MELTDOWN WEAKENS NYC AS FINANCAL CAPITAL

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Moderate earthquake shakes northern Japan Fri Dec 5, 4:09 pm ET

TOKYO (AFP) – A moderate 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck near Japan's largest island on Saturday but there was no risk of a tsunami, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, and no immediate reports of damage.The tremor struck at 5:03 am (2003 GMT Friday), with the epicentre 161 km (100 miles) east-northeast of Sendai, on Honshu, the US Geological Survey said.It was 35 kilometres below sea level.The quake was initially recorded at 5.0 magnitude before this was revised up.Japan is hit by 20 percent of the world's powerful earthquakes

5.1 magnitude quake strikes California Sat Dec 6, 1:32 am ET

LOS ANGELES, (AFP) – A moderate earthquake measuring 5.1 shook the US state of California, the US government announced.There was no immediate word of casualties or damage.The reading, issued by the US Geological Survey, was based on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale, now used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released.The USGS initially reported the quake's magnitude at 5.5, but later downgraded it to 5.1.The epicenter of the tremor, which occurred at 8:18 pm (0418 GMT Saturday), was located in the Mojave Desert 57 kilometers (35 miles) east of the town of Barstow, the survey said.Kate Hutton, staff seismologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, told KCAL 9 television the earthquake had been downgraded to 5.1 from 5.5.It happened at 8.18 pm in the Mojave Desert. At least nine small aftershocks. The biggest large town is 35 miles away. There's really not too much out there to damage, Hutton said.

Powerful quake rocks East Timor By GUIDO GOULART, Associated Press Writer – Sat Dec 6, 7:37 am ET

DILI, East Timor – A powerful earthquake struck off East Timor's coast Saturday, shaking buildings and sending screaming residents running into the streets, geological officials and witnesses said.The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 and struck 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Dili, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was centered 250 miles (408 kilometers) beneath the Banda Sea, it said.There was no threat of a tsunami because of the quake's depth, officials said.Everything in my house was shaking, said Santina Arauja, a mother of two, as men banged on oil drums and utility poles, providing additional warning to residents. People were running from houses and from buildings.Some were screaming, others clutching onto crying children.There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.East Timor is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Rallies sparked by parliamentary crisis draw crowds in Toronto, Halifax,
By The Canadian Press Dec 6,08

TORONTO - Liberal Leader Stephane Dion told a Toronto rally Saturday he and NDP Leader Jack Layton want to help the country fight the economic crisis that is coming.
Dion said Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty have done nothing for the economy and that's why the minority Conservative government has lost the confidence of the Commons. Dion told the cheering, flag-and sign-waving crowd outside Toronto city hall one of Harper's own forecasters said the recent Conservative fiscal update would have prolonged the pain. And he noted 66,000 workers in Ontario alone, 42,000 of them in manufacturing, lost their jobs last month. Dion said Harper took an economic crisis, added a parliamentary crisis and tried to transform it into a national unity crisis - all because he wanted to keep his job. Don't you think we should thank the Liberal-NDP coalition, with the support of the Bloc, for having stopped this bad, harmful, nonsense, so-called Conservative economic plan, Dion told the cheering crowd. It was one of several rallies, both supporting and opposing the coalition, that were organized across the country. The opposition parties were enraged when the recent economic update contained provisions to cut public funding for political parties and ban strikes by federal public servants, but no major economic stimulus packing. Dion, Layton and Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe responded by uniting to try and bring down the government and replace it with the coalition. Dion said the coalition will work hard to protect and create jobs and stimulate the economy.

Layton said Harper is trying to cling to power but that power flows from the people -and they won't let Harper lock the doors of democracy.Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean granted Harper's request Friday to prorogue Parliament until Jan. 26. That avoided a non-confidence vote that was expected to topple his government. I ask Mr. Harper again, why are you standing in the way of the majority?Layton said. Just over 200 people turned out to support Harper's government on a cold and sunny day in Halifax.

Many in the crowd waved Canadian flags and held signs reading: My Vote Counts,No Secret Deals and Respect Our Votes.A small group of protesters who favour the coalition to replace the Tory minority government stood at the back of the Halifax rally, shouting: Hey hey, ho ho, Harper's gotta go.But James MacCormack of Halifax was opposed. I went to the pro-coalition rally on Thursday night and I decided that when I heard about this rally that I was going to come out and show that not all Canadians are behind Harper on this thing, MacCormack said. Those addressing the crowd included four Nova Scotia cabinet ministers and Nova Scotia Conservative MP Gerald Keddy. Keddy said Canada is facing an economic situation it hasn't seen for years and the government needs the support of ordinary Canadians and the political opposition. He also attacked the coalition, drawing cheers from the crowd, saying it's time the opposition gave its head a shake after bringing forward a non-confidence motion in the Commons without an alternative budget. Nine days from the time the house sat, they brought forth a non-confidence motion to defeat the government with no alternative, with no budget, without anything, Keddy said. Jim Christian of Halifax, carried a sign with pictures of the Three Stooges reading: Do You Want These Three Taking Over the Government of Canada? He said it would be dangerous for Canada to show political instability with the world economy in turmoil. If Duceppe and Dion and Layton take control of this country it would be a disaster, said Christian. Harper has his faults, he's made his mistakes but at this point, of the four to choose from, he's by far the better one to stay with.The rally wrapped up with the crowd singing the national anthem.

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 Bank warns of possible Gaza bank collapse Sat Dec 6, 12:06 pm ET

GAZA (Reuters) – The World Bank said on Saturday Israel's tightened blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip had created cash shortages that could lead to the collapse of banks in the impoverished Palestinian territory.Gazan bank branches have been shut since Thursday because they don't have enough money to operate normally.Israel has stiffened Gaza border closures in the past month as cross-border violence rose, choking off cash supplies.The ongoing closure of Gaza and severe restrictions on the flow of goods and people continues to be a cause of grave concern, the World Bank said in a statement.A serious cash shortage had been caused by Israeli restrictions on the transfer of banknotes into Gaza, the statement said.The liquidity crisis could lead to the collapse of the commercial banking system in Gaza, it added, warning also that this could entail serious humanitarian implications.Israel was urged to move swiftly to restore cash liquidity in Gaza bank branches before the three-day Muslim Eid al-Adha feast that begins on Monday.

Israel allowed dozens of truckloads of food and medical supplies into Gaza on Thursday, but it was unclear when it would let cash into the coastal enclave to replenish currency stocks.Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, whose Western-backed government is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said this week that there was not enough cash in Gaza to cover salaries for more than 77,000 government workers.Fayyad said 250 million Israeli shekels ($63 million) was needed to pay these salaries but Gaza's banks had only 47 million shekels.Israel tightened its blockade of Gaza a year ago after Hamas wrested the territory from secular Fatah forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas.It has tightened the closure further since a deadly raid by its forces on November4, followed by a surge in rocket attacks by Gaza militants. The border closings have increased hardships for many of Gaza's 1.5 million residents.An aide to Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair voiced understanding for Israel's security concerns but said the Gaza closure appeared to be backfiring.

The creation of opportunities for militants to acquire funds is not a result of the entry of cash into Gaza, but rather a result of the thriving black market imports and operations in the strip, whose profitability has increased as a result of the closures of the crossings with Israel, the aide, Faris Hadad-Zervos, said in a statement.An Israeli military spokesman said at least 15 rockets and mortar bombs have been fired from Gaza at Israel since Thursday, but there were no casualties.
(Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan and Adam Entous; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Report: German Dax, NYSE considering fusion DEC 6,08

BERLIN – Deutsche Boerse AG has been secretly talking to NYSE Euronext about a combination that would create the world's leading stock exchange, a German weekly reported Saturday.Der Spiegel said the two exchanges are considering creating a Netherlands-based holding company that would take over the Frankfurt-based Deutsche Boerse's shares, which would then be fused with a U.S.-based subsidiary of the holding company.Deutsche Boerse declined in a statement Saturday to comment on the report. An NYSE spokesman also declined to comment in response to calls by The Associated Press.Der Spiegel cited as the basis for its report a Deutsche Bourse internal paper to be presented at an exchange meeting Monday.The new company would have current Deutsche Boerse Chief Executive Reto Francioni as its chairman, with NYSE's Duncan Niederauer as head of the board, Spiegel said in an advance release of its Monday edition.Trading would based in New York, while derivatives would remain in Frankfurt, Der Spiegel said.NYSE Euronext came out of a $9.96 billion deal that saw Euronext, which operates the Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Lisbon exchanges, combine with the U.S. exchange in 2007.Deutsche Boerse had also been courting the company.NYSE Euronext operates on a single platform where traders can deal in stocks, options, futures, commodities and corporate bonds across two continents — for up to 12 hours daily.Deutsche Boerse, operator of the DAX-30 index and derivatives exchange Eurex, which it owns jointly with the Swiss Exchange, reported last month's earnings of euro257.3 million ($329 million) in the July-September period, compared with euro238.2 million euros last year.

AP Interview: OPEC head predicts output cuts By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU, Associated Press Writer DEC 6,08

ALGIERS, Algeria – Oil markets should brace for a surprise decision on output cuts when OPEC meets Dec. 17, the cartel's president said Saturday, suggesting that reductions could be deeper than expected.A consensus has formed for a significant reduction of production levels by the 14-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC President Chakib Khelil told The Associated Press.The OPEC head would not discuss how deep the output cut would be, but said it could be severe, and noted that some analysts are predicting cuts of as much as 2 million barrels per day.

An output decision that startles markets would help bolster plunging oil rates, Khelil said.The best way is to surprise them, he said.Oil prices settled Friday at a four-year low of $40.81 a barrel. In July, prices peaked at record highs above $140 a barrel.OPEC previously announced a 1.5 million barrel-a-day reduction in October, but the decision failed to halt the fall in prices. Markets have been expecting another cut at the Dec. 17 summit.The stronger the decision, the faster prices will pick up, Khelil said.He urged oil producers outside OPEC to help the cartel regulate prices, especially Russia, which has said it could sign a cooperation memorandum with the cartel in the Algerian city of Oran.We hope that Russia will apply (quota decisions) ... as if it were an OPEC member, Khelil said.He acknowledged the cartel has little control over prices at the moment because of the slumping world economy, which has considerably reduced demand for oil.He pointed out that cartel nations only produce 40 percent of the world's oil. The probability that we can adjust supply to demand is very weak, he said. In an unstable system, you react by trial and error.He said fixing oil output levels has become a kafkaesque situation since OPEC wants to maintain its revenue stream without worsening the recession in the U.S. or Europe.

I really don't think OPEC wants to hurt the world economy, he said.Oil prices that remain too low would start hurting wealthy oil producers, he warned, adding to the global recession. The International Monetary Fund and several stock markets have asked wealthy producers to reinvest some of the cash they piled up when oil was at over $100 per barrel.If oil is sold at below production costs, oil-producing nations would have to end their investments abroad and could themselves enter a recession, Khelil warned. We'd then see a debacle worldwide, he said.Oil stability is crucial to a country like Algeria, where oil and natural gas make up 97 percent of exports. Khelil said Algeria based its 2009 budget on oil at $37 per barrel, but would have to cut back on large infrastructure projects if the price goes lower.In Baghdad, a senior Iraqi official warned Saturday that current prices are not healthy for Iraq's economy. OPEC needs to take quick action to reduce the offered quantities because the market is oversupplied, said Falah al-Amiri, head of the state oil marketing arm SOMO. He said OPEC would adopt limited cuts at the Dec. 17 meeting but did not elaborate on the possible amount. Khelil predicted demand would rise by mid-2009, saying a fair price for oil would be at at least $70 per barrel. Too-low prices are not in the interest of oil-consuming countries either, he said, because they hinder investment and exploration for future production. He noted that several offshore drilling projects were already being postponed around the world. We'll need these projects to meet demand in two or three years, he said. Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed to this report.

Meltdown weakens NYC as global financial capital By SAMANTHA GROSS, Associated Press Writer – Dec. 5:

NEW YORK – For the hundreds of camera-toting tourists who visit Wall Street every day, the New York Stock Exchange presents an imposing sight.The building-sized American flag draped over the exchange's towering Corinthian columns. The sculptures on the facade that symbolize the prosperity of a capitalist nation. The stern-looking statue of George Washington across the street.These icons of national pride mark Wall Street as both a site of business and a symbol of the risk-taking and financial success that have spurred American global dominance and helped shape this country's identity.But with the nation's top investment houses shuttered, sold or changing into staid commercial operations, doubts have emerged about whether the city that for generations has been known as the world's financial capital can retain that title — or the daredevil swagger that has defined Wall Street for so long.It is a transformation that some say was under way long before the meltdown of 2008.It's going to be a long, slow process and take many years for us to really restore our leadership in the world, said Ron Chernow, who has written extensively on the history of Wall Street. New York has been damaged, and some of it I think is permanent.First, Bear Stearns nearly collapsed and was bought by JPMorgan Chase in a deal backed by $29 billion in federal money. Then Lehman Brothers filed the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history and the British bank Barclays PLC swept in to buy up key units of the firm. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley opted to become commercial banks. And even Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. — long associated with Wall Street's iconic bull — announced its sale to an out-of-town commercial bank, North Carolina-based Bank of America Corp. Citigroup has been crumbling day by day in the last week.At the same time, places like London, Tokyo and Hong Kong have become global financial centers on a scale that some believe already rival New York.The New York Stock Exchange still far outweighs the London Stock Exchange — with the value of shares traded at the NYSE in 2007 nearly triple the $10.33 trillion traded in London.

However, the financial sway of cities such as London has been growing faster than New York's. From 1997 to 2007, the new capital raised yearly in New York dropped by nearly one-quarter — while in London the figure almost quadrupled, according to the World Federation of Exchanges.Even the domestic market capitalization, or value of the market, has been growing faster in London than New York, the exchange federation says.In the short and medium term, the U.S. will still remain a very important financial center, and I think most likely the most important. But after the term of five years, I'm no more sure, said Lorenzo Gallai, economic statistician at the World Federation of Exchanges.A loss of status in the world of finance could hurt the city on many levels. Money is stored here, higher-income jobs come here. This creates tax revenue and supports a higher quality of life, as businesses and cultural activities — which themselves attract visitors — spring up to support these workers, said Richard Sylla, a curator at the Museum of American Finance. He is also a professor of economics and financial history at the New York University Stern School of Business.Last year, 11 percent of the city's employees worked in the finance and insurance industries, but they made nearly 40 percent of the city's income.The meltdown is expected to wipe out tens of thousands of those jobs.Even the top achievers in the financial field — the people in pinstriped suits who live on adrenaline, bet big and reap even bigger rewards — could be making less money.As the major investment banks change their focus following the crisis and evolve into commercial banks, they will be more constrained by government regulation, limiting both their risk-taking and potential profits.And the federal government's injection of hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out the banking industry also means that financial institutions will be forced to be more conservative in their investments, Chernow says. Taxpayers simply wouldn't stand for the kind of bold risk-taking that has defined Wall Street, he said. When you think of Wall Street ... one has an image of these very freewheeling, razzle-dazzle, buccaneering kinds of firms, Chernow said. That style of business is now history.David Henderson knows all about this history. He works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and is a fifth-generation Wall Street worker whose great-great grandfather started the family tradition in the 1860s. Back then, London was the global financial capital. Although Wall Street traces its roots to the 1600s, it did not become the pre-eminent global financial center until after World War I. Now Henderson wonders if he'll see that era end.

This wheeling and dealing atmosphere we've had going on for umpteen years, that's going to be more contained, he said. Others are not as ready to predict Wall Street's downfall, including Ted Weisberg, who has worked at the New York Stock Exchange for 40 years. When you walk outside the New York Stock Exchange every day, there are thousands and thousands of tourists taking pictures of a building that they're not even allowed to get inside, Weisberg said. They're not standing out in front of the London stock exchange ... they're not standing out in front of NASDAQ.
Some observers say New York has slowly been losing ground as the world capital for years. In 2006, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Charles Schumer warned that New York risked being overtaken and they blamed what they said was a burdensome regulatory atmosphere. The New York City comptroller's chief economist, Frank Braconi, warned in October that the meltdown had sped up the process of financial dispersion that was already under way, adding that in coming years, New York will have to share the financial stage.It's not just other world capitals that could benefit. One thing New York did uniquely well was investment banking, Chernow said. When they become commercial banks — well, commercial banks can do very well in Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago, Ill.; or San Francisco, Calif. They don't need the New York ambience to flourish.However the crisis plays out, Wall Street still looms large to people around the world. Visiting Wall Street during a recent vacation, Dutch tourist Maryke Heyman said she wanted to see the NYSE because of all the turmoil in the market. I don't know where it ends. Maybe it's not anymore the big place in the world, she said. Not long ago, she added, It was happening here. This was No. 1.

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.

From Times OnlineDecember 4, 2008 Israel prepared to attack Iran nuclear plants(Hasan Sarbakhshian/AP)President Ahmadinejad has defied the West by continuing to enrich uranium

Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem and Times Online
Israel is drawing up plans to attack Iran's nuclear facilities and is prepared to launch a strike without backing from the US, it has been reported. Officials in the Israeli Defence Ministry told the Jerusalem Post that while they prefer to act in consultation with the US, they were preparing plans that would allow them to act in isolation. It is always better to coordinate, a senior Defence Ministry official told the newspaper. But we are also preparing options that do not include coordination.However defence officials played down the reports today, telling The Times that an attack by Israeli forces alone would probably fail to take out all of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which experts say are scattered across several sites, some deep underground. We could not risk an operation which would only partially succeed,one defence official told The Times. That would leave us open to a nuclear attack from Iran’s remaining weapons stock. Israel would likely need the support, the backing, of forces from a Western ally to successfully carry out the operation, he said. A senior Israeli official quotes in the Jerusalem Post said that while it would be difficult, it would not be impossible to launch a strike against Iran without permission from the US. There are a wide range of risks one takes when embarking on such an operation, a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying.

The US Airforce controls the Iraqi airspace Israel's jets would have to cross on a bombing mission and access to codes from the Americans, would significantly improve Israel’s chances of a successful strike on Iran, an official told The Times. He added that because the Iranians have been moving the bunkers deep underground, sophisticated weaponry would be needed to successfully destroy the facilities.

Responding to reports that Israel would use low-yield nuclear bunker-busters, the official said the method was largely speculative and unreliable. Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, has reportedly asked the US for a green light to attack Iranian facilities as recently as May. According to Israeli officials, the US denied the request, although it outfitted Israel with the X-band radar system which would shave several crucial minutes off Israel’s reaction time to an Iranian missile launch, and allow the United States to oversee Israel’s airspace. There is always the option of Israel going it alone. It just does not seem like a good option at present time, an Israeli MP told the Times. There are three central locations where experts believe Iranian facilities are producing goods for nuclear weapons. Israeli officials named these sites as: Natanz, where thousands of centrifuges produce enriched uranium; Isfahan, where 250 tons of gas are stores in tunnels; and Arak, where a heavy water reactor produces plutonium. Israeli officials said they were heartened that international sanctions on Iran were having an effect, but did not feel they were enough to stop Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The most recent Israeli intelligence reports estimate that Iran will have enough enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in late 2009, barring any interruptions in its programme.

There is still time and there is no need to rush into an operation right now, another Israeli official said. The regime there is already falling apart and will likely no longer be in power 10 years from now.On Monday, Teheran dismissed the possibility of an Israeli strike, saying it didn't take Israel seriously. We think that regional and international developments and the complicated situation faced by Israel itself will not allow it to launch military strikes against other countries, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told reporters in Teheran, adding that Israel makes threats to promote its psychological and media warfare. Some Israeli security officials fear that the Iranian retaliation for a strike on its facilities could include a large-scale missile attack on Israel from several Iranian allies, disruption of oil supplies to the West, and terror attacks against Jewish targets around the world.

Israel's Barak asks Clinton, Gates to help face up to Iran DEC 6,08

JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak spoke on Saturday to incoming US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, asking them to cooperate in facing up to Iran.Barak held separate phone conversations with Clinton and Gates and congratulated them for their appointment by president-elect Barack Obama, the defence ministry said in a statement.He called for international cooperation in order to face global challenges including efforts to halt Iran's nuclear drive, which the Jewish state and the United States say is aimed at developing an atomic bomb.The Islamic republic claims the programme is solely for civilian purposes.The free world has many challenges on the agenda, from Iran to radical Islamic terrorism, and tight international cooperation is needed to face these issues, Barak was quoted as telling Clinton and Gates.

Thursday, December 4, 2008
ISRAEL PREPARING ATTACK ON IRAN AS U.S. TROOPS PROVIDE RADAR SUPPORT

Jerusalem Post - The IDF is drawing up options for a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities that do not include coordination with the United States, The Jerusalem Post has learned.While its preference is to coordinate with the US, defense officials have said Israel is preparing a wide range of options for such an operation.It is always better to coordinate, one top Defense Ministry official explained last week. But we are also preparing options that do not include coordination.Israeli officials have said it would be difficult, but not impossible, to launch a strike against Iran without receiving codes from the US Air Force, which controls Iraqi airspace. Israel also asked for the codes in 1991 during the First Gulf War, but the US refused. There are a wide range of risks one takes when embarking on such an operation, a top Israeli official said.Several news reports have claimed recently that US President George W. Bush has refused to give Israel a green light for an attack on Iranian facilities. One such report, published in September in Britain's Guardian newspaper, claimed that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert requested a green light to attack Iran in May but was refused by Bush. . .

The US European Command has deployed to Israel a high-powered X-band radar and the supporting people and equipment needed for coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, marking the first permanent US military presence on Israeli soil, Defense News wrote. The radar will shave several precious minutes off Israel's reaction time to an Iranian missile launch.In a related article at about the same time, Time magazine raised the possibility that through the deployment of the radar, America wants to keep an eye on Israeli airspace, so that the US is not surprised if and when the IAF is sent to bomb Iran, a scenario Washington wants to avoid.The US army sent 120 EUCOM personnel to Israel's Nevatim Air Base southeast of Beersheba to man the new radar.

Saudi: Millions of Muslims begin hajj pilgrimage Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008.

Hajj Pilgrimage MINA, Saudi Arabia – Nearly 3 million Muslim pilgrims from about 100 countries have converged in a valley just outside the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia as they began the 5-day hajj pilgrimage.The pilgrims left Mecca on Saturday after completing the first ritual of the hajj by circling the sacred Kaaba stone structure seven times inside the Grand Mosque, which Muslims all over the world face during their five daily prayers.Dressed in white, pilgrims piled into and on top of buses on their way to a ritual of prayer and reflection at a tent city in Mina.The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim who can financially afford to is required to perform it at least once in his or her lifetime.

Panama: Canal open to Russian warships By JUAN ZAMORANO, Associated Press Writer Juan Zamorano, Associated Press Writer – Fri Dec 5, 10:24 pm ET

PANAMA CITY, Panama – Panama said its canal is open to all, including a Russian warship sailing through the transoceanic waterway on Friday.The destroyer Admiral Chabanenko is the first Soviet or Russian military ship to traverse the 50-mile (80-kilometer) waterway since World War II.The U.S. government has shown little concern about the destroyer's trip through a canal that was off limits to the Soviet Union during the Cold War.The destroyer's journey to the Western Hemisphere, however, reflects Russia's growing influence and anger with the U.S. for using warships to deliver aid to Georgia after its August war with Russia.Panamanian Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis portrayed the Russian canal crossing as business as usual.Here there is no other message than that the canal is open to all of the world's ships, he said.

The warship is part of a fleet that is the first Russian navy deployment to the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War. Before arriving at the canal, it took part in joint exercises with Venezuela's navy.Also on Friday, Russia said it was sending its sole aircraft carrier and several accompanying ships for combat training in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.The destroyer entered the canal Friday night and was expected to take eight hours to reach the Pacific. Following its passage, the Admiral Chabanenko will dock at what was once the base for all U.S. naval activities in South America.The U.S. government handed over the Rodman Naval Station and the canal to Panama nearly a decade ago, and the waterway has since become a symbol of Panama's true independence.When it opened in 1914, the canal was a symbol of America's growing global reach and became a major U.S. military outpost for generations. The 10-mile-wide (16-kilometer-wide), 50-mile-long (80-kilometer-long) strip along the canal was considered U.S. territory — a fact that allowed Canal Zone native John McCain to run for the U.S. presidency.Lewis said the canal maintains a neutral policy in world politics. He pointed out that the ship's passage came just a few days before U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to visit Panama.(This version CORRECTS that ship entered Friday night, sted morning)

Islamist militia seizes control of Somali town By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer – Sat Dec 6, 11:31 am ET

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A hard-line Islamist militia seized control Saturday of a central Somali town, raising fears that the al-Qaida linked insurgents may expand their territory before the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops supporting the crumbling government.The militant victory in the trading town of trading town of Gurael, 370 kilometers (230 miles) north of the capital, Mogadishu, adds to the recent gains of the al Shabab militia. Islamic fighters have seized control of most of southern and central Somalia in recent months, with the Al Shabab faction making the greatest gains.Ismail Ali, a nurse at Istarlin Hospital, said eight people had been killed and dozens wounded in the fighting between the extremists and a moderate local militia in Gurael.After several days of clashes, the residents' militia withdrew, leaving the militants controlling the town center. Fighters from a third faction previously allied to al Shabab withdrew without fighting, residents said.Now it seems that al Shabab is in full control, said Abdulahi Dahir Hidig, a local resident.

Somalia's crumbling government has been fighting the Islamists since December 2006, when Ethiopian troops supporting the administration chased an Islamic administration from power. Since then, the Islamists have split into several factions. One faction has signed a peace deal with the government but other fighters have been grabbing territory.The U.S. State Department says the most militant faction, al Shabab — which means The Youth — is a terrorist organization that helps protect bombers who killed hundreds of people when they attacked American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.Ill-disciplined and poorly paid pro-government fighters often run away without a fight, leaving the government's Ethiopian allies to protect the capital and the parliamentary seat of Baidoa.Last month the Ethiopians announced they would withdraw from Somalia by the end of the year, creating a potential power vacuum that could see the Islamists seize power again. Countries have been reluctant to send peacekeepers to the war-ravaged nation beyond a few thousand Burundian and Ugandan soldiers under the auspices of the African Union.Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords used their clan-based militias to overthrow a socialist dictator, and then turned on each other.

India's Singh hails ally Russia as nuclear, space deals signed by Stuart Williams s –Fri Dec 5, 12:47 pm ET

NEW DELHI (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed a landmark nuclear deal signed with Russia on Friday as a milestone in the history of our cooperation after meeting here with President Dmitry Medvedev.The allies also finalised an accord that could see New Delhi send a man and eventually its own manned craft into space, with the Indian premier describing ties with Moscow as a vital anchor of our foreign policy.It is a relationship that has stood the test of time, a relationship based on strong mutual trust, Singh said alongside Medvedev after the signing ceremonies.Medvedev praised the agreements as opening a new page in relations. He was to leave New Delhi later Friday, earlier than scheduled, to join the mourning for the death of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, his spokeswoman said.

The nuclear deal was the third such agreement India has signed after a decision in September by the Nuclear Suppliers Group to waive its ban on trade of atomic technology with New Delhi.The United States and France are the other powers to have signed agreements with New Delhi but Russia remains so far the only state actively involved in building reactors in the country.The nuclear deal will see the building of four new nuclear energy reactors in Kudankulam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.Moscow is already building two 1,000-megawatt light water reactors at the site. The value of the new deal was not given.The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding that envisages Russia sending an Indian cosmonaut into space in 2013 and then launch a manned Indian spacecraft in 2015, the head of Russia's space agency Anatoly Perminov told reporters.Another deal was signed on the sale to India of 80 military helicopters, which officials said was worth over one billion dollars. The countries also reaffirmed their goal to raise bilateral trade to 10 billion dollars by 2010.The string of accords underline that ties between Moscow and New Delhi -- which date back to the Soviet Union -- continue to be strong, despite India's desire to also build relations with the United States.Medvedev was the first head of state to visit India following Islamic militant attacks on Mumbai a week ago, and he gave a strong pledge of support to India in the anti-terror fight.We are ready to work with our Indian colleagues (in the fight against terrorism) and show support in all ways, he said.The continued strength of ties between Moscow and New Delhi contrasts with the sometimes prickly relationship between Russia and India's long-time foe Pakistan.

But Russia, which supplies 70 percent of Indian military hardware, has been concerned that its slice of the Indian defence market risks becoming leaner amid disputes over costs and late deliveries.Medvedev said that the defence relationship between India and Russia like any cooperation, has problems and perspectives but he emphasised that there was no problem that is out of the ordinary.He said the sale of Russian T-90 tanks to India and the possible leasing or sale of Russian atomic-powered submarines has been concretely discussed in the talks with Singh.The fact that energy-hungry India has signed cooperation pacts with France and the United States since the nuclear ban was lifted means Russia for the first time faces competition in that market. We are not scared of competition. Russian technology can compete, the head of Russia's nuclear agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, told reporters. He said it was too early to discuss the possibility of Russia building two more reactors in Kudankulam for a total of eight but said that after Friday's signing, we can start talks about new agreements.