1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Earthquake rocks Australian island. 3-Frigid temperatures blanket U.S. Plains, Midwest 4-JACK VAN IMPE GOG AND MAGOG HAPPENINGS. 5-Chief Rabbinate to Reduce Use of Special 7th-Year Dispensation. 6-Egypt: PA Will Recognize Israel on Condition of Direct Talks. 7-The king can do no wrong By Shahar Ilan.8-Fear of US damaging EU-NATO relations, NATO chief says. 9-He Calls Himself God.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Wed Jan 31 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 31,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 30,07
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.4 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
MAP 2.8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 3.7 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 4.7 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.3 FIJI REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.7 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 6.8 WEST OF MACQUARIE ISLAND
MAP 2.9 QUEBEC BORDER REGION, CANADA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 29,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.9 CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.4 COSTA RICA
MAP 4.9 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 COLOMBIA
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
Earthquake rocks Australian island Tue Jan 30, 2:06 AM ET
SYDNEY, Australia - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 rocked the coast of Australia's remote Macquarie Island Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake struck at 2:54 p.m. local time and was centered six miles below the seabed.Stuart Koyanagi, a geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center at Ewa Beach, Hawaii, said the quake was unlikely to generate a major Pacific-wide tsunami.
Normally at this magnitude we don't expect any kind of destructive tsunami, he said.Clive Collins, a seismologist at Geoscience Australia, said the Macquarie Island earthquake involved two tectonic plates moving against each other horizontally, rather than vertically, and was unlikely to displace the large quantity of water needed to generate a tsunami.It's most unlikely there would be any tsunami, he said. It's a fairly large earthquake and it's fairly shallow, but we don't think there's any risk.The isolated, sparsely populated island lies about 835 miles south of the island state of Tasmania, and serves as a base for Australian expeditions to Antarctica.
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.
Frigid temperatures blanket U.S. Plains, Midwest JAN 30,07
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Frigid temperatures were blanketing the U.S. Plains and upper Midwest this week, but a break in the moisture was helping feedlots firm up after a series of storms, a private forecaster said on Tuesday.
The Southern Plains were expected to be cold and dry this week. Temperatures will be below to much-below normal, with lows in the single digits to teens Fahrenheit through the weekend. Highs will be in the mid-20s to mid-30s F.This dry, cold weather is a benefit in the feedlots ... it keeps the saturated ground firmed up. And it's not cold enough to cause any real impact on the animals, said Mike Palmerino, forecaster with DTN Meteorlogix.
The U.S. hard red winter wheat crop should be protected from the cold blast as the chilliest areas of the Plains are covered with snow after a month of storms, he added.The Southern Plains six-to-10-day forecast for Saturday through Thursday looked warmer, he said. Temperatures were expected to be near to above-normal in the west and near to below-normal in the east. Precipitation would be below-normal.The Northern Plains and upper Midwest will see below-normal temperatures this week with conditions dry or with just a few light snow flurries, he said.But there were some indications for colder weather to move into the Northern Plains and Midwest next week.The six-to-10-day outlook for the upper Midwest and Northern Plains called for below to much-below normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation.It could be the coldest weather of the winter next week with lows 5 to 15 degrees below zero, said Palmerino.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
JACK VAN IMPE GOG AND MAGOG HAPPENINGS
We want to continue our study where we left off last week.
The Unfolding Mystery
The purpose of this war has long caused questions for commentators .
Ezekiel explains the purpose to be twofold: to take a spoil and to take a prey. The poverty of Palestine has made this difficult to understand, but now the mystery is unfolding.The Jews have been the prey of persecutors for thousands of years. Today, if it were militarily possible, they would be the prey of their Arab neighbors. In the coming war with Russia, nearly all the Arab nations will be allies of Russia, and their primary purpose will be to take a prey Israel. The Russians, however, will be marching to the Middle East to take a spoil.
They will be pleased to cooperate in the conquest of Israel, knowing that when their military forces overrun the Middle East they will control all the wealth there, including the Arab oil.Recent history has demonstrated that those who become the allies of Russia are soon totally controlled by her; witness Eastern Europe. So while the Arabs will join the attack against Israel to take a prey, Russia will be invading to take a spoil.
And the spoil is oil.
In addition, the mineral wealth of the Dead Sea, valued at two trillion dollars, must be considere d, as well as the wealth being generated in Israel through industry and agriculture. The protest of Israel's allies makes this clear:Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchant s of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, and take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezek. 38:13) Sheba and Dedan represent a small number of Arabs who will not participate in the attack on Israel. The merchants of Tarshish are Western powers who by this time will be under the control of the Antichrist, soon to be revealed for who he is and to become the final world dictator.
Important Timing,When will this war take place?
There are four time factors that allow us to arrive at the approximate time of the war between Russia and Israel.The war takes place in the latter years (38:8), or the latter days (38:16). The war can only take place when the Jews are in their land. This prophecy could not have been fulfilled before 1948. Any invasion of the Middle East by Russia previous to statehood for Israel would have been meaningless in regard to this prophecy. The enactment of this scene in the last days also guarantees the survival of Israel until the war with Russia. Were the Arabs to succeed in destroying the Jews, it would be impossible to fulfill Ezekiel's prophecy. At the time of the invasion of Israel, Russia must be a major military power, a fact that guarantees the survival of Russia until the war with Israel. The increase of Russian military might is well known, but that immense and fearsome buildup would have no prophetic significance if the Jews were not in their homeland. Conversely, the gigantic Russian arms effort in view of the present Middle East situation must be seen as preliminary to an attack on Israel as prophesied by Ezekiel. This war between Russia and Israel must take place when the Jews are dwelling securely in their land.
The threat of Arab invasion will therefore have been removed to the point that the Jews feel safe: 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 (Ezek. 38:11).It seems likely that this Jewish security will come from enacting a treaty with the head of the Western alliance or the revived Roman Empire. It will be an agreement intended to last for seven years: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.(Dan. 9:27).
Since by the time of the Russian attack, the treaty of peace will have been in force long enough for the Jews to feel safe, it appears that the Russian inv asion will come at about the middle of the Tribulation period or approximately three and one-half years after its signing. There is also a hint that the Antichrist will come to world power at that point in time. The extension of his dominion over all the earth seems to follow the defeat of Russia and the armies of the East (Rev. 9:16).Russia's attack on Israel will be her greatest military blunder.
Though brief, the conflict will be one of the most destructive in history. Ezekiel's description of the battle is as follows:...Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him through all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezek. 38:19-22).
The prophet's vision carries with it many of the characteristics of nuclear war. There are earth-splitting explosions. Mountains are toppled. Rain, hail, and fire become part of the picture as nature erupts in rebellion against the forces marching to bring destruction to the Jews.While details of military action in this war are few, something about the defeat of the northern invaders will make it clear to the Jews that God has protected them: Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD (Ezek. 38:23).The casualties of the Russian invaders are so great that only one-sixth of the fighting force is left after the battle: And I will turn thee back, and l eave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel (Ezek. 39:2).
Two important developments will follow the defeat of the invaders of Israel. First, the attack by Russia will give the Antichrist an excuse for full occupation of Israel under the pretense of protection and will, along with his defeat of the huge Eastern force (Rev. 9:16), extend his power over the entire world. Second, the divine protection of Israel as prophesied by Ezekiel and proclaimed to the world by evangelists and writers throughout the closing time will turn many Jews to their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The remaining forty-two months of the Tribulation will show man at his worst.The final world dictator will become the most evil of all earth's political and religious leaders. His blasphemy, oppression, and self-exaltation will surpass that of all tyrants before him.Persecution of believers in Christ will reach an all-time high. Millions will be martyred.Anti-Semitism will become the passion of those in power.And the world will continue its age-old march to the most fierce and foolish war of all the Battle of Armageddon.We will delve into the Battle of Armageddon in our next study.
Chief Rabbinate to Reduce Use of Special 7th-Year Dispensation
By Hillel Fendel JAN 30,07
The Chief Rabbinate plans to reduce its reliance on the controversial land sale dispensation for the upcoming Shemittah year of fallow.Following a special session of the Chief Rabbinate Council on the topic, the Rabbinate decided to make great efforts to reduce the reliance on the dispensation to a minimum.Every seventh year, the Land of Israel must lie fallow, forbidden to be worked to produce its fruits. The year is known as Shemittah, from the root meaning to drop or abandon. In the Shemittah of 1889, rabbis of the Land of Israel agreed to temporarily sell parts of the Land to non-Jews, so that certain agricultural activities could be carried out. As the national economy grew and the potential losses - including the very destruction of the fledgling Jewish community - became more threatening, the dispensation became more widespread and institutionalized.
The dispensation, called the heter mechirah, was never universally accepted, and continues to be a matter of controversy even now. Among the scholars who accepted it were Rabbis Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, Avraham I. Kook, Tzvi Pesach Frank, Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky and Shlomo Yosef Zevin, while Rabbis Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, Yechiel Michel Epstein and the Chazon Ish opposed it. Among living rabbis, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef supports it, explaining that Shemittah applies nowadays only by Rabbinic dictum, while Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv opposes it.The Chief Rabbinate's announcement states, Only in cases where it becomes clear that the national kashrut system could be harmed [by the introduction of agricultural produce resulting from overt violations of the Shemittah], or in cases where the sustenance of farmers would be dealt a severe blow, or where it is feared that Jewish farmers will abandon agriculture altogether, will the dispensation be implemented.The sale of the land will only be carried out, the Rabbinate resolved, on behalf of one who can prove that he is the true owner of the land, and when it can be guaranteed that Jews will not carry out Biblically-forbidden activities [such as planting and harvesting] on the land.The Chief Rabbinate has appointed Rabbi Ze'ev Vitman to coordinate its Shemittah activities. The rabbi of Tnuvah, Israel's semi-official dairy cooperative, Rabbi Vitman has written a book on the topic entitled, Public Shemittah, in which he
describes how Shemittah can be observed in modern-day Israel.
Alon Tennenbaum, Rabbi Vitman's assistant, told Arutz-7 that the intention this year is to map out the ownership of fields throughout the country, and not to automatically sell the entire land as has been done in the past.
He said that local rabbis will be asked to help so that as many land-owners and farmers as possible can be contacted.The heter is not the preferred solution, the Chief Rabbinate declares in a noted departure from past Rabbinate practice ,since there is no consensus that land belonging to a non-Jew is exempt from the laws of Shemittah. On the contrary; most Halakhic decisors feel that a Jew must not work land belonging to a non-Jew. The very sale of the land to a non-Jew is also problematic, from both the legal and Halakhic standpoints."Therefore, when possible, only the trees and crops will be sold... Farmers will fill out forms, and Chief Rabbinate representatives will meet with the farmers in order to review the need for a sale and reduce it to the necessary minimum.
Another Solution
In the past, Rabbi Vitman has promoted another large-scale solution, known as the Otzar Beit Din.
Based on the concept that produce grown in the seventh year is not forbidden, but is rather ownerless and may be taken for personal use, the Otzar Beit Din solution involves the gathering of fruits in a large-scale manner and their not-for-profit sale.This solution will not be promoted on a national scale this year, however, largely because Tnuvah no longer has a fruits-and-vegetables department. The solution requires a large body that can stand behind it, Tennenbaum explained, and which is willing to absorb losses. Tnuvah filled the bill in the past... Rabbi Vitman is consulting with great rabbis to see how the Otzar Beit Din solution can be
implemented on a smaller scale.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill
savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Egypt: PA Will Recognize Israel on Condition of Direct Talks
By Hana Levi Julian JAN 30,07
The Hamas terrorist group that heads the PA government will recognize Israel if Jerusalem agrees to talks with its leaders, said an Egyptian official Monday -negating all Hamas declarations to date. Osama al-Baz, a political advisor to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said that an unnamed Hamas leader told him, How can we recognize Israel when it refuses to sit with us at the negotiating table and when they refuse to recognize us?According to Cairo's semi-official Middle East News Agency, al-Baz said that an initiative by Israel might be met with recognition of the Jewish state - an act that Hamas has vowed it would never carry out.While Egyptian officials were trying to emphasize the need for direct talks between Israel and Hamas in order to advance negotiations between the Jewish State and the PA, the militia war in Gaza claimed three more lives on Monday, and one on Tuesday.
A leading Hamas man was killed Tuesday as he walked out of a mosque in Khan Yunis, near what used to be N'vei Dekalim in southern Gaza. This, despite news of a ceasefire reached between Hamas and Fatah negotiators Monday night.A loud explosion was heard near the home of Hamas PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh Monday night, apparently aimed at him. Haniyeh was unhurt.Heavy exchanges of gunfire between Fatah and Hamas supporters were also reported earlier in the evening, and a rocket propelled grenade was fired on the Gaza police station a few hours later. More than 30 have been killed since the latest outbreak of fighting that began Thursday.Germany, acting in its position as head of the European Union (EU), has called on Hamas and Fatah leaders to make peace and cease the escalating violence. The EU issued a statement which said it is extremely worried about the growing violence in the PA. More than 60 people, including several children, have been killed in the militia war that broke out in December.
THE EU DICTATOR
REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
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.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU.
FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN
UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
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.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
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.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
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.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
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:
DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
Tuesday January 30,07 The king can do no wrong By Shahar Ilan
The queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, cannot be tried or summoned to testify in court. The guiding principle, explains Prof. Shimon Sheetrit of the Hebrew University, is the king can do no wrong. In Spain too, the king has complete immunity.
The sweeping immunity granted to kings, princes, heads of state and royalty essentially places them above the law: While a president can be tried after completing his term or being impeached, a king is king for life. Prof. Claude Klein of the Hebrew University law faculty says that the more authority a head of state has, the less immunity he receives.
Symbolic heads of state, such as kings or presidents in parliamentary regimes, tend to receive broader immunity based on the presumption, He has no authority, so what can he really do? A president with authority, explains Klein, cannot be protected so completely, because if you do not provide an option for impeachment, that contradicts every democratic process.Comparative documents prepared by the Knesset's Research and Information Center and the Israel Democracy Institute indicate that in cases around the world, the process of impeaching or trying a president is very complex, and necessitates a special parliamentary majority. The process varies from country to country, and in some cases, it is nearly impossible to try the president.
In Germany, the president can be impeached if he intentionally violates the constitution or federal laws, but this requires the approval of two-thirds of one of the houses of parliament. In Ireland, a decision by a two-thirds majority of one house is required to investigate a president for inappropriate behavior. The other house of parliament then launches the investigation, and it too must approve the impeachment by a two-thirds majority in the end. In Greece, as in Israel, a sitting president cannot be tried, and he must be first removed from office. This requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority. In Austria, the two houses of parliament must convene together in order to start legal proceedings against the president. Impeachment requires another decision by the assembly, with a two-thirds majority plus a national referendum. However, the process is a big gamble: If the impeachment is rejected in the referendum, the parliament is dissolved. In the Czech Republic, the president may not be either tried or arrested for a criminal offense, except for treason. Italy's president has immunity for every crime except treason or attempting to undermine the constitution.
Why investigate?
In Israel, a sitting president cannot be tried for a criminal offense, and a special three-quarters Knesset majority is required to impeach him. But it is relatively easy to open an investigation against a president. Dana Blander of the Israel Democracy Institute says, To this day, the legislature has not interpreted a criminal investigation against the president as a blow to his immunity. Sheetrit believes, however, If they were to uphold the spirit of the law here, ostensibly, it would not be necessary to open an investigation against Katsav, because if he cannot be tried, what is the point of investigating? There is some doubt regarding the legality of this matter.However, Sheetrit agrees that Katsav himself opened the door to an investigation when he approached the attorney general with complaints of attempted blackmail. A precedent was established in 2000 when President Ezer Weizman was investigated on suspicion of accepting funds from millionaire Edmund Serousi. Weizman acknowledged at the time: I accept the decision to open an investigation. I will be investigated like any other citizen, because no man is above the law.Contrary to the queen, Britain's prime minister does not have immunity from investigation. Indeed, the British police has been conducting a very comprehensive investigation into suspicions that Tony Blair recommended awarding titles of nobility in return for huge, unreported contributions to the Labour Party. The American constitution is very unclear on the president's immunity. The constitution calls for impeachment for treason, bribery, and serious crimes and offenses, which is open to interpretation. In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Nixon vs. Fitzgerald that the president has immunity from civil suits over his actions as president.
But when Paula Jones sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, this ruling was not relevant because it related to acts that preceded his term as president. Nevertheless, there is no decisive precedent regarding whether a sitting American president may be tried for a criminal offense, or whether he must first be removed from office. In Italy, as in Israel, the prime minister can continue serving while a criminal trial against him is underway. And indeed, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's long tenure was accompanied by corruption trials. He was found guilty of accepting bribes four times and was sentenced to a considerable number of years in jail. But all of the punishments were cancelled on appeals or due to statutes of limitations.
Even if the punishments had not been cancelled, it is doubtful he would have sat in jail because of his parliamentary immunity. In 2003, Berlusconi passed a law granting himself and another four senior government officials immunity from prosecution during their terms in office. The constitutional court of Italy disqualified the law. But that does not mean Berlusconi did not benefit. In the meantime, his trial on charges of giving a half-million dollar bribe to a judge in 1991 was delayed, and when it was renewed, Berlusconi was acquitted because of the statute of limitations.
No immunity for King David
The immunity delivered so generously in our country is very foreign to the spirit of Hebrew law, writes Israel prize laureate Prof.
Nahum Rakover in his book The Rule of Law in Israel. Rabbi Yehudah Zoldan, of the Jerusalem College of Technology?s Lev Institute, says, In general, immunity is foreign to halakha. Everyone is equal. there is no situation in which a president should not be investigated or a suit should not be filed.Halakha sources ostensibly stipulate the exact opposite: ?The king may neither judge nor be judged, reads tractate Sanhedrin 2:1. However, commentators including Rashi and Maimonides explain that the Sanhedrin granted immunity to the kings of the Hasmonean dynasty out of fear.They were afraid to deal with them, says Zoldan, and afraid that if the people saw the king flouting the Sanhedrin?s laws, the people would also flout them.
The kings of the House of David, however, did not enjoy immunity. If the leader sinned, halakha would not bar him from being tried, says Rabbi Zoldan. However, he feels that the halakha does provide a framework for setting up a forum of neutral public figures and jurists to investigate whether justification exists to indict public figures.
Can't live with him
The problem with the presidency is that although the last two terms have been tough, we couldn't do without it.
The president does not make many decisions that require judgment, and ostensibly all he does is symbolize and represent, i.e., serve as the head of state. But somebody has to receive credentials, swear in judges, grant pardons and sit in the dignitaries box at final cup matches.There have been calls to eliminate the presidency here. But Reuven Hazan, a doctor of political science at the Hebrew University, says the best argument against this is that no other country has done so. If Israel were to disband the presidency, it would once again be reinventing the wheel as in the direct elections method.Western countries have three models for a representative head of state: The presidential regime, where the head of the executive branch is the head of state. The United States and many Eastern European countries use this model. The parliamentary regime, where the head of state has little authority. He or she may be a president, king, queen or any other figure. In Europe, 11 countries are headed by a member of a royal dynasty. The British Commonwealth model, as practiced in Australia and New Zealand. In these countries, the head of state is the Queen of England, who is represented by a governor general. It is fairly common for countries to have foreign heads of state: In the principality of Andorra, for example, two co-princes share the role. One is the bishop of Seu Urgell and the other is the president of France, Jacques Chirac. Greenland?s head of state is the queen of Denmark.
Approximately half of European regimes are presidential, and the rest are parliamentary democracies. All the latter have a representative head of state. In Israel, the president has much less authority than in some other parliamentary democracies. But Israel Democracy Institute chairman Prof. Arik Carmon feels that the Israeli president?s power lies in his lack of authority. This is what enables him to rise above the many disputes and divisions in Israel.It's much more than a symbol,? he says. Carmon opposes eliminating the post.The president is of the utmost importance, but the right person must be found for the role.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2
YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Fear of US damaging EU-NATO relations, NATO chief says
30.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - NATO and the EU are far from capable of tackling a world crisis jointly as their relationship is still problematic and sees a remarkable distance between them - partly due to European fears over US influence, NATO's
chief has said. Speaking to EU officials in a Berlin conference hosted by the German foreign ministry on Monday (29 January), the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance's secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said it is astounding how far from the envisaged strategic partnership the two institutions have remained despite attempts to bring them closer.Some deliberately want to keep NATO and the EU at a distance from one another. For this school of thought, a closer relationship between NATO and the EU means excessive influence for the USA.I do not share European instinctive fears about undue influence of the USA in European affairs anyhow. Europe is sufficiently self-aware – and they know it in Washington too, Mr De Hoop Scheffer argued.The NATO chief added that even the US has overcome original suspicions towards the EU's security and defence policy and does not view the policy as a potential danger or the alliance and the EU as rivals.But at the same time, differences in opinion due to differing membership structures of the two organisations still lead to formal wrangles over security agreements, the exchange of information or the format of meetings, Mr Scheffer said. We have been able to circumvent many of these hurdles through informal procedures But if those who put up these hurdles do not display more responsibility and flexibility, it will continue to place a heavy burden on NATO-EU relations.
Solana highlights EU's tiny budget on defence
According to Mr De Hoop Scheffer, conflict zones such as the Western Balkans and Afghanistan have proved that NATO and the EU are dependent upon one another for their operations to succeed.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed with the NATO chief that the potential for a strategic partnership between the two bodies has yet to be used.He added that the union's goal is to create a joint defence of Europe in a shared vision which would pool defence spending of individual member states and enable them to make savings.However, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana himself a head of NATO eight years ago - pointed out that defence spending still lags behind in Europe in contrast to the US.Only a handful of member states' defence spending is over 2 percent of gross domestic product, he said, stressing that the US spends twice as much with over 30 percent of budget put aside for research and equipment while Europeans invest less than 20 percent in new technology. Mr Solana was far less critical about the ties between the EU and NATO than the alliance's chief however, arguing instead that mutual operations have been successful.We have also worked closely and effectively side-by-side in Darfur, and we will be doing so in Kosovo and Afghanistan this year, he concluded.
FALSE TEACHERS,PROPHETS,DECIEVERS
MATTHEW 24:4-5,11,24-25
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
1 TIMOTHY 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
MARK 13:22-23
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
2 TIMOTHY 3:13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
He Calls Himself God JAN 30,07
A Puerto Rican minister says Christ integrated with him. Others call him a cult leader and a charlatan.By Arian Campo-Flores Newsweek
Feb. 5, 2007 issue - At first glance, the congregation gathered in a warehouse in Doral, Fla., seems like a typical Hispanic evangelical group. There's the 10-piece band, the singing and swaying, the whooping and hollering. But look a little more
closely. There's not a cross in sight. The lectern is emblazoned with a near replica of the U.S. presidential seal, except that it reads in Spanish, government of god on earth. Off to the side stand three burly guys in dark suits with Secret Service-style earpieces. When a door by the stage opens, the guards leap into action. They surround the man with slicked-back hair who emerges and escort him to his seat. When the crowd spots him, it goes wild. People chant, Lord! Lord! Lord! It quickly
becomes clear that they're referring to him. It's Jesus Christ himself! a preacher onstage announces. Let's welcome Jesus Christ Man! In the rapturous eyes of his flock, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is, in fact, the second coming of Christ. As the head of the Growing in Grace International Ministry, he presides over a sprawling organization that includes more than 300 congregations in two dozen countries, from Argentina to Australia. He counts more than 100,000 followers and claims to reach millions more through a 24-hour TV channel, a radio show and several Web sites. He is supported by the generosity of his devotees, who have launched some 450 businesses to pour cash into Growing in Grace's coffers. Though de Jesus' followers worship him, others denounce him as a charlatan. Everyone, however, agrees on one thing: his teachings are incendiary.All members of Growing in Grace are expected to tithe—which, along with offerings, yielded $1.4 million for headquarters last year. One of the first orders of business at every service is the collection of money (credit cards accepted). Those who have pledged their businesses to de Jesus donate much more. Alvaro AlbarracÃn, a savvy, successful businessman given the title Entrepreneur of Entrepreneurs by de Jesus, is an example. Over the course of AlbarracÃn's 14 years in the church, he estimates that he's given roughly $2.5 million. Such funds help underwrite a lavish lifestyle for de Jesus, including diamond-encrusted gold rings and fancy cars. But most of the money goes to his broadcast operation.
Some observers call Growing in Grace a cult. De Jesus exerts total authority over the ministry. As a result, many have defected over the years, including AlbarracÃn's mother, Regina, who initially turned her son on to the church.
They brainwash you, she says. Because of their disagreement, Regina and her son haven't spoken in years (she now attends an evangelical church). This is my only family, Alvaro says of Growing in Grace. Such submission concerns Daniel Alvarez, a religious-studies instructor at Florida International University. I hope [de Jesus] doesn't metamorphose into Jim Jones, he says, referring to the cult leader who led his followers to mass suicide in Guyana. He has that kind of control over people. (De Jesus responds that congregants are free to come and go as they please.) Over the past year, de Jesus has encouraged his followers to protest the alleged lies of other churches. In response, supporters have picketed Catholic congregations and burned religious materials, including crucifixes. Our purpose is to open up people's minds, says de Jesus' right-hand man, Carlos Cestero, who says that the group rejects violence. Jesus wouldn't have it any other way—the question is whether de Jesus feels the same.2007 Newsweek, Inc.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
MIDEAST WAR CLOSE
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Erie, Ontario lake-effect snows continue. 3-Huge mudflow inevitable from NZ volcano's lake. 4-Africa inspires us, says Abbas. 5-Jewish Rabbi: Vibrant Christianity in America is the West's Only Hope. 6-Obama Site Removes Pastor's Endorsement. 7-London wants EU to celebrate enlargement in birthday text. 8-Prague and Warsaw brief Merkel on EU charter plans. 9-Religious leaders seek more vigorous U.S. role in Mideast peace 10-Is the Mideast Headed for Apocalyptic War?
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Tue Jan 30 12:07 AM EDT
JAN 29,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.4 COSTA RICA
MAP 4.9 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 COLOMBIA
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 BANDA SEA
MAP 3.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 FIJI
MAP 4.6 TONGA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.5 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 3.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
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.
Erie, Ontario lake-effect snows continue B. Bernard, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Mon Jan 29, 1:09 PM ET
Lake-effect snows continue to unload on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania this afternoon. Four to eight inches of additional snowfall are forecast for parts of western New York, generally south of Buffalo, and that would bring totals in a few spots up to two feet by this evening. Another six to ten inches are expected southeast of the eastern end of Lake Ontario by this evening. By tomorrow morning, some locations there could have a foot or more of fresh snow on the ground. Elsewhere, areas of light snow and snow showers extend from the northern Plains to the western Great Lakes as a clipper system (fast-moving weak storm) ushers in a reinforcing blast of arctic air. In the South, the cold air already in place has prompted the issuance of freeze warnings for tonight and early tomorrow for most of Florida and southern Georgia.
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.
Huge mudflow inevitable from NZ volcano's lake Mon Jan 29, 12:50 AM ET
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A crater lake on a New Zealand volcano used as a backdrop in the Lord of the Rings films is on the verge of collapsing and could send a torrent of muddy water down the mountain in coming weeks, media reported on Monday. Melting snow on Mount Ruapehu has filled the lake to within 1.5 metres (5 feet) of its lip, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.The 2,797-meter (9,177-feet) volcano is the highest mountain in the North Island and home to two commercial ski fields.Scientists say a lahar, or mudflow composed of volcanic material and water, is inevitable as warm summer weather causes the snow to melt and fill the lake.It is still expected the earliest the dam might start collapsing to create a lahar down the Whangaehu River is February/March, the Herald quoted a Department of Conservation official as saying.
On December 24, 1953, a lahar rushing down the Whangaehu River destroyed a railway bridge, causing a packed passenger train to plunge into the river, killing 151 people on board.Since then, a barrier of boulders and gravel has been built to divert any lahar flowing into the river. No major towns would be in its path.Mount Ruapehu, which last erupted in 1995 and 1996, creating the present crater dam, is in Tongariro National Park, where Peter Jackson filmed some scenes for his Lord of the Rings.
Africa inspires us, says Abbas .Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas has told African leaders that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people’s quest for statehood
By Chris Otton JAN 29,07
ADDIS ABABA - Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas has told African leaders that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people’s quest for statehood.Calling the Palestinians the last victims of colonialism, Abbas said he remained confident the long road to independence would be completed but also acknowledged that hope was diminishing as a result of Israeli policies and internal divisions.The support which you have provided our people has re-inforced our hope and belief that the fight for independence and setting up of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital will be achieved, Abbas said in a keynote speech at the African Union (AU) summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.The fight of African leaders to free themselves from colonialism and racism is a great source of inspiration to our people who are the last people to still be the victims of colonialism.
The African Union has been one of the most steadfast supporters of the Palestinian cause.
In a report released at the ongoing smmit by its executive council, the AU launched a scathing attack on Israel for its repressive measures, inhumane aggressions and all state terrorism acts perpetrated against defenceless Palestinian civilians.The same report also attacked Israel’s targeted killing.operations against leading Palestinian militants, ongoing invasions to the majority of the Palestinian territories as well as the heinous crimes and massacres.The AU includes a number of Arab countries, including Egypt which is one of the few Muslim countries to have diplomatic relations with Israel.Abbas’s address came amid fresh violence back in the Middle East with a suicide bomb going off in Israel’s Red Sea resort of Eilat and rival Palestinian factions clashing again in Gaza despite agreeing to Saudi-mediated talks.Abbas said that events in Gaza, where 30 people have been killed in four days in the worst bout of internecine violence in a year, were tragic.
These tragic events and internal killings stem mainly from the existence of numerous authorities, he said in reference to the rivalry between official security services which he controls and rival forces loyal to the government of the Islamist movement Hamas.We will not allow any civil war as Palestinian blood is sacred, he added.Abbas also reiterated his threat issued in December to call early elections if the disputes between Hamas and Fatah are not resolved and he cannot find agreement on the formation of a national unity cabinet.The alternative would be to refer to the people and organise legislative and presidential elections, he said.Hamas, which beat Abbas’s Fatah movement by a landslide in parliamentary elections a year ago, has warned the president against calling a fresh ballot.Sapa-AFP
Jewish Rabbi: Vibrant Christianity in America is the West's Only Hope JAN 29,07
The Christian Post reports that a nationally renowned Jewish rabbi said he believes that America has provided Jews with the most prosperous period in their entire history. And the reason is because America is a Christian nation. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, in an interview with Dr. D. James Kennedy, expressed gratitude to Christians who ensure that Christianity remains strong in America. I would say ... a strong, vibrant, American Christianity is the only hope of protecting Western Civilization, Lapin stressed. Kennedy agreed, saying he does not know what else is going to stop militant Islam, communism and other ideologies. Lapin, noted, however, a widespread bigotry against Christianity in America. Lapin also addressed the subject and classifications of Judaism, making it clear that Judaism is not a matter of racial background.
Obama Site Removes Pastor's Endorsement JAN 29,07
An official website encouraging Sen. Barack Obama to run for president on Friday removed a prominent California pastor from its unapproved list of celebrity endorsements of the Illinois Democrat. As CNSNews.com previously reported, the website DraftObama.org on Thursday unveiled a list of 17 celebrities who work hard for a better America and have made statements in support of Senator Obama. The list compiled the public statements of 17 celebrities expressing admiration for Obama, a first-term senator who is considering a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. The list originally included Rick Warren, pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Valley Community Church. The site included excerpts from an interview Warren gave to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, in which the bestselling author called Obama an amazing man and said he has the potential to be president because he has good character. Conservative Christian groups had criticized Warren for allowing Obama to speak at the church's AIDS conference in November because of Obama's support for abortion rights.
London wants EU to celebrate enlargement in birthday text
29.01.2007 - 09:28 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The UK wants the EU's 50th anniversary declaration to mark the union's historic expansion to the East after the fall of communism.Talking to EUobserver last week, Britain's Europe Minister Geoff Hoon said London wants to prominently mention enlargement in the EU leaders' Berlin declaration to be signed on 25 March, commemorating the 1957 Treaty of Rome which laid the foundation for the current EU.I think this is an important occasion (...) It is particularly important it should be taking place in Berlin, because key changes in recent times have followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Warsaw Pact, he said, mentioning the reunification of Germany and EU accession of many ex-communist states. The EU has provided an important focal point for these countries, it has driven their ambition, they've made reforms and changes perhaps more quickly then they would have done [otherwise] in order to become members of the European Union.Enlargement was not specifically mentioned by European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso when he recently listed his own top-five topics to be included in the birthday statement - solidarity, accountability, security of European citizens and promoting European values in the world.German chancellor Angela Merkel, who currently chairs the EU, has said she supports Mr Barroso's five points, with German officials currently holding a round of confidential talks with EU capitals on what kind of declaration they would like to see. Berlin views the content of the declaration as tightly linked to its efforts to revive the EU constitution, which London has refused to ratify after French and Dutch voters rejected the charter in 2005, seeking a slimmed-down treaty instead.
Croatia joining without treaty?
Mr Hoon's plea for enlargement illustrates London's determination to keep the topic on the agenda - despite claims by Ms Merkel that the bloc cannot expand further before it has a constitution. Those who are so much in favour of enlargement must know, if at the same time they are sceptical about the constitutional process, that we can not move forward on the present basis, the chancellor said earlier this month. But to Britain, this link is not that clear-cut, Mr Hoon indicated, not wanting to rule out Croatia's future membership without a fully-fledged EU treaty in place. There is one obvious area in which Croatia does make a difference and that is the question of the number of commissioners, because the [current EU] Nice treaty said that once the EU went beyond Romania and Bulgaria, there would have to be fewer commissioners than from each member state, said Mr Hoon.
What is not clear is how that would be implemented in practice.
Asked whether he backs Croatian ideas to handle the issue by means of a technical clause in Zagreb's accession treaty - as an alternative to a new EU treaty - he stated I know there are people who have suggested that.I don't rule it out, but I think that given the political importance of the treaty ... it is quite important that there should be a discussion more generally than in the context of an accession treaty.There should be a public discussion about treaty amendmends and I think that people might feel that if it were put in the context of an accession treaty, perhaps that would be a way of avoiding that sort of public discussion.
All options open
Meanwhile London wants to keep its options open also on the question of whether or not to hold a referendum on a newly-styled EU constitution - a pledge it made when it signed the current version of the charter in 2004. If we brought back the constitutional treaty in its present form, we've made clear that that would require a referendum, according to Mr Hoon. Having said that, in the past, quite far-reaching treaty changes have been carried through the House of Commons without a referendum, he said referring to the UK conservative government at the time not holding a referendum on the 1992 Maastricht treaty. We would obviously make a decision in the best interests of Britain and its people.
Prague and Warsaw brief Merkel on EU charter plans
29.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
Prague will press for a substantially revised EU constitution that is easier to understand and takes smaller steps on integration and Warsaw's proposal will better reflect EU reality than the existing draft charter, German chancellor Angela Merkel learned over the weekend.An exchange on EU affairs dominated Mrs Merkel's first official trip to the Czech Republic on Friday (26 January), with the German EU presidency keen to come up with a plan on how to salvage the European constitution, put on ice after its rejection by French and Dutch voters in 2005.The Czech Republic is one of nine member states that shelved their own plans for the new treaty's ratification, as the draft constitution needs unanimous approval by all 27 countries before it can enter into force.After a debate with the Czech centre-right prime minister Mirek Topolanek, Mrs Merkel said she was content with a very interesting framework for future detailed discussion, suggested by her Czech counterpart. Mr Topolanek told journalists Prague favours a revised treaty which would be more understandable for people while clearly defining which competencies the EU has and which fall to the national states, according to press reports. The Czech president Vaclav Klaus, a well-known critic of the European charter, said he shared Mrs Merkel's view about the need to resolve the impasse surrounding the constitutional crisis.But he argued it must be done in small steps and not with the current constitution proposal. To be honest, I must say I think that the chancellor thinks it is possible [to save the current text]. So now the question is whether our views differ a lot or just a little, Mr Klaus said.
Warsaw to give clear answer in March
Just a day before Mrs Merkel's visit, Czech president Vaclav Klaus met with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski, with both leaders expressing their scepticism about the chances for a revival of the existing EU constitution.Their views came in contrast to the statement by 20 countries represented in a meeting in Madrid on Friday (26 January) who argued the substantial part of the charter should be retained.Luxembourg Europe minister Nicolas Schmidt said the Czech and Polish opposition stand as two voices against twenty and they should not be overestimated adding Europe can't make progress at the minimalist basis.Polish president Lech Kaczynski announced on his website that Warsaw would unveil the full proposal on the constitution's revision in March, suggesting his proposals would benefit the union but also reflect its current reality.According to Polish media, two Polish sherpas the president's appointees for constitution talks with the German EU presidency Ewa Osniecka-Tamecka and Marek Cichocki are supposed to meet the German officials on Monday (29 January).The bi-lateral meeting is part of a negotiation timetable suggested by the German chancellor under which member states would first debate a declaration to mark the EU's 50th birthday and later in February the charter's revision itself.
MIDEAST-RICE Jan-29-2007
Religious leaders seek more vigorous U.S. role in Mideast peace
By Jerry Filteau - Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- After meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Jan. 29, a delegation of U.S. Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders said they think the United States should take a more vigorous leadership role in promoting a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, said the group met with Rice to reiterate our strong commitment to a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" and to discuss the urgent need for United States leadership to restart and successfully conclude negotiations for a lasting and just peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.Cardinal McCarrick, who led off a press briefing afterward outside the Department of State, said the meeting was substantive and excellent.But the real measure of the success of our meeting can only be taken in the coming weeks and months as actions and events unfold, he added.The religious leaders belong to the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, a coalition of 35 leaders of national religious bodies or organizations that was formed in 2003 to press for a more constructive and comprehensive U.S. approach to Arab -Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Cardinal McCarrick said the delegation emphasized two points.
First, as Americans, we ask for bold, persistent United States leadership for peace in the Middle East, leadership that supports and challenges both Israelis and Palestinians, he said, adding that this means ongoing, active high-level U.S. engagement that holds both sides accountable in a step-by-step peace process.Second, as religious leaders in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions, we committed ourselves to continuing to say tough things to our communities here and in the (Middle East) region to build up public support for peace, he said. We know that these are difficult but necessary steps on the road to a two-state solution, and we pledge to build public support for them.Along with Cardinal McCarrick, in the delegation were Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the U.S. Episcopal Church; Rabbi Paul Menitoff, former executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis; Rabbi Amy Small, past president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; and Sayyid M. Syeed, former secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North America, who recently left that post to become founding national director of the society's new Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances.
Stephen M. Colecchi, director of the U.S. bishops' Office of International Justice and Peace, who attended the meeting as a staff aide to Cardinal McCarrick, told Catholic News Service that the group had expected the entire session to last about 45 minutes, with Rice attending for about 30. Instead, they met with her for more than 45 minutes, he said, and after she left they continued meeting about 40 minutes more with the undersecretary of state for political affairs, R. Nicholas Burns.The leadership of the United States is going to be necessary, Rabbi Menitoff said, not only to get the parties to the table, but to get the concessions necessary on both sides so that an agreement can be reached.
Referring to Rice's recent trip to the Middle East, Bishop Hanson said, We think the foundation she has laid needs to be built upon with a sustained U.S. presence in diplomatic initiatives there.Cardinal McCarrick said, We all share the hope that what our government is doing now will be sustained, that the 'road map' that was initiated three or four years ago will again be put on the front burner.Syeed said American Muslims are also very concerned about what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we believe that the issue of Palestine is critical; that's why we're here.Of the need for interreligious efforts for peace, Cardinal McCarrick said, We are all children of Abraham, and in that family relationship that we have, we come together with great confidence that God will listen to our prayers and our hopes, and that if we all work together, if we all are willing to make the sacrifices when necessary, that peace can come.The meeting with Rice was the result of a joint statement the interreligious leadership initiative issued last December outlining in detail what role and initiatives the group thought the United States must take to restart the peace process and assure that it moves forward.In addition to Cardinal McCarrick, two other Catholic leaders signed the joint statement: Cardinal William H. Keeler of Baltimore, who has played a leading role in Catholic-Jewish and Catholic-Muslim relations, and Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.In conjunction with the issuance of the joint statement the group wrote to Rice, requesting a meeting to discuss the urgency of the issue and the importance of sustained U.S. leadership in the peace process.END
Is the Mideast Headed for Apocalyptic War?
Paul Crespo - Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007
Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future By Joel C. Rosenberg Tyndale House Publishers 301 pages.Epicenter is a fascinating, page-turning book. Using recent events ripped straight from today's newspaper headlines, as well as tomorrow's headlines, Joel Rosenberg analyzes the developments that are shaping the future course of world events and creates a compelling scenario for an upcoming apocalyptic war in the Middle East. If his book reads like a political thriller, it's probably because Rosenberg is the New York Times best-selling author of four recent novels. A politically connected communications strategist who has worked for such influential figures as Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rosenberg has unique insights. He also happens to be an evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish family. His first book, The Last Jihad, finished just before 9/11 but published later, predicted a Muslim terror attack using a hijacked plane against an American city that provokes a war against Iraq's Saddam Hussein. His other novels also were eerily prophetic. The Last Days described a Palestinian civil war after Yasser Arafat's death. His third novel, The Ezekiel Option, which predates the rise of Iran's radical leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, details how a new Russian dictator builds an alliance with Iran as it feverishly pursues nuclear weapons. Limbaugh said the latter book was like an episode of ‘24' with a supernatural twist.Many asked Rosenberg how his novels were so prescient. This extremely well-researched and well-documented, nonfiction book was his answer.
His secret? Rosenberg uses the Bible as a guide. He calls his biblical approach to analyzing world events -- using the third lens of Scripture. But despite the biblical perspective, this is not a typical Bible prophesy doomsday book. I'm not trying to persuade anyone that these specific events will happen in our lifetimes, but simply show how it is possible they might, explains Rosenberg. Because of his varied political background, and penchant for detailed research, personal interviews with world leaders, and historical context, Epicenter reads more like an intelligence report using multiple sources to connect the dots (one of his chapter headings) and construct a plausible, yet nightmarish scenario for an upcoming regional conflict. Called the war of Gog and Magog in the Hebrew Book of Ezekiel, Rosenberg explained to NewsMax that this devastating, yet limited, regional war should not be confused with the much greater and final global war of the same name predicted in the New Testament's Book of Revelation. That final conflict is what most Bible prophecy commentators generally focus on, but will come after the more limited war Rosenberg describes.
In chapter four, Rosenberg takes on the critics head-on. Acknowledging that there are many who think that those who believe in Bible prophecies are lunatics, he quotes Bill Moyers, the longtime liberal PBS journalist, from a 2004 speech where he calls the end-times beliefs of many Americans bizarre. Former Republican strategist Kevin Phillips, in his best-selling 2006 book, American Theocracy, warns that Americans who believe in biblical prophesy are over imaginative at best and radical at worst. He adds that rapture, end-times, and Armageddon hucksters in the United States rank with any Shiite ayatollahs.But as Rosenberg points out, what really infuriates these irreligious skeptics "is the enormous number of Americans who believe that world events are unfolding just as the Bible foretold. To see just how many there are, he commissioned a survey in February 2006 of American adults' attitudes toward Bible prophesy. In that poll, conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, 42 percent of Americans believed the rebirth of Israel, wars and instability in the Middle East, recent earthquakes and the Tsunami in Asia were evidence that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days.
These believers aren't limited to the usual suspects of Christian evangelicals or rural Southerners, but represent a broad cross-section of Americans, including a third of Jews, a third of New Englanders, a third of Left Coasters, 40 percent of Democrats and Catholics, 50 percent of Republicans, women and senior citizens, 60 percent of young people under 25, and 75 percent of African-Americans. Clearly, a significant number of Americans believe the Bible has a bearing on current events.
In the next 10 chapters Rosenberg lays out 10 future headlines he believes we will soon be reading, providing the scriptural basis (primarily from the Book of Ezekiel) for those predictions, and the latest events and specific trends that suggest those headlines may be closer than previously thought. Among them, he predicts Israel will discover massive oil and gas reserves, a czar will rise in Russia, raising fears of a new Cold War, and the Kremlin will join the axis of evil and form a military alliance with Iran. These events, already crystallizing in many ways, eventually lead to soaring global tensions, amid earthquakes and pandemics raging across Europe, Asia, and Africa, as Russia targets Israel and a new war erupts in the Middle East. Among his most intriguing predictions is that Iraq (which contains ancient Babylon) will emerge from all this chaos as the region's wealthiest country and that Muslims will turn to Christ in record numbers. While at first blush these last predictions seem far-fetched, Rosenberg documents little-known facts about Iraq's economy and military that provide hope there while describing an evangelical revolution that is quietly sweeping through the post-9/11 Middle East. Considering all the gloomy news coming out of the region, it is encouraging to see some positive scenarios. This is one of the most insightful and intriguing books I have ever read. A combination intelligence report and Biblical blueprint, it still only provides the basic elements of the story. In order to keep up with rapidly moving events, Joel created a weblog at www.joelrosenberg.com, where he tracks the ongoing geopolitical tremors in real time. Whether you believe we are witnessing Biblical events unfolding, or simply want a better perspective on global affairs and the Mideast crisis, I highly recommend this amazing book. NewsMax 2007.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Tue Jan 30 12:07 AM EDT
JAN 29,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.4 COSTA RICA
MAP 4.9 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 COLOMBIA
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 BANDA SEA
MAP 3.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 FIJI
MAP 4.6 TONGA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.5 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 3.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
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.
Erie, Ontario lake-effect snows continue B. Bernard, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Mon Jan 29, 1:09 PM ET
Lake-effect snows continue to unload on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania this afternoon. Four to eight inches of additional snowfall are forecast for parts of western New York, generally south of Buffalo, and that would bring totals in a few spots up to two feet by this evening. Another six to ten inches are expected southeast of the eastern end of Lake Ontario by this evening. By tomorrow morning, some locations there could have a foot or more of fresh snow on the ground. Elsewhere, areas of light snow and snow showers extend from the northern Plains to the western Great Lakes as a clipper system (fast-moving weak storm) ushers in a reinforcing blast of arctic air. In the South, the cold air already in place has prompted the issuance of freeze warnings for tonight and early tomorrow for most of Florida and southern Georgia.
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.
Huge mudflow inevitable from NZ volcano's lake Mon Jan 29, 12:50 AM ET
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A crater lake on a New Zealand volcano used as a backdrop in the Lord of the Rings films is on the verge of collapsing and could send a torrent of muddy water down the mountain in coming weeks, media reported on Monday. Melting snow on Mount Ruapehu has filled the lake to within 1.5 metres (5 feet) of its lip, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.The 2,797-meter (9,177-feet) volcano is the highest mountain in the North Island and home to two commercial ski fields.Scientists say a lahar, or mudflow composed of volcanic material and water, is inevitable as warm summer weather causes the snow to melt and fill the lake.It is still expected the earliest the dam might start collapsing to create a lahar down the Whangaehu River is February/March, the Herald quoted a Department of Conservation official as saying.
On December 24, 1953, a lahar rushing down the Whangaehu River destroyed a railway bridge, causing a packed passenger train to plunge into the river, killing 151 people on board.Since then, a barrier of boulders and gravel has been built to divert any lahar flowing into the river. No major towns would be in its path.Mount Ruapehu, which last erupted in 1995 and 1996, creating the present crater dam, is in Tongariro National Park, where Peter Jackson filmed some scenes for his Lord of the Rings.
Africa inspires us, says Abbas .Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas has told African leaders that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people’s quest for statehood
By Chris Otton JAN 29,07
ADDIS ABABA - Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas has told African leaders that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people’s quest for statehood.Calling the Palestinians the last victims of colonialism, Abbas said he remained confident the long road to independence would be completed but also acknowledged that hope was diminishing as a result of Israeli policies and internal divisions.The support which you have provided our people has re-inforced our hope and belief that the fight for independence and setting up of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital will be achieved, Abbas said in a keynote speech at the African Union (AU) summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.The fight of African leaders to free themselves from colonialism and racism is a great source of inspiration to our people who are the last people to still be the victims of colonialism.
The African Union has been one of the most steadfast supporters of the Palestinian cause.
In a report released at the ongoing smmit by its executive council, the AU launched a scathing attack on Israel for its repressive measures, inhumane aggressions and all state terrorism acts perpetrated against defenceless Palestinian civilians.The same report also attacked Israel’s targeted killing.operations against leading Palestinian militants, ongoing invasions to the majority of the Palestinian territories as well as the heinous crimes and massacres.The AU includes a number of Arab countries, including Egypt which is one of the few Muslim countries to have diplomatic relations with Israel.Abbas’s address came amid fresh violence back in the Middle East with a suicide bomb going off in Israel’s Red Sea resort of Eilat and rival Palestinian factions clashing again in Gaza despite agreeing to Saudi-mediated talks.Abbas said that events in Gaza, where 30 people have been killed in four days in the worst bout of internecine violence in a year, were tragic.
These tragic events and internal killings stem mainly from the existence of numerous authorities, he said in reference to the rivalry between official security services which he controls and rival forces loyal to the government of the Islamist movement Hamas.We will not allow any civil war as Palestinian blood is sacred, he added.Abbas also reiterated his threat issued in December to call early elections if the disputes between Hamas and Fatah are not resolved and he cannot find agreement on the formation of a national unity cabinet.The alternative would be to refer to the people and organise legislative and presidential elections, he said.Hamas, which beat Abbas’s Fatah movement by a landslide in parliamentary elections a year ago, has warned the president against calling a fresh ballot.Sapa-AFP
Jewish Rabbi: Vibrant Christianity in America is the West's Only Hope JAN 29,07
The Christian Post reports that a nationally renowned Jewish rabbi said he believes that America has provided Jews with the most prosperous period in their entire history. And the reason is because America is a Christian nation. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, in an interview with Dr. D. James Kennedy, expressed gratitude to Christians who ensure that Christianity remains strong in America. I would say ... a strong, vibrant, American Christianity is the only hope of protecting Western Civilization, Lapin stressed. Kennedy agreed, saying he does not know what else is going to stop militant Islam, communism and other ideologies. Lapin, noted, however, a widespread bigotry against Christianity in America. Lapin also addressed the subject and classifications of Judaism, making it clear that Judaism is not a matter of racial background.
Obama Site Removes Pastor's Endorsement JAN 29,07
An official website encouraging Sen. Barack Obama to run for president on Friday removed a prominent California pastor from its unapproved list of celebrity endorsements of the Illinois Democrat. As CNSNews.com previously reported, the website DraftObama.org on Thursday unveiled a list of 17 celebrities who work hard for a better America and have made statements in support of Senator Obama. The list compiled the public statements of 17 celebrities expressing admiration for Obama, a first-term senator who is considering a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. The list originally included Rick Warren, pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Valley Community Church. The site included excerpts from an interview Warren gave to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, in which the bestselling author called Obama an amazing man and said he has the potential to be president because he has good character. Conservative Christian groups had criticized Warren for allowing Obama to speak at the church's AIDS conference in November because of Obama's support for abortion rights.
London wants EU to celebrate enlargement in birthday text
29.01.2007 - 09:28 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The UK wants the EU's 50th anniversary declaration to mark the union's historic expansion to the East after the fall of communism.Talking to EUobserver last week, Britain's Europe Minister Geoff Hoon said London wants to prominently mention enlargement in the EU leaders' Berlin declaration to be signed on 25 March, commemorating the 1957 Treaty of Rome which laid the foundation for the current EU.I think this is an important occasion (...) It is particularly important it should be taking place in Berlin, because key changes in recent times have followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Warsaw Pact, he said, mentioning the reunification of Germany and EU accession of many ex-communist states. The EU has provided an important focal point for these countries, it has driven their ambition, they've made reforms and changes perhaps more quickly then they would have done [otherwise] in order to become members of the European Union.Enlargement was not specifically mentioned by European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso when he recently listed his own top-five topics to be included in the birthday statement - solidarity, accountability, security of European citizens and promoting European values in the world.German chancellor Angela Merkel, who currently chairs the EU, has said she supports Mr Barroso's five points, with German officials currently holding a round of confidential talks with EU capitals on what kind of declaration they would like to see. Berlin views the content of the declaration as tightly linked to its efforts to revive the EU constitution, which London has refused to ratify after French and Dutch voters rejected the charter in 2005, seeking a slimmed-down treaty instead.
Croatia joining without treaty?
Mr Hoon's plea for enlargement illustrates London's determination to keep the topic on the agenda - despite claims by Ms Merkel that the bloc cannot expand further before it has a constitution. Those who are so much in favour of enlargement must know, if at the same time they are sceptical about the constitutional process, that we can not move forward on the present basis, the chancellor said earlier this month. But to Britain, this link is not that clear-cut, Mr Hoon indicated, not wanting to rule out Croatia's future membership without a fully-fledged EU treaty in place. There is one obvious area in which Croatia does make a difference and that is the question of the number of commissioners, because the [current EU] Nice treaty said that once the EU went beyond Romania and Bulgaria, there would have to be fewer commissioners than from each member state, said Mr Hoon.
What is not clear is how that would be implemented in practice.
Asked whether he backs Croatian ideas to handle the issue by means of a technical clause in Zagreb's accession treaty - as an alternative to a new EU treaty - he stated I know there are people who have suggested that.I don't rule it out, but I think that given the political importance of the treaty ... it is quite important that there should be a discussion more generally than in the context of an accession treaty.There should be a public discussion about treaty amendmends and I think that people might feel that if it were put in the context of an accession treaty, perhaps that would be a way of avoiding that sort of public discussion.
All options open
Meanwhile London wants to keep its options open also on the question of whether or not to hold a referendum on a newly-styled EU constitution - a pledge it made when it signed the current version of the charter in 2004. If we brought back the constitutional treaty in its present form, we've made clear that that would require a referendum, according to Mr Hoon. Having said that, in the past, quite far-reaching treaty changes have been carried through the House of Commons without a referendum, he said referring to the UK conservative government at the time not holding a referendum on the 1992 Maastricht treaty. We would obviously make a decision in the best interests of Britain and its people.
Prague and Warsaw brief Merkel on EU charter plans
29.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
Prague will press for a substantially revised EU constitution that is easier to understand and takes smaller steps on integration and Warsaw's proposal will better reflect EU reality than the existing draft charter, German chancellor Angela Merkel learned over the weekend.An exchange on EU affairs dominated Mrs Merkel's first official trip to the Czech Republic on Friday (26 January), with the German EU presidency keen to come up with a plan on how to salvage the European constitution, put on ice after its rejection by French and Dutch voters in 2005.The Czech Republic is one of nine member states that shelved their own plans for the new treaty's ratification, as the draft constitution needs unanimous approval by all 27 countries before it can enter into force.After a debate with the Czech centre-right prime minister Mirek Topolanek, Mrs Merkel said she was content with a very interesting framework for future detailed discussion, suggested by her Czech counterpart. Mr Topolanek told journalists Prague favours a revised treaty which would be more understandable for people while clearly defining which competencies the EU has and which fall to the national states, according to press reports. The Czech president Vaclav Klaus, a well-known critic of the European charter, said he shared Mrs Merkel's view about the need to resolve the impasse surrounding the constitutional crisis.But he argued it must be done in small steps and not with the current constitution proposal. To be honest, I must say I think that the chancellor thinks it is possible [to save the current text]. So now the question is whether our views differ a lot or just a little, Mr Klaus said.
Warsaw to give clear answer in March
Just a day before Mrs Merkel's visit, Czech president Vaclav Klaus met with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski, with both leaders expressing their scepticism about the chances for a revival of the existing EU constitution.Their views came in contrast to the statement by 20 countries represented in a meeting in Madrid on Friday (26 January) who argued the substantial part of the charter should be retained.Luxembourg Europe minister Nicolas Schmidt said the Czech and Polish opposition stand as two voices against twenty and they should not be overestimated adding Europe can't make progress at the minimalist basis.Polish president Lech Kaczynski announced on his website that Warsaw would unveil the full proposal on the constitution's revision in March, suggesting his proposals would benefit the union but also reflect its current reality.According to Polish media, two Polish sherpas the president's appointees for constitution talks with the German EU presidency Ewa Osniecka-Tamecka and Marek Cichocki are supposed to meet the German officials on Monday (29 January).The bi-lateral meeting is part of a negotiation timetable suggested by the German chancellor under which member states would first debate a declaration to mark the EU's 50th birthday and later in February the charter's revision itself.
MIDEAST-RICE Jan-29-2007
Religious leaders seek more vigorous U.S. role in Mideast peace
By Jerry Filteau - Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- After meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Jan. 29, a delegation of U.S. Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders said they think the United States should take a more vigorous leadership role in promoting a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, said the group met with Rice to reiterate our strong commitment to a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" and to discuss the urgent need for United States leadership to restart and successfully conclude negotiations for a lasting and just peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.Cardinal McCarrick, who led off a press briefing afterward outside the Department of State, said the meeting was substantive and excellent.But the real measure of the success of our meeting can only be taken in the coming weeks and months as actions and events unfold, he added.The religious leaders belong to the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, a coalition of 35 leaders of national religious bodies or organizations that was formed in 2003 to press for a more constructive and comprehensive U.S. approach to Arab -Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Cardinal McCarrick said the delegation emphasized two points.
First, as Americans, we ask for bold, persistent United States leadership for peace in the Middle East, leadership that supports and challenges both Israelis and Palestinians, he said, adding that this means ongoing, active high-level U.S. engagement that holds both sides accountable in a step-by-step peace process.Second, as religious leaders in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions, we committed ourselves to continuing to say tough things to our communities here and in the (Middle East) region to build up public support for peace, he said. We know that these are difficult but necessary steps on the road to a two-state solution, and we pledge to build public support for them.Along with Cardinal McCarrick, in the delegation were Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the U.S. Episcopal Church; Rabbi Paul Menitoff, former executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis; Rabbi Amy Small, past president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; and Sayyid M. Syeed, former secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North America, who recently left that post to become founding national director of the society's new Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances.
Stephen M. Colecchi, director of the U.S. bishops' Office of International Justice and Peace, who attended the meeting as a staff aide to Cardinal McCarrick, told Catholic News Service that the group had expected the entire session to last about 45 minutes, with Rice attending for about 30. Instead, they met with her for more than 45 minutes, he said, and after she left they continued meeting about 40 minutes more with the undersecretary of state for political affairs, R. Nicholas Burns.The leadership of the United States is going to be necessary, Rabbi Menitoff said, not only to get the parties to the table, but to get the concessions necessary on both sides so that an agreement can be reached.
Referring to Rice's recent trip to the Middle East, Bishop Hanson said, We think the foundation she has laid needs to be built upon with a sustained U.S. presence in diplomatic initiatives there.Cardinal McCarrick said, We all share the hope that what our government is doing now will be sustained, that the 'road map' that was initiated three or four years ago will again be put on the front burner.Syeed said American Muslims are also very concerned about what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we believe that the issue of Palestine is critical; that's why we're here.Of the need for interreligious efforts for peace, Cardinal McCarrick said, We are all children of Abraham, and in that family relationship that we have, we come together with great confidence that God will listen to our prayers and our hopes, and that if we all work together, if we all are willing to make the sacrifices when necessary, that peace can come.The meeting with Rice was the result of a joint statement the interreligious leadership initiative issued last December outlining in detail what role and initiatives the group thought the United States must take to restart the peace process and assure that it moves forward.In addition to Cardinal McCarrick, two other Catholic leaders signed the joint statement: Cardinal William H. Keeler of Baltimore, who has played a leading role in Catholic-Jewish and Catholic-Muslim relations, and Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.In conjunction with the issuance of the joint statement the group wrote to Rice, requesting a meeting to discuss the urgency of the issue and the importance of sustained U.S. leadership in the peace process.END
Is the Mideast Headed for Apocalyptic War?
Paul Crespo - Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007
Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future By Joel C. Rosenberg Tyndale House Publishers 301 pages.Epicenter is a fascinating, page-turning book. Using recent events ripped straight from today's newspaper headlines, as well as tomorrow's headlines, Joel Rosenberg analyzes the developments that are shaping the future course of world events and creates a compelling scenario for an upcoming apocalyptic war in the Middle East. If his book reads like a political thriller, it's probably because Rosenberg is the New York Times best-selling author of four recent novels. A politically connected communications strategist who has worked for such influential figures as Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rosenberg has unique insights. He also happens to be an evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish family. His first book, The Last Jihad, finished just before 9/11 but published later, predicted a Muslim terror attack using a hijacked plane against an American city that provokes a war against Iraq's Saddam Hussein. His other novels also were eerily prophetic. The Last Days described a Palestinian civil war after Yasser Arafat's death. His third novel, The Ezekiel Option, which predates the rise of Iran's radical leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, details how a new Russian dictator builds an alliance with Iran as it feverishly pursues nuclear weapons. Limbaugh said the latter book was like an episode of ‘24' with a supernatural twist.Many asked Rosenberg how his novels were so prescient. This extremely well-researched and well-documented, nonfiction book was his answer.
His secret? Rosenberg uses the Bible as a guide. He calls his biblical approach to analyzing world events -- using the third lens of Scripture. But despite the biblical perspective, this is not a typical Bible prophesy doomsday book. I'm not trying to persuade anyone that these specific events will happen in our lifetimes, but simply show how it is possible they might, explains Rosenberg. Because of his varied political background, and penchant for detailed research, personal interviews with world leaders, and historical context, Epicenter reads more like an intelligence report using multiple sources to connect the dots (one of his chapter headings) and construct a plausible, yet nightmarish scenario for an upcoming regional conflict. Called the war of Gog and Magog in the Hebrew Book of Ezekiel, Rosenberg explained to NewsMax that this devastating, yet limited, regional war should not be confused with the much greater and final global war of the same name predicted in the New Testament's Book of Revelation. That final conflict is what most Bible prophecy commentators generally focus on, but will come after the more limited war Rosenberg describes.
In chapter four, Rosenberg takes on the critics head-on. Acknowledging that there are many who think that those who believe in Bible prophecies are lunatics, he quotes Bill Moyers, the longtime liberal PBS journalist, from a 2004 speech where he calls the end-times beliefs of many Americans bizarre. Former Republican strategist Kevin Phillips, in his best-selling 2006 book, American Theocracy, warns that Americans who believe in biblical prophesy are over imaginative at best and radical at worst. He adds that rapture, end-times, and Armageddon hucksters in the United States rank with any Shiite ayatollahs.But as Rosenberg points out, what really infuriates these irreligious skeptics "is the enormous number of Americans who believe that world events are unfolding just as the Bible foretold. To see just how many there are, he commissioned a survey in February 2006 of American adults' attitudes toward Bible prophesy. In that poll, conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, 42 percent of Americans believed the rebirth of Israel, wars and instability in the Middle East, recent earthquakes and the Tsunami in Asia were evidence that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days.
These believers aren't limited to the usual suspects of Christian evangelicals or rural Southerners, but represent a broad cross-section of Americans, including a third of Jews, a third of New Englanders, a third of Left Coasters, 40 percent of Democrats and Catholics, 50 percent of Republicans, women and senior citizens, 60 percent of young people under 25, and 75 percent of African-Americans. Clearly, a significant number of Americans believe the Bible has a bearing on current events.
In the next 10 chapters Rosenberg lays out 10 future headlines he believes we will soon be reading, providing the scriptural basis (primarily from the Book of Ezekiel) for those predictions, and the latest events and specific trends that suggest those headlines may be closer than previously thought. Among them, he predicts Israel will discover massive oil and gas reserves, a czar will rise in Russia, raising fears of a new Cold War, and the Kremlin will join the axis of evil and form a military alliance with Iran. These events, already crystallizing in many ways, eventually lead to soaring global tensions, amid earthquakes and pandemics raging across Europe, Asia, and Africa, as Russia targets Israel and a new war erupts in the Middle East. Among his most intriguing predictions is that Iraq (which contains ancient Babylon) will emerge from all this chaos as the region's wealthiest country and that Muslims will turn to Christ in record numbers. While at first blush these last predictions seem far-fetched, Rosenberg documents little-known facts about Iraq's economy and military that provide hope there while describing an evangelical revolution that is quietly sweeping through the post-9/11 Middle East. Considering all the gloomy news coming out of the region, it is encouraging to see some positive scenarios. This is one of the most insightful and intriguing books I have ever read. A combination intelligence report and Biblical blueprint, it still only provides the basic elements of the story. In order to keep up with rapidly moving events, Joel created a weblog at www.joelrosenberg.com, where he tracks the ongoing geopolitical tremors in real time. Whether you believe we are witnessing Biblical events unfolding, or simply want a better perspective on global affairs and the Mideast crisis, I highly recommend this amazing book. NewsMax 2007.
Monday, January 29, 2007
FORCES KILL 250 CULT GUNMEN
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-STRANGE DREAM. 3-Great Lakes snow and some California rain. 4-Blizzard whips Cape Breton. 5-Rat disease fears in city. 6-Netanyahu: Peres Law Bad Idea. 7-Peres Law Approved by Committee, Lacks Knesset Majority. 8-30 nations agree on resuming world trade negotiations. 9-Prof. Aumann: Post-Zionism Greater Threat Than Nukes. 10-US and Iraqi forces kill 250 apocalyptic cult gunmen.
I had a very Strange dream last night. I dreamed at the end of the O.J Simpson killing. I never seen O.J kill her, but her body I could tell was dead, then O.J who was on his knees put his face toward the floor, as he did he was bringing up foam out of his mouth.
Then after the foam was done large whole fish came out of his mouth. After all this he was still talking to the dead body Nicole.
Like Tovia Singer said on his show Thursday evening The vomit that comes out of the Arabs mouths (the hate).By this strange dream, the vomit from O.J (the foam) to me means O.J was really angry at nicole. I can not figure out what the Whole fish and the pile of the whole fish built up could mean. but after all this he was still yelling at the dead body. Thats how the dream ended.
This was a very strange dream if anyone can figure out what the Whole Fish could symbolise give me an E-mail with your Suggestions. I never dreamed about O.J and Nicole ever, interesting. stan120032000@yahoo.ca
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Mon Jan 29 12:07 AM EDT
JAN 29,07
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 OUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 BANDA SEA
MAP 3.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 FIJI
MAP 4.6 TONGA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
JAN 27,07
MAP 4.4 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.1 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
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.
Great Lakes snow and some California rain Meteorologist, The Weather Channel JAN 28,07
A quick-moving low pressure system that developed in the Gulf of Mexico and brushed the coastal Carolinas this morning is already making an exit without much fanfare. Winter has taken ahold and will not release its grip anytime soon over the eastern half of the country. A series of cold fronts moving through the Midwest and South are bringing reinforcing shots of very cold air across the central and eastern half of the country today and tomorrow.
Beginning Wednesday of last week, a northwesterly flow developed over the Great Lakes and Northeast regions and has not let up. With multiple shots of cold air flowing over the relatively warm lakes, lake-effect snowfall has been quite persistent. The snow will continue to fall around the Great Lakes. A variety of lake-effect snow bulletins (warnings, watches, advisories) are in place over the usual suspect areas; south and east of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario. The northwesterly flow has also allowed for light amounts of mountain snow to fall over the central and southern Applachians. In the West, a stubborn upper-level low is spinning just off the California coast bringing rain to southern and central California, with snow in the higher elevations (above 5000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, and above 6000 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains). This low will be slow to move and keep the threat of rain and snow over southern and central California into tomorrow.
Any rain that does fall over SoCal is very much a welcome sight.
Blizzard whips Cape Breton
Saturday, January 27, 2007 | 6:26 PM ET CBC News
Winds gusting to 110 km/h and more snow continued to lash northern coastal areas of Cape Breton on Saturday, with at least two traffic deaths blamed on the storm.A storm surge warning was in effect in northern Nova Scotia, prompting concerns of shoreline erosion, forecasters said.Part of Cape Breton received about 30 centimetres of snow on Friday and the snow was continuing to fall on Saturday.(CBC) Parts of the island received about 30 centimetres of snow on Friday and police said whiteout conditions made driving dangerous.Two people were killed early Friday on Highway 16 near Halfway Cove when the car they were in drove off a wooden bridge.By midday Saturday, the snow had tapered off, but was still blowing, reducing visibility.Some of the streets that have been plowed are starting to fill back in, said Sgt. Mike Kennedy of Cape Breton Regional Police.We still have a winter advisory in effect and we're asking people to stay off the roads.Those who were heading out were told by police to expect their trip to take three times as long as usual.Kennedy said there were power outages, mostly in the Glace Bay area and on the outskirts of Sydney.On Friday, classes at schools, including Cape Breton University, were cancelled. Businesses closed early, as did government buildings.Marine Atlantic passengers were being advised to call ahead because sailings could be cancelled due to high winds.
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).
Rat disease fears in city JAN 27,07
A man is being tested after falling ill at Morrison Utility on the Red Scar Industrial Estate.A man carrying out excavation work at Morrison Utility on the Red Scar industrial estate is being tested for Weil's Disease, a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection spread by the urine of rats.The man, who was working on the United Utilities contract at the firm, complained of feeling sick, tired and lethargic all symptoms of the disease.Workers at the company have been sent a letter warning them about the possible suspected case and to look for symptoms.One worker says a further five employees are off sick and suspected to have the disease.
The worker, who did not wish to be named, said: We got a letter telling us one man was suspected of having Weil's Disease, but the word going round is that there are actually six people affected.
Weil's Disease is contracted through rats' urine and we see rats on the site all the time.Rats are becoming a huge problem in Preston as they are prolific breeders and where there is food, there will be rats.The Lancashire Evening Post recently revealed Preston's rat population is booming and that the council is considering taking on more ratcatchers. Richard Collett from Morrison Utility today said: "One of our employees complained of feeling sick, tired and lethargic.
While the symptoms are similar to those associated with Weil's Disease, there is no confirmed report that he actually has the disease.The employee was immediately advised to see his GP for blood tests. These blood tests are due to be back within the next few weeks. All employees experiencing any of the symptoms and think they may be infected have been advised to see their GP.Morrison Utility, which employs around 120 people, has sent the letter and warning leaflets to all 88 of its operatives who it considers may be at risk.Dr Steven Gee, consultant in communicable disease control with the Health Protection Agency Cumbria and Lancashire Health Protection Unit, said: Weil's Disease is rare and I cannot remember the last time there was a case in Preston.It can cause liver failure and renal failure in worst case scenarios. Sewer workers are at risk of it.As it is so rare, the blood tests for it are carried out at a veterinary laboratory in Weybridge.
Netanyahu: Peres Law Bad Idea
13:41 Jan 26, '07 / 7 Shevat 5767
(IsraelNN.com) Opposition Head Binyamin Netanyahu voiced criticism Friday of the attempt to pass the Peres Law a law that would make the Knesset vote on the next president an open one, supposedly improving Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres
chances of winning.
I think it is an improper move, it is unacceptable and wrong to push forward such a move just before the vote in order to prefer a certain candidate, said MK Netanyahu. Speaking on Israel Radio, Netanyahu said he had thought President Katzav would resign after the latest development in his case: I expected him to resign but he did not do it and the Knesset approved this.Meantime, Colette Avital (Labor) says she is not removing her candidacy to the post of president, and contrary to rumor, I am determined to run for the presidency.
Peres Law Approved by Committee, Lacks Knesset Majority
By Ezra HaLevi and Hillel Fendel JAN 28,07
Efforts by Vice-Premier Shimon Peres (Kadima) to improve his election chances in the upcoming presidential race by forcing an open vote in Knesset are meeting with only partial success.
It is widely assumed that Peres stands a better chance of being elected President of Israel if the Knesset Members' votes are tallied openly, rather than in a secret ballot as currently mandated by law.The proposal to change the law and require an open vote - commonly known as the Peres Bill - was passed on Sunday by the Ministerial Legislative Committee, by a vote of 7 to 5. Six out of seven Kadima ministers and a Pensioners Party minister supported it, while Labor, Shas and Kadima's Meir Sheetrit opposed. The bill will next be taken to the Knesset, where pundits feel it has a very small chance of being passed.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Peres he would do everything he could to push through a law changing the electoral procedure on his behalf, but has not yet been able to scrape together the necessary Knesset votes. Peres, who has been active in Israeli politics since the founding of the state, has found little success electorally. The octogenarian wields
much influence and boasts powerful financial backers in both the US and Europe, yet has never won a national election. (The only near-exception was in the 1980s, when his Labor party won 48 votes compared to the Likud's 47, but Peres was unable to form a government and was forced to settle for a rotation agreement with the Likud's Yitzchak Shamir.)
Peres has been defeated when running for Labor Party Chairman, for Prime Minister, and even for President; seven years ago, Moshe Katzav of the Likud surprisingly out-tallied him among the 120 Knesset Members.
The upcoming presidential election may be more critical than most, as its results could directly affect whether a deal to give away most of Judea and Samaria could be consummated. Palestinian Authority leaders have hinted that without a pardon for convicted and imprisoned terror chief Marwan Barghouti, who is serving multiple life-sentences for dozens of murders, no deal can be made. The president holds the right to grant clemency, and Peres has implied that Barghouti - whom Peres views as a pragmatist should in fact be pardoned and freed.Former Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin of the Likud, who is perceived to be Peres' main opponent in a future presidential race, is assumed to be most unlikely to agree to such a pardon.
Olmert Wants Peres
Prime Minister Olmert is said to be determined to elevate Peres to the position of President, possibly due to the pivotal role the next president would play in his diplomatic plans. Kadima Party officials say that Olmert plans to re-shuffle his Cabinet, moving Defense Minister Amir Peretz to another ministry; among the changes may be new ministerial positions to coalition parties that agree to support the legal changes necessary to elect Peres.
Critics of the Peres law generally from the opposition say that holding an open vote would force it to take place according to party discipline, amounting to the prime minister receiving the right to appoint the president.MK Effie Eitam (National Union) said that the vote today broadcasts the dangerous and corrupt message that every law can be changed based on political interests. He said he plans to submit a bill stipulating that changes in the way public servants are elected will take effect only for the following term.Some opponents to the law are not necessarily against Peres himself. Housing Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) says he supports Peres, but not the open-vote bill.Labor MK Shelly Yechimovich has come out strongly against the maneuver, saying, The legal system is not putty in the hands of political interest groups. The Peres Bill for an open ballot is an unbridled attempt by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to change the law for political needs of some sort or another. Yechimovich voted against the bill at Sunday's committee vote. Even Peres-protege Meretz party chairman MK Yossi Beilin has called on the prime minister to stop backing the law change. We must avoid making a farce out of changing the law of the presidency, Beilin said. The purpose of a secret ballot is to ensure that establishing who is the number-one civilian won't be done according to party discipline. The moment the ballot is open, it will become an inseparable part of sharing the coalition booty, and will cause additional damage to the institution of president.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
30 nations agree on resuming world trade negotiations
Malaysia Sun - 28th January, 2007
Trade ministers cautiously agreed Saturday to resume world trade negotiations that have been stalled for months.
The issue dominated the last day of the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.Ministers from some 30 countries offered few details about how they plan to unblock the so-called Doha Round of world trade talks, which have been frozen since last summer. But a short statement issued by the Swiss Economics Ministry, which organized the informal ministerial meeting Saturday, said the group wanted a quick resumption of full-scale activity in the trade talks.The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, an annual meeting gathering some of the globe's most powerful politicians and business leaders at the Swiss resort of Davos. During a special panel on the stalled talks, World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy sounded cautiously optimistic.'I remain of the view that it is doable, he said. What we got this morning is the message that the momentum was there, that we are switching, or that we have to be prepared to switch from this flying mode above the landing zone, which we have been doing for some time, to the sort of switching to the approach mode.
Even if political will to resume trade negotiations is there, and many leaders say it is, major sticking points remain.
Key among them are disagreements between the EU, the U.S. and developing nations over slashing agricultural tariffs, which developing nations say put their farmers at a disadvantage and protect farmers in wealthier nations.Elections in France later this year may also break the momentum to strike a deal. Meanwhile, special congressional fast-track authority in the U.S. to approve a trade deal expires at the end of June.Still, a number of leaders remain optimistic, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Speaking at Davos Friday, Blair said a new trade deal could particularly benefit developing countries.There is really no substantive reason why we can't get a deal done, that this would be enormous in development terms, said Mr. Blair. An aid-for trade package would be enormously beneficial for countries in Africa, and, actually, for the rest of the world.Lamy of the WTO has not said when he will officially announce the official restarting of trade negotiations. But, he acknowledged, the window of opportunity is a narrow one.
Prof. Aumann: Post-Zionism Greater Threat Than Nukes
By Ezra HaLevi JAN 28,07
Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. Israel (Robert) J. Aumann addressed the Herzliya Conference last week. Speaking after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Aumann said that post-Zionism will be the end of us.Prof. Aumann, of the Center for the Study of Rationality at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, began his address by addressing the Iranian threat, but shifted his focus midway to what he said poses an even more serious threat to the Jewish nation: post-Zionism.
Having outlined the threat of Iranian nuclear attack, and the greater threat of Iranian proliferation of nuclear weapons among Islamic terror groups, Aumann continued: And now a few words about a third threat, which is perhaps the greatest of all. It does not come from Iran, nor from terrorist groups, nor from any external source. It comes from within us. We have met the enemy, and it is us. Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, your humble servant makes his living from game theory - among other things, very serious games: games of life and death and of existence and annihilation.
The name of the game in game theory is motivation, incentives. Earlier, we discussed the motivations of those standing on the opposite side. Motivating ourselves is the most important thing, and the thing we are losing the most. Without motivation, we will not endure. What are we doing here? Why are we here? What are we aspiring to here? We are here because we are Jewish, we are Zionist, because of our ancient bond to this land; we aspire to realize our 2,000-year-old hope of becoming a free nation in our land, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem. Without this profound understanding, we will not endure. We will simply no longer be here; post-Zionism will finish us off.The Nobel Prize Laureate, who was an outspoken opponent of the Disengagement, then addressed the prime minister: About half a year ago in Petra, Jordan, the prime minister said that we are tired. He was right. He was elected by the nation, and he expresses the sentiments of the nation. We are like a mountain-climber that gets caught in a snowstorm; the night falls, he is cold and tired, and he wants to sleep. If he falls asleep, he will freeze to death. We are in terminal danger because we are tired. I will allow myself to say a few unpopular, unfashionable words: our panicked lunging for peace is working against us. It brings us farther away from peace, and endangers our very existence. I think it was Churchill who said, If you want peace, prepare for war.The preparation includes material preparation, a fantastic army, effective tools of war, but above all, we are talking about spiritual preparation, about spiritual readiness to go to war.
Roadmaps, capitulation, gestures, disengagements, convergences, deportations, and so forth do not bring peace. On the contrary, they bring war, just as we saw last summer. These things send a clear signal to our 'cousins' [the Arabs -ed.] that we are tired, that we no longer have spiritual strength, that we have no time, that we are calling for a time-out. They only whet their appetites. It only encourages them to pressure us more, to demand more, and not to give up on anything. These things stem from simple theoretical considerations and also from straight thinking. But it's not just theory: it has been proven and re-proven in the field over thousands of years. I returned today from a trip to India, where we heard about historical stories that illustrate the same. Capitulations bring about war; determination and readiness bring about peace.Ladies and gentlemen, we must tell our cousins that we are staying here. We are not moving. We have time; we have patience; we have stamina. Understand this and internalize it. And we must not simply say it to our cousins but feel it within ourselves. This and only this will bring peace.
We can really live in peace and unity and cooperation with our cousins. But only after they understand and internalize that the Zionist state will be here forever. Thank you very much.
US and Iraqi forces kill 250 apocalyptic cult gunmen
By Alex Massie in Washington 2:05am GMT 29/01/2007
United States and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen from an apocalyptic Muslim cult in a battle involving US tanks and aircraft out near the Shia holy city of Najaf yesterday, Iraqi political, army and police sources claimed.Two Americans were killed, the US military said, when an attack helicopter went down during the day-long battle, 100 miles south of Baghdad, in which up to 1,000 camouflaged militants fought the military.An Iraqi army source said some of the dead wore headbands declaring themselves a Soldier of Heaven.The governor of Najaf province said the group had gathered in orchards near the city and had been planning to attack the main Shia clerical leadership today.It is the climax of the annual Shia rite of Ashura, marking a 7th century battle which entrenched the schism between Shia and Sunni Islam. A million or more pilgrims gathered in the holy city of Kerbala, between Najaf and Baghdad, for the ceremonies.Police Colonel Ali Nomas said 250 militants had been killed and an army source said they wore camouflage and appeared well organised.Political and security sources said the gunmen were followers of Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni and described him as an apocalyptic cult leader claiming to be the vanguard of the Mahdi, a messiah-like figure in Islam whose coming heralds the start of perfect world justice. He had been operating from an office in Najaf. The sources said captured gunmen declared loyalty to Yemeni.
Meanwhile five schoolgirls were killed when a mortar shell landed in their playground in Baghdad yesterday, while two others died when a bomb blast hit a primary school in Ramadi.
Several projectiles exploded in the courtyard of the school, shattering classroom windows and spraying pupils with shards of glass. Pools of blood smeared the stone steps and walkways. Four girls were killed instantly and a fifth died later.The continuing violence comes as the Bush administration is struggling to persuade the American people it has a credible plan for securing and stabilising Baghdad.Tens of thousands attended an anti-war rally in Washington on Saturday and opinion polls show nearly two thirds of voters oppose President George W Bush's plans for deploying an additional 21,500 troops to Baghdad and al-Anbar province.Vice-President Dick Cheney admitted that the struggle has gone on longer than we anticipated in Iraq, but warned that the wider problem of combating terrorism would not be solved for at least 15 years.
I had a very Strange dream last night. I dreamed at the end of the O.J Simpson killing. I never seen O.J kill her, but her body I could tell was dead, then O.J who was on his knees put his face toward the floor, as he did he was bringing up foam out of his mouth.
Then after the foam was done large whole fish came out of his mouth. After all this he was still talking to the dead body Nicole.
Like Tovia Singer said on his show Thursday evening The vomit that comes out of the Arabs mouths (the hate).By this strange dream, the vomit from O.J (the foam) to me means O.J was really angry at nicole. I can not figure out what the Whole fish and the pile of the whole fish built up could mean. but after all this he was still yelling at the dead body. Thats how the dream ended.
This was a very strange dream if anyone can figure out what the Whole Fish could symbolise give me an E-mail with your Suggestions. I never dreamed about O.J and Nicole ever, interesting. stan120032000@yahoo.ca
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Mon Jan 29 12:07 AM EDT
JAN 29,07
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 OUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 BANDA SEA
MAP 3.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 FIJI
MAP 4.6 TONGA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
JAN 27,07
MAP 4.4 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.1 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
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.
Great Lakes snow and some California rain Meteorologist, The Weather Channel JAN 28,07
A quick-moving low pressure system that developed in the Gulf of Mexico and brushed the coastal Carolinas this morning is already making an exit without much fanfare. Winter has taken ahold and will not release its grip anytime soon over the eastern half of the country. A series of cold fronts moving through the Midwest and South are bringing reinforcing shots of very cold air across the central and eastern half of the country today and tomorrow.
Beginning Wednesday of last week, a northwesterly flow developed over the Great Lakes and Northeast regions and has not let up. With multiple shots of cold air flowing over the relatively warm lakes, lake-effect snowfall has been quite persistent. The snow will continue to fall around the Great Lakes. A variety of lake-effect snow bulletins (warnings, watches, advisories) are in place over the usual suspect areas; south and east of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario. The northwesterly flow has also allowed for light amounts of mountain snow to fall over the central and southern Applachians. In the West, a stubborn upper-level low is spinning just off the California coast bringing rain to southern and central California, with snow in the higher elevations (above 5000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, and above 6000 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains). This low will be slow to move and keep the threat of rain and snow over southern and central California into tomorrow.
Any rain that does fall over SoCal is very much a welcome sight.
Blizzard whips Cape Breton
Saturday, January 27, 2007 | 6:26 PM ET CBC News
Winds gusting to 110 km/h and more snow continued to lash northern coastal areas of Cape Breton on Saturday, with at least two traffic deaths blamed on the storm.A storm surge warning was in effect in northern Nova Scotia, prompting concerns of shoreline erosion, forecasters said.Part of Cape Breton received about 30 centimetres of snow on Friday and the snow was continuing to fall on Saturday.(CBC) Parts of the island received about 30 centimetres of snow on Friday and police said whiteout conditions made driving dangerous.Two people were killed early Friday on Highway 16 near Halfway Cove when the car they were in drove off a wooden bridge.By midday Saturday, the snow had tapered off, but was still blowing, reducing visibility.Some of the streets that have been plowed are starting to fill back in, said Sgt. Mike Kennedy of Cape Breton Regional Police.We still have a winter advisory in effect and we're asking people to stay off the roads.Those who were heading out were told by police to expect their trip to take three times as long as usual.Kennedy said there were power outages, mostly in the Glace Bay area and on the outskirts of Sydney.On Friday, classes at schools, including Cape Breton University, were cancelled. Businesses closed early, as did government buildings.Marine Atlantic passengers were being advised to call ahead because sailings could be cancelled due to high winds.
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).
Rat disease fears in city JAN 27,07
A man is being tested after falling ill at Morrison Utility on the Red Scar Industrial Estate.A man carrying out excavation work at Morrison Utility on the Red Scar industrial estate is being tested for Weil's Disease, a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection spread by the urine of rats.The man, who was working on the United Utilities contract at the firm, complained of feeling sick, tired and lethargic all symptoms of the disease.Workers at the company have been sent a letter warning them about the possible suspected case and to look for symptoms.One worker says a further five employees are off sick and suspected to have the disease.
The worker, who did not wish to be named, said: We got a letter telling us one man was suspected of having Weil's Disease, but the word going round is that there are actually six people affected.
Weil's Disease is contracted through rats' urine and we see rats on the site all the time.Rats are becoming a huge problem in Preston as they are prolific breeders and where there is food, there will be rats.The Lancashire Evening Post recently revealed Preston's rat population is booming and that the council is considering taking on more ratcatchers. Richard Collett from Morrison Utility today said: "One of our employees complained of feeling sick, tired and lethargic.
While the symptoms are similar to those associated with Weil's Disease, there is no confirmed report that he actually has the disease.The employee was immediately advised to see his GP for blood tests. These blood tests are due to be back within the next few weeks. All employees experiencing any of the symptoms and think they may be infected have been advised to see their GP.Morrison Utility, which employs around 120 people, has sent the letter and warning leaflets to all 88 of its operatives who it considers may be at risk.Dr Steven Gee, consultant in communicable disease control with the Health Protection Agency Cumbria and Lancashire Health Protection Unit, said: Weil's Disease is rare and I cannot remember the last time there was a case in Preston.It can cause liver failure and renal failure in worst case scenarios. Sewer workers are at risk of it.As it is so rare, the blood tests for it are carried out at a veterinary laboratory in Weybridge.
Netanyahu: Peres Law Bad Idea
13:41 Jan 26, '07 / 7 Shevat 5767
(IsraelNN.com) Opposition Head Binyamin Netanyahu voiced criticism Friday of the attempt to pass the Peres Law a law that would make the Knesset vote on the next president an open one, supposedly improving Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres
chances of winning.
I think it is an improper move, it is unacceptable and wrong to push forward such a move just before the vote in order to prefer a certain candidate, said MK Netanyahu. Speaking on Israel Radio, Netanyahu said he had thought President Katzav would resign after the latest development in his case: I expected him to resign but he did not do it and the Knesset approved this.Meantime, Colette Avital (Labor) says she is not removing her candidacy to the post of president, and contrary to rumor, I am determined to run for the presidency.
Peres Law Approved by Committee, Lacks Knesset Majority
By Ezra HaLevi and Hillel Fendel JAN 28,07
Efforts by Vice-Premier Shimon Peres (Kadima) to improve his election chances in the upcoming presidential race by forcing an open vote in Knesset are meeting with only partial success.
It is widely assumed that Peres stands a better chance of being elected President of Israel if the Knesset Members' votes are tallied openly, rather than in a secret ballot as currently mandated by law.The proposal to change the law and require an open vote - commonly known as the Peres Bill - was passed on Sunday by the Ministerial Legislative Committee, by a vote of 7 to 5. Six out of seven Kadima ministers and a Pensioners Party minister supported it, while Labor, Shas and Kadima's Meir Sheetrit opposed. The bill will next be taken to the Knesset, where pundits feel it has a very small chance of being passed.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Peres he would do everything he could to push through a law changing the electoral procedure on his behalf, but has not yet been able to scrape together the necessary Knesset votes. Peres, who has been active in Israeli politics since the founding of the state, has found little success electorally. The octogenarian wields
much influence and boasts powerful financial backers in both the US and Europe, yet has never won a national election. (The only near-exception was in the 1980s, when his Labor party won 48 votes compared to the Likud's 47, but Peres was unable to form a government and was forced to settle for a rotation agreement with the Likud's Yitzchak Shamir.)
Peres has been defeated when running for Labor Party Chairman, for Prime Minister, and even for President; seven years ago, Moshe Katzav of the Likud surprisingly out-tallied him among the 120 Knesset Members.
The upcoming presidential election may be more critical than most, as its results could directly affect whether a deal to give away most of Judea and Samaria could be consummated. Palestinian Authority leaders have hinted that without a pardon for convicted and imprisoned terror chief Marwan Barghouti, who is serving multiple life-sentences for dozens of murders, no deal can be made. The president holds the right to grant clemency, and Peres has implied that Barghouti - whom Peres views as a pragmatist should in fact be pardoned and freed.Former Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin of the Likud, who is perceived to be Peres' main opponent in a future presidential race, is assumed to be most unlikely to agree to such a pardon.
Olmert Wants Peres
Prime Minister Olmert is said to be determined to elevate Peres to the position of President, possibly due to the pivotal role the next president would play in his diplomatic plans. Kadima Party officials say that Olmert plans to re-shuffle his Cabinet, moving Defense Minister Amir Peretz to another ministry; among the changes may be new ministerial positions to coalition parties that agree to support the legal changes necessary to elect Peres.
Critics of the Peres law generally from the opposition say that holding an open vote would force it to take place according to party discipline, amounting to the prime minister receiving the right to appoint the president.MK Effie Eitam (National Union) said that the vote today broadcasts the dangerous and corrupt message that every law can be changed based on political interests. He said he plans to submit a bill stipulating that changes in the way public servants are elected will take effect only for the following term.Some opponents to the law are not necessarily against Peres himself. Housing Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) says he supports Peres, but not the open-vote bill.Labor MK Shelly Yechimovich has come out strongly against the maneuver, saying, The legal system is not putty in the hands of political interest groups. The Peres Bill for an open ballot is an unbridled attempt by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to change the law for political needs of some sort or another. Yechimovich voted against the bill at Sunday's committee vote. Even Peres-protege Meretz party chairman MK Yossi Beilin has called on the prime minister to stop backing the law change. We must avoid making a farce out of changing the law of the presidency, Beilin said. The purpose of a secret ballot is to ensure that establishing who is the number-one civilian won't be done according to party discipline. The moment the ballot is open, it will become an inseparable part of sharing the coalition booty, and will cause additional damage to the institution of president.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
30 nations agree on resuming world trade negotiations
Malaysia Sun - 28th January, 2007
Trade ministers cautiously agreed Saturday to resume world trade negotiations that have been stalled for months.
The issue dominated the last day of the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.Ministers from some 30 countries offered few details about how they plan to unblock the so-called Doha Round of world trade talks, which have been frozen since last summer. But a short statement issued by the Swiss Economics Ministry, which organized the informal ministerial meeting Saturday, said the group wanted a quick resumption of full-scale activity in the trade talks.The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, an annual meeting gathering some of the globe's most powerful politicians and business leaders at the Swiss resort of Davos. During a special panel on the stalled talks, World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy sounded cautiously optimistic.'I remain of the view that it is doable, he said. What we got this morning is the message that the momentum was there, that we are switching, or that we have to be prepared to switch from this flying mode above the landing zone, which we have been doing for some time, to the sort of switching to the approach mode.
Even if political will to resume trade negotiations is there, and many leaders say it is, major sticking points remain.
Key among them are disagreements between the EU, the U.S. and developing nations over slashing agricultural tariffs, which developing nations say put their farmers at a disadvantage and protect farmers in wealthier nations.Elections in France later this year may also break the momentum to strike a deal. Meanwhile, special congressional fast-track authority in the U.S. to approve a trade deal expires at the end of June.Still, a number of leaders remain optimistic, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Speaking at Davos Friday, Blair said a new trade deal could particularly benefit developing countries.There is really no substantive reason why we can't get a deal done, that this would be enormous in development terms, said Mr. Blair. An aid-for trade package would be enormously beneficial for countries in Africa, and, actually, for the rest of the world.Lamy of the WTO has not said when he will officially announce the official restarting of trade negotiations. But, he acknowledged, the window of opportunity is a narrow one.
Prof. Aumann: Post-Zionism Greater Threat Than Nukes
By Ezra HaLevi JAN 28,07
Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. Israel (Robert) J. Aumann addressed the Herzliya Conference last week. Speaking after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Aumann said that post-Zionism will be the end of us.Prof. Aumann, of the Center for the Study of Rationality at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, began his address by addressing the Iranian threat, but shifted his focus midway to what he said poses an even more serious threat to the Jewish nation: post-Zionism.
Having outlined the threat of Iranian nuclear attack, and the greater threat of Iranian proliferation of nuclear weapons among Islamic terror groups, Aumann continued: And now a few words about a third threat, which is perhaps the greatest of all. It does not come from Iran, nor from terrorist groups, nor from any external source. It comes from within us. We have met the enemy, and it is us. Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, your humble servant makes his living from game theory - among other things, very serious games: games of life and death and of existence and annihilation.
The name of the game in game theory is motivation, incentives. Earlier, we discussed the motivations of those standing on the opposite side. Motivating ourselves is the most important thing, and the thing we are losing the most. Without motivation, we will not endure. What are we doing here? Why are we here? What are we aspiring to here? We are here because we are Jewish, we are Zionist, because of our ancient bond to this land; we aspire to realize our 2,000-year-old hope of becoming a free nation in our land, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem. Without this profound understanding, we will not endure. We will simply no longer be here; post-Zionism will finish us off.The Nobel Prize Laureate, who was an outspoken opponent of the Disengagement, then addressed the prime minister: About half a year ago in Petra, Jordan, the prime minister said that we are tired. He was right. He was elected by the nation, and he expresses the sentiments of the nation. We are like a mountain-climber that gets caught in a snowstorm; the night falls, he is cold and tired, and he wants to sleep. If he falls asleep, he will freeze to death. We are in terminal danger because we are tired. I will allow myself to say a few unpopular, unfashionable words: our panicked lunging for peace is working against us. It brings us farther away from peace, and endangers our very existence. I think it was Churchill who said, If you want peace, prepare for war.The preparation includes material preparation, a fantastic army, effective tools of war, but above all, we are talking about spiritual preparation, about spiritual readiness to go to war.
Roadmaps, capitulation, gestures, disengagements, convergences, deportations, and so forth do not bring peace. On the contrary, they bring war, just as we saw last summer. These things send a clear signal to our 'cousins' [the Arabs -ed.] that we are tired, that we no longer have spiritual strength, that we have no time, that we are calling for a time-out. They only whet their appetites. It only encourages them to pressure us more, to demand more, and not to give up on anything. These things stem from simple theoretical considerations and also from straight thinking. But it's not just theory: it has been proven and re-proven in the field over thousands of years. I returned today from a trip to India, where we heard about historical stories that illustrate the same. Capitulations bring about war; determination and readiness bring about peace.Ladies and gentlemen, we must tell our cousins that we are staying here. We are not moving. We have time; we have patience; we have stamina. Understand this and internalize it. And we must not simply say it to our cousins but feel it within ourselves. This and only this will bring peace.
We can really live in peace and unity and cooperation with our cousins. But only after they understand and internalize that the Zionist state will be here forever. Thank you very much.
US and Iraqi forces kill 250 apocalyptic cult gunmen
By Alex Massie in Washington 2:05am GMT 29/01/2007
United States and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen from an apocalyptic Muslim cult in a battle involving US tanks and aircraft out near the Shia holy city of Najaf yesterday, Iraqi political, army and police sources claimed.Two Americans were killed, the US military said, when an attack helicopter went down during the day-long battle, 100 miles south of Baghdad, in which up to 1,000 camouflaged militants fought the military.An Iraqi army source said some of the dead wore headbands declaring themselves a Soldier of Heaven.The governor of Najaf province said the group had gathered in orchards near the city and had been planning to attack the main Shia clerical leadership today.It is the climax of the annual Shia rite of Ashura, marking a 7th century battle which entrenched the schism between Shia and Sunni Islam. A million or more pilgrims gathered in the holy city of Kerbala, between Najaf and Baghdad, for the ceremonies.Police Colonel Ali Nomas said 250 militants had been killed and an army source said they wore camouflage and appeared well organised.Political and security sources said the gunmen were followers of Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni and described him as an apocalyptic cult leader claiming to be the vanguard of the Mahdi, a messiah-like figure in Islam whose coming heralds the start of perfect world justice. He had been operating from an office in Najaf. The sources said captured gunmen declared loyalty to Yemeni.
Meanwhile five schoolgirls were killed when a mortar shell landed in their playground in Baghdad yesterday, while two others died when a bomb blast hit a primary school in Ramadi.
Several projectiles exploded in the courtyard of the school, shattering classroom windows and spraying pupils with shards of glass. Pools of blood smeared the stone steps and walkways. Four girls were killed instantly and a fifth died later.The continuing violence comes as the Bush administration is struggling to persuade the American people it has a credible plan for securing and stabilising Baghdad.Tens of thousands attended an anti-war rally in Washington on Saturday and opinion polls show nearly two thirds of voters oppose President George W Bush's plans for deploying an additional 21,500 troops to Baghdad and al-Anbar province.Vice-President Dick Cheney admitted that the struggle has gone on longer than we anticipated in Iraq, but warned that the wider problem of combating terrorism would not be solved for at least 15 years.
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