1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Quake in Indonesia kills 7, injures 100. 3-Quake causes panic in western Algeria. 4-Significant winter storm takes shape. 5-Greater Vancouver. 6-Australian fires kill thousands of native animals. 7-Less than half of British children aware Jesus born on Christmas Day. 8- New strain of superbug targets the young, and its latest victim is an NHS nurse. 9-Iran seeks to replace dollar with euro. 10-Russia to launch int'l uranium enrichment center in January. 11-Abbas: New Elections; Hamas: Declaration of Civil War. 12-U.S. weapons prompt Hamas arms race. 13-North Korea insists on nuclear status. 14-Bush signs nuclear deal with India.
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 19 12:02 AM EDT
DEC 19,2006
MAP 2.5 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.6 OREGON
DEC 18,2006
MAP 2.7 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.3 GUAM REGION
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.2 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 SOUTHERN PERU
MAP 3.3 EASTERN TENNESSEE
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.7 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.6 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
Quake in Indonesia kills 7, injures 100 Mon Dec 18, 4:15 AM ET
JAKARTA, Indonesia - A moderate earthquake killed at least seven people and injured 100 early Monday, spreading panic across a large swath of the Indonesian island worst hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami, witnesses and officials said. The 5.5-magnitude tremor hit just before dawn and was centered about 670 miles northwest of the capital, Jakarta, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. It triggered landslides that hampered emergency efforts, and destroyed or damaged more than 680 homes. Frightened residents of Sumatra fled into the streets.The quake was followed by several aftershocks that kept people on edge in the worst-hit region.Our rescue teams are facing difficulties reaching the affected areas because landslides are blocking roads, said Josikar Tanjung, an employee at the north Sumatra governor's office, adding that some heavy equipment had gotten through.
Six people, including two children, were killed by falling debris, while an elderly person died from a heart attack, Tanjung said.
At least 1,000 people whose homes were destroyed took shelter under tents or in local government buildings, said government spokesman Edy Sofyan.About 30 minutes before the quake, a 5.8-magnitude tremor struck off Sumatra's coast, the USGS said. No tsunami warning was issued as a result of that quake.On Dec. 26, 2004, a massive quake spawned a tsunami that killed or left missing an estimated 230,000 people in 12 Indian Ocean nations, with more than half of the dead in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra.Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
Quake causes panic in western Algeria Sun Dec 17, 4:21 PM ET
ALGIERS (AFP) - An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale rattled Chlef in western Algeria, causing widespread panic, the Algerian geophysics centre CRAAG said. The epicentre of the quake, felt at 1934 GMT Saturday, was 11 kilometres (six miles) northwest of the town, which is 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Algiers, CRAAG said.The region's prefect Mohamed Ghazi told the APS news agency that cracks had appeared in the walls of a police station in the region.Many inhabitants rushed out into the street, according to the civil protection agency, but there were no reports of casualties or major damage.The Chlef region was hit by a deadly earthquake on October 10 1980, registering 7.1 on the Richter scale, which killed at least 5,000 people.
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.
Significant winter storm takes shape Tom Moore, Sr. Meteorologist, The Weather Channel DEC 18,06
A winter storm watch is up for a large portion of the Southwest. The watch includes southern Colorado, most of New Mexico, the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and parts of West Texas. An ice storm warning is also in effect for parts of eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle, including locations like Clovis and Amarillo. Look for significant freezing rain across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, as well as for a portion of southwest Kansas.Travel over I-40 in the Texas Panhandle and eastern New Mexico could be slowed significantly. Over far eastern New Mexico, the precipitation is more likely to be a mixture of sleet and snow. Significant snow is possible over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northeast New Mexico northeastward into the high plains of eastern Colorado. Be prepared if you're traveling I-25. Heavy snow is also likely along the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. By Wednesday, the winter storm will spread northward through the Plains up to the Dakotas.
Environment Canada Weather Forecast
Greater Vancouver Issued at: 4.00 PM PST Monday 18 December 2006
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Tonight..Cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Low plus 3.
Tuesday..Cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers. High 7.
Tuesday night..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Low plus 4.
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Wednesday..Rain. Windy. High 6.
Thursday..Periods of rain. Low plus 5. High 7.
Friday..A mix of sun and cloud. Low plus 3. High 6.
Normals for the period..Low plus 1. High 6.
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.
Australian fires kill thousands of native animals By Alex Koutts Mon Dec 18, 2:51 AM ET
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of native Australian animals such as koalas and kangaroos have been killed in bushfires that have burned across southeast Australia in the past two weeks, wildlife officials said on Monday. The bushfires, which are still burning in three eastern states, have been so big and intense that wildlife officials fear some species may become extinct as the fires destroy large swathes of animal habitats.The fires are so devastating and moving so quickly that animals just don't have a chance to get out of the way, said Pat O'Brien, president of the Wildlife Protection Association.Because of the heat and the fireballs that are happening the animals are just bursting into flames and just being killed even before the fire gets to them because its so hot, O'Brien told Reuters on Monday.
Koalas and possums, which instinctively climb to the treetops for safety, would have had no chance of escaping the blazes, and kangaroos and bush birds would have been unable to outrun the fast-burning fires, he said.This meant a very real threat of seeing species unique to the burnt-out areas, such as frogs and birds, becoming extinct, O'Brien said.These fires will directly contribute to the extinction of a number of species and we won't know the full effects for another 10 years, he said.It takes 100 years for some animals to move back in an area, if there's any available to move back in. In the case of gliders, which are rare and endangered anyway, they may never come back ... they'll just go into extinction.Fires in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales states have burned more than 847,000 hectares (2 million acres). The worst fires are in Victoria where more than 4,000 firefighters are battling four large blazes which have blackened 750,000 hectares.Police say more than 30 homes have so far been razed.Firefighters said on Monday cooler conditions had eased the bushfire threat in the three eastern states but fires were still burning out of control. In Western Australia, a fire which has already destroyed 12,000 hectares is blazing unchecked.
EXPLODE INTO FLAMES
Wildlife officials said a major factor in the high animal death toll was the predominance of eucalyptus trees in burning bushland. The oil in the trees explodes into flames.As soon as they get hot the eucalypt oil catches on fire and then it just goes like a steam train, said Hugh Wirth, president of Victoria's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).If you've got a crown fire, in other words the fire is going through the treetops ... those fires move extremely rapidly and the animals just can't outrun them, not even kangaroos.Wirth said he believed close to 100 percent of the animals in the path of the Victorian blazes had been destroyed, with wildlife rescuers reporting no survivors.Surviving wildlife usually comes out of hiding within three to four days of a fire going through the area and unfortunately we're not getting any reports of any survivors so far, he said.
Wildlife officials fear the animal death toll will rise even further as those animals which survive the fires may now starve to death in the charred landscape. Even if they do survive the fires there's starvation issues beyond that. It's just another nail in the coffin of the species which may have survived otherwise, said O'Brien. Australia faces extreme fire danger this summer due to a drought. Bushfires are a regular feature of the summer and, over the past 40 years, they have killed more than 250 people. Scientists fear climate change will bring more frequent higher temperatures and less rainfall.
I BELIEVE JESUS WAS BORN ON ROSH HASHANA OR IN THAT MONTH OF FEASTS.SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER
AT THE END OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION, THE TRUE MESSIAH JESUS RETURNS TO EARTH BODILY TO RULE AND REIGN FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER AND WE COME BACK WITH HIM ON WHITE HORSES.
ACTS 1:10-11
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
ZECHARIAH 14:4
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
REVELATION 19:11-16
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
JUDE 14-16
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
ISAIAH 9:6-7
6 For unto us a child is born, (1ST COMING AS A BABY) unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder:(2ND COMING AS RULING KING) and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Less than half of British children aware Jesus born on Christmas Day: survey 1 hour, 27 minutes ago
LONDON (AFP) - Less than half of British children between the ages of seven and 11 are aware that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, according to a BBC poll. Just 44 percent of 1,063 children questioned understood that Christmas returns each year for the birth of Christ.Children from Northern Ireland were the most aware of the link, with 71 percent giving the correct response.The vast majority of children -- 89 percent -- said they were excited by Christmas, and 63 percent of them said they were saving money to buy gifts for their close friends.According to the poll, 15 percent of children said they spent more money on their mother, while seven percent said they spent more on their father. Some 66 percent tried to be fair and spent equal amounts on both parents.Among the children questioned, 29 percent said Christmas was primarily about thinking of others, while 24 percent said it more about giving than receiving presents.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
PVL: New strain of superbug targets the young, and its latest victim is an NHS nurse By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor ,18 December 2006
A nurse and a patient have died from a deadly new strain of MRSA after a superbug outbreak at a hospital. The Health Protection Agency said three other nurses in the West Midlands hospital were among eight people who contracted the new, more lethal strain of MRSA, four of whom have infections including boils and abscesses. Two have died.It is the first time that the toxic strain of the superbug, known as PVL-producing MRSA, has caused infection and deaths in a hospital, the agency said. The outbreak has alarmed public health officials who say it could pose risks for staff as well as patients. The toxic PVL strain has previously been detected only in small outbreaks among healthy children and young people. It attacks the white blood cells, destroys tissue and can cause boils up to 3 inches (10cms) across.If it became established in hospitals, where people are sicker, have lowered immunity and may have open wounds, it could pose a much more serious threat. Ordinary hospital-associated MRSA preys on older, sicker patients and does not normally affect nurses and other staff.
The Health Protection Agency put out a warning to the NHS at the weekend in its weekly Communicable Disease Report. It said patients with boils and abscesses should be tested for the new strain and the results sent to the Centre for Infections in Colindale, north London.In a statement, the agency said: This outbreak is the first time transmission and deaths due to this strain are known to have occurred in a healthcare setting in England and Wales. The HPA is advising the hospital on outbreak control measures and will continue to monitor MRSA infection rates nationally.But a spokesman added: There is no indication that [the PVL strain] is widespread or gaining a foothold in hospitals. It certainly would be of concern if it became established.The lethal nature of the new strain of MRSA was demonstrated two years ago when a physically fit young soldier became infected after grazing his leg while out running on Woodbury Common, Devon. Richard Campbell, 18, a Royal Marine recruit, rapidly developed swelling in both legs, became unable to walk and died two days later. A 28-year-old woman also died after picking up the bug in her local gym.MRSA is carried on the skin of one in three healthy people and can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. The bugs do not usually cause problems in those with healthy immune systems, but the PVL strain is more toxic.
It can enter the body through a scratch or pimple and can develop into necrotising fasciitis, the so-called flesh-eating bug, which caused a nationwide panic when a cluster of cases struck in Gloucester in the early 1990s. In rare cases, it spreads to the lungs, causing pneumonia and death. There were 13 cases of skin infections caused by the strain reported in 2005 in England and Wales.
The HPA said the nurse died in September and had been well before developing blood poisoning and pneumonia after an operation at the hospital, which has not been named.The source of the outbreak is thought to have been a patient who died on the same ward several months earlier. Investigations revealed the nurse had been infected with the PVL strain of MRSA and another nurse on the same ward who had a history of abscesses was also infected. It is likely the nurse who died was carrying the bug on her skin and it became a lethal infection when she had the operation.Further tests revealed that the toxic strain had also been transmitted to two nurses working on a neighbouring ward, one of whom had had a persistent eyelid infection for four months. It was also transmitted to two of the nurses' flatmates.
Evidence from the US shows that occurrence of the PVL strain has soared since 1998, when the first cluster was identified in North Dakota. Researchers in San Francisco studying the PVL strain collected 6,000 cases in a year; they had expected 200.The Communicable Disease Report says there have been 12 reports worldwide of the PVL strains of MRSA transmitted in hospitals. This change in the epidemiology of MRSA demands increased vigilance among healthcare personnel, it says.Angela Kearns, an MRSA expert at the HPA, said: When people contract PVL-producing strains of MRSA, they usually experience a skin infection such as a boil or abscess. Most infections can be treated with everyday antibiotics but occasionally a more severe infection will occur.The PVL strain of Staphylococcus aureus was identified in the 1930s and accounted for 60 per cent of all staph infections before 1960. It was almost eliminated by antibiotic methicillin in 1961, but has resurged, linked to the growth of MRSA.
Cleaning up their acts
Government guidelines urge doctors and nurses to wash their hands thoroughly between each patient. But a recent study by researchers from the University of Hertfordshire showed that 88 per cent of staff failed to wash properly, even when dealing with infected patients. A separate study said efforts to tackle infection rates by improving the cleanliness of wards were failing because of poor hygiene.The British Medical Association has suggested doing away with superfluous items of clothing such as ties may help. The Brighton and Sussex Hospital Trust - which has one of the highest rates of infections - recently told staff to avoid wearing ties and jewellery.
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
Iran seeks to replace dollar with euro by Hiedeh Farmani
Mon Dec 18, 6:49 AM ET
TEHRAN (AFP) -Iran has announced it would replace the dollar with the euro in foreign transactions and state-held foreign assets, in an apparent response to mounting US pressure on its banking system. The government has ordered the central bank to replace the dollar with the euro to limit the problems of the executive organs in commercial transactions, government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters.We will also employ this change for Iranian assets (in dollars) held abroad.Amid US allegations that Tehran funds militant groups and is seeking a nuclear weapon, reports have suggested the US treasury has put major pressure on European banking giants to halt transactions involving Iranian clients.Bankers in Iran have complained in recent weeks that it was becoming increasingly difficult to receive Iranian-held money denominated in dollars from European bank accounts.
They said that this was because of US pressure on European banking giants not to allow dollar-denominated funds to be sent into, or out of, the Islamic republic.Elham implied Monday the move would apply to oil revenues from the world's number four crude producer, although it would be difficult for Iran to force oil buyers to pay for all of its crude oil in euros.Foreign income sources and oil revenues will be calculated in euros and we will receive them in euros in order to put an end to our dependence on the dollar, Elham said.In reality, Iran could still receive payment for oil in dollars and then convert it into euros for the state budget.The move comes amid mounting pressure from the United States for the UN Security Council to agree sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.Elham added that Iran's budget would in future be calculated in euros.Until now the budget has been calculated according to revenues in dollars, but this calculation will now change, he said.Economy Minister Davoud Danesh Jafari had already said in November that Iran would carry out transactions with currencies other than the dollar and its use of the greenback would drop to a minimum level.
Morteza Tamadon, a member of the government's budget and planning commission, said the government was looking to reduce its dependence on the dollar due to the greenback's recent slump as well as because of US pressure.Iran wants to reduce this vulnerability, he said, adding that the most reasonable option for the government would be to use a basket mixing both currencies.
This is a political manoeuvre as a reaction to the US ban on dollar transactions with Iran, said leading economist Mohammad Reza Behzadian.However he cast doubt on whether Iran would ever be able to demand that all foreign exchange payments for its oil be made in euros.Iran has said that 60 percent of oil sales are already being carried out in dollars. I suppose the government would keep the remaining amount in dollars because it has to. The exchange of petrodollars into euros would be very costly for Iran, inflicting high money loss during the procedure. The dollar is very much preferred by foreign sellers. It's mainly a political move, Investec analyst Bruce Evers told AFP in London. But also they may feel, possibly rightly so, that the euro is a stronger currency, and that with the dollar as weak as it is they're losing out and it could help them recoup some of the lost revenues.
At the Singapore G7 summit of the world's most industrialised nations in September, US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson called for a tough stance from the world's financial leaders against Tehran. He said the United States had evidence that major banks had become inadvertently implicated in terrorist financing, adding that US authorities were therefore engaged in an educational campaign. The United States broke off relations with Iran after the 1979 storming of the US embassy in Tehran by student radicals, and ties have remained frozen ever since.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Russia to launch int'l uranium enrichment center in January
www.chinaview.cn 2006-12-19 06:44:52
MOSCOW, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) An international uranium enrichment center will start operations in Siberia by the end of January next year, Russia's nuclear energy chief said on Monday. Early this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev jointly proposed setting up uranium enrichment centers to provide nuclear fuel to countries with nuclear energy programs under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. All conditions for the center's work will have been created by late January. An intergovernmental agreement with Kazakhstan will be signed at the end of this year, Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying. The center is to be located at a plant in the Siberian city of Angarsk.Kiriyenko said new facilities could be built in the future.So far, no new centrifuge is being planned, he added.Uranium enriched to low levels can be used as fuel for nuclear power plants, but highly enriched uranium can be used to make the core of a nuclear bomb. Editor: Luan Shanglin
Abbas: New Elections; Hamas: Declaration of Civil War
By Ezra HaLevi & Nissan Ratzlav-Katz (INN)
On the heels of violent internecine clashes, threats and assassination attempts, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas called for early elections on Saturday. Hamas called it a coup. Abbas (Abu Mazen) made the statement before Fatah officials and the media in Ramallah after days of leaks that he intended to do so. Abbas announced, I decided to call for early presidential and legislative elections. Abbas insisted that his demand to repeat the elections is a democratic one. Saying that the people are the source of governmental power, the PA leader added, Let the people have their say and decide. I will talk as quickly as possible with the central elections commission to launch the preparations for the ballot. He did not provide a date for the elections.In addition to his role as PA president, Abbas is the leader of the Fatah organization in the Authority. Since elections in January, the Islamist Hamas terror organization has had control of the PA legislative body, currently headed by Ismail Haniyeh. Fatah, a controlling faction of the PLO, has continuously weakened since the death of Yasser Arafat. The tension between Fatah and Hamas over power and funding in the PA has spilled into violent street clashes, assassination attempts, political-military manipulations and premeditated murders.
Regarding the possibility that a move towards elections at this juncture will drive the PA into all-out civil war between Fatah and Hamas militias and their supporters, Abbas said, Despite the suffering, the pain, the confrontations - whoever is responsible for them - we will not allow ourselves to sink into a civil war. The PA chief went on to slam Hamas for ruining the gains made with Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. We dreamed that the minute Israel would withdraw, the territory would flourish and there would be dozens of development projects, but this dream vanished, he said. Why? Because we insisted on shooting Kassams and thus missed our dream to turn the settlements into centers for investment and growth.Abbas laid the blame for the overall deteriorating security situation in the Palestinian Authority, as well as the ongoing economic crisis there, at the feet of the Hamas government. In that regard, he also criticized the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit because of its destructive consequences for the PA, including 500 deaths and thousands injured. Abbas called for an end to rocket attacks on Israelis, as well, because it leads to the cessation of investments in the Gaza Strip. One of the factors in the PA's economic deterioration, Abbas noted, is the Hamas's refusal to abide by international agreements, to recognize Israel and to condemn terrorist attacks. Internally, Abbas said that the Hamas's refusal to recognize the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people has led to its political isolation.
Hamas Responds
The Palestinian government rejects this call for early elections and considers it a coup against Palestinian legitimacy and the will of the Palestinian people, the Hamas government stated following Abbas's statement.Hamas parliamentary chairman Dr. Khaled Al-Haya said Abbas had declared war not only on Hamas, but on Allah. Fellow Hamas official, PA Foreign Minister Mahmoud Al-Zahar said Abbas had declared a civil war, but agreed new elections should be held - for PA president. If he has tired of the presidency and leadership [Abbas] can step aside and hold new presidential elections, Al-Zahar said.Other PA ministers called for a government of national unity; however, negotiations to that end in recent weeks have not produced any results.
Abbas Defends Move
This is a constitutional right, Abbas said, defending his dissolution of the government on PA-controlled TV. I can do it whenever I want. The dismissal of the government is not a declaration of civil war like Al-Zahar said. They don't scare us.In any event, PA representative Saeb Erekat told Reuters, Technically, the elections cannot be held before mid-2007.
Street Battles Escalate
Immediately following Abbas's declaration, thousands of members of Fatah's various Tanzim and Al-Aksa Brigades terror groups marched though the streets of Gaza and Shechem (Nablus), firing their rifles in the air. In Rafiah, Khan Younis and elsewhere, armed Fatah and Hamas terrorists exchanged shots and opened fire on crowds of stone-throwers, as well. At least 20 people were wounded by gunfire.Also on Saturday, a Fatah militia spokesman threatened to kill Hamas leaders and ministers in the event that Fatah's Gaza strongman Muhammad Dahlan, or any other senior Fatah leader, is attacked. The spokesman said that he had inside information regarding a Hamas plot to murder Fatah leaders. Hamas spokesmen had blamed Dahlan for an attempted assassination of PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh at the Gaza-Egypt crossing two days ago, saying they knew who was responsible and that those individuals would not sleep peacefully again.On Friday, at least 31 Hamas members were wounded when Fatah men under Abbas's control opened fire at a Hamas rally in Ramallah.
US, UK Favor Fatah
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she would be requesting tens of millions of dollars from Congress to further arm and train militias loyal to Abbas. British Prime Minister Tony Blair also called upon the international community to empower Abbas through funding him and arming his men.In recent months, far more attacks have been attempted and carried out by Fatah's terror groups than Hamas.
U.S. weapons prompt Hamas arms race?
Worries ammo flowing into Gaza to be used against Jewish state
December 18, 2006,By Aaron Klein,WorldNetDaily.com
TEL AVIV – The United States for the past few days has been providing arms to militant groups from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party to bolster it against rival Hamas factions, WND has learned. According to Israeli and Palestinian security officials, the U.S. weapons shipments have prompted an arms race with Hamas, which has been smuggling into the Gaza Strip larger than usual quantities of weaponry from neighboring Egypt. The Israeli security officials expressed concern some of the weapons obtained by Fatah and Hamas could be used in attacks against Israeli troops operating in Gaza or in raids of Israeli military stations and communities near the Gaza Strip. There is a massive increase in weapons brought in (to Gaza) since last week, said an Israeli security official. In a WND interview earlier this month, a senior Fatah militant told WND any U.S. aid and weapons given to his security organization will be used to attack Jews and fight Israeli occupation.
According to Palestinian officials, the U.S. last week provided Abbas Force 17 security detail with 250 new assault rifles and 5,000 rounds of ammunition. Israel aided in the delivery of the weapons to Force 17 militants in Gaza associated with Fatah strongman Mahmoud Dahlan, the officials said. The Palestinian officials said the U.S. has provided at least 1,000 rifles this month and that more weapons shipments are expected this week. Force 17 serves as Abbas' personal security detail and as de facto police units in the West Bank and Gaza. Many of its members also openly serve as militants in the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group.
Force 17 and Hamas have been clashing in Gaza since Abbas this weekend called for new Palestinian elections. Abbas' move was widely scene as an attempt to dismantle the Hamas-led PA. Yesterday, the convoy of Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar came under fire as it passed through Gaza City. Members of Hamas accused Fatah of trying to assassinate al-Zahar.
Hours later, Hamas assaulted a Force 17 base in the Gaza Strip just outside Abbas' office and Gaza residence. Abbas was in the West Bank at the time. A presidential guard official denounced the Hamas attack as an assault on the symbol of Palestinian legitimacy. WND reported earlier this month U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated in a meeting with Abbas that the U.S. would fulfill an earlier pledge to bolster Force 17 with American training and with new weapons, including 6,000 assault rifles. The U.S. reportedly aims to enhance security forces associated with Abbas against Hamas in Gaza. Hamas maintains a 6,000-strong militia in Gaza that has several times engaged in firefights with Fatah. Hamas and Fatah last engaged in heavy fighting in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in October after negotiations to establish a national unity government between the two appeared to have fallen through.
A senior Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WND that Fatah security officials noted in the October firefights Hamas members used weaponry more advanced than what was known to have been in the Hamas arsenal, including newer styles of assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. The official said Abbas requested more weapons from the U.S. According to multiple reports, the U.S. agreed to aid Force 17. The U.S. considers Fatah moderate, while it labels Hamas a terror group. Last month, the New York Times reported the U.S. proposed expanding Abbas' Force 17 from 3,500 men to 6,000 as part of a $26 million plan to strengthen the Palestinian leader. The Associated Press, Haaretz and Israel's leading Yediot Aharonot daily reported new training facilities for Force 17 are slated to be set up in Jericho and in Gaza, at a cost of $2 million each, according to the U.S. proposal. Palestinian sources told Haaretz the training of select numbers of special Force 17 forces started already in September under the guidance of an American military instructor.
The last known weapons transfer to Force 17 took place in May and reportedly consisted of 3,000 assault rifles and more than 1 million rounds of ammunition. At first, the U.S., Israel and the PA denied the reports of the weapons transfer, but Olmert in June announced he had approved the shipment of U.S. weapons and ammunition, explaining the transfer was meant for Abbas' personal protection. I did this because we are running out of time and we need to help Abu Mazen, Olmert told reporters. The shipment required Israeli consent to pass through checkpoints. It was delivered by a convoy protected by the Israeli Defense Forces, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials involved in the transfer. Militant leader tells WND rifles provided for Abbas security to be used against Jews Earlier this month Abu Yousuf, a senior member of Force 17, told WND any new U.S. weapons transfers would be used against Israel. Abu Yousuf, like many Force 17 members, is also openly a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group, the declared military wing of Abbas' Fatah party. Abu Yousuf hinted new weapons provided by the U.S. to Force 17 could be shared with the Al Aqsa Brigades.
These weapons will put to use against the Israelis, said Abu Yousuf. Force 17 is proud that we were the first to lead the Palestinian people during tough times such as resistance operations (against the Israeli army during large-scale operations in northern Samaria in 2002). We will also be the first to lead the Palestinians in the current struggle against Israeli occupation. Many have noted the connections between Force 17 and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror organization. In June, Abbas appointed senior Brigades leader Mahmoud Damra as commander of Force 17. Damra, who was arrested by Israel last month, was on the Jewish state's most-wanted list of terrorists. He is accused of masterminding a string of attacks and of leading a terror cell based in Ramallah allegedly responsible for scores of shootings against Israelis. Together with the Islamic Jihad terror group, the Brigades has taken responsibility for every suicide bombing inside Israel the past two years, including an attack in Tel Aviv in April that killed American teenager Daniel Wultz and nine Israelis. The Brigades also has carried out scores of deadly shooting and rocket attacks against Israeli civilians in recent months. Asked to confirm other Force 17 officers also are members of the Brigades, Abu Yousuf replied: During our official service and during our job hours we are soldiers. What we do in our free time it is our business. Of course, as members of Fatah, some of us are members in the Brigades and we take part in the defense and protection of our people and in the fight against the Israeli occupation. The State Department includes the Brigades on its official list of international terror organization.
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)
North Korea insists on nuclear status By BURT HERMAN, Associated Press Writer Dec 18,06
BEIJING -North Korea insisted Monday it be treated as a full-fledged nuclear power as six-nation arms talks convened for the first time since its atomic test, but the United States said time was running out for Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and threatened more sanctions. U.S. officials dismissed the communist regime's opening comments as unsurprising rhetoric, while the chief American delegate said it was time to move forward on disarmament.The supply of our patience may have exceeded the international demand for that patience, and we should be a little less patient and pick up the pace and work faster, envoy Christopher Hill told reporters.The resumption of the talks — consisting of the United States, China, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas — came after a more than 13-month break during which the communist North tested fired a new long-range missile in July and then set off an underground atomic blast Oct. 9.
North Korea had refused to return to the multinational talks in anger over the U.S. blacklisting of a Macau bank where Pyongyang deposited some $24 million, alleging the bank was complicit in the North's counterfeiting of $100 bills and money laundering to sell weapons of mass destruction.On Monday, the North again called for Washington to lift those restrictions and demanded U.N. sanctions imposed for its nuclear test explosion be lifted, according to a summary of its opening statement released by one of the delegations.Washington previously agreed to discuss the financial issue at separate talks alongside the nuclear meeting. The North's experts were expected to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday, although Treasury officials in Washington said a time and a place for the talks had not been set.The North demanded again Monday that it be given a nuclear reactor for electricity generation and also that its struggling economy get other help in meeting its energy needs until the reactor is built.
Pyongyang repeated its assertion that it be considered a nuclear weapons power and that the talks be transformed into negotiations over mutual arms reductions in which it would be accorded equal footing with the United States. If its demands aren't met, the North said, it would increase its nuclear arsenal, according to the summary.But the United States and other countries stressed the main focus would be on getting the North Korean regime to give up atomic arms.We would like denuclearization via a diplomatic negotiation. If they don't want that, we're quite prepared to go the other road ... which is a pretty tough road, Hill said, implying North Korea could face further international sanctions.In Washington, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns brushed off the North's opening salvo as no surprise.If past is prologue, I mean that's the way the North Koreans operate, he said. Let's see where we are by the end of the week.Burns said the talks were expected to last three or four days, with Hill expected back in Washington before Christmas.Hill said he expected to have talks with the North's delegation, but added that the U.S. would not give up the multi-nation negotiations to engage in one-to-one talks with Pyongyang.
The reason, he said, is that we want other countries to take responsibility for their security in the region, namely China, one of the North's closest allies.Japanese negotiator Kenichiro Sasae told reporters that North Korea would have to give ground. The position of the North Korean delegation is wide apart from the rest of us and we cannot accept it, he said.In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government expected North Korea to be more flexible. North Korea should take a step forward toward the dismantlement of its nuclear weapons, he said. The North pledged in September 2005 to abandon its nuclear arms program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees, and Hill said the other countries at the talks hoped to lay out a plan to form working groups to discuss its implementation. What I want to see from the North Koreans is a willingness to get on with implementing their elements of the September agreement, Hill said. Our expectation is to get this done this week. China, the North's key benefactor, noted the sides had some very pronounced differences but pushed for results.
We have finished the stage of commitment for commitment and now should follow the principle of action for action, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiang Yu told reporters, echoing phrasing from the earlier agreement. South Korean nuclear negotiator Chun Yung-woo proposed that the parties push for implementing the 2005 agreement within a few months. We urged North Korea to take bold and substantial initial steps to dismantle its nuclear program and stressed that the other five countries corresponding measures should also be bold and substantial, he told reporters. The latest North Korean nuclear crisis erupted in 2002 after U.S. officials said the North had admitted to a secret nuclear program in violation of a 1994 disarmament deal, leading to the communist nation's withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. North Korea is believed to have enough radioactive material to make about a half-dozen atomic bombs, and its main nuclear reactor remains in operation to create more weapons-grade plutonium. AP writers Audra Ang, Bo-mi Lim, Alexa Olesen and Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.
Bush signs nuclear deal with India By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Mon Dec 18, 4:27 PM ET
WASHINGTON -President Bush signed legislation on Monday to let America share its nuclear know-how and fuel with India even though New Delhi refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. By helping India expand its use of safe nuclear energy, this bill lays the foundation for a new strategic partnership between our two nations that will help ease India's demands for fossil fuels and ease pressure on global markets, Bush said in a bill-signing ceremony at the White House.The bill carves out an exemption in U.S. law to allow civilian nuclear trade with India in exchange for Indian safeguards and inspections at its 14 civilian nuclear plants. Eight military plants, however, would remain off-limits to the inspections.The House and Senate had overwhelmingly approved the nuclear cooperation bill, giving Bush a foreign policy victory at a time when the administration is struggling to come up with a new approach to the unpopular war in Iraq
Critics worry the agreement could spark a nuclear arms race in Asia by boosting India's atomic arsenal. They also argue that the measure undermines international efforts to prevent states like Iran and North Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons. In Beijing on Monday, North Korea defiantly declared itself a nuclear power at the start of the first full international arms talks since its atomic test in July and threatened to increase its arsenal if its demands were not met.The White House said it was willing to make an exception for India, the world's largest democracy, because it had protected its nuclear technology and not been a proliferator.
India has conducted its civilian nuclear energy program in a safe and responsible way for decades, Bush said. Now, in return for access to American technology, India has agreed to open its civilian nuclear power program to international inspection.The administration also argued it was a good deal because while India's military plants that work with nuclear material would not be subjected to inspections, there would be international oversight for the civilian program, which has been secret since India entered the nuclear age in 1974.After 30 years outside the system, India will now operate its civilian nuclear energy program under internationally accepted guidelines and the world is going to be safer as a result, the president said.The Bush administration said the pact deepens ties with a democratic Asia power, but was not designed as a counterweight to the rising power of China. We don't have a policy that would build up a relationship with India to contain China, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told reporters before the bill signing.
Bush said the law would make it possible for India, the world's fifth-largest consumer of energy, to reduce emissions and improve its environment. India, whose demand for electricity is expected to double by 2015, currently produced nearly 70 percent of its electricity by burning coal, which produces air pollution and greenhouse gases.The deal also could be a boon for American companies that have been barred from selling reactors and material to India where the economy has more than doubled in size since 1991.In New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh defended the nuclear deal, rejecting strong opposition from critics that it would lead to the dismantling of India's atomic weapons. He said he had some concerns about the legislation, but that they would be dealt with during technical negotiations on an overall U.S.-India cooperation agreement.The United States has assured us that the bill would enable it to meet its commitments made in agreements struck in July 2005 and in March by Bush and Singh.
Singh said India would not accept new conditions and its nuclear weapons program would not be subject to interference of any kind because the agreement with the United States dealt with civil nuclear cooperation.Earlier, opposition leader L.K. Advani of the Bharatiya Janata Party said India should not accept the U.S. legislation, saying that the deal would prevent India from conducting nuclear tests in the future. India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974 and followed it up with a series of nuclear tests in 1998.
The primary objective is to cap, roll back and ultimately eliminate its (India's) nuclear weapons capability, Advani warned.Before civil nuclear trade can begin, several hurdles remain. American and Indian officials need to work out a separate technical nuclear cooperation agreement, expected to be finished next year. The two countries must now obtain an exception for India in the rules of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an assembly of nations that export nuclear material. Indian officials must also negotiate a safeguard agreement with the IAEA.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
IRAN SHARE NUKE IMFORMATION
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-2 minor earthquakes hit near Coalinga. 3-Earthquake rocks Taiwan. 4-N'west Storm Kills Northwest Struggles to Stay Warm After Storm Leaves More Than 1.5M Without Power, Kills 6. 5-Nine New Zealanders Injured While Fighting Fires in Australia. 6-Temple Israel adds light to Hanukkah,Hourlong celebration focuses on fun for families. 7-Turkey and Israel agree on pipeline project. 8-Iran warns of painful revenge if sanctions imposed. 9-Iran Prez: I'll Share My Nuke Technology. 10-Abbas seeks early vote to end standoff.
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 18 12:06
DEC 18,2006
MAP 4.5 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
DEC 17,2006
MAP 2.5 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.5 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.8 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 4.8 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.1 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.7 TONGA
MAP 5.0 TONGA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.6 GUERRERO, MEXICO
MAP 2.8 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
DEC 16,2006
MAP 2.9 NEVADA
MAP 4.7 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.8 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 4.3 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
2 minor earthquakes hit near Coalinga,The Fresno Bee12/16/06
A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 rumbled near Coalinga on Friday morning.The temblor erupted just before 11:22 a.m., according to the California Integrated Seismic Network. It was located about four miles from Coalinga.Coalinga police Sgt. Chris Simons was in the department's records area when the quake struck. He described it as a real quick jolt.The department received calls from the public after the quake, but Simons said there were no reports of damage or injuries. We got real lucky, he said. It's kind of tough on the dispatchers, but they get through.Another light earthquake was reported at 10:15 p.m. near Coalinga on Friday night.The U.S. Geological Survey reported the 4.3-magnitude quake struck about four miles east and northeast of Coalinga and 11 miles west of Huron. Police officials in both communities said they had no immediate reports of damage.
Earthquake rocks Taiwan Thu Dec 14, 7:48 AM ET
TAIPEI (AFP) - An undersea earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale has rocked Taiwan, seismologists said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The tremor struck at 19:10 pm (1110 GMT) with its epicenter 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) northeast of Ilan on the eastern coast on Thursday. It originated 29 kilometers under the sea.Taiwan, which lies near the junction of two tectonic plates, is regularly shaken by earthquakes. The country's worst, a 7.6-magnitude quake, killed some 2,400 people in September 1999.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
N'west Storm Kills Northwest Struggles to Stay Warm After Storm Leaves More Than 1.5M Without Power, Kills 6 DEC 16,2006,By GENE JOHNSON
SEATTLE Dec 16, 2006 (AP)— Residents of the Pacific Northwest struggled to stay warm Saturday after the worst windstorm in more than a decade knocked out power to more than 1.5 million homes and businesses and killed at least six people. More than 600,000 customers in Washington and Oregon still had no power Saturday, and utilities said some might have to wait into next week for their lights to go back on. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency, and with temperatures expected to drop over the weekend, officials warned people not to use outdoor grills, propane heaters or other carbon monoxide-producing equipment indoors.Firefighters in Kent found 33 people from four families suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning Friday night, fire Capt. Kyle Ohashi said. They had taken their barbecues inside to cook or heat their apartments as temperatures dipped into the 30s.All were expected to survive after treatment, Ohashi said.
In Oregon, a family of six was sickened by carbon monoxide from a generator set up in a garage in Gresham, police said. Three children were hospitalized in critical condition late Friday, while one child and both parents were listed in good condition. Wind gusted to a record 69 mph early Friday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, breaking the old mark of 65 mph set in 1993. Wind was clocked at 113 mph near Mount Rainier.Power was knocked out at one of the airport's concourses, canceling dozens of flights. Flights were also canceled at Portland International Airport in Oregon, and Amtrak canceled service between Seattle and Portland because downed trees and mudslides blocked the tracks. Two people were killed in Washington in traffic accidents involving windblown trees, while one died after getting trapped in her flooded basement. A fourth person was killed in his sleep by a tree that fell on his home. On the Oregon coast, an elderly couple died in a fire caused by candles they were using for light. Puget Sound Energy, Washington's largest private utility, had restored power to about 200,000 customers overnight but 500,000 were still without power Saturday, company spokeswoman Dorothy Bracken said.
It would be several days definitely through the weekend, before everyone was restored, PSE spokeswoman Martha Monfried said. The utility had lost more than half of its transmission system, and crews struggled in the mountains to reach downed lines that carry the electricity from Columbia River dams. More than 60,500 customers of Seattle City Light remained without power Saturday, down from a peak of 175,000, and 15,000 were still blacked out in the Snohomish County Public Utility District north of Seattle. In Oregon, Portland General Electric said it had about 82,000 customers without power Saturday morning, while Pacific Power had said late Friday it was down to 53,000. The storm was the most intense to hit the region since the Inauguration Day storm of Jan. 20, 1993, which killed five people and caused about $130 million in damage, said Clifford F. Mass, a University of Washington atmospheric sciences professor.The Associated Press.
Nine New Zealanders Injured While Fighting Fires in Australia
By Tracy Withers
Dec. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Nine New Zealand firefighters are recovering after being caught in a bushfire yesterday in Australia's Victoria state, the Department of Sustainability and Environment said. The nine are part of a contingent of 47 New Zealanders who have joined local crews battling fires in the northeast and eastern regions of the state. Four men were seriously injured and airlifted to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, the department said in a statement faxed to Bloomberg News. The others were treated locally for minor injuries. About 3,000 firefighters are battling the blazes, which have burned about 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) in the state, The fires are located in national parks and state forest areas, some of which have been closed to motorists. The New Zealanders were combating a spot fire away from the main blaze, when the main fire increased in intensity, the department said. The group took evasive action and the nine, who decided they couldn't escape, took shelter in a ditch. The men were experienced firefighters and two had experience with bushfires in the state in 2003, the department said. An investigation will be conducted into the incident, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported on its Web site. To contact the reporter on this story: Tracy Withers in Wellington at twithers@bloomberg.net.
Sat, Dec. 16, 2006
Temple Israel adds light to Hanukkah,Hourlong celebration focuses on fun for families
By Connie Bloom,Beacon Journal staff writer
The rabbi wore a dress, the service was projected in PowerPoint and eBay appeared in the lyrics of the Dreidel Song.The ancient story of Hanukkah unfurled in a decidedly 21st-century celebration at Temple Israel Friday night.I love this holiday so much, Janet Fox said. I love it because it's the Festival of Lights. I love the warmth of the lights, the children singing, the smell of the latkes. My children are big now and I still get excited.The hourlong gathering of about 350 was more of a show than a service, Rabbi David Lipper said.He billed it as a Mishpachapalooza, a Yiddish twist meaning family-palooza.It's a family-friendly show, he said. We'll have some worship, light our menorahs and celebrate the holiday. Our goal is to make it as fun for families as possible.The words to the songs, random photographs and prayers appeared like magic in a colorful screen presentation designed for the kids. ``I have a little dreidel, I made it out of steel, I sold it on eBay, I got an awesome deal, they sang of the traditional children's toy top.
Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees, the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. It is a celebration of the redemption of a people faced with oppression, Lipper said. The message is of religious freedom.... It's a message of light over darkness.The holiday is customarily observed in Jewish households by lighting a candle at sundown on each of the festival's eight nights.Hanukkah is really a home-centered celebration, not an organized religious celebration, as in other times of the year with special liturgy, Lipper said. So much of what happens at Hanukkah happens in the home.Since the holiday fell on the Sabbath, families flocked to the temple and two sets of candles were lighted.Tonight is out of the box, Lipper said. He dressed as Judah Maccabee and rented his costume from Mr. Fun to tell one of three stories in the program.
It's a tan dress, an Arab dress from biblical times.... The story I'm telling is a true story that comes from the Holocaust.... It's a message of hope.Meanwhile, a feast with latkes -- potato pancakes -- and traditional Jewish delicacies was waiting in the banquet rooms.I never compared Hanukkah to Christmas, Fox said, yet they embody the same joyful happy feelings.You can reach Connie Bloom at 330-996-3568 or cbloom@ thebeaconjournal.com.
Turkey and Israel agree on pipeline project
Seen linking Black and Red seas to route energy exports from Russia and the Caspian basin to markets across Asia Dec. 16, 2006. 01:00 AM,ORHAN COSKUN,REUTERS NEWS AGENCY
ANKARA—Turkey and Israel have agreed to build a pipeline linking the Black and Red seas, Turkey's energy minister said yesterday, in a move that will boost the Jewish state's energy security and Turkey's role as an energy hub.The pipeline will transport oil, natural gas, electricity and water, Hilmi Guler, told reporters.Turkey, a candidate for European Union membership, aspires to become a hub for energy exports from Russia and the Caspian basin to markets in Europe and beyond.Turkey is also one of the few Muslim countries to foster strong trade and security ties with the Jewish state.Guler gave no price for the project but said Turkey was in talks with Russia and other countries on participation in it.The project's feasibility study will be completed in six months and then implementation will begin, Guler said.
The pipeline is an extension of a 550-kilometre line that will link Turkey's Black Sea port of Samsun and Ceyhan on its Mediterranean coast. Guler gave no details about the route of the pipeline beyond Ceyhan, but Turkey's Radikal newspaper said it would extend to Israel's Ashkelon, joining up there with an existing pipeline to the Israeli Red Sea port of Eilat.Officials have previously said the pipeline would be undersea, avoiding a land route through Syria and Lebanon.Calling the Black Sea-Red Sea link the project of the century, Radikal said this would allow the long-term export of oil via the Red Sea to Asian markets.It would open up a cheaper export route to Asia for Russia's Urals crude from the Black Sea, which currently has to pass through the costly shipping choke points of the Bosphorous and the Suez Canal on its way to refiners in the east.The pipeline's feasibility will depend on the transit cost and how much crude can be exported east. Jordan and the Palestinian Territories are potential customers for water, Guler said.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Iran warns of painful revenge if sanctions imposed Fri Dec 15, 12:51 PM ET
TEHRAN (Reuters) -Iran will exact painful revenge on countries opposed to its nuclear program if the U.N. Security Council imposes sanctions on Tehran, the country's chief nuclear negotiator said on Friday.Imposing sanctions on Iran will not help resolve the issue, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told reporters.If they want to deprive Iran of its nuclear work they are making a big mistake. If they want to act in a way to decrease our capabilities through sanctions we will be obliged to use painful methods in return, he said without elaborating.Iran has previously said its retaliation against a punitive U.N. resolution could range from reviewing cooperation with the U.N.'s atomic watchdog to restricting its crude oil exports.Iran says its nuclear program will be used only for peaceful ends, such as electricity generation, and not to make bombs. It has refused to obey U.N. Security Council demands that it halt all sensitive nuclear work, such as uranium enrichment.After weeks of talks permanent Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany are close to agreement on a draft U.N. resolution against Iran.
The draft resolution includes a ban on exports or imports of materials and technology related to uranium enrichment as well as ballistic missile weapons delivery systems.Diplomats say Russia, which along with China has blocked U.S. and European efforts to impose tougher sanctions on Iran, still wants some changes to the draft, particularly clauses imposing a travel ban on some Iranian officials.Larijani played down the impact of the sanctions being contemplated by the six world powers.These sanctions include sensitive missile and nuclear equipment which we don't have and we are not after ... This is mainly a psychological war, he said.
Iran Prez: I'll Share My Nuke Technology
TEHRAN, Iran, Dec. 16, 2006
Quote
The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to transfer to regional states its valuable experience and achievements in the field of peaceful nuclear technology as a clean energy source and as a replacement for oil.President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
(AP) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday during a meeting with top Kuwaiti envoy that Iran is ready to transfer its nuclear technology to neighboring countries, state-run television reported. The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to transfer to regional states its valuable experience and achievements in the field of peaceful nuclear technology as a clean energy source and as a replacement for oil, the state quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Mohammed Zefollah Shirar, a top advisor to Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.The broadcast said Shirer is carrying a written message from the Emir to Ahmadinejad but didn't elaborate on the contents of the message. The television said Ahmadinejad also welcomed a decision by Iran's Arab neighbors to the south to pursue peaceful nuclear technology programs.
Such a technological transfer would be legal as long as it is between signatory-states to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and as long as the International Atomic Energy Agency that monitors the treaty was informed of the transfer. Iran is currently at odds with the United States and its European allies who accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed solely at the peaceful production of nuclear energy, not bomb. United Nations Sanctions Closer To Resolution Meanwhile, on Friday Britain said that a deal is emerging on a U.N. resolution that would impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, but Russia remains opposed to a European- and U.S.-backed travel ban on senior Iranian officials.
Ambassadors from six key nations drafting the resolution — Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia and China — reported some progress at the latest round of closed-door talks on Friday. Britain's U.N. Ambassador, Emyr Jones Parry, said he thinks a deal is developing. On all of the elements that were contentious, there is now a way through them. It's a question of consolidating the progress we made this afternoon, he said. He said he expects the resolution to be finalized by Tuesday, but Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said things are not ready yet to put into a final form. We have made some modest progress, but there are some things to be discussed, Churkin said. So we are going back to the capitals and meeting Monday morning.
The latest draft would order all countries to ban the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs and impose a travel ban and asset freeze on top figures in the country's nuclear and missile programs. They have been named on a U.N. list. Churkin said earlier this week that Moscow believes the travel ban is unnecessary.
Acting U.S. ambassador Alejandro Wolff said on Friday that the United States is still fighting for a travel ban which he called a top priority.He said the United States also wants the resolution adopted as soon as possible. The six countries offered Iran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June if it agreed to consider a long-term moratorium on uranium enrichment and commit to a freeze on enrichment before talks on its nuclear programme. But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly and defiantly said his country would continue enrichment and is not intimidated by the possibility of sanctions.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is aimed solely at the peaceful production of nuclear energy, but the United States and Europeans suspect Tehran's ultimate goal is the production of nuclear weapons. With Iran refusing to comply with a Security Council deadline of August 31, 2006, to stop enrichment, Britain and France circulated a draft sanctions resolution in late October.
The draft has been revised to specify in greater detail exactly what materials and technology would be prohibited from being supplied to Iran and to name those individuals and companies that would be affected. The revised draft also removed, to meet Russian and Chinese concerns that the initial resolution was too broad, reference to a nuclear facility being built by the Russians at Bushehr, Iran. The facility, expected to go on line in late 2007, would be Iran's first atomic power plant. The Associated Press.
World News Abbas seeks early vote to end standoff
APAP - DEC 16,2006
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Saturday for elections to end his violent standoff with Hamas a gamble that Palestinians will back him as he seeks to weaken the Islamic militants, avoid civil war and keep momentum for peace overtures with Israel.
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 18 12:06
DEC 18,2006
MAP 4.5 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
DEC 17,2006
MAP 2.5 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.5 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.8 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 4.8 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.1 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.7 TONGA
MAP 5.0 TONGA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.6 GUERRERO, MEXICO
MAP 2.8 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
DEC 16,2006
MAP 2.9 NEVADA
MAP 4.7 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.8 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 4.3 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
2 minor earthquakes hit near Coalinga,The Fresno Bee12/16/06
A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 rumbled near Coalinga on Friday morning.The temblor erupted just before 11:22 a.m., according to the California Integrated Seismic Network. It was located about four miles from Coalinga.Coalinga police Sgt. Chris Simons was in the department's records area when the quake struck. He described it as a real quick jolt.The department received calls from the public after the quake, but Simons said there were no reports of damage or injuries. We got real lucky, he said. It's kind of tough on the dispatchers, but they get through.Another light earthquake was reported at 10:15 p.m. near Coalinga on Friday night.The U.S. Geological Survey reported the 4.3-magnitude quake struck about four miles east and northeast of Coalinga and 11 miles west of Huron. Police officials in both communities said they had no immediate reports of damage.
Earthquake rocks Taiwan Thu Dec 14, 7:48 AM ET
TAIPEI (AFP) - An undersea earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale has rocked Taiwan, seismologists said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The tremor struck at 19:10 pm (1110 GMT) with its epicenter 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) northeast of Ilan on the eastern coast on Thursday. It originated 29 kilometers under the sea.Taiwan, which lies near the junction of two tectonic plates, is regularly shaken by earthquakes. The country's worst, a 7.6-magnitude quake, killed some 2,400 people in September 1999.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
N'west Storm Kills Northwest Struggles to Stay Warm After Storm Leaves More Than 1.5M Without Power, Kills 6 DEC 16,2006,By GENE JOHNSON
SEATTLE Dec 16, 2006 (AP)— Residents of the Pacific Northwest struggled to stay warm Saturday after the worst windstorm in more than a decade knocked out power to more than 1.5 million homes and businesses and killed at least six people. More than 600,000 customers in Washington and Oregon still had no power Saturday, and utilities said some might have to wait into next week for their lights to go back on. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency, and with temperatures expected to drop over the weekend, officials warned people not to use outdoor grills, propane heaters or other carbon monoxide-producing equipment indoors.Firefighters in Kent found 33 people from four families suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning Friday night, fire Capt. Kyle Ohashi said. They had taken their barbecues inside to cook or heat their apartments as temperatures dipped into the 30s.All were expected to survive after treatment, Ohashi said.
In Oregon, a family of six was sickened by carbon monoxide from a generator set up in a garage in Gresham, police said. Three children were hospitalized in critical condition late Friday, while one child and both parents were listed in good condition. Wind gusted to a record 69 mph early Friday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, breaking the old mark of 65 mph set in 1993. Wind was clocked at 113 mph near Mount Rainier.Power was knocked out at one of the airport's concourses, canceling dozens of flights. Flights were also canceled at Portland International Airport in Oregon, and Amtrak canceled service between Seattle and Portland because downed trees and mudslides blocked the tracks. Two people were killed in Washington in traffic accidents involving windblown trees, while one died after getting trapped in her flooded basement. A fourth person was killed in his sleep by a tree that fell on his home. On the Oregon coast, an elderly couple died in a fire caused by candles they were using for light. Puget Sound Energy, Washington's largest private utility, had restored power to about 200,000 customers overnight but 500,000 were still without power Saturday, company spokeswoman Dorothy Bracken said.
It would be several days definitely through the weekend, before everyone was restored, PSE spokeswoman Martha Monfried said. The utility had lost more than half of its transmission system, and crews struggled in the mountains to reach downed lines that carry the electricity from Columbia River dams. More than 60,500 customers of Seattle City Light remained without power Saturday, down from a peak of 175,000, and 15,000 were still blacked out in the Snohomish County Public Utility District north of Seattle. In Oregon, Portland General Electric said it had about 82,000 customers without power Saturday morning, while Pacific Power had said late Friday it was down to 53,000. The storm was the most intense to hit the region since the Inauguration Day storm of Jan. 20, 1993, which killed five people and caused about $130 million in damage, said Clifford F. Mass, a University of Washington atmospheric sciences professor.The Associated Press.
Nine New Zealanders Injured While Fighting Fires in Australia
By Tracy Withers
Dec. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Nine New Zealand firefighters are recovering after being caught in a bushfire yesterday in Australia's Victoria state, the Department of Sustainability and Environment said. The nine are part of a contingent of 47 New Zealanders who have joined local crews battling fires in the northeast and eastern regions of the state. Four men were seriously injured and airlifted to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, the department said in a statement faxed to Bloomberg News. The others were treated locally for minor injuries. About 3,000 firefighters are battling the blazes, which have burned about 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) in the state, The fires are located in national parks and state forest areas, some of which have been closed to motorists. The New Zealanders were combating a spot fire away from the main blaze, when the main fire increased in intensity, the department said. The group took evasive action and the nine, who decided they couldn't escape, took shelter in a ditch. The men were experienced firefighters and two had experience with bushfires in the state in 2003, the department said. An investigation will be conducted into the incident, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported on its Web site. To contact the reporter on this story: Tracy Withers in Wellington at twithers@bloomberg.net.
Sat, Dec. 16, 2006
Temple Israel adds light to Hanukkah,Hourlong celebration focuses on fun for families
By Connie Bloom,Beacon Journal staff writer
The rabbi wore a dress, the service was projected in PowerPoint and eBay appeared in the lyrics of the Dreidel Song.The ancient story of Hanukkah unfurled in a decidedly 21st-century celebration at Temple Israel Friday night.I love this holiday so much, Janet Fox said. I love it because it's the Festival of Lights. I love the warmth of the lights, the children singing, the smell of the latkes. My children are big now and I still get excited.The hourlong gathering of about 350 was more of a show than a service, Rabbi David Lipper said.He billed it as a Mishpachapalooza, a Yiddish twist meaning family-palooza.It's a family-friendly show, he said. We'll have some worship, light our menorahs and celebrate the holiday. Our goal is to make it as fun for families as possible.The words to the songs, random photographs and prayers appeared like magic in a colorful screen presentation designed for the kids. ``I have a little dreidel, I made it out of steel, I sold it on eBay, I got an awesome deal, they sang of the traditional children's toy top.
Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees, the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. It is a celebration of the redemption of a people faced with oppression, Lipper said. The message is of religious freedom.... It's a message of light over darkness.The holiday is customarily observed in Jewish households by lighting a candle at sundown on each of the festival's eight nights.Hanukkah is really a home-centered celebration, not an organized religious celebration, as in other times of the year with special liturgy, Lipper said. So much of what happens at Hanukkah happens in the home.Since the holiday fell on the Sabbath, families flocked to the temple and two sets of candles were lighted.Tonight is out of the box, Lipper said. He dressed as Judah Maccabee and rented his costume from Mr. Fun to tell one of three stories in the program.
It's a tan dress, an Arab dress from biblical times.... The story I'm telling is a true story that comes from the Holocaust.... It's a message of hope.Meanwhile, a feast with latkes -- potato pancakes -- and traditional Jewish delicacies was waiting in the banquet rooms.I never compared Hanukkah to Christmas, Fox said, yet they embody the same joyful happy feelings.You can reach Connie Bloom at 330-996-3568 or cbloom@ thebeaconjournal.com.
Turkey and Israel agree on pipeline project
Seen linking Black and Red seas to route energy exports from Russia and the Caspian basin to markets across Asia Dec. 16, 2006. 01:00 AM,ORHAN COSKUN,REUTERS NEWS AGENCY
ANKARA—Turkey and Israel have agreed to build a pipeline linking the Black and Red seas, Turkey's energy minister said yesterday, in a move that will boost the Jewish state's energy security and Turkey's role as an energy hub.The pipeline will transport oil, natural gas, electricity and water, Hilmi Guler, told reporters.Turkey, a candidate for European Union membership, aspires to become a hub for energy exports from Russia and the Caspian basin to markets in Europe and beyond.Turkey is also one of the few Muslim countries to foster strong trade and security ties with the Jewish state.Guler gave no price for the project but said Turkey was in talks with Russia and other countries on participation in it.The project's feasibility study will be completed in six months and then implementation will begin, Guler said.
The pipeline is an extension of a 550-kilometre line that will link Turkey's Black Sea port of Samsun and Ceyhan on its Mediterranean coast. Guler gave no details about the route of the pipeline beyond Ceyhan, but Turkey's Radikal newspaper said it would extend to Israel's Ashkelon, joining up there with an existing pipeline to the Israeli Red Sea port of Eilat.Officials have previously said the pipeline would be undersea, avoiding a land route through Syria and Lebanon.Calling the Black Sea-Red Sea link the project of the century, Radikal said this would allow the long-term export of oil via the Red Sea to Asian markets.It would open up a cheaper export route to Asia for Russia's Urals crude from the Black Sea, which currently has to pass through the costly shipping choke points of the Bosphorous and the Suez Canal on its way to refiners in the east.The pipeline's feasibility will depend on the transit cost and how much crude can be exported east. Jordan and the Palestinian Territories are potential customers for water, Guler said.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Iran warns of painful revenge if sanctions imposed Fri Dec 15, 12:51 PM ET
TEHRAN (Reuters) -Iran will exact painful revenge on countries opposed to its nuclear program if the U.N. Security Council imposes sanctions on Tehran, the country's chief nuclear negotiator said on Friday.Imposing sanctions on Iran will not help resolve the issue, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told reporters.If they want to deprive Iran of its nuclear work they are making a big mistake. If they want to act in a way to decrease our capabilities through sanctions we will be obliged to use painful methods in return, he said without elaborating.Iran has previously said its retaliation against a punitive U.N. resolution could range from reviewing cooperation with the U.N.'s atomic watchdog to restricting its crude oil exports.Iran says its nuclear program will be used only for peaceful ends, such as electricity generation, and not to make bombs. It has refused to obey U.N. Security Council demands that it halt all sensitive nuclear work, such as uranium enrichment.After weeks of talks permanent Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany are close to agreement on a draft U.N. resolution against Iran.
The draft resolution includes a ban on exports or imports of materials and technology related to uranium enrichment as well as ballistic missile weapons delivery systems.Diplomats say Russia, which along with China has blocked U.S. and European efforts to impose tougher sanctions on Iran, still wants some changes to the draft, particularly clauses imposing a travel ban on some Iranian officials.Larijani played down the impact of the sanctions being contemplated by the six world powers.These sanctions include sensitive missile and nuclear equipment which we don't have and we are not after ... This is mainly a psychological war, he said.
Iran Prez: I'll Share My Nuke Technology
TEHRAN, Iran, Dec. 16, 2006
Quote
The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to transfer to regional states its valuable experience and achievements in the field of peaceful nuclear technology as a clean energy source and as a replacement for oil.President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
(AP) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday during a meeting with top Kuwaiti envoy that Iran is ready to transfer its nuclear technology to neighboring countries, state-run television reported. The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to transfer to regional states its valuable experience and achievements in the field of peaceful nuclear technology as a clean energy source and as a replacement for oil, the state quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Mohammed Zefollah Shirar, a top advisor to Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.The broadcast said Shirer is carrying a written message from the Emir to Ahmadinejad but didn't elaborate on the contents of the message. The television said Ahmadinejad also welcomed a decision by Iran's Arab neighbors to the south to pursue peaceful nuclear technology programs.
Such a technological transfer would be legal as long as it is between signatory-states to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and as long as the International Atomic Energy Agency that monitors the treaty was informed of the transfer. Iran is currently at odds with the United States and its European allies who accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed solely at the peaceful production of nuclear energy, not bomb. United Nations Sanctions Closer To Resolution Meanwhile, on Friday Britain said that a deal is emerging on a U.N. resolution that would impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, but Russia remains opposed to a European- and U.S.-backed travel ban on senior Iranian officials.
Ambassadors from six key nations drafting the resolution — Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia and China — reported some progress at the latest round of closed-door talks on Friday. Britain's U.N. Ambassador, Emyr Jones Parry, said he thinks a deal is developing. On all of the elements that were contentious, there is now a way through them. It's a question of consolidating the progress we made this afternoon, he said. He said he expects the resolution to be finalized by Tuesday, but Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said things are not ready yet to put into a final form. We have made some modest progress, but there are some things to be discussed, Churkin said. So we are going back to the capitals and meeting Monday morning.
The latest draft would order all countries to ban the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs and impose a travel ban and asset freeze on top figures in the country's nuclear and missile programs. They have been named on a U.N. list. Churkin said earlier this week that Moscow believes the travel ban is unnecessary.
Acting U.S. ambassador Alejandro Wolff said on Friday that the United States is still fighting for a travel ban which he called a top priority.He said the United States also wants the resolution adopted as soon as possible. The six countries offered Iran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June if it agreed to consider a long-term moratorium on uranium enrichment and commit to a freeze on enrichment before talks on its nuclear programme. But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly and defiantly said his country would continue enrichment and is not intimidated by the possibility of sanctions.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is aimed solely at the peaceful production of nuclear energy, but the United States and Europeans suspect Tehran's ultimate goal is the production of nuclear weapons. With Iran refusing to comply with a Security Council deadline of August 31, 2006, to stop enrichment, Britain and France circulated a draft sanctions resolution in late October.
The draft has been revised to specify in greater detail exactly what materials and technology would be prohibited from being supplied to Iran and to name those individuals and companies that would be affected. The revised draft also removed, to meet Russian and Chinese concerns that the initial resolution was too broad, reference to a nuclear facility being built by the Russians at Bushehr, Iran. The facility, expected to go on line in late 2007, would be Iran's first atomic power plant. The Associated Press.
World News Abbas seeks early vote to end standoff
APAP - DEC 16,2006
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Saturday for elections to end his violent standoff with Hamas a gamble that Palestinians will back him as he seeks to weaken the Islamic militants, avoid civil war and keep momentum for peace overtures with Israel.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
EU 50 - N A UNION ON
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Third windstorm to hit B.C. south coast in a week packs a powerful punch . 3-State sets record for tornadoes in 2006. 4-No end in sight for fire crews. 5-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 6-Opec cuts supply to force up price. 7-Pope Meets Olmert, Praises Turn-the-Other-Cheek Policy. 8-Netanyahu: We must try Ahmadinejad for genocide. 9-North American Union leader says merger just crisis away. 10-EU leaders endorse enlargement slow down. 11-EU leaders revive constitution debate. 12-The European Union Turns Fifty.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Dec 16 12:02 AM EDT
DEC 16,2006
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
DEC 15,2006
MAP 5.3 SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.1 TAJIKISTAN
MAP 3.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.0 GUADELOUPE REGION, LEEWARD ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 WASHINGTON
DEC 14,2006
MAP 3.3 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA REGION
MAP 4.2 OFF THE COAST OF GUATEMALA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.1 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 4.8 TAIWAN REGION
MAP 5.1 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.2 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
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.
Dec 15, 2006
Third windstorm to hit B.C. south coast in a week packs a powerful punch (WEA-BC-Storm)
VANCOUVER (CP) The third Pacific storm to hit the British Columbia coast this week pounded Vancouver Island and southern B.C. with howling winds that left thousands of people without power.
At the peak of Friday‘s blast before daybreak, winds of 157 kilometres an hour were recorded in Victoria, where the largest number of trees were toppled, bringing power lines down with them. Howling winds meant a restless sleep for many people on B.C.‘s south coast, where 240,000 households were without power.In the morning, some streets became an obstacle courses for drivers trying to dodge trees, branches and other debris.Some traffic lights were also not functioning and crews were expected to do repair work throughout the weekend.
Staff are working as fast as they can, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said in a statement.We appreciate the public‘s patience as we work through this situation.The havoc meant cancelled ferry sailings, disrupted transit and school closures.
Vancouver‘s famed Stanley Park was closed for the weekend, as was the aquarium.The latest storm throttled the coast as 20,000 customers were still without power from storms earlier this week.In North Vancouver, one of the hardest hit areas, residents were asked to stay out of all parks and trails because of danger from downed trees.Some parks were closed to the public.B.C. Hydro spokeswoman Elisha Moreno said repair crews hit the streets at first light to begin assessing the damage.First thing we‘re looking at right now is circuits to hospitals, care homes, pumping stations, sewage and water treatment plants and then we would focus on the larger circuits so we can get the smaller pockets and homes back on, Moreno said.
She advised people to have an emergency kit handy to deal with being without power for 72 hours.I‘m talking food, water, flashlight, batteries, blankets, any additional medications that they might need, a cellphone or a non-cordless phone and a battery-operated radio.People should also have a backup plan to stay with family or friends if they don‘t think they can cope without power for a few days, she said.
Back-to-back power outages from rain, snow and wind storms have left crews stretched to the limit.We‘re getting storm fatigue, Moreno said.Folks around here who have worked here 30 to 35 years have not seen storms of this magnitude before ever. It‘s just the wind speed and the consistency that‘s the challenge for us. Our threshold for damage is more than 80 kilometres an hour.But we‘ve seen sustained wind speeds and gusts of up to 157 kilometres an hour and I don‘t know of any system that can sustain wind speeds of that nature.
Moreno advised people to stay away from downed power lines.You can never be sure that those lines can be live and we want to make sure that customers understand that there is a risk to them, and a significant one.The utility isn‘t providing restoration estimates because officials don‘t want to create any false sense of optimism, she said, adding many customers will be in the dark for three days.About 1.5 million homes and businesses in Washington and Oregon had no power early Friday after howling windstorms and heavy rain caused at least three deaths, closed two major bridges and prompted flooding.The Associated Press reported that one of the concourses at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was without electricity, and an airport spokesman said some flights were cancelled.About 30 flights were scratched at Portland International Airport, a spokesman said, and Amtrak cancelled service between Portland and Seattle.A 41-year-old Seattle woman died Thursday after she became trapped in her basement while it flooded. Neighbours had called for help after they heard screaming.Also in Washington, two people died in traffic accidents involving windblown trees.INDEX: ENVIRONMENT UTILITIES TRAVEL TRANSPORT
State sets record for tornadoes in 2006
By Scott Richardson DEC 14,06
srichardson@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON Illinois has seen a record 126 tornadoes so far this year, according to the National Weather Service.
That number is slightly more than the previous record of 120 set just three years ago.Don’t blame the rise on global warming. Weather experts put a less ominous spin on the news, citing better detection rather than climate change as the cause.And don’t let your guard down just yet. Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS office in Lincoln, warned the warm weather patterns now over Central Illinois are the kind that produce severe thunderstorms, which can spawn tornadoes.
Any time of the year, even in the middle of the winter, we can get tornadoes, Miller said. We haven’t closed the book on 2006 just yet. We have three more weeks to go.Proof that mild winters are a mixed blessing came when Central Illinois recorded the first tornado in the United States in 2006 when a twister struck near Shelbyville on Jan. 2 during a relatively warm month, Miller added.Mild winter weather in January and February, along with a very vigorous storm track over Illinois early in the spring, played major roles in the active tornado season across Illinois, he said.The remainder of the year, from May through November, the numbers of tornadoes that occurred in the state were not too far from average.
January and February recorded one tornado each. March saw 21, April had 60, May had 17, June logged 2, July had 16 and September had six. August, October, November, and December, so far, had no tornadoes.Sangamon County had the most tornadoes, with 11. Logan and Christian counties each had nine, Macon County had eight and Champaign, Madison, Piatt, and Pike counties each had six.As for tornado frequency, the average number of severe tornadoes has remained unchanged over the past 50 years, said Illinois state climatologist Jim Angel. However, more smaller tornadoes are being recorded thanks to improvements in radar, expanded weather spotter networks and the prevalence of cell phones, he said.In the past, some would spin out in a farm field
and never be seen by anyone but the farmer, Angel said. But, it’s pretty hard for a tornado to escape notice anymore. We have a better audit.We’re seeing more F0s and F1s, the weak tornadoes, agreed Miller. There are fewer and fewer of these slipping through the cracks.On the coastlines, global warming has been blamed for creating more severe hurricanes as warmer oceans feed a storm’s fury. But scientists have not seen a similar relationship between warm weather and storms on land, Angel said. In fact,sustained warm temperatures such as those recorded during the drought last year lead to fewer severe thunderstorms. That, in turn, should lead to fewer tornadoes, Angel said.
Illinois experienced just 19 twisters during all of last year.
The flip side of better tornado detection is improved warning of approaching storms, Angel and Miller said. Before advanced Doppler radar arrived in Central Illinois in the mid-1990s, warnings preceded the arrival of severe storms by just 3 to 4 minutes, he said. Since then, warnings have been sounded on an average of 15 to 16 minutes before a severe storm strikes, Miller said.
Twisters - 2006 (through Dec. 13) 126 ,2005 19 ,2004 80 ,2003 120 ,2002 35 - SOURCE: National Weather Service
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.
No end in sight for fire crews
tRenee Switzer,December 14, 2006
Firefighters are unable to see an end to the massive job of containing the raging fires that are spreading across the state.Victoria's fires have now burnt over 425,000 hectares and with no significant rain forecast, it is expected many of the DSE and CFA staff and volunteers will spend their Christmas protecting other people's homes instead of being at their own with their families.I can imagine that a large number of firefighters will still be working on these fires for month or two, DSE spokesman Kevin Monk told theage.com.au.There's no significant rain on the horizon and this fire's so large there's still a lot of work to be done on it.Basically we know that during the summer there's going to be restrictions on our time, holidays, that type of thing.CFA deputy chief officer Graham Fountain admitted the fires were taking their toll on firefighters.
We are conscious of the resource drain that currently exists, we're conscious of the fatigue on our members and also the pressures associated with Christmas itself, he said.It's taking its toll (on firefighters). We've been on this since December 1 ... it creeps up on us and we need to make sure we build in adequate rest periods for our people and provide necessary support and sustenance to them and their families.Subject to a fair dinkum rainfall event there's no end in sight for these (fires) at this stage, these are going to cause problems for us throughout summer and the rain is not forecast.Temperatures in the mid 30s in fire areas today and a late south westerly wind change is expected to change the fires' direction, causing more problems for firefighters.Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Stewart said there should be showers accompanying the overnight change but only a few millimetres.Mr Monk said the wind had prevented firefighting aircraft from entering the fire zones because of the smoke.He said the wind change late this afternoon could result in more of the fires merging and that could cause ember attacks on different parts of the fire's edge.
The pressure will be on the Crooked River which is just north of Dargo right around to Valencia Creek - there will be pressure on making sure the embers get put out really quickly and protection of properties, and the same thing again around the Woods Point Jamieson area and then around to the Tawonga Gap fire and Mount Beauty.He said works to prevent the Thomson catchment from contamination were progressing. We're working on the strengthening of about 60 kilometres of control line and when the conditions ease after today they will continue to do backburning and strengthening of the control line.Meanwhile EPA Victoria has lowered the smoke advisory for Melbourne from high to low.EPA director science and technology Stuart McConnell said the conditions were improving, given the change in weather conditions.Melburnians will have noticed their visibility improving from yesterday's high peaks and levels are expected to further reduce throughout the day as the northerly wind picks up.theage.com.au
This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
December 14, 2006
Dear Friend of The Fellowship,
Tomorrow at sundown marks the beginning of the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah, when Jews celebrate two miracles.The first miracle is the military victory, 2,100 years ago, of a small group of Jews, the Maccabees, against a powerful Greek-Syrian army that had invaded and occupied Israel, defiled the Temple, and tried to impose paganism upon the Jewish people. Despite overwhelming odds, the Jews fought fiercely and prevailed through God's favor, gaining freedom to worship Him as commanded in the Bible.The second is a miraculous flask of oil. After overcoming the invaders, the Jews set about to purify the Temple during the eight day dedication process recorded in the Bible. Upon entering the Temple, they found only one flask of purified oil for the eternal flame—enough to keep it burning for just one day of the dedication. But, miraculously, the oil lasted eight days and nights until more pure oil could be brought. This is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days, and why it is called the festival of lights.
Hanukkah is a joyous holiday—a time for lighting the menorah, playing the dreidel game, and for gift-giving, especially to children. To help you experience the joy of Hanukkah, we have developed a number of online resources for you. On our Hanukkah page you can play a dreidel game or light our children's virtual menorah, take a Hanukkah quiz, hear clips of traditional Hanukkah songs, and more. And if you want to know more about Hanukkah, you will also find a special teaching I have prepared that delves more deeply into the history and meaning of this best-known of Jewish holidays.I also encourage you to send one of our beautiful Hanukkah e-cards to your Jewish friends. After years of bridge-building between Christians and Jews, I can attest to the fact that understanding is often best built on a one-to-one basis. When you reach out to your Jewish friends by acknowledging their holidays, you show them you care. It is a wonderful way to mark this most blessed of seasons.
Thank you, my dear friend, for your continued support of Israel and her people. May your holiday season—and the coming new year—be filled with light.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
Rabbi on Hanukkah
http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rabbi_study_holidays_Hanukkah_indepthteaching&
JServSessionIdr012=pipj7aa6z1.app13a
Opec cuts supply to force up price
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard,15/12/2006
The Opec cartel of oil exporters has struck a controversial deal to cut output by 500,000 barrels a day from February even if prices strengthen, raising the risk of an energy spike over the winter months. Brent crude rose nearly a dollar a barrel to $62.20 on the move, which follows a 960,000 barrel-a-day cut in production since October.
Opec president Edmund Daukoru
Opec president Edmund Daukoru swept aside criticisms, saying the cartel was forced to act to head off an impending oil glut. The market is out of balance, stocks are at more than a five-year high, he said.The US energy secretary, Sam Bodman, questioned the move, calling on Opec to delay any cuts.
The International Energy Agency criticised the supply squeeze as a blow to industry and a risk to global growth.Further cuts are unwelcome in the light of existing high prices, elevated supply risks and the onset of the peak winter heating season. The moves that Opec have already made have quite significantly begun to tighten the market, said the watchdog.The IEA predicted an increase in oil demand of 1.5m barrels a day to 86m in 2007. It disputed Opec claims of excess supply, saying global inventories had slipped by 40m barrels since October.Barclays Capital predicts higher oil prices next year even before the cuts, forecasting $75 a barrel by mid 2007 and $80 in the third quarter.Opec is taking much more off the market than it really should, said Kevin Norrish, the bank's chief oil analyst.
A strong rebound in energy costs could push up inflation over coming months in Europe and America, forcing central banks to tighten monetary policy yet again.Jean Claude-Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, said a fresh spike in oil prices was the biggest lurking threat to eurozone growth. Past commodity price increases are in the pipeline and we still have a risk there.
The oil price could increase again.Barclays Capital accused Opec of overstating the level of global oil inventories and the likely level of future supply. The cartel is already producing 1m barrels a day less than a year ago.Output by the non-Opec countries is falling as North Sea oil reserves dwindle and new rigs run into difficulties. Production by Britain, Norway, Mexico and the US has plummeted by 2.5m barrels a day to under 15.5m over the past four years.At the same time, China has emerged as the world's second biggest consumer of oil, increasing demand from 4.5m to 7m barrels a day. Critics accuse Opec of playing down looming shortages in order to justify an aggressive price policy.
The 11-nation cartel effectively set a floor of $60 earlier this year under pressure from hawks such as Venezuela and Iran. Opec appears to be ratcheting up the target level to nearer $80.Mr Daukoru said the cartel would not carry out the cuts if it risked damaging the global economy, but this was contradicted by Qatar's oil minister Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah who said the plans would go ahead irrespective of the price.
REVELATION 17:2-5
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Pope Meets Olmert, Praises Turn-the-Other-Cheek Policy
By Ezra HaLevi (INN) DEC 14,06
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Catholic Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday. The Christian leader praised Israel’s policy of adhering to a cease-fire deal despite continued attacks on its citizens. Olmert urged the Pope to encourage Christians to take a stance against Holocaust denial, in light of Iran’s state-sponsored conference this week questioning the reality of the Nazi genocide.
The Vatican released a statement directed at the Iranian conference on Tuesday, saying, The Shoah [Holocaust] was a great tragedy before which we cannot remain indifferent. The memory of those horrible events must remain as a warning for people's consciences.The Pope lauded Israel’s decision not to respond to continued missile attacks on Jewish towns in the western Negev.
He also praised Olmert’s visit to Germany.
Olmert's office said that Olmert and the Pontiff discussed the Vatican’s land holdings in Israel - including, presumably, the Catholic Church’s aims to develop a center on Mount Zion. According to Olmert’s office, the prime minister invited the Pope to visit Israel, saying his very presence would increase peace in Israel.
Benedict said he would come to Israel when things calm down. The Catholic world leader recently visited Turkey in an attempt to placate outraged Muslims following statements he made quoting an opinion that Islam is violent.Following his meeting with the Pope, which lasted 35 minutes instead of the scheduled 10-minute conversation, Olmert met with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.Israel and the Vatican established diplomatic relations in 1990.
Vaticans goals for Mt Zion!
He (Olmert) will also have a private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, during which he will invite the pontiff to visit Israel. Olmert will reportedly discuss changing the status of the Crusader-era building on Mount Zion in Jerusalem known as the Coenaculum. The holy site includes the Tomb of King David, the room where Christiantiy says Jesus and his disciples shared their Last Supper, as well as several mosques.
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)
Netanyahu: We must try Ahmadinejad for genocide
By Stan Goodenough,December 14, 2006
Former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is launching an effort to get Iranian megalomaniac Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried on a charge of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.Ahmadinejad has frequently called for Israel's destruction, has vowed to carry this out himself, is currently hosting a conference aimed at disupting the facts about the Holocaust. All the while he is pursuing nuclear weapons with his eye on using them against Israel and the West.Netanyahu, the leader of the Opposition Likud Party and who, unlike virtually all of Israel's other prime ministers, believes in the importance of aggressive public relations on Israel's behalf, has invited 70 foreign diplomats stationed in Israel to a meeting next week.The media-savvy Israeli plans to use the event to challenge the world's complacency in the face of the mushrooming Iranian threat.Iran's nuclear program must be stopped, Netanyahu said. Ahmadinejad is saying clearly that [destroying the Jews is] his intention, and we aren't even shouting.
North American Union leader says merger just crisis away
Leading intellectual force behind effort toward EU-style unity looks at future,December 15, 2006 By Jerome R. Corsi,WorldNetDaily.com ,American University Professor Robert Pastor
Robert Pastor, a leading intellectual force in the move to create an EU-style North American Community, told WND he believes a new 9/11 crisis could be the catalyst to merge the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Pastor, a professor at American University, says that in such a case the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, or SPP – launched in 2005 by the heads of the three countries at a summit in Waco, Texas – could be developed into a continental union, complete with a new currency, the amero, that would replace the U.S. dollar just as the euro has replaced the national currencies of Europe. In May 2005, Pastor was co-chairman the Council on Foreign Relations task force that produced a report entitled Toward a North American Community, which he has claimed is the blueprint behind the SSP declared by President Bush, Mexico's then-President Vicente Fox, and Canada's then-Prime Minister Paul Martin.
At American University in Washington, D.C., Pastor directs the Center for North American Studies where he teaches a course entitled North America: A Union, A Community, or Just Three Nations? As WND previously has reported, Pastor is on the board of the North American Forum on Integration, the NAFI, a non-profit organization that annually holds a mock trilateral parliament for 100 selected students drawn from 10 universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Pastor had published an interview in Spanish in the Oct. 24 issue of Poder y Negocios. He told the magazine crises can force decisions that otherwise would not be made. The 9/11 crisis made Canada and the United States redefine the protection of their borders, Pastor explained. The debt crisis in Mexico forced the government to adapt a new economic model. The crises oblige the governments to make difficult decisions. This was the first time WND had found a major intellectual leader behind the push to integrate North America suggesting that a crisis of 9-11 proportions might be just what was needed to advance the process toward establishing a North American Union and the amero.
WND reached Pastor in his office at American University and conducted a telephone interview to make sure the Spanish publication accurately reflected his views.
He affirmed the Spanish interview represents his thinking. What I'm saying is that a crisis is an event which can force democratic governments to make difficult decisions like those that will be required to create a North American Community, he said. It's not that I want another 9/11 crisis, but having a crisis would force decisions that otherwise might not get made. Pastor noted, for example that Europeans, facing the crisis of two World Wars, turned to the European Community as a means to prevent war and advance their economic interests. The United States turned to the Marshall Plan when faced with the crisis of Western Europe falling into the hands of communism, he said. So, I'm not advocating, or encouraging, or wanting a crisis, I'm only saying that in order to take important initiatives, sometimes one manner in which this occurs is when there is a crisis to which leaders need to respond.
Pastor told WND he lamented that the leadership of the three North American countries is not positioned to make the type of tough decisions needed to advance a North American Community agenda. In his interview with Poder y Negocios, he argued, Canada has a minority government and Mexico will soon have a minority government that will be confronted with what amounts to an uprising that we hope will be peaceful. The United States has a lame duck president whose principle preoccupation is the war in Iraq and instability in the Middle East. Pastor further told WND Mexico's Fox made a tactical mistake by laying out an overly ambitious agenda to integrate with the United States. President Bush then took on the issue of illegal immigration, and it proved to be much more difficult than anticipated, he said. In the absence of strong North American leadership, is a crisis the way greater North
American integration can be expected to happen?
There are alternatives to a crisis for getting a major decision adopted by the president and by the congress, Pastor responded. But what I am saying is that we lack the kind of North American leadership we need. Our founding fathers created a system of governance that was not designed to be efficient but was designed to protect freedom. Therefore, you created checks and balances that did protect freedom but also made it difficult to move forward on important issues. Pastor was asked what North American leaders would need to do to move toward integration. We need to form a customs union to move North American integration to a new level, Pastor argued. A customs union would eliminate rules of origin on the border and agree to a common external tariff. This would not be easy but not as difficult as NAFTA was, and it would lead to efficiencies in our economies and in the end contribute to a better standard of living for all parties. Pastor also called for a North American Investment Fund to invest in Mexico's infrastructure.
If we had a North American Investment Fund, Pastor explained, over the long term, you would narrow the income gap between Mexico and the U.S. WND previously reported Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, dropped his support for legislation (S. 3622) he introduced in the 109th Congress to create a North American Investment Fund after WND pointed out the proposed law would advance an important part of Pastor's agenda to create a North American Community.
Pastor was careful to distinguish that his proposals were designed to create a North American Community and that he never has proposed to create a North American Union as an EU-style regional government. What I am recommending is a series of functional steps that are more than incremental, Pastor admitted. Each of the proposals I have laid out represent more than just small steps. But it doesn't represent a leap toward a North American Union, or even to some confederation of any kind. I don't think either is plausible, necessary, or even helpful to contemplate at this stage.
The idea seems to be to put new structures in place that change the look of the landscape. WND pointed out to Pastor that this step-by-step approach is the same approach taken to create the European Union. The memoirs of Jean Monnet, regarded as the architect of European unity, finally disclosed he had used a strategy of deceit, knowing his plan to form a European Union would never succeed if it were openly disclosed. Pastor was asked if he thought a North American Union was a bad idea.
No,he replied. I don't think a political union of North America is an inherently bad idea, nor do I think it is a good idea for North America right now. I teach a course at American University in which I look at the different options for political integration of North America, and I put the options before the students. Then why is a North American Union a bad idea right now? The reason the political integration is not a good idea at this stage now, perhaps never, is because of people like yourself who immediately begin to fear that their sense of America could disappear, Pastor responded. Somehow, if you're fearful that America's sovereignty will disappear, you won't even take small steps forward. You just get mired in the status quo. The problem is that the world is moving very rapidly, and you can't stay competitive if you don't move.
Pastor did not reject the idea that a North American Union could form, but only after further continental economic integration and the development of a North American Community in which people are able to think as citizens of North America. Is China the winner in the NAFTA super-corridors being planned for North America? If you define trade in zero-sum terms, China may be the winner in the transportation corridors, Pastor conceded. But even in zero-sum terms, consumers benefit from the increasing imports that give them more choice and give them more quality. In the final analysis, we are all consumers. Pastor affirmed he favors globalism.
I believe, he explained to WND, that globalization is a net plus for the world economy, for the middle class, and for all people.
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).
THE EU DICTATOR
REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN
CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships;
and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
EU leaders endorse enlargement slow down by Paul Harrington Dec 15, 10:41 AM ET
BRUSSELS (AFP) -European Union leaders have put the lid on further enlargement of the bloc until the necessary reforms can be agreed to accommodate new members and the whole process gains wide public support.
With Bulgaria and Romania set to become the EU's 26th and 27th member countries in a fortnight, the leaders confirmed that they were applying the brakes to further expansion, possibly until the end of the decade.They also endorsed a decision to partially block membership talks with Turkey, by freezing eight of the 35 policy chapters it must negotiate before joining.Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen told the post-summit press conference that previous enlargements had been successful and that the EU leaders had mapped out the best ways to ensure that future enlargement is also successful.It is important that the candidate countries meet the requirements and that the Union is able to operate effectively and to develop.
This summit sends out the message that we want to get our house in order, said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.We will work on the (EU) constitutional treaty under the German presidency, starting next month, he said.This summit sends the message that ours will remain an open house. We have given new impetus to the aspirations of the Western Balkans and we have clearly kept the door open for Turkey, he added.He added that there was a consensus on the need for constitutional reform to enhance our capacity to act.Their decisions will have major repercussions for Turkey and EU hopefuls in the Balkans like Croatia, which is expected to join by 2010, and to a lesser extent Macedonia.British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left the summit for a trip to Turkey and the Middle East, is one of the most supportive to Ankara's cause. For the EU and also Britain, it is important that we continue the process to accession with Turkey and we do not shut the door to Turkey's membership, he said.Perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome is the EU constitution, the blueprint for its future. The treaty was left in tatters last year after it was rejected in referendums by voters in France and the Netherlands.
Sixteen member countries have ratified the text, plus Bulgaria and Romania, but it had to be endorsed by all member countries before it can take effect.Encapsulated in it were reforms that would have allowed the 25-nation EU to operate more smoothly and efficiently as it expands. But the document has been in deep freeze during a prolonged period of reflection about what to do next. Germany is expected to revive talks on the constitution, although probably not using that term, and plot a roadmap for its acceptance.While no substantive decisions are expected before France takes over Europe's helm in the second half of 2008, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was looking forward to tackling the challenges facing the Union.Generally, I can say that we are looking forward to our presidency, Merkel told reporters as she arrived for the last session of the two-day summit.
There is a good climate in which to resolve certain issues, she said. Germany is not going to be alone and can have confidence that all member countries are going to cooperate. The ood climate at the summit was due in part to Turkey's trade and political problems with Cyprus being resolved by EU foreign ministers on Monday. While its strategic importance is undeniable, it would become one if the bloc's two most populous countries, securing voting rights beyond those of traditional EU heavyweights like Britain, France and Italy.
SPAIN #11 IN THE EU
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EU leaders revive constitution debate By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer Fri Dec 15, 10:25 AM ET
BRUSSELS, Belgium - European leaders on Friday tried to revive efforts to adopt the proposed European Union constitution, which many declared dead last year after it was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands. The 25 EU nations have moved from silent reflection to a more active thinking on the constitution, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen declared.Spain and Luxembourg are seeking to enlist the majority of EU nations that voted in favor of the landmark constitutional treaty, in a drive get it back on track.Those having ratified the treaty — these are 18 member states of the European Union — have the right to become more outspoken, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters Thursday.
Spain has called a friends of the constitution conference next month in Madrid for the 18 nations that supported the measure, including Bulgaria and Romania, which will join the EU formally on Jan. 1.Chancellor Angela Merkel said she will try to revive the constitution — intended to deepen Europe's integration — during Germany's six-month presidency of the bloc starting in January.
What's not clear is how pro-constitution forces will move forward. France and the Netherlands both have said they will not hold repeat referendums, although some hope for a shift in the French position after next year's presidential election.Although a majority of nations backed the text, it needs unanimous approval to come into force.
The constitution was designed to streamline EU decision-making following the entry of 10 new member nations in 2004. Without it, many leaders say it will be impossible to bring more members into the bloc.We don't think that further enlargements could be made without giving some deepening reform to Europe, Juncker said.Previous EU treaties have been voted down by referendums in Ireland and Denmark, but both nations changed their minds in second votes after the texts were adjusted.Even if the French and Dutch are persuaded to change their minds,though, the constitution would still face possible vetoes from British and Danes, traditional Euro-skeptics who must still vote on the charter.The Swedes, Poles, Czechs, Irish and Portuguese have not yet voted on the compact, either.Despite the uncertainty, supporters still think the constitution can eventually be adopted.We cannot throw out the entire text and start from scratch, said Finland's Vanhanen, whose country ratified the constitution last week.Supporters of the constitution have suggested several ways out of the current impasse — including incorporating some provisions of the charter in a mini-treaty that could be passed by the member states without further referendum votes.
The European Union Turns Fifty DEC 15,06
In March of 2007 Europe and the United States will observe one of the most important anniversaries of the post-Second World War era.
This date marks the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the document which established the European Economic Community (EEC) among six countries - Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Fifty years later, the EEC is now called the European Union (EU) and proudly boasts a membership of 27 nations. The road from EEC to EU has been long and often difficult. The ultimate goals of its founding fathers are far from being achieved. But even so, the EU has grown far beyond its original task of harmonizing tariffs and trade among its six original members, to become a community of more than 450 million inhabitants stretching from Ireland and Portugal in the West to Estonia and Finland in the East. It unites the traditional democracies of Western Europe with the newly emerged democracies of the former Soviet bloc. It even includes three members, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, that between 1941 and 1992 were illegally incorporated into the Soviet Union.
As such, the EU can already be described as one of history's greatest accomplishments. Built on the ruins of the Second World War, the framework for economic and political cooperation provided by the EU has made possible not only the rebuilding of the continent and the reconciliation of former enemies, but also the incorporation of a large portion of Europe into a community of nations determined to construct a democratic political federation across the entire continent.
The EU today is one of the world's leading economies and its largest trading community. It has established a common currency, the Euro, which has joined the Dollar and the Yen as an important international means of exchange. The European Parliament is a directly elected legislative body organized on party, rather than national lines. Fledgling European Security and Defense Cooperation has begun to undertake vital peacekeeping missions in many parts of the world. Cooperation among member states has extended to virtually every area of public interest, both at home and abroad.
Together with the United States and Canada, the member nations of the EU build a trans-Atlantic democratic community of nearly a billion persons. This cooperation is embodied most directly in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has guarded our mutual security since its founding in 1949. As the EU has expanded, many new areas of close trans-Atlantic cooperation have been agreed. The EU speaks officially for its members at international trade negotiations and in the World Trade Organization, WTO.
Equally as important is the close coordination between the European Central Bank and the United States Federal Reserve System and Treasury Department on the critical issues connected with maintenance of international financial stability.
Of growing importance is an active EU antitrust effort and close coordination in the international war against terrorism. In each of these areas, the EU is an essential framework for broader international cooperation. No single European country could offer the breadth of cooperation made possible by the EU. The roots of today's EU go back to the early postwar years. Determined to banish once and for all the destructive nationalism which had taken Europe to war three times in 75 years, leaders on both sides of the Atlantic called for building a European political union. The goal was described dramatically by Britain's great wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill as nothing less than a United States of Europe.
Europe's American allies took important first steps towards European unity in 1948 with establishment of the European Recovery Program, popularly known as the Marshall Plan after its founder Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The Marshall Plan provided credits to those European countries that wished to participate, for the reconstruction of their towns and their factories. But these credits came with a condition.
The money could be applied only on the basis of a joint program, worked out among the countries of Europe for the rebuilding of their continent. The Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) was born. This theme of economic cooperation was taken a step further in 1951, when Germany and France agreed to pool their industries with those of four other countries into the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). This was the first European initiative for economic integration.
A similar effort to join Europe's military forces into a single army proved to be somewhat premature and it failed when voted down by the French parliament. But it too added to the momentum of cooperation which culminated in signature of the Treaty of Rome. A step-by-step practical approach to unity has become the trademark of the EU. Over the years areas of cooperation among members have steadily increased. Important subjects such as trade, agriculture, health standards and others have been added to the original mandate of the Treaty of Rome. A major step forward was establishment of a truly unified single market for industrial and agriculture trade in 1992. The vision behind these economic steps has from the beginning been Churchill's call for political unity.
Important milestones include establishment of the European Parliament and successive unification treaties signed in the 1980s and 1990s. A common program for military security was established in 1998. Even though its member states maintain responsibility for foreign policy and security matters, areas of cooperation overseas have also grown. So, as its reaches fifty both the EU and its American partners can be proud of what they have achieved. But as 2007 approaches, it has also become clear that the postwar period embodied in the Treaty of Rome has long since come to an end. The formalized structures of the EU which demand consensus on most important issues are slow and inefficient. The large bureaucracy and expensive common programs for agriculture, industrial development and research no longer serve to stimulate necessary economic growth. The strains of enlargement from six to twenty-seven members has made progress on unification very difficult. And the twin challenges of aging of the population and globalization have turned the European social welfare state from an advantage to an expensive burden.
European populations sometimes seem to have lost touch with the original vision of the Treaty of Rome. They are looking more to individual needs in their home countries. This growing disinterest was reflected in failure of the European Constitutional Project in 2005.This anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is as important for Americans as it is for Europeans. Our task today is every bit as
great as it was in 1957, but the road ahead is not yet clear. One thing is clear, however. America and Europe compose the largest and strongest group of democracies in the world. If we are to ensure a democratic future for ourselves and the rest of the world, we must work together. That is why it is important to understand the role of the European Union on the interests of the United States.
And that it why it is very fitting to wish our European cousins a warm happy birthday on this important date. John Kornblum was US Ambassador to Germany from 1997 to 2001. Since 2001 he has been Chairman of the investment bank Lazard Germany.
www.europa.eu
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Dec 16 12:02 AM EDT
DEC 16,2006
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
DEC 15,2006
MAP 5.3 SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.1 TAJIKISTAN
MAP 3.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.0 GUADELOUPE REGION, LEEWARD ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 WASHINGTON
DEC 14,2006
MAP 3.3 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA REGION
MAP 4.2 OFF THE COAST OF GUATEMALA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.1 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 4.8 TAIWAN REGION
MAP 5.1 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.2 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
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.
Dec 15, 2006
Third windstorm to hit B.C. south coast in a week packs a powerful punch (WEA-BC-Storm)
VANCOUVER (CP) The third Pacific storm to hit the British Columbia coast this week pounded Vancouver Island and southern B.C. with howling winds that left thousands of people without power.
At the peak of Friday‘s blast before daybreak, winds of 157 kilometres an hour were recorded in Victoria, where the largest number of trees were toppled, bringing power lines down with them. Howling winds meant a restless sleep for many people on B.C.‘s south coast, where 240,000 households were without power.In the morning, some streets became an obstacle courses for drivers trying to dodge trees, branches and other debris.Some traffic lights were also not functioning and crews were expected to do repair work throughout the weekend.
Staff are working as fast as they can, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said in a statement.We appreciate the public‘s patience as we work through this situation.The havoc meant cancelled ferry sailings, disrupted transit and school closures.
Vancouver‘s famed Stanley Park was closed for the weekend, as was the aquarium.The latest storm throttled the coast as 20,000 customers were still without power from storms earlier this week.In North Vancouver, one of the hardest hit areas, residents were asked to stay out of all parks and trails because of danger from downed trees.Some parks were closed to the public.B.C. Hydro spokeswoman Elisha Moreno said repair crews hit the streets at first light to begin assessing the damage.First thing we‘re looking at right now is circuits to hospitals, care homes, pumping stations, sewage and water treatment plants and then we would focus on the larger circuits so we can get the smaller pockets and homes back on, Moreno said.
She advised people to have an emergency kit handy to deal with being without power for 72 hours.I‘m talking food, water, flashlight, batteries, blankets, any additional medications that they might need, a cellphone or a non-cordless phone and a battery-operated radio.People should also have a backup plan to stay with family or friends if they don‘t think they can cope without power for a few days, she said.
Back-to-back power outages from rain, snow and wind storms have left crews stretched to the limit.We‘re getting storm fatigue, Moreno said.Folks around here who have worked here 30 to 35 years have not seen storms of this magnitude before ever. It‘s just the wind speed and the consistency that‘s the challenge for us. Our threshold for damage is more than 80 kilometres an hour.But we‘ve seen sustained wind speeds and gusts of up to 157 kilometres an hour and I don‘t know of any system that can sustain wind speeds of that nature.
Moreno advised people to stay away from downed power lines.You can never be sure that those lines can be live and we want to make sure that customers understand that there is a risk to them, and a significant one.The utility isn‘t providing restoration estimates because officials don‘t want to create any false sense of optimism, she said, adding many customers will be in the dark for three days.About 1.5 million homes and businesses in Washington and Oregon had no power early Friday after howling windstorms and heavy rain caused at least three deaths, closed two major bridges and prompted flooding.The Associated Press reported that one of the concourses at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was without electricity, and an airport spokesman said some flights were cancelled.About 30 flights were scratched at Portland International Airport, a spokesman said, and Amtrak cancelled service between Portland and Seattle.A 41-year-old Seattle woman died Thursday after she became trapped in her basement while it flooded. Neighbours had called for help after they heard screaming.Also in Washington, two people died in traffic accidents involving windblown trees.INDEX: ENVIRONMENT UTILITIES TRAVEL TRANSPORT
State sets record for tornadoes in 2006
By Scott Richardson DEC 14,06
srichardson@pantagraph.com
BLOOMINGTON Illinois has seen a record 126 tornadoes so far this year, according to the National Weather Service.
That number is slightly more than the previous record of 120 set just three years ago.Don’t blame the rise on global warming. Weather experts put a less ominous spin on the news, citing better detection rather than climate change as the cause.And don’t let your guard down just yet. Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS office in Lincoln, warned the warm weather patterns now over Central Illinois are the kind that produce severe thunderstorms, which can spawn tornadoes.
Any time of the year, even in the middle of the winter, we can get tornadoes, Miller said. We haven’t closed the book on 2006 just yet. We have three more weeks to go.Proof that mild winters are a mixed blessing came when Central Illinois recorded the first tornado in the United States in 2006 when a twister struck near Shelbyville on Jan. 2 during a relatively warm month, Miller added.Mild winter weather in January and February, along with a very vigorous storm track over Illinois early in the spring, played major roles in the active tornado season across Illinois, he said.The remainder of the year, from May through November, the numbers of tornadoes that occurred in the state were not too far from average.
January and February recorded one tornado each. March saw 21, April had 60, May had 17, June logged 2, July had 16 and September had six. August, October, November, and December, so far, had no tornadoes.Sangamon County had the most tornadoes, with 11. Logan and Christian counties each had nine, Macon County had eight and Champaign, Madison, Piatt, and Pike counties each had six.As for tornado frequency, the average number of severe tornadoes has remained unchanged over the past 50 years, said Illinois state climatologist Jim Angel. However, more smaller tornadoes are being recorded thanks to improvements in radar, expanded weather spotter networks and the prevalence of cell phones, he said.In the past, some would spin out in a farm field
and never be seen by anyone but the farmer, Angel said. But, it’s pretty hard for a tornado to escape notice anymore. We have a better audit.We’re seeing more F0s and F1s, the weak tornadoes, agreed Miller. There are fewer and fewer of these slipping through the cracks.On the coastlines, global warming has been blamed for creating more severe hurricanes as warmer oceans feed a storm’s fury. But scientists have not seen a similar relationship between warm weather and storms on land, Angel said. In fact,sustained warm temperatures such as those recorded during the drought last year lead to fewer severe thunderstorms. That, in turn, should lead to fewer tornadoes, Angel said.
Illinois experienced just 19 twisters during all of last year.
The flip side of better tornado detection is improved warning of approaching storms, Angel and Miller said. Before advanced Doppler radar arrived in Central Illinois in the mid-1990s, warnings preceded the arrival of severe storms by just 3 to 4 minutes, he said. Since then, warnings have been sounded on an average of 15 to 16 minutes before a severe storm strikes, Miller said.
Twisters - 2006 (through Dec. 13) 126 ,2005 19 ,2004 80 ,2003 120 ,2002 35 - SOURCE: National Weather Service
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.
No end in sight for fire crews
tRenee Switzer,December 14, 2006
Firefighters are unable to see an end to the massive job of containing the raging fires that are spreading across the state.Victoria's fires have now burnt over 425,000 hectares and with no significant rain forecast, it is expected many of the DSE and CFA staff and volunteers will spend their Christmas protecting other people's homes instead of being at their own with their families.I can imagine that a large number of firefighters will still be working on these fires for month or two, DSE spokesman Kevin Monk told theage.com.au.There's no significant rain on the horizon and this fire's so large there's still a lot of work to be done on it.Basically we know that during the summer there's going to be restrictions on our time, holidays, that type of thing.CFA deputy chief officer Graham Fountain admitted the fires were taking their toll on firefighters.
We are conscious of the resource drain that currently exists, we're conscious of the fatigue on our members and also the pressures associated with Christmas itself, he said.It's taking its toll (on firefighters). We've been on this since December 1 ... it creeps up on us and we need to make sure we build in adequate rest periods for our people and provide necessary support and sustenance to them and their families.Subject to a fair dinkum rainfall event there's no end in sight for these (fires) at this stage, these are going to cause problems for us throughout summer and the rain is not forecast.Temperatures in the mid 30s in fire areas today and a late south westerly wind change is expected to change the fires' direction, causing more problems for firefighters.Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Stewart said there should be showers accompanying the overnight change but only a few millimetres.Mr Monk said the wind had prevented firefighting aircraft from entering the fire zones because of the smoke.He said the wind change late this afternoon could result in more of the fires merging and that could cause ember attacks on different parts of the fire's edge.
The pressure will be on the Crooked River which is just north of Dargo right around to Valencia Creek - there will be pressure on making sure the embers get put out really quickly and protection of properties, and the same thing again around the Woods Point Jamieson area and then around to the Tawonga Gap fire and Mount Beauty.He said works to prevent the Thomson catchment from contamination were progressing. We're working on the strengthening of about 60 kilometres of control line and when the conditions ease after today they will continue to do backburning and strengthening of the control line.Meanwhile EPA Victoria has lowered the smoke advisory for Melbourne from high to low.EPA director science and technology Stuart McConnell said the conditions were improving, given the change in weather conditions.Melburnians will have noticed their visibility improving from yesterday's high peaks and levels are expected to further reduce throughout the day as the northerly wind picks up.theage.com.au
This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
December 14, 2006
Dear Friend of The Fellowship,
Tomorrow at sundown marks the beginning of the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah, when Jews celebrate two miracles.The first miracle is the military victory, 2,100 years ago, of a small group of Jews, the Maccabees, against a powerful Greek-Syrian army that had invaded and occupied Israel, defiled the Temple, and tried to impose paganism upon the Jewish people. Despite overwhelming odds, the Jews fought fiercely and prevailed through God's favor, gaining freedom to worship Him as commanded in the Bible.The second is a miraculous flask of oil. After overcoming the invaders, the Jews set about to purify the Temple during the eight day dedication process recorded in the Bible. Upon entering the Temple, they found only one flask of purified oil for the eternal flame—enough to keep it burning for just one day of the dedication. But, miraculously, the oil lasted eight days and nights until more pure oil could be brought. This is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days, and why it is called the festival of lights.
Hanukkah is a joyous holiday—a time for lighting the menorah, playing the dreidel game, and for gift-giving, especially to children. To help you experience the joy of Hanukkah, we have developed a number of online resources for you. On our Hanukkah page you can play a dreidel game or light our children's virtual menorah, take a Hanukkah quiz, hear clips of traditional Hanukkah songs, and more. And if you want to know more about Hanukkah, you will also find a special teaching I have prepared that delves more deeply into the history and meaning of this best-known of Jewish holidays.I also encourage you to send one of our beautiful Hanukkah e-cards to your Jewish friends. After years of bridge-building between Christians and Jews, I can attest to the fact that understanding is often best built on a one-to-one basis. When you reach out to your Jewish friends by acknowledging their holidays, you show them you care. It is a wonderful way to mark this most blessed of seasons.
Thank you, my dear friend, for your continued support of Israel and her people. May your holiday season—and the coming new year—be filled with light.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
Rabbi on Hanukkah
http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rabbi_study_holidays_Hanukkah_indepthteaching&
JServSessionIdr012=pipj7aa6z1.app13a
Opec cuts supply to force up price
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard,15/12/2006
The Opec cartel of oil exporters has struck a controversial deal to cut output by 500,000 barrels a day from February even if prices strengthen, raising the risk of an energy spike over the winter months. Brent crude rose nearly a dollar a barrel to $62.20 on the move, which follows a 960,000 barrel-a-day cut in production since October.
Opec president Edmund Daukoru
Opec president Edmund Daukoru swept aside criticisms, saying the cartel was forced to act to head off an impending oil glut. The market is out of balance, stocks are at more than a five-year high, he said.The US energy secretary, Sam Bodman, questioned the move, calling on Opec to delay any cuts.
The International Energy Agency criticised the supply squeeze as a blow to industry and a risk to global growth.Further cuts are unwelcome in the light of existing high prices, elevated supply risks and the onset of the peak winter heating season. The moves that Opec have already made have quite significantly begun to tighten the market, said the watchdog.The IEA predicted an increase in oil demand of 1.5m barrels a day to 86m in 2007. It disputed Opec claims of excess supply, saying global inventories had slipped by 40m barrels since October.Barclays Capital predicts higher oil prices next year even before the cuts, forecasting $75 a barrel by mid 2007 and $80 in the third quarter.Opec is taking much more off the market than it really should, said Kevin Norrish, the bank's chief oil analyst.
A strong rebound in energy costs could push up inflation over coming months in Europe and America, forcing central banks to tighten monetary policy yet again.Jean Claude-Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, said a fresh spike in oil prices was the biggest lurking threat to eurozone growth. Past commodity price increases are in the pipeline and we still have a risk there.
The oil price could increase again.Barclays Capital accused Opec of overstating the level of global oil inventories and the likely level of future supply. The cartel is already producing 1m barrels a day less than a year ago.Output by the non-Opec countries is falling as North Sea oil reserves dwindle and new rigs run into difficulties. Production by Britain, Norway, Mexico and the US has plummeted by 2.5m barrels a day to under 15.5m over the past four years.At the same time, China has emerged as the world's second biggest consumer of oil, increasing demand from 4.5m to 7m barrels a day. Critics accuse Opec of playing down looming shortages in order to justify an aggressive price policy.
The 11-nation cartel effectively set a floor of $60 earlier this year under pressure from hawks such as Venezuela and Iran. Opec appears to be ratcheting up the target level to nearer $80.Mr Daukoru said the cartel would not carry out the cuts if it risked damaging the global economy, but this was contradicted by Qatar's oil minister Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah who said the plans would go ahead irrespective of the price.
REVELATION 17:2-5
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Pope Meets Olmert, Praises Turn-the-Other-Cheek Policy
By Ezra HaLevi (INN) DEC 14,06
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Catholic Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday. The Christian leader praised Israel’s policy of adhering to a cease-fire deal despite continued attacks on its citizens. Olmert urged the Pope to encourage Christians to take a stance against Holocaust denial, in light of Iran’s state-sponsored conference this week questioning the reality of the Nazi genocide.
The Vatican released a statement directed at the Iranian conference on Tuesday, saying, The Shoah [Holocaust] was a great tragedy before which we cannot remain indifferent. The memory of those horrible events must remain as a warning for people's consciences.The Pope lauded Israel’s decision not to respond to continued missile attacks on Jewish towns in the western Negev.
He also praised Olmert’s visit to Germany.
Olmert's office said that Olmert and the Pontiff discussed the Vatican’s land holdings in Israel - including, presumably, the Catholic Church’s aims to develop a center on Mount Zion. According to Olmert’s office, the prime minister invited the Pope to visit Israel, saying his very presence would increase peace in Israel.
Benedict said he would come to Israel when things calm down. The Catholic world leader recently visited Turkey in an attempt to placate outraged Muslims following statements he made quoting an opinion that Islam is violent.Following his meeting with the Pope, which lasted 35 minutes instead of the scheduled 10-minute conversation, Olmert met with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.Israel and the Vatican established diplomatic relations in 1990.
Vaticans goals for Mt Zion!
He (Olmert) will also have a private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, during which he will invite the pontiff to visit Israel. Olmert will reportedly discuss changing the status of the Crusader-era building on Mount Zion in Jerusalem known as the Coenaculum. The holy site includes the Tomb of King David, the room where Christiantiy says Jesus and his disciples shared their Last Supper, as well as several mosques.
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)
Netanyahu: We must try Ahmadinejad for genocide
By Stan Goodenough,December 14, 2006
Former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is launching an effort to get Iranian megalomaniac Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tried on a charge of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.Ahmadinejad has frequently called for Israel's destruction, has vowed to carry this out himself, is currently hosting a conference aimed at disupting the facts about the Holocaust. All the while he is pursuing nuclear weapons with his eye on using them against Israel and the West.Netanyahu, the leader of the Opposition Likud Party and who, unlike virtually all of Israel's other prime ministers, believes in the importance of aggressive public relations on Israel's behalf, has invited 70 foreign diplomats stationed in Israel to a meeting next week.The media-savvy Israeli plans to use the event to challenge the world's complacency in the face of the mushrooming Iranian threat.Iran's nuclear program must be stopped, Netanyahu said. Ahmadinejad is saying clearly that [destroying the Jews is] his intention, and we aren't even shouting.
North American Union leader says merger just crisis away
Leading intellectual force behind effort toward EU-style unity looks at future,December 15, 2006 By Jerome R. Corsi,WorldNetDaily.com ,American University Professor Robert Pastor
Robert Pastor, a leading intellectual force in the move to create an EU-style North American Community, told WND he believes a new 9/11 crisis could be the catalyst to merge the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Pastor, a professor at American University, says that in such a case the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, or SPP – launched in 2005 by the heads of the three countries at a summit in Waco, Texas – could be developed into a continental union, complete with a new currency, the amero, that would replace the U.S. dollar just as the euro has replaced the national currencies of Europe. In May 2005, Pastor was co-chairman the Council on Foreign Relations task force that produced a report entitled Toward a North American Community, which he has claimed is the blueprint behind the SSP declared by President Bush, Mexico's then-President Vicente Fox, and Canada's then-Prime Minister Paul Martin.
At American University in Washington, D.C., Pastor directs the Center for North American Studies where he teaches a course entitled North America: A Union, A Community, or Just Three Nations? As WND previously has reported, Pastor is on the board of the North American Forum on Integration, the NAFI, a non-profit organization that annually holds a mock trilateral parliament for 100 selected students drawn from 10 universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Pastor had published an interview in Spanish in the Oct. 24 issue of Poder y Negocios. He told the magazine crises can force decisions that otherwise would not be made. The 9/11 crisis made Canada and the United States redefine the protection of their borders, Pastor explained. The debt crisis in Mexico forced the government to adapt a new economic model. The crises oblige the governments to make difficult decisions. This was the first time WND had found a major intellectual leader behind the push to integrate North America suggesting that a crisis of 9-11 proportions might be just what was needed to advance the process toward establishing a North American Union and the amero.
WND reached Pastor in his office at American University and conducted a telephone interview to make sure the Spanish publication accurately reflected his views.
He affirmed the Spanish interview represents his thinking. What I'm saying is that a crisis is an event which can force democratic governments to make difficult decisions like those that will be required to create a North American Community, he said. It's not that I want another 9/11 crisis, but having a crisis would force decisions that otherwise might not get made. Pastor noted, for example that Europeans, facing the crisis of two World Wars, turned to the European Community as a means to prevent war and advance their economic interests. The United States turned to the Marshall Plan when faced with the crisis of Western Europe falling into the hands of communism, he said. So, I'm not advocating, or encouraging, or wanting a crisis, I'm only saying that in order to take important initiatives, sometimes one manner in which this occurs is when there is a crisis to which leaders need to respond.
Pastor told WND he lamented that the leadership of the three North American countries is not positioned to make the type of tough decisions needed to advance a North American Community agenda. In his interview with Poder y Negocios, he argued, Canada has a minority government and Mexico will soon have a minority government that will be confronted with what amounts to an uprising that we hope will be peaceful. The United States has a lame duck president whose principle preoccupation is the war in Iraq and instability in the Middle East. Pastor further told WND Mexico's Fox made a tactical mistake by laying out an overly ambitious agenda to integrate with the United States. President Bush then took on the issue of illegal immigration, and it proved to be much more difficult than anticipated, he said. In the absence of strong North American leadership, is a crisis the way greater North
American integration can be expected to happen?
There are alternatives to a crisis for getting a major decision adopted by the president and by the congress, Pastor responded. But what I am saying is that we lack the kind of North American leadership we need. Our founding fathers created a system of governance that was not designed to be efficient but was designed to protect freedom. Therefore, you created checks and balances that did protect freedom but also made it difficult to move forward on important issues. Pastor was asked what North American leaders would need to do to move toward integration. We need to form a customs union to move North American integration to a new level, Pastor argued. A customs union would eliminate rules of origin on the border and agree to a common external tariff. This would not be easy but not as difficult as NAFTA was, and it would lead to efficiencies in our economies and in the end contribute to a better standard of living for all parties. Pastor also called for a North American Investment Fund to invest in Mexico's infrastructure.
If we had a North American Investment Fund, Pastor explained, over the long term, you would narrow the income gap between Mexico and the U.S. WND previously reported Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, dropped his support for legislation (S. 3622) he introduced in the 109th Congress to create a North American Investment Fund after WND pointed out the proposed law would advance an important part of Pastor's agenda to create a North American Community.
Pastor was careful to distinguish that his proposals were designed to create a North American Community and that he never has proposed to create a North American Union as an EU-style regional government. What I am recommending is a series of functional steps that are more than incremental, Pastor admitted. Each of the proposals I have laid out represent more than just small steps. But it doesn't represent a leap toward a North American Union, or even to some confederation of any kind. I don't think either is plausible, necessary, or even helpful to contemplate at this stage.
The idea seems to be to put new structures in place that change the look of the landscape. WND pointed out to Pastor that this step-by-step approach is the same approach taken to create the European Union. The memoirs of Jean Monnet, regarded as the architect of European unity, finally disclosed he had used a strategy of deceit, knowing his plan to form a European Union would never succeed if it were openly disclosed. Pastor was asked if he thought a North American Union was a bad idea.
No,he replied. I don't think a political union of North America is an inherently bad idea, nor do I think it is a good idea for North America right now. I teach a course at American University in which I look at the different options for political integration of North America, and I put the options before the students. Then why is a North American Union a bad idea right now? The reason the political integration is not a good idea at this stage now, perhaps never, is because of people like yourself who immediately begin to fear that their sense of America could disappear, Pastor responded. Somehow, if you're fearful that America's sovereignty will disappear, you won't even take small steps forward. You just get mired in the status quo. The problem is that the world is moving very rapidly, and you can't stay competitive if you don't move.
Pastor did not reject the idea that a North American Union could form, but only after further continental economic integration and the development of a North American Community in which people are able to think as citizens of North America. Is China the winner in the NAFTA super-corridors being planned for North America? If you define trade in zero-sum terms, China may be the winner in the transportation corridors, Pastor conceded. But even in zero-sum terms, consumers benefit from the increasing imports that give them more choice and give them more quality. In the final analysis, we are all consumers. Pastor affirmed he favors globalism.
I believe, he explained to WND, that globalization is a net plus for the world economy, for the middle class, and for all people.
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).
THE EU DICTATOR
REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN
CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships;
and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
EU leaders endorse enlargement slow down by Paul Harrington Dec 15, 10:41 AM ET
BRUSSELS (AFP) -European Union leaders have put the lid on further enlargement of the bloc until the necessary reforms can be agreed to accommodate new members and the whole process gains wide public support.
With Bulgaria and Romania set to become the EU's 26th and 27th member countries in a fortnight, the leaders confirmed that they were applying the brakes to further expansion, possibly until the end of the decade.They also endorsed a decision to partially block membership talks with Turkey, by freezing eight of the 35 policy chapters it must negotiate before joining.Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen told the post-summit press conference that previous enlargements had been successful and that the EU leaders had mapped out the best ways to ensure that future enlargement is also successful.It is important that the candidate countries meet the requirements and that the Union is able to operate effectively and to develop.
This summit sends out the message that we want to get our house in order, said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.We will work on the (EU) constitutional treaty under the German presidency, starting next month, he said.This summit sends the message that ours will remain an open house. We have given new impetus to the aspirations of the Western Balkans and we have clearly kept the door open for Turkey, he added.He added that there was a consensus on the need for constitutional reform to enhance our capacity to act.Their decisions will have major repercussions for Turkey and EU hopefuls in the Balkans like Croatia, which is expected to join by 2010, and to a lesser extent Macedonia.British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left the summit for a trip to Turkey and the Middle East, is one of the most supportive to Ankara's cause. For the EU and also Britain, it is important that we continue the process to accession with Turkey and we do not shut the door to Turkey's membership, he said.Perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome is the EU constitution, the blueprint for its future. The treaty was left in tatters last year after it was rejected in referendums by voters in France and the Netherlands.
Sixteen member countries have ratified the text, plus Bulgaria and Romania, but it had to be endorsed by all member countries before it can take effect.Encapsulated in it were reforms that would have allowed the 25-nation EU to operate more smoothly and efficiently as it expands. But the document has been in deep freeze during a prolonged period of reflection about what to do next. Germany is expected to revive talks on the constitution, although probably not using that term, and plot a roadmap for its acceptance.While no substantive decisions are expected before France takes over Europe's helm in the second half of 2008, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was looking forward to tackling the challenges facing the Union.Generally, I can say that we are looking forward to our presidency, Merkel told reporters as she arrived for the last session of the two-day summit.
There is a good climate in which to resolve certain issues, she said. Germany is not going to be alone and can have confidence that all member countries are going to cooperate. The ood climate at the summit was due in part to Turkey's trade and political problems with Cyprus being resolved by EU foreign ministers on Monday. While its strategic importance is undeniable, it would become one if the bloc's two most populous countries, securing voting rights beyond those of traditional EU heavyweights like Britain, France and Italy.
SPAIN #11 IN THE EU
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EU leaders revive constitution debate By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer Fri Dec 15, 10:25 AM ET
BRUSSELS, Belgium - European leaders on Friday tried to revive efforts to adopt the proposed European Union constitution, which many declared dead last year after it was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands. The 25 EU nations have moved from silent reflection to a more active thinking on the constitution, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen declared.Spain and Luxembourg are seeking to enlist the majority of EU nations that voted in favor of the landmark constitutional treaty, in a drive get it back on track.Those having ratified the treaty — these are 18 member states of the European Union — have the right to become more outspoken, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters Thursday.
Spain has called a friends of the constitution conference next month in Madrid for the 18 nations that supported the measure, including Bulgaria and Romania, which will join the EU formally on Jan. 1.Chancellor Angela Merkel said she will try to revive the constitution — intended to deepen Europe's integration — during Germany's six-month presidency of the bloc starting in January.
What's not clear is how pro-constitution forces will move forward. France and the Netherlands both have said they will not hold repeat referendums, although some hope for a shift in the French position after next year's presidential election.Although a majority of nations backed the text, it needs unanimous approval to come into force.
The constitution was designed to streamline EU decision-making following the entry of 10 new member nations in 2004. Without it, many leaders say it will be impossible to bring more members into the bloc.We don't think that further enlargements could be made without giving some deepening reform to Europe, Juncker said.Previous EU treaties have been voted down by referendums in Ireland and Denmark, but both nations changed their minds in second votes after the texts were adjusted.Even if the French and Dutch are persuaded to change their minds,though, the constitution would still face possible vetoes from British and Danes, traditional Euro-skeptics who must still vote on the charter.The Swedes, Poles, Czechs, Irish and Portuguese have not yet voted on the compact, either.Despite the uncertainty, supporters still think the constitution can eventually be adopted.We cannot throw out the entire text and start from scratch, said Finland's Vanhanen, whose country ratified the constitution last week.Supporters of the constitution have suggested several ways out of the current impasse — including incorporating some provisions of the charter in a mini-treaty that could be passed by the member states without further referendum votes.
The European Union Turns Fifty DEC 15,06
In March of 2007 Europe and the United States will observe one of the most important anniversaries of the post-Second World War era.
This date marks the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the document which established the European Economic Community (EEC) among six countries - Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Fifty years later, the EEC is now called the European Union (EU) and proudly boasts a membership of 27 nations. The road from EEC to EU has been long and often difficult. The ultimate goals of its founding fathers are far from being achieved. But even so, the EU has grown far beyond its original task of harmonizing tariffs and trade among its six original members, to become a community of more than 450 million inhabitants stretching from Ireland and Portugal in the West to Estonia and Finland in the East. It unites the traditional democracies of Western Europe with the newly emerged democracies of the former Soviet bloc. It even includes three members, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, that between 1941 and 1992 were illegally incorporated into the Soviet Union.
As such, the EU can already be described as one of history's greatest accomplishments. Built on the ruins of the Second World War, the framework for economic and political cooperation provided by the EU has made possible not only the rebuilding of the continent and the reconciliation of former enemies, but also the incorporation of a large portion of Europe into a community of nations determined to construct a democratic political federation across the entire continent.
The EU today is one of the world's leading economies and its largest trading community. It has established a common currency, the Euro, which has joined the Dollar and the Yen as an important international means of exchange. The European Parliament is a directly elected legislative body organized on party, rather than national lines. Fledgling European Security and Defense Cooperation has begun to undertake vital peacekeeping missions in many parts of the world. Cooperation among member states has extended to virtually every area of public interest, both at home and abroad.
Together with the United States and Canada, the member nations of the EU build a trans-Atlantic democratic community of nearly a billion persons. This cooperation is embodied most directly in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has guarded our mutual security since its founding in 1949. As the EU has expanded, many new areas of close trans-Atlantic cooperation have been agreed. The EU speaks officially for its members at international trade negotiations and in the World Trade Organization, WTO.
Equally as important is the close coordination between the European Central Bank and the United States Federal Reserve System and Treasury Department on the critical issues connected with maintenance of international financial stability.
Of growing importance is an active EU antitrust effort and close coordination in the international war against terrorism. In each of these areas, the EU is an essential framework for broader international cooperation. No single European country could offer the breadth of cooperation made possible by the EU. The roots of today's EU go back to the early postwar years. Determined to banish once and for all the destructive nationalism which had taken Europe to war three times in 75 years, leaders on both sides of the Atlantic called for building a European political union. The goal was described dramatically by Britain's great wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill as nothing less than a United States of Europe.
Europe's American allies took important first steps towards European unity in 1948 with establishment of the European Recovery Program, popularly known as the Marshall Plan after its founder Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The Marshall Plan provided credits to those European countries that wished to participate, for the reconstruction of their towns and their factories. But these credits came with a condition.
The money could be applied only on the basis of a joint program, worked out among the countries of Europe for the rebuilding of their continent. The Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) was born. This theme of economic cooperation was taken a step further in 1951, when Germany and France agreed to pool their industries with those of four other countries into the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). This was the first European initiative for economic integration.
A similar effort to join Europe's military forces into a single army proved to be somewhat premature and it failed when voted down by the French parliament. But it too added to the momentum of cooperation which culminated in signature of the Treaty of Rome. A step-by-step practical approach to unity has become the trademark of the EU. Over the years areas of cooperation among members have steadily increased. Important subjects such as trade, agriculture, health standards and others have been added to the original mandate of the Treaty of Rome. A major step forward was establishment of a truly unified single market for industrial and agriculture trade in 1992. The vision behind these economic steps has from the beginning been Churchill's call for political unity.
Important milestones include establishment of the European Parliament and successive unification treaties signed in the 1980s and 1990s. A common program for military security was established in 1998. Even though its member states maintain responsibility for foreign policy and security matters, areas of cooperation overseas have also grown. So, as its reaches fifty both the EU and its American partners can be proud of what they have achieved. But as 2007 approaches, it has also become clear that the postwar period embodied in the Treaty of Rome has long since come to an end. The formalized structures of the EU which demand consensus on most important issues are slow and inefficient. The large bureaucracy and expensive common programs for agriculture, industrial development and research no longer serve to stimulate necessary economic growth. The strains of enlargement from six to twenty-seven members has made progress on unification very difficult. And the twin challenges of aging of the population and globalization have turned the European social welfare state from an advantage to an expensive burden.
European populations sometimes seem to have lost touch with the original vision of the Treaty of Rome. They are looking more to individual needs in their home countries. This growing disinterest was reflected in failure of the European Constitutional Project in 2005.This anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is as important for Americans as it is for Europeans. Our task today is every bit as
great as it was in 1957, but the road ahead is not yet clear. One thing is clear, however. America and Europe compose the largest and strongest group of democracies in the world. If we are to ensure a democratic future for ourselves and the rest of the world, we must work together. That is why it is important to understand the role of the European Union on the interests of the United States.
And that it why it is very fitting to wish our European cousins a warm happy birthday on this important date. John Kornblum was US Ambassador to Germany from 1997 to 2001. Since 2001 he has been Chairman of the investment bank Lazard Germany.
www.europa.eu
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