PALIN TOUGH ON IRAN, RUSSIA

ISAIAH 13:6-7 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

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.

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.

ISLAM AND BRITAIN PROBLEM IT DOES NOT ACCEPT ISLAMIC LAW
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1848.htm

FRC ACTION SUMMIT (CHRISTIAN VALUES)
http://www.afa.net/vvs_2008/watch2.aspx

ITS A CATEGORY 3 NOW AND WILL BE ON LAND AT 2 OR 3 AM EASTERN TIME. THE WINDS ARE FIRECE ALREADY I HATE TO SEE WHEN IT GETS TO LAND.

Catastrophe looms as Hurricane Ike pounds Texas coast by Virginie Montet SEPT 12,08 11:20 PM UPDATE.

GALVESTON, Texas, (AFP) - Gigantic Hurricane Ike pounded the Texas Gulf coast on Friday, flooding parts of Galveston and threatening catastrophic destruction as it heads on a path towards Houston, the fourth largest US city. Gargantuan waves smashed over the city's sea wall as the center of the storm at 0100 GMT Saturday was about 115 kilometers (70 miles) southeast of Galveston, moving at near 20 kilometers (13 miles) an hour.Ike, a sprawling system the size of Texas itself, was packing winds of 175 kilometers (110 miles) an hour, just shy of becoming a powerful Category Three storm on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, the National Hurricane Center reported.Ike was expected to plow ashore early Saturday, with a direct hit on Galveston and Houston.In Galveston , the power went out across the island just before 0100 GMT Saturday, plunging the storm-stricken city into darkness.Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew starting Friday and ending Monday morning. Chocolate-colored seawater flooded the streets of Galveston as the storm surge intensified throughout the day, spoiling the city's potable water system.

Expect the unexpected, said city manager Steve Le Blanc. The worst is yet to come.

Despite the dire warnings, only 38,000 of Galveston island's 58,000 residents evacuated, Mary Jo Naschke, who works in the city's mayor's office, told AFP.Two blazes broke out in the afternoon. Flames shot out of an unattended Galveston home near the oceanfront, while thick smoke from a ship repair warehouse darkened the sky over the city.Firefighters, restricted by the high water, had to let the structures burn.We can't get close enough, Galveston fire chief Michael Varela told AFP. We have no knowledge of anybody being there.All neighborhoods and possibly entire coastal communities along Galveston Bay, which reaches 25 miles (40 kilometers) inland from its namesake barrier island to the heart of Houston, will be inundated during the period of peak storm tide, the Hurricane Center said.Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family, one- or two-story homes will face certain death, it added.Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff described Ike's arrival as potentially catastrophic.This is a monster storm in terms of the flooding potential, added Chertoff. The storm surge is going to inundate large parts of the Texas coast.

Texas Governor Rick Perry described Ike on CNN as a monster of a storm, and compared the storm surge Ike will generate -- high enough to engulf a two-story home -- to a tsunami.Referring to the holdouts that refused to flee the coastal area, he said on Fox News: Individuals who think they are tougher, stronger than Mother Nature -- God be with them.Perry said some 1.2 million people had evacuated coastal Texas ahead of the storm. Houston, the fourth largest US city with a metropolitan area population topping five million people, is just a few miles from the bay, and destruction there and along the coast in the hurricane zone is expected to be massive. Jack Colley, from the Texas Department of Emergency Management, said officials estimated the storm's economic impact would be somewhere in between the 80-billion dollar and 100-billion-dollar range.With Houston being home to some of the largest petrochemical complexes in the world, there's a tremendous amount of infrastructure there, Colley said. Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison also warned of the storm's economic consequences, saying it's not just a regular rain and wind hurricane.The economic impact is going to be huge. People are much more concerned about this one than I have seen in a long long time, she said on Fox News. Around 5.6 million people live in the Houston metropolitan region, which stretches down to the coast. Oil and gas production in the Gulf was largely shut off, though the US Department of Energy said Ike appeared likely to spare most rigs and platforms there. President George W. Bush, a former Texas governor, said he was deeply concerned about the threat the storm posed to the region.

Galveston has faced calamity before. The deadliest hurricane in US history, the Great Storm of 1900, killed at least 8,000 people when it smashed into Galveston and Houston. Ike has left more than 100 dead across the Caribbean and sparked hurricane and tropical storm warnings from Louisiana to Mexico. Separately, US Coast Guard rescuers called off an attempt to rescue 22 sailors stranded aboard a Cyprus-flagged freighter that lost power in the Gulf of Mexico as it tried to steam out of Ike's way, but added they would seek to remain in radio contact with the crew.

Ike nears major hurricane status as it closes in on Texas coast
By Juan A. Lozano And Pauline Arrillaga, The Associated Press 11:15 PM UPDATE

HOUSTON - Hurricane Ike, a colossal storm nearly as big as Texas itself, began battering the coast Friday, threatening to obliterate waterfront towns and give the skyscrapers, refineries and docks of the fourth-largest U.S. city their worst pounding in a generation. But even as towering waves started crashing over the five-metre Galveston seawall and floodwaters rose in low-lying areas, it became clear that many of the one million coastal residents who had been ordered to get out refused to do so and were taking their chances. Authorities in three counties alone said roughly 90,000 stayed behind, despite a warning from forecasters that many of those in one-or two-storey homes faced certain death.I believe in the man up there, God, said William Steally, 75, a retiree who planned to ride out the storm in Galveston without his wife or sister-in-law. I believe he will take care of me.At about 965 kilometres across, the hurricane was a monster, taking up almost the entire northern half of the Gulf of Mexico. As it zeroed in on the coast, it trapped 60 people who had to be rescued from the floodwaters near Galveston by helicopter, breached levees in rural Louisiana, and tossed around a disabled 178-metre cargo ship in the Gulf. As of 9 p.m. ET, Ike was centred about 112 kilometres southeast of Galveston, moving at 20 kilometres an hour. It was close to a Category 3 storm with winds of 177 km/h and was expected to strengthen by the time the eye hit land.

Forecasters predicted it would come ashore somewhere near Galveston early Saturday and pass almost directly over Houston. Because of the hurricane's size, the state's shallow coastal waters and its largely unprotected coastline, forecasters said the biggest threat would be flooding and storm surge, with Ike expected to hurl a wall of water two storeys high - six to eight metres - at the coast. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said more than 5.5 million prepackaged meals were being sent to the region, along with more than 230 generators and 5.6 million litres of water. At least 3,500 FEMA officials were stationed in Texas and Louisiana. To avoid highway gridlock, authorities instructed most of Houston's two million residents to just hunker down. Still, authorities warned that the storm could travel up Galveston Bay and send a surge up the Houston Ship Channel and into the port of Houston, the country's second-busiest port, an economically vital complex of docks, pipelines, depots and warehouses that receives automobiles, consumer products, industrial equipment and other cargo from around the world and ships out vast amounts of petrochemicals and agricultural products. The oil and gas industry was also closely watching Ike because it was headed straight for the country's biggest complex of refineries and petrochemical plants. Wholesale gasoline prices jumped to around US$4.85 a gallon for fear of shortages. The storm could also force water up the seven bayous that thread through Houston, swamping neighbourhoods so flood-prone that they get inundated during ordinary rainstorms. Bachir Annane, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division, said Ike's surge could be catastrophic, and like nothing the Texas coast has ever seen. Wind doesn't tell the whole story, Annane said. It's the size that tells the story, and this is a giant.

Ike would be the first major hurricane to hit a U.S. metropolitan area since Katrina devastated New Orleans three years ago. For Houston, it would be the first major hurricane since Alicia in August 1983 came ashore on Galveston Island, killing 21 people and causing $2 billion in damage. Houston has since then seen a population explosion, so many of the residents now in the storm's path have never experienced the full wrath of a hurricane. In southwestern Louisiana near Houma, Ike breached levees, threatening thousands of homes of fishermen, oil-field workers, farmers and others. Crews struggled to plug four breaches. We've got a bad situation, said Windell Curole, levee manager for Terrebonne Parish. Though Ike was heading for Texas, it spawned thunderstorms, shut down schools and knocked out power throughout southern Louisiana on Friday. An estimated 1,200 people were in state shelters in Monroe and Shreveport, and another 220 in medical needs shelters. Rescue crews were being tapped before the storm even arrived on shore. Because of high winds, the air force and coast guard aborted plans to send aircraft to the Gulf of Mexico in a daring attempt to rescue 22 crewmen adrift on a stalled freighter in rough seas 145 kilometres off Galveston. And coast guard helicopter crews plucked 60 people from the town of High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula, a 51-kilometre spit just up the coast from Galveston, after rising waters covered the only road. In Galveston, a working-class town of about 57,000, waves crashed over the 18-kilometre seawall built a century ago, after the Great Storm of 1900 killed 6,000 residents. That hurricane remains the country's deadliest natural disaster. A boat and yacht repair warehouse caught fire and burned to the ground on Galveston Island because the streets were under at least two metres of water, too flooded for firetrucks to reach it, Galveston Fire Chief Michael Varela said. No one was believed hurt. While the Galveston beachfront is dotted with new condominiums and some elegant beach homes on stilts, most people live in older, one-storey bungalows. The National Weather Service warned widespread and devastating damage was expected. The sight of the storm's fury frightened some people who initially intended to stay.

We started seeing water come up on the streets, then we saw this. We just loaded up everything, got the pets. We're leaving, 33-year-old Tony Munoz said in Galveston. I've been through storms before, but this is different.In Surfside Beach, a town of 800, the police chief asked one stubborn couple, David and Dondi Fields, to write their names and Social Security numbers on their forearms with a black marker in case something bad happened to them. Dondi Fields, 50, wrote I heart U and for my kids on her arm. But the couple finally decided to leave. Police used an aluminum boat to reach them, and a National Guard truck carried them to safety. In Freeport, Drew Ryder, 47, took no chances. He left his plywood-covered home, heading north with coolers filled with food. It's coming, so I'm going, he said. It's not smart to be here.

Hundreds of homes flood as Ike passes Louisiana By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press Writer SEPT 12 11:15 PM UPDATE.

LAKE CHARLES, La. - Storm surge driven by Hurricane Ike breached levees in coastal Louisiana Friday and flooded hundreds of homes in areas along the Gulf of Mexico still recovering from Gustav. About 1,800 homes and business flooded in coastal Cameron Parish as the storm churned toward expected landfall in Texas, said Gov. Bobby Jindal, and he expected water to eventually inundate all 2,900 homes in the area. Flooded homes were reported in other parishes, though numbers were sketchy at nightfall.Flooding was reported in areas from Plaquemines Parish in southeast Louisiana to Cameron Parish on the Texas line.It's going to be devastating for people, said Cameron Parish emergency preparedness director Clifton Hebert. We don't have the wind that Rita brought, but we have at least the same storm surge, if not a little more.In nearby Terrebonne Parish, crews worked to plug at least four breaches. Officials said areas in which Rita inundated 10,000 homes in 2005 were vulnerable again.More than 160 people were rescued from flooding Friday, Jindal said.

About 130 people remained in the fishing community on the barrier island of Grand Isle after storm surge cut off the only road to the mainland, said Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Jindal said search and rescue teams would head to the island as soon as wind abated and water receded.He told residents they could break into a state wildlife and fisheries lab that was deemed a safe structure. He called it the most unusual piece of advice I might give.More than 100,000 customers were without electricity Friday night, a number that also included some customers who lost power in Gustav, the Louisiana Public Service Commission said.

Hurricane Ike could be potential catastrophe By Tim Gaynor
5:30 PM UPDATE

GALVESTON, Texas (Reuters) - Massive Hurricane Ike bore down on the Texas coast on Friday with a wall of water that threatened a potential catastrophe for the United States. Waters rose rapidly as Ike moved within hours of striking low-lying areas near Houston with a possible 20-foot (6-metre) storm surge in what may be the worst storm to hit Texas in nearly 50 years.Our nation is facing what is by any means a potentially catastrophic hurricane, said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, warning that Ike's storm surge could present the gravest danger.This certainly falls in the category of pretty much a worst case scenario.The National Weather Service warned that people in coastal areas could face the possibility of death from a massive storm surge. Officials said Ike could flood as many as 100,000 homes.Crude oil markets nervously watched to see how the hurricane would affect low-lying coastal refineries in Ike's path that collectively process 20 percent of U.S. fuel supplies.Although Ike is weaker than 2005's Hurricane Katrina, the last storm to pummel a U.S. urban area and a major disaster, its large scope gives it more water-moving power.Ike was a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds as it moved on a course to pass directly over Houston -- the fourth-largest city in the United States.

Ike was expected to come ashore overnight, possibly as a dangerous Category 3 storm on the five-step intensity scale with winds of more than 111 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.At 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, Ike was about 135 miles southeast of Galveston, the hurricane center said. It was moving west-northwest at 12 mph.

WATER LEVELS ALREADY CLIMBING

In Galveston, water levels had already climbed more than nine feet, forecasters said.

About 13 million people in 132 counties along the Gulf coast could face hurricane and tropical storm conditions, the U.S. National Census Bureau said.Millions of coastal residents could be left without power, authorities said.U.S. crude oil futures rose 31 cents to settle at $101.18 a barrel after dropping below $100 for the first time since early April as concerns over U.S. economic weakness outweighed storm disruption fears.Low-lying, flood prone refineries in the region lie in Ike's path and weather forecasters at Planalytics saw major and long-term damage likely at the major refining cities.Ports were closed and the Coast Guard said a 584-foot freighter with 22 people aboard was stranded without power 90 miles southeast of Galveston. Conditions were too treacherous to attempt rescue. The storm's wide reach means that it will pack an unusually strong punch, taking the form of a huge wave of water it is pushing ahead of it. This is a Category 5 hurricane, said Jeff Masters, co-founder of meteorological Web site The Weather Underground. I don't care what the Category 2 rating says, he said. Category 5 storms are the most dangerous. Ike's storm surge could push as far inland as NASA's Johnson Space Center south of Houston, Masters said.

LAST-MINUTE DASH

About 600,000 Texas residents fled the island city of Galveston and low-lying counties under mandatory evacuation orders and authorities urged holdouts to move before Ike's winds started to make car travel dangerous. The Coast Guard had to rescue 65 people from rising waters on the Bolivar Peninsula, located east of Galveston. Some who had thought they would stick it out instead made a last-minute exit from Galveston. The city was hit by a hurricane in 1900 that was the deadliest weather disaster in U.S. history, with a death toll of at least 8,000. The water got to coming over the sea wall, we were scared, said Charlotte Pines, who was fueling up an SUV filled with relatives. It's going to be bad.Katrina swiped New Orleans and other parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast in August 2005, killing 1,500 people. That storm was the costliest in U.S. history, causing at least $81 billion in damage. Katrina also damaged President George W. Bush's standing. He and his administration were strongly criticized for the slow federal response to the disaster. (Additional reporting by Anna Driver and Bruce Nichols; writing by Chris Baltimore and Mary Milliken; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Frances Kerry)

Ike floods roads, whips waves along Texas By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press Writer 5:30 PM UPDATE SEPT 12,08

HOUSTON - Hurricane Ike, a colossal storm nearly as big as Texas itself, began battering the coast Friday, threatening to obliterate waterfront towns and give the skyscrapers, refineries and docks of the nation's fourth-largest city their worst pounding in a generation. As the storm closed in, it trapped 60 people who had to be rescued from the floodwaters by helicopter, sent towering waves smashing over the 17-foot Galveston seawall, breached levees in rural Louisiana, and tossed around a disabled 584-foot cargo ship in the Gulf of Mexico.About a million people in low-lying coastal areas were ordered to get out well ahead of the storm. But authorities in three counties alone said roughly 90,000 of them refused, despite a warning from forecasters that those staying behind in Galveston faced certain death.I believe in the man up there, God, said William Steally, a 75-year-old retiree who planned to ride out the storm in Galveston without his wife or sister-in-law. I believe he will take care of me.At about 600 miles across, the hurricane was one of the largest in recent memory, taking up almost the entire northern half of the Gulf of Mexico.

As of 5 p.m. EDT, Ike was centered about 135 miles southeast of Galveston, moving at 12 mph. It was a Category 2 storm, with winds of 105 mph, but was expected to strengthen to a Category 3, or at least 111 mph, by the time it hit land.Forecasters predicted it would come ashore somewhere near Galveston late Friday or early Saturday and pass almost directly over Houston.Because of the hurricane's size, the state's shallow coastal waters and its largely unprotected coastline, forecasters said the biggest threat would be flooding and storm surge, with Ike expected to hurl a wall of water two stories high — 20 to 25 feet — at the coastline.To avoid highway gridlock, authorities instructed most of Houston's 2 million residents to just hunker down.Still, authorities warned that the storm could travel up Galveston Bay and send a surge up the Houston Ship Channel and into the port of Houston, the nation's second-busiest port — a complex of docks, pipelines, depots and warehouses that receives automobiles, consumer products, industrial equipment and other cargo from around the world and ships out vast amounts of petrochemicals and agricultural products.The oil and gas industry was also closely watching Ike because it was headed straight for the nation's biggest complex of refineries and petrochemical plants. Wholesale gasoline prices jumped to around $4.85 a gallon for fear of shortages.The storm could also force water up the seven bayous that thread through Houston, swamping neighborhoods so flood-prone that they get inundated during ordinary rainstorms.Bachir Annane, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division, said Ike's surge could be catastrophic, and like nothing the Texas coast has ever seen.Wind doesn't tell the whole story, Annane said. It's the size that tells the story, and this is a giant.

Ike would be the first major hurricane to hit a U.S. metropolitan area since Katrina devastated New Orleans three years ago. For Houston, it would be the first major hurricane since Alicia in August 1983 came ashore on Galveston Island, killing 21 people and causing $2 billion in damage.In southwestern Louisiana near Houma, Ike breached levees, threatening thousands of homes of fishermen, oil-field workers, farmers and others. Crews struggled to plug four breaches. We've got a bad situation, said Windell Curole, levee manager for Terrebonne Parish.Before the storm even arrived, rescue crews were being tapped. Because of high winds, the Air Force and Coast Guard aborted plans to send aircraft to the Gulf of Mexico in a daring attempt to rescue 22 crewmen adrift on a stalled freighter in rough seas 90 miles off Galveston.And Coast Guard helicopter crews plucked 60 people from the town of High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula, a 32-mile spit just up the coast from Galveston, after rising waters covered the only road. In Galveston, a working-class town of about 57,000, waves crashed over the 11-mile seawall built a century ago, after the Great Storm of 1900 killed 6,000 residents. That hurricane remains the nation's deadliest natural disaster. The sight of the storm's fury frightened some people who initially intended to stay. We started seeing water come up on the streets, then we saw this. We just loaded up everything, got the pets. We're leaving, 33-year-old Tony Munoz said in Galveston. I've been through storms before, but this is different.While the beachfront is dotted with new condominiums and some elegant beach homes on stilts, most people live in older, one-story bungalows. The National Weather Service warned widespread and devastating damage was expected.

In Surfside Beach, a town of 800, the police chief asked one stubborn couple, David and Dondi Fields, to write their names and Social Security numbers on their forearms with a black marker in case something bad happened to them. Dondi Fields, 50, wrote I heart U and for my kids on her arm. But the couple finally decided to leave. Police used an aluminum boat to reach them, and a National Guard truck carried them to safety. In Freeport, Drew Ryder, 47, took no chances. He left his plywood-covered home, heading north with coolers filled with food. It's coming, so I'm going, he said. It's not smart to be here.Houston's streets were eerily quiet, emptied of the usual weekday traffic. Skyscrapers were darkened, and sandbags protected the lobby doors to some. At the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, a bartender secured plywood over windows as two dozen customers drank beer, ate burgers and watched scenes of Galveston on giant TV screens. Andy Weeks, a retiree who serves as the homeowners association president in the eight-story building, spent the morning knocking on doors and reminding neighbors to bring their patio furniture and plants inside. The windows were bare of any plywood or other protection. It's pretty tough to get outside to board up your windows, said 64-year-old Weeks, who lives on the sixth floor. Gloria Dulworth, who lives on the seventh of a high-rise apartment building, refused to let the storm dampen her plans to celebrate her 81st birthday. We're surrounded by glass, so I'm taking my crystal candlesticks down. It's been suggested that we roll the rugs away from the door, in case water seeps in. Other than that, said Dulworth, I'm going to get some fresh veggies. I have cereal and canned milk. I anticipate being without air conditioning for a couple of weeks, but you can't do much.Associated Press writers Kelley Shannon in Austin, Paul Weber and Regina L. Burns in Dallas, John Porretto, Andre Coe and Pauline Arrillaga in Houston, Diana Heidgerd in Dallas, and Allen G. Breed and video journalist Rich Matthews in Surfside Beach contributed to this report.

WHO seeks $4.2 million for Haitian flood victims SEPT 12,08

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - The U.N.'s World Health Organization is appealing for US$4.2 million to help treat injured and sick Haitians in the wake of a devastating string of storms. The WHO warns of a shortage of medical supplies, especially in the flooded northern city of Gonaives. Insulin, anesthetics, surgical material, antibiotics and emergency kits are running low.As floodwaters recede, hundreds of Haitians have made their way to mobile clinics with stomach ailments, respiratory problems and cuts and infections from days walking in flooded streets.WHO coordinator Dana van Alphen said Friday the agency doesn't have a clear picture of the extent of the problems. Aid workers still have been unable to reach some flooded villages outside Gonaives.

Flash floods hit Iran and Iraq by Rob McElwee SEPT 12,08 BBC

Thunderstorms and downpours across northern Iraq and parts of Iran late on Wednesday and into Thursday have led to flash floods that killed 16 people and forced hundreds out of their homes.Some of the worst hit places in Iran were Bazoft and Lebed, where muddy floodwaters inundated roads and fields, drowning livestock and submerging homes. Gale force winds accompanied the torrential rains, downing trees and power lines.In the Choman district of northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region, flooding left roads impassable and destroyed several hydroelectric generators in mountainous areas near the Iranian border.The summer months in Iraq and Iran are usually very hot and dry and run from May to September, and are virtually rainless, with the heaviest precipitation falling between December and March.The recent heavy rain and flooding is thus a rare occurrence at this time of the year. A deep area of low pressure generated over the eastern Mediterranean was responsible for the intense downpours.

Over the next few days both Iran and Iraq can expect their more usual warm, dry and sunny weather, which is good news for the flood victims.

POSSIBLITY OF 20 DEAD IN THIS TRAIN CRASH.

Three killed in Los Angeles commuter train crash.Three people have been killed and dozens more injured when a commuter train and freight train collided west of Los Angeles. By Sarah Knapton 2:10AM BST 13 Sep 2008

Wreckage on the track after a freight train and a MetroLink commuter train collided near Chatsworth Photo: REUTERS .The crash near the town of Chatsworth caused a fire and at least one commuter train carriages and seven cars from the freight train to derail. Firefighters battled a fire under part of the wreckage and pulled people from the commuter carriage, which was partly torn open after toppling onto its side.

As many as 350 people were on the Metrolink train. The Sheriff’s Department confirmed three people had been killed. I’m sure there are a lot of injuries, said Ron Haralson, an inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. At least 23 people were injured when the trains collided at 4.32pm in the San Fernando Valley.

A spokeswoman for Metrolink, Denise Tyrrell, said the train left downtown Los Angeles and was headed northwest to Moorpark. We don’t know if we hit another train or another train hit us, Mr Tyrrell said. Firefighters pulled passengers out a rear door and down a ladder from the commuter car, which had been separated from the rest of the train by several feet. Crumpled and charred freight cars were strewn across the tracks. Dazed and injured passengers sat on the ground and milled about on both sides of the tracks. The worst disaster in Metrolink’s history occurred on January 26 2005, in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, when a man parked a gasoline-soaked truck on railroad tracks. A Metrolink train struck the vehicle and derailed, striking another Metrolink train traveling the other way, killing 11 people and injuring about 180 others. The driver, Juan Alvarez, was convicted this year of murder for causing the crash.

Gasoline rises on Ike, but crude dips below $100 By MADLEN READ, AP Business Writer SEPT 12,08

NEW YORK - Gasoline prices jumped at the wholesale level Friday as Hurricane Ike swept through Gulf of Mexico, prompting companies along the Texas coast to shut down refining and drilling operations. Crude oil on the futures market, however, briefly sank below the psychologically important $100-a-barrel mark for the first time since April 2 — showing that investors believe a worsening global economy will continue to drive down demand for some time in the United States and elsewhere.The fact that U.S. fuel demand is so weak right now might mean the recent surge in the wholesale price of gasoline — which rose to about $4.85 a gallon in the Gulf Coast market Friday — might not be passed along to consumers unless Ike's impact is severe and long-lasting.Major oil companies are sensitive to raising prices in this environment, said Ben Brockwell, director of data pricing and information services at the Oil Price Information Service.Ike is forecast to land early Saturday as a Category 3 hurricane near Galveston, a barrier island about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The Houston region is home to about one-fifth of U.S. refining capacity, and the site of a major fuel and grain distribution channel.Wholesale gasoline prices on the Gulf Coast moved further into uncharted territory Friday, as refineries anticipated that Ike would lead to at least a significant pause in their operations, and at worst damage to their facilities. On Thursday, the Gulf Coast wholesale price of gasoline last traded at around $4.75 a gallon, according to OPIS, up substantially from about $3.25 Wednesday and less than $3 Tuesday.

Wholesale prices were much lower in other regions such as Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, but even those areas saw prices rise.Hopefully it's a temporary phenomenon, but we won't know until next week, Brockwell said.Wholesale prices are determined by major players in the supply chain including refining and trading companies, which constantly buy and sell barrels. These prices end up deciding what refineries charge distributors, before they get marked up further at the retail level for the consumer.

The average U.S. retail price for gasoline edged up less than a penny to $3.675 Friday from Thursday, according to auto club AAA, OPIS and Wright Express.On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude for October delivery rose 31 cents to settle at $101.18 a barrel, after briefly sinking to $99.99.October gasoline futures climbed 2.08 cents to settle at $2.7696 a gallon on Nymex.All week long, it's been a gasoline story more than anything. If you just looked at the crude market independently, you wouldn't know that we had a couple of hurricanes, said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates, referring to Ike and last week's Gustav.This dichotomy could persist for a few more days next week, he said. But once the storm factor subsides, we'll see a much higher correlation between gasoline and crude oil.Also, the demand for crude tends to fall off when refineries shut-in, as the have done this week, because they are not taking new crude shipments.Exxon Mobil Corp., Valero Energy Corp., ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil Co. have begun halting operations as the Category 2 hurricane headed straight for the nation's biggest complex of refineries and petrochemical plants. U.S. wholesale gasoline prices spiked 30 percent Thursday.As of Friday, nearly 98 percent of crude production and more than 94 percent of natural gas production in the Gulf were shuttered, according to the Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service.By Friday afternoon, Ike was a Category 2 storm centered about 165 miles southeast of Galveston, moving to the west-northwest at nearly 12 mph. Forecasters warned it could become a Category 3 storm with winds of at least 111 mph before the eye strikes land. Ike is huge, taking up nearly 40 percent of the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center said tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph extended across more than 510 miles. Ike and last week's Hurricane Gustav have helped to stanch a sharp downturn in oil prices. Concerns over slowing economic growth on a global scale and a strengthening U.S. dollar have led funds to liquidate their commodities holdings, pushing crude prices down about 30 percent from their record $147.27 set on July 11. U.S. fuel demand in June was down 5.6 percent from the same period a year ago, according to a recent report from the Energy Department, so many market watchers are expecting oil prices to resume their tumble. With demand being down as much as it is, the market, some argue, is a bit oversupplied, said Stephen Maloney, a senior consultant in energy risk management at Towers Perrin. When you ask, how does Ike affect things? Its impacts are going to be in the context of lower demand for products than a year ago.In other Nymex trading, October heating oil futures rose 2.36 cents to settle at $2.9391 a gallon. Natural gas for October delivery rose 11.8 cents to settle at $7.366 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, October Brent crude fell 6 cents to settle at $97.58 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange, after closing at a six-month low in the previous trading session. Associated Press writers Alex Kennedy in Singapore and Louise Watt in London contributed to this report.

China blames dairy farms for tainted baby formula By JOE McDONALD, AP Business Writer SEPT 12,08

BEIJING - Investigators believe dairy farmers added a dangerous chemical to milk that has been linked to kidney stones in dozens of babies and one death in China's latest product safety scandal. The government vowed serious punishment on Friday after China's biggest milk powder producer recalled 700 tons of baby formula. The official Xinhua News Agency said the powder was tainted with melamine, a toxic chemical used in plastics that contaminated pet food last year.U.S. authorities warned American consumers to avoid all Chinese infant formula. Although Chinese formula is not approved for import into the United States, it might be sold at ethnic grocery stores, the Food and Drug Administration said.A New Zealand company that owns a stake in the Chinese producer said it believed none of the powder was exported from China.The producer, Sanlu Group, knew about the contamination Aug. 6 but refrained from telling the public, said a company manager, Su Changsheng, quoted on the Web site of Caijing, a leading Chinese business magazine. Su said Sanlu kept silent because some grocers refused to return tainted powder.A separate Xinhua report said investigators believed dairy farmers were to blame. People who answered the phone at Sanlu said managers were not available to comment.Authorities are questioning 78 people suspected in the contamination, Xinhua said.The suspects added water to the milk they sold to Sanlu to make more money, Xinhua said, citing deputy mayor Zhao Xinchao of Shijiazhuang, the city where Sanlu is based. They also added melamine so that the diluted milk could still meet standards.

Su, the Sanlu manager, said the chemical might have been added to make the milk's protein content appear higher, according to Caijing. Melamine is nitrogen-rich, and standard tests for protein in bulk food ingredients measure levels of nitrogen.Those responsible will face serious punishment, said a Health Ministry spokesman, Mao Qunan, quoted by Xinhua.The tainted formula sent 59 babies in northwest China's Gansu province — most less than a year old — to the hospital and one baby died, Xinhua reported. Other cases were also being reported across the country.

Investigators found melamine in the urine and kidney stones of the sick babies, Xinhua said, citing a government investigation team.Lu Yuan, a urologist with the No. 1 Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, told Xinhua that 14 sick babies were brought into her facility in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province.Most of the babies looked worn-out and had a fever when they arrived at the hospital. Some didn't produce any urine for two to three days and were in very serious condition, she was quoted as saying. She said eight babies remained hospitalized, while six had been treated and released.It was the second prominent case involving harmful baby formula in China in recent years. In 2004, more than 200 Chinese infants suffered malnutrition and at least 12 died after being fed phony formula that contained no nutrients. Some 40 companies were found to be making phony formula and 47 people were arrested.The reputation of Chinese exports was battered last year by deaths and injuries blamed on tainted toothpaste and other products. The incidents damaged faith abroad in Chinese goods and sparked an overhaul of its regulatory system.Sanlu has 18 percent of China's market for milk powder, according to government data. The company says it produces 6,800 tons of milk a day and buys milk from suppliers that include 60,000 farming households.Sanlu became the dairy supplier to China's space program in June and might provide milk for astronauts on the country's upcoming third manned space flight. The Health Ministry said Friday it was launching a nationwide investigation. It told local officials to report all possible cases and said it is is urgently organizing experts to conduct research and treatment. The milk powder is sold in China under the name Sanlu Bei Bei Infant Powder. We understand that the product involved is only sold in China, Fonterra Co-operative Group, a New Zealand dairy farmers' group that owns 43 percent of Sanlu, said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. Associated Press researcher Bonnie Cao in Beijing contributed to this report.On the Net: Sanlu Group, http://www.sanlu.com
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov Fonterra Co-operative Group, http://www.fonterra.com

Solana meets Abbas in Ramallah Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:50:03 GMT Author : DPA

Ramallah - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana discussed the peace process in Ramallah Friday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Solana arrived in Ramallah coming from Israel, where he met Foreign Minister Tsibi Livni. In Ramallah, Abbas told Solana that he is working to reach a final peace agreement on all the core issues. He said he would never accept a partial agreement, or postpone any of the core issues or a declaration of principle, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters after the meeting. Either an agreement on everything, and particularly on Jerusalem, or no agreement at all, Abbas told Solana according to Erekat. Solana said the EU will continue to work with the parties to push forward peace solution before the end of this year. Abbas will meet US President George W Bush in the White House on September 25. The quartet, which includes the US, the EU, Russia and the United Nations, will hold a meeting on the Middle East peace process on the next day, said Erekat. He said Abbas may take part in the quartet meeting as well. Solana earlier held a separate meeting with Fayyad, who thanked the EU for its financial support for the Palestinian budget. news agency

THE GODLESS AND LUKEWARM LIBERAL MEDIA AND ANALYSTS MOCK SPEAKING IN TONGUES AND HATE SARAH PALIN BECAUSE SHES A TRUE CHRISTIAN, WELL LOOKOUT GODLESS AND DEMOCRATIC LUKEWARM LIBERALS IF GOD WANTS A TRUE CHRISTIAN IN AMERICA TO CLEANUP THE IMMORAL UNGODLINESS HE WILL PUT SARAH PALIN IN.

AND PRAISE KNG JESUS SARAH IS A ISRAELI SUPPORTER AND IF SHE GOES BY SCRIPTURE SHE WILL GET AMERICA OUT OF THE ISRAELI-ARAB PEACE PROCESS AND LET THE EUROPEAN UNNION TAKE ITS LAST DAYS POWER IN THE PEACE PROCESS INSTEAD. I MIGHT ADD THE HURRICANE SEASON WOULD BE NON EXISTANT ALMOST ALSO.

SARAH PALIN VIDEO - INTERVIEW
http://video.google.ca/videosearch?hl=en&q=palin%20interview%20from%20abc&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#

CAMPAIGN '08 Palin talks tough on Iran, Russia in ABC interview SEPT 12,08By Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Sarah Palin took a hard line on Russia and Iran on Thursday as she fielded questions on foreign affairs for the first time since Republican presidential candidate John McCain named her his running mate two weeks ago.The Alaska governor also reversed her stand on the cause of climate change, telling ABC News that she believes man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue of global warming. Less than a year ago, she said the opposite.By turns tense and combative, Palin, 44, used two interviews with ABC anchor Charles Gibson to display her grasp of issues central to the vice presidency.She acknowledged that, other than a trip last year to see troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Germany, her only visits abroad were to Mexico and Canada. And she said that she had never met a head of state but that she did speak last week with President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia.The interviews, conducted in and around Fairbanks, Alaska, did not go without a hitch. Palin called the Russian incursion into Georgia last month unprovoked, a view at odds with that of U.S. officials who have reviewed events leading up to the military action.Putin: Bush not in charge of U.S. policy -- and looked the other way on Georgia Famously, George W. Bush looked into Vladimir Putin's soul seven years ago and said of the Russian president: I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy.She also appeared stumped when Gibson asked whether she agreed with the Bush Doctrine, which holds that the United States can wage preemptive war against hostile nations.And Palin, whose critics see her as unqualified for the vice presidency, said she was thankful that, under Reagan, we won the Cold War. The Soviet Union collapsed three years after Ronald Reagan left the White House.The interviews were Palin's first since she spoke with People magazine on the day McCain put her on the Republican ticket. Top McCain advisors -- including chief strategist Steve Schmidt -- traveled with Palin to Alaska on Wednesday to brief her for the two Gibson interviews on Thursday and one today.Palin has proved a powerful asset for McCain, giving him a sudden boost in the polls, and advisors were determined to avert any misstep that could change those dynamics.

Palin's shift on global warming aligns her more closely with McCain, who has long believed that greenhouse gases contribute to climate change. In December, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner quoted her as saying, I'm not an Al Gore, doom-and-gloom environmentalist blaming the changes in our climate on human activity.Palin, in speaking to ABC, chose her words carefully, saying that some of man's activities could be potentially causing some of the changes in the climate right now.As governor, Palin has named an advisory panel to help Alaska adapt to the consequences of climate change, such as melting ice sheets that have changed fish and wildlife migration patterns. But her views on the cause probably have significant bearing on whether, like her running mate, she favors steps to curb carbon emissions that cause global warming. John McCain and I are going to be working on what we do about it, she said.On foreign policy, Palin largely echoed McCain. She said she favored bringing Ukraine and Georgia into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for instance -- though Russia would consider such a move a threat to its security. So under the NATO alliance, Gibson asked, would the United States have to go to war in response to a Russian invasion of Georgia? Perhaps so, she responded. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help.Gibson alluded to McCain's recent statement that Alaska's proximity to Russia lent Palin some expertise on that nation, asking Palin to explain.They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska -- from an island in Alaska, she said.As for Iran, Palin said nuclear weapons under the control of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would be extremely dangerous to everyone on this globe. She called for a hands-off approach to Israel if it decided to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.We cannot second-guess the steps that Israel has to take to defend itself, she said.Palin's interviews took place on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes. McCain and Democratic rival Barack Obama observed the occasion with a rare break in their daily exchange of campaign attacks.As part of her first Alaska homecoming since McCain introduced her as his running mate, Palin went to an Army base outside Fairbanks on Thursday to attend an Iraq deployment ceremony for a brigade of soldiers, including her 19-year-old son, Track.

In the sit-down with Gibson, she faced questions about statements on the Iraq war that she made at an Assembly of God church that she sometimes attends in her hometown, Wasilla, of which she is a former mayor.A video shows Palin asking a group to pray that the nation's leaders were sending troops to Iraq on a task that is from God.Gibson, however, mischaracterized her as simply asserting that the nation's leaders were sending troops to Iraq on a task from God.

Are we fighting a holy war? he asked.

After Palin disputed his characterization, she paraphrased Abraham Lincoln, saying she meant, Let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God's side.Gibson went on to take a second part of her comments out of context. Palin had asked the group to pray that there is a plan, and that plan is God's plan.But Gibson dropped her reference to praying -- and instead quoted Palin as saying the war was God's plan. He asked if she believed the country was sending her son on a task from God.I don't know if the task is from God, Charlie, she responded, adding that she was proud of Track for serving something greater than himself.Palin's most visible stumble came when Gibson asked whether she agreed with the Bush Doctrine.In what respect, Charlie? she asked the anchor, who sat directly across from her in a matching upright armchair.Gibson then asked what she interpreted the Bush Doctrine to be.His worldview, she answered.Once Gibson explained that the doctrine meant preemptive wars, Palin used the opportunity to take veiled shots at President Bush, whose unpopularity has weighed on McCain's candidacy.I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hellbent on destroying our nation, she said. There have been blunders along the way, though. There have been mistakes made.

With new leadership comes opportunity to do things better, she said.On the question of whether she was ready to step in as president if needed, Palin said she was. She also said she had not hesitated to accept McCain's offer to join the ticket.I answered him yes, because I have the confidence in that readiness, and knowing that you can't blink, she said. You have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we're on, reform of this country and victory in the war, you can't blink. So I didn't blink then, even when asked to run as his running mate.michael.finnegan@latimes.com Times staff writers Matea Gold, Peter Spiegel and Maeve Reston contributed to this report.

Putin warns West against starting arms race By Janet McBride
Thu Sep 11, 1:48 PM ET

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned the West on Thursday against starting an arms race in Europe by stationing a U.S. missile defense shield near Russia's borders and said there was no basis for a new Cold War. Putin, who has taken a robust stance on Russia's conflict with Georgia over the region of South Ossetia, blamed Washington rather than Moscow for resurrecting Soviet-style rhetoric.

Today there are no ideological contradictions, there is no basis for a Cold War, Putin told a group of reporters.There is no basis for mutual animosity ... Russia has no imperialist ambitions, Putin said at a three-hour lunch briefing at his retreat in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.Russia was criticized by the United States and European governments for sending troops into Georgia last month and then recognizing the two breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.Some Western leaders accused Moscow of using Soviet-style tactics in dealing with its neighbor over South Ossetia. Others feared Moscow might take similar steps to reassert its influence over other countries it long dominated in the Soviet Union.

Vice President Dick Cheney charged Moscow earlier this month with using intimidation and brute force.There is no more Soviet threat but they are trying to resurrect it, Putin said.He questioned criticism of Russia for crushing Georgia's bid to retake South Ossetia by force, which prompted concern over energy security in the region and rattled Russian markets with shares losing more than 40 percent of their value since May.

PUNCHING THE AGGRESSOR

What did you expect us to do? Respond with a catapult? ... We punched the aggressor in the face, he said, adding that falls in the stock market were due to the global credit crisis not to Russia's intervention in Georgia.Putin, his speech peppered with strong language, has spearheaded criticism of the United States, accusing the U.S. administration of stoking the conflict to help the Republican candidate in the race for the White House.His successor, President Dmitry Medvedev, once thought to be firmly in his mentor Putin's shadow, has steered a more balanced course, setting up a diplomatic good cop, bad cop routine.In Sochi, Putin accused the United States of acting like a Roman emperor, but also said Moscow would maintain relations with the next U.S. president due to be elected in November.We'll see how actively they use anti-Russian rhetoric. This is a sign of the weakness of the candidates, he said. Whatever the result of the elections we will speak and maintain relations with the next U.S. president.Putin again warned Poland and the Czech Republic against hosting the U.S. missile shield -- a contrast to a slight softening of position by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Warsaw, where he said Moscow remained open to talks.Washington says the shield is aimed against what it calls rogue states, like Iran, but Moscow fears it will pose a direct threat to Russia's security.Our targeting of these countries will happen as soon as these missiles are brought, Putin said. Please do not instigate an arms race in Europe. It is not needed. What should we do? Sit pretty while they deploy missiles?

He also said if Ukraine, a neighboring former Soviet republic, joined NATO, it would be very detrimental.Putin showed little concern about sanctions, which had been raised by some members of the European Union, including the Baltic States. The bloc was unable to reach a consensus on whether and how best to punish its largest energy supplier, but Washington is holding out the prospect of sanctions. In the global context it is better to support one another, he said. Risks are reciprocal. We are taking risks when we invest dozens of billions of dollars in the U.S. economy.

Reporting by Janet McBride; writing by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Diana Abdallah)

Experts say Iran resumed nuke weapons plan
Published: Sept. 12, 2008 at 8:12 AM

TEHRAN, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Nuclear experts say they believe Iran has renewed work on developing nuclear weapons and removed euranium from its nuclear production facility.

Nuclear experts responsible for monitoring Iran's program said they've discovered that enough uranium, which if enriched could make up to six bombs, was no longer at the Isfahan nuclear production facility, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.Spy satellites identified suspicious sites that Iran hasn't declared to nuclear inspectors, the British newspaper said.The Isfahan facility, where raw uranium is enriched so it can be used for either nuclear power or atomic weapons, is subject to International Atomic Energy Agency supervision. Iran, however, has given IAEA inspectors access only to the final stage of the production process, where the uranium in a gaseous state is stored.Nuclear experts said they've determined that 50-60 tons of unprocessed uranium is missing, the newspaper said.The inspectors only have limited access at Isfahan and it looks as though Iranian officials have removed significant quantities ... at a stage in the process that is not being monitored, a nuclear official told the Telegraph. If Iran's nuclear intentions are peaceful, then why are they doing this? IAEA officials told The Daily Telegraph they suspect the missing uranium is being stored in installations spotted by U.S. spy satellites.The Iranians will be asked to account for missing enriched uranium when the IAEA's board of governors meets in Vienna this month, officials said.

The CARMEL ALERT Sept 12th 2008 A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.Stefan's Comment: Behold Our Bridegroom Cometh.

John 14:2-3 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (NKJ)

As most of you know, I am now a married man. During my time of preparation for our marriage I spent a lot of time reading books on relationships and searching the scriptures as to the roles of the husband and the wife and the relations between them in all the different aspects of married life. I also began to do some research on weddings (mainly Jewish weddings) and the many customs that are embedded in them, in order to find out their origins and meaning. For example, why does the bride veil herself, why do we get married under a Huppa (canopy) and why is a Ketuba (the Jewish wedding agreement) written , all of it made me curious and so began my search. I figured that if I am going to be doing all these customs I might as well know what they mean and why we do them. In my search into the Jewish wedding I found an amazing parallel between the ancient way that a Jewish betrothal and marriage was conducted and what our God and his Son, Yeshua our bridegroom has, and is going to do for us. Many of these ancient customs and procedures are still embedded in the wedding ceremony today but have less meaning because of the way our modern world functions.

First the betrothal. When a young man found a young maiden that he liked he would approach his father and inform him of the matter. They would then make a contract (which is in fact the Ketuba) together, where the terms of the marriage and the price that was to be paid to the young woman's father were stated. Then the young man and his father would go to the young woman's father's house and sit down with her and her father. Once the young woman's father agreed to the terms of the marriage and the price to be paid the ultimate decision was left to the young woman as to wether she wanted to marry the young man or not - she would not be forced to. If she agreed, she would take a cup of wine that was placed on the table at the beginning of the meal, and would take a sip, after which the young man would also drink thus sealing the betrothal. This is where the first cup of wine comes from in a Jewish wedding ceremony - the cup of betrothal.

After this happened the price would be paid to the father of the bride and from that point on the two were considered husband and wife, however the marriage was not yet consummated. Today the price paid for the bride can be seen symbolically in an engagement ring that usually is not very cheap. The young man would then leave and return to his fathers house where he would begin to prepare a place for himself and his bride to live together. The young woman would begin to prepare her belongings and herself for the return of her bridegroom who would come at a time unknown to her - therefore she had to always be ready to go. The young man also did not know the time of his return to take his bride. This was because the place that the young man was preparing had to be inspected and authorized by his father first. In the young man's eagerness to return for his bride the father had to make sure that everything was done properly and that no corners were cut. The place that was being prepared had to be beautiful and perfect, therefore only the father of the groom knew when he would send his son to take his bride away.

The veil - Once the young woman was betrothed to her husband she was taken. No other man could have her. In order to make that fact known to all, the young woman would veil herself when being out doors so that all would know that she belongs to someone. The veil also is a sign of being in submission, in this case the woman coming under the covering and the submission of the man she is betrothed to. A modern Jewish bride will not have the veil over her face as she approaches her husband to be, as he awaits her under the Huppa (canopy) - he will place the veil over her face once she is standing before him. The reason for this is traditional, so the husband to bee can be sure it is his bride and no one else, it comes from the story of Jacob marrying Leah, when it was supposed to be Rachel.

When the father gave the order to his son to go and take his bride, the bridegroom would take a party of friends, usually at midnight, and with torches blazing walk to the house of the bride. Upon arriving, they would blow the Shofar and let out a shout thus notifying the arrival of the bridegroom and his party.The bride and her party had to quickly gather their things together and leave with the bridegroom back to the fathers house. Upon arriving all the guests that had assembled there for the celebration would shout and clap. The bride and bridegroom would enter the wedding chamber where the marriage was consummated and there they would stay for a week in romance. The Huppa (canopy) under which Jewish weddings are held represents the wedding chamber and the bed that had four poles, one off each corner, and a covering over the top. During those seven days the wedding feast was held and consisted of dancing, eating and drinking. After the seven days had ended the bride and bridegroom would come out of the chamber and were officially known as husband and wife.

Yeshua has done the same thing for us. We have been purchased for a price, the price of His own blood (Acts 20:28, 1Cor 6:20, 7:23) that washes our sins clean and justifies us before God. He has departed from us to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3) but will return at an unknown time (2 Pet 3:10, Matt 25:13) with a shout and the sound of the Shofar (1 Thess 4:16), and of that day no one knows, not even Yeshua, only God the Father (Mark 13:32). We the bride are to prepare ourselves for His return and be ready for Him when He comes. A wonderful picture of this is the story of the 10 virgins in Matt 25:1-13. He will then take us to Himself, change us and we will dwell with Him for eternity (1 Thess 4:17, 1 Cor 15:51-52)

I have been to a number of weddings during this past year and every one I go to reminds me again and again of God's goodness to us, His promises to Israel that are being fulfilled before our eyes, and the work that He is completing in each of us as every day goes by. Let us remember these things and act like a bride who is preparing herself for the return of her bridegroom. Behold the Bridegroom Cometh !

The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF.

Shabbat Shalom ............. David & Josie.

* * * * FLASH TRAFFIC: WASHINGTON UPDATE * * * * BIN LADEN SEEKS A NUCLEAR 9/11 Never forget. Never get fogged. By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., September 11, 2008) -- During his military tribunal at Gitmo, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM)-- al Qaeda's chief of external operations until he was captured in Pakistan -- admitted that he was not only responsible for the 9/11 attacks. He also the mastermind of second wave attacks and other mega-attacks in the United States, Israel and around the globe. In a written statement given to interrogators, KSM went on to confess no fewer than thirty-one separate terrorist attacks. Some had already been carried out. Others were foiled by U.S. and foreign security forces, or by the fact that KSM had been arrested. Each provided a sobering insight into what Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network really want.

1. I was responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center Operation.

2. I was responsible for the 9/11 Operation, from A to Z.

3. I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jews, Daniel Pearl….

4. I was responsible for the Shoe Bomber Operation to down two American airplanes.

5. I was responsible for the Filka Island Operation in Kuwait that killed two American soldiers.

6. I was responsible for the bombing of a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia, which was frequented by British and Australian nationals.

7. I was responsible for planning, training, surveying, and financing the New (or Second) Wave attacks against the following skyscrapers after 9/11:

a. Library Tower, California

b. Sears Tower, Chicago

c. Plaza Bank, Washington State

d. The Empire State Building, New York City

8. I was responsible for planning, financing & follow-up Operations to destroy American military vessels and oil tankers in the Straights of Hormuz, the Straights of Gibraltar, and the Port of Singapore.

9. I was responsible for the planning, training, surveying, and financing for the Operation to bomb and destroy the Panama Canal.

10. I was responsible for the planning, training, surveying, and financing for the assassination of several former American Presidents, including President Carter.

....[NOTE: For the full list of KSM's confessions, see weblog]....

The Ultimate Objective

As horrifying as these operations were, however, they pale in comparison to what al Qaeda has been praying and planning for a decade at least: acquiring weapons of mass destruction - ideally nuclear weapons - to be used against the United States to kill between four and ten million Americans. Asked in 1998, for example, if al-Qaeda had nuclear or chemical weapons, bin Laden told Time magazine that acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, than I thank God for enabling me to do so. The timing of that statement was significant, for 1998 was the year that Pakistan tested nuclear weapons. Since then, many more disturbing details have emerged about bin Laden's feverish hunt for WMD and his deep-rooted belief that Allah has commanded him to use them to kill Christians and Jews. In the summer of 2002, Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a Kuwaiti-born spokesman for al Qaeda posted the following statement on the internet: Al-Qa'ida has the right to kill four million Americans, including one million children, displace double that figure, and injure and cripple hundreds of thousands.In May 2003, al-Qaeda unveiled a fatwa or religious ruling from a leading Saudi cleric that sanctioned the use of nuclear weapons against the U.S. and permitted the killing of up to ten million Americans. By some estimates, there is enough highly enriched uranium in global stockpiles to construct thousands of nuclear weapons, and it is safe to assume that there are many individuals who would not think twice about using such weapons. FBI Director Robert Muller told a conference on nuclear terrorism in 2007. The economics of supply and demand dictate that someone, somewhere, will provide nuclear material to the highest bidder, and that material will end up in the hands of terrorists. Al Qaeda has demonstrated a clear intent to acquire weapons of mass destruction. In 1993, Osama bin Laden attempted to buy uranium from a source in the Sudan. He has stated that it is Al Qaeda's duty to acquire weapons of mass destruction. And he has made repeated recruiting pitches for experts in chemistry, physics, and explosives to join his terrorist movement.

Former CIA Director George Tenet was skeptical, at first, about how seriously to take bin Laden's WMD threats. But over time, he became a believer. He is now absolutely convinced that bin Laden's top priority is to acquire nuclear weapons and detonate them inside the United States. Of all al-Qa'ida's efforts to obtain other forms of WMD, the main threat is the nuclear one, Tenet stressed. I am convinced that this is where [bin Laden] and his operatives desperately want to go. They understand that bombings by cars, trucks, trains, and planes will get them some headlines, to be sure. But if they manage to set off a mushroom cloud, they will make history. Such an event would place al-Qa'ida on a par with the superpowers and make good on Bin Ladin's threat to destroy our economy and bring death into every American household. Even in the darkest days of the cold war, we could count on the fact that the Soviets, just like us, wanted to live. Not so with the terrorists. Al-Qaida boasts that while we fear death, they embrace it.Never forget the evil done to us seven years ago today. Never get fogged about the evil that will be done to us if we get distracted and confused.