2007 YEAR OF WAR

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Two quakes in Indonesia - no one hurt. 3-Moderate quake rattles Guatemala. 4-Flooding kills eight in Pakistan. 5-Typhoon death toll could hit 1,000: Red Cross. 6-Crews work to restore power in Ontario, Quebec. 7-Britain set for more storms. 8-Wildfires destroy 5 homes in California. 9-Fires ravage eastern states. 10-Saudis lead Israel peace bid. 11-N. Korea offers uranium rights to Russia: report. 12-Israel sliding to disappearance, Ahmadinejad tells Haniya. 13-Ministers Discuss Threat of Hizbullah Takeover in Lebanon. 14-OPEC president expects oil production cut. 15-Barroso rallies commissioners behind EU constitution. 16-Brussels pushes for free trade with Asia, Latin America. 17-2007 - The Year of 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 Dec 5 12:05 AM EDT

DEC 05,2006
MAP 4.4 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA

DEC 04,2006
MAP 3.8 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.8 OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 3.2 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 SANTA MONICA BAY, CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.1 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.5 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.1 LAKE BAYKAL REGION, RUSSIA
MAP 2.6 GULF OF ALASKA
MAP 3.1 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 3.1 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.8 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.2 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.5 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

DEC 03,2006
MAP 3.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.9 GUATEMALA
MAP 4.3 ECUADOR
MAP 2.5 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.6 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 5.7 AUCKLAND ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND REGION
MAP 4.8 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.6 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 4.6 BALI SEA
MAP 3.3 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.9 OFFSHORE GUATEMALA
MAP 5.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA
MAP 3.1 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.4 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA

Two quakes in Indonesia - no one hurt - moderate earthquakes jolt Indonesia, no reports of injury

Jakarta (dpa) - Two moderate earthquakes jolted north-eastern and eastern Indonesian provinces of Maluku and West Nusa Tenggara Sunday morning, but there were no reports of injuries or structural damage, officials said.

The first tremblor, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale struck islands in North Maluku (Mollucas) at about 0010 GMT, said Indra, an official at Jakarta's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency. He said the quake's epicenter was located in the sea, about 135 kilometres northwest of Labuha, a tiny town on Bacan island, about 2,350 kilometres northeast of Jakarta. The second earthquake - an aftershock following earlier strong quake on late Friday - measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, struck Sumbawa Island in West Nusa Tenggara province, at about 0207 GMT, Indra said, adding that the quake's epicenter was on land, about 33 kilometres south-east of Raba district town. On Friday night, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara province, killing one person, injuring scores of others and damaged dozens of buildings. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, is prone to earthquakes because of its location on an arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches encircling the Pacific Basin, known as the Ring of Fire. On December 2004, a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the western coast of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that struck nine countries and killed some 177,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province.

Moderate quake rattles Guatemala Sun Dec 3, 7:08 PM ET

GUATEMALA CITY - A moderate earthquake jolted Guatemala on Sunday, shaking buildings and tossing light objects around.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.The quake had a magnitude of 5.8 and struck at 2:52 p.m. local time, about 60 miles southwest of the capital of Guatemala City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.Officials at the National Coordination for Disaster Reduction said they had no reports of damage or injuries.

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.

Flooding kills eight in Pakistan DEC 05,06

QUETTA, Pakistan (AFP) - At least eight people have been killed in torrential rains and flooding, which blocked roads and caused widespread disruption in several Pakistani cities, officials said. Five villagers were swept away early Monday in a flood caused by a downpour in a remote village of southwest Pakistan, officials said.The five drowned after floods swept them away in Ornath village in Khuzdar district, some 450 kilometres (280 miles) southwest of Quetta, a paramilitary official told AFP.The flood also damaged several mudbrick houses in the village, he said.Two bridges collapsed in the area which severed road links to the cities of Quetta and Karachi, and stranded hundreds of passengers, he added.In southern Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and commercial capital, three people were electrocuted to death, city police chief Tariq Jamil told AFP.

The rain water flooded Karachi's streets, causing huge traffic jams and disrupted train services to other cities, officials said. Widespread rain and snowfall since Saturday has disrupted life in several Pakistani towns and cities and was likely to continue over the next couple of days, the meteorological department said.More than 200 people died this year in Pakistan's monsoon rains which occur from July to September.

Typhoon death toll could hit 1,000: Red Cross
Updated Sun. Dec. 3 2006 7:11 AM ET,Associated Press

DARAGA, Philippines The top Red Cross official in the Philippines said Sunday that he thinks 1,000 people or more have been killed by Typhoon Durian.

We're estimating the casualties could reach 1,000, perhaps more, said Sen. Richard Gordon, who heads the local Red Cross. His figure of 1,000 was based on reports from Red Cross officials on the ground in the devastated areas.

Gordon said at present his group has recorded a death toll of at least 406, with 398 others missing, based on figures provided by mayors of devastated towns in the eastern Philippines, where Durian hit with 139 mph winds and torrential rains on Thursday. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of national calamity Sunday, allowing the government to more rapidly release funds needed to bolster search and rescue efforts.Typhoon Durian was the fourth major storm to hit the Philippines in four months. It buffeted the Mayon volcano with so much wind and rain that ash and boulders cascaded down in walls of black mud that swamped entire villages on Thursday.The Philippines location in the northwestern Pacific often makes it the region's welcome mat for typhoons.

We are often the first to experience typhoons before they go to China, Taiwan and Japan, said Thelma Cinco, senior weather specialist of the Philippine weather bureau. Durian, named after a thorny fruit with a powerful odor that many find offensive, blew away roofs, toppled trees and power lines and sent tons of rocks and volcanic ash down Mayon, the region's most famous landmark about 210 miles southeast of Manila. Rescuers scouring mountain villages buried under mud and boulders discovered more bodies Saturday. The first funerals were held Saturday evening as bodies rapidly decomposed in the tropical heat. In the town of Padang, only rooftops protruded from the mud and debris. Power pylons were toppled, a two-lane highway became a one-lane road strewn with debris and overturned trucks.Silangan Santander, 21, attended funeral services for her brother, Larry, whose widow was five months pregnant. Only his lower torso and legs were found near the sea. Another brother was missing.In the community where my brother lived, all the houses there were gone, she said. There are only rocks, sand and water.

The sound of boulders crashing down Mayon's slopes were like thunder, and the ground shook, she said. We thought it would be our end.

The Red Cross appealed for food, tents, water, blankets, mats, mosquito nets and body bags. Canada donated $876,000 while Japan said it would send $173,000, the Philippine government said. Nationwide, at least 2,892 people have been killed and 909 have gone missing in storms between 2001-05, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council. Damage has totaled $521 million.The calamities came despite preparations and measures to mitigate the damage. Anthony Golez, the council's deputy chief said the people of the Philippines need to be better informed about disaster preparedness. He said Filipinos should be bombarded with disaster information, including stories of the Indian Ocean tsunami two years ago and the February 2006 landslide in the central Philippine village of Guinsaugon that killed more than 1,000. They have to get scared, or else, he said. We have to give them the reality, and it's a sad reality. We have to tell them the truth. But beyond preparedness, Golez said too many people live close to danger zones like mountainsides or riverbanks.They are pushed there because they do not have any choice. If you develop their economy, then they would have more options, he said. Gordon, the local Red Cross head, said better planning is needed.

We have to break the cycle of disaster and poverty by being smarter, by being sure we can plan our community smarter, he said. The big problem here in our country is we don't plan our communities. It's every man for himself.

He said the government has money for disaster mitigation but that politicians look to building projects that last only long enough for people to remember them during election campaigns. Mayor Jessie Robredo of Naga city in Camarines Sur, a province in the Bicol region often hit by typhoons, said his people are used to the yearly storms and began bracing for Durian a week before it arrived. The result was zero casualty this time, he said.But he laments that emergency funds, used to help his constituents get back on their feet after typhoons, could be used for economic projects.We would have been more progressive, more productive, he said. The worst part of a typhoon is that instead of using our funds for livelihood, we use them for relief to help people rebuild their lives. Instead of building infrastructures, we repair buildings.

The cycle seems unlikely to break soon.

The people of Naga are very resilient, Robredo said.Typhoons are like a way of life, a part of life. We do not like them, but our attitude is that there is still another day and we will rise again.

Crews work to restore power in Ontario, Quebec
Updated Sun. Dec. 3 2006 9:10 AM ET,CTV.ca News Staff

Utility crews were working overtime Sunday morning to turn the lights back on for tens of thousands of residents in Quebec and Ontario. They lost power Friday night when a powerful storm blasted the region with snow, heavy rain, freezing rain and high winds. As many as 80,000 households were without electricity as of Saturday morning. But Saturday night that number was down to around 33,000 as crews worked to restore the power grid to full operations. In the greater Montreal area, several thousand people were still without power, mostly due to downed trees and broken branches that fell on power lines. Hydro Quebec predicted most home would have power restored by Sunday night as crews worked to repair the damage. About 55,000 people in Ontario mostly in the eastern part of the province were still in the dark Sunday morning. Ottawa and Winchester were particularly hard hit, but Hydro One said it was making good progress towards repairing the damage. However, the electricity supply company said it could well be a few more days before all people living in remote areas have their electricity restored.With files from The Canadian Press

Sunday December 03 2006 13:06 GMT
Britain set for more storms

Rain and strong gales will continue to batter Britain after a stormy night which saw winds get up to 100mph. Forecasters said the weather would get slightly better, but southern Scotland, Northern Ireland and north-west England could see very strong winds. People in Scotland have been warned to prepare for flooding, and there is a risk of floods all over Britain. On Saturday night the south west of England was the worst affected area with winds leaving a trail of damage. A 47-year-old man died after being hit by a wave at Ardglass harbour in County Down, Northern Ireland. And some 12,000 homes don't have any power after the strong winds brought down electricity cables in the Midlands. On Sunday, winds could get up to 80mph, and up to seven and a half cm of rain could fall in some areas.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

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

Dec. 4, 2006, 8:49AM
Wildfires destroy 5 homes in California,By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA Associated Press Writer ,The Associated Press

Video Report MOORPARK, Calif. — Powerful, erratic winds early Monday hampered crews fighting a wildfire that destroyed five homes and threatened hundreds more in the hilly outskirts of this Southern California bedroom community.

With Santa Ana winds gusting up to 60 mph, firefighters said they were focused more on protecting the ranches, tract homes and citrus orchards on Moorpark's northern and western edges than on containing the blaze, which began Sunday at 2:30 a.m.You don't attack a fire with winds this extreme, said Capt. Mike Mathiesen of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. They're ferocious.

The fire burned at least 15 square miles, while gutting a warehouse and five other homes, authorities said.

Hundreds of residents, some with horses and livestock, were gearing up to flee or had already done so after authorities recommended evacuations.The Moorpark Unified School District was closed Monday.The sheriff's (deputies) said if you see flames, leave, said Dave Hare, who was at a home on the site of a recycling business he owns.More than 1,000 firefighters were working the blaze, and water-dropping helicopters would begin flying sorties after daybreak.The fire was being pushed by winds of up to 30 mph and gusts as high as 60 mph Monday, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a red flag warning of extreme fire danger because of high wind and dry conditions.Some residents stayed put despite 35-feet flames nearby. In one neighborhood, the fire came within 100 yards of homes.Arturo Huerta, 88, stationed himself on the family's home with hose in hand and watched for burning embers. I'm kinda nervous, he said.The blaze began on the northwestern edge of Moorpark, a one-time farm town about 29 miles northwest of Los Angeles that has transformed into a bedroom community.It quickly burned through 9,700 acres of heavy brush and chaparral in hills dotted with horse ranches, tract homes, and eucalyptus, avocado and citrus groves on the city's outskirts.

Flames sprung up again around 7 a.m. near Moorpark, but fire officials later classified both fires as a single blaze known as the Shekell incident, although they were a couple of miles apart. A third fire burned south of Camarillo and was expected to be contained at 30 acres, authorities said.By early evening, the fire had created a dense, brown-and-orange haze over the city and forced authorities to shut down part of Highway 23, the area's main north-south artery.A massive packaging plant was engulfed in flames and burnt for hours, occasionally letting off small explosions. Firefighters stood watch at a nearby estate to ensure a shift in wind wouldn't send flames toward the home.No major injuries were reported. A fire engine belonging to the state fire department tipped over during the initial response, but three firefighters aboard were uninjured. The accident occurred when the engine's driver apparently got too close to the edge of a road to let cars pass, officials said.In Riverside County, firefighters gained control of a wildfire that burned 100 acres of hillside brush. The fire, which began late Saturday near a high school in Norco, was fanned by strong winds and caused one minor injury to a firefighter.The causes of the fires were under investigation.

Fires ravage eastern states
December 03, 2006 11:55am

FIREFIGHTERS in eastern states are battling major blazes, with Victorian and SA crews battling fires in remote terrain, while NSW crews hoping for relief from cooler weather.Cooler temperatures are being experienced through much of NSW, including around the western areas of Mudgee, Coonabarabran and Narrabri where major bushfires are burning.However, Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman Rebel Talbert said the rain was not helping backburning operations.

It's cooled right down across the entire state which is good because it gives us an opportunity to get in there and do some containment work on these fires, she said.But some of the rain we've received is hampering the backburning efforts.It would take copious amounts of rain for weeks on end for it to have any positive affect, she said.Backburning operations over the next three days will be vital for fire crews, with early forecasts predicting a return to extreme conditions on Wednesday.About 200 firefighters will spend today attempting to work on a series of fires burning around Coonabarabran, including one that poses a threat to a large koala population in the Pilliga Nature Reserve.

Coonabarabran residents are also being urged to prepare their homes for the onset of fire, with another blaze burning around Timor Road.In Narrabri, backburning operations will also continue on a series of fires that have already burnt out more than 14,000 hectares.Crews in Mudgee have also been hampered by rain as they try to contain a blaze in the Wallaby Rocks areas.Blazes are also burning around Mudgee in the Bylong complex and Blue Springs.No fires are currently posing any immediate threat to property.

Victorian high counrty

1000 Victorian firefighters are today continuing to battle more than 50 blazes in the state's high country.A spokesman for the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said the largest fires were at Mount Cynthia, north-west of Dargo, and at Mount Terrible, near Kevington.The Mount Cynthia fire has burned about 600 hectares, while 300 hectares have burned at Mount Terrible.

He said the large number of fires had forced authorities to prioritise which areas they should focus on. We've got a lot of fires, including about 50 in the high country in rugged and remote terrain, he said. Some of them we haven't even visited yet. The spokesman said more than 1,000 Country Fire Authority (CFA) and DSE firefighters were battling the fires, which began about 4pm (AEDT) Friday after lightning strikes in the area. Yesterday authorities asked campers and day trippers to leave Victoria's Upper Goulburn Valley.

Travellers in the fire-affected areas have been advised to listen to ABC and local radio, ensure family and friends know their whereabouts and to be aware of increased traffic on roads and tracks.

No property was yet in danger from the fires, the DSE spokesman said. South Australia - Riverland.Firefighters are still trying to contain a fire that's been burning for almost a week in South Australia's Riverland. The Country Fire Service (CFS) said the fire just north of Renmark, which was sparked by lightning last Monday, had so far burnt out about 113,000 hectares of scrub and farming land.

No dwellings were currently under direct threat. Firefighters from around the state are undertaking a backburn in the area this morning in an attempt to remove fuel from the path of the fire. More than 24 appliances will work with several bulldozers and front-end loaders on the fireground today, the CFS said. A CFS spokesman said there were still a number of smaller fires burning around the state as a result of the lightning storms nearly a week ago. A blaze that burnt out some 5,000 hectares in the Hincks Conservation Park on the Eyre Peninsula has been contained. Share this article (What is this?)Digg this Post to del.icio.us Post to Newsvine

COUNTRIES WITH ISRAEL

EZEKIEL 38:10-19
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.
13 Sheba, and Dedan,(SAUDIA ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(ENGLAND) with all the young lions thereof,(USA,CANADA,AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND,EU,ENGLISH SPEAKING 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, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

The Sunday Times December 03, 2006 Saudis lead Israel peace bid
Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv

THE Saudi Arabian government is emerging as a key player in talks to broker a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace agreement. According to senior Israeli sources, Ehud Olmert, Israel’s prime minister, will soon meet high-ranking Saudi officials to explore the formation of a group of moderate Arab countries to negotiate with Tel Aviv over the future of the Middle East. A preliminary meeting between Olmert and a leading Saudi representative took place in Amman, the Jordanian capital, at the end of September. According to Israeli sources, the Saudi was Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former ambassador to Washington and one of the closest advisers to King Abdullah, the Saudi ruler. Olmert is believed to be considering a Saudi initiative, endorsed by the Arab League four years ago, as the basis for a peace settlement.This would include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and could lead to a formal peace deal between Israel and seven Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, the Emirates, Morocco and Tunisia.

Olmert promised the Palestinians their own state last week in a conciliatory speech that he was said to have written himself. Condoleezza Rice, the American secretary of state, praised the speech and her officials welcomed it as a promising sign that a regional peace dialogue may be resumed. However, an Israeli insider said: The truth is that it was not Olmert’s own initiative but a dictate given to him last month when he met George W Bush and Condoleezza Rice in Washington. An Arab source said: The Saudis wanted to see Olmert commit publicly to what he promised Prince Bandar at the secret meeting in Amman. According to Israeli officials, Saudi Arabia is gradually taking over the role of principal peace broker previously played by Egypt. Saudi influence is seen as invaluable, particularly as the country has funded many Arab causes. Hamas, the militant group that won Palestinian elections last January, was established with Saudi money; and the Palestinian Authority would have collapsed long ago without Saudi funding. Olmert, his reputation damaged by this summer’s war in Lebanon, is looking for a dramatic initiative to restore his image at home.

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.

2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL

REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).

DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)

REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(IRAQ-SYRIA)
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)

N. Korea offers uranium rights to Russia: report
Updated Sun. Dec. 3 2006 7:19 AM ET,Associated Press

TOKYO -- North Korea has offered Russia exclusive rights to its natural uranium deposits in exchange for support at the stalled talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The two countries have been in talks since 2002 on a deal for Russia to import uranium, which it wants to enrich and sell as nuclear fuel to China and Vietnam, according to a report in the regional daily, Tokyo Shimbun, citing unnamed Russian officials. North Korea recently offered Russia exclusive rights to the uranium in exchange for open support at the six-party talks on the North's nuclear program, which have stalled since last year, the report stated. Russia, which already exports natural gas and oil, hopes to become a major exporter of nuclear fuel, according to the report.

Negotiations between Russia and North Korea were set to continue, the report added. North Korea defied international demands by testing a nuclear weapon for the first time on Oct. 8. The U.N. quickly sanctioned the communist regime, banning member states from trading in weapons-related technology with the North. Efforts to restart talks to halt the North's nuclear program have so far failed. Russia, North and South Korea, Japan, China and the U.S. are involved in the talks.

U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye Gwan, failed to agree to a start date for negotiations after meeting in Beijing last week.At those talks, Hill reportedly urged North Korea to shut down its nuclear testing facilities by the end of 2008, halt uranium production, let U.N. weapons inspectors back into the country and hand over a full list of its nuclear facilities.In return, the other five countries would offer the North security guarantees, economic aid, and the possibility of normalizing U.S.-North Korea ties, the Kyodo News agency reported Saturday, citing unnamed officials. Pyongyang would face additional sanctions if it didn't comply with the proposal, which was drawn up by the U.S., Japan and South Korea, and shared with China and Russia, the report said, without elaborating.The mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper carried a similar report. Officials at Japan's Foreign Ministry were unavailable for comment. Russia's Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Tokyo also declined immediate comment.

North Korea withdrew from the six-party talks last November, angered at U.S. financial sanctions against a Macau-based bank where Pyongyang held several accounts that Washington alleged were used to launder money.

Kim, the North Korean envoy, has said Pyongyang will not unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons program. Russian officials have repeatedly said they support a non-nuclear North Korea. The main task of the six-party talks is guaranteeing the non-nuclear status of the Korean Peninsula, Russian Security Council chief Igor Ivanov, was quoted by ITAR-Tass as saying on Saturday during a visit to Mexico.

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)

Israel sliding to disappearance, Ahmadinejad tells Haniya

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya that Israel is sliding toward disappearance. The Zionist regime is on the slope of disappearance and the freedom movement and the struggles of the Palestinian people have more success every day, Ahmadinejad told Haniya on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Doha on Friday.Neither Iran nor Haniya's ruling Islamist Hamas faction recognise Israel.It is the religious duty of all Muslims to stand by the Palestinians, Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the official IRNA agency on Saturday.The continued crimes of the Zionist regime will only accelerate the downfall of this fake regime.Ahmadinejad, who has prompted international anger by dismissing the Holocaust as a myth used to justify the creation of Israel, added: This regime was created in order to make tension in the region and to carry out the policies of the US and Britain.

Haniya, whose government is internationally boycotted over its refusal to lay down arms, recognise Israel and abide by earlier peace agreements, is on his first foreign tour since taking power in January, with Tehran reportedly one of his destinations.During Palestinian foreign minister Mahmud Zahar's visit to Tehran two weeks ago, the Islamic republic gave 120 million dollars in aid to the cash-strapped Hamas-led government and voiced its readiness to give more.Israel's arch-foe Iran denies allegations that it supplies arms to Palestinian militant groups, saying its support is of a moral nature only.

Ministers Discuss Threat of Hizbullah Takeover in Lebanon
By Hillel Fendel (INN)

Various Cabinet sessions are discussing the possible Hizbullah coup in Lebanon, as well as the demand for a ceasefire an end to Israel's anti-terror activities in Judea and Samaria.

Following the morning Cabinet session dealing mainly with the threat of a Hizbullah takeover in Lebanon, the security mini-cabinet will convene and discuss the security situation in more detail.Regarding the possible Hizbullah toppling of the Lebanese government, most ministers feel that Israel need not take a public stand. Israel should not intervene, said former intelligence officer Rafi Eitan, Minister of Pensioners Affairs, because most of the time it turns out the opposite of what we want... This is a job for the United States. Another Cabinet member said that any Israeli support for the moderate Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora would only weaken him. Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) said that a takeover by Iranian/Syrian-backed Hizbullah is a very worrisome prospect, while Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) said that Israel must be prepared for just such an eventuality.Former IDF Intelligence Chief Gen. (ret.) Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash said today that if the present Lebanese government resigns and does not call new elections, this will increase the chance of another war next summer.The meetings today will also deal with the ceasefire in Gaza violated thus far by nearly 15 Kassam rockets and its possible expansion into Judea and Samaria (Yesha).

Ceasefire = Return to Murderous Terrorism in Israel

A ceasefire in Yesha means, according to Palestinian Authority demands, that Israel remove all checkpoints and stop anti-terror measures. For Israel, a ceasefire means an end to the thwarting of terror attacks and a return to weekly or daily reports of murdered Israelis. This is the conclusion drawn from the statistics the IDF will present today at the security mini-cabinet meeting.

The leading statistic to be presented: The IDF has thwarted this year over 130 attacks and/or arms-smuggling attempts at one checkpoint alone the Hawara checkpoint south of Shechem. Since January 2006, Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports, IDF troops at Hawara have caught Arabs trying to smuggle into Israeli-controlled territory 28 bombs, 10 guns, 25 Molotov cocktails and 60 knives.Four pipe-bombs, between four and six inches long each, were caught in the past week alone, and blown up in controlled explosions by Israeli Border Guard sappers.In July, for instance, 32 knife-bearing Arabs were stopped, in September, three firebombs were caught, and in November, three bombs were found on persons trying to cross through the checkpoint.On Oct. 9, a Palestinian terrorist ran towards soldiers with a knife and tried to stab one; another soldier shot him, and though soldiers and Red Crescent workers administered first aid, he died.

Israel's military history teaches us, Huberman writes, that every time there was a ceasefire without a clear IDF victory, it served only to help the Arabs rearm and regroup for the next round.

This is what occurred in the ceasefire with Egypt ending the War of Attrition in 1970 [preparing the way for the Yom Kippur War in 1973], and with the PLO in 1981, leading to the war in Lebanon [a year later]. In addition, the Oslo Agreement [of 1993] saved the PLO from total collapse at the time that the original intifada [that began in] 1987 was dying out, and this was what happened in the hudna, etc. Each time, the cease fire was merely a time-out before the next round.U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who met separately with Prime Minister Olmert and PA leader Abu Mazen last week, has often called for Israel to give up checkpoints, often associating them with the daily humiliation of occupation. Even Olmert, in his famous speech at Ben-Gurion's grave last week, said that if the PA establishes a unity government and stops terrorism, We will significantly diminish the number of roadblocks, increase freedom of movement in the territories, facilitate movement of people and goods in both directions.

IDF officers such as Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, Central Commander Gen. Yair Naveh, Planning Division Chief Gen. Ido Nehushtan, and Operations Chief Gen. Tal Russo all agree that Israel must not agree to give up the checkpoints. Army chiefs feel that the current number of checkpoints, following the removal of some, is the red line minimum required to maintain a semblance of security for Israel.The PA side, however, continues to demand a ceasefire in Yesha interpreting it to mean that if Israel harms an Arab in the course of anti-terror activities, it will be within its rights to respond by firing rockets.

OPEC president expects oil production cut DEC 04,06

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) OPEC is likely to trim production again, the president of the oil cartel said Friday, adding that he expects a cut of at least 500,000 barrels a day.The specific amount will be decided at the OPEC meeting scheduled for this month in Nigeria's capital, he said.

There is likely to be some further trimming, the actual amount will depend on the circumstances, Edmund Daukoru, who is Nigeria's oil minister and president of the 11-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, told a group of reporters ahead of a news conference in Abuja.On Thursday, Venezuelan oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said OPEC could cut production by 500,000 barrels a day when it meets in December 14 in Abuja, and Daukoru agreed.I don't expect anything less than 500,000 barrels per day to be cut, Daukoru said. He declined to give a specific figure, saying only: When we meet, we will look at the data and the trends.Oil prices retreated Friday amid profit taking and easing worries that OPEC will significantly reduce output to boost prices.

Prices had jumped to two-month highs on Thursday on news of declining U.S. fuel inventories and the approach of the Northern Hemisphere winter, when heating fuel demand rises.But by afternoon Friday in Europe, light, sweet crude for January delivery was down 72 cents to $62.41 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that OPEC members had reached a consensus to keep oil prices at $50 a barrel. The average for the OPEC basket price this week currently stands above $56 a barrel.Daukoru said he didn't see prices getting back to the 70s, ($70) definitely not the upper 70s that we saw back in August.Asked about the possible expansion of OPEC's membership, Daukoru replied, We have made a membership drive to Angola and Sudan and we are optimistic that those two countries will respond.Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil exporter, but its usual 2.5 million barrels of output per day have been cut by 25 percent because of a wave of militant attacks and kidnappings since the beginning of the year.Reuters.

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).

Barroso rallies commissioners behind EU constitution
04.12.2006 - 09:22 CET | By Honor Mahony

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has attempted to drum up support for the beleaguered EU constitution among his fellow commissioners, apparently changing his previous stance towards the document.

Mr Barroso last month wrote to his 24 colleagues saying he wants to bring forward a proposal to give the EU constitution another chance, according to Reuters news agency.In the letter he stressed the continuing need for a constitution, writing that we can find a way out and give Europe a second chance. The message reveals an apparent change of approach in Mr Barroso's position on the EU charter which has been frozen in political limbo since it was rejected by French and Dutch voters last year.Soon after its rejection, Mr Barroso was keen to push a practical policy-driven Europe focussing on tangible results that citizens notice Instead of never-ending debates about institutions, let's work with what we've got. Political will and leadership are more important than institutions, he said in September last year.We should have a policy-driven agenda, so people can see the benefits of the European Union.This practical approach was followed by a spate of consumer-friendly initiatives such as driving down mobile phone roaming prices and tackling hidden costs in airplane tickets.Mr Barroso's call for a new initiative on the EU constitution comes at a time when the topic is slowly climbing back up the political agenda after having almost vanished during an extended period of reflection on what to do after the 'no' referendums.Under its EU presidency during the first half of next year, Germany is going to attempt to get some political impetus behind reviving as much of the constitution as possible.The Times reports that Chancellor Angela Merkel last week called her ambassadors back to Berlin to discuss how to implement its planned steps for next year.

Under its constitution roadmap, Berlin is intending to sound out opinions during the first few months. This will then be followed by a declaration in March to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome - which kicked off the common market leading to the current EU.By June, with French elections out of the way, the German EU presidency is hoping to be able to have a timeframe and some concrete steps that other member states can sign up to.Ms Merkel has previously indicated Germany would like the constitutional process wrapped up in time for the 2009 European elections.

Brussels pushes for free trade with Asia, Latin America
04.12.2006 - 09:27 CET | By Helena Spongenberg

EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson is this week to present plans for a new generation of free trade agreements after a multilateral deal on global free trade in the Doha Development Round got stuck earlier this year.On Wednesday (6 December) Mr Mandelson will come forward with a commission plan to start free trade talks with India, South Korea, ASEAN – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – as well as Latin American countries, according to press reports.

The commission needs a mandate from the 25 EU member states before it can freely go ahead with negotiations on an accord which would reduce barriers and fuel trade between the EU and its partners.Negotiations could include market access on goods and services, common rules and disciplines on intellectual property rights, competition, dispute settlement or rules of origin.EU foreign affairs ministers meeting next week will discuss the issue and if approved, negotiations could get underway in 2007.

Updated Dec. 4, 2006 4:20
Analysis: 2007 - The Year of War,By YAAKOV KATZ

2007 will be the year of war, both in Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip, and possibly even against Syria. It could happen this spring, or perhaps in the summer.

According to Military Intelligence's (MI) assessment for the coming year, there is a high probability that Israel will find itself fighting at least two wars on two fronts, one against the Hamas army being created in the Gaza Strip and the other against Hizbullah, working hard to regain its strength after the war this past summer. Despite a cease-fire on the Gaza front, Hamas has spent the last week smuggling weapons into the Strip through the tunnels running from Sinai. Hizbullah, despite Security Council Resolution 1701 and UNIFIL's presence in southern Lebanon, has received shipments of antitank missiles, short-range rockets and long-range missiles from Syria since the war ended. The Syrian military is on high alert and has the IDF concerned that without political engagement, war could erupt there. According to MI's assessment, if Israel offered Syria a renewal of dialogue, President Bashar Assad would accept. However, if Israel does not make any diplomatic overtures toward Syria, in line with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's declared policy, the chance of war will only increase. While the defense establishment is genuinely concerned with the ongoing Hizbullah protest in Beirut and the effect it will have on the fragile situation in the North, MI is not surprised by Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah's attempt to topple Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's US-backed government.

The massive demonstration in Lebanon is more than just a standard anti-government gathering. It is a clash of cultures - one led by Saniora interested in an independent and westernized Lebanon and the other led by Nasrallah and powered by Iran, interested in a radical and religious regime, or as MI sees it, an extension of Iran and the axis of evil. Syria is also contributing to the tension and, according to MI, is the leading suspect in the assassination two weeks ago of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. The Saniora government's decision to establish an international tribunal to try those responsible for the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005 was a major blow for Assad and the ongoing protest in Beirut is partially his way of payback. The IDF does not anticipate long life for the cease-fire in Gaza, obtained November 25 in a phone call between Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. In addition to the daily Kassam rocket attacks since the cease-fire went into effect, the Palestinians have continued smuggling weapons into the Strip from Egypt.

Hamas's army in Gaza already numbers several thousand troops, believed to be armed with advanced antitank missiles, Grad-type Katyusha rockets as well as anti-aircraft projectiles, possibly Soviet-made SA-7 shoulder-fired missiles. The assumption in the IDF is that the cease-fire will not last long, maybe another couple of weeks at the most. The major problem is that unlike the cease-fire in 2005 before Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip, this time the Palestinians do not have any incentives to enforce or uphold the truce. It is also important to differentiate between the Strip and the West Bank. While Hamas is building an army, Gaza is self-contained, cut off from the rest of Israel. The West Bank is different. With the security fence incomplete, a decision to remove roadblocks and permit free passage for Palestinians could enable terrorists to enter Israeli cities. The only way to prevent terror there is to maintain an IDF presence in the West Bank.

But not everyone in the defense establishment agrees that the way to prevent terror in the West Bank is by retaining a stifling military presence. Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj.-Gen. Yosef Mishlav has been recommending the removal of roadblocks and free passage between West Bank cities for some months now, claiming the move would stimulate positive economic developments within the PA. If Israel fails to do so, Mishlav has warned, war could also erupt in the West Bank.

Q - A WITH GERMANY

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Philippine typhoon death toll passes 300. 3-Santa Ana winds in Southern California. 4-Israeli medium says he can cure Ariel Sharon. 5-Meteorite yields life origin clue. 6-We must escape Earth, warns Hawking. 7-Liberal Christians Going Head-to-Head with Conservative Christians. 8-Israel To Mull Over Free Trade Agreement With India. 9-Iran's Growing Array Of Missiles. 10-Q&A: Wolfgang Ischinger, German ambassador to the UK (DEC 03,06).

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 Dec 4 00:00 EDT
Update time = Sun Dec 3 01:00 PM EDT

Monday no Quakes yet.

SUN DEC 03,2006
MAP 2.5 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.4 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.8 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.1 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 4.6 BALI SEA
MAP 3.3 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.9 OFFSHORE GUATEMALA
MAP 5.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA
MAP 3.1 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.4 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, 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.

Philippine typhoon death toll passes 300 By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer DEC 02,06

PADANG, Philippines /Rescuers scouring mountain villages buried under mud and boulders loosened by a powerful typhoon discovered more bodies Saturday, raising the death total to more than 300, with another 300 missing.

Officials fear the number of those killed by Typhoon Durian will rise as rescue operations continue in devastated villages on the slopes of the Mayon volcano, 210 miles southeast of Manila in the northern Philippines.The first funerals were carried out Saturday evening as bodies rapidly decomposed in the tropical heat.The Disaster Coordinating Council of worst-hit Albay province reported 285 dead, including 165 in the town of Guinobatan, swamped by floodwaters in the Mayon volcano's foothills. At least 66 people were reported dead in three towns on Mayon's slopes.

Another 300 people were missing, and the storm affected 800,000 people, officials said. Four other provinces reported deaths, but accurate figures were hard to come by, with the disaster's devastation so widespread and power and phone lines down.We need food, tents, water, body bags, Philippine National Red Cross official Andrew Nocon told DZMM radio. We sent initially 300 bags, but we need more.In Padang, a few miles from Guinobatan, houses were buried under mud and debris, with only roofs protruding. Power pylons were toppled, a two-lane highway became a one-lane, debris-strewn road with overturned trucks scattered about and a backhoe half-buried by a massive boulder.Some of the bodies recovered there had been washed out to sea and brought back by currents to the shores of an adjacent town.Silangan Santander, 21, attended funeral services for her brother, Larry, whose widow was five months pregnant. Only his lower torso and legs were found near the sea. Another brother was missing.In the community where my brother lived, all the houses there were gone, she said. There are only rocks, sand and water.

Ash and boulders had been building on the slopes of the 8,077-foot Mayon — one of 22 active volcanos in the Philippines — which has been coming to life in recent months. Typhoon Durian's winds of 139 mph and drenching rain on Thursday raked it all down on the deluged villages.For nearly three hours late Thursday afternoon, mudslides tore through Mayon's gullies, uprooting trees, flattening houses and engulfing people. Entire hamlets were swamped.

Padang residents Benjamin Luga, 70, and his wife Elizabeth, 62, said they escaped the mudslide by tearing down their bathroom ceiling and hiding in the roof. A big boulder halted just two yards from their house.First we heard the howling winds, then came the flood. It was water, sand, gravel and boulders, Elizabeth Luga said.Mayon, a popular tourist attraction because of its nearly perfect conical shape, erupted in July, depositing millions of tons of rocks and volcanic ash on its slopes. It has continued to rumble since then. Rains from previous typhoons may have loosened the materials, officials said.A broken dike also flooded many parts of Albay, the local Red Cross said. It appealed for food, bottled water, blankets, mats and mosquito nets.Canada donated $876,000, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department reported, while Japan said it would send $173,000. Associated Press writer Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report from Manila.

Santa Ana winds in Southern California R. Weeks, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel DEC 02,06

Yesterday's major winter storm produced a wide range of wild weather across the country. Heavy snow, totaling over a foot in some areas, significant accumulations of snow and ice, heavy rain and flooding, strong winds, and damaging thunderstorms all impacted a large part of the country. With over fifty severe weather reports and one reported tornado, yesterday was the worst severe weather outbreak in the Northeast during the month of December; in terms of severe weather reports. Records for severe weather reports go back to 1955.

Two F1 tornados were confirmed in Pennsylvania on Friday. One F1 in Greensburg, PA located in Westmoreland County, which is about 25 miles ESE of downtown Pittsburgh. The other F1 occurred near Halifax, PA in Dauphin County. These are the first recorded tornados in Pennsylvania in December since records have been kept dating back to 1950. Today, that storm system is moving quickly north into southeast Canada. Gusty winds will remain over the New England states into this afternoon, where sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts of 35 to 45 mph will still be common.

These winds should diminish later tonight. As winds flow from west to east across Lake Erie and Ontario, and colder air filters across the lakes, lake effect snow showers and squalls will develop today, into tonight. Winds will be most favorable for heavy lake effect snow accumulations in the snow belts east of Lake Ontario in western New York where 3 to 6 inches could accumulate, as well as over the northern Great Lakes where as much as a foot could fall.

Bitter wind chills of 15 to 25 below zero will be common across the northern Plains, spreading into the Upper Midwest today, as a cold front brings a reinforcing surge of cold air, as well as strong gusty winds. Winds over these areas may gust as high as 40 mph at times. Offshore winds in Southern California will continue to increase this weekend due to a building high-pressure system moving down along the Rocky Mountains. The dry, warm Santa Ana winds will gust between 15-25mph around the coasts with gusts in excess of 50+ mph in the canyons and passes. Red flag warnings are also posted for high fire danger.

Sunday into Monday, the focus will shift to a possible quick moving coastal storm, which could impact parts of the east. The cold front that brought all the cold air today will be the focus for a wave of low pressure to develop off the southeast coast on Sunday.

This will spread showers back into parts of the Southeast coastal areas. This low pressure will then track quickly northeast, east of the coast, to a position off the New England area by Monday morning. At the same time the storm system will rapidly strengthen, which will result in rain and snow increasing across coastal areas of the New England states Sunday night into early Monday. There will be some potential for accumulations of snow, but given the fast movement of the storm, amounts will be limited. Winds may also become an issue along coastal areas, as the storm rapidly strengths. This will be a difficult forecast, as any slight change in the track and intensity of this coastal storm, could greatly alter the forecast. Stay tuned to The Weather Channel for the latest updates into the weekend.

OCCULT ACTIVITY

REVELATION 9:20-21
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

DEUTORONOMY 18:10-13
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination,(OCCULT WITH THINGS-ITEMS) or an observer of times,(ASTROLOGY) or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits,(NEW AGE MOVEMENT-MEDIUMS) or a wizard, or a necromancer.(TALK TO THE DEAD)
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

Israeli medium says he can cure Ariel Sharon 12 01,2006

Well-known Israeli medium Uri Geller said in an interview to a local radio station that he had some hypotheses as concerning the state of health of Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.Israeli medium says he can cure Ariel Sharon January 4, 2006 Ariel Sharon fell into coma after a stroke and has never come to consciousness since that time. Uri Geller states that he can help the former Israeli leader recover from coma.

Ariel Sharon’s relatives would not meet the medium in spite of the fact that the latter officially offered his services to the family.Uri Geller won his great popularity after a series of TV appearances when the medium demonstrated his abnormal abilities, telekinesis, though reading and search of hidden items among them. Uri Geller bent metal spoons and made clock hands stop or speed up just with the power of his thought. Some time ago the American police engaged Uri Geller into the searches of the notorious maniac nicknamed the Son of Sam. Geller is also known for his statements concerning catch of Saddam Hussein and sexual orientation of Michael Jackson about which he learnt when hypnotized the singer.

Being plunged into a trance, Jackson rejected vigorously all accusations of pedophile. But that took place before Michael Jackson was blamed for an alleged corruption of a cancer diseased boy. Source: ufolog Translated by Maria Gouseva

METEORS HIT THE EARTH

REVELATION 6:12-17
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

REVELATION 8:12-13
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels,which are yet to sound!

Meteorite yields life origin clue DEC 03,06

Meteorite fragments were recovered from the frozen Tagish Lake Hollow spheres found in a primordial meteorite could yield clues to the origin of life on Earth. Scientists say that bubbles like those in the Tagish Lake meteorite may have helped along chemical processes important for the emergence of life. The globules could also be older than our Solar System their chemistry suggests they formed at about -260C, near absolute zero. Details of the work by Nasa scientists are published in the journal Science.

Analysis of the bubbles shows they arrived on Earth in the meteorite and are not terrestrial contaminants. These hollow spheres could have provided a protective envelope for the raw organic molecules needed for life.

Dr Lindsay Keller of Nasa's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, told BBC News that some scientists believed such structures were a step in the right direction to making a cell wall. But he emphasised that the globules in Tagish Lake were in no way equivalent to a cell. The hollow spheres seem to be empty, but they do have organic molecules on their surfaces. Mike Zolensky, a Nasa mineralogist, commented: If, as we suspect, this type of meteorite has been falling on to Earth throughout its entire history, then the Earth was seeded with these organic globules at the same time life was first forming here. Co-author Keiko Nakamura-Messenger of JSC told BBC News: We reported only 26 globules in this paper, because they are small and hard to analyse. But we have seen hundreds in a small area. We can estimate that there are billions of them in this meteorite. The ratios of different forms, or isotopes, of the elements hydrogen and nitrogen in the meteorite are very unusual, which suggests the structures did not come from Earth, say the scientists.

The isotopic ratios in these globules show that they formed at temperatures of about -260C, near absolute zero, said co-author Scott Messenger, also from Johnson Space Center. The organic molecules most likely originated in the cold molecular cloud that gave birth to our Solar System, or at the outermost reaches of the early Solar System. The Tagish Lake meteorite was collected immediately after its fall over Canada in 2000. It has been maintained in a frozen state, minimising the potential for terrestrial contamination.

FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

We must escape Earth, warns Hawking
Thursday, November 30, 2006

Stephen Hawking wants humans to escape EarthMankind will need to leave planet Earth to ensure the long-term survival of the species, theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking warned today.

Prof Hawking said that space-rockets propelled by the kind of matter/antimatter annihilation technology used in Star Trek would be needed to colonise hospitable planets orbiting other stars.And he disclosed his own ambition to go into space, and appealed to Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson who is planning a space tourism venture to make his dream come true. Prof Hawking was speaking ahead of the presentation to him later today of Britain's highest scientific award, the Royal Society's Copley Medal, previously granted to Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday and Captain James Cook. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that scientists may be within 20 years of reaching his prediction in

A Brief History of Time that mankind would one day know the mind of God by understanding all the laws which govern the universe. And he said that this knowledge may be vital to the human race's continued existence. If we used chemical fuel rockets like the Apollo mission to the moon, the journey to the nearest star would take 50,000 years.The long-term survival of the human race is at risk as long as it is confined to a single planet, he told Today. Sooner or later, disasters such as an asteroid collision or nuclear war could wipe us all out. But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe. There isn't anywhere like the Earth in the solar system, so we would have to go to another star. If we used chemical fuel rockets like the Apollo mission to the moon, the journey to the nearest star would take 50,000 years. This is obviously far too long to be practical, so science fiction has developed the idea of warp drive, which takes you instantly to your destination. Unfortunately, this would violate the scientific law which says that nothing can travel faster than light. However, we can still within the law, by using matter/antimatter annihilation, at least reach just below the speed of light.

With that, it would be possible to reach the next star in about six years, though it wouldn't seem so long for those on board. The science fiction series Star Trek has used matter/antimatter annihilation as an explanation for the warp drive which powers spaceships like the Enterprise through vast distances in short periods of time. But in reality, some scientists believe that the radiation produced when matter and antimatter are brought together and destroy one another could in fact one day be used to accelerate craft to close to the speed of light. Prof Hawking today said that his own ambition was to take part in a more conventional form of space travel. My next goal is to go into space, he said. Maybe Richard Branson will help me.

FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS. (LUKEWARM LIBERAL CHRISTIANS)

MATTHEW 24:5,24
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; 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.

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.

Liberal Christians Going Head-to-Head with Conservative Christians
Susan Jones,Senior Editor (crosswalk.com)

(CNSNews.com) - Progressive (liberal) Christian groups, attempting to dilute the political influence of their conservative brethren, are speaking up when conservative Christian leaders speak out.The most recent example came on Wednesday, a week after Dr. James Dobson, the founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, discussed faith, sexuality and liberalism on CNN's Larry King Live.

The Institute for Progressive Christianity -- a new group -- accused Dobson of making highly inaccurate statements and crackpot assertions during his conversation with Larry King.In a lengthy news release on Wednesday, the IPC rebutted Dobson's comments one by one. But it's not so much what the liberal Christians are saying -- it's that they're saying it at all. Until now, conservative Christian leaders have been largely ignored by liberal groups and the mainstream media, except in cases where their controversial statements are held up for condemnation and ridicule.

Point, counterpoint

The Institute for Progressive Christianity describes itself as a think tank comprising mainstream liberal Christians. On Wednesday, it took exception to Dobson's remarks that liberals are often those who have no value system and who embrace moral relativism. The group also attacked Dobson's beliefs on homosexuality. (Dobson rejected the notion that homosexuals are born that way and have no choice in the matter. He said he believes it's a developmental disorder.)The IPC also took issue with Dobson's serious misstatement on the separation of church and state.As Dobson told Larry King, the so-called separation of church and state is not found in the U.S. Constitution.The only place where the so-called 'wall of separation was mentioned was in a letter written by Jefferson to a friend, Dobson said. It has been picked up and made to be something it was never intended to be. What it has become is that the government is protected from the church, instead of the other way around, which is that church was designed to be protected from the government.

The IPC argued that Dobson's comments are not supported by history. While it is true that the phrase 'separation of church and state is not found in the Constitution or the First Amendment, the concept was well understood by the leading thinkers of the time, IPC Director Frank Cocozzelli said.He added that Jefferson's letter is considered by historians, legal scholars and the U.S. Supreme Court to be Jefferson's definitive statement on the meaning of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.Many conservatives, however, disagree with those interpretations.

New and better direction

The IPC's website says the group held its initial meeting and symposium on November 18.The group said it finds itself in a new stage of history when its position of influence has been lost to the voice of Christian fundamentalism in the arenas of media, culture and politics.

The group's website says the only way to refute Christian fundamentalism is to do so from within the Christian community - otherwise, it suggests, the critics will be perceived and painted as a persecutor of the faith.The group says it aims to regain a prominent role of influence in public policy and discourse...Powerful arguments will be developed to recast the Christian image into one of tolerance, diversity and reason. The IPC said it plans to champion the separation of Church and State and develop innovative policy proposals that embody the kind of compassion and integrity that resonates with all people of character.

The IPC says its team includes visionaries, brilliant scholars, published writers and those with power connections in Washington.This dedicated group of gifted women and men are spearheading the strategic effort to meet the challenge of overcoming undue influence from religious fundamentalism in American politics and to light the path for a new and better direction for the nation. Naomi Wolf, a former consultant to then-presidential candidate Al Gore, delivered keynote address at the IPC's initial meeting.

(During the 2000 presidential campaign, Wolf famously gave Gore wardrobe tips and reportedly told him that he was the beta male who must fight Clinton's alpha male for dominance.)

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).

Israel To Mull Over Free Trade Agreement With India
Nasdaq Dec 03,06

(RTTNews) - The Deputy Prime Minister and Mister for trade and Industry, Eliyahu Yishai, who will be on a five-day visit to India from December 3, said that Israel is considering a Free Trade Agreement with India to reach a bilateral trade target of $5 billion.Yishai expressed that a commission was set up to look into the possibilities of signing an FTA with India. Though the results of the study are not yet available, there is a huge trade potential between the two countries, he added.Yishai said the issue would be on the agenda during his ensuing five-day visit next week. He leads a business delegation of more than 50 Israeli entrepreneurs, the first such trade delegation after the formation of this government.He indicated that there are several areas with vast potential of cooperation and the government would facilitate trade by outlining thrust areas and adopting measures that could help them

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:20,30
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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iran's Growing Array Of Missiles
Tel Aviv (UPI) DEC 02, 2006 (spacewar)

With missiles that can reach every corner of the Middle East and survive preemptive strikes, Iran is already the major missile power of the region, at least in theory, said a former head of Israel's missile defense program. No other country in the world ... comes close to Iran in the number and variety of ballistic missiles in development or already deployed, Uzi Rubin wrote in a study published by the Institute for National Security Studies.And yet, some of those missiles effectiveness is questionable, he noted.Rubin based his study on published materials but his background from 1991 to 1999 he was the Arrow anti-ballistic missile program manager enables him to better analyze those reports.He wrote that most of the missiles designed to control the sea, land, and air near Iran show Chinese and Russian pedigree. The Raad, apparently an advanced version of the Chinese Silkworm, is a shore based anti-ship missile whose range should be sufficient to bloc the Persian Gulf at its widest point.

The Zelzal, which originally hails from China, is intended to hit hostile troops concentrated some 125 miles away. Other programs are externally similar to the old Soviet Strela, and anti-tank missiles.During naval exercises, in April 2006, Iran unveiled a rocket propelled underwater projectile and a flying boat. However, A cursory examination of the video images revealed them to be 1960s vintage Soviet technologies that Russian companies are marketing, Apparently with no great success.Iran's Shahab family of ballistic missiles shares the heritage, propulsion technology and general layout of the Soviet R11 missiles of the 1950s, also known as the Scuds. Gradually it has been increasing its missiles' ranges and they are, an indispensable complement to its nuclear ambitions, according to Rubin.Iran bought Scud B and Scud C missiles with their launchers and production lines, dubbed them Shahab 1 and 2, and manufactured them in considerable quantities, Rubin noted.

That program was initially designed to counter the Iraqi threat. Eventually Iran amended its threat perception. It sought to dissuade Saudi Arabia from hosting U.S. forces, and if the U.S. attacked planned to strike at Israel.Hence the Shahab 3. It is, a very close relative, if not a full fledged clone of the North Korean mysterious No Dong, wrote Rubin.In 2004, Iran tested an extended version of the Shahab 3. It is a longer missile, its internal design seems to have been significantly modified, and it carries the telltale signs of Soviet-style missile engineering.After that test the Iranians said their missiles have a range of about 1,250 miles.With them, Every major city and military installation between the western shores of Turkey and the eastern border of Pakistan and between the Black Sea in the north and the southern narrows of the Red Sea are within range, Rubin noted.

Moreover, it can hit any point in the Middle East from fixed sites deep inside Iran. It can deploy the missiles from well-protected silos survivable against preemption.Only 10 Shahab 3 flight tests were conducted between July 1998, when it was first tried, and May 2006.This is a remarkably low number for what is surely a strategic weapon for Iran. About half those tests ended in total or partial failure, Rubin said.By Western standards the Shahab 3 would not yet be considered operational. It would not be mass-produced. However, Iranians seem to think that if the design works once or twice, they are ready to take the chance that it will work in the battlefield too.There should be no doubt that in case of conflict, Iran will launch Shahab 3 missiles regardless of their flight test record, and that some of them will reach their destinations, Rubin stressed.Last year Iran's then-Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani elaborately extolled solid propellant rocketry and alluded to a twin-engine missile; Rubin inferred that Iran is engaged in developing a multi-stage strategic range ballistic missile.

He told United Press International he believes Iran's intelligence was behind the theft of KH55 (Kent) cruise missiles in the Ukraine. The plane that flew them out belonged to a company whose address was a Tehran mailbox.The theft ... will serve for the development of an indigenous version of a strategic cruise missile, he maintained.

According to Israeli intelligence, and a German account, a BM 25 missile, with a range of roughly 1,500 to 2,200 miles, was transferred from North Korea to Iran.But the Iranians do not need such a missile to hit targets in the Middle East. The Shahab 3's range is sufficient for that. It should, however, concern the Europeans since it could reach central Europe.Iran is also developing satellites. Its achievements have been relatively meager, according to Rubin, but its statements and disclosures about that program suggest it is picking up speed.

Any suitably modified SLV (Space Launch Vehicle) can serve as an ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile), Rubin noted.All indications are that Iran's missile and space programs have suffered from deficiencies in leadership and resources ... The disparate programs are making headway, but in a somewhat chaotic manner, he wrote.Nevertheless, Iran's missile and space programs are no paper tigers.At the rate they are going, Iranian missiles will dominate the entire continent of Europe by the end of this decade. Once they perfect their workhorse SLV, their reach will become truly global, Rubin added.Source: United Press International

Q&A: Wolfgang Ischinger, German ambassador to the UK (DEC 03,06)

As Germany prepares to take over the twin presidencies of the G8 and the EU, Matthew Tempest meets the German ambassador to the UK, Wolfgang Ischinger, to discuss his country's priorities

Matthew Tempest, political correspondent
Friday December 1, 2006
Guardian Unlimited

Matthew Tempest: Although Frau Merkel herself is a relatively recent leader in Europe, by a strange twist of fate she will be one of the most experienced leaders of the major countries because of the departure of France's president Chirac [in May 2007] and possibly prime minister Tony Blair during the first six months of next year...Wolfgang Ischinger:Yes, that's right. There are high expectations associated with the double presidency, which we will be taking up in just a few weeks. I happen to believe that Germany is actually well prepared at the end of 2006 to tackle this job because this because the performance of Germany as the biggest economy within the European Union has been really quite strikingly good over the past couple of months.

Certainly, if one compares where we are today with where we were a year ago the outlook is solid and good and bright. Germany has the best economic growth prospects currently of all the G7 countries - higher, even, than the United States and about at the same level as the United Kingdom. So we are tackling this presidency from a relatively solid and good basis and outlook as far as economic outlook is concerned. I'm very impressed, sometimes a bit intimidated [by] the extremely high expectation associated with the German presidency. People seem to expect that we will perform miracles. We'll do our best to do that but I'm not sure we can fulfil all these wishes!

MT: Well that was the point of my question in a way - with the departure of two major leaders - president Chirac and probably Mr Blair - does that not make it difficult to achieve progress both within the EU and the G8 when there are changes of leadership within two of the most significant economies?

WI: Yes - and no. Obviously, there are some issues which will come up towards the end of our presidency where it would be highly desirable if you had a firmly established group of decision makers, but that's life in politics. You have change all the time. You have elections all the time. There's never a year where you there's not a change in some country.On the other hand, at least for the first
several months of our presidency we don't expect a change in any of the relevant countries so there will be time to sit together and to try to determine at least the general direction that we as the EU or we as the G8 will want to move forward as we conclude our presidency.But clearly you have a point. The changes that are associated with the presidential election in France and the changes that have been announced here in the United Kingdom certainly do not make it easier for the presidency in 2007

MT: What are chancellor Merkel's priorities? And I'm thinking particularly of the presidency of the EU, and the EU constitution.

WI: Domestically our first priority has been to re-establish better economic performance, better growth. That is also a very important objective internationally. In the G8 we will do our best to remind everyone in this group of nations that the original calling of the G7 was how best to move the world economy forward. In other words, the question of employment, the question of growth, the question of stability, the question of how best to confront the challenges of globalisation, including new issues such as energy and climate change, which will be very high on our agenda.In the EU these questions will also be important but there is, of course, also the other very serious challenge, namely how to take the future of Europe forward. The question of what to do about the constitutional process.

MT: The first day of 2007 will see Romania and Bulgaria officially join - then as we've seen today there's the complex state of the negotiation with Turkey. Germany will see the EU immediately become 27, and there's Croatia and Turkey in negotiations - does that mean Germany acknowledges there is some need to speed up decision making, be it a constitution or some other form of altering Brussels' rules?

WI: That is absolutely correct. We have long believed that we need to improve the decision-making processes of the European Union. Some of these decisions can be taken through simple decisions [sic], others require treaty changes and that is why my government does believe and continues to believe that a serious effort should be made not only during the German presidency but during our succeeding presidencies to identify the room for a consensus solution of the problem that was created by the fact that the existing paper was rejected in two of the member states. We'll do our best to identify the consensus areas.

MT: When you use the word consensus, will part of that be not calling it a constitution - because that was an extremely unpopular concept in the UK, at least?

WI: At this point, at the beginning of our presidency, which has not even begun, it would be foolish for me to present views on what exactly we would like to do. Germany will start our presidency in what we call listening mode.We will want all our partners, including the United Kingdom, to tell us what is possible and desirable. And we will figure out if and how it's possible to draw it all together
and hopefully at the end of our presidency make a proposal how to take the issue forward.But, clearly, once again, Germany remains committed to the constitutional process - whether you want to call it a constitution or not is in my view a question of presentation. The important thing is the substance of it, and we believe the substance of it is very important - and remains important.

MT: How are UK-German relations in general at the moment? - I'm thinking particularly of the new Conservative leader David Cameron's pledge to pull out of the centre-right EPP grouping in Brussels that chancellor Merkel and her Christian Democrats are staunch members of.

WI: Well, let me say that the relationship between Germany and the UK is a very good one, and such a solid one that as an ambassador I have not found it important for my work to worry a lot about bilateral issues.

Our relationship is so solid that we can spend most our time worrying together about issues related to third countries, about Iran, about our relationship with Russia, about the Middle East, climate change and so on and so forth. Having said that, it is of course very important for us that all of us participate actively in the European parliament because that is an important element of the European construction. But I think you've mentioned yourself that we are talking about issues that are a couple of years away - and I'm not going to speculate today about what will happen and what might not happen in two or in three years' time. For the moment as we begin the presidency, I can only say we are impressed with the intensity of the collateral discussions, at various levels, including between the parties involved, the political parties of left and right, and our relationship is very good. I'm proud to serve in a country with which we have such a close relationship.

MT: Does that close relationship extend to carrying on the priorities that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown annunciated when Britain had the joint chair of the EU, which was namely climate change and Africa - will chancellor Merkel put the same focus on those two massive global issues or does she have other issues she wants to focus on?

WI: She certainly will. We have already publicly announced that both of these important agenda items which were taken forward under the British presidency last year, will remain important items on our agenda next year. That's certainly true for Africa and it is certainly true for climate change.We have been very impressed by the recent report put out by Nicholas Stern on the economic aspects of climate change. The British foreign secretary gave a very important speech (I heard her mention she thought it was her most important speech so far). She gave that speech in Berlin, and on questions of climate change.And once again I'm impressed with the high expectations that came out of that speech with regard to the issue of environmental concerns and climate policy during our presidency. And we will certainly want to do that.Don't forget that chancellor Merkel was herself in the 1990s for quite a while German minister in charge of environmental questions. She negotiated on behalf of the German government the Kyoto agreement. So she knows more about these issues than most politicians.

MT: One issue though that perhaps divides Britain and German is Germany's focus on hedge funds, and how you want to tackle the German concern over hedge funds during the EU/G8 presidency. What is particularly Germany's anxiety about hedge funds?

WI: I wouldn't speak of anxieties. But yes it's true that we have given some thought to a number of issues related to financial regulation. One question that we are actively considering with our British counterparts is the question of possible measure that would simplify the regulatory framework across the Atlantic.We have a different set of regulations, for example for corporate auditing in the United States and the EU - can this be simplified in the interest of the companies and transparency.One other question is the question of oversight. Is there a way to increase the transparency, the scope, of the hedge fund industry.I'm sure there will be different views on that from within the hedge fund industry and from various governments. Again we will be listening and trying to find proposals that meet the expectations of all the participants in this game. But one should not be thinking that the Germans are now trying to make life more complicated and come up with yet another wave of overregulation. That is absolutely not what we are trying to do. On the contrary, as far as the EU is concerned during our presidency is to work towards better regulation, towards less over-regulation and we find ourselves in perfect agreement on that with the government of the United Kingdom.

MT: You mention there the transatlantic relationship. One of the themes of the speculation running up to next year is that chancellor Merkel would like some form of free trade agreement between North America and the EU - is that a realistic prospect?

WI: I suppose if you define it as a free trade agreement it may not be a very realistic prospect. But that is not actually what has been said or proposed within the German government. What has been proposed was the question that I referred to a minute ago, namely can we identify areas where in the transatlantic relationship, regulatory difficulties could be overcome; could be simplified. That is essentially the thrust of this activity and I've been very interested to see that after some hesitation there have been more and more comments from the other side of the Atlantic on this interesting point. Most people believe that in the transatlantic business arena, the most important thing is trade. Trade is actually not so important. It is not controversial and its significance politically speaking is relatively small. What really matters are investment flows. Money going from Europe to America, or back - capital markets, and equity investment, etc. That's where we should focus and that's what we want to do, namely to simplify transactions and simplify corporate oversight activities, auditing rules, etc. That, if we could make a step forward, would actually benefit both sides of the Atlantic and would also be a political symbol of the close relationship that we all want to have and demonstrate across the Atlantic after some years of rather divisive transatlanic...

MT: That was my next question. It was apparent to all observers that Gerhard Schröder and president Bush fell out over the Iraq war - the chancellor didn't have particularly kind words for president Bush in his autobiography. I was wondering to what extent chancellor Merkel has rebuilt bridges with the US?

WI: Well, let me put it this way. Yes there was a significant burden on the German-US relationship because of the disagreement over Iraq but that dispute has been settled for two or more years, when chancellor Schröder and president Bush agreed that they should not quarrel over who was right and who was wrong, but we should now together look forward and deal with the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan together.But to come back to your question, after Mrs Merkel came to power a year ago, yes, the first meetings between the new German chancellor and the president have produced a very good relationship at the personal level and have also led to an intensification of the official relationship in a number of areas. So it is absolutely correct to speak of a revitalised German/American relationship and I'm particularly happy about that because I of course came from Washington after five years that had highs and lows!

MT: Two big international issues, finally. Firstly, the issue of Turkey, whose negotiations are in big trouble with the EU. And secondly a G8 question, regarding the quartet and the Middle East peace process. What are chancellor Merkel's ideas or proposals on forward movement on both those issues?

WI: On Turkey, we were hoping very, very much that before we even start our presidency the current difficulties in the EU/Turkey accession negotiations could be overcome under the very capable leadership of the current Finnish presidency. It looks, right now, as if that is going to be very difficult for the time being. It may therefore be the case that this issue will land on the desk of the German presidency and I'm will be very frank and admit that we are not happy having to deal with it. We were hoping that a solution could be found.

My government has, like the rest of the EU, supported the beginning of accession negotiations with Turkey a year ago and we remain committed to this agreement but we also remain committed to the idea that both sides need to fulfil their commitments. It's not only the EU which must honour its commitment to conduct negotiations it's also Turkey which should honour commitments entered into including the so-called Anakara protocol, and we do hope that, if not before January 1 2007, hopefully within a very short time after that a compromise could be found and full speed negotiations between the EU and Turkey resumed.

MT: And, even more difficult, the question of the Middle East. Israel, Palestine and Lebanon, which, potentially, the G8 could have great influence over?

WI: Well, as they... everything is connected to everything else.That seems to be particularly true in the broader Middle East - the Arab/Israeli dispute, the question of the role of Syria, the negotiating situation with Iran on the nuclear question and, of course, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan.The German view is, and has been, and will continue to be that the highest possible priority should be given in this overall context to the unresolved Arab-Israeli situation. And we have been among those who have argued for an even more active engagement of the Quartet. For raising our level of activity as a group as the quartet to the maximum extent possible. It is good that there have been recent signs of reaching out between Israel and the Palestinians and it is the hope of my government that we will be able to build on that and present a situation at the end of presidency where one can speak of a way forward towards the reestablishment of something that deserves to be called a peace process.

MT: But does Germany feel, because of its history, that its less well-placed to be critical of Israel?

WI:Germany certainly feels because of our history a particular commitment to the existence of Israel and to the right of the citizens of Israel to live in peace and without a threat from anywhere. That is clearly one commitment that we have accepted and which the current and former government have been very clear about.

That is also one of the reasons why we took a major step earlier this year and accepted to play a role in the Unifil peace keeping arrangement after the war between Israel and Lebanon in the summer and this is the first time, of course, that German troops - in this case naval forces - are active in an area which is directly connected to Israel and to its neighbours and so we have agreed to this emergency situation to take significantly greater responsibility along with other in helping to manage the security situation of the Middle East.

MT: One final question, in terms of peace negotiations... with Iran. Does Germany feel that that process was ultimately not a success?

WI: Well, obviously so far it has not been a success. But it has also not yet been a failure.In diplomacy, you only speak of failure if you have reached the end of the road and there is absolutely no way forward. We are currently still working on it.There is a process underway at the United Nations. There is a process at the Atomic Energy Organisation in Vienna, and we continue to be hopeful that a solution can be reached which will make it possible for Iran to demonstrate in a credible and verifiable form that it is not planning to build a military nuclear capacity. That's what its all about.Having said that, speaking on behalf of the German side I quite strongly feel that it would be extremely interesting in pursuing these negotiations further if the US could play an even more active role in it.And I follow with great interest suggestion from the United States about opening the doors a bit wider to direct and not only indirect discussions with Iran.Let's face it, even if some of us don't like it - and some of us really don't like it - Iran is now for a number of reasons probably the single most important country in that region. And that is why it is so important we negotiate with them and why in my view it would be highly desirable for the biggest partner in the west, the United States, would be capable of opening discussion with Iranian representatives directly.