Monday, March 03, 2008

US JEWS ENDORSE PA STATE (SICK)

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.

Atlantic provinces battered by snow, high winds
Sun Mar 2, 11:07 PM


PRINCE.EDWARD.ISLAND (CBC) - A winter storm caused whiteout conditions across much of Prince Edward Island and parts of New Brunswick, and was expected to move across western Newfoundland on Sunday evening.High winds and whiteout conditions were reported across most of Prince Edward Island.Snowplows were ordered off the roads in P.E.I.'s Prince County as blowing snow made it nearly impossible for drivers to navigate safely.Plow operators in Queens and Kings counties were also keeping an eye on the storm in case they, too, had to pull their vehicles off the road. Only the main roads in those counties were being plowed.It looks like we're not going to see much improvement until at least midnight tonight and throughout the early hours until tomorrow [Monday] morning, said Brian Ellis, a dispatcher for P.E.I.'s Department of Transportation.

Confederation Bridge was closed to traffic, and anyone attempting to drive in Prince Edward Island was being urged to use extreme caution.The airport in Charlottetown remained open, with only a few delays and cancellations, but travellers were advised to call ahead to check on the status of their flights.In New Brunswick, a stretch of Highway 2 that runs along the Tantramar Marsh was closed because of the storm. RCMP were asking drivers to stay off the roads everywhere in the province.The Trans-Canada Highway from Sackville to Amherst was also closed until further notice, due to poor road conditions.Winter weather in Nova Scotia was causing some difficulty for drivers.Road conditions were particularly bad along Highways 101 and 103 outside of Halifax, which were described as snow-covered and passable with caution.Officials warned that some parts of Highway 104 near Amherst may be difficult to navigate.The storm was expected to move across western Newfoundland and Labrador late Sunday. The hardest-hit region will be southeastern Labrador, where up to 40 centimetres of snow are expected by Monday afternoon.

About 15 centimetres are predicted to fall on the Northern Peninsula.With files from the Canadian Press

Snow, tornadoes hit southern Plains By MURRAY EVANS, Associated Press Writer Mon Mar 3, 5:54 PM ET

OKLAHOMA CITY - Snow fell across parts of Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle on Monday, part of a storm system that produced at least two weekend tornadoes and hail as big as softballs. The National Weather Service posted a snow and blowing snow advisory for parts of Oklahoma and a winter storm warning for sections of Arkansas, where 3 to 6 inches of snow was possible. In the Texas Panhandle, ice and snow covered local roads in western areas of the Panhandle but no problems were reported.Up to 4 inches of rain had fallen by midday Monday in parts of Arkansas, the weather service said. Winds gusted as high as 61 mph in southwest Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma Mesonet, a network of weather monitoring stations.A cold front triggered damaging winds in the northeastern corner of Texas and a chance for rare snow in the Dallas-Fort Worth area Monday.

Tornado warnings were posted in Bowie County, where strong winds downed trees and damaged property. In Hooks, about 160 miles northeast of Dallas, there were reports of damage but no injuries, said Police Chief Keith Schutte.On Sunday, two tornadoes were spotted in rural areas of northwestern Oklahoma. Television footage showed one twister passing the communities of Carleton and Southard in northern Blaine County.No fatalities or severe damage were reported, but downed power lines caused scattered blackouts. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said one highway near the Kansas state line that was closed because of fallen power lines had been reopened early Monday.Sunday's storm system also produced wind gusting up to 70 mph, lightning and hail as large as softballs that caused scattered damage, said weather service meteorologist Chris Sohl in Norman.Such a storm system is not all that odd, but this early in March sometimes it's a trick to get enough moisture up here for (atmospheric) instability, Sohl said.The stormy weather formed along a cold front stretching across the middle of the nation. Radar showed rain falling along the front from Texas to Michigan on Monday morning with snow in parts of Michigan and Wisconsin.

WHAT ON EARTH ARE THESE JEWS THINKING. WANTING THE PHILISTINE ARABS TO HAVE THEIR OWN STATE....SICKKKKKKK.

FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU U.S. Jews give Palestinian state endorsement Orthodox Union abstains in vote on suggested Middle East solution March 03, 2008 10:05 pm Eastern By Aaron Klein
2008 WorldNetDaily


JERUSALEM – The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a coalition of major mainstream U.S. Jewish organizations, has for the first time given endorsement to a Palestinian state.But the firestorm of nationalist Jewish outrage on the Internet has targeted the Orthodox Union, or O.U., one of the largest U.S. Orthodox Jewish organizations representing hundreds of Orthodox synagogues, which abstained and did not vote against a successful resolution calling for a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Surveys have consistently demonstrated American Orthodox Jews oppose a Palestinian state.It is an outrage Jewish organizations would support a Palestinian state and it's a shock the O.U .would abstain, Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, told WND.When the Palestinian Authority refuses to arrest terrorists, engages in and glorifies murder against Jews, and puts out maps showing all of Israel is Palestine surrounded by rifles, it becomes clear any Palestinian state will be a terrorist state which will greatly harm Israel, Klein said.At a vote last week during its annual meetings, the JCPA resolved the organized American Jewish community should affirm its support for two independent, democratic and economically viable states – the Jewish state of Israel and a state of Palestine – living side-by-side in peace and security.The resolution recognized American Jewry's diverse views about current and future policies of the Israeli government towards settlements, and blamed the standstill in the peace process on Palestinian intransigence.The Council is an umbrella of 14 major national Jewish groups and 125 local Jewish community relations councils. Among the groups represented by the council are such giants as the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League , National Council of Bnai Brith, Hadassah, the National Conference on Soviet Jewry and Hillel, the largest Jewish university outreach group.

The O.U. was recipient of the most criticism for abstaining during the vote in which all other groups voted in favor. According to a source at the organization, e-mails have been pouring in from outraged Orthodox Jews.In a widely circulated e-mail, Pessach Aceman, a Canadian immigrant to Israel and a diarist for the BBC website, lambasted the Orthodox group as a terror supporting organization through your silence.What total hypocrisy this is, wrote Acement. What this goes to show is that politics and funding rule the airwaves which makes your efforts totally hypocritical.Ted Belman, who runs the Israpundit blog, posted, To my mind this resolution is very detrimental as it makes it harder for alternates to be forwarded. By endorsing this resolution are the O.U. and the others saying they support a two state solution regardless if it necessitates the division of Jerusalem? In an official clarification, the O.U. released a statement that while it abstained from the final vote endorsing a Palestinian state, the group still managed to insert into the resolution's text a statement explaining Israel's repeated offers to establish a Palestinian state have been met, time after time, by violence, incitement and terror.The organization also successfully vetoed a clause that would have stated the American Jewish community views the establishment or expansion of Israeli communities in the West Bank as an impediment to peace.Nadia Matar, director of Woman in Green, a nationalist activist group in Israel, wrote in a widely circulated e-mail the O.U.'s clarifications are not enough.So now, after the O.U.'s clarification, we ask the one million dollar question: Why is the O.U. still part of the JCPA? Where is the O.U.'s outrage?

Matar wrote.Asked by WND whether the O.U. supports a Palestinian state, the organization's executive vice president, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, answered simply no.Weinreb said his group abstained from the vote rather than vote against the resolution for procedural reasons.David Luchins, an O.U. officer who represented the organization during the vote, said abstaining gives the O.U. more of a platform afterwards to explain to everyone why we abstained from the vote.Rabbi Pessach Lerner, executive vice president of the National Council of Young Israel, another major Orthodox group representing hundreds of synagogues, said his organization, which is not part of the JCPA, opposes a Palestinian state, as do most Orthodox Jews.What two state solution? We just need just to look out the window and see the Qassams and Grad rockets and bullets flying. We need to read the papers and listen to the radio. There is a war going on. Now is the time to discuss defense, to guarantee security to the citizens of Israel, said Lerner.The only solution that we should be thinking of is security, quiet and the ability to live like normal human beings – without the concern of being shot at, Lerner said.

Rice, confident of Mideast progress, lashes Hamas MAR 3,08

BRUSSELS (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday stressed her confidence in the chances of success for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process launched in November at Annapolis, blaming Hamas for the recent burst of violence in the Middle East.
I continue to believe that they can get to a deal by the end of the year, Rice said in the plane taking her to Cairo, the first leg of a new Middle East tour.The Annapolis process is hardly underway. We are three months in, Rice told journalists accompanying her before making a stopover in Brussels.The secretary of state refrained for criticizing Israel over its Operation Hot Winter which claimed dozens of Palestinian lives in the space of two days in the Gaza Strip, including women and children, noting that the onslaught was in self defence.I am going to have discussions with the Egyptians, with the Palestinians and with the Israelis about how you might get violence to stop. But first and foremost Hamas needs to stop firing rockets into Israeli cities, she said referring to the ruling Islamist group in the Gaza Strip.

Obviously the situation in Gaza is one that is concerning, Rice went on. But ... we need to continue to work, first of all to make certain that everyone understands that Hamas is doing what might be expected, which is using attacks, rocket attacks on Israel to try to arrest a peace process in which they have nothing to gain.She called on the Israelis, however, to allow the resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying: One, again, has to think in carrying out military operations, about the day after.

Palestinians call drones a deadly weapon By IBRAHIM BARZAK and ARON HELLER, Associated Press Writers Mon Mar 3, 7:22 PM ET

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Palestinians say they know when an Israeli drone is in the air: Cell phones stop working, TV reception falters and they can hear a distant buzzing. They also know what's likely to come next — a devastating explosion on the ground. Palestinians say Israel's pilotless planes have been a major weapon in its latest offensive in Gaza, which has killed nearly 120 people since last week.Our experience is that the drone missile is successful in hitting its targets, and it's deadly, said Dr. Mahmoud Assali, a Palestinian physician who works in the emergency room of a northern Gaza Strip hospital that has often treated Palestinian gunmen hit by Israeli drones.The drone has a zone of around 15 meters (50 feet) where it decimates everything. It targets people and leaves them in pieces, Assali said.Israel is at the forefront of the drone technology that is increasingly being used in hotspots around the world. The unmanned craft provide a deadly and cost-effective alternative for armies to target enemies, without risking their own pilots' lives and reducing civilian casualties in heavily populated areas.

The unmanned craft are guided by remote control from the ground. Because of their small size and relatively low speed, their low-yield missiles can be aimed precisely.The use of drones is shrouded in secrecy, and Israeli defense officials refuse to comment publicly on whether they are being used in airstrikes in Gaza. However, Israeli officers in private conversations have confirmed use of the weapons.Wary Gaza militants using binoculars are on constant lookout for drones. When one is sighted overhead, the militants report via walkie-talkie to their comrades, warning them to turn off their cell phones and remove the batteries for fear the Israeli technology will trace their whereabouts.A militant from the southern Gaza Strip who belongs to the Islamic Jihad group said drones were mostly used to target individuals, and not structures. He said they often hovered at much higher altitudes than manned aircraft and their missiles were frequently more destructive, leaving deep gashes where they landed.The militant said the drones usually targeted slow-moving targets, like people walking, or cars slowing down to avoid potholes in a road.

It looks like it makes small circles in the sky, but before it's about to fire a missile, it slows down, the militant said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared being identified by Israel. It's not like any other plane. You don't see the missile leaving, it's very quiet.Damian Kemp, an aviation desk editor at Jane's Defence Weekly, said Israel is probably the first country in the world to use unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, for both surveillance and to fire missiles. Israel is a world leader in the field and capable of doing everything from the very small to the very large, he said.He said drones were likely more accurate, cost-effective and safer than manned F-16 fighter jets and Apache helicopters.The key thing in a UAV is it does missions that are dull, dirty and dangerous, Kemp said. They can be up there for a long time and in areas where you don't need to put a pilot at risk.

Jaber Wishah, deputy director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, said his group has received reports about drones firing missiles for more than three years.The kind of missile — from the shrapnel we've gathered — appears to be small, Wishah said. But do we have documentation, photographs of a drone? We don't.Israel has long been considered the world leader in drone technology and proudly exhibits its products at international air shows. But it maintains its drones are for surveillance purposes, and refuses to confirm using them in airstrikes.Doron Suslik, a top official at the Israel Aerospace Industries, which manufactures drones, said the company has customers from all over the world, including Switzerland, France and India, with annual sales of $500 million to $600 million. He refused to divulge the drone's military capabilities, citing his clients' desire for confidentiality. Government and army officials also refused to comment on the drone's firing capabilities. Israel has used unmanned aircraft since the early 1970s, and its fleet has steadily increased. Air force officials say drones have become such an integral part of Israel's air power that their flight hours now outnumber those of manned fighter planes. Last March, Israel unveiled its largest unmanned aircraft to date at a seaside air force base in central Israel. The Heron, with a 54-foot wingspan, can fly for up to 30 hours at a speed of 140 mph and a height of 30,000 feet. Kemp of Jane's Defence Weekly, said a newer version, the Heron TP, was unveiled in June in Paris. With a wingspan of 85 feet, it can fly for as long as 36 hours and carry a maximum payload of 2,200 pounds. The U.S. Army has used drones such as the MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper for airstrikes against al-Qaida commanders and other militants in Afghanistan and Iraq. U.S. drones have also reportedly killed militants in Pakistan and Yemen.

U.S.-made Predators are a common sight in the skies of Baghdad, equipped with cameras, sensors and radar that can capture video and still images. The U.S. Air Force operates a fleet of roughly 100 Predators. The CIA also uses the aircraft and was closely involved in its development. It provides almost real-time, full-motion video and is remotely piloted — Air Force pilots control and operate the aircraft in Iraq and Afghanistan from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas. The Reaper is four times heavier than the Predator, can fly twice as fast and twice as high. In January, a missile fired from a Predator killed Abu Laith al-Libi, a top al-Qaida commander, in Pakistan's lawless tribal region of north Waziristan. Coalition forces in Afghanistan are believed to have launched a number of missile strikes from drones against Taliban and al-Qaida militants hiding on the Pakistani side of the border, but the U.S. military has never confirmed them. AP writer Aron Heller reported from Jerusalem. AP writer Diaa Hadid in Jerusalem also contributed to this report.

Chinese yellow sand hits Japan, SKorea: officials
Mon Mar 3, 1:31 AM


SEOUL (AFP) - Hazardous yellow sand from China covered parts of South Korea and Japan on Monday, keeping people indoors as Tokyo pressed Beijing to reveal more information to the public.Schools were closed as the dust blanketed southern parts of the Korean peninsula, while Japan advised people to be cautious and predicted the dust would continue for another day.Yellow dust -- fine sand from Mongolia's Gobi Desert which sometimes includes toxic chemical smog emitted by Chinese factories -- usually hits South Korea and Japan in the spring. It can cause respiratory disorders.In Tokyo, Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita recently called on Beijing to disclose data on the yellow sand.About yellow sand, I am not quite sure how and why it can be regarded as a national secret, Kamoshita told a press conference last month.Air is connected beyond national borders, and yellow sand travels beyond borders. I think it is important we share information, he said.Japan, China and South Korea have began joint research on the phenomenon. Japan's environment ministry recently began posting observation data and forecasts for dust waves on the Internet.But according to Japan, China has refused to release its own data and has insisted that any joint findings be kept from the public.

In South Korea, nursery and elementary schools were shut down along the southern coast including in the country's second largest city of Busan.Weather officials said the dust had blanketed much of South Korea and expected the yellow storm blanket would sweep the peninsula more often this year than in the past.Dust and sand will also hit most of Japan until Tuesday except for the northernmost regions, the meteorological agency said.By Monday, the sand already swept over the southern regions of Okinawa and Kyushu, where the dust could be seen on vehicles and on laundry out to dry.Small businesses put plastic covering on their storefronts to avoid damage to their products, television footage showed.Motorists were advised to exercise caution in southern Japanese cities including Kumamoto and Nagasaki, where visibility fell below five kilometres (three miles).

MEDVEDEV NEW RUSSIAN LEADER

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

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.

Moderate earthquake hits northen Chile
www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-02 09:05:30


SANTIAGO, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A moderate earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale shook northern Chile Saturday, causing power blackout, said Chile's National Emergency Office on its website.
The quake struck at 4:52 p.m. local time (1952 GMT), and its center was about 35 km northeast of the city of Iquique at a depth of some 35 km, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No casualties were reported. Northern Chile has been struck by earthquakes for several times in recent months. The largest one occurred on Nov. 14, 2007, when a quake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale killed two people and injured more than 110 others. Editor: Du Guodong

Quake-hit residents hit by gales MAR 01,08

A pensioner was crushed by a falling tree as gale force winds caused widespread damage across a swathe of northern and eastern England.The 67-year-old woman, the most seriously injured victim of the gales, was critically ill in hospital.Winds of almost 80mph struck parts of Yorkshire early in the day and and from the Scottish border to Lincolnshire reported falling trees and damaged houses. People living near the epicentre of the midweek earthquake were counting the cost of the gales.Forecasters said the wind speeds were dropping but predicted possible wintry weather at the beginning of next week.The worst incident related to the overnight gales happened in Saltburn, Cleveland, when two women were hit by a falling tree in the town's Italian Gardens, close to the seafront.

The women were from the Brotton area of Cleveland and aged 67 and 63.The older woman was critical but stable in hospital. The other woman had less serious injuries.In East Yorkshire, another tree fall left a driver in hospital. The motorist was injured when the tree hit a Ford Focus car on the A165 Beverley to Driffield road, close to Leconfield.Humberside firefighters were called to a series of weather related incidents including fallen chimney stacks and collapsing scaffolding, but spokesman Glenn Ramsden said some of the call-outs were to structural problems which could have been caused by the earthquake on Wednesday morning.In Gainsborough, 20 miles from the earthquake's epicentre at Market Rasen and one of the most affected areas, residents and businesses woke up to more damage to their properties. It has been a week to forget for the town, which was hit on Friday by a one-and-a-half hour power cut.
Matt Dobson, a forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, the Press Association's weather division, said it was one of the windiest days of the winter for the areas affected.

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.

Rough weather week ahead Mark Avery Sun Mar 2, 6:00 AM ET

South

Severe weather is expected over the South for the next few days as a strong cold front moves through the region. It will start off later this afternoon as some severe thunderstorms over the Southern Plains and move into the Lower Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley tomorrow before reaching the Southeast Coast on Tuesday. Behind the front, areas of snow are possible as colder weather makes a comeback throughout the week. Another chance of rain will begin to move into the Southern Plains on Thursday and along the Gulf and Southeast Coasts on Friday. Highs today will range from the 50s in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles to the 80s in the Rio Grande Valley and Southwest Florida. Highs tomorrow will range from the 30s in much of Oklahoma and North Central Texas to the 80s in Far South Texas and the Florida Peninsula.

Midwest

The strong cold front bringing severe storms to the South will bring heavy rain and areas of snow to the Midwest over the next few days. Some areas will see both rain (ahead of the front) and snow (behind the front) as the system moves through the region. In addition to the rain and snow, gusty winds will also be a factor through midweek. As this strong system moves out, a clipper system will move in behind it bringing rain and snow to the Northern Plains on Tuesday and Upper Mississippi Valley on Wednesday before being absorbed by the stronger system ahead of it on Thursday with lingering lake-effect snow near the Great Lakes to end the week. Highs today will range from the 20s in northern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota to the 70s over much of Missouri, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and southeastern Kansas. Highs tomorrow will range from around 10 in northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota to the 70s in the southeastern half of Kentucky.

West

Snow is expected today in the Rockies as the system impacting the Central U.S. brings upslope winds and a subsequent chance at snow. As high pressure builds in over the Great Basin later today into tonight and tomorrow, Santa Ana winds will begin to develop over Southern California with gusty winds also possible in southern Nevada and much of Arizona. The southern end of a storm system will move into the Pacific Northwest tomorrow, with the main energy actually heading inland along the British Columbia Coast. This system will evolve into a clipper system by Tuesday, bringing a chance of snow to the Northern Rockies and Northern High Plains. Snow is also possible on Wednesday in the Central Rockies with some rain possible in the Four Corners. A few snow showers are possible on Thursday in the Northern High Plains on Thursday, with rain and snow near the Four Corners. Highs today will range from around 20 in the southwestern Colorado Mountains to around 80 in southeastern New Mexico. Highs tomorrow will range from the 20s in the Wyoming and Colorado Rockies to the 70s in the Lower Colorado River Valley, much of Southern California, and the southern San Joaquin Valley.

Northeast

The Alberta Clipper that brought snow to areas of the Northeast Friday and Saturday will finally pull off the coast today, with a few lingering snow showers left over this morning in Northern New England. The next system will begin to impact parts of Northern New England and northern New York State tomorrow in the form of a light wintry mix and light freezing rain. The main impacts from the next system will come on Tuesday and Wednesday with a wintry mix changing to snow in the interior, rain changing to mix in the mountains, and with locally heavy rain expected near the Coast. Some lake-effect snows are possible near the Great Lakes on Thursday with more snow possible on Friday in the interior and a mix of rain and snow near the coast. Highs today will range from the 20s over Northern New England to the low 60s in southern West Virginia. Highs tomorrow will range from the 30s over Northern New England to the 70s over western West Virginia.

Extreme weather kills 13 in Europe MAR 02,08

BERLIN (AFP) - Hurricane-strength winds howled across Europe over the weekend, killing 13 people and leaving a trail of destruction as cars were blown off the road, roofs were ripped off and trees fell like matchsticks.The storm, dubbed Emma by forecasters, brought with it winds of up to 200 kilometres (125 miles) an hour and heavy rains as it ripped its way across central Europe.As the winds eased slightly on Sunday Germany reported five people dead, Austria four, the Czech Republic two and Poland two.In Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany a driver was crushed when a tree fell on his car, while a 72-year-old man in Bavaria perished when a gust of wind pushed his car into the path of an oncoming lorry, police said.In Baden-Wuerttemberg a 19-year-old man was killed in another head-on collision caused by the wind, while in Saxony a 48-year-old woman died and four people were injured in a car crash caused by snow and strong winds.In Saxony-Anhalt in eastern Germany a 48-year-old man died when winds made him lose control of his minivan on the motorway.Six people were hurt when their bus was blown off the road and into a ditch in Bavaria, while rail passengers had a lucky escape near Bonn when their train hit a tree that had fallen on the line, ripping a large hole in the locomotive.Across Germany, roads and railway lines were closed, roofs were ripped off houses, cars were overturned and power lines put out of action.

Authorities said tens of millions of euros (dollars) worth of damage has been caused.The southern state of Bavaria was particularly badly hit, with 150,000 homes without electricity and heavy rain causing flooding, police said.In Austria, where winds reached up to 166 kilometres per hour, two German tourists were killed on Saturday in separate incidents in the western province of Tyrol.In the central Salzburg province, a taxi passenger was killed by rockfall apparently caused by the storm and a woman was crushed in Lower Austria when a tree squashed her car.Some 10,000 homes in Upper Austria were without power, roads and sections of motorway had to be shut down and rail services around the country were severely disrupted.Two people were also killed in the Czech Republic, emergency services said.An 11-year-old girl died from her injuries after a tree fell on her in Libeznice, near Prague, while an 80-year-old man perished when a metal roof fell on top of him near Nymburk, in the east of the country.About 40 people had to be evacuated from a block of flats in Prague after its roof was ripped off, and 100,000 people were without electricity in the western Karlovarsky region. Train services were disrupted across the country.In Poland there were two fatalities including a 42-year-old killed when a tree blew over and flattened his car.A 28-year-old man was also killed when a piece of metal blown off the lorry he was travelling behind hit his car 120 kilometres north of Warsaw.

Polish rescue services attended to 2,500 emergency calls overnight and on Sunday morning. Thousands of homes were left without power.
In the Netherlands, flights to and from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport suffered severe delays as only one runway could be used for take-offs and landings.The government also warned of potential flooding, while in Romania, flooding caused a bridge to collapse and four ports on the Black Sea were closed.

Death toll in Hamilton fire climbs to five
Updated Sun. Mar. 2 2008 1:47 PM ET The Canadian Press


HAMILTON, Ont. -- The death toll following a devastating blaze inside a single family west Hamilton home early Saturday has climbed to five. Investigators say a two-year-old child succumbed to her injuries in hospital Saturday night. Identified as baby Ella Denhollander-Hanigan, the youngster's 22-year-old mother Melissa Denhollander and her two sisters Emma, 4, and Alana, 1, were also killed in the blaze. Investigators have identified the other adult victim as a 19-year-old male resident of the home but his name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The woman's 28-year-old boyfriend, Richard Griffin, remains at the Hamilton General where he's recovering from burns and smoke inhalation, while a 20-year-old female has since been treated in hospital and released. Fire investigators say there were no working smoke alarms inside the home.

1,270 birds destroyed after raid on B.C. cockfighting ring
Friday, February 29, 2008 | 8:37 PM ET CBC News


Destroying 1,270 birds seized in a Surrey, B.C., cockfighting investigation took more than a dozen SPCA officers about 13 hours, says an official from the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.SPCA official Shawn Eccles displays metal spurs that were recovered from a massive cockfighting ring in Surrey, B.C., Wednesday.(CBC) The most horrific part of the warrant was having to euthanize every single one of the roosters on the property,said Shawn Eccles, BC SPCA chief animal prevention officer.

Eileen Dreever, a senior animal protection officer with the BC SPCA, said it was a painful experience for those who usually protect animals against cruelty.Each and every one of us had to justify what we were doing and why we were doing it and that was because if we didn't destroy these birds they would have died a horrible death, Dreever said Friday.We came across a number of birds with legs missing, eyes missing and they had puncture wounds to their bodies, she said.Eileen Dreever, a senior animal protection officer with the BC SPCA, says some of the birds found were missing their eyes and legs and suffered puncture wounds to their bodies.(CBC) We had no choice but to destroy the birds. It angers me that all these birds had to lose their lives in the name of sports or a game.While the SPCA has recommended that charges be laid against 27 people involved in the ring, police said Friday that charges are pending against only one man while their investigation continues.RCMP Const. Annie Linteau said a 58-year-old man was detained and released, and it will be up to the Crown to decide whether charges are laid against him.As part of their investigation, RCMP are looking into whether the cockfighting may be linked to organized crime.

SPCA officers were aided by the RCMP and Surrey bylaw officers when they executed search warrants and raided three properties in the rural area of Cloverdale earlier this week. The searches were carried out over two days, starting Wednesday evening.Cockfighting may have been going in the area for the past three or four years, SPCA officials told a news conference in Vancouver Friday.Some of the 1,270 fighting birds found on three properties were fed steroids and kept in a perpetual state of excitement.The birds were kept tethered to barrels and several were suffering from injuries such as infected cuts, missing eyes and head wounds.Officials said they found two fighting pits on two properties, as well as a wide variety of cockfighting paraphernalia, including curved metal spurs used to slash opponents, score cards, syringes and a feathered mock-up bird on the end of a stick.

PA Suspends Negotiations Over Gaza Operation
by Hana Levi Julian MAR 02,08


(IsraelNN.com) Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Ahmed Qureia suspended talks with Israel Saturday over stepped-up IDF operations which killed some 60 terrorists and wounded at least 60 others in Gaza, most of them members of Hamas.Senior PA negotiator Saeb Erekat told the AFP news agency The negotiations are buried under the houses that were destroyed in Gaza. The peace process has been destroyed because of the aggressions and the crimes that have been committed.Qureia officially notified Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni of the decision Saturday evening. She replied, Even if the Palestinians suspend talks, it won't influence in any way the decisions or operations Israel carries out to defend its citizens. From the beginning, this was the basis of talks with the moderate elements in the Palestinian Authority.The attacks on Gaza terrorists came after days of warnings by government officials there would be a harsh response if they did not cease attacking Israel with rockets, averaging two attacks per hour since last Wednesday. The rocket attacks which resulted in the death of an innocent Israeli and injuries to many more must cease and are utterly to be condemned.Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Saturday that Israel held Hamas responsible for the civilian casualties and would continue its operations to end the terror attacks on Israeli citizens.

We are not happy about civilians being hurt in Gaza, said Barak in a statement. Hamas and those who fire rockets at Israel are responsible and they will pay the price.Six people were wounded in missile attacks on the coastal city of Ashkelon Saturday, including two children, and many others suffered shock. There were a number of other attacks on Sderot as well, lightly wounding at least one person and sending others into shock. A total of 49 people were taken to Barzilai Medical Center in the city.Ronnie Yechiya, a husband and father of four who was a student at Sapir College adjacent to Sderot, was killed this past week in a rocket attack on the city, and a number of Jewish children have been seriously wounded recently by the missiles fired from northern Gaza. One young boy lost his leg when a rocket exploded three feet away from him as he frantically sought shelter,PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Saturday evening appealed to the United Nations to force Israel to end its attacks. [Abbas] has asked for an urgent session of the Security Council, said PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah in a statement. Denouncing the attacks as more than a Holocaust, Abbas called for international protection for the Palestinian people, claiming that IDF attacks were aimed at innocent women, children and old people. Abbas's doctoral thesis in 1983 dealt with denying the extent of the Holocaust.Hamas, which continues to rule Gaza after wresting control over the region from Fatah-controlled PA government in a military coup last June, declared three days of mourning for the Gaza dead. The terrorist organization also said it would cancel classes in its schools on Sunday.

Foreign Reactions Divided

The official Jordanian news agency Petra quoted King Abdullah II as saying in a phone conversation with Abbas that the IDF operations were a violation of all international conventions. He termed the IDF counterterrorist operations a massacre.The Egyptian Foreign also criticized the attacks on Gaza terrorists. It is regretful that Israel carries out these operations without calculating the consequences on the adopted peace efforts, read the statement.

Both nations have peace treaties with Israel.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared that Israel will be uprooted and its leaders tried for Saturdays deadly attacks on Gaza. Iran is a generous sponsor of terror activities and a primary patron of a number of terrorist organizations.I already said last year that the real Holocaust was in Palestine, Mr Ahmadinejad told state television in an interview, alluding to his oft-repeated doubts about the magnitude of the mass slaughter of Jews in World War II. The Libyan Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing similar sentiments, calling on the Arab world to halt what it called an Israeli military campaign aimed at wiping out the Palestinian people.The Bush administration issued a statement in Washington urging Jerusalem to consider the consequences of its Gaza military activities. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is still scheduled to arrive in Israel by mid-week and has added Egypt to her agenda.Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair harshly condemned the constant rocket fire on southern Israel by Gaza terrorists while at the same time appealing to Israeli officials to avoid hurting Gaza civilians while trying to end the attacks on western Negev residents.The loss of civilian life including children is absolutely tragic, said Blair on Friday. The rocket attacks which resulted in the death of an innocent Israeli and injuries to many more must cease and are utterly to be condemned.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

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

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

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

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

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

Dow loses 315 on economic worries By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer Sat Mar 1, 4:24 AM ET

NEW YORK - Stocks fell sharply Friday after a series of depressing economic and corporate reports as well as high oil prices stoked concerns about the health of the economy. The major stock indexes fell more than 2.5 percent and the Dow Jones industrials lost 315 points. Investors were unnerved by disappointing quarterly results from American International Group Inc. and Dell Inc. And an index of regional business activity that Wall Street regards as a good indicator of a broader report due next week had its weakest showing in more than six years.Oil prices continued to stir concern about inflation after pushing past $103 per barrel for the first time.

While stocks made sharp gains in the first three days this week even amid somewhat lackluster economic readings, the litany of concerns investors succumbed to Friday reflected the undercurrent of uncertainty that has kept Wall Street on edge for months.We really had to face a plethora of negative news, said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Jefferies & Co. in Boston. We just ran out of gas this week.Hogan said while stocks held up admirably early in the week amid an uneven flow of economic news, they couldn't hold their gains after the latest round of weak economic signals.The Dow fell 315.79, or 2.51 percent, to 12,266.39.Broader stock indicators also tumbled. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 37.05, or 2.71 percent, to 1,330.63, and the Nasdaq composite index declined 60.09, or 2.58 percent, to 2,271.48.For the week, the Dow lost 0.93 percent, while the S&P 500 gave up 1.66 percent and the Nasdaq fell 1.38 percent. The week's losses would have been steeper had stocks not risen early in the week on hopes many of Wall Street's credit troubles were easing and after IBM Corp. announced a sizable stock repurchase plan.Friday's losses sent stocks lower for February, the fourth straight month of declines.

Bond prices rose sharply as stocks lost ground. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.53 percent in late trading from 3.67 percent late Thursday.The Chicago Board Options Exchange's volatility index, known as the VIX, and often referred to as the fear index, jumped 12.8 percent.The dollar hit another low against the euro and slid to a three-year record against the yen. The fall in the dollar has sent prices of commodities such as oil and gold soaring.Light, sweet crude jumped to a record of $103.05 in early electronic trading before settling down 75 cents at $101.84 a barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange.Insurer AIG announced a $5.29 billion quarterly loss largely because of steep declines in the value of a portfolio of contracts known as credit default swaps. Such contracts pledge to cover missed payments on debt. The company's losses caught analysts off guard, as many had expected the company to turn a profit.While each of the 30 stocks that comprise the Dow industrials showed declines, those of AIG were the steepest. The stock fell $3.29, or 6.6 percent, to $46.86.

Computer maker Dell posted a 6 percent decline in its quarterly profit, falling below analysts' expectations, and warned that its business could suffer from reduced customer spending. Dell slid 97 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $19.90.Bill Schultz, chief investment officer at McQueen, Ball & Associates in Bethlehem, Pa., said AIG's report left investors uneasy about the prospect of further sizable write-downs of bad debt. Every time we get to a point where we think we've finished, another report comes out and says we're not done yet, he said. Schultz expects Wall Street will continue to proceed with fits and starts until investors sense that the bad debt from faltering mortgages has been accounted for and that balance sheets are on the mend. Some relief for the ailing bond insurance industry is on the way, though the news didn't dislodge Wall Street's glum mood Friday. Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross agreed to invest up to $1 billion in Bermuda-based reinsurer Assured Guaranty Ltd. Assured Guaranty rose $2.87, or 12.6 percent, to $25.65. In economic news, the Chicago purchasing managers index for February came in at 44.5, a weaker reading than the 48.5 that had been expected, according to Dow Jones Newswires. The report painted a dreary picture of the manufacturing sector and is seen as a precursor to the national Institute for Supply Management report expected Monday. A government report showed that personal spending, when stripping out the effects of inflation, stood unchanged in January. The findings brought further worries that consumers are more hesitant to reach into their wallets amid the uncertainties facing the economy. A parade of economic worries has weighed on consumer as well. The Reuters-University of Michigan final consumer sentiment reading for February came in at 70.8, better than the figure of 69 that had been expected. Still, the index was well off the level of 78.4 seen in January. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by roughly 7 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 4.23 billion shares compared with 3.76 billion shares traded Thursday. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 19.54, or 2.77 percent, to 686.18. Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average closed down 2.32 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 lost 1.36 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 1.67 percent, and France's CAC-40 gave up 1.53 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average ended the week down 114.63, or 0.93 percent, at 12,266.39. The Standard & Poor's 500 index finished down 22.48, or 1.66 percent, at 1,330.63. The Nasdaq composite index ended the week down 31.87, or 1.38 percent, at 2,271.48. The Russell 2000 index finished the week down 9.25, or 1.33 percent, at 686.18.

The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index — a free-float weighted index that measures 5,000 U.S. based companies — ended Friday at 13,455.96, down 207.07 points, or 1.52 percent, for the week. A year ago, the index was at 14,271.61. On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

FAMINE

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

Winnepeg free Press Barley bill could be confidence test: Ritz February 29, 2008 at 09:56 PM CST

REGINA -- Canada's agriculture minister is suggesting proposed legislation to end the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly on western barley sales could be a confidence motion. Gerry Ritz says the legislation will be introduced in Parliament on Monday, but he's tight-lipped about the contents of the bill.The three opposition parties have said they're ready for a political fight on the issue.

On a visit to Regina, Ritz said the federal government is looking at all options to get the legislation passed and -- in his words --if it takes a confidence motion we'll go there.His comments came after a rally on the steps of the Saskatchewan legislature that saw angry confrontations between board supporters and opponents.About 250 people gathered for the rally, some shoving and swearing at each other.The Canadian Press

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.

Putin's chosen successor ahead in vote By JIM HEINTZ, Associated Press Writer MAR 02,08

MOSCOW - Vladimir Putin's handpicked successor Dmitry Medvedev was cruising to an easy victory in Russia's presidential election Sunday, a result expected to give significant power to the outgoing president. The Central Election Commission said that returns from 15percent of Russia's electoral districts showed Medvedev with about 65 percent.Some voters complained of pressure to cast ballots for Medvedev, and critics called the election a cynical stage show to ensure unbroken rule by Putin and his allies.Sunday's vote came after a tightly controlled campaign and months of political maneuvering by Putin, who appeared determined to keep a strong hand on Russia's reins while maintaining while maintaining the basic trappings of electoral democracy and leaving the constitution intact.Medvedev is expected to formally take over as president in May, and Putin has agreed to be his prime minister.Some in the West have welcomed Medvedev's reputation as a moderate after years of tense ties with Putin over his crackdown on domestic dissent, U.S. plans for a missile defense and Kosovo's independence, among other things.I'm in a good mood. Spring is here, Medvedev said as he cast his ballot in Moscow, where rain and wet snow sprinkled slushy streets. The season has changed.Putin, smiling and relaxed as he went to vote, said he was in a holiday spirit and that his wife, Lyudmila, called the rain a good sign — a reference to an old Russian superstition.

Few international observers monitored the election, in which accounts of pressure will reinforce Western concerns of backtracking on democracy under Putin.The result doesn't matter as this is an illegitimate transfer of power, said former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, a Putin foe who was barred from the ballot.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said; These are free and democratic elections after a free and democratic campaign.Some 450,000 police and troops deployed nationwide to ensure the voting proceeded calmly, although two bomb explosions targeted a police convoy near Chechnya, wounding several people.Though he has never held elected office, Medvedev has had an easy ride toward the presidency. Polls predicted he would take a solid majority of votes against the three other candidates: Communist Gennady Zyuganov, flamboyant ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and the little-known Andrei Bogdanov of the Democratic Party.Zyuganov has nearly 20percent, early results showed.Liberal opposition leaders Kasyanov and Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion and one of the Kremlin's most prominent critics, were both squeezed off the ballot on technicalities.The ITAR-Tass and Interfax news agencies quoted Zyuganov saying he has a list of 200 alleged vote violations and Zhirinovsky as saying he will challenge official vote results in court.

Escorted by a dozen riot police as he spoke to journalists near Red Square, Kasparov carried a plastic shopping bag that read, I am not participating in this farce.Zyuganov claimed widespread irregularities but provided no evidence. Only 300 international election observers were monitoring the 96,000 voting stations across Russia's 11 time zones. The influential Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe refused to send observers, saying Russia imposed such tight restrictions that its mission would be meaningless. With Medvedev hoping for a powerful mandate, turnout was the only electoral uncertainty. It stood above 60 percent nationwide two hours before the last polls were to close, the Central Election Commission said. All of my friends voted for Medvedev, they say he's been elected already and want to be part of majority. said Renata Mukhammetshina, 21, a student in the southern city of Volgograd. Polling stations offered enticements to voters: discounted food, office supplies, concerts and flowers. That echoed Soviet times, when hard-to-get items were available during carefully staged elections. In a post-Soviet touch apparently aimed to boost turnout, some polling stations were set up in shopping malls.

Moscow street cleaners swept away grime for voting day. In the southern Russian city of Stavropol, public transport was free for the day. In Krasnodar, a local group staged a lottery open only to voters — with a car as the top prize. In Medvedev's native St. Petersburg, some voters quaffed bargain beer at their polling place. Others showed up for the goods but didn't bother to vote.
Government-paid teachers and doctors across the country complained that they were being pressured to vote at their workplace under the gaze of their superiors to ensure a convincing win and a high turnout for Medvedev.The head of an independent Russian election monitoring group, Golos, said her organization was receiving a steady stream of complaints and reports of irregularities, including blatant attempts to influence voters and voters being bought off.Most of problems appear to be occurring at the local level in the provinces, where there is little scrutiny, Liliya Shabanova said. Observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe complained to the election commission about disproportionate campaign airtime given to Medvedev. Some cast protest ballots, including Alexander Petrov, a 28-year-old trader in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok who voted for Zyuganov because he wanted to take away votes from the candidate of the ruling powers.Sofia, 25, a history teacher in a school in southwestern Moscow, said the principal required her and her colleagues to cast ballots at a polling station at the school.

This is terrible; they are not leaving us any choice, said Sofia, who declined to give her last name out of fear of losing her job. She said she destroyed her ballot in protest. The new president's major domestic tasks are economic. Russia got rich from skyrocketing world oil prices, but the economy is hugely dependent on natural resources and needs to diversify to ensure long-term prosperity. Inflation — more than 11 percent last year — is undermining the nascent middle class. Timofei Ryumin, 38, a doctor who lives in Russia's westernmost region, the Baltic city of Kaliningrad, said Medvedev's campaign seems planned and coherent and voted for him despite disappointment in the Kremlin's unfulfilled promises to provide cheaper housing for families like his. I don't see alternative leaders who could hold a firm grip on power, he said. Associated Press writers Liya Khabarova in Vladivostok, Irina Titova in St. Petersburg, and Maria Danilova and Mansur Mirovalev in Moscow contributed to this report.

Ahmadinejad: Iraq-Iran are brotherly By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer Sun Mar 2, 10:53 AM ET

BAGHDAD - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday his landmark visit to Iraq opened a new chapter in brotherly relations between the two countries, which were once bitter enemies.

Ahmadinejad is the first Iranian president to visit Iraq. The trip not only highlights his country's growing influence on its Arab neighbor in the post-Saddam Hussein era, but it also serves as an act of defiance toward the U.S., which accuses Iran of training and giving weapons to Shiite extremists in Iraq.The Iranian leader went from Baghdad's airport to a meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who gave him a red-carpet welcome. The two kissed four times on the cheek in the traditional fashion and a band played the two countries' national anthems.We had very good talks that were friendly and brotherly. ... We have mutual understandings and views in all fields, and both sides plan to improve relations as much as possible, Ahmadinejad said in a news conference with Talabani at the Iraqi president's residence, located across the Tigris River from the new U.S. Embassy in the fortified Green Zone.Talabani said the two discussed economic, political, security and oil issues and planned to sign several agreements later. But he said the issue of borders, including the disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway between the two countries, was not discussed.Ahmadinejad stressed that his country wanted a stable Iraq that would benefit the region.A united Iraq, a sovereign Iraq and an advanced Iraq is to the benefit of all regional nations and the people of Iran, he said.

Though much of the public talk focused on the warming relations between the two countries, Ahmadinejad denounced U.S. accusations that Iran was training and supplying Shiite militia fighters in Iraq with weapons designed to kill American troops.Such accusations increase the problems of the Americans in the region and they are not going to solve their problems, Ahmadinejad said in a separate press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki after discussions with Talabani.Al-Maliki emphasized that the Iranian leader's visit was an expression of the strong desire to enhance the relations and develop mutual interests after the past tensions during the dictatorship era.The news conference appeared to end abruptly after a reporter asked Ahmadinejad about the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, which was allied with Saddam during the bitter 1980s war between the two countries. The group has opposed Iran's Islamic republic and has operated out of Iraq. The U.S. and European Union list it as a terrorist organization.

Talabani interjected, saying: This issue has been discussed earlier and the presence of those as a terrorist organization is constitutionally not allowed. We will endeavor to get rid of them out of the Iraqi territory soon.The U.S. has said it will have no involvement in Ahmadinejad's visit. Ahmadinejad arrived in Iraq a day after Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came to Baghdad on an unannounced visit with commanders and Iraqi officials.Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told The Associated Press that Ahmadinejad plans to leave Monday morning.Though both are Shiite-majority countries, Iran and Iraq were hostile to each other throughout Saddam's regime. Their eight-year war after Saddam invaded Iran in 1980 cost about 1 million lives.But when Saddam's Sunni-dominated regime fell and Iraq's Shiite majority took power after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, long-standing ties between the Shiites of both countries flourished again, though the two neighbors have yet to sign a peace treaty.Many of Iraq's Shiite leaders lived in exile in Iran during Saddam's rule, and Talabani, a Sunni Kurd, speaks fluent Farsi.With the trip, Ahmadinejad also may be trying to bolster his support back home ahead of parliamentary elections later this month. They are seen as referendum on the Iranian president, who has come under criticism in his country for spending too much time on anti-Western rhetoric and not enough on Iran's economic problems.

The U.S. has tried to downplay Ahmadinejad's visit. It has said it welcomed Iran's stated policy of promoting stability but that its actions have done just the opposite. Rear Adm. Gregory Smith said the Iraqi government would provide the principal security for Ahmadinejad and had the capacity and equipment to do so. Iraq has a responsibility as a neighbor to provide security, he said during a press conference in the Green Zone, adding that the U.S. hoped the visit produces real and tangible results.President Bush denied that Ahmadinejad's visit undermined U.S. efforts to isolate Tehran, but had some advice for what al-Maliki should say to the Iranian leader. He's a neighbor. And the message needs to be, quit sending in sophisticated equipment that's killing our citizens, Bush said.
In Tehran, Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini criticized Bush. His remarks are an intervention in the friendly, brotherly and sincere relations between Iran and Iraq, Hosseini told reporters Sunday after Ahmadinejad left Iran. Americans do not want the relations to grow.

Ashkelon Katyushas Came From Iran Via Egypt
by Ezra HaLevi MAR 02,08


(IsraelNN.com) Israel’s Foreign Ministry says the Grad-type Katyusha rockets fired at Ashkelon came from Iran and may lead Israel back to Gaza.In the past 24 hours, over 15 heavy rockets were fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza against Israel’s southern port city of Ashkelon, a Foreign Ministry dispatch to journalists and diplomatic staff said. The 122 mm Grad rockets (also known as Katyushas), are a type of standard military artillery weapon produced in the former Soviet bloc and by other states deploying non-Western arms. It is manufactured to military standards, by a conventional arms industry, and is equipped with a weapons-grade high explosive fragmentation warhead.The Foreign Ministry pointed the finger at Tehran. The Grad rockets fired today were apparently smuggled into Gaza from Iran via Egypt through tunnels and the breached Rafah border fence, the dispatch stated. Israel has repeatedly warned neighboring states and the international community about the arms buildup taking place in Hamas-controlled Gaza. Today’s attacks constitute a regretful yet unequivocal proof of the veracity of Israel’s warnings.Prior to the implementation of the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria, anti-expulsion activists placed posters all around Ashkelon proclaiming that the withdrawal would herald missiles on the port city and advising resident to oppose the move or prepare for the attacks. Thursday’s missiles slammed into the campus of Barzilai Hospital, destroyed a family home in one of the city’s neighborhood, made a large crater in one of the city’s streets and stuck the municipal cemetery. The Foreign Ministry statement ended with an acknowledgement echoing the predictions of Gaza’s Jewish evictees: that Israel will have no choice but return to settle the region. Israel left the Gaza Strip over two years ago, with no intention of ever returning, the statement said. Yet, the continued escalation of Hamas terrorism emanating from Gaza, purposely targeting Israeli civilians, is liable to leave Israel with no choice.

Much-Studied Shroud Of Turin Gets New Digital Scrutiny FEB 29,08

A huge 12.8 billion-pixel image was made of the linen, on which the smudged outline of the body of a man is indelibly impressed. The image was made following a Vatican request to obtain the most detailed reproduction of the yellowing ancient cloth. The technology allows a level of scrutiny of the linen as never achieved before.

8th century seal found in Jerusalem dig
Feb. 29, 2008 at 11:13 AM


JERUSALEM, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- An ancient seal with an archaic Hebrew inscription dating to the 8th century BC has been reported found in an archeological dig in Jerusalem's City of David.The find shows that by 2,700 years ago, seals were being engraved with the names of clerks and merchants instead of the symbols used in earlier centuries, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.The seal bears the Hebrew name Rephaihu (ben) Shalem, a public official who lived in the Jerusalem neighborhood during this period, the Jerusalem Post reported.The excavation is being carried out by Haifa University Professor Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority. To date the seals they used pottery shards found at the site which were dated back to the 8th century before Christ, a period also known as the Iron Age 2. Also found were fragments of three bullae, which were pieces of clay used to seal letters and goods.United Press International.

City of David Dig Reveals Information on Ancient Postal System by Ezra HaLevi MAR 01,08

(IsraelNN.com) Artifacts from City of David excavations in Jerusalem reveal an interesting tidbit of information about the ancient postal system in Israel.In an archaeological excavation being carried out at the Spring House, near the Gihon Spring in the City of David – in the valley east of Jerusalem’s Old City, soil was excavated which contained pottery shards that date to the Iron Age 2 (eighth century BCE).Whereas during the ninth century BCE, letters and goods were dispatched on behalf of their senders without names, by the eighth century BCE the clerks and merchants had already begun to add their names to the seals, concluded the Antiquities Authority.Wet sifting and sorting through the soil revealed three fragments of clay stamps used to seal letters or goods in ancient times. Two more stone seals were recently found as well. All of the objects bear Hebrew names and all date to the eighth century BCE.

Among them is a seal that was discovered intact, bearing the Hebrew name Rephaihu (ben) Shalem, who lived in the City of David in Jerusalem during this period. The seals were primarily used by public officials, according to Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa and Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who oversee the dig.In contrast with the large cluster of bullae (seals) that was found two years ago, in which all of its items contain graphic symbols (such as a boat or different animals – fish, lizards and birds) but are of an earlier date (end of the ninth-beginning of the eighth century BCE), the new items indicate that during the eighth century BCE the practice had changed and the clerks who used the seals began to add their own names to them.The Israel Antiquities Authority, together with the Nature and Parks Authority and the Elad Association, discovered the seals during ongoing intensive excavations being carried out on the eastern side of the Old City of Jerusalem.

The CARMEL ALERT Feb 29th 2008 A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.

David's Comment: Why Is It Only Israel ?

As Shabbat approaches, Israel & Hamas are on the verge of a full blown war - as early as next week. The news media is already mis-reporting the events that are leading to war. Really it has been war for Israel for months as the Kassam rockets have rained down on southern Israel. As usual the news reports what Israel
is doing, but does not report that it is in response to Hamas rockets. 100 were fired at Israel on Thursday alone. This week's comment is not actually a comment but some very serious questions that we should all be asking ourselves, our governments and our news media .............

* Why is it only Israel that is not allowed to occupy the land that the Creator of the Universe allotted to our forefathers ?

* Why is it that Israel only occupies only 22% of the land it was granted by the British Mandate ?

* Why is it only Israel that is not allowed to have our capital city in our capital city ?

* Why is it only Israel that is constantly rebuked in the United Nations ?

* Why is it only Israel that is not allowed to be a member of the UN Security Council while Libya, Syria, Iran and other terrorist nations are ?

* Why is it only Israel that releases hundreds of terrorists from prison and receives none of their missing soldiers in return ?

* Why is it only Israel that is that gives land for peace, but never gets the promised peace ?

* Why is it only Israel that is bombarded by thousands of enemy rockets and yet is rebuked for fighting back ?

* Why is it only Israel that blesses the worlds of science, medicine, education, art, music, theatre, computers, and yet is hated and persecuted

* Why is it only Israel that is boycotted for no legitimate reason ?

* Why is it only Israel that is forced to ethnic cleanse its own people ?

Why is it only Israel ? Here is the answer to the question

Psalm 132:13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for His dwelling place:

The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel . Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF. Please make your voice heard by signing the petition to save Jerusalem www.savejerusalem.org

Shabbat Shalom ... David & Josie Silver.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

JESUS - MUHAMMAD COMPARISONS

Jesus and Muhammad compared February 29, 2008
1:00 am Eastern By William J. Federer


What motivates fundamental Muslims to violence? Much effort has gone into answering this. Muslim apologists are quick to point out Christians have also committed violence. Secularists suggest anybody who believes in God is prone to violence, conveniently ignoring the atheistic killings of the French Revolution, Stalin's purges and Mao Tse-tung's Cultural Revolution.In an attempt to uncover motivations, founders of the world's two largest religions can be compared. According to the www.CIA.gov World Factbook, the world's 6.5 billion people are 33.32 percent Christian and 21.01 percent Muslim.If a computer acts up, the technician resets it to the default settings it had when it left the factory. If followers of a religion act up, one should examine the default settings the religion had when it left its founder.

One can examine the life of Jesus from the four Gospels.

One can examine the life of Muhammad from the Quran, Hadith and sources like the Sirat Rasul Allah.

The Quran is a collection of private revelations Muhammad received between A.D. 610-632. Conflicting versions were passed down orally until Caliph Uthman standardized them around A.D. 650.

The Hadith are stories about Muhammad passed down orally until Caliph Umar II began collecting them around A.D. 717-720.

The Sirat Rasul Allah, or The Life of the Prophet of Allah, was written by Ibn Ishaq between A.D. 707-773 and preserved in copies by Ibn Hisham (d. 833) and al-Tabari (838-923). In 1861, Sir William Muir published an English translation, The Life of Mahomet. Edward Rehatsek's translation, edited by Michael Edwardes, was presented to the Royal Asiatic Society of London in 1898. Oxford University published Alfred Guillaume's translation in 1955.

A review of these resources reveal:

Jesus was a religious leader.
Muhammad was religious leader and a military leader.

Jesus never killed anyone.
Muhammad killed an estimated 3,000 people, including beheading 700 Jews of the Banu Qurayza tribe in Medina, A.D. 627:

The Jews surrendered and the apostle confined them in Medina. … Then the apostle went out to the market … and dug trenches in it. Then he sent for them and struck off their heads in those trenches as they were brought out to him in batches. ... There were 600 or 700 in all, though some put the figure as high as 800 or 900. As they were being taken out in batches to the apostle they asked Ka'b what he thought would be done with them. He replied, Will you never understand? Don't you see that the summoner never stops and those who are taken away do not return? By Allah it is death! This went on until the apostle made an end of them. (Sirat Rasul Allah)

Jesus never owned slaves.
Muhammad received a fifth of the prisoners taken in battle, including women. (Sura 8:41)

Muhammad gave command and the heads of the two chiefs were severed from their bodies. The scene of torture and bloodshed was hardly ended when Muhammad sent Bilal to fetch the wife of Kinana. ... He cast his mantle around her in token that she was to be his own. (Conquest of Khaybar, A.D. 628, Sirat Rasul Allah)

The apostle occupied the Jewish forts … taking prisoners as he went. Among these were Safiya, the wife of Kinana. … The apostle chose Safiya for himself. The other prisoners were distributed among the Muslims. (Sirat Rasul Allah)

Married women are forbidden unto you, except those whom your right hands possess (taken in battle.) (Sura 4:24)

Jesus never married.
Muhammad had many wives.
Anas said, The prophet used to visit all his wives in an hour round, during the day and night and they were 11 in number. I asked Anas, Had the prophet the strength for it? Anas replied, We used to say that the prophet was given the strength of 30 (men).(Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, Bk. 5, No. 268)

Muhammad said: Woman can be married for religion, her fortune, or her beauty. So marry one for the religion.(Abu Issa al-Tarmidi, Sunan al-Tarmidi, Medina n.d., p.275, B: 4, H:1092)

Prophet, we have made lawful to you … the slave girls whom Allah has given you as booty. (Sura 33:50)

When Muhammad's behavior is reviewed, Muslim scholars point out that King David was also a prophet yet he killed people, owned slaves and had many wives.

The response is still that Jesus never killed anyone, never owned slaves and never married. David only wanted a small piece of land – there is no Bible command for Jews to subdue the world.

Jesus never forced followers to continue believing. After Jesus made a difficult saying, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.(John 6:31-69)
Muhammad forced followers to continue believing, Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.(Hadith al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, Bk. 84, No. 57)

Jesus taught God was our Father (Matthew 6:10).
Muhammad taught it was blasphemy to call Allah your father (Sura 5:18)

Jesus taught man was made in God's image. (Matthew 22:20, ref. Gen. 1:26-27, 9:6)
Muhammad taught Allah has no image. (Sura 42:11, Sura 112:4)

Jesus taught forgive those who trespass against you. (Matthew 6:10-15)
Muhammad taught to avenge trespasses against your honor, family or religion.
Narrated Anas bin Malik: On the day of the Conquest, the Prophet entered Mecca, wearing a helmet on his head. When he took it off, a man came and said, Ibn Khatal is clinging to the curtain of the Ka'ba.The Prophet said, Kill him.(Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari Vol. 5, Book 59, No. 582)

Ibn Khatal ... had two slave girls who used to sing for him and for his companions songs full of abuse of the Prophet. The Prophet's instructions specified that the two slave girls should also be killed. … Another (to be killed) was al-Huwayrith Nuqaydh Wahb Qusayy, one of those who used to insult him in Mecca.(Sirat Rasul Allah)

Jesus did not retaliate when violence was committed against him, saying Father, forgive them. (Luke 23:34)
Muhammad retaliated when violence was committed against him, ordering the death of his enemies.
Muhammad sent Abdullah to use diplomacy to gain an opportunity to assassinate Sofyan. Abdullah went forth, pretending to be on his Sofyan's side, and when the moment was right, cut off his head. He carried it to Muhammad, who was in the Mosque in Medina. Muhammad was so gratified, he gave the assassin his staff, saying: This shall be a token betwixt you and me on the day of resurrection. Verily, few on that day shall have anything to lean upon.(Sirat Rasul Allah).

Ibn Sa'd Tabaqat reported: 'The apostle of Allah entered through Adhakhir into Mecca. … He ordered six men and four women to be killed. (Kitab al-Tabaqat, written by Ibn Sa'd (A.D. 745-845), Vol. 2, p. 168.)

Following Jesus was voluntary, from the inside out.
Following Muhammad could be coerced, from the outside in.
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.(Sura 9:29)

A martyr in Christian and Jewish thought is one who dies for his faith.
A martyr in Islamic thought is one who dies for his faith while killing infidels.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, The person who participates in (holy battles) in Allah's cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostles, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise (if he is killed in the battle as a martyr). (Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, Bk. 2, No. 35)

Christianity teaches God wants a personal relationship with each individual.
Islam teaches individuals cannot have a personal relationship with Allah, as he is transcendent and unknowable.

Jesus' religion is known for forgiveness and love.
Muhammad's religion is known for obedience and fear.

None of Jesus' Apostles led armies. A village did not receive Jesus and when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.(Luke 9:52-56)
All of the caliphs who followed Muhammad led armies. (Caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Muawiyya, the Umayyads, the Abbasids, etc.)

In the first 300 years of Christianity, there were 10 major Roman persecutions, and Christians were fed to lions in the Colosseum. Never did Christians lead an armed resistance against those who attacked them.
In the first 300 years of Islam, Muslim armies conquered Arabia, Persia, the Holy Land, North Africa, Spain, Southern France, Central Africa, and invaded vast areas of Asia and Asia Minor.
Fighting is inconsistent with Jesus' example but not Muhammad's, as the Sirat Rasul Allah records Muhammad personally led 27 raids.

Jesus's teaching on how to treat enemies:

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you (Matthew 5:44).
Resist not evil (Matthew 5:39).
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to them the other (Matthew 5:39).
If someone takes your coat, give them your shirt (Matthew 5:40).
If someone make you carry something one mile, carry it two (Matthew 5:41).
Forgive and you shall be forgiven (Matthew 6:14).
Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1).
Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).
Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not kill, but I say who ever is angry with his brother is in danger of the judgment (Matthew 5:21-22).
Treat others the same way you want them to treat you (Luke 6:27-36).
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, whatever you do to the very least you have done unto me (Matthew 25:40).
Muhammad's teaching on how to treat enemies:

Infidels are your sworn enemies (Sura 4:101).
Be ruthless to the infidels (Sura 48:29).
Make war on the infidels who dwell around you (Sura 9:123, 66:9).
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day (Sura 9:29).
Strike off the heads of infidels in battle (Sura 47:4).
If someone stops believing in Allah, kill him (al-Bukhari 9:84:57).
Take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends (Sura 5:51, 60:13).
Never be a helper to the disbelievers (Sura 28:86).
Kill the disbelievers wherever we find them (Sura 2:191).
No Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel (al-Bukhari 1:3:111).
The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land (Sura 5:33).
What motivates fundamental Muslims to violence? Where Jesus was a religious leader, Muhammad was a religious leader and a military leader, thus the effort to separate the militant aspect of Islam from the religious aspect is an attempt to split Muhammad.

The closer one follows the example of Jesus, the more peaceful is one's motivation.

The closer one follows example of Muhammad, the more militant is one's motivation.

ISRAEL IMPENDING INVASION OF GAZA

I NTERCESSORS for the RESTORATION of ISRAEL ( I. R. I )
An Intercessory Network Connecting Israel and the Nations
(A Ministry of OUT OF ZION Ministries, Mt. Carmel, Haifa - Israel)
Website: www.iri.out-of-zion.com


Shalom Intercessors,

As many of you may already know, from news reports an IDF military excursion into Gaza has been imminent for a while. Tonight Jordan and his unit will be entering inside Gaza on a special combat mission. The danger of course is huge, unlike anywhere else in Israel for this type of combat.Please pray for Jordan (and his unit, they are all someones precious sons) and all the other units going in, for supernatural divine protection wisdom, unity, success, victory and that they will ALL come out as whole as they went in. I cant thank you enough, as I knew this time was coming. Once again I have to trust like never before.

Much love and deep gratitude
Josie Silver.

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.

City bundled against 2nd day of extreme cold
Thu Feb 28, 7:45 AM


TORONTO (CBC) - The sun was deceptively bright on Thursday as Toronto faced its second day of abnormally frigid temperatures.On one of its coldest days this year, the city has issued another cold-weather alert.This morning, at -18 C, the windchill is a bone-chilling, face-numbing -27 C, said Dave Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, adding that this month has been the snowiest February on record.Temperatures on Wednesday hovered around -21 C with the windchill, dropping to -25 C at some points.During the cold-weather alert, relief organizations have opened up extra beds for the homeless, encouraging people to protect themselves from the elements.

Well, we try and talk them into going inside somewhere, somewhere warm, whether it's a warming station or going into a shelter. That would be our main concern is to get them out of the cold, said John Roy, who works at Na-Ma-Res, the native men's residence.For others who have no choice but to brace the cold, they say the key to keeping warm is layering.Construction worker Pedro Santos was wearing two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants and three layers on top Thursday morning.If you're moving around quite a bit, you take off as you need to. You don't want to sweat obviously because in this kind of cold, pneumonia is a possibility, a cold's a possibility, getting sick is a possibility. And you don't get paid when you stay at home.Phillips said hope is in sight as the deep freeze begins to thaw. Forecasts for next week predict highs of up to 6 C, which is closer to the expected average of about 0 C for this time of year.This cold wave is a two-day wonder. By tomorrow we'll maybe have forgotten it as we see temperatures that are likely to get to the freezing point.

Death toll from Madagascar cyclone hits 83
Fri Feb 29, 3:53 AM


ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - Cyclone Ivan has killed 83 people and left almost 200,000 homeless after tearing through Madagascar last week, officials said on Friday.Ivan pelted the Indian Ocean island's east coast with winds of more than 125 mph (200 kph) early last week, making it one of the largest cyclones ever to hit Madagascar.The latest toll states that 83 deaths are registered all over the country, said Colonel Jean Rakotomalala, head of the National Office for Disaster and Risk Management (BNGRC).Six cyclones struck Madagascar last year, killing at least a 150 people and destroying homes and crops in the island's worst season on record.The world's fourth largest island is prone to frequent cyclones and tropical storms. The season's first cyclone, Cyclone Fame, killed at least 13people.(Reporting by Fanja Saholiarisoa; Writing by Jack Kimball)

Ecuador landslide destroys oil pipeline; flood toll rises to 23 Thu Feb 28, 10:43 PM By The Canadian Press

QUITO, Ecuador - Ecuador's state oil company shut down two major pipelines Thursday after a landslide triggered by flooding destroyed a section of oil duct. Petroecuador said in a statement it immediately shut down its major oil pipeline and a second duct that transports oil derivatives. The statement did not specify whether there were any spills. The 503-kilometre pipeline that runs from the city Lago Agrio in the eastern Amazon to the western port Balao crosses the Andes to transport some 357,000 barrels of crude a day. Ecuador, South America's fifth-largest oil producer, produces about 511,000 barrels of crude each day. Floods killed seven people the previous night, bringing the toll to 23 since the downpours began in mid-January, the Civil Defence office said in an e-mailed statement. Some 9,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and hundreds of thousands have seen their property damaged. Recovery from the disaster is expected to cost more than $1 billion, Security Minister Gustavo Larrea told La Hora newspaper, saying the government is preparing plans to dredge rivers, build new levees and roads and extend long-term, low-interest loans to victims. Heavy rains also have battered neighbouring Peru this year, killing 16 people so far and driving about 1,700 from their homes, a Civil Defence report said. Flooding struck the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, where cars were half-submerged in water Thursday and subway service was suspended on some lines.

India says hundreds of pashmina goats die in cold
Wed Feb 27, 4:59 AM


SRINAGAR, India (AFP) - Hundreds of rare Himalayan goats whose wool is used to make Indian Kashmir's famed pashmina shawls have died due to heavy snow and lack of fodder, officials said on Wednesday.
The goats' pastures, spread over the mountains of the Ladakh region bordering China, have been blanketed by exceptionally deep snow and farmers have run out of fodder.Hundreds of pashmina goats, the young ones in particular, have perished due to the unusually intense winter, Tsering Dorjay, chairman of the Ladakh Hill Development Council, said by telephone from the regional capital Leh.I visited some of the areas and saw at least 600 bodies of animals, he said.The mountain goats produce wool for Kashmir's feather-light pashmina shawls, which are exported to Europe, the Middle East and the United States.Bad weather has played havoc with these goats this year. Most of the newly born failed to survive. Those who survived are now dying for lack of grass and fodder as their mothers have grown weak and produce no milk, said Dorjay.The fodder in the area where the goats live has been used up and pregnant goats were having miscarriages.We have been sending fodder but the area is very vast, and there are a few pastures which are still inaccessible, he said, adding that fresh grass will surface only after two months.Pashmina, a type of cashmere, comes from the fleece of pashmina goats that live in the high altitudes of the Himalayas. An estimated 150,000 pashmina goats live in the area.

Demand for the fine pashmina wool has risen sharply since India banned trade in shahtoosh shawls made from a rare species of Tibetan antelope, known as chiru, that are killed for their soft wool.The best pashminas need the annual growth of three goats to make one shawl.The shawls are vital to the economy of Indian Kashmir, which has been badly hit by a nearly two-decade-long Islamic insurgency against New Delhi's rule.The winter pastures have also been suffering from a shortage of grass during the past three years due to a locust invasion from neighbouring China.The wildlife department has opposed the spraying of insecticide for fear it might hurt the rare black-necked crane, which lives in the same area.

JERUSALEM DIVIDED

ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

ZECHARIAH 14:1-9 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
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. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Leaders Debate the Diaspora's Role Regarding Status of Jerusalem February 28, 2008 - Dina Kraft, Jewish Telegraphic AgencyJerusalem

The object of 2,000 years of Jewish yearning, Jerusalem is perhaps the most sensitive topic on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating table. So when it comes to discussing the future -- and possible division -- of the city, Diaspora Jews want their voices heard, too. The question of how loud and expressive those voices should be was part of the discussion when top U.S. Jewish leaders visited Israel for the annual mission of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, an umbrella for 51 Jewish groups. The Jerusalem issue is different because of its centrality to Jewish life and existence, said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chair of the Presidents Conference. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, addressing the Presidents Conference mission two weeks ago

The ultimate decision rests with the government of Israel, but being sensitive to Diaspora Jews is legitimate, he said. Certainly, on an issue of such significance to people, we have a right to discuss and be heard.

Putting Some Pressure on Olmert

Tensions have been simmering over what role, if any, Diaspora Jews should play in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on Jerusalem since November's peace summit in Annapolis, Md. Right-leaning groups in Israel have said that they would work to draft the support of Diaspora Jews against any talk of concessions concerning the city.
Israel annexed Arab east Jerusalem following its capture from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, but Palestinians claim it as their future capital. The 150,000 Arabs who live there, the emotional power and history of its Old City, and the patchwork of Jewish neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem make the issue especially difficult to resolve. This month, the issue of American Jewish advocacy reappeared when Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, told Israeli premier Ehud Olmert that Diaspora Jewish opinion must be considered when it comes to negotiations over Jerusalem's future. An evidently angry Olmert answered by canceling a speech he was supposed to give to the group.

In his Feb. 16 address to the Presidents Conference, Olmert tried to strike a reassuring tone, saying that he would not do anything in negotiations that would compromise Israel. He also noted that talks on Jerusalem with the Palestinian Authority were not in the making. Regarding Jerusalem, this will be the last issue that is negotiated upon, said Olmert. It is the most sensitive issue and the most difficult, and before we start on the most difficult issue, we need to reach agreements on less important and sensitive issues.Among the mission-goers, the consensus was that Diaspora Jews should not have any vote on the future of Jerusalem, though many felt they should have a say. The role of Diaspora Jews is to learn, take interest, be supportive and understanding but not governing or controlling, said Leonard Kleinman, administrative vice president of the Jewish National Fund. Diaspora Jews do not live here, do not know the immediate, personal happenings in Israel and cannot judge events.Joshua Katzen, a board member of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, said that Diaspora Jews can see the bigger picture Israelis sometimes miss. Thus, American Jews can show Israelis that granting Palestinians any kind of sovereignty over Jerusalem would be a mistake because it would give an increasingly radicalized Islamic world a foothold in the city, he said. They lose sight of the wider jihad in the world, said Katzen. That's what American Jews can bring to them; they have a wider view.In a bid to counter the impression that Diaspora Jews uniformly would object to any division of the city, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said that he reassured Olmert in a recent meeting. Yoffie said he told the premier that the Reform movement, which represents the largest Jewish religious denomination in America, would support Israel's decisions on Jerusalem -- even if that meant territorial compromise -- as long as it was in exchange for peace.

PERSECUSSION,BEHEADINGS

JESUS PERSECUTED BIGTIME

PSALMS 14:1
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

ISAIAH 53:4
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

MATTHEW 9:34
34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

JOHN 8:41
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

JOHN 10:20
20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

PHILIPPIANS 2:10-11(JESUS GETS REVENGE)
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST AND FOR SINNERS, THE GREAT WHITE THRONE FINAL JUDGEMENT).

WE ARE CHRISTIANS WE WILL BE TREATED THE SAME.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5 (WHY WE ARE PERSECUTED BY THE WORLD)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

MATTHEW 5:10-12
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

MATTHEW 24:9
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

JOHN 15:18-20
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me (JESUS) before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

REVELATION 6:9-11
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain(BEHEADED) for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

REVELATION 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

LAW OF THE LAND
Prayer warriors at gay fest on trial
Police told Christians they had no speech rights in public park
February 28, 2008 10:01 pm Eastern 2008 WorldNetDaily


A trial is scheduled to begin today in Elmira, N.Y., and lawyers for the defendants say it will be a test of whether the First Amendment affirmations of freedom of speech and freedom of religion still are valid in the United States.Choosing to exercise your First Amendment rights in a public place is not a crime, Joel Oster, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund said. The government has no right to arrest citizens for exercising their First Amendment rights in public.At issue is the arrest of several Christians at a gay pride event is Wisner Park in Elmira in 2007. Julian and Gloria Raven and several others entered the park to pray silently for the participants of the event celebrating homosexual behavior.Officials with the ADF noted that the materials advertising the event said everyone was invited and it was open to the public. The group did not draw a disorderly response from event participants, the ADF said.However, an Elmira police sergeant had told the group they were banned from the park. They were not allowed to cross the street, enter the park, or share their religion with anyone in the park, according to the ADF.The group's members later were arrested and accused of disorderly conduct.

It seems oxymoronic to say that by walking silently in a public park, with heads bowed, these people somehow disturbed the peace, Oster said. From the sit-ins of the 1960s to today, courts have repeatedly ruled that the police cannot arrest those who peacefully express their message in public places.While the facts of the case make it seem relatively minor, the ADF said the issue is nothing less than the United States' freedoms of speech and religion.If this violation of these Christians' rights is allowed to stand, the First Amendment rights of all people of faith are in jeopardy, the ADF said.When the Christians were arrested, officials with Elmira justified their actions to WND.Assistant Police Chief Mike Robertson told WND that the members were accused of a combination of allegations, including the intent to cause a public inconvenience, a disturbance of a meeting of persons andobstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic.

He also said at the time that the accusations would include taking part in any act that serves no legitimate purpose.Raven had told WND his group assembled to pray for three hours the night before Elmira's pride festival in promotion of the homosexual lifestyle.We have a legal right to be at an event held in a public square. We're not a hate group, he said. We're Christians and we're going to be there to pray.He said he contacted police, who told him he had no free speech rights in the public park.The female officer, she said, You're not going to cross the street. You're not going to enter the park and you're not going to share your religion with anybody in this park,he told WND.When she said that, for the first time in my life as a Christian, I felt now my freedom of speech is threatened or challenged, he said. I was being told I could not share my religion with anybody in that park.Raven said he told the officer she was violating the Constitution that she had sworn to uphold, and she was very agitated and adamant, and couldn't look me straight in the eye.Raven asked for the justification for such a threat and was not given a response.He said his team of Christians then went into the park, and they were arrested within three or four minutes.He said if the situation is left unchallenged, the city of Elmira will be in the position of being able to control the content of people's messages in a lawful assembly – or even thoughts if they are nearby.We didn't say boo to a goose, still we were arrested, he said.The local newspaper reported the arrests came just moments after Elmira Mayor John Tonello delivered a speech celebrating diversity.And the actions prompted some immediate criticism from newspaper readers.

I was appalled and disgusted by the gay stories strewn through the paper. What was even more disturbing was the way the city acted. Since when is it illegal to sit on the ground in a public park and recite Bible verses? Are they not protected by the same Constitution that allows gay people to have their gay pride event. These Bible thumpers had their constitutional right to free speech and assembly trampled on by the city. They should not have been arrested,said Kevin Raznoff.Robertson told WND the Christians certainly have a right to assemble, but not on public property when there's an organized event there. Asked repeatedly about how the disturbance statute relates to First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech, he did not answer.Obviously, they caused a disruption to an event that was taking place, he said.But Raven confirmed to WND the Christians did not approach a single person, did not speak to anyone and did not even make any audible statements until after they were arrested.

FAMINE

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

Food inflation to hit US consumers

When William Lapp, of US-based consultancy Advanced Economic Solutions, took the podium at the annual US Department of Agriculture conference, the sentiment was already bullish for agricultural commodities boosted by demand from the biofuels industry and emerging countries.He added a twist – that rising agricultural raw material prices would translate this year into sharply higher food inflation.I hope you enjoy your meal, Mr Lapp told delegates during a luncheon. It is the cheapest one you are going to have at this forum for a while.His warning that a strong wave of food inflation is heading towards the world economy was met by nods from agriculture traders, food industry executives and western’s government officials at the USDA’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum.Larry Pope, chief executive of Smithfield Foods, the largest US pork processor, warned delegates of a wave of real food inflation just at the time central banks were under pressure to cut interest rates.I think we need to tell the American consumer that prices are going up, he said. We’re seeing cost increases that we’ve never seen in our business.The comments highlighted one of the conference’s main concerns – that rising agricultural prices have reached a stage at which the impact will be felt not only on fresh food but will also filter through the supply chain and raise the cost of processed food.Tom Knutzen, chief executive of Danisco, one of the world’s largest ingredients companies, said rising vegetable oil costs made it more expensive to produce preservatives, colourings and flavourings.

Our products are based on vegetable oil. Our input cost has gone up so we are increasing prices, he said in an interview in Brussels. He added that preservatives, colourings and flavourings made up only 1-2 per cent of the cost of food but there would be a ripple effect as they were present in almost all the food sold worldwide.
US agriculture officials forecast that food inflation will rise this year at an annual rate of 3-4 per cent, warning that the risks were skewed to the upside. Last year, food inflation rose 4 per cent, the highest annual rate since 1990.Joseph Glauber, the USDA’s chief economist, said in an interview that until now some companies had absorbed the rise in commodities prices, but that trend was about to change.He said that wheat prices had previously moved from $3 to $5 a bushel without significant pain for consumers. But now the wheat price has jumped to nearly $20 a bushel. These large increases will show up in consumer prices.Some people hope a slowdown in the US or global economy would push down agricultural commodities prices. But Mr Glauber said that would have a limited impact on agriculture commodities prices. I am more concerned about higher prices than lower prices.

However, Simon Johnson, chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, said in an interview that for most agricultural commodities and metal markets the global slowdown would push prices down.The commodities market believes in the decoupling of developing countries’ growth, Mr Johnson said. The IMF does not believe in decoupling to that extent.But even if commodities prices do slow down, other forces could still push consumer prices higher, food industry executives said.Companies until now have moderated consumer price increases thanks to large inventories and financial hedges in the commodities market futures. But during the course of this year those mitigating factors would vanish, executives said. The final result will be higher prices, Mr Lapp said. The global economy is at the beginning of a period in which consumer will face higher food prices.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

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

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

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

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

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

Euro keeps on climbing against dollar Fri Feb 29, 4:45 AM ET

BERLIN - The euro continued its rapid climb to new highs against the dollar on Friday, hitting $1.5238 in early European trading. The dollar has been plagued by uncertainty about the course of the U.S. economy even after U.S. Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday that the American economy was not anywhere near the dangerous situation of the 1970s.With the economy slowing and inflation rising, fears have grown that the country could be headed for the dreaded twin evils of stagnant growth and rising prices known as stagflation.The euro's peak Friday was above the previous record of $1.5229 that it reached on Thursday.In midmorning trading, the euro subsided slightly to $1.5203 from the $1.5215 it bought in late New York trading Thursday.The dollar looks set to finish the month with yet more downside pressure being heaped upon it, said Gary Thomson of CMC Markets in London.The British pound fell to $1.9871 from $1.9926. The dollar dipped to 104.39 Japanese yen from 105.36 yen in New York the night before.

The euro topped $1.50 for the first time since its 1999 introduction early Wednesday, then surged above $1.51 after markets took comments from Bernanke as a sign that yet more U.S. rate cuts are on the way.Lower interest rates can jump-start a nation's economy, but can weigh on its currency as traders transfer funds to countries where they can earn higher returns.

Stocks decline amid economic worries By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer FEB 29,08

NEW YORK - Stocks fell sharply Friday after a series of economic and earnings reports and a further rise in oil prices stoked concerns about the health of economy. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 200 points, or more than 1.5 percent. Investors grew unnerved by weak quarterly showings from American International Group Inc. and Dell Inc. An index of regional business activity that Wall Street regards as a precursor to a report due next week registered its weakest reading in more than six years.Adding to Wall Street's list of worries, oil prices continued to stir concern about inflation after topping $103 per barrel overnight for the first time.While stocks made sharp gains in the first three days this week even amid some lackluster economic readings, the litany of concerns investors succumbed to Friday offered a fresh look at the undercurrent of uncertainty that has kept Wall Street on edge for months.We really had to face a plethora of negative news, said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Jefferies & Co. in Boston.Hogan said while stocks had managed impressive gains for much of the week Fridays have remained difficult for Wall Street in the past year or so since cracks began to appear in the credit markets and as concerns have emerged about the prospects for the economy.

In the late morning trading, the Dow fell 204.83, or 1.63 percent, to 12,377.35.Broader stock indicators also fell. The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 23.44, or 1.71 percent, to 1,344.24, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 40.79, or 1.75 percent, to 2,290.78.
Bond prices rose sharply as stocks declined. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.58 percent from 3.67 percent late Thursday.The euro traded at $1.5188 in London, after reaching new highs on Thursday. The slide in the dollar has sent commodities prices soaring, and on Friday briefly took oil above $103 a barrel for the first time. Light, sweet crude slipped 17 cents to $102.42 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Over all, stocks have performed better in February than in January, when credit market turmoil took a heavy toll on the major averages. But disappointing earnings results released late Thursday cast a pall over the market and cause stocks to end the month on a wary note.Insurer AIG announced a $5.29 billion quarterly loss and took a massive charge to account for its exposure to credit derivatives. The loss caught analysts off guard, as many had expected the company to report a profit.Computer maker Dell had a 6 percent decline in quarterly profit, falling below analysts' expectations, and warned that its business could suffer from reduced customer spending.AIG was the steepest decliner among the 30 stocks that make up the Dow industrials, falling $3.37, or 6.7 percent, to $46.78. Dell slipped 46 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $20.41.Wall Street's pullback comes a day after stocks sank as investors fretted over a rise in unemployment claims and the prospect of more bank failures. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that while large U.S. banks will likely recover from the recent credit crisis, other banks are at risk of failing.

Some relief for the ailing bond insurance industry is on the way. Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross agreed to invest up to $1 billion in Bermuda-based reinsurer Assured Guaranty Ltd.Assured does not have as much exposure to bad subprime debt as some of its rivals, but the deal still shows investors are willing to pump capital into an industry where troubles have hurt many classes of normally stable debt. Assured Guaranty rose $3.18, or 14 percent, to $25.96.
In economic news, the Chicago purchasing managers index for this month came in at 44.5, a weaker reading than the 48.5 that had been expected, according to Dow Jones Newswires. The report indicated the factory sector is shrinking in that region. The figure is seen as a precursor of the national Institute for Supply Management report due out Monday. The Reuters-University of Michigan final consumer sentiment reading for February came in at 70.8, better than the figure of 69 that had been expected. A government report that personal spending, on an inflation-adjusted basis, was unchanged in January provided further evidence of a consumer pullback that could further weaken the economy. There also was nervousness about what impact the recent slide in the dollar and robust rally in commodities — including a jump in crude oil prices to $103 a barrel — will have on the economy and companies. A closely watched gauge of consumer inflation posted a 0.4 percent increase in January and was up 3.7 percent over the past 12 months, the biggest year-over-year gain since 1991. This result will intensify worries that inflation is accelerating even as the economy slows. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by about 5 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 440.6 million shares. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 11.90, or 1.69 percent, to 693.20. Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average closed down 2.32 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 1.46 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 2.03 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 1.63 percent. On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com
Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

PESTILENCES (CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS)

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

Ricin possibly found at Las Vegas motel By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer FEB 29,08

LAS VEGAS - A substance found at a motel may be the deadly toxin ricin, but authorities said Friday they don't believe it was intended for a terrorist attack. Lab tests on the substance were pending and seven people were taken to hospitals as a precaution.
This event does not appear to be terrorism related, FBI spokesman Richard Kolko in Washington said Friday morning. Kolko said the FBI was assisting local police in the investigation.Police were called to the Extended Stay America Motel on Thursday and retrieved a package from the motel manager that was determined to be a chemical or controlled substance, Officer Ramon Denby said.Two preliminary tests indicate it contained ricin, Denby said. Results from further tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a second local lab are expected later Friday, he said.The man who brought the substance to the manager told police he found it in a suite and it did not belong to him, police Capt. Joseph Lombardo said at a news conference Thursday night. Lombardo did not identify the man.Ricin has no medical uses other than cancer research, Lombardo said. An individual citizen other than being involved in cancer research or cancer prevention would not have any legal means or proper means of having that.Police cordoned off the area and isolated the room where the substance was found.

Three motel employees and another person were quarantined and decontaminated at the site, then taken to hospitals for further testing, Denby said. All appeared to be in good condition, he said. Three police officers who had been exposed were also taken to hospitals.Someone exposed to ricin shows signs of contamination in six to eight hours, Denby said.Homeland Security officials joined local police in the investigation. Officials from the FBI, Las Vegas Health District, a hazardous materials team and the National Guard were also at the scene.A woman who answered the phone at the Extended Stay America Motel declined to comment. The motel is several blocks west of the Las Vegas Strip.Ricin is made from the waste left over from processing castor beans, and can be extremely lethal. As little as 500 micrograms, or about the size of the head of a pin, can kill a human, according to the CDC.

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).

From Times OnlineFebruary 28, 2008
Superbug deaths soar in England and WalesDavid Rose


The number of deaths linked with hospital superbug Clostridium difficile has soared in England and Wales, figures from the Office for National Statistics show. Between 2005 and 2006 the number of death certificates which mentioned the infection rose by 72 per cent to 6,480. Elderly people were most at risk from the bacteria, which caused more than 55,000 infections in NHS hospitals last year. It is thought that some of the increase may be due to more complete reporting on death certificates, but there has been a fiftyfold increase in C. difficile infections since 1990. Deaths citing C. difficile as a factor increased by 77 per cent in men, and 66 per cent in women between 2005 and 2006, the new statistics show. In more than half of cases, C. difficile was listed as the underlying cause of death. Rates in both sexes have risen dramatically since 2001, when there were only 1,200 mentions of the infection on death certificates. The ONS figures also showed deaths involving another notorious superbug, MRSA, remained roughly the same between 2005 and 2006 - at about 1,650 each year.

C. difficile is present in the gut of 3 per cent of adults and two thirds of infants, although it rarely causes problems. However, certain antibiotics can disturb the normal balance, allowing the bug to thrive and causing severe diarrhoea and in some cases severe inflammation of the bowel which can be life threatening. Elderly hospital patients over 65 are most at risk from bacterial spores, which are difficult to eradicate from wards. Brian Duerden, chief microbiologist at the Department of Health, said that ministers called for more accurate reporting of infections such as MRSA and C. difficile on death certificates in 2005. These statistics from 2006 show that this move has worked and our figures are now in line with other developed countries, he said. Since 2006 we have taken significant steps to tackle infections. These include stringent hand-washing guidance for the NHS, a bare below-the-elbows dress code, putting matrons back in charge of cleanliness on their wards and an ongoing deep clean of every ward.Professor Duerden added that hospital infection rates were now falling. The Health Protection Agency reported in November that rates of C. difficile infection may be levelling off, with the number of new cases down 7 per cent to 13,660, while MRSA cases are also falling. But Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said that the figures beg the question of why it took so long for the government to realise the seriousness of deadly infections such as C. difficile.

Recent successes in keeping infection rates down are down to the hard work of NHS staff, who are up against enormous pressure to hit targets while keeping their wards infection-free.Andrew Lansley, the Conservative Shadow Health Secretary, described the figures as unacceptable and noted that hospital-acquired infections now kill almost three times as many people as road accidents. These shocking figures reflect the full scale of the human cost of C. difficile infection. The overall scale of infection is unacceptable and the need for a comprehensive infection control strategy, including improved antibiotic prescribing and access to isolation facilities, hand hygiene and cleanliness is paramount.

Israel warns Gaza invasion impending By ALON BERNSTEIN, Associated Press Writer FEB 29,08

ASHKELON, Israel - Israel's deputy defense minister warned on Friday of a disaster in the Gaza Strip after Israel activated an air raid system to protect a major city from increasingly threatening Palestinian rocket barrages. As Israeli troops, tanks and aircraft went after Palestinian rocket operations, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Army Radio that Israel had no other choice but to launch a massive military operation in Gaza.As the rocket fire grows, and the range increases ... they are bringing upon themselves a greater shoah because we will use all our strength in every way we deem appropriate, whether in airstrikes or on the ground, Vilnai told Army Radio.The Hebrew word shoah is most often associated with the Holocaust but Israelis use it to describe all sorts of disasters. A spokesman for Vilnai, Eitan Ginzburg, said the deputy defense minister never intended it as a reference to the Holocaust but used the word shoah to denote a disaster.Israel evacuated its troops and settlers from Gaza in late 2005, but the rocket fire has persisted and this week became more ominous as Iranian-made rockets slammed into a major city.

Communities right over the Gaza border have taken the overwhelming brunt of the rocket attacks from Gaza, but militants firing longer-range Iranian rockets struck hit the town of Ashkelon several times on Thursday. One sliced through the roof of an apartment building and three floors below, and another landed near a school, wounding a 17-year-old girl.Ashkelon, a beach town 11 miles north of Gaza, had been sporadically targeted in the past but never suffered direct hits or significant damage. Aside from its relatively large population of 120,000, the city is also home to a hospital, a power station, hotels and the European force that used to monitor a major Gaza-Israel crossing before Islamic Hamas militants violently seized control of Gaza in June.Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Friday that the assaults on Ashkelon demand an Israeli retaliation. Barak, who has warned repeatedly of a large-scale operation in Gaza, blamed Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers for the escalation in violence and said the militant movement would suffer the consequences.The Israeli military has completed its preparations for a major ground offensive and notified the government it is ready to move immediately when the order is given, Israeli defense officials said. But Israel does not intend to launch a major ground offensive in the next week or two, partly because the military prefers to wait for clearer weather, they said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.Israeli troops and tanks were in action Friday against rocket squads firing from northern Gaza, and Israeli aircraft continued to pummel targets in the coastal territory. Four children and a grandmother were among the 15 wounded, according to Gaza health officials.A Palestinian rocket hit a house in the rocket-scarred Israeli town of Sderot, slightly wounding one person, Israeli rescue officials said. Another rocket that fell short landed on a house in northern Gaza, moderately wounding four civilians.

A spike in violence that began Wednesday with Israel's killing of two rocket masterminds has killed 32 Palestinians, including 15 civilians, among them eight children. The youngest was a 6-month-old boy. An Israeli man was killed in a rocket attack on Sderot on Wednesday.Israel blamed the high Palestinian civilian death toll on rocket squads operating within civilian areas of Gaza. AP photos showed rockets being launched from densely populated areas.Tens of thousands of Palestinians took to the streets Friday to bury their dead and protest the Israeli attacks. Some children at the protests wore white clothes stained with red paint to signify blood.Gaza's Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who like other Hamas officials has been in hiding for weeks for fear of an Israeli assassination attempt, emerged Friday for prayers. Hamas, he told a crowd of 2,000, will not be cowed.You are mistaken if you thought that targeting buildings, ministries and police stations is going to stop our work, Haniyeh said, directing his comments at Israel. We will work under trees, in tents and in the streets.After Thursday's rocket attacks on Ashkelon, Israel activated its Code Red rocket warning system there, after previously using it only in communities much closer to Gaza. The system picks up incoming rockets and sounds an alarm in the target area, giving residents time — a few dozen seconds, in Ashkelon's case — to scramble for cover.Despite past rocket hits in Ashkelon, Israel hesitated to activate the Code Red system there because officials didn't want to send 120,000 people running for shelter every time a rocket was launched in the direction of the city.

Hezbollah reject US ships off Lebanon By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer FEB 29,08

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah denounced the deployment of U.S. warships off Lebanon's coast and said Friday it won't be intimidated, while the U.S.-backed Lebanese government distanced itself from the military move. We did not request any warships from any party, U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said, hours after the U.S. announced it was sending ships off Lebanon to promote regional stability.He insisted the U.S. ships would cruise off the coast, not in Lebanese territorial waters.Saniora, who has been accused by the opposition of following U.S. policy, spoke in front of Arab diplomats at government headquarters in Beirut after his Hezbollah opponents called the U.S. deployment a threat to Lebanese sovereignty and independence.The U.S. military said Thursday the Navy was sending at least three ships, including an amphibious assault ship, to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in a show of strength during a period of tensions with Syria and political uncertainty in Lebanon.In Washington on Friday, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe called the move a show of support for regional stability.And State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the warships were an important sign of U.S. commitment to security in the region. It should provide comfort to our friends and, for U.S. adversaries, a reminder that we are there, he told reporters.

But Hezbollah legislator Hassan Fadlallah denounced the move as a threat and called on Saniora's government to reject the Navy deployment.We are facing an American threat against Lebanon, Fadlallah said on local television. It is clear this threat and intimidation will not affect us.Hezbollah is leading the opposition in seeking to topple the U.S.-backed government in Beirut. The group fought Israel in the 2006 war and is believed linked to Muslim militants who attacked U.S. forces and diplomats in Lebanon in 1983-84 during the Lebanese civil war, killing about 270.Lebanon's long political crisis is increasingly viewed as taking on a regional scope: a proxy confrontation between the United States and some of its Arab allies against Iran and Syria — both staunch opponents of America's Mideast policies.Neighboring Syria had yet to react on Friday, a weekend in that country.

The decision appeared to be a not-too-subtle show of U.S. force as international frustration mounts over a long political deadlock in tiny, weak Lebanon. The United States blames Syria for the impasse, saying it has never given up its ambitions to control its smaller neighbor.If the Syrians want to take a message from it, happy to have them do so if what that means is it gets them out of the business of subverting democracy and the will of the Lebanese people, Casey said.The Lebanese opposition accuses the U.S. of scuttling any attempts to settle a political crisis over the president and government that has dragged on for the last 15 months. The majority has accused the opposition of doing the bidding of Syria and Iran.A presidential election in Lebanon has been delayed 15 times. Just this week the date was pushed back to March 11.Tensions in Lebanon have sharpened after the assassination in Syria of top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, who was wanted by the United States for a plane hijacking and was suspected of attacks against American targets in Lebanon as well as Israeli and Jewish interests abroad.Hezbollah has accused Israel, promising retaliation, and Israel has put its forces along the Lebanese border on alert. Sheik Afif Naboulsi, a Shiite cleric close to Hezbollah, scoffed at the U.S. Navy deployment. We say to the Americans: We will not be afraid of your threats, and we won't hand over the country to you to use it to pressure Syria, he said at a Friday sermon in southern Lebanon. In 1983, at the height of U.S. intervention in Lebanon, about 17 ships — two aircraft carrier battle groups and two mammoth battleships — patrolled the Lebanese coastline with a Marine contingent deployed at Beirut airport.

A suicide bombing destroyed the Marine base in October 1983, killing 241 American service personnel, and a U.S. Embassy building was destroyed by another suicide bomber during that period. U.S. warships also were involved in shelling anti-government Muslim militia positions. Lebanese territorial waters are now patrolled by Lebanon's navy and a United Nations Naval Task Force that is assisting Lebanese authorities under the U.N. resolution that halted the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The last time U.S. ships came to Lebanon was during the 34-day conflict in 2006, with warships taking part in the evacuation of Americans.

EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

REVELATION 6:1-2
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:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)

REVELATION 13:1-10
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.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
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.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
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.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Barroso admits legitimacy problem for commission president post 28.02.2008 - 08:30 CET | By Honor Mahony

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has said that the European elections, regularly marked by voter apathy and low turnout, create a legitimacy problem for his post.I really believe we have a problem there, said Mr Barroso responding to a question about whether European citizens should have the power to directly elect the person to fill his post.He added that: From a formal point of view, its a perfect system but admitted that in practice it is different.Under rules of the new EU treaty the president of the commission has to be chosen in light of the result of the European elections, meaning the post goes to a person of the political grouping that wins the most seats in the European Parliament.Mr Barroso, who pointed to the fact that the French prime minister was chosen by the French president or that former British prime minister Tony Blair was an MP before being chosen to become leader, said that although the commission has the same legitimacy as prime ministers (...) in practice this is not the case.

The question is of substantive legitimacy, he said, while speaking at a dinner organised by the Centre for European Policy Studies on Wednesday (27 February).Elections to the 785-seat EU assembly take place every five years. Despite attempts to create pan-European debate, fostered by the creation of European political parties and lately proposals to set up political foundations at the European level, the elections remain national affairs, often with local or domestic issues coming into play.Analysts says that if citizens were casting their vote to choose from a list of candidate for the job of commission president then turnout would likely be much higher - in the last round of elections in 2004 turnout was around 30 percent in some member states.Mr Barroso noted that there is no European political space adding that this would take time to get away from the current 28 political systems at play - those of the 27member states and the Brussels beltway.

France says it has no preferred EU president candidate
27.02.2008 - 09:19 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva


EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Paris is not officially supporting anybody for the post of EU president, French EU affairs minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet has said, while describing France's ideal candidate for the top job.Any choice now would be premature .We will see when the time comes, and not before the end of the year, Mr Jouyet said during a debate organised by Brussels-based think-tank The Centre on Tuesday (26 February).Nonetheless, France would like the person occupying this post to be a personality who has charisma, experience, and enough drive to energise the work of the European Council, Mr Jouyet underlined.He stopped short of pointing to specific individuals, however.French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who last October first mentioned former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Luxembourg's premier, Jean-Claude Juncker, as possible candidates for president of the European Council – representing member states at EU leader level - is seen as backing Mr Blair for the job.But his views are not shared by everyone.

Having [personal] affinities is one thing, having candidacies [for the post] is another, Mr Jouyet said.For some, it is unacceptable that a national of a country that is not part of core EU projects such as the eurozone and Schengen – the EU's borderless zone – could represent Europe. The UK take part in neither of these areas.
It is clear that having a solidarity – be it in a monetary framework [with the euro] or in a legal one, with Schengen, would not be detrimental to any personality willing to preside over the EU, regardless how strong this personality may be, France's EU minister said without explicitly mentioning Mr Blair.But Mr Jouyet had already spoken against the former prime minister's candidacy. He was quoted as saying earlier this month that while Mr Blair had indisputable leadership qualities, he does not meet all the criteria required for the job.The post of president of the European Council is set to be a high-profile job, which can be held for up to five years. It is enshrined in the EU's Lisbon treaty, expected to come into force next year. A Union for the Mediterranean, not a Mediterranean Union During the one-hour debate, Mr Jouyet also indicated a certain change in France's plans to create a Mediterranean Union.There is no Mediterranean Union, the minister said, specifying that one should now speak of a Union for the Mediterranean which is a semantic shift that is not neutral.

The French idea of a Mediterranean Union involving a union of EU and non-EU Mediterranean states, has been particularly criticised in Germany, which fears it will be detrimental to the already existing EU policies in the area.Earlier this week, a postponement of a Franco-German meeting initially planned for 3 March prompted speculation that disagreement over this specific project was the cause.Mr Jouyet tried to reassure opponents of the project during Tuesday's debate.The proposed Union for the Mediterranean is only about completing and enriching the already existing policies, as the Mediterranean is an important EU border, he said.For my part, I am optimistic that we will find together with our partners, in particular with our German friends, an agreement on the modalities [of the project], he added.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE FEB 29,08

I have heard a great deal about the European Superstate and the coming New World Order. Are these events also signs of Christ’s return?

The short answer is Yes! We are living at a time in which it is not only possible for a world dictator of unprecedented authority to emerge-the Antichrist- it is also inevitable. God's Word states that only seven empires will exist in world history before Christ returns. The verse proving this statement is Revelation 17:10, There are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. The five fallen empires referred to by John in this verse are Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. The one that ruled at the time John wrote the Book of Revelation was Rome. One more final empire would arise, but there would first be a long delay. That global power would be the revived Roman Empire, a scenario we addressed briefly in an earlier question. From this final group of nations the figure known as the Antichrist emerges and reigns for a brief period-just eighty-four months. So the question: Is this period way off in the distant future? No! It is around the corner. The world is on the brink of submission to this latter-day power. This revived Roman Empire is presently assembling and organizing itself under the aegis of the European Union, a federal Super state that will form the basis for the last one-world government. This dictatorship under Antichrist rules with supernatural power, advanced twenty-first-century technological police-state know-how, and unthinkable terror. Is it in the making? Judge for yourself. The European Community created the European Monetary Institute in January 1994, and it is scheduled to become a central bank issuing a single currency no later than 2002. We are already seeing the power, threat, and influence of the euro.

In addition to its growing economic prowess, the European Union will formulate common foreign and security policies with defense issues handled by the Western European Union. Soon, all defense policies will be made jointly. The European Union is rapidly dissolving the ideas of national sovereignty in a giant step toward globalism and one-world government. The Superstate is preparing the way for a more powerful central government, one that will eventually be headed by a world dictator. In Daniel 9:27, we see this future Fuehrer making a peace contract with the nations of the earth for seven years. During the first half of this tribulational period, the Antichrist is controlled by satanic powers (Revelation 13:4). However, during the second forty-two months, Satan is cast out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-11) and incarnates the body of this world dictator (Revelation 13:3). When Satan takes over the physical being of the Antichrist, he begins to call himself god, magnifying himself above every god (Daniel 11:36).

How can we know with certainty that we are close to this historical moment? The entire prophetic scenario began in the miraculous year of 1948, when three major world events occurred simultaneously. The first was the rebirth of the land of Israel. Jesus Himself predicted this event would precede His return in Matthew 24:32-33 when He told His disciples to come to grips with the message of the parable of the fig tree, which always represents Israel in the Bible. Jesus said, When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Nothing of significance prophetically, therefore, could happen until Israel became a nation again. That happened in 1948. In addition, that year witnessed the first meeting that would lead to the establishment of the revived Roman Empire, the European Union. This last-days entity would form the political and military basis for the coming one-world government-the apparatus by which the Antichrist would rule. The third important event of 1948 was the formation of the World Council of Churches, which would help lay the groundwork for the one-world religious system of the Antichrist described in Revelation 13:11 and 17:9. For more than fifty years now, the stage has been set for a world dictator to emerge, a man with power and authority far beyond the scope of Nebuchadnezzar or any of his successors. The world anxiously awaits his appearance. I have little doubt that this great imposter is alive and waiting in the wings. How close are we to the fateful day of his appearance? Here is what three citizens say:

We are in a leaderless world, is the opinion of Walter Cronkite.

We have a rendezvous with a world dictator and his appearance may be soon, says economist Julian Snyder.

The internationally acclaimed Dr. Paul-Henri Spaak says, Europe is looking for a man so powerful that he will hold the allegiance of all the people. Be he man or devil we are ready to receive him.

However, it is not just a political leader for whom the world is looking. All the major religions discuss the emergence, in the last days, of a powerful and terrifying spiritual figure-someone who will ultimately proclaim himself to be God. Today's widespread New Age philosophy is laying the groundwork for the Antichrist's global religious system. Did you know, for instance, that John Randolph Price, one of the world's principal New Age gurus, says his spirit guide revealed to him that 2.5 billion people may need to be wiped off the face of the earth for their Utopian spiritual dreams to be realized (Revelation 6:8; 9:18; 13:15; 20:4)? Could such an organization claiming a billion followers produce the Antichrist? Definitely!

The New Age movement teaches that we are all little gods. I believe the Antichrist will ride the crest of that belief and give it the credibility it does not deserve. However, the honeymoon for the Antichrist will not last forever. He will suffer a mortal head wound and come to his end in a battle with Russia (Daniel 11:45). After being incarnated by Satan, he then rises from the dead and declares himself as the god of gods (Revelation 13:3). He demands that every human being worship him under penalty of death (Revelation 13:15). Is it not fitting that today's New Age leaders are already beginning to justify the mass slaughter that will follow? The Antichrist will have more help, too, from someone known as the false prophet. It is from the leadership of this false prophet, propped up by the revived European Empire, that all such latter-day prophecies emerge. Rome will again be the center of the world economically, politically, militarily, and spiritually. Those currently moving Europe in this direction seem inexplicably drawn to their fate. Perhaps you remember that in 1987, the Belgians minted the first ECU silver coins. Imprinted on them was the bust of Emperor Charles the Fifth, crowned head of the Holy Roman Empire in 1519. Why was Charles chosen to be immortalized on the first-ever European coin? Because of the striking geographical similarity between the European Community and the Holy Roman Empire. But what about the ten toes and the ten nations? Hasn't the European Union evolved past this stage? Yes it has. That is to be expected. Remember that we are speaking of an eventual world government, not a regional one. The European Union began as ten nations. In fact, Daniel 7:24 shows us that a very significant eleventh nation arises.

That was Spain. Now we have fifteen and Poland and others may come aboard by the year 2002 for the formation of the one-world government or New World Order. The European Superstate, I believe, will provide the platform and the structure for this world dictatorship (Daniel 7:23; Revelation 13:7). When Christ returns to establish His earthly kingdom, a grouping of ten kings or ten areas remain (Daniel 2:44). Interestingly, all of the prime movers behind the globalist dream have divided the world into ten spheres. The Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Bilderbergers, the Club of Rome, and others that promote a one-world federation eventually break up the globe into ten regions. One way or another God's Word will come to pass. Only now, after two great European wars have been fought and reunification has occurred, could the promises of the Bible about a world government centered in Rome be possible. Likewise, only now, as we prepare to enter the twenty-first-century computer age could such a government hope to keep track of the commercial activities of every human being on the planet (Revelation 13:16-17). The University of Edinburgh once was proud to claim it had a computer that was able to perform forty billion arithmetic transactions per second. However, that is only one of the ten fastest computers in the world! We now have computers that process upwards of one trillion pieces of information per second. What an up-to-date book is the Bible!

Soon the Rapture will occur, after which a time of unmitigated terror will engulf the globe. Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it (Jeremiah 30:7). Daniel 12:1 describes it as a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation. Jesus used almost the exact words in Matthew 24:21, For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world. These things must happen. They are right around the corner. But we should have no fear about them, not as believers, anyway. When these things come to pass, be not terrified (see Luke 21:9). Why? Because Jesus said that when these things come to pass, Know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand (Luke 21:31). We believers who are prepared will miss this horrendous hour. We will be gone before any part of the seven-year Tribulation period begins. We will be caught up in the air to meet Jesus in the twinkling of an eye, according to 1 Corinthians 15:51-54. Then we shall return with the King seven years later to rule and reign (Revelation 20:4). Soon we will hear the shout Come up hither! (Revelation 4:1). Then eighty-four months later, the Lord returns with His heavenly entourage for the millennial honeymoon (Jude 14; Revelation 19:7-8, 14; 20:4). My friend, the Rapture is near!

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

EVIL INVENTIONS ARE PREDICTED IN THE BIBLE.

ROMANS 1:29-32
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

[Comment] Franco-British defence cooperation - a historic crossroads? 27.02.2008 - 09:16 CET | By Nick Witney

EUOBSERVER / COMMENT - The Brown-Sarkozy summit in late March will offer a great opportunity to boost defence cooperation between the UK and France. A substantial agenda, set out in a secret report prepared over the past two years, is waiting to be taken forward. But real progress will require a determined exercise of will by the two leaders.Some doubt that Britain will be ready for any new defence initiative with France whilst ratification of the Lisbon Treaty is still under debate in the UK Parliament. But French President Nicolas Sarkozy's overtures to the US and to NATO - soon to be manifested with more French troops for Afghanistan - have made the politics easier. And both sides have the best of incentives to increase their cooperation - financial necessity. At the outset of their present defence review, the French admitted that their forward re-equipment plans were unaffordable by over 40%. The cash crunch in the UK Ministry of Defence is almost as severe. Pressure of operations is also taking its toll on men and machinery on both sides of the Channel, tightening the financial bind. Sooner rather than later, both countries will be facing major cuts in their defence capabilities - unless they can find ways to help each other by pooling their efforts and resources. Happily, a plan to do just that has now been identified, in some detail. Almost two years ago, the last Blair-Chirac summit set up a small, high-level working group to work on deepening bilateral co-operation. The group, comprising the two relevant deputy defence ministers and two top industry executives, submitted their report last July. It remains under wraps. But it describes the current moment as an historic cross-roads; and it contains a long list of practical, concrete proposals for pooling resources and sharing the benefits.

These range from setting up a joint defence research fund (worth 100 million euro a year), to cooperation on different missiles. Various sub-systems (for combat vehicles, aero-engines, drones) and a dozen technology areas (from radar to energetics) are identified as ripe for collaboration and interdependency. Opportunities for shared in-service support of common equipments, and joint out-sourcing, are catalogued.So - should we expect the Summit to announce a bold step forward in these areas, acting as a spur to other Europeans and signalling to the next US President that Europe's two leading military powers are determined to stay up with the hunt? Maybe - but only if the two leaders make the effort needed to overcome the friction and inertia which characterise all defence bureaucracies.Defence establishments play safe - it is their nature. Playing safe in the present context will mean a summit outcome long on declarations and promises of further study, and short on hard commitments, especially involving money. Watch to see, for example, whether the research fund idea sees the light of day. The bureaucracies will be trying hard to bury it, and with it the inconvenient requirement to work together to find common ground. But, absent such outcomes, friction and inertia will again have won the day. It is now, in the final weeks of summit preparation, that the two leaders must exert themselves to insist on outcomes which measure up to the opportunity and the need. Nick Witney is former Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency and currently a Senior Policy Fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations (www.ecfr.eu)

A North American Army? New military agreement allows for crossing borders

In a ceremony that received virtually no attention in the American media, the United States and Canada signed a military agreement Feb. 14 allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis.The agreement, defined as a Civil Assistance Plan, was not submitted to Congress for approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty specifically authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations of the armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of a wide range of domestic civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics, to civil riots or terrorist attacks.

In Canada, the agreement paving the way for the militaries of the U.S. and Canada to cross each other's borders to fight domestic emergencies was not announced either by the Harper government or the Canadian military, prompting sharp protest.It's kind of a trend when it comes to issues of Canada-U.S. relations and contentious issues like military integration, Stuart Trew, a researcher with the Council of Canadians told the Canwest News Service. We see that this government is reluctant to disclose information to Canadians that is readily available on American and Mexican websites.The military Civil Assistance Plan can be seen as a further incremental step being taken toward creating a North American armed forces available to be deployed in domestic North American emergency situations.The agreement was signed at U.S. Army North headquarters, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, by U.S. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, or USNORTHCOM, and by Canadian Air Force Lt. Gen. Marc Dumais, commander of Canada Command.This document is a unique, bilateral military plan to align our respective national military plans to respond quickly to the other nation's requests for military support of civil authorities, Renuart said in a statement published on the USNORTHCOM website.In discussing the new bilateral Civil Assistance Plan established by USNORTHCOM and Canada Command, Renuart stressed, Unity of effort during bilateral support for civil support operations such as floods, forest fires, hurricanes, earthquakes and effects of a terrorist attack, in order to save lives, prevent human suffering an mitigate damage to property, is of the highest importance, and we need to be able to have forces that are flexible and adaptive to support rapid decision-making in a collaborative environment.

Lt. Gen. Dumais seconded Renuart's sentiments, stating, The signing of this plan is an important symbol of the already strong working relationship between Canada Command and U.S. Northern Command.Our commands were created by our respective governments to respond to the defense and security challenges of the twenty-first century, he stressed, and we both realize that these and other challenges are best met through cooperation between friends.The statement on the USNORTHCOM website emphasized the plan recognizes the role of each nation's lead federal agency for emergency preparedness, which in the United States is the Department of Homeland Security and in Canada is Public Safety Canada.The statement then noted the newly signed plan was designed to facilitate the military-to-military support of civil authorities once government authorities have agreed on an appropriate response.As WND has previously reported, U.S. Northern Command was established on Oct. 1, 2002, as a military command tasked with anticipating and conducting homeland defense and civil support operations where U.S. armed forces are used in domestic emergencies.Similarly, Canada Command was established on Feb. 1, 2006, to focus on domestic operations and offer a single point of contact for all domestic and continental defense and securities partners.In Nov. 2007, WND published a six-part exclusive series, detailing WND's on-site presence during the NORAD-USNORTHCOM Vigilant Shield 2008, an exercise which involved Canada Command as a participant.In an exclusive interview with WND during Vigilant Shield 2008, Gen. Renuart affirmed USNORTHCOM would deploy U.S. troops on U.S. soil should the president declare a domestic emergency in which the Department of Defense ordered USNORTHCOM involvement.In May 2007, WND reported President Bush, on his own authority, signed National Security Presidential Directive 51, also known as Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20, authorizing the president to declare a national emergency and take over all functions of federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, without necessarily obtaining the approval of Congress to do so.

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.

Abbas Says Terrorist Path May Not Be Ruled Out In The Future

Mahmoud Abbas - Israel's partner in peace talks and the head of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority - enjoys a reputation as a moderate, largely in light of his juxtaposition with the arch-terrorists of his rivals/allies in Hamas. However, he now says that terrorism and violence against Israel are actually the preferred approach, and certainly need not be ruled out in the future. At present, Abbas told the Jordanian newspaper A-Doustour, I am against an armed struggle against Israel because we can't do it, but in the coming stages, things may change.I am against an armed struggle against Israel because we can't do it, Abbas said.I do not rule out a return to the way of armed struggle against Israel, he said in the Wednesday night interview.Seventeen Arabs, mostly terrorists, have been killed in six Israel Air Force counter-terrorism actions in Gaza since Wednesday morning. One of the dead was the son of a top Hamas official.Abbas took pride in the fact that he was the first terrorist in the struggle against Israel. I had the honor of firing, in 1965, the first bullet of the resistance, he boasted. He added that it was his Fatah organization that taught Hizbullah and other terrorist organizations in the world how to run terrorist campaigns.Abbas, whose nom de guerre is Abu Mazen, said that he does not demand that Hamas - the terrorist movement that violently wrested control of Gaza from Fatah last year - recognize Israel at present. I wanted to establish a unity government with Hamas that would negotiate with Israel, he said. Syria's Bashar Assad supported me.I am not the only one who wants recognition of Israel; the Arab initiative, which is a matter of consensus in the Arab and Islamic worlds, also says this.Abbas was happy about rejecting the notion of Israel as a Jewish state. He said that in the Annapolis Summit of last November, they wanted us to agree to a summation saying that Israel is a Jewish state, and we objected strongly. The summit almost blew up because of this.

Russians to vote for a new president but keep the old one By Christian Lowe Thu Feb 28, 1:48 PM ET

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian voters will hand Dmitry Medvedev victory in a one-sided presidential election on Sunday, a choice that should ensure his mentor President Vladimir Putin stays on as the power behind the throne. The Kremlin's opponents say voters have been denied a real choice because the biggest television stations slant their coverage in Medvedev's favor while election officials have barred some opposition challengers from running.But the country is enjoying its longest economic boom in a generation -- fuelled by record prices for oil and gas -- and most people see the double act of Putin and Medvedev as the best hope of prolonging their new-found prosperity.If I am entrusted with leading the state I will simply be obliged to continue the policies ... of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Medvedev said. I hope if we continue to work in this format, as a pair, it will benefit our country. Putin is constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term. He endorsed Medvedev to replace him and has said he is ready to serve next as prime minister.

Most observers say that means the centre of power will shift from the Kremlin to Putin's new office in the White House government headquarters, a short trip down the Moskva river.Eyewitnesses told Reuters the lavatories on the White House's fifth floor, where the prime minister has his office, are already being refurbished.Putin is going to remain the main guy, said Chris Weafer, chief strategist with Uralsib bank.Some investors have called the arrangement a dream team -- not least because it reduces the chances of a messy fight between rival Kremlin clans over assets such as gas giant Gazprom and state-owned oil firm Rosneft.

HONEYMOON FOR HOW LONG?

Medvedev will become president of a vast country that has re-emerged as a force on the world stage.Russia is the world's second biggest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, it is pouring money into military hardware and it is once again challenging the West on issues from Kosovo to Washington's plan for a missile shield in Europe.A softly-spoken lawyer with a gentler style than ex-KGB spy Putin, Medvedev nevertheless shows every sign of continuing Putin's assertive policies.But there are problems on the horizon: inflation threatens to spin out of control, the budget is vulnerable to a drop in oil prices and Kremlin-watchers say the honeymoon between Putin and Medvedev could turn sour.There will be a certain shake up of control and there will be a lot of unhappy people who will try to obstruct that. That is the main threat. That is the threat from Putin's entourage itself, said Georgy Satarov, a former presidential adviser.The election itself has been short on drama. Medvedev, who at 42 will be the youngest Russian leader since Tsar Nicholas II, has over 70 percent support in opinion polls, about five times more than his nearest rival.Medvedev refused to take part in televised election debates, citing a lack of time. He did not need the exposure: he already has the powerful state machinery behind him.A minister this month ended a speech at a government meeting with the words: Forward, Russia -- Medvedev's campaign slogan. Most Western election observers are not monitoring the vote, citing obstruction by the authorities. The handful that are coming say the election is devoid of real choice. Former world chess champion and Kremlin opponent Garry Kasparov plans street protests the day after the election, though only a minority of Russians sympathize with his cause.

Western media have to stop using words like campaign and election, he said. You are misleading your public. In Russia, instead, we are talking about a farce.We think it's necessary to show the authorities that we're prepared to stand up to their plans to destroy democracy.For more on the Russian presidential election, read our blog Operation Successor athttp://blogs.reuters.com/russia
(Additional reporting by Darya Korsunskaya, Conor Sweeney and James Kilner; Writing by Christian Lowe; editing by Elizabeth Piper)

Kremlin ruler or Putin's puppet: Who is Medvedev?

People who know Dmitry Medvedev describe him as an intelligent and straightforward man who dislikes risk -- but does he have the political instincts to survive as Russia's next president? He has been overwhelming favorite to win the March 2 presidential election ever since his mentor, the outgoing President Vladimir Putin, endorsed Medvedev to replace him.Medvedev's personal qualities could suit Putin's purposes: he needs a reliable and loyal ally in the Kremlin job if he is to exert influence after his own presidential term ends.Some ex-colleagues question though whether Medvedev has the cunning and ruthlessness to impose his own authority in the job.Dima is clever, clever enough to be president and he is tough, tough enough to be president, one former colleague from the 1990s told Reuters on condition his name was not published.

But you have to have a sense, an emotional intelligence, a feeling for decisions in the Kremlin - Putin has it, (Former President Boris) Yeltsin definitely had it - does Dima? I don't know. We shall see, the former colleague said.If he wins the election, the 42-year-old Medvedev will become the youngest Russian leader since Russia's last emperor, Tsar Nikolai II. He will also be the first Russian leader with a background in private business.In contrast to Putin, a former KGB spy accused of rolling back democracy, former lawyer Medvedev has stressed the importance of freedom and justice. He pleased markets by saying he wants to limit the Kremlin's role in big corporations.But with a week to go before polling day, Medvedev's personality remains something of a mystery.A man who himself says he is buttoned-up in public, the one-sided campaign has done nothing to expose his character. He declined to take part in television debates and the only one-on-one interview he gave was paid for by his campaign.So who is Dmitry Medvedev? The most striking theme that emerged from interviews Reuters conducted with some of Medvedev's former colleagues and acquaintances is that -- at least until now -- he does not stand out from the crowd.

Mikhail Kasyanov, prime minister at a time when Medvedev worked for Putin in the Kremlin, struggled to recall anything of note about Medvedev.He is just a normal bureaucrat, shrugged Kasyanov, who became a fierce Kremlin opponent after he was sacked in 2004.Even Medvedev's supporters do not have a lot to say about him. He is a good guy, just a good guy, said one source close to the Kremlin. He does what he says he will.Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born into a family of teachers, is remembered as a bookish child.He says his favorite book was the Soviet Encyclopaedia -- similar to the Encyclopaedia Britannica -- though he also developed a taste for British rock bands Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.He is very cultured, you can speak to him about the theatre, music, he has a sense of humor, said Nataliya Rasskazova, who studied with Medvedev at St Petersburg University's law faculty, where Putin also studied.He has not changed. I saw him a year ago and there was no arrogance, he was not high and mighty, she said.Medvedev taught law after graduating but also went to work for Putin, who was chairman of the St Petersburg mayor's committee for external relations.Medvedev also moved into business, a period of his life which is left out of official biographies.He worked as a key lawyer for the Ilim Pulp paper firm, helping to found the firm, though colleagues say he was never treated as an equal by the firm's owners. It has emerged as one of Russia's leading companies in a sector worth billions of dollars.He got a salary and he was in real business in the 1990s. He saw the reality, said his former colleague.His ex-colleague said Medvedev took a stance unusual for the time: he avoided paying bribes, even losing the company a court case because he refused to give money to a judge.Medvedev owes his political career to Putin. By 1999, Medvedev's old friend was prime minister and soon to replace Yeltsin as president. Putin invited Medvedev to Moscow.He served as deputy chief of the Kremlin staff, later chief of staff, and was made chairman of state-controlled Gazprom, the world's biggest gas firm.Investment bankers said Medvedev displayed his power in the Kremlin by pushing through a major reform of Gazprom that allowed the state to consolidate its control but at the same time opened up the firm's shares to ownership by foreigners.

Medvedev was catapulted into the presidential race late last year when Putin said he was the right man for the job. But with Putin still powerful and planning to stay on as prime minister, Medvedev's position could be precarious.We are seeing just a part of the plan, the first few scenes, and no one knows the ending - not even Medvedev - and he can't know because (Putin's) plans could change depending on Medvedev, his former colleague said.Putin trusts Medvedev, he trusts his moderate character and dislike of risk taking. That is what he needs, but how long does it last for Medvedev? How will it work?

Preparing the way for the Mark - Introducing Digital Tattoo Interface

Jim Mielke's wireless blood-fueled display is a true merging of technology and body art. At the recent Greener Gadgets Design Competition, the engineer demonstrated a subcutaneously implanted touch-screen that operates as a cell phone display, with the potential for 3G video calls that are visible just underneath the skin.The basis of the 2x4-inch Digital Tattoo Interface is a Bluetooth device made of thin, flexible silicon and silicone. It´s inserted through a small incision as a tightly rolled tube, and then it unfurls beneath the skin to align between skin and muscle.

Through the same incision, two small tubes on the device are attached to an artery and a vein to allow the blood to flow to a coin-sized blood fuel cell that converts glucose and oxygen to electricity. After blood flows in from the artery to the fuel cell, it flows out again through the vein.On both the top and bottom surfaces of the display is a matching matrix of field-producing pixels. The top surface also enables touch-screen control through the skin. Instead of ink, the display uses tiny microscopic spheres, somewhat similar to tattoo ink. A field-sensitive material in the spheres changes their color from clear to black, aligned with the matrix fields.The tattoo display communicates wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices - both in the outside world and within the same body. Although the device is always on (as long as your blood´s flowing), the display can be turned off and on by pushing a small dot on the skin. When the phone rings, for example, an individual turns the display on, and the tattoo comes to life as a digital video of the caller, Mielke explains.

When the call ends, the tattoo disappears.Could such an invasive device have harmful biological effects? Actually, the device could offer health benefits. That´s because it also continually monitors for many blood disorders, alerting the person of a health problem.
The tattoo display is still just a concept, with no word on plans for commercialization.

WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL

DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.

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

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

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

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

WARS AND RUMURS OF WARS.

MATTHEW 24:6
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

MARK 13:7
7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

China agrees to share military records By CARA ANNA, Associated Press Writer FEB 29,08

SHANGHAI, China - A window has opened for families of the 8,100 American servicemen missing since the Korean War, with China agreeing on Friday to allow access to sensitive military records — but only to Chinese researchers at first. In another sign of warming U.S.-China military ties, the two countries also agreed to set up a military hot line for communicating in emergencies, a step long sought by the U.S. to build trust and transparency in their relations.We're very happy to be able to finally move this forward, said David Sedney, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asian Security Affairs. The agreement came at the end of annual defense talks between the two nations in Shanghai.Progress on the U.S.-China defense telephone link had been slow since China committed publicly to it last summer. The line is expected to be operating in a month's time between U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his Chinese counterpart.

Families of missing servicemen were excited by Friday's military archives agreement, one the U.S. government has long requested. Chinese troops killed and captured thousands of American troops during the Korean War and managed many of the prisoner of war camps set up in North Korea during the war.I think this is a fantastic opportunity if the Chinese are serious about divulging all the information to us, said John Zimmerlee, founder of the Korean War POW/MIA Network for families of missing servicemen.But representatives of the families, while grateful for the access, are frustrated by the limits on it.U.S. officials have said that at least at first, the arrangement will not give American researchers direct access to Chinese records. Instead, Chinese archivists with security clearances acceptable to the People's Liberation Army will do the document searches and turn over relevant records to U.S. analysts.It's not that we don't currently trust the Chinese, it's that in the past they've been reluctant to share information, Zimmerlee said. He said families also have a hard time getting information out of U.S. archives.Details of the arrangement on China's military records have yet to be worked out, officials from both countries said.Of course, I would like to have no limits (on access), said Charles A. Ray, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for POW-MIA affairs, who participated in the signing ceremony. I understand there will always be limits, and I understand the reasons for the limits.China has periodically cooperated with the Pentagon on matters related to the search for MIAs, but it has consistently maintained that all POW questions were settled at the end of the war in 1953.

Declassified U.S. Army records from the 1950s make clear that the United States knew of hundreds of American prisoners in China during the Korean War, closely tracked their movements and feared for their lives.For years, Zimmerlee has been piecing together information about his father, a U.S. navigator who left on a night mission and never returned. A farmer in North Korea reported seeing people bail out of the plane and being marched toward prison camps in China by guards that included Chinese soldiers.Growing up without a father has always been a mystery, said Zimmerlee, who was 2 when his father was reported missing. On the home page of his organization is the last photo of John Henry Zimmerlee, taken days before his last mission.There's always been this quest to know the man, Zimmerlee said. I'm excited about this opportunity.In Washington, State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters Friday that anything that helps get information for U.S. families with missing loved ones is positive.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

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

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

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

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

JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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