LEADERS TACKLE BANK REFORM

GINGRICH I'M WORRRIED ABOUT ISLAM.(A MUST SEE WARNING)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZiw3qVdFzw

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.

Powerful 7.1 quake in Southern Ocean Fri Apr 11, 11:56 PM ET

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A strong earthquake hit near the remote Australian territory of Macquarie Island Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of injury or damage, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Web site said no tsunami alert has been issued following the magnitude 7.1 quake.

The U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors quakes around the world, reported the temblor hit at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and was centered beneath open ocean, 70 miles southwest of Macquarie Island, Australia's main sub-Antarctic territory.It was located 1,240 miles south of the New Zealand capital, Wellington.

Earthquake shakes hills near Rome APR 12,08

ROME - Italian authorities say a small earthquake has shaken the Alban Hills southeast of Rome. No injuries or damage have been reported. Many people were awakened by the quake, which struck at 1:44 a.m. EDT Saturday. Parts of eastern Rome also have reported feeling it.Italy's Civil Protection Department says the quake had a 3.8 magnitude.About 15 minutes after the quake, an aftershock shook the area of the epicenter, near the wine-growing towns of Frascati and Marino.Ciampino, a town near the hills that has a small airport serving Rome, also reported feeling the tremors.

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Kilauea volcano explodes again Fri Apr 11, 5:34 PM ET

VOLCANO, Hawaii - Kilauea Volcano has exploded again. Officials say a small explosion that sent rocks more than 200 feet up onto the rim of the volcano's main Halemaumau crater occurred Wednesday night, hours before the park reopened. The park was evacuated Tuesday and remained closed Wednesday because of elevated sulfur dioxide emissions.The U.S. Geological Survey says Wednesday's blast at Halemaumau crater was much smaller than a similar explosion in March, but still enlarged the new vent in the wall of the crater about 15 to 30 feet.Scientists say they found lava splatters and rocks ejected by the blast, which also contained volcanic glass shards.They say there is increasing evidence that molten lava is collecting about 300 to 600 feet below the new vent.

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.

Gale-force storm, hail showers hit Kuwait
Fri Apr 11, 4:45 PM

KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - One person was killed and several wounded on Friday when a strong sandstorm triggered by gale-force winds and hail lashed the desert state of Kuwait, officials said.The victim, a man, drowned in the sea while several people were injured at a shopping mall where glass shattered and fell on shoppers, a security official said.The meteorological department said the storm was caused by gale-force winds that blew in semi-tornado fashion at around 90 kilometres (56 miles) per hour and warned that a similar storm is expected to hit the emirate on Saturday.The violent winds also uprooted hundreds of traffic signposts, billboards, and trees and damaged many cars in several parts of Kuwait, witnesses reported.Authorities appealed to people to stay indoors.

More storms damage homes in South By KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press Writer Sat Apr 12, 4:07 AM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Another round of severe weather raked the storm-weary South with rain, hail and high winds Friday, damaging homes and injuring at least five people in Tennessee and Kentucky. A mother and two children were hurt when strong thunderstorms moved through southern Kentucky in the early morning, knocking over their trailer near Bowling Green. Tara Duvall, a spokeswoman for Warren County Emergency Management, said all three were hospitalized.

Apparently, the trailer rolled twice and fell apart, Duvall said.

Charles Foster, who lives nearby, said he helped pull one of the children from the wreckage.I ran up there and helped. There was a little girl, 6 or 7 years old, standing by the wall that had crumbled and had the mother and little boy pinned under the trailer, Foster said. The little girl looked OK.Homes were also reported destroyed in Kentucky's Wayne county. In Tennessee's Lawrence County, a possible tornado damaged 56 homes, felled trees and littered yards with debris.In northern Giles County, power lines were knocked down, a dozen homes were damaged and three people were injured when trees fell on an ambulance, emergency management officials said.Wind or rain damage apparently caused a roof to collapse at an apartment complex in Hoover, Ala., Friday evening, forcing the evacuation of about 20 units, said Mark Kelly of the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency. No injuries were reported.The damaging storms come in the same week as heavy rains that flooded parts of West Virginia and Tennessee and two months after tornadoes killed 33 people in the state.In northern Wisconsin, schools closed, thousands lost power because of trees falling on power lines and snow plows were back at work Friday as blizzard-like conditions hit.Keith Kesler, Douglas County's emergency management coordinator, said as much as 9 inches of snow had fallen near Superior, with wind gusting to 62 mph.

Tree limbs are flying through the air, he said. It is a little unusual for April to get hit like this. Winter is winter. It is getting awfully long this year.The record for April snowfall in the area near Duluth, Minn., occurred a year ago, when 12.1 inches fell April 7.Springtime in Superior, I guess, said Steve Erickson, 59, whose home lost power for about two hours Friday. I gassed up my snowblower in anticipation but the stuff is so heavy and slushy that I don't know if it is going to blow it or not.Recent heavy rains have swelled the Mississippi River so much that workers in Louisiana began opening a major spillway Friday to divert river water through Lake Pontchartrain and into the Gulf of Mexico.The opening of the Bonnet Carre spillway, about 30 miles above New Orleans, was being done to guard communities against flooding, ease pressure on levees and make for safer navigation conditions for ships and barges.In Missouri, where heavy rain fell Wednesday and Thursday, authorities reported the death of a 14-year-old boy in Shannon County. The boy, Kenneth Davidson, was swept away by rushing water Thursday while trying to cross a normally shallow arm of Loggers Lake, officials said. Emergency crews later found his body tangled in roots.In Oklahoma, which has been beset in recent days by tornadoes, severe storms and flooding, Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency on Friday — the first step toward seeking federal assistance. Associated Press writer Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report.

This is spring? Snow, winds whip through Labrador
Fri Apr 11, 2:02 PM

ST..JOHNS (CBC) - Snowplows took to the roads across much of Labrador Friday, as a storm closed schools and made driving treacherous.The south coast of Labrador is expected to bear the worst of the storm, with up to 25 centimetres of snow expected. Around Happy Valley-Goose Bay, about 10 centimetres of snow had fallen by midday, with forecasters saying the worst had passed.

However, high winds - which are expected to increase through Friday and into Saturday - have already led to heavy drifting and poor visibility.Schools in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, where Environment Canada said a storm watch warning was in effect, closed Friday. As well, Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay shut down for the morning.The provincial Transportation Department issued cautions about poor driving conditions in several areas, including the roads connecting Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Wabush and to Churchill Falls.

Laval on flood watch as spring melt comes
Fri Apr 11, 9:54 AM

MONTREAL (CBC) - Laval waterfront residents are on high alert after the Mille-Illes and Rivi?re-des-Prairies spilled their banks late Thursday, flooding streets and homes.Several streets and three riverside homes in the Fabreville district of Laval were evacuated, civil authorities said.A bridge spanning the Chaudi?re River near St-Joseph de Beauce was also closed to traffic because of high water levels.Rivi?re-des-Prairies and the Mille-Illes cause flooding every year and public security authorities have an emergency plan that includes shelter in community centres for any people forced from their homes, said Laval Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt.Mild temperatures forecast in the next few days will cause the water levels to rise more even more, Vaillancourt said.
Elsewhere in Quebec, authorities are on alert for flooding along the L'Assomption, Nicolet, Saint-Francois, Yamaska and B?cancour rivers.

Rideau River breaches banks, flooding Ottawa streets
Fri Apr 11, 8:28 AM

Three streets in the Old Ottawa South neighbourhood closed Friday morning after the Rideau River breached its banks, washing out parts of Belmont Avenue and Fentiman Avenue and completely submerging Rideau River Drive.City of Ottawa work crews left a mound of sand in nearby Windsor Park for people who would like to start filling sandbags to use on their property.Most residents haven't started sandbagging yet - but with the river expected to peak over the weekend, they should be prepared to take action, said Patrick Larson, a senior water resources technician with the Rideau River Conservation Authority.[The peak] is entirely dependent on how much rain and when the rain occurs, he said. But definitely there will be some increase, possibly to what had been experienced in 1993.In 1993, the same section of the Rideau River rose 2.4 metres above its natural level without any serious damage to property.David Strutt spent Friday morning watching the water rise from a front-row seat at his Belmont Avenue home.This morning, it was just at the edge of the sidewalk and now it's up over the sidewalks, Strutt said. So it's come up six to ten inches (15 to 25 centimetres) in the last 24 hours.Nearby Windsor Park looked more like a mangrove forest than an Ottawa park Friday morning, as the Rideau River spilled onto the land, submerging half a tennis court.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Calgary extends fire ban through weekend
Fri Apr 11, 7:48 PM

CALGARY (CBC) - Despite Thursday's snowfall, a fire ban remains in effect through the weekend, the Calgary fire department said.Fire officials said Friday that lifting the ban, first issued on March 26, would be premature in light of warm weather forecast for the weekend.The precipitation that fell on Thursday - altogether about 23 centimetres of snow - mainly hit the city of Calgary, so there's still concern about dry conditions in outlying communities, said spokesman Jeff Budai.The ban, which will be re-evaluated next week, covers:- Regulated fire pits.- Regulated burning barrels.- Charcoal barbecues.- Chimeneas.- Fireworks or pyrotechnics.- Incinerators, including for farm and acreage use.- Fire contained within approved facilities and appliances in designated camping and recreational areas.Fireplaces inside homes, camp stoves, fire pits and propane or natural gas barbecues are exempt from the ban.

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).

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

World finance leaders tackle bank reform By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer APR 12,08

WASHINGTON - World financial leaders facing the gravest economic crisis in at least a decade are pledging tighter control of banks and other financial institutions and hoping the U.S. slump is short. The 185-nation International Monetary Fund and the World Bank readied for weekend discussions following talks among the world's seven richest industrial countries.The IMF, the lender of last resort for countries in trouble, is facing its own hard times. One proposal on the agenda would trim 15 percent of the agency's staff and sell about $11 billion in the institutions' vast gold reserves.Overshadowing the sessions was the severe credit crisis, which could result in losses approaching $1 trillion before it is over, according to an IMF estimate released this week.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson assured the IMF's policy-setting panel on Saturday that the Bush administration was dealing aggressively with the U.S. slowdown, but that risks remain.The weak housing market, together with high energy prices and stress in financial markets, is penalizing U.S. economic growth, he said. We must expect more bumps in the road.The world's economic powers endorsed a plan Friday to keep closer watch over big banks, investment houses and other financial firms. These institutions have reported billions of dollars in losses from the credit crisis. The problem began with the widespread defaults on subprime mortgages in the United States, but quickly spread to other types of global investments.Announcement of the tighter oversight came in a joint statement after talks among the Group of Seven nations — the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada. other types of investments around the world.The turmoil in global financial markets remains challenging and more protracted than we had anticipated, G-7 officials said.The U.S. economy has to get over the economic unrest, Japanese Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga told reporters. What happens in the United States, he said, will affect Asia and other countries.An IMF economic outlook predicted a mild recession this year in the U.S., the world's biggest economy. That is seen as raising the risks of a global recession to 1-in-4.Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke tried to reassure officials that U.S. policymakers are doing everything possible to loosen U.S. credit markets. That would enable businesses and consumers to get loans more easily and help the economy revive.

Axel Weber, head of Germany's central bank, said the measures that were taken in the U.S. have already had some effect and that the Fed's interest rate cuts should help bolster growth.Democrats in Congress are pushing for a more aggressive program to help an estimated 2 million homeowners at risk of defaulting on their mortgages. But Paulson said the administration believes its plan, which relies heavily on voluntary efforts by the private sector, was the best approach.

The G-7's statement's also touched on currencies.

Europeans won in an effort to note concern about the sharp fluctuations in currency values. It was the first major change in the language on the issue in four years and was meant to show European worries about the dollar's decline to record lows against the euro. That has led to cries of protests from European manufacturers losing sales to American producers whose goods are now more competitive.French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said the true test of the revised wording would come Monday when currency markets reopen. But there was no expectation the words would be backed up by any joint intervention to prop up the dollar.

The proposal to bolster financial regulation is intended to ensure that companies have sufficient capital to protect against losses, improve risk-management procedures and set deadlines so countries act quickly to put in place reforms. Associated Press writers Jeannine Aversa, Harry Dunphy, Foster Klug and Desmond Butler contributed to this report. On the Net: International Monetary Fund: http://www.imf.org World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org
Treasury: http://www.ustreas.gov/ Federal Reserve: http://www.federalreserve.gov/

Polygamous sect encouraged fear By JENNIFER DOBNER, Associated Press Writer APR 12,08

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Texas child welfare officials have brought in mental health professionals and behavioral experts as the agency tries to ensure a sense of normalcy for the more than 400 children removed from a polygamous sect's enclave, an agency spokeswoman said. But for all their lives, the boys and girls of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have been told the outside world was hostile and immoral. Venturing beyond the brilliant white limestone walls of their compound would consign them to eternal damnation, their church leaders preached.

Now, if the state gets its way, hundreds of children could be put in foster homes, in what could be a wrenching cultural adjustment that may require intensive counseling.What they are up against is having to deprogram an entire community, said Margaret Cooke, who left the sect with seven of her eight children near the end of 1994. The children are so naive and they have been sheltered to the point that they don't even trust their own judgment.Marleigh Meisner, a spokeswoman for the state Children's Protective Services, said the agency is working with mental health and other experts to meet specific needs of the children. That information would be passed to foster families if a judge decides the children should be transferred to foster homes, she said.We want to keep their world as normal as possible, Meisner said. We also want to be certain that these children have gained a trust with us. We want these children to know that even if they may not have been safe in the past, they will be safe as long as they are with us.Meanwhile, in court papers unsealed Friday, authorities said they found a cyanide poisoning document in their search of the compound in the town of Eldorado. But the 80-page list of items seized gave no further explanation.Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange said the document consisted of pages torn out of a first-aid book on how to treat cyanide poisoning. But she said she didn't know why the sect would have such information on hand.Child welfare officials seized more than 400 children, most of them girls, in the raid on the FLDS compound known as the Yearn for Zion ranch, saying the youngsters were in danger of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

The renegade Mormon splinter group requires girls at puberty to enter into polygamous marriages with much older men and produce children, authorities say. The sect also teaches children to fear the outside world, including the very authorities who removed them until a court hearing Thursday that will help determine their future.You're taught to fear everyone and everything, said Cooke, herself a 16-year-old bride.The children and the 139 women who followed them voluntarily out of the compound are being so secretive that child welfare officials are having trouble sorting out who the youngster' parents are.Most of the children are the offspring of the faith's inner circle — including its now-imprisoned prophet, Warren Jeffs — who were born since construction began on the compound in 2003, or were hand-selected by Jeffs to come to the enclave, which the sect regards as part of Zion on Earth.In 2003 and 2004, Jeffs, the spiritual leader of an estimated 6,000 followers in two adjoining towns along the Utah-Arizona line, plucked children under the age of 6 to bring to Texas, some without their parents, former sect member Isaac Wyler said.

Over age 6 they were too contaminated for the world to be of use to God, said Wyler, who still lives in Colorado City, Ariz., and has 38siblings. He picked the ones that would be the most obedient, the ones that would be qualified to go to Zion.Authorities raided the Eldorado ranch April 3 after a girl from the clan made a whispered telephone call for help to a family violence shelter. The 16-year-old, who indicated she was a few weeks' pregnant, said her 50-year-old husband beat and raped her. The girl has not yet been identified among the 416 children and may not even be among them.

In the call, the girl said that sect members warned her that if she ever left, outsiders would hurt her and force her to cut her hair, wear makeup and have sex with many men.Most of the sect's children have never attended public schools or worn modern clothing. The girls wear long, pioneer-style dresses and keep their long hair pinned up in a braid. In their search of the compound, police uncovered dozens of journals and other documents that contain birth, marriage and other genealogical records. That may help social workers match children with their parents. The hearing next Thursday will determine whether the state gets full custody of the children or whether they can return to the compound in Eldorado.

The women and children are being held at Fort Concho and nearby at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Men from the YFZ ranch and any other relatives are not being allowed to visit. I think under the circumstances the folks are as happy in their environment as they can possibly be, said Kevin Dinnin, the shelter manager from the Texas governor's Division of Emergency Management. Beyond the basic needs of food, fresh water, showers and bedding, Dinnin said his agency has worked to provide toys for the children and address the unique clothing and laundry needs of the FLDS, who wear long, religious underwear year-round which are not meant to be seen by outsiders. The educational needs of the children were being assessed as were medical needs, including the treatment of about a dozen kids with chicken pox and prescription medications, he said. Mental health services are also being provided. We have encouraged sibling groups and mothers to stay together, Dinnin said of the living arrangements. More than 500 people are working with the shelter guests, and the agency is spending between $25,000 and $35,000 daily, Dinnin said. Associated Press writer Betsy Blaney contributed to this report from Lubbock.

JERUSALEM DIVIDED

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

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

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

Livni Gives Away Northern Jerusalem
by Hillel Fendel APR 12,08

(IsraelNN.com) Negotiations for Jerusalem continue apace, with a local Jerusalem paper reporting that Foreign Minister Livni has agreed to give away Atarot Airport. Shas says it's still not leaving the government.The Kol HaZman (All the Time) paper reports that in ongoing secret talks with top Palestinian Authority negotiator Abu Ala, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has agreed, in the name of Israel, to transfer the Atarot airfield in northern Jerusalem to PA control. The paper states it source as senior Foreign Ministry elements.

The Goal: Strengthen Fatah
Israel apparently recognizes Hamas control in Gaza as permanent, and therefore wishes to strengthen Fatah - perceived as more moderate - in Judea and Samaria. Fatah terrorists, members of the organization's Al Aqsa Brigades, have carried out many murderous attacks against Israeli civilians in recent weeks, months and years. One of the most active terrorist forces in the area, it has been designated terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union, Canada, and Japan.Alternatively, it is not clear that the Hamas-takeover scenario will not repeat itself in Judea and Samaria, thus leaving the Atarot Airport in Hamas hands - if Israel in fact relinquishes it.

Mayor is Against
Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski is strongly against the loss of Atarot to the terrorists. His aides said he was astonished to hear of the secret agreement, and feels it will be a grave security failure and a significant concession on Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. It is inconceivable, the mayor reportedly said, that while Israeli flights from Atarot have been stopped because of security fears, the threat will now become even more severe, with control of the entire area being given over to the PA. He warned of the dangers of hostile airplanes in the skies of Jerusalem.

Lupoliansky promises he will work even harder to advance his plan to build 10,000 housing units for Jews in Atarot, hoping to thus thwart the plan to give it to the PA. Jerusalem Municipality officials said the agreement to give away Atarot represents a de-facto recognition of the division of Jerusalem.

Olmert Takes no Responsibility
Staffers in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said, These are talks being handled by the Foreign Minister, and therefore answers must be received from her. Livni's press secretary said that the contents of the talks are not meant to be publicized.

Shas Doesn't Budge
Meanwhile, the Shas Party - whose departure from the government coalition would likely lead to the toppling of the government and new elections - continues to stay put. Relating to a new American initiative to give the PA partial control of Jerusalem for five years, Shas spokesman Ro'i Lachmanovitch told Arutz-7's Hebrew newsmagazine on Thursday that Shas was going nowhere: We continue to stand behind the stance set by [the party's spiritual leader] Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, which is that the moment Jerusalem is placed on the agenda of the diplomatic talks, Shas will quit the coalition.
A late-breaking development in another sphere may move Shas, however: The sudden decision by the Cabinet secretariat not to discuss the non-enforced chametz law in this Sunday's agenda. Shas had hoped for quick government action to legislate a change in the law that would enable its enforcement, in light of a recent court ruling allowing chametz to be sold in stores. Shas MKs are reportedly angered by the decision, and political analysts estimate that Shas may threaten to quit the coalition over it - though this has not yet happened.

WELL CARTERS SO ANTI-ISRAEL ITS REDICULAS, STICKING UP FOR HAMAS AND THE ARABS ALL THE TIME.

Rice criticizes Carter over Hamas plans Fri Apr 11, 7:44 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized former President Carter on Friday for his reported plans to meet the exiled leader of the militant Palestinian group Hamas during a visit to Syria. Carter has not confirmed the plans to meet Khaled Mashaal, but Hamas has said the former Democratic president sent an envoy to Damascus requesting a meeting with the militant group's officials.I find it hard to understand what is going to be gained by having discussions with Hamas about peace when Hamas is, in fact, the impediment to peace, Rice said at a press event with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.Rice was responding to a question about Carter's plans but did not mention him by name.

Hamas is a terrorist organization, she said, repeating the Bush administration's explanation for why it will not meet with members of the group.The State Department says it twice advised Carter against meeting any representative of Hamas. A Carter-Mashaal meeting would be the first public contact in two years between a prominent American figure and Hamas officials.A press release from the Carter Center said the former president was to lead a study mission to Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan as part of his ongoing effort to support peace, democracy and human rights in the region.Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work in mediating conflicts while in office and his humanitarian travels for the Carter Center since. One of his mediations was the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, for which Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Israel's Menachem Begin were awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize.Several Democratic members of the House plan to forward a letter to Carter Monday urging him to reconsider his scheduled meeting with leaders of Hamas during his next visit to the Middle East. Reps. Artur Davis of Alabama, Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Adam Schiff of California and Adam Smith of Washington state asked Carter to drop the planned meeting.

The letter said we believe that your efforts to forge peace in the region will be overshadowed by this meeting. It said Carter's meeting could confer legitimacy on a group that embraces violence.

EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)

REVELATION 13:1-10
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.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
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.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
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.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

SLOVAKIA IS THE 9TH EU COUNTRY TO RATIFY THE LISBON TRETY. ONE THIRD ARE COMPLETED TILL THE EU PRESIDENT OR SEAT OF THE BEAST OR FUTURE EU POLITICIAN IS BORN.

EU welcomes ratification of Lisbon Treaty 11/4/2008 10:27

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso yesterday welcomed Slovak parliament's approval of the Lisbon Treaty. I would like to congratulate the Slovak Republic on the successful approval of the Treaty of Lisbon by the parliament today, said Barroso in a statement. I appreciate the support for the treaty from all sides of the political spectrum and that the parliament was able to approve the treaty in good time.He asked the European Union (EU) member states which have not ratified the treaty to do so. Slovakia is the ninth member state to approve the Lisbon Treaty after Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Romania, France, Bulgaria, Austria and Poland.

The Lisbon Treaty, signed by EU heads of state and government last December, will make EU's much needed institutional reforms possible. The entry into force of the treaty requires the ratification of all 27 member states of the EU. Xinhua

Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union
By Patrick Seale, Special to Gulf News
Published: April 11, 2008, 01:01

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France believes passionately in a Mediterranean Union, and is putting a great deal of energy - and urgency - into bringing it to birth.Heads of state and government of 43 potential member states have been invited to attend a summit meeting on 13 July, when they are expected to issue a ringing declaration formally launching the Union. For extra solemnity, the summit will be held in the grandiose setting of the Grand Palais, a vast ironwork and glass structure, built in the heart of Paris for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. In the meantime, planning for the launch is in the hands of a high-powered French team, led by Ambassador Alain Leroy, which Sarkozy has housed under his direct supervision at 23 Avenue Marigny, a former Rothschild mansion just across the street from the Elyse Palace.

What exactly is the proposed Mediterranean Union about, and why the urgency? The Mediterranean lies at the centre of Sarkozy's geo-political vision. The Mediterrean, he likes to say, is not our past but our future, in the sense that he believes that many of Europe's most acute problems can be solved only in close coordination with the countries on the other side of the sea. This vision has led him to undertake several state visits to North Africa.The problems he has in mind are familiar ones which have been much debated: terrorism; illegal immigration; pollution of the sea affecting tourism and fisheries; scarcity of fresh water; rampant unemployment and over-population in the South; desertification which is spreading to countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece; and a widening of the already wide gap in personal incomes between North and South.In other words, Europe's security and prosperity can only be assured if the countries bordering the Mediterranean also enjoy security and prosperity - but this requires a major joint initiative by both North and South. Behind this thinking is a sense that since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Western Europe has tended to neglect its southern flank while devoting much aid and attention to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union project faced early objections from German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She feared that he was planning to include only France, Spain and Italy in the proposed Mediterranean Union, excluding all other European Union member states. This problem was resolved when it was agreed that all 27 members of the EU would be members of the Union pour la Mediterranée (UPM). They will be joined by the countries bordering the Mediterranean, as well as by Jordan and Mauritania - 43 countries in all.Turkey was alarmed because Sarkozy's plan was first billed as a device to keep Turkey out of the EU by offering it the alternative of membership of the UPM. Turkish anxieties have since been partially allayed by its proposed participation in some of the major economic projects Sarkozy hopes to initiate.

Political conflicts

More than a decade ago, the Barcelona Process was launched in 1995, precisely in the hope that European money would help resolve political conflicts among the states bordering the Mediterranean, leading to economic development - and thus to preventing the import into Western Europe of terrorism and unwanted migrants.But the Barcelona Process has been a failure - or at least only a very partial success. It was launched at a time of high expectations. The Madrid Conference of 1991 and the Oslo Accords of 1993 seemed to open the way to a settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. But these expectations were soon disappointed.The assassination of Israel's prime minister Yitzak Rabin by a Jewish fanatic in November 1995 put an end to peace-making. It was followed instead by a period of heightened Arab-Israeli tension and violence. This in turn has contributed to the rise of militant Islamic movements, to the terrorist attacks on America of September 11, 2001, to neo-colonial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to a dangerous, and still un-bridged, rift between the West and the Arab and Islamic world. Against these odds, the Barcelona Process could make little headway.One should add that another reason the Barcelona Process failed was because it was undermined by the conflict between Morocco and Algeria over the Western Sahara, which prevented the creation of a single market in North Africa and thus discouraged inward investment into the region.

Over time, the Barcelona Process came to be seen as a doomed paternalistic project, launched by European governments for their own selfish purposes, with little input from countries in the east and south of the Mediterranean.Sarkozy's strategy today is to reverse the objectives. Instead of pressing for the resolution of political conflicts as a preliminary to economic development, his approach is to start with major economic projects in the belief that they will, in time, yield political dividends.Among the projects now being discussed on both sides of the Mediterranean is a scheme to clean up - or de-pollute - the sea by 2020, with a first-stage investment of $2 billion. Another scheme, dear to Egypt, is to create a high-speed shipping route between Alexandria and Tangiers - a sort of maritime motorway. There are plans to harness solar energy for the Mediterranean region, and to manage scarce water resources more efficiently, so as to provide drinking water for all and a better use of waste water for irrigation.

The French are particularly keen on creating a unified Mediterranean scientific and university space, in which professional training will be provided for managers, scientists and technicians, so as to improve agriculture and fisheries, and check the relentless advance of desertification. Plans are also being prepared for a Mediterranean civil protection centre, for an agency to promote small and medium sized industries, for a possible Mediterranean bank, and much else besides.Unlike the Barcelona Process, the idea this time is fully to involve the populations of the southern and eastern Mediterranean, to seek the participation of private sector interests and civil society associations, as well as financing not only from European governments and institutions, but also from the oil-rich countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.The idea is that the Mediterranean lies at the centre of a vast region extending from Africa to the Gulf. The calculation is that a healthy and prosperous Mediterranean will reinforce the position of Europe in the world and allow European to play a greater role in advancing the cause of peace in the Middle East.

The objective of the Mediterranean Union is political, Ambassador Leroy says, but it is driven by economics. We cannot wait for conflicts to be resolved before launching our projects. But the Union will launch a process which will, it is hoped, help solve the political conflicts. He adds that the great project of the European Union - 27 member states and a combined population of 495 million - started with the modest Coal and Steel Community.Sarkozy is determined to make the Mediterranean Union one of the great achievements of his presidency. It remains to be seen whether the injection of his redoubtable political will can make the ambitious project a reality.Patrick Seale is a commentator and author of several books on Middle East affairs.

EU to speed up trade talks with ASEAN
www.chinaview.cn 2008-04-12 16:43:42

JAKARTA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- A visiting official of the European Union (EU) said in Indonesia that the EU will speed up negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to local press Saturday. Karl Falkenberg, the European Commission's deputy director general for trade, said negotiations had made some progress since talks began in May 2007. It's important for us to know where the individual ASEAN members are, he was quoted by major newspaper The Jakarta Post assaying. We have set the rather ambitious target of completing negotiations in about a year or a year and half, so we should be able to achieve some kind of outcome, Falkenberg told the daily, adding that the EU is interested in moving the talks forward rapidly and comprehensively. Falkenberg will also hold similar talks with trade ministers of Brunei and the Philippines, according to the newspaper. Editor: An Lu

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.

Spy photos reveal secret launch site for Iran's long-range missiles A close examination of the photographs has indicated that the Iranians are following the same path as North Korea

Michael Evans

The secret site where Iran is suspected of developing long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching targets in Europe has been uncovered by new satellite photographs. The imagery has pinpointed the facility from where the Iranians launched their Kavoshgar 1research rocket on February 4, claiming that it was in connection with their space programme. Analysis of the photographs taken by the Digital Globe QuickBird satellite four days after the launch has revealed a number of intriguing features that indicate to experts that it is the same site where Iran is focusing its efforts on developing a ballistic missile with a range of about 6,000km (4,000 miles). A previously unknown missile location, the site, about 230km southeast of Tehran, and the link with Iran's long-range programme, was revealed by Jane's Intelligence Review after a study of the imagery by a former Iraq weapons inspector. A close examination of the photographs has indicated that the Iranians are following the same path as North Korea, pursuing a space programme that enables Tehran to acquire expertise in long-range missile technology.

Geoffrey Forden, a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that there was a recently constructed building on the site, about 40 metres in length, which was similar in form and size to the Taepodong long-range missile assembly facility in North Korea. Avital Johanan, the editor of Jane's Proliferation, said that the analysis of the Iranian site indicated that Tehran may be about five years away from developing a 6,000km ballistic missile. This would tie in with American intelligence estimates and underlines why President Bush wants the Polish and Czech components of the US missile defence system to be up and running by 2013. The Czech Republic has now agreed to have a special radar system on its soil and the Polish Government is still negotiating with Washington over the American request to site ten interceptor missiles in Poland. The Kavoshgar 1 rocket that was launched in the presence of President Ahmadinejad of Iran was based on the Shahab 3B missile, a version of the North Korean Nodong liquid-propellant missile. Dr Forden said that the Kavoshgar launch did not demonstrate any significant advances in ballistic missile technology. But it does reveal the likely future development of Iran's missile programme, he said.

At a meeting on February 25 between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Iranians, UN inspectors confronted them with evidence of design studies for mounting nuclear warheads on long-range missiles. The Iranians denied any such aspirations. However, according to Jane's Intelligence Review, the satellite photographs prove that the Kavoshgar 1 rocket was not part of a civilian space centre project but was consistent with Iran's clandestine programme to develop longer-range missiles. The examination of the launch site revealed that it was part of a large and growing complex with very high levels of security and recent construction activity. It was clearly an important strategic facility, Dr Forden said. The former Iraq weapons inspector said that Iran was benefiting from the North Korean missile programme and following its designs. The Taepodong 1 consisted of a liquid-propellant Nodong (like the Shahab 3) first stage, a liquid-propellant Scud second stage and a solid-propellant third stage. The production and testing facility next to the Kavoshgar 1 launch site would seem well positioned to contribute to this third stage, Dr Forden said.

EU accused of undermining UN development goals through free trade 10.04.2008 - 17:40 CET | By Leigh Phillips

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – A group of NGOs, trade unions and civil society groups have accused the EU of undermining global poverty reduction goals through its pursuit of free trade deals with African states.Gathered outside the European Commission building in Brussels on Wednesday, the demonstrators said that UN goals to eradicate poverty by 2015 were being threatened by the EU's programme of economic partnership agreements (EPAs) and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with their governments.The UN goals, known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), consist of eight goals aimed at eradicating poverty, promoting human and social development and ensuring environmentally sustainable development across the globe. They were agreed by 189 United Nations members in 2000.Through the EPAs and the FTAs, the EU contradicts its commitments to development and the MDGs by forcing developing countries to open their markets to European firms with which they cannot compete, said John Hilary, of the UK-based aid group War on Want.

Twenty years ago, for example, some 90 percent of rice in Ghana was grown in Ghana. Today, liberalisation forced upon the country by the rich world has resulted in only 10 percent of the rice that is eaten in Ghana having been grown there, and so the country cannot develop a domestic strategy to deal with soaring food prices.Dot Keet, of the Africa Trade Network, said: The promise of aid or the threat of withholding aid weighs more on the minds of African governments than the promise of market access. This is why many of them feel they have to sign these agreements.Many government officials have openly acknowledged that they won't benefit from increased market access. Their most immediate problem is the potential loss of aid.Ms Keet's words were an echo of comments from the secretary-general of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of nations, John Kaputin, who said on Monday (7 April), that the EU had pressured countries to agree to clauses in Economic Partnership Agreements that were harmful to development interests.

The race towards the deadline of December 31, 2007 [by which point EPAs had to be signed] was fraught with panic, confusion and frustration, he said.In the end, only 35 out of 77 countries initialled interim or full EPAs. Many more may not have initialled, but were held captive by the possibility of trade disruption that would have followed if they had not initialled, he added.

EU failing on aid promises

The NGOs' criticism comes as new figures released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) show that EU member states are failing to meet pledges to increase aid – part of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.The figures showed that aid from Europe dropped last year for the first time since 2000. EU aid amounted to 0.38 percent of gross national income (GNI) in 2007, down from 0.39 percent of GNI in 2006. This translates to a total of €47.7 billion in 2006 and €46.1 billion in 2007 – a drop of €1.7 billion.European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday (9 April) called on member states to recommit to pledges made in 2005 to increase development aid to 0.56 percent of GNI by 2010 and 0.7 percent by 2015. Only the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg have already met or exceeded the target of spending 0.7 percent of GNI on aid.He said the figures revealed some worrying, even dangerous tendencies.

The consistent gap between rhetoric and reality from member states to poor countries cannot be allowed to continue, said Luis Morago, head of development NGO's Oxfam's EU office.Europe has committed many times in the past to increasing its aid. Unless a massive improvement is seen in 2008, there's no way that Europe's targets to reduce poverty will be met, he added.

The CARMEL ALERT April 11th 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: Calling All Prayer Warriors to Battlestations !!!
In just two weeks, Jewish people in Israel and in every nation will celebrate the Biblical feast of Passover - the remembrance and celebration of the Hebrew's deliverance from slavery under the Egyptian Pharaoh. That event took place almost 4000 years ago, but for the Jewish people, history continually repeats itself. The history of the Jews is a story line of successive demon possessed men who, under the direction of Satan, have attempted to destroy the Jews, and thus abort the plans and purposes of God to bring about world redemption through the Jewish people, and the re-establishment of YHVH's Kingdom rule upon the Earth. Haman, Antiochus, Herod, Hitler and Arafat are the most prominent names on the time line, with the addition of the current ones, Hizbollaah's Sheik Nasrallah, Hamas's Khalid Masahhl, and Iran's Machmud Ahmadinejhad.

Recent News Reports Concerning the Possibility of War in the Middle East
* As Passover 2008 approaches, the news is once again reporting a major increase in tension between Israel and Syria, Hizbollah, and Iran. Tension between Israel and Syria has been high recently, and there were reports that Defense Minister Ehud Barak cancelled his planned visit to Germany this week because of it. Defense Ministry advisor Amos Gilad denied this report and said that the Defense Minister changed his schedule because of a heavy workload.
Syria has also raised the state of alert of its armed forces because it knows Hizbullah's revenge attack against Israel for the killing of Imad Mughniyeh is near, according to Israel's Channel 2 TV.

* The Al-Arabiyah television network reported Sunday that the Lebanese military ordered residents of southern villages to move away from the border with Israel. According to the report, the Lebanese Army set up dirt roadblocks and inspection towers along the border with Israel to prevent Lebanese civilians from getting too close to the fence.

* Following public threats by Hamas this weekend to harm kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, cabinet ministers from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s ruling Kadima party warned the terrorist militia on Sunday it would lead to terrible consequences

* There are also intelligence reports that the United States is preparing to go to war with Iran because Iran is fueling the insurgence in Iraq. The London Telegraph reported that “British officials gave warning yesterday that America’s commander in Iraq will declare that Iran is waging war against the US-backed Baghdad government. A strong statement from General David Petraeus about Iran’s intervention in Iraq could set the stage for a US attack on Iranian military facilities, according to a Whitehall assessment.”

The last item alone could be enough to set the Middle East ablaze. I dont believe that the timing of this reported escalation is a coincidence. Surely both sides of the spirit realm becomes much more sensitive and intense as the Feasts of the Lord approach. As much as YHVH loves His appointed times, Satan and the Kingdom of darkness hate them, and must become very agitated and even more intent to destroy Israel and the Jewish people.

So its an extremely strategic time for the Body of Messiah to pray and intercede for Israel right now. We need to pray in light of the above news reports, and we need to pray with the Holy Spirit. We need to pray up to, through, and until after the week of Passover, which means to the end of the month. For Zion's sake, please take this call to prayer as seriously as the serious situation calls for.

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

Shalom Stan, MESSIANIC BIBLE PROJECT APR 12,08

One of my cousins lives in Eilat, the southern most city in Israel by the Red Sea - which God parted when Moses and the Israelites crossed as they fled Egypt at Passover 3500 years ago. She recently asked me, Zev, why do we need a new Bible, our ancestors wrote our Bible thousands of years ago? Ayelet, our Jewish people rarely read the Bible, because they focus on the Talmud and other spiritual Jewish books. This keeps them from finding the Messianic prophecies in their own Jewish Bible.For 2000 years, the Messianic prophecies have been the best kept secret from our Jewish family!

Then I told my cousin that soon Jewish people around the world will find out about these prophecies because many Believers like you Stan are sponsoring these new Messianic Prophecy Bibles that will be given out to Jewish people for Free.A couple of years ago I told you about my cousin Ayelet, who is 20 years old, and is currently in the Israeli Army, doing her duty in Eilat. Israeli young women do two years of compulsory army, navy, or air force duty, while the young men from age 18-21, do three years. Many of these young Jewish people in the Israeli army are searching for answers, so it is my goal that we will give Bibles to them while they do their duty in the Israeli Forces.Zev, I think that if these prophecies you speak about really were fulfilled by Yeshua (Jesus), then everyone here in Israel should know about them, Ayelet exclaimed with her enthusiastic smile, as she gave me a hug. If I will believe in Yeshua, then I will give a Bible to every person on my base, and I will tell everyone about Yeshua, she said.

Please pray for my cousin Ayelet, because she is open to the Gospel!

With your help Stan many Jewish people in Israel and around the world will hear the Gospel of Yeshua for the first time, and I know that many will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! Your financial gifts will provide many Prophecy Bibles in Hebrew, English, Russian, and Spanish to unsaved Jewish people. Please make the best gift you can today for this urgently needed Messianic Prophecy Bible.All correspondence should go to: vered@biblesforisrael.com or call Toll-Free: 866-242-5344

Carter's Visit With Terrorist Hurts The Cause of Peace
April 12, 2008

Dear Friend of Israel,

Friends of Israel know that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is a fierce critic of the Jewish state. In some respects, this is unremarkable - Israel has no shortage of critics. What makes Carter notorious is both his outspokenness and his willingness to disregard facts in order to portray Israel in the worst possible light.Carter's anti-Israel bias was painfully obvious in his 2006 book, Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid, which was roundly criticized by many Middle East experts. Dennis Ross, Middle East Envoy during the Clinton administration and one of the negotiators at the 2000 Camp David Summit, said of the book, It is certainly legitimate to debate whether President Clinton's proposal could have settled the conflict. It is not legitimate, however, to rewrite history. One of Carter's former associates, director of the Institute for the Study of Modern Israel Kenneth Stein, ended his longstanding relationship with the former president’s non-profit organization, the Carter Center, for the book’s factual errors, copied materials not cited, superficialities, glaring omissions, and simply invented segments.

Then this week came the news that the former President intends to meet with Khaled Mashaal, leader of Hamas, during an upcoming trip to the Middle East. When it comes to Israel, Mashaal does not mince words. He has pledged that Hamas, which the U.S. State Department has designated a terrorist group, will never recognize the legitimacy of the Zionist state that was founded on our land. During a 2006 address he proclaimed that "Before Israel dies, it must be humiliated.Carter's actions not only undermine the U.S. government, which has a general policy of refusing to negotiate with terrorists like Hamas. They also fly in the face of common sense and decency. The cause of peace cannot be furthered by negotiating with someone whose only desire is to destroy the Jewish state - on the contrary, there is every reason to believe that Carter's meeting will do little more than embolden Hamas. In fact, there is evidence that it has already - one Hamas leader said the meeting with Carter would prove that Hamas is a power that can't be ignored.Obviously, it would be better if this meeting did not happen at all - and today I'm asking you to help us see that it doesn't. We've made it easy for you to send a message to the Carter Center demanding that Jimmy Carter cancel his meeting with Khaled Mashaal and instead publicly call on Hamas to disavow its tactics of terror and recognize Israel’s right to exist. With your help, we can challenge Carter’s anti-Israel bias, and strike a blow for fair treatment for Israel.Send your email to the Carter Center today - and then don't forget to forward this message to a friend. On behalf of Israel and Jewish people everywhere, I thank you for taking a bold stand for Israel.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE

THE DESTROYER

More than 100,000 U.S. deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer, and stroke.1

This means that each decade one million drop from our ranks, the victims of man's old and deadly enemy.

At 8: 15A.M. on August 6,1945, the first atomic bombs used on human beings were dropped on Hiroshima and then three days later, August 9, 1945 on Nagasaki, Japan, ushering in the apocalyptic nuclear age. Before the war, Hiroshima had been the seventh largest city in Japan with a population of 340,000. When the atomic explosion was over and the nightmarish mushroom cloud had ascended, 80,000 of Hiroshima's citizens were dead. In Nagasaki, 35,000 lives were snuffed out. The misery among the living in both cities remains unthinkable.

Most Americans would rather not dwell on the awful destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; many are still debating whether there might have been another way to end the war. Still, we tolerate a Hiroshima’s and a Nagasaki each year in our own land. No wonder Edwin R. Anderson entitled his tract on alcohol: The A Bomb Has Already Fallen.

The war in Vietnam was one of the most tragic chapters in American history. Apart from the Civil War, no conflict has ever found the nation so divided, so torn apart. Families were at war among themselves over national policy. With the benefit of hindsight, some have changed positions since the war ended, but refugees from that troubled land are still seeking shelter and a place to live in peace.

Casualties in Vietnam were high: More than 57,000 Americans died in the nine years of fighting. But on another front the casualties were higher: During the same period, alcohol killed nearly two million at home.

On December 24,1965, in Phoenix, Arizona, a drunken man driving a pickup truck sped through two red lights at eighty miles an hour. Seconds later, he veered across the center line and smashed head on into a station wagon.

In the car were a father and mother and two teen-age children on their way from Idaho to San Diego to meet a son returning from Vietnam. The parents were smashed against the instrument panel and died instantly.

The two teen-agers were hurled from the car into the street, where they lay critically injured.

The drunken driver in the pickup truck was so entrapped in the twisted wreckage that it took rescuers using a blowtorch thirty-five minutes to extricate him.

But that hardly mattered. He had died in the shattering impact.2

The soldier son arrived safely in San Diego, having survived the dangers of battle. But his family had been cut down by a different enemy.

The beloved enemy may not capture as much television coverage or as many headlines as a foreign war, but if you are one who works in the trenches you will see as much blood and misery as on any battlefield.

Ask the ambulance drivers, the policemen, the doctors and nurses-even the family members of those addicted to alcohol.

Highway deaths due to alcohol are a continuing national nightmare. The curtain never goes down on this deadly drama. There were 16,885 alcohol-related fatalities in 2005 - 39 percent of the total traffic fatalities for the year. The 16,885 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes during 2005 represent an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 31 minutes. An estimated 254,000 persons were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present - an average of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes.3

Often nondrinkers are victims.

Crash Kills Safe Driver and Five Others, read the headline. The news article told the heartbreaking story.

A national highway safety leader, his wife and a son died in a two-car crash which took six lives. Another son is in critical condition. On a straight stretch of highway an oncoming car swerved across the center line and slammed into the car coming in the opposite direction.

State Patrol Sgt. T. H. Embry said all three of the men in the weaving car had been drinking heavily. The official report said the trio had been refused more beer at two different places shortly before the wreck.4

Any other plague claiming 17,000 lives a year would call forth a national effort to root it out and eradicate it. Telethons would be staged to raise money to fight the destroyer. Rewards would be offered to persons finding a cure. Politicians would run on platforms dedicated to conquering the plague.

But beloved alcohol marches that number into the grave each year, while leaders lift their glasses in toasts to life.

The facts are in. Alcohol is a drug that causes violence, injury, and death.

Still, the general public remains unmoved. Impressive statistics have not proved effective in getting the message across.

It would be unfair to say that the public is unconcerned about traffic deaths and injuries. We have tried everything from seat belts to reduced speed limits in the interest of highway safety. But we have scarcely dented the accident figure. In spite of all our efforts, automobiles remain unsafe.

Why? Because we refuse to deal with the principle cause of car crashes: drinking drivers.

A common misconception about alcohol's highway killing is that most of it is done by drunken drivers. Actually, even a small amount of alcohol can make an otherwise capable driver a threat to himself and to others.

In his article What Two Drinks Will Do to Your Driving, Don Wharton claims that drinking drivers are an even greater menace than drunken drivers because there are so many more of them. He writes:

By focusing attention on drunken drivers , who are relatively rare , it whitewashes drinking drivers, who are almost numberless. A study of traffic around Evanston, Ill., showed that for every drunken driver there were about 30 who had been drinking. A report on 17,000 traffic accidents in Michigan reveals that about three times as many accidents were caused by drivers who had been drinking as by those actually under the influence.5

Even a casual acquaintance with the enemy may make you a highway death statistic.

How does a little alcohol affect drivers? Wharton explains:

It slows down reactions. The average man after one large whiskey, according to New Zealand's Road Code, will take about 15 percent longer than usual to depress his brake or swing his wheel in an emergency.

It creates a false confidence. New Zealand's Road Code put this neatly: A little alcohol has the double effect of making him drive worse and believe he is driving better.

It impairs concentration, dulls judgment. Alcohol makes drivers talk more and causes their attention to be more easily diverted.

It affects vision. Dr. Goldberg (of Sweden's Caroline Institute) conducted laboratory tests which showed that moderate drinking caused a 32 percent deterioration in vision. Alcohol has the same effect on vision, he concluded, as driving with sunglasses in twilight or darkness; a stronger illumination is needed for distinguishing objects and dimly lit objects will not be distinguished at all; when a person is dazzled by a sharp light it takes a longer time before he can see clearly again. A British ophthalmologist found that alcohol reduced peripheral vision-the capacity to see out of the comer of the eye and spot vehicles coming from side roads or pedestrians stepping off curbs,6
Drinking drivers see poorly. And some of their victims are not seen at all until it is too late .

It's not a new revelation. Hear Solomon on the subject:

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine: they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things (Proverbs 23:29-31).

Although traffic fatalities and injuries loom large on alcohol's grisly trail of destruction, that is but one area of the enemy's destruction. Alcohol is a threat to safety in nearly all of life 's activities.

5% of all deaths from diseases of the circulatory system are attributed to alcohol.

15% of all deaths from diseases of the respiratory system are attributed to alcohol.

30% of all deaths from accidents caused by fire and flames are attributed to alcohol.

30% of all accidental drownings are attributed to alcohol.

30% of all suicides are attributed to alcohol.

40% of all deaths due to accidental falls are attributed to alcohol.

45% of all deaths in automobile accidents are attributed to alcohol.

60% of all homicides are attributed to alcohol. 7
How widespread is alcoholism in industry?

Some sources estimate that one out of every ten industrial employees is an alcoholic. Add to these statistics the many drinkers who are not considered alcoholics but who often drink too much, and you have an immense potential for industrial accidents, to say nothing of the costs involved or the inferiority of the goods produced. People in the know hope they will not purchase an automobile or other item manufactured on a Monday after a weekend binge.

From the highway to the marketplace, alcohol is an enemy, a destroyer. The full impact of its devastation is difficult to grasp. Even America's most famous booze fighter, Billy Sunday, struggled for words to describe alcohol's destruction.

I wish I could unlock the door, gentlemen, that conceals the secrets of this damnable charnel house, but I am here to tell you, sir, that God never gave any man imagination powerful enough nor lips nor tongue eloquent enough to picture its damnable wreckage and its ruin.

If hydrophobia [rabies] produced one millionth part of the disease and trouble the saloon causes, every dog in America would be killed off before Monday morning.8

In reaching for words to expose the enemy that day in 1917 in Pittsburgh, Billy Sunday found one that deserves our study: disease.

What does alcohol do to our bodies?

Is beverage alcohol really harmful to health?

NOTES:

Substance Abuse: The Nation’s Number One Health Problem, Feb. 2001

Walter B. Knight, Knight's Up-to-the-Minute Illustrations (Chicago: Moody Press, 1974), p . 11.

http://www.alcoholalert.com/drunk-driving-statistics.html

Walter B. Knight, Knight's Treasury of Illustrations (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1963), p. 397.

Don Wharton, What Two Drinks Will Do to Your Driving, The Rotarian (October, 1951).

Ibid.

FAS Community Resource Center - http://www.come-over.to/FAS/alcdeath.htm

Billy Sunday, The Trail of the Serpent, 1917 sermon, The Sword of the Lord, July 14, 1967.