APEC TRIES TO REVIVE TRADE TALKS

1-The real Work. 2-4.4 earthquake hits central Israel; no injuries. 3-Freezing temperatures in some areas W. Verno. 4-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 5-Pope chastises Canada on gay marriage, abortion. 6-Israel Lifts Lebanese Sea Blockade. 7-Italy urges Israel to lift embargo on Gaza Strip, engage in talks. 8-European Union Supports IMF Reform to Recognize Emerging Economies but Not at Europe's Expense. 9-Nuclear weapons are prohibited in Islamic Republic of Iran. 10-Russia dovetails stance on Middle East with Syria. 11-Italy: Syria agrees to EU border troops. 12-EU confirms nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna. 13-APEC tries to revive trade talks.

This week's promise: God gives us strength to cope with hard work
How well are you doing at following Jesus' final instructions?

Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.
Mark 16:15 NLT

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:37-38 NLT

The real work

On October 20, 1968, a dramatic moment took place at the Mexico City Olympics. A few thousand spectators remained in the almost-dark Olympic Stadium awaiting one last runner. Finally the wail of police sirens ripped the air. As all eyes turned to the gate, a lone runner wearing the colors of Tanzania staggered into the stadium. John Stephen Akhwari was the last contestant to finish the 26-mile contest. He had injured his leg in a fall and entered the track bloodied and crudely bandaged. While he hobbled the final, lonely lap, spectators rose and applauded him as if he had won.

After the race, someone asked him why he had refused to quit. My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race,he replied simply.They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it. To help us achieve a strong finish in our race of faith, Jesus Christ promised that Whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God.You too can finish the race well by eagerly confessing Christ before others.

Adapted from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie (Tyndale House), pp 257-59

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

Sep. 9, 2006 8:38 | Updated Sep. 9, 2006 10:14
4.4 earthquake hits central Israel; no injuries
By JPOST.COM STAFF

A moderate earthquake was felt across central Israel Saturday morning. The tremor measured 4.4 on the Richter scale, the Geophysical Institute of Israel reported. Its epicenter was in the Jordan Valley. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

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.

Freezing temperatures in some areas W. Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Sat Sep 9, 6:19 AM ET

Midwest

Some parts of the northern states and western Great Lakes woke up to freezing temperstures this morning, behind a southward moving cold front. This front will continue moving south today, producing scattered showers and thunderstorms from the Lower Great Lakes to the central Plains, including areas from Detroit and Chicago, to Kansas City. There will also be an increased chance of showers and thunderstorms over the central Plains, where an area of low pressure will be forming. Locations north of the front, from Fargo to Green bay, will experience afternoon highs only in the 60s, while locations south of the front will experience 70s and 80s.

Parts of the western Great Lakes will likely again experience temperature at or below freezing overnight tonight. These areas will remain dry, but chilly into Sunday, but chances for rain will continue over the Plains, expanding into the Midwest, as low pressure moves slowly eastward.

Northeast

A strong cold front will enter the Lower Great Lakes and the western New England states today, producing showers and thunderstorms from Burlington, south through Buffalo, to Pittsburgh. The eastern areas from Boston, south through New York and
Philadelphia, to Washington will experience increasing clouds with showers and thunderstorms arriving by nightfall.

Afternoon temperatures today will range from the 60s and 70s inland, to the lower and middle 80s along eastern areas. The front should clear the Northeast states by Sunday allowing clearing skies over New England. An area of low pressure developing over the Plains will begin to push chances for rain back up the Ohio Valley by Sunday, which overspread much of the area into Monday.

South

Increased moisture, in the vicinity of a stalled boundary, will focus scattered showers and thunderstorms from eastern Texas, along Gulf coastal areas, into Florida. Elsewhere across the south, other than an outside chance of an afternoon shower or thunderstorm, partly cloudy skies will be the general rule as high pressure dominates. Afternoon temperatures will range from the 80s east to the
90s west. This general weather pattern will persist into Sunday, but with a more widespread scattering of isolated afternoon thunderstorms. By Monday, scattered showers and thunderstorms will increase across a large part of the south.

West

A front moving across the Pacific Northwest will generate a few scattered showers, breezy and cool conditions today, while the rest of the west is generally dominated by high pressure. Afternoon thunderstorm activity over the southwest will not be as widespread, but a few heavy downpours and locally severe thunderstorms cannot be ruled out. Parts of Colorado will have increased chances for showers and thunderstorms as an area of low pressure develops over the Plains.

Afternoon temperatures today will range from the 60s along northern coastal areas to the 70s inland. Temperatures in the 80s and 90s will be common of the remainder of the west with 100s in the typical desert areas. The cooler conditions over the Northwest will be short lived, and a ridge of high pressure builds over much of the area by early next week.

WORLD TERRORISM

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

ISAIAH 33:1,18-19
01 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
September 8, 2006

Dear Friends,

This Monday marks the fifth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil.Like all of you, I have vivid memories of September 11, 2001. The beauty of an early fall day in Chicago contrasted eerily with the terrible events that unfolded that morning.

Prior to leaving the office, Fellowship staff gathered for a moment of prayer. Afterward I recall telling them that, from that day forward, Americans would understand why Israelis are never caught without their cell phones - they never know when they might have to call a friend or relative to ask, are you alright?

Israel was among the first to offer assistance and express solidarity with America that day. This did not surprise me - Israelis live daily with the threat of attack. They understand the nature of terrorist evil and are all too familiar with its human cost.It is fitting, too, that an Israeli, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was able to capture the essence of the American spirit in these eloquent words:Amid the sirens, destruction and smoke which engulfed the City of New York immediately following the collapse of the Towers, a camera lens captured the Statue of Liberty and her Torch, symbols of the spirit of America, standing steadfast.

While the attack did succeed in destroying buildings and lives, and in causing agony, grief and profound shock to millions of people, it failed to extinguish the spirit of freedom and the eternal flame of the Torch of Liberty - that spirit which beats in the hearts of all New Yorkers and indeed all Americans, and the spirit which was then and is now shared by all freedom-loving people.

Today, as then, Israelis stand by America just as Americans - and in particular American Christians - have stood by Israel in her time of need. What one columnist called the kinship of common values between the U.S. and Israel has never been stronger.

On Monday, as we remember September 11, 2001, let us also remember to pray for all whose lives have been devastated by Islamist terror from New York and Washington to London, Madrid, Bali, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

And, as Americans and Israelis, let us renew our pledge to promote democracy and freedom and fight terror and tyranny - together.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
Founder and President
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
Support The Fellowship!

INIQUITY(great wickedness or injustice) ABOUNDING.

MATTHEW 24:12
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous(DANGEROUS) times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

DECIEVERS WAXING WORSE AND WORSE.
2 TIMOTHY 3:13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

EPHESIANS 5:5-8
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light

HOMOSEXUALS.

GENESIS 19:5
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.(A PHRASE FOR SEX)

ROMANS 1:18-32
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:(HOMOSEXUALITY)
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.(VDS,AIDS ETC)
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.

REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (DRUGS), nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

UNRIGHTEOUS PEOPLE.
TITUS 3:5
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

SEX SINS
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10,14-18
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

GALATIONS 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Pope chastises Canada on gay marriage, abortion
POSTED: 3:46 p.m. EDT, September 8, 2006

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI hit out Friday at Canada's laws allowing same-sex marriage and abortion, saying they result from Catholic politicians ignoring the values of their religion.In the name of tolerance your country has had to endure the folly of the redefinition of spouse, and in the name of `freedom of choice' it is confronted with the daily destruction of unborn children,the pope told a group of bishops from Ontario.Such laws, he said, are the result of the exclusion of God from the public sphere.

He lamented that Catholic politicians yielded to ephemeral social trends and the spurious demands of opinion polls.Benedict has made the defense of traditional family values a major goal of his papacy, speaking out often on the issue. During a trip to Spain in July, he challenged that country's Socialist government for instituting liberal reforms such as gay marriage and fast-track divorce.

Same-sex marriage was recognized by Canada's parliament last year. New Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pledged to hold a vote in the House of Commons later this year to determine whether the issue should be revisited.

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)

Israel Lifts Lebanese Sea Blockade
Move Ends Restrictions Imposed at Outbreak of War With Hezbollah
By Edward Cody,Washington Post Foreign Service,Saturday, September 9, 2006;

BEIRUT, Sept. 8 Israel lifted its eight-week-old maritime blockade of Lebanon on Friday, the United Nations announced, and within hours a gleaming white ship pulled into Beirut harbor carrying a load of appliances.The reopening of sea lanes to Lebanon, which the United Nations said took place in the early afternoon, came one day after Israel lifted its blockade of air traffic, completing the end to suffocating restrictions imposed when war broke out between Israel and the Hezbollah militia on July 12.

The blockade has seriously undermined the Lebanese economy, and it is high time for it to end so as to allow the people to get back to their businesses,said Gen. Alain Pellegrini, the commander of U.N. forces in Lebanon.The head of the Beirut International Chamber of Navigation, Elie Zakhour, told reporters that six cargo ships were bound for the Lebanese capital carrying cars and containers of other goods. The lineup reflected Beirut's role as a regional hub for imports and exports, a major component of the Lebanese economy that withered under restrictions even after fighting ended on Aug. 14.

Israel said it imposed the blockade to prevent arms shipments to Hezbollah, the militant Shiite Muslim movement that battled Israeli forces for 33 days in the rugged hills along the Lebanon-Israel border. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert relaxed the restrictions only on assurances from the United Nations that European ships and soldiers would join Lebanese forces in making sure Hezbollah could not receive supplies from abroad.For now, Israeli patrol boats are turning over surveillance duties to Italian ships in the Mediterranean off Lebanon, Israeli and U.N. officials said. French and Greek navy ships have also promised to help patrol the area for an interim period. In the long term, the German navy has shouldered responsibility for working with the Lebanese military to guarantee that no arms reach Hezbollah.

Olmert announced Wednesday that he would lift the air and sea blockade Thursday evening. Unrestricted commercial airline flights to Beirut resumed as expected, but the sea blockade was maintained while Israeli officials sought additional assurances from the United Nations. More coordination took place Friday morning, and the commander of an Italian task force assumed responsibility for the patrols Friday afternoon, a U.N. spokesman said.It is our understanding that the international force is operational, and the Israelis turned it over to the Italians as of 1300 hours,or 1 p.m. local time, said Alexander Ivanko, a spokesman for Pellegrini.

Israeli officials said the airline flights were allowed to resume because German officials were on duty at Beirut's Rafiq al-Hariri International Airport monitoring airfreight traffic. But the Lebanese minister for public works and transportation, Mohammed Safadi, said that the Germans were providing only technical assistance and that customs matters were the responsibility of Lebanese authorities. Similarly, he said, the Italian ships would be assigned to help Lebanese authorities monitor sea shipments.

A senior Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hezbollah insisted that any European sea patrols or customs help be under the aegis of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL. As a result, the Italian ships have been baptized the maritime UNIFIL.In any case, he said, Hezbollah officials are not worried about resupplying since their weapons come mainly from Iran via Syria, and smuggling is an old tradition along the long, porous Lebanon-Syria border.With that in mind, Israel had demanded that German soldiers join Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces personnel along the border.

But Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, reflecting Hezbollah's concerns, refused, saying the Germans would provide only equipment and training to the Lebanese.Meanwhile, Israeli officials were quoted in news reports as saying that Israeli soldiers who were still inside Lebanon would probably withdraw within about two weeks. The Italian foreign minister, Massimo D'Alema, said the number of foreign UNIFIL troops in the region would reach 5,000 by next week, which has been a benchmark for completing the Israeli withdrawal.

Spain's parliament approved the dispatch of 1,000 Spanish troops to further reinforce the U.N. peacekeeping contingent, according to news agency reports from Madrid. The force, which had stood at 2,000, has climbed above 3,000 with the arrival last week of about 900 Italian troops, out of a pledged 3,000, and several hundred French troops, out of a pledged 2,000. Under the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the fighting, the force is scheduled to reach 15,000, along with a deployment of 15,000 Lebanese army troops.Correspondent Scott Wilson in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Italy urges Israel to lift embargo on Gaza Strip, engage in talks
Compiled by Daily Star staff ,Friday, September 08, 2006

Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema urged Israel Thursday to follow up on its decision to lift a punishing air and sea blockade of Lebanon by easing its embargo of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Palestinian political groups and intellectuals declared British Prime Minister Tony Blair persona non grata ahead of his expected visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah.Speaking in Jordan before heading to the West Bank town of Ramallah, D'Alema reiterated calls for the deployment of international observers in the Gaza Strip.

We have welcomed the Israeli decision to lift the sea blockade imposed on Lebanon and we hope that something like it will happen in Gaza, starting with the reopening of the Rafah crossing,D'Alema told reporters in Amman.

This will allow supplies of relief aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza who are suffering hardships,he added.D'Alema said he discussed with Jordan's King Abdullah II the possible dispatch of international troops to the Gaza Strip.We discussed the idea of sending an international force of observers to Gaza, and this is something that the Jordanian authorities agrees with us on, D'Alema said.But the main condition to achieve this is through a direct dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians,he said.D'Alema said he and Abdullah agreed on the need to support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his efforts aimed at forming a new Palestinian government capable of emerging from the crisis with Israel. http://www.dailystar.com.lb

The king told D'Alema that the international community must act quickly over the next few months to find a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause,the royal court said.D'Alema was to meet with Abbas, on his first visit to Ramallah as foreign minister, and with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Tel Aviv.On Sunday, Blair was also expected to meet with Abbas after talks with Olmert.

But emotions were running high ahead of Blair's trip with Palestinian political figures and intellectuals accusing him of excessive support of Israel.He is coming to visit us in order to wash his Lebanese-bloodstained hands, with Palestinian water,said a petition published in Al-Ayyam newspaper, claiming to be signed by hundreds of Palestinians. We, the signatories ... notables, intellectuals and political figures declare Tony Blair is persona non-grata in our country.The petition accused Blair of bias on the Palestinian question, of favoring Israel and helping besiege and starve the Palestinian people without scruple.- Agencies

AP-EU Supports IMF Reform
Friday September 8, 9:52 am ET
European Union Supports IMF Reform to Recognize Emerging Economies but Not at Europe's Expense

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) -- The European Union said Friday it supports reforming the International Monetary Fund to give emerging economies more clout, but not at the expense of Europe's weight in the organization.Finnish Finance Minister Eero Heinaluoma, whose country currently holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, said the bloc supports a plan to give more IMF voting power to China, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey as part of a two-year program to reform the organization's governance and take Asia's growing economic prowess into account.But Heinaluoma, speaking to reporters ahead of an EU finance ministers meeting, said there are no clear proposals on giving the 25-nation EU single representation on the 184-member IMF replacing several European nations.We will need more time,he said.

Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker, the chairman of the group of 12 EU finance ministers who have the euro as their common currency, said Europe's attitude toward IMF reforms was constructive.However, he told reporters, Europe is not the part of the world which should take major initiatives here.Small European nations, such as the Netherlands and Finland, oppose a single EU seat that would replace their national role.The reform issue will be up for a vote at the annual gatherings of the IMF and the World Bank in Singapore this month.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES

NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).

MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Saturday, September 09, 2006
Nuclear weapons are prohibited in Islamic Republic of Iran
By Katrice Jalbuena

Ambassador Jalal Kalantari stressed that Iran’s activities to provide itself with a nuclear-energy plant have all been according to the provisions of the Nonproliferation Treaty. Iran, he said, has welcomed the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspections. He lamented that Iran’s rights under the treaty have been violated by the world powers and yet other countries that have not even agreed to be bound by the treaty and the IAEA and that are friends of the world powers can do what they want. He noted that many parties to the treaty are actually not complying with it—but Iran punctiliously complies. Iran, he said, has agreed to be open about its nuclear-energy policy. Entering in October 2003 into an understanding with three major leaders of the European Union—the UK, France and Germany—Iran hoped that it would be allowed access to nuclear and other advanced energy-production technologies in an atmosphere of cooperation and openness.

Iran was, however, still treated with suspicion despite its voluntary confidence-building moves.Among these were its signing and immediately implementing the so-called Additional Protocols to the Nonproliferation Treaty; its acceptance of a most comprehensive and intrusive IAEA inspection, allowing even military facilities to be inspected; its giving of detailed accounts of nuclear activities of these done in compliance with the treaty; its suspension as demanded by the powers of its right to enrich uranium.

All of these have not pleased the powers, which have brought the matter to the UN Security Council despite the IAEA’s finding that there is no evidence that Iran’s previously undeclared nuclear material and activities were related to a nuclear weapons program. We are a responsible member of the international community, we will abide by all the laws and regulations under international law, Kalantari told The Manila Times roundtable.

After satisfying their [the powers’] expectations and our obligations, we should expect to enjoy the rights to nuclear energy that everybody else exercises. But unfortunately, Iran is being denied these rights. The superpowers do not want us to enjoy the same rights they do,he lamented. We are merely trying to ensure that we can stand on our feet and continue to develop as a nation for the good of our people, he said.

Twenty-two out of 31 nuclear power plants being built in developing countries in the past years are located in Asia. The main reasons given for this trend are economic growth, scarce energy resource and population growth. Yet have you heard anything about these others? Is anyone trying to prevent them from building nuclear-energy plants?

Their [the powers’ and the IAEA’s] surveillance activities are in place. We have even allowed them unlimited access to military sites. They found nothing out of place. The report of the IAEA stated that all declared nuclear materials in Iran have been accounted for and none of the materials has be diverted to nuclear weapons, but they continue to prevent us from exercising our rights, he added.

Our president has invited international companies to come and invest in our nuclear power program, so they themselves can see we have nothing to hide, but no one has come forward to do so,Kalantari said. They keep on accusing us of having a program to build nuclear weapons. We don’t. Weapons of mass destruction are against the principles of our Islamic Republic. A decree issued by the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran prohibits the development, stockpiling or use of nuclear weapons. Kalantari pointed out how peaceable his country has been for the past 250 years. Have you heard of an Iranian terrorist? he asked. There are no Iranian terrorists. Have you heard of Iran committing aggression against any of its neighbors?

Russia dovetails stance on Middle East with Syria

RBC, 08.09.2006, Moscow 12:45:31.Yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the situation in the Middle East with President of Syria Bashar al-Asad, Vice President Farouk al-Shara and his counterpart Walid Mualem, the Russian ministry said. Specifically, the participants looked at the situation in the region and ways to ease the tensions challenging international peace and security. Russia's Foreign Minister underscored that it was important for all parties to the UN Security Council's resolutions on the Lebanese-Israeli conflict settlement to fully abide by their commitments. The officials also stressed that only a comprehensive settlement in keeping with the UN Security Council's resolutions and other guidelines from the international community and Madrid principles could prevent crises like the Lebanese-Israeli one from recurring and help establish lasting peace
in the region.

Italy: Syria agrees to EU border troops By MARIA SANMINIATELLI, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 23 minutes ago

ROME -Syria has agreed in principle to a European Union presence on its border to help stem the flow of weapons into Lebanon, Italy's prime minister said Saturday. Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a TV interview last month that he would consider the deployment of international troops along the Lebanon-Syria border a hostile move toward his country.Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said he had spoken with Assad several times over the last few days.I reminded President Assad that the European Union has significant experience in training programs for frontier guards, and that the idea of an EU mission of assistance on the border between Syria and Lebanon would be an excellent signal of cooperation between Syria and Europe, Prodi said in a statement.

President Assad gave me his accord in principle.Damascus had no immediate comment on Prodi's announcement. Syria's official news agency reported late Friday that Assad talked by phone with Prodi to discuss the latest developments in the region and in Lebanon, but the report did not mention deployment of peacekeepers.Prodi said details of a proposal were being worked out and would be presented at a meeting of the EU's foreign affairs committee on Thursday in Brussels, Belgium.Syria and Iran are the main backers of the Hezbollah militants based in south Lebanon, and Israeli officials repeatedly have said the guerrillas receive arms from the two countries.Israel lifted its sea blockade of Lebanon on Friday, more than three weeks after a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah militants. U.N. peacekeeping troops now face their first test in preventing weapons getting to Hezbollah.

In comments to the ANSA news agency that were confirmed by Prodi's office, the premier said the European guards would not be armed and would not be in uniform, but would have all the necessary instruments to check on the passage of arms toward southern Lebanon.We believe that a significant quantity of arms pass through this border ... toward southern Lebanon, Prodi said.The Italian premier also said Assad had told him Syria would beef up security at the border by sending 500 border guards.Prodi has discussed the plan with Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Italy's main European partners had welcomed the proposal with great interest, the premier said.The U.N. resolution that set up the cease-fire in Lebanon calls for the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah's Shiite guerrillas, but the U.N. peacekeeping force does not have a mandate to search out weapons and take them.That job is up to the Lebanese army, Annan says, but Lebanon has not said whether it will do so. It appeared the peacekeepers will aim to ensure that guerrillas are not seen in public with weapons and that no new arms are moved in.Rome is contributing the largest contingent to the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

EU confirms nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna Sat Sep 9, 7:51 AM ET

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani in Vienna on Saturday to discuss Tehran's reply to an international offer of incentives to halt uranium enrichment, Solana's spokeswoman said. The meeting, which had been unsure to go ahead and whose location had not been confirmed, would take place at 5.00 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), the spokeswoman said.

DANIEL 7:23
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)

APEC tries to revive trade talks
POSTED: 0502 GMT (1302 HKT), September 8, 2006

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Finance ministers from the Pacific Rim continued talks Friday aimed at rescuing stalled global trade talks, while promoting fiscal responsibility among members who already account for half the world's trade and nearly 60 percent of its economic output.Ministers and top officials from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum moved into their second and final day of discussions, touching on tax system improvement and population aging issues.Officials have said the measures to revive the Doha round of World Trade Organization talks are likely to form an integral part of the joint ministerial statement to be issued later Friday.

APEC members, which include such economic powers as the U.S., Japan, China and Canada, were crucial in reviving the Uruguay round of WTO talks, which preceded the current Doha round negotiations that started in 2001.The Doha talks, aimed at forging a global trade treaty, collapsed in July, largely over how to cut farm trade barriers.The United States, meanwhile, also pushed other APEC economies, especially those with developing capital markets, to ensure no bank accounts in their respective nations were used to finance nuclear weapons, including by North Korea.On Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, on his first trip to Asia after assuming his new job in July, praised Vietnam for its cooperation in keeping North Korea from using local bank accounts to potentially fund weapons development or other illicit activities.

Trade gap with China

North Korean entities have had bank accounts in Vietnam in the past, U.S. Ambassador Michael Marine said last week.Paulson said he would also push for discussion on correcting lopsided trade and investment patterns around the world -- a key U.S. concern.

Seven of the United States' top 10 trading partners are part of APEC. It is also the region of the world where America is running the largest trade deficits, including a record $202 billion deficit last year with China.To me, this is just such an important region, Paulson said Friday. "The chance to meet with the APEC ministers and to be here just demonstrates the importance of this region and this country to the United States and it's very important to me.

The Bush administration, facing election-year pressure to narrow the trade gap and protect American jobs, has been pushing China to let its currency, the yuan, appreciate against the U.S. dollar. That would theoretically help narrow the trade gap by making U.S. exports cheaper in China and Chinese products more expensive for American consumers.APEC, which first met in 1989, includes 21 economies: the United States, Russia, China, Canada and Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Philippines, Chile, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Peru and South Korea.

Members account for around half of the world's trade and more than 55 percent of global GDP.

IRAN TESTFIRES BUNKER BUSTER

1-Tropical Storm Florence bears down on Bermuda. 2-Forest fires could unleash toxic bomb into atmosphere: study. 3-Montana Firefighters Battle Bees as well as Wildfires. 4-Firefighting teams to fight Nev. blazes. 5-Russian FM calls for comprehensive solution for Mideast peace. 6-Israel minister says time for Palestinian talks. 7-Israel Pulling Its Ships From Lebanon. 8-Spain Approves Troop Deployment To Lebanon. 9-Sarkozy calls for major EU reform. 10-West Bank pullout plans over: Israel's Peres. 11-Iran test-fires bunker-busting bomb.

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.

Tropical Storm Florence bears down on Bermuda By Jane Sutton
5 minutes ago

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Florence headed for Bermuda as a large mass of gusty rain on Friday and seemed ready to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting the British territory, U.S. forecasters said. Bermuda issued a hurricane watch before nightfall, alerting the island's 65,000 residents to brace for hurricane conditions in the next 36 hours.Florence, the sixth tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was poorly organized and unusually wide.

At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), its center was about 645 miles south-southeast of Bermuda. Florence was moving northwest at nearly 15 mph (24 kph) but was so large that Bermuda residents would likely feel its outer edges a day or two before the center arrived on Monday, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.Florence's top sustained winds have held steady at about 50 mph (80 kph) for several days but the forecasters said they could reach the 74 mph (119 kph) threshold to become a hurricane as early as Saturday.Computer tracking models projected the storm would pass over Bermuda and turn northeast, moving away from the United States and into a part of the open Atlantic where shearing winds and cooler waters would sap its strength.But the storm was expected to kick up heavy surf and dangerous rip tides all along the U.S. eastern seaboard during the weekend, forecasters said.The six-month hurricane season that began on June 1 has produced only one hurricane so far. Tropical Storm Ernesto briefly reached hurricane strength near Haiti last month but weakened before drenching the U.S. East Coast.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Forest fires could unleash toxic bomb into atmosphere: study
Updated Thu. Sep. 7 2006 4:59 PM ET
Brian Jackson , DiscoveryChannel.ca

Longer forest fire seasons will soon cause high levels of mercury to be released into the atmosphere, say the authors of a new study.As climate change has allowed for hotter and more numerous forest fires over a longer season, northern peat bogs in Western Canada and Alaska have been dried out. The bogs, the researchers say, will soon release centuries' worth of toxic mercury as they're set ablaze. Mercury emissions are 15-times more than previous estimates that do not account for the toxic bog fires, finds the study. We're talking about mercury that has been relatively harmless, trapped in peat for hundreds of years, rapidly being spewed back into the air,says Merritt Turetsky of Michigan State University, lead author of the study, in a statement. Our findings show us that climate change is complex.

The findings are based on research that counted the amount of soil holding mercury and the number of burn areas across Western Canada. There are currently four forest fires over 100 hectares in size raging in B.C. That includes the 2,350 hectare Tatoosh fire that recently crossed the border from the U.S. Soil in Canada's Western wetlands has acted as a mercury sponge for hundreds of years. Normal atmospheric conditions carry mercury into the region, where it settled into the ground. The released mercury will contaminate food chains as it spreads toxicity into streams and lakes, the researchers say. The researcher's work is published August 19 in Geophysical Research Letters.

Montana Firefighters Battle Bees as well as Wildfires
September 8, 2006 AP.

Montana firefighters battling a wildfire that has blackened nearly 290 square miles and burned 26 homes faced a new challenge, authorities said: bees.The blaze that started with lightning on Aug. 22 has forced hundreds to evacuate. After being grounded by smoke for a day, firefighting helicopters returned to work Wednesday, pouring water on the fire that was 45 percent contained.

Bee stings among firefighters have surged to as many as 50 a day, information officer Joan Dickerson said. Some of those stung required medical attention.We've had a couple of our leaders taken to the hospital,she said, but added that she had no explanation for the surge in stings.

An evacuation order for 265 homes remained in effect, three days after it was issued. An alert for evacuation readiness covered another 20 homes.Smoke from the fire and others triggered air-quality warnings in southwestern Montana. The Department of Environmental Quality said the air in Bozeman and in the area of the fires was very unhealthy.Smoke may linger until Friday, forecasters said.We're not sure what the weekend is going to bring, Dickerson said. We're prepping for a cold front that could shift the wind.Air quality advisories were also issued across eastern Washington state, warning residents to take precautions against heavy smoke from more than a dozen wildfires.U.S. and Canadian fire crews were working together on two blazes, the larger of which had burned almost 255 square miles northeast of Winthrop. Nearly 1,400 firefighters were battling the blaze, which was 56 percent contained.

The smaller fire, which had burned more than 53 square miles, had already crossed into British Columbia and could pose a threat to dozens of cabins in the Pasayten River Valley, about 125 miles east of Vancouver. Residents in Eastgate, which has about 50 year-round residents and an estimated 180 cabins, were put on notice they might have to evacuate.Helicopters and tankers were grounded for a second day Wednesday due to the heavy smoke, said Kelly Baraibar, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman.Several other wildfires burned across Washington, including three reported Wednesday on the Yakama Indian Reservation. A 145-square-mile fire complex near Dayton in southeast Washington was 40 percent contained. Owners of 50 to 75 cabins in the area remained evacuated, said Mike Ferris, Forest Service fire information officer.

In California, a pilot and a firefighter were killed Wednesday when their Department of Forestry and Fire Protection plane crashed in remote foothills of Tulare County, about 70 miles southeast of Fresno.

The victims were identified as George Willett, 52, a Hanford pilot contracted to help battle the fire, and CDF Battalion Chief Robert Paul Stone, 36, of Visalia, spokeswoman Becki Redwine said.The crash sparked a three-acre wildfire near an area about 170 miles north of Los Angeles where firefighters battled the other blaze. Officials were investigating the cause of the crash.Also in California, a wildfire that has burned across nearly four square miles continued to rage out of control in the Los Padres National Forest, spreading in all directions, the U.S. Forest Service reported.In Nevada, crew leaders were hoping the arrival of more firefighters would help them gain ground on wildfires that have blackened nearly 375 square miles across the state's northeastern area during a four-day span.

Officials reported 32 fires touched off by lightning since Sunday, including one in Lander County that had exploded to more than 200 square miles and was only 10 percent contained.No damage to homes or injuries were reported, but the fires continued to pose a threat to scattered ranches and mines as well as wildlife habitat, said fire information officer June McMillen.

Sept. 7, 2006, 11:32PM
Firefighting teams to fight Nev. blazes
By TOM GARDNER Associated Press Writer

RENO, Nev. — A national command team and three of the top firefighting teams in the country joined the battle Thursday against a 375-square-mile wildfire that has marched through rangeland during the past four days, threatening ranches, mines and wildlife habitat.The Nevada fires are among the largest wildland blazes that have scorched more than 1 million acres nationally, or 1,563 square miles slightly more than the state of Rhode Island.Fires touched off by dry lightning since Sunday had burned 240,000 acres, or 375 square miles, in Nevada, including a fire in Lander County, which exploded to 130,000-plus acres and was 20 percent contained. Despite threats of thunderstorms and high humidity Thursday, firefighters were optimistic.If we get through today's issues, we'll be on the downhill side,said Joe Ribar, commander of the national command team.

In Montana, firefighters battling a wildfire that grew to more than 300 square miles Thursday planned to work overnight to take advantage of cooler weather, and hoped to let residents of 265 homes forced to flee return home Friday.Officials were trying to keep the fire from spreading farther west into the Boulder River Valley, which is home to numerous historic ranches and vacation homes and where the movie The Horse Whisperer was filmed.The blaze was sparked by lightning on Aug. 22 and has forced hundreds to evacuate. It was 50 percent contained on Thursday.While Nevada got assistance with its blazes, other states are worried there won't be enough help as summer ends. In just the past week, more than 100 requests for a 20-person fire crew went unfilled in Washington and Oregon alone, said Kathy Fletcher, spokeswoman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, Ore.

Dry lightning sparked three more fires in Idaho Thursday, bringing the total number of large blazes burning in the state to 17, the most in the nation. Nine large fires were burning Thursday in both Washington and Oregon.The Portland-based center estimates state and federal agencies, as well as contract fire crews, will lose 15 percent of their firefighters as they return to college and other jobs in the next few weeks.The extended forecast indicates no relief,Fletcher said.

The good news is the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler, which helps in the firefighting efforts.Also Thursday, a rapidly-spreading Sierra foothills wildfire in California crept to within a mile of several dozen homes. The fire, burning in steep terrain in the Tahoe National Forest, had tripled in size throughout the day to about 1,900 acres, or about 3 square miles. Smoke from the blaze was reported in Sacramento, about 50 miles to the west, and Reno, Nev., to the east. Officials asked residents living in about 50 homes to leave.Associated Press writers Martin Griffith in Reno, Susan Gallagher in Helena and Jesse Harlan Alderman in Boise contributed to this report.

LAND FOR PEACE

JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

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 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 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.

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.

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

DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) 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.

Russian FM calls for comprehensive solution for Mideast peace
www.chinaview.cn 2006-09-07 22:42:19

DAMASCUS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday called for a comprehensive solution to the Middle East problem with the participation of all parties, the official SANA news agency reported. Lavrov told reporters upon his arrival that he would discuss with the Syrian officials means of building a comprehensive solution which he said would bring peace to the region. He said that the aim of his trip here is to bolster the Syrian-Russian relations in a bigger way. Lavrov just wrapped up a brief visit to Lebanese capital of Beirut where he discussed with the Lebanese leadership the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Shiite group Hezbollah that went into effect in Lebanon on Aug. 14 and Russia's participation in reconstruction efforts.

Lavrov was also scheduled to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories during his Middle east tour. Enditem Editor: Mu Xuequan

Israel minister says time for Palestinian talks
08 Sep 2006 09:59:38 GMT,Source: Reuters
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
More By Jonathan Saul

TEL AVIV, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Israel's foreign minister said on Friday it was about time the Jewish state talked to the Palestinians, adding no conditions should be put on meeting President Mahmoud Abbas.But Tzipi Livni said Abbas should expect nothing from talks, such as a release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, unless militants in the Gaza Strip freed a soldier captured in a cross-border raid on June 25.Her comments were a softening of remarks by Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who said this week a summit between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas, who is also known as Abu Mazen, would take place only if the soldier was released first.

In relation to a meeting with Abu Mazen, I do not think there need to be any conditions for such a meeting,Livni, told a news conference in Tel Aviv with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.It is about time we found a way to talk with the Palestinians and with Abu Mazen in order to find out whether there is a way to promote a process that can lead in the future to a two-state solution.
But if Abbas wanted anything, Israel would not be able to respond until Corporal Gilad Shalit was freed, she said.Ties between Israel and the Palestinians, badly strained when the militant Hamas movement won parliamentary elections in January, hit a new low after gunmen seized the soldier and abducted him to the Gaza Strip.Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza a few days later that has killed around 210 Palestinians, half of them civilians. Preparations for an Olmert-Abbas summit had been in the pipeline, but were shelved after the abduction.

LITTLE CHANCE

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed in 2000 amid a surge in violence.Israeli political analysts see little chance of any substantive negotiations in the near future, with Israel pre-occupied with the aftermath of the war in Lebanon and Hamas still in control of the Palestinian government.Abbas, a moderate, wants to create through negotiations a state in all of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.Hamas, whose charter calls for Israel's destruction, wants to establish an Islamic state in place of Israel.Abbas argues he could still be Israel's interlocutor, circumventing Hamas.

Livni also appeared to pour cold water on a call by Lavrov for an international Middle East peace conference.Lavrov said on Thursday that such a meeting to find a comprehensive solution to the Middle East conflict was the only alternative to end violence in the region.

The former Soviet Union co-sponsored with the United States the 1991 Madrid Conference, which helped seal peace deals between the Palestinians and Israel and between the Jewish state and Jordan.To put all the issues between Israel and different Arab countries together with the Palestinians as one idea I think will only complicate the issues,Livni said.
(Additional reporting by Ori Lewis in Jerusalem)

WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL

DANIEL 11:40-45
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) 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.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

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

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

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

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

Israel Pulling Its Ships From Lebanon
Ending Naval Blockade, Hopes To Have All Troops Home Within Two Weeks
JERUSALEM, Sept. 8, 2006

(CBS/AP) Israel is ending its naval blockade of Lebanon, and hopes to withdraw its last soldiers there within two weeks. The Israelis will be replaced by French, Italian, and Greek warships under a United Nations mandate, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger. Israel says their mission is to prevent the shipment of weapons from Syria and Iran to Hezbollah. The lifting of the air and sea blockade of Lebanon is seen as a boost to the three-week-old cease-fire. It would wind up Israel's recent campaign against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, and allow desperately needed reconstruction projects there to proceed freely. Up to 15,000
Lebanese soldiers backed by an equal number of international forces are deploying in southern Lebanon to replace the Israelis under an Aug. 14 truce. Israel plans to pull all its troops out of Lebanon in time for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins in two weeks, reports Berger. Israel is pleased about the deployment of an international force, which will include French, Italian, Spanish and Turkish troops, among others. More than 3,000 foreign troops are already in Lebanon and when the number reaches 5,000 Israel will pull out. UN officials say that should happen in about 10 days.

In other developments:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has signaled that Israel might cede disputed territory to Lebanon if the Lebanese carry out all provisions of their recent cease-fire with Israel, including the disarming of Hezbollah guerrillas, media reported on Friday. Israel on Friday rejected Russia's proposal of a Mideast peace conference, saying Israel's immediate focus should be on its conflict with the Palestinians. I think putting all of the issues into one bowl would only make things more complicated,Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov said Russia was looking into Israeli charges that Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas used Russian arms supplied by Syria in their recent war with Israel. Russian laws governing arms sales stipulate that no weapons can be transferred to a third party, Lavrov said. British Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet this weekend with top Israeli leaders and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but no members of Hamas, the ruling Palestinian party. Even that is too much for hundreds of Palestinians, who have signed a petition saying Blair is unwelcome because of his support for Israel. Blair cannot wash his hands, which are stained with Lebanese blood, in Palestinian waters, the petition says.

Israel sealed off Lebanon by air and sea at the start of its war against Hezbollah to keep Syria and Iran from resupplying it with arms. Israel, yielding to intense international pressure, ended its air blockade of Lebanon on Thursday, but said it would maintain the naval blockade until international peacekeeping vessels arrived to monitor the seas. The U.N. informed the Lebanese government that a joint French, Italian and Greek naval force began patrolling the Lebanese coastline at 12:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. EDT) Friday, a government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Israel has been
gradually pulling out its soldiers — whose number peaked at 30,000 at the war's end — as international replacements arrive.

About 3,250 U.N. troops are now in place. On Thursday, the Spanish parliament voted to contribute 1,100 soldiers to the peacekeeping mission, and the first troops were to set off on Friday. In a meeting with Lavrov on Thursday, Olmert said if the U.N.
decides the disputed Chebaa Valley is Lebanese, and if Lebanon implements U.N. resolutions ending the war, we'll agree to discuss it,the Haaretz daily said. When Israel withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation, the U.N.-drawn international line did not put Chebaa Farms in Lebanese territory, but in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967, and later annexed. The Lebanese have disputed this ruling, and Israel and Hezbollah have clashed in the territory since the withdrawal. Under the Aug.

14 cease-fire, the U.N. agreed to review the line within 30 days. Lebanon put on a boisterous show Thursday to celebrate the end of Israel's air blockade. In a symbolic act signaling the resumption of normal air traffic, a commercial flight by Lebanon's national carrier Middle East Airlines circled over downtown Beirut three times at 6:04 p.m., four minutes after the embargo ended. And fireworks erupted in the capital's heart. Lebanon is breathing again, proclaimed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora in a televised statement, inviting the tens of thousands of Lebanese who fled the fighting and Arab tourists who left in droves to come back to the Lebanon you love.

The land route to neighboring Syria has already been reopened, with the Lebanese government posting thousands of troops along the rugged frontier to prevent smuggling. Russia's Lavrov, who is on a tour of the Mideast, has raised the idea of a regional conference. He and other diplomats are touring the region in the aftermath of the Lebanon war. Livni said Israel should be concentrating now on the most problematic subject — the Palestinian conflict — and called for immediate, unconditional talks with the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah Party. But she insisted Israel wouldn't release Palestinian prisoners — a condition Abbas has set in the past for talks — until Palestinian militants freed an Israeli soldier seized more than two months ago.

The soldier's capture by gunmen linked to the Palestinians' ruling Hamas Party set off an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip in which more than 200 Palestinians — most of them gunmen — have been killed.Livni's call for talks with Abbas echoed sentiments Olmert expressed earlier this week. There have been no official contacts between Israel and the Palestinians since Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, won Palestinian parliamentary elections in January. But the prospect of negotiations have taken on new life since Israel's recent war against Hezbollah put a chill on Olmert's plan to unilaterally withdraw from large chunks of the West Bank.
©MMVI CBS Broadcasting Inc.

SPAIN #11 IN THE EU

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

Spain Approves Troop Deployment To Lebanon
September 8, 2006 2:00 p.m. EST
Joseph S. Mayton - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent

Beirut, Lebanon (AHN) - Spanish parliament approved sending soldiers to Lebanon on Thursday evening. The vote, 304-2, agreed to send up to 1,100 troops to Lebanon to bolster the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. Despite the opposition's criticism of the decision, it gave its approval for the deployment. They said the government was sending troops to another dangerous region. This comes after withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq in 2004. The government defended its decision, saying that it was a necessary step to take as a member of the European community. Spain will commit the third largest contingent to Lebanon following France and Italy. It is expected that Madrid will eventually take over command of the multinational force in Lebanon that will include troops from Belgium, Ireland, Finland, Poland and Portugal. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was in Spain for the vote. He has praised the decision. The revamped UN force in Lebanon is expected to reach 15,000 troops strong.

Sarkozy calls for major EU reform

The EU’s institutions and policies need to be thoroughly overhauled if Europe is to recover from its current crisis, Nicolas Sarkozy has claimed.Speaking in Brussels, the French interior minister gave some indication of the way his country’s attitude to Europe would change should he replace Jacques Chirac as president following next May’s elections. There is a crisis in Europe…our citizens are plagued by doubt and indifference, he said.But Europe should be seen as something to aspire to, not something that holds us back. I want it to inspire enthusiasm in our citizens, not distrust.The next few months will be vital for the EU, Sarkozy said, with elections in 11 member states. Now more than ever we need to think about how we can reconcile Europe with Europeans,he said. The constitutional treaty in its current form will never enter into force, however sad that might be. The decision of the French
people [in last year’s referendum] was clear,he said.

Cherry-picking

Instead, Sarkozy repeated calls for cherry-picking the best bits of the existing treaty text, including extending the scope of qualified majority voting among member states and giving the European parliament a bigger role.This ‘mini-treaty’ could be quickly agreed since the issues have already been debated at length by the Convention,he said.Our aim would be to launch the project under the German EU presidency [which starts in January] and finish it under the French [in the second half of 2008].Such a treaty would give a let out clause to those countries who said no to the constitution without humiliating those who said yes, he added.

Institutional reform

But he stressed that some issues still needed to be resolved. The commission needs to be reformed,he said. “This is one of the most important, and definitely one of the most difficult, institutional questions to resolve.He said that the current system was neither efficient nor fair, primarily because commissioners were nominated by national governments.Why don’t we take the bold decision to allow the commission president to choose his or her own commission?

After all, this is how national governments are chosen A commission president, himself approved by both MEPs and national governments, could choose the best people for each post, creating a real team of committed commissioners, he said.Sarkozy also reiterated calls for an easing of the EU’s rules on decision-making.We need to change the rule about unanimity. We cannot impose decisions upon countries if they do not agree; nor can I accept that countries which do not want to go forward should be allowed to hold back others.

Instead, Sarkozy is suggesting a system based on what he calls super qualified majority, where decisions could be taken with the backing of 70-80 per cent of the votes, allowing certain key issues to be resolved.He gave the example of taxation, where certain countries continue to block attempts to introduce a uniform EU corporation tax.Some countries use zero rates to attract business. This fiscal dumping, which is allowed to continue because of the unanimity rule, is not acceptable within the EU, he said.Other blocked dossiers, such as working time or European patents, could also be concluded more rapidly under these more flexible
proposals.Sarkozy also backed calls for working parties between member states that could push the agenda forward without the need for everyone to agree. Why shouldn’t countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece get together to discuss
plans to control forest fires?Why shouldn’t the Mediterranean countries work together to put the best possible measures in place to tackle illegal immigration?” he added.

Immigration and enlargement

The controversial French minister has been criticised for his increasingly tough stance on immigration, and he used his Brussels speech to criticise recent decisions in Spain and Italy to regularise black market workers.These countries should have asked for the support of other EU countries before doing this,he said.Otherwise what is the point of the Schengen agreement [which removes internal borders].He said that it was no surprise that Italy and Spain were now being inundated by floods of illegal immigrants, although he stressed that he backed their calls for help from other EU countries.Sarkozy also tackled the issue of Europe’s absorption capacity and where its boundaries should be set. Europe is not just an idea, it is a shared identity, a shared history and a shared geography,he said.The EU should be open to everyone in the European continent – Switzerland, Norway, the Balkans or Iceland, if they want.

Our neighbours elsewhere, in Eurasia or North Africa, should be offered privileged partnerships with the EU, but not membership.Turkey is our friend and our neighbour, it shares many of our security concerns and some of our interests… we must deepen our relationship with Turkey, but not go as far as full membership.There are 25 EU members, not 24. I call once again for membership negotiations with Turkey to be suspended until it has ratified the Ankara protocol and recognised Cyprus.

Budget and election reform

The French EU presidency in 2008 will be responsible for the review of EU spending, and Sarkozy had some early suggestions for change, including an EU tax.The current system, based on national contributions, is illogical, unfair and incomprehensible to European citizens,he said. European expenditure should be covered by European resources, just as local taxes are used to finance local services.And the EU electoral system could also be overhauled, he suggested, by the introduction of Europe-wide lists along party lines.European elections are always dominated by national issues, there is no European campaigning.Party members from across Europe should be allowed to campaign on the issues – energy, environment, immigration, the economy, defence – that are common to Europe as a whole.

West Bank pullout plans over: Israel's Peres Fri Sep 8,

JERUSALEM (AFP) Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres has reiterated that his government had abandoned plans to withdraw from most of the occupied West Bank. The idea of unilateral disengagement or realignment is over. It is over politically,
psychologically as well as operationally,Peres was quoted as telling the top-selling Yediot Aharonot daily on Friday.There will not be a manifold repetition in Judaea and Samaria (the southern and northern West Bank) of the withdrawal from Gaza. There will not be massive evacuation of the settlements,he added, giving three reasons.He listed them as continued Palestinian attacks from Gaza despite Israel's withdrawal last year, fractured Palestinian politics with no one to take responsibility, and unfavourable public opinion in Israel.

Peres said Israel would instead hold talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, albeit bypassing the governing Hamas movement that does not officially recognise Israel's right to exist.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that he had shelved his disengagement plan, which could have seen tens of thousands of Jews uprooted from Arab land and which was a cornerstone of his March election. Instead he said he wanted dialogue with Abbas.

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 and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE 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)

Iran test-fires bunker-busting bomb
07.09.06 A 200lb guided bomb, similar to that test-fired by Iran

Iran today ended its large-scale military exercises by testing firing a 2000-pound guided bomb, state-run television reported.It is a

flying bomb and can be used as a guided long-range air-to-surface missile,Gen. Amir Amini, deputy commander of Iran's air force, told state TV.Amini added that the bomb was a special weapon developed for penetrating military, economic and strategic targets located deep underground on the soil of the enemy.He said the bomb has an exceptional explosive power against its targets either on the ground or in the sea.

The bomb, named Qassed or Herald, was shown in a televised picture in white, yellow, red and green colors.A flying bomb is an unmanned aerial vehicle or small aircraft carrying a large explosive warhead. In contrast to a bomber aircraft, which is intended to release bombs and then return to its base, a flying bomb crashes into its target and is therefore itself destroyed in its attack.

Iran is involved in a major military build-up, concerned about the U.S. military presence in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan at a time when the international community has threatened to impose sanctions against Tehran because of its disputed nuclear program.During maneuvers dubbed The Blow of Zolfaghar, which began on August 19, Iran has test fired short range surface-to-surface and sub-to-surface missiles, a new air defense system, fighter planes and laser bombs.

State TV said that Iran had flown a light fighter plane which has capability of close-range support, Azarakhsh or Lightning, during Wednesday's exercises. It did not explain the delay in the announcement.Azarakhsh is derived from the reverse engineered components of U.S. fighter planes and was the first warplane to be manufactured domestically in Iran.Also on Wednesday, Iran exhibited its first locally designed fighter plane, the bomber Saegheh, which is similar to the American F-18 fighter plane.

Saegheh is a war plane that we completely designed and manufactured inside the country,said air force commander Gen. Karim Ghavami on Thursday. This is a great achievement.After decades of relying on foreign weapons purchases, Iran now says it is increasingly self-sufficient in its military equipment claiming it annually exports more than US$100 million (¤81 million) worth of military equipment to more than 50 countries.Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers and missiles, the government said. It announced in early 2005 that it had begun producing torpedoes.

EU BACK FOREIGN MINISTER POST

1-Storm Florence on path for Bermuda. 2-Early morning heavy rains pound Arizona. 3-Popular opinion backs EU foreign minister post. 4-PM Olmert's Office: Int'l Troops To Replace Blockade Thursday. 5-B.C Fires. 6-Idaho forest fires continue to grow.7-Through Middle East Proxies, Russia Steps Quickly Toward Prophetic Fulfillment Of War With Israel. 8-Iran-EU meeting Sat. seen as last chance. 9-Speech by Prince Hassan of Jordan, President of the Club of Rome. 10-Trade in South America. 11-Conference highlights earthquake threat in Switzerland. 12-Spain hit by highly toxic spill.

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.

Storm Florence on path for Bermuda By JENNIFER KAY, Associated Press Writer 26 minutes ago

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Florence held its strength in the open Atlantic early Thursday, still far from the U.S. but large enough that forecasters warned it could create high surf and rip currents along the East Coast within the next five days. The storm's forecast path puts it over the Bermuda area Monday or Tuesday, forecasters said.The concern would be Bermuda at this point, how close the destructive force winds will move toward it,said Dave Roberts, a Navy forecaster at the National Hurricane Center.

Florence had maximum sustained winds near 50 mph Thursday morning and tropical storm force winds extending up to 290 miles from its center. Its sustained winds were expected to strengthen Thursday and Friday and pass the 74 mph threshold for a hurricane by the time in nears Bermuda.At 11 a.m. EDT, the storm was centered 645 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands and about 1,115 miles southeast of Bermuda. It was moving west-northwest at about 8 mph.Even though the forecast shows the storm's center will likely remain off the U.S. coast, Florence's large size meant that ocean swells could cause high surf and rip currents from the mid-Atlantic states northward by Tuesday, said Stacy Stewart, a senior hurricane specialist at the hurricane center.

Florence developed in the peak of hurricane season in warm Atlantic waters, the source of energy for storm development this time of year. While warm enough to spur storm intensification, forecasters said those waters are not as warm as last year's storm season, which had a record 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes, including Katrina.The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season has not been as rough as initially feared. The National Hurricane Center lowered its forecast in August to between 12 and 15 named storms and seven to nine hurricanes.Florence follows on the heels of Tropical Storm Ernesto, which was briefly the season's first hurricane before weakening and blowing up the East Coast last week. The storm was blamed for nine U.S. deaths, delayed the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis and blacked out thousands of homes and businesses from North Carolina to New York.
On the Net:Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Early morning heavy rains pound Arizona 27 minutes ago

TUCSON, Ariz. - Heavy rains pounded the Tucson area on Thursday, flooding numerous streets and strangling traffic. A man's body washed up from a river, and officials said he may have fallen into rushing water upstream.A record 1.14 inches of rain was reported at Tucson International Airport, and up to 2 inches of rain fell in other parts of the area before 7 a.m.Numerous collisions and stranded vehicles were reported.The body washed up from the Santa Cruz River on the city's northwest side, after a man was reported to have fallen into a south-side wash. Witnesses reported that the man was floating downstream face down after possibly hitting his head in the water, Fire Capt. Paul McDonough said.

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

Popular opinion backs EU foreign minister post
06.09.2006 - 17:33 CET | By Honor Mahony

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A majority of EU citizens are in favour of having a single EU foreign minister for the bloc, the results of a new survey have shown.Conducted by the German Marshall Fund in June across several member states including France,
Germany, the UK and Italy, the survey showed that 65 percent of respondents would like to see the post created.

The greatest support for the idea was found among the Spanish (74%), the Italians (71%) and the French (69%) while British and Slovak respondents proved among the least keen on the idea, clocking in 52 and 48 percent respectively.The EU foreign minister position is one of the key innovations of the European constitution which was shelved last year after French and Dutch voters rejected it in referendums.

And so long as the constitution remains moribund, the post is unlikely to see the light of day.But while there was some strong support for a foreign minister, the idea of the bloc strengthening its military power to play a larger role in the world proved more controversial.On average, 51 percent were against the idea but there were big differences between countries with the Portuguese (68%) and the French (56%) more in favour of the bloc assuming military responsibilities but the Germans (64%) and the Italians (56%) more against.A majority of those surveyed believed further enlargement of the EU would bring peace and democracy to the EU bloc's borders (62%) and would strengthen the EU's role in the world (63%).

EU-US trends

The same survey shows that European support for US leadership in world affairs has dropped significantly (from 64% to 37%) since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington five years ago.On a similar note, European disapproval of US president George W. Bush's handling of international affairs has risen strongly from 56 percent to 77 percent - with the French, Germans and Spanish proving to be the most critical with an 85 percent disapproval rate.European disapproval is mirrored across the Atlantic as Americans for the first time since 2001 are more disapproving (58%) than approving (40%) of president Bush's handling of foreign affairs.Between the 2001 attacks and now the US led an international coalition to invade Afghanistan – in October 2001 – and invaded Iraq in 2003 as part of its war on terror.

But the Iraq invasion, which bitterly split European countries, has come to haunt the Bush administration as the death toll rises for both Iraqi civilians and US soldiers and with the country beset by sectarian violence. With the international community's efforts to get Iran to stop its uranium enrichment programme almost constantly in the news the last few months, both Europeans and Americans view its nuclear threat as greater than the continued violence in Iraq.This report uses results from citizens from the nine EU member states surveyed - Germany, France, the UK, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia. In each country, around 1,000 people were interviewed.

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)

PM Olmert's Office: Int'l Troops To Replace Blockade Thursday
By Ezra HaLevi(INN)

Israel announced that it will end the nearly two-month blockade of Lebanon at 6 PM Thursday, trusting international troops to prevent Hizbullah from smuggling weapons in and the MIAs out. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office announced that international forces would be replacing Israeli positions over Lebanon’s air and seaports beginning Thursday evening. The announcement bows to a demand by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and threats by Lebanese officials to use Lebanon’s army to break the blockade in 48 hours.

US Secretary of State Dr. Condoleeza Rice and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, last night and this morning, informed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that international forces are ready to take up control positions over Lebanon’s seaports and airports, Olmert’s office said. Therefore, it was agreed that tomorrow, Israel will leave the aforesaid control positions and, at the same time, the international forces will enter.

Today,the statement continue, German experts and their equipment are expected to arrive at Beirut International Airport. The Lebanese Government and the UN have also agreed that German naval forces will deploy opposite the Lebanese coast.

The announcement came on the heels of a Lebanese threat to break the blockade.
We will wait out the time frame outlined by Koffi Annan,Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said, 48 hours - and if the situation is solved, we will thank him, and if not, the Lebanese government will take the necessary steps and break the blockade.

The announcement elicited outrage from the families of kidnapped IDF soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser – who say the blockade should not be lifted until their children are released from Hizbullah captivity. The families worry that once the blockade is lifted, the soldiers will be smuggled out of Lebanon.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

B.C Fires
By JENNIFER DYCK
Morning Star Staff,Sep 06 2006

Smoke continues to dominate the Okanagan valley skies due to an immense blaze straddling the B.C./Washington border.

The cause of the valley’s smoky conditions is the Tatoosh fire burning in the Pasayten River area, which crossed the B.C. border over the long weekend. The blaze, which was started Aug. 22 by lightning, is estimated at 5,700 hectares with approximately 2,100 hectares burning in B.C. Along with seeing haze, Vernon and area residents may be wondering if such conditions are also affecting their health. Particularly those more sensitive to smoke exposure than others, such as children, seniors and people with asthma or heart or lung diseases.

In Vernon, the air quality health index (from www.airplaytoday.com) was at a low health risk as of Tuesday and forecasted to reach a moderate level today. For those most sensitive to smoke, Dr. Paul Hasselback, senior medical health officer with Interior Health, reminds them to be aware of these ratings. Just because one of the fires has crossed the border doesn’t mean the smoke is any worse or better than before. But most of the smoke we’re experiencing is probably coming from the larger fire, the Tripod Complex fire,said Hasselback, of the 62,255 hectare blaze that has been burning since July 24 and currently sits approximately four kilometres from the border. The smoke has also raised concerns from Princeton area residents, and has initiated activation of an Emergency Operations Centre in Princeton.

The level one EOC, opened by the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen, was activated even though the fire is considerable distance from Princeton. With the establishment of the RDOS Protective Services Department managed by Mark Woods, we are ready to respond with emergency operations in support of those fighting this fire and for the public that may be affected,said Dan Ashton, RDOS board chair. B.C. Forest Service spokesman Jeff Moore also stated:No evacuation alerts have been issued, although the residents have been made aware of the fire threat. All residents are also reminded that although there is no campfire ban in effect, to never leave their campfires unattended. There have been more than 350 abandoned campfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre alone this summer, with 24 of them resulting in wildfires requiring action by fire fighters.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Idaho forest fires continue to grow
By EXPRESS STAFF and ASSOCIATED PRESS

Strong winds and dry weather contributed to the spread of several forest fires burning to the north and west of Stanley over the weekend. The Trail Creek Fire, burning near Loon Creek in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, grew about 1,400 acres since late last week to about 33,600 acres, the U.S. Forest Service reported Tuesday. The fire continues to be fueled by beetle-killed trees. Fire suppression efforts have focused on protecting the Loon Creek guard station and other buildings. The Boundary Fire, burning near the Middle Fork of the Salmon River launch site, was held under a temperature inversion Sunday and did not make much of an advance, the Forest Service reported. However, a Forest Service Web site stated that the fire has extreme growth potential due to low humidity and very dry fuels. The Boundary Fire and two other nearby fires, known together as the Boundary Complex, have burned almost 18,000 acres.

The Red Mountain Fire, burning about five miles northwest of Banner Summit, was fanned by strong winds Monday into flames about 300 feet high, sending embers across fire lines. Fire crews pulled back for safety reasons, the Forest Service reported.
Fire fighters may need to construct line quickly to prevent further expansion of troublesome areas,a Forest Service press release stated on Tuesday.

The press release stated that crews may use explosives to blow brush and other wood out of the way of the fire's path. The fire has burned about 21,000 acres. The Trailhead Fire, burning near Stanley Lake, is 80 percent contained. However, some trails in the area remain closed. Federal fire forecasters said Friday that the 2006 wildfire season will likely end up scorching about the same amount of land in the western United States as did last year's fires, although the acreage burned so far this season is well above the 10-year average. Through August, 7.8 million acres, or more than 12,000 square miles, had burned this year from more than 79,000 fires.

In 2005, more than 56,000 fires burned 8.2 million acres, or 12,800 square miles. The 10-year average fire season through August is 4.7 million acres, or 7,300 square miles, from 58,000 fires. The U.S. Forest Service has spent almost more than $1.2 billion fighting the fires since the fiscal 2006-year began last Oct. 1.Federal suppression costs have been high this season due to an unusually early and large fire season in Texas and Oklahoma. Costs have also been steep from a spate of big timber blazes this year in the Rockies and Cascades.

We've learned when you get fires in that terrain, there's no reason to put people at risk climbing steep mountainsides, said Rose Davis, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. We incorporate more aviation assets to stem the spread of those fires from the air, which is costlier. The new National Wildland Fire Outlook report for September calls for high fire potential in northern California due to seasonal winds, while monsoons in the Southwest have ended the fire season there. The probability of lightning in the Pacific Northwest will drop significantly after Sept. 10, which should lessen the chances of more new fires. But Tom Wordell, leader of the Predictive Services Unit at the federal firefighting command center in Boise, said energy release component measurements of how quickly trees and brush could ignite remain dangerously high after a long, hot summer in the West.

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 and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE 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)

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).

MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Through Middle East Proxies, Russia Steps Quickly Toward Prophetic Fulfillment Of War With Israel 2006-09-06 -- WDC Media News -- Feature Article
By Bill Wilson, Daily Jot News Service Senior Analyst
Christian News and Media Agency

Wash—Sep 6—DJNS--Iran is reportedly moving fast toward having its own nuclear weapons capabilities and sanctions leveled by the United States in protest are like fighting a wild bear with a feather. And it is the proxy of the wild bear that the United States is fighting. Russia continues to press for what it calls a diplomatic solution to the Iranian issue, all the while it is supplying arms, missile engineering, and nuclear technology and know-how to Iran. If Iran has a nuclear weapon and the capability to deliver it within the next five years as some Pentagon analysts believe, then Russia is to blame for its extraordinary assistance to the Iranian program. Russia also had sold arms to Iran and Syria which were used by Hezbollah in its recent war with Israel.

Ariel Cohen, a Russian analyst with the conservative Heritage Foundation, recently observed that Russia not only has a billion dollar deal to build Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Reactor, it also supports Tehran diplomatically, and supplies Iran with arms. Cohen told CBN News that Russia is interested in high oil prices. Therefore, Russia is interested in an aggressive Iran that supports the Middle East.

If Americans get pinned down on top of that, dealing with Iran and trying to enforce nuclear disarmament of Iran, that’s in Russia’s interests because Russia gets stronger. Russia is not involved in any fighting, and Americans are being drained of their treasure and their troops, and are being bogged down in a major confrontation with the Muslim world.

Russia’s reach is not only focused on the Middle East. Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez and Russian President Vladimir Putin are on the verge of a series of agreements to strengthen Russia’s military and energy ties in South America. Chavez recently announced that his country will be building a weapons plant under the license of Russia. And Chavez agreed to make Russia his number one arms supplier with a $3 billion-plus deal to purchase fighter jets and helicopters. In return, Russia will be putting a stake in the South American ground by helping create a natural gas and oil cartel with Venezuela.

Iran’s nuclear weapons program is virtually guaranteed If the United States and other free nations around the world do nothing more than sanctions to stop it. And much of the unrest around the world is fueled by weapons from and diplomatic protection by Russia.

Its long over due that the United States quit believing what is not true—that Russia is an ally. Russia is fast moving toward fulfillment of the Ezekiel prophecy that it will lead Iran and other Islamic nations to war with Israel. Ezekiel 38:9 says Russia will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud.Of course, God will cause the Russians and their allies to be defeated.

American cannot stop prophecy, but she can determine where she stands in it. Let us pray our only alliance is with Christ.

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WDC Media
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Iran-EU meeting Sat. seen as last chance Thu Sep 7,

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Thursday that he expects to hold talks with Iran's top nuclear envoy on Saturday.

The talks are considered a final attempt to determine whether there is common ground to start negotiations between Iran and the five U.N. Security Council nations, plus Germany.

Solana did not release the location of Saturday's meeting, to be held with Iran's Ali Larijani.Meanwhile, key European nations warned that Iran is trying to weaken
international opposition to its contentious nuclear program by stalling on giving a clear response to terms set by the six world powers for negotiations, according to a confidential document obtained Thursday.

The Iranian goal obviously is to split the international community,said the document, drawn up by Britain, France and Germany, and made available to The Associated Press ahead of a key meeting of the five Security Council nations and Germany.The nations are scheduled to meet in Berlin on Thursday to coordinate joint strategy over Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.Larijani was in Spain on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is also in Spain for talks with Zapatero. It was not immediately known if he and Larijani will meet.Italian Premier Romano Prodi will meet with Larijani on Friday to discuss the nuclear standoff, the crisis in Lebanon and Iran's role in the region, the premier's spokesman said.The European assessment of Iran's strategy in the nuclear negotiations is described in a 1 1/2 page document labeled In Confidence that was sent to dozens of capitals last week.It summarizes Iran's response to a six-power offer to Iran dangling the prospect of technical, economic and political rewards if it agrees to suspend enrichment before talks begin and consider a long-term moratorium on the technology, which can be misused to make nuclear arms.While not specifically threatening U.N. sanctions, it says the Security Council will have to consider further steps if Tehran continues to defy the council by refusing to stop enrichment.

The six-power package warned of punishments, including U.N. sanctions, if Tehran does not halt enrichment — something Iran refused to do by an Aug. 31 deadline set by the U.N. Security Council.Iran's Aug. 22 response to the six-power offer has been kept confidential. But the United States and its allies have described it as unsatisfactory, primarily because of Tehran's refusal to consider freezing enrichment.Diplomats familiar with the document said it was drawn up by Britain, France and Germany, which are among the six nations that made the June incentives offer, to inform other nations of the substance of Iran's counteroffer and share
the Western view that it was inadequate.The reply is along the lines of previous Iranian statements in that typically it neither accepts nor rejects outright the six-power proposal, said the document sent to dozens of capitals last week.

By hinting that it is prepared to resume suspension of uranium enrichment, the document says, Iran's goal obviously is to split the international community and draw us into a process of talks about talks, on Iranian terms, while making no commitments of its own while continuing with its enrichment programme.

The document described Iran's response as verbose and complicated, and ambiguous in many places.Iran promises that it is prepared to discuss the suspension of uranium enrichment in the course of negotiations but not before, the document said. In addition, Iran demands the termination of Security Council involvement in its
nuclear file.

Iran's nuclear defiance is the thrust of Thursday's talks in Berlin by U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and counterparts from the other five powers — Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Iran's unyielding stance appears to be based on the calculation that sanctions will be opposed by Russia and China, both veto-wielding Security Council members that have major commercial ties with Tehran. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any sanctions must exclude military force, suggesting Moscow was contemplating the possibility of sanctions but remained opposed to harsh and quick punishment.

Lavrov said the Security Council's recent resolution on the issue holds out the possibility of further measures on Iran such as economic penalties, banning air travel or breaking diplomatic relations, but not the use of armed force. This article envisages measures to exert influence on a country that is not cooperating, including economic ones, but it is written unambiguously there that this excludes any kind of forceful measures of influence,ITAR-Tass quoted him as saying. U.S. and European diplomats have said they are focusing at first on low-level punishment such as travel bans on Iranian officials or a ban on the sale of dual-use technology, to win backing from Russia and China.

More extreme sanctions would be a freeze on Iranian assets or a broader trade ban, but those would likely be opposed by Russia, China and perhaps others, particularly since the trade ban could cut off badly needed oil exports from Iran. Iran insists it has a right to enrich for generation of nuclear power. But suspicions are growing it wants to develop the technology to enrich uranium to the weapons-grade level for the fissile core of nuclear warheads.
Associated Press writer George Jahn in Berlin contributed to this story.

Speech by Prince Hassan of Jordan, President of the Club of Rome, Promotes the Human Agenda Through Multiculturalism in Acceptance of Honorary Doctorate from Soka University

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prince Hassan bin al Talal of Jordan, President of the Club of Rome, called for mutual respect among different cultures in a speech at the International Conference Hall of Soka University, Hachioji, Tokyo, upon his acceptance of an honorary doctorate from the University.

In his speech, given before an audience of students from 21 countries, Prince Hassan emphasized that we must avoid conflict by looking at ourselves from the standpoint of cultures and traditions that differ from ours. We must promote the human agenda by emphasizing dialogue focused on people, and promote an identity that spans the range of humanity from poor to rich to strengthen respect for human dignity. Only by advancing mutual respect and understanding can we achieve true multiculturalism. For the sake of peace, Prince Hassan proposes the creation of a set of moral principles founded on human solidarity. He comments how some today are driven to martyrdom due to hatred that has been driven deep into their hearts, stating that this will never create peace or promote human dignity. Prince Hassan urges the youth of today to stand up and work together to promote mutual understanding and solve the problems facing humanity.

Prince Hassan bin al Talal of Jordan (59) was born in March 1947 in Amman, Jordan. He obtained an MA in Oriental Studies from Christ Church College of Oxford University. In addition to being the president of the Club of Rome, he is also vice-chairman of the Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue, a member of various UNESCO committees, and is on the board of directors for the Center for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at the University of Oklahoma.

Soka University awarded Prince Hassan with the honorary doctorate for his contributions to learning and to the promotion of international understanding
through the creation of a global culture of peace and prosperity based on dialogue and conduct rooted in humanitarian principles.

Other individuals who have been awarded honorary doctorates by Soka University include Wangari Maathai, Linus Pauling and Rosa Parks. Towards a century of peace, culture and education, Soka University aims to become a student-centered University that contributes to building a peaceful world. Soka University promotes international exchanges with 97 universities in 44 countries around the world.

Trade in South America
Pisco sour,From The Economist print edition
Sweeter times ahead on the Pacific seaboard

LITTLE by little, South America is dividing itself into two very different trade blocks. Mercosur, based on Brazil and Argentina and recently joined by Venezuela, is relatively protectionist and suspicious of bilateral trade deals with the United States. Most countries on the Pacific seaboard are committed to free trade with both el norte and Asia. The latest piece in this jigsaw came on August 22nd, when Chile's foreign minister, Alejandro Foxley, visited Peru's capital, Lima, to discuss his country's plan to rejoin the Andean Community, which it left in 1976.

This continental divide is far from absolute. Chile, with the most open economy in the region, is an associate member of Mercosur (it has a free-trade agreement with the block, but is not part of its putative customs union). So are Peru and Bolivia. Ecuador and especially Bolivia have reservations about closer ties with the United States. Not so Paraguay and Uruguay, although both are members of Mercosur.

But the drift is clear. In April Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's president, pulled out of the Andean Community in protest at trade deals concluded by Peru and Colombia with the United States. Alan García, Peru's new president, has been especially keen to draw Chile into the Andean group as a counterweight to Mr Chávez. In Lima Mr Foxley also signed a bilateral trade agreement with Peru.

Relations between Peru and Chile have long been difficult. Chile grabbed part of Peru and Bolivia in a 19th century war. Peru disputes their maritime border. Mr García has gone out of his way to improve relations, which were stormy under his predecessor.

He shrugged off a campaign in the local press aimed at stirring ill-feeling over pisco, a brandy named after a Peruvian port but over which both countries claim the right of origin. It makes no sense to not get along with a neighbour that is a good commercial partner,says Luis Carranza, his finance minister.

For its part, Chile argues that South American countries need to pool their export efforts to be able to supply the volume of products demanded by China and other Asian countries. Chilean officials insist they will maintain their ties with Mercosur.

Argentina, under Néstor Kirchner, is an especially difficult neighbour: in 2004 it unilaterally cut gas exports to Chile, and then this year raised taxes on them. But Argentina and Brazil are Chile's most important local trading partners.

The biggest prize in this tentative re-alignment would be a rapprochement between Chile and Bolivia. Chile is short of energy, while Bolivia has huge natural gas deposits. But Bolivia wants Chile to restore its lost access to the sea. Peru would have to agree any deal, since any Bolivian corridor would be on its former territory. Last month, Chile scrapped import duties on most Bolivian products. But there's plenty more to discuss over a bottle of pisco.

DR SAMUEL DOCTORIAN SAYS THERE WILL BE A BIG QUAKE IN SWITZERLAND SOMETIME SOON.
look under links to read not the 1998 , but the 1st one.

Conference highlights earthquake threat in Switzerland

A map showing regions of Switzerland at risk of earthquakes (earthquake.ethz.ch) The Swiss government intends to drive home the very real threat of earthquakes in Switzerland and surrounding regions at a conference in Geneva this week.The five-day meeting, which opened on Monday, has attracted more than 1,000 seismologists and earthquake engineers in what is the first major European gathering of its kind.According to the Swiss Seismological Service, there have been more than 10,000 earthquakes felt in Switzerland over the past 800 years.

Half a dozen of them have registered more than 6.0 on the Richter scale – all in canton Valais over the past 150 years – and experts say a similar-sized quake is certain to occur in the future.Two years ago the Seismological Service warned that Switzerland, which lies on the edge of the Eurasian tectonic plate, should expect to be hit by earthquakes up to a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale.

Spain hit by highly toxic spill

The spill is killing fish and plants in its path Officials in north-western Spain are struggling to contain a highly toxic chemical river spill heading towards the Atlantic Ocean. The discharge into the Umia River was caused by a fire at a chemical plant in the Galicia region late last week. The three-kilometre (1.9 mile) long spill is slowly moving down the river, killing fish and plants in its path.

The water supply to some 80,000 people has been cut off, and shell fishing areas have been closed as a precaution. The turquoise-coloured petroleum pollutant could reach the Atlantic Ocean in two days, officials in Galicia estimate. They are building a series of dams to try to stop the spill. The cause of the fire at the chemical plant is still being investigated. The spill is a further blow to Galicia, which has been ravaged by forest fires in recent weeks. At least 86,000 hectares (212,000 acres) of Galicia's forests have been destroyed by the fires this year, many of which were started deliberately. The region was devastated by a vast oil slick caused when the Prestige oil tanker sank in 2002.