POLAND - US REACH MISSLE DEFENCE DEAL

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.

Tropical Storm Bertha forms in the Atlantic JULY 3,08

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Bertha has formed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. At 11 a.m. EDT Thursday, the center of the storm was located about 190 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.The second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is moving toward the west-northwest at about 14 mph, and forecasters expect that to continue for the next couple of days.Maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph. Some gradual strengthening is forecast during the next day or two.It's still too early to say if or where Bertha will hit land.The first named storm this year, Arthur, formed in the Atlantic the day before the season officially started June 1 and soaked the Yucatan Peninsula.

Tropical depression forms in Atlantic Ocean Thu Jul 3, 5:33 AM ET

MIAMI - A tropical depression has formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. But some strengthening was forecast and the National Hurricane Center said early Thursday that the depression could become a tropical storm later in the day.The storm is located about 250 miles south-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands.The depression is moving toward the west-northwest at about 9 mph, and forecasters are expecting that to continue with some increase in speed over the next couple days.

Tropical Storm Douglas forms off Mexico Thu Jul 3, 12:46 AM ET

MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Douglas formed off Mexico's west coast on Wednesday and as with two other recent storms this eastern Pacific season, it was not expected to hit land. Douglas was located about 290 miles (465 kilometers) south of Cabo San Lucas, on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.Douglas had winds of about 40 mph (65 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, which said the storm could dump heavy rains between Lazaro Cardenas and Puerto Vallarta, on the mainland Pacific coast.Baja California will also get some rough weather and people there should watch out for any change in course, said James Franklin, senior hurricane specialist with the center.Right now we are not forecasting it to hit land but there is always uncertainty, Franklin said. We couldn't rule out at this point some impact in the southern Baja Peninsula.The storm was moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph). Forecasters described the storm as poorly organized and said it might strengthen slightly before moving over cooler waters and weakening out at sea.Meanwhile, former hurricane Boris lost force far out in the Pacific and declined to tropical storm status. Boris' winds fell to about 60 mph (95 kph), and were expected to weaken further.Tropical Storm Cristina dissipated without reaching land at the end of June.The first tropical storm of the eastern Pacific season, Alma, hit Nicaragua's northwest corner.

Mich., Ohio storms bring flooding, power outages JULY 3,08

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Severe thunderstorms swept across parts of Michigan, flooding streets and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of residents. Jackson-based CMS Energy Corp. said about 156,000 of its customers had no electricity as of 4 a.m. Thursday. In the Detroit area, DTE Energy Co. said about 30,000 of its customers were without power. Water on freeways also disrupted the morning rush hour commute.A lightning strike apparently sparked a house fire in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, injuring a firefighter, but not seriously.More than 4 inches of rain was reported in Lenawee County.The storm system also brought heavy rain late Wednesday and early Thursday to parts of Ohio, including Toledo, were 3 1/2 inches fell.A rotating funnel cloud was spotted west of Toledo, but National Weather Service meteorologist Karen Oudeman said no tornado touchdowns were reported. Flooding closed a portion of Interstate 475 in the area early Thursday.About 3,000 customers lost power, Toledo Edison said, but most were back up by Thursday morning.To the west, authorities said a tornado damaged some farm buildings late Wednesday in Iowa's Benton County, but no one was hurt.

REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

U THINK THESE BUGS ARE BAD THE DEMONIC LOCUSTS WILL TORTURE SINNERS FOR 5 MONTHS, NOW THATS GONNA BE PAIN AND SUFFERING.

First floods, now pesky mosquitoes for Midwest By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Wed Jul 2, 5:52 PM ET

CHICAGO - First came the floods — now the mosquitoes. An explosion of pesky insects are pestering clean-up crews and just about anyone venturing outside in the waterlogged Midwest. In some parts of Iowa there are 20 times the normal number, and in Chicago up to five times more than usual.The good news is these are mostly floodwater mosquitoes, not the kind that usually carry West Nile virus and other diseases. But they are very hungry, and sometimes attack in swarms with a stinging bite.Heavy rain followed by high temperatures creates ideal conditions for these bugs, whose eggs hatch in the soil after heavy rains. Scientists call them nuisance mosquitoes. You could call that an understatement.About 3 p.m. the bugs come out pretty bad. They're all over the place, Bill Driscoll, a flood cleanup worker in Palo, Iowa, said this week. We've been burning through the repellent with the volunteers.In Lisbon, Iowa, about 20 miles east of flood-ravaged Cedar Rapids, biker Larry Crystal said mosquitoes have made his rides miserable.

Every time I stop to rest at a rest area these buggers just find a way to bite me all over my neck area between my helmet and jacket, he wrote on a bikers' blog.They seem to be very aggressive, they're even coming into my helmet, finding any bits of skin, Crystal told The Associated Press. They're just going at it.Some mosquito surveillance traps in Iowa have up to 20 times more mosquitoes than in recent years, said Lyric Bartholomay, an Iowa State University insect expert.For example, last week, 3,674 mosquitoes were counted in Ames-area traps, compared with 182 for the same week last year, Bartholomay said Wednesday. Trap quantities are just a tiny snapshot of the true numbers of mosquitoes flying around.In Iowa, the main culprit is the Aedes trivittatus, a common nuisance mosquito with a voracious appetite and they hurt when they feed on you, she said.A relative called Aedes vexans is doing much of the biting in Chicago's suburbs, hit by recent heavy rains, said Mike Szyska of the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District.Mosquito numbers in northwestern suburbs peaked last week at about five times higher than normal for this time of year, Szyska said.

Complaints and requests for insecticide spraying have the district working day and night. We're extremely busy, he said.Right now there's no evidence of higher than normal numbers of Culex mosquitoes, more commonly associated with West Nile virus. Several states have found evidence of West Nile, but only a few cases, which tend to start occurring later in July.But health authorities say that could change with drier weather, which Culex mosquitoes prefer, so they're advising people to take precautions.Culex mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and sludge in protected areas like ditches, storm drains or backyard bird baths and discarded tires, Szyska said.One thing that we're warning people with the flooded homes, as they're gutting them and getting rid of debris, make sure you dispose of that kind of stuff correctly, said Howard Pue of Missouri's Department of Public Health. In the meantime, the explosion of floodwater mosquitoes has left many people feeling like mosquito magnets. And about 10 percent of the population actually qualifies, according to entomologist Jerry Butler, a professor emeritus at the University of Florida. These are the people who get covered in bites while their porch partners or biking buddies are left unscathed. Many of them get exaggerated skin reactions to the bugs — hard red welts or hives that can itch for days. Children are more susceptible to these reactions, which can cause a lot of discomfort but generally are not dangerous, said Dr. Anju Peters, an allergy specialist at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Her 7-year-old daughter got several bites and broke out in hives last week inside the family's Chicago home when an outside door was left open for just a few minutes, Peters said.

Some people have allergies to mosquitoes, developing limited but severe skin reactions that researchers call skeeter syndrome. Some can develop potentially dangerous, widespread reactions including wheezing, and, rarely, life-threatening throat-swelling and breathing problems. Research is under way to develop skin tests and treatment for these allergies using mosquito saliva. Because tests are not widely available, allergic reactions to mosquitoes are underdiagnosed and undertreated, according to the University of Manitoba's Dr. Estelle Simons, a leading mosquito allergy expert.

Whether true allergies or normal reactions to mosquito saliva, the bumps and itching can sometimes be eased, though not prevented. Using over-the-counter antihistamines such as Zyrtec and Claritin throughout mosquito season or after a bite can help, doctors say.

Sweat and carbon dioxide given off by the skin and from breathing are among the best known mosquito magnets, said Butler, who has long studied which odors and substances attract mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes often target larger people, who tend to give off more carbon dioxide, he said. And alcohol is another lure, so people who have been drinking are going to be more attractive to the bugs, he said. Alcohol in lotions and perfumes also attracts mosquitoes, as do some cosmetic fragrances including lavender, Butler said. Also, he said, there's evidence that people with very high cholesterol levels often are mosquito magnets. Butler said mosquitoes need fats like cholesterol but can't make them so get them by feeding on others. On the Net: Iowa State: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu
West Nile: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

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 ENTICE BEAR MARKET
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8620072&ch=4226720&src=news

THEM BILDERBERGS HAVE THE WORLD ECONOMY WELL IN CONTROL AT THEIR MEETING THEY SAID BY JULY 4 OIL WOULD BE AROUND $150.00 A BARREL.

Oil hits new record above $145 By PABLO GORONDI, Associated Press Writer JULY 3,08

Oil prices briefly soared to a record near $146 a barrel Thursday, then eased when the European Central Bank did not signal more rate hikes and a report showed unemployment in the United States has continued to climb. Earlier in the session, prices were lifted to new highs by concerns over a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. oil stockpiles, the threat of violent conflict with Iran and comments by Saudi Arabia's oil minister suggesting his country would not boost production.Light, sweet crude for August delivery rose 2 cents to $143.59 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier in the session, it rose as high as $145.85 a barrel, a new trading record.On Wednesday, the contract set a new closing record for floor trade at $143.57 — a full $2.60 above the previous close.

With the latest spike, the price of crude has risen more than 50 percent since the end of last year, when oil was going for $96 a barrel.In London, Brent crude futures rose to a trading record of $146.69 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange before retreating to $144.68, up 42 cents.The push above $145 a barrel was seen as the last technical barrier to prices hitting $150, in what analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland called the Morgan Stanley self fulfilling prophecy.In early June, Morgan Stanley analyst Ole Slorer predicted oil prices could reach $150 by the July 4 weekend, preceding a nearly $11 one-day jump in the Nymex contract.U.S. employers cut payrolls by 62,000 in June, the sixth straight month of nationwide job losses, underscoring the economy's fragile state. The unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent. The weak economy has U.S. consumers cutting back on driving and paring other energy related costs.The nation's services sector declined unexpectedly in June after two months of growth, as new orders fell sharply and oil prices took their toll on businesses.

The Institute for Supply Management said Thursday that the services sector reading fell to 48.2 in June from 51.7 in May. It missed economists' prediction of a reading of 51.0, according to the consensus estimate of Wall Street economists surveyed by Thomson Financial/IFR. A reading above 50 signals growth.Thursday's ECB decision to raise interest rates in the 15-nation euro zone by a quarter percentage point to 4.25 percent already had been priced in by the markets. Comments by ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet suggesting that further rate cuts — also expected by the market — were far from certain helped strengthen the dollar.When the dollar weakens, it usually drives oil prices higher as investors turn to commodities as a hedge against a falling greenback.After Trichet's comments, the euro sank to $1.5754, from 1.5885 on Wednesday. The U.S. currency also rose to 106.64 Japanese yen, from 106.01 yen the day before.Speaking Thursday in Madrid, Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Naimi, left the door open for increased output, but said the kingdom's oil customers were satisfied and that no production growth was planned for now.The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said Wednesday crude oil supplies fell by 2 million barrels last week, or about 800,000 barrels more than analysts surveyed by the energy research firm Platts had predicted.However, the report offered a mixed picture of energy use by the world's thirstiest oil consumer. Gasoline supplies unexpectedly grew by a considerable amount, and demand continued to slide — suggesting record fuel prices are prompting a shift in American driving habits.Ongoing rhetoric about possible attacks on Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil producer and OPEC's second-largest exporter, also left the market jittery. Traders are worried Tehran could try to halt shipments and seize control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz if attacked by Israel or the United States. About 40 percent of the world's tanker traffic passes through the Middle Eastern choke-point.

Iran's foreign minister did not rule the possibility that Iran could try to restrict oil traffic in the strait if the country was attacked. In Iran we must defend our national security, our country and our revolutionary system and we will continue to do so, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in an interview with The Associated Press in New York. Mottaki said he does not believe Israel or the United States will attack, however, calling the prospect of another war in the Middle East craziness.A senior U.S. military commander vowed to ensure that the strait remains open. We will not allow Iran to close it, said Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, after talks with naval commanders of Persian Gulf countries in the United Arab Emirates.

The saber-rattling has left energy traders on edge as they try to ascertain the likelihood of a Middle East flare-up and the effect it could have on the world's already tight supply of oil. In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures added 0.3 cent to $4.1062 a gallon (3.8 liters), while gasoline futures rose 1.96 cents to $3.5690 a gallon. Natural gas futures gained 0.1 cent to $13.39 per 1,000 cubic feet. AP Business Writer Adam Schreck in New York and AP writers Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and George Jahn in Madrid, Spain, contributed to this report.

WILDFIRE NEARING BIG SUR
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8654398&ch=4226713&src=news

BIG SUR EVACUATION ORDERED
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8654048&ch=4226713&src=news

Big Sur evacuates as massive wildfire spreads By AMANDA FEHD, Associated Press Writer Thu Jul 3, 7:11 AM ET

BIG SUR, Calif. - Flames ominously licked the ridge overlooking this scenic coastal community, which appeared nearly abandoned Thursday after an explosive wildfire caused authorities to order more residents out of the area. New mandatory evacuation notices were issued Wednesday for an additional 16-mile stretch along Highway 1 after the blaze jumped a fire line in the Los Padres National Forest. A total of 31 miles of the coastal highway, lined with homes and businesses, is now closed.Several hundred evacuees attended a meeting Wednesday evening where officials braced them for a long fire season. The blaze, which already has burned 16 homes and nearly 88 square miles, was only 3 percent contained and wasn't expected to be fully surrounded until the end of the month.

John Friel, 62, who had been living with his kitten in his car for the past three days after being forced to leave his mobile home, was disappointed by the news.I've had six strokes this year and a heart attack. I'm feeling pretty scattered, said the retiree, who moved to Big Sur three years ago. It was like putting a Rubik's Cube back together before, so this ain't helping. It just notches up the stress level.The blaze near Big Sur was one of more than 1,700 wildfires — most ignited by lightning — that have scorched more than 770 square miles and destroyed 64 structures across northern and central California since June 20, according to state officials.Mild temperatures and light winds did little to calm the inferno near Big Sur, which officials described as fuel-driven rather than wind-driven. A statewide drought has created tinder-like trees and brush, feeding the flames in California's forests.

The fire is just a big raging animal right now, said Darby Marshall, spokesman for the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services.Janna Fournier, one of the 850 Big Sur residents affected by the evacuation order, went to retrieve artwork and rescue her pet tarantula before roads closed Wednesday afternoon.I feel sad for the wilderness and the people who lost their homes, Fournier said. We chose to live in a wilderness among all this beauty, so I know there's that chance you always take.Helicopters hauling large containers of water droned loudly overhead as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, R. David Paulison, visited the area.If people evacuate like they're told to, we shouldn't lose any lives, Paulison said in an interview. My only concern is that people don't take it seriously enough.Some residents did choose to ignore the evacuation order, including Scott Parker, who stopped by the local general store as firefighters trimmed trees above the store to ward off flames snaking along the hillside a quarter-mile away.My wife and I are going to stay at least until we are in imminent danger. If there's a possibility of saving the house, then we're going to do it, said Parker, a landscaper who moved to Big Sur 30 years ago. We've had a couple close ones, but this is the closest.Meanwhile, a fire in the southern extension of the Los Padres forest north of Santa Barbara forced about 45 residents to evacuate as winds up to 35 mph pushed flames toward homes in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains.

The blaze has burned nearly 2 square miles of rough terrain, officials said. As night fell Wednesday, about 150,000 Southern California Edison customers in Goleta and Santa Barbara lost power when thick smoke forced the shutdown of power transmission lines. Crews restored power to about half of the affected customers.In the Sequoia National Forest east of Bakersfield, firefighters struggled to contain a 22-square-mile blaze. Powerful gusts and choking smoke traveling up the steep canyons hampered their progress, and residents of neighboring towns were ordered to evacuate.Back in Big Sur, construction worker Billy Rose helped clear brush around local businesses to protect the community where he grew up. Big Sur people are used to stress — rock slides, water spouts, 40-foot waves, you get numb to it, he said, looking weary as he sharpened his chain saw. You can't tame Big Sur — this place is untamable.
Associated Press writers Marcus Wohlsen and Scott Lindlaw in San Francisco and Raquel Maria Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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).

Poland and US reach missile defence deal
LEIGH PHILLIPS JULY 3,08 Today @ 09:26 CET

The US and Poland have reached an agreement that will see sections of the American missile defence system based in the former Eastern Bloc nation, according to officials from both countries.Poland's deputy foreign minister, Witold Waszcykowski has said that he had completed negotiations with US negotiator John Rood on the matter on Tuesday (1 July), according to the AP. The US defence system looks set to have 10 interceptor missiles based in Poland (Photo: wikipedia)

Officials from the Bush administration confirmed the conclusion of the deal, but remained nameless as the deal must still be approved by the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk.The US wants 10 interceptor missiles to be based on Polish territory. Washington says the system is necessary for defence against possible nuclear attacks from Iran. Russia however, which is steadfastly opposed to a US missile defence being based in EU countries, argues that the system is targeted at itself, and diminishes its nuclear deterrent.

Details of the agreement have yet to be released, but in negotiations Poland was demanding billions of euros to renovate its own air defences. The work would be necessary, the country argued, due to the increased threat from Russia in the wake of the basing of missile defence on its territory.Russia has said that should Poland agree to hosting missiles, it would target the country, a threat that has also been made against the Czech Republic, which recently agreed to host the advanced radar system for US missile defence.The Bush administration is hoping to begin construction in the two countries before the end of the president's term of office, as it would limit his replacement's ability to back-track on the deal.Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain backs missile defence, while the Democrats' Barack Obama has expressed misgivings.The system, which has cost more than €63 billion ($100 billion) to develop and costs €7 billion a year to maintain – the single biggest line item in the Pentagon's budget – is unpopular in the US Congress too, where congress members argue the technology remains unproven. Most Poles and Czechs also oppose the plan, according to polls.

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

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

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

UK foreign minister backs French defence plans
ELITSA VUCHEVA JULY 3,08 Today @ 09:16 CET

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Wednesday (2 July) backed French plans to boost European defence, saying they were not incompatible with NATO and stressing they did not mean creating a European army.The countries of Europe need to be better at using hard power. That is why I strongly welcome President Sarkozy's proposals to reintegrate France into NATO's military structure and support his call for the EU to play a greater role in crisis management, Mr Miliband told Progress, an independent organisation of Labour Party members, Reuters reports.Mr Miliband backed France's plans to boost European defence - but reiterated his opposition to creating a European army. (Photo: eurocorps.net)

Paris has said that strengthening Europe's defence policy would be one of the main priorities of its six-month EU presidency, which started on 1 July, and securing the backing of the UK as another military heavyweight in the EU was seen as essential in that respect.Mr Miliband's statements are the first to openly support Mr Sarkozy's defence plans coming from a UK politician of this rank. Britain has traditionally been wary of such ideas – fearing they could undermine NATO, or pose a threat to its national sovereignty.

The British foreign secretary stressed, however, that strong European defence was fully compatible with the North Atlantic alliance and was in no way a threat to it.NATO would remain the cornerstone of European defence, he said, adding that the US ambassador to the organisation, Victoria Nuland, had herself spoken in favour of a more capable European defence capacity.As the Balkans wars in the 1990s demonstrated, unless Europe can develop its own capabilities, Mr Miliband added, it will be consigned always to wait impotently until the US and NATO are ready and able to intervene.The foreign secretary also underlined that the French plans did not mean creating a supranational European army – something still strongly opposed by the UK.There's no question of a European army. President Sarkozy is against a European army and so am I. What we are in favour of is British, French and other troops working together, he later told Channel Four news television.In a speech in June, the French president made a similar statement, saying that French forces are and will remain national. They will not be integrated into any supranational force.On Wednesday, Mr Miliband also expressed a more general UK support for the priorities France has set for its time at the EU helm.What strikes me about the French priorities for their presidency is how closely they tie in with our own ambitions for the EU… whether on energy and climate change, migration, near neighbourhood policy, or the next steps on European defence, he said.