50,000 DEAD COULD HIT CHINA QUAKE

Psalm 52:1-9 Bible in Basic English
1 To the chief music-maker. Maschil. Of David. When Doeg the Edomite came to Saul saying, David has come to the house of Ahimelech. Why do you take pride in wrongdoing, lifting yourself up against the upright man all the day?
2 Purposing destruction, using deceit; your tongue is like a sharp blade.
3 You have more love for evil than for good, for deceit than for works of righteousness. (Selah.)
4 Destruction is in all your words, O false tongue.
5 But God will put an end to you for ever; driving you out from your tent, uprooting you from the land of the living. (Selah.)
6 The upright will see it with fear, and will say, laughing at you:
7 See, this is the man who did not make God his strength, but had faith in his goods and his property, and made himself strong in his wealth.
8 But I am like a branching olive-tree in the house of God; I have put my faith in his mercy for ever and ever.
9 I will give you praise without end for what you have done; I will give honour to your name before your saints, for it is good.

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.

China quake death toll could rise to 50,000 By WILLIAM FOREMAN, Associated Press Writer MAY 15,08

LUOSHUI TOWN, China - China warned the death toll from this week's earthquake could soar to 50,000, while the government issued a public appeal Thursday for rescue equipment as it struggled to cope with the disaster. More than 72 hours after the quake rattled central China, rescuers appeared to shift from poring through downed buildings for survivors to the grim duty of searching for bodies — with 10 million directly affected by Monday's temblor.

At least 12,300 people remained buried and another 102,100 were injured in Sichuan province, where the quake was centered, the vice governor told reporters.In Luoshui town — on the road to an industrial zone in Shifang city where two chemical plants collapsed, burying hundreds of people — troops used a mechanical shovel to dig a pit on a hilltop to bury the dead.Police and militia in Dujiangyan pulverized rubble with cranes and backhoes while crews used shovels to pick around larger pieces of debris. On one sidestreet, about a dozen bodies were laid on a sidewalk, while incense sticks placed in a pile of sand sent smoke into the air as a tribute and to dull the stench of death.The bodies were later lifted onto a flatbed truck, joining some half-dozen corpses. Ambulances sped past, sirens wailing, filled with survivors. Workers asked those left homeless to sign up for temporary housing, although it was unclear where they would live.Not all hope of finding survivors was lost. After more than three days trapped under debris, a 22-year-old woman was pulled to safety in Dujiangyan. Covered in dust and peering out through a small opening, she was shown waving on state television shortly before being rescued.I was confident that you were coming to rescue me. I'm alive. I'm so happy, the unnamed woman said on CCTV.One earthquake expert said the time for rescues was growing short.

Generally speaking, anyone buried in an earthquake can survive without water and food for three days, said Gu Linsheng, a researcher with Tsinghua University's Emergency Management Research Center. After that, it's usually a miracle for anyone to survive.

The confirmed death toll reached 19,509 on Thursday, up from the nearly 15,000 confirmed dead the day before, according to the Earthquake and Disaster Relief Headquarters of the State Council, the country's Cabinet. The council said deaths could rise to some 50,000, state TV reported.The government issued an appeal to the Chinese public calling for donations of rescue equipment including hammers, shovels, demolition tools and rubber boats. The plea on the Ministry of Information Industry's Web Site said, for example, that 100 cranes were needed.More than 130,000 soldiers and police joined the relief operation, Xinhua said.This is only a beginning of this battle, and a long way lies ahead of us, Vice Health Minister Gao Qiang told reporters in Beijing.We will never give up hope, he said. For every thread of hope, our efforts will increase 100-fold. We will never give up.Premier Wen Jiabao visited Qingchuan in northern Sichuan province, site of a collapsed school that buried dozens of children, to encourage doctors and nurses aiding the injured.

The party and the government are grateful to you. The people need you, he said in footage shown on CCTV. They see you as a relative. Every act and word of yours represents the government.After days of refusing foreign relief workers, China accepted an offer from Japan to send a rescue team, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in an announcement posted on the ministry Web site. Taiwan's Red Cross said China also agreed to accept a 20-person emergency relief team from the island. Taiwan is also sending a cargo plane to Chengdu with tents and medical supplies. The Air Macau plane will make a brief stop in Macau. Taiwan and China, which split during civil war in 1949, have banned regular direct links and other formal contacts as political disputes persist. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also issued an emergency appeal for medical help, food, water and tents. Gu Qinghui, the federation's disaster management director for East Asia who visited Beichuan county near the epicenter, said more than 4 million homes were shattered across the quake area. The whole county has been destroyed. Basically there is no Beichuan county anymore, Gu said in Beijing, adding the death toll was sure to rise. Roads were cleared Thursday to two key areas that felt the brunt of the quake's force, with workers making it to Wenchuan at the epicenter and also through to Beichuan county, Xinhua reported. Communication cables also were reconnected to Wenchuan. The blocked roads had prevented rescuers from moving heavy equipment to the worst-affected areas, with soldiers riding to isolated mountain villages on helicopters and small boats previously forced to dig for survivors with their hands. Hundreds of troops marched to the epicenter across the Zipingpu dam that had reportedly suffered cracks from the disaster, raising fears it could endanger communities downriver. There was no repair work or extra security seen Thursday at the dam by an Associated Press photographer, indicating the threat to the structure had likely passed. Public donations so far have totaled $186 million in cash and goods, Xinhua said.

Dujiangyan city was clogged with buses and trucks decked out with banners from companies saying they were offering aid to disaster victims. One tour bus was stuffed full of water bottles, cartons of biscuits and instant noodles. Public donations so far have totaled $125 million in both cash and goods. NBA star Yao Ming, China's most famous athlete, was planning to donate $285,000 to the relief effort, agent Erik Zhang said. My thoughts are with everyone back in my home country of China during this very dark and emotional time, Yao said in a statement from Houston, where he is recovering from a broken left foot with hopes of competing in the Beijing Olympics this August. As the rescue effort gathered momentum, the depth of the problem of tens of thousands homeless stretched government resources. North of Chengdu in Deyang, the largest town near the devastated areas of Hanwang and Mianyang, thousands of people have streamed into the city hospital since Monday, mostly with head or bone injuries. Patients heavily wrapped in bandages and with cuts and bruises were huddled in canvas tents in the hospital's parking lot. Our doctors have worked continuously since Monday and people keep coming in. We have to keep strengthening our measures to keep up, said Luo Mingxuan, the Communist Party secretary of the hospital. There were piles of donated clothing for survivors at the hospital and stands for them to make free telephone calls. Handwritten notes with names of the injured were posted on a board in front of the hospital's emergency section, where ambulances arrived every few minutes. Also Thursday, a group of 33 American, British and French tourists were airlifted from Wolong, site of the world's most famous panda preserve, to the provincial capital of Chengdu, Xinhua reported. All were in good health, Xinhua said. Associated Press writers Audra Ang in Mianyang, Christopher Bodeen in Dujiangyan, and Cara Anna and Anita Chang in Beijing contributed to this report.

Earthquake in China struck in 2 stages By SHINO YUASA, Associated Press Writer Thu May 15, 6:35 AM ET

TOKYO - The fault line that caused this week's devastating earthquake in China probably buckled in two stages, and the hardness of the terrain contributed to the wide reach of the damage, Japanese scientists said Thursday. The 7.9-magnitude quake on Monday struck in Sichuan province but rattled buildings as far away as Beijing, Shanghai and Thailand, affecting 10 million people and killing at least 15,000.Yuji Yagi, a seismologist at Tsukuba University, said data show the 155-mile Longmenshan Fault tore in two sections, the first one ripping about seven yards, followed by a second one that sheared four yards.Despite the two-stage quake, which he estimated lasted for about two minutes, it was the shallowness of the epicenter — only 6 miles — that contributed most to the temblor's destructive power, he said.The damage was very severe because the quake's epicenter was shallow, and the quake occurred in densely populated areas, said Yagi.The other distinguishing factor to the quake was the firmness of the terrain in central China, which allowed seismic waves to travel large distances without losing their power, Tokyo University seismologist Teruyuki Kato said.Kato said the hardness of the land in China contrasted with Japan, where patches of soft terrain can often blunt the reach of earthquakes.

The strata are very hard in the quake-hit region, and that allowed the seismic waves to travel far, while their strength remained intact, he said.Japan is one of the world's most quake prone nations, and media there have focused on the possible role of shoddy construction methods in the large death toll in the China quake.Japan's most destructive quake in recent times was the 7.3-magnitude temblor in the western city of Kobe, which killed more than 6,400 people in January 1995.Yagi calculated that the energy level of the China quake was 30 times that of the one that struck Kobe.

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.

THE TRIBULATION HAS TO BE CLOSE,GODS JUDGEMENTS ARE GETTING MORE INTENSE AS WE GO HERE. WORLD, THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL FOR US TO REPENT AND PUT GOD (KING JESUS THE GOD OF ISRAEL) BACK INTO EVERYTHING. AS WELL AS HELP ISRAEL AND NOT HATE THEM.

MYNAMAR VIDEO
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7823548&ch=4226714&src=news

Myanmar cyclone death toll soars above 43,000 MAY 15,08

YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's junta warned Thursday that legal action would be taken against people who trade or hoard international aid as the cyclone's death toll soared above 43,000. It was the first acknowledgment by the military government, albeit indirectly, of problems with relief operations in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.

The warning came amid reports that foreign aid was being sold openly in markets, and that the military was pilfering and diverting aid for its own use.The ruling junta has been blasted by aid agencies for refusing to allow most foreign experts into the hard-hit Irrawaddy delta and not responding adequately to what they say is a spiraling crisis.Relief workers also reported some storm survivors were being given spoiled or poor-quality food rather than nutrition-rich biscuits sent by international donors, adding to fears that the ruling military junta in the Southeast Asian country could be misappropriating assistance.New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement Wednesday that it had confirmed an Associated Press report that the military had seized high-energy biscuits that came from abroad, and distributed low-quality, locally produced biscuits to survivors.Thursday's radio announcement obliquely denied the military was misappropriating aid.

The government has systematically accepted donations and has distributed the relief goods immediately and directly to the victims, it said.The government said Thursday that the official death toll from the May 2-3 cyclone had climbed by almost 5,000 to 43,318. The number of missing has remained at 27,838 for at least two days.But the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimated the death toll was between 68,833 and 127,990. The U.N. says more than 100,000 may have died.The U.N. and the Red Cross say between 1.6 and 2.5 million people are in urgent need of food, water and shelter. Only 270,000 have been reached so far by the aid groups.Tons of foreign aid including water, blankets, mosquito nets, tarpaulins, medicines and tents have been sent to Myanmar, but its delivery has been slowed down because of bottlenecks, poor infrastructure and bureaucratic tangles.The junta insists on taking control of the distribution. It has allowed the U.N. and some other agencies to hand out the aid directly but prohibited their few foreign staff allowed into Myanmar from leaving Yangon, the country's main city.Police have turned back foreigners from checkpoints at the city's exits.There is a visible fence around Yangon that we don't dare cross. A circle has been drawn around Yangon and expats are confined there, said Tim Costello of aid group World Vision.He said the group has delivered aid to 100,000 people in spite of the narrow parameters. But there are tens of thousands more who haven't received help because of heavy rain and lack of helicopters and expert staff.

While you are getting aid through, it's like getting it through on a 3-inch pipe not 30-inch pipe, Costello said.The regime insists it can handle the disaster on its own — a stance that appears to stem not from its abilities but its deep suspicion of most foreigners, who have frequently criticized its human rights abuses and crackdown on democracy activists. In a clear sign that politics is playing a role, the junta granted approval to 160 relief workers from India, China, Bangladesh and Thailand, which have rarely criticized Myanmar's democracy record. With professional aid workers in short supply, ordinary citizens — including businessmen, housewives, monks, Christian priests and students — have rushed in to provide help. But even Myanmar citizens are being restricted by the security forces, said Zaw Htin, a 21-year-old medical student who visited hard-hit Bogaley town on Wednesday. They (military) don't want us to stay and talk to people. They want us to leave the supplies with them for distribution. But how can I treat them if I can't talk to them? How do we administer medical care if we can't touch them, feel their pulse or give them advice? she said. It was overwhelming even for us who have seen a lot of suffering and death, Zaw Htin said. Britain's prime minister said Thursday that an emergency U.N. summit to coordinate efforts to rush aid to cyclone victims in Myanmar will be held in Asia. Gordon Brown told a news conference the summit was being organized by the U.N. and Asian countries and would be held in the region. He said the meeting represented great progress but gave no details of when it would take place. Also Thursday, the junta announced that voters had overwhelmingly backed a pro-military constitution in a referendum that was held one week after the cyclone.

Human rights organizations and dissident groups bitterly accused the junta of neglecting disaster victims in going ahead with the vote, and have criticized the proposed constitution as designed to perpetuate military rule. State radio said the draft constitution was approved by 92.4 percent of the 22 million eligible voters. It put voter turnout Saturday at more than 99 percent of eligible voters in areas that went to the polls. Voting was postponed until May 24 in the Irrawaddy delta and Yangon areas, which were worst hit by Cyclone Nargis. But state radio said the results of the late balloting could not mathematically reverse the constitution's approval. People are dying and they are talking about the referendum? said Kyaw Muang, a small food store owner in Yangon. They (the generals) don't even care about dying people, you think they care about democracy for living people? he said. I don't care about the referendum. It doesn't mean anything, he said. Human Rights Watch also slammed the timing of the constitution announcement and questioned the accuracy of the results. David Mathieson, a spokesman in Bangkok, Thailand, said the junta hopes that by announcing the results now it would divert attention away from its handling of the disaster and its refusal to cooperate with the international community. It seems strategically timed because you would have thought with how busy they were in cleaning up the cyclone that they never would have had time to count this properly, he said.

More rain, thunderstorms hitting soggy Louisiana MAY 15,08

SHREVEPORT, La. - A line of drenching thunderstorms moved across the state from west to east Thursday after record rainfall caused flooding in water-logged parts of Louisiana. Most of Louisiana was under a tornado or flash flood watch Thursday, and up to 4 inches of rain were possible. Schools in Livingston Parish, northwest of New Orleans, were closed because the storms could produce flooding.

Strong thunderstorms that began late Tuesday socked the Shreveport-Bossier area in northwest Louisiana, causing widespread flooding, knocking out electricity, blowing over trees and closing schools.
The rainfall began Tuesday night and broke several records, including the most rain to fall in a 20-minute interval and the most rainfall in a three-hour period. More than 10 inches of rain deluged the Shreveport area, flooding at least 125 homes, officials said.I expected rain, but not this much, said Joseph Gardner, of Shreveport, who had items float from his garage across his front yard on Wednesday.There were no reports of any serious injuries.The weather system that hit south Louisiana toppled trees and washed out roads. Winds of up to 90 mph stripped roofs from a church in Baker, a school in Central and the new parish jail in Livingston.

Golf ball-sized hail also was reported as a thunderstorm moved across southeast Louisiana, said Phil Grigsby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. It's one of the most intense storms we've had down here in quite a few years, he said.More than 20,000 residents in the St. Tammany Parish area were without power late Wednesday. That number was down to about 12,000 statewide by Thursday morning, Cleco Corp. spokeswoman Susan Broussard said. The utility hoped to have electricity restored Thursday, but it also was receiving reports of new outages after storms rolled across central Louisiana, she said.In St. Tammany Parish, there were several reports of flooded roads, and trees down. Virtually every major road had trees across it, said Capt. George Bonnett of the sheriff's office.Numerous roads were closed in the Shreveport region as well, along with the gates at Barksdale Air Force Base. Deputies checked houses for stranded residents in southern Caddo Parish, where floods cut off normal street access.Shreveport's director of operational services, Mike Strong, said the city's drainage system was functioning but was inundated by rain.

FAMINE

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

Oil prices surge on weaker dollar, diesel demand By JOHN WILEN, AP Business Writer MAY 15,08

NEW YORK - Oil prices surged nearly $2 a barrel Thursday as the dollar fell against the euro and investors anticipated strong demand for diesel fuel in parts of China ravaged by Monday's earthquake. Gas prices, meanwhile, advanced past $3.77 a gallon. Light, sweet crude for June delivery rose $1.87 to $126.09 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.The dollar's long decline has been one of the driving forces behind oil's record-setting climb. Many investors buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation when the greenback falls; also, a weaker dollar makes oil less expensive to investors overseas.Oil futures were also following heating oil prices higher. Heating oil is closely related to diesel fuel, and is often traded as a proxy for diesel. Some investors are concerned that damage to China's natural gas infrastructure will lead to a temporary spike in demand for diesel. Heating oil futures for June delivery rose 4.92 cents to $3.667 on the Nymex.In the U.S., diesel fuel prices jumped 3.6 cents Thursday to a new national average of $4.455 a gallon, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Diesel is used to fuel most trucks, trains and ships, and is a large part of the reason prices of food and consumer goods are rising so fast.

Mike Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research Inc. in Winchester, Mass., doubts the impact on distillate prices from the earthquake will last long. Natural gas pipelines are easy to fix, and there have been recent indications that Chinese demand for oil is waning, he said. Still, until repairs are made, you can imagine a lot of diesel generators firing up, Lynch said.At the pump, meanwhile, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas rose 1.8 cents overnight to a national average of $3.776. Prices are 67 cents higher than a year ago, and many analysts think they could rise as high as $4 on a national basis in coming weeks. Consumers in many areas are already paying that much, or more.

However, Lynch thinks gas prices will peak around $3.85 to $3.90 a gallon on a national basis just before the Memorial Day weekend.

I don't think we'll go much higher than that, he said.

Demand for gasoline has been sliding since January, and many analysts think American consumers' declining appetite for fuel will eventually pull prices down. However, that theory could prove wrong if continued dollar weakness pushes oil to new records. Oil prices reached a trading record of $126.98 a barrel on Tuesday.Oil prices may be more volatile in coming days as investors square positions ahead of the June contract's expiration next week.In other Nymex trading Thursday, June gasoline futures rose 3.89 cents to $3.2193 a gallon, and June natural gas futures rose 4.2 cents to $11.64 per 1,000 cubic feet.In London, June Brent crude rose 90 cents to $122.76 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

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.(TRADE 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).

Brussels outlines plan for new Mediterranean club
14.05.2008 - 09:18 CET | By Honor Mahony

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission has begun to look at the possible set-up for the planned Mediterranean union by trying to breathe life into current bilateral relations between the EU and Mediterranean countries while avoiding an unwieldy new political organisation.An internal paper discussed last week in EU commissioners' cabinets, suggests the new relationship has to be a multilateral partnership and encompass all member states of the European Union.It suggests summits at head of state and government level twice a year with the first official one to take place in Paris on 13 July, when France has the EU presidency.This maiden summit is to formally create the Barcelona Process - A Union for the Mediterranean and establish the union's structures and principle goals.The summit's conclusions should include a political declaration and a short list of concrete projects to be put in place all of which should be agreed by consensus.

The careful wording as well as the cumbersome title for the EU-Mediterranean relationship reflects its controversial beginnings when, as the brainchild of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, it was foreseen as a more exclusive club, but which would still use EU money for funding.This proposal, made during Mr Sarkozy's presidential campaign and seen as a way of wrapping Turkey up in a political structure that would keep it away from the EU, managed to offend several member states including Germany.Eventually, EU leaders in March agreed to a softer all-inclusive version with less bite and Turkey, once it received assurances that it would not be seen as an alternative to EU membership, agreed to take part.

New secretariat
The Union for the Mediterranean which envisages working on a series of issues that affect both the EU and these southern countries including immigration, security and environment issues, is to have a co-presidency and a new secretariat.The EU would be represented by the EU foreign policy chief and the president of the commission and of the European Council, while Mediterranean countries would have to choose their side by consensus. The co-president would have a mandate of two years.The paper remains unclear about whether the secretariat should have limited powers, in charge only of following up on decisions made by the summit leaders or if it be something enlarged to every day governance of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The new set-up is supposed to include all countries involved in the current Barcelona Process – Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Palestinian Authority, Israel, Libya, Syria, Turkey and Albania – as well as other Mediterranean states – Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Monaco.It would revamp the current 12-year old Barcelona process which is designed to foster dialogue between the two sides but has become rather stale.The commission paper suggests that any added value that the new-set-up is to have will depend on its capacity to attract money from the private sector for regional projects. It also suggests bilateral cooperation between certain countries and international financial institutions as further sources of funds.The commission is soon to present its ideas on the Union for the Mediterranean to member states and the European Parliament. The project will then be formally discussed by EU leaders at a Brussels summit next month.

Syria: EU engagement in democratisation process needed. Jana Hybaskova MEP

Syria, a key country in the Middle East , is a vital part of the process which will lead to peace, stability and democracy in the whole region. We have to engage together for the strengthening of political pluralism, democracy, human rights, successful economic reform and good governance based on the rule of law in Syria in particular, and in the whole Mediterranean region in general, said Jana Hybaskova on the occasion of the international conference Syria in Transition, held in the European Parliament on Tuesday 13 May 2008.The conference was organised by Ms Hybaskova MEP together with the members of the Damascus Declaration and is a follow-up to the EPP-ED public hearing on Syria organised in January 2007. Recognising the importance of Syria as a possible member of the Mediterranean Union, I consider it my duty to engage further in dialogue with Syria and to keep all EU institutions open, all concerned Europeans, as well as democratic forces and the people of Syria. It was my pleasure to discuss EU involvement in the democratisation process with many young and talented democratic Syrians, said Jana Hybaskova MEP.

Syria is also important for the Barcelona Process: the Mediterranean Union and European Neighbourhood Policy in general. Unfortunately, developments after the assassination of the Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, as well as internal developments in Syria , did not allow the increase of dynamics of mutual relations between the EU and Syria which could have lead to the ratification of the Association Treaty. Syria remains the only ENP country without a functioning association agreement.The current complex and deteriorating situation in Lebanon, the fact that Syria will still not open its diplomatic mission in this sovereign neighbour country, does not help to develop a more positive atmosphere. Therefore, taking into account the forthcoming Mediterranean summit in Paris on 13 July, the European Parliament has to pose the question: how to engage with Syria? We support economic, political and administrative reforms which Syrian political representation had promised to undertake. However, we are very critical of the situation in the field of human rights. We support improvements in political pluralism, democracy and human rights as cornerstones of the EU's deeper engagement with Syria , concluded Jana Hybaskova MEP.ABHaber, 13-05-2008 19.00 (TSİ)

CAROLINE GLICK SPEAKS AUDIO
http://gr8casts.hipcast.com/download/432698a5-654f-9be2-2eb2-84e0a732dc38.mp3

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.

BUSH CLAIMS SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7827853&ch=4226714&src=news

Bush envisions a democratic Middle East free of oppression By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer MAY 15,08

JERUSALEM - President Bush feted Israel on Thursday in honor of the 60th anniversary of its founding and predicted that its 120th birthday would find it alongside a Palestinian state and in an all-democratic neighborhood free of today's oppression, restrictions on freedom and extremist Muslim movements. Delivering this rosy forecast for the Middle East in 2068 during a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, Bush limited his mention of Palestinians to just one sentence. The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved, a democratic state that is governed by law, and respects human rights, and rejects terror, he said.This scant talk of the other side of one of the world's longest-running disputes contrasted jarringly with the more expansive treatment of the subject by Bush's Israeli hosts.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the lawmakers that he is working hard for an accord and believes when the day comes for a historic peace agreement that both the Knesset and the Israeli public will support it by a large majority. The chamber reacted with silence and nervous laughter, which Bush briefly joined. Two hardline lawmakers walked out of the chamber in protest during Olmert's address.Bush made no acknowledgment of the hardship Palestinians suffered when the creation of the Jewish state in 1948 displaced hundreds of thousands, a fact that serves as a counterpoint to Israel's two weeks of jubilant celebrations. Though Bush has set a goal of reaching an Israeli-Palestinian deal before the end of his term in January, he did not mention the ongoing negotiations or how to resolve the thorniest disputes.The president also offered no detail on how the broader Mideast would move from today's realities to his vision.From Cairo and Riyadh to Baghdad and Beirut, people will live in free and independent societies, where a desire for peace is reinforced by ties of diplomacy, tourism and trade, he said. Iran and Syria will be peaceful nations, where today's oppression is a distant memory and people are free to speak their minds and develop their talents. And al-Qaida, Hezbollah and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region recognize the emptiness of the terrorists' vision and the injustice of their cause.White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Bush made such a brief mention of the Palestinians because his purpose was to sketch broad themes and not the specifics of the process.

Johndroe also suggested that the Knesset wasn't the best place to talk in detail about the concerns of Palestinians. Bush was to meet later Thursday with international Mideast envoy Tony Blair precisely to discuss conditions in the Palestinian territories and then see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt.The best venue to go into more detail on the situation with the Palestinians is with Abbas, Johndroe said. He said Bush also is likely to speak more expansively about Palestinians during remarks to Arab leaders in Egypt on Sunday.

While Israel marked its 60th anniversary, Palestinians engaged in their own annual ritual — one of mourning. In the West Bank, the anniversary was being commemorated with rallies, sirens and the launch of thousands of black balloons.Other conditions also are cause for deep concern and frustration in the Palestinian territories. The economy remains stagnant, despite a massive injection of foreign aid, in part because of Israel's reluctance to ease its restrictions on movement and trade. And the separation is deepening between Hamas-run Gaza and the West Bank, which is led by Abbas.In reaction to the speech, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said: Bush's recognition of Palestine as the national homeland for the Jews is a very dangerous act of discrimination and racism, obliterating the right of return for Palestinians and establishing a genocide at the expense of Palestinian rights. He added: We want to tell Bush, Israel is not going to survive another 60 years. Israel's end is drawing closer, and it will take less than 60 years to achieve it.The primary theme of Bush's remarks to Israeli lawmakers was the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel.Bush began his address by exclaiming, Yom Atzmaut Sameach, or Happy Independence Day. He denounced anti-Semitism in all forms, said Israel has a right to defend itself and earned a standing ovation for his most forceful statement of U.S. support for the Jewish state.Some people suggest that if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of our enemies, and America rejects it utterly, Bush said to cheers and robust applause. Israel's population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because America stands with you.Bush took special aim at Iran — the anti-Israel statements of its leaders and alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons.

With new bursts of violence in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip intruding on his trip and the anniversary festivities, Bush also said that those who carry out terror attacks serve not God or Islam, but only their own desire for power. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers, he said. Without naming names, Bush criticized those who believe we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. He called the approach the false comfort of appeasement, and one that has been discredited by history. The strong words came as the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama, has expressed a willingness to meet with the leaders of U.S. adversaries, including Iran and Syria. However, White House press secretary Dana Perino flatly rejected the idea that the Knesset remark was aimed in any way at Obama, and Johndroe said Bush was referring to a wide range of people who have talked to or suggested we talk to Hamas, Hezbollah or their state sponsors. Former President Carter recently held talks with Hamas leaders. Obama said in a statement that it is time to turn the page on eight years of policies that have strengthened Iran and failed to secure America or our ally Israel.Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power — including tough, principled and direct diplomacy — to pressure countries like Iran and Syria, he said. Before appearing before the Knesset, Bush toured Masada, the ancient fortress on a plateau in the desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It is said to be the place where Jewish rebels killed themselves and each other 2,000 years ago rather than fall into slavery under the advancing Romans army.

The Masada was the last stronghold of the Jews against the Romans, and the dramatic story, while coming under question recently, has played an important role in Israel's national mythology. Remains were recognized as Jewish heroes by Israel's government in 1969, complete with a state burial, and army units used to be sworn in on the mountaintop to cries of Masada will not fall again.Said Bush at the Knesset: Citizens of Israel: Masada shall never fall again, and America will be at your side.The president was scheduled to depart Israel on Friday to continue his five-day Mideast journey, traveling on to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Associated Press writers Dalia Nammari in Ramallah and Karin Laub in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

May 15, 2008 ARLENE KUSHNER

Nakba

The Nakba is the purported catastrophe for the Arabs brought on by the founding of Israel. They have been commemorating the 60th Nakba for some days now, but today is the official day, when thousands are marching in Judea and Samaria, Gaza and Lebanon. Sirens have sounded and thousands of black balloons, signifying mourning, have been released. Where Palestinians rallying close to the Gaza crossings became rowdy, IDF troops -- which were watching in anticipation of threatened trouble -- released tear gas and shot live bullets in the air. This commemoration will continue tomorrow. The true nakba, of course, is the failure of the Palestinian Arab community to accept our existence as a Jewish state, and to make peace with us.

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Mahmoud Abbas spoke today at a rally, and he spoke, ostensibly, on behalf of peace. After 60 years, I say again that our hands our extended for peace, that is our strategic choice.Sounds great, until you examine his words and associated actions more closely.

For Abbas also said:
Israel has failed in wiping out the memory of the Nakba from the minds of successive Palestinian generations. They [Israel] thought that perhaps the elderly would forget. But today we see that neither the elderly nor the young have forgotten. Everyone remembers the Nakba.The reason they haven't forgotten the Nakba, of course, is because of the policies promoted by UNRWA for 60 years. The UN High Commission for Refugees -- which cares for all refugees in the world except Palestinians -- promotes a policy of getting refugees settled in a new permanent life quickly, which means sometimes settling them in a new country if they cannot return home. But UNRWA has declared for all of these years that Palestinians who left the founding state of Israel are to be considered refugees -- even if they have new citizenship and have succeeded in their lives in other ways -- until they and their children and grandchildren return to Israel. For 60 years, the Palestinian refugees have been kept in legal and emotional limbo and told that their inability to get on with their lives is Israel's fault.

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I quite assure you that the promotion of return was not for peaceful purposes. It was designed quite openly as a way to destroy Israel from within. Were -- G-d forbid -- 4.5 million Palestinians who call themselves refugees, a vast number of whom have been radicalized, to enter Israel, it would finish us as a Jewish state.And so, if Abbas talks Nakba even as he talks peace, what is it that he truly has in mind? He speaks about stopping the growth of settlements and building in eastern Jerusalem, which he says destroys the hope of peace. The implication is that were we to withdraw to the Green Line, there could be peace. But the Nakba mourns the founding of the state WITHIN the Green Line. He doesn't say that it's time to release this mourning and to enter a new day, with building of a state at Israel's side. He promotes the Nakba.

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And here is the clincher: He, along with other Palestinians at the rally, signed a document today that pledges to continue the struggle until all of the refugees have been permitted to return. This is reliable information, as it comes from Khaled Abu Toameh of the Post.There is a wealth of material that gives evidence to the fact that Abbas is not a partner for peace. But every now and then some incident arises that makes the case so blatantly, so strongly, that no other documentation is needed.Abbas's signing of this document is such an incident. He is not promoting a two-state solution, but rather Israel's destruction as a Jewish state. What is more, the term struggle is a euphemism for terrorism and violence. He is not even promoting the return of all refugees via peaceful means.

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I would like to point out that, although I believe Abbas, himself, truly does favor return, he would have no option other than to support it in any event. The Palestinian political discourse is being set by Hamas -- that discourse has radicalized over the last few years with the growing influence of Hamas. If Abbas values his life (quite literally), he cannot promote compromise on this issue.

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This information needs to be shoved under the faces of both Bush and Olmert, who, in spite of all the evidence, continue to promote the notion that peace arrived at via compromise with the Palestinians is possible now.I wrote yesterday about the Bush plan to get us to agree to contiguous borders for a Palestinian state -- borders satisfactory to Abbas, which would then encourage him to modify his stance on refugees, which is considered the hot issue. Abbas's actions today expose the nonsense inherent in this plan.

While Olmert, for his part, has his own new plan, in which the control of Jerusalem (which is identified by him as the most problematic issue) would be tabled until later, while all of the other issues were negotiated first. What we see, however, is that the issue of refugees is not about to be negotiated away.What we see, in fact, is that attempting to negotiate a Palestinian state, with resolution of all of these issues, is simply an impossibility.

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The Jerusalem Post has an editorial today, Is it about borders? that I recommend. It details the history of our relationship with the Palestinians and what they've rejected over the years, making it clear that indeed borders is not the issue. This is an answer to Bush, and his suggestion that if we decide on those borders all the rest will fall into place.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1210668636834&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

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I'm going to pass at this point on further discussion of the Olmert investigation. It is still very much ongoing. But it becomes tedious to continue to focus on the minutiae of who was questioned, who accused whom of what, etc. etc. As there are major happenings, I will share.

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More talk without sufficient action. Barak has told the people of Ashkelon, You guys need to bite your lips, but not for [long]. What that really means, is anyone's guess. There are those who believe that even in the face of all that has transpired, this government will find excuses as to why it's not the right time for a major operation.All we've seen in response to what happened yesterday is the IDF targeting of one rocket launching cell, which killed two people.

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Alex Fishman, writing an opinion piece in YNet addresses this pathetic pattern of behavior:The truth is they [government officials] fear yet another military failure, lack of consensus, and commissions of inquiries. They recognize the need [for military action in Gaza] but easily give in to excuses. They’re watching their behinds. So...tomorrow morning, or maybe in two days they will do something in order to placate public opinion. They will explain to us that it cannot go on...that we’re reaching the moment of decision, and all the other clichés. Yet in a few days they will find another convenient excuse for restraint: ...we must not undermine Egypt’s president, Lebanon is burning, etc. This is not how a state should be managed. It looks more like a political science seminar rather than a government that knows what it wants.

And Fishman even has ideas about what might be done, short of an all-out invasion of Gaza, that would be more effective: As of Wednesday night, the Air Force should have been operating across the Strip against known targets, without a time limit. It should have been operating in a way that Thursday, Nakba Day, nobody in Gaza would have dared be outside. Hamas government offices, positions, and warehouse should be flying in the air. Hamas leaders, instead of delivering speeches today, should fear for their lives.If only someone were listening.

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More pertinent still, is anyone listening to IDF Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin? He has now told Haaretz that Hamas now has in its possession several dozen rockets capable of striking targets in a radius of 20 kilometers. ...every community within a 40-kilometer range may come within range of the Hamas rockets: Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, even Beersheba....If this matter is not dealt with, Hamas will bring more cities within its range of fire.

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At least we have rejected a request conveyed to the Ministry of Defense by Rice flunky, I mean American security coordinator, Lt.-Gen. Keith Dayton that PA security forces receive personal armor kits, night-vision goggles and electronic communication systems. This is because it would come too close to establishing parity between our security forces and theirs -- we must retain superiority.However,there is consideration being given, however, to turning security over to the PA in Tulkarm, Kalkilya and Hebron, if the experiment in Jenin, which was the brainchild of Tony Blair, is successful. There have been 600 troops, trained in Jordan, put in place in the Jenin area, with 400 more to follow. The IDF retains over-all coordination, and the right to go in after a smoking gun.
In other cases, Israel will transfer the names of wanted men to the PA security forces, and if the PA forces do not arrest those wanted, the IDF will be able to do so.Defense officials said the PA forces were enforcing law and order but could not (yet?) be depended upon to go after terrorists.

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Let me close with an extraordinary piece that talks about the fact the by objective measures, Israel is the happiest nation on earth.
...most remarkable is that Israelis appear to love life and hate death more than any other nation.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JE13Ak01.html

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see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info


Palestinians mark 1948 uprooting with rallies By DALIA NAMMARI, Associated Press Writer MAY 15,08

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinians marked the 60th anniversary of their uprooting with rallies, sirens and black balloons Thursday — an annual ritual made even darker this year by crippling internal divisions and diminishing independence hopes. The memorial provided a stark contrast to Israel's all-out birthday bash, which included a high-profile visit by President Bush for the 60th independence day celebration.Bush's embrace of Israel at a time when the Palestinians were mourning was bound to further harm the tainted U.S. image in Palestinian areas and across the Arab world.

Thursday's events commemorated the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who either fled or were driven out of their homes during the 1948 war over Israel's creation. Palestinians call it their nakba, Arabic for catastrophe.The anniversary underscored the Palestinians' internal division. For almost a year now, the Islamic militant group Hamas has ruled Gaza, while the West Bank is run by moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.Hamas supporters stayed away from West Bank marches, while Hamas police in Gaza prevented rallies by their political rivals, including Abbas' Fatah movement.In the West Bank city of Ramallah, thousands stood in silence in downtown Manara Square as a siren wailed, then listened to a taped Abbas speech. Some carried black flags, and at a separate event youngsters released thousands of black balloons near a West Bank crossing into Israel.In Gaza, several thousand Hamas supporters marched toward a sealed Israeli border crossing to protest the near-complete closure of the territory since Hamas' violent takeover last June. Later, several dozen teens walked to Israeli positions on the border and threw stones. Israeli forces fired live rounds and tear gas, and Hamas police said three Palestinians were wounded.Israel's military had sent reinforcements to the Gaza border and warned that those trying to break through the border fence were risking their lives.In the Jebaliya refugee camp and the southern Gaza town of Rafah, Hamas police banned nakba marches by rivals, tearing down political posters, blocking streets and stopping cars. In Jebaliya, 20 Fatah supporters were detained and several others beaten by police, Fatah organizers said.

Also in Gaza, Hamas' smaller Islamist rival, Islamic Jihad, organized a march of about 500 elementary school children who marched in military-style uniforms, carrying models of rockets and fake rifles through Gaza City's main square.This year's nakba commemorations come at a time when hopes for a peace deal with Israel are increasingly dim.Nonetheless, Abbas pledge to push ahead with the talks. In his taped nakba speech, he warned Israel that it must not waste a peace opportunity with its continued expansion of Israeli settlements on lands the Palestinians seek for their state.

On this beloved land, there are two peoples, one that celebrates its independence and one that suffers its nakba, he said.Several months of negotiations have produced no tangible results, an Israeli prime minister weakened by a widening corruption probe is seen as unlikely to take daring political steps, and opinion polls show support for U.S.-backed Palestinian leaders seeking a peace deal is plummeting.The Palestinian economy remains stagnant, despite a massive injection of foreign aid, in part because of Israel's reluctance to ease its restrictions on movement and trade.

Meanwhile, the separation of Hamas-run Gaza and the Abbas-ruled West Bank is deepening. The rivals are not on speaking terms, and the two territories that were to make up the future state are cut off from one another by Israeli travel bans.The level of hopelessness is very strong, said Palestinian pollster Jamil Rabih, adding that a recent survey indicates that half the Palestinians don't expect to see a state established within the next 25 years.

There is nothing on the horizon for us, he added.

The gloomy mood has been compounded by Israeli independence day parties. Last week, Israel celebrated the Hebrew calendar anniversary of its May 14, 1948 founding with fireworks, picnics and air force flyovers. A second round of celebrations followed this week, with the participation of Bush. On Thursday, Bush addressed Israel's parliament pledging an unbreakable bond with the country while criticizing the deadly tactics of extremist groups and denouncing anti-Semitism. We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilized society, so we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms whether by those who openly question Israel's right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them, Bush said. Israel's government, meanwhile, came under mounting pressure to try to oust Hamas, after a rocket fired from Gaza hit a medical clinic in an Israeli shopping mall and seriously wounded four people, including a 2-year-old girl. Israel's intelligence chief warned that within two years, Hamas would be able to extend the range of its rockets to 25 miles and put more Israeli cities at risk. Wednesday's Grad rocket, which Israeli security officials said was made in Iran, hit the coastal city of Ashkelon, about nine miles from Gaza. We have to put an end to the Hamas government, Vice Premier Haim Ramon told Israel Radio. If that decision is made, it will have clear military significance. The army knows what it has to do, it can be done in many ways that we are not doing now.Defense officials were meeting Thursday to discuss a response to the latest rocket attack. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has held off ordering a major military offensive in Gaza, in part because Israel would not have a clear exit strategy and because the fighting would likely bring peace talks with the moderate Palestinian government in the West Bank to a halt.Associated Press Writer Ibrahim Barzak in Beit Hanoun, Gaza contributed to this report.

Pope: Thank God for Israel MAY 14,08

Pope Benedict described Israel's 60th Independence Day as a sign of God's beneficence toward the Jews.I would like to congratulate the State of Israel on its 60th Independence Day, Yediot Achronot quoted Benedict as telling Motti Levy, the new Israeli ambassador to the Vatican, on Monday.The Holy See is united with you, and thanks God for the full realization of the Jewish people's aspirations to live in its homeland, the land of its forefathers.

In an interview with Israel Radio, Levy described meeting the pontiff as very moving.According to Levy, Benedict endorsed Israel's right to self-defense but also appealed for an end to Palestinian suffering. He further voiced concern about the dwindling number of Christians in the Holy Land.

Rabbis urge Bush to skip Olmert meeting Published: 05/13/2008

A group of right-wing Israeli rabbis asked President Bush not to meet with Ehud Olmert .Bush is scheduled to arrive in Israel Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state's founding.The rabbis in a letter took Bush to task for pressing Israel to make concessions to terrorists and for considering meeting with the Israeli prime minister, who is under criminal investigations from top to bottom, while his personal situation pushes him to give in to pressure.In the name of the people of Israel, the Land of Israel, the Torah of Israel and the God of Israel, we demand that his honor the president cease the pressure on the State to hand lands to the Arabs. We ask the president not to meet with Mr. Olmert to discuss these issues, particularly not at this time, the letter said.The letter was signed by the head of the Yesha Rabbinical Council and spiritual leader of Kiryat Arba, Rabbi Dov Lior, as well as Rabbis David Druckman, Yakkov Yosef, Shmuel Eliyahu and Shalom Dov Wolpe.

Peres: If it weren't for Hamas, Palestinians would have a state President addresses Facing Tomorrow conference, says Israel has no right to postpone peace any longer.Attila Somfalvi Published: 05.13.08, 21:48 / Israel News

If it wasn't for Hamas, a Palestinian state would have been established by now, President Shimon Peres said Tuesday evening at the opening of the Facing Tomorrow Presidential Conference in Jerusalem. If it weren't for Hamas, a Palestinian state would already exist, Peres said. Hundreds of guests, including presidents and ministers, will take part in the Presidential Conference. United States President George W. Bush will deliver a speech at the event Wednesday.During his address, Peres said Israel had no right to postpone any longer the peace all the world's peoples wait for.I hear around me the sighs of an era coming to a close. Look at the promises of the future, not the threats of the past, he said.

Earlier this week, Peres said that while Hamas possesses rockets, it has no future. It may take some time, but we shall reach a future without rocket threats, he said.

Olmert receives warm reception
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was warmly received by the crowd. In his speech, Olmert said that as PM he faces dilemmas and pressures on a daily basis, in an effort to balance between the long and short term. Olmert added that Israel's elected leaders will ultimately be judged based on what they leave behind them in terms of Israel's security situation and international status. The prime minister also addressed the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state, and said that Israel must aspire for a separation between the two peoples on the basis of two states

Sindh, Punjab provinces face water shortage MAY 14,08

* IRSA increases water inflow by 5,000 cusecs from Mangla reservoir for Punjab
* Authority calls emergency meeting of advisory committee on 22nd

By Zafar Bhutta

ISLAMABAD: The provinces of Sindh and Punjab are facing a water shortage of 35,000 cusecs/day, troubling the sowing of Kharif crops, a senior official of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) told Daily Times on Tuesday.The official said that the primary reason behind the water shortage was the 25 percent less snowfall this year, as compared to previous years. He said the Metrological Department had predicted that this could result in the country having 25 percent less water inflows.The first meeting of IRSA at the beginning of the Kharif season had predicted that the country could face seven percent water shortage, but the authority has now changed its stance and believes the shortage could be closer to 20 percent. This could result in Kharif crops, especially cotton, not meeting their set targets. The official said that the country had also failed to achieve its set target of wheat during the Rabi season, receiving only 21.8 million tonnes against a target of 24 million tonnes. He said the water shortage was also responsible for the power deficit that now exceeds 3,000MW per day.

Increased flow: He said Punjab had demanded an increase in the water inflow from Mangla Dam to provide water for Kharif crops. To help the farmers, the authority increased the water inflow by 5,000 cusecs from 35,000 cusecs/day to 40,000 cusecs/day, he added. He said the water inflows were still below estimate. He said the sowing season in Punjab was at its peak and the province required more water for irrigation purposes currently, especially for cotton crops.The official said that the collective water inflow in the five rivers of the Indus River System were at a 10-year low. He said it was at 163,000 cusecs on Tuesday, while 205,000 cusecs was required for the Kharif crops. He said the reduced inflows were a result of global weather changes, adding that snowfall in Skardu has not melted because the temperature is too low.The water inflow at the Tarbela reservoir was recorded at 59,000 cusecs on Tuesday, while the outflow stood at the same level. The inflows have shown an improvement, as they had stood at 51,700 cusecs earlier. However, the water storage level in the country’s largest reservoir is still at dead level.

Similarly, the water inflow in the river Jhelum at Mangla reservoir now stands at 43,000 cusecs against the outflow of 4,000 cusecs per day. The water storage level of the Mangla reservoir also continue to rise and at present the water storage level has reached 1,095 cusecs per day against the dead level of 1,040 cusecs.Emergency meeting: IRSA has called an emergency meeting of its advisory committee on May 20 to review the water shortage in the country. The meeting was originally scheduled for May 15, but was delayed on the request of the Sindh Irrigation secretary.

Church disowns activist bishop Barney Zwartz May 14, 2008

AUSTRALIA'S Catholic bishops have disowned retired Sydney bishop Geoffrey Robinson, accusing him of failing to understand fundamental church teachings.The country's bishops have released a public statement suggesting that Bishop Robinson — as a bishop, a man chosen by the Pope to guard the teaching of Catholics — is wrong about the authority of Christ and the authority of the church to teach the truth.The statement was the first official response to Bishop Robinson's controversial book published last August, in which he said the church needed to reverse 2000 years of teaching on sex and power as part of radical reforms from the Pope down.

In Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church, Bishop Robinson suggested that while the church refused to examine some fundamental teachings — including sex outside marriage, women priests, homosexuality and papal power — it was not serious about tackling abuse by priests, only managing it.Bishop Robinson, 71, who was abused as a child, headed the Australian church's efforts to tackle clerical sexual abuse for a decade, until he retired in 2004 because he was so disillusioned.The statement by the 38 bishops who attended the bishops' meeting last week, published on the conference website, commends Bishop Robinson's contribution to the the life of the church, his years of effort to bring help and healing to those who have suffered sexual abuse, and his work in establishing church protocols.But, after correspondence and conversation with Bishop Robinson, it is clear that doctrinal difficulties remain. Central to these is a questioning of the authority of the Catholic Church to teach the truth definitively, the statement says.This led in turn to questioning Catholic teaching on tradition, scripture, papal infallibility, the priesthood and moral teaching.Bishop Robinson is in the US, on a lecture tour for the activist group Voice of the Faithful, which led the fight against clerical abuse and the cover-up culture in Boston.The book has sold more than 8000 copies, and is being published in the United Kingdom and United States.

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.

AMERICA (POLITICAL BABYLON)

EZEKIEL 39:21
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

ISAIAH 18:1-2
1 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:
2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!

JEREMIAH 50:11,37,12
11 Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;(BACKSLIDERS)
37 A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.(A NATION OF MINGLED PEOPLE)
12 Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed:(MOTHER ENGLAND) behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

JEREMIAH 51:13,7,53
13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.

REVELATION 18:3,5,7
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK ATTACK)

REVELATION 18:10
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Jordanian: Islam will conquer Rome 5/13/2008 Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

Islamic lands that were occupied by the enemies will once again become Islamic...We proclaim that we will conquer Rome, like Constantinople was conquered once, and as it will be conquered again.

DENVER, CO (CNA) - A former Jordanian minister has seized upon commentary about the decline of Western power, saying on Arabic-language television that Islam will conquer Rome. He went on to say that Spain is an Islamic land that should be retaken and that America has begun to realize its end is near.The remarks by former Jordanian Minister of Religious Endowment Ali Al-Faqir were broadcast on Al-Aqsa TV on May 2. According to a transcript prepared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Al-Faqir said Palestine from the Jordan to the Mediterranean is an Islamic land. Spain – Andalusia – is also the land of Islam, he said. Islamic lands that were occupied by the enemies will once again become Islamic. Furthermore, we will reach beyond these countries, which are lost at one point. We proclaim that we will conquer Rome, like Constantinople was conquered once, and as it will be conquered again. America has occupied, thundered, and foamed with rage, and proclaimed, like Pharaoh, I am your supreme God, but it will come to its end, and they have begun to realize that their end is near, he said. Al-Faqir then alluded to commentary about the declining prominence of America and Europe.

We have begun to read in American and European newspapers that our glory is on the wane, and there is nothing we can do about it, Al-Faqir said, according to the MEMRI transcript. This morning on Al-Jazeera TV, I saw American scientists and strategic theoreticians, who said that America would soon come to its end. They said it before about the USSR, and, indeed, it has come to its end, and we say now that America and the EU will come to an end, and only the rising force of Islam will prevail.American and European pundits and commentators have recently discussed the perceived decline in American power, especially economic power. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, national security columnist Fred Kaplan said President George W. Bush’s follies had accelerated the decline of American influence. For half a century, we had been a super-power, Kaplan wrote. Now we're upper-middle management in a world without bosses.Parag Khanna, a research fellow at the New America Foundation, wrote in the New York Times that the U.S. is competing—and losing—in a geopolitical marketplace, arguing that globalization has eroded American primacy. Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, published excerpts from his new book in the May 12 issue of Newsweek.

Zakaria argued that a seismic shift in power and attitudes has transported the world into a post-American phase where the United States will not have the vastly unequal influence it has enjoyed in recent decades. Other writers argue that American economic and cultural dominance will continue. The American Enterprise Institute’s economic policy director Kevin Hassett has advised readers to ignore the obituaries.