Watchman Newsletter for September 7, 2007This newsletter is printer-friendly! It will change format automatically when you print it. Interesting Links:
Iran offers to aid Syria following tensions with Israel YNet
News (September 6, 2007)
- Iran's ambassador to Damascus, Mu , assured security
officials in Syria that Teheran would be ready to offer Damascus any
assistance it may need, Iranian media reported on Thursday afternoon
following a resurgence of tensions between Israel and Syria. Syria
claims that IDF aircraft entered Syrian airspace overnight. Olmert Offers Judea, Samaria, Divides Jerusalem in Draft Accord Israel National News (September 6, 2007) - Israel's government has agreed, in writing, to hand over 6,250 square kilometers of land – the equivalent of its entire biblical and strategic heartland - to an Arab terror state. So reports Dr. Guy Bechor, a leading expert on Arab affairs, who also supplies some of the details of the negotiations. Bechor reports, based on "leaks from the Palestinian side," that Israel has, in the past few days, presented Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas at least one draft of an "agreement of principles."
| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | 1st Seal |
Solana: ‘Israel has our solidarity in fighting terrorism’ European
Jewish Press (September 4, 2007)
- Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief,
condemned Monday the Qassam rocket attack from Gaza on a
kindergarten school in the Israeli southern city of Sderot.
Speaking at a
press conference after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
in Jerusalem, Solana, who is on a new Middle East trip, declared: "I
would like to offer my solidarity to the people of Sderot and I
condemn the rocket attack on a school today". “I was there with the
minister not long ago and we were welcomed together there, and I
know what it means. And to see Sderot again today - once again,
seeing the same spirit of the people of Sderot, particularly the
kids in the schools. I think that this is something that I have to
condemn,” he added. Asked about EU support for Israeli operations in
Gaza to stop the rockets, Solana, whose official title is EU High
Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP),
said: "Israel has our solidarity in fighting terrorism. We have
continued to search for efficient measures against terrorism.
Sometimes we do not agree 100% on exactly how to combat it but we
offer our full solidarity with Israel in it’s efforts to fight
terroris. Israel knows that you have it.” Solana’s trip is aimed at
preparing the EU for an intensive period of activity in the coming
months and at restarting the peace process. He pointed to the
meeting of the ad hoc liaison committee and the Quartet meeting
during the UN General Assembly week later this month in New York and
the international conference to take place in the late autumn
probably in Washington. This conference was called for by US
President George Bush as part of efforts to jumpstart the dormant
peace process in the wake of the takeover of Gaza by Hamas in
mid-June. Solana said: "We don’t know exactly when the conference
will take place but it must be a success. We can not allow it to
fail and we must therefore define success". The EU would help and
cooperate as much as possible in the preparations of the event, he
added. more...
Solana beating US conference drum Associated
Press (September 4, 2007) -
European Union Foreign Policy chief
Javier Solana has arrived in Egypt for talks with the Egyptian
officials on Middle East peace process. Solana will hold talks with
the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit and the Arab League
Chief Amr Moussa, according to DPA. Solana's multi-leg tour of the
Middle East takes place ahead of a major US-sponsored international
conference on Middle Peace which is scheduled to be held in
Washington this autumn. The main discussions between the EU's top
diplomat and the Egyptian officials are expected to be held on
Wednesday. During the two-day visit Solana will make efforts to
bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table.
Solana held similar talks in Amman on Monday. So far, Solana's
statements had signaled hope. During his Sunday's visit to the West
Bank city of Ramallah, Solana predicted that the coming months
would witness a series of important forums in which the peace
process will be discussed. He had also said that that the Middle
East Quartet, which comprises the United States, Russia, the EU and
the United Nations, will meet with members of the Arab League in
December. One obvious flaw in the much-ballyhooed US sponsored
conference is that it has consciously failed to allow Hamas to
attend. The militant group has consistently refused to recognize
Israel and in the January 2006 elections soundly trounced
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party
throughout the occupied territories. Study affirms rocks stars do die younger Associated Press (September 4, 2007) - Living fast and dying young has long been part of rock 'n' roll lore. And now there are statistics that affirm the image, according to a study released Tuesday. Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University, whose report appeared in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, studied a sample of North American and British rock and pop stars and concluded they are more than twice as likely to die a premature death as ordinary citizens of the same age. The team studied 1,064 stars from the rock, punk, rap, R&B, electronic and new age genres in the "All Time Top 1,000" albums published in 2000. They compared each artist's age at death with that of European and U.S. citizens of similar backgrounds, sex and ethnicity. Mark Bellis, leader of the study, said his research showed the stereotype of rock stars was true — recreational drugs and alcohol-fueled parties take a toll. The report found that, between two and 25 years after the onset of fame, the risk of death was two to three times higher for music stars than for members of the general population matched for age, sex, nationality and ethnic background. In all, 100 of the stars studied had died — 7.3 percent of women and 9.6 percent of men. They included Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. The average age of death was 42 for North American stars and 35 for European stars. Long-term drug or alcohol problems accounted for more than one in four of the deaths, the study found. The first years of success are the most dangerous, with both British and American musicians three times more likely to die than the average person during that time. While the music world is not only filled but also fueled these days by aging music stars — Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan among them — industry observers were not surprised by the findings. more... Check out They Sold Their Souls For Rock N' Roll, this goes into the background of why this happens.
Israeli-Palestinian talks raise hope of peace Telegraph
UK (September 4, 2007) - For most Israelis
and Palestinians, peace seems such a remote prospect that it is scarcely worth
thinking about. Even officials involved in the peace process are working hard to
damp down optimism, fearful that hopes will once again be cruelly dashed. Yet
there is a slowly dawning sense in parts of the Middle East that, after seven
years of violence in the latest intifada, Israeli-Palestinian efforts are
quietly gaining momentum. Ahead of a
US-backed conference planned for
November, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli prime minister,
Ehud Olmert, have begun tackling the core issues of the conflict - final
borders, the division of Jerusalem, and the resettlement of Palestinian
refugees. They have been meeting one-on-one, and seem to be getting along well,
according to insiders. In their meetings, Mr Abbas smokes the occasional
cigarette, and Mr Olmert the occasional cigar. There have been almost no
unwanted leaks to the media, unlike the briefings and counter-briefings that
have marred previous peace efforts. Just a few months ago, Israel was insisting
that there was no Palestinian partner for peace and was ignoring the Palestinian
government. Such talks were unthinkable. But in the weeks since Hamas's dramatic
takeover in Gaza, the US and Israel have recalculated. They have concluded that
a true peace push that offers Palestinians hope will be the best, and perhaps
only, chance for Mr Abbas to fend off the rising power of Palestinian Islamists.
Now supporters of Mr Abbas, as well as Israeli leaders, believe that a tangible
peace document, endorsed by Arab leaders further afield and with an explicit
endgame in sight, may split Hamas's ranks and tip the scales back towards the
president's Fatah party. The US is lobbying moderate Arab powers, especially
Saudi Arabia, to secure their involvement in the peace conference. Saudi Arabia
has said it will sign on if it is convinced the talks will produce more than
empty promises. Even the Arab League sent a delegation to Israel earlier this
year for the first time. "Things are churning. There is a lot of scuttling and
running around," said Danny Seidemann, a human rights lawyer and long-standing
Israeli peace activist.
Twin storms pack dangerous winds Associated
Press (September 4, 2007) -
Felix walloped Central America's remote Miskito coastline and Henriette slammed
into resorts on the tip of Baja California as a record-setting hurricane season
got even wilder Tuesday with twin storms making landfall on the same day.
Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes making landfall on the same day is
unprecedented, according to National Hurricane Center records dating back to
1949. Felix roared ashore before dawn as a Category 5 storm along Nicaragua's
remote northeast corner — an isolated, swampy jungle where people get around
mainly by canoe. The 160 mph winds peeled roofs off shelters and a police
station, knocked down electric poles and stripped humble homes to a few walls.
"The metal roofs are coming off like straight razors and flying against the
trees and homes," Lumberto Campbell, a local official in Puerto Cabezas, near
Felix's landfall, told Radio Ya shortly before his phone line went dead.
Emergency official Samuel Perez said most of the port's buildings were damaged
and the dock was destroyed, although there were no reports of deaths. By late
afternoon, Felix had weakened to a Category 1 storm with winds of 75 mph. But
forecasters were still worried that the tempest would do great damage inland
over Honduras and Guatemala, threatening mudslides. Up to 25 inches of rain was
expected to drench the mountain capitals of Tegucigalpa and Guatemala City,
where shantytowns cling precariously to hillsides. Towns across Honduras were
flooding, and residents waded through waist-deep, garbage-strewn water in La
Ceiba, on the northern coast. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch parked over the same
region for days, causing deadly flooding and mudslides that killed nearly 11,000
people and left more than 8,000 missing. "The major concern now shifts to the
threat of torrential rains over the mountains of Central America," said senior
hurricane specialist Richard Pasch at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
more...
Rafsanjani to head Iranian clerical body
Associated
Press (September 4, 2007) -
Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president and longtime Machiavellian figure in
Iranian politics, was picked Tuesday to head a powerful clerical body — another
defeat for the current president's hard-line faction.
Rafsanjani's election as chairman of the Assembly of Experts means the
charismatic cleric will oversee the secretive body that chooses or dismisses the
Islamic Republic's ultimate authority, its supreme leader. The election focuses
new attention on Rafsanjani, a complex figure who at various times has been
viewed more as hard-liner and at other times as a pragmatist. It also is sure to
strengthen his image, tarnished by his loss to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005
presidential runoff when he was viewed as arrogant and out of touch with the
lives of ordinary Iranians. Rafsanjani, who is considered more moderate than
Ahmadinejad, brokered the deal that made Ayatollah Ali Khamenei supreme leader
in 1989. It is unclear if the 73-year-old Rafsanjani has ambitions for the post
himself someday or prefers the role of behind-the-scenes kingmaker. Khamenei is
68. A wealthy man, Rafsanjani controls a multimillion dollar family business
empire, one of Iran's largest, and is believed to oppose Ahmadinejad's populist
economic policies. Above all, Rafsanjani, who served as president from 1989 to
1997, is thought to be more pragmatic on issues involving Iran's dealings with
the West and disturbed by Iran's growing isolation. He is believed to have
played a behind-the-scenes role in Iran's decision to release British sailors
who were seized earlier this year, for example.
more... Iran warns US over risks of military action YNet News (September 4, 2007) - New special military advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei says Washington could never foresee size of Tehran's response against US troops in region; adds reaction could affect Israel. Iran on Tuesday issued a stark warning to the United States over the danger of launching a military attack, saying Washington could never foresee the size of its response against US troops in the region. "The US will face three problems if it attacks Iran. Firstly, it does not know the volume of our response," said General Rahim Yahya Safavi, the new special military advisor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei. "Also, it can not evaluate the vulnerability of its 200,000 troops in the region, since we have accurately identified all of their camps," added Safavi, who stepped down last week as head of the elite Revolutionary Guards. Safavi also warned over how Iran's reaction to a US attack could affect Israel - Tehran's regional archfoe - and also crude oil supply from the world's fourth-largest producer. "Secondly, it does not know what will happen to Israel and, thirdly, the United States does not know what will happen to the oil flow," he was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying. Washington has never ruled out taking military action against Tehran, and its tone has sharpened again over the past week, with President George W. Bush warning that Iran's atomic program could lead to a "nuclear holocaust." Iran has always insisted it would never launch any attack against a foreign country, but has also warned of a crushing response to any aggression against its soil. Tehran has an array of medium range missiles, and claims that its longer-range Shahab-3 missile has a reach of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), which would put Israel and US bases on the Arabian Peninsula within reach. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed the chance of any US attack against Iran, but influential former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has warned of the dangers still posed by the United States. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | Human-animal embryo study wins approval Guardian Unlimited (September 4, 2007) - Plans to allow British scientists to create human-animal embryos are expected to be approved tomorrow by the government's fertility regulator. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority published its long-awaited public consultation on the controversial research yesterday, revealing that a majority of people were "at ease" with scientists creating the hybrid embryos. Researchers want to create hybrid embryos by merging human cells with animal eggs, in the hope they will be able to extract valuable embryonic stem cells from them. The cells form the basic building blocks of the body and are expected to pave the way for revolutionary therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even spinal cord injuries. The consultation papers were released ahead of the authority's final decision on the matter, which will mark the end of almost a year of intense lobbying by scientists and a fervent campaign by organisations opposed to research involving embryonic stem cells. Using animal eggs will allow researchers to push ahead unhindered by the shortage of human eggs. Under existing laws, the embryos must be destroyed after 14 days when they are no bigger than a pinhead, and cannot be implanted into the womb. Opponents of the research and some religious groups say the work blurs the distinction between humans and animals, and creates embryos that are destined to be destroyed when stem cells are extracted from them. Two research groups based at King's College London and Newcastle University have already applied to the HFEA to create animal-human embryos, but their applications have been on hold since November last year amid confusion over whether the authority was legally able to issue licences. If the authority approves the research, the applications will go forward to a committee, with a decision on both due within three months. Professor Ian Wilmut, whose team cloned Dolly the sheep, is waiting for the HFEA's decision before applying to create hybrid embryos to study motor neurone disease with Professor Chris Shaw at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. more... | Technology | Signs of the Times |
Part-human embryos are a chilling step closer as watchdog gives go-ahead
for hybrid 'chimeras' This Is
London (September
4, 2007)
- The creation of part-human, part-animal embryos looks set to be
approved by the fertility regulator tomorrow. These "hybrid" embryos
would be used for research into incurable diseases such as Alzheimer's.
The news follows a surprise Government decision not to ban the
controversial research. A shortage of human eggs has led two groups of
scientists to appeal to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
for permission to make hybrid embryos from human skin cells and animal
eggs. Cows' eggs are most likely to be used, because they are in
plentiful supply. Scientists say the creation of hybrid embryos has the
potential to revolutionise the treatment of debilitating diseases which
affect millions. But opponents believe mixing of human and animal
genetic material defies nature. They are also unhappy about the
destruction of embryos that such research inevitably entails. The
scientists' hopes to use hybrids were initially jeopardised by a
proposal to outlaw such research under a shake-up of outdated fertility
laws. But in May, Labour ministers dramatically changed their minds.
However, only scientists who are researching serious diseases - and are
licensed by the HFEA - will be allowed to carry out such procedures.
While the fertility watchdog has yet to rule on the issue, its ethical
and scientific experts are in favour of the creation of hybrids. It will
tomorrow rule on the creation of hybrids in principle. But the final
go-ahead on the applications submitted by scientists at King's College,
London, and the North East Stem Cell Institute in Newcastle will rest
with the authority's licence committee which is due to meet in November.
Although the embryos are sometimes called chimeras after the monstrous
creatures in Greek mythology, they are strictly speaking hybrids rather
than chimeras. Rather than containing two types of cells - one from each
"parent" creature - as chimeras do, hybrids have only one type of cell,
in which the genetic information from the different species mixes. This
summer the HFEA's Scientific and Clinical Advances Group concluded that
the creation of hybrids was justified by the lack of human eggs
available to researchers. However, the results of a public consultation
were mixed. Some 61 per cent backing the creation of hybrid embryos if
it would help research into diseases such as Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's. At the same time, almost half of those polled felt the
research was "meddling with nature". more...
Life under the “Color Red” Alert
YNet News (September
4, 2007)
- A baby's heart-wrenching cry is heard against a backdrop of
falling Qassam rockets. Mothers fearfully dart to kindergartens to check
whether their children have been hurt. Helpless people run about the
streets seeking shelter. These are the pictures that came out of Sderot
Monday; a city located less than an hour's drive away from the heart of
Tel Aviv. And it's not as if we didn't know what was going on there. For
the past seven years we have been clicking our tongues each time we hear
of another Qassam rocket landing there, another house that has
collapsed, more shock victims. Once in a while we read articles about
these people who live in the shadows of the "Color Red" alert system,
after which we let out a few words of solidarity, less than a proper
sentence so that we can appear righteous. So that we can prove to
someone - or even to ourselves - that we care. Something the likes of:
How terrible, or how can one live like this. Then we proceed with our
daily lives. But to what extent do we really understand the lives of
these people, who beyond the daily anxieties accompanying every Israeli
citizen raising children here, must face a constant tangible,
existential and statistical threat. A threat so chilling it is almost
surreal: Will my house be hit by a Qassam rocket today? Or where will my
child be in the next Qassam attack? And the dilemma of each sane parent
in Sderot: Am I being irresponsible by continuing to live in a place
where my children are in danger's way? Hence, the images from Sderot
Monday were so effective. They didn't depict ruined houses or the cries
of residents following a Qassam attack. They depicted people in their
daily routine: People like you and I, who take their children to
kindergarten or to school in the morning. Mothers who heavy-heartedly
part from their babies, who would from that moment on become dependent
on the resourcefulness, the courage and resilience of the kindergarten
teacher. more... Muslims Ransacking Israel’s Temple Mount
Jerusalem Newswire (September 3, 2007)
- Two thousand years ago, Roman Legions pillaged and burned Israel’s
Second Temple, turning the hilltop on which it once stood into a
desolate heap. As they wandered the planet, looking for a place to find
rest for their feet, hounded and harried everywhere by anti-Semitic
Christians and others, the descendants of the exiled Jews prayed for and
looked toward their return to the Temple Mount and the rebuilding of the
house of worship to their God. It is their holiest site—the place where
God’s glory once shone visibly for the entire nation to see, and the
place from which their Messiah is prophesied to reign. And yet, despite
this purported highest importance to their nation, Israel’s government
is apparently unmoved by reports of ongoing and unrestrained destruction
of the site and its priceless remains at the hands of the Palestinian
Islamic Waqf. In an exclusive report Monday [September 3], WorldNetDaily
[WND] revealed that the Waqf—or Islamic Trust—has been caught
“red-handed” destroying Temple-era antiquities, including parts of what
may well be a wall from the Second Temple. The destruction is being
wrought as the Arabs blast trenches in which to lay new electrical
wiring for their mosques and other Muslim-controlled structures. Whereas
Muslims throughout the Middle East and around the world have rioted and
protested violently any plans by Israel to carry out excavations or
repair work anywhere near the Temple Mount, Israel’s Jews are
conspicuous by their silence and almost total lack of interest in what
the Muslims are doing to their holy of holies. One of the few Israelis
to register their shock and anger is Eilat Mazar, considered one of the
most prominent Temple Mount archaeologists. WND reports Mazar analyzed a
photo showing damaged stone elements and said they “might be part of a
Jewish Temple wall Israeli archaeologists charge the Waqf found and has
been attempting to destroy.” “It certainly looks like Second Temple
antiquity and could very well be part of a Second Temple courtyard
wall,” Mazar said. If authenticated, said WND, the wall would be one of
the most important Temple Mount archaeological discoveries in recent
history. Mazar said she would need to examine the stone in the photo to
certify it. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly gave the Waqf
permission to use earth-moving gear to dig a long, deep trench across
the top of the mount. Israeli police are protecting the diggers and, in
fact, helping oversee the destruction of the most important piece of
their national heritage. Archaeologists like Mazar are prevented from
inspecting how the work is being done. more...
European Neighbourhood Policy Conference Euroean
Commission (September 3, 2007)
- The European Neighbourhood Policy is a partnership
between the EU and its neighbours in support of our partners’ reform
processes. This Conference provides a first opportunity for governmental
and non-governmental actors, from both partner countries and EU Member
States, to exchange views and ideas on how the policy can be further
strengthened or how it could better respond to their needs. Discussion
in the morning Ministerial-level session will focus on issues where
cooperation can be accelerated. In the afternoon, debates will also be
opened to non-governmental stakeholders from civil society, business
groupings and academics. Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: “This is
a partnership of equals and it is essential that we listen carefully to
the interests of our neighbours… We would like to hear our neighbours’
views onwhere they would like to see the greatest emphasis in our
relations, where they see their interests reflected, and where, perhaps,
they still feel that there are gaps to be filled… This conference will
underline the EU's determination to develop individual and
differentiated partnership that reflects the interest of each neighbour.”
more...
Solana hopes for developments in Mideast peace process YNet
News (September 2, 2007)
- Following meeting with
Palestinian president in Ramallah, EU foreign policy chief says, 'We
have to take advantage of the opportunity created.' Abbas stresses that
'there will be no dialogue with Hamas until it goes back on the coup it
carried out in June'. It is time for the
Palestinian people to reap the fruits of security and peace, EU foreign
policy chief Javier Solana said Sunday following his meeting with
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. In a press conference
held after the meeting, Solana said he hoped for positive developments
in the coming months. According to the foreign policy chief, he came to
the Middle East to advance the peace process. He stressed that the
Europe Union would continue to help Abbas and his government with
financial and security aid. "We need to see achievements by the end of
the year. We have to take advantage of the opportunity created," he
added. Solana noted that the negotiations between
Israel and the Palestinians would be
backed by the EU and expressed his hope that the talks would succeed and
that each side would be open to the other side's suggestions. Addressing
the
US-sponsored peace conference scheduled
to take place in November, the foreign policy chief said that "a
solution will not be achieved tomorrow, but we have to make progress."
The Palestinian president said that his
meetings with
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert dealt with
all the relevant issues, both daily issued and disputed diplomatic
issues. "Every such meeting requires a lot of preparation, so that it is
not defined as a failure," he said.
more...
Will Lady Liberty Last Beyond 2010? News
With Views (August 31, 2007) - Free
republics are not known to have long life expectancies. At the ripe old age of
two hundred and thirty-one, America is definitely showing her age. She is long
past her prime, and some are predicting her demise. No, some are PLANNING her
demise. Thomas Jefferson and the other founders of this once-great country
believed there was a controlling cabal that was crafting America's servitude.
With the assistance of Heaven, they decided to fight those forces. Pastors
fought with fiery sermons from the pulpit; newsmen fought with the power of the
pen; statesmen fought in the halls of congress; and merchants fought with the
sacrifice of their material gain. Together, they lifted Lady Liberty to her feet
and defeated the powers of darkness. It took the global elite a long time to
recover, but they have reemerged with a vengeance. They are now on the precipice
of accomplishing what their great granddaddies failed to do: bring the
rebellious colonists under their power and control. You see, we no longer have
the will to resist servitude. Our pulpits are too busy preaching a prosperity
gospel; newsmen are in bed with the forces they once disdained; statesmen have
been replaced with opportunistic, self-serving politicians; and merchants know
no god but money. Hence, it is left to a small--and I mean very small--remnant
to sound the clarion call for freedom and independence. Unfortunately, few seem
to be listening to their cries. 2010 seems to be a banner year for these
designers of despotism. That is the target year for the implementation of the
North American Community, which will unite the United States with Canada and
Mexico. The global elite suffered a minor set-back when the U.S. Senate failed
to pass the Bush/McCain/Kennedy/Graham amnesty-for-illegal-aliens bill. But if
you think that George W. Bush is going to let that bill lie on the floor of
defeat, you don't understand these people. President Bush will do everything he
can to implement some kind of amnesty law before he leaves office. I would not
be surprised if he attempted some sort of Executive Order or Presidential
Directive in order to accomplish it. You see, it is absolutely essential to the
designers of despotism that our southern border be eliminated. Absolutely
essential. more...
Solana to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders European
Jewish Press (August 31, 2007) - EU’s
foreign policy chief Javier Solana will travel to Israel and the Palestinian
Territories over the weekend as part of the European Union’s desire to play an
important role in the Quartet of international Middle East mediators,
his spokeswoman, Mary Brazier, told
EJP. Solana will have talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders ahead of
several important gatherings later this year, including the informal meeting of
EU Foreign Ministers on 9 September in Portugal, the Quartet meeting in New York
next month and the international Mideast peace conference to be convened in
November at the initiative of US president George Bush. Solana is to meet on
Sunday in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister
Salam Fayyad before meetings in Jerusalem Sunday and Monday with Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defence Minister Ehud Barak
and Knesset (Israel’s parliament) Speaker Dalia Itsik. Solana is said to be
“cautiously optimistic” about Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects and
appreciates the current momentum created by the talks between Olmert and Abbas.
He also feels that there is for the first time in seven years a “unique
opportunity” to seize with Bush’s peace conference proposal. His spokesperson
said that there is “no change” in the EU’s policy towards Hamas. “There is no
political contact with Hamas,” Mary Brazier, said. During his visit, Solana will
also meet the heads of the EU border assistance mission at the Rafah crossing
point (EU BAM Rafah) and of the EU Police Mission in the Palestinian territories
(EUPOL COPPS) which is helping the Palestinian Authority to establish a modern
and effective civil police service and develop security capacity.
more...
Ban Ki-Moon calls for peace World
News Network (August 31, 2007)
- The time has come, says the UN Secretary-General.
Ban Ki-Moon Pledges UN Support to End Israeli Occupation Of
Palestinian Land. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has
called for a just and lasting solution to the conflict in Palestine.
Addressing the UN International conference Of Civil Society In
support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace in Brussels, Belgium he said,
the gathering reflects the deep and enduring desire of people across
the world for a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Such a settlement is also one of the
foremost priorities of the United Nations. The continued occupation
of the Palestinian territory prolongs hardship and injustice for
millions of Palestinians, yet it has also failed to ensure the
security of Israeli civilians. The Secretary general said he was
encouraged by recent international and regional efforts to get the
Palestinians and the Israelis back on the negotiating track. The
Arab Peace Initiative, Tony Blair’s appointment as the Quartet
Representative, and President Bush’s decision to convene a Middle
East Peace meeting all have the potential to result in a significant
breakthrough. He said, “Amidst this activity, I particularly welcome
the decision by Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas to meet
regularly to discuss a range of issues. I hope that the internal
challenges each faces will not deter them from moving forward with
discussions on the political horizon.” The Secretary General added,
“Of course, movement on the political front cannot obscure the dire
humanitarian situation on the ground. The unsustainable division of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip has grave humanitarian and political
implications. Conditions in the Gaza Strip have become particularly
acute; they demand the urgent reopening of border crossings for
commercial and humanitarian deliveries. To alleviate this crisis,
UNRWA and other UN Agencies are doing everything they can to support
the affected populations. Their efforts, however, cannot compensate
for the effect of the closed crossings. Today, I again encourage
both parties to demonstrate a true commitment to peace through a
negotiated two-State solution. Israel should cease settlement
activity and the construction of the barrier, ease Palestinian
movement and implement the Agreement on Movement and Access.
Palestinians, for their part, need to make every effort to end
violence by militant groups and make progress on building robust
institutions. The United Nations will continue to support
international efforts aimed at bringing an end to the occupation,
and achieving a two-State solution. This work is not easy, but it
would prove close to impossible without the active participation and
support of innumerable civil society groups and individuals in
Israel, in the occupied Palestinian territory, and around the world.
Civil society actors are helping build bridges between the Israeli
and Palestinian peoples. They are strengthening institutions and
providing critical humanitarian and other assistance. In every
aspect of their work, they are contributing towards a just solution
to this decades-old conflict. Working together, we can achieve our
goal: a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement, based on
Security Council resolutions 242, 338, 1397, 1515 and the principle
of land for peace. It is clear who is on Israel's side and who is not. In the face of historical fact, for the first time in history a nation is being forced to give up land won in a war a generation ago. Indeed all the nations of the earth are gathered against Israel to divide the land God portioned for her, and woe to the nations who interfere with God's design! We have been warned in the Bible regarding this and it has even been pointed out in Eye To Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel by Bill Koenig.
Sheikh Salah: Israel wants to encroach on parts of Temple Mount
YNet News (August 30, 2007)
- Israel is conspiring to encroach on the Temple Mount to build a Jewish
temple near the Al-Aqsa mosque, Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the
Islamic Movement northern branch, said Thursday. Salah called on Arab
and Muslim nations to "prevent the division of the Al-Aqsa by Israel."
In a letter to Arab kings and leaders of Muslim countries, Salah urged
all Muslims to torpedo "Israel's plan that aims at dividing the Al-Aqsa
Mosque between Muslims and Jews whereas in the Jewish part it plans to
build its imaginary temple." Salah also lamented Israel's practice of
allowing groups of religious Jews to visit the Temple Mount, and
according to Salah, to pray and perform religious rituals. The Temple
Mount, which houses the Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock Mosques, is the
holiest site for Jews. The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest Muslim
shrine, nests just above the last remaining wall of the Temple, the
Western Wall. Salah said the whole complex was Muslim but Israel was
trying to expropriate parts of it.
Bush left Rice at home for North America summit World
Net Daily (August 30, 2007) -
Anticipating public backlash against the recent Security and
Prosperity Partnership of North America summit in Canada, Canadian
Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked President Bush to leave
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at home. A White House official
confirmed for WND
reports circulating in the Canadian press
indicating that prior to the summit, Harper requested Bush and
Mexican President Felipe Calderon downplay the meeting. As a result
of the request, Bush agreed Rice would skip the Montebello, Quebec,
summit. Rice's absence was especially conspicuous because she had
attended the first two SPP summits, first in March 2005 at Waco,
Texas, and then in March 2006, at Cancun, Mexico. At both previous
summits, Rice was responsible for conducting press briefings on
behalf of the U.S. delegation. Gutierrez and Chertoff were not
present at the final press conference held by Bush, Harper and
Calderon. Seasoned press present at the summit also expressed
skepticism at Calderon's suggestion that he needed to return to
Mexico early because of Hurricane Dean. Even as Calderon gave his
reason for leaving early, weather reports were showing the hurricane
had diminished in force and the damage suffered in Mexico was likely
to be minimal. The Montebello summit was the shortest of the three
SPP summits held so far, lasting less than 24 hours from the time
President Bush arrived mid-day Aug. 20. Despite Harper's attempt to
downplay the meeting, it ended up fueling Canadian opposition to
SPP. Particularly damaging for Harper was the admission that
Canadian police had infiltrated protesters with undercover agents
who acted as provocateurs. The controversy began when a
video was posted on YouTube.com
showing three masked people confronted in Montebello by peaceful
protesters and accused of being police infiltrators who wanted to
start a riot to discredit the demonstration. One of the three
provocateurs clearly has a rock in his hand. Analysis of the video
showed the footwear of the masked
people bore markings on the soles that matched the footwear worn by
the heavily riot-geared Sûreté du Québec police at the scene. On
Thursday last week, the Sûreté du Québec was forced to admit the
three provocateurs in the YouTube.com video were police officers who
disguised themselves as protestors at the SPP summit in Montebello.
A
video on YouTube.com
shows, in French, the press conference in which the Sûreté du Québec
made the admission, ending a three-days of denials by the Harper
government . In Canada, the Montebello meeting is now being called
the "Jellybean" summit in reference to Harper's comment at the final
press conference that the closed meetings had discussed
standardizing jellybean regulation in Canada and the United States.
more...
Iran Ready To Fill Power Vacuum in Iraq, Ahmadinejad Says The
New York Sun (August 29, 2007) -
President Ahmadinejad of Iran said yesterday that American political
influence in Iraq is "collapsing rapidly" and said his government is
ready to help fill any power vacuum. The hard-line leader also
defended Prime Minister al-Maliki of Iraq, a fellow Shiite Muslim
who has been harshly criticized by American politicians for his
unsuccessful efforts to reconcile Iraq's Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds.
"The political power of the occupiers is collapsing rapidly," Mr.
Ahmadinejad said at a news conference, referring to American troops
in Iraq. "Soon, we will see a huge power vacuum in the region. Of
course, we are prepared to fill the gap, with the help of neighbors
and regional friends like Saudi Arabia, and with the help of the
Iraqi nation." Mr. Ahmadinejad did not elaborate on his remarks, an
unusual declaration of Iran's interest in influencing its neighbor's
future. The mention of a Saudi role appeared aimed at allaying the
fears of Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim nations that Iran wants
to dominate in Iraq. Even though Saudi Arabia and Iran have not
cooperated in the past, it "doesn't mean it can't happen," Mr.
Ahmadinejad said. Iran fought a brutal eight-year war with Saddam
Hussein's regime and welcomed the elimination of a deeply hated
enemy. But Iran also strongly objects to the presence of America,
another rival, over its eastern and western borders in Afghanistan
and Iraq. "Occupation is the root of all problems in Iraq," Mr.
Ahmadinejad said. "It has become clear that occupiers are not able
to resolve regional issues." more...
Deception built super-secret abortion clinic World
Net Daily (August 29, 2007) -
Planned Parenthood concealed its ownership of a huge new abortion
facility scheduled to open soon in a Chicago suburb, and pro-life
advocates – and at least one city official – are questioning whether
the abortion provider can mislead officials without repercussions.
"There's always legal ramifications," Aurora, Ill., Alderman Richard
Irvin told the Chicago Tribune while standing with some of the
estimated 1,200 pro-life protesters who assembled over the weekend
to protest the existence of the structure that had been depicted by
owners as an office building.
He was not on the board when the project, proposed by a company
identifying itself as "Gemini Office Development," was approved. But
he said he has concerns the building was brought into his city under
false pretenses, and said the city could sue Planned Parenthood for
being deceptive. There was no acknowledgement during the permit
application and construction processes that the project actually was
scheduled to be an abortion business. However, as
WND columnist Jill Stanek reported,
a pro-life construction worker on the 22,000-square foot site became
suspicious of the bulletproof glass and surgical suites, components
not routine in an office building. It was soon outed as an
abortion facility, prompting the weekend protest, and outrage from
pro-life community members who said, as Stanek phrased it, "If
citizens may lie to occupancy permit officials, may they also lie to
police officers? Or at city council meetings? Where will Aurora draw
the line between permissible and impermissible lies?" "At a minimum,
the city of Aurora should launch an official and legal
investigation, questioning the applicant and tenant under oath about
statements on applications and in meetings," she said. "If the city
does not, is something more going on, a cover-up? Did some officials
know that the public documents filed and statements made by the
applicant were false? Did some officials know the tenant was to be
an abortion provider, but then conspired with Gemini to keep it
quiet to avoid politically unfavorable publicity?" Troy Newman,
president of
Operation Rescue, said the deception probably was the result of
two issues: the fact that a Planned Parenthood clinic's construction
in Austin, Texas, earlier was delayed for months when local
contractors refused to work on the project, and the general
atmosphere that accompanies abortion businesses. "What do you get
when you get an abortion facility? Not only do you get dead
children, the blight and underworld that comes along with that, but
you also get thousands upon thousands of pro-lifers who adorn the
streets with pictures of aborted children," he told WND. "I don't
think either is good for a community." The tactic, however, is not
isolated to the Illinois location. Newman said the same scenario
developed with Denver, where Planned Parenthood recently purchased a
building without announcing its presence. "The bottom line is nobody
wants an abortion facility in their community. It's kind of like a
toxic waste dump," he said. Cheryl Sullenger, also of Operation
Rescue, said community residents have legitimate concerns when a
Planned Parenthood facility announces it is moving in. "They're
concerned about their children, what their children are going to be
taught as far as sex education. They don't want their daughters
getting abortions without their knowledge, and in some states
Planned Parenthood is famous for promoting that. When Planned
Parenthood comes to town, the community is going to have something
to say about it," she said. Unless, of course, the community doesn't
know. more...
Exclusive: European Union officials hold secret talks with Hamas The
Jerusalem Post (August 29, 2007)
- EU security officials have been conducting secret talks with Hamas
leaders in the Gaza Strip over the past few weeks, Palestinian
Authority officials told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. The
PA officials did not reveal the identity of the visitors, except to
say that they belonged to three EU intelligence services. The
Europeans are said to have met with top Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar,
as well as Ahmed Yusef, political adviser to Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh. Sources close to Hamas confirmed that EU officials had
visited the Gaza Strip recently for talks focusing on security-related issues.
According to the sources, the Hamas leaders urged the EU
representatives to work to end the boycott of the Hamas government
in the Gaza Strip,
and to pressure Israel to reopen the Rafah border crossing between
Gaza and Egypt. "We hope these talks will be the first step toward
ending the boycott of Hamas, which came to power in a free and
democratic election," the sources told the Post. "There is
growing awareness among the Europeans of the fact that Hamas can't
be ignored as a major player in the Palestinian arena." In response,
Christina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU Foreign Policy chief Javier
Solana, told The Jerusalem Post that she was unaware of any
such meetings. On a separate note, she said that Solana was due to
visit the region this weekend and would be in Jerusalem, Ramallah
and Jordan. Israeli government officials contacted about this matter
Tuesday night said they knew of no EU contacts with Hamas. One
government official reiterated that Israel‚s position was that
"Hamas should not be dealt with and should be kept as far away form
the game as possible." The official added that Hamas was a terrorist
organization "that continues to do whatever it can to impede any
chance for progress." This is the first time Hamas has confirmed
that its representatives have held secret talks with EU security
officials. The Hamas representatives reportedly stressed during the
talks that they were not interested in a major confrontation with
Israel. Both Zahar and Yusef denied assertions that Hamas was
planning a wave of terrorist attacks in the West Bank to undermine
PA Chairman Mamoud Abbas's status ahead of November's Middle East
peace conference. Meanwhile, Abbas has asked Sudan to use its good
offices with Hamas to resolve the crisis in the PA. A senior Fatah
delegation headed by Azzam al-Ahmed, who is close to Abbas, held
talks in Khartoum on Tuesday with Sudanese government officials on
ways of ending the Fatah-Hamas dispute. The Fatah delegation
emphasized that Abbas and Fatah were keen on resuming "national
dialogue" with the Islamist group. Concealing The Workings of the Emerging World Order News With Views (August 29, 2007) - If you were to hide something in plain view, how would you go about it? Well, one way you might successfully do it is to give it a very bland and common name. You might even call it something very ordinary. One way might be to give it a name as common as BASIC. What can be more "basic" than BASIC? Then one would have those words stand for equally innocuous words such as, for example, "British American Security Information Council." Who would ever think to look there? Then you would establish a plain vanilla appearing website on a google.com and/or yahoo.com search. Few would be like to notice it and the participants could work openly without notice. You could then work open with your networking institutions such as the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and you would fund it with a little help from your friends:
Then, just so it
didn't sound too plain vanilla, you could spice it up with Board of
Directors that included such spicy luminaries as prolific rock/pop
musician Brian Eno. You would also include ambassadors. Well, that's
exactly what happened with so
many global governance networks.
If you are reading this and you wish to argue it to another, I recommend
you promptly document by archiving all links and links to links. It has
been my experience over the years that the folks who wish to impose
their own brand of global governance on us play this lovely little game
of "now you see us, now you don't." Things appear fast on the internet.
They disappear with equal speed. Unnoticed, the archives might hang out
there for years. Furthermore, Javier Solana is dismayed that those not
in support of his agenda "use the global village to full advantage."
When Javier Solana spoke at the Brookings Institution, the webcast and
mp3 versions revealed more than his published text. He expressed dismay
at freedom of the press and exchange of information. He moaned that it
enabled individuals with access to You-Tube and to a camera to change
history. The problem is, said Solana on March 21, 2007, that nobody
wants to obey. This, said Javier Solana, must change. In his speech,
Solana thanked
Carlos Pascual and
Strobe Talbott of the
Brookings Institution, as well
as
Steve Steadman "for getting
the global governance project off the ground." He should have given
thanks to the following organizations as well which seem to be very much
in on the party, if not the planning. much more...
The Blood-Red Moon, the Temple Mount and the Bible Bill
Koenig (August 28, 2007) - August
28, 2007, had very revealing headlines: A Blood-Red Moon
Rises over North America | Olmert Offers Temple Mount Sovereignty
to the Palestinians | Olmert and Abbas Meet on Israel's Land and
Jerusalem | Bush Says Iran's Actions Could Lead to a Shadow of a
Nuclear Holocaust | Bush Arrives in New Orleans for his 15th
Post-Katrina Visit |
These
were the news headlines on the day of a total lunar eclipse that
produced a "blood-red" moon, the second one in seven years with a
connection to the Temple Mount. A total lunar eclipse/"blood-red" moon
occurred on July 16, 2000, while U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat were
at the Middle East Summit at Camp David. The sticking point that
caused the summit to fail had to do with who would have sovereignty over
the Temple Mount — the Israelis or the Palestinian Arabs. During
this year's total lunar eclipse/"blood-red" moon of Aug. 28, 2007, that
rose over North America, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered
the Palestinians sovereignty over the Temple Mount. What was so
incredible about the timing of this offer is that it didn't take place
days, weeks or months after the "blood-red" moon but on the very same
day. In other words, the Temple Mount’s sovereignty was a central
focus during both total lunar eclipse/ "blood-red" moons in 2000 and
this week. Blood-Red Moon The Old and New Testaments speak of
blood-red moons prior to the Tribulation.
Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.
Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord
come. The Jewish Talmud (book of tradition/ interpretation) says,
"When the moon is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for
Israel. If its face is as red as blood, [it is a sign that] the sword is
coming to the world." Total-eclipse “blood-red” moons are rare.
The next total-eclipse/ "blood-red" moon will occur on Feb. 21, 2008.
Having another total eclipse this close to a previous one is extremely
rare; to say the least, we will be watching that day with much interest.
News From
the Last Two Blood-Red Moons more...
Israel offers Palestinians control of Temple Mount WorldNetDaily (August
28, 2007) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office
today presented the Palestinian Authority with a formal plan in which
the Jewish state would forfeit the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest site
– to Muslim control, according to top Palestinian sources. The sources
said Olmert's plan calls for the entire Temple Mount plaza to fall under
Arab sovereignty; Jerusalem's Old City holy sites near the Mount to be
governed by a Jewish, Christian and Muslim task force; and the Western
Wall plaza below the Mount to be controlled by Israel. The report
follows a
WND exclusive article last week stating Palestinian negotiators
drafting an agreement behind the scenes with Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert's office made clear they will not accept any final peace deal
with Israel unless the Jewish state forfeits the Temple Mount. According
to Palestinian negotiators who took part in today's Olmert-Abbas
meeting, the Israeli leader today also presented Abbas with a plan for
Israel to evacuate most of the West Bank and cede eastern sections of
Jerusalem. The plan called for Israel to retain three main settlement
blocks and in exchange Israel would offer the Palestinians Israeli Arab
towns in the north of the country, the Palestinian negotiators told WND.
David Baker, a spokesman for Olmert, would neither confirm nor deny the
prime minister offered the Temple Mount. He said ahead of today's talks
the summit would center on "the development of Palestinian-governing
institutions, bolstering Abbas' government and issues concerning
Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side." Over the weekend, an
Egyptian newspaper reported Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the
Egyptian government the Jewish state is willing to forfeit control of
the Temple Mount to the management of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian
Authority. The Al Massrioun daily reported Barak informed Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the Jordanian
government Israel is willing to hand them joint control over the Temple
Mount. According to the Egyptian report, Barak stated an umbrella group
of several Arab countries controlling the holy site instead of only the
PA would help ease Israeli domestic opposition to giving up the Temple
Mount, since Egypt and Jordan are considered by Israeli policy to be
moderate countries. Ronen Moshe, a spokesman for Barak, told WND the
Egyptian media report is "untrue." "We do not comment on the specifics
of private conversations with world leaders, but this report is not what
was said during the talks," Moshe said. A senior Palestinian official,
speaking on condition his name be withheld, told WND yesterday Israel
"understands there won't be any deal with the Palestinians unless it
forfeits the Temple Mount." more...
U.S. under U.N. law in health emergency World
Net Daily (August 28, 2007) -
The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America summit in
Canada released a plan that establishes U.N. law along with
regulations by the
World Trade Organization
and
World
Health Organization as
supreme over U.S. law during a pandemic and sets the stage for
militarizing the management of continental health emergencies. The "North
American Plan for Avian & Pandemic Influenza"
was finalized at the SPP summit last week in Montebello, Quebec. At
the same time, the U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, has
created a webpage
dedicated to avian flu and has been
running exercises in preparation for the possible use of U.S.
military forces in a continental domestic emergency
involving avian flu or pandemic influenza. With virtually no media
attention, in 2005 President Bush shifted U.S. policy on avian flu
and pandemic influenza, placing the country under international
guidelines not specifically determined by domestic agencies. The
policy shift was formalized Sept. 14, 2005, when Bush announced a
new
International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza
to a High-Level Plenary Meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, in New
York. The new International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic
Influenza was designed to supersede an earlier November 2005
Homeland Security report that called for a
U.S. national strategy that would be coordinated by the Departments
of Homeland Security, Health and Agriculture. The 2005 plan,
operative until Bush announced the International Partnership on
Avian and Pandemic Influenza, directed the State Department to work
with the WHO and U.N., but it does not mention that international
health controls are to be considered controlling over relevant U.S.
statutes or authorities. Under the International Partnership on
Avian and Pandemic Influenza, Bush agreed the U.S. would work
through the U.N. system influenza coordinator to develop a
continental emergency response plan operating through authorities
under the WTO,
North American Free Trade Agreement and
the
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
WND could find no evidence the Bush administration presented the
Influenza Partnership plan to Congress for oversight or approval.
The SPP plan for avian and pandemic influenza announced at the
Canadian summit last week embraces the international control
principles Bush first announced to the U.N. in his 2005
International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza
declaration. The SPP plan gives primacy for avian and pandemic
influenza management to plans developed by the WHO, WTO, U.N. and
NAFTA directives – not decisions made by U.S. agencies. The
U.N.-WHO-WTO-NAFTA plan advanced by SPP features a prominent role
for the U.N. system influenza coordinator as a central international
director in the case of a North American avian flu or pandemic
influenza outbreak. In Sept. 2005,
Dr. David Nabarro was appointed the first U.N. system influenza
coordinator, a position which also places
him as a senior policy adviser to the U.N. director-general. Nabarro
joined the WHO in 1999 and was appointed WHO executive director of
sustainable development and health environments in July 2002. In a
Sept. 29, 2005,
press conference at the U.N., Nabarro made
clear that his job was to prepare for the H5N1 virus, known as the
avian flu. Nabarro fueled the global fear that an epidemic was
virtually inevitable. In response to a question about the 1918-1919
flu pandemic that killed approximately 40 million people worldwide,
Nabarro commented, "I am certain there will be another pandemic
sometime." Nabarro stressed at the press conference that he saw as
inevitable a worldwide pandemic influenza coming soon that would
kill millions. more...
Olmert, Abbas aim to pave way for two-state deal The
Jerusalem Post (August 28, 2007)
- Amid a swirl of reports that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas are drafting an
agreement on principles dealing with Jerusalem,
borders and refugees, officials from both sides adamantly denied
Tuesday night that such a document was exchanged when the two
leaders met earlier in Jerusalem. Al Jazeera satellite television
broadcast on Tuesday what it claimed was the two-page document drawn
up by the two sides, but Israel dismissed the report as false.
"There is no such document," a spokesman in the Prime Minister's
Office said. "It doesn't exist." The official, continuing with the
office's policy of releasing only minimal information about what is
being discussed with Abbas and the PA, said the two leaders - in a
90-minute private meeting at Olmert's official residence - "spoke
about the fundamental issues essential to arriving at two states for
two peoples." The two are widely believed to be putting together an
agreement that will be brought to the US-sponsored international
conference in the fall. A willingness to discuss these issues at the
international meeting is widely considered in Jerusalem as a
prerequisite to Saudi participation, which both Israel and the US
are very keen on securing. Olmert and Abbas, who last met on August
6, are expected to meet again before the scheduled visit in
mid-September of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Israeli government officials say that discussions on Jerusalem,
refugees and borders are being conducted at a very general level,
with details to be filled in at negotiating sessions that will be
held after the international summit. Meanwhile, PA officials played
down the significance of Tuesday's meeting, saying the two leaders
did not exchange any written documents and that in any case Abbas
was planning to call a national referendum on any agreement he
reached with Israel. They expressed doubt that a majority of
Palestinians would endorse an agreement that did not call for a full
Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders, including leaving east
Jerusalem. "Today's meeting was good and thorough, but until now we
haven't discussed any details related to the fundamental issues,"
said chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat. "Nor have we reached the stage
of exchanging documents. We did not hand over to the Israelis any
written document. Likewise, we did not receive from them anything in
writing." Erekat said Abbas's goal was to achieve a just and
comprehensive peace with Israel based on the two-state solution. He
warned against attempts to "prejudice" the Israeli-Palestinian
talks, saying some parties were operating outside the frame of the
official negotiations. more...
Ahmadinejad says his country now a 'nuclear Iran' The
Jerusalem Post (August 28, 2007)
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
reiterated Tuesday that Teheran has achieved full proficiency in
the nuclear fuel cycle and warned the West that dialogue and
friendship - not threats - were the right way to deal with
Iran. "Today, Iran is a nuclear Iran," Ahmadinejad told a press
conference in Teheran. "That means, it fully possesses the whole
nuclear fuel cycle." Ahmadinejad, however, said his country was
committed to a "peaceful path" in pursuing its controversial nuclear
program. Ahmadinejad's comments followed an announcement Monday by
the International Atomic Energy Agency which said that Teheran was
offering some cooperation in the agency's probe of an alleged secret
uranium
processing project linked by US intelligence to a nuclear arms
program. The IAEA has said that Teheran also outlined its timetable
for providing other sensitive information sought by the Vienna,
Austria-based UN watchdog in its investigation of over two decades
of nuclear activity by the Islamic republic, most of it clandestine
until revealed more than four years ago. The US criticized the deal
with the IAEA, saying the agreement won't save Iran from a third set
of UN Security Council sanctions for refusing to halt uranium enrichment. Some in the
IAEA have suggested Washington may be trying to derail important
progress in the Iranian nuclear negotiations, in a drive to impose
new UN penalties. At the presser in Teheran, Ahmadinejad said the US
president was a "wicked, selfish and arrogant" leader who has abused
the UN Security Council in a push to stop Iran's nuclear program.
Although the Iranian leader did not name George W. Bush, his remarks
were clearly addressed to his US counterpart. "You saw that your
coercion ... was futile," Ahmadinejad said. "Some wicked and selfish
leaders stood arrogantly behind the podium to say, 'we won't let
them do this' ... You sold out your prestige and stood against a
cultured nation... I recommend that you don't repeat this ugly
behavior." The US and its allies fear Teheran is using its civilian
nuclear program as a cover to produce atomic weapons. Iran denies
the charge, saying its program is solely geared toward generating
electricity. more...
Holy forfeit! Israel willing to give up Temple Mount World
Net Daily (August 28, 2007) -
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Egyptian government the
Jewish state is willing to forfeit control over the Temple Mount –
Judaism's holiest site – to the management of Egypt, Jordan and the
Palestinian Authority, according to an Arab media report. The Egyptian
Al Massrioun daily reported last weekend Barak informed Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the Jordanian
government Israel is willing to hand them joint control over the Temple
Mount. The report follows a
WND exclusive article last
week stating Palestinian negotiators drafting an agreement behind the
scenes with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office made clear they will not
accept any final peace deal with Israel unless the Jewish state forfeits
the Temple Mount. According to the Egyptian media report over the
weekend, Barak stated an umbrella group of several Arab countries
controlling the holy site instead of only the PA would help ease Israeli
domestic opposition to giving up the Temple Mount, since Egypt and
Jordan are considered by Israeli policy to be moderate countries. Ronen
Moshe, a spokesman for Barak, told WND the Egyptian media report is
"untrue." "We do not comment on the specifics of private conversations
with world leaders, but this report is not what was said during the
talks," Moshe said. A senior Palestinian official, speaking on condition
his name be withheld, told WND yesterday Israel "understands there won't
be any deal with the Palestinians unless it forfeits the Temple Mount."
The official said the Mount was previously a sticking point in
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, but he said Prime Minister Olmert's
government has expressed a number of times a willingness to compromise
on the Temple Mount. "We've recently received many Israeli plans that
showed Israel is willing to allow another body, whether Palestinian or
international, to control the [Temple Mount]. The issue is no longer a
sticking point," the Palestinian official said. During U.S.-led
negotiations in 2000, Barak, then prime minister, reportedly was willing
to forfeit the Temple Mount to international control. Those negotiations
fell through after Palestinian President Yasser Arafat rejected an offer
of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections
of Jerusalem. Adviser Gilad Sher – who represented Barak at initial
Israeli-Palestinian planning meetings in 2000 during which President
Clinton discussed the Temple Mount – wrote in his book "Beyond Reach"
that Clinton's plan called for the Temple Mount to become complete
Palestinian sovereign territory, while the Western Wall below and its
complex would fall under Israeli sovereignty. Barak was said to have
initially rejected that plan, but according to participants at the
negotiations summit, he was ultimately willing to place the Mount under
international sovereignty. Some reports claimed Barak offered the Temple
Mount to the Palestinians, but the Israeli politician has denied those
claims. more...
Ex-Islamist Gul elected Turkey's president Reuters
(August 28, 2007) - Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was elected
president by Turkey's parliament on Tuesday, the first former
Islamist to take the post in the secular but predominantly Muslim
country's modern history. Armed forces chief General Yasar Buyukanit
said on Monday he saw "centers of evil" seeking to undermine the
secular republic, a statement suggesting the army would not stand on
the sidelines if it saw the separation between religion and state
threatened. "Abdullah Gul in the third round obtained an absolute
majority and was elected the 11th president of Turkey with 339
votes," parliament speaker Koksal Toptan said after the vote. The
Islamist-rooted AK Party has 341 seats in the 550-seat chamber. Two
other candidates also stood for president. Gul has established
himself as a respected diplomat since the AK Party was first elected
in 2002, securing the launch of Turkey's European Union entry talks.
He pledges to be a leader for all Turks, but he is not to the taste
of a military that suspects the AK Party of harboring a secret
Islamist agenda. Many observers expect Gul, who broke with an
Islamist party in 1999, will try to avoid confrontation. "You
shouldn't expect radical moves with Gul as president. Both his
opponents, who are scared he might do so, will be surprised and his
supporters hoping for radical moves will be disappointed," said
academic expert Cengiz Candar. more...
Olmert and Abbas discuss Palestinian statehood
Reuters
(August 28, 2007) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held talks on Palestinian
statehood on Tuesday but discussed core issues only in broad terms,
a senior Palestinian official said. Abbas has been pressing for the
highly contentious matters of borders and the future of Jerusalem
and Palestinian refugees to be included in his discussions with
Olmert ahead of a U.S.-sponsored Middle East conference expected in
November. But Saeb Erekat, a senior Abbas adviser who attended the
meeting with Olmert in Jerusalem, told reporters: "These talks did
not reach the level of details." Abbas said on Monday the
international gathering proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush
would be a waste of time if Israel pressed ahead with plans to
pursue only a broadbrush "declaration of principles." Israeli
officials have used that phrase to describe what Olmert might offer
in answer to calls for rapid, final talks in detail on establishing
a Palestinian state. David Baker, an Israeli government spokesman,
said Abbas and Olmert held two hours of "one-on-one" talks and spoke
about fundamental issues which would lead to the establishment of
two states for two peoples. Baker declined to define the subjects.
Olmert hosted Abbas, whose Fatah faction lost control of the Gaza
Strip to Hamas Islamists in fighting in June, at his official
Jerusalem residence. They last met three weeks ago in the West Bank
town of Jericho. Israeli political commentators said Olmert,
weakened by the failings of his government and the military in last
year's Lebanon war, was in no rush to take on "final-status" issues
in depth and risk splitting a cabinet that includes the far right.
"I do not want to belittle the negotiations but also I do not want
to raise expectations," Erekat said. Olmert and Abbas, he said,
would continue to "exert every effort" in pursuit of the creation of
a Palestinian state alongside Israel. more...
'We Are Going to Get Hit Again' Reuters
(August 27, 2007) - Al Qaeda has an active plot to hit the
West. The United States knows about it but doesn’t have enough
tactical detail to issue a precise warning or raise the threat
level, says Vice Admiral (ret.) John Scott Redd, who heads the
government’s National Counterterrorism Center. In an interview at
his headquarters near Washington, D.C., Redd told Newsweek’s Mark
Hosenball and Jeffrey Bartholet that the country is better prepared
than ever to counter such threats. But he also believes another
successful terror attack on the U.S. homeland is inevitable.
Excerpts:
U.S. seeks home for research on fearsome diseases Reuters
(August 27, 2007) - A federal laboratory off Long Island,
known as the "Alcatraz for animal disease," may move to the U.S.
mainland as part of a new $450 million research center. Plans for
the next-generation National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, slated
to go online by 2013, include biosafety labs where scientists, clad
in outfits resembling spacesuits and tethered to air supplies, would
research diseases that can spread to people from animals. The
Department of Homeland Security has partially completed a round of
public hearings, which conclude September 20, on six potential sites
for the NBAF, including Plum Island, which already houses an older
research center. Public meetings are scheduled for Tuesday in
Manhattan, Kansas, and for Thursday in Flora, Mississippi, on
proposals to build the facility in those communities. Sites also
have been proposed in San Antonio, Texas; Athens, Georgia, and
Butner, North Carolina. The winning site would be named in fall 2008
under the schedule outlined by the government. For more than half a
century, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center has been the only
federal laboratory permitted to conduct research on live
foot-and-mouth disease viruses. If another site is selected,
Congress will be asked to repeal a law that bars such research on
the mainland, a DHS spokesman said. Homeland Security says the NBAF
would conduct research on highly contagious diseases, like
foot-and-mouth disease and swine fever, along with two diseases that
can spread to humans from animals, Rift Valley Fever and Japanese
encephalitis. "Today's ... labs are extremely safe," said the
spokesman, Larry Orluskie. There are four labs that run at biosafety
level 4, which calls for multiple safeguards while handling
high-risk disease organisms, in urban areas -- Atlanta, the
Washington, D.C. suburbs, and in Galveston and San Antonio, Texas.
By comparison, a college chemistry lab could be level 1. "There has
never been a public exposure at a BSL-4 lab in the United States,"
DHS said in documents prepared for the public meetings, which will
garner information on possible environmental impacts at each site.
more...
Solanaman Fulfilled
Prophecy (August 24, 2007) - A
breakthrough may have been reached with Iran's nuclear program,
according to reports from the
Islamic Republic News Agency and the
Associated Press. During two days of talks in Tehran on Monday
and Tuesday, representatives from Iran and the International Atomic
Energy Agency (the UN's nuclear watchdog) reportedly finalized an
agreement that was previously made between Iran's top nuclear
negotiator, Ali Larijani, the IAEA secretary general, Mohamed
ElBaradei, and the EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana. The
agreement follows on the heels of ongoing negotiations between
Larijani and Solana that Solana called "very constructive."
Read about the talks here. And in March, the Iranian foreign
minister said Larijani's meetings with Solana were helping to
materialize a solution. The agreement reportedly includes a
framework -- a plan and timetable -- for resolving the international
community's concerns over Iran's nuclear program. It comes a month
before the IAEA is scheduled to release a progress report on Iran's
nuclear program. A favorable report would keep new UN sanctions from
being imposed on Iran. Yet, Washington opposes the agreement and
believes new sanctions should be imposed, according to the
Associated Press article. The U.S. fears that the IAEA is giving
into Iran -- and just days after the United States labeled Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.
Read about it here. But European nations may see things
differently. This
Asia Times Online article today reports that European nations --
with the exception of the EU3 (France, Germany and Britain) feel
that Iran and the IAEA have reached an acceptable agreement. The EU3
have sided with the United States -- agreeing that Iran is not
complying with UN demands -- and, with the U.S., these three have
been negotiating with Iran outside of the UN efforts. Yet, their
efforts haven't produced the results Solana's have, causing the Asia
Times article to ask and then answer its own question: "Why is the
Larijani-Solana duet making progress while other channels are not?
The answer is persuasive diplomacy, for Solana has wisely used quiet
diplomacy and rationality, rather than the rhetoric of Washington
and London." If Solana's negotiations continue to deliver results
with Iran, then it will be interesting to see his diplomatic skills
resulting in yet another successful breakthrough -- one others
thought was impossible. Solana has a long history of such
negotiations, earning him a reputation as a diplomatic superhero.
That's why I call him "Solanaman." The funny thing is, after I
titled this article I found another article my dad had written about
Solana by the same name.
Read it here. I guess I really rubbed off on my dad. (Ha ha! ...
I can tease my him now, and he can't say anything ... at least where
I can hear him!) We're also waiting to see if Solana's
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for Peace will deliver stability to
the Middle East. Staying tuned!
The Militarization of the Alliance of Civilizations
Richard Peterson
(August 24, 2007)
- Over the months
that followed the cartoon crisis, I paid very close attention to the
Alliance of Civilizations’ web site. Daily search engine inquiries and
AoC web visits had become routine. July and August yielded more than
enough reading material. One such report, the
OSCE
contribution to the Alliance of Civilizations initiative,
was released in June. The OSCE originated
from the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 (also known as the Helsinki Process)
and changed its official name to the Organization for Security and
Co-operation of Europe in 1994. To this day, the
Helsinki Process
remains active working to implement a one
world government. What I found was that the OSCE had been particularly
impressed with how the EU’s High Representative Javier Solana and the
Alliance of Civilizations had turned the
cartoon crisis into opportunity. Now
they were on board and had written of their unique position to
contribute to the implementation of the AoC initiative. Although I found
aspects of the report somewhat troublesome, it wasn’t until I read the
Alliance’s July 17
Report of
the Hearing with the International Community and Civil Society
that I decided to give the OSCE a second
in-depth look. The International Hearings report contains the following:
“The Military Staff Committee, instead of being abolished, should be
revived so that meetings of military leaders at different levels could
be introduced for the international practice.” (page 26) It appeared
that the defunct Committee was about to be revived! I also read: “On the
national level, constitutional democracy does not entail the existence
of a police state or military watchdog, but implies observation of the
laws that have been worked out by the elected representatives, as well
as the adherence to the value system.” (page 26) This reminded me of a
statement in the OSCE report that I found puzzling. They said that the
OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization, comprising
of 56 participating states and that “decisions are based on consensus
and are politically but not legally binding”. What did that mean? I
found my answer in the
Helsinki Process Papers--Building Democracy From Manila to Doha: The
Evolution of the Movement of New or Restored Democracies
as follows: “Under its human
dimension objectives, the OSCE has adopted instruments, created norms
and initiated activities for the promotion of democracy and governance.
The OSCE instruments are "politically binding commitments" for the
participating states, and become effective upon adoption and
implementable without having to wait for subsequent domestic approval or
ratification. This process allows also the OSCE to react quickly to new
needs.” (page 67) The Barcelona Process, established in 1995, set
among its goals the responsibility of straightening out the clash of
civilizations as well as combating religious fundamentalism worldwide.
The Alliance of Civilizations intends to start operations within the
framework of the Barcelona Process and then amplify the AoC initiative
globally. Next is
NATO and the AoC. NATO is also on board
with the Alliance of Civilizations and, unknown to most Americans, has
split under the
Berlin-Plus Agreement. In the
event of a crisis situation, NATO assets are transferred to the European
Union’s Political and Security Committee presently presided over by EU
High Representative Javier Solana.
Crisis
management drills
have already been conducted to test the Berlin-Plus
arrangement. Moving in we have the European Union which has at its
disposal the crisis management
Battle Groups which can simultaneously
sustain multiple offensive operations. These battle groups are intended
for rapid deployment while awaiting reinforcements from member states’
militaries and NATO assets. The
European Security Strategy has
committed to strengthening the United Nations so that it may fulfill its
role in global governance. Anything that undermines global governance is
considered by Solana to be a threat. Statewatch’s report,
Arming
Big Brother,
provides an excellent analysis of the EU’s militarization. The EU is
fully committed to the Alliance of Civilizations as it has appointed the
Anna Lindh Foundation to oversee its implementation. more...
Mark Steyn: The vanishing jihad exposés
OC Register (August
5, 2007) - How will we lose the war against "radical Islam"?
Well, it won't be in a tank battle. Or in the Sunni Triangle or the
caves of Bora Bora. It won't be because terrorists fly three jets into
the Oval Office, Buckingham Palace and the Basilica of St Peter's on the
same Tuesday morning. The war will be lost incrementally because we are
unable to reverse the ongoing radicalization of Muslim populations in
South Asia, Indonesia, the Balkans, Western Europe and, yes, North
America. And who's behind that radicalization? Who funds the mosques and
Islamic centers that in the past 30 years have set up shop on just about
every Main Street around the planet? For the answer, let us turn to a
fascinating book called "Alms for Jihad: Charity And Terrorism in the
Islamic World," by J. Millard Burr, a former USAID relief coordinator,
and the scholar Robert O Collins. Can't find it in your local Barnes &
Noble? Never mind, let's go to Amazon. Everything's available there. And
sure enough, you'll come through to the "Alms for Jihad" page and find a
smattering of approving reviews from respectably torpid publications:
"The most comprehensive look at the web of Islamic charities that have
financed conflicts all around the world," according to Canada's Globe
And Mail, which is like the New York Times but without the jokes.
Unfortunately, if you then try to buy "Alms for Jihad," you discover
that the book is "Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this
item will be back in stock." Hang on, it was only published last year.
At Amazon, items are either shipped within 24 hours or, if a little more
specialized, within four to six weeks, but not many books from 2006 are
entirely unavailable with no restock in sight. Well, let us cross the
ocean, thousands of miles from the Amazon warehouse, to the High Court
in London. Last week, the Cambridge University Press agreed to recall
all unsold copies of "Alms for Jihad" and pulp them. In addition, it has
asked hundreds of libraries around the world to remove the volume from
their shelves. This highly unusual action was accompanied by a letter to
Sheikh Khalid bin Mahfouz, in care of his English lawyers, explaining
their reasons: "Throughout the book there are serious and defamatory
allegations about yourself and your family, alleging support for
terrorism through your businesses, family and charities, and directly.
"As a result of what we now know, we accept and acknowledge that all of
those allegations about you and your family, businesses and charities
are entirely and manifestly false." Who is Sheikh Khalid bin Mahfouz?
Well, he's a very wealthy and influential Saudi. Big deal, you say. Is
there any other kind? Yes, but even by the standards of very wealthy and
influential Saudis, this guy is plugged in: He was the personal banker
to the Saudi royal family and head of the National Commercial Bank of
Saudi Arabia, until he sold it to the Saudi government. He has a swanky
pad in London and an Irish passport and multiple U.S. business
connections, including to Thomas Kean, the chairman of the 9/11
Commission. I'm not saying the 9/11 Commission is a Saudi shell
operation, merely making the observation that, whenever you come across
a big-shot Saudi, it's considerably less than six degrees of separation
between him and the most respectable pillars of the American
establishment. As to whether allegations about support for terrorism by
the sheikh and his "family, businesses and charities" are "entirely and
manifestly false," the Cambridge University Press is going way further
than the United States or most foreign governments would. Of his bank's
funding of terrorism, Sheikh Mahfouz's lawyer has said: "Like upper
management at any other major banking institution, Khalid Bin Mahfouz
was not, of course, aware of every wire transfer moving through the
bank. Had he known of any transfers that were going to fund al-Qaida or
terrorism, he would not have permitted them." Sounds reasonable enough.
Except that in this instance the Mahfouz bank was wiring money to the
principal Mahfouz charity, the Muwafaq (or "Blessed Relief") Foundation,
which in turn transferred them to Osama bin Laden. In October 2001, the
Treasury Department named Muwafaq as "an al-Qaida front that receives
funding from wealthy Saudi businessmen" and its chairman as a "specially
designated global terrorist." As the Treasury concluded, "Saudi
businessmen have been transferring millions of dollars to bin Laden
through Blessed Relief." Indeed, this "charity" seems to have no other
purpose than to fund jihad. It seeds Islamism wherever it operates. In
Chechnya, it helped transform a reasonably conventional nationalist
struggle into an outpost of the jihad. In the Balkans, it played a key
role in replacing a traditionally moderate Islam with a form of
Mitteleuropean Wahhabism. Pick a Muwafaq branch office almost anywhere
on the planet and you get an interesting glimpse of the typical Saudi
charity worker. The former head of its mission in Zagreb, Croatia, for
example, is a guy called Ayadi Chafiq bin Muhammad. Well, he's called
that most of the time. But he has at least four aliases and residences
in at least three nations (Germany, Austria and Belgium). He was named
as a bin Laden financier by the U.S. government and disappeared from the
United Kingdom shortly after 9/11. more... e-mail:
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