ROSH-HASHANA NEW YEAR IN ISRAEL TODAY

HAPPY NEW YEAR ISRAEL AND THE CREATION OF THE EARTH 6000 YEARS AGO.

ROSH-HASHANA P1
mms://msmedia.a7.org/arutz7/shows/rr/temple080923a.mp3

ROSH-HASHANA P2
mms://msmedia.a7.org/arutz7/shows/rr/temple080923b.mp3

ROSH-HASHANA STARTS AT 6PM TODAY.

The CARMEL ALERT Sept 26th 2008 A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.David's Comment: THE FALL FEASTS BEGIN

TIME TO SOUND THE SHOFAR
Levitus 23:23-24 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. (NKJ)

The final 3 Biblical feasts commence on Monday evening, Israel time. Commonly know as Rosh ha Shana, ( the head of the year or new year ) it is really Yom Ha Teruah ( the Day of Shofar Blowing ). How can it be the New Year if it is the 7th month ? In Exodus 12:2 God makes it clear that Passover ( March / April ) is the beginning of the year for Israel. I believe that the Devil has covered up the true significance of the Yom Ha Teruah by disguising it as Rosh ha Shana.

In the majority of verses where we see the word trumpet, the Hebrew word is shofar. The shofar or rams horn was used for a number of purposes in ancient Israel. It was used to call the 12 tribes to worship at the Tabernacle, and the shofar was sounded ahead of the Ark of the Covenant, in which dwelt the Spirit of YHVH. The Shofar was also used as a very 'special operations' spiritual weapon. The walls of Jericho fell at the sound of the shofar, and the Midianites and Philistines were defeated by Gideon's 300 as the shofars were sounded. Obviously the shofar was an extremely formidable weapon, and we have no doubt that the shofar's power is the same today as it was in the days of old.

Once again Israel needs to employ the shofar against our enemies. Israel has bent over backwards to make peace with our neighbours, alas to no avail. We got 2 weeks of peace in exchange for the destruction of the 21 Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip. 38 years of blood, sweat and tears bulldozed into the ground, allowing our enemies to get even closer to Ashkelon and other Israeli population centres. Not what I call a good deal or wise decision. Now they are sending their rockets once again. It time for Israel to destroy her enemies. Its time for as many of God's people as possible to BLOW the shofars in Zion. Not just for the celebration of the Feast of Shofar blowing, but to stir up the Heavenlies and to once and for all time, defeat the spirit that was motivating the MIdianites and Philistines to destroy ancient Israel - the same spirit that motivates the Muslim Arab world today to destroy modern Israel. It is the spirit of Anti-Christ. Remember: NO ISRAEL = NO 2ND COMING OF MESSIAH.

For Born Again Gentiles & Jews Yom Teruah is a prophetic preparation for the Rapture. All major New Testament events occurred on the dates of the Biblical Feasts. Four of the seven have been exactly fulfilled in the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Messiah, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that sw call Pentecost, so we can be sure the other three will be likewise fulfilled. Therefore we believe the Rapture will occur on the Feast of Shofars. The feast of blowing the shofar / trumpets. That is what Paul is referring to in 1 Corinthinas15:52 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (NKJ) I don't know which year it will be, but it is getting very close - Are you ready ? Are you preparing the way of the Lord by standing with Israel ? Are you daily praying for the peace of Jerusalem ? ( Pslam 122 ) Are you giving YHVH no rest until He makes Jerusalem a praise in all the Earth ? ( Isaiah 62:6 & 7). Are you praying ALL of the Jews home to Israel ? (Is 49:22) Are you seeking to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy ? ( Rom 11:11)

The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to th 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 & Hag Sameach (have a happy Feast) .... David & Josie

A 14-plane US airlift lands high-powered FBX radar in Israel with US personnel DEBKAfile Special Report September 27, 2008, 5:15 PM (GMT+02:00)

Unloading high-powered US anti-missile radar in Israel
Huge US Air Force C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Gobemaster III transports have ferried the high-powered FBX-T anti-missile radar to Israel’s Nevatim Air Base south of Beersheba. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the transportable radar surveillance/forward-based X-band radar was accompanied by some 120 American European Command personnel. The area of its deployment at the Negev base has been fenced off and made off-limits to non-American personnel.This is the first time an Israel Defense Forces facility housing an American weapons system has been closed to Israeli military.The X-band radar has been deployed with cooling systems, generators, perimeter defense weaponry and dozens of technicians and security forces to operate and defend the installation.

The Raytheon system can detect a flying object the size of a baseball at a distance of 4,700 km, fix on its speed and trajectory and convey the data to the Israeli Arrow anti-missile battery. This equals detecting an Iranian Shehab-3 ballistic missile 5.5 minutes after its launch, which means that it is picked up halfway on its 11-minute flight from Iran to bomb targets in Israel, adding precious minutes to Israel’s response time for incoming missile attacks.Israel has furthermore been given improved access to US satellites capable of identifying missiles at the instant of their launch. Israel will now be directly linked to the satellites - albeit through the US Joint Tactical Ground Station – JTAGS in Europe. Commenting on the FBX radar deployment, a Pentagon source said: First, we want to put Iran on notice that we’re bolstering our capabilities throughout the region, and especially in Israel. But just as important, we’re telling the Israelis, Calm down; behave. We’re doing all we can to stand by you and strengthen defenses.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

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

106 PAGE BAILOUT BILL READ HERE
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/28/news/pdf/index.htm

Rescue bill revealed,Congress details legislation to enact historic bailout of nation's financial system. SEPT 28,08
feed://rss.cnn.com/rss/money_news_economy.rss
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer
Last Updated: September 28, 2008: 3:50 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Congress on Sunday made public a proposed bill that would enact a far-reaching government rescue of the financial system.The core of the bill is based on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's request for authority to purchase as much as $700 billion in troubled mortgage assets from financial institutions so banks can resume lending and so the credit markets, now virtually frozen, can begin to operate more normally.But Democrats and Republicans - concerned about the potential taxpayer cost - have added several conditions and restrictions. Key negotiators for the financial rescue plan will be busy trying to line up votes on Capitol Hill on Sunday to support the accord they reached soon after midnight.

Among the provisions:

The $700 billion would be disbursed in stages, with $250 billion made available immediately for the Treasury's use.Curbs will be placed on the compensation of executives at companies that sell mortgage assets to Treasury. Among them, the bill would limit golden parachutes to executives at companies that participate; they will not be able to deduct the salary they pay to executives above $500,000.An oversight board will be created. The board will include the Federal Reserve chairman, the Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, the Federal Home Finance Agency director and the Housing and Urban Development secretary. Allow for the Treasury to receive the option to take ownership stakes in participating companies under certain circumstances. Treasury may establish an insurance program - with risk-based premiums paid by the industry - to guarantee companies' troubled assets, including mortgage-backed securities, purchased before March 18, 2008.Lawmakers' goal is to shore up a deal before financial markets around the world open on Sunday evening.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson first announced the administration would seek an economic bailout plan on Sept. 18, after meeting with key lawmakers in the House and Senate - a meeting that left lawmakers looking ashen when they spoke to the press afterwards.If enacted, the rescue plan would be the most dramatic and extensive government intervention in the economy since the Great Depression. President Bush on Sept. 24 gave a prime-time address to the nation in which he urged lawmakers to pass his plan and warned that the entire economy is in danger.The aim of the rescue is to unfreeze the credit markets - short-term lending among banks and corporations. The core of the problem is bad real estate loans that have led to record foreclosures when the housing bubble burst and home prices declined.In the past two weeks, the banking world and Wall Street have been reordered by a wave of collapses and corporate mergers. The most recent development was the seizure by federal regulators on Thursday night of Washington Mutual, once the nation's largest thrift and a major mortgage lender.

Pain on Main Street, risk to taxpayers
The chill of the credit freeze has been felt far beyond Wall Street, as well. Businesses large and small have seen the cost of borrowing spike higher.At the same time, the scale of the administration's plan - and the quick pace of the debate over it - has given pause to many Americans and lawmakers worried about its potential cost to taxpayers.We begin with a very important task, a task to stabilize the markets, to protect all Americans - and do it in a way that protects the taxpayer to the maximum extent possible, Paulson said early Sunday morning.

Lawmakers work to nail down $700B bailout plan By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer SEPT 28,08

WASHINGTON - Key lawmakers who struck a post-midnight deal on a $700 billion bailout for the financial industry predicted Sunday it would pass Congress, putting in place the largest government intervention in markets since the Great Depression. Flexing its political muscle, Congress insisted on a package that gives lawmakers a stronger hand in controlling the money than the Bush administration had wanted. The rescue plan casts Washington's long shadow over Wall Street with the federal government taking over huge amounts of devalued assets from beleaguered financial firms in exchange for more oversight.Under the plan, lawmakers could block half the money and force the president to jump through some hoops before using it all. The government could get at $250 billion immediately, $100 billion more if the president certified it was necessary, and the last $350 billion with a separate certification — and subject to a congressional resolution of disapproval.Still, the resolution could be vetoed by the president, meaning it would take extra-large congressional majorities to stop it.The proposal is designed to end a vicious downward spiral that has battered all levels of the economy, in which hundreds of billions of dollars in investments based on mortgages gone bad have cramped banks' willingness to lend.

Lawmakers had to navigate between angry voters — many of whom view the plan as a rescue package for the wealthy on Wall Street — and Bush administration officials who warned that inaction would cause the economy to seize up and spiral into recession.Negotiators sought Sunday to iron out the final shape of the legislation, which House Republicans still had to review. It was their fierce opposition to a federal rescue that nearly torpedoed an emerging bipartisan pact late in the week.

But officials in both parties were hopeful for a House vote Monday, and the two presidential candidates said they probably would support it.This is the bottom line: If we do not do this, the trauma, the chaos and the disruption to everyday Americans' lives will be overwhelming, and that's a price we can't afford to risk paying, Sen. Judd Gregg, the chief Senate Republican in the talks, told The Associated Press on Sunday. I do think we'll be able to pass it, and it will be a bipartisan vote.A breakthrough came when Democrats agreed to incorporate a GOP demand — letting the government insure some bad home loans rather than buy them — designed to limit the amount of federal money used in the rescue.Another important bargain, vital to attracting support from centrist Democrats and Republicans who are fiscal hawks, would require that the government, after five years, submit a plan to Congress on how to recoup any losses.The presidential nominees came behind the outlines of the bailout.This is something that all of us will swallow hard and go forward with, said Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona. The option of doing nothing is simply not an acceptable option.His Democratic rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, sought credit for taxpayer safeguards added to the initial proposal from the Bush administration. I was pushing very hard and involved in shaping those provisions, he said.House Republicans said they're still reviewing the plan.We are not ready to say that a deal is done, Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va.Congressional leaders announced a tentative deal in the early hours of Sunday morning after marathon negotiations at the Capitol.We've still got more to do to finalize it, but I think we're there, said Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who also participated in the negotiations in the Capitol.

Executives whose companies benefit from the rescue could not get golden parachutes and would see their pay packages limited. The government would receive stock warrants in return for the bailout relief, giving taxpayers a chance to share in financial companies' future profits. To help struggling homeowners, the plan requires the government to try renegotiating the bad mortgages it acquires with the aim of lowering borrowers' monthly payments so they can keep their homes. Nobody got everything they wanted, said Democratic Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. He predicted it would pass, though not by a large majority. Gregg, R-N.H., said he thinks taxpayers will come out as financial winners. I don't think we're going to lose money, myself. We may, it's possible, but I doubt it in the long run, he said. Associated Press writer Holly Ramer in Concord, N.H., contributed to this report.

FROM JEROME CORSI'S RED ALERT The Big 3 bailout you didn't know about,Automakers quietly seek billions during U.S. financial crisis September 28, 2008 12:03 pm Eastern 2008 WorldNetDaily

Editor's Note: The following report is excerpted from Jerome Corsi's Red Alert, the premium online newsletter published by the current No. 1 best-selling author, WND staff writer and columnist. Subscriptions are $99 a year or $9.95 per month for credit card users.If you read mainstream media reports, you might conclude the government's bailouts of Freddie, Fannie and AIG are the only ones making headway in Washington, D.C.You would be wrong.In what is certain to be the most extensive round of government intervention in U.S. history, the auto industry has used the cover of the financial services meltdown to make sure its government bailout goes through without a hitch.Clearly, among the few in the country who can find a silver lining while the nation's attention has been consumed by the $700 billion bailout, are the auto executives of the Big 3 – General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. They have managed, under the radar, to quietly move ahead their own planned billion dollar bailout.

As Red Alert reported at the end of August, GM, Ford and Chrysler are seeking up to $50 billion in low-interest government-backed loans, double the $25 billion approved last year as part of an energy bill.The U.S. auto industry, wracked by unexpectedly high gas prices this year, has found itself once again producing the wrong models at the wrong time.Repeating a historically embarrassing inability to predict consumer preferences, the U.S. Big 3 are flush with an inventory of SUVs and large pickup trucks at a time when consumers are begging for smaller European-style minivans and more fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids.Last week, U.S. News & World Report suggested the $25 billion loan-guarantee bailout for the Big 3 automakers may be passed by Congress and signed by President Bush as early as this weekend. Certainly, it will be done without any fanfare, especially if the financial services bailout is finalized and ready for the president's signature at about the same time.Reuters confirmed the auto deal cleared a major hurdle last Wed., Sept. 24, when the House passed the $25 billion loan guarantee measure as part of a larger, must-pass spending bill.Reuters also reported the Senate is expected to follow through swiftly and pass the legislative package so President Bush can sign it into law by Oct. 1, this Wednesday.Ironically, George W. Bush, who in 2000 was considered a conservative president, will have a legacy of having run up some of the largest federal budget deficits in history, while also having undermined the private economy. It will not have been by government regulations, but by outright government takeovers and bailouts many consider takeovers.For more on how your tax dollars will bail out Big 3 automakers, read Jerome Corsi's Red Alert, the premium, online intelligence news source by the WND staff writer, columnist and author of the New York Times No. 1 best-seller, The Obama Nation.

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.

Hurricane Kyle churns toward Canada 2 hours, SEPT 28,08

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AFP) - Hurricane Kyle veered away from New England Sunday and sped its ripping winds and pounding rains straight toward southeastern Canada, the US National Hurricane Center said. At 1500 GMT Kyle was moving north-northeast at 24 miles (39 kilometers) per hour with sustained winds of 80 miles an hour (130 kilometers an hour) with higher gusts, making it a category one storm on the five level Saffir-Simpson scale.The center of Kyle should pass east of the coast of Maine later today and tonight and move near or over Nova Scotia and New Brunswick tonight and early Monday, the center said in a statement.The storm is expected to weaken as it passes over colder Canadian waters.The system should lose tropical characteristics on Monday, the center said.Kyle was centered some 355 miles (575 kilometers) southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia.Canada posted a hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick provinces.The Maine Yacht Center in Portland, Maine, which is likely to take a beating from the storm if not a direct hit, said it had turned off the electricity and fuel lines at the marina, just in case.We've turned all the vessels toward the wind and right now there's no panic, dockmaster Alexandre Hofmann told AFP. Boat owners keep calling to check on the marine forecaster reports, he said, adding We're OK for now.

Maine preps as hurricane races toward Nova Scotia By DAVID SHARP, Associated Press Writer SEPT 28,08

MACHIAS, Maine - Fishermen moved boats to shelter from a rare burst of tropical weather along Maine's rugged Down East coast Sunday as Hurricane Kyle plowed past on its way to Canada, threatening a glancing blow equivalent to a classic nor'easter storm without the snow. A hurricane watch for Maine was discontinued Sunday but a tropical storm warning remained in effect from Stonington, at the mouth of Penobscot Bay, to Eastport on the Canadian border, the National Hurricane Center said. The Canadian Hurricane Centre issued a hurricane warning for parts of southwestern Nova Scotia, with tropical storm warnings for parts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.The Category 1 storm's track was expected to bring its center ashore in New Brunswick just west of Saint John late Sunday or early Monday, but by then it is expected to have less than hurricane strength, said Peter Bowyer of the Canadian center in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.There were no immediate plans for evacuations in Maine, although residents were warned of potential power outages and interruptions in ferry services to islands.Heavy rain lashed the state Sunday for a third straight day. As much as 5.5 inches had already fallen along coastal areas. Flood watches were in effect for the southern two-thirds of New Hampshire and southern Maine through Sunday evening.

Authorities expected wind gusts in Maine to reach up to 60 mph and waves up to 20 feet, said Robert McAleer, Maine Emergency Management Agency director.Down East residents are accustomed to rough weather, but it most often comes in the winter when nor'easters howl along the East Coast. Maine hasn't had anything like a hurricane since Bob was downgraded as it moved into the state in 1991 after causing problems in southern New England.While residents took precautions, many weren't impressed by Kyle.It probably won't be much different than a Nor'easter except we don't have to deal with the snow, said Jesse Davis of Marshfield, who planned to ride out the wind and rain at home with his wife and 2-month-old daughter. He gassed up his vehicles and generator, took in his deck furniture and filled up water jugs, but said that's what he does for any big storm.Down East we get storms with 50 to 60 mph winds every winter. Those storms can become ferocious, said Washington County Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Hinerman. Down East is the rugged, sparsely populated area from about Bar Harbor to the Canadian border.Many lobstermen moved their boats to sheltered coves, said Dwight Carver, a lobsterman on Beals Island. Some also moved lobster traps from shallow water.I'm sure we'll have a lot of snarls, a lot of mess, to take care of when it's done, Carver said. It'll take us a few days to straighten things out.In Lubec, the easternmost town in the U.S., town workers pulled up docks and fishermen moved boats across the harbor into Campobello Island, New Brunswick, which has coves and wharves that offer shelter.At 2 p.m. EDT Sunday, Kyle was centered about 225 miles southeast of Portland, Maine, and about 230miles southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving toward the north-northeast at roughly 24 mph and was expected to continue that track for the next day or so.Kyle's maximum sustained wind was blowing at nearly 80 mph, with hurricane-force wind of at least 74 mph extending up to 70 miles out from the center.Emergency Measures officials in New Brunswick were concerned that people living inland were not taking the storm warnings seriously enough.

We're talking to people on the street and they're shrugging this off, said spokesman Ernie MacGillvray.He noted that the storm system was hundreds of miles wide. They need to understand there's going to be a whole bunch of impact and it could be a few days before phones and power is restored, MacGillvray said. The deadliest storm to hit the Northeast was in 1938 when a hurricane killed 700 people and destroyed 63,000 homes on New York's Long Island and throughout New England. Other hurricanes that have hit Maine were Carol and Edna in 1954, Donna in 1960 and Gloria in 1985. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions, with wind of at least 74 mph, are possible within 36 hours. A tropical storm warning means conditions for that type of storm, with wind of 39 to 73 mph, are expected within the next 24 hours. Associated Press writer Clarke Canfield in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
On the Net: Nat'l Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ Canadian Hurricane Centre: http://tinyurl.com/22882j

Typhoon Jangmi slams into Taiwan SEPT 28,08

TAIPEI (AFP) - Hundreds of people evacuated their homes as Typhoon Jangmi pounded Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain on Sunday, causing a major landslide and forcing the cancellation of flights. Forecasters warned of possible flash floods saying Jangmi, the sixth and biggest storm to hit Taiwan this year, could unleash up to 1400 millimetres (56 inches) of rainfall in some areas.High-speed rail services were suspended and all domestic flights were cancelled, although international air traffic was largely unaffected.Hundreds of residents were evacuated from remote villages and fishing boats sought shelter at ports, the National Fire Agency said.

Jangmi, meaning rose in Korean, made landfall in northeastern Ilan county around 0740 GMT, the Central Weather Bureau said.A major landslide disrupting traffic on a major highway in eastern Taiwan, rescuers said.Local television stations compared the typhoon to a category five hurricane.This is a strong typhoon. No matter where it makes landfall, it could introduce powerful winds and heavy rains and accordingly wreak havoc, the Central Weather Bureau's Wu Teh-jung told reporters.At least 14 people were killed and seven others reported missing earlier this month after Typhoon Sinlaku pounded the island, causing bridges, hotels and houses to collapse.

UN Quartet Calls For Mideast Peace Deal By Year's End SEPT 26,08

UNITED NATIONS (AFP)--The Middle East diplomatic quartet Friday called on Israel and the Palestinians to seal a peace deal in 2008 and expressed deep concern over the Jewish state's pursuit of settlement expansion in the West Bank.A ministerial session of quartet members - the U.S., Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - ended with a call on the parties to make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008.(END) Dow Jones Newswires.

Olmert laments evil wind of extremism' in Israel By KARIN LAUB, Associated Press Writer SEPT 28,08

YITZHAR, West Bank - A new dynamic has emerged in the West Bank: Jewish settlers block roads, burn tires or set fire to Palestinian fields when troops try to dismantle unauthorized settlements. Activists call the tactic price tag. They hope the havoc will deter Israeli security forces from removing any of the dozens of squatter camps, or outposts, dotting West Bank hills. But outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Sunday that an evil wind of extremism is threatening Israel's democracy.Without naming any specific group, Olmert complained that extremists are undermining the ability of those in charge in Israel to make decisions.The comments to the Israeli Cabinet and a pipe bomb attack that wounded a prominent Israeli critic of the settlers added to the debate about the dangers of ultra-nationalists.

Despite Sunday's forceful words, Olmert and his predecessors failed to live up to a 2003 promise to the U.S. to take down dozens of outposts. Critics of the government also say Israeli police and military often ignore settler violence.The radical extremists in the right-wing camp understand that the government is just too afraid to confront them, said Yariv Oppenheimer, leader of the settlement watchdog group Peace Now.The nearly 300,000 West Bank settlers are a heterogeneous group. They range from suburbanites in settlements near Israel, who moved to the West Bank for cheaper housing, to ideologues and radical hilltop youth who believe Israel must keep the territory for religious and security reasons.The ideological settlers feel betrayed by Israel's 2005 pullout from Gaza, including the evacuation of some 8,500 settlers, and are determined to prevent a repeat in the West Bank.Hardliners have been gaining ground against the more pragmatic leaders of the settlers' umbrella group, the Yesha Council, which has been negotiating with the government over the fate of the outposts.Two large regional councils, Samaria and Binyamin in the northern West Bank, last year elected leaders who oppose any compromise on the outposts.Firebrand activist Daniella Weiss and regional settler leader Yitzhak Shadmi said it includes blocking roads and demonstratively entering Arab villages. If this makes the security forces crazy, so be it, said Shadmi, a lieutenant colonel in the army reserves.Both drew the line at attacking Palestinians or their property, but said they wouldn't dissuade others who advocate more extreme action.Noam Federman, a well-known radical settler from the southern West Bank, said the tactic has been used at least four times so far, most recently on Sept. 18, after the removal of a small outpost, Yad Yair.On Sept. 18, protesters punctured tires of army vehicles at the outpost. Later, Israelis set fire to fields near two Palestinian villages and torched a Palestinian home near Ramallah, the military and villagers said.A June ad in a local newspaper of the Kedumim settlement also described the tactic. During the removal (of a trailer from an outpost), roads were blocked in the area, and later many fires erupted, said the ad, signed by the Residents' Committee of the Samaria Regional Council.This is a true example of how the boundaries of the struggle are determined by the settlers, the ad said.The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din has reported an increase in settler attacks on Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in recent months.

This comes in the context of years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the West Bank, including hundreds of attacks against settlers and periodic attempts by armed Palestinians to infiltrate Israeli settlements. One of the hotspots is the Yitzhar settlement, overlooking the West Bank Palestinian villages of Assira al-Kubliyeh, Burin and Madameh. Burin Mayor Ali Eid recited a list of settler attacks in recent months, including the burning of hundreds of trees and the firebombing of a house. A chunk of metal the size of a toaster sat on a table in his office, a fragment from one of nine projectiles he said have been fired at Burin. Two weeks ago, Yitzhar settlers went on a rampage in Assira al-Kubliyeh, following an arson and stabbing attack that injured a 9-year-old boy from the settlement. Dozens of stone-throwing settlers, some firing in the air, smashed windows of several homes and overturned a car in the village. Six villagers were hurt, including a 17-year-old girl shot in the right arm. Yesh Din said Israeli soldiers did little to prevent the riot.

Police say they're still investigating and have not made arrests. A week later, Israeli troops shot dead a 14-year-old Palestinian from Assira as he lit a firebomb near Yitzhar. Police say he was the assailant from the week before. Yitzhar has long been considered a hotbed of militancy, an image the settlement's spokesman, Yigal Amitay, accepts with pride. Yitzhar will always prefer to be in the position of the aggressor and not in the position of the victim, said the 42-year-old father of 10, sitting in his garden along a quiet street lined with small cottages. The settlement has spawned six outposts where 45 of Yitzhar's 170 families live. Officials would not comment on the new tactic, but government spokesman Mark Regev said vigilantes would not be tolerated and police say there have been some arrests. The Settlers' Council is still trying to get a better grasp of the price tag tactic, said a member, Sara Eliash. In principle, she said, it is very grave that people decide to exact a price from the state of Israel.Additional reporting by Dalia Nammari in Burin and Assira al-Kubliyeh.

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

S. Korean leader arrives in Russia for nuclear, gas talks SEPT 28,08

MOSCOW (AFP) - South Korea's president arrived in Moscow on Sunday for a three-day visit expected to focus on the international standoff over North Korea's nuclear programme and energy ties. South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak landed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport at 1:30 pm (0930 GMT).Lee is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday, news agencies reported earlier, citing the South Korean embassy in Moscow.His visit comes days after the UN's atomic energy watchdog said Pyongyang was about to restart a nuclear reprocessing plant and Seoul's foreign minister warned that six-party talks aimed at disarming North Korea were near breakdown.The future of the six-party talks will be discussed" at Lee's meetings with Russian officials, ambassador Lee Kyu-Hyung was quoted as saying in Moscow.Lee also hopes to discuss building a gas pipeline linking Russia to South Korea, the ambassador said.A pipeline delivering Russian gas to South Korea would have to pass through the communist North, which tested an atomic weapon in 2006.Encouraged by the international community, Pyongyang began disabling its Yongbyon reactor last November, but halted work last month to protest a US refusal to drop it from a blacklist of countries supporting terrorism.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday that North Korea had told the agency that it would restart nuclear reprocessing at Yongbyon, which is used to make weapons-grade material.Russia -- along with South Korea, the United States, China and Japan -- is one of the five countries negotiating with Pyongyang to achieve nuclear disarmament in exchange for economic aid.

NATO closely monitors Russian warships on route to Caribbean
16:41 | 27/ 09/ 2008

MOSCOW, September 27 (RIA Novosti) - A long-range sortie of the Russian naval task group to the Caribbean has drawn close attention from NATO, a Navy spokesman said on Saturday. A naval task force from Russia's Northern Fleet, comprising the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko, and support ships, left a naval base in northern Russia early Monday to conduct training exercises in the Atlantic, including joint naval drills with the Venezuelan navy in November. Patrol aircraft from the Norwegian Navy have flown four times near the Russian task group in the Norwegian Sea, Capt. 1st rank Igor Dygalo said, adding that the movements of the Russian convoy are also closely monitored by the U.K. HMS Argyll frigate. During the current tour of duty the Russian warships would participate in joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan navy in the Caribbean on November 10-14, in line with the 2008 training program and in order to expand military cooperation with foreign navies. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who recently visited Russia, earlier confirmed that Venezuela would hold joint naval exercises with Russian warships in the Caribbean and said the Russian navy would receive a warm welcome in the Latin American country. Russia announced last year that its Navy had resumed and would build up a constant presence in different regions of the world's oceans. A task force from the Northern Fleet, consisting of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, the Udaloy-Class large AWS ships Admiral Levchenko and Admiral Chabanenko, as well as auxiliary vessels, conducted from December 2007 to February 2008 a two-month tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic.

Putin: ties with Latin America priority for Moscow Thu Sep 25, 2:50 PM ET

MOSCOW - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says relations with Latin America will be a foreign policy priority for the Russian government. Putin, who is meeting with visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, says Russia is willing to discuss further military contacts with Venezuela and help it develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.Chavez said during Thursday's meeting that close ties between Venezuela and Russia would strengthen a multi-polar world.Chavez' visit takes place as a Russian naval squadron sails to Venezuela, across the Caribbean Sea from the United States, in a pointed response to what the Kremlin portrays as threatening U.S. encroachment near its own borders.

Israel asked US for green light to bomb nuclear sites in Iran SEPT 27,08

Israel gave serious thought this spring to launching a military strike on Iran's nuclear sites but was told by President George W Bush that he would not support it and did not expect to revise that view for the rest of his presidency, senior European diplomatic sources have told the Guardian.The then prime minister, Ehud Olmert, used the occasion of Bush's trip to Israel for the 60th anniversary of the state's founding to raise the issue in a one-on-one meeting on May 14, the sources said. He took it [the refusal of a US green light] as where they were at the moment, and that the US position was unlikely to change as long as Bush was in office, they added.The sources work for a European head of government who met the Israeli leader some time after the Bush visit. Their talks were so sensitive that no note-takers attended, but the European leader subsequently divulged to his officials the highly sensitive contents of what Olmert had told him of Bush's position.Bush's decision to refuse to offer any support for a strike on Iran appeared to be based on two factors, the sources said. One was US concern over Iran's likely retaliation, which would probably include a wave of attacks on US military and other personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as on shipping in the Persian Gulf.The other was US anxiety that Israel would not succeed in disabling Iran's nuclear facilities in a single assault even with the use of dozens of aircraft. It could not mount a series of attacks over several days without risking full-scale war. So the benefits would not outweigh the costs.Iran has repeatedly said it would react with force to any attack. Some western government analysts believe this could include asking Lebanon's Shia movement Hizbollah to strike at the US.It's over ten years since Hizbollah's last terror strike outside Israel, when it hit an Argentine-Israel association building in Buenos Aires [killing 85 people], said one official. There is a large Lebanese diaspora in Canada which must include some Hizbollah supporters. They could slip into the United States and take action.

Even if Israel were to launch an attack on Iran without US approval its planes could not reach their targets without the US becoming aware of their flightpath and having time to ask them to abandon their mission.The shortest route to Natanz lies across Iraq and the US has total control of Iraqi airspace, the official said. Natanz, about 100 miles north of Isfahan, is the site of an uranium enrichment plant.In this context Iran would be bound to assume Bush had approved it, even if the White House denied fore-knowledge, raising the prospect of an attack against the US.Several high-level Israeli officials have hinted over the last two years that Israel might strike Iran's nuclear facilities to prevent them being developed to provide sufficient weapons-grade uranium to make a nuclear bomb. Iran has always denied having such plans.Olmert himself raised the possibility of an attack at a press conference during a visit to London last November, when he said sanctions were not enough to block Iran's nuclear programme.Economic sanctions are effective. They have an important impact already, but they are not sufficient. So there should be more. Up to where? Up until Iran will stop its nuclear programme, he said.The revelation that Olmert was not merely sabre-rattling to try to frighten Iran but considered the option seriously enough to discuss it with Bush shows how concerned Israeli officials had become.Bush's refusal to support an attack, and the strong suggestion he would not change his mind, is likely to end speculation that Washington might be preparing an October surprise before the US presidential election. Some analysts have argued that Bush would back an Israeli attack in an effort to help John McCain's campaign by creating an eve-of-poll security crisis.Others have said that in the case of an Obama victory, the vice-president, Dick Cheney, the main White House hawk, would want to cripple Iran's nuclear programme in the dying weeks of Bush's term.During Saddam Hussein's rule in 1981, Israeli aircraft successfully destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor at Osirak shortly before it was due to start operating.

Last September they knocked out a buildings complex in northern Syria, which US officials later said had been a partly constructed nuclear reactor based on a North Korean design. Syria said the building was a military complex but had no links to a nuclear programme.In contrast, Iran's nuclear facilities, which are officially described as intended only for civilian purposes, are dispersed around the country and some are in fortified bunkers underground.In public, Bush gave no hint of his view that the military option had to be excluded. In a speech to the Knesset the following day he confined himself to telling Israel's parliament: America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world's leading sponsor of terror to possess the world's deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.Mark Regev, Olmert's spokesman, tonight reacted to the Guardian's story saying: The need to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is raised at every meeting between the prime minister and foreign leaders. Israel prefers a diplomatic solution to this issue but all options must remain on the table. Your unnamed European source attributed words to the prime minister that were not spoken in any working meeting with foreign guests.Three weeks after Bush's red light, on June 2, Israel mounted a massive air exercise covering several hundred miles in the eastern Mediterranean. It involved dozens of warplanes, including F-15s, F-16s and aerial refueling tankers.The size and scope of the exercise ensured that the US and other nations in the region saw it, said a US official, who estimated the distance was about the same as from Israel to Natanz.A few days later, Israel's deputy prime minister, Shaul Mofaz, told the paper Yediot Ahronot: If Iran continues its programme to develop nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The window of opportunity has closed. The sanctions are not effective. There will be no alternative but to attack Iran in order to stop the Iranian nuclear programme.The exercise and Mofaz's comments may have been designed to boost the Israeli government and military's own morale as well, perhaps, to persuade Bush to reconsider his veto. Last week Mofaz narrowly lost a primary within the ruling Kadima party to become Israel's next prime minister. Tzipi Livni, who won the contest, takes a less hawkish position.The US announced two weeks ago that it would sell Israel 1,000 bunker-busting bombs. The move was interpreted by some analysts as a consolation prize for Israel after Bush told Olmert of his opposition to an attack on Iran. But it could also enhance Israel's attack options in case the next US president revives the military option.The guided bomb unit-39 (GBU-39) has a penetration capacity equivalent to a one-tonne bomb. Israel already has some bunker-busters.

WORLD TERRORISM

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

2 PETER 2:5
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

2 PETER 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men

LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Directives for Islamic terrorist attack in U.S. appear on the Internet

A posting uncovered in an Arabic language Internet forum is currently raising a few eyebrows in the intelligence community. The single posting, which is presently being scrutinized by intelligence officials, appears to provide detailed instructions for Muslims living within the United States, giving them specific actions to take before, during and after an upcoming attack in the U.S. The communication was discovered by Archangel, a well-known independent intelligence analyst active within the intelligence community.The post was initially published on August 2, 2008 under the title Commandments [Directives] Before the Strike, and appears to be a sort of a conflict management guide, or instructions on what Muslims should do prior to the attack, actions that should be undertaken concurrent with the attack, and well as additional instructions following the attack.The text addressing the nature, location and timing of the planned attack, although specific to the U.S., appears otherwise ambiguous. For instance, the timing appears to focus on the Tuesday following the end of Ramadan, which would be October 7, 2008. The nature of the attack is less clear. Although the author appears to talk about a strike greater in magnitude than the 9/11 attacks and makes reference to the possibility of it being nuclear in nature, the text references to the nuclear aspect of the attack appear somewhat muddled.In terms of the location of the attack, it is clear that the author identifies both New York, as the financial capital of the U.S., and Washington, DC, as the nation’s capital, as being both desirable and affected. It is interesting that under analysis, the details of the attack referenced by the author are nestled within the text of instructions, rather than being prominently placed to serve as an overt warning as seen in the past. The relative subtlety in which the targets and type of attack was referenced is most interesting from a historical and analytical perspective.

The author who wrote the posting appears to be well established and respected by the community of terrorists and their supporters who frequent such forums. Research of the various membership profiles within that community indicates the author could be a sheik or other Muslim with leadership status. To be clear, research indicates the author has a level of credibility within the forum community. Accordingly, it would be completely consistent for the author to be able to issue a set of instructions that could be expected to be followed by the readers of the forum.An investigation of the post, in terms of placement, links and replies, also provides significant insight with regard to its weight and credibility. Looking at a specific patterns of posting on Arabic language forums over the last seven years, investigation and research takes into account the number, type and authorship of follow-up postings or replies, for example to the original communication.What makes this post particularly interesting is the limited number of replies to date – a total of three- despite the length of time it has been posted. Further, the replies in this case are general blessings, such as May Allah Bless You and general wishes of support for the operation. Based on extensive research of historical posting patterns over the last seven years suggest that this posting could be classified, recognized and acted upon as an order, as opposed to being a point for further discussion.The commandments or directives are written as a set of instructions to an audience the author has divided into six groups as follows, most if not all having some presence in the United States:

1. Muslim scholars, students, followers of Islam;
2. Various Islamic movements.
3. Islamic peoples not belonging to any specific movement.
4. “Dubai Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus” the Islamic State of Iraq and other jihadist movements;
5. Sleeper cells and potential recruits;
6. The general command of al Qaeda.

Various directives are issued to each of the groups referenced above, providing direction to each group on activities that need to be conducted before and after the attack. For example, members of sleeper cells should immediately seek out those who are already activated – known by some Islamic scholars and religious leaders – for further tactical advancement.Specific instructions were also given to the Muslim people to move Muslim children to the safety of training camps at a time that would correspond to the Tuesday after Ramadan – a date that was established as the potential attack date within this posting.In addition to the varied instructions within this post, there is an additional directive that appears to serve as a worldwide activation order for Islamic terrorists to carryout maritime missions subsequent to the attack, with the obvious intent on disrupting all major maritime supply routes.Instructions were given to jihadists in the following areas for such operations:The Philippines - Indonesia - Maldives - the coast of Yemen - the coast of Somalia - the coast of Chinguetti - and perhaps the coast of Algeria;The skyline of the Islamic many important straits and sea lanes that have articulated by the march of trade and military forces of infidelity:The Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Sumatra, one of the most important corridors of the world trade.The Torres Strait, which lies between New Guinea and northern Australia...Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of this posting might not be the message itself, but the message when viewed through the prism of historical patterns exhibited subsequent to the 2001 terrorist attacks. While the contents of the message are revealing, they become even more relevant when analyzed in tandem with the threat of worldwide jihad in advance of the bombings in Yemen and Pakistan.We are seeing a resurgence of Islamic jihad previously before unseen, with few notable exceptions. Those exceptions, however, are indeed notable: the time periods before the London & Madrid bombings, both described as each country's own 9/11.

Spies Warn That Al Qaeda Aims for October Surprise SEPT 26,08

In the aftermath of two major terrorist attacks on Western targets, America's counterterrorism community is warning that Al Qaeda may launch more overseas operations to influence the presidential elections in November.Call it Osama bin Laden's October surprise. In late August, during the weekend between the Democratic and Republican conventions, America's military and intelligence agencies intercepted a series of messages from Al Qaeda's leadership to intermediate members of the organization asking local cells to be prepared for imminent instructions.An official familiar with the new intelligence said the message was picked up in multiple settings, from couriers to encrypted electronic communications to other means. These are generic orders, the source said — a distinction from the more specific intelligence about the location, time, and method of an attack. It was, Be on notice. We may call upon you soon. It was sent out on many channels.Also, Yemen's national English-language newspaper is reporting that a spokesman for Yemen's Islamic Jihad, the Qaeda affiliate that claimed credit for last week's American embassy bombing in Sa'naa, is now publicly threatening to attack foreigners and high government officials if American and British diplomats do not leave the country.

Mr. bin Laden has sought to influence democratic elections in the past. On March 11, 2004, Al Qaeda carried out a series of bombings on Madrid commuter trains. Three days later, the opposition and anti-Iraq war Socialist Workers Party was voted into power.In the week before the 2004 American presidential election, Mr. bin Laden recorded a video message to the American people promising repercussions if President Bush were re-elected. In later messages, Al Qaeda's leader claimed credit for helping elect Mr. Bush in 2004. Last year in Pakistan, Qaeda assassins claimed the life of Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister who returned to her native country in a bid for re-election.There is an expectation that Al Qaeda will try to influence the November elections by attempting attacks globally, a former Bush and Clinton White House counterterrorism official, Roger Cressey, said yesterday.Mr. Cressey said Al Qaeda lacks the capability to pull off an attack in the continental United States, however. It would likely be a higher Al Qaeda tempo of attacks against U.S. and allied targets abroad, he said.At a talk at the Washington Institute for Near East Affairs on August 12, the national intelligence officer for transnational threats said he expected to see more threat reporting on Al Qaeda as America approaches the November elections.The terrorist attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad on Saturday was a particular blow to the allied effort against Al Qaeda. The hotel's lobby in recent years served as a meeting place for the CIA and Pakistanis who would not risk being seen at the American Embassy. The bombing, which targeted one of the most heavily fortified locations in Pakistan's capital, will likely claim close to 100 lives after the dead are pulled from the rubble.

President Zardari, who had just given his first major address as Pakistan's head of state, on fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda, was the target of Saturday's attack, the vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, said.He was expected to attend the iftar dinner at the Marriott, Mr. Gartenstein-Ross said Think of the symbolic value if they were able to kill Zardari after his first address as president of Pakistan in a speech announcing his fight against the terrorists. The symbolic effect of the attack on the same day would be devastating.An adviser to Senator McCain and a former director of central intelligence under President Clinton, James Woolsey, said Al Qaeda has a history of doing three things at least related to elections. One is to attack before elections, such as in 2004 in Spain, and of course the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. They also have a history of attacks when new leaders take over, like Gordon Brown in Britain and the new leader in Pakistan, with the attack over the weekend. Also Al Qaeda sends messages to populations in elections. You really don't know which one of these they are going to implement.