2008 A FINE DISASTEROUS START

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.

More than 1M lose power in Calif. storm By SAMANTHA YOUNG, Associated Press Writer JAN 04,08

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Howling winds, pelting rain and heavy snow pummeled California on Friday, toppling trees, flipping big rigs, cutting power to more than a million people and forcing evacuations in mudslide-prone areas. Flights were grounded and highways closed in Northern California as gusts reached 80 mph during the second wave of an arctic storm that sent trees crashing onto houses, cars and roads. Forecasters expected the storm to dump as much as 10 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada by Sunday.The heavy snow was slowing search efforts for a family believed to be missing in the mountains, authorities said.Highways from Sacramento to San Francisco were closed because of debris or toppled big rigs blocking lanes, and local roads were flooded. Interstate 80 was closed in the Sierra, the main link between Northern California and Nevada.A huge tree, over 100 years old, just fell across the house. It just wrecked the whole thing, said Faye Reed, whose daughter Teenia owns the damaged home north of Sacramento. They won't be able to live in it. The whole ceiling fell in, and now it's raining inside.

More than a million people from the Bay Area to the Central Valley were in the dark. Crews worked to restore power, but it could be days before all the lights are on, said Pacific Gas & Electric spokeswoman Darlene Chiu.In Southern California, authorities in Orange County ordered an estimated 3,000 residents to evacuate homes in four canyons scarred by wildfires and therefore prone to mudslides.It's too late once the rain starts. These areas are extremely vulnerable. You're risking your life and your family's life fundamentally by ignoring orders, said Steve Sellers of the governor's Office of Emergency Services.Riverside and San Bernardino counties, east of Los Angeles, deployed swift-water rescue teams in case torrential rains bring flash floods and mudslides. The state opened its emergency operations center Friday morning to coordinate storm response, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had spoken with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff by phone.Preparation is really the heart of this whole thing, Schwarzenegger said after touring the state emergency operation center at the Los Alamitos Joint Training Base. Homeowners in Southern California stacked sandbags and hay bales around their homes while residents in the low-lying areas of the Central Valley piled sandbags to barricade their homes from streams that forecasters warned might swell.Yosemite National Park rangers and sheriff's deputies combed the Sierra foothills and mountain snow camps Friday afternoon searching for a Clovis man and his two children, said Clovis police spokeswoman Janet Stoll-Lee.

John Hopper, 64, a volunteer chaplain with the Clovis police, left town Thursday morning with his 15-year-old twins, Matt and Sarah, to go play in the snow, Stoll-Lee said.The family didn't give any indication of where they were heading, and law enforcers heard they were missing only when Hopper's ex-wife reported they hadn't returned late Thursday, she said.Travelers' flight plans were put on hold when airlines delayed or canceled flights in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. The state Legislature in Sacramento closed offices and sent employees home early.A wind gust of 125 mph was recorded in the Sierra on Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.The huge storm also toppled trees and cut power to thousands of residents in Washington and Oregon.Meanwhile, a freeze in the East subsided. Florida's citrus growers weathered the cold largely unscathed, but strawberry and tomato growers watched as some of their crops shriveled. A serious freeze would have devastated Florida's citrus trees, already struggling from years of diseases and hurricanes. A better picture of crop damage could come Monday, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture releases a weekly progress report. At Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, iguanas fell out of trees Thursday. The cold-blooded reptiles go into a sort of hibernation when temperatures get too low, even if they are perched in branches. Most woke up when the weather warmed later in the day.
Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus in Orange County; Don Thompson in Sacramento; Garance Burke in Fresno; Scott Sonner and Sandra Chereb in Reno, Nev.; and Anthony McCartney in Tampa, Fla.

Floods ravage southern Africa Fri Jan 4, 10:52 AM

Floods are ravaging southern Africa, washing away thousands of homes, damaging crops and leaving people stranded on rooftops.In Mozambique on Friday, authorities put the country on high alert, as flood waters threatened the homes of more than 55,000 people.
The main road between Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe has already been cut off by rising waters and rescue workers have been retrieving people from rooftops and trees.Mozambique government official Lucas Chomera said 13,000 people have been evacuated from critical areas in Mozambique and moved to government shelters or higher ground.Chomera said the floods are the result of a rainy season that began earlier than usual in the south and central areas of the country. He said some areas received six months worth of rain in October and November.

Zimbabwe, Zambia hit hard

Severe flooding is also affecting Zimbabwe and Zambia, where at least 21 people have been killed and thousands left homeless in the past month, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported Friday.Thousands of homes near Harare, in Zimbabwe, have been washed away and the Red Cross is warning that an outbreak of malaria and cholera is possible.Meanwhile, the floods are taking an economic toll in Zimbabwe, as livestock are being killed by high waters and agricultural specialists say the rain is causing crops to show signs of nitrogen deficiency, the BBC reported.In southern Zambia, the Magoye River burst its banks, flooding homes and farmland and displacing about 1,000 families. With files from the Associated Press

Heavy snow paralyzes parts of Bulgaria, Romania; 3 dead as ship sinks Thu Jan 3, 12:21 PMBy Veselin Toshkov, The Associated Press

SOFIA, Bulgaria - A bitterly cold winter storm swept parts of Europe on Thursday. At least thee seamen died when a Bulgarian ship sank in rough waters at while approaching the Black Sea, while heavy, drifting snow stranded thousands at airports, on mountain roads and in remote villages. Forecasters said temperatures fell to -20 Celsius, while snow drifts were up to two metres deep. Authorities in northeastern Bulgaria declared a state of emergency, with the army called in to help civil defence officials clear roads and reach stranded motorists. The nasty weather also caused problems in neighbouring Romania, where Bucharest's two main airports were closed. Parts of Turkey and Greece, as well as Western Europe, were also affected. Some 311 Bulgarian villages were left without electricity and dozens were cut off without food supplies or fresh water, authorities said.

The northern Danube municipality of Ruse declared a state of emergency after heavy snow blocked many roads, said Andrei Ivanov, chief of the Balkan country's civil defence service. At least three crewmen were killed when a Bulgarian ship carrying scrap metal sank during a storm on the Azov Sea between Ukraine and Russia, officials said. The Vanessa was carrying a crew of 10 and a Ukrainian pilot who was guiding the ship as it approached the Kerch Strait, which connects the Azov Sea to the Black Sea, said Sergei Petrov, a spokesman for the Emergency Situations Ministry for southern Russia. Rescuers pulled one survivor and three bodies from the sea, where waves were as high as three metres, Petrov said. Thousands of passengers were stranded in Romania after Bucharest's two main airports were closed due to heavy snowfall. The snow also blocked many roads in the south, forcing the closure of at least one border crossing with Bulgaria and prompting train delays. In Turkey's capital of Ankara, snow caused traffic jams and accidents, but no injuries were reported. Temperatures in Greece fell to -18 in the north of the country, where snow blanketed roads. In Western Europe, ice and snow disrupted traffic. The Mont-Blanc tunnel linking France and Italy was closed to trucks until Friday because sharp temperature differences between the two sides threatened to disrupt the tunnel's ventilation, traffic authorities said.

A Boeing 737 arriving from Marrakech, Morocco, slid off an icy runway at an airport in Deauville, northern France, airport authorities said. The plane, operated by Atlas Blue, came to a halt in grass. The 169 passengers were evacuated unharmed.

Atlantic Canada storms leave snowblowers, shovels and salt in short supply Fri Jan 4, 3:52 PMBy Chris Morris, The Canadian Press

FREDERICTON - Many Atlantic Canadians have been caught with their long johns down as they search for ways to move the mountains of snow dumped on the region in recent days. Successive low-snow winters and the looming threat of global warming have led some in the region, including hardware retailers, to assume that the old-fashioned, deep-snow winter was a thing of the past. Now, with snowbanks piled as high as street lamps in some parts of Atlantic Canada, people are discovering to their horror they have a better chance buying a lawnmower than they do a snowblower. Shovels and salt also are in short supply in many parts of the region. Two years ago, a lot of companies got stung because we ordered up snowblowers and we didn't get snow, Al Pollard, who manages a Canadian Tire store in Fredericton, said Friday. Hindsight is a great thing ... We wish we had ordered more this year. We could have sold an extra 100 snowblowers by now.And although winter is just starting, retailers don't know when, or even if, they will be able to get any more snowblowers this season. With heavy snowfalls across the country, there doesn't appear to be sufficient supply for the demand. We've had an extremely busy season with regards to snowblowers and shovels, said Laurie Wood of the Home Depot in Moncton, N.B., which is buried under at least 165 centimetres of snow. We've more than doubled our sales of snowblowers from last year. We have sold out a couple of times . . .They sell out within a day or two at most and we could still sell more if we could get them.

It's the same story in St. John's, Nfld., where consumers are being told they have a snowball's chance in hell of buying a snowblower. With the mainland getting hit, we usually find we're in a crunch. They buy up everything the warehouse has up there, Jennifer Keeping, a manager at a Canadian Tire store told The St. John's Telegram. And it's not just snowblowers that are flying out the door. On Saturday, we had brought in 100 snow scoops and by Sunday, we were sold out, Pollard said. We can't keep shovels in the store.In Nova Scotia, the big demand is for salt, and some stores say it could be at least a week before they have any to sell. Halifax stores are either out of safety salt or can't keep it in stock, leaving many homeowners slipping on ice-encrusted steps and driveways. Dartmouth resident Jeff Aucoin has to escort his two young children and very pregnant wife to and from the car to make sure no one falls. So far, he's the only one who has gone down.

It's killing me, Aucoin said. My driveway, stairs and walkway are completely frozen. They're literally entirely ice. It's very dangerous. Aucoin recently checked every service station in his neighbourhood and half-a-dozen big-box stores in search of salt, only to come up empty-handed. There were a couple places that sort of laughed at me, thinking I might be able to find some salt at this point, he said. All four Atlantic provinces have received above average snowfalls in the past few weeks. Halifax had 16 snowfalls in November and December, up from seven in 2006. So far, the St. John's area has had 135 centimetres of snow, with a good portion of it coming during the final week of December. It was the third highest accumulation for December since record keeping started at the St. John's airport in 1942. Prince Edward Island is just centimetres away from having as much snow on the ground now as it did all last winter. Since November, the Island has received 194 centimetres of snow - three centimetres short of last year's total of 197 centimetres.

Big West storm, big East warm up Wayne Verno
Fri Jan 4, 10:35 AM ET

West

A series of storm systems will impact the entire West through this weekend and into the upcoming week featuring heavy rain, heavy snow and damaging winds. A particularly strong, Friday-through-Saturday storm is blasting into the West Coast. Rain totals in the coastal mountains of California could locally reach one foot with flooding and mudslides likely. Rainfall up to an inch or two will hit western Washington and western Oregon. Snow totals will range from a foot for the Cascades to up to locally 12 feet of snow for the highest elevations of the Sierra. Strong, damaging winds will also impact the western States into the weekend, creating blizzard conditions in the mountains. The potential for heavy rain and snow plus strong winds will continue Saturday and Sunday, reaching all the way into southern California while spreading across the interior West and Rockies. For more specific details on the western storm weather, please see Storm Watch. A new strong windy storm will hit Washington, Oregon and northern California Tuesday.

South

After another chilly start this morning over Southeastern States, temperatures will recover from the recent cold snap, as high pressure slides east of the area, taking the cold air mass with it. Afternoon temperatures will be milder today, with highs reaching into the 40s over the Tennessee Valley, 50s along the Gulf Coast, and 60s over Texas and Florida. Saturday, a weak weather disturbance will slide through the Tennessee valley, resulting in a few light rain showers; otherwise, dry conditions will generally prevail over the Deep South. By Sunday temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees above average over the Southeast and Florida, and 15 to 25 degrees above average over Texas and the southern Plains. A slow-moving cold front will advance west to east across the southern states Monday through Wednesday with a band of heavy rain and thunderstorms accompanying it.

Northeast

With high pressure well south and east of the area, much milder air is now beginning to infiltrate the Northeast. In fact, some interior sections of the New England States had slowly rising temperatures early this morning. Increasing southwesterly flow will allow highs to reach into the 30s to around 40 across the Mid-Atlantic with 20s confined to northern New England. Saturday and Sunday highs will range from the 30s north to near 50 south. These readings will be 5 to 15 degrees above average by Sunday and even warmer air will arrive by early next week. Also on Saturday and Sunday, with the milder air, some light rain showers or sprinkles will move across the area, as a weak weather disturbance moves across the area. There could be a little light freezing drizzle over interior New England early on Sunday. A strong windy storm will bring rain to the Northeast Wednesday and early Thursday.

Midwest

High pressure moving east of the area will continue to increase southwesterly flow from the central Plains, into the Midwest. Gusty winds of 20 to 30 mph will develop today from Kansas City to Minneapolis, to Chicago. Temperatures will be running 10 to 20 degrees above average over the Dakotas today, spreading to the Great Lakes, Midwest, and central Plains by Saturday. Additionally, this increasing southwesterly flow will bring some moisture into the Midwest and Great Lakes on Saturday, which could start as a little icy mix early in the day. Scattered light rain showers will follow into Sunday. The combination of the warmer temperatures, snow melt, and ice breakup, movement and possible jamming on area streams and rivers, could lead to some localized flooding into the weekend over the Midwest and western Great Lakes. The big warm up will continue into early week. Temperatures will be 20 to 30 degrees warmer over the next few days. A storm and cold front will move across the region Monday to Wednesday with rain, thunderstorms, warm temperatures and gusty winds ahead of it and some snow plus colder temperatures in the wake of the system.

Chile rescues 54 people after volcano eruption
Wed Jan 2, 2008 By Antonio de la Jara

SANTIAGO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Rescue workers evacuated 54 tourists and staff from a Chilean wilderness park on Wednesday after one of the country's largest volcanoes erupted, spewing ash and molten lava.There were no reports of injuries or damage, but dozens of tourists were evacuated from the base of the Llaima volcano after it erupted on Tuesday evening .The 54 people rescued had been stranded overnight after a local river swelled with meltwater and cut off road access.Army personnel evacuated 43 people this morning who remained in the Conguillio National Park. Another 11 people, park personnel and their family members, were also evacuated, the National Emergency Office said in a statement.The volcano was calmer by Wednesday afternoon but Chile's deputy interior minister Felipe Harboe said further eruptions were possible.At this moment I would recommend against tourism in the area, said Carmen Fernandez, the emergency agency's director.

The eruptions on Tuesday sent lava spewing down the 10,253-foot (3,125-meter) volcano's east side and shot a column of ash and smoke into the air that forced air traffic to be diverted in neighboring Argentina.Chile's geological service said abnormal seismic activity had also been registered around another volcano, Puyehue, to the south of Llaima.Military ground vehicles had to be used in the rescue around LLaima because heavy fog prevented the use of helicopters.The surrounding Conguillio National Park, about 50 miles (8o km) from the city of Temuco, was closed off to visitors on Wednesday and authorities told curious tourists not to get too close.Llaima is one of Chile's most active volcanoes and is in the Araucania region in southern Chile, about 435 miles (700 km) south of the capital Santiago.Before the eruption, people in the towns closest to the volcano said they heard loud underground noises.Chile is home to the world's second largest and second most active chain of volcanoes, after Indonesia. (Reporting by Pav Jordan, Rodrigo Martinez and Antonio de la Jara; Editing by Kieran Murray)

DISEASES

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

Israel reports new bird flu outbreak in poultry
JAN 03,08

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel announced on Thursday that it had detected the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is dangerous to humans in poultry near a kindergarten in a northern town on the Mediterranean coast.The agriculture ministry said 18 contaminated birds had been found dead in a pets' corner near a kindergarten in the town of Binyamina.A series of tests had confimed that the fowl died of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, a ministry statement said, adding that a situation room had been set up to try to prevent the spread of the virus.The ministry ordered the culling of all fowl in a three-kilometre (two-mile) radius of the contaminated area in Binyamina, north of Tel Aviv, as a precaution.

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.

NOAA confirms start of new sunspot cycle Fri Jan 4, 4:54 PM ET

WASHINGTON - A new solar cycle is under way. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday that the first sunspot of a new 11-year cycle has appeared in the sun's northern hemisphere. The frequency of sunspots rises and falls during these cycles, and the start of a new cycle indicates they are likely to begin increasing.Sunspots, areas of intense magnetic activity on the sun, can affect Earth by disrupting electrical grids, airline and military communications, GPS signals and even cell phones, the agency said. During periods of intense sunspot activity, known as solar storms, highly charged radiation from the sun may head toward Earth.Our growing dependence on highly sophisticated, space-based technologies means we are far more vulnerable to space weather today than in the past, said NOAA Administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr.Last April an international panel of solar experts forecast that Solar Cycle 24 would start in March 2008, plus or minus six months. The panel was split between those predicting a strong or weak cycle.

Britain: 2008 may be among hottest years By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writer Fri Jan 4, 5:05 PM ET

LONDON - This year is forecast to be among the top 10 hottest years on record, Britain's weather office said Thursday, despite a strong cooling effect predicted from the tropical weather phenomenon known as La Nina. The global surface temperature in 2008 will rise 0.67 degrees above what climate scientists call the long-term average of 57.2 degrees, the Met Office said. The average is derived by calculating the mean of surface temperatures registered globally between 1961 and 1990.That would be enough to have it rank among the hottest years on record, although the Met Office said would be unlikely to beat the current warmest year of 1998, which was 0.94 degrees above the long-term average.The Met Office said a powerful La Nina, the name given to the upwelling of large areas of cold water in the tropical Pacific Ocean, would probably keep 2008's temperature from breaking the global record.

But it said the underlying trend of higher and higher temperatures, which scientists say indicates global warming, was likely to continue.Phenomena such as El Nino and La Nina have a significant influence on global surface temperature and the current strong La Nina will act to limit temperatures in 2008, said Chris Folland, a climate scientist at the Met Office's Hadley Center in Exeter, southwest England. Sharply renewed warming is likely once La Nina declines.The Met Office said the world's hottest years on record were 1995, 1997, 1998, and every year since 2000. Its global temperature records stretch back to 1850.
On the Net:Met Office: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

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.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

Stocks sink on jobs data; tech plummets By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer Fri Jan 4, 6:12 PM ET

NEW YORK - Wall Street fell sharply Friday after the government's much-anticipated employment report showed weaker-than-expected job growth and a rise in the unemployment rate. The Nasdaq composite index, also pummeled by a downgrade of Intel Corp., skidded more than 3.5 percent, while the Dow Jones industrials fell more than 1.5 percent. The Labor Department's report that employers raised payrolls by only 18,000 and that the nation's unemployment rate rose to its highest level since November 2005 unnerved investors, who worried that a weakening job market will hurt consumer spending and tip the economy toward recession.A better-than-expected reading on the nation's service economy briefly pulled stocks off their lows but wasn't enough to shake investors' concerns.Investors had been awaiting the jobs report for weeks as they tried to determine whether the economy would continue to benefit from robust consumer spending even as sectors like home construction, mortgage writing and manufacturing slow. Wall Street is concerned that areas of weakness could puncture growth if consumers can't depend on a solid job market.Manufacturers, construction companies and financial services companies all cut jobs during the month amid an anemic housing market. Retailers also made reductions.

The December report showed employers added the fewest jobs to their payrolls since August 2003. Economists had predicted much stronger growth and an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent. Instead, unemployment climbed to 5 percent in December from 4.7 percent in November. While 5 percent unemployment is still considered good by historical standards, the increase from November clearly made some investors nervous.It's a scary number, no question about it. No matter how good you wanted to feel about the economy averting a recession, there is far less conviction than even two or three days ago, said Joe Balestrino, senior portfolio manager at Federated Investors.The technology-focused Nasdaq fell for the sixth straight session and showed its steepest percentage decline since a market pullback on Feb. 27 last year. The Nasdaq declined 98.03, or 3.77 percent, to 2,504.65, in part after the downgrade of Intel, but also because its smaller-capitalization components are seen as more vulnerable in an economic slowdown.For 2008, the Nasdaq is down 5.57; in all of 2007, the index rose 9.81 percent.
The Dow fell 256.54, or 1.96 percent, to 12,800.18, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index declined 35.53, or 2.46 percent, to 1,411.63.It was the steepest point drop for the Dow and the S&P 500 since Dec. 11. In 2008, the Dow is off 3.5 percent and the S&P is down 3.86 percent.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 23.41, or 3.14 percent, to 721.60 and hit a fresh 52-week low.Declining issues outnumbered advancers by more than 3 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 4.05 billion shares, compared with 3.30 billion traded Thursday.Bond prices rose as investors sought the safety of government-backed debt after the employment reading. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.87 percent from 3.89 percent late Thursday.A Federal Reserve announcement Friday that it is ramping up the amount of cash available to banks through a new auction process did little to calm the markets. After two auctions of $20 billion each, the Fed has now scheduled auctions Jan. 14 and Jan. 28 at $30 billion each.The dollar was mixed against other major currencies. Gold prices, which have risen to nearly 30-year highs in recent days, declined.Light, sweet crude fell $1.27 to settle at $97.91 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil touched $100 per barrel this week for the first time, stirring concerns about inflation.The employment figures overshadowed a report from the Institute for Supply Management, a business group, which said its December index of non-manufacturing activity showed the nation's service sector grew in December. However, the pace was slightly slower than in November and the index fell to 53.9 in December from 54.1 the prior month. Analysts had expected a deeper decline.

It's been a difficult start to 2008 on Wall Street. After selling off in the final session of last year on Monday, investors spent the first three sessions of the new year absorbing a weaker-than-expected reading on the manufacturing sector, oil that reached $100a barrel and Friday's dismal employment numbers. It's hard to point to any piece of data in recent weeks that makes you feel comfortable, said Balestrino, noting that many bullish investors had hoped a strong jobs picture would lift Wall Street's mood. This the one piece that was holding up pretty well and now it's showing some weakness as well, he said. In our business it's not the absolute number, it's the direction of the number and especially the direction versus the expectations.In corporate news, a JPMorgan analyst lowered his rating on Intel to neutral from overweight, citing a drop in chip orders from computer manufacturers during the fourth quarter and high inventories. Intel, one of the 30 stocks that comprise the Dow industrials, fell $2, or 8.1 percent, to $22.67. Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average fell sharply, finishing down 4.03 percent to its lowest level since July 2006 after being closed since the previous Friday for holidays. The pullback followed uncertainty on Wall Street about the U.S. economy and rising oil prices. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 2.02 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 1.26 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 1.79 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average ended the week down 565.69, or 4.23 percent, at 12,800.18. The Standard & Poor's 500 index finished down 66.86, or 4.52 percent, at 1,411.63. The Nasdaq composite index ended down 169.81, or 6.35 percent, at 2,504.65. The Russell 2000 index finished the week down 50.16, or 6.50 percent, at 721.60. The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index — a free-float weighted index that measures 5,000 U.S. based companies — ended Friday at 14,210.84, down 700.79 points, or 4.70 percent, for the week. A year ago, the index was at 14,269.90.

Spain's fast-living king turns 70

As King Juan Carlos turns 70, the BBC's Steve Kingstone in Madrid profiles the much-admired - and occasionally controversial - monarch. There seems to be little slackening of the pace for Juan Carlos There was no pipe and slippers for this grandfather over Christmas. Instead, just days shy of his 70th birthday, King Juan Carlos paid a surprise New Year's Eve visit to Spanish soldiers serving at a base in Afghanistan. The visit was typical of a king who has always taken pride in an action-man image. A love of skiing, sailing, karate, fast cars, motorbikes and helicopters figure prominently on the royal CV. Getting old quietly does not.

How many other reigning monarchs would publicly tell Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez to shut up, as Juan Carlos did during last November's Ibero-American summit in Chile?

Ringtone hit

Many Spaniards applauded him. Their king had slapped down the combative Venezuelan on the world stage, and audio of the royal outburst quickly became a dance remix and a best-selling ringtone. Sure, what he said to Chavez wasn't very regal; but he reacted viscerally when provoked, as all Spaniards do

Royal watcher Jaime Penafiel

His majesty is a formidable personality but nice with it, says Jaime Penafiel, a veteran royal watcher and former editor of Hola magazine. Sure, what he said to Chavez wasn't very regal; but he reacted viscerally when provoked, as all Spaniards do.Juan Carlos de Borbon was born in Rome on 5 January 1938. His grandfather, King Alfonso XIII, had fled Madrid seven years earlier, and civil war was raging in Spain. The victorious general, Francisco Franco, would ensure that Spain remained monarch-free throughout his four-decade dictatorship.

Franco's protege

At the age of 10, Juanito was sent to Madrid, where he was educated under the eagle eye of Franco, who saw the boy as a more suitable and malleable successor than his exiled father, Don Juan.
Juan Carlos and his young family in 1975, the year of Franco's death. On Franco's death in November 1975, the newly crowned King Juan Carlos - then aged 37 - swore allegiance to the principles of his apparent mentor. But the young king's place in history would lie in the speed and courage with which he helped dismantle the Francoist state. In 1976 Juan Carlos chose as his prime minister Adolfo Suarez, a reformer who would lead the transition to democracy. A year later, the king supported the legalisation of the Spanish Communist Party, while in 1981 he would famously defend Spain's infant democracy during an attempted coup by army officers. There's a deep-rooted feeling of gratitude for the king's role in the transition to democracy, explains Charles Powell, a historian and royal biographer.

Juan Carlos rejected a 1981 coup attempt

Polls show that he is the individual to whom democratisation is most closely attributed, and the sense of gratitude cuts across class and ideological lines.So much so that, in May 2007, the king was voted the greatest Spaniard of all time in a poll run by the Antenna 3 television channel. He beat the writer, Miguel Cervantes, into second place, with Franco 23rd on the list.

Under attack

But over the past 12 months there have been rumblings of a debate about the relevance and value of the monarchy to 21st-Century Spain. A sizeable tremor struck last September, when Catalan students publicly burned photographs of Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. They viewed the king as the symbol of an artificially created Spanish state, and a conviction for insulting the monarchy gave publicity to their cause. The episode led to a rare political intervention by the king who, during a university speech, defended the parliamentary monarchy forged after the death of Franco. But the king was also being targeted from the right - notably by the outspoken Catholic radio commentator, Federico Jimenez Losantos, who called on Juan Carlos to abdicate in favour of his son, Crown Prince Felipe.

Royal future

There is little hard evidence of any widespread republican sentiment. In one recent poll, 69% of respondents said a parliamentary monarchy was the ideal political system for Spain, while 22% preferred a republic. Nonetheless, November's Hugo Chavez encounter - although admired by many Spaniards - added to the sense of an annus horribilis for Juan Carlos.

The crown prince seems to live in the shadow of his father

The incident caused some diplomatic embarrassment for the government, and raised questions about the king's advancing years.
The biggest challenge ahead is the succession, explains Mr Powell.
Juan Carlos will always remain popular because of his vital role in the past, but the question is how can he transfer some of that capital to Prince Felipe? Royal watchers say there is little prospect of Juan Carlos abdicating, which leaves Crown Prince Felipe - approaching his 40th birthday - in a difficult position.
Much like Britain's Prince Charles, Felipe has sought to make his mark on topical issues such as the environment and immigration; but he remains essentially in the shadow of his more popular father.

The veteran commentator, Jaime Penafiel, foresees turbulence ahead. We've got a monarchy, but not monarchists, he says. Spaniards are Juan Carlistas - they support the person, not the institution. And that's a risk: it remains to be seen if they'll take to Felipe.

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.

Al-Qaida uses women as suicide attackers By DIAA HADID, Associated Press Writer JAN 04,08

BAGHDAD - It goes against religious taboos in Iraq to involve women in fighting, but three recent suicide bombings carried out by women could indicate insurgents are growing increasingly desperate. The female suicide attacks come as U.S.-led coalition forces are increasingly catching militants suspected of training women to become human bombs or finding evidence of efforts by al-Qaida in Iraq to recruit women, according to military records.With coalition forces pushing extremists out of former strongholds and shrinking their pool of potential recruits, the militants are being forced to come up with other methods to penetrate stiffened security measures, said Diaa Rashwan, who follows Islamic militancy for Egypt's Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.There's a sense that this is an act of desperation, said Col. Donald Bacon, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad.Female suicide bombers are a small part of the insurgents' battle to force U.S. troops from Iraq and rattle Shiites from newly acquired power. Women have been responsible for 14 of 667 suicide attacks since May 2005, or 2 percent. They have caused at least 107 deaths, or 5 percent of the 2,065 people killed during this time period, according to Associated Press statistics.

But those attacks appear to be increasing.

In November and December, women carried out three suicide bombings in Diyala province, one of Iraq's most violent areas, where al-Qaida in Iraq has a stronghold. The last female suicide bombing had been in July.On Nov. 4, a woman detonated an explosives vest next to a U.S. patrol in Diyala's regional capital, Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, wounding seven U.S. troops and five Iraqis. On Dec. 7, a woman attacked the offices of a Diyala-based Sunni group fighting al-Qaida in Iraq, killing 15 people and wounding 35. Then, on Dec. 31, a bomber in Baqouba detonated her suicide vest close to a police patrol, wounding five policemen and four civilians.Devastating attacks continue in Iraq even as Iraqi casualties are down by 55 percent nationwide since June 2007, according to an AP count. American and Iraqi forces, and thousands of Sunni tribal groups who turned against al-Qaida in Iraq, have pushed the extremist group from Baghdad and Anbar province west of the capital. The al-Qaida fighters have moved into Diyala northeast of Baghdad and farther north into Mosul, 225 miles northwest of the capital.The tightening noose — at least for now — appears to be prompting the militants to turn to women attackers, Rashwan said, noting that extremist Muslim groups use women only when they see no alternative.Women should be in the last rows of fighting, he said. So to see women (suicide bombers) shows an abnormal situation — the absence of men.Women have acted as suicide bombers for other causes. The first known female suicide bomber was Sana Mheidali, a Lebanese who killed two Israeli soldiers in 1985. Female Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka have carried out at least 60 suicide bombings in 24 years. Palestinian Muslim militants send out women suicide bombers, as does the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has waged a guerrilla war since 1984 for autonomy in Turkey's southeast.

Because of Muslim cultural sensitivities, women can be excellent candidates for suicide attacks when there are no female security guards. Most Iraqis are conservative Muslims who believe physical contact is forbidden between women and men not related by blood or marriage. As a result, women are often allowed to pass through male-guarded checkpoints without being searched. In October, the U.S. Army trained 20 women to work as security guards in a Baghdad suburb after a female suicide bomber entered a nearby building without being searched.We know it's a tactic that al-Qaida in Iraq is trying to use, Bacon said.At least twice in December and once in August, al-Qaida members suspected of training women to use suicide belts were captured, the U.S. military has said. There are no military reports before August indicating suspicion of al-Qaida in Iraq training women attackers.Some female bombers appear to be motivated by revenge, like the woman who killed 15 people in Diyala province on Dec. 7. She was a former member of Saddam Hussein's Baath party whose two sons joined al-Qaida in Iraq and were killed by Iraqi security forces.But other women may be ideologues, just like their male counterparts, said Mohammad Hafiz, a University of Missouri professor who focuses on Muslim extremism.Still others are influenced by relatives and spouses, especially those dependent on them emotionally or materially, Hafiz said. One of them, Sajida al-Rishawi, was married to a suicide bomber. The Iraqi woman tried unsuccessfully to detonate her explosives belt in an Amman, Jordan hotel on Nov. 9. 2005. Her husband and their other accomplices succeeded in blowing themselves up, however. Three hotels were bombed, and 60 people were killed. Although use of women can be a sign of desperation, female suicide bombers also help extremist groups attract male recruits. Militants exploit the image of desperate women fighting because there aren't enough brave men, taunting would-be male suicide bombers into action, Hafiz said. Women, Hafiz said, make great propaganda.

The CARMEL ALERT Jan 4th 2008
A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying
for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.

David's Comment: Enjoy the Break, But Please Don't Stop Praying
As the Western world celebrates the New Year holidays, the pressure on Israel does not take a break. Once again the anti-Israel news media took advantage of the Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem to blame Israel for the lack of holiday spirit over the last few years. No mention of the fact that all of the security measures that make it difficult to get in and out of Bethlehem are only necessary because of the incessant attempts by Muslim terrorists to infiltrate Israel and kill Jews.One of the most repeated issues by Replacement Theology poisoned Arab Christians is the massive exodus of the Christian Arab population of the Bethlehem and other West Bank areas, and of course it is implied that Israel is the cause of the exodus. However if you ask the ones who left, they will tell you they left because of the ever increasing persecution of Christian Arabs by the Muslim majority. But the anti-Semites of the world take great delight in blaming the Jews for anything and everything.

One of the favorite targets of the Israel bashers is the security fence that winds its way along the boundary that separates Israel and the so called Palestinians in the West Bank. It is true that some people are inconvenienced by the fence and in some places where the terror threat is higher, the fence becomes an unsightly wall, but it has been very effective in fulfilling the purpose for which it was built - to stop the terrorists from carrying out their cold blooded acts of murder. I was inspired to write this by an item on the local TV news a few hours ago. I wasn't quick enough to write down all of the statistics, but I can remember the first and last columns of a graph showing the number of Israelis murdered in terror attacks over the last 5 years. The first column showed that more than 400 people died in that year. The last column showed the number massively reduced to 13 for 2007. The security fence that is so hated by the liberal left-wing anti-Semites is a major contributor to the dramatic reduction in deaths of innocent Israelis.In the wake of the Annapolis Peace Summit, George Bush and Condalessa Rice have been applying even more pressure on Israel in a seriously misguided desire to appease the Muslim world. Now the spineless excuse that Israel has for a leader, has caved in to that pressure and has frozen all construction of new housing in Har Homa, Atarot, and other legitimate Israeli towns. That means that the Islamic world has succeeded to stop the restoration of Israel, temporarily at least. What other country in the world allows other countries to control where the people can or can't live ?

George Bush is due to visit Israel in a few days and Olmert and his left wing cohorts are wanting to ensure that they wont be rebuked by the US president prior to or during his visit. So as has been the case in all previous ceasfires that Israel as been manipulated in to, Israel ceases and the others continue to fire. Just a few days ago 2 young Israeli soldiers were shot dead by terrorists while enjoying a hike in the Samarian country side during some time off from their duties. Their murderers are known to be Palestinain 'policemen' associated with Fatah, the peace loving organisation headed up by the moderate Mahmud Abbas. It is this peaceful organisation that Bush and Rice expect Olmert to negotiate a peace treaty with. Pure foolishness ! Criminal leadership even ! Perhaps Olmert who is a secular Jew and who does not even believe in God has an excuse to be act against the will of the God of Israel, but George Bush, Condalessa Rice and Tony Blair all claim to be Christians have no excuse for their constant pressure on the Israeli government to divide God's Land. According to the Bible they will be held accountable. In preparation for Bush's visit posters are being placed all over Jerusalem, encouraging him to read his Bible so that he might discover that the God he claims to serve, gave all of the disputed land to the Jewish people. Praise God that, unlike most American Christians, the majority of Christians in the UK, Europe and Scandanavia are not deceived by these people who claim to be Christians and yet fight against God himself

In the interest of everyone who wants to see the Kingdom of God come, Bush should stay home. As long as he serves the purposes of Saudi Arabia and the American oil industry Bush is a menace to Israel, and his visit will only further endanger the nation of Israel and incite violence on all sides. Lets pray that something will happen in the next few days to prevent his visit.

Stay Home George !!!

The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel . Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF.

Shabbat Shalom ... David & Josie Silver.

Brussels praises smooth switch to euro in Cyprus and Malta
04.01.2008 - 09:21 CET | By Lucia Kubosova

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission has praised the smooth changeover to the euro in the two newest eurozone member countries, Cyprus and Malta, while the effect on their overall inflation rates is to be evaluated later.The two Mediterranean islands switched to the common European currency on 1 January, joining 13 other EU states that use with the euro. According to an early survey by the EU executive, presented on Thursday (4 January), all available evidence suggests that the changeover operation is proceeding very smoothly and without any noteworthy incidents.The data showed that on 2 January, retailers gave change exclusively in euro in 92 percent (Cyprus) and 91 percent (Malta) of all cash transactions, although in Malta there were a few initial cases of shortage of change at retail outlets.

These shortages were particularly apparent on the very first day of the euro in the country, as banks were still closed and some customers were using up large amounts of Maltese lire banknotes to avoid having to exchange them at banks later. The commission's survey also revealed that 42 percent of Maltese had only or mostly euro banknotes, and 52 percent only or mostly euro coins in their wallets on 2 January. In Cyprus, the respective figures were 43 percent for banknotes and 46 percent for coins.When paying cash at shops, only a minority of both Cypriots (28%) and Maltese (36%) were already using the new currency but this compares favourably to the results of a similar survey conducted when Slovenia adopted the euro in 2007, when only one in five Slovene citizens (19%) paid in euro on the first working day. The local authorities also reported some queues at banks and cash dispensers in Cyprus and Malta as people were eager to exchange national cash into euro and to withdraw euro cash on the first days after the changeover. In both countries, the dual circulation period for people to use both new and old currencies will last until 31 January 2008.

Euro brings higher prices?

Prior to adopting the euro in Cyprus and Malta, EU officials called on the authorities in both countries to make sure the switchover was not exploited by speculators ready to raise prices and blame it on the new currency.The early survey shows that there were some incidences of this already, with some price hikes recorded in car parks in Malta.In comparison, the 2007 switchover to the euro in Slovenia was followed by higher prices for some services, such as restaurants and cafes.Meanwhile, figures late last year indicated a significant rise in overall consumer price inflation in the ex-Yugoslav country, with the commission predicting an average level of 3.5 percent in 2007 and 3.7 percent in 2008, compared to 2.5 percent in 2006. The jump in prices sparked fears over possible negative consequences for the public image of the single European currency and its impact. It also prompted EU officials to say they would consider this aspect more strictly when evaluating future candidates to join the eurozone.
After Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta's euro moves, Slovakia is the next in line of the 10-strong group that entered the EU in 2004 to join the single currency. It is aiming to adopt the euro on 1 January 2009.The EU executive and the European Central Bank are due to assess Slovakia's readiness to join the euro club in May, with the Slovak government openly optimistic about its prospects for fulfilling the criteria.But it is precisely predictions about future inflation rates that are causing some concerns in Bratislava, with Brussels urging more action on fiscal policy grounds to prevent price hikes following the currency changeover.

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

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

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

By Yehonathan Tommer Published: 4 January 2008 1:25am
Jerusalem seeks Bush's approval for increased Defence in Gaza, West Bank.Jerusalem seeks Bush's approval for increased Defence in Gaza, West Bank

Ahead of a three day visit next week by US President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will seek an American understanding to safeguard Israel's interim military superiority and long term security interests during negotiations with the Palestinians for a final status agreement, Haaretz reported Thursday.Israel wants American approval for a free hand by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) against terrorist organisations in the West Bank and Gaza throughout the entire period of negotiations, and that arms limitations arrangements be placed on a future demilitarized Palestinian state to be equipped with an internal security police force.The intended understanding, say the Israelis, can also be a basis for the work of the American special security envoy General James Jones who has been tasked with formulating the security arrangements for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, the newspaper said. It added that discussions with Administration officials on these issues began in Washington before the Annapolis summit last November.It is inconceivable that we would be prevented from continuing the extraordinary achievement against terror in the West Bank, a source told Haaretz, noting that no Israelis were killed last year inside Israeli proper and that an effective and focused offensive was being conducted in Gaza to bring quiet to the Quassam traumatised Israeli border town of Sderot.

Israel also demands unrestricted flights over Palestinian airspace and discreet monitoring of border crossings.It further proposes the deployment of an international force in the West Bank and along the problematic Philadephi Route at Rafah on the Egyptian-Gaza border and a permanent IDF trip-wire deterrence force for an extended period in the Jordan Valley.This force would be deployed, with Palestinian agreement, in times of emergency, in essential areas of the West Bank to thwart a threatened invasion from across the Jordan River.During the Clinton Administration Israel and the Palestinians reached agreement on several security issues, but the Palestinians vehemently opposed Israeli border monitoring and the deployment in the Jordan Valley of an IDF emergency force for the West Bank, Haaretz noted. Israel now wishes to reopen these demands, hoping for support from President Bush.The President will visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority between January 9-11 on the first leg of a tour to seven Middle Eastern nations. The Israeli visit will focus on evaluating the Israel-Palestinian peace process after the Annapolis Summit, as well as US policy towards the Iranian nuclear program, which Bush told the Israelis is unaffected by the recent National Intelligence Estimate.A highlight of the visit will be a tripartite meeting at a neutral site possibly at the American Consulate in East Jerusalem between Bush, Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

A meeting will also take place between Bush and Israeli President Shimon Peres to discuss joint economic and development projects between Israel, the PA, Jordan and other regional countries.Some 7,000 Israeli police will safeguard the US Presidential convoy in Jerusalem, which will be a city under siege with all the main roads leading to its downtown cordoned off to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Security measures at the King David Hotel, where Bush is being accommodated, as well as at other sites on his itinerary are likely to resemble fortresses.

EU SPAIN #11

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

THIS GUY IS FLAT OUT WRONG. THE EU WILL BE THE WORLD SUPER POWER.

THE LAST DAYS WORLD POWERS

NORTH - RUSSIA (EZEKIEL 38+39) (DANIEL 11:40-43)
SOUTH - EGYPT (DANIEL 11:40-43)
EAST - CHINA (REVELATION 9:12-16) (DANIEL 11:44)
WEST - EUROPEAN UNION (DANIEL 7:23-25) (DANIEL 9:26-27)

Lisbon Treaty Will Not Create a European Superpower
Richard Weitz | Bio | 02 Jan 2008
World Politics Review Exclusive

This year, the leaders of the European Union likely will become preoccupied with securing ratification of the Lisbon Reform Treaty, which their heads of state and government signed on Dec. 13, 2007. The aim of the treaty is to strengthen Europe's ability to advance its internal and external objectives. Despite surface appearances, the new arrangements, if adopted, will not radically enhance Europe's status as an international security actor.The Treaty of Lisbon, also known as the Reform Treaty, aims to restructure the EU's core institutions in response to two fundamental changes in recent years. First, from April 2004 to January 2007, the EU expanded from 15 to 27 members, necessitating an overhaul of its complex and often painfully slow decision-making machinery. Second, existing EU institutions have found it difficult to manage several 21st-century foreign and security challenges -- globalization, climate change, energy shortages, and new security threats such as terrorism and regional conflicts.

EU leaders finalized the text of the Lisbon Treaty in October, after years of wrangling and the collapse of their initial efforts to adopt an EU constitution. The Lisbon Treaty will not enter into force unless it is ratified by all 27 EU members, which EU leaders hope will occur by the end of 2008.One of the treaty's priorities is to streamline and strengthen the EU's external representation. At present, the EU has several, sometimes competing, officials responsible for representing the organization to foreign countries and other international institutions. These include the country holding the rotating presidency of the European Council, the EU commissioner for external relations, and the existing EU foreign policy and security chief. The presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commission, constituent parts of the EU, exert considerable influence over the organization's external economic policies.The Lisbon Treaty would address this representation problem in two ways. First, it would create an independent president of the European Council, which consists of the heads of state and government from the EU member states. That individual would be elected by the council to serve a once-renewable term of 30 rather than 6 months, as is the case with the current council president (which is technically a member state rather than a person). The expectation is that the incumbent, though not directly elected or endowed with executive powers like the American president, would be an important European political leader -- perhaps a former national prime minister -- whose prestige and tenure would enhance the EU's diplomatic clout.

Second, the treaty would create a new high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy, who would also become vice president of the European Commission. This position would combine the duties of the present foreign policy chief and external relations commissioner. The new high representative would chair EU foreign ministers' meetings, represent the EU at major international meetings, administer the organization's large foreign aid program, and direct a combined diplomatic service consisting of both EU and national diplomats. The treaty would not create an EU foreign minister or alter the current requirement of unanimity in foreign policy decisions, but would allow the new high representative to submit proposals on how to implement already agreed EU decisions.If adopted, the Lisbon Treaty would also affect many of the EU's other core institutions. Most importantly, it would change the number of EU commissioners and legislators from many countries. It would grant national parliaments a greater role in the drafting of EU legislation. It would expand the ability of the European Parliament to participate in policymaking spheres currently dominated by the European Council. The text would also remove many restrictions on the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice to rule on members' asylum, visa, and immigration policies.In terms of procedures, the treaty would establish a simpler voting system for the European Council that, by 2017, would distribute votes more closely according to a country's population than does the present system, which is based on the 2001 Nice Treaty. From 2014 to 2017, the EU would transition to a double majority system that would in most cases require the consent of 55 percent of the member states, representing at least 65 percent of the EU population, to pass a decision.

The treaty would also expand the range of policy issues in which decisions can be made by qualified majority voting, reducing a single country's ability to exercise a national veto. Many of the areas that would no longer require unanimity under the Lisbon Treaty are not of great significance (e.g., rules for gathering statistics in the eurozone). In addition, foreign and defense questions would still remain subject to national vetoes. Although the Lisbon Treaty allows for majority voting on proposals submitted by the new high representative, these would only implement foreign policies that had earlier been adopted unanimously, an approach employed by the EU since the 1992 Maastricht Treaty. Yet, some of the new areas covered by qualified majority voting -- migration, criminal justice, and judicial and police cooperation -- are of potential significance for homeland security and counterterrorism. Some EU leaders hope the reforms will further strengthen the organization's collective global influence. EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said adoption of the Lisbon Treaty would allow the EU to become an equal to the world's other major economic powers: There are continental-sized powers we either want to engage with or square up to, whether it be China, India or the U.S. -- and at the moment we are punching below our weight. We are not taken as seriously as we could be and will be as a result of this reform treaty.

Whatever the effects of the treaty on the EU's collective economic weight, the document is unlikely to make the organization a great security power in the near future. Next year, EU governments will be preoccupied with securing the treaty's ratification. Having learned from previous disasters -- notably the rejection of the proposed EU constitution in 2005 by Dutch and French voters -- EU leaders have made clear they will not submit the text to national referendum, except in Ireland where the country's constitution requires it. They argue that the Lisbon treaty would simply amend existing EU treaties rather than, as with the failed EU constitution, replace them by transferring some national sovereignty to the EU.Although Irish voters rejected the Nice Treaty in 2001, they are expected to endorse the proposed Lisbon treaty. Nevertheless, ratification could be delayed in some countries, such as Belgium, that are today paralyzed by national political crises. In addition, treaty opponents in Britain and elsewhere are pressing their national courts and incumbent governments to offer a referendum as well. Their hope is that, as on past occasions, even voters unfamiliar with the issue will use the opportunity to express dissatisfaction with current government policies.One major issue complicating any assessment of the treaty's practical effects is its continued use of opt-outs and opt-ins. The opt-out mechanism allows EU members to exempt themselves from certain treaty provisions, while the opt-in function permits them to pursue enhanced cooperation in other areas. The treaty also authorizes countries to withdraw from the EU -- the ultimate opt-out. Combined, these provisions could encourage a multi-speed Europe,(2 TEER) with members pursuing diverse foreign and defense policies. For example, Britain, Denmark, and Ireland have the right to opt out of EU policies regarding justice and home affairs, but cannot prevent other member states from moving ahead in these areas without them.

EU members are likely to make extensive use of these flexible arrangements in the area of defense. On the one hand, the ability of select countries to pursue enhanced cooperation on military issues helps the EU manage its longstanding problem of neutral members resisting extensive defense cooperation. On the other hand, Britain and France, the EU's two most important military powers -- uniquely possessing both nuclear weapons and veto rights in the U.N. Security Council -- sharply differ regarding their preferred future direction in this area. Both want to fortify the EU's capabilities to overcome weaknesses currently impeding EU humanitarian and peacekeeping missions in Chad, Afghanistan, and the Balkans, but the British remain much more concerned with avoiding undesirable NATO overlap by, for instance, developing an EU capacity to wage major conventional combat operations. The Lisbon treaty's solidarity clause -- directing members to assist one another in cases of armed aggression -- could make it harder to paper over these differences than in the past. Divisions between members could also weaken one of the EU's most important security tools -- its ability to offer membership for governments that pursue desirable political, military, and other policies. The prospects of joining the EU helped reduce the potential for violent conflict between many East European countries during the 1990s. Today, however, EU leaders have been unable to reconcile their differences over whether to grant EU membership to Serbia, Turkey, and other regional states. As a result, the EU's ability to moderate non-members' security policies has declined.

Whatever changes the Lisbon treaty might precipitate in the EU's foreign and defense architecture, the institution will remain an intergovernmental organization -- meaning that fundamental differences among its important members will continue to vitiate its external influence.Richard Weitz is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a World Politics Review contributing editor.

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA IS 'BECOMING STRONGER'

President Vladimir Putin said in his annual New Year's address to the nation on December 31 that it was the support, trust, and efforts of ordinary Russians that made possible everything that we have done together with you during the past eight years of his two-term presidency, kremlin.ru reported (see RFE/RL Newsline, December 28, 2007). He stressed that we have not only restored the territorial integrity of Russia, but once again we are able to feel we are a united people. And all these years we worked together to preserve our country, to transform it into a modern, free, and strong state able to provide its citizens with a comfortable life. Putin argued that we have seen how, from year to year, Russia has been gaining in strength.... How our economy has been growing. How new opportunities have been opening up for the people. He noted that we have not managed to do everything. But I am quite certain that the road the people have chosen for Russia is the right road and that it will lead us to success. We have everything [needed] to achieve our goal -- our great history, colossal resources, courage, and the industriousness and intellectual potential of our great nation. The daily Komsomolskaya pravda reported on December 29 that several highly decorated senior military commanders have proposed that Putin be awarded the Hero of Russia order for his achievements as president. The commanders noted that from 1985 to 2000, our presidents only disgraced us by selling out the country's interests or through their ridiculous personal behavior. Whenever they got ready for a trip, we prayed that they would not disgrace our country once again. PM

WILL SERBIA REPAY RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT BY SELLING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE CHEAPLY?

Serbian Finance Minister Mladjan Dinkic was quoted by the Belgrade daily Politika on December 31 as saying that the Serbian authorities have humiliated their country by considering a deal from a Gazprom-led Russian business group to acquire Serbia's state oil monopoly, NIS, at a fraction of its market value, ostensibly for political reasons. He said that unnamed government colleagues told him it would be indecent to ask Russians to pay a fair market price. Dinkic said that Gazprom would reportedly acquire 51 percent of NIS for $588 million, which is half the initial estimated value of the company, without having to bid competitively. He argued that, in open bidding, NIS could bring the government several times what the Russians are offering, which he called crumbs. As an incentive, Gazprom offered to build a branch of the proposed South Stream gas pipeline through Serbia. Dinkic said that he is not angry with the Russians, whom he called great negotiators, but with his own colleagues, for what he called selling off Serbia's natural resources for only part of their value. In his New Year's message on December 31, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said the government wants to reach a strategic energy agreement with Russia. Dpa reported on December 31 that such a pact could be concluded by the end of January. Kostunica is a strong supporter of close ties with Russia and relatively cool toward Serbia's possible Euro-Atlantic integration. Russia's "RBC Daily reported on December 27 that Gazprom is shopping for assets in Serbia and that the Serbian government is a willing partner. The daily published somewhat different figures from those given by Dinkic on the NIS deal and noted that Gazprom and Gazpromneft declined to comment on the report. The paper suggested that Gazprom's real interest is in the gas pipeline and a possible storage facility at Banatski Dvor. The daily wrote that Gazpromneft has little need for Balkan refineries and that LUKoil was until recently considered the main Russian bidder for NIS. Russian businesses and wealthy entrepreneurs have bought numerous industries and properties in Montenegro and Serbia in recent years, fueling a real-estate boom on the Montenegrin coast and in central Belgrade, the BBC reported on January 1. PM

RUSSIA EXPECTS NEW TALKS WITH EU

Sergei Yastrzhembsky, who is President Putin's aide and special envoy to the EU, said on January 1 in Moscow that Russia expects to launch negotiations soon on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the EU following Slovenia's assumption of that body's rotating presidency on January 1, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on January 2. The current PCA expired in December but was automatically extended for one more year in the absence of a new agreement. Poland previously blocked PCA negotiations because of a dispute over a Russian ban on Polish meat shipments, which has since been settled (see RFE/RL Newsline, October 29 and December 21, 2007). Yastrzhembsky said on January 1 that it is psychologically important for Russia that Slovenia now chairs the EU because Slovenia is the first Slavic country to hold that position. He noted that relations between Moscow and Ljubljana are free of problems and that the two countries are close partners. PM

MOSCOW DENIES IT WILL SELL TEHRAN SOPHISTICATED ANTIMISSILE SYSTEM

Russia's Federal Military and Technical Cooperation Service said in a statement on December 28 that the issue of the delivery of S-300 air-defense missile systems to Iran, raised by the media, is not a subject of current negotiations and has not been discussed with the Iranians, RIA Novosti reported. The statement added that Russia and Iran are continuing to develop cooperation in the military-technical sphere in full accordance with international arms export regulations and obligations (see RFE/RL Newsline, December 27 and 28, 2007). PM

IOWA - OBAMA HUCKABEE WINNERS

Entrance Polls Predicted Obama, Huckabee Wins
by FOXNews.com Friday, January 4, 2008

Caucus voters in action (AP)

Polling the Iowa caucus-goers as they made their way into the polls Thursday foreshadowed some key pitfalls for Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney and reasons to celebrate for their respective rivals, Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee.Democratic voters, for example, declared 52 percent to 20 percent that they preferred a candidate that could bring about much needed change over one who had experience.On the other side of the aisle, 60 percent of voters said they consider themselves evangelical Christians. Huckabee is a Baptist minister. Far more than any other characteristic – 45 percent – Republicans said they are looking for a candidate who shares my values. Of those respondents, 44 percent said they were supporting Huckabee.

Before 9 p.m. EST, Huckabee was declared the winner. With 93 percent of the precincts reporting, Huckabee won about 34 percent of the vote, ahead of Romney who was hovering around 25 percent. Obama was also declared the winner on the Democratic side with 38 percent of the vote, ahead of Edwards with 30 percent and Clinton at 29 percent.The youth vote had experienced a surge of sorts Thursday, benefiting Obama. According to the polling, 22 percent of the vote was under 29 years of age and Obama won big among this crowd, with 57 percent. Conversely, Clinton did better with the 65 and older group – which is typically credited with voting in more numbers in any election. In the Democratic contest, 22 percent were 65 and older.On the Republican side, 11 percent of voters were under 29, and Huckabee did best with this crowd, winning 40 percent of their vote, followed by Romney at 22 percent and Ron Paul at 21 percent. The over-65 crowd clocked in at 27 percent. This vote, too, went for Huckabee, with 30 percent. Romney got 28 percent of that group while McCain won 21 percent. Paul earned 8 percent of older Americans.

Clinton lost her grip on the female vote, at least in Iowa. Obama beat her among women, 35 percent to 30 percent for the New York senator. On the Republican side, Huckabee won big among women, beating out his closest rival, Romney, 40 percent to 24 percent.
Perhaps the biggest indicators of what the voters were thinking were the responses to questions about issues and character.For the Republicans, illegal immigration was the top issue, at 33 percent, followed by the economy at 26 percent, terrorism at 21 percent and the war in Iraq, 17 percent.Following the top characteristic of sharing one’s values, 33 percent of Republican voters want a nominee who says what he believes, while 14 percent want the guy with the right experience. A smaller number – 7 percent – wanted the candidate with the best chance to win in November.The majority of Republicans, 48 percent, said they were satisfied, but not enthusiastic about the Bush administration, while 26 said they were dissatisfied but not angry with the Bush administration.

Sixty-seven of Republican voters said it either matters somewhat or a great deal that their candidate shares their religious beliefs.On the Democratic side, voters were split between the economy and the war in Iraq for the issue most important to them, 35 percent to 35 percent, with health care trailing with 27 percent.Behind wanting a candidate who can bring about change, Democratic voters want someone who has the right experience, 20 percent, and cares about people like me, at 19 percent. Getting someone with the best chance to win – typically, Clinton has been considered the most electable in 2008 – with eight percent.Fifty-nine percent of Republican voters decided their vote within the last month or beforehand, while 73 percent of Democrats say they made their choice a month or more ago. Conversely, 17 percent of Republicans said they made up their minds on caucus day. Of those, 29 percent went for Huckabee and 19 percent for Fred Thompson. Eleven percent of Democrats made up their minds on Thursday, with 31 percent choosing Obama, 28 percent for Edwards and 20 percent for Clinton. Bill Richardson took 9 percent of those caucus-goers.
The Democratic poll sample was 2,136 people. The entrance poll of Republicans interviewed 1,600 caucus-goers.Popularity: 1% [?]

$100.00 A BARREL OIL

GEORGE W OBEY THIS SIGN IN JERUSALEM PLEASE.

The Poster That Awaits US President Bush in Jerusalem
by Baruch Gordon JAN 01,07

(IsraelNN.com) In the upcoming days, billboards all over Jerusalem will be plastered with a new poster on the eve of U.S. President Bush’s visit to Israel. Pictured in the poster is a gigantic Bible, towering over the walls of the Old City.The caption says: Bush, read your Bible. God gave Israel to the Jews.

This poster will welcome US President Bush to Jerusalem
Photo: Am K'Lavee Organization

Tzvi Fishman, of the Am K’Lavee organization, and an Arutz 7 blogger, says The poster is designed to refocus Israel’s opposition to further withdrawals back to our Divine claim to the Land of Israel, as documented again and again in the Bible.Am K’Lavee organizes the annual mass parade to the Kotel on Jerusalem Day, which is attended by tens of thousands. It is joining a broad spectrum of grassroots organizations that are planning protests during Bush’s three-day visit to Jerusalem.The Biblical claim of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel was recognized by the British in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which called for the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine, Fishman states. The British believed in the Bible and what was written in it, and that was what guided Lord Balfour in winning the support of the British Parliament.

America also believes in the Bible, Fishman says, and therefore, it is totally unreasonable that America and its G-d-fearing President should act against the Bible, the pillar of Christian belief. Through the poster, Fishman is embarking to remind President Bush that God’s plan for the world supersedes his plan.
How to conduct its public relations campaign has long been a matter of debate among Jewish leaders in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza (Yesha). Am K'Lavee has chosen what they call the irrefutable argument. Fishman explains: I remember the day some twenty years ago when the leaders of the settlement movement decided that they weren’t going to speak any more about G-d’s gift of the Land of Israel to our forefather, Abraham. Instead they decided to base the importance of settling Judea and Samaria on practical military and Zionistic reasons. The trouble with this strategy is that when you bring a big general to warn the public about the dangers of surrendering portions of Yesha to the enemy, the political Left parades out their line-up of big generals who say the very opposite. That’s what happened with the 2005 Disengagement Plan.

People thought they could trust the famous military hero, Sharon, when he assured the nation that there was no security risk in evacuating the Jewish towns of Gush Katif. The military question can be argued this way and that, but our Biblical claim to the Land is irrefutable. Bush, America, Europe, and all the Christian world have to be reminded that in pressuring us to give up the Jewish towns of Yesha and divide Jerusalem, they are going against the Bible and G-d.Fishman says that Bible lovers all over the world have to join the fight to save the Holy Land. It's not just about saving the Jewish villages of Yesha and safeguarding the unity of Jerusalem, but also preventing the wanton destruction of shrines and churches sacred to their religions as well, he argues.

It isn’t enough that this poster fills the streets of Jerusalem, Fishman asserts. It has to be circulated all over the Internet, on every Christian, Baptist, Evangelist, Catholic, and Jewish site. A vast part of the world still believes in the Bible, and if these hundreds of millions say no to the Road Map and email the poster to the White House, they can help us save our Holy City and prevent the Holy Land from turning into a haven for Islamic terror.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Moderate earthquake hits Indonesia's Java
www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-31 18:22:09

JAKARTA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with magnitude of 5.0 rocked Java Island of Indonesia on Monday, but there was no report of damages or casualty, Indonesia's meteorology agency said here.
The quake rattled at 16:36 Jakarta time (0936 GMT) with epicenter at 150 kilometers southwest Banyuwangi of East Java province and at 30 kilometers in depth, an official of the agency said. Twenty-three people were killed and thousands of buildings were destructed in September 2007 after a 7.9-magnitude quake rocked Bengkulu province in Sumatra Island of western Indonesia. In 2004, over 170,000 people were killed in Aceh province in northern tip of Sumatra Island after a tsunami triggered by a powerful quake devastated coastal areas of the province and other countries in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is laid at a vulnerable zone, so called the Pacific Ring of Fire, where two continental plates, stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia, meet that causes frequent volcanic movements. Editor: Song Shutao

945 buildings heavily damaged in Ankara earthquake
www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-31 15:44:50

ANKARA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- A total of 945 buildings were heavily damaged in the earthquake that struck the Turkish capital of Ankara and its towns on Dec. 27, said the Turkish Public Works and Housing Ministry on Monday. Following our works, we determined that 945 buildings were heavily damaged, 7 were moderately damaged and 1,262 were slightly damaged, said Sadik Yamac, undersecretary of the ministry. An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted Ankara on Dec. 27. Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute said the quake was centered on Bala town of Ankara. On Dec. 20, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 also shook Bala town, but caused no casualties.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey which lies on active fault lines. Two devastating earthquakes in the country in 1999 killed more than 18,000 people.Editor: Song Shutao

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
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 (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Chile’s Llaima Volcano Eruption Traps 53 People in Wilderness Park Atlanta, Ga. 1/02/2008 05:04 PM GMT (FINDITT)

At least 53 people have been trapped inside the Conguillio National Park in Chile after a volcanic eruption cut off roadways and flooded rivers with meltwater making it impossible to evacuate.
The Llaima volcano eruption filled the sky with smoke but was not believed to have caused any injuries. Located about 400 miles south of Santiago, the Conguillio National Park is a popular attraction for tourists. Many of those stranded inside the park are believed to be tourists. Chilean military helicopters are being sent to airlift those people out of the park.

FAMINE

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

Oil hits record $100 a barrel JAN 2,07

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures hit a record $100 a barrel on Wednesday, surging more than $4 as violence in OPEC members Nigeria and Algeria combined with a weak dollar and a cold snap to boost crude futures. Fresh buying at the new year was also cited as helping lift the oil futures complex.On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 12:17 p.m. EST, February crude was up $2.67 or 2.78 percent at $98.65 a barrel, trading from $96.05 to $100.00, a record front-month high, eclipsing the previous record of $99.29 hit November 21.(Reporting by Robert Gibbons)

Gold’s advance leads way for oil and platinum
By Chris Flood in London January 2 2008 12:15

Commodity markets made a flying start to 2008 with gold, oil and platinum setting records during the first trading session of the new year.Gold led the initial advance, rising 3.3 per cent to $861.10 a troy ounce, surpassing the previous high of $850 reached in January 1980. The metal later eased back to $858.10 in late London trading.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Dollar fear sparks rush to oil and gold - Jan-02Lex: Peak oil theories - Jan-02Battery demand galvanises price of cobalt - Jan-01Investors seek safety after Bhutto death - Dec-28Overview: Risk aversion boosts gold - Dec-28Traders said there was consistent selling pressure on gold in December as investors booked profits before the year-end, but that drag had cleared and Wednesday’s price rise indicated the strength of underlying sentiment.Gold also found support from renewed dollar weakness after the influential ISM manufacturing survey indicated that industrial activity contracted in December, fuelling fears that the US economy could be dragged into recession as weakness in the housing market spreads into other sectors.Gold’s strength spilled over into platinum, which rose 1.6 per cent to $1,544 a troy ounce.

Oil hit $100 a barrel, partly because of violence in Nigeria, which raised concerns about further possible supply interruptions from the world’s eighth largest crude exporter.Nymex February West Texas Intermediate jumped $4.102 to $100 a barrel, passing the previous high of $99.29 reached in November. Dealers said there was a single trade at $100 between two Nymex floor traders. ICE February Brent leapt $3.89 to $97.74 a barrel, a contract record.
Due to the new year holiday, the latest US inventories data are due for release Thursday and traders expect to see further evidence that the market is tightening.Crude inventories were expected to have fallen 1.8m barrels in a seventh consecutive weekly decline, according to a preliminary poll of analysts by Reuters.Distillate stocks (including heating oil) were forecast to have risen 0.3m barrels. Heating oil stocks are 34.5 per cent below last year’s levels, and with colder weather expected in parts of the US, Nymex February heating oil rose 8.8 cents to $2.7375 a gallon, a record.

Nymex February RBOB gasoline added 7.7 cents at $2.5675 a gallon, with gasoline inventories expected to increase 1.8m barrels in Thursday’s report.Agricultural commodities made a strong start to 2008, finding support from further evidence of strong demand from key consuming countries and recent moves by Russia and China to increase taxes on grain exports to bolster domestic supplies.
Russia will raise the tax on grain exports from 10 per cent to 40 per cent from January 29, a move that is expected to result in Russian exporters rushing to secure business this month. China will impose temporary taxes, between 5 per cent and 25 per cent, on grain exports for a year, starting later month as part of government efforts to curb soaring food prices.In Chicago, CBOT March wheat rose 30 cents, its daily trading limit, to $9.15 a bushel while CBOT March corn rose 12 cents to $4.67½ a bushel and CBOT January soyabeans gained 43 cents to $12.42 a bushel.A revised robusta coffeefutures contract is to be listed by Liffe from January 14. The new contract will encompass a broader range of qualities from all origins in a new 10-tonne lot size. The first futures delivery month for the revised contract will be November 2008.Liffe January robusta coffee rose $37 to $1,903 a tonne.

THE EU DICTATOR

REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

Small Slovenia takes on highly-charged EU agenda
01.01.2008 - 01:24 CET | By Honor Mahony

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - With just three years of European Union membership under its belt, Slovenia will take on the EU presidency today (1 January) landing itself a highly politicised agenda.Of all the issues that the small ex-Yugoslav state will have to deal with over the next six months, two are set to dominate the agenda -the Kosovo question and the EU renewable energy package.Slovenia has reluctantly inherited the thorny issue of the future status of Kosovo, the breakaway Serb province, one of the greatest foreign policy challenges the bloc has faced in recent years. EU member states are only slowly working themselves towards a unified approach on what to do when confronted with Kosovo's likely future bid for independence.

Matters are likely to come to a political head after the Serbian presidential elections on 20 January and 3 February. Kosovo indicated in December it would wait until February to make any independence declaration. This will also give the EU time to work out what it means by coordinated procedure - the process by which Pristina is to seek independence, in theory allowing each member state the option of choosing whether to recognise it or not. Ljubljana has also indicated that it is to put special focus on the Western Balkans more generally, hoping to devote the traditional summer gathering of EU leaders to the issue as well as pursuing other ways of tying the region more strongly to the 27-nation union, such as involving them in European research or infrastructure projects.

On the internal front, the EU is set to be thoroughly preoccupied with its 2020 targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the commission due on 12 January to publish legislation on how each member state should contribute to the overall target.The issue is highly controversial with each government trying to make sure it assumes the least burden as possible. It will be Slovenia's job to steer the package through the council, the member states' chamber as well as co-ordinate with the European Parliament.On this dossier there is the added pressure of a tight timetable as the package should go through the Brussels legislative channel in just one go in order to ensure that it has a chance of being approved before the end of the current term of the European Commission in 2009. In addition, the EU should have the legislatio agreed if it is to maintain the moral high ground when it comes to talks in 2009 on a new international climate change agreement.

Turkey and EU treaty

Aside from the planned summits with Japan, Russia and the US, the Alpine Republic with its 2-million strong population, will also have to deal with Turkey's EU membership bid and the pending EU treaty.Slovene officials have already said that they hope to open two more areas of membership negotiation with Ankara's EU hopes sharply undermined by opposition both in Paris and Berlin as well as its own slow pace of reform.During the six-month presidency, it will also steer discussions on the new EU treaty. The recently-agreed set of institutional rules leaves several open questions concerning the division of power in the bloc. These need to be cleared up before the treaty comes into force, probably in 2009.
Finally, it will also oversee the final step of the expansion of the bloc's passport-free zone when it is extended to apply to airports in March. Sea and land borders were relaxed in December.
Although officials will be looking to see how Slovenia fares as the first of the 2004 member states to take on the EU presidency, small countries have a reputation for being committed to the task at hand and therefore doing presidencies well.

Slovenia, which expanded its personnel in its representation in Brussels to 166 people - up from around 50 two years ago – says it is basing its presidency on Ireland's model. Dublin held a highly successful presidency in 2004. 2008 EUobserver.

France returns to EU centre stage Financial Times
By Tony Barber in Brussels Sun., Dec. 30, 2007

In the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2008 is the Year of the Rat. In the European Union, 2008 is shaping up to be the year of the French.France's six-month EU presidency, its first since 2000, will not begin until July 1. But already the bloc's other 26 member states are anticipating France's occupation of the hot seat with uncommon excitement.The French presidency will be highly ambitious. Budget reform, agriculture, trade, energy security, climate change, immigration, defence - you name it, as long as there's something to be done, the French will do it, says a Brussels-based ambassador.Long before July, France's experienced, prefectural shadow will lie over Slovenia, an EU new boy that on January 1 will become the first former communist country to hold the bloc's rotating presidency.Having joined the EU only in 2004, Slovenia in its six-month term will be keen to prove its competence but happy to take French advice. They accept it. They're almost relieved. They are uncertain about their capabilities, one diplomat says.With French initiatives set to dominate the year, admiration for the fresh sense of purpose in Paris is mixed in some EU capitals with wariness about the likely tone and direction of policies under Nicolas Sarkozy, the restlessly energetic French president.

Mr Sarkozy's jabs at the European Central Bank's independence and his vision of a Mediterranean Union connecting EU and non-EU countries in southern Europe have gone down poorly in Germany and other northern states.The personal relationship between Mr Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, lacks natural warmth, according to EU officials and diplomats who have seen them at work together.She is a scientist; she likes details. She is calm. She is exactly the opposite of him. He is a voluntarist, highly strung and emotional. It will take a bit of time to find their own chemistry and way of functioning together, an EU official says.In some countries, Mr Sarkozy's emphasis on the EU's right to economic self-protection in the age of globalisation and his outspoken views on Muslim immigration into Europe induce a certain nervousness.The peoples of Europe are going through a profound identity crisis, Mr Sarkozy told the European parliament last month.

It is a crisis linked to the globalisation and commercialisation of the world. However, officials familiar with the thinking of José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, say he is impressed with Mr Sarkozy. Sarkozy has brought a new French enthusiasm for Europe. He's formulating initiatives. It's very important. There are certain points that one can and must discuss but overall the attitude is positive, says one senior official.In certain respects, 2008 will mark the year when France completes its return to the front centre of Europe's stage, after its wounded withdrawal to the wings when French voters rejected the now-abandoned EU constitutional treaty on May 29 2005.Mr Sarkozy's presidential election victory last May launched the process by which France has rebuilt its influence in EU affairs. Now some experts in Brussels, both supporters and occasional critics of French policies, say Mr Sarkozy has a great chance to seize the initiative in 2008.Of the leaders of the EU's four big countries, Mr Sarkozy will be politically the strongest, they say. Mrs Merkel will be increasingly hamstrung by feuds in her Christian Democrat-Social Democrat coalition and by the approach to Germany's next federal election, due in 2009.

Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, will be engaged in a long struggle to assert his authority and to prepare for the next British election, probably in 2009. Romano Prodi, Italy's premier, will as ever lead a weak and divided government.Moreover, with Mr Barroso adjusting his free-market instincts as he aims for re-election as Commission president in 2009, and with economic reformers on the defensive in Germany, Mr Sarkozy's message of an ambitious state-guided modernisation that protects the European social model appears to have caught the emerging spirit of the age.
The Anglo-Saxon model that was dominant a year ago is being pushed aside by the Rhineland model and Club Med, says one EU ambassador, referring to two versions of capitalism traditionally practised by France, Germany and southern European countries.

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.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

Backgrounder: Basic facts about eurozone
www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-31

BRUSSELS, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus and Malta will join the eurozone on Jan. 1, 2008, bringing the total number of countries sharing the same currency from 13 to 15. Following are basic facts about the eurozone. The Eurozone, or euro area, refers to the area comprising the European Union (EU) countries which share the same currency, the euro. It is a monetary union, within which all member states not onlyabandoned their former currency, but also have to transfer power to set national monetary policy to a transnational European Central Bank (ECB), located in Frankfurt, Germany. The euro is managed and administered by the ECB and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB), which consists of the central banks of its member states.

It is the 1992 Maastricht Treaty on the EU that set the rules and defined the roadmap for an economic and monetary union, leading to the introduction of the euro as book money in 1999 and the circulation of euro coins and banknotes in 2002. But the idea of a single currency gained ground as early as in the 1970s. Among the 27 EU member states, there are currently 13 using the euro, namely Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Slovenia.
The adoption by Cyprus and Malta of the euro will mark the second enlargement of the eurozone. Slovenia adopted the single currency on Jan. 1, 2007 in the first enlargement, becoming the 13th member. After Cyprus and Malta join, the eurozone will include a population of 320 million out of the EU's total of 495 million people and account for nearly three quarters of the EU's gross domestic product (GDP), totaling 11.6 trillion euros (17.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2006. Editor: Song Shutao

Cyprus and Malta adopt the euro
01.01.2008 - 01:24 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European currency is today (1 January) replacing the national currencies of the two Mediterranean islands of Malta and Cyprus, bringing the number of EU states using the euro to 15 out of the 27 member states.The euro will replace the Cypriot pound and the Maltese lira, which currently equal €1.71 and €2.33 respectively.Cyprus and Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004together with eight other states and follow Slovenia which in January 2007 became the first new EU state to join the euro club.
They will add around 1.2 million people to the euro zone - some 800,000 Cypriots and around 400,000 Maltese - bringing the number of those EU citizens using the euro as a national currency to 320 million out of the EU's total 495-million large population.The new euro coins in circulation as of 1 January also add six new national sides to the already existing ones.The Maltese €1 and €2 coins represent the eight-pointed Maltese cross, seen as a symbol of the Maltese identity; the 10-, 20- and 50-euro cent coins feature the Maltese coat of arms; while the Mnajdra temples, considered to be one of the world's oldest free-standing temple groupings, are seen on the 1-, 2- and 5-cent coins.

The Cypriot €1 and €2 coins feature the idol of Pomos, seen as representing the country's contribution to civilisation since prehistory; the 10-, 20- and 50-euro cent coins represent the ancient Kyrenia ship symbolising the island's historical importance from a trading point of view; and the 1-, 2- and 5-cent coins depict a species of wild sheep representing the island's wildlife.Cyprus and Malta got the green light to introduce the euro in May 2007, after fulfilling the necessary criteria, including a government deficit lower than three percent of GDP, a government debt not higher than 60 percent of GDP, as well as price and exchange rate stability.On both islands, thousands of euro converters have been distributed to households to facilitate the transition to the new currency.However, both Cypriots and Maltese citizens have indicated they fear the euro entry may be followed be a possible price rise – as it happened in Slovenia in 2007.

Britain also introducing the euro

Meanwhile, as a side-effect of Cyprus' adoption of the euro, the European currency will also be used in British military bases on the island.Britain kept its sovereign military bases under an agreement signed in 1960 which released Cyprus from colonial rule.
The bases include Dhekelia, Episkopi and RAF Akrotiri, and some 10,000 British service personnel and their dependents are currently stationed on the island, according to French news agency AFP.It's good news for Cyprus so we have to mirror the republic's harmonisation with the EU as far as possible, otherwise it would make life unbelievably impossible, British forces Cyprus spokesman Captain Nick Ulvert told the press agency.The euro could also bring the economies of the divided island closer together, as the northern Turkish part of Cyprus may adopt the currency unilaterally, according to Reuters.Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey internationally, is currently using the Turkish lira, but would have no objection to introducing the euro, the agency reports.Slovakia is expected to be the next member state to adopt the euro in 2009, while the two newest EU states, Bulgaria and Romania, hope to be able to follow suit by 2010-2011 and 2014 respectively.Of the remaining 12 countries currently not in the euro zone, only the UK and Denmark have chosen not to adopt the European currency for reasons of economic sovereignty – but they have the option to join in the future. 2008 EUobserver.

FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
Israel bars Jews from moving lips in prayer on Temple Mount
Even slightest 'sign' of Jewish worship prohibited at Judaism's holiest site January 2, 2008 11:53 a.m. Eastern By Aaron Klein
2008 WorldNetDaily.com

Temple Mount in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM – Jews are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount in any way whatsoever, even if they only move their lips or demonstrate other signs of prayer on Judaism's holiest site, ruled Avi Dichter, Israel's public security minister. Dichter was responding to a recent decision by two Knesset members who said they would ascend the Temple Mount quietly – without informing the media or making any protest – and attempt to pray on the holy site. The lawmakers, Uri Ariel and Aryeh Eldad from Israel's National Union Party, said Muslim prayer services take place throughout the day in the many mosques and Islamic religious schools situated on the holy site, and Jews should be able to pray as individuals on the Mount. In a letter to the lawmakers, Dichter, Israel's highest ranking public security officer, wrote that while police cannot generally arrest a person conversing with his maker ... however it is possible to carry out an arrest for expressions of outward and demonstrative signs [of prayer on the Temple Mount]. Dichter's use of the phrase conversing with his maker" mimicked the terminology used by Ariel and Eldad to describe prayer.

Dichter wrote his interpretation of Israeli law is in line with the rationale that bans Jews from praying at the site, in light of serious concerns that this will serve as a provocation, resulting in disorder, with a near certain likelihood of subsequent bloodshed.Israeli restrictions bar Jewish groups from praying on the Temple Mount and only allow Jews to ascend for certain hours on some days, while the Mount is open to Muslims all year. According to strict interpretation of a 1973 Israeli law, a Jew as an individual can pray on the Temple Mount as long as the prayer is not uttered as a protest of Jewish rights to the holy site. But Israeli police forbid all Jewish prayer at the site, although there have been a few instances recently in which Jews prayed there without being arrested. While Dichter vehemently opposed even the slightest pretence of a Jew praying on the Mount, his security ministry and the Israeli police have not acted to halt the Hamas terror group's daily broadcast of Islamic prayer services from the Mount's Al Aqsa Mosque, considered the third holiest site in Islam. WND broke the story that Hamas last month starting broadcasting the Mount's daily Muslim prayers on the group's official radio station, Al Aqsa Radio. The services are broadcast alongside anti-Semitic commentary, including incitement against Jews.

The official Hamas radio network announced it would continue airing exclusive daily streams of Muslim morning services from the Temple Mount, and, indeed, the broadcasts have continued as scheduled, with this morning's prayer services streamed live by Hamas. Hamas radio is heard throughout Palestinian cities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Our broadcast is a victory for the Al Aqsa Mosque, which is suffering from Judaization efforts imposed by the Zionist government, said Rami Kaoud, a manager at Al Aqsa Radio. Broadcasting daily radio is a way to bring Al Aqsa to the Gaza Strip and challenge the siege imposed on us by the Zionist entity.All broadcasts from the Mount must be approved by the Waqf, which guard the Muslim entrances to the Temple Mount along with the Israeli police. Broadcasts must also be approved by the Israeli police, but cameramen and reporters routinely enter the site from Muslim gates to broadcast without prior police approval as long as Waqf agents allow the entry. Rabbi Chaim Richman, a spokesman for the New Jewish Congress, a group of religious Zionist leaders, told WND Dichter's comments today restricting Jewish prayer convey hatred and discrimination towards the Jewish people.

Dichter's statement is yet another indication that the government of [Israeli Prime Minister] Ehud Olmert has ceased to be a Jewish government altogether, having not the slightest connection with the Jewish people.Dichter is a member of Olmert's ruling Kadima party. The Temple Mount is site of the First Jewish Temple, which was built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The Second Temple was rebuilt at the same location in 515 B.C. after Jerusalem was freed from Babylonian captivity. That temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire in A.D. 70. Each temple stood for a period of about four centuries. The Jewish Temple was the center of religious Jewish worship. It housed the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the Covenant and was said to be the area upon which God's presence dwelt. The Dome of the Rock, adjacent to the Al Aqsa Mosque, now sits on the site. The Temple served as the primary location for the offering of sacrifices and was the main gathering place in Israel during Jewish holidays. The Temple Mount compound has remained a focal point for Jewish services over the millennia. Prayers for a return to Jerusalem have been uttered by Jews since the Second Temple was destroyed, according to Jewish tradition. Jews worldwide pray facing toward the Western Wall, a portion of an outer courtyard of the Temple left intact.

JERUSALEM DIVIDED

ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

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

ZECHARIAH 14:1-9 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Olmert hints Jerusalem division is inevitable
Tue Jan 1, 2008 10:36am EST By Jeffrey Heller

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert signaled on Tuesday Israel might have no choice but to share Jerusalem with the Palestinians in a peace deal, citing international pressure for compromise over the holy city.The world that is friendly to Israel ... that really supports Israel, when it speaks of the future, it speaks of Israel in terms of the '67 borders. It speaks of the division of Jerusalem, Olmert said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in a move that failed to win international recognition. It regards all of Jerusalem as its eternal and indivisible capital.Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of the state they aspire to establish in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.The future of Jerusalem is one of the core issues Israel and the Palestinians agreed to tackle in peace talks they renewed after a U.S.-hosted summit in Annapolis, Maryland in November.Olmert's comments appeared to be another move by the prime minister to prepare Israeli public opinion for the possibility of a deal that would loosen Israel's control of all of Jerusalem.

His deputy and close confidant, Haim Ramon, has said Israel should in future negotiate creation of a special regime that would govern some of the sacred sites in Jerusalem's walled Old City.In separate remarks on Tuesday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak made clear there would be no sweeping changes in Israel's network of hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank while negotiations went ahead.Barak, addressing Israeli troops in the West Bank, said the barriers, condemned by Palestinians as collective punishment, helped to thwart attacks by militants.There is no chance of waging an effective fight against terror without a real and daily control of the field, and the checkpoints and roadblocks will remain, said Barak, a former prime minister who now leads the center-left Labour Party.

RESTRICTIONS

The United States, which hosted a Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland in November, has urged Israel to relax travel restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank.In order to ease matters when it comes to the daily lives of Palestinians, we are trying to permit the opening of roadblocks and checkpoints on the fringes, Barak said.As of now, dozens of earth roadblocks have been removed as well as two of the 16 major checkpoints, and we may make more concessions here and there, he said.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, voicing frustration at the slow pace of change, said in a speech on Monday: "Each time (there is a meeting with the Israelis) they say they will remove (checkpoints) or have already removed some of them -- but I can honestly say they did not remove a single checkpoint.Israel and the Palestinians have said they hoped to reach a peace agreement before U.S. President George W. Bush, who visits Israel and the West Bank next week, leaves office next year.Olmert has already questioned publicly the wisdom of annexing outlying Arab neighborhoods of the city after the 1967 conflict. But he has insisted Israel would never agree to return to its pre-1967 borders.(Editing by Richard Balmforth)

Israel's Barak warns Palestinians on security
Wed 2 Jan 2008, 10:49 GMT By Brenda Gazzar

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Wednesday Israel would watch closely whether the Palestinian Authority fulfilled a promise to prosecute two suspects in the killing of two off-duty Israeli soldiers.These people need to rot in jail until their last days, Barak told Israel Radio.We will see if the Palestinian Authority is opening a revolving door for them and if so, the Israeli Defence Forces and security services will know how to put our hands on them, he said.The ambush that killed the two soldiers in the occupied West Bank on Friday has raised questions in Israel over the effectiveness of a pledged security crackdown against militants by forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.Israel has made implementation of any peace deal it reaches with the Palestinians following the U.S.-hosted Annapolis summit in November conditional on reining in militants. U.S. President George W. Bush is to visit Israel and the West Bank next week.

The Palestinians argue Israel has failed to meet its own obligations to freeze settlement activity under a U.S.-backed peace road map agreed in 2003.The two armed soldiers, settlers who lived near the city of Hebron, killed two of their attackers before succumbing to their wounds.Palestinian security forces in Hebron arrested the two surviving gunmen the day after the attack, a Palestinian security official said.Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki said that if found guilty, the men would pay for their crimes in the West Bank.The investigation is still going on. They will be tried and once there is a verdict they will stay in prison until they finish their sentence, said Malki, who also serves as foreign minister.Israel has argued in the past that the Palestinians have paid lip service to security, quickly freeing militants from jail in what it has termed a revolving door policy.Abbas's government has deployed hundreds of security men in chaotic West Bank towns as part of a Western-backed crackdown on gangsters and militants, and are at pains to prove they are exerting control in the territory following the takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas Islamists in June.(Additional reporting by Mohammed Assadi in Ramallah and Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem; Writing by Rebecca Harrison; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

JERUSALEM: Anglican Bishop Blasts Global Anglican Future Conference.From the Diocese of Jerusalem Jan 02,08
http://www.j-diocese.org/newsdetail.php?id=34

The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, Bishop Suheil Dawani, has expressed his concern about the Global Anglican Future Conference planned for the Holy Land in June this year. Regrettably, I have not been consulted about this planned conference, said Bishop Suheil.The first I learned of it was through a press release. I am aware that the post-Christmas announcement that this conference is to be held here has excited considerable interest around the Anglican Communion, and has become the subject of online discussion. Yet we Anglicans who minister here have been left out in the cold.I also note that the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, who appears to be one of the organisers, is encouraging clergy and lay people from his diocese to attend the conference with him and his bishops. He speaks of the meeting taking place because the Anglican Communion is, he says, 'in disarray over fundamental issues of the gospel and biblical authority'.

I am deeply troubled that this meeting, of which we had no prior knowledge, will import inter-Anglican conflict into our diocese, which seeks to be a place of welcome for all Anglicans. It could also have serious consequences for our ongoing ministry of reconciliation in this divided land. Indeed, it could further inflame tensions here. We who minister here know only too well what happens when two sides cease talking to each other. We do not want to see any further dividing walls! I believe our Primate, Dr Mouneer Hanna Anis,is also concerned about this event. His advice to the organizers that this was not the right time or place for such a meeting was ignored.I urge the organizers to reconsider this conference urgently.---The Rt Revd Suheil Dawani is the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.

Confirmed: Islamic leaders to visit Vatican for talks

Rome, Jan. 2, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue has confirmed plans for a meeting between Vatican officials and Islamic leaders. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that a meeting with representatives of the Common Word initiative, launched in October 2007 by a group of 138 Islamic leaders, will take place in Rome this spring. The meeting, he observed, will be in a certain sense historic. He did not give a specific date for the meeting. After the Common Word group issued its October call for talks with Christian leaders, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) replied in November with an invitation for representatives of the group to come to Rome for in-depth discussions. Last week Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, the president of the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan, revealed that he had accepted the papal invitation. The Jordanian leader indicated that he hoped to meet with the Pontiff in February or March 2008-- a time period that seems to match Cardinal Tauran's projected schedule for the meeting. The sessions in Rome are expected to involve representatives of the Vatican Secretariat of State and the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. Vatican officials are determined to press their case for Islamic recognition of the right to religious freedom, especially for Christians living in predominantly Muslim countries.

LIBYA AT THE SECURITY COUNCIL HEAD LOOKOUT ISRAEL FOR FAVOUR, NO!

Libya becomes U.N. council president By Patrick Worsnip
Tue Jan 1, 2:47 PM ET

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Libya took over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday in a major step back to global respectability after decades as a pariah of the West. The North African country was elected in October, as were Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia and Vietnam, to sit on the council in 2008-09 after the United States, which foiled two earlier bids by Tripoli, decided not to block it this time.By an alphabetical accident, Libya becomes president of the 15-nation body from its very first day as a member, succeeding Italy. Each country is president for a month, the rotation going in English alphabetical order of names.Libya and Burkina Faso had been unopposed after being endorsed by the African regional grouping for two African seats that fell vacant on December 31.

The Security Council is the powerhouse of the United Nations, with the ability to send peacekeeping troops around the world and impose sanctions on specific countries.Unlike the five permanent members -- the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China -- the nonpermanent members have no individual veto. But an alliance of seven of them can stop a resolution even if the big powers want it.Libya has only recently rehabilitated itself in Western eyes from an accused sponsor of terrorism that organized the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland, which killed 270 people.The case led to U.N. sanctions on Libya, which, under a gradual shift of course by leader Muammar Gaddafi, eventually turned over suspects and admitted civil responsibility. Also key was Gaddafi's 2003 decision to abandon weapons of mass destruction programs.In July, Libya ended a diplomatic standoff by freeing five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor held since 1999 on charges, which Western countries ridiculed, that they infected Libyan children with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

DARFUR KEY ISSUE

Libyan and other diplomats said they expected the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region, where the United Nations and African Union are trying to deploy a peace force, to be a key council issue in January. Other countries will be scrutinizing Libya's handling because of its interest as a neighbor of Sudan.Another major topic will be Serbia's Kosovo province. But diplomats said Iran could be less important because big powers must overcome divisions on possible new sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program before the issue reaches the council.Council presidents can vote as they please, but must follow strict procedures in management of business and be neutral in public statements. Nevertheless they can wield important influence on scheduling the agenda and other formalities.Libya has been on the Security Council once before -- in 1976-77 -- and diplomats said its envoys had been relearning the role, attending closed consultations in the past two months and bringing in extra staff to help with the presidency.Countries that left the Security Council on December 31 were Congo Republic, Ghana, Peru, Qatar and Slovakia. Remaining on it are Belgium, Indonesia, Italy, Panama and South Africa.(Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Roundup: World leaders hail achievements in 2007, look forward to 2008 www.chinaview.cn 2008-01-02 13:48:52
Special report: Yearender 2007

BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- World leaders have delivered their New Year addresses, hailing the achievements in 2007 and looking forward to 2008. U.S. President George W. Bush called for continuing growth and vitality of the economy in his New Year message. A future of hope and opportunity begins with a robust economy, he said in his message released by the White House. The U.S. president said that the underpinning of the U.S. economy is strong, competitive, and resilient enough to overcome the challenges. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said in his new year speech on Tuesday that the government will begin in 2008 to change the society into one in which people and consumers are protagonists.

In regard to a series of scandals of production date forgery in2007, Fukuda called on both the government and enterprises to think from the standpoints of the people and consumers. Regarding the blunder of losing some 50 million pension records, Fukuda vowed to conduct thorough reforms to the pension system. Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Tuesday hailed the Cuban people's victory in ruling their own destiny in his New Year address. The year of 2008 marks the beginning of the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, which symbolizes half a century of heroic resistance, said Castro, the Latin American News Agency reported. Let's proudly proclaim to the world this record that makes us worthy of the fairest claim: the respect for its right to live and to the clean joy of our motherland, he said. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in his address, promised continued reforms in 2008 to achieve more progress. We are going ahead on the right path, he said, noting the country embraces the year of 2008 with a stronger economy whose indicators are on the rise and whose ability to attract investments and achieve higher rates of growth and work opportunities is continuous, Mubarak said.

Egypt is now in a better position and is making progress as we enjoy peace, security, stability, he said, bringing high hopes for the future of our country and its people.His Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian hailed 2007 as one of the most successful years in the country's recent history in his televised New Year address.
He said he believes in Armenia's prosperous future and in the potential of its people. The King of Norway Harald V called on the whole world to take responsibility for climate change in his traditional New Year speech. We can no longer overlook all the signals and warnings about climate change and now is the time to take on a global responsibility and a common course, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK quoted the king as saying. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg echoed the king's call and expressed his optimism for meeting the challenges of climate change in his New Year's speech on Tuesday. It is mankind that brought about the climate problem and the problem can also be settled by mankind, the Norwegian news agency NTB quoted the prime minister as saying.

Stoltenberg was pleased with the agreement reached at the last minute at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia in December 2007, saying we now have a basis for a global agreement in Copenhagen in 2009.African Union Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare called for the establishment of a united Africa in his New Year speech. We shall be required to enter into new alliances with the other peoples and governments of the world, and to strengthen those already in place, in the name of a united Africa, from Northto South, from East to West, an Africa neither black nor white, neither occidental nor oriental, neither sub-nor upper Saharan, Konare said. Our current battle against underdevelopment, pandemics, ignorance, marginalization and indecent life, pushes us to set up a strategy of action, enforcement and responsibility, he said. Polish President Lech Kaczynski hailed Poland's achievements in2007 in his New Year address on Tuesday. Poland witnessed sustainable economic growth and consolidated its standing on the international stage in 2007, said the president in his address broadcast by state TV. In 2007 Poland signed the Lisbon Treaty and joined the Schengenzone, two moves of European integration which are benefiting the Polish people, he said. The president also hoped more Polish people can benefit from the country's economic growth and all Poles around the world could be proud, enthusiastic and affectionate towards Poland. Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko on Tuesday recalled 2007as a hard year and looked forward to 2008 in his New Year address.

We have brought the Ukrainian ship out of the storm and now it is time for calm and coordinated work, he said. Predicting that everything will be fine, Yushchenko foresaw 2008 as a year of big opportunities. Editor: Yao Siyan

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

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.

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).

MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Thompson warns threat of mushroom cloud real Most Americans know the forces of terrorism will not rest December 31, 2007 11:45 a.m. Eastern 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Fred Thompson

GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson is warning the biggest threat facing America isn't economic or social or even political: It's the danger from nuclear terrorism. That the years ahead will be dangerous needs no elaboration from me, Thompson, a former U.S. senator from Tennessee, says in a new video prepared for Iowa voters who will caucus later this week. Most Americans know the forces of terrorism will not rest until a mushroom cloud hangs over one of our cities, he said. Thompson, who is trailing several other candidates in Iowa, said those other issues, such as economy, taxes, protecting our borders, and protecting the right to life, are important but are not the biggest concern this nation faces. Rasmussen Reports, considered one of the most accurate polling services, says Arizona Sen. John McCain held support from 17 percent of likely Republican primary voters, former Massachussetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are at 16 percent, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is at 15 percent and Thompson is at 12 percent heading into the new year. Thompson's 17-minute video notes there is no frontrunner, and the Iowa caucus will be the first vote cast in this crucial election year.He said the nation faces dangerous years ahead.

The recent tragic assassination of former Prime Minister [Benazir] Bhutto in Pakistan again demonstrates that terrorist will to power and their relentless cruelty along with the threats to our national security, he said. The best way to avoid war is to be stronger than our enemies. If we're caught in a fight we need to win it, he said. You're not electing a set of position papers, you're electing a leader at a time when strong leadership is going to be needed, he continued. I know the world we live in. I know what we need to do. I would ask people if our worst enemy is sitting across from us at a negotiating table, who do you want sitting on our side of the table, representing you and working to keep you safe, Thompson said. He's not the only presidential candidate to cite this danger. Huckabee earlier told WND in one of a series of exclusive interviews the war on terror will not end in a draw. There's no peaceful co-existence, there's no accommodation, there's no naïve nonsense that if we leave them alone they leave us alone, he said. This is a war someone will win and someone will lose.

Whoever perseveres and whoever has the strongest will, will in fact win and that's why we can't give up, he said. Thompson was responding to a question about the likelihood of another 9/11-type attack on U.S. soil. There's almost an inevitability, not just a possibility, he said. It will happen again. And it'll happen because we face an enemy that is not a nation-state that can be contained within borders and boundaries, because their war is not about borders and boundaries. Islamofascism is rooted in a theocratic Islamic jihadism that seeks to destroy and annihilate every last one of us. It wants to establish a complete Islamic theocracy across the world and for that to happen it means our culture has to be completely snuffed out.Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who recently ended his bid for the GOP nomination for president, expressed similar concerns. He said the U.S. must find something that will be a deterrent to terrorists or face another 9/11 that could be nuclear. I believe that unless you can think of a deterrent the threat will become a reality, he said. He has suggested making clear now that Islamic holy sites could be targeted with counterstrikes should such an attack ever happen.

If somebody can show me an alternative to what I'm going to tell you, then I'm happy to listen. But right now, there is no deterrent to the commission of that crime, said Tancredo. What possibly can deter them, if it is not some threat to take some action that would threaten [what] their belief system tells them? he said. Thompson's campaign video also addressed several other issues, including his call for a return to the fundamental conservative principles that have unified the U.S. for two centuries. He said that means the role of the federal government is supposed to be limited to the powers given in the Constitution, the dollar belongs in the pocket of the person who earned it, don't spend money that isn't there, the federal judiciary is supposed to decide cases, not set social policy, and the bigger government gets the less competent it is to run citizens' lives.

I know who I am. I know what I believe, and I'm ready to lead, Thompson said. He also touched on the importance of faith, citing George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. [Washington] was filled with an awe and wonder not at the workings of mere mortals but the power of Providence, Thompson said. Thompson's remarks come after a new report revealing Osama bin Laden's quest for a nuclear weapons arsenal now is focusing on efforts to destabilize nuclear-armed Pakistan. Writing in the Combating Terrorism Center's Sentinel, a new publication of the U.S. military academy, Bruce Riedel, a former senior U.S. official now with the Brookings Institution, says Pakistan represents the real front line in the war against al-Qaida.The most frightening part of advances by Islamists confronting the government of Perves Musharraf is the determination of al-Qaida to obtain nuclear weapons, the report says. Al-Qaida has been pursuing nuclear weapons for more than a decade, according to former CIA Director George Tenet. Today, [al-Qaida] has a secure operating base in the country, its leadership is issuing constant guidance to its global supporters, it is threatening NATO's position in Afghanistan through its Taliban allies, and it is now a growing force in Pakistan itself, writes Riedel. The current political crisis in Pakistan is endangering the secular democratic forces in the country, polarizing the debate about the country's future and strengthening al-Qaida's Islamist partners.