ISRAELS LIKUD LIST

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADE BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

IF IRAQ PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE,THIS COULD EXPLAIN WHY THE 4 DEMONIC ANGELS OR WORLDWIDE WAR ANGELS ARE RELEASED AT THE EUPHRATES RIVER IN IRAQ-IRAN IN THE FUTURE TO START WW3 AFTER JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED.

Iraq plans EU-style Middle East union
LEIGH PHILLIPS Today DEC 10,08 @ 09:25 CET

Iraq has unveiled plans for the creation of a regional economic and security union for the Middle East explicitly modelled on the European Union.Official government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh announced the proposal on Tuesday (9 December) in Washington at the Institute of Peace, a US government-linked think-tank, saying that talks on the plan with the country's neighbours were already underway.Mr al-Dabbagh said there was great interest in the project, according to AFP. Informal discussions on Regional Economic Partnership have reportedly been launched with Kuwait, Syria and Turkey, though not yet Iran. The aim would also to be to bring on board Jordan and Saudi Arabia and - in a subsequent phase - the Gulf states of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, but not Israel.

The proposed bloc would look to lower trade barriers and develop joint economic projects, as well as sharing water resources and electricity. Resolving border disputes and common perspectives on combating militant extremism would also be on the agenda.Iraq's plan, a vision of Mr al-Dabbagh's government, would also aim to improve oil and gas transit and construct roads between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean.The new Iraq could convert the region into the EU model, the UK's Daily Telegraph quotes the Iraqi official as saying at the meeting. Iraq is going to play a major stabilising factor, he added.Iraq sees a necessity for regional security and economic co-operation, Mr al-Dabbagh said.The proposal is the latest in a long line of regional groupings modelled on the European Union.The African Union, a confederation of 53 African states was established in 2002, growing out of the earlier Organisation of African Unity. The grouping is still at the very earliest stages of approaching anything like the EU's level of joint governance and integration.The Union of South American Nations, or Unasur (Unasol in Portuguese and Unasul in Dutch) is an intergovernmental union founded in May this year and integrates two existing customs unions: Mercosur and the Andean Community. It too is still undergoing its birth pangs.

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Ultra-hawkish list of candidates for Likud By MARK LAVIE, Associated Press Writer – Tue Dec 9, 3:00 pm ET

JERUSALEM – Benjamin Netanyahu suffered a setback Tuesday in his quest to reclaim the prime minister's office in Israel when his front-running Likud Party chose a slate of candidates even more hawkish than him.The outcome could weaken his party's popularity, and even if Netanyahu wins a Feb. 10 election, it could limit his ability to negotiate peace with Israel's Arab neighbors.The big winner in results announced early Tuesday was Netanyahu's nemesis, Moshe Feiglin. While Netanyahu opposes the current peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and hopes to limit contacts to economic cooperation, Feiglin goes much further. His theocratic platform calls for banning minority Arab citizens from the parliament, encouraging non-Jews to leave the country and pulling Israel out of the United Nations.

Netanyahu, who resisted peace efforts when he was prime minister from 1996-1999, hoped to present a more mainstream list of candidates to bolster support for his party, backing popular ex-generals, politicians and others for the list.But party members instead chose candidates with uncompromising views, led by Feiglin, who founded a movement that blocked highway intersections around the country in 1995 to protest partial peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians.Others included the son of former Likud Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Benny Begin. He told Army Radio there will be no (peace) agreement in the near future because of Arab rejection of Israel.Rivals did not hide their glee at the blow to Netanyahu's prestige. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Kadima, who is not seeking re-election, said the primary showed the Likud has become an extreme right-wing party that would lead the state of Israel to a corner of isolation.The election is set for three weeks after Barack Obama — who has pledged to work for a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians — takes office as U.S. president.Even if Netanyahu intended to press for concessions to the Palestinians for peace — and many doubt he would — pressure from within his own party could stop him.Recent polls have shown Netanyahu's Likud with a 10-seat lead over Kadima, headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. But they have also shown that the presence of Feiglin on the Likud list could scare away a significant number of potential voters. A Likud insider estimated a loss of three or four seats, while some analysts predicted even more erosion.

Livni reveled in Netanyahu's predicament. The Likud list is not my problem. It's Bibi's problem, she said, using Netanyahu's nickname. It's a weight around his neck, not mine.Even the most optimistic polls had Likud winning about 35 seats in the 120-seat parliament, forcing Netanyahu to patch together a coalition with powerful partners from the ultra-Orthodox and ultra-hawkish sectors.Losing even a handful of those 35 because of the Feiglin effect could drop Likud into a tie with Kadima, a centrist movement started by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who broke away from Likud because of its opposition to his unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. That would make coalition-building more difficult and long-term stability doubtful.

Israel's electoral system, based on voting for parties instead of individual candidates, lends itself to multi-party results and a fractured parliament.Over the past decade, traditional parties have been losing strength and sectorial parties have been gaining. After the last election, less than three years ago, Kadima formed a government after winning just 29 seats, holding less than a majority in its own government, a first in Israel.When Olmert resigned in September because of corruption charges, Livni was chosen to replace him but was unable to form her own government — another first. The resulting national election will be Israel's fifth in less than seven years.

Middle East Quartet to meet in New York on December 15 Tue Dec 9, 1:33 pm ET

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators will meet at U.N. headquarters in New York on December 15, together with some Arab foreign ministers, a U.N. spokeswoman said on Tuesday.France, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, said last month it wanted a meeting this year of the Quartet, which is composed of the EU, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.Michele Montas, spokeswoman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, told a news conference that representatives of the Quartet had talked by telephone and agreed to meet on December 15.The secretary-general is going to host the members of the Quartet and a number of Arab foreign ministers to a discussion, she said, adding she did not have a confirmed list of attendees at this time.At a meeting in Egypt on November 9, the Quartet strongly backed the talks launched at Annapolis, Maryland, a year ago by U.S. President George W. Bush, even though few expect a deal to be reached this year as originally planned.Bush leaves office on January 20, when Barack Obama will take over as president.The talks have been hobbled from the start by violence and bitter disputes over Jewish settlement-building and the future of Jerusalem. Political transitions in Israel and the United States have further delayed any progress.(Reporting by Claudia Parsons; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

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.

South hit by violent storms, bracing for 2nd round By HOLBROOK MOHR, Associated Press Writer – Wed Dec 10, 1:43 pm ET

JACKSON, Miss. – A night of unseasonably warm weather generated torrential rains and tornadoes that damaged two schools and dozens of homes in the Southeast, and some states were bracing for snow and sleet as temperatures drop Wednesday.Sleet was possible in areas of Louisiana and the National Weather Service issued a winter weather watch for parts of Mississippi, warning that a rare snowfall accumulation was possible.Mike Edmonston, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, Miss. said forecasters were predicting 1-3 inches over central and eastern portions of Mississippi, but some areas could see 4 inches or more. Mississippi averages around 2 inches of snow a year and that usually comes sporadically with little accumulation.The winter precipitation threatened to hit before many people could clean up the mess left by powerful storms and likely tornadoes that damaged at least two schools and dozens of homes in Alabama and Mississippi a day earlier.At least one person was injured in south Mississippi when a car struck a downed tree on Intestate 59 in Jones county, authorities said. At least 39 houses and mobile homes were damaged in Mississippi as well as three businesses.Classes were canceled when an apparent tornado ripped off part of the roof of an elementary school in Walker County, Ala., northwest of Birmingham. The storm also damaged more than a dozen homes there.There were reports of damaged homes and trees on roadways across Mississippi and reports of large hail.

Heavy rain caused minor flooding in western Tennessee and 3.44 inches had fallen in Jackson by Wednesday morning, with another 3.5 inches in Memphis and 2.21 inches at Dyersburg, the National Weather Service reported. Heavy rain and possible high winds were predicted across north Georgia Wednesday and into the day on Thursday.Such heavy storms develop about once in the region this time of year, said Mike Leary, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City.You get a big influx of Gulf moisture that's really quite warm, he said. That sets up instability in combination with the cold front coming down.Associated Press Writers Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Ala., Debbie Newby in Atlanta, Bill Fuller in New Orleans, and Randall Dickerson in Nashville, Tenn., contributed to this report.

Colo. forecasters expect busy 09 hurricane season Wed Dec 10, 1:24 pm ET Reuters

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University on Wednesday predicted above-average activity in the Atlantic next year: 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes — three major.The 50-year average is 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes.Researchers William Gray and Phil Klotzbach said in their extended-range forecast there is a 63 percent chance that at least one major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. coastline.The long-term average probability is 52 percent.This is Gray's 26th year of forecasting hurricanes. His predictions are watched closely by emergency responders and others, but many say such long-range forecasts don't have a lot of practical value beyond focusing public attention on the dangers.The hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Klotzbach cautioned that the December prediction includes a large amount of uncertainty because the season is so far in the future.Last December, Gray and Klotzbach predicted 13 named storms for the 2008 season, including seven hurricanes, three of them major. In June they revised that to 15 named storms, eight hurricanes — four major. The season produced 16 named storms, eight hurricanes, with five major.

Klotzbach said the new forecast is based on factors including warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures and the likely absence of El Nino conditions.El Nino is a warming in the Pacific Ocean that can have such far-reaching effects as changing wind patterns in the eastern Atlantic, which can disrupt the formation of hurricanes.
On the Net:Colorado State University hurricane forecast: http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu

Possible tornadoes wreck homes in north Texas Tue Dec 9, 9:24 pm ET

DENISON, Texas – Severe storms tore through north Texas with probable tornadoes, damaging or destroying more than 20 homes and injuring one person, authorities said Tuesday.Teams from the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said they believe two probable tornadoes hit late Monday in an area near Southmayd and Denison, about 70 miles north of Dallas.Lt. Mike Eppler, a spokesman for the Denison Police Department, said the storm Monday night uprooted trees, blew out car windows, overturned tractor-trailers and destroyed a shuttered bowling alley.Straight-line winds may have caused damage in other parts of Grayson County, said meteorologist Jessica Schultz.One person in the Collinsville area suffered minor injuries, authorities said.

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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

WORLD MARKET RESULTS
http://money.cnn.com/data/world_markets/

HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS WED DEC 10,2008

09:30 AM +50.18
10:00 AM +47.63
10:30 AM +123.53
11:00 AM +71.52
11:30 AM +107.48
12:00 PM +137.31
12:30 PM +101.47
01:00 PM +75.82
01:30 PM +87.53
02:00 PM -14.86
02:30 PM -17.84
03:00 PM +7.73
03:30 PM +65.63
04:00 PM +70.09 8761.42

S&P 500 899.24 +10.57

NASDAQ 1565.48 +18.14

GOLD 809.50 +35.30

OIL 43.61 +1.64

TSE 300 8610.98 +213.42

CDNX 705.49 +19.47

S&P/TSX/60 523.76 +14.18

MORNING,NEWS,STATS

Dow +80 points at 4 minutes of trading.
Dow +44 points at low today so far.
Dow +151 points at High today so far.

YEAR TO DATE
Dow -34.48%
Nasdaq -41.66%
S&P -39.48
NYSE STATS
Advances 2,261,Declines 621,Unchanged 81,New highs 4,New lows 22.
NASDAQ
Advances 1,843,Declines 498,Unchanged 162.
Major Averages higher for 10th time in 13 sessions so far today.

Canada cuts interest rate to 1.5%,lowest since 1958
71,000 lost jobs in November in Canada.
The Dow first touched 1000 points in 1966,than not again untill 1983.

SECURITIZING DOWNGRADE
-Moody's downgrades Jumbo deals issued by B of A in 2006 and 2007.
-13% of prime Jumbo pool is delinquent.
-Largest downgrade of non-CDO thus far.

AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS

Dow -4 points at low.
Dow +151 at high.

Colorado state forecasters predict 14 Tropical Storms,7 Hurricanes for 2009 Season.
Wholesale Inventories dropped by 1.1% in OCT. biggest drop since NOV 2001 VS 0.4% (SEPT).

CURRENT STATE OF THE ECONOMY? SURVEY CNBC
Exellent 0%,Good 4%,Only fair 25%,Poor 70%.
ARE YOU CONFIDENT YOUR MONEY IS SAFE IN A FEDERALLY INSURED BANK ACCOUNT?
Totally/Mostly CON:65%,Somewhat/not CON:31%
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PAY OFF HOLLIDAY SHOPPING-RELATED DEBT?
-One month or less DEC 08 32%,DEC 07 29%.
-2-3 Months DEC 08 9%,DEC 07 13%
-Will not have debt DEC 08 51%,DEC 07 46%
AMERICANS PLAN TO SPEND $704 ON AVERAGE THIS YEAR.-4.6% 08/07Y/Y.
Wages same/Decrease $690
Wages Increase $681
Home Value Increase $828
Home Value Decrease $602
Home Value Same $874

WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS

Dow -39 points at low today.
Dow +151 points at high today.

Dow +1% today.
Dow nears 8800 points today.
Dow was up 2.2% at days high,down 0.5% at days low.
Dow falls 0.5% this month.
Nasdaq +1% today.
Nasdaq was up 2.4% at days high,down 0.3% at days low.
Nasdaq gains 2% this month.
S&P +1% today.
S&P ends just below 900 points today.
S&P was up 2.2% at days high,down 0.3% at days low.
Stocks close higher,in middle of days range.

AUTO BILL LATEST
-White House and Democrats finalize bailout.
-House Vote may happen today.
-Senate Republicans blast loan terms.

Republican senators voice opposition to auto aid By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer DEC 10,08
^DJI 8,761.42 +70.09
^GSPC 899.24 +10.57
^IXIC 1,565.48 +18.14

WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans say they have grave concerns about the agreement between congressional Democrats and the Bush White House to speed billions of dollars to struggling U.S. automakers.Sen. George V. Voinovich, a Republican from Ohio and a leading supporter of the emergency measure, says it doesn't have the necessary Republican votes to pass Congress.Administration officials who were dispatched to Capitol Hill to sell the agreement got an earful of criticism from GOP senators during a closed-door luncheon.The revolt came as the House began procedural votes on the package. Democrats are pushing to pass it this week.Reuters.

CANADA FX DEBT-C$ up on hopes for US auto plan, bonds ease
Wed Dec 10, 10:08 AM

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar climbed against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday morning, supported by hopes for a rescue plan for ailing U.S. automakers and by higher oil prices.Bond prices fell as investors stepped back into stocks.At 9:35 a.m. (1435 GMT), the Canadian dollar was at C$1.2562 to the U.S. dollar, or 79.61 U.S. cents. That is up from C$1.2646 to the U.S. dollar, or 79.08 U.S. cents, at Tuesday's close. The Canadian currency was hit on Tuesday after the Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate by 75 basis points and declared for the first time that the economy is entering a recession.The U.S. House of Representatives could vote as early as Wednesday on a $15 billion plan to bail out and restructure U.S. automakers. The hopes that the plan could be finalized helped boost global stock markets and the positive sentiment filtered through to commodity markets. It also helped cool risk aversion, which has been sparking safe-haven U.S. dollar buying.

There is a little better tone from equity markets and risk aversion playing out in response to news of a tentative loan package for the Big Three automakers. And commodity prices are a little higher, said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.Oil bounced above $44 a barrel after Tuesday's slump, and the recovery lent support to the Canadian dollar, which has tracked the price of oil in the past few years because of Canada's status as a major oil-exporting nation.

BONDS FALL

Canadian bond prices were lower across the curve as stock markets gained and investors set aside fears of a global recession.The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index opened higher on Wednesday, as did major U.S. exchanges, following the lead of stock markets in Europe and Japan, which were also supported by the U.S. automaker aid plan.The two-year bond fell 8 Canadian cents to C$102.25 to yield 1.585 percent. The 10-year bond declined 40 Canadian cents to C$109.15 to yield 3.125 percent.The yield spread between the two- and 10-year bond was at 152 basis points, down from 155basis points at the previous close.The 30-year bond lost 55 Canadian cents to C$121.25 to yield 3.775 percent. In the United States, the 30-year Treasury yielded 3.1106 percent.(Reporting by Ka Yan Ng; editing by Peter Galloway)

Israel OKs money transfer to ease Gaza cash crunch By MATTI FRIEDMAN, Associated Press Writer – Wed Dec 10, 1:32 pm ET

JERUSALEM – Israel agreed on Wednesday to allow the delivery of cash to banks in the Gaza Strip to ease a cash crunch that has badly hobbled the economy of the blockaded Palestinian territory.Defense Minister Ehud Barak authorized the transfer of 100 million shekels ($25 million) to Hamas-controlled Gaza from Palestinian banks in the West Bank, his office said. The shekel is the territory's main currency, although Gazans also use U.S. dollars and Jordanian dinars.Jihad al-Wazir, head of the Palestinian Monetary Authority, said the money shipment would help but added that Gazans needed a regular supply of cash. The Israeli approval does not resolve the overall problem of regular inflow of liquidity, he said.Palestinian monetary officials earlier said they needed an immediate infusion of 250 million shekels just to cover salaries of Gaza's government workers.An Israeli military spokesman, Peter Lerner, said armored trucks would cross Israel from the West Bank to Gaza with the money. He said the transfer would be made by Sunday.The Israeli statement said the transfer came in response to a request from Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer and the moderate Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, whose West Bank-based government is holding peace talks with Israel.Israel has not allowed money to enter Gaza since October, causing cash shortages in local banks. Last week, on what was meant to be pay day for tens of thousands of civil servants, many Gazans were unable to collect their pay because cash ran out.

The Gaza blockade was imposed by Israel and Egypt last year when the Islamic militants of Hamas seized power by violence, leaving Palestinian moderates in charge only of the West Bank. The sanctions were slightly loosened in June year when Israel and Hamas reached a cease-fire agreement, but Israel sealed the territory again when violence erupted in early November.

Cost Of Bailout Hits $8.5 Trillion Total sum represents 60 per cent of GDP
Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet.com Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The total cost of funds committed to the bailout in its various guises has now hit $8.5 trillion dollars, up from $7.7 trillion in just two days after the federal government committed an additional $800 billion to two new loan programs on Tuesday.

The total amount of funds now committed equals a figure that represents 60 per cent of the U.S. gross domestic product.Millions of Americans with savings accounts and pensions will ultimately pay the price because, as the San Francisco Chronicle admits today, The Fed lends money from its own balance sheet or by essentially creating new money.You’ll also find this little snippet in the article, Most of the money, about $5.5 trillion, comes from the Federal Reserve, which as an independent entity does not need congressional approval to lend money to banks or, in unusual and exigent circumstances,to other financial institutions.Just another reminder that the private, run for profit, Federal Reserve has the printing presses cranked on overdrive in order to bailout Wall Street and the big banks, while the homeowner and the middle class see their savings devalued out of existence.If you print money all the time, the money becomes worth less, warns Diane Lim Rogers, chief economist with the Concord Coalition, but its an empty threat to delirious traders and investors drunk on a record stock market rally after the government pumped more fake liquidity into the bloated bubble.Veteran investor Jim Rogers echoed the sentiment, predicting the dollar is going to lose its status as the world’s reserve currency, adding, It will be devalued and it will go down a lot. These guys in Washington, they want to debase the currency.They think that if you drive down the value of your money, it makes you more competitive, now that has never worked in history in the long term, said Rogers.

How long will it be before Americans realize the looming specter of hyperinflation spells disaster for their life savings? How long will it be before we see rioting in the streets on a par with the scenes witnessed in Iceland over the weekend, where the Icelandic krona has lost half its value in a matter of weeks? Meanwhile, over in the UK, the government assured the vast majority of the population that they will “tax the rich” in order to pay for the bailout on the other side of the Atlantic, with whopping 61 per cent tax bands being levied on those earning over £100,000 a year.Since when was £100,000 a year rich? After tax, even if someone was able to save half of their remaining income, it would take them around 30 years to save a million pounds, adjusting for inflation. That is not rich.The reality of course is that it is the middle class who will once again foot the bill for everything, leaving the elite to prolong their con game of fiat money and imaginary credit , once again suckering the poor in for a lifetime of indentured financial servitude.

EU parliament body scanners offer virtual strip search
VALENTINA POP Today DEC 10,08 @ 17:22 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Parliament has eight scanners on stock that can expose body parts if put in use, a parliament spokeswoman has confirmed. MEPs recently opposed an attempt by the European Commission to allow airports to use this type of scanner, already in place in British, Dutch, Swiss, US and Australian airports.The decision to acquire eight full-body scanners was taken by the European Parliament's administrative body in 2002, following the al-Qaeda attacks of 11 September 2001, as a measure to protect MEPs and visitors, Marjory van den Broeke, spokeswoman for the parliament's secretary-general told EUobserver.They have luckily never been used, but they could be if the authorities decided to rise the terror alert to code orange or red, she said. The eight machines cost €68,000 each and were distributed to the parliament's buildings in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg, Ms van den Broeke explained.She also stressed that the scanners were only on stock and to be used only in the case of a terrorist threat. A resolution passed in the parliament at the end of October opposed the daily use of such machines in EU airports, she said.German daily newspaper Die Welt wrote on Wednesday (10 December) that the body scanners were hidden in the basement of the European Parliament.

British MEP Graham Watson, head of the parliament's Liberal group (ALDE) proposed a test run of the machines on the European Parliament's secretary-general and its staff.The parliament's drive for transparency seems to have gone a little bit too far, Mr Watson told EUobserver, adding that this matter would be definitely brought up in the meeting with the other party leaders.German centre-right MEP Markus Ferber, who sits on the budgetary control committee told Die Welt this was just another example of a waste of tax money, criticising his colleagues who had approved the purchase of the equipment. This is a huge mess. It's the pinnacle of hypocrisy for the MEPs who are responsible for purchasing these devices being the same ones who ranted and raved about installing them at airports, he said.Late October, MEPs opposed a legislative proposal to allow EU airports to use full-body scanners, arguing that they infringe privacy rights and data protection laws and undermine people's dignity.They said the machines were in effect a virtual strip search.In the US, where such scanners are used in 10 of the biggest airports, passengers can decline to step into the machines and opt instead for a pat-down.UK and the Netherlands also use these types of scanners, while Germany has rejected them as nonsense.

EU states not applying free movement rules, Brussels says
ELITSA VUCHEVA Today DEC 10,08 @ 17:38 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU member states' implementation of rules on free movement and residence within the bloc has been rather disappointing, the European Commission said on Wednesday (10 December).Currently, EU citizens have the right to move to another member state to retire, study, work and live, with certain requirements and conditions linked to this right and set in EU legislation from 2004.Most member states have failed to fully comply with these EU rules Brussels says, however.

According to the commission not one single member state has transposed the directive [on the right of EU citizens to move and reside freely within the EU] effectively and correctly in its entity. Not one article of the directive has been transposed effectively and correctly by all member states.The overall transposition of the directive is rather disappointing, the EU executive adds in its statement.Only Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal and Spain have correctly adopted more than 85 percent of the directive's provisions. In contrast, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Slovenia and Slovakia have correctly adopted less than 60 percent of the provisions.Additionally, some member states create artificial hurdles to free movement of EU citizens.One example for this is the right of residence of Europeans in another member state for more than three months, which some countries link to conditions not foreseen in the directive.The Czech Republic recognises the right of residence only when the family has satisfactory accommodation. Malta requires EU citizens to obtain a work licence in order to have the right of residence as workers. Such requirements are contrary to community law, the commission says.Under the free movement directive, any EU citizen who is a student, worker, or self-employed, or has enough resourses not to become a burden on the social assistance system of the host member state and has a health insurance in the host country, can reside in any EU state longer than three months.

Infringement threat

Flaws in the implementation of EU law in this field might result in a breach of the principles lying at the very core basis of the European construction, EU justice commissioner Jacques Barrot told journalists in Brussels.He added that if things did not change, the commission would not hesitate to launch infringement procedures against the member states that continuously fail to correctly implement the free movement rules.Mr Barrot rejected calls coming from some countries, notably Denmark and Ireland, to change the EU rules as they may boost marriages of conveniences with non-EU nationals.Guidelines the commission is to publish in the first half of next year should suffice to reassure member states on this and other issues, showing them there are good practices to fight against such marriages, Mr Barrot said.Rules in place in the UK in that respect, including language knowledge verification and trial periods following the marriage, could serve as an example, he added.

Liberals name Ignatieff as new leader By Randall Palmer Randall Palmer DEC 10,08

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada's opposition Liberals named Michael Ignatieff, a formidable campaigner they hope will reverse the once-mighty party's decline, as their new leader on Wednesday.Ignatieff has been the party's lead voice of caution on the question of trying to bring down the minority Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper through an alliance with other opposition parties. He is also expected to nudge the party back to the center after its recent lean to the left.He replaces Stephane Dion, who in the October 14 election led the Liberals to their worst showing since Canada was founded in 1867. It was the Liberals' second straight election loss.Ignatieff was acclaimed as interim leader on Wednesday after his two competitors dropped out of the race this week and he is expected to become permanent leader at a party convention in May.This decision comes at an historic time for Canada, party President Doug Ferguson said in a statement.Our interim leader will be called upon to lead our caucus and our party through a volatile Parliament, and a possible federal election in the midst of the worst economic crisis in memory.Both Ignatieff and Dion are former university professors but Ignatieff has shown himself more able to deliver punchy sound bites in both English and French, though he has drawn some criticism for appearing aloof and aristocratic.

He faces the huge task of rebuilding a party that is broke and is poorly organized in large parts of Canada, particularly in the West and in Quebec. He is much more popular in Quebec than Dion, who was seen as taking too hard a line against separatism.Ignatieff will have to manage expectations of those, like former rival Bob Rae, who are itching to keep an opposition coalition alive to bring down the Conservatives even though the Conservatives won a strengthened mandate less than two months ago.Last week the Liberals signed a formal agreement with the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) and the separatist Bloc Quebecois to try to bring the Conservatives down and install a Liberal-NDP government.But Ignatieff has said this path, which polls show is unpopular, should only be followed if necessary.One concern the Liberals have is that they might find themselves in another election, badly trailing the Conservatives, rather than being offered a chance to form a coalition government.The NDP and the Bloc remain eager to pursue that course.There's no question of giving Mr. Harper another chance here. He blew it, NDP deputy leader Thomas Mulcair told CBC television.However, it is ultimately not up to the NDP and the Bloc but rather the Liberals, and in particular Ignatieff, as to whether the government will be toppled.

Liberal caucus endorses Ignatieff as interim leader
By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - Liberal MPs and senators have unanimously endorsed Michael Ignatieff as interim party leader. The vote by caucus clears the way for the Toronto MP to be officially declared interim leader by the national executive today - after it finishes its consultation process with Liberals across the country. Bob Rae - who withdrew from the leadership race Tuesday - nominated Ignatieff at today's closed-door caucus meeting. Rae, Stephane Dion and Dominic LeBlanc all praised Ignatieff and spoke of the need for party unity. Ignatieff's leadership puts the coalition with the NDP in some doubt. Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale wouldn't say going into caucus whether Ignatieff would withdraw from the alliance. He says Ignatieff should be cut some slack in order to decide what is the most responsible course to follow.

US congressmen rebuff Irish anti-Lisbon links
PHILIPPA RUNNER Today DEC 10,08 @ 09:25 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - US congress members have poured cold water on a European Parliament query about potential foreign funding for the anti-Lisbon treaty campaign in Ireland, in line with expectations.Our congressional colleagues drew our attention to a statement from US deputy secretary of state John Negroponte at Trinity College Dublin on 17 November, completely refuting the suggestion of any US dimension whatsoever, British conservative MEP Jonathan Evans told EUobserver on Wednesday (9 December), after returning from a European Parliament delegation to the US.On the contrary, both Democrats and Republicans re-affirmed their keenness to work with a strong and coherent EU, comments recently accentuated by president-elect Obama, he added.German socialist MEP Helmut Kuhne asked US lawmakers at the meeting in Miami if the US government had in any way supported Irish businessman Declan Ganley, whose Libertas organisation was among groups which campaigned for a No vote in the Irish referendum in June.The query was made following informal instructions from the office of European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering, after German green MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit in September suggested the Pentagon or the CIA may have helped Mr Ganley in order to weaken the EU.

Mr Cohn-Bendit continued in a similar vein last week at a meeting with Czech President Vaclav Klaus, saying Mr Klaus should not have met with Mr Ganley during a recent state visit to Dublin because of the problematic financing of the businessman's political activity.When asked in Dublin last month if the US government had helped Libertas, Mr Negroponte said: absolutely not. I say that on very good authority, not only being deputy secretary of state but also being a former director of national intelligence.Mr Ganley's company, Rivada Networks, makes communications equipment for the US government. But he has denied any US link to Libertas and promised to take Irish politicians to court for grossly defamatory statements on the subject.The Irish government is widely expected to run a second referendum on Lisbon in October 2009, after negotiating a package of sweeteners from EU states at this week's summit.The package is set to include keeping an Irish commissioner and securing declarations to protect Irish neutrality, taxation and anti-abortion laws, which would later be given legal force by being lodged at the UN or tacked on to Croatia's EU accession treaty.Mr Ganley is likely to remain a force in European politics for some time to come. Libertas opened an office in Brussels last month as part of his plans to run in European Parliament elections in June.

Czech delay

Meanwhile, the Czech parliament on Wednesday put off until 3 February a vote on Lisbon ratification as the ruling conservative ODS party tries to secure socialist support for hosting a US anti-missile shield first.The move means the Czech EU presidency will start work in January as the only EU state not to have voted on the treaty.President Klaus, along with Polish President Lech Kaczynski, have also promised not to sign off on Lisbon unless Ireland overturns its No vote.

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

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

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

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

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

EU Somali mission able to arrest pirates
VALENTINA POP 09.12.2008 @ 18:01 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The EU naval mission off the coast of Somalia will arrest and transfer pirates for prosecution to member states or countries beyond the 27-country bloc, the mission's commander-in-chief has said. Three ships from Great Britain, France and Greece were already off the Somali coasts under the first EU naval mission on Monday, its commander in chief, British Rear Admiral Phillip Jones told journalists at a press conference on Tuesday (9 December) marking the official launch of the operation, dubbed Atalanta.We have a specific mandate to contribute to reducing piracy and ensuring humanitarian access, he explained, while admitting: A naval force in itself cannot completely eradicate piracy.Mr Jones admitted that the surveillance area was vast, saying: The more ships and aircraft, the better. The pirates operate up to 500 miles off the Somali coast and in the whole of the Gulf of Aden - a vital corridor for oil tankers and humanitarian aid ships.Under its mandate, the mission is expected to escort UN World Food Programme vessels delivering aid to Somalis and patrol the areas where pirates operate. The mission is also to escort other vulnerable ships, including commercial traffic.Operating under the UN Convention Against Piracy, the EU mission has given itself a green light to use force in order to deter, prevent and intervene against acts of piracy and armed robbery.

Unlike piracy, which takes place in international waters, armed robbery refers to similar actions conducted in territorial waters and requires the national government to approve any foreign intervention against it. The Somali government has given this approval to the EU mission, Mr Jones said.He was reluctant however to detail the rules of engagement against pirates but repeatedly called them robust enough to have a deterence effect. The operation will also be able to place pirates under arrest and transfer them for prosecution to member states or non-EU countries, yet any such action would be considered on a case-by-base basis, depending on the nationality of the vessel, the legislation of the country involved and whether the action took place in international or territorial waters, Mr Jones explained.Headquartered in Northwood, Hertfordshire, in the UK, the operation is planned to last for 12 months on a four-month rotation basis, and will have at any time up to six ships with helicopters and three surveillance aircraft in support of the mission. Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium are also expected to contribute, while talks are under way with a number of countries beyond the EU, such as Japan, which might also put forward a frigate.The force commander at sea is Commodore Antonios Papaioannou, who will be replaced after four months by a Spanish commander and in the last part of 2009 by a Dutch commodore.

Irish minister fudges Lisbon treaty question
LEIGH PHILLIPS 09.12.2008 @ 09:45 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Irish foreign minister Micheal Martin declined to clarify his country's position on holding a second referendum on the Lisbon treaty next year, despite reports of an impending announcement.We have not decided to hold a referendum, he told a packed crowd of Brussels officials and journalists at a meeting on Monday (8 December) held by the European Policy Centre, an EU think-tank.

But when pressed if he saw any other way out of the impasse other than a second referendum, he responded: I'm not a constitutional lawyer. There are perhaps other ways, but they are fraught with risks.The UK's Daily Telegraph had earlier the same day cited unnamed Irish diplomats as saying Taoisheach Brian Cowen will at the EU summit on Thursday (11 December) declare that a second vote will be held in October 2009, or possibly in April 2009.EU leaders are to meet in Brussels to consider the Lisbon conundrum, as well as enter into final negotiations on the bloc's climate and energy package and assess the current economic situation.When challenged if a second referendum might be seen as insulting to Irish people when voters in France and the Netherlands - who also voted against an earlier incarnation of the treaty - would not be forced to vote once again, he added: In a democracy, I don't think it is insulting to ask people a question. The important thing is to listen to the people.

The minister said his government had taken the time to analyse in depth not only why people voted for or against the Lisbon treaty, but also their general attitudes towards Brussels.We found most have a very positive attitude towards the EU - 70 percent believe that it has been a positive thing for Ireland.

Ireland's demands?

Mr Martin outlined five key reasons for the No vote, which could form the backbone of Dublin's demands from other EU states to help them push an amended treaty package through.The biggest reason for voting No was worries over threats to Ireland's traditional neutrality. This was a very strong issue. This came through clearly in our research, he told the room.Irish citizens were also very concerned about competence creep from Brussels and especially the European Court of Justice, which is seen as gradually encroaching into domestic jurisdiction. He said this notably took the form of fears that Ireland's protection of the right to life of the unborn would at some point be undone.Days after the June referendum, a European Commission Eurobarometer survey of the reasons why people had voted No showed that conservative fears that Europe might impose legalised abortion, gay marriage and euthanasia on Ireland was an issue for only two percent of voters on the No side.Mr Martin said that abortion and these other ethical issues combined with other reasons in the minds of the voters: I don't mean they all voted that way, but it was a factor in their heads.Taxation, a strong theme of free-market-oriented No campaign group Libertas, also proved to be prominent in voters' heads. A full third believed that the treaty undermined national competence in direct taxation, said the minister.Mr Martin told the meeting that workers' rights and social issues figured significantly in the popular imagination as well, saying that people were worried about recent European Court of Justice decisions that appeared to limit people's right to strike and collective bargaining. We're open to suggestions from the commission on how to copperfasten these rights and deliver enhanced protections for workers, he added.

The fifth issue was the reduction in the number of commissioners outlined in the Lisbon treaty. According to the treaty, in future only two thirds of the member states would maintain a commissioner at any given time. Critically, losing a commissioner was a key worry, with 80 percent rating the issue as of very high importance, he said.

Commissioner conundrum

If the Treaty of Lisbon is to enter into force, it requires the agreement of all member states, the minister said. If that is to be secured, the concerns of the Irish people will have to be addressed in a clear and convincing manner by means of legally binding assurances.He apologised for not being more precise in his response, but, it will all become clear by the end of the week, he said.However, Ireland's plans may get a bumpy ride from other member states. Foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday ahead of the summit considered Dublin's requests.After the meeting, Slovak foreign minister Jan Kubis said: I suppose the Irish will get some support from EU leaders at the summit, suggesting they will listen to their concerns and try to work on them in the coming months, but it is clear that they will not just copy all of their demands and accept them.Mr Kubis added that most countries would mainly have a problem accepting changes in the institutional make-up of the European Commission, as this may require a new round of treaty ratification - a move most countries oppose.

Macedonia name dispute holds hostage EU credibility
ELITSA VUCHEVA 09.12.2008 @ 08:54 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Macedonia is ready to start accession talks with the EU and the fact that a 17-year-old dispute with Greece over its name is hindering the process harms not just Skopje, but the EU's credibility as well, Macedonian foreign minister Antonio Milososki has said.This name issue has been misused by one EU member country, and this fact is to a certain extent taking hostage the credibility of the EU when it comes to establishing and promoting objective membership criteria, Mr Milososki told EUobserver in an interview.Macedonia has been an EU candidate since 2005, but has not yet opened membership negotiations with the 27-nation bloc.It had hoped to do so this year, but a European Commission progress report released in November did not recommend to EU member states to launch the process, citing deficiencies in a number of areas, and highlighting violent incidents that took place during this summer's elections in Macedonia.Skopje believes there is another reason behind Brussels' decision, however.I am not convinced that's the only reason why Macedonia was not given a chance to open accession negotiations. Maybe there is something that is beyond the reports, Mr Milososki said, referring to the dispute with Greece over Macedonia's name - an issue which he said is making his small country disproportionately more famous worldwide than [its] size.

Greece has been refusing to recognise its neighbour's constitutional name - Republic of Macedonia - since it declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, as a northern region in Greece is also called Macedonia and Athens fears allowing Skopje to use the name will open the way to territorial claims. It also believes the appellation is part of its own historical heritage.The dispute has been going on for more than 17years. Meanwhile, the international community has been using Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as a provisional term designating the country since 1993. Separately, Macedonia's name has been recognised by some 120 other countries worldwide, including Russia, the US, China, Canada, Turkey, as well as a number of EU states.

It's the name,says France

Earlier this year, the deadlock over Macedonia's name caused Greece to block a NATO invitation to Skopje, and Athens has indicated that its neighbour's EU integration would also be slowed down as long as the issue is not solved.On Monday (8 December), current EU president France said that the unsolved name dispute was clearly Macedonia's biggest problem at the moment as far as its EU accession process is concerned.The problem of Macedonia, it's the name, French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner told journalists after a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels.

Frankly, you can ask me about visas and about progress [towards the EU], as long as the name issue is not solved, you are knocking on the wrong door. This problem must be solved, he added.After all these years of UN-mediated negotiations between Greece and Macedonia, the situation seems today very very complicated for such a simple problem, the French minister concluded.For his part, Mr Milososki stressed the EU should help to tone down the issue and not to let it become a criterion for his country to join the EU.We would like this issue to retain its bilateral dimension and not to be Europeanised, because it's not a dispute with the EU, it's a dispute with Greece, Macedonia's top diplomat said.

Merit-based approach

Mr Milososki also stressed that despite the reforms his country still has to make in a number of areas, it is already prepared to start EU membership talks.We are aware we are not perfect, but Macedonia is not less prepared than some other countries - already negotiating or already members of the EU - to open accession negotiations, he said.[On a] merit-based approach, Macedonia should be considered as soon as possible as the next country opening accession negotiations, the minister added.

Skopje is also hoping to obtain visa free travel to the EU as early as next year.

For its part, Brussels noted that Macedonia had made good progress on the visa arrangements and is expected to deliver its assessment on the country's readiness for visa liberalisation in the first quarter of 2009.

Britain to withdraw most troops from Iraq by June By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer DEC 10,2008

BAGHDAD – Britain announced Wednesday it will withdraw all but a handful of its 4,000soldiers from Iraq next year, ending a mission that was unpopular at home and failed to curb the rise of Iranian-backed Shiite militias in the south.The decision comes as the United States is weighing a drawdown in its nearly 150,000-strong force. President-elect Barack Obama has called for withdrawing all combat troops from Iraq by the spring of 2010, shifting responsibility to the Iraqis for the defense of the country against Sunni and Shiite extremists.The British announcement, which was expected, signals a conclusion to the role of the second biggest troop contributor to the multinational coalition after the United States. More than 45,000 British troops took part in the March 2003 invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein.In London, the Defense Ministry said all but a few hundred of the 4,000 soldiers, most of them in the heavily Shiite south, would be gone by June.The government did not say when the withdrawal would begin. But the Daily Telegraph newspaper of London said it would start in March, when a U.S. unit takes over the British headquarters at the airport in Iraq's second-largest city, Basra.A U.S. brigade will deploy to the south to train Iraqi soldiers and secure vital supply lines from Kuwait, the newspaper said. The Associated Press requested comment from the U.S. command but received no reply.The British have not confirmed whether they will now send more soldiers to Afghanistan. Military commanders have warned that British troops are overstretched from commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Britain has some 7,800 soldiers.

Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, the chief of the Defense Staff, said last month that a major withdrawal of Britain's 4,000 troops in Iraq in 2009 won't mean additional forces can immediately be sent to Afghanistan.In Basra, Gov. Mohammed al-Waili expressed confidence that Iraqi forces could continue to secure the area — the heart of Iraq's vital oil industry.Our security forces are fully ready and prepared to fill any vacuum caused by the withdrawal of British soldiers, he told the AP. We think that the stable security situation will continue after the departure of the British.British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had expected to make substantial reductions this year but suspended those plans after Iraqi troops launched a major attack against Shiite militias in Basra last March, wresting control of the city from extremists.The Iraq war has been extremely unpopular in Britain, and the effort to topple Saddam never enjoyed as much support as in the United States. In 2003, several hundred thousand people took to the streets of London to protest the invasion, and the issue shadowed the final years of Tony Blair's premiership.Even the current foreign secretary, David Miliband, has acknowledged that the war was divisive in both the country and the governing Labour Party.Our whole country will breathe a sigh of relief that an end to this illegal war is now in sight, said Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest party in Parliament.With widespread opposition at home, British troops never took as aggressive a posture as American soldiers to the north, in part because of British sensitivities over its image in Iraq as the former colonial power that crushed a bloody uprising in 1920.

Privately, British officers spoke disparagingly of U.S. cowboy tactics in suppressing Sunni insurgents in central and northern Iraq and Shiite extremists in Baghdad and south of the capital.With the British taking a more passive stand, Shiite militias, including the Mahdi Army of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, took control of wide areas of Basra and other parts of the south during Britain's stewardship.Gunmen held sway until Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, also a Shiite, ordered Iraqi soldiers and police to regain control of Basra last March. U.S. aircraft and ground troops provided support for the operation. But Iraqi officers complained bitterly that the British withheld military support. In August, the Times of London reported that British troops stayed out of the fight because of a secret deal with an Iran-backed militia. The Ministry of Defense denied any deal was struck and said it held back to ensure that the operation was seen as Iraqi-led. At least 177 British soldiers died in Iraq, compared to at least 4,209 members of the U.S. military mission. The last combat death suffered by British forces in Iraq was March 26. Although most British troops are in the south, commandos from the elite Special Air Services serve alongside U.S. special operators in the largely secret war against al-Qaida in Iraq. A British general serves as the deputy to the top U.S. commander, Gen. Ray Odierno. Also Wednesday, Iraq's election commission announced it will launch a petition drive to see if there's enough support for a referendum to decide whether Basra province will become a self-ruled region. The commission said it would set up 34 centers across Basra where voters can sign the petition asking for a self-rule referendum. The drive begins on Monday and will last until Jan. 14, commission officials said. Basra lawmaker Wail Abdul-Latif said that at least 10 percent of registered voters must sign the petition in order for a referendum to be scheduled. If a majority voted in favor in the referendum, Basra would become a self-ruled region with the same powers as the Kurdish self-ruled area in the north. That would give local authorities more control of the province's vast oil wealth. Associated Press reporters Robert Barr in London and Sameer N. Yacoub in Baghdad contributed to this report.

UN says cholera death toll in Zimbabwe reaches 775 By ANGUS SHAW, Associated Press Writer Angus Shaw DEC 10,08

HARARE, Zimbabwe – The death toll from Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak has risen sharply, the United Nations said Wednesday, reporting 775 deaths and 16,141 cases of the waterborne disease in the southern African nation.Cholera has spread rapidly in Zimbabwe because of the country's crumbling health care system and the lack of clean water. Last week, Zimbabwe declared a health emergency because of cholera and the collapse of its health services.The latest figures from the World Health Organization show a jump of nearly 200 deaths from Tuesday, when the U.N. humanitarian office reported that 589 people had died out of 13,960 cases.Zimbabwe's government says the disease is under control but aid agencies warn that coming rains could spreading cholera further in a population already weakened by disease and hunger.With hundreds of people fleeing the country to seek treatment, cholera has already spread to Zimbabwe's neighbors. Nine deaths were reported Tuesday in South Africa.President Robert Mugabe is coming under increasing pressure as concern about the country's deepening humanitarian and political crisis mounts. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have all called recently for the 84-year-old leader to step down.

Also Wednesday, a group of lawyers marched peacefully through downtown Harare calling for the release of human rights activist Jestina Mukoko.Mukoko, director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, was allegedly taken from her home a week ago when activists held nationwide protests against the country's deepening economic and health crises.Zimbabwean security officials regularly detain, harass and beat opponents of Mugabe's increasingly autocratic rule, although the government denies such allegations.A judge ordered police Tuesday to investigate Mukoko's disappearance.The lawyers — some dressed in their black gowns — carried placards reading: Stop abductions now and calling Mukoko a woman of peace.The opposition Movement for Democratic Change said in a statement that at least 20 activists were missing.A number of international and regional organizations, including South Africa's ruling party, also were raising concerns about the whereabouts of the activists.The African National Congress urged Zimbabwe's government to find them as a matter of urgency.Irene Khan, secretary-general of Amnesty International said human rights abuses were worsening in Zimbabwe as Mugabe's regime was desperate to stay in power.In Oslo, Norway, on Wednesday, Nobel peace laureate Martti Ahtisaari criticized Mugabe, saying the international community failed to meet its obligation to intervene when something goes terribly wrong, as it has.(Mugabe) was the hope of the continent after Zimbabwe was born. How this desire for absolute power make somebody behave the way he has done? I feel very sad about that, he said.Mugabe, 84, has ruled his country since its 1980 independence from Britain and has refused to leave office following disputed elections in March. A power-sharing deal worked out in September with the opposition has been deadlocked over how to divvy up Cabinet posts.Associated Press writers Frank Jordans in Geneva and Doug Mellgren in Oslo contributed to this report.