SOLANO - BLAIR HEAD TO MIDEAST

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.

Storm blasts Quebec, heads into Atlantic Canada
Sat Feb 2, 8:01 AM

ST..JOHNS (CBC) - A winter storm was walloping parts of Quebec and Atlantic Canada on Saturday after sweeping across Lake Erie and dumping heavy wet snow in Ontario.Between 15 and 35 centimetres of snow has fallen across southern and eastern Quebec. Transport Quebec has been warning of dangerous driving conditions across much of the province.More than 125 flights were cancelled at Montreal's Trudeau airport when the storm moved into the province on Friday.

The weather also delayed opening ceremonies for the 54th Carnaval festival in Quebec City. They have been rescheduled for Saturday night.Meteorologists in Montreal reported 25 centimetres of snow there and 20 centimetres in Quebec City. They said the Gasp? region could receive up to 40 centimetres.The storm was expected to bring rain, freezing rain, snow and high winds to Atlantic Canada. Rain was falling across most of Nova Scotia on Saturday morning, while a mix of freezing rain and snow was expected in Cape Breton, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.The number of people in P.E.I. still without electricity was under 2,000 on Friday evening. Last Monday, the province was hit by an ice storm that cut power to about 40,000 people.Maritime Electric has estimated it will be a couple more days before power is restored to everyone.The weather is being blamed for at least one accident, an early morning incident in Saint John on Saturday. A car with two people inside hit some ice and rolled over, police said.The two were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Police in New Brunswick said many roads and highways in the province were snow-covered.
Police in Cape Breton were also reporting slippery, icy roads.
Blizzard-like conditions were in the forecast for Newfoundland for Saturday afternoon.

P.E.I. comes together in wake of ice storm
By JAMES KELLER The Canadian Press Saturday February 2nd, 2008

HUNTER RIVER, P.E.I. - When an ice storm knocked out power to much of Prince Edward Island earlier this week, Wayne Dickieson did what he could do to help his neighbours: he hooked up the generator at his farm and told his fellow Islanders to drop by.The farm supplied a lot of water for a lot of people, Dickieson, who lives in North Rustico, said Friday while stopping for gas in Hunter River, northwest of Charlottetown.People showed up with their five-gallon white buckets. Water was the main thing -- a lot of people have wood stoves and that can keep things warm enough, but they don't have water to flush their toilets and stuff like that.Islanders across the province have lent out generators, cooked up food for strangers and offered whatever help they could after more than 20,000 people were left in the dark in the wake of Monday's ice storm.Central and western regions were hit the hardest, but Charlottetown and points east were in the dark for about three hours Wednesday. At one point, power outages were being reported across the Island.By Friday, fewer than 3,000 people were still without service, though Maritime Electric cautioned that all repairs wouldn't be completed until the weekend. At the height of the outages, entire communities were plunged into darkness.

Local fire departments and Red Cross teams set up temporary shelters at fire halls and legions.Wade Graham, a lobster fisherman from New London, said residents pulled together in a way that is typical for the Maritimes, a region that has known its share of deprivation and punishing weather.Everybody's done a great job around here, he said while stopping for coffee in Kensington, just east of Summerside.We had the community complex in New London put on breakfasts and dinners. It's been a bit of a struggle, but everybody's got through it pretty good.Graham had kind words for the 37 utility crews, some brought in from neighbouring New Brunswick, that had fanned out across the province.They've been doing great, he said. Yesterday, we were just out driving around and noticed a couple spots where the power lines were down, so we told them and there were right there in no time.The crews' work was made easier Thursday and Friday with sunny skies overhead, temperatures just below freezing and a slight breeze.However, Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning Friday, predicting snow, changing to ice pellets by dawn Saturday.

China warns worst not over in weather crisis FEB 02,08

GUANGZHOU, China (AFP) - China warned Saturday the worst was not over in its national weather crisis as desperate holiday travellers jammed transport hubs and others endured bitter winter storms without power or water.Bracing for still more freezing weather and an accelerating travel rush, China has doubled the number of troops and paramilitary forces aiding winter storm relief efforts to more than a million, state media reported.The worst winter in five decades has caused massive transport bottlenecks and power outages across huge areas in the lead-up to next week's Lunar New Year, China's biggest annual holiday.The China Meteorological Administration said some of the worst-affected central, eastern and southern provinces could face another week of snow and freezing rain from a cold front parked over the region since early January.

The most difficult period is still not over yet. The situation remains grim, Premier Wen Jiabao said during a Cabinet meeting, state media outlets reported.The government also repeated a plea to millions of people to shelve their travel plans as the country entered the peak holiday travel period, with New Year celebrations beginning on February 7.In the southern city of Guangzhou, about 2,000 police struggled to hold back hundreds of thousands of people who have gathered every day for a week outside the main railway station, surging forward at the merest hint of an opening to a train platform.Factory worker Fang Yu has fought for two days to get in the station after the throng forced him to miss an earlier train to his home province of Hunan.I really want to go in, but it's getting very dangerous. If I don't make it by tomorrow I might just give up, he told AFP over the din of the crowd.About 1.4 million people were still waiting to leave Guangzhou by train as of Friday, the railways ministry said.Airports in large cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanchang and Changsha, which had reopened, were forced into a new round of flight cancellations and delays Saturday as they de-iced planes, state Xinhua news agency said.Some 5,000 passengers had been delayed at Xiaoshan international airport in Hangzhou alone since it closed on Friday, Xinhua said.More freezing rain overnight also caused new closures on key highways in Guangdong and Hunan provinces in southern China, said state television, showing images of endless lines of traffic at a standstill on icy roads.

About 180 million people were expected to travel home for Lunar New Year in what is thought to be the largest annual human migration in the world.(The government) has less than five days left to safely send hundreds of millions home. At the same time, they will have to ensure timely delivery of coal to coal-starved power plants, a China Daily editorial said, summing up a key quandary facing authorities.The government said it has pressed more than 1,000 additional trains into service to cope with the huge passenger demand and maintain shipments of coal -- the country's main energy source -- amid widespread power blackouts.A woman in the city of Chenzhou in hard-hit Hunan told AFP by phone the city of four million had been without electricity or running water for over a week.We light candles for dinner, burn coal for heating, and get water from wells, said the woman, who gave only her surname, Li.If we can hold on, it will be a special Lunar New Year, she joked. State electricity officials said Chenzhou's power should be at least partially restored later Saturday.The big freeze has caused 7.5 billion dollars in damage, killed at least 60 people and affected at least 105 million more in the nation of 1.3 billion, according to official figures.

Three killed, 90,000 evacuated in Jakarta floods: officials
Sat Feb 2, 3:53 AM

JAKARTA (AFP) - Three people have been killed and nearly 90,000 forced to evacuate their homes in the Indonesian capital due to heavy floods, officials said Saturday.The health ministry said 88,261 people had abandoned flooded homes in Jakarta, where heavy rain also forced the international airport to close for about six hours on Friday.A three-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man drowned yesterday (Friday). Another woman, 50, was also killed but we don't know what the cause is, an officer from the national disaster management centre Setyo told AFP. At least 10 people died in two landslides on Sumatra and Sulawesi islands, with more victims buried alive, officials said Friday.The floods brought traffic in parts of Jakarta to almost a complete standstill and part of the road to the airport was Saturday submerged under 70 centimetres (two feet) of water, a traffic officer told AFP.Landslides and flooding are common in Indonesia during the rainy season, which hits its peak from December to February.Torrential rains across parts of Java at the start of January triggered landslides and floods that killed more than 100 people and displaced tens of thousands.

Country battered by snow and storms
Sat Feb 2, 4:40 AM

LONDON (AFP) - Heavy snow and storms caused chaos on the country's seas and roads Friday, prompting a rescue operation to airlift a seriously injured ship's captain from his vessel, officials said.
The skipper of the Horn Cliff, a cargo ship carrying fruit from the Caribbean, sustained spinal injuries and internal bleeding as the vessel hit a force 10 storm 180 miles south of Ireland.The Royal Air Force launched an effort to airlift him and six others from the ship, two of whom were also thought to be injured less seriously, but it said later it had to be called off because conditions were too dangerous.The vessel is carrying a total of 31 passengers and crew and reportedly lost up to 90 of its containers. It is now sailing to Cork, Ireland, and the injured will be transferred to hospital when it arrives Saturday, the RAF said.Elsewhere, 14 Spanish seamen were rescued when their trawler, which was registered in Britain, ran into a force nine gale off the remote Western Isles, northern Scotland, coastguards there said.And overnight, 23 people were winched off a ferry, the Riverdance, which hit difficulties in bad weather in the Irish Sea, running aground off the coast of Blackpool, north-west England.

On Thursday evening, the ship had been listing at 60 degrees, and there were concerns that it would overturn. The vessel, reportedly carrying 150 tonnes of oil, is now being monitored by officials in case of spills.At least 150 motorists had to be rescued Friday after becoming stuck in heavy snow in County Durham, northern England, local police said.And 8,000 homes in northern England had their electricity supplies cut off Friday night as snow and high winds disrupted the supply. Of these, 6,000 are still without power, supplier CE Electric said.Blizzards have swept across large swathes of northern England and Scotland, with depths of snow of up to 15 centimetres recorded.Weather forecasters the Met Office have issued severe weather warnings for all of Britain apart from the south-east of England.

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).

Gaddafi Pushes For United States of Africa

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to turn his back on Africa if the continent's leaders again reject his proposals for closer unity.He said Libya would instead look towards Europe and the Arab world.Col Gaddafi was speaking just ahead of the opening of a summit of African Union leaders in Ethiopia on Thursday.He also said Libya was prepared to move its African investments, which he said amounted to more than $5bn (£2.5bn), to Arab and Mediterranean states.The Libyan leader has for a long time advocated the creation of a United States of Africa - with its government including a foreign minister, defence minister and minister of trade.The AU, which succeeded the Organisation of African Unity in 2002, was conceived by Mr Gaddafi as part of this vision.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says Col Gaddafi expressed his concerns on the future of Africa at a two-hour news conference at his residence in the Libyan capital.The summit will either put an end to stalling on the unification of Africa or prove there is a conspiracy which vetoes African unity Muammar Gaddafi.He accused the AU of failing to achieve tangible results in unity because of its endless delays in progressing towards forming a government for the continent.After decades of sanctions and isolation, the Libyan leader seems comfortable with his new-found friendship with the West, our reporter says.He said Libya would consider more economically strategic alternatives like Europe and the Arab world if his vision was rejected.The (summit) will be decisive. It will either put an end to stalling and time wasting on the unification of Africa or prove there is a conspiracy which vetoes African unity, Mr Gaddafi said.Our correspondent says the Libyan leader failed to name individual countries he blames for the lack of progress.But he praised the French-speaking African states as well as Nigeria, under its former leader Olusegun Obasanjo, for wanting African unity.

The Associated Press January 31, 2008, 8:10AM ET TT Where is that seamless EU market? By RAF CASERT BusinessWeek

BRUSSELS, Belgium Fifteen years after European Union nations pledged to create a seamless consumer market where free competition and common rules would bring the best deal within the grasp of every shopper, the EU is asking itself what went wrong.Consumers are still not getting the deal they deserve, said EU Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva Thursday, acknowledging market liberalization and the elimination of trade barriers are still falling far short of their initial promise.The result? Continued high costs for some goods and startling price differences for identical products in supermarkets that hug a border that should have been a mirage by now.To remedy this, Kuneva unveiled a program to chart consumer behavior across the 27 member states and see where commercial roadblocks continue to thwart shoppers.Europe is making a fundamental shift putting consumer interests at the center, said Kuneva.

Kuneva's office said that the price of a digital camera for example, can still vary up to 30 percent between neighboring countries. Fixed telephone costs are still 20 percent more expensive in Belgium compared to the Netherlands. And if you plug into a socket in Italy's Lecce, the cost of electricity is twice as expensive as in Corfu, Greece, 150 kilometers (100 miles) away.And even if the euro has united 15 nations into a single currency bloc to make comparable shopping easier, many price differences remain.
EU understands that French cheese may be cheaper in Paris than Stockholm, but Kuneva wants to investigate why pricing of electricity or telecom services remains so complex that it often confounds consumers.After the energy liberalization in Britain, up to 32 percent of people that switched companies, actually ended up with a worse contract, the Commission said.This year, Kuneva will target retail financial services, cross-border sales in consumer goods such as cameras, CDs and books and how consumer complaints are treated through the EU.

President Saleh’s talks in Madrid yield signed agreements
Written By: Mohammed al-Kibsi Feb 2, 2008 - 11:08:40 PM e

President Saleh meets with Spanish dignataries to discuss cooperative agreements between the two countries. Yemen and Spain have signed an agreement and three protocols during President Saleh’s visit to Madrid this past week. President Saleh concluded his visit to Spain on Wednesday. During the trip he conducted talks with the Spanish monarch, Juan Carlos, and with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The talks dealt with bilateral relations and mutual cooperation between Yemen and Spain, as well as the exchange of views over different regional and international developments of common concern. Dominating the talks were topics regarding the Palestinian cause and the situations in Iraq, Somalia and the African horn, in addition to international efforts in combating terrorism. During his meeting with the Spanish monarch and other Spanish officials, President Saleh requested the release of al-Jazeera TV channel correspondent Taisir Allouni, who is serving a sentence imposed by the Spanish courts on charges of terrorist links.

Saleh told the Spanish monarch that releasing Allouni would beautify Spain’s image and improve its relations with Arab and Islamic states. Saleh’s request was in response to a call from the union of Arab, Asian and African writers that granted him a medal in 2007 in recognition of his role in defending journalists and their freedom of expression. Saleh told the King and Zapatero that Yemen would revoke the death penalty handed to a Spanish citizen of Syrian origin, Nabil Manaki, in order to extradite him to Spain. Manaki was detained in 1997 with 21 others on charges of planning terrorist attacks in Yemen. During his meeting with Prime Minister Zapatero, Saleh discussed the possibilities of increasing Spanish investments in Yemen, as well as cooperation in development and the fight against terrorism. Three protocols in the fields of health, tourism, vocational and academic education as well as an agreement on protecting investments were signed by the Yemeni Ministers of Health.

Tourism and Higher Education and their Spanish counterparts. The protection of investment agreement was signed by the head of the Yemeni Investment Authority, Salah al-Attar, and the Spanish Minister of Tourism. During a meeting in Madrid Tuesday with King Juan Carlos, President Saleh discussed the Palestinian cause and peace in the Middle East. Saleh encouraged Spain to play an effective role, either individually or through the European Union, to put pressure on Israel to stop its aggression and end its unfair siege against the Gaza Strip. He urged them to push the process of achieving just and comprehensive peace in the region on the basis of international legitimacy. During the meeting Yemen’s president welcomed Spanish investments in Yemen, affirming that they would receive all the care and encouragement necessary. He also expressed Yemen’s keenness to enhance its relations with Spain in all fields. Saleh meets with European Union representatives in Brussels President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Wednesday received at his residence in Brussels the European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and discussed relations and areas of cooperation between Yemen and the European Union. In addition, they discussed assistance offered by the European Union for development projects in Yemen amounting to 81 million euros for the period from 2007-2011.

Ms. Ferrero-Waldner affirmed the keenness of the EU to increase fields of cooperation with Yemen, pointing out the decision taken for opening an office of the European Commission in Sana’a to commence operation next March for serving relations between Yemen and the EU. The European Commissioner praised the democratic pursuit and pluralism in Yemen, indicating that Yemen offered a pioneering example in the democratic practice in the region. She also praised the freedom of the press, respect of human rights and the participation of women in Yemen, and affirmed that the EU would not spare any effort in helping Yemen to overcome challenges of development and support its democratic initiatives. She expressed her anticipation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s visit to the European Parliament for its contribution to cementing relations and casting light on positive developments occuring in Yemen related to elections and the active democratic practice.

Earlier, President Saleh received at his residence in Brussels Baroness Emma Nicholson, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament. The President discussed with her Yemen’s relations with the European Parliament in addition to topics concerning the support offered by the EU to democratic development in Yemen. Baroness Nicholson praised the democratic practice in Yemen, pointing out that she had observed these positive steps towards democracy during her participation as the head of the European observers’ team of the presidential and local elections held in Yemen on 20 September 2006. The European Parliament official also praised the success that the elections had achieved and described them as decent, considering them as bolstering the positive image of Yemen among its European friends as well as the rest of the world. President Saleh lauded the role played by Baroness Nicholson in the success of the elections and the efforts she exerts in the European Parliament on behalf of Yemen and its democratic experiment and in the enhancement of its relations with the EU. The President also received the honorary president of the Belgian Senate and the reporter from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

This meeting discussed Yemeni-European relations and efforts to close down the Guantanamo Bay prison. The President reaffirmed Yemen’s stand, calling for the closure of the prison and reiterating the demand that the Yemenis detained in Guantanamo be handed over. The President stated that he looked forward to a European role in the closure of the prison, adding that Guantanamo contradicts the democratic values and principles of human rights on which the United States was founded.

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)

06:34 pm - Saturday
EU military mission in Chad has begun

Linz, Austria - First Austrian soldiers left on board of a C-130
(WAPA) - At 08:00 of yesterday morning the first 12 soldiers of the European Union mission to Chad, central Africa, have left on board of a Hercules C-130 lifter from the airport of Linz-Hörsching. The troops are part of Austria's contribution of 160 military on the total amount of 3,700 that the EU countries are going to deploy to the region in the next months, which borders to Darfur and had to welcome thousands of refugees. The bulk of the force will be made by French troops (about 2.000 soldiers). Italy is going to contribute with a field hospital and about 100 men and women of sanitary staff and connection military. The mission is part of the UN efforts to solve the Darfur crisis, in south-western Sudan, where it is estimated at least 200.000 people have been killed, and over 2 million people are refugees. The mission was expected to start already in November, but had to be delayed due to lack of helicopters, raising protests in the public opinion too (see AVIONEWS). (Avionews)World Aeronautical Press Agency - 2008-01-31)

In Report, Officers Call for Major Overhaul of NATO
By JUDY DEMPSEY February 1, 2008

BERLIN — With NATO facing the risk of failure in trying to defeat Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, a group of former senior officers has called for a major overhaul of the alliance, which they say is paralyzed by cumbersome decision-making rules, inequitable financing arrangements and an inability to sustain long-term missions. The officers’ 152-page report, Toward a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World, tries to analyze why NATO has not completed the transformation from a cold war organization to one that they see as capable of dealing with threats in the 21st century. It will probably ruffle feathers inside NATO, diplomats said, because of its candor and because the authors also call on the alliance to continue its support for nuclear weapons as a deterrent.

The authors, who served together in NATO, are Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, former chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff and a former NATO commander; Adm. Jacques Lanxade, former chief of the Defense Staff of France, Gen. Klaus Naumann, former chief of the Defense Staff of Germany; Field Marshal Peter Inge, former chief of the Defense Staff of Britain; and Gen. Henk van den Breemen, former chief of the Defense Staff of the Netherlands. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO’s secretary general, has called for a shake-up in the alliance, but a majority of the 26 member states are reluctant either to change the rules on how NATO operates or to increase defense spending.

FALSE TEACHERS,PROPHETS,DECIEVERS

MATTHEW 24:4-5,11,24-25
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

MARK 13:22-23
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

2 TIMOTHY 3:13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

United Methodist Church officials urging anti-Israel divestment

Methodist renewal advocate Mark Tooley says United Methodist Church officials are urging church agencies and members to divest their holdings in Caterpillar Incorporated, for doing business with Israel.Tooley, who directs the United Methodist Committee at the Institute on Religion and Democracy, says the UMC has about $15 million of Caterpillar stock in its pension fund. But he says the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society has unveiled a proposal to divest from Caterpillar ahead of the church's governing General Conference in April. Several United Methodist regional conferences have endorsed anti-Israel divestment, according to Tooley.It's another example of the anti-Israel bias of the mainline churches, he argues. They tend to turn a blind eye towards the human rights abuses and support of terrorism of Arab regimes, but yet are very critical of and hostile towards Israel.Tooley says the Methodist recommendation only targets Caterpillar because of the controversy that stemmed from the Presbyterian Church USA's divestment policy in 2006. That was rather disastrous. The Presbyterians fairly quickly revoked their policy, he says. So I think the Methodist lobby office is trying to avoid that example by simply going after one company in a symbolic way. But nonetheless, the intent is the same -- which is to punish Israel.The Methodist renewal advocate says he is fairly hopeful that most Methodists will not go along with this divestment plan, and thinks most Americans will remain friendly toward Israel.

It's a Sin By h.b. - Feb 1, 2008 - 8:50 PM
The Bishops' spokesman, Martínez Camino, on Thursday this week - Photo EFE The statements coming from the Spanish Bishops this week are clearly hypocritical and clearly political

EDITORIAL COMMENT

On Friday the Catholic Bishops in Spain offered a statement on why exactly the presence of Bishop Juan María Uriate who acted as a mediator during the talks with ETA during the previous Partido Popular administration led by José María Aznar in 1998 was not a sin, and yet the contacts made with ETA by the current Socialist administration were sinful. Basically the comment made by the Bishops’ spokesman, Juan Antonio Martínez Camino, was that in the first case only a meeting took place, and in the second there were negotiations.One can understand how the Church knows what happened in the time of the Aznar government in 1998 as they were there taking an active role, but how do the Bishops know what happened in 2006?

The Catholic Church is in its rights to give moral guidance to its flock on how they should vote, but how can they seriously claim to be anyway Christian when they have now taken up such a blatantly hypocritical position on the terrorism issue. They should take a long hard look at their own moral behaviour before even considering advising how others should act on the matter.Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has repeatedly said that terrorism should not be a party political issue, there should be cross-party unity on the subject. A similar call has been made several times by King Juan Carlos, but it seems perfectly clear that the Catholic Church would prefer its flock vote for the Partido Popular, as you should never vote for a party which (now they say, a month before the election) has negotiated with terrorists. The fact that the P.P. did so in the past is no problem, as they promise not to do so again.Clearer hypocrisy and political interference on the Church’s part would be hard to find. Where were the Church’s moral concerns when the Partido Popular led Spain into the Iraq war against the wishes of 91% of the Spanish people? Silence when war is proposed and followed by the right wing, and moral outrage when peace is attempted by the left wing. How is war more compatible with faith exactly? It’s not what I read in my bible.

It begs the question on what, or should that be whose, authority are the Spanish Bishops acting? After all, the Pope himself asked people to pray for the success of the peace process in 2006. I wonder if his Holiness blessed the political note issued by Bishops against such a process last Thursday. No record that he has, although of course the Pope is in full agreement with other attacks made on gay marriage and abortion. In Spain today one cannot also fail to notice the unchristian attitude of the Church-owned COPE radio station, illustrated for example by their campaign and allegations of active euthanasia leading to the deaths of 400 patients at the Severo Ochoa Hospital in Leganés. The doctors concerned have now been found completely innocent of any crime or any medical malpractice, and yet from all the commentators on COPE who carried out months and months of abuse, calling these poor professionals Nazis, and exterminators, now there is not a single word of apology. No word of apology to any of the families either.

How can the Church morally continue to fund such a media operation?

Esperanza Aguirre did herself no favours either by saying the fact that medical malpractice was not proven in the case, did not mean it did not take place. By such a comment it is clear that the Regional President of Madrid no longer believes in the principal of innocent until proven guilty. It’s all turning into a moral wasteland.María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, speaking to the press on Friday - Photo EFE Deputy Prime Minister, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, called for the Spanish Bishops to respect the separation between State and the Church on Friday afternoon, as outlined in the Spanish Constitution, but recent events show that the call has not been and clearly will not be heeded.What happened to basic Christian decency and moral standards on the right wing? They surely should not be incompatible, but that is exactly what they appear to be in Spain currently.Tax payers are crossing out their state contribution to the Church in ever increasing numbers on their IRPF forms. On March 9 we will see just how the Church’s partners in the Partido Popular will fare in the General Election when the voters choose their ballot papers.

The CARMEL ALERT Feb 1st 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: They Shopped Till They Dropped - Israel Rebuked at UN

Palestinians Shopped Till They Dropped. This was the headline on one internet news sites late last week as they related the events of yesterday when tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into Egypt after breaking down the security border fence along the southern Gaza Strip border with Egypt. Interestingly, while they certainly bought food and other household supplies, eye witnesses said that many Palestinians returned to the Gaza Strip carrying new televisions, computers, livestock, and other costly items. One has to wonder about the poor, starving Palestinians which is the media spin - if they're so poor, where did they get the money to shop til they dropped? By all accounts of eye witnesses, the shopped til they dropped is actually an accurate media description of what took place.Riot police gathered at the border, directing traffic away from the fence that was smashed by Hamas a day earlier. Hamas acknowledged earlier that the smashing of the fence was planned for some time.

The major news event of last week was the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The bleeding heart anti Israel media sped into full swing with all of the major TV news channels showing the poor Palestinians walking around at night with only a candle to illuminate their way in the darkness. And the newspapers jumped on the wagon too. As usual Israel was the ogre while the real facts behind the power outage were ignored. The facts were that, yes Israel had cut fuel supplies to Gaza in a desparately necessary effort to bring a non-violent stop to the hundreds of Kassam rockets that were raining down on the beleagured town of Sderot and other towns close to the border with Gaza. It was only by the grace of God that no Israelis were killed, but the Israeli government simply had to do something to stop the terror which was causing severe emotional stress to thousands of Israeli women and children.However it was not Israel that turned the power off. It was the media savvy Hamas, who knew they could count on the liberal left wing, Goid hating, Israel hating media to be their free public relations agents. Israel was still supplying 75% of the normal electricity quote through the cable grid that was unaffected by the fuel blockade. It was a Hamas scam and as usual the world took the bait, hook, line and sinker.. As has been the norm for the last 60 years, the UN were quick to jump on the Islamic bandwagon to rebuke Israel, without any serious rebuke of Hamas for the rain of rockets.

A few days later the media gleefully covered the demolition of the fence between Gaza and Egypt with images of thousands of poor Palestinians force to take this drastic action by the lack of food and supplies caused by the Israeli blockaade. But as we saw in the news report at the beginning of this article, the whole debacle was another scam, nothing much more than an illegal duty free shopping spree in Egypt. In the end Hamas acknowledged that that they did set the whole thing up and even gave each person who crossed into Egypt $300 shopping allowance. Did your local news media report that ? Down at the UN its business as usual - anti Israel business that is ! Once again the Muslim nations display their ancient hatred of Israel and attempt to once again hi-jack the UN assembly to force through a resolution decrying Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip with not mention of the 200 Kassam rockets that have fired from Gaza into southern Israel over the last 2 weeks. The blockade was successful in a massive reduction of rocket attacks. Seems Israel is the only country in the world that is not allowed to defend itself.

Please pass this information in to your government and church leaders and to your local media ........... and demand they tell you the truth in future.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.

Your Stand for Israel Makes a Difference January 31, 2008
Dear Friend of Israel.

World events often seem out of our control. In regard to Israel's ongoing struggle for peace and security, I'm frequently asked, how much difference can one person make? The answer is, a great deal - a point proven just this week.Recently, Libya proposed a statement to the United Nations Security Council that strongly condemned Israel's blockade of Gaza and military action aimed at rooting out terrorists in the area. Conspicuously absent in this statement was any acknowledgment of the reason for that military action - the incessant Palestinian rocket fire aimed at nearby Israeli cities like Sderot.Thousands of our Fellowship partners responded to our action alert asking Israel's supporters to call or email the Libyan ambassador to protest this blatant case of anti-Israel bias. And, I'm happy to say, thanks to pressure from friends of Israel like you, along with continued pressure from the Israeli and U.S. governments, Libya has withdrawn the statement.

The U.N. is infamous for its bias against Israel, and this certainly will not be the last time it shows that bias. But you proved that Israel's friends can speak out against such measures and do so effectively. It is a critically important lesson, particularly at a time when Israel faces grave threats to her security as well as challenges in the media, on the international political stage, and in the all-important court of public opinion. One person, acting with like-minded individuals, can make a difference.Today, let's renew our commitment to standing for Israel in her time of need, taking to heart the stirring words of the prophet Isaiah: For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet (Isaiah 62:1). You can help by forwarding this message to others and encouraging them to sign up for our enewsletter. This will help us broaden the base of Israel’s friends and ensure that, when other anti-Israel measures such as this come to light that demand our action, Israel’s foes will be met with an even more overwhelming show of support for the Jewish state.Thank you, my friend, for raising your voice in support of Israel, and for your continued prayers for the peace of Jerusalem.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

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)

Russia sends 12 bombers to Atlantic, Arctic
Fri Feb 1, 2008 4:03am EST

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Friday sent 12 air force bombers to take part in naval exercises over the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans, Itar-Tass news agency quoted a spokesman for Russia's air force as saying.Twelve long-range aircraft took off today to participate in the concluding phase of exercises with the Russian navy attack group, the Russian air force spokesman said.He said the bomber group included two Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers, codenamed Blackjack by NATO, two turbo-prop Tu-95 strategic bombers, codenamed Bear, and eight Tu-22 bombers.On Thursday Russia sent eight air force bombers to train over international Arctic waters, testing its in-flight refueling capacity and combined forces air traffic control with the navy.Last month Russian warships and bombers took part in military maneuvers off the Atlantic coast of France and Spain in what Moscow billed as its biggest navy exercise in the area since Soviet times.(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge)

Ahmadinejad: Iran is approaching nuclear peak, Israel's days are numbered

Iran is approaching the peak in its nuclear program and will not yield to Western pressure to halt its activities, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday.Ahmadinejad was speaking in the southwestern town of Bushehr near the site of Iran's planned first nuclear power plant, being built with Russian help, and predicted the country would have nuclear electricity by this time next year.
If you (Western powers) imagine that the Iranian nation will back down you are making a mistake, he said in a televised speech.On the nuclear path we are moving towards the peak, he said without elaborating.Turning his attention to Israel, Ahmadinejad said, The religious Palestinian people will bring down the last screen with its powerful hand on the Zionists' puppet theater. It's time to end the puppet theater of this fake regime.The Iranian president noted that Israel's days were numbered and that it has reached its end.

Turning to the Western powers supporting Israel, he said, Those who remain silent in light of this regime's crimes and support it should know that they are taking part in the bloodshed of the Palestinian people and will be tried in the future.The world's states will never forget these crimes, the Iranian president was quoted as saying by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).Defying international pressure, Iran has been working on producing its own nuclear fuel, technology the West fears will be used to make atomic bombs. Tehran says its work is peaceful and has refused to stop.

He was speaking two days after Iran received the eighth and final consignment of nuclear fuel from Russia for the Bushehr plant. Tehran has said the plant will start in mid-2008, though past deadlines have slipped.Next year at this time ... nuclear electricity should flow in Iran's electricity network, he told the crowd.Russia delivered the first shipment of uranium fuel rods on December 17 and urged Tehran to scrap its efforts to produce nuclear fuel. Tehran says its work is peaceful and has refused to stop.Iran, the world's fourth-largest crude producer, says it wants to build a network of nuclear plants so it can preserve more of its oil and gas for export. It says it wants to make nuclear fuel itself to guarantee its supplies.World powers last week agreed the outline of a third UN sanctions resolution against Iran which calls for mandatory travel bans and asset freezes for specific Iranian officials and vigilance on banks in the country.

WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL

DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.

2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL

REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).

DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)

REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(IRAQ-SYRIA)
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)

China's weapons exceed self-defence needs: US military

The United States said Monday it was troubling that China's weapons systems capability exceeded the level Beijing defined as necessary for self-defence.The head of the US armed forces in the Asia-Pacific, Admiral Timothy Keating, said he was told by Chinese leaders during a visit to Beijing that its so-called area denial weapons were to protect those things that are ours.But he said, we find it troubling that the capabilities of some of these weapons systems would tend to exceed our own expectations for protecting those things that are ours.Keating said the United States had intelligence that reinforces my opinion that China is developing, fielding and has in place weapons that could be characterized as having, amongst perhaps other purposes, an ability to restrict movement in and around certain areas on the sea, in the air or under the sea.

I'll go back to the point we made a couple of times already -- that we understood PRC (China's) intentions, not just their transparency, not just the fact that these weapons exist. We know they exist, he said.It's why are they being fielded, Keating asked, speaking at a Washington forum of the US-based Asia Society.The Pentagon fears China's area-denial arms, including missiles, can be used to attack US aircraft carriers and ships, reports have said.

The PLA (China's People's Liberation Army) appears engaged in a sustained effort to develop the capability to interdict, at long ranges, aircraft carrier and expeditionary strike groups that might deploy to the western Pacific, according to the annual Pentagon report last year to the US Congress.Increasingly, ChinaÂ’s area denial/anti-access forces overlap, providing multiple layers of offensive systems, utilizing the sea, air, and space, the report said.The United States fears a Chinese military buildup could blunt any US intervention in a conflict over Taiwan and challenge US naval access to the Asian region.A year ago, China used a ballistic missile to destroy a Chinese weather satellite in low Earth orbit, causing worries in Washington that Beijing could disrupt US military satellites in a regional conflict.In addition, a Chinese submarine approached a US aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean and surfaced within firing range of its torpedoes and missiles before being detected.To a question by a Chinese diplomat at the forum, Keating said he did not think the two countries should set a special criteria for military transparency but sought what he called an inter-agency approach to facing challenges.Keating, who just returned from his second visit to China, said that they should also increase dialogue, have better communication and develop bonds of trust and understanding to avoid potential conflict.I think we will proceed on a path that will reduce tensions and reduce the likelihood of misunderstanding leading to crisis, leading to conflict, he said.Keating also expressed relief that a November row with Beijing over the port visits of US ships appeared to have been resolved.

An American warship USS Blue Ridge was allowed Monday to dock in Hong Kong, in the first visit by a US military vessel since the USS Kitty Hawk was denied entry in the Chinese administered territory about two months ago.Two US minesweepers were also refused permission to shelter in Hong Kong from a brewing tropical storm.
The sense I got is that they didn't want to be confrontational, Keating told reporters.I am not as concerned today as I was before ... We think we are developing a better understanding of them.

Updated Jan 29, 2008 22:36 UNHRC endorsed anti-Semitic charter By ITAMAR SHARON Jerusalem Post

UN Watch has urged UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour to clarify a recent endorsement of the Arab Charter of Human Rights, which it said contains several provisions that promote classically anti-Semitic themes.A view on the empty seats of Israel's delegates in the assembly hall during a special session of the Human Rights Council.Photo: AP In a letter issued Monday, the organization pointed to several phrases in the charter, such as rejecting all forms of racism and Zionism, which constitute a violation of human rights and a threat to international peace and security, as well as all forms of racism, Zionism and foreign occupation and domination constitute an impediment to human dignity... all such practices must be condemned and efforts must be deployed for their elimination.The Arab Charter on Human Rights is intended to serve as a basis for the principles of freedom by which Arab nations must abide. The charter protects the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of the people of those nations.

The Arab League initially adopted the charter in 1994, after which the document underwent several changes, but it never came into force as it was not ratified by the required number of seven member states. However, earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates became the seventh nation to approve it after Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Syria, Libya and the Palestinian Authority. On January 24, Arbour released a statement in which she welcomed the ratification, which would bring the charter into effect, saying it was an important step forward in strengthening the enjoyment of human rights in the Arab world. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is committed and stands ready to support the [states party] to the Charter in ensuring that core values of human rights are upheld, Arbour said. UN Watch said that Zionism is the movement for Jewish self-determination and asserts the inherent and internationally-acknowledged right of Israel to exist.A text that equates Zionism with racism, describes it as a threat to world peace, as an enemy of human rights and human dignity, and then urges its elimination, is blatantly anti-Semitic.

Even if the Arab Charter may contain other, constructive provisions, nothing can justify any endorsement of a text with such hateful language, the letter stated. We trust that Ms. Arbour was not aware of [the charter's contents], but this must be made clear, and the responsible person in her office must be held fully accountable, said Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based monitoring organization.

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

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

THE WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Solana and Blair heading to Mideast to discuss Gaza border
By DPA Haaretz FEB 01,08

European foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair are to travel to the Middle East next week to work out a solution for better access to Gaza, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said yesterday. Speaking to reporters after a phone conference of the Middle East Quartet, Ferrero-Waldner said the Quartet was following up the suggestion by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to hand over border controls to the Palestinian Authority.Better access had to be provided, in particular at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Ferrero-Waldner said. A possible solution was bringing back the EU deal, she added.

Under a five-way-deal in 2005 between the United States, EU, Israel, Egypt and the Palestinians, the border was to be monitored by EU observers, with additional cameras to allow Israel to view those crossing. But all parties had to agree to a solution, Ferrero-Waldner said. The EU was ready and willing to grant full support. If infrastructure or equipment is needed, I will help, she said.
Last week, Hamas militants blew huge holes in the concrete and metal border fence between Gaza and Egypt, prompting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flood through the breach to stock up with supplies made scarce by the Israeli blockade.

On centenary of Portuguese monarch's murder, heir to defunct throne reopens royal debate AP 2008-01-31 13:51:52.

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - Duarte Pio is a soft-spoken, unassuming 62-year-old who would be king of Portugal.Pio would by birthright be sovereign if Portugal restored its monarchy, and he is using public interest in the Friday centenary of King Carlos I's assassination to make his case for a return to royal influence on a continent
proud of its democratic traditions.

He claims that at the start of the past century, before republicans deposed Carlos I's successor _ Manuel II _ by force in 1910, Portugal packed a bigger economic and diplomatic punch than it does now as one of the European Union's lightweights.The conclusion we can draw is that the cause of our decline was the creation of a republic, which destabilized the country. We lost a lot and didn't gain much, Pio said in an interview.Like most other descendants of Europe's once-mighty kings and queens, the heir to the Portuguese throne is nowadays a powerless and largely disregarded spectator of his country's fortunes.Few would argue, though, with his assessment that Portugal has been on the slide.

A hundred years after shots rang out in a Lisbon square at the end of a sunny afternoon, killing the 44-year-old king and his eldest son Prince Luis Filipe as they traveled in an open carriage, Portugal has one of the EU's frailest economies.Some 2 million Portuguese are classified by the EU as living in poverty, on the minimum wage of about ¤400 (US$590) a month. The inevitable comparison with wealthier EU nations makes the Portuguese downhearted, and there is a mood of disenchantment with politicians who, many feel, have kept Portugal among Europe's poorest countries for generations.Pio _ whose father was a distant cousin of the heirless Manuel II _ reckons he can help with that. He says he doesn't want the absolute power of past monarchs and would cooperate with the elected government by keeping a helpful hand on the country's rudder.

A monarchy can inspire self-esteem and self-confidence better than republics can, says Pio, who has thinning hair, a mustache and friendly eyes. Monarchs carry a sentimental weight that has a huge influence in public life.A hundred years ago all but three European states _ France, Switzerland, and tiny San Marino _ had monarchies.
Two world wars changed that. Today, there are 10 constitutional monarchies in Europe: Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg, Spain, Monaco, Liechtenstein and Belgium.
Executive power lies with elected governments, though, and modern monarchs have a limited scope of action. They are as likely to be seen in glossy celebrity magazines as at official functions.
Pio, however, points to Spain and Belgium, where monarchs are credited with holding their countries together during crises, as evidence of how a sovereign can pay dividends: Spain's Juan Carlos helped snuff out a 1981 coup attempt, and Albert II of Belgium mediated a recent government crisis.Thanks to public events marking the regicide's centenary, Pio is getting noticed for first time since his glamorous 1995 wedding to a commoner.

Pio's chances of ever sitting on the throne are slim, though.
There are no signs his ambition has struck a chord with the Portuguese. The last opinion poll, in 2004, found almost 70 percent of those questioned preferred a republic. The Monarchy Party is tiny and at the last general election where it stood alone, in 2002, it captured just over 1,000 votes.Portugal's constitution prohibits rule by anything other than democratically elected officials.Portuguese historian and newspaper columnist Rui Ramos, the author of a book on the assassinated king, likens the monarchy debate to a kind of parlor game, with no real relevance.The country's president already acts as one of the administration's checks and balances, Ramos says.Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of London-based Majesty magazine, says she hasn't detected any public desire in Europe to expand the officials roles of royal families.
Quite the reverse, she said. I don't think anyone really would take it very seriously, apart from a few people.