EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Jan 27 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 27,07MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
JAN 26,07
MAP 4.9 ROTA REGION, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 4.4 ECUADOR MAP 2.6 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 3.2 OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN QUEBEC, CANADA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN TURKEY
MAP 5.2 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 4.4 SEA OF JAPAN
MAP 5.1 TONGA
JAN 25,07
MAP 5.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.9 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 2.8 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.2 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 6.0 TAIWAN REGION
MAP 4.9 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.9 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.1 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.0 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 3.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.6 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.0 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
Quake rocks eastern Turkey, no casualties JAN 26,07
ISTANBUL (AFP) - A moderate earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale jolted the eastern Turkish province of Elazig, causing minor damage but no casualties, officials said.The epicenter of the quake, which hit at 10:20 am (0820 GMT), was in Baskurt village near the town of Karakocan, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said.The tremor caused walls to crack in five houses in a nearby village, but there were no reports of injuries or deaths, Elazig Governor Muammer Musmal told Anatolia news agency.A tremor measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale on Sunday jolted the province of Agri, northeast of Elazig, again causing damage to buildings but no casualties.Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which is crossed by several major fault lines.Two violent temblors in the heavily populated, industrialised northwest claimed about 20,000 lives in August and November 1999.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Angolans face killer floods, death toll up to 81 by Manuel Muanza Fri Jan 26, 12:01 PM
ET LUANDA (AFP) - Relief and repair workers struggled to deal with havoc wreaked by torrential rain and flash floods in Angola, where the death toll around the seaside capital Luanda rose to 81. During search operations 10 more bodies were found in Luanda. The toll is now 81, fire service spokesman Faustino Sebastiao told AFP, adding that 18 people were known to be missing.Fifty-nine of the deaths were in Cacuaco, one of the worst-hit areas just north of the capital, a local official said over radio.Other parts of southern Africa have been hit by heavy downpours, including Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.Central Luanda was cut off from Monday when three key bridges were damaged by heavy rain, but two of those have been repaired, linking the downtown area to the south and north east.Officials said makeshift shelters had been set up to house 1,300 displaced families while residents of the sprawling but rundown city of 4.5 million struggled to cope with the rising waters.Despite Angola's oil riches, Luanda has a skeletal infrastructure, which still bears the scars of a brutal 27-year civil war that ravaged the former Portuguese colony.Telephone lines which were been badly hit were slowly being repaired and it had become possible to make international calls again, the head of the state-runtele phone company said over radio.
Meanwhile, heart-rending scenes were witnessed in Cacuaco, home to some 900,000 people, which was still cut off from Luanda since a link bridge has been damaged.A young man on the beach in Cacuaco wept copiously by the side of his wife's body, recovered by troops who are helping in rescue and search operations.At least I have seen her body, he said. When the rains started lashing our area, we climbed on the roof. But the currents were too strong and our house collapsed. After that I lost sight of her.Businesswomen and shoppers meanwhile traversed the river separating Cacuaco and Luanda on rocks they have put alongside the destroyed bridge.On Thursday, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos visited Cacuaco and urge officials there to get to work.The capital was eerily still Friday with most vehicles off the roads.I walked four kilometres (three miles) before coming to a road where I could take a taxi, Marcos Costa said.Luanda's governor Job Capapinha told an emergency meeting his three main priorities were providing emergency relief, restoring road links and ensuring proper sanitation to stem the tide of cholera, which has claimed more than 2,000 lives across the country since February last year.The cholera epidemic broke out then in a sprawling Luanda slum and has been blamed on poor sanitation, an acute shortage of drinking water and inadequate infrastructure.In March 2005, flooding in northern Angola left over 10,000 people without shelter.
Storm, surge warnings prompt Cape Breton school closuresFriday, January 26, 2007 11:24 AM AT CBC News
Schools across Cape Breton are closed Friday as the island braces for a winterstorm.
Environment Canada expects the storm to hit its peak in the evening with up to 20 centimetres of snow and winds gusting to 90 kilometres per hour.Jean-Marc Couturier, a meteorologist at the Maritime weather centre in Halifax, said the expected storm surge is a concern, particularly in the St. George's Bay area where it could reach as high as one metre.It's the force of the system that's going to be building waves, and any shoreline that will be exposed to a northerly flow will see these waves crashing in, he said.
Flood cleanup begins in B.C. cityThursday, January 25, 2007 11:32 AM PT CBC News
Residents of Terrace have begun cleaning up following the heavy rain that led to serious flooding closing roads and triggering a mudslide in the northwestern B.C. city on Wednesday. Fire Chief Peter Weeber told CBC Radio Thursday that the flooding stopped almost as quickly as it started.Some streets in Terrace, B.C., were underwater on Wednesday following a heavy rainstorm.He said officials are now trying to find out why the rainwater flooded the town, instead of just draining away.If you take a step back and look at it, that volume of water coming down a frozen mountain, anything loose or anything that can be undermined, it was.Several streets were closed by the flooding on Wednesday, and Highway 16 between Terrace and Prince Rupert was closed because of the threat of an avalanche.The community is getting a break from the winter storms, with sunshine in the forecast for the next few days.
Bitter cold Northeast Wayne Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Fri Jan 26, 4:59 AM ET
Northeast
The big story will be the cold start to the day today, and again Saturday morning, as arctic air overtakes the area. After temperatures ranging from 10 to 20 below over northern New England, to the single digits and teens over the Mid-Atlantic, afternoon highs will recover only into the single digits north, to the teens and 20s south. Wind chill values this morning will be dangerous across northern New England, where readings will dip into the 30 to 40 below range. Elsewhere across the Northeast, expect wind chills in the 5 above to 15 below range today. Another cold morning will take place again Saturday morning, with temperatures similar to this morning. Wind chills, while still low, should not be as cold. A few lake effect snow showers may linger near the Great lakes today, but a general decrease in activity is expected through the day as winds shift to a more west and southwest direction ahead of the next arctic cold front. This next front is scheduled to move across the Northeast Saturday night into Sunday, with show showers accompanying its passage. Lake effect snow showers will then set up across the Great Lakes for the start of the upcoming week.
Midwest
A few lingering snow showers and flurries will be found across the Great Lakes this morning, otherwise generally dry conditions will expand across the central Plains and Midwest today. A new arctic front will enter the northern Plains and Upper Midwest by late day, producing a few snow showers there, otherwise milder conditions will be found across the region. Afternoon highs today will range from the 40s and 50s from Omaha, Kansas City, St, Louis, and Louisville, to the 20s and 30s from Minneapolis and Chicago, to Cleveland. The arctic front will sweep south into the Plains and Midwest Saturday, dropping afternoon highs into the single digits
and teens across the Upper Midwest. Highs only in the 20s will spread as far south as Omaha and Chicago. By Sunday afternoon temperatures in the 20s will reach to the Ohio River with single digits and teens across all of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Morning low temperatures this weekend, will drop into the single digits to below zero over much of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Scattered snow showers will accompany the arctic front Saturday, as it moves across the Midwest. Lake effect snow showers will then take over near the Great Lakes by Sunday.
South
High pressure will dominate the South today, resulting in plenty of sunshine in most areas. After a chilly start this morning, afternoon temperatures will rebound into the lower and middle 50s from Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans, to the lower 60s from Dallas, Houston, and Orlando. Lower 70s will be confined to far southern Florida. Clouds will be on the increase across parts of Texas today, as a weather disturbance moves across northern Mexico and a cold front approaches from the north. Rain showers will develop tonight across most of Texas. Saturday, the cold front will sweep rapidly south, as the weather disturbance crosses the northern Gulf of Mexico. This will spread rain showers across the Lower Mississippi River Valley during the afternoon, moving into the Southeastern states Saturday night. Rain showers will advance into southern Florida by Sunday, as the cold front pushes south. This will leave the entire South dry, but chilly, with afternoon highs only in the 40s across a widespread area.
West
High pressure will generally dominate much of the West today, resulting in fair weather conditions from Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, through Denver, into the northern Rockies. This same high pressure will also result in some low clouds, areas of dense fog, and stagnant air across parts of the Pacific Northwest this morning, affecting areas from Seattle and Portland to Spokane. One exception to the fair weather will be across north central California, north of the San Francisco area, where a weather disturbance will bring a few rain showers inland. The other exception will be over the far southern mountains near the Mexico boarder where a weather disturbance will result in areas of rain and snow. Saturday into Sunday, rain showers will linger across western and central California, as the weather disturbance slowly drifts south across that area. A few snow showers may also develop across the interior western mountains as some upslope flow develops there. It looks as if the next more significant storm system may begin to take shape across the central and southern Rockies Tuesday into Wednesday.
Thousands of Israelis seeking asylum in Canada: reports Friday, January 26, 2007 12:35 PM ET CBC News
At least 3,000 Israelis, most of them citing a fear of spousal abuse and Palestinian violence, have requested asylum in Canada since 2000, recent reports out of Israel said.Two major newspapers in Israel said that Canada has already granted refugee status to hundreds of Israelis, but thousands of others have filed applications.The reports, from the Yediot Ahronot and Maariv newspapers, both quoted figures from the Israeli Foreign Ministry that show at least 3,000 Israelis filed applications seeking asylum in Canada. Maariv said that upwards of 500 of the applications had been approved in the last six years.Yediot quoted the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Alan Barker, as saying many of the applications Canadian officials were seeing were in fact bogus and that they were harming Israel's image and representing it as a country whose citizens are persecuted.Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the department was aware of the number of Israelis seeking asylum in Canada, and said we have taken the matter up with the Canadians, but he did not elaborate. The Canadian embassy in Tel Aviv said it did not have the data, and referred inquiries to the government in Ottawa.With files from the Associated Press
Jean Charest seeks free trade deal with EUFriday, January 26, 2007 12:33 PM ET The Canadian Press
Quebec Premier Jean Charest wants a free-trade deal between Canada and the European Union, he said Friday.Charest said he has already spoken about the idea to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as his provincial counterparts, and has received a positive response.Charest is in Davos, Switzerland, for an annual economic forum.The Quebec premier wants to tap the economic potential of the European market, which has 450 million consumers. He also said an accord would ease the exchange of workers between Canada and Europe. Canadian government data suggests a free trade deal with the European Union would boost Canada's exports by $2.4 billion annually.The Canadian Press
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)
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 OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) 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.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Iran calls for summit with Iraq, Syria By STEVEN R. HURST and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers Fri Jan 26, 6:35 PM ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iran has invited the Iraqi and Syrian presidents to Tehran for a weekend summit with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to hash out ways to cooperate in curbing the runaway violence that has taken Iraq to the verge of civil war and threatens to spread through the region, four key lawmakers told The Associated Press on Monday. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has accepted the invitation and will fly to the Iranian capital Saturday, a close parliamentary associate said.The Iranian diplomatic gambit appeared designed to upstage expected moves from Washington to include Syria and Iran in a wider regional effort to clamp off violence in Iraq, where more civilians have been killed in the first 20 days of November than in any other month since the AP began tallying the figures in April 2005.The Iranian move was also a display of its increasingly muscular role in the Middle East, where it already has established deep influence over Syria and Lebanon.All three countries intend to hold a three-way summit among Iraq, Iran and Syria to discuss the security situation and the repercussions for stability of the region, said Ali al-Adeeb, a lawmaker of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa Party and a close aide to the prime minister.
Both Iran and Syria are seen as key players in Iraq. Syria is widely believed to have done little to stop foreign fighters and al-Qaida in Iraq recruits from crossing its border to join Sunni insurgents in Iraq. It also has provided refuge for many top members of Saddam Hussein's former leadership and political corps, which is thought to have organized arms and funding for the insurgents. The Sunni insurgency, since it sprang to life in late summer 2003, has been responsible for most of the U.S. deaths in Iraq.Iran is deeply involved in training, funding and arming the two major Shiite militias in Iraq, where Tehran has deep historic ties to the current Shiite political leadership. Many Iraqi Shiites spent years in Iranian exile during Saddam's decades in power in Baghdad. One militia, the Badr Brigade, was trained in Iran by the Revolutionary Guard.An Ahmadinejad spokesman said that Talibani's visit was scheduled several weeks ago for late November to work on improving bilateral relations. But Majid Yazdi told the AP that he had no information on a coming visit by the Syrian leader.But Talabani confidants said the invitation was issued on Thursday by Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazimi Qumi, who said Syrian President Bashar Assad also would be in Tehran for the talks with
Ahmadinejad.AP correspondents Bassem Mroue in Baghdad and Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed to this report.
IAEA chief says attack on Iran would be catastrophe By Stella Dawson Fri Jan 26, 5:23 PM
ET DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - An attack on Iran would be catastrophic and encourage it to develop a nuclear bomb, Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Thursday. It would be absolutely counterproductive, and it would be catastrophic, ElBaradei said at a discussion on nuclear proliferation at the World Economic Forum.The Bush administration in recent weeks has toughened its stance against Iran, which the West has accused of seeking to secretly build an atomic bomb, raising fears among political and business leaders that the U.S. plans an attack.President George W. Bush has moved an additional aircraft carrier into the Gulf and told Iran that he would not allow it to provide weapons and support to insurgents in Iraq.Israel has refused to rule out pre-emptive military action against Iran on the lines of its 1981 air strike against an atomic reactor in Iraq, although many analysts believe Iran's nuclear facilities are too much for Israel to destroy alone.The United Nations imposed sanctions in December to prevent Iran using its nuclear energy program for military weapons, and Iran this week banned 38 IAEA nuclear inspectors.
ElBaradei, head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, has been engaged in meetings here at the gathering of world political and business leaders. He said diplomacy is the only way forward, and talk of military action can only backfire.This strengthens the hands of those in Iran who say let's develop a bomb to protect ourselves, he said.The Bush administration has said it wants a diplomatic solution and that it is not preparing to attack either Iran or Syria.Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also warned against an attack, while Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami urged calm to reduce tensions over Iran's nuclear program.If there is military action, it will have catastrophic results, not only in the region, but the whole world, Aziz said.I hope they would be good enough in managing the situation. We deeply need patience and understanding and not to get too emotional, Khatami said.ElBaradei said force should not be ruled out, but past experience has shown that it should not be used with haste, citing Iraq where no evidence ofnuclear weapons was found after the U.S.-led invasion.
I am convinced that the only way forward in Iran is engagement, ElBaradei said. We have to invest in peace, he said, adding that if the international community failed to do that the consequence will be 10 times worse.I hope we will stop speaking about a military option and focus on finding a solution, ElBaradei said.Iran says it needs nuclear power to generate electricity but the West fears it is secretly seeking an atom bomb. In December, the United Nations imposed sanctions on Iran's trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology to try and stop enrichment work that could produce bomb material.
YES, ITS ALL COMING TOGETHER QUICK NOW, THE EU (REVIVED) ROME IS GETTING INTO THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS, AND WILL TAKE CONTROL OF IT AND IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, THE DICTATOR WILL COME ON THE SCENE, WILL BE ELECTED LEADER OF THE EU AND WILL SIGN THE 7 YEAR PEACE TREATY BETWEEN ISRAEL - ARABS AND MANY OF DANIEL 9:27. I LOVE THIS HEADLINE
Olmert's party proposes handing West Bank to EuropeFollows WND reports of secret talks to evacuate strategic territory under EU supervisionPosted: January 25, 2007 - By Aaron Klein - WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM – A member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party yesterday proposed transferring control of the West Bank to a European task force until the establishment of a Palestinian state, at which time the strategic territory would be handed to security forces associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The proposal comes after WND broke the story earlier this week that, according to top European and Egyptian diplomatic sources, Israel has been conducting behind-the-scene negotiations to hand over most of the West Bank to Abbas' security forces. The sources said the transfer of security control to
Abbas would be coordinated by the European Union and Jordan. The West Bank borders Jerusalem and is within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. At Israel's prestigious Herzliya Conference, Knesset Member Shlomo Breznitz, reportedly a close confidante of Olmert, said yesterday the West Bank should be transferred temporarily to the Europeans and that most of the territory's Jewish communities should be evacuated.
The only way to get out of the impasse is to transfer the territories, for a limited time, to an international mandate, that will run them until the establishment of a Palestinian state, said Breznitz at the conference. The Herzliya Conference is attended by Israel's top leadership and regularly maps out the country's agenda for the coming year. In 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip at the conference. Breznitz told Israel's Maariv daily newspaper the West Bank should be transferred to the European community and not the U.S. because, he said, after the invasion of Iraq, America lost its status as an honest broker in the view of the Palestinians and the Arab states.Breznitz said his West Bank transfer proposal received a warm reception from European and Palestinian officials. I have reason to believe, and I don't want to expand on this, that the Palestinians will support the proposal. Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from European countries who were shown the proposal also believe that without international help it will not be possible to resolve the conflict, said Breznitz.
According to the Israel Resource News Agency, Olmert regularly consults with Breznitz and is known to spend vacation time with the Breznitz family. The Knesset member's plan comes after WND reported yesterday the EU is in the process of expanding its offices in Israel, including in the Palestinian areas, in anticipation of an increased security role here following what Europeandiplomatic sources say is new momentum regarding an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. The sources, who said they were directly involved in behind-the-scene negotiations, said one proposal being considered is for the EU and Jordan to supervise the transfer of the northern West Bank to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months.
According to an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000. During the Camp David talks, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem. According to the diplomatic sources, still being debated in the purported West Bank negotiations is the role of Hamas, which leads the PA and maintains the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament.
Negotiations between Abbas and Hamas leaders for a national unity government have mostly fallen through. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said he viewed any Palestinian elements recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiations even if it is Hamas.Olmert has made similar comments. So far, Hamas has refused to recognize Israel but recently offered a 10-year truce with the Jewish state. In a series of interviews this past weekend, Hamas leaders told WND during any 10-year truce period they would build a large Palestinian army and plan for the destruction of Israel.
Olmert's office this week denied the WND reports on negotiations to evacuate the West Bank. There were no negotiations regarding a West Bank withdrawal. This would go contrary to other things we have said in the recent past, said Olmert's spokesperson, Miri Eisin. Perhaps the officials talking to WorldNetDaily were referring to general expectations for movement in the Israeli-Palestinian arena,Eisin said. But the European and Egyptian sources stood by their statements that Israel agreed in principal to transfer West Bank security control to Abbas. Israeli leaders previously have denied reports of pending withdrawals only to later carry them out. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, elected in 2001 on a platform against unilateral withdrawal, at first denied media reports Israel was planning to evacuate the Gaza Strip but later announced his Gaza withdrawal plan. Olmert was elected prime minister on the platform of carrying out a withdrawal from the West Bank, but after this summer's Lebanon war, he has stated a West Bank withdrawal would not occur. Olmert in August called the policy of unilateral withdrawal a failure and said it was no longer relevant.
But he can argue handing the West Bank to Abbas in an agreement is not unilateral.
Contradicting Olmert, Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On of Olmert's Kadima party said last summer, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed. Several recent public opinion polls showed the majority of Israelis now oppose a West Bank withdrawal. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan have expressed reservations about withdrawal plans, fearing terrorism can spill over into their respective countries. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. It had occupied a small section of Lebanon's border with Israel following repeated attacks by Palestinian terrorists in the area. Since the withdrawal, Hezbollah has staged numerous attacks against Israel, including rocket bombardments of civilian population centers, raids against military outposts and ambushes and kidnappings of Israeli troops. Hezbollah built an arsenal in south Lebanon of more than 13,000 short- and medium-range rockets capable of hitting central sections of the Jewish state Israel withdrew last August from the Gaza Strip. Since then, rockets have been fired almost daily into nearby Jewish communities, Hamas has been elected to power and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have stated al-Qaida has infiltrated the territory. Israel says the Palestinians have smuggled hundreds of tons of heavy weaponry into Gaza and are preparing for a large-scale confrontation.
Livni, Peres, Abbas Share Visions for PA State at World ForumBy Alex Traiman (INN) JAN 26,07
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tzippy Livni, Shimon Peres, and Mahmoud Abbas shared their visions for a two-state solution within the disputed borders of Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzippy Livni made the formation of Palestinian state her top diplomatic priority during her speech at the forum of world leaders. According to Livni, the formation of a state for the Arabs within the biblical territories of Judea and Samaria is not an illusion. It's there. It's achievable.I would like to negotiate, to speak, to meet, to talk, Livni said, signaling an Israeli desire to yet again restart bilateral peace talks. There is nothing I want more. ... This is part of our dream; this is part of our goal.While acknowledging that terrorism must be reigned in for a two-state solution to be viable, Livni compared any future decision by the Palestinian Authority to stop terror with the Israeli government’s decision to expel 10,000 citizens from their homes during the Gush Katif Disengagement of August 2005.There are difficult decisions to take on both sides, and fighting terrorism is one of those decisions, and we cannot afford to put this obstacle aside. I know that it is not easy, Livni said. I can say it was also difficult for me to vote in favor of the disengagement plan. I voted to uproot Israelis, in order to give peace a chance. So there are difficult decisions, but the best way is to give an answer, and not to say, Okay this is too difficult, let's find something else.
The Israeli government has already formed a committee to study the ability to remove as many as 100,000 Jewish residents from their homes in the areas considered for the creation of a Palestinian State.Livni cautioned PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas against compromising with extreme elements within the Authority, labeling Abbas one of the moderate forces within the PA. The term often is used despite calls by Abbas at a Ramallah Fatah rally last week for arms, ostensibly received to protect him and his Fatah faction from Hamas, to be turned against Israel, which he referred to as occupying forces.Livni added in her address that PA Arabscurrently living in Judea and Samaria should remain in a new state to be created on those lands, as opposed to the PA demand that they be allowed to find homes within all of Israel.While Abbas also stressed his commitment to return to the negotiating table, he reiterated long-standing Arab demands that other Arabs be resettled in Israel, and not in any newly created Palestinian nation.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of the most serious conflicts that require a solution, Abbas said during his address. I am fully convinced that despite all the difficulties, an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of the peace process exists, one that could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.He added that a just solution must be found to solve the refugee crisis, stating that refugees wishing to return to their homes ... should be permitted to do so at the earliest practical date.Abbas stressed that a permanent resolution is necessary to end the long-standing conflict, as opposed to any temporary decisions, urging Israel to begin
discussing issues of final border status and insisting on the Israeli borders of 1967 as a starting point. We have the road map, a road map that includes the Arab initiative as well as President Bush's vision regarding the two-state solution, Abbas said. What is required now, in all honesty, is for us to trace the beginning and the end of this peace process.Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres also addressed the forum, expressing a vision of shared economic cooperation between Israel and the PA.
He said Israel and the Palestinians should work together alongside Jordan to stimulate foreign investment in the region. Peres stated that Israel, Jordan and PA have already agreed in principle to take the whole length of the frontier, a 500 kilometer-long strip along the current Israeli-Jordanian border, and convert it into an ongoing economic zone.We cannot save the Dead Sea unless we do it together. We cannot build new industry ... unless we do it together, Peretz added.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has already announced plans to gather the Quartet committed to Middle East peace (US, UN, European Union and Russia) in Washington D.C. at the beginning of February. She will return to the Middle East for a summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Abbas, two weeks later.
This Week with Rabbi Eckstein January 25, 2007
Dear Friend of The Fellowship,
Since her founding in 1948, Israel has faced many threats. War and terrorism have taken their toll, and the price for her continued independence and freedom has too often been paid in Jewish blood.But, despite painful losses, Israel has always prevailed. And I am convinced that one of the main reasons for this is that her righteous friends have been quick to raise their voices in prayer to God, the One who watches over Israel and neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), for the welfare of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.This Sunday, January 28, on The Fellowship's 2007 International Day of Prayer and Solidarity for Israel, you have an opportunity to unite with Christians worldwide in raising a chorus of prayer to God for Israel's security, well-being, and protection.
This overwhelming expression of intercessory support comes as Israel faces multiple crises. Her enemies remain firmly committed to her destruction, and are even becoming bolder in their threats. Hamas, the ruling Palestinian group, still refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. On the heels of last summer's devastating war, the Hezbollah terrorist group is solidifying its control of Lebanon, Israel's neighbor to the north - and the U.N. forces stationed there to keep the peace seem powerless to stop the re-armament. Iran continues its race toward nuclear weapons, meaning that its radical Muslim president may soon be able to realize his threat to wipe Israel off the map.In the face of these grim realities, it is especially comforting and encouraging to know that, in just a few days, Christians in churches around the world will pray for Israel. They will gather in churches of all sizes, from suburban megachurches with thousands of members to small rural congregations, and in countries as far-flung as Tanzania, Kenya,Malaysia, India and, of course the U.S. But, wherever they are, and whatever language they speak, their appeal for God's blessing and protection upon Israel will be heard by Him.
On behalf of the people of Israel, I extend my thanks to you for your prayers and heartfelt concern for Israel. On Sunday, as we pray, let us take to heart these words that express the deepest hopes of Jews and Christians alike: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels (Psalm 122: 6-7).
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel EcksteinPresident
Support The Fellowship! P.S. Online resources to help you and your church observe The Fellowship’s Day of Prayer are still available download your FREE Day of Prayer Action Kit today! http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SFI_2006DOP_FAK
Rabbi Eckstein Bestows Ambassador Award to Pastor Hagee and Bishop ButlerThursday, January 25, 2007 Honored for Outstanding Dedication to Israel Chicago, IL, January 25, 2007
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) presented its highest honor, the Ambassador's Award, to Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church of San Antonio, TX and Bishop Keith Butler of Word of Faith International Christian Center of Southfield, MI, for their outstanding support, leadership, and dedication to Israel. The award from The Fellowship and Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, its founder and president and Goodwill Ambassador to Evangelicals for Israel, was presented during the January 7, 2007, Night to Honor Israel event held at the Word of Faith Center.It is indeed an honor to bring greetings from Jerusalem on this special evening as we honor dear friends with whom The Fellowship works alongside and who are a blessing Israel, said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in a video message to the audience of more than 6,000 people at Bishop Butler's mega-church in Southfield, MI. Rabbi Eckstein quoted Psalm 133:1 encouraging the audience of Christians and Jews, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in unity! Thanks to the generous support of Christians across America, The Fellowship's On Wings of Eagles program has helped more than 300,000 Jews make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) from countries including the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, India and various Arab lands. And each day, The Fellowship's Guardians of Israel program provides basic necessities of food, medicine, clothing, and much more to an estimated 65,000 needy people in Israel.Rabbi Eckstein applauded Pastor Hagee for his ministry which has helped Jews return to Israel and provided assistance to orphanages, absorption centers, and hospitals.
More and more Christians are understanding their Jewish roots and the Biblical perspective that calls them to stand with Israel, declared Rabbi Eckstein. That didn’t just happen. Committed leaders like John Hagee have led the way, and for that, we are grateful.Rabbi Eckstein called Bishop Butler a hero with impeccable qualities of leadership. He has always been there in times of need. On one trip to Israel, he joined us on the front lines where we were dodging bullets. We are thankful for Bishop Butler and his commitment to stand with Israel.
Bishop Butler, who may be best known for his worldwide television outreach, The Word of Faith, is also a prolific Bible teacher, often appearing at U.S. and international churches, conferences and seminars. Both honorees expressed appreciation for The Fellowship and reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to support Israel. Pastor Hagee said, I am honored to receive the Ambassador’s Award. During these difficult days, I look forward to working with Rabbi Ecksteinand all other friends of the Jewish people to defend Israel from very serious threats looming. Butler added his thanks before his congregation, I am supremely honored by this award. My love for the nation of Israel compels me to do all I can to help.Founded by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in 1983, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has a two-fold mission to promote understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews and to build broad support for Israel and Jewish people around the world. The Fellowship provides financial support to help Jews in distress make aliyah (emigrate) from countries around the world to Israel. In addition, The Fellowship provides emergency aid in times of crisis to Israel and ongoing funding to help needy Jewish children, families and the elderly throughout the world.For more information, visit www.ifcj.org.
Bishop Butler, who may be best known for his worldwide television outreach, The Word of Faith, is also a prolific Bible teacher, often appearing at U.S. and international churches, conferences and seminars. Both honorees expressed appreciation for The Fellowship and reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to support Israel. Pastor Hagee said, I am honored to receive the Ambassador’s Award. During these difficult days, I look forward to working with Rabbi Ecksteinand all other friends of the Jewish people to defend Israel from very serious threats looming. Butler added his thanks before his congregation, I am supremely honored by this award. My love for the nation of Israel compels me to do all I can to help.Founded by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in 1983, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has a two-fold mission to promote understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews and to build broad support for Israel and Jewish people around the world. The Fellowship provides financial support to help Jews in distress make aliyah (emigrate) from countries around the world to Israel. In addition, The Fellowship provides emergency aid in times of crisis to Israel and ongoing funding to help needy Jewish children, families and the elderly throughout the world.For more information, visit www.ifcj.org.
Media interested in an interview with Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and recipients of the Ambassador's Award should contact Gregg Wooding, president of I AM PR services, (972) 567-7660 or
via email at gwooding@texasprototypes.com
Curfew imposed in Beirut after clashes By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer JAN 26,07
BEIRUT, Lebanon - University students loyal to Lebanon's government clashed with Hezbollah supporters Thursday, setting cars ablaze and battling with homemade clubs and stones. The melee deepened worries that Lebanon cannot contain the political and sectarian rivalries threatening to push it toward civil war. At least three people were killed and dozens were injured before army troops backed by tanks and firing barrages of warning shots into the air dispersed most rioters. The military then declared Beirut's first curfew since 1996.But the fallout reaches far beyond the casualty count. The clashes, sparked by a cafeteria scuffle between pro-government Sunni Muslims and pro-Hezbollah Shiites, reinforced fears that Lebanon's sectarian divisions are erupting into violence as they did during the 1975-1990 civil war.It was the third straight day of violence, sparked by a Hezbollah-led strike Tuesday that came ahead of a crucial gathering of donor nations in Paris. The conference Thursday raised pledges of $7.6 billion to help Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's U.S.-backed government rebuild after last summer's devastating Israel-Hezbollah war.
The money and show of international support could boost the embattled Saniora. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has vowed to bring him down unless the opposition is given more power.The chaos has paralyzed the government. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that donors were backing the wrong side in the standoff and that he could topple Saniora at any time.In Paris, Saniora pleaded to his countrymen to distance themselves from tensions.No one can help a country if the people of this country don't want to help themselves, he said. I call on your wisdom and reason. Leaders on all sides called for calm. Nasrallah who has insisted in recent days he does not want Lebanon to tumble into civil war went on TV in the evening to tell followers it was a religious duty to get off the streets to allow security forces to keep order.I appeal to you in the name of Lebanon and human conscience ... It's a pity to waste Lebanon like this, said Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally. It is time we learn from the past.During Lebanon's civil war, Christians battled Muslims. But the new confrontation has taken different sectarian lines: Shiites support the opposition, Sunnis back the prime minister and Christian parties are divided between the two camps.
If sectarian divisions explode in Lebanon, it would likely further fuel Sunni-Shiite tensions around the Arab world, already heightened by Iraq's turmoil. Mainly Sunni Arab nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have shown alarm at Hezbollah's increasing strength in Lebanon and have backed Saniora.Thursday's clashes in Beirut showed just how quickly any spark can turn into a wildfire.Students said it began with a scuffle in the cafeteria of Beirut Arab University between Sunni Muslims and supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah. As Sunnis in the surrounding Tarik el-Jadideh district moved in, Hezbollah activists called in reinforcements.Hezbollah activists with walkie-talkies were seen coordinating as a ragtag convoy of hundreds of vigilantes raced to the campus. Gangs many wearing blue and red construction hard hats and wielding clubs made from sticks and even chair legs poured into the area and battled Sunni students and riot police and soldiers.Hezbollah backers claimed Sunni gunmen fired from apartment balconies near the school, wounding several people. The claim could not be independently confirmed.Thick black smoke rose over the campus and the neighborhood on the southern edge of Beirut as rioters set fire to vehicles, tires and trash. Bands of youths clashed with stones andclubs in running street battles as the army tried to close off streets with tanks and armored vehicles. Troops fired tear gas and warning shots into the air.We are afraid about the future of the country. We are afraid about civil war, said Mohammed Abdul-Sater, a 21-year-old Shiite student.
Three people were killed and 169 injured, security officials said. It appeared one of the dead was Sunni and the other two Shiite, judging by the district of the hospitals their bodies were taken to. Up until the 8:30 p.m. curfew was imposed, young men were in the streets around the university. Government backers set fire to the offices of a small pro-Hezbollah party and burned its banner in the street as sporadic gunfire was heard. Hezbollah supporters smashed store windows miles away in downtown Beirut as they left a protest camp ahead of the curfew. After the curfew began, most streets were emptied. The last time Lebanon imposed a curfewwas February 1996 to stop labor unions from holding anti-government protests. In 1984, the army imposed a curfew to halt street battles between the army and Muslim militias.The alarming violence signaled what Lebanese have been fearing for months: that the drawn-out confrontation between Hezbollah and Saniora's government could move into the streets and rage out of control. Nobody should be surprised when things start to spin out of control, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman said in an interview with Alhurra, the U.S. government-funded Arabic-language satellite television network that broadcasts to the Middle East.
He said he suspected Syria which backs Hezbollah and controlled Lebanon for nearly three decades was behind the current troubles, but did not provide any evidence. There was no immediate reaction from Syrian officials. A woman who answered the phone at the Syrian U.N. mission in New York said nobody was available to speak to the media. The Hezbollah-led opposition has staged two months of demonstrations and sit-ins in a bid to topple Saniora's government. But the prime minister has held out, refusing the opposition's demands for a veto-wielding share of the Cabinet. On Tuesday, the opposition stepped up the confrontation with its general strike, which erupted into street battles around the country between its activists and government supporters. Three people were killed. Gunbattles broke out for a second day Wednesday in the northern city of Tripoli. The alarming violence has stunned supporters of both sides. But the leadership of the two camps do not appear to be backing down. Hezbollah, in a statement on its television station, accused pro-government factions of provoking the clashes even as it called on its supporters to get off the streets to avoid a strife which is being inflamed by pro-government groups. I find this a very strange debate, the U.S. ambassador said. There is a government that came to power after elections, the parliamentary majority that endorsed it is still there. And a party that voluntarily pulled itself out of the government is now saying they will use all means in order to impose their will on the country.
