analysts of Israeli policy in the Arab world, when the Right is in power it is easier to reach agreements because the Right is consistent and honors its pledges. Moreover, it will automatically enjoy the support of the entire leftist bloc the moment it decides on a withdrawal, evacuation, or any other regional peace agreement.Benjamin Netanyahu is viewed in a more credible light by regional Arab leaders than the way he has been portrayed in the media and wide sectors within the Israeli public and political arena. A senior aide for one of the most important regional leaders told me that many of them expect to meet Netanyahu and hear about his plans and the moves he wishes to undertake if and when he is elected prime minister.The aide even expressed an interest in the possibility of meeting Netanyahu, even though there has been no announcement of new general elections at this time.As it turns out, the Arab world views a right-wing ascendancy to power as an opportunity to advance the diplomatic process. This contradicts the common perception that Arab leaders prefer a leftist Israeli government. The Left is good for talking and the planning of agreements, the Arabs say, but the Right is the address for signing agreements as it is the only element that can secure a Jewish majority.It appears that the Arabs are well familiar with the secrets of Israeli politics and it is possible that teams on behalf of Netanyahu and the Right are already talking with the Arab and Palestinian side and attempting to initiate moves on the Palestinian, Syrian and even Lebanese front.
Tova Abadi Media Liaison 917-301-0997 (cell) tova@jewishisrael.org
The Manhigut Yehudit website is www.jewishisrael.org
France considers ways to tackle globalisation
06.09.2007 - 09:27 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva
France should work for a much more offensive policy of protection, solidarity and regulation at an EU level in order to better face globalisation, according to a report by former French foreign affairs minister Hubert Vedrine.It should also have the right to protect key or strategic sectors of its economy, Mr Vedrine writes in the 63-page document.I see globalisation neither as a chance, nor as blight, simply as a fact to which one has to adapt, the former minister is quoted as saying by Le Figaro.French president Nicolas Sarkozy in July asked Mr Vedrine to draft a report on how the country should respond to the challenges of globalisation. The report comes at a time when the European Commission is trying to promote more openness and a positive view of globalisation, as well as less national champions. But if the principles in the report are followed, it is set to be a blow to the commission's willingness to embrace globalisation.We still haven't really worked out how to be political about globalisation – except, in most cases, by opposing it. And that's our problem, EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said at a symposium on globalisation on 3 September.
Imposing punitive measures raises a cheer for politicians. It may provide some temporary relief. It is often both justified and right. But if it is inhibiting European companies from pursuing rational production strategies (…) it can also be counterproductive, he added.The French are traditionally hostile to globalisation, due to a number of reasons – an attachment to the protective state, to national identity and a language which they judge threatened by the anglophone tide and Americanisation. There is also a persistent moral disgust for market economy and profit, reads the report.Recent figures even indicate a certain globalophobia, says Mr Vedrine, as two different polls this year showed that 74% of French are worried by globalisation and believe it will have a negative effect on salaried employees.
However, the French are not the only ones who view globalisation with some fear.
While 18% of them favour it, only 17 percent of Spanish and Americans and 15 percent of British citizens view the phenomenon positively, according to a poll published by the Financial times last spring.
Blair meets Olmert on Middle-East peace tour SEPT 6,07
The Middle-East envoy Tony Blair has told the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he will focus on practical steps to try to build confidence in the peacemaking process. The former UK premier is in Israel as part of a tour of the Middle-East as envoy of the so-called Quartet - America, the EU, Russia and the UN - with a limited mandate on economic development and building Palestinian institutions in the West Bank.Olmert, and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have held regular meetings in recent months, though Israel only wants to talk about general principles. The moderate Fatah leader hopes Blair will use his influence to persuade Israel to enter more detailed talks on a Palestinian state, before a US sponsored conference scheduled for November.Israel's Supreme Court has delivered an embarrassing blow to the government, over a controversial barrier between Israel and the West Bank. The court ruled in favour of villagers in Bil'in, who'd argued that the barrier stopped them accessing their fields and orchards. Now planners have to re-route the fence-line.
Abbas asks Blair to press Israel on checkpoints
Thursday September 6, 09:35 PM
By Mohammed Assadi
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked Middle East envoy Tony Blair on Thursday to put pressure on Israel to remove some of the hundreds of checkpoints that restrict travel in the West Bank. Blair is developing a plan that would spell out practical steps that Israeli, Palestinian and business leaders would gradually take to try to boost peace prospects, officials said. Abbas and the Palestinian side asked Blair to really put pressure on Israel to remove the checkpoints because how can you improve the Palestinian economy if you cannot move goods from one area to another, Abbas aide Saeb Erekat told Reuters. The president also asked Blair to press Israel to stop carrying out arrest raids in the occupied West Bank, where Abbas's secular Fatah faction holds sway. Hamas Islamists seized the Gaza Strip in June. Abbas said Blair's action plan should spell out steps to bolster the Palestinian economy. Israel is expected to be asked under the plan to ease travel restrictions in the occupied West Bank, officials involved in the talks said.
Steps for the Palestinian side would focus initially on improving Abbas's security hold on the West Bank, a key Israeli precondition for removing checkpoints, the officials said. Israeli government officials said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert does not want Blair's action plan to set specific dates for implementation. Doing so would raise expectations that may not be achievable due to security developments, one official said. Blair, who started a visit to Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday, made no public comments after his meeting with Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
A Blair spokesman had no immediate comment.
The Quartet of Middle East mediators gave Blair a limited mandate mainly focused on economic development and building governing institutions in the occupied West Bank.
But Abbas's aides hope the former British prime minister will go further and use his influence to get Olmert to enter serious negotiations for a Palestinian state ahead of a U.S.-sponsored conference in November.
Washington declines comment after Syria fires on Israeli planes
Thu Sep 6, 2:26 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Thursday declined comment on reports that Syria opened fired on Israeli warplanes, which Damascus believes violated its airspace. I have seen those press reports. I don't have anything for you that could substantiate them one way or the other, State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters Thursday.Certainly I don't want to comment on at this point in time, Casey said.A department official who declined to be identified said Washington was not particularly concerned about the incident which could heighten tensions between Israel and Syria.I don't think anybody here is viewing this with any particular or unique concern, the official said.A Syrian cabinet minister confirmed Thursday that his country had launched what Damascus considered a counterattack to perceived Israeli aggression.They intervened in our airspace ... which they should not do -- we are a sovereign country and they should not come into (our) airspace, Expatriate Affairs Minister Bussaina Shaaban said.The standoff comes amid a continuing war of words between Syria and Israel, with each blaming side the other for stoking regional tensions and for the failure to revive peace talks that have been stalled for seven years.
Vatican: Pope meets Israeli president
Castel Gandolfo, 6 Sept. (AKI) - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday received Israeli president and Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres at his summer residence outside Rome. Peres also met the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, Oded Ben-Hur.During very cordial meetings, Peres exchanged information with the Vatican on the recent resumption of contact between Israelis and Palestinians inmoves to re-start the stalled Middle East peace process.Washington is sponsoring an international peace conference on the Middle East scheduled for November and in Thursday's talks it was agreed that both sides at the conference should do their utmost to satisfy the aspirations of their peoples, the Vatican said in a statement.
Relations between the Vatican and Israel were also examined during the meetings, in the hope of a rapid conclusion to important negotiations that are still continuing and of constant dialogue between the Israeli authorities and local Christian communities, the Vatican said.Peres - who is on his first trip abroad since becoming Israel's head of state in June. - re-extended an invitation to the pope to visit the Holy Land.Also on Thursday, Peres met Italy's foreign minister Massimo D'Alema in Rome. The two men discussed the prosptect for Arab-Israeli peace, as well as bilateral relations, regional issues. D'Alema was this week West Bank, Egypt and Israel.Benedict VXI on Wednesday received Syria's vice-president Faruq al-Sharaa at the end of the pontiff's weekly general audience, the Vatican said.
EU's Barroso confident at reaching reform treaty deal next month SEP 5,07
BRUSSELS (AFP) — European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso expressed confidence Wednesday that a new treaty to replace the EU's failed constitution could be agreed at a summit next month.Barroso was speaking at a joint press conference with Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who agreed that the negotiations on the treaty should be wrapped up at the EU summit in Lisbon on October 18-19.The head of the EU executive dismissed misgivings in some quarters that elections in Poland on October 21 could lead to a delay in the treaty deal.Poland assumed a commitment as a country and now we have every reason to believe that Poland will stick to its commitments, he said, referring to a June summit during which the outline of a new treaty to streamline the expanded EU's operations was agreed.Barroso added that it was almost impossible to find a period in which none of the EU's 27 member states were involved in elections.
Like the failed constitution, the new treaty aims to simplify the way the expanding EU operates. It will establish a new foreign policy supremo and a more permanent president.EU leaders have pledged to ratify the text by 2009 so that public confidence in the European project is not undermined by the problem during elections to the European Parliament that year.The draft constitution was rejected in referendums in France and the Netherlands two years ago, sparking the EU's worst-ever crisis and ushering in a long period of political limbo.Silva said he was becoming more confident that it would be possible to conclude the reform treaty under the Portuguese EU presidency, which lasts until the end of the year, so that the European Union could concentrate on other pressing matters such as its global role, the economy and climate change.Europe needs more Europe not less Europe, he asserted. Even big countries and rich countries can't go it alone, we have to work together.
An Open Letter and Appeal to All Who Stand Together with the Land and People of Israel, and Who Cherish the G-d of Israel and His Promise of Redemption for All Mankind
For the past several weeks, workers employed by the Islamic Wakf have been excavating on the Temple Mount. This excavation, ostensibly to facilitate improvements to the infrastructure of the Al Aksa Mosque, is being carried out with the approval of the Israeli government. Digging in any archaeologically sensitive area is generally carried out with great care and delicacy, especially if the site is associated with religious traditions or considered holy. However this work is being carried out as it would be at any construction or building project, utilizing heavy machinery such as tractors and bulldozers. The Israel Antiquities Authority, legally empowered by the government to protect all archaeological sites in Israel, is turning a blind eye to this excavation and has not posted supervisors or any representative at the site. Indeed, respected independent archaeologists who have expressed concern over the irreparable damage currently being wrought by this work, and who have attempted to observe the digging firsthand, have been physically prevented from doing so by Israeli police officers, who vigilantly ensure that no one interferes with the work. According to the eye witness reports of these archaeologists, and based on photographs they have studied, irreparable damage is being caused.
Islam maintains that there never was any such thing as the Holy Temple standing on the Temple Mount. For years a concentrated effort was made to obliterate any vestige of evidence from the site. Yet now, as a result of this destructive and wanton bulldozing, a section of the wall of the Holy Temple – in the area universally recognized as the location of the Women’s Court – has been unearthed. This is the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple that actual physical evidence of the Temple has been revealed. But all of the antiquities of the Temple that have been uncovered are in danger of being destroyed by the Wakf. To understand this travesty as merely an archaeological issue would be myopic indeed. It would also be a mistake to consider these actions as nothing more than a heartless and cruel attack against another religion and culture. These atrocities are not being committed solely against the Jewish people and their traditions. This is an attack by enemies of the G-d of Israel against Him, and His plan for all humanity. The Bible consistently emphasizes the centrality of the Holy Temple in the life of mankind; it is none other than the footstool of G-d in this world (Lam 2:1). The purposeful destruction of remnants of the Holy Temple are an attempt to undermine G-d’s sovereignty, and to erase His name from the one place on earth that He has chosen to manifest His presence throughout the saga of human history. Our sages teach us that Adam, the first man, was created from the spot of the altar in the Holy Temple. All of his descendants – the family of man who are created in the Divine image – are therefore under attack, as these enemies seek, through their brazen act of denial and destruction, to unravel the human image and wage war against the Almighty. This callous and brutal destruction is an intolerable crime against all humanity. Why does the government of Ehud Olmert officially condone the vandalism orchestrated against that which is holiest of all to the Jewish people? Why is there no response at all?
There is much more at stake here than simply the destruction of precious remnants of the Holy Temple. It has become clear that the abandonment of the Temple Mount to total Moslem control has been promised by Israel and is guaranteed to figure prominently in any eventual treaty or agreement.Aside from the political implications regarding the future of Jerusalem and Israel – and the direct effect that this will have on the entire world – the spiritual implications of what is now transpiring are enormous.Allowing this sacrilege to continue, or alternatively – expending every effort to stem it, will constitute a direct indication as to how much we are willing to commit to the promises of G-d, and how much are we willing to commit to upholding His honor.
The Bible clearly indicates that all humanity will be uplifted to a new and unparalleled level of unity when the Holy Temple is rebuilt. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the L-rd’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all the nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd… (Isaiah 2). In Isaiah’s messianic prophetic vision of the lion lying with lamb, he further states that They shall not hurt, nor destroy, in all My holy mountain. Yet ironically, this hurt, this destruction of G-d’s holy mountain, is precisely what is taking place at this very moment under our very eyes. Indeed, there is naught but destruction rampant in all My holy mountain.This is the time for action. The government of Mr. Olmert does not represent the true and dedicated people of Israel. Yet he blasphemes, with impunity. He dares to treat the holies of Israel – indeed, the legacy of all those who believe in G-d – as his personal plaything. This government, whose only concern is the advancement of its own self -serving agenda and power, continues to rob the people of Israel of all that is rightly theirs, their G-d given heritage, legacy and responsibility.
I urge all those of you who stand with the people of Israel, who express deep commitment and concern for her fate, who identify with her mission and cherish her G-d, to rise up together with your brethren, the faithful, observant and G-d fearing Jews, and make your voices heard. The government of Ehud Olmert shows disdain for its own constituency. But it is still sensitive to the scrutiny and criticism of the world. The plans are made and set, and the partners – the Israelis, Palestinians, Saudis and other players – are urged on by the President of the United States, Mr. George Bush, who is committed to the unBiblical and immoral two state solution, itself an anti-G-d affront against the Jewish people and G-d’s promise to them.
You are in a unique position, and at a unique time in history, to unsettle these plans. Your immediate action is imperative and crucial for the halting of this evil process. The immoralities being perpetrated by the forces of Islam, if allowed to continue unchecked, will ultimately visit upon all those who remain silent. The die has been cast. While Olmert remains deaf to the cause of his own people, while the abandonment of the Temple Mount and Jerusalem has been promised by the corrupt and G-dless imposters posing as Israel’s leaders, a decisive, unified, unabashed stance can reverse this evil trend. I urge each and every true friend of Israel to personally fulfill the verse For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for the sake of Jerusalem, I will not be still… (Isaiah 62:1) Do not be silent, do not be still! Make your voices heard in the clearest possible manner. Look deeply into your hearts, seek guidance from our Creator, and decide upon your course of action – a course that will allow you the merit of participating in G-d’s unfolding plan of redemption for all mankind. A course of action that will make it clear in the most unequivocal terms, to Israel’s enemies – from within and without – that you stand for the honor of the G-d of Israel.I urge you to view this video update on the Temple Mount destruction.
http://universaltorah.com/programming/2007/09/05/urgent-message-the-temple-mount.htm
Rabbi Chaim Richman
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
www.templeinstitute.org
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