January 25, 2007

Bethlehem Christians Appeal to “Deaf Ears” (January 25, 2007) - A number of Christian families have finally decided to break their silence and talk openly about what they describe as Muslim persecution of the Christian minority in this city. The move comes as a result of increased attacks on Christians by Muslims over the past few months. The families said they wrote letters to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the Vatican, Church leaders and European governments complaining about the attacks, but their appeals have fallen on deaf ears. According to the families, many Christians have long been afraid to complain in public about the campaign of "intimidation" for fear of retaliation by their Muslim neighbors and being branded "collaborators" with Israel. But following an increase in attacks on Christian-owned property in the city over the past few months, some Christians are no longer afraid to talk about the ultra-sensitive issue. And they are talking openly about leaving the city. "The situation is very dangerous," said Samir Qumsiyeh, owner of the Beit Sahur-based private Al-Mahd (Nativity) TV station. "I believe that 15 years from now there will be no Christians left in Bethlehem. Then you will need a torch to find a Christian here. This is a very sad situation." Qumsiyeh, one of the few Christians willing to speak about the harsh conditions of their community, has been the subject of numerous death threats. His house was recently attacked with fire-bombs, but no one was hurt. Qumsiyeh said he has documented more than 160 incidents of attacks on Christians in the area in recent years. more... | Islam | Mark 13:13, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
Military shows off new ray gun (January 25, 2007) - The military calls its new weapon an "active denial system," but that's an understatement. It's a ray gun that shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they are about to catch fire. Apart from causing that terrifying sensation, the technology is supposed to be harmless _ a non-lethal way to get enemies to drop their weapons. Military officials say it could save the lives of innocent civilians and service members in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The weapon is not expected to go into production until at least 2010, but all branches of the military have expressed interest in it, officials said. During the first media demonstration of the weapon Wednesday, airmen fired beams from a large dish antenna mounted atop a Humvee at people pretending to be rioters and acting out other scenarios that U.S. troops might encounter in war zones. The device's two-man crew located their targets through powerful lenses and fired beams from more than 500 yards away. That is nearly 17 times the range of existing non-lethal weapons, such as rubber bullets. Anyone hit by the beam immediately jumped out of its path because of the sudden blast of heat throughout the body. While the 130-degree heat was not painful, it was intense enough to make the participants think their clothes were about to ignite. "This is one of the key technologies for the future," said Marine Col. Kirk Hymes, director of the non-lethal weapons program at Quantico, Va., which helped develop the new weapon. "Non-lethal weapons are important for the escalation of force, especially in the environments our forces are operating in." The system uses electromagnetic millimeter waves, which can penetrate only 1/64th of an inch of skin, just enough to cause discomfort. By comparison, microwaves used in the common kitchen appliance penetrate several inches of flesh. The millimeter waves cannot go through walls, but they can penetrate most clothing, officials said. They refused to comment on whether the waves can go through glass. more... | Technology | America |
Thousands of children missing, captive in Uganda (January 24, 2007) - Some 10,000 children are still missing in Uganda with as many as 1,500 held captive by rebels engaged in stalled peace talks to end a two-decade war in the country's shattered north, an aid agency said. Children's charity Save the Children UK has urged donors to pressure the Ugandan government and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels not to allow peace talks in south Sudan to collapse. "The future of Uganda's children is under severe threat," the aid agency said in a statement late on Tuesday. "Any hope of reconciliation is fading fast and needs international support." Stop-start negotiations since July have produced a truce that has been mostly respected, despite frequent walk-outs by the LRA and accusations of violations on both sides. But talks stalled this month when the rebels said they could not go back to south Sudan because they feared for their security after Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir vowed to "get rid of the LRA from Sudan." The war in northern Uganda, one of Africa's longest, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 1.7 million into squalid refugee camps. The LRA, who are notorious for killing civilians and hacking body parts off victims, are estimated to have abducted more than 20,000 children during the insurgency, according to aid workers. Once abducted, children are forced to fight or carry loot and girls are made "wives" of rebel commanders. "Children are still the principle victims of violence," the statement said. "1,500 children are still in LRA ranks and at least 10,000 children remain unaccounted for." Mediators in the south Sudanese government have tried to woo the LRA back to talks, but the LRA have demanded another venue, outside Juba in south Sudan, suggesting Kenya or South Africa. Uganda's government says it will only talk in Juba. "We have no plans of going to South Africa or Kenya," head of the government peace team, Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda told Reuters on Wednesday. This isn't the only story of problems in Africa right now as you're probably aware. SUDAN: Thousands Flee Darfur Attacks
Activists Trying to Silence Global Warming Skeptics (January 24, 2007) - Climate change skeptics - and journalists who report on them - have become the target of a campaign aimed at stifling legitimate debate at a time when Congress is planning an aggressive new environmental push. This is the assessment of environmental scientists and free market advocates who see a concerted effort to silence and de-fund think tanks that publish material challenging "prevailing global warming orthodoxy." Leftist activists masquerading as scientists are promoting false notions of "consensus" in an effort to back calls for mandatory caps on CO2 and other "greenhouse gas" emissions, they argue. Jeff Kueter, president of the George C. Marshall Institute (GMI) said "rational and open" discussion of climate change science that includes dissenting voices is in danger of being short-circuited, at the expense of sound science and free speech. Kueter told Cybercast News Service the assault on groups like the GMI amounted to "censorship." He said the notion of scientific consensus on global warming masked "real disputes that exist in the science over the quality of data." Bonner Cohen, author of "The Green Wave: Environmentalism and Its Consequences" said in an interview with Cybercast News Service that the censorship campaign hinges on two key components - a call for congressional oversight leading effectively to "show trials" aimed at discrediting global warming skeptics and an assault on press freedom. more... | Earth Changes | America | I've commented on my position on this before, but since it's come up some more, I would just like to point out that the data doesn't lie, the earth is warming up. However, so is the temperature on Mars and other planets evidenced by the shrinking polar icecaps on Mars. Also, the sun has had increased energy output since the middle of last century. See chart here. I highly doubt that humans caused either of those, and there is more evidence than that saying this global warming is actually solar system warming. That doesn't mean we don't help some, but certainly not to the extent that things are changing now. I don't debate earth changes, I've been tracking them for some time now. However, it's not our fault and I believe it's a sign of the end. I just watched Kent Hovind's theory of creation based on scripture and he brought up a good point. Our magnetic field has been deteriorating since we started measuring it. It has never gotten stronger, only weaker. This means less plasma from the sun is deflected. Increased atmospheric temperatures will mess with weather patterns. It could also affect things on this earth we don't realize over time. 2 Peter 3:3-7, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." God's wrath is coming and things will not continue as they always have. We don't have millions of years before the sun burns out, we have years before God's wrath is poured out on all them that dwell on the whole earth. Luke 21:34-36
European Churches Push for EU 'God Clause' (January 23, 2007) - European church leaders have revived efforts to include a “God clause” in the EU constitution after Germany sought to reignite the current drafting process. Leaders from Catholic and Protestant churches, particularly in Germany, are appealing to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to use Berlin’s six-month EU presidency to speak in favor of a reference to God in the EU constitution, Reuters reported. Last year, Merkel expressed her support for the “God clause” following her visit in August to Pope Benedict XVI. “[W]e need a European identity in the form of a constitutional treaty and I think it should be connected to Christianity and God, as Christianity has forged Europe in a decisive way," she said. Now it seems Merkel is prepared to resurrect the debate over the inclusion of a reference to God. She told Focus magazine over the weekend, “Europe must continue to consider this issue.” “God clause” supporters face fierce opposition, however. The current draft makes reference to Europe’s “cultural, religious and humanist heritage" agreed on in 2004 after a high-profile campaign by the Vatican and traditionally Catholic countries. "When European leaders are grasping around to eke out some form of unifying statement on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, they will not wish to put any new dividers in," said Hugo Brady of the Centre for European Reform in London in the Reuters report. One EU ambassador in Brussels agreed, stating "There is no chance whatsoever of reopening that debate." The 2004 draft was rejected by referendums in the Netherlands and in France, the leading opponent of the “God clause”. The most the churches could hope for, according to Brady, is a clearer reference to religion in a declaration that EU leaders will issue in Berlin on March 25, the 50th anniversary of the EU's founding Treaty of Rome. Church leaders in Europe have become very vocal in their support recently of a reference to Europe’s Christian heritage in the EU constitution. Cardinal Karl Lehmann, head of the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and Munich's Cardinal Friedrich Wetter have spoken out this month for a mention of faith in Europe’s heritage. "We don't want a God-less state and a God-less Europe," Wetter said. In Portugal, Lisbon Cardinal Jose Policarpo said, "it would be a cultural disgrace and ignorant not to mention Europe's Judeo-Christian past in the prologue to a future treaty." The Evangelical Church in Germany, one of Europe's leading Protestant churches, said it "continues to stand for the inclusion of a clear reference to our responsibility before God and the importance of the Judeo-Christian tradition.” The push comes days after the new president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, said that, despite his personal convictions, he would no longer push for a reference to God in any revised EU constitution. | EU/UN | Somehow I don't think that will happen. They don't want a God-less Europe, but according to Bible prophecy, they will have a man who declares himself god. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 They will worship him, even though he leads them to eternal separation from the God who created and loves them. Just wait till the signs and lying wonders begin. God says He will give them over to the lie because they have no love for the Truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:11
Woolsey Warns of Global Jihad at Herzliya Conference (January 23, 2007) - Two Islam experts warned participants at the Herzliya Conference on Monday that global jihad is on the rise -- and must be taken seriously. Islamic expert and historian Bernard Lewis spoke back-to-back with former CIA director James Woolsey at the Herzliya Conference Monday, sounding the alarm on the global Jihad and dismissing the concept of a Palestinian state. “In the self-perception of the Muslim world, their primary identity is to deliver Islam to the world – to not keep it selflessly to themselves but to give it to mankind,” explained Lewis. He added that the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 signified the first major victory in the global Islamic push toward that goal. “There are competing leaders to take this fight ahead,” he said. “The Sunni Wahabi cause is represented by Bin Laden. Another is the Shi’ite version, which began with the first Iranian revolution, and the second Iranian revolution, taking place at this moment. The whole Arab and Muslim world is experiencing the second stage of the Islamic revolution in Iran. “I have been told by Iranian friends that Ahmadinejad is indeed crazy, but not stupid,” Lewis warned. “He really believes in the end of days that he is heralding. There is a widespread belief among Shi’ites that that time has come. Mutually assured destruction is not a deterrent to Ahmadinejad, but an inducement.” James Woolsey, former director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, addressed the conference next. Unlike many of the speakers, Woolsey, a guest of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs was present the previous day and attended nearly all of the conference’s Sunday sessions. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
Iran: Israel, US will soon die (January 23, 2007) - Israel and the United States will soon be destroyed, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday during a meeting with Syria's foreign minister, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) website said in a report. Iran's official FARS news agency also reported the comments. "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad… assured that the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives," the Iranian president was quoted as saying. "Sparking discord among Muslims, especially between the Shiites and Sunnis, is a plot hatched by the Zionists and the US for dominating regional nations and looting their resources," Ahmadinejad added, according to the report. The Iranian president also directly tied events in Lebanon to a wider plan aimed at Israel's destruction. He called on "regional countries" to "support the Islamic resistance of the Lebanese people and strive to enhance solidarity and unity among the different Palestinian groups in a bid to pave the ground for the undermining of the Zionist regime whose demise is, of course, imminent." Ahmadinejad has threatened the State of Israel with annihilation several times in recent months, and has recently added the US and Britain to the list of countries he says will be destroyed. Syria's Foreign Minister, Wailed Mualem, accused the US of attempting to carry out a "massacre of Muslims" and of sowing "discord among Islamic faiths in the region." Mualem called on "regional states to pave the ground for the establishment of peace and tranquillity… while preventing further genocide of the Muslims," the IRIB website said. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | What can I say that he didn't? Bible prophecy states that Iran (Persia) as well as Turkey, Russia, and other minor players will attack Israel. They're saying they plan on Israel being gone, how much longer will it take to implement that plan? Keep watching!
A buzz of secret talks in the Middle East (January 23, 2007) - Some progress in the Israel-PA-Syria standoff may be in the works, as reported by sources ranging from the Jerusalem Post to WorldNetDaily and others. A lot of the leaks may be misleading, to prevent the secret talks from being blocked by premature publicity. Nevertheless, some of the elements seem to be: 1. A big US-Israeli effort to separate Syria from the "Shiite crescent" --- the alliance from Shiites in Iraq, to Iran, to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The weak link is Syria, which has a Shiite-like minority regime. Israel is willing to demilitarize the Golan Heights and cede it back to Syria, on the same lines as the peace agreement with Egypt, which demilitarized the Sinai desert. The United States is key, in part because it provides the security force in the Sinai to monitor the agreement with Egypt. The US and/or NATO would have a similar role on the Golan Heights. Strategically, such a move would cut the Shiite crescent, and isolate Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian expansion would be hindered in the Levant. 2. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf sheikdoms are openly concerned about Iranian aggression. Saddam Hussein is no longer there to be the balancing scorpion against Ahmadinejad. The Saudis are not afraid of Israel, because there is no threat from there. An incentive for the Saudis might be joint control over the El Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, which is now run by the Jordanian-influenced Muslim Waqf. 3. Parts of the Jerusalem may be accorded extraterritorial status by Israel, as an incentive to the Palestinian Authority and to the Saudis to have a Vatican-like enclave there. The PA could claim that its capital is Jerusalem, just as Israel does. A dual capital is not unprecedented: Berlin had such a status during the Cold War. There would be few security implications for Israel, any more than the Vatican poses a security threat to the Italian government in Rome. more... | Iran | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Temple Mount | Here's the peace side of the coin. Iran, Syria, Russia seem to be siding together with distinct and vocal hatred for Israel and the Jews while at the same time the hatred is being muted and covered on the European front where there are talks to bring peace to Israel and "Palestine." I believe after the Gog/Magog attack, which occurs when Israel is living in peace (coming together now), will be what spurs the rebuilding of the temple. Keep watching!
Activity Picks Up for Mideast Talks (January 22, 2007) - After months of inaction, a flurry of diplomatic activity toward reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking is under way. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is planning a summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, top Israeli officials are floating peace initiatives and the moderate Palestinian president says he is ready to discuss the outlines of a final settlement. But with Hamas militants dominating the Palestinian parliament and Cabinet, and weak leadership on all sides, no one expects a deal any time soon. The U.S. and Israel are trying to build on the "road map'' peace plan by initiating confidence-building steps such as easing financial sanctions on the Palestinians and lifting West Bank roadblocks. They are also holding out the prospect of more wide-ranging concessions to help Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle against Hamas militants. "We're at the pre-negotiation stage where the emphasis is on confidence-building measures,'' Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said Monday. "But we're not talking about the substance.'' The 2003 road map - which outlines a staged plan for creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel - never got off the ground because each side failed to meet its initial obligations. With the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in deep freeze since 2000, and the political rise of Hamas in the Palestinian territories, moderates on each side have found themselves with little choice but to start talking again. In the past few weeks, the Israeli and Palestinian leaders held their first substantive meeting, and Israel followed up by transferring $100 million in frozen tax revenues to Abbas. Rice has promised to lead a summit with Abbas and Olmert by mid-February, and is talking about reinvigorating U.S. involvement in Mideast peacemaking. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | America | Peace in the Middle East? I expect it to come. I also expect the EU and Javier Solana to be the main players in making it happen. He is "Mr. Europe" and wears many crowns as: High Representative and Secretary-General of the Council of European Union, Secretary-General of the WEU (Western European Union), Chairman of the Political Security Committee for the European Union, and the main political head behind the 1995 Euro-Med agreement that has just been confirmed for 7 years starting January 1, 2007. If this sounds eerily like Bible prophecy, I think there's a good reason. The EU fits the picture of the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns. The EU has 10 voting member nations. It is also connected intimately with the ancient Roman empire which is interesting given the dream given to Nebuchadnezzar that Daniel interpreted in Daniel 2. The two legs of iron represent the Eastern and Western Roman empire. The feet are made partly of iron. These are the only two kingdoms in the statue made of the same metal. Keep watching!
The Damascus meeting / Waiting for the Quartet (January 22, 2007) - The two grooms had already enjoyed a piece of Palestinian wedding cake, even before the wedding actually took place. The two are Syrian President Bashar Assad, who extended the invitation to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to visit Damascus, and Ali Larijani, chairman of the Iranian National Security Council, who visited the Syrian capital yesterday. Thus did Syria manage to send out the message, even if for a short while, that the center of gravity in the handling of the Palestinian problem had moved to her turf, and that her role was much greater than her "modesty" in merely playing host to the leadership of the Palestinian factions. For its part, Iran had also made it clear that it too is an essential player in the regional conflicts, not only in Iraq. Palestinian sources said yesterday that had it not been for active Syrian involvement, it is unlikely that the meeting between Abbas and Khaled Meshal, the Hamas political bureau chief, would have taken place. In the end, the two did meet, as a gesture of good will toward their hosts. Also active were Saudi Arabian officials, who held intensive meetings with the Syrian president and with Abbas and Meshal, in an effort to reach an agreeable formula that can serve as a platform for a Palestinian national unity government. An unusual common denominator was reached, linking the Saudis, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Hamas, all of which agreed that there is no need for early elections in the Palestinian Authority. Hamas wants to avoid a possible defeat at the polls, whereas the others are afraid of yet another electoral victory for the radical Islamic organization. This was the motive for pushing Abbas toward a compromise solution on the formation of a national unity government. But herein also lies the main problem, which is the political platform of a unity government and its willingness to accept the Arab League resolution that was agreed upon during the Beirut summit of 2002 - or at least a version of that resolution that would appear to be a recognition of Israel and an agreement to honor previous Palestinian accords with it. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I wonder what might give Israel a reason to attack Damascus? Isaiah 17
Jews flee homes after Muslim death threats (January 22, 2007) - Many of Yemen's Jews this weekend fled their homes for a hotel after receiving death threats from Islamic militants accusing the country's tiny Jewish community of serving as agents for "global Zionism." The Jews said they feared for their lives. It was disclosed they had been forced to pay special taxes that Islam imposes on Jews and Christians in return for protection and security. About 45 Jews left their village in Sa'ada county in Yemen after Dawoud Yousuf Mousa, one of the heads of the local Jewish community, was warned Jan. 10 if the Jews don't leave within 10 days they would be exposed to killings, abductions and looting. Four masked militants approached Mousa and delivered a letter to him warning the Jewish community had been under Islamic surveillance. "After accurate surveillance over the Jews residing in Al Haid, it has become clear to us that they were doing things which serve mainly global Zionism, which seeks to corrupt the people and distance them from their principles, their values, their morals, and their religion," the letter stated. "Islam calls upon us to fight against the disseminators of decay," the letter said. The threats have been attributed to disciples of Shiite religious leader Hossein Bader a-Din al-Khouty. Mousa reportedly told local authorities the militants told him if the Jews don't flee within 10 days "the Jewish community would bear the consequences." According to a recent Yemeni immigrant to Israel with contacts in Sa'ada, the Jewish community there received another letter Friday warning, "whoever remains at his home, will be killed or his children will be taken away." Sa'ada's Jewish community had lived in the village for generations. They were forced to evacuate their homes and leave some of their possessions with local sheiks. The displaced Jews are staying at a hotel in the center of Sa'ada, where they have been petitioning local authorities for protection. The Yemen Jews say the government has refused to offer assistance other than to temporarily pay for the hotel stays. more... | Israel | Islam |
Politics according to the Turkish State’s mentality (January 22, 2007) - In a speech in front of his Islamic party, January 16, the Turkish prime minister, referring to Iraq, said: Turkey has historical and cultural bonds and has 350 kilometers long borders with Iraq, we can not sit on grandstand seats and all these actions are going on in neighboring Iraq. We are saying this openly. The prime minister Receb Tayib Erdogan emphasizes in his speech on the unity of Iraq, distribution of Iraq’s resources on all Iraqis without differences. He also says; in Iraq one single ethnic or religious group should not dominate and rule other religious or ethnic groups. The prime minister refers to the city of Kirkuk (a city with mixed ethnic population, and geographically belongs to the autonomous Kurdish region in the northern Iraq). He says; Kirkuk can not belong to one ethnic group, Kirkuk belongs to all Iraqis. What is interesting in this speech is that a prime minister of a sovereign state dictating his wishes on another sovereign state, namely Iraq. Iraq has its newly ratified national constitution that Iraqis in a free election, first in the country’s history, voted on. In this constitution, even the issue of Kirkuk has been codified and a timetable and a schedule have been set to normalize the life in the city after all atrocities caused by Saddam Huseins regime, especially to the Kurdish population of the city. The 140 + in the Iraqi national constitution, that all Iraqis agreed on, is to deal with the issue of Kirkuk. This is an internal issue and only the Iraqis have the right to find a suitable solution that satisfies all Iraqis and not other nations. It is extremely unusual for a democratic country to dictate its wish on a democratically elected government in another country. If the reason is because of “the historical and cultural bonds” between these two countries, so, and according to the same logic, Iraq has reciprocal right to express its wishes regarding Turkey. For instance, Iraqis would like to see a Turkey where even Kurds (more than 15 millions), Arabs, Armenians, and other Christian groups have the right to speak and study their own languages and explore their own history and culture. In Iraq and particularly in Kirkuk, e.g. Turkomens, Arabs, Assyrians and Kurds have their own schools and have the right to publish books and newspapers in their own languages. more... | Gog/Magog | Islam |
Anti-Semitism and unholy alliance Western leftists, Islamists have nothing in common except disdain for Israel (January 21, 2007) - This past week the United States celebrates the rich moral and political legacy of Martin Luther King. I am reminded of one of his powerful messages. He claimed that history will view the actions as well as the inactions of individuals. He powerfully asserted that every action has an effect, while every non-action has equally powerful repercussions. King was not especially concerned with the actions of the few bad people in society, but was troubled by the inaction of the vast majority of good and decent people. Given the recent state of affairs with regard to global anti-Semitism, King’s message is relevant today. It feels as if the recent Holocaust denial conference held in Tehran during December is but a distant memory, as the news cycle on the globalized information highway has changed so many times it seems like a distant bad dream. Unfortunately, it is not. The global social movement of extreme Islamists continues to work towards one of its main goals, the de-legitimatization of Israel so to bring about its destruction, while also aiming to usurp the global order and replace regimes throughout Islamic societies. While this theocratic social movement carries on with its clearly articulated genocidal objectives, Western human rights advocates and progressives, especially in Western Europe, remain largely silent. How is it that social democratic intellectuals and progressives are voiceless in the face of theocratic, homophobic, sexist, anti-democratic racists, who make unequivocal public genocidal statements, backed up with actions consistent with this goal on the ground? Among much of the West’s chattering classes Israel has been criticized in a disproportionate manner for decades. The rhetorical and ideological blinders have made it difficult for some on the Left, mainly in Europe, to assess the current situation in a coherent manner. This while levels of anti-Semitism increase significantly throughout much of Europe. British Jews, for example, are four times more likely to be attacked then Muslims, even though Islamophobia is also on the rise. Much of the expression of the extreme Left in the UK and in Western Europe focuses on portraying Israel as some sort of omnipresent power that mysteriously holds sway over western governments, namely – though not limited to - Washington. This demonization utilizes classical anti-Semitic tropes, accusing Jewish citizens of dual loyalty. This form of dehumanizing stereotype played a key role in the devastating violence and dislocation of European Jewry historically. more... | Islam | Israel | EU/UN | NewWorldOrder | America | Is it any wonder that the future head of the world will turn, along with the rest of the Western nations, against Israel? The dislike is there and you can see the clear bias in favor of Islam. I don't know if it's out of fear of Islam's power or if it's because they really are on the same page and influenced by the same spirit of hatred. Given the future of the world and their attitude toward God and His chosen people, Jew and Gentile, I'd guess they follow the same spirit.
Major Earthquake Hits Northeastern Indonesia (January 21, 2007) - A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Sunday about in the Molucca Sea about 100 miles east of Sulawesi Island in northeastern Indonesia, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was large enough to cause a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement, but no tsunami warning was immediately issued. The epicenter of the major quake was about 80 miles from the city of Ternate, in north eastern Indonesia, it said. It had a depth of more than six miles below the ocean floor. An official with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii told The Associated Press that a basin-wide tsunami -- one that travels a great distance or across an ocean -- isn't expected, though a tsunami near the earthquake's site is "always possible." "Given the size of the earthquake, we think a basin-wide tsunami isn't likely, though a local tsunami could be possible," said Brian Shiro, a geophysicist at the tsunami center. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. | Earth Changes |
Defense official: Time to break Iran-Syria alliance (January 21, 2007) - VIDEO - Israel must sever the alliance between Tehran and Damascus within the next year, senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad said Sunday evening during a session of the Herzliya Conference. "Israel must uproot the Iran-Syria alliance, either by diplomacy or through military means, within the next year," said Gilad, the director of the Defense Ministry's Political-Military Bureau. He added that the alliance between the two countries was based purely on common interests, and that "the Iranians do not like the Syrian regime." Outlining Syria's capabilities, Amos said Damascus could "bring down the Lebanese government, and destroy the legitimacy of international forces. Syria can and does support Hamas and Islamic Jihad with weapons and finances, and can collapse the Palestinian Authority," he added, saying such factors meant that Syria's union with Iran must be severed. Gilad said Arab Sunni states had reached a point of "deep fear" of Iran, and have begun talking about creating their own nuclear programs to counter the Iranian threat. "In the Middle East, when you start talking, you don't know where it can lead," he said, adding that Israel was faced with an ideal opportunity to form an alliance with Egypt, Jordan, and other Sunni Arab states to confront Iran. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Here's a 1-year timeline to stop the Syrian-Iranian alliance. Isaiah 17 states that Damascus is a ruinous heap. It's the longest continually inhabited city and clearly hasn't experienced this prophecy... yet. It also says they leave their cities because of the children of Israel. Iran has a defense agreement with Syria and Ezekiel 38 describes Gog/Magog as being started with hooks being put into the jaws of those involved to bring them against Israel. The enforcement of that defense agreement after Israel destroys Damascus for it's terrorist leaders could be seen as "hooks in the jaws" that bring Iran and company against Israel. Just a thought on possibilities.
Solana: There is chance to launch new political process in Mideast (January 21, 2007) - EU senior politician and Middle East expert said there is an opportunity to launch a new political process and resolve the Middle East conflict. "There is an opportunity that should not be missed to improve living conditions of the Palestinians or open a political process to settle the conflict," EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana said during a news conference at the conclusion of his visit to Jordan on Sunday. "What we need is the political will. Time has come to change the method and approach of crisis management that has been followed so far and replace it by conflict resolution, " he said. "We know very well that the crisis management method has not yielded fruit; rather it has prolonged and deepened suffering of the people," said Solana before heading for Tel Aviv, the second leg of his Middle East tour. He added that the tour was aimed to rally friends in the Arab world and wield efforts and political will to start this political process as soon as possible. Europe would like to start a political process that gives the perspective to the people, the Palestinians and the countries in the region that a solution can be reached, Solana told reporters. He said his talks with officials in the United States and in the region showed that they have had the needed political will. He added next Thursday he will meet U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and will have talks with the Quartet Committee in February in addition to his talks with leaders from the region with the main objective is to bring about the needed momentum and to give the political process a push forward. King Abdullah II of Jordan is playing a pivotal role in peace making and can influence events in more than way, he said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | As the West tries to bring peace, radical Islam is getting louder and more confident. This is dividing up precisely how I would expect it to bring both a false peace as well as the Gog/Magog invasion around the same time-frame, before the abomination of desolation. If the study regarding my belief that we may be in the 70th week now is correct, it's not to far away. Keep watching!
UFO frenzy ignited by Air Force officer (January 19, 2007) - A retired Air Force colonel who photographed mysterious, colorful lights hovering over western Arkansas last week has ignited a frenzy of interest in unexplained airborne phenomena, as WND has received numerous reports of similar sightings across the U.S., while a digital expert has filtered the pictures to reveal startling images of what he says could be the "pilot" of the unidentified craft. "I believe these lights were not of this world, and I feel a duty and responsibility to come forward," said Col. Brian Fields, who spent nearly 32 years in the military piloting F-16 fighter jets. "I have no idea what they were." As WND exclusively reported, Fields, 61, was at his Van Buren, Ark., home Jan. 9 when just before 7 p.m., he observed two intensely bright lights as he looked to the southeast close to the horizon. "At first I thought they were landing lights from an aircraft," he said. "As I continued to observe them they began to slowly disappear, then suddenly one reappeared, followed by two, then three. On at least one occasion four or five appeared. Each time they would slowly fade and eventually disappear. This occurred several times and when they would reappear they might do so in differing numbers and in different positions, sometimes in a triangular shape, sometimes stacked on top of each other, sometimes line abreast, etc. When the objects appeared they might stay illuminated 10 or more minutes." Fields' wife thought the lights may have been ground-based, but Fields says he's certain they were airborne. "I'm certain it wasn't an aircraft [from Earth]," said Fields, who also ruled out the possibility of flares, saying they didn't descend like flares typically do. "It's not anything I ever had any experience with . ... They were some kind of energy or something." Fields snapped numerous images of the white, yellow and orange lights using a Canon digital camera with 6 mega pixel resolution. The story received heightened exposure after being posted on the Drudge Report yesterday, and became one of the most-viewed news reports in WND history. That prompted many others to contact WND, saying they witnessed the same or similar phenomenon. "When I read this story, I literally got chill bumps all over my body, because it was exactly as I remember it also," said Will Childers of Camden, Ark., who says he saw the same lights Jan. 10 at approximately 7:15 p.m. in southern Arkansas. A pilot from Lancaster, Pa., says he witnessed the mystery lights two years ago over northwestern Arkansas. more... | UFO | There's a possibility from Bible prophecy that this kind of activity will increase as we get closer to the end. I've always thought it would be a good deception and Hollywood has been grooming us since the middle of last century. However, there are no other civilizations besides that in dimensions we cannot perceive. I believe these are fallen angels. Genesis 6:1-4, "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God [fallen angels] saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants [Nephilim] in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. " This idea is also brought up in the interpretation of one of Daniel's visions regarding the end-times and the feet of iron mixed with miry clay. Daniel 2:40-43, "And the fourth kingdom [Rome] shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; [final antichrist kingdom] but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, [revived Roman empire containing iron] forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. " In order to mingle with the seed of men, it seems that the seed being mingled would then have to no be of human origin. Why else make the distinction of the seed of men? Look into the UFO abduction stories, I believe that Satan is tied to these events. Even Whitley Strieber, a self-proclaimed atheist described his experience as "demonic." You don't have to buy into it to be aware of it. God said there's a big deception coming. Be ready in all manners for the things that are coming because we're told there will be many signs and lying wonders in the end. I truly believe we are there. Expect more stories like this if that is the case.
Arab States Realigned, Yet Volatile (January 19, 2007) - As she toured the Middle East this week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke of a powerful trend that she said was suddenly making it easier for beleaguered America to find partners in the region. Rising fear of extremism, she said, was causing a "realignment" that was drawing together moderate Arab governments in a way that would make it easier for the United States to contain Iran, mend Iraq and work for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Rice is right, say Middle East diplomats and regional experts, that anxiety about extremism — especially as practiced by Shiite Muslims — is making sometimes-balky Arab governments more willing to back U.S. goals. Yet it's not clear how far this cooperation will go, the observers say. And there is a danger, some add, that the same fear could lead these governments to promote extremism that would further inflame the region. Rice says the region has been stirred by the rising influence of Iran, the growing power of the Islamic militant organizations Hezbollah and Hamas, Syria's support of these groups, and the sectarian forces tearing apart Iraq. Sunni-led governments fear that they will be put on the defensive against Shiites at home and in neighboring lands. Last year's war in Lebanon, which bolstered Hezbollah, and the election victory of Hamas in the Palestinian territories, have alarmed governments that often hung back when the U.S. tried to mobilize them. One sign of the new attitude came Tuesday, when foreign ministers of eight Arab countries issued a joint communique signaling that they opposed terrorism and supported U.S. goals in Iraq. They urged steps to improve the lot of Iraq's Sunni minority and limit Iranian involvement in the nation's conflicts. U.S. officials have been trying to build a new security alliance out of the group, composed of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Though the communique was considerably weaker than the Americans would have liked, it showed a willingness to take a public stand by countries that often have shrunk from doing so. more... | Islam | America |
Ahmadinejad Says Ready for War With US & Israel (January 19, 2007) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Thursday that Iran is now fully prepared for a war with Israel and the United States. "Today, with the grace of God, we have gone through the arduous passes and we are ready for anything in this path," Ahmadinejad said, according to Iran’s state-run TV. The comments were in response to the US decision to send the USS Stennis to the Perisan Gulf, joining another such vessel already stationed there. Iranian media is also reporting that 3,000 centrifuges are prepared to go online. Ahmadinejad responded to criticism from Iranians who say Iran should compromise its nuclear ambitions to avoid a conflict with the Western world and sanctions from the UN. "Unfortunately, some inside the country try to fabricate news and portray a bad image of the great achievement of the Iranian nation," he said. "[They] prescribe compromise and repeat the words of the enemy. Of course, this will have no effect. Their aim is to frighten Iran and weaken the resistance of the Iranian nation, but they will not succeed.” Meanwhile, Mohamed El Baradei, who heads the UN’s nuclear watchdog agency, said he was concerned that UN sanctions on Iran could escalate the standoff with the West and called for a resumption of negotiations. In the eight years following the Egyptian’s appointment to head the watchdog group, it has failed to detect covert nuclear programs in three countries. It also failed to detect the “nuclear supermarket” run by the Pakistani scientist A. Q. Khan. Meanwhile, the Hashemite King of Jordan told Haaretz that his regime is also seeking to become a nuclear power. As the Hashemite regime is propped up by the West in a country that is majority Palestinian, Jordanian nukes would be only an election away from being controlled by an Islamist group, possibly Hamas. “The rules have changed on the nuclear subject throughout the whole region,” King Abdullah II said. “Where I think Jordan was saying, 'we'd like to have a nuclear-free zone in the area,' after this summer, everybody's going for nuclear programs. The Egyptians are looking for a nuclear program. The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] are looking at one, and we are actually looking at nuclear power for peaceful and energy purposes.” | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Keep watching!
Tale of 2 Seminars: Cooperation between Israel, Europe developed significantly in recent years (January 17, 2007) - At the beginning of 2005 Israel and the European Union adopted a comprehensive joint Action Plan to upgrade their relations in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy. On December 4, 2006 the European Commission released a progress report on the achievements under the EU-Israel Action Plan so far. It found that the framework of EU-Israel relations was now better defined and that co-operation had significantly developed in the areas of political dialogue, anti-terrorism, promotion of trade and investment, justice and security and science and technology. To get a better idea of how the European Union and Israel are using the Action Plan to exchange knowledge and best practice, let us take a quick look at two seminars, both of which took place on December 7. In Tel Aviv, European experts contributed their experience to Israeli financial institutions and green organizations at a seminar on "Managing Environmental Risks in Financial Institutions." Meanwhile, in Brussels, Israeli and European experts held a joint seminar on the "Fight against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-Semitism." Other technical workshops have been organized on subjects ranging from preventing terrorist financing, to fighting trafficking in human beings. The progress report on Israel was part of a set of proposals I made to further strengthen European Neighborhood Policy. In Israel's case I believe that they contain even more attractive incentives to upgrade our relations: more contacts between business people, students, youth, researchers and artists; deepening economic and trade relations and stronger co-operation on energy and transport. more... | Israel | EU/UN | Solana |
In the sky! A bird? A plane? A ... UFO? (January 1, 2007) - It sounds like a tired joke--but a group of airline employees insist they are in earnest, and they are upset that neither their bosses nor the government will take them seriously. A flying saucer-like object hovered low over O'Hare International Airport for several minutes before bolting through thick clouds with such intense energy that it left an eerie hole in overcast skies, said some United Airlines employees who observed the phenomenon. Was it an alien spaceship? A weather balloon lost in the airspace over the world's second-busiest airport? A top-secret military craft? Or simply a reflection from lights that played a trick on the eyes? Officials at United professed no knowledge of the Nov. 7 event--which was reported to the airline by as many as a dozen of its own workers--when the Tribune started asking questions recently. But the Federal Aviation Administration said its air traffic control tower at O'Hare did receive a call from a United supervisor asking if controllers had spotted a mysterious elliptical-shaped craft sitting motionless over Concourse C of the United terminal. No controllers saw the object, and a preliminary check of radar found nothing out of the ordinary, FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said. The FAA is not conducting a further investigation, Cory said. The theory is the sighting was caused by a "weather phenomenon," she said. more... | UFO | I would like to direct you to Stan Deyo's "Roswell" lecture on the secrets of anti-gravity (filmed July 4-6th, 2005), but it appears that the link is gone. I have it on DVD, but I'll have to try and reload it on YouTube and/or Google. I watched it when it was there and it's interesting because Stan mentioned that with the way anti-gravity propulsion works, the saucers punch holes through clouds. I wish I could explain it, you kind of need to watch the video. I will look deeper for another copy online, it's really fascinating! He demonstrated this with a simple test using a home-made air bazooka. (Those tubes with a rubber pad stretched over the back.) When you pull back and release the rubber, a ring of air goes very long distances because of the way the molecules roll around each other. When it goes through smoke, you can see the ring go through the smoke. He said this is the same principle with the gravitational field around these craft.