SARKOZY PLEDGES G-20 RESULTS

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

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

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Egypitan cleric preaching on the beating of wives

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

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

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

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

The video ends with the sound of gunshots.

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

Security bolstered at Chabad headquarters

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

Expert: Take threats seriously

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

We appreciate support of American progressives

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

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

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

WORLD MARKET RESULTS
http://money.cnn.com/data/world_markets/

HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS FRI FEB 06,2009

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

S&P 500 868.60 +22.75

NASDAQ 1591.71 +45.47

GOLD 912.00 -2.00

OIL 40.14 -1.03

TSE 300 9020.24 +159.26

CDNX 909.27 +11.05

S&P/TSX/60 544.98 +9.13

MORNING,NEWS,STATS

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

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

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

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

WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS
Dow -4 points at low today.
Dow +256 points at high today.
Dow +2.70% today Volume 396,264,393.
Dow year to date -5.65%
Dow has biggest one day gain since JANUARY 21,2009.
Dow up 3% this week.
Dow 52 week range 7,449.38 - 13,136.69,low-high.
Nasdaq +2.94% today Volume 2,147,483,648.
Nasdaq up 7.8% this week.
Nasdaq erases 2009 losses.
Nasdaq at 1-month high.
Nasdaq year to date +0.93%
Nasdaq 52 week range 1,295.48 - 2,551.47,low-high.
S&P up 5% this week.
S&P year to date -3.84%
S&P 52 week range 741.02 - 1,440.24,low-high
Stocks break 4-week losing streak.
Financials lead stocks higher.
Major averages move higher after biggest job losses in 34 years.

CANADAS WEEK ENDING STATS
TSX Advances 768,Declines 401,Unchanged 224 Volume 1,002,074,841.
TSX Venture Advances 390,Declines 315,Unchanged 318 Volume 125,467,076.

BANKS TO BE NATIONALISED,END OF DOLLAR - VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYnlcZW8_8&eurl=http://www.infowars.com/
keiser-us-dollar-the-roach-motel-of-global-currencies/&feature=player_embedded

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

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

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

No negotiations – we want results

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

Falling popularity

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

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

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

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

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

Job hunters also are facing longer searches for work.

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

Workers with jobs saw modest wage gains.

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

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

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

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

Beyond ethics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOLAR STORMS - EMP RESULTS LIKE 2012

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.

FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN

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.

Powerful Solar Storm Could Shut Down U.S. for Months Friday, January 09, 2009 | FoxNews.com By Robert Roy Britt

Solar storms can cause colorful auroras, often seen in higher latitudes on Earth.A new study from the National Academy of Sciences outlines grim possibilities on Earth for a worst-case scenario solar storm.Damage to power grids and other communications systems could be catastrophic, the scientists conclude, with effects leading to a potential loss of governmental control of the situation.The prediction is based in part on a major solar storm in 1859 that caused telegraph wires to short out in the United States and Europe,igniting widespread fires.

POWER OUTAGE

REVELATION 16:10-11
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

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.

It was perhaps the worst in the past 200 years, according to the new study, and with the advent of modern power grids and satellites, much more is at risk.A contemporary repetition of the [1859] event would cause significantly more extensive (and possibly catastrophic) social and economic disruptions, the researchers conclude.

Command and control might be lost

When the sun is in the active phase of its 11-year cycle, it can unleash powerful magnetic storms that disable satellites, threaten astronaut safety, and even disrupt communication systems on Earth.

OZONE DEPLETION

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The worst storms can knock out power grids by inducing currents that melt transformers.Modern power grids are so interconnected that a big space storm — the type expected to occur about once a century — could cause a cascade of failures that would sweep across the United States, cutting power to 130 million people or more in this country alone, the new report concludes.Such widespread power outages, though expected to be a rare possibility, would affect other vital systems.

POWER OUTAGE

REVELATION 16:10-11
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Impacts would be felt on interdependent infrastructures with, for example, potable water distribution affected within several hours; perishable foods and medications lost in 12-24 hours; immediate or eventual loss of heating/air conditioning, sewage disposal, phone service, transportation, fuel resupply and so on,the report states.

FAMINE

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

FAMINE

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: 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.

Outages could take months to fix, the researchers say. Banks might close, and trade with other countries might halt.Emergency services would be strained, and command and control might be lost, write the researchers, led by Daniel Baker, director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder.Whether it is terrestrial catastrophes or extreme space weather incidents, the results can be devastating to modern societies that depend in a myriad of ways on advanced technological systems, Baker said in a statement released with the report.

FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN

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.

KNOWLEGE AND WORLD TRAVEL INCREASED

DANIEL 12:4
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 MICROCHIPS ETC)

Stormy past

Solar storms have had significant effects in modern time:
— In 1989, the sun unleashed a tempest that knocked out power to all of Quebec, Canada.
— A remarkable 2003 rampage included 10 major solar flares over a two-week period, knocking out two Earth-orbiting satellites and crippling an instrument aboard a Mars orbiter.

Obviously, the sun is Earth's life blood,said Richard Fisher, director of the Heliophysics division at NASA. To mitigate possible public safety issues, it is vital that we better understand extreme space weather events caused by the sun's activity.Space weather can produce solar storm electromagnetic fields that induce extreme currents in wires, disrupting power lines, causing wide-spread blackouts and affecting communication cables that support the Internet,the report states. Severe space weather also produces solar energetic particles and the dislocation of the Earth's radiation belts, which can damage satellites used for commercial communications, global positioning and weather forecasting.

Rush to prepare

The race is on for better forecasting abilities, as the next peak in solar activity is expected to come around 2012.While the sun is in a lull now, activity can flare up at any moment, and severe space weather — how severe, nobody knows — will ramp up a year or two before the peak.Some scientists expect the next peak to bring more severe events than other recent peaks.A catastrophic failure of commercial and government infrastructure in space and on the ground can be mitigated through raising public awareness, improving vulnerable infrastructure and developing advanced forecasting capabilities, the report states. Without preventive actions or plans, the trend of increased dependency on modern space-weather sensitive assets could make society more vulnerable in the future.The report was commissioned and funded by NASA. Experts from around the world in industry, government and academia participated. It was released this week.2009 Imaginova Corp.

The Great Storm: Solar Tempest of 1859 Revealed
By Robert Roy Britt Senior Science Writer 06:00 am ET 27 October 2003

A pair of strong solar storms that hit Earth late last week were squalls compared to the torrent of electrons that rained down in the perfect space storm of 1859. And sooner or later, experts warn, the Sun will again conspire again send earthlings a truly destructive bout of space weather. If it happens anytime soon, we won't know exactly what to expect until it's over, and by then some modern communication systems could be like beachfront houses after a hurricane.In early September in 1859, telegraph wires suddenly shorted out in the United States and Europe, igniting widespread fires. Colorful aurora, normally visible only in polar regions, were seen as far south as Rome and Hawaii. The event 144 years ago was three times more powerful than the strongest space storm in modern memory, one that cut power to an entire Canadian province in 1989. A new account of the 1859 event, from research led by Bruce Tsurutani of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, details the most powerful onslaught of solar energy in recorded history.

Solar conspiracy

Space storms are created when the Sun erupts, sending charged particles racing outward, an expanding bubble of hot gas called plasma.In 1859, four crucial events conspired at one moment, Tsurutani told SPACE.com.The plasma blob that was ejected from the Sun hit the Earth, he said. That's a relatively routine event. What preceded the strike was more unusual. The blob came at exceptionally high speeds. It took only 17 hours and 40 minutes to go from the Sun to Earth. Solar storms typically take two to four days to traverse the 93 million miles (150 million kilometers).The magnetic fields in the blob, called a coronal mass ejection, were exceptionally intense, Tsurutani said. And the fourth, most important, ingredient was that the magnetic fields of the blob were opposite in direction from the Earth's fields.Earth's magnetic field normally protects the surface of the planet from a continual flow of charged particles, called the solar wind, and even does a pretty good job defending against some storms. When a storm swept past Earth last Friday, it met up with magnetic field pointed in such a way that it thwarted the storm's effects. That's not always the case.

In 1859, the planet's defenses were overwhelmed.

That was then

Society back then did not notice the storm the way it would today. The telegraph was 15 years old. There were no satellite TV feeds, no automated teller machines relying on orbiting relay stations, and no power grids. Tsurutani said scientists can't yet accurately measure or predict what the strength or direction of Earth's magnetic field will be when a storm arrives. The storms themselves can be predicted. And Tsurutani says there will eventually be another one like 1859.It could very well be even more intense than what transpired in 1859, he says. As for when, we simply do not know.Bernhard Fleck, the European Space Agency's project scientist for the Sun-watching SOHO spacecraft, says the next super space storm will be detectable, but that's only half the story.A monster event of the magnitude described [by Tsurutani] we would easily recognize as something extraordinary with SOHO and other solar instruments, Fleck said in an e-mail interview. But, he added, We certainly wouldn't know its full extent until arrival.During the 1859 flare-up, solar observers logged almost an entire minute during which the amount of sunlight doubled at the region of the flare.Such a strong white-light flare has never been seen since, says Paal Brekke, SOHO deputy project scientist. So if this type of flare happened, yes we would know right away. But he adds that the orientation of Earth's magnetic field would not be known. Future space-based observatories could address this blind spot in space weather forecasting.

Meanwhile, the blind spot became clear on Friday.

Forecasters at NOAA's Space Environment Center, relying on SOHO pictures and data, warned of an impending set of storms that could disrupt communications and might set off colorful aurora Friday and Saturday. The forecast, along with two Jupiter-sized sunspots at the roots of the storms, gained widespread media attention. But the first and larger of the storms passed by with far less effect than one might have been led to expect. In fact, they were both comparative drops in the space weather bucket.

Extreme measures

To get an idea of the strength of the 1859 storm, you have to wade into nT's for a moment.A space storm's impact is measured in nano-Teslas (nT), Brekke explained. The lower the figure, the more powerful the storm. A moderate storm can be around -100 nT; extreme and damaging storms have been logged at around -300 nT. The 1989 coronal mass ejection that knocked out power to all of Quebec, Canada measured -589 nT, Brekke said. The 1859 perfect storm was estimated to have been -1,760 nT. Brekke used three exclamation points in his e-mail delivering that number.People on the ground are generally safe even in the worst space weather. But technology could be in trouble when the next super storm hits.In 1859, the technology was quite low in comparison to today's technology, Tsurutani said. However the technology that we rely on today is much more vulnerable.A strong storm does its damage in part by inducing currents on power and communication lines, leading to potential overloads. Obviously, there are a lot more wires on Earth today, so one might expect much worse problems if it occurred today.The charged particles can also zap satellites, as has occurred with handful of storms in recent years -- events with far fewer charged particles than in 1859. A space storm also heats the upper level of Earth's atmosphere, causing it to expand. That's no good for satellites that can get caught up in air that didn't used to be there.This can lead to enhanced satellite drag and possible loss of these to the atmosphere, Tsurutani said. Tsurutani and his colleagues -- Walter Gonzalez of the Brazilian National Space Institute and Gurbax Lakhina and Sobhana Alex of the India Institute of Geomagnetism -- reviewed known observations of the 1859 event's solar and aurora output, plus accounts from the ground. They also used recently rediscovered historic data on Earth's magnetic field from the Colaba Observatory in India.The findings were published in a recent issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research.This article is part of SPACE.com's weekly Mystery Monday series.

POWERFUL MAGNETIC STORMS
http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?
imgid=145&gid=10&index=0

SUN STORMS VIDEO
http://www.space.com/common/media/video/player.php?videoRef=sun_storm

DANGER SOLAR STORM - VIDEO
http://www.space.com/common/media/video/player.php?videoRef=b041217_solar_storm_promo

OZONE DEPLETION

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

BEST IMAGES OF THE SUN
http://www.space.com/bestimg/index.php?cat=bestsun

ALL ABOUT THE SUN
http://www.space.com/sun/
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/xtreme_flare_031105.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/sun_update_050816.html

SOLAR STORM SMACKS A COMET
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_041206.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050524_solar_surprise.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050412_inside_sun.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/star_quakes_40728.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/hugesunspots_040723.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solar_flare_031029.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060223_solar_flares.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050420_alien_asteroid.html

MORE SUN SEARCH RESULTS
http://google.space.com/searchq=sun&site=default_collection&client=
default_frontend&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&output=xml_no_dtd

New Flares of Activity Spotted on the Sun
By SPACE.com Staff 07 November 2008 03:22 pm ET

After more than two years of very low sunspot activity and hardly any flares, the sun is ramping up activity now.The sun's activity ebbs and flows on a roughly 11-year cycle. It can range from very quiet to violent space storms that knock out power grids on Earth and disrupt radio and satellite communications. The last peak was in 2000, and scientists have in recent months figured the low point was occurring. Fresh sunspots during October suggest the corner has been turned.I think solar minimum is behind us, said David Hathaway of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Last month we counted five sunspot groups.he says.

Sunspots are cool areas on the solar surface where magnetic energy is bottled up. While five groups is not extraordinary, it is significant in comparison to the months of virtually no spots.This represents a real increase in solar activity, Hathaway said in a statement today.The next cycle of activity, which we are presumably now in, is called Solar Cycle 24. The transition, however, is gradual. Hints of it started last year. But the sun holds many secrets that prevent scientists from knowing exactly when, why or how the transition occurs. Spots from the old and new cycles differ in their latitude and magnetic polarity.From January to September, the sun produced 22 sunspot groups, and 82 percent of them belonged to old Cycle 23. Four of the five cycles in October belonged to Cycle 24.On Nov. 3 and again on Nov. 4, a sunspot numbered 1007 unleashed a series of B-class solar flares. These relatively minor events were strong enough to cause fades and surges in ham radio transmissions on Earth. Bigger flares, which could happen any time but will be more likely when the next peak comes in a few years, can disable satellites.We're still years away from solar maximum and, in the meantime, the sun is going to have some more quiet stretches,Hathaway said.

The Enduring Mysteries of the Sun By Charles Q. Choi
Special to SPACE.com 22 October 2007 06:34 am ET

The sun lies at the heart of our solar system, but it still holds back many secrets from science. Unlocking these mysteries could shed light on puzzling activity seen in other stars and even safeguard lives.

An explosive star

The sun is literally bursting with energy, violently exploding with solar flares, coronal mass ejections and other kinds of eruptions up to hundreds of times per year. The number of explosions and sunspots the sun experiences tends to rise and fall in a roughly 11-year-long solar cycle, the roots of which remain uncertain.

Astrophysicists generally agree the solar cycle is driven by the solar dynamo—the flowing, electrically charged gas within the sun that generates its magnetic field—and that magnetic fluctuations trigger solar explosions. But which of the many dynamo models is right is uncertain,said solar physicist Paul Charbonneau of the University of Montreal.Shedding light on the solar dynamo could help predict when solar explosions happen, which can endanger astronauts and satellites in space and damage power lines on Earth, Charbonneau said. But whether or not scientists can ever predict the solar cycle remains unknown—some claim it is physically impossible to predict.

The super-hot corona

Just as a fire feels warmer the closer one gets to it, so is the core of the sun hotter than its surface. Mysteriously, however, the corona—the sun's atmosphere—is also far hotter than its surface.The sun's surface is roughly 5,500 degrees Celsius. The corona, on the other hand, is one to three million degrees C or more.Why the corona is super-hot is hotly debated. Some researchers suggest the sun's magnetic fields heat the corona, while others propose that waves from the sun do. I wouldn't be surprised if these mechanisms are at work together. They're not mutually exclusive, said Bernhard Fleck, project scientist for the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft.

The Maunder Minimum

Oddly, the solar cycle once seemed to go on vacation for roughly 70 years. Only 50 sunspots were seen during this Maunder Minimum between 1645 to 1715, as opposed to the expected 40,000 to 50,000.Research does suggest that similar phases of suppressed activity have occurred in the past 10,000 years, with the sun in such quiet modes about 15 percent of the time, Charbonneau said. Why these occur remains unclear, although there are models of the sun that suggest the solar dynamo can rev solar cycles up or down.Also, the Maunder Minimum coincided in part with the Little Ice Age, leading to debates over whether or not the sun was the cause of that past climatic shift or the current one the world is undergoing. The agreement of the majority of the scientists is that while the sun has had an influence on Earth's climate in the past, the recent dramatic change in climate is not caused by the sun but due to man-made greenhouse gases,Fleck said.

Erratic siblings

Most stars like the sun actually behave more erratically than our sun. More than half of sun-like stars either have cycles that are slowly increasing or decreasing in how active they are over time instead of remaining steady, or they're completely irregular,said solar physicist Karel Schrijver at Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, Calif. We don't really know why.NASA's upcoming Solar Dynamic Observatory spacecraft could shed light on the inner workings of the sun and therefore its siblings, Schrijver said, and therefore shed light on these mysteries.

ISRAEL INTERCEPTS LEBANESE BOAT

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.(TRADE 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).

France preparing return to NATO
ELITSA VUCHEVA Today FEB 5,09 @ 09:01 CET

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his advisers are in the final phase of preparing France's return to NATO's military structures, after Paris obtained US-backing for two senior command positions.US national security adviser James Jones has agreed in principle with Jean-David Levitte, a diplomatic adviser to President Sarkozy, that French officers could take over the reins of the Allied Command Transformation unit based in Norfolk, Virginia (US), according to a report in French daily Le Monde's Thursday edition (5 February), The Norfolk unit is in charge of overseeing transformations within the alliance such as its doctrine, organisation and the use of forces.The second senior post given to the French would be a regional NATO command based in Lisbon – the headquarters of the Rapid Reaction Force and of a centre for satellite-photo analysis.All we can say today is that these are the two posts the United States is ready to give up and that France is ready to take them over, a NATO military officer told French news agency AFP, confirming Le Monde's report.However, France has as yet no guarantees that it would be given the command of the structures, stressed the officer, who was speaking on condition of anonymity.

France is not necessarily the only one in line and the discussions about the revision of staff at the headquarters are not over, he said, explaining that NATO allies could make an initial decision on the issue in around two weeks.

An absence of 43 years

France has been out of NATO's military command for more than four decades.In 1966, in the middle of the Cold War, then-President Charles de Gaulle withdrew French forces in a bid to assert France's diplomatic and military autonomy and to protest against what he saw as US dominance emerging within the organisation.During last year's NATO summit in Bucharest, Mr Sarkozy - seen as the most pro-American president in France's recent history - said that Paris would soon conclude the process of taking its full place in NATO structures.Concretely, this would mean rendering some 900 French military personnel over to NATO's integrated military command, according to Le Monde.Mr Sarkozy is expected to announce France's return to NATO's armed structures at this year's NATO summit on 3-4 April in Strasbourg and Kehl, which will also mark the Alliance's 60th anniversary.In September, 2007, the French president told the New York Times: France could only resume its place [in NATO] if room is made for it ... It's hard to take a place that isn't reserved for you.Mr Sarkozy had cited American acceptance of an independent European defence capability and a leading French role in NATO's command structures at the highest level as the two conditions to be met before his country made a full return to the organisation.A previous attempt under former President Jacques Chirac from 1995 to 1997 for France to re-integrate NATO's military structures had failed due to US refusal to cede the strategic NATO Naples south command to the French.

Officials: France eyeing NATO post in US By JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press Writer – Thu Feb 5, 8:46 am ET

PARIS – France is in talks on taking control of two NATO command posts, including a prestigious one in the U.S. that has never been led by a foreign commander, defense officials said Thursday.Such a move could also be accompanied by the injection of hundreds more French troops into NATO, a European defense official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal has been finalized.French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been looking to tighten France's links with NATO, particularly ahead of its April summit in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany that will celebrate the alliance's 60th anniversary.The European official and a French military official said France is in talks to put a French general in charge of two command posts: one in Norfolk, Virginia, responsible for laying out the long-term vision of the Atlantic alliance; the other an operational command based in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.The French official also spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are still under way.The Norfolk command, known as the Allied Command Transformation, is particularly prestigious. It is responsible for helping lay out the alliance's doctrine and for training and preparing for future scenarios, among other duties.News reports in France on Thursday said Sarkozy has won U.S. approval for the proposal for French generals to run the posts.The European official said France could accompany control of the Norfolk post with devoting up to another 800 troops to the NATO umbrella.President Charles de Gaulle withdrew France from NATO's military command in 1966 as he sought to reassert France's independence after the grueling post-World War II years. The decision has hurt trans-Atlantic ties for decades, and France remains outside the alliance's nuclear group and its planning committee.Sarkozy argues that new threats like terrorism are moving the alliance farther away from its original Cold War mindset — and that it's in France's interest to move toward greater international cooperation. But he has had to fend off political opposition at home from those who fear he would give up too much of France's freedom of decision-making on military matters.

France, which along with Britain is western Europe's biggest military power, is deeply involved in nearly all NATO operations. But its absence from the integrated military command exposes a lack of unity in the alliance.France has tried in the past — and failed — to increase its ties to NATO, such as with an effort in the mid-1990s by then-President Jacques Chirac for France to run an operational command of the alliance in Naples, Italy.

MEPs call on whole of EU to recognise Kosovo
ELITSA VUCHEVA Today FEB 5,09 @ 17:18 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – One year after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, MEPs on Thursday (5 February) called on all EU countries to recognise Europe's newest state.The European Parliament encourages those EU Member States which have not already done so to recognise the independence of Kosovo, reads the resolution adopted by MEPs in Strasbourg today.The document was approved by a large majority - 424 MEPs voted in favour, 133 - against, while 24 abstained.Kosovo declared unilateral independence from Serbia on 17 February last year and it has so far been recognised by 54 states worldwide, including the US and most EU countries.To date, five EU member states – Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus and Spain – have not recognised its independence.In the resolution, the parliamentarians also welcomed the successful deployment of the European police and justice mission EULEX to Kosovo.

After having faced numerous delays, EULEX entered its operational phase two months ago – on 9 December – taking over police, justice and customs tasks from United Nations personnel in Kosovo.Since then the UN mission UNMIK has no longer had any residual powers in the area of police and customs and will soon hand over to EULEX all its remaining powers in the area of justice, thus ensuring that Kosovo functions under a single rule of law, the MEPs noted.

EULEX judges better than UNMIK's, says Kosovo

Dutch Green MEP Joost Lagendijk, in charge of the Kosovo dossier for the European parliament, welcomed the adoption of the resolution, which he said was of great importance.It gives solid backing to EULEX, which has a vital task in terms of policing, as well as for judicial authorities and customs authorities in Kosovo, Mr Lagendijk stated.The mission is dealing with drawn-out lawsuits concerning property and inter-ethnic violence. Both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo will benefit from EULEX, he added.Meanwhile, officials and legal professionals in Kosovo have said say they find the EULEX-operated courts better than UNMIK's judicial authorities, according to news portal Balkan Insight.There are great differences from the previous judiciary, Osman Kryeziu, chief prosecutor in Pristina's District Court, was quoted as saying. There's less bureaucracy, more cooperation and commitment to work. EULEX judges have a completely different working culture, he added.For his part, Azem Vllasi, a lawyer in Pristina who worked in both the UNMIK and EULEX judicial systems, as well as in the local one, told Balkan Insight that EULEX was already proving to have the most professional one. My experience shows there are essential differences. There is more professionalism and greater obedience to the law and regulations [with EULEX], Mr Vllasi said.

WORLD GOVERNMENT

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he 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.

DANIEL 12:4,1
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, and knowledge shall be increased.
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

REVELATION 13:1-3,7,8,12,16-18
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

REVELATION 17:3,7,9-10,12,18
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

AMERICA GOT THEIR FALSE MESSIAH,OBAMA NOW THE AFRICAN UNION HAVE THEIR FALSE MESSIAH KADHAFI.

Does Africa really need a king of kings? by Shashank Posted – Wed Feb 4, 8:18am

Muammar Gadhafi's one-man version of Extreme Makeover: Dictator Edition arrived in Ethiopia this week, where the Guide of the Revolution did his typically modest, who-me? routine at the African Union summit. Arriving for his installation in the AU's temporary presidency like a monarch in a Merchant-Ivory costume drama, the New York Times' Lydia Polgreen described it as more of a coronation than a democratic transfer of power. Colonel Qaddafi was dressed in flowing gold robes and surrounded by traditional African leaders who hailed him as the king of kings.Even when he was sponsoring terrorism and behaving as the bad boy of the Middle East, Libya's president thought of himself as a statesman. Gadhafi was too mercurial, polarizing and geographically isolated to become the next Nasser, but lately he's been looking south and trying to become a pan-African leader, sponsoring peace initiatives and the like.He's still prone to behaving badly, or at least strangely. And his interest in issues tends to flicker like a child's. But he's renounced terrorism, the U.S. has warmed to him and now he's planning to turn the presidency of the AU -- a rotating, mostly ceremonial post -- into something of substance.

I hope my term will be a time of serious work and not just words, he said. Top on his agenda is creating a United States of Africa that would include, according to the BBC, a single African military force, a single currency and a single passport for Africans to move freely around the continent.Only Gadhafi -- who's ruled for 39 years and banned opposition parties and a free press -- would think that what this continent needs is more bureaucracy. It's clear what he really wants: a mega-nation to control, a continent's worth of heads of state answering to him -- to be the king of kings. How else to explain Gadhafi's arrival at the summit, documented in eye-rolling detail by the AP's Anita Powell: Gadhafi arrived at the summit Sunday with the seven men, one carrying a 4-foot gold staff, and caused a stir when security officials did not admit them because each delegation gets only four floor passes. All seven kings were seated behind Gadhafi when he accepted the chairmanship. Africa already has enough megalomaniacs -- and even they aren't impressed by Gadhafi's plan. His proposal stymied the AU session, and his first significant act as president was to walk out of a late-night debate in a moody fit when he didn't get his way. All this would be a sideshow if the AU didn't have real work to do in Somalia, Sudan, Congo and elsewhere.

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.

Soaked northern Australia braces for more rain By TANALEE SMITH, Associated Press Writer – Thu Feb 5, 4:51 am ET

SYDNEY – Sodden residents of northeastern Australia were trying to clean up from weeks of rain that have left more than half of their state — and area twice the size of Spain — under water.Still, forecasters on Thursday delivered some good news: Two offshore storms were unlikely to develop into cyclones.The main cities on northern Queensland's coast, Townsville and Cairns, were flooded in January storms and are still receiving daily rain. The main highways to Townsville were cut off by water.

A 42-year-old man in the town of Watsonville was rescued late Wednesday night after clinging to a tree near a swollen creek for more than three hours. He was treated for minor injuries.The small town of Ingham has been hardest hit, with 2,900 homes damaged or flooded in a weekend storm and hundreds of people evacuated.Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts told Australian Broadcasting Corp. after visiting Ingham that residents are living in a swimming pool.Television footage showed muddy water filling the streets and people using small boats to get around town.But the Bureau of Meteorology said a strong storm north of Queensland state and another low pressure system just north of Ingham were unlikely to develop into cyclones and should move south. Though before doing so, they would likely drop enough precipitation to delay a drop in river levels.It's still really wet in this area so extra rainfall will cause trouble, said bureau forecaster Brett Harrison.Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told Parliament on Thursday that state and federal governments were providing money for food, accommodation and hardship grants and that a federal disaster response plan had been activated to enlist military aircraft to transport aviation fuel where it was needed.More than 60 percent of Queensland state is under water and eligible for disaster relief.

On Thursday, river levels were beginning to fall in some parts of Queensland state while emergency workers continued to evacuate people left stranded.State emergency workers have come from across the state to help clean up, but crews are waiting for the Herbert River to drop below 23 feet (seven meters) before the mop-up can begin in earnest. Weather officials said flood levels in the river had fallen just slightly from a peak of 40 feet (12.2 meters).Resident Fred Marolla said his family had lost most of their appliances and other essentials.We've lost a fridge, washing machine, freezer. We've lost a TV, we lost furniture, he said.Residents have also been warned about crocodiles and snakes roaming flooded streets and yards.November to April is tropical cyclone season in northern Australia and overflowing rivers and heavy rainstorms are normal. The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted above-normal monsoonal activity this season.Cane growers in north Queensland are waiting anxiously as rising floodwaters threaten to reduce this year's crop. The state produces about 95 percent of Australia's raw sugar. The government said storms have caused an estimated 109 million Australian dollars ($69.5 million) in damage since late December. In stark contrast to the wet weather in the north, cities in southern Australia have been sweltering through record-breaking heat waves in recent weeks.

Temperatures in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide have ranged from 91 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit (33 to 45 degrees Celsius) in the past few weeks, causing deaths and brushfires.

Fresh snow brings more chaos FEB 5,09

LONDON (AFP) – Fresh snow falls in parts of England and Wales brought more transport mayhem and school closures on Thursday amid fears of a shortage of salt and grit for the roads.Snow storms have paralysed Britain this week costing businesses millions of pounds and forcing air, rail and road links to virtually shutdown in the worst blizzards in 18 years.One person, a 16-year-old girl, was also killed in a sledging accident in Yorkshire on Tuesday while two walkers died after heading out in icy conditions in the Lake District, mountain rescuers said.There were signs that the cold snap was easing. But more snow has settled in south Wales, western England, the Midlands, counties to the north of London, Northern Ireland and Scotland -- with up to eight inches in some areas.As temperatures hit 17.6 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, forecasters warned that the freezing blast would continue into the weekend.

Disruptions were reported for the fourth straight day on the roads, while trains were delayed or halted leaving commuters stranded in Wales, the Midlands, the South West and Yorkshire.Luton Airport cancelled more than a dozen flights as clearing work took place, and planes were also unable to land and take off from Belfast City airport, Robin Hood International Airport, near Doncaster, and Aberdeen.Thousands of students were told to stay at home as some schools again closed across the country including about a quarter in Birmingham and 170 in Wales.The BBC reported 6,000 schools were shut across Britain on Tuesday, including every school in Birmingham. The closures have sparked criticism from business leaders and parents forced to make emergency childcare arrangements or stay off work.A number of councils have warned of dwindling stocks of salt used to melt snow on roads as the harsh winter weather drags on, prompting calls for guaranteed supplies.This is a very serious situation with some roads becoming death traps, said Edmund King, president of AA.The government should step in to assess the situation and ensure that salt stocks are maintained in the places at immediate risk from snow and ice over the coming days.

Britain's biggest salt supplier, Cheshire-based Salt Union, said staff were working round the clock but still could not meet demand.We have been operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, since the beginning of January and are extracting 30 million kilos per week but the unexpected and unusual weather means that, even working at this level, demand is outstripping supply, the firm said.Gritters fitted with snowploughs operated through the night in many areas but consistent heavy snowfall meant some roads could not be totally cleared.Scotland recorded between six and eight inches of snow, closing many roads.There were also reports of heavy snow on the M4 and M5 in Wiltshire making driving conditions dangerous.In London, the Underground was reported to be working normally as rain replaced snow over the capital. Tens of thousands of workers were forced to stay at home on Monday in London, costing employers millions of pounds in lost work.

La Nina seen gradually weakening in 2009: NOAA FEB 5,09

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The La Nina weather anomaly will persist into the spring of 2009 but should gradually weaken during that period, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday.In a monthly update, the CPC said a majority of the model forecasts ... indicate a gradual weakening of La Nina through February-April 2009, with an eventual transition to neutral conditions.CPC is an office under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The body said La Nina will last into spring of this year.La Nina literally means little girl in Spanish. It results in cooler-than-normal waters in the Pacific Ocean. The more famous El Nino weather phenomenon has the opposite effect.Scientists believe La Nina spurs hurricane formation in the Atlantic basin by hindering wind shear that breaks up storms as they form.CPC said the potential impact of La Nina during February to April 2009 include above average precipitation in the Ohio and Tennessee valleys and below average rainfall in the southwestern and southeastern United States.It said the other impacts are below average temperatures in the Pacific Northwest and above average temperatures in much of the southern United States.Indonesia, the most populous country in Southeast Asia and a major producer of coffee, cocoa, palm oil and other agricultural products, could get above average precipitation, the CPC added.El Nino -- which means ' little boy' in Spanish -- wreaks havoc in weather patterns across the Asia-Pacific regions. The most devastating struck in 1997/98 when it caused withering drought in Australia and Indonesia while spawning floods in Peru and Ecuador.It was named after the Christ child by Latin American anchovy fishermen in the 19th century who first took note of the weather anomaly.(Reporting by Rene Pastor; editing by Jim Marshall)

Hudson's Bay lays off 1,000 amid downturn Wed Feb 4, 3:59 pm ET

TORONTO (Reuters) – Privately held Canadian department store chain Hudson's Bay Co. is cutting 1,000 jobs in a bid to slash costs amid a severe economic downturn.The company said the cuts represent about 5 percent of its overall full-time workforce and, when combined with other cost cutting moves, should lead to annual savings of C$150 million ($121.9 million) in 2009.Both administrative and store positions will be affected, the company said in a statement.Hudson's Bay, which operates The Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters and Fields store chains, has more than 600 retail outlets. It was originally founded by fur traders in 1670 and is North America's oldest continuously operating company.Last year, the company was bought by U.S.-based private equity group NRDC Equity Partners from the Zucker family.(Reporting by Wojtek Dabrowski; editing by Rob Wilson)

Canada encouraged by softened Buy American plan FEB 5,09

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada said on Thursday it was encouraged by the U.S. Senate's move to soften the Buy American provision in its $900 billion stimulus bill, but said it would maintain diplomatic pressure on Washington to keep protectionist measures out of the plan as it moves forward.The Buy American provision would have required that all public works projects funded by the stimulus package use only U.S.-made iron, steel and manufactured goods.But, under the amendment passed by U.S. Senate on Wednesday, the provision must be applied in a manner consistent with U.S. obligations under international agreements.Canadian Trade Minister Stockwell Day told reporters on Thursday the amendment was a great step forward.Respecting the fact that this is their legislation, we want to continue to impress upon them the things that we think are necessary to avoid either a North American or even a global negative reaction to that legislation, Day added.The bill still has to be reconciled with the version passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, which did not include a guarantee on trade obligations.Day said Canada shipped about C$11 billion ($9 billion) in iron and steel products to the United States, in various forms, in 2007.

The Senate moved to amend the Buy American provision after several countries, including Canada, Japan and Australia, expressed concern over the legislation, and President Barack Obama warned the original language could trigger a trade war.

Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, urged the Senate to exclude any Buy American provision as part of the stimulus package, but his amendment was rejected.
It would have been nice to see that go through, said Day. It would have put some extra weight on the amendment that's already there, but we are pleased with progress so far.The United States has made commitments under the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization to provide trading partners such as Canada, Mexico, Japan and the European Union with access to its government procurement market and has received similar commitments in exchange.But other countries such as China, Russia, India and Brazil are not party to those pacts so would not have any protection from the amendment passed by the Senate on Wednesday.
(Reporting by John McCrank; editing by Rob Wilson)

DISEASES

REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

Ky. halts FEMA meals that may use tainted peanuts FEB 5,09

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky officials say they've stopped distributing FEMA emergency meals for winter storm survivors that may contain recalled peanut butter.The Federal Emergency Management Agency says some emergency meal kits for storm victims in Kentucky and Arkansas may include packets of peanut butter that are part of a national recall over possible salmonella contamination.Kentucky officials said Thursday they have received no complaints about illnesses from the peanut butter but are advising people to discard any packets they've received.Arkansas officials say they have located two trailers where the meals were stored and none of those had been handed out.More than 1,000 items have been recalled in the salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 550 people, eight of whom have died.

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
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 (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Cheney warns of new attacks By JOHN F. HARRIS & MIKE ALLEN & JIM VANDEHEI | 2/4/09 5:56 AM EST

Former Vice President Dick Cheney warned that there is a high probability that terrorists will attempt a catastrophic nuclear or biological attack in coming years, and said he fears the Obama administration’s policies will make it more likely the attempt will succeed. In an interview Tuesday with Politico, Cheney unyieldingly defended the Bush administration’s support for the Guantanamo Bay prison and coercive interrogation of terrorism suspects. And he asserted that President Obama will either backtrack on his stated intentions to end those policies or put the country at risk in ways more severe than most Americans — and, he charged, many members of Obama’s own team — understand. When we get people who are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist than they are with protecting the United States against people who are absolutely committed to do anything they can to kill Americans, then I worry, Cheney said. Protecting the country’s security is a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business, he said. These are evil people. And we’re not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek.Citing intelligence reports, Cheney said at least 61 of the inmates who were released from Guantanamo during the Bush administration — that’s about 11 or 12 percent — have gone back into the business of being terrorists.The 200 or so inmates still there, he claimed, are the hard core whose recidivism rate would be much higher. (Lawyers for Guantanamo detainees have strongly disputed the recidivism figures, asserting that the Pentagon data have inconsistencies and omissions.) Cheney called Guantanamo a first-class program, and a necessary facility that is operated legally and with better food and treatment than the jails in inmates' native countries.

But he said he worried that instead of sitting down and carefully evaluating the policies, Obama officials are unwisely following campaign rhetoric and preparing to release terrorism suspects or afford them legal protections granted to more conventional defendants in crime cases. The choice, he alleged, reflects a naive mindset among the new team in Washington: The United States needs to be not so much loved as it needs to be respected. Sometimes, that requires us to take actions that generate controversy. I’m not at all sure that that’s what the Obama administration believes.The dire portrait Cheney painted of the country’s security situation was made even grimmer by his comments agreeing with analysts who believe this recession may be a once-in-a-century disaster. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, Cheney said. The combination of the financial crisis that started last year, coupled now with, obviously, a major recession, I think we’re a long way from having solved these problems.The interview, less than two weeks after the Bush administration ceded power to Obama, found the man who is arguably the most controversial — and almost surely the most influential — vice president in U.S. history in a self-vindicating mood. He expressed confidence that files will some day be publicly accessible offering specific evidence that waterboarding and other policies he promoted — over sharp internal dissent from colleagues and harsh public criticism — were directly responsible for averting new Sept. 11-style attacks. Not content to wait for a historical verdict, Cheney said he is set to plunge into his own memoirs, feeling liberated to describe behind-the-scenes roles over several decades in government now that the statute of limitations has expired on many of the most sensitive episodes. His comments made unmistakable that Cheney — likely more than former President Bush, who has not yet given post-White House interviews — is willing and even eager to spar with the new administration and its supporters over the issues he cares most about. His standing in this public debate is beset by contradictions. Cheney for years has had intimate access to the sort of highly classified national security intelligence that Obama and his teams are only recently seeing. But many of the top Democratic legal and national security players have long viewed Cheney as a man who became unhinged by his fears, responsible for major misjudgments in Iraq and Afghanistan, willing to bend or break legal precedents and constitutional principles to advance his aims. Polls show he is one of the most unpopular people in national life.

In the interview, Cheney revealed no doubts about his own course — and many about the new administration’s. If it hadn’t been for what we did — with respect to the terrorist surveillance program, or enhanced interrogation techniques for high-value detainees, the Patriot Act, and so forth — then we would have been attacked again, he said. Those policies we put in place, in my opinion, were absolutely crucial to getting us through the last seven-plus years without a major-casualty attack on the U.S.Cheney said the ultimate threat to the country is a 9/11-type event where the terrorists are armed with something much more dangerous than an airline ticket and a box cutter – a nuclear weapon or a biological agent of some kind that is deployed in the middle of an American city. That’s the one that would involve the deaths of perhaps hundreds of thousands of people, and the one you have to spend a hell of a lot of time guarding against, he said. I think there’s a high probability of such an attempt. Whether or not they can pull it off depends whether or not we keep in place policies that have allowed us to defeat all further attempts, since 9/11, to launch mass-casualty attacks against the United States.If Cheney’s language was dramatic, the setting for the comments was almost bizarrely pedestrian. His office is in a non-descript suburban office building in McLean, Va., in a suite that could just as easily house a dental clinic. The office is across the hall from a quick-copy store. The door is marked by nothing except a paper sign, held up by tape, saying the unit is occupied by the General Services Administration. At several points, Cheney resisted singling out Obama personally for criticism, at one point saying he wants to give him a break after just two weeks in office. He said he admires Obama’s choice to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the job. But if he treated Obama gingerly, Cheney was eager to engage in the broader philosophical debate he was accustomed to with Democrats and even many in his own party about the right way to navigate a dangerous planet. He said he fears the people populating Obama’s ranks put too much faith in negotiation, persuasion, and good intentions. I think there are some who probably actually believe that if we just go talk nice to these folks, everything’s going to be okay, he said. He said his own experience tempers his belief in diplomacy.

I think they’re optimistic. All new administrations are optimistic. We were, he said. They may be able, in some cases, to make progress diplomatically that we weren’t, Cheney said. But, on the other hand, I think they’re likely to find — just as we did — that lots of times the diplomacy doesn’t work. Or diplomacy doesn’t work without there being an implied threat of something more serious if it fails.As examples of the dangerous world he sees — and one he predicted Obama and aides would find sobering — were Russia’s backsliding into authoritarianism and away from democracy, and the ongoing showdowns over the nuclear intentions of Iran and North Korea. But it was the choice over Guantanamo that most dominated Cheney’s comments.

If you release the hard-core Al Qaeda terrorists that are held at Guantanamo, I think they go back into the business of trying to kill more Americans and mount further mass-casualty attacks, he said. If you turn ’em loose and they go kill more Americans, who’s responsible for that? Of one alternative — moving prisoners to the U.S. prisons — Cheney said he has heard from few members of Congress eager for Guantanamo transfers to their home-state prisons, and asked: Is that really a good idea to take hardened Al Qaeda terrorists who’ve already killed thousands of Americans and put ’em in San Quentin or some other prison facility where they can spread their venom even more widely than it already is? While Cheney’s words were dire, his own mood was relaxed, even loquacious. He was not on crutches — much less the wheelchair he rode to Obama’s Inauguration — from an injury while moving a box of books into his new home. Suddenly a man of leisure, Cheney has a Kindle, Amazon’s wireless reading device, and said he used it recently to read James M. McPherson’s new Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief.About a week ago, he had a phone conversation with former President George W. Bush, the first time the two had talked since they appeared together at a rally at Andrews Air Force Base just after Obama’s swearing-in. He’s fine, Cheney said. We had a pleasant chat on the phone. It was a private, personal conversation – not about policy. We’re both citizens – civilians.

Other highlights of the 90-minute interview:

* What Cheney called the trillion-dollar so-called stimulus bill: It looks to me like there’s a lot of stuff in there that has nothing to do with stimulus – it’s a sort of a wish list of a lot of my congressional Democratic friends, he said.

* The potential consequences of $1 trillion in deficit stimulus spending: It’s huge, obviously – potentially huge. You worry about what ultimately happens to inflation. You worry about what’s going to happen to the ability of the government to borrow money. … I’m nervous.

* Whether the Bush administration should have done more about the economy: We did worry about it, to some extent. … I don’t think anybody actually foresaw something of this size and dimension occurring. It’s also global. We only control part of the world economy – a very important part.

* On the chance of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in the foreseeable future: I think it’s unlikely.

After leaving office, Cheney and his wife, Lynne, went first to his home in Wyoming, then returned to Washington to enjoy their grandchildren. He’s working on a book about his career, which has included stints as a House member, White House chief of staff and secretary of Defense. His daughter, Liz Cheney, the former principal deputy assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, supervised the interview and at one point was looking for a tape recorder. I’m not a very good press aide,she joshed. Cheney found one on his own. See, you don’t need staff, she said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

WORLD MARKET RESULTS
http://money.cnn.com/data/world_markets/

HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS THU FEB 05,2009

09:30 AM -18.48
10:00 AM -100.24
10:30 AM -106.73
11:00 AM +11.87
11:30 AM +21.82
12:00 PM +64.43
12:30 PM +87.29
01:00 PM +108.16
01:30 PM +65.15
02:00 PM +79.41
02:30 PM +124.48
03:00 PM +81.96
03:30 PM +102.90
04:00 PM +106.41 8063.07

S&P 500 845.85 +13.62

NASDAQ 1546.24 +31.19

GOLD 917.20 +15.00

OIL 40.95 +.62

TSE 300 8830.79 +137.70

CDNX 897.45 +7.40

S&P/TSX/60 533.85 +9.28

MORNING,NEWS,STATS
Dow -42 points at 4 minutes of trading today.
Dow -30 points at high today so far.
Dow -109 points at low today so far.

YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow -9.34%
S&P -7.86%
Nasdaq -3.93%
TSX Advances 616,declines 519,unchanged 217,Volume 1,151,738,636.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 350,Declines 308,Unchanged 319,Volume 129,227,553.
Dell down graded by JP Morgan.
Gold opens at $922.70 today,Oil opens at $40.22 today.
Natural Gas Inventories -195 BCF.
UBS calls for Gold to go to$1000.00
Madoffs clients list of ripped off go to 162 pages long.Over 6,000 names on the list.

In the last 2 days:4 Auto Supplier plants to close and 4,000 Jobs lost.
SUPPLIERS BAILOUT WANTED
-Discussions for $20.5 BILLION.
-$10 BILLION through big 3.
-Riding out the JAN EFFECT(Plant 2 week shutdown)
Big 3 spending to fall 50-60% in FEB due to plant breaks in JAN-FEB.
Lower Volume will cut Big 3 parts spending.
Teer 2&3 base will be the most affected with plant shutdowns longer.

AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS
Dow +87 points at high.
Dow -109 points at low.

DAY TODAY PERFORMANCE - 12:30PM STATS
NYSE Advances 2,310,declines 1,275,unchanged 120,New Highs 8,New Lows 140.
Volume 3,606,505,653
NASDAQ Advances 1,743,declines 836,unchanged 114,New highs 2,New Lows 119.
Volume 1,210,979.857
TSX Advances 497,declines 474,unchanged 212,Volume 478,843,188.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 275,Declines 246,Unchanged 245,Volume 77,201,955.

MEL'S DOG WOODY IS A CUTEY WHILE LAYING ON THE DESK WHILE SHE TALKED ABOUT HER DOG SHOW TONIGHT.

WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS
Dow -109 points at low today.
Dow +153 points at high today.
Dow +1.34% today Volume 387,060,475.
Nasdaq +2.06% today Volume 2,147,483,648.
S&P 500 +1.62% today Volume N/A

JANUARY COMPS
J C Penney -16.4% Vs -11.7% est.
Target -3.3% Vs 5.5% est.
Aeropostale +6% Vs +4.8% est.
American Eagle -22% Vs -14.1% est.
Bj's wholesale +7.6% Vs +2.7% est.
Macy's D4.5% Vs D6.3% est.
Gap -23% Vs 15.4% est.
Wal-mart +2.1% Vs 1.1% est.

TOP RETAIL PERFORMANCE IN 2009
Conns Inc,Aeropostale,Amazon.

SPENDING IS HAPPENING:JANUARY SALES
The Buckle +14.7%,Aeropostale +11%,Hot Topic +6%,Amer Apparel +2%,Mothers Work +5.1%
DEPARMENT DIVE JANUARY SALES
JC Penney -16.4%,Saks -24%,Macy's -4.5%,Kohl's -13.4%
JANUARY SALES
Wal-Mart +2.1%,Target -3.3%,Bj's -0.7%,Costco -2%.

New jobless claims jump more than expected to 626K By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP Economics Writer FEB 5,09

WASHINGTON – New jobless claims jumped far more than expected last week in an already dismal labor market, and there's no relief in sight for workers as mass layoffs persist.The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of newly jobless workers seeking benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 626,000, from the previous week's upwardly revised figure of 591,000. The latest total is far more than analysts' expectations of 583,000.That's also the highest since October 1982, when the economy was in a steep recession, though the work force has grown by about half since then.The numbers reflect the large spate of layoffs announced last month by companies from all sectors of the economy, including Caterpillar Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Microsoft Corp.Economists expect the government to issue a grim report Friday that will show the unemployment rate rose to 7.5 percent in January, up from 7.2 percent in December. That would be the highest rate in 17 years.The housing slump and financial crisis have hammered spending by businesses and consumers, sending the economy into a recession that is expected to continue until at least the second half of this year.The recession's impact was visible in other economic data Thursday. Factory orders fell by 3.9 percent in December, the Commerce Department said, a record fifth straight drop.For all of 2008, orders for everything from autos to computers to food rose by only 0.4 percent, the weakest showing since orders actually fell by 1.8 percent in 2002.Meanwhile, many retailers reported dismal January sales. The malaise crossed the spectrum of retailing, from department store chains to teen clothing chains.Wet Seal Inc., Stage Stores Inc. and Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. were among those posting deeper-than-expected sales declines.Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, was a notable exception, reporting sales that beat Wall Street's forecast, as shoppers continued to focus on necessities like groceries.

The financial markets were mixed in response to the news. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 63 points, or about 0.8 percent, in morning trading, while the Nasdaq rose slightly.Laid-off workers are having a harder time landing new jobs as companies impose hiring freezes in addition to job cuts.The number of people that remained on the unemployment compensation rolls increased slightly to nearly 4.8 million, the Labor Department said, most since records began in 1967. The continuing claims data lags the number of new claims by one week.As a proportion of the work force, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits is at the highest level since August 1982. But that doesn't include an additional 1.7 million people receiving unemployment insurance through an extension of benefits Congress approved last year, which brings the total to about 6.5 million.The extension provides up to 33 additional weeks of benefits, on top of the 26 weeks typically provided by states.

The Labor Department said in a separate report that productivity rose at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the final three months of last year, far above the 1.1 percent rise that economists had expected.Productivity, which is the amount of output per hour of work, jumped because the number of hours worked during the period plunged faster than output declined. That reflected the massive wave of layoffs that occurred during the fourth quarter. Unit labor costs, meanwhile, edged up at a 1.8 percent annual rate, far lower than the 2.9 percent rise that had been forecast. The results underscored how the deepening recession has removed the threat of inflation.

The layoffs continued Thursday with cosmetics maker Estee Lauder Cos. saying its fiscal second-quarter profit fell 30 percent and it plans to begin a four-year restructuring plan that will include cutting 2,000 staffers, or 6 percent of the work force. The company will also continue its hiring freeze. On Wednesday, Botox maker Allergan Inc. and Time Warner Inc.'s cable division announced large job cuts. A day earlier, PNC Financial Services Group, airplane maker Hawker Beechcraft Corp., Liz Claiborne Inc., King Pharmaceuticals Inc. and aerospace company Rockwell Collins Inc. announced layoffs. General Motors Corp., meanwhile, said it will offer buyouts to all of its hourly workers. Macy's Inc. said Monday that it would eliminate 7,00 jobs.Associated Press Writers Martin Crutsinger and Anne D'Innocenzio contributed to this report.

Stores see January sales fall; Wal-Mart posts rise By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO, AP Retail Writer FEB 5,09

NEW YORK – Shoppers grappling with rising layoffs and shrinking retirement accounts dug deep into survival mode last month, leading to sharp January sales declines for many retailers. The poor results raised more concerns about the financial health of the industry.The malaise crossed the spectrum of retailing, from department chains to teen chains. Wet Seal Inc., Stage Stores Inc. and Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. were among those posting deeper-than-expected sales declines.Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, was a notable exception, reporting sales that beat Wall Street's forecast, as shoppers continued to focus on necessities like groceries.

Sales are coming in extremely soft, and we see more of the same for at least three to six months, said Ken Perkins, president of research company RetailMetrics. Shoppers continue to be under pressure. They are fatigued and tapped out. They are feeling pressure from all fronts. And there's absolutely no incentive to shop.A sales tally by Thomson Reuters found that 12 retailers it tracks beat expectations, while 11 missed projections. The tally is based on same-store sales, or sales at stores opened at least a year, which are a key indicator of retailer's health.

January is the least important month of a retailer's sales calendar, but the figures only confirmed the deterioration of consumer spending. The retail industry has posted sales declines since October, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs index, and many analysts believe that will continue through the first half of the year.Shoppers have worries from slumping home prices to tight credit and shrinking retirement accounts. But the biggest concern is job security and income — and that may only be reinforced by data Thursday showing that new claims for unemployment benefits jumped to their highest level in more than 26 years. The unemployment rate — now at 7.2 percent — is expected to jump to 7.5 percent, a 17-year peak, in January when the government releases new figures Friday.

In this environment, stores are slashing prices to try to pull in shoppers. Already many chains, including AnnTaylor Stores and Banana Republic, are discounting spring merchandise.And with shoppers retrenching, retailers and suppliers are looking for ways to cut costs. Macy's Inc., Bon-Ton Stores and apparel maker Liz Claiborne Inc. are among those that have announced layoffs in recent days.They are hunkering down, said Chris Donnelly, a partner in the retail practice at consulting group Accenture. There is this key focus on survival.The outlier in Thursday's parade of dismal sales was Wal-Mart, which had stumbled in December. It came back in January to post a 2.1 percent increase in same-store sales, excluding fuel. That was better than the 1.1 percent gain that analysts polled by expected. The company said same-store sales were strong in grocery and health and wellness.Wal-Mart predicted that same-stores sales, including fuel, will rise from 1 percent to 3 percent during the Jan. 31 through May 1 period.Macy's, which announced Monday that it would cut 7,000 jobs — almost 4 percent of its work force — reported a 4.5 percent decline in same-store sales. That was better than the 6.5 percent decline analysts had expected. The company also raised its fourth-quarter and full-year estimates for the year ended in January. Earlier in the week, Macy's said that earnings for the year that ends January 2010 will be well below analysts' expectations.Stage Stores said its January same-store sales dropped 13.1 percent, deeper than the 8.3 percent decline Wall Street anticipated. Limited Brands Inc. posted a 9 percent decline, though that was less severe than the 15.9 percent drop analysts expected.Children's Place suffered an 11 percent decline, worse than the 2 percent drop Wall Street projected. And Wet Seal announced a 14.7 percent decline, deeper than the 11.8 percent analysts anticipated.Costco Wholesale Corp., which had also been one of the few bright spots, on Wednesday reported a 2 percent drop in same-store sales, a little better than the 2.8 percent decline that Wall Street expected. But the warehouse operator warned that its profit for the quarter ending in February will substantially miss Wall Street estimates due to poor sales and margins.

Bank of England cuts, ECB holds steady By PAN PYLAS and GEORGE FREY, AP Business Writers FEB 5,09

LONDON – The European Central Bank halted its campaign of interest rate cuts on Thursday, leaving its benchmark at 2 percent while the Bank of England cut by a half-point to a record low 1 percent as it tries to get the ailing British economy back on track.The widely expected decisions by both banks marked their decidedly different approaches to the global economic woes that have sent financial markets plunging and led to thousands of layoffs, reduced worker hours and factory shutdowns across Europe.The ECB, central bank for the 16 countries that use the euro with their 330 million residents and euro4 trillion ($5.6 trillion) economy, has been more cautious in cutting rates, which can stimulate growth by lowering borrowing costs for businesses and consumers but can stoke inflationary pressures down the line.Though both banks conceded that their economies are in the midst of their deepest recessions in decades — Britain's 1.5 percent contraction in the fourth quarter of 2008 was the worst since 1980 — they sought to pierce the gloom by laying out the hope that the raft of policy measures since autumn will start to bear fruit some time this year.While warning reporters that upcoming fourth quarter growth figures for the euro zone will likely be very negative and that the weakness will continue into coming quarters, ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said the single currency zone should start to reap the benefits of significant policy measures.

And the Bank of England said it expected the sharp interest rate reductions enacted since October to have a significant impact on the economy eventually.Together with the recent easing in fiscal policy, the substantial fall in sterling and past falls in commodity prices, that would provide a considerable stimulus to activity as the year progressed, the bank said.Since October, when the financial crisis sharpened, the European Central Bank has cut its benchmark rate from 4.25 percent, while the Bank of England has slashed its from 5 percent. In addition, both banks have flooded the financial markets with unprecedented amounts of money in the form of short-term credit to banks and efforts to reduce their holdings of shaky securities, while governments across Europe have loosened the purse strings.Despite that relative optimism, both banks are expected to carry on cutting interest rates in the months ahead, though the European Central Bank may not go as far as the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan by pushing borrowing costs down to, or near, zero.Zero rate doesn't seem appropriate to us at this time, Trichet told the press briefing after the unanimous decision to keep rates on hold.However, Trichet did indicate that another rate cut could be in the offing for March, and markets are pricing in a half-point cut.Two percent is not the lowest level we would have decided, he said.

Aurelio Maccario, an economist at UniCredit in Milan said Trichet's statement confirms that a half percentage point rate cut in March is absolutely in the pipeline.The Bank of England is expected to cut its main rate to, or close to, zero percent, and has indicated that it may start to expand the money supply once interest rates fall to, or near, zero percent to avoid a bout of deflation — a corrosive spiral of falling prices.The Bank now has to act to avoid deflation without fear of a further weakening of sterling; a weaker currency should serve to add to the competitiveness of exports, said Hetal Mehta, senior economic adviser to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club.Both central banks said inflation could fall to very low levels this year, though prices will likely remain volatile, amid sharply lower demand for goods and services and sliding energy and commodity prices. Lower inflation gives central banks more room to cut rates without fear of worsening prices rises.Many economists have criticized the ECB for its relative caution, especially as inflation in the euro zone fell 1.1 percent in the year to January — below the ECB's mandate to target inflation below, but close to 2 percent.The ECB is clearly behind the curve, as it was in July 2008, when it raised interest rates by a quarter of a percent, said Richard Snook, senior economist at the Centre for Economic and Business Research. Global policy rates at zero and coordinated quantitative easing across all major economies is the best remedy for an unprecedented global crisis, he said. On the Net: http://www.ecb.int
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk

Netanyahu: Gaza offensive stopped too soon By MARK LAVIE, Associated Press Writer Wed Feb 4, 12:51 pm ET

JERUSALEM – The front-runner for Israel's election next week said Israel's offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza last month did not go far enough.Benjamin Netanyahu told a security conference Wednesday the government stopped the operation before the military could halt Hamas arms smuggling through tunnels under Gaza's border with Egypt.He also called for removing Hamas from power, calling it an extremist fanatic regime backed by the extremist fanatic government of Iran.He stopped short of saying he would attack Gaza again to uproot the regime if he is elected.Israel's three-week offensive on Gaza killed 1,300 people, about half of them civilians, according to Palestinian figures. Israel said it wanted to stop the years of rocket fire from Gaza into the southern part of the country.Rockets fired from Gaza went deeper than ever into Israel during the offensive, leading to concerns that more foreign-made rockets were being smuggled into Gaza through tunnels under the border with Egypt.

Hamas forces overran the crowded, impoverished Gaza Strip in June 2007.

Polls show that Netanyahu's hawkish Likud Party and its hawkish allies would receive a majority in the new parliament after the Feb. 10 election, giving him the best chance to be named prime minister.Netanyahu warned that any territory Israel relinquishes will be grabbed by extremists, referring to the possibility of trading West Bank land for peace in a deal with the Palestinians.Such an exchange is the cornerstone of current peace efforts backed by the U.S. and the international community. A year of U.S.-backed negotiations between Israel and the Western-backed government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which rules the West Bank, has produced no apparent progress.Netanyahu said negotiations with the Palestinians should concentrate on economic issues and policing.That is not a replacement for political negotiations toward a peace treaty, he said. It is the only path toward them.Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who helped direct the Israeli assault on Gaza, is slightly behind Netanyahu in the polls. She advocates negotiating a peace treaty with Abbas but has called for stern measures against Hamas if rocket fire continues from Gaza.The other architect of the Gaza offensive, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, is far behind, with some polls showing his center-left Labor Party in fourth place.

Israel ambassador is latest shoe-throwing target FEB 5,09

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Israel's ambassador to Sweden has become the latest public figure to be targeted by a shoe-throwing protester.Police said Ambassador Benny Dagan was hit on the leg by the shoe, one of several projectiles thrown when he turned up to address a student gathering at Stockholm University this week.During this seminar, someone threw a shoe at the ambassador,university spokeswoman Maria Sandqvist said.It was a student organisation that had an event and they had invited the ambassador to talk about the upcoming election in Israel.Police spokeswoman Petra Sjolander said two people, one male and one female, had been detained and then released following the incident. A public prosecutor was considering whether to charge them.Sjolander said the ambassador had been interviewed by police and that he had been struck by the shoe. Yes, on the leg, she said, adding that books had been thrown as well.Dagan himself and officials at the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm could not be reached for comment.Last December, an Iraqi journalist hurled both shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush when he was on a farewell visit to Iraq in December.Then last Monday a protester threw a shoe at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a speech at Cambridge University in England.The Foreign Policies Association student group in Stockholm issued a statement on its web site deploring the incident.

Violence is never a solution,it said.A video posted on the Internet purporting to depict the event showed objects being hurled across a lecture hall towards a group of people at the front, who then hurried out of the room. A part of the video was blacked out and it was not possible to see who had hurled the objects.(Reporting by Adam Cox; Writing by Richard Balmforth)

Israeli navy intercepts Lebanese boat of Gaza aid By STEVE WEIZMAN, Associated Press Writer FEB 5,09

JERUSALEM – The Israeli navy intercepted a ship delivering 60 tons of supplies to the Gaza Strip from Lebanon on Thursday in the latest bid to defy Israel's blockade of the militant-held territory.The Israelis fired at the ship before boarding it and beating those on board, said reporters from Arab TV stations Al-Jadeed and Al-Jazeera who were on the vessel.Gunfire could be heard in the background of the telephoned reports aired by their stations.The Israeli navy said no gunshots were fired on the ship as it boarded and seized the vessel. The navy towed the ship, which set sail Tuesday from Lebanon, to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod where it could be seen moored at the quayside.Lebanon's prime minister condemned the blatant attack and one of the organizers of the voyage called it a kidnapping. But Israel said the ship tried to slip past its navy after agreeing to sail to Egypt instead.

The Israeli military said those on board the ship, the Tali, would be handed over to Israeli immigration authorities — and that the aid would be transferred to Gaza by land.Israel has kept Gaza's cargo crossings largely closed since the Hamas militant group seized control of the coastal strip in June 2007.Disagreements over opening the Gaza blockade led Hamas negotiators to leave talks in Egypt on Thursday on a long-term cease-fire with Israel. The Hamas team was later stopped at an Egypt-Gaza border crossing with millions of dollars and Euros in their suitcases, an Egyptian security official said.The organizers of the aid ship, Lebanese leftist political and human rights activists, said 18 people were on board and that the cargo included medicine, food, toys and basic humanitarian supplies such as mattresses and blankets.

Among the passengers was 86-year-old Greek Catholic priest Hillarion Capucci who was serving as an archbishop in Jerusalem in 1974 when Israel convicted him of using his diplomatic status to smuggle arms to Palestinian militants. He was later released from jail at the intervention of the Vatican and deported.The Free Gaza Movement, which did not organize the Lebanese voyage but has successfully sent several boatloads of activists to Gaza in the past said one of its British volunteers, Theresa McDermott of Edinburgh, was also on board.Israel says the blockade of Gaza is a response to repeated Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel and is necessary to keep arms from reaching Hamas. After Israel ended a three-week military offensive in Gaza last month with an informal cease-fire, Hamas has been trying to get the border crossings reopened as part of a long-term cease-fire.But Egyptian efforts for a formal long-term deal took a downturn Thursday when a senior Hamas official said his delegation was leaving Cairo without an agreement because of differences over opening the border crossings.Egypt is acting as mediator because Israel and Hamas do not have official contacts.Hamas officials had said they are ready to commit to a cease-fire with Israel for at least a year in exchange for a full opening of Gaza's borders.But Hamas negotiator Mohammed Nasr said Israel was trying to avoid fully reopening the Gaza borders. He said his group would wait for answers after the Egyptians talk to Israel.The Hamas delegation later was stopped from returning to Gaza with $9 million and 2 million euros in their suitcases, an Egyptian security official said.The official said the group initially refused to be searched by Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The money stayed in Egypt while the delegation was allowed to return to Gaza, said another security official. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak to the media. The Lebanese ship was the latest in a string of vessels that tried to break the Israeli blockade. Israel has permitted several ships to reach Gaza but blocked others, including a Libyan freighter that was forced to turn around last December.

The Israeli military said the Tali's shipment had not been cleared by Israeli authorities. It said a naval patrol spoke by radio to the Tali and told its skipper the ship would not be allowed to enter Gaza. The two sides agreed that the vessel would instead sail to the Egyptian port of El-Arish. But on Thursday morning, the ship tried to double back and slip past the navy, Israel said, raising concerns that it might be trying to smuggle arms into Gaza. As a result of the actions taken by the boat crew, an Israel navy force intercepted, boarded, and took control of the cargo boat, directing it toward (the port) of Ashdod, Israel, the statement said. No gunshots were fired on board during the boarding and capturing of the cargo boat.

Interviewed on Army Radio after the ship was searched, however, a naval officer identified only as Lt.Col.A. said no weapons were found. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said he strongly condemned the blatant attack on the ship and held Israel responsible for the safety of the passengers. This Israeli aggression is not surprising,he said.Israel, which commits massacres against innocent civilians in Lebanon and Gaza, will not stop at committing an aggression in front of the world against a ship carrying humanitarian aid.A Syrian Foreign Ministry statement sharply condemned what it called Israel's act of maritime piracy.AP Writers Zeina Karam in Beirut, Ashraf Sweilam in Rafah, Egypt and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report.