KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.
ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)
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 (MUSLIMS) have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, PALESTINIANS,JORDAN) and the Hagarenes;(EGYPT)
7 Gebal,(HEZZBALLOH,LEBANON) and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA,ARABS,SINAI) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
By John Irish | Reuters – 1 hr 31 mins ago JUNE 20,13
"DICTATOR"
"It isn't possible that just like that Assad achieves a complete victory. Anyway he remains a dictator," Fabius said.With rebels struggling to push back advances by forces loyal to Assad, Paris argues that something must be done urgently to change the balance of power.At a summit of the Group of Eight nations in Northern Ireland this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin harshly criticized the Western talks about arming the rebels while defending his own supplies of arms for Assad.French sources said a "political decision" among the 11-strong core group of nations to help Idriss has been made, but that states still had to "tick boxes" for what they would offer."We have discussed with Idriss to see how we could help him collectively and in a complimentary way," said one source. "Some people can provide certain things and others different things, and all that fairly quickly."Paris has so far given non-lethal aid including bullet proof vests, night vision goggles and communications equipment to Idriss. It is ready to widen the scale of equipment and provide "technical assistance" such as sophisticated weapons training and intelligence."If we want Idriss to have absolute control of all opposition fighting brigades then we'll be waiting a long time," said the source."We need to do something dynamic to strengthen his command structure quickly and progressively to have an impact."
(Editing by Gareth Jones)
By Erika Solomon | Reuters – 1 hr 25 mins ago JUNE 20,13
Rebel prospects for reversing Assad's gains in Damascus may now hinge on military support from Western and Arab backers."We can survive for a long time, because our fighters know the terrain, but until we get weapons we cannot repel the advance," Amran said.The rebels believe a recent U.S. decision to give them military support will re-open an arms pipeline from Jordan that was shut down as the United States and Russia negotiated a planned "Geneva 2" peace conference.But this week's G8 meeting saw no narrowing of the differences between Moscow, Assad's main arms supplier, and Washington, which wants Assad to step down in any transition.Despite Washington's reluctance to define what kind of help it is willing to give, the mostly Sunni Muslim rebels expect Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia to step up support to help them fight Assad. He is backed by Riyadh's regional Shi'ite rival Iran in a two-year conflict that has become increasingly regionalized."We had several meetings in Jordan and Ankara and discussed opening the weapons pipeline to the Damascus rebels from Jordan. I expect good news soon ... We will be getting advanced weaponry but I cannot say what kind," said Abu Moaz al-Agha, a spokesman and commander from the Ansar al-Islam brigades in Damascus.Rebels want anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to challenge the dominance of Assad's air force, which has allowed him to keep rebels on the defensive even in their own territories through daily air strikes."We still need time to plan out the system for delivering the weapons. But I am hoping that within 30 days there will be changes on the ground," Agha said, speaking by Skype.Over the past two months, rebels around Damascus lost nearly all their supply lines and are struggling to get enough food, let alone weapons, into the eastern and southern outskirts of the capital.There has been a slow increase in weapons supplies in recent days, particularly to the north, where Assad's forces are also planning a slow encroachment on rebel strongholds in Aleppo.
WAITING FOR REBEL SUPPORT
As well as getting arms over the southern border, the Damascus rebels need opposition forces in neighboring Deraa province to alleviate the blockade from outside."We are trapped inside al-Ghouta and there is absolutely no route into the area if the mujahideen (holy warriors) in the south do not come to open the front," said activist Amran.But infighting and rivalries have long plagued the rebels - it is what made Western powers hesitant to back their fractious forces and has also sabotaged many rebel efforts to unite against Assad offensives across the country.In the Ghouta region, mistrust and greed has prevented fighters blocking advances as they await help, some rebels say."The regime is advancing on the Marj area and has taken several towns in a critical part of the rebel base here. Unfortunately the blame for this lies on us as much as them," said a fighter speaking by Skype, who asked not to be named."Some of the biggest brigades here are focusing on cementing their control on specific towns, to loot factories and seize all the supplies. They've ignored the wider cause," he said.Assad's forces are also advancing on the Sayyeda Zainab district, which houses an important Shi'ite shrine and has been used as a rallying call for Shi'ite fighters.Syria's conflict has killed more than 93,000 people and has descended from a popular protest movement against four decades of Assaf family rule into a civil war with sectarian overtones.The country's Sunni majority and has enjoyed rising but inconsistent support from Sunni countries, including a flow of radical Islamist fighters. Assad has relied on minorities, particularly his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, and a staunchly loyal support system from Hezbollah and Iran.An activist working with the rebels in Damascus said that while he believed the rebels had a good chance of holding out until a weapons pipeline was made from Jordan, the chance of seizing Sayyeda Zainab has likely been lost."Our own men here betrayed the cause," he said. "Now our only help is our brothers from outside."(Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Reuters – 1 hr 0 mins ago JUNE 20,13
Israeli PM criticises EU decision on Hezbollah
Today @ 13:36 JUNE 20,13
By EUOBSERVER
Israeli PM Netanyahu told EU foreign policy chief Ashton in Jerusalem
on Thursday that EU countries are wrong not to blacklist Lebanese group
Hezbollah. "If Hezbollah isn't a terrorist organisation, I don't know
what is a terrorist organisation ... They're murdering civilians without
letup, including on European soil," he said.
EU countries block blacklisting of Hezbollah
Today @ 09:28 JUNE 20,13
BRUSSELS
- A small group of EU countries has again blocked Britain's bid to blacklist Lebanese group Hezbollah.Diplomatic sources said Austria and the Czech republic led opposition at a meeting of EU countries' counter-terrorism specialists in Brussels on Wednesday (19 June).Ireland, Italy and Poland also voiced concerns.Objections centre around shaky evidence that Hezbollah bombed a bus containing Jewish tourists in Bulgaria last year.The Bulgarian foreign ministry told EUobserver on Wednesday its investigation is incomplete. Its spokesman, Dimitar Yaprakov, said Sofia is still waiting for "replies to the current judicial requests in connection with the Bulgarian investigation from our foreign partners."Some of the naysayers are worried the move might destabilise Lebanon, where Hezbollah is a popular political party.The details of the British proposal - to blacklist Hezbollah's military wing, but not its political branch - are also posing problems."The Czech position is that it's impossible to separate the military arm [of Hezbollah] from the civilian one," an EU source said.The talks are set to continue.But Britain plans to kick them up a level, leaving aside the security specialists and turning to senior EU diplomats or foreign ministers instead.EU foreign policy heavyweights France, Germany and the Netherlands back London.Another EU diplomat said Wednesday's talks saw more countries fall into the pro-sanctions camp."More member states came round to the view that Hezbollah needs to be listed … This was only the second meeting on the subject and there is a clear momentum towards listing the group. But now it will have to be discussed at a more senior level," the contact said.If the UK gets its way, pro-Hezbollah sympathisers in Europe will find it more difficult to donate money.It will also stigmatise Israel's fiercest enemy in the Middle East."We have been saying for a long time that the EU needs to take this, maybe bold, but necessary step," Yoel Mester, the spokesman for the Israeli mission to the EU, said.
By David Lev-First Publish: 6/20/2013, 4:51 PM-Israelnationalnews
Israeli health officials said they were keeping a close eye on the
potential spread of a new virus that has been spreading throughout the
Middle East, and were ready with plans to present an epidemic in Israel.
The existence of the new disease, MERS – Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome – has been known to scientists for some weeks, but its
existence was publicized Thursday in the New York Times.Similar to SARS, MERS spreads quickly,
but is more deadly than SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. SARS
has been since 2003, but there is no specific vaccine for it, and
scientists said that that was likely to be true for MERS as well.Doctors have been observing the symptoms
associated with MERS in a growing number of patients for the past year,
but only in the past month or so has it become clear that a specific
virus was responsible. Nearly all the cases so far have been seen in
Saudi Arabia, with several others seen in Gulf countries, Tunisia, and
Jordan. In addition, the disease has been seen in Arab populations in
Italy, Britain, and France
Many of the cases have been spread in hospitals, but doctors are not sure what the mechanism for spreading – suh as sneezing, physical contact, etc. - is. What frightens researchers is the extremely high fatality rate; out of sixty established cases, 38 people died, for a fatality rate of 65%. At its worst in 2003, the fatality rate for SARS was about 8%.Israeli health officials said that they were increasing their vigilance at hospitals, and were preparing to isolate patients who displayed the symptoms. The officials said that due to the ongoing traffic of Arabs between Israel and Jordan, and from their to the rest of the Arab world, Israel was at a “significant risk” of experiencing an outbreak.
- A small group of EU countries has again blocked Britain's bid to blacklist Lebanese group Hezbollah.Diplomatic sources said Austria and the Czech republic led opposition at a meeting of EU countries' counter-terrorism specialists in Brussels on Wednesday (19 June).Ireland, Italy and Poland also voiced concerns.Objections centre around shaky evidence that Hezbollah bombed a bus containing Jewish tourists in Bulgaria last year.The Bulgarian foreign ministry told EUobserver on Wednesday its investigation is incomplete. Its spokesman, Dimitar Yaprakov, said Sofia is still waiting for "replies to the current judicial requests in connection with the Bulgarian investigation from our foreign partners."Some of the naysayers are worried the move might destabilise Lebanon, where Hezbollah is a popular political party.The details of the British proposal - to blacklist Hezbollah's military wing, but not its political branch - are also posing problems."The Czech position is that it's impossible to separate the military arm [of Hezbollah] from the civilian one," an EU source said.The talks are set to continue.But Britain plans to kick them up a level, leaving aside the security specialists and turning to senior EU diplomats or foreign ministers instead.EU foreign policy heavyweights France, Germany and the Netherlands back London.Another EU diplomat said Wednesday's talks saw more countries fall into the pro-sanctions camp."More member states came round to the view that Hezbollah needs to be listed … This was only the second meeting on the subject and there is a clear momentum towards listing the group. But now it will have to be discussed at a more senior level," the contact said.If the UK gets its way, pro-Hezbollah sympathisers in Europe will find it more difficult to donate money.It will also stigmatise Israel's fiercest enemy in the Middle East."We have been saying for a long time that the EU needs to take this, maybe bold, but necessary step," Yoel Mester, the spokesman for the Israeli mission to the EU, said.
Health Officials: Arab 'Traffic' Puts Israel At Risk for MERS
Israeli health officials said they were keeping a close eye on the spread of a new virus in the Middle East
Allenby crossing-Flash 90
Many of the cases have been spread in hospitals, but doctors are not sure what the mechanism for spreading – suh as sneezing, physical contact, etc. - is. What frightens researchers is the extremely high fatality rate; out of sixty established cases, 38 people died, for a fatality rate of 65%. At its worst in 2003, the fatality rate for SARS was about 8%.Israeli health officials said that they were increasing their vigilance at hospitals, and were preparing to isolate patients who displayed the symptoms. The officials said that due to the ongoing traffic of Arabs between Israel and Jordan, and from their to the rest of the Arab world, Israel was at a “significant risk” of experiencing an outbreak.
06/19/2013 VATICAN INSIDER
100 days of Francis: Reality and expectations
Pope Francis
A summary of what’s new in Francis’ papacy, his most important messages and the changes introduced
Andrea Tornielli vatican city Now that the Pope has completed 100 days in office, analysts are beginning to weigh up changes, the first criticisms and the attempts by some to pigeonhole the new Pope as either a liberal or a conservative and the increasingly spasmodic expectations of new appointments and reforms.In his first 100 days as Pope, Benedict XVI nominated the American William Levada as his successor at the helm of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Similarly, Francis nominated Mario Aurelio Poli as his successor to the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. Benedict XVI also promoted Wojtyla’s former secretary Stanislao Dziwisz as Archbishop of Krakow, sending him away from Rome and the Roman Curia. But no changes were made to the Secretariat of State leadership within the first 100 days or even the first year of Ratzinger’s pontificate, despite the fact Cardinal Angelo Sodano was over 75.After his election, Benedict XVI “nominated His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Sodano as Secretary of State” and confirmed that cardinals and archbishops who were heads of dicasteries would continue in their positions donec aliter provideatur, "until other provisions are made”. The Substitute and the Secretary for Relations with States’ positions were also confirmed and the secretaries of Curia dicasteries had their positions confirmed for a further five years. Francis’ steps have been less bold: he “expressed the desire that the Heads and members of the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, as well as their Secretaries, continue provisionally in their respective positions” until further notice. The emphasis on the “provisional” nature of these positions implies that the Pope intends to change the Secretary of State and the heads of other dicasteries and offices in the future.As suspense builds over the appointment of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone’s successor and the announced reform in the Roman Curia, the risk is that all that has happened during Francis’ first 100 days in office will fade into the background.One of the new elements of Francis’ papacy are the daily private or semi public morning masses celebrate din St. Martha’s House. Some have criticised these as quick and sweet spiritual messages that lack theological depth. But these homilies, together with his first improvised public speeches represent a spiritual programme in themselves. Francis has taken themes addressed during the previous pontificate and communicated them with greater vigour. For example the importance of mercy, the condemnation of careerism, the diminution of the Church to a company or a self-referential community. He has also sent out new messages of his own: going out into the “geographical and existential peripheries.” Those who claim he has not done anything worthy of note so far, obviously referring to important nominations and structural reforms, risks becoming blind to what has already been done or started.Francis’ sober style, his decision to get around without packs of bodyguards and the hours he spends among the crowds, embracing children and the sick, showing the world what is really important in life, shows he is light years away from the classical bishop’s figure and born again clericalism. Even before making any nominations or deciding to streamline the Curia, Bergoglio has sent out some unequivocal signs of renewal which cannot be ignored.The Pope has received criticisms both in and outside the Curia, for acting too much like a parish priest, speaking too much and desacralizing the figure of Pope. Some have been examining every single word uttered by the new Pope, to see is they are Catholic enough, in the context of non-negotiable values for example. Websites that are loyal to certain popes remain an enigmatic phenomenon. After discrediting John Paul II to exalt Benedict XVI some are now using sarcasm to attack Francis’ every move, for the same reason, or they attack Bergoglio’s predecessor to glorify him. The general impression is that these types of criticisms have no basis in reality.What is clear is that 100 days after Bergoglio’s election to the Throne of Peter, the public’s perception has certainly changed. After years of focusing on the scandals surrounding the Vatican, media attention is now concentrated on the sense of change which the Argentinean pope represent: his message, his language and the references he makes.ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)
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 (MUSLIMS) have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, PALESTINIANS,JORDAN) and the Hagarenes;(EGYPT)
7 Gebal,(HEZZBALLOH,LEBANON) and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA,ARABS,SINAI) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
France's Fabius wants more talks with Syria rebels before arming
By John Irish | Reuters – 1 hr 31 mins ago JUNE 20,13
By John Irish
PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Thursday it needed
more talks with Syrian rebels before it could supply them with heavy
weapons and said recent gains by Syrian government forces did not mean
President Bashar al-Assad was heading for a "complete victory."Foreign ministers from the Friends of Syria anti-Assad
alliance, which includes the United States, France, Saudi Arabia and
Turkey, will meet on Saturday in the Qatari capital Doha to discuss
assistance for the Free Syrian Army.France, which has actively supported the rebels in its
former colony, has not yet chosen to arm them since pushing, along with
Britain, to have an EU arms embargo lifted. It says it will not make a
decision before August 1."As far as weapons go, there is no question of
delivering weapons in conditions that we aren't sure about and that
means we won't deliver weapons so that they are turned against us,"
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters during a visit to
the annual Paris Airshow."It's one of the reasons why we need more consultations
with General Salim Idriss who is the commander on the ground."Saturday's conference follows a high-level Friends of
Syria meeting in Ankara last week among diplomats and intelligence
officers during which Idriss discussed his needs ranging from tent pegs
and intelligence to anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, according to
diplomatic sources.Syria's 27-month conflict appears to be reaching a
turning point after Assad's forces backed by Iran and Lebanese militia
Hezbollah captured Qusair, in central Homs province near the Lebanese
border, earlier this month.Assad's troops have since turned their attention to
retake Aleppo, the Damascus suburbs and parts of the south of the
country where they have been mired in a bloody stalemate with rebels for
nearly a year."DICTATOR"
"It isn't possible that just like that Assad achieves a complete victory. Anyway he remains a dictator," Fabius said.With rebels struggling to push back advances by forces loyal to Assad, Paris argues that something must be done urgently to change the balance of power.At a summit of the Group of Eight nations in Northern Ireland this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin harshly criticized the Western talks about arming the rebels while defending his own supplies of arms for Assad.French sources said a "political decision" among the 11-strong core group of nations to help Idriss has been made, but that states still had to "tick boxes" for what they would offer."We have discussed with Idriss to see how we could help him collectively and in a complimentary way," said one source. "Some people can provide certain things and others different things, and all that fairly quickly."Paris has so far given non-lethal aid including bullet proof vests, night vision goggles and communications equipment to Idriss. It is ready to widen the scale of equipment and provide "technical assistance" such as sophisticated weapons training and intelligence."If we want Idriss to have absolute control of all opposition fighting brigades then we'll be waiting a long time," said the source."We need to do something dynamic to strengthen his command structure quickly and progressively to have an impact."
(Editing by Gareth Jones)
Rebels hang on near Damascus, hope for deal on arms from Jordan
By Erika Solomon | Reuters – 1 hr 25 mins ago JUNE 20,13
By Erika Solomon
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels besieged in the
outskirts of Damascus say they are facing a slow but steady advance by
President Bashar al-Assad's forces, and are pinning their hopes on an
anticipated influx of weapons from the Jordanian border.Opposition fighters once threatened Assad's dominance
of Damascus but are now struggling to repel his forces, who have been
emboldened by winning a strategic border town further north and have
help from Lebanese Hezbollah militants and Shi'ite Iraqi fighters."The regime's goal is to slowly bleed us until we are
forced to surrender. They are advancing slowly to preserve their
fighting force," said Amran, an activist speaking by Skype from the ring
of suburbs known as the Eastern Ghouta.Rebel prospects for reversing Assad's gains in Damascus may now hinge on military support from Western and Arab backers."We can survive for a long time, because our fighters know the terrain, but until we get weapons we cannot repel the advance," Amran said.The rebels believe a recent U.S. decision to give them military support will re-open an arms pipeline from Jordan that was shut down as the United States and Russia negotiated a planned "Geneva 2" peace conference.But this week's G8 meeting saw no narrowing of the differences between Moscow, Assad's main arms supplier, and Washington, which wants Assad to step down in any transition.Despite Washington's reluctance to define what kind of help it is willing to give, the mostly Sunni Muslim rebels expect Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia to step up support to help them fight Assad. He is backed by Riyadh's regional Shi'ite rival Iran in a two-year conflict that has become increasingly regionalized."We had several meetings in Jordan and Ankara and discussed opening the weapons pipeline to the Damascus rebels from Jordan. I expect good news soon ... We will be getting advanced weaponry but I cannot say what kind," said Abu Moaz al-Agha, a spokesman and commander from the Ansar al-Islam brigades in Damascus.Rebels want anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to challenge the dominance of Assad's air force, which has allowed him to keep rebels on the defensive even in their own territories through daily air strikes."We still need time to plan out the system for delivering the weapons. But I am hoping that within 30 days there will be changes on the ground," Agha said, speaking by Skype.Over the past two months, rebels around Damascus lost nearly all their supply lines and are struggling to get enough food, let alone weapons, into the eastern and southern outskirts of the capital.There has been a slow increase in weapons supplies in recent days, particularly to the north, where Assad's forces are also planning a slow encroachment on rebel strongholds in Aleppo.
WAITING FOR REBEL SUPPORT
As well as getting arms over the southern border, the Damascus rebels need opposition forces in neighboring Deraa province to alleviate the blockade from outside."We are trapped inside al-Ghouta and there is absolutely no route into the area if the mujahideen (holy warriors) in the south do not come to open the front," said activist Amran.But infighting and rivalries have long plagued the rebels - it is what made Western powers hesitant to back their fractious forces and has also sabotaged many rebel efforts to unite against Assad offensives across the country.In the Ghouta region, mistrust and greed has prevented fighters blocking advances as they await help, some rebels say."The regime is advancing on the Marj area and has taken several towns in a critical part of the rebel base here. Unfortunately the blame for this lies on us as much as them," said a fighter speaking by Skype, who asked not to be named."Some of the biggest brigades here are focusing on cementing their control on specific towns, to loot factories and seize all the supplies. They've ignored the wider cause," he said.Assad's forces are also advancing on the Sayyeda Zainab district, which houses an important Shi'ite shrine and has been used as a rallying call for Shi'ite fighters.Syria's conflict has killed more than 93,000 people and has descended from a popular protest movement against four decades of Assaf family rule into a civil war with sectarian overtones.The country's Sunni majority and has enjoyed rising but inconsistent support from Sunni countries, including a flow of radical Islamist fighters. Assad has relied on minorities, particularly his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, and a staunchly loyal support system from Hezbollah and Iran.An activist working with the rebels in Damascus said that while he believed the rebels had a good chance of holding out until a weapons pipeline was made from Jordan, the chance of seizing Sayyeda Zainab has likely been lost."Our own men here betrayed the cause," he said. "Now our only help is our brothers from outside."(Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
New Palestinian prime minister offers resignation: official
Reuters – 1 hr 0 mins ago JUNE 20,13
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah has offered his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas just two weeks after taking office, an official in his press office told Reuters on Thursday.It was not immediately clear whether Abbas would accept
the resignation by Hamdallah, an academic and political independent
whose cabinet only met for the first time last week.The government source told Reuters that Hamdallah made
the abrupt, unexpected move because of a "dispute over his powers".Hamdallah's cabinet consists overwhelmingly of members
of the Fatah party led by Abbas, and political commentators immediately
questioned how much room he would have to maneuver.His predecessor, American-educated economist Salam
Fayyad, resigned in April after six years in power defined by tough
economic challenges and rivalries with Fatah politicians, who were eager
to get their hands on the levers of power.Since a brief civil war in 2007 between the
Western-backed secular Fatah party and the Islamist group Hamas,
Palestinians have had no functioning parliament or national elections.Abbas exercises limited self-rule in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank while Hamas, which won 2006 legislative
polls, has its own prime minister in the Gaza Strip.(Reporting by Hamoudeh Hassan, Noah Browning, Writing by Ori Lewis in Jerusalem, Editing by Jeffrey Heller)
By Tom Perry | Reuters – 30 mins ago JUNE 20,13
"The problem is that they are being tried in the ordinary judicial system, according to laws made by Mubarak and his group," said Osama Diab at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, an independent rights organization."They were in control of the auditing agencies and had the ability to hide evidence," he added.
Nazif was sentenced to three years in jail in September for the unlawful possession of property and for making illegal profits from a public-interest company. Prosecutors accused him of making some $10 million from corrupt dealings. But that conviction was overturned in February and a retrial ordered.In 2011, as protesters swarmed Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding change, Mubarak fired Nazif, who had worked closely with the president's son Gamal Mubarak in a program of liberal economic reforms. But that failed to defuse public fury."The court ruled that he be released as long as he is not wanted in other cases, and Dr. Ahmed is not wanted in other cases. He will be released, God willing, either today or Saturday," Buheiri said. Friday is Egypt's weekly holiday.(Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Alistair Lyon)
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HELICOPTER BENS COPTER GETS GROUNDED.OOPS NO FREE CASH FOR THE BANKS AND BIG COMPANIES WHICH MEANS.NO LENDING TO CUSTOMERS AND HIGH PRICES FOR FOOD AND GOODS.ONCE THE PRINTER IS SHUT DOWN-THE CITIZENS PAY THE BILLS IN CARBON AND OTHER ENVIROMENTAL SCAM TAXES TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS OF ALL THE BILLIONS OF FREE CASH BY BERNANKES PRINTER.
Like the subject of his comments, President Obama’s
sparse words to Charlie Rose about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke
were almost uncanny in their ability to send Fed watchers into a state
of convulsion.
In an interview that aired Tuesday morning, Obama said of the economist who’s led the U.S. central bank since 2006: “He’s already stayed a lot longer than he wanted or he was supposed to.” And later that day, former Fed governor Laurence Meyer provided his commentary: “He essentially fired Ben Bernanke on the spot and gave him a fairly tepid testimonial afterward.”Whether or not that’s true, the reactions to Obama’s comments
certainly struck a nerve, and that speaks to the lack of certainty over
the economy after Bernanke’s departure. (Learn about seven top candidates to succeed Bernanke as Fed chief.) Bernanke’s
likely exit has been on the radar for some time, but Tuesday’s
developments forced Fed watchers to start seriously considering a
post-Bernanke era.Pimco’s Mohamed El-Erian tackled the issue of life after Bernanke in a commentary Tuesday. He noted that the next Fed chair won’t have a lack of challenges on his plate:“He leaves his successor with a set of unprecedented and
unresolved problems to contend with, from weaning the economy off life
support to navigating the consequences of an unusually large balance
sheet. And with so much uncertainty about the success of the Bernanke
way, econ textbooks and quarterly unemployment figures just don’t hold enough answers to how his stewardship of the U.S. economy will play itself out in the years ahead.”As such, Bernanke will need to lay a firm foundation for his successor, El-Erian writes:“But let’s hope that he is also remembered for having
built the foundation that enabled his successor, working with a more
functional political system, to guide the United States back to the path
of high economic growth, robust job creation, low inflation, and
greater wealth equality. That would be a new normal we could all get
behind.”It also didn’t take long for the twitterati to get talking about Bernanke’s legacy, and who will succeed him:
By | Associated Press – 46 mins ago JUNE 20,13
Egyptian court frees Mubarak-era prime minister Nazif
By Tom Perry | Reuters – 30 mins ago JUNE 20,13
By Tom Perry
CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court ordered the release
of former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif on Thursday because of a limit on
pre-trial detention in a corruption case for which he had been held
since the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak.Nazif, who still faces a retrial, is the
highest-profile Mubarak-era official to be freed in corruption cases
which have failed to produce convictions that stick - prompting
frustrated opponents of the old regime to criticize the justice system.The court accepted an appeal lodged by Nazif, who was
prime minister from 2004 until Mubarak replaced him during the uprising
in January 2011 in an effort to appease public opinion.A lawyer for Nazif, Mohamed Salah al-Buheiri, said he
expected his client to leave prison by Saturday at the latest after two
years and two months in detention.Mubarak, a general who ruled for 30 years, is also in
pre-trial detention: the life sentence he received last year for
complicity in the murder of protesters was overturned in January on
appeal.The release order for Nazif, 60, is likely to fuel
anger among opposition groups which are mobilizing for protests aimed at
forcing President Mohamed Mursi from office one year since the Muslim
Brotherhood politician took office on June 30."The problem is that they are being tried in the ordinary judicial system, according to laws made by Mubarak and his group," said Osama Diab at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, an independent rights organization."They were in control of the auditing agencies and had the ability to hide evidence," he added.
Nazif was sentenced to three years in jail in September for the unlawful possession of property and for making illegal profits from a public-interest company. Prosecutors accused him of making some $10 million from corrupt dealings. But that conviction was overturned in February and a retrial ordered.In 2011, as protesters swarmed Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding change, Mubarak fired Nazif, who had worked closely with the president's son Gamal Mubarak in a program of liberal economic reforms. But that failed to defuse public fury."The court ruled that he be released as long as he is not wanted in other cases, and Dr. Ahmed is not wanted in other cases. He will be released, God willing, either today or Saturday," Buheiri said. Friday is Egypt's weekly holiday.(Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Alistair Lyon)
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HELICOPTER BENS COPTER GETS GROUNDED.OOPS NO FREE CASH FOR THE BANKS AND BIG COMPANIES WHICH MEANS.NO LENDING TO CUSTOMERS AND HIGH PRICES FOR FOOD AND GOODS.ONCE THE PRINTER IS SHUT DOWN-THE CITIZENS PAY THE BILLS IN CARBON AND OTHER ENVIROMENTAL SCAM TAXES TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS OF ALL THE BILLIONS OF FREE CASH BY BERNANKES PRINTER.
Obama’s ‘firing’ of Fed chief Bernanke strikes a nerve
June 19, 2013, 9:54 AM
- CharlieRose.com
- President Obama responds to a question from Charlie Rose.
Markets roiled by Bernanke's exit strategy
By | Associated Press – 46 mins ago JUNE 20,13
LONDON (AP) — Financial markets were roiled Thursday by a clear signal from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the central bank may be done with its monetary stimulus by next year. While stocks and commodities took a pounding on the news, the dollar surged.For nearly five years, the Fed has been pursuing an aggressive monetary policy to shore up the U.S. economy, which was battered by the financial crisis in 2008. Now that the U.S. economy has shown signs of improvement, Bernanke said the Fed is considering when it should start normalizing its policy.In the latest round of its monetary stimulus program — known as quantitative easing,
or QE — the Fed has been buying $85 billion worth of financial assets
each month to keep long-term interest rates low. This, it hopes, will
boost borrowing and spending. After the Fed's decision to keep the
policy unchanged, Bernanke confirmed that the central bank's purchases
will likely slow down this year and end next year. When the reduction —
so-called tapering — begins will hinge on the U.S. economic data,
though.That prompted some concern among
investors who have grown used to the Fed's active involvement in the
financial markets — the Dow tumbled over 200 points Wednesday while oil
and gold prices
slid — even though the remarks signal a healthier U.S. economic
outlook. Much of the reason why a number of assets, including stocks
around the world, have advanced over the past few years is that the
money created by central banks through QE has found itself in financial
markets."With an unexpectedly upbeat assessment of the U.S.'s economic
prospects, an exit path from quantitative easing was duly mapped out,"
said Mike Ingram, market strategist at BGC Partners. "I was clearly not
alone in being caught off guard; markets worldwide have plunged in
response. The tide of red now engulfing my screens is indeed impressive
in its breadth-if not yet depth. Virtually every financial asset has
been sold. Equity, credit, bonds, commodities; all have suffered."In Europe's stock markets, the FTSE 100 index of leading British
shares slid 2.4 percent at 6,199 while Germany's DAX dropped 2.5 percent
to 7,991. The CAC-40 in France was 2.6 percent lower at 3,739.In the U.S., stocks were down again, with the Dow Jones industrial
average 1.1 percent lower at 14,951 and the broader S&P 500 index
down the same rate at 1,610.
Earlier, stocks in Asia tanked too, with stocks further negatively impacted by a private survey showing a slowdown in manufacturing in China in June. Among Asia's markets, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 1.7 percent to 13,014.58 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled 2.9 percent to 20,382.87.It's not just stocks that have responded to the developments with the Fed. U.S. Treasuries have slid, and the yield on the country's benchmark ten-year bond has risen to 2.39 percent, its highest level since October 2011.In the currency markets, the dollar has pushed higher as the prospect of new Fed money has diminished in light of Bernanke's statement. The euro was down a further 0.6 percent at $1.3191 while the dollar rose 1.1 percent to 97.75 yen.The dollar's surge is having a particular impact on commodities, which are priced in the currency.The benchmark New York oil price was down $2.40 at $96.08 a barrel, while the gold price slid 5.7 percent, or a little little under $79, to three-year lows of $1,294.50 an ounce.Michael Hewson, senior market analyst at CMC Markets, said gold, for so long a preferred investment for the risk-averse, could fall further now that the $1,300 level has been breached."While the timeline for the Fed exit strategy is very much data dependent and based on a whole host of economic indicators between now and next summer, gold prices have slid sharply as the dollar goes sharply bid across the board," said Hewson.
Earlier, stocks in Asia tanked too, with stocks further negatively impacted by a private survey showing a slowdown in manufacturing in China in June. Among Asia's markets, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 1.7 percent to 13,014.58 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled 2.9 percent to 20,382.87.It's not just stocks that have responded to the developments with the Fed. U.S. Treasuries have slid, and the yield on the country's benchmark ten-year bond has risen to 2.39 percent, its highest level since October 2011.In the currency markets, the dollar has pushed higher as the prospect of new Fed money has diminished in light of Bernanke's statement. The euro was down a further 0.6 percent at $1.3191 while the dollar rose 1.1 percent to 97.75 yen.The dollar's surge is having a particular impact on commodities, which are priced in the currency.The benchmark New York oil price was down $2.40 at $96.08 a barrel, while the gold price slid 5.7 percent, or a little little under $79, to three-year lows of $1,294.50 an ounce.Michael Hewson, senior market analyst at CMC Markets, said gold, for so long a preferred investment for the risk-averse, could fall further now that the $1,300 level has been breached."While the timeline for the Fed exit strategy is very much data dependent and based on a whole host of economic indicators between now and next summer, gold prices have slid sharply as the dollar goes sharply bid across the board," said Hewson.
