SATELLITE SHOOTDOWN RATTLES CHINA - RUSSIA

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.

AROUND THE EMPIRE -- SANTA ROSA Earthquake rattles The Geysers A moderate earthquake rattled The Geysers area, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Sunday.

A 4.1-magnitude quake was recorded at 9:32 p.m. Saturday, centered about a mile north of The Geysers geothermal fields and 26 miles north-northwest of Santa Rosa.Its depth was about a mile underground, according to the USGS.No damage or other incidents were reported.Earthquakes in the magnitude-two range are fairly common in the rural area.In the hours after the 4.1 quake, more than 20 smaller shakers were recorded in the same general area, the largest two registering at 2.8 and 2.9.More details about the seismic activity can be found at www.earthquake.usgs.gov.-- Lori A. Carter.

Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Strikes Indonesia's Sumatra
By Karima Anjani

Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck near the Indonesian island of Sumatra at 3:36 p.m. local time with no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the country's Meteorology and Geophysics Office said. A second temblor struck the same region 10 hours later measuring 6.7 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage. The larger quake hit an area 165 kilometers (102 miles) southwest of Muko-muko, in Bengkulu province, at a depth of 10 kilometers, the Indonesian agency said in a text message. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.0, revising from 7.3 earlier. The quake had a depth of 35 kilometers. No casualties have been reported, an official said. An earlier tsunami warning was lifted, the Indonesian office said. The temblor sparked panic in Bengkulu and the west of Sumatra, sending people into the streets, Jakarta-based ElShinta radio reported. Tremors also rocked buildings in downtown Singapore, located 365 miles from the epicenter.

There have been hundreds of earthquakes in Indonesia since a 9.1 quake in 2004 caused a tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastlines and leaving more than 220,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and other countries. The Indonesian archipelago lies in a region where tectonic plates are constantly shifting. The 6.7 quake struck 164 kilometers southwest of Padang, Sumatra, at 1:06 a.m. local time Tuesday, at a depth of 35 kilometers, the USGS said. There were no casualties so far from today's earthquake, Rustam S. Pakaya, head of crisis management at Indonesia's Health Ministry, said in a text message. Authorities will continue to monitor developments on damages and casualties. A magnitude 7.5 quake hit the west of Sumatra on Feb. 20, killing at least three people. To contact the reporter on this story: Karima Anjani in Jakarta at kanjani@bloomberg.net

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 snow on the way for Toronto
Mon Feb 25, 11:15 AM

TORONTO (CBC) - Winter weary Torontonians should brace for another bout of snow, meteorologists said Monday.A low-pressure centre tracking eastward from Kansas is expected to cause up to 15 centimetres of light snow to fall across southwestern Ontario.While Environment Canada says the heaviest snow will fall south of the border, significant amounts of the white stuff are expected north of the lower Great Lakes.For Toronto, continuous light snow is expected to begin Monday night and last through part of Tuesday, dumping up to 15 centimetres of snow around the lakeshore area and slightly less in northern parts of the city.

Winds could kick up later Tuesday with some gusts reaching up to 60 km/h, meaning that blowing snow could be a factor during the Tuesday commute home, said CBC meteorologist Karen Matthews.It's all snow [Tuesday], then we're going to have the cold air behind the system, said Matthews.Temperatures in Toronto are forecast to dip down to -10 C on Wednesday, according to Environment Canada.
The weather system is forecast to brush along the St. Lawrence, hitting Ottawa and Montreal with 10 to 15 cm of snow Tuesday morning before moving on to the East Coast.

Storm will affect the eastern US Tom Moore FEB 25,08

Low presure in the Midwest will gain strength and move into the Northeast on Tusday. Snow, rain and wind will be the result. Look for a band of accumulating snow overnight across eastern Iowa through northern Illinois, northern Indiana and northern Ohio. By morning there could be a general snowfall of 3 to 6 inches in this region. Snow will move eastward from Indiana and Ohio during the day. Total accumulations across the Midwest should average in the 3 to 8 inch range. Snow will move into western New York and northwest Pennsylvania by Tuesday morning and spread through the interior Northeast during the day. By Tuesday evening the snow should stretch from western New York all the way to the Maine coast. Snowfall amounts reaching double digits are possible from central and northern new York through northern New England. The I-95 corridor should see mainly rain from this system, but there could be a little sleet or snow at the beginning Tuesday. Look for a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain across the valleys of northern Pennsylvania and southern New York Tuesday morning, but the precipitation should change over to rain during the afternoon. To the south, showers and thunderstorms should prevail from the Mississippi River eastward through the Southeast overnight through Tuesday evening. Isolated strong to even severe thunderstorms may erupt overnight from Louisiana and Arkansas to Alabama, especially near the Gulf Coast. Severe thunderstorms are more likely Tuesday afternoon and evening across southern Georgia and northern Florida.

Storm causes flooding, leaves thousands without electricity in Sweden Sat Feb 23, 1:49 PMBy The Associated Press

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Officials in Sweden say an overnight storm battered the southern part of the country with hurricane-strength winds - knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and causing flooding in the coastal city of Goteborg. More than 80,000 households are reporting power outages after the storm, which also caused major traffic disruptions. No serious injuries are reported.

The Swedish news agency TT says one person was hospitalized with minor injuries after being trapped between falling trees. Parts of a roof were torn off a house on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland, and a passenger bus was pushed onto its side in a water-filled ditch on Sweden's west coast. Thomas Andersson, a spokesman for The Swedish Road Administration, says downed trees blocked more than 40 roads overnight. Those roads later reopened. At least six train lines in the southern part of the country were closed as rail companies worked to clear fallen trees from the tracks. Sten Laurin, a spokesman at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, said winds off the country's southern coast reached speeds of 140 km/h, though the storm later eased. Winds of about 120km/h are classified as hurricane-strength. Inland, gusts of up to 114 km/h were recorded in some places, Laurin said. On Saturday morning, more than 50,000 Swedish households still were without power.

To all Protectors of Israel: Please send an email to Shas, Olmert, Bush and others with one click of the mouse!!! Then, forward this email to everyone on your list, and urge them to do the same.Thanks so much. Buddy Macy 973-785-0057

Editor's Note:URGENT ACTION ALERT
Requesting Shas Party Resignation

The future of Israel rests in the hands of only a few members of the Knesset. We applaud MK Netanyahu's statement asking Shas to resign from the Olmert government. (Please see the article below for details.) Join Netanyahu in his call for Shas to make this historic decision and prevent the dismemberment of Israel.Please read the sample letter below. It is a letter that you can send with one click as is, or you may edit the text as you see fit.

This Urgent Action Alert will go to MK Eliyahu Yishai and all members of the Shas Party with copies to Prime Minister Olmert, Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon, MK Rabbi Benyamin Elon, MK Dr. Arieh Eldad, MK Benjamin Netanyahu, MK Avigdor Liberman, Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Send this Urgent Call to Action
Dear MK Yishai and All Members of the Shas Party,

As we read the shenanigans of Israel's negotiating team, friends of Israel in the US are shaking our heads in disbelief while the dismemberment of Israel is now under way.US friends cannot stand silently by watching this travesty take place. We call upon the Shas party to save Jerusalem and save Israel from its own folly by resigning from the Olmert government, thus interrupting this impending disaster.What other country is being asked to participate in its own demise by submitting to those who ignore history and falsely lay claim to Israel's God-given land? Should not the negotiating team demand recognition of Israel as a Jewish state?

Should they not mention the need for Jews and Christians to live freely (now mostly denied) in any kind of Arab state, particularly a proposed Palestinian state? Should they not stand up for the rights of nearly a million Jewish refugees expelled from Arab countries in 1948? Should they not state and restate that Jerusalem was, is and should remain the eternal united capital of the Jewish people? What other country would even consider sharing its rightful capital with another nation, particularly a hostile one openly calling for its destruction? The secret negotiations are almost too painful to consider by those who truly love Israel. Israel now thrives on 22 percent of the land given to it by the British Mandate. 78 percent was already given to Jordan, whose population is 70 percent Palestinian. Now Israel is being forced to divide that 22 percent. We applaud Likud Leader Netanyahu's statement asking Shas to resign from the Olmert government. We urgently join him in his call for Shas to make this historic decision and prevent this impending catastrophe.People of Israel WAKE UP! The people of the Diaspora are waiting to help you. We cannot again go like lambs to the slaughter.Signed,

METEORS HIT THE EARTH

REVELATION 6:12-17
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

REVELATION 8:12-13
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels,which are yet to sound!

Meteor Likely Disintegrated; No Crater Found
Spokane, Washington Associated Press February 22, 2008

Despite witness accounts that a meteor that streaked across the Pacific Northwest skies this week struck Earth, scientists at the University of Washington (UW) say it likely disintegrated in the sky. Some witnesses reported seeing Tuesday's meteor hit the ground southwest of Ritzville in central Washington, sending local officials on a fruitless hunt for the crater.

Using readings from instruments in the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, scientists at the UW campus in Seattle said Wednesday they believe the meteor disintegrated above the Blue Mountains, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of LaGrande, Oregon, at an altitude of about 19 miles (30 kilometers). (See map.) Stephen Malone, professor emeritus of space sciences and former director of the seismic network, worked with colleagues at the UW and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland to determine the fate of the space visitor. They triangulated the location of the disintegration using readings from seismometers, the UW said in a news release. Malone noted that the readings might be a bit off because the seismometer closest to the disintegration point has been out of commission since January. People in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Canada's British Columbia reported seeing a bright fireball streaking across the sky about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Iran's Israel remarks damaging and uncivilised-EU
Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:51am

BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The European Union on Monday denounced statements by Iranian leaders against Israel as unacceptable, damaging and uncivilised.The EU's Slovenian presidency referred to remarks by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, parliament Speaker Gholamali Haddadadel and Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Ali Jafari.Their comments pointed against Israel are unacceptable, damaging and uncivilised, it said. The EU calls on Iran to stop hostile rhetoric and refrain from all threats towards other states, members of the international community.Last Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon termed comments by Ahmadinejad a day earlier likening Israel to a savage animal inflammatory and unacceptable.Iran does not recognise Israel and Ahmadinejad has often predicted the imminent demise of the Jewish state. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom)

Israel to have anti-missile defense system by 2010

JERUSALEM (Xinhua): Israel will be in possession of an anti-missile defense system by the year 2010, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday in the weekly cabinet meeting. Olmert was quoted by local daily Ha'aretz as saying that Israel has no intention of fortifying every building in Gaza area communities or in Sderot. However, the prime minister added that certain designated areas will be fortified against Qassam rocket strikes. Last week, Israeli government approved a plan estimated at 100 million U.S. dollars to shield thousands of homes in the western Negev communities against rocket strikes.

Russia warns it will use force to back Serbia Kosovo Secession; U.S. urges Moscow to be more responsible Steven Edwards, Canwest News Service Saturday, February 23, 2008

UNITED NATIONS - The international split over Kosovo grew more ominous yesterday as Russia raised the spectre of using force to back Serbia's bid to retain the territory.Russia's envoy to NATO warned the Western military alliance, which has a 16,000-strong peacekeeping force in Kosovo, and the European Union against formally backing Pristina's declaration of independence.If the European Union works out a common position, or if NATO breaches its mandate in Kosovo, these organizations will be in conflict with the United Nations, said Dmitry Rogozin. Russia believes the UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo does not authorize a unilateral move to independence.We, too, would then have to proceed from the view that in order to be respected, we must use brute force, in other words armed force.He spoke a day after a mob in the Serbian capital Belgrade torched the U.S. embassy. They were among 250,000 people attending a rally protesting Pristina's unilateral declaration of independence move and Washington's recognition of the breakaway state.

The EU has not collectively ruled on Kosovo, but has pledged to send a 2,000-strong administrative-support mission to take over from the UN, which has run the territory since NATO's 1999 bombing campaign forced the Serb army to withdraw.Mikhail Kamynin, the Russian Foreign Minister, said the United States and other forces that supported Kosovo's proclamation should have been aware of the consequences of such a step.While analysts see the Russian remarks as sabre-rattling, they believe such talk could encourage more violence.Bellicose language from the Russians is not helpful, said retired U.S. Major General William Nash, who was UN regional administrator in northern Kosovo in 2000.One fear is that acts of provocation can lead to retaliation that in turn escalates the whole circumstance.In Washington, the State Department demanded Moscow repudiate Mr. Rogozin's words, characterizing what he said as cynical and ahistorical.We strongly advise Russia to be more responsible in its public comments toward Kosovo, said Nicholas Burns, the third-ranking State Department official.

Russia is isolated this week … very few countries are supporting its position.In fact, the world is almost evenly split over the issue, with countries' positions appearing to reflect their internal concerns.Canada is one of more than 25 countries that have yet to make their position clear.About 20 nations have ruled against recognition. They include Argentina, which seeks to end British rule in the Falklands, and Cyprus and Spain, which have separatist movements.Yesterday, Jean Chretien, the former prime minister, said Canada should be wary, given the existence of the sovereigntist movement in Quebec.It was a delicate problem for the government because Ottawa's decision on a faraway country could have repercussions much closer to home, he said.Canada has to be careful about it because we have people who want to separate from Canada.He did not say whether he believes recognizing Kosovo could fuel the sovereigntist movement.At least Canada has clear rules should Quebec want to secede, Mr. Chretien said, pointing to his government's adoption of legislation after the 1995 Quebec referendum.We have passed a bill called the Clarity Act. At least there are rules. We need a clear question on separation and we need a clear majority.Vojislav Kostunica, the Serbian Prime Minister, said the violence in Belgrade was a great misfortune that was directly damaging to our fight to preserve [the] state.But his government pressed ahead with a bid to reclaim control over at least northern Kosovo, where Serbs form a regional majority.Serb judges and other judicial employees would abandon UN-run Kosovo institutions and return to Serb ones in the north, an apparent effort to create parallel Serb institutions in the breakaway state.

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)

Solana: EU mission to cover whole of Kosovo
www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-26 00:10:18

·The EU civilian mission is to cover the whole territory of Kosovo, Solana said Monday.
·EU mission would cooperate with NATO forces in Kosovo to maintain stability there.
·Both Serbia and Russia strongly oppose Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.

BRUSSELS, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) civilian mission is to cover the whole territory of Kosovo, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said here Monday. Solana made the remarks at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer after talks on Kosovo and Afghanistan. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (L) and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana address a joint news conference at the end of a meeting in Brussels Feb. 25, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Our mission, as agreed by member states, covers the whole territory of Kosovo, Solana said, pledging that the EU mission, composed of more than 2,000 police officers, judges and prosecutors, would cooperate with NATO forces in Kosovo to maintain stability there and the whole Balkan region. The EU withdrew staff, who had been preparing for the deployment of the EU mission, from the northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica after violent protests by the Serb minority against Kosovo's declaration of independence on Feb. 17.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (L) and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana address a joint news conference at the end of a meeting in Brussels Feb. 25, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
I
n ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo, Mitrovica is inhabited by half of the region's 120,000 minority Serbs, who have been protesting against Kosovo's independence from Serbia and the deployment of the EU mission. Both Serbia and Russia strongly oppose Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and the EU presence there, charging that both moves violate international law and U.N. resolutions. Scheffer expressed his support for the EU mission, saying the EU's presence in Kosovo was important and would play a role to secure Kosovo. He echoed EU leaders in saying that the mission was not against U.N. Security Resolution 1244 as Serbia and Russia had claimed. The two added that their organizations would like to establish a close relationship with Serbia.Scheffer said that Serbia was important in the region.

WORLD GOVERNMENT

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he 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.

DANIEL 12:4,1
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

REVELATION 13:1-3,7,8,12,16-18
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.
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.
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.
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.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
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:
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.

REVELATION 17:3,7,9-10,12,18
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The North American Union - You Could Be Voting Your Rights Away Monday, February 25, 2008 by: Barbara L. Minton

NaturalNews) One issue that is conspicuously absent from the rhetoric of the presidential candidates is the North American Union (NAU). The questions of immigration and border security are frequently raised and the candidates claim to realize the need for a clear immigration policy and effort to secure the borders of the United States. Yet when you begin to understand the purposes of the North American Union and the agenda of its proponents, you will understand why this will never happen. And you may also begin to see that you are being manipulated by the major candidates.

The NAU, a goal of the Council on Foreign Relations, follows a plan laid out by Robert Pastor. It is currently promoted by the Bush administration to expand the size and scope of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Its goal is to effectively create a North American trading block by erasing the borders between the U.S., Mexico and Canada resulting in free, unimpeded movement of people and goods across those borders. It is also a political union that would integrate the governments of the three countries. And clearly it is an economic union with the intention of equalizing the wages and standard of living of all but the ruling elitists.

Sounds a lot like the European Union, doesn't it? There are even plans for a common currency called the amero. But there is one glaring difference. The people of the United States have never been asked if they want to become integrated with Mexico and Canada, two countries of enormously different laws, culture, economic systems, standards of living, and acceptance of the role of government.

The European Union followed years of open debate at all levels, intense coverage of the ramifications and implications in major media, and a vote of the people.

History and Origins of NAU

President Bush signed the Declaration of Quebec City in April, 2001, making a commitment to hemispheric integration. After Hugo Chavez of Venezuela voiced opposition, these plans were scaled back to include only North America.

The Independent Task Force on North America, a project organized by the Council on Foreign Relations and co-chaired by Robert Pastor, was launched in October, 2004. This group published two documents: Trinational Call for a North American Economic and Security Community by 2010 (March, 2005), and its final report Building a North American Community (May, 2005). This Task Force had as its central recommendation the establishment by 2010 of a North American economic and security community. The boundaries of this community would be defined by a common external tariff and outer security perimeter. Also called for is the replacing of all three branches of the US government with a North American version effectively ending U.S. representative government.

In March 2005, at their summit meeting in Waco, Texas; Bush, President Fox of Mexico and Prime Minister Martin of Canada issued a joint statement announcing the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). The creation of this agreement was never submitted to Congress for discussion or decision. The U.S. Department of Commerce merely created a new division implementing working groups to advance a North American Union agenda. This agenda included movement of goods, finances, e-commerce, environment, business facilitation, food and agriculture, and health. The result is an action agreement to be implemented immediately and directly by regulations, without any envisioned Congressional debate or oversight.

In September 2006, Rep. Virgil Goode (Va), Rep. Ron Paul (Tx), Rep. Walter Jones (NC), and Rep. Tom Tancredo (Co) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 487, expressing concerns about the NAU. Resolution was passed by the House of Representatives with the Senate concurring that the U.S. should not enter into a North American Union with Mexico and Canada; the U.S. should not engage in the construction of the NAFTA Superhighway System, and the President should indicate strong opposition to these or any other proposals that threaten the sovereignty of the U.S.

In October 2006, Congressman Paul formally denounced the formation of the SPP and the plans for the North American Union and the SPP as an unholy alliance of foreign consortiums and officials from several governments. Paul says that the real issue raised by the SPP is nation sovereignty. Once again, decisions that affect millions of Americans are not being made by those Americans themselves, or even by their elected representatives in Congress. Instead, a handful of elites use their government connections to bypass national legislatures and ignore our Constitution – which expressly grants Congress the sole authority to regulate international trade. In this speech Paul predicts that the NAU will become a sleeper issue for the 2008 election, stating that any movement toward a NAU diminishes the ability of average Americans to influence the laws under which they must live.

A report authored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIC) was presented to all three governments in September 2007. CSIC is a political influence group of internationalists who have crafted many of the government policies of the past several years. At the core of the report is its plan for America's future, North American economic integration and labor mobility. The plan for government integration is also revealed as the report states: to remain competitive in the global economy, policymakers must devise forward-looking, collaborative policies that integrate governments. Also called for is the adoption of unified North American regulatory standards.

Features of NAU:

The Trans-Texas Corridor and the NAFTA Superhighway

The NAFTA Superhighway and its entry point at the trans-Texas corridor were first proposed in 2002. It consists of a 1,200 foot wide highway that also carries utilities such as electricity, petroleum and water as well as railway tracks and fiber-optic cables. When completed, the new road will allow containers from the Far East to enter the U.S. through the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas, bypassing the Longshoreman's Union. With Mexican drivers and without the involvement of the teamsters union, the Mexican trucks will drive straight into the heart of the US, crossing the border in fast lanes, and checked only by a new electronic system. The first customs stop will be the new Smart Port complex in Kansas City. From there the trucks may disperse into the U.S. or continue northward into Canada, again crossing the border with only an electronic checkpoint.

Millions of acres of land for the completion of this highway will be taken under the new laws of eminent domain.

A government pilot program has allowed Mexican trucking companies to make deliveries anywhere in the U.S. since April 2007, even before the completion of the superhighway. There is no limit on the number of trucks the 100 companies in the pilot program can operate. Eventually all Mexican trucking companies are to be granted the same access. These Mexican drivers are paid substantially less that their U.S. counterparts, their operations are not regulated, and they are driving on U.S. taxpayer subsidized roads.

The Amero

This is the name of what may be the North American Union's counterpart to the euro. It was first proposed by Canadian economist Herbert G. Grubel in his book The Case for the Amero published in 1999, the same year the euro became currency. Robert Pastor supported Grubel's idea in his book Toward A North American Community published in 2001. If implemented, the Amero's debut may come later in the progression of the NAU, with exchange rates that depend on market forces at the time, after the economies of the three countries have been integrated and homogenized.

The North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza

Finalized and released at the September 2007 summit of the SPP, this plan calls for a comprehensive coordinated North American approach during outbreaks of influenza. It gives authority to international officials beyond the health sector to include a coordinated approach to critical infrastructure protection, including border and transportation issues.

It sets up a senior level Coordinating Body to facilitate the effective planning and preparedness within North America for a possible outbreak of avian and/or human influenza pandemic under the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). The SPP is to act as decision-makers.The chair of the SPP Coordinating Body will rotate between each national authority on a yearly basis resulting in foreign decision making for Americans in two out of every three years.

The plan suggests that these powers will include the use of antivirals and vaccines... social distancing measures, including school closures and the prohibition of community gatherings, isolation and quarantine.

Council on Foreign Relations

Since its inception in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has attracted men and women of power and influence. Its stated intentions are to bring about the surrender of the sovereignty of the national independence of the United States. The ultimate, declared aim of the CFR is to create a one-world government, and to make the U.S. a part of it. The stated intentions of the CFR are clearly treasonous to the U.S. Constitution.

The influence of the CFR is wide. Not only does it have members in the U.S. government, but its influence has also spread to other vital areas of American life. Members have run, or are running, NBC and CBS, the New York Times, and The Washington Post, and many other important newspapers. The leaders of Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Business Week, and numerous other publications are CFR members.

The organization's members also dominate the political world. U.S. presidents since Franklin Roosevelt have been CFR members with the exception of Ronald Reagan. The organization's members also dominate
the academic world, top corporations, unions and military. They are on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve.

Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Rudy Guiliani are all either members of the CFR or have close ties with it. Mike Huckabee is reportedly not a member, but following his interaction with the group in September, he has become a favored candidate in the eyes of the media. Republican Ron Paul is the only remaining significant candidate who does not have ties with the CFR. He has has voiced opposition to the NAU for several years.

Where Do You Stand on This Issue?

There is an ideological battle being waged between the forces supporting globalism and the forces supporting national sovereignty. If you plan to participate in the 2008 presidential election, you will need to answer these questions for yourself: Do you believe in the timelessness of the Constitution, or do you believe that the Constitution has served its usefulness and it's time for another model for government? Are you in favor of international government and more regulation by the United Nations, or do you favor continuation of the institutions that have served the U.S. in the past? Do you want big government with its attendant costs and regulations, or do you favor small government that allows for self direction? About the author Barbara Minton is a school psychologist by trade, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using alternative treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE FEB 25,08

Why are behavioral attitudes such as blasphemy,disobedience, lack of gratitude, ungodliness,lying, and broken promises signs of Christ’s return?

Sinful attitudes which move us away from a holy God have been with us since the fall of man. If you read world history, however, you will notice the sins of humankind have become progressively worse-some would say more creative in their evil. The bad news is that tomorrow they even become worse (2 Timothy 3:13). Let us look at the six signs of Christ's imminent return referred to in the above question.

Blasphemy

Blasphemy is a sin against the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul indicated that he was before a blasphemer (1 Timothy 1:13). What had Paul done? He murdered Christians and hated the name of Jesus Christ. Today the physical murder of Christians continues unabated. I recently received two reports of hundreds of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in the nations of China and India. The name of Jesus is not honored in those places. Pastors are being thrown in jail; individual Christians must worship in secret, lest they be taken before the authorities. In many places of our world, the name of Jesus is blasphemed, and Christians are suspect. In fact, this would be a good time to pray for Christians throughout the world who serve the Master faithfully in difficult places, even as it puts them in danger.

However, let us keep the issue on our own doorsteps for a moment. Many so-called Christians are equally blasphemous. Scores of our seminaries, for example, are filled with students and professors who mock the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His deity, blood atonement, and bodily resurrection. Intelligent scholars teach a higher criticism of the Bible when, in fact, they proclaim the lowest form of interpretation possible because, in their disbelief, they blaspheme the Christ of the Scriptures. Surveys indicate that 70 percent of our ministers are infected by this spiritual sickness. God help us if these statistics are accurate. Can there be any doubt that Jesus Christ is coming soon?

Disobedience

There is nothing new about this sin, particularly when it comes to children disobeying their parents. Some young people say that they love Jesus Christ, yet when their parents make requests, they treat them disrespectfully and are willfully disobedient. Do these alleged Christian youth really believe the message of God's Word? It makes me wonder. Ephesians 6:1-3 admonishes, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise ... and thou mayest live long on the earth.

I was moved recently as I studied John 19:26-27. These verses portray Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, dying for our sins. As He was about to die, He looked down and saw His mother, Mary, standing beneath the cross. Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! Even in the last moments of life, as He was dying for the entire world, the Lord Jesus Christ fervently loved His mother. He came to fulfill the law, and He said in Matthew 19:19, Honour thy father and thy mother. The growing numbers of disobedient and disrespectful young people are a sign that Jesus is coming soon. We must remember that freedom is not license to do anything we want; freedom is the privilege God gives us to do the right thing! Disobedience to human authority and to God is on the rise; it is one of the major signs that signal Christ's return.

Ingratitude

Many people-Christians included-find it difficult to give credit where credit is due. Because they seek their own glory, they refuse to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of others whom God has sent to share the labor and service. Many simply do not take the time to say, Thank You, Lord for answered prayer. Still others are ashamed to pray in a restaurant. When they do bow their heads, they sit there and scratch their eyebrows for a few seconds so no one will think they are talking to Almighty God. My friend, of what are we afraid? Has the world so squeezed us into its own mold that we are indistinguishable from the world system? Are you thankful? Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Show it!

Unholy

What a graphic picture of our world as we step into a new millennium. During the end times, godly separation from the world, according to the Bible, will be sneered at as bigotry. When one rails against XXX-rated movies, the lewd lyrics of much of today's rock music, the cancer-producing effects of tobacco (including smokeless tobacco), the soul-damning habits of drugs and alcohol, some Christians immediately change the subject and say, Let's not talk about secondary issues.

The holiness of God and holy living are not secondary issues. First Thessalonians 4:7 declares, For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. First Peter 1:16 teaches, Be ye holy; for I am holy. Again, this sign indicates that Jesus is coming soon. I encourage you to read God's Word and come to your own conclusions. All the signs in 2 Timothy 3 speak of Christendom and the professing Church in the last days. These final days are now upon us.

Lack of Love and Broken Promises

The phrase, Without natural affection (2 Timothy 3:3), refers to the breakup of families through a lack of love. Look at the divorce rate, the murder of babies through abortion, the stories about parents beating their little ones to death, and you will know this sign is being fulfilled. For millions, the marriage vow has become a cruel joke. For millions, commitment is a word in a foreign tongue. Broken promises are the order of the day. Has someone shared a confidence entreating your prayer support? Did you keep it, or did you spread gossip about that person? Promise breaking is a pivotal end-time sign mentioned in the Bible. While stadiums around the world are filled with promise keepers, unfortunately there are more living rooms, boardrooms, and bedrooms filled with promise breakers.

Lying

False accusers (v. 3) is the term that refers to this sin. Churches in our nation and around the globe are coming apart at the seams because of exaggerated stories (outright lies in many cases) church members spread about their so-called friends. When a person falsely accuses a brother, he breaks God's ninth commandment. Exodus 20:16 says, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Do you know what will happen to false accusers? Revelation 21:8 says, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. You will notice that in this book, I am coming down harder on Christians than on unbelievers. We who say we honor Christ should know better. We are held to a higher standard than those who do not know the Savior, Yes, the end-time clock is ticking faster and faster; sins of the flesh and the spirit will increase; lying and half-truths will continue unabated. That is why during these perilous times you and I must remain firm, believe what we say we believe, and stand in the gap as we anticipate the return of our Lord in all His glory.

What about a world that is out of control, with
an increasing number of murders and sex-on-
demand overtures on the Internet? Are these
signs that the return of our Lord is near?

We live in a world that is spinning out of control. Murder is on the increase. Students in our high schools are killing their classmates and their parents. Virtual-reality sex on the Internet is becoming a national pastime for adults and children alike. Our loved ones are increasingly at risk as they download material of prurient interest now available at the click of a mouse button in the privacy of one's own home. Still, for all the power supposedly available to our citizens, people are more powerless than ever. What does the Bible say about such pursuits? How do such sins suggest that the return of Christ may be near?

In Matthew 7:18 we read that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. This is what we are seeing in our society today. There are lots of trees growing all around us. The good ones honor God and bring glory to His name. The bad ones, however, continue to put forth branches that are diseased and deformed. Let us look at the four areas mentioned in this question.

No Self-Control

Incontinent would be the best term to define this problem. It speaks of the lack of control over one's sexual appetites. The world says, Live it up. Premarital and extramarital sex are good and healthy-just be safe with your sex. I say, Let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4). Sex is pure and holy in marriage. Hebrews 13:4 states, Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. However; the verse continues, whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. What God demands and what our society craves are light-years apart. Look at these four statistics:

One out of every two marriages ends in divorce.
The average age today for divorce is thirty-four for men and thirty for women.

In the 1960s, a woman was responsible for one of every ten households with no husband present; in 1986, a woman carried out her duties in one of every six households with no husband present.
One million teenage girls will become pregnant out of wedlock this year.

Temper

Some men would be minus their front teeth if they spoke to the server in a restaurant like they talk to their wives at home. They claim they love Jesus Christ. They are great Christians at church, but what a fierce, vicious temper they exhibit at home and at work. Anger is killing people on the freeways; it is responsible for accelerated spousal and child abuse, and it is destroying relationships at the office and in the church. The Bible says, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (Ephesians 4:31). My friend, when a person has not been redeemed by the love of Christ, he or she will fall prey to an angry spirit. When this unholy spirit takes over a family, a community, a state, a nation, and a world, we know that the end is near.

Pleasure

Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:4). In the last days, people-professing Christians included-will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of our heavenly Father. We have become a nation-and a world- of hedonists. This sign is evident as churches increasingly use the tactics of the entertainment business to draw crowds. People want to be amused; so many churches feel they must meet the cravings of their pleasure-mad constituents.

How else are the lukewarm and backslidden going to be held together? How else can halfhearted members be attracted to the services? Consequently, the latest Christian minstrel show takes the place of the Word of God.

God has not called us to run a showboat to entertain those who would be amused but a lifeboat to save the lost from ultimate destruction. Many religious telecasts and crusades today feature unsaved or carnal personalities whose lives are a mockery to God. Still, they appear because entertainers draw crowds. Many evangelistic meetings feature folks who are still working in nightclubs where drinking, gambling, filthy jokes, and solicitation of sex are prevalent. Is this a sign of the end or what! The organizers rationalize their activity by saying, It does not matter, because the end justifies the means. If these religious fakes draw crowds, then it must be the right thing to do. God forgive us!

Through it all, people without Christ are lulled to sleep and made to feel religious while every carnal desire of the flesh is gratified under the sanction of the Church. Will this continue? Yes, I am afraid it will. That is why it behooves Bible-believing Christians to stand up and be counted on this issue.

Lack of Power

We eat power lunches, wear power ties, demand more horsepower in our automobiles, and ingest power vitamins. Power, power, power. The Bible talks a great deal about our quest for this power, which is, in reality, a false sense of security. Paul wrote to Timothy, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). It should be obvious by now that the world system has no staying power. Zero! What concerns me more is that there is so little power in the Church. How could it be otherwise, when the Church has strayed so far from seeking and doing God's will? Study this sign in the Scriptures, and you will be compelled to come to one conclusion: Soon the trumpet of God shall sound and we shall hear three words, Come up hither (Revelation 4:1). Then, in the twinkling of an eye, we will sweep through the heavens to meet Jesus.

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.

Satellite shootdown rattles China, Russia
By Mehran Derakhshandeh FEB 25,08

China and Russia have expressed concern about the shooting down of a wayward satellite by the U.S. military.

The satellite was destroyed on Wednesday, February 20 using a modified SM-3 missile fired by a U.S. Navy warship off the coast of Hawaii. The operation to shoot down the orbiting spacecraft was clearly designed to send a message to both Russia and China, America’s two major competitors in the race for military dominance in space. Interestingly, the SM-3 missile used to shoot down the satellite forms the terminal phase of the anti-ballistic missile system currently being developed by the Bush administration.

According to the Pentagon, the out-of-control satellite had to be brought down because the toxic fuel it was carrying, hydrazine, had frozen and so could not be used to guide the satellite into the Earth’s atmosphere to burn up. According to the Pentagon, the toxic fuel posed a significant risk to human health, given the impossibility of predicting where or when the satellite was going to come down. There was also some speculation on whether the satellite contained other potentially hazardous materials, such as a nuclear power source. The Pentagon certainly kept quiet about that.

Both Russia and China, along with many experts around the world, have dismissed the Pentagon’s hazardous fuel argument, saying there are many instances of satellites falling to Earth harmlessly before and it is unprecedented for such action to be taken against a rogue satellite. In 2002, for example, parts of a science satellite rained down over the Persian Gulf. The most spectacular case, however, of a satellite falling to Earth took place when Skylab, a 78-ton abandoned space laboratory belonging to NASA, fell from orbit in 1979. It came down in a fiery mass of debris strewn over the Indian Ocean and Australia. No one was harmed in that incident, but the event was a media sensation at the time.

It is also difficult to believe that the folks in the Pentagon worry so much about human health and the effects of hydrazine, when they used the more deadly Agent Orange (dioxin) with such reckless abandon in the jungles of Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, and more recently peppered the Balkans and Iraq with radioactive depleted uranium munitions, so harmful to the health and well-being of locals who live in these countries.

It is strange that the Pentagon is worried about hydrazine but doesn’t seem to care anywhere near as much about dioxin or depleted uranium. Meanwhile, Russia and China have submitted a draft treaty to the United Nations which would prohibit the deployment of weapons in space and the use or threat of force against satellites or other spacecraft.

The Bush administration, predictably, has rejected any such treaty, saying it will oppose any legal regime or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit U.S. access to or use of space.

The Chinese and Russians, of course, have carried out space missile tests of their own. In January 2007, China conducted such a test, destroying one of its own communications satellites with a missile fired from Earth. The successful test created a cloud of fragments and debris in orbit, and other satellites had to be maneuvered into new orbits to avoid being hit.

Whatever the motivation for shooting down this satellite, the demonstration of America’s ability to destroy satellites will now make it very difficult to convince other countries that they shouldn’t develop a similar anti-satellite capability and increases the likelihood of a new arms race in space between the three main players.

Science and technology, of course, do not recognize any national boundaries, and once you start shooting down satellites in space, for whatever reason, other countries are sure to follow, and before long, there will be mayhem and havoc in the heavens (as well as on Earth)!