Tuesday, March 18, 2014

INSIDE CANADAS BILLION DOLLAR TOP SECRET (ALMOST) SPY PALACEI

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.

 Exclusive-Inside Canada's top-secret billion-dollar spy palace-New intelligence headquarters has soaring atriums, grand staircases and filtered drinking fountains-By Greg Weston, CBC News Posted: Oct 08, 2013 5:31 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 09, 2013 2:23 PM ET

The new CSEC headquarters in Ottawa, officially budgeted at $880 million but likely costing a billion dollars or more, is an 'architectural wonder,' the former CSEC chief says.While the Harper government is preaching government austerity, it is spending almost $1.2 billion on a new Ottawa headquarters for a little-known military spy agency.It's the most expensive Canadian government building ever constructed.Under tight security, CBC obtained an exclusive tour of the top secret complex that most Canadians will otherwise never get to see, a development even National Defence apparently thinks is so grandiose that the department dubbed the project “Camelot” in official documents.When completed next year, the facility in suburban Ottawa will house the roughly 2,000 employees of the Communications Security Establishment Canada, a federal agency that spies mainly on foreigners by hacking into their computers, reading their email and intercepting their phone calls.CSEC officially estimates the complex will cost $880 million. But sources close to the project say it will be closer to $1.2 billion by the time all the associated costs are tallied.The new CSEC headquarters will have more floor space than the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and its cost would build several big city hospitals.The developer has also been contracted to maintain the building and provide other services for another roughly $3 billion over the next 30 years.It is virtually impossible for the media or taxpayers to verify the specifics of how all that money is actually being spent — almost everything to do with the project has been declared a matter of national security and stamped “secret.”The former head of CSEC makes no apologies for what he calls an “architectural wonder” at public expense.In a rare and wide-ranging interview exclusively with CBC, former CSEC chief John Adams spoke at length about the agency and its new headquarters, a project he oversaw from its inception until his retirement last year.“Did it have to be an architectural wonder? No it didn’t,” Adams says.“But, you know, glass in this [CBC] building is the same price as glass in that [CSEC] building.“That building is just going to look an awful lot better than this building.…That facility is going to be quite magnificent.”

Atriums and high-tech glass — but no fireplace

The centrepiece of the complex has been aptly described as a massive glass skyscraper lying on its side.CSEC officials say it will be filled with mainly common spaces such as soaring atriums, a cafeteria, library and meeting areas.An artist's rendering shows the elaborate staircase at the heart of CSEC's new building in east Ottawa. The official cost of the top-secret intelligence headquarters is more than $880 million, making it the most expensive government building in Canada. (Plenary Group Canada)Contrary to Adams’s contention that glass is glass, a construction executive familiar with the CSEC project says the exterior panes that cover the building are all custom cut and part of a special mounting system, all of which is “far more expensive” than anything on a conventional office building.Experts say the security features of the CSEC project are a major reason the price tag is so high.The glass exterior, for instance, like virtually everything else in the new headquarters, comes with special security features to prevent other spies from spying on CSEC.Every piece of material going into the construction of the building has to be inspected for possible spy bugs; every vehicle entering the site has to be searched.All of the nearly 5,000 workers involved in the project have been cleared by security.The former CSEC chief said the new facility would include a grand fireplace in one of the common areas.Adams said one of the challenges at CSEC is how to get spies hunched over computer terminals “to relax and get together to just chat. So what I wanted was an area that would attract people."“How do you get them to gather? You have things there that will draw people. Fire draws people. It's got a fireplace. People say that it is ostentatious. It is not ostentatious. A, It is part of the heat; and B, it is gas; and C, people will walk to the fire. And guess what? They are going to meet people that they would not otherwise see." Three hours after this story was posted online, two senior officials from CSEC’s public relations department contacted CBC News to say there will be “no fireplaces in the facility.”This is not the first time the plans for the new spy palace have been changed.Plans for the facility to include a skating rink and hobby garden were dropped early in the development after their existence was reported in the media.Those choosing to gather for gossip at the drinking fountain will be treated to filtered water.'Did they really look at the expenses?'Gregory Thomas heads the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, a watchdog organization that tracks government waste.He is not impressed: "Paying for a glass tower and glass atriums and luxury accommodations for government employees, I don't think most Canadians would agree with that."Inside CSEC's new headquarters (artist's rendering)Meeting areas will give intelligence workers the chance to meet up and chat at Communications Security Establishment Canada's new headquarters. (Plenary Group Canada) Thomas points out it is the same Defence Department responsible for CSEC that bought the whole Nortel Networks campus, the biggest industrial complex in the country, for $208 million."It is standing vacant now. The question is: Did they really look at the expenses when they set out to buy a $1.2-billion building for 2,000 people?"Most of the actual work spaces will be located in seven glass towers attached to the outside of the central structure.But no one is going to be fighting for a corner office. There are none.Adams says the spy biz is “collaborative work.” And to encourage that, there will be no offices — corner or otherwise — in the entire place: It will be all open concept.“It is quite a building.”Powerful data centre.The nerve centre of the agency is a separate concrete bunker the size of a football field, home to what is being touted as the most powerful super-computer in the country, along with its mammoth electrical power generators and cooling systems.When fully operational, the data centre alone will apparently suck up enough electricity to light much of the nation’s capital.Adams says a lack of electrical and computing power is the main reason the agency is having to move from its current location in south Ottawa, a cluster of buildings dating back to the 1960s, the main one previously occupied by the CBC.He says the agency’s existing computers could only run at 60 per cent capacity without overloading the local power grid.CSEC also needs about three times more computing power than it has, plus a full backup, Adams says. “There are more transactions at CSEC on a daily basis than all of our banks combined.”The new facility will “maximize one of the most capable workforces in the country with some of the most fantastic equipment in the country.”When Canada's eavesdropping spooks aren't at their desks, they will be able to enjoy the expansive grounds around the CSEC complex now being fully landscaped with lawns, gardens, trees, nature trails and a couple of duck ponds.Finally, a large glass walkway will ultimately connect the new CSEC headquarters to its next-door neighbour, Canada’s better-known and more traditional spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS.By comparison with the current CSEC project, the CSIS headquarters complex houses more spooks at about a quarter of the price.Thomas of the taxpayers' federation said other public servants will be outraged."Federal government employees are coming home telling their families they don't have a job anymore and at the same time we are constructing a billion-dollar house of glass for our spy agency."No one currently employed by CSEC would agree to be interviewed on the record.

ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST

1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

ISRAELS TROUBLE

JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.

DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)

Three IDF Soldiers Injured in Golan Heights Explosion-Three soldiers were injured Tuesday when an explosive device went off on the Golan Heights near the jeep they were riding in.-By David Lev-First Publish: 3/18/2014, 3:20 PM-Israelnationalnews

An explosive device went off on the Golan Heights Tuesday afternoon. The device exploded as an IDF jeep was passing by, injuring several IDF soldiers who were riding in the jeep.Initial reports said that three soldiers were injured in the incident. The incident occurred near the border with Syria, outside the village of Majdal a-Shams.The injured soldiers were being treated at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, where they were airlifted by helicopter. Reports noted that one of the soldiers was moderately injured, while the second sustained light injuries.An explosive device similarly went off as IDF soldiers patrolled near the Lebanese border last Friday. No one was injured in that incident, although three soldiers were treated for shock at Ziv Hospital in Tzefat.The following day, Saturday, IDF soldiers identified several individuals approaching the border in a suspected attempt to set another explosive. The soldiers fired on the suspects, who fled.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

ISAIAH 33:8
8  The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)

JERUSALEM DIVIDED

GENESIS 25:20-26
20  And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22  And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)

ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

PA official: We’ll consider Jewish state issue at end of talks-Nabil Shaath says once other questions are solved, Palestinians may be open to discussing key Israeli demand-By Lazar Berman March 18, 2014, 1:00 pm 3-The Times of Israel

Palestinians would be open to discussions about recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, but only at the end of peace talks, a senior Palestinian official said in remarks published Tuesday.Speaking to Israel Radio, Nabil Shaath said that Israel’s decision to raise the issue before any other sticking points are solved gives the impression that Jerusalem is trying to torpedo the talks.“Had this come at the end, after having resolved all these issues, it would have become an issue that we could settle by simply asking practical questions… and if we get the right answers it could have been resolved then. But now, it’s very suspicious,” Shaath said.Shaath, who sits on the Fatah Central Committee and is a former neogtiator, said the Palestinians would consider studying the issue at the end of talks.“We will study it and we will ask practical questions… and if these questions are answered correctly, we will think about it,” he said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state a key Israeli demand in peace talks.Ramallah insists that it should not have to grant any such recognition.Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry told American lawmakers that the Israeli condition was a “mistake.”“We know that’s an issue that the Israelis have spoken about, but we will let those issues remain discussed behind closed doors,” State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said Monday shortly after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with US President Barack Obama.Meeting at the White House, Abbas said that “since 1988 and into 1993, we have been extending our hands to our Israeli neighbors so that we can reach a fair and lasting peace to this problem. Since 1988, we have recognized international legitimacy resolutions and this was a very courageous step on the part of the Palestinian leadership. And in 1993, we recognized the State of Israel.”During his meeting with Obama, Abbas said that from the Palestinian perspective, “we don’t have any time to waste. Time is not on our side.”He discussed March 29 as the target date for the final release of Palestinian prisoners to which Israel committed as part of the agreement for a nine-month period of talks. That period, which began in July, is set to expire in April. Abbas said that the release of prisoners “will give a very solid impression about the seriousness of the Israelis on the peace process.”Israeli ministers said last week that they would have difficulty approving the release if an agreement was not reached to extend the peace talks.Israel committed to the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners when talks were launched in July. It has so far released 78 of those in three phases, with Palestinians demanding that the fourth — scheduled for later this month — also include Arab Israelis, something Israel has rejected.A major effort is underway in Washington to make sure that both sides remain at the negotiating table after the conclusion of the nine-month period, and Abbas’s statement indicated that the release would be a critical factor in a decision to continue talks.Rebecca Shimoni Stoil, AP and AFP contributed to this report.

MUSLIM NATIONS (SLAUGHTERED BY NUKES FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL)

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,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
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: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
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.

Doing business with Russia: A German dilemma
17.03.14 @ 18:25-MAR 18,14-EUOBSERVER-By Valentina Pop


Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a cautious politician. A natural scientist by formation, she never goes for bold statements unless they have been carefully weighed beforehand.By her standards, the speech in the Bundestag last week was bold.She spoke of a three-step reaction to Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine. The assets freeze and visa ban on 21 names adopted on Monday (17 March) by EU foreign ministers are step two.If Moscow does not change course and "further destabilises the situation, for instance in eastern Ukraine," step three - economic sanctions - will follow. Her statement was repeated on Monday by her spokesman, Steffen Seibert.Seibert said Russia had done nothing to de-escalate the situation, had isolated itself on the international scene by recognising the "illegal" referendum in Crimea and further fuelled tensions, for instance by seizing control over gas pipelines in eastern Ukraine.Economic sanctions will hurt Germany, too.Russia exports mostly oil and gas to Germany, while German firms export industrial machines, trains, cars and medicines. More than 6,000 German companies are registered in Russia and are now fearing retaliatory measures from the Russian government - for instance having their properties seized or their assets frozen. Smaller firms are fearing the Russian retaliation to a higher degree than big players like Volkswagen, Continental or Siemens. Several medium-sized firms have already halted deliveries to Russian factories to protect their investments, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports.Merkel on Friday downplayed their impact on the German economy, noting that bilateral trade with Russia (€76bn) is not worth much more than trade with the Czech Republic (€60bn), a much smaller country.She was speaking in Munich where she met the representatives of the business community and industry chambers, who gave a cautious support to her stance.Ulrich Grillo, head of the BDI association of German industries, said sanctions would hurt both sides. "But when international law is violated, sanctions have to be imposed," he said after talks with Merkel, adding that he was confident the government would decide with "a sense of proportion" in this regard. Meanwhile, energy firms are speeding up their deals with the Russians. RWE, one of the major energy firms in Germany, on Sunday announced it would sell its oil-and-gas exploration firm in Russia for €5.1 billion.The buyer is a Luxembourg-based investment fund linked to a Russian tycoon, Mikheil Fridman.Another German energy company, Wintershall - a branch of the chemicals giant BASF - last Wednesday announced it was selling 20 percent of its gas storage facilities in Germany to Gazprom, the Russian monopoly.Elmar Brok, a close ally of Merkel and head of the foreign affairs committee in the European Parliament, on Monday told journalists in Berlin that these deals were "irresponsible" and that energy firms need to take "broader responsibilities" than just the end-of-the-month profits."I am sure the European Commission will not allow the Wintershall-Gazprom deal. This is a monopoly, there has to be an anti-trust investigation," he said.A spokeswoman for the energy ministry meanwhile also noted that the RWE deal may be subject to anti-trust investigations.But both Brok and the government spokeswoman stressed that the "German economy is no state economy" and that the government has no means of telling private companies who to do business with.As for replacing Russian gas supplies - Germany imports about 30 percent from Russia and the trend is increasing after it decided to shut down its nuclear plants - Brok mentioned possibilities to import more gas from Norway, the Middle East and the US."If all of Europe decided not to import any oil and gas from Russia anymore, it would bankrupt Russia. These are all moves that would hurt Russia much more than Europe. We don't want it, but we are not as powerless economically as some may think," Brok said.

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 KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.

AMOS 1:5
5  I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden:(IRAQ) and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir,(JORDAN) saith the LORD.

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)

JEREMIAH 47:1-7
1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, (PALESTINIAN/ ARABS) before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.
2  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north,(NORTHERN TSUNAMI POSSIBLY) and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.
3  At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses,(ISRAELS ARMY) at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;(ISRAEL POSSIBLY NUKES GAZA)
4  Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines,(PALESTINIAN FAKE ARABS) and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.
5  Baldness is come upon Gaza;(NUKED POSSIBLY) Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?
6  O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
7  How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? (MEDITTERANEAN SEA) there hath he appointed it.

Hezbollah Forces Stage 'Takeover' of Lebanese Sunni Town-In latest spillover from conflict in Syria, Shia militiamen seize control of Lebanese border town following attacks.By Ari Soffer -First Publish: 3/18/2014, 2:45 PM-Israelnationalnews

Gunmen from Hezbollah and other Shia militias which support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have reportedly staged a "takeover" of a Sunni town in Lebanon, in response to attacks by Sunni Islamist groups.The town of Arsal, on the border with Syria, has been the scene of numerous bombing and rocket attacks targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which has provided crucial support to pro-regime forces in Syria. But the takeover could also be part of a wider strategic push by pro-Assad forces to block the Syrian rebels from accessing supporters in Lebanon.Ahmed Fliti, the deputy mayor of Arsal, said that gunmen were not allowing people to leave the town for Syria, and opened fire on cars from Arsal that tried to approach roadblocks on Tuesday, according to Naharnet. He added that there were concerns the roadblocks could prevent humanitarian aid from reaching Syrians in need.The traffic also runs in the opposite direction. Arsal's population has more than doubled over the past three years as mainly Sunni refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war have flocked to the border town, where many have family or tribal ties.The takeover comes as Al Qaeda-linked groups have threatened revenge against Hezbollah, after the group played a crucial role in the fall of the former Syrian rebel bastion of Yabroud to regime forces.The Nusra Front in Lebanon - believed to have links to the Syrian Al Qaeda franchise of the same name - issued a statement yesterday following the killing of a Hezbollah official, promising more deadly attacks.The group warned Hezbollah of "jihadist operations to silence their tongues from singing about this shameful rape," referring to the takeover of Yabroud.Hezbollah is believed to have lost some 120 fighters in the bloody and bitterly-fought battle for control of the strategically-important town, which came as part of a campaign to root-out rebels in the Qalamoun region bordering Lebanon.

Threat of voter fraud haunts EU vote in Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia-Today @ 09:30-MAR 18,14-EUOBSERVER-Poll: Socialists to top EU elections, boost for far-right-Juncker elected centre-right's top EU candidate-By H. Appelt, M. Bird, S. Candea and N. Popkostadinov

Bucharest, Sofia and Zagreb - A sharp insight into the abuse of European democracy was revealed in the recent trial of Croatia's ex-Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.The ex-leader of the now-opposition Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) was sentenced in March to nine years in prison for extorting around €9 million from public companies and institutions to use for slush funds and personal acquisitions.During the trial, former HDZ treasurer Mladen Barisic detailed Sanader's corrupt mentality as revealed in 2009 during a meeting with his successor, the incoming prime minister Jadranka Kosor.Sanader allegedly told the new prime minister: "Elections cannot be won by financing them solely through regular funds."It is claimed the centre-right leader then pointed his finger under the table, demonstrating through gestures that elections are fought with two-thirds of the money beneath the table and only one-third above board, implying that only a minority of campaign funds are used legally.Meanwhile in Romania the vice Prime Minister, Social Democrat (PSD) Liviu Dragnea, is facing trial due to his alleged role in attempting to fix a 2012 referendum aimed at deposing Romanian President Traian Basescu.Dragnea is one of the most powerful men in the current government thanks to his brokering position between Bucharest and the wealthy regional barons who control local councils.As PSD secretary general in 2012, he is accused of defrauding the referendum by pushing the vote numbers to over 60 percent of the population, the threshold needed for the vote to be valid.He is indicted for coordinating a system involving 74 other people, local party executives and activists as well as heads of local polling stations.Dragnea claims the investigation is a farce and that he undertook a "legal" campaign, which eventually failed to kick out the President.Despite being sent to court by Romania's Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), Dragnea remains the PSD's campaign chief for this year's European elections – a move which some democratic observers claim shows the contempt political parties hold for accusations of voter fraud.Although efforts by national justice systems to combat election-fixing in new EU member states are muscling up, this crime remains a threat to these democracies ahead of the May 2014 elections.

How to fix an election

Political parties tend to outsource fraud to regional party hubs or agents, who pay blocs of voters with cash or goods, while employing a smorgasbord of creative methods to outsmart election observers.A common strategy is for a voter to meet with an agent outside the voting station – the agent then tells them who to vote for.Inside the voting booth, the voter takes a picture of his or her ballot paper with a mobile phone, leaves the station, shows the photo to the agent – and picks up the money.This was happening in 2012 in Romania and in 2007 and 2009 in Croatia.Since 1996 in Romania, the 'mobile ballot box' has been popular. A 'commission' of usually three people takes such a ballot box to remote places, such as old people's homes, where citizens cannot physically turn up at the voting station.This can encourage fraud because the 'commission' can travel to sympathisers for a specific party and, as they are out of the voting station, there is less observer oversight.Another trick is for the agent to hand over a pre-stamped ballot paper to the voter. The voter then enters the voting station, picks up a second – blank – ballot paper, enters the voting booth, posts the pre-stamped paper in the ballot box, leaves the station and hands over the blank ballot paper to the agent.Dead people have turned up as voters in Romania. If voter lists are not up to date, people who died in the previous year can vote.In Croatia, there are reports of priests using church sermons to persuade voters to back certain individuals and, in Romania, of a priest cursing voters who dared turn up to vote at all.In Bulgaria, there is suspicion about use of fake ballot papers. On the day before national elections in May 2013, some 350,000 voting-papers were found in a printing house near Sofia. There was speculation over whether they would be marked and used in elections.In 2007, independent candidate in the Croatian national election Jerko Ivanovic Lijanovic was caught offering cash to election commission members in return for the insertion of additional ballots after the closing of the polls.In Bulgaria, Transparency International claimed that around 23 percent of the public vote was "controlled" in May 2013. This is the procedure where buses or other vehicles pick up voters and transport them to voting stations.This is not illegal and is common practice in western Europe. However, in eastern Europe, these are often citizens who have been threatened to vote for a certain party, or are paid with goods or cash.In Romania, parties have historically ferried voters around in minibuses from county to county to vote many times. But since 2004, this method has been less visible, according to electoral watchdog Pro- Democracy Association.However it may still be possible to vote twice or more. In Romania, each voter has a personal ID. When they vote, the commission attaches a sticker to the back of the ID. But this can easily be peeled off, so someone can vote twice.This should not be possible because there should be a collation of ID numbers to ensure that a number has not voted twice.Nevertheless, president of democracy watchdog the Pro-Democracy Association Ionut Tata says that what happens at county electoral offices, where all the votes from a county are collected, is not subject to scrutiny.Observers are not allowed in these offices."It might be that fraud happens there," he says.Romanian authorities have claimed over the years that they have wanted to introduce software to check electronically for voting fraud – but the gap between their intention and action has never been bridged.

E-Bay for voter fraud

In Croatia electoral fraud reached a sophisticated low with the selling of votes online.During the country's first European Parliament elections in April 2013, the State Electoral Commission filed a criminal charge against an unknown person who called on voters to sell their votes on the now-defunct website myvotemymoney.com.Entitled "Do you want cash to go out to vote?", the site offered payments if voters pledged their ballots to a specific candidate, thus acting as a clearing house between party agents and the people.Voters could fill in a form stating their e-mail address and mobile number. The site then gave voters an SMS with instructions detailing who to vote for.In the voting booth, the voter would photograph the stamped ballot paper and upload the photo to the web. The site then promised the voter to "expect compensation within 96 hours" via PayPal."We call upon all candidates who want to help their voters immediately to contact us!!!" the site urged, using three exclamation marks.

Roma: target for vote-buying

Because they constitute an impoverished segment of the population, suffering from high unemployment and illiteracy, and low social mobility, Roma are enlisted by local mayors and party agents to vote for specific candidates.This is true in Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, where parties also target the elderly, the rural rank and file and the impoverished living on the periphery of large cities."The Roma community are always subject to vote-buying," argues Ciprian Necula, Romania-based Roma activist.In Bulgaria, the turnout in the last two elections in Roma neighborhoods varied between 50 and 80 percent against a national average of 50 percent. This massive disparity raised questions over the legitimacy of the Roma's voting behaviour.In Romania, Roma leaders are also paid by party agents to secure a 'bloc' of Roma votes for a particular party.

From €8 upwards: the price of democracy

In the 2009 Croatian local elections party agents were willing to pay citizens between €15 and €150 for their vote.Further east, democracy trades at a cheaper rate.In Bulgaria a vote can be on sale for between €15 and €35 and in Romania between €10 and €50, according to samples.A Romanian political party source told Roma activist Ciprian Necula that when parties draw up their budgets for an election campaign, they base the sum on the number of votes needed.He told Necula a vote in Romania costs €8, a figure which factors in the advertising and campaign costs – as well as a bribe.

Euro 2014: low fraud priority

In Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria, fraud at European elections is suspected to be on a smaller scale than those of local and presidential elections."European parliamentary elections are of low interest for fraud," says Pro-Democracy Association's Ionut Tata. "In Romania, there has never been an organised effort to fraud these elections to the extent of presidential or local elections."However, in a survey by his association, 52 percent of the Romanian public believe that the 2009 European elections were fraudulent.One indication for potential fraud was the disparity between voters. There was a large difference between the turnout of urban voters (20 percent) and rural voters (36.6 percent). Remarkably, only 15.9 percent of Bucharest voted, compared to its surrounding county, Ilfov, where 41.31 percent voted.This is the equivalent of the citizens of Isle de France voting in almost three times as many numbers as those from central Paris.

Wide-scale fraud, few convictions

Croatia knows it has a problem. International and local oversight on the issue is tough – but courts have convicted few for voter fraud.The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime issued a report in 2010 stating that votes in Croatia's 2007 parliamentary elections were bought outright and extorted by blackmail and threats. Arrests are scant in number.Meanwhile in Bulgaria, democracy watchdog Transparency International showed that five percent of the voting irregularities in May 2013 were those in which votes were suspected to have been bought. Allegations surrounded all the major political parties, but only two men received a sentence. They were caught buying votes in a village in the seaside region of Bourgas for an organisation which failed to win any seats in parliament.There have been no major convictions for voter fraud in Romania yet, nor have major political parties in any of the three countries faced proper scrutiny for their alleged behaviour.During the 2009 European elections, a case in Romania's northwest Cluj county found a group of people ferried from a voting station to another to vote several times and paid €60. The voters received a suspended jail sentence of two and four months, respectively.A concern is that an omerta exists between major political parties, where they agree to allow each other to steal votes, as long as they hold back from initiating a more transparent system.Following the Romanian Presidential elections in 2009, then senior PSD member and now Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, told journalists that his party's candidate lost the vote because the opposition's system "worked better".Elaborating on what he meant by this vague statement, he added "the system of stealing, buying and defrauding votes".It seems election crime is an addiction that has hooked both government and opposition parties – and is a habit they are too scared to kick.Hrvoje Appelt reported from Croatia; Michael Bird and Stefan Candea reported from Romania; Nikoleta Popkostadinova reported from Bulgaria

EARTHQUAKES

ISAIAH 42:15
15  I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

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

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

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ Worldwide-27 earthquakes - DownloadUpdated: 2014-03-18 08:34:05 UTC-05:00Showing event times using Local System Time (UTC-05:00)27 earthquakes in map area

    2.5 19km S of Weldon, California 2014-03-18 07:45:28 UTC-05:00 4.0 km
    4.7 145km SE of Akutan, Alaska 2014-03-18 07:08:51 UTC-05:00 9.3 km
    2.7 53km WNW of Anchor Point, Alaska 2014-03-18 06:25:05 UTC-05:00 100.0 km
    4.5 6km NNW of Pyrgos, Greece 2014-03-18 05:43:02 UTC-05:00 17.8 km
    4.4 76km WNW of Ferndale, California 2014-03-18 05:33:56 UTC-05:00 2.5 km
    4.3 9km WNW of Roshtqal'a, Tajikistan 2014-03-18 05:11:24 UTC-05:00 127.7 km
    4.6 12km ENE of Pilar, Philippines 2014-03-18 04:48:05 UTC-05:00 92.4 km
    5.0 59km WNW of Iquique, Chile 2014-03-18 04:30:28 UTC-05:00 21.2 km
    4.1 9km ENE of Caldiran, Turkey 2014-03-18 04:28:54 UTC-05:00 10.0 km

    3.4 48km SW of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska 2014-03-18 02:43:24 UTC-05:00 100.0 km
    2.6 74km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico 2014-03-18 00:50:20 UTC-05:00 34.0 km
    2.7 68km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico 2014-03-18 00:31:42 UTC-05:00 46.0 km
    2.5 7km S of Chester, California 2014-03-18 00:19:38 UTC-05:00 8.6 km
    5.0 98km SSW of Taron, Papua New Guinea 2014-03-18 00:06:22 UTC-05:00 34.9 km
    4.8 Off the coast of Aisen, Chile 2014-03-17 22:12:38 UTC-05:00 28.7 km

    2.5 17km WSW of Cohoe, Alaska 2014-03-17 21:35:47 UTC-05:00 78.8 km
    2.7 30km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico 2014-03-17 19:58:25 UTC-05:00 17.0 km
    4.7 82km SSW of Lakatoro, Vanuatu 2014-03-17 19:26:16 UTC-05:00 34.1 km
    2.7 14km NNE of Crescent, Oklahoma 2014-03-17 18:38:19 UTC-05:00 5.1 km
    3.1 63km NNE of Road Town, British Virgin Islands 2014-03-17 18:37:01 UTC-05:00 61.0 km
    4.6 143km SSW of Acajutla, El Salvador 2014-03-17 17:38:11 UTC-05:00 35.0 km
    2.6 2km NE of Nicoma Park, Oklahoma 2014-03-17 15:30:23 UTC-05:00 7.2 km
    5.3 59km WNW of Iquique, Chile 2014-03-17 14:05:30 UTC-05:00 32.2 km
    3.1 6km SSW of Langston, Oklahoma 2014-03-17 13:45:55 UTC-05:00 5.1 km
    4.7 160km WSW of Aksu, China 2014-03-17 11:35:00 UTC-05:00 41.5 km
    4.3 155km ENE of Amahai, Indonesia 2014-03-17 10:07:54 UTC-05:00 57.8 km

    2.6 9km NW of Westwood, California 2014-03-17 09:23:39 UTC-05:00 8.6 km

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