Friday, February 06, 2009

SARKOZY PLEDGES G-20 RESULTS

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)

DANIEL 11:40-43
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

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.

WALID SHOEBAT ON BBC AUDIO
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/whys/whys_20090205-1800a.mp3
WALIDS WEBSITE
http://www.shoebat.com/index.php

Zero hour approaches Posted: February 06, 2009
1:00 am Eastern 2009 WND


We've been counting down to the year that Iran will finally become a nuclear power ever since Iranian dissidents exposed the Iranian nuclear program in 2002. European intelligence estimated it would take Iran until 2012 to achieve this. Israeli intelligence figured late 2007. Last year's National Intelligence Estimate completely undercut the Bush administration's Iran foreign policy when it estimated Iran was still many years from being able to build a bomb. The NIE predicted: … with moderate confidence that the earliest possible date Iran would be technically capable of producing enough HEU [highly enriched uranium] for a weapon is late 2009, but that is very unlikely.Unlikely though it may have been, the International Atomic Energy Agency found that Iran had enriched enough uranium to make its first atomic bomb on Nov. 21, 2008. By now, as it brings new centrifuges online, Tehran may well have enough for a second. The head of Russia's state nuclear corporation, Sergei Kiriyenko, was quoted from the Kremlin on Wednesday confirming the launch of the Bushehr reactor later this year. Iran's nuclear ambitions are no longer even remotely unclear. Yet, knowing this, Moscow fully intends to supply Iran with all the nuclear material it needs.

In Gaza, Hamas is claiming victory on the same ground as did Hezbollah in 2006. It survived, and Israel pulled out without meeting all its objectives. Rockets continue to rain down on Israel from Gaza, and Hamas continues to hold Israeli solider Gilad Shalit hostage. To the north, either out of nervous tension or tactical plan, Hezbollah launched several rockets into Israel. Syrian troops opened fire with small arms on Israeli troops on their side of the border near Sheba Farms. In a couple of days, Israeli voters are likely to return Benjamin Netanyahu to power, which changes the whole equation in the region. WorldNetDaily reported yesterday of a secret message sent by Netanyahu to Hamas' top leadership saying that if they don't stop the rocket attacks against Israel, he will order the IDF to wipe them out.Netanyahu makes three specific promises to voters upon the strength of which he is expected to win. The first is the destruction of Hamas. The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu speaking from the site of a Grad missile strike in Ashkelon on Monday, saying: A government under my leadership will overthrow the Hamas rule in Gaza and bring about a cessation of rocket fire, he said. The policy of blindness followed in the past years has brought us to this situation.The second is the destruction of Hezbollah and Syrian influence over Lebanon. The third promise is left deliberately vague: Iran will not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Netanyahu doesn't elaborate on exactly how Israel will prevent it. But notice something curious about that. Not many Israelis want him to. Taking a step back and looking at the Big Picture, it is hard not to miss the fact that events are developing in concert with the ancient prophecies of Scripture. The Prophet Isaiah foretold the burden of Damascus (Isaiah 17:1) in which the prophet predicts the overnight destruction of that great city in the last days: At evening time, behold there is terror! Before morning they are no more. Such will be the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who pillage us.(Isaiah 17:14)

The Prophet Ezekiel predicts an alliance between Russia and an Islamic confederacy headed by Iran, or Persia. Hamas continues to attack Israel with rocket attacks for the sheer joy of the violence of it all. Related to this, the Prophet Obadiah pronounced this verdict against Edom, who is one of the forefathers of the people of Hamas, saying, Because of violence to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and you will be cut off forever. Interestingly, the word translated as violence in this Scripture is the Hebrew word, chamac, pronounced hamas.Of all the generations in history, it is to this generation that the prophecies of the last days are addressed. Previous generations looked for the signs given by Scripture, but only this generation can truly see them all come together at one time – which is itself a key fulfillment of prophecy. The Prophet Daniel predicted these conditions: And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.(Daniel 12:8-9) We are witnessing the unsealing of the end-times prophecies. The same Spirit that inspired the incredible accuracy of the prophets to this point is not likely to suddenly have a misstep. So what does that mean? The Lord of the Universe is getting ready to judge the world. But before that, He will come for His own. Make sure you are one of them.

THESE MUSLIM LEADERS ARE SICK PROMOTING VIOLENCE AGAINST MUSLIM WOMEN.C'MON MUSLIM WOMEN WAKE UP CHOOSE KING JESUS AND CHRISTIANITY THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER,SON AND HOLY SPIRIT (ONE GOD)OF ISRAEL AND THE WHOLE WORLD.THE ONLY NAME JESUS THAT SALVATION IS GUARENTEED FOREVER ON EARTH RULING WITH THE TRUE KING OF KINGS.

Muslim cleric: Here's how to beat wives,He's tried admonishing, he's tried banishment – but nothing February 05, 2009 11:50 pm Eastern 2009 WorldNetDaily

An Egyptian Muslim cleric has instructed that husbands should not beat their wives to the point that their beauty is scarred or bones are broken, but that it should be clear that: A word would be enough for any wife with lofty morals, but with you, words do not help.The instruction comes from Egyptian Cleric Galal Al-Khatib, whose sermon was broadcast on All-Rahma Television on Dec. 24, 2008. It has been interpreted by MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute, an independent nonprofit that provides translations of media reports from the Middle East and analysis of those reports.He explains there are three stages of discipline for wives under Islam: Admonishment, banishment and beating. The Prophet Muhammad said that the beatings should be light, and that one should avoid the face, or the sensitive areas, which might lead to broken bones, or might leave a mark that would spoil her beauty, whether on her face or anywhere on her body,the cleric advises. MEMRI also has posted a video of the sermon on its website, which requires viewers to participate in a free registration and login. Khatid explains that the husband first must understand what disobedience in a wife is.

Egypitan cleric preaching on the beating of wives

Disobedience is to leave the house without the husband's permission, to refuse to obey the husband in bed, to speak to the husband impolitely, or to do the opposite of what he likes. All these are forms of disobedience, he said. The first measure for reforming a disobedient wife is to admonish her. The husband should talk to her gently, reminding her of God, and reminding her that if she wants to enter Paradise, she must obey him. He must tell her that by pleasing her husband, she pleases God, and that his rights supersede the rights of her parents, he said. Okay, if admonishing doesn't work, the next measure is banishment. Some say that the wife should be banished from his bed, while others say he should refrain from having sex with her, although I do not agree with the latter view, because having sex is one of the rights of the husband, so how can he discipline her by depriving himself of sex? Khatid said. It's enough if he refrains from smiling and saying nice things to her, and instead, he gives her the cold shoulder, but he has the right to have sex with her, even during banishment.He continued with his lesson on Islamic family relations: Okay, he's tried admonishing, he's tried banishment – but nothing. Her emotions are numb, and she says: Good riddance. So what is the next measure? ..and beat them.Beating,he said. He cited a light slap on her shoulder, or maybe a not-so-light pinch and examples of what should be done. Ultimately, he said, the message is, With you, I have reached a stage which is only appropriate for inhumane people – the stage of beating. By beating his wife, the husband is saying: You've committed a grave sin that merits beatings, he said.

GLOBAL JIHAD U.S. Jewish targets listed on Muslim website Give them the Islamic message, demands New York-based extremist February 05, 2009 5:03 pm Eastern
By Aaron Klein 2009 WorldNetDaily


JERUSALEM – A U.S. jihadi website has issued a series of videos targeting the New York headquarters of Chabad, a Jewish outreach movement, just two months after the group was rocked by a deadly terrorist attack in Mumbai, India. The videos also ask viewers to give the Islamic message to Yeshiva University, a Manhattan-based Jewish college, as well as Jewish Federation buildings all over the U.S. in response to the institutions' purported funding for Israel amid its recent offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Islamic threats already resulted in a New York Police Department investigation and a beefed-up police presence outside the Chabad headquarters, WND has learned. When an atrocity is done like what was done in Gaza, indiscriminately killing women and children, we know who the source is, stated Yousef Al-Khattab, the CEO of RevolutionMuslim.com in a video address posted on the website. These are definitely the sources, Khattab stated, citing Chabad and the other Jewish institutions. We think it's imperative to hold these people responsible, speak in front of their homes, give them the Islamic message. Leave them the message of Islam. That's not a threat, that's what it is,Khattab said in the video.

While Khattab, who spoke to WND today, claimed his website is not issuing threats against Jewish groups, a second video posted on the site contains what can easily be interpreted as lightly veiled threats of violence against Chabad. The video features a slideshow of images of wounded Palestinians and then repeatedly switches to pictures of Chabad's main headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. It then presents a picture of a blood-stained Jewish prayer book taken from inside a Jerusalem seminary following a deadly shooting massacre there last March that killed eight Jews.

The video ends with the sound of gunshots.

Asked whether the video montage was implying Chabad's headquarters should be targeted by Islamic violence, Khattab told WND, It is what it is.Khattab said he did not have the authority to issue a directive to carry out specific attacks. Further petitioned to explain the intended meaning of the blood-soaked prayer book interspersed with images of Chabad's headquarters, Khattab replied, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.He told WND he supports Hamas' suicide bombings against Israelis, including attacks targeting cafes, restaurants and nightclubs. There is no such thing as Israeli civilian,he said.I pray to Allah for the complete destruction of Israel.In a video on his website, Khattab states he normally advises others to just ignore [the Jews]. That's not racist. We don't like to deal with them ... but when there is a terrorist war of destruction, killing of kids ... [Israeli] genocide, then we have to take to the forefront.

Security bolstered at Chabad headquarters

Motti Seligson, a spokesman for Chabad, told WND although not all threats are serious, his organization is work[ing] closely with law enforcement to ensure that all threats are handled properly, as safety is of paramount concern.Immediately following RevolutionMuslim's first posting about Chabad two weeks ago, the NYPD stationed a large police presence, including NYPD vans, outside the Jewish group's headquarters. NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelley called Chanina Sperlin, vice president of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, to assure him the police were looking into the situation and were taking any threats seriously. Khattab said he was questioned by NYPD investigators.

Expert: Take threats seriously

One Chabad official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was not particularly concerned about the alleged threats. But U.S. terrorism expert Steve Emerson said videos like those posted on RevolutionMuslim.com should be taken seriously. Any site that advocates violence or provides incitement to violence has to be taken seriously,he told WND.

We appreciate support of American progressives

Realizing his statement may attract the attention of U.S. law enforcement agencies, Khattab delivered a direct message to the NYPD, CIA and FBI: You can put me in jail for the rest of my life. As long as I got that information out there for people, I did something. I didn't sit on my behind.Khattab also lashed out against any website that may pick up on his statement. It just attracts Drudge, the JAWA report, Atlas Shrugs (blog), and Robert Spencer (Jihad Watch blog) and just other whining little queers and stuff like that.But he celebrated what he said is his website's non-Muslim following of progressive Americans, socialists, anarchists, communists ... people who can really contribute, they give us dialogue and send us nice e-mails.

Khattab, a 39-year-old New York taxi driver who converted to Islam from Judaism, said he launched RevolutionMuslim.com with the mission of preserving Islamic culture,calling people to the oneness of God and asking them to support the beloved Sheik Abdullah Faisal, who's preaching the religion of Islam and serving as a spiritual guide. He told WND his site's main goal is to establish worldwide Islamic dominance. He runs the site from his home in Queens, N.Y., and even advertises his personal phone number. Faisal, the website's spiritual adviser, was convicted in the UK in 2003 for urging his followers to kill Jews, Hindus and Westerners. In videotaped recordings, Faisal was taped delivering sermons calling on Muslims to use chemical weapons to exterminate unbelievers and cut the throat of the Kaffars (nonbelievers) with (a) machete.FoxNews.com previously reported Faisal's sermons may have influenced shoe bomber Richard Reid, who attended mosques where Faisal preached. Khattab's website is no stranger to controversy. In the past it featured a video praising al-Qaida's beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl under the banner Daniel Pearl I am Happy Your Dead :),and a puppet show making light of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.

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.

Fires to follow floods as wild weather hits Australia – Fri Feb 6, 3:31 am ET

SYDNEY (AFP) – Eastern Australia braced for more fires and floods Friday as the south faced extreme heat and heavy rain threatened to swell floodwaters ravaging the north.A once-in-a-century heatwave was forecast to intensify over the weekend with high temperatures and dry winds producing the worst wildfire conditions in 25 years, authorities said.We're talking about fire danger that hasn't been seen since Ash Wednesday coming up on Saturday, said Ron Patterson, an environment department spokesman from Victoria state.The Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 killed 75 people and devastated large areas of Australia's southeast, wiping out some 2,500 homes.The mercury is expected to top 44 degrees in Sydney, Australia's largest city, on Sunday, with temperatures in excess of 46 degrees forecast for inland areas.Much of the southeast has sweltered under record temperatures this summer, with wildfires destroying at least 29 homes last week and dozens of mainly elderly people dying of heat-related stress.The temperature in the South Australian capital Adelaide soared to above 42 degrees on Friday and authorities warned of worse to come.The fire danger forecast for Saturday may be as extreme as we've seen in South Australia for a number of years, said fire service spokesman Euan Ferguson.A 120-hectare blaze was Friday threatening to break containment lines and threaten property in Victoria's Gippsland region, with the state's premier John Brumby describing conditions as tinder-dry.Almost 40 separate fires raged in the neighbouring state of New South Wales, where 70,000 volunteer firefighters will be on standby throughout the weekend.

Adding to the fear is the knowledge that many of Australia's wildfires are lit by arsonists.Police are hunting fire starters believed to have sparked last week's fire that destroyed nearly 30 homes in Victoria state.The government's Australian Institute of Criminology released a report on Sunday which said half of the nation's 20,000 to 30,000 bushfires each year are deliberately lit.But in the northeast, floodwaters have devastated more than one million square kilometres (385,000 square miles), inundating homes, destroying at least a fifth of the region's sugar cane fields and stranding tens of thousands of cattle.There are cattle suffering pretty seriously, said Cattle Council of Australia president Greg Brown.There is some mortality rate, just how great that is at this stage is pretty hard to tell, but it's going to be, I think, substantial.Farmers unable to move produce due to the floods were facing millions of dollars in losses, while the army was preparing to drop food into some towns that have been cut off for up to a week.The deluge, which followed two recent cyclones, hit almost 3,000 homes, forcing dozens of evacuations and leaving scores of people stranded. Some towns in the Gulf of Carpentaria region could remain inaccessible by road for another six weeks, authorities have warned.

Further heavy rains are expected, as a tropical low hovers off the coast, the weather bureau said.Meteorologists have warned the extreme temperatures and downpours -- a common feature of Australian summers -- would only increase as a result of climate change.

Weather satellite blasts off from SoCal coast FEB 6,09
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A rocket carrying a U.S. global weather satellite has blasted off from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.The NOAA-N Prime satellite was launched aboard a Delta 2 rocket from the central coast base at 2:22 a.m. Friday.The launch had been planned for Wednesday but it was postponed because of launch pad technical problems.NOAA-N Prime is the last in a series of polar-orbiting satellites that have been observing Earth's weather since 1960. Its data will be used for long-range weather and climate forecasts.The satellite also carries sensors that can receive distress signals from mariners and hikers.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration manages the $564 million mission. The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

Weekend warmth to give Northeast respite from cold By Haitham Haddadin FEB 6,09

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans in the Northeast should get some respite from this winter's frigid temperatures with a much-welcomed warm spell this weekend that just may last into next week, forecasters say.The unseasonal warmth, which could see thermometer readings rising by Sunday to the 40s Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) in some parts of the Northeast from the current below zero to 20s, could mean less demand for home heating oil in the world's largest market for the fuel.Ahead of the warmer temperatures -- as a result of the inflow of warm air masses from the west and southwest into the region -- a chilly day was in store Friday for the region, AccuWeather.com said.The Northeast will have to wait another day, until Saturday, before warm air pours in, AccuWeather meteorologist Katie Storbeck said on the company's website.High temperatures will jump as much as 20 degrees between today and Saturday. Thermometers will read in the 40s as far north as southern New England by the first half of the weekend, Storbeck added.DTN Meteorlogix forecast that in the Northeastern states temperatures will be 6 to 10 F above normal on Sunday, return to 4 to 8 F below normal Monday and Tuesday before warmer temperatures return.

In its 6- to 10-day outlook, DTN said temperatures will be near to above normal for the region.The heating load is expected to average above normal Friday, near to below normal Saturday, below normal Sunday, near to above normal Monday and Tuesday, DTN added.Heating oil futures were sharply lower on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Friday, with the March contract down 6.07 cents, or 4.44 percent, at $1.3065 per gallon, amid a decline in other energy futures.Among other forecasters, Weather Channel's Weather.com said that afternoon highs this weekend could reach the 50s or even 60s over the southern mid-Atlantic region which borders the Northeast.

Elsewhere, AccuWeather said temperatures will rise into the 50s as far north as Chicago by Saturday, with much of the southern Plains and Southeast warming to about 60 degrees.Meanwhile, the states along the Gulf Coast will enjoy temperatures in the 70s over the weekend,it said.(Editing by John Picinich)

FITNA ISLAM
VIDEO - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7961200236915885171&ei=Unl3SYqPApPSjgKmzbilDw&q=fitna

PALESTINIAN MEDIA WATCH
http://www.pmw.org.il/

YAHOO NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video

MIDEAST CONFLICT NEWS
http://news.yahoo.com/video/1874;_ylt=A0wNcxFdg6xIgbkAwD6z174F

ABC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2461

FOX NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3074

FOX BUSINESS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3045

AP NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2529

BBC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2918

REUTERS VIDEO NEWS
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2704

AFP NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3091

CNBC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3245

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 FRI FEB 06,2009

09:30 AM +11.21
10:00 AM +149.10
10:30 AM +138.03
11:00 AM +160.65
11:30 AM +170.68
12:00 PM +177.21
12:30 PM +156.54
01:00 PM +181.83
01:30 PM +231.69
02:00 PM +226.28
02:30 PM +226.60
03:00 PM +212.82
03:30 PM +200.31
04:00 PM +217.52 +8280.59

S&P 500 868.60 +22.75

NASDAQ 1591.71 +45.47

GOLD 912.00 -2.00

OIL 40.14 -1.03

TSE 300 9020.24 +159.26

CDNX 909.27 +11.05

S&P/TSX/60 544.98 +9.13

MORNING,NEWS,STATS

YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow -8.13%
S&P -6.35%
Nasdaq -1.95%
TSX Advances 615,declines 522,unchanged 208,Volume 938,272,420.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 372,Declines 325,Unchanged 304,Volume 127,439,110.

Dow +33 points at 4 minutes of trading today.
Dow +6 points at low today.
Dow +160 points at high today so far.
29 of 30 Dow stocks open higher today.
Oil opens at $39.01 today,Gold opens at $911.30 today.
Stimulus talks help global markets rise today.
China markets +4% to highest level since OCTOBER.
Most banks +3%-5% at start of trading today.
Hartford Financial -22%,Posts loss,Slashes dividends.
JP Morgan:GE could see a credit rating downgrade soon.
Fitch cuts ratings on CITI preferred shares to JUNK rating of BB.
Watch & Jewelry sales -29%,Wine & Spirits -11%.

TOYOTA TUMBLES
-Q3 net losses totaled $1.81 BILLION,first time since 1950.
-warns of $3.8 BILLION net loss for fiscal year.
-Moody's cuts AAA credit rating.

AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS
Dow -4 points at low today so far.
Dow +205 points at high today so far.
DAY TODAY PERFORMANCE - 12:30PM STATS
NYSE Advances 2,804,declines 841,unchanged 76,New Highs 11,New Lows 59.
Volume 3,085,927,655
NASDAQ Advances 1,757,declines 831,unchanged 127,New highs 5,New Lows 54.
Volume 1,010,286,832
TSX Advances 625,declines 365,unchanged 242,Volume 485,869,782.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 258,Declines 232,Unchanged 276,Volume 55,719,683.

WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS
Dow -4 points at low today.
Dow +256 points at high today.
Dow +2.70% today Volume 396,264,393.
Dow year to date -5.65%
Dow has biggest one day gain since JANUARY 21,2009.
Dow up 3% this week.
Dow 52 week range 7,449.38 - 13,136.69,low-high.
Nasdaq +2.94% today Volume 2,147,483,648.
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CANADAS WEEK ENDING STATS
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BANKS TO BE NATIONALISED,END OF DOLLAR - VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYnlcZW8_8&eurl=http://www.infowars.com/
keiser-us-dollar-the-roach-motel-of-global-currencies/&feature=player_embedded

Sarkozy pledges results at G20 economic crisis meeting
ELITSA VUCHEVA Today FEB 6,09 @ 09:28 CET


EU countries should forge a common position on the need to reform and regulate the financial system, and they should speak with one voice at the upcoming G20 summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said.He underlined that a meeting between France, Germany,Italy, the UK, Spain and the Netherlands on 22 February ahead of the G20 meeting that will take place on 2 April in London will be essential.

It is not possible that, in such a situation, Europe does not take the initiative, Mr Europe must have a common position on the summit of the G20, said the president in a special programme aimed at reassuring the French people about their government's actions in the face of the financial crisis.Asked by the journalists interviewing him how he would assess the action of the current Czech EU presidency, as well as of the European Commission, to counter the crisis, the president said: One should not be especially angry with them [the Czechs]. They are doing what they can.But in veiled criticism to Prague's presidency, he added: It is not possible that, in such a situation, Europe does not take the initiative to ensure co-ordination.The Czech Republic took over the rotating EU presidency from France on 1 January, but is already facing criticism for not doing enough compared to its pro-active predecessor.

No negotiations – we want results

During his 90-minute address, Mr Sarkozy cited a number of areas where he saw an urgent need of reform and where he was hoping to obtain greater European backing.In particular, no financial institution should be able to escape controls, said the French president, who also expressed scepticism regarding bad banks which would buy the toxic assets owned by financial institutions.I do not see why I would make the taxpayer pay for the mistakes of private banks, he pointed out.A reform of financial market traders' pay and a look into credit rating agencies which did an appalling job by failing to warn of the dangers in the financial system are also needed, according to Mr Sarkozy.He said the topic would be raised during his meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday, and expressing confidence that the chancellor would have a similar position.I have always thought that these are Ms Merkel's ideas, too, he said.We will go to the 2 April London [G20] summit to obtain structural decisions, this is clear ... My negotiating margin on hedge funds, on regulation, on the remuneration of financial institutions, on tax havens, will be zero. We want results,he added.He also said France would review its relations with neighbouring financial havens such as Luxembourg, Andorra and Monaco – which is not a tax haven but where things need to be straightened out.

Falling popularity

Mr Sarkozy's intervention comes amid drooping popularity at home.Rising unemployment and a generally worsening economic situation propelled 2.5 million people to the streets in France last week, protesting against the government's reaction to the crisis.The French president announced he would still continue with planned reforms, but also promised to scrap a so-called professional tax – a local corporate tax – next year, in a bid to stop key French industries, notably the auto sector, from moving elsewhere.

Jobless rate 7.6 pct; 598K job cuts most since 74 By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer FEB 6,09

WASHINGTON – Recession-battered employers eliminated 598,000 jobs in January, the most since the end of 1974, and catapulted the unemployment rate to 7.6 percent. The grim figures were further proof that the nation's job climate is deteriorating at an alarming clip with no end in sight.The Labor Department's report, released Friday, showed the terrible toll the drawn-out recession is having on workers and companies. It also puts even more pressure on Congress and President Barack Obama's administration to revive the economy through a stimulus package and a revamped financial bailout plan, both of which are nearing completion.These numbers, and the very real suffering of American workers they represent, reinforce the need for bold fiscal action, said Christina Romer, chief of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers. If we fail to act, we are likely to lose millions more jobs and the unemployment rate could reach double digits.The latest net total of job losses was far worse than the 524,000 that economists expected. Job reductions in November and December also were deeper than previously reported.With cost-cutting employers in no mood to hire, the unemployment rate bolted to 7.6 percent in January, the highest since September 1992. The increase in the jobless rate from 7.2 percent in December also was worse than the 7.5 percent rate economists expected.All told, the economy has lost a staggering 3.6 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007. About half of this decline occurred in the past three months.Companies are in survival mode and are really cutting to the bone, said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. They are cutting and cutting hard now out of fear of an uncertain future.

Factories slashed 207,000 jobs in January, the largest one-month drop since October 1982, partly reflecting heavy losses at plants making autos and related parts. Construction companies got rid of 111,000 jobs. Professional and business services chopped 121,000 positions. Retailers eliminated 45,000 jobs. Leisure and hospitality axed 28,000 slots.Those reductions swamped employment gains in education and health services, as well as in the government.Just in the 12 months ending January, an astonishing 3.5 million jobs have vanished, the most on record going back to 1939, although the total number of jobs has grown significantly since then.On Wall Street, investors pushed up stock prices on hopes that the miserable jobs report would get Congress to move quickly on the economic revival package. The Dow Jones industrials gained about 120 points in morning trading and broader stock indicators also rose.

Employers are slashing payrolls and turning to other ways to cut costs — including trimming workers' hours, freezing wages or cutting pay — to cope with shrinking appetites from customers in the U.S. and overseas, who are struggling with their own economic troubles.The average work week in January stayed at 33.3 hours, matching the record low set in December.With no place to go, the number of unemployed workers climbed to 11.6 million. In addition, 7.8 million people were working part time — a category that includes those who would like to work full time but whose hours were cut back, or those who were unable to find full-time work.

Job hunters also are facing longer searches for work.

The average time it took for an unemployed person to find any job — full or part time — rose to 19.8 weeks in January, compared with 17.5 weeks a year ago, underscoring the increasing difficulty the out-of-work are having in finding a new job.

Workers with jobs saw modest wage gains.

Average hourly earnings rose to $18.46 in January, up 0.3 percent from the previous month. Over the year, wages have risen 3.9 percent. An avalanche of layoffs is slamming the nation from a wide swath of employers. Caterpillar Inc., Pfizer Inc., Microsoft Corp., Estee Lauder Cos., Time Warner Cable Inc., and Sprint Nextel Corp. are among the companies slicing payrolls. Manufacturers — especially car makers — construction companies and retailers have been particularly hard hit by the recession. Talbots Inc., Liz Claiborne Inc., Macy's Inc. and Home Depot Inc. are all cutting jobs. So are Detroit's General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. Americans cut back sharply on spending at the end of last year, thrusting the economy into its worst backslide in a quarter-century. The tailspin could well accelerate in the current January-March quarter to a rate of 5 percent or more as the recession drags on into a second year, and consumers and businesses burrow deeper. Vanishing jobs and evaporating wealth from tanking home values, 401(k)s and other investments have forced consumers to retrench, which has required companies to pull back. It's a vicious cycle where the economy's problems feed on each other, perpetuating a downward spiral. Many economists predict the current quarter — in terms of lost economic growth — will be the worst of the recession. With fallout from the housing, credit and financial crises — the worst since the 1930s — ripping through the economy, analysts predict 3 million or more jobs will vanish this year even if lawmakers quickly approve Obama's stimulus plan, which has ballooned to more than $900 billion in the Senate.

Obama has repeatedly pressed Congress to swiftly enact a package of increased government spending, including big public works projects and tax cuts, to revive the economy and create jobs. He says his plan will save or create more than 3 million jobs in the next two years. But the recession has proven stubborn. Despite record low interest rates ordered by the Federal Reserve and a raft of radical programs, including a $700 billion financial bailout, consumers and businesses face high hurdles to borrow money. Foreclosures are skyrocketing, home prices are sinking and Wall Street remains on edge.

EU puts energy hopes into Turkmenistan black hole
PHILIPPA RUNNER Today FEB 6,09 @ 07:43 CET


EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission and the Czech EU presidency are turning the screw on the European Parliament to upgrade relations with Turkmenistan, despite question marks over the country's viability as an EU energy supplier.Unless the EU engages more now, including through the upgrading of contractual relations, we leave the field open to other actors in the region who care little about improving the human rights situation, external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner wrote on 26 January in a private letter to German left-wing MEP Helmuth Markov.Taking such a step should not be seen as a reward to Turkmenistan, but a pragmatic choice in our own interests.The Czech EU presidency sent a similar letter to MEPs in recent days, voicing fears that Russia will entrench its monopoly on Turkmenistan gas exports, complicating EU plans to tap the country's resources with its own Nabucco pipeline.Mr Markov chairs the European Parliament's trade committee, which has in the past made the signing of a basic trade deal with the post-Soviet dictatorship conditional on human rights benchmarks. Parliament's position on the Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) will come up for a vote at the 9 March plenary. But despite Turkmenistan making no real progress on political reform, the conservative and socialist groups - which form a house majority - have already drafted a resolution clearing the ITA.The parliament decision comes amid a charm offensive by the Czech Republic to enlist Nabucco suppliers in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine gas crisis.Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek will visit Ashgabat on 13 February. The Czech EU presidency hopes to bring the Turkmen foreign minister to a meeting in Brussels on 16 March if the ITA gets through. Turkmenistan leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is also invited to a summit of Nabucco countries in Prague on 7 May.The initiative risks staining the Czech Republic and the European Parliament's record as watchdogs of EU ethical foreign policy.NGOs suspect that the pro-ITA line -that new legal relations will help the EU push for reform via formal human rights clauses - is a fig leaf for a simple gas grab.How does the commission substantiate its argument that the EU is better positioned to affect change in Turkmenistan by concluding an ITA, rather than requiring concrete rights improvements in advance of it? Human Rights Watch analyst Veronika Szente Goldston said.

Beyond ethics

Beyond ethical questions, there are concerns that Turkmenistan will do little to improve EU energy security even if European energy firms sign big contracts with the regime in the context of a diplomatic rapprochement.Turkmenistan is one of the most closed countries in the world. Ordinary people are forbidden to travel abroad. Even the Red Cross has no access to political prisoners and the fate of about 50 people who vanished after a failed coup in 2002 remains unclear. MEPs have not visited for over two years. The European Commission has no staff in Ashgabat, beyond six sub-contracted workers at a cultural centre. And despite the presence of four EU member state embassies, Brussels does not know if a gun battle in Ashgabat last September was another attempt to overthrow the government. NGO Global Witness says that under the late president Saparmurat Niyazov, all income from the gas trade was put into off-budget funds held mainly in Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt. There is no evidence the country's finances are any more normal today.It seems very short-sighted of the EU to think it can get around the Russia-Ukraine problem by turning to a country with virtually no standards of good governance, Global Witness' Tom Mayne said. We could find ourselves feeding into a black hole of opacity and corruption.

Huge drop in demand for European steel
ANDREW WILLIS Today FEB 6,09 @ 09:25 CET


Eurofer, the European confederation of iron and steel industries, said Thursday (5 January) it is bracing itself for a fall in demand for steel in the range of 15 percent for 2009.The EU steel market is severely impacted by the recession and will be facing an unprecedented downturn this year, said the confederation in a statement. The drop in car production is the main factor in the reduced demand for steel the confederation said, but the downturn in the construction, steel tube and engineering sectors will also have significant negative impacts. Apparent consumption will drop by 29 percent year-on-year in the first quarter and by a further 23 percent in the second quarter, Eurofer said, with decline slowing somewhat in the second half of 2009 as the market corrects itself. Bruno Bolfo, chairman and owner of Duferco, the world's biggest steel trading company told the Financial Times over the weekend that any steel company expecting an upturn in the sector in late-2009 was deluding itself.The official line from the big companies is that a mild recovery of sorts could start in the second half. Of course, they have to say this – but really there's not much hope. An upturn so soon is just not on the cards, he told the newspaper.Mr Bolfo continued that any pick-up in global steel demand in 2010 would be small stuff.Eurofer also warned that pressure from steel imports would remain high because of the much stronger sacrifice the domestic producers are making in order to enable the market to reach a new equilibrium.The European steel industry is the largest in the world with a turnover of €160bn and direct employment of 430 thousand people producing over 200 million tons of steel a year, 15 percent of the global output. Faced with the current crisis, large steelmakers across the globe such as world leader ArcelorMittal have announced job cuts and reduced hour working weeks to combat the fall in demand. Despite the problems faced by the sector, the commission said on Thursday that it is considering starting anti-trust procedures against a number of unnamed steel companies on grounds they acted as a cartel. The companies received notification from the commission last October and the commission is now considering their responses. If found guilty, the companies could be fined up to 10 percent of their yearly turnover.

Across the Atlantic, US senators will Friday (6 February) resume the debate on the proposed $900bn stimulus plan whose Buy American article, excluding EU steel, appears to have been softened.

Kissinger Sent to Russia to Cut New World Order Deal Kurt Nimmo Infowars February 6, 2009

It is yet another glaring example there is no difference between Bush, Obama, or anybody else anointed by the global elite to serve as presidential window dressing — the Daily Telegraph reports this morning that former Reichsminister of State and Rockefeller minion Henry Kissinger was dispatched by the Obama administration to talk with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev about reducing stockpiles of nuclear warheads.Kissinger met with Putin at the Russian Prime Minister’s country house outside of Moscow.The decision to send Mr. Kissinger to Moscow, taken by Mr Obama when he was still president-elect, is part of a plan to overcome probable Republican objections in Congress, reports Adrian Blomfield, Moscow correspondent for the British newspaper. It is said the secret negotiations were conducted in December.

Obama, of course, runs nothing and the reprehensible octogenarian war criminal Kissinger was dispatched on orders of the elite, not Obama. It is said Kissinger had a sit-down with former Russian boss Vladimir Putin at his country house outside of Moscow. While the details of the ambitious initiative are yet to be revealed, the proposal to return to the negotiating table after eight years of reluctance in Washington has been welcomed in Britain and elsewhere, reports the Daily Telegraph.

No doubt a fly on the wall of Putin’s country house would reveal other topics of discussion, as the elite and the military-industrial complex have made trillions on the phony Cold War and its subsequent permutations over the decades and really has no desire to slash nuclear warheads, not unless they can make a bunch of money in the process. Mr Obama apparently chose Mr Kissinger for his consummate diplomatic skills and his popularity in Moscow, an affection earned by his open acknowledgment of Russia’s international resurgence.Kissinger’s consummate diplomatic skills are well-known — over the years he has micromanaged the bombing of small and defense countries and is responsible for the murder of millions of people, most notably a few million Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Indonesians. It is absurd to think Obama chose Kissinger or anybody else for that matter. Obama, like all previous presidents in the modern era, is little more than a wind-up doll with notable oratory skills and a knack for reading teleprompters. Along with Obama foreign policy guru and notorious Russia-hater Zbigniew Brzezinski, Kissinger is a Rockefeller functionary and Trilateral Commission member. He is also a prominent Bilderberg member and long time member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He worked for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as director of its Special Studies Project.The CFR, Trilateral Commission, and the Bilderbergers have one objective — to create world government under the guise of a New World Order. It is safe to say the meeting with Medvedev and Putin had more to do with the New World Order than reducing the number of nukes in Russia and the United States. Last month, Kissinger went on the pages of the International Herald Tribune and called for a New World Order. During an interview with CNBC’s Mark Haines and Erin Burnett on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Kissinger said the anointment of Barack Obama represents an opportunity to create a New World Order at a moment when there is upheaval in many parts of the world simultaneously,never mind the fact these upheavals are orchestrated by the elite and the international bankers.

Of more immediate importance than any number of nuclear warheads is Russia’s strategic relationship with China and Iran and its relations with Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil. Moreover, Putin and the Russians have vehemently opposed the Soros/Freedom House/CIA sponsored revolutions in former Soviet republics and have signaled their intention to resist these globalist sponsored so-called revolutions. A system of permanent revolutions, rose revolutions or some others, is the most dangerous, Putin told Interfax on December 23, 2004, well before the U.S. orchestrated provocation in South Ossetia. It is no secret, as well, the globalists are irked by Russia’s nationalization of the Yukos oil-producing division by Rosnfet. Putin became somewhat of a hero to the anti-globalist movement when he wrestled power from multinational corporations, multilateral institutions, and the global economic system they promote, as Liliana N. Proskuryakova described it. In addition, the Russians have consistently resisted the loan-sharking operations of the global elite, most notably in regard to the IMF and the World Bank. Between 2000 and 2004, Putin persistently refused to borrow from these institutions. Now that the banksters and neolibs have managed to knock Russia and other oil-producing nations down a few notches — due largely to artificially induced falling oil prices — it is time for them to strike a new deal with Russia as the New World Order scheme gains momentum. Thus it is fair to say Kissinger’s meeting with Medvedev and Putin had less to do with nuclear stockpiles than it had to do with offering a deal the Russians may not be able to refuse. In short, Kissinger’s trip was likely what it appears to be — a meeting between mob bosses as they set about to carve up their respective spheres of influence.

Cold warrior Henry Kissinger woos Russia for Barack Obama Henry Kissinger, the pioneer of Cold War detente during the Nixon era, has made a return to frontline politics after President Barack Obama reportedly sent him to Moscow to win backing from Vladimir Putin's government for a nuclear disarmament initiative. By Adrian Blomfield, Moscow Correspondent 2:14AM GMT 06 Feb 2009

The Daily Telegraph has learned that the 85-year-old former US secretary of state met President Dmitry Medvedev for secret negotiations in December. According to Western diplomats, during two days of talks the octogenarian courted Russian officials to win their support for Mr Obama's initiative, which could see Russia and the United States each slashing their nuclear warheads to 1,000 warheads. The decision to send Mr Kissinger to Moscow, taken by Mr Obama when he was still president-elect, is part of a plan to overcome probable Republican objections in Congress. Mr Kissinger is believed to have won a verbal rather than written undertaking for the deal. Tom Graham, a senior associate at Kissinger Associates and a former member of the national security council in the White House, on Thursday confirmed that Mr Kissinger had met Mr Medvedev but denied that any negotiations had taken place and said he had not met with Mr Putin. However, a diplomatic source said that Mr Kissinger held two days of talks with Mr Putin at his country house near Moscow. While the details of the ambitious initiative are yet to be revealed, the proposal to return to the negotiating table after eight years of reluctance in Washington has been welcomed in Britain and elsewhere. Mr Obama apparently chose Mr Kissinger for his consummate diplomatic skills and his popularity in Moscow, an affection earned by his open acknowledgment of Russia's international resurgence.

Despite his pariah status with many Left-wingers in Mr Obama's Democratic Party, the president forged relations with Mr Kissinger during his campaign. The compliment was returned when the 85-year-old veteran of the Nixon and Ford administrations said last month that the young president was in a position to create a new world order by shifting US foreign policy away from the hostile stance of the Bush administration. He publicly supported Mr Obama's notion of unconditional talks with Iran, though not at the presidential level. Further demonstrating his willingness to work with his opponents on foreign policy issues, Mr Obama turned to two veteran Republicans steeped in Cold War experience to press home his plans. Shortly after Mr Kissinger's trip, Richard Lugar, a Republican senator from Indiana who has worked on nuclear disarmament issues for 30 years, also visited Moscow. George Schultz, another former secretary of state, has also played a vital role. Observers say signs of progress towards a new treaty could come as early as this weekend, when senior government officials meet at a security conference in Munich. Joe Biden, the US vice president, is expected to address the conference and diplomats hinted he could announce the suspension of plans to erect a missile defence shield in central Europe, a project that has been frequently denounced in Moscow. Despite widespread praise for the proposals, many European officials are privately urging the United States to be cautious, aware that Kremlin policy towards the West in recent years has been characterized by reversals. Apart from worries over Russia's increasingly belligerent international policies, there is also little doubt a disarmament deal would benefit Moscow more than Washington even if the Kremlin has threatened to stall talks on a new treaty in the past. Russia has long called for a new agreement to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires on Dec 5. Under START, the two Cold War adversaries agreed to halve their stockpiles to 5,000 warheads apiece. An addendum negotiated in 2002 under the START framework saw both sides agree to cut the number of warheads in service to between 1,700 and 2,200 each.

Despite pressure from Moscow, the Bush Administration was reluctant to begin negotiations on a successor to START because it feared losing the flexibility needed to respond to potential challenges from rising nuclear powers such as China. The Kremlin, on the other hand, has been desperate for a new treaty because Russia's dilapidated nuclear stockpile is no longer sustainable either financially or practically. Despite developing a new class of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the bulk of Russia's arsenal has passed its sell-by date. Even though many warheads have been kept alive artificially, Russia has long been aware that most of its missiles will have to be decommissioned much faster than they can be replaced.

Nuclear parity, the crux of Moscow's defence policy, is therefore fiction in all but name. A new treaty, however, would allow Russia to compete and free up money for other armament programmes. In return for a new disarmament deal, Mr Putin has demanded that the United States delay Nato membership for Ukraine and Georgia as well as shelving the missile shield, which Moscow believes is directed at Russia rather than Iran. The United States is reportedly ready to accept those demands after Mr Kissinger, who is deeply respected for his recognition of Russia's resurgence, may have won concessions of his own, a diplomatic source said. Frequent visits by Mr Kissinger to Russia since 2000 have largely gone unreported in the Western press. But in 2007, the Russian news agency Novosti reported that Mr Kissinger and Yevgeny Primakov, a former KGB master, were appointed by Mr Putin to co-chair a bilateral working group of Russian and American political insiders to tackle issues such as global terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and nuclear threats.

Mr Putin is understood to have signalled his willingness to drop Russian objections over tougher sanctions against Iran and could also suspend the sale of sophisticated air defence missiles to Teheran which Washington fears could hamper a military strike against the country's nuclear installations.

ALLTIME