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